REVIEW: "Extreme Limit" by Kendall Talbot (Suspense)

EXTREME LIMIT by Kendall Talbot
	Genre: Suspense/Romantic Publication Date: May 2020 Series: Maximum Exposure, #1 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Introverted female, sports (rockclimbing), travel (Canada)
Other Books by Kendall Talbot
#2
Description from Publisher:
Two lovers frozen in ice. One dangerous expedition. Holly Parmenter doesn’t remember the helicopter crash that claimed the life of her fiancé and left her in a coma. The only details she does remember from that fateful day haunt her—two mysterious bodies sealed within the ice, dressed for dinner rather than a dangerous hike up the Canadian Rockies. No one believes Holly’s story about the couple encased deep in the icy crevasse. Instead, she’s wrongly accused of murdering her fiancé for his million-dollar estate. Desperate to uncover the truth about the bodies and to prove her innocence, Holly resolves to climb the treacherous mountain and return to the crash site. But to do that she’ll need the help of Oliver, a handsome rock-climbing specialist who has his own questions about Holly’s motives. When a documentary about an unsolved kidnapping offers clues as to the identity of the frozen bodies, it’s no longer just Oliver and Holly heading to the dangerous mountaintop . . . there’s also a killer, who’ll stop at nothing to keep the case cold. Will a harrowing trip to the icy crevasse bring Holly and Oliver the answers they seek? Or will disaster strike twice, claiming all Holly has left? Extreme Limit is a thrilling action-adventure novel with a dash of romance set high in the Canadian Rockies. It’s a full-length, stand-alone Maximum Exposure novel, previously published as Out of Mind.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This had a bit of a slow beginning, despite the early excitement. I didn't connect with Holly until about 15% in, but was able to after. Holly is someone who is living the life of a hermit, hiding from her past and the traumas in it. She has very visible scarring on her face from a helicopter accident she survived, and less-visible scarring on her heart and mind from the helicopter accident her fiance and fiance's son's didn't survive. She is also haunted by something she saw frozen in the ice while she was hoping for help, even more so since she learned exactly what it was she saw. She starts to actually LIVE again after becoming determined to help resolve the mystery around it. This was a solid story, with a little of everything. I really enjoyed the suspense, the slow burn romance, the mystery surrounding how Regi fit in, and the action. The only thing that felt a bit off was the description of sex. It was a bit awkward, but forgiveable considering how well everything else was described. The tone of everything matched Holly's growth, and the ending felt very satisfying in many ways. As a bit of an aside, I was amused several times throughout at some word choices (like describing a voice as "posh"). As an American who is very familiar with British/Australian English, it made me smile, but also wonder for a second if any of these characters were not from the U.S. That wasn't important to the story, and didn't detract any, though!!!!
My Source: I borrowed this via Kindle Unlimited to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Kendall Talbot
Kendall Talbot is a thrill seeker, hopeless romantic, virtual killer, and award-winning author of stories that’ll have your heart thumping from the action-packed suspense in exotic locations and the swoon-worthy romance. Kendall has sought thrills in all 46 countries she’s visited. She’s abseiled down freezing waterfalls, catapulted out of a white-water raft, jumped off a mountain with a man who spoke little English, and got way too close to a sixteen-foot shark. When she isn’t writing, she’s enjoying wine and cheese with her crazy friends, and planning her next thrilling international escape. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her very own hero and a fluffy little dog who specializes in hijacking her writing time. Meanwhile, Kendall’s two sons are off making their own adventures – look out world.

REVIEW: "The Accidental Text" by Becky Monson (Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy)

THE ACCIDENTAL TEXT by Becky Monson
	Genre: Rom Com/Contemporary Romance Publication Date: January 6th 2021 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
All the Feels, Sports (leisure adventure sports), Nice Guy
Other Books by Becky Monson
Description from Publisher:
Wrong number. Right guy? Once upon a time, Maggie Cooper lived for adventure. Jumping out of planes was child’s play. Now she can’t even work up the nerve to ask out her coworker. For a bit of self-therapy, she begins to text her recently deceased mother’s phone—the only problem is that the number has been reassigned and for weeks she’s been unknowingly texting a stranger her deepest thoughts and feelings. There have also been some not-so-deep texts, like the ones about her appreciation for her coworker’s butt. When Chase Beckett, the unsuspecting stranger who has more in common with Maggie than he’d like to admit, texts back, Maggie is beyond mortified. But message after message and night after night, Maggie realizes that Chase’s wit, charm, and advice are exactly what the doctor ordered. Is it enough, though, to get her back up in the sky? And what about her heart? Can she risk taking a leap of faith for the man on the other end of her accidental texts?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This made me cry!! This is a story about Maggie, who lost her mom, who was also one of her best friends, and is trying to keep herself from falling apart. One of her main coping mechanisms is texting her feelings to her mom's phone. Which is working okay until she realizes that her texts are actually going to a live person who is a complete stranger... A complete stranger who happens to be a guy, who loses his own mother not long after he reveals that Maggie has been texting HIM. They rely on one another for comfort and solidarity, as well as advice and eventually companionship. The way that grief was handled was really, absolutely wonderful. The emotions of every character, even the supporting characters, felt so genuine. It also made me laugh and smile, a lot. The dynamics between Maggie and her siblings, and with Chase and Hannah, also felt very real, and the humor was a nice balance to the heavier emotions. The chemistry between Chase and Maggie was also palpable. I loved them together! They were there in support, as well as to push each other to do what they needed to do. They were just so darn cute! The only thing that I wanted that this didn't have was a bit more sexy times between these two, but, alas, it's a sweet romance. ;)
My Source: I borrowed this using Kindle Unlimited to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Becky Monson
By day, Becky Monson is a mother to three young children, and a wife. By night, she escapes with reading books and writing. In her debut novel, Becky uses humor and true-life experiences to bring her characters to life. She loves all things chick-lit (movies, books, etc.), and wishes she had a British accent. She has recently given up Diet Coke for the fiftieth time and is hopeful this time will last... but it probably won't.

REVIEW: "For the Holidays" by Brenna Aubrey (Contemporary Romance)

FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Brenna Aubrey
	Publisher: Brenna Aubrey Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: February 2021 Series: Gaming the System, #9 Standalone: No, read previous books first
Categories:
Nerds in Love, Holidays (New Years), Travel
Other Books by Brenna Aubrey
#1 My Review #2 My Review #3 My Review #4 My Review #5 My Review #6 My Review
Description from Publisher:
Mia: Hey you! Adam and I are organizing a holiday retreat this winter for all our friends. We are sooooo excited to invite you, too. We've rented a place in the mountains. There will be skiing, other snow sports and all kinds of fun. The whole gang will be there--Jordan & April, William & Jenna, Lucas & Katya, Heath and of course, Adam and me. Please come along with us! It’ll be epic.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
This was an entertaining visit with all of the characters of the series, complete with some nice lead-ins for what's to come. I felt like parts of it toward the beginning were a bit off for the characters, mostly Kat. She had slipped a bit to the Kat from the beginning of her story and wasn't the more mature version of herself I had recently read. This still caught its stride by about 20% in, and all the miscommunications between the couples felt realistic enough while still being amusing. By the last 20%, especially everyone's threads were being tied up and there were some really touching scenes that showed the character growth more. It would have been nice to get a bit more group interaction, though they did make me feel a bit old (I'm in my 30s!!) with how juvenile they were at the diner, so perhaps keeping them to smaller groups was better. Juggling 9 characters is no easy feat, after all, and I think it was done really well by Brenna! I guess I have to end this like this, because it's on the tip of my tongue (fingers?): I want more Heath!! He totally needs his own book!
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and 100% my own.

About the Author: Brenna Aubrey
Brenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, is currently free on all platforms. She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. She's also a mom, teacher, geek girl, Francophile, unabashed video-game addict & eBook hoarder. She currently resides on the west coast with her husband, two children, two adorable golden retriever pups, a bird and some fish.