Chaos, Coffee & a Bookshelf: series

** SPOILER ALERT **

This trilogy is meant to be read in order! If you don't read the first one, don't be surprised if you have trouble following the second. Also, if you haven't read If You Hear Her, stop reading now. You can find that review HERE. You definitely need to start there.

If You See Her
by Shiloh Walker
Published by Ballentine Books
Expected Release January 25th, 2012
ARC provided by Author for Review

From Goodreads:

A FACE IN THE MIRROR.

Hope Carson may not look like a survivor, but she has escaped an abusive ex-husband and recovered from a vicious assault. Now she endures the painful memories and suspicious rumors surrounding her involvement in the attack. Her ex is a cop, so the last people she trusts are law enforcement officials—and she certainly doesn’t trust how the local DA makes her feel inside.

Remy Jennings should know better. He has no business falling for a woman who he suspects may have a deeply troubled mind. And even if he did make a move, she’d bolt like a frightened rabbit. But how can he deny a burning desire that threatens to consume him? As Hope’s past catches up with her in the worst way, Remy is determined to break through her defenses, earn her trust, and keep her safe in his arms—before it’s too late.

My Thoughts:

I am loving this series by Shiloh Walker. I knew with the first book that Hope would be my favorite character in this series and, unless I'm proved wrong with the next one, I hold that opinion.

If You Hear Her picks up right where If You See Her left off. Hope and Law are still in the hospital and Law is still unconscious from the attack at the end of the first book. Hope is the prime suspect because of her "mental history" that has been set in place by her bastard ex-husband.

Through the suspicion and ultimate exoneration of Hope's involvement in the attack, Remy finds himself even more fascinated with Hope (if that is even possible). Hope, of course, is suffocating with everyone trying to protect her, even as she becomes more and more aware that perhaps she needs that protection after all. We see a lot of growth in Hope as she realizes how much she has changed, and how strong she has become as an individual.

This book is a real page turner as we now see into the warped minds of two cold-blooded criminals instead of one. We learn some pretty interesting stuff about the killer from the first book. He has a fascination with Hope, but not like you would expect.

I had a few thoughts in the first book as to who the killer might be, and I narrowed my options some in this book, but there are still a handful people I think it could be. One person I think we are supposed to suspect, and that probably means it isn't him. I could be wrong though! Anyway, I'm bad about trying to figure it all out before the end. I can't wait to read the third and final book in this series. It really is a great story and I think that everyone should read it. I give it five cups!

Shadow's Stand (Hells Eight #5)
by Sarah McCarty
Published by HQN
Expected Release January 31st, 2012
Acquired through Net Galley

From Goodreads:

Shadow Ochoa is lying low in the western Kansas Territory, waiting for his fellow Texas Rangers—the Hell's Eight brotherhood—to clear his name. That is, until he's unjustly strung up for horse thieving…and pretty Fei Yen intervenes. Invoking a seldom-used law, the exotic lady prospector claims Shadow as her husband and rides off with the bridegroom shackled to her buckboard.

Savvy, fearless Fei is single-mindedly devoted to her hidden claim and all it promises: wealth, security and freedom. A husband is just a necessary inconvenience and a name on paper to hold the claim she cannot.

Shadow isn't a man to take orders from anyone, especially from lovely Fei—except that the daily friction between them ignites into nightly blazes of all-consuming passion. Soon Shadow is dreaming a little himself: of the life they could have if only Fei could see past the lure of independence. If only bounty hunters weren't closing in on him. If only he's left standing when the impending showdown has ended….

My Thoughts:

I read the first four books in this series when they first came out. Due to contracts and such, I had to wait a whole year for this book! I thought I might die waiting! So when I saw it on Net Galley I simply had to request it!

A little background on the series; Hell's Eight are a band of Outlaws turned Texas Rangers. The eight men survived an attack of Mexican Army as young boys and once they grew into mean they hunted down the mean who killed their families. Rather than waste energy and men trying to arrest these skilled killers, the government offered them jobs as Texas Rangers. Together they have worked hard to establish their ranch and work to keep peace in Texas. No longer outlaws, they still aren't above using necessary force. Once by one the men of Hell's Eight encounter women who turn their worlds upside down and change their way of thinking.

The first four books of the series were Caine's Reckoning, Sam's Creed, Tucker's Claim, and Tracker's Sin.

Tracker's Sin ended with Shadow Ochoa shooting a man in front of the US Army. Now a wanted man, Shadow is on the run after escaping his captors. He has cut himself off from his brother and the rest of Hell's Eight. Along the way trouble continues to find him as does Fei Yen, a young Chinese American woman who is looking for a quick husband that can help her with her current predicament.

There are a few slow spots in the book but I really enjoyed it on the whole. Shadow has already been portrayed throughout the series as the most dangerous of Hell's Eight but he has always been on the fringes. We finally get to know him and learn that he may also be the most damaged of the group. Fei Yen is also a very interesting character. She isn't necessarily my favorite heroine in the series, but she is very likable. Her culture is different and that is always fascinating. This series is full of diversity as far as the heritage and backgrounds of the characters.

My copy had a lot of typos and errors but it was an advanced copy so hopefully most of those will be taken care of before the final print.

A point worth making for those who have read the previous book in this series is that this book was published under the HQN imprint as opposed to the SPICE imprint. The first four books, published under Harlequin's SPICE Imprint, were real sheet scorchers and I loved them! Now all of the 'SPICE' books are being published under the HQN imprint. Does that mean they will be tamer on the whole? Time will tell, but this one definitely had a lot less steamy sex scenes than it's predecessors. That's not to say I didn't still like it! But fans of the series will notice the change.

Overall impression? I really liked it, and I will continue to read this series, and I have a feeling that Fei's cousin Lin will be making another appearance. Maybe? Who knows. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sexy cowboy book. Because if it's place in the series you could read this book without having read the others before it, but I recommend starting with Caine's Reckoning and working your way through.