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Uncaged Review – Running from the Law by Jami Albright

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Running from the Law
Jami Albright
Contemporary Romance

One night of passion. Two second chances. Three little texts . . . 

Former child star, Charlie Klein, is in a world of trouble. She’s broke, jobless, and no longer famous–except with the IRS. She’s ready to run, so an emergency call from Texas is all the excuse she needs to get out of Hollywood. But she doesn’t expect to crash into the sheriff of her hometown, the boy she loved and lost. One look at Hank Odom confirms what her heart has always known . . . She never stopped loving him. 

Unlike the men in his family, Hank’s a do-the-right-thing kind of guy. When his cheating, soon-to-be ex-wife texts him wanting a second chance – or a twentieth chance – he’s determined to honor his vows. One problem? His traitorous heart has never forgotten the woman who just blew back into town.

One night of passion. Two second chances. Three little texts. And nine months of OMG!

Uncaged Review: Jami Albright knows how to tell a story, keeping her readers laughing, crying and cheering from the sidelines and hooking us in, she did it with the first two books in this series, and she does it again here.

Lots of secrets, and lies, and heartbreaks and heartwarming, all within the pages. And some characters from past books make an appearance and bring their support to our new main characters.

Hank is the “always do the right thing guy,” and there are more than a few times I wanted to shake some sense into him, and although Charlie is worth the fight, there are times when her stubborness holds her back. But you will flip the pages as fast as you can to get to the end. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Light of Redemption by Natalie J. Damschroder

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Light of Redemption
Natalie J. Damschroder
New Adult/Fantasy

Harmony Wilde is a unique kind of superhero. She operates as Eclipse in a small town in Ohio instead of the big city, on her own instead of on a team, and in near-complete anonymity. For the most part, she’s satisfied with using her ability, manipulating light, to bust drug dealers, and prevent drunk drivers—until Conn Parsons comes to town. 

Conn has been a superhero all over the world. Dissatisfied with the little bit of good she can do in comparison, Harmony asks Conn to train her. He refuses, feeling responsible for superhero and civilian deaths in big-city incidents. He doesn’t want to risk the same thing happening here. But the attraction between them is hard to fight, and so is her determination.

Then small-town problems get bigger, and it looks like both Eclipse and Conn are being targeted by CASE, the Citizens Against Superhero Existence, who are responsible for those city disasters. When her town seems destined to become collateral damage and the stakes get personal, Harmony must tap undeveloped powers and convince Conn to work with her to stop their mutual enemy. The only problem is that when they succeed, it may give Conn the redemption he needs to move on, away from Pilton . . . and away from Harmony.

Uncaged Review: In the small town of Pilton there’s a masked superhero called Eclipse catching bad guys. While keeping her identity under wraps or so she would like to think. I really enjoyed this book, some of the plot was a bit cheesy at times – but the kind that makes you laugh out loud. You know this isn’t the greatest book ever written, but you love reading it believing that you could do Eclipse’s job of kicking butt. I am a sucker for superheroes so when I spotted this book I knew it was going to be a hidden gem. I went along with this action packed ride and wasn’t disappointed. Worth checking out. Reviewed by Jennifer

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Dance Hall Wife by Cici Cordelia

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Dance Hall Wife
Cici Cordelia
Historical Western Romance

CAT . . .

Cat Purdue has come a long way from the days when her father used her as partial payment for a gambling debt to a ruthless man. Reacquiring the saloon Father had lost, and turning it into a successful restaurant, is only the beginning of her drive for success. 

FRANK . . .

Unable to reconcile the new, sophisticated Catherine Purdue from the saloon girl he once dallied with and foolishly spurned, Frank Carter finds himself blocking his growing attraction with sharp words and sarcasm. But when the Carters’ old nemesis escapes prison and comes back to Little Creede for vengeance, Frank’s only thought is to protect Cat, as well as his family.

A PAIR OF HEARTS . . . 

Determined to lead separate lives yet bound together by danger and their growing desire, Frank and Cat will leave their mark in the new state of Colorado.

Uncaged Review: I really love the writing of this pair of authors – and the way the words flow seamlessly, never knowing where one author ends and the other begins. I feel as if they are writing with the same muse.

This time out, we are back to Little Creede, and Cat has transformed the local whorehouse into a nice family eatery, and trying hard to keep the place open. Frank, who we met in the first book, is the chosen hero this time out, and to be honest, I didn’t like him very much. He honestly was a jerk, and his only redeeming quality for most of the book was his over protective nature to Cat. He did finally make some amends in the back third of the book, but I didn’t really like the way he treated Cat most of the time. Now on the other hand, I adored Cat. She’s a strong woman, who’s had to make her own way in life after having a drunken, gambling father lose everything, and she does well. Even reaching out to help in the town, but strong enough to punch the slimy banker.

This book really moves along well when a criminal out for revenge against Cat, breaks out of jail. This is finally when Frank shines and proves he’s worthy of a lady like Cat. I’m looking forward to more from Little Creede. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 1/2 Stars

Uncaged Review – Down to You by Jayne Frost

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Down to You
Jayne Frost
Rockstar Romance

A star on the rise

Logan Cage, lead singer for the hottest band out of Austin, has a dark past. And a secret that he can’t outrun. For years he’s been trying to find redemption in the spotlight. But on the eve of what could be his biggest break, it almost slips away.

Rock music’s shattered princess

Tori Grayson had it all. Money. Fame. And an adoring husband to share the spotlight. But tragedy struck and took it all away. Six years later and she’s reinvented herself, founding a record label to keep the memory of those she lost alive.

A tour for the ages

When Logan winds up in jail, jeopardizing the tour that’s meant to keep Tori’s label afloat, she agrees to front his bond and join him on the road.

Neither of them was looking for love.

But sometimes fate has other plans.

Every story deserves a soundtrack. And theirs is epic.

DOWN TO YOU is a standalone rockstar romance with recurring characters. 

Due to hot as sin rockstars and the world they live in, this read is recommended for mature audiences. 

Uncaged Review: This book wraps up this part of the Sixth Street Band series that focuses on the band Caged. Every single one of this series is fantastic – and I was waiting for Logan’s story, and Ms. Frost delivers more than epic, she delivers a story that is everything I hoped it would be, and so much more. It doesn’t get much better than this. They can be read as standalones, but to get the full effect, starting from the beginning of this 5 book set is the way to go, and you won’t be sorry.

How do two broken people put the pieces back together? Tori lost her husband Rhenn and best friend Paige in a bus accident six years ago, and nearly her own life too. Put back together with pins and surgeries, Tori was a star in her own right, until she walked away to co-found Twin Souls Management. Logan, the lead singer of the band Caged – seeing his mother killed when he was 8 yrs old, and being the object of an abusive father, we finally get to see the experiences that began to shape Logan into who he is. How can these two very broken people, have the strength to come together?

You will need your tissue box, and start this book early enough in the day so you won’t be up all night reading, because if you’ve followed this series at all, you won’t want to put this one down. I can’t wait for the next band series. I can’t even describe how much I loved this book. I ran the full gambit of emotions with this book, from tears, to laughter, to anger and the sticking my head in the freezer to cool down from the way hot sexy parts.

And the quote at the end of the book is a perfect sum-up: “So thank you Logan. In the end…it all came down to you.”  Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Summer of New Beginnings
Bette Lee Crosby
Contemporary Romance

One family learns that love is the greatest miracle of all—from USA Today bestselling author Bette Lee Crosby.

Aspiring journalist Meghan Briggs has always been the responsible one in the family. So when her father passes away unexpectedly, leaving behind his at-risk business, she steps up to save his legacy—even if that means putting her own dreams on hold.

Tracy couldn’t be more different from her sister. She’s always been the rebellious type, without much direction in life. But in the wake of her latest romantic disaster, she finds herself moving back home as a single mother.

As Tracy experiences the difficulties of new motherhood, Meghan faces her own struggle: trying not to fall for the stray puppy she rescued. This is no time for attachments—not to the adorable “Sox,” whose owner is bound to turn up any day, and certainly not to the handsome new vet in town. But as the summer unfolds, she discovers that, like Sox, she may need rescuing, too.

As both sisters navigate unexpected challenges and exciting new relationships, they’ll find that putting the past to rest can make way for beautiful new beginnings.

Uncaged Review: Meghan Briggs has always been the responsible daughter in the family, and an aspiring journalist. Tracy has been the rebellious daughter, wandering aimlessly and making bad choice after bad, impetuous choice. When their father expectantly passes away, it’s Meghan who steps up to take over his at-risk newspaper, even when it means putting her own dreams on hold. Tracy returns home as a single mother, with a bad breakup behind her.

This is the story of two sisters, and their widowed mother, and how they navigated unexpected challenges and forged new relationships over the summer and created new beginnings for themselves.

This is a strong family story, dealing with gritty realities. It is interesting to consider whether the story started at the right place as the entire first section of the book is all backstory told in past tense, or if it’s simply the author’s writing style. Much of the book is telling instead of showing, abounding with backstory and internal reflections from all three major characters. The pace is slow, like a meandering stream, with all day to move along.

The secondary characters—notably the male interests for the sisters—bring a freshness to the tale. Like the sisters, they are opposites. One is a veterinarian and one is trouble. Meghan is a strong character, with a good head on her shoulders. Tracy grows considerably from the start to the end. Reader’s interested in a deep, reflective, and deliberate story will enjoy this installment from the Magnolia Grove series. Reviewed by Ryan Jo

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Oceanside by Michelle Mankin

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Oceanside
Michelle Mankin
Rockstar Romance

Oscar night.
Rock star legend, Ashland Keys should be on top of the world, but the blond blue-eyed SoCal surfer is disillusioned with fame, done with drugs, bored with the groupies and sick of all the fake f*ckery.
A rising star, Fanny Bay is nominated for best original song in the same category as the Dirt Dogs band, but the novel redhead with the corkscrew curls and the slight Canadian accent would prefer to chart a course with a different destination.
Hollywood is not for her. 
He’s full of regrets, darkness and secrets.
She’s full of hope and light and has mysteries of her own. 
He’s her reserved hero.
She’s his gypsy rose.
He’s water. She’s fire. Together, they don’t make sense.
But he’s what she’s always wanted, and she just might be everything he needs.

Uncaged Review: For me, this is nothing less than a 5 star read. I was sunk within the first few pages. This is the third book in the series, but I had no issues reading this one. The story of Ash and Fanny skirts many social issues, but treats them all with respect and knowledge, without taking away the seriousness of it. My heart broke and it got pieced back together within the pages. I am not ashamed to say that there were some tears, laughter and anger – right along with the characters. The Dirty Dogs rock band is a bonded group that everyone, from any walk of life would want, and envy.

I’ve had this as an ARC for a while, and I am sorry that it took me so long to read it. It is everything I love in a rock star romance. I don’t know that I will go back and read the first two, but I definitely would love to read the next one. I’m sure that knowing the back stories of the other members would have only enhanced this book, but this holds up well as a standalone, and I’m very happy I met these characters at this time in their lives, I don’t think I could love them more. Even Diesel. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Flower Readings by Lilliana Rose

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Flower Readings
Lilliana Rose
SciFi Romance

Triena lives on an outback moon earning a living by offering flower readings for customers. Cast out from the Queens, the Energy Readers, Triena wants to return, but the only way to do that is to kill Braklen and use his energy to look into the future.

Braklen, a Peacekeeper with the Queens, arrives at the Triena’s Tea House. He doesn’t realize the danger he is in when he sits down for a flower reading. 

Triena sees her chance to kill Braklen by using the potency in flower buds. The Energy guides her hand, and instead, the suppressed feelings toward Braklen surface. 

Can she kill the man she loves?

Uncaged Review: This is really a different type of SciFi than I’ve read before. It’s a well written, original story and worth taking a look at. This is the first in a trilogy. Triena is an outcast, as she wasn’t able to kill animals to read their energy, and the Queens cast her out when she couldn’t kill the man she loved, Braklen. Reading the energies from the flowers is illegal, but living on the outback moon has kept her off the Queen’s radar, until now. When Braklen, who is a Peacekeeper arrives at her store for a reading, she will need to kill him to get back into the Queen’s good graces. When both Braklen and Triena find out they’ve been betrayed, they will go on the run.

Some of the world building was a bit foggy, and it took me awhile to care about the characters, it wasn’t instant. I really didn’t get a good sense of what either character even looked like in my mind for quite a while. I didn’t really like that it ended on a cliff hanger, although all three of the books are out now. I actually got the sense that this was a fantasy, more than a traditional SciFi and the books are worth a look. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Children of Poseidon: Damnamenos by Annalisa Carr

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Children of Poseidon: Damnamenos
Annalisa Carr
Romantic Fantasy

Damnamenos, youngest son of Poseidon, has always viewed himself as a modern demi-god—an equal opportunity sorcerer who runs an international business empire while plotting revenge on his faithless ex-lover. He likes to think he has his life under control, but when evil threatens his world, he needs to summon all his old magic to deal with it.

Maya Redcar, a young witch just coming into her full power, finds herself leading her coven’s fight against a corrupt and insane sorcerer. Realising that the witches are outclassed, she joins forces with her old nemesis, Damnamenos, to confront the enemy in his East African lair.

Together, Maya and Damnam face old lovers, cursed seawitches, a preternatural infant, and unreasonable parents, on their quest to save the world. Their growing attraction could be a source of strength, or as Maya fears, a new point of vulnerability as they are torn apart by their enemy’s magic.

Uncaged Review: This is the third book in this series, and although I didn’t read the first two, I had no problems keeping up with the story. This was an enjoyable book from start to finish. Damnam is the youngest son of Poseidon, and his two brothers, Rann and Lykos were the main characters in the first two books, make a reappearance here.

I’m not going to get into the plot, but I’ll tell you that one of the characters that gave some nice comic relief and I truly enjoyed was Circe. A great line: “What a dump.” She is Damnam’s ex-lover and a sea sorceress who is not very trustworthy, especially after freezing Damnam in a glacier for 1000 years over what she called “a little tiff,” but brought in some comic relief in tense scenes. But Maya is a strong heroine and Damnam is a good equal for her and they are well matched.

Engaging and can easily be marketed to the young adults, it was a nice read working in the world of magic. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – When Planets Fall by Abby J. Reed

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

When Planets Fall
Abby J. Reed
YA/SciFi

On a planet where the only difference between three tribes is their blood color, war is on the horizon. Breaker, an amputee, wants peace for his family and home. Malani, a kidnapped POW, wants to return home. Luka wants justice for his home. All three teens come together when Breaker is given seven days to fix a wrecked enemy starship or their home, and peace, is forfeit.

Uncaged Review: A nicely written SciFi with originality and nice world building. I was drawn into the world easily enough, being a long time reader of SciFi. The plot is one of those slow burners, which slowly ramps up the tension. The characters are well meshed, although my one complaint on them is I couldn’t really picture them in my mind right away. Normally, for me to connect with a character, I need to have my own personal visualization – and even though they each had a pretty distinct voice, it took longer than normal to connect. I only got bits and pieces of what they looked like. I think my favorite relationship in the book is Breaker and Circuit.

I would definitely recommend this scifi – but caution the young adult rating, older teens would be fine but there is quite a bit of violence/torture and some of it may be too much for younger teens. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Bewitching the Beast by Tamara Hughes

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Bewitching the Beast
Tamara Hughes
Paranormal Romance

Ethan Lockwood hates what he’s become—a slave to a parasitic monster whose victims’ names pepper the obituaries. He’s possessed by The Beast, a dragon who feeds off human spiritual energy. After a year of fighting The Beast’s demands, Ethan is losing the battle. The creature is taking over his mind, body, and soul. When he spies Tess, he can relate to her weary look and the sadness in her eyes, but her aura shines like a beacon, attracting The Beast. Ethan is forced to drain her energy, but for a split second, she subdues the creature inside him, compelling the spirit to slumber. How? Can she somehow free him from The Beast? Ethan chases after her. He can’t afford to let Tess die.

Since her fiancé’s death, Tess Edwards struggles to find new meaning in life. She doesn’t expect that new meaning to involve a sexy photographer who says he’s possessed by an energy-stealing beast. He claims she’s in danger and that he’s the only one who can save her. Great. He’s a nut job—cute, but delusional. She doesn’t believe in dragon spirits and magic, not until she finds her grandmother’s Book of Shadows. She’s descended from witches, and the book warns her of her fate. Although the beast inside Ethan needs her alive, he isn’t the only one of his kind. There’s another, and he wants Tess dead.

Uncaged Review: A shifter romance with a lot of twists and turns. I’m not a big fan of shifter romance books as they never seen to hold my attention. This book is very different, Tess meets a leather clad jacket guy called Ethan at a bar on New Year’s Eve so anything goes right? Ethan is extremely good looking and mysterious. A few dark secrets he is reluctant to share with Tess. I really enjoyed this book. I think there’s going to be a follow up to this. Which I’m very excited to read when it’s out. Reviewed by
Jennifer

4 Stars

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