REVIEW: Simple Treasures by Alexa Bourne

Simple Treasures
Honor Guard Series Alexa Bourne
Take-charge bodyguard Colin Munro believes working for the International Protective Network will be the perfect occupation for him. Unfortunately, his trial assignment is protecting a woman who has no intention of blindly following orders. Aye, he’ll bring the bonnie lass in line because there’s no way he’ll allow her to ruin his chance of securing his dream job.

Physically and emotionally scarred during her stint as a U.S. soldier, Joanna Grainger wants nothing more than to enjoy life. New Year's Eve in Edinburgh marks the beginning of her transformation. But when she witnesses a crime no one believes occurred, her plans come to a screeching halt. To make matters worse, her sexy but headstrong bodyguard has no compassion for her or the victim.
As danger hunts them during one of the busiest times of the year, Joanna must convince Colin she's a worthy partner. But first, can she convince herself?

Genre: Contemporary romance, adventure, suspense/thriller, holiday 
Heat level: 3
Word count – 26k
Cover art by Mina Carter

~Excerpt~
“I had a bad dream.” She smoothed her hair back off her face. Moisture beaded at her temples.

“Here we call it a nightmare.” He smiled, and at once she relaxed her shoulders.

“Americans do, too.” After another deep breath, she said, “I’ll be all right.” Once her heart rate slowed to normal. With her forearm, she wiped perspiration from her forehead.

He stood, padded into the bathroom, and ran the faucet. When he returned, he sat beside her, tucked his finger under her chin, and pressed the cloth to her cheek. The cool moisture soothed her burning skin.

She reached up and covered his hand with hers. “I can do that.”

“I know.” He brushed her fingers away. “But you’ll not.”

After a few seconds, he moved the wet towel across her forehead and to her other cheek.

When he reached her neck, she sighed and closed her eyes for a few valuable seconds.

“Thank you.”

His gentle caress reminded her how much she’d missed simple comfort…from anyone.

“You’re welcome.” The cloth soon disappeared. “Now, will you tell me what you dreamed about?”

“Mark Rawlings. I dreamed I was back in the train car and he was bleeding out on the floor. The guy with him faded into the background, but I could see the man’s hands and lips moving. I couldn’t hear anything, though. Then somebody jabbed me with something, and my blood drained out of my body, but there was nothing I could do. The guy standing stayed in front of me. There was another voice, but the words were garbled.”

“Did you see anyone else?”

“No, but at the end I wasn’t paying attention. I was losing consciousness.” She tilted her head to one side and into her palm. “Colin, what am I going to do if we don’t find the professor’s attacker soon?”

“We’ll take it one day at a time.” Strong, confident, able to leap tall buildings and all…even in the middle of the night.

Author Bio:
Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romantic suspense writer by nights, weekends and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers, such as “Killer Openings” and “Candid Confessions of a Newbie Author”, throughout the year. She is thrilled to be writing for Decadent Publishing and to have the chance to share her love of the UK with readers everywhere.
When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV and thinking about exercising. She loves to hear from readers. To find her, visit www.alexabourne.com or http://alexabourne.blogspot.com, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaBourne or follow her on Twitter @AlexaBourne.

 Sarah's Review:

Thanks to Decadent Publishing and Alexa Bourne for giving me another Scottish setting!!  I have to say, I want more in the Honor Guard series!  Someone needs to get writing!!  

I love newbie Colin instantly!   When I saw that Heather was mentioned, I was glad that I had read Her Highland Champion first since I made the connection immediately!!  

My heart went out to Joanna especially after she was injured while serving her country and didn't believe she was beautiful anymore.  Self-esteem can do major damage when bad things happen. 

I really enjoyed this story and hope there will be more soon!!  

REVIEW: Her Highland Champion by Alexa Bourne

Her Highland Champion
A Decadent Honor Guard story….
Alexa Bourne
Heather Winchester leads a charming life. With good friends, a beautiful flat in one of the most amazing cities in the world, and a promising future once she finishes her Ph.D, she is finally pursuing her own dreams instead of catering to everyone else’s…except she doesn’t remember any of it.
Malcolm Fraser has returned to his Highland village to forget his failings as a professional bodyguard. Believing he could just lose himself in the mundane activities of running his bed & breakfast, he finds a woman’s lifeless body by the loch instead….

Captivated by Heather as she regains her memory, Malcolm is thrown into the line of duty. As danger comes knocking on their doors, will he be strong enough to love her and keep her safe?

Genre: Contemporary romance, adventure, suspense/thriller
Heat level: 3
Word count – 23k
Cover art by Angela Anderson

~Excerpt~

She turned to the bedside. A man stood there dressed in dark green sweats, with both hands clenched around the silver bedside bar. He was handsome, with light eyes, dark hair cropped close to his head, and a firm jaw. It was his hands, though. They drew her attention. Clean skin, defined knuckles, large fingers. Hands rough from a hard day’s physical labor, and yet, she imagined, gentle enough to caress the afternoon’s sufferings away.
“It’s good to see you awake.” He smiled. “You gave us all quite a fright.”

Okay, the Scottish accent drew her attention, too. At once, it both melted away some of her fears and sparked a whirlwind of questions.

“Where am I?” Her throat scratched like sandpaper.

“St. Catherine’s Hospital.”

She swallowed hard. “Where is that?”

“Fort William.” He reached for something on the table by her bed and brought back a plastic cup with a straw. “Here.”

“Thank you.” The warm water coated her sore vocal cords. She handed the cup back to him.

Wait a minute. Fort William? The only Fort William she knew was in Scotland. “I don’t understand. How did I get here?” Ignoring the aches in her body, she pressed both palms to the sheets on each side of her and pushed herself up. The blanket fell away from her chest and a new chill surrounded her. “What’s going on?”

Her arms shook, and she collapsed back to the bed.

“Relax.” The man set his palm on her shoulder, as if to keep her flat against the mattress. The heat of his fingers seeped through her hospital gown and into her skin. “I found you unconscious on the beach in Glenhalish. I called for an ambulance, and they brought you here.”

“I was in Glenhalish?”

“Aye, on a three day tour of the Highlands. Do you not remember being there?”

“No.” She squinted and studied him. No memories surfaced. “Do I know you?”

He shook his head. “Only from the beach. I’m Malcolm Fraser.”

She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her gaze drifted to her lap as tears burned in the corners of her eyes. Panic swelled in her chest and into her throat.

“What is it, lass?” he asked with such tenderness.

“Can you tell me my name?”
 
Author Bio:
Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romantic suspense writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She is thrilled to be writing for Decadent Publishing and to have the chance to share her love of Scotland with readers everywhere.
 
When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV and thinking about exercising. She loves to hear from readers. To find her, visit www.alexabourne.com or http://alexabourne.blogspot.com, or follow her on Twitter @AlexaBourne.

Sarah's Review: 
Thanks to Decadent Publishing and Alexa Bourne for continuously bringing me stories that have me hooked within the first couple chapters!   Ms. Bourne's stories are set in Scotland and I love it!!  

I love that this story is a romantic suspense since I love them!  These two characters were fun to read, while it was just suspenseful enough that it wasn't overbearing.   I also love that we got to see a couple characters from her other stories too. 

I love the the heroine was a strong character despite having amnesia and that she wasn't afraid to go after the hero!  Oh and the stubborn hero?  Yup, love that aspect!   

This story really makes me want Ms. Bourne to write more romantic suspense stories!  I have become addicted to her Scotland settings and can't wait to read more!

REVIEW: Carry Me Home by Alexa Bourne

Carry Me Home (Tease)

Alexa Bourne

Blurb:

After six months in the city, Mary MacDougall returns to the Scottish Highlands to finalize her divorce. Because of a past tragedy, she doubts her husband Jamie can possibly love her with the same unbridled passion as before and insists ending the marriage is best for both of them.
But Jamie has other ideas….

Jamie MacDougall has no intention of letting his bonnie lass go. At least not without a fight. Aye, they’ve suffered heartache, and she may be ready to call it quits, but he refuses to throw away the partnership they’ve built since they were children. Instead, he’ll remind her they were meant to be together, forever.

Can this marriage survive pride and grief to allow love to carry them home?

Available at:

Amazon

Decadent Publishing

All Romance Ebooks

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

~Excerpt~


“What do you want, Jamie?” She’d not get caught up in his soulful amber eyes. No, she would not.


“You’ve had your bit of fun, but I want you to come home.” He tilted his head to one side and drifted his fingertips along her bare arm.


She yanked away. “I’ve come to get my papers from you, to say good-bye to those I love, and to move on with my life.” She stepped around him and continued down the path to the center of Glenhalish. “I’ll be at the Kierlain House until Sunday. Please bring the forms and leave them with the front office.”


“I don’t have them.” He nearly shouted with glee. “I tossed them out.”


“I thought you might say that.” Smiling on the heels of another small victory, she fished through her handbag and pulled out another copy of the divorce papers. She’d come armed with a half-dozen copies just in case he chose to be difficult. She strode back to him with her chin held high and slapped the papers against his chest. “Here.”


Jamie stared at the lass’s fine arse strutting away from him. Her hair had been cut, straightened and the summer dress with the flowery print accentuated all the curves he’d fallen for so many years ago, the curves he knew so intimately. And those heels, for the love of St. Bridget, Mary hadn’t worn high heels like that since she left school. They’d brought her closer to his height, yet she still only reached his shoulders.


She’d left Glenhalish in January, a cold, distant housewife, and come back this alluring woman. For a moment, panic set inside his gut. He’d intended to convince her to come home so they could face their grief and move on together, but seeing how much happier, sexier, and sophisticated she was, perhaps Edinburgh was good for her, better than he could be.


But he wanted her back, wanted to get through this rough patch they’d strayed onto after the lad’s death, and return to the partnership they’d shared since primary school. They had too many years left. She couldn’t leave him. He wouldn’t survive without her.


The lass may have plans to leave him forever, but Jamie MacDougall wouldn’t give her up without a fight.

Sarah's Review: 
Thanks to Decadent Publishing and Alexa Bourne for giving me the chance to read this story.  What I didn't know or realize was that I should have read this one before Silent Surrender which was reviewed here.   While it is not extremely important to read this first, it kinda spoiled it for me since I knew what was going to happen. Since I read Silent Surrender first, I already liked Jamie and Mary both, but I am glad that I got to read their story.  It actually answered a lot of questions that I had after reading Silent Surrender. 

My favorite part of this story was watch Jamie fight to get Mary back.  It also shows how lack of communication can tear people apart when they need each other the most.  I was swooning over some of the things Jamie did.   

Now my question for Alexa:  Can you write more about the MacDougall brothers?   

REVIEW: Silent Surrender by Alexa Bourne

Silent Surrender
A Tease - Entice story
Alexa Bourne

Meggie MacDougall often dreams of Quinn O’Connell, the sexy Irish football coach who swept her off her feet in Dublin. But what happened in Dublin must stay there. She has responsibilities at home, and she refuses to fuel the gossip fires in Glenhalish.

Quinn has never forgotten Meggie and the explosive weekend they shared. Overwhelmed by memories of her passion, beauty, and zest for life, he jeopardizes his cushy career to find her and test the connection between them.
When Quinn arrives in her Highland village, Meggie is determined to ignore him. However, she isn't prepared for the claim he lays on her heart with his sexy charm and his tender soul.
Will pride and fear keep Meggie from embracing possibilities, or will Quinn's gentle persistence break down her defenses and lead her to a silent surrender?
Genre: Contemporary romance Heat level: 3 Word count – 18k Cover art by Tibbs Designs
~Excerpt~
Quinn came toward her, the ball juggling between his feet. “Get him, Miss Meggie!” someone called from across the pitch.

Her heart rate, already soaring, tripped at the sight of her man. Her nerves tightened, her muscles clenched. She rocked on the heels of her feet. She’d steal the ball for her team.

He closed the distance between them. Meggie pushed against his rock-hard abs and tangled with his feet. He tugged on her ponytail, slid his foot between hers, and sent the ball to his teammates.

Meggie yelped, her arms flailing to her sides. Her feet remained tangled with Quinn’s, and she lost her balance.

Quinn’s arms circled her waist and twisted her so his body took the brunt of the impact with the dirt-packed earth. She rolled to the side, still cradled in the crook of his arm and with the pressure of his delicious body over every inch of hers. “Are you all right?” He propped himself up and brushed her hair away from her face.

“Aye. Thank you for taking the fall for us.”

“You’re down here with me, aren’t you?”

“Aye, but you protected me. Thank you, my Irish knight.”

“My pleasure, my lady.”

Aye, she was his lady and she decided she rather liked it.

He leaned down and claimed her mouth.

“Is she hurt?” one of the lads yelled. The ground trembled beneath their feet.

“Aye, ye daft fool. He’s giving her mouth-to-mouth,” yelled another.

Together they both giggled and ended the kiss. “You should probably let me up before they call for an ambulance.”

“Right.” He jumped to his feet. “No worry, boys. She’s fine.” She missed the feel of him against her body. As she propped herself on her forearms, he reached down and pulled her to her feet.

Sarah's Review:

Thanks to Decadent Publishing and Alexa Bourne for the opportunity to read and review this story.  This story is part of their Tease line.  Once again, Alexa has drawn me into her story telling. I love that she has her stories set somewhere other than the US.  

Quinn and Meggie had me rooting for them right from the start.  Quinn going to find Meggie was what sucked me in.  Who wouldn't want a man that came looking for her? Well in a non stalker type way!!  Meggie tried to resist, but Quinn was able to convince her to go on a date with him.  

I will admit that I wanted to smack Meggie for using family as an excuse, but I understood why.   I am glad that Jamie, Meggie's brother did what he had to do to cause Meggie to wake up!  

Even though I want more, this story was a great addition to the Tease line.  Hey Alexa, can Ewen and Cat get a story too?  You did set that up perfectly for it!

PROMO: Silent Surrender by Alexa Bourne

Silent Surrender 

Alexa Bourne

Book Blurb:

Meggie MacDougall often dreams of Quinn O’Connell, the sexy Irish football coach who swept her off her feet in Dublin. But what happened in Dublin must stay there. She has responsibilities at home, and she refuses to fuel the gossip fires in Glenhalish.

 

Quinn has never forgotten Meggie and the explosive weekend they shared. Overwhelmed by memories of her passion, beauty, and zest for life, he jeopardizes his cushy career to find her and test the connection between them.

 

When Quinn arrives in her Highland village, Meggie is determined to ignore him. However, she isn't prepared for the claim he lays on her heart with his sexy charm and his tender soul.

 

Will pride and fear keep Meggie from embracing possibilities, or will Quinn's gentle persistence break down her defenses and lead her to a silent surrender?

 

Excerpt:

Quinn came toward her, the ball juggling between his feet. “Get him, Miss Meggie!” someone called from across the pitch.

Her heart rate, already soaring, tripped at the sight of her man. Her nerves tightened, her muscles clenched. She rocked on the heels of her feet. She’d steal the ball for her team.

He closed the distance between them. Meggie pushed against his rock-hard abs and tangled with his feet. He tugged on her ponytail, slid his foot between hers, and sent the ball to his teammates.

Meggie yelped, her arms flailing to her sides. Her feet remained tangled with Quinn’s, and she lost her balance.

Quinn’s arms circled her waist and twisted her so his body took the brunt of the impact with the dirt-packed earth. She rolled to the side, still cradled in the crook of his arm and with the pressure of his delicious body over every inch of hers. “Are you all right?” He propped himself up and brushed her hair away from her face.

“Aye. Thank you for taking the fall for us.”

“You’re down here with me, aren’t you?”

“Aye, but you protected me. Thank you, my Irish knight.”

“My pleasure, my lady.”

Aye, she was his lady and she decided she rather liked it.

He leaned down and claimed her mouth.

“Is she hurt?” one of the lads yelled. The ground trembled beneath their feet.

“Aye, ye daft fool. He’s giving her mouth-to-mouth,” yelled another.

Together they both giggled and ended the kiss. “You should probably let me up before they call for an ambulance.”

“Right.” He jumped to his feet. “No worry, boys. She’s fine.” She missed the feel of him against her body. As she propped herself on her forearms, he reached down and pulled her to her feet.

REVIEW: Fractured Paradise by Alexa Bourne

 This book is part of Decadent Publishing's Honor Guard series. All 3 of my Honor Guard stories involve 1 character from the International Protective Network, or IPN. (IPN was my creation, Honor Guard was Decadent's.) I also have 2 more stories that I will, for sure, be submitting for the Honor Guard series later this year.

BLURB:

Technical analyst Rachel Grant arrives in Sunderland intent on tidying up her grandmother’s cottage, but the disaster she discovers requires more than a gentle sweep of a dust rag. Determined to please the most important person in her life, she trades her computer keyboard for a hammer and nails to make the repairs. She doesn’t count on the chilly reception from the locals who want to claim Nan’s home as their own.

Tour guide Aidan Camden wants to buy the cottage. He’s determined to acquire the property no matter how attractive he finds the current occupant. However, when tragedy strikes, throwing them both into a tailspin, he discovers he wants more than the house. He longs for the sexy American as well. Can Aidan put his own ghosts to rest in time to save the woman who’s claimed his heart?

EXCERPT:

“A bit of a disappointment, I expect.” A rich, deep voice with a twinge of an English accent drifted from behind her.

She whirled around. Her hair whipped against her cheeks and made her wish for the hundredth time today she hadn’t packed all her hair clips.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

The stranger paused beside the edge of the clearing, and her heart stuttered. Although no one would mistake him for a Hollywood leading man, this guy could command attention by stepping into a room. Or onto an island.

“That’s okay. You didn’t.” She permitted her gaze to wander over him.

He kept his hands stuffed into the front pockets of faded jeans. The wind tore at his gray long-sleeved shirt, outlining the contours of a well-defined chest. Unruly light brown hair touched his collar. High cheekbones accented his deep-set eyes. Not friendly eyes, but no threat lay behind them either, at least none she could uncover.

He pulled a hand from his pocket and held it out. “Aidan Camden of Dawson Tours, your neighbor from across the water.” He tipped his head toward the way he’d come.

Camden. His name sounded familiar, but why? She shook his hand with a hint of hesitation. “Rachel Grant.”

His fingers warmed her skin, his grip strong and confident. Awareness trailed along her arm. Then again, it could be the accent that made her skin tingle. British accents never failed to stir her emotions.

A trace of a smile danced on his lips. “Aye, the American.”

Huh. “You know of me?”

A low rumble of laughter slipped from his mouth, the sound relaxing her from deep within. “Word travels fast here. I saw you paddling your way out.”

Paddling? No, he’d seen her fighting with the oars. Until today, she’d never set foot on a boat, much less held an oar. But she would consider swimming across the Atlantic Ocean if it would make Nan happy.

“Tell me, Mr. Camden, are you in the habit of following foreigners?”

“No, lass, but you’re all the talk of the Roker area. The mighty Grant descendant, come to see about selling the family cottage.”

Selling?

Sarah's Review:

I need to first thank Alexa Bourne and Decadent Publishing for the copy of this story.  I am normally able to read one of DP's book within an evening, however my schedule this past week prevented that.  I am a huge supported of DP, so when this one, which I hadn't heard of, was part of the book club,  I was intrigued.  

I have to say that there are so many things that I love about this story.  From my perspective, this story is about love, loss, grief and second chances.  Both of these characters have experienced or experience all of those emotions during the course of this story.  Grief and loss is a difficult topic in general because each person responds differently to grief.  Ms. Bourne gave us two different views on grief and loss yet, these two characters connected over their losses. 

I enjoyed reading the strong characters that Ms. Bourne gave us.  I love that despite the feelings that each one had toward each other in the beginning, they still found each other.  I can't really explain why I enjoyed this story so much.  It resonated with me on a few different levels and maybe that is why.