CHATTING WITH AUTHOR LAURA WRIGHT AND MY REVIEW OF ~~~BRANDED (The Cavanaugh Brothers #1) by LAURA WRIGHT~~~

Hi all! I am so excited today to have the pleasure of having Laura Wright with us on Book Obsessed Chicks. I had the fortune of meeting Laura at RT in New Orleans and I must tell you, I adore this lady! Book Obsessed Chicks Book Club was introduced to Laura's work back in 2010 with ETERNAL HUNGER from her Mark of the Vampire Series, which the all the book club ladies enjoyed immensely. Now she has  her Western Romantic Suspense trilogy, The Cavanaugh Brothers with BRANDED out NOW and BROKEN coming out this Fall. A very big welcome to LAURA WRIGHT!

Hi Laura,

Thanks so much for joining the Book Obsessed Chicks and answering my questions.

Thanks so much for having me! J

My book club has been fans of yours since our early days and loves the progression of your work!  So great to hear!!

It was so lovely to finally meet you in person at #RT14 in New Orleans.  Backatcha!

There are a couple of things we would love to know: Shoot!

1.       For those readers not familiar with you, would you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Oh, lawd. Well, there’s Laura BW (before writing) and Laura AW (after writing). Laura BW was a professional ballroom dancer and actress. Laura AW is this strange combo of angel and vixen. OY VEY. And she never knows which side she should listen to. It gets her in all kinds of trouble. J She think that’s how she got started writing vampires. Very sexy, very dark, very emotional vampires. The vixen side forced its way out and demanded to be heard. Now, the angel side has taken over with her cowboys. (I hear some of you snortingJ) They keep her tame and sane. Except, of course, when they bring out the ropes and spurs… J

**Clearly, Laura AW likes talking in the 3^rd person. Super annoying. (Laura BW apologizes)

2.       How did you get from Vampires to Cowboys? I am so not complaining since that’s the direction I went with my reading tastes.

I have such a ho-hum answer for this, but here goes:  I’ve just always wanted to write a sweeping ranch story with hot, rugged, full-of-manners cowboys. Originally I was going to set it in Colorado, but then Texas called to me. And I LOVE writing brothers.

3.       What attracted you to take this route with these men who are so outwardly tough, but inwardly vulnerable?

It’s what I love to read. Emotionally damaged men, with hard exteriors, forced to see themselves by a woman who is equally tough, and most times, equally damaged.

4.       What do you have in store for the Cavanaugh bothers? Yes , I am blatantly attempting to get spoilers J

The Cavanaugh brothers series centers around a past tragedy. The abduction and murder of the brothers’ sister. It broke every member of the family. Each book will delve into that mystery, while forcing each of the brothers to deal with their emotional hang-ups and fears. BROKEN stars James, my damaged horse whisperer who believes his existence brings about pain to the women in his life. Then in BRASH, Cole (the twin of the murdered sister) must fight both in the ring for a title (he’s a street fighter turned pro) and out of the ring for the truth of what happened all those years ago.

It’s definitely a rollercoaster of emotion and pain and love and lust. Just how I like it. J

5.       Who are your favorite authors? What are you reading?

Oh, there’s a million!! From JK Rowling to Karen Marie Moning to Jude Deveraux. Right now I’m reading an old favorite: MISTRESS OF MELLYN by Victoria Holt. I’m sure many of you read like I do…what mood am I in tonight? Danger, dark historical, light, fun comedy, sexy paranormal…

6.       When you aren’t writing, what do you do in your free-time… Providing there ever is any free-time..

Hahahahahahhahahaaaaa J Sorry. Free time. No. None. I’m writing all the time. So many series – so damn thankful to be writing them. I want to give my readers everything they’re craving. From more Mark of the Vampire to Bayou Heat to my NA series, Wicked Ink Chronicles.

However, I do LOVE gardening, playing with my kids, listening to KMM books on CD in my car and swooning again and again over Barrons..

7.       What’s next for Laura Wright?

Alexandra Ivy and I have a Bayou Heat book coming out late September. BROKEN will be coming out in October. Then 2015…holy cats! A bevy of romantic delightsJ

8.       Where will your fans be able to meet you this year and in the coming year?

Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be traveling much in 2015. I have so much work to do, and it’s my daughter’s final year before middle school and I want to be here for her. But we’ll see. I might be able to squeeze in something smallJ

BRANDED by Laura Wright is a mesmerizing mystery with a sizzling romance, thrown together to make a roller coaster ride of epic proportions.

Mackenzie Byrd is the foreman of the Triple C Ranch. When all the Cavanaugh boys left the ranch after the death of their sister, Cassie, Mackenzie's best friend, was taken into the Cavanaugh fold as one of the family. Everett Cavanaugh and his wife blamed their sons for not protecting Cassie when she disappeared and was subsequently found murdered. The Cavanaugh men, Deacon, James and Cole, all left the Triple C with bad feelings after their family was torn apart with the crime. Now years later, she has become an important part of the Triple C and has a personal stake in seeing the ranch flourish. 

Swoon-worthy and powerful, Deacon Cavanaugh is a successful businessman with an agenda, to destroy the Triple C Ranch. When he left, he never looked back. Now the patriarch, Everett has passed away and Deacon plans to ruin the Triple C are set. he now has to return and bring his brothers, James and Cole on-board with his plans. When he returns to see Mackenzie, a whole load of emotions sprout and they could potentially cause a kink in his plans. Mac, who had a crush on Deacon growing up, will do all she can to sway him from his plans. Not only she will lose a livelihood, but all the employees could be out of work.

Mac idolized the Cavanaugh patriarch, Everett. He took her in and treated her like one of the family after Cassie was lost to them, but Everett was not the man that Mac thought he was and when Deacon shows her the truth of it, Mac also is left with a dilemma of her own. Does she allow Deacon to take down the Triple C, or will she show him there is more to life than the revenge he has so deep in his heart? The chemistry between Mac and Deacon can either help or hinder the Triple C's future. 

I was quickly and completely drawn into the Cavanaugh's trials and tribulations and the search for Cassie's murderer. Deacon's quest to destroy his and his brothers' legacy is a compelling read. BRANDED by Laura Wright is a gripping mystery and well as a riveting romance. Laura Wright's characters are strong-willed, interesting and determined. Sexy, alpha Deacon has the world at his fingertips, but he could ruin a bright future if he doesn't let go of his past. Mackenzie a flourished on the Triple C. She is attractive, headstrong and devoted. Her childhood crush for Deacon thrives when Deacon returns. but will she lose herself and her independence by giving herself to this man? That's a question best left answered by reading BRANDED by Laura Wright.  Ms. Wright has taken Western Romantic Suspense a step further with her astounding gift for intrigue and romance. I eagerly await, BROKEN, which hopefully will get closer to solving Cassie's murder as well as seeing James and Cole more settled in their lives.

~KIMBERLY~

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!!!

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AN EARL LIKE NO OTHER by WILMA COUNTS

I had a smile on my face as when I finished this book. What a fabulous story and so well written.

 AN EARL LIKE NO OTHER by Wilma Counts is a gem.

Katherine Gardiner is left widowed and with a young son who is the heir destined to a dukedom. The current duke, Katherine's father in law has had Katherine and his grandson, Ned, virtual prisoners in Wynstan Castle to make sure Ned gets a proper education and upbringing. Katherine finds the Duke of Wynstan to be an oppressive brute who  uses physical discipline to rear his heir, and she won't stand for it any longer. At the first chance she gets, she whisks Ned away to someone who will help.

Sanctuary comes in the form of Jeremy Chilton, the Earl of Kenrick, who has just returned from the American wilderness, where he began a family with a half native American woman, only to lose her. Jeremy Chilton and his young daughter, Cassie strive to make Kenrick Hall a home, but it's difficult with the lack of funds and a proper housekeeper to keep all in order. Kenrick reluctantly hires the widowed Katherine on a trial basis to see if she will fit his needs.  His opinion of her is that she is too young and too attractive to be a housekeeper, but without knowing much more than she is a widow, left with a young son, he accepts her into his home and his life. 

Kernick finds that the more he gets to know Mrs. Gardiner, the more he becomes attracted to her. He would much rather be in Kate's company than that of the conniving neighbors who are trying to bribe him into marriage with his spoiled daughter for title and lands. Kenrick must find a way to stave off the greedy neighbors while holding on to the best asset he has, Kate. Kate's attraction to Jeremy and the feelings she has for his daughter Cassie are like no other, but if she opens herself to him and tells the truth of her identity, she could not only lose his trust, but lose Jeremy as well. 

AN EARL LIKE NO OTHER by Wilma Counts is  a wonderful story with a colorful cast of characters that holds ones interest. Jeremy is a true hero, not caring for anyone's station in life or a title before a name. He is honest and caring and a most honorable man. Katherine has been through much in her short life and proves herself to be a force to be reckoned with when she is crossed. Her love for the children, even for Cassie, who, who is not her own, makes her one of my favorite heroines. I truly loved this story. This is the first book I have ever read by this author and I will be looking into her backlist, as well as reading her latest books in the future.

~KIMBERLY~

SPOTLIGHT ON AUTHOR LAURA DRAKE & MY REVIEW OF ~~~SWEET ON YOU (Sweet On A Cowboy #3) by LAURA DRAKE~~~

SPOTLIGHT ON LAURA DRAKE

LAURA DRAKE AT RWA14- SAN ANTONIO

Laura, thank you so much for joining Book Obsessed Chicks. I became a diehard fan of yours after reading the Sweet Spot last November after Barnes and Noble bookseller, Cathy Genna recommended it to me. I was very excited to meet you at RWA14 in San Antonio and I congratulate you on your RITA win for The Sweet Spot

Thank you so much for having me, Kimberly! It’s a funny story, how I met Cathy. I was at the RWA National Conference in Atlanta last year. I was waiting in line for a publisher signing and she was in line ahead of me. She turned around, read my name tag, squealed and hugged me. I read her nametag and squealed – she was the RWA Bookseller of the year!  We both had a fangirl moment, and hers was my very first! True to her title, she went up and down the line, telling everyone that they just had to buy my book because it was wonderful! Sigh. I love Cathy.

       Tell us a little bit about yourself.

  I’m a city girl from Detroit, who finally made it to the country this year. We realized a lifelong dream, retiring to Texas!  I’m working on my drawl and trying to find a handbook on how a Yankee can survive in Texas. I’m loving it, but it’s sure different than life in Southern California – even the plants here can kill you!

     Tell us how the Sweet On a Cowboy Series came to be.

  They were born out of my love of the sport of professional bull riding. I know, weird obsession for a city girl, but my husband took me to a rodeo when we visited Texas years ago, and I fell in love with it. I was so excited to find that bull riding was on TV every weekend! Since then, I’ve been to three world finals. I’d broken by leg in a freak fly fishing accident a week before one of them (don’t ask) but there was no way I was missing it! Turned out, the handicapped waiting area was right in front of the rider’s locker room . . . SCORE!

        What are you currently working on?

Just yesterday, I finished the next book in my Widow’s Grove small town series I write for Harlequin’s Superromance line. In a week, I leave for my annual fly fishing trip. Please don’t tell me to break a leg!

      Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be?

  Deep down, yes. But I didn’t have the guts to try until I was in my late 30’s. Authors were much smarter than I! But when I had an idea that wouldn’t leave me, I finally sat in front of the computer and wrote it, more to get it out of my head than anything. I figured, if it sucked, I could just hit delete at the end and be done with it!  Of course, by then, it was too late. I was hooked!

       Who was your favorite character to write and why?

  No fair! That’s like not only having a favorite child, but admitting which one it is in public!  Well, if I have to (sorry, Char, Bree, Katya, Priss…well, you know who you are) but it’s probably Sam, from Her Road Home. She’s a biker chick, running from her past with a whole lot of baggage in the saddlebags of her vintage Vulcan motorcycle. She was my very first character – the one who wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote her. And yes, authors are weird about that. Their characters a real to them. I feel like I could drive to Widow’s Grove and visit Sam and Nick in their restored Victorian on the hill.

       Do you have any role models? If so, who?

  Oh, another tough one! Probably my mother, who, in spite of being dealt a tough hand, sailed through life with her head up, and more class and grace than I’ve seen in any other woman. She reminded me of the quote from Ann Richards: “After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.”

      What was your favorite part of the RWA2014 Conference? 

You’re kidding, right?  WINNING THE RITA! The Sweet Spot won the award for the Best First Book, and Nora Roberts presented me with the award!  I still feel like I’m going to wake up, roll over and tell Alpha Dog, “I just had the very best dream.” Seriously, this stuff does not happen to me!

       Who are your favorite authors?

  Oh you ARE making it hard, because I know you don’t want a five page list!  Okay, I’ll try to be brief: Ayn Rand, Stephen King, Jodi Piccoult, Barbara O’Neal, Anne River Siddons, Pat Conroy . . . Okay, I’ll stop. Oh, and Herman Wouk. Wait! Rosamunde Pilcher. And Larry McMurtry. And . . .

     What is next for you? 

I have my fingers crossed, because I have a Women’s Fiction with Romantic Elements out on proposal. It’s about a woman bull fighter (not the red-cape kind, the PBR kind). I so want to finish writing that book. It’s a sister-story and I’m in love with the main character!

  What would you like readers to know about you?

  That I LOVE to hear from them! Right now, I’m hanging out at the Western Romance Café (as I know you are too, Kimberly!) It’s a site on Facebook I began as a place for Western Romance readers to hang out with their favorite authors and connect with others who love the genre. Here’s the URL:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WesternRomanceCafe/

Thank you so much, Kimberly, for having me today – and thanks for all you do for authors!

Katya Smith returns to the states from her tour of duty in Khandahar, where she was injured in a suicide bombing that claimed the life of a fellow soldier. She didn't return by choice, the bombing made that decision for her. Katya mostly recovered from her exterior wounds, but it's the wounds on the inside that are taking a toll on this fiercely independent and strong willed woman. Katya's beloved Gypsy grandmother passes away leaving her bereft and confused. A short visit with her cool appearing parents shows her she doesn't belong in their world. Through a friend, Katya gets a lead on a job working as a medic for the PBR (Professional Bull Riding). Hopefully this job will help Katya alleviate some of the flashes of terror she gets after the bombing and help her get over her PTSD so she can return to active duty as a medic for the military in Afghanistan.

Cam Cahill is an aging bull rider trying to find out what to do with himself after his impending retirement. Nothing seems to fit and he's not ready to pack it all in, even if his body is telling him otherwise with all the aches and pains he deals with on a daily basis. The handsome bull riding champion bides his time while he watches the up and coming cowboys begin to take over. After a disagreeable run in with a seemingly prejudiced Katya at an event, Cam can't decide if the eclectic beauty will suit as a medic on the PBR trail.

Once they get to know each other better, Cam realizes there is so much more to Katya than her appearance. 

Once Katya proves to be an effective PT and worthy of being the medic she was hired to be, she begins attracting a following of riders who are quite taken with the gypsy's homemade curatives and her knack for easing their aches. When Cam gets closer to Katya and finds out just where she comes from and what she's been through, he not only gains a respect for her for what she's already done for his colleagues, but also for what she has done for her country. The two who were skittish of each other at first begin to form a bond that Cam realizes he wants to solidify, but Katya can't let go of the past and still wants to make amends for things that she believes were her fault, but were in fact out of her hands. 

Once again Laura Drake has me riveted by her story. I love her characters. Katya seemingly a fish out of water around the bull riders, bucks it up and fits right in once she lets her guard down, She also sees a future for Cam with his retirement and tries to give the stubborn athlete a way to be useful and still enjoy his life once he hangs up his spurs. Katya is a woman with so much honor and loyalty ingrained in her and her quest to get back to Khandahar is trying. PTSD is no joke and this woman deals with the effects on a daily basis, but her quest clouds a possibility of a future with Cam, for as much as she cares for the cowboy, she feels the need to make up her failures to her military brethren. The subtle changes in the medic/soldier to the PBR medic are an amazing journey and highly recommended by this lover of Western Romance. Grab SWEET ON YOU by Laura Drake by the horns and enjoy this incredible ride. You won't be sorry. 

~KIMBERLY~

ONE LUCKY PERSON WILL WIN A COPY OF THE SWEET SPOT... JUST COMMENT BELOW! 

CHATTING WITH AUTHOR B.J. DANIELS & GIVEAWAY

AS MOST OF MY FRIENDS KNOW, I AM A VERY BIG FAN GIRL OF B.J. DANIELS. HAVING ONLY DISCOVERED THIS AMAZING WRITER A FEW YEARS AGO, I HAVE DEVOURED HER STORIES AND ALWAYS EAGERLY AWAIT THE NEXT GREAT READ . B.J. DANIELS HAS A NEW RELEASE THIS WEEK WITH MERCY, HER 5th BOOK IN THE BEARTOOTH,  MONTANA SERIES AND THIS BOOK IS A PAGE-TURNER. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO ASK B.J. ABOUT THE BOOK AND I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL.

         Having just finished this nail-biter of a story, I would like to know what the inspiration for MERCY was?

I never know where my books come from. :) But I’ve always been fascinated about how two people raised in the same type of dysfunction can turn out so differently. One becomes a killer and the other doesn’t.

When U.S. marshal Rourke Kincaid headed for Beartooth, Montana after what he suspected was a serial killer, I thought he was wrong. Even when I met the characters  I didn’t want any of them to be the killer. I kept thinking it had to be someone else…. So you can see the way I write. I’m along for the ride and just as surprised as anyone with what happens.

           You have this amazing knack for murder and mayhem in your stories, to what do you accredit this gift to?

LOL, I love murder and mayhem!! I love books that have a lot going on. Also I’m interested in the characters and their secrets and why they are the people they have become. I write to amuse myself.

            How do you keep straight all the little details from the other books in the series when you include them in the latest venture?

That is tougher. But I fall in love with my characters and I want to know what is going on with them as the series continues. I figure readers want to know as well. To me, they become real, so of course their lives keep going into the next book.

           What was your favorite part of RWA14? 

Seeing you. :) And being around writers and readers. Writing is such a solitary lifestyle. I love talking books with people who love them as much as I do.

        When you get the chance, what do you read? 

I read everything. But my favorite is suspense. I especially like murder mysteries where I have to figure out who did it!

            What is next for B.J. Daniels in writing?

 My Beartooth, Montana series will continue with the stories of the six Hamilton sisters. The first, WILD HORSES, comes out in March. This will surprise you, but the Hamilton family has all kinds of secrets and troubles. :) So it is fun to get to know them. Each book pushes me.

         Where will your fans be able to see you in 2015?

 I will definitely be at RWA in New York next year and at your barbecue!!!(Kimmie does *happy dance* at that revelation) 

GIVEAWAY ALERT

WIN AN eCOPY of MERCY by B.J. Daniels

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MERCY (Beartooth, Montana #5) by B.J. Daniels

I was only going to start the book, I swear. Then all of these creepy and crazy things happened in MERCY by B.J Daniels and I just couldn't put the book down. Such is typical with a B.J. Daniels romantic suspense novel and I should have know better, but this one in particular went beyond the norm for this author and I was  intrigued beyond the need for sleep. 

When U.S. marshal, Rourke Kincaid delves into a cold case dealing with a possible serial killer, his quest for justice leads him to Beartooth, Montana in search of a woman with a link to more than one of the grizzly murders. Rourke's former Seattle P.D. partner, Laura Fuller, believes Rourke has become obsessed with the pretty woman in the crime scene photos of the murder scenes. When Rourke comes face to face with the mysterious connection in Beartooth, he has mixed  feelings about her involvement with the crimes.

Rourke's former partner, Laura has been in love with him since she began working with him. Tall, handsome and principled, Rourke has no idea Laura harbored any feelings for him other than friendship and camaraderie, and when she sees that Rourke is drawn to the suspect she will do what she needs to save him from himself, or worse, from a killer.

Ever since she can remember, Callie Westfield has had the gift or curse of premonition, depending on who you are speaking to. Ever since her mother died, she has been alone and on her own, drifting from place to place, but when she arrives in Beartooth, Montana, she finally feels at peace. Her peace lasts a year, until Rourke Kincaid walks into her life and makes his presence known and throws her whole life for a loop with his gritty allure and his honorable determination. 

When Rourke finds a connection with the murders and a now closed school for troubled girls, where Callie Westfield spent years of her early childhood, he must delve deeper into its history and its many secrets to get to the bottom of crimes which began so many years before, and continue to this day.  Is Callie a killer, or is she an innocent thrust into the middle of the mayhem and madness? Only by reading MERCY by B.J. Daniels will you find out the answers. 

Oh what a tangled web she weaves. Author B.J. Daniels really has outdone herself with MERCY with it's full spectrum of emotions and a gripping mystery, that firmly takes a hold of the reader and never lets go. I found myself more in awe of B.J. Daniels with each page I read. Her characters are real and have so much depth that you feel like you know them. They quickly become old friends for whom we care about, like Frank and Nettie who we have been rooting from from the very first Beartooth, Montana book. MERCY by the amazing B.J. Daniels is perfection wrapped up in a small package called a novel which will leave a most favorable impression even on the most discerning of readers. I most highly recommend MERCY and it's superbly written predecessors which placed author, B.J. Daniels at the top of my favorites list. MERCY will leave both a chill up your spine and a smile on your face, when all is said and done

~KIMBERLY~

NOT QUITE A WIFE (Lost Lords #6) by MARY JO PUTNEY

When Laurel Herbert left her husband of a year, she did it without looking back. Having witnessed her husband kill a man in front of her was just too much for the young and morally strict lady to take. Regardless of the reason, she feels there is no excuse for what he has done. Not able to return home to her parents, who basically shun her for leaving her rich and titled husband, she opens a home for wayward women and begin to give work at making their lives better. Her brother is now the local doctor and Laurel nurses for him and keeps his life and business managed. 

Lord James Kirkland has spent the last ten years alone. When Laurel left him, he didn't go after her, didn't fight for his marriage because he knew he was to blame, even if killing the man was justifiable, he still allows Laurel to go without a fight. In his time alone, James has built himself quite a legacy in the shipping industry and all the while, he still makes sure that his estranged wife is financially secure, if nothing else.

One night changes everything for both Kirkland and Laurel, when Kirkland is attacked and brought to her bruised and somewhat out of it, he doesn't know where he is. Laurel is stunned to see her husband after ten years apart but still, she must tend to him like any other patient in need, since her brother is unable to. In his delirium, James dreams he has his beloved Laurel back and is making love to her, but when he awakens and finds Laurel there and no hint of the intimacy of the dream, he thinks it was all in his head. 

Laurel tries to go on as if nothing happened between her and Kirkland, but when she realizes she is pregnant, the rules are about to change. When she informs Kirkland,  he sees his chance back into Laurel's life, but can she get over those memories of him killing or will this still tear them apart?

NOT QUITE A WIFE by Mary Jo Putney is the 6th installment in the LOST LORDS series . I always enjoyed Kirkland in the previous books and I was eager to read his tale. I have to say though, this is not my favorite as I found Laurel's moral righteousness to be distracting and a bit much. It was a solid story and I really enjoyed Kirkland's character, finding him to be extremely generous and caring in all aspects of his life. he is probably one of my favorite characters in this series. I just found Laurel to be way too stubborn and her disapproval of James' deeds took away from the tale for me. As a fan of this series, I absolutely will continue to read it. My feelings here are you can't win them all, not every book in a series will get the same reaction. NOT QUITE A WIFE is still a good read and essential to he series.

~KIMBERLY~

JACKIE'S GUEST REVIEW OF ~RISKY BUSINESS (A Bomb Squad Novel) by MELISSA CUTLER

Risky Business is the first book in the new Bomb Squad Hockey series trilogy by Melissa Cutler and I loved it!!

I am a big fan of Melissa’s books. I loved reading her Catcher Creek Cowboys series and ICE: Black Ops Defenders series. I would highly recommend reading this new series also!!

In Risky Business we meet Allison Whitley and Theoren (Theo) La Croix. Allison is a newly divorced single mother who has just moved to Destiny Falls New York. She is the new owner of Cloud Nine boat rentals, as part of her divorce settlement from crooked politician Lowell Whitley. Allison knows absolutely nothing about running the business, but that is all she has since the divorce has left her homeless and in debt.

Theo has been running Cloud Nine for the last 10 years. He was hoping to buy the business from Lowell before he was put in jail for embezzlement. Now with Allison taking over, Theo doesn’t know where this new arrangement will leave him. He wants Allison to sell the business to him, but is frustrated that she won’t. There is attraction between Allison and Theo from the beginning. They each feel it can’t go anywhere due to business arrangement that they are arguing over.

While reading the story we meet other characters that become Allison’s friends. Harper runs the local bar called Locks and she invites her to watch the Men’s league hockey game with her. At the hockey game Allison meets Marlena, Olivia and Presley.

The hockey team is called Bomb Squad. Theo, who is a defenseman on the team and his team mates Will, Liam and Brandon are all wounded ex-military heroes. They take their hockey playing very seriously and are hoping to play in an exhibition game sponsored by Wounded Veterans International.

As the story progresses there are obstacles that both Allison and Theo have to overcome and a relationship between them forms.

I very much enjoyed reading this book and it is a great beginning to a new series. I look forward to reading the next book in the series with Liam and Marlena’s story!

~ JACKIE FERRELL~