Whiskey Sour Noir by Mickey J Corrigan

Reviewed by Shirley Buchanan

What a different kind of tale presented in just a few pages. Not a love story with sweet, tender dates accompanied by flowers and chocolates, while living in fancy houses, driving nice cars and planning romantic outings, but a glimpse as two people try to navigate their daily lives through a harsh existence to find love.

Focusing on the seedier side of Dusty Beach, this story follow a young woman, Tami Lee Conkers, as she wanders through her life working at the DIC, frequenting the local bars, and taking a tumble in anybody's bed. Such as it was, she was satisfied with her life, never wanting anything different, until she meets Cat Avery, the hunky new bartender at her favorite haunt. When one quick roll in the hay turns into a live in situation, she convinces herself that maybe this could be a lot more. Former unfamiliar feelings of affection, the fantastic sex and a satisfying contentment make unusual questions begin to pour into her mind. Has she shortchanged herself? Could they have a future together? Why couldn't she reach for the stars and fly?

Stripped of everything and labeled a criminal, Cat Avery got a job at a questionable bar named the Kettle Fish, seeing only a bleak future in front of him. Convinced he had been framed, but seeing no way to prove it, he worked, slept and pondered his situation until the gorgeous woman drifted into the bar. Instant attraction proceeded a somewhat satisfactory live-in arrangement. Although temporarily satisfied with his life, he couldn't let the idea go that he had been framed. Feelings for her might be trying to form, but could he contemplate their future together, if he didn't correct his past? Was it even possible to have his successful life back? Could he have it all?

This quick and easy read weaves a story around two people desperately trying to find their place in life. Packed in just a few short pages were a wide range of emotions. Very interesting, thought provoking and entertaining. I would recommend this story to any other readers who want a different kind of love story.

I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.

4/5 stars                                 Could they have a happily ever after?

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Reviewed by Desere

Very realistic true life read! A sexy short read about Tami and Cat. Cat has been framed for a crime he did not commit and as we all know most of these "I did not do it" crimes the "offender" goes to jail and when they come out they have lost everything from house to car to reputation.

This is exactly what Cat has to face, but he believes he can prove who framed him, all he needs is Tami's help. Understandably she does not really want to trust him, I mean most offenders say " I didn't do it" so why would you want to trust them?

A really sexy and fun read about two people both finding something they did not know they were looking for.

5/5 star review 

" Everyone deserves a chance in this messed up world we live in"


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Reviewed by Maria

Mickey J. Corrigan writes romance fiction which is really hard to categorize at times.  She writes romance, but it’s not your champagne and flowers type of romance complete with a playboy prince to romance you with a background score of lush violins.  Your hero could be an ex-con who is out on parole. Instead of champagne, it’s a small whiskey with a beer chaser and hey, where are my roses?  And the sex?  It’s strictly down market.  Cheap hotels which rent rooms by the hour.  If you’re lucky.  Otherwise, you may find yourself making out by the dustbins down a back alley somewhere, shoulder to shoulder with a couple of alley cats howling instead of the violins.  Gross?  Your words, should you choose tho think that way, not mine, baby.  But do you know what?  I freaking love her stories.  They’re real, that’s why.  Real and human and yeah, unputdownable.  Mickey J. Tells it like it is, no frills, no flounces, just in your face.  And that writing voice?  Unbe-freaking-lievable.  The woman is a born storyteller.  That’s an Irish trait, mind.  And I knew she had Irish blood in her the minute I started reading her.  I just knew it.  Tami Lee lives a quiet life in Dusky Beach, a rough end of her Florida town where a lot of people who could be classed as low life hang out.  She works hard and she gets by and she enjoys a drink.  Like all of us, she’s looking for love, for someone special to share her life with. When she meets Cat who is, yes, out on parole and I’m not even going to tell you what for, she thinks that maybe there’s something here.  Well, is there?  You gotta get your hands on this book to find out.  So if you enjoy reading about life in the raw, read some of this author’s work, beginning with this story.  The one thing which strikes me about this author is that she has a woman’s voice – but she writes like a man.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, as we say in Ireland.

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Reviewed by Nas

WHISKEY SOUR NOIR by Mickey J. Corrigan is a March 2014 release by The Wild Rose Press.

Tami Lee meets the new bartender and falls in lust with him. But he is a sex offender with a rap over his head and life. And he is obsessed because as he says, he was framed. Would he take their relationship beyond the hot fling?

Cat Avery is bent on taking revenge on who framed him. Could he move forward in his life without first finding out about it?

WHISKEY SOUR NOIR is a hilarious story but with an underlining controversial issue. It has message that not everyone is innocent or vice versa. Author Mickey J. Corrigan writes with humor. Her stories are always humorous and a pleasure to read.

Recommended to all readers.
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Reviewed by TashNz

Whiskey Sour Noir by Mickey J Corrigan is another smart, sassy, funny and to the point, quick read that packs a punch.  As are all of Mickey's stories.

We all know a Whiskey Sour is an alcoholic drink and that's your first clue this story is set in the bars.  The bar's called Kettle of Fish to be exact.  "Tami Lee Conkers, meet Mr Cat Avery"  Cat introduces Tami to the Whiskey Sour... and that's not all if you know what I mean ;)    The problem is Cat is on Parole for an offence he swears he's innocent of.  Tami wants to believe him...

A quick read, as is usual with Mickey's stories.  I was left wanting more and hope there will be more to this story!  And I must mention, I LOVE the cover!

Then Came You:A Prequel To The McPhee Clan by Jillian Hart

Reviewed by Shirley

Being an indentured servant is no picnic for the servant, but by being one, freedom can be gained. In Maebry O'Riley's case, the terms of service were doubled. Seeking a life for herself and her sister away from her cruel, lecherous stepfather, she agreed to serve the time for both of them, fourteen years, to Maureen McPhee, owner of the Rocking M Ranch in Bluebell, Montana Territory. A crueler, more strict, ungrateful taskmaster could not have possibly been found. But Maebry had her dreams. Only she would never act on them. The debt to be paid to give her the freedom to have them was too great. So she dreamed.

Love blooms under these most impossible odds. With a future uncertain once Maureen McPhee, the owner of her indentured contract dies, Maebry tries to keep the walls around her heart tall and unscaled. Wanting to discourage unwanted attentions from Lawrence Latimer, Maebry asks Gil Blackburn, the new ranch hand, to pretend to be her beau. Secretly she wishes it was true, but from a simple crush true love really does begin to blossom. Only the remaining years on her contract is a mountain neither of them can move. Gil wants to buy it from Maureen, but she refuses to sell, wanting Maebry as unhappy as she is. Maebry refuses to start a life with Gil under the same tremendous debt that wrecked her parents' lives. Through it all, true love continues to flourish. Could their love prevail? Would Maureen's heirs release her or would they simply move her away from the ranch? Or was her future to be a lonely, heartbroken spinster?

I loved this sweet, romantic story. Well developed characters weaved a gentle love story through a well executed plot. From the first page to the last, I was totally engrossed in every page. As I turned each page, I felt as if I was there in their romance, uncertainly, and sacrifice. I empathized and sympathized with their plight as they struggled to grow their love and resign themselves to a distant future happily ever after. The scenery was vividly written and the dialogue was engrossing.

I would recommend to all romance readers who want a good, clean romantic story faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. This prequel to The McPhee Clan series was very well written.

5/5 stars Could love conquer all their demons?

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Detained by Ainslie Paton

 

 Reviewed by Shirley Buchanan

From a game of truth or dare to a roller coaster ride of international scandal, this story pulls a fearless investigative reporter and reclusive billionaire on a ride that changes all they believe over and over. At the end of the ride will they be together or further apart than ever?

Having award winning reporters in both her dad and her brother, Darcy Campbell, for once, wanted to do a story that would make they sit up and take notice. Even with her job at the Herald, they had never considered her as a good reporter because what she usually wrote about crime, education, science and public companies was just fluff pieces, not ones that showed in depth investigative reporting. This new assignment investigating William Parker, recluse billionaire was just the type of reporting she needed to claim her place. Only a game of truth or dare with a hot, sexy stranger in a cold, sterile room in the bowels of the Shanghai airport started a ride with so many twists and turns she wasn't sure she could keep up. Just how was she going to present a story without bias when she was falling in love with the main subject? Was she really a good investigating reporter like she wanted to be or was she just fooling herself that he might love her back when the story was told?

Having lived so many years under the radar, William Parker still wasn't sure that he wanted to be in the public eye. Having his partner there had always worked in the past, why wasn't it good enough now? Only now he had purposely gotten detained with the reporter sent from the Herald to find out what kind of questions he would have to answer and been pleasantly surprised to find the reporter was a gorgeous woman. Now his curiosity was piqued, but the questions they shared got real personal in nature. But gorgeous or not, personal or not, there were too many things in the past that could be dangerous to him if she should learn about them. If she did and she wrote about them, the years he had worked so hard to make something of himself would be moot. Could he trust this woman to report a good story and leave the past alone or was he setting himself up for failure in his life and in the love he wanted? Just how far would this ride take them? Would they survive?

An absolutely excellent story. Well developed characters weaved an involved plot full of twists and turns. Desire, ambition, betrayal, hurt and the unexpected seem to jump out from almost every page. With the descriptions of scenery and places, you felt like you were there with them. Scenes were vividly described, and the dialogue was engaging and colorful. Secondary characters provided wonderful support to the main characters. You were pulled into the story from the first page to the last.

I would recommend this to all romance and romantic suspense readers.

I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

5/5 stars Just what had she got herself into?

Montana Homecoming by Soraya Lane

 

Reviewed by Desere 

Losing a parent is never easy, so when Amanda returns home for her father's funeral the last thing she needs is to fall head over heals for the town's bad-boy.

Yet this is exactly what she does, but with a twist. She wants to be the bad,wild reckless woman for just once and who better to have as her once in a lifetime good girl gone wild 'object' than the town's bad-boy Scott.

Only Scott is no longer the bad-boy he use to be, gone are the long hot passionate nights of meaningless sex with strange woman and in it's place is a kind , caring once in a lifetime kind of guy.

He has always wanted Amanda but instead heeded the warning from his best friend, who just happens to be Amanda's brother.

But which man in his right mind is going to be able to resist the woman of his dreams when she is all over you asking you to take her to bed for a few nights?  But when the hot, sexy nights are done will Scott be able to convince Amanda he is no longer one night stand material but the stay with me forever kind?

I loved this story to bits! Yes the "Don't go near my sister!" has been done before but what I liked is that the author looked at it from a different angle by incorporating the heroine's feelings of pain and loss. We all know that when we are in pain over the loss of a loved one we are more likely to do something out of character and this is exactly what Amanda does, this link back to real life was really great and I loved reading it play out.

Both main characters were well written and the author did a fantastic job at giving me an in depth look into their lives and how they become linked as one.

Backdrop settings and dialogue was well incorporated and had a great home-made touch to it. I am taking away the message of, it hurt's like crazy when we lose someone close to us, and no one will blame you for acting out of sorts, you are after all only human.

But when you are all done acting out of character you need to take a moment to take a look at what it is you have done to those around you whilst you were living out the new you. If you don't then you might miss the most valuable life lesson of your life.

And most importantly never judge someone based on their past, everyone deserves a second chance and anyone can change.

I recommend this read for all readers who love Soraya 's books. She always manages to deliver sweet, sensual and heart-stopping romance, and this read was no exception.

4.5 star review
" She wants him to her bad-boy, but he needs to be her everything good" 

**Copy provided by the author in exchange for a honest review 

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Reviewed By Shirley Buchanan

Having to bury a loved one has a way of making you look at what you really want to do in your own life. Do you want to change the way things are? Are you happy to keep everything the same? For Amanda, the question she most wanted to answer was did she want to be a bad girl for once, instead of the good girl she had always been. And she definitely knew the one she wanted to be bad with...the hot, sexy, bad guy on the motorcycle picking her up from the airport. In her teens, she had a massive crush on Mr. “Bad Guy”Scott and now that she is a fully grown woman, she was finally going to act on it, regardless of what anybody said. Maybe a hot little affair before she went back to New York would give her back her creativity for the upcoming exhibition. She only had two questions to ask herself. Having wanted him for so long,would she be able to survive a casual no-strings fling? And could she leave at the end of her stay with her heart intact or would she leave a giant part behind?

Years ago, Scott had been warned off his best friend's sister and other than a stolen kiss, he had listened. Leaving the ranch after an ultimatum from his father, he had settled half the world away. While making his fortune, he had known various women and keep his same philosophy until the last few years. More mature now, he was no longer the bad boy who “loved them and left them”. These days he was looking for a relationship, but only the one woman he had never been able to forget would do. The one he had always wanted...Amanda. Could he change her mind to see him as the staying kind or was a “no strings”affair all she would take? If he did put his heart on the line, would she love him back? Or when she left would she tear a big chunk out of it and take it with her?

Soraya Lane has written a wonderful story in Montana Homecoming, the second book in her Montana series, about love surviving years apart. Excellent characters developed a well thought out plot. All the members from both families who appeared in the first book were revisited. It was fun to catch up with all the changes that have gone on. I really enjoy books that follow a family as their family dynamics change.

I would recommend this book to all romance readers.

I received a copy from the author for an honest review.

4/5 stars              Could love succeed the second time around?

Norse Jewel by Gina Conkle

Reviewed by Shirley

Norse Jewel by Gina Conkle
Entangled Publishing

 

Throughout history, lands have been invaded, pillaged, and burned by invading armies or marauding bands of heartless, cruel men. Stealing goods, livestock, and humans, these conquerors were often depicted as cruel, unjust men, but occasionally a just, honourable, and kind man was found. Fierce in battle, revered by his comrades, and honoured by his king, Haken was just such a man.


Weary of the constant demands of his ex-wife to relinquish her hold over his son, Haken constantly sailed on voyage after voyage to obtain more wealth to buy his son's freedom from her clutches, hardening his heart further against ever marrying again and letting a wife dictate terms. The only way left to obtain his heart's desire, if she is not satisfied with his latest offer, is the Althing, an public assembly to procure his son. With this on his mind and a jaded heart, he impulsively falls for the beseeching pleas of one of the latest group of thralls(slaves) from Frankia. Taken by her gentleness of spirit, organization of warmth for his home, and increasing the wealth of his lands, the walls around his heart start to crumble. Pleased with her work, he gives her gifts, but out of all the gifts he offers,there is only one gift she truly wants, but he is loathe to give it: her freedom. Setting impossible tasks for her to earn her freedom, he contemplates an important question. If she accomplishes these tasks, will he be able to let her go, or does he see heartbreak in his future?

Captured by a marauding group of Danes and taken far from her homeland, Helena refused to give up her hope that one day she would return home to her family and betrothed, Guerin, but the future looks bleak. Tied to a stake in a Danish marketplace, only two choices are open: be sold to Gudred, when he returns,a warrior who has already scarred her face, or be bought by another. Spying Haken, a Norse chieftain, she pleads for him to buy her, but when he walks away, her heart plummets. Hearing Gudred's horse's hoof beats growing closer, desperately she begs until he buys her. But has she really traded the devil's minion for the devil???? Dangling her freedom as a prize, he sets impossible tasks for her to accomplish. But the longer she stays and the closer she gets,she begins to ask herself this question. When the time comes to gain her freedom and return home, will it be with a glad heart or will she forever hide a broken one?

Excellent story written with a well thought out plot and well developed characters. The historical element of the tale showed the intense research done by the author into the times and customs of the Norse. Underlying subplots of intrigue, mystery, and treachery gave a biting edge to the story.

I would recommend to all historical romance readers.

5/5 stars                           Was freedom really what she wanted??

I was given a copy from the author for an honest review.

Allure of Siren's Song by Wayne R. Tripp

Reviewed by Shirley

Just what was the allure of the ship, Siren's Song? Was she a means of transportation for one woman to find her lost love? Was she a beacon of hope for persecuted families escaping the horrors of war? Or was she a tenuous thread between generations hiding her secrets for the chosen ones?

A discovery of the mangled twisted body of a tramp steamer from the 1940's starts an investigation into the passengers who have walked her decks. Sonia Penniwick, an orphan, believes one of the survivors could be her grandmother. Traveling to the desert to find answers along with Scott James and Christine O'Malley, his girlfriend, raises more questions than answers. Was she truly alone in the world or were there more clues they needed to find on the shipwreck to locate the answers that she seeks?

Torn between two women, Scott James faces a life altering personal dilemma. On one hand, he wants to pour all his love upon Sonia, but he knows he can't. There is a horrible secret in his past. One so powerful, it could tear them apart. On the other hand, he doesn't want his current girlfriend, Christine, but he has no choice because she knows. Not above using blackmail to keep him hostage to her side, he's forever bound to her, while desiring another. Does he have a hope or a prayer of a happily ever after?

With words, phrases, and colorful descriptions showing intense research, Wayne R. Tripp has weaved a story of intense, enjoyable reading pleasure. Well developed characters enhanced the unfolding of a delightful plot of adventure, mystery, and romance. Engrossing and entertaining, this book transports the reader to the different life styles of other eras. A real page turner.

I look forward to reading other novels written by this author.

Excellent read! I would highly recommend this book to readers of historical fiction, suspense, and romance.

I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.

5/5 stars  Could they find the secret to Siren's Song's allure before it was too late?