Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Review: Protecting Caroline by Susan Stoker



Protecting Caroline by Susan Stoker
Book 3 in The SEAL of Protection Series

Goodreads:

Amazon:




SYNOPSIS

Cookie "Hunter" Knox was good at his job, infiltrating behind enemy lines was one of his specialties. His SEAL team relied on him to do his job, just as he relied on them to do theirs. Ever since two of his teammates found a woman that completed them, their dangerous Ops seemed a bit more intense. Cookie knew if he had a woman who belonged to him, he'd never let her go. Little did he know the SEAL team's latest mission to Mexico would change his life forever.

Fiona Storme resigned herself to the fact that it was highly unlikely she would make it out of the jungle alive. Kidnapped by human traffickers, abused, and without family or friends looking for her, Fiona knew wishing for rescue was as realistic as having a big, juicy hamburger fall from the sky. Unbeknownst to Fiona, the SEAL team, including Cookie, were on the way, but their assignment didn't consist of rescuing her.

**Protecting Fiona is the 3rd book in the SEAL of Protection Series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it's recommended you read the books in order to get maximum enjoyment out of the series. 






*5 Stars*

Oh holy whoa. I have no idea where to begin. I guess I should start by saying that Cookie has been on my radar since Protecting Caroline. The way he treated her was so sweet and amazing. And knowing the way Mizz Stoker likes to toy with my heart, I just knew his story was going to gut me. Let me tell you, she did not disappoint. 




Protecting Fiona starts off with a rescue mission to Mexico to save a Senator's daughter, Julie, who was kidnapped by human traffickers. Let me just pause for a moment to educate you on all things Julie. She is spoiled, bitchy, selfish, and just plain awful. Fiona was in the same hut as Julie, tried to comfort her even, and when Cookie came to rescue Julie she was going to let him lead her out of the hut without even mentioning that Fiona was there! 

"You better not screw this up for me. My daddy sent him for ME, not your sorry ass."

You see what I mean?



Okay, so moving right along...Cookie discovers Fiona (who didn't call out and ask for help because she knew that he was there for Julie and not for her) on the other side of the hut. She is in really bad shape. She hadn't bathed in months, was half-starved, and had a metal collar tightly around her neck. Despite everything she has been through, she is strong and endures their long trek through the jungle without complaint. 

Speaking of complaining....Julie bitches the entire time. At one point, Cookie gives the girls granola bars to eat and while Fiona acts like he just handed her a bar of gold, Julie acts like a complete brat. 

"That's it? Only granola bars? Do you know how long it's been since I've had any kind of REAL food?"



I don't think I've ever wanted to throat punch a fictional character so bad in my entire life. 

As they are trekking through the jungle, it becomes apparent that there is something seriously wrong with Fiona. The men who kidnapped her had been shooting up with a cocktail of drugs (she fought them like hell every time, go girl!) and she was going through withdrawals. This is where we really start to see my favorite parts of Cookie. 

At one point, Fiona has to lie down on the ground because she is just so weak and her body is wracked with tremors. Cookie decides that they can break for the night and after he gets Princess Ass Face all settled, he goes over and lays down with Fiona to try and comfort her. He freaking spoons her. SPOONS HER, y'all!!



Fiona does this thing to help her cope in awful situations where she counts backwards from 1000. While Cookie is spooning her (seriously, spooning...I want to be his little spoon!) he whispers in her ear and counts backwards from 2000 and Fiona finally falls asleep to the sound of his voice. You guys...he is just so damn dreamy. For reals. 





Alright, let's see if I can actually focus this review on the actual story and not just swoon over Cookie the whole time. LOL

So, they make it to the extraction point and after Julie is rescued (is anyone surprised that she was first? no) Cookie ends up getting shot. Fiona, the girl with the iron will, manages to get him onto the ladder dangling from the helicopter so that he can be pulled to safety. Fear not, she got saved too. ;-)

Back on American soil and after Julie is reunited with her father, Fiona's withdrawal kicks into over drive and Cookie, Benny, and Dude all stay by her side to see her through it. These guys are just amazing. There's one scene where, in a delusional state, Fiona tries to escape the house she is staying at with the guys. Of course they catch her and while they are trying to calm her down and she freaks out, screaming all kinds of things at them that hint at what she endured while she was captured. It was utterly heartbreaking.



I don't want to get carried away and end up posting spoilers. As is the case with Mizz Stoker's books...it's better to go into them not knowing what to expect and just enjoying the ride. I really love the familial dynamic of the team how supportive they are for each other. 


Another note, because of all the abuse and horror that Fiona had to endure, the sexy times in this book are limited, sweet, and sort of reserved. They are pretty "handsy" with each other, but there the sexy times in this book are not as explicit like they were in Protecting Alabama. And I'm okay with that. It wouldn't make sense for Fiona to let Cookie in like that after everything she went through. You can tell Cookie is a beast though!



Towards the end, Fiona ends up dealing with some pretty major PTSD while Cookie is out on a mission and Tex has to step in and keep her calm until Cookie can get back to her. Tex...ohhhh man. Tex is going to steal my heart. I thought it was going to be Cookie, but no. Tex is going to end up being my numero uno, I can see it now. 




I feel like I just can't do this book justice. I can't accurately express just how much this book made me feel. I've read it three times now and it still gets me all choked up and makes my heart all fluttery. Mizz Stoker's books just keep getting better and better! 










Blitz: Shattered Dreams by Brenda Kennedy





  
TITLE : Shattered Dreams
AUTHOR : Brenda Kennedy
GENRE : Soft Romance
RELEASE DATE : December 15, 2014


http://bit.ly/1F8mti0





Emma Greyson, Age 22, Has a loving husband, Max, and a newborn son, James. She is finally living her dream, until fate steps in and shatters everything.

Trying to deal with the death of her husband and learning how to be a single mom, Emma decides to move from Fort Drum, New York, back to her hometown of Sarasota, Florida.

Four years later, Emma has a fresh start with a new job and new friends. She meets an attractive doctor, Alec Collins. Taking things slowly, she is happy with the way things are going until fate steps in again and reveals the ugly truth of Alec's past.















BRENDA KENNEDY
AMAZON BEST SELLING AUTHOR




First and foremost I am a wife, mother and grandmother.

I am also a nurse and a new author.  

I moved to sunny Florida in 2006 and never looked back. I love fresh squeezed lemonade, crushed ice, teacups, wineglasses, non-franchise restaurants, ice cream cones, boating, picnics, cookouts, throwing parties, lace, white wine, mojitos, strawberry margaritas, white linen tablecloths, fresh flowers and Pinterest. I also love to read and write and to spend time with my family. My books thus far, have been inspired by the things I love and the people who influence me, every single day to be a better person.









Monday, December 8, 2014

New Release: Foreplay featuring SIX NY Times Bestselling Authors

FOREPLAY IS LIVE!
SIX New York Times Bestselling Authors
SIX Standalone novels
SIX Steaming hot stories
**Available for a LIMITED TIME - ONLY $0.99**
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NOW AVAILABLE

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Because who doesn’t like a whole lot of FOREPLAY…
Carter Reed from New York Times Bestseller Tijan
Emma decided to skip the gym and went home early. It was the last easy decision she made because she found her roommate being raped by the boyfriend. She had two choices. Call the cops and be killed by his family’s mafia connections or kill him first and hope to survive. There was no choice to her. She killed the bastard first and went to the one person who could protect her. Carter Reed. He’s a weapon for the rivaling mafia family, but he’s also Emma’s secret. Not only was he best friends with her brother, but she’s the reason he became that weapon in the first place.
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Jake Undone from New York Times Bestseller Penelope Ward
Nina Kennedy led a sheltered life ruled by phobias. When she moves to Brooklyn, that life is turned upside down as she develops an intense attraction to her gorgeous roommate.
Behind Jake Green’s rough exterior, lies a heart of gold. He makes it his mission to change Nina’s outlook on life. Jake becomes her tutor, forcing Nina to face her demons. He just wasn’t expecting to fall hard for her.
But Jake has been living his own private hell. Once he drops a bombshell, will their love survive it?
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Worth the Fight from New York Times Bestseller Vi Keeland
It didn’t matter that the ref called it a clean hit. Nico Hunter would never be the same.

Elle has a good life. A job she loves, a great apartment, and the guy she’s been dating for more than two years is a catch and a half. But it’s boring…and she strives to keep it that way. Too many emotions are dangerous. Her own past is foreplay banner.pngliving proof of what can happen when you lose control.
Then Nico walks into Elle’s office and everything changes…for both of them. But what can the tattooed, hard-bodied MMA fighter and the beautiful and always steady attorney have in common? A lot more than they bargained for.
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This Regret from New York Times Bestseller Victoria Ashley
Phoenix has been stumbling through life since her brother Adric's tragic death but after eight years, she is finally piecing what remains together.
When walking into the tattoo shop one day, the last thing she’s expecting to see is Kellan Haze, Adric’s best friend no one has seen or heard from since the day they found her brother’s body. He’s nothing as she remembers him as a child, with his wild messy hair, tattoos that cover most of his undeniably sexy body and eyes so intense it makes her legs quiver with one look. The one thing even she can’t deny is the instant rush she feels just by being in his presence. But . . .
Kellan is sexy, daring and possibly . . . dangerous.
This Regret is a story of love, lust, betrayal and danger with an ending that no one saw coming.
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Until Nico from New York Times Bestseller Aurora Rose Reynolds
Nico Mayson knew the moment he saw Sophie Grates that she was the one. His whole life, he has been judged by what’s on the outside, so finding a beautiful woman who sees the real him only makes his feelings that much stronger.
Nico knows the kind of man he is, and the things he is capable of, and he will do everything in his power to help Sophie fight her demons so they can have their happily ever after. Everything in life worth having is worth fighting for.
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Playing with Her Heart from New York Times Bestseller Lauren Blakely
A sizzling and addictive story of a woman with a broken past and the man who can't fight his desire for her...
When you’re acting the role of a lifetime, how can you know if love is real—or all just a part of the show? Twenty-three year old rising theatre star Jill McCormick finds it nearly impossible to resist the director of her first Broadway play -  sexy, sophisticated, possessive, all-alpha Davis Milo. The attraction between them is too powerful, and soon their private rehearsals spiral into new, forbidden territory...but will the past stand in the way of a future together?
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THANK YOU!

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