Diaries of 2 Thick Chicks

Kaleidoscope encompasses everything that I love about Kristen Ashley's books! It's intense, sexy, has HOT alpha males demanding full attention from the women in their lives, and is just downright heart melting! The thing I loved most about this book was, Jacob (Deck) and Emme were long-time friends before they gave into their desire to be with one another. Deck readily admitted he spent years pining after Emme's best friend, who wasn't worth his time, and couldn't appreciate what he had to offer. Even more, I absolutely LOVED how Jacob helped Emme come to terms with what happened in her childhood, and guided her through the trauma, so that she could let her walls down and ultimately learn to love and just plain ole LIVE.

Unlike with Jagged, Kaleidoscope gives readers back the balance of mystery and suspense that we have come to love in Kristen Ashley's Colorado Mountain Series. I enjoyed the buildup to the big reveal of what happened in Emme's past, and also the mystery surrounding the local thief ring that caused local law enforcement to seek Jacob's unique PI skills! The one thing I will say was a bit disturbing to me in this book was Jacob forcing Emme to say she loved him during sex. I'm a strong believer that expressing something as important as "I LOVE YOU" should be done when the person feels comfortable with saying the words and not coerced under duress. Other than that, I love the book and will be looking forward to what comes next! 4.5 Notes and 5 Flames for this one!

A copy of Kaleidoscope was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

5 Notes and 5 Flames!  Razing Kayne is an Intense, Heart-breaking, Hope filled, Insane Ride....but worth every minute!

This review will be short and sweet because there are so many landmines of spoilers that even trying to give a brief description of what happens can spoil the whole book.  What I will say is Razing Kayne was one of the most gut wrenching, heart stopping books I have read in my whole reading history, and it starts with the first chapter in the book!  Being a therapist, this book pulled at so many of my various heart strings and left me not knowing what to do with myself! Both Jessica and Kayne have permanent scars left from previous marriages and through fate and soul searching devotion, these two find a way to make their relationship work.  Seeing Kayne blossom under the attention of Jessica was awe inspiring and downright beautiful.  Kayne gave Jessica everything that he wasn't allowed to give his previous wife, while also healing the wounds left by her late husband.
Hats off to Julieanne Reeves for tackling so many of the issues faced by individuals in our society that often go undisclosed and are definitely not up for discussion. If your in the mood for an emotional ride and need a reason to binge out on the couch, pick up a copy of Razing Kayne!  This one gets 5 Notes and 5 Flames!








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Review to come

Review to come!

I thoroughly enjoyed Eternal Flame which is book 1 in the Guardians series. It had suspense, action, mystery, and a love story that kept me rooting for the couple and hoping they would find their way to one another before all the obstacles against them really took root. Marcus is so lost after losing everyone he loved in the brutal war except his sister. He doesn't believe he wants to love again, much less take a mate. That feeling stays strong right up until the point that he meets Cassandra and then his basic instincts take over. Cassandra has her own wounds surrounding love, and she is determined to never allow anyone close to her heart again. While fighting a lust that is undeniable, Cassandra is desperate to protect her heart.....there's just one problem, Marcus is her destine mate and demands to be let in.

Valerie Twombly does an excellent job of building a visual of the alternate world the guardians live in, as well as building a sense of cohesiveness between the main characters. Her inclusion of the other warriors in the main story helped readers to get to know each of them better, but most of all to crave their individual stories. I'm so looking forward to learning more about King Aidyn and the depth of his overall power!

If you have enjoyed Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld, Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed Series, or Rebbeca Zanetti Dark Protectors Series, you will most certainly enjoy Eternal Flame! I'm giving this one 3.5 notes, and 4 flames! A great start to what seems to be shaping up to be a great series!

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Review to come

Let me start by saying Golden Dynasty was by far the hardest Kristen Ashley book I have ever read! I am a huge Kristen Ashley fan, and have been since I discovered her books last year, but Golden Dynasty compromised so many of my personal morals I seriously thought I wouldn't be able to finish the book. Let's start with what didn't work for me.

**Spoiler Alert** Circe not only wakes up in a foreign land, she wakes up in the middle of a primitive "wife hunt" where women are dressed to the nine, paraded through the city for warriors to look upon their beauty, and then hunted until they are claimed. When I say claimed, I also mean "Claimed" as in full on mounted, stripped of their clothing and then paraded again nude through the city, in front of the citizens in an act of show-in-tale. The issue with this custom is, not all of the women chosen for the "wife hunt" are of the Korwahk culture and therefore have no understanding of their ways, but are still FORCED to participate in the event. WTF??? If that wasn't enough, after the heroine comes to terms with her situation, with a little help from a woman like herself who has lived with, and adjusted to the culture, the hero back hand slaps Circe because she was missing and he was worried.

Those are two very serious offenses which clearly left me furious, but I also found some things I really liked about Golden Dynasty. As with all Kristen Ashley books, she builds a strong female social support system for Circe. The relationship between Circe and the women of the horde was beautiful, funny, and heart warming. Circe and Lahn's courting was sweet and I really enjoyed their loving exchanges when trying to learn the languages for one another. While I didn't totally agree with the customs of the horde, I did find it fascinating how Kristen Ashley took things we would find deplorable, and then represented the Korwahk people as a group who made their riches by collecting booty and plundering villages, but some how the lewd acts seemed to work primarily because of the way it was described. The Horde was savage and primitive, however the members seemed to hone a sense of family and togetherness.

Irregardless of this fact that the book started out on shaky ground for me and I was not on board with women being raped and hit and then somehow falling in love, I persevered and finished the book. Additionally,I don't totally agree with the approach Kristen took to develop the main characters, I still have to give this one a solid 4.5 Notes and 5 Flames because it kept me engaged, sent me through a tailspin of emotions, and it was FECKIN HOT!


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I have such mixed feelings about this one because it was a complete rehash of the first book with a bit more insight into Luke's feelings about Emmy, but........it was also still heart wrenching to read again and took me back to all the crazy feelings and emotions I had the first time I read their story! Oh and I'm am sooooo intrigued to see what happens when she tells Donya's story! ~Nettie

A copy of this book was provided to me in exchanged for an honest review.

Ms. Lisa Kessler I just can't seem to get enough! Beg Me to Slay was action packed with a kickass heroine that held her own. At a time when the paranormal romance genre is inundated with heros that seek to protect, a good heroine that can hold her own and fight her own battles was much appreciated. Tegan was all heart and stepped to the plate to demand her right to fight beside Gabe. I loved her and she wins the Rock Chick award for this book because even when she was afraid she kept fighting.

Gabe was a tortured soul that lost his finance because he was fighting demons while she died. Having never forgiven himself for that mistake, he has sworn off any meaningful relationships thinking that the only way to survive is to not care. That is until Tegan walks through his office doors and opens a mainline to his heart and sparks his need to protect to dangerous levels. Swearing to keep her safe, Gabe fights to keep Tegan on the sidelines until he realizes that he has finally met his match and in doing so, he has also met the one woman that can see who he really is. The only problem is, he's convinced if he loves her it will eventually led to her death.

I love how Lisa does a slow build to their relationship. Tegan has spent years not making connections after her attack, and she's afraid that reaching out to a man will leave her wounded. Gabe has the same fears but Kessler allows the couple to talk them through. The other thing I love about this book, and Kessler's writing in general, is her ability to weave circumstances where the characters are faced with impossible obstacles barring them from being together leaving readers torn about how the situation will resolve itself. It's a great read! I'm giving it 3 1/2 notes and 4 flames!

Solid start to an interesting series. More in depth review to follow.

Winters Heat is a GREAT start to a new Romantic Suspense series! Little did I know when I choose this book from Net Galley that I would find my new obsession in a book series. Now I have to run out and purchase the other books in the series. Cristin Harber delivers the most promising romantic suspense series since I discovered the KGI series by Maya Banks!

Colby Winters is a man of many faces....a solider, a son, a lover of woman, and a deadly operative. A member of the elite military squad Titan, Colby has no idea that his latest mission will lead to life altering changes for his future. While on a mission to acquire a top secret package from a drop spot inside the airport, Colby encounters the beautiful Mia Kensington, but there's one major problem....she has her hands on his package!

Mia Kensington is a military psychologist who's latest patient just turned up dead of an apparent suicide. During her last session with her client, he informs Mia that should something happen to him, she should get to the airport and retrieve a package containing top secret information. Mia has no idea that she just made herself a target of a psychotic killer intent on getting his hands on the information she has in her possession. Running for her life and not knowing who to trust, Mia finds herself in the arms of a beautiful man. Can she trust him? Should she trust him with her life? Read the book and find out!!!!

Winters Heat kept me guessing and on pins and needles throughout the entire book! Cristin Harber took the average cliche character and made him into a unique individual. Colby Winters is keeping a secret that will just melt the heart of any woman. He down right dirty and deadly but he has an unexpected sensitive side that caught me by surprise. Mia as a heroine was awesome! I loved her strength and how she used her passion and love for Colby to drive his team members crazy! I'm totally looking forward to the next book in the series which features Garrison. If you loved the KGI series by Maya Banks, you will absolutely LOVE the Titan Series by Cristin Harber. I'm giving this one 4 Notes and 5 Flames!

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In the latest edition of The Goddess Redemption, Artemis is place into her own creation...the shifter. The Unul Pur is the only female shifter that is able to have offspring. Every season, all the shifters travel to the region where the Unul Pur resides and petition for her as a mate. The lucky Unul Pur this season is Titiana and from day one she feels like she is searching for a particular person but not sure who. Luca is the beta of his wolf pack and is being sent to petition for his alpha Buru. While at the camp waiting for his turn to meet Titiana, Luca gets his memories back of his true identity. He is not sure if Artemis is also in a shifter's body but has to work to stay calm so the shifters do not catch his scent. At the time that Luca's memory returns, Titiana gets her memories back as well. She has to work hard to remember her current role as the Unul Pur and continue the pursuit of finding a mate. When Luca and Titiana meet they are both unsure of each other until the arrow appears in Luca's bag. Their memories of each other return very early in this story and the challenge that Artemis has to overcome is trust.

In the beginning I was unsure of the series because of the way To Cast a Stone ended. Right when the story started to pick up, the book was over. By Spellbound, I was able to understand that Aphrodite only implants Artemis and Orion's memories into each person for a short time. Once Artemis was able to beat the challenge it was time to move on. What I am interested to see is when Artemis comes out with the truth behind why Orion is now a mortal. He has not asked the question but he does know that they are being tested. (His reaction should be interesting.)

In this installment of The Goddess Redemption, Artemis is reincarnated into a witch named Sara. Sara stays in a small village that is constantly attached by the shifters. Sara has been able to protect the village the best she could with a potion but she is running low on supplies. Victor is a hunter that has a passion for killing shifters. This is an unheard of action because the shifters are so hard to kill. Victor has a secret weapon though and it's an arrow that was given to him by an old woman.(We now know is Aphrodite.) Victor has been hearing tells about a town that has a practicing witch. While Sara was out on a mission to find more supplies, she is rescued from a shifter attack by Victor. Once again these two know each other but don't know why. They have both been having dreams about a past life together but can't bring themselves to believe them. This next challenge that Artemis is faced with is her jealousy. Sara has a younger sister that grabs the attention of all men and even women of the town. Sara has to overcome feeling inadequate before she can open up to the true feelings she has for Victor. When their memories are finally returned, Orion is going to have to set Artemis straight.

I am so happy I continued the series because I get the direction it's going in. After To Cast a Stone, I was afraid that I was not going to enjoy the series but I was WRONG! I like how Kelli is writing the books in sections to show the battle that Artemis has to endure in order to get redemption. There should probably be a series like this for all the Gods. I am a fan of Orion because he loves Artemis to death and that's all a girl ever wants. I'm excited that I have the next book, Moonlit Promise, because I want to read about the next challenge.

If you love Greek Mythology, this is the series for you. In To Cast a Stone, we get to learn why the Goddess Artemis has to start on the road to redemption.


This story starts with us finding out that Artemis has found her true love and the person she has given her virginity to, Orion. Artemis being the goddess of the hunt has found he true match in Orion with him also being a hunter. These two are deeply in love and decide to get married. One night on a hunting expedition, Artemis express how she has grown bored with the current game and how she has a new prey in mind. The prey that Artemis created for herself and her lover are the shifters. She made them in all different types of animal like the bear and wolf but the trick is that only a God can kill the animal. After her creation, Artemis went with the God of Love Aphrodite to prepare for marriage ceremony. What no one was prepared for was for Apollo to stage a scene of Orion with another woman. Unfortunately for Artemis, she was too fast to react and killed her true love before she could find out the truth. Even though the situation was not Artemis' fault, Zeus still blames her because she is too headstrong and has no patience. In an attempt to teach Artemis a lesson, Zeus encased her in stone to live her life watching time pass with no memory of her pass but to always look for a love that is dead. What Zeus did not plan was for Aphrodite to put her two cent into the spell and have Orion to be reincarnated each lifetime as a human.


Alexis is the stone women that resides in a temple that people view upon daily but she is unable to connect with them. Alexis has no understanding why she is being punished to watch happiness walk pass her every day until an old woman comes into the temple and breaks the stone. As Alexis tries to understand this new world, she encounters Galen. Galen is a shop owner that is surprised to find Alexis in his shop stealing clothes. When they see each other it's like they know one another but not sure of themselves. While they may be unsure of each other, the shifters are aware the Artemis is back amongst the living. As Alexis and Galen get closer, they start to tap into memories until they finally figure out their true identities. This first challenge that Artemis has to overcome is her anger.


I get the storyline but this was not my favorite book. I didn't like how it just ended out of nowhere. As soon as I got vested into the book, it was over. I did like how much of the back story we received and I think that was the purpose of this book. This was like the prologue for the series. If the reader does not get this book first, they will be lost through the entire series. I was not a fan but will continue the series to see how things go.

Wow! This book took me on an intense ride and at the end I felt like I left my stomach at the top of the first big hill. Mine to Keep picks up just a few weeks after the huge showdown in Mine to Take. We find Skye and Trace hiding away on a secluded island trying to heal from the trauma of Skye's stalker ex-boyfriend attempt to kill both Skye and Trace. Unfortunately, the couple doesn't really have time to connect before the next crisis arrives. Will the couple survive Trace's secrets? Can Skye accept living in the dark and never really knowing who Trace really is outside of his relationship with her?

I must say that I enjoyed Mine to Keep much better than I did Mine to Take mainly because Eden allows Skye to emerge as a formidable mate for Trace. Skye has been through hell and she survived! She allows this knowledge to propel her into reclaiming her life without being overshadowed by Trace's overprotective instincts. Additionally, Skye faces off with Trace and demands he allow her to live her life without constantly being watched and guarded.

Trace continues to be overbearing and super alpha-male, however we get more insight into his past with the Black Ops team, and the types of missions he had to endure before he returned state-side and started his security company. Readers are also introduced to 2 new characters that were part of Trace's Black Ops team: Noah and Drake. I really enjoyed Noah's character and think he brought more life into the book. His book Mine to Hold is up next and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on that one. The other new character introduced was Drake, who is quite a dark character and I for one am wondering how Eden will develop his role in the series. I'm rooting for a particular pairing between Drake and the sister of the villain in this book.

Cynthia Eden definitely delivered in this installment of the Mine series and words just cannot explain how surprised I was when the person behind the mayhem was revealed! I DID NOT even see that coming! If you enjoy romantic suspense books with super alpha males and just a tad bit of humor, pick up your copy of Mine to Keep. I'm giving this one 4 notes and 3 flames.

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