Mine to Hold by Cynthia Eden

Mine to Hold (Mine, #3)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Mine #3
Genre-Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by Kay
265 pages

Claire Kramer is a complex woman. Considered fragile but also cunning. She’s either broken or a calculating seductress. She has lost everything. Her mom and dad, her sister and for a moment, her sanity. After being in an abusive relationship, she found the courage to leave him. This led to the death of her parents by her ex. Then she lost her sister to murder. She doesn’t like to be touched but Noah York wants to touch her, badly.

Noah York is a hotel chain owner, ex-military and a womanizer. He met Claire three months ago and has never forgotten her. He has his own demons to overcome. His own darkness to conquer. He only cares about his two friends and now Claire. She fills this need in him and he can’t explain it. When she is stalked, he takes over her life.

I love this series. It has everything I really love. Suspense, really bad, bad guys, sizzling love scenes and a consuming love story. I have to say it again, please Cynthia Eden, never stop writing romantic suspense. This is totally your genre. These two characters had my interest at the close of her previous book and I was looking forward to their story. Now, I want Drake’s story. Soon!

Half Moon Hill by Toni Blake

Half Moon Hill (Destiny, #6)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Destiny #6
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages

Anna Romo is the sister of Mike and Lucky. She disappeared when she was young and reappeared some twenty years later, trying to reconnect with the family she lost. She was kidnapped by a woman who wanted a child so badly she was willing to steal someone else’s. We first met Anna in the last book, when she tried to take Amy’s man. She bought an old Victorian style house on the outskirts of Destiny. She has plans to turn it into a bed & breakfast. She has done all the interior work herself but needs to start on the exterior, where she’ll need some help.

Duke Dawson is her brother’s best friend and she finds him living in the woods by her home. Duke is an ex-biker with baggage and a very noticeable scar. He agrees to help Anna do the exterior and the unlikely couple start a physical relationship. He doesn’t want anyone to know he’s in Destiny and she helps him keep his secret.

I had to make myself get into this book and I’m glad I did. I love the other books in this series but I really didn’t like Anna because of her behavior in the last book. I wasn’t crazy about Duke either in this one because he was kind of an ass and a pussy. He treated Anna badly I thought, regardless of his reasoning. Their love built slowly and the love scenes were steamy. But in my opinion, the real love story was between Cathy and Robert. Cathy was the girl who grew up in the house Anna bought and Robert was her first love. I was transfixed by their story with its innocence and purity. When I found out what happened to each of them, I bawled. Tears just rolled down my face. So to make a long story long, I ended up really liking the final book in this series. Anyone who loves small towns and the stories that come with them, should read the Destiny series. It’s with a heavy heart that I recommend it, as I am very sad to see it all end.

                       


Afterburn by Sylvia Day

Afterburn (Afterburn & Aftershock, #1)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Afterburn & Aftershock #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
99 pages

Warning, this is a cliffhanger. I am disliking those more and more. However, I enjoyed this start to this series, a lot.

Jackson Rutledge is from a very wealthy, politically powerful family. I can’t tell you what he does for a living. I don’t know if it was mentioned but it’s some sort of wheeling and dealing thing. He and Gia had a five week fling a few years ago and he ended by never calling again.

Gianna Rossi is from a restaurant family but she wants something related but different for herself. She and her family are close. She fell hard for Jax years ago and was very hurt by his actions. He shows up with her competition during a business meeting. This starts all sorts of feelings for Gia’s emotions to deal with. Gia’s not the same girl she was years ago and Jax is about to find that out.

Is Jax a changed man? Does he care for Gia or is he using her for inside information? I don’t know yet but I can’t wait to find out. This was a steamy and short read. I really enjoyed it.