Category Archives: Must Read
2016 Highlight for Lani Lynn Vale – I Like Dragons and I Cannot Lie Series
Publishing 14 novels and attending numerous Book Signings around the US and meeting hundreds of readers, bloggers and fellow authors. She has had a memorable 2016 and we want to revisit all the novels she has published this year.Day 2 we are taking a look back to The I Like Big Dragon Series!!
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Series: The Dragon Series #1
Author: Lani Lynn Vale
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release: August 17, 2016
Keifer Vassago, The Prince of Dragons, has enough on his plate without adding a brunette with a bad attitude to the mix
Fate has a way of screwing all his plans, though, whether he wants them screwed or not. One second he’s fetching his brother from yet another situation that could possibly compromise the Vassago name, and the next that brunette is grabbing his assets.
Blythe isn’t after anyone’s assets, though. She’s a good girl. All she wants is to graduate from nursing school, get a job, and move out of her hell hole apartment. What she does not have time to deal with is a sexy bearded man that accuses her of grabbing his junk.
She tries to forget about the encounter, but fate’s a cruel bitch.
One second she’s a normal college student barely living paycheck to paycheck, and the next she’s setting her panties on fire with powers from an ancient immortal dragon.
To add insult to injury, she’s hearing voices, and none of them are figments of her imagination. Blythe’s life is turned upside down, and Keifer forces her to adapt even though she doesn’t want to. She likes her life just the way it is.
Not to mention she wants nothing to do with that arrogant asshole. She doesn’t care that he rides a dragon. She also could care less about his stupid beard, and his sexy eyes.
Yeah, who was she kidding? She wasn’t convincing anybody.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Nikolai Vassago has a plan.
Nikolai, however, has different ideas, and he’s not above using his masculine will to prove to her that she’s exactly where she needs to be.
“I Like Dragons and I Cannot Lie’ is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best PNR I have EVER read!!!”
– Gi’s Spot Reviews (I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie)
“Holy freaking crap!!! This book is absolutely nothing like I expected and everything I could ever want in a paranormal. This is Lani Lynn Vale’s first foray into paranormal and let me tell you she knocked it out of the park.”
– Devious Book Blog (I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie)
“This is an all action paranormal romance with lots of dangerous family drama. One family is over protective the other is full of dangerous killers. Add in dragon magic and hot sex , you get a book you can’t put down.”
– Warrior Woman Winmill (Dragons Need Love, Too)
“This book was witty, entertaining, serious, and funny all at the same time.”
– Swoon Worthy Books (Dragons Need Love, Too)
I LIKE BIG DRAGONS AND I CANNOT LIE
I woke up to my lower half on fire.At first, I thought it was just an aftereffect of my dreams, but when I finally peeled my eyes open, I could smell smoke.When I opened my lids and looked down, it was to literally find my panties on fire.I screamed and rolled; rolling so far in the bed that I hit the floor and kept going.By the time the fire was finally out, my panties were burned to ash. However, my skin was perfectly fine. In fact, the hairs that I’d planned on having waxed later in the week were gone.It’d given me a fire waxing…minus the wax.“What the fuck?” I yelled, staring down at my now hair-free mound.Blasphemy.My eyes widened and I looked around. Was someone in the room with me?I started reaching for the lamp but couldn’t find it. There was a pile of things beside the bed that I’d knocked over in my haste to get up. I could only assume that the lamp was one of those things.“Light, light, light,” I chanted, shifting through the things on the floor.My candles that I had interspersed around the room all lit at once, and I screamed.“What the hell is going on?” I shrieked.Macy started hammering on the wall, or her boyfriend. Whatever. Fuck her.I narrowed my eyes at the wall.That stupid heifer! I’m allowed to scream if I want to. She fucks day and night, and she’s going to bang on my wall to get meto quiet down?Master Farrow has always had excellent stamina with the ladies.I froze, turning around and scanning the room.“Who’s there?” I asked nervously.A deep, rumbly laugh filled my head and my eyes widened.“Holy mother of God, get out of my head!” I yelled.The voice in my head continued to chuckle. Oh, this is almost as good as when Prince Keifer came into his powers. He didn’t shriek like you do, though.
DRAGONS NEED LOVE, TOO
I don’t know why I never expected Nikolai to be able to fight.He had the muscles.He worked out.He was aware.But he never struck me as fierce.I wasn’t thinking that anymore, though, as I watched him beat the ever loving shit out of his opponent.He never used a single one of his powers to accomplish it, either.
He did it all with sheer strength, force of will, and knowledge.
He was divine.
All we were supposed to be doing was buying some supplies for the house.
It’d been over two months since I’d woken from my coma, six weeks since he’d told me I was his mate and even longer since the housekeeper had stocked the kitchens.
I’d never been so happy to leave the confines of a house.
I would’ve been happy with going in a plain old car; but, today, Nikolai had taken me on a motorcycle, of all things.
I’d always wanted to ride on one but had never had the courage to ask for a ride.
Today, though, I’d practically begged Nikolai for us to take it.
He’d argued that a truck would hold more groceries, but I’d been adamant.
I didn’t even know why, either.
Just the thought of being in the open air, outside the confines of the sanctuary, turned me into a giggling mass of excitement.
And I was sure that nothing would ruin this day…but I’d been wrong.
Since I was now watching my man get ganged up on by five men.
My uncle’s cronies could ruin my day, as evidenced by the stupid goon trying to slash Nikolai’s face off with a fuckin’ saber sword.
I’d at first tried to help Nikolai, but his insistence that I back up and stay the hell out of it had been loud and clear, even when he hadn’t actually said any of those words out loud.
But he’d been awesome at screaming them inside my head like I was a disobeying three-year-old, rather than a twenty-six-year-old grown ass adult who knew how to wipe her own butt.
I watched with the brick wall of a convenience store at my back.
Nikolai’s bike was on its side where he’d dumped it.
My arm was scratched, and a strange throbbing sensation was going on with my ribs.
Funny enough, I hadn’t remembered ever hitting my ribs. Nikolai had been extremely careful about laying his bike down as we slid.
He’d also made me wear protective clothing, such as a brand new pair of motorcycle boots. A leather jacket with padding in the elbows and back, as well as a pair of pants that were supposedly flame proof.
I was glad he’d forced me to wear them now; but a scant hour before, as I’d been getting dressed, I’d been reluctant.
“Duck!” Nikolai screamed.
Then, I was seeing nothing but black. Everything around me was black.
“Nikolai!” I whispered frantically. “I can’t see!”
Strong arms, the arms that I was coming to care for in the short few days that we’d officially started to ‘date,’ wrapped around me.
“Shh,” he breathed, so low that I couldn’t be sure that he said anything at all.
Grab the bike, he whispered through my brain.
I moved my arms forward and grabbed on to the bike, feeling him shift as he got on. Then he pulled me on behind him and a loud roar sounded as he turned over the engine.
“Hold on,” he rushed.
I held on.
BLP REVIEWS ~ Tracy
I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie
FANFECKINTASTIC, I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
I’m a fan of Lani Lynn Vale’s contemporary series, especially Kilgore Fire, Uncertain Saint’s and KPD SWAT so when I heard she was releasing a #PNR/Urban Fantasy series I was intrigued and more than a little interested in reading it!!
I adore Dragons (and anything related!!) so The I Like Big Dragon series was right up my street!!
I loved that Keifer, our main man was the Prince of Dragons but not a shifter. Instead, he’s very in tune with his dragon and while a good guy is totally badass!!! He really pissed me off only once in the book – and then I could have happily swung for him, but apart from that he was fab!!
Blythe was excellent. Totally suited to Keifer, she was determined, feisty and didn’t take any crap from him!! She didn’t let him ride roughshod over her plans to finish her nursing course and stuck to her guns even though her mate would have had her tucked her up someplace safe and never let her out!!
The read was hot as hell (this pair together are smokin’), the plot was action packed, peppered with banter and humour and the story kept up a good pace. We were introduced to Keifer’s brothers who will feature in the other books in the series!
A truly great start to this new series from Lani. Well written, interesting and kept me engaged. I cannot wait for the next book to be released! This, for me, is a 5* read!!
Dragons Need Love, Too
Dragon’s Need Love, Too picks up just as the first books ends with Nikolai rescuing Brooklyn from a living hell that began during I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie.
Nik is the brother of Keifer, the new Dragon King, and Brooklyn is the best friend of Blythe (who is Keifer’s mate).
The relationship between our leading couple started very differently than expected and made for some interesting and emotional reading. Nik is quite a different character from his brother but when it comes to his mate he’s just as passionate and protective about her. Brooklyn has had a very untraditional upbringing and to find herself mated with a Dragon Rider comes as a bit of a surprise to her to say the least, especially when she finds herself nigh on confined to their compound and unable to go back to her ‘normal’ life.
Brooklyn and Nikolai were a great couple. They had a real connection (even though neither of them fully understood it all to start with), they had some fab banter that had me laughing often and they were hot AF when they got together.
This book was action packed. It was primarily about Nik and Brook but it also covered the continuing battle with the Purists that Brooklyn’s uncle Joseph was a huge part of in book one – this one still has a ways to go – it also focused on the new Dragon King and his mate and everything going on with them at the moment (no spoilers from me, in case you haven’t read book 1 – but why wouldn’t you have??). We find out more about the Vassago boys ‘Dragon Rider brothers’, especially Ian, who I can’t wait to read more about, we met up again with some of the Sanctuary dragons and are introduced to a few new characters. I’m really looking forward to finding out more about Sklyar, Keifre & Nikolai’s sister but I’m not yet feeling the love for Farrow who is their younger brother – but I’m hoping that LLV can change my mind when it comes to his story.
Well written, engaging, entertaining and a definite recommended read, Dragons Need Love, Too is another great installment in the I Like Big Dragons series and a sure fire hit from Lani Lynn…
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us.
I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.
DAY 3: THE UNCERTAIN SAINTS MC
SEE YOU TOMORROW
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BLOG TOUR ~ After We Fall by Melanie Harlow
After We Fall
by Melanie Harlow
Publication Date: November 28th, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
Jack Valentini isn’t my type.
Sexy, brooding cowboys are fine in the movies, but in real life, I prefer a suit and tie. Proper manners. A close shave.
Jack might be gorgeous, but he’s also scruffy, rugged, and rude. He wants nothing to do with a “rich city girl” like me, and he isn’t afraid to say so.
But I’ve got a PR job to do for his family’s farm, so he’s stuck with me for ten days, and I’m stuck with him. His glares. His moods. His tight jeans. His muscles.
His huge, hard muscles.
Pretty soon there’s a whole different kind of tension between us, the kind that has me misbehaving in barns, trees, and pickup trucks. I’ve never done anything so out of character—but it feels too good to stop.
And the more I learn about the grieving ex-Army sergeant, the better I understand him. Losing his wife three years ago left him broken and bitter and blaming himself. He doesn’t think he deserves a second chance at happiness.
But he’s wrong.
I don’t need to be his first love. If only he’d let me be his last.
“Second chances are not given to make things right, but are given to prove that we could be even better after we fall.” — Unknown
Excerpt:
“Wow,” she said, shutting the screen door behind her. “That was close. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” I crossed my arms, wishing I’d thought to grab a shirt. “Want to tell me what you were doing out there?”
Her cheeks colored. “Um, I was taking a run.”
“Up a tree?”
She laughed nervously. “No. Well, I didn’t start out in a tree. That happened later.”
I cocked my head, unable to resist giving her a hard time. Not so sure of yourself now, are you, Barbie? “Oh yeah?”
“Yes. See, I left the cottage I’m renting without using the bathroom by mistake,” she began, twisting her fingers together, “and I was planning on running a loop around the farm, but it’s bigger than I thought.”
“Ah. So you were looking for a bathroom in the woods?”
“Well, yes.” She swallowed. “Sort of. But then I heard a splash and saw you…” Her cheeks were practically purple now.
I played dumb. “Saw me what?”
“Saw you naked, OK?” she blurted, throwing her hands up. “I admit it—I saw you naked.”
I had no hangups about nudity, but I was damn serious about my privacy, and about people sneaking up on me. But her embarrassment was funny. The two times I’d seen her before, she’d been so polished and poised. It felt good to put her in her place a little. “So you climbed a tree for a better view, is that it?”
Bowing her head, she dragged the toe of one shoe across the wood planks of the porch floor. “Something like that.” Then she looked up at me. Took a breath. “I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I was—I mean, I got—I couldn’t—” She sighed, briefly closing her eyes. “I have no excuse. Will you accept my apology?”
She was prettier without makeup, I decided. And the way she wore her hair off her face emphasized the wideness of her eyes, the angle of her cheekbones, the arch of her brows. Her lips didn’t need all that glossy crap, either. They were a perfect rosy pink, and I wondered if they’d feel as soft as they looked.
Fuck. I hadn’t kissed anyone in three years.
Clearing my throat, I took a step back. “Yeah. It’s fine.” Now get out of here.
She didn’t move. “So you’re not going to fire me?”
“I never hired you.”
“I know. But I really want this job. I think I can help, Jack. I know I can.”
“Suit yourself. I want nothing to do with it.” My name on her lips was trouble. Needing some distance from her, I started walking toward the dock to get my shoes and socks, but she followed me. God, she was a pest. It reminded me of the way Steph used to tag along after the boys when we were kids, wanting to get in our games.
“Are you going to be like this the entire time I’m here?” she asked.
“Like what?”
“Moody and uncooperative?”
“Probably.”
“Why? Do you hate me that much?”
“I don’t hate anybody. I just don’t see why we should pay some city girl who’s never set foot on a farm to advise us.” We reached the dock, and I leaned down to get my stuff.
“I’m not even asking to be paid, so piss off!” she shouted, her voice carrying on the water.
I straightened. “Oh, you’re working for free?”
“Yes!”
“Then you’re an idiot. Or so rich you don’t need the money.”
“I’m not an idiot,” she said through clenched teeth.
“So you’re rich, then.” I don’t know why I was being such an asshole. But for some reason, I did not want to let her see another side of me, or see another side to her. “I should have guessed.”
She crossed her arms. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you look like you’ve led a charmed life. Like you’ve had everything you’ve ever wanted handed to you. Like you’ve never gotten your hands dirty.”
“So get them dirty.”
I almost fell off the dock. “What?”
“Get them dirty. Teach me about working this farm. I want to learn.”
Was she serious? The last thing I needed was to drag her ass around all day, explaining things. Or stare at her ass all day, imagining things. But one look at her defiant face and I shook my head. “Why do I feel like if I say no, you’ll just keep bothering me?”
She smiled and clasped her hands behind her back, rocking forward on her toes. “Because I will. I don’t like being told no.”
“Of course you don’t.” Jesus, she was trouble. A bad apple—smooth and shiny on the outside, spoiled rotten on the inside. But for no good reason, I found myself giving in. “Fine. Go change your clothes.”
BLP REVIEW ~ Tracy
I love a good second chance story, whether the leading characters have known each other in the past or it’s just two people being given another chance at love and happiness.
I really liked both Margot and Jack from the off, even though to begin with he was a bit of a jerk towards her and at times he needed a bit of a kick up the backside! They were so very different but as the old saying goes, opposites attract.
Margot with her high heels, pearls, her lack of knowledge about anything to do with farming and her scone throwing abilities had me laughing, feeling all sorts of emotions and hoping like hell she got the happy ever after she so desperately wanted. She was feisty, strong and had such a big heart. She came to care deeply about Jack, knowing that she would never be his first love just wanting to be able to love him regardless.
Jack was such a deep character. He was broken, both in heart and spirit and had so many issues that he struggled to deal with that even though I wanted to yell at him at times, I felt so sad and sorry for him. He wanted to be loved and cared for but didn’t think or see that he was or could be worth it. He was so convinced that he had lost the one person meant to truly love him that he was unable to open his heart to the possibility of a second chance. Seeing him battle his heart and head and start to realise what he truly wanted had me on a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, desperately hoping that he could fight through his darkness and get to a brighter, happier place with someone to love!
The banter, verbal sparring, attraction, sexual tension and passion between the pair all made for superb reading. Seeing just how Jack interacted with his nephew was so cute – who knew a big, gruff farmer could be such a sweetheart.
I really enjoyed catching up with Margot’s besties Jaime and Claire and meeting Jack’s brothers and his sister-in-law.
After We Fall was well written, Melanie Harlow has a knack of pulling you into the story, bringing out the best (and if required, the worst) of her characters, making you feel so deeply for them, that she so easily manages to coax all of your emotions into play as you read.
It is a standalone but if you read Man Candy first you’ll understand Jaime and some of the phone conversations between her an Margot will make more sense. I can’t wait for Claire’s book to see how things work out for her….
I honestly CANNOT give After We Fall enough stars! This was, for me, a fantastic read. Melanie’s books are an auto-buy for me and I’d definitely recommend giving them a shot!
Purchase Links:
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About the Author:
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
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RELEASE BLITZ : Black Swan Affair by KL Kreig
STOP EVERYTHING. BLACK SWAN AFFAIR IS LIVE.
“This book owned me as I turned page after page, wanting to both savor every beautifully written word and race to the end. Black Swan Affair is easily one of my top reads of the year.” – USA Today Bestselling Author, Meghan March
BUY NOW
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2du1AH7
iBooks: goo.gl/GpEoLU
B&N: goo.gl/W9lqEO
Kobo: goo.gl/coFztR
BLURB:
I’ve loved him as long as I can remember.
The gangly boy with big brown eyes and unruly hair who grew up into an intoxicating man. He wears scruff like he invented it and ambles with a swagger that makes panties drop.
Killian Shepard.
Shep.
We grew up together. We played Ghost in the Graveyard. Had our own rock band. It didn’t matter that he was five years older than me. It didn’t matter that he looked at me as a kid sister even as I grew into a woman. It didn’t even matter when he left me behind to go to college and start his adult life.
He’d be back.
He was always meant to be mine.
He came back, all right. But instead of smelling of promises, he stunk of betrayal. And he destroyed me—us—the day he married my sister instead of me.
So I did the only thing a girl like me in my position could do.
I got my revenge.
I married his brother, Kael.
Now we’re one big happy fucking family.
ADD TO GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/2dH4e01
PRAISE FOR BLACK SWAN AFFAIR
“OMG what did I just read? This book… WOW!! It’s been years since I read a book straight through. Yes, seven hours I was glued to the pages of this book. A yo-yo of emotions that left me breathless with every scene. Black Swan Affair is a must read!!” – NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Nashoda Rose
“Black Swan Affair is intense, mesmerizing, a gripping page-turner that had me guessing until the very end! A top 2016 read!” – Anne Mercier, Bestselling Author
“Simply Amazing. KL had me from page one and I had to pry my fingers off my Kindle when it was over.” – Winter Travers, Amazon Bestselling Author of The Devil’s Knights Series and The Skid Row Kings Series
About the Author:
I’m just a regular ol’ Midwest girl who likes Game of Thrones and am obsessed with Modern Family and The Goldbergs. I run, I eat, I run, I eat. It’s a vicous cycle. I love carbs, but there’s love-hate relationship with my ass and thighs. Mostly hate. I like a good cocktail (oh hell…who am I kidding? I love any cocktail). I’m a huge creature of habit, but I’ll tell you I’m flexible. I read every single day and if I don’t get a chance…watch the hell out, I’m a raving bitch. My iPad and me: BFFs. I’m direct and I make no apologies for it. I swear too much. I love alternative music and in my next life I want to be a bad-ass female rocker. I hate, hate, hate spiders, telemarketers, liver, acne, winter and loose hairs that fall down my shirt (don’t ask, it’s a thing).
Author Links:
Facebook | Kreig’s Babes private fan FB page | Website | Goodreads| Twitter | Instagram
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SPECIALIST BLOG TOUR ~ Through Fire (Portland, ME #3) by Freya Barker
Through Fire
(Portland ME, #3)
Freya Barker
SPECIALIST BLOG TOUR BY FRANCESSCA’S PR & DESIGNS
SPECIAL BLOG TOUR EVENT CLICK HERE
Violence corroded her…
Obedience defiled her…
Fear kept her chained…
Freedom is hard to embrace when she’s never learned to trust. Yet in the span of a second, she grabs a single opportunity and runs toward it. Straight into the sanctuary of a pub at the end of a wharf.
She doesn’t understand the concept of friendship. She’s never felt the connection of a relationship. She’s as innocent as the driven snow and yet tainted with corruption. Still, she finds herself surrounded by people who accept her, without even knowing the first thing about her. But one of them is determined to dig deeper.
He treasures his friends, yet he’s steered clear of committed relationships. He likes his life comfortably predictable and entirely controlled. Until it isn’t. For months he’s avoided interacting with The Skipper’s newest addition. Perhaps realizing that once he looked deeply into those liquid brown eyes, he wouldn’t be able to turn away.
When his present and her past puts them both on the brink of change, they are forged through fire as one.
Purchase Links
BLP Reviews
Tracy
Madre de Dios !!! (to quote our leading lady, Ruby) Freya Barker has done it again!!
From one of, in my humble opinion, the best series EVER…. Through Fire is a gut wrenching, heart-breaking story but as we’ve come to expect from Freya, it’s also filled with hope, strength, heat and a really strong sense of family…
Ms Barker writes REAL…. Her stories are full of very real issues: at times it’s hard going and upsetting, the tales aren’t pretty and the situations our main characters (the leading ladies in particular in the Portland, ME series) find themselves in are dark, scary, totally incomprehensible, horrendously shocking and unbelievably brutal, but they are also what we read/hear about in the news (sadly on a near regular basis it seems) – they are things that we know are happening in the world around us but that we cannot begin to understand as, in the main, most of us will fortunately never be thrust into these dark and horrendous situations.
Through her writing and storytelling Freya gives us an insight into the misery and devastation that her characters experience – but she also shows us just how strong people can be that they can survive these nightmares and not only come out the other side but do so with determination, strength of character and an overwhelming desire to LIVE.
For me, Ruby’s story is the darkest and hardest to read of the series to date but she is a fantastic character who, with the support of friends and ‘chosen family’ at the The Skipper, manages to overcome her demons and look towards a future that she never considered she’d ever have..
Tim is the leading man in Through Fire – we’ve met him previously in the series and I must admit that after some of his actions and attitude in Cruel Water (book #2) he wasn’t my favourite fella but I’m happy to admit that my feelings towards his character definitely changed whilst reading his and Ruby’s book.
Packed with suspense, intrigue, attraction, heat and passion and featuring the well loved characters that we have already met in the series to date,Through Fire is an exceptional read and another fantastic instalment in thePortland, ME series.
If you’ve already dipped your toe into the writing of Freya Barker this book will be a hit with you. For those who haven’t yet tried any of her books I recommend that you give them a chance – you will not be disappointed.
Rebecca
Well I’m here again Mrs Late as Usual, middle name procrastination.
So late that many reviews have been written for the books in the Portland ME series, some beautifully eloquent and many emotional and descriptive. There is very little I can add, nothing I will say better but here’s the thing, when it’s an author who has given me the hours of pleasure that Freya Barker has, then I kind of have to get the fuck over myself and make an effort (eventually!) whether eloquent or not because reviews help the authors to get better seen on Amazon, and as a reader help sometimes if on the fence whether to one click or not, they are a personal opinion and whether rambling and nonsensical, eloquent with beauty or somewhere in between with a colourful vocabulary (just the odd fuck or two!) worth writing.
Freya Barker has fast become a favourite of mine and her first book Slim to None in the Cedar Tree series is one of my go to books to reread when I have a book hangover or I’m in a funk and nothing new is grabbing my attention, both the other two on that go to list are by Kristen Ashley (Lady Luck and Motorcycle Man). Both authors, for me, write the best Alpha male book boyfriends, strong and sexy with a side of protective and yet a vulnerability that draws you, the warmth and affection between couple, friends and family shines through and the cast of secondary characters is always outstanding. What I also love is that different series have different feels yet the core ingredients are the same, so I know chances are I will like anything new either one writes and the quality is consistent and high.
If you have read any of the Cedar Tree series then you already know that Ms Barker is happy to go where many authors fear to tread, real, disabilities, warts, issues and all the ugly of life, she does it incredibly well and you get the Happy Ever After but it doesn’t feel Disney unattainable, it’s real and in your grasp. Seamless, effortless, flawless writing. I wrote in a review for one of Ms Barker’s books and end up repeating it now every time because it’s just so true;
She dares to go where few authors will risk, writing older characters with health issues, disabilities, the reality and the fantasy seamlessly intertwined and breathtakingly beautiful.
With the Portland Me series Freya Barker has stepped up the ‘Real’, the issues dealt with are horrific, the type many people skirt around, don’t talk about, read about, or watch any media about, the shit in the world that people know happens but avoid because it makes them uncomfortable. The subtle sensitivity of Freya Barker’s writing means the emotional response hits with a visceral impact however never feels too much, too real. She tackles these subjects many will not and wraps them up in a romance that satisfies the sweet and the hot we love while bringing an awareness of horrors that happen. She has given us an absolutely beautiful raw series that celebrates the strength of the human spirit and our ability to overcome.
From Dust
Sydney is lost, after a tragic event which would change and define anyone’s life she is homeless, jobless and adrift with no support system to help.
Gunnar is doing his best to be a single parent, run a business and deal with life’s day to day battles.
Their story is not an easy read, their path is difficult, full of drama and issues, the tragedy in Syd’s past has broken her and forgiveness is not easy but when I finished this story it was with respect for the human spirit, a belief in the power of second chances and I’m not even going to apologise for lowering the tone but a total lady boner for Gunnar. That man is magnificent!
Cruel Water
Cruel Water is not an easy read, has some sensitive triggers and drew an extremely emotional response from me which is not easy, I can name on one hand the books I have shed a tear over in the last five years. There was one point in this story where I had to put it down, refused to press for the next page, lump in my throat and tears threatening, I knew what was waiting for me, knew the horror about to be confirmed and was so invested that I just couldn’t, for characters to be this alive, the story to have grabbed me so completely I am gutted, is special. Whether in book, song or film form the written word when wielded well is powerful, in content, in message, it can be thought provoking, raw, sometimes brutal, but also emotional, beautiful and in the same way that certain songs resonant with us, haunting, played time after time because something, be it the melody, lyrics, the voice, something hits us deep inside and demands a response Cruel Water is such a book. In much the same way that Hello by Adele, Clown by Emeli Sande, Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, Desperado by the Eagles, Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole feed my soul and when in a funk I return to them on a frequent basis because they have the power to change my mood and perspective, Cruel Water does the same. Ike and Viv’s story is powerful, harsh, uplifting and emotional, it’s raw, unapologetic but subtly and sensitively handled. If only every Viv in this world could find her Ike and if only those who should protect, nurture and love us unconditionally always did.
Through Fire
Ruby is one of the strongest females it’s been my pleasure to read, her story will break your heart, to even contemplate the horror of what happens to her and the age at which her life becomes unravelled is shocking and traumatic. Flawed, real, ugly at times yet compelling and riveting Ruby’s story had me rooting for her HEA, for her to see the strength and beauty of her soul not the broken and battered person circumstances made her. Tim redeemed himself completely with his handling and support for her, after Cruel Water I had him down as a bit of a selfish douche, how wrong was I and I’m happy for that!
I have been very deliberately vague with specifics because all three of these books have such impact I don’t want to give spoilers, you can see the blurb, you can see the reviews and you will make a decision on whether to one click and buy, all I’ve tried to do – no doubt ineloquently and rambling as usual – is express my feelings and emotional response to them. As I’ve said already we all ignore the uncomfortable shit sometimes, things that happen in this fucked up world that we feel if we can’t influence or are not personally affected by, move along, nothing to see here, as you were but that solves nothing and is insulting to those going through these horrors, so Bravo to Ms Barker for taking on these stories, for handling them the way she does and for raising awareness, to say “yes shit happens but how we handle it is important”, for those who inflict it, for those supporting and loving the victims and for those it happens to with the courage to overcome, stand strong and be a victim no longer. Every story is this series is inspirational, shows just how strong the human spirit can be, how, if you are truly lucky and find your “PERSON”, then the sky is the limit for new starts and a life full of love, hope, possibilities and happiness. Isn’t that what we all search and hope for? That’s a life worth living.
About The Author
Author of the popular Cedar Tree series, as well as the critically acclaimed standalone “From Dust,” Freya Barker is driven to make her stories about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and some hot, sizzling sex in their lives.
Recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None,” Freya has hit the ground running. She loves nothing more than to meet and mingle with her readers, whether it be online or in person at one of the signings she attends.
With her kids grown and out in the world, Freya has poured her creative energy into spinning story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
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