Black Hills

Title: Black Hills
Author: Nora Roberts
Paperback; 544 pages
Publsihed 2010

Lil Chance fell in love with Cooper Sullivan pretty much the first time she saw him, an awkward teenager staying with his grandparents on their cattle ranch in South Dakota while his parents went through a messy divorce. Each year, with Coop's annual summer visit, their friendship deepens - but then abruptly ends. Twelve years later and Cooper has returned to run the ranch after his grandfather is injured in a fall. Though his touch still haunts her, Lil has let nothing stop her dream of opening the Chance Wildlife Refuge, but something - or someone - has been keeping a close watch. When small pranks escalate into heartless killing, the memory of an unsolved murder in these very hills has Cooper springing to action to keep Lil safe. They both know the dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. And now they must work together to unearth a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts who has singled them out as prey .

Have I mentioned before that I am a BIG Nora Roberts fan? Well, who isn't? From one great book to another, Nora Roberts is a legend!!

The story is set in a wildlife refuge in the Black Hills of South Dakota, hence the title. Lil Chance met brooding city boy named Cooper Sullivan, who clearly had family issues but won't admit it. Soon they became close with each other and remain friends until their adolescent years.

One day, when Cooper decided to go back to the ranch after something terrible happened while he was on duty as a cop. His feelings towards Lil changed. But a psychopathic killer was on the loose and had been stalking Lil. She and Cooper teamed up to discover the truth behind the mystery surrounding Black Hills.

Reading another Nora Roberts after almost 2 years was a welcome change. I’ve been reading a lot of YA/Fantasies/Paranormals lately so I was giddy when I started Black Hills. Nora Roberts writes with passion and her characters really pull you into the story. Cooper and Lilian found themselves embroiled in a romance that needed to be nurtured. The mystery part of the story is great, although the main characters were a little complicated, in my opinion. I would have given this a 5star rating, but something held me back – maybe because I see some Montana Sky anecdotes in the story, specifically on the animal protection part. Nevertheless, Nora Roberts still is one of my favorite authors ever!

Masked Encounters

Title: Masked Encounters

(Intoxicating Passion #1)
Author: Felicia Tatum
ebook, 43 pages

Published October 25th 2013

Synopsis:

Korah Daniels has been through a lot in her nineteen years. Broken hearts, abusive relationships, and horrid dates have caused her to doubt love. When her friend talks her into attending the local frat house’s Halloween party, will she find the one person who can change her outlook on life?
Dane Davidson is the worst kind of playboy. The ultimate frat boy, drinking and ending up with a different girl every night. When his frat house throws a masked Halloween party, a certain angel catches his attention and may just turn his life upside down. Masked Encounters is the first in a five part novelette series. 

Masked Encounters is an exciting and sexy short story by Felicia Tatum! She had impressed me before with her first book, The White Aura and now with her newest offering; I couldn't help but agree with the other readers/reviewers. This novella is intriguing, captivating and really intimate. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Korah’s character is as mysterious as Dane’s. In this book, we get to meet Korah who had built an entire wall around herself because she got hurt from a previous relationship. Despite this wall, her best-friend Leela still set her up with blind dates, which turned disastrous in the end. And one night, during a masked Halloween party, Korah let out her inhibitions, wore a sexy angelic dress and captured the eye of Dane. Unbeknownst to her, Dane had seen her before and had unnerved him with her uneasiness and aloofness to the guys. And when the barefoot Korah was tended by a gorgeous masked man, she retaliated and ended up doing the unthinkable. Whatever it was, I’m not telling…

This book is really engaging. No boring scenes, no dull dialogues, just pure blissful reading! Thanks so much, Felicia for trusting me with your book. Gonna read the next one now!

P.S. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5 stars *****