#BookReview Jeep Tour by Gail Ward Olmsted

 

Jeep Tour is another stunning women’s fiction novel by Gail Ward Olmsted.

Seriously, this lady KNOWS what I’m feeling and thinking! Just the quote alone “A series of unrelated and seemingly random events that can singularly cause stress and anxiety” is my life right now – college, working, life, EVERYTHING! Within this sweet, women’s fiction are words of wisdom I never would have appreciated until I became an adult and finally understood what “adulting” meant! The metaphor comparing whack-a-mole made it even better, to be brutally honest. That’s is how life feels sometime!

This novel is the first in the “series”, but like the rebel I am – I read Jackie’s daughter’s story first! So, it was only necessary to read Jackie’s story as well! The two books can easily be read apart, but if you want a little more sanity and understanding, reading them in order would be helpful. I do have to say, you can tell that Gail has improved in her writing (not that she was bad to begin with, but you can see the growth and I LOVE when that happens! I’m a nerdy little birdie for seeing authors grow and change into sophisticated and more talented authors!).

Now, back to the story!

Middle-aged Jackie is divorced from her husband and decided to go on an adventure and hop on a Jeep Tour. She ended up meeting uber sexy tour guide Rick, and he gave her his number! Rick is young, hot, and flirty!

I related to Jackie in many ways – troubles with her job, a “Linda” in their life, troubles with relationship and wanting to just run away. But the one thing I really liked about Jackie was her ridiculous sense of humor! “Waa-mbulance” was one of the best comments I’ve ever seen, and I will definitely be entering that into my verbal thesaurus for the next time life gets tough. The accounting metaphors also had me chuckling, since I’ve taken some accounting classes (and the comments really fit how I see some of my accounting friends…).

Even the relationships in this novel felt real, which was shocking! I don’t know many people who got divorced and started sleeping with their ex when the papers were signed, but Gail made me feel like I did! I felt like Jackie and Robbie could have been my neighbors or friends of mine! It was weird, but incredible. But that’s raw talent for you! Although, sometimes I felt like this relationship was a little bit… tumultuous, or not healthy. Knowing the contents of the second book made me feel better about it, but there was still this ache in the back of my head going “NOOOO JACKIE NOOOO YOU DESERVE BETTER – NICE GUY AND GOOD SEX! YOU CAN HAVE BOTH! DON’T SETTLE FOR ONE!”

The journey Jackie embarks on is definitely a beautiful story. The ups, the downs and everything in between will make you feel! It was a beautiful story to sit down, admire the summer air and fall into. It was a relaxing read, something that women’s fiction definitely needs!

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a soft, simple read with a little splash of drama and romance. It’s a PG rated, flirty and fun book that will whisk you away into the life of a of truly incredible character. It’s a must read that will be added to my shelf!

Five out of five stars!

I received a free copy from the author Gail Ward Olmsted in exchange for an honest review.

 

Check out this book on:

Goodreads: Goodreads – Jeep Tour

Amazon.com – Amazon.com – Jeep Tour

Amazon.ca – Amazon.ca – Jeep Tour

 

 

Check out the sequel with Jackie, Robbie and their daughter in Driving on the Left!

Goodreads – Goodreads – Driving on the Left

Amazon.com – Amazon.com – Driving on the Left

Amazon.ca – Amazon.ca – Driving on the Left

 

Find out more about Gail Ward Olmsted on her website: http://www.gailolmsted.com/

Or give us both a shout out on Twitter! @GWOlmsted & @ReviewAlholic

 

Comment below – have you read any novels by Gail Ward Olmsted?

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#BookReview Spin by C.D. Reiss

 

Spin by C.D. Reiss is a must read for lovers of erotic romance!

This book is mega hot and obsessive! Mobsters? Cars? Heck yes! This felt like General Hospital on erotica/romance steroids!

This is book 1 of 3, so I’m sure the following books are steamy and amp up this series, but for now I’ll settle on reviewing Spin (which was in the A Love Thing anthology – highly recommend, by the way!).

Theresa, Daniel, Antonio, Katrina and Johnathan are exciting characters to follow in this book. Antonio’s the mob boss, yet Theresa finds him highly attractive. Theresa and Antonio are the main leads, but the other characters are also lovable. Antonio gave me Sonny vibes (from General Hospital) but insanely hot and the perfect alpha male lead. Theresa is a career driven woman (I relate so hard to her) and isn’t the Mary Sue or Plain Jane character some of these books tend to have.

Keep in mind, this book is not PG – it’s hot and heavy! The sex scenes are steamy and will bring the summer heat! This is the “Fifty Shades” book we needed – hot, lovable characters and excellent writing!

This book is a roller coaster of action and romance, and C.D. Reiss lifts this book up to new levels. I definitely loved this book and would love to see more books by C.D. Reiss on my local bookstores shelves! I highly recommend this book and it’s a must read on my shelf!

Four out of five stars!!

 

Find C.D. Reiss on her website: http://cdreiss.com/

Or give us a shout out on twitter! @CDReissWriter & @ReviewAlholic

Check out another book you might enjoy! #BookReview Seduction on the Slopes (SIG #2) by Tamsen Parker

Comment below – what book are you reading this week?

#BookReview A Week In New York by Louise Bay

 

A Week In New York is an addicting, romantic read that will sweep you off your feet.

This book was FANTABULOUS! Yes, fantastic and fabulous all in one! It was full of romance, some super sexy and erotic scenes, and kept me hooked to every single word on every single page.

Anna is trying to get over a nasty break-up, and in walks Ethan – a super hot, super rich man who can fulfill her every desire. But, she has rules! She isn’t going to go into another relationship, since the last one didn’t go to well. Yet, something builds between them – something hot and desirable. A Week in New York follows these characters and their antics while Anna is in New York (hence, the title).

The book is mega hot – there’s sexy, erotic scenes that will get your heart racing! It’s not the dirtiest or most R rated I’ve read, but it’s still really hot! The down and dirty time is written well and will get you heated! There’s more sex than romance, but it is a nice fit between these two characters. Their chemistry makes this sort of relationship work well, but that’s because Louise Bay is a fantastic writer. She develops their relationship really well within the constraints of one short novel. I honestly can’t wait to see how this pair develops in the future installments.

I also really enjoyed the references throughout this novel – they are romantic yet nerdy references that really added to the story. It makes it feel more real than it is.

My only con is – WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING?! A cliffhanger?! Louise Bay wants to kill me! I HAVE to keep reading this series after she had me fall in love with these characters and want to know what happens to Anna and Ethan! What a jerk she is! Being a good writer and making me want more!

I would highly recommend this sexy novel to anyone who loves romance and erotica. It’s also a short read and highly addicting, so if you’re looking for a simple novel to read in one sitting – you’ve found it!

Five out of five stars! Holy heck, that was hot!

I read this book from the anthology “A Love Thing”.

 

Purchase this book on:

Amazon.com – Amazon.com – A Week in New York

Amazon.ca – Amazon.ca – A Week In New York

 

Find this book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22428861.A_Week_in_New_York

Find out more about Louise Bay on her website: http://www.louisebay.com/

Or give us both a shout out on Twitter! @LouisesBay & @ReviewAlholic

 

Comment below with your fave romance novel!
And while you’re at it, check out another review you might enjoy:

#BookReview Rogue Hearts (Anthology) by Tamsen Parker, Amy Jo Cousins, and more

#BookReview Willing Victim by Cara McKenna

 

Willing Victim by Cara McKenna is MEGA HOT. Insanely hot. I’m not normally into that sort of romance, but my goodness.

My full review will be in A Love Thing anthology, but I wanted to leave a small review and rating for this book as well. Because, OMG it was mega hot and incredible. I 100% need to read more by Cara McKenna and now I want to read this series.

This book is full of boxing, rough romance and intense scenes. Cara has written some really hot scenes in this book that make it rated R for sure! While the book is rough, I think the story is incredibly addicting. She makes you love these characters and feel breathless at every turn. The book is not meant to be turned into an Oscar-winning film, but man does it hit all the notes for an extremely erotic romance.

It’s Fifty Shades of Grey on steroids, but with better writing skills and styles entwined. If you like risque reads, then this book is 100% for you! I really grew to enjoy it and I want to read more by Cara ASAP.

Five out of five stars!

(PS Thanks Tamsen Parker for introducing me to this story!).

 

Check out Cara on her website! http://www.caramckenna.com/

Give us both a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews  @CaraMcKenna @ReviewAlholic

Why not check out another review you might enjoy? #BookReview #OnTheBrinkofPassion by Tamsen Parker

And finally, comment below – what book left you breathless?

#BookReview Free Fall by Emma Barry & Genvieve Turner

 

Free Fall by Emma Barry is one of the sweetest, feel good books of the year!

Thank you to Tamsen Parker who suggested I pick up books by Emma Barry! I can’t thank her enough, because Emma’s writing is beautiful and matches perfectly with my reading style.

Free Fall is about Dean and Vivian, an astronaut and the daughter of of a wealthy businessman, who happen to find themselves in a sticky situation. They are expecting a baby and they have to get married to “set things right”. This story follows their relationship and the troubles of Dean’s career.

This book really made me feel good – it’s ooey gooey cute and isn’t negative. It’s the type of book you’d want to read when you are in a bad mood because it will pick you up. Yes, there’s drama in this book (it’s a romance novel, there’s bound to be some kind of drama), but it doesn’t make you feel bad. I love a book that lets me sink into it’s words and feel great, and Emma does that perfectly.

I’m also so incredibly excited to see a book about a woman with a full figure that isn’t solely about her weight. Vivy embraces her full figure, and isn’t described as “fat”. I can fully relate to Vivian – I’ve always been athletic, and as a child I was told by other kids I was “fat” because I wasn’t super skinny like everybody else was in my classes. Being told to stay silent, be smaller, etc., just like Vivy was my life until I got older. It’s nice to see the storyline develop with the introduction to her body type, but not revolve around her weight. Too often do we see differences (whether it’s gender, sexuality, weight, etc) be used as the problem or plot line of the story, but this book embraced her as a person.

I’d like to see more of Dean and Vivian – I think they’re characters are well developed and could definitely hold their own in a series! I’m not sure where we could take them, but they were very cute! These characters do develop and face issues in this story.

Now the big question – do I have any cons (since I’ve listed many pros). If anything, I would have liked the book to be longer! Maybe a little more drama or action between the couple themselves. That’s my only suggestion to improve, because this was a really good book! It’s a worth while read! The book was “long enough”, but I could see this book including a few extra chapters and work just as well!

Overall, this book was truly beautiful! It’s a nice read to embrace on a soft, summer day! I highly recommend this book and declare it a romance must-read! It’s also not even close to an R rating (there are some sexy scenes, but nothing a PG-13 warning label won’t cover). So if you love romance and a happy ending, then this book will be for you!

Five out of five stars!

I received an ARC copy from the author Emma Barry in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

About Free Fall:

Authors: Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner

Book Title: Free Fall

Series: Fly Me to the Moon, Book 5

Houston, Texas, 1965

When an accident rocks the American Space Department, threatening the race to the moon, the agency is determined to eliminate distractions, including those in the bedroom.

Astronaut Dean Garland, on track to become the first man to walk in space, is fine with putting a temporary hold on his love life. Except the directive comes too late to prevent the biggest distraction of all: Vivian Muller… Garland. But now that he’s married, Dean is determined to follow the rules until he makes history with his spacewalk.

Vivy never expected to find herself pregnant or in a shotgun marriage, much less a sexless one. While her new husband might pretend to be perfectly happy sleeping alone, Vivy’s never believed in pretending or holding back. She’s determined to make her husband fall for her, even if it means bending—or breaking—the rules.

Dean’s resolve to keep marriage and work separate hits another serious snag: the suit he’s supposed to wear in the killer vacuum of space isn’t reliable, and his new father-in-law manufactured it. As Dean unravels the technical problem and Vivy tries to win her husband’s love, their hearts and his life hang in the balance.

 

Or purchase the book on Amazon:

Amazon.com – Free Fall

Amazon.ca – Free Fall

Give Genevieve (@GenTurner5), Emma (@AuthorEmmaBarry) and myself (@ReviewAlholic) a shout out on Twitter!
And check out Emma on her website: http://authoremmabarry.com/

 

Did you enjoy this review? Check out another one of my reviews including Emma Barry:

#BookReview Rogue Hearts (Anthology) by Tamsen Parker, Amy Jo Cousins, and more

#BookReview Rogue Affair by Adriana Anders, Tamsen Parker and more!

#BookReview Rogue Desires by Tamsen Parker, Adriana Anders, Amy Jo Cousins and more!

#BookReview Night School by Mari Mancusi

Night School is another hit by Mari Mancusi that will leave you hooked and breathless.

So we’ve seen vampires, and we’ve seen lycan…but can you believe that Mari Mancusi added in another magical creature? Yup. She did! Fairies! When I initially read these books when they came out, I’ll admit I didn’t like the fairies that were added. But now, as an adult who constantly sees giant film and book universes I understand the need for such an addition – and it does, oddly, work!! I think it’s a cute addition, and I would like to see Mari build more into these ideas in future installments.

Rayne is our lead in this book, and her sassiness is there (as always). And, as always, this book is fast paced and kept me interested. Plus, on top of it all, Mari tops her plot lines and goes a little crazier. She always seems to know how to go bigger and better.

One thing I really like about these books is Mari seems to understand that it can be lengthy between the times you read her books – so she summarizes what happened last. In the first couple books it annoyed me (because I was reading them back to back) but when I realized that there is typically a wait in between and you might forget what our heroines were up to, then I was all on board! If this is something you don’t like, you can always skip!! But I think this is a nice addition that’ll help readers out.

I did have an issue with this book – we’ve grown to love Jareth and Magnus so much, and they weren’t in this book as much as I would like. Yes, they weren’t integral to the story but it was a shame to pick up this book and not have some epic storylines with them. They were still there, but not as much as they could have been.

Five out of five stars.

 

Check out Mari’s roster of books on Goodreads!  Mari Mancusi on Goodreads

Or visit her website – Mari Mancusi’s Website

See what Mari’s up to on Twitter – @MariMancusi

Did you enjoy this series? Check out it’s website!  Blood Covens Series by Mari Mancusi

Enjoy my reviews? Check out my Goodreads page! Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads

Give me a shout-out on Twitter! Let me know your recent reads!!! Or give me some recommendations!  Briar’s Reviews on Twitter

#BookReview Hidden Fires by Sandra Brown

This book took WAY to long to read for me, if I’m being brutally honest.

Normally I am SO OBSESSED with a romance novel that can get me away from the world and take me to my dreamy state of mind, but this book didn’t do it for me. It was a little disappointing, but I still think this is an excellent book by Sandra Brown. It didn’t help I was cramming for exams and was worrying my days away about how my marks would look, so my lack of relaxation wasn’t totally Sandra Brown’s fault!

This book is centered in 1800s Texas, and we’ve got a preacher’s daughter and a rebellious man. Isn’t this just the stereotypical norm for a really great, mind numbing romance? To some people, that’s the worst norm in the world, but sometimes that norm just gets me! I loved that this book took me back to the past and away from my problems. Sandra Brown’s speaking tone in this novel gets you in and gets you hooked!

This is apparently one of her older books (I hate to admit it was made before I was born… 1994…wow), so I’m very tempted to pick up a more recent one. Most likely, her talent has increased the more she has written. It does stand the test of time (if you ask me), but it’s historical fiction so that helps it out a lot.

Was this book mind blowing? No. It didn’t knock me off my feet like some romance novels do, but I like that it was simple, sweet and to the point. It’s a good book to just sink away from the world in, if that’s what you are looking for.

It fits close to the “good girl, bad boy” stereotype, but with a little more “cheese” factor in it. It will tear at your heart strings a bit as well!

Overall, this book was a nice, melodramatic, romance novel. I definitely want to pick up more by Sandra Brown (and luckily I have another hiding on my shelf…) in the near future.

Three out of five stars!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.