Review of Next of Kin by Sharon Sala
Published: January 31, 2012
3 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: " Trouble for One, Trouble for All.
Beth Venable has seen too much. Witness to a major mob hit, she’s placed in protective custody until the trial. But after her third safe house is riddled with bullets, she goes off-grid to save herself. What the FBI can’t do, her kinfolk will.
The beautiful but forbidding Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky welcome Beth back, dirt roads and rustic shacks a world apart from L.A. But her homecoming—even her blissful reunion with strong, silent Ryal Walker—is made bittersweet by the fight she’s brought to the clan’s doorstep. Hidden in a remote cabin with the man she’s always wanted, Beth begins to dream of a new life: her old one. But after so long, with such dangers stalking her…impossible.
But love can distill life down to its essence: an elixir of pure hope, nerve—and the will to survive."
Next of Kin by Sharon Sala is a quirky story about unexpected romance in a different culture and a suspenseful event which leads an estranged family member back to where she belongs. Next of Kin is a unique book about love blossoming within extended families. While the story itself was good, I found it hard to wrap my mind around a fourth or fifth cousin falling in love with another cousin. I give Next of Kin by Sharon Sala 3 smirks because the story had depth and emotion that seems to spring from the pages.
Review of Touch Me by Callie Croix
Published: January 2, 2012
4 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: "Arriving home on leave from his tour of duty, Army Captain Alex Montoya knows there's a beautiful woman waiting for him-his best friend's sister. She's always been off limits...until now. He fully intends to move them out of being "just friends" and encourage her to release the sexual needs he senses she's buried deep.
Tianna McIntyre is starting over after her marriage ended. Her ex-husband weakened her self-esteem and caused her to deny her true sexual desires. But being around Alex brings all her dormant fantasies to the surface, and now Tianna feels the stirrings of her secret, submissive wishes.
Determined to help repair the damage Tianna's ex did to her self-worth, Alex will use whatever means necessary to convince her they're meant for each other, including tying her down to make sure he has her full attention while he takes her to the heights of pleasure she's always dreamed of..."
Touch Me by Callie Croix is a short story about releasing your fear and becoming confident in what you want out of life. Tianna and Alex are two characters who can and do read each other so easily that it will make readers believe in soul mates again. I give Touch Me by Callie Croix 4 smirks because the story is to the point and we as readers get to see and fall for some amazing characters.
Sex, Lies, and Surveillance by Stephanie Julian
To Be Released: January 16, 2012
5 out of 5 smirks
Synopis: "Janey DeMarco would love to have a sex life-and she has a serious crush on the new guy in her office. As manager for her family's P.I. firm, she knows an office romance would end in disaster. Not only are her parents former spies, but her older brothers are tall, dark and overly protective. Still, a little sex would go a long way to reducing her stress levels, and the man is hot...
NSA operative Mal Laughlin has been sent undercover to find a link between the DeMarcos and the gun smugglers who killed his partner. Unfortunately, the only evidence points to the woman who's making him hot, hard and ready-Janey.
Convinced Mal is hiding something, Janey's determined to find out what. Can she do that while keeping her own secrets? Janey and Mal plot a course of seduction to uncover the truth about each other but when they're thrown together on a dangerous assignment, sensual meltdown is imminent and secrets are about to be revealed.
Sex, Lies, and Surveillance by Stephanie Julian is an intense, thrill ride about finding who you are and who you love in the most unusual circumstances. I found this book to be one I could not put down because Janey and Mal are two characters so magnetic they draw readers into their personalities. Readers will be guessing along with Janey and Mal what the other one thinks just based on the smallest hint of body language. I give Sex, Lies, and Surveillance by Stephanie Julian 5 smirks because the characters are extrodinary, yet relateable and the storyline will keep readers guessing.
