Thursday Book Review

Jet-setting bachelor Dex Messina thought he knew everything about women...until he met the tiny infant girl abandoned on his doorstep. One thing Dex was sure of: the gorgeous redhead who stormed back into his life, insisting she'd made a mistake, was hiding something. And uncovering her secret would be his pleasure.

To gain custody of her beloved niece, Lucy Alwin would do anything—even pose as the woman with whom Dex had shared one intimate night. But if boldly lying to the powerful billionaire was difficult, resisting their burning desire could prove impossible.

 

~~

Trying to do the right thing for an innocent child, Lucy follows her niece to Dex's. She believes that he's the father, irresponsible for allowing the pregnancy to have happened and unfit for fatherhood. He's well known through the newspapers and tabloids as a player and an emotionless businessman, so to reclaim her niece she lays a thick trail of lies.

Dex isn't the kind to want marriage, wife, family, kids, but soon finds himself irresistably drawn to the little imp discovered on the steps of his brother's home. When Lucy agrees to move in under duress to not disappear with the baby until the real father can be determined, she never expected the business wolf to in truth be a man she could imagine cuddling a child. But even first impressions can change.

A heartwarming story of best intentions with a little sauciness added in with Lucy. She's tenacious about regaining her sister's baby, already working to have adoption papers put through. But she hadn't expected Jewel to take the baby to the daddy's home either. Both characters have emotional flaws which I felt were believable, but I felt the lack of justice to Jewel, or the conclusion of her apparent motherhood-or lack thereof-was left unanswered. Without giving away any of the story, I just felt a final explanation to Jewel, and Derek's final place in Isabella's life, could have been explained.

Thursday Book Review

Joley Drake has an enormous career, the most famous of all the Drake sisters, her voice loved by millions. On her world tour, she finds both adoration and danger. Somewhere there is someone who loves her. There is someone who hates her. And there is someone who is working behind the scenes to destroy everything she is, everything she loves and believes in.

Ilya Prakenskii has the reputation of a Russian hit man. He works for a notorious mobster and yet, he has ties to the Drake family and in particular Joley Drake. When things begin to go terribly wrong on Joley's tour, Ilya steps in to protect her, much to her dismay. Two strong personalities, powerful magic and danger at every turn keep Joley and Ilya in the midst of turbulent seas.

~~

Joley has a problem. a big one. Ilya is a man she's drawn to, craves, the bad boy type that she literally can't resist, and despises herself for that weakness. Why? Because she knows he's a killer. The worst kind of bad boy she's ever felt inclined to even think about liking. But there's more to the bad boy than the image he gives everyone. A lot more. And part of that secret must stay hidden, even from Joley when fate throws them into tighter quarters to protect her-and him.

The Drake's rocky history with the Russion mob isn't a secret, and Ilya knows all about it. In fact, he's the mob king's main bodyguard. So when he's "loaned" to Joley as protection because of a rise of threats, the mob follows along. Threats and danger follow too.

The danger element of this book is a high rollercoaster rocket ride. Explosions, rekindled love and a passion between Joley and Ilya that make you want them to find that common ground. What surprised me the most was the almost-almost-soft side of Ilya, especially as Joley warmed up to him. God he was sexy. There was life all through this story between the various characters of her band and the traitor was a total surprise.

What?

You knew there had to be one. But I'm not telling .

Just go read it. :)