Patricia Bates

This steamy romance was a delightful step back in time, that kept me captivated from start to finish. I only have one real complaint - while I appreciate the vibe the author was going for, some of the narrative choices I found a bit distracting, like changing "not" to "no'" even though it wasn't dialogue. It would've been much less distracting to keep the dialect bits mostly confined to the dialogues. That said, I loved how vivid the imagery was, it really takes you back in time, and you can show more hear and see everything unfold around you. I loved the characters, they had plenty of depth, and were unique. Elayne is strong and determined, Ian will absolutely make you swoon. The story itself moves along at a good pace, and had enough tension to keep you turning pages. show less

HIS CELTIC BRIDE is another wonderful Highlander Romance from author Patricia Bates that combines captivating history and world building with an enemies to lovers steamy romance. Two clans are struggling and on the brink of war, with Oonagh Dermot forced into a marriage with Jarloth Cormac after his cousin Lanna and her brother Ferrell go missing and foul play is suspected. I loved the complex clan politics, the great descriptions and strong female characters. Oonagh was someone I instantly show more connected with, from her time on the battlefield working on behalf of her clan, to the way she advocated for women in vulnerable positions once she was in a position of power as Jarloth’s wife. Her scenes with Bria, a servant girl who takes an instant dislike to her for reasons the reader later comes to understand and sympathize with, were well written and showed the depth of Oonagh’s character and compassion. I loved her scenes with Jarloth. Such a great slow burn with a spicy pay off! These two insist they can’t stand each other… but we all know how that turns out. 😊 Bates writes slow burn romance and enemies to lovers extremely well and I loved their scenes together, as they slowly fall deeper in love and as things intensify politically between the clans. Highly recommended for lovers of Highland Romance! 5/5 stars. show less

I devoured this MM paranormal romantic suspense. SO good!! Rebel Hunter is a paranormal consultant and psychic. He sees dead people. They inhabit the large plantation style property he lives in. Some of the ghosts are friendly. Others carry a grudge because of the way they died. Rebel has often violent dreams and when the spirits are injured in the dreams, those injuries are passed on to him in real life (the world building was wicked cool.) Lauren Jacobsons, daughter of a senator, comes to show more meet with him in order to communicate with her deceased grandmother. Shortly after, she goes missing… and Rebel was the last person to see her alive.

Enter Gideon Palmer, homicide detective, who is assigned to investigate the disappearance. I loved the chemistry between him and Rebel. This book had a great mix of paranormal, police procedural, and steamy romance, as Gideon and Rebel try to figure out what’s going on and where Lauren could be (Rebel just doesn’t realize he’s suspect #1… ouch.) A string of cold cases stretching back decades is linked to the area… but are they related? I loved the way all the pieces came together in this one, with some particularly cool twists at the end! (no spoilers show less

I am so excited every time I see Patricia Bates has a new novel out. I love her steamy romances with exciting suspense plotlines and COUNTER STRIKE did not disappoint! This was a great steamy military romantic suspense that starts off with a bang up in the Arctic Circle. When Alex Caden is kidnapped, Navy SEAL Slade Lake is sent in to rescue her. He soon discovers there is more to Alex than he previously believed—that she is part of an elite military unit—and someone is hunting her—and show more through her, he’s now a target, too. This was a quick, fast paced read with excellent action scenes and great chemistry between the two leads. The heat in the steamy scenes was intense, and Alex is a strong female character. The two of them constantly clash… and then quickly find ways to work off that heat in other more productive ways! As we discover who is after Alex and their connection to her, she and Slade will have to work together to bring them down. I liked the banter between Slade’s military buddies and also thought the way the book concluded was just the right touch! Glad to see this is going to be a series! show less