Bridget Blackwood

Bridget Blackwood

Author of the paranormal romance series World in Shadows

Review
2 Stars
Down on Love
Down on Love - Jayne Denker
Normally, I love banter. This book has great dialogue but maybe it is too much? I felt like I was marking time reading the book and nothing was happening. Even the main conflict, the article she writes, was defused. No sparks between the characters.
Review
3 Stars
Almost Mine
Almost Mine - Lea Darragh
Hmm, I don't know about this one. I like an angsty read but this one felt a bit too contrived. By the end of the book I was pretty unhappy with our hero. Thinking these two would have benefited from a few rounds of marriage counseling.
Review
4 Stars
Club Shadowlands (Masters of the Shadowlands, #1)
Club Shadowlands (Masters of the Shadowlands, #1) - Cherise Sinclair
Read for the October pick from The Kinkery Book club.

Master Z is a fantastic Dom because he knows what everyone wants. At first I rolled my eyes because no man can do that. Sorry. Once it became obvious that he really did seem to know I was worried we were going to cross over into paranormal territory. Which is fine, but I was not ready to read a paranormal. He is not psychic. Just really freaking observant and able to make brilliant deductions. I want a Master Z.
Review
3 Stars
The Priest (The Ginecean Chronicles, #1)
The Priest (The Ginecean Chronicles, #1) - Monica La Porta
Very different world in Ginecea. Men are slaves, all men. Women rule and it is considered very wrong to be with a man. The one thing I found to be most interesting was the slave mentality of the men. I don't know any other way to say it. The men could most likely have overpowered the women but it has been bred into them to be subservient. I would like to read how the women came to rule in the first place; was it always like this? The ending was kind of sad, but it is all back story for the book Pax.
Review
3 Stars
Hell Without You
Hell Without You - Ranae Rose
The H/h have some history to get past before they can move forward. I would have liked to know the back story sooner. I could not tell if they were fighting over a juvenile thing or a serious incident. The "who done it" reveal was unexpected and did not fit the usual formula of the genre, but I liked it. It felt more realistic to me.
Review
4 Stars
Boomtown
Boomtown - Lani Lynn Vale
Sure, there are quite a few motorcycle club books out right now. I like MC books. Boomtown has so, so, so much more to it than this. The MC is so minor in comparison. Love at first sight. Hot, alpha male, motorcycle guys/special forces eye candy. Strong heroines. Hilarity. So much going for this debut by author Lani Lynn Vale. The dialogue between the characters is probably my favorite thing about this author. She captures so much about the characters in even the most benign conversation.

The evil ex, well I just wanted someone to make her disappear. No spoilers, but I felt really crappy about that later. She was a serious dumb ho, though. That is my defense and I will stick to it.


Cheyenne and Ember shopping for condoms is one of my favorite scenes. These two can play off each other in such a way as to be considered an art. The poor school teacher they meet in the store, she will never be the same.

The chemistry between Sam and Cheyenne, fireworks. I read one review that criticized Sam's quick progression of the relationship with Cheyenne. I have to say, I do not think Sam has ever not gone in with both feet, judging by his character. He is a gung ho, balls to the wall kind of guy. He gives 110% or nothing and expects the same in return. Sam is funny, confident, sexy, and all alpha.



All nonsense and fangirling aside, I really did enjoy this book. Yes, there are some errors. I hope it does not stop you from giving it a chance.
Review
4 Stars
Entry-Level Mistress
Entry-Level Mistress - Sabrina Darby
Intense attraction between two people that have an intense history. It is complicated, but though they never officially met, the H/h already had every reason to avoid pursuing the attraction. Maybe that itself was part of the attraction. It was a hot, sexy pairing but also had a sad undercurrent.
Review
3 Stars
The Dark Elf of Syron (books 1-3)
The Dark Elf of Syron (books 1-3) - Laura Lond
I was very happy with the story in book one but book two and three did not work as well. I was hoping for more of a romance angle.
Review
4 Stars
The Wager (The Bet)
The Wager - Rachel Van Dyken
I laughed a lot reading this book. The grandmother character was priceless. I have not read the first book in the series. Grandma makes me want to go back and buy it. The hero's journey of self realization and growth was entertaining. I liked seeing him finally take hold of his life and make smart decisions.
Review
4 Stars
Highway Don't Care
Highway Don't Care - Lani Lynn Vale
A great follow up to Boomtown. I loved getting to know Ember and see Cheyenne again. Still hilarious. I might have broken a rib from laughing. I an anxious to read about all the guys and see them find their HEA. Lani Lynn Vale is an author on my auto buy list.
Review
4 Stars
Preservation (Preservation, #1)
Preservation - Rachael Wade
The book starts with a little back story on Ryan, the hero. I was glad for this back story because it prevented me from thinking he was a complete jerk. He's wounded, allowed himself to go down some less than stellar roads, and is finally ready to turn himself around. Kate has so much heaped on her shoulder she doesn't have time to play patch up the poor professor. The heart wants what the heart wants and you can only resist for so long. I was proud of how honest Ryan was with Kate.

Kate made mistakes too, some that cost her personally more than Ryan's mistakes cost him. Near the end I was a little afraid I was not going to get my HEA but the author pulled it out of her hat perfectly.
Review
0 Stars
Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (The Three, #1)
Until the Sun Falls from the Sky  - Kristen Ashley
dnf
Review
4 Stars
Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade
Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade - A.D. Robertson
Birth and destiny. Sarah and Tristan are born on opposite side of a long standing war between the witches. Sarah is on the side of good, Tristan is expected to lead the forces of evil one day. We do not always fit the molds our elders want us to.

Of course I was hoping Sarah and Tristan would make it work but now a days, you are not guaranteed a HEA. I really enjoyed Sarah and Tristan. Him more than her. Tristan is a very intriguing fellow. Several characters were not who they appeared to be, nice character development.
Review
4 Stars
Born in Chains (Men in Chains)
Born in Chains - Caris Roane

This is the first book in a new vampire series by Caris Roane. First books always mean introduction to the new world. You have to learn if the vampires are born or made, can they reproduce, do they have destined mates, all that jazz. There was not a ton of new material to learn to get current in Roane's world. I appreciate the simplicity.

Adrien was a gentleman, considering all he has been through lately. I was afraid he might try to devour Lily from lack of blood, but he restrained himself. He never gave her too much lip even when he thought she agreed to the mission for money. That is so far from why Lily signed on. As a mother, I could identify with Lily. If she did not have so much at stake, she probably would have given up several times.

I enjoyed the book. I liked the way the book wrapped up. Had a solid HEA for Adrien and Lily while setting up the next book.
Review
4 Stars
Whatever It Takes
Whatever It Takes - L. Maretta
First things first, infidelity is not something I want to read about. I have been known to chunk a book in the trash due to cheating. I like to read outside my comfort zone. The author was upfront that cheating had taken place and the book was about the road to recovery. I can handle that. The characters were authentic. The emotions they felt were believable. They were not always good, but they were honest.

The reactions the couple had through out the book were ones I thought I might have in the same situation. Two examples of this are the slap and Gavin's irritation.
The slap - Emma, a normally non violent woman, lashes out at Gavin in one scene and hits him. She is hurting deeply and angry. Her husband is supposed to be the one who loves and cherishes her but instead he is the source of her pain. The slap comes from a place of such intense emotion that she was not even thinking clearly any longer, just reacting to her pain.

Gavin's irritation - Gavin loves his wife. He is genuinely sorry and knowing he is the source of her pain is tearing him up. Even the most apologetic person will eventually become defensive. It is a emotional survival mechanism. How long will I have to do this before we can move on? He knows deep down that it is going to take time to heal but his guilt turns to irritation a few times. It was a natural response.

The reason behind the infidelity and the professional diagnosis of why Gavin cheated were well thought out. I do not think the story would have been as good if Gavin had cheated for any other reason.

Over all, the book is well plotted, has an organic development of the story, and characters that you can empathize with. L. Maretta made a anti-infidelity reader fall in love with a cheater. I stayed up way, way past any respectable hour to read the whole book in one sitting. What am I going to do now?
Review
4 Stars
Whiskey Lullaby (Love Songs, #1)
Whiskey Lullaby (Love Songs, #1) - Dawn Martens,  Emily Minton

I have read the book, read other reviews of the book, and talked about the book at length with fellow bloggers. I keep hearing how it was too predictable. I disagree. Predictable yes, because it follows a formula that works. I don't think it is too predictable. Another complaint I heard was they the H/h jump back in the sack after nine years apart and a lot of ill will between them. Whoa, whoa. Back up. Before the pain there was love. The love is still there, they are both hurting. The one thing each of them wants in all the world is to be together. Then, all of a sudden they are alone together. I kind of thought it was a natural reaction. If I am thirsty and you sit a glass of water in front of me I am going to drink it. Same principal.

Did Jase have a good reason for cheating? Is there ever a good reason for cheating? You have to decide that for yourself. I was entertained while I read the book. That is all I ever ask.