DRAGON DREAMS and FAIRY WINGS by Bailey Bradford

Publisher: Pride Publishing
Date Published: January 2023
ISBN: 978-1-83943-570-5
Fantasy. Erotic Romance, Gay
Audiobook
Reviewed by Gabrielle (meingee@yahoo.com)
weblink: https://www.firstforromance.com/book/dragon-dreams-and-fairy-wings-audio
obtained via publisher
Rating: 3 hearts

A fairy and a dragon, who would ever think that these two would find love? Certainly not the two themselves. Blaze the dragon shifter is known as a player and not one you would ever think of settling down. Griff is a love fairy but something has gone wrong and he has lost his wings and much of his memory. When he tags along with his sister and the fairy king to one of the dragon’s kingdoms Griff finds something just as precious as his wings and memory. Can these two trust their emotions or will the evil that threatens them win in the end?

The storyline for Blaze and Griff’s tale is an interesting one. Their story took me a bit to get into but had me engaged in the end. The two are complete opposites that find themselves drawn to each other. Emotions are strong in this story and it was interesting to see the mystery unravel as the two begin to find a way to each other. Griff and Blaze go on an adventure that bring them closer together and soon they find secrets about Griff and his past that will change their lives. It was nice to see the way Griff and Blaze grow together and the way they support each other. Their story will have you believing in the power of love and what it can heal. Not only did Blaze and Griff have a lot to say but the supporting characters made themselves known as well. While the narrator does a good job of keeping the story moving, I was not a fan of the voices he uses for many of the characters.

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

 

 

IT'S BEEN A GOOD....LONG....RUN. THE TIME HAS COME TO CLOSE LR&M'S DOORS EFFECTIVE JUNE 1, 2023

Love Romances and More Reviews is coming to the end of our road. When we opened our virtual doors in 2000 we didn't have an end date in mind. All we wanted to do was provide honest reviews to readers. We reviewed all genres from romance to GLBT to mystery to non-fiction and everything in between. We *met* many fantastic authors and made new friends. We saw each other's children grow up, share the joy of getting a new pet when a loved one passed away, we started school and graduated and experienced so much of major life events with each other. Now, 23 years later, with fewer books being offered for review and so many changes in publishing and our lives, we've decided to close our virtual doors.  New reviews from our remaining staff of Gabrielle, Tammy, Dawn and Gina will be found at Dawn's Book Nook.  As a reviewer with us for these 23 years, the owner of the Love Romances Cafe, an author in her own right, as well as her own book review venue, we're happy to have a place to go. 

 

I am glad I got to join in on the fun and will always remember my reviewing for LR&M. It is sad to see that the site is not getting a lot of hits. Life continues on and another chapter is written. It sounds like you are in a good place and happy and that is what counts. 

 

Dawn leaves us with this closing message:  It's been a pleasure to review with y'all and I am so honored to have been in this journey with you. I am sad to see it close but I will still do the cafe on Facebook and you are welcome to come hang there with us (I am going change the intro to something else as I have it in conjunction with LR&M Reviews.)

 

Tammy says:  Life has gotten in the way.  I have enjoyed this journey with you these past years.  Wow!  The books we've had the pleasure to read and review!

 

And our most prolific reviewer, Gabrielle says:  I am glad I got to join in on the fun and will always remember my reviewing for LR&M. It is sad to see that the site is not getting a lot of hits. Life continues on and another chapter is written. It sounds like you are in a good place and happy and that is what counts. 

 

It's been an amazing and fun ride -- we can't wait for what comes next. 

 

NORTH OF NOWHERE by Allison Brennan

Minotaur Books
August 8^th, 2023
978-1250164421
Thriller, Contemporary, New Release
E-ARC
Reviewed by Dawn Roberto (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher via Netgalley

4 Hearts

 

For five years, Boyd McIntyre has kept Kristen and Ryan McIntyre safe from their father and their family, hiding, moving from place to place and teaching the kids how to survive on their own in the wilderness in case the inevitable happens and Boyd is no longer there to keep them safe. But the time has come as their father and his henchmen have finally found them and this time Boyd is determined to keep the kids safe no matter what but with enemies after them, their aunt Ruby is determined to help find the kids and keep them as safe as possible even as she goes against her crime family as well as their plans for the kids. With nowhere to turn, Kristen and Ryan have to stay alive in the wilderness even as they grieve the loss of their protector while staying ahead of the people bent on capturing them no matter what.

NORTH OF NOWHERE by Allison Brennan is an action-packed adventure from start to finish as Kristen and Ryan’s crime boss father finally catches up with them and now with their protector dead and kids on the run, it’s a race against the clock as the bad guys known and unknown chase after them and they are determined to capture them once and for all. Allison Brennan delivers a wild ride from start to finish and it’s a story I was so caught up in that I lost track of time until I finished the book at three in the morning. This is one book that can read as a standalone story and delivers characters that will keep you glued to the pages, from a crime family that is determined to tie up loose ends, an aunt who got out of that family and is determined to find the kids and keep them safe and a cast of secondary characters that will leave you breathless. I love this author’s books and she is an auto-buy no matter what she writes and NORTH OF NOWHERE is one adrenaline race against the clock with twists I sure didn’t see coming until the end of the book.

NORTH OF NOWHERE is about Kristen and Ryan McIntyre, whose father and his family run a crime family filled with bad people, corrupt police/politicians, etc. and more in California. Ryan and Kristen have been on the run for five years, moving repeatedly, learning to survive and stay safe with their protector, Boyd McIntyre and the game finally ends as they face their greatest test when their family finally finds them. These characters had me gripping the kindle in anticipation as the race to find the kids ramps up halfway through the book and even more players come aboard the pages. I was thrilled to see that I had no problem keeping the cast of characters straight to the end of the book. I can attest this book had me on the edge of my seat till the very end of the book. There were a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and the ending was satisfying in all ways.

 

Allison Brennan is a talented storyteller who delivers a great thriller to lose yourself this summer. If you haven’t read this author before, then you can start with this one then tries her other books. I can’t wait to see where she goes next in her writing and what she comes up with story wise. I highly recommend NORTH OF NOWHERE if you enjoy action packed books filled with good and bad guys, captivating characters, and a setting that’s lush and wonderfully described.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

 

HOW MUCH I NEED by Marie Force

Series; Miami Nights Book 5
TJP, Inc
April 11^th, 2023
78-1958035030
Contemporary Romance
E-book

Reviewed by Dawn Roberto (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Author

5 Hearts

 

Milo Giordino is recovering from being shot in the hospital when he finds himself falling for his sweet and sexy nurse, Gianna and soon he can’t wait for when she comes on duty while he is in the hospital. With Gianna, he finds a woman who is sweet, makes him laugh and just keeps a smile on his face. While watching his siblings and cousins fall in love and find their own happy ever after, Milo yearns for his own special someone and he thinks he found it in Gianna, but he has uphill battle for her heart even as he falls even more in love with the pretty nurse.

Gianna has had it rough with her parents dying in an accident which had her in charge of her younger brothers, a fiancé who destroyed her heart and soul and now that she finds herself falling for her patient, she can’t help but fall for his large family even as they bring her into their world with open hearts and arms. But Gianna is determined to stand on her own…even if it means giving up on a second chance at love with Milo and breaks her heart in the process.

HOW MUCH I NEED is a great book to end (for now I hope) in Marie Force’s Miami Nights series. With Milo finally getting his own romance and ever after seeing his siblings and cousins fall in love with some amazing people, he finds himself falling for his pretty nurse after getting shot by mistake and having major surgery. With the large Giordano family giving the readers much laughter, love and more amid this series and Milo and Gianna finding their road to happy ever after is paved with speed bumps right and left, the reader is taken on a wild ride that will tie up lots of loose ends in the series and we get a catch up with everyone we have grown to love since book one, How Much I Feel. Marie Force is a wonderful storyteller and is an autobuys for me regardless of the book/series. Her storytelling is on par with the big-name authors (Susan Mallery, Nora Roberts, etc.) and her characters are so multidimensional and the reader cannot help but fall in love with them all. I know I can honestly say I am really, really hoping she comes back to this amazing series in the future as I know I am not the only one who would love to see what’s up with the family and all the characters.

Milo is the nice guy, the boring one according to past girlfriends and he despaired on finding his own love even as he was thrilled as his siblings fell in love and found their perfect mates. Now after waking up in the hospital and being told what happened, his days pass in slow motion until his pretty nurse Gianna comes on duty then he finds himself brightening up even as he makes her laugh and want to know more about her and why her eyes held such shadows of pain. Milo is one of my favorite characters in this series. The youngest kid, the ‘nice guy’ who always seemed to finish last. His personality shines through in his book, HOW MUCH I NEED, and the reader will fall for him and Gianna right from the start. Gianna has no shield from Milo as he storms her well meaning defenses and she finds herself falling for her patient even as she resists until she succumbs to Milo’s charms as well as his family’s welcome. But Gianna has issues, and they get triggered even as she wants to believe that love with Milo will not sour. Can Milo show Gianna that the strength of love can be a more wonderful thing than the second time around, only if you trust yourself and the person, you’re with one hundred percent? I love Gianna and love her with Milo a lot. He gives her space, is generally interested in her, her past and why she is the way she is. This made me happy to see it as a realistic approach to romance that I sometimes don’t see in romance books at times. Its not all chemistry and sex, it’s about respect of the other person, their feelings and giving them space to figure out what they need and want. The entire cast of characters deliver in this final book as Milo’s family gives advice to him and Gianna, as Gianna wrestles with her heart and as Milo finds himself on tenterhooks as he waits for Gianna to come back to him. Ms. Force delivers a wonderful finale in HOW MUCH I NEED with her trademark style, full of romance, friendship, and family as well as some steamy sex to keep things interesting.

HOW MUCH I NEED is more than a boy meets girl, falls in love and lives happily ever after. Its about two people who need to find their way to one another even as things conspire to toss roadblocks periodically (as life tends to do) and the reader will fall in love with Milo and Gianna even as the ending itself ties up loose storylines from past books and the reader finds themselves longing to meet this wild and wonderful cast of characters. If you haven’t read this series, then I highly recommend you start with book one, How Much I Feel, and make sure to settle in because you will not want to put these books down. Kudos to Marie Force for giving the reader a satisfying final book in a series set in steamy Miami and the little Havana area of the city. I can’t wait to see where this author goes next in her writing journey and hope you can grab any of this author’s books.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.