When it comes to steamy romance and memorable characters, there are three Sourcebooks authors that know how to do it up right.
While romance may be on the top of the list when it comes to what to watch for, these three authors also offer up mystery, suspense, loyalty, humor and oh, so much more. The three books I want to tell you about offer something for everyone. Up first is cowboys and a reality TV show, followed by a small town sheriff and the preacher’s daughter, and ending with a hunt for exotic animal traders and jaguars shifters.
If I can help it, I never start reading a Carolyn Brown book after 9 p.m. Because I know if I do, it will be in the wee hours of the morning before I can make myself put the book down.
The author creates such realistic characters, entertaining plots and hilarious moments, it’s hard to find a place to stop reading. The dialogue is conversational pulling the reader into the action and making them feel right at home.
COWBOY SEEKS BRIDE is a fine example of Brown’s work mixing her memorable characters with historical facts for a steamy romance and laugh-out-loud moments. She paints a breath-taking landscape with her vivid descriptions.
In this last installment in the Spikes and Spurs series, rancher Dewar O’Donnell is looking forward to reenacting the historic Chisholm Trail cattle drive with family and friends. This cattle drive is a trail run for a possible reality TV show. What Dewar didn’t count on was the reality show’s field man being a woman.
H.B. ‘Haley’ McKay is determined to make this drive into a reality show. The high-powered businesswoman hadn’t realized her research would have her riding a horse for a month with a bunch of modern-day cowboys.
As the unlikely group heads out on the trail drive, little do they know they’ll be facing more than storms, stampedes, snakes and coyotes.
The characters are spunky and likable. The story moves at a steady pace holding your attention from one encounter to the next tender moment and back to danger. The blend of humor and determination makes for an intriguing read. Brown gives her secondary characters flare and depth adding another layer to the story.
COWBOY SEEKS BRIDE features a feisty heroine and a sexy hero for a rip-roaring good time.
Author Carolyn Brown’s website is http://www.CarolynLBrown.com
Cowboy Seeks Bride by Carolyn Brown, Spikes and Spurs Series, Sourcebooks, @2013, ISBN: 978-1402270215, Paperback, 384 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Author Macy Beckett has captured the small town atmosphere in SURRENDER TO SULTRY. She brings the best elements - friends, family, love and loyalty - together for a tender love story with bits of suspense woven in.
In a town where everyone knows everybody and what they’re doing, Leah McMahon is determined to stay under Sheriff Colton Bea’s radar. She’s returned to Sultry after a 10 year absence to care for her father following his heart surgery. As soon as he’s on the mend, Leah plans to return to her life up north and far away from Colton.
When he stops a car for a traffic violation, Colton never imaged it would be his long-lost love Leah. Struck speechless, Colton can’t tell Leah how sorry he is for the way he treated her all those years ago. Having given up his hellion ways, Colton is determined to get Leah’s forgiveness and try to make things right this time.
After a decade of womanizing, can the reformed sheriff finally do right by the preacher’s daughter? But Leah has her own secrets that could jeopardize any chance of happiness. Would he ever forgive her if he knew?
Beckett’s characters, realistic with flaws and problems, are well developed. Her secondary characters are rich in flavor adding to the depth of the story. Her detailed descriptions of the small town and its residents places the reader among the characters.
SURRENDER TO SULTRY is a tantalizing read with a hometown feel. The story flows smoothly and at a steady pace holding your attention as the sparks fly between Leah and Colton.
Author Macy Beckett’s website is www.macybeckett.com
Surrender to Sultry by Macy Beckett, A Sultry Springs Novel, Sourcebooks, @2013, ISBN: 978-1402270420, Paperback, 320 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Author Terry Spear creates a magical realm where paranormal existence becomes realistic. Her ability to blend fantasy and reality into a spine tingling story will having you believing.
Wade and David Patterson, brothers and jaguar shifters, are members of an elite Special Forces group that keeps watch over their kind while working to keep their secret from humans. Their current mission deals with finding a group who has been illegally importing wild jaguars into the states for a hunting ranch.
Maya Anderson, a jaguar shifter, is looking to connect with relatives she didn’t know she had. Her goal is to enjoy herself a bit out from under her brother’s constant control.
When Wade and Maya reconnect, the attraction that eluded them months before in the jungle surfaces. As Maya, her brother and his wife get caught in the crossfire between the Special Forces unit and the hunters, things become explosive. The mission travels to Belize and back again for a steamy adventure.
Spear has crafted realistic characters not overshadowed by their paranormal abilities. They’re well developed with flaws and spirit. The secondary characters add flavor to this romance heighten by suspense.
An eye for authentic detail, Spear’s extensive research comes through in the distinct descriptions of both locations and jaguar actions. Detailing the sights and sounds of the jungle places the reader in the midst of the action.
JAGUAR FEVER is an action-driven story with twists along the way for surprises. The suspense is captivating and the romance is steamy. The interaction among the characters is sprinkled with humor for a well-blended story that will put jaguars in a totally different light.
Author Terry Spear’s website is http://www.TerrySpear.com
Jaguar Fever by Terry Spear, Heart of the Jaguar Series, Sourcebooks, @2013, ISBN: 978-1402266959, Paperback, 320 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I hope in this variety of genres I’ve told you about at least one book that has captured your attention. What would be the punch line if a cowboy, a cop and a jaguar walked into a bar? Just something to think about. 
It’s hard to believe this is already the last Sunday Salon 
in March. Where did the time go? Here we are once again ready to discuss the books we’ve read or discovered during the past week.
As you find a comfortable chair and fluff up the pillows, I’d like to extend a Happy Easter to each and everyone celebrating today. May it be a day filled with joyous fun, inspiring talk, laughter, and the love of family and friends. No matter how or why you celebrate, may it be a wonderful day for you and your family and the blessings you seek be rewarded.
Now, I’d like to share a couple of interesting titles I recently discovered, both set in small Texas towns.
You can’t go wrong writing about cowboys, heroines in distress, and romance. Are can you?
Author Lori Wilde’s new Jubilee Texas series begins with The Cowboy Takes A Bride. Set in a small town, the story focuses on cowboys, cutting horses, lost love, broken hearts, good friends, and second chances.
Narrator C.J. Critt is what first drew me to this story. Her vocalization always bring the characters to life with their own personalities. The rhythmic flow of her voice has the right hint of southern charm to reel you in.
Joe Daniels is an ex-champion bull rider who now devotes all his time and attention to cutting horses. Joe’s wife died two years earlier in a rodeo accident and he just lost his cutting horse mentor Dutch Callahan. The last thing on Joe’s mind is falling in love.
Mariah Callahan and her mother were abandoned by her father, Dutch, when she was young. All Dutch ever seemed to care about were cutting horses so Mariah and her mother moved to Chicago and started a new life. Mariah, fired from her wedding planner job and unable to find work, gets a call from Joe telling her Dutch is dead and he has left her his ranch in Jubilee, Texas.
With no other options, Mariah heads to Jubilee to settle her estranged father’s affairs and put her career back on track. If Mariah will hold on until Christmas, Joe will buy her ranch after he wins the Fort Worth Cutting Futurity. But will the growing attraction between Joe and Mariah be stronger than their career desires?
This is a fun romance that will tug at your heartstrings. Wilde has created well developed characters and gives great detail to placing the listener/reader in the middle of the setting. The secondary case of characters are zany and add to the story.
Overall the story is about believing in finding love a second time and trusting in love after being hurt. While I enjoyed the characters and the plot, I found the story to drag on too long. There was too much rehashing of the same feelings over and over again. I found myself wanting to fast forward past some of the internal bickering the characters had with themselves. However, at the same time I realized the author was just portraying the characters with real emotions and doubt one faces when falling in love.
For sexy cowboys, steamy romance, and loyal friendship check out The Cowboy Takes A Bride. This will be a fun series to follow.
Author Lori Wilde’s website is http://www.loriwilde.com/
The Cowboy Takes A Bride by Lori Wilde, A Jubilee Texas Novel, Performed by C.J. Critt, Harper Audio, @2013, ASIN: B00B296SBS, Digital Download, Listening Time: 10 Hours. 57 Minutes
FTC Full Disclosure - This digital downloadable audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Author Macy Beckett takes readers back to the quaint small Texas
town of Sultry Springs in the second installment of her series, A Shot of Sultry, for another charming love story.
This time around Bobbi Gallagher, a documentary filmmaker, is trying to revive her ailing career after being fired and snubbed by the industry. Her comeback chance is riding on one assignment - to shoot ‘Sex in the Sticks’ a look at single life in rural America. She knows the best place to shoot, her hometown of Sultry Springs, Texas. It will also give her a chance to reconnect with her long-lost brother, Luke.
Hoping to help out his sister and keep an eye on her at the same time, Luke asks his best friend, Trey Lewis, to let Bobbi follow him with a camera. Trey, an ex-infantryman with less than stellar discharge, doesn’t have a problem with it. He’s planning on leaving at the end of summer for a defense contract overseas that will help repair his reputation. What he didn’t plan on was the hot attraction he feels for Bobbi.
Beckett does well creating a small town atmosphere and placing readers among the characters. Her characters are well-rounded with the secondary cast adding spice to the mix. The story flows at a good pace and will have you feeling a range of emotions along the way.
A Shot of Sultry is a steamy read for a cool spring day. This is a nice addition to a feel-good, charming series.
Author Macy Beckett’s website is http://macybeckett.com/
A Shot of Sultry by Macy Beckett, A Sultry Springs Novel, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2013, ISBN: 978-1402270390, Paperback, 352 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday. Do you enjoy stories that feature small towns or big cities?
One of the things I love about books is the fact they can take you places you’ve never been and introduce you to people and places beyond your wildest dreams.
I have two books today I’d like to share with you. They are completely different in their themes and genres, but both are incredible reads.
Having been a fan of author Terry Spear for some time now, I awaited her newest series (Heart of the Jaguar) with great expectations. True to her form, she did not disappoint me but reinforced how prolific a writer she is.
A mission to the Amazon to take down a ruthless drug Lord turned out to be more than Army Officer Kathleen ‘Kat’ McKnight bargained for. When the mission goes terrible wrong, a mysterious man suddenly appears and saves her from certain death. Haunted by those memories, Kat returns to the rain forest a year later hoping to find the man. She never expected to discover the man is was hiding a life-changing secret.
Connor Anderson and his sister were in the jungle on their yearly visit connecting with their shape shifting jaguar roots when he encountered the botched drug raid. Getting back to his life and needing to find his life mate, Connor can’t help but think of the tough Army officer he saved. When he comes face-to-face with her a year later, he wonders if they could truly be together.
Learning of his shape shifting secret and Kat’s dangerous past returning could have serious consequences for the pair.
Spear is meticulous in her research for her series and it shines in SAVAGE HUNGER. Not only are the characters well developed, but her detailed descriptions of the settings place the reader in the middle of the action.
Connor is an ideal hero with his good looks and sexy ways. Adding a few flaws makes him realistic. Kat is the perfect heroine to match Connor. She is tough and independent, but has a vulnerable side. Maya is a wonderful secondary character. She allows Connor and Kat to show different sides of themselves when she’s involved.
While this is a paranormal tale with shape shifting jaguars, Spear tells the story in such a way you come to believe in the ability while immersed in the characters’ lives. She makes the impossible seem real and natural while keeping you in suspense.
The story moves along at a steady pace packed with action and interesting twists. It’s also filled with steamy romance, family loyalty, determination, humor and an understanding of the interactions of man and nature. Once you pick up SAVAGE HUNGER, it will sink its claws into you and hold you captive till the end. A tantalizing start to a fascinating new series.
Author Terry Spear’s website is www.terryspear.com
Savage Hunger by Terry Spear, Heart of the Jaguar Series, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2012, ISBN: 978-1402266928, Paperback, 352 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Author Macy Beckett has made a splash with her new debut novel dealing with unending love, family problems and finding what you want in life without knowing you were looking.
Opening the pages of SULTRY WITH A TWIST, readers are transported to a small Texas town where everyone knows everyone and everything about them including how to offer second changes and a hand up when needed. It’s filled with Southern sass, sexy cowboys and steamy romance.
Mae-June July Augustine left Sultry Springs nine years ago with a broken heart and planned to never return. As her dream of opening an upscale martini bar in Austin is weeks away from becoming a reality, June receives terrible news. It seems she has an outstanding warrant in her hometown and must clear it up before the proper paperwork can be approved for the bar.
Not a problem. A quick visit to the judge and the matter will be resolved. Wrong. The judge offers June a month of community service work or longer jail time. Nothing to do but the community service which puts her under the supervision of sexy Luke Gallagher, her first love and ex-friend, and staying with her estranged grandmother, Pru.
As June works with Luke renovating houses, their attraction returns hotter than ever. Luke isn’t sure June will fit in with his plans and June has to decide if she misses the allure of Austin or enjoys the pleasures of Sultry Springs more. Which dream will come true, the one she’s had for years or the one she never imagined?
Beckett has created fun characters with depth and secondary characters that add charm and laughter to the mix. The setting is realistic with a small town feel. The story moves at a steady pace and holds your attention. It’s filled with laugh-out-loud moments, sizzling romance and tug-on-your heartstring scenes.
SULTRY WITH A TWIST is a charming beginning to a delightful new series where second chances led to interesting developments.
Author Macy Beckett’s website is www.macybeckett.com
Sultry With A Twist by Macy Beckett, Sultry Springs Series, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2012, ISBN: 978-1402270369, Paperback, 320 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Do you enjoy trying books outside your ‘comfort zone’ when it comes to genres? You’ll never know how much you’re missing until you give them a try. Thanks so much for stopping by.
