COOPER’S CHARM by Lori Foster

Harlequin Books

July 31^st, 2018

978-1-335-01752-9

Contemporary Romance

E-ARC

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

3.5 Hearts

For two sisters, it’s the summer of rediscovery. Phoenix Rose is trying to come back from a shattering tragedy that shattered her happy and safe world. Now after six months adrift, she is slowly going back into the world and being at Cooper’s Charm is slowly healing her.

Ridley Rose is determined to see if her little sister as well as she keeps telling her. But when she gets there she finds herself drawn to the sexy scuba instructor even ass he tries her hand at working housekeeping at the resort. Cooper’s Charm is supposed to be a temporary place but for Phoenix and Ridley, it’s a detour that will heal their battered hurts and show them what the future may be. That is if they can grasp the courage to grab it.

COOPER’S CHARM is a new story set in a resort that has charm, intriguing residents and lots of healing properties. I really enjoyed this book. The main characters are sisters who have a deep and loving bond between them and I loved how Phoenix and Ridley acted toward one another. Part teasing, another part exasperation but filled with love no matter what. The story flowed swiftly, and I got caught up in Phoenix and Ridley’s stories and found myself rooting for them both to have their own happy ever after. I loved the Phoenix and Ridley’s beaus as well. Cooper Cochran and Baxter McNab are down right sexy as sin and alpha as an alpha dog can get but both turn to mush when they fall for their respective sister. The simmering slow build up between Cooper and Phoenix was just perfect to see. Cooper was sweet, gentle and the sparks flying between these two almost made me drop the book a few times as it heated the pages up. The bonus story between Ridley and Baxter was just as sweet and as playful as Phoenix’s and just as sexy. I loved these four people and when they got together, be warned, the sexy scenes will bring the heat.

COOPER’S CHARM is a sexy sweet story that will charm you from beginning to end. Lori Foster is a gifted storyteller who knows how to keep the reader enthralled with the characters and the story even as they flip the pages for more. I am really hoping the author comes back to this sweet little place that is making me wish to visit it someday. If you enjoy sensual stories with intriguing characters and a storyline that will keep you highly entertained, then grab a chair and get ready to be entertained by COOPER’S CHARM.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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SAVOR THE DANGER by Lori Foster

Publisher: HQN Books
Date Published: June 2011
ISBN-10: 0373775822
Romantic Suspense
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via publisher


Lori Foster’s SAVOR THE DANGER is a story of action, adventure, danger and taking chances.

Jackson Savor wakes up one morning to a dream come true. Alani Rivers is in his bed, naked and appears very satisfied. If only he remembered how she got that way. Alani has managed to put her life back together after the nightmare experience of being kidnapped by slavers. But that horror doesn’t even compare to the hurt she feels when she awakens after taking a chance and giving her heart to Jackson only to have him take one look at her in the morning and run to the bathroom to throw up. Once it becomes clear that Jackson was drugged and Alani was witness to the woman that drugged him, Jackson and friends close ranks in order to protect Alani.

Lori Foster’s SAVOR THE DANGER is the third book in her Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor books. And like the first two books in the series, human trafficking is once again the underlying theme of the book. Alani was lucky to be rescued but she still has nightmares and big trust issues where men are concerned. She is damaged, but determined to overcome her problems. Jackson works for Alani’s brother as a mercenary, ridding the world of human traffickers among other things. In Jackson, Alani sees someone who knows of her past, that allows her to be herself with and that she can trust, as much as she can trust any man.

SAVOR THE DANGER may have a serious underlying theme, human trafficking, but the storyline is fast paced and rife with humor. While Jackson waking up after being drugged is obviously serious and troubling, the dialog between him and Alani upon waking is extremely funny and easy to see happening. When Alani’s extremely protective brother realizes his baby sister and the mercenary that works for him are involved romantically, the ensuing scenes were likewise realistic and amusing in the extreme.

The action Foster’s SAVOR THE DANGER is fast and furious, the storyline plausible and the dialog witty and entertaining. This reader looks forward to reading the next book in this series as soon as it comes out. Romantic suspense fans who enjoy their heroes strong and gentle and their heroines feisty and fighters are sure to enjoy SAVOR THE DANGER and all the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor books.

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

THE PROMISE OF LOVE by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Sylvia Day, Jamie Denton, Kate Douglas, Kathy Love

Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Date Published: June 2011
ISBN: 978-0-425-24107-3
Trade Paperback
Romance
Reviewed by Angie
Review Copy Provided by Publisher


Six award winning authors bring to the table tales of true love and secrets. They bring the past to light in order to help six people find true love and happiness with the mates they deserve.

Shelter From The Storm by Lori Foster (3.5 Stars)

Sabrina Downey’s mother left when she was four and she was raised by a drug addicted father who sold her out for a drug fix. When during a storm one night her father died of an overdose, a neighbor family took her in and taught her what love should be like. Part of her salvation came in the form of Roy Pilar the son of the parents who gave her a home when she became orphaned. Roy has always loved Sabrina and hopes someday she will realize they can be more than friends.

Sabrina and Roy are both great characters in this short story. Ms. Foster brings them to light with clarity that makes the reader want the best for them both. The short story is filled with emotion and drama that make the reader want more. As the story opens with Sabrina running from her apartment to Roy’s directly across the hall, her terror comes from the pages into readers hearts making them want her to feel safe and secure – forever. Both Sabrina and Roy have rewarding careers taking care of others and are a perfect match together.

Take Me Home by Erin McCarthy (4 Stars)

Sara Parker has screwed up her life and has found herself pregnant and unsure of who the father is after having two one night stands back to back. Having run from her hometown to the East coast to attend nursing school she is now coming home to her best friend Travis to decide what her future holds. Travis has always loved Sara, her coming home to him just makes him realize he is her future and he must lead her into his bed and heart forever.

Sara is a young woman who readers will fall in love with when they realize she needs to find herself and what she was running from when she left home to attend college – to make herself better. Travis is a strong hero with his own home and life – he proves himself to be a great man when he is willing to take on another man’s unborn child to make the woman he loves his forever. The emotions come off the page in this short story and will leave readers wanting more.

Razor’s Edge by Sylvia Day (4 Stars)

Jack Killigrew is a special ops agent who has been in love with his best friend’s wife for some time. His friend Steve once asked him to take care of his wife, if he was ever gone, yet neither expected him to have to take him up on that promise. Steve was killed in a car accident leaving Rachel and their young son Riley alone. Jack has not come “home” in two years since the accident knowing he wants more than Rachel should be willing to give out of their relationship. He has taken care of his friend’s widow and his godson from afar with phone calls, photos, and gifts yet has not come face to face with them once. Coming home for Riley’s birthday party he finds Rachel has grown independent – and is ready for his love.

Jack is a strong man who thinks he knows what is best for himself and the woman he loves. As he gets to know the woman Rachel has grown into, he finds himself more and more drawn to a woman he has loved from afar. When he finds out her in-laws approve of him as a suitable lover, and his godson hopes they get together, he lets down his guard and begins a relationship that is well worth a novella. Both Jack and Rachel deserve a story of their own, I would love to see both of them in a full length tale.

Midnight Rendezvous by Jamie Denton (4.5 Stars)

Burnett Dupree has been playwright whose last play bombed after just one night on Broadway. He has come home to New Orleans sober and ready to write. He finds his muse when he watches his landlady dive into her pool nude night after night after midnight. Maya Pomeroy has spent the last two years hiding in her house after a bad car accident has left her scared for life. She doesn’t feel anyone could love her and yet Burnett seems interested.

This is one of the best novellas in this book in my opinion. The emotional and physical scars by both Burnett and Maya will horrify the reader and yet leave them rooting for happiness for both. They both have rewarding careers that have been put on hold for different reasons, and as they come together realize their careers are changing and their relationship needs are merging. As these two work out their new relationship, they come across the pages in ways that will leave readers wanting more.

Dime Store Cowboy by Kate Douglas (3.5 Stars)

Betsy Mae Twigg has come home again after being physically abused by her husband. When she returns home her brother welcomes her with open arms, but leaves her in charge of their dude ranch for two weeks while he and he wife go off on a much needed vacation. Mark Connor has run west to find himself. A New York Editor he realized he was growing older yet has never found meaning in his life. He knows something is missing and goes off to search for happiness.

Mark is one of my favorite hero’s in this entire book. He comes from a high class and realizes he is living life large. He wants more from life and goes to find out. What he does not expect is Betsy Mae to hold the key to his happiness. When he realizes she thinks he is going back to the city, he bares his soul to her – and finds true love. A man who knows his way around a woman’s body, admits to reading romance novels, yet can do the work of a farm hand – what more could a woman want?

Life in the Past Lane by Kathy Love (4 Stars)

Rocco Vincente is returning to the hometown he never wanted to revisit for a writing assignment he does not want to complete. A famous columnist, his editor thinks it would be good for the single writer to show his past and give himself some depth. When he gets to the bed and breakfast that will be his home for the next two nights he finds a high school friend Franny Arsenault that he had forgotten.

Franny is a great heroine who has never gotten over the bad boy from high school that caught her eye, yet was unattainable. While she is slightly star struck by the hometown hero who made his past as an orphan a stepping stone to success, she remembers the boy he was, and wants to find out if the same qualities are there in the man she hopes he is. When he goes home, she is heartbroken, but his return to her B&B gives both of them hope of a future together.

THE PROMISE OF LOVE was a great summer vacation read. Light hearted and yet emotionally satisfying each of these six stories made me smile and want more. I would have loved a more indepth look into the lives of all of the characters involved. As a reader I am not a fan of novellas, they always leave me wanting more, but this did not disappoint me. Each of these stories would be great fleshed out into a full length book, and I hope at least one of these talented woman take their story and let it grow.

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

WHEN YOU DARE by Lori Foster

Publisher: Harlequin Books
Date published: April, 2011
ISBN: 9780373775712
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
E-book
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained by publisher


The first book in Lori Foster’s Edge of Honor series, WHEN YOU DARE is a “who done it” with heat and edge.

When soldier-for-hire Dare Macintosh takes on a rescue mission to save a friend’s sister from human traffickers in Mexico, the rescue goes off with just one small hitch, another woman was in the trailer, brutalized and chained, kept separate from the other captives. Dare couldn’t bring himself to leave her behind. After returning to the States with her, Dare finds out that writer Molly Alexander had been kidnapped right in front of her apartment, drugged, beaten and taken to Mexico for unknown reasons. Now that she has Dare to help her, she plans to find out who had her kidnapped. With Molly’s entire family, an ex-fiancé and a whole slew of anonymous book fans as suspects, Dare may be Molly’s only anchor in the storm.

Lori Foster is off to a great start with WHEN YOU DARE the first in her new Edge of Honor series of contemporary romantic suspense stories. The storyline is believable and the mystery of who is responsible for kidnapping Molly keeps the story moving while the romance is building. Molly is a strong, confident woman who is not about to hide and lick her wounds. Dare is everything a soldier should be, strong, alpha, orderly, sensitive and he can cook. He treats his dogs as family members and has provided a home and living for his best friend to boot. Could a woman ask for more?

The mystery itself might have been a little anti-climactic, as it didn’t take all that much thought to figure out the bad guy, but readers will be hard pressed to guess the why behind it all and Molly and Dare’s romance would not have been near as interesting without it. The secondary characters, Trace and his sister Alani, simply beg for books of their own. But Dare’s best friend, Chris, is by far the most interesting secondary character and this reader, for one, can’t wait to see what his future holds. Dare I hope that he will be popping up again and again throughout the series?

Lori Foster’s WHEN YOU DARE, is a fun and flirty romantic suspense with engaging characters, budding romance and plenty of action to satisfy any book lover’s palate.

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

THE GIFT OF LOVE by Lori Foster, Jules Bennett, Heidi Betts, Ann Christopher, Lisa Cooke, Paige Cuccaro, Gia Dawn & Helenkay Dimon

Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Date Published: June 1st, 2010
ISBN 978-0-425-23428-0
Contemporary Romance/Anthology
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by Publisher


A love of family is the central theme in this anthology by eight wonderful authors. Families come in different shapes and sizes and can mean many things. Within this anthology, the reader is treated to stories that encompass that theme and shows that love between families is universal.

Lori Foster delivers a stirring story of a widower who is raising a learning disabled daughter in For The Love of Wendy.

Heidi Betts delivers a stirring story of comebacks in Skindeep between a burned model and a photographer with an addiction.

Jules Bennett captures a heartfelt story of redemption and love in Ava’s Haven when a teenager’s phone call brings together two former lovers.

Ann Christopher steals the readers’ heart in Atticus Gets A Mommy about a disabled man who thinks the woman he loves needs someone healthy and whole and finds out she just needs him.

In The Redemption of Brodie Grant, Lisa Cooke has the reader melting with a story of one man coming home for his sister’s wedding and finding a love with the groom’s sister.

Paige Cuccaro delivers a paranormal story of werewolves and love with The Wolf Watcher’s Diet.

Gia Dawn captivates in her fantasy story, A Fairy Precious Love, of a fairy who lost her wings and her soul mate. Can a duty bound kind find a way to reconnect with his mate before all is lost?

Helen Kay Daimon delivers a story of love and forgiveness in Second Time Around when a man finds he is falling for his son’s teacher and needs to find a way to have her forgive him for his treatment of her when they were in school.

THE GIFT OF LOVE has different stories and a wide spectrum of genres to appeal to everyone as this collection of authors celebrates love in all its forms. Each story is a little bit different and showcases a form of love, be it a parent/child, former lovers reunited or first love relationship. It was well written and each author delivered a little different take on the many facets of love in this anthology. Some stories had me smiling and giggling while others had me wiping away tears as I flipped the pages. Each story touches on an emotion and leaves you believing in love in its many splendid forms. I loved the many different stories and felt each author delivered a wide spectrum of stories to enjoy.

THE GIFT OF LOVE is one book I found highly enjoyable and have to admit, one I have already read again. Each story resonated with me in some way and kept me glued to the edge of my seat as I flipped the pages. Some stories were a little predictable yet satisfying nonetheless. If you are looking for a feel good story with different forms of love being showcased, then grab THE GIFT OF LOVE. It will truly get you believing in love all over again.

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

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE by Lori Foster, Deidre Martin, Jacquie D’Alessandro & Penny McCall

Publisher: Berkley Sensation Date published: December 2008 ISBN: 978-0-425-22406-9 Contemporary Erotic Romance Trade Paperback Reviewed by Dawn Obtained by Publisher Four fabulous authors bring you a fun filled romp as friends and lovers find you can have double the pleasure between friends, lovers and more. Lori Foster kicks things off with one of her Winston Brothers stories in DUECES WILD. Here you meet the Winston twins, Dex and Hart. Hart wants to train for MMA but doesn’t want anyone to know about it so he persuades his twin, Dex to apartment sit for him and basically impersonate Hart while he is off training. Christy Nash is Hart’s neighbor and when the man she thinks is Hart starts flirting with her, she wonders what the heck happened. This is a man who never gave her two blinks before. Will she find out that Dex is impersonating Hart and will she forgive him? I love Lori Foster’s DUECES WILD. Full of interesting characters and some wonderful scenes between Dex and Christy had me sighing in delight but I have to admit, Dex and Christy were great together even after the switch-a-roo comes out in the open. Ms. Foster delivers a wonderful kick off in DOUBLE THE PLEASURE and I look forward to seeing who snares Hart Winston in the future. In Deidre Martin’s THE LUCK OF THE IRISH, She introduces the readers to her new series, Wild Heart Saga with Maggie O’Brien; a feisty and independent woman who had her heart broken one too many times. This time she is determined to not let a man close to her again until hunky Brandon Kelly walks into her life. As Maggie succumbs to his seductions and falls for him, Brandon’s deepest secrets come out and this time Maggie has to decide to forgive him or leave the one man who completes her, heart, body and mind. THE LUCK OF THE IRSIH is a pure gem in my opinion. Ms. Martin captures her characters perfectly and keeps the tension on simmer even as Maggie and Brandon succumb to passions desires and heat things up a notch. I loved the way Ms. Martin really captures the characters and shows the reader not just their hearts but also their flaws as well. They were quite endearing and I am now a new fan of Ms. Martin. In Jacquie D’Alessandro, she keeps the romance alive with her story of two very different people who seem to either hate or love each other. In YOUR ROOM OR MINE, Ms. D’Allesandro keeps the tension on high as Jack Walker, the new department head finds himself saddled with the one thing he hates…..a consultant. Enter Maddie Price, a woman who handles difficult assignments with a smile yet this Jack Walker pushes every button she has and ones she never knew about before. Sparks fly between these two as they find themselves caught in desires grip and first impressions. YOUR ROOM OR MINE is a wonderful story that will have you laughing one minute and sighing the next. Ms. D’Alessandro captures the characters perfectly and shows us how first impressions can be wrong while keeping the sexual tension between Maddie and Jack simmering throughout the story. A very enjoyable story and I look forward to more from this author in the future. The final story centers on death, lost loves and lots of mayhem to boot. In DOUBLE THE DANGER, Dr. Abigail West finds herself looking at a John Doe in the morgue that she recognizes. It’s her former lover, Drake. What is even weirder is that he isn’t even dead. Now the adventure begins as these two former lovers have to dodge hit men, secrets and small town mayhem. Can Abby forgive Drake as his secrets come to life even as she falls in love with him all over again? I liked Ms. McCall’s finale to DOUBLE THE PLEASURE. With some intriguing characters and lots of zany fun, DOUBLE THE DANGER keeps the reader guessing what happens next with each madcap adventure that Drake and Abigail find themselves on. Ms. McCall is a wonderful storyteller though I could have used some more sexual tension in this one, but overall, it was a satisfying read. DOUBLE THE PLEASURE is a wonderful anthology full of multi-dimensional characters, lots of sexual tension and tight writing. Each author seamlessly weaves their story around the reader and I, for one, couldn’t put DOUBLE THE PLEASURE down. If you enjoy four wonderfully told stories full of fun, adventure and romance, then grab DOUBLE THE PELASURE and settle in for a night of pure fun. I look forward to more in the future form these talented authors.

THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

MY MAN MICHAEL SBC Fighters, Book 4 by Lori Foster

Publisher: Berkley Romance
Date published: February 2009
ISBN: 978-0-425-22629-2
Time Travel/Futuristic Romance
Paperback

Reviewed by Shaiha




On the verge of winning a title fight, Michael ‘Mallet’ Manchester is in an auto accident which severely damages his right leg. It doesn’t look as though he will ever be able to fight again. Then a woman, Kayli Raine starts appearing in his hospital room. She offers to fix his leg if he will come with her and help her colony.

I am in a real quandary about this review. I picked up MY MAN MICHAEL by Lori Foster because I have enjoyed her series about the SBC fighters which have been in the genre of contemporary romantic suspense. Imagine my surprise when MY MAN MICHAEL turned into a time travel romance. I just wish that this shock had been indicated somewhere in the blurb.

I did really enjoy the main characters, Mallet and Kayli, and their interactions. And I just love the computer Hauk and would love to have one myself. However some of the responses of the secondary characters just didn’t make sense and I feel muddied up with the storyline. And I feel that the way the main conflict was resolved was just too pat. I almost felt as though Ms. Foster discovered that she was running over on her word count and had to wrap it up in a hurry.

I don’t feel that I can in good conscience recommend MY MAN MICHAEL as it didn’t further the series and just wasn’t that good of a book. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t check it out if you like futuristic romances.

Shaiha@Loveromancesandmore.com

SBC Fighters series Book 3: HARD TO HANDLE by Lori Foster

Publisher Berkley
Date published February 2008
ISBN 978-0-425-21972-0
Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Tammy



The third book in Lori Foster’s SBC Fighters series, HARD TO HANDLE, showcases martial arts fighter Harley Handleman and life coach Anastasia Bradley. Harley is all about winning the title belt and after having his big fight derailed twice before, he refuses to let anything or anyone get in his way. When he rents a cabin in the wilderness from Stasia for the opportunity to get in ultimate fighting shape, he has no idea that the battle for the belt may not turn out to be his biggest fight yet. Because, despite the fact that Harley has no interest in love, someone is trying to kill Stasia and something about her simply will not allow Harley to leave her in danger.

As is often the case with Lori Foster books, HARD TO HANDLE features a spirited, independent and confident heroine in trouble and a strong, hard headed but capable yet emotionally stunted hero. This third book in Foster’s SBC Fighters series once again encompasses the family of SBC fighters who have deep respect, friendship and admiration for each other and their career choice. The secondary love story between a character from a prior book in the series and a newcomer to the series added some light moments and enabled some of the other characters in the series in this storyline to get some page time.

Harley and Stasia’s characters appear to have very little in common and are constantly creating friction between them. Harley has serious control issues and Stasia is certain, as a life coach, that she has all the answers for Harley. These two characters are an unusual coupling that somehow really works and that is probably in part due to all the lesser characters in this book, Harley’s friends in the SBC world. And of course, their relationship also sparks due in large part to the meddling of Harley’s only remaining relative, his manager/uncle.

On the negative side, a little more suspense would have been nice before who was attempting to kill Stasia was revealed. And that the big awaited fight was reduced to a few quick punches was a bit of a disappointment. Still, Lori Foster knows how to pen a steamy romance that showcases a close family of friends and the positive aspects of a world that few really understand, SBC fighting. Fans of a nice honest love story are sure to enjoy HARD TO HANDLE.

HARD TO HANDLE by Lori Foster

Publisher Berkley
Date published April 2008
ISBN 978-0-425-21972-0
Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Shaiha






Harley Handleman, an extreme fighter, has his eyes set upon one goal and one goal only, winning the title belt. He has had three other chances at this fight however fate has intervened every time. He doesn’t plan on allowing anything in the way this time so he has no time for anything including women except on a one night stand basis.

Anastasia Bradley, a life coach and Harley’s landlady, has been attracted to Harley for quite a long time but she has no intentions of standing in the way of his dreams. But what if she could help Harley to achieve them?

Lori Foster’s HARD TO HANDLE gives readers an interesting look into the world of extreme fighting. Rather then being a bunch of control boys, for the most part, the fighters are gentlemen and friends. Harley is labeled a ladies man because he doesn’t settle with one woman but he is upfront with all of his bedmates about this fact. All of Harley’s friends, Barber, Roger & Sublime are just as upright with their dealings with each other and the women in their lives.
The wives and ladies of the extreme fighters are also friends despite the multitude of differences in their personalities and outlooks. This reader appreciated this view behind the scenes of this violent sport.

HARD TO HANDLE is an enjoyable book with great characters and plot that flows well. However the conclusion to this otherwise great book is rather confusing and otherwise unsatisfying. I had to read it four times to attempt to get some understanding of what was actually happening. But this isn’t enough to keep this reader from reading further offerings from Lori Foster.