Welcome to Punya Reviews... Please stay and enjoy! Read My Blog Policies for clarification of my ratings/disclaimer. All of my reviews contain spoilers. If you don't like spoiler-ish reviews, please don't proceed.

I'm a ThyCa survivor since 2004


If you're a regular visitor at Punya Reviews..., read reviews, check out promos on new books and enter giveaways etc., please consider becoming a member of this blog, liking my page and follow me on twitter and instagram.

Gambling on the Outlaw by Margaret Madigan

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Gambling on the Outlaw
Nevada Bounty #1

Margaret Madigan
Historical Romance/Western
Pub date: June 23, 2015 (ARC review)

H/h - Isaac Collins/Beth Caldwell
Setting: Nevada, 1872.

Read in June, 2015.
My rating:

                                                        [spoiler alert]

Margaret Madigan’s debut western historical romance, Gambling on the Outlaw (Nevada Bounty #1), was a pretty good read. I generally enjoy the tales of the Wild West and its wilder men, which was the reason why I requested for it. The story spins around a strong yet stubborn h, Beth and a wonderful H, Isaac and their quest for vengeance against a common enemy.

Beth is the widow of a gambler, Frank Caldwell but she comes from a well-off family. Her father was a doctor and trained her, albeit reluctantly, in his trade. But Beth had other ideas. When she met Frank at a young age, his blonde good-looks and charming ways swept her off her feet. She left her family to be with Frank. She travelled with him, learned gambling, and was even very good at it. They together made a life from events to events, gambling hard, sometimes losing but oftimes winning. When they landed in Palmer, Nevada and found this piece of land, Beth knew she’s ready to settle down. She wanted to make a home with Frank, who didn’t deny her wish. He even promised to leave gambling. Unfortunately, that dream didn’t come true. Frank was still gambling under cover. It’s a hard habit to break when you’re addicted to it.

Cover Reveal: One Northern Morning by Marissa Carmel

Monday, June 29, 2015

Today, we're revealing the cover for Marissa Carmel's One Northern Morning, sequel to her new adult romance, One Southern Night. Alongside the hot cover, also find the playlist. :)
One Northern Morning
Marissa Carmel
Kamdyn Ellis is still the man.

Alabama’s golden boy has everything he’s ever wanted. He’s smashed the school record for most passing yards, touchdown passes and completed passes during his college career. He is the winner of the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best all-around player, and is slated to enter the NFL draft. But even with all his success, he was unable to hold onto the one thing that was most important to him - Laney Summers. 

Laney and Kam have long since gone on their separate ways, but one Friday morning sports broadcasting class and an unforeseen threat to Kam’s brightly shining future has these two back on a very familiar path. A path full of love and lust and unresolved feelings. A path where life-altering decisions have to be made, and questions need to be answered - like what’s more important your heart or your career?

**Found no goodreads link at the time of creating this blog post.

Undaunted Love: Part One by Ramona Flightner

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Undaunted Love: Part One
Banished Saga #3

Ramona Flightner
Historical Romance
Published in June 7, 2015 [requested review]

H/h - Jeremy McLeod/Savannah Russell Montgomery
Setting: Boston, 1902.

Read in June, 2015.
My rating:

                                                     [spoiler alert]

I’m so excited to finally read "Undaunted Love", book 3 and 3.5 of Ramona Flightner’s impressive historical The Banished Saga series. It had been such a joy for me to follow along with Clarissa and Gabriel in their journey. Now Ramona gradually leads us through the lives of other members of the McLeod/Sullivan/Russell family.

The Banished Saga started with Banished Love, book 1, which told us the story of a budding suffragette living at the turn of the century Boston, Clarissa. Even though she came from a well-off family, she falls in love with the handsome Gabriel, a master carpenter. Since they weren’t of the same social standing, they weather a lot of storm in their quest to be together. Greedy, judgmental society begins to make its presence known by taunting these two to keep them separated, namely Clarissa’s horrid step-mother Mrs. Smythe and Gabriel’s repulsive aunt Masterson. Being rich, Masterson counted herself as the upholder of the so-called good, aristocratic society though she’d never treated her orphaned nephews, Gabriel and his two younger brothers Richard and Jeremy, anything more than servants when they came to live with her very young. And Smythe was just her blind follower, a rank-licker with social aspirations. She couldn’t stand Clarissa’s ‘radical POVs’ about women’s freedom. Either way, she could never stand any of her step-children so the point was moot. It’s because of these two, Gabriel was forced to leave Boston at the end of book 1 when they started spreading vile rumors, ruining his good name and any chance of finding work there. It breaks Clarissa’s heart, mostly because though her brother Colin supported her, her father Sean was pretty much in the clutches of his second wife. Gabriel leaves Boston on the way to the unknown, hoping to reunite once again, when he settles down somewhere and can send for Clarissa.

Clarissa had a suitor of sort some years ago who jilted her at the altar. Cameron is also from a rich family and thinks he’s entitled to anything without answering to anyone. Typical spoiled, rich brat. In the middle of the story, he returns to haunt Clarissa again, stating that he wants her back. Even though Clarissa despised him and no one in her family could stand the shadow of him, Smythe had other, more nefarious plan. She had every intention to force Clarissa to marry Cameron as we find out in book 2.

Taking What's Mine by Alexa Riley

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Taking What's Mine (novella)
Forced Submission #1

Alexa Riley
Contemporary/Erotica
Published in 2015

H/h - Colton/Rose
Setting: Present time.

Read in June, 2015.
My rating:

                                                 [may contain spoiler]

Taking What’s Mine is a very, very short story by Alexa Riley so I won’t be telling you much about it. It has the same kinda obsessed male vibe that we’ve seen in her Taking the Fall series. I liked that series so obviously I was gonna check this one out.

The story is told alternatively from first person POVs. A cop named Colton who is planning to kidnap a girl named Rose. Rose is a school teacher and from Colton’s POV we learn that he’s been planning this very thoroughly for a long time. And when he puts his plans into motion, it seemed that Rose fell into his trap very easily. Too easily for my peace of mind.

After that, there’s a lot of WTF-ery that would question the point of this story. I mean, I read dark erotic stories before but this was just... Colton came off as a super creepy guy and I couldn’t see how Rose could react to his touch! :/ But... but, I decided to hold off my judgment, as the author puts it in the blurb, until the end. And then, BAM! The light bulb and ‘oook, now I get this sh!t’ went in my head.

So, wait until you read the last part of the story and then you’ll know what I mean when I say it’s not really a dark read. I’m still not sure if I should call it hot, since until I read the last part, I didn’t know if I should enjoy anything Colton was doing to Rose. But I’ll give it to the author because she surprised the hell outta me! LOL

3 stars, can only say read if you’re willing to give the story a chance.

Lover for Ransom by Debra Glass

Friday, June 26, 2015

Lover for Ransom

Debra Glass
Historical Romance/Erotica
Published in 2013

H/h - Ransom Byrne/Cathleen Ryan
Setting: Tennessee, post Civil War.

Read in June, 2015.
My rating:

                                                      [spoiler alert]

This book. THIS BOOK!!!!!! Where do I start?

Lover for Ransom by Debra Glass was another of my impulse reads that I just picked up and dived into because the blurb was interesting. New-to-author, so didn’t know what to expect... and I simply gobbled it up! Truly!

Debra Glass’s writing style is marvelous, as well as the historical aspects that she blends together so well in the story. Set in right after the Civil War, Lover for Ransom is an Erotic Historical with an absolutely hot and intense hero and a strong, half-blind heroine.

Cathleen had been raised and lived in an orphanage until she was lucky enough to have support for and finish her studies. She was almost blind since young, something that should’ve completely held her down. Yet, Cathleen not only finished her education but also, gradually, found shelter in the idealism of suffragism. Thru her interest, she also met some good people and with their help, she found a doctor who agreed to perform corrective eye surgeries as a test case. Cathleen’s visions are now better than before, though she still needs her black glasses since her eyes still can’t endure strong lights of any kind.

Promo Spotlight: Broken Lens by Shannon Dermott

Today, I'm hosting this promo spotlight on Shannon Dermott's new adult romance, Broken Lens (Through the Lens #2), as a part of the ongoing VBT. Please find an excerpt for your enjoyment.
BROKENLENSBANNER
BrokenLens
Broken Lens 
Shannon Dermott
(Through the Lens #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17158048-broken-lens

Although this book is the second in the series, it’s been written to be read as a New Adult Stand Alone novel. You do not have to read book one, which is a young adult novel, to enjoy.

No one said love is ever easy. And for Jess, he would ride his Harley to heaven and back for an eternity with her arms wrapped around him. That makes leaving her that late summer day to head to separate colleges the hardest thing he has to do. Still, he thinks that they could beat the odds and prove everyone wrong, until one drunken night and one sober confession.

Through the jagged edges of a broken lens, he’s faced with the reality of his choices. And fixing the pieces of Jess’s broken heart may be impossible. Without her, he’s left with only a mother who hates him and marks him as a dead man walking. And that’s not the only truth that has the potential to destroy his life.
The upcoming trial will reveal the defendant’s motivations for the crimes committed against the people he cares about. But that guy’s not the only one who’s guilty of something. With a cloud of mistrust hovering around him, can he keep Jess safe from his past? Can she or anyone forgive him for his secrets? Will he win back the one girl he’s ever loved or will he lose her forever?

*WARNING* This book is rated a New Adult book, which means it can contain foul language and sexual situations. Please be warned in advance.

Buy Links:
Amazon | B&N


My Favorite Quotes

My Photo
Punya
I love to read in my spare time and do reviews the books I read. My blog Punya Reviews just turned 6 in 2017 and still going strong. I love music and traveling. Sometimes, I wish I could live inside a book, having my own HEA. :)
View my complete profile