C2’s review of Karma (Serendipity, Book 3) by Carly Phillips
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 1 May 12

Can two people whose lives have centered on guilt find a way to move forward with their lives and find happiness together? The third book in Carly Phillips’ Serendipity series gives us the answer.

Dare Barrons’ entire life has been colored by a high school incident that left a classmate dead.  When a fight broke out at a party, one of the guys fell hard on a concrete patio.  Panic followed and a lot of kids, Dare included, fled the scene.  Dare’s guilt over running away and remaining silent about what really happened had a huge influence over all his future choices – the foster home he went to after his parents were killed in a car crash and even his choice of careers.  Now Dare is a police officer in his hometown and he still has regular run-ins with the person responsible for their classmate’s death all those years ago.  The only small bright side is that Dare also gets to see the guy’s older sister when she comes to bail him out of jail.  She was the only reason Dare went to the party to start with – he had a crush on her and hoped to see her.

Liza McKnight’s life has mostly centered around her brother.  Her parents always thought he could do nothing wrong and she could do nothing right – they did everything they could to make her brother’s life easy.  Now that her parents spend most of their time away from Serendipity, taking care of Brian has become her responsibility.  He has a job at the family’s architectural firm but isn’t a diligent worker, by any means, and has a drinking problem that has him regularly in and out of jail.  Liza knows he needs more help than she can give him, but he is an adult. He helped her once in college when she really needed it and it has always been beaten into her brain that she is supposed to take care of him.

Liza had noticed Dare when visiting the police station to bail out her brother – hot guy in a uniform??  Yes, indeed.  But his open hostility to her brother and her general discomfort with the locals keeps her from being friendly.  And Dare’s high school crush on Liza?  Still crushing along, even though he thinks she is an enabler to her obviously troubled brother.

Really, Liza and Dare have a lot in common – both feel guilty about their parts in that high school party that went wrong, both had less than stellar childhoods. Just as they begin to explore a relationship, Brian gets into more trouble. There have been instances of missing money and mishandled accounts at Liza’s firm and Brian works in that department. When Brian goes missing and Liza’s brake line is cut, it seems his enemies are trying to get to him through her.

I appreciate the fact that Liza isn’t one of those too-stupid-to-live heroines we encounter sometimes. When she finds out she is in danger, she accepts all the protection offered from the police and from Dare’s family. She doesn’t go rushing off in a misguided attempt to save the day – and bless her for it. LOL

Can Liza accept that someone actually cares about her and won’t push her aside for something or someone more important? Can Dare let go of his guilt from the past and look toward the future without bitterness?

I enjoyed this book much more than the second in the series, although not quite as much as the first (I loves me some bad boy/good girl plots). This is a good, steady small-town romance and Ms. Phillips’ fans should be quite pleased to see all the Barrons brothers settled and happy.

Grade: C+

Summary:
Police Officer Dare Barron has had a crush on Liza McKnight ever since he was a teenager. But despite his lifelong attraction, the closest he’s ever come to interacting with her is watching Liza regularly bail out her brother at the station.
 
Dare’s dark past with Liza’s brother, Brian, has always kept him from pursuing her. But suddenly Liza finds herself in need of protection and Dare appoints himself as the man for the job.  And while the sizzling attraction between Dare and Liza draws them together, the past that Dare and Brian share threatens to keep the two apart forever.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Angel’s End (Angel’s End Series, Book 1) by Cindy Holby
Western Historical Inspirational Romance published by Berkley 1 May 12

I’ve been in a cowboy mood for a while now, so every book that comes my way that has a cowboy hero, I’ve been more than happy to delve right in. So far, I’ve been lucky with the outcome of each, though a couple have fallen short of the mark. This story in Cindy Holby’s new series is a definite winner, full of emotion with an unlikely romance in the Old West, a time when you did what you had to to survive. She portrays that era perfectly, all with love and prayers, which was usually what all those who lived back then had to count on in their everyday life.

Cade Gentry is on the run. He double crossed a “business” associate and is now paying the price. While he’s not proud of some of the things he’s done, he just couldn’t be a party to murder for gain. What he got is a bullet for the trouble he caused. Figuring he’s going to die before he can get help out in the middle of nowhere, he stumbles upon a lone man, someone who could be in cahoots with his pursuer. But Cade takes a chance and instead meets Pastor Timothy Key, headed for Angel’s End to tend his new flock. Cade hasn’t talked to God in a very long while, all he’s ever gotten is silence so he figures why bother. God has a sense of humor, you know.

Now there’s one more thing Cade will carry around on his conscience – the pastor is caught in the crossfire when his partner’s hired guns catch up with him. Hoping he can pull off a identity switch, he takes the preacher’s coat, bible, and horse, leaving Pastor Key in the Lord’s hands. With pain and fever racing through his body, Cade holds on for dear life and eventually finds himself in the presence of the most beautiful angel he’s ever seen. He’s out of it for some time, fighting fever and other effects from the hole in his gut. When he wakes he hopes beyond hope he has maybe found a place he can call home. All under false pretenses, of course.

Though the new pastor would be living in her home anyway, Leah never imagined it would all begin with her taking care of the man because he’s been shot. How does a minister get in the way of a bullet? And there’s other small things that don’t seem quite right about him. But she has a son to take care of, along with a job and a house, all of it alone since her sheriff husband was killed a few years ago. The townsfolk help out when they can, especially Jake, a handsome rancher. Leah doesn’t return his feelings, though. She’s hoping for love a second time around. How she’ll find it in Angel’s End is anyone’s guess. Their town is literally the end of the road. When she finds herself attracted to the Pastor Key, Leah has to pray for strength.

Inspirational romance is not in my usual reading pattern – mostly because a lot of them get too preachy for me – but the title and blurb on this book intrigued me, along with the fact I’ve not read Ms. Holby before. She does a wonderful job, however, of giving each character in this book their own idea of God and what He offers them. There are those who believe unconditionally and send up a prayer when the going gets rough; others whose belief have gone by the wayside; and then Cade himself who just knows God laughs at him every chance He gets. While Leah holds steadfast in her faith, it’s Cade, of course, who goes through a transformation to allow both Leah and God into his life. He’s had a horrible time of it since his father abandoned him and his brother at an orphanage after their mother’s death. They were eventually adopted, something they’d longed for, but the brothers are cruelly separated and subsequent living has turned Cade into the outlaw he is today. All of the inspiration in this book is everyday life for characters of this era and it’s woven seamlessly into the threads and eventual tapestry of their lives.

Cade’s redemption isn’t given easily. He finds his conscience fights him where Leah and her son are concerned. The few scenes where he and the boy interact are lovely moments, for Cade as well as the reader. Knowing he doesn’t deserve Leah almost causes him to move on out of her life so someone better will come along for her. Even Jake would be better for her than himself. Almost. When they finally do come together, their loving is intense but sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed the turnaround when Cade takes care of Leah during her sickness. And the scenes with Jake wanting to stake territory that holds no reward for him only makes me like the man more. I’m very intrigued by this man and look forward to his book, which is next in the series. There’s a number of other fascinating secondary characters too. Even the town and the church play pivotal roles in the story.

If you love a good western romance, do read this one. Even if you’re not a total western and/or cowboy fan, I think you’ll be quite pleasantly surprised when you turn the last page of this book. You’re pulled in from the beginning, and your heart strings get a good tug every now and again. Early western life comes alive chapter after chapter. You will fall in love with simple folk trying to eke out a good life as best they can. Seems things don’t change much no matter how technology encroaches in our lives.

Grade: A

Summary:

In the mountains of Colorado, a small town called Angel’s End welcomes everyone with open arms–even a man fleeing his past…

Wounded and on the run, Cade Gentry stumbles into a kind man who’s on this way to become the new pastor of Angel’s End. But not long after Timothy Key takes him in, Cade’s enemies catch up with him, and the young pastor is killed in the cross fire. Cade survives, stealing Timothy’s identity to escape, and arrives in Angel’s End on the brink of death.

Leah Findley is the sheriff’s widow, trying to make ends meet for herself and her son. Having the new minister as a boarder will help, but she isn’t expecting him to be wounded when he arrives. And she definitely isn’t expecting the feelings that the new preacher stirs deep inside her.

The more time Cade spends with Leah, the deeper he falls in love. To Cade, she’s an angel who’s saved his life and given him the sense of hope he’s never known. But he’s not the man she thinks he is, and before he can find permanent shelter in Leah’s arms, he must learn to have faith and put hi former sins to rest.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of About That Night (FBI/US Attorney Series, Book 3) by Julie James
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

What happens when a prosecutor meets up with an almost-hook-up from college – across a courtroom??  In Julie James’ most recent release we find out.

After a long-term relationship ends, Rylann Pierce moves back to Chicago and a position in the US Attorney’s Office – a change of location and a return to old friends might be just the thing to get her new life going. Her very first assignment sends her to court to handle the resolution of some charges against “the Twitter Terrorist.”  (An aside – I LOL!  I love me some Twitter and that it weaves its way through the story made me giggle so much.  :-D)  Little does Rylann know said Terrorist is billionaire heir/computer geek Kyle Rhodes…the very same Kyle Rhodes she spetd a flirtatious evening with years before.

Kyle is just glad to finally be getting free of house arrest – which was much better than his time in prison, sure.  The last person he expects to see representing the prosecution is Rylann.  Circumstances kept him from keeping their date all those years ago (she knew what happened, don’t fret, faithful reader) and they never found each other again – he didn’t even know her last name, for crying out loud.

The old spark is still there but Rylann is the new person in her office and still finding her place – a relationship with the defendant of a very high-profile case could be awkward.  Plus she is just out of a long-term relationship.  But…hot billionaire heir?  Who can resist that??  Also, umm…

Where were we, faithful reader?  I got distracted for a minute.

Kyle is ready to get his life back on track.  He had lots of time to think and plan in prison and now it’s time to put those plans into action.  Does he have time for a relationship after his last one imploded in a spectacular fashion and landed him in jail?  Rylann will have to be pretty convincing…

I so enjoyed this book!  It is my favorite of Ms. James’ books so far – and I have liked them all.  Kyle is a genuinely good guy.  He wants to do the right thing and make his own way and has matured a lot since we first met him in A Lot Like Love.  Rylann’s job is very important to her but not to the exclusion of everything else – she makes time for her friends and for herself.  It is nice to see a romance between two realistic characters – people who, if we knew them in real life, we would want together.  This book is charming and an all-around fun read.

Grade: A

Summary:

HE’S PLAYING GAMES

Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their sizzling chemistry was undeniable. But after being stood up on their first date, Rylann never expected to see him again. So when she finds herself face to face with Kyle in a courthouse nine years later, she’s stunned. More troubling to the beautiful Assistant U.S. Attorney is that she’s still wildly attracted to him.

BUT SHE’S MAKING THE RULES

Just released from prison, Kyle Rhodes isn’t thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case—but when Rylann comes knocking at his door, he finds she may be the one lawyer he can’t say no to. Still as gorgeous and sharp-tongued as ever, she lays down the law: she doesn’t mix business with pleasure. But Kyle won’t give up on something he wants—and what he wants is the one woman he’s never forgotten. . .

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Sierra Falls (Sierra Falls, Book 1) by Veronica Wolff
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

I’ve read a few of Veronica Wolff’s historicals and time travel romances, some which worked for me and some which didn’t. So I was excited to see her try her hand at contemporary romance. I’m very glad to say that her work in this genre really scores big for me. This book is a fun, heartwarming read with a touch of mystery. The characters are charming, especially the hero, and the whole town gets involved when things are shakin’ around Sierra Falls.

Sorrow Bailey, walking in the footsteps of several ancestors who suffered because of that name, has always wanted to get out of Sierra Falls, a small town nestled in the Sierras, just like everyone else who’s lived there all their lives, including her brother and sister. They left as fast as they could, and when their father suffers a stroke, it’s Sorrow who gives up her dreams to stay and help out in the family business, the Big Bear Lodge. Sorrow loves to cook. The dishes she prepares take her to whichever country she chooses, thus experiencing their flavor in some little way. Only thing is, her father won’t allow her to cook at the lodge. The man doesn’t seem to care for fancy schmancy food over the burgers and other fare Tom Sullivan, a Vet who wondered into Sierra Falls and has stayed a few decades, currently dishes out.

The new town sheriff has been noticing young Sorrow lately. Billy Preston is about ten years older and a widower. He tries not to act on these new emotions when he’s around Sorrow, but though the guilt eats at him a bit, he begins to spend a lot more time at the lodge just to see her. And I love Billy Preston. I adore an older hero, though in this case he’s only in his early 30s, but that’s better than the alternative. You feel more for him at that age for being a widower, so it all works wonderfully well. He’s old enough and has been through enough to know to keep away from Sorrow until she’s broken up with her boyfriend – more on him in a minute! – and then to know he has to take it slow with her once they start dating. He has just the right experience to pull Sorrow from her sexual shell. She’s not a virgin, by any means, but it’s just been sex for her until Billy. He also makes an excellent sheriff, moving from the city after his wife’s death. He’s got a very deft touch when dealing with local citizens in every situation imaginable.

Knowing she’s feeling something for the sheriff, Sorrow examines her relationship with Damien Simmons, son from a well-to-do local family, the golden boy who has a finger in a lot of pies around town and can pull strings to help out the Bailey family whenever needed, and that seems to be a lot lately. Sorrow realizes she doesn’t feel anything for him like what she’s beginning to feel for Billy. What I love is when she’s finally free, her sister, who has mysteriously come home for a spell, encourages Sorrow to hightail it to Billy’s door for a night of seduction. The man hasn’t got a chance in hell of getting past this new Sorrow. And what a night it is. Something special has definitely begun.

In between all of this, when the lodge roof is damaged during a snowstorm, Sorrow finds a stack of letters written by her great-great grandmother, Sorrow Crabtree. Once the infamous information learned in these letters becomes public knowledge, the local historical society makes big plans for their upcoming festival. It’s fun amid those ladies and their speculations about the town’s founder and Sorrow’s namesake. You get the feel of small-town American with scenes like these and others throughout the book.

In the meantime, Billy has begun to suspect foul play after a series of seemingly crazy accidents around the lodge – around Sorrow. Vowing that nothing will happen to her on his watch, his investigation takes him further and further into territory everyone in town finds incredulous. Things get a bit dicey before it’s all over. Not a riveting, over-the-top mystery, but one that fits in with this community and its quirks. We also get a side romance with Tom and Marlene Jessup, a recent divorcee, both of whom finally decide to live life their way. I appreciate romance for older characters, being a little bit older myself. 

Personally, I like Ms. Wolff’s contemps better than her historicals. There’s just more character and charm to the stories for me. Her voice compliments the genre in every way. I look forward to more, especially in this Sierra Falls series.

Grade: B

Summary:

Family is important to Sorrow. She gave up her dreams to run the struggling family lodge. Even her name is a family relic, though lately it feels like a curse that might determine her fate. Things look up when she discovers a collection of letters from her three-times great grandmother and namesake, telling the story of a forbidden love affair.

Billy Preston is the new sheriff, a widower escaping the grief of his former life as a big city cop. He helps out after an accident at the Bailey lodge, and what begins as admiration for Sorrow’s quiet strength quickly becomes something much more. When Sorrow’s discovery brings fame to Sierra Falls, and her dreams of a better life are within reach, one too many “accidents” have Billy wondering whether someone is willing to kill to keep them off the map.

As the community pulls together, Sorrow takes a lesson from her ancestor’s letters: only in family, friends, and love do you find true joy.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Timber Creek – Jan 2013

Veena’s review of About That Night by Julie James
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

Julie James writes contemporary romance for today’s reader. About that Night is a timeless love story with sparkling wit and the sizzling conversations that suck you into Kyle Rhodes’ and Rylann Pierce’s romance as though you were one of their circle of friends.

Kyle and Rylann come from opposite sides of the track. He is a billionaire hacker extraordinaire who hacked into and brought down Twitter in a drunken fit of rage. Forever labeled the Twitter Terrorist, he is convicted and sentenced to eighteen months in prison. She is Chicago’s newest Assistant US Attorney, and her first case is the motion hearing to reduce Kyle’s prison sentence to time served.

Rylann has an excellent reputation from her time at the San Francisco office where she worked before coming to Chicago, and dating a criminal isn’t exactly the best way to establish her credentials in her new job.  Kyle is content to avoid publicity and explore their mutual attraction, which had sparked the first time he saw her in a bar nine years ago when they were still in college. In the most romantic fashion, he spectacularly makes up for standing her up nine years ago by taking her to the same bar for cheeseburgers and fries paired with a $300 champagne.

This book is the third book in the FBI series. The author seamlessly brings in the characters from the first two books where they are pertinent to this story. I love this story as well as the previous two books. When I read and enjoyed A Lot Like Love so much, I immediately went out and bought Something About You. I have been anxiously awaiting this book and it certainly more than lives up to my expectations.

Grade: A+

Summary:

He’s playing games.

Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their sizzling chemistry was undeniable. But after being stood up on their first date, Rylann never expected to see him again. So when she finds herself face-to-face with Kyle in a courthouse nine years later, she’s stunned. More troubling to the beautiful assistant U.S. attorney is that she’s still wildly attracted to him.

But she’s making the rules.

Just released from prison, Kyle Rhodes isn’t thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case—but when Rylann comes knocking at his door, he finds she may be the one lawyer he can’t say no to. Still as gorgeous and sharp-tongued as ever, she lays down the law: she doesn’t mix business with pleasure. But Kyle won’t give up on something he wants—and what he wants is the one woman he’s never forgotten.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Veena’s review of The Duke’s Perfect Wife (Highland Pleasures, Book 4) by Jennifer Ashley
Historical Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

The Duke’s Perfect Wife, fourth in the Highland Pleasures series from Jennifer Ashley, continues the Mackenzie brothers’ stories with Hart Mackenzie. Duke of Kilmorgan, envied for his wealth, power, connections and good looks, Hart has it all. Hart’s glittering facade hides the pain of his difficult childhood, his sense of failure for not having saved his infant son who died in his arms, and his loss of the only woman he’s ever truly loved.

Eleanor Ramsay is a perfect fit for the ten-point criteria that Hart’s family developed for his perfect wife.  Family, close friends, and loyal retainers have a betting pool going on whether the two will get it together and move in the right direction and then if they will ultimately make it to the altar, since Eleanor was engaged to Hart once and broke it off.

Before Hart can  manipulate circumstances to bring Eleanor into his life, fate, in the form of a package of photographs, takes a hand and she arrives on his doorstep. This is an intense love story between two protagonists who have loved each other for a long time and yet have been kept apart by their fear and pride. Their journey, particularly Hart’s, is extremely moving and his final realization that love triumphs and that material wealth is worthless against Eleanor’s acceptance of him as he is.

The love story is set amidst an interesting backdrop of changing times with running water, trains, cameras, and telegraphs cheek by jowl with the traditional horse-drawn carriages and class distinctions. The seedy side of an aristocratic life with mistresses and houses of pleasure, elements of bondage and domination are explored with a light but clear touch. The political scene and the seeds of what will become a large issue for Britain in the future with the Irish and the associated violence are superbly drawn into the story.

This is my first book by Jennifer Ashley. She reaches out and sweeps the reader into the story. I laughed, I cried, I rejoiced, and celebrated with Eleanor and Hart. I loved meeting the other Mackenzie brothers and their spouses and families. I plan to read all the stories that went before and will definitely continue to read the stories that come after.

Grade: A

See Sandy M’s review here.

Summary:

Who is Hart Mackenzie’s perfect match? Eleanor Ramsay doesn’t know–she jilted him all those years ago–and now all she wants from the devastating duke is a job. Or so she tells herself. Persuading him to hire her as an assistant to his secretary is tricky, but Eleanor has a trick or two of her own up her sleeve…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

The Seduction of Elliot McBride – January 2013
The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie (tentative title) – October 2013

Sandy M’s review of Protector (Dark Ops, Book 4) by Catherine Mann
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 6 Mar 12

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these military-themed books from Catherine Mann. I’ve not read many so far, but I intend to remedy that as soon as I can. I’ve had that much fun with them.

While I do like this book, I have to say it’s not as intriguing nor as gut wrenching as the prior one I read, Hot Zone, from her Elite Force series. That book sucked me in from the beginning and never let go. This story begins in the same way – tense, in-your-face events – but then it slows down quite a bit. And then even when I thought it was going to pick up again and take off, it doesn’t. What saves it is the characters.

After being captured and tortured, Captain Chuck Tanaka feels he’s lost his edge. His superior, however, thinks he should get back on the horse in a new mission, one where Chuck and his technology expertise is needed. Taking on the role of a blackjack dealer on a mob boss’ cruise ship, Chuck is assigned to make contact with the man’s daughter to discover information about a terrorist plot.

JoLynn Taylor has made a life for herself, far away from her father. As a child when witnessing the death of her beloved uncle – and not being believed when she went to her father about it – JoLynn now wants nothing to do with man he’s become. But when he suffers a heart attack and asks for her, she can’t ignore his request. Thing is, nothing has really changed. He still pushes her away, demands she return home. This time, though, JoLynn is determined to stick around. Especially after she meets the new, sexy blackjack dealer.

I do like Chuck and JoLynn. They’re vintage Catherine Mann characters, strong and intelligent, sensual and sexy, they get the job done. Chuck tries his best to keep distance between them when he interacts with JoLynn, but the attraction is just too strong. He walks away as often as he can, which only proves to JoLynn she’s not worthy of love. But she also can’t help herself when she’s around Chuck, so why the heck shouldn’t she enjoy a fling with a handsome man?

Innocuous events take place that make Chuck think someone is after JoLynn, and when his suspicions are confirmed as they enjoy a day port side, they end up on the run with only Chuck’s training to keep them a step or two ahead of the bad guys. When their safe house is breached, this is when I thought things would really pick up in the story. They escape through a second-floor window, blend in with the Italian crowd, and I expected a harrowing chase. They flee, thinking they will be chased, but Chuck takes them to a friend’s cottage where he recuperated after his release from the hospital the year before.

While I was looking for action at this point, I have to tell you that the time Chuck and JoLynn spend at this Italian cottage is some of the best scenes in the book. They truly get to know one another, let their feelings go where they will, and enjoy some hot and sizzling sex. Both of them, however, feel it’s more than just sex. But they keep those feelings to themselves. JoLynn learns that Chuck has lied to her from the start, even though it’s his job that’s brought him to her doorstep and he has no choice. It’s now his job to keep her safe. He’s had no contact with his team since the safe house, but he’s hoping team members can put it all together and figure out where they’re hiding out.

We also get a nice side romance with Chuck’s CO, Colonel Rex Scanlon, and the ship’s singer, Livia. This is where reading an entire series from the start helps. These characters have apparently appeared in previous books, and I do feel I missed a little by not reading those books. There’s history between them – not a huge amount, but enough that I think I’d have a better feel for their present circumstances and romance. Scanlon feels a relationship won’t work between them because of their age difference – he’s 44 and she’s 29. No problem for me! She’s the one who walked away earlier because she didn’t want to compete with his dead wife. So there’s something there that would have helped if I’d read them before, but I still enjoyed them.

So even though this story lacks some of the action that I’ve read in other of this author’s works, it’s still a good read with interesting and savvy characters. I was able to figure out the bad guy before it’s revealed, so I’m surprised JoLynn didn’t. Although I know her heart is involved and she wouldn’t look that direction. But Chuck is there to rescue her, and he does a damn fine job.

Grade: B

Summary:

TRUST, LOVE …AND LIES.

After barely surviving enemy torture, Captain Chuck Tanaka doesn’t trust himself to do more than ride a desk—but new orders leave him no choice.  Assigned to the investigation of a mob boss whose luxury cruise ship is reportedly a hub for terrorist activity, Tanaka goes undercover.  His target: JoLynn Taylor, the mob boss’s daughter.

As a child, JoLynn saw her beloved uncle murdered.  Since then, she’s stayed far away from her father’s crooked empire.  But when he falls ill, she returns, hoping to mend the gap between them.  Instead, she finds herself on the run, one step ahead of unknown enemies. The only thing keeping her alive is the man she knows as Charles Tomas, the only man she’s ever been able to trust.

Unfortunately, he’s also the man determined to destroy her family…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Oracle’s Moon (Elder Races, Book 4) by Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 6 Mar 12

What happens when humans and witches clash with the Elder Races?  And what happens to those caught in the crossfire?  Thea Harrison’s latest Elder Races novel, Oracle’s Moon, shows us.

Oracle’s Moon picks up almost exactly where Serpent’s Kiss left off and a lot of events from that book are referenced throughout. So, really, you should read Serpent’s Kiss first.  Do it, faithful reader!  You’ll be glad you did.

Grace Andreas only recently inherited the Power of the Oracle and became Oracle of Louisville.  Her sister, Petra, was the previous Oracle, but after she and her husband were killed (and Grace severely injured) in a car accident, the Power transferred to Grace.  In addition to her new Power, Grace also has gained custody of her very young niece and nephew – plus she is still recuperating from her injuries.  Until recently, all Grace has been concerned with was college.

During the events at the end of Serpent’s Kiss, Grace attracted the attention of Khalil, one of the Demonkind and a Prince of the Djinn.  Khalil is a Powerful, ancient being.  Djinn are creatures of the air (?????) and do not even have a solid permanent form – instead they can take whatever form they like, depending on the situation.  Khalil has never been particularly interested in humans, with their short, small lives, but something about Grace and the small ones living with her intrigues him.

Djinn spend a lot of time gathering favors and making bargains with others – almost everything involves a bargain of some sort. At first the bargaining back and forth is fun but, soon enough, Grace finds it annoying and refuses to bargain anymore. Khalil is flabbergasted. LOL

As Grace tries to settle into her role as Oracle, suspicious things start happening – small, at first, and then increasingly odd.  As she and Khalil try to unravel things, a deadly conspiracy is uncovered…a conspiracy that affects not just Grace but the Elder Races and their relationship with humans, as well.  Will Grace and Khalil get to the bottom of things before everything falls apart?

Sometimes, after a strong start, a paranormal series will stall out…like it gets hemmed in by its own world-building.  That is not the case with Ms. Harrison’s Elder Races books.  I love this series.  The world becomes more familiar with each entry, but there is something new each time, as well.  With each book, we see the world from a different angle.  This time we learn more about the humans and witches – where they fall in the grand scheme of things and how they feel about their place in the world.

Grace is a lovely heroine – she is doing the best she can in a bad situation she had little preparation for and with very little support until Khalil comes along. Khalil’s help allows Grace to embrace her Power (which will play a significant role in later books, I suspect – very mysterious business, Grace’s Power) in ways she would not have been able to, otherwise.  And Khalil is an excellent hero.  It is so fun to watch him experience all the wackiness of the human world and fall in love with Grace (and the kids).  It isn’t that he becomes more human, exactly, but, over the course of the book, he definitely becomes more.

If you are looking for a fun read that brings together two very different people and has them take on the world around them, look no further.  Oracle’s Moon is for you!  And, really, faithful reader, if you haven’t read the rest of the series, you so should.

Grade: A

Summary:As a second daughter, Grace Andreas never had to worry about the intrigues of the Elder Races. But when her sister, Petra, and Petra’s husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister’s two young children – neither of which she is prepared for.

Yet, she is not alone. Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn prince of House Marid – driven by his genuine caring for the children – has decided to make himself a part of the household both as their guardian and as an exasperating counterpoint to Grace’s impudence toward the Elder Races.

But when an attempt is made on Grace’s life, she realizes that Khalil is the only one who can protect her – and offer her more than a mortal man…

No excerpt available at time of review (website is updating).

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of The Duke’s Perfect Wife (Highland Pleasures, Book 4) by Jennifer Ashley
Historical Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

It’s so good to be reading these Mackenzie Highlanders again. I’ve been curious about Eleanor Ramsay, the woman who walked away from Hart years ago. I’m also surprised Hart didn’t just go get her and drag her home with him. But, as usual, Jennifer Ashley works it all out in a romantic mystery that held me captivated for the day it took me to read this book.

Hart has been thinking of making his way back to Eleanor, knowing she’s the woman he’s going to marry. Despite the fact it didn’t work out between them before. Then when she emerges from a crowd of journalists trailing Hart in his campaign for Prime Minister, his quest becomes easier once he learns why she’s sought him out.

Her scheme will help both Hart and herself, along with her father. Eleanor recently received a photograph of Hart – posing playfully and sinfully for the camera in the nude. She knows this will hurt his chances of obtaining office if it were to become public, so her solution is to help him find the person responsible, thus her offer to work for him to investigate before it’s too late. The money will also come in handy to keep food on the table at home.

Thinking the best way to show her they can have a life together is to keep her close, give her everything she wants, Hart relents and hires her to investigate while he continues his campaign. And Hart is one serious politician. He wouldn’t get away nowadays with the things he does, of course, but in a time when you did whatever you could to see something done, he does exactly that. Eleanor is not a bad little investigator. She follows all clues she finds and has a sharp mind and wit to do the job. She wants to search the house where Hart kept his mistress at one time, where murder nearly cost him his brother, and where he wants Eleanor to stay far away from. He doesn’t want her to know anything about that part of his past.

Eleanor, however, doesn’t let Hart run roughshod over her, as he does with practically everyone in his life. She knows he has to control everything and everyone, it’s all he’s ever known, but she stands up to him at every turn, and those scenes are just wonderful. And Hart loves it too. Turns him on! We find out more of what happened between them when Eleanor broke their engagement, when she was visited by Mrs. Palmer, the aforementioned mistress, and how she’s gone on with her life, all the while keeping tabs on Hart, including his marriage and then the deaths of his wife and infant son. Through Hart we relive their original meeting and courtship, see their love as it began, knowing all the while that love never ended though they’ve been apart for years.

Reliving the worst time in Hart’s life, losing his son, is heart rending, and the scene with him and Eleanor at the boy’s grave is one of those that lets you see inside this complex man. You see the despair and the hurt. And Eleanor sees it too, realizes at last that Hart really does need her. She’s the one person he doesn’t hide from, he shows her, very emotionally, how much need is inside him. It’s nice to see this part of him, because that dark side we’ve been hearing about, what he doesn’t want Eleanor to know, has to come out. I debated with myself how much of that I wanted to see. In the end, however, Ms. Ashley keeps it fairly tame, especially considering how often it’s spoken of throughout the book.

The mystery of the photographs is finally solved, a culprit I didn’t see coming. Not what I expected at all. It’s also wonderful to see all the Mackenzie brothers and their families again. Especially Ian. He still holds my heart. It’s terrific to see how he’s come alive being in love and having Beth in his life. Hart’s and Eleanor’s banter throughout, especially when she runs on and on, is fun. The camera scenes talked about and finally in deed are also quite amusing. So much more happens, I’m only skimming the surface here. You definitely need to read this one.

As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m glad there’s two more books planned for the future. I’m really looking forward to Daniel’s story. Hmmm. Like father, like son?

Grade: A

Summary:

Who is Hart Mackenzie’s perfect match? Eleanor Ramsay doesn’t know–she jilted him all those years ago–and now all she wants from the devastating duke is a job. Or so she tells herself. Persuading him to hire her as an assistant to his secretary is tricky, but Eleanor has a trick or two of her own up her sleeve…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

The Seduction of Elliot McBride – January 2013
The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie (tentative title) – October 2013

Veena’s review of Oracle’s Moon (Elder Races, Book 5) by Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 6 Mar 12

The Elder races – Wyr, Elves, Fae, Vampyres and Demon kind – are well known and assimilated if not always liked and accepted. Oracle’s Moon is the fourth book in Thea Harrison’s Elder Race series. It’s like a fairy story where the villains are destroyed and true love triumphs against all odds and there’s even an evil witch to vanquish.

Grace Andreas is an Oracle descended from the original Delphi Oracles. Grace’s life has been thrown into turmoil after she lost her sister and brother-in-law in an accident in which she too was badly injured. Grace is struggling against huge odds, recovering from an accident that took the life of her sister and brother-in-law, caring for her orphaned niece and nephew, coming to terms with her newly inherited power of the Oracle and with little money or resources to help her cope.

Her path unexpectedly crosses with Khalil, a high ranking Djinn, who escorts Vampyre Queen Carling and her mate, the Wyr sentinel Rune, toward the end of Serpent’s Kiss to her house in search of a prophecy. Khalil is intrigued and protective of the fragile human children while he is quite removed from the daily realities of Grace’s life. As Grace comes into her own and takes control of her powers, Khalil starts to move from curiosity to fascination to love.

While the love story proceeds along a relatively smooth path, there are twists and plots that keep the story interesting. Characters from previous books pop in and out. I would recommend that you read the previous books, if possible, before reading this one, but most particularly Serpent’s Kiss, since this almost seems like a thread that started in that book and lightly crosses over and touches the characters and continues their story as well. I find the book refreshing; an old-fashioned love story with paranormal tones.

Grade: B+

Summary:

As a second daughter, Grace Andreas never had to worry about the intrigues of the Elder Races. But when her sister, Petra, and Petra’s husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister’s two young children – neither of which she is prepared for.

Yet, she is not alone. Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn prince of House Marid – driven by his genuine caring for the children – has decided to make himself a part of the household both as their guardian and as an exasperating counterpoint to Grace’s impudence toward the Elder Races.

But when an attempt is made on Grace’s life, she realizes that Khalil is the only one who can protect her – and offer her more than a mortal man…

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Destiny (Serendipity, Book 2) by Carly Phillips
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 3 Jan 12

In Carly Phillips’ Destiny, we return to the small town of Serendipity. We see how things are going for the residents we met in the first book of the series, and the second Barrons brother, Nash, gets his happily ever after. Eventually.

Nash is still dealing with the fallout caused by the return of his estranged brother, Ethan (hey, read about Ethan’s book here). Everyone else seems to have welcomed Ethan back with open arms, but Nash just can’t. And that is causing friction with the rest of the family.

At Ethan’s wedding, Nash has a brief encounter with Kelly Moss. Nash’s dad and Kelly’s mom had an affair years ago – an affair that resulted in their half-sister Tess. Kelly brought Tess to live with Ethan after her mom abandoned them and she could no longer handle the troubled teen. Nash’s parents were killed in a car accident when Tess was a baby. Kelly has recently moved to Serenity. She wants to be closer to Tess – who is doing quite well in her new situation (after some bumps) – and needs a change of scenery after some drama in her personal life.

As Nash and Kelly begin to have a relationship, outside forces cause difficulties – some small, some not so small. Nash is a bit of a control freak, probably because of his childhood – everyone he has cared about has left him, except his younger brother, Dare. But, suddenly, there are all sorts of changes in Nash’s life – his older brother is back after being gone for years, he has a sister he never suspected existed, and his ex-wife just started dating. Not to mention getting involved with a woman who isn’t so forthcoming with details about her past.

When Kelly uncovers some information about Nash’s past, Nash is thrown into a tailspin. Suddenly, he is questioning all sorts of things he had taken as truths all his life. And Kelly is there for him the whole time. But Kelly’s secrets are about to rear their heads.

Will Nash be there for Kelly when she needs him? Or will he be stuck in his own problems and feel betrayed? And will Kelly finally prove to herself she isn’t like her mother and move forward as a strong, independent woman or let her doubts and past mistakes overwhelm her?

I have to say I didn’t enjoy Destiny as much as the first book in the series. Maybe because Serendipity is a twist on the bad boy/good girl trope and I do so enjoy those stories. Nash never quite gels as a character for me – supposedly he’s this rigid, sees-everything-in-black-and-white guy, at least according to the other characters in the book. But he never actually seems that way…he just comes across as stubborn, mostly. Maybe that is on purpose, since he’s supposed to be learning to loosen up…I dunno. And Kelly is an okay heroine, but she’s supposed to have all these hidden insecurities and issues from her past – let me just say they are very well hidden until they became a plot point. It just gives things an awkward feel.

So, does this book stand alone? No, I say you should read the first book before this one. It’s better and you’ll know what’s going on. Even though there is a disconnect between how the characters are described and the way they are portrayed, Destiny isn’t a bad book, and I am optimistic about Dare’s book (coming soon).

Grade: C-

Summary:
Nash Barron may be cynical about love, yet even he likes a good wedding. But the only good thing about his brother’s wedding is Kelly Moss. Nash can’t help but admire her confidence and beauty, but he’s forced to keep his distance because getting involved with Kelly could destroy his relationship with his newly discovered half sister, Tess…
Kelly came to Serendipity to give Tess–her half sibling as well, thanks to an illicit affair–a second chance at life. She learned long ago not to rely on anyone but herself. Besides, she doesn’t want to upset Tess’s life by pushing for a fling with Nash. Except the more she gets to know him, the more vulnerable she becomes to the kindness beneath his gruff exterior, and the less she’s able to stay away. But she has other reasons for keeping her distance. Like the secret from her past she knows Nash will never forgive…

Read an excerpt (pop-up, Flash-based…FYI).

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Breakaway (New York Blades, Book 11) by Deirdre Martin
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 7 Feb 12

I think I’m still in shock. While I’ve not read a lot of books in this series, I have read a few, and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. This newest book? Not so much. There’s very few things I’m picky about in my romance novels, and I’m sorry to say Breakaway zeroes in on that one nitpick of mine.

Rory is the NHL’s first Irish-born hockey player, and he’s very good at his job. But the rest of his life is missing something – or rather someone. The girl he left behind in Ireland, Erin O’Brien. After his family moved to the United States and Rory finally made it in the NHL, and when he didn’t go get Erin as he’d promised, she eventually gave him an ultimatum – and Rory doesn’t do ultimatums. So he broke it off, and now two years later he knows he made the biggest mistake of his life. So he’s back in Ballycraig to win Erin back.

After a good crying-jag-pity-party time, Erin picked herself up and hasn’t looked back since Rory Brady broke her heart. He didn’t, however, destroy her dreams. Those are still going strong with Erin finishing her schooling online and finally taking steps to escape her mother working her like a slave at the family B&B. She’s always wanted out of Ballycraig to experience what the world has to offer, and just because Rory won’t be by her side doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Then Erin finds out Rory’s back. She tries not to let that fact get to her, but the man and his charm and his new-found earnestness in winning her over just might work.

This all sounds great, and I looked forward to the story. What brought the whole thing down for me is the underlying nuance of what I call negativity. Even between friends, between mother and daughter, the tone for most of the book is just…negative. Now, I realize that some of the situations in this story would call for such a tone, but when it’s Erin and her friend Sandra, the things they say to one another just hit me all wrong. Even when jesting I didn’t care for the “big old cow” reference, as an example. I’d never call my best friend that, joking or not. Erin also falls into this pit when dealing with her mother, and, believe me, I know all about living with your mother and trying to please her. Erin does try to keep out of that pit, but she ultimately dives straight in. Those are a couple of the moments in the story I don’t like Erin much, especially when I totally sympathize with her. Of course, she’s got the same attitude with Rory, but in the beginning he does deserve it. Granted, he doesn’t do near enough groveling, another sore point for me, considering what he did to Erin, but he does attempt to change, whereas her attitude change toward him vacillates and takes a tad too long for me. Then there’s Rory and Jake, his best friend, whom he also left behind when he broke off with Erin. It’s guys, though, and it doesn’t take them nearly as long to forgive.  Then there’s the entire town who go to work on Rory at his every turn. It’s just too much for me. There is only person in the entire book who Erin doesn’t get snippy with and that’s her father. He sees more than she realizes and assures her things will work out. This relationship I love, and I want more like it just to break up the monotony of that negativity vibe.

Another issue for me is Erin’s sudden lack of confidence in herself at the end of the book. When she runs – twice – I really have frustration over that. To me, it’s out of character. She’s living the life she’s always wanted, but she lets the old Erin call the shots. At this point, it’s Rory who gets all my good feelings. He doesn’t let Erin wallow in self-pity. He makes her face the problems and get over them. So now I’m faced with liking Rory over Erin, the total opposite of how I felt at the beginning of the book. Rory’s over-arrogance is gone and he’s the one who’s gained the confidence in their relationship. Erin’s sudden fright isn’t anything new in limelight situations, so that’s why I wanted her confidence to show, to allow her to take care of the problem in a much better way.

I know this book is going to work for a lot of readers. I’m glad. Especially because I usually do enjoy Ms. Martin’s stories, and I’m disappointed I didn’t enjoy this one. There are things in the book that do work for me. Despite their spitting at each other now and again, I like that Erin’s and Sandra’s friendship is a long and lasting one. Jake and Erin do some bonding over their mutual betrayal, Jake more so than Erin, but it’s nice to see. While I do like the change of pace from the hockey world to a point – I prefer the action on the ice – Ireland is the perfect place to take a respite. And most of these issues I mentioned do get solved by the end of the book, of course.

However, those few things just don’t overshadow those sore points for me to bring my review grade up. I felt irritated through most of the book due those things, thus my low grade. This will not, however, keep me from reading more of Ms. Martin’s books. I’ve had more positive and fun experiences than one like this, so I look forward to the next in the series to see what’s happening with those sexy hockey players.

Grade:  D

Read LauraC’s review here.

Summary:

Erin O’Brien was everyone’s favorite in Ballycraig, while Rory Brady was the town’s golden boy: the local lad who moved to America and became a professional hockey player. Rory promised to return to sweep Erin away to the life of her dreams in New York. But the bright lights and late nights turned his head and he never came back.

Two years later, Rory realizes he’s made the worst mistake of his life. Heading back to Ballycraig, he’s confident that all he needs to do is flash his winning smile and Erin will fall back into his arms. But Erin’s moved on.

Racing the clock, Rory needs to prove to her that the man she fell in love with is still there. But can happy-go-lucky Erin risk it all and give another chance to the man who broke her heart?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Laura C’s review of Breakaway by Dierdre Martin
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 07 Feb 12

I am a Dierdre Martin fan in general, so I’m always pleased to see a new book from her. Her “New York Blades” hockey romances are a treat even for people who aren’t fans. There’s enough explanation of what’s going on for people to follow, but not so much it’s dull. But this book departs from the ice—and New York—following its hero, Rory Brady, back to his hometown of Ballycraig, Ireland, where he left the woman he’d once promised to marry. Rory wants Erin back, but Erin, and the rest of the town’s citizens, aren’t eager to forgive him.

People who know me know one of my pet peeves is romance wherein the heroine, a big city girl, finds love and happiness in a small town. Not to say it can’t be done well, but all too often I end up wondering how the same person who was happy in one life can possibly be happy in the other because the change isn’t adequately explained. That’s not the case in Breakaway at all. Instead, Erin has always wanted out of Ballycraig and her resentment of Rory’s betrayal of their love is compounded by the fact that they were supposed to leave together.

“Erin, I was your ticket out of here,” Rory said slightly smug.

“Oh, saving the life of your country girlfriend, were you?” Erin snarled. “Assuming that without you, I’d have never left. You didn’t think twice about dumping me, though, did you? So much for saving me. And PS—I didn’t need you to be my ticket out of here, you bloody jackass. Once you broke things off, I realized I didn’t need you to make my dreams come true. I actually should thank you for cutting me loose, because, in the end, it’s been a gift. Now, I do what I want to do for myself, without worrying about how to please or accommodate anyone else.”

“Except your mother.”

“I’m working on that, I told you. Some of us aren’t hardhearted: we don’t just pull the plug on those we love and walk away.”

Rory winced. “Touché.”

Rory knows what he wants when he comes back to town—to take Erin away with him.  He’s also pretty sure she’ll agree to it. I must say, I had some trouble figuring out what she saw in him in the beginning. He seemed like a complete jerk. And, to be honest, he’ll never be one of my favorite of Martin’s heroes. But he did grow on me as the story went along and he figured out just how badly he’d screwed up and began to try more seriously to make amends.

This is a very sweet story when it comes right down to it without nearly as much angst as many of the books I’ve been reading of late, which is actually a relief. And it has the added bonus of being set in Ireland, which I love. Martin is never heavy-handed with dialect, but she has a great ear for it and everything rings completely true.

Grade: A

Summary:

Rory Brady was Ballycraig’s golden boy, the local lad who moved to America and became a professional hockey player. But he broke his promise to Erin O’Brien-and never went back for her. Now Erin has moved on, and Rory must race the clock to prove to her that the man she fell in love with is still there. But can happy-go-lucky Erin risk it all and give another chance to the man who broke her heart?

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of An Unexpected Gentleman by Alissa Johnson
Historical Romance published by Berkley 6 Dec 11

The elements of this book come together quite nicely to give readers what they’ve come to expect from Alissa Johnson. Revenge against a brother, an attraction that begins from afar, jealousy that leads to false accusations, and a love that grows despite everything working against such emotion.

Adelaide is expecting a proposal from Baron Maxwell, but she’s dragging her feet to face him this night. As much as her family needs his money, this is certainly not a love match. But it is up to her to make the sacrifice – her sister needs a Season, her brother’s debts need to paid, and her young nephew needs a stable home life. But before she makes her way to the house party, she is waylaid by a handsome gentleman and then trapped in his company as they wait for the coast to clear so they’re not caught in improper circumstances. Connor Brice is a charming rogue and has a way of seemingly reading her mind about her reluctance to actually make it inside for the party.

Revenge has been on Connor’s mind for years. He and Baron Maxwell have a very contentious history, with luck not being on Connor’s side throughout. Discovering the baron’s interest in Adelaide, his plans now include her. He slowly seduces her, but Adelaide surprises him. She has a good head on her shoulders and looks at all sides of a situation. So he takes matters into his hands to make sure she’s tied to him. But even compromising the lady doesn’t work as neatly as he figured.

With two men’s proposals waiting for an answer from her, Adelaide is determined to make the right choice, though after all the revealing things she learned about the baron tonight, her choice really is clear. But she’s cautious and intelligent and makes doubly sure the men know she’s in charge, especially because they don’t see her as a person or a woman but more of something to fight over. She accepts Connor’s proposal with her eyes wide open. Too bad her heart doesn’t follow suit.

While Connor keeps his eyes on his revenge plans, Adelaide begins to see him in a new light in this new life they share. The sweet way he makes love to her, the way he cares for her nephew, the revelation of his feelings for her before he even knew she was involved with the baron. Even the way he listens to her when she stands up for herself in their marriage.

But when love enters the equation, Adelaide wants more from Connor. His life has and is consumed with revenge, but if they’re going to have a life, a family together, he needs to step back and see what’s more important to him. And Connor does listen to her, but he’s running on a one-track mind. He decision is made swiftly, however, and to me it’s a little too fast. Seems like to me after fifteen years of nothing in his life but his revenge that it should have taken just a bit longer to whittle it down the way he does. Does he give it all up? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?

I enjoyed these characters immensely. Connor is the one who must truly change, even though Adelaide is taken with his unexpected gentlemanliness as she gets to know him. There’s more to him than meets the eye, and it all comes out through his growing love for her. I like that Adelaide is not a beguiling beauty, but just your everyday girl next door and she doesn’t leave that behind despite what happens in her life. The baron is one piece of work, and I thoroughly reveled in his downfall.

Alissa Johnson always gives readers a lovely romance featuring charming characters, wicked and handsome heroes, along with intelligent and independent heroines. I enjoy her storytelling and look forward to the next book by the time I’ve finished reading the one currently in hand.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Her heart was a target…

Adelaide Ward has but one goal—to obtain an offer of marriage from the respectable, if less-than-appealing Baron Maxwell before her family is ruined. But it’s the devilishly handsome Connor Brice who captures her imagination—and a kiss in broad daylight—in front of a dozen members of the ton.  Now Adelaide must decide if the charming scoundrel who stole away her reputation might still be trusted with her heart.

His aim must be true…

Connor Brice seeks a long overdue revenge on the baron. And what better way to launch his campaign than to steal the lovely Miss Ward for his own? A quick “compromising” and an even quicker wedding ought to do. But if Connor wants to establish any sort of domestic tranquility, he’ll have to regain Adelaide’s trust and choose what means more to him—his thirst for vengeance, or his need for Adelaide.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Whispers in the Dark (KGI, Book 4) by Maya Banks
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 3 Jan 12

Hi, my name is Sandy. And I’m addicted. To Maya Banks’ Kelly boys. Hooboy. I was a goner with the first book, and now with the fourth? Needless to say, I’m not coming up for air anytime soon.

This time it’s Nathan, one of the two youngest Kellys, twin to Joe, who goes through hell to find love. As we learned in the previous book, the twins were finally leaving their military service to come home and join their brothers at KGI. Before that could happen, they are both severely injured, Nathan taken hostage in Afghanistan. He’s beaten and tortured, forced to watch his brothers-in-arms also being tortured, even ultimately killed to try to force him to talk. It’s during a rare moment of solitude that an angel comes to his aid. She soothes his soul, takes his pain away, boosts his spirits – all in his mind, of course. Which can’t be. Has he finally gone around the bend?

Shea is telepathic and has been on the run for a year now. Separated from her sister by necessity of protection – information concerning each other that they don’t have can’t be shared – from those who want them both for their powerful abilities. But when she hears a man in pain, needing comfort, she can’t leave him to suffer alone. Stealing into his mind, she bolsters him enough to give him that extra spark he needs to keep going, enough hope that he’ll make it out alive. Shea stays with Nathan until he’s able to escape his captors and his brothers arrive to take him home. Then she’s gone. Totally. No matter how he calls for her, Shea doesn’t answer.

Bereft at the loss of his angel, Nathan is back home, healing. At least physically. It’s his spirit and mental capacity that he doubts. Was she real? Or just his imagination, a way his brain needed for him to survive his ordeal? And though it was thoughts of his family that kept him going while in captivity, now that he’s with them, he seeks solitude more and more, confusing and worrying his loved ones even further. Then everything changes when Shea reappears, her lovely voice echoing through his mind. But just as quickly her pain and fear overwhelm him, and Nathan knows he has to get to her soon. Wanting to include his brothers but knowing that will take too long, he commandeers a KGI jet, but even that seems to take forever to find Shea.

Once Nathan has Shea in his arms, he knows she’s the one for him. They share a bond like no others. They’ve seen and felt each other’s pain and fear and hopelessness, given each other the will to go on. Shea feels the same, she trusts Nathan and it’s heaven to trust someone again. She’s been on her own for far too long. Now her only concern is to find Grace, her sister. But Grace has gone silent after one last, very cryptic telepathic communication, and now Nathan and Shea are on the hunt to bring her to safety.

Maya Banks is another author for me who makes me feel everything her characters go through. Nathan’s pain and anguish in the beginning are palpable. Shea’s connection with him screams of hope. The love between them when they finally meet in the flesh is electric and soul deep. Then there’s all the intermediate emotions of the Kellys when Nathan’s fate is unknown, Shea’s fear for her sister, and then her own terror when all their plans are thrown into the wind by someone they thought they could trust. There isn’t a page in this book that doesn’t radiate with some type of feeling, even laughter, which is always a must when the Kelly family is together.

While the emotion in these books is what draws me back to them – well, besides the alpha, sexy heroes anyway – the heart-pounding action of ambushes and rescues and the like is also habit-forming. The scenes at Shea’s family home with the panic room never slow down until you’re about to jump out of your skin. There’s a few scenes like that, in fact. The helicopter scene later in the book is the same. It’s shorter but packs the same punch. I also enjoy Nathan and Shea’s telepathic communication with each other, especially in a car full of his brothers and other team members. There’s plenty of surprises throughout this story, fun and otherwise.

We’re now down to two Kelly brothers, Donovan and Joe, and this series will be over. Withdrawal will then be imminent for me. I’m not sure what I’ll do after that. I know I will be lost for a time. Maybe the Kellys have some cousins or other relatives – long-lost brothers? – who will save me. Yes, reaching for straws is a bad sign. I know I don’t want this addiction to come to an end.

Grade: A+

Summary:

She came to him when he needed her the most

She came to him at his lowest point. The voice of an angel, a whisper in the dark. She’s the only thing that gets Nathan Kelly through his captivity, the endless days of torture and the fear that he’ll never return to his family. With her help, he’s able to escape. But he isn’t truly free, because now she’s disappeared and he’s left with an all-consuming emptiness as he struggles to pick up the pieces of his life. Did he imagine his angel? Or is she out there, needing his help as he’d once needed hers?

Now he rushes to save her before it’s too late

Shea has been on the run from people who will stop at nothing to exploit her unique abilities. She never wanted to drag Nathan, who’d already suffered so much, into danger, but she doesn’t have a choice so she reaches out to him for help. Finally face-to-face after having already formed a soul-deep bond in hell, their emotional connection is even more powerful than their telepathic one. Nathan refuses to consider ever letting her go again, but she worries they can never have a life free of the dangers that dog her every step. He’ll protect her with his every breath, but can he convince her that they are meant to face these threats together?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Slow Ride (Fast Track, Book 5) by Erin McCarthy
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 4 Oct 11

In Erin McCarthy’s latest NASCAR book, Tuesday Jones (aka racing blogger Tuesday Talledega) gets her chance in the spotlight.

Tuesday Jones meets a handsome stranger as she is leaving her father’s graveside service – and has a breakdown on his sympathetic shoulder. Only later does she realize her good Samaritan is retired NASCAR driver Daniel “Diesel” Lange.  Diesel retired from racing after a horrible crash left him with career-ending injuries.  He has built a business restoring old cars and has very little to do with the racing world.

Tuesday and Diesel have chemistry and neither is interested in anything serious, so they start casually seeing each other.  Of course, casual never lasts long, does it, faithful reader?  Soon enough, both realize they are spending way too much time thinking about the other person and anticipating their time together more than a “casual” relationship would explain.

To honor her father’s career (he was a writer and covered racing extensively) and raise money for cancer research – and help her deal with his loss – Tuesday decides to have a charity event and auction and Diesel offers one of his restored cars for the auction.  But Tuesday continues to struggle and often finds solace in a wine bottle.

I am sure we, as readers, are supposed to feel sympathetic toward Tuesday, but she is so self-involved and such an obnoxious drunk it is hard to be anything other than annoyed.  And the fact that her friends and family are not particularly concerned is baffling to me. Maybe their behavior is supposed to mimic real life?  I hope people don’t really do that.

Diesel, on the other hand, would probably be a very nice, not-so-talkative, normal guy in real life – and no one would give it any thought.  However, as the hero of a romance novel, he seems lacking. At least he is concerned about Tuesday’s drinking.

I struggled with this book.  Tuesday is unbelievable and self-centered with obvious issues and in serious need of therapy.  Diesel is really just a normal, boring guy who gets sucked into Tuesday’s crazy world.  In real life, couples like this make me scratch my head and wonder how short the relationship will be.  That we are asked to believe these characters will live happily ever after (without serious therapy) is surprising.  Yes, toward the end, Ms. McCarthy tries to show emotional growth or self-realization or something, but it seems like too little too late.

For a series that started out so well, the last two books of the Fast Track series have been very disappointing (except the covers – they are consistently fab).  I am still willing to check out the next book because Elec and Evan’s sister is the heroine and that could be fun…and maybe even get the series back on track? However, my expectations are low.

In the meantime, does this book stand alone? Mostly.  It would probably make more sense if you read The Chase – Tuesday’s best friend Kendall’s book.  Do I recommend reading The Chase? No.  Nor do I recommend this book, unless you are a hardcore fan of the series and have enjoyed all the previous books.

Grade: D

Summary:
As a tribute to her late journalist father, Tuesday Jones is planning a career benefit, auctioning off racing memorabilia and meet-and-greets with drivers. Ex-racing star Diesel Lange has had his own brush with death, and is determined not to waste another minute of his life- especially when he meets Tuesday. He wants nothing more than to shift their romance into high gear, but he knows she’s still grieving. Can Diesel do the one thing he could never do on the track and take it slow?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Animal Attraction (Animal Magnetism, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 4 Oct 11

Jill Shalvis is simply magic. Her characters are always so charming and endearing, and I’ve been loving all the characters in this Animal Magnetism series. The addition of the animals in the storylines just makes reading them that much more fun, as is evidenced by the opening scene in this book. I knew right then this would be another winner to read. Amid the fun, however, there’s sensual sparks flying all over the place, but there is the underlying frustration and melancholy when two people made for each other just can’t see the forest for the trees.

Jade ran from family and friends after a traumatic experience in Chicago while at work at the family medical facility. She dead ended in Sunshine, Idaho, at Belle Haven Veterinary Clinic, taking over as bookkeeper/receptionist/office manager – you name it, she did it. Obviously, she’s very overqualified for the position. But Del and his brothers needed the help, so she was hired. Belle is a perfectionist, she likes everything nice and tidy, and she loves spreadsheets. Everything goes on a spreadsheet, personal as well as professional items.

Dell has commitment issues. Doesn’t most every hero when we first meet them? But Dell’s issues come from abandonment, his parents’ most of all. So he leaves any and all women before they can leave him. No fuss, no muss, and no hurt. He and Belle have been dancing around one another for nearly a year and a half. Just when things begin to change between them, it’s going to be time for her to head back to Chicago. But they keep dancing. And Dell feels like Jade will be abandoning him too.

With her failure on her mind the closer the time to go home gets, the more she hesitates and thinks maybe she should stay put. She’s found a home with Dell and his brothers. And Lilah, the heroine from Animal Magneism, has become her best friend. A nosy friend but a good one. Leaving Dell is also something she doesn’t want to do, their relationship so new. So intimate. So right. But she’s promised everyone in Chicago she will return, go back to the family business just like nothing happened there before.

These two together are so much fun to read. Dell figures out enough of what’s bothering Jade, so he offers to teach her some self-defense moves to boost her confidence, to help her know she won’t be so helpless if something so frightening ever happens to her again. Jade is so in control of her own life, you’d think she would want to control everything and everyone else, but not so. She knows her boundaries and keeps them, only moving into Dell’s space when given the go-ahead. He can’t keep an organized office to save his life, and it drives her crazy, but she keeps her distance until Dell is ready. Allowing Jade to accompany him to see and help his mother and her friends is also a nice touch, especially when we find that Adam doesn’t feel the same way as Dell concerning their mom. I like that Dell and Jade get to know one another like this, the big things and the little things in life, which also instills more and more trust between them.

As usual, Jill Shalvis has given readers another perfect romance. And this is a romance through and through. Just a small mystery in the beginning about what happened to Jade, but outside of that it’s smooth sailing to love, with some four-legged creatures to help things along. We get caught up with Brady and Lilah, and it’s nice to see how they’re doing. Adam is now the odd man out, but his days are definitely numbered, of course. And I’m definitely look forward to his book to see what Ms. Shalvis has in store for him and her readers.

Grade: A+

Summary:

She’s tempting his basic instincts…

Sunshine, Idaho, is a quiet ranching town, a perfect place to give injured animals a refuge…or to find one. And veterinarian Dell Connelly suspects there’s a reason his clinic’s uber-efficient receptionist has taken shelter here.

Jade Bennett couldn’t be happier to escape her well-meaning but smothering family and their expectations, not to mention the big-city jungle. There’s nothing like working with injured animals, having a forlorn, grumpy stray kitten make its home under her desk…or enjoying the gorgeous views of her ruggedly sexy boss.

Jade is used to planning everything in her life, but Dell’s understanding has sparked an uncontrollable desire. And though Dell has never had time for love, Jade’s strength and sass is the kind of call no red-blooded male can resist…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Hearts and Swords (Celta’s HeartMates, Book 11) by Robin D. Owens
Fantasy/Paranormal Romance released by Berkley 6 Dec 11

What do cryogenics, matchmakers, scandalous divorcees and talking animals have in common?  You might be surprised.  Robin D. Owens’ latest release is a collection of four novellas all set in her Celta universe.

For those new to the series, Celta is a planet where Earthlings with psychic powers found refuge after fleeing persecution.  Similar but different, something about Celta soon stopped Earth machinery from working.  However, psychic abilities continue to increase in strength and variety.  This time around a couple of the original colonists and supporting characters from previous books all get their happy endings.

Heart and Swords

In Hearts and Swords, original colonist Kelse Bountry is unexpectedly awakened from cryogenic sleep after the murder of the captain of the spaceship he is traveling in.  Kelse and others with psi talents are fleeing persecution on Earth, looking for an Earth-like planet to establish their own civilization on.

Kelse and his wife Fern were not supposed to be awakened until a planet had been found and the ship was about to land – they expected to be in stasis for about 75 years.  However, after the captain’s murder, the executive officer wakes Kelse and tells him he must take over.  And instead of sleeping for 75 years it has been nearly 250!  There are mutineers aboard – people who have grown up on the ship – who have no interest in finding a new planet.  They either want to go back to Earth or just keep traveling.

Kelse wants to take care of the problem and get the ship to a planet. He talked Fern into the whole space travel thing and he knows she would be very uncomfortable, so Kelse wants her to stay asleep until they are on the ground somewhere safe.  The ship (if you’re interested in the Ship, Nuada’s Sword, check out Heart Thief) has other ideas and soon Fern is awake and embroiled with the mutineers too.

I enjoyed this glimpse into the events that brought the colonists to Celta.  There have been bits of the story scattered through the series, but, like most history, the interesting personal bits are forgotten or glossed over or completely changed.  We see the beginnings of the Heart Mate/Heart Bond too.

Grade: A

Heart Story

Blush Willow was kept from her Heart Mate by her mean-spirited, scheming mother – a renowned matchmaker, of all things. Now, years later, her mother has passed away and her Heart Mate, Dri Paris, has returned from the distant city he fled to after Blush’s mother threatened his family.

Both Blush and Dri are bitter about what her mother did.  And each blame the other for not being strong enough to stand up to her – even though they were teenagers and she held a powerful position in society.  Can two adults get past their anger and distrust to find the love they know is waiting for them?

This story is the weakest. The plot is thin and the characters are not so interesting. I don’t remember being interested in Blush when I read the book this story is connected to, so…

Grade: C-

Heart and Soul

Then we move to Heart and Soul and change locations from Druida to Gael City, which is much less familiar to longtime readers of the series.

Genista Furze shocked the upper echelons of Druida City by divorcing her husband…that just isn’t done in the First Families.  Genista realized that it would be better for everyone if they were no longer together, though, and freed him to be with his Heart Mate (if you wanna know more about that, check out Heart Fate).

Now she has moved to another city and is living a much quieter life under a different name.  She has a house and a job and an attentive (and handsome) next door neighbor.  But there is more to him than meets the eye.  Her ex-husband’s family hired him to watch over her and keep her safe.

Apparently, her secret identity isn’t as much of a secret as she thought.  When a burglary ring targets her house, many truths are revealed.

It’s nice to see the other side of Genista. In Heart Fate and previous Holly-centric books, she was pretty one-dimensional, if I recall correctly. Mostly she was an obstacle and shallow party girl. Here she has made a new start and is focusing on the things that make her happy, instead of worrying so much about what others think.

Grade: B

Noble Heart

Finally, we have Noble Heart.  Walker Clover is happy with his life – he is one of the many Clover boys, lives in Clover Compound with his family, and has a job he loves.  Walker is tutor to one of the Druida FirstFamilies – the Ashes.  When young Nuin Ash enters his first Passage – a feverish dream state that releases the person’s Flair (psi ability – it varies from person to person and can be anything from art to healing to weaponry) – Walker’s Passage is triggered, as well.  But Walker is an adult who has always thought he had only the basic amount of Flair required to operate Celtan machinery.  By adulthood, highly Flaired Celtans have endured three Passages and Walker has never experienced Passage at all – and suddenly he experiences all three Passages at one time.  Most unpleasant.  And dangerous – not everyone survives Passage.

After Walker wakes up and is told what happened to him (at first it’s thought he’s sick), he is tested to see what his new Flair talent is.  He is surprised to learn his talent may lead him to a very important political position.  Walker is not pleased with the direction his life is taking, but he recognizes that his new Flair will help his family move upward in Celtan society – there are four main classes: Commoners, Grace Houses, Grand Houses and First Families.  Walker’s new flair catapults his family from Commoner status to Grand House status.

Walker and his allies recognize that he will need assistance to navigate his new position in society.  He also must pass a test to assume his new position.  He chooses Sedwy Grove to help him learn how to deal with his new situation.  Sedwy’s mother formerly held the position Walker may eventually attain.  Plus, she’s pretty and smells nice.

Will Walker be able to adjust to his new power and potential?  And will Sedwy be able to move past the scandal in her past and take her rightful place next to him?

This is my favorite of the bunch. The Clovers are a fun family and I really like Walker. It is a nice change to see a hero who isn’t uber ambitious and power hungry.

Grade: A

I must say, I very much like this novella format.  There are several series I would LOVE to see something similar from (I’m looking at you, Nalini Singh and Meljean Brook).

Do the stories stand alone? Maybe – the first story, especially. The others tie in with previous books, so a new reader might feel like they are missing something, although Ms. Owens does a good job of summarizing previous events. Certainly by reading these stories, a newbie would have a good feel for the world she has created.

If you’ve never tried the Celta series, I urge you to try it. The world Ms. Owens has created continues to expand and evolve.  (Also, unrelated to anything, it’s nice to see the art department is returning to form on the cover format.  The cover for Heart Journey was unfortunate.) It is such a consistantly excellent series and seems to get very little buzz – it makes me sad. Check it out, faithful reader. If you hate it, come back and tell me why. If you love it, tell a friend.

Overall grade: B

Summary:

Heart and Sword
Captain Kelse Bountry leads a colony fleet in search of a habitable planet. His Ship is far off course and his crew is on the verge of mutiny, circumstances that threaten both the success of Kelse’s mission and his marriage. But Fern Bountry is not about to give up on either…

Heart and Soul
Genista Furze, scandalous ex-wife of Tinne Holly, has created a new life for herself working for a clockmaker in small Gael City. Content with simplicity, and learning to value herself, Genista is in no hurry to risk her heart on another man – no matter how attractive her neighbor is…

Noble Heart
Walker Clover is experiencing Passage – the dreamquest to free his psi power – and learns that he possesses a flair for magic. When his parents learn of his abilities they reveal that his real mother was a noblewoman. Now, Celta’s FirstFamilies scheme to forge an alliance with Walker through offers of marriage – a prospect he finds abhorrent until he meets the mysterious Sedwy Grove…

Heart Story
A year has passed since Blush Willow’s domineering and murderous mother died, and Blush has drawn her hidden HeartMate, Dri Paris, to her. All should be well. But when they finally meet, unresolved anger at the past – and each other – flares between them. Yet they must work together to find a treasure and save Dri’s family.

No excerpt available.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Kissing Comfort by Jo Goodman
Historical Romance published by Berkley 6 Sep 11

This is only my second book by Jo Goodman. After reading my first, Never Love a Lawman, and loving it so much, as I always do, I vowed to read more of her. Unfortunately, life never works the way you want it to. I haven’t been able to read another until now. And I must say, my reaction to Kissing Comfort is very different from my reaction to NLaL.

While Ms. Goodman does a terrific job of introducing us to her characters, showing us their lives, their strengths and weaknesses, their vulnerabilities and the like, the first part of this book is quite slow. Which actually surprises me after reading the prologue, which did have me hooked, wondering what would become of that young child Newt and Tuck found ensconced in rocks. But once we find out how she’s fared, how her life is currently getting along, the book’s pace creeps along. For me, there’s just too much pussyfooting around with Bram. Yes, he’s an integral part of the story, but come to find out, we don’t need nearly as much of him in the beginning as we get. At least I don’t.

Bram is the younger DeLong brother. The charming one. The playboy, so to speak. He has no responsibility to anyone other than himself, and that’s not saying much. He’s known Comfort Kennedy for years, has known she’s in love with him. At his brother’s birthday party, at which his brother is so far a no-show, Bram makes a surprise announcement – he and Comfort are engaged! Amid the good wishes and congratulations and new revelry at an otherwise dull get-together – the reason for the announcement – Comfort is just as surprised as everyone else. Taking the matter up with Bram, she talks him down from a six-month waiting period to six weeks before calling the fraudulent engagement off. Then we get a lot of chapters with these two dancing around each other about the engagement, the way Bram went about it, etc. etc. Just not all that interesting to me after a while.

Cooling her anger before heading back inside, Comfort comes face to face with the birthday boy – er, man himself. Sporting cuts, bruises, and very sore bones and joints as a result of an attack, Bode finally shows up for his party and finds Comfort with Bram in the garden. Hearing their good news doesn’t sit well with him, but he keeps quiet until the right time to make his intentions known. Which is after Comfort is kidnapped, and with Bram laid up with a broken leg, it’s up to Bode to use his resources to find her and bring her home. To him. And this is when the book picks up in action and mystery and romance and just…everything. Before this, though there are some good scenes from one family home to the other and then to the bank owned by Tuck and Newt, the in-between scenes just don’t work for me all that much.

Bode is the DeLong left to make ends meet after his father squandered the family fortune, nearly bankrupting their shipping company. He has to keep his brother and mother on a tight financial leash, because he refuses to give up on the company he loves. He’s always carried a torch for Comfort, but somehow he always scared the girl and they’ve never spent that much time in each other’s company. He’s about to change all that, declaring his intent to Bram on his way to find out what’s happened to her.

Comfort goes through a horrendous ordeal awaiting her fate in a saloon full of men who have bought lottery tickets to see which one will get first crack at her. You can feel her fear and panic as that time draws ever closer. Just when you think Bode’s plan to rescue her is going to work, all hell breaks loose again and it’s the man himself who whisks her off to safety. And the ensuing scenes on one of his ships are my favorites in the book. They’re in one cabin together, of course, on a ship full of men. They’re married there. They love on that boat. They learn more about one another during their trip. They plan to find out what the hell is going on that would trigger Comfort’s kidnapping.

I like Comfort and her “uncles” a lot. They have a terrific relationship for not being blood family. Of the DeLong family, it’s only Bode who finally breaks the ice for me and who’s worth anything. Bram is definitely spoiled and selfish, even if he never meant anyone any true harm. Newt and Tuck, along with Bode, do what it takes to keep Comfort safe once she’s home, and Bram could learn a few lessons from them in that regard. He really chaps my hide.

I’m glad the second half of this book picked up the pace. I’d been a little worried before that. Ms. Goodman pens a wonderful story anyway, even those slow parts are well written and still draw you in. So, all in all, a good read with some captivating characters, a wonderful romance, and a mystery that piques interest from the beginning.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Bode DeLong knows that his playboy brother Bram isn’t really in love with Miss Comfort Kennedy, even though it’s clear that she’s enamored with him. With Bram’s motives for the engagement suspect, Bode figures the safest place for Comfort to be is in his arms. Now, Bode just needs to convince Comfort that the childhood fancy she has for his brother is no match for the incredible desire that sparks between them every time they touch.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Serendipity (Serendipity Series, Book 1) by Carly Phillips
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 6 Sep 11

I seem to be on a good run with contemporaries lately.  Carly Phillips is an author I hadn’t read in ages – too many books, too little time – until Serendipity turned up in my mailbox.  Since I was in a contemporary mood, I decided to try it and see what I had been missing out on.  I really enjoyed this story.

Faith Harrington has just returned to her hometown to start a new life. Her father is in jail after swindling lots of people – including many residents of Serendipity – and her (now) ex-husband, who had used her father’s influence to further his career but managed to remain unscathed, was cheating on her.  Now all Faith wants is to take back her life, be herself and make it on her own.  The last thing she expects is to bump into her high-school-bad-boy secret crush.

Ethan Barron has also returned home to make some changes in his life. Ethan feels responsible for the death of his parents – and the result of his younger brothers ending up in foster care.  His parents were on their way to deal with some consequences of his youthful bad choices when they were killed in a car accident.  Years later, Ethan still blames himself…and so do his brothers (ah yes, faithful reader, the sweet, sweet smell of sequel bait).  Now Ethan can work wherever and has returned to Serendipity to try to mend things with his brothers.  The last thing he expects is to suddenly be responsible for a sister he never knew he had.

Apparently, his dad, who traveled a lot for work, had a long-term girlfriend in another town and they had a child together just before his father was killed.  Now the girlfriend is dead and the half-sister cannot deal with their mutual half-sister any longer.  His little sister, Tess, has already been in and out of trouble at school and with the police and needs more adult supervision than her half-sister can provide.  Kelly (the out-of-her-depth sister) tells Ethan that Tess is his for the summer.  Ethan decides he isn’t going to abandon another sibling who needs him – besides, he recognizes some of his youthful rebellion in Tess.  And maybe he and his brothers can work together to help her get back on track before it’s too late.

But what about Faith?  After meeting her again, Ethan realizes the old spark of attraction is still there – maybe more now than when they were young.  He wants to see where things will go and needs a way to keep her from avoiding him.  Conveniently, he moves into the fancy house she grew up in (it had to be sold after her dad’s legal problems) and it needs some serious redecorating.  Faith’s new business in town is interior design.  Perfect!  He will be her first (only – the townspeople aren’t exactly excited to see her) client and will help her get the new business off the ground.  Faith is reluctant.  She just got out of a bad relationship and is still reeling from her father’s situation.  Still, beggars can’t be choosers and she needs the business.

Faith and Ethan both are trying to find their way and fighting the shadows of their former selves. The townspeople can’t see past the idea of Faith being the spoiled daughter of the man who stole their money. Ethan’s brothers can’t get past their anger and still blame him for ruining their lives. Will they manage? Well, this is the first book in a series so, yeah. But, since it is a series there are plot points left dangling. Ethan’s relationships with his brothers is still unsettled and Faith’s relationship with her mother is not completely comfortable.

All in all, I enjoyed Serendipity. The characters and storyline weren’t the most unique, but Ms. Phillips stays out of cookie cutter territory and I remained engaged enough to be interested in where the next book will take things.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Faith Harrington was the classic girl of privilege–until her father was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme and then her marriage crashed and burned.

Now Faith is back in her hometown, hoping for a fresh start. But her father’s betrayal has rocked Serendipity – and not everyone is ready to welcome her with open arms. Then she runs into her teenage crush — the dark, brooding Ethan Barron. Ethan, no stranger to scandal himself, never imagined he’d own the mansion on the hill, much less ever again come face to face with Faith–the princess he once kissed senseless. The chance meeting reignites the electric charge between them.

Still, when Ethan hires her to redecorate what was once her childhood home, Faith is sure that getting involved with the town’s notorious bad boy will only lead to trouble. But her heart has other ideas. And so do the townspeople of Serendipity …

Read an excerpt. (click link)

C2’s review of Heart of Steel (Iron Seas, Book 4) by Meljean Brook
Steampunk Romance published by Berkley 1 Nov 11

In the mood for a book with an unapologetically kick-ass heroine? One who doesn’t even pretend she needs a big, strong man to take care of her? What if her hero totally digs that about her and doesn’t want to change her? Intrigued??

In Meljean Brook’s latest installment in her Iron Seas series, Lady Corsair (aka Yasmeen) steps onto the main stage. She had a prominent supporting role in The Iron Duke and events that occur in that book play a very important role in Heart of Steel.

The last time Lady Corsair saw Archimedes Fox, she dropped him into the seas around Venice – and zombies were closing in! I mean, what’s a captain to do when a passenger tries to take control of her air ship? So imagine her surprise when he pops back into her life several months later? Well, kidnaps her off the street several months later…

Archimedes Fox is an adventurer – think about a Regency rake version of Indiana Jones.  In fact, his adventures are chronicled in very popular stories written by his sister.  Archimedes wants Yasmeen – he wants to seduce her, he wants to fall in love, and he wants to experience heartbreak – and he figures she is just the lady for the job to help him experience all those feelings.  She doesn’t trust men and usually uses them briefly, if she’s interested, and tosses them aside before they get close enough to betray her.  He isn’t willing to have a quick fling and be tossed aside, though. He wants to know her and is willing to earn her trust – as much as she is able to give.

Before the seduction can really begin, Yasmeen and Archimedes are swept up in a treasure hunt that is entwined with political intrigue.  And it brings up a lot of things from both of their pasts that continue to affect them.

That’s the thing about these characters – they are adults and behave as such.  They both are aware of the issues, good and bad, that have shaped their lives and know having any sort of real relationship won’t be easy. Sometimes, though, you can’t help yourself.  And once they decide to trust each other (no small thing for these two), they trust each other.  And stand together against all sorts of enemies.

If you want a story filled with adventure and intrigue and treasure hunts, with murder and mayhem and machinery, with ZOMBIES! – this is the book for you. The world Ms. Brook has built is fascinating and rich and filled with interesting characters. If you like steampunk and haven’t already started reading this series – go to the bookstore of your choice immediately. If you’ve never tried steampunk but love a good story, see above. You should try this series.

Does this book stand alone? No. Events in The Iron Duke set up this story – and besides that, it is a fabulous book. My number one read for last year! And the novella that started the series was my number two read for last year! That should tell you something, faithful reader. Sometimes the hype is true.

Grade: A+

Summary:

As the mercenary captain of the Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control.

Treasure-hunter Archimedes Fox isn’t interested in the Lady Corsair — he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she’s no easy conquest.

When da Vinci’s sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco — and straight into their enemy’s hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart…

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Other books in the series:

This just in…

eBook readers are in for a very special treat from Berkely/NAL…especially if you love Nora Roberts and their out-of-print Signet Regency line.

~ In January 2012, Penguin Group (USA)’s Berkley/NAL division will launch InterMix, a new e-initial eBook imprint.

~ InterMix will introduce original works from new authors as well as publish favorite titles from beloved authors such as Nora Roberts that are available as eBooks for the first time.  InterMix will be focused on eBooks, though some titles might also eventually be published as physical books.

~ With the January 2012 launch, eleven classic books from Nora Roberts titles that have never before been available as eBooks will be released, including such popular series as Cordina’s Royal Family and The Donovan Legacy and several novels featuring fan favorites the O’Hurleys.  Additional Nora Roberts eBooks will be published throughout 2012, with the second group including seven of Roberts’s beloved novels about the MacGregor family available in April.

~ The eBooks published by InterMix will encompass a wide range of genres, including women’s fiction, romance, mystery and thriller, and science fiction/fantasy.  Every InterMix title, whether brand new or previously available in print, will receive fresh cover art, newly designed interiors, and creative marketing, publicity, and advertising campaigns.

~ In February, InterMix will revive the renowned Signet Regency line with the release of six popular romance titles that have never before been published as eBooks. Three additional Regency-set romances will be released each following month throughout 2012.  And later in the year, InterMix will bring back four novels in the classic Guinevere Jones series from bestselling writer Jayne Ann Krentz, writing as Jayne Castle, that have long been out of print and have never been available as eBooks.

~ InterMix titles will be available wherever eBooks are sold, in a variety of formats compatible with all major eReaders.

Consider yourself flashed.

Dinca’s review of Sage Creek by Jill Gregory
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 4 Oct 11

I enjoyed this story. It is so worth the trip to Sage Creek. Jill Gregory usually gets all A’s from me.  She is a good storyteller with a vivid imagination.

Sophie McPhee comes home from San Francisco after her painful divorce. With her business sold and a new life to start, she opens a bakery in her hometown of Lonesome Way, Montana. She desperately tries to avoid her matchmaking grandmother and her friends while continually running into her childhood crush Rafe Tanner, the older brother of her best friend, Lissie. While meeting her other girlfriend Mia to plan Lissie’s baby shower, Rafe comes to her rescue and saves her from being knocked down by a drunken cowboy.  After that they are constantly thrown together and their relationship grows.

Rafe Tanner has one priority. . . his eleven-year-old daughter. He doesn’t have any time or interest in cultivating a long term-relationship. Still, he finds his thoughts filled with his sister’s best friend who just moved back to town. She was way too young for him way back then, but he could not help noticing how good she looks all grown up. The suspicion that someone is out to get her gives him reason to stay close. Really close.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story line. The chain of events with the twist and turns are exciting to follow. Sophie’s grandmother and her friends are a kick and will have you laughing out loud.

There are only a couple of things that kept the story from getting an A in my book. I feel the author gets a little carried away with her thesaurus. I had to stop and reread a couple of times to follow certain parts of the story. The other thing that gets me is the polo shirts. I am an old-school country girl from Texas and I have visited a lot in Montana – to this day I have yet to see a cowboy get caught dead or alive in a polo shirt!

Grade: B+

Summary:

After her marriage falls apart, Sophie McPhee returns to her hometown of Lonesome Way, Montana, planning to steer clear of men and focus on her new bakery, A Bun in the Oven. Who she doesn’t expect to see is Rafe Tanner, her first crush who now runs his family’s ranch-and who spent most of their childhood ignoring her. But is Rafe a changed man?

While Rafe is stunned to discover that Sophie’s grown into an irresistibly beautiful woman, he’s been hurt too. They both have their guards up, but melt in each other’s company. Can they admit that home is truly where the heart is?

Read an excerpt.

C2’s review of Serpent’s Kiss (Elder Races, Book 3) by Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 4 Oct 11

In Serpent’s Kiss we get another different view of the Elder Races (in Book 1, we got an overview; in Book 2, a micro-view of the politics). This is a much more intimate book – it concentrates almost entirely on Rune, a gryphon Wyr, and Carling, queen of the Vampyres.  It must focus on them because they are racing to find a cure for Carling’s condition before she dies.

First, faithful reader, I must tell you that I love Rune!  He has replaced Dragos as my favorite Wyr.  Rune is such an interesting mix of
laid-back calm and kick-ass defender.  He can be lazy and affectionate one minute and in full attack mode the next.  Maybe that’s the feline in him?  <3  And once he decides to go after something?  Stand back!

Carling, who hasn’t been able to feed on blood for a very long time, is a succubus.  She feeds off the emotions of creatures around her – which makes it nice to have Rune around, since he is filled with all sorts of tasty strong emotions.

Carling knows she is dying.  She has been studying what happens to Vampyres as they reach great ages since she first lost the ability to feed off blood.  Carling has recently been having “episodes” where she is suddenly…absent.  She loses track of time and is unresponsive to those around her.  Unless she finds a cure, Carling will not live much longer.  Rune refuses to let that happen.  For all that he only came to her because he promised her a favor of her choice – a very big deal among the Elder Races – if she saved Tiago (in Book 2, Storm’s Heart), he finds himself increasingly intrigued by and attracted to Carling.

Carling, on the other hand, although she wants to find a cure, seems more resigned to her fate.  Her emotions are so much more distant than Rune’s (his emotions aren’t distant at all), even though they are both ancient creatures.  They aren’t the only people interested in Carling’s condition, however.  When the King of Vampyres finds out Carling has left her voluntary seclusion and that her episodes are affecting the world around her, he sends people to kill her.  Carling and Rune manage to escape and go on the run, in hopes that they find the information they need to save Carling before they are caught and before Carling has another episode and is lost forever.

Will they find a cure? What if Rune and Carling have found each other only as one is about to slip away? Oh, you know you want to find out for yourself, faithful reader. I am so enjoying the Elder Races series. Their world gets richer and deeper and more interesting with each book. And each story just leaves me wanting more. And did I mention that I love Rune? Love!

Grade: A

Summary:

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, a Queen on the brink of sanity has no one to rely on except the Wyr warrior whose conviction is every bit as strong as his passion…

In order to save his friend’s life, Wyr sentinel Rune Ainissesthai made a bargain with Vampyre Queen Carling—without knowing what she would ask from him in return. But when Rune attempts to make good on his debt, he finds a woman on the edge.

Recently, Carling’s Power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee in fear. Despite the danger, Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help her find a cure for the serpent’s kiss—the vampyric disease that’s killing her.

With their desire for each other escalating just as quickly as Carling’s instability spirals out of control, the sentinel and the Queen will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent’s kiss…

Read an excerpt! Or another! Or a third!

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Animal Attraction (Animal Magnetism, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 4 Oct 11

What happens when a control freak temp and a commitment-phobe of a vet collide?  It can’t be good, right?  Especially when the temp’s time is almost up and she will be moving hundreds of miles away.  Not to worry, faithful reader, if Jill Shalvis is in charge of things, you know you’re in good hands.

Jade Bennett has worked at the Belle Haven Animal Clinic for eighteen months but is finally getting ready to end her “temporary” job.  She had planned to leave after a year but wasn’t quite ready to – and maybe she still isn’t, but she promised her family she would return to Chicago and take up the obligations there she dropped so quickly.  Jade was working late at her family’s offices and there was a break-in.  It affected her more than she thought and Jade just couldn’t make herself go back to her office.  Instead, she just started driving and eventually found herself at Belle Haven – and they were in dire need of someone to run the office side of things.

Dell Connelly never intended to keep Jade around as office manager – she was only supposed to fill in until someone more qualified was found. Little did he know that Jade would soon make herself indispensable.  Now Dell can’t help but feel like she is abandoning him – and the clinic, of course.  He can talk almost any creature into doing what he wants, but he can’t talk his way around Jade.  She’s had his number from day one. Jade and Dell have danced around each other ever since she arrived at Belle Haven.  Neither one will acknowledge the attraction, but it’s there.  Finally, just before it’s time for Jade to go back home, they can’t fight it anymore.  Isn’t that always the way it goes?

I like the way Jade works through some of her issues from the break-in with self-defense training.  And I think it’s insightful of Dell to know she needs something like that (especially since it’s based on very little information – very private, Ms. Jade is).  And when Dell finally turns Jade loose in his office to clean and organize it?  Best unspoken “I love you” ever.  :-) Letting her go with him to his mom’s is too, but the office thing?  So sweet!

Is it really suspenseful, as far as the whole “will Jade return to her old life and never look back”?  Not so much.  But this is a romance, people!  Are Dell’s issues with his mom completely explained and resolved?  No – although more information might come to light in Adam’s book.  But this isn’t a psychology treatise, either, is it, faithful reader?

I enjoyed Animal Attraction.  Even control freaks and commitment-phobes can find love.  Jade and Dell are a fun couple and manage to find hidden depths in each other – he lightens her up and she finds his more serious side.  I’m looking forward to Adam’s book. If you want a good, solid contemporary romance with characters that are fun but not silly, Jill Shalvis never disappoints.

Grade: B

Summary:

She’s tempting his basic instincts…

Sunshine, Idaho, is a quiet ranching town, a perfect place to give injured animals a refuge…or to find one. And veterinarian Dell Connelly suspects there’s a reason his clinic’s uber-efficient receptionist has taken shelter here.

Jade Bennett couldn’t be happier to escape her well-meaning but smothering family and their expectations, not to mention the big-city jungle. There’s nothing like working with injured animals, having a forlorn, grumpy stray kitten make its home under her desk…or enjoying the gorgeous views of her ruggedly sexy boss.

Jade is used to planning everything in her life, but Dell’s understanding has sparked an uncontrollable desire. And though Dell has never had time for love, Jade’s strength and sass is the kind of call no red-blooded male can resist…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

C2’s review of The Chase (Fast Track, Book 4) by Erin McCarthy
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 5 Apr 11

With The Chase, Erin McCarthy zooms back into the world of NASCAR. This go-around longtime supporting character Evan Monroe is racing for his happily ever after, but will he cross the finish line or end up in the pits?

Evan Monroe is struggling in the current racing season – he isn’t finishing well, his sponsors are unhappy and putting pressure on him to do better – and suddenly he’s seeing a face that brings back a lot of unhappy memories.

Kendall Holbrook is one of the few female NASCAR drivers and she is having a very good season.  Her sponsors are happy, her team manager is happy, and things are looking up for her racing career.  As exciting as things are in her professional life, Kendall’s personal life is beyond dull.  She hasn’t been on a date in ages and hasn’t had a steady boyfriend for even longer.  Concentrating on her career has taken precedence over everything else.  Plus, she’s gun-shy…she still hasn’t gotten over a teenage heartbreak.

When Kendall’s best friend, Tuesday, finds out (after inviting him to meet her for a drink) Evan and Kendall dated during their late teens, she is surprised Kendall never mentioned it before. But when Tuesday tries to find out more about the relationship, Kendall gets flustered and won’t give details.  So Tuesday asks Evan and is surprised to hear that he considered the relationship a serious one until Kendall just stopped returning his calls without ever saying why.

Tuesday arranges (with a bit of threatening) for Kendall and Evan to get together to talk about what happened.  Kendall finally admits she took exception to a comment Evan made about her wanting to race and assumed he wouldn’t support her dreams.  So she dumped him.  Umm…seriously? Without any discussion at all?

I am not fond of Kendall.  She strikes me as very immature – which is excusable, sort of, at 18 but not at 28.  And I’m not sure she ever completely apologized for the breakup.  She must have because they hooked up again pretty quickly (even if it was just for “closure,” supposedly).  I get that she felt a lot of pressure and got a lot of criticism when she picked a traditionally male career.  I’m sure it’s very difficult and continued to be difficult to wrestle with people’s preconceived notions.  Using that as an excuse to push away someone who cares about you?  Nope.

Still, it doesn’t seem to stop Evan and Kendall from rekindling their relationship – the chemistry is still there and both are older and wiser, more or less.  But their lives are very entwined and yet moving in different directions.  Evan’s racing season isn’t going well – even though he does get a new sponsor – and Kendall is doing extremely well. Evan is thinking it may be time for him to stop racing and try something else and Kendall’s racing career is on the upswing.  Their managers aren’t in favor of them having a public relationship, their team owner doesn’t like the idea of them dating.  But Evan and Kendall are happier together than they ever were apart, so they decide to try.

I admit I never paid much attention to Evan in Ms. McCarthy’s previous books.  I just thought of him as the happy-go-lucky, not-too-bright smart ass brother/pal.  As it turns out, he has much more depth than I ever imagined.  Being dumped by Kendall at 19 really hurt him – he had planned to propose even – and he never really got over it.  Evan turns out to be sweeter and more self-aware than I would have ever thought.

The plot twist near the end (no spoilers here, faithful reader) is not needed and, to me, it muddies the plot.  Maybe Ms. McCarthy thought there isn’t enough conflict, but why can’t we just watch characters learn from each other and grow without craziness to spur them along?  All the steps forward the characters have managed over the course of the book are
suddenly wiped out.  I understand that it maybe helps Kendall gain some insight into her life and character, but I still find it annoying. Surely Kendall could have figured things out without that sort of jolt.

Usually this type of storyline is right up my alley.  I am left slightly disappointed with The Chase because of the characterization of Kendall and the twist near the end.  So does this book stand alone? More or less…when characters from the previous books arrive on scene, enough info is given that a new reader would probably feel comfortable. For readers of the previous book, there are nice updates for all the previous couples.  And next up for her happy ending is Kendall’s friend Tuesday.  She is an intriguing character, so I’m looking forward to her story.

Grade: C-

Summary:

When racing for the checkered flag…

Kendall Holbrook is determined to make it to the top, even with the challenge of being a woman on the male-dominated racing circuit.  She doesn’t have time for romance – especially not with racing rival Evan Monroe, the man who nearly crushed her dream years ago.  Forced into meeting up with him, Kendall is experiencing all those old feelings again – and she can’t deny that they still have more than enough chemistry to set fire to the track.

…expect a few speed bumps.

After getting dropped by his biggest sponsor, Evan is watching his racing season go up in flames.  Now, the only replacement available is completely humiliating: a co-sponsorship for his-and-her deodorant with Kendall Holbrook – the girl who once broke his heart.  Acting like Kendall doesn’t still get him all hot and bothered is bad enough, but the biggest challenge awaits him on the track – where Evan has to decide if a second chance at love is more important than making it to the finish line…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Vampire Dragon (Works Like Magick, Book 3) by Annette Blair
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 5 Apr 11

Well, this is a first. And one that puzzles the hell out of me. This is the first time an Annette Blair book hasn’t blown me away, hasn’t made me laugh as much, hasn’t drawn me in as completely as all of her previous books. Very disconcerting when this happens with one of your all-time favorite authors.

I kept thinking while reading the first half that we read a lot of the same in the first Dragonelli book, Naked Dragon, particularly the way Bastien had to learn being human again. Those are very funny scenes in that book, especially concerning his “man lance” and other endearing oddities he comes up with in his relearning. But after an entire story with all of those new-found things, I guess I was expecting something a tad different with Darkwyn once he makes the transition from dragon to man. Vampire Dragon seems to mirror Naked Dragon in those little details, with only characters and place different than before. I realize the idea for this part of the series is to bring all of the dragon brothers out of their captured state to find their heart mates, but it’s a little much with each experiencing much of the same the previous dragon does. Darkwyn does buck the system, so to speak, by leaving his “classes” early to be with Bronte, thus causing some cute semantics confusion, but that also happened with Bastien before his education as well as after.

It’s not until more than halfway through the book that it picks up and goes an interesting direction. Bronte and her nephew Zachary have been hiding in plain site from their deceased mother’s husband, a mob head honcho who wants them back in the fold because they know too much. Bronte runs a vampire club of sorts, with fairgrounds and other entertainment, for real and fake vamps, and this is where Darkwyn falls at her feet after his transformation – he’s got great aim when it comes to his heart mate – and where he eventually finds employment. Later when Bronte is nearly fatally injured by a mob spy, Darkwyn’s dragon emerges, scoops her and Zachary up to fly to safety where he can begin to heal Bronte. I did enjoy these scenes quite a bit, especially Darkwyn’s shifting and healing abilities, along with his emotional upheaval in his perceived allowing Bronte to be injured.

Now that she and Zachary have been found, Bronte decides to confront the issue head on by returning to Canada where the family estate is and to locate the evidence Zachary has hidden there – there’s a whole part of the story concerning this thirteen-year-old that’s pretty intriguing and interwoven into it quite nicely. Of course, once there with evidence in hand, they’re discovered and taken to Bronte’s stepfather where a confusing and inept fight goes on between the two factions, good versus bad, and at one point I had reread the part where Darkwyn and company lose control of the situation. It would seem that for a huge, though injured, dragon, a little more effort by the bad guys should have been had before their ultimate defeat when Darkwyn rallies and it all comes to an end.

Through the entire book, Bronte wears a mask. First it’s due to her business, all employees wear masks to make it easier for her and Zachary to hide out in the open. Then Darkwyn has his own ideas why she wears it and tries to get her to remove it for him, but he agrees to take her as she is. For the time being anyway. After all the time of Bronte wearing this mask, I’d thought we’d get a little more fanfare when it comes off, but it’s the last few pages where that happens, and I feel a tad let down by that – and the fact there’s nothing special going on when she does de-mask. Just seems there should have been something more, since it’s such a big deal for so long.

All this being said, Ms. Blair’s characters are still endearing and charming, especially the Dragonellis. I did enjoy seeing Bastien again, and Jaydun and Vivica make an interesting couple. The confrontations with Killian of Chaos are nail-biters, and having their Goddess Andra thwart her at every turn is fun. With the vampire theme throughout this book, though, Ms. Blair’s humor doesn’t come through as well as it has in previous books, which is a shame, because she’s one of the best when it comes to laughs. I still had fun, however, with the story and I’m still looking forward to the rest of the series.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Welcome to Drak’s, A Place for Vampires, where nobody is who–or what–they say they are, good and evil, alike.  Learn to tell the vamps from the role players and the tourists from the mob.  Meet Darkwyn Dragonelli, man and dragon, and Bronte McBride, the Vampiress who steals his heart.

Say hello to Puck, the sarcastic Macaw; flying cats Lila and Scorch; and a twelve-year old boy with a century’s worth of memories.  Ride in a casket at the amusement park, and drink some blood at “Bite Me” but don’t forget to try blood soup, blood pudding, and blood sausage, too. Yum.

In the final, deadly, confrontation: It’s a magickal shape shifting dragon in all his furious glory and the Vampiress he loves…against the mob boss from hell and Killian the evil sorceress.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (Highland Pleasures, Book 3) by Jennifer Ashley
Historical Romance published by Berkley 2 Aug 11

Dear heavens, these Mackenzie boys deserve to find a little happiness after the lives they’ve had. While Cameron didn’t suffer at the hands of his father like his brothers did, fate had more in store for him later in life. His suffering came at the hands of his ex-wife – usually while protecting his newborn son from her, though she would have a go at him whenever she found him vulnerable to attack. Talk about an evil bitch.

And I truly don’t care that it may have been post-partum depression she was suffering from. Going after a man who only wants his son safe is a huge no-no. I’m very happy to say she gets what’s coming to her after all the pain, both physical and mental, she inflicts. Then Cam finds Ainsley, but he has to wait a few years for her.

Ainsley is the queen’s favorite and being the queen’s favorite isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The latest “mission” her majesty has given Ainsley is to locate and retrieve some highly sensitive letters written by Victoria and stolen by a disgruntled ex-favorite, who is also now Cameron’s current mistress. So she hides the letters in the one place no one would think to look. Except Ainsley. Which leads her to a place she’s been before in nearly the exact circumstances – searching Cam’s bedchamber for items stolen from a friend. And Cameron catches her red-handed both times.

Cam is known, of course, as a womanizer, as all of the Mackenzie, save Ian, are and he loves only his horses. So when he caught her the first time, and though Ainsley nearly succumbs to his lovemaking, she’s amazed when he lets her walk away because she desires not to hurt her husband, who has been kind and generous to her. That was four years ago and she’s never been far from his mind that whole time. Therefore, finding her once again just where he wants her gives Cameron the chance to finish what was started so long ago. This time Ainsley doesn’t stand a chance.

At first she does try to resist the man. The letters are more important than her pleasure. But Cam knows just how to wear her down. Between his sexuality. his gentleness, and his protectiveness, Ainsley is beginning to know him better than anyone ever has. The more she learns, the more she comes to fall for this Mackenzie brother who has hidden his real self from everyone. When she finally discovers why he won’t take a woman to his bed – he’ll make love to her anywhere but there – it broke my heart just like it does Ainsley’s.

Eventually Ainsley must make a decision – stay with the queen or take a chance and leave with Cameron on the trip of a lifetime. Yes, needless to say, she chooses wisely and follows her heart. They have a whirlwind journey, Cam showing her things she’s only dreamt of. Eventually home calls, however, and as they’re settling in as husband and wife, a summons from the queen has Cam retreating to that place inside himself, thinking he’s lost Ainsley once again.

This story hits hard, and Ainsley is just what Cam needs to help him fight his demons of the past. She’s strong when he needs her to be and she’s always loving, which is a balm to his heart. I enjoy the relationship between the Mackenzie brothers, all of whom we see once again to find out what they’ve been up to. Ian and Mac are as happy as ever, and we get a good look at Hart and the uphill battle he’ll have when it’s his turn at love. I like that it’s Hart who stood by Cam, no questions asked, when his wife did her worst trying to destroy him. I also really enjoy the father-son relationship between Cam and Daniel. Cam is determined not to be the hard-hearted, brutal type of father his was, so Daniel has run free most of his life, but the brothers have done a fine job of raising him. Daniel looks after Cam nearly as much as Cam looks after him. Their last scene together near the end of the book is so heart warming.

I love this Mackenzie family. Each book is like coming home after being gone for a while, only to find hurt and trouble on the horizon. But love and family take care of everything and make life worth living. I’m looking forward to Hart’s book and am happy to see on Ms. Ashley’s website that the series is still alive with several more books in the offing. After the unveiling of Cameron’s life, it’s going to be interesting to see what she comes up with next.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Lord Cameron Mackenzie is intrigued when he finds the pretty widow, Ainsley Douglas, hiding in the window seat of his bedchamber. Cam remembers Ainsley Douglas all right—six years ago, he’d caught her in this very bedchamber, during a house party in the Mackenzies’ Scottish manor. Enchanted by her ingenuous excuses, he decided to seduce her, but stopped shy when she’d made a rather touching appeal about her “good husband who didn’t deserve to be heartbroken.”

Later, Cameron learned that her visit to his bedchamber was part of some female intrigue against him, the kind his late wife used to practice. Ainsley protested her innocence, but Cameron’s anger made him never want to see her again. Now she’s back, at another houseparty—and Cameron finds the gray-eyed minx in his bedchamber, again. Her excuses are just as ingenuous, but this time Cameron is determined to teach her a lesson.

They have unfinished business, Cameron tells her. He asks her how many of her many buttons she’ll let him unclasp, promising that before the houseparty is over, she’ll be asking him to undo them all.

Ainsley’s dismay is real. She’s on a mission to prevent embarrassment to Queen Victoria, and time is running out. Though the needs he’d stirred long ago during her unhappy marriage rise again, she knows it would be foolish to fall for love-them-and-leave-them Cameron Mackenzie.
But he asks her a question that challenges her beliefs about love and happiness, and she finds herself risking all to be with the black sheep of the Mackenzie family.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Gen’s Review of Heartbreak Creek (Runaway Brides, Book 1) by Kaki Warner
Historical Western Romance published by Berkley Trade 5 Jul 11

I absolutely love Kaki Warner’s Heartbreak Creek, the first book in her Runaway Brides series. But as all romance readers know, you’re supposed to show, not tell.  So let me show you how much I love Heartbreak Creek instead: Once I finished, I went and bought Kaki Warner’s Blood Rose trilogy.  And preordered Colorado Dawn, the next Runaway Brides title.  Kaki Warner is now an auto buy for me.

After the ruin of the Civil War, Edwina knows there’s nothing left for her in Louisiana.  When the bank takes her family home, she heads out to the wilds of Colorado to be a mail order bride to one Declan Brodie, dragging her half-sister, Pru, along.  Declan doesn’t want love or even companionship in this marriage.  All he wants is a strong farm wife who’ll cook his meals, clean his house, and keep his kids in line.

The problem is, Ed’s a Southern belle who doesn’t know the first thing about housekeeping.  All she knows is how to flirt and sew.  And sarcasm.  She definitely knows sarcasm.  To make matters worse, the Arapaho responsible for the death of Declan’s first wife is now threatening his entire family.

At its heart this a story about relationships, specifically Ed’s developing relationship with Declan, and her evolving relationship with Pru.  And I have to say how much I adore Pru, the result of a relationship between Ed’s father and one of his slaves.  Writing about race needs to straddle that fine line between being authentic to the period, while also making your characters sympathetic, and Ms. Warner does an exceptional job here.  Ed’s and Pru’s characters and relationship ring so true to me, yet they are also firmly rooted in their time and place.  (Pru’s last name is a perfect example of this.)  I do wish there were some scenes from Pru’s point of view, but I’m guessing (and fervently hoping) that we’ll have Pru’s book as well.  Watching Ed grow into her role as a wife, mother, and frontierswoman is a treat, and her painful but necessary disaffection with Pru saddened me as well.

Declan is a great hero for Ed, a strong, silent type who’s secretly a teddy bear underneath it all.  His struggle to do right by his family, both of his wives, and pretty much everyone in the book really touched me.  I also love the twin themes of his phobia and the villian’s phobia.  The objects of their fears are such simple things, but in the end prove to be serious Achilles’ heels for both.

But perhaps the best parts of the book are the humor and the sincere love of the West and the frontier that are threaded thorough out the story.  I like that the ravages that mining could inflict on a place and the necessity of the railroad for the survival of small towns in the West are touched on but not belabored. Ms. Warner’s unique voice really shines through, and I enjoyed every page.  I’m looking forward to the  rest of the Runaway Brides.  Especially Pru!

Grade: A+

See Sandy M’s review here.

Summary:

Honest, hard-working widower, age thirty-
three, seeks sturdy English-speaking
woman to help with mountain ranch and
four children.  Drinkers, whores, and
gamblers need not apply.

Not very romantic, but after one disastrous marriage, widowed Edwina Ladoux isn’t looking for romance.  What she wants is safety for herself and her
half-sister, and a way out of the war torn South, even if she has to offer herself up as a mail order bride to a stranger a thousand miles away in the Colorado Rockies.  But she hadn’t reckoned on Declan Brodie.

Declan’s first wife ran off with a gambler and was later killed by Indians.  He has no desire to saddle himself with another—and her mulatto “traveling companion”.  But his children need a mother, and he needs help to keep his mountain ranch running, and the proxy papers are already signed.  But there’s something odd about those two.  A connection he doesn’t quite understand.  But at least the companion can cook.

What starts as a marriage of convenience between a southern princess and an overworked rancher-sometimes-sheriff, soon becomes a battle of wills, then a grudging respect, and finally a side-by-side struggle to rebuild the ranch after a vicious Indian attack.  But just as things are starting to looking up again, and Declan and Ed begin to explore their feelings for each other, Declan’s first wife returns and an old enemy out for revenge threatens to destroy the family.  It all comes to a head high atop an abandoned mine platform, where Edwina fights as she never has before, and Declan faces his greatest fear in order to save his
daughter and the woman he has grown to love.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Storm’s Heart (Elder Races, Book 2) by Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 2 Aug 11

In our introduction to Thea Harrison’s Elder Races (the most excellent Dragon Bound), we met some of the major players (Dragos! <3) and got an overview of the world. In Storm’s Heart we get a close-up view of the inner workings of the world – the politics and various relationships between the races – and meet more of the world’s inhabitants (including Vampyres).

When we first met Tricks (aka Thistle Periwinkle), she was the head of PR for Dragos’ Cuelebre Enterprises. Little did most people realize she was actually the heir to the Dark Fae throne. Tricks was in the palace the night her family was killed but managed to escape and eventually took refuge among the Wyr. Finally, though, it was time to come out of hiding and reclaim the throne. And what happens when she meets with the Dark Fae delegation? They try to kill her! So she goes into hiding – she needs a chance to regroup and plan.

Dragos and her Wyr friends are not happy with the turn of events and even less happy that Tricks (now using her real name Niniane Lorelle) didn’t contact them for help. Dragos decides she will get help, whether she wants it or not, and sends one of his Sentinels to Chicago to find Tricks and help straighten out the mess.

Tiago is a thunderbird – the only thunderbird, actually. When he is angry, storms happen. Thunder! Lightning!! Tiago is the one Dragos sends in to fight battles and win wars. He is not the diplomatic type – he gets things done. Tiago never spent all that much with Tricks (yeah, yeah…Niniane…I know…but she’ll always be Tricks to me!), but the idea of someone trying to kill her unsettles him.

Niniane is less than pleased to see Tiago. Mostly. He is hot and sexy and bad-ass, but she isn’t interested. Or maybe she is. But she shouldn’t be. But she can’t help it. I love Tricks Niniane! Eventually she sees the wisdom in letting Tiago act as bodyguard – at least until she figures out who she can trust and makes some alliances within the Dark Fae – because someone still wants her dead. Besides, Tiago isn’t leaving her unprotected no matter what she says she wants. He will keep her safe or die trying (and he is hard to kill).

In Storm’s Heart, Ms. Harrison expands the fascinating world she established in Dragon Bound. We learn more about the workings of the world and see the relationships between the Elder Races, and it makes the world deeper and richer and even more interesting. We get glimpses of the Demonkind and the Nightkind and we meet the Vampyre queen (intriguingly creepy!). There are lots of political shenanigans happening surrounding Niniane’s claim to the Dark Fae throne, yet the book never felt bogged down by all the maneuvering. There’s a lot going on but it never is confusing.

The best thing about the book is the relationship between Niniane and Tiago. Once they decide they are together, they’re together. Maybe because they have such long lives, they don’t get caught up in high-school-ish drama. They trust each other and have each other’s backs. I think that’s awesome! And so refreshing.

Of course, there are those among the Dark Fae that do not like the idea of a Wyr being mated to their queen. And there is still the question of who wants Niniane dead and why. Are you intrigued, faithful reader? You should be.

So, does this book stand alone? Yes, mostly, but you know you wanna read Dragon Bound. Right?? Right! I admit I like Dragos a bit more than Tiago (that dragonish charm, don’t you know), but I like Niniane better than Pia, so it all balances out. This is the best new paranormal series in ages. Honest!

Grade: A-

Summary:

He’s a wyr warrior, a god of storms. She’s the heir to the Dark Fae throne. But desire will bring both to their knees in this all-new Novel of the Elder Races.

During the rule of her murderous Dark Fae uncle, Thistle “Tricks” Periwinkle found sanctuary among the wyr in New York. Her ethereal beauty and sparkling personality won the hearts of the public, but after her uncle’s death, there are those who don’t want to see her ascend to the throne…

Able to wield thunder and lightning, wyr sentinel Tiago Black Eagle has ruled the skies for centuries. His massive build and thunderous power make him one of the wyr’s best weapons. And he’s sent to protect Tricks when she’s almost assassinated in Chicago.

Soon, both Tiago and Tricks will fall prey to the stormy hunger that engulfs them—a passion that will shake the very foundation of all the worlds…

Read an excerpt and another and another.

Other books in the series: