BOOK REVIEW- Mine To Take (Mine- Romantic Suspense # 1) by Cynthia Eden

   

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching--stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won't stop pursuing her, not until she's dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her--Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they'd come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He'd joined the military, vanishing from her life. She'd put all of her emotion into dancing, and she'd tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He'll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he'll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He's not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything--or anyone--that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won't let her go again.

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He's a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

AMAZON LINK

4 STARS

Wow, the people you get to be suspicious of their motives grows.  Who can Skye trust?  Once upon a time Skye trusted Trace.  Is that still true?  

Even Trace realizes that there was just something about Skye that just draws men to her.  Even when she wasn't dancing. But she had been pure magic when she danced.   And dancing had been something that helped saved her from her disastrous teenage years.  I liked that we got to "see" both of their points of views.  And their history together even if it started out 10 years ago and then a gap to the current time.

The danger to Skye just keeps escalating with almost no one believing that she has a dangerous stalker.  A bit easier to understand with almost no proof of someone attacking her.  

I liked how the story ended with a H.E.A. for now.  Their story does continue in another book, "Mine to Keep."

 

BOOK REVIEW- Montana Storm (Resting Warrior Ranch# 5) by Josie Jade & Janie Crouch

   

Kill first, ask questions later.

It’s the instinct former-SEAL Jude Williams must fight every time someone touches him. His six months being tortured in an enemy prison camp may be long over, but he’s got scars—all over his body and mind—keeping that time at the forefront of his psyche.

So how could he even consider giving in to the desire he has for the town’s coffeehouse owner?

Lena Mitchell has big gray eyes and a bigger smile—she’s full of life, right down to her purple and teal streaked hair.

There are so many reasons Jude should stay away from her. So many ways he’s bad for her. But when danger shows up on Lena’s door, keeping his distance is no longer an option.

He’ll protect her from any threat.

But who will protect her from him?

AMAZON LINK 

4 STARS

The emotions of the main characters grab you right away by diving headlong into them.   It helps that both Lena and Jude have their "say" as they each share their point of views.  I liked that! 

Lena has been in love with Jude for three years.  Three years!   That's a long time to care for someone.  Especially when the few times Lena makes a brave move towards Jude, he rejects her.  Unbeknownst to her,  Jude has been desiring her just as long but made the decision to keep away from her because of his dangerous PTSD.  Especially his violent nightmares that he feels would endanger her if he pursued his desired relationship with her. They think that they are fooling everyone but most of the town is well aware that those two should just get it together.  

On another note-  Jude is a man who craves control,especially in the bedroom.  Their romantic relationship is a bit of Dom/sub, which I wasn't expecting. I mention this because there are readers who don't connect with this type of story so be aware. Although this wasn't something that I was looking for, I have to say that it was tasteful done. 

 Deja Brew is Lena's very successful business that has been a favorite spot for years and was featured in other books in the series too. But something isn't right there and it's going to take Jude and their Resting Warrior friends to sort it out.  The twist of what is going on is a good one! And I liked how the story ended.

 “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Beating Eye Fatigue -with some really good ideas

 

The brain uses the most energy in our bodies, and within the brain, it is the eyes that drain our energy supply. In today’s world, screen time and Zoom calls have skyrocketed!  That intense unblinking focus for hours on end takes its toll on our brains, emotions, energy banks, and health.  Discovering your favorite ‘interrupt’ for your eyes could change the course of your day and the energy reserves you protect. Here are 4 Easy Interrupts to restore energy and support the eyes.  Play with them and find the one(s) you like the best. The BEST NEWS? They're EASY and they're FREE! Take eye breaks -  interrupt your day and reset your brain and eyes by doing them regularly. The results? Better focus and more energy! Blink Stare Switch Palm

First, we’re going to blink. You’ve been on the computer for a long time, one of the things that have been shown in research is that blink rates drop usually by over 50% when we’re watching a screen. In a natural environment, we’re probably blinking 14 to 16 times per minute.   If we’re looking at our iPad or watching TV, that usually drops to about four or six per minute, which means dry, burning, fatigued, tired eyes. How do you combat that?

Blink Interrupt About every 20-30 minutes take a Blink Break. Count to ten and blink as fast as you can. One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, one thousand four, one thousand five, one thousand six, one thousand seven, one thousand eight, one thousand nine, one thousand ten.  Blinking helps create a little bit more moisture in the eye and starts reducing some of the fatigue.

Staring Interrupt When you are on screen time, you stare at one place.  To interrupt, we change our stare - super simple.  If you’re in a room, pick a target that is as far away as possible. Ideally, you go to a window and look into the distance as far as possible. Some vision experts recommend that if you’re really trying to work on your distance vision, whatever you’re looking at should be at least 30 or 40 yards away. Stare at something in the distance for about 20 seconds.

Switch Interrupt In the switch interrupt we are going to switch our eyes from a close target to a far-away target. If possible be in front of a window.  Place your thumb about arm’s length out in front of your eyes.  Now switch from looking at your thumb to as far as comfortable into the distance on a target. When that distance target is in focus, switch back to your thumb.  When it is clear, switch to distance.  Repeat for 20-30 seconds.

Palm Interrupt This is one of my favorites.  Close your eyes and cup your palms over your eyes so that everything goes dark if you had your eyes open.  Relax your breathing. Hold the palms in place for 20-30 seconds or until there are no distractions as everything gets dark.  If it is easier, place your elbows on pillows on your desk to support your head while palming.   You don’t have to spend a lot of time on these interrupts. If you’re at work set a timer about every 20 minutes to 30. When it goes off, get up and go through this very rapid kind of relaxation sequence. These simple interrupts can save you a tremendous amount of eye fatigue throughout the day.

Book Review- Presumed Dead (Defenders of Battle Mountain#4) by Nichole Severn

   

Their shared history could be their undoing.

Forced to partner up, reserve officer Kendric Hudson and missing persons agent Campbell Dwyer work a baffling abduction case that gets more dangerous with each new revelation. As they battle a mounting threat, they must trust one another with their deepest secrets. But the truth they uncover could leave them lucky to escape with their lives…

 AMAZON LINK

5 STARS

 A great story from the very beginning to the supercharged ending. It made for a very clever story. Secrets abound and not just with the main characters.  Kendric and Campbell still are in pain from the past that Kendric is mainly in denial about.  But he won't be able to stay that way forever even though he has carved out a life with new friends that have become more like family. 

Do you want a story that is filled with surprises?  Do you want a story that is totally unpredictable?  Well, this story has it as well as some humor and plenty of emotions mixed in as well.  

Did I like how the story ended? Yes. It also opened up another adventure in this series.  Am I interested in following up that next story? You betcha!

 “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

***Book Review- Partners in Crime A Novel by Alisha Rai

   

General Fiction (Adult) | OwnVoices | Romance  

Mira Patel’s got a solid accounting career, good friends, and a whole lot of distance between her and her dysfunctional family. All that’s missing is a stable romantic relationship. Armed with a spreadsheet and professional help, she sets out to find her partner in only legal activities, but much to her matchmaker’s dismay, no one is quite right.

Including Naveen Desai, the very first match she unceremoniously rejected. 

Lately Naveen’s been too focused on keeping his sick grandfather’s law firm afloat to think about love, and he’s stunned when Mira walks back into his life to settle her aunt’s affairs. He’s determined to keep things professional…though it’s impossible not to be intrigued by all of the secrets piling up around Mira.

If getting back together with an ex is a bad idea, getting kidnapped with one is even worse.

Suddenly, Naveen and Mira find themselves in a mad dash through Las Vegas to escape jewel thieves, evade crime bosses, and follow the clues to untangle the mess her family left behind. As her past comes back to haunt her, Mira despairs of ever finding someone who might understand her…but maybe, over the course of one wild night, she’ll find that he’s right by her side.

AMAZON LINK 

 5 STARS

Mira and Naveen both are looking for calmer times. They wanted more normal...a boring normal in their lives.  Too bad they are going to go on  wild adventures together.  Together ..something that didn't really work out in the past. 

Man, what a great story this turned out to be!  I fell in love with this one.  Not only because of the main characters but because of the depth of their personalities, and the other different "characters" that show up in the story.  They all kept me involved every step of the way. Dangers just pour out against Mira and Naveen but it was easy to not get overwhelmed.  And the "explosive" truths at the end, "Yikes", so good!

Even the Epilogue had it's own gems of surprises!

This is a first time read for me of this author but now I will be looking for more of her stuff.

 
 

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

 (NETGALLEY)

Best audience duet with Josh Groban (multi-angles) - To Where You Are (M...

Book Review- Out of Love (The Switch#2) by Ruth Cardello

   

General Fiction (Adult) | Romance 

 

Laughter and sparks set the stage for a fun romance from New York Times bestselling author Ruth Cardello about a farmer who switches places with his business-savvy twin brother and falls in love with the daughter of his brother’s biggest client.

I just found out I have an identical twin. I’d love the idea if he wasn’t an arrogant, overconfident businessman who is determined to save my farm even though I’m in no danger of losing it. When I agreed to switch lives with him, it was supposed to be for a couple of hours.

I was told to lie low, meet no one, and let him deal with the oil company that was sniffing around my property. I agreed to the switch only because it was the first time since we’d met that my twin had shown interest in my life, and I hoped it would give us a better understanding of each other.

Hours drag into days. I consider our initial agreement void and head to his office. I’m sitting at his desk, mostly minding my own business, when a beautiful woman blusters in, ready for a confrontation with my brother about an email. She’s the daughter of my brother’s largest client.

I only flirt with her to make her smile. What could it hurt to pretend to be my brother just a little longer?

I didn’t expect to uncover a plan to sabotage my brother’s company. I don’t want to believe that the woman I can’t get out of my thoughts and would love to get into my bed has anything to do with what I’ve discovered.

Save the company.

Save the girl.

I have no idea how I’ll do either, but when something is done out of love, it has to work out.

AMAZON LINK 

 4 STARS

Monica and Scott were so incredibly different.  At least on paper.  As time goes on, you can see that they do have some similarities. Being highly intelligent was just one of those similarities. Both are also hiding part of who they really are, even from people that they love.  Scott is also dealing with me family members who really underestimate him and he has let them.  He's not sure that they are really on his side. Normally a trusting man, he's going to have to look at some people with a new perspective.  

 I have to admit that I had mixed feelings about this book because it wasn't my favorite in this series.  BUT, it did have parts that I liked so much that I just had to give it a good rating. Monica's Aunt Bibi was just one of those things that made me smile..often.  And Bibi's best friend, Deja who is describes as her ride-or-die bestie also made me smile.  The two of them together were a hoot!  And their 1-10 Rhyme was hilarious.  And Bibi was Team Monica all the way! I really enjoyed their relationship with all the laughs, love, emotional support and even some times Bibi had to be a bit stern. 

Towards the end, its easy to see why the title really fit this story.  I like when that happens. Speaking of ending this book did have a pretty good one.  With a door left open for another adventure in the series. 

 

 " I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book . And these are my honest opinions about it.”

(through Netgalley)