Red Hot Candy (22 All-New Delicious Romance Books by Best-Selling Authors about Alpha Males, Billionaires, Cowboys, and More for Your Summer Reading) by Jo Raven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**I received ONLY an e-ARC of Braving Love in exchange for an honest review. I have not read the rest of the anthology.**
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Braving Love by S.j Mayer ~ A scarred and broken stuntman looking for redemption . . . can he find it in the arms of a soft-spoken southern girl?
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Luke & Soleil's story is short, sweet, and romantic. As always, Shannon's writing is detailed enough to let you slip into the world of her characters, and forget your cares - if only for a few minutes or hours.


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Stolen and Forgiven by Alexandra Ivy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**I received an e-copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
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Alphas never have it easy, and the trials of the River and Golden Eye Pack Alphas is no different. In a post-apocalyptic world where shifters have had to reveal themselves in an attempt to save the humans from the Verona Virus, they instead find themselves the subject of animosity. Subjected to wearing metal collars and brands that indicate their shifter status they have been rounded up into compounds - unable to leave the gated & fenced areas without explicit permission from the government.

Stolen -
Holden, the River Pack Alpha, has given up hope of ever finding his true mate when she is suddenly thrust into his life. He has decisions to make, and their results could endanger the lives of every shifter in his care... or, make the Pack even stronger.

Forgiven -
Soren, the River Pack Beta, has put the needs of his pack before his own in the past and has the ghosts to prove it. When the Golden Eye Pack is forced to move into the same compound as the River Pack it comes back to slap him in the face. Can he and his true mate overcome those ghosts to ensure the continuation of their Packs, or will their choices bring the danger even closer?

I have enjoyed MANY of Alexandra's series, and jumped at the chance to read the beginning of a new one - co-authored or not. Much like the Bayou series co-authored with Laura Wright my only complaint is they always seem to be over too soon!

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Creepy Hollow: Violet's Story by Rachel Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

wow... I may need a day or two before I can emotionally invest in a new storyline...

**I received a copy of this e-trilogy from Free E-books for Honest Reviews in exchange for an honest review.**
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Kick-butt faerie Violet Fairdale is about to graduate as the top guardian trainee of her class, but when an assignment goes wrong and the human guy she’s meant to be protecting follows her back into the fae realm, a dangerous plot is set in motion.
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Detailed, imaginative, fast-paced paranormal fantasy set in a parallel world full of magic and mayhem. These are the first stories I've ever read by Rachel as far as I remember, and they will definitely have me coming back for more!

Violet, Oryn, Tora, Zinnia, Estelle, and so many more all star characters to tug at your heart strings and fill your imagination. I love books that suck me in, and transport me to another place!

Hoping to read book 4 soon!

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Breakwater by Shannon Mayer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My name is Larkspur, and I am an Elemental.

As an Ender, one of my father’s Elite guards, it’s my job to do as I’m told. When my older sister is sent as an ambassador to the realm of the water elementals--the Deep--I have no choice but to accompany her as her bodyguard.

But the secrets within the Deep are far darker than any of us realized.

Welcome . . . welcome to the Deep.
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Wow! What a ride! Lark and her friends - new and old - will take you on another high-action adventure in the imaginative world of the Elementals. I had a hard time putting this down for work or sleep, and think Olive may be my favorite new character.

Cannot wait for book 3!

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Delano in Hollyhook by Cameron Glenn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**I received an ARC of this book from LibraryThing Member Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.**
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Delano Farnsworth is one of the few ‘lucky unfortunates’ chosen to receive an invitation to the magical Camp Hollyhook. After he arrives, however, he quickly discovers that not is all as it seems. With his new camp friends the ‘quirky’ Jackie, the ‘dour’ Lenore and the ‘lonely’ Wheeze, Delano seeks to uncover the sinister true purpose of the camp, as well as learn about his missing parents who abandoned him when he was three, his kidnapped uncle as well as his own self and destiny.
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A lot of imagination went into this story. The book is fairly detail-rich with well-developed characters and plenty of action. I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to my kids (10 & 12 years) without hesitation.

Overall it seemed a little rushed - as if this one book could have easily been broken into 4 smaller stories which would be more "digestable". Each sub-story would then have been able to delve more fully into the different regions of this fantastical world, and give the reader more details and enjoyment. I give it 3 stars because I enjoyed the storyline and characters, but felt it needed a little more development to be truly polished.

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When Darkness Ends by Alexandra Ivy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**I received an ARC of this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
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Cyn, the vampire clan chief of Ireland, is an unabashed hedonist whose beauty is surpassed only by his insatiable appetite for pleasure.

Most women may be all but powerless against Cyn, but Fallon, a sharp-witted fairy princess, is less than beguiled by the silver-tongued vampire.
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Another terrific installment in the Guardians of Eternity series! Beauty and the Beast meets vampires & fae... Cyn is only trying to help a friend be with his mate, unfortunately the Oracles have other plans. Siljar "kidnaps" Cyn & Fallon by transporting them without their knowledge, an swears them to secrecy regarding the task she sets upon their shoulders - a task which forces them to work together no matter their personal feelings for each other.

I love the depth of character Ivy produces, and the strong (normally sarcastic) female protagonists that populate her stories. If you've read any of this series this book will not disappoint. And, if you haven't read any of this series - what are you waiting for?!

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