Book Review: Shut Up and Kiss Me by Christie Craig

Book Review: Shut Up and Kiss Me by Christie Craig
Love Spell - Dorchester Publishing - Guaranteed Read
3 Heart Review

WELCOME TO PRECIOUS, TEXAS...where fistfights serve as dinner theater and fire ants rain from the sky. The locals are usually very friendly, if a bit eccentric. No pictures please, or you may find yourself a guest of the county morgue.


Photojournalist Shala Winters already had her hands full bringing tourism to this backward, podunk little town, but her job just got tougher. Pictures can say a thousand words, and one of Shala’s is screaming bloody murder. Now she has to entrust a macho, infuriating lawman with her life—but she’ll never trust him with her heart.


Trusted or not, Sky Gomez isn’t about to let a killer get his hands on Shala’s Nikon—or any of her more comely assets, for that matter. Her mouth might move faster than a Piney Woods roadrunner, but all he can think about is how good it must taste…and how she’ll never escape true love.

If you haven't read Christie Craig then you're missing out on some of the funniest, quirkiest and literally laugh out loud books being published. Craig never fails to make me laugh, smile and sit on the edge of my seat as the suspense develops. It's not often an author can create a book both full of danger and suspense, while at the same time giving you characters who crack you up and keep you smiling.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know I LOVE a story that can make me laugh and Craig delivers with Shut Up and Kiss Me, just as she does in all her books. Craig's books are memorable because they are unlike most other books out there in their truly original characters, quirky humor and her dedication to making the eccentric seem like it's as normal as the sun rising.

While I enjoyed this book, it was not my favorite of Craig's. Maybe that's an issue - an author whose previous books you loved so much that you make it almost impossible for them to keep topping themselves! I'm not sure how I would have rated this book if it was the first I'd read by the author. I tend to think it would have gotten a higher rating than the 3 Hearts I have given it here.

It was a very enjoyable and well-written book, but again suffers from being compared to Craig's other books in my memory. That's why I'd like to give the author herself a rating - Craig is a solid 4 - with hints toward a perfect 5 for me. I give this rating because I don't want you to see a 3 Heart Review and think this book fell short - it didn't. 

You are really missing out if you haven't picked up a Christie Craig book and enjoyed her unique sense of humor sprinkled with suspense and a whole lot of heat!

Do yourself a favor and give her books a try and then come back and thank me. :)

Have you read any Christie Craig books? If so, which was your favorite? If not, do you like funny romances or are you all about the dark drama? What type of tone do you most enjoy reading?

Book Review: Breath of Fire by Tammy Kane

Book Review:Breath of Fire
By: Tammy Kane
Love Spell - Dorchester Publishing
4 Heart Review
Disclosure: Book Provided by Dorchester

When the dragon came to claim him, Karl knew his great plan had gone horribly wrong. If he had known the creature was real, he wouldn't have scoffed at the villagers...and he certainly wouldn't have been so quick to let them chain him to a rock. Mattaen Initiates trained as warriors, but no man could defeat a dragon.

"My name is Elera daughter of Shane. And you, Initiate, are my virgin prize."

She had vanquished the beast and named her price: one night with the virgin sacrifice she'd saved. He'd taken a vow of chastity, but Karl still had a man's needs -- and Elera's sultry curves made him ache to taste his first woman. With a scorching kiss she shattered his defenses...and led him into a world of deception and seduction, where he'd be forced to choose between the brotherhood that had raised him and the woman whose courage set his heart on fire.

Breath of Fire was a totally original and fun read! It sat on my TBR pile for a bit until one day I decided to give it a try. I wasn't expecting the fantastic story that I got, nor to come to the end and instantly want to find out about when the next book will be released.

This book turns many of the basic romance story rules on their axis. Instead of the virginal heroine being saved by the mighty hero, the book actually opens with the heroine saving the virgin hero's life! What's more, it wasn't the hero doing the seducing, but the heroine who played dirty to undermined the hero's resistance to her. Loved it!

This all added up to a very original story that pulled me right in. the characters of Karl and Elera where unique and appealing. I loved that they both were great warriors and skilled in fighting so this wasn't a story of the helpless female.

The secondary characters also stood out, and since this looks to be a series, I can't wait for their stories and to see what the future holds for Karl and Elera. I also can't wait to see what the Mattaen have in store and how they will react to Karl now.

Another plus were the Dragons and ancient world that Tammy created. There seems to be so much more to the Dragon's story. I can't wait to see more of their personalities and find out if they really are more aware than given credit for. The city of Elera's people is fascinating and I hope more of it's history is told in future books.

I really enjoyed reading this book and will be on the lookout for the sequel. If you like fantasy, or just want a great romance to read, then check this book out.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Dark Legacy By Anna DeStefano

Book Review: Dark Legacy
By: Anna DeStefano
Dorchester Publishing
2 Heart Review as Romance
Disclosure: Book Provided by Dorchester Publishing

“Die!”scream her nightmares. The voice is her sister's, the compulsion stronger than any ordinary dream.

Maddie Temple can't go through this again. Her twin has been in a coma for the last ten years. Their psychic link was severed. At least, that's what she thought.

But there's a lot Maddie doesn't know – about the 200-year-old curse on her family, about the shadowy group that wants to exploit the Temple twins' powers for themselves, about the sexy psychiatrist offering to help her. The only way to find the answers and avoid being pulled into the abyss of madness is to trust her heart and confront her dark legacy.

As many who've read this book have mentioned, this book defies being placed into one genre or another. There is suspense, romance, sci-fi and paranormal elements to this complex story. It's not a traditional romance. If you are looking for something different that is very light on the romance then you might want to check this out.

Although the story takes off right from the start, it was hard for me to get pulled into this book because I just couldn't buy that there was ever anything between Maddie and Jarred before Sarah started influencing Maddie. This makes the risks that Jarred takes throughout the book to be very hard to believe. In my opinion, if you can't see the relationship between Maddie and Jarred, then the rest of the book falls flat.

In fact, I never came to feel deeply for any of the characters and I thought the slight love story that was included didn't have any sparks. Again, I question whether Maddie and Jarred had any real feelings for each other. The relationship seems too forced, probably because of the intensely fast pacing of the story, but it still needed something more for me to buy into the story.

Dark Legacy works much better as a suspense story and I would have enjoyed it more if it had left out the slight try for romance. I really felt the forced romantic elements took away from what was a very well written paranormal suspense. As I mentioned, the pacing is furious as the story unfolds and Anna fills every second with intense scenes and emotions. She keeps the suspense at the highest level throughout the entire book and you race through the story.

But, it left me wanting more. I wanted a more believable romance tied into the story and I hope that the next book provides that. I was also left feeling like I didn't really like any of the characters except Jarred – and even he got on my nerves because I couldn't figure out why he would risk his life for Maddie. The rest of the characters all leave you wondering if they are pure evil, or what they are looking to get out of each other.

This book got a huge amount of hype online and I was so looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, because the romance didn't work for me at all, it clouded how I felt about the book as a whole. Add to that not having any likable characters and this just wasn't a book for me.

If you go into it just for the paranormal suspense and don't always need to relate/connect with characters, then you might be able to enjoy it since the language and pacing are very good.

Book Review: Mischief in Mudbug By Jana DeLeon

Book Review: Mischief in Mudbug
(A Ghost-In-Law Mystery Romance)
By: Jana DeLeon
Love Spell – Dorchester Publishing
3 Heart Review

Everyone in Mudbug, Louisiana, knows that when Helena Henry shows up, no good will come of it. Especially now that Helena is dead. And more meddlesome than ever.

Sabine LeVeche needs to locate a blood relative fast – her life depends on it. Her only ally is the smart-mouthed ghost of Helena Henry. Until Beau Villeneuve agrees to take the case. The super-sexy PI is a master at finding missing persons – and all the spots that made Sabine weak in the knees. But as they start to uncover the truth about the past, it becomes clear that someone out there wants to bury Sabine along with all her parent's secrets. And she realizes what they say is true: family really can be the death of you.

This is one romantic mystery that really kept me guessing until the end. There were some many twists and reveals that you won't absolutely know the villain until the end. Surprises abound and the book makes for a fun and delightful romp through the bayou!

One thing I really liked was how spunky Sabine was. She was trained in marshal arts even if she isn't some kick-ass assassin or bodyguard. Love that! I also really liked Mildred as the mother figure and of course, the ghost Helena. The history of the characters makes for a charming set-up and all the characters were original and engaging.

A trend I love and that is found in this book is the tweaking of a traditional cozy mystery into something new and sassier. The heroines are more modern and they are sexual! It's great to see a more contemporary feel finally find cozies. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cozies. But, I love my amateur sleuth and comedic hi-jinks with a little steam and sauciness! I refer to them as modern cozies, but I think the time has come for an official industry name for this new breed.

My only issue with this book was that I did have some trouble with the names. They might be authentic, but not being able to easily read names makes it harder to identify with a character. It kept me from being totally immersed in the story. I felt like I had to stop and try to pronounce the names or to get straight which character it was. Not a good way to keep the reading flowing.

Note to authors: It's okay to use regular names. We don't care if they are common. If your story is good and the name fits the character's personality we won't care that the heroine’s name is Sarah. Not every character in every story has to have a unique name!

If you are better at the names in this book than I was then you won’t have any issues with this book! If you love cozies with sass, this is a story for you. Be sure to check out the first book in the series,Trouble in Mudbug! (Although each book stands perfectly well on its' own, you'll want to follow the antics of these characters!)

Book Review: I Shot You Babe by Leslie Langtry

Book Review: I Shot You Babe
By Leslie Langtry
Book Four in the Greatest Hits Mysteries
Dorchester Publishing
Release Date: June 30th
4 Heart Review

Coney Bombay is one hot assassin with an Ivy League PhD who travels the world operating carnival rides. He also likes to knit and has a pet guinea pig names Sartre. Even in his wild family of killers, Cy stands out. But after a series of run-ins with perennial grad student Veronica Gale, the cool cat is starting to
feel a little hot under the collar.

In her research, Ronnie Gale has seen a lot. Problem is, she hasn't actually done a lot. The mysterious Cy Bombay seems about to change all that with a whirlwind adventure that will take them form a small-town country fair to the outer reaches of Mongolia. But when love is on the line and there's a murder to be solved, will Ronnie really be willing to climb out of the ivory tower and get a little down and dirty?

What a great voice! I could tell from the first few pages that Leslie Langtry had a very distinctive way of telling a story and one that I would thoroughly enjoy.

I loved that the point of view of the story is told from the male perspective, make that the point of view of a hitman with a guinea pig for a companion. The dry wit and dark humor, combined with the idea of a family who has run an international assassin organization for centuries, makes for a fantastic read.

Don't let all the talk about hitmen and assassins fool you- this is a fresh contemporary romance with a big dash of suspense and some great characters!

The one issue I had was that Leslie's way of Cy and Ronnie running into each other is too far out to be believed. There were just too many coincidental meetings to have been purely accidental and not somehow pre-arranged. If just one of the run-ins had been set-up by Cy (or Ronnie) then it would have done much for the believability of the story.

I'll be adding Leslie's previous Greatest Hits Mysteries to my to buy pile – even though the story had a few issues, she has a voice that is distinctive,completely original, and I want to hear the stories for the rest of the family! Check out all of her books at her website.

CHEEKY REVIEW:The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers

Dangerously Demonish...Magically Sexy...Fantastic Fun!


The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers
By Angie Fox
Love Spell Paranormal Romance
4 Heart Review

Confession: I love paranormal romance – the kick ass heroine who saves the day while being smart and sassy is totally part of why I started Cheeky Reads. In my mind's eye, I picture myself as the girl who can always give the sassy comeback to any quip. In real life? Well, let's just say I try really hard, but my sassy girl tendencies run more to the quirky and comedic.

Which might be why I can't resist paranormal romances that make me laugh out loud. Give me MaryJanice Davidson, Kim Harrison, Judi McCoy, Katie MacAlister and a whole slew of others to read and I'll disappear for days. Not to say I don't crave the darker side of paranormals – I have my own love fest with those as well, but that's for another post.

Angie Fox's newest, The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers sounded like perfection. Reluctant but spunky heroine just learning her powers? Check. Awesome talking animal sidekick? Check. A supporting cast of characters that provide laughs at all the right places? Check. A brooding paranormal love interest that lets the heroine fulfill her ass-kicking destiny? Triple Check.

Angie Fox brews the prefect spell of a wickedly sexy romance, hilarious high jinks, and the sense of mystery and danger that comes from protecting a paranormal world. So good I read it in one sitting, Angie Fox's Demon Slayer Series is now on my permanent gotta have it list!

Even if you've never tried a paranormal before, don’t miss The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers!

Check out Angie's website where you can learn your Biker Witch name and find out if you're part Demon Slayer. Check mine out in the top left corner - I'm 65% Demon Slayer!