Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Blind Date
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE: QL
COUNTRY: Australia
NATIONALITY: Australian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
| LC control no.: | no2014140861 |
|---|---|
| LCCN Permalink: | https://lccn.loc.gov/no2014140861 |
| HEADING: | Jewel, Bella |
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| 100 | 1_ |a Jewel, Bella |
| 370 | __ |e Queensland |2 naf |
| 374 | __ |a Authors |2 lcsh |
| 375 | __ |a female |
| 377 | __ |a eng |
| 670 | __ |a Jewel, Bella. Enslaved by the ocean, 2014: |b title page (Bella Jewel) page 213 (About the author. Bella Jewel is an Australian author; lives in far North Queensland [includes photograph]) |
PERSONAL
Children: two daughters.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
AVOCATIONS:Riding horses.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Australian writer Bella Jewel is the author of more than three dozen romance and suspense novels written since 2013. The prolific Jewel has been at the writing trade since she was fifteen, and finally decided not to wait for mainstream publication, but instead self-published for a number of years, gaining a loyal international readership. Then St. Martin’s Press offered her a multi-book contract that led to her popular “Alpha’s Heart” series, as well as such suspense stand-alone novels as 72 Hours, The Watcher, and Blind Date.
In a Happy Every After website interview with Joyce Lamb, Jewel commented on her preferred writing method: “I’m a ‘pantser’ through and through. I’ve yet to sit down and actually plot out a book. It all comes straight from my mind and onto the paper. I’d probably relieve a lot of stress in my life if I actually did some plot work beforehand, but I’ve never been into it. I’ve been known to push out a book in less than two weeks because I’ve sat on it, thinking about it instead of actually doing it.”
Hard to Fight
Jewel’s “Alpha’s Heart” series opens with the 2015 novel, Hard to Fight, featuring female bounty hunter, Grace, who is trying to prove herself in what is usually considered a man’s occupation. She has just such a chance when she is commissioned to bring in the dangerous fugitive, Raide Knox. A couple of problems however: not only is Raide an intense and resilient man on the run, but he is also the sexiest man Grace has dealt with.
An online Harlequin Junkie reviewer was unimpressed with this series launch, noting, “The story wasn’t awful and I’m sure others out there will enjoy it, but this one wasn’t my cup of tea.” A Smexy Books Website writer had a higher assessment, commenting: “Jewel is a good enough writer that there was enough magic that I enjoyed the ride, even though I knew all the signs. … Hard to Fight was just okay for me, I am still apt to recommend it if you are a fan of these intense erotic melodramas. If that’s your kink, I do not think you will be disappointed.”
Hard to Break
The series continues with Hard to Break, in which another strong woman in a titularly man’s occupation meets her match in a possible male foe. Quinn loves working in her father’s garage and is a skilled mechanic. Then the garage is purchased by Tazen Watts, a custom car builder who has no time for Quinn professionally. There is a spark between them, however, and Quinn wants to prove how good she is with cars.
A Harlequin Junkie Website reviewer had praise for this second installment, noting: “The hate-to-love relationship is always a favorite of mine, and if you love it too I’d recommend giving Hard to Break a try just for their pranks and refusal to get along in the beginning.” An online Smexy Books writer also had a high assessment, commenting: “Feminist fiction done right! Hard to Break is the second novel in the ‘Alpha’s Heart’ series and it is a smart balance of snarky quips, sexy liaisons, somber subject matter and all things, I am woman hear me roar. I am a diehard Bella Jewel reader.”
Hard to Forget
The series concludes with Hard to Forget, featuring female bodyguard Delaney trying to prove herself in this typically male job. She needs all the skills at her command to protect bad boy billionaire Jax Shields, who is not happy about being saddled with a female bodyguard. Initial antipathy, however, soon turns to passion in this “sexy, dramatic suspense,” according to an online Harlequin Junkie reviewer who further noted: “Bella Jewel created heroine in Delaney that many women could relate to. Ms. Jewel provided a good balance of character development, suspense, and heat.”
A Smexy Books Website contributor similarly observed: “Jewel is on to something with a cool and timely thematic series. I totally appreciate the Girl Power ambition. … Jewel writes amazing dialogue and uber sexy scenes. The sexy steam and sexual tension, along with a nagging, baffling interest I felt regarding Delaney’s ‘growth’ is what kept me reading.”
72 Hours
Jewel turns her hand to the suspense/thriller genre with her 2017 novel, 72 Hours. A sadistic serial killer has created the ultimate game for himself. He has chosen a man and woman–Lara and Noah–who once were lovers but cannot stand one another now. He kidnaps them and dumps them in an immense wooded and they will have 72 hours to find their way out before the killer begins to hunt them. What the killer does not count on, however, is that Noah and Lara will rekindle the passion that was once between them, a passion strong enough to take on such a killer.
A Publishers Weekly Online reviewer termed this an “awkward, unsettling romantic thriller set in Florida’s swampy wilderness,” adding: “There’s some suspense, and lots of gore, but there’s no real reason to care.” An online Smexy Books contributor also found fault with this novel, noting: “I love really dark romantic suspense and this sounded right up my alley. Ex-lovers reunited?? Hunted in a dark forest?? Gimme. But this book was so, so disappointing, I don’t even know where to start.” A much higher assessment, however, was offered by RT Book Reviews Website writer Leona Woolfolk, who commented: “72 Hours will blow your mind on every page! … The journey is harrowing, but well worth the literary upheaval.”
The Watcher and Blind Date
More suspense is served up in The Watcher, in which Marlie Jacobson is trying to forget her escape several years earlier from a serial killer whom she had to kill to win her freedom. But when her sister is kidnapped by someone with the same MO as her abductor, Marlie knows she must venture into that same dark place again in order to save her sibling. “Grim, gruesome, and rather terrifying, this thriller moves at a rapid clip and makes good use of chilling flashbacks to Marlie’s kidnapping,” noted Kristin Ramsdell in Xpress Reviews. Similarly, RT Book Reviews Website writer Woolfolk termed this a “psychological thriller that quickens the heart and has you looking over your shoulder in suspicion.”
Blind Date offers more psychological suspense as widow Hartley Watson reluctantly enters the dating scene through an online service whose third match-up seems too good to be true. Jacob is handsome, well-employed, and caring. But there is also something very strange about him and his knowledge of intimate details from her previous marriage. A Publishers Weekly reviewer had a mixed assessment, noting: “Jewel … opens her standalone contemporary romantic thriller with fun characters and an interesting setup, but suspense is not the book’s strong suit.” An online Book Disciple contributor, however, found more to like, observing: “Blind Date is another thriller from Bella Jewel that will have you sleeping with the lights on and seriously questioning dating sites. … Jewel manages to give you something expected and yet still keep you on your toes in ways you didn’t imagine.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, June 19, 2017, review of Blind Date, p. 98.
Xpress Reviews, June 16, 2017, Kristin Ramsdell, review of The Watcher.
ONLINE
Bella Jewel Website, http://bellajewelbooks.com (March 25, 2018).
Book Disciple, https://thebookdisciple.com/ (August 11, 2o17), review of Blind Date.
Happy Ever After, https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/ (April 7, 2017), Joyce Lamb, author interview.
Harlequin Junkie, http://harlequinjunkie.com/ (July 18, 2015), review of Hard to Fight; (October 7, 2015), review of Hard to Break; (December 23, 2015), review of Hard to Forget.
Library Journal Online, https://reviews.libraryjournal.com/ (June 15, 2017), Kristin Ramsdell, review of The Watcher.
Macmillan Website, https://us.macmillan.com/ (March 25, 2018), “Bella Jewel.”
Publisher’s Weekly Online, https://www.publishersweekly.com/ (March 25, 2018), review of 72 Hours.
RT Book Reviews, https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (March 25, 2018), Leona Woolfolk, review of The Watcher and 72 Hours.
Smexy Books, http://smexybooks.com/ (January 21, 2015), review of ‘Til Death Volume; (August 28, 2015), review of Hard to Fight; (October 13, 2015), review of Hard to Break; (December 16, 2015), review of Hard to Forget; (April 4, 2017), review of 72 Hours.
USA Today bestselling author Bella Jewel is a fun-loving Australian who lives in sunny Queensland with her two playful daughters. She’s been writing since she was fifteen and has authored a broad range of stories with wild characters ranging from bikers to pirates. When she’s not writing, Bella can be found kicking about on dirt bikers or riding horses. Bella has many more books planned for the future. She is the author of 72 Hours and The Watcher.
About
Bella Jewel is represented by Kimberly Brower from Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency. Email – kimberly@rfliterary.com – Website http://www.rfliterary.com
Bella Jewel is a self published, USA Today bestselling author. She’s been publishing since 2013. Her first release was a contemporary romance, Hell’s Knights which topped the charts upon release. Since that time, she has published over ten novels, gaining a bestseller status on numerous platforms. She lives in North Queensland and is currently studying editing and proofreading to further expand her career. Bella has been writing since she was just shy of fifteen years old. In Summer 2013 she was offered an ebook deal through Montlake Romance for her bestselling modern day pirate series, Enslaved By The Ocean. In 2015 she signed a three book worldwide deal with St Martin’s Press – and happily joined the Macmillan team to produce some scorching, sexy, amazing stories that will be presented to the world from August 2015 onwards.
She plans to expand her writing career, planning many new releases for the future.
QUOTE:
I’m a “panster” through and through. I’ve yet to sit down and actually plot out a book. It all comes straight from my mind and onto the paper. I’d probably relieve a lot of stress in my life if I actually did some plot work beforehand, but I’ve never been into it. I’ve been known to push out a book in less than two weeks because I’ve sat on it, thinking about it instead of actually doing it.
By: Joyce Lamb | April 7, 2017 12:57 pm
Bella Jewel
Joyce: Welcome to HEA, Bella! Please tell us a bit about your new release, 72 Hours.
Bella: My new release, 72 Hours, is unlike anything I’ve written in my career. It is a romantic suspense/thriller. I’m new to this genre, and writing this book was a real eye-opener. It was fun and different, and there was really no holding back in where I could take the story, which was exciting. It is based around two people being taken by a killer and put into a woodland area with only 72 hours to escape before he hunts them. The idea has been in my head for some time, so getting it on paper, and better yet, in print, was super exciting.
Joyce: What distracts you the most when you’re trying to write?
Bella: Everything. I’m terrible for distractions. Sometimes I find myself just staring out the window for no good reason. I’m a procrastinator.
Joyce: Do you write by the seat of your pants, or do you carefully plot your stories?
Bella: I’m a “panster” through and through. I’ve yet to sit down and actually plot out a book. It all comes straight from my mind and onto the paper. I’d probably relieve a lot of stress in my life if I actually did some plot work beforehand, but I’ve never been into it. I’ve been known to push out a book in less than two weeks because I’ve sat on it, thinking about it instead of actually doing it.
Joyce: Would you like to share a favorite moment from your writing career?
Bella: That would absolutely be the day I signed a three-book print deal with St Martin’s Press. It was like every dream I’ve ever had came true. I’ll never forget that moment. It will always be special to me.
Joyce: Is there a TV show that you’ve recently binge-watched?
Bella: Guilty. Nashville and This Is Us. Those two series, I just can’t walk away from them. I love them so much.
Joyce: Do you listen to music while you write? What are some tunes on your playlist?
Bella: Yes. I always have music going. I can’t concentrate without it. My favorites are Eric Church, Luke Bryan and a mix of anything on the radio.
Joyce: What’s coming next?
Bella: After 72 Hours, I have two more romantic suspense novels being released. I’m equally as excited about these two books, both of them very different to the first. I’m thrilled to be giving my readers something different, and I’m confident they’ll love the stories.
Joyce: Thanks, Bella!
About 72 Hours:
It’s all part of his sick game. A game he’s been planning for an entire decade. Now everything is perfect. A male and female have been selected. They have a history and can’t stand one another. They are the perfect victims. He doesn’t want the game to be easy. He wants to push them to the brink of insanity, to make his hunt real.
Now Lara and Noah have been captured and dumped into a massive wooded area. There’s just one rule. They have 72 hours to find a way out before the sadistic serial killer begins his hunt. And these two people who don’t trust or even like each other must rely on one another to escape–and to survive.
QUOTE:
opens her standalone contemporary romantic thriller with fun characters and an interesting setup, but suspense is not the book's strong suit.
Blind Date
Publishers Weekly.
264.25 (June 19, 2017): p98. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Blind Date
Bella Jewel. St. Martin's, $7.99 mass market (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-10836-4
Jewel (the MC Sinners series) opens her standalone contemporary romantic thriller with fun characters and an interesting setup, but suspense is not the book's strong suit. Thirty-three-year- old widow Hartley Watson insists she's not ready to return to the dating scene. Even though it's been four years since her husband, Raymond, died in an automobile accident, the whole notion of dating scares her. Nevertheless, when her friend Taylor presents her with three prearranged encounters via an online dating service, Hartley grudgingly agrees. The first two are disasters. Number three, however, looks like a match: Jacob is good-looking, considerate, charming, and employed. He's totally unlike Hartley's detective neighbor, Ace Henderson, who mostly refuses to acknowledge her existence but is sometimes directly rude. These relatable characters are set up in a way that could lead to any number of interesting and innovative stories, but instead, Jewel relies on a familiar plot. Shortly after Hartley starts dating Jacob, certain items suddenly, mysteriously appear in Hartley's apartment--things only Raymond would have known about. From there, whatever tension Jewel may have built is diluted by the story's utter predictability. Agent'. Kimberly Brower, Rebecca Friedman Literary. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Blind Date." Publishers Weekly, 19 June 2017, p. 98. Book Review Index Plus,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A496643895/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=1072a373. Accessed 24 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A496643895
1 of 2 3/24/18, 10:52 PM
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MA...
QUOTE:
Grim, gruesome, and rather terrifying, this thriller moves at a rapid clip and makes good use of chilling flashbacks to Marlie's kidnapping.
Jewel, Bella. The Watcher
Kristin Ramsdell
Xpress Reviews.
(June 16, 2017): From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviews/xpress/884170-289/xpress_reviews- first_look_at_new.html.csp
Full Text:
Jewel, Bella. The Watcher. St. Martin's Paperbacks. Jun. 2107. 304p. ISBN 9781250108388. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9681250108395. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Marlie Jacobson just wants to get away from the notoriety of her escape seven years ago from a sadistic serial killer (thanks to the best seller her greedy mother wrote about the ordeal). Now, she is joining with world-renowned investigator Kenai Michelson on the hunt for her sister, who's been snatched by someone with the same MO. The only problem is that Marlie killed her abductor back then, so this must be a copycat--but how does the person know so much about the original murders? Although Marlie starts out as a bit immature and displays some extremely naive "Gothic heroine" moments, she comes into her own eventually and helps save the day, but savvy readers will figure things out about half way through the story.
Verdict Grim, gruesome, and rather terrifying, this thriller moves at a rapid clip and makes good use of chilling flashbacks to Marlie's kidnapping. The language and the first-person narrative give it a new adult vibe, with appeal to both the NA and YA markets. Jewel (72 Hours) lives in Queensland, Australia.--Kristin Ramsdell, Libn. Emerita, California State Univ.-East Bay
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Ramsdell, Kristin. "Jewel, Bella. The Watcher." Xpress Reviews, 16 June 2017. Book Review
Index Plus, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A498996247/GPS?u=schlager&sid=GPS& xid=8408f8ee. Accessed 24 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A498996247
2 of 2 3/24/18, 10:52 PM
Jewel, Bella. The Watcher. St. Martin’s Paperbacks. Jun. 2107. 304p. ISBN 9781250108388. pap. $7.99; ebk. ISBN 9681250108395. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Marlie Jacobson just wants to get away from the notoriety of her escape seven years ago from a sadistic serial killer (thanks to the best seller her greedy mother wrote about the ordeal). Now, she is joining with world-renowned investigator Kenai Michelson on the hunt for her sister, who’s been snatched by someone with the same MO. The only problem is that Marlie killed her abductor back then, so this must be a copycat—but how does the person know so much about the original murders? Although Marlie starts out as a bit immature and displays some extremely naïve “Gothic heroine” moments, she comes into her own eventually and helps save the day, but savvy readers will figure things out about half way through the story.
Verdict Grim, gruesome, and rather terrifying, this thriller moves at a rapid clip and makes good use of chilling flashbacks to Marlie’s kidnapping. The language and the first-person narrative give it a new adult vibe, with appeal to both the NA and YA markets. Jewel (72 Hours) lives in Queensland, Australia.—Kristin Ramsdell, Libn. Emerita, California State Univ.–East Bay
QUOTE:
sexy, dramatic suspense
Bella Jewel created heroine in Delaney that many women could relate to. Ms. Jewel provided a good balance of character development, suspense, and heat.
REVIEW: Hard to Forget by Bella Jewel
Posted December 23rd, 2015 by Sara @HarlequinJunkie in Blog, Contemporary Romance, Review, Romantic Suspense / 10 comments
Hard to Forget by Bella Jewel: Delaney has always wanted to serve and Hard-to-Forgetprotect, which is how she ends up as a bodyguard. Being the lone female means that she has to work that much harder to gain the acceptance of the male bodyguards at their security company. She’s itching for the day when she can finally have her own case and prove herself. So, she’s thrilled when she finally gets her first assignment, but her first client is not so happy.
Jax owns a string of luxury hotels and is known for his playboy reputation. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which is why he needs round the clock protection. As an alpha male, he chafes at the thought of a woman guarding him, but he’s left with no other option.
“If you wish to discriminate against me, do it on your own time, sir. Right now, I am going to make sure you’re protected,” I say in a stiff voice. “Now release me, before I make you.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Jax says gruffly, and that sends an odd shiver right through my spine.
I stare into his eyes. “I believe I’ve already tried and won.”
She really feels the pressure to succeed and worries about failing. She needs to prove herself to herself, Jax, her boss, and her coworkers, so acting on her attraction to Jax is the last thing she needs. But resisting temptation becomes too much when she learns that he wants her too and they are spending almost all of their time together.
“Jax,” I whisper. “Please don’t. You and I both know that shouldn’t have happened. I need…I just need to do my job, now more than ever. I can’t afford to be distracted.”
He studies my face. “I get that.”
“Then please let me move on and do that.”
“I’m hearing you, baby,” he murmurs, standing.
While the danger ramps up, Delaney and Jax find comfort with and in each other. Their only option is to be discreet or risk her job. But with the increased danger, there is also the increased chance that they will be discovered.
Hard to Forget is a sexy, dramatic suspense that I didn’t want to put down! Bella Jewel created heroine in Delaney that many women could relate to. Ms. Jewel provided a good balance of character development, suspense, and heat. Fans of Shayla Black, Lexi Blake, and Roni Loren will enjoy Hard to Forget.
Book Info:
04.5SPublication: December 15th 2015 | St. Martin’s Paperbacks | Alpha’s Heart #3
Delaney, a professional bodyguard, has spent years trying to prove herself in a male dominated industry. Now she’s facing her greatest challenge yet.
Bad boy billionaire Jax Shields has made plenty of enemies on his climb to the top, but being in the wrong place at the wrong time has put his life at risk. Now he’s putting his life in the hands of Delaney and her team. He demands the best in everything, and he doesn’t think she has what it takes to protect him. He’s also made it clear he’d rather have her on her back then covering his. Will Delaney be able to prove herself to the most arrogant—and devastatingly handsome—man she’s ever met?
**Hard To Forget is a full-length standalone romance with a HEA**
QUOTE:
The hate to love relationship is always a favorite of mine, and if you love it too I’d recommend giving Hard to Break a try just for their pranks and refusal to get along in the beginning.
REVIEW: Hard to Break by Bella Jewel
Posted October 7th, 2015 by Sara @HarlequinJunkie in Blog, Contemporary Romance, Review / 10 comments
Hard to Break by Bella Jewel: When her alcoholic father sells the family garage, Quinn is Hard to Breakheartbroken. Having spent her life there, first with her dad, and then running it when she was hold enough, she never wanted to leave. So when Tazen, famous custom car builder, buys her out she refuses to leave him alone. Spending each day in the garage, bothering him until he makes her apart of his team since she knows she’s the best mechanic around.
But the passion between Tazen and Quinn makes things fiery between the two as they fight it, Quinn especially. Not really the romance sort, all she wants is to work in her garage and ignore the man who stole it from her. But Tazen won’t let her. He decided he wants her so he’s going after her hard.
“A dimple appears in his cheek. Well, now I have wet panties. ‘I’m here to see a dude named Quinn. Heard he’s running this,’ he glances around, ‘old fucked-up place. Get him for me, will you, love?’
Oh. He. Did. Not.”
I enjoyed Hard to Break, mainly because it is a bit different than I usually read. But both Tazen and Quinn annoyed me a bit. Their beginning impressions were so different to what they actually were, it was confusing and kept taking me right out of the story.
Tazen comes across initially as an arrogant ass, but he becomes such a sweetheart. I couldn’t even relate the two sides to him. And Quinn sets herself up as a tomboyish hardass, but she falls apart so often throughout the story that I just felt she was weak and not at all what I expected when I began the story.
Despite their faults, their interactions were a lot of fun. The hate to love relationship is always a favorite of mine, and if you love it too I’d recommend giving Hard to Break a try just for their pranks and refusal to get along in the beginning.
Book Info:
03SPublication: October 13, 2015 | St. Martin’s Paperbacks | Alpha’s Heart #2
Quinn has spent her whole life working in her dad’s garage, leaving her more comfortable with a carburetor than a curling iron. Her world is turned upside down when her beloved garage is bought by none other than world famous, sexy as sin, custom car builder, Tazen Watts. He’s the one man she can’t stand…even though he makes her hotter than a high performance engine in top gear.
Tazen has no use for Quinn, at least not professionally, and he’s making sure she knows it. But there’s a spark between them that she’s finding hard to ignore. She’s determined to prove her talent is as impressive as her sassy mouth. When she finds out Tazen is hiding a secret that could bring down his career and everyone involved in it, she wonders: is falling for him is going to be work the risk?
QUOTE:
The story wasn’t awful and I’m sure others out there will enjoy it, but this one wasn’t my cup of tea.
REVIEW: Hard to Fight by Bella Jewel
Posted July 19th, 2015 by Sara @HarlequinJunkie in Blog, Contemporary Romance, Review, Sports Romance / 4 comments
Hard to Fight by Bella Jewel: Grace is fed up with getting only the small jobs at work because she’s a woman. After Hard-to-Fightconfronting her boss, she goes out for a night on the town with her best friend where runs into a mysterious, attractive man. The next day her boss finally gives her a chance to prove herself on a big job. The problem? The picture of the man she needs to bring in is of the man she ran into the night before.
I have conflicting feelings about Grace. She’s a bounty hunter and a strong woman. She’s working in what’s considered to be a man’s profession, determined to prove that she can make it. She acknowledges she has a size disadvantage compared to the men in her office, but she doesn’t let that stop her from catching people. My issue is that while she seems so strong in that aspect, she comes across as weak in others. Her mother and sisters treat her terribly, but she just takes it without standing up for herself. For five years her boss has only put her on smaller cases, yet she waited that long to confront him and demand she be given a larger case. She knows she should turn Raide in, but she fights with herself constantly about doing so. It just felt she was built up to be this strong woman in all aspects but she really wasn’t.
Raide was simply a man trying to prove that he didn’t kill his sister. Instead of telling the police what really happened that night, he was determined to get his vengeance on his own. It seemed like things would have been a whole lot easier for him if he just confided in the police, but it was never really explained why he didn’t.
A few things, other than the characters, took away from the story for me. First, it moved slowly in the beginning. There were times where it felt like it was dragging. Another is the insta-love, which a bit of a pet peeve for me. They don’t really know each other, at least in the beginning, but they sleep together and suddenly they’re in love. It just wasn’t believable. Then there was Grace and her flip-flopping about turning Raide in. At one point she decides she’s going to prove his innocence, then she’s back to wanting to bring him in. She should have acknowledged that her judgment was compromised and asked her co-workers to take over.
The story wasn’t awful and I’m sure others out there will enjoy it, but this one wasn’t my cup of tea.
Book Info:
03SPublication: August 11, 2015 | St. Martin’s Press | Alpha’s Heart #1
Grace is a bounty hunter who wants to be taken seriously, but her boss refuses to believe that a woman can bring down a dangerous criminal. She finally gets a chance to prove herself when she’s given the case of a lifetime: capture Raide Knox and bring him to justice.
Raide is a dangerous fugitive on the run…and the sexiest man Grace has ever met. Catching Raide won’t be easy. He’s not the kind of man to go down without a fight. Raide is more intense and frustrating than any man she’s ever had to deal with, and the instantaneous attraction that sparks between them is undeniable. One thing is for sure…it’s going to be a case they will never forget.
http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-hard-to-fight-by-bella-jewel/
QUOTE:
awkward, unsettling romantic thriller set in Florida’s swampy wilderness,
There’s some suspense, and lots of gore, but there’s no real reason to care.
72 Hours
Bella Jewel. St. Martin’s, $7.99 mass market (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-10834-0
In Jewel’s awkward, unsettling romantic thriller set in Florida’s swampy wilderness, Lara and Noah have 72 hours to escape from the clutches of a killer before his game of hide-and-seek turns into a death sentence. The man who has captured them has been following them for months, and he thinks they’ll be easy marks, incapable of working together to get out of the swamp before he catches them. He’s not entirely wrong; they both took tremendous hits during their breakup three months before, and their mutual trust is shattered. Now it looks like they won’t get time to even begin to clear the air unless they find a way to survive. Jewel’s clumsy plotting and lack of details (neither main character even has a last name) give readers little to enjoy. There’s some suspense, and lots of gore, but there’s no real reason to care. Agent: Kimberly Brower, Rebecca Friedman Literary. (Apr.)
Joint Review: ‘Til Death Volume 2 by Bella Jewel
January 21, 2015 By Tori Leave a Comment
23612689‘Til Death Vol. 2 (Til Death, #2) by Bella Jewel
Romance Contemporary
Ebook, 152 pages
January 10, 2015
Self Published
Joint Review: Sheena and Tori
You know how it went for me.
You know what he did.
You know the fire he left inside my soul when he crushed me into a thousand tiny pieces.
Since Marcus, my life has been a blur of emptiness.
Since Marcus there has been nothing.I’m alone, my Mom is dwindling and I feel nothing but emptiness. I work long, I work hard, but why? There’s no longer anything to fight for.I know I have to face him. I know I have to go back. To fix my life, I have to break my ties to him.Seeing Marcus again will destroy me, but it’s time to finish this.
I don’t expect the bitter, twisted emotions I’ll feel when I see him again, and when I lose everything once more, because of him, the only thing on my mind is revenge.
But how do you hurt someone you still love so deeply? How can I still care for a monster? How can he still make me feel?
Our story is the most complicated of them all, it’s far from beautiful, it’s far from perfect, it’s just a twisted mess of emotion that neither of us knows how to fix.
But we will fix it. You’ll see. (Goodreads)
TORI: ‘Til Death is a two volume duology. I do not recommend reading VOL 2 without reading VOL 1 first. VOL 1 introduces our protagonists and sets up the storyline. A marriage of convenience trope that goes horribly wrong when the object of the convenience finds out and she learns why the love of her life married her. Katia fell for Marcus Tandem hook, line, and sinker. Believing her prince had come, she is shattered when she learns he married her to merely secure his ownership of the family business. When she learns the whole story behind his deplorable actions and questions him on it, he purposely causes her to leave, hoping to make her hate him while in fact he does it all out of love. Katia leaves a shattered broken woman. Marcus thought he could have it all and keep his emotions out of the mix, but he falls for Katia and when she leaves, it devastates him.
VOL 2 brings back our unlucky lovers and sets them down a harsh path of lies, pain, and revenge as Katia tries to survive on practically nothing while taking care of her sick mother. When her mother’s care becomes too much for her to handle alone, she comes back to town and is forced to interact with Marcus, reopening all her wounds. Marcus realises instantly what he lost and tries so hard to get Katia to hear him out on multiple occasions. When one of his attempts to talk to her results in her missing the chance to say goodbye to the only other person she loves, Katia hits rock bottom and like a phoenix, emerges from the ashes engulfed in the flames of revenge.
When it comes to the cray-cray, I and Sheena are soul mates. The more outrageous a couple and the situation, the more I can guarantee one of us, if not both, have read their book. Bella Jewel fills my need with her various dark erotic romances that gives readers intensely possessive alpha heroes, strong and eccentric heroines, and some serious eye rolling storylines. Bella creates the ultimate abet gorgeous douchebag hero in Til Death. Marcus is an arse. You can’t even say at least he’s honest about his intentions because he’s not. He lies, schemes, and manipulates. He wined and dined Katia with the sole intention of getting her to fall in love with him and using her to achieve his goals. The problem? He never thought he would fall victim to his own trap. I think ever, Sheena? After Vol 1 was Marcus a hero or zero for you?
SHEENA: *sings* Hey soul sister, ain’t that Mr. Mister… (In my Train voice). You have it spot on, Tori! After VOL 1, I was livid, seething. I thought Marcus was vile and beyond redemption. I didn’t champion a HEA and I wanted everyone to know! I have never walked away from a novel literally clamoring for the hero to lose his lady love and any remote chance of happiness. I wanted him burned at the stake of my choosing. I wanted him to go down in Chinatown, in short- I didn’t find him fit to pick Katia’s toenails. I sympathised with Katia and wanted her to be truly happy- sans Marcus!
But then something shifted in VOL 2. Katia transformed. And committed one of my most fiercely protected, cardinal romance novel sins. Thou shalt not lie to the hero about the existence or possibility of a child he has fathered. Marcus was an emotional tyrant and put her through the emotional wringer. He was cold and he hurt her feelings. He sent her packing with a sneer on his lips and lies in his eyes. But honey, you hide this man’s baby and I am #TeamMarcus by the next bat of my lashes! Making the decision to -don’t say villainize- devolve Katia’s characterization from heroine-with-the-broken-heart-of-gold to that of the queen bitch of retribution is what made this story feel believable. In this action, I believe Bella Jewel to have the foresight and gift that many romance authors do not possess. It would have been sooo easy to have Katia give Marcus the run around for a few chapters and then after a few encounters, and some groveling, Marcus waves his cock under Katia’s nose like smelling salts and BAM! They are back together and loving harder than ever for eternity. To be honest I was expecting this lazy resolution and ready to go on the rant to end all rants, but Jewell did the work and made this journey legit.
I also appreciated the pace of the story, each scene fueled by each lover’s angst. It was as if I were on a roller coaster, each new action ratcheting up Katia’s venomous desire to the next level. At one point she was seriously out of control and the plot felt wild and dangerous! I was ready to enter Marcus into witness protection- in my boudoir- of course. (So umm yes…with the moratorium on my distaste for his prior dastardly deeds, I began to sort of get the hots for the big jerk *bites lip). Tori, how did you feel about Katia 2.0?
TORI: It’s like we have a Vulcan mind meld going on. I’m not quite as hate fueled by the secret baby trope as you are but like you, it made my respect for her diminish. And I needed that. I needed Jewel to show me the nasty, ugly dark parts buried in Katia. I need to see she was not the perfect angel that VOL 1 lead us to believe. She embraced her fall into the abyss like an avenging Valkyrie and not only rode that crazy train but was the conductor.
The direction Jewel took made me fist pump. Sorry, but I love a hero or heroine who takes it to the ultimate extreme and then a step further when their heart is broken. I do love me some revenge. Jewel did a fantastic job of cataloging Katia’s descent into madness with her family bemoaning her actions in the background like a Greek chorus. The FEELZ. OMG. My heart went out to her even as I slowly backed away just in case she decided to flip on me. I have to say while my feelings changed towards Marcus as we are given deeper insight to his thoughts and feelings, I didn’t feel a bit sorry for him when he found out just how much of the Kool-aid Katia drank. He made his bed, now he has to lie in it. *z snap*
The pace is steady and the use of alternative viewpoints helps to keep the reader in both their minds. The conflicts build slowly, heightening the sense of danger and angst. I adored Katia’s family. Her brothers and best friend were hilarious and offered a reprieve from the darkness of the storyline.I liked that her father doesn’t try to excuse away what happened in the past.
Now let’s talk about what everyone wants to hear about…the sex. Oh boy, you’d better grab something and hold on tight because the ride gets bumpy. No matter how incompatible Katia and Marcus are as a couple, they have no issues in the bedroom. Or the shower, a back alley, up against various walls. Lots of angry sex.
My back is slammed against the wall and Marcus doesn’t move his lips from mine. He kisses me until I’m gasping for air. His hands are in my locks, tugging, and his body is crushed against mine, his erection pressing into my belly. Then his hands are wrenching free of my hair and going down to the hem of my dress.
We’re in a frenzy; emotion is gone. There is nothing but raw lust, a lust that is dangerous for the both of us. My head swims from alcohol and emotion. I can’t think straight, not when his lips are on mine, not when his hands are everywhere. He jerks my dress up and finds my panties, tearing them off as if they are no more than a flimsy piece of material.
Then he’s jerking his pants down, freeing his cock. What’s happening? What am I doing? My thoughts are taken from me when he thrusts upwards, filling me in one fluid stroke. My head falls back and I scream. Thrilling, sensational agony rips through my body and I arch, trying to ease it, trying to get more—I don’t know which. Marcus places a hand on the wall beside my head and the other firmly under my ass, and he fucks me.
He fucks me like this is our last day on earth and I’m the only reason he’s fought.
He fucks me like I matter.
He fucks me like I’m his lifeline and he can’t survive without me.
I come shamelessly hard and fast, gripping his suit, running my fingernails desperately over the fabric. He growls low and deep, and fucks me so hard I feel the brick wall tearing into my skin. Then he’s coming too, hard and fast, rasping my name.
I close my eyes, shame filling me.
What have I done?
Ummm…Is it hot in here or what?
So…what were we talking about again? Oh yes, the S.E.X. It’s nasty, dirty, raw, and angry. What say you, Sheena? Was the sex up to par for you?
SHEENA: The sex was up to par. I had high expectations as Jewell is no slouch in the book booty department and I am more than pleased with the love scenes. Nothing felt too gratuitous (not that I’m likely to complain, heh) and the only thing that left me wanting was a scene with Katia’s brother, Ford…I like Ford. Me wants more and I liked what little we saw of his..dalliance. Marcus is a beast in the sack and he hits allll the right notes with me. He is dominant and passionate and well…damn near feral which makes the times where he makes love to Katia- that much more stimulating. Let’s just say I have bookmarked a scene or two….or three…especially that one time against the wall *wiggles eyebrows.* Tori, you mention their oil/water compatibility as a couple. In VOL 1 we saw Katia admit to herself that they really only connected between the sheets. Sex was one area where they had a common ground and mutual pull toward one another. Seeing them transcend that level of intimacy was rewarding. Marcus grew to love and respect and care for Katia and when her fury abated, she was left with a man who had literally been reborn-for her. Lucky chick has her man in and out of the bedroom now!
Till Death VOL 2 was a dramatic, smart and sexy conclusion to the story of Katia and Marcus. I do admit I am left with a few questions regarding just how socio-economically…changed Marcus became in the end, but nothing significant enough to sway my appreciation for this novel.
I give it a solid A-.
What say you Tori?
TORI: The highs and lows they experience in here only serves to strengthen the bonds that developed between them in VOL 1. Sometimes you have to break it in order to fix it and make it stronger. Marcus learns to love and put someone else’s needs before his while Katia learns to place a higher value on herself and not settle for less than what she deserves.
I too was a little confused about exactly what Marcus did to ‘reinvent’ himself. Did he keep nothing? What did he do at his new job? Also why he felt he had to keep Katia in the dark about it. In her mind, he had left her again. *sob* I also wish we could have divulged a little more in Marcus’s feelings for Katia beyond him saying-’I broke her. I want her back.’ Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wanted to know WHY he wanted her back. I wanted him to say the words.
Regardless, Til Death Vol 2 was a wild out of control roller coaster ride that hit all my high and low points. Jewel promised us a dramatic pain filled love story and more than delivered.
I give this a solid B+.
Sheena’s Favorite Quote:
“Sorry, you fucked my boss, I fucked your brother. It’s only fair right?”
Tori’s Favorite Quotes:
“How the hell have I been living in darkness while you’ve been dancing in light?”
http://smexybooks.com/2015/01/joint-review-til-death-volume-2-by-bella-jewel.html
QUOTE:
Jewel is on to something with a cool and timely thematic series. I totally appreciate the Girl Power ambition
ewel writes amazing dialogue and uber sexy scenes. The sexy steam and sexual tension, along with a nagging, baffling interest I felt regarding Delaney’s “growth” is what kept me reading.
Review: Hard to Forget by Bella Jewel
December 16, 2015 By Sheena Leave a Comment
Review: Hard to Forget by Bella Jewel
Series: Alpha’s Heart, #3
Contemporary/Erotic Romance
Released: December 15, 2015
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Reviewed by Sheena
Delaney is a professional bodyguard who’s spent years trying to prove herself in a male dominated industry. Now she’s facing her greatest challenge yet.
Bad boy billionaire Jax Shields has made plenty of enemies on his climb to the top, and now his life is at risk.
When he hires a bodyguard, he never expected to put his life in the hands of a petite woman with a big attitude. Jax demands the best in everything, and he doesn’t think Delaney has what it takes to protect him. He’d rather have her on her back then covering his.
Will Delaney be able to prove herself to the most arrogant—and devastatingly handsome—man she’s ever met?
“You should familiarize yourself with the art of dating.” He traces a finger up my arm, making me shiver.
“Why? I’m an amazing lover, I look good, and I have money.” “Ugh, Jaxson, that’s such a rich manwhore thing to say.”
He chuckles. “You wouldn’t have me any other way…and if you could have gotten a choice, would you change anything?”
I sigh and smile. “God no.”
“My point exactly,” he says, nipping my earlobe.
Hard to Forget is the third and final novel in the Alpha’s Heart trilogy, a series where author Bella Jewel experiments with telling the stories of strong women, in traditionally male roles.Delaney is a professional bodyguard, up against sexist judgment regarding her skills and in search of her first big case. When she finally gets her big break after proving herself to her boss, passion ignites and not only does she have to protect her assignment she has to navigate falling in love with him and not losing everything in the process. Of the three books in the series, this one may be the weakest, given the heroine’s penchant for welshing on her aspirations and failing to believe in herself at every-single-turn. To be a story about a female bodyguard who has to bust her ass and prove herself every step of the way, professional bodyguard Delaney needs a lot of prodding and encouragement from the men in her life (her boss, her partners, her assignment/love interest, etc). To be respected in such a male-dominated field, a woman has to go balls to the wall. Not balls half-way-across-the-room-leaning-against-the-coffee-table-waiting-for-a-rub! My major gripe with Delaney is that she was too unsure of herself when the shite hit the fan, she was always deer in the headlights, caught with her tampon string showing and needing direction from a man. Seriously!? If that is not completely undermining and a shot in the heart at the whole premise of the novel’s theme!
“Delaney, whoa. You need to stop and slow down. What’s going on?”
“Kyle, oh God.”
“What about him? Laney, speak to me.”
“They said someone’s hurt. They meant Kyle, I know it. I have to go to him.”
“No,” Jax says, squeezing his arms around me. “No Delaney, don’t go to him. If that’s who I think it was, it’s probably a trick.”
I stop struggling and his words sink in. He’s probably right, it’s probably a trick.
“What do I do?” I whisper.
“Call the cops, Laney.”
“I nod and pull out my phone, dialing the cops.”
*Bangs head* soooo, high-pressure situation, there is a possible man down annnnd the voice of reason is the man- because obviously the girl is in hysterics without a clue of how to do her job. Perfect. How kick ass of her. snort. Unfortunately, my nasal passages are a little sore as I did a fair share of snorting thorough this novel. Delaney was likable enough. I felt sympathy for her crusade to be taken seriously and I liked that she was fallible, yet had a really pure heart. Jax, on the other hand, was an unappealing enigma. Major disconnect with Jax. There was a huge wall with this hero. Sure, I had an appreciation for his description- super hot, towering, masculine, self-assured, etc. Unfortunately, I needed more from him. I could take or leave Delaney and I couldn’t cling to Jax as a hero so it was like watching a sports game with no investment on either team- sure you can follow the game, but do you really care who wins, if anyone? Meh?
My main point of contention was the nonsensical root of Delaney’s actions and behavior. It really ground my gears that Delaney spent 200 pages telling me how she can do her job, that she has had the same training and has the same drive as her male counterparts, only to bail when things get intense? This was the least satisfying HEA that I have read in a while. Not because she chose a less dangerous path in favor of her budding relationship, but because she chose a less dangerous path when she wanted more. She gets the guy, has a great professional moment where she follows her instincts and saves Jax’s life and wins his heart and poof, she suddenly abandons her ambition? It just didn’t jive. Book 1 in the Alpha’s Heart series had similar flaws due to hypocrisies and poor character decisions. Book 2 was awesome and avoided these pitfalls. It would have been awesome to see the series cap off on a stronger note.
Hard to Break, like it’s predecessors is a standalone novel, with a clear HEA-if you managed to bulldoze your way into connecting with these characters. Overall, Jewel is on to something with a cool and timely thematic series. I totally appreciate the Girl Power ambition, but execution failed in Hard to Forget. I can not overlook the fact that Delaney pushes and fights to get a real case, her first real case, can’t hack it, falls in love and decides to be fulfilled with her boyfriend and what amounts to little more than a desk job with the occasional below low-level risk? In the end her boyfriend came off as more kick ass and self-assured than she could dream to be and he leaves the story as the ‘hero’….errrmm point missed here?? Was the great revelation that Jax is no longer sexist and accepts Delaney? I hope not.
An area where I was not disappointed was with the banter and steam factor. Bella Jewel writes amazing dialogue and uber sexy scenes. The sexy steam and sexual tension, along with a nagging, baffling interest I felt regarding Delaney’s “growth” is what kept me reading. There were supporting characters whom I wish had more back story, her boss Nak, for instance was a scene stealer each time! I also wanted to complete the series on principle. Hard to Forget is certainly not my fav, and I can only recommend book 2 as it is the only one to stay true to the vein of the theme without undermining itself, however, Hard to Forget certainly may appeal to core fans and while it was just okay for me, I have read everything Jewel has released and do not see that changing- ever. This was just a miss for me.
Grade: C-
Previous Bella Jewel Reviews: : ‘Til Death Volume 2, Hard to Fight (Alpha’s Heart #1), Hard to Break (Alpha’s Heart #2)
Recent Reviews:
Shelley Munro
Jeris Book Attic
Mignon Mykel Reviews
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QUOTE:
Feminist fiction done right! Hard to Break is the second novel in the Alpha’s Heart series and it is a smart balance of snarky quips, sexy liaisons, somber subject matter and all things, I am woman hear me roar. I am a die hard Bella Jewel reader,
Review: Hard to Break by Bella Jewel
October 13, 2015 By Sheena Leave a Comment
Review: Hard to Break (Alpha’s Heart #2) by Bella Jewel
Contemporary Romance
Released: October 13, 2015
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Reviewed by Sheena
Quinn has spent her whole life working in her dad’s garage, leaving her more comfortable with a carburetor than a curling iron. Her world is turned upside down when her beloved garage is bought by none other than world famous, sexy as sin, custom car builder, Tazen Watts. He’s the one man she can’t stand…even though he makes her hotter than a high performance engine in top gear.
Tazen has no use for Quinn, at least not professionally, and he’s making sure she knows it. But there’s a spark between them that she’s finding hard to ignore. She’s determined to prove her talent is as impressive as her sassy mouth. When she finds out Tazen is hiding a secret that could bring down his career and everyone involved in it, she wonders: is falling for him is going to be work the risk?
Favorite Quote: “Well,” he says, his voice a low, thick husk, “you going to help me, angel, or are you going to stand there and give yourself wet panties checking me out…” “I don’t fuck employees,” he murmurs, staring at my lips. “I’d like to hope not,” I laugh softly. “They’re all men.”
Feminist fiction done right! Hard to Break is the second novel in the Alpha’s Heart series and it is a smart balance of snarky quips, sexy liaisons, somber subject matter and all things, I am woman hear me roar. I am a die hard Bella Jewel reader, however after book one, Hard to Fight, I was a little nervous that this novel would leave me flailing- and not in the OMG way- but in the WTF manner. So glad to report that I absolutely enjoyed my afternoon reading Hard to Break. Heroine, garage owner/mechanic Quinn is spot on. Feminine and strong, bold and ballsy but never over the top and in your face and ball busting that she is off putting. She has lost her family’s garage due to her irresponsible, alcoholic father and is looking for a way to move forward, saving who she is and what she loves in the process. I loved that Quinn was the best at what she did in the garage. Even when Tazen stages a coup and her garage becomes his in one fell swoop, she doe snot back down, but puts up a fight! Bulldozing her way into Tazen’s business, I giggled and cheered when she showed up the men who were more than happy to pat her on the head and send her skipping down the lane. And better, I found no hypocrisy or inconsistencies with her characterization and even when I was a little exasperated with her, I still was proud to have her back.
I’m just about finished when I hear,
“What the fuck?”
I ignore that and do the last adjustments on the connections, and then slide out to see Tazen, Rick, Drasco, Toby and Kellan all staring down at me. I stand up, slap my spanner into Tazen’s hand and then turn again with a smile. “You’re welcome.”
Then I walk off, but really I want to skip. I just showed them all up, and in front of their boss.
Finally.
Tazen is kind of a big lug of a bossy masculine alpha hunk of sex on a stick. He was not immediately likable. I did not like how he taunted and condescended to Quinn. It took some will and foresight for me to come off it and forgive him. By the time I was on board with him as a hero, Quinn had discovered what we both should have known all along. Tazen was the shit! Yes he was kind of a jerk but he was also sensitive to Quinn’s familial plight and wanted to do right by her, even before they hooked up. He was a good guy, despite his type A exterior. He was multi faceted, not just a hot prop for the heroine to rub her bub against. There was depth there and they had a crazy chemistry.
Tazen and Quinn go from adversaries to allies to lovers and at the core is a mutual respect that allows them both to shine together and on their own. Quinn’s father is in am awful bad way and it was beautiful to see how she leaned on Tazen when he tucked his cocky exterior and offered her his understanding and support. No stranger to danger, Tazen too is involved in some weird and shady dealings, however, I personally thought his “danger” could have been cut- I had a hard time taking his violent blast from the past bitch of an ex seriously. But hey, it’s fiction, and I suppose Tazen’s token darkness added a little umph to the plot so I’ll look over the superfluous element of “danger” snort.
I am not a car junkie, but I enjoyed a cool appreciation for the sweet rides described in the story so I can guarantee my reader chicks who dig their cars and overalls will love this! The garage where everything goes down is just as much a part of the story as the romance and sensuality. This little novel has it all, fast paced plot, romance, a strong but vulnerable heroine, comedy, and even a sex injury! (Hilarious, ok!) Jewel crafted a great story, and is on an upswing in her female-in-a-traditionally-male-role themed series. Quinn felt like a real girl- not a caricature to fit the thematic mold. Hard to Break is number two in a short series, however, it stands completely alone. Cute, brazen and a bit of a thrill, it just works on all cylinders.
Grade: B+
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QUOTE:
Jewel is a good enough writer that there was enough magic that I enjoyed the ride, even though I knew all the signs.
ard to Fight was just okay for me, I am still apt to recommend it if you are a fan of these intense erotic melodramas. If that’s your kink, I do not think you will be disappointed.
Review: Hard to Fight by Bella Jewel
August 28, 2015 By Sheena 1 Comment
23148016
Hard to Fight (Alpha’s Heart #1) by Bella Jewel
Contemporary Romance
Released August 11, 2015
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Reviewed by Sheena
Grace is a bounty hunter who wants to be taken seriously, but her boss refuses to believe that a woman can bring down a dangerous criminal. She finally gets a chance to prove herself when she’s given the case of a lifetime: capture Raide Knox and bring him to justice.
Raide is a dangerous fugitive on the run…and the sexiest man Grace has ever met. Catching Raide won’t be easy. He’s not the kind of man to go down without a fight. Raide is more intense and frustrating than any man she’s ever had to deal with, and the instantaneous attraction that sparks between them is undeniable. One thing is for sure…it’s going to be a case they will never forget.
Favorite Quote: Then he’s gone. Poof, just like that. Cool exit, but he’s still a bastard.
This is a maaaann’s world….but it would be nothing…nothingggg….. without a woman or a girllll… Hard to Fight is Book one in Bella Jewel’s new Alpha’s Heart thematic series, where the heroines step out into center stage in unexpected traditionally “male roles.” On the surface I was intrigued. I am not a huge fan of ball busting harpies, but I am always game for a girl power, nobody puts baby in the corner, alpha-heroic heroine. Grace is a bounty hunter and right away I braced myself for plenty of knee to groin and emasculation tough-girl humor. Growing up the black sheep of a family, her bounty hunter dad doting on her was not enough to shield her from the vicious barbs and ill-treatment she suffered at the hands of her mother and two decidedly ultra-girly sisters. Her turbulent familial ties were a solid subplot that surprisingly outshone the romance. The scenes with Grace vs her mother and sisters were gripping and I always turned the page wanting more. Needing more. There is a pretty pivotal scene with her father that had a more profound impact on me than the HEA. Most of what I enjoyed about this novel had little to do with the couple and everything to do with her family. Which in an erotic romance novel is a little unsettling.
Grace is a bounty hunter with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. She is extremely sensitive to sexism in the work place but did not do enough to distance herself from perpetuating her own form of hypocrisy.
If I were a man, he’d have no concern for me. He wouldn’t question my ability, and he wouldn’t as me to be careful. He’d just slap me on the back and wish me luck. I long for a reaction like that.
“I’ve had the same training as you…I can do this.”
I study his face for a moment and decide to just let it go.
And let it go she should because only five minutes prior she hatched a plan to use her womanly sexuality as a tool in her bounty hunting arsenal to take down her biggest assignment yet. During her chase and planned take down, I was distracted by her hypocritical point of view. If you don’t want the man to think of you as a lowly woman on the job, you forfeit the pass to use your sex appeal. Especially when you steadfastly admit that you can not be successful against a male target without whipping out your boobs and ripping off your panties. Not that panties are anything but a distant memory when faced with the likes of fugitive, Raide Knox.
Jewel is a must-read author of mine and one of the things I know I can count on is how utterly desirable she writes her heroes. Damn but Raide was desirable. Raw, rough and rugged. Grace has two months to hook him as he assaults all of her sense, earning every X in his XXX rating. I have fundamental idealistic differences with Grace so I did not really find myself as drawn to her, but they had enough chemistry to keep me reading. Raide and Grace were not a bad match, in fact they each met one another’s match, and when the realization hit, it was a kick to see the switch flip and the characters rise to the occasion.
“If you’ll excuse me, handsome,” I say, stepping around him. “I have a gun to buy.”
I hurry to the door, but when I reach it, I turn and stare at him. He’s watching me with a lusty expression on his face. Ah yes. Raide Knox doesn’t like women who flaunt themselves in front of him. No, Raide Knox likes them wild and badass, but more than that he likes a challenge. I think I finally caught his attention.
As a couple, they had a nice balance of humor and lusty attraction. He amusingly rebuffs her overt, luring flirtations at first, but their insta – love was soon clouded by the bed of lies their relationship jump started from. This was very distracting because I knew they were supposed to be so into one another that when deceptions were unveiled, I was supposed to be gutted along with them and my heart was probably supposed to be breaking watching them try to pick up the pieces, but I could only muster half- hearted “ehhh” feelings toward their implosion and subsequent rebuilding. Aside from my detached awareness of their “love,” Grace made several rookie mistakes and her partners had to give her basic bounty hunting information, the most obvious being why she kept trying to devise these elaborate take downs, when all she had to really do was call him in when she had a lock on his location- and this was before I could dismiss her blunders as “oh well the gal’s in love.”
There is a predictable twist, though, I didn’t mind its predictability in the least. Jewel is a good enough writer that there was enough magic that I enjoyed the ride, even though I knew all the signs. This novel stands alone with a very neatly sewn up HEA, complete with a super cute epilogue that made me grin from ear to ear. I have actually had the pleasure of reading book 2, Hard to Break and was pleased as punch that Jewel seems to have hit her famous stride and deliver a great romantic , sexy tale. Hard to Fight was just okay for me, I am still apt to recommend it if you are a fan of these intense erotic melodramas. If that’s your kink, I do not think you will be disappointed.
Grade: C+
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QUOTE:
I love really dark romantic suspense and this sounded right up my alley. Ex-lovers reunited?? Hunted in a dark forest?? Gimme. But this book was so, so disappointing, I don’t even know where to start.
Ranty Review: 72 Hours by Bella Jewel
April 4, 2017 By Mandi 1 Comment
72 Hours by Bella Jewel
Romantic Suspense
Released: April 4, 2017
St. Martin’s
Reviewed by Mandi
I read the blurb of this book and I was immediately intrigued:
A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH.
It’s all part of his sick game. A game he’s been planning for an entire decade. Now everything is perfect: One woman and one man have been selected. They used to be a couple—and they can no longer stand one another. They are the perfect victims. He doesn’t intend for the game to be easy. He wants to push them to the brink of insanity, to make his hunt real. . .
A DESIRE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. . .
The couple has been captured and dumped into a massive wooded area. There’s only one rule in this fatal game: They will have 72 hours to find a way out before the sadistic serial killer begins his hunt . . .But what he never could have expected was the explosive passion that ignites between the two ex-lovers—one that makes them strong. Fierce. And determined to do whatever it takes to escape—and to survive. . .
I love really dark romantic suspense and this sounded right up my alley. Ex-lovers reunited?? Hunted in a dark forest?? Gimme. But this book was so, so disappointing, I don’t even know where to start. I will put it in list form:
–Description: Lara and Noah are drugged and taken to a forest where they are told by a note that they have 72 hours to escape before they will be hunted and killed. But what does this forest look like? We are told Noah walked for miles when they first awoke but couldn’t find a way out. But the author never really gives us a good description of where they are. I had a very hard time picturing it in my head, which makes it hard to read a story. Especially when the setting is so important. The first two days are very rushed as well. The author gets us to the third day very fast, and that felt odd to me.
–Injuries: Over the course of their time in the forest, Lara falls out of a tree, Noah is shot and has other bad things happen. And while Noah gets a fever due to being shot in the leg, he is STILL running around the forest. He climbs a tree. He dives into a river and swims. He fights off the bad guy, twice. HUH? I get that adrenaline will make your body stretch its limits and yes, I’ve never been shot and left in a forest so I can’t compare this to real life, but I truly don’t think Noah could be as mobile as he was in this book. There is no way. It’s one thing to survive a day like this but more than that, with so much physical exertion didn’t make sense.
–Being Dumb: Late in the book Noah hits the bad guy on the back of a head with a rock:
“He made a mistake turning to hurt you. I used the rock and hit him over the back of the head just before he turned around once you’d disappeared. Dazed him for a good few minutes. I got a head start. I found a track to the deeper water. I dove in, came out the other side, and went up a tree. By the time he got to me, he couldn’t find me.”
The bad guy was dazed for a few minutes – why didn’t he hit him again, and again until the dude’s skull was crushed in??? This bad guy promises to kill them – promises to mutilate and torture them. So you bash him once and run??? DUDE. And to make it worse, shortly after this, Noah bashes him on the head AGAIN with a rock and AGAIN flees. At this point, wouldn’t the bad guy have a concussion?? Bashed twice in the head in one day with rocks – and he is still running around trying to kill these two?
Something else really dumb: Noah manages to steal the bad guy’s motorbike – but does he ride it until he finds a way out or runs out of gas?? NO.
I kept reading because I wanted to know where they actually were and while I assumed they would end up killing the bad guy and I wanted to see how they would actually escape this never-ending forest. And you know how they escape????
Spoiler:
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Sorry for the ranting but I feel better now.
Grade: D-
QUOTE:
psychological thriller that quickens the heart and has you looking over your shoulder in suspicion.
THE WATCHER
Author(s):
Bella Jewel
Just when you think the depravity of the serial killer from 72 Hours couldn't be beat, Bella Jewel bringers her readers The Watcher. Through the eyes of his only surviving victim, Marlie Jacobson, we're taken through the pulse-pounding fear of her journey as she seeks to find her missing sister with the help of the private investigator she's hired. While there were certain reactions and responses she portrayed that leave you debating their authenticity, you can't deny that the story grabs and holds your attention until the very end. Great for lovers of the mystery/suspense genre, as well as those who love some steamy romance to battle against the darkness.
With her last spine-chilling thriller, 72 Hours, still stuck in readers' minds, Bella Jewel constructs another psychological thriller that quickens the heart and has you looking over your shoulder in suspicion. Did Marlie Jacobson succeed in killing the serial killer known as The Watcher or has he resurfaced and taken her sister as payback? (ST. MARTIN’S, May., 320 pp., $7.99)
Reviewed by:
Leona Woolfolk
QUOTE:
72 Hours will blow your mind on every page!
The journey is harrowing, but well worth the literary upheaval.
72 HOURS
Author(s):
Bella Jewel
72 Hours will blow your mind on every page! Lara and Noah are both in really bad places (mentally and emotionally) and are forced to fight to survive; in doing so, they reach a level of intimacy that springs from enduring a traumatic ordeal together. The villain is truly haunting, with an evilness that leaves its mark and threatens to become a permanent fixture. The journey is harrowing, but well worth the literary upheaval.
What would you do if you found out that someone has orchestrated the most heartbreaking situation in your life, catapulting you on a path of depression to where you no longer recognize yourself? What would you do if that same person kidnapped you and the love of your life and said you had 72 hours before he hunted you both down like animals? Take the journey with Noah and Lara as they come to grips with the fact that their current circumstances was orchestrated by a man who just wants to play a game. Can these two beat a madman, or will they falter and fall to the pressure of survival of the fittest? (ST. MARTIN’S, Apr., 304 pp., $7.99)
Reviewed by:
Leona Woolfolk
QUOTE:
Blind Date is another thriller from Bella Jewel that will have you sleeping with the lights on and seriously questioning dating sites. Jewel manages to give you something expected and yet still keep you on your toes in ways you didn’t imagine. I am really loving her romantic suspense stories because they are all unique in some way that is totally unexpected for me!
Blind Date is another thriller from Bella Jewel that will have you sleeping with the lights on and seriously questioning dating sites.
Hartley lost her husband 4 years ago in an accident. Her BFF Taylor cons her into getting ‘back out there’ and sets her up on some blind dates via a website. The first two? Total duds. However, on date three she meets Jacob and there are sparks. They click and begin to see each other but obviously, Hartley wants to take things slow. However, strange things start happening. Her late husband’s t shirt is on the kitchen table one morning with no explanation. Then she wakes up to find their wedding video playing on the TV. Jacob and Taylor convince her that its due to her sleepwalking combined with her reentry into the dating world. While that seems the most logical answer, Hart is skeptical.
There is also her rude neighbor, Ace. He is a detective and despite Hart’s attempts to be polite by saying ‘Hello’, he continues to treat her like she is invisible. They slowly begin to get to know each other a little; of course, all this is taking place while weird things are happening in her home…Ace was difficult. He kept to himself and generally came across as angry and unapproachable. His developing friendship with Hart took time and persistence on her part.
I thought that the villain was very obvious; however, the suspense of the story lies in the how and why more so than the who. I read Blind Date very quickly as well because I needed to know how it would all turn out. Hartley’s struggle to determine what is real and what isn’t was engrossing and heart stopping because as a reader, you know she isn’t crazy! Jewel manages to give you something expected and yet still keep you on your toes in ways you didn’t imagine. I am really loving her romantic suspense stories because they are all unique in some way that is totally unexpected for me!