Book Review: Illicit Temptations by Katee Robert

Illicit Temptations is two spicy, explicit novellas from Katee Robert’s Forbidden Games mini series in one novel. 

Make Me Yours is the first of the two short stories. 3 months ago fitness instructor Becka Baudin had a one night stand with Aaron Livingstone, the best of his life, then she walked away. Fast forward to now and she has to tell him she is pregnant. He is thrilled as he was procrastinating about how he could get her back in his life. He persuades her to move into his Manhattan apartment but she is determined not to be drawn into his flashy lifestyle. He needs to prove that he is not just the baby’s father but can also a suitable partner. Can it be done? 

Make Me Need tells the story of  Trish Livingstone and Cameron O’Clery. Trish needs a new job and so ends up working for Cameron (who is very grumpy) and her brother. They are opposites in terms of character. She is full of optimism and happiness, he is grumpy and abrupt. They know they shouldn’t have a fling as that could ruin friendships and business relationships. They cross the invisible line but how will it affect them? 

I didn’t really enjoy either of these books. They are Dare reprints so raunchier than the Modern series but not as explicit as Black Lace novels. I felt they sort of fell flat. They were rushed and didn’t let the reader Get to know or gel with the characters. I wouldn’t reread. 

 I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

#Win & Review: LittleSilverHedgehog Flower Garden Pendant with a Butterfly and Gemstone Flowers

 

This pendant (£80) is solid recycled silver and is inspired by the jewellery maker and hedgehog rescuer’s garden. As always a percentage of the sale goes towards the cost of running a hedgehog rescue centre.

 The pendant measures around 1.9cm in diameter and  is handmade from recycled materials. The pendant is circular and has three raised flowers with a tiny gemstone in the centre of each one. The silver is brushed giving the piece a natural, organic look and feel. There is a 3D very detailed butterfly flying past them. The chain is a chunky sterling silver link chain with a lobster clasp. 

The pendant is packaged in a brown little box embossed with a little silver hedgehog and “Little Silver Hedgehog”. 

All Emma’s jewellery is handmade and has a nature theme to it. I have always gravitated towards the hedgehog themed items but she also has a wide range of nature themed items which includes badgers, squirrels, flowers and butterflies. This would make a perfect gift for yourself or someone else. 

Enter link >> Twitter Link

I am holding a competition to win this pendant over on my X (formerly Twitter account).

Rules:

Follow @susan1375:

Like, comment and retweet the competition post;

Competition is open worldwide.

Closing date 02 January 11.59 GMT 2025

#win Chamilia Sterling Silver Bowtique Minnie Mouse Necklace & Earrings

 

Anyone remember Chamilia which was a Swarovski owned company? They closed in 2020. They did several collaborations with Disney and Harry Potter. They weren’t cheap but were well made and aimed more for the adult market than children. The pieces weren’t screaming Disney but if you were a fan you knew. 

I purchased a few pieces when stores were selling the jewellery items off, put them in a box in my prize cupboard and forgot about them. I found it when I was emptying out the cupboard of doom last week, so for the next few months I will be giving items away. 

The first prize I shall be giving away is the Minnie Mouse Bowtique Sterling Silver necklace and studs (for pierced ears). I have 2 sets so shall give away one here and one on Instagram- you can enter both. The Bowtique set is very understated- the earrings are tiny sterling silver Minnie bows set with sparkling crystals. The sterling silver necklace has a small built in extender and a larger bow which matches the studs. 

Links to the competitions:

Rafflecopter competition >> a Rafflecopter giveaway

Instagram competition >> IG post

RULES:

BLOG COMPETITION: 

To enter my Rafflecopter competition you must:

Complete the compulsory rafflecopter option;

Complete other Rafflecopter options for extra entries;

Competition is open internationally;

Closing date is 02 January 2025 11.59pm GMT

This competition is not affiliated with Swarovski, Blogger or Rafflecopter I purchased the item myself. Any questions please contact me. 

INSTAGRAM: 

To enter the Instagram competition you must:

Follow my account;

Like and comment on the competition post;

Like and comment on other posts for extra entries;

Competition is open worldwide;

Closing date is 02 January 11.59pm GMT

This competition is not affiliated with Swarovski, META, Facebook or Instagram. I purchased the item myself. Any questions please contact me.  

Book Review: Billionaire's Runaway Wife by Rosie Maxwell

Billionaire’s Runaway Wife is written by Rosie Maxwell, one of Mills & Boon Modern’s newer authors. 

Rae ran away from her billionaire husband, Domenico Ricci, because she feared she was losing her self as her mum had done, becoming totally obsessed and controlled by her husband. After leaving him she established her own bridal gown design business and found herself again. She returns to Venice as Domenico’s Aunt has died and she wants to attend the funeral. When the will is read she finds out she has to stay in the Venetian Palazzo with Domenico for 6 months or he will not inherit it. She agrees and moves back to Venice. During their enforced time together she finds out about her husband’s childhood: how he was so poor Lily treated by his mother and her family. She starts to understand him. He also realises her fears and issues and helps her achieve her ambition. Will they be able to overcome their childhood traumas and build a life together? 

I enjoyed the premise of the book rather than the book itself. The characters weren’t particularly likeable or relatable to the reader and there were loose ends that the book didn’t address - Domenico’s awful mother, for example, was brought into the storyline and then never mentioned again. This was a once only read for me. I wouldn’t rush to reread.

 I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

Win/Review: Little Silver Hedgehog Floral Butterfly sterling Silver Pendant

  I have been reviewing and giving away Little Silver Hedgehog hedgehog jewellery since 2021. Emma does, however, make a lovely range of nature inspired jewellery made from recycled silver. 

 This floral butterfly sterling silver pendant is £55. Each one is handmade. The butterfly measures 2x2.5 cm and it is suspended on an 18” sterling link chain with a lobster clasp. It is packaged in LittleSilverHedgehog branded packaging.  The butterfly is very tactile and intricate. The front has a raised floral design whilst the back is flat so it is comfortable to wear. The chain is nice and chunky, looks great against winter clothes. As always a percentage of all sales goes to Emma’s hedgehog rescue, so not only are you getting a beautiful piece of jewellery but you are helping the hoggies too! 

 Now to how to win this necklace. I am running the competition over on X (formerly Twitter). Just follow me, like the competition post and comment below the post saying how you help the local wildlife during this freezing snowy weather. 

C/d is 1/12 11.59 GMT

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 

Book Review: The Anti-Social Season by Adele Buck

 

The Anti-Social Season is written by Adele Buck and published by Mills & Boon as part of their newish contemporary Afterglow series. Thea Martinelli is a burnt out firefighter who is starting a new career as social media officer for the fire service. Simon Osman is a librarian and social media coordinator who has been tasked with showing Thea the ropes and how social media work. Simon had a crush on Thea on school but she doesn’t remember him. Sparks fly between the pair but can they stop living in the past and move on to a future together?

I enjoyed that this novel is contemporary with a reversal of roles. Little was made of this by the author and I feel it would have made the characters more believable if there was a bigger part of the storyline focusing on this, even if it was just Thea rescuing a kitten from a tree! Lots of humour and spicy romantic moments between the pair, and some fun little interludes with Thea’s landlady too. I didn’t enjoy the harping back to the fast. The characters needed to be focusing more on how they were to move forward in their lives. Simon appeared rather wimpy at times as he seemed to be overly upset about Thea ignoring/ not remembering him from school. The festive backdrop is a nice touch to the storyline but doesn’t overwhelm it. As an aside I hate the graphics on the Afterglow series, they make the novels look cheap and dreary. 

I would recommend this book as a quick read.

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

 

Book Review: The Woman at My Wedding by L.G. Davis

The Woman At My Wedding is the first part in the a two part series - Broken Vows. This is a psychological thriller with several twists and turns. 

Brynn and Nathan are due to get married. They live in Stoneview Florida in an upscale beach resort. Brynn owns and manages a high end artist gallery whilst Nathan is a criminal lawyer working away from home on a high profile murder case,  The defendant being Amanda Lane, in a case that could make or break his career. Debbie, Brynn’s mother in law from hell, arrives unannounced the month before the wedding is due to take place claiming she help with the wedding preparations.

This is where things start going wrong for Brynn. The only hint the reader has is “The Woman”. First the wedding cake figurines are left broken with a note threatening Brynn.  Her veil is found damaged on the beach, the venue is cancelled, money goes missing and the list goes on. Brynn suspects Debbie is behind it all but has to be careful as she knows all about Brynn’s past and she has worked hard to move away from this. 

The other two suspects are Hannah who is the florist and maid of honour and Elena who has known Nathan for years and is making Brynn’s wedding dress. 

As the wedding draws closer the problems just keep on coming! Will the woman be unmasked and will the wedding actually take place? 

A psychological thriller, full of twists and turns that keeps the reader engrossed in the tale. The main characters seem at first to be mundane and average but as the plot progresses they become more complex and interesting, the book is written using a dual perspective using the voices of Brynn and the unknown woman. This is a clever storytelling device and I enjoyed reading the plot from their perspectives.

An enjoyable read that could have been confusing and dragged but due to the fast paced storyline kept the reader’s attention. I am looking forward to reading the second one in the series. 

I received this book via Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for a honest review