Review: Cirem Skincare

So this was one of those things where the sample products are free you just have to pay a couple of dollars for shipping and handling. I kept seeing the ad on FB and wanted to try these products anyway so they did their job and sucked me in. lol 

HCR 3-IN-1 Serum Mini

Hyaluronic Acid plumps and softens while improving the look of elasticity. Skin glows as a surge of antioxidant-rich Vitamin C (THD Ascorbate) reduces the appearance of imperfections, and Retinol revitalizes and renews to both improve and prevent the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

 I thought the serum was nice and it smells really good just like the face oil does. 

Mending Moon Moonglow Face Oil Mini

This face oil helps promote a smoother, more conditioned complexion by morning. 

You use it at night and leave it on your face. I will say that the face oil really does absorb into the skin really fast. I thought it smelled really good too. Reminds me of Fall for some reason.

Youthboost Diamond Moisturizing Cream Mini

This is enriched with luxurious Diamond Dust and nourishing Caviar Extract that deliver opulent nutrients and rich moisture into the skin. Hyaluronic Acid works to combat dehydrated skin to reveal intense, 24-hour hydration. Vitamins A & E dramatically enhance luminosity, while Panthenol soothes and corrects the appearance of any redness or irritation. 

It's supposed to correct redness but this moisturizing cream actually made my face red in places like right above my eyebrows. 

I'm pretty happy with my samples though. I got to try these products for just a couple of dollars and found that I actually really like the face oil. I probably won't buy a full size bottle of this though because it's a little expensive and this little sample bottle will last me quite a while. But it was was to be able to try it out. 

The other products were just ok for me. I have some other products that work better for me in the serum and moisturizer departments and aren't as expensive as these are. 

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 few samples of perfume from Macy's. I saw the promotion on FB and signed up for it and they sent me some good scents.

A box of 4 Healright Insulin Resistance Bars. I reviewed them yesterday..

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: Healright Insulin Resistance Bars

 

This is the second time that I've received a box of these Healright Insulin Resistance Bars. I had originally signed up for a free sample and they sent me 4 bars which was a nice free sample and I recently received 4 more bars. They have different flavor like lemon/blueberry, banana/peanut butter and others. 

I have type 2 diabetes so I'm willing to try things like this but like with most 'nutritious' things, this does not taste great. It's not awful just not something that I would pay for. It's edible but it's not great. But if you have type 2 diabetes and want to try a bar that won't raise your blood sugar real high then I can say that these didn't make my blood sugar skyrocket after eating one. 

Have you ever tried these? 

Review: Daily Goodie Box - October

 

The Daily Goodie Box has been around since about July of 2016. I signed up for an account right after I heard about them. They are 100% free, you don't even have to pay for shipping. And for a free box it's a nice sampler box of products.

What was in the box?

Electrolit - Electrolyte Beverage-  Ken drank this and he liked it. It didn't have an over powering grape flavor which was nice. 

Heat Holders - Crew Socks- I actually have another pair of these and they are so comfortable. They are so warm in the Winter time and so soft.

Crunchsters - Sprouted Protein Snack- The fact that I don't like balsamic at all and these were flavored smokey balsamic was probably the reason that I didn't care for them. 

Spatty - Cosmetic Spatula - This is such a cool beauty item. You know that last little bit of foundation down at the bottom of the bottle that you can't get at? Well, this beauty tool let's you get at it and get it out so you can use it. It works so well!

ADORAtherapy - Serene Room Boost Spray-  This room spray retails for $20 for the size that I was sent so that's a nice freebie in this box and it smells really good. Mine was Lavender and Chamomile scented which was nice. 

ICE CHIPS® - Mint Pouch-  This was my favorite thing in this box this month. These are so good and they look really cool. I like hard candy and these are very flavorful. 

Patterbar - Clean Energy Bar-  The one I got was coconut and cashew and I thought it was really good tasting but I happen to really like cashews. I don't usually like energy bars so the fact that I said this one was good really says something.

All they ask you to do is try the products and leave reviews for the products you got in order to be eligible for more Free Goodie Boxes. As you guys already know, I'm a fan of all these types of boxes. I love all the different subscription boxes and it's really nice to be able to try new to me products for free. This is a great box to try for.

Oh and one more thing, if you visit their FB Page, they give away Goodie Boxes to people who interact with their posts. So if you've tried before and weren't able to get a Goodie Box, there's even more ways to get one now.

Daily Goodie Box. It's more than just Free Samples!

Have you signed up? Have you received one of these boxes?

I'm a fan of subscription boxes and love trying new products for free so this was a huge hit with me. New products+free box = Fabulous!

This was my favorite thing in the box so I wanted to show you want it looked like. The candy itself looks like little shards of ice and they are so smooth and icy. I really liked the flavor. 

Disclosure: I was given and free box in exchange for a review but all opinions are my own.

Review: Guardian's Grace by Rebecca Zanetti

Book Description

Duty—or desire?

 

Vampire soldier Adare O’Cearbhaill’s default setting is cranky.  Or irritated.  Or down-right hostile.  Still, as a Highlander of honor and duty, he stepped up to save an enhanced and special human female by mating her—with merely a bite and a brand. The last person he wants in his life is a fragile human, yet he can’t get her out of his mind as she regains her strength before taking off for parts unknown. And when he discovers she is in danger, nothing can stop him from hunting her down—whether she likes it or not.

 

There’s only one way to find out . . .

 

Photographer Grace Cooper has had it with vampires, demons, and the rest of an immortal world she was happier not knowing about. She also doesn’t believe she’s destined for some great battle because of an old birthmark. Forget the fact that her mate is the sexiest thing on two stubborn feet, or that her brand is fading along with her health. She’ll handle things on her own—until an old enemy reappears and she learns the only way to stay alive is to actually mate, wild sex and all, with that ripped and dangerous Adare—a powerful, captivating Highlander who demands nothing less than everything . . .

My Review

Grace was in a coma after an attack but since she is a key, Adare mated her by placing his mark on her and biting her. There are three keys and they want to keep them safe even though they don't know exactly how they fit into saving the world and taking down the evil big bad. Adare feels like he pushed the mating on her so he leaves for years but keeps an eye on Grace. But when her health begins to deteriorate and her brand starts to disappear, she comes face to face with Adare once again. 

Adare is hard to describe. He's a super soldier that along with his brothers took an oath to keep Earth safe and keep their real powers a secret. He's a lot more than a vampire or a soldier but he goes on secret missions that are dangerous. He might be cranky but he's also reliable and loyal. 

Grace doesn't remember her life before the coma and puts herself in danger trying to remember her past. She also puts herself in danger when she seeks out vampire blood to try and save a child. While Adare and Grace fight their feelings for each other for a while, I knew it was only a matter of time before they gave into their desire. These two are great together and ignite the pages of this book. 

Along with the action, the missions and betrayal, there's also a medical mystery and a new path for Pax. I love the kids in this series so it was really nice to see them, especially Hope and Pax.

This story starts out with Grace and Adare not really liking each other all that much because they never took the time to get to know one another. It was so much fun watching them get to know each other, see how the other has been living and what they've been doing while apart and really seeing each other through new eyes. 

I love the world that this author has created even though at times it can be confusing when you first read about it. The characters have been great and I love getting glimpses into their lives while reading the series. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series. 

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. 

Happy Raturday!

 

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

"Happy Halloween month"

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

"Blowing raspberries in your general direction"

Apartment Life #223

 

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 21 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 21 years here in a weekly blog post.

On Monday an ambulance showed up across the street. They stayed for a while but no one came out on a stretcher. 

Then they turned their lights off and drove off without taking anyone. So hopefully whoever called was alright. 

Tuesday we saw a bunch of police in my courtyard going down to #7 where the guy was arrested for 2 counts of attempted murder a few weeks ago. The girlfriend still lives there and there's still a lot of traffic to and from her apartment so I'm assuming she's still dealing drugs. 

The police came and went from her apartment for a while and then left. I guess they are still investigating? I'm not sure what's going on. Then on Friday night guess who I saw? My neighbor in the drug dealers apartment who went to jail a couple of weeks ago for 2 counts of attempted murder! He must have gotten out on bond I guess. I can't imagine the charges were dropped after the police showing up after we heard gunshots. But he's back and the traffic to that apartment has picked up considerably. One of my Twitter friends said they probably didn't hold him because of Covid. Maybe they are letting people out more often because of that?

On Thursday I saw out my bedroom window that the Marshal was back with the white van that picks up the homeless people and drives them to the shelter. Even though there were 4 homeless people there that they were talking to, none of them got in the van but they were there for over an hour talking to them. I'm assuming they were trying to talk them into going to a shelter but they refused. They Marshal and the white van drove off and no one was arrested to taken away in the van.

----- 

On Sunday I actually had to call the fire department to come help me when Ken's left leg gave out and he fell down. I'm not strong enough to lift him back up so they came out, picked him up and got him back on the bed. He's getting a lot weaker and it's a lot harder for him to stand now. His doctor ordered a wheel chair for him and he has a walker but falls still happen.

It sure was a busy week. 

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

Halloween Decorations

   

Our daughter decided to decorate our apartment for Halloween. Here is Ken and our daughter Elizabeth posing with one of the pumpkins she bought. 

She decorated the living room window. There's a picture below after she added lights.

There are things hanging from the ceiling with spiders hanging down. There are grim reapers all over my walls right now. 

I actually made the pumpkin tree on top a few years ago and gave it to my daughter. 

I bought her that Living Dead Doll in the coffin for her 16th birthday. lol 

This is what the doll looks like up close. lol 

There are spider webs all over my apartment. 

Lots of skulls and scary statues.

Here's what the window looks like at night with the lights turned on.

I hope you're having a nice Halloween month.

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: 

$10 Amazon gift card when I cashed out my points on MyPoints. 

I received samples of Xyzal, CeraVe, and Aquaphor. 

 I received an 18" Pikachu plush stuffed animal from the Spark Reviewer Program. 

I plan on giving the Pikachu to my grandson. I've tried the Aquaphor and CeraVe before and both are good products. The Xyzal is a new allergy medicine and it seems to work pretty good. My nose isn't running constantly and I'm not sneezing incessantly. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: The Dragon Tale by Jaydn Chase

 

Book Description

As a reporter, Sandra thought she just turned in the most important story of her life.

Now relishing in her latest triumph, she has just caught wind of a huge story she’s being told to stay away from.

She should have listened.

Malick is an enforcer with a dark secret that he shares with the rest in his clan.

Between work, and trying to live with the beast within, he’s sure that he’ll never be able to fall in love and lead a normal life.

When they are finally thrust together, they quickly come to realize that the world wants to tear them apart.

Will everything come crashing down?

Or can their love conquer all?

The Dragon Tale is a stand-alone short story with a guaranteed HEA, no cheating and steamy scenes intended for a mature audience.

My Review

Hearing tidbits about dragon sightings has Sandra looking deeper into the story even though she knows that it can't be dragons. But being a reporter, she can't let it go. 

Malick works as an enforcer for his father and they're dragon shifters. His father might have a real estate business but he's no straight laced businessman. 

Sandra drives to where people have spotted dragons and right away she spots one flying off. Instead of driving off and staying safe, she goes into the building and gets caught. Malick's father and the others there want to kill her so he gets her out of there. Later he finds her at her apartment and the lust takes over and they fall into bed together. They fall for each other really fast. 

Since this was a really short novella I wasn't expecting there to be a lot of story but I expected there to be more than there was. It ended fine but I really think the story needed just a few more pages so we could see how Malick smoothed things over with his father or if he did. I just would have liked a little more story. 

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Xavier by D.B. Reynolds

 

Book Description

Vampires in America, Book 14

Barcelona--exquisite architecture, masterful artists, and just down the coast, an ancient fortress where an old and powerful vampire lives. . .and rules all of Spain.

Tall, dark, and deadly, vampire Xavier Prospero Flores waded through blood to destroy his enemies and reach the pinnacle of vampire society--Vampire Lord. He has only one regret in his long life, and that’s the day he rejected the advances of Layla Casales. She’d been too innocent, too naïve, and far too young. But she’d also been his.

Layla Casales was only nineteen when she left Spain, brokenhearted and humiliated by Xavier’s rejection. But now, ten years later, the ties of family are pulling her back, not only to Spain, but to Xavier’s fortress. Her father, the vampire lord’s military commander, is critically ill. Layla has spent years fighting on battlefields around the world, so when her father asks her to come home, she can’t say no.

Though Xavier’s rule began on the ashes of his enemies, it’s not vampires trying to kill him now--it’s humans. He needs to eliminate his enemy before more of his people die. Layla arrives just in time to help, but while she came for her father, the minute she and Xavier see each other, desire burns as hotly as if they’d never been apart. Xavier isn’t going to let her go this time. But before they can rediscover the love they walked away from, they must first keep each other alive.

My Review

Layla's heart was broken by Xavier years before but now she's come home because of her father and wants to keep things all business with Xavier. 

Xavier had thought Layla was too young and innocent for him when he broke her heart and turned her away years ago. Things have changed now and he wants her but she isn't willing to let him hurt her again. 

I didn't like Xavier at all at first because of the way he treated Layla but I thought he would become a little better as the book went on. Frankly, I was wrong, he's not a likable person at all and makes no excuses for the way he initially treated her which I really thought was wrong of him. 

Xavier finds himself the new lord of Spain when his sire is killed by an old enemy they had thought was no danger to them. Layla comes back because her father, Xavier's military commander is really sick and she feels like she needs to be there for him. While she's been gone she has made a name for herself and trained to be a fighter and has an elite mercenary unit that Xavier needs to help keep his enemies away. The enemies are human led by the same person that killed his sire so he might well be in some real danger. The fact that Xavier is in real danger is the only reason that Layla agree's to help find and kill his enemies. 

There was a betrayal that happened while Xavier and Layla were trying to bring down the bad guys and while I understood why Xavier was mad, I thought that his punishment of the person who betrayed him was extreme. I mean the person had a good reason and he tried to make it right in the end. It was just one more reason that I couldn't like Xavier throughout this book. I tried to like Layla and Xavier as a couple but for me they just never clicked at all. Sure they ended up getting close and she forgave the way he treated her when she was younger and the sex was hot, but I couldn't see them as a couple. I really didn't think that they belonged together. Maybe it's because I didn't like Xavier at all and thought she could do better, I'm not sure. It's hard to enjoy a book when you don't like all of the characters. 

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. 

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

Helpful Blogging Hints for the New Blogger Interface

 

I know so many of you are learning the new Blogger Interface. I've been seeing a few helpful hints around some other blogs that I thought I would share with you. 

On the new blogger, the word 'normal' comes up at the top when you first open the post-draft page. When you click in the body of the draft page it switches to 'paragraph'. You have to switch it back to 'normal' in the drop down menu to get single space at the top of the page instead of the double space I had been getting when adding pictures at the top of the page.

For things like Youtube videos. Switch to HTML, I have to use the HTML format to change the size of the Youtube videos that I sometimes put on my blog. It's the pencil icon on the far left top area when you are on the draft page. This the size that I like my videos. I'll show you how I did this. 

On the Youtube page, click share and then embed. Copy the embed code and come back to the Blogger page. Click on the pencil icon and switch to HTML and paste the embed code on the page. 

The code circled in the big red circle is the embed code. The small red arrow is pointing at the width number that you can change to make the video narrower. It's automatically starts with 560 but I erased that number and added 350 instead. That makes the video the right size for me but you can change it to whatever number works for you. 

Now you can see that I changed the number. When you are done, you just go back to where the pencil icon was, it now shows this symbol ( < > ) instead of the pencil. Just click on the drop down menu and click on "Compose view" to get back to the regular draft page. 

Pictures seem to be giving a lot of people problems and I can see why. They keep changing things. Now when you click on a picture on the draft page it turns blue and has dots around it. This is so you can resize it. But you can also click on that middle button that comes up on the picture with the drop down menu and pick from small, medium, large and extra large. I usually pick large for my pictures. But I don't click on that until I have added any words I want to under the picture on the page because it sometimes messes up what I'm writing. It's turned my paragraphs blue and the whole thing was underlined. So now I wait until I've added all the commentary about the pictures and then click on them to resize them or to right align or left align a picture. To get rid of the blue on the picture, just click away from the picture anywhere else on the draft page and it will disappear.

If you want to delete a picture, just click below the picture, not on it and backspace until it's gone. I used to be able to click on the picture and delete it but I can't do that anymore. 

So those are a couple of things that I have seen on blogs that have been problems for people and I found fixes for them either from other blogs or just from clicking around and figuring it out.  I hope this helps. 

Happy Raturday!

 

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

"Happy Halloween month"

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #222

 

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 21 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 21 years here in a weekly blog post.

Last Sunday night my daughter was standing outside enjoying the cooler weather as the sun went down and all of the sudden some guy in the apartments across the street in this picture started screaming, "Help, help" and then the police pulled up right in front of where my daughter was standing, got out and ran upstairs. So she started snapping pictures for me to share here. 

After the police arrived, more police came, ran upstairs and arrested someone and then the ambulance pulled up.

So she stood there for a while and took pictures. She said that one person was arrested and one person was taken away in the ambulance. 

The police were up in that apartment for a couple of hours though. 

We're not sure what happened but there sure was a lot of activity on my street that night for a while. 

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

Review: Eternity Embraced by Larissa Ione

 

Book Description

Desire...

Demon slayer Andrea Cole has always taken down the demons and vampires she hunts without mercy. But when a fellow slayer is captured and turned into a vampire by a sadistic monster, she must choose between loyalty to her family and the man she loves.

Versus Instinct...

Kaden Quinn has dedicated his life to slaying vampires, so when he is turned into one, his greatest nightmare comes to life. And when the woman he loves is thrown into a dungeon with him ― as food ― he must battle new instincts and old desires, and choose between his life, and hers.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a short novella that originally appeared in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 and the anthology Vampires in Love. It has been expanded for its stand-alone digital release. In the Demonica timeline, it falls between book 3, Passion Unleashed, and book 4, Ecstasy Unveiled, though it can easily be read without having read the Demonica novels.

My Review

Kaden had gone in to find the bad guy who was harboring vampires in his home. But instead of getting the bad guy, he was captured, tortured, and turned into a vampire against his will. 

Andrea heard Kaden get caught and knew he was either dead or now a vampire when she and the others go in to check out the building. 

When Andrea did find Kaden he's already been turned into a vampire and Kaden quickly realizes that it's a trap but not soon enough for Andrea to get out of danger. Kaden seems like the same guy he was, just with needle sharp fangs now. He's hungry and she's there stuck in the cell with him. Because Kaden loves her and she loves him even though he's now a vampire, they come up with a plan to escape. 

The people they work for don't see paranormals are a good thing so he can't go back to work for them and Andrea isn't ready to let him go. So they have some changes to make in their lives but they have to find the right people to help them. I really liked the end to this book and even though it was a quick novella, it was packed with story. If you'e been reading this series anyway like I have then you should read this as well because it was really good. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

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 free tube of deodorant from Seventh Generation. 

It's smells pretty good and works pretty good so I'm happy with it. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: Fated For The Bear by Mina Carter

 

Book Description

Girl meets boy = classic love story. Girl meets bear... Wait, what?

Kacie has always known there was something odd about the small town of Beauty, but she doesn't expect that oddity to almost claim her life or land her in the arms of her long-term crush; hot veteran Dean. Okay, he's nuts but she can't argue with that, not with a body like his or when he's whispering things like 'fated' and 'destiny'. Even if he does claim to be a werebear...

She's his mate, but she's human. He's so screwed...

Leader of the Beauty bear clan, Dean is between a rock and a hard place. His fated mate is human but he daren't claim her. The elitist asshats in the clan would have kittens. But when an attack brings her over into the bear world, he's out of time and out of options. Even worse, the town has an rogue bear problem and internal clan politics that put Kacie in the crossfire.

Forced to fight battles on all fronts, Dean must bear up or risk losing her forever...

PLEASE NOTE: This title was previously released as 'BEAR UP' in the More than Mated Kindleworld. 

My Review

Dean knows that he can't have Kacie because she would never love him if she knew he was a bear shifter. So he keeps his distance even though it kills him to see her with anyone else. 

Kacie has had the hots for Dean since they went to school together. She doesn't think he even knows she exists but when she and her friends get hurt, he's right there to make sure she's alright. 

Kacie is out one night with her best friend who happens to be a female bear shifter when they are attacked. Kacie gets badly hurt and Dean is called to help her get better. The funny thing is when she wakes up she thinks she's dreaming because Dean is there and is being nice to her. 

I loved the action and adventure that was packed into this short novella. I really liked Dean and Kacie because she ended up being more than ok with who and what he was. I liked most of the shifter people but one of their laws is kinda crazy. I can understand the need for secrecy but it was a little over the top. 

For a quick novella, this had a lot of story. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Blood Legends: Undead by Kim Petersen

Book Description

What if saving humanity meant facing your deepest fears?

A deadly virus has claimed the lives of millions and ravaged the earth. Human survivors spend their days and nights fighting to stay alive in a world now owned by vampires.

Jett's plans to get further off-grid fall apart when his woman suddenly disappears at the hands of the hawkers - the most deplorable and dangerous humans to survive the apocalypse.

Now, Jett is forced to confront evil head-on as he faces choices that he never dreamed possible.

Can he survive long enough to retrieve his woman before she is slaughtered? Or will he succumb to the bloody wrath of the Undead?

Undead is a new urban fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world from bestselling author Kim Petersen, the first book in the Blood Legends series. 

My Review

Now that vampires rule the world, humans have to fight to stay alive. Jett is fighting to get to his girlfriend and daughter. Humans are dying because of a virus and now not only are vampires after us but so are evil humans who are taking advantage of the situation. 

Jett loses his girlfriend to hawkers who are humans that are taking advantage of the situation. They kidnapped his girlfriend and want a certain kind of blood in exchange for him to get her back. So Jett and his daughter go looking for it and get caught by some vampires. Jett has to leave his daughter and get the blood away from a certain vampire because he can use it and become more powerful. 

An unexpected ally comes to his rescue but now he has to find a way to get not only his girlfriend but his daughter back too. That's where I thought this story was going but real quick it headed in a totally different direction and my heart was left in my throat as I kept reading. I felt bad for them and at the same time I was kinda rooting for them and especially Jett when I realized what he was doing and why. 

I got this book because of the cover. I mean look at that cover! I'm so used to reading about romantic vampires that it was a little jarring when I realized this was not one of those kinds of vampire books. These vampires are ruthless, blood thirsty, demons. I did enjoy the story though because Jett loved his girlfriend and daughter and ended up having to make several tough calls. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Christmas Kisses With My Cowboy by Diana Palmer, Marina Adair, Kate Pearce

 

Book Description

This Christmas, the best kind of trouble comes in threes: Three bestselling authors. Three stories of holiday romance. And three cowboys who are ready for love—whether they know it yet or not . . .

 

MISTLETOE COWBOY * Diana Palmer

Horse whisperer Parker doesn't drink, smoke, or gamble, and he doesn't have much to do with women, either. Until he meets winsome widow Katy, and her sweet child. Could Christmas kisses under the mistletoe bring the handsome wrangler the gift of his very own family?

BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE * Marina Adair

To claim his slice of the family ranch, Texas Ranger Noah is forced back to Tucker’s Crossing. All he expects to find is a tractor load of painful memories—until a holiday storm, a power outage—and perhaps the magic of Christmas—deliver him to rescue an intriguing woman named Faith. But just who’s rescuing whom?

 

MISTLETOE DETOUR * Kate Pearce

When Morgan Valley rancher Ted Baker gets out his tow truck to pick up a snowbound driver, he doesn’t expect to find his old school friend Veronica on the lam with her pet pig—much less true love—just in time for Christmas . . .

My Review

I read this because I love Diana Palmer but I like finding new authors to read as well so the other two stories in this book sounded good, but all of the stories in this book were great. But I especially like Mistletoe Cowboy by Diana Palmer. Parker was hard to get to know at first but Katy and her daughter seem to bring him exactly what he needs. Parker is more than he seems because he's not just a horse wrangler, he's smart and has the schooling and military time behind him to prove it but people still think of him a certain way because of his mixed heritage. Of course there's a small misunderstanding that they have to work through before the end but I loved this story and I knew that Diana Palmer would bring me this kind of story and I was right. 

Blame it on the Mistletoe by Marina Adair is the first story I've read by this author and it was great. Noah comes back to town and runs into Faith but she's busy trying to make sure her brother has a good holiday and isn't made to feel bad by the townspeople. Watching these two trying to get to know one another was fun. But when someone is accused of theft, there's a rift in the budding relationship until things are all sorted out.

Mistletoe Detour by Kate Pearce was so much fun. Ted goes to help a stranded passenger and finds his old friend Veronica needing his tow truck help. She's running from something but it's her pet pig (Bacon) that really stole the show for me. Veronica stays with Ted while waiting for her uncle to get back from vacation and they decide to celebrate Christmas together which brings them closer as they get to know one another. 

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.