Bound, Branded & Brazen – Jaci Burton

Bound, Branded & Brazen by Jaci Burton

* I received this ARC free from the author in exchange for an honest review*

 Product Description:

In the wilds of Oklahoma, three sisters have a date with destiny…

Bound: When Valerie left for the big city, she kissed her foreman husband goodbye-along with the best sex she ever had. Now, seeing him brings back sizzling memories.

Branded: Watching Gage wrangle untamed horses leaves Brea hot and bothered. But can she live out her fantasy with a man who may ask for more than she’s willing to give?

Brazen: Ranch hand Walker Morgan can’t afford to get too close to his new boss, Jolene, no matter how she tempts him. But Jolene’s prepared to take the first step.

3 Sisters are brought together by one ranch, the Bar M in which they all have equal ownership of.  Valerie ran away from the ranch and her husband to become a Doctor.  Brea ran away to Tulsa where she is a freelance programmer/analyst.  Jolene has been running the ranch the past few years.

Valerie has been running from love since their parents were killed in a car accident when they were teenagers.  Every time she gets too close to someone or something she gets scared and leaves.  Mason hopes to change her mind and show her why they belong together.  Circumstances pull at her heart while she is home on the ranch and this time she might just stop running.

Brea is more comfortable hiding behind her books and baggie clothes.  She lacks self confidence and is inexperienced when it comes to men.  She loves reading steamy romances and dreaming they are about her.  She can’t believe that the sexy ranch hand, Gage is interested in her.  She decides for once to take a chance on what she wants and go for it. 

Jolene knows what she wants and she goes after it.  She has been running the Bar M ranch and has turned it into a successful cattle business.  She now has set her sights on Walker but he refuses to get involved with his “boss”.  Walker has a secret that he is worried will affect Jolene and the Bar M ranch.  She is worried that he sees her as one of the guys until things start to heat up.  Who will win this battle of wills between them?

I loved all three of these stories.  Each of the heroines had some quality that I could relate to in my life.  Valerie was the one that took care of her sisters when their parents died, Brea isn’t very confident in herself or appearance and would rather hide behind her books and Jolene was the one left at the ranch to take care of it when they both left.  I take care of everyone in my family, hide behind my books and am left to clean up any mess there might be.

Jaci Burton gives you real working cowboys and the women they love.  The men are rugged, tough and not afraid of hard work.  They love just as hard as they work.  They are the real deal not some cheap imitation.

The stories have plenty of sizzling sex in some very unique places, which made it very entertaining.  All three of the stories are separate reads but I like the fact that they all flow together and you get to find out how things are going for the others as the book progresses.

I really enjoyed these stories and would recommend if you haven’t read anything by Jaci to definitely take a chance and pick it up.  I give this book 4 flaming hearts. 

Read Full Post »

Demonfire – Kate Douglas (release date 2/23/10)

Demonfire – Kate Douglas  * I received this ARC/book free from the author for review purposes*

 Product Description:

Since time began, the Earth has served as a balance between the world of darkness that is the Abyss, and the paradise known as Eden. Now the battle between good and evil has reached a tipping point, and survival depends on one fallen demon— and the woman he can’t resist…

A demon too good for hell, a pragmatic newspaper reporter, a tiny will o’the wisp and a mongrel dog have seven days to save the world — or all hell breaks loose…

Garden gnomes are mean & evil just ask Eddy Marks.  Calm, conservative & level headed Eddy can’t believe her eyes when she finds one of her garden gnomes attacking a naked man in her shed.

Dax, an unlikely hero, was sent to Earth to battle his fellow Demons that have escaped from the vortex.  He only has seven days to complete this impossible task with the help of Eddy, her dog Bumper, Willow and a Lemurian that turned his back on his world to help save ours.

The story takes place in the quite town of Evergreen, California and centers around Eddy and Dax.  All over town ceramic statues are coming to life and attacking the citizens.  The attacks are becoming bolder and more dangerous; it’s up to this fallen demon to stop them.

Dax was given a human body to use for seven days, his demon powers are contained in a snake tattoo that starts on his chest and winds down his body to his leg.  The snake tattoo has a mind of its own and wants to break free.  Eddy is the only one with the power to sooth the snake and keeps it from killing him.

I loved this story, it’s the classic tale of good vs evil.  The characters are intriguing and have you rooting for them to win.  I loved Eddy’s character because she has such a strong personality.  She thinks her dad is crazy for believing in all this paranormal stuff when she knows it’s not real.  Then she meets Dax and all that changes; through it all she develops a new respect for her dad.

Dax’s character is very enduring.  He’s been a demon for so many years then he’s thrown into a human body where he has to learn how to do everything for himself.  I loved watching him go through that learning process all the while falling hopelessly in love with Eddy.

There are parts of the story that are a little slow because this is a new series that has to have the world set up for it.  The battle scenes are a little repetitive but each one is set up differently, whether it’s the location, who is involved in the battle or how the statues are attacked.  I loved the little glance we got into Lemuria we got because it helps to set up Hellfire the next book in the series.

Overall I loved this book and was honored that Kate chose me for one of the ARC’s.    I can’t wait for this book to come out.  I highly recommend it and give it 4 flaming hearts.     

Read Full Post »