A Snowflake’s Chance in Hell by Amy Romine

A Snowflake’s Chance in Hell by Amy Romine
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (74 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Stephantois

Two hearts drawn by hope, linked by love.

All Quinn Lawson wanted was to find her brother. Separated after their parents perished in a drunk-driving accident, Quinn has been searching for him since she became eighteen. She is closer now than ever, but it is her last lead.

Gunnery Sergeant Kevin McCaluson has a choice to make, stay in the military or step away and try life as a civilian. With no family and no prospect of one, Kevin wonders if he can leave the only family he has ever known for the life he’s always dreamed.

So, you say you like brilliantly scripted characters who pull you right into their story? Let me introduce you to Quinn and Kevin.

If I’d known them in real life, I would have set Quinn and Kevin up on a blind date. These are the types of characters you want to read about because they are good people who deserve happiness. Ms. Romine did a top notch job of getting me on their side in the first few chapters. It’s hard to say which one I liked more.

Quinn is still dealing with the pain of her parents’ death. Ms. Romine's writing stirs emotions in readers so they emphasize with Quinn when she goes looking for her brother. Then Kevin walks into her life. Quinn has been so focused on finding her lost sibling she hasn't taken the time to consider she might need someone to watch out for her.

Kevin is also at a crossroads in his life. When these two souls meet nothing’s quite the same, which was nicely portrayed by the author. The dialogue is natural sounding and the pacing perfect for making this a quick read on a winter’s night.

This is romance at its finest because you know the characters are going to find their HEA. It's the journey they take, including the past that brought them to the point of meeting, that will keep you reading. If you’re looking for a feel good story, full of steam, heat and characters you’ll like, I recommend A Snowflake's Chance in Hell.

One Hit Wonderful by Hannah Murray

One Hit Wonderful by Hannah Murray
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full (169 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dianthus

Being a bridesmaid is a dull job. But when the groom gets caught with his cummerbund around his ankles, dull isn’t in the cards.

Lily Michaels is happy to help her best friend cancel her wedding. But since the groom with the broken nose is also her landlord, it means she’s looking for a new apartment. Enter Nate MacIntyre—former boy-band member and current composer—his mostly St. Bernard dog Beau and the apartment over their garage. Nate is sexy, Beau is adorably charming and the apartment is gorgeous. Things are looking up!

But things get complicated when Max, the former groom, starts hassling Lily for the location of his jilted bride. Nate thinks Max is dangerous, Lily thinks Nate is silly, and while she’s enjoying where her attraction to him is going, her independent streak simply won’t let her lean on him too much. What do you get when you mix an overprotective man, an independent woman and the confusion that comes with falling in love? Whatever it is, it’s not dull.

Catch best friend’s groom-to-be cheating. Clean blood out of Vera Wang wedding dress. Lose apartment. Find new apartment with hot landlord and sweet pooch. Yeah, I'd call that a productive day!

After helping her friend through a cancelled wedding and then getting evicted that very same day, things don’t seem to be going Lily’s way at all. But a mysterious ad for an apartment and a gruff voice over the phone may just be the answer to a silent prayer. When someone from Lily’s past starts harassing her at work and home, Lily's patience and her budding relationship with Nate will be put to the test. Lily is set on being independent and Nate only wants to protect her. This romance may be doomed before it gets off the ground.

What a great premise. So often it's the jilted bride who is the center of attention in a book that begins with a cancelled wedding. Lily is the loyal best friend/bridesmaid who ends up kicked to the curb when her best friend Bridget does the same to her scummy cheating fiancé. With perfect timing, in walk Nate and Beau. *sigh* Gotta love a man who travels with his furry best friend.

Ms. Murray penned a witty and charming story that had me rooting for the characters from the very beginning. Meeting Lily and her quirky friends was like getting to know someone who would be a friend of my own. And the chemistry between her and Nate was so intense I could feel it through my eReader. The only thing I really felt was missing was the lead up to the building of Nate and Lily’s relationship. I think things happened a bit too fast and would have loved to have seen a bit more anticipation before they jumped in the sack the first time. Other than that, the suspense and romance angle worked really well together and kept me guessing until the last page.

I’ve never read Hannah Murray before, and was pleasantly surprised by this book. I’m so pleased I got to review it. This author’s works would make a great addition to anyone’s book shelf, and any other’s by her will soon be making a home on my shelves.

The Naughty List by Jodi Redford

The Naughty List by Jodi Redford
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Short Story (97 pgs)
Other: BDSM, M/F, M/F/M, Ménage, Anal Play, Toys, Spanking, Voyeurism
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Peppermint

Makin’ a list, and rocking it…twice.

Perpetual good girl Lacey McGuire has two Christmas wish lists. One suitable for public consumption…and a private one that’s too hot to handle. Right at the top: wild, wicked fantasies about her best buddies and business partners Ryan Hollister and Bram Colton.

Besides the fact they’re both poster boys for Hunks ’R’ Us, they’ve been there for her through thick, thin and the heartbreak of a cheating fiancé. So what if her boys will never know they star in her sexiest daydreams? In her fantasy world, her heart will never get trampled again.

Ry and Bram are pretty sure Lacey never meant to email a list of some of her raunchiest wants. Particularly the one that tightens their shorts—she wants a threesome. With them. Although they’ve loved her for years, they made a pact to keep Lacey off limits in order to protect their friendship. Now all bets are off. And the quest to give her all she wants—and more—is on.

This story offers a unique spin on the classic high school crush. For one, the characters have harbored their unrequited love well into their adult lives. Not one, but two boys are infatuated with Lacey, the beautiful heroine. They just so happen to also be her besties. With this type of poetic development, I knew Jodi Redford wrote a winner.

Lacey, Ryan and Bram have been fantasizing about one another for years. These types of naughty fantasies would normally put a damper on a friendship of this length, but for this story it seem to enhance their friendship. I think the conflict between keeping the friendship intact while developing it into something more really added extra spice to the plot. One thing I really appreciated is the characters' respect for their friendship over the romantic feelings. Their willingness to put their friend’s feelings over their own showed just how much they really cared for one another. I have always said friends make the best lovers and that is truly demonstrated within the story.

It is funny how Ry and Bram can seem so alike in one instance and so different in another. When it comes to Lacey they both seem to be on the same page and have the same wants, desires, and convictions. It’s like those relationships you see that seem just too perfect and accommodating. They make you envious in one moment and sick the other. When Lacey goes off stage and is out of the equation, you can really see their individual personalities demonstrated. Ryan's character stood out a bit more because Lacey and Bram were those he has continuously had in his life so it made the relationship that much more important to him. Additionally, he has an inner strength about him that just draws me to him.

The BDSM element was tastefully executed by the author and for the most part remains light and sensual. It was done in a way that even if BDSM isn't something a reader normally likes, they can still appreciate it, since it's such a driving force behind the relationship development. It allows Ry and Bram to nudge Lacey when necessary to keep the relationship moving forward. It also enhances the story because it is one of new developments and experiences. I was entertained by seeing Lacey trying new things with her sexy men and wish I would have gotten an invite.

Whether you like sensual love stories that leave you pining for more, or erotic naughty stories that leave you feeling overheated, you can appreciate and enjoy this story. You never know, it may inspire you to write your own naughty list.

Hellfire by Gale Stanley

Hellfire by Gale Stanley
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (87 pages)
Other: M/M/F/M, M/M/M, Ménage, Anal Play/Intercourse
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

After her pack is killed, Kate hides her inner wolf and goes on the run. She moves in with a rising rodeo star and tries to blend in with the humans.

Gage and his lover, Tanner, are at the rodeo for one reason – to see Shiloh Ford, champion bronc rider, in person. The two Lycans are shocked to discover the human cowboy has a fiancée, and she's a wolf. Desperate to bring the she-wolf into their pack, Gage and Tanner befriend Shiloh, but the wolf-shifters find they're just as attracted to the cowboy as they are to Kate.

Despite the electrifying bond between Kate and the two Lycans, she refuses to turn her back on the life she's built with Shiloh, but when fire forces her out of their home, Kate has to make a decision. Will she continue to reject her true nature or accept her place in the wolf pack?

Author Gale Stanley has created a fantastic tale that spans sixteen years and a cross country trek.

Betrayal led to the massacre of their families and a fear of humans. Like many of the remaining men of their pack, Gage and Tanner turned to one another out of necessity, comfort and a scarcity of female Lycans. When a chance meeting with a lost female member of their pack, Kate, brings out their mating instincts they’ll have to decide if she’s worth the risk. Kate no longer travels alone. Gage and Tanner not only have to woo the wary female, they’ll have to decide if they can trust and love her very hot human cowboy protector.

This is a short story so the reader isn’t required to relive the entire history of the characters but it is nicely sprinkled throughout the novella. Rather than overwhelming the story or holding back what is happening in the present, bits of the past and memories from Gage, Tanner and especially Kate add to the overall believability of the tale. Kate’s memories are especially compelling and paint her a sympathetic character.

The only non-Lycan member of the cast of main characters is rodeo star Shiloh Ford. In a manner similar to Gage and Tanner, Kate and Shiloh hooked up based on necessity and comfort. Shiloh is a likable character who has immediate chemistry with both Gage and Tanner despite their secretiveness.

There are several other character pairings mentioned throughout the story but mostly in passing conversation. We never really get to meet the other human/Lycan mates but their stories sound like they would be interesting. Ms. Stanley has already written and published the two follow-up books in the Southwestern Shifter series but they appear to be centered on other wolves in the pack.

Readers may notice the scenes sometimes jump rather quickly between chapters without a truly smooth transition. I had to flip back and re-read the previous paragraph a couple of times to be sure I understood the transition. Don’t get me wrong, though, this was really only a minor disruption and didn’t kill the overall enjoyment of the book.

If you’re looking for a short story series with lots of heart and heat, check out the first book in the Southwestern Shifter series, Hellfire. This novella is great for a quick read and the follow-up stories are conveniently already published. Ms. Stanley is a clever writer and worth checking out.

Cat Scratch Fever by Jodi Redford

Cat Scratch Fever by Jodi Redford
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (174 Pages)
Other: M/F, Toys
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Foxglove

Who says a wolf can’t make a pussycat purr?

Perfect timing has never been Lilly Prescott’s long suit. Seconds before a showdown with werewolf Dante Morgan, who owns a property that by rights should belong to her, she goes into heat. Not a simple event for a lynx shifter. No, she’s doomed to weeks of frustration that can only be soothed by frequent rolls in the hay—or her hand. Unfortunately, Dante accidentally witnesses the latter.

Left shaken and highly aroused in the snow, Dante can’t believe he’s attracted to the woman who drives him crazy, and not in a good way. Worse, his father has issued an ultimatum. Marry, or abdicate his place as pack leader. On the other hand, it’s the perfect leverage. Lilly will get her land…in exchange for a wedding ring and all the sexual satisfaction she can handle.

Marry Dante? No doubt he’s a poster boy for Hunks ’R’ Us, but he’s rude, arrogant and Lilly’s sworn enemy. Not to mention the thought of losing her independence is frightening as hell.

When they find themselves falling victim to their own charade, though, it’s anything but hell. It’s heaven, and the last thing either of them wants. The real thing.

Cat Scratch Fever is Jodi Redford’s newest paranormal romance, and it is a treat. The world she has created is fun and enticing. I like this locale, with the snow and forest and wide-open spaces filled with lots of redneck werewolves and lynx cat shifters. The characters are well crafted and the dialog is fun and sarcastic and totally filled with double entendres at times. I love the verbal sparring between Lilly and Dante, and the ever-escalating attraction bringing them closer all the time. And Chevy, Dante’s dog, is a real character too.

Lilly Prescott is determined to convince Dante Morgan to sell her the sixty acres of land she wants for the Lynchat Foundation retreat. Unfortunately, just before the meeting with Dante, Lilly’s cat hormones send her into heat, and cause a very embarrassing episode by the side of the road: an incident witnessed by, of all people, Dante Morgan himself.

Dante is ready to deny Lilly’s request again, when his father issues an ultimatum-Dante has one week to marry, or forfeit the leadership of the pack. Dante is determined not to marry the female wolf hand picked for him by his father, and offers Lilly a proposition. Marry him in a mating ceremony, and he will give her the land as a wedding gift. It doesn’t matter that they hate each other, right?

Lilly Prescott is strong, determined to have her way, and smart as well. Unfortunately, she has a slight problem with hormones, and gets caught unawares in a very compromising position by the one man/wolf that makes her crazy. I love Lilly, with her smart mouth and snarky attitude, and her determination to get the land she is so focused on.

Dante Morgan is determined to keep the pack safe from the machinations of his father and the Giffords. He is strong, gorgeous, and sexy beyond belief, and smart enough to know mating with his father’s choice would be bad news for the pack. I loved watching as Dante’s attraction for the sexy Lynchat became a bit of an obsession, and blossomed into so much more.

There are some wolf politics here, with a clash between Dante and his father becoming inevitable. When trouble comes to stop the growing passion, and the wedding, Dante and Lilly are both in danger, and Dante must find a way to save Lilly, and stop his father and the Giffords from ruining the pack and Dante’s life.

There are a couple of very hot bedroom scenes in this, and the play between Lilly and Dante heats up quickly once they stop fighting the inevitable. I recommend this for a cool evening, but keep the ice water near.