Heat Level – Blaze

Mounting Danger by Karis Walsh

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Grade: B-
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, F/F
Published: 10/15/13
Reviewed by Anne
264 pages
 
I have never read a f/f romance before this one, though I’ve read one f/f/m story.  I liked the set up for this story and it turned out to be a good read.  I’ll definitely read more f/f romance!
 
Rachel, a police officer, made a decision (before the story starts) that has left her estranged from the rest of the police force.  She feels very alone.  And when she’s assigned to lead the new mounted division, she knows it’s not a compliment.  She thinks she’s being set up to fail.  She ends up asking a woman she knew in college, Callan, to help her train the other mounted police squad officers.  Callan is about as far from a lowly police officer as you can get.  She’s a polo star from a family with a lot of money.  She doesn’t really have time to help Rachel, but she’s interested enough in Rachel to make the time.
 
Into this reunion, the author mixes a mystery and some suspense.  It appears that someone really doesn’t want Rachel to succeed.  But who is it?  And why?  I enjoyed the mystery and thought it was well written.

Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Hard As It Gets (Hard Ink, #1)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Hard Ink #1
Genre-Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by Kay
368 pages

Nick Rixey is a former Special Forces soldier who was less than honorably discharged after a mission went terribly wrong. Half of his group was dead and the rest were left with basically nothing. He and his team know their commanding officer was responsible. He is trying to find his way in civilian life as a process server and a tattoo artist. He works with his brother, Jeremy at his tattoo parlor. One day a beautiful blond walks in asking for his help and his life will never be the same.

Becca Merritt is a nurse. She had a fight with her brother and now he’s missing. He left her instructions to find Nick Rixey to help her uncover the dangerous secrets he thinks he’s stumbled onto. Becca is unprepared for Nick. Her reaction to him is powerful and combustible but she desperately needs his help to find her brother.

This is a solid start to what I think will be a good series. I liked the characters and the suspense was good. As far as the suspense story, it’s a cliffhanger. The love story though has an HEA. The chemistry was hot and you couldn’t wait for the sex to start. The love scenes were good and steamy. I just wish they would’ve been a little hotter. Anyone who likes military romantic suspense will enjoy this new series.

                       


 

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah Maclean

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Earl
Grade-A-
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Genre-Historical
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages

William, the Duke of Lamont lost everything he had when he was a young man. Everything but his title. One night that he can’t even clearly remember changed his life forever. A woman who disappeared, bloodied sheets and him standing accused of her murder. He became Temple, a bare knuckled fighter at the Fallen Angel gaming hell, where he is a partner with his three friends. All of which were exiled or shunned as well. All Temple wants is his life before that night back.

Mara Lowe is the woman from that night. She ran away all those years ago and reinvented herself. But now she has to face the past, hers and his. She offers him redemption in exchange for something she requires. But the cost of his redemption is her ruination.

I loved this book! I really needed to also. I was craving a historical and it was everything I needed it to be. This is a really good series. I didn’t classify it as that above because it isn’t really listed as one. Clear as mud? Temple and Mara’s story touched me in so many ways. Two tortured souls finding each other. Both victims of their childhoods and being under the control of everyone. Mistakes made in youth that cost them both everything. And both of them realizing that the road to redemption isn’t ever what you think it’s going to be. A sweet, moving and passionate love story. My favorite quote is as follows.

“Without the past, there would be no present. No future. I don’t regret a moment of it. It all brought us here. To this place. To this moment. To this love.”