Tag: Callie Croix

#DFRAT Review: Let Me In by Callie Croix.

Posted June 28, 2012 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments


Rowena’s review of Let Me In by Callie Croix.

Hero: Liam Brodie
Heroine: Talia Barnett

On leave for Thanksgiving, the last thing marine lieutenant Talia Barnett expects to find is Liam Brodie waiting for her at the airport. He’s had a starring role in her fantasies for the past two years, and although she’d love to make them a reality, she has a dark secret that prevents her from taking things further.

A former marine, Liam’s specialty is planning tactical operations, and that’s just what he plans to do to win Talia. The woman has kept him at arm’s length for too long, and this time he’s finally going to claim her—body and heart.

What begins as comfort quickly turns hot. When Liam shows Talia a hint of the dominant nature inside him, the submissive part of her flares to life. Though she desires him, she’s going back on deployment and doesn’t want to dump all her drama on him. Will he find a way to break through the protective walls around her heart and convince her they have a future that goes far beyond the bedroom?

This book founds its way onto my TBR pile when I started making my lists of books to read for the Digital First Read-a-Thon. I’d never heard of this author before preparing for the DFRAT but I’m so glad that she came onto my radar because I enjoyed Liam and Talia’s story.

This story follows Liam Brodie as he sets out to get the girl he’s been wanting for quite some time. Talia Bennett has been a friend to his sister’s for about two years and he wants to get closer than she’s letting him. Talia’s family life isn’t the great big ball of happiness that Liam shares with his family and she really doesn’t want to dump all of her family drama on them so she doesn’t talk about her family life. She’s got a depressed Mom that can be quite the handful and she’s a huge reason why Talia isn’t big on family, even though she loves the Brodie family. Being in the marine corps gives her an excuse to be deployed during the holidays but this Thanksgiving, things change.

What I enjoyed about this story was even though it’s such a short story, there’s a surprising amount of depth to the story, to the characters and I really dug that about this one. Talia’s character is reserved and she keeps people at a distance because it’s what she’s always done. I really liked Talia’s character and I liked what Croix did with her character. There have been stories that I’ve read where heroines just like Talia got on my hot damn nerves and I wanted to smack the crap out of them but that wasn’t the case with Talia at all. With Talia, I wanted to be her best friend and include her in my own family.

Liam is a total dreamboat. He’s a total alpha manly man who knows what he wants and isn’t going to give up on her until he gets what he wants. I could totally tell why Talia was in love with him and when she thought she didn’t deserve him, I wanted to weep for her. And because of that, I loved Liam all the more because he didn’t give up on her. He just kept right on going until she surrendered to him and when she did, I cheered. I think Liam and his family were just what Talia needed and seeing them get their happy ending was good.

I recommend this book to fans of contemporary romances with military characters. This was a good one. I’m glad that I read it and I will definitely be on the look out for more by this author.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here in e-format.


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Guest Review: Deacon’s Touch by Callie Croix

Posted February 12, 2012 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 0 Comments

Judith’s review of Deacon’s Touch (Dumen Ranch #1) by Callie Croix.

After her own engagement goes to hell, workaholic Jessica Talbot dreads her friend’s bachelorette party at a dude ranch in Nowheresville, Texas. But the outlook for the weekend brightens when Deacon Dumen picks her up at the airport. The sexy cowboy awakens every dormant sexual fantasy with nothing more than a friendly smile and a handshake.

Ex-Air Force Pararescueman Deke Dumen doesn’t know what to make of the sexy yet reserved brunette who breaks through the walls he built after an injury ended his career and a divorce soured him on relationships. As a guest at his family’s ranch Jessie is off limits, but the Dom in him rebels at the restriction, even as he realizes his penchant for control in the bedroom would likely scare the holy hell out of her. When Jessie shocks Deke by asking for exactly what he’s been craving, he’s ready to break the rules and introduce her to his own brand of dominance. Her willing surrender rocks them both to the core. But once the weekend’s over, they must decide if it was just a wild fling or the start of something more.

OK, so I really like cowboys–didn’t used to read much of the Western cowboy stuff, but in the last year or so I have discovered that they are what they always were reported to be: strong and silent type men. They seem to personify the belief that many have in the United States of what it means to be male, alpha, dominant. That doesn’t work for some folks, but it sure does make interesting and, to be honest, sexy reading. This particular author is new to me, but I enjoyed this book a lot and felt that both the story itself and the writing were well crafted.

This story is about two hurting people. One–the heroine–is recovering from deep betrayal by a man she has known and dated for quite some time and who has now abandoned her emotionally, broken their engagement with his bad behavior. She is less than enthusiastic about coming to this bachelorette party at a ranch in Texas–in the middle of the boonies–but she wants to be a loyal friend so she takes some time away from her life and her job in Washington State. Deacon Dumen has come home to be at his family ranch while recovering–on the one hand he has some physical recovery from his military service; on the other hand he, too, is scalded by the disrespect and infidelity of his wife and the divorce still is making him bitter toward committed relationships in general. Both Jessica and Deacon have positive reactions when they meet at the airport where Deacon has gone to “collect” Jessica. But his internal struggles with the changes in his life as well as with his own dominant nature make him back away. Jessica is not quite so reticent and takes the “bull by the horns.” Ultimately, things really heat up between these two. But what does this mean for them long term and does their short-term affair really solve any of the issues that impact their respective futures?

There is lots of fun in this book, some very colorful background characters, lots of hot loving, as well as some deep emotion that this author has brought to the surface and which will be felt by any reader. I know that I really wanted to see these two unhappy people find a way to resolve their hurts and heal each others wounds. I was impressed how this author managed to end the story–I wasn’t really prepared for it but enjoyed it tremendously. Readers will also encounter the power of a cohesive family, the rockem sockem interaction between the brothers, some gals who really like to party, a bride who truly loves her bridegroom but isn’t hesitant to kick up her heels one last time, and so much more. It is love, Texas style. It is a very engaging read and one that will fill some time in a quality way. I think lovers of cowboy romance will find it to be a very satisfying experience.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place

This book is available from Wild Rose Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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