ME + YOU by Brenda Gayle

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date published: 2016-01-20
ISBN: 978-1-5092-0499-1
Contemporary, MF
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_175_140&products_id=6594
Obtained via publisher



A Candy Hearts Romance
Lori Tait is forty. She’s always assumed she’d get married and have a family, but life hasn’t worked that way for her. She’s a dedicated teacher, good at her job, but still craves a family of her own. Mark Wilder is attracted to his daughter’s teacher, but he can’t help his daughter with her math problem and his failure is unbearably painful.

This is a very clean story, fast paced, easy to read, with plenty of emotion and a nice neat twist in the conclusion. The child Grace’s problem, and the reasons for Mark’s conflict are something a little different and enhance the drama excellently.
Mark and Lori have some good chemistry between them, but it’s their confusion and misunderstandings that progress the story so capably. The sex is more hinted than explained and the ending is fulfilling although quite predictable.

I really enjoyed the plot twists. They’re what makes the book good. It’s a romance so the outcome is almost inevitable, but the pathway there had a couple of very different and clever blockages. I also liked Grace very much as well. We don’t see a lot of her, but her actions are integral to her character and to the story, as are those of one of the minor characters that are most entertaining.



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

BREAKOUT by Trish Arcangelo

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date published: 2015-11-18
ISBN: 978-1-5092-0444-1
Dystopic
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6494
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 4


Monarch Winslow has survived the P virus, a pandemic that killed most people and mammals. She’s on the way to a refugee camp hoping to find the rest of her family when her car breaks down and she’s all alone. Corbin, a huge man, breaks into her house and makes her a deal. If she cares for him until his wounds heal, he’ll fix her car.

I liked Ms. Arcangelo’s version of the end of the world. There’s danger, problems to solve, excellent chemistry between the main characters and enough detail about the minor ones to make them interesting and alive, not just wallpaper. The same is true with the world-building. While the pandemic was sufficiently recently that not a lot has changed, there are things that are different and the author introduces them by hints and suggestions which is a great way to make them real.

The sex was well written and hot. It’s straight MF and not kinky. There was also a running gag through the story that made me smile every time.

There were a handful of annoying silly errors such as he/she capitalized in dialogue tags, but the book was sufficiently compelling to keep me turning the pages nonetheless. Kudos to the author for a nice twist near the end of the book. I’d be interested in reading Jordan’s story if the author plans to write it, or even a “what happened next” book about these two characters. The world is worth revisiting.


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

Lassoed by a Dom by Desiree Holt

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Date published: 06/05/2015
ISBN: 978-1-5092-0190-7
Contemporary, Romance, BDSM
EBook

Reviewed by Gabrielle (meingee@yahoo.com)

Web link: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/wildcatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200_87&products_id=1046

Rating: 3.5 Hearts

Trish is a champion barrel racing competitor and that is all she ever wanted but lately she has been feeling a longing for something more.  Could love be what she is missing? She always thought she was happy with what she did in that department.  Trish does not have time for a relationship let alone love. Yet when Jake made an appearance in her life she never forgot him and when fate brings him back into it she must make a choice. Will she try for a happy ever after or will she let it slip through her fingers?

Trish and Jake are good together; they play well off of each other. The sparks are there right from the start and soon that attraction begins to turn into something more.  I enjoyed watching the two work through everything. Jake is a good man and he is more than ready to fight for Trish and what they could have if she would only let herself go. Loving someone does not mean you must give up your dreams and aspirations and Jake fights hard to show Trish just that.  Trish is a strong and independent woman who longs for love but is too afraid to let go but when it comes to Jake it gets harder and harder for Trish to hold out against love.  As the two work through their emotions Trish must also deal with a jealous competitor who is out to ruin her. 

This story mostly revolves around Trish and Jake’s relationship. The jealous competitor is always a threat throughout the story and when that threat finally rears its head it is over quickly. There seemed to be a big build up towards a problem coming with the jealous competitor and when we finally get it the result is very anticlimactic.  However I did enjoy seeing the relationship between Trish and Jake take shape. The love between the two shines through in everything that they do. Their love is strong and cannot be denied.

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

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A CRUMPET by Fleeta Cunningham

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date published: 2014-06-18
ISBN: 978-1-62830-234-9
Contemporary
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_175_143&products_id=5685
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 4

Gillian Banks has always wanted to go to England. But the tour isn’t what she’d expected with a busload of elderly traveling companions and an itinerary that misses many of the things she’d like to see. A chance encounter with Simon, the bus driver, has Gill questioning her responses to these issues.


This is a well written story that unfolds very nicely, dealing with Gill’s overseas trip. It’s an easy read with a flowing pace, and nicely crafted plot and characters. Most readers will relate to Gill’s predicament and feel her disappointment.
Most readers will also fall a little in love with Simon, who is both a hero and a gentleman. However he still has his own problems to deal with and they’re just hinted at enough to raise flickers of worry in the reader and to ensure she keeps reading.

The ending was just a tiny bit pat and there was one repeated word error (’til not till, please), but basically the mechanics were excellent. I did think that Gill was a bit “1960s-helpless-heroine-needing-to-be-rescued” at the start, but once I got into the book—and the excellent pacing ensured I didn’t put it down—her reasoning was explained and I was more onboard with her problems.
Overall this was a nice little sweet romance, and a pleasant read. The author has a very attractive voice and strong story-telling skills.



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

SILENT DECEIT by Kallie Lane

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date published: 5-14-2014
ISBN: 978-1-62830-255-4
Contemporary, Suspense 
E-book
Reviewed by Helen
Weblink: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_245_137&products_id=5649
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 4

Undercover policewoman Natasha Roberts has always stood up for her brother Zach, and taken his side, even though he continued to get in trouble with the law. Now he’s vanished so she gets a job in the biker bar where he was last seen. Skip McQuade, who also works undercover, is told to back her up, but she doesn’t want his help or his interference.


Ms. Lane writes an excellent fast-paced story with lots of action and drama, twists and turns. Both main characters have excellent chemistry with each other, and there’s some really clever dialogue and witty repartee which is a wonderful tension breaker when the situation gets tricky. Some of the secondary characters are also enticing, and I anticipate they’ll get their own stories shortly. I know readers will be watching for the next book in this series. (Black Force Renegades)
The surroundings of the bar and the situation it causes is extremely well done with nice world building that’s seamlessly integrated into the plot, and doesn’t slow the action at all.

I really enjoyed all aspects of this story—the characters, the action, the drama and the romance. Also, the manuscript is nice and clean with very few errors, which is a joy to someone as easily distracted as myself. This series is well worth adding to your To Be Read pile.


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