Re-read in January 2018

Charlotte Baird is the best friend of Molly Webster, the heroine from Rock Addiction. This book takes place simultaneously and portrays Charlotte's relationship with her overbearing new boss who she refers to as T-Rex. I was intrigued by this side plot in the first Rock Kiss book so I was super happy that it met all of my expectations.

I loved the portrayal of Charlotte and her journey to self-confidence after a horrific incident with an ex-boyfriend. Readers get hints about what happened, but I was not prepared for the details which made me admire Charlotte even more. She is intelligent and shy though she also has a spine of steel when pushed too far. There are many moments where she could have retreated back into her enclosed world, but she kept going and showed how strong she really was.

The aforementioned T-Rex whose real name is Gabriel Bishop is a former professional rugby player who is now known for bring businesses back from the brink of disaster. His first few days at his new company results in staff overhauls and plenty of tears, but he showed a keen sense of business smarts and a good heart. I liked that, while most of this book focused on Charlotte's development, it also deals with Gabriel's own difficult childhood and how it effects his current outlook on life.

Rock Hard has many elements that I adore in Nalini Singh's paranormal books like fully developed characters, romance that sweeps the reader off their feet, and well-written worlds. Even though this book is a contemporary romance, I can see Singh's skills at worldbuilding with her depiction of the company that Charlotte and Gabriel work for, the relationships between the workers, and especially the crazy Bishop family. I am hoping Gabriel's brother, Danny, will get his own story someday.

All in all, a truly entertaining read that is both sweet and sexy. This author is showing how skilled she is at writing romance whether it is contemporary or paranormal. Rock Hard is my favorite of the series so far.

I received a free e-ARC of this book from TKA Distribution via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of this book from Riptide Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amy Lane is a M/M author that I have read a lot from and she is one that I turn to when I need a good cry.  She has the ability to balance the line between angst and emotional torture that I find valuable at certain times.  So I was excited when I learned that she would be involved in Riptide Publishing's cross-author series about Bluewater Bay, Washington.  The Deep of the Sound is exactly what I expected from Ms. Lane since I came away from with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.

Calladh "Cal" McCorkle is a Bluewater Bay native who is just keeping hold on his sanity.  His parents died when he was a young man and he now spends his days working his ass off to support his Alzheimer's-riddled great uncle and mentally unstable younger brother.  Avery Kennedy is a freelancer writer who is having a serious string of bad luck incidents such as a cheating boyfriend and a desperate financial situation.  Cal manages to come across Avery on the side of the road outside of town and these two quickly realize how much chemistry they have together.

Cal and Avery are such richly developed characters that I felt like they could just jump off the page and have a conversation with me.  Cal's difficult life has forced him to always be the caretaker so he is immediately attracted to Avery whom he dubs his "rescue puppy".  But, things quickly turn for the couple when it turns out that he needs care from Avery just as much.  I liked how Avery was able to gain confidence through helping Cal and his family.  His upbringing left him with no self-esteem and a desperate need for any affection he can get.  Together they figure out what one another needs and that was a true highlight of The Deep of the Sound.

Cal's great-uncle, Nascha, and brother, Keir, are big parts of this story as well.  Each of them spends a lot of time stuck in their own heads and are unpredictable outside of them.  This is where my heart really broke while reading.  Alzheimer's is such an awful disease to witness and Nascha is trying desperately to hang onto some semblance of his old personality that I kept tearing up.  And Keir's multiple psychological issues make him a danger to himself and those around him.  I could tell where his story was going to end and I kept crossing my fingers that the journey would be smooth.

There are fun cameos of other Bluewater Bay inhabitants that readers of the series will be happy to see.  I loved getting to visit the Stomping Grounds coffee shop and, of course, continue to see the changes brought to the town by the cast and crew of the popular Wolf's Landing TV show.  But, don't worry about getting caught up on the series since this book can be read as a stand-alone.  If you haven't gotten to try an Amy Lane story, I highly recommend this one.  Just make sure you have a box of tissues available at certain points.

Rock star romances definitely aren't my cup of tea, but I love Nalini Singh's paranormal romances so I had to give this one a chance.  Ms. Singh has never let me down with her Psy-Changeling books and I'm happy to say that this first book in the Rock Kiss series was much better than I expected.

Molly Webster is the daughter of a disgraced (and deceased) politician who is determined to avoid scandal at all costs.  She has developed a comfortable life as a librarian and is willing to continue with that lifestyle.  But, things begin to change when she meets rock star Zachary Fox (known as Fox) at a party and the chemistry between them erupts without warning.  Fox, for his part, is attracted to Molly from the moment he saw her and is willing to do anything to keep her in his life.  Readers are then sent on a fast-paced ride through the fragile beginnings of their relationship to their adjustments to living as a couple in the spotlight.

I absolutely loved Molly's character.  She is very hesitant with hooking up with Fox because of her bad experience with the tabloids after her father's scandal.  But, she quickly shows that she is a strong-willed woman who is intrigued by Fox and wants to see how things go.  Fox is an amazing hero.  I am always excited to read a romance where the hero falls first and is actively pursuing the more reluctant heroine.  The rock star element really worked for him though I'm not sure if I would classify him as a bad boy.  He's too much of a gentleman for that.

The first half of Rock Addiction deals with Molly and Fox's early days as a couple while the latter half deals with the drama associated with being in the media while falling in love.  The second part was easily my favorite because it showed that there is always more to the story after the cliched HEA.   I also liked the development of the rest of the band members and their relationship with each other.  They are obviously going to be the backbone of this series and I look forward to learning more about them in the future installments.

Though I was hesitant about this book at first, I'm glad I gave it a chance.  Nalini Singh showed me that she can do more than just impeccable paranormal romance.  The characters are well-written and the romance was super steamy.  I can't wait to read more of this series!

I received a free copy of this book from TKA Distribution via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was great to see Rey and Sam's story continuing in Acts of Faith. Seeing them adjust to such a change in their relationship with the arrival of Rey's daughter, Faith, really showed how awesome they are together. Both of them have issues they need to deal with, but they do with like adults and together. The major issue I had with this book was the character of David who was really interesting and just seemed to disappear in the later third of the story. I hope that A.M. Arthur continues this series and focuses on David soon.