Dirty Deeds by Helenkay Dimon

****

From Random House:

No dirty deed goes unnoticed in a seductive game of cat and mouse. But for Alec and Gaige, the wrong move could get them killed.

Alec Drummond didn’t make his billions by playing nice—or by playing much at all. When it comes to pleasure, Alec only has time for whatever’s quick and easy, which is exactly what he gets from his company’s hot new computer genius. But Gaige Owens isn’t some pushover. He pushes back, and it’s giving Alec a rush. The question is, could Gaige be the one who’s leaking trade secrets? Just to be safe, Alec keeps him close at hand . . . night and day.

Gaige never thought he’d roll over for a man like Alec again, but who could resist sex this mind-blowing? Then there’s the draw of Alec’s mysterious side: his cutthroat ambition, his covert CIA connections, and the murder in his past. For Gaige, a deeper look proves an irresistible temptation. But when Gaige and Alec are stripped of their defenses by an unseen danger, everything they don’t know could bring them closer together—or tear them apart. Only one thing is certain: Before it’s all over, someone’s going down.

Source:  Electronic advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dirty Deeds is the first in a new series by Helenkay Dimon that you should definitely add to the TBR.  It's a spin-off of the Tough Love Series and we get to see Seth from Guarding Mr. Fine being his usual charming *ahem* self.  Alec was introduced in Mr. Fine as the mysterious businessman, sometimes CIA consultant, and Rick's ex.  In Dirty Deeds, Alex is still the mysterious billionaire businessman, but now he's being forced into another CIA mess to try to clear his name.  

Gaige is similarly being used and blackmailed by Seth to assist in the same investigation.  Gaige is a tech genius who came under Seth's thumb when his ex framed him for espionage - working with the CIA is better than prison.  Gaige breaks in to Alec's company and their computer systems, Seth manipulates them in to working together.  Alec and Gaige inevitably grow closer while investigating.  As things get more dangerous, the men have to deal with the threat to their lives and figure out whether they can trust one another.  

Helenkay Dimon is a master at romantic suspense, and as she proved in the Tough Love Series, that translates just as well to m/m romantic suspense.  Dirty Deeds does not disappoint.  Mystery, intrigue, hot sex, and stubborn men falling in love.  Add Dirty Deeds to your reading list and we can anxiously await Dirty Games together!

If you need something to keep you occupied, check out Helenkay's impressive backlist here.  

~ Shel

Guarding Mr. Fine by Helenkay Dimon

In this steamy novel of seduction and international intrigue, two brave men are stripped of their defenses—and exposed to dangers and desires that simmer below the surface.

As an agent with the CIA’s special activities division, Seth Lang lives for risk—and yet he’s stuck playing bodyguard to the U.S. consul general in Munich. Although Seth’s last assignment nearly killed him, babysitting some desk jockey in a suit sounds way too easy. But when he lays eyes on the new top man, tactical expert Rick Fine, Seth’s thrilled to see just how hard this job is going to get. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Quiet has a body worth guarding—and he requires hands-on attention day and night.

Dispatched to a German consulate to expose the murder of his predecessor, Rick finds himself in an extremely vulnerable position. He needs a man like Seth—in so many ways. This mission will inevitably plunge them both into jeopardy, but each new threat only brings them closer. Rick just hopes that he can keep his deepest, darkest secret hidden—or else risk imperiling a relationship they’re both fighting for their lives to protect.

Fall in love with the men of HelenKay Dimon’s thrilling novels:

MR. AND MR. SMITH | THE TALENTED MR. RIVERS | GUARDING MR. FINE

Congratulations to Helenkay Dimon for her RITA nomination for Guarding Mr. Fine!  The book definitely deserves the nomination and we hope you will all check it out!

If you are a fan of romantic suspense, Mr. Fine is for you.  It's full of spies, intrigue, murder, and two clueless men falling in love - what's not to enjoy?  Mr. Fine is the third book in the Tough Love series and they just keep getting better.  This installment is heavier on the humor and lighter on the angst, which was awesome.  Am I the only one that feels overwhelmed by all the angsty books lately?  I mean, angst has its place and is awesome sometimes, but sometimes I need something less rip-my-heart-out and more laugh-out-loud.  Helenkay is great when you need some suspense or some laugh-out-loud.    

Anyway, back to the amazing Mr. Fine...  Seth and Rick come together to investigate the death of a diplomat in Germany.  These are two intelligent, capable men and when they get together sparks fly and trouble follows.  Mr. Fine has a quick pace and plenty of twists to keep you interested.  I recommend the Tough Love series to any fan of the genre.  

If you haven't read Helenkay Dimon, I suggest you check her out.  She's a prolific writer with an impressive backlist.  We had the pleasure of meeting her at RT a couple of years ago (and hope to see her in Atlanta in a few weeks) and definitely invited her to join us on BFF island for fun and frivolity.  :-)  Check her out at here.  

~Shel

Waiting on Wednesday (197)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.


By HelenKay Dimon
Publication Date: February 14, 2017

In this steamy novel of seduction and international intrigue, two brave men are stripped of their defenses—and exposed to dangers and desires that simmer below the surface.
 
As an agent with the CIA’s special activities division, Seth Lang lives for risk—and yet he’s stuck playing bodyguard to the U.S. consul general in Munich. Although Seth’s last assignment nearly killed him, babysitting some desk jockey in a suit sounds way too easy. But when he lays eyes on the new top man, tactical expert Rick Fine, Seth’s thrilled to see just how hard this job is going to get. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Quiet has a body worth guarding—and he requires hands-on attention day and night.
 
Dispatched to a German consulate to expose the murder of his predecessor, Rick finds himself in an extremely vulnerable position. He needs a man like Seth—in so many ways. This mission will inevitably plunge them both into jeopardy, but each new threat only brings them closer. Rick just hopes that he can keep his deepest, darkest secret hidden—or else risk imperiling a relationship they’re both fighting for their lives to protect.

By Sophie Kinsella
Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Katie Brenner has the perfect life: a flat in London, a glamorous job, and a super-cool Instagram feed.

Ok, so the real truth is that she rents a tiny room with no space for a wardrobe, has a hideous commute to a lowly admin job, and the life she shares on Instagram isn’t really hers.

But one day her dreams are bound to come true, aren’t they?

Until her not-so perfect life comes crashing down when her mega-successful boss Demeter gives her the sack. All Katie’s hopes are shattered. She has to move home to Somerset, where she helps her dad with his new glamping business.

Then Demeter and her family book in for a holiday, and Katie sees her chance. But should she get revenge on the woman who ruined her dreams? Or try to get her job back? Does Demeter – the woman with everything – have such an idyllic life herself? Maybe they have more in common than it seems.

And what’s wrong with not-so-perfect, anyway? 





By Anna Zabo
Publication Date: February 21, 2017

A man discovers that love can show up when you least expect it—and in a much different form—in this piping-hot romance from the author of Due Diligence and Just Business.

Brian Keppler, owner of Ground N'At, the coffee shop beneath SR Anderson Consulting, doesn't have time for a relationship. His most recent girlfriend broke up with him because he'd become married to his shop, which is falling apart without his favorite barista, Justin.

As he struggles to stay afloat, the arrival of handsome British high-tech whiz Robert Ancroft becomes another complication. Rob quickly becomes a fixture at the shop with his sharp wit and easy charm, and Brian soon finds himself looking forward more and more to Rob's visits—to the point where his heart skips a beat when he walks in.  

But will Brian be able to come to terms with his previously unexplored sexual identity and find happiness now that he has a chance?

The Fixer by Helenkay Dimon Release Day Launch

 

It's release day for The Fixer by HelenKay Dimon! This sexy romance is out now! Check out the book below and grab your copy today!

About The Fixer: He’s known only as Wren. A wealthy, dangerously secretive man, he specializes in making problems disappear. A professional fixer, Wren hides a dark past, but his privacy is shattered when Emery Finn seeks him out—and what she wants from him is very personal.   Some people disappear against their will. Emery’s job is to find them and bring closure. Wren is the only person who can help solve Emery’s own personal mystery: the long-ago disappearance of her cousin. Just tracking down the sexy, brooding Wren is difficult enough. Resisting her body’s response to him will prove completely impossible.   Anonymity is essential to Wren’s success, yet drawn by Emery’s loyalty and sensuality, he’s pulled out of the shadows. But her digging is getting noticed by the wrong people. And as the clues start to point to someone terrifyingly close, Wren will have to put his haunted past aside to protect the woman he loves.

Get your Copy Today!

Amazon | BN

Exclusive Excerpt: 

She handed him a water bottle and sat down on the opposite end on the love seat, as far from him as possible, which amounted to a half cushion away. “I wasn’t sure you’d come over when I called.”

The bottle made a crinkling noise when he grabbed on to it. “Why not?”

He didn’t mention that she’d used his emergency private number for a nonemergency, so neither did she. “You kind of ran out of here last night.”

Then she’d thought about him all night while Tyler sat there talking about his new job and the new city he loved. Emery had been happy for him, even as a part of her grumbled that it had been so easy for him to move on and never mention Tiffany.

For most of the night she’d been guilty of the same sin. As he talked, her mind switched to Wren. The sound of his voice. The way his muscles felt through his shirt. She certainly wouldn’t have won any Good Friend prize for her mental wanderings.

“You had company. Something and someone else to occupy your time.” Wren didn’t look at her as he set the unopened bottle on the coffee table.

She took in the stiffness of his shoulders and the fact he hadn’t even bothered to take off his suit jacket. He walked in and went to the couch because she told him to have a seat. Very little else had transpired except for her why-am-I-doing-this panicked race to the kitchen for water. “Don’t do that.”

He leaned back on the cushions and faced her. “What?”

Gone was the easy flow of conversation from last night and the touching. Yeah, he didn’t look even a little interested in touching, which was a damn shame. “You sound all haughty and businesslike.”

“You may have just summed up the majority of my personality.” He smiled but the gesture didn’t quite reach his eyes. It looked forced and disappeared right after it happened.

She tugged on the wrapper around her water bottle. Picked at the end until she could rip off a nice long piece. “I don’t buy that. Not anymore.”

His gaze bounced from her hands to her face. “What changed?”

“I don’t even know. Maybe it’s a sense or a hope.” Of course, neither of those explained why the air in the room was all but suffocating her.

“Ah.”

Talk about an unhelpful response. She put the bottle on the table next to his and sat back again, just inches away from him. “Does that mean you get what I’m saying?”

“Not even a little bit.”

She would have laughed at that if the tension strangling her in a bear hug would ease. “Any chance I could get you to take off your jacket? Maybe loosen that tie.”

“You still seem overly concerned with my wardrobe.” But he relaxed a little. Sank back into the cushions and rested his arm across the top.

“It’s like armor.”

His fingers tapped against the love seat. “It’s wool, I believe.”

“Now you’re being a gigantic pain in the ass, just because you can.” The guy could not take a hint. She was dying to get him out of the suit. She could pretend this had to do with wanting to know he was human and to loosen him up. Yeah, there was some of that, but this was really about wanting more from him.

 

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a...divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named "Red-Hot Reads" and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fixer-Games-People-Play-ebook/dp/B01DSV6U92/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1480775257&sr=8-6&keywords=helenKay+Dimon

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fixer-helenkay-dimon/1123625444?ean=9780062441300 

Links:

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FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HelenKayDimon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway  

The Fixer by Helenkay Dimon Blog Tour - Excerpt & Giveaway

Today is our stop on the pre-release tour for The Fixer by HelenKay Dimon! This sexy romance comes out on December 27^th! Check out the book below and grab your copy today!

About The Fixer:

He’s known only as Wren. A wealthy, dangerously secretive man, he specializes in making problems disappear. A professional fixer, Wren hides a dark past, but his privacy is shattered when Emery Finn seeks him out—and what she wants from him is very personal.   Some people disappear against their will. Emery’s job is to find them and bring closure. Wren is the only person who can help solve Emery’s own personal mystery: the long-ago disappearance of her cousin. Just tracking down the sexy, brooding Wren is difficult enough. Resisting her body’s response to him will prove completely impossible.   Anonymity is essential to Wren’s success, yet drawn by Emery’s loyalty and sensuality, he’s pulled out of the shadows. But her digging is getting noticed by the wrong people. And as the clues start to point to someone terrifyingly close, Wren will have to put his haunted past aside to protect the woman he loves.

Get your Copy Today!

Amazon | BN

   
EXCERPT:

She didn’t hear footsteps or see a shadow until the legs of the chair on the other side of the café table screeched against the tile floor and a man sat down across from her. Strike that, not just a man. Not part of the usual striped-tie, navy-suit business crowd she waded through each day. This one had a lethal look to him. Dark hair with an even darker sense of danger wrapping around him.

He didn’t smile or frown while his gaze searched her face. Broad shoulders filled out every inch of the jacket of his expensive black suit. Those bright green eyes matched his tie and provided a shock of color to the whole Tall, Dark and Deadly look he had going on.

He managed to telegraph power without saying a word as a hum of energy pulsed around him. She fought off a shiver and reached for her spoon. Hardly a weapon, but something about this guy made her insides bounce and the blood leave her head, and she had no idea why.

“Excuse me?” She used a tone that let him know just sitting down without asking was not okay. Some women might like the commanding, takeover type of guy who assumed his presence was welcome everywhere. Not her.

“We need to come to an understanding.”

The voice, deep and husky with an edge of gravely heat, skidded across her senses. She felt it as much as she heard it. The tone struck her, held her mesmerized, before the meaning behind the words hit her. “Uh-huh, well, maybe we should understand that seat is already taken,” she said.

“By?”

“Literally anyone else who wants it.” She looked down, making a show of taking the lid off her cup and stirring the few inches of coffee left inside. That struck her as the universal not-interested signal.

She waited for him to grumble or call her a name and scamper off. She had issued a dismissal after all. But his presence loomed and she glanced up again.

“Emery Finn.” Her name rolled off his tongue.

That shiver moving through her turned into a full body shake. “Wait, do we know each other?”

“You’ve been making inquiries.”

It was the way he said it as much as what he said. How he sat there without moving. Perfect posture and laser-like focus that stayed on her face, never wavering even as a pretty woman openly gawked at him as she passed by.

The surreal scene had Emery grabbing on to her cup with both hands. “So?”

“Wrong answer.”

About HelenKay Dimon:

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a...divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named "Red-Hot Reads" and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. 

You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com 

Connect with HelenKay: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/helenkaydimon 

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HelenKayDimon 

Tumblr: http://helenkaydimon.tumblr.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hkdimon/ 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hkdimon/ 

Enter HelenKay’s Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway       

The Talented Mr. Rivers by Helenkay Dimon

***1/2

From Random House (Loveswept):

HelenKay Dimon’s suspenseful, provocative series of double agents and dark desire continues with a novel featuring two men bound by a dangerous job—and by the cravings they feel for each other.

As the son of an international crime lord, Will Rivers only inherited one thing after his father died: trouble. The Pentasus organization deals in kidnapping and murder, and Will wants no part of the power grab that’s tearing leadership apart. But the only way he’ll be able to escape is with some help from his former bodyguard, Hunter Cain, whose sculpted body and brooding looks keep Will awake at night. Somehow, Hunter has resisted the tension between them . . . until, suddenly, he gives in.

As a German intelligence officer working deep undercover, Hunter has a very good reason to keep Will in the dark about his identity and his intentions. Although the sex is hot, Hunter’s true feelings are a growing liability. Now the only way to save Will from his old life is to push him deeper into danger. But when two strong men are each determined to protect the other, the heat isn’t just combustible—it’s a firestorm.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

SEE LESS

HelenKay Dimon’s suspenseful, provocative series of double agents and dark desire continues with a novel featuring two men bound by a dangerous job—and by the cravings they feel for each other.

As the son of an international crime lord, Will Rivers only inherited one thing after his father died: trouble. The Pentasus organization deals in kidnapping and murder, and Will wants no part of the power grab that’s tearing leadership apart. But the only way he’ll be able to escape is with some help from his former bodyguard, Hunter Cain, whose sculpted body and brooding looks keep Will awake at night. Somehow, Hunter has resisted the tension between them . . . until, suddenly, he gives in.

As a German intelligence officer working deep undercover, Hunter has a very good reason to keep Will in the dark about his identity and his intentions. Although the sex is hot, Hunter’s true feelings are a growing liability. Now the only way to save Will from his old life is to push him deeper into danger. But when two strong men are each determined to protect the other, the heat isn’t just combustible—it’s a firestorm.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

SEE LESS

HelenKay Dimon’s suspenseful, provocative series of double agents and dark desire continues with a novel featuring two men bound by a dangerous job—and by the cravings they feel for each other.
 
As the son of an international crime lord, Will Rivers only inherited one thing after his father died: trouble. The Pentasus organization deals in kidnapping and murder, and Will wants no part of the power grab that’s tearing leadership apart. But the only way he’ll be able to escape is with some help from his former bodyguard, Hunter Cain, whose sculpted body and brooding looks keep Will awake at night. Somehow, Hunter has resisted the tension between them . . . until, suddenly, he gives in.
 
As a German intelligence officer working deep undercover, Hunter has a very good reason to keep Will in the dark about his identity and his intentions. Although the sex is hot, Hunter’s true feelings are a growing liability. Now the only way to save Will from his old life is to push him deeper into danger. But when two strong men are each determined to protect the other, the heat isn’t just combustible—it’s a firestorm.

The Talented Mr. Rivers picks up where Mr. and Mr. Smith leaves off, this time we are getting the story of Hunter, the super smoking spy and Will, the brainiac would-be heir to a crime syndicate.  While these two burn up the sheets, their secrets could not only tear them apart but get them killed. 

Helenkay Dimon's foray into m/m romantic suspense is amazing.  This series keeps getting better and I may cry if there isn't a book 3.  Hunter and Will are distrustful, set in their ways, and are terrified of their feelings.  All of which make this a thoroughly entertaining story!  Please Helenkay, please give us more of these smoking hot spies and the men who distract them!  

~Shel

Line of Fire by Helenkay Dimon

***

From Carina Press:

With his military career over and his ego bruised, Jason McAdams is ready to start over. As a founding partner in Greenway Range, his new life is everything he'd ever dared to dream about, but it also puts him in constant contact with the one woman he can't have: his best friend's little sister.

Molly Cain has loved Jason for as long as she can remember, and seeing him now—damaged and self-destructive—is a constant heartache. Watching him numbly work his way through woman after woman is damn near intolerable. Until one summer night changes everything.

After a rocky start, the sex is hot and naughty and all Molly knew it would be. And when he makes another pass at her, Molly doesn't say no. Or the many times after that, either. But Jason carries a secret—one that's kept him away from Molly for all these years, one that could ruin everything. He's been shot at and seen death, but letting the woman he loves find out the truth is the real worst-case scenario…

Source:  Advance Copy from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Molly is pissed off.  She's loved Jason her entire life, but he's never showed any interest.  He's hurt her over and over again by choosing every other girl in town, including marrying her best friend.  When they divorce, Jason goes on a hook-up spree which leads Molly to officially giving up on Jason and leaving town for a while.  

Jason is barely hanging on.  He's suffering from PTSD from his service.  When he got home he buried himself in booze, painkillers, and women.  When he and Molly fought and she left, he was lost.  He's wanted her forever, but she's his best friend's little sister and there are secrets from the past that prevent them from being together.  If his secrets come out, he could lose more than just Molly.

When Molly gets to San Diego, she tries staying away from Jason, but he's not cooperating, so she does the next best thing and propositions him for a sex only relationship.  Jason's not happy with being Molly's dirty little secret, but he can't see a way to keep her for good and goes along with it.  

The problem is keeping your heart out of sex with the person you've been in love with for years.  As they get closer secrets and fears raise their ugly heads their relationship is threatened.  

There's a lot to love about Line of Fire.  The bickering between Molly and Jase is sarcastic and fun.  The supporting cast is awesome!  I am so hoping that Marcus and Will get their own story.  I want more!  There's steamy love scenes and a lot of love in this group of characters.  This one should definitely be on your summer reading list!

~ Shel

Waiting on Wednesday (193)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.



By HelenKay Dimon
Publication Date: September 13, 2016

HelenKay Dimon’s suspenseful, provocative series of double agents and dark desire continues with a novel featuring two men bound by a dangerous job—and by the cravings they feel for each other.

As the son of an international crime lord, Will Rivers only inherited one thing after his father died: trouble. The Pentasus organization deals in kidnapping and murder, and Will wants no part of the power grab that’s tearing leadership apart. But the only way he’ll be able to escape is with some help from his former bodyguard, Hunter Cain, whose sculpted body and brooding looks keep Will awake at night. Somehow, Hunter has resisted the tension between them . . . until, suddenly, he gives in.

As a German intelligence officer working deep undercover, Hunter has a very good reason to keep Will in the dark about his identity and his intentions. Although the sex is hot, Hunter’s true feelings are a growing liability. Now the only way to save Will from his old life is to push him deeper into danger. But when two strong men are each determined to protect the other, the heat isn’t just combustible—it’s a firestorm.

By Jill Shalvis
Publication Date: September 27, 2016

If she has her way . . .

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her . . .

He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him . . .

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice . . .

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but he doesn’t even remember her.  How can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish—and let the mistletoe do its work . . .



By Tana French
Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Antoinette Conway, the tough, abrasive detective from The Secret Place, is still on the Murder squad, but only just. She's partnered up with Stephen Moran now, and that's going well - but the rest of her working life isn't. Antoinette doesn't play well with others, and there's a vicious running campaign in the squad to get rid of her. She and Stephen pull a case that at first looks like a slam-dunk lovers' tiff, but gradually they realise there's more going on: someone on their own squad is trying to push them towards the obvious solution, away from nagging questions. They have to work out whether this is just an escalation in the drive to get rid of her - or whether there's something deeper and darker going on. 

Waiting on Wednesday (168)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.



By Ginger Scott 
Publication Date: October 20, 2015

Andrew Harper grew up in a house marked by tragedy. His older brother Owen did his best to shelter him, but you can only be protected from life’s pain for so long. Eventually, you end up just feeling numb…and isolated.

Loneliness was the one constant in Andrew’s life. Until one girl, met by chance in a high school hallway, changed everything. Emma Burke was a mystery and all that was beautiful in this world, the only air Andrew ever wanted to breathe. She took the lonely away, and filled it with hope and color, and Andrew would do anything to keep her safe, happy and whole.

But sometimes, what feels good and right is what ends up hurting us the most. And when Andrew and Emma are faced with an impossible decision, Andrew is tested to see just how far he’s willing to go for the girl who owns his heart.

Cuts are deep.

Scars are left behind.

And revenge beckons.

When Andrew finally gets his chance, in college, five years after his first love broke him completely, he finds out old feelings don’t really disappear just because you say you hate someone. The more he tries to avenge all that he believes he lost, the more he uncovers the real story of what happened years before.

Love is wicked. But a restless heart is never satisfied beating on its own. Can Andrew and Emma make it right before it's too late, or will the ties that bind them now destroy their only chance at a future?

By Lia Riley
Publication Date: October 20, 2015

Sometimes the worst mistakes turn out to be the best…

Smoke jumper Wilder Kane once reveled in the rush from putting out dangerous wildfires. But after a tragic accident, he’s cut himself off from the world, refusing to leave his isolated cabin. When a headstrong beauty bursts in, Wilder finds himself craving the fire she ignites in him, but letting anyone near his darkness would be a mistake.

After her Hollywood life went up in smoke, Quinn Higsby decided to leave Tinseltown behind and return to Brightwater to care for her ailing father. She spends her days in a small bookstore, until her peaceful existence is up-ended by a fascinating but damaged man. Quinn is determined not to be scared off by Wilder, not once she’s experienced the heat of his passions.

But when an arsonist targets the community and Wilder is accused, he must confront the ghosts of his past. Will his desire for Quinn burn him up or will he be able to tame the wildness inside and rekindle a hope for their future? 




By Helenkay Dimon
Publication Date: October 26, 2015

With his military career over and his ego bruised, Jason McAdams is ready to start over. As a founding partner in Greenway Range, his new life is everything he'd ever dared to dream about, but it also puts him in constant contact with the one woman he can't have: his best friend's little sister.

Molly Cain has loved Jason for as long as she can remember, and seeing him now—damaged and self-destructive—is a constant heartache. Watching him numbly work his way through woman after woman is damn near intolerable. Until one summer night changes everything.

After a rocky start, the sex is hot and naughty and all Molly knew it would be. And when he makes another pass at her, Molly doesn't say no. Or the many times after that, either. But Jason carries a secret—one that's kept him away from Molly for all these years, one that could ruin everything. He's been shot at and seen death, but letting the woman he loves find out the truth is the real worst-case scenario…

Long Way Home by HelenKay Dimon (Adult Romance)

* * 1/2

The Hanover brothers are trying to live down the con-man reputation of their late father. But they can’t blame their father for all their problems in life—or in love…

Callen Hanover has led a tough life. But after years of roaming, he’s finally settled back home in Sweetwater to reunite with his brothers, and rebuild Shadow Hill, his grandmother’s crumbling home. The last person he expected to see at his door was Grace Pruitt—ex-girlfriend and partner to the FBI agent who’s determined to put Callen away.

Grace Pruitt is in town to save the two men she cares about the most—her former partner who seems to be on a downward spiral, and Callen, the man who ran before she could explain who she really was…or tell him some shocking news. Can the secrets of the Hanover family’s past be just the thing to save them all? Or is it already too late?

Review:

One night after meeting each other, Callen Hanover and Grace Pruitt move in together.  There were together for 4 months before Callen decided Grace had betrayed him and walked out without caring to really listen to anything she had to say.

Although I’m not a big “love-at-first-sight” fan, I DO enjoy reading about relationships that begin with an instant connection.  It may not be love YET but something is bringing our hero and heroine together in a way that will lead to a happy ever after.  And even though we don’t see those first 4 months first-hand, Long Way Home still manages to deliver the instant-connection-to-love story line.  But…there was something about this story really ruined it for me. 

That something is our hero, Callen.  He is a hot mess.  And not in a sexy way.  Early on the reader learns that during their four months together Callen was a heavy drinker with a very short temper.  And when I say heavy drinker I mean he was drinking 24 hours a day; even getting up in the middle of the night to drink.  Apparently Grace insisted he stop drinking.  He does.  His temper improves but isn’t non-existent.  Which is proven when and he just walks out during an argument.  He doesn’t stop to listen or to talk things out.  He just LEAVES.  He’s willing to go through the tremendous effort of sobering up for her but god forbid he have a conversation to save their relationship.

Fast forward 3 months later.  Callen left no trace; even changing his phone number so Grace can’t find him.  But she does find him.  In Oregon, helping his brothers sort out the house and legacy their con-artist father left behind.  Callen is still sober but he also continues to be uncommunicative.  When he is communicating it is to accuse Grace of lying (she’s not and has never given him a reason to think so), he’s exceedingly moody and ridiculously paranoid about everything.  He lacks self esteem. And he still runs away from everything. All I could think was that this guy needs serious therapy before continuing a long term relationship. 

The reason I gave this 2 1/2 stars is because the writing kept my interest and Callen seemed to have SOME redeeming qualities considering he didn't run away when he found out he was going to be a dad. And as I said before, he's a runner. The fact that he didn't run showed a little bit of character growth. Just not enough to make me feel anything other than a tremendous need to send him to a therapist. And Grace? Her desire to make Callen understand he's worth more than he realizes is commendable. But his issues are deep and messed up and the fantasy that she can fix him all on her own is too far fetched. Did I already mention that this guy needs a therapist?  Well, I’m suggesting it again.  This hero was TOO broken.  And had the story addressed that issue further rather than trying to portray love and romance as a fix-all, I would have been more forgiving and more interested. 

Nat

Everything You Need to Know by Helenkay Dimon

From Goodreads:

Welcome to Need to Know - because a woman can't be too informed.

Dating in D.C. is like navigating an apocalyptic wasteland populated by men in expensive suits with zero mating potential.  Need to Know provides all the information a savvy single woman like you needs to avoid dating disasters.

By night, Jordan McAdam is the proprietor of a popular website that rates D.C.'s hottest bachelors - everything from how quick they are to email you back to their skills in the sack.  She's been burned once too often to accept any man at face value.  By day, her job as an office temp puts her in the perfect position to do a little fact checking on her rich and powerful subjects.  

When her latest assignment brings her face to face with the sexy but mysterious Forest Redder, Jordan decides to do a little "hands on" research of her own.  To Jordan, he seems like the perfect man - but she knows there is no such thing.  Moreover, there's a big problem: Forest knows Jordan's the woman behind the scandalous site - and Jordan knows he knows.  Will he expose her secret - or find his own posted on Need to Know?

Having had the extreme pleasure of meeting Helenkay Dimon, I had very high expectations for this book.  Helenkay is hilarious and just as boy crazy as the BiblioJunkies girls, so it is a match made in heaven.  Everything You Need to Know is funny, it has some sizzle and has that ever satisfying happily ever after.  I thoroughly enjoyed my first Helenkay Dimon experience, but I didn't love it.  I think that's because it was so short and there were other characters and things I wanted to know!  At just over one hundred pages, I'm really hoping there will be some related books, so that i can satisfy my need to know!

If you are looking for a quick, humorous, romantic read, pick up Everything You Need to Know.

~Shel