Friction by Sandra Brown

 Title: Friction 

Author: Sandra Brown

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Release Date: August 18th 2015 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown comes a gripping story of family ties and forbidden attraction.

A Texas Ranger, relegated to deskwork due to past recklessness, petitions to regain custody of his five-year-old daughter, and his case is assigned to a family court judge who is as attractive as she is ambitious. When a masked gunman barges in during the custody hearing with his sights on the judge, the Ranger reacts instinctually and goes after him. But authorities apprehend the wrong man, and the real gunman remains unknown, at large, and a threat. Will this take-charge lawman jeopardize his chances of custody by going after the would-be assassin? And will this unlikely pair be able to deny the forbidden attraction building between them?

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This was a great book from beginning to end. Classic Sandra Brown!

I'm a huge fan of SB. All her novels are awesome. They have great suspense with great romance too.  Friction is not any different. 

Friction begins when Texas Ranger Crawford Hunt is attending the custody hearing for his daughter Georgia. Crawford made many mistakes but now he's ready to regain custody of Georgia. Just when he's about to hear the verdict from Judge Holly Spencer, a masked gunman shows up in the courtroom and starts firing. Crawford goes into Texas Ranger mode and protects the judge.

Holly Spencer is in a full campaign trying to make her judge seat a permanent one. Her contender is annoying and a bully and she knows she will do a better job than him. Holly lives in a black and white world. She's a rule follower. She follows the law and she wants everyone to do the same. Meeting Crawford will change her mind.

As with other books by Sandra Brown, Friction is action-packed and there was a sense of urgency. Urgency to get to the bottom of who was behind the shooting and trying to stop him/her before more people get hurt.  I was turning the pages like crazy because I needed to know. I love when I'm so taken by a book that nothing else matters. Sandra Brown always achieves this with me. 

The only drawback was the lack of Epilogue.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

Sugar on Top (Sugar, Georgia #2) by Marina Adair

Sugar on Top

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Glory Gloria Mann made a mistake as a teenager which her small town will never forget or forgive. She was part of a scandal involving the Sheriff's brother. So when she's trying to right a wrong her grandmother did and it's caught in the act by the Sheriff, she ends up in jail. As part of the Judge's sentence, she is to become the next Miss Peach Pageant chairman. To makes matter worse the judge makes Cal McGraw her co-chair. Glory has had a crush on Cal since she was a teenager. Spending time with him is only going to cause her more anxiety. 

“You don’t do serious,” she said quietly, reaching behind her to open the passenger door. “And I promised myself that I’d never be someone’s secret again.”

Cal McGraw is a single dad. He's hard worker and his life is his daughter Payton. She is a teenager, boy crazy and is driving him mad. No one is good enough for Payton. Cal doesn't date. He was burned by his ex-wife Tawny. Now, that he has to deal with Glory, he has no idea how not to care for her. Glory needs someone in her corner and he has trouble not becoming it.

“Because he wasn’t only her corner; she had somehow become his.”

This was a sweet story. I felt awful for Gloria and the way she was treated. The only thing she desired was for someone to stand by her side, to back her up when she needed it. So when Cal starts supporting her it made my heart happy. 

“Glory was a certified McGraw addict.”

I love Cal, he was funny, especially in dealing with his daughter's hormones. I love his nickname for her "Boots". I melted. 

“You have a thing against bedrooms, Boots?”

I want to go back and read the first in this series.

In regards to the Sheriff Jackson Duncan I wanted him to apologize to Boots. Maybe one will come when his turn is up...

“To think I wasted all those years on vanilla, when there was something as amazing as Firecracker Surprise.”

Cliffhanger : No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

SUGAR ON TOP is one of the best small-town books I’ve ever read.   From the first page talking about grand theft auto I was hooked!

Glory is pretty much from the wrong side of the tracks.  She’s the town’s bad girl that has a bad reputation and caused a lot of drama in the past.  She lands in trouble and is sentenced community service in the form of co-chairman of the of the Miss Peach Pageant with no one other than Sugar’s most eligible bachelor Cal McGraw. 

Cal McGraw is a single dad trying to navigate the recent change in his daughter.  She’s not longer a little girl always needing him but a teen interested in boys and makeup.  When he’s assigned as co-chairman of the pageant he knows he doesn’t need any more drama in his life so he must stay away from Glory.  Except there’s one problem… he can’t.

**

“How do we go from charts to discussing my bedroom?”

His dimples flash and he said, “Sweetheart, any conversation with you always ends up with me thinking about your bedroom.”

Holy hotness this book was good.  Glory was so feisty and strong and she honestly made the whole book.  Her past was anything but fair or nice.   She was loyal to a fault and it made her so relatable and likeable.  She is the perfect heroine to read about in a story. 

“Sometimes we do things out of desperation, tings that feel right in the moment but aren’t,” Glory said quietly.  “But one bad decision… doesn’t have to define you.”  And Glory truly believed that now.

Cal was also the perfect southern gentleman.  He was bold and strong and reliable… everything Glory needed and deserved.   His struggle with raising a teenage daughter and his need to protect her was endearing and so entertaining.  I loved everything about him.

“You, Glory Mann, are my world,” he said quietly.  “You make me laugh, make me question what I know, and you don’t take my crap.  You force me to be a better dad, a better man, and to try new flavors even when I am convinced they can’t be better than vanilla.”

SUGAR ON TOP was a happy, feel good romance.  The writing was effortless and entertaining to read.  I devoured this book and I’m so excited for the next one. 

4.5/5 FANGS! 
**Complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.