Laura Marie AltomRessenyes

Tanner and Jenny thought they would be soulmates forever. However, life happened and they just weren’t strong enough to withstand the bad times. Tanner was different after the accident in the mine. Jenny didn’t know how to get through to him, all her efforts were rejected and rebuffed and she began to feel resentful, trapped. They both say things they can’t take back and they separate. They wonder what if, but a house fire, a lost baby, Jenny in a coma – it’s all too much, and when Jenny finally awakens from the coma she doesn’t know who Tanner is. It seems hopeless, but maybe that soulmate link is still there, even if tenuous and shaky. Throw in some funny encounters, sweet attempts at dating, a forceful attraction neither of them can fight – and one giant twist – and you’ve got a tender, heartfelt, poignant novella. Thanks to the author for providing a copy of Be My Valentine, Baby. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Beautiful story

Small town romance, challenges along the way, past hurts & insecurities all make for a wonderful journey to finding love. Very interesting book & I found it easy to follow.

Good premise not particularly well done. Gabby is pregnant with his brother's baby. The father, Ben, has run off so the older brother Dane takes over going to Lamaze classes and helping her out when she goes on bed rest. They seem to fall in love and she tells him she wants him and not the brother. That Dane is a real man and Ben is a boy who refuses to grow up but when Ben shows up as she's in labor she dithers and then the book goes on for another hundred or so pages of poorly explained dithering. I wouldn't really have wanted either one of them. She dithered and he didn't fight for her.

*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Random House Publishing*

Reading this till the end was really hard for me...I just couldn't connect with this story or its characters at all!

Julie/Ella is running from an abusive husband and the family that didn't believe her story of domestic abuse. She thinks of herself as 'dead inside-out' and she tries her hardest to mask her beauty since it could attract men like Blaine (the abusive asshole)...all very sad, pity though that straight after this explanation she went to a club with her friend Willow -let's not talk about her for the moment- and pretty much blew a guy met just an hour earlier. She didn't finish him 'cause she had a flashback and she run from the stranger but it didn't work. The same stranger, very understanding, tried to console her and offered to take her to his motel...that's the point where -I think- a frightened girl would have said no instead Julie accepted the offer! WHY??
What I liked the least about this character, even more so than her frequent tears and attempts to run away, it's exactly this inconsistency: she describe herself as fearful of men and insecure then she acts in a way that contradict pretty much everything. In the end she's not believable, neither as a victim, neither as a seductress.

Liam is also a contradiction and not in a good way: the Liam from the beginning and the one after the revelation of his status are two very different person.
His reasoning to offering the contract to Julie/Ella makes no sense and the way he talked about it made me want to slap him really hard. The lowest point he reached I think was when he tossed around his credit cards trying to impress Julie...I mean he literally threw them at her! Unfortunately his over the top cockiness makes an appearance (too) many times in the story.
He, like Julie/Ella, had a shitty past to overcome but the author doesn't elaborate about it until the very end and at that point I just couldn't sympathize with him and I also didn't think it justified his general behavior.

As for their relationship, it's a strange case of instant-love/lust/hate where none the above emotions are even a little believable.
Their story, after that first meeting and not quite blow-job, goes on pretty much like this: after the signing of the contract they spend together a day, then he leave for work for a week and doesn't call Julie at all. When he come back she has already run away. They spend apart some months and then they meet again when Willow -Julie's friend- is in the hospital. They finally have sex. Then they have a fight. They apologize to each other and then obviously he profess his love to her and ask her to marry him....ooooookay how could I not feel the love?!

Sorry, I really didn't get those two!
To be honest I couldn't connect even with the secondary characters; Willow in particular I really disliked!

Unfortunately I wasn't able to write anything somewhat positive about this book since it touched pretty much all my bad-buttons, still I'd like to thank again the staff of Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept from NetGalley for the chance to read&review an arc of [b:Control|21854540|Control (Shamed, #1)|Laura Marie Altom|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397090567s/21854540.jpg|41126716] and I hope they appreciate my honest (but not very positive) opinion about it.

A good story but the ending for me just worked out too quickly and conveniently.

I enjoyed this romance with triplets. This had a lot going on with losing loved ones and dealing with PTSD, I voluntarily chose to review this and I've given it a 4* rating. There was a lot of feels in this and part of the craziness in the hero and heroine, is being battle weary, one military and one law enforcement. Sometimes we need to pay attention to our own needs in order to care for others. And sometimes we need to work around others to find the time. Never-the-less, triplets are going to take a lot of care and dealing with the antics of babies.

The Seal's Miracle Baby was gifted to me by Harlequin and NetGalley for an honest review. This is a story that centers around Jessie and Grady. Grady and Jessie loved each other and made plans to have a future together. But when Jessie learned something that put a chink in those plans she broke up with Grady. Now they are both back in the place where there love affair began. Home to help rebuild the town they both love, will they be able to face their demons and voice the secrets that have kept them apart? Will the miracle bestowed upon them bring a happy ending? A lovely story about two people putting the past behind them and finding a way back to each other.

Good friends to lovers story. Wayne and Paisley have been friends and neighbors for three years, ever since Wayne and his teammate Logan moved in. She has especially appreciated his help since her ex-boyfriend left her pregnant and turned out to be married. But she's shocked when he comes to her with an off-the-wall request.

Wayne is still recovering from the trauma of his divorce and has sworn that he will never remarry. His ex cheated on him with a fellow team member, leaving him convinced that he isn't relationship material. However, a recent call from his father has Wayne reeling. His father says he is dying, and all he wants is to see Wayne married and maybe with a baby on the way before he dies. After a facetious comment by Logan about renting a wife, Wayne decides to ask Paisley if she will pretend to be married to him to ease his father's mind.

I completely understood what was driving Wayne to come up with such an idea, but it had disaster written on it from the beginning. Paisley has a bad feeling about it, but she likes Wayne's father and goes along with it for his sake. I wanted to shake Wayne a few times at the beginning because he seemed to treat it all like a big joke, not seeing how it could go really wrong. I thought Paisley had a more realistic view of the pitfalls that could occur. Still, they might have been able to pull it off if Wayne's friend Logan and Paisley's friend Monica hadn't decided to get married - at Wayne's family's ranch. Suddenly, Wayne's mom wants Wayne and Paisley to make it a double wedding and things start to spiral out of control.

I enjoyed the development of Wayne and Paisley's relationship, but I also spent a fair amount of time wanting to shake them both. From the moment they agreed on the deception, their relationship began to change. I had to laugh when they decided they had better kiss a couple of times to make sure that it would be believable when they arrived at the ranch. Neither one expected the flash-bang of attraction that flared up between them and it freaked them both out. It made things a bit awkward between them until they agreed to put it behind them and concentrate on the plan. Once they arrived at the ranch, the important thing became figuring out what was going on with Wayne's dad. It was sweet to see the way that Peter and Jules welcomed Paisley and were so happy about the wedding and the baby. This just added to the guilty feelings that Paisley had about lying to them. As Wayne and Paisley spent more time together, each of them started to wonder what it would be like if it were real. There were some really sweet scenes with the two of them, especially when Wayne just wanted to be close to her.

I liked Wayne and Paisley, but both of them had some serious issues to overcome. Wayne's ex had done a number on his confidence in his ability to love. Being with Paisley and thinking about her baby makes him happy, but he's afraid to trust that it will last. He uses charm and humor to keep things from getting too serious, but something inside him makes him long for something different. He is so convinced that he doesn't know how to love that he doesn't see that he is in love with her. Paisley frequently frustrated me, with her waffling back and forth about whether or not to go through with the wedding. First, she agrees, then she wants to tell the truth, then she's back to going along with it. Her feelings for Wayne are getting stronger, but she's afraid that she's taking advantage of him. She grew up with a mother who manipulated men into taking care of her, and Paisley is terrified of being like her mom. This often causes her to push Wayne away. I ached for them both at the wedding scene, as Wayne wants to make it real, but can't give Paisley the words she needs to hear, and Paisley's fears won't let her see what he can't say. It takes some time apart, and some serious looking at their fears before either is ready to face their future. I loved Paisley's big moment at the end as she went after what she wanted.

I loved the importance that family played in the story. The biggest part was Wayne's father, Peter, and his health issues. I ached for Wayne and the pain he felt at the thought of losing his father. I loved Peter, with his broken English, his big heart, and his love of John Wayne. I ached for him and his belief that he was dying. I loved the ride that he and Wayne went on, where Peter showed his medical papers to Wayne and got the surprise of his life. Paisley also had family issues to deal with. Throughout the book more and more of her relationship with her mother was revealed, as was the effect it had on Paisley's life. I liked seeing her finally face her mom and the impact it had on her mindset. The epilogue was fantastic, with a great view of their lives a year down the road. I especially loved the bit with "Duke."

Very good book that had me hooked from the first page to the last. Gideon was surprised to find a woman who had just given birth in the middle of a snowstorm. To make matters worse, she had no idea who she was or how she got there. To top it all off, the horse he was riding was spooked by the storm and ran off, leaving them to make their way out on foot. I was on the edge of my seat as I followed their journey off the mountain, to where Gideon could call for help.

I liked both Gideon and Jane. Jane's fear when she couldn't remember anything about herself was clear, but she did a good job of trying to keep a brave face. She had a terrific sense of humor and used it to hold her fears at bay. I loved her determination to make the best of things until her memory returned. Gideon was a man who I wanted to hug and to smack, frequently at the same time. I ached for all that he had lost and wanted him to stop taking it out on everyone else.

I enjoyed the development of Gideon and Jane's relationship. Though Gideon tried to stay away from her, his protective instincts kicked in when he found out that she had nowhere to go. It was sweet to see him shopping for her and baby Chip, and making a place for them in his house. There were some very adorable scenes of him with the baby. He was also very attracted to Jane but resists that attraction. His ex-wife had done a number on him when she rejected him after his injury, and now he feels like he isn't a whole man. His pride won't let him risk another rejection, and he is frequently rude and mean when he feels himself getting too close. Jane initially tries to resist the feelings that she develops for Gideon. Without her memory, she can't be sure that she isn't married, though eventually bits of returning memories convince her she is safe on that score. I loved how she did her best to take care of him, especially feeding his sweet tooth. It amazed me that she didn't hit him with a frying pan on those occasions when he was so horribly rude.

I loved seeing the three of them start to form a sweet little family unit. It was obvious that Gideon loved both Jane and Chip, but he let his fears win. It didn't take long for Jane to fall hard for Gideon, especially when she would see him with Chip. As her memories started to return, she kept quiet, not wanting to ruin what they had. I ached for her when it all came out. Gideon's reaction was pretty extreme, thanks to fear and hurt pride. I loved Jane's solution. I loved Gideon's "aha" moment and how he exposed his vulnerability. Jane's reaction was perfect. The epilogue was good, though I was a little disturbed by her "family" comment. It was fun to see the role reversal.

I also liked the secondary characters. Mrs. Gentry was a trip with the way she treated Gideon. I loved that she didn't put up with his attitude very often. I also enjoyed the way she pulled Jane and Chip into her heart also. I especially enjoyed her part in bringing Gideon and Jane back together. I also liked West and Sherrie. They were excellent friends to Gideon. I loved that West also didn't pull punches when he talked to Gideon. The relationship between West and Sherrie was great, and I enjoyed their banter regarding their professional relationship.

Tiffany and Rowdy "met" when both were more than a little intoxicated. Rowdy was home on leave and looking for some action. Tiffany was attempting to forget the mess that her life was, with a father who had just gone to prison and a husband who filed for divorce because of it. The sparks between them were immediate and intense. They didn't expect to see each other again, as Tiffany went back to her life and Rowdy left on another deployment. When he returned, Rowdy was shocked to find out that Tiffany was pregnant and planned to give the baby up for adoption.

Rowdy is an honorable guy, and he heads home to make things right with Tiffany. He comes on very strong, insisting that the best thing to do is marry and raise the baby themselves. He doesn't take into account that he and Tiffany don't know each other, that she has her own life to live, and that he is gone more than he is home. Tiffany is shocked to see Rowdy after such a long time, and pretty skeptical of his reasons for not getting in touch. She has enough on her plate, supporting her mother and grandmother, and a baby is more than she thinks she can handle. She has put a lot of thought into her options and isn't happy to have Rowdy trying to interfere.

Both Rowdy and Tiffany irritated me through a good share of the book. Rowdy is pushy and doesn't seem to pay much attention to the reasons Tiffany wants to give the baby up at first. Then he thinks about the changes it could mean to his life, and suddenly he starts waffling back and forth over what he wants to do. Unfortunately, it seems more about the effects on him than what is best for the baby. My problem with Tiffany was her lack of confidence in her ability to handle raising a baby. She also let her pride get in the way. Even when Rowdy made it clear that he would provide support, even if she didn't want to marry him, she looked at that as a cop-out. The redeeming factor was that neither one wanted to give up the baby, they were just letting their fears dictate their actions.

I did enjoy the development of their relationship. It was fun to see Rowdy insert himself into Tiffany's life, making himself indispensable to her mother and grandmother. He was also sweet and protective of her. I liked seeing him take her shopping, then care for her when she had problems. Tiffany is wary of letting herself fall for Rowdy. She's been let down before and doesn't want to risk it again. But being around Rowdy scrambles her brains and her insides, and he is starting to convince her that maybe they can make it work. There are still some challenges that come up, such as when he gets called for a mission and doesn't bother to let her know he has to leave town for a while. And when Rowdy loses a friend on that mission, he starts to wonder if Tiffany was right all along. I did like how they made up their minds at the end. The epilogue was good.

The secondary characters were interesting. I liked Rowdy's family. They weren't shy about giving him advice, but they also gave their support no matter what his decision was. Both his dad and his brother made some very good points. Tiffany's mom and grandmother were both pretty odd. Both of them latch on to the idea of Tiffany and Rowdy getting married and nothing will convince them otherwise. Tiffany's mom, Gigi, seems to be in a world of her own most of the time, ignoring their changed circumstances. Grandmother Pearl had her own quirks and was pretty talented at finding ways to keep Rowdy close to Tiffany. I also liked Rowdy's SEAL friends and ached for their loss.

I can’t imagine how Maisey felt when she found out that her husband was already married! Then to learn that the only reason he wanted her was to have a baby because his wife couldn’t conceive. After the baby was born, Maisey wasn’t needed so she would be killed.

Lucky for Maisey, her mother suspected something was wrong so she called ex-Navy SEAL and life-long friend Nash Adamson to find Maisey. Of course, he agreed to bring her home. Nash knew this would be a hard rescue mission for him because he and Maisey had been so close when they were younger. Actually, she had turned him down when he proposed after high school because she didn’t want to be a military wife. Nash had moved on and married. But his life had not been easy. He had lost his wife and son but couldn’t get his head around the fact that they are gone so he hasn’t been working with the team for about a year. He planned this rescue on his own. Not an easy job. Especially running through the Everglades with an 8-months pregnant woman and her ex’s hired guns trying to kill them. Well, kill him. She had to be kept alive until she had the baby.

I loved the way this book showed SEALs to be so capable. They handled terrifying but exciting situations quickly and efficiently. What a horrible ordeal Maisey went through to get away from her ex. She was a bit naive so it was hard for her to accept the despicable man he was since he had been so charming before they were ‘married’.

This was an exciting, action-packed adventure. I liked the romance and flash-backs showing Maisey and Nash as children and teens. It let us see the relationship this pair had all their lives.

I really liked this story and recommend it if you like romantic suspense with lots of action.

Oh good grief. Another "emergency" c-section. Maybe authors should actually double check the facts.... being part of the whole mainline to get women to give up the power and experience of childbirth is just too over the top. Please note that medically, it is within normal range for a baby's heartbeat to have decels. The real health problem here was the mother's blood pressure and likely preecclampsia.

I was not able to really connect with the characters here. They were selfish and self centered. I found myself not really caring what the outcome was at several points. The plotline was good and did carry the energy, but I was unable to give more than 2.5 stars.

Wow! This book is amazing and now I am desperate for book number 2, unfortunately I don't have those details but I wish I did
This book is ultimately about two very damaged people, one very successful and the other in hiding. They are attracted to each other, but as you would expect from two damaged people, their highs are as high as the tops of mountains and their lows are lower than the deepest crater. Add to that some crazy arse friends who create mayhem and destruction everywhere they go.
I honestly can’t even tell you just how much I truly LOVE Ella and Liam’s characters, truly this book is completely mind blowing!
This book is amazing and I cried all the way through the book, the story is amazing, the writing smooth and the characters are whole, and you all know I can't stand half-baked characters. Control is truly a fabulous book, but there is one thing I HATE about the book...it ends one a cliffhanger!!! So now I am going to be emotionally wrecked till the next book is released.
I give Control an amazing 9.5 out of 10.

I was excited to get my teeth in to Possess, I had heard that it was an emotional and gritty book; but I honestly had no idea just how emotional it was.

This story is about to abused people, who fall in love and then their world explodes around them. You see Liam proposes to Ella; and while Ella is delighted that Liam wants to marry her; she can’t as she is already married to a monster. Liam, who was originally devastated that Ella is married (although on some level he knew); picks himself up and chargers in to freeing Ella from her nightmare…and there I am going to leave it as I don’t want to give too much of the story away.

I think I literally started to cry from half way through the first chapter, all the way until the end. There are some parts where I had such a huge visceral response, that I had to walk away from the book. It is truly not for the faint of heart and if you are looking for the sweet Happily Ever After without any real emotion…yeah this book is not for you! The writing is smooth and from what I could see, the author had well researched the domestic and child abuse themes.

So on to my feelings on the book. I have to say that I really appreciate the format, it is written where both of the main characters POV (which I have to say I LOVED). Liam’s character goes first, and to be honest, by the end of that first chapter I was set to absolutely detest Ella (female lead), and my heart completely bled for Liam. But after a few chapters, I began to like her and by the end, she is truly one of my favorite heroines. There were many other supporting characters’ that I enjoyed, but none who truly stood out for me as a show stopper.

Possess was a fantastic book to read, but not a light hearted in anyway. This book earned 8 out of 10 from me. But one word of warning though! You WILL become addicted to this book!

I usually don't read stepbrother stories but I thought I would give this one a try since it is by Ms. Altom. I'm glad I did. I loved it! It's well written and has a little of everything. There's mystery, humor and suspense. The characters are likable, well developed and easy to connect with. I can't wait to read more in this series.

ARC received via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Last in the Buckhorn series and the best of them. Wyatt and Natalie have been pals since elementary school. Nat is pregnant with a man who ran out on her when she got pregnant, and Wyatt just found out he's sterile. They lean on each other as friends, then it becomes much more.

Second in the Weed Gulch series. Widowed dad has spoiled his kindergarten twins, and doesn't take advice from their single kindergarten teacher very well…even if she's right. Getting them together and staying together was rather clumsy and forced. Hopefully the next book is better.½

When Dr. Wren shows up on Cash's ranch 6 months after a steamy vegas night, pregnant, the confirmed bachelor doesn't want love or marriage - and neither does Wren. But after she faints, and then is diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, she has no choice but the stay with Cash for the duration of the pregnancy...and let things work themselves out.

I am loving this new series by Ms Altom! Action packed and full of suspense, this is one story you will not want to put down. The characters are endearing, easy to connect with and well developed. I highly recommend this quick read and can't wait to read the next book.

Copy received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Check out my review and two teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2013/01/disappointmentville-operation-...

Good book dealing with a difficult subject. Wiley has come home to Montana a far different man than he left. Thanks to the injuries he sustained in the war, he has had to leave the service. The memories of what happened haunt him, and the pain gives him no peace. He has isolated himself on his ranch and avoids contact with everyone, until Macy forces herself into his life.

Macy is the single mother of a little boy, living on her grandparents' property next to Wiley's. She doing her own hiding after discovering that he husband was a lying cheat. She'd always had a huge crush on him, and having him back in town is like a dream come true - until a run in with him shows her how much he's changed. Common sense tells her to stay away from him, but her heart says she can help him.

I will admit to having moments of extreme frustration with both of them. Wiley has been coping with the pain in his leg by drinking instead of taking the painkillers the doctor prescribed. He has seen friends get addicted to them, so he wants nothing to do with them. Instead, he gets addicted to alcohol. When the pain is bad, he is really rude and mean to Macy when she comes by. He feels bad and apologizes, and lets her talk him into trying to help him. I liked the way that she takes his booze away and gets him to take his pills. Unfortunately, he totally forgets about his fear of getting addicted to them, and liking the way they reduce his pain, quickly starts taking too many. He lies to himself, believing that he can stop anytime, and to Macy, hiding just how many he's taking.

Macy is so happy to have Wiley back that she ignores all the things that others try to tell her. She sees that he is in pain and knows that the drinking doesn't help, so she pretty much forces her way into his life. Her husband's betrayal has done a number on her self confidence, but Wiley's presence makes her feel good again. Though she knows Wiley's problems are probably worse than he admits, she can't help dreaming and believing that being together is all that they need to overcome them. She even convinces him that marriage is the way to go.

Wiley's problems only get worse. He is so determined to make Macy believe that everything is fine, that his abuse of the pills rapidly spirals out of control. His mood swings get worse as he struggles to hide it all from her. There are also several episodes of flashbacks where he "checks out", making her worry about him even more. She senses that things aren't right, but ignores those feelings, choosing to believe him instead. It was obvious that it was all going to fall apart eventually, and it wouldn't be pretty when it did.

I did like the realistic portrayal of the problems some returning service members have. Wiley's alcohol and drug abuse aren't unusual, nor were his attempts to isolate himself. Macy's actions were also believable, as she wanted to believe that he was getting better. Ignoring her fears made it easier to do so. I ached for Wiley and Macy when he finally hit bottom and they had to face the truth. I loved that she didn't give up on him. I also liked the way that Macy's father, being a former service member himself, was able to recognize what was going on. His assistance and support were vital to getting Wiley the help that he needed. I really liked the fact that the resolution wasn't a quick or easy fix, but one they had to work at. There was a really sweet twist at the end.

I loved the part that the various animals played in Wiley's life. It was funny to see the way that the vet kept bringing more in need of rescue as a way to give Wiley a reason to face each day. I also adored Macy's llamas. Their names were especially amusing, with the male being Charlie, and the four females being Jill, Chris, Kelly and Sabrina. It didn't take too long to make the connection.

Fast paced with danger and suspense, this is a great start to the new SEAL Team: Disavowed series! I loved this story. It is well written with lots of action and unexpected complications. I found it hard to put down and wanted to know what was going to happen next. I can't wait to read the next one!

ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent wrap up of Liam and Ella's story! After Liam's stunning proposal and the realization that Ella is still married to her monster of a husband this couples future looks dark. With incredible twists and turns this story had me glued to the pages. Full of suspense, darkness, and unending love, this is one book you will want to read. I highly recommend it.

WOW! I truly enjoyed this book! It is filled with dark pasts and buried secrets that keep you turning the pages as quickly as possible. When Ella and Liam meet the attraction is immediate but fear keeps Ella from giving in to it. Her need to have control of her life warns her that Liam is trouble. Liam's need for control over every aspect of his life makes him determined to get Ella into his life for as long as he wanted her. And the struggle begins.

I highly recommend this book but keep in mind it is only the first part of the story. There will be another book continuing the storyline.

Very enjoyable read! Slightly predictable, (I mean come on Nathan!)but overall very entertaining.

While attending the wedding of the woman he loves to another man, Nathan turns to the only other person who can understand how he's feeling. Carol Moore, Liam's personal assistant and former lover knows all to well how Nathan feels, so what could one night of comfort in each others arms hurt?? When things start taking a turn to serious, will either of them end up with their heart in tact?

I definitely recommend this one.