Review: Wave Rider (Verdant String Series Book 5) by Michelle Diener

Wave Rider by Michelle Diener
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Teamwork

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the fifth book in a series of connected stories told in the same universe in a single timeline. The books all share an overarching plot and each book progresses that plot, but they are about different people though references are made to characters and events in other books. There is no cliffhanger in this book.

Anja is a marine biologist whose research station is 3 days travel on land to the nearest town. She lives alone with only the leviathans she studies for company. When the pod she is studying disappears for several days she worries about the reason and at the same time her daily scheduled call to headquarters is ignored for the first time. When she finally decides something must be wrong she sets off on her little one-person runner for her long and cold trek back to civilisation.

Cal is a wave runner, one of the people who have a symbiotic relationship with the leviathans. A material called druk becomes stuck in their teeth and they get the humans to yank it out. It also happens to be a very very useful material and it’s incredibly sought after. They are close to ‘their’ pods and though they can’t communicate they understand each other to a certain extent by their behaviours. One of Cal’s leviathans is acting strangely and yanks his boat, dragging it to near where Anja’s station is.

When they meet up, they find themselves asking similar questions and decide to stay and work together, when they are attacked. This is the start of trying to escape their attackers and at the same time find out why they are being attacked.

I really enjoyed this book because the main characters were working with others in a team. There was the usual romance, adventure and fantastic world-building. The story sucked me and didn’t let me go until the end. Now it’s the last book in the series and I’m so sad! I hope the author writes another one because it’s kind of been left open-ended so it’s possible for the series to continue

I particularly enjoyed the leviathans who seem to be a cross between the Loch Ness Monster, sea serpents and whales. They were the heroes of the story in my opinion. The author created a beautiful, strange and harsh world that captured my imagination so clearly, I can see images of what it looks like and almost feel the biting cold wind and sleet and bitter ice chill of the sea.

I shall miss this series, it was excellent and you should read it if you like Sci-fi adventures with a touch of romance thrown in.

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Review: Watch Over (The DeLuca Family Series Book 1) by Amy Reece

Watch Over by Amy Reece
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet Romance

I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This is the first book in a series about one family. This book works as a standalone and has a HEA.

This novel starts with one of the sweetest meetings I’ve read. Finn is a cop. He’s recently returned home after being in an accident and having to stay in rehab and with his family. He’s in a wheelchair and his family keep turning up to help him out, but at least he’s in his own bed.

Finn’s neighbour is a woman called Melanie. She inherited the house she lives in when her great aunt died. She doesn’t get on with her family apart from the aunt she just lost and her job involves working from home. She’s really shy and doesn’t do well in large groups. She has her aunt’s elderly dog Fluff for company and recently a stray cat has been coming round. She decides to adopt it and buys a collar. Then one day she receives a note in the collar from Finn and they end up communicating via cat-mail until he lets it drop he’s in a wheelchair and she’s round like a shot to bring him banana bread and the offer of any help he might need.

This cute meeting is the start of a really sweet romance that is taken slowly. At the same time as their romance is developing there appears to be some problems in Mel’s life and Finn’s cop instincts go into overdrive in his need to protect her.

I really enjoyed the book. It was quite predictable but very sweet. It was entertaining and made me smile. It didn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. Sometimes you really want that in a book, to just help you escape from the real world for a bit and that’s what this book does.

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Review: Dark Ambitions (Class 5 Series Book 4.5) by Michelle Diener

Dark Ambitions by Michelle Diener
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On Planet

This is book 4.5 in the series and is novella length. It’s set after the previous four books and reading this novella without reading at least the first book in the series will leave the reader confused.

Rose and Dav are part of an exploratory mission along with Sazo, the artificial intelligence wrapped up in a lethal warship exterior. Rose can go to the planet surface with the team to check things out. She's delighted as she hasn’t been on a planet in months. Dav and his exploratory ship have gone off to check out a distress call but Sazo is above the planet keeping an eye on things.

The second day Rose is resting up whilst the other check out things nearby when they are taken prisoner by the Krik. Rose is alone except for a cute baby flying squirrel type critter she rescued and Sazo in her ear. Rose’s philosophy of ‘no man left behind’ comes into play again, even with Sazo wanting her to run away and stay safe.

This is a short fun novella that revisits favourite characters from the series. It packs a lot into a few pages, providing the reader with danger, political intrigue, romance and a very cute alien critter. What more could you ask for in a novella? I do wish there would be more books in this series because I really have enjoyed reading it, but I think it’s unlikely given the amount of time that’s passed since the last book was released, but I can always live in hope!

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Review: Absolving Blue (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) (On Call Series Book 4) by Freya Barker

Absolving Blue (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Breaking Blue’s Shell

This is story is part of a series, however, it can be read by itself. The series is about a group of police and firefighters so reading the other books gives you a stronger idea of the background characters, but if you haven’t read them it doesn’t prevent you from enjoying this book.

Blue is the only woman on her fire crew. She’s an EMT and loves her job with a passion. She sees her crew as the family she never really had, but she doesn’t show much of herself to them. She keeps herself locked down tight and at 40 years old she has never let anyone close. She basically works, hangs out with work buddies and volunteers at the animal rescue. Her nickname comes from her personality rather than her eye colour.

Tony is a police detective and has worked for years with Blue. He’s always been attracted to her but she seemed so unapproachable he never did. He is handsome and charming and enjoys the company of different women too much to settle down, plus his job is very demanding. He has a loving family with his father, brother, sister-in-law and niece and spends time with them as well as his friends and colleagues.

When Blue has a series of patient’s die over a short period of time when she thought they would be ok, Tony sees her tough shell crack a little and he sees the real Blue. When she adopts a dog on a whim he suggests they look after him together as they both have demanding jobs but between the two of them, they should be able to look after Arthur. This impulse finally lets him into Blue’s life and he begins to see the real woman at a time when her world comes crumbling down.

I enjoyed Blue and Tony’s developing relationship a lot. Blue had been alone for so long that it took Tony time to work his way into her life and her heart. He was supportive and loving as well as being protective at a time when she desperately needed it. He also came into her life at a time when she was vulnerable enough to seek help for her mental health. Having a professional guide her through the relationship minefield helped a lot.

All the little details in this author’s books really help to shape her characters. Things like Tony being colourblind or Blue being scared of heights show us real people that we can connect with. Being over 40 means that they have some baggage and are set in their ways which give us a chance to see them work through their differences to create a new life together.

The suspense part of this book was tough on Blue. She was really put through the wringer and the support of her crew and Tony and his family made all the difference to her making it to the other side. The plot was intricate and interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat as it wove in between the romance and the character development. This author is really good at finding the balance between all aspects of a strong Suspense Romance novel. This series as a whole has provided excellent entertainment and I can’t wait to read the next book.

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Review: Hook (Time Served MC Series Book 2) by Cee Bowerman

Hook: Time Served MC, Book 2 by Cee Bowerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hook Gets An Old Lady

This is the second book in a continuing series by Cee Bowerman. Though the relationship aspect of the book is standalone, the characters are introduced in the previous book and there is a slow-moving story arc that runs between this series and Ares Infidels MC by Ciara St James, which runs parallel to this series and has overlapping characters and storylines.

This story is about Hook, who is good friends with Boss and lives next door to him and his Old Lady, Jenn. Hook is a veterinarian and has all sorts of weird and wonderful pets which include an undersized tiger that was rescued from a circus after they declawed and defanged her as a baby. When they first started talking about the tiger I thought it was a euphemism for a really big striped domestic cat, but no, it’s an actual tiger.

Hook got his name from his boxing days. He was a highly ranked amateur until he got sent away for manslaughter. He was another of Pop’s rescue projects, like the rest of the MC members, and he took him on when he got out of prison after nearly 20 years and had nowhere else to go.

Paula is friends with Jenn, who she met in a salon. Paula, showing her character early on, got into an altercation with a mouthy young woman and dropped her phone in her foot bath. Jenn high-fived her and they’ve been friends ever since. Paula runs a craft stall where she sells all the jewellery she makes, so they see each other a lot when Jenn has her food truck at the market too. When Paula is at Jenn’s house a man tries to break in and attacks Paula, only Paula attacks back and between her and Jenn’s cast iron pan he goes down long enough to be tied up. They pretty much insist that Boss and the guys take him out back and ‘deal with him’. when this happens Hook takes on the task of keeping an eye on Paula to make sure she doesn’t talk. This of course leads to all sorts of fun and games.

I really really enjoyed this book. I loved Paula. She’s feisty, confident and funny. There were so many layers to her I thought we’d never reach the bottom, in fact, we probably didn’t. She fits right in with the Time Served MC as she is just as ruthless, pragmatic and dangerous as they are.

Hook is such a softy when it comes to animals. He’s constantly rescuing them and nursing them back to health before rehoming them. His tiger, Tonya has an entire habitat in his house and an outside enclosure too, not to mention she’s treated like a house cat the rest of the time. It shouldn’t be forgotten though that he’s capable of killing in defence of those unable to look after themselves, or those he cares about.

This story has lots of layers too and each layer was as good as the next. In this book, there was humour, danger, mystery and awesome hot bedroom scenes. I love the companionship displayed between the people in and surrounding the MC as they try to do the right thing by any means necessary and looking out for each other as they do it. I can’t wait for the next book in this series because I love these characters.

 

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Review: Cash (The Devil's Angels MC Series Book 5) by Lola Wright

Cash by Lola Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Cop And The Biker

This is part of a continuing series and probably wouldn’t make much sense without reading the previous books.

Livi is a cop and a really good one. She likes helping people and is tough enough and competent enough to take care of those who need it and take down those who deserve it. Her family is scattered but her best friend is her partner at work who has become like a brother. Her other companion is a large and very lazy English bulldog.

Cash is the strong and silent type. He’s careful, watchful and strong. He is the club Sargent At Arms and he takes his duty very seriously. He protects those he loves with everything in him. When he meets Livi there are instant sparks and they set up a date, except Cash forgets because some left a small, loud and stinky gift for him behind his gym and everything else flew out of his mind.

I felt this book was somewhat predictable and the plot was a little lacking. However, the banter between the characters was hilarious as always. The characters and relationships were the most important thing in this book, and this is what kept the book strong.

This is an excellent book and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

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Review: Boss (Time Served MC Series Book 1) by Cee Bowerman

Boss: Time Served MC Book 1 by Cee Bowerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Different Kind of MC

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

I really enjoy Cee Bowerman’s books that are set in Rojo, TX. This is the start of a new series, with no connection with Rojo. It’s about the Time Served MC, which is an MC made up entirely of felons, that have been helped to go straight by Pop, who lost his own son after he got out of prison and had no help.

The president of the MC is Boss and Pop and his old cronies who practically run the town decided that he should be the new chief of police, because he used to be a cop, despite serving 10 years for murder. Somehow they manage to get him elected and a friendly judge got his record expunged, and voila, he’s the chief of police. Once he starts his new job Boss finds that the police department is a dark and messy place, which explains why the crime rate is so high and the arrest rate so low.

Jenn is very intelligent, has three degrees, and is successful. She’s fairly wealthy but she hated her old life. She decided to divorce the cheating husband, took him for every penny and kicked him out of their shared company. She then put her assistant in charge and left the state. She wound up in Tenillo, TX. She had a great house built, adopted a whole farm's worth of animals and set up a food truck selling amazing drinks and desserts. She didn’t need to do it, it was just fun because she loved baking so much.

When Boss pulls up at the truck’s window, sparks fly! It turns out despite their apparent differences they may have more in common than is obvious at first.

I really enjoyed this book. I like that there is an undercurrent of a long term plot that will flow between this series and the one being written by Ciara St James. There is more darkness in this book than previous ones by this author and I think I enjoyed the book more because of it, especially when contrasted with the pithy humour, which is so evident in the author's other books. The plot was interesting and I fell in love with all the characters really quickly.

I think it’s an interesting approach taking two MCs written by two different authors but with a continuous timeline. Ares Infidels are an MC made up of ex-military and provide support to Boss as he tries to clear up the darkness in their town, left behind by the old Chief of Police, and this MC will be the focus of Ciara St James.

I am really looking forward to the next book being released next month by Ciara St James as I am looking forward to getting to know the Ares Infidels better.

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Review: Tormented Girl (Neighpalm Industries Collective Series Book 3) by Lexie Winston

Tormented Girl by Lexie Winston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Plot Thickens

This really is a multi-faceted story. There is the complexity of Harlow finding her new family and her place within it. Then there is the story about making new friends and becoming more confident in herself. On top of that layer we have the romantic relationships that are developing with the adopted sons of her father. Finally we have the story about the stalker.

After the last book’s ending, it should come as no surprise that there is a horrendous cliffhanger at the end of this book too. Just putting that out there, in case it’s something you can’t tolerate, but if that were the case you wouldn’t have got this far, so I don’t know why I’m worried about it.

As I was reading this book I was in awe of the author. I’m absolutely stunned that she managed to make me believe that a strong and independent thinking woman like Harlow would forgive the way she has been treated by her new ‘family’. The very clever writing had me understanding and sympathising with the transgressors and accepting that Harlow could forgive them. They all moved forwards towards forgiveness at their own pace, on individual journeys. I also liked how Jacinta did her own soul searching.

At the end of book 2, I was so sure I knew who the stalker was, but by the end of this book, I haven’t got a clue. There seem to be all sorts of conflicting situations that confuse who could be to blame and why. No one has a clue and there are all sorts of mysteries surrounding Harlow’s mother’s death too.

Basically, there is tonnes going on in this very cleverly structured book, and as I get to know each character I find myself learning to love them a little bit more. Every character is complex and interesting. I love the way they all interact with each other. I also appreciate there is some actual sex in this book, as after all the fooling around in the previous two books, there needed to be some action in this one. It was worth the wait! (fans face with the heat!!!)

This series just keeps getting more interesting and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes us.

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Review: Axel (The Devil's Angels MC Series Book 2) by Lola Wright

Axel by Lola Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More Sweet Bikers

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Gunner, and I can say that I enjoyed this more because I knew the characters already. In particular this story is about Axel and Bailey. We met Axel in the first book as he is the VP for The Devil’s Angels MC. His Dad is Petey and he and his Dad adopted Ava from the last book.

Axel is a full-on goofball. He’s funny and silly and likes to joke and tease. He doesn’t take much seriously except looking after people he loves. So when meets Bailey and she is running away from some guys he is very surprised when he feels more than lust for her.

Bailey is an organised and sensible woman. She has a stable job as an accountant and works hard to cover her student loans, pay her bills and help her mother out financially. She has to help her mother out because she is incapable of holding a full time job due to being lazy and enjoying more wine and weed than is good for her.

Bailey is running away from the bad guys because they are trying to beat her up as a reminder to keep her mouth shut about seeing something at work she shouldn’t. Of course, the MC leap to the rescue and Bailey is swept up by the manly arms of Axel and he club brothers.

Once again I love how important the supporting characters are in this series. Bailey not only falls for Axel but she cares about Pooh and Chubs a lot, and even grumpy Trigger finds his way into her heart, and vice versa.

As with the previous book, the plot is pretty predictable but the characters make this really enjoyable. It’s fun to sit awhile and listen to Axel whining about having his butt waxed and the silly t-shirts Gee the mini pig wears. It’s full of love, loyalty and laughter, as well as bullets and mayhem.

I will definitely be continuing to enjoy this series, as I believe there are a few more books to come.

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Review: Gunner (The Devil's Angels MC Series Book 1) by Lola Wright

Gunner by Lola Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Baker and the MC Prez

Someone in the Cee Bowerman Facebook Group recommended this series and I can definitely see the similarities between the two authors’ works. I will say I’m not usually a fan of cutesy anthropomorphised pets, but these aren’t too bad, even if the mini pig has a skateboard and insists on wearing pyjamas. To be honest that’s pretty much it for the cutesy part of this book.

Ava is a 28-year-old woman, who has her own bakery. She was abandoned at birth and spent her early years in the foster system. She’s been through some pretty awful stuff but she’s still upbeat, friendly and strong. She has problems letting people into her heart and she always maintains a certain distance from people but she is still a good person. She also has a bit of a pet menagerie, with a large dog, huge cat, macaw (who is ridiculously chatty in a way that is quite unbelievable) and a mini pig.

She has a neighbour, Petey, who is part of an MC, but she hadn’t spoken to him until another neighbour gets a bit crazy and she ends up chatting with Petey's friend. His friend is a very gorgeous Gunner who is the president of Petey’s MC and he asks her to keep an eye out for Petey because he's broken his leg and she kindly agrees to look in on him and feed him.

Ava’s introduction to the MC lifestyle is sort of sideways, with meeting Petey and becoming friends with him and his son Axel, the VP of the MC, and other members of the MC at the same time as slowly starting something with Gunner.

Gunner is in his early 30s and never wanted to settle down. He loves the freedom that being single gives, especially when he’s a gorgeous specimen of manhood who can get a woman without any hassle. Then he meets the strong and beautiful Ava who looks after his friend Petey and slips into his MC family so easily.

I like how Gunner is trying to get the MC into legitimate businesses at around the same time he meets Ava and starts reevaluating his life choices. He wasn’t magically turned into boyfriend material by meeting Ava, she just nudged him over a line he was already standing on, even if he didn’t know it.

I also like how Ava makes friends with the other members of the MC, so her only role isn’t as Gunner’s woman. She stands up for herself but doesn’t automatically hate all the club girls. She’s basically someone I’d like to have as a friend. She’s not great at everything, just the things she’s passionate about and has invested time and energy into.

The plot was interesting, but basically, it was the same old rival MC, kidnapping, shootings etc. you see in most MC books. Though the plot was predictable it was pretty well done.

The stand out for me in this book was the character creation and their relationships with each other. Not just the main characters, but all the supporting characters seemed to have distinct and interesting personalities. You can see the next books in the series hovering over their names by the way the author writes them. I’ll look forward to reading about future adventures, as this was a pretty easy-going MC without too much violence, or at least it wasn’t explicit and gory!

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