His hand on my nape stroked gently, coaxing me back to consciousness. I lifted my head from the crook of his neck to meet his gaze. His eyes were soft, and I knew that look. I recognized it from other faces, directed at lovers, but not at me. It was how Adam gazed at Christoffer.

Once again Roe Horvat’s writing captivated me. Definitely a step into the erotic realm but done so in such a remarkable and beautiful way. Yes, this has graphic sex between 2, 3 and in one case 4 people, but never is the emotional connection between the main characters lost. And while this story is about Tyler and Joel, my heavens…Adam and Christoffer are simply irresistible. I am not sure there are many cases in which a side couple has mesmerized me the way these two have. Their love for each other is breathtaking and their love for Tyler is remarkable.

Yes this book, as stated above, includes sex with other people, however this is in no way what I would view or characterize as an open relationship. Roe is first and foremost about consent, love and commitment.

While this moves from a hate/lust relationship to love rather quickly, it just worked for me. I wanted these men together. They simply needed each other and Tyler’s nurturing aspects came forward quite well…something I am sure he learned from his loving mother. She was simply remarkable.

Joel stood by the table, his back to me, bent and curled down low enough so he could fit into my mother’s ambitious embrace. She was petting his hair, soothing. Her eyes met mine over his shoulder, and she smiled a sad smile. I blinked and backed off noiselessly into the kitchen.
My mother was a witch. There was no other explanation.

All the love for this book and I simply cannot wait for Adam and Christoffer’s story.

*Note: I had the opportunity to beta read this and was given an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Sikes is an Air Force cop and from the minute he arrives outside this creepy building for a night watch, he doesn't want to say. He gets even more scared when he finds out that he will be locked in this building until his replacement arrives the next morning. Even having conversations with the fellow AF cop upstairs and watching movies can not help him relax. Sikes could not have imagined that his fear was justified.

I was actually the very first person to read this story, which has made the fact that it's finally published way more exciting for me. After some talk about the original ending, he rewrote it and sent it to me and, well, WOW!! This story has everything that I expect from a short horror story and the ending is the perfect ending to this really suspenseful and creepy novella.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. No other consideration was offered, expected or received.

From the minute I found out about that this book was in the process of being made, I knew I wanted it. The wait was insane, awful ... sooooooo long. Finally I saw the authors start posting the date of publish and I was excited. When Adam asked me if I'd be interested in reading it before it came out, I could not say yes fast enough. In fact, it was on my Kindle and waiting to be read within 5 minutes of it being sent to me - and I started it that night.

What do I think of it? Hmm...

Let's put it this way: If I were told I could only suggest five of the books I've read this year to my readers, this would, WITHOUT A DOUBT, be on that list. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. It was THAT good. All five of these authors have impressed me time and time again ... and, yes, I am impressed once more.

The Riggle Twins: I love the way Gregor writes. It's like when you see something that you're not quite sure you saw, and you turn around to make sure, and all of a sudden it jumps out at you. Yeah, that's how Gregor does his thing. Lesson learned, buddy, lesson learned. I will always always ALWAYS give out candy on Halloween night ... and never ever ever EVER answer the door when the crazy neighbor is outside crying haha. Thanks for the heads up.

Pumpkinhead Ted: Last year, when I was ready to give up on horror short stories and novellas for good (having read SO many ones that didn't scare me at all), Evans stories convinced me otherwise. Since then, I have read EVERYTHING that this guy has produced and this story, this story is one of the best. A genre should be started for stories like his - psychological horror. You know, when you're not sure if you're scared or not until you get into bed, turn out that light ... and start to think. Those stories that stay with you and pop in your head when you're minding your own business, walking down a dark path, and all of the sudden are freaked the hell out. And the end ... THE END ... wow!

Ghost Light Road: I'll admit I was a little wary of this one after reading "ghost hunters" in the description, but it went off in a way that I never expected ... only to go off in another way I never expected ... and, just like with his brother, the endings are always my favorite and ALWAYS amazing.

Easy Pickings: Loved this story. LOVED it. I think this one creeped me out more than the rest. Jason, you gave me the heebedie-geebedies, especially since I know a kid named Jack with an invisible friend named Jacob. AND they like playing games. (I think it's time I move.)

The Scare Rows:

Disclaimer: I’ve been friends with the author on Goodreads for several years (before she became a published author). I respect her as a human being, her tastes in books and her thoughtful manner of expressing herself on the books she reads, and now I can add that I respect her as an author.

When she asked me to beta read her novel last year, I said yes. I’m glad I had the opportunity to read “His Heart’s Desire” in its pre-publication form, and I am happy to write a review for it and recommend it to romance novel lovers.

My Review:

If you’ve been reading romance more than fifteen years, you might be experiencing a longing for the “Good Old Days” when stories were genuinely romantic, and not just an over-emphasis on graphic sex with just enough declaration of love to classify as romance novels. Books that made you feel strongly and made the hours pass away rapidly while you read them. If that is the case, you will probably love this book.

“His Heart’s Desire” does read like a fairy tale come true, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I like angsty stories where the heroine has had a tough life, and her dreams come true in more ways than one. In this case, it’s not just getting her prince, but it’s getting a chance to live a life of purpose and fulfillment she always wished for.

Becca made with friends with a guy named Ethan, not knowing that he was impressively wealthy and powerful in his own right. She liked his personality and they bonded over their love of animals. She had no idea that he had fallen head over heels for her, and nursed a long simmering affection for her that she was oblivious to. Becca always knew a guy like Ethan was way out of her league, but she loved spending time with him, and he was one of the few people in the world she felt she could trust and feel safe with.

Ethan loves everything about Becca. He just wants her to be happy. When her mother’s death leads to a colossal mistake, he’s there to pick up the pieces and help Becca rebuild her life after the tragedy and betrayal she suffers. He makes every day a day of joy and simple pleasures, but has to be careful not to trespass on Becca’s long-held belief in self-sufficiency. Becca could never imagine that a man like Ethan could love her that way, but it’s up to Ethan to convince her otherwise.

Ethan is a bonafide Prince Charming, and in the best way possible. He’s not the boring kind of prince that makes me long for a bad boy or a hero to make your heart beat faster. No, he’s the strong, masculine, endearing and exciting, kind of prince who saves the day by loving his heroine genuinely and steadfastly. As you can guess, I loved him. He’s just the right guy for a sweet, somewhat naïve and unworldly young woman like Becca. These two make sense together.

I liked that their relationship is based on the rock-solid foundation of friendship and respect. Becca hasn’t had a lot of reason to open up to people and trust them, but Ethan proves he’s worthy of it. While they have a few bumps in the road, they don’t spoil the story or seem like they are manufactured just to fit the romance novel formula. Instead, their relationship feels genuine.

The sensuality is perfectly tailored to this novel. The love scenes are well-written, steamy and emotional. The best combination for this reader. I like that Ethan respects Becca’s values and her past hurts and he also has a desire to treat her like she's the woman he's been waiting his whole life for. It shows in his every interaction with her. When they consummate their relationship, it feels right.

Overall, the secondary characters are fairly well developed and add to the novel. Lindsay’s character was a bit too ‘evil ex’ for my tastes, but it’s not a deal breaker for me. Ethan’s family dynamic makes sense for his character (shows his values and why he's the man he is), and the tidbits about his siblings make me curious to read more about them. My favorite secondary character is Edna’s Becca’s older neighbor. She’s like a adoptive grandmother and a very good friend to the orphaned, lonely Becca, and she adds some comic relief with some of her dialogue.

His Heart’s Desire is an excellent first novel. It showcases strong writing talent and it is well edited. It's also very emotional and romantic (which is just what this reader loves in her romance novels) It’s nothing less than I would expect from Julianna. She’s a promising writer, and I’m excited to read more books by her.

I recommend this book to true romantics. Becca’s a sweetheart and Ethan truly is a to-die-for hero. I enjoyed reading this immensely.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.  No other consideration was offered, expected or received.

I originally read this book as a beta read last year.  Funny story.  I was pretty sure the author would never let me read one of his books again, not after the email he received when I was done with the first one.
    Ya see, after reading the first one, I was very angry with him.  It was several short stories having to do, in one way or another, with a particular gentleman.  And I really enjoyed the stories.  Until the last one.  The last one … was the beginning of this novel … and I was very disappointed that he not only ruined the first book by adding the beginning of a story he knew he wasn’t going to complete for some time, but also because he was making me wait to see what happened.  Now, that book was a beta read as well, and I had to wait, just as I had to wait with this one, for several months before I could write my review.  And, in that time, I had calmed down quite a bit.  After the author promised me he would not make that kind of “mistake” again, I ended up giving the previous book 4 stars … and waited on pins and needles to receive this one.

This book, was all that I wanted it to be … and more.  It had the espionage, the intrigue, the mystery, the … everything … that I expected from this author.  And a story that kept me on my toes.  I say that because, there were several moments that I was sure were going to go one way, and then, to my surprise, veered off in a completely different way.  Trust me, when you are reading this, what you are anticipating will not likely be what ends up happening.

This book is full of the lies and deceit that I find so much fun to read about.  And an ending that was just plain wow – so much so that I put the book down and picked it back up an hour or two later in order to re-read and make sure what I read was what was there.  A movie ending could not have been better.

I still can’t stand Nikki.  I just want to point that out.  I didn’t like her in that book I spoke of earlier – and I didn’t like her in this book.  There were several occasions that I found myself pulling for her, hoping she would be able to succeed, but there are just so many things about her that I dislike.  She does grow quite a bit in the story, going from a whiny, clingy woman that allows herself to be used, to a woman that does the using, but there is still something about her.  And yet there is something about her that makes me want to read more.
    And in Nikki’s defense, I don’t like Chris anymore either – and I did like him in the last book. 

In my interview of the author yesterday, he spoke of a projected eight more books for this series, and a couple of more to complete the book I spoke of earlier.  I can’t wait.  The way this one ended was full of so much potential and drama and mystery.  The questions were answered – but the next adventure has just begun.