I know I mentioned going to London for a book signing last month so you won't be surprised to know that I came home with a LOT of signed books and I had intended to leave them looking all nice and pristine on my shelf but today I gave in to the urge to read one.
Morning Report (Morning Report #1) by Sue Brown 4*
BLURB: A decade on from their first kiss, Luke Murray is more in love with Simon every day. Running the Lost Cow ranch for Luke's parents, they keep their heads down and get along with the locals, even if Luke is known for being a hothead. Then one day they discover the local store owners refuse to serve them. They're bewildered until Luke's mom tells them the new pastor has targeted the couple in his sermons. Suddenly Luke and Simon find themselves alienated from people they called friends, and their ranch comes under a series of attacks. As the town's hatred and homophobia turns on them, Luke and Simon will face a critical choice: give in to the town's demands and disappear, or stand and fight for themselves and their love
My Review: I don't often read books with an established couple but I am glad I read this one. It had so much realism to it, like the fact that even after ten years together there were still things they didn't know about each other and also the fact that there could still be misunderstandings in communication. They also showed that with love, hard work and compassion no obstacle is to difficult to over come, not even hatred from people who used to be friends just because of a religious zealot preaching hatred.
(A personal comment here: This happens too often and is why I hate most religious doctrines that can be twisted into hatred of your fellow man) If you like loving family stories and cowboys then you won't go very wrong buying this book, the fact that it has some extremely hot sex scenes is just an added bonus.
I've also read a few e-books too - looks like the reading slump is over :D
Deefur Dog (Deefur)by R.J. Scott 4*
BLURB: For over a year, widowed Cameron Jackson has tried to juggle his business with childcare for his two year old daughter ...all while living with Deefur, a Great Dane who believes he rules the house.
Nannies last a day, some don't even make it through the front door if the self-proclaimed ruler doesn't approve. Something has to give. Enter Jason Everson, nanny, teacher in training, apparent dog whisperer, and the only man who seems to make it past the initial scrutiny of the king. Can Jason help Cam put his house in order and help to heal his heart?
My Review: If you want a light-hearted, feel good romance with a rather LARGE dog who is a right handful then read this book. I loved Deefur and am going to be buying the follow up short story just to read about him again. The story however was really about the romance between Cameron and Jason and this was handled with a nice delicate touch and absolutely no angst. I really liked that. I am fast becoming a big fan of R J Scott's writings.
Reluctant Alpha (Love Slaves of the Alphas #4) by Shannon West 3*
BLURB: Handsome, young Kai is living a lie. On Scythia, male children are “rejected” so his mother, the queen, hid his true sex all his life. On this planet of Amazon-like women, he’s been able to hide out, but his mother needs to get him safely away from the planet, arranging a marriage to the powerful Lycan alpha. Lucas likes men but is being pressured to find a female and have an heir. Reluctantly, he agrees to meet Princess Kai, and is shocked to discover Kai is no princess, but a handsome young man! Instantly recognizing him as his bloodmate, Lucas is still furious at the deception. He mates with Kai and takes him home, but the lies between them threaten to tear them apart. Kai is still harboring a terrible secret—one that will destroy his world if it ever becomes known
My Review: One of these days I will get hold of book #1 and read it. In the meantime each of these books can be read as a stand alone, even though they are a series of interconnected stories. This one was interesting in as much as one of the main characters gets brought up as a female without much knowledge of the world outside his home. The other main character really peeved me with his lack of understanding what this would mean for the guy once he was allowed to be a man. Luckily the story overall was a good one and the second character did redeem himself before the end of the book. A nice addition to the story of the Balenescu Alphas and their mates. N.B. I hated the women of Scythia and can only hope such a thing can only happen in the imagination of a good writer.
