CLAIMING SHAYLA (True Mates) by Zena Wynn

Description: When Shayla flees Refuge, North Carolina after an intense mating session with Rory McFelan, she thought she was done with the alpha of the Sparrowhawks. But as it turns out, she has to go back for her favorite cousin’s wedding. Also, she’s pregnant. And perhaps most importantly of all, Rory isn’t at all prepared to let her go. The Good: As always, Ms. Wynn’s excels at introducing really hot sex into unique situations. There’s a lot going on in this book plot-wise: a rip-roaring romance, a meaty family mystery, and some seriously hardcore sex. Ms. Wynn really goes there — so sensitive readers, be warned. I was worried at points by how many balls she had going up in the air, but somehow she manages to juggle them and...

JUICY by Pepper Pace

Description: When, Juicy, a “dark as licorice” hairdresser with anger management issues is unexpectedly saved by Troy, a homeless white man with mental issues, really unexpected sparks fly. The Good: Let’s start with the fact that Ms. Pace managed to make a homeless white hero with mental issues not only sexy, but appealing. That alone would have blown my mind, but she also manages to successfully throw many of the romance formula rules out the window — which only makes the novel even more romantic in my opinion. Ms. Pace has a strange sense of humor, and this makes for a very fresh novel. In many ways, JUICY is a page turner fueled by its own oddness. The Bad: This is difficult, because I want to give this odd gem of a novel an A+, but it...

A HARD MAN TO LOVE by Delaney Diamond

Description: When cigar-smoking multi-millionaire Derrick Hoffman finds out that his ex-girlfriend Eva Jacobs is pregnant with his child, he does whatever it takes to ensure that the baby remain in his custody, including blackmailing Eva into a marriage of convenience. But, as it turns out, it’s a thin line between convenience and passion… The Good: First off, that cover is the business, a perfect representation of the hero. I actually picked it up, thinking I wouldn’t be able to review it, but wanting to read it because of its Harlequinesque situation and fantastic cover. Lucky for me, the hero was biracial, so it ended up falling within the IR category. What a page turner! I love a hero with issues, and Derrick had plenty.  I also appreciated...

THE QUESTION by Zena Wynn

Description: When Crystal asks her widowed best friend, Gail to be a surrogate for her and her husband, Rashid, using one of Gail’s eggs, Gail reluctantly agrees. But when Gail starts dating a handsome divorce lawyer named Greg after her successful insemination, what starts off as a favor soon turns into a complicated love story filled with passion and drama. The Good: Oh, I am mad as Ms. Wynn. I had important things to do the weekend I read this book, but I couldn’t it put it down. This story is such a page-turner, and I was deeply engaged until the end, which is quite a feat for a book that’s quite a bit longer than your usual IR romance. This was a highly, highly romantic read with unique situations that had me on the edge of my seat. I...

THE PRICE OF PASSION by Stephanie Morris

Description: After one heated night of passion, Kaden and Sierra (who thought she was infertile) discover that they have a a very special Christmas package on the way. Can they overcome their baggage and give each other the love they’ve always longed for? The Good: This was such a sweet, sweet story. It’s always a tremendous treat to watch two nice, but extremely guarded people fall in love. Kaden is a gem of a hero and exceedingly easy to love. My heart was with him from page one. He’s written with great physicality and really gets in Sierra’s space. I loved that he saw his part in his divorce with his first wife — that’s so rare in romance novels. And I also loved that he and Sierra really communicated. There are so many...