Samantha Hunter

Trying out the Blaze line. The local library has a very limited selection of Blaze titles. This one was friends to lovers. I thought it was competently written without being stellar writing. Hotness level was fairly hot. Didn't bleed over into erotica. Wasn't any hotter than most sex scenes in most mainstream non category romances out there. The plot made sense and was actually there. This wasn't just an excuse for the hero and heroine to hop into bed. There was a secondary romance in the book which I felt distracted just a bit and would have been a fine story to develop into its own full length book instead of cluttering up this one. Here it was the hero who had amnesia and the heroine who took advantage of it. I think the way the hero dealt with it when he found out was, while not the most grown up thing he could have done, was certainly not a knee jerk childish reaction either. So kudos to the author for avoiding the unnecessary break up just before the end. The subplot involving the hero was interesting also and another example of the author not taking the most obvious route. I might try another by this author.… (más)

Unforgettable
3 Stars

Suffering from retrograde amnesia following a brain injury sustained in the line of duty, former firefighter Erin Riley is desperate to remember the details of her life. The answer comes out of the blue when Erin shares a kiss with Fire Marshal Bo Myers and recalls details of their prior relationship. Is rekindling their romance the key to unlocking Erin's memories and does she hold the clues to catching a serial arsonist before he strikes again?

The premise has excellent potential, but the romance leaves something to be desired mainly due to the problematic heroine.

Hunter really hits the nail on the head with her portrayal of Erin's amnesia. Skillfully merging the cold, hard medical facts with the emotional impact enables the reader to experience the pain, fear and frustration that the heroine feels.

That said, Erin is not the most likeable of characters. She comes across as preoccupied with her own concerns and is selfishly willing to use Bo for her own needs only occasionally giving some thought to the effect the "plan" might have on him.

Bo, on the other hand, is a wonderful hero. However, one cannot help but feel that he could do better than Erin whose feelings do reach the same level of intensity as his do.

The minor suspense plot is the weakest element as it is completely underdeveloped and the final twist comes out of the blue.

Overall, a light and enjoyable read overall although it does not contain the blazing heat that the blurb touts.… (más)

3.5 Stars

This was an interesting book dealing with second chances and racing cars. The first I really like, I mean everybody deserves a second chance with the one that got away, right?! The car racing I'm not a fan of but thought that it sounded interesting. I ended up liking the book even though I didn't understand why he needed to clean up his image. I would think being a bad boy would bring more exposure to the sport and possibly more fans. But I don't know I only watch hockey which kinda thrives on the bad boy thing. That being said, the romance was sweet even if it was rushed. I know they knew each other before, but I still would've liked a little more build up. This was also the first time I read this author and I'm pretty sure I'll be reading her again.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.… (más)