Smokejumpers #1, A sweet and steamy book all in one. I'm new to Tawna Fenske and figured what better place to start that with a new series and it was a good start. I really enjoyed this one it was funny in all the right parts and romantically sweet and hot in the bedroom, but not limited to the bedroom. Best of all it had relatable characters, Grady and Willa are opposites but their spontaneous reaction to each other soon grows deeper but not without its hardships because of those differences.

Willa had a difficult childhood, her mother left and her father was an alcoholic and a gambler and more often than not they had to spend nights "out camping" because of some bill wouldn't get paid. Willa left home as soon as she could and became a successful web designer with her own company. But she's still a smart buyer, she hates spending money when she doesn't have to and when she does she's smart about it, her friends are use to her. Willa is also a planner and a hard worker and because of that she wasn't going to let anyone sidetrack her from her goal or her work hence the two-date rule.

Grady is one of ten kids, he can handle chaos. Growing up the son of a smokejumper he knew getting involved in a relationship would be difficult for his partner, he saw how it affected his parents and how hard it was on his mom for his dad to be away months at a time. He decided going into his career he wasn't going to make plans his work was dangerous enough why look forward to something if there's a chance you might not make it home. 

Willa gives Grady his first date, and then a series of non-dates; miniature golf is not a date, it's a group outing not a date, meeting his parents isn't a date and so on until one day it is the second date and then third. Willa and Grady have pretty much fallen in love and not even drama from her past can get in the way of her happiness at least until it interferes in her business. Then their differences seem insurmountable and it would take a pretty big leap for them to find their way back to each other.

Overall, it was a pretty good read. I liked all the characters and the funny situations; all the non-dates. Grady's parents are pretty awesome too. I look forward to the upcoming books in this series.           

Killer Instincts #1, To me the book was okay, there was nothing really wrong with it but I had a hard time keeping my attention focused on the book. I liked the characters okay and the story was interesting enough, even if it was really predictable. I do enjoy the bodyguard trope and the whole forbidden romance that goes with it but this one missed the mark with me.

Three years ago Emma lost her fiance to a hit and run accident and they never caught the person, now Emma is trying to start over with her best friend nudging her to start dating again. Emma is assaulted outside her apartment luckily her neighbor intervened and scared the guy away. Later that night a woman was murdered who looked like Emma. Detective Jake Quinn was a rookie detective on Emma's fiancee's hit and run he's never stopped thinking about her. He's lead detective on this most recent murder and when Emma reports the attack Jake doesn't think it's a coincidence. Even before he had department approval he starts protecting her. But this killer is escalating he's sending messages to Emma and calling her and views Jake as a threat. Emma hasn't felt this way about anybody since her fiance, Jake has awaken a desire in her she forgot she had and now with the threat on her head they both have to fight the desire raging between them or it could risk Jake his career and the case.

Overall, the book had its moments. It's not one of my favorites but it wasn't horrible either it was a decent read and I would read more by this author mostly because I don't judge an author by a single book.   

Dark Desires Origins #1, Damn Good Sci-fi Romance! Which I'm not surprised I love her Beyond Human series and with this being the prequel to the Dark Desires series I really need to get all of those and read them. I thoroughly enjoy Nina Croft's writing, her books are immersive they pull you in and don't let go and this one is no different.

The Earth was dying, with twenty-four ships big enough to hold ten thousand people each there was a lottery the winners were the lucky ones, or as they were called "The Chosen Ones" they set off to find a new home. The crews were big enough to man each ship in fifty year rotations and their family got a free pass and an army. But after five hundred years supplies are running short and they still haven't found a new planet and now a "malfunction" is causing cryotubes to fail suffocating the person inside.

Logan Farrell is with the army his current assignment had him with the MPs and that's what they need an investigator, to make sure the failure of the cryotubes was just a malfunction. Well the Captain of the second ship doesn't quite trust the higher ups and wakes up his friend Katia Mendoza a detective with the London Police, or at least she was before they left Earth, to help investigate. Rico the captain of the second ship has his own reasons for putting in his own person on the case, he can't afford everyone to know the truth about his ship. The truth that a good portion of "The Chosen Ones" who were suppose to be on his ship were left behind and replaced by his own people, his own supernatural kind including Katia.

Together Logan and Katia try and find out who is behind the sabotage but with every step closer they get they have a new near death experience that just brings them closer and closer together. The chemistry between them is instant and hot, every spare moment they have is together. But what will Logan think when he finds out not everyone is human? 

Overall, I loved this book. The characters, the situation, humor, romance , hot hot (not limited to the bedroom) scenes. I inhaled this book and I want more!

What Happens in the Ballroom #2, A delightful retelling of a tale as old as time, truly I never get tired of Beauty and the Beast trope (is it technically a trope). New author to me and as a second story in the series it can be read as a standalone. I love Jewel and Oliver. Jewel is a colonist her father sent her to her aunt, his sister, to be safe during this upcoming war. When Jewel foils her aunt and uncles plan to trick the Earl of Whichcombe into marrying one of their daughters they try to send her off to Scotland. Oliver is grateful to the beauty that saved both him and/or his twin brother from a forced marriage, so grateful he kisses her unfortunately in walks her cousin and aunt and very loudly announce that Lord scar has ruined Jewel. After thinking about it Oliver decides he will do the right thing and marry Jewel but her uncle has already sent her off. That doesn't stop him though he tracks her down and after procuring a lady's maid/chaperone he whisks her off to his country estate.

Oliver's claim to his title is challenged, his scar makes people think he's in league with satan and that he's crazy, Jewel thinks she's helping when she declares herself his fiancee. While Oliver tries to get all his contacts and acquaintances to help prove he's not insane together Jewel tries to figure out the purpose of her uncle's scheme and why he's trying to steal her money. Together Oliver and Jewel make a great team they have wonderful chemistry between them. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this story it was well written with fantastic characters and a tangled web of deceit that Oliver and Jewel manage to work their way through to get to their HEA.