Tag Archives: J. Kenner

Review: Shattered With You (Stark Security #1) by J Kenner

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Title: Shattered With You
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 3/23/19
Length:   221 Pages
Series:  Stark Security #1

Overview

With his lethal skills and criminal connections, former British agent Quincy Radcliffe has fast become a key asset at the newly formed Stark Security. But Quincy isn’t the man he appears to be.

When the woman whose body he once worshipped and whose heart he broke pleads for his help, Quincy knows he must either turn his back on her or risk revealing his dark secrets to the one woman who can—and will—tear open his old wounds.

For years, struggling actress Eliza Tucker has tried to forget the decadent weeks she shared with Quincy Radcliffe. His smoldering good looks had drawn her in, while his British charm had enchanted her. But it was the wildness of his seduction and the ferocity of his passion that captured her. She’d given herself to him—and he’d shattered her like glass when he’d walked away.

Now, he’s the only person who can help find her missing sister. She’ll use him because she has too. She’ll pay any sensual price he demands. But she won’t fall for him again.

My Thoughts

I have always loved anything related to Stark, and the more people that we’re introduced with through Damian’s web of work and friends, the more complex, interesting and exciting this all becomes. We’ve become close with the Security folks in Starkland – through our time with Ryan Hunter as head of security, moving over to Dallas – who built Deliverance, to all of the guys who now work for SSA. So it’s one of those guys that we get to know deeply in this first installment to the spin-off series.

Quincy – sexy, British, and a man of means, power, money and a dark dark history. That’s exactly the kind of man that we need as our leading man, because we know that nothing will be easy with him, he will fight what he wants every step of the way and it’ll of course take a wonderfully amazing woman to win him over.

Enter Eliza – a girl who was forced to endure far too much at a young age. Her sister raised her because her mom died, her father abused them and the girls had to protect each other, provide for each other and survive.

When they cross paths in London 5 years prior, sparks fly and the following three months turn into the greatest of their lives. Then darkness happens, and Eliza is left to pick up the pieces – thinking that she’ll never get over him.

We find ourselves in the present now, when Emma – Eliza’s sister is missing and the only thing that Eliza can think to do is to impersonate her sister to get to the bottom of what’s going on. The twist here of course is that Emma is a PI with links to some Intelligence agency, so we are about to get deep into something fast.

The case that Eliza’s working on is one that overlaps with one that Quincy is working on, and we see that what was already a tense and stressful task has now becomes layers more complicated. When they see each other, there’s this need to stay away, but the chemistry and attraction is stronger than ever and we all know that there’s no use in fighting it because something that intense and strong is not easily beaten.

The journey that we go on with these two and all of SSA is beyond complex. They work with the organization to get to the bottom of who’s behind a trafficking scheme, who’s kidnapped a princess in the hopes of selling her to the highest bidder, where is Emma through all this and how is she connected.

Every turn we take in this story we begin to wonder who can be trusted, how people are staying one step ahead of them at every turn, especially with the intel, tech abilities and skill that SSA has. Are we able to hope for a happy outcome and what other twists and shockers are going to be thrown our way before the story ends?

What i can tell you is that in true J Kenner fashion, we get some of the hottest scenes ever. The chemistry that Eliza and Quincy shared back in London hasn’t dulled at all, it’s grown hotter and it’s so flammable that anyone near them will go up in flames too. There’s the physical stuff sure, but they bonded on a deeper more emotional level as well, and when Quincy is pushed to share where his demons are and why he walked away all those years ago, you get to see a whole new side. Those ghosts and demons pop up again in the worst way in this story and it’s intense to see how it plays out.

All that being said – i’m sold! this is a great new series and every time we get a new story or series from J Kenner, i wonder how it will be different, engaging, exciting and super hot compared to all others that i’ve read. and yet, it’s ALWAYS done it!

I can’t wait to read Broken with You which is the next book due out in June, because it focuses on Denny, her husband and what definitely won’t disappoint because of the twists and sadness that we’ve already been teased with . So on that note, enjoy!

Review: Light my Fire (Man of the Month #11) by J Kenner

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Title: Light my Fire
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 6/26/18
Length:   125 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #11

Overview

Overview

I don’t do relationships.
I’ve lived my life hiding my scars, revealing myself only the in the scripts I write and the characters I voice.
Few people know the real me. I’m too careful. Too afraid of getting burned all over again.
Enter Beverly Martin. A movie star. A woman so beautiful and caring she makes my heart ache. She says she wants me–and her touch almost makes me believe that a girl like her could love a man like me.
But being with her would mean letting the spotlight of fame shine on me, too. And I’m not sure I can do that–even if walking away means losing the woman I love.

My Thoughts

Well it’s about time that we got to Griffin’s story – he’s been a staple throughout the series, and while we only knew a bit about him, we finally get to see him come into his own.  Then there’s Beverly, the girl who’s on the brink of major stardom, doing the Fix a solid by emceeing their contest, and of course that means that we get to see something else go over the edge.

This 11th installment takes us to a point in the series where we’re just about at the end, we’ve seen most of the characters couple off, and there are fewer and fewer bits to the story that we don’t know.  The reality show that was at the beginning of it all has now launched, and we might get to see how it all pays off in the end.

But then there’s Griffin, bar regular and web series star.  His script has just been sold and is about to be made into a major movie in Hollywood, with Beverly starring in it.  It pays to have an actress as a co-writer and best friend.  Or is it more?

Beverly sees people for who they are, and if she’s able to get Griff to see what she sees, then maybe they have a chance at happiness.  The challenge of course is that as an actress, her life is in the spotlight and that’s something that he doesn’t want.  Their journey as a couple is one of secrecy and self doubt- and fear of what gets to be out of their own control.

The nice thing about this book is that our amazing author J Kenner brings us a link to the Stark series, Kelsey and Wyatt play a part in making Griff realize the error in his ways, and becomes a voice of reason.  It’s nice to have those characters woven in, especially since i think another stark novel is coming out.

There’s also the introduction of Jessie who’s got a similar story to Griff’s and who thankfully helps him realize what he needs to do to be happy.

Romantic in all the right ways, steamy enough in others to remind us who the author is. She has a knack for giving us the sweet bits that make you root for a couple at a deeper emotional level, and then the heat and chemistry that keeps a romance alive.

So all in all, we get a nice follow up and 11th book of the series – we see the Man of the Month contest come to almost a close and i think that while it’s bitter sweet, we get to see happy endings for almost everyone.  or do we?  that’s the million dollar question.  Anyhow – on to the wait for the next installment.  Enjoy!

Review: In Too Deep (Man of the Month #10) by J Kenner

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Title: In Too Deep
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 6/9/18
Length:   132 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #10

Overview

Hannah Donovan is not my type.

Intellectual and career-focused, she’s a lawyer, and an intimidatingly beautiful one, at that. I’d rather pump iron than open a book, and the only reason I’d go to court would be for a traffic ticket.

She’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. So how can I turn down her plea that I pretend to be her fiancé for one weekend?

But I never expected our pretend kisses to feel so real … or for it to lead to a wild night in bed that will forever stand out as the highlight of my sex life.

Our performance convinces everyone, but it was never meant to be more than a fantasy. A short term gig before reality sets back in.

I can’t imagine ever being good enough for her, but I’m hooked. And now I’m determined to do whatever it takes to make this fake engagement real.

My Thoughts

I really do enjoy the story here even though the whole idea of why they have the contest and what it’s going to accomplish has fallen to the wayside.  What’s nice though is that our amazing author has managed to keep the story lines interwoven while also keeping the plot standalone so you don’t really feel like you’ve missed out should you have not read all the installments

In this 10th book (wow 10 right?) we have the story of Hannah and Mathew.  Hannah is a lead that we really didn’t get much of in the other stories.  she was peripheral at best with some of the stories tied to the others, but i think that it’s about time that she gets to come into her own.  She’s a successful lawyer who’s been stuck in jobs that were making her brain rot.  now that she’s got the potential to break out on her own with Easton, she’s found herself in a situation where she’s without the funding and when she knows how she can get her hands on it from her mom, it means stretching the truth a bit of her life.

Then there’s Matthew, a guy that we know as a friend of some of the other characters and the brother of Selma from the last story.  He like a lot of the others had a rough upbringing, but made something quite amazing of himself, starting a gym, opening several locations and even looking to franchise.

These two know each other and yet won’t admit that there’s a spark until they are forced to put on an act and the chemistry is something that can’t be stopped.  What Ms Kenner does well is give us female leads that are strong and successful but maybe a bit ignorant in all things tied to the heart.  They all seem to put up walls around romance and play more of the ‘guy’ role, and find that the male leads are the ones who are romantic and looking for ways to complete their lives.  This is the exact same instance, but the way that the plot flows is one that’s quite nice – we get to see how both of these characters grow and become something great together.

The questions that we are thinking about here though are to what lengths they have to go in order for Hannah to get her money, and will her parents ever accept her for who she is.  What’s matthews’ thought in all this.  He seems to be so willing to become something that he’s not, yet wants to stay true to himself.  Lastly, when we find that forces pull them apart because appearances are more important to some, well, what will it take to overlook that and maybe find happiness.

So all in all, a story that flows in the same way that the others have, but with enough originality to keep it interesting.  The tease as well for the next installment when we FINALLY get Griffin’s story is a great one and i can’t wait to see where it goes.  Enjoy!

Review: All Night Long (Man of the Month #9) by J Kenner

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Title: All Night Long
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 5/30/18
Length:   128 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #9

Overview

I wear designer suits on my body by day and gorgeous women on my arm at night. Some might call me arrogant, with my chiseled jaw and my dark blue eyes. Add in my money and I can get any woman I want.

Now, I want her.

The night I spent with Selma has lived in my most erotic dreams. And ever since she swept back into my life, with her flashing eyes and delicious body, I want nothing more than to make sultry new memories.

But with an election coming up, and an office I want to fill, it isn’t the right time to get involved with a free-spirited girl with a wild streak. A girl who doesn’t abide by the rules. A girl who could get me noticed in all the wrong ways.

A girl who makes me crazy … in all the right ones.

Now I’m going to have to decide: Walk the straight and narrow? Or have the hottest, wildest affair of my life with the sexiest woman I’ve ever known?

Meet Mr. September –
He’s got the moves to make a woman blush.

My Thoughts

I really do enjoy this series.  While Ms Kenner tells us every time that these are standalone stories, you really do get a well planned series here – seeing how each of the stories fold into one another, and how as we meet each character, we know that there’s something bigger on the horizon for them.

We’ve met Easton in several installments before and it’s nice that we get to see more of him here.  While we know him as the lawyer that everyone defers to in the series, there’s got to be more to the man and what his aspirations are.  He’s a guy who comes from a past that’s not ideal, his family lost everything and he’s fought his way to be what he is.  He’s also a man that won’t settle until he has achieved everything that hopes for, being successful in his field isn’t enough, being elected to the judiciary sector is really his hope for his next step, or is it?  It takes a woman with a free spirit to make him question it all.

That woman is Selma – a woman who’s become successful with her own distillery, and yet, she’s running from the world, from herself.  We learn that her past is even more troubled than Easton’s.  She and her brother Matthew were abandoned when they were pre-teens, in a mall by their mother.  Being in the system is something that’s really made her a bit scared of losing all those who are close to her, and potentially has caused her to be even more wild and unsettled than normal.  When she’s got the chance to have her business bought out, she crosses paths with Easton again to help with the deal.  Again because they had a torrid one night stand 10 years ago, and clearly it’s something that neither of them have gotten out of their system.

What’s interesting with this series is that Ms Kenner, our esteemed author does something as a semi repeat if you think about it.  We have another couple that’s known each other in previous lives if you think about it.  They were a couple of sorts even if it was a night, 10 years ago and when they are pushed together now, we see that there could be steamy hot results, just like we saw for brooke.

Anyhow, we have a sweet story here – one of a girl who’s afraid to put down roots, but who sees something lasting with a guy.  And a guy who’s doing his best to keep up appearances to push his career forward, while knowing that maybe he needs to color outside the lines.  Their chemistry is hot, they can’t keep their hands off each other and that’s what keeps this installment going.  Will their relationship challenge everything that Easton has worked for, and when it does come to be in the forefront will there be too much to keep them together?  Are there other men and women at play with these two that makes things complicated?  well, it wouldn’t be a romance if we didn’t have people getting in the middle of things.

There’s one thing that’s bugging me a bit now that we have gotten to the 9th installment.  We’ve kind of lost the point of the whole story and contest/calendar to begin with.  There’s almost no mention of it at all anymore, and i think that it’s a miss.  We also have zero mention of the reality show that’s being filmed as well, something that was core to the story in the first place.  I can only hope that we get some of that back in the final book.  I mean, if we don’t get to see it come full circle, see that Tyree is maybe able to keep things afloat, then all we have are a bunch of engaging and interesting stories that are bound by a family of characters but no thread pulling through any more.

So, all i can say is that i enjoyed this story, but i’m missing a bit of the commonality.  We’ll see what book 10 brings.  Enjoy!

Review: Shake it Up (Man of the Month #8) by J Kenenr

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Title: Shake it Up
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 4/29/18
Length:   132 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #8

Overview

There are a million reasons why I need to stop thinking about Taylor D’Angelo naked.

She’s too young for me, for starters.

She’s too ambitious.

She’s my job.

Romance was the last thing on my mind when I agreed to look into her stalker as a favor.

Now, she’s all I can think about–and in every position I can imagine.

I’m not the only one obsessing.

The threats against her are intensifying along with our connection.

If I give in, if I let our bodies take over, it could draw her stalker out.

Our passion could save her.

Or it could destroy us both.

My Thoughts

This is yet another great installment to the greater series by our wonderful author.  Yes, while you don’t ‘have’ to read all of the stories to get the gist of things, it’s really helpful to have them all in your head since there are links in each.

In any event, we had just met Landon in the previous story, seeing the hot detective from afar, and now it’s his turn to get a story.  There’s also the bit of Taylor – a girl who’s been in the series from the beginning, really helping get things handled for the contest each time.

Of course each has a complicated backstory, but in this case it’s really about Taylor and her past which she makes it very hard for us and Landon to get information about.  She’s run from a past which isn’t the best (seems to be a trend in this series) and we never really get to know what made it what it was until perhaps it’s too late.  That’s where Landon comes into play since he’s a detective and has been asked to help sort out who is watching her, stalking her etc.

The journey of this installment is kind of basic, yet there’s more chemistry and heat here than in some of the others, so again i don’t know how J Kenner does it, but she manages to keep things fresh.  Here, Landon isn’t really searching for anything for himself.  he’s waiting to get a new partner in the PD, and he’s renovating his house, but his past is really just one of a wife who wasn’t able to accept what he does for a living and left.  That hasn’t really stunted him exactly, so it’s not the case here that we need to find out what truly damaged him and gave him ghosts.  Makes it a bit easier for us to have a more in depth story for Taylor.  We don’t know anything about her except for the fact that no one really knows her longer than her senior year in high school when she moved to Austin.  She doesn’t talk about her family, and she doesn’t talk about anything that shaped her, so you know it has to be major.

So when she becomes the target of a stalker, someone who’s leaving scary notes for her, throwing bricks at her car (if you recall, that’s the car accident that we had in the last installment that was aimed at Taylor but she wasn’t driving at the time).  The stalkers’ identity is one that’s up in the air for the reader since Taylor hopes that it’s one person, knowing that it’s likely to be someone else.  Someone who wants to kill her for reasons that we still don’t know.

The question becomes what will lure out this stalker and will he get caught before anyone gets hurt?  What will then happen between Landon and Taylor, a couple that clearly has chemistry and sparks.  will they act on it or stay professional?  will they need someone or something to push them together faster?  Only way to find out is to read on.  And then wait a week for book 9 to see what’s next for this group!  enjoy!

Review: Turn Me On (Man of the Month #7) by J Kenner

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Title: Turn Me On
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 4/17/18
Length:   124 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #7

Overview

Sometimes one night just isn’t enough.
Though they see each other only once a month, Amanda’s sweet body and wicked ways have been driving Derek wild for over a year.
And now that he’s moving to Austin, Derek is determined to have Amanda in his bed permanently.
There’s only one problem: Amanda’s happy with their current arrangement. Can Derek convince her a lifetime of nights together will be so much sweeter?
Meet Mr. July … he’s determined to heat things up.

My Thoughts

I love this series – and what’s different in this next installment is that we get a flashback in time from the whole series as well as being brought up to speed to present day.  It’s great when we get to see how the characters knew each other before and how their stories really began a while back, leading up to what we see in the quest to save The Fix.

So here we get Amanda’s story.  She’s Nolan’s sister and we got to know a bit about her from that, as well as through Jenna – who is one of her good friends.  We’ve really never gotten a full picture of what makes her tick before, knowing what made her into the cynic that she is, but here we do.  Her challenge is that a man ruined her sense of self in relationships as well as in her profession since being with him made her lose opportunities in her company.  Now she’s sworn to keep men at arm’s length and to use her feminine wiles to make her career blossom.

Then there’s Derek, a guy who comes from a family that’s based in Dallas and owns a hotel conglomerate.  He comes from money but he doesn’t ride the coattails of that one.  He wants to expand the business and take risks, change the reputation that he’s been given, and make his father proud since that seems impossible.

Knowing that these two are driven by conflicting things, we know that their pairing will be a tough one.  However…..it turns out to be easier than they thought – neither wants something firm and since they aren’t geographically in the same place, it’s even better.  So what’s the catch right?

That’s where our story takes shape.  We get to go on the journey with them of what it means to be in a ‘thing’ with someone who’s not available emotionally but maybe wants more without saying it.  And it’s sweet to see how they push each other but keep each other at arms length still.  It’s when situations change that we see how things get torn apart – running scared and perhaps ruining what could be great.

Our amazing author does it again here – giving us a story about a couple that’s so perfect for each other but are too blind to see it for a while and then challenge each other to get to a good place.  their chemistry as always is off the charts, and makes you really root for them even when they don’t want it.

I can’t wait to see what’s next in book 8.  We know Taylor as the hostess for the man of the month contest, and we met Landon in this 7th installment, – so to see how things take shape with them will be great.  there was also the issue of the car ‘accident’ that came at the end of book 7 that makes you wonder what Taylor’s back story is and how that will affect things for everyone – that the cop/detective that Landon is, will surely help.  So, on that note, 2 weeks of waiting and then we’ll find out.  If you haven’t read this series – i really suggest you start!  Enjoy!

Review: In Your Eyes (Man of the Month #6) by J Kenner

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Title: In Your Eyes
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 3/27/18
Length:   167 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #6

Overview

Possessive hands. Wild obsession. He’ll break any rule to claim her.

Billionaire bad boy Parker Manning buried his dark past beneath fast cars and faster women. With his chiseled good looks and Texas oil legacy, Parker’s used to laying claim to whatever–or whoever–he desires, and he’s never met a woman he couldn’t seduce into his bed.

Not, that is, until Megan Clark. Years ago, she flatly refused him. Now, she’s back–and she needs a favor. No way is Parker letting her get away again, and he conditions his agreement on one sensuous night with Megan in his bed and at his mercy.

He never expects to want more. To crave this woman who fascinates and challenges him. But he does, and now he’s determined to possess her.

But Megan’s a woman with secrets of her own, and if Parker wants to claim her, he’s going to have to conquer his past and show Megan his true heart.

Meet Mr. June. Summer’s heat has nothing on him.

My Thoughts

This series continues with Megan’s story.  We’ve come to love her as the girl who is an LA transplant and a great makeup artist.  She’s come on board with the bar and contest more so as a marketing guru since there’s more of a need for that, and her ideas are really starting to payoff for the team.  the challenge of course is when she thinks that she’s managed to get one of Austin’s best and brightest on board and learns that it’s not truly the case.  To add to that – they have crossed paths before, so you know that it’ll get dicey.

Parker is the kind of guy who’s used to getting what he wants, and he used to steamroll over people to get those things that potentially seemed out of reach.  When Megan turned him down, it bruised his ego, and to learn that she ended up with a guy in their circle who maybe wasn’t the best for her, that hurt even more.  So he takes a twisted and sick joy out of getting her to do what he wants now that she owes him.

True to form in this series, nothing comes easy.  Megan has her own obstacles to overcome, first the fact that she fled LA to get away from an abusive boyfriend and hopes to stay under cover in Austin.  Then there’s Parker who she’s still attracted to as she was back in LA and even considers acting on that attraction.  There’s also the fact that she’s not sure where her next paycheck will come from if the folks at the Fix decide that they don’t need her or can’t afford her, and the stresses keep piling up.

what’s nice here is that even though there’s a high level of animosity between these two from the get go, it’s fueled by an intense sexual tension that they finally allow to bubble up to the surface and when that happens, it has a great potential to be hot.

The twist of course comes when the past that Megan was running from some how manages to come to the present.  She hears from a friend in LA who tries to warn her off Parker in a very similar fashion of what she lived through in LA.  then there’s the fact that her ex shows up in Austin once he discovers that she’s there, and he tries the same tactics.  While Megan has a lot of trust and faith in Parker, she almost blindly is willing to believe what her heart says.  There’s also no resolution to some of the comments that are tossed around, so we get no real closure from any of these folks.  It’s confusing to me, but oh well.

So, June comes to a close as the previous months have – we get a really hot story at times and a really sweet and romantic story at others.  There’s a lot of great stuff going on for all the folks that we’ve met, and yes, while like J Kenner says, these are stand alone, it’s really great and helpful to read the full series to see not only the progress of what’s happening at the bar, but to learn more and more about the characters and how their lives are intertwined.  since they all are.  So, on that note – enjoy!

Review: Get it On (Man of the Month #5) by J Kenner

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Title: Get It On
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 3/10/18
Length:   167 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #5

Overview

Skillful hands. A talented tongue.
Meet Mr. May.

Fate’s been messing with veteran Tyree Johnson. It took his buddies in combat and his wife in a fatal car accident. But he’ll be damned if he’ll let Fate take his beloved bar, The Fix on Sixth.

For years, he’s avoided being Fate’s whipping boy through sheer force of will, and now every bit of his focus is centered on saving his business. Until, that is, the first woman who ever touched his heart walks back into his life-along with a daughter he never knew.

After years of loneliness, Tyree’s not prepared for the way Eva’s sensual curves and sharp wit still capture his heart and rekindle his senses. All he knows is that for the first time in forever, he’s found a passion other than his bar. But one final twist arrives when Fate pits the bar he can’t bear to lose against the woman who’s stolen his heart.

He’s a master at red-hot ecstasy.

My Thoughts

The series continues and even though these are all standalone stories, they are all intertwined.  We finally get to see what makes Tyree tick and it’s a sweet story of what it was like when he was younger, and then now still when he wants to honor his wife who passed, set a good example for his teenage son and to still live his life.

Eva is the woman who got away 20 years ago.  They had an all consuming romance, however coming from different worlds, and Tyree being in the military, well things were bound to fall apart.  Interestingly enough, her father is the one who made things more complicated – leading Eva to believe that Tyree was killed on duty and therefore raising a surprise child alone (or rather with a man that her father approved of and chose).

So fast forward about 23 years., and we get to see Elena, Eva and Tyree’s daughter set out on the path to find her father, get to know him, and potentially get her mom and dad back together.

In true J Kenner style, we have a story that’s complicated because there are so many ghosts in the past, a lot of distrust and geography that keeps things from being as simple and easy as they should be.  They are pulled apart but always brought back together because of chemistry that was strong 20 years ago and is still there under the surface now.  When they finally allow it to bubble up, well we get the types of scenes that we come to adore from our author – so hot and steamy that you know that there’s something great if they just let it happen.

The supporting characters of the children make this story a bit more real and deep than other stories in the series.  Elena has her own personality and motivation for doing things and she’s a great kid. (young adult).  What i keep getting confused about here though is what she’s doing in Austin, but i guess it doesn’t really matter.  Then there’s Eli, Tyree’s son and he’s beyond his years.  He’s in high school, working in an internship in the hospital and trying to make something amazing of himself.  He’s also really mature for his age, being a bit of the voice of reason to his father about how they should/could live their lives better given that Tyree is living in the past.

Of course, this story like all the others surrounds the Man of the Month contest at The Fix – the attempt of trying to save the bar, and we see that it’s doing wonders for the crowd and revenue.  Tyree has a sense of positive trajectory here, although there’s the underlying fact that his biggest competitor, a bar called Bodacious is stealing not just his customers, but his menu and now his staff.  So things start to get dirty here a bit as well and i wonder if we’ll get to see how that plays out in anyone else’s story.

All in all a good continuation of the series.  There were times though that i noticed that Eva and Elena were mixed up in names and dialogue throughout the story – but that’s just me being critical.  Anyhow – enjoy and onto the next installment that i believe comes out on Tuesday.

Review: Start Me Up (Man of the Month #4) by J Kenner

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Title: Start Me Up
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 2/24/18
Length:   165 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #4

Overview

Wicked days. Sinful nights.
Meet Mr. April.

A high school drop-out with only his twisted sense of humor and panty-melting good looks going for him, Nolan Wood has turned a small radio gig into a thriving career.

Now a local celebrity, Nolan never wants for female companionship. But he never gets too close. And he damn sure never lets them see the man-or the pain-behind the jokes.

Then a one-night stand changes everything.

Career-focused, goal-oriented, and buttoned-down accountant Shelby Drake isn’t the kind of woman who’d usually catch Nolan’s attention, but her soft mouth, hidden curves, and deep sensuality blow his mind. And after only one taste, he wants more.

But Shelby wants nothing more to do with him. And now the radio playboy is on a sensual mission to convince her that opposites really do attract.

Her pleasure is his passion.

My Thoughts

Well i’m a fan of this series and of how we continue to meet new characters that keep things exciting and dynamic.  Again what i’ve said before and will continue to say, Ms Kenner gives us really good story lines that differ enough to make it interesting and keep things moving while also making sure that we have the foundation of what made the story important to begin with and why we need to have the monthly contest.

So in this story, we are brought the tale of Nolan, the radio DJ that we’ve met before and who is a player of sorts, but often because of the nature of his radio show ‘Mornings with Wood’.  Everyone has an expectation of him, and well, he’s never wanting for female attention because of it.  So of course when he meets his Paradox – a girl who needs to be chased because she’s not at all the kind of girl that he’s gone for before, we get to see a different side of him.

Then there’s Shelby – a CPA that’s linked to Brooke so that’s our grounding factor there – and she’s so prim and proper – doing what’s expected all the time that having a wild night at a bachelorette party seems to be exactly what she needed to not only loosen up, but to meet Nolan.

So their story is a fun one, where the wild guy becomes a bit more tame, and the tame girl learns a bit more about herself and gets wild.  Of course that, paired with some intense chemistry from the moment they link eyes, and well you know that we’re going to get some great romance and passion that only our author can write.

Now of course the expectation is that something will tear them apart, and i guess there are a lot of things that could do that.  One is Shelby’s boyfriend of 4 months – the perfect guy who is parent approved and is exactly the kind of guy that she should end up with.  Then there’s Nolan’s radio show which would ruin Shelby’s reputation at her conservative accounting firm.  Then there’s also Lauren – Nolan’s bitchy ex-wife who likes to point out his shortfalls all the time.  so you can imagine and see the ticking time bomb and i think that it’s important to guess at when and how things will combust and what it will take to get it put back together.

The interesting thing about this 4th installment though is the Epilogue.  We usually get a glimpse into the next match that’s being made, but we’re given a bit of a twist and surprise when we see who walks into the bar this time.  I can’t wait to see how it all plays out because it’s going to be interesting for sure.  Enjoy!

Review: Need You Now (Man of the Month #3) by J Kenner

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Title: Need You Now
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Martini & Olive 2/13/18
Length:   189 Pages
Series:  Man of the Month #3

Overview

Charming smile. Wicked skills. Meet Mr. March. 
With his tousled hair, cocky grin, and surprising abs hidden under a conservative button-down, bartender Cameron Reed is no stranger to the attention of women.
He dates, but never gets serious, claiming that he’s too focused on his studies. But it’s not really school that preoccupies him; it’s sensual fantasies of his best friend’s sister.
Mina Silver might be absolutely off-limits because of her overprotective brother and father, but that doesn’t stop Cam from imagining the feel of her in his arms, the brush of his lips over her soft skin, or the sparks that would fly between them if he ever got her into bed.
But for Cam, the bonds of family and friendship are sacrosanct, and there is no way that he’d ever violate his friend’s trust. Or would he?
Because with love on the line, maybe it’s time for Cam to break a few rules.
Taking a risk never felt so right.

My Thoughts

I do love this series by J Kenner, especially since it’s really snackable in length, and the characters all intertwine with one another.  We knew that we were going to get the story behind Cam and Mina, and of course it’s on track with what we’ve seen from the entire series so far.

Cam and Mina go way back, they’ve known each other since at least high school if not earlier and while there’s always been a family vibe between them, they both actually have a bit of a spark that they feel for one another but of course are afraid to act on it since there’s the little issue of Mina’s twin brother Darryl who’s Cam’s best friend.  we saw that issue come into play with the Brent/Reece friendship so it’s not surprising that we kind of go that angle here too.

Anyway, what we have is a sweet story of two people who finally give into what they feel for each other, trying to do it in secret so the world doesnt know, while also trying to live their lives since they’re both trying to progress their careers outside of the Fix.

Mina has this goal of being in film in LA and she’s got connections and friends out there and is hoping to land the perfect job.  Helping out on the remodel reality show for now is perfect for her, and when she lands a local gig that sounds ideal, we think that life is going to fall in step for everyone – until Hollywood calls and mucks it up.

Then there’s Cam who’s going for his doctorate and has finally started to get his legs beneath him.  He’s been promoted at the bar and he’s starting to make a name for himself in what he does.

So when hollywood comes into play and this duo is torn apart, the question becomes what does that mean for everyone?  add to that the fact that their friends and family will eventually find out that they are ‘dating’ – well you know that there’s anxiety in and out.

In true J Kenner fashion, we have some steamy scenes, you can see that there’s such sensitivity and tenderness though between these two which isn’t always the case in her couples.  Also as promised we have a Cameo from MR Stark himself – so that’s a nice treat, although i can’t say that it really added any value to the story.  Oh well.  In any event, we have book 4 coming i’m sure in another 2 weeks and i think that it’s Nolan and Shelby based on the epilogue of this book.  I wonder what mischief they’ll get into to bring them together.  Enjoy! (Happy Valentines!)