This cover makes my back hurt just looking at it. This guy really is a barbarian for bending her back so far.

Maybe they have yoga in this world.
This cover makes my back hurt just looking at it. This guy really is a barbarian for bending her back so far.

Maybe they have yoga in this world.
Casee: I’m reading Shadow Keeper by Christine Feehan. I am really liking it much, much better than Shadow Reaper. I’m really into Feehan right now. I’m trying to get Shadow Keeper done so I can add it to my March monthly reads. That will bump my reads up to two! I’m planning on starting Dark Legacy by Feehan next.
Holly: I finally managed to get some reading in late this week. I read Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks. I enjoyed the premise and the hero, but there were a lot of things that frustrated me about the book. It wasn’t as good as the previous one, in my opinion. After that I read Dragon Actually, Chains and Flames (included as a bonus story with Dragon Actually) and About a Dragon by G.A. Aiken. This is a cute series. They’re light, quick reads. I’m really enjoying them.
I’m currently reading Crimes Against Magic by Steve McHugh.
Rowena: It’s been a pretty quiet week on the home front for me so I was able to get some reading done and that makes me happy. I read Hot Response by Shannon Stacey, which was super great. I enjoyed the feel-good romance between Gavin and Cait and I’m seriously looking forward to the next one since Carina Press included a great excerpt for the next book in the back of the eARC. I’m so ready for Derek. After that, I read Suddenly Forbidden by Ella Fields which was another great read. It was angsty and there were some things included that not a lot of people are into but for me? I didn’t mind it considering who the story was about. It was shitty, yes, but not a deal breaker. At least not for me. After I finished that, I jumped into The Love Coupon by Ainslie Paton and I’m just about finished with that one. Ooh boy is this a cute romance. I am loving Flick and I am also loving the heck out of stuffy Tom. They are so freaking cute.
After I finish this book, I’m going to jump into If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say by Leila Sales and then The Hookup by Erin McCarthy.
We are very fortunate here at Book Binge. We have loads and loads of books to read and we want to share the wealth so each week, we’ll be tacking on a Freebie Friday giveaway to our What Are You Reading posts. This week, we’re giving away…
Rocco (Ruin & Revenge, #3) by Sarah Castille Mafia enforcer, Rocco De Lucchi is the best in the business.
Cold, hard and utterly ruthless, Rocco is the most dangerous of men. Feelings are a luxury he cannot afford—until a chance encounter brings him face to face with the only woman who found her way into his heart and touched his soul.
Grace Mantini has spent her whole life running from the mob. Daughter of the boss's right hand man, she is both a prize and a target. When Rocco walks back into her life, she wants nothing to do with the man who betrayed her and broke her heart. But only Rocco can protect her from the dangerous forces that seek to destroy her family. Can they escape the hands of fate closing around them? Or will love be the kiss of death for them both?
What are you reading this week? Any new favorites or books that drove you crazy? Share!

Natural Mage (Magical Mayhem #2) by K.F. Breene.
After narrowly surviving my debut into the magical world, I made a promise to myself: no more hiding in broom closets.
But with the Mages’ Guild reorganizing faster than anyone thought possible, and naming me as their number one target, that promise seems a little far-fetched. Especially since my training with Callie and Dizzy, the highly experienced dual-mage pair, goes off like a cake in a cannon.
Left to find someone that can fill the role, it isn’t until a formal dinner party goes horribly wrong that I find the best (and worst) solution imaginable: Reagan Somerset, the leather clad crazy woman who busted into my broom closet sanctuary in the first place.
Through an off-kilter teaching style and many punches in the face, I learn my true potential.
But with her happier busting heads and kicking in doors than staying put with a pupil in hiding, it isn’t long before the world comes crashing down. The Guild has found me, and they intend to take me alive.
Holly: I’m so glad we don’t have to wait months or years between releases for this series. I’m really enjoying getting to know Penny.

Hot Response (Boston Fire #4) by Shannon Stacey.
The men of Boston Fire are back and hotter than ever! Don’t miss this brand-new novel from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey.
Gavin Boudreau lives for the job, but he also believes in “work hard, play harder.” As the youngest guy in Ladder 37, he figures he’s got plenty of time before settling down becomes a priority. Soft, pretty women who aren’t looking for promises are exactly his type, and he’s comfortable with that. Working with a gorgeous EMT isn’t going to change who he is.
The last thing Cait Tasker needs in her personal life is a firefighter whose challenges on-scene have been a thorn in her side from minute one. Her plate’s too full for a man anyway. Back in her childhood home to help her family cope with an unexpected tragedy, she’s got enough to handle without throwing a hot, testosterone-laden fireman into the mix.
As long days on the job lead to long nights together, Gavin and Cait will discover how far temptation can take them—and what happens when the one you thought was all wrong for you turns out to be the person you can’t live without.
Holly: Another Boston Fire novel! Come to mama.
Rowena: I got this for review and am reading it right now. It’s super cute. Add it to your wishlist everyone!

Midnight Wolf (Shifters Unbound #11) by Jennifer Ashley.
The eleventh novel in the New York Times bestselling paranormal romance series, Shifters Unbound.
Angus Murray, bouncer for a New Orleans Shifter bar, is sent to round up an elusive, Collar-less Shifter woman, Tamsin Calloway, who is causing trouble for Shifter Bureau, and possesses information they want. If Angus refuses, he risks losing his cub. He finds Tamsin but she’s slippery and not about to be rounded up quietly.
In fact, quiet is nothing Tamsin will ever be. She leads Angus on a wild chase, but he’s determined to bring her in to save his son.
Can Tamsin convince Angus she’s worth helping before she’s locked away by Shifter Bureau, Collared, or perhaps killed?
Holly: I’m a few books behind in this series, but I’m really looking forward to reading about Tamsin and Angus.
Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong?
With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.
And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?
Rowena: I’ve read and enjoyed Jenn Bennett before and I’m seeing a lot of great reviews for this book going up around blog land so I’m all about putting this one on my wishlist. Bennett writes swoony love interests and I’m curious to know Lennox.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren.
Love, loss, friendship, and the betrayals of the past all collide in this first women’s fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You).
The story of the heart can never be unwritten.
Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.
But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.
Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.
Rowena: Ooh, a second chance romance? I’m all the way in. This is definitely on my wish list.

Savor You (Fusion #5) by Kristen Proby.
In the next sizzling romance in Kristen Proby’s New York Times bestselling Fusion series, two celebrity chefs compete in a culinary competition, but resisting each other will prove to be the greater challenge.
Cooking isn’t what Mia Palazzo does, it’s who she is. Food is her passion . . . her pride . . . her true love. She’s built a stellar menu full of delicious and sexy meals for her restaurant, Seduction. Now, after being open for only a few short years, Mia’s restaurant is being featured on Best Bites TV. To say Seduction is a wild success is an understatement. All the blood, sweat, tears, and endless hours of work Mia has put into the restaurant has finally paid off.
Then Camden Sawyer, the biggest mistake of her life, walks into her kitchen . . .
Camden’s celebrity chef status is world-renowned. He’s the best there is, and the kitchen is where he’s most at home. He can’t resist the invitation to Portland for a showdown against Mia for a new television show. Mia was in his life years ago, and just like before, he’s met his match in the beautiful Italian spitfire. The way she commands the kitchen is mesmerizing, and her recipes are clever and delicious. He’s never had qualms about competition, and this is no different. He can’t wait to go head to head with Mia. But can he convince her the chemistry they share in the kitchen would be just as great in the bedroom as well?
As Mia and Camden face off, neither realizes how high the stakes are as their reputations are put on the line and their hearts are put to the ultimate test.
Rowena: I’ve been meaning to read this series but haven’t gotten around to it though with every new release, they continue to be put on my wishlist. This release is no different. It sounds cute and I want to read it.

The Love Coupon (Stubborn Hearts #2) by Ainslie Paton.
Can you fall in love if you have the right coupon?
Tom O’Connell had a problem. His temporary roommate, Flick Dalgetty was noisy, messy, made of bees and had enough energy to power an amusement park. The problem was he shouldn’t have kissed her.
Flick Dalgetty had a problem. Her landlord, Tom O’Connell was made of granite. He was a big, repressed anti-social ogre, but the man knew how to kiss. The problem was he felt guilty about hooking up and she wanted more.
Until Flick’s gift of thirty coupons, each entitling Tom to one guilt and obligation free activity, from bowling and bubble bathing to morning delight and lingerie buying, removed all the guesswork of being incompatible partners and temporary roommates.
Now the only problem was Flick had to leave and Tom needed to stay and they might be falling in love—and there wasn’t a coupon for that.
Love can be a sexy game until it becomes the only one your stubborn heart wants to play.
Rowena: This book made its way onto my radar when I saw one of my favorite book bloggers happy over this on Twitter. She loved it and I’m sure that I will too so on my wishlist it goes.

The Thief (Black Dagger Brotherhood #16) by J.R. Ward.
Sola Morte, former cat burglar and safecracker, has given up her old life on the wrong side of the law. On the run from a drug lord’s family, she is lying low far from Caldwell, keeping her nose clean and her beloved grandmother safe. Her heart, though, is back up north, with the only man who has ever gotten through her defenses: Assail, son of Assail, who never meant to fall in love—and certainly not with a human woman. But they have no future, and not just because she doesn’t know he is a vampire, but because he is not about to stop dealing arms to the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Fate, however, has other plans for them. When Assail falls into a coma and lingers on the verge of death, his cousins seek out Sola and beg her to give him a reason to live. The last thing she wants is a return to her past, but how can she leave him to die?
As a lethal new enemy of the vampires shows its face, and the Brotherhood needs Assail back on his feet, Sola finds herself not only a target, but a mission-critical force in a war she doesn’t understand. And when Assail’s truth comes out, will she run from the horror . . . or follow her heart into the arms of the male who loves her more than life itself?
Casee: I didn’t especially enjoy these two characters when I first read about them, but I am currently enjoying the storyline. That means I have to read it.
Reviewer: Jen
You can't escape the past . . .
Noni is desperate. Her infant niece has been kidnapped, and the only person who can save her is a private detective with too many secrets to count--and more enemies than he can name. A man who walked away from Noni without any warning a year ago, a man who broke her heart. But with Talia's life on the line, Noni needs his help now more than ever--and this time, she won't take no for an answer . . .
The moment Denver Jones sees Noni, the memories come rushing back. The fire in her eyes. The determination in her voice. The danger of having her in his life. Denver had to push her away once, but now with vicious criminals threatening Noni and her niece, he'll do whatever it takes to protect them. But enemies from his past are circling, and they'll use anything--and anyone--to get to Denver.
With twists and turns that will blow you away, TWISTED TRUTHS is sexy, action-packed suspense at its very best from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti.
We finally got the conclusion to the Blood Brothers trilogy and really, to the Sin Brothers trilogy as well. We knew Denver was pining for the one who got away basically since Book 1, and when he finds out that woman has plastered his picture all over the internet in an attempt to find him, he has no choice but to go to her. He still has feelings for her, but even more urgently she’s endangered him and his brothers. Noni only put the picture up because she was desperate. Her niece was kidnapped, and with the child’s mother dead Noni, and Denver, are the baby’s only hope. Denver and Noni have to get the baby back from the gang who is holding her as well as avoid getting trapped by Sheriff Cobb and Dr. Madison.
I still love the brother dynamic. The absolute best parts of this book are Ryker and Heath watching out for Denver and showing him that they love him no matter what. And this book has some really lovely scenes with the Gray brothers (I am now and forever Team Jory!), who consider everyone they love to be part of their extended family. I just adore that aspect of these books. I also liked the fast-paced action. This story is seriously nonstop, and it made me want to keep turning pages.
I definitely feel like this series ran out of momentum a bit with each book, though. The pattern just didn’t change. Denver makes The Rules for Safety. Noni refuses to follow Denver’s rules. There’s an attack by the bad guys (probably because of Noni’s reckless flaunting of the rules) and superhero antics by Denver. They have sex so emotionally stunted Denver can express how he feels with his penis. Then the cycle repeats. It’s the same pattern that was in the other books, too. I also didn’t feel like I understood Noni. She never really talks about herself–she’s just there to be the desperate caregiver searching for the baby and to be a source of angst and boners for Denver. What does Noni care about or want besides the baby and Denver? Why are she and Denver in love? None of that is filled out, just assumed.
I’m happy the story arcs are resolved, and I’m glad the villains got their comeuppance, but even there I was left a bit disappointed. Dr. Madison and Sheriff Cobb were more nuanced in past books, but here I felt they were pretty one-dimensionally “crazy.” It was fine I guess, just a missed opportunity to add some depth. (Plus, what happened to the young brothers we met at the end of the Sin Brothers series? We didn’t heard a peep from them here. Even though I didn’t exactly love this book, I’m kind of curious to see if Zanetti might continue their thread in the future.)
If you’ve read other books in the Sin Brothers or Blood Brothers series, you could certainly jump in with this book, but don’t bother with this one if you’re new to the world or if you didn’t enjoy any of the other books.
Grade: 3 out of 5
Reviewer: Tracy
In love and war, something’s gotta give…
For Laura Bailey it wasn’t easy weathering her teen years at her quaint family lodge in a boondock town at the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. Fleeing for San Francisco the minute she graduated high school seemed like a good idea—until she lost her job and her fiancé. The blow to her pride sent her back to Sierra Falls to figure out her life. But her hometown is undergoing a bit of renovation.
A new Sierra Falls resort is posing a threat to the Bailey family business. Even worse, the construction company developing the property is run by Eddie Jessup, Laura’s cocky high school nemesis who delighted in locking horns with the little spitfire. Some things never change. But their battle isn’t the only thing heating up between Laura and Eddie, and before long they realize that getting to know each other all over again has its rewards. But fate isn’t through with them. Nor are the games men and women play in the name of love.
Every Thursday in 2018 we will be posting throwback reviews of our favorite and not-so-favorite books.
Laura is determined to make a go of it in Sierra Falls and to prove her worth, to her family, the town and to herself. When a new resort gets planned and she crunches numbers for her family’s lodge and restaurant they’re not good. She’ll do just about anything to keep her family’s business in the black and that means going head to head with Eddie Jessup.
Laura wants Eddie to stop renovations on a ranch in Sierra Falls just because it will hurt her business – but what about his family and his business? Eddie doesn’t feel that the whole resort thing is on the up and up but Jessup Construction needs the work and this might put them on the map and make their business grow. As much as he’d like to accommodate Laura, he just can’t do it.
Laura is a bear and keeps up her constant tirade toward Eddie with no end in sight…until they finally give in to their mutual attraction and then sparks fly. Laura, however is still concerned about money and when her old boss calls with a cherry job offer she can’t decide what to do.
This was a really hard book for me to like. I really liked Eddie so very much. There was just so much to like about him and he was just adorable. I could see his charming grin flying off the pages and I just wanted to hug him. My problem was that I really didn’t like Laura at all. The story deals with Laura and her self-esteem issues, etc. but frankly I just didn’t think she was a nice person. She was nice around Eddie but I thought that she felt like she couldn’t let her true self out. I believe that we as the reader was supposed to see the tough outer shell and then see what a softie she was but after everything was said and done I felt like it was too little too late.
There was a secondary story that had to do with the waitress at Laura’s family restaurant, Helen, and her family and her husband troubles. I found this story much more interesting and wanted the entire book to be about Helen. I think between Eddie and Helen they saved the book for me. In the end it was just an ok read.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.