The Alien’s Shepherd – Aliens and Animals Book 4 by Skye MacKinnon & Arizona Tape

July 30, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

The Alien’s Shepherd

Aliens and Animals Book 4

By
USA Today Bestselling Authors
Sky MacKinnon
&
Arizona Tape

What if home is a person,
not a planet?

After getting transported to an alien planet, shepherd Heather has trouble adjusting to her new surroundings. When a chance to visit Earth for supplies comes up, she jumps on the opportunity, hoping it might help her understand what home really means to her.

Daring pilot Atina from Kyven loves nothing more than to soar through the galaxy without ties to anyone or anywhere… until Heather steps on board of her spaceship and shows her what she’s been missing.

Despite being from two vastly different worlds, they sense a connection between them – but will their love be enough to overcome their challenges?

Heather is feeling like a fifth wheel here on Kyven. Rachel has her mate, Tamsia, but all she has is her sheep. The highland cows are fussier than her sheep in their eating habits so now they need more feed. Rachel wants to stay with her mate, so she asks Heather to go alone. She’s going to have to disguise herself because of the way they left earth, but it sounds like an adventure to her anyway.

Heather’s traveling with Abby and Sahra her mate, but they spend most of their time in their cabin. She’s trying to get a snack in the lounge when she sees the pilot again.

This is a favorite scene.

After what felt like a few days on the spaceship, I was slowly finding my way around. There wasn’t much to explore between my cabin, the food hall, and the observation deck, but I kept discovering new mysteries.

I pressed my hand firmly on the food hatch’s touchpad, frustration coursing through me when it flashed all kinds of dots at me. The implanted translator did an adequate job in helping me around but it was useless when it came to written media.

My stomach grumbled impatiently and I searched around for someone to help me, my gaze latching onto the green-haired pilot coming from the bridge. I didn’t know her name and while she’d initially been rather stoic and stiff, she had also been the only one who’d bothered to show us to our bunks.

“Hey.” I waved pathetically, hoping to get her attention. I still didn’t know her name.

A lopsided smile tugged her blue lips up as she came my way. “Hello, Heather.”

My stomach fluttered from the way she said my name but that could’ve also just been the hunger. “I’m trying to get a snack but it’s not working.”

“That’s because this is a tool cabinet.” The pilot gestured to a similar sized hatch a few metres to the left. “That one is for food outside of meal times.”

“Oh.” Embarrassed, I made my way over to the other hatch and pressed my palm on the pad again, frustrated when nothing happened here either.

“You’re still doing it wrong.” The pilot placed her hand on mine, just like before again. “You need to move your fingers, like this.”

A spark danced up my arm from her touch and I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks and ears, no doubt turning them a bright shade of red. I always hated how easily my skin flushed but there wasn’t much I could do about it.

I did as she asked and the pad lit up while an automated voice inside my head asked what I wanted to eat. Of course, I thought of burgers, pizza, and ice cream.

In return, the spaceship dropped a plate of green goop that had a concerning wobble like jelly or aspic.

I pulled my nose up. “What’s that?”

“Ship guts,” the green-haired Kyven replied.

“It’s good for you.”

“Is it really edible or is this another tool cabinet?”

To prove her point, the pilot leaned down and took a playful bite from the top of the jelly. “It tastes better than it looks.”

Part of me just wanted to throw it in the bin but my rumbling stomach reminded me that I’d regret that later. Reluctantly, I nibbled on the edge, trying to ignore how weirdly slippery and smooth it was. A sour taste spread through my mouth, followed by a horrid bitterness that reminded me of the time I tried to eat a roasted coffee bean.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it does not taste better than it looks,” I said once I’d managed to swallow. My stomach turned just thinking about taking another bite. I couldn’t. “I can’t eat this.”

“Here, try this.” The pilot handed me something similar to a protein bar in a see-through wrapper.

“Are you sure?” While it looked better, I was still cautious as I took my first bite of the crunchy bar. A welcome sweetness exploded on my tongue and instantly erased the lingering bitterness from the jelly. “Mmm, yum. That reminds me of my favourite candy bar. Wow, that’s so good. Where did you get that from?”

“Home,” the other woman replied with a shrug.

“It’s amazing. Thank you.” I quickly devoured the whole thing. If I’d known the food was going to be so bad, I’d have brought my own. At least now I knew to bring a whole lot of snacks back with me on the return journey.

Once my immediate hunger was stilled, I could think straight again. I still didn’t know the pilot’s name and she’d already helped me twice.

“I don’t think I caught your name,” I told her.

“Why would you catch my name? It’s not on the run,” she replied with a confused frown.

“It’s an expression in my language. I meant, I don’t know your name.”

“That’s correct,” she said with a little grin, clearly enjoying herself.

“What is your name?”

“No, What is not my name.” A flash of pink shot past us and bounced up against the wall, landing on the pilot’s shoulder. She smiled warmly at the qoark and tickled its belly. Or face. “Hello, Jiji. You finally decided to join me?”

The fluffy animal squeaked like a cat toy that was being massacred.

“Aww, you silly thing.”

I yelped when it jumped on my shoulder and rubbed its soft pink far against my face. It reminded me a little of the softest lamb wool, but just in a nauseating colour. It kind of looked like a ball of wool, too.

“Jiji likes you.”

“I don’t know why,” I told her, gently lifting the qoark up and holding it in my hands so I could study it. Up close, I could make out a pair of beady eyes hidden deep within the fur and a tiny mouth that looked a little like an octopus beak. It was a weird creature that seemed to hold a lot of affection for the pilot.

It made me miss my sheep. It was a shame I couldn’t bring them with me but totally understandable; there were too many of them and they weren’t exactly well-behaved. Mocha always peed on my shoes and Cloudling liked nibbling on my shirt, but they’d been with me ever since my parents died. I’d never been separated from them for very long.

This trip better be worth it.

“I still don’t know your name,” I said when I felt the pilot’s gaze on me.

“Maybe it should stay that way. It’s kind of fun.”

“It’s not fun for me. I don’t like having a conversation with someone if I don’t know their name.”

Her eyes lit up with mirth. “Oh, you want to have a conversation with me?”

I looked around the empty room. There was nobody else to talk to. Abby and Sahra were in their cabin, and I didn’t really want to imagine what they were doing. I doubted Captain Ellabee would like it if I went to the bridge and pestered her with questions. I didn’t feel tired yet, so this nameless pilot was as good as anyone to pass the time with.

“Maybe. If you have another of those crunchy bars.”

With a grin, the green-haired woman produced one from her pocket. “I always have at least a few of them with me. You never know when you get hungry.”

She handed me the bar and picked up Jiji, depositing the fluffy animal on her shoulder. It squeaked adorably before making sounds that reminded me of smacking lips. Was it kissing the pilot? It was hard to see under all that pink fur.

I nibbled on my bar, not really hungry anymore. The first had been more filling than I’d realised.

“Where is everyone?” I asked when the pilot stayed silent.

“Working, sleeping, stargazing. Take your pick. We’re always busiest after a planet stop, so most of the crew will be hard at work. You’ll find more people in the lounge later, once all the cargo has been unpacked and sorted. Then everything calms down until we get close to the next destination.”

“And what is our next destination? Earth?”

“No, Andui’li, a moon of planet X6827. The planet itself is uninhabited, which is why it never got a proper name, but the moon is a popular holiday destination. We’ve got some cargo to offload there. I hope we get a bit of shore leave. They have these amazing creamy treats there that are served in a seashell. Sooooo good. And the views from the top of the spaceport are amazing. Sometimes I just sit there and take in the view.”

“That sounds very relaxing.”

She grinned. “It really is. I need to ask the captain if we get to spend some time on the moon. If we do, I suppose I could show you around. If you have the right documents. They don’t let everyone land there. Scared of people settling permanently instead of just staying for a holiday.”

That sounded surprisingly like some countries back home. I supposed it shouldn’t come as a surprise that planets had immigration controls and all that. They’d scanned our biometric information at the spaceport on Kyven, but I hadn’t needed any documents. Not that I had any. When we’d left Earth, we hadn’t exactly planned to end up on an alien planet. Did they have space passports? Alien visas? I’d have to ask Sahra. She’d travelled a lot and would know.

Jiji snored loudly. I looked at the pilot and we both started laughing.

“I’m Atina, by the way.”

I held out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Atina.”
Skye MacKinnon. The Aliens Shepherd – Skye MacKinnon (Kindle Locations 304-374). Kindle Edition.

Atina invites her to the cockpit when she gets an alert. Not realizing it was going to be quite an emergency.

The maneuver she used to keep them from crashing, caused a bit of havoc with their cargo. Apparently the rashipis have gotten out of their pens and now the captain has assigned Atina to get them back where they belong. With the Captain’s permission she recruits Heather to help her. Heather thinks they sound a bit like sheep so she may know a few tricks.

I love the way their relationship develops over their visit to Earth. There’s lots of excitement, fun and romance along the way as well.

5 Contented Purrs for Skye and Arizona!

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Coming Soon!

A creator at heart, Ari has always been in love with the idea of turning nothing into something. She wants to conquer the book world with stories that focus on inclusivity and diversity, writing what she likes to read. Whether it’s adventure or romance, dragons and vampires, or princesses and students, there’s something for everyone.

Born in China, raised in Belgium, and currently living in the United Kingdom with her girlfriend, Ari is a citizen of the world and loves discovering new cultures. Luckily, her crazy imagination lets her discover places she’s never been to, meet people that don’t exist, and talk to readers from all over the world.

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Skye MacKinnon

Skye MacKinnon is a USA Today & International Bestselling Author whose books are filled with strong heroines who don’t have to choose.

She embraces her Scottishness with fantastical Scottish settings and a dash of mythology, no matter if she’s writing about Celtic gods, cat shifters, or the streets of Edinburgh.

When she’s not typing away at her favourite cafe, Skye loves dried mango, as much exotic tea as she can squeeze into her cupboards, and being covered in pet hair by her two bunnies, Emma and Darwin.

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Royal Honor – Dragon Royals Book 5 by May Dawson

July 29, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

Royal Honor

Dragon Royals Book 5

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
May Dawson

My unruly kingdom will bow to me as queen… or we will all perish.

My men and I are under attack from all sides. My evil uncle invades the isle. The chaos god stalks Caldren. The uncontrolled Scourge sweep across the kingdom.

I’m fighting for the future of the isle. But I’m also fighting for a happy ending—for Talisyn’s eyes to light up with memories and for Zehr to finally take his place at my side. For Jaik and Caldren, even after having gripped the crown, to take their places at my side… together. For Damyn to surrender to the desire between us.

Chaos will try to tear us apart.

But I’ll bring us all together… or die trying.

In the prologue of this book we learn about Damyn and his relationship with Honor’s parents.

As this book opens, Lynx and Branok are researching the God Ebba and the chaos when he’s in this world. Nobles had brought him back to do their bidding and kill Caldren. They fought their way out of that but there’s still some Nobles that need to be done away with, and that is what they plan to do. They are in the city where the academy is and the others are scattered in different places.

Honor is caring for Zehr with the help of Arren and is also considering taking on the crown of the lord of the scourge. After Tor attempts to take the crown from Zehr, a messenger from her uncle, King Kallus arrives. He wants a word and Honor wants a war.

The scourge attack the city and Branok collects Hanna from the Posselbaum Academy. They go off to find Jaik and Caldren.

Jaik and Caldren are together in the rebel camp. Nora has let them know there is unhappiness at that fact. An earthquake has them finding a tunnel at the bottom of the opened chasm. That leads them to where hybrids were being made, whether by Zehr or their father they aren’t sure. But they are attacked by cat sized armored bugs.

Honor is collecting the scourge stones. She gets her father’s from Kallum and also takes her mother’s things from him. She’s also trying to deal with Ebba, that isn’t going well. Her mother’s scourge stone is in the hilt of her sword, so that’s the next thing Honor is going after.

Through all of this with Zehr dying, the scourge are attacking with more frequency.

At this moment, Honor bears three marks, Jaik’s, Caldren’s and Zehr’s. The next mark she gets is from Talisyn but they mark each other. She later marks Branok and Lynx and they her.

In order to save Zehr, she takes the bone crown willingly and becomes Queen of the Scourge. Now she has to find the rest of the scourge stones and end this madness, even if it takes away the other magics. It will correct a great wrong.

This is a favorite scene.

Talisyn and I winged our way over the mountains only to find Honor’s castle surrounded by Scourge. Panic swept over me.

Had the Scourge come to worship her… or kill her? Had they rejected her attempt to take the Bone Crown? Or maybe she hadn’t taken the crown at all, and we had a chance to protect her… from herself and from the Scourge.

“We’ll fly over them land on the castle,” I said to Talisyn. “We have to reach Honor. There’s too many of them; we need to fight as dragons if we have to fight. But it’s best if we fly.”

Tal looked grim. He knew as well as I did this was far too many Scourge for a fight. It was than an entire army, more than I’d ever seen before. It was a nation of Scourge.

The Scourge seemed to sense us—they despised dragons as much as they feared us—and they turned as one, moving eerily to face us. As we soared over them, safely out of reach, I glimpsed hybrids amongst the crowd of zombie faces.

And then I glimpsed red hair.

I called to Talisyn through the bond and the two of us dropped, landing suddenly on either side of Honor. The Scourge scattered back as we breathed fire across them all.

Honor looked annoyed, not grateful. Snapping eyes met mine. Her lips parted as if she had something to say. I, too, had a lot to say, but I couldn’t manage to think of where to begin with this damned girl.

Her lips closed tightly. She stormed back toward the castle, leaving us—and the Scourge—behind.

The Scourge growled and hissed and surged toward us. I sheathed my sword, ready to shift.

And then she stopped and looked back. “Stop it!” she shouted, as if she were scolding a dog barking in the early hours of the morning.

The Scourge hissed but stopped moving. Their eyes tracked us, a thousand eyeballs—more or less, given how many had lost some—but they didn’t attack.

I had a thousand questions as Talisyn and I followed her into the castle.

Not least of all as Honor held up a finger, telling us to pause, then offered her arm to a girl in a brown dress. The girl looked exhausted, worn, as she looped her arm in Honor’s.

Then Honor disappeared into the shadows.

Honor was back in a moment. “Now you may return to yelling at me.”

As if I needed an invitation.

“What the hell is going on?” I demanded. “Why are the Scourge camping on our lawn? Did Zehr call them?”

“I’m trying to send them back to the bone mountain,” she said.

“You’re trying to send them back?” My voice came out soft and dangerous. I wanted to confirm she’d really done what I thought.

Talisyn’s lips tightened as if he understood.

“Zehr was about to die,” she said. “I had to save him. He’s the only one who saw the birth of the Scourge and knows how to break the curse.”

“And?” I demanded.

Her chin rose, the way it did when she knew I wouldn’t like her answer. “I needed a leader of the Scourge I could trust. To break the magic once we collect all the Scourge stones.”

“What did you do?” I already knew, but I needed to hear it. Fury coursed through my blood.

I’d spent my whole life trying to protect this girl, and she had thrown it away in an instant.

“Meet the new Lady of the Scourge.” She said lightly, but there was no hiding the edge of defiance in her voice.

“Oh, Honor.” Talisyn wrapped her in his arms, his face carved with sorrow. It was a different emotion that I felt at the moment, which was almost entirely white-hot rage. “You didn’t have to run. You didn’t have to face that alone.”

“Yes, she did.” My voice came out a growl. “We would’ve stopped her from doing something so stupid. We never should have left her alone.”

I stalked away, furious, as Tal and Honor’s soft voices murmured to each other behind me. He was obviously comforting her, which was hardly what the stubborn girl deserved at the moment.

When I paced back toward her, she and Tal exchanged a look. Without needing to say anything, Tal squeezed her one last time, then they disentangled from each other.

Honor turned to face me with a petulant look on her pretty face, as if she were already prepared for what I had to say.

“Talisyn, can we have the room?” I asked, my voice calm.

Tal hesitated, and I gritted my teeth as Honor promised him, “It’s alright. Damyn and I can talk it through without violence, I’m sure.”

“Hopefully you won’t have me eaten by the Scourge,” I said.

“That would be one way to break your habit of scolding me when I’m supposed to be your queen,” she shot back.

Talisyn reached the door and turned back to close it when he was in the hall, so I caught a glimpse of his face as he rolled his eyes. At both of us, I was pretty sure.
Dawson, May. Royal Honor (Dragon Royals Book 5). Kindle Locations (2619-2656). Kindle Edition.

They need to find Amily’s sword with it’s scourge stone, and then deal with Joachim and get the remain stones from him. There’s also Kallum, who has plans for himself and Honor.

There is a lot happening in this book, and many different battles, some of war and some not.

I love the way this story plays out for all of them. It is the perfect conclusion to this series!

5 Contented Purrs for May!

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May Dawson

May Dawson writes reverse harem romance about magic, strong women, and the men who love them. A native New Yorker, she’s settled in Virginia, where she is raising two red-headed troublemakers and a passel of cats.

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Defended – Holt Agency Book 5 By Becca Jameson

July 27, 2023 carolkittie 1 Comment

Defended

Holt Agency Book 5

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Becca Jameson

It was supposed to be an ordinary day. Except it wasn’t. Larson didn’t like his routine disrupted with errands, but for Nancy Holt he would do anything. Even pick up the floral arrangement his team had ordered for her birthday. However, mother nature can be a real pain sometimes. She doesn’t care about anyone’s plans. Today was the day she decided a tornado would be fun.

Anya’s life was perfect. She owned her floral shop and the apartment above it. She’d never been happier. Until that siren started blaring and she had to drag a stranger into her storm shelter and the entire city block was leveled.
Shaken and dazed, Anya had no place to go. No one to turn to. Larson might have been a surly, reclusive man, but he wasn’t heartless. There was no way he would leave Anya to her own defenses. He had the means and the space to help her. Now all he needed was a dose of self-control.

Would it be so bad if he let her lean on him in her time of need?

Larson/Keebler would do anything for Nancy Holt, which is why when the Kenner calls, he doesn’t hesitate to agree to go pick up the flowers for her birthday.

Thinking it would be a fast in and out in spite of parking a block away in a lot. Unfortunately, earlier feeling he had turns out to be ominous as a massive tornado heads toward the shop. There’s a storm cellar just outside the back and he and Anya, the store owner, make it there just in time to get secured before it hits. For Larson it also meant a cut as he got caught on a hinge closing it up. It’s deep enough to need stitches, but first he’ll have to settle Anya so maybe she’ll be up to the task.

Before he can his team finds them, there’s a beam across the door so it’s going to be a while before they can get them out, since they’re okay.

Under protest Anya does stitch him up, and they continue to get to know one another.

This is a favorite scene.

He pulled her into his arms again. Since he wasn’t wearing a shirt, every time he did so, he enjoyed her contact a bit too much. More than he deserved. More than he should.

“I know you’re stressed.”

“It’s just a bit claustrophobic,” she murmured against his chest. “And you’re injured. You didn’t tell your friend that.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. If very much of this town is leveled, I wouldn’t be able to get through the door of the emergency room with my tiny scrape that has already been cleaned up and taken care of.”

She leaned back and glared at him. “Scrape? You have a vision problem. And I would hardly call my shaky-handed attempt to sew your arm with a needle and thread taken care of, Larson. You need medical attention. It could get infected.”

He rubbed her back. “I’ve survived far worse, Anya. I promise. We cleaned it. You closed it. It has Neosporin and gauze. It’s not bleeding anymore. When we get out of here, I’ll have one of the guys assess it. I bet they’ll call me a big baby and tell me to leave it alone.”

Her eyes widened. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

He chuckled. “My team is comprised of former SEALs, Anya. We’re tough. I keep telling you that.”

“Well, there’s no need to be quite so tough. This isn’t a war zone. It’s the middle of the country.”

“It is kind of a war zone today though,” he challenged.

She sighed, seemingly resigned. “What is it that the Holt Agency does exactly? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never known what you do.”

“Mostly we’re hired to handle situations no one else wants to deal with.”

“Legal situations?” Her brows rose.

“Yes, legal.” He smiled. “Mostly legal.”

She rolled her eyes.
“We extract people from sticky situations. We guard people who need protecting. We find people who are missing. We locate criminals in hiding. That kind of shit.”

She didn’t blink the entire time he spoke. “Holy shit.”

He shrugged. Maybe he should have sugarcoated it a bit. He had laid it on kind of thick.

“That sounds dangerous.”

“It could be if we weren’t skilled and trained to do such things. But we are, and we’re good at it,” he assured her.

“Do you travel a lot to do this stuff?”

“The team does, yes. I don’t usually leave my house. I’m the computer geek behind the missions.”

“Oh. Are you one of those guys who sits at a huge desk with ten monitors and computers around you?”

“Usually.” He smirked. “I told you I’m a geek. At least it’s not my mother’s basement. I own my own house, and I work on the main floor,” he teased. At least I did. Hopefully the house is still standing and the computer equipment isn’t strewn across the county.

He wasn’t going to mention his concerns since it was obvious Anya had just lost everything. He was certain his comment reminded her though because she stiffened.

Larson turned off the flashlight again and set it on the shelf so he could wrap both arms around her. He couldn’t explain his weird need to touch her so much. It wasn’t like him. Not even close.

She leaned her full body weight into him. “Weirdest first date ever.”

He ran his hands up and down her back. Now that they knew someone would eventually rescue them, his anxiety had gone down a notch, and he hoped hers had too. “For the second date, we’ll do a hurricane.”

“Could we not? How about something less ominous. Perhaps an overcast day. We could watch the clouds float by. Or a meteor shower. Maybe a spring rain shower.”

He loved that she could laugh right now. He had to repress a growl as he slid a hand up into her hair and inhaled deeply. She smelled floral, which oddly didn’t bother him. It could be her shampoo, but it could also be from working all morning in her shop.

When she tipped her head back, he set his forehead against hers. It was weird that he couldn’t see her face, but he could imagine. Her breathing was heavy. They were so close to kissing.

“Maybe we could do something that doesn’t involve the need for a first aid kit. Perhaps less sewing.” Her words were right against his lips.

He slid a hand up to cup her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You’ve bewitched me,” he whispered. He’d had that thought before, but it had solidified now.

“Do you have a thing against kissing on the first date?” she asked.

He smiled as he stepped even closer. “I can’t even remember. It’s been so long since I had a first date.” My God, she was tempting. He was completely under her spell. This could not go well when they got out of here, but who cared? It felt good now. It was just a kiss.

He brushed his lips over hers, loving the way her breath hitched.

She slid her hands to his waist and gripped the loops on his jeans. “Tease.”

He smiled again before letting himself fully kiss her. And damn. She melted against him. Her lips were so soft and sweet. Tiny whimpers escaped, making his cock take notice.

Larson deepened the kiss, mostly because he couldn’t stop himself. He was magnetized. He angled his head to one side after a few moments and licked the seam of her lips, silently asking her to open for him.

She did, moaning as their lips met and danced together as if they’d done this before and had honed the art of kissing. It wasn’t awkward. They didn’t bump foreheads or clash their teeth together. Even though they were in total darkness, they melded as one seamlessly.

When he finally released her mouth, it was out of necessity. They needed to breathe. They were both panting. He didn’t release her though. He gave her an inch.

Finally, reining in his ardor, he took a deep breath. “We should eat something. Drink some water. Sit. Maybe on opposite sides of the shelter.” He added that last part teasingly.

She giggled again. “Surely we can manage to keep our clothes on. I don’t think this space is long enough to stretch out.”

He turned her and backed her up until the backs of her knees hit the seat. “Sit.” When she complied, he found the flashlight again and grabbed two bottles of water and a few protein bars. He also located the fudge stripes and held them up. “I want you to know I’ve never shared my cookies with anyone.” He lifted an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes. “You can have your cookies, big guy. I’ll eat a peanut butter protein bar.”

He handed her one. “Probably safer. It’s been years since I missed my daily dose of fudge stripes. There’s no telling what might happen if I only eat half of them.”
Becca Jameson. Defended – Becca Jameson (Kindle Locations 345-400). Kindle Edition.

The bad news is that the entire block is gone, and Anya’s home was above her shop. Larson immediately invites her to stay with him. His home and even his truck are okay. Larson has a lot to overcome with invitation, his compulsiveness is a big one.

Then there’s the town that needs to rebuild and there’s a developer who is offering money to folks not to rebuild. Anya with the help of Serena, Nancy Xena, Kelly and Annali put together documentation on the fall of small towns. The idea is to present it at the town hall meeting to save this town and rebuild.

There’s plenty going on in this book what with the developer enticing older people to buy out. Anya and the others won’t give up though. I also love the way the relationship between Larson and Anya progresses from hot to sizzling.

I can’t wait to read more of this multi-author series!

5 Contented Purrs for Becca!

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Coming Soon!

Becca Jameson

Becca Jameson is a USA Today bestselling author of over 100 books. She is most well-known for her Wolf Masters Series, her Fight Club series, and her Club Zodiac series. She currently lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and Goldendoodle. Two grown kids pop in every once in a while too! She is loving this journey and has dabbled in a variety of genres, including paranormal, sports romance, military, and BDSM.A total night owl, Becca writes late at night, sequestering herself in her office with a glass of red wine and a bar of dark chocolate, her fingers flying across the keyboard as her characters weave their own stories.

During the day–which never starts before ten in the morning!–she can be found jogging, running errands, or reading in her favorite hammock chair!

…where Alphas dominate…

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Radar – Terk’s Guardians Book 1 by Dale Mayer

July 26, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

Radar

Terk’s Guardians Book 1

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Dale Mayer

Having cultivated his instincts through years of naval missions, Radar is roaming the world, working part-time for Levi and Bullard. When he’s instructed to go to Paris to help out a new start-up, he’s not sure what to expect. Especially given the caginess of Levi’s description of those who Radar would be working for. Outside of telling him, He’d fit right in, there is minimal intel on the job itself. Plus Radar’s working with two men he doesn’t know, and they aren’t willing to share their own secrets.

Sammy threw in her heart and soul to help her best friend and fellow hacker track down a bomber, who’d left devastation behind on the Parisian streets over the last few years. When they finally get something tangible, they contact the authorities to help. That’s when Sammy’s world goes to hell.

The race to save Sammy—and, indeed, Paris from an imminent attack—has Radar questioning his own instincts, and the abilities of those around him. … especially Sammy’s.

MI6 has a problem and Jonas needs Terk’s group to help. The problem is manpower, Levi sends in Radar and Terk hires Riff. They will team up with Gage to recapture suspects wanted by Interpol that MI6 lost during transport to England.

Robert ‘Radar’ Dagliesh, has some sort of ability, Levi knows of it and that’s why he knows he’s a good fit with Terk, although Radar has no idea who Terk is. He starts looking into things from the French side of the tunnel while the others make their way to him.

Riff was starting on the English side of the tunnel and would be joining Gage in his car. Riff wants a favor in all this, he wants to find who killed his fiancée. He has a name he sends to Terk as well as the file he’s put together. Then he concentrates on the problem at hand. There are four missing people, two MI6 agents and the two escapees. The male no info yet but the female, Savannah is known as Sammy and is a computer programmer who has been tracking a bomber.

We learn that her best friend Johnny is with her and also was the one who started this tracking. For Johnny it’s personal. They were first taken from their Paris apartment.

This is a favorite scene.

Sammy opened her eyes slowly, hoping, but nothing had changed. It was still a dimly lit room, and Johnny was still curled up, snoozing beside her on the floor. His jacket was pulled tightly around him, just like she had pulled her own hoodie tight. Why had this happened? What did they want with them? It was ridiculous.

She and Johnny had been working on this project for at least nine months without any worry of being caught. Then, all of a sudden, from one day to the next, this happened. She recognized the one young man involved in her kidnapping, as someone she had seen in passing before, yet not sure where, but she did not recognize the second one.

She knew it was confused in her mind, but, as far as she could make out, they’d been taken initially from her Paris apartment— where she and Johnny worked— by two young street punks. However, seemingly British agents intercepted them somewhere, taking her and Johnny out of the kidnappers’ lorry. Then she and Johnny had been recaptured again, returning to them to Paris. She was starting to feel like a mouse in a game of catch between a dog and cat, and it was enough to drive her nuts.

Johnny reached out a hand and gently patted her knee.

“It’ll be okay.”

“Will it?” she murmured. “Who’ll grab us next?”

“Whoever it is, let’s hope that they’re good enough to get us away from this and to put a stop to it.”

“Yeah, you’re not kidding,” she muttered. “I thought for sure we were rescued the first time, but do we even know what happened to those British agents?”

“No, but I don’t imagine it was anything good,” Johnny noted. “We were working in France to stay in the shadows, until we finished the job. I never once thought we were in danger though.”

“Right, these guys are playing for keeps, aren’t they?”

“Did you leave a copy behind?”

“Yeah, but it’s hidden, and nobody knows where it is.”

“I did too,” Johnny muttered. “I just want to keep my wife and children safe.”

“I don’t even have anybody to worry about,” she admitted. “That was one of the deciding factors to do this. I didn’t have anybody who would get hurt.”

He nodded. “I did it because I didn’t want this bomb maker to come to Paris anymore, not after my uncle was killed.”

“You’re a good man,” Sammy replied softly, her voice wafting in the darkness. “Besides, all we were doing was tracking his whereabouts. In a unique way, sure, but it’s not as if we were hurting him.”

“I know, but somebody either wants him bad or doesn’t want us to know where he is.”

“Or maybe both,” she murmured.

Just then the door opened, and she stiffened. The light shone through the open doorway, enough that it took her eyes a few moments to adjust. Trays of food and bottles of water were brought in.

“You’ve got five minutes to go to the bathroom,” the man stated.

She scrambled to her feet and was led outside. Johnny was taken in a separate direction. In the bathroom, she quickly washed her face, used the facilities, and then washed her hands and straightened up her hair. She took as long as she could to try to figure out if there was any way to leave a message, but preventing that was probably why these guys kept the bathroom door slightly ajar. She looked out, and her guard glared at her.

“Come on. Stop wasting my time.”

He glanced around to make sure she hadn’t done anything and then pushed her back into their room. Johnny was led back in behind her. She waited until he joined her on the floor, and, when he was sitting down, she looked up at the guard. “How long will you keep us here?”

He shrugged. “Until you tell us what we need to know.” And, with that, he slammed the door.

She looked over at Johnny. “They took you somewhere first. Any idea why?”

“I saw them bringing in a couple other people, and one I recognized as our British guards. They’re still alive, but they were tied up, blindfolded, and gagged.”

She winced. “Great, so they’re here too then?”

“Yeah, they’re here.”

She nodded. “It’s weird that nobody has even asked what we know yet. He says they’re keeping us until we tell them what they want to know, yet they aren’t asking us any questions.”

Johnny pointed, as he looked down at the food in front of him. “They gave us food at least.”

She hesitated to eat, even knowing it was important to keep up her strength. It was a simple sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water. She dove for the water first, thankful that it was sealed, so she didn’t have to worry about it being poisoned or drugged. As she watched Johnny bite the sandwich with gusto, she smiled and shook her head. “Nothing could dim your appetite.”

“The only thing that’ll upset me is if anything threatens my family,” he stated calmly.

She nodded and proceeded to eat as well. She didn’t have the same drive nor the same need behind what she was doing. She wanted to help, but, in Johnny’s case, he had watched his uncle get blown up in the mall on one of the main streets, and it had left an indelible mark. Johnny’s wife had been pregnant with their second child at the time, and Johnny had sworn that he would do everything he could to stop this madman. This was personal for him.

The trouble was, he was a little short on information, which is why Johnny brought in Sammy on this special project. After all these months of cyberhunting, they had tracked all of Frenchie’s bombings, found a headquarters— or at least they thought they did— and then realized that this madman was on the move again, from France to England. So Johnny and Sammy had reached out to both the Paris and British governments for help. Although somehow the message had become garbled after their initial attempt with Paris and getting nowhere, they’d ended up on Interpol’s list. They’d reached out to the British government soon after.

Almost immediately they’d been kidnapped in France, only to have the British snag them away, and then these bad guys had taken them back again.

So, they were, indeed, in a chase, and the winning team got to keep the bomb maker.
Dale Mayer. Radar-Dale-Mayers-re (Kindle Locations 518-567). Kindle Edition.

Meanwhile Terk gets an energy signal off the British agents. He contacts Jonah and puts out what if we get them and the hackers. Jonas immediately offers more money but also demands a location which they don’t have yet.

Things move quickly as they get more information from Sammy’s ex. From the moment Radar and Sammie meet you can feel the attraction. Johnny notices it first and teases a bit. But we are just beginning this book and there’s a lot more hurdles to get over. Plus, there’s Riff’s problem they’re working as well.

Fast paced with plenty of twists, some laughter, some heat and lots of surprises.

5 Contented Purrs for Dale!

Coming Soon!
Click the Cover for Buy Links and More!

Dale Mayer

Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author who writes for the young, the old and those in-between – no matter what the age. Some of her books are hot, some are sweet. Some will keep you up at night with a light on to keep the boogie man away and some you’ll want to cuddle close.

She’s long given up on trying to fit a specific genre. Instead she honors the stories that come to her – and some of them are crazy, break all the rules and cross multiple genres!

And that’s okay too.

There is one guarantee with each book – it will be a great read – each and every time.

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Stray Spells – Nine Lives Magic Book 7 by Danielle Garrett

July 22, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

Stray Spells

Nine Lives Magic Book 7

By
Danielle Garrett

What’s a witch to do when her feline familiar creates a cursed sleep mask that unleashes an evil spirit bent on plaguing half the town with terrible nightmares?

Well, the first stop is Merlin’s Well for a whole pitcher of magic margaritas.

Selene’s really outdone herself this time, and I just hope I can reverse the curse before more serious damage is done.

Selene is at it again, while she’s always snarky, this time she’s taken over the back of Cora’s shop, Wicked Wicks with her latest project. Small spells that make life easier and she has them delivered to your doorstep by pigeons.

Cora blames her husband, Clint for this one as he got a bit overzealous in a discussion of a business plan over the holidays. Cora thought it would be a passing thing, but it seems to be growing. She also takes Selene to task on the pigeons leaving feathers and droppings all over the place.

At a town meeting they find out about a strange chicken house and its owner who calls herself Baba Yaga.

Selene takes her advice and actually hires an assistant, Addie. She picks up the deliveries from Cora. A large moving box full, that Cora decided was easier to keep Selene’s things in one place.

Cora’s business has been booming with two locations, and she’s teaching Lily to make candles. That doesn’t really solve all her supply problems, but it is helping. With Clint off to deliver more stock to the Bellevue store, Cora wakes to a glowering Selene.

This is a favorite scene.

I expected to wake up to an empty bed the next morning—instead, I woke up to a face full of cat fur and a pair of glowering blue eyes.

“Selene,” I grumbled, my voice scratchy. “Get off of me.”

She plopped her rear end down in the center of my chest, pushing out the last bit of air with an “oof” sound. “Not until you tell me where my products went!” she snapped.

I blinked a few times and struggled to sit up.

For all her bravado, Selene weighed less than ten pounds, soaking wet—at least, I assumed. I’d never dreamed of giving her a bath, and while it was tempting to toss her into the lake from time to time, I’d restrained myself thus far.

Though that idea was growing more appealing as she dug her claws into my Crate & Barrel duvet cover.

“Knock it off!” I hissed, fully awake.

She retracted her claws one by one, unblinking. “Where are my products, Cora? You know, I should have seen this coming. I should have known the green-eyed monster would rear its nasty little head eventually. You’re only human, after all.” She sniffed.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and reached for my phone. It was early enough that my alarm clock hadn’t gone off yet. “It’s five o’clock in the morning, Selene. Get to the point or make yourself useful and go put on the coffee.”

She scoffed. “Don’t think you can play innocent with me, missy!”

Frowning, I let the phone fall into my lap, giving up on the idea of trying to go back to sleep. Lily would be at the shop in an hour and a half, ready for our next lesson. Saturdays were always busy, tourist season or not, so we’d have to wrap it up early. I needed to make every minute count.

“I went to the shop to sort out the weekend deliveries, and to my horror, all of the products were gone. There are no signs of a break-in, before you even try blaming me for this—as I’ve stated repeatedly, the bathroom window is too small for any thief over the age of ten to wriggle through. So, that places you and Lily atop my suspect list—”

“Suspect list?! Selene, you cannot be serious.”

“Just admit it, Cora! You’re jealous and trying to sabotage me!”

A laugh burst from my lips before I could even attempt to rein it back in. The entire idea was so absurd—so utterly over-the-top—

“I’m calling Warden Quinton!” Selene declared, bounding across the bed. She hit the floor with an uncharacteristic thump, then launched herself over the outdated Berber carpeting, out into the hallway where her back legs skidded momentarily on the faded laminate.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake,” I muttered, pushing off the bed. “Selene!”

“It’s too late, Cora. You can’t stop me!”

I couldn’t, but her lack of opposable thumbs very well might. Even with her wealth of magic, touch screens still largely eluded her control.

Which, honestly, good for them.

“Did you smack your head sometime during the night?” I asked, pursuing the cat down the hall, then to the first floor of the house. Scowling, I stalked past the living room and followed her into the kitchen, doing my best to ignore the large rectangular dent in the living room carpet, a relic of the previous owners’ large saltwater aquarium.

Selene sat on the breakfast nook table—the one I used to use as my dining room table—frantically pawing at the locked screen of Clint’s iPad. “Wake up! Sampson? Sabrina? Sailor Moon? Oh, what the heck is this dang thing called?”

“Siri,” I said mildly, swooping in to snag the device away, “and it can’t make phone calls, anyway.”

“Maybe not for you,” Selene retorted as she rounded on me, her eyes brighter than before. In fact, they glowed with a fire I’d not seen in some time—and never directed at me before.

She’d honestly forgotten.

Setting the tablet out of her reach, I crossed my arms. “I sent everything with your new assistant. You remember her, don’t you?”

Selene’s tail went still, her eyes widening, even as the disdain flickered.

My lips twisted to one side as I considered her, giving it another moment to sink in.

“She—uh—she came to the shop on her own, then?” Selene sputtered.

“Mm-hmm. Yesterday, right before closing. You can ask Lily if you need a second eyewitness account.”

Selene looked down at the freshly polished surface of the table.

“This would be the part where you apologize,” I prompted, rolling two fingers in a midair circle.

“You should have called me!” Selene said, her head bouncing back up, the spark returning to her eyes.

My brows knit together. “To … say what, exactly?”

“To confirm you gave her the right items. To verify her identity. Did you even ask to see her driver’s license? Ugh!”

I started to protest, to defend myself and my actions, but it was too late.

The tempest was out of the tea kettle, and the cat was out of the house.

Selene shot out the cat flap in the back door like a rocket, streaking across the back yard. With an impressive leap, she cleared the fence and disappeared.

“Oh, it’s going to be one of those triple-shot kind of days,” I muttered, ambling toward the espresso machine.
Garrett, Danielle. Stray Spells: A Nine Lives Magic Mystery. Kindle Locations (677-719). Roots & Wings Press. Kindle Edition.

Seems Selene didn’t expect Addy to come to the store on her own. But there’s more going on here.

Selene’s spelled sleep mask needs to be found and fast. There’s no way to keep up with the demand here in Winterspell and the new store in Bellevue, plus find the mask.

Plenty of excitement and scares as they try to find the mask that is the cause of all the nightmarish creatures that come out to play at night.

I can’t wait to see what Selene gets into next!

5 Contented Purrs for Danielle!

Click the Cover for Buy Links and More!

Coming Soon!

From a young age, Danielle Garrett was obsessed with fantastic places and the stories set in them. As a lifelong bookworm, she’s gone on hundreds of adventures through the eyes of wizards, princesses, elves, and some rather wonderful everyday people as well.

Danielle now lives in Oregon and while she travels as often as possible, she wouldn’t call anywhere else home. She shares her life with her husband and their house full of animals, and when not writing, spends her time being a house servant for three extremely spoiled cats.

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Ruthless Devil – Ruthless Devils Book 4 by Eve L. Mitchell

July 21, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

Ruthless Devil

Ruthless Devils Book 4

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Eve L. Mitchell

Onyx Santo.
Cold-hearted, harsh, and a brutal adversary.
They call him a Devil. I call him my nemesis.

His designer suits, expensive shoes, flashy car, and cruel intelligence can’t hide what he is underneath.
Empty.

He fooled me once, and I swore he’d never get a second chance.
There is nothing he can do to redeem himself in my eyes.
As my most hated rival, the only time he makes me smile is when I’ve bested him in the boardroom.

But someone far worse is out to get me. Perhaps…even hurt me.
The police have no leads, and I have no idea who it could be.
I do know one man who doesn’t play by the rules. One man who could protect me.

I’d rather live in fear than ask for his help.

Ruthless Devil is a full-length enemies-to-lovers romance that is intended for mature readers. This is a standalone book and does not need to be read in conjunction with The Ruthless Devils series, but you may enjoy it more if you do. If you are not a fan of morally grey alphaholes or heroines who aren’t afraid to tell them to stick it where the sun don’t shine, then you should keep scrolling.

*WARNING*
This book features Onyx Santo, who was first introduced in The Ruthless Devils series, but this is his story and not a continuation of that series. To be clear, this book does not contain Jett, Gray or Ash. There may be a mention of them, but this is not about them or their story.

This book will contain themes that some readers may find triggering or offensive, such as dark themes, sexual/violent content, excessive swearing, and smouldering heat. If you’re still here and interested, buckle up and let this Devil take you on a crazy ride.

The prologue of this book is a flashback to Onyx and Angel’s college days. Angel returning with a date that is interrupted with the Devil’s version of Mayhem. One explained by one of them in her ear as she watched them destroy her date’s car.

Fast forward to the present, in a board meeting with both Angel and Onyx present. Angel had joined this firm out of law school. As a Sports agent she handled all the aspects of the client, from publicity to contracts. Onyx had just stolen a client out from under her, again.

Angel met Onyx in college and then again in law school, he was younger than her, and when she accepted the job offer, she didn’t know that Onyx was the driving force behind the agency. Everyone thought that was his uncle, but Onyx owned the building and the company. At that time, he was a silent partner.

Neil is a senior partner and a buffer between the two. This time he was admonishing Onyx on taking yet another of her clients. Onyx wouldn’t fire her and she wouldn’t quit, they wouldn’t give each other that kind of satisfaction.

However, something was going on, someone left a package for Angel at the front desk, the box contained dead roses and the card read Everything Beautiful Dies. She’s far more shaken than she thought when Onyx pulled up in his car beside her and honked his horn.

She convinces herself it was just a bad joke and once home she threw out the flowers but kept the card.

A bad day with a client, a great steal away from Onyx and a peed on by a puppy chair are the lead in to yet another encounter with Onyx. Followed by seeing dead flower petals around her car. She spies a broken garbage bag near the rest of the trash for pickup and puts it down to coincidence.

There’s more with clients screwing up royally but not either of theirs, but it was big enough that it involved both Onyx and Angel for clean-up prior to news of it breaking.

After this crappy day Angel’s still working and Onyx heads out first to get take-out. When he gets back to his car, Angel is standing there, her car with all four tires flat.

It doesn’t end there and after a few more incidents, the discovery of a missing key and changing of her locks, Onyx’s being questioning by the police, her being questioned by Onyx and then something else happens that has her calling him instead of the police.

Onyx calls in Cooper and Charlie to begin investigating, it’s obvious at this point that Angel has a stalker. Angel insists she fine to stay at home, but as Onyx is on his way home he turns around.

This is a favorite scene.

My hand snatched her arm and pulled her back. She looked up at me in anger, but I simply stared her down. “We don’t need to be here. We don’t need to help. Remember who called who.” Again, I watched her fight her instincts to snap at me. Instead, she gave me a curt nod, and I let her go. “Lock up tight when we’re gone. Don’t call the police. This is our business now.”

Angel looked at me warily before she licked her lips. “Devils’ business?”

“Cooper and I will get you answers,” I reassured her and saw her lips press together when I mentioned Cooper. “What did you do to Cooper Carter, vampire?” I asked her outright.

“Mind your business,” she snarled as she walked to the front door. “Thank you for coming, and if you find anything, well, can you let me know?”

“I’ll put you on speed dial,” I smirked at her as I passed, and my grin was wide when I heard the front door close forcibly behind me.

At my car, I turned to my friends. “Who wants to go first?”

“I will,” Cooper said without making eye contact. “I have stuff in the trunk I can use to test her shit.”

“You do?” Charlie asked him in surprise. “What the fuck do you say to the cops when you get pulled over?”

“I tell them to keep driving,” he told him with a wicked grin. “I got this,” he told me. “Go.”

“No problem,” I said as I checked the time and headed to the car. “Keep me posted.”

“Good luck,” Charlie said with a wave as he drove away.

Sharing a look with Cooper, he and I shared a grin. This was what he did, and he loved his job. Knowing I was leaving it in good hands and knowing he wouldn’t move from outside her house, I was heading home myself.

“What a fucking day,” I said out loud in the car as I drove. I was exhausted, and I knew I only had a couple of hours to sleep, and my bed was calling for me. “How the hell does she have a stalker?” I asked myself again. She never went anywhere to get a fucking stalker.

The fact someone was in her house pleasuring themselves on her bed made me furious. The fact she wanted to stay in her house irritated me even more, because it was obvious she wasn’t safe.

It wasn’t my job to make sure she was safe. She made that clear. She could look after herself. I thought about the panic she was in when she called me. For help.

Cursing loudly, I turned the car around and ignored Cooper’s knowing grin when I passed him in his car and pounded my fist off her door.

Angel opened it and gaped at me. “What?”

“Get your stuff. You’re not staying here.”

“This is my house,” she said again.

“Yeah, it’s a house where some loser is coming in and jerking off over your bed and your clothes. Get your stuff.” She looked like she wanted to argue. Shocker. “It isn’t a request, vampire.” I saw her hesitate, and I leaned forward. “It’s either me or Cooper, but you’re not staying here. Pick wisely.”

“You better come in while I grab some things.”

Not long after, we left and I waited as she locked up her house. I’d never shared a car with Angel before. Had I not been conscious of the fact she looked like at any moment that she would jump from the vehicle, it would otherwise be a normal car journey.

Opening the gates that led to my house, I saw her glance at me but say nothing. The drive was lit up, and she gawked out the window as I drove the short distance. The house was secluded, and the first thing I had liked about this property when I bought it was that the short driveway was curved, so it hid most of the house from the street.

Well, if there was a street.

Parking, I got out without a word and headed to the house. When I didn’t hear her car door open, I looked back at the car. She was sitting inside, and I knew exactly what she would be thinking.

If she came into my home, she was admitting she needed me. And she did. But it was still a hard pill for her to swallow. Asking me for help. I should probably be more gracious.

I wasn’t known for my grace.

I waited. If she thought I was opening the car door for her, she’d thought wrong. She took any longer, and she’d be sleeping in the car. She must have seen my intent on my face as the car door slowly opened. Angel got out and then opened the rear door and pulled out her overnight bag.

She walked towards me, flinching when the car beeped, alerting her to me locking it. In silence, we entered the house, and I disabled the alarm quickly before I led her through the open-plan living area towards the kitchen.

Turning and leaning against the counter, I watched her put her bag on the barstool and look around, her hands running over her skirt, because she was still in her work clothes.

“You have a beautiful home,” she told me.

“I know.” Reaching into the fridge, I pulled out two beers and handed her one before I twisted the cap off of my own.

“Thanks,” she offered before she took a drink.

“Twice in one night. You should be careful, vampire, people may begin to think you like me.”

Angel rolled her eyes as she turned away from me, studying my house. “It’s huge,” she commented.

“That’s what the ladies say,” I quipped as I took a long pull of my beer. “Well, this has been…what it’s been.” I walked past her and headed to the stairs. “I’m going to bed.”

“Um, where am I sleeping?”

“I have four bedrooms, pick one as long as it isn’t mine,” I told her as I climbed the stairs. “I don’t feel that sorry for you.”

“You’re a dick!” she called up the stairs after me, and I didn’t bother replying. It wasn’t as if this was news to her, and I made no apology for who I was.

In my room, I shed my clothes and headed for my shower. It was where I was heading when she called me earlier, and I was keen to wash the day off. After an invigorating shower and pulling on my sweatpants, I headed out of my room to see what room she was in.

All of my windows were alarmed. I didn’t want her opening the window in the middle of the night and waking me up. Again.

I couldn’t fight the smirk as I saw she had taken the room farthest from mine. Rapping my knuckles on the door, I waited. Pressing against the door, I heard water running.

I should wait. This was my house. I walked into the bedroom. “I’m in the bedroom, for fuck’s sake don’t come out naked.” I heard a yelp and then silence, but the water was still running. “The windows are alarmed; don’t open them until I reset the system in the morning. If you want fresh air tonight, I suggest you move to another state.”

“Keep the windows closed, noted,” she retorted tersely. “Anything else?”

Since I was currently idly looking at her clothes pile, or lack of clothes, I wondered what she’d actually brought with her. “If you sleep naked, tell me now.”

“I don’t.” She sounded pissed off.

“Sleepwalk?”

“No.”

“Do you plan to go downstairs again?” I asked her as I held up a lacy bra curiously before I dropped it.

“I don’t know, why?” She was losing her temper.

“Because I set an alarm and I’m going to bed,” I explained patiently.

“Then no, I’m not going downstairs.”

“Fine. The pool in the basement is heated if you wish to swim in the morning. Swimwear’s in the top right of the closet if you need.”

I heard her sputtering as I left the bedroom and headed back to my own. I hadn’t had a guest in my house since my brothers were here for Sunday Night Football. I wasn’t keen on people in my space who weren’t family, and even then, it was limited.

After completing my nightly routine of exercise and brushing my teeth, I sat on top of my bed and opened my laptop. Cooper didn’t hang around, and he would already be processing what he’d taken from her house.
Mitchell, Eve L. Ruthless Devil. Kindle Locations (2162-2221). EVE L. MITCHELL. Kindle Edition.

Throughout this book we get flashbacks to their college days, and it becomes obvious that there is still something between these two.

So much tension and animosity between them all the time, it’s who’s going to one up whom. You can just feel that when these two finally get together it’s going to be explosive. Of course, Angel has to get involved with trying to find a team for his brothers and cousin. That’s yet another thing of contention. The investigation is slow, but every step gets them closer to whoever is stalking her.

Plenty of suspense, some laughter, some tears and kindle melting sizzle.

5 Contented Purrs for Eve!

Click the Cover for Buy Links and More!

Eve L Mitchell

Eve L. Mitchell is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes Contemporary Romance, and New Adult Romance but she also dabbles in Paranormal Romance from time to time.

If you like a morally grey alpha-hole, then chances are Eve’s got a male character for you to claim as your next book boyfriend.

Being an avid reader from a young age, Eve still considers herself to be a reader first. She believes there is nothing better than getting that new book either on your e-reader or in your hands, and the fact she may bring that excitement to a fellow reader, fills her with wonder. She writes under a pen name because otherwise her Secret Agent status will be revoked.

Eve lives in the North East of Scotland, with her three coffee machines and her significant other, Mr. M. She enjoys NFL Football, music (played loudly) and having long conversations with the voices in her head, which sometimes turn into the stories she writes.

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Amazon Author Page

Rescuing Rex – Special Forces Operation Alpha: Operation Nightshade Book 2 by JM Madden

July 20, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

Rescuing Rex

Special Forces Operation Alpha:
Operation Nightshade Book 2

By
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
JM Madden

Rex is done with the nurse stereotype. He loves his job and makes no apologies for it. When he’s set up on a blind date with a cop, he doesn’t expect it to go well. Good thing he didn’t make that bet.

When his blind date walks in, something inside of Rex stirs. He’s… entranced. Maybe it’s a familiarity thing, because she helped him out of a flashback weeks before when he was involved in a robbery. Or maybe it’s just her calm spirit. Despite having low expectations for the date, he knows he wants more time with her.

Lauren understands firsthand how people can be quick to judge based on stereotypes, so it’s refreshing to talk to someone who gets it. But while Rex seems like a great person, she can’t help but sense a darkness lingering beneath the surface—shadows that whisper of tragedy and pain. He is kind-hearted and willing to put others before himself, but Lauren wonders if he will ever fight for his own happiness.

In the prologue of this book, we get to see the horrors experienced at the Nightshade outpost from Rex’s point of view. This is important since these are the things that haunt him today.

As this book opens, Rex is at a convenience store reaching for a cup at the drink station when gunfire rips through the air. He reacts immediately by dropping to the floor and taking cover. Looking in the security mirror he could see two young men with weapons at the counter threatening the proprietor, Ahmed. They are not liking Ahmed’s answers to their demands, but when one shoots Ahmed the other flees the scene. The other walks back toward Rex as he searches for some kind of weapon. More gunfire and Rex grabbed the wet mop and hit the shooter in the head knocking the gun away in the process. When the shooter gains his feet again, he runs out the door.

Rex has been shot but manages to bandage his head wound and gets to Ahmed who is in bad shape. He calls 911 and then proceeds to do his best to staunch the bleeding.

The responding officers clear the area and the paramedics take over. The female cop questions Rex then calls a paramedic over to him. He was doing fine until they tried to strap him to the gurney. The flashback overtakes him quickly and it’s the female cop who recognizes what’s happening and just talks to him until reality takes hold again.

In a twist of fate, his boss and friend Gen convinces him to go on a blind date with another of her friends Lauren. That date includes not only dinner and great conversation but a visit to an unusual pool hall.

This is a favorite scene.

They headed down into softly lit darkness. It was just visible enough for him to see the stairs beneath his feet. The room opened up and he realized they were in a second bar. Billiard balls cracked together softly, and he followed along as Lauren led him to a table. They set their beers down and she moved to one of the free tables, racking the balls.

Rex grinned, watching her move. The woman was strong and solid, but not heavy, by any means. She leaned over the table and he couldn’t help but trace the line of her body.

Lauren glanced up, and Rex knew he was totally caught. A smile quirked her lips, and she moved toward him. Somewhere she’d picked up a cue stick. She rubbed the tip of the stick with blue chalk as she walked toward him, and Rex felt a rush of heat head south.

She had to know how sexy she was…

“Stripes or colors?” she asked, voice low.

Rex gave her a crooked smile. “Lady’s choice.”

Lauren stopped right in front of him, and he wondered if he was going to keel over from a heart-attack. Her full breasts were millimeters from his chest, and her mouth was mere inches from his own. Did he dare kiss her?

Leaning up on tip-toe, she pressed a kiss to the dimple in his chin, then turned away. Rex’s heart was thumping in his chest. That was the most action he’d seen in a while. Well, other than old lady Baron feeling up his ass the other day.

Being with Lauren didn’t make him feel like a fraud. When he was with other women, he forced himself to have a good time. He wasn’t forcing himself to do anything tonight. Well, other than keep his hands off of her.

She broke the formation, and several balls went into the pockets. Rex had played pool before, but he wasn’t great. He had a feeling he was going to get his butt kicked, as she’d predicted. Maybe he could make it fun, though.

“Loser gets a conciliatory prize,” he said, and she tossed him a grin.

“So sure you’re going to lose, huh?”

Yeah, he was pretty sure. “Winner gets a prize, too.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“A kiss on the pool table.”

Her eyes flashed, and she paused long enough to lean against her stick. “And the loser gets…?”

“A kiss on the pool table.”

Lauren burst out laughing, shaking her head. Her long golden hair curtained over her shoulder as she turned, but he had seen the flash of awareness in her eyes.

Rex was content to sit on the stool and watch her play. He knew he was getting a kiss either way, so he just watched her. That was when she screwed up. She botched her strike, and the white ball dropped into one of the pockets.

Grinning, Rex pushed up from the stool and stalked toward her. There was a flash of something in her eyes as she waited for him.

Rex couldn’t deny the growing attraction he felt for Lauren. He found himself leaning in closer to her, his eyes locked on hers. She seemed to sense his desire, because she leaned in too, her lips parting slightly.

Then he turned away. She wasn’t going to get it that easy.

Rex retrieved the ball, positioning it where he wanted it. Lauren was still staring at him, and she hadn’t moved. Rex paused in front of her, and her gaze settled on his lips. It took everything in him to refuse to lean down five inches.

“Excuse me,” he murmured. “You’re blocking my shot.”

Lauren’s cheeks flushed a deep pink he could see even in the dimness of the room, and she spun away. She settled over to the stool she’d chosen and tipped her beer bottle back, drinking most of the bottle.

Rex dragged his gaze away and focused on the balls. Obviously, he was stripes. He took a breath and exhaled, aiming down the cue. The first ball went in perfectly, then the second. Lauren’s mistake had worked in his favor, because he worked all the way through the table. The last ball fell into the pocket perfectly, and he looked up.

Lauren’s lips kicked up at the corner. “I don’t usually get beat.”

The words were barely out of her mouth before Rex cupped her face in his hands.

They kissed like long-lost lovers, and Rex was stunned at how good she tasted. She should have tasted of beer, and there were hints of it, but that was overwhelmed by a spicy sweetness that made his senses sing. He couldn’t get enough of the flavor of her.

Whether or not intentionally, her breasts rubbed against his chest, and he took a minute to look down. She had fantastic breasts, and imagining what they looked like could very likely kill him.

They broke apart, breathing heavily. “Wow,” Rex said, his voice hoarse with desire. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”

Lauren smiled, a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Me too, actually. I didn’t expect it to be that good, though.”

Rex grinned, loving her honesty. Then he kissed her again, pulling her body tight to his own. He could feel her heat radiating against him, and it stoked desire. He ran his hands over her curves, pulling her even closer.

Lauren moaned softly, her fingers tangling in his hair. “Rex,” she whispered, her lips brushing against his ear. “I’m about to tell you to do something dangerous.”

Rex knew what she was going after. They’d known each other mere hours, but they were already thinking about sleeping together. He didn’t need any more encouragement.

After he paid the bill, he took Lauren’s hand, leading her out of the bar and into the cool night air. They walked back to the restaurant, and Lauren motioned to her blue truck. His own truck was right next to hers. She paused at her driver’s side door. “We’re a little crazy, aren’t we?”

“A bit, yes. We can call it off here if you’re having second thoughts.”

Rex made himself stand away from her to give her a chance to think about what they were doing. Lauren turned to look out into the night. It was beautiful, and a little chilly. She wrapped her arms around herself, holding her elbows. When her eyes lifted to his, he knew what she was going to say.

“I think we need to cool off, just for a bit.”

Actually, the same words had been going through his mind. In the heat of the moment, he’d thought that his own issues would resolve themselves, but the anxiety was still there. For his own peace of mind, they probably needed to talk about some things.

That was enough to really cool him off, and he gave her a lopsided smile. “You know, this is important enough to me to wait. You are important enough.”

Lauren blinked, then tears filled her eyes. She reached out and brushed her hand against his chest. Rex felt the touch burn through the clothing, and it was difficult to remember why he’d stopped them. They both needed to think about what was happening. It was unexpected, and their actions tonight could have repercussions on the future.

With a smile, Lauren moved into his arms. She wrapped herself around his body and rested her head on his chest. Rex wrapped his own arms around her, and they just stood there. Eventually, she drew back. “I want to thank you for a fantastic night.”

Rex shook his head as he let her go. “You planned it.”

“Still, you were a good sport about everything.”

Rex frowned. “I had a great night. And I’ll do it again whenever you’re free.”

She flushed and nodded, glancing away. “And thank you for slowing the train down. I have a feeling we would have had regrets tomorrow.”

“Possibly,” he murmured. Stepping close, he cupped her jaw in his hands and kissed her again. Had it really been that good? Oh, yeah, it had. Immediately, his body began to respond, and he had to force himself to let her go.

“You need to move on, buddy, before I change my mind,” Lauren warned, followed by a grin.

Rex laughed and saluted her. “Yes, ma’am!”

He turned and got into his vehicle, but he waved her on and watched as she drove away. That woman was going to change his life.
Madden, JM; Alpha, Operation . Rescuing Rex (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Nightshade Book 2). Kindle Locations (753-817). Aces Press, LLC. Kindle Edition.

These two clicked and while a second date hasn’t been set the text each other. It’s after a really hard night and not reaching either Olivia or Baylee that Rex calls her. He didn’t realize he did until she answered. This leads to an invitation to breakfast and fur therapy.

With Lauren still on the search for Chew and still a bit leery of Rex’s PTSD she still gives this all a try. Rex doesn’t want to be seen as a victim either and this colors his responses to things. He does however have a much better handle on his PTSD than her ex every did.

I love the way this relationship develops, from easy conversation to hot and steamy. They engage the reader in every aspect of their lives.

I can’t wait to read Baylee’s story!

5 Contented Purrs for JM!

Click the Cover for Buy Links and More!

J.M. Madden

J.M. Madden writes compelling romances between ‘combat modified’ military men and the women who love them. J.M. Madden loves any and all good love stories, most particularly her own. She has two beautiful children and a husband who always keeps her on her toes.

J.M. was a Deputy Sheriff in Ohio for nine years, until hubby moved the clan to Kentucky. When not chasing the family around, she’s at the computer, reading and writing, perfecting her craft. She occasionally takes breaks to feed her animal horde and is trying to control her office-supply addiction, but both tasks are uphill battles. Happily, she is writing full-time and always has several projects in the works.

She also dearly loves to hear from readers! So, drop her a line. She’ll respond.

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Rescuing Olivia – Special Forces Operation Alpha: Operation Nightshade Book 1 by JM Madden

July 20, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

Rescuing Olivia

Special Forces Operation Alpha:
Operation Nightshade Book 1

By
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
JM Madden

There was a sense of unreality to the morning. It was ten years to the day that they’d been rescued by the Delta Team, and sent home from Afghanistan, broken and bruised in so many ways.

It seems only appropriate that Olivia is involved in a devastating automobile crash. Sure. Why not? Seems appropriate for her life. She’s injured, but she fights through the pain to rescue as many people as she can. In the midst of the drama, she meets a firefighter who sweeps her off her feet, so to speak.

Fire Chief Connor Kelly is more than just a pretty set of abs. He doesn’t have time for a new relationship because the Lockhart BBQ Fest is going on, but something draws him to Olivia. She has strength of heart, something he admires, and it isn’t long until he’s wondering if he can persuade her to stay in Lockhart.

She’s afraid that he’s with her out of pity, because of her amputation, but it doesn’t seem to bother him. They both serve the community and it isn’t until things start to get serious that they realize they have a tragic connection.

In the prequel of this book, we learn of the horrific events at an outpost named Nightshade, those events have cemented a friendship between three of the survivors, Olivia, Baylee and Rex.

This book is Olivia’s story, and it opens on the anniversary of the most horrific day of her life. A truck hits the rear quarter panel of her SUV, when her vehicle comes to a stop, she evaluates her condition. She couldn’t see much outside with the airbags deployed the windows were all shattered though. Her shoulder hurt more than usual, and she was pretty sure she has some broken ribs, but the rest of her seems okay. She maneuvers herself out of her vehicle to see what she can do to help, even as she fights a flashback. She starts triaging the victims and putting bystanders to work.

She helps even as paramedics arrive, trying to free a child from a vehicle. She insists on helping with the little girl and once she was safe, Olivia passes out.

It was the Chief’s arms she fell into, and he gets her settled with Kim Caldwell a paramedic who had just pulled in. As they pull away he thinks he might just check on her once things settle.

Waking up in the hospital, Olivia isn’t pleased. She wants out and even with the Chief there she was determined to find what she needed on her own. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find anything.

This is a favorite scene.

Olivia focused on the man. “If you can drop me at a hotel, I would appreciate it.”

“Well,” the man drawled, “I would, but there’s the annual Lockhart BBQ Fest going on, and the hotels are full up.”

Olivia frowned and turned to the man. “Are you serious? The Lockhart BBQ Fest?”

“Yes, ma’am. We are the BBQ capital of Texas, and this year we’re having a huge competition.”

She looked at him, trying to decide if he was pulling her leg or not. She didn’t think he was. “So, what are you telling me? That I’m stranded here but you’ll be more than happy to step in and save the day?”

The man didn’t even flinch. “Well, if I thought that would work with you, I might. Yes, you are stranded, at least temporarily, but I can open the firehouse for you to stay, if you’d like.”

“Oh,” she said softly, her mind racing. She glanced around, looking for inspiration, but nothing occurred to her. For the first time in a long time, she was at a loss. Normally, she was the one in charge with all the details, and it was a little humbling to have to accept help from a stranger. But that was the point she was at. No car, no hotel. She had her phone and purse, which was amazing, now that she thought about it. Had he been the one to make sure they grabbed her stuff before hauling her car away?

Her head swam, and she knew she needed to lay down soon. “Fine. Lead the way, hero.”

She expected him to lead her to a big, old obnoxious Texas truck. Instead, he started down the sidewalk to the left, which led around the small hospital.

When they reached the far side, she had to look back. It was incredibly small, just three floors. There were a couple dozen cars in the parking lot, but that was all. Had they handled all the crash victims?

“We’re small,” the chief said, as if seeing her skepticism, “but we’re a recognized trauma center. Anything that we can’t handle goes straight to San Antonio. Several of the victims were local, so we kept them here.”

Man, her resting-bitch-face must be off, because he was reading her without her saying a word… “And the driver that hit me?”

The man grimaced. “He’s a known alcoholic. They found him a few blocks away, muttering about finding his bottle. He’s at the sheriff’s office, sobering up. Then he’ll be charged.”

Olivia sighed. “Not a mark on him, I bet.”

“Nope,” he agreed.

That would always be one of the great mysteries. How drunks got away unscathed when they wreaked so much havoc.

The man held out a hand, and she realized they were in a parking lot. She looked up. Before her there was a beautiful, brand spanking new firehouse, all brick and soaring glass. She followed him inside, noting that the expansive bays were empty. “Where are the trucks,” she asked, curious despite herself. The clock on the far wall said it was going on four p.m.

“Well, they’re out at Legion Park. The pits and smokers burn all night, and because we’re having a more active fire season this year, I thought it would be smart to keep the trucks out there, just in case something happens.”

“Huh,” she murmured, following him blindly into a hallway. These must be the living quarters of the crew. He led her to a small room at the end, with a freshly made single bed and a small, detached bathroom.

“You can stay here for the night. In the morning, we’ll see what we can do about your vehicle.”

Olivia took a breath, moving into the room. She so wanted to just crash, bury herself into the pillow and lose herself for the next ten hours.

“Here’s a change of clothes,” he offered, handing over a stack of clothing. “One of our guys is about your size.”

“Thank you,” she said, taking the clothes. She felt bad for being snappish. “And thank you for everything. This is very nice, you opening up the station for me.”

“Well,” he said grinning. “I can’t turn off the alarms, so if we get a call, it may be a pretty harsh wake-up call.”

Olivia waved a hand. “No worries. I’m used to that stuff.”

His head lifted like she’d surprised him, but he drew back to the door. “I know you’re tired. I’ll talk to you in the morning, Olivia Grant.”

It wasn’t until he was through the door and gone that she realized she didn’t even have his name yet.

Turning to the bed, she debated whether to shower first. Nope, bed. Dropping her nasty clothes to the floor, she scrambled out of her jeans, dropped her prosthetic and climbed between the sheets. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out.
Madden, JM; Alpha, Operation. Rescuing Olivia (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Nightshade Book 1). Kindle Locations (675-710). Aces Press, LLC. Kindle Edition.

The next day starts with breakfast and Olivia finally learns the name of her benefactor, Connor Kelly, Fire Chief. She works her way through some phone calls and then they go to the event grounds.

Of course, with the BBQ Fest going on there are no rentals available anywhere close, so Olivia resigns herself to waiting everything out. Plus, her contract site had issue that was forcing them to push back her dates as well.

I love the slow and steady growth of the attraction between Olivia and Connor. I also loved that they have another connection, one that could have broken them but only made them stronger.

I am already reading the next book in this crossover series.

5 Contented Purrs for JM!

Click the Cover for Buy Links and More!

J.M. Madden

She also dearly loves to hear from readers! So, drop her a line. She’ll respond.

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Weddings & Wishes – Berry Lake Cupcake Posse Book 4 by Melissa McClone

July 19, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

Weddings & Wishes

Berry Lake Cupcake Posse Book 4

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Melissa McClone

Find out what’s next for
Nell, Selena, Bria, Juliet, and Missy…

Friendship has kept the Berry Lake Cupcake Posse going, and they’ll need each other even more to survive the challenges life keeps throwing at them. But their struggles to reopen beloved Berry Lake Cupcake Shop might just break them apart.

If you haven’t read the other books in this series, STOP, go back and read them. These books have continuing story lines and cliffhanger endings.

At the end of the last book, Missy was arrested for arson and Sam quit the police force. He’s sure the sheriff is dirty for this to have happened. Nell goes climbing with Gabe and Welles, while waiting to go up the next pitch a loud pop is heard and dust falls.

This book opens with Missy being stuck in jail until her bail hearing on Monday. Elias was unable to convince the judge there wasn’t enough evidence for the arrest. Bria, Juliet and Nell were coming to visit today, she missed them, she missed her cats and her home and most of all Sam. Nell wasn’t with them, but Missy understood. Bria is pulled out of visiting and when she returns, she tells them of the rockslide and that Nell and Welles are injured. Missy sends them off to be with Nell hoping they can find a way to get word of how she is.

Family and friends gather at the hospital to wait for information.

This is a favorite scene.

“Did I hear my name?”

Everyone turned toward the male voice. Cami Marks, an RN who worked with Nell, pushed Gage’s wheelchair. The guy was attractive, but his usually tan face was starkly pale and his hair stuck up every which way. A bandage covered a quarter of his forehead.

“Hey,” he said, slumped in the wheelchair. His bandaged hands rested on top of the blanket that covered him. The adrenaline junkie seemed to have become a different person. No trace of his usual carefree spirit remained. “Any word on Nell and Welles? No one will tell me anything.”

Bria exchanged an uneasy glance with Juliet.

Cami parked the wheelchair next to Juliet’s chair and locked the wheel. “I told you. HIPAA.”

“I need to know.” Gage’s tone was a mix of hurt and defensiveness.

Charlene remained silent. She stared at Gage’s bandaged hands.

“Your hands…” Bria said finally. No matter what happened on the climb, he had to be hurting, both physically and emotionally.

Gage stared at the tile floor. “Yeah, I tried… I tried my best to dig them out before I ran to find cell coverage so I could call for help.” He swallowed hard. “I didn’t think—” His shoulders hunched. “I’m so sorry.”

Juliet placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We know you’d never intentionally hurt Nell or Welles.”

He nodded and raised his hands. “I did all I could.”

Even though Bria had her doubts about Gage being right for Nell, her friend wouldn’t want her to be cruel and blame him. And the guy didn’t seem mean, just self-absorbed. “I’m sure you did.”

Buddy crossed his arms over his chest and pressed his lips together. His expression made it clear he didn’t believe a word of what Gage said.

Tears gleamed in Gage’s eyes, and his injured hands trembled. “I never meant for this to happen.”

The silence stretched between him and the others. Bria was known as the practical one of their friend group, but she was at a loss about what to do or say. If anything, what he said made him sound guiltier. She just hated to see everyone, including Gage, hurting so much.

“Welles and Nell were below you on the climb.” The accusation in Buddy’s voice cut sharp. Several people in the waiting room glanced his way. “You caused the rockfall!”

Pain filled Gage’s expression. He blinked. Opened his mouth, but no words came out. He pressed his lips together in a thin line.

“Enough!” Charlene looked at Gage. “We’re all scared. You were there. We weren’t. We just want to know what happened. Not knowing…”

“It was an accident.” Gage’s voice cracked. “I swear. I reached the top, and a rock let lose.”

“Thank you,” Charlene said sincerely. “Sometimes blaming is easier than facing the truth because sometimes, accidents just happen. Especially outdoors and climbing. You know that, Buddy. It’s why you have clients sign waivers.”

Buddy said nothing but crossed his arms over his chest. His tense face suggested he was about to erupt. Bria needed to diffuse the situation.

“Let’s focus on what’s important right now. Nell and Welles. Everything else can wait.” Bria glanced between Buddy and Gage. “They need us to be strong for them. Not fight each other.”

Max nodded. “Couldn’t have said it better myself, Bria.”

Buddy remained quiet, but he nodded, too.

The door from the treatment area opened, and a doctor in scrubs came out. Bria hadn’t met her, but she’d seen her around Berry Lake.

“Thanks for waiting so patiently.” The doctor offered a sympathetic smile. “This must be a trying time for all of you.”

“Please.” Charlene shifted her weight between her feet. “How is my daughter?”

The doctor took a deep breath. “Nell sustained a few injuries. We’re concerned by some internal bleeding in her abdomen—”

“What?” Charlene nearly toppled over. Max and Sabine held her up. “Is there anything you can do?”

“We’re prepping Nell for surgery now,” the doctor explained. “She’s stable, and thanks to Welles, came out of this much better than we expected. We’re acting quickly to minimize any long-term consequences.”

Relief washed over Bria. The doctor sounded hopeful. She glanced at Gage, who blinked rapidly.

“What about my boy? Welles Riggs?” Buddy asked, his voice strained as if he was trying to be civil but struggling to contain his anxiety. “I’m his dad.”

“Welles’s condition is stable,” the doctor replied. “He has a concussion and a few broken bones. One requires surgery, but we expect him to make a full recovery.”

Buddy Riggs let out a shuddering breath, the lines on his face appeared less deep. “Praise be.”

“Though someone will have their hands full during his recovery.” Humor sounded in the doctor’s voice. “Let’s just say, he’s a difficult man to keep down. He’s concerned about Nell.”

Welles hadn’t enjoyed his recovery or being on probation, but Bria had no doubt Buddy would be able to handle his son.

“Can we see them?” Charlene asked, her voice barely audible.

“Family members can visit briefly before we take them into surgery,” the doctor said. “But I must ask that you keep it quiet— we don’t want to add any additional stress.”

“Of course,” Charlene agreed. “Thank you, Doctor. Max?”

Sabine touched her husband’s shoulder. “Tell Nell we’re praying for her and Welles.”

“I will.” Max kissed her and then looked at Bria and Juliet. “Please watch out for Sabine while I’m with Nell.”

“We will,” Juliet said.

“Come on, Buddy,” Max said. “Let’s go see our kids.”

Charlene and Buddy’s eyes met briefly, and the look lingered longer than Bria thought it would. That was odd. The three followed the doctor into the treatment area.

Sabine plopped into a chair. “Well, surgery sucks, but those prognoses are better than I expected.”

Bria rubbed her arms to get rid of another chill. “I just want them to be out of surgery and into recovery.”

Only then would she breathe easier.

Gage sucked in a breath. His eyes gleamed with tears. He wiped his face with his upper arm. “I can’t believe this happened. Nell was doing so well on the climb. I was so proud of her. I didn’t think… I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt.”

Bria went over and sat next to him. She didn’t like the outings Gage took her friend on, but Nell wouldn’t want her to ignore him. “We all know you didn’t want this to happen. Accidents happen.”

“How will I ever make this up to them?” Gage choked. “Will they forgive me?”

“Nell and Welles don’t hold grudges.” But sometimes forgiveness wasn’t enough. She’d forgiven Dalton, yet now she found herself in a similar position as when they dated in high school. Only this time was a thousand times worse. “All you can do is apologize and see.”

Gage sighed. “I hope you’re right, but I’m not the patient type.”

“You might need to be now.” She wasn’t sure what she wanted Nell to do about Gage. If anything, today proved what Missy had been saying all along— Nell should be dating Welles. Now that Nell had gotten hurt because of Gage, Bria didn’t want her friend ever to go out with him again.
Melissa McClone. Weddings-and-Wish-Melissa-McClone (Kindle Locations 451-514). Kindle Edition.

Nell and Welles recovery solutions provide more than a couple of laughs and it looks like Welles may actually break through her resistance to dating him.

Every one of the posse has her moment in this book. I love how each of them work on a relationship. So much going on and no real resolutions as of yet. Clues are being thrown around and I can’t wait to see where this all ends up!

5 Contented Purrs for Melissa!

Click the Cover for Buy Links and More!

Coming Soon!

Melissa McClone

USA Today bestselling author, Melissa McClone has published over forty novels with Harlequin and Tule Publishing Group.

With a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, Melissa worked for a major airline where she traveled the globe and met her husband. But analyzing jet engine performance couldn’t compete with her love of writing happily ever afters.

Her first full-time writing endeavor was her first sale when she was pregnant with her first child! When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her driving her minivan to/from her children’s swim practices and other activities.

Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds, and cats who think they rule the house. They do!

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Fireworks Finale – Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 22 by Sara Bourgeois

July 18, 2023 carolkittie Leave a comment

Fireworks Finale

Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 22

By
Sara Bourgeois

Fireworks?
Not Meri’s cup of tea.

So when Coventry’s Fourth of July show goes kaboom, he’s all, “Called it!” But wait, there’s a twist! Isadora, the fire witch behind the pyrotechnics, isn’t just dealing with a fizzled show – someone’s got it in for her. Time for Meri and Kinsley to step in, wands waving.

They’re on the case, ready to crack this whodunit with a sprinkle of spells and a dash of daring. Buckle up, because this magical mystery is about to get spellbindingly fun!

Kinsley and Meri will have to solve the crime one spell at a time!

After the craziness from the havoc caused by the warlocks, things have settled down and Coventry is getting ready for the Fourth of July Fireworks.

Meri is adamant that they should be cancelled. Fireworks are so disruptive for many. While there’s nothing Kinsley can do to stop them, she can make up a potion to help. She’s missing an ingredient, so she needs to go to her shop. Stopping at the Brew Station to see Viv and get Meri bacon is a good idea too.

She’s enjoying her drink with Dorian and Viv when fireworks protesters burst in and hand out flyers while listing the detrimental side effects of firework displays. Viv handles it diplomatically and they take their mission outside.

Inside Summoned Goods and Sundries the most peculiar thing is happening as items start randomly changing into something else. Reggie is beside herself and the three of them search for the source. Once that’s dealt with Kinsley has a potion to make.

This is a favorite scene.

When we returned to the shop, it was as if nothing had happened. The objects had returned to their normal states, no longer shifting and changing. The shop was back to its usual self, the earlier chaos nothing more than a memory. But the image of the woman with the sapphire-blue hair lingered in my mind. I had an idea of who “she” was, and that notion ticked me right the heck off.

But, with the peculiar shapeshifting incident behind us, I finally had the opportunity to retrieve the volcanic rock I needed for my spell. I navigated my way to the elemental stores, a corner of the shop dedicated to natural elements, and picked out a suitable piece of volcanic rock.

Carrying it downstairs, I fetched a mortar and pestle from one of the shelves. I could have easily done this at home, but just as I was about to start grinding the rock into a fine powder, the front door chimed, announcing a new arrival.

Azura, one of my employees, sauntered in, her belly round with pregnancy. It looked as if she was smuggling a watermelon under her shirt, but her face was alight with a radiant smile.

“Hey, Azura,” I greeted her, setting the mortar and pestle on the counter. “You’re absolutely glowing! How’s the little one treating you?”

Azura placed a hand on her belly, her smile widening. “We’re both doing great, Kinsley. Sol and I are over the moon. We can’t wait to welcome our baby.”

“That’s fantastic, Azura,” I replied, resuming my task of grinding the rock. “Keeping the gender a surprise, right?”

She nodded, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Yes, we thought it would add to the magic of the moment when we finally meet them.”

I chuckled. “That’s a beautiful idea, Azura. You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

Azura blushed slightly, her hand instinctively rubbing her belly. “Thank you, Kinsley. That means a lot.” As I continued grinding the volcanic rock into a fine powder, Azura brought up a new topic. “Kinsley, I was thinking about decorating the shop and the storefront for the festival. With all the tourists in town for the festivities and the fireworks show, it might attract more customers.”

I looked up from my task, considering her suggestion. “That sounds like a fantastic idea, Azura. Just remember not to overdo it. We don’t want to scare away our regulars with too much glitz.”

Azura chuckled. “Don’t worry, Kinsley. Sol is coming in a bit to help, and we’ll keep it tasteful. Reggie told me to clear it with you before we started putting anything up.”

I nodded, pleased with their initiative. “That’s great, Azura. I trust your judgment. Go ahead with the decorations.”

With the decision made to decorate the shop for the festival, I decided to stay on and see what creative magic Azura and Sol would weave. However, I still had my own task to complete… the potion. Gathering my ingredients, including the freshly ground volcanic rock, I retreated to the privacy of my office.

Once inside, I spread out my ingredients on the large wooden desk. The potion I was about to create was a complex one, designed to both enhance the fireworks display and silence the noise for those who wished to avoid it. It was a delicate balance, requiring precise measurements and careful blending of the ingredients.

As I worked, the rhythmic motion of stirring and the soft whisper of the ingredients mixing together created a soothing cadence. The process of potion-making was always a meditative one for me, allowing my mind to focus on the task at hand while also letting it wander and dream.

Meri, ever the “curious” observer, jumped onto the desk, his eyes following my every move. “So, you’re really going to try to pull this off, huh?” he said, his tone laced with his usual snark.

“Yes, Meri, and your commentary is not helping,” I retorted, shooting him a playful glare.

He flicked his tail, a smirk playing on his feline features. Undeterred, Meri continued his commentary. “Just remember, Kinsley, if you blow up the town, I’m blaming you.”

I chuckled at his dramatic statement, shaking my head as I continued to stir the potion. “Noted, Meri. I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.”

As I worked, Meri continued to watch, his commentary a constant background noise. His remarks, though sometimes exasperating, were a part of the process.

Once the potion was complete, I carefully poured it into a small vial, corking it securely. Wrapping it in a protective cloth, I placed it safely in my bag. “All right, Meri,” I said. “Let’s go see what Azura and Sol have done with the place.”

Meri hopped off the desk, following me as I made my way downstairs. As we emerged from the office, we were greeted by a dazzling display of decorations. Azura and Sol had truly outdone themselves.

Inside, the shop was a riot of red, white, and blue. Streamers hung from the ceiling, twisting and turning in the air currents, their shiny surfaces catching the light and casting colorful reflections around the room. Small flags adorned the shelves, nestled between the various magical items. Even the counter was decked out, a tablecloth with a star-spangled pattern draped over it.

Outside, the storefront was equally festive. A banner proclaiming ‘Happy 4th of July!’ stretched across the top, its bold letters standing out against the bright blue background. Red, white, and blue balloons bobbed in the breeze, tied to the door handle and the signpost. The windows were adorned with decals of fireworks, their vibrant colors promising a spectacular show.

After taking a moment to admire their handiwork, I left the shop, Meri trailing behind me. Our next stop was the library, where I was to deliver the potion to Isadora, the fire witch who would be heading the fireworks show that evening.

Isadora worked in the magic wing of the library, a section filled with ancient tomes and magical artifacts. I found her sorting through a pile of books, her fiery red hair tied back in a loose bun.

“Isadora,” I greeted her, holding out the vial. “I’ve got the potion for tonight’s show.”

She looked up, her eyes lighting up as she took the vial from me. “Thank you, Kinsley,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude. “This will make tonight’s show truly spectacular.”

As I handed over the potion, I couldn’t help but notice that Isadora seemed a bit frazzled. Her usually neat bun was slightly askew, and there was a certain tension in her shoulders.

“Everything okay, Isadora?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice.

She glanced up at me, her eyes momentarily reflecting the stress she was under. But then she smiled, a small but genuine smile, and nodded. “Yes, everything’s fine, Kinsley. Just a bit overwhelmed with the preparations for tonight’s show.”

I nodded in understanding. Organizing a fireworks display, especially a magical one, was no small feat. “I’m sure it’s going to be amazing,” I reassured her.
Bourgeois, Sara. Fireworks Finale: Mysteries of Meri (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 22). Kindle Locations (180-233). Kindle Edition.

After delivering the potion to Isadora, Kinsley goes home to prepare a picnic for the night’s fun. As she’s preparing sandwiches, she has a vision or hallucination that involves Isadora and fire. The vision upsets her greatly and she seeks help to stop the fireworks, unfortunately without success.

At the Fireworks it seems her hallucination comes true and now she and Thorn are investigating what happened as Isadora fights for her life.

There are many interesting twists to this investigation and it’s most surprising where it leads.

I couldn’t put this book down and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Sara!

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Sara Bourgeois

Sara Bourgeois is a Midwesterner through and through. She spends her time writing, reading, herding cats, and standing in her driveway during tornado warnings. (You can’t see them from the basement.)

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Monthly Archives: July 2023

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