BRAVE ENOUGH by M. Leighton

Tall, Dark & Dangerous #3
Berkley Books, April 2016
paperback
Obtained via:  publisher
ISBN:  0425279480
ISBN13: 9780425279489
Contemporary Romance
****



New this spring is the latest Tall, Dark & Dangerous book from M. Leighton, BRAVE ENOUGH, a contemporary romance that absolutely tugs at those heartstrings.

He was all that and more.  Tag Barton was everything she had waited her entire life for and nothing like she expected.  This is Tag and Weatherly’s love story.  Tag’s family has taken care of Weatherly’s family vineyard since she was a child visiting on holidays.  Now Tag takes care of the vineyard while his aging mother tends the house for Weatherly’s family when they are in residence.  The attraction when they meet as adults is explosive.  But Tag is not the man Weatherly’s father has planned for her to marry.  In order to avoid the marriage her father hoped for, Weatherly ends up pretending to be engaged to Tag.  But when very real feelings start to develop, Weatherly is left wondering what about Tag is genuine and what exactly is a well-crafted plan to take over the vineyard?

Unlike the first two books in Ms. Leighton’s Tall, Dark & Dangerous series, BRAVE ENOUGH is really more of a love story than a romantic suspense until perhaps the last third of the book.  Despite their very different upbringings, Tag and Weatherly really seem to click.  But Tag has a secret and it takes most of the story to find out what it is.  And when it comes out, Weatherly will have to make some very grown up decisions about her life and if and where Tag fits into it.

The characters were complex and interesting with just enough issues to keep the storyline moving along at a nice clip while keeping readers guessing as to Tag’s secret and the effects it would have on both of them.  The dual point of view storytelling gave insights into both characters and pulled readers into the story.  Readers feeling the love in the air as springtime nears are sure to enjoy the latest Tall, Dark & Dangerous story from M. Leighton, BRAVE ENOUGH.

Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com

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

TOUGH ENOUGH by M. Leighton

Tall, Dark & Dangerous #2
Berkley Books, November 2015
paperback
Obtained via:  publisher
ISBN:  0425279472

ISBN13: 9780425279472
Contemporary Romance
****



She is a makeup artist closed to love.  He is an MMA champion fighter turned actor and notorious playboy.  She has already made up her mind about him before she even met him.  But he has never lost a fight yet.

Katie’s politically connected boyfriend didn’t take their breakup well.  In fact, he took it so poorly that he dowsed her with gasoline and lit her on fire leaving her with scars covering a good portion of her body and even deeper scars to her psyche.  She has kept her heart on lockdown ever since.  When she meets MMA fighter turned actor Kiefer Rogan, she has no intention of letting him anywhere near her heart.  But Kiefer isn’t taking no for an answer.  He is just as determined to find a kink in Katie’s armor and has every intention of proving he is TOUGH ENOUGH to win her heart.

M. Leighton’s TOUGH ENOUGH was an interesting story set on a Hollywood movie lot.  The characters were intriguing in that they were both scarred in their own unique way.  The difference was that one had overcome his invisible scars and was moving past them and the other had not yet gotten to that point with her very visible scars.  The lesser characters, Katie’s best friend and Kiefer’s brother, were both strong characters too that added depth to the story and made the main characters more likable.  And then there are Kiefer’s special forces friends that show up near the end of the story.  Surely, they will make appearances in future stories? 

TOUGH ENOUGH is a story of survival at its core.  As the story unfolds, it is impossible not to cheer for Katie and Kiefer’s romance to succeed mostly because Katie and Kiefer both deserve more than simple survival.  And when they finally get a chance at happiness and her past shows back up, well, that is when the pace of the story and the emotional element really pick up.

Fans of contemporary romances and happily ever after endings are sure to enjoy M. Leighton’s TOUGH ENOUGH.  The story is easy to read and leaves a smile on your face.


Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com

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

 

DOWN TO YOU by M. Leighton

Bad Boys, Book 1
Berkley Books, July 2013
Paperback
Obtained via:  publisher
0062107534 (ISBN13: 9780425269848)

Adult Contemporary Romance
****


 

M. Leighton’s three Bad Boys books is a series not to be missed.  It is an artful combination of steamy romance, hidden secrets, mystery, adventure and even a bit of humor.

In the first book, DOWN TO YOU, we meet Olivia Townsend, a girl working her way through college and helping her father out when she can.  Olivia meets Cash Davenport, a bad boy bar owner at a bachelorette party and mistakes him for the entertainment.  Flirtation ensues.  Then she goes home and finds her incredibly self-centered and rich roommate cousin Marissa is dating Cash’s twin brother Nash (who is successful, reliable, passionate and taken).  They both show an interest in her.  She ends up spending time with both twins and realizes she likes different aspects of both of their personalities.  She even goes so far as to spend an erotic evening with one of them, without knowing which one she was with.  Cue the humor and Olivia’s stressful confusion.

DOWN TO YOU is filled with excitement, romance, mystery and confusion.  The story was thoroughly entertaining, the pace addictive.  The characters were well developed and interesting.  As the story switches between the three main characters’ points of view, readers are drawn into the story, even as they begin to suspect the truth.  The many story twists and turns keep the action ratcheting and the heat intensifying.  The writing style is crisp, witty and clever.  DOWN TO YOU is a great start to this contemporary romance series.  If you haven’t given M. Leighton a try yet, DOWN TO YOU is the book to start with.


Reviewed by T. Barringer
tammyLRM@gmail.com

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

 

Everything for Us by M. Leighton

Publisher: Berkley Publishing
Date published: September 2013
ISBN: 9780425269862
Erotica
Print
Reviewed by Gabrielle  email: gabrielle@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Obtained via Publisher

Rating: 3 Hearts

In this third book of this series we learn Nash and Marissa’s story. Nash Davenport has lived in pain since his mother passed away, trust is a hard thing to find and an even harder thing for him to give. Marissa has not been a favorite but we soon find out that underneath it all she is scared and alone.

This book starts off right where the last book ended in the lives of these characters. Marissa has learned a hard lesson and longs to make her life right. No more emptiness and she wants to make right all that she can. I enjoyed seeing her grow and learn. Her character has new depth in this story. Nash is learning to live in the real world again after so many years of hiding and pain. It was nice to see the bond form between Nash and Marissa; they complement each other very well. Each giving the other what they need. In this book we find out just what they both are hiding underneath the bad boy and nasty personas. Watching Marissa and Nash not only work through their own feelings and find the trust they need made for a nice read.

In this book we get both Marissa and Nash’s points of view which makes for an interesting read. Not only do we get their story but we also get to visit with Cash and Olivia again. As this is book three readers should read the previous books that came before to get a better understanding of these characters and their lives. This book is full of emotions and pulls the reader into the world right from the start. I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series.

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