ARC REVIEW: True Deceptions by Veronica Forand

Title: True Deceptions
Author: Veronica Forand
Publisher: Entangled Suspense
Published: October 19th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 271
Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars

Veronica Forand | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Temptation. Seduction. Murder. It's all part of the game...

After his partner was murdered, Simon Dunn was done with MI6. But the cold, violent world of British intelligence never lets anyone go free. Now Simon has been blackmailed into a new job...with a beautiful new partner who's going to get them both killed.

Robotics expert Cassie Watson is a newbie field agent with as much sophistication as...well, a pacifist, vegan computer nerd. Now she's abruptly thrust into the cutthroat world of espionage with a partner who is as cold as he is brutally-and brutishly-handsome.

But when their mission is betrayed from the inside, Cassie will be forced to place her life in the hands of the one man who's anything but trustworthy...

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

My review for True Deceptions may end up being a bit confusing, or at the very least contradictory, because that's how my feelings are for this book. Very contradictory. On the one hand I was sucked deeply into the story and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Hence not feeling like I could go below three stars for my rating. On the other...well, it was very easy to put down or get distracted with other things or have my mind wander. You see what I'm saying? I liked it, but I wasn't over the moon in love with it.

The whole suspenseful aspect and the mystery of what was going on within the story was very solid. I highly enjoyed that part of the story. Especially when you have something extremely dark and sort of "holy crap what am I reading?!" happen within the first few pages. I loved that start and the shock it gave me.

Where things got iffy for me was within both of the characters and the romance. The romance itself felt like it was happening at warp speed and was difficult to believe at times. I feel like they never really talked to each other about themselves, the things they did know about each other for the most part came from them doing some digging and internet stalking of each other. There weren't many conversations besides "you work for me you will do as I tell you and stay out of my way" types of conversations. And all the "sexual tension" I just was not feeling, like I didn't get it, couldn't understand how they would end up in bed together. How all of a sudden they each meant so much to the other one. It was just kind of silly to me. Yep, basically insta-love. So that was a strike against it.

Cassie's character was extremely hard to like, most especially in the first half of the book. She has zero backbone and gives new meaning to the word passive. When Simon starts insisting that Cassie do something that goes against the lifestyle choices she's made for herself the fight she puts up against him is basically nonexistent. It's like "no" "yes I insist" "fine". I mean this wasn't like some tiny little thing it was a huge deal and she just caved to avoid confrontation. I have zero respect for people like that. It wasn't until a majorly traumatic event happens somewhere around the middle that I actually start to like her a bit but even then her change is just so drastic that it doesn't feel real you know? Like she went too far in the other direction for as meek as she started out.

And Simon really wasn't that great either. I feel like controlling would be an understatement in describing his personality. If I go into very much detail or facts to back up my assessment it'd be too spoilery. He's got a few moments where he seems descent and sweet and thoughtful but he always seems to find a way to ruin it by being a complete jackass. I truly didn't understand how someone with a personality like Cassie's could have taken an interest in him at all.

Just so I'm not completely dumping on the book and to show that I did get into it quite a bit, one thing Veronica Forand did a really good job of doing was making you second guess your first impressions of the characters she's created. You get this gut instinct about someone and then their actions are constantly making you waver back and forth with are they good are are they bad? I actually liked that. Nobody was ever really quite what they seemed.

Overall I'm very in the middle on my feelings with this book. It was engaging and pulled me in and at times even had me on the edge of my seat. I feel like the romance really got in the way when it comes to True Deceptions though. It was one of the few times where I could have done without a romantic entanglement and I live for that stuff. And there were moments of pure frustration and aggravation. But regardless of how I felt about the romance and all that I did enjoy the rest and felt it made it worth the read.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

ARC REVIEW: Wilde at Heart (Wilde Security #3) by Tonya Burrows

Title: Wilde at Heart
Series: Wilde Security #3
Author: Tonya Burrows
Publisher: Entangled Ignite
Published: September 7th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 260
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Tonya Burrows | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A thrilling category romance from Entangled's Ignite imprint...

He has everything under control.Except her .

Reece Wilde put everything in his life on the back burner to protect his brothers and their struggling company, Wilde Security. With a major contract on the line, Reece can't afford any mistakes...like getting caught in a red-hot, X-rated moment with wild child Shelby Bremer, who's more trouble than he can handle. Now he's being blackmailed. 

Shelby's mile-long impulsive streak gets her in more trouble than she'd like to admit. Between her sister's wedding, her coffee shop set on fire, and getting down and dirty with the groom's brother, things are definitely coming off the rails. With both their careers and their safety on the line, Reece is determined to keep them both safe...even if it means a Vegas-style shotgun wedding. 

But gambling on a wild card-and a wild soul-is risky...and sometimes, it can get a guy killed.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Even after taking a couple days to soak it all in, I'm still feeling just as "meh" as I did when I finished. I mean, there was plenty of stuff about Wilde at Heart that I absolutely loved, but along with that, there were just as many things that I didn't care for. The first book in this series, Wilde Nights in Paradise, was a huge hit for me. I absolutely loved it and I fell in love with the Wilde brothers and their different personalities and the really fun vibe and family dynamic that they shared. I couldn't wait to get to know the other four brothers better. While this one was just okay, I feel like the first book was so much better.

Reece and the oldest Wilde brother Greer were the two brothers I was drawn to the most. So this was one of the books in the series that I was looking forward to the most. Both guys seemed like very responsible, workaholic and driven guys. I love characters like that. The ones that are wound up tight, don't allow themselves to let loose and be playful or have fun. Because you know the moment they do let that side of themselves out, even just a little bit, it's going to be so much fun. That's exactly how Reece was. I absolutely adored him and he surprised me so much in this series. Especially his little secret that had me completely lose my heart to him.

I loved Shelby to pieces. She is the exact opposite to Reece in every way possible. She's tattoos and colorful hair, she's bold and pretty wild, she was just a whole lot of fun. She's also made a whole lot of mistakes in her life and it always seems like she's letting those close to her down. My heart went out to her so many times. It was like a tornado of crap just followed her everywhere and wouldn't let up.

I think that's what made this so difficult to get through at times. A situation would go from bad to worse to holy crap when will this end and then still the stuff would just keep piling up on top of it all. There were times when I felt like it was all just too much. I like obstacles, I like angst and drama. But the things that went wrong weren't just a bunch of little things here and there. These were huge, intense and crazy things. I guess I just constantly felt defeated like there was no way things could get better...ever. Even the good moments between Reece and Shelby were tainted because of her own personal demons and secrets. So even when I'd feel moments where my heart wanted to soar for these two I'd think about how bad things where going to be when truths would come out and it would mar everything and leave a dark spot where the lightness had been.

This story was definitely not lacking in the suspense department. Don't get me wrong, I loved the storyline. Truly. It is a romantic suspense after all so that's not what I'm complaining about. I guess I wish there had been more straws of hope for me to grasp for.

I really, really did love Reece and Shelby together though. There was a sweetness to their relationship mixed in with all the intensity. They had a very strong connection and it was so much fun seeing the things they brought out in each other. Opposite as they were, they were each exactly what the other one needed in their lives.

Overall it was a fun read, but not everything I had hoped it would be. I'm just kind of right down the middle with this one. It definitely wasn't bad and I'm glad that I read it, but I wasn't in love with it either.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Exposing the Heiress (Once a Marine #3) by Jennifer Apodaca

Title: Exposing the Heiress
Series: Once a Marine #3
Author: Jennifer Apodaca
Publisher: Entangled Ignite
Published: August 4th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 198
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ ( 5/5) Stars!!!

Jennifer Apodaca | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

This Marine will protect her at all costs...

When wealthy heiress Alyssa Brooks finds out her stepfather has been paying her fiancé to marry her, she's humiliated and betrayed. She quickly breaks the engagement, only to be blackmailed by her now ex-fiancé, who threatens both Alyssa and the son she gave up for adoption. With nowhere to go, she turns to the one man she can trust.

Former Marine sniper Hunter Reece's lethal skills could save Alyssa's life. But his little sister's best friend has turned into a woman, who is an irresistible mix of secrets and sexiness. And while Hunter can trust himself to protect her, he can't trust himself to keep his attraction hidden...or even pretend to be the man that Alyssa remembers.

Because the only way to keep the lovely heiress safe is to become the one thing he knows she could never love...a killer.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Oh. My. Heart. I think there's a very real possibility that I lost it somewhere between the pages. Sigh. Exposing the Heiress was the perfect blend of suspense, scorching hot romance and heartfelt characters. I was on the edge of my seat from the moment I started it and didn't relax until the final word on the very last page. I'll admit that at first it was the beautiful set of abs on the cover that first drew me to this book, hey, I'm human! But the thing that made me say I need to read it was that blurb. I was intrigued by it's fresh plot and the promise of very complex characters. Which was exactly what I got.

I love deeply complex characters. The ones who make you feel the need to pull apart their layers to really understand what makes them tick. Especially the ones who are a bit broken, I always seem to gravitate towards the broken ones the most. Delving deep and discovering their secrets, the things they hide from everyone else. In both Hunter and Alyssa I got all of that. Hunter being the ex-marine sniper who's seen and done stuff that keeps him awake at night, tortured by memories. While Alyssa's secrets are a bit less obvious but her pain is just as valid.

I absolutely freaking adored and loved Alyssa deeply. In the beginning she gives off this air of innocence and fragility and in some ways is a bit naive. Once she has someone in her corner though, Hunter, you see her blossom. It's in seeing herself through him that she discovers bravery and strength and discovers a passion and fierceness she didn't think she was capable of. She has this incredible heart, I mean, there were times that just seeing how much she thought about and cared for people who are normally brushed aside or not given a second glance brought tears to my eyes a couple of times. Even something as simple as her bringing a plate of dinner to one of her bodyguards had my eyes filling up for crying out loud. It was something so simple but the awe and appreciation from Hunter watching this just got me all emotional. She's such a beautiful force of good.

Tattoos? Check. Tortured past? Check. Strong and protective? Check. Sexy as all hell? Check, check, check, check! Hunter is the type of guy who steals your heart and then really does a number on it. He is so sweet and has a heart of gold but he's also one of those guys who is so torn up over what he had to become in the military that he's almost afraid to touch Alyssa because he doesn't want that darkness to touch her. Totally just sighed and my heart skipped a beat right there. Holy guacamole though, that sexy side? Jiminy Christmas! Sorry I'm trying to keep it clean, but *fans self* He could talk your panties right off of you! There were a couple times when he'd be telling Alyssa what he'd do to her if she didn't walk away and...

Okay, enough. Need to finish this review. Temptation to go back and reread is way too strong...

Sigh.

As you can tell...I kind of liked this book just a smidge. What can I say, I'm a huge sucker for the best friend's older brother trope. Especially with characters like these. Throw that bit of danger into the mix and I've completely been won over. It seems I've had the first book in this series on my Kindle for quite some time now and all I want to do is kick myself and wonder how the heck I haven't started it before now. That will be remedied very soon. I can't wait to go back and read both Adam and then Logan's stories. 

I believe I've become an instant fan of Jennifer Apodaca's and can't wait to read more from her. And I'll close this off with one question for her. Well, two names in the form of a question but...Coop and Maxine? Maybe? Just think about it. Haha!

Thanks goes to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: His Last Redemption by Clarissa Yip

Title/Series: His Last Redemption
Author: Clarissa Yip
Publisher: Entangled Ignite
Published: March 10th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 171
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
★★★✩ (3.5/5) Stars!

Clarissa Yip | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

First comes marriage. Then comes murder… 

Lauren Burke waited fifteen months and twenty-three days for her divorce to be finalized. Instead, her ex-husband went one step further—he turned up dead. And the detective working on the case is none other than Kane Hollister—the man who ran off over three years ago and shattered Lauren’s heart into a zillion pieces… 

It looks like Lauren, but she’s no longer the carefree girl Kane once knew. And yet he can’t deny the awareness that heats his blood at the sight of her. But when the death threats begin, Kane realizes that the killer has a new target…and it’s Lauren. Now he must protect the woman he’s always loved—and always hurt—from a vicious murderer. And when the sparks between them ignite, Lauren will have to make a choice between her life… or her heart!

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

This was very nearly one of those I-need-to-quit-while-I'm-ahead types of books for me. I even got to the point where I was sitting here contemplating what exactly I was going to say when I emailed the publisher to say sorry this wasn't for me. Yet as I sat here something in my gut kept saying, "You're only at 16%. Try to hold on and give it just a little more time. At least get to 25%, get a quarter of the way through the book and if you still aren't feeling it...well..." So I picked up my Kindle with determination to once again to make sure I put in a good effort to allow this book to capture me. Next thing I knew it was nearly midnight and I was almost to 65%! I'm so glad I listened to that little voice.

I haven't read any romantic suspense novels in a very long time. That's what the huge deciding factor was in me requesting this book. The blurb just sounded way too interesting to me to pass it up. I didn't have any sort of problem with that part of the book. I actually loved the storyline and the mystery and suspense aspect of it. Even though I was pretty sure I had the whole who done it and why part figured out about halfway through, I was even pretty cocky about it in my head, Clarissa Yip did a really good job of casting doubts on what I was positive was a sure thing.

I think that my main problem was that in the beginning both Lauren and Kane, it didn't matter whose POV I was in, they always had these very obsessive inner monologues going about the other one. And it was very repetitive at times. Maybe a few words changed here and there but they all came down to the same things. Why is he back here? Everybody leaves me. Daniel didn't love me. Just like Kane didn't love me. Why is she so cold now? What happened to the girl who used to be so open? There was a bit more and like I said, they thought these things repeatedly. It was sort of frustrating.

Once I got past that hump though I actually grew to really love these characters. Kane's back story was absolutely heartbreaking when it finally came out. I mean I was very nearly in tears. It explained a lot of his self-loathing and need to keep everyone at arms length and even his protective instincts and career choice. I loved how, even though she was trying to keep everyone out most especially Kane, Lauren couldn't help but push him and try to fix him in a sense. I guess it was more like they pushed each other even though they both kept trying to tell themselves that they needed to stay away from the other one. You could tell that for all their protests there was truly something great there between them.

Besides the whole crazy, serial killer thing going on, which had me on the edge of my seat by the way, there was quite a bit of other stuff going on as well. It wasn't just a murder mystery with some romance thrown in. Speaking of romance though, that part of it had me swooning and breathless at times. Lauren and Kane had these moments of sweetness and tenderness that were so heartwarming and then they also had this intense passion that burned so hot I'm surprised my Kindle didn't melt. Even when they were fighting it was filled with sparks. There were even moments of humor that had me laughing out loud. I swear if there is ever a book about Kane's partner Ryan, which I really think needs to happen by the way, I am going to be all over that!!

It's books like this one that leave me glad that I push myself sometimes even if I don't think I'm feeling it at first. It's worth the risk because now as I sit here, done, I can honestly say that I had so much fun reading it!

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!