D.L. Roan

The Heart of Falcon Ridge by D.L. Roan
Book #1: The McLendon Family Saga
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:

All Claira Robbins wants from life is safety and security. She’s known precious little of either in her short life and she’s desperately hoping the most recent move will be her last. She has a cute little cottage home, a new job teaching at an exclusive Academy, and hope that she’s finally far enough away from her past to be able to enjoy her fresh start.

All the show more McLendon brothers want is to be able to move on with their lives and raises their twins in the wake of their wife’s death. Though she’s been gone for several years, the brothers haven’t found another woman worth their collective attention, and more importantly, their collective love. Each of the three have essentially decided they won’t ever find again what they once had and have resigned themselves to a long and lonely life. That is, until they meet their boys’ new teacher and suddenly a long and happy life once again seems possible. They just need to convince her they’re a package deal, three for the price of one 😊

From the moment she comes to the ranch, Claira knows she’s where she’s meant to be, but the prospect of which man to choose is just too much. Her attraction to all three men is undeniable and, for their part, at least two of the men are smitten and convinced Claira is their second chance at love. It’s the older of the men, Grey who is a bit harder to read. Claira is fairly certain he is attracted to her, but his emotions seem to be all over the place which creates a great deal of confusion. As both Claira and the twins know, if everyone isn’t in it for the long haul, the situation just won’t work.

Grey doesn’t deny his attraction to Claira, but he is in denial about his feelings for her. Since the loss of his wife, Grey has struggled far more than his twin brothers to deal with her loss. Unbeknownst to his brothers, Grey had an ugly fight with their wife the day of her death and so, moving on with another woman pricks at his guilt and sense of betrayal. What’s more, Grey is absolutely certain Claira is hiding something from them and that makes him wary. As the saying goes, the heart wants what the heart wants and though Grey thinks he doesn’t want Claira for the long run, his heart is singing a different song and that brings out his fiercely protective nature. Thank goodness for it too . . . .

Though there are a great many protective measures in place, Claira’s past is evil, awful, and determined. The pleasure she has found with the McLendon men (well, two of them anyway) is beyond anything she could have ever imagined, but the threat to her new happy life is very real and it has come a callin’! In the blink of an eye, Claira finds her secrets revealed, her body damaged, and one of the three men she has come to love, in serious peril.

The Bottom Line: I won’t even lie, I was looking for a predominately naughty bits kind of read when I dove into The Heart of Falcon Ridge. What I got was a good deal of delicious naughty bits mixed into a decent story with a whole host of characters, both good and bad. There is always a degree of tension found throughout this read that raises and lowers depending on the situation. What’s more, the tension is twofold, sexual and garden-variety danger. The tension, both kinds, keeps the story moving along at a good pace, the dialogue is spot on, the naughty bits are saucy and yummy, and the characters are a group you just sort of like from the very beginning. In all, I found The Heart of Falcon Ridge to be a good start to the series and just enough to have me diving into, almost immediately, the second book, A McLendon Christmas. show less

Wow! I do not usually read M/M books...I am just not into them...but Wow! This book grabbed my attention and made me sob! When a book can move my emotions, that book is wonderful to me, a keeper! This book is a keeper!

Second Nature by D.L. Roan was an awesome book. It’s been a long time since I've read such a great erotic suspense. The book had such a developed, well throughout plot, with twists and turns, fully fleshed out characters, an alpha male to die for, and a heroine who was strong, hard and feminine all at the same time. There was action, violence, revenge, darkness and cruelty of human trafficking, wild animals, white sandy beaches, romance and really hot sex. Oh did I forget to mention a show more very satisfying HEA.

This is the second book I’ve read from D.L. Roan, and both have been 5 star reads for me. I was so engaged and pleased with this story; the plot was strong and carried the book from the first page to the last. The chemistry between Grant and Thalia, was believable, not rushed, and developed like a smoldering fire into an inferno of want, need and desire for two people who had no room in their lives for love. Our H/h were shown as real people, sure they made mistakes, had trust issues, experienced moments of sadness, insecurity and betrayal, but that just made them more lifelike, and allowed the reader to share in their experiences and growth.

There is so much I could say about the book, but I think the reader really needs to experience it for themselves. I really hope the Ms. Roan is already writing the next book, because I’m sure looking forward to reading it. It will be fun to see if I've guessed correctly on who the H/h will be too. show less

Second Chances is s true love story. It’s the story of a girl who meets a boy and another boy and another boy and falls in love. It’s the story of family, about coming out of hiding, of taking back one’s life, of making a new future.
The author brings us into the lives of a Montana ranching family with long standing ties to the area, it’s a small town, things don’t change much, trouble and animosity can be just across a fence line. Clara is hiding from her past, a past filled with show more terror and is now starting over in the small town of Grassland. Taking a position as a substitute teacher in a private school, Clara lives for her students; it’s the one thing that brings joy to her empty, terror filled life on the run.
In Second Chances we see life in a committed 2nd generation Poly relationship. The family dynamics, values, and sex are all presented in a real, down to earth tasteful fashion. Although the sex in the book is multi-partner ( ménage, no M/M ) or one on one, at no point in the story does the sex take the forefront or overshadow the suspense or the love story.
The book was not what I thought it would be, it was a surprise. The characters were well rounded, very real, experienced day to day issues (life on the ranch, raising their sons), supportive, showed growth from pain, and accepting of new experiences. The book had humor, wit, angst, frustration, and terror but most of all it had a plot. I know the first thought that comes to mind when we see a book in the ménage category is Hot, naughty, nasty sex…..and maybe somewhere in the authors mind this was to have been so, but what came out was a series of seductive, loving, tasteful sexy scenes bonding our characters tightly together.
There were a few editing issues (names swapped, spelling) but they did not distract from the story for me.
I really liked this book and am looking forward to reading the next book that was previewed. show less