TOO WICKED TO KISS by Erica Ridley

Title:  TOO WICKED TO KISS

Series:  Gothic Love Stories #1

Author:  Erica Ridley

Publisher:  WebMotion

Publish Date:   08.02.2019

Category /Genre:  Romance

Recommended for:  18+ due to sexual content

Grammar/editing:  received as an unedited ARC

Received from:  Erica Ridley

Goodreads link: Too Wicked to Kiss

Date completed: 09.28.2019

Description from the publisher:

HIS TOUCH HOLDS HER CAPTIVE

From the ravens circling its spires to the gargoyles adorning its roof, Blackberry Manor looms ominously over its rambling grounds.  And behind its doors, amid the flickering shadows and secret passageways, danger lies in wait… 

 TO HIS EVERY DARK DESIRE

Evangeline Pemberton has been invited to a party at the sprawling estate of reclusive Gavin Lioncroft, who is rumored to have killed in cold blood.  Initially, his towering presence and brusque manner instill fear… until his seductive attentions and unexpected vulnerability conquer her resistance.

But when a guest is murdered, Evangeline is torn.  Could the man to whom she is so powerfully drawn, also be a ruthless killer?

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TOO WICKED TO KISS is the first book in the Gothic Love Stories series.  Each will stand on its own, but I have loved all four in the series.

I loved this old style upper-crust society house party solving a case of who murdered one of their own.  All of the best characters are there:  the innocent, the tormented, the conniving, the drunkard, the mean, and the misunderstood.  I will only say that it was not Miss Plum in the Kitchen with a candlestick.

There is more than murder afoot; Ms. Evangeline has a special gift… a gift that, at times, has been the source of her torment and torture, intimidation and extortion.  I loved how she wants to use her gift to help.  It is only when she is being forced to use it that she balks.  (Like an artist who will only paint sad landscapes if he has been denied the joys of his life.)

While solving the murder, friendships bloom, trust is tested, and love grows.  All together, it made for a wonderful story that I never wanted to leave, but I still wanted to know it ended well.  The plus side is knowing that the second book in this series is about Evangeline’s new friend, Susan Stanton and her HEA.

Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Gothic Love Stories Series:

1.      Too Wicked to Kiss

2.      Too Sinful to Deny

3.      Too Tempting to Resist

4.      Too Wanton to Wed

Also from Erica Ridley:

·   Never Been Bitten

·   Two Dukes a Dueling

Dukes of War Series:

1.      The Viscount’s Christmas Temptation

2.      The Earl’s Defiant Wallflower

3.      The Captain’s Bluestocking Mistress

4.      The Major’s Faux Fiancée

5.      The Brigadier’s Runaway Bride

6.      The Pirate’s Tempting Stowaway

7.      The Duke’s Accidental Wife

8.      All I Want

Magic & Mayhem Series:

1.      Kissed by Magic

2.      Must Love Magic

3.      Smitten by Magic

Nether-Netherland Series:

1.   Charmed

2.   Midwinter Magic

Passion & Promises Series:

1.      Let it Snow

2.      Dark Surrender

3.      Romancing the Rogue

Rogues to Riches Series:

1.      Lord of Chance

2.      Lord of Pleasure

3.      Lord of Night

4.      Lord of Temptation

5.      Lord of Secrets

6.      Lord of Vice

Twelve Dukes of Christmas series:

1.      Once Upon a Duke

2.      Kiss of  a Duke

3.      Wish upon a Duke

4.      Never Say Duke

5.      Dukes, Actually (releases 10.22.2019)

6.      The Duke’s Bride (releases 11.12.2019)

7.      The Duke’s Embrace (releases 12.03.2019)

8.      The Duke’s Desire (releases 12.24.2019)

9.      Dawn with a Duke

10.  One Night with a Duke

11.  Ten Days with a Duke

12.  Forever Your Duke

Wicked Dukes Club series:

1.      One Night of Seduction

3.      One Night of Passion

5.      One Night to Remember

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MR. SMITH AND THE ROACH by J.J. DiBenedetto

Title:  MR. SMITH AND THE ROACH

Series:  Mr. Smith and the Roach #1

Author:  J.J. DiBenedetto

Narrator:  Chris Dale

Length:  6 hours 30 minutes

Audible Release Date:  01.09.2019

Publisher:  Writing Dreams

Publish Date:   11.08.2018

Category /Genre:  Fantasy Suspense

Recommended for:  14 + due to vocabulary

Listenability:  OK  or  NSFW

Received from:  J.J. DiBenedetto (as an Audible gifted copy)

Goodreads link: Mr. Smith and the Roach

Date completed: 09.30.2019

Description from the publisher:

John Smith has a problem. He’s a retired cop whose pension just got wiped out, and he doesn’t know why or how. Now he needs to find a roommate to help pay the bills.

Sam has a problem. He’s a six-foot-tall talking cockroach and he doesn’t know who created him, or why, or how. Now he needs a place to live.

Thrown together as roommates and amateur detectives, Mr. Smith and the Roach realize their problems might be related.

But those problems are far more complicated than they imagined, and before all is said and done, they’ll run afoul of a Russian gangster, an imprisoned Mafia don, a crooked Wall Street banker, a mad scientist and, maybe worst of all, Mr. Smith’s baby sister.

Can they get to the bottom of an unbelievable plot before someone exterminates the Roach – and Mr. Smith – for good?

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MR. SMITH AND THE ROACH is a stand-alone detective story, though it was left open enough that it could be developed into a series.  I hope Mr. DiBenedetto would consider doing so.

Mr. Smith lives three floors down from Jane Barnaby, but she is out of town and her sister is using the apartment.  After listening to this book, I’m dying to jump back and know Jane better even though this is not a part of her series.

Who would think that I would enjoy a book with an insect as one of the main characters – especially a roach! – but I absolutely loved this fun detective story

Narration:  I don’t know accents well enough to tell you where Chris Dale is from, but it certainly isn’t middle of America.  My guess would be somewhere in England, but his is not one of the accents that I am accustom to hearing.  It was very nice to listen to his voice.  He gives excellent pronunciation, enunciation, intonation, and characterization.  His name on a book would be a reason to pick it up.

Note:  While I received this book as a gifted audiobook copy, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Also from Author:

·         Finding Dori (Welcome to Romance #7)

·         Mr. Smith and the Roach

·         A Reel Christmas in Romance (Christmas in Romance #4)

·         Twice Blessed (Blessings of Love #5)

The Dreams series:

1.      Dream Student

2.      Dream Doctor

3.      Dream Child

4.      Dream Family

4.5 Betty & Howard’s Excellent Adventure

5.      Waking Dream

6.      Dream Reunion

7.      Dream Home

8.      Dream Vacation

9.      Fever Dream

10.  Dream Wedding

Dream Fragments (twelve short stories)

Jane Barnaby series:

1.      Finders Keepers

2.      Losers Weepers

3.      Her Brother’s Keeper

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TACTICS AND TAILS by Keira Blackwood & Eva Knight

Title:  TACTICS AND TAILS

Series:  The Protectors, Quick Bites #6

Author:  Keira Blackwood & Eva Knight

Publisher:  Paramour Press

Publish Date:   09.29.2019

Category /Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Short Story

Recommended for:  18+ due to sexual content

Grammar/editing:  book received as an unedited ARC

Received from:  Keira Blackwood

Goodreads link: Tactics and Tails

Date completed: 09.22.2019

Description from the publisher:

A status quo explosion puts Aubrey in charge of her shifter military team.  She’s both capable and ready to tame the chaos.

Until her team goes rogue.

At the very worst moment, a tall, dark, and meowza-level hottie steps in.  Oliver isn't just there to watch her fail.  He’s there to steal her brand spanking new job.

He’s closed off and skeptical.  He’s as infuriating as he is domineering, and he’s totally strip-worthy.

And he wants to get naked.

It’s all in a day’s work.  It’ll be fine, as long as Aubrey doesn’t look at him.  As long as she doesn’t touch him.  As long as they don’t get shot.

Survive the mission, and everything will go back to normal.  Survive a gaze into Oliver's disarming gray eyes, and she’ll deserve a promotion.  Survive a taste of his lips…nope, there’s no turning back.

Quick Bites are stand-alone stories you can devour in a flash.  Expect short, steamy shifter romance, edge-of-your-seat action, scorching love scenes, and a happily ever after.

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TACTICS AND TAILS is the sixth book in the The Protectors, Quick Bites series. 

First clue I was going to love this book – there is a lion on the cover, people!!

The mystery and investigation were great, but I felt like I was missing a bigger picture.  Maybe this one did need more of the series? 

Still, I fell in love with Aubrey and Oliver.  Their attraction was undeniable and leapt off the page.  Plus, a lion and a tiger are going to make cute little liger kittens someday!

Note:  While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Protectors Quick Bites Series:

1.      Midnight Wish

2.      I Dream of Grizzly

3.      The Ocean’s Roar

4.      To Catch a Werewolf

5.      Outfoxed

6.      Tactics and Tails

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