Hot Winter Nights audiobook

Hot Winter Nights is book six in the Heartbreaker Bay series by Jill Shalvis. Maybe my memory is failing me in recalling details of the previous five books because I feel like this one had a bit more suspense in it. We are hearing more of the details that go on inside Hunt Investigations and let me tell you, these guys have some dangerous jobs. You can definitely read this as a stand alone. The characters are recurring from the previous books but are not required to be able to jump right into this one.Molly Malone is Joe’s little sister whom we have met in a previous book! She is the office manager and is incredibly good at her job. But she wants more. She wants to be part of the team. Only her brother Joe and the boss, Archer, who are both incredibly protective of her, keep telling her she’s not ready. When Molly was fourteen, something happened to her that caused her to suffer permanent nerve damage to one of her legs. Not to mention the many surgical scars that cover her body. Because of this, she has had bad luck with romance and has been hurt. She’s pretty much given up on finding a man who would accept her, scars and all.Lucas Knight is one of the private investigators at Hunt Investigations. He is best friends with Joe and Archer. There has been an underlying electricity between he and Molly for some time. But firstly, Molly is off limits because she is Joe’s sister and a fellow employee. Besides that, Lucas is not a relationship type of guy and he knows Molly deserves more than a one and done. Lucas has suffered not one but two great losses in his life. The pain he has experienced has caused him to pull back from his family. And it has convinced him that that kind of pain is not worth it. That he won’t put himself through that again.When Lucas wakes up after stupidly mixing pain meds from a recent gun shot wound and alcohol, naked and in bed with none other than Molly, he is completely freaking out because he can’t remember a thing. Molly keeps telling him he was a disappointment but when they finally do kiss, he knows he would remember that kiss, because it was the best kiss of his life.It’s nearly Christmas and Molly’s elderly neighbors have come to her for help. They are elves that work at Santa’s workshop. It seems that bad Santa has been short changing them claiming that he’s not making any money. But that’s not what they see. The nightly bingo hall is packed and the cash is coming in like crazy. So they want Molly to help them find out what bad Santa is really up to. Archer and Joe will not give Molly permission to take the case. When they realize that she is going to do it anyway, they assign Lucas secretly to keep an eye on her.As Lucas and Molly begin to investigate the bad Santa case, Lucas begins to realize that Molly really is more than capable. She’s amazing in fact. It doesn’t take long for that electricity to become too much for them both to ignore. And for feelings to develop, for both of them. “It’d been a long time since she’d allowed herself to trust a guy to see past her flaws. But it was as if he didn’t even see them at all. He simply saw all of her, as a whole, and that was incredibly freeing.” As Molly and Lucas delve into the case, it soon becomes obvious that there really is something going on here, something more dangerous than either of them anticipated. And they are both caught right in the middle of it. All the while, their feelings are continuing to grow. What will happen if Molly discovers that Lucas was told to help her with this case? Will she understand? Because Lucas is beginning to realize that after the case is over, he is ready to go all in with Molly. That he wants more from her.First of all, I have loved this entire series. I loved getting the chance to revisit some of my favorite characters. I loved seeing the walls come down with both of these two. And, their chemistry is most definitely hot. For some reason, though, I just didn’t feel it like I have in some of her other books. There was no swooning or sighing. I really liked the book and was turning the pages, especially during the suspenseful parts. But it just wasn’t one of my favorites of the books I’ve read of hers. So, while I really enjoyed it, and it was wonderfully well written, it was still just okay for me.

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG "Love is just stumbling through life with your best friend.” Jill Shalvis is one of those authors I don't need to be in the mood for because I'm always in the mood for one of her books. I remember when I felt that crackling chemistry between Lucas and Molly in Joe's story I wanted to know what was going on between them. Turns out not so much back then. Yes, there was attraction but in Hot Winter Nights they definitely crank the heat up.What keeps me coming back to Jill's books are her unfailingly lovable characters. Molly is a young woman who has been hurt because of her physical condition. She has built a barbed wire around her heart, determined not to let anyone get close and while she always has always felt Lucas's pull she would never act on it. I loved that she could be so mischievous and screwed with Lucas head in a fun way. She had a big dose of sass, was smart and brave as long as she didn't have to think about emotional relationships. “Lucas?” she whispered. “Yeah?” “I’m in trouble with you.” Lucas has closed off his heart because he's no stranger to loss. For years he kept everyone at arm's length, his boisterous family included. With Molly that changes fast. There are so many reasons he wants her and even more reasons why he shouldn't but this crafty, funny, clever woman makes him fall so hard that his walls are annihilated in one fell swoop. And I just loved that. Lucas saw her as the capable, intelligent investigator when everyone else was trying to hold her down out of totally misguided protectiveness. He bolstered her self esteem, made her feel beautiful and sexy with all her perceived and real flaws. “You know martial arts?” “A little. Sorry I almost kicked you.” “Are you kidding?” he asked in disbelief. “If this costume wasn’t cutting off vital circulation, I’d be hard. What I loved most about these two was their introspection, their self awareness and honesty with themselves and each other. The complete lack of bullshit was perfect. Lucas's family was the kind we all want. Loud, funny, non-judgmental, just enough pushy to let him know that they loved him, a safe haven to come back to when he was ready. I loved his mom's wisdom so much! We got to see Joe again, whose story I loved so much - this time through the eyes of Lucas and Molly. He was such a punk! “She was online dating?” Joe shook his head. “Not anymore. I went in and changed her profile to make her seventy-five years old, using a picture of one of the Golden Girls. I edited it to say she likes slow rides on her motorized scooter and drinking Metamucil while watching the sunrise, since sleeping gave her indigestion. I’m pretty sure that fixed things.” Hot Winter Nights is not a Christmas Story. OK, it does have Christmas elves, a Christmas Market, and snow but if you expect holiday cheer... that's more of a background noise. This book doesn't have the emotional impact of other books by Jill Shalvis but it is a solid wonderful, delightful story with just enough suspense that will have you smile all the way until the end and will give you all the warm fuzzies.

NOW LIVE!Amazon US * Amazon UKHot Winter Nights is the sixth book in Jill Shalvis' Heartbreaker Bay series but in my opinion can be read as a standalone without any spoilers from the previous books. Following Molly Malone, the office manager at Hunt Investigations, as she tries to prove that she can handle more than just office work. Seeing that she's trying to push out of the office and into more field work her brother brings in Lucas Knight, one of his close friends, and asks that he watch over Molly. What no one expected though was the feelings that start to develop between Lucas and Molly.I really enjoyed this story and actually thought that it had a little more suspense than the previous book. It was still pretty light and definitely a fun read but it kept me on the edge more than I was expecting. And that was something I really enjoyed along with seeing how Molly and Lucas handled all of that suspense. I thought they were a great couple and I was glad that Lucas never tried to baby Molly and instead sat back and watched as she did her best to prove to her brother and the rest of Hunt Investigations that she was more than just the office girl. That trust he had in her was the best part of their relationship and what had me swooning over him. Overall, this is definitely a book I would recommend reading. It was a lighthearted read with those hints of suspense that were enough to keep me captivated without taking over the sweetness of the romance between Molly and Lucas. ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

5 - "...You're officially on the naughty list." Stars!My love affair with Jill Shalvis’ words continues with Hot Winter Nights; the sixth book in the hugely enjoyable Heartbreaker Bay series, giving us Lucas and Molly’s story. Brother’s best friend is definitely one of my favourite tropes, and Jill once again nailed it (and then some) with the story she gave this couple. He’d long ago learned to ignore the undercurrent of electricity between them because he had zero interest in mixing business and pleasure, and even less interest in hurting her… It’s safe to say I am on a bit of a Shalvis kick this year, with Hot Winter Nights being the eighteenth book I have devoured by her, and although I have adored pretty much each and every one I have read, this and Rainy Day Friends as newer additions to her overall back catalogue, rank highly in my top ten for the year overall. "I don’t know if you realize this or not, but when someone tells me no, I tend to rebel for rebelling sake…"And that is mainly because she delivers, in every sense of the word, with plenty of heat, tugs on the heart-strings, and knife-sharp humor, not forgetting the overall story line, and the emotional depth of the characters, the series in general has just grown and grown with each new book that releases, so much so that I feel like I am spending time with old (and new) friends now, rather than just fictional characters in books."About last night…"Famous last words if ever there were! Especially when Lucas, still recovering from injuries sustained a few weeks previously wakes up to find Molly in his bed, with no idea how, or whether they did anything together whist sharing mattress space. "I’m in trouble with you…"Who knew, but pain meds and spirits from a shot glass do not mix, so much so that Lucas has complete amnesia for the events that led to Molly ending up wrapped in his duvet. All he does know for sure is that her brother, his best friend; Joe will likely have his nuts in a vice, and his head on a platter should he find out, especially after repeatedly warning him to stay away from her. There weren’t many people who rendered him stupid. But she managed it effortlessly. But Lucas’s feelings for Molly run a lot deeper than his usual superficial, yet mutually beneficial relationships with women in general, and although both of them deny looking for any kind of commitment at the beginning, it’s not long before all bets are off, and being forced to work in close proximity with each other doesn’t help the fact that their crazy hot chemistry together translates to a blazing hot inferno when they get it on between the sheets, on the floor, or on and over any available surface really."I thought you were done..?""...I thought so too, but apparently my brain and my body aren’t in accord…"The vulnerability you see from these two as well, while they get to know each other on a deeper level was what really pulled me in. You know a lot of what Molly has had to deal with, because Joe revealed it hist book, but this is from her perspective and you get too see how everything that happened to them as children and then later on impacted her personally. "I really don’t want to want you… but I do."Lucas in the previous books, has pretty much kept his cards very close to his chest, so getting to know him on a deeper level and to be in his head, while he worked through is growing feelings for Molly had me 100% invested in the story between them, from start to finish. It had been a long time since she’d allowed herself to trust a guy to see past her flaws… it was as if he didn’t see them at all. He simply saw her, as a whole, and that was incredibly freeing. Another winner, and I don’t think Jill Shalvis really releases anything less than perfection in general, and with that in mind I cannot wait for Playing for Keeps the next book in this series to be released in February, a great start to 2019, and hopefully the beginning of another year full of exceptional releases from this author.ARC generously provided by the author, in exchange for the above honest review.

Title: Hot Winter NightsSeries: Heartbreaker Bay #6Author: Jill ShalvisRelease date: September 25, 2018Cliffhanger: NoHEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)]Returning to the Heartbreaker Bay series is like catching up with old familiar friends, and once again they did not disappoint. This was such a fun and entertaining comfort read! Jill Shalvis always delivers the laughs and sexy romance that makes my heart go pitter patter. Hot Winter Nights was no exception. From page one, I had a huge smile on my face as I slipped effortlessly into the story starring this lovable, tight-knit group of friends. Molly and Lucas work together at Hunt Investigations, a security company that can take on some pretty dangerous cases. Molly is the office manager who keeps everyone organized, sitting on the sidelines while her brother and the rest of the guys work in the field. She hasn't been content in the office for some time, but no one is willing to put her safety at risk as a security specialist. She's hungry to prove herself capable, but her pleas to take on a case repeatedly get shut down and ignored. It doesn't help that her brother Joe still can't let go of his guilt and overprotectiveness towards her. If you read his story, About That Kiss, you're familiar with the painful events in the siblings' pasts. What they survived made them both stronger and closer as a result, but they still had wounds that hadn't completely healed. Molly lived through a traumatic experience as a teen that left her with physical and emotional scars. She doesn't let it control her life though, she works hard to keep her body as strong as possible, and chooses to focus on her strengths rather than her weaknesses. For the most part. She has her insecurities just like any woman does. And when you have people look at you with pity or revulsion, you tend to close in on yourself and lock your vulnerabilities away. She's every bit the tough, intelligent, unflappable woman that throws sass back just as hard as she receives it. Then there's that other side of her that she doesn't allow anyone to see. It's where she hides her own regret over ancient history, and the hurt over the pain it still causes. Lucas has been fighting a secret attraction for his partner Joe's sister for some time. Pursuing that attraction was WAY out of the realm of possibility for more than one reason. Mixing business and pleasure, Joe's almost certain disapproval, and his own relationship hangups was enough to kill temptation stone dead. Then he wakes up with Molly next to him in bed with no memory of the night before. Cue the panic. Can I just say that I wanted to give her the highest of fives for messing with his head over it? With her pride smarting over his reaction to their "one night stand" she of course decides she must at least get some laughs out of the whole thing. It was so funny to see him so uncomfortable and out of sorts over his supposed loss of self-restraint. An opportunity comes up for Molly to prove her case solving abilities, and she grabs it with both hands. Lucas reluctantly partners with her after being given orders to keep an eye on her. Everyone knows she'll investigate whether she has approval or not, so he becomes her designated back up. One thing I loved was that he had faith in her pretty much from the beginning. He saw how much it meant to her, and never fails to stand up for her and be her champion at work. He knew people sometimes saw Molly as a fragile little flower, but in his mind she wasn’t fragile like a flower at all. Not even close. She was fragile like . . . a bomb.The Santa mystery added a bit of a suspense element in with the romance, but it was a really fluffy one with low intensity. If anything, the Bad Santa and his elderly, cheeky elves provided extra entertainment value. The Santa suspect had ties to the Mafia, but it was a little hard to take him seriously if I'm being honest. Picture an elderly, pervy guy dressed in the red and white suit, putting the moves on Molly while she's dressed up in a tight elf outfit. There were games of money laundering BINGO, and covert snooping missions in offices. Don't get me wrong, there were some bad characters involved in some very real criminal activity. They were putting their lives on the line together. But Jill Shalvis never lets an opportunity go by for a good laugh through all of their investigations.When they're almost caught outside the office, and he pushes her up on a railing to kiss her and create a reason for being there:Lucas turned back to Molly, who was still balanced on the railing, dazed. “Did you just . . . put the elf on the shelf?” she asked. He gave a disbelieving head shake.Not only did Lucas stand up for her abilities with the guys at work, he also supported her as she went undercover and didn't try to take control. He put his trust in her and showed her that he knew she could handle each challenge. Even with her physical handicap. Though he was against getting romantically involved with her early on, it didn't take very long for him to start opening his mind to the possibility of more. In that moment, Lucas knew he’d do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, wherever she wanted. Because in spite of his determination to hold back from the smartest, most resilient, most resourceful, most incredible woman he’d ever been with, he was in. All in.On the other hand, Molly was bound and determined to conceal her body insecurities, and the story of her injury. She didn't want to define their feelings, or create labels in any way. There was one instance where she said he was less than a one-night stand which I thought was unnecessarily hurtful. It was 100% untrue. They'd slept together numerous times, and deeper feelings were involved beyond chemistry. She was firmly set in denial mode. I wanted to shake her for saying that to him at that point in the book! I got that she needed more time to let her walls down, but I wanted her to start reciprocating the trust he had put in her. It didn't frustrate me too badly, but it did bother me. Her trust issue was a fifteen-foot-thick brick wall around her heart, and not much penetrated.I love that family and friends play a big part in Shalvis' novels. It gives you that warm sense of community and camaraderie with the secondary characters that draws you into all of their lives equally. Every time I finish, I'm always immediately anticipating a different couple finding their own HEA. Overall, I loved spending more time in Heartbreaker Bay. If you're looking for a funny and light holiday romance that's low on angst, this one is definitely for you! FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

Contemporary romance enthusiasts will be delighted with the perfect symmetry between the romance, humor, suspense, family and friends achieved by Jill Shalvis in Hot Winter Nights. Hot Winter Nights is a strong and entertaining lighter romantic suspense.I received this ARC copy of Hot Winter Nights from Avon. This is my honest and voluntary review. Hot Winter Nights is set for publication Sept. 25, 2018.My Rating: 4 starsWritten by: Jill ShalvisSeries: Heartbreaker BayMass Market Paperback: 384 pagesPublisher: Avon Publication Date: September 25, 2018ISBN-10: 0062741837ISBN-13: 978-0062741837Genre: Holiday | Romantic ComedyAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Winter-Nig...Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-...Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hot-...Want more check us out on Tome Tender Book Blog or on Facebook

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.I just loved Molly and Lucas! I think that I had a big old silly grin on my face the whole time I was reading this book. I went into this book with some pretty high expectations since I have enjoyed each of the previous installments in this series. I have to say that I think that this might be my favorite book in the series so far. I really found this book to be an absolute delight.This book is the sixth book in the Heartbreaker Bay series. I really do think that this book would work perfectly well as a stand-alone. Some of Molly's history is dealt with in the previous book in the series but anyone new to the series could easily learn the details right along with Lucas without impacting the enjoyment of the story. Readers of the series will enjoy getting the opportunity to check in with all of the characters from this wonderful series.This book in a very entertaining manner. Lucas wakes up to find a woman in his bed but has no memory of what happened or who is actually snuggled under his blankets. Of course, it was Molly and she has some fun with it. Molly really wants to work cases instead of just being stuck in the office so she takes a case on her own pitched to her by a group of senior citizen elves working for a questionable Santa. Lucas is given the task of keeping an eye on her to make sure she is safe.I just loved Lucas and Molly together. Everything about their relationship felt authentic to me. I really liked that they were playful at times and serious during others. They both just seemed to understand the other and paid attention to details that others seemed to miss. They have both dealt with some pretty horrible things in their past which has caused them to guard their heart a little more than most. Molly has a lot of insecurities in regards to her previous physical injury and resulting limitations but Lucas doesn't see weakness, instead focusing on her strength.I thought that the mystery element of this book was really well done. They do spend quite a bit of time working the case which ends up being a lot more involved than originally thought. There were a few pretty suspenseful moments and just enough humor to keep things really interesting. By the end of the book, I was cheering Molly and Lucas on as they got to the bottom of the bad Santa situation.I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. Jill Shalvis has crafted a wonderful tale that has the perfect balance of romance, suspense, and humor with this book. I cannot wait to read more from this excellent series.I received a digital review copy of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss.Initial ThoughtsOh my gosh, I just loved Molly and Lucas! The case that they were working on was actually a lot of fun but the best part of this book was these two together. They have both been through a lot in their lives and I thought that they fit perfectly with each other.

Pacific Pier is decorated for the Holidays and Jill Shalvis's prose + Christmas + bingo elves and a cozy mystery = the perfect remedy for a bad case of the flu. A great comfort book :)Molly Malone and Lucas Knight both work at Hunt Investigations, a security and investigative firm. She's the office manager but wished she could follow the guys on the catching of thieves and scammers. The men in her life tend to be overprotective but despite a natural impulse to defend and protect, Lucas see her as the capable woman she is and teaming up with him on an "almost" secret inquiry about a bad Santa will only demonstrate it even more. They need to keep their distance (and not just because Molly's brother is Lucas's friend and coworker), not mix business with pleasure, not messing with feelings, but what about what they want ? It's no secret I adore Jill Shalvis's writing style. I like how she can create emotions and make us feel and believe it with only a few simple words. And her heroes always instinctively highlight the heroines and vice versa. Molly and Lucas had a natural chemistry, they clicked right away and were comfortable working together and being together as well. What else can I say ? That I can't wait for Sadie and Caleb's story ? That goes without saying because I'm always eager to read what this author wrote, whether it's a book, a Facebook post or a blog's entry :)

Love, love, loved this book!!