Review: Bears Behaving badly by Maryjanice Davidson

Book Description

These social worker bear shifters give the term "mama bear" a whole new meaning! Bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson is back with this brand-new paranormal romance series featuring a foster care system for at-risk shifter babies and teens.

Werebear shifter Annette Garsea is a caseworker for the Interspecies Placement Agency. When a selectively mute and freakishly strong teen werewolf is put in her custody, Annette has to uncover the young girl's secrets if she's to have any hopes of helping her. And not even the growling of a scruffy private investigator can distract her from her mission...

Bear shifter David Auberon appreciates Annette's work with at-risk teen shifters, but he's not sure if her latest charge is so much a vulnerable teen as a predator who should be locked up. All that changes when he, Annette, and her motley band of juveniles find themselves dodging multiple murder attempts and uncovering a trafficking cartel that doesn't just threaten the kids, but risks discovery of the shifters by the wider world of homo sapiens.

My Review

Annette works at a shifter placement agency and helps shifter kids when they get in trouble or need a home. She's been lusting after David who works in her office but they've never dated. 

David works in the same building as Annette and has feelings for Annette so when they work on the same case and it seems that someone is after them for some reason, they get closer and get to know one another. 

When teenager, Caro mauls a guy and ends up in custody but won't speak, it's up to Annette and David to find out what's going on. Once Annette and David start their investigation and find out that Caro was tortured and abused and that's why she went after the guy, they find themselves in danger more than once. 

They find themselves in the middle of a bunch of bad guys, child abuse, and maybe officials who are in on all of it. 

The romance between David and Annette was a slow burn throughout the book but they are so cute together because neither of them knows the other likes them. It was fun watching them get to know one another and see who makes the first move. 

The secondary characters and the kids in this story really had big parts and made the story what it was. While a lot seems to happen in this book and there's a lot of dialogue, it's quite drawn out and a little boring at times but it was a good story. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a review but all opinions and thoughts are my own. 

Happy Raturday!

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of 'Me' Mary Kirkland*

Apartment Life #196

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.

There were 6 police cars across the street for some reason. I don't know why they were there but it was a big show of force for something. 

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The grass and weeds have started growing and while no one will be picking the weeds out, my dog happens to love it. He likes sticking his nose down in the grass and weeds and sniff it. 

So on a happier note, here's a few pictures of my dog enjoying the wild weeds and grass on his walk. 

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On Thursday I took the dog for a walk and as I'm coming around the corner there's 2 guys sitting in the bushes. One says, "Hi, how are you doing today?"

So I said, "Good, how are you?"

This guy holds up a meth pipe and says, "I'm doing better now."

Are you kidding me. They did not give two shits that they were sitting out in the open smoking meth. Just as happy as could be sitting there. Unbelievable. That's definitely a first for me.

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Review: Pivot by Kat Martin, Alexandra Ivy, Rebecca Zanetti

Book Description

As girls, they bonded over broken homes and growing up in foster care.

As women, they’re fighting for their lives, and loves, once more . . .

MERI

When Meriwether Jones takes her young daughter and runs from trouble in L.A., that trouble follows. By the time Meri reaches Spokane, she’s out of gas, money, and ideas. Luckily, ex-cop Ian Brodie hires her to help him with his father’s farmhouse, and they seem like the answer to each other’s prayers. But Meri is keeping a dangerous secret—and Ian is in danger of losing his heart . . .

MELANIE

That secret explodes when Melanie Cassidy spots two men trying to kidnap a young boy she tutors and responds by ramming them with her car. The last thing she expects is for the man she once loved, Detective Gray Hawkins, to appear and rescue them both. Now she has no choice but to trust him as they investigate the truth about a conspiracy of dirty, drug trafficking cops—and the truth about their relationship . . .

MICHELLE

After a rough youth, Michelle Peach was finally content in Portland—until two men broke into her home, threatened her, and sent her mentally unstable mom on a blackmail spree that Michelle has to stop. The last person Michelle wants to see is her ex, Evan Boldon, a former marine turned sheriff. But Evan misses the woman who walked away instead of letting him help years ago. This time he’s not asking permission; he’s going to put a stop to the trouble stalking Michelle and her friends—and win her heart for good.

My Review

Against The Heart by Kat Martin

Meriwether tries hard to keep her jerk of an ex, Joey away from her and her daughter. While on the run she gets help from Ian who is an ex-cop. He knows something is going on with her but doesn't want to push her away so doesn't push her too much too fast but he's quickly becoming attached to her and her sweet daughter. Ian's father is a sweet old man who was lonely after his wife died five years earlier and he'd let the house go to hell. Ian hired Meri to cook, clean and keep the house his father lived in working. It was nice to see the way Ian's father changed once he got used to Meri and her daughter being in the house. But when Joey goes to one of her friends and smacks her around until she gives up Meri's phone number, things get dangerous. 

Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti

Michelle is a friend of Meri's from the first story which I really liked having this tie-in to make these stories connect in some way. Meri's ex, who is an absolute jerk assaults Michelle to find out where Meri is. Later Michelle's mother comes to her and tells her she needs a lot of money but Michelle only had a couple of thousand she can give her drug addict mother. Joey and one of his goons took her tablet when he left and hew newest comic was on it. She needed the tablet back because there were other things on her tablet as well. Evan came to make sure she was ok after the run in with Joey. Her and Evan had been a thing until he joined the Marines, then they broke up. But now he was back and he wanted her but she wasn't sure she could trust her heart with him again. With the help of Evan's friend, Wolfe they go after her tablet, try to save her mother and keep from getting killed from the drug dealers chasing them.

Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy

Gray helped take down Joey and Ski when they had tried to kidnap Meri's daughter, Lily from the first story. Ski now wanted to make a deal to testify against a couple of dirty cops who were selling drugs for the local drug cartel and Gray was there to make sure things went smoothly so when Ski starts getting threatening letters not to talk or his kid will be dead, Gray has to help him. Donny had escaped a kidnapping attempt and ended up at the youth center where Melanie was his tutor. Melanie saves him from being kidnapped again and then Gray comes upon the scene. Gray asks Ian from the first story to take Donny until the danger blows over. Melanie stayed with him to identify the guys who tried to take the boy. 

All three stories tie in with each other since so many of the characters are friends. I liked how each story was it's own but it also included bits of the others. I really liked these stories and how the entire thing concluded. There was enough action, danger and romance to keep me reading. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley but all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

A luggage tag from a Marlboro instant win.
Nexxus shampoo and conditioner samples.
A free small drink from Wendy's Instant win game.
I also won a Goodreads giveaway.

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: Ipsy Glam Bag - March

Ipsy is a monthly subscription box that sends you 5-6 sample size makeup or beauty products and a makeup bag. You can customize what they send you by filling out the personal surveys. These bags are $13 each.

What was in the box?

Hey Honey soothing cream. 

The SAEM sheet masks-2. 

Firma Beauty Elite B 203 concealer brush. 

Curology facial cleanser. 

TARTE Sea Quench primer. 

ILLAMASQUA black liquid eyeliner. 

Makeup bag.

Oh yay, more sheet masks. No, I haven't tried them. I was thinking of doing a blog post of some kind on sheet masks. But what would I say besides, I look ridiculous and they do nothing. lol I don't know. 

The concealer brush is nice but I'll probably use it for something else since I use a small beauty blender to add concealer. The brush looks exactly like one of my eyeshadow crease brushes so I'm sure I can probably use it for that. 

I can always use another liquid eyeliner. I seem to go through those pretty fast. And a moisturizer, cleanser and primer all in the same box and they all work great. I'll take it. This was a great box with the exception of those sheet masks. 

So let me know. You want to see a post where I'm wearing those sheet masks and making a fool out of myself? lol 

Review: Fury Unleashed by N.J. Walters

Book Description

Maccus Fury, a fallen angel, is trying hard to keep his sanity. Seems being an assassin might be catching up with him. Now, Heaven, or Hell, has sent a beautiful assassin to kill him. Lovely. She’s pretending to seduce him, and he’s okay with that. She’s smart and snarky—but she has no idea what she’s walked into. And he’s more than peeved that they only sent one person. They’re going to need an army if they want him dead.

Morrigan Quill is one of Hell’s bounty hunters. She sold her soul to keep her sister safe, and now she’s working off her contract by catching bad guys and dragging them back to hell. When Lucifer makes her a new offer––that’s definitely too good to be true—she can’t say no. All she has to do is kill a powerful and crazy-hot fallen angel, who will totally kick her ass in battle.

Good thing he won’t see what’s coming next.

My Review

Maccus is a fallen angel and an assassin. But when an angel comes and tries to hire him to kill a human, he refuses but is still curious why he wants her dead. 

Morrigan is one of Hell's bounty hunters. She traded herself for 25 years so that her younger sister could have a safe life. But when Lucifer himself comes to her and gives her a bounty and tells her to kill Maccus, she knows this is no normal demon bounty. 

Maccus runs into Morrigan when she's chasing after a demon. The instant attraction they feel for each other isn't smothered by the shocking revelation that each feels when they realize that they other is someone they are supposed to kill. Neither of them trust each other at first but after a night of wild, hot, sex they sit and talk trying to figure out why Lucifer and archangel Gabriel want them dead. 

My heart broke for both of them time and time again. Not only for what they had gone through but for what I knew was coming and I had no doubt that it would be messy, hard and hurtful. The truth of what they had both been through was horrifying. They had both been in hell, tortured and now not only could they barely trust each other but they knew that each other was all they had. 

Trying to figure out why the archangel Gabriel and Lucifer are in essence working together to get them to kill each other was frustrating. But when the truth's come out, the betrayals come to the surface and they both find out what's really going on, it was crazy. But it was wonderful to see how this ended because not only did it bring tears to my eyes but I'm really looking forward to finding out what happens next. I can't say enough good things about this book. If you like fallen angels and demons then you need to read this book...right now!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Of Flame and Fury by Cecy Robson

Book Description

Taran Wird, the loudmouth mistress of flame and lightning, didn’t want to attend the formal gathering of the supernatural elite. She did so only to help unite the supreme beings in attendance in one common goal: protecting Taran’s sister, Celia.

Celia is pregnant with alpha werewolf Aric Connor’s child, the same child prophesized to save the world from uprising evil. Evil wants this child dead before he is born and, more importantly, before he can grow strong enough to stop it.

Taran and her werewolf lover, Gemini, put plans in place to protect Celia. Master Vampire Misha Aleksandr and his clan also swear their allegiance to Celia and vow to keep her from harm. The witches even cast protection spells around the manor to curse anyone with malintent who enters. Nothing was supposed to go wrong, except everything did.

Creatures that shouldn’t exist stalk the grounds and invade the premises, and every curse meant to shield the guests turns against them. No one counted on the powerful being who arrived uninvited. But he’s here, manipulating the magic enclosing the estate to work in his favor.

As body counts rise and allies become enemies, chances are Celia won’t survive the night. But evil never counted on how hard Taran Wird would fight, even at the expense of her life.

My Review

Taran, her sisters all have one goal, make sure their sister Celia is safe. Of course Celia's mate, Aric also wants to make sure that she and their unborn child is safe. So they attend a social gathering for paranormals in the hopes to all agree to get along but things go from bad to worst when they all get together. Something evil is after Celia and her unborn child and it nearly gets to her before they can save her. 

Taran is a fighter and so she doesn't give up even when it looks like the odds are against her. I loved Taran's mate, Gemini and Celia's mate, Aric. They are both two badass paranormals. Aric shows just how powerful he's become, now the most powerful were there is. But Taran also shows how much she's grown and how much power she wield's. 

But in fighting all the creatures that are thrown at them they really band together and get the job done. I know I held my breath a few times because I thought something terrible had happened but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was for the most part. 

This series had been really good even though I haven't read all of the books so far. But I think that Emme and Bren will have their own book really soon with all the drama between them in this book and I'm looking forward to it. 

And then that ending. Wow, and I mean the very ending, that last sentence. I'm looking forward to the next book. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Happy Raturday!

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #195

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.

On Monday I saw the police down the courtyard making one of the homeless men who was sleeping on the sidewalk, move. His brother who lives here lets him sleep by his door but his neighbors don't like it so they must have called the police. He was back sleeping in the same place the next day and everyday since. 

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The woman who lives in the drug dealing apartment has been stopping by my door for weeks with her dog and talking to my dog. Falcor starts yelping and barking every single time because he wants to go see the dog. So last Sunday I'd had it and stopped her while she was at my door and told her not to stop at my door anymore because she was upsetting my dog. This crazy bitch says, "Oh I'm just passing by"

So I said well on your way by can you not stop in front of my door? She stood there looking at me like she was going to say something else and then just said, oh ok.

I mean, really? You have to be told not to stand in front of someone's screen door and make their dog bark? Farking idiot.

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The fire truck showed up Thursday night for the old guy down at the end of my building. Then Friday morning at 6am the ambulance and fire truck were outside again for the same guy. This time the paramedics put on gowns and masks and had the old guy come out wearing a mask before they put him in the ambulance. I got a bad picture of the ambulance but I'm hoping this guy didn't test positive for the Coronavirus. This is the same guy who lets his homeless brother sleep by his door.

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.