Bad Intentions by Lauren N. Sharman

Blurb:

Diesel and Kady were childhood friends before being forced to marry in a shotgun wedding ceremony. When Diesel decided he needed to prove to himself he could be more than what he was, he left Kady behind, breaking her heart.

Neglected by her family, Kady had been close to Diesel since he saved her life when she was ten. When a misunderstanding made them man and wife, she thought she’d gotten her happily ever after. 

Five years as a bounty hunter has changed everything about Diesel, except his love for Kady. When an old dream reoccurs, warning him she’s in danger, he heads home to protect her.

The Diesel Kady had known has been replaced by a man’s-man that took her breath away. But she’s still hurt; afraid to believe he won’t leave again. When he tells her about the dream, she realizes learning to trust him again is the only way she’s going to survive.

Review:

Diesel Garmin was a hard-working teen with an abusive father when he was forced to marry the very young and shy, timid, Kady, in a literal shotgun wedding. Knowing Kady deserves only the best, Diesel seeks to better himself by leaving; following in his brother Kage's footsteps as a bounty hunter. Five years later, Diesel shows up on Kady’s doorstep, but it's not without consequence. Kady is in awe of the sexy alpha male standing before her, but has a hard time reconciling the boy who left with the man that returned. Adding the fact that she feels she can't trust him, throws a kink into being able to pick up where they left off.

The characters of Diesel and Kady, separately, were exceptional…each growing into their own as adults, but separately from one another. Together as a couple, they’re explosive with sexual tension sizzling in the air around them. I adore Diesel and Kady together because there is a base of best friendship, and knowing that each loved the other in a very special way BEFORE they were forced to get married. They’re so right for each other. There is a purity there that no outside source can possibly touch. As they get older and Diesel comes back home, he's confronted with a very different Kady. She's all grown up, sexy, self reliant; no longer the insecure young girl he left behind.

There are some secondary characters I only wish were actual people, so I could hit them a time or two and make them stop their devious ways. Kage and Diesel, along with Journey and Kady, work well as a team against the villains. You’ll understand what I mean when you read the book. Kage and Diesel have that chemistry only brothers have; quite a few times they made me laugh. Journey and Kady make the perfect sisters-in-law…each needing a true sister to stand by her. There were some funny moments when they were one hundred percent girly girls. I loved it. The twist to this captivating plot was the paranormal element. It was unexpected, but added a bonus of extra flare to Bad Intentions, making the story that much more believable.

Once again, Ms. Sharman has produced a pulse-pounding read with her newest romantic suspense novel, Bad Intentions. She never fails to surprise me with her attention to detail and unique ability to write what, on the outside looks like a typical bad boy, but in such an intriguing way. It's evident that Ms. Sharman is comfortable and confidant in the world in which she writes. Any of her numerous books contain characters I can relate to, and quite honestly, I wouldn't mind being a leading lady of any of those stories. Don't ask me to choose which one, though, because I love all the alphas in all of her books for myriad of different reasons.

The one thing that saddens me is this is the last book in this two book series.  Bad Intentions is the sequel to Reckless Bounty.  Ms. Sharman would make me the happiest girl in the world if, by some miracle, there was a final book that included the McCassey's and the Garmins.  Now that would be an explosive book!  You can buy Bad Intentions here.  

Below is a list of the books in order and their buy links:  

McCassey Series

No Worries (Book 1)

Devil's Candy (Book 2)

Dusty Rose (Book 3)

The McCassey Brother's Trilogy Megabook

The Long Road Home (Book 4)

McCassey Cousins Series

When Night Falls (Book 1)

Betrayed (Book 2)

Starr Dust (Book 3)

Right of Passage (Book 4)

The Garmin Brothers

Reckless Bounty (Book 1)

Bad Intentions (Book 2)

Ahoy Gum Drop Audiobook by M.M. (Miss Mae) and narrated by Owen McCuen

Blurb:

What if - What if you no longer could find your favorite chocolate in your candy store? What if the store informed you they may never get in a new shipment? Imagine the horror, the chaos, the wailing and gnashing of teeth, not to mention your impending foul-mood. And then imagine this scenario happening on a worldwide scale! What can be the problem? What can be the solution? It’s up to the brave (?) adventurer Sir O. Yuri Wiseguy-eh and his mishaps from Gum Drop Island to boldly (double ?) go where no one has gone before. Yes, they must enter the realm of the forbidding and humuggity shrouded land called Moldy Corners. The next question, dear listeners, is - can what happens in Moldy Corners affect you?

Review:

When I was growing up, we  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  For this generation, there is  the magical and mesmerizing story called Ahoy Gum Drop written by M.M. All too often, we try to categorize books by labels such as "children" or "YA". Why can't we have a category for families?  The entire family will get much enjoyment with fanciful characters such as Sir O. Yuri Wiseguy-eh, Mort the Mothball Millionaire, Moose and of course who could forget I.B. Nosey?

There are so many different things I loved about Ahoy Gum Drop. From the quirky characters to the recap of previous chapters, the listener is captivated by both the story line as well as the narrator's hilarious portrayal of the characters. When my kids were little, at bedtime I used to read a chapter each night to them.  Some of the details of the story were lost because my children would forget what may have been read the previous night.  With Ahoy Gum Drop, M.M. makes sure that in the event this story is told over several days, there is a recap with every new chapter.  When I say this is a family book, I truly do mean it.  Although written with children in mind, there are some lines that only adults will understand.  Think if you will, about cartoon movies you have seen with your children.  You could connect personally with the movie because some of the meanings were only understood by adults.

I have previously reviewed Ahoy Gum Drop as an ebook.  I was thrilled to be able to review the audiobook as well.  Ahoy Gum Drop is a humorous and compelling read on it's own as an ebook or print book. However, when paired with narrator Owen McCuen, Ahoy Gum Drop transforms into a standout comical humdinger of a book.  Owen McCuen thrills with the varying accents of each distinct character. Mr. McCuen knows how to attract the listener, make them feel welcome as well as a part of the book.  I look forward to experiencing more of M.M.'s work (she is already a favorite of mine) as well as Mr. McCuen's.  This unexpected duo make magic happen.  Ahoy Gum Drop is a unique and addicting read that will bring back the silly and child in grown ups as well as help us to realize that we should all stop our busy lives long enough to take family time to enjoy this book together.

Watch a YouTube video of Ahoy Gum Drop here.

You can go here to listen to a sample or buy Ahoy Gumdrop here.

You can find out more about Owen McCuen here.

You can find out more about I.B. Nosey here.