Blind Faith by Michael Schneider

Bravo! Very Good Debut Novel!

Blind Faith by Michael Schneider is a an intriguing romantic suspense novel about Karsyn McKenna, a young woman who has let a very sheltered life under her father’s careful eye.  At the beginning of the story, she is a naive young woman and then life throws her a few curve balls making her grow up very fast in a short amount of time.

Karsyn has the two men in her life, Gabriel Thompson and Chase Carter and she finds herself caught between them. Chase has been her friend and personal Superman for years. Aside from her father, Chase is the one person she has been able to count on to get her through the tough times. Then Gabriel shows up in her life as her father’s new right hand man in his auto mechanic shop. 

The relationship that develops between Gabriel and Karsyn threatens her friendship with Chase as Gabriel attempts to steer her away from him. She assumes Gabriel is merely jealous of Chase and she tries to hold on to her relationship with her friend. Life becomes more complicated as she gets further entrenched in her love for Gabriel. Her implacable faith in her love for Gabriel is shattered in one night and she ends up in the arms of her childhood hero even though she will never recover from her feelings for Gabriel.

Karsyn’s blind faith in Chase becomes a life-altering experience as she makes the ultimate commitment to him in marriage. She places her life and the well-being of her child in the hands of someone she believes she knows better than herself at the cost of the most important people in her life, including her father.  The web of deceptions Chase is able to create will boggle the mind, as well as Karsyn’s naiveté. The lengths he goes to ensure his wife, the lady he has been in love with since she was very young, stays in his life will have the reader gasping. 

As Karsyn becomes ensconced in a nightmare-reality in Blind Faith, the reader finds themselves emotionally wrapped up in her well-being, her happiness and rooting for the man she had to leave behind.  Michael Schneider has written a romantic suspense novel with a diabolical twist.  The reader finds themselves being hurled into a journey right along with the heroine and wanting to hold her hand while muttering “we’ll get through this, just hang in there.” This debut novel is very captivating and well worth the time.

Happy Reading!!

(This ebook was provided free of charge by TWCS in exchange for an honest review)

Highland Destiny by Laura Hunsaker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Highland Destiny by Laura Hunsaker is an exciting tale of time travel, love, deception, and a bonny Highlander or two. The story emerges with Mackenzie Stewart and her best friend, Jenna, at the beginning of their vacation in Scotland. While the two are attending a tour through the castle, Mackenzie is abducted by two sorcerers who take her back in time to 1792 with them.

She has been kidnapped to thwart a curse, bring peace to the Highland clans, and end the life of the Campbell who is slowly becoming more mad by venturing into the manipulations of the dark arts to further his own political gain. To help the scheme along, Mackenzie needs to pretend to be the Campbell’s betrothed.

Low and behold, in the middle of the sorcerers explaining the game plan, Mackenzie is then abducted a second time by Connor MacRae. Mackenzie is astonished to be looking into a pair of stunning blue she has been dreaming about since she was a teenager. Destiny and fate play a big part in the joining of Mackenzie and Connor’s lives.

At first, the purpose of Connor’s abduction of Mackenzie is to best the Campbell who is his sworn enemy - and nothing more. As Conner gets to know this trying and intriguing wench, he was not prepared for the strength of feeling she elicits within his body and heart. In turn, she has feelings for him that run just as deep physically and emotionally. The love affair is hot and strong for them; but, trust comes more tentatively.

Laura Hunsaker leads the reader on a wonderful journey through her narrative by offering beautiful descriptions of the Scottish countryside, love, deceit, brutality, and the loyalty of family and clan. She uses the insights offered by Mackenzie’s and Connor’s point of view to enrapture her audience with these descriptions. Highland Destiny is a very satisfying read for Hunsaker’s debut novel into the romance genre.

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Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James is a cute, clean, fun, adult romantic novel. I enjoyed the strength of Taylor Donovan’s character and her sense of humor. She had some good one-liners in this novel that had me in stitches. There were quite a few places in the book that made me laugh or giggle.


Taylor is a hot shot lawyer who temporarily has moved out to L.A. to take as case. In the midst of preparing for her case, she is forced into helping out Jason Andrews, who is the hottest ticket in Hollywood, to prepare for an upcoming role in a movie where he portrays a lawyer. The premise of the book is swoon-worthy. Who wouldn’t want to be the center of a hot Hollywood actor. Well, Taylor. She is not impressed with him at all in the beginning of the book. But, as time goes on she starts to appreciate the “real” Jason not the Jason, the actor. The twists and turns the relationship between Taylor and Jason takes is very entertaining.

The only draw back I felt this book had was that it did not invest me in Jason’s character. His character was supposed to be shallow due to his notoriety in Hollywood, especially in the beginning. However, when he started getting serious about Taylor, I did not perceive his actions and words on a deep emotional level. I just could not connect to him. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. I just wanted to relate why I did not give the story a higher rating. I would still recommend it for romance readers. Julie James is a talented writer. I really, really liked Something About You.

My official rating for this book is 3.5 stars.


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Mangement Skill by January Rowe

Management Skills by January Rowe

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


When Grant Edmonds meets his new production manager, Allie Fairfax, he is surprised to recognize her from his past as Silver, who performed in a production at a bondage bar called Vault where he produced the lighting for a show she starred in. Now he is the CEO of his own company and she is fortuitously working for him.

Allie also recognizes him as the stranger she was attracted to from her days as a dancer. Their instant recognition ignites their past attraction to each other. After a night of passion and a lot of coaxing on Grant’s behalf, they fall into a long-term Dom/sub relationship. Through this relationship, they learn to love and trust one another implicitly.


Management Skills by January Rowe is a short erotic novel. The story offers insight into the world of BDSM and its mysterious, well mysterious to me, erotic lure. This facet of the the hero and heroine’s relationship is the glue that binds their feelings for each other into something deep and meaningful. That being said/written, I did not really get into this book. I am just not a huge fan of BDSM fiction.

Happy Reading!!

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Something About You by Julie James

Something About You by Julie James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Something About You by Julie James was one of the most entertaining reads I have read in a long time. I loved it! It has a little bit of everything for us romance aficionados. It offers a good plot with great secondary characters, sexual tension, magnetic passion, deep abiding friendship, love, humor, mystery, and suspense.

This story has a very humorous beginning. Cameron Lynde, is in a hotel room where her sleep is rudely disturbed by a couple in the room next her having a vigorous lovemaking session. The cause for her sleep disturbance leads the story into a plot of intrigue where Cameron is reunited with FBI Agent Jack Pallas after three years where he fortuitously assigned as the agent in charge of the investigation Cameron unwittingly has found herself in the midst of.

When Jack left the Chicago area three years earlier, he and Cameron did not part on friendly terms, although they have a grudging respect for each other professionally. So, the start of their reunion has a strong cantankerous edge to it. Agent Wilkins who is Jack’s partner in the investigation adds some much needed comic relief to the strained situation. There were several laugh out loud moments in this book that were incited by Agent Wilkins. The other secondary characters in this story add a cohesive grounding in Cameron’s life and eventually, in Jack’s life.

The interest and heat that began when Cameron and Jack worked on their first case together starts to simmer again. The sexual tension that grows is thick as they feel more and more drawn to each other on a physical level. As the mystery of the plot thickens, the two learn to trust one another again despite the hurt they have caused each other in the past.

The author definitely knows how to capture her audience with mystery, suspense, sensuality, friendship, humor and love. Adding to those elements, Julie James voice is light and snarky at times. The delivery of Cameron and Jack’s story draws the reader in with her originality and sense of humor. In addition, her ability to create characters the reader will fall in love and connect with is outstanding. The romance reader would be remiss to pass up this story and this author. I highly recommend this book.

Some of my favorite quotes from Something About You are:
- The manager gestured to the door. “Would you mind if I escorted you back into your room, Ms. Lynde?” This was Polite-Peninsula-Hotel-speak for “You might as well get comfortable because your eavesdropping ass isn’t going anywhere.”

- “Glowering”—she liked that description. It was certainly more insightful than the generic “asshole” she’d been going with for the past three years.

- ...she realized then that her mind was already so far down in the gutter she’d need an extension ladder to get it out so she might as well just give in to the whole darn fantasy.

- (He looked) More like a chocolate molten lava cake. A dessert so sinful, so luscious, so filled with inner heat it made a girl want to lick each and every crumb right off the plate. That was Jack Pallas.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!
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Trefoil by Em Petrova

Trefoil by Em Petrova

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Trefoil by Em Petrova is a heart-wrenching with tale with sensual undertones. Lillian LeClair has Called to Nathan Halbrook, her immortal soul mate, in her dreams though she already has an immortal husband. From the beginning, Lillian is torn between two men. John, the debonair, ritzy man she is currently married to - and loves - and her soul mate, Nathan who is a handsome, reclusive sculptor.

Compelled by Lillian's Call, Nathan trails across California determined to make Lillian his even though his emotions are scraped raw by her love for another man. Because of the bizarre situation, Nathan is led to berserker tendencies from his visions of Lillian and John. Lillian is equally as emotionally torn as Nathan since she is caught between two loves. As the story unfolds, the reader is kept on an emotional roller coaster due to the heartbreak the characters endure. Never fear. The "happily ever after" is worth the ride.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

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The Tantric Principle by Jennifer Probst

The Tantric Principle by Jennifer Probst

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Tantric Principle by Jennifer Probst is a contemporary romance about two soul mates finding each other. Grant Madison is a Yoga instructor who owns his own yoga school in New York. From experience, he has learned to not mix business with pleasure. Arianna Devlin, an advertising executive, is one of Grant's students and has had a crush on Grant for months. On a business trip, Arianna and Grant fall into bed together after fighting their attraction to each other for months. As their secret affair progresses, they realize the significance each one holds in their respective lives; however, they will not admit this to one another. Ultimately a sacrifice must be made in order for the importance of their feelings to be truly known to one another.

Jennifer Probst offers a touching romance with expressive love scenes in this book. Her modern romance impacts the reader with the well-crafted development of Grant and Arianna's relationship.

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Laid Bare by Lauren Dane

Laid Bare by Lauren Dane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Laid Bare by Lauren Dane is a novel about love, survival, and family. This is a non-traditional contemporary romance with a triad relationship. The story begins with Todd and Erin starting their relationship with a fling. Todd runs from Erin because he is not comfortable with their relationship because it because their liaison brings out a deviant sexual side in him.

Ten years later, Todd and Erin have dealt with life altering situations in their lives independent of the other. The start of their emotional healing comes from their respective families and friends. They have each learned to pick up the pieces and move on. Erin and Todd come together again and build a strong emotional relationship.

Soon Ben, Todd's best friend, is welcomed into their relationship with open arms. From there, they all three set up house together and continue to help each other heal the scars from their pasts. This story is poignant and has a lot of steamy love scenes most of which are built on complete trust and love. The sexual element of the narrative is important to the unfolding of events in this book because the lovemaking adds to the connection between Erin, Todd and Ben. For anyone who likes their romance spicy, this book is wonderful choice for you to read.

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Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf

Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Forever Vampire by Michelle Hauf is a story of two tortured individuals who are trying to escape their difficult pasts. Vail the Unwanted is a tortured pureblood vampire who was raised in Faery by his Fae stepmother and the product of rape who has been exiled to the human world by his nemesis. He must learn to embrace his vampire heritage in order to find true happiness and exist the new world he now finds himself. Lyric, Vail’s love interest, is an emotionally frigid but extremely beautiful pureblood vampire who past is equally as murky as Vail’s with the added problem of having a dark secret she has concealed from everyone but her brother. Both of them have major trust and familial issues they must overcome.

Vail is dragged in to the mystery of finding a missing diamond Faery gown which was stolen from under his stepfather’s place of business where the gown was being housed in a vault for the Seelie Court. The last person who saw the gown was Lyric. But like the gown, she is missing, too. The bargain Vail makes with his stepfather is that he wants information on the whereabouts of his father in exchange for the return of Lyric to her mom and the gown to the Faeries.

On the hunt for the gown and vampiress, Vail is able to locate Lyric quickly. However, the location of the gown remains elusive; however, he has a strong feeling Lyric is well aware of the gown’s location. As the plot unravels, Lyric and Vail find their attraction to each other undeniable and endeavor to work together. Soon they are both caught up attraction, intrigue, and setting aside their personal issues to allow trust to become obtainable. Very real life issues are dealt with by both characters as they grow and mature through their shared adventure. The path Michelle Hauf takes her readers on in this story is fraught with action, sexy love scenes, and closure on personal issues. A very entertaining read for paranormal romance lovers.

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The Last Warrior by Susan Grant

In The Last Warrior, author Susan Grant weaves a romantic political intrigue with a strong science fiction slant. The novel characterizes Elsabeth and Tao who come from two different worlds even though they grew up in the same city. She is a Kurel and he is a Tassogon. The Kurel are cerebral in their professions of science and technology and the Tassogonians are more barbaric in their carnality and strength. Because of the cultural differences and biases, they must come to trust each other.

The beginning of the book enlightens the reader to a life-changing event that affects Elsabeth and her actions from that point. Three years later, Tao arrives home to his hometown from a long but successful military campaign. He spies Elsabeth being hassled by palace guards and calls off the search of her messenger bag. From there the tale goes into the political workings of the Tassgonian palace, loyalties, familial love and meeting the needs of different cultures inherent in this intriguing tale.

The love the hero and heroine grows slowly. Due to the gradual advance of their feelings, their relationship is believable to the reader which lends to the poignancy of the story. All of the elements in the story conglomerate to an enjoyable read. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to all romance genre book lovers. The audience will be taken on a wonderful journey in an alternate world where the safety of many people lies in the balance. In this instance, true love does not detract from the plot. Rather, it adds to it.

3 out of 5 stars

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