Terri E. LaineRezensionen

This book is full of short stories by fantastic authors some I knew before and some are new to me and I have fallen in love with. There are a lot of short stories and some I have not got to yet, but I definitely plan to, so here are my reviews on the stories I have read so far:
Her Mafioso’s Honor by Patricia Eddy:
In this story we are instantly introduced to Evelyn who has been captured by some mafia guys. She is treated horribly but she is strong and can hold her own. Damian is the nephew to the current mafia boss who thinks it is horrible the way his uncle has ran the family into the ground so he is out to right the wrongs and he starts by saving Evelyn from an even worse fate. At first Evelyn is very skeptical a guy like Damian wants to help her and cares for her well being but their attraction is undeniable. The story is a short one, but I loved it so much and enjoyed the characters. A fast paced intense read with an incredible alpha and tough as nails heroine.

Real by Magan Vernon:
In this cute read we get to see the banter between two individuals who entertained me and made me laugh. Wren is starting a paper for her English class and starts to email her professor so she can get a few things approved but the TA answers to response. This TA comes off as abrupt, kind of mean, but she does not know it is not her professor but instead his TA, Wolf the school bad boy. Wolf is smart and knows what he likes, and he knows his stuff when it comes to the class he works for. Their back and forth arguing is so good that you know they love to get a rise out of each other but know it may be kind of forbidden. I loved Wolf and the way he was straight forward with Wren. I also how Wren could give back as good as he could and that they were so attracted to each other just by arguing.

The Cabin Between Us by Dani Rene:
This story was cute, and it followed Calandra who left her hometown to try and make it in Hollywood, but we find out when she left town she left behind her heart. She is returning because her mother has decided to sell their cabin but she has so many memories there it’s hard for her to see it go, but when she gets home Kolton her heart and soul at one point is there. Kolton let the love of his life go but now he has a plan to make up for lost time.

Liam is in New York trying to get what he feels is owed to him, his mother, and family because his estranged father is wealthy but never had anything to do with him. Liam wants a cut of the King family wealth what he doesn’t expect is that his estranged brothers were somewhat decent to him when he’s father is mean and denies him. Natalie is a traveling nurse in NewYork and has a few run ins with Liam and Liam being friendly allows her to stay with him while they both figure out what happens next. Natalie has a mystery surrounding her about a deal she made with her dad. I liked these two together because they had insane chemistry but still trying to navigate their lives. This is book one of a duet so it does end on a cliffhanger but I can’t wait to see how their story unfolds.

Book two picks up where we left off in book one and Liam is out for vengeance. He’s whole mission that started out trying to destroy his estranged family has now changed because the girl he fell for has been taken and he wants her back. Liam is now depending on his new families help and has a plan to get Natalie back. Natalie is feeling hopeless, thinks the man she loves is dead, and sees no way of the predicament she is in. Her own father is blackmailing her into an arranged marriage, and she thinks this is the end. There are a lot of twists, turns, secrets, and betrayals that Liam and Natalie must endure as things try to rip them apart. Can they endure everything that is thrown their way, or will they let go to give each other a chance at finding happiness elsewhere? I was routing for these two during the whole series, I was nervous for them, and wanted them to get their happy ever after. The twists didn’t stop even in the end, but they were greats ones. I enjoyed this duet and I hope Matt aka Shawn gets his own story because it will be an interesting for sure.

This was my first read by Laine, and she did not disappoint… Money Man will be the one I keep coming back to.

I am head of heels addicted to Kalen. Scottish and the way he calls Bailey Lass. Oh lord, I could have just have gobbled him up. He's the right amount of cocky, confident, and crass. I'm going to need me one of him.

Bailey, poor Bailey. She's been through so much, including being ruled by domineering men. It's left her thinking very little of herself. Just as she's starting to become her own and person, she smacked in the face with more heartbreak.

The worst part of this story is that it's a CLIFFHANGER! I could cry now because I so need the next book.

Thank you, Terri E. Laine, for allowing Haney Hayes Promotions to read and review for you.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Patricia D. Eddy, whose contribution "Her Mafioso's Honor" is about midway through the book, for review. I started with her story, and am slowly making my way through the rest.

I love anthologies like this, especially romance-laden ones, as they give a ton of heat in bite-sized stories that don't have the same kind of pressure to commit as a full-length novel or series (though, who are we kidding - most of these stories are going to send you searching for the full catalogues of the authors within).

"Her Mafioso's Honor" serves up the kind of characters you can't help but want to see more of. Evelyn and Damian are both driven by a sense of duty and pride, though stemming from wildly different circumstances, and clash together when Evelyn finds herself over her head. Cue the steam, swoon and that longing to see a so-called "bad boy" take names and save the day. I'm thrilled that we may see more of these characters developed in the year ahead.

Following Eddy's story was "So Much More" by Reina Torres. Somehow the author managed to create that delicate sense of hesitation and slow burn within just a few chapters. The shared history and pining between the two characters made the heat in the story that much more satisfying, and I'd happily read about the hinted back story in a full-length novel.

As I continue through the other stories, I will try to update my review, however, considering this anthology is literally free across all major retailers, I'd highly recommend diving in. With so many stories to choose from, there's bound to be one that draws you in and provides that perfect evening escape.

A quick read.
Wake up married in Vegas after a drunken night scenario.
Hero and heroine loved each other for years but both with others as the heroine push/pull.
Man whore reputation for Hero.
HEA.
Epilogue.
I found it a bit confusing in parts, maybe due to lack of detail, quick read.
Not keen on push and pull, sleeping with others situation.

All of these stories were wonderful but my favorite is Just Us.

Very sweet and hot romance. Wonderful story and delightful characters. But the only thing you need to know is.....
UNICORN SEX!! My favorite line that perfectly captures the feeling of this book.

Really, you can't go wrong with this anthology. All are hot!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Find this review and others at Carlene Inspired.

What happens when the lights go out in Vegas? According to thirteen authors, a whole lot can happen! From escaping serial killers to falling in love, Blackout: A Romance Anthology gives readers a glimpse into the city of sin with no power, no cell service, and no inhibitions. This anthology blew me away, I can't get over how much I enjoyed it. Longer than your typical anthology, at least in my opinion, Blackout has thirteen novellas, some quite lengthy and others quite short, that follow a mix of new and previously known characters as they visit sin city. The same event, a lengthy blackout, occurs in each novel, but no story is the same. The setting is perfect for this anthology, I hate when authors get together to create an anthology with a similar story line and the characters don't ever meet despite being in a small town. In this case, Vegas is massive and with the lights out it's expected that the characters from each story wouldn't interact. It made it more realistic. I loved all of the characters from the stories that I read and while I didn't love every single story, I did enjoy the entire anthology as a whole. This is a must read and it will work for both longtime fans of the authors and for those looking for something new.

On the fly star rating as I read:

Close Encounter by Stephanie St. Klaire - 4 Stars

The Do-Over by Christi Barth - 3 stars

Night & Day by Bethany Lopez - 4 stars

Night Games by T.K. Leigh - 5 Stars

Absolutely Mine by Terri E. Laine - Not Rating - the ARC edition had too many edits left to be done. I won't count this against the overall score, as I know the anthology went through more edits prior to release.

Just Us by J.H. Croix - 4.5 Stars - If I read the word channel one more time I was going to scream. Once or twice, fine, repeatedly? No.

Blind Faith by Lauren Runow - 5 Stars

Dirty Thoughts by C.A. Harms - 5 Stars

Going Down by Lisa Shelby - 5 Stars

Hard Luck by K.A. Ware - 4 Stars

Becoming His by K.I. Lynn

Honeymoon Hideaway by Cary Hart

Free Bird by Leddy Harper

5 stars

What a fantastic anthology. I preordered this book as soon as I had heard about it because Vegas is my favorite US city. The storyline intrigued me.

I really liked the various spins on how to work their stories into the Blackout. Many of these authors were new to me an d left me pleasantly surprised. For an anthology this was very well done because every story combined gave a nice variation on this story as a whole. I liked that because it is so hit and miss in anthologies.

These books all take place in Vegas & there is an electrical blackout during the story.

Close Encounters - Stephanie St. Klaire - Ms. St. Klaire has become a master at sexy romantic suspense stories. Some of her characters are members of a high class security team called Brothers Keepers. They protect people from the worst dangers & do it successfully. Cane is a member of that team. He’s protecting the only surviving victim of a gruesome serial killer. This story kept me on the edge of my seat. You knew the bad guy was going to show up but not when or how. The addition of a couple running a con added a lightness to the plot. It was witty. It was sexy. It was terrifying!! I really can’t wait until she releases her next book!

Honeymoon Hideaway - Cary Hart - if you’ve never read anything by Ms. Hart, this is an excellent introduction. The characters in Ms. Hart’s story are just that - characters!! They are funny, sassy, loud, rude & totally adorable. The main character is named Vegas Manilow!! Aunt Dottie has always been there for Vegas as she was growing up. I picture her as an elderly, slightly nuts woman with lots of sass! You won’t believe Burt! He’s hilarious! If the rest of the stories are like this one, this is a great collection!

Stayed up late to read this one

It was a sweet, romantic, falling in love book.