Lauren Smith (5)

Hayden Thorne, little sister of Emery and Fenn Lockwood's best friend Wes, overhears a phone conversation about Fenn being a bull rider. She figures if she can bring Fenn home then she will no longer be seen as only arm candy and marriage material. Finding Fenn at a rodeo where he is a bull rider, she rescues him after the bull throws him. He is not happy with her, especially when she tells him he is a Lockwood heir. He returns to the ranch where he lives to recover from his injuries. She follows. Will she be able to convince him of the truth? What happens when threats and attempts on their lives begin?

I enjoyed this story. I like Hayden and Fenn. Hayden is feisty and high spirited. Fenn is more laid back, but he is liking Hayden's behavior. Hayden feels the same towards Fenn, as does his boss' daughter. When his boss has a heart attack, Fenn knows where he belongs. Hayden tries to make things easier for the ranch, but Fenn is not happy with her "help." I liked when Wes turns up. Hayden knows the gig is up. The boss' daughter is also confused by her reaction to Wes. With the attempts on Fenn's life, he knows he must go back east to clear up the mystery.

I liked the assassin's son's part of the story. He goes to avenge his father but finds out the truth. He is a better man than his father. I also was right about the who and why behind the kidnapping.

I look forward to reading the next segment.… (more)

When Sophie was a child, her best friend was kidnapped while they played in the park. Her friend's body was never found. Now a journalist, Sophie wants to know the story of the Lockwood twins' kidnapping. Only Emery Lockwood returned. His twin was killed. He never talked about it. She tracks him down at the Gilded Cuff, a BDSM club, he frequents. Will he agree to tell his story to her?
What does he want in exchange?

This story was intense. I liked the world building going on here. I liked Sophie and Emery. She agrees to his demand. They grow close. They also live in a very isolated world created by Emery for his safety. I liked the people, mostly, in his world. She is persistent in her pursuit of the story, but he can stop her at times. Sophie may be the sub, but she has power over Emery. I liked their chemistry.

I also figured out who was behind Emery's kidnapping and why. I will warn you, buy book 2 of the series as this is the first part of the story. You will want to read the second part immediately.… (more)

In the first book in the Seduction series, Helen Banks dons a mask and her twin brother’s clothing to partake in a duel. Her twin, Martin, has gambled away their meager inheritance and is now indebted to a wealthy man who demands payment in any form.
Gareth Fairfax didn’t expect to find a woman meeting him for the duel and sees in her a new opportunity. He refuses to follow through with the duel even though she shot him, and he decides to let her pay her brother’s debt by coming home with him. Though he knows she’s an innocent, he doesn’t care, and their affair turns into more than he ever bargained for.
Helen is a realistic, self-sacrificing woman. She knows what her future holds and is prepared to die if necessary. Gareth is desperately lonely and so fueled by pain he demands an illegal duel in order to be killed or hanged for murder. I liked Helen for the most part, but I couldn’t connect with Gareth. He never physically hurt Helen, but he still didn’t treat her right.
The sex scenes were hot and took up a good deal of the book.
The story is told mostly in Helen’s POV and occasionally in Gareth’s. I think I would’ve liked and understood Gareth better if I could’ve seen things from his perspective more often.
The story is a little repetitive with some minor grammar issues. Also, when did Helen and Gareth arrive at his home? Morning or night? Both words were used interchangeably.
Anyway, the plot is solid, the characters interesting, and the scenery beautifully detailed. I would like to read more books by Ms. Smith.
3.5 Stars
… (more)

Wow I really enjoyed this, I was a little worried to start with as I am not a historical novel fan but I think that part was needed for some background as it jumped into present day pretty quickly.
I was hooked from the start and did not want to put it down, just one more chapter I would say to myself. We meet Bastian Carlisle who is the Earl of Weymouth. He is restoring Stormclyffe Hall in honour his ancestors and father. He meets Jane Seyton who is American and a graduate student and wants to research Bastian's family records. He is not thrilled by the idea. His family are cursed when it comes to women. But a romance blossoms, will Jane be next to suffer from the curse?
Absolutely amazing, a great gothic romance , written extremely well.
I look forward to reading more from Lauren Smith.
… (more)