ZEKE (Breaking the Declan Brothers, #3) by Kelly Gendron

ZEKE (Breaking the Declan Brothers, #3)  by Kelly Gendron

Every girl in Galveston County knows about Zeke Declan’s rules and has agreed to them or is considering them.
Rule #1 Don’t call him. He’ll call you.
Rule #2 He doesn’t date.
Rule #3 No sleepovers.
Rule #4 Absolutely, no virgins.

When a couple friends talk me into going back to their hometown in the Bayou for the summer and challenge me to break “the best damn lay in Galveston County” along with every single one of his ridiculous rules, I’m confident that I can get the job done. I’m no stranger to men. I have five older brothers. I’m a teacher and I’m used to being around rebellious teenagers. However, Zeke Declan is definitely not someone that I could have prepared for. He’s not a testosterone-fueled, immature boy. He’s a confident, arousing, playful, and mind-melting man. But, behind that sexy charming smile, I know he’s hiding a secret. And, in order to break him, I’m going to need to find out what it is..

This book started off a little slow for me but then it got interesting. I thought the rules were pretty funny and a great addition to the story. I loved how she would attack them one rule at a time.  I really want to go back and read the rest of the series now!!!

***This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review***

Betting the Bad Boy by Sugar Jamison

Description

Ten years ago, Duke King knew that getting involved with Grace Truman would only bring trouble into his already hard life. After all, the son of the town drunk has no business falling for the judge’s daughter…a passion that led to disaster and ended with Duke serving a ten year prison sentence. Duke never wanted to return to Destiny, especially now that he’s built a multimillion dollar custom car empire with his brothers. But when his sick aunt calls him home, he must face his past and discover a secret that instantly changes his life.

Grace never thought she would see Duke again, especially after years of silence. But when Duke comes storming back into her life, looking hotter than ever, and determined to get to know the son he never knew he had, she realizes that maybe she’d been wrong about him so many years ago. So Grace decides to make Duke a bet. If he can stay in the house with them for the next thirty days and prove he’ll be a good father, she’ll agree to letting him be part of his son’s life. If not, he’d better be prepared for a fight.

Going from single guy to family man isn’t going to be easy for Duke, especially with the still sexy, now fiery, Grace clouding his every thought. Can Duke be the man he never thought he could be or will his old bad boy ways be too much to conquer?

My Thoughts

I loved the first book in this series with Colt and this book is just as good, if not better! This whole book felt very realistic. What I mean by that is that the characters and plot are believable. I can understand why she kept the kid a secret and I understand why he is upset. It all makes sense and is believable!!

Watching this relationship grow was awesome! I felt like I knew them. I could feel their hurt, anger and love. There was comedy and drama. This was a very well rounded book and that is part of why it was so good.

Sugar Jamison is one of my favorite authors and this book was just icing on the cake. Now, can you please hurry up and release the next one please!!!

**This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review**

The Safe Bet by Shealy James

There’s no man in the world who won’t break Reagan Anders’s heart…

At the fragile age of eight, Reagan’s life seemed perfect. But when her beloved father abandoned their tiny family, Reagan was left emotionally scarred.

Now in high school, not much has changed. Reagan still won’t let her guard down. Not even for her long-time friend, Brock Anderson, who has spent years pursuing Reagan, yet never tearing down her walls.

If you push hard enough, eventually you’ll get your way...

By graduation, Brock has finally won over Reagan’s affections. They aren’t a public item, but Brock is content just being hers, even if that means going without the official boyfriend title.

As usual, Reagan’s fears get the better of her, and suspicions of Brock’s commitment creep in. Surviving their relationship’s tension, they make it to college together, where their game of cat and mouse takes a darker twist.

Tragedies come in threes...

But after a tragic car crash that kills her best friend, her mother ships her off to the one person Reagan hates more than herself. Her father.

When she meets her brother she never knew, they immediately become friends. Years pass until one day when she meets one of her brother’s friends…Brock Anderson—and he’s on a mission to win her back.

When Reagan and Brock are reunited, the chemistry is stronger than ever. But when uncertainty threatens their future, will Brock be the safe bet, or will he be the heartache she always feared?

This book was a good read but was not very captivating. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and wanted to get back to reading it but I did not spend my day thinking about it. Idid enjoy the game of chase but wish there had been more of that. It seemed like Reagan caved to fast and too easily when in reality, she would have fought more based on her past, Brock sounds like a great man that I would like to meet and hang out with!

If you want a fun read for a rainy day, this is your book! If you want something realistic that you can relate to, you won't find that here, but you can still enjoy the story.

**This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review**

Happy Valentine's Day

If you were like me, you hated Valentine's Day. This is the day that all married, engaged and dating people run around talking about how perfect their life is and how amazing their significant other is. Their fairly tale life is perfect for this one day. What they never seem to realize is that this one day makes those of us who are single feel worthless.

Years ago I decided to change the way I think and now Valentine's Day revolves around the relationship between my son and myself. We have a special dinner (at home cuz all the love birds flock to the restaurants to show off their perfect love for each other (gag me), I usually buy him a new toy or two and some candy and we snuggle, That is what makes my Valentine's Day better than everyone elses.

But alas, I do read romance books so I wanted to bring this post back to that. I would love to know which romance books you have read lately. Is there one that blew you away, one that made you laugh, cry or think of the past?

In Deep with the FBI Agent by Lynne Silver

To Casey, Montgomery Prep isn't just DC's most prestigious private school-it's her alma mater, the place where her fondest memories were made. It's also her current employer and the target of a dangerous cyber criminal. But even more shocking than the crime is the sexy FBI agent who comes to investigate . . .
With his six-plus frame and gym-sculpted body, no one would suspect FBI special agent Sam Cooper was once an awkward teenage computer geek-no one, that is, except Casey, the gorgeous girl who captured his heart on the first day of high school and held it for the last fourteen years. When a hunt for a hacker brings Casey back into Sam's life, his long-denied desire becomes impossible to ignore. He knows just how to make her forget the boy he was . . . and show her the man he's become.

This book was really cute! I enjoyed the story line and the characters. Sam was hot even though he was nerdy. Casey was a little unreal at the beginning but she got more realistic as the book continued. The end was extremely predictable and disappointing but all in all, it was a fun read.

**This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review!**

Stripped by Piper Lawson

"I’ve been in New York four weeks. I’m behind on the spring line, days from homeless, and getting sued by the only person in the whole damn city who’s seen me naked."

Ava Cameron has stars in her eyes. When the feisty designer moves to NYC after graduation with her best friend, things are finally clicking into place.

But now their brand new label, Travesty, is under attack.

The man leading the charge is the hottest hookup Ava ever had. One she never wanted to see again...

Nate Townsend might be from the right schools, the right neighborhood and the right family. But under the surface, his scars run deep.

When the society prince and the loud designer come face to face on a case that could decide Ava's future, sparks fly.

Nate's not about to let Ava forget she's the only person who knows his secrets. And Ava’s walking the line between getting Travesty back on track and being dragged into the gutter by one stubborn young lawyer planning to take her down.

This book was catchy from the first page to the last. I had a very hard time putting it down!  The characters were great and believable. I love how independant Ava was. Nate sounds like a fantastic man and I wish he were real so I could meet him!

***This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review***

Playing with Fire Kate Meader

Playing with Fire Kate Meader

Description:
As the only female firefighter at Engine Co. 6, Alexandra Dempsey gets it from all sides: the male coworkers who think she can’t do the job, the wives and girlfriends who see her as a threat to their firefighter men, and her overprotective foster brothers who want to shelter their baby sister at all costs. So when she single-handedly saves the life of Eli Cooper, Chicago’s devastatingly handsome mayor, she assumes the respect she’s longed for will finally come her way. But it seems Mr. Mayor has other ideas…

Eli Cooper’s mayoral ratings are plummeting, his chances at reelection dead in the water. When a sexy, curvaceous firefighter gives him the kiss of life, she does more than bring him back to the land of the living—she also breathes vitality into his campaign. Riding the wave of their feel-good story might prop up Eli’s flagging political fortunes, but the sizzling attraction between them can go nowhere; he’s her boss, and there are rules that must be obeyed. But you know what they say about rules: they’re made to be broken.

My thoughts:
There is something really great about a female firefighter saving a cocky man. I loved the story line here. Alexandra has some serious spunk and humor. Surrounded by so many guys all the time, she has to stand up for herself and fight hard!

Watching the relationship grow between Eli and Alexandra was fascinating. I laughed and I cried. There were points that I forgot I was reading, and felt like this was really happening. To me, that shows some amazing writing skills!

I did enjoy reading this book all the way through. I hope there are many more! Kate Meader is a great author and I can not wait to read more of her books.

***This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an open and honest review***