animal attraction, The Eller Series Book 1

To start off, I’m not a big fan of steam. It’s  just not my thing. But if Kathryn Halberg were to drop any book in my  lap, regardless of steam level, you best bet I’d eat that up. Why? It’s  simple. She’s a master at writing dynamic characters. Watching Rachael  process the events in her story, from the main plot to the side stories,  and the people in her life, including the adorable Olive and Martini,  was a pleasure. And so so realistic. --K.T. Egan, Goodreads

This is such a fun read! Hot and steamy with  heart. Halberg did a great job setting up a complicated love triangle  with two believable, opposing options for Rachel. Both men are  realistically flawed, and all three had work to do on themselves before  they were ready to be in relationships. -- Erin Flanagan, Goodreads

This is a well written book with a cast of strong characters and an  interesting story line. The author brings Rachael ,a strong independent  woman meeting two men and is now confused and anxious trying to figure  out her life. She brings tons of emotions and had me glued to the pages  to see what happened next. Her scenes are painted perfectly and the  story moves quickly and smoothly. I'm looking forward to the next book. -- Brenda, Pa., Barnes & Noble

For a first book for the author, it was a damn  good one. Not everything was perfect–what is–but the story and the  characters made it worth my time. -- Claire Annovazzi, Goodreads

This was a fun and energetic romp through a  sweet romance…. Plus dogs!! I enjoyed the pacing and flow of the story,  and I was walkways wondering what was going to happen next. I can’t wait  to read the next book! -- Alicia Kempf, Goodreads

I loved the pace of this book and was immediately immersed with the characters! I can’t wait for more! -- Danielle Booth, Amazon

This is Kathryn Halberg’s debut novel and I am impressed! Rachael is a strong, career-driven female lead, which is so refreshing to read in the romance genre. I never felt like she wavered in her strong, independent  characteristics, even as I was kept guessing what her decisions would be. The love interests, Rick and Gabe, were both great characters and I could not get enough of her cute pups, Olive and Martini. Rachael’s  relationships with her family and friends were also enjoyable to read about, and I anticipate we will get to know all of them even more as the series progresses! I cannot wait to read Carlie’s story next in the second book of the series, Hidden Agenda.  --Annie, Amazon

This is a well written book with a cast of  strong characters and an interesting story line. The author brings  Rachael ,a strong independent woman meeting two men and is now confused  and anxious trying to figure out her life. She brings tons of emotions  and had me glued to the pages to see what happened next. Her scenes are  painted perfectly and the story moves quickly and smoothly. I'm looking  forward to the next book. -- Brenda Moser, Goodreads

Halberg’s  book is a treat for any lover of the beach popcorn romance novel. The  steamy scenes hit the spot and all of the characters have some  redeeming, lovable, or perfectly pitiable quality that endears them to  you and to the story. No matter which man you’re rooting for (though I  knew which one I wanted to “win” from the get-go), the journey Halberg  takes you on will let you enjoy Rachel’s decision-making process all  along the way! With such interesting story twists and engaging dialog  (not to mention the adorable pups!), you'll fall for the characters as  quickly and easily as genre characters fall for one another!  I’d  recommend this to a first time romance novel reader or a long-time  bodice-ripper aficionado.  Can't wait for the sequel! -- Rebecca F. Barringer, Amazon

Carlie is a smart and hurt young woman who's  coming out from under the wing of her well meaning family, and becomes  involved in a fresh take on the love triangle trope. The story starts  off a little slow, but quickly picks up and threw me for a loop about  halfway through. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down!

The  author did a great job showcasing the main character's anxiety and  general sense of confusion and hesitancy to get involved in a new  relationship. Excellent character development, settings and dialogue.  The intimate scenes were descriptive and realistic. It was also  fascinating to watch one of the male leads start to deconstruct at the  same time the other seems to develop new layers and maturity.

This is part of a series, but you definitely don't need to read the first book to keep up.

Final  verdict: Excellent steamy read that will appeal to readers who enjoy  sizzling romance with a hint of psychology and suspense. -- Chrissy, GoodReads

I  got into reading this book expecting to read a fluffy but spicy romance ... I wasn't disappointed on that front but it turned out to be so much more.
This book dealt with a lot of drama when it comes to relationships especially when it comes to break ups after a long time. Suddenly your perspective changes and you feel light-headed ...
You start wondering what is waiting for you now and the vision is everything but clear in front of your eyes.
I feel like the author perfectly pictured that as well as how it looks like to be lost after feeling comfortable for so long.
The synopsis of this book introduced the presence of a love triangle ...  again so much more than that. In more than one point and more than one way there is a woman trying to figure out what she wants and how she can move on and make something good out of her life.
I loved going through this journey with her... even through the highs and lows of it!
I could see myself making her own choices and it was illuminating knowing that I wouldn't have been the only one to make some mistakes.
I fell for someone I'm not going to name, but he definitely made my day better with his gentleness, wit, tease and passion and fragilities.
I'm really glad I had the chance to read this story.
P.S. The spice was really good too in case you're wondering! --FedyTheReader, GoodReads

Hidden Agenda is the second novel in The Eller Series by author, Kathryn Halberg. The first book, Animal Attraction is not required reading prior and this one can be read as standalone. I hadn’t read the first book and didn’t have any trouble following.
The story follows Carlie Eller who is recovering from heartbreak when she attends a conference and finds herself attracted to two very different but equally sexy and charming men. One of the men isn’t who he appears to be and has a hidden agenda. Can Carlie figure out who with her heart, reputation and maybe even her life on the line.

This book is an entertaining and easy to read contemporary romance. The main character is headstrong, independent and you feel for her situation and want to see her get her happily ever after. It was a bit of a different take on the usual love triangle scenario and touched on some darker and deeper themes of violence, abuse and grief following a breakup.

I found that the pace of the book was a little slow at the beginning but it picked up around the mid-point. The romance scenes are quite steamy but I didn’t find them too graphic. This is definitely an adult story though.  --Kelly W, NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book. Carlie is so likeable and the storyline between Alex and Kurt is engaging and suspenseful. I found the supporting characters to be really strong too. The story is a little predictable, but I found it no less enjoyable. Highly recommend! -- Courtney C., NetGalley

This romance took me by surprise. Our down-on-her-luck-in-love protagonist is away in the Windy City for a marketing conference when she meets two handsome men. Neither is what they seem to be at the initial outset, which leads to some awkwardness going forward. I got a bit of suspense with my romance in this book, which was welcome, making it more of a tense read than I expected. I haven't read the first one in this series, but I'm tempted to go back and check it out. --Reviewer 750127, NetGalley

This book was very entertaining and dramatic, while also touching on important subjects such as anxiety and insecurity. Generally, I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles, but I wanted to give this book a go and discover something new, and this book certainly delivered on that, bringing in a new way of portraying love triangles while also being on the darker romance side. --Sara B., NetGalley