ARC: The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone

Bad Boys of Crystal Lake

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started...

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It's been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O'Rourke makes him wonder if he's missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie--single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake--love is a luxury she just can't afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.

I gave this book a 

  

The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone is a spring must read.  The bonds of friendship are unique, more so when they are born in our childhoods.  The Summer He Came Home is wonderful, allowing readers to feel as though they too have come home.  The first installment in the  Bad  Boys of Crystal Lake is sure to please, with bold and sexy characters.  Crystal Lake is morning the loss of one of their own, and it brings all the bad boys back home. Cain can't seem to run from the town stereo typing his Rock n' Roll persona.  Everyone thinks they know him, but they would all be wrong, especially Maggie. This romance was sweet and  hit all the right notes.  Cain and Maggie's story is believable and endearing.  In the mist of all that takes place readers see a glimpse of other bad boys, which leaves readers in "want" of what is to happen in the installment. 

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Publisher:  Sourcebooks

Pub Date: April 2, 2013

This Title was Accepted via

 

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ARC: 2 Novelettes by Jemma Chase: Waiting & Amazing

Come visit the far future, where derelict spaceships are Waiting in deep space for salvage...or maybe for rescue.

Then take a trip to an Amazing resort run by a mysterious benefactor who may or may not want to give his guests a vacation to die for.

I gave this book a 

  
3.5
Waiting and Amazing by Jemma Chase are two separate novelettes, that give only a hint of what could come if the story were a novella or a full length novel.  My favorite was Waiting, the "lost in space" read.  Although the main character is not lost in space, her ship has honed in on a signal.  Apparently she is trying to earn enough by way of salvaging in order to attain a very important item. I don't dare say more in fear of ruining this novellete for anyone else. This story had me asking all sorts of questions, it left me with a yearning to travel out further into space with this particular crew. I so wanted to know just what she was going to find on board the ghost ship.  Please expand on this short, Jemma. *wink*
  Now, on to Amazing.  Amazing was a maze in the making. How far would you go to attain a job?  What if you literally had to enter a maze and only those that survived would land the position?  Amazing is maze waiting to be solved.  Husband and wife become involved in one employer's brilliant idea of employee selection.  Amazing is a very bizarre read, also leaving readers with plethora of questions, as if lost in a maze, too.
Both these novelettes had the feel of a movie. Both left you feeling as though something was missing, leaving readers to their own imaginative conclusions.
I found them to be very interesting and I can see the author publishing
 these types of novelettes in serial form giving readers a chapter at a time.

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Publisher: Jemma Chase

Pub Date: Nov. 20, 2012

This Title was Accepted via the author. 

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Tempt Me Tuesday with Mad Hatter Reads!

It's Tempt Me Tuesday and what a day for temptation! Have you been like me? Counting down the days with anticipation? The wait is over and my e-reader is pretty busy right now downloading all of picks. Leave me a comment and let me know what's tempting you this week.

  Lover At Last by J. R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood, #11 Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another. Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: it seems Qhuinn has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young. It’s hard for Blay to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. And Qhuinn needs to come to terms with some dark things before he can move forward. Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions...but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together... finally become one.

  Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost Night Prince, #2 Dating the Prince of Darkness has it's challenges. . . Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover Vlad has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever--especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her. Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity. . . Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust-- the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.

  Levet by Alexandra Ivy Guardians of Eternity, #9.5 Gargoyles do not admire difference--and Levet is undeniably different. Of miniscule stature, rather beastly looks, and with fragile, delicate wings, even his family has shunned him, banished him from his beloved Paris. That he is the only gargoyle ever to help defeat the Dark Lord and his hordes of minions makes no impression. But now Levet has come home, determined to be restored to the official Gargoyle Guild. To do so, he must confront the most feared gargoyle in all of Europe. The one who tried to kill him as a child: his own mother. With few allies, Levet's survival may depend on the aid of two strangers: Valla, a beautiful but damaged nymph, and Elijah, the fiercely possessive, love-struck vampire clan chief to whom she can't quite surrender--unless Levet has something to do with it.


  Wolf With Benefits by Shelly Laurenston Pride, #8 Ricky Lee has no plans on getting serious about anyone, but he will protect Toni Jean-Louis Parker. Not just because he's been hired to do so, but because it's the right thing to do. And if that means travelling around the country with one complicated She-jackal, dealing with chocolate-eating wild dogs, instigating trouble between his brothers, and having the most amazing sex he's ever had...well, who said his job didn't have perks? Toni doesn't know how she keeps getting herself into these situations. But even she has to admit there's something about Ricky Lee Reed that she finds kind of interesting...and downright sexy. Now they just have to survive long enough to figure out if what they have is worth fighting for.

Kitty Rocks The House by Carrie Vaughn Kitty Norville, #11 On the heels of Kitty's return from London, a new werewolf shows up in Denver, one who threatens to split the pack by challenging Kitty’s authority at every turn. The timing could not be worse; Kitty needs all the allies she can muster to go against the ancient vampire, Roman, if she’s to have any hope of defeating his Long Game. But there’s more to this intruder than there seems, and Kitty must uncover the truth, fast. Meanwhile, Cormac pursues an unknown entity wreaking havoc across Denver; and a vampire from the Order of St. Lazaurus tempts Rick with the means to transform his life forever.


  Dark Night by Caris Roane Amulet Triology, #2 Available March 27, 2013 A powerful master vampire and an unwilling witch must work together to retrieve a killing amulet from a dreaded enemy. He never wanted to love a witch… When a powerful amulet is stolen from the Fealconshire tribe, Master Vampire Eligio goes on the hunt and learns that the sexy witch, Sol-Brenna has bought it illegally on the black market. Because the amulet can be changed from a source of healing to an instrument of death, Eligio must get the amulet back. When he presents Sol-Brenna with an offer she can’t refuse, Eligio soon learns he’ll have his own price to pay…his heart! She never wanted to be bound to a vampire again… Sol-Brenna loves her witch’s trade and takes pride in her brews, concoctions and erotic salves. But when Master Vampire Eligio comes to her door presenting her with the choice between extensive jail-time or a single night of love, Sol-Brenna finally gives herself freely to the vampire despite his threat of incarceration. But in surrendering, she starts down a path that may cost much more than she ever dreamed possible.

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Wait for Me by Elisabeth Naughton

A woman without a past...

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn't feel right. She's had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can't be anyone but a daughter Kate didn't know she had.

A man desperate for a reason to live...

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want--money, fame and power--but he'd give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.

Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn't remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can't explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she's supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens...even now...when the second chance they've both been searching for is finally within reach.

I gave this book a 

  

Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton will keep you guessing to the very end. There is no waiting in this contemporary novel filled with mystery, murder, and smoldering passion. Readers will find themselves turning each page in search of clues and on a roller-coaster of emotional tension. I highly recommend this book, I thoroughly enjoyed all the different elements Naughton brought out.  The characters were memorable, and realistic adding depth to the story. Needless to say, I am now, a fan.

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To find out more about Elisabeth Naughton visit her site
www.elisabethnaughton.com

Publisher: Elisabeth Naughton

Pub Date: December 21, 2011

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Tempt Me Tuesday by Mad Hatter Reads

Today is another Tempting Tuesday! I don't have as much for you this week, but I did find four books that are exceedingly tempting for me! Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know what's tempting you this week.
  Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks The Montgomerys and Armstrongs, #2 Genevieve McInnis is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting. Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.

 The Lost by Vicki Pettersson Celestial Blues, #2
Griffin Shaw and his wife were both murdered fifty years ago. Now a minor angel, Grif's been granted permission to solve the mystery of his own death . . . if he helps the Pure angels guide those souls who might otherwise be Lost. Souls like Jeap Yang, a drug addict in his final moments of life. Grif knows that death is coming, but he cannot intervene. However, Grif's mortal lover, reporter Katherine "Kit" Craig, isn't constrained by angelic protocol. If she can stop a death, she will. But as Kit is about to find out, there are things more traumatic and evil than murder. A strange new drug is literally eating tweakers' flesh from their bones, and Kit's crusade to get it off the streets is set to propel her and Grif into a battle with a vicious drug cartel. They'll have to scramble to stay alive, stay together, and choose their own fate . . . before it's chosen for them.
  Cards & Caravans by Cindy Spencer Pape Gaslight Chronicles, #5 Belinda Danvers isn't a witch. But that won't stop them burning her at the stake. Connor McKay can tell at a glance that Belinda's magickal powers are minimal at best. She can't be guilty of murdering village children. There's something suspicious about her arrest and lightning-quick sentence. Unfortunately, telling anyone how he knows would mean revealing his own powers. He's been sent by the Order of the Round Table to help and he can't just let her die. Escaping from jail and running from vindictive villagers in her grandfather's steam-powered caravan is more excitement than Belinda's had in years. And despite the danger—or maybe because of it—she loves the time spent with her sexy rescuer. But there's more to his magick than he's letting on… There's something going on that's bigger than the two of them. It's time for good to make a stand.

 You & I, Me & You by Mary Janice Davidson Candice Jones, #3 Candice (and her sisters) has moved in with Patrick and everything is more than she could have ever dreamed. Except why does the dreamy Dr. Gallo keep popping up unexpectedly in her fantasies? When her pleasantly steady love life suddenly starts looking pretty darn shaky, Candice and her sisters find themselves knee-deep in a new case that brings the escaped Threefer Killers back onto the scene. The stakes are higher, the danger more real, the hijinks more hilarious, and the love and passion are more delicious in this final book of an unforgettable trilogy.

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ARC: The Lost: Celestial Blues: Book Two by Vicki Pettersson

Book 2

Celestial Blues

Griffin Shaw and his wife were both murdered fifty years ago. Now a minor angel, Grif's been granted permission to solve the mystery of his own death . . . if he helps the Pure angels guide those souls who might otherwise be Lost.

Souls like Jeap Yang, a drug addict in his final moments of life. Grif knows that death is coming, but he cannot intervene. However, Grif's mortal lover, reporter Katherine "Kit" Craig, isn't constrained by angelic protocol. If she can stop a death, she will.

But as Kit is about to find out, there are things more traumatic and evil than murder. A strange new drug is literally eating tweakers' flesh from their bones, and Kit's crusade to get it off the streets is set to propel her and Grif into a battle with a vicious drug cartel. They'll have to scramble to stay alive, stay together, and choose their own fate . . . before it's chosen for them.

I gave this book a 

   

The Lost by Vicki Pettersson serves up another urban fantasy delight.  Grif and Kit are in the mist of a battle between the Cubans and the Russians, dealing with chaos around them as their feelings for each other flourish. If you read The Taken, the first in the trilogy, you will indeed enjoy The Lost, as it sweeps readers.  Pettersson delves deeper into Sin City showing more aspects of Grif as he deals with the changes within and around him. I yearned to help Grif, in this story, it was killing me.  Wonderful novel, I can not wait to learn what the final book in the trilogy has in store for us. 

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Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pub Date: March  19, 2013

This Title was Accepted via

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Giveaways! ~ Surrender Your Love by J.C. Creed

SURRENDER YOUR LOVE

BOOK 1

by J.C. REED

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release date: March 14th, 2013

Blurb:
Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice.

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed.

Sexy, dangerously handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield attracts trouble, and women, like a lightning rod. But the night he meets Brooke he gets more than he bargained for. The green-eyed millionaire playboy isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and he isn’t about to start now.

When he proposes two months of no strings sex, Brooke is intrigued and accepts his proposal. Little does she know Jett’s determined to claim the one woman he can’t have, pulling her deeper into his dangerous world.

A man who doesn't take 'no' for an answer.
A woman afraid to surrender to love.Two lives that are about to cross...and secrets laid bare.

CLICK BELOW FOR YOUR CHANCE AT WINNING A COPY OF THIS NOVEL

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17190226-surrender-your-love

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 Visit this J.C. Reed's site today for a chance at a $50 Gift Card!

jcreedauthor.blogspot.com

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/JC-Reed/295864860535849

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Saturday Surprise Giveaway!

Visit our Facebook Page and comment for 
a chance at these two
two Kindle Edition books. 

Wait for Me by Elisabeth Naughton 
&
Wait for You by J. Lynn

Winner will be chosen at 
10Pm (eastern)
tonight!

Best of luck!

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Review: The Taken by Vicki Pettersson

Book 1

Celestial Blues

Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was back when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Fifty years later, he's an angel, but that doesn't make him a saint. One small mistake has altered fate, and now he's been dumped back onto the mortal mudflat to collect another soul--Katherine "Kit" Craig, a journalist whose latest investigation is about to get her clipped.

Bucking heavenly orders, Grif refuses to let the sable-haired siren come to harm. Besides, protecting her offers a chance to solve the mystery of his own unsolved murder--and dole out some overdue payback for the death of his beloved wife, Evie.

Joining forces, Kit and Grif's search for answers leads beyond the blinding lights of the Strip into the dark heart of an evil conspiracy. But a ruthless killer determined to destroy them isn't Grif's biggest threat. His growing attraction to Kit could cost them both their lives, along with the answer to the haunting question of his long afterlife . . .

I gave this book a 

  

3.5 Stars

The Taken by Vicki Pettersson is fantastic paranormal wrapped in mystery. Grif and Kit are amazing together, bring this book to life with their natural banter. Grif has to learn to live again as a human and uncover  the truth before death attempts to catch him again. Grif is the true show stopper in this book, he lures readers in with his actions and words.  I was very happy with this book, and look forward to reading The Lost, book two in the Celestial Blues series. I recommend this book if you are interested in supernatural noir, you will surely enjoy it. 

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Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pub Date: July 12, 2012

Source Code: R

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Review: The Notorious Lady Anne by Sharon Cullen

From rising romance star Sharon Cullen comes a tale of the fiery passion between a noble naval officer and a female pirate that’s as tempestuous and as unpredictable as the sea.

Nicholas Addison, celebrated captain of the Blackwell Shipping Fleet, has agreed to take Mrs. Emmaline Sutherland aboard the Pride and ferry the raven-haired beauty across the Atlantic on what he imagines will be a routine trip. But when the ship is attacked by pirates, the seemingly innocent passenger is revealed to be none other than the infamous marauder Lady Anne, whose name strikes fear in the hearts of sailors everywhere—and whose seductive wiles commandeers Nicholas’s affections.

Lady Anne, a legend of the high seas, has spent the last eleven years plotting revenge against her father, the owner of Blackwell Shipping. She’s targeted the Pride in hopes of plundering its captain’s company secrets. But beneath her fierce courage and bitter determination, Anne has the delicate heart of a woman—a heart that cannot help falling for Nicholas. Now Anne must make a difficult choice: bring down Blackwell or surrender to love.

I gave this book a 

  
The Notorious Lady Anne by Sharon Cullen is a piratical dream.   Cullen gives readers an exciting and superb love story that spans over the oceans.  This historical gives readers all the elements we crave as we set sail into this tale.  Lady Anne is fantastic, she exudes daring, passion, and intrigue as she commands both ship and man.  Nicholas gives this story a quality of authenticity, this wounded hero will take a firm hold on readers as he sets to win Lady Anne.  I highly recommend this book, a wonderful pirate love story.

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Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
                  Loveswept

Pub Date:  Feb 11 2013

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Tempt Me Tuesday by Mad Hatter Reviews

Tempt Me Tuesday is my weekly post featuring the New Releases that are just so tempting. This week I found books from several different genres including Sci-Fi/Fantasy, YA, and Romance that look interesting. Leave a comment and let me know what's tempting you this week?

Bloodfire Quest by Terry Brooks

The Dark Legacy of Shannara #2 The quest for the long-lost Elfstones has drawn the leader of the Druid order and her followers into the hellish dimension known as the Forbidding, where the most dangerous creatures banished from the Four Lands are imprisoned. Now the hunt for the powerful talismans that can save their world has become a series of great challenges: a desperate search for kidnapped comrades, a relentless battle against unspeakable predators, and a grim race to escape the Forbidding alive. But though freedom is closer than they know, it may come at a terrifying price.

Back in the village of Arborlon, the mystical, sentient tree that maintains the barrier between the Four Lands and the Forbidding is dying. And with each passing day, as the breach between the two worlds grows larger, the threat of the evil eager to spill forth and wreak havoc grows more dire. The only hope lies with a young Druid, faced with a staggering choice: cling to the life she cherishes or combat an army of darkness by making the ultimate sacrifice.

If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

Inside Out Trilogy #1 The journal comes to Sara McMillan by chance, when she inherits the key to an abandoned storage locker belonging to a woman named Rebecca. Sara can’t resist peeking at the entries in the journal...and she finds a scintillating account of Rebecca’s affair with an unnamed lover, a relationship drenched in ecstasy and wrapped in dark secrets.

Obsessed with discovering Rebecca’s destiny after the entries come to an abrupt end, Sara does more than observe the players in the woman’s life; she immerses herself in the high-stakes art gallery world Rebecca inhabited—and is magnetically drawn to two men. Which one seduced Rebecca with his masterful and commanding touch and brought her fantasies to exquisite life? On a daringly erotic escapade, Sara follows Rebecca’s path to fulfill her own hidden longings. But after she tastes the forbidden pleasures Rebecca savored, will Sara be helpless to escape the same submissive fate?

Poison by Bridget Zinn Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her? Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she's the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Heat Seeker by Lora Leigh

Elite Ops, #3 John Vincent has always led a life of danger, and now he has every reason to want to remain as dead as the obituary in the Australian papers had proclaimed him to be. He’d left nothing behind in the life he had once led—except for one woman, and one night of unforgettable passion. Now, both will return to haunt him.

Bailey Serborne is still tormented by a past she can’t change and a man she hasn’t been able to forget. A man who was supposed to dead.. But now, a stroke of fate has revealed that sometimes, a woman is given a second chance to heal her heart—and exact the sweetest revenge.

Reckless by Allison Brennan

Lucy Kincaid, #5.5 Two suspicious hikers …

An unmarked grave … A missing child … FBI trainee Lucy Kincaid's spontaneous weekend camping trip with her boyfriend, P.I. Sean Rogan, turns into a deadly nightmare when they come across two hikers looking for their lost son. But when Lucy and Sean split up to help find the missing child, each quickly realizes that the parents have a dark secret they'll kill to keep.

Lost In You by Lauren Dane

Petal, Georgia, #2 It hasn’t been easy for Joe Harris to live down his not-so-honorable past, but the military made him a better man. He’s determined to make up for past mistakes, starting with coming home to care for his ailing father.

Things are going as planned until his best friend’s little sister comes barreling into his life. Funny, quick talking, smart, beautiful, she’s a temptation he tries—and fails—to resist. When Beth Murphy hears Joe is back in town, she makes sure she’s the first on his welcoming committee. Though he tries to pretend he’s gruff and unworthy of her, she sees the man who spoils his dog, who touches her like she’s precious. Cherished. But there’s one wall she can’t break down—the truth about what’s happening at home. On the night the nature of his father’s illness becomes painfully, publicly apparent, Joe does the right thing—push Beth as far away as possible. But if he thought she’d go away quietly, he’s about to learn she’s made of sterner stuff. Warning: Slow-talking, sexy mechanic with a drawl, looking to get a Murphy right out of her underpants. Quick-talking woman who knows what she wants and has a weak spot for the aforementioned slow-talking mechanic and his dancing dog. Bad words. Polly Chase behind the wheel again.

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