Release Day Review: "Desire After Dark" by Marie Force

Synopsis:

Tobias “Slim” Jackson has the perfect life as a pilot on Gansett Island in the summer and in Florida in the winter. He’s happiest when he’s in the air, or at least that was the case before last summer when he met Erin Barton, Gansett Island’s newest lighthouse keeper. Now he can’t seem to find his usual enthusiasm for flying, winter in the sunny South or anything that doesn’t include her.

Erin has been stuck on pause since she lost her twin brother. She’ll tell you herself that her life has been a hot mess since Toby died. After dropping out of law school, she’s flitted from one pointless job to another, existing rather than truly living. Then she comes to Gansett Island to take over as the new lighthouse keeper and meets Slim, who happens to share her beloved brother’s first name. That small coincidence is enough to convince Erin that she needs to spend more time with the dashing pilot—except for the fact that he’s spending the winter more than a thousand miles from her.


Now Slim’s come home to Gansett for the holidays and to hopefully pick up where he left off with Erin. He’s got twelve days before he’s due back in Florida to finish out the remainder of his winter obligations. A lot can happen in twelve days, but will it be enough to convince Erin that it’s time to start truly living again? Read Slim and Erin’s story and catch up with the rest of the Gansett Island cast in Desire After Dark!

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Review:
Erin and Slim's story was teased in the last novel from Gansett Island and I was pleased to finally read their story. I have to tell you - that lighthouse must be magical because Erin is the second woman to find love there. Erin and Slim are both great characters. Erin is still living in the past - paralyzed with fears and obsessions that have only grown, not diminished, since the loss of her brother in 9/11. She thinks she's moved on, but she really hasn't. Slim is determined to break through the walls that she has put up and find a way to her heart. He comes to Gansett determined to spend time with her, not fully realizing how quickly she'd grab hold of his heart.

Ms. Force has a knack of writing wonderful male heroes, and Slim is no exception. He's wonderfully attentive to Erin and a great friend to the other residents of Gansett. But he doesn't hone in on Erin's biggest issue until he's fallen head-over-heels in love with her, and its a secret that can tear them apart - literally. But in true Gansett hero fashion, he deals with it perfectly.

The main reason this read didn't get 5 stars is that I felt there was so much jumping around between points of view. In order to update the readers on former Gansett favorites, this book must have been told from more than probably six points of view and it got to be a bit much, jumping back and forth between the main characters (Slim and Erin) and then the various residents of Gansett. As much as I enjoyed the updates, the various changes made it a bit difficult to stay with the story. Other than that, the story was well done and the characters compelling, and always a bit of hilarity to go along with the residents of Gansett Island, no matter where they are!

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Links:
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes and Noble • Kobo • iBooks • Google Play

About the Author:

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of 50 contemporary romances, including the Gansett Island Series, which has sold more than 2.3 million books, and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books, which has sold more than 1.2 million books. In addition, she is the author of the Green Mountain Series as well as the new erotic romance Quantum Series, written under the slightly modified name of M.S. Force. All together, her books have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide!

Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

Join Marie's mailing list for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area.Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @marieforce and on Instagram. Join one of Marie's many reader groups.

Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.

Review: "Celebration After Dark" by Marie Force

Synopsis:

On the occasion of their 40th wedding anniversary, Big Mac and Linda McCarthy take a look back at how they came to be, while each of their children confront a new challenge in their own lives. Come to Gansett Island to celebrate the holidays and the anniversary of the island's most loved couple! More than 40,000 words. 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Review:

Fans of Gansett Island, and specifically the McCarthy family, have been long awaiting the love story of the couple that started it all - Mac and Linda. Told in flashbacks to when they met, Mac and Linda's love story is sweet and endearing. Interspersed with their memories of the past on the occasion of their 40th anniversary, readers get a check-in with each of their favorite McCarthy children. It's a great addition to the Gansett Island series and a fun way to show us how the McCarthys got their start. Mac and Linda are as wonderful as ever, and this reader loved seeing how the rest of the family is doing and catch up with weddings, babies, and other important life events.

Links:

Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes and Noble • Kobo • iBooks • Google Play

About the Author:

With more than 4 million books sold, Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 contemporary romances. Her New York Times bestselling self-published Gansett Island Series has sold 2 million e-books since Maid for Love was released in 2011. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press, as well as the New York Times bestselling Green Mountain Series from Berkley Sensation, among other books and series. Marie’s new erotic Quantum Trilogy was released under the name of M.S. Force in April 2015, and all three books were New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. The trilogy is now set to become a series.

While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of one young adult and one teenager and two feisty dogs, Brandy and Louie.

Website: www.marieforce.com

Review: "Love After Dark" by Marie Force

Synopsis:

Paul Martinez has been run ragged by the demands of managing the family’s landscaping business and his mother’s battle with dementia. It’s been so long since he had sex, he can’t remember the last time. The arrival of nurse Hope Russell brought some badly needed help to Paul and his brother Alex in managing their mother’s illness, but Hope’s presence has sparked a whole new problem for Paul—lusting after one of his employees, something his late father would never condone. 

Hope and her young son Ethan badly need this second chance on Gansett Island, and she’s determined to make her new job work for both of them. Kissing her boss, however, was not part of the plan. The more time she spends with Paul, the more she admires the way he cares for his mother and the attention he pays to her son. But when Paul finds out about her shameful past, will he still want her and Ethan in his life? 

Come back to Gansett Island to find out what’s going on with all your favorite characters, including Mac and Maddie, Seamus and Carolina and the rest of the Gansett crew. Weeks before Alex and Jenny’s long-awaited wedding, Alex begins to worry that his bride is getting cold feet—or is something else going on? It’s September on Gansett where the days are cool, bright and sunny and the nights are hot and sexy!

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Review:

Welcome back to Gansett Island! For fans of the MacCarthys and all of their friends, it's been long overdue. The author has been teasing us with Paul and Hope's story for a while now, so I was excited to actually read it. Before I jump into the story, I need to comment on the cover. The author actually used a real-life newlywed couple as her cover models for Paul and Hope. They are a perfect fit for Paul and Hope! I could just picture them as I read their story. It makes their love feel more real because we KNOW it's real!

Paul and Hope are the feature of Love After Dark. Their love story is delightful. Hope is a single mother and feels the pressures of putting her child first, even at the sake of her own love. She can't get involved with her boss because she needs her job. But we all know that you can't fight love, and it's not long before Paul and Hope are involved. I was heartbroken for Paul and Hope as their relationship progresses and they decide, somewhat mutually, to go their separate ways. Thankfully, Paul has a good confidant in his brother, Alex, who smacks him upside the head and helps him realize what he needs to do to get his happily-ever-after.

The author also includes a difficult storyline - dementia in a family member. Paul and Alex are dealing with the decline of their mother, which was what brought Hope into their lives initially. The author provides a sensitive and emotional look into the family struggles of living with a patient with dementia. My heart broke for Paul, Alex and Hope as they made tough decisions regarding her care.

In typically Marie Force fashion, she gives us a check-in with many of our favorite residents of Gansett Island. And for the benefit of readers NEW to Marie Force, I will warn you right now.  The residents of Gansett Island are very happy. I mean VERY happy. Maybe a better way to describe it is "sexually satisfied". The residents of Gansett Island have sex. A lot of sex. All the time, anywhere (can we say Blaine and Tiffany). If you aren't interested in a sneak peak in the sexual habits of some of our favorite Gansett Island residents, this book isn't for you. For the lovers of sensual contemporary romance that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you smile, you'll love Love After Dark.

Links:

Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes and Noble • Kobo • iBooks

About the Author:

With more than 4 million books sold, Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 contemporary romances. Her New York Times bestselling self-published Gansett Island Series has sold 2 million e-books since Maid for Love was released in 2011. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press, as well as the New York Times bestselling Green Mountain Series from Berkley Sensation, among other books and series. Marie’s new erotic Quantum Trilogy was released under the name of M.S. Force in April 2015, and all three books were New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. The trilogy is now set to become a series.


While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of one young adult and one teenager and two feisty dogs, Brandy and Louie.

Website: www.marieforce.com