STATE OF THE UNION by Marie Force

First Family Book 3
HTJB, Inc
September 20^th, 2022
978-1-952793-83-7
Contemporary, Crime/Police, Romantic Suspense
PaperbackReviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Self Purchase

4 Hearts

The biggest night of President Cappuano’s life is here, and he has no idea if his wife, Lt. Samantha Holland will show up for his first State of the Union Address. For Sam, trying to balance being a working mom and first lady is like juggling chainsaws while they are on. With a puzzling case and trying to support her husband Nick as he deals with one thing after another as President, Sam is on edge over everything. But as times get tough, Nick and Sam find themselves drawing on their shared strength as a couple while dealing with issues between family, friends and work. For with these two, when push comes to shove, Nick and Sam turn to one another to fight for their family, their lives and more.

STATE OF THE UNION continues the First Family spin-off of the Fatal Series with an explosive addition as Sam finds herself tugged in so many directions at work and at home, she has figure out her footing before it gets so bad, she is swept away from it all. Nick is dealing with one crisis after another as well as the bubble he has put himself and his family in as the First Family of the United States. With each book in this series, Marie Force delivers an explosive storyline that will keep you glued to the pages till the very end. I couldn’t put this book down and that ending has me on tenterhooks waiting for State of Shock in December to get here. With each book I read from this author, I fall more in love with her world building, her entertaining and complex characters, and the storylines she crafts has me in awe over her talent to create such masterpieces.

STATE OF THE UNION picks up a few months after State of Grace (book 2) and we get to see how Sam, Nick and their family is dealing with being thrust into the world’s spotlight as well as dealing with the fishbowl they are dealt with. Concessions by Sam in regard to her job as Metro PD’s Homicide Lieutenant is trying to do her job as a police officer as well as being the First Lady as well. I love, love, love how this author captures Sam’s issues head on as she balances two jobs, being a working mom, her family and her marriage to Nick. For me, this keeps it real instead of everything being all great and fairytales. The challenges Sam faces are relatable (though not sure about the whole First lady aspect but as a working mom), I love how the author gets how conflicted Sam can be as she deals with another baffling case, the demands on her as First Lady and more. STATE OF THE UNION delivers so much in terms in character development and the fact that it is relatable as working parents with demanding career trying to juggle everything. I got to admit a few times I was as annoyed as Sam as the case she is dealing with delivers no leads time and again. The last half of the book is when all those twists and turns delivers the climatic ending that left me in shock. I won’t spoil it in case you haven’t read this one yet but suffice to say December can not get here fast enough for me to see what happens next.

Marie Force is one of my favorite authors and an auto-buy or me whenever she has a new release and STATE OF THE UNION is a crown jewel in my mind. I love how she keeps the tension woven through the story as well as some light heartedness as well to break it up a little, get the reader to smile and laugh as it turns back to serious issues. Ms. Force has a gift of storytelling on par with Nora Roberts and Patricia Briggs in that they completely capture the readers attention and delivers stories that you can not put down.

STATE OF THE UNION delivers more than two main characters fighting to solve the case and live another day. It’s about balance, love in all its forms, family, and friends and more. In this, Marie Force gives us, the readers, a series that is full of those heartbreaking moments as well as those healing moments that will steal your heart. I can not recommend this author the most because she delivers in STATE OF THE UNION in more ways than one and this time, I am eager to see just what else she has in store for Sam and Nick as they embark on this adventure as First Family.

 

This is an Objective review and not an endorsement

 

THE SUBBIEST SUB OF THE CLUB by Cooper McKenzie

Publisher: Siren Publishing
Date Published: September 2018
ISBN: 9781642434064
Contemporary, Erotic romance, BDSM, Ménage a Trios/Quatre
eBook
Reviewed by Gabrielle (meingee@yahoo.com)
Weblink: https://www.bookstrand.com/the-subbiest-sub-of-the-club
Obtained via author
Rating: 4 Hearts

 

Jane has just recently begun to explore the world of BDSM to figure out what she likes and wants when the club she joins decides to have a contest to crown a sub of the club. Jane is eager to join the contest but being new she is nervous about not going far in the contests but when not one but three Doms decide that they are interested in seeing her through the games Jane must decide if she will take a chance and follow her heart or let this chance pass her by. The three Doms have a bond all their own and have their sights set on Jane and adding her to complete their family.

I enjoyed this trip back to Club Esoteria. Jane is a strong woman and is beginning to find her way. I loved seeing the three men help her along. Each man is different in not only personality but in their kink. Jane gets a taste of each of the men and their Dom personalities while enjoying them in her personal life as well. It was nice to see the way Jane interacted with each man as well as all together. Their story moves along quickly and soon their attraction turns into something deeper. The author gives us a wonderful story and some interesting fun and games at Club Esoteria. I would love to see a more in depth look at the relationship that build with Jane and her men. Their connection is strong and builds quick and we see a lot of their interactions at the club, it would have been nice to see more from the personal relationship side of the story. Even with that Jane and her men pulled me in and had me immersed in their story making this a nice addition to this series.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.  

THE FOREVER GIRL BY Jill Shalvis

A Wildstone Novel Book 6

January 12^th, 2021

978-0-06-289785-5

Women’s Fiction, Contemporary

Paperback ARC

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

3.5 Hearts

 

 

Maze is returning to Wildstone for the wedding of her BFF, estranged sister of her heart and it will be the reunion of the group of friends she had there until a tragedy tore them apart and scattered them into the wind. Now, back together as adults, there are secrets and resentments struggling to come out into the open and everyone instantly reverts to their roles in the group: Maze was the leader, Cat was the den mother, Heather was the baby sister and Walker was their man of mystery. But life has given each of them hard knocks and as changed them all in some way as Maze and Cat must figure out if they can salvage their friendship or end it permanently and can Maze act on her attraction to Walker that never really went away? When can the past that needs healing tear them all apart or will it heal and become stronger? Family isn’t just blood but what you make of it.

 

THE FOREVER GIRL introduces the readers to four friends who scattered after a fall out that broke their once strong group into he winds. Maze is back in Wildstone for Catherine’s wedding and Cat is determined to heal her family from childhood. What IO love about Jill Shalvis’s books is how family and friendships play an important part within the story and the characters that revolve around that theme are so diverse and unique. I loved all the Wildstone books and I got to say this one just melted my heart more than once. The storyline flowed smoothly, and the characters just are spot on, beautifully written and leap off the pages. There is a bit of romance, yes but for the most part, the author centers on the family these four made with one another and how to heal those rifts that continue to cause them pain.

 

THE FOREVER GIRL is delightful, the characters really melted my heart and captured it and I got to say, the author does an amazing job capturing all these unique personalities within the book. They are all so different yet work so well together. They gave some depth to the story and kept it flowing smoothly. If you never read a Wildstone book, don’t worry as each book stands alone within the series and you won’t need to read the past books, but I do recommend you do as they all are delightful. If you love family, friendship and more then I highly recommend this series to you and in particular, THE FOREVER GIRL. I cannot wait to see where she goes next in the Wildstone series and look forward to more by this author.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

 

 

 

Demon’s Wish by Xenia Melzer

Publisher: Pride Publishing
Date Published: January 2021
ISBN: 9781839439377

Angels and demons, contemporary, Comedy, Erotic Romance, Gay, Paranormal
eBook
Reviewed by Gabrielle (meingee@yahoo.com)

Weblink: https://www.pride-publishing.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=71197
Obtained via publisher

Rating: 4 Hearts

 

Sammy has made a life for himself. A beautiful bookstore and wonderful friends. Those friends just happen to be supernatural beings but that does not phase Sammy one bit, but one night Sammy’s life changes. He is abducted and used as a sacrifice for a demon lucky for Sammy the demon is nothing like what his abductors thought, and their summoning abilities lack the correct skills. Dresalantion the demon finds much more than ignorant humans who have no idea what they are playing at when he decides to teach the humans a lesson he never expected to find a human worth his time or one he wanted to spend more time with. Sammy intrigues him and he intends to figure out the draw that he has towards this human.

 

Sammy and Dresalantion’s story is a fun read. The two are good together and it was nice to see their bond grow as they spend time together. Sammy is a good man, and he sees the good in everyone. Dresalantion may be a demon but he has a good heart and is more than willing to prove it. I enjoyed seeing the two find their way to happiness. Both are ready to fight for what they can have and follow their hearts. Emotions are high as the two navigate their relationship. Not only do we get a nice romance between the main characters, but the supporting characters had a lot to say. The banter and the camaraderie between everyone added to this story nicely. The author does a good job of keeping the reader engaged with interesting characters and a fun and engaging world and I hope that I get to see more in the future.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

HEALING DANCE by Samantha Cayto

Publisher: Pride Publishing
Date Published: August 2019
ISBN: 9781786518286
Contemporary, Science Fiction, Gay, Paranormal, Erotic Romance, Vampires
E-book
Reviewed by Gabrielle (meingee@yahoo.com)
Weblink: https://www.pride-publishing.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=70712
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 4 Hearts

 

This book continues the story of the healing between two of the couples in this series. Dafydd and Brenin are still trying to get over what they went through while they were kept as slaves by Dracul. Two men are more than willing to help them begin to live and hopefully survive. Malcolm and Ric are ready to stand by their sides no matter how long it takes. Yet the evil of Dracul will not rest and the four men alongside their comrades finds themselves once again fighting the evil. Yet nothing will stand in the way of love and the strength it has in healing.

I enjoyed seeing both Dafydd and Brenin begin to heal. This book moves the plot along as well as bringing new and interesting plot twists to this series. The twists were a bit telegraphed if you have been following this series and followed the clues given in previous books but that in no way diminished the impact of them. The action took a step back in this book and the focus was on the men healing and working towards their happy ever after. It is a nice way to move the story along and set up for what will come next for our heroes. I loved seeing the connections deepen between the two couples and the trust that develops. Brenin and Dafydd are able to begin their own healing with the help of Ric and Malcolm. Their stories have just begun as they stand alongside their friends and fight to defeat Dracul. The storyline has gotten more and more interesting as this series goes on and I am eager to see what will happen next in this world. The author weaves beautiful relationships and the action together nicely keeping this reader engaged and involved in this world.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.