YA fantasy. I liked Kai a lot, and the worldbuilding was interesting if a bit vague at times. I didn’t find the romance particularly compelling and we were clearly meant to, but I am curious about the sequel.

Series: Cupid Texas (Book 4)

Melody Spencer had long-ago wiped the dust of Cupid, Texas, off her cute shoes . . . and done her best to forget the chiseled jaw and strong arms of cowboy Luke Spencer. Their families might be part of a long-time feud, but he was her very first love, even if it turned out they never wanted the same things.

But now Luke's come striding back into her life, tempting her with the memories of long, lazy evenings and hot, passionate kisses. And he has an ulterior motive -- as Mayor of Cupid, he knows Melody's business savvy can help save their beloved hometown. His smooth talking might get her to Texas, but that doesn't mean he'll get her in his bed. Still, people do say love can be more perfect the second time around . . .

Excellent conclusion to the Cupid, Texas series. In this one Cupid really has his work cut out for him. Fifteen years earlier Luke and Melody had snuck around behind their families' backs and enjoyed being young and in love. But tragedy followed when they were discovered, and the feud got even worse. Melody had gotten to the point where she couldn't wait to get away from Cupid and all the memories. Meanwhile, Luke was happiest where his roots went deep.

Now the town of Cupid is in trouble, thanks to the drought drying up the tourist trade. Luke is desperate for help to save the town and thinks that big city advertising exec Melody is just the person to help. All he needs to do is convince her to come home. So he heads off to New York to do his best.

Melody has been living the good life in the city. She has a job she likes and no one getting into her business. She has the feeling she has nowhere to go but up, as she's been putting in long hours hoping for a promotion. She hasn't thought (much) about Luke in the years she's been gone, until she spots him on her way into work. Avoiding him isn't easy, but she manages, and gets to work in time to be called to her boss's office. Thinking she's about to get the good news she's been hoping for, she's stunned to find out she's being fired instead - for being too honest, of all things. After spending some quiet time trying to think of her options, she heads for the apartment she shares with her boyfriend, only to discover that he's evicted her and left the country. Into this disaster of a day comes Luke, picking her up and taking her back to his hotel to recover.

That night, Luke and Melody discover that they are still wildly attracted to each other. Taking advantage of being away from Texas, they indulge in a night together knowing that nothing more can come of it. With nothing keeping her in New York, Melody goes to Cupid to see what she can do to help.

Some things never change and the feud is alive and well. Melody and Luke would like to spend time together, but their families would have a conniption. Both of them are disgusted with the whole thing, but each has a different idea on how to deal with it. Having stayed in Cupid, Luke has gotten very good at keeping a lid on everything. He believes that stirring things up will only create more trouble. Since he's sure that Melody would never stay in Texas, he can't see creating havoc for something that won't last. Melody, on the other hand, feels that nothing will change until the whole feud is brought out into the light where everyone can see just how stupid it is. She has some ideas on how to do it, and help the town at the same time, but Luke forbids it. When she takes matters into her own hands, it's sometimes hard to tell if it's working or not.

Luke and Melody manage to find ways to spend time together, and even though they claim it's just for sex, it's obvious that they are falling for each other all over again. But until they can get their families to give up on the grudges of the past, things look pretty hopeless for them. It takes Melody doing what she feels is the right thing, even against Luke's wishes, to get the ball rolling, and a near tragedy for the families to finally see the light.

There were quite a few fun moments, including the bachelor auction, where Luke gets purchased by the last person he'd ever want to get stuck with. There were also the sad times, such as Melody's first sight of Cupid under its drought conditions. And then there was the truly heartbreaking, when Melody put her love out there for everyone to see and Luke wouldn't even give her a chance. Fortunately, Cupid's streak remains unbroken and they get their happy ending after all.

Series: Ultimate (Book 1)

Cannon Colter is quintessential hero material: chiseled jawline, shredded body -- the works. He's also the guy who rescued Yvette Sweeny from kidnappers, only to put an end to her romantic dreams. These days, she's older, smarter, determined to face whatever life throws her way. Even the prospect of sharing a house and business with Cannon.

Cannon knew Yvette wanted him three years ago. But she was young -- and some things are worth waiting for. Thrown together by her grandfather's legacy, he realizes how deep Yvette's scars really go, and how much danger lurks in their quiet town. As pent-up desire explodes between them, protecting her becomes the only fight that matters. And he'll break all the rules to do it….

Fantastic beginning to the new series. Cannon and Yvette were both characters in Dash of Peril, where Cannon was involved in rescuing her from some pretty nasty people. Yvette had had quite a crush on Cannon, but Cannon felt she was too young. She moved to California to try to start over and move on from her heartache. Her grandfather's death brings her back to Ohio, where she faces her past.

I loved Cannon. Even as a teenager he had a strong protective streak. He spent a lot of time looking out for the people in his neighborhood and developing his fighting skills. At the end of the last book he was offered a chance to train for an MMA career and has done quite well in the three years since. He's never forgotten Yvette, and when her grandfather's death brings them both back to Ohio, he realizes that his waiting time is done. It doesn't take him long to see that she isn't the sweet young things with a crush any longer. The attraction is still there, but she also tries to keep a distance between them. Cannon knows what he wants and is willing to take the time to show her that she wants it too. The patience he had as they grew closer was incredible, and it was obvious how difficult it was for him. I loved the sweet way he treated her, while at the same time ramping up the physical attraction. I loved watching his protectiveness as an ex follows her to town and makes trouble for her, and his frustration as she resists accepting his help dealing with it. I really liked the way that he could see that she's a lot stronger than she thinks she is and tries to show her that he doesn't see her as a victim. 

Yvette had left Ohio for California three years ago to get away from the memories of the kidnapping. She had hated the publicity, and hated feeling like a victim. She's made a good life for herself and developed the independence she thought she'd been lacking. When she came back to Ohio to settle her grandfather's estate she was determined to show the strong side of herself. She hasn't been able to forget the needy, helpless victim she had been, or the feelings being rescued by Cannon had stirred up. She determined to make sure that he knows he doesn't have to take care of her any longer. But the attraction she felt for him then is nothing to the heat between them now. Thanks to the events of three years ago, Yvette feels unable to take the attraction all the way and tries to push Cannon away. He won't give up, and she discovers that there's a lot more to him than she ever suspected. When she starts having problems with a stalkerish ex, she tries to deal with it on her own. She is still fighting her self image as a victim and pushing away anyone who wants to help her, believing that they think she can't handle it. It takes awhile for her to see that Cannon and his friends don't think of her that way, it's just what they do and who they are. I really loved seeing her get to know all the guys and how comfortable she became with them. There were some pretty funny scenes with them, especially the one with Cannon, Yvette and Armie in the kitchen. I loved seeing her finally realize that accepting help doesn't make her weak. She really stunned Cannon at the end with the way she made her wishes known.

The suspense in this book wasn't as intense as in the previous series, but there was enough to give the book a bit of edge. The ex was definitely creepy and I loved seeing him get what was coming to him. There were some other things happening to Yvette that didn't seem consistent with what he was doing and it turned out there was another player in the trouble. I didn't really suspect who until near the end, but the reason was a complete surprise.

I really enjoyed getting to meet the secondary characters. Cannon's fight friends are pretty obviously going to be the subjects of the rest of the series and I am really looking forward to their stories. Armie is especially intriguing, and the chemistry between him and Cannon's sister is sure to make their story hot. It was great seeing the contrasts between these guys in fighter mode and then the gentle, fun guys when they are "off duty". I also loved seeing the way they give back to their community with programs for at risk kids and their neighborhood watch type activities. It was also fun to see characters from previous books, especially Dash and Margo. The scene with them at home, as Margo helped Yvette, and their little girl climbing all over Cannon was pretty sweet.

Giveaway ends 4/11