Sandy M’s review of Stealing Kathryn (The Gatherers, Book 2) by Jacquelyn Frank
Paranormal Romance published by Zebra 1 May 10

The first couple chapters of this book, I thought, “Uh-oh, for the first time I’m not going to like a Jacquelyn Frank book.” I was disappointed, to say the least. And also premature in my thoughts.

I actually should have known better, because I enjoy the worlds she creates with dreams, the human mind, and her characters. The way this book starts out with the hero and his mirror and how he kidnaps Kathryn wasn’t working for me. It made Adrian seem too bizarre and the story darker than I usually like. But I’m glad I hung on.

Adrian is a keeper of treasures, beautiful items he’s collected over the years as he’s taken the negative energy from humans’ dreams that his people desperately need to survive. So when he finds Kathryn in her dreams, he’s so taken with her that he continues to go back to her when there’s no need. And then he decides to add her to his collection.

And that’s literally. He puts her in the same room, locks her in, going back to look often as he does with any of his treasures. Of course, Kathryn is not liking it one bit, though at first she feels sorry for the misshapen creature until she discovers he’s her captor. Fearing her father and sister will die of their illness before she can return home, Kathryn finally succumbs to a deep sleep after pounding her hands raw on the door that no one ever opens to release her so she can go home.

After a failed attempt by Adrian and his twin, Aerlyn, who has the opposite assignment for their people of collecting good, positive energy, to manipulate Kathryn through her dreams to believe she’s mending from an accident and will be home with her family soon, Adrian and Kathryn begin to spend more time together and he’s amazed that she’s no longer afraid of him, though his temper is still fierce but his visage is beginning to return to its former self.

Called before their governing body for his behavior, Adrian claims Kathryn is his kindra, his one true mate, the woman destined only for him. He is given a week to make the claim true, but he will never force Kathryn into such an intimate situation until she’s ready, if she ever is. But seeing himself return to normal, to the man he used to be, Adrian believes she really is his kindra, despite the doubt from all others.

Once it becomes clear what Adrian has given up for his people and when the changes in him occur because of Kathryn’s kindness and ultimate love, I couldn’t help but love this hero. The scenes between them are at times volatile and then at others the emotion just emanates from Adrian as he struggles to keep his word to Kathryn and his temper under control.

Ms. Frank is one of those authors for me who gives a reader something unique every time, and I was clearly short-sighted with this book to doubt the story and the characters so early. Adrian is that scarred hero, inside and out, that I love to read. If I had followed my first instinct to perhaps put the book down, I would never have met the true Adrian and what he’s capable of.

I’ve learned my lesson.

Grade: A+

 Summary:

Sandman. Angus. Morpheus. He is known by many names, except his true one, Adrian. When he departs his world, it is to enter the sacred space of sleep, and he is not there to sow sweet dreams. Adrian’s mission is to reap the dark energy of nightmares, work that has twisted his soul as well as his once-handsome face. Now, he lives only to await the day darkness finally overcomes him…and to collect exquisite reminders of what he’s lost. . .

But there is one treasure that stands apart. Having risked everything to obtain her, Adrian soon realizes his mistake. For Kathryn has a wholly unexpected power over him, not only for what she represents, but for what for she is: a soul with desires as strong as his own, tempered by compassion that could save Adrian from his self-made hell—or condemn them both. . .

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Liviania’s review of Sins of the Soul (Otherkin, Book 2) by Eve Silver
Paranormal romance released by HQN 1 Sept 10

As I said in my review of Sins of the Heart, I began Sins of the Soul as soon as I finished the first novel in the trilogy.  I enjoyed Sins of the Soul as well, but it suffered a little from being the second in the trilogy.  This one is heavier on the romance, however.

Personally, I like plot.  So I was somewhat sad that very little happens in way of finding Lokan’s killer during Sins of the Soul.  Mostly, Alastor Krayl – the middle of the remaining sons of Sutekh – works to gain control over Butcher’s soul.  Butcher was a hitman who witnessed Lokan’s death, but his soul was consecrated to Izanami, a Japanese Underworld goddess that distrusts men.  Thus, Alastor can’t reap his soul without complications.

Alastor was my least favorite of the Krayl brothers.  He’s defined by two characteristics: being British and missing his human family.  As for the British part, he didn’t strike me as overly British.  He uses a few slang terms, but a fondness for suits and English toffees does not a Briton make.  Alastor was raised with his mother, unlike Dagan, and he resented that Sutekh pulled him from a loving family and didn’t allow him to return to the Topworld until they were dead.  His feelings made sense, but I preferred the less angsty Dagan and Mal.

Naphré Kurata, his heroine, was the protégé of Butcher.  She killed him after he took a hit out on her.  She’s also a derelict Daughter of Aset, as she refused part of her duties.  Naphré has a strong moral center, but she acknowledges that in many ways she’s compromised her morals in order to survive.  I found her intriguing, but a bit of a blank slate.  An overweening desire for cleanliness wasn’t enough to separate her from the hordes of paranormal assassin heroines.

I was, however, quite fascinated by Izanami and her Shikome.  Though not often present in Sins of the Soul, the two had a presence.  Izanami, particularly, comes off as dangerous without ever raising her voice or doing anything overtly threatening at all.  I’d have liked to read more about her.

On one hand, Sins of the Soul was a perfectly good paranormal romance.  On the other hand, there wasn’t much that made it stick out from the crowd.  In my opinion, it’s the weakest of the trilogy.  Silver’s writing and plotting was good enough to make me pick up Sins of the Flesh instantly to discover how everything worked out.

Grade: C+

Summary:
Alastor Krayl’s world shattered when he learned that his father was the Underworld god of chaos and evil. All that saved him from self-destruction were his newfound brothers and the bond they shared as soul reapers. So when one of his brothers is murdered, vengeance becomes Alastor’s obsession. And the enigmatic Naphré Kurata, a witness—or is she the killer?—has the answers he seeks.
A reluctant Underworld enforcer, Naphré trusts no one, especially not a seductive soul reaper who makes her burn with lust. Torn between duty and desire, she fights to keep her secrets safe from Alastor, even as she longs to surrender.
Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of Warrior (The Blades of the Rose, Book 1) by Zoe Archer
Paranormal Romance released by Zebra 07 Sep 10

After reading Warrior, Zoe Archer has become a must read for me.  I loved everything about it and I hate that the next book is not out already.

Gabriel and Thalia are two characters that I couldn’t get enough of. Gabriel is just an awesome hero and I want him for myself. He is one of a kind, and I love him. My first thought of him is that he’s just like Indiana Jones, without the whole switching-women-like-underwear thing.

There is never a doubt that he wants Thalia for the long run. Thalia is another great addition to the book. My biggest issue with historical books is that I can’t stand women from those time periods. Thalia, however, is not a prim and proper lady. She will get down and dirty as well as any man, and she is not ashamed of it. She is someone I would want as a friend. Watching these two fall in love is almost beautiful in that it isn’t all about sex or danger bringing them together. While there is certainly both of those things, you just know that they are meant to be.

Magic plays a very important role, but it’s not shoved in your face. Thalia and Gabriel are racing to protect a magical artifact, but there isn’t much active magic going on. It’s not packed full of spells, but the amount is just enough for the story.

The same goes for the bad guys. They could have easily become the typical group out to destroy the world, but again Zoe Archer proves she knows how to create a character that is just right.

The setting for Warrior is mostly Mongolia. I am pretty sure this is the first book I have read set there, and Zoe Archer made me feel like I was there. I could see it all in my mind perfectly. It has as much of a presence as anything else. I truly felt like I was going on an adventure. It’s the perfect blend of magic, danger, and romance.

This is a must read for anyone looking for a fun, exciting tale of love and adventure.

Grade: A

 Summary:

IN HOT PURSUIT…

The vicious attack Capt. Gabriel Huntley witnesses in a dark alley sparks a chain of events that will take him to the ends of the Earth and beyond—where what is real and what is imagined become terribly confused. And frankly, Huntley couldn’t be more pleased. Intrigue, danger, and a beautiful woman in distress—just what he needs.

IN HOTTER WATER…

Raised thousands of miles from England, Thalia Burgess is no typical Victorian lady. A good thing, because a proper lady would have no hope of recovering the priceless magical artifact Thalia is after. Huntley’s assistance might come in handy, though she has to keep him in the dark. But this distractingly handsome soldier isn’t easy to deceive…

Read an excerpt.



Limecello’s review of The Billionaire’s Baby Arrangement, (Napa Valley Vows, Book 3) by Charlene Sands
Contemporary Romance released by Silhouette Desire 10 Aug 10

Although this book is last in the trilogy, the Napa Valley Vows, but I came across it first (as my books are listed alphabetically), and after I checked out the premise of the first one, I knew I wanted to read The Billionaire’s Baby Arrangement first. And with a title like that, how can you resist? It’s so ridiculous! But I don’t let that affect how I feel about a Harlequin category book. Also, the title in this incidence is rather misleading, I’m happy to say. I really enjoyed this book, and it had so many aspects and themes I gravitate toward. Friends to lovers, reuniting high school [sweethearts], an unexpected inheritance, the wonderful list goes on.

Brooke Hamilton is an incredibly likable heroine. She’s had a rough life, and has come through very well on her own. Brooke fights her attraction for Nick throughout most of the story, but she isn’t snide or hurtful about it. She also has her own issues to work through, and her complicated past with Nick. While she does hold some of it against him, in a way she has moved on, and I love that Ms. Sands is clear that what happened scarred Brooke because it underlined Brooke’s own issues and questions of self worth and concerns about socioeconomic status. Easily understandable when you’re growing up in Napa Valley and are not one of the privileged. I also love that Brooke acts a bit selfishly and for herself. At the same time it’s “sanctioned” because it’s what she and Nick agreed upon, and what he offered from the start.

Nick Carlino has a lot more depth than first meets the eye. In a way I’m glad I read his book first because it might have been too drastic a change. He’s been labeled as a playboy, and he’s careful to maintain that lifestyle, but he’s not a jerk about it. Nick doesn’t want any ties because he’s been burned before. However, his case is different from your typical hero who has been hurt and is almost a misogynist. Nick’s life was ruined, at least, he’s unable to do what he wanted to forever. He knows his life is pretty damn good, but with his dreams gone, he’s been living in the moment and fine with that. Brooke changes things, and Nick gets a wake up call.

It’s nice that Brooke and Nick learn from each other, and both are able to discuss their past and side of the story. It’s clear there was a major misunderstanding between the two. I loved that Ms. Sands had Brooke and Nick converse, rather than dance around their issues throughout the book, especially when there were so many other more prevalent and important problems. There’s enough substance to make this book different, but it’s not reaching either. The Billionaire’s Baby Arrangement is incredibly believable, and aside from the hero conveniently being a millionaire (and a few other minor coincidences), it could potentially happen to anybody. A neighbor. A friend.

And quick note, Brooke has a daughter, Leah, who is just a baby. Nothing against babies, etc, but I don’t have baby fever. At all. However, in this book, Leah was adorable, and not only a great addition to the story, but necessary.

Charlene Sands has been and continues to be one of my favorite Silhouette authors, and I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys categories, or is looking for a sweet romance that is a great summer read. Especially if you’re short on time.

Grade: B-

The highway collision had brought together more than their two vehicles. Suddenly businessman Nick Carlino was face-to-face with a woman from his past…and her five-month-old baby. Though they hadn’t seen each other in years, Nick offered Brooke Hamilton and her child shelter after the crash. It was the right thing to do as they got back on their feet.

But how could something so right feel so wrong? Having Brooke under his roof brought back memories the billionaire would rather have kept forgotten. And passions he needed to control. Nothing short of Carlino Vineyards’ legacy hung in the balance….

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of When Blood Calls by J.K. Beck
Paranormal Romance released by Bantam Books 31 Aug 10

It took me a few times to really start this book. I kept putting it down thinking it wasn’t going to be something I liked. Turns out I was totally wrong and I ended up being mad at myself for not reading it sooner.

I tend to dislike it when a main character is a lawyer, cop, or doctor. I think it might be because they always seem to struggle with doing what’s right over what’s legal. Usually they end up not caring about the laws and consequences be damned.  Sara in an attorney, and while she did have that struggle, she was true to herself and she didn’t let her feelings for Luke interfere with her trying to keep him in jail. She made sure she was looking for justice, no matter the outcome. I felt that she probably accepted this whole new paranormal world a little too easily, but it never felt unbelievable. I liked her and I was rooting for her to get her happily ever after with Luke.

Luke is a vampire, and he struggles to control his daemon, the part of every vampire that craves blood and violence. In order to do that, he has become a sort of hit man vigilante. He doesn’t apologize for it, and I loved him for that. He never felt guilt for what he does, and he wasn’t the typical tortured vampire. I think he is one of the better heroes I have read in awhile.  Sara soothes his daemon, and for awhile I was scared that in the end he would become something he’s not. She has trouble accepting what he does, even while secretly thinking it’s right.

There were more than a few obstacles between them and it would have been easy for When Blood Calls to go in the wrong direction, but J.K. Beck handles it all perfectly.  In the end, Sara and Luke are still Sara and Luke. They still the same people the were in the beginning (mostly, but saying more would be a spoiler) and that turned out to be one of the things I liked most about this book. Luke wasn’t suddenly tamed, and Sara was still an attorney fighting for justice.

There were few issues I had with When Blood Calls. The whole supernatural community is hidden from humans, which was hard to believe. There seemed to be a wide variety of creatures, and even with it’s own judicial system. I felt like it would have made more sense if humans knew. Also, I was looking for more of a big fight scene. The end wrapped up a bit too nicely, though still satisfying. Also, it was obvious to me who the bad guy was going to end up being. The good far outweighed the bad though, and I am intrigued by this world.

Lastly, I just have to say that being a huge Buffy fan, I enjoyed the character who was more than a little bit like Drusilla. I wonder if that was intentional, or it just happened.

Grade: B+

 Summary:

Attorney Sara Constantine is thrilled with her promotion—until she finds out that she must now prosecute vampires and werewolves. The first defendant she’ll be trying to put away? Lucius Dragos, the sexy stranger with whom she recently shared an explosive night of ecstasy.

When Lucius kisses a beautiful woman sitting next to him at the bar, he’s hoping only to avoid the perceptive gaze of the man he’s planning to kill. But what starts as a simple kiss ignites into an all-consuming passion. Charged with murder, Luke knows that Sara is determined to see him locked away—unless he can convince her that he’s not a monster. And that might mean making the ultimate sacrifice.

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of One-Night Love Child by Anne McAllister
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 1 Mar 08

I usually enjoy McAllister’s books enormously, but this one dragged a little for me. The conflicts weren’t strong enough and one part of the resolution seemed a little lame and the story didn’t have enough of a focus.

The hero, Flynn, was probably loosely based on the son of Erroll Flynn, who was a war correspondent/photojournalist killed in action. Fortunately, this Flynn wasn’t killed in action. Instead, he inherited his father’s Irish title, the Earl of Dunmore, and a run-down castle, fortunately with a broken entail, so the castle could be sold.

Flynn didn’t know about his child, sired six years before the story starts, because he is busy working as a journalist in war zones. When the letter telling him of the event finally arrives, he is earl and trying to restore the family fortunes. As soon as he discovers he has a son, Flynn arrives at Sara’s home. By the way, whoever edited this book got titles wrong. When you’re referring to a specific title, it’s the Earl of Dunmore (with capital letters). When you refer to a non specific one, it’s earl, as in “The earl will see you now,” as opposed to “The Earl of Dunmore will see you now.” It works the same way as any other title, like doctor or professor does. And that’s the American usage. In British usage, Earl is always capitalised.

Sara has issues. She and Flynn fell in love over the course of three days and he left her. So my problems begin here. However busy he is, these days he could have kept in touch. The complex equipment available on the battlefield would definitely give him the chance to send a note to the woman he loves, and surely his email address would remain constant? So – five years? No way.

Flynn’s journalist background is barely sketched in, and apart from vague references to “Africa” and so on, there’s no real details. He’s been shot, and one shooting has given him a limp, but it’s far more likely that he’d be blown up, these days. And he doesn’t seem scarred by what he’s seen, or the people he’s known and lost. He just takes up the earldom instead, as an unwelcome responsibility. Flynn has no centre, he doesn’t really know what he wants, apart from Sara and his son.

And Flynn has inherited an earldom and a run down castle. It takes Sara to tell him how to turn it around and make a profit from it. These days, it’s not a matter of going to a bank with a business plan. Banks will provide financial advisors, and stately homes are good sources of income. The old-fashioned concept of debt and how to escape it didn’t win true, especially when they got to see a local bank manager – in the UK and Ireland, they don’t exist any more. Not in the old sense of the word. It’s all corporate. Despite the token presence of laptops, nobody seemed to use them properly, least of all Flynn.

And the earldom. There is one improbability towards the end, which I’ll put in white type, for those of you who don’t like any kind of spoiler. Mouse over the following to see it.

Flynn “resigns” the earldom, or says he will in order to keep Sara. It’s possible under United Kingdom law, but it’s an extremely complicated and drawn-out process. You can’t just say it and until 1961, a peer was a peer for life. Plus, this is United Kingdom law, and Ireland isn’t part of the United Kingdom.

Because, I think, of the lack of focus, the story dragged in the middle, and had I not decided to review this book, I might have put it down. The characters didn’t hold me enough, and the simplicity of the Irish earldom, when in fact there is officially no such thing and the whole idea of Irish peerage is immensely complex and vitriolic, distracted me. I’d rather have left the peerage out of this, and just had Flynn inherit the castle, which was the point of the whole exercise. So a disappointing grade from me for this one. However, as always, YMMV.

Grade: C

Summary:

It was one night as hot and passionate as only young love can be. But they left it at that. Flynn had the world to conquer—alone. Only three months later, Sara’s life changed: she discovered she was expecting Flynn’s baby. Now Flynn has taken his rightful place as the Irish Earl of Dunmorey. But once he discovers that he also has an heir, his strategy is simple: claim his love child. He wants his son, and he wants Sara, too…as his bride.

Read an excerpt.

Ash’s review of Primal Instincts (Primes Series, Book 10) by Susan Sizemore
Paranormal Romance released by Pocket 31 Aug 10

Primal Instincts is non stop action, and it feels like it all should have happened in more than a few days. Susan Sizemore packs a lot into it, and at the same time I felt like not much happened. This is a series I don’t expect much from, but one I do enjoy. Primal Instincts was better than most of the previous books, but it has it’s share of bad parts to go with the good.

As for the good parts, I loved these two vampires together. Tobias is referred to as  an Uber-prime and I can see why. He believes he should be obeyed at all times, and he usually is. He’s not obnoxious about it, and he doesn’t flaunt his power.  He is real and he doesn’t try to seduce Flare into being with him. He tells it like it is, and I loved his own brand of charm. Flare is his perfect mate, and she didn’t annoy me once. She is smart, and doesn’t have any TSTL moments. It was nice to read a heroine who I didn’t want to smack once, and I could even imagine being friends with her.

The bad parts have much to do with their romance, or lack of. Tobias is the leader of the Dark Angels, a group of soldiers who protect their people. Throughout Primal Instincts there is a battle going on. The bad vamps are trying to take over and Tobias is in charge of making sure that doesn’t happen. What also doesn’t happen are any tender moments between Tobias and Flare. She is swept along for the ride and their love scenes happen rushed between missions or off the page. By the end I was craving something more between them, even a hug or a passionate kiss goodbye. I was left wanting, and I had lost the happy book high. My first thought after finishing it was that if it were a movie, and it had a sequel, it would be one where the couple has broken up and there is a new love interest. Not what you want to think after finishing a romance.

In spite of the issues I had, I loved the interactions between Flare and Tobias and those two characters saved the book. The other characters helped as well, and I still plan to continue reading this series. I just hope the next has more romance, and less action.

Grade: C+

 Summary:

Tobias Strahan leads the elite vampire squad known as the Dark Angels, protecting the city’s paranormal denizens. It’s the perfect job for an Übermacho Prime … until clan heiress Flare Reynard stirs an obsession in him that refuses to fade. Flare’s mother—desperate for a grandchild—has made Tobias an intriguing proposition, and it’s soon clear to Tobias that Flare is nothing like the spoiled princess he’d assumed her to be. She’s smart as hell, wickedly funny, and loyal, and Tobias knows deep within that she is his bondmate—the bondmate every Prime searches for. Flare has every intention of providing her clan with children—but on her own terms. That means a donor and a clinic, not a wild tumble with the most potent Prime of them all. Flare knows it’s a mistake to get close to a warrior like Tobias, since their searing connection puts her heart, his loved ones, their entire world at risk. But logic is no match for fierce, instinctive desire… .

No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Liviania’s review of Discord’s Apple by Carrie Vaughn
Fantasy released by Tor 6 July 10

I knew little about the plot of Discord’s Apple before I started; I simply wanted to read it since I like Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series.  So I was quite pleased to see several elements I like used together: Homer, Virgil, King Arthur, a story within a story, and just a touch of politics.

Evie Walker is a comic book author, using real world events to write about a team of commandos.  Now, with the world on the brink of nuclear war, she can barely tell who is good and bad to write the next chapter.  But she’s distracted from her work by the impending death of her father and her apparent assumption as his duties protecting various objects from myth, legend, and fairytales.

Hera wants the apple which started the Trojan War.  Others, including Alex – a former Greek warrior – want to keep it out of her hands in order to keep the chaos of the apple from disturbing the delicate world situation.  I liked Alex and enjoyed the passages detailing his backstory, but I felt like his relationship with Evie was underdeveloped.  It felt like they had to get together because they were the male and female lead.  His relationship with Apollo was more complex and intriguing because it didn’t fall into a standard relationship pattern.

I also felt like that the passages about Evie’s job pulled me out of the story.  She was supposedly scripting the comic, but the passages she wrote were all verse, nothing like a comic script.  (Also, I kept wondering who her letterer was.  I did assume the artist took care of both pencils and colors.)  Tracker’s story held some interest in itself and told about Evie’s character, but it just didn’t feel necessary.

Now that I’ve said what doesn’t work for me, I must admit I liked Discord’s Apple quite a bit.  Vaughn’s near-apocalyptic world of checkpoints and terrorist attacks felt lived-in by the characters and well-developed.  As someone familiar with the story sources she was drawing on, I felt she did a good job of updating the legends while adhering closely to the original material.  Those who haven’t read the Iliad, Odyssey, or Aeneid, might not get as big of a kick out of it.

(I don’t have a translation recommendation for the Aeneid, but I do recommend Fagles’s translations of Homer.  He’s got a direct style that captures the action well, especially in the Iliad.)

Discord’s Apple was a fun modern fantasy.  Those looking for something heavier on the romance might avoid Discord’s Apple, though there is a small love triangle.  Discord’s Apple is a standalone novel, but if Vaugn wrote more in this universe I would read it.

Grade: B-

Summary:

When Evie Walker goes home to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope’s Fort, Colorado, is not the only legacy she stands to inherit. Hidden behind the old basement door is a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again. The magic of the storeroom prevents access to any who are not intended to use the items. But just because it has never been done does not mean it cannot be done.

And there are certainly those who will give anything to find a way in.

Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, protecting the past and the future even as the present unravels around them. Old heroes and notorious villains alike will rise to fight on her side or to undermine her most desperate gambits. At stake is the fate of the world, and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse. In the same month, along with this all-new hardcover, Tor will publish a new novel in Carrie Vaughn’s popular, New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series featuring werewolf talk radio host, Kitty Norville. Kitty Goes to War will be the eighth book in this successful mass market series.

Read an excerpt here. (Follow site directions.)

Sandy M’s review of by Dark Embers (Dragon’s Heat, Book 1) by Tessa Adams
Paranormal Erotic Romance published by NAL Trade 6 Jul 10

Well, I’ll get it out in the open first thing. I’ve wanted to read this book because the cover caught my eye. I mean, come on. What healthy female wouldn’t like this cover, for heaven’s sake? I didn’t even bother checking to see what the book was about beforehand. I had the chance to pick it up, so I did, no questions asked. Then I found out it’s dragons.

And then as I got into the story, no doubt about it, this is my kind of book. Total alpha hero, intelligent (throughout the story too!) heroine who stands up to him, different and unique storyline, great secondary characters — and DRAGONS! — I love every word.

Having the King of the Dragonstars thrust upon him after the deaths of his parents and brother, Dylan had done his best to lead his people and keep them safe. But he’s failed. At least in his mind. His sister has also just died of a mysterious illness that has struck his clan, taking so many loved ones away, and he’s determined to find a cure but so far all research as been for naught.

He’s learned of a human scientist who’s been working on a cure for lupus. She’s dedicated and she’s focused, doesn’t stop until she has her answers. So overriding his clan’s concerns about involving humans, Dylan heads for Harvard, where he won’t leave without the woman in tow. He needs her more than his ancient alma mater does.

Phoebe and her research have just gotten the axe at Harvard. No more grants to fund her studies. Now it’s up to her to find another university or corporation who will help, but it’s too late in the year, all moneys have already been earmarked. Then in walks a stranger who at first scares her silly but who then piques her curiosity and her libido.

Dylan makes Phoebe an offer she can’t refuse, and she finds herself in New Mexico, given free rein in a spectacularly equipped lab. But she knows something’s not quite right after running tests on Dylan’s people. She just can’t put her finger on what it is, and Dylan so far has evaded her questions.

Needless to say, Dylan is hesitant to tell Phoebe about him and his inner beast. He’s been hunting for eons for his mate to secure the royal bloodline of his clan, but all female shifters he’s loved and left have not been his destiny. His attraction to Phoebe is immediate and fierce, especially to his dragon, who claws and tears at Dylan to escape to get his hands on the woman.

Phoebe at first is, of course, very doubtful of Dylan’s claims, but when he shifts before her into a beautiful, strong, and lethal predator, she wonders what else otherworldly could be out there. Riding on Dylan’s back through the New Mexico night is an experience she’ll never forget once she returns home.

Geez,I could go on and on because so much happens in this book, and I haven’t even mentioned the love scenes yet. It’s hot. And then some. Very powerful and very explosive between these two. One touch and both of them are lost for the moment until sated. Ms. Adams does a great job of describing Dylan’s dragon as it tries to get to Phoebe. That dragon is the only one who figures out Phoebe is Dylan’s mate. Smart beast.

Of course, there is an enemy clan and once they’re introduced, all hell breaks loose. There’s emotion galore throughout this book, all culminating at the end when things really go wrong and Dylan finally takes matters into his owns hands for him, not his clan.

I’m very anxiously awaiting the next book in this series. All characters I’ve met so far will make fantastic heroes. If you like dragon shifters, go get this book. Now!

Grade: A+

 Summary:

King Dylan MacLeod is one of the last pure-bred dragon shapeshifters in existence—and ruler of a dying race, the Dragonstar clan. It falls to him to protect his people—and their ancient magic. He has one more duty: to provide an heir.

Like all dragons, Dylan can only procreate with his destined mate—for whom he’s searched for five hundred years. His dark, rampant sexual appetite has earned him quite the reputation, all in the pursuit of his one true match.

But his search is delayed when a deadly disease sweeps through the Dragonstars, and Dylan must venture to the human world to find a cure. He tracks down renowned biochemist Phoebe Quillum, never imagining the beautiful scientist will be the mate he’s been seeking for centuries. But no sooner do they meet then Phoebe and Dylan are besieged by an obsessive, overpowering sexual desire.

Their passion turns to something truer—and they know in their souls and bodies that they’re in too deep to get out. And when Phoebe is kidnapped by Dylan’s oldest enemy, he must risk everything to reclaim the only woman he’s ever loved, or his clan will be wiped out forever.

Read an excerpt.

Liviania’s review of Kitty Goes to War (Kitty Norville, Book Eight) by Carrie Vaughn
Urban fantasy published by Tor 29 Jun 10

The Kitty Norville series is both consistent and surprising.  Carrie Vaughn does a good job of giving the Kitty series a unique feeling among the sea of urban fantasies available.  For one, the series remains light-hearted despite the high body count.

Vaughn doesn’t handle the body count as well in Kitty Goes to War as she did in Kitty’s House of Horrors.  Instead of characters we’ve learned to love dying, the lives of entirely new characters are at risk.  Vaughn does what she can, but with two plots going on I didn’t learn to love the new guys.  The new guys are a group of soldiers who were discovered to be werewolves after their commanding officer died.  Now, Kitty has been enlisted to help get them under control and useful.

The other plot involves Harold Franklin, the CEO of Speedy Mart – a Walmart where supernatural events tend to happen.  It also involves Cormac, though he’s off screen for too much of the novel.  I’ve been waiting with bated breath to read more about him since he left prison.  Vaughn teases us throughout the novel with the knowledge that he somehow changed in prison, but has to keep Cormac off screen to pull the twist off.  However, it does provide for interesting situations in his future appearances.

Yet Cormac’s appearances do help to confirm that the Ben-Kitty relationship is going well.  There are also some funny bits with Ben and the military, who don’t realize that Ben is a closeted werewolf.  I was, like most, originally surprised that Ben and Kitty got together.  But with each book I like their marriage more.  They’re very stable.  They trust each other and work to protect each other’s backs.

It’s also engaging to watch Kitty assert herself as a leader of the soldiers.  She’s managed to climb to the top of the ladder from the bottom, and now she goes into confrontations with confidence.  Kitty’s emotional arc is one of the greatest strengths of the series.

Kitty Goes to War is an acceptable place to start the series.  Some events in the novel pertain to the series arc, but it stands alone well.  After all, Kitty is introducing the soldiers to normal werewolf life.  It’s rare that eight books in a series is still inviting to new readers.

Grade: B

Summary:
Kitty Norville, Alpha werewolf and host of The Midnight Hour, a radio call-in show, is contacted by a friend at the NIH’s Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology. Three Army soldiers recently returned from the war in Afghanistan are being held at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. They’re killer werewolves—and post traumatic stress has left them unable to control their shape-shifting and unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, hoping to help by bringing them into her pack.

Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for libel by CEO Harold Franklin after featuring Speedy Mart—his nationwide chain of 24-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting supernatural unpleasantness—on her show.

Very bad weather is on the horizon.

Read an excerpt here. (Follow directions of site.)

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Infamous by Suzanne Brockmann
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Ballantine Books 27 Jul 10

Because I’m a book ho, I’ve read only one Suzanne Brockmann book, the first in her Troubleshooters series, The Unsung Hero, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and then subsequently vowed I would continue with the series as often as I could. Of course, life, the thousands of other books strewn around my condo and piled high in my storage unit, and a million other things got in the way of that vow, and Infamous is the only other Brockmann I’ve read to date. That’s okay, though, because I love this book. It’s her first paperback in six years, it’s full of action, a ghost that could be hero of his own book, and it’s vintage Brockmann, expertly giving us two romances instead of one.

A.J. Gallagher’s great-grandfather, Jamie, has been vilified in history as a murderer, thief, kidnapper, and any other number of criminal activities, all thanks to the real culprit from his day, Silas Quinn, who has been portrayed as a knight with the proverbial white hat on the proverbial white horse. A movie is in production regarding Quinn and his story, and A.J. has come to the set in Arizona to set some facts straight with Alison Carter, the consultant on the film who touts herself an expert on Quinn. He’s there at the behest of his great-grandfather, an apparition who has been appearing to A.J. for a while now, wanting the truth to finally be known.

Mistaking the good looking cowboy as an extra on the film, Alison scoffs when she discovers his true reason for seeking her out. She’s done her homework and knows Quinn and his times up one side and down the other, plus A.J. has no proof, at least any he can produce without delays in filming.

In between all of this, Alison inadvertently witnesses something so innocuous she doesn’t even realize it, and bizarre events begin to happen, all jeopardizing her life, no one figuring it all out until it’s nearly too late. It’s when she and A.J. grow closer and Jamie begins to put two and two together when attempts on Alison’s life escalate that A.J. is forced to tell her about his resident ghost. Fearing she’s given her heart to a mad man, Alison retreats from their budding relationship.

But when they find themselves on the run while trying to fit puzzle pieces together that started it all, Alison becomes a believer when Jamie is suddenly their lifeline. I love all three of these characters. A.J.’s past keeps Alison at bay, until the next time he touches her. She is determined, however, not to fall in love with him because of his past. These are very moving scenes from both characters’ points of view.

Then comes the confession of A.J.’s ability to see Jamie, which, along with the bad guys getting closer and closer, and once again the emotion these two fight and eventually embrace is gut wrenching.

Jamie himself is definitely hero material, as A.J. eventually proves to Alison, causing her to rethink the history she thinks she knows. And in a do-or-die situation, Ms. Brockmann pulls a twist you don’t see coming.

Mixed in between A.J. and Alison’s love story are letters written by Melody, Jamie’s wife, chronicling their lives, when and how they met, how they escaped danger even back 100 years before, how they fell in love. I really enjoy how Ms. Brockmann intertwines stories like this. It seems effortless, seamlessly moving from to the other, adding another dimension to the entire story as it goes along.

If you’re a Suzanne Brockmann fan, do not hesitate in picking this book up. You’re in for one hell of a good time.

Grade: A+

 Summary:

When history professor Alison Carter became a consultant to the film version of the Wild West legend she’d dedicated her career to researching, she couldn’t possibly know that she would not only get a front row seat to a full-blown Hollywood circus, but that she would innocently witness something that would put her life in danger. Nor did she expect that a tall stranger in a cowboy hat would turn the movie — and her world — completely upside down…

A.J. Gallagher didn’t crash the set in dusty Arizona to rub elbows with Hollywood’s elite. Unable to ignore ghosts from the past that refuse to stay buried, A.J. came to put an end to the false legend that has tarnished the reputation of his family. But when he confronts Alison, sparks fly. And when she becomes targeted by ruthless criminals, suddenly she and A.J. must face the intense attraction that threatens to consume them, in order to survive the danger that threatens their very lives.

Read an excerpt.

Ash’s review of Stormwalker (Stormwalker Series, Book 1) by Allyson James
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 04 May 10

I have a feeling this is going to be a hard review to write. I enjoyed the story while I was reading it, but the morning after all I kept thinking about were things that I had an issue with.  It is a bit of an unusual feeling for me. It is a bit of a love/dislike book for me. I read it in a few hours, and I just couldn’t put it down. It’s fast paced, you are always wondering what is going to happen next, and waiting for more of  Mick. While reading this, I didn’t have a chance to focus on what I didn’t like, because it sucked me in.

First off, I wonder why this is labeled paranormal romance. Stormwalker felt more like an urban fantasy to me. I went into it expecting romance, and that’s not really what I got. I was left wanting more. Mick and Janet spend their time together either fighting or having sex. We are told that they love each other, but I never really felt it, at least not from Janet.

Five years before the book starts they were together for six months. They pick up where they left off, but I was looking for more of a reunion. Mick does appear to be the one more invested in their relationship, while Janet is having dreams of foursomes and, to be honest, that worries me. I am not a fan of a romance that has more than two people (love triangles being another thing). I pass by those without a thought, and it looked like there is a possibility of that in this series. Mick seems to be too possessive to let that happen, but I’m not convinced that Janet loves him as much as she says.

My other problem was that some of the things just felt old. Janet gets power from storms and can to an extent control them. As soon as it’s mentioned in the first few pages, I immediately thought of another series by another author, with a heroine who controls weather.

With Mick, Janet doesn’t know what he is, while I thought it was pretty obvious. I think, or at least hope, it was supposed to be obvious to the reader. I almost wanted to shake Janet over this.  I like what Mick is, it’s one of my favorite types of supernatural out there, but it’s been done by Allyson James before. I wanted something new and exciting and this wasn’t it.

I know I’ve talked about mostly bad things, but yet I gave Stormwalker a good grade. I had fun reading it, and I was sad to see that the next book is not out yet. I loved the secondary characters, much more than I liked Janet, and I want more of them.

While it might not be the freshest paranormal out there, I was able to  comfortably slip into it. I have faith the series will get better and more interesting. Hopefully my dreams of a better relationship between Mick and Janet won’t be ruined.

Grade: B -

 Summary:

Half-Navajo Janet Begay comes to Magellan to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the police chief’s daughter. But the people of Magellan sense that Janet is not what she seems, and they’re right.

Janet possesses extraordinary power which is tied to the storms that waft across the desert. The only person who can control her when she’s caught in the storm’s evocative power is Mick, a dark-haired, blue-eyed biker Janet can’t seem to touch with her powers. He can wield fire and not get burned, and Janet’s never sure where he goes when they’re not together.

Together they investigate mysterious disappearances, which Janet fears are tied to her mother’s people, the mythical gods from below the earth. They are helped along the way by Coyote and Crow, but these shapeshifting gods have their own agendas.

Read an excerpt.

Liviania’s review of Faery Moon (A Tess Noncoiré Adventure, Book 3) by P. R. Frost
Urban fantasy released by DAW 1 Jun 10

I dislike reading series out of order.  I always feel like I’m missing something.  Luckily, I was able to understand the magic system in Faery Moon, the third Tess Noncoiré book, without reading the first two.  Tess is a writer and a warrior who accidentally discovers a power struggle that could undermine the stability of several worlds while on vacation in Las Vegas with her mother.

During the novel, Tess makes several surprising discoveries about herself and her mother.  These scenes had excellent emotional intensity even without the build-up that likely existed in previous novels.  Less satisfying were the revelations about Scrap, the imp bonded to Tess who turns into her Blade.  Perhaps it was because I didn’t like Scrap much.  His sense of humor didn’t send me and his sex scenes were kind of gross.  (I get that imps find different things attractive than humans, but I don’t need that much detail.)

The romance worked fairly well, but it was a standard love triangle.  Tess lusts after Donovan Estevez, her former stepbrother and the foster son of a demon, but doesn’t want to let him in since he won’t tell her about his past.  She’s also getting closer to Guilford Van der Hoyden-Smythe, her friend and mentor.  I found him a little boring, even after learning more about his past, and thought their relationship lacked the passion of Tess and Donovan’s.  (I was surprised to learn so much about everyone’s pasts.  It seems like that would’ve been spread out over several books.  It did make it easier to keep up with things, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.)

The mystery of how a group of fairy dancers was enslaved and how to free them works better than the romance and is well-paced.  Tess steadily figures out more facts until she solves the problem.  She truly comes off as competent while much urban fantasy relies on telling the reader that the protagonist is competent.

Faery Moon was an entertaining read and has the advantage of being different in focus from most urban fantasies.  On the other hand, it didn’t excited me enough that I picked up the first two.  I might read P. R. Frost again, but I don’t have the urge to seek her other novels out.

Grade: C+

Summary:
Tess Noncoiré, successful fantasy writer and Celestial Blade Warrior, has gone to a writers’ conference in Las Vegas, taking along her mother, who is depressed over the death of her demon husband.

Taking in one of Vegas’ Big Acts, Tess is amazed to see winged dancers flying about the stage, seemingly unsupported by any wires. Then she discovers the dancers are actually faeries, held captive in the casino against their will. And if Tess and her sidekick demon Scrap don’t help the faeries return to their own dimension, they-and their realm-will die.
Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Colters’ Lady (Colters’ Legacy, Book 2) by Maya Banks
Contemporary Erotic Romance ebook published by Samhain 1 Jun 10

Just a few weeks ago I finished Colters’ Woman, so I’ve been curious how Ms. Banks was going to handle the next generation of Colters and their lady. I’m glad to say she’s done a terrific job. While keeping the “tradition” of the Colters alive, we see it come to fruition in a totally different way from Colters’ Woman.

Though the current generation of Colter men grew up as their dads and their dads before them have done, with three fathers and one mother, Seth, Michael, and Dillon never even gave a thought to the fact they’d do the same when it comes to their love lives. They each have gone about their lives separate and apart from the other, not thinking about sharing a wife among them.

And then Seth comes face to face with the woman that will change all of that in an instant. Volunteering at the local soup kitchen, a pair of eyes grab him soul deep. He doesn’t want her on the streets any longer, so he follows her and convinces her to go home with him just for the night and then they’d go from there.

Lily has shut herself off from everything, living on the streets after walking away from an life-altering, soul-wrenching situation, not caring about much. When Seth offers shelter and protection for a night, she can’t keep herself from agreeing, all the while chastising herself for trusting a stranger, anything could happen. But it ends up he offers her a slice of heaven.

Then she meets Seth’s family, and they welcome her with open arms. But it’s his brothers and their reactions to her — and hers to them — that causes her more anxiety and a whole lot of pleasure. For Seth, Michael, and Dillon, it’s a lot of rearranging their lives and commitment to making a relationship with Lily work, especially because they never thought they’d be sharing the one woman that makes them each happy and complete.

When Lily decides she does want a life with these three amazing men, she knows she can’t move forward until she faces her past. And what a past it is. Filled with emotion, anger, guilt, it’s eaten at her for a long time. Even the confrontation she forces is emotion filled — and not at all what she expected.

Ms. Banks has given readers what they’ve come to love about the Colter family but in a very different way than what she’s done in Colters’ Woman. That difference kept me reading and loving these grown-up Colter men just as much as their fathers. And I like the fact she’s given us the entire family throughout the book, giving love and support to our heroes when needed.

I’m really looking forward to Colters’ Daughter, Callie’s book. It will be interesting to see what she does in finding Callie her love. Or loves? Oh, how I hope so. That will be really interesting!

Grade: B+

 Summary:

Can their love give her the strength to overcome the tragedy in her past?

When police officer Seth Colter sees the delicate, shabbily dressed beauty in line at the soup kitchen where he’s serving, he’s gut shot over the idea of her being on the streets cold and alone. More baffling is the dark, possessive instinct that tells him she belongs to him.

For Lily Weston, home is a secluded nook in a back alley—until Seth offers her a place to stay. She’s wary of his offer, but even one night out of the cold is too much temptation to resist.

Seth is convinced Lily is his. The problem is, when his brothers lay eyes on her, the same primitive instinct comes roaring to the surface. The Colters never imagined they’d follow the unconventional path of their fathers, but they can’t ignore their mutual need to offer Lily their protection—and their love. But before Lily and the brothers can forge a future together, they must heal the deep wounds of her past.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Lynne Connolly’s review of One Night, Nine-Month Scandal by Sarah Morgan
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 1 Sep 10
This is a great example of what a good Presents/Modern should be: exotic location, sexy hero, likeable heroine, and a story about emotions with a nice dash of humor in the mix.

I must be on a roll, because I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. The title is pants, but HMB are altering their title formats, so I won’t start discussing it. The cover is misleading, because the main part of the story takes place when she’s a little bit pregnant, but meh, I just hope it doesn’t put people off buying it.

Well, I tried to nitpick, but all I can find with this one are little niggles. So let’s start with the story. Kelly is a teacher in a sleepy English village, but she’s had a torrid past. When she was nineteen she met and agreed to marry a Greek millionaire, but he walked away on their wedding day, leaving her to the gentle ministrations of the press. Because he read an interview with her where she said she wanted at least four children, and he doesn’t want to be a father.

Niggle one – he should really have thought about that. In Harlequin-speak, he’s a playboy and a billionaire, so why is it any surprise to him that Kelly is hounded by the press after he leaves her at the altar? He should really have taken more care of her.

The story starts where Kelly is trying to sell the fabulous diamond ring he gave her on ebay. I loved that, that she uses ebay. I loved that her characters live in our world, not some twenty-year-and-more-old world. They have iPods, laptops, cell phones and they use them as part of their everyday existence. Kelly has seen pictures of Alekos with Marianna, a woman he’s planning to marry, and even though they’ve been apart for three years, it hurts her, so she decides to cut ties and sell the ring. Of course, Alekos’s staff see it and bring it to his attention. He buys it and comes to collect it in person.

He doesn’t collect the ring, he collects her. As a result, she finds herself preggers. And you’ll have to read the rest of the story yourself to see how it turns out, but it probably won’t be a surprise to you.

What this book does so well is relationships. And characters. Kelly is the first Presents heroine in ages that I loved, and rooted for her happy ending. She’s not always logical, or sensible, she doesn’t always behave intelligently, but Sarah Morgan sells Kelly so well that you don’t care. It’s great to have a heroine who leaves her belongings scattered everywhere, but who has intelligence and spirit to make up for it. It’s nice, also to have a hero who behaves like a man. He doesn’t always say the right thing, and he admits to doubt. He cares so much it’s hard for him to handle, even though he’s a big, strong alpha male. But he knows that if he tramples all over her, drags her off by her hair to his cave, he’ll hurt her, and he really, really doesn’t want to do that. Their interactions are believable, sparkling and leavened with delicious humor. Kelly says things to Alekos that you just wish more Presents heroines would say. She gets upset, and lets him see it, reduces him to a quivering jelly of doubt and confusion. Good on you, girl. And good on Alekos for taking and not storming off, diva fashion.

Niggle number two, and I think that’s it – Kelly keeps wondering when he’ll propose, and gets fixated by that. It doesn’t really work for me, that obsession with marriage. Commitment, yes, but Alekos shows her that.

I really enjoyed reading a book where the characters fall in love. They really do. You can follow the process with them, as they get to know each other better and, more importantly, understand each other. They have problems, and miracle of miracles – they talk about them. Really discuss what’s happening and where they’re going. And did I mention Kelly’s best friend Vivian? I’d love to see more of her, because she was fun, too. So often secondary characters are pretty thinly presented, but in this one I could see why Kelly and Vivian were such good friends, and I enjoyed their scenes together, too.

I don’t really mind that the baby brought Kelly and Alekos back together, but I would have liked it even better had there been no baby involved. But since that forms one of the central conflicts in the book I have no idea how they’d handle that, so, okay, baby. As a McGuffin it has its points.

I didn’t care, really. I had so much fun reading about these people, their expectations, the way they fought and made up, that I wanted to read it again when I put it down. But I can’t, I really can’t. Writers, you want to know how to take all the ingredients of a Harlequin Presents and turn it into a great story? Read this one and learn.

Good one, Sarah. Now do it again and give us some more!

Grade: A

 Summary:

A sleek Ferrari in the sleepy English village of Little Molting was always going to create a stir - but for schoolteacher Kelly it only means one thing. Her ex, Alekos Zagorakis, has stormed back into her life the way he left it: completely on his own terms.

Four years ago Kelly stood, bridal bouquet in hand, realizing that her gorgeous groom wasn’t walking down the aisle to meet her. Now he’s come back to claim what’s rightfully his - and that includes one night with Kelly..

But it’s a night that has lasting consequences!

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Passionate Pleasures (The Pleasures, Book 5) by Bertrice Small
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by NAL Trade 3 Aug 10

I remember reading Bertrice Small when I was a teenager. She’s one of those authors a lot of us cut our romance teeth on all those years ago. Her Skye O’Malley series was a favorite back then. So, needless to say, I was a tad curious when I received Passionate Pleasures to review, especially when I realized it’s erotica. I wanted to see how it goes when old school meets new school in the world of erotic romance. Sigh. I’m sorry to say it didn’t go well at all, not only in the erotic elements but also other areas as well.

I’ve not read any other books in this series. I really don’t think that would have made a difference to the bottom line of my review. There are a few relatively major issues that I have a feeling show up in each book. Since the summary below gives you an idea of the storyline, with the exception of not hinting there’s paranormal elements included, I’ll just go to right to those major issues. However, be warned, this is a long review. I just couldn’t help myself.

There’s two elements where it seems Ms. Small is still writing like she did in the 1970s and 1980s. One is dialogue. Most of it is stilted and awkward, and people just don’t talk to one another how a lot of these characters in PP do. In fact, several times during conversations in this story, I kept thinking Stepford Wives. That’s how some of it read, like an automaton, no feeling, no emotion, or the way too much emotion for the situation. There are a few times in the book that work well, but they’re just overshadowed by those that don’t.

Along this same line, there are a lot of inconsistencies when it comes to how the characters speak. An example is the hero, Tim Blair, at one point when talking about an expectant mother used the word preggers. A very up-to-date, today word. Later, however, he uses the phrase “scare the dickens out of me,” and with the inclusion of the rest of that conversation, it just didn’t sound like the same character who I’d been reading about. And it’s not an isolated instance.

To take it a step further, the erotic nature concerning the dialogue is at times very prim sounding between the characters and then in the throes of passion, what is supposed to sound erotic just doesn’t. It’s plastic, wooden, out of character, however you’d like to say it. Very Stepford.

Next is head hopping. Granted, this isn’t done to the extent it was in our romances of old, but it’s still there and it’s blatant. It pulled me out of the story every time. Changing point of view at will never bothered me in the ’70s — I didn’t know any better at the time. But it’s a new age today of both writers and readers who do know better, and this problem is very noticeable in this book when it occurs. Literally a different point of view from a person who isn’t even in the room.

Then there’s a few things I just didn’t like, period. I wouldn’t like them in any book, not just this one. They leave me irritated. First is consistency. A couple of examples.

When Tim is unpacking in his new home in Egret Point, he opens a box of books to place on his bookshelves and he notices a problem. He then goes in to some memory about his father, I believe, and we’re never told what the problem is. Ever. Not just at that point where the problem is immediate, it’s never brought up again. Now I’m wondering about that for pages.

Next, Kathryn is in the middle of one of her fantasies with The Channel, having a rough evening with a barbarian, Temur, who sort of rescues a young girl being roughed up by his men. I say sort of because he diffuses the problem by taking the girl himself to show the boys how it’s done so she’ll cooperate and let every one of them have his way with her. Later when Temur and Kathryn are alone in his room, he orders her as his slave to bathe him, and she does a good job of it, cleaning every body part, no exclusion whatsoever. But within a few paragraphs she’s anxiously awaiting to see what his penis looks like because she didn’t get a good look at it in his earlier demonstration to his men. Huh? The woman, just moments before, had her hands all over that man in the bath.

And since I just mentioned the fantasies Kathryn programmed into The Channel for her daily quota of sex, I’ll just say each of these fantasies are just silly. Way too silly for romance and definitely for erotica. And for a mature woman who wants either just straight sex, rough sex, whatever. It feels like these are just included to get some of the erotica requirements needed.

Another problem I have is being hit over the head with things that make me think the author doesn’t have much faith in her readers’ intelligence. I only have to be told something once and I get it. It’s in the old brain and you don’t have to keep at me about it. The worst example of this is using Kathryn’s full name throughout the book where it just isn’t needed. Ever again. A few times in the beginning is sufficient. I don’t need it thrown at me over and over and over.

Along the same line, Tim keeps thinking or commenting about Kathryn’s “round breasts.” As compared to what? Square? Readers need that same description each and every time a hero pays attention to the heroine’s breasts. We know they’re round and he does too.

I also feel that Ms. Small makes Kathryn, who is an intelligent, confident, and independent woman, and Tim, a charming, educated man, seem rather brainless at times. I take issue with the fact that Kathy believes at 48 she’s too old to date, too old to get married, too old to do any number of things. She’s only three years older than I am. I certainly didn’t like the intimation I’m too old for those same things. I do like the fact that an older hero and heroine are featured, because you don’t see that too often in romance, then they’re knocked down for the very thing that’s unique about them, and it’s too bad they’re portrayed in such a way.

It’s also too bad because I actually like these characters. They’re just in the wrong romance novel. I know Ms. Small is trying to show Tim as an upstanding citizen, school principal, all-around good guy but he’s also what you don’t expect in the bedroom, especially with his sex toys and dirty words. The dichotomy just didn’t work the way it should have.

Oh, Kathy’s also five years older than Tim and has several thoughts or conversations off and on about that. I don’t see the problem. It’s not like they’re at an age that such a gap would make a difference, so I didn’t get the point in talking or thinking about it more than once, and it is more than once. They’re both responsible adults who have lived a good life up to this point, so who cares? There are other more important things to think about.

And the zinger for me, Kathy replies to Tim’s uh-oh moment of forgetting to use a condom with “Not a snowball’s chance in hell. I’m too old,” referring to the likelihood she could be pregnant. For a savvy woman of today’s world, even in small town America, that’s a very narrow, uneducated, and misinformed attitude to have. And Tim’s response to Kathryn at that point?  “I’ll take your word for it.” Please. He’s a middle school principal, a responsible male. Again, it’s just not true to their characters, their intelligence has taken a hike.

As far as my curiosity about the erotica element, I’ve decided there’s a  huge gap between authors from yesteryear and erotic authors of today. Stringing naughty words together and throwing in “Fuck me! Fuck me!” during lovemaking doesn’t make it erotic and it certainly isn’t sexy or romantic, and that happens a lot in this book. I never felt Tim and Kathy truly had an erotic connection in their love scenes. It’s simply intercourse with the F-word being interjected a number of times. It would have been more erotic to have a tender but very intense scene, then add a couple of those explicit phrases whispered back and forth, instead of all the screaming and playing with toys.

Having them playact a version of Kathy’s fantasy from The Channel doesn’t make it erotic either, especially when it didn’t work the first time around. It just feels like a case of a good veteran author trying her hand at one of today’s most popular genres and falling short.

On the other side of the coin, they do have a couple of tender moments and those are so much more enjoyable, more in line with who they are.

I came very close to not even trying to finish this book after the second chapter, but thought I’d better give it a fair shake.  There are a few nice moments in this book, I even laughed out loud once, but there’s too few of those instances to combat all this other stuff. Needless to say, I don’t have any desire to read the other books in this series.

Obviously, this novel didn’t work for me on so many levels. And I will more than likely get some flack from a few of Ms. Small’s readers about my opinion. That’s okay. If it worked for you, that’s great. As much I remember loving this author’s work years ago, I kind of wish this one had worked for me. Alas, it’s just not meant to be.

Grade: F

 Summary:

Some think librarians are stuffy, narrow-minded prudes-but that’s not true of Kathryn St. John. She runs Egret Point’s library and is very involved in her community, even down to keeping them up with the latest trends. One major trend she turned the local ladies on to is the interactive network The Channel. It’s there that Kathryn extends her occupational passions into the bedroom by playing out her favorite pieces of medieval English literature. Kathryn is quite satisfied with the princes, musketeers, and highwaymen her personas seduce in The Channel. But her seductions spill out into the real world and reach Timothy Blair, new to Egret Point. He wants to satiate both of their desires, but how can he possibly compete with fantasy lovers? That is unless he can create a wicked plot twist that even Kathryn couldn’t think up in her wildest dreams…

No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Liviania’s review of Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark, Book 10) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal romance released by Pocket 24 August 10

In a long-running series like Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark, everyone has their favorites.  (Fans of the series – like Lime and me in this instance - will often debate with each other about whose favorites are better.)  Right now, Demon from the Dark is in my top three.  (By the way, my favorites are better so you should take that statement extremely seriously.)

Cole knows how to create a sympathetic alpha hero.  Malkom Slaine is a vemon, possessed of the vicious traits of both vampires and the worst sort of demon.  (I prefer to call them dempires, but Nïx does not appear in this book.)  Oft betrayed, he doesn’t trust easily.  Also, he needed to grow up deadly in order to survive, so he’s become a bit of a beast in order to keep himself safe and to get revenge on those who destroyed his life.  Yet when he meets Carrow Graie and realizes she’s his mate, he resists his instincts and romances her.  This despite language and cultural barriers.  It’s sweet.

Of course, it’s bittersweet because the reader knows Carrow is going to betray Malkom.  (I don’t think she had to, though I understand her decision.)  She’s been captured by a group of mortals bent on destroying the immortals, as has a young witch named Ruby.  Ruby’s mother died during the capture, meaning that Carrow is her new guardian.  If Carrow doesn’t deliver Malkom, they’ll kill Ruby.  Carrow may party hard, but that’s because the pleasure and happiness incited by revelry increase her powers.  She has a core of responsibility and a desire to be a good parents, as good as her parents weren’t.

Thus, Carrow is the more reticent of the pair.   She has to keep her secrets and thus can’t become too intimate with Malkom, as he can access her memories after biting her. She holds her heart back while Malkom offers his freely.  Cole does a good job of showing how Carrow and Malkom are shaped by their pasts and thus why they choose to behave the way they do.

There’s also plenty of material for fans of the series that doesn’t seem like it would be too confusing to newcomers.  Conrad Wroth’s cameo might cause a bit of confusion, but I like Conrad too much to complain.  Mariketa and Bowen show up often, but it makes sense considering Carrow and Mariketa are close friends.  There’s also tantalizing glimpses of Regin and Aiden.  It definitely challenged expectations I had of their relationship based on information in previous novels.

After the last several installments in the Immortals After Dark followed up on previously introduced couples and storylines, it was refreshing to read about a totally new couple.  While I’m excited about many of the couples we’ve already met, Demon from the Dark pushed the series plot forward.  Unlike most long running series, Cole still feels like she has a finish that she’s pushing towards.

Grade: A

Summary:
A dangerous demon she can’t resist…
Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he’s pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A maddening witch he aches to claim…
Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

Trapped together in a savage prison…
For them to survive, Malkom must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When he becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

Read an excerpt here.

Read more reviews using the Immortals After Dark series tag.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Unbridled by Beth Williamson
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by Berkley Trade 6 Jul 10

I’ve been on a little bit of a western kick lately, so I was looking forward to this book when I heard about it. Unfortunately, I have a huge issue with the heroine, one that just never let me warm up to her until it was much too late. But this book cover did sate my cowboy/western fixation for a while.

Alex has just lost her husband, David, a gay man twice her age who has looked after her for the last ten years. He has sheltered her since she left home at age 16 when her mother died and her father abandoned her. Now it’s time for Alex to faces her past so she can move on with her life. She’s Wyoming bound to confront whatever comes head on, her father being first on the list.

Only problem is, when she gets there, Alex has such an attitude, is rude most of the time, that I wanted to shake her, slap her, whatever to get her to fly right. She’s just too whiny. Her father has passed away, so she can’t have the knock-down drag-out she wants. But everyone should still make way for her because she’s the one who’s been wronged and she’s going to take her time getting over it in her own way.

She’s never gotten over the fact her father left her and her mother when they needed him most. Her home — the one that she left — is now a guest ranch and that sticks in her craw. Her half brother, Daniel, is the son her father always wanted, so she doesn’t want anything to do with the boy. Her stepmother was with her father the day he returned to the ranch, which just happened to be the day of her mother’s funeral, so that woman is on her list too. She bullies her way into working in the business because she doesn’t trust the word of anyone around her and she does want to contribute, even though she hates the idea of the ranch. Alex has an excuse for every one of her attitudes she tosses out to people. She never lets up.

She’s an intelligent woman, but we don’t see that intelligence at certain important points throughout the story, especially when it comes to the smarmy enemy who will try to get Finley Ranch any way he can, and he does some pretty sneaky and outrageous things, but Alex excuses him at every turn until it’s nearly too late. Her smarts don’t pop up when she needs them.

But enough of Alex.

It’s Connor who saves this book.  He’s part owner in the Finley Ranch, having been taken in by Alex’s father when he was on a very destructive path in his younger days. He lives and breathes the ranch and is nervous about what Alex is going to do with the new-found knowledge she also owns a portion of it, as does Daniel. Connor will buy her out before he’ll let her sell to their bastard neighbor.

Of course, his attraction to and lust for her is a complication he doesn’t need, but neither of them can fight it and they give in to it nearly every chance they get. The sex is hot, hot, hot. On a desk, in a chair, when people are standing only feet from them, these two get it on and burn up the pages. They’re both adventurous enough to keep the lust alive between, even despite their opposition on nearly every other front.

While Connor does have his own moment or two when I wanted to smack him as well, that didn’t last long because I know it’s Alex who’s pushing his buttons. All in all, he’s a likable hero, he handles Alex fairly well when she’s not in a snit, and puts her in her place when she is.

I wish Alex did work for me. But where others will think she’s strong and outspoken, she’s just brazen and rude in my eyes. By the time she opens her eyes to really see and embrace those around her, along with the way of life at the ranch, she’s just beaten the life out of her character for me.

I did enjoy Ms. Williamson’s writing, with the exception of some dialogue in a few places that sound stilted and awkward, but, again, I attribute that to Alex and her attitude. What Alex won’t do is keep me from reading another Williamson book. I refuse to give her that power.

Grade: C-

 Summary:

Hell hath no fury like Alex Finley…

For as long as Alex could remember, life had taken everything from her. Her father had abandoned her and her dying mother, only to return upon her death to reclaim the family’s Wyoming ranch—with a new wife. Alex’s rage drove her away to Los Angeles to live with a man who could never satisfy her.

Only after ten years does she come home—and she hits the town with a vengeance, unleashing her pent-up lust on willing cowpoke Connor Matthews. But she’s in for several shocks. It turns out that the ranch is now a resort, that her late father split the estate between Alex and her young step-brother, and that Connor—the bucking bronco she wants in her bed—is running the place.

Now, Alex is torn between accepting a new family, and a lover who can give her everything she needs—or selling out to a smooth-talking neighbor and leaving the past behind her. But only when her life is on the line does she realize what she desires most of all…

Read an excerpt.

Wendy the Super Librarian’s review of The Family Man by Trish Milburn
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin American 16 Mar 10

I had the pleasure of reading a previous Trish Milburn Harlequin American for a contest I judged this year, and I walked away from the story quite impressed.  Nice characters, nice romance, completely devoid of any silly misunderstandings, overblown drama and other nonsense.  I was determined to read another book by her, and her return to the fictional town of Horizon Bay, Florida has a lot of the same key ingredients I enjoyed in that contest read.

Detective Sara Greene is a heroine who knows what she wants.  A single mother to two adopted daughters, and a police detective, she doesn’t have time to waste on men who don’t fit the Potential Family Man bill.  Which means no matter how attracted she is to Adam Canfield, she’s staying far, far away.  The guy has a reputation for being a carefree beach bum and serial dater for a reason.  Heck, Sara has lost track of the bevy of beauties this guy has dated.  So no.  No way.  She’s determined to find Mr. Right - no matter how distracted she is by Mr. Right Now.

Adam Canfield wasn’t always a carefree slacker.  It’s a lifestyle he adopted to escape a past that still haunts him.  Oh sure, he’s noticed Sara Greene.  I mean, how could he not?  The woman is certainly delectable.  But attaching himself to her is out of the question.  For one thing, he’s so not comfortable with her job, and for another?  She’s a Mommy.  Talk about responsibilities!  So why can’t he stay away from her?  And keep his hands off of her?  And why is he constantly thinking about her when she’s not around?  Ugh!

I flat-out liked these people.  Sara comes off very much as an Every Woman.  She’s got a career, a house, and the kids to take care of.  The only thing she doesn’t have is a man.  But she’s not about to welcome just any man into her life.  She’s got responsibilities, children to think of.  Yes, it’s tempting to be selfish, but Sara isn’t going to go there.

Adam is a nice guy running away from a past he doesn’t want to confront.  His reasons for not loving Sara’s job are valid, but he blessedly doesn’t harp on it incessantly.  He does slip into pity-party mode on occasion, but when met with a challenge, he’s a hero in every sense of the word.  His choices might not always toe the line, but his heart is always in the right place, and deep down, behind the slacker image, he’s a good, solid man.

This is a pleasant, heart-warming story that plucked all the right romantic heart-strings.  The ending does venture into syrupy territory a smidge (right down to the conspiring kiddies and nosy neighbor), but it’s firmly corralled to the final chapters and it didn’t stop me from going all gooey.  It’s a lovely story, about lovely people.  More please.

Grade: B

Summary:

For Florida detective Sara Greene, who is busy raising a toddler and teenager alone, finding Mr. Perfect Forever seems an impossible dream. One thing she knows. He isn’t Adam Canfield. Charming, carefree and single, Adam couldn’t be further from the man she’s been looking for.

After losing the woman he loved, Adam opted for the solo life—no strings, no long-term commitments. Now one intriguing cop and single mother is making him question his choices.

The problem is that while Sara’s head is telling her Adam is completely unsuitable, her heart is urging her to give him a chance.

Maybe perfection is overrated….

No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of One Weekend by Sasha White
Erotic Short Story published by Samhain 5 Apr 10

Because of  one of a reader’s favorite saying — too many books, not enough time — I’ve not not read a huge amount of Sasha White’s books as of yet. That’s not for a lack of want either. The few I have read to date I’ve enjoyed. She’s one of those authors for me who can do most anything and I will end up enjoying it. That definitely happened in One Weekend, especially because I’ve become super picky when it comes to reading menages or m/m stories. Most don’t make the grade for me, but Ms. White has the touch in this short story.

Rick and Mark are best friends, but since Rick and Angie became a couple, Mark only hangs with them now and again. He’s visiting when Angie comes home after work one scorching day. She strips down to her undies before she realizes Rick is not alone on the patio where it’s cool on that hot summer evening. Shrugging, she walks out to join the guys, and the night suddenly gets hotter.

All three of these characters are sexually adventurous, so when talk turns toward Mark joining Rick and Angie in their bed sport for the weekend, they all go for it. A weekend for the three of them has never been hotter. Ms. White makes them sizzle right off the page. But then she goes even further.

I didn’t think I’d like the direction the story was going when it sunk in where Ms. White was heading with Rick and Mark. But I have to say, because she made them really like them first, that made all the difference when Angie gets worked up thinking about the two men together and then seeing it in reality. I didn’t think the sex in these few pages could get any hotter. I was flat out wrong.

And that’s all I’m going to say. It works. Find out if you’re as adventurous as Angie. She’s having the time of her life and then some. I’m glad I joined her. You may too.

Grade: B

 Summary:

Three lovers. Two days. One bed…

Angie Wilson is a lucky girl. She loves her job, her life, and her man, Rick Craig. What red-blooded woman wouldn’t revel in the attentions of a good-looking, athletic boyfriend who’s secure enough to encourage her most adventurous appetites?

One of the worst heat waves in memory has hit town, and by Friday Angie is ready to really let loose. Craig and his best friend, Mark, are chilling on the patio with cold beer when she gets home from work, and the three get comfortable. As the night moves on and the talk turns to sex, Angie longs for more than just cool air on her bare skin.

And the heat’s making her just crazy enough to go for it…

Read an excerpt.

Liviania’s review of Sins of the Heart (Otherkin, Book 1) by Eve Silver
Paranormal romance released by HQN 1 Aug 10

I began this novel late at night, intending to read a chapter or two before I went to sleep.  Note that I was already half asleep at this point.  Shortly before 200 pages, I managed to put the book down and let my body rest.  The first thing I did in the morning was pick it back up.

Eve Silver is not my new favorite paranormal romance writer.  But her work is fast-paced while managing to remain detailed and wide in scope.  The basic premise of the Otherkin series is this: Lokan Krayl, youngest and very immortal son of Sutekh (Set/Seth, an Egyptian god of the Underworld) has just been murdered.  His three living brothers want revenge.  The Daughters of Aset, aka the Otherkin, are the traditional enemies of the sons of Sutekh.  They want the murderer to remain unknown so that the Krayls don’t start a war in pursuit of revenge.  (Silver does a good job at making both motives seem like worthy goals.)  War is very likely at this point, as most of the deities are about to meet for a peace conference and everything is quite on edge.

For those who aren’t big on world-building, this series might not be your thing.  Silver put a lot of work into developing a world where various gods remain, and it shows.  Sins of the Heart and the other two novels in the trilogy are all heavy on plot.  In fact, since each of them end with the HEA, I was sometimes left bemoaning the fact a plot thread wouldn’t be resolved until the next book.  Sins of the Heart is probably the heaviest on plot, but one of my favorite couples.

Dagan Krayl, the oldest son, met Roxy Tam fifteen years ago.  She’d fallen prey to a man he was about to reap for his debt to Sutekh.  He was attracted to her big mouth and actively helped her out of her situation, instead of just killing the man and leaving.  But Dagan knew an immortal soul reaper does not a good boyfriend make, so he left her alone.  Unfortunately, Roxy bit him.  Their encounter left her immortal and she sought out the Daughters of Aset for help.  Now the two are working on opposite sides of the hunt for Lokan’s murderer despite their mutual attraction.

I liked that neither Dagan nor Roxy protested too much.  Both of them acknowledged their attraction, but both wondered how they could make their separate goals and lifestyles work in a relationship.  While some of the resolution is done through talking, Silver does a good job of making actions speak louder than words.

Plus, the two have wonderful chemistry.  Sins of the Heart is full of excellent banter whenever the hero and heroine come together.  I do like the timeline.  Roxy needed those fifteen years to become a self-confident, powerful woman before she began a relationship with the possessive Dagan.

As for whether Sins of the Heart made me want to read the rest of the series, I began Sins of the Soul the instant I finished the last page.

Grade: B+

Summary:
Half human, half god, Dagan Krayl is the Underworld’s most powerful soul reaper. When one of his brothers is murdered, Dagan must use every ounce of his power to hunt down those responsible for his brutal death. But he must move swiftly—and carefully—if he’s to have any chance of resurrecting his brother.
Yet that resurrection could wreak havoc on the mortal world. As an Otherkin, Roxy Tam has sworn to protect the human race, and it’s her mission to stop Dagan. But when she sees him face-to-face, she realizes that she has seen him once before—a meeting that changed her life forever.

Neither Dagan nor Roxy expect to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or to have their loyalties tested as they struggle against the potent desire that threatens to consume them both….
Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of The Virgin’s Secret by Abby Green
Contemporary Romance by Harlequin Prensents 1 Jul 10

I usually enjoy Abby Green’s books, but, sadly, not this one. Let me count the ways…

Leo and Angel’s meet cute is when she is working as a waitress at his home and spills a drink over him. Angel is the daughter of Leo’s father’s bitter enemy but now her family has been brought down by an old scandal. Deservedly so, as Angel would be the first to admit. Add a nasty, nasty father and a sad sister, pregnant by the man who loves her but can’t marry her, and you have Angel’s dilemma.

Note that none of it is of Angel’s making. Yes, folks, we have a martyr. She is working as a lowly waitress, then, when she’s fired from that job, as a chambermaid. Oh dear, so sad. Actually Angel is so perfect she becomes tedious. Oh yes, and she’s a virgin. She went to school in Ireland, and she’s recently returned home.

Now if I objected to those tropes, I wouldn’t be reading Harlequin Presents, but these are all thrown in seemingly at random to give Angel problems. They don’t go to her heart, and they don’t explain her subsequent actions.

Leo had kissed Angel before he knows who she is, and then, when he finds out, he becomes consumed with revenge. At least in this one his Americanisms are explained by his being brought up in exile in America. He’s come home to take over the family business. I wasn’t sure what language Leo and Angel were using through the book, Greek or English, it wasn’t made clear. He blackmails her into becoming his mistress by saying he can arrange for her sister to marry her sweetheart. He then proceeds to take her virginity and treat her like crap.

Alphas don’t treat their women like crap. Other people may, but the alpha hero shouldn’t intentionally do that. It just shows him up as a creep and a predator. Ugh. Of course Leo gets a guilty conscience, but not before he’s dressed her up like a dog’s dinner and paraded her in front of people as his mistress. Mind you, with Leo screwing a woman he despises and Angel letting him, they kind of deserve each other.

One exchange I had to read twice. Angel asks him if he wants her to be his concubine, and Leo replies that no, there’s a modern term for it and that’s mistress. Come again? Mistress is so outdated, maybe last used in RL without a snigger in the sixties.

And these people have the usual Harlequin unconcern for the things we all use every day—laptops, computers, smart phones. Oh, they have them, but they don’t really use them. They’re as much accessories as Angel’s jewelry.

Speaking of which – Angel is a jewelry designer, something she gave up when she couldn’t afford it any more. Needless to say, Leo gives her a workshop. Not something that’s easy to set up, and most jewelry designers (and yes, I know a few) have specialisms. And they absolutely don’t leave precious metals and stones lying about. Insurance concerns alone insist that they go in the safe every night. However much of a hurry you leave in.

And Angel is 22. She’s crammed a lot into those years, hasn’t she? No wonder she’s a virgin, she hasn’t had time to lose her cherry.

I didn’t like this book because Angel is a doormat, to her father, her sister, and then Leo, and Leo is a manipulating bully who wants sex with someone he despises. And it contains one of those big misunderstandings that could have been explained away at the start. Leo catches Angel in the process of returning his father’s will to his study, after Angel’s father had it stolen. Of course, he thinks she’s taking it, not putting it back, and it contains information about his mother, that she killed herself—why would a will contain that? Two things immediately came to mind. Why didn’t Angel simply burn the will when she found it in her father’s possession? It’s a legal document, presumably with a copy lodged at the solicitor’s office, so why not just let Leo and his family assume it’s been misplaced and print another one? Second, Leo says it’s been recorded on security camera. So why didn’t Angel insist he watched the footage to show that she’s putting the thing back instead of taking it? After that, the plot kind of disintegrated for me, and I had to assume that Angel was both a doormat and stupid to make it work. It was another improbability piled on. After Angel takes a job as a waitress – and the fact that she was once a member of that social circle would make her employers happy to have her? Once the paparazzi find out that she’s hooked up with Leo, they’re fascinated, so why not a story about her as a waitress?  The secondary characters were sketched too lightly to really mean anything or to have motivations that I cared about, and the love story was too superficial.

And then, since the blurb gives a late part of the story away, I will, too. She gets pregnant. Oh yes, throw it all in. At that point I just wanted to give in.

I guess I was disappointed with this one because I usually enjoy Abby Green’s stories. Her plots are less contrived, her heroes not usually such assholes and her heroines a bit older and less doormatty. But I’ll probably buy her next book.

Grade: D

 Summary:

Leo Parnassus has returned to Athens to head the family empire. A New Yorker since childhood, he finds life is certainly different here with family feuds and expectations to marry and produce heirs! Amid all this tradition, the beautiful girl who catches Leo’s eye is a welcome distraction.

She may be a lowly waitress, but Angel has her secrets…. Leo will be pleased to discover she’s a virgin, but not that she’s the daughter of his adversary! Or that, in nine months, there will be one more secret revealed.

Read an excerpt.

Liviania’s review of Sin’s Daughter (Otherkin, Prequel) by Eve Silver
Paranormal romance novella released by HQN 1 July 10

When I really started paying attention to romance blogs, everybody was going crazy for Driven by Eve Kenin.  I picked it up shortly thereafter and enjoyed it.  Sin’s Daughter was my first experience with the author writing as Eve Silver, though the name change does not affect the quality of the writing.  Sin’s Daughter did make me want a longer story and prep me for Silver’s Otherkin series, as a prequel should.

Fifty years ago, Kai Warin died on Pfieffer Beach, sent there by a note from his girlfriend.  Amber Hale, lured by roses to Coit Tower, met her enemies instead of her lover.  Now Kai is a soul reaper and he’s run into Amber and her pursuers once more, both of them believing they were betrayed by the other.

Since Sin’s Daughter is a novella instead of a novel, there is not much time to waste on the hero and heroine not communicating.  Thus, they fairly quickly realize they were set up, likely by the hunters who want Amber.  With his new powers, Kai is in the perfect position to help Amber realize who she is and why she’s spent her entire life on the run.

Sin’s Daughter is heavy on the action, so the characterization is a little lighter than it could be.  Still, Silver makes a good case for Kai and Amber being a good match. Both of them are cool-headed and people of action.  Towards the end I could see the twist coming, but it worked well.

Though the Otherkin series as a whole can be read without Sin’s Daughter, it’s a good test-drive in Silver’s mythological urban fantasy world.  Reading Sin’s Daughter also fleshes out Sutekh’s (the Underworld god in charge of the soul reapers) motives in the main series when Kai becomes a peripheral character.

Grade: B

Summary:
Cursed with immortality, driven into a nomadic life on the fringes of society to escape those who hunt her, Amber Hale has learned the bitter lesson that she can never grow close to anyone. Never love.

Only once did she break her own rules. And her lover, Kai Warin, paid for her mistake with his life. For decades, she’s been numb with grief. Now, confronted by a soul reaper—an agent of one of the most powerful of the Underworld deities—with Kai’s face, she must acknowledge the likelihood that he betrayed her…to the Lord of Evil himself.

Forced into an uneasy alliance and plagued by the unwanted yearning between them, they must work together to elude the dark forces hunting them both…

Watch for Eve Silver’s hotly anticipated Otherkin trilogy SINS OF THE HEART, SINS OF THE SOUL, and SINS OF THE FLESH, for more tales of forbidden alliances and inescapable desires.
Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Di’s review of A McKaslin Homecoming (The McKaslin Clan, Series 3, Book 5) by Jillian Hart
Inspirational Romance published by Steeple Hill 1 Jul 07

Any time you need a heartwarming story with remarkable characters, pick up a book by Jillian Hart.  She writes contemporary, inspirational romances with Christian characters, but they’re not overly done as they meet the challenges in the world today.

In A McKaslin Homecoming, Lauren’s mother had taken her as a toddler and fled for L.A., leaving her other siblings behind in Montana.  As a teen when she asked her mother about that time, the answer was always, “We were not wanted.”  Being self-reliant throughout her life, Lauren’s past has made putting her faith and trust in anyone very difficult.

When her long-lost grandmother’s invitation to meet her family comes, Lauren accepts it on faith. So during her summer break from college, she returns to Bozeman, Montana after being away for more than 20 years.  Instead of being greeted by her grandmother, it’s the cautious, rugged, dark-eyed Sheriff Caleb Stone who comes out of the shadows, whisking Lauren off on her first adventure in Big Sky country.

Most of her family is excited and they welcome Lauren during her visit. However, their way of handling the one “sour apple” among their bunch is to ignore Caleb’s opinion.  Then Lauren’s new sister starts treating her as if she just returned from the corner store and wraps her in the fold of sisterhood.  This includes sharing, caring, and most certainly interfering. The love and laughter of sisters sharing and interfering brings smiles with a heartwarming glow as you share Lauren’s becoming a part of this loving family.

For so long Lauren has relied on herself,  so it’s hard to believe others may care about her. Not everyone gives her the warm welcome her grandmother hopes for, though.  Afraid of losing her heart, Lauren holds her thoughts a little too long and everything goes wrong.

Instead of the trust she thinks Caleb has earned from her, Lauren finds she has been deceived. He’s been spending time with her to get information, not because he cares, and all the while she’s been losing her heart to him.   How can she continue to return to visit her family, knowing her heart will break every time she sees him? It seems with all the love and family she has finally found, she has discovered heartache as well.

The loyal, upstanding Caleb Stone is caught in the middle between his close family ties to the McKaslins and his awakening feelings for the returned lost daughter who some are not welcoming home. He reluctantly does what he is asked by a so-called friend, but fears it will destroy any chance he might have with Lauren.

Caleb’s desire and faith drives him to at least try to make things right, and you find yourself cheering him on as he makes his plans. After all, he is the one who has destroyed her fragile faith in trusting for the first time in her life.  Hopefully he can rectify that awful mistake, even if he doesn’t win her trust again.

If you are into inspirational stories, this is a recommended book, along with the other books in this series.  The entire McKaslin family so far covers four different series.  To discover them all, be sure to check out Jillian Hart’s web page.

 Grade:A+

 Summary:

When contacted by her long-lost grandmother, Lauren McKaslin wanted to reconnect—with all the warmhearted Montana McKaslins. For too long, she’d relied solely on herself and her faith. But mistrustful lawman Caleb Stone stood in the way, and his questions about her were intimidating. Was his attention more than a protective instinct? Now that she believed in family again, perhaps this was also the time to believe in true love.

No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Ten years ago, the once great giant Mills and Boon/Harlequin was in trouble. Its readership was aging and it wasn’t attracting young readers from the new generation of electronic savvy, newly affluent generation. The books were seen as dated and old-fashioned. If a hero used a laptop, it was a rarity, and condoms weren’t often mentioned. The demographic was all wrong. So without public announcements or making a huge fuss, HMB set about revamping and revitalizing its main category lines - its bread and butter.

Just in case you’re not familiar with it, market analysts, sociologists and the like divide the population into six categories. While efforts to alter it and bring it up to date have been running as long as the categorization, it’s still there. And by and large, it still works. Remember that analysts aren’t interested in the exception, but in the bulk of the population and its habits. There are always exceptions, but much fewer than there are people who prove the rule. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be exceptions, would they?

Here are the socio-economic groups and my explanations. If you want the dry official ones, they’re readily available:
A – dead posh, dead rich, of limited influence because they don’t go into society too much. A lot of inherited wealth. While the people in this group rule the world, they’re hard to reach and influence.
B – celebs, rich people, but more entrepreneurs fit here than in the A class. They can be poor people made good, by education, luck or a particular skill. Lots of leisure time and disposable cash, but not many in number.
C1 – upper middle class, in old terminology. Well off, professional, people like lawyers, university professors, surgeons. A fair amount of leisure time and nice hunks of disposable cash.
C2 – lower middle class. Teachers, doctors, office managers, PA’s. Harder working, less leisure time and disposable cash. In the C2 class we start to see aspirational people – people who buy the magazines that talk about the rich and famous, and who dream of something better. May have more intelligence than cash.
D – ordinary workers, clerks, factory workers, small traders. In the old days of class distinction, these are blue collar workers. In effect, they might have more cash than the C2’s but their status is lower.
E – Poor people who have to work like dogs to make a living wage. No inherited money, no saved wealth, very little leisure time or disposable income.

So there you have it. There’s an old sketch that shows this really well and makes you laugh.

There are more meaningful, more accurate classifications that are used by professionals, but the old ABC1C2DE classification will never die. It’s easy to understand and most people know what you mean. So a statistician preparing a report for other people will sigh heavily and change the 1.1 to 8.6 classifications to the alpha-numeric ones.

So in those terms, ten years ago and more, the HMB audience was primarily C2DE. They sold lots of copies of secretary/boss romances, about innocent, sweet virgins and rough to the point of abusive men. Until the market began to dry up. They also had to contend with an ageing readership. They would die, or move on to something else, and they weren’t being replaced by new readers.

Well that changed, didn’t it? Now you can read reviews of HMB books all over the place.

Clever, that. The ebook authors were keen on getting a wider readership, and let’s face it, a living wage, and they knew the ins and outs of book production. Many already had good reputations, websites, readers, and they’d already had what egos they started with pulverized by editors, low sales and publisher closures. They could work with the new writers. And at HMB, it’s the brand first, the category second, and then the author. The ebook author was also familiar with what sold best. They could bring that savvy to the company, but were still hungry enough to adapt to the tiny royalties, modest advances that the publisher produced. Because sales were great.

HMB has always been big on marketing and that, I think, is its secret. It does huge surveys to discover what the reader wants, and while they don’t always deliver that, they take the majority view, adapt it and use it. HMB are unmistakable, from cover design to the way they’re displayed in store. There is nothing like an HMB book – now – although there used to be. HMB have followed the market rule that one company is important for all, thus following the marketing observation that has been true for at least a hundred years. One to rule them all.

HMB were also pioneers in ebooks, at least as far as the big publishers were concerned. They didn’t concern themselves with readers and technology, but in the product to be read. That’s where most of the money lies, as Amazon has discovered. They saw what was coming, and it wasn’t that difficult to predict, but they were the first of the big publishers to put serious money into ebooks, ebook stores and delivery of the book to the client. I think that their insistence on DRM has held them back, and it certainly hasn’t prevented bootlegged copies becoming readily available, but that glitch apart, the digital side of the business has done really well. They’ve started a non category e-publishing arm, Carina Press, which is attracting names from the e-publishing community, and although there is no formal crossover, it’s noticeable that the main site has bought some new authors from e-publishing, like Maya Banks and Red Garnier.

And the stories. This is the really clever bit.  HMB has changed the content. Never foolish enough to believe that the surface – book covers, presentation etc – is all that’s needed, they have always focused their attention on the repeat buyer. The mail order business, now defunct but for years a mainstay of the company, delivered 12 books to your home every month at a discounted price. The books were heavily aspirational, appealing to the C2DE buyer, and cheap. They closed the mail order business and started the online one.

They’re still cheap, but the content has changed a little. The stories have changed, too. The bedroom door is now wide open in most categories, the covers are being revamped (a big one coming this autumn) and HMB has recruited a slew of new authors, some of them from the ebook sector, previously renowned for innovation and edgy fiction. The heroines are tougher, less Cinderella, more Mulan, going out there and making things happen. Most don’t take abuse from the hero for long, or if they do, the hero has blackmailed them into doing it. They don’t just run with the secret agent hero, they know how to use a gun and fight back. But the hero, the treasure to be won, hasn’t changed a lot. He’s still alpha, and he can still be abusive. However, he doesn’t cheat on the heroine, he uses condoms and he knows one end of a laptop from the other. It’s more like we want our men to behave, but with a fantasy overlay. The newer lines have increased the scope of the company, from the more erotic Blazes to the Nocturne line of paranormals. And subtle changes in the stories have reaped their rewards, as has the relative anonymity of the ebook. With a Kindle, nobody need know what you’re reading and women have been rediscovering the guilty pleasure of the HMB.

The authors at HMB are for the most part, frighteningly professional, highly intelligent and used to the insults that regularly fly their way. Terrific women, for the most part, and they have good support from their publisher. Some have chosen to leave the company for the world of the single title, but the HMB style is so specific that they haven’t always met with success. However, before the rise of independent ebook publishers, most of the emerging talent in the romance world had dabbled with category at some point. Jo Beverley, Suzanne Brockmann, Linda Howard, Elizabeth Lowell – they all started in category. Now, not so much, but there are long-term HMB authors who are happy where they are and happy with the career they’ve made with HMB. Some never move on. It’s a comfortable sinecure. You produce your 4 books a year, they provide the marketing opportunities, the branding and the distribution. For writers not entirely happy with promotion, it’s a great way to get into the writing world, which, if you haven’t guessed it by now, can be brutal. Royalties are pretty pathetic, but you reap rewards in the regular releases and the heavy marketing that HMB does.

So they’ve succeeded, the editors and managers at HMB. They’ve lowered the average age of the reader, and they’ve lifted the socio-economic profile. With our help, and by producing stories that engage the interest of the new readers. Often overlooked by people who take them for granted, the parlous state of the company only a few years ago demonstrates how savvy they are, how much nous they’ve used to get where they are. A long time ago, at business school, one of my tutors was the cybernetician Stafford Beer. He’d have been fascinated by the way HMB has managed its interfaces, and impressed by the way the company has adapted to changing times. Still not progressive, but that’s not what it’s there for. It’s there to provide the working woman with an hour or two’s break. And that remains its ultimate philosophy.

Eight years ago I had a historical manuscript ‘orphaned’ at HMB (that’s when the editor who has encouraged you and wants your book leaves – the new editor wants a new list, so you’re dropped). I had to tone down the sex to almost nothing and increase the complications, give the hero a mistress, perk it up. I rewrote that sucker three times and then got a form rejection from the new editor. So I put back the sex, took out the mistress and sold it somewhere else, where it’s done pretty well. I can’t help thinking that I’d have had a better chance these days with the original manuscript, but as yet I have no intention of trying again. One day I might. When I find the time.

Sandy M’s review of Dark Warrior Untamed (Talions, Book 3) by Alexis Morgan
Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 27 Jul 10

Well, Sybil has not beat the I-need-to-read-a-series-in-order out of me entirely. Yes, I know the majority of books are written to be stand-alones and sometimes that works. Sometimes it works a little bit. And sometimes it doesn’t work well at all. In this case, it works a little bit. But however you cut it, a good book is a good book; reading in order just gives the reader more pleasure in the long run.

I really enjoy Alexis Morgan’s books. While this is my first book in her Talions series, I’ve read the first several in her Paladins series and loved them all. She has such imagination when it comes to the worlds she builds for her characters and storylines. And that’s where I wish I’d read the first two books in this series beforehand.

I wanted to know more about the Kyth, the people of the hero, Grey. We get a little bit thrown in to give us an idea of who they are, but I needed more. I was curious about how they came to be, wanted to know more about how their world works, and I’m sure that the end of the second book, Dark Warrior Unbroken, when their current leader is killed would have given me better insight when I began DWU.

Now, all of this is not to say DWU is not a terrific book. It is. Very much so. I just feel my understanding of the relationship between the characters, the new leader and her consort, and a few other things would have been heightened, especially when I asked myself “Why?” a few times during certain scenes.

Grey has just relocated to the Puget Sound where he will lead other Talion warriors in protecting the Kyth’s Grand Dame, Kery Thorsen. Things don’t start off well when he finds his office is occupied by Kery’s new assistant, Piper Ryan. Fireworks of the pissed-off kind, with fiery undercurrents of another kind, start flying. They butt heads from the beginning and it doesn’t look like they’ll be getting along any time soon.

Only until threatening emails begin to come in, that is, screwing with Piper’s computer, which makes her look guilty, and only until other information comes to light to throw doubt and guilt Grey’s way. Their mutual war escalates and turns instead in the direction of trying to find the evil set on destroying Kery.

While Piper is glad to have Grey around when danger hits too close to home, she’s still wary that he’ll continue to dig into her past. She knows her secret will come out eventually, she just hopes it’s not Grey who discovers it. But will telling him about it first make any difference, because after getting to know the man, he’ll probably toss her out anyway.

But the more they work together to keep Kery safe and find who’s behind the danger that just keeps coming, their attraction grows, and I have to say that Grey and Piper have become a favorite couple of mine. They talk to each other and respect each other. They listen to one another, give in when the other’s idea may work better, and they love so deliciously. Grey and Piper are very dynamic together, indeed.

Ms. Morgan gives us twists and turns that come out of nowhere, keeping the story fresh and alive. I always enjoy how she brings back all of her characters from previous books and still keeps the featured hero and heroine front and center. Doing so makes her series ultimately more complete for the reader.

Especially if they’re read in order, Sybs.

Grade: A

 Summary:

He questions everything.

No one thought Chief Talion Greyhill Danby would report to work so soon after wrapping up his affairs in London. Then again, he didn’t expect to find a beautiful spy with a major attitude in his new office. Clearly the Kyth’s Grand Dame doesn’t trust him to do his duty-to protect her.

She fears the truth.

Piper Ryan isn’t keen on the arrangement either. Matching wits with an ancient warrior isn’t in her administrative job description. But sharing space with the red-hot head of security
could have unexpectedly tempting benefits … if he doesn’t dig into her secret past.

Opposites always attract.

When a mysterious e-mails result in danger, the fiery sparks between Piper and Grey grow scorching hot. They must defend the throne from a deadly invisible attacker, but will their raging desire keep them together … or will their burning suspicions tear them apart?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of Running Scared (The Sentinel Wars Book 3) by Shannon K. Butcher
Paranormal Romance released by Onyx 04 MAY 10

There are still some things that I have trouble with in this series. I enjoyed Running Scared more than I did the previous book, but I am not sure if it’s enough to save this series. It’s like the pieces are there, they just aren’t coming together right.Once again we have a heroine who is reluctant to bond with our hero. It works better for Lexi in this book, she has been raised thinking the Sentinels are monsters out to kill her. I found myself getting annoyed at her comments about them, and her thoughts about them brainwashing their women. I was able to get over it pretty quickly though, since it was all she knew. Thankfully, it also doesn’t drag on. So far Lexi is my favorite heroine, she was likable, and while she has gone through some tough times, it wasn’t constantly thrown in our face. She  wasn’t wallowing in pity or guilt, and while she had her moments, I never got tired of her.

Zach was also an easy guy to like. He is a great match for Lexi, he knows exactly how to handle her. He also wasn’t suffering from any major emotional baggage. He’s not a wimp, but he’s not an overbearing alpha male either.

While I enjoyed reading about Zach and Lexi fall in love, there wasn’t much excitement in Running Scared. The storyline that is progressing with the series seems to be moving slow, to the point that I don’t really care about it. Something finally happens at the end, but it ended up being wasted, or saved til the next book. Speaking of the next book,  the couple in that one seem to be not moving anywhere at all. Their scenes just made me worried about that book. I am interested to see what happens with another Sentinel, Torr, who is paralyzed from the neck down. He fascinates me, and is someone I want to know more about.

I’m still waiting to be blown away by these books, and I guess by now it’s just not going to happen. Maybe I am expecting more because I would read anything by Shannon K. Butcher’s husband and I would love it. I wanted to be wowed by her, and I never was. I haven’t decided if I am going to read the next one, I don’t want to get my hopes up.

Grade: C

 Summary:

Lexi Johns has one purpose: to free her best friend from the hands of the Sentinels. And Zach, the Sentinel she has been running from for months, has one goal: to convince her that their destinies are entwined. For the magic that Zach has absorbed could destroy him if he doesn’t find the woman who can channel it for him. And he knows Lexi is the one.

From an early age, Lexi has been taught to fear the Sentinels. And now she is an agent of a group out to destroy them. So when Zach finds her, it is Lexi’s chance to strike at the heart of the Sentinels. But, as Lexi sees Zach’s courage, selflessness, and honor, she begins to doubt her beliefs — and is faced with an unbearable choice.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Untouched Until Marriage by Chantelle Shaw
Novel released by Mills and Boon Modern Romance 6 August 10, Harlequin Presents March 2011

A fairly good read, with some rough edges

In terms of plot, Chantelle Shaw writes pretty standard Harlequin Mills and Boon books with hot millionaires and innocent heroines. Well, somebody has to. There were one or two things that put me off slightly, although Shaw worked hard to make it acceptable, and anyone less squeamish than me will have no problem with it.

Let me explain. Raul meets Libby in the slum of a seaside gift shop, where she is looking after his baby brother. He believes she was his father’s mistress, and bore his son, whereas she is the baby’s half-sister. Her mother, a wild child and latterly lap dancer, met his adoptive father on a cruise and was only made aware of his son’s existence shortly before his own death.

So Raul decides to marry Libby and fancies the pants off her despite believing that she was his father’s mistress. Now Raul is adopted and Libby isn’t related to him in any way, so it’s quite all right for them to hop into bed together. No problem there. But the thought of anyone sharing a woman with his father, for his man-thing to go into the same place as his father’s man-thing made me shudder. Is that wrong of me? Probably, and of course the misunderstanding is sorted out on their wedding night when he discovers that she is a virgin.

I think Shaw missed an opportunity here. I’d have had him squeamish, but forced into compliance by his need to control his father’s business, half of which was left to the baby Gino in his father’s will, with his mother controlling the shares until the baby came of age. Then he discovers his wife is a virgin, realises he’s her first, and feels relief. Instead he goes into the usual alpha-fueled rage that she lied to him. Boring. I wanted more of him and his feelings, not just his immediate reactions to Libby. He goes through all the usual reactions, disbelief, betrayal, fury, and then adoration. No surprises there.

Libby was a devoted foster mother, and the baby was her reason for accepting him. She doesn’t care about his money, only what it will bring to Gino, and when he tries to buy her expensive things, only accepts reluctantly. She dresses in clashing colours and has red hair, which didn’t really endear me to her, because she is supposed to be an artist, and I thought she might have a better sense of colour. My bad. But what really didn’t work for me was Libby being 22 years old. I know some 22 year olds, and while they’re capable of being mothers, and indeed caring for 36 year old men, I found it sad that she didn’t have a chance to be properly young and feckless.

It is a hallmark of HMB heroines that they don’t, in general, ever have a wild past. Unlike Blaze heroines, who have been known to kick out the jams on occasion. Even dressed in garish clothes Libby was too staid for me, and her artistry didn’t permeate into her character, only into her appearance.

The other thing that squicked me a tad was the age difference, but then it always has. I know there are successful May/December romances, but when I read Heyer as a teenager, in my mind I always made the heroine older or the hero younger, so there wasn’t a massive age difference between them. It just seems a bit sad that anyone misses such a big chunk of experience and rushes straight into One True Love and marries. But that is some people’s ideal, so you might love it. The fantasy of the older protector is a strong one, and HMB has used the trope highly successfully for years, so it might be just what you’re looking for.

However their emotions and reactions were predictable, and pretty standard. Except for the wedding night, which I thought was much more realistic than many I’ve read in this line. Libby is a virgin, and her reaction to Raul’s lovemaking is much closer to how it must be for a young woman to have as her first an older, more experienced man who assumes she knows what she’s doing.

One of the best things about the book, and the reason I keep reading Chantelle Shaw is her writing ability. She had a great way with words and some of the best parts of the book are her descriptions of the villa in Italy and its appearance by day and by night. She has a real talent for drawing a reader into a scene. The sex is hot and explicit, and the connection between Raul and Libby, after the first trauma, is fun to read. I can’t help thinking just how explicit the Presents/Modern line has grown in the last few years. My mother would have been shocked.

Grade: C

 Summary:

Mother of the Carducci heir…or innocent virgin?

When infamous Raul Carducci learns that a little baby may challenge his inheritance he will stop at nothing – a new Carducci heir will not take away what is rightfully his.

To safeguard baby Gino, unassuming Libby Maynard has been forced to pretend she is his mother – but she hasn’t counted on having to convince the wolfish Raul Carducci of her deception.

And when Raul, with his achingly seductive voice, asks her to marry him, Libby is powerless to refuse…even if their wedding night will blow her cover!

CindyS’s review of Ruthless by Anne Stuart
Historical romance published by MIRA 01 Aug 2010

I have to say that after loving her ‘Ice’ series I wasn’t sure what to expect and in the end, I was surprised by the charm of Ruthless.

Rohan, Comte de Giverney, Viscount Rohan, Baron of Glencoe etc is also known as the King of Hell. Basically he holds parties where everyone can do as they please and he’s even managed to add Latin phrases and dark cloaks to make it all that much more dramatic.  Yes, I know.  Clubs are so over done in historicals right now but then, it’s hardly about a club.  It’s about a man who for twenty years has only lived by one creed.  Do as you will.  For Rohan, there is no Heaven or Hell, or real reason for life.  He’s seen it all, had it all and sees no reason to change.  Even when he meets Elinor.

Elinor Harriman is in dire straits with a younger sister, two older servants and a crazed mother to look after. As it is, the family is living on the very edge of destitution due to Lady Caroline’s (Elinor’s mother) frivolous lifestyle. Years of living for pleasure only, has finally caught up with Elinor’s mother and disease is eating at her brain. The book opens with Lydia, Elinor’s younger sister, using her bright beauty to call off the landlord one last time as Elinor discovers that her father’s estates have been left to a distant cousin. Hope is all that is left and as much as Elinor hides things from her sister, Lydia is not nearly as clueless as Elinor hopes.  There’s not enough food, no money for rent and in the middle of winter the last few pieces of furniture may have to be used for heat.

How do the King of Hell and a woman on the edge of desperation meet?  Not as you might think and as the story unfolds, there is almost a fairytale quality to courtship that starts.

But wait.  This is Anne Stuart, so for as many fairytale moments there are darker, twisted moments and that is what brings the story to life.

Elinor has a true past.  Not a whitewashed ‘oh no, I was ruined because I was seen alone’ kind of past but a dirty, horrible truth that has etched itself into who she is.  She considers herself plain and unattractive and hardly worth noticing so instantly rebuffs any of Rohan’s flirting.  After all, he is toying with her as a cat does a mouse.  Rohan is gorgeous in a beautiful way that has any person he wants falling at his feet.  Working hard for anything is a laugh so discovering a woman who sees him and keeps on walking is a novelty.

I was expecting a dark hero, especially with the title of the King of Hell.  Instead Rohan is charming and solicitous to Elinor and really, all those around him that he considers a friend.  He likes to play Devil’s advocate so of course, he can come off as a complete ass and yet, if he truly hurts someone he does try to back off.  As much as Rohan’s past is filled with pain, his recent past is more about pleasure and fulfilling it without judgment or worry.  So there a few scenes that other readers might cringe over.  I was shocked at one point but when I thought on it I realized that Rohan truly knows no better so why would he do anything different.

The fairytale part of the story comes from Rohan’s need to save Elinor and her family.  Sure, not every member, and in the end he had a plan but knowing that he couldn’t help but send food and wood and clothes to Elinor and her family made me smile.  Anne Stuart’s heroes are not normally known for their sweet side so seeing this in Rohan was too cute.  But remember, Rohan is not always cute.

Another part of the story I found compelling is the time line.  I know we’re all so rushed nowadays and want the hero and heroine to just fall in love already but there is time between Rohan and Elinor’s meeting and I appreciated it.  Falling in love over a weekend and wrapping it all up in a HEA with a marriage proposal can be wonderful but it can’t happen every time!  I should also mention the secondary romance which is true to Ms. Stuart’s way of complete opposites finding true love with Rohan’s best friend Charles Reading and Elinor’s sister Lydia.  And I always appreciate the reality that Ms. Stuart brings to all her stories.  If the heroine is in danger, then she is in real danger.  The villain is never silly or comical, they might be dumb or misguided or even crazed but their intent is true and they will do everything in their power to reach their desired result.

In the end, this is a lighter book for Ms. Stuart when it comes to the romance between Rohan and Elinor and it was fantastic.  The best part, is this love story is set against a back drop of real life and all it’s dangers and quirks.  For those readers who have sometimes wished that Ms. Stuart wrote epilogues, you will be quite happy with the end as is and not need anything more to prove Rohan and Elinor’s love.

GRADE: B+

Few outsiders will ever witness the dark misdeeds of the Heavenly Host. And among this secret society, where exiled Georgian aristocrats gather to indulge their carnal desires, fewer still can match the insatiable appetite of their chief provocateur, the mysterious Viscount Rohan.

Pursuit of physical pleasure is both his preferred pastime and his most pressing urge, until he encounters the fascination of a woman who won’t be swayed. And while his dark seduction appalls the pure and impoverished Elinor Harriman, she finds herself intrigued…and secretly drawn to the man behind the desire.

Ash’s review of Shadows at Midnight by Elizabeth Jennings
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 3 Aug 2010

This book was a bit of a roller coaster ride for me. Some parts I liked, but mostly I wanted to toss it across the room.

There are a bunch of things I didn’t like, but these things stuck out the most to me. It started off good, I was drawn into the story and I liked both Claire and Dan. Claire is a strong character, but not overbearing. Dan is the typical military hero, but neither of them really stayed that way, and in the end I was disappointed.

There is a huge difference in Claire before the trauma she went though, and the Claire from after.  The after Claire is emotionally scarred and it felt real, but I much prefer the Claire who is strong and confident in herself. She started to get back to that, but by then it wasn’t enough.

It is Dan that I had the biggest problem with. He seemed alright at first, but he turned kind of creepy.  It was these thoughts from him that made me dislike him (and question if I would ever read another Elizabeth Jennings book).

“He was Big Man here, he’d saved her life, now had her in his home. No, she wouldn’t fight him.”

Talking, of course, about sleeping with her.

Then he had this lovely thought to share, that frankly I could have lived without.

“Way out in the field, where there were no women to help you get rid of your hard-on, soldiers used their fists. After combat, barracks smelled like goats had died in there.”

That is where the story just lost me. He was not attractive to me after that lovely inner monologue, which contained a lot more creepiness.

As for the story as a whole, I felt like it was ten pages of mental ramblings from Dan or Claire for every five pages of action. It was lacking any excitement, and even the love scenes were boring. Things would happen and I would start to get into the story, and then it would switch to someone else, and it lost momentum.

By the time I got to the last hundred pages or so, I just wanted it to be over. There is even more I could add to the list of things I disliked, but that would probably just be overkill.

Grade: D

 Summary:

She was just a shadow of her former self.

Until he came back into her life.

U.S. intelligence agent Claire Day and former Marine Sergeant Dan Watson must solve a deadly conspiracy—or forfeit any chance of having a future together.

No excerpt found.