Susan's Review of - - As if You Were Mine by Cindy Kirk (Seriously Sweet St Louis #2)

He'll do whatever necessary to keep her safe...

Christian music star Sara Michaels has a stalker. And a secret. When her management team hires Crow Tucci to be her bodyguard, Sara knows the bad guy isn’t the only one who has to watch out. Rugged brutes aren’t usually the type of men she goes for, but Crow hits all her buttons. He’s tall, dark and utterly delectable.

He carries with him an air of danger, as disturbing as it is exciting. He’s with her 24/7, following her everywhere—including to church, a place he never thought he’d go again. As the two fight their growing feelings for each other, the stalker closes in.

Crow has vowed to do whatever necessary to keep her safe, but he doesn’t know her secret. Without that information, neither of them may be safe.

Crow Tucci was not the bodyguard Christian singer Sara Michaels envisioned. His long hair, snake tattoo, t-shirt and jeans screamed biker, not bodyguard. Cindy Kirk’s compelling characters, their chemistry and the sense of intrigue drew me into this fast paced, edgy novel.

Salvadore “Crow” Tucci is on a 6 month leave from the St. Louis police department. He needs time to recharge, connect with his family and take a break from his undercover persona. He’s been hired to protect Sara because she’s received threatening notes and to uncover the sender’s identity.

Sara Michaels is not the squeaky clean Christian singer that she appears to be. She was placed in foster care as a teenager, joined the church choir and is now a promising Christian performer. Sara is a strong character. Her determination for a better life plays an important part of the storyline. I liked that Sara made mistakes and misjudged Crow. It made her relatable. Sara saw Crow for who he was on the outside—the biker boy look and attitude—but as she got to know him she realized that she made a mistake.

Forgiveness, trust and secrets are woven into the storyline in As if You were Mine. Crow locates Sara’s mother, Ilene. The conversation between Crow and Ilene was emotional, heartbreaking and honest. Crow understands why Sara was placed in foster care and most importantly, the role Gary Burke played in that decision. Crow realizes two things after this conversation- Ilene’s guilt and grief concerning her daughter and that Sara is hiding something—something big.

As If You Were Mine has all the feels—captivating characters, sweet romance and an edgy storyline filled with intrigue! Am looking forward to Surrender You Heart, the next book in the series.

Susan's Review of Surprise Christmas Family By Renee Ryan

Can a very merry mistake lead to a perfect holiday?

He isn’t the man she’s searching for…

but he could be the one she needs.

Hope Jeffries is determined to gain full custody of her twin nieces from their absentee dad. But when she finally confronts Dr. Walker Evans, Hope discovers she has the wrong man—this handsome Colorado widower is the girls’ uncle!

While Hope and Walker try to locate his brother, can they also give their nieces a perfect family Christmas?

Renee Ryan’s Surprise Family Christmas is a sweet story filled with family, love and holiday traditions! 

Hope Jefferies and her twin nieces have travelled to Colorado in search of their father. Hope believes that Dr. Walker Evans married her sister and is the twin’s father. Hope is stunned to learn that Walker’s brother Brent was involved with her sister, not Walker. 

Loved this plot choice as it allowed Hope and Walker to work together to care for their nieces. I enjoyed how Hope and Walker revealed bits and pieces of their past to each other—their conversations were honest and very emotional. Hope and Walker were worlds apart-in terms of upbringing and experiences- their common goal solidified their relationship. 

I look forward to reading more books by Renee Ryan as I loved the characters, the importance of family and the many surprises throughout this heartwarming novel! 

Reviewed by Susan Gorman 

ARC provided by the author 

Susan's Review of Tempted By Taylor by Cindy Kirk

The things we do for love…
Taylor Rollins will do anything to save her family. When her well-paying position is eliminated, Taylor is left scrambling to find another in a tight market. When CEO Nick Lanagan III offers her a temporary job as his fake fiancée, the deal the handsome businessman offers is too good to pass up.
Nick needs a fiancée for the summer and smart and gorgeous Taylor more than fits the bill. Though determined to keep the arrangement strictly business, Nick breaks one of his own rules by falling for Taylor. But three months with her is not nearly long enough; he wants her in his life for good.
Now he faces his toughest challenge; convincing Taylor that her summer fiancé is ready to become her forever husband

Taylor Rollins barges into her employer’s office and tosses a pink slip on his desk and asks him to explain why she’s been terminated. Nick Lanagan, CEO of Lanagan Associates, is surprised that Taylor was hired and fired in three weeks’ time but, he offers her a job—as his fake fiancé!

Tempted by Taylor is a sweet romance filled with fabulous characters, a bit of business intrigue and is set in Colorado. Taylor accepts Nick’s job offer in order to pay down her late father’s gambling debts. Nick assumes that Taylor has racked up her credit cards and needs the money to pay them down.

Cindy Kirk does a fabulous job weaving in social and spiritual elements in this story. Loved the company picnic scenes and the pre-marital counseling sessions-they enabled Nick and Taylor to get to know each other. I loved that the couple’s romance developed slowly and that both characters learned to trust each other. Taylor’s grandparents provided her with an example of a loving relationship; the author does a fabulous job bringing Nick into the Rollins family social circle. Nick accepts Taylor no sex before marriage rule but doesn’t like it. I loved reading this couples journey. It was very relatable. Although there was sexual chemistry between the couple; there were several misunderstandings and arguments between them. It took time for Nick to acknowledge that Taylor’s faith and family came first; not business.

Cindy Kirk creates memorable characters. Loved Taylor’s grandparents, Kaye and Bill Rollins, Claire, Nick’s ex-girlfriend and Nick’s friend and attorney Erik. Each character contributed to the storyline. I can’t wait to see who captures Claire’s heart-she was a fascinating character. The ending of the novel has several surprises. Loved the last chapter—the perfect ending for this couple.

If you are looking for a sweet romance filled with great characters, Tempted by Taylor is the perfect read for you!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Reviewed by Susan Gorman