Sandy M’s review of In Bed with the Devil by Susan Mallery
Contemporary Romance released by Silhouette Desire 7 Aug 07

I’m bummed. I’ve read a few of Susan Mallery’s book and absolutely loved them. So much so that I always anticipate picking up another one of her books whenever I can. This is my first category romance by her. It is an older book, a couple years old, but since it’s a Mallery, I anticipated a good read. That didn’t happen, not by a long shot. I just didn’t care for this book all that much. Surprised the hell out of me.

Meri is a genius. Literally. She has one of those brains that just won’t turn off. As a young child and a teenager she was overweight, so that combined with her intellect usually scared the boys off. She adored her big brother Hunter and she’s always loved his best friend Jack. On her seventeenth birthday Jack finds Meri in an emotional state, her brother has just died and now she has no friends but for Jack, but she wants more from him than just friendship. But Jack has always looked at her as Hunter’s baby sister and when she blurts out she wants him, he doesn’t know what else to do but walk away. He then walks away again after Hunter’s funeral and eleven years pass before Meri sees him again.

Hunter’s will stipulates that each of his six best friends must stay a month in the cabin he’s slated to give to a charitable foundation for kids. When it’s Jack’s turn for his month, Meri has wrangled her way into being there on the administrative side of the deal just so she can exact her revenge on Jack for leaving her all those years ago. Up to this point, I was able to live with this book. I felt for Meri, especially those pages when she’d lost her brother and blurted out her love for Jack. It’s when she puts her plan into motion that everything went south in a huge hurry.

She doesn’t mince words at all when she confronts Jack with her revenge. She’s there to seduce him, make him want her, and she tells him flat out that’s what she’s going to do. For eleven years later, Meri acts like a petulant child. Her actions just didn’t go over all that well most of the time, except when she’s actively seducing him and not talking about it. There are moments she acts like the woman she is, but those are few and far between. And I didn’t like the fact that she’s still looking at her grudge through the eyes of a hurt seventeen year old. Her revenge is the same as it was back then, nothing new to reflect her growth over the years. And, of course, it all backfires on her.

Jack is determined not to let Meri get to him because he promised Hunter he’d look out for her. Only thing is, he’s done a half-ass job of that, all done from afar through investigators and whatnot. But he’s just a man and with that sexy body being thrown at him every which way, what man wouldn’t eventually give in? I didn’t blame him one bit. I actually wanted him to turn it all around and show her the fire she’s dealing with. Then there’s the current boyfriend-almost-fiance of Meri’s who shows up missing her. That didn’t sit well with me either. She’s nearly engaged to this guy but is out seducing another man and does have sex with the other man. No, no, no, no!

The only thing that I did like other than Jack is Meri’s brainiac friends. They give some comic relief and, boy, is that needed every now and then. By the time I got to the HEA, I just didn’t care anymore and didn’t think Meri really deserved it. Sigh. Now I need to find a Susan Mallery book I do like to get the taste of this one out of my system.

Grade: D-

Summary:
.
Millionaire of the Month: Jack Howington III
Source of Fortune: International security corporation
The woman he can never have: Meredith Palmer
.
When he arrived at Hunter’s Landing, Jack got the surprise of his life. His best friend’s shy little sister had become a breathtaking young woman–with an ax to grind. Still smarting over Jack’s long-ago rejection, Meredith was now intent on luring the mogul into her bed…and her bed was right across the hall. At what cost would Jack keep a decade-old promise?
.
No excerpt available.

Sandy M’s review of Touch of Darkness (Darkness Chosen, Book 2) by Christina Dodd
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Signet 7 Aug 07

This is another series I got behind in reading, but thank goodness there’s only four books in the series. It won’t be that hard to catch up with it. With this second book down, I’m enjoying the series so far, and it should only get more interesting considering the hero of the next book hasn’t been heard from for years and the last hero — er, heroine — uh, well, since I haven’t looked ahead I’m not sure what’s going to happen! I’m looking forward to it, though.

Besides the interesting premise of this series, I like Ms. Dodd’s alpha heroes. Of course, they have strong heroines to go right along with them, but for me I have to have a dominant alpha in books like these. Rurik is definitely alpha, stemming from a long line of bad blood in his ancestry, which his family left behind, and the fact that he and his brothers are shapeshifters. Shifters are always one of my favorite reads, thus my love of alphas.

Fueled by the prophecy his mother gave the last time the family was all together, Rurik is in Scotland on an archeological dig searching for one of four holy icons needed to save his father’s life. His research has led him to this tomb, but he also finds Tasya roaming around the site. He hasn’t seen her since she left him after their night of amazing lovemaking. He’s determined to find out why now that she’s back poking around. When the tomb is finally opened, however, the icon is not there and they must flee with what little information the find inside when the evil side of his family blows the place to bits, killing people and making it look as though Rurik and Tasya were involved.

Wanting to be on her own, keeping her secrets to herself, Tasya finally gives in and sticks with Rurik on their icon scavenger hunt. She has her own reasons for wanting the relic and has no idea Rurik is also after it and why. He keeps that bit of information to himself when he discovers Tasya’s need for revenge against his left-behind relatives. On the run they face one challenge after another while stealing a moment here and there to sate the potent lust between them. It’s when Tasya sees Rurik fall from the sky that she leaves her plans in the dust and decides to finish Rurik’s journey to save his father.

The action in this book is pretty nonstop once Rurik and Tasya are forced to keep one step ahead of the villains on their tails. There’s also a side story of Rurik’s vow to himself to never fly again after a near-fatal mishap during his Air Force stint, including never flying as his hawk self. So far this series has kept my interest and I can’t wait to get to the last two books, Into the Shadow and Into the Flame.

Grade: A+

Read more reviews of this and other books in the series by following its tag.

Summary:
.
A thousand years ago, a brutal warrior struck a terrifying bargain. In return for the ability to change at will into a cold-hearted predator, he promised his soul, and the souls of his descendants, to the devil.
.
Handsome, powerful Rurik Wilder battles darkness — the darkness without, and the darkness within. For he possesses the power to transform himself into a fierce bird of prey, and that gift has caused death and destruction.
.
At last he is offered the chance to redeem himself and break the evil pact which has held his family in thrall for centuries. Only one woman stands in his way — flamboyant Tasya Hunnicutt, a writer determined to wreak revenge on the assassins who murdered her family. Assassins, it’s been rumored, who have powers no human should ever possess…
.
Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Shannon C.’s review of Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1) by Richelle Mead
YA urban fantasy released by Razorbill 16 Aug 07

I’ve been kind of bemused by the taking off of so many books in the YA genre lately, and have found myself thinking on more than one occasion, ‘Where the hell were these books when I was seventeen?’

The books I remember reading that were specifically YA were books that dealt with Weighty Issues (TM), or, what my children’s lit professor called “problem novels”. If there was genre fiction, I wasn’t aware of it. I’m pretty sure that had Richelle Mead written her vampire academy series ten years ago, my younger self would have lapped it up as a favorite novel. As it is, I still plowed through the book in record time, pausing now and then to inform some of my friends in strident tones that if they did not go out to wherever fine books are sold and procure a copy of this book, then they were evil Commies who liked to kick puppies. (OK, maybe I wasn’t that bad. But still. The squeeing, it happened.) While the book isn’t perfect, nor is it especially original, it is an engaging story and I’m impatient to be able to read further in the series.

The premise is a bit of Twilight, a bit of Harry Potter, and a bit of normal everyday adult urban fantasy. When the story opens, we meet best friends Rose and Lissa. Lissa is a Moroi, which are, in essence, the good vampires, and Rose is a dhampir, or half-vampire, half-human. The Moroi are physically weaker than the dhampirs, but they can wield elemental magic. They rely on the Dhampirs to act as guardians, and that’s what Rose has been doing for Lissa, who is a princess of one of the royal lines of Moroi. Anyway, the girls have been on the run from St. Vladimir’s, the titular academy where they both attend classes, but are brought back to heel in the first chapter by Russian guardian Dimitri. Once they’re back at the school, Rose and Lissa have to contend with normal teen cliquishness, some interesting boys in both of their lives, and the powers that Lissa has developed.

The thing I loved most about this book was the true and deep friendship between Rose and Lissa. It’s not all one-sided either. Rose is fiercely protective of Lissa, but Lissa is willing to go to bat for Rose whenever she needs to. It’s so refreshing to actually see female friendships in the course of my reading, since it doesn’t seem to happen all that often in most of what I read, despite how female-centric a lot of romance and urban fantasy are.

Separately, the girls are just as interesting. I loved Rose. Like a lot of urban fantasy heroines, she tends to be impulsive and reckless, but at least she has the excuse of being seventeen and can sometimes be reasonably assumed to not know any better. She really has to struggle with her own prejudices about other people and to learn not to be so judgmental. I’m looking forward to seeing what else she has to deal with. It’s also nicely refreshing, to me at least, that she’s a real teenager, instead of the kind of teenager I remember from the aforementioned problem novels of my youth. Rose has gotten drunk, she’s kind of a slut, and she’s a party girl, and she’s pretty matter-of-fact about it. It’s all stuff she’ll have to grow out of, but any given one of those things would have been a big issue in the books I remember from my own teenage years.

It’s an interesting choice, and an effective one, to have the story of Rose and Lissa told from Rose’s first-person narration. I don’t think it would have worked the other way, because Lissa, while definitely the one with the interesting powers and the one who’s placed in danger, probably would have come off as a bit of a Mary Sue. In fact, she doesn’t quite avoid this fate. But she does have flawed moments that redeem her. I loved how deep her affection and trust for Rose were, and I loved the scenes between her and Christian, the boy she’s interested in, who was one of my favorite other characters.

The rest of the cast could also fall into stereotypical roles, but manage to avoid doing so. There’s the popular rich bitch who is trying to improve her social standing but whose parents aren’t politically important. There’s Dimitri, who has a strong sense of ethics and honor, despite being the sexy mentor. There’s Christian, the loner bad boy with odd but sensible ideas about how the vampire society should work. Each of these people were well-nuanced. I even liked Mason, the poor schmuck who isn’t Dimitri who clearly has a thing for Rose. And the villain, while creepy, has motivations slightly more complicated than “Bwahaha, I am the Dark Lord of Dark Darkness!”

I found the plot compelling as well. Rose revealed the backstory in a way that felt natural. I never felt that she was holding things back from the reader, and the flashbacks were well done. If I have a quibble, it’s that some of the foreshadowing feels a little obvious. For example, even without reading discussions of the book online, I knew that when Rose found out about two guardians eloping and felt a sense of deep disgust that she was going to have to face a difficult choice along those same lines. I also found myself wondering why it took two years for the girls to be discovered and brought back. I can’t believe they were really that good at hiding out, and besides, two years is a long time when you’re a teenager. And what did they do during those two years? Well, at least we know they went to high school, which would totally not be one of my priorities if I was trying to run away. Then again, such was my absorption in this book that I wasn’t really bothered by it until I stopped reading and had let the book digest.

If you’re a fan of YA and haven’t given much of it a try, you could do worse than read this book. It’s got fun characters, an interesting and engaging story, and it’s a fast-paced read, even if it’s not one of the most original premises ever invented.

Grade: A-

Summary:
St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

and Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4), due 20 Aug 2009

Lynne Connolly’s reviews of the Throne of Judar Trilogy by Olivia Gates and The Billionaires’ Brides Series by Sandra Marton
Contemporary romances released by Silhouette Desire & Harlequin Presents

I’ve been in bed for a week with the flu for the past week, and all I could do was read. So, being woolly-headed, I went for Harlequin, my comfort reads of choice.

Apart from my fave Sara Cravens, I discovered Olivia Gates’ Throne of Judar trilogy, and Sandra Marton’s The Billionaires’ Brides series. Totally preposterous plots, but if you go with them, you find interesting characters and situations that the authors work hard for you to believe in. 

Throne of Judar Trilogy by Olivia Gates

The Gates trilogy — Throne of Judar, consisting of The Desert Lord’s Baby, The Desert Lord’s Bride, and The Desert King — is delicious, all three, but with plots I’d usually avoid like the plague.

I’m not fond of children in my romance books, but the baby in the first book was necessary to the plot, acted its age and didn’t take up too much page time. It was also a Secret Baby, but in this book, it worked.

The writing is lush and romantic, the hot scenes tended towards the purple, but worked in the context and I found that, for me, the books improved as the series went on, mainly because of the quality of the writing. As a writer myself, I love reading writers who “come on” in their writing, and I believe Ms Gates really does.

For the Throne of Judar, B-, mainly for the purple in the sex scenes, and the fact that I couldn’t always work out what exactly was going on in them.

Overall Grade: B-

	The Desert Lord’s Baby by Olivia Gates Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 13 May 08 Summary: There was nowhere Carmen could hide from this prince of Judar. No stone he wouldn’t turn to find her, no wall he couldn’t tear down. Nothing would stop Farooq Aal Masood from claiming the mother of his baby. She had betrayed him. And she would pay. In his bed. As his wife…until he tired of her. And though Carmen professed to love him, that it was all a misunderstanding, well…Farooq would never fall for her lies again! Read an excerpt.
	The Desert Lord’s Bride by Olivia Gates Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 8 Jul 08 Summary: The future of Judar rests with Farah Beaumont, a foreigner who wants nothing to do with her heritage. And to secure his country’s peace, prince Shehab Aal Masood must make her his bride-by any means necessary. Hiding his identity and sweeping Farah off her feet is a start. But the joyful, seemingly innocent Farah is nothing like he expects. And Shehab’s calculated seduction soon becomes an affair too powerful to control…. Read an excerpt (scroll down).
	The Desert King by Olivia Gates Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 9 Sep 08 Summary: Their farce of a marriage will save his kingdom. And in return for an heir, Kamal Aal Masood will give his new wife Aliyah anything-except the trust and intimacy she desperately wants. When Kamal abruptly ended their blistering affair years ago, he vowed Aliyah would never ensnare him again. Only a fool allowed his actions to be ruled by his heart. And only a woman like Aliyah would dare to challenge a king in a passionate battle of wills…. Read an excerpt (scroll down).

—

The Billionaires’ Brides Series by Sandra Marton

Sandra Marton’s Billionaires’ Brides series is about three European princes finding their American princesses, and consists of The Italian Prince’s Pregnant Bride, The Greek Prince’s Chosen Wife, and The Spanish Prince’s Virgin Bride. (I cringe at the titles, why do they do that?)

Again, there is that pattern to the stories, but I found that interesting, to see what a good writer can do with a restrictive format. Each book conformed, but the characters in the books treated their situations differently.

Sandra Marton is an experienced Harlequin writer, and her books are really easy to read. That kind of skill isn’t in itself easy to acquire, and I found myself admiring it while I was reading. Scenes and situations flow naturally, and it’s only when you stop reading, you start to realise how daft the whole set-up really is. But it doesn’t matter, because Marton takes you into her world and lets you play there. Beautifully written and constructed, with the characters making the difference between believability and preposterous over-the-topness, they were all great reads.

	The Italian Prince’s Pregnant Bride by Sandra Marton Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Aug 07 Summary: It was payday for Prince Nicolo Barbieri. The Italian aristocrat’s negotiations to take over Manhattan’s SCB bank were about to bear fruit. But he wasn’t expecting Aimee Black, granddaughter of the bank’s current owner– who was pregnant with Nicolo’s baby! Nicolo felt duty bound to marry Aimee and give his child his name. But Aimee had other ideas about surrendering herself to this arrogant foreigner, who surely didn’t love her! No excerpt available.
	The Greek Prince’s Chosen Wife by Sandra Marton Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Sep 07 Summary: Ivy Madison claims she’s pregnant with Prince Damian Aristedes’ baby, but he’s never even met her! Is she just another gold digger, exploiting his wish for a son and heir? But Ivy is expecting Damian’s child — as a surrogate mother! The arrogant Greek is furious, but he’s not about to let Ivy go. After all, he missed the pleasure of bedding her to conceive his baby… No excerpt available.
	The Spanish Prince’s Virgin Bride by Sandra Marton Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Oct 07 Summary: Prince Lucas Reyes is angry. His grandfather is forcing him into marriage with penniless Alyssa McDonough who’s pretending she’s untouched by any man. But the intense sexual chemistry between them tells him otherwise.—Lucas’s fiery royal blood is roused! He’ll force Lyssa to go to Spain with him, where he can get their marriage annulled. Because he’d swear that she’s pure, uninhibited mistress material, and never a virgin bride! Read an excerpt.

—

Although one series (the Gates) was a Desire, and the other a Presents/Modern (Modern in the UK, Presents in the States), I didn’t actually find a lot of difference in the heat level. Although the Martons had one less sex scene per book, it was more explicit than the Gates ones.

These books are really hard to write, and very easy to read, which is why many women find them perfect in certain situations. On long journeys, ill in bed, or just looking for a read to accompany a break and a cup of coffee, they’re excellent.

I’ve tried a number of times to write for Harlequin, and so I know how hard it is. Taking a restrictive set of requirements (not a formula, because you can do what you want within those requirements) and writing a believable, enjoyable story within them is so much harder than writing whatever you want and letting your imagination dictate the story completely.

Actually, I have a couple of submissions in right now. Just sayin’.

Shannon C.’s review of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Fantasy humor fiction released by Ace 1 May 96, re-released by Harper in trade ppb 7 Aug 07

An embarrassing number of people have told me that I need to read both Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I had read neither until I picked up Good Omens on a whim and consequently realized that I’d put off a very real treat.

The plot of this novel is convoluted, and I’m not sure I could do it justice. But basically it’s about Armageddon, and about an angel named Aziraphale and a demon named Crowley, both of whom kind of… like Earth. It’s also about a mix-up involving the Antichrist being switched with another baby and growing up in lower Tadfield in England without anyone noticing, and about the ranks of the Witchfinder Army, and the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter.

This book, obviously, doesn’t take itself terribly seriously, and is written in a droll, quintessentially British, style that I love. In fact, I’m pretty sure that the only way that I’d have enjoyed this book more would have been to actually *be* British, which, sadly, I’m not.

I suspect some may find the fact that Pratchett and Gaiman poke fun at all sorts of religions a bit offensive. Personally, I ended up smiling and nodding and laughing out loud in places. Which is the whole point, as I don’t think this book is meant to be especially deep. I found that I agreed with most of the observations the authors made about people, and I found the story itself to be a great fun-filled romp. I don’t think I’ll be rereading it, but I do think people who enjoy funny books, satire, and even tales of the apocalypse, should give this one a go. Plus, after you read the book, you can check out the line of Good Omens-inspired fragrances from one of my favorite eTailers.

Grade: B+

Summary:

According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter – the world’s only totally reliable guide to the future, the world will end on a Saturday.

Next Saturday, in fact.

Just before dinner.

Which means that Armageddon will happen on Saturday night. There will be seas on fire, rains of fish, the moon turning to blood and the massed armies of Heaven and Hell will sort it out once and for all.

Which is a major problem for Crowley, Hell’s most approachable demon and former serpent, and his opposite number and old friend Aziraphale, genuine angel and London bookshop owner. They like it down here (or in Crowley’s case, up here).

So they’ve got no alternative but to stop the Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse, defeat the marching ranks of the Witchfinder army* and – somehow – stop it all from happening.

Above all (or, in Aziraphale’s case, below all) they need to find and kill the Antichrist, currently the most powerful creature on Earth.

This is a shame.

Because he’s eleven years old, loves his dog even though it’s really a Satanic hellhound under all that hair, really cares about the environment and is the sort of boy anyone would be proud to have as a son. He’s also totally invulnerable, and a nice kid.

And if that isn’t enough, they’ve still got Sunday to deal with…

*All two of them.

Go here for a nice long excerpt.

If you click on the link to the fragrance site, she has a few small bits of the book quoted throughout.

Shannon C.’s review of Ceremony of Seduction (Seduction series, Book 1) by Cassie Ryan
Erotic fantasy romance released by Aphrodisia 1 Aug 07

Wow! What a pleasant surprise this book was! I’d been expecting yet another cheesy erotic romance with a lame plot that would lead to much sexoring. I hadn’t been expecting a compelling story full of warmth and emotion, with characters I quickly connected with, and told in such a captivating way. Yet, that’s exactly what I got, and I now have a new author to look out for. I really appreciated the tip from Karen Scott about this book.

Alyssa has always felt she didn’t fit in. Her parents and friends are all thin, blonde and perfect. She is curvy, dark-haired and doesn’t think she’s very smart. Her only solace comes every evening when an erotic stranger enters her dreams and brings her pleasure she can’t imagine. Only when she meets the stranger, a man called Stone, in the flesh, is her birthright as the first princess of Klatch revealed, and she’s set on a quest to heal a dying planet. Along the way, she discovers family, friendship and love, and there’s lots of scorching sex.

There’s a strong girl power theme running through this novel that I found extremely refreshing. I loved that this was Alyssa’s story, and was all about her struggles to come to a place of self-acceptance. She always has Stone’s love, she just has to become comfortable enough in her own skin that she can return it as an equal.

Stone is a great hero, too. There’s not really a strong conflict between them, but there’s enough going on that I never felt bored. I loved that he wanted her from the beginning and was patient with her without being scarily alpha and possessive. I also thought that the two of them had amazing chemistry together. None of the sex scenes felt gratuitous, and they all fed the plot.

The other characters were interesting, too. The author indulges in a bit of sequel-baiting, but I forgave her because she’s definitely got a plan for her series beyond, “And now we should tell Cousin Bob’s story and give him a HEA.” The men who will be heroes in the next books were important to the plot and not just put there to provide extra eye candy.

I also liked that this is one of the few erotic romances I’ve read where there was F/F interaction which was handled in a way that didn’t feel exploitive and belittling. The scenes between Alyssa and Sasha, her maid/companion, were full of chemistry of their own, and I never got the feeling that Sasha was just a substitute for Stone when he couldn’t be there. Sasha gets a nice romance at the end, too, which I appreciated.

The other thing I should mention is something that sold me on this book. Stone explains to Alyssa early on that she was kidnapped from her family home by another tribe of people known as the Cunts. Cunts are apparently all skinny and blonde and shallow, and they even have their own queen. When I read all of that, I laughed. That bit seems like pure total cheesy wish-fulfillment, but it also feels deliberate, and every time I saw mention of the cunts, I had to giggle.

My only real quibble with this book is that Alyssa was treated so horribly by her best friend, who turns out to be a cunt. I never really bought that Alyssa couldn’t just bitchslap her so-called friend and tell her to take a hike. She put up with a lot of abuse in the beginning that seemed a bit out of character.

But I’m so glad that I’ve finally run across such a fun, empowering erotic romance. I definitely recommend it, and am now out to look for anything else Ms. Ryan has published.

Grade: A-

Summary:
When Dreams Of Desire…
Twenty-three-year-old Alyssa Moss has lived her whole life in the shadow of her beautiful family. Voluptuous where they are lean, brunette where they are blonde, Alyssa is convinced she is an ugly duckling who will never become a swan. The only thing that sustains her is a recurring dream in which a seductive stranger named Stone worships and pleasures every inch of her. But maddeningly, Stone always disappears just as Alyssa is on the edge of dizzying ecstasy—with a puzzling promise that one day he will find her. That day has come….

Become Reality…
For years, Stone has searched for the kidnapped first princess of his people—an other-worldly clan whose life-force is sexual energy. Alyssa is that princess, stolen by a rival faction and banished to live on Earth. But now Stone has found her and will return her to her rightful home, one in which she will own the curvaceous body she was born with—and the passionate desire that throbs within it as she learns an endless variety of delicious pleasures and discovers the infinite power she feels when all her cravings are satisfied…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Immortals: The Gathering (Immortals, Book 4) by Jennifer Ashley
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Love Spell 28 Aug 07

I kept my hopes up that this book would bring the series together and be a satisfying pseudo ending for the first four books. I’m happy to say that my hopes were very highly rewarded. The action, romance, and emotion was perfect and we’re left in just the right place for the next edition of the series, beginning with Tain’s story, The Redeeming, due out next month.

Hunter is the pleasure-grabbing Immortal of the four brothers. At first you figure that’s just who he is, he loves the ladies and goes for it every chance he gets. But then you learn the real reason why he basically loves’em and leaves’em and, like Leda when she finds out, you just want to hold on to him and make it all better, especially when you further learn that his tragedy happened nine hundred years ago and he still hurts like it happened yesterday.

We know way before he does, of course, that he’s now found the one person who can fill that void in his heart and soul, that one person who can love his hurt away, that one person who can make him whole again. He just has to jump through a lot more hoops before that happens, and those hoops are action packed and right down scary at times.

Even with the heartache Leda has had in her life, she comes to the realization that Hunter is the one for her early on and knows that there’s not much to entice him to stay with her if he won’t open his heart to her. The handsome devil who communicates with animals could drive a saint to drink, but she knows life will be boring and not worth a plug nickel once he decides to leave when he knows he’s getting to close to her to risk being hurt again. When they’re drawn into the hunt for Tain and the demon who wants to control of the world, things begin to move at a frantic pace and no one is sure any of them will survive to worry about such things as love.

I really liked the scenes later in the book when the brothers are finally brought together after so many centuries apart. Even being immortal doesn’t stop the squabbling and the competition between them. When they do come together to save Tain from his self-destructiveness, the emotion among them is deep and heartfelt.

Hunter’s interaction with Mukasa the lion throughout the book is a lot of fun. I kept thinking it would be even more fun if he’d had other interactions with a few more animals, but it’s not that much to quibble over. I know Tain had to leave to find himself after so many eons of captivity, but I wanted to scream at the brothers to make him stay with them after they’d just found him again, but he’s on his own path once again and we’ll find out soon enough what’s in store for him.

This book is a nice ending to this part of the series. We now head for a whole new look for the books themselves and a lot more excitement starting next month.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Created at the dawn of time to protect humanity, the ancient warriors have been nearly forgotten, though magic lives on–in vampires, werewolves, the Celtic Sidhe, and other beings. But now one of their own has turned rogue, and the world is again in desperate need of the Immortals.

He was known as “the crazy one.” And Leda Stowe could see why after finding the stunning half-naked warrior in her lion’s pen–unarmed and completely unafraid. Though he could somehow soothe the temperamental beast, nothing could calm the desire that sparked through her body at his touch. She wished they could hide away together on her island forever, but the world thrummed with danger. Before Leda could claim Hunter for herself, they would have to join the other Immortals to face the greatest trial yet: The Gathering.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Shannon C.’s review of Driven by Eve Kenin
Futuristic romance published by Shomi 28 Aug 07

I’d heard quite a lot about this book when the Shomi line from Dorchester started, and since Ms. Kenin’s sequel is already high up on the list of books that Sybil thinks I need to read, I thought it would be good to unearth this book from my TBR and give it a go.

The world of the story is a post-apocalyptic one, with the government being manipulated heavily by Duncan Bane, the head of Jansen Trucking Company. The Jansens practically own the highway, and nobody travels without the Jansens’ leave. Raina Bowen, an independent trucker, has already had her dealings with the Jansen company, and now wants only a temporary trucking pass so she can compete in the race to Gladow Station, where she hopes to win a huge prize that will keep her sister Beth safe and out of the clutches of Bane. What she doesn’t count on, though, is the complication of Wizard, whom she was supposed to meet in order to get her passes. After Wizard is attacked by Jansen truckers, Raina rescues him, and the two embark on an adventure that will pit them against Bane, and force them to acknowledge their attraction to each other.

I liked Raina a lot. Unlike a lot of kick ass heroines who have chips on their shoulders, I found Raina’s reasons for her attitude to make perfect sense. She’s never really known emotional support, and she doesn’t like depending on others. I understood that, and I loved watching the cracks slowly build in the armor that she has built up for herself.

Wizard is a great match for her. He, too, has secrets, although I figured out what they were long before Raina did. Still, despite his past, he comes off as a very tender, sexy man, and I loved watching him discover love. Naturally, when these two damaged people come together, their union is explosively passionate.

The secondary characters were introduced well, and though I hope some of them get their own stories, I never felt that the sequel-baiting was obvious. My only real quibble with characterization was that I found Duncan Bane to be over the top in his villainousness. The only thing he could have done to make himself appear even more cheesy would have been for him to kick a puppy.

The plot is exciting and moves along at a brisk enough pace that I was able to enjoy it. The climactic scenes were just as exciting as one could hope for, and the story resolves itself in such a way that it’s obvious there will be a sequel, though the main story of Raina and Wizard is over for now.

This book has everything I enjoy in my paranormal romance–a well-realized and unusual setting, two great and compelling characters, and lots of action. It didn’t quite have that spark that indicates an A book and it took me just a shade too long to get into it, but when I finally got invested, I very much enjoyed the story and definitely think it deserves the praise it has received.

Grade: B

Read other reviews of this book from Alicia and Gwen

Summary:
ROAD WARRIOR
Raina Bowen knows she can handle herself just fine against anything the harsh Northern Waste throws at her. Until it throws her an enigmatic stranger called Wizard. First, she has to haul him out of a brawl he can’t hope to win. And next, her libido is shooting into overdrive at the feel of his hard body pressed against hers on the back of her snowscooter. But there’s something not quite right about this guy. Before she can strip bare Wizard’s secrets, they’re lured into a race for their lives, battling rival truckers, ice pirates…and a merciless maniac with a very personal vendetta.
Read an excerpt

Devon’s review of The Novice Bride by Carol Townend
Historical Romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Aug 07

I rarely comment on covers, but I hate this cover. I’m glad I didn’t pay too much attention to the cover when I ordered this online. The people are not particularly attractive, the heads don’t quite match the bodies, and they look stiff and awkward. Disregard the cover, because the book contained within is good, and this is coming from someone who rarely enjoys Medievals.

Not that I don’t enjoy the period. Before I decided the Ivory Tower wasn’t for me, I did enough coursework for a Medieval Studies major. I was going to be a Medieval History Professor. The Medieval romances I’ve tried just didn’t feel right. They didn’t have enough of what I like about the period, and the attempts at Medieval language made me giggle. I picked this one up because it focused on one of my favorite eras: Medieval Britain after The Battle of Hastings (circa 1066). The Novice Bride has just enough dirt, violence, and nuns to appeal to me, and straight forward language and dialogue that sounded neither too modern nor like Middle English lite.

The conflict here is very juicy — the conquerors and the conquered. William of Normandy and his men have conquered the Saxons. To cement their presence, his men are given Saxon lands and Saxon wives. When Emma of Fulford is to be given in marriage to the Breton knight Adam Wymark, she takes a powder, leaving her sister Cecily, in the convent these past four years, to take her place. Cecily agrees to marry Adam in order to protect her people and lands as much as possible. She is increasingly intrigued and attracted to Adam and vice versa, but both are very loyal to their own, and unsure if they can trust one another.

Adam and Cecily have good chemistry and I liked the way their romance developed. Both are younger than I normally like in my romance (she’s 16, he’s 22) but it makes sense given the much lower life expectancy of the time. Cecily was innocent, but not naïve, and seemed smart and practical. She took to the marriage bed very quickly, which was a little silly, but otherwise I liked her. Adam was a good man, and I could see how he attracted Cecily.

The Novice Bride captured the flavor of the times without being too depressing or violent. I thought it wrapped up a bit too neatly, with everyone changing their minds about Adam very fast. Up until then, the Saxons really hated them! Overall this was a solid romance set in a fascinating period. Give it a try if you like Medievals. I’ll definitely read Carol Townend again.

Grade: B

Summary:

INNOCENT BRIDE, CONQUERING HUSBAND!

As a novice, Lady Cecily of Fulford’s knowledge of men is nonexistent. But when tragic news bids her home immediately, her only means of escape from the convent is to brazenly offer herself to the enemy…as a bride!

With her fate now in the hands of her husband, Sir Adam Wymark, she battles to protect her family. Suspicions and betrayal are rife, yet their convenient marriage offers Cecily much more than comfort in her knight’s arms…

Wessex Weddings
Normans and Saxons, conflict and desire!

Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of The Billionaire Next Door (O’Banyon Brothers, Book 1) by Jessica Bird
Contemporary Romance published by Silhouette Special Edition 1 August 2007

Isn’t it just wonderful when you find a book you can’t put down, a book that calls to you, makes you feel a gamut of emotions, and gives you the romance you were looking for in picking the next book to read? Oh, and a hot hero to boot? Look no further. Jessica Bird has made the choice easy for your next read.

[Ed.: Read on to the end of the review for information about J.Bird's plans for her next series...]

Sean O’Banyon has escaped his horrible childhood at the hands of his father, as has his two brothers. He came from nothing but violence and now he’s the man all of Wall Street looks to to turn their deals into gold. And he’s a billionaire, he has the best of everything, a beautiful woman always on his arm. All it takes is a phone to call to free him of his past. Or so he thought. Learning his father has died breaks that final link to the man he and his brothers feared for so long, but when he goes to finally rid their lives of their shared brutality, Sean finds himself returning again and again to the place he hold himself he’d never go back to once he left.

Grieving for her friend and the father she never had, Lizzie is the one to tell the Eddie O’Banyon’s son that his father is dead. She’s stunned when Sean accuses her of being after his father’s money, but even such suspicions can’t overcome her attraction to him. Knowing he won’t stay once his father’s estate is taken care of, for once she does something for herself and falls into bed with him, giving him all he needs to break her heart. But when she finds out who he really is and what he truly thinks of her when he discovers “proof” she bilked Eddie of huge amounts of money, it’s time for Lizzie to walk away and never look back.

It’s almost a sin to bring this book down to two quick paragraphs like this. Sean is a great hero. His lesson that all his billions can’t make his past or his pain go away, it can’t buy him love and happiness is a moving progression to watch once he meets Lizzie. She doesn’t push him, doesn’t nag him to talk about whatever it is that causes him to become a different person when he walks into his father’s house. I loved all their time spent together, whether it was with laughter or tension between them. And the differences in their current circumstances is very interesting, as are their individual reactions to that subject the more they learn about one another. Then their realizations they each had wrong impressions about their interactions with Eddie are quite enlightening. For them and for the reader.

I also like that this is just the first book in the trilogy. Sean is the middle brother. We meet Billy, the youngest brother in this book and we get a little peek at Mac, the oldest. The treatment they each suffered at their father’s hands is on opposites end of the spectrum, as is the way they’ve dealt with it and do deal with it in the here and now. Their books have the potential to further blow a reader away just with the emotion alone. I am definitely looking forward to them.

Grade: A+

[Ed note: as of right now there is no date set for the next book in the series but they are still happening and Jessica Bird is still excited about the series. She said she would let us know as soon as something was solid. As soon as we know you will. Sorry, I didn't have better news but she does sound really excited about the series! And if it wasn't for deadlines, RT and such she would have been here for our SSE Spotlight.]

From the back cover:

     Take–no–prisoners deal–maker Sean O’Banyon ate Wall Street financiers for lunch. So why was he losing sleep over a fresh–scrubbed nurse in old jeans and a too–big T–shirt? Maybe it was those warm green eyes. Or the way she blushed when he got personal. There was no denying the serious chemistry between them. But sooner or later Lizzie would learn his deep, dark secrets: First, he had trust issues. And second—he’d rather not go into the whole family thing. He didn’t do relationships…but amazingly, Lizzie made him want one anyway.

     Read an excerpt.

Azteclady’s review of Riding the Storm (ACRO Series, Book 1) by Sydney Croft
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Delta 28 Aug 07  

This is the first novel in a series about ACRO, the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives. The series is a mix of erotic romance and adventure and suspense in an alternative universe where the paranormal is not as rare as we might think.

There are a number of intriguing secondary characters, and the world created is complex and compelling, full of possibilities. ACRO seems to be entirely populated by interesting and quirky people whose abilities range from the traditionally psychic (telepaths, telekinesis, foresight, ability to see/hear ghosts) to entirely original gifts.

One such gift is the ability to control the weather.

Haley is a scientist first and foremost, more at home with unexplained weather phenomena than with people in general. She carries some heavy emotional baggage stemming mostly from a frightening episode from her childhood; as a consequence, Haley avoids deep romantic entanglements. She’s definitely not prepared, either professionally or personally, to deal with Remy. The emotional and physical reactions he evokes in her are completely out of her experience.

And yet, she’s supposed to, first, find out whether the rumors about his power over the weather are true, and second, to convince him to trust her and the agency she represents.

For his part, Remy has spent all of his life suffering from stigma caused both by the circumstances of his birth, and by what he considers his curse. He can’t have a romantic relationship, and even friendships haven’t outlasted the bizarre effects his mere presence has on the weather. He’s even forced to leave the SEAL teams because of what Haley refers to as “his gift.”

Things come to a head when the bad guys come calling, ready to recruit Remy by fair means or foul, and ACRO sends its own team of good (and gifted) operatives to save the day.

While I liked Remy and Haley, and was quite intrigued by the other ACRO operatives introduced in this novel, as well as by the great potential for this universe, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. For starters, even if I hadn’t known it beforehand, it would have been clear for me that this is the first installment in a series. Too many characters are introduced, with one secondary plot taking up about as much space as Haley and Remy’s does, and several major conflicts are left unresolved. I expect that at least some of these will be addressed in the next installment, Unleashing the Storm.

I found the abundance and… lets say, speed, of the sex actually distracting to the main plot — but I believe that’s more a personal issue than anything to do with the writing itself. For example, Haley and Remy were having sex enthusiastically, for hours, starting literally minutes after meeting each other, and neither mentions protection of any kind to the other until the following afternoon. My brain kept firing alarm bulletins the entire time I read the chapters up to that. And when they do have that little conversation, it’s basically reduced to Haley saying, “I’m on the pill and I’m healthy” — which left me wondering about Remy. What can I say? Something about STDs won’t let me suspend my disbelief when the two people involved are human.

Finally, I found some of the plot points too shaky once the sex is, metaphorically, taken out. The bad guys are, of course, not Americans (e.g. is there anything more stereotypical than a Russian operative with an accent and named Oksana?), and they are sooooo bad they are almost caricatures. There was a certain inconsistency in the description of some of the gifts shown during the novel, which made it harder for me to suspend my disbelief. Also, the ambiguity of some scenes irritated me more than it intrigued me.

Grade: C+

Read Alicia’s review here, and Gwen’s review here.

Book summary:

     A storm’s rage. A woman’s desire. A man with the power to set them both free.

     He can summon lightning at will. Emerge unscathed from the center of a tornado. Strip a woman down to her barest defenses through the force of his sexuality. He’s gorgeous, dangerous, and the target of parameteorologist Haley Holmes’ latest mission. Haley has been dispatched to the Louisiana bayous to investigate the phenomenon known as Remy Begnaud—a man with a gift he never wanted: the ability to control a storm’s fury. But even a woman trained in bizarre weather phenomena has no defense against the electrifying power of the ex-Navy SEAL… a power his enemies would kill to control.

     With her agency monitoring their every move, Haley’s job is to seduce Remy, gain his trust—and help him harness his extraordinary gift. But who will protect her from this voracious lover who’s introducing her to a new world of erotic thrills—a man who grows increasingly insatiable with each new weather event? Haley knows a big storm is approaching—and with it will come unexpected delights. But so, too, will the storm unleash her greatest fears: an enemy bent on destroying Remy. And her worst fear of all—falling in love with this magnificent man, then having to betray him.

     Read an excerpt.

Alicia’s review of Driven by Eve Kenin
Sci-Fi/Speculative Romance released by Shomi on 28 Aug 07

Have you ever let a book get pushed off and pushed off? Not for any good reason, you just don’t get to it? When you finally read it did you ever really regret not reading it sooner? Sybil keeps asking me, “Have you read Driven, yet? You’re gonna’ love it!” Do I have to tell her she was right, again, or can we just keep this between us?

I finally picked up Driven because I wanted to get Sybil off my back it read before Hidden. I am now kicking myself for waiting because this is an awesome book. Plot, characters, dialogue, setting… all wonderful. Not to mention, finally I got a Shomi that’s not in first person!

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Driven is a fast paced book. Things start happening at the very beginning and they don’t ever stop for long. The way
Kenin describes the scenes kept me enthralled. The massive machines these people were using to move across the arctic waste were real to me. They are almost characters in the story. The futuristic advances were just unusual enough to fascinate me but never enough to get in the way.

Raina is a tough woman. She’s a loner because she’s sick of losing people she cares about. She also has to keep a low profile because she’s hiding from a very powerful person. She just wants to enter this race, win the prize money and scoot outta’ town. Things aren’t going to go exactly the way she has planned.

Wizard, the hero, is unusual. You get the feeling he’s a little odd when you meet him. He only gets more so as you get to know him. That’s okay, though, because he’s great in the story and perfect for Raina. Quirky heroes are a passion of mine, especially when they have a strong moral code, are tough on bad guys and have a soft spot for kids. So what if he needs to learn a little about the definition of “romance”? (This last part refers to a scene that made me laugh until tears were streaming down my face.)

I usually try to list some of the good qualities of a book and some of the bad. I just can’t think of anything to put in the minus column, here. Maybe that it didn’t jump into my hands and demand to be read sooner?

Grade: A+

Read Gwen’s review here.

ROAD WARRIOR. Raina Bowen knows she can handle herself just fine against anything the harsh Northern Waste throws at her. Until it throws her an enigmatic stranger called Wizard. First, she has to haul him out of a brawl he can’t hope to win. And next, her libido is shooting into overdrive at the feel of his hard body pressed against hers on the back of her snowscooter. But there’s something not quite right about this guy. Before she can strip bare Wizard’s secrets, they’re lured into a race for their lives, battling rival truckers, ice pirates…and a merciless maniac with a very personal vendetta.

Read an excerpt.

Nikki’s review Edge of Midnight (The McCloud Brothers, Book 4) by Shannon McKenna
Erotic romantic suspense released by Brava 1 Aug 07

Sean McCloud has a little trouble playing well with others. He hasn’t really had much in the way of an example, though. His father was not the most social guy, he lost his mother early on, and his brothers are as messed up as he is. The brothers who are left, that is. His twin was killed 15 years ago. So, Sean doesn’t do relationships anymore. He doesn’t even do coffee the morning after. Though, at one time he thought he would…

Olivia Endicott braved the bad boy, once. Their love was intense and, she thought, forever. But he sent her away 15 years ago, disillusioned and brokenhearted. Even with professional therapy she never got over him. Now he’s back in her life and she has to decide if it’s some kind of sick joke to him or what.

A word to those who haven’t read Shannon McKenna: her heroes are of the extreme alpha-male variety. Sean and Liv have a history and he knows how she likes to play it, so I could allow his behavior. I believed he would stop if she ever seemed to really want him to. She knew it, too, and thinks exactly this to herself at one point. Still, if the hard, rough type of male appreciation turns you off, skip these books. Think, ‘cave man.’ I loved it.

This book can be summed up with the word “intense”. Sean’s personality is intense. Liv’s situation quickly demands intense decisions. The bad guy’s plot is intense. The secondary characters even have an intensity about them. And the sex is, without a doubt, very intense.

These books are erotic romantic suspense but if you usually love romantic suspense and don’t read erotica, you still might enjoy these. There is more sex than most 17 year olds could manage but there aren’t any of the “kinky” scenes that are associated with erotica. The plot, characters, and dialogue are good.

Actually, the dialogue is better than good. McKenna brings an edginess to her dialogue that keeps me enthralled. Here’s an example:

He didn’t answer. She felt the heat of his face, pressing hard against her shoulder. “I remember it,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” She shoved his knees apart to free herself, and kept her back to him while she adjusted her robe, and her face. “You must have a split personality. There’s the sweet, cuddly Sean, and there’s the cruel, horrible Sean. Is it fun to wind women up and then watch them flap around when you dump them? Do you secretly hate women?”

I love that! I got a picture in my mind of one of those cheap wind-up toys rattling in pitiful, helpless circles on the floor. The choice of wording brought extra imagery and emotion to the thought.

Okay, for realism look elsewhere. Read this book with a healthy dose of suspension-of-disbelief. The kind we needed to accept that CTU would ever hire Kim Bauer (TV series 24). Yes, all these big, tough, hot guys with such a troubled past have done really well for themselves. If reality were so much fun we wouldn’t be reading the books, would we?

Grade: B+

From the back cover:

     Shannon McKenna creates characters readers never forget–and in her latest novel, Sean McCloud must protect the woman he has never stopped loving: Liv Endicott. Years ago, Sean had to send Liv Endicott away to save her life. Now he has to keep her closer, very close–for the same reason . . .

     THE BREAKING POINT

     On the very day an arsonist burns down Liv’s bookstore in a small town in the Washington mountains, she finds fate has another shock in store for her. Amid the smoke, rubble and tears, Sean McCloud appears, calling her name. He’s every inch the man he always was–the man she kept on wanting. But wanting is not the same as trusting, and she doesn’t dare let him get too close. Yet a ruthless killer is gunning for Liv, and she’ll die unless they join forces to unearth a chilling truth–and come together in a blaze of searing passion . . .

     Read an excerpt.

Read Gwen’s review here.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Sex and the Psychic Witch (Triplet Witch Trilogy, Book 1) by Annette Blair
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Berkley Sensation 7 Aug 07

I became an instant fan of Annette Blair’s witches with her first book, The Kitchen Witch, back in 2004. Her humor and wit just poured out her witches in every book of that first trilogy and she has not lost her touch one bit starting with Harmony, the oldest of the Cartwright sisters.

The quips and banter between King and Harmony begins early, in Chapter 2, and doesn’t let up, only dims a little during serious, tension-filled moments and zooms right back to full intensity within pages. As much as I liked the previous trilogy, I’m having more fun with the Cartwrights because their magic is used out in the open and blatantly as compared to the subtle witchery in the first three books.

Harmony is at Paxton Castle to help the resident ghost move on and leave the current owner in peace. King refuses at first to admit he has a spirit harassing him at every turn during his remodeling to sell the albatross of a home, but begins to think differently when the sexpot witch shows up and a calm and serene atmosphere takes over the place.

Along with guiding the apparition to its final resting place, Harmony has also decided to loosen up Mr. Ramrod-Straight-as-a-Board — the man is wound tighter than a spring and doesn’t know the meaning of a good time. He can’t keep his eyes and hands off of her, however, even if he’s not in the market for a lasting relationship. Harmony falls for King immediately and decides to totally enjoy her time with him, no matter how long it is. Loving him for a short time has to be better than not at all.

These characters are a huge breath of fresh air. They’re upfront with one another, no secrets, but they still have the capacity to hurt one another during their unorthodox relationship, and do. Conversely, they also apologize and try to make their mistakes with each other right. They don’t let the hurt fester and grow to turn into a big walk-out scene for one of them to go crawling to the other for forgiveness later on. The secondary characters, including the aforementioned ghost, are all just as fun and witty in their own way. Well, the ghost needs an attitude adjustment, but that’s why Harmony is there!

You will laugh out loud through most of this book. Be warned, though, you will also get a little choked up here and there as the result of a couple of unexpected happenings. If you haven’t read Annette Blair, you are truly missing out on a wonderful experience.

Grade: A+

From the back cover:

     The buyer for her family’s vintage clothing and curio shop, triplet witch Harmony Cartwright-who brings peace to everyone in her sphere-has the ability to read ancient objects and their owners, even their deepest darkest secrets. Now, a Celtic ring depicting a man’s empty embrace becomes a psychic mandate that leads her to Paxton castle on an island off the Salem, Massachusetts coast.

King Paxton has inherited a haunted money-pit of a castle he must sell before he’s cursed with more of the bad luck that plagued his family for generations, but out of nowhere, a leggy blonde walks in and quiets his disgruntled construction crew and wailing ghost. When King throws her out, chaos returns, so he brings her back.

Read an excerpt.

Devon’s review of Stripped by Julie Leto
Paranormal romance published 1 Aug 07 by Harlequin

I love witch stories. Actually, I want to love witch stories. A pretty underused device in paranormal romance, but the ones I have read veer to much towards the wacky hijinks for my taste. Thankfully, Stripped is a well done witch romance. It was exactly what I want when I pick up a Blaze—a sexy, fun and fast read. Within the shorter category length, Ms. Leto was able to combine an interesting plot, good characters, a believable love story, and a fun dose of the paranormal.

Stripped features Lilith St. Lyon, a hereditary witch with telepathic powers. She is strong-willed, independent and opinionated, and these things cause the council that governs witches to strip her of her power. When the police detective with whom she had an affair calls her to help with a case, Lilith finds herself lost without her powers, and unsure how to deal with her lingering feelings for Mac Mancusi.

Straitlaced Mac was thrown for a loop when he realized that Lilith, the sexy psychic police consultant, wasn’t just an intuitive kook. She could actually read his thoughts. Things ended badly between them, but when he needs help he doesn’t know who else to turn to. The characters and their antagonistic relationship were interesting, and different from other Blazes I’ve read. Lilith was a genuinely tough chick, bordering on hard. Yet she was vulnerable enough that you could relate to her and feel for her. Mac was less well-defined, but I liked their “opposites attract” story.

There was an actual plot, a mystery, and it kept my interest. The paranormal elements were well-defined enough that they weren’t just wallpaper, but didn’t distract by being too complex. There were a number of good secondary characters: Lilith’s older and more powerful sister, Mac’s fellow detective, and Lilith’s spacy but practical Wiccan friend. There was a cute little secondary romance too. My big quibble was that I found the blurb a bit misleading. If Lilith used her powers to manipulate Mac, it was to a rather harmless extent.

This was my first read by Julie Leto, and it won’t be my last. It satisfied on every level: good romance, good sex, good action. Definitely a fun way to pass a cold evening.

Grade: B

Lilith St. John is a witch—really. And she hasn’t been too good lately. It seems using her powers to make Detective Mac Mancusi totally infatuated with her was a big no-no. Who knew? After all, what woman could resist having a sexy guy like Mac aching for her every minute they were apart? But the council isn’t pleased—in fact, they’re stripping Lilith of her powers. What’s a witch to do?

Especially now—when Mac’s suddenly back in her life, looking to rekindle the magic…”

Read an excerpt.

Read more from Devon at Is That a Stake in Your Pocket?

Sandy M’s review of The Cavalry Wife by Donna Dalton
Historical romance released 10 Aug 07 by The Wild Rose Press

Every once in a while you pick up a book and just a few pages in you realize you’ve found a lovely little jewel that sparkles and shines the more you read. This book is one of those for me.

From the moment I met Callie, I felt for her, I wanted her to have the life she wanted and deserved, and I wanted her to have the love in her life she’d lost with the death of her parents. Even her connection to the White House couldn’t protect her from the malevolence harbored toward her by her guardians for something so tragic Callie still blames herself. Even when she takes advantage of an unexpected opportunity that she knows is wrong, you pray she holds on to that moment so that she can really begin to live and experience life.

Captain Chase Brooks is a man who needs the structure and discipline of the military. He’s also a man who’s experienced betrayal, so you can imagine his ire when life takes an unwanted turn and he suddenly has a wife he has no intention taking care of, let alone love. Chase is as determined to remain friends with her as Cassie is to break through his facade and show him how to love again. It’s wonderful to see her break down his defenses one by one, but it takes a near-death tragedy to pull him out of his stubborn ways and acknowledge what his wife has to offer him.

Watching Callie become a more confident and determined woman through her befriending the Negro regiment her husband commands and her snubbing the racist and snobbish women of the fort only causes you to cheer her on. The Indian conflicts and illiteracy of the black troops are highlighted and handled very well.

I’m glad I found this diamond in the rough. Ms. Dalton will continue to shine for some time to come.

Grade: A

From the back cover:

A night of too much whiskey, a wrongly-numbered hotel door, and an angry guardian force dedicated cavalry captain Chase Brooks into marriage, despite his vow never to endure another loveless marriage. He reluctantly agrees to take his new wife with him to his remote outpost, convinced the pampered girl won’t last two weeks in the harsh conditions of the southwest and will beg to be sent back east. The one thing he didn’t count on was a burning desire for his unwanted wife.

Callie Grant embraces the opportunity to start a new life far from the controlling hands of her guardians. Enduring the rough environment of the Indian Territories, she transforms from a timid flower into the poised, self-reliant woman she’s always dreamed of becoming. As her gratitude towards the captain turns to love, she resolves to break through her husband’s formidable reserve and uncover the passionate, loving nature he tries to hide.

Read an excerpt.

Available in ebook and print.

Bev(QB)’s review of The Devil’s Possession by Heather Waters
Historical paranormal romance published 7 Aug 07 by Berkley Sensation

The one thing that stands out in this book is that Draven is NOT an all-knowing, all-powerful alpha. He’s vulnerable, tortured, and lacking in confidence. And he craves Faith’s lightness like a dying man in the desert craves water. She makes him look at himself and his magical gifts as a positive gift from God rather than a mark of the Devil as had always been beaten into him.

I had a couple of problems with the book, however. I just couldn’t understand why Faith preferred that her new husband believe she had a lover who abandoned her rather than letting him know she was raped. And I don’t understand the reasoning of the “family friend” who stayed uninvolved throughout Draven’s life when even a few words from him could have served as a lifeline for Draven.

Overall, though, The Devil’s Possession, was a satisfying, lovely redemption story with some plot elements and characters that were fresh and unique.

Grade: B-

From the Back Cover:

She was a woman called to lead

Ordinarily, women do not become Highland chieftains. But Faith Maitland is no ordinary woman- until a violent encounter in the forest crushes her courage and leaves her pregnant. And now, because no clan will accept a sullied woman, she must find a sire for her bastard…

He was a man they called a witch

When Faith names Draven the Devil as the father of her child, she thinks she is blaming a dead man. Instead, her accusation halts his execution for witchery. When he is released from the stake to the Maitlands’ custody, Faith realizes that she has betrothed herself to a silent man with frightening powers…

Theirs was a devil’s bargain

Draven has no reason to relish his escape, having long since wearied of the fear and hate that has been his lot. Yet he finds himself unable to renounce Faith and expose her to the same shame. Fascinated by her beauty and strength, Draven is drawn to Faith even as she is warmed by his tenderness. But their growing trust will be tested by the threat of true evil…

Read an excerpt.

Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.

Gwen’s review of Dark Possession (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 15) by Christine Feehan
Paranormal romance hardcover published 28 Aug 07 by Berkley

I’ve started this review four times.  To begin with, Feehan’s previous Dark novel, Dark Celebration (finally released in paperback 25 Sep 07), was such a disappointment that I didn’t want to read this one.  I bought it almost as soon as it came out – of course, it’s a sickness much akin to the one I have with the Dark-Hunter novels – but I left it on the TBR shelf(s) forever.  I finally cracked it open this weekend. 

I liked this book.  It’s not as good as her older books (loved Dark Gold, re-released last April and has one of the scariest vampires ever), but still quite good.  The characters are engaging and the plot was skimpy but had nice resolutions.  The sensual scenes were characteristically well-choreographed and oh-so-steamy (I had to stop reading the book while my kid was in the room – I was embarrassing myself – NO – not THAT way, pervs).

However, I think Possession suffered from the malaise I first saw in Dark Celebration – it had a whole lot of nuthin’ goin’ on.  Lots and lots of paragraphs of repetitive character introspection with very little action.  There were very few conversations between the characters that wasn’t endless personal diagnosis.  The book’s action took place over only about two days (Celebration was one night, I think).  Yawn inducing.  You can’t spend 368 pages on such a narrow window of time (no flash-backs) and not start examining navel lint – not with really only 2 characters, plus a couple of peripherally involved secondaries.  I think there’s a Natural Law about that somewhere.

Plus, it feels like Feehan has been spending too much time researching Carpathians and the language.  Possession is peppered with words that have impossible pronunciations for non-Eastern Europeans.  That’s a big thing for me in a book.  If I can’t imagine what the characters are saying, how they sound when they say them, it pulls me out of the story.  This goes for authors who have characters with ambiguously spelled names (does “Aimee” sound like “Amy” or “Ehmay,” for example – not a name used in this book, by the way).  At least tell us how the characters say the words so when we read them, we can “hear” them in our heads.  Didn’t happen and there was a lot of that going on in this book.  These impossible words kept ripping me out of the story, not helping me get deeper into it, which was undoubtedly Feehan’s intent using the “authentic” language.

The other bone I have to pick is the hero’s name.  Now, I know it’s up to the author to pick these things and I’m not one to complain (though I am still giggling over Harry Pye), but c’mon.  At least make it a name that a macho, confident, uber-powerful Carpathian male would deign to use.  “Manolito” is a name given to small boys named Manuel, or a cute nickname an older Manuel would allow only his female relatives to use, or his brothers when they were giving him shit.  To have EVERYONE in a character’s life use the diminutive “Manolito” every time they refer to, or talk to, the guy was just not even in the realm of “gonna happen.”  Trust me.  It’s a shame that all that research didn’t include that little twist of Latin American culture.

This book will be interesting to Feehan fans, or Dark Series fans.  I don’t think it will be terribly interesting to someone new to the author or new to the series.  However, I can so totally recommend Books 1-13.  You will not regret reading them – serious steam and really creepy villains and tremendously fun plots with great HEAs.

Grade: C

Blurb:

Manolito De La Cruz knew he was dangerously close to turning into a vampire. The last thing he expected after being called back to his Carpathian homeland by Prince Mikhail was to catch the scent of his destined lifemate in MaryAnn Delaney. MaryAnn is human, but she knows all too well the overwhelmingly aggressive instincts of Carpathian males. And they’re not exactly the kind of men she’d prefer to be bound to for life.

A dedicated counselor for battered women, MaryAnn has a fulfilling life with no room for someone like Manolito, born and bred in the Carpathian Mountains, a law unto himself. But when MaryAnn agrees to go to South America to offer guidance to a brutalized young woman, she’s oblivious of the trap that awaits her in the sweltering thick of the jungle. She has been lured there by Manolito himself, who has seductive plans for the unaware, irresistibly human female.

Once there, she will be his. Once his, she will never be released. He is her lover, her predator, her lifemate. She is his dark possession…

Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of Edge of Midnight (The McCloud Brothers, Book 4) by Shannon McKenna
Romantic suspense published 1 Aug 2007 by Brava/Kensington

Sean is the clown of the McCloud family. Always ready with a quip, a joke, and never one to let a good time go unobserved. But, for fifteen years he’s struggled with his twin’s apparent suicide and with the way he pushed out of his life the only woman he ever loved…

In this McCloud Brothers entry, we explore the “fact” of the brother’s suicide, the basis of his treatment of his lady love, and how they manage to repair their relationship not once, but twice.

This is only the second of Shannon McKenna’s novels I have read to date. It won’t be the last. Her characters are multidimensional and full, even the secondary ones. The story arcs are complete and resolutions satisfying. All in all, a well told, fun story.

There are sometimes little details that are left hanging, but that may be as much editing as writing. For example, I never quite understood if Sean lived close to the town Endicott Falls or if he lived out of it. It’s never quite clear how close the town is to Seattle or Olympia. There are some other small details like that left to the reader’s imagination. But in all, that’s not a big flaw and didn’t detract from the story.

I really liked Sean and Liv. I wanted them to get their HEA in a bad way. I really liked the erotic scenes (serious steam); they were told with a different voice than the other McKenna novel I’ve read. They were told using language that Sean would use – a tad crude and over the top, but very evocative of the character. Most of the erotic scenes were told from the male perspective (which I not-so-secretly enjoy), and were very hot and very appropriate.

This was an excellent novel and one I can recommend to fans of romantic suspense and McKenna. If you’ve never read McKenna before, or this series, you’ll still enjoy it. It stands alone just fine.

Grade: B+

Blurb:

      Shannon McKenna creates characters readers never forget–and in her latest novel, Sean McCloud must protect the woman he has never stopped loving: Liv Endicott. Years ago, Sean had to send Liv Endicott away to save her life. Now he has to keep her closer, very close–for the same reason . . .

     THE BREAKING POINT

     On the very day an arsonist burns down Liv’s bookstore in a small town in the Washington mountains, she finds fate has another shock in store for her. Amid the smoke, rubble and tears, Sean McCloud appears, calling her name. He’s every inch the man he always was–the man she kept on wanting. But wanting is not the same as trusting, and she doesn’t dare let him get too close. Yet a ruthless killer is gunning for Liv, and she’ll die unless they join forces to unearth a chilling truth–and come together in a blaze of searing passion . . .

     Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of Riding the Storm (ACRO Series, Book 1) by Sydney Croft
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Delta 28 Aug 07

Alicia gave this an A- review.  You could say I didn’t like it quite that much.

The hero, Remy, and his abilities are presented interestingly and they’re uniquely described. He is a suitably tortured hero and is appealing. Haley not so much. I also didn’t like their dialog, what there was of it. For example, toward the end of the book, Haley says, “I need you too, Remy. With you, I can be so much more than a meteorologist.” WHAT? LOL I don’t know why, but that just struck me as an idiotic thing to say at that moment. The rest of the Remy/Haley story felt iterative – like I’ve read it before again and again. I was more interested in Creed and Annika’s relationship, and Del and Oz’s.

This was a good book. Not a great book, but it shows promise for the next in the series. There was too much boinking for me to take it too seriously (gads – did that sentence come out of my keyboard?), and some of the secondary characters were flat. Also, I didn’t like the way the men didn’t always act in character – it felt like they were written by a woman who doesn’t understand men, let alone military men, very well. Plus I think I already know who the mole is – bummer.

I can recommend this book if you’re a fan of supernatural ability books, or if you’re looking for a hot read and find it on the used books shelf.

Grade: C-

Blurb:

     A storm’s rage. A woman’s desire.  A man with the power to set them both free.

     He can summon lightning at will. Emerge unscathed from the center of a tornado. Strip a woman down to her barest defenses through the sheer force of his sexuality. He’s gorgeous, dangerous, and the target of parameteorologist Haley Holmes’s latest mission. Haley has been dispatched to the Louisiana bayous to investigate the phenomenon known as Remy Begnaud – a man with a gift he never wanted: the ability to control a storm’s fury. But even a woman trained in bizarre weather phenomena has no defense against the electrifying power of the ex-Navy SEAL…a power his enemies would kill to control.

     With her agency monitoring their every move, Haley’s job is to seduce Remy, gain his trust – and help him harness his extraordinary gift. But who will protect her from this voracious lover who’s introducing her to a new world of erotic thrills – a man who grows increasingly insatiable with each new weather event? Haley knows a big storm is approaching – and with it will come unexpected delights. But so, too, will the storm unleash her greatest fears: an enemy bent on destroying Remy. And her worst fear of all – falling in love with this magnificent man, then having to betray him.

     Read an excerpt.

JenniferB’s Guest Review of Beyond Seduction (A Bastion Club novel) by Stephanie Laurens
published 28 Aug 07 by Avon

     A little bit wild and undeniably brave, the gentlemen of the Bastion Club have pursued adventures far and wide. But their exploits at home could prove to be the riskiest of all as they hunt an elusive target: the perfect bride.

     In a moment of recklessness, Gervase Tregarth, 6th Earl of Crowhurst, swears he’ll marry the next eligible lady to cross his path. Cloistered at his ancestral castle in Cornwall, with nary a suitable woman for miles, he never expects he’ll have to fulfill his pledge, at least not until the London Season begins. But then he meets his neighbor, the very appealing Madeline Gascoigne.

     Years of secret service to the Crown have taught Gervase the value of always having a loophole – there will be no wedding if he and Madeline are not compatible in every way. So he sets out to prove that they would make a most dreadful match… by luring her into his arms and, ultimately, his bed. From their very first kiss, Gervase discovers that the headstrong and independent Madeline is no meek country miss… and that the fire between them will burn long beyond that first seduction.

Note: This blurb, pulled from Laurens’ website, did not match the one on the back of my ARC. This one is much, much better.

Laurens is an almost always win for me – particularly with her Bastion Club series. Despite the ridiculously similar characterizations from book to book, I easily fall for the romantic couple – charmed by traits I’ve come to expect in both.

The hero. Unfortunately, Beyond Seduction’s Gervase seemed ill cast in the role. Laurens molded him exactly as I expected, but something was off. Just slightly. His dogged pursuit – undoing if you will – of the heroine was there and entertaining and seductive. His physical presence, dry wit, barely leashed control – all in attendance. His intentions however, were too off/on for me and too clinical. I’m thinking that it was his clinical approach – his uninspired measuring of the heroine’s candidacy as bride – that caused me to miss the moment he decided she would be his. There was no depth here and that felt like a critical misstep for Laurens.

The heroine. Madeline was a closer fit to Laurens’ mold, but she missed a few crucial lines of dialogue as well. Like Gervase, that omission was tied to her motivation. Her “weakness”  for Gervase’s advances rested on a curious streak she could not control. Her curiosity didn’t translate into mad temptation here. She could have been trying out a new recipe for all the passion and need she admitted. Consequently, her self-analysis and subsequent caving lacked impact.

I will interject that however uninspiring their ultimate capitulation was, the build-up to that vague moment was delightful. Very, very sexy. What with Gervase’s bold assertion that he expected her to warm his bed and Madeline’s flabbergasted, “What?!” It was provocative and entertaining.

The story. Ok, really feeling critical now – but I have to say that the story was equally unfulfilling. To start, it was too long. Instead of using the anticipated nefarious goings-on as a backdrop for the heroine’s seduction, Laurens essentially split the book into two parts. In the first, Gervase and Madeline are logically paired to organize and host an annual festival. Between festival committee meetings, Gervase and Madeline are occupied – only mildly – by Madeline’s treasure-hunting little brothers. The rest of the time they spend getting to know one another.

By the time we reach the second leg of the story, the seduction is complete and Madeline is holding out for the rest (marriage) until she determines whether Gervase truly loves her. In this segment, the nefarious goings on finally collide with Madeline’s brothers, other Bastien Club members are called in and the villain’s identity is revealed. Then they set about catching him. After which, Madeline comes to her senses and she and Gervase are married.

All of this took too long and I admit to skimming the book’s last hundred pages or so.

In fairness to Ms. Laurens, I’m not sure if Beyond Seduction would have appealed more to me had I been in a different mood. I was, at the very least, restless and preoccupied. I was looking for something to grab me and keep me in place until the last page. Perhaps that is not the best time to choose a comfortable but predictable read.

Grade: C

Join JenniferB on her blog, I Just Finished Reading.

Alicia’s review of Riding the Storm (ACRO Series, Book 1) by Sydney Croft
Paranormal romance released by Delta Trade Paperback 28 Aug 07

I went into this book pretty blind.  Sybil gave me some books and said, “These need to be reviewed, do any interest you?”  When I read the blurb, this one sounded good and I just dove right in.  The story is so good, I had to double check that it is an erotic title.  Believe me, it is erotic, but it in no way sacrifices quality authorship.

This book is the first in a series about a secret agency called Agency for Covert Rare Operatives, or ACRO.  This agency is a para-military organization that finds and trains people with rare, special abilities.  They have psychics, telekinetics, mediums, people who control or release energies, all kinds of cool stuff.  Very X-Men, very well done and very fun!

Remy is a tortured hero but he isn’t cold hearted.  He’s not one of those heroes you almost hate until he redeems himself near the end of the book.  I felt for him the whole way.  His character held through the book.  His choices and actions rang true to the end.

Haley isn’t quite as well drawn.  For example, it says that she has never liked military men, instead preferring the corporate suit types.  But, even if she has strong feminist feelings, she doesn’t come across as a fem-dom.  So she would have wanted a man she could respect… and she, knowing what went into military life from personal experience, would have respected military men more than suits.  But I still liked Haley.  She’s a strong woman but not unbelievably so.  She’s very real-feeling in the way she struggles to face bizarre circumstances.

I loved the storms!  The weather and its effect on the characters is so well written that I felt tlike I was there.  This was a big draw for me to read the book in the first place.  DH and I stood outside during parts of Hurricane Rita because we just loved the passion of the storm. This book captures this beautifully!  And Remy and Haley do all the things I wish I’d been able to do.  Yummy!

Now for what I read at the end… The author, Syndey Croft is actually a team!  The books are a collaborative effort between Stephanie Tyler and Larissa Ione.  I’d never have guessed from reading the book.  How they can make such a wonderful, cohesive finished product amazes me.  I can’t believe I have to wait for the next book (March 2008)!

Grade: A-

Blurb:

     A storm’s rage. A woman’s desire.  A man with the power to set them both free.

     He can summon lightning at will. Emerge unscathed from the center of a tornado. Strip a woman down to her barest defenses through the sheer force of his sexuality. He’s gorgeous, dangerous, and the target of parameteorologist Haley Holmes’s latest mission. Haley has been dispatched to the Louisiana bayous to investigate the phenomenon known as Remy Begnaud – a man with a gift he never wanted: the ability to control a storm’s fury. But even a woman trained in bizarre weather phenomena has no defense against the electrifying power of the ex-Navy SEAL… a power his enemies would kill to control.

     With her agency monitoring their every move, Haley’s job is to seduce Remy, gain his trust-and help him harness his extraordinary gift. But who will protect her from this voracious lover who’s introducing her to a new world of erotic thrills-a man who grows increasingly insatiable with each new weather event? Haley knows a big storm is approaching and with it will come unexpected delights. But so, too, will the storm unleash her greatest fears: an enemy bent on destroying Remy. And her worst fear of all–falling in love with this magnificent man, then having to betray him.

     Read an excerpt.

Lawson’s review of Love Letters From a Duke (The Bachelor Chronicles, Book 3) by Elizabeth Boyle
Historical Romance released by Avon 27 Aug 07

Felicity Langley has always had one goal in mind: to be a duchess. She’s very near her goal, being in London when her almost-betrothed comes at last. And she’s in luck, since she’s been writing him letters for many years and she feels she knows and loves him. Felicity and her sister Tally are staying just around the corner from the London house of the Duke of Hollindrake, and they are waiting for him to come to town for his investiture since his grandfather has recently died and her almost-betrothed is the new duke.

But Felicity and her sister have a problem. A big problem involving the fact that their solicitor won’t release their funds to finance a season, or even some decent new clothes. So being the resourceful (and rather forceful) girl she is, Felicity is able to maintain appearances by bartering, bullying and some B and E. Sort of. And she’s got to guarantee that she really is betrothed to Hollindrake, since she wrote him a letter years before and proposed to him.

So, of course, one of the things one must have to keep appearances up is a footman, and when a Mr. Thatcher arrives on her doorstep, in desperation Felicity hires him. Though she’s attracted to him, she thinks he won’t realize that they don’t have money to pay his wages, but by that time Hollindrake will have come up to stuff and she’ll be set for life. What she doesn’t realize is her new footman is actually her almost betrothed, Aubrey Michael Thomas Sterling, former Marquess of Standon, now Duke of Hollindrake.

Aubrey had shown up to break off the engagement and tell Felicity that she’d been writing letters to his grandfather all these years and he’d had no knowledge of any betrothal since he’s been in Spain for the last decade with the army and escaping the machinations of his meddlesome grandfather and disinterested family. Soon though Aubrey realizes that Felicity is a gem and he wants to do what he can to win his love for himself and not her Hollindrake.

Felicity has not been an endearing character to me. When she appeared in This Rake of Mine she was overly meddlesome and stubborn. And she needed to learn that life doesn’t always go her way and she doesn’t get what she wants. So when I heard this was her love story, I admit there were some reservations, but I was hoping for the best.

So did I miraculously do an about face and like Felicity and her pushy ways? Eh. I understand where she’s coming from, she’s very resourceful, she’s got some fine qualities, but I still just don’t like her. Now if I ran across her in the street would I treat her like her nemesis, boorish American heiress Sarah Browne? No, I’ve got some class, thank you, but I don’t think I’d want to be friends with Felicity.

Aubrey is another story. Noble, overcoming a reckless youth and a fish out of water in his new circumstances (he didn’t stand to inherit, he’s the third son of a third son, but it happened) he handles himself admirably and finally realizes that being ducal is about who he is not who he’s supposed to be. And he is obviously dynamite in the sack.

The fact that Aubrey is trying Felicity to give up her dream of being a duchess and marry for love instead to her footman is probably the best part of the story. Felicity’s reaction to the truth and her manipulations detract from the story. Especially since she’s so single minded for most of the book to not have fun and be someone she’s obviously not. Why Aubrey thinks she’s really worth all the effort is a little beyond me, since he seems much more mature and prepared to handle life’s problems than she is.

I do love Boyle’s books and Aubrey is a great hero. There’s fun secondary characters like Tally and Pippin, Felicity’s overly romantic sister and cousin, Jamilla, one of her father’s former mistresses, Aunt Minty the not so good chaperon, and appearances from Temple and Jack, but Felicity is too much to take in.

Aubrey and some of Felicity’s better qualities (I do admire the fact she’s fluent in four languages) do tend to outweigh Felicity overall, she’s just not a character I really like and I think she’s better off now with her story over and she can be a secondary character again. As long as she doesn’t meddle too much.

Grade: C

Summary:

He’s at her service . . .

Though she can’t afford the coal to heat her drafty Mayfair mansion, Felicity Langley still clings to her dream of marrying a duke-one she’s had since her very first curtsy. After all, she’s been promised to the very lofty Duke of Hollindrake for the last four years. Now all she has to do is meet him. But what Felicity doesn’t realize is that she has met her duke-he’s the altogether too handsome man who Felicity has just mistaken . . . for her new footman!

By rights, Thatcher should immediately set this presumptuous chit straight and tell her he has no intention of honoring the arranged betrothal. But he’s quickly smitten by Felicity’s delightful determination, her irrepressible charm . . . and her breathtaking sensuality. Yes, she’d wed him in an instant were his true identity revealed-but Thatcher’s vowed to marry only for love. So begins his deception and his conquest of this uncommon woman who doesn’t believe in romance, but is about to find her heart and passion set aflame by the unlikely man she’s sworn to resist.

Read an excerpt.

Connie’s review of Traceless by Debra Webb
Romantic Suspense released by St. Martin’s 28 Aug 07

Traceless is a story of how old small town secrets always come back to haunt you.

Traceless opens with Clint being released from jail after serving ten years for a murder he didn’t commit. He returns home, to the small town he grew up, determined to clear his name, find out who made him waste ten years of his life in jail for and even though it isn’t clearly a goal to him – to prove to Emily he didn’t do it.

Emily and Clint grew up together in the usual roles of bad boy/good girl. They went to a typical small town high school together. He was the typical bad boy, to her typical good girl. For Clint it was a lust for the good girl he could and would never have and for Emily it was a ‘secret crush’ of sorts with the boy from the wrong sides of the tracks, until she saw him murder her “best” friend.

Things are anything but typical from there. As the person who found Clint holding the body, Emily was THE key witness and biggest reason Clint finds himself behind bars for 10 years. Or at least the biggest reason the author gives us, all the ‘evidence’ that is used to this young man away for 10 YEARS really didn’t add up to me.

Over all I wanted to like the book and I did enjoy the story but it is so sad. There is so much lost time, the things he went through in prison, Heather dying for what turns out to be such a stupid reason and a small town evil that is hard to believe wouldn’t have come out in the last ten years (really longer because Heathers murder was not the start).

I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the book. It kept me turning the pages. I read it in close to one sitting and there were many things about Clint and Emily I enjoyed reading about but over all this isn’t a good suspense story.

Grade: C

Here is the summary:

She’s In Search of Justice

Emily Wallace has no doubt about who killed her best friend ten years ago. Clint Austin, the town bad boy. The key witness in his trial, Emily put Clint behind bars with her tearful testimony. But when Emily learns that Clint has been released on parole, she returns to her Alabama hometown to confront him—and make sure he never forget the damage he has done.

He is Dead-Set on Revenge

After serving ten years for a crime he didn’t commit, Clint knows only the truth can set him free. Ignoring warnings from his old friend, now the chief of police, Clint will let no one stand in his way as he tries to prove his innocence – including Emily, the girl he once loved. Prison has made him a hard man, yet he yearns for Emily…and he can see in her eyes that, in spite of herself, she feels the same. But even if he can convince her to trust him, it might be too late to clear his name – before the real killer strikes again.

Sybil’s review of Traceless by Debra Webb
Romantic Suspense released by St. Martin’s 28 Aug 07

I REALLY was excited when I saw this book. And ended up reading a few pages just to ”try’ it out. I stayed up all night reading it but when I closed the book I was really disappointed. The whole bad guy plot is so unbelievable, even though I could see it being ‘ripped from the headlines’ over the last five or so years. Maybe it is a case of truth being stranger than fiction – although I haven’t seen anything, anywhere saying the author based this on any ‘real life events’.

The good news is she is a long-time Harlequin author, I have enjoyed before. This could explain the almost 30 virgin heroine and prison rapes which are never STATED but alluded too. I kept telling her, you are writing for St. Martin’s now, you can say those things. Yes I talk to my books sometimes. Stop looking at me like that!

I think this is her first time out the gate with a full length novel. So even though I ended up not really liking this book, I look forward to trying the next in the trilogy, Nameless. I think it is a trilogy. If she can get the suspense to be as good as the characters, I think we will see some great romantic suspense from Debra Webb.

Grade: C-

The next book in the trilogy (?) will be out in Feb 2008:
Nameless

Gwen’s review of Driven by Eve Kenin
Futuristic romance published 28 Aug 07 by Shomi/Lovespell

Holy icicles, Batman! This futuristic/sci-fi/urban-like romance was a total treat to read! The heroine is a kickass, vulnerable but competent woman named Raina. The hero is an emotionally buttoned-down, kickass but controlled hunk named Wizard. And in this book, they kick ass and take names together, all while falling in love and, naturally, saving a large portion of the world.

When the book opens we find ourselves in the not too distant future of an Earth that has gone thru a few cataclysmic changes in weather and government. Raina Bowen is alone in this post-apocalyptic world, an independent trucker in a world driven by Big Government and even Bigger Business. She has a spine of steel and a moral code she won’t break for anyone, including herself.

Fate and some Machiavellian planning throws her together with Wizard. He’s almost as alone in the world as Raina and is driven by his own internal demons. He’s a hyper-trained assassin who has compartmentalized himself so much, he almost seems a cyborg. We find out he’s just a good looking, slightly odd guy with a non-traditional upbringing. Wizard wants to use Raina to help him catch a really bad guy – a bad guy who also happens to be Raina’s enemy and worst nightmare.

The story unfolds and unfolds and unfolds. You’re never left thinking, “C’mon, get on with it already.” In fact, you almost want it to slow down a bit to let us see more Raina & Wizard action. But, somehow, Kenin finds a balance between emotional development, character development, and plot development, all while telling a rockin’ good tale.

If you’re an urban romance fan, an action romance fan, or a sci-fi romance fan, you’ll LOVE this book. Even if you’re not sure if those are the genres for you, I still recommend this book. It’s some hellagood storytelling. Two weeks ago, if you had told me I’d like a book about “truckers” this much, I’d have laughed and said no way. If I had kept that mindset, I’d have missed one of the better books I’ve read this year.

Grade: A

Here’s the book blurb:

ROAD WARRIOR
Raina Bowen knows she can handle herself just fine against anything the harsh Northern Waste throws at her. Until it throws her an enigmatic stranger called Wizard. First, she has to haul him out of a brawl he can’t hope to win. And next, her libido is shooting into overdrive at the feel of his hard body pressed against hers on the back of her snowscooter. But there’s something not quite right about this guy. Before she can strip bare Wizard’s secrets, they’re lured into a race for their lives, battling rival truckers, ice pirates…and a merciless maniac with a very personal vendetta.

Read an excerpt (it’s the kick-butt first chapter – it will leave you breathless).

Next up for this author:
1 Oct 07

Lawson’s review of Sex and the Psychic Witch (Triplet Witch Trilogy, Book 1) by Annette Blair
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Berkley Sensation 7 Aug 07

Though this is a new series by Blair, it ties in with her last book The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This first book is about Harmony Cartwright, one of the Cartwright triplets. They’re also witches and they own a vintage clothing and antique store in Salem, Mass. 

Harmony and her sisters Destiny and Storm are going through a garage sale, looking for things for their store when Harmony finds a gold dress and knows she has to have it. Upon further inspection she finds a ring sewn into the dress and gets a vision about Paxton Castle and knows she’s got to go there for some reason.

Harmony convinces her sisters this is what she must do, it’s a psychic mission, and toddles off to Paxton Castle. In high heels and hot pants with a suitcase full of message tees such as “Orgasm Donor”. No joke. There she intrudes into the life of the current Paxton Castle owner, King Paxton.

King doesn’t like having his life interrupted, but Harmony’s arrival quiets the ghost that haunts the castle, so he puts up with her, though he suspects there’s more to her reason for showing up on his doorstep than her claim to be searching for vintage clothing. King believes Harmony after a couple of mishaps that there’s a ghost haunting the castle, and spends most of the time thinking about how to get into her pants. Not that Harmony isn’t thinking the same things as well.

Eventually an intervention is needed on both sides, magical and male. Harmony’s sisters arrive to help with the magic and King’s best friends, Aiden and Morgan, help King realize that he’s got a giant stick up his ass and he needs to change his ways and accept Harmony in his life.

There’s a lot of cute things in this book, and it knows it. Makes me think of reviews of “Six Feet Under” I read a time or two. It’s precocious, witty, and perhaps strives to hard to achieve that which is called good because it’s rather self satisfied and wants too much to bask in its own brilliance. Or something like that.

Harmony is alright, King is kind of a mess, and the other two triplets and the two friends are going to get their tales told in the next two books in the series. Is there good chemistry? Yes, though it seems that all these people think about is sex. Especially when the triplets are all apparently stacked and wear tight little tee shirts, hot pants and stilettos. Or maybe just Harmony does, it was a little hard to tell.

Self-satisfied cleverness aside, it was a funny story, had some interesting things to say about relationships, letting go and embracing the future. There is a time line thing that bothered me, but I read the ARC, so I hope it was caught in the final (having to do with King doing something 17 years ago when he was 17 but now he’s 37. . .) and that something came out of nowhere and didn’t really seem necessary to the story.

King’s friends did seem to have more potential to make decent alpha males and hopefully those stories won’t want to bask in their own cleverness as much as this one did.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Introducing the Cartwright sisters-Harmony, Destiny and Storm-triplets and unstoppable seductresses.

Harmony, the buyer for her sisters’ vintage curio shop, can read objects and learn of their former owners. Now, a Celtic ring leads her to a castle on the coast of Massachusetts. King Paxton’s money-pit is cursed, and he hopes that this leggy blonde can help him find peace with an angry ghost, a disgruntled renovation crew-and his own heart.

Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance, and Sunny
Paranormal, Fantasy Anthology released by Berkley 7 Aug 07

Anthologies are interesting, especially when they’re about related topics – in this case, people with two natures - animal and human.  This set of four stories all have critters in common: werewolves, hellhounds, dragons, and tigers. Two of these authors I know something about (Briggs and Wilks), but two were new to me (Chance and Sunny).  It’s interesting to read new authors in this context.  Sometimes they suffer by comparison, and sometimes they benefit by getting a new audience.

Alpha & Omega by Patricia Briggs

     The werewolf Anna finds a new sense of self when the son of the werewolf king comes to town to quell unrest in the Chicago pack – and inspires a power in Anna that she’s never felt before.

Read an excerpt.

A&O is by one of my favorite paranormal authors, Patricia Briggs.  Her Mercy Thompson series is a very fun read and this story is linked to it thru a couple of characters, but it is standalone enough to read by itself.  What I like about Briggs’s stories is they’re very “real” – her characters, for all their special abilities, have normal jobs and normal concerns.  It’s like reading about your neighbor or your best friend, thrown into extraordinary situations.  It’s all so compelling and so readable.  Whenever I stopped reading A&O for some real-life interruption, I couldn’t wait to get back to the story.  Briggs tells us more about Anna and Charles (the heroine and hero) in August 2008 and I can’t wait.

Grade: A

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks

     Kai has a secret gift of sensing thoughts and desires.  What she senses in her neighbor Nathan could be dangerous.  Because he has a secret gift, too, and it’s about to be let loose.

[Note from Gwen: An excerpt is available on the author's website, but you have to sign up for her newsletter to get it  :-(  .  Insult to injury - the newsletter sign up didn't work properly for me when I visited her site (clickie no workie).]

This is by another of my favorite paranormal authors, Eileen Wilks.  Her World of the Lupi series is unique, sexy, and way fun.  Her heroines are unconventional and heroes are luscious.  Wilks writing is excellent and evocative of writers like Steinbeck - it has an economy of words that is briefly and elegantly complete.  The more she writes, the more I like it.  Here’s an example of her craft:

     Humans were peculiar. They were by turns squeamish and appallingly violent.  Eventually Nathan had concluded it was their very bloodthirstiness that made them erect so many legal and social barriers against culling the vicious from their midst.  They didn’t trust themselves to stop with the obviously evil.

This story is related to Wilks’s Lupi series in that it discusses common events.  While it could be helpful if you have read them, but isn’t required to enjoy the story.  We get to hear more about Kai and Nathan (the heroine and hero) in Wilks’s next book, Night Season.  (By the way, imagine my surprise discovering Wilks was born in Monahans – in seriously west Texas.)

Grade: B

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance

     In a New York auction house, a Lord of the Fey crosses paths with a fiery redheaded mage named Claire.  But in this strange underground society, the rarity up for sale is Claire herself.

Read an excerpt.

BT is written by an author who is new to me, Karen Chance.  This story tells of a young woman in extraordinary circumstances.  After being placed on an auction block by her boss’s son and somehow transported to a faerie realm with a hunky fae.  She discovers something startling about herself in this realm.  This story isn’t as richly told as the first two but it was still a lot of fun.  It had some fantasy, sword play (both kinds), long lost fathers, and surprises. I enjoyed this story but not so much I’m rushing out to buy Chance’s back list.

Grade: B-

Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny

     Among the children of the moon, Mona Lisa is of Mixed Blood – Part Monere, part human, and destined to be alone.  Then she meets a man who could be her salvation – or her downfall.

Read an excerpt.

MLB is by another author who is new to me, Sunny. Frankly, I find the whole “no last name” thing to be a bit affected.  I just don’t see the point.  Regardless, I was prepared to overlook this if the story was good.  And the story wasn’t bad, but it didn’t have anything to recommend it over anything else I’ve read this year.  In fact, it was a little too LKH’ish for my taste.  I like LKH – even if she’s gone a wee bit around the bend lately, but I read her stuff.  I just don’t care for imitators and this story was a little too close in several details. In addition to that, the writing was oddly uneven – alternating from a formal speaking voice and casual colloquialisms.

Grade: D

Overall Grade: B-

Here’s the book blurb:

     These all-new paranormal romances from today’s hottest authors feature a female werewolf who comes into her own; a Lord who crosses paths with a fiery mage; a mixed-blood Child of the Moon who faces an uncertain future; and a woman whose sixth sense proves to be a dangerous talent.

What’s next for these authors:

	Patricia Briggs, coming 2 Jan 2008		Eileen Wilks, coming 2 Jan 2008
	Karen Chance, Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer Book 3) coming 1 Apr 2008		Sunny, coming 2 Jan 2008

Gwen’s review of Tanner’s Scheme (The Breeds book 3) by Lora Leigh
Paranormal erotic romance released by Berkley 7 Aug 07

This is the story of Tanner Reynold’s and Scheme Tallant’s love affair.  It’s called Book 3, but frankly, the numbering methodology for this series is beyond confusing.  In the breed chronology, this book falls after Harmony’s Way and before Wolfe’s Hope.  You can see the full chronology here.  Personally, I think the placement is all Ms Leigh’s whimsy and there’s no master plan behind it.    The book’s official release date is today, but the local Wal-Mart already had this on their shelves last Saturday. 

Tanner is the public face of the Breeds and is the poster child for the “We’re Harmless” message the Breeds want to convey to the human public.  Scheme is the daughter of the mastermind behind the Breeds Labs and all the atrocities committed therein.  There’s nothing a Breed would like to do more to her than skin her alive and leave her on an ant hill.  Problem is, they would have to go thru Tanner to get her.  Tanner has fantasized about Scheme and spied on her for years and years – she’s done the same to Tanner, for that matter. Now they’re together and things get hot, fast.

Tanner kidnaps Scheme just steps ahead of her father’s assassins.  Dear Ol’ Dad has discovered Scheme has been working against him, for the Breeds, for a decade.  Scheme knows her dad has a similar spy in the Breeds’ midst and suspects Tanner to be that traitor.  The hero and heroine spend roughly half of the book trying to overcome these trust issues, only to realize that neither one of them are what they appear to be.  At all.

This is a very nice love story.  Of course it has Leigh’s trademark Breed very hot, very erotic sex, but it also has plenty of plot to drive you from one hot bed bout to the next.  The climax (chuckle) is very exciting (tee hee).  Great fight scenes and excellent suspense.  You really care about Tanner and Scheme by the end of the book, as well as for several of the secondary characters (Cabal’s story should be hot hot hot!).  I continue to be impressed by Ms Leigh’s incredible, and incredibly productive, imagination.

Another excellent entry in Leigh’s alternate Breeds reality.

Grade: A

Here’s the book blurb:

A sexy paranormal series set in a world where genetically altered Breeds and the humans who created them sometimes come together in the fiercest of passions.

After the Feline Breeds’ main base is attacked, Tanner desires revenge. So he kidnaps Scheme Tallant-the daughter of a one-time high-ranking member of the Genetics Council. But when Tanner discovers that Scheme herself is a target of her father’s ruthless mission, his vengeance takes a back seat to saving the life of the woman he hopes to claim as his mate.

Read an excerpt.

Next on Ms Leigh’s horizon:

Nauti trilogy Book 2, 6 Nov 07	Tempting SEALs Book 5, 4 Mar 08
Mar 2008, Dawn’s Awakening (Berkley Sensation, Cougar Breed)	Sep 2008 Mercury’s War (Berkley Sensation, Lion Breed)

Gwen’s review of Trouble by Sasha White
Erotic romance published by Berkley Heat on 7 Aug 07

This book is set in modern-day Vancouver (presumably BC, not WA).  The hero, Valentine, and heroine, Samair, meet in his nightclub and proceed to have a very steamy relationship.  This is a very erotic book, but a very fun one as well.  I enjoyed the hell out of reading it.  But I can’t for the life of me figure out the image on the cover!  Is that a pair of fishnet-clad breasts being squished together?  And is that an arm or a leg across the front?  It’s like one of those IQ puzzles.

I’ve been reading some pretty damn good books lately. The last few have been erotic romances and this is the best of a very good lot. 

Samair is a heroine who knows her own mind.  She’s courageous and, once she makes up her mind she’s going to do something, she does it.  She doesn’t dither or make those TSTL actions.  Ms White has created a heroine to be admired.

Val is a hero to admire and lust after.  He’s willing to do just about anything to make Samair happy.  When, at the end of the book, Samair gives him an ultimatum, he does the right thing.  You just want to go all squishy and say”awwww.”

I don’t have a bone to pick with this book.  The characters are all very genuine and well developed.  The story arcs are all very satisfying.  The ending is just terrific. It’s a very hot book – lots of very well written, very steamy love (sex) scenes.  The story is well paced, believable, and very fun.  Dang.  I sound like a fan girl, but darn if I didn’t really like this book!

Thanks for a romping good read, Sasha!

Grade: A

Here’s the book blurb:

     Samair Jones is bored with her go-nowhere job, and fed up with her two-timing boyfriend. She’s had it up to here with being the pushover. All Samair wants is to let loose, be herself, and live by her own rules.

     But it’s only when she meets Valentine Ward, the hot owner of the club Risque, that the decadent possibilities of answering only to herself become daringly clear. Especially when Valentine is willing to indulge every one of Samair’s fantasies-no strings attached. At least none that Samair can see…

     Then she meets Valentine’s ex-wife Vera. She’s powerful, wealthy, jealous and dangerously manipulative. Vera’s about to throw new kink into Samair and Valentine’s games. But this one could be trouble.

     Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter, Book 11) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal romance published 7 Aug 07 by St. Martin’s Press

This is the latest entry into Kenyon’s long-lived Dark-Hunter series.  The heroine is one of Artemis’s koris, Katra, and the hero is a Sumerian ex-god named Sin.  This book is centered around a new fight with a new pantheon’s baddies.  These baddies are actually badder than the Daimon baddies.

This entry into the Dark-Hunter world introduces another pantheon (Sumerian) and a new set of bad guys (the Gallu and the Dimme). None as familiar to us westerners as the Greek pantheon, though, and this leaves the reader a little at sea. This fact shouldn’t be fatal to a story if that story is well-told and interesting.  But, this story is well-told, just not that interesting.

In Devil, I felt like Ms Kenyon never gets very invested in Katra’s deeper feelings and motivations.  She talks about Kat’s immetiate motivations, her immediate reactions, some of her immediate feelings, but we never get much more than superficially involved.  I felt that at the end of the story I didn’t know Kat a whole lot better than I did at the beginning.  Among many things, I wanted to know more about how she felt about having to depend on another for sustenance, after an unfortunate encounter with one of the demons.  We never know, though.

I felt like the male lead character was more developed than Katra, but I didn’t like him very much, so I didn’t care.  He was too sarcastic and too unappealing to me to begin to care about him much.  I felt sorry for him, but only because Ms Kenyon reminded me over and over how betrayed Sin was, how wronged he was, etc. etc.

Let me equivocate a bit by stating the absolute fact that I have always liked Sherrilyn Kenyon/Kinley MacGregor novels.  Tons.  Perhaps I’m just tired of the whole D-H thing, but I’m interested in other paranormal series similar to the Dark-Hunters.  Well, then, perhaps I’ve been overexposed to the D-H’s, but it’s been months since I read a D-H novel.  Perhaps it’s just run its course with me. 

However, I’ll be picking up the next one.  Is that sick, or what?  I’m such a sucker for these stories.

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool D-H fan, you’ll enjoy this book, but perhaps not love it.  If you’re new to the whole D-H craze, I wouldn’t start with this book – it picks up several existing characters mid-stream and will be confusing.  Start with the first book in the list below, Fantasy Lover – it’s fantastic, as are most of the subsequent entries (especially Zarek’s story, Dance With the Devil - loved it).

Grade: C+

Here’s the book blurb:

     Trust of any kind died in him the moment Artemis tricked him, but now he must rely on another woman or see an annihilation of biblical proportions. Enemies have always made strange bedfellows, but never more so than when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Now a man who knows only betrayal must trust the one person most likely to hand him to the demons. Artemis may have stolen his godhood, but this one has stolen his heart. The only question is will she keep it or feed it to the ones who want him dead?

     Read an excerpt.

Here are the other Kenyon Dark/Dream-Hunter books: