Tag: Karen Erickson

Guest Review: Jane’s Gift by Karen Erickson

Posted November 28, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Jane’s Gift by Karen EricksonReviewer: Tracy
Jane's Gift by Karen Erickson
Series: Lone Pine Lake #1

Publication Date: October 25th 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Lone Pine Lake’s resident playboy, fire captain Christian Nelson, is happy with his single-guy lifestyle. But when quiet, mysterious Jane Clark comes for a tour of the firehouse with her three small children, Chris is immediately drawn to the beautiful woman—even though he’s been burned by commitment in the past.

Jane’s been battling scars both physical and mental—having lived through a devastating house fire years ago—so she’s hesitant when her brother’s best friend, Christian, offers to help quell her family’s residual fears of fire. Jane’s mind is the epitome of once burned, twice shy, but her heart has other plans.

Despite her brother’s warnings about his friend’s playboy status and dangerous occupation, Jane can’t help but fall for the gorgeous fire captain. Can two scarred people find the strength to let go of their pasts to live in the present, when a lifetime together might be the sweetest gift of all?

Jane and her family were in a fire that her husband didn’t survive.  She was in the hospital for months and was burned over 30% of her body.  It’s been two years since that tragic accident and Jane’s back living in her hometown trying to be there for her three small children.  The last thing she has on her mind is dating.  That’s until she meets Christian Nelson – the fire captain.  Jane takes her kids to the fire station to try and cure them of their fear of fire when she sees Chris for the first time.  She knows she shouldn’t have lustful feelings towards the man but she can’t stop herself.

Christian is smitten with Jane from the moment he sees her.  He’s not sure what the pull is but after meeting her and getting to know her a bit he’s even more pulled to her.  He knows that she’s been through a horrible tragedy and it’s only been two years, but the chemistry between the two can’t be put aside.  He asks her on a date and she says yes!  But will Jane ‘s fear of Chris’s job keep them from finding a life together?

This was a very sweet romance.  Yes, the fire and the death of Jane’s husband were tragic but I felt the author tried not to focus on the horror of that too much, which was wonderful.  The relationship between Chris and Jane was easy and comfortable but also very heated.  The sex scenes were pretty much fade to black which was a bit disappointing but it was done well.

Jane and Chris made a fantastic couple together.  They talked things out and shared their feelings and I liked that about the book.  I also liked the way that Chris was with Jane’s kids.  He just acted like himself and didn’t try to ingratiate himself with them to win Jane over.  Jane’s big rambunctious family added another lovely element to the story as well.

Overall a nice holiday romance that made me smile.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

three-half-stars

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Review: Torch by Karen Erickson

Posted August 15, 2016 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments

Review: Torch by Karen EricksonReviewer: Rowena
Torch by Karen Erickson
Series: Wildwood Series #3
Also in this series: Ignite, Smolder (Wildwood Series #2)
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: August 16th 2016
Pages: 336
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Tate Warren has never met a woman he couldn’t charm—until now.

Wren Gallagher won’t give him the time of day and it’s making him crazy.

But he won’t give up without a fight… because there’s one thing he knows for sure:

Enemies make the best lovers.

Most women swoon over Tate’s devilish grin and firefighter uniform. But Wren couldn’t be less impressed by his good looks and flirtatious banter—in fact, she seems to downright despise him. She thinks he’s a player, but his attraction to her is no game. Wren is unlike anyone he’s ever known and he isn’t about to let the feisty, gorgeous woman slip through his fingers.

Wooing Wren would be so much easier if she didn’t hate him…
Or does she?

Torch is the third book in the Wildwood series and it features the third Gallagher sibling, Wren. Wren is the last man standing in her family and in her circle of friends. It really sucks that her circle of friends went and got paired up with her brothers so there’s no escaping the love bug that has bitten everyone.

It’s hard to be happy for her friends and her brothers when she wants what they have and she feels so …lost. She isn’t living the life that she thought she’d be living when she was younger and she is feeling unfulfilled. The very last person she needs sniffing around her is the guy that gets on her hot damn nerves but Tate Warren isn’t going anywhere.

He’s made no qualms about letting her know that he wants her but because he hasn’t been tied down, he’s got the playboy reputation thing going for him and Wren isn’t interested in becoming one of his girls. Things take a turn when the arsonist that’s been hanging around, burning shit down since the first book gets to her house. She’s got no home and she doesn’t want to be a thorn in her brothers and friends lives and she doesn’t want to deal with her parents so when Tate offers her a home with him, she grudgingly takes it.

This book was a quick read and I really liked that the romance didn’t feel rushed or forced. Erickson does a great job of pulling the reader along with what’s going on with Wren and Tate, the arsonist, Levi coming back into town and she did it all without a lot of page time but everything fit together and the story didn’t suffer for it.

I knew that I was going to like Tate from the earlier books and I’m glad that he lived up to the Tate I was hoping he’d be. He was hot, strong and extremely sweet with Wren and I loved getting to know him. Wren was a great heroine too but there were times when I wanted to smack some sense into her. Like the way that she treated Tate when he took care of her or the whole thing with Levi coming back but in the end, I thought this was a solid story and I’m hoping that we’re not through with these folks because the story isn’t done. We don’t know everything yet.

Overall, this book was great and while I was a little frustrated with that abrupt ending, I still enjoyed the book and have my fingers crossed for more.

Grade: 3.75 out of 5

three-half-stars

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Review: Smolder by Karen Erickson

Posted July 14, 2016 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Smolder by Karen EricksonReviewer: Rowena
Smolder (Wildwood Series #2) by Karen Erickson
Series: Wildwood Series #2
Also in this series: Ignite, Torch
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon
Publication Date: June 21st 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 336
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Lane Gallagher wants Delilah Moore—bad.

He’s imagined the sexy brunette in his bed more times than he can count.
She’s everything he’s ever wanted, but the only problem is . . .

She’s his brother’s ex.

For years, the stoic sheriff’s deputy has fantasized about the sweet, bubbly dance teacher who stirs his deepest desires. But Lane’s too loyal to ever move in on forbidden territory and he knows that while he can look, he definitely can’t touch. Fighting his attraction to Delilah is nearly impossible, but the infuriating—and incredibly sexy—woman seems determined to drive him crazy.

And she’s bringing him to his knees. One smoldering kiss at a time.

This was a really quick read, a quick but satisfying read.

We met Lane and Delilah in the first book in this series, Ignite. Lane is West’s older brother and Delilah is Lane’s younger sister’s best friend. She’s also West’s ex-girlfriend from high school. They both want each other but Lane is being a butthead and steering clear of any kind of romantic entanglement with Delilah and nobody knows why.

They’ve been circling each other for a while now. Delilah has not made it a secret that Lane is it for her but Lane’s got some internal issues that he’s struggling with and at every turn, I wanted to bean him in the head with a baseball because seriously dude? You don’t want to be like your Dad? Then don’t be like him. You think Delilah deserves better? Then be better. I felt every single frustrating emotion that Delilah felt while reading this book. The hot and cold attitude that Lane was sporting made me want to kick him in the nuts. Good thing he got his shit together. LOL.

It speaks highly of an author who can write characters that drive me up the wall and yet keep me invested in what happens to them. As much as I wanted to knee Lane in the balls, I still enjoyed this book. I wanted so badly for Delilah to get her man in the end that when she finally does, the relief tore through me like a bunch of firecrackers going off and I loved it. I loved the support system that Delilah had and I loved how she never gave up on what she wanted and what she deserved. Her take charge attitude impressed me because I don’t think I would have put up with a bunch of the shit that she did with Lane.

The romance was steamy and worth the drama you had to go through to get to the end of the tunnel. Karen Erickson did a great job of pulling the reader into Lane and Delilah’s story and I’m not at all ashamed to say that I would really like to take one of Dee’s hip hop dance classes. Ha!

Despite this story being on the shorter side, I didn’t feel like anything was rushed or left out. It was a great quick read that is perfect for a lazy day at the beach. If you haven’t checked this book out, you should because it’s a fun read with hot firefighters and an even hotter policeman!

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

four-stars

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Blog Tour: Smolder by Karen Erickson

Posted June 15, 2016 by Holly in Promotions | 1 Comment

We’re excited to share Smolder by Karen Erickson with you today. Fans of Ignite will be excited to see a return to the Wildwood series. I know I can’t wait to read it.

Smolder by Karen Erickson
Wildwood #2
Releases on June 21, 2016 by Avon Books

Lane Gallagher wants Delilah Moore—bad.

He’s imagined the sexy brunette in his bed more times than he can count.

She’s everything he’s ever wanted, but the only problem is . . .

She’s his brother’s ex.

For years, the stoic sheriff’s deputy has fantasized about the sweet, bubbly dance teacher who stirs SmolderCoverhis deepest desires. But Lane’s too loyal to ever move in on forbidden territory and he knows that while he can look, he definitely can’t touch. Fighting his attraction to Delilah is nearly impossible, but the infuriating—and incredibly sexy—woman seems determined to drive him crazy.

And she’s bringing him to his knees. One smoldering kiss at a time.

Read an Excerpt:

Lane drove the streets of Wildwood in his deputy patrol car just under the speed limit, his gaze everywhere, his mind focused on only one thing:

Making sure his little hometown was safe.

Safe from crime, safe from reckless teenagers, safe from careless tourists, and safe from a ruthless arsonist who seemed hell-bent on destroying Wildwood, one little annoying fire after another.

He frowned. Had to take back that last remark. The restaurant fire could’ve been a tragedy. So many people had been in there when the fire started. Eyewitness accounts mentioned just how chaotic it had become when everyone tried to escape at once. His sister had been in there, as well as her friend Harper. And . . .

Delilah.

Now he flat-out scowled, wishing Delilah wouldn’t creep into his thoughts. She was always there, sitting in the back of his mind, taunting him.

Teasing him.

He’d stopped by her dance studio like he couldn’t help himself. He’d known Wren wasn’t there, but Delilah’s car had been parked out front. He’d walked in like a man possessed, needing just a glimpse after not having seen her since the day of the restaurant fire.

When he held her in his arms, relieved to find her safe.

When he’d been so damn close to kissing her.

When he’d shoved her away with a curt, “Glad you’re okay,” and gone about his business, reminding himself over and over he shouldn’t want her.

But he did.

Avoiding her never worked. He’d catch glimpses of her here and there—the town was too small and their circle of friends too tight—but he’d tried his best. Focused on work, which was his first true love. The fact that she distracted him so wholly scared the hell out of him most of the time.

And then there were the other times when all he could think about was seeing her. Making her smile or even making her mad, it didn’t matter. As long as he could stare at her, even for just a little bit, that was all that mattered.

He’d entered the dance studio and her scent lingered in the air, making his body stiffen. Hearing her voice call out had made him close his eyes so he could savor it and he’d turned around, not wanting her to see his face when she finally came out to greet him. Still wasn’t prepared when he turned and saw her.

That little bra top thing she wore hid nothing. So much skin on display, though he was sort of mad her legs were covered up. They were her best asset, and he’d imagined those long, lean legs of hers wrapped around his hips more than once. It had taken everything in him to keep his gaze glued on her pretty, pissed-off face and not blatantly check her out like he wanted.

She was angry with him because he wouldn’t make a move, but he couldn’t. She’d been with West a long time ago and he didn’t poach off his brothers. Yeah, yeah, West had moved on with Harper and they made a perfect couple. They seemed perfectly in love. Perfectly happy. He knew West wouldn’t give a shit if he made a move on Delilah.

But there was something about the woman that flat out scared him. She was—intense. Sexy. Smart as hell. Funny. She had no qualms showing her feelings. Meaning that most of the time she was a stressed-out, sexually frustrated woman with a grudge when they were around each other. Not that he could blame her.

She made him feel all kinds of sexually frustrated too. He hadn’t been this well acquainted with his hand since he was a teenager . . .

Pushing all thoughts of Delilah out of his brain as best he could, he refocused on his drive as he headed toward the outskirts of town, near the north end of Wildwood Lake. Spots of the mountainous landscape had been left scorched and black, a result of the latest fire set by the arsonist.

He was ramping up his activity, and the townspeople were starting to notice.

And damn it, Lane wished he could make the fires stop. But he couldn’t. Worse, he couldn’t wrap his head around the arsonist’s motives. Why was this happening?

Did arson ever make sense though? Was there ever a rational reason that made people go, “Oh, I get why he burned the entire town down”?

That would be a no. He could wrap his head around an owner burning his building down for insurance purposes. It was a bad idea, and an illegal one too, but still. He got it.

But burning down random buildings and pieces of land just for the hell of it? That made zero sense. He didn’t like it. Made him feel like he was at war with an anonymous enemy. Meaning he could trust no one.

It could be someone he knew.

Someone he liked.

Someone he trusted.

And that possibility really pissed him off.

About KAREN ERICKSON

USA Today bestselling author KAREN ERICKSON writes what she loves to read – sexy contemporary romance. Published since 2006, she’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She also writes as NYT and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.

Where to buy SMOLDER

Avon | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Google Play

Giveaway Use the rafflecopter widget below for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the ebook retailer of your choice! 

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Review: Ignite by Karen Erickson

Posted May 2, 2016 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Ignite by Karen EricksonReviewer: Rowena
Ignite by Karen Erickson
Series: Wildwood Series #1
Also in this series: Smolder (Wildwood Series #2), Torch
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: March 15th 2016
Pages: 336
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating: four-stars

Weston Gallagher is falling hard—for the wrong woman.

One night of passion has haunted him for years.

Now he’s got a second chance to get the girl of his dreams…but there’s just one problem:

She hates him.

Eight years after he stormed out of Wildwood, California, West has returned to his hometown as a firefighter. His friends and family are thrilled he’s back—with the exception of Harper Hill. His sister’s best friend is all grown up and in all the right ways. He knows she’s going to do everything she can to protect her heart and keep him at arm’s length, but West has other ideas.

He will win the girl that got away. No matter what it takes…

Weston Gallagher is back in his hometown of Wildwood, CA for the first time in eight years. The first chance he got to skip town, he took and he never looked back. He left his family, his friends and the girl. A promotion brings him back home and he realizes that it’s time to fix things with his siblings and to fix things with the girl.

Harper Hill was born and raised in Wildwood, CA. She’s got a great family, a great best friend and a boyfriend who is steady. She may not feel any passion toward her boyfriend and that is made all the more evident when Weston Gallagher shows up again. Thinking about West brings back a lot of memories, especially the last memory she has with him. No one has ever come close to making her feel the way that West made her feel all those years ago but he left without a word and without turning back so she’s determined to keep her distance.

The heart has a different agenda and sometimes your heart just wants that one person. West is that person for Harper. Damn.

This was a really quick read and even though I felt that Harper should have made West grovel a bit more before she took him back, I didn’t mind too much since I liked them both together. West didn’t pretend that he didn’t do her dirty and he was sorry for his actions and they had big time feelings for each other so I forgave her for forgiving him so soon and enjoyed their romance.

I haven’t read anything by Karen Erickson or Monica Murphy but after this one, I’m definitely open to try more. I’m pretty excited about the next book in this series. Lane and Delilah? Yay!

Grade: 4 out of 5

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