Review: The Redemption of Roan by Kathy Coopmans

April 26, 2020 Leave a Comment

The Redemption of Roan
by Kathy Coopmans
Series: The Syndicate #2

Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
on November 20, 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 300
Narrator: Stacy Hinkle

♥

Roan Diamond’s loyalty to the family may be obligated by blood, but nobody ever said he had to love them all, right? As the next in line to head the Diamond dynasty, he has loose ends to take care of, and one of those is his brother Royal. Yet his plans for revenge fall apart the minute he lays eyes on Alina—Royal’s ex-girlfriend, who also happens to be the daughter of the rival Solokov family.
As a mafia princess, Alina Solokov knew it wouldn’t be easy when she made the decision ten years ago to leave the family for a new life at a college in England—but betrayal is often a dish served cold by those who you love the most. Now, back in the United States after a job offer that she couldn’t refuse, her new found strength is pushed to the limits when Royal returns to claim her for his own.
When the man who captures her heart amongst the chaos is front and center in a lifestyle she swore never to return to, can she hold her ground and fight being sucked back into the black hole that is the mafia underworld? Or will Roan’s love be worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Review

I’ve loved Roan since he and Calla was held captive in the first book. I admired his loyalty and his courage. He was so different from his own brother. It’s difficult to believe they are even related. I enjoyed Cain and Calla, but I think that Roan and Alina are my favorite. For one, Roan wasn’t a cheater like Cain. Justify it all you like, but it still doesn’t change the fact that Cain cheated on Calla on their wedding day. Whatever his reasons were, there were other ways of letting her go. Roan, on the other hand, he has suffered a lot under his brother’s cruelty, and so did Alina.

I like the dark vibe of the book. I also like the chemistry between the characters. I already love Roan. But I am more than glad that I fell in love with Alina too. All the things she’s been through were difficult and a lesser person would not have moved on and lived her life the way she did. This installment really solidified the series. If you’ve read the first book, you should definitely read this as well. Once you’ve read this, I’m sure you will just as excited as me to proceed to the next book right away.

Series Order and Buy Link

About Kathy Coopmans

USA Today Best Selling and multiple Amazon top 100 Author Kathy Coopmans is a Michigan native where she lives with her husband, Tony. They have two sons Aaron and Shane.

She is a sports nut. Her favorite sports include NASCAR, Baseball, and Football.

She has recently retired from her day job to become a full-time writer.

She has always been an avid reader and at the young age of 50 decided she wanted to write. She claims she can do several things at once and still stay on task. Her favorite quote is “I got this.”

Review: The Wrath of Cain by Kathy Coopmans

April 26, 2020 Leave a Comment

The Wrath of Cain
by Kathy Coopmans
Series: The Syndicate #1

Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
on October 9, 2015
Genres: Erotic Romance
Pages: 282
Narrator: Stacy Hinkle

♥

Eloped at the age of eighteen. Separated at the age of eighteen. Disappeared at the age of eighteen. This is what happened to Calla Greer. Her perfect life was shattered on her wedding day when she caught her husband Cain with another woman just hours after they said I do. With her heart broken, she moves across the border to Windsor, Canada to get away from the nightmare she stumbled upon. Hell bent on going to college and fulfilling her dream of becoming a lawyer.
After six long years of still being married, Calla returns to Detroit to have Cain sign divorce papers.
Only Cain has changed.
He’s bitter, angry and for a good reason.
At least that’s what he’s been telling himself for the past six years.
Cain Bexley had fifteen minutes to destroy his marriage to protect the woman he loved.
He did the only thing he could think of to make her leave. He jumped in bed with a woman. Life at home was a lie. Lives were at risk. People are not who they seem.
Not even Cain’s dad or Calla’s parents are who they say they are. When Calla shows up begging for a divorce. He shows her exactly who he is and no way in hell will he sign those papers.
What happens when six years later she returns? The only woman he has loved. A woman who has changed herself! When all the lies surface will she be able to forgive everyone she has trusted in her life or will Calla turn to the man who destroyed her?

Review

I was really excited to read this book because of its blurb. It promised drama, angst, and danger. In that sense, it actually more than delivered. The Wrath Of Cain has a heartless hero who led an MC on his own, at a young age, I would add. He was a different man from the one that broke the heroine’s heart six years ago. This hero we get in the book was rough, dangerous, and fierce.

What I liked most about the book was actually the heroine. I mean, she wasn’t perfect, and not everybody will actually like her, but I enjoyed reading the chapters that were on her POV. I enjoyed reading the first part, despite it ending in heartbreak. I liked the growth and development she had over the years she spent in college and far away from the hero. I couldn’t like the hero the same way, but I could understand why he was the way he was, I guess. This book had thrill and suspense. A lot of the mystery was actually revealed early, so as a reader who doesn’t like surprises, this was something I appreciated. All in all, this is a solid story that will undoubtedly entertain any reader.

Series Order and Buy Link

About Kathy Coopmans

USA Today Best Selling and multiple Amazon top 100 Author Kathy Coopmans is a Michigan native where she lives with her husband, Tony. They have two sons Aaron and Shane.

She is a sports nut. Her favorite sports include NASCAR, Baseball, and Football.

She has recently retired from her day job to become a full-time writer.

She has always been an avid reader and at the young age of 50 decided she wanted to write. She claims she can do several things at once and still stay on task. Her favorite quote is “I got this.”

Review: Abducted by Evangeline Anderson

April 26, 2020 Leave a Comment

Abducted
by Evangeline Anderson
Series: Alien Mate Index #1

Published by Evangeline Anderson
on June 11, 2016
Genres: Science Fiction Romance
Pages: 485
Narrator: Mackenzie Cartwright, William Martin

♥

My name is Zoe McKinley. I have a boring life, an awful job, and a boss that throws staplers at my head. What could be worse?
How about being abducted by Aliens?
Being dragged through a mirror, naked and screaming, onto an extraterrestrial ship was bad. Finding out I had been sold to a huge alien male who looks like the Devil was worse. But learning he wanted to trade me to an intergalactic petting zoo was the worst of all!
Now I'm whizzing through the galaxy with a robot butler, a trio of nib-nibs (they're like tiny green monkeys) for pets, and one huge, muscular, and very grumpy alien. The clothing they gave me shows all my lady-bits, the food-sim makes lemon pie that tastes like sauerkraut, and Sarden, my captor, is too hot to stay mad at, even if he is a jerk.
In fact, I think I might be falling for him.
What's a girl to do? It's all in a day's work when you've been... Abducted.

Review

Honestly, I picked this up because I enjoyed the Kindred series. I was hoping this would be another kick ass alien series where the women end up being mated to other species. In a way, it was. The heroine gets abducted because the hero chose her out of an alien mate index lineup. She was supposed to be traded to another alien being in exchange for the hero’s sister’s freedom. However, they fall in love on their way to another alien planet.

All in all, this formula is a winner when it comes to sci fi romance. My issue is that the aliens sounded too human here. Sarden talked like a human. His sister acts like a human. If it weren’t for the world-building and the terminologies as well as the depicted settings on each scene, I would have said that this is a contemporary romance. I guess that’s why I didn’t enjoy this as much as the kindred series.

Still, I think that fans of Ms. Anderson, the Kindred series, and the sub genre as a whole will enjoy this book and the rest of the AMI series. Sadly, this wasn’t a hit for me.

Series Order and Buy Link

About Evangeline Anderson

Evangeline Anderson is a registered MRI tech who would rather be writing. And yes, she is nerdy enough to have a bumper sticker that says “I’d rather be writing.” Honk if you see her! She is thirty-something and lives in Florida with a husband, a son, and two cats. She had been writing erotic fiction for her own gratification for a number of years before it occurred to her to try and get paid for it. To her delight, she found that it was actually possible to get money for having a dirty mind and she has been writing paranormal and Sci-fi erotica steadily ever since.

Review: 30 Days by Christine d’Abo

April 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

30 Days
by Christine d'Abo
Series: 30 Days #1

Published by Kensington
on July 28, 2015
Genres: Erotic Romance
Pages: 320
Narrator: Zoe McKay

♥

For years, Alyssa has been going to bed with a memory. Is she ready to wake up with a fantasy?
Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mate, but not Alyssa Barrow. She met Rob at nineteen, and they were set to live happily ever after—until he became ill. In his final days, Rob urged his beautiful, young wife not to abandon happiness—or pleasure. He even left her a special gift, a sexy game plan to help her move on: Thirty cards with instructions for thirty days of passion. You’ll know when the time is right, he’d said. Now it’s two years later, and when Alyssa meets her hot new neighbor, Harrison Kemp, she begins to think the right time is right now…
From his sculpted thighs to his devilish grin, Harrison is the kind of man women want. Before she can lose her nerve, Alyssa tells Harrison about her long-ignored cards…and asks him to help her fulfill them. It’s a favor he’s more than happy to, um, perform. With his skillful touch, and the hot press of his lips against her skin, Alyssa finds herself re-awakening to life—and a host of other sensations. But what began as not-so-innocent fun soon grows into true intimacy, and Alyssa realizes she’s opening herself up not just to sex…but to love. When it comes to a future with Harrison, what’s really in the cards?

Review

I think this book has a very good premise. I found it bittersweet and touching that the heroine’s dead husband himself was the one helping her to move on. I feel sad because it’s not easy losing the person you love. I feel hopeful too because nobody should live the rest of their lives without having someone to share it with.

30 Days is an amped up chick lit. When I say amped up, I am referring to the sex part. This is a woman’s journey from losing a husband to going through the sex cards he left her and finally finding a man she could have another shot at love with. Sadly, the core of the book was the thing I liked the least about it.

Everything was seen through the heroine’s POV. I would have liked to know more about the hero as well. I would have liked to get a bigger view of the love story. The fact that all I could read about was the heroine made me feel like I was forced to like her and see things her way.

Having said all that, I will still say that it was a good, solid read that I quite enjoyed. I’ve read other books from this author before, and I know she writes really steamy scenes, and she’s great at those. The same is true in this book.

Series Order and Buy Link

About Christine d’Abo

A romance novelist and short story writer, Christine has over forty publications to her name. She loves to exercise and stops writing just long enough to keep her body in motion too. When she’s not pretending to be a ninja in her basement, she’s most likely spending time with her family and two dogs.

Review: 14 Weeks by Jessica Gadziala

April 20, 2020 Leave a Comment

14 Weeks
by Jessica Gadziala
Series: Investigators, #2

Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
on November 6, 2017
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 216

♥

I was a bit of a wild child. I had a past. I had gotten into trouble. All that was behind me, though. And for the first time in my life, trouble had found me.
When the other private investigators wouldn't help me, I found the huge, hulking Tig willing to lend his expertise. What I didn't expect was the growing attraction between us or the crazy series of events that would put our budding relationship to the test.

Review

I have to say that I liked this book way better than the first installment. Of course, I am a fan of the author. I like her dark, gritty stories filled with the anti-heroes and survivor heroines. In this book, I couldn’t wait to get to the part where they finally solved the mystery. And when I did, I was really surprised by the twists that the author took. I honestly did not see that coming. Although, if I think about it, the plot twist made sense.

I like the fast forward chapters at the end because it made me excited to read about the secondary characters. However, if you’ve read this book and know about the plot twist, you’d understand if I say that the resolution was kind of a sad one, especially those scenes in the ending. It felt too much like a loose end.

One thing I couldn’t get into with this book was the reference to so many characters from other series. While this book can be read as a standalone, I have to admit that there were moments when I felt lost because I was sure that if I read those other books, I would understand those side characters that were introduced in the story. Anyway, those are minor issues. I have no complaints about the story itself, so all is well, I guess.

Quotes

Poverty is the surest way to weigh down a soul. And weighted soul does whatever it can do to get some burden off.

Series Order and Buy Link

About Jessica Gadziala

Jessica Gadziala is a full-time writer, parrot enthusiast, and coffee drinker. She enjoys short rides to the book store, sad songs, coffee in Big Gulp-sized cups, and cold weather, and has recently developed an unhealthy obsession with acquiring houseplants. She lives in New Jersey with seven parrots and six dogs.

She is a big believer in snark, strong secondary characters, and bada$$ women.

She is very active on Goodreads, Facebook, as well as her personal groups on those sites. Join in. Shes friendly.

Review: 367 Days by Jessica Gadziala

April 20, 2020 Leave a Comment

367 Days
by Jessica Gadziala
Series: Investigators #1

Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
on November 11, 2016
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 304

♥

I'm not crazy.
It's not amnesia.
But I somehow lost a year of my life.
When the cops and doctors think you're out of your mind, but you still need answers, where else is there to turn but a private investigator?
Sawyer is nothing you'd want in a friend- a little detached, cool, sarcastic, cocksure. But he's everything you'd want in a private investigator- calm, capable, experienced, and just jaded enough by the darkness he'd seen to take a chance on some random girl who insists something more sinister must have happened to her than simple memory loss.
But thrown together, trying to get to the root of my mystery, feelings that were most definitely not client/professional start to emerge.

Review

I am a hug Jessica Gadziala fan. When I saw this book, I knew I just had to read it. There’s just something raw, dark, and thrilling about her books that entertain me no end.

All in all, this was a solid read. I really liked the heroine because even if she was victimized, abducted, and dumped, losing a year and two days of her life, she was still herself before being abducted. She had principles, a strong mind, and a brave spirit. I also enjoyed the hero because he was stable. He was also a bit funny and very loyal, especially to family.

The suspense and mystery in the book was predictable, but not outright. Once all the characters were mentioned, it was easy to guess who the perp was. But it was still fun to read how they solved the problem and just how much help the rest of the gang were. When I started this book, I didn’t know that this would be a first book in the series. But now that I know there are going to be books on the gang after this, well, I’m already excited and looking forward to them.

Quotes

“You might want to ease up on the perfume.”

“I’m not wearing perfume.”

“Sure you are. I think it’s called ‘Ode To Get The Fuck Away From Me’.” I looked at her face quickly enough to see her have to force her lips to stay in a straight line.

“Apparently I need to go put on some more,” she said.

Series Order and Buy Link

About Jessica Gadziala

She is a big believer in snark, strong secondary characters, and bada$$ women.

She is very active on Goodreads, Facebook, as well as her personal groups on those sites. Join in. Shes friendly.