Sportochick's Musings: September 2018

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Awesome 5 STAR REVIEW Cowboy, Cross My Heart by Donna Grant

Sportochick's Musings ~ If you want a cowboy book full of intrigue that is fast-paced and overflowing with romance, then you will love this book.

Cowboy, Cross My Heart

Heart of Texas #1

by Donna Grant

Find The Book At ~ Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Publisher ~ St. Martins Press Romance

Genres ~ Cowboy, Contemporary Romance

New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant takes you deep inside the Texas rodeo scene, where danger and desire ride side by side. . .

Naomi Pierce isn't the type to let a cowboy sweep her off feet. It's not her first rodeo, after all. But when she returns to her Texas hometown, she can't help but be swept up again in the rough-and-tumble world of hard-riding, bronco-busting good-ol'-boys she loved as a girl. She might be here to photograph her Rodeo Queen best friend. But it's one fine-looking cowboy who really captures her eye...

Brice Harper is all man, all muscle, and all heart. From the moment he rides into the stadium, he can't help but notice the beautiful stranger with a camera watching him from the stands. It doesn't take a zoom lens to see the sparks of instant attraction. But things really heat up when he meets Naomi up-close--and he discovers that someone is stalking her friend. Brice wouldn't be any kind of cowboy if he didn't offer to help the ladies out. But can the rough rider keep this spirited shutterbug out of danger--without risking his heart?

If you want a cowboy book full of intrigue that is fast-paced and overflowing with romance, then you will love this book. The rich descriptions of rodeo and pageant life satisfies all those want to be cowboy or cowgirls out there. With the stalker element the reader will be sitting on the edge of the chair wondering who it is. There are lots of twist and turns to the plot and resolution to the story is not predictable.

With plenty of cowboys to fall in love with the primary character is my first choice. Brice, a very hunky protective man, has grown up and has learned his lesson from The Christmas Cowboy Hero book 1 of this series. In this book he and his younger brother Caleb have a disagreement and are drifting further apart while he and Naomi are getting closer and closer as he works to protect her from danger.

Going home is not always easy so Naomi struggles to be back in Texas while realizing how much she loves the hometown life. I liked her character because she has a backbone with a kind loving heart. She was fearless and not afraid to speak her mind. I am glad that she found resolution for herself in this book and it was rewarding watching it slowly happen.

I give this book 5 STARS for showing how when families and friends stick together they can solve the impossible.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

My Reviews Of The Heart Of Texas Series

The Christmas Cowboy Hero #1 - My Review

Cowboy, Cross My Heart #2 - My Review

My Favorite Cowboy #3 - My Review

A Cowboy like You #4 - My Review

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels and novellas spanning multiple genres of romance.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Her childhood dream was to become a professional ballet dancer and study under the amazing Mikhail Baryshnikov. Though she never got to meet Baryshnikov, she did make it to New York City and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, Donna’s love of the romance genre and the constant stories running through her head prompted her to sit down and write her first book. Once that book was completed, there was no turning back.

Donna sold her first book in November 2005 while displaced from Hurricane Rita, a storm that destroyed portions of the Texas Gulf Coast. Since then, Donna has sold novels and novellas to both electronic and print publishers. Her books include several complete series such as Druids Glen, The Shields, Royal Chronicles, Sisters of Magic, Dark Sword, Dark Warriors, and her new series, Dark Kings.

Despite the deadlines and her voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two young children, four cats, three fish, and one long haired Chihuahua. She’s blessed with a proud, supportive husband who loves to read and travel as much as she does.

Find The Author At ~

Website | Goodreads | Facebook

REVIEW Lord of Secrets by Erica Ridley

Sportochick's Musings ~ I give this 4 STARS for portraying moral fiber in both characters

Lord of Secrets

Rogues to Riches #5

by Erica Ridley

Find The Book At ~ Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Publisher ~ WebMotion, Season Publishing
Genres ~ Historical Romance

Some secrets should never be unveiled…

Heath Grenville is the problem-solver for London's elite. Unmask the devious cretin skewering the ton with audacious caricatures? With pleasure. His success should keep the powerful happy. But when his work leads him to a young lady outside his class, surely he won’t do anything so scandalous as to fall in love...

By day, Miss Eleanora Winfield is a proper, unremarkable paid companion. By night, Nora’s skillful hands sketch the infamous penny caricatures rocking high society. Nora desperately needs the money…and her anonymity. But how can she keep them both, when she’s fallen for the one man whose livelihood and reputation requires him to expose her?

This was delightful read. Eleanora's, aka Nora, character was lively and fun. Not in an outgoing way but the inner dialog shared with the reader. She loves her family and understands her place in life thus uses her limited time with the Ton to help her family. Her ability to help her family financially is a critical part to this story. Her eyes see society in a fresh manner and her caricatures express that to the ton. I like the fact that they don't know who the person doing the drawings is.

I have admired and wanted to know more about Heath from previous books to this series. I wondered how a man could survive three unique strong-willed sisters. I came to love his devotion to his family specifically his sisters. It was nice to read a story about a man who loved his sisters to the point of doing whatever it took to insuring their happiness.

I give this 4 STARS for portraying moral fiber in both characters.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

My Reviews Of The Rogues to Riches Series
Lord of Chance #1 - Not Reviewed Amazon
Lord of Pleasure #2 - My Review Amazon
Lord of Night #3 - My Review Amazon
Lord of Temptation #4 - Not Reviewed
Lord of Secrets #5 - My Review Amazon
Lord of Vice #6 - Not Reviewed

Erica Ridley is a USA Today and New York Times best-selling author of historical romance novels.

In her new Rogues to Riches historical romance series, sigh-worthy Regency rogues sweep strong-willed young ladies into whirlwind romance with rollicking adventure.

Fan-favorite Dukes of War features charming peers and dashing war heroes who return from battle only to be thrust into the splendor and madness of Regency England.

When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

Find The Author At ~

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

Monday, September 17, 2018

REVIEW Tour GIVEAWAY Siren's Calling by Piper J. Drake

Amae Waters is a mermaid blending in with humankind. Her mission? Prepare the oceans for the return of her people. But a new predator has entered the Puget Sound, defying human understanding, and Amae must face it and darker dangers lurking in the deep.

Available September 18^th – Siren’s Calling, The Sea King’s Daughters IV, An urban fantasy novella by Piper J Drake.

Follow the tour and #enter to #win a Piper J Drake Gift Basket!

Enter at: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29572/?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: Siren’s Calling

Author: Piper J. Drake

Series: The Sea King’s Daughters

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: September 18, 2018

Publisher: Independent

Print Length: 22,000 words

ASIN: B07FWSWV5T

Amae Waters will never live up to her father's expectations--she's not a leader and she's not a soldier. Rather than live with his disappointment, she's left his realm and built a life for herself in Seattle, a mermaid blending in with humankind. Her mission? To prepare the oceans for the return of her people. But she's not sure she's cut out to accomplish that either.

A new predator has entered the waters of the Puget Sound, ravaging orcas and leaving their carcasses to wash ashore for humans to find. Whatever is killing them is beyond human understanding and Amae must find it before it irrevocably damages the complex balance of the ocean ecosystems.

But a greater danger lurks in the deep. Amae is done evading traps. She'll defend her territory and prove she needn't be a soldier to be a warrior or become the sacrifice used to end her people.

Look for other stories in this exciting Urban Fantasy series from Philippa Ballantine, Stacia D. Kelly, Lauren Harris, Katee Robert, and Asa Maria Bradley.

Get More information at: Goodreads |Amazon

In book 4 of The Sea King's Daughters series, Amae who is trained as a soldier, tries to save the sea animals from a mysterious killer. This book is filled with action adventure but also tells the story of a daughter who finally finds her way.

Keegan with his mysterious and quiet presence was quite deceiving at first creating additional tension and interest to the plot. His character kept this story interesting.

The emotions evoked in this book are protectiveness, caring, strength and forgiveness. How the author brings this about is very rewarding as she details the progression of these emotions and combines them into Amae's personal choice to free herself from thoughts that do not serve her. Along the way lives are changed and sometimes the very bad are not so bad.

I rate this book 4 STARS because of the ending. You'll need to read this to see what I am talking about.

Excerpt from Siren’s Calling:
I tasted blood in the water.

Changing course with a flick of my tail, I swam against the fast-moving ocean current toward the source. There were no vibrations in the water to indicate the thrashing of a living thing in distress and the seas were quieter than usual. Not surprising, with this much blood carried on the currents. Predators would be drawn to it and prey would be wise to leave the area or hide.

Curious, I’d come to investigate, thinking one of the killer whale pods had taken a baleen whale. It wasn’t unheard of, though it didn’t happen often. A big kill like that would draw plenty of ocean denizens, and I hadn’t tasted whale in a long time. I wouldn’t kill one, not when I couldn't finish consuming it myself and not when so many whale species were endangered, but I wouldn’t let it go to waste, either.

When I didn’t find anything in open water, I’d pulled myself up onto the rocky outcropping between islands and found it. The body. But it wasn’t a humpback or gray whale, not a mink or fin whale, either. It was an orca, a killer whale, and that didn’t make any kind of sense.

Before I could take a closer look, the sound of a powerful motor cut through the morning calls of seabirds. Harbor seals lifted their heads and looked around from where they lay on another rock outcropping. A lone Steller sea lion grunted and scratched his head with a huge hind flipper. He turned to stare at me and I met his gaze, unconcerned. He was a prime specimen of a bull, the largest I’d ever encountered, but he posed no threat to me.

The waves slapped against the rocks around my tail fin in a changed cadence. A boat was approaching, and with it, humans. They were probably whale watching, which meant every one of them would be on the lookout for wildlife. Most of them would have binoculars. I couldn’t let them see me in this form.

I dove back into the water, darting through forests of kelp and berating myself for lingering past dawn. There was too much light and I had to dive deep to be sure nothing on the surface caught sight of even a tail flick from me.

As far as humans were concerned, I didn’t exist. I was a myth, a fairy tale.

If they saw me, they might not even believe what they’d seen. In their dreams or after too many drinks, they might whisper, “Mermaid.”

And they’d be right.

About Piper J. Drake:

Piper J. Drake is a bestselling author of romantic suspense and edgy contemporary romance, a frequent flyer, and day job road warrior. She is often distracted by dogs, cupcakes, and random shenanigans.