Page 52 of XOXO, Valentina

“I can’t do that, Joey. You know I can’t.” She reached up and brushed her lips against my cheek, then stepped out of my arms. “I should really go.”

I nodded, realizing it had been dumb of me to ask. She wouldn’t even meet my gaze during a staff meeting. Why would she want to come home with me?

22

Book Review of “The Night Shift” by Mackenzie Austin

By Valentina Blueridgebookclub.com

5stars

5hot peppers

5book boyfriend hearts

Dear Readers,

This book was an unexpected delight. I’m a Mackenzie Austin virgin, but I’m on my way to being a SuperFan. This book was full of action, adventure, witty banter, and steamy sex. If anyone knows how I can step into The Shimmer, please let me know.

Plot Overview:

Jade Ringley has never been an ordinary girl. Her skills with a sword or a bow are unsurpassed. It isn’t until she is hired as a guard at a graveyard that she understands her destiny. One night when she is patrolling the ancient section of the graveyard where a thief had recently stolen priceless relics from a tomb, Jade comes face-to-face with one of her ancestors who should have been long dead.

Jade takes the biggest risk of her life by “stepping into The Shimmer,” a secret world of danger and desire. She meets two men on opposing sides of a war and falls in love with both of them. Tristan and Vox couldn’t be more different, but Jade is drawn to them with a depth of passion that will shake you to your core. She finds herself in a love triangle destined for disaster. She must choose sides in the war, but she can’t untangle the savior from the villain. Her decision is clear: choose one man or return home and lose both loves forever.

Pros:

•Trope: shifters, witches, alternate worlds

•Heroine: Snarky, funny, and smart, Jade Ringley is a must for fans of Charley Davidson or Stephanie Plum.

•Smut: If you like it hot, you will not be disappointed. There’s a scene in a cave where Jade accidentally takes a serum that causes her to hallucinate. The threesome she imagines between her and her two lovers is enough to make you melt.

Cons:

•Cliffhanger: You guys know how much I abhor a cliffhanger. Austin delivers a story with enough intrigue to make me forgive her.

•The length: It was so short, I finished it in about three hours. I would have liked more, but I guess I will have to wait for book two.

To sum it up,I’m counting down the days to the release of the second book, and you will be too!

23

Chapter 20

Gabi

“Some of us are going to yoga tonight,” Shane said when I picked him up from track practice. “Wanna come? They say it’s good for stress.”

“I’m not stressed,” I said, slapping my turn signal with more force than necessary.

Shane raised both eyebrows. “Whatever.”

“I’d love to come, but I’m not stressed. I’m fine.”

“Cool. Can we give Erin a ride?”

“Sure.”

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