Reviews by SoCalReader

Pretty good book. I loved the heroes, all had distinct and different personalities. I really liked that Kenzie knew shifters existed and was actually intrigued by the . That was a bit of a twist and a nice change from the usual "heroine being totally in the dark" thing that usually happens. However, as much as I liked the characters, and particularly the emotion of losing an important character in the series, the story of the foursome kind of lost steam as it went along. The book started off great but petered out toward the end. I liked that Kenzie got an education from previous heroines about what being a mate entailed, but so many characters being around took away from Kenzie and her mates IMO. I just eater the foursome to have time ALONE and they rarely got any. So, for me that was disappointing made to book not as fulfilling as it could be.

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What a way to end the series (assuming this is the end)! Great, suspenseful story all the way through. I was a little skeptical of just how Harley, Jack, Turbo and Covan would end up in Salvation with Bailey, Brady and Slogan to protect Donata. Kudos to the Ms. Dwyer who, despite making me feel so invested in the initial foursome, was able to integrate the later trio so well. I love the danger and suspense that permeated the story. The heroes were outstanding. I even liked that they fought with each other. Very realistic. Finally. Donata was fantastic. Tough, smart, but vulnerable too. Overall, this is one of the best books in the series and perhaps also the most well rounded.

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Good book, very enjoyable. Alessa's hesitation was understandable and made complete sense (which has not always been the case in in some books in the series). The heroes were great as usual. I especially liked the nice sized epilogue. I am eagerly awaiting Donata's book based on the trouble she seems to be in in this one.

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Very good. Just a really interesting read. I liked all the characters--they were interesting and I always felt like there was a lot of underlying "stuff" roiling just below the surface that was sometimes addressed, and sometimes not. I was especially surprised at the darkness in Jake and the way Max mastered him and Ally, giving them separate "moments" alonewith Max. I didn't quite buy Jake's reasoning for keeping secrets but his turmoil was compelling. If I had cone complaint, it'd be that the trio had been in a relationship for quite a while and I felt like I walked into the middle of their story. The author was good about filling in their pasts and how the came together, but I still felt a little cheated out of their early relationship. I wanted more, which really just means I was invested in the characters. I'd love a prequel to this book. Overall, just a really nice, emotional book.

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Just OK. I liked Alda and the heroes but didn't find the plot very interesting. I though the way Alda and the men had so many misunderstandings (particularly after sex)--the way each jumped to conclusions seemed childish. I've noticed a pattern with some installments in the series. I find the secondary heroines really interesting and am eager to see them get their own books. But then when they do get their own stories, half the time it's a let down. The fun, feisty person we were initially introduced to doesn't show up in their own book. Alda was so interesting in previous books, but in this one she was a bit flat and uncertain. Anyway, despite the anticlimactic ending, I LOVED the epilogue which was heartwarming and sweet.

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3.5 stars. Pretty good but light on actual storyline. The Cortez storyline seemed a bit contrived and out of the blue. Fina seemed to have a stalkers all over the place. Also, the story was too similar to Made Men 5 (Rayanna & Dmitri's book) with the sex slave and imprisonment angle. . The best thing about this book was the heroes. Loved Hadeon, Andriy and Paulo and am really enjoying the the insertion of Russians in this series starting with Dmitri. So, I give the heroes an A, Fina a C because she wasn't very defined and didn't show any of the personality we saw in previous books, and storyline a C. I'm looking forward to Alda's book but hope it lives up to expectations.

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I have mixed feelings about this book. The main problem was that I didn't care much for Giada. There were a few times I liked her--when she was at the cemetery visiting her old fiancé, I felt her confusion and pain, but also hope for the future, and I liked her occasional feistiness. But more often than not I found her wishy washy and easily manipulated. She just came across as weak to me and for no good reason. Her backstory, while she had a tragic past loss, didn't explain to me why she was so easily manipulated by everyone around her (her co-worker, her uncle etc.). As for the heroes, I liked them much more than Giada. They were extremely patient with her and caring. Finally, I didn't think the storyline with Giada's business, the Cubans was very clear or interesting. The major villain that was revealed was much more interesting, but came late in the story. Overall, this was unfortunately not one of my favorites in the series., but I am intrugued about what Fina's story will be.

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Wow. I've been curious about Dmitri ever since his appearance in Armored Hearts (Town of Pearl 7). When he didn't have a book the American Soldier series (where he was briefly mentioned and given the Russian-heavy plots there), I thought maybe Dixie had forgotten about him. I should have known better. This book was GREAT! Dmitri was wonderful! Cold, demanding, powerful and in control. I loved him, even though I would have totally chafed under his rules just as Rayanna did. I think what made it work and easier to take his controlling ways was the danger she was in. It was real and present and Rayanna was smart. I liked that she didn't have any crazy TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) moments like most heroines, who try to escape or sneak away from protection for a contrived reason. The dynamic between her and Dmitri was great and hot, hot, hot. This book was serious and harsh at times, particularly for Rayanna. I'm glad Ms. Dwyer spent a decent amount of time on the aftermath of Rayanna's ordeal and the epilogue. My one complaint of her books has been the rushed endings 95% of the time. There was more time at the end in this one, and the story benefited greatly. Finally, a total shout out to seeing old characters from the Am Soldier series---Star, Border, Lucca, Crane (Nalya's men), Nicolai, etc. This is now the best installment in the series so far (replacing The Red Slipper which was very good).

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Good book. I liked the strength and power Collin and Fedarro exuded. I also enjoyed Gisella's strength and confidence as a successful career woman. I do wish there had been more action/movement in the plot. We've been told in previous books that Fedarro and Collin basically are the heads of the family business. So the plot involving Gisella's friendship with her ex's cousins seemed.....small. Not quite worthy of the "bigness" of Fedarro and Collin's stature in the family and the series, if that makes sense. I wanted more drama and action and suspense. Gisella's ex's cousins and their business dealings weren't very interesting amd didn't create a sense of urgency and danger despite a shooting here and there. So, that part was disappointing. Still, I loved the trio even if their story wasn't quite ans compelling as it could have been, because the characters themselves grabbed me the whole time.

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Nice start to a new series. I really enjoyed the world Ms. Malkin created of angels and demons with humans caught in their war. Loved the heroes and heroine and I liked the gritty, viciousness of the villain. My only complaint is that in some scenes, it was hard to tell what was going on. One minute the heroes are talking with Faith, the next, another character pops into the conversation out of nowhere. Some of the transitions from scene to scene were a bit jarring. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series. Also, I hope one day we'll see a "prequel" so that we get to see how Mira and her mates found each other 1000 yrs ago.

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This has been the best book in the series so far. Hopefully I will be able to say that about the next book and the next, etc.

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A wonderful, deeply emotional story. Loved it, and can't wait for the next installment of this new series.

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I'd give this 3.5 if I could. I must admit, I love Dixie but can't say I love this series so far. It's OK, but I'm not feeling the stories and characters like I have in previous series. I was excited to read Adalin's story because her appearance in Bella's book was so intriguing. In this book, I liked Adalina self sufficiency and I felt for her and the situation she was put in by her family. I also liked Sunny and Vinny but we didn't really get to know them or their business. They felt a bit like side chacacters in their own book. All they really did was chase Adalina, which wasn't all tha compelling since it only took a couple of times cornering her in the back of restaurants. They were in the dark about Adalina's secret and were in the dark about who was framing them. They just came across as very passive or inactive characters. They were alphas, but never got to SHOW it. The story didn't allow them to. So, I was disappointed in this book after having such high hopes. I'll definitely continue with the series; I just hope the writing and characters go deeper, as they have in other series.

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I'm a little torn about this book--wavering between a 3.5 and a 4 rating. Overall, I liked it but I can't say I truly liked Leslie and Jordan. After finishing the the book, they still remain sort of a mystery to me. I think I understood Jordan more--his need for control, particularly after losing Leslie--he loved her desperately but could he ever fully trust her again? By the end of the book, it still didn't seem he could. Also, he was so controlling, even early on, that it was kind of creepy. As for Leslie, I had a much harder time with her. Her personality changed overnight after marrying the senator. The author told us her personality changed because she wanted to be a stronger person for Jordan. To prove herself. Eh, it didn't ring true for me. She went from meek to being a crusader for justice overnight. So, I liked the darker feel of the book but there were a lot of holes and things that didn't make sense or made me roll my eyes a lot.

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Pretty good. I'm intrigued by the shifter worked portrayed in this book and I'm looking forward to reading about Rachel in hopefully an upcoming book, as well as Logan and perhaps this Emily he fel in love with long ago. As for Anna, Marus ans Derek, I liked them. I especially liked Derek's personality. I do think the chacacters could use more depth though. I didn't feel liked we truly got to know Derek and Marcus. Their portrayal, when compared to Anna (and to some extent, even Logan) felt a bit superficial. Like there could have been more, and there was maybe a bit more development with Derek, but the author didn't go deep at all with the heroes. I hope in future books she spends more time on the hero or heroes and makes us really feel their intent and emotions.

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Love this author but this was not one of my favorites. Bella, the heroine, and the heroes Major and Mateus, didn't meet until nearly halfway thru the book. Their first "date" occured past the 50% mark on my reader. I figure this was due to Ms. Dwyer needing to set up this new series, establish the various characters and connections between families etc. But the result was a lot of mafia talk and not enough romance. When Major, Mateus and Bella finally did come together, it was hot but also slightly cold because of the circumstances and because we never got to know them deeply. They met, fell in love over a weekend, all hell broke loose then got resolved, in the span of a week. The one thing I did love, was the book NOT ending abruptly. One of my biggest (and very few) criticisms of Ms. Dwyer is that the endings always feel rushed. In this book, while the overall relationship was rushed, there was a nice chapter after the drama ended where the men took care of Bella. I really liked that and hope we get more "aftermaths" like that. Also, I'm really looking forward to Adalina's story with Vincent and Sunny and am super intrigued with Rayana's backstory.

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3.5 stars. This was a 4 star book until the last few chapters. When the main trio was isolated, on their own trying to survive and get home I enjoyed the book. Once other characters showed up near the end (specifically Mari's friends who were the leads in previous books) I lost interest. Also, the danger to Mari near the end was wrapped up in 2 seconds. Very anti-climactic. Finally, all the heroines in this series are spunky and sassy which is generally good, but can feel out out of place in a futuristic story where the women are in a totally foreign environment. I like the author's writing but not always the tone she uses which often feels too light hearted for the circumstances.

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Good book. I was on my way to giving it 5 stars because I loved the way the heroes pursued Essie, the way each of the men had different personalities and I felt so much compassion for Essie and the trauma she went thru. I couldn't give it 5 stars because the ending and epilogue were so rushed. Too neatly wrapped up like nothing had happened at all. So, that was disappointing. Still, I enjoyed the book as a whole, as I almost always do with this author. She is great and I look forward to her next series!

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Good book. It took awhile for the main story to get started. There was a lot of set up in the beginning, with Precious, her sister, the sister's boyfriend, as well as Precious' military friend. Because there was so much story set up, I didn't feel like we got to know the heroes enough. They could've been more fleshed out or maybe the book should have been longer to allow their relationship with Precious to build more. It kind of felt like she and the heroes met, then everyone sort of avoided each other, then suddenly they were all making out and professing strong feelings. Once they got together I loved it. I just with there had been more sexual tension and build up. Still, overall this was a good story. I really liked Precious and her self sufficient attitude. I'm definitely looking forward to Essie's upcoming book.

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Great book. I'd been looking forward to Cherie's story for a long time. Cherie was great---I really felt for her, trying to make it in New York, struggling to be a successful businesswoman and overcoming a cheating ex. I loved Vincent, as he was the one in previous books to approach her and the 1st to consider changing his life for her. All the men were great but the reason I can't give this 5 stars is that we hardly saw Vylo and Salvatore. I'm sure it must be hard for the author to give time to so many characters, but I felt like I barely knew those 2 heroes and if they weren't there, I probably wouldn't have noticed much. So, that was disappointing because not all of the men felt fleshed out. Still, I loved the gritty, suspenseful, terrorism angle and I'm so happy Cherie got her happy ending.

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Good. It was a little weird though, as all the previous books in the series centered around a bunch of friends finding love one by one. This book's heroine, Berlin, was completely unconnected to the other heroines in the series. And the heroes here were only tangentially connected to previous heroes in the series. So, I'm not quite sure if I liked the disconnect or not. I know I was really happy to see Cherie again and am excited to read her book with Venetia's brothers. This book, while fine, felt more like a Solders of Pearl or American Soldier book. Good, but felt out of place or not in sync with the series IMO.

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More like 3.5 stars. For some reason, I just couldn't get into this story as much as I did Book 1 of the series. It took me almost a week to read, when it usually only takes a couple of days. I liked Bella and the story started off great, with her still grieving her sister's death and her sister's ex stalking her. But from there, the story got very slow and was fairly boring. Even the serial killer angle (continued from Book 1) didn't hold my attention. The heroes were OK but I didn't feel a great connection between them and Bella except at the very end, when her life was on the line. Speaking of the ending--it was very abrupt. I realize the serial killer storyline will continue in the next books, but Bella's part in it felt rushed and like it was thrown in just because..... I'll continue reading this series but this was not a very exciting or interesting read.

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Good book. It's nice to read a good MMF story. I enjoyed the characters amd the way their relationship grew over a short period of time. Alex was a strong, but loving Dom, a,d I especially liked the way he guided Emma, with the help of Trevor, as she was so new to the lifestyle. It was also great to see Angela, Lawrence amd Wolf again at such a monumental point in their lives---Angela's story remains one of my favorite book, ever. My biggest complaint about the story was how quickly things started. I realize that all 3 characters seem to have been intro'd in previous books, but I didn't read those books. So it was really weird and jarring for Alex to just announce a few pages in, that he wanted Emma and would have her. Likewise, him basically saying he loved her and then later, upon meeting Trevor, instantly those 2 starting something the same night....It all felt too fast. Not enough background or set up--especially since this is a new series. The author shouldn't expect us to know or understand about characters who were introduced in a different series. There was some background about Trevor's relationship with his brother and Emma's friendship with Gwen but...in terms of Alex & Emma? Not enough at all. Still, I did like that despite the quickness of everything, the threesome talked a lot and I felt the emotional connection between them. Overall, a nice story and a series I would like to see continue.

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Loved this book. After reading Tequila Sunrise, I remarked on how this series was so different b/c all the heroines were career women, which I loved, and they were all so strong and self-sufficient. Then we get Rose's story. Rose is a struggling artist, not successful yet, mired in debt and unlike all the other heroines in this series, is not particularly capable in terms of business or self defense. And yet, I LOVER HER. She struggled, but she was resilient. She said herself, that she wore rose colored glasses sometimes---something that usually makes me rolls my eyes at a heroine's naïveté---but kudos to Ms. Dwyer, she made it work. Rose not believing she'd ever be touched by violence was totally realistic. I mean, what average person would? Granted her friends seemed to have had some crazy situations, but whatever--I'm going to ignore that lol. My point is, Rose came off as real--just as real as the previous heroines who were successful businesswomen. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved her and "got" her POV. As for the heroes--sigh. Was dying to read about Mercury and was not disappointed. Hot, hot hot. They all were but I loved the control and responsibity Merc had. I even liked his coldness. It made sense. My only complaint is that some the men got a lot more "screen time" than others. Remo had the least to do all story long. Slade also not enough. Even Mercury who was so intriguing from the previous book and opened this one, kind of disappeared for a while. It seemed like Falco and Rome got most of screen time. If anything, I wish the development of the heroes had been more equal, with Mercury deserving perhaps the most time as their leader. Still, a wonderful book that I'm sure I will re-read many times.

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Great book. Loved the Mondave brothers--so hot and domineering. Pina was excellent as well. I loved that she was confident, spoke up for herself, and didn't let even the heroes push her around. She was a great balance of strength and vulnerability. I think the women in this series are some of the strongest and best the author has written. They are career women, successful in their own right. I think it's great and can't wait to read Rose's story with the James brothers!

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