Between a Highlander and a Hard Place by Mary Wine & Ache For You by J.T Geissinger

BETWEEN A HIGHLANDER AND A HARD PLACE
by Mary Wine

Series: Highland Weddings #5
Genres: Historical

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication Date: November 6th 2018

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★

Amazon 

Mary Wine's Highland Wedding series has been a consistently entertaining historical romance series for me. I've been enjoying these books, these characters, and the setting tremendously. I'm always eager to pick up a new book with these books. Between a Highlander and a Hard Place was one I certainly could not miss, especially with that stunning cover. While I enjoyed my time with this 5th book, I have to admit that the books are starting to all blend together for me as they all have a very similar premise. When a broken-hearted Athena is forced to flee her uncle's home to escape the scoundrel who pretended to be in love with her, she runs into the arms of a Highlander, Symon. Symon helps her by providing her safety from the wilds of Scotland. While both were instantly drawn to each other, Athena was adamant about wanting to give in to her attractions. As with the other heroines in this series, she was fiery and feisty. It took a lot of courage for her to run away from the safety of her home to Scotland and I admired that about her. Symon was also a good caring man who wanted the best for his people. He had lost his wife recently and was on the look-out for a wife. Though he was fiercely attracted to Athena, he never forced himself on her. He was constantly there to save her from dangerous situations. The romance between the two was great as usual. There was a lot of passion between the two that only seemed to grow as the book progressed. What I really enjoy about this series that there are secondary storylines that delve into clan politics and historical issues that keep the books engaging. All in all, while Between a Highlander and a Hard Place did not offer anything particularly fresh in terms of characterizations and romance, it was still an enjoyable story that I think fans of the series will enjoy.

Can't-Wait Wednesday (3): The One You Fight For by Roni Loren

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the yet-to-be released books we're excited to read. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Hi everyone!

It's a new Wednesday and as usual I'm here to share with you another one of my anticipated titles.

Kilts, Cooking & Annoying Heroines

Hi everyone! 

How are your weeks going? Mine is going okay. I haven't been feeling some of the romance books I've been reading sadly, so I've been getting back into murder mysteries and crime thrillers instead. I found my old collection of Tess Gerritsen books, and some I actually never got around to reading, so now I'm reading her Rizzoli & Isles books from the beginning.

Before I got into the murder mystery phase, I did get a chance to read some romance books, and I thought I'd share some quick thoughts with you all today. First, I'm sharing my review for the lastest book in Mary Wine's highlander series, Highland Weddings. Though I enjoyed the book, it wasn't as enjoyable as some of the other books in the series. I also review a diverse foodie romance with East in Paradise, which was a sweet book, but I also struggled with the heroine quite a bit.

Take a deeper look at what I thought about them!

HIGHLAND FLAME by Mary Wine [★★★]

Received for review purposes. This does not affect my opinion of the book.

Some of you may have followed my reviews for the previous books in this series by Mary Wine on the other blog. If you don't know, I'm totally in love with this series. It's my first highlander series and Mary Wine has done nothing but impress me with the way she weaves together romance and politics. I'm always eager to read the next book in the series, so I jumped on Highland Flame with a lot of excitement. 

Right away though I could tell that Highland Flame wouldn't be as good for me as the previous books in the series. It's not a terrible book, but compared to the others, it falls behind a little bit. In Highland Flame, we're given Jane's story. She's a feisty, brave and sometimes reckless Englishwoman determined to return back home after her Scottish husband's passing. Jane is a great character, who shows a lot of strength and resilience throughout Highland Flame. Her scoundrel of her husband was even ready to prostitute her to settle his gambling credit, but she knows she's worth more than that and vehemently refuses. She remains true to herself throughout the book, and always bounces back whatever the obstacle she faces. 

She totally deserved a sweetheart like Diocail. I initially wasn't quite sure what to make of Diocail. He's just become the leader of his clan and desperately needs a wife to fix things around in their decrepit castle. I couldn't quite get a handle on his personality at first, but as the story progressed, we got to see the caring man underneath all that gruff exterior. He wants to do good for his clan, and his kindness and patience towards Jane were nothing short of swoony. Though I loved these two characters individually, I felt like a certain spark was missing in their relationship. I don't quite know exactly why that was, but I only know that I never felt as strongly for them as I did the previous couple. They enter into a marriage with Jane still hell-bent on going back to her home in England, but throughout the Highland Flame, they become familiar with each other and grow a bond. I'm just not convinced by their bond though. As always, Mary Wine writes excellent steamy scenes. Another aspect I liked here was the deeper exploration of what it's like to belong to a clan led by Highlanders. 

All in all, Highland Flame was certainly readable, and if you're a fan of this series, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Review: Trouble Walks In by Sara Humphreys

TROUBLE WALKS IN
by Sara Humphreys
Series: The McGuire Brothes #2
Genres: Contemporary, Suspense
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★1/2
Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Big city K-9 cop Ronan McGuire loves women, loves his dog, loves his job - but when old flame Maddy Morgan moves into his jurisdiction, he can’t think about anyone else.

Ronan knows she’s way out of his league, but he’s determined to help Maddy live life to the fullest.

Maddy has immersed herself in work and swiftly made a name for herself in the hot New York City real estate market. She’s looking for safety, not love, but Ronan McGuire is as persistent as he is sexy, and his crooked smile is hard to resist. But all other concerns are wiped away when Maddy goes missing and Ronan and his bloodhound K-9 partner are tasked with finding her and bringing her home.

W...W...W... Wednesday (6)

W...W...W... Wednesday is a feature hosted by Lovin' los libros, adapted from Taking on a World of Words to showcase books I'm currently reading, I'm wating to read and I want you to read.

Review: A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

A PROMISE OF FIRE
by Amanda Bouchet
Series: Kingmaker Chronicles #1
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★★★
Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice…

Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her…even if that means falling in love with her.

Review: Luck Is No Lady by Amy Sandas

LUCK IS NO LADY
by Amy Sandas
Series: Fallen Ladies #1
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Source: ARC from publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon - Barnes & Nobles

Gently bred Emma Chadwick always assumed she'd live and die the daughter of a gentleman. But when her father's death reveals a world of staggering debt and dangerous moneylenders, she must risk her good name and put her talent for mathematics to use, taking a position as bookkeeper at London's most notorious gambling hell. Surrounded by vice and corruption on all sides, it is imperative no one discovers Emma's shameful secret or her reputation-and her life-will be ruined.

But Roderick Bentley, the hell's sinfully wealthy owner, awakens a hunger Emma cannot deny. Drawn deep into an underworld of high stakes gambling and reckless overindulgence, she soon discovers that in order to win the love of a ruthless scoundrel, she will have to play the game...and give in to the pleasure of falling from grace.