Book Review: Art & Seduction by Elaine Radley

The moment playboy Daniel Shaw walked into the gallery, Eliza Kendrick knew she had a problem. All that wavy, dark hair, his crystal-blue eyes, and a sexy sideways smile threatens her control. But she didn't want a player. She wanted a future. So what if she'd had one lapse. The "elevator incident" shouldn't count. Even if it did, it was only one time...

Daniel’s reputation preceded him, but it wasn't that bad. Was it? Even so, it was time to settle down, and he knew who he wanted by his side. He simply needed to convince Eliza. Of course, words can get in the way. They can even get you in trouble. Sometimes it's best just to let passion speak for you.

 

This review is going to be short and sweet. Just like this novel. No, I don't usually read novellas. No, I don't usually read erotica. 

That being said ... I really liked this one. This is the second novella that I've read by this author and once again, it was awesome. For such a short story - only 45 pages - the characters were absolutely perfect. I didn't feel like I wish that I knew something else about them or like anything was missing. The story was the same way ... the plot was perfect, everything was fleshed out and buttoned up at the end.

It read like it was a full length novel. There was a clear beginning, middle and end. I was left completely satisfied as a reader. I can't imagine how difficult it is to tell such an intricate story with so few words. It's quite impressive. 

This is definitely one that you need to give a go. Especially if you're new to the erotica genre. This will get your little toesies wet and introduce you into something you might be unfamiliar with. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: Frostbitten by Heather Beck

Great beauty hides dark secrets...

Seventeen-year-old Anastasia Lockhart has never led an easy life, but when she starts getting into serious trouble, she’s sent to live with her grandparents in Cedar Falls. The small, picturesque town hasn’t changed since she visited four years ago, with one exception – the presence of a handsome, mysterious boy named Frost. Despite warnings from her grandparents and friends to stay away from Frost, Anastasia can’t deny their attraction, and the more time they spend together, the deeper in love they fall. Unfortunately, Frost has a secret that is beyond Anastasia’s wildest imagination, and she soon finds herself in the midst of a supernatural legend that has haunted Cedar Falls for years.

Can Anastasia and Frost’s love really overcome anything, or are their fates much darker?

 

I haven't read a paranormal book like this since my Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse bender years ago. That being said ... there were similarities that were a little difficult to ignore. 

Before I get to that, I do want to say that I enjoyed this book. I thought that while the characters didn't ring any bells for me, the plot was interesting and I enjoyed where the book went and how it got there. The story was fast moving and it mostly kept me entertained the entire time that I read it. 

That being said, I didn't connect with these characters at all. Our heroine in this one, Anastasia, is seventeen years old. Anastasia didn't behave like a seventeen year old. Not in the least. I want to tell you about a few examples because they just really rubbed me the wrong way and didn't seem true to the age group Anastasia is in. There was one time she was talking about this chick working in the office at school who "hadn't been well-trained, if at all". What? Come on. A 17 year old isn't going to think that. Comment on her hair? Sure. Her outfit? Absolutely. Maybe even the rude way in which this chick was talking. I'll even take that. But commenting on her training (or lack thereof) was just weird. There was this other situation with a teacher ... Anastasia was saying how this young teacher was more interested in a paycheck and disregarding safety in her class. Again, it felt weird. Then she was talking about how she doesn't "put a label on relationships". Ugh. She's seventeen. The last one I'll bring up is how she thought that other kids in her class were "dehumanizing" the male lead, Frost. Dehumanizing? I think that all of this would have been fine if there was a reason behind Anastasia acting older than her age or at least some kind of acknowledgement of this kind of behavior from a teenager. I didn't find any of that within these pages. I didn't see any reason why Anastasia would be acting like a grumpy 30-something all the time. 

And here we are at the Twilight reference I mentioned earlier. Let's just say that before I sat down to write this review, I actually checked what other people thought about this book. I never do that but I wanted to see if I was just completely off base with seeing similarities between these two and unfortunately, I wasn't alone and I wasn't off base. It wasn't a word for word type thing, obviously, but there were just scenes where it was VERY close to Twilight. I think that the most obvious scene was when Anastasia learned the truth about Frost. Anastasia put it together on her own by listing off the qualities that Frost has and then being a-okay with this and just scampering along behind him like she was riding a unicorn off into the sunset. She didn't have any qualms about being around him and it (again) didn't feel like a 17 year old or in any way how anyone would respond to this kind of thing. Not that this has ever happened but I'm pretty sure that 99% of the population would have at least paused for a moment to think about what being a werewolf meant. 

For me, the characters make or break the story. The story could be great but if the characters just aren't cutting it, it can really ruin the entire experience for me. It was an okay book. Like I said, it kept me entertained until the last page. I just wish that Anastasia had been more believable so that I could have connected with her in some way. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: Entangle (Hearts of Stone #2) by Veronica Larsen

It begins small.
His smoky blue eyes strike hers until the air between them flickers.
Her whispered suggestion blows the spark into a flame.
A guarded heart. A relentless pursuit.
An insatiable chemistry that yields to a torrid affair.

Alexis Stone
I tried to do things the right way. I wore the big white dress and rode off with Prince Charming. Then Charming changed his mind. Some people rush to fill the holes left by their past, but I stripped my life bare. Right down to the essentials: Me, myself, and I. Now I'm thriving, running a successful company and I'm sure I've got everything I want. Enter Leo, a gorgeous, blue-eyed specimen of a man, who walks into my company and introduces me to a level of attraction that is inescapable, undeniable, and utterly consuming. I have two choices, I can either edge around the intense chemistry between us or plunge right through it until there's nothing left. I'm done playing by the rules, but nothing can prepare me for what's on the other side.

 

This is the second book in the Hearts of Stone series by Veronica Larsen. I originally thought that it was the first because that is what it says on Goodreads but there are definitely spoilers in here from the book Enamor ... which leads me to believe that this is in fact, the second book in the series. Are they massive spoilers? No. Not at all but the book does take place years after Enamor. Might as well read that one first! 

Anyhow ... since I met Lex (Alexis) initially within the pages of Enamor, I was already semi-acquainted with her character and I was super excited to see that she was the focus of this book. In the first book, she's very stand-offish and almost detaches herself from other people and that continued on into this book. It's nice to see a really consistent character within a series. Larsen didn't lose touch with her as she was focused on other main characters - that's a great thing and shows you what a talented author Larsen is. 

I've seen a lot of reviews that really just bash the main character, Lex. They say that they find her to be closed off and cold-hearted. Hello! That's her character!! You're reading about a woman that has completely shut down, basically. She feels that she had her chance at love and missed the boat. She's jaded. She's broken. And she's absolutely perfect the way that she is. I detest characters that have their shit together. Who wants to read about a perfect person with the perfect life? Not this lady. 

And Leo ... I loved him. He's screwed up as well. I wouldn't have it any other way. He has this horrible take on women and relationships. They are there to scratch an itch. Hey, to each their own. I just really enjoyed the interactions between Leo and Lex. They were honest and gritty and not always pretty. Bottom line: they were realistic. 

The turmoil that Lex and Leo go through separately and together is enough to just break your heart. They go on this journey where the destination is muddled, more often than not and where no one knows where the next fork in the road is going to lead. It was heartbreaking during quite a few points. Tears were brought to my eyes on a couple of occasions with Lex because of how broken she felt. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Entangle. In the first book of the series, Enamor, I laughed and in this one, I was sad. I can't wait to see what the next book in the series has waiting for me within its ivory pages. 

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Book Review: Calculated Risk by Zoe M. McCarthy

Believing they're too opposite to attract, a jilted, vibrant marketing gal and a private numbers guy spend Thanksgiving with his family. She loves classical music; he listens to 70s tunes. She drives a red SUV; he owns a beige sedan. She orders a peppermint shake with extra chocolate bits; he prefers vanilla. What can change the improbable odds they'll fall in love?

 

When I first picked this book up, I had no idea that it was a Christian romance novel. Not that this genre is a bad but I just prefer to not read them. I enjoy a well placed f-word and based on the previous Christian romance books that I've read in the past, they are just very slow paced and everyone is sugary sweet and almost unrealistic. 

Unfortunately, that's what I found with this one as well. The characters were ... okay. I didn't find myself drawn to either character because I wasn't interested in them at all. They had these emotions about breakups that should have endeared Cisney and Nick to me but it didn't happen. I think it may have been because the conversations were dull and honestly, the characters were dull as well. I was just plain bored after the first chapter or so. 

There were these weird things that would happen ... this thing with the post-its ... Cisney would write basically every thought that she had, on a post-it. Nothing wrong with that and it doesn't seem weird to me ... I do it all the time. But the way this author wrote about her habit, she made it sound like Cisney was hiding dead cats in her bathtub and then reading them a bedtime story at night. McCarthy made  Cisney sound like a weirdo for writing on pieces of paper. I totally didn't get that.

I don't want to give anything away but in the beginning, Cisney is talking to someone about this piano and someone refers to the piano as "The Old Girl" and Cisney thinks that it's crass for them to call a piano that name. I guess it's just me but I don't see how calling an inanimate object The Old Girl is being insensitive. OR irreverent. If someone runs into the middle of a church service and starts heckling the pastor, THAT would be irreverent. I mean ... I guess you could say that the nickname is irreverent if you worship the piano or something ... I don't know. It was just weird. I didn't get those two things and that is where I started to pull away from the book. 

The rest of the novel was uneventful. The characters within the book are perfect - particularly Nick's family - and it made for a very bland read. Something was just missing and it was a healthy dose of umph. You know, the stuff that makes you think back on a book and be like, "WOW! THAT CHANGED MY LIFE". Unfortunately, this didn't change anything except my views on Christian romance novels ... I'll not be reading another one. Ever. I just need a tad bit more excitement to keep me interested, I guess. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: Dirty Little Lies (Quick and Dirty #1) by Clare James

Twenty-nine-year-old Stevie Sinclair has just lost everything: her boyfriend, her apartment, even her ugly bird named Free. (Yeah, she knows it’s stupid name, so don’t start.) But most importantly, Stevie’s lost herself.

As she shuffles through her days in worn-out Hello Kitty PJs—eating ice cream, sipping wine, and contemplating her next move—a magazine article catches her attention. Blaring black letters read: "How to Get Your Sexy Back in Six Easy Steps."

Stevie studies the article in the trashy magazine like the good student she is and immediately knows what she has to do. With the magazine article in hand, and a bottle of red in her bag, Stevie embarks on a journey to reclaim her life and win back her ex.

Until she meets Gabe Shannon. Gorgeous, single, and on a quest of his own, Gabe introduces Stevie to a lifestyle that is sure to help get her sexy back and then some. If she doesn’t chicken out … (Oh, you know where this is going.)

What follows is a story of self-discovery, romantic gestures, erotic encounters, and following one's heart--even if it leads in unexpected directions. 

 

Dirty Little Lies. Ugh. I wanted to love this book so much. I was just itching to read this one because I just KNEW that it would be amazing. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. Again, it looks like I'm in the minority on this one because a lot of my Goodreads friends really enjoyed it but it turns out that it just wasn't for me.

The book was going okay for me in the beginning. I enjoyed getting to know Stevie. I really felt bad for this poor girl. Can you imagine being with someone for so long, enjoying each others company but something is missing in your relationship: any kind of sexual spark. That would be difficult. Hell, Stevie lasted longer than I would in the relationship! I would have chunked a deuce and been out of there. 

After the first few chapters of the story, it started to go downhill for me. I don't want this to sound mean but the magazine article that Stevie was hinging all of her happiness on was bullshit. I thought that the six steps to "get her sexy back" was a little lame. When I read about the six steps in the blurb, I was hoping that it would be something juicy. Not that I can come up with anything juicy that would have been better but I just wanted more than what the author came up with. I didn't find it empowering or moving or anything!

And THEN there was the "new lifestyle" that she was introduced to. I'll be honest ... it didn't seem like the sex that happened was consensual. It seemed forced on her and I don't see how Stevie went from 6 lame-o steps to being this sexual, kinky vixen. It seemed totally out of character for her. It was difficult to swallow and to be honest, it just wasn't appealing to read. After I finished the novel, I realized that Stevie's character didn't seem consistent. She seemed like one person at the beginning of the novel, another one in the middle and then a completely different one at the end. I'm not saying that character growth can't happen, it can but the way that this one was fleshed out just didn't seem like it was realistic. Stevie seemed to swing from one extreme to the next. She's okay with not having sex and then she's okay being a nympho and then she's okay with not having it again and then she's okay just having it sometimes. 

There were a few surprises throughout the novel that were a little entertaining but at the same time, there was this convenience to the way that the story went. I read this article once that said when you're writing a book, never go for the convenient situation with the convenient ending because it makes the book unbelievable. That is exactly what happened a few times in this novel. Things would just get buttoned up all nice and pretty without any kind of controversy and I just wish that the controversial way had been how it went because reading about that push and pull of emotions or situations is what makes a book so amazing. 

Anyway, this was the first and probably last book that I read by this author because I just didn't enjoy the way that things went and I don't want to be burned twice. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Book Review: One to Go by Mike Pace

Tom Booker is a new attorney at a powerful Washington law firm. Texting while driving across Memorial Bridge, he loses control and crashes into an oncoming minivan carrying his own daughter and three of her friends. The minivan tips up on two wheels, about to flip over into the Potomac. Time freezes, he s alone on the bridge. A young couple approaches and offers him a re-wind. The crash would be averted, the children saved. All he must do is kill someone every two weeks anyone a soul exchange. A moment later, Tom is back in his spinning car, but averts the deadly crash. He laughs about the hallucination, attributing it to bumping his head on the steering wheel when his car came to an abrupt stop. But his encounter wasn t a hallucination. Two weeks later, the minivan driver is brutally murdered. Tom receives a text: one down, four to go. He has never shot much less owned a gun in his life, and now must turn himself into a serial killer or his daughter and her friends will die.

When I heard about One to Go, I had one of those arms-stretched-out-with-fingers-opening-and-closing-yelling-GIMME! type of reactions. I just knew that I had to get my hands on it or I was going to lose my shit. I thought that the whole premise sounded like it would make for an amazing book and I would do anything I could to get to read it. Unfortunately, it didn't end well for me. Hell, it didn't start well either. 

The first thing that just irked me was this one simple word: kind've. Yes, you read it correctly and I put the apostrophe in the same place as the author. The apostrophe (in this instance) signifies that the word should be a contraction. Well, last time I checked, kind and have are not to words that can go together ... ESPECIALLY in the context that they were used in the book: Kind've cool. Negative. I understand that it was a child that was talking at the time but it would have been kind and of going together if anything. Sure, it's in the urban dictionary because that's where these Millennials put all sorts of things that aren't exactly correct English or even things that should be a thing or explained (i.e. the rusty trombone and the dirty Sanchez - don't look those up, no matter how much you want to). Kind've isn't even a damn word. From where this showed up, about 12 pages in, I was already irked at the book. 

I also didn't really like the main character, Tom. I thought that he was a narrow-minded, egotistical jerk and I couldn't bring myself to connect with him or his plight. I found him annoying and a coward. Heaven forbid this type of situation (with the having to save a child by killing a crap-ton of people) actually happen and if it did, I don't know how I would react. Maybe his reaction/feelings/actions are exactly how a parent would be but there just wasn't anything that I could grip on to with regards to connecting with Tom. I was happy to see the book end, actually. 

Throughout the entire book, the wording felt choppy ... like it was a new driver, learning where the pedals are and how hard to push ... just stomping on the gas and then stomping on the break. The book was jarring to me from the very beginning. 

I started this book in October and I'm just now finishing it because I had to put it down so many times. I was hoping that I was just being moody with it and since I have two boys, maybe I was just being sensitive to the situation. But that wasn't the case. Honestly, the only part of the book that I enjoyed was the occasional Latin word and that was only because I studied Latin in high school and I've only gotten to use it at the Vatican and in translating stuff off of US currency for our boys ... and I might throw them in every once in a while into a conversation when I'm being super passive-aggressive. 

Anyway ... not the book for me ... I'm glad a lot've (get what I did there?) people have enjoyed this one, it just didn't mesh well with me.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Review: Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series #1) by Kristen Luciani

Here's the thing about keeping secrets...

After learning Jessica's been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, her fiancé bolted out of her life as if he was on fire. She finds solace in her career--no distractions or romantic entanglements there!

But the universe has its own agenda.

Three thousand miles away from home and in the most unlikely of circumstances, Jessica meets Silicon Valley rising star James Callahan and her world is instantly turned upside down. Things go further awry when she encounters a ghost from the past. That one night of reckless abandon is back to haunt her and the control she fought so hard to regain is now in the hands of another.

Plagued by betrayal and guilt over his dad’s untimely death, James left Cambridge in search of a new beginning. With laser-focus, he built a cutting edge technology company now on the brink of financial success. Romance is the last thing on his mind…until he meets Jessica.

Fate brought them together, awakening their dormant emotions. But Jessica’s scandalous secret consumes her and threatens the very happiness she feared she’d never find with another man. Can James handle the truth about her past? Or did she pick the wrong guy yet again?

 

This marks the first and last book that I've read by Kristen Luciani. Just saying that makes me feel like a big jerk. Authors work so very hard on their book(s) and here I am, ripping it apart. Reviewing books is an awesome little hobby to have ... at least until you get your hands on a book that you just don't mesh with. Well, I guess I better stop stalling and get on with this. 

From the very beginning of Unlikely Venture, I had a super hard time connecting with the characters and the story. The book was reading ... flat ... I just didn't get any kind of emotion from any of the characters. I was just reading sentences and I wasn't being immersed into the novel. This continued throughout the entire book for me. There were times when you could tell that emotions should be high for the characters due to what was going on but even then, I got nothing. No emotional connection. 

It was even worse when James came into the picture. The conversations between him and Jessica didn't have that spark ... I didn't feel any pull between them. It read like they were brother and sister in the beginning. I was expecting something ... anything ... that would signify some sort of attraction between them and I just didn't get that. Hell. I'll be honest, I found myself 15% into the novel and I had no clue what the main character's name was. I couldn't even differentiate between Jessica and her friend Lisa, they both read like one person rather than two different ones. And not knowing their names until I was a quarter of the way through didn't help. I'm not saying that their names weren't given, they were. They were just completely forgettable to me. 

The whole story was forgettable. So very sad. There were quite a few elements that should have made this an unforgettable novel for me but for some reason, it didn't connect. I mean, this book had everything: romance, illness, estranged family, broken relationships ... I wish that I had liked it. 

Keep in mind, a lot of people really did like this one. Don't take my word for it, read some more reviews and then make your decision about reading Unlikely Venture. Maybe I'll pick this one up again and change my opinion but that isn't happening right now. 

As a side note ... I accidentally wrote a status update for this book on Goodreads for 37% and it was actually for another book ... mistakes happen and Goodreads update mistakes can't be deleted apparently because I can't find where to do it. Oops.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Review: Flash Bang (Flash Bang #1) by Meghan March

Rowan Callahan is a career-climbing slut. At least according to the vicious—and false—rumor that is destroying her professional life. But a little thing like her career as an attorney ceases to matter when a plane crashes in downtown Chicago and the entire city goes dark. Her unconventional upbringing makes her suspect the worst: she’s just witnessed the kick-off to the apocalypse. Armed with a backpack of supplies, she leaves Chicago, intent on resetting her skewed priorities and seeking shelter at the family farm with her father and sister. She’s injured and running for her life when she stumbles directly in the crosshairs of two men who just might be her salvation . . . and her greatest temptation.

Graham Buchanan and Zachariah Sawyer are best friends and brothers-in-arms who have been indulging in ménages since before their Force Recon team served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They’ve hung up their uniforms to build a new life for themselves and their team at Castle Creek Whitetail Ranch—a rustic deer hunting preserve that covertly doubles as a doomsday prepper’s paradise. They thought they were prepared for anything until Rowan comes crashing into their lives. Graham and Zach are convinced she’s the one woman who can handle them both, but she has no intention of deviating from her carefully laid plans for longer than it takes her to recover from her injuries. So they propose a deal: they’ll provide her an armed escort home, and in exchange, she’s theirs until they part ways.

It was the perfect plan; except once they've had her, they can’t let her go . . .

Here's the deal. I am not a big supporter of erotica. To be honest, the first of the genre that I read was 50 Shades. And that was only because there was so much buzz around it that I felt left out not having read it and when you're a reviewer, you just can't have that. So I read that book and well, I haven't read many since. Maybe three. But when I saw the description for Flash Bang, I was intrigued for the first time in years in an erotica book. I decided to give it a shot and to be honest, I'm really glad that I did. This book may have changed my view on the entire genre and that's a pretty big deal for someone who practically swore them off. 

Right from the first page, I was hooked. I loved Ro instantly and I couldn't help but root for her throughout the entire book. She was a really well written character that was flawed but knew that she wanted to get her shit together. She was a realistic character in my mind and one I would read about again. Ro isn't one that I'll be forgetting any time soon. I enjoyed the predicament that she was in ... you know, the issue with two hunky boys. For the love of all things fluffy, some of those sex scenes were hot. I was afraid my damn Kindle would burst into flames a few times. 

What I really enjoyed was that this wasn't what I was expecting. With that other erotica I read, there was sex on every damn page and I just got completely bored and ended up skipping sentences, then paragraphs, then whole pages. But with Flash Bang, there is an actual story going on ... this whole apocalypse thing that is going on and all of that had just as much space on the storyline as what was going on with Ro, Graham and Zach. The story had substance and I won't lie, I wasn't really expecting that at all. I found myself becoming entranced in the world that they were immersed in and I couldn't wait to sit down and devour more. 

I don't want to say too much and ruin the story for you but this was a good one. I'm interested in reading the second novel in the series since (as I understand it) it is a continuation of the story that is already in place. You won't be disappointed with this one, I have a feeling that it isn't your normal erotica novel. I will probably read this one again and I'll be picking up number two soon! I'm glad that I took a chance and decided to read out of my normal genres because otherwise, I never would have found a new author that I enjoy and a new series that I can't wait to finish. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Review: Rules of Protection (Tangled in Texas #1) by Alison Bliss

It’s rule breaker Emily Foster's birthday, and like everyone at The Jungle Room, she just wants to get some action. Unfortunately, she stumbles on the wrong kind, witnessing a mob hit. To protect her, she's entered into the Witness Protection Program with by-the-book Special Agent Jake Ward as her chaperone.

When the location of their safe house is compromised, Jake stashes Emily deep in the Texas backwoods. The city-girl might be safe from the Mafia, but she has to contend with a psychotic rooster, a narcoleptic dog, crazy cowboys, and the danger of losing her heart to the one man she can’t have.

Jake's as hot as he is infuriating, and she can't help but push all his buttons to loosen him up. Their mutual, sizzling sexual attraction poses a dilemma: Jake's determined to keep her safe and out of the wrong hands; she's determined to get into the right ones—his.

 

Emily decided to hit the bar with her two best friends for her birthday. She was hoping for a few drinks, some laughs and at her friends urging ... maybe a handsome guy to spend the rest of her birthday with. That's not exactly how her night panned out ... instead of the fun time she was hoping for, she was stalked through the bar by a skeezy guy and she peeked in on a mob hit. The moment she saw someone get killed, her life changed forever ... it turned into a life full of conflicting emotions, almost-sexy-times and some backwoods country people that she has absolutely nothing in common with.

I almost never read someone else's review of a book before I read it myself. I don't know why that is ... there's nothing wrong with reading reviews, that is how a lot of people figure out what to pick up next. But that just isn't the way I do things. I've had my eye on this book since it hit shelves back in August of last year but I never had the opportunity to pick it up. Finally the day arrived that I would be able to read it and for some odd reason, I read some reviews before I even turned a page. And of course, I gravitated towards the bad reviews to see what people were saying about Rules of Protection. I read some really horrible stuff and I am so glad that I didn't let those harsh words deter me from starting this because it was absolutely amazing! I haven't enjoyed a romantic suspense novel like this in such a long time. I read Sandra Brown almost religiously and let me tell you, this is no exaggeration ... Alison Bliss is a young Sandra Brown. Before I embarrass myself and start waxing poetic about both of these very talented ladies, let's get down to the review.

You're thrown into this novel as Emily is walking into the bar and you're able to get to know her as she handles different situations and the people around her. I like it that way. I don't very much enjoy a book starting off with these stale paragraphs that describe a character in great detail before you even get to anything pertaining to the story. The way that Bliss did it, it was perfection. I was able to form my own opinions on Emily and her friends rather than being told what I SHOULD think of them. And I think that makes a difference when setting a book up because every reader interprets things a different way. Let me elaborate on that a little bit ... some reviewers are saying that the Emily character ruined the book for them because she was so incredibly emotional. I didn't see it that way. I took it as Emily was reacting to a harrowing situation and her emotions got the best of her. Which I'm assuming is pretty easy to do when the character has no filter and is so sassy that you just know she has a steel pair that would rival the manliest of men. Personally, I liked her emotional reaction because I think that it was realistic. I can't imagine how I would react in a situation like that but I'm betting people would think that I was off my rocker as well. Anyhow ... I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Emily and while sometimes she may have been bit over the top, she was completely true to herself and you can't help but love honest characters. 

The rest of the story ... man ... what a whirlwind!! Rules of Protection doesn't keep you on the edge of your seat, it completely demolishes the seat and makes you run around like a demented rooster is after you. There is twist after twist in this plot; I never knew what was going to happen next and I was constantly surprised. It's really hard to shock me these days because of how many romantic suspense novels I've read but I was pleasantly surprised at every single turn of the page. I read this one pretty quickly and I have so, SO much more to say but I don't want to ruin any of the surprises!

Alison Bliss is an author to watch out for and if you haven't read this book yet, you need to go ahead and grab it. I will be anxiously awaiting the next novel in the series which I'm hoping is coming out soon ... right? RIGHT?!? (Hint, hint Alison Bliss)

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review *

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