Dangerously - My Review of Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

ABOUT HELLO STRANGER

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas delivers a scintillating tale of an unconventional beauty who finds passion with the spy who can’t resist her

A woman who defies her time
Dr. Garrett Gibson, the only female physician in England, is as daring and independent as any man—why not take her pleasures like one? Yet she has never been tempted to embark on an affair, until now. Ethan Ransom, a former detective for Scotland Yard, is as gallant as he is secretive, a rumored assassin whose true loyalties are a mystery. For one exhilarating night, they give in to their potent attraction before becoming strangers again.

A man who breaks every rule

As a Ravenel by-blow spurned by his father, Ethan has little interest in polite society, yet he is captivated by the bold and beautiful Garrett. Despite their vow to resist each other after that sublime night, she is soon drawn into his most dangerous assignment yet. When the mission goes wrong, it will take all of Garrett’s skill and courage to save him. As they face the menace of a treacherous government plot, Ethan is willing to take any risk for the love of the most extraordinary woman he’s ever known.

BUY LINKS for HELLO STRANGER:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mGsuAd

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2mRfLvD

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2EQPLH5  

Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/2BckeNI

iBooks: https://apple.co/2DJ339o

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2rjQ37l

ABOUT LISA KLEYPAS

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a political science degree. She is a RITA award-winning author of both historical romance and contemporary women’s fiction. Her novels are published in fourteen different languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband Gregory and their two children.

Connect with Lisa Kleypas

Facebook: @LisaKleypas

Twitter: @LisaKleypas

Instagram: @lisakleypas

Even though I've been a reader of Historical Romance for many years, I don't often review them for some reason. Okay, I know the reason. Mostly it's that they seem to follow a certain pattern. I have recently rediscovered Lisa Kleypas and (just like with her earlier series) I have been extremely pleased with her new novels. I am reading my way through the Ravenels series and enjoying it immensely. They don't follow the typical formula. In fact, each new novel, while interconnected, seems to be its own entity.

Hello Stranger is Book #4 in The Ravenels series. Dr. Garrett Gibson and Ethan Ransom have been circling each for awhile in this series and it's time they finally have their reckoning.

Ethan is a dangerous man. His job is risky, but it's the reckless feeling that he stirs up in Garrett that makes him more threatening.

Garrett is the only female doctor in England and as such, she risks her life to care for others. Roaming London after dark is unsafe for any woman, even one who has been trained to fight with her cane. Ethan has been watching over the good doctor's nocturnal wandering and ends up rescuing Garrett from an attack. Even though the chemistry between the two is off the charts, Ethan knows that his occupation could bring trouble for anyone around him. He tries to stay away, but Ethan's boss soon makes it impossible and perhaps deadly for him to avoid being in the delightful presence of Dr. Garrett Gibson.

Lisa Kleypas writes strong women and men who are more than happy to allow them to be who they are. In a time when women were seen as property and were forced to live under a man's rule, Kleypas's women are becoming physicians, owning their own companies, and making their own decisions. The romance is enchanting and the adventure is daring. If you are a fan of Historical Romance, you are going to love Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas. Get it on your tbr.

5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you, Avon Books for providing an advanced copy for free.

30 Seconds to Mars  - Dangerous Night

Started a stranger, a lover in danger
The edge of a knife
The face of an angel, the heart of a ghost
Was it a dream?

I... I am a man on fire
You... a violent desire

Chalie Puth - Dangerously

There are parts of this song that don't quite match up, but the overall feel of the song was right for Garrett and Ethan.

Waiting on Wednesday - More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: More Than We Can Tell
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Publication Date: March 6, 2018

*While this book exists in the same universe as Letters to the Lost, it is a standalone title.*

Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay...until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.

Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.

When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected. This must-read story will once again have readers falling for Brigid Kemmerer’s emotional storytelling.

 

BRIGID KEMMERER is author of LETTERS TO THE LOST , a dark, contemporary Young Adult romance; THICKER THAN WATER, a New Adult paranormal mystery with elements of romance; and the YALSA-nominated Elemental series of five Young Adult novels and three e-novellas which Kirkus Reviews calls “refreshingly human paranormal romance” and School Library Journal describes as “a new take on the supernatural genre.” She lives in the Baltimore area with her husband and four sons.

       

What books are you excited for this week?

  

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine - make sure you head over and see what other people are waiting for!

Cover Reveal - Alpha by Jus Accardo

Let us know what you think of the cover for Alpha (The Infinity Division, #3) by Jus Accardo, which releases July 3, 2018!

This cover reveal is brought to you by Entangled Teen.

About Alpha:

“A fun YA sci-fi story with a compelling cast of characters.” —Kirkus Reviews on Infinity

Sera is the obsession of a killer chasing a ghost. G is a soldier with too much blood on his hands. Dylan lost the only person he ever loved—and will stop at nothing to get her back. In a whirlwind chase that takes them back to where it all started, Sera, G, and Dylan will have to confront their demons—both physical and mental—and each other, in order to win their freedom.

Want to read more? Pre-order your copy of Alpha (The Infinity Division, #3) by Jus Accardo today!

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About Jus Accardo:

JUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. At the last minute, she realized her true path lay with fiction, not food. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and twelve angry chickens.

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Cover Reveal - The Birthday List by Devney Perry

We are so thrilled to bring you the cover for THE BIRTHDAY LIST from USA TODAY bestseller Devney Perry releasing on April 3rd, 2018!

 

Happily married to her college sweetheart, Poppy lived a blessed life with the husband of her dreams. Then everything changed. She is no longer a wife. She is no longer the envy of her single friends. Now, people look at her with pity as they whisper a single word behind her back.

Widow.

Years after her husband’s tragic death, years of pain and sorrow and wishing for the life she’ll never get back, Poppy decides to finish Jamie’s birthday list. She’ll do the things he wanted to most. Because maybe, just maybe, if she can complete his list, she can start to live again.

Poppy expects going through the birthday list will be hard. She expects it to hurt. But what she doesn’t expect is Cole. Could the man who delivered the news of her husband’s death and shattered her heart be the one to help her put it back together again?

ADD TO GOODREADS

PRE- ORDER NOW

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Devney is the USA Today bestselling author of the Jamison Valley series. She lives in Montana with her husband and two children. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her kids. She loves reading and, after consuming hundreds of books, decided to share her own stories. Devney loves hearing from readers! Connect with her on social media.

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Surprise Release - Scenes from the Hallway by Penny Reid - FREE

Scenes from the Hallway, an all new novella from USA Today bestselling author Penny Reid, is LIVE and as a special Valentine’s Day gift from Penny it’s FREE!

Synopsis

From the USA TODAY Bestselling romantic comedy series, 'Scenes from the Hallway,' Knitting in the City #6.5

You know who I am.

I swear too much, I crack too many jokes, and I got a thing for Kat Tanner; a messy thing, a distracting thing, a getting-in-the-way-of-everything thing; a thing that makes being in the same room with the woman torture. Sometimes it's the good kind. Mostly, it's not.

What you don't know is how it all started. You don't know how we met, you might not know what happened in Vegas (or the morning after), and you definitely don't know what happened after that.

You want to know the story before the story? Well . . . here you go.

But be careful what you ask for. As I've discovered the hard way, you might not like it.

'Scenes from the Hallway' is a companion short prequel/short story (11k words) for the upcoming book, 'Marriage of Inconvenience,' and includes the first 3 chapters of the soon to be released novel! ('Marriage of Inconvenience' releases March 6, 2018.)

WARNING This short story contains a lot of cussing. Do not download or read if you dislike curse words in novels. WARNING

 

Read Today for FREE!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2nZmLHf

iBooks: https://apple.co/2EoXv3f

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2BVE3NV

Nook: http://bit.ly/2nUCZBy

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2o7gvfA

If you are a UK reader or live abroad, never fear! Scenes From The Hallway will be FREE in time for an evening Valentine’s Day read!

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/ScenesfromtheHallway

Penny Reid is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband, three kids, and an inordinate amount of yarn. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes books.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD

Twitter: @ReidRomance

Sign up for Penny’s Mailing List: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/

www.pennyreid.ninja

Morning Light - My Review of Smooth-Talking Cowboy by Maisey Yates

   

From New York Times best selling author Maisey Yates, comes SMOOTH-TALKING COWBOY—the first standalone novel in her Gold Valley Series!

SMOOTH-TALKING COWBOY releases on February 20, 2018. Pre-order your copy today!

     

Welcome to Gold Valley, Oregon, where a rough-and-tumble rancher and the girl next door are about to learn that opposites attract.

Olivia Logan has a plan: win back her ex by making him see what he’s missing. But first she needs to find a man who’s willing to play along. With his laid-back cowboy charm and knack for getting under her skin, Luke Hollister is an unlikely hero—but he wants her help convincing her father to sell him land, which means he needs her as much as she needs him.

Luke likes his life—and his women—uncomplicated. So why does good girl Olivia heat his blood like no one else? She’s always been off-limits, but the more time they spend as Gold Valley’s hottest new “couple,” the more real it’s starting to feel. Luke was supposed to help her win back another man…not keep her in his arms. But now that he has her there, he’s not sure he’ll ever let go.

Preorder SMOOTH-TALKING COWBOY here!

Amazon * Kindle * B&N * B-A-M * IndieBound * Google Play * iBooks * Kobo

       

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

       

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Maisey Yates’ SMOOTH-TALKING COWBOY Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

February 12^th

Feel the Book – Excerpt

Jen's Reading Obsession – Excerpt

Relentless Romance – Excerpt

February 13^th

Always a happy ever after – Review

Ficwishes – Review & Excerpt

OMGReads – Review & Excerpt

February 14^th

Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt

Up 'Til Dawn Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

February 15^th

E-Reading After Midnight – Review & Excerpt

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

February 16^th

All Things Dark & Dirty – Excerpt

Reading Reality – Review

February 17^th

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

Moonlight Rendezvous – Review & Excerpt

February 18^th

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Sofia Loves Books – Review & Excerpt

February 19^th

Aaly and The Books – Review & Excerpt

Naturally Nerdy Books – Excerpt

February 20^th

Ripe for Reader – Excerpt

What's Beyond Forks? – Review & Excerpt

February 21^st

Bobo's Book Bank – Excerpt

Kari's Book Reviews and Revelations – Review & Excerpt

February 22^nd

Booked All Night – Review & Excerpt

I'm A Book Shark – Excerpt

February 23^rd

Friends Till The End Book Blog – Excerpt

Literary Misfit – Review & Excerpt

February 24^th

Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt

Lover of Big Books Cannot Lie – Review & Excerpt

February 25^th

Booknerdingout – Review

Brittany's Book Blog – Excerpt

February 26^th

Renee Entress's Blog – Review & Excerpt

Two Crazy Ladies Love Romance – Review & Excerpt

February 27^th

Book Magic - Under a spell with every page – Review & Excerpt

Inside the mind of an avid reader – Review

Sweet Red Reads – Review & Excerpt

February 28^th

Jax's Book Magic – Excerpt

Teatime and Books – Excerpt

March 1^st

Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – Excerpt

My Girlfriends Nook Korner – Review

Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

March 2^nd

G & T's Indie Café – Excerpt

I'm A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore – Review & Excerpt

     
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard. She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

   

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

       

She nodded. Grassroots Winery sat in between the towns of Copper Ridge and Gold Valley, and Olivia worked predominantly in the dining room at the winery itself. It wasn’t, she supposed, the most ambitious job, which usually didn’t bother her. She liked the ambiance of the place, and she enjoyed the work itself. But she had always assumed that she would marry a rancher and help him work his land. Make a home for them. The way her parents had done. That seemed silly now that she was single, and there was no rancher in her future.

She had been sure that by now Bennett would have come back to her. Was sure that breaking up with him would make him realize that he had to commit or he could lose her.

Except he seemed all right with losing her. And that was terrible because she was not all right with losing him.

With losing that vision of her future that she had held on to for so long.

“How will I get home?” she asked.

“I could help you out with that, too, but I’ll have your car in working order by then.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why are you being nice to me?”

That wicked grin of his broadened. “I’m always nice.”

She let out an exasperated sound and clicked the lock button on her key fob before climbing into the passenger side of his truck. She struggled to get in because of her skirt and nylons, but finally shut the massive, heavy door behind her.

“Thank you,” she said, knowing she sounded ridiculously prim and not really able to do anything about it. She was prim.

She grabbed hold of the seat belt, then pulled it forward, having to wiggle it slightly to get it to click. His truck was a hazard. She straightened, held tightly to her handbag and stared straight ahead.

“You’re welcome,” he said, stretching his arm over the back of the bench seat. His other forearm rested casually over the steering wheel. His cowboy hat was pushed back on his head, shirtsleeves pushed up past his elbows, forearms streaked with dirt as if he had already been working today. Which meant that he had likely been out at Get Out of Dodge before driving down toward town. She wondered if he had seen Bennett.

“Were you out at the Dodge place today?” She tried to ask casually.

“You want to know if I saw your boyfriend,” Luke said. Not a question. A statement. Like he knew her.

And this, in a nutshell, was why she didn’t really like Luke. He had a nasty habit of saying the one thing that she wished he wouldn’t. With a kind of unerring consistency that made her suspect he did it on purpose.

“He’s not my boyfriend. Not anymore.”

“Still. You’re wondering about him.”

“Of course I wonder about him. I dated Bennett for a year. I’m not going to just…not wonder about him suddenly.”

“I expect, Olivia, that you could go down to Get Out of Dodge on your own pretty feet and find out how he’s doing for yourself if you had half a mind to.”

I have always considered myself to be someone who is not a fan of cowboy romances. I'm not really sure how that came about either. I think that because I live in Texas, I feel like people expect me to like cowboys and I've always favored nerdy artist types instead. Anyway, when I saw this one available for review there was just something about it that grabbed my attention. The good news is that I am now changing my stance on cowboy romances. I have become a fan and it is all thanks to Maisey Yates.

This is the story of the good girl who had her life all planned out until the one day that life didn't follow her plans. When her long-time boyfriend, Bennett, failed to propose, Olivia's life is upturned. In order to attempt to get the results that she wants, Olivia agrees to pretend to date Bennett's friend Luke to make Bennett jealous.

Luke Hollister is looking to put down some roots. When he discovers that Olivia's dad owns a piece of land that he would like to buy, Luke proposes a deal to Olivia; he helps her make Bennett and she puts in a good word with her dad for the land.

Smooth-Talking Cowboy incorporates several of my favorite tropes. There is a little bit of a love triangle, along with the fake boyfriend, enemies-to-lovers, childhood friends thing going on. I loved that Luke and Olivia have history, but one that they need to work through.

The chemistry between Luke and Olivia is off the charts. I usually roll my eyes at virgins in love stories now, but it really works here for Olivia. It absolutely fits with her personality and her relationship with Bennett.

The side characters were every bit as engaging as the main ones. I am already rooting for certain characters to be featured in upcoming novels from Maisey Yates.

Thanks to the author and publisher who provided an ARC for free. And thank you, Maisey Yates, for making me a cowboy romance convert.

4.25 out of 5 Stars

Morning Light - Justin Timberlake (feat. Alicia Keys)