Texas Tornado by Lani Lynn Vale // Review

June 09, 2021

Texas Tornado by Lani Lynn Vale

He held me up when I needed him the most.
There were many things that scared me on this earth, but I well and truly believed that, with James, I could accomplish anything. Be anyone.

Texas Tornado by Lani Lynn Vale

Texas Tornado by Lani Lynn Vale


Standalone - Freebirds #5
Release - July 29, 2014
Genre - Contemporary Romance/military/instant connection
Dual POV - 1st person/James Johnathan Allen & Shiloh June Mackenzie
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - Kindle purchase
Length - 420 pages
Publisher - Indie

Him

James had plans for his life. Those plans were derailed by the surprise arrival of his daughter. His life revolved around her. Then she arrived with her beautiful brown hair that was made to wrap around his wrist, and a butt that was to die for in a tight pair of jeans. Nevertheless, he didn't need any more drama in his life. His ex-girlfriend was stirring enough of that up for ten women. Yet, there was something about her that soothed his soul.

Her

Shiloh’s made it her life’s mission to protect the innocent children she can from the big, bad, scary things that lurk in the darkness. She has an inane curiosity for life and craves knowledge. Which is why when she starts poking around in her father’s business, she inadvertently starts something in to motion that threatens her very existence. Her father, the one man that was always supposed to be there for her, drops her off with a brother she never knew she had and leaves. Making her question the father she obviously never really knew at all. Then she meets him, and she doesn't think her life’s so bad after all. The sexy biker turned SWAT officer sets her nerve cells to igniting, and she relishes in every single second of it.

Him

He knew life could change in an instant. One soul crushing instant.

When he’s presented with the aspect of losing Shiloh before he’s ever even had her, he decides it’s time to grab life by the handlebars and ride it like he stole it. Then that threat not only touches his woman, but his daughter. And there’s no power on God’s green earth that can protect them from a father’s wrath.

Find Texas Tornado on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Tki8du


I have to tell you... I was really excited for this book and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it! James won a place in my heart several books ago and I was excited for him to finally get his own happy ending.

Shiloh was Sam's sister (Boomtown) and from the moment she entered the scene, her life wasn't easy. Not that she had it great to begin with. Her father dumped her on Sam because she poked her nose where it didn't belong. So she's without her dad, the brother she grew up with is unreachable, and the brother she's just met wants nothing to do with her. Good times.

James steps in and like the hero he is, he gives Shiloh her person. He became the one person she could always count on. The one person who would always give her just what she needed. Aside from his daughter, Janie, he put her first.

He had a ton of baby mama drama (it was pretty extreme), she had some evil chasing her, and a ton of her father's secrets were finally revealed. I'm thrilled about it and I'm looking forward to how it affects the stories to come.

If you know anything about this author's books, you know that they can be devastating, heartwarming, hilarious, sexy and necessary. If you don't know... now you know.


My Note(s)

* I suffered some confusion at different parts of this story, but it in no way took away from my enjoyment of it. So although it wasn't as fluid as I'd like, I'm sure it will make more sense with the more stories that I read. I can't wait to get my hands on Sebastian's book, Lights to My Siren.

James + Shiloh family tree:


    Their children
        Caroline "Janie" Jeanine Allen (James') - Kinda Don't Care
        Scout Allen
        Emmaline "Rebel" Allen

    James' Family
        Cheyenne Allen (sister) - Boomtown

    Shiloh's Family
        Silas Mackenzie (father) - Counter to My Intelligence
        Samuel Cash Mackenzie (half-brother) - Boomtown
        Sebastian Sue Mackenzie (brother) - Lights to My Siren
        Amelia Rose Mackenzie (half-sister) - Any Day Now

Check out my reviews of the other books in this series:


Whom it was shouted by, I didn’t know, but I didn’t stop. In fact, I turned on the turbo blast, and took off like a shot. My adrenaline was pumping, and only pushed me faster. I so did not want to talk to anyone right now, and least of all my prick of a brother.

It’d been in my first hour on the floor of the bathroom that I decided just to say, ‘fuck it’ and ignore him from now on. I was tired of putting forth all the effort with my family and getting nothing in return. My dad. My brother. Brothers. Mother. No more, I was done. Finished.

“Fuck,” a man grunted from a good distance behind me.

I let the first smile break over my face in weeks. Did I mention that I was a sprinter, as well as a long distance runner? Yeah, I kicked ass in high school. I broke state records in the 100-meter dash and the 400 meters.

Although my distance running was lacking compared to my sprinting, I still did good when I put my mind to it. Cross-country kept me in shape during the off-season, and I made myself stick with cross-country even though I hated it with every fiber of my being. Sprinters weren’t made to go the distance.

Another curse sounded from behind me, and I let out a laugh this time. Spying my shortcut, which I rarely used lately due to the mud, I took it despite my reservations. I lost my sandals in the first mud puddle, and had to stop to go back for them, although, I didn’t put them back on. I was in the forest now, and it was very unlikely there would be anything but twigs on the ground.

Yelling sounded somewhere behind me, but I kept going. My lungs had that good burn going, and I felt exhilarated.

Running was my therapy. Although I sucked balls at the distance, I kept doing it even though I hated it.
“I’m gonna beat your ass when I catch you, you little shit.” Sam yelled.

I cackled. My ass he was going to catch me. I knew these woods like the back of my hand. I’d met with the owner, a lovely woman in her late seventies, and asked her if it would be all right. She’d readily agreed, saying I was a sweet ‘child’ and so I spent my days off exploring.

That, and hidden stashes of things in the woods, planned an escape route, and made maps of the woods for just in case.

“Mother fucking son of a bitch. Goddammit.” Sam growled.

Brother bear has a potty mouth.

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

Visit https://lanilynnvale.com/ for more information!

Last Day of My Life by Lani Lynn Vale // Review

Last Day of My Life by Lani Lynn Vale

I saw you have tattoos and a real job, excuse me while I take off my clothes. - E-card


Last Day of My Life by Lani Lynn Vale

Last Day of My Life by Lani Lynn Vale


Standalone - Freebirds #4
Release - June 26, 2014
Genre - Contemporary Romance/military/second chance/amnesia
Dual POV - 1st person/Jack & Winter Stoker
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - Kindle purchase
Length - 344 pages
Publisher - Indie

Her

She’s the definition of lost. Doesn’t know her name? Check. Cruelly beaten within an inch of her life? Check. No memory of anything that's happened since she woke up from that beating? Check. Losing a child she doesn’t remember conceiving? Check. She hasn't felt anything but lost in a very long time. Then an old biker tells her danger is on the horizon. He sends her to a man that she instantly feels a connection with. A bone deep connection.

Him

He’s the definition of despair. After the death of his young wife while on a tour of duty in Afghanistan, he hasn't seen the appeal of participating in the world around him. He’s lost the only thing he ever loved. He’s been a shell of the man he once was. His only escape from reality is feeling the wind in his hair, going as fast as he can get his old Harley to take him. That’s the only time he can push his demons back far enough to feel peace. That is until she screams his name.

Find Last Day of My Life on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3py0SgO


Another heartbreaking and heartwarming read from Lani Lynn Vale! I'm still absorbing everything I got with Last Day of My Life that I'm going to sum everything up with highlights.

☆ Winter and Jack met, fell in love, got married real quick, and he was sent off to war. He left her in good hands with his family and best friend.
☆ Fast forward 7 years and we realize that Jack lost his wife to a violent assault. At least that's what he believed until a woman, who looks a lot like his wife, shows up and starts screaming his name.
☆ Winter has no memory of who she is, who Jack is, but when she was in danger, it was Jack that she ran to.
☆ I love a good amnesia story and I loved that the author didn't conclude it quickly but also didn't draw it out.
☆ Adam's funeral... heart... broken. It actually brought tears to my eyes and I feel that the author captured the scenes quite beautifully.
☆ During the 7 years of their separation, these two were with No. One. Else!

It seemed that Jack and Winter couldn't catch a break. The suspenseful scenes were amazing! However, between a death, an assault, silly shenanigans, friends going through some ish (I'm looking at both Taima and James) and attempted murder, their love for one another persevered. I loved this couple!


My Note(s)

⭐ My only real issue with this story was that while Winter was coming to terms with everything that happened seven years ago, it seemed like she forgot that Jack was doing the same. She kept secrets from him, didn't communicate properly... I didn't like it and it didn't mesh with the strength of this couple. He had obviously suffered in ways she couldn't understand because her amnesia saved her from a lot of it, so making it appear as if she wasn't functioning as part of the team didn't seem authentic. I'm just glad that this didn't take up too much space in the story and resolved quickly.
⭐ This is the origin story for Adam Stoker (named after his father's best friend) from Any Day Now and Taima Stoker from Shock Advised.

Check out my other reviews from this series:


“Whew boy, he is fine!” A large woman said from the step to my right.
I agreed silently, but continued with my turn. My lungs were burning and my legs ached from running in between sets.
The woman was absolutely hilarious. We’d been complaining for nearly an hour now about how hard the trainer was being on us today.
“Bom-chicka-wa-wow.” She said shaking her butt.
I turned in the direction her eyes were focused on and smiled. Jack had moved to the stair climber. Now you could see the tattoo. You could also see the muscles in his back and legs bunch and contract with each revolution.
No matter how mad at him I was, I never stopped wanting to jump on his cock and ride him like a cowgirl taming a bronco. Even though he hadn’t let me have a moment’s peace, I knew he was doing it for me. He didn’t want anything to happen to me, and for that to happen, he went everywhere that I went. Or someone did when he couldn’t. It’s just that it’d been over a month and a half now, and I was just plain over it.
“That,” I said panting for breath. “is my husband.
“Damn.” She said in a dejected tone.
That’s right people; he’s all mine.
“Alright everyone,” The trainer yelled. “Have a great weekend. See y’all Monday!”
As I went to grab my phone and water, I saw some chick that looked immaculately perfect walk in the direction of Jack. Her hair didn’t have one single strand out of place. Her boobs were perky and beautifully arranged in her halter workout tank. Her tight black capri pants displayed her beautiful lower half as well.
“What the hell is she even doing here? She’s done. Get the fuck out so the rest of us don’t have to look at your perfect body.” I mumbled.
“Amen.” The lady I’d been goofing off with during the workout agreed.
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Cookie.” She smiled.
“See you next week, Cookie!” I said and took off towards Jack.
Rounding the gate that separated the basketball court from the gym, I saw that the woman’s hand was resting on Jack’s bicep. She smiled, flicked her hair over her shoulder and started blabbing about not seeing him in forever.
“Laura.” He nodded curtly.
Understanding dawned, and I moved to Jack’s side. “Good workout?” I asked Laura.
Her frown told me she wasn’t very happy with this newest development. Apparently I was standing too close to her prey. “And who are you?”
Jack pulled me tight against his glistening body and I grimaced. Sweat wasn’t so bad when it wasn’t pouring from you in rivulets. When two people were both doing it at the same time, it was really quite gross. I didn’t move, however.
“This is my wife, Winter. Winter,” He said gesturing with his head. “This is Laura. She works with Cheyenne and Payton.”
“Nice to meet you.” Not.
Her mouth gaped open in surprise.
Cookie laughed as she passed and saw Laura’s expression. “It’s okay, honey. I think everyone’s heart is smashed into pieces.” She said, gesturing to all the woman who were loitering and none too obviously staring.
“We went on a date a few weeks ago.” She finally said.
Jack sighed. “That wasn’t a date. That was a ‘you happened to be there when I was’ situation. And it’s been nearly two months now.”
Fury overtook her features. “But you said you’d see me some time! If I’d known you had an ugly, fat wife I would have left you alone!”
Jack took a threatening step forward, but I stopped him. “Have you ever heard the term ‘more cushion for the pushin’?”

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

Visit https://lanilynnvale.com/ for more information!

Another One Bites the Dust by Lani Lynn Vale // Review

June 08, 2021

Another One Bites the Dust by Lani Lynn Vale

"Baby, I'd never let you fall. Never. The only way that would ever happen would be if I was dead, or both my legs and arms didn't work. If one of them worked, I'd claw my way to you. I'd do everything in my power to watch over you. Only death would separate me from your side." - Max


Another One Bites the Dust by Lani Lynn Vale

Another One Bites the Dust by Lani Lynn Vale


Standalone - Freebirds #3
Release - December 16, 2013
Genre - Contemporary Romance/military/enemies-to-lovers (kinda)
Dual POV - 1st person/Maximillian "Max" Tremaine & Payton Evangeline Alvarez
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - Kindle purchase
Length - 318 pages
Publisher - Indie

Her

I wanted him, but couldn't find the courage to have him. You know that feeling, the one where you’re too scared to go to sleep, too scared to go out, and too scared to do anything? Ever since my assault, I've been functioning, but not living. That was until I met that motorcycle riding man with such a deep gravelly voice that it sent shivers down my spine. He helped me through some of the darkest moments of my life.

Him

She was a cock tease pure and simple. Or so I thought. What I believed to be a game on her part, turned out to be a bone deep fear of everyday life. We helped each other cope, and slowly our friendship turned into something more.

Them

Circumstances broke the two of us apart just as we decided we wanted to be together. A vengeful woman sets out to ruin Max and anything he holds dear in his life. Payton has gone through so much in her life that enduring one more thing just might break her. Only Max taught Payton a few things. Never hold back. Never hesitate. Do something stupid, and always learn from your mistakes. Together, they can overcome anything.

Dang, but this story had so much heartbreak! Not only did Max have his demons, he was determined to fight the ones Payton was having a hard time facing. Once they got past their misunderstandings and assumptions, their relationship became magical.

The suspense part of this book was intense. Imagine being hunted by a lunatic for no reason. A lunatic that had no problem causing harm to kids. Yeah, it wasn't hard to wish that Max would end the villain's life slowly with some torture.

Payton was just as immature and childish as Cheyenne and Ember, which is really getting annoying. Please save me from what's supposed to be funny and is instead very frustrating.

Max was such a sweetheart and an outstanding hero. He saw Payton, he wanted Payton, and he saw NO ONE ELSE once she was on his radar. I enjoyed the glimpses given of Max's military career and I wanted to see how far the master interrogator would go.

Another highlight of this story, for me anyway, was seeing little Harleigh (from F-Bomb), Dax (from Just Kidding) and Bennett (from Kill Shot, which I haven't read yet). I love how this author ties everything and everyone together!!

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

Visit https://lanilynnvale.com/ for more information!

Highway Don't Care by Lani Lynn Vale // Review

June 07, 2021

Highway Don't Care by Lani Lynn Vale

I'm still learning to love. Be gentle with my heart. Otherwise you're going to feel the wrath that is my brother." - Ember's secret thoughts


Highway Don't Care by Lani Lynn Vale

Highway Don't Care by Lani Lynn Vale


Standalone - Freebirds #2
Release - October 1, 2013
Genre - Contemporary Romance
Dual POV - 1st person/Gabriel "Gabe" Luca Maldonado II & Ember Leigh Tremaine
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - Kindle purchase
Length - 361 pages
Publisher - Indie

Her

Snark. Jokes. Attitude.
These were all things I used to disguise the hole in my heart. I'm not a happy person. I don't live life. I just exist. That is until that beautiful man rides in on his Harley Fat Boy and burns rubber on the way into my heart.

Him

My life's been no hayride either. Everyone I've ever loved in life has died or betrayed me. So I stay back and watch. Unless you're one of my brothers, you get nothing from me. I don't participate. I ride. I eat. I sleep. I work. And I repeat. That is until Ember stomps into my life with her bad attitude. She's all piss and vinegar, and makes me want to share my bike seat for the first time.

Together

They fight like cats and dogs. Don't see eye to eye on a single thing. They rant, rave, and yell.
They bring out the best in each other. They heal each other's hearts and souls. They find what they were missing, even the things they never even knew they had.

Everything is perfect. If you didn't count a gang, one of the biggest in the South, gunning for Ember. That, or the pure evilness that is Gabe's ex-girlfriend. Gabe will have to put his life on the line to save the one woman he loves, but will it be enough?

One thing is constant in life. It's about the journey, not about the destination.

Gabe and Ember were truly beautiful together! Like many of my favorite heroes, Gabe was a bit broken, but Ember was the one to dive deep, get him to open up, give him the motivation to thrive. I adored Gabe! While I also really liked Ember, I could have done without her childishness, especially when it was paired with Cheyenne's bouts of immaturity. These characters have such huge hearts and although they (and I really mean mainly Ember) made some silly mistakes, everything they do is out of love.

The suspenseful edge of this story was actually terrifying and had my heart pumping like crazy. Gabe was a beast and I love a take-charge man who can basically take everyone out viciously and single-handedly. Yummmmm!

Okay, so there were some interesting facts I learned from this story. I got to see the origin of Gabe Jr and now meeting his father... I can see why I enjoyed If You Say So so much. I also got to see more about Cora from Ain't Doin' It and my heart broke more for her. I don't know how Lani Lynn Vale keeps all of these characters and their family trees and events straight, but I'm impressed and I can't wait to learn more.

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

Visit https://lanilynnvale.com/ for more information!

Boomtown by Lani Lynn Vale // Review

Boomtown by Lani Lynn Vale

Our new unit was formed in a little over a month. It consisted of nine men: Jack, James, Gabe, Elliott, Max, Dougie, Justin, Malcolm and myself. I was appointed to Captain of the unit, much to my surprise. - Sam


Boomtown by Lani Lynn Vale

Boomtown by Lani Lynn Vale


Standalone - Freebirds #1
Release - June 27, 2013
Genre - Contemporary Romance (military, instant connection)
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - Kindle purchase
Length - 302 pages
Publisher - Indie

Her

I wanted to have a pity party of one when I went for that beer. I never imagined I would meet a dark and dangerous man. That man took me on the wildest ride of my life. Literally and Figuratively. He quickly became my entire world.

Him

I didn't know I was looking for her. I saw her warming that bar stool and knew she would be mine. A man like me doesn't deserve the likes of her. But damned if I didn't take it.

Her

When we met for the first time we didn't know that we already had a connection. A cruel game was being played, and we didn't know the rules. Sam would save us, but at what cost? Sam was one of my main reasons for living. If he wasn't in this world anymore, would I still want to be a part of it?

Ever read a book and wanted to know the history of a character? How did they get this way, what or who influenced them, and who they are at their core? Boomtown gave me all of that and more!

Cheyenne was having a bad day. It was her birthday and she was all alone, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from getting a little celebrating in. The bar she chose... Sam's haunt. And when he gets his first glimpse of her, something tells him he won't ever be looking away. They started off explosive, the suspense that stalked them was creepy, and their love was sublime.

I've read plenty of books by Lani Lynn Vale and one of the things I love most is that her characters, main and otherwise, just may pop up in a future story. This book not only gave me insight to the background of Free, but I learned about Sam and Cheyenne, Luke Robert's story has so much more context for me, and I saw Janie and Kayla when they were little girls. I've learned so much about characters that I've come to somewhat know and definitely love. Now I have more questions and I can't wait to discover the answers in the books to come.

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

Visit https://lanilynnvale.com/ for more information!

May 2021 Bookish Recap

June 06, 2021

may bookish reads

We are well on our way to a hot summer. Seriously, it's promising to be so hot here in Toronto that I made sure I got my first Pfizer shot on Thursday. I did not want to brave the heat and the eventual soreness from the shot while melting away. Although I guess I can't avoid the heat when I go for my second shot in a few weeks.

Back to book news... May wasn't my best reading month, but I did find more than a few amazing reads. I hope that we all find incredible reads for June and I wish for all of you a happy and safe summer!

The Best Book(s) of May





The Rise of Fortune and Fury by Sawyer Bennett is the final book of the Chronicles of the Veil series and it was such a fantastic ending to a must-read urban fantasy series. Doin' a Dime by Lani Lynn Vale is the story of Hunt and Wyett. They were so sweet together and gave me another reason to adore the author. The Prince's Bride: Part 2 by J.J. McAvoy was an amazingly adorable continuation of the romance of the king and his queen. The extended epilogue found in The Prince's Bride: Beginning Forever almost made me cry! Bjorn Cursed by N.J. Walters was the emotional tale of Bjorn and how he reunited with his resurrected wife. And The Rivals by Dylan Allen was the collection of stories about the Rivers and Wildes and the heroes and heroines you just have to meet!

I did read some other fine books, which include:
Blood Seeker by Lexi C. Foss
The Brave Line by Kate Stewart
Dream Spinner by Kristen Ashley
Material Witness by Lisa Mondello

Book Haul


I only purchased ebooks this month, which sucked because I have a long list of paperbacks on my list and I have no idea when I'll get them.


Added to my TBR


I have a bunch of to-read lists. Goodreads, Amazon, paper, glass jar, etc. I've tried really hard not to add to any of them and although I do fail to keep this number to zero each month, I'm not doing too badly.


My Reading Stats


I only read 10 books in May. Not great but not bad either. Most of these reads came from my TBR, which is one of my goals this years, so I'm taking my read count as a win. I read 10 books and 4210 pages.


What Else?


I didn't do anything extra this month. I was planning to do a reading challenge, but decided against it because I don't want to feel confined in choosing what to read. I've also lapsed on doing any of the book tags I used to do, such as Top Ten Tuesday, and I'm hoping to get back into that in the near future.



Thanks for sticking around until the end :D I'm still looking for book recs, so if you have one you think I'll love, please let me know. I'm looking for extremely sexy Fantasy or Paranormal. And when I say sexy, I do mean descriptive to explicit scenes please. I'm grown and I don't need my sex to be watered down.

What are you looking forward to for June? I hope it's as incredible as we deserve it to be!

Talk soon,

xo, Natalie