Review: A Wild Ride -Vivian Arend

He’s the golden boy with a secret past

When Nicole Adams abruptly cancels their secret fling, Troy Thompson is stunned. The sex between them is sizzling, but she’s ready to move on—find a reliable guy, settle down, pop out a few babies. The thought of Nic in another man’s arms is maddening. And while her agenda freaks him out, Troy knows there’s no one in town nearly good enough for her. No one, that is, except him.

She’s his redemption and his future

Nicole doesn’t regret her sexual romp with Troy, but when he insists on taking the next step with her—marriage and parenthood—she figures he’s out of his mind. Troy? Husband and daddy material? Oh, he’s sexy beyond belief, with the ability to melt her panties with a single command, but the man’s not known for being responsible. Trying for forever with Mr. Frivolous? Everyone thinks it’s a fool’s game.

Everyone except Troy, who’s determined to make Nicole see the real him under the shiny exterior.

Thompson & Sons Series:
Rocky Ride (Novella in the Marked anthology, also available as a separate ebook)
Baby Be Mine
One Sexy Ride
Let it Ride
A Wild Ride

Visit Vivian Arend's website for more information

Review:
I've been a fan of this series ever since I read the first book, they're perfect for when I'm in the mood for a humourous, small town romance with a great cast of characters, brilliant chemistry and a lot of laughs on the way to a happily ever after. Vivian Arend is an autoread author for me, she has an extensive back list so I'm still not caught up with all of her books (I'll get there one day!) but she never lets me down whether it's with her contemporaries, paranormal romances or even romantic suspense.

Although this story does work well as a stand alone I think you'll enjoy it even more if you read the series in order because each of the previous couples make ongoing appearances before and after their own book. If you've read the other stories you'll already be familiar with Troy, the youngest of the Thompson brothers. He has always been shown as someone who doesn't take life too seriously, he likes to have fun and he's in no rush to settle down. He isn't particularly a player but he doesn't really go for serious relationships either. What we haven't really seen until now is how much he really adores his family and how many quiet little things he does in the background to make everyone else's lives better. I always liked his character but I fell for him even more when I started to realise how he is the glue that ties the Thompson family together and that everything he does has had a lot of thought put into it.

Nicole has been seeing Troy for a few months, he's her older brother's best friend and roommate so they've kept things secret but they've shared a lot of very passionate encounters when nobody was around to see them. She's known all along that Troy isn't the man she'll settle down with but their friends with benefits relationship was just what she needed at the time. Now though she finds herself thinking about the future, she wants to get serious and find the man who is going to be her partner in life so it's time to end things with Troy and start dating guys who are interested in settling down. It isn't until Nicole tries to walk away that Troy realises how important she has become to him but how can he convince her that he's changed enough to want a serious relationship when she only thinks of him as someone who is happy to sail through life without making any plans for the future?

I have to admit that Nicole took a little while to grow on me, in the beginning she was so determined to date other guys and I was annoyed with the way she refused to listen to Troy and talk things through properly. Thankfully that doesn't last long though and at least her attempts at dating were disastrous enough to be amusing. I loved Troy from the very beginning though, he's just such a great guy and I enjoyed seeing all the little ways he tried to make life better for the people around him. I ended up getting really annoyed with his family for not noticing how much he looked out for them but it was nice to see Nicole wise up and have his back when he really needed her. They make a brilliant couple, the chemistry between them was smoking, and I think this was probably the hottest book of the series but that wasn't all there was to their relationship. They had fun together both in and out of the bedroom and I loved that Troy was able to show Nicole that settling down and planning a future together didn't mean they had to stop enjoying life and messing around sometimes.

This book was pretty much perfect from beginning to end and I'm kind of hoping that Vivian Arend can pull out a few long lost Thompson siblings (or perhaps cousins?) so that the series doesn't have to end here. I guess since this series is loosely linked to her Six Pack Ranch series I now have a perfect excuse to buy more of her books in the meantime though and I'm hoping the characters we met here will at least start to appear in those books if nothing else.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Let it Ride - Vivian Arend

He’s her rock in the midst of the storm

When Maggie Ward’s world is torn apart by sudden tragedy, the only thing that makes her days bearable is Clay Thompson’s unwavering presence. He’s protective, caring, and everything she could ask for in a friend. But when she finds herself longing for more than friendship, it will take a little seduction to convince the stubborn mechanic she’s ready to start living again.

She’s his heart, whether he knows it or not

Clay Thompson’s got the taking-care-of-others business down pat, only he’s never faced this particular challenge before—the one woman he’s always wanted is unexpectedly his to care for. Suddenly it’s not just responsibility driving him, but a wild desire to make Maggie truly his. But following his heart might mean sacrificing the family he’s held together for years.

Thompson & Sons Series:
Rocky Ride (Novella in the Marked anthology, also available as a separate ebook)
Baby Be Mine
One Sexy Ride
Let it Ride
A Wild Ride

Visit Vivian Arend's website for more information

Review:
I've been a fan of Vivian Arend's writing for a long time now and I'm really loving the Thompson & Son's series. They're all really sweet and heartwarming romances with a small town feel to them and I love the way we're really getting to know all of the family so well by getting to revisit both previous and upcoming couples in each new book.

Maggie and Clay have been friends for a long time, in fact they could have become a couple years ago but their timing sucked and Maggie ended up falling in love and marrying someone else. Maggie had a happy and loving relationship until she lost Cameron in a tragic accident and her world was turned upside down. Clay has always been there for Maggie, he was friends with Cameron and although he's been in love with Maggie himself for years he knew how happy she was and had no intention of coming between his two closest friends. Since Maggie lost Cameron Clay has been her rock, he's the one she has been able to rely on and the only one that got her through her grief and heartbreak. Now that she's coming out the other side she starts to have much stronger feelings for her best friend and she's ready to put her heart on the line once more.

I love it when people get a second chance at love. Not everyone finds the love of their life the first time around, or even if they do it tragedy can tear it all apart but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to move on and find happiness elsewhere. I loved both Maggie and Clay, they're so obviously perfect for each other and they make a brilliant couple but they never try to make light of what Maggie had with Cameron, he was and always will be an important part of both their lives and that made me respect them even more. Maggie had been through so much and it was lovely to see her being able to move forward with her life and find happiness again.

Let it Ride is such a sweet story about two friends who become the world to each other and it definitely left me with a smile on my face.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Original Cover

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: One Sexy Ride - Vivian Arend

His goal is to stand firm

As the middle child in a big family, Len Thompson has found it easy to slip under the radar. His relationships outside the family-run garage tend to run a mile wide but only an inch deep as he keeps his heart, body and soul protected. But when the one woman he’s always wanted makes it known she’ll soon be leaving town, he can’t resist letting her into his carefully constructed fortress.

Her gift is rocking his world

Chasing her best friend’s big brother has both entertained and frustrated Janey for years. She’s not sure what triggered his change of heart, but hell, yeah, she’ll accept it. All of it. Every kiss, every touch, every bit of body-shaking pleasure. Working to meet her renovation deadline is suddenly not nearly as interesting as the mind-blowing escapades she’s enjoying with the big sexy mechanic.

When old fears threaten, Len must finally choose—face his past or let their future crumble.

Thompson & Sons Series:
Rocky Ride (Novella in the Marked anthology, also available as a separate ebook)
Baby Be Mine
One Sexy Ride
Let it Ride
A Wild Ride

Visit Vivian Arend's website for more information

Review:
Janey has been in love with her best friend's older brother for years but Len has never seemed to look twice at her. Len may not have shown his interest but he's always been aware of Janey and it's only now that she is planning on moving away and he's about to lose her forever that he understands quite what he's missed out on. Len has always tried to keep people at arm's length but he doesn't have much time left with Janey and he's going to make the most of it. Janey is more than willing to fall into Len's arms but if he lets her walk away then she may never recover from her broken heart.

I have been a fan of this series from the beginning and I was looking forward to getting to know Len a bit better, from what we've seen of him in the past he has always come across as quite closed off and he doesn't even seem to let his family in completely so I was excited to see Janey get under his skin. I'm a sucker for a friends to lovers type romance and while Janey was always closest with Len's younger sister Katy she has known the whole family since childhood and her feelings towards Len have always been anything but platonic. Len doesn't believe he deserves to be happy, it was quite heartbreaking to see why he is so determined to keep people at a distance so I really enjoyed seeing Janey push past his defences. The couple have great chemistry but there is a lot more to their relationship than that & they get on well inside and out of the bedroom.

Alongside the romance I really enjoyed a chance to catch up with previous characters and see more of the brother's whose stories are still to come. I love the way the Thompson family all tease each other, the banter between them is witty and amusing and very realistic. Vivian Arend always creates a strong sense of family in her stories and that's one of the reasons I keep returning to her series time and time again. One Sexy Ride was a great instalment to the series and I can't wait to read Clay and Troy's books when they're published.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Original Cover

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Baby, Be Mine - Vivian Arend

What the mind forgets, the heart remembers.

Since the moment Katy Thompson transformed from annoying tagalong to desirable woman, Gage Jenick has awaited his chance. When she kicks her boyfriend to the curb, he doesn’t hold back—in spite of the next day work assignment that will take him away for six long months.

After a head injury sustained on a storm-swept road, Katy can’t remember her own email password, much less how the little pink “positive” on the pregnancy stick got there. Barring an influx of midichlorians, she’s at a loss to explain what happened, or when…or with whom.

Suddenly Gage is back in her life as if he has a right to be there. While she vividly remembers the crush she had on him, she’s no one’s charity case. But another thing she’d forgotten was just how stubborn Gage can be—especially when her domineering ex tries to stake a claim…

Warning. An unforgettable night that gets forgotten. A crazy redneck ex, and a hero who’s ready to take on the world, and his past, for his heroine.

Thompson & Sons Series:
Rocky Ride (Novella in the Marked anthology, also available as a separate ebook)
Baby Be Mine
One Sexy Ride
Let it Ride
A Wild Ride

Visit Vivian Arend's website for more information

Review:
Gage has had a thing for Katy for a long time but working alongside her protective older brothers, who he also considers his best friends, makes it hard for him to put the moves on her - especially when she already has a boyfriend. He's just about to leave town for six months when he finds out that she's dumped her boyfriend, the timing is terrible but he just can't walk away without making his feelings for her clear. Katy has had a crush on Gage forever but never thought he'd look twice in her direction so she couldn't be happier when she finds out how he feels. After spending one amazing night together they reluctantly separate, planning to let everyone know they're a couple once Gage returns. That would be fine if Katy didn't suffer a serious head injury just after he left and lose all memory of their night together. When Gage returns early he's gutted to find out that Katy has forgotten everything that happened between them but he's determined to prove to her just how much he loves her and win her heart all over again. Especially considering she's carrying a baby that could be his.

I really enjoyed the first story in this series, Rocky Ride, (which currently only available in the Marked anthology but coming soon as a separate ebook) so I was looking forward to getting to know Mitch's younger sister Katy a bit better in Baby, Be Mine. The timeline for this story actually runs alongside events in Rocky Ride but don't worry it can easily be read as a stand alone and would work well as an introduction to the series if you haven't started it yet. This is a great contemporary romance series full of hot sex and it has a great small town feel to it. I love series that follow a family so you get to revisit previous characters as the story continues and I'm also a sucker for the friends to lovers trope so it's no surprise that I really enjoyed this book.

Katy has been through a lot in the last few months, the accident has left her with short term memory problems and she now has trouble doing things that she used to find easy. Her family was always protective but they're now even more so and it's driving her crazy but then she realises she's pregnant and she can't even be sure who the father is - her ex boyfriend or Gage who has come home claiming they spent a night together. She had a crush on Gage for such a long time but she is worried that he is just trying to look out for her because of the accident and even if they did start something what will happen if it turns out that her ex boyfriend is actually the father? I really liked Katy, she's had it tough but that hasn't stopped her wanting to be independent and she is determined to stand on her own two feet. I enjoyed the relationship she had with her brothers and was pleased that she stood up to them and made sure they knew exactly what she wanted.

Gage is a really sweet guy who would do anything for Katy and the baby, even if it does turn out not to be his. He's upset that Katy has forgotten their night together but he knows he can win her heart again by showing her how good they are together. They actually make a really cute couple and I loved seeing them work through their issues together. A lot of potential problems are thrown at them but they stand by each other throughout it all and I loved that about them.

Baby, Be Mine is a really sweet romance and another great instalment to the Thompson & Sons series. This is a spin off from Vivian Arend's Six Pack Ranch series which I have to admit I haven't read yet but that one is definitely going to the top of my wish list now. I'm looking forward to finding out more about these characters and getting to know the rest of the Thompson brothers better as the series continues.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Marked - Anthology

Three stories of passion, possession, and ink.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Dane takes you into a brand new world in ALL THAT REMAINS. Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch – the man she loved four years before. While she’s not sure she’s cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up.

Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he’s not giving up until she’s his.

Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up–and wearing O’Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O’Kane woman always gets what she wants.

For more information about any of these authors you can visit their websites by clicking the links below:
Lauren Dane
Vivian Arend
Kit Rocha

Beyond Temptation - Kit Rocha

Beyond Temptation is also
available as a separate ebook novella

Beyond Series:
Beyond Shame
Beyond Control
Beyond Denial (A Beyond Happily Ever After free short story)
Beyond Pain
Flash (Free short story)
Beyond Temptation (Novella in the Marked Anthology or as a separate ebook)
Beyond Jealousy
Beyond Solitude (Novella in the Alpha's After Dark Anthology or as a separate ebook)
Beyond Addiction
Beyond Possession (Novella)
Beyond Innocence
Closed Doors (A Beyond Happily Ever After free short story)
Blank Canvas (A Beyond Happily Ever After free short story)
Beyond Ruin
Beyond Ecstasy
Beyond Surrender
Creative Incentives (Free short story)
Beyond Doubt (An O'Kane for Life novella)
Cravings (Free short story)
Beyond Forever (An O'Kane for Life novella)
Dessert (Free short story)
Ravished (Free short story)
Efficient (Free short story)
Memorial (Free short story)
Fierce Protector (Free short story)
A Little Bit Bad (Free short story)
Diplomacy (Free short story)

Gideon's Riders Series:
(Spin off series)
Ashwin
Makhai (Free short story)
Deacon
6th Sense (Free short story)
Ivan
High Priestess (Free short story)
Girls' Night Out (Free short story)

Review:
I'm going to confess that Beyond Temptation was the whole reason I wanted to read the Marked anthology, I absolutely adore the Beyond series and am completely addicted to these sexy O'Kanes and the world that Kit Rocha has created! So it'll be no surprise when I tell you that this was my favourite story in the anthology, probably because I'm already so invested in this world and it's characters. We have briefly met Noah before but since he's not an official O'Kane we've not spent much time with him and I was looking forward to getting to know him better. Emma is a character I already liked, one of the bartenders at the Broken Circle she's been a familiar face throughout the series so it was good to learn more about her background and I absolutely loved the scenes with her working alongside Ace as an apprentice tattoo artist.

Noah was best friends with Emma's brother and as such he has always considered her off limits, that doesn't mean he hasn't done his best to protect her though. In fact he paid a fortune to have her sent safely to the communes outside of the sectors and has spent the last few years believing that she has been living a dream life on a farm somewhere. When he finds out that she has been right under his nose the whole time and living with the O'Kanes he just has to check up on her and make sure that she's OK. The Emma he finds is very different to the sweet young girl he knew though, she's all grown up and has turned into a confident, sexy woman who knows what she wants and exactly how to get it. Emma always had feelings for Noah so when she sees him for the first time in years she sets out to seduce him and show him just how good they could be together.

I loved both of these characters, they have off the charts chemistry and a connection that runs much deeper than lust. There are some difficult secrets between them though, things that could end their relationship for good if they don't find a way to work through them. This was probably the tamest story in the Beyond series so far but don't take that to mean that it isn't sexy because Noah and Emma are hot as hell. Just as you'd expect from these stories there is plenty of dirty talk and hot action! We get a glimpse of some of the previous characters but most importantly we get to spend time with Ace and this has just got me even more excited about his book Beyond Jealousy which is up next. This is a series that always jumps straight to the top of my to read pile and I can't recommend it highly enough although I would personally recommend reading the books in order starting with Beyond Shame though.

Rocky Ride - Vivian Arend

Rocky Ride will also be
available as a separate ebook novella

Thompson & Sons Series:
Rocky Ride (Novella in the Marked anthology, also available as a separate ebook)
Baby, Be Mine
One Sexy Ride
Let it Ride
A Wild Ride

Review:
Rocky Ride is the first story in Vivian Arend's new Thompson & Sons series which is a spin off from her Six Pack Ranch books. I haven't actually read any of the Six Pack Ranch books (I'm going to have to pick them up since I enjoyed this one so much though!) so although I believe both Mitch and Anna have made previous appearances I didn't have a problem reading their story as a stand alone. This was certainly a hot read and I'm definitely planning on reading the sequel, Baby Be Mine, soon.

Original Cover

In a lot of ways Mitch and Anna are complete opposites, Mitch is a mechanic at his family's garage who has a bit of a bad boy reputation while Anna is a police officer who loves her job more than anything. As it turns out Mitch doesn't really deserve his reputation, he may have tattoos and ride a motorbike but apart from a couple of pranks as a teenager he hasn't got into any trouble for years and is a hard working and genuine guy. The couple have been meeting up for a few months for incredibly hot sex but while Mitch wants more Anna is running scared. She worries about how Mitch's reputation could affect her career and she is scared of getting hurt by risking her heart.

I absolutely loved this couple, they are so perfect for each other and I really enjoyed seeing how Mitch convinces Anna to give him a chance. They have fabulous chemistry and are both quite creative when it comes to playing out their fantasies which makes things very interesting. This is definitely a new series to watch out for and one I'm looking forward to continuing.

All That Remains - Lauren Dane

Metamorphosis Series:
All That Remains (Novella in the Marked anthology)
All the Little Pieces (Release date to be confirmed)

Review:
All That Remains is set in a futuristic dystopian world where a lot of the population has been wiped out and there are now way more men than women. People tend to live in small communities where they have a barter system in place to trade for the things they need and it is very common to find relationships with three (or sometimes more) members. I'm interested in the world that Lauren Dane has created but I have to admit that I wanted more information than we were given. It's very hard to introduce a whole new world in a fairly short novella so I was left with a lot of questions about why society fell apart in the first place but I was given just enough to hook me and make me want to carry on reading.

Summer knows what she is looking for from a relationship and she is prepared to wait until the right man (or men) comes along rather than settle for second best. She has a high sex drive and isn't embarrassed to take what she wants and needs. Hutch and Charlie have been together for a couple of years and have spent that time travelling around the country, they have enjoyed getting to see the world but are ready to settle down and find a place to call home. They would also love to add a woman to their lives and their bed. Charlie is the one who spots Summer first, there is something about her that draws him in and it seems the attraction is returned but there is a slight stumbling block when it comes to Hutch. Summer and Hutch grew up together and he was her first love so she was devastated when he left her to go and see the world. She has never forgiven him for breaking her heart so although Hutch would love to rekindle their relationship Summer is wary of getting hurt again.

It can be hard to sell me on a permanent triad relationship but in this case I thought Summer, Hutch and Charlie worked really well together. I loved the fact that they all spend time together separately as well as in a threesome and I actually believed that all three of them had feelings for each other. Things to happen fairly quickly but I still found it believable and enjoyed seeing them work things through. Summer is understandable wary of Hutch and scared of getting hurt again so I liked the fact that she made him work at proving himself, he knows he made a mistake by not searching her out sooner and he owns that and apologises for it. The two of them have quite a fiery relationship and Charlie is often the voice of reason and the one who steps in to calm things down between them. All three of them have developed a strong friendship and was left thinking that they could make a success of things. I really liked Summer's sister and I'm hoping that we might get her story later on in the series, she definitely deserves some happiness after everything she has been through and it would also give us a chance to see how Summer, Hutch and Charlie are getting on in the future. I'm a little disappointed to learn that the next story is going to be released as a serial novel (I'm really not enjoying this trend!) so I'll probably wait until all of the instalments are available before I start reading it but I'd definitely like to carry on with this series.

Source: Received from the authors in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle: