Heartbreakers and Heroes by Various Authors

Heartbreakers and Heroes
By: Various Authors
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Published: June 21, 2016
Genre: Contemporary, Anthology, Romance
Length: Short Story, Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: Toni
Date: May 18, 2016

 

PRE-ORDER TODAY!!

$.99 won't last long for such a huge selections of stories

Get your hands on TWELVE sexy HEARTBREAKERS AND HEROES, a brotherhood bound by their troubled youth. A tragedy reminds them of the mentor who taught them all the rules to become a man. But some of them haven't been following the rules...

These TWELVE new novellas from USA Today bestsellers and your favorite contemporary authors are sure get your pulse racing and heart pounding.

HIDING WITH THE HEARTBREAKER by USA Today bestseller by Virginia Nelson
Rule: Protect the innocent.
Making people laugh for a living is easy, but when a beautiful stranger needs Aloysius Sutton's help, he has to find a way to become Jude's hero.

HOW TO UNBREAK A HEART by USA Today bestseller Jennie Marts
Rule: If you love her, don't let her go.
Solitary cowboy, Trip Turner finally has a chance to correct the mistakes he made when he let the woman he loved walk out of his life twelve years ago. But now that Bre Wilson is back, will he be able to unbreak her heart?

SECOND CHANCE HERO by Michelle Major
Rule: A real man doesn't build himself up by tearing someone else down.
Travis Jackson might not be the white knight Hailey Moore needs, but he'll risk his future to win her heart.

HOMETOWN HEARTBREAKER by Heather Long
Rule: A real man always puts his best foot forward.
Zeke always planned to steal her heart, but she left him on base. It’s the bottom of the ninth, and Charity is up to bat. Can she tell her two-all stars the truth or will a foul end her best chance?

HERO IN DISGUISE by Sharla Lovelace
Rule: A real man doesn't buy respect, he earns it.
Billionaire playboy Jake Jericho thinks he has it all, until one phone call reminds him otherwise. Can one week in disguise reform this trust fund playboy, or will his deception destroy the only real love he's ever known?

HER HEARTBREAKER BOSS by Carmen Falcone
Rule: Never leave your woman unsatisfied.
Can Stefano and Roxie resist the heat flaring between them or will working together force them to face their rocky past and give them the happily ever after they deserve?

HOW TO BE A HEARTBREAKER by Codi Gary
Rule: A real man never kisses and tells.
When an A list actor returns to his hometown, old wounds and fresh gossip emerge... along with a second chance at love, if he's brave enough to stick around.

REFORMING THE HEARTBREAKER by Christine Glover
Rule: A real man never breaks a woman's heart.
Can Olympic mountain bike champion Ryder Bennett and his public relations rep Addison Carrington keep things professional between them this time around, or will they risk a sexy scandal for a chance at love?

HER UNWANTED HERO by Veronica Forand
Rule: A real man always helps someone in need... he may be the only one who does.
A disenchanted police officer must choose between keeping a woman's affection or keeping her alive.

ONCE A HEARTBREAKER by T.J. Kline
Rule: A real man never lies, especially to a woman.
Ty Preston ran out on the woman he loved twelve years ago, but now he's back to prove he's a changed man. However, Rayne can't risk getting her heart broken by the cowboy again.

MAKE MINE A HEARTBREAKER by Jodi Linton
Rule: A real man never falls for his friend's sister... ever.
She's about to change this playboy's rule book.

TUTORING THE HEARTBREAKER TO LOVE by Hayson Manning
Rule: A real man never touches the hired help.
Can Savannah teach serial heartbreaker Walker to be domesticated in ten days and convince them that maybe they can have s shot at a 'them' or can Walker convince Savannah there can be a 'them' on his terms only?

Though I have not completed the box set, the heart of the collection is the tough love of one mentor, John Stone; a man that opened his heart and home to troubled young men. He gave them rules to live by, rules that shaped boys into men.

This review is based on Heather Long’s contribution: Hometown Heartbreaker

Rule: A real man always puts his best foot forward.

Absolutely fell in love with the Zeke and Charity. Ms. Long pulled a hard story to satisfy. Did she do it?

I had really no clue what to expect when I read the blurb for Heather Long’s addition to the Heartbreakers and Heroes box set. What could she possibly mean by - Can she tell her two-all stars the truth or will a foul end her best chance? Yeah, I had an idea or two, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

Zeke is returning home to coach his hometowns kids. He hasn’t been home in years. He hasn’t been home because he couldn’t face the pain of losing Charity. To be reminded of the love he lost and the future he would never have.

Charity is in a pickle. Her life may not be what she planned many years ago, but she is content in the sacrifices she made. While she knows that there is a good chance Zeke will return to coach the hometown team, she needs to decide if she is ready to own up to the choices she made for both of them.

OH MY!!! Zeke’s and Charity’s story would be a hard one to pull off in such a short platform. Their characters had a history worth telling and not much time to tell it in.

Ms. Long did a great job introducing the couple and diving right into their healing. You could see right from the beginning the spark was not gone.  Lots of time had gone by and healing would be a long hard road.

I will be honest and say I would have loved to have read a full story of this couple. Ms. Long has an exceptional talent of character development and storytelling. She was able to capture the heart of the characters, but they would have shone so much more brightly if she could have given them her all her skills. She definitely used her time wisely and I was totally captivated by their story.

Hometown Heartbreaker was a wonderful short story with tons of heart, love and potential. It was very well written and I devoured it, but the subject matter deserved more time. I have no doubt that it will be a shining star in this boxset.

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Spencer’s Chance by Dominique Eastwick

Spencer’s Chance
By: Dominique Eastwick
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Published: October 22, 2015
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: Toni
Date: November 2, 2015

 

Spencer Sherman knows how to run a billion dollar business; he understands his employees, and the market around him. But he has lost his way when it comes to love and family. With a rift with his younger brother and unrequited love of his sister in law, Spencer has taken a wrong turn somewhere and it just so happens it might lead him to his heart’s desire.

Chance McKinney is content with her simple life. She is adored by her family and friends and no one can turn down her apple pies. Yet being the friend has worn thin and this virgin doesn’t see anything in the area that will change things. Until a tall, gorgeous stranger walks into her shop and turns everything she once thought on its head.

Can two people from different worlds find the love they both desperately crave or will mistakes from the past prove too much to overcome?

Since the beginning of this fabulous series I have wanted Spencer’s story. Finally it has been told and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it.

Spencer screwed the pooch in book two of the Spencer Family series, Tony’s Haven. While his heart was in the right place, his act of trying to capture his brother’s love interest, Haven, it pretty much blew up magnificently in his face. He lost the girl and he lost his brother with one act of what he saw as kindness and misplaced love.

Chance is a woman known around town for her baking. Well her baking skills and her unselfish heart. Her friends and family come first and she will sacrifice her own happiness for them. She doesn’t even see what she is doing, because at the end of the day she is happy in her life.

Spencer stumbles upon Chance accidentally. Upon first glance, he is intrigued by Chance. By his first taste of her apple turnover, he wants a taste of her. By their first date, he knows that he has been given a second chance at love.

So why am I so unsure how I feel about Spencer’s Chance? I can't quite put my finger on it and that is why it took so long to write this review.  It's a very cute love story, but it gave off a kinda of teddy bear stalker feel to me. What could I possibly mean by “teddy bear stalker”? Well, I can’t really say without giving a bit of the story line away. Let’s just say, you got this big beautiful man who suddenly wants you, will do anything to have you and isn’t afraid to tell you. Screw the consequences. It basically had me flashing back to his brother’s story, the one that started this whole Tony-Haven-Spencer triangle. I didn’t feel like he learned from his past mistakes and that he jumped on the first girl that….Nope I can’t say, it will give it away.

I still love, love, love Spencer and I adored Chance and found her fabulous, but I wanted more for Spencer. He has been through hell. His heart was stomped on. He had become enemy number one and he had lost friends and family because of what he did. Not to mention he had to constantly put on a smiley face around the happy couple. My boy deserved more, more, more dammit.

That being said, I’m so very happy he found Chance. She was actually perfect for him and there lies my confusion. I was disappointed in the behind the scenes story line. It gave off a needy feeling, but I still loved her for him. The story line did complete the loose ends from several stories ago, but it felt borrowed to me. Ms. Eastwick had big shoes to fill, because I fell so hard for Spencer. She still wrote a wonderful story and after a second read through I liked it even more, but not as well loved as prior installments.

No more dwelling. Now bring on the Trent. I’m feeling good about the next story. Don’t leave a girl hanging!

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Healing His Soul's Mate by Dominique Eastwick

Title: Healing His Soul's Mate
By: Dominique Eastwick
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Published: April 29, 2016
Genre:Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: Toni
Date: April 30, 2016

 

Things are not as calm at the Wiccan Haus as they usually are. The impending birth of Dana and Rekkus’ cubs has everyone on edge. The last thing anyone wants or expects is a series of uninvited guests.

Ashlynn Stone hasn’t spoken to her sister Dana since she left for the Wiccan Haus over a year earlier. But when a fluke accident on the fashion runway forces her to seek the healing of the Wiccan Haus, she has no choice but to pack her bags and take the ferry to the island with her family in tow.

Shadedor has been sent to the Wiccan Haus to assess the situation. But he soon finds more than he expected. His soul mate in need of healing. Can he negotiate the issues of the Wiccan Haus and overcome the walls Ashlynn has built to protect herself.

As the Haus prepares for the biggest event since it opened, can the siblings find harmony and manage to do what they do best, heal those in need? Or is it too much for them to take?

Welcome back to the Wiccan Haus.

My dreams and wishes have finally been granted. The baby is coming! The baby is coming!!

While Healing His Soul’s Mate is about a new fresh couple, it also includes the much anticipated birth of Dana and Rekkus’ babies. This story has been on my mind for ages. I first read their story in Shifting Hearts. After checking my records is been pretty much four years, almost to the date. It was the charter story for the sexy, fun and ever changing Wiccan Haus series.

If you are unfamiliar with Wiccan Haus, please take a moment to check it out. Here is the blurb from Goodreads: Meet the unusual residents of the Wiccan Haus. The staff can get a little hairy and not all of the guests eat what’s served in the dining hall. But the proprietors always do what they can to make the resort into a place of healing and peace, using all of their years of practice. At the Haus, where humans and Paras reside side-by-side, everyone in need of the Rowan siblings’ services is welcome.

The new couple to the island is Dana’s sister Ashlynn and the mysterious, Shadedor. Doesn’t his name even sound mysterious? Shadeor has come to Wiccan Haus to report on the status of the upcoming birth and other goings on at the Hause. Pretty routine for him, but what he didn’t expect is to find his possible mate.

Ashlynn has been estranged from her sister Dana since Dana cancelled her wedding and moving to the Wiccan Haus resort. Their dominating mother disowned Dana and Ashlynn was too afraid of her mother’s wrath to go up against her. Now that Ashlynn is in need of more than regular healing, her and the rest of the family are going to the island to see if they can help Ashlinn and to also heal the rift between the whole family. Well everyone but the mother. She is tagging along too, but she as forgiving and “lovely” as ever. What she finds is more than she expected.

Healing His Soul’s Mate is a bit longer in length than the normal WH read and a great big THANK YOU to Ms. Eastwick for doing it. She included two entwined stories that could have stood alone but was better told together. Great job!! I loved how she brought the whole island together for the event of the year and also was able to heal more than a few souls. She also was able to keep the stories separate. They each had their own feeling but yet fed into the story as a whole. Not an easy task with so many facets.

If you have ever been interested in diving into a connected world written by various exceptional authors, then consider the Wiccan Haus series. The flavors of the different authors are delicious and well balanced. They do an exceptional job working together to keep this amazing island running smoothly.

I stick by what I said from the very beginning and couldn’t be more true today…”This series is going to be fun and engaging with an eclectic mix of characters and countless romantic possibilities. I plan on enjoying this series from the beginning all the way to the end. I hope you join me. Come take a relaxing short vacation with me to the Wiccan Haus; where you will find inner peace, breathtaking magic and explosive romance.”

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Shattered Vows by Linda LaRoque

Shattered Vows
By: Linda LaRoque
Publisher: Prayers and Promises Publications.com
Published: November 10, 2014
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational, Romance
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: ReadingPatti
Date: February 10, 2016

 

Annie and Stuart Rayburn have loved each other since high school. Their life is idyllic until their baby dies of SIDS, and Annie falls into a deep depression. Months of therapy help her recover, and they look forward to another child sometime in their future. Despite his own grief Stuart tries to comfort Annie, yet when he reaches for her in the night, his advances are rebuffed. In a moment of weakness, he turns to another woman. Stu learns his night of infidelity produced a baby girl. The mother died in a car crash, and her will gives Stu custody. Stu can't deny the child is his, and he's determined to raise her. He begs Annie's forgiveness. Hurt and angry, Annie must face her demons, decide if she can forgive Stu, and love the innocent child, or divorce him and move on without the only man she's likely to love.

Annie and Stu are a regular couple who have gone through a tragic loss then they face another issue that causes them to separate. Can they find the way back to each other? That is the question.

I was hooked on this book from the first page. Stu moves out and Annie comes home to find her way. Does Annie love Stu enough to make their marriage work? Annie questions everything about their relationship, but Stu still loves her and Annie finally realizes that she loves Stu too. They work at reconnecting their relationship and stay together. With the love they have, can Annie and Stu find that they do belong together? Not just for themselves, but for their whole family.

I loved this book. This was so real that this story could happen to any couple today in real life. I loved how Annie and Stu worked though their issues to realize that they really do love each other and can come together. That their love was strong enough to go through these issues and become even stronger than before. I think we should all read this book. It shows how no matter what comes up in your relationship, if you remember that you love each other your relationship can survive and grow even stronger.

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