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:

Sandy M’s review of Five Ways ‘Til Sunday (Delta Heat, Book 1) by Delilah Devlin
Contemporary Erotic Romance short story ebook published by Samhain 22 Nov 11

I haven’t had such a dilemma like this with a book in quite a while. I like the characters. I like the story. Then I didn’t care for the story. Then I’d like it again, but I’d hit another snag several pages later. Mostly, I just don’t see this hero allowing such things to happen, even if his BFFs are involved.

Jackson and Marti have a very active sex life – adventurous, sexy, and fun. In fact, the opening scene is quite fun, role playing behind Marti’s locked office door. I enjoyed that a lot. Jackson is one of those men who can win a woman over every which way, so when Marti keeps rejecting his love for her and his proposals of marriage, he tells her he’ll do anything to make her feel comfortable saying yes.

For Marti, it’s more that she’s not up to his standards – no education, tattoos, blue-streaked hair, piercings, and she manages a bar for heaven’s sake. Officer Jackson Teague deserves more than that. Of course, as far as he’s concerned, it’s all in her mind. He loves all of things about her. But when Marti fudges and tells him she has a bucket list of things to try before she marries, Jackson calls her bluff and demands to see her list.

At first he’s a little taken aback at what he reads, but with the help of his five best friends on the force with him, Jackson is determined to show Marti she has no reason to fear commitment from either one of them. So they set up the situations she wants to experience – a hooker working a street corner, making love in a cop car, and other such scenarios, each a tad more erotic than the last. And while these scenes are very erotic, ménages five ways and then some to help Marti give Jackson the answer he wants, this is where my problem with all of it comes about.

These buddies may be Jackson’s best friends, two of them since high school, but a man who loves a woman as much as Jackson loves Marti (and as much as she loves him but just won’t admit it yet), I just can’t see him letting any man put his hands and mouth on her and his cock inside her. Jackson even at one point says no penetration, but the next thing you know, all kinds of penetration are going on. And when Marti discovers Jackson sees beyond her reason for concocting the list in the first place, all of the shenanigans should have ended, but it’s Jackson himself who insists they’re nowhere near done with her yearnings. Yes, in the end Marti wakes up after her fantasies are realized; the men are still best friends despite their wild and wicked weekend, so all’s well that ends well. The journey getting there just doesn’t work for me as well as it does for them. I do love the depiction of Jackson on this cover, though. Whew-boy, just like he’s described in the book.

Despite all of this, however, I like these characters, including Jackson’s buds. They’re fun and likeable, and since this is the first book in the Delta Heat series, we’re going to see more of them in the future. It will be interesting to see what Ms. Devlin does with them all.

Grade: C

Summary:

Sometimes a man’s just gotta call for backup…

Marti Kowalski is all wrong for Officer Jackson Teague—he just won’t listen to reason. She didn’t finish high school, runs a bar. Has a tattoo and a blue streak in her hair. Yet he still wants to marry her? She can’t say she’s not tempted, but she’s got a bucket list to complete before she ties the knot.

Not just any bucket—more like a fifty-five-gallon drum of sexual wishes so explicit, there’s no way one man, even Jackson, can fulfill them all.

When Marti turns him down again, Jackson doesn’t give up, he insists on knowing why. That’s when she shows him her list. He takes it, thinks about it—and calls on the only men he can trust: four buddies from his academy graduating class.

Between the five of them, he’s sure they can come up with a plan to check off every item on her list in one wild, wicked weekend. That is, if she has the nerve to follow through—and if he can bear to share her.

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of  The Secret History of a Good Girl by Aimee Carson
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents  7 Feb 12

Aimee Carson is a new author to me, with two Mills and Boon/Harlequin books under her belt. I settled down for a good read, and on the whole I wasn’t disappointed.

Alyssa is an events planner, and she’s pitching for an important contract with the Samba Hotel. One thing I don’t understand is why these women with little experience get the big jobs in these books. What’s more, she has a secret, something she doesn’t tell prospective employers, but one, I would have imagined, that people in a position of trust must reveal. Why didn’t they know? But when she confesses to Pauolo later in the book, it comes as a complete surprise to him.

I know that realism isn’t a hallmark of Presents/Modern, but I do expect to be able to believe the setup. There are a few WTFs in this book, but I let them ride. The most successful of this line don’t depend on generalizations and vague explanations to tell the story, and while Pauolo and Alyssa are vividly drawn characters, some of the situations and internal thoughts I feel I’ve read before and didn’t really read like those of individuals.

Pauolo is the macho, tall, dark, handsome male who doesn’t believe in marriage. He’s been married before, and it ended badly. However, Pauolo loved his wife, and she divorced him to marry his brother. I don’t understand why, at thirty-three, Pauolo has given up. True, the loss of his wife six years before would have marked him, but he is young enough to consider another long-term affair, unless he is immature enough to think that once is it, and to do him justice, he is not the immature type. He left his father’s business and set up his own, leaving his brother in sole possession. He rides a Ducati and he never wears a suit and tie, though I wasn’t sure why. He just does. I’d have liked a little more background to give Pauolo more depth, but some factors of his personality are left hanging.

There is one scene that made me laugh aloud, when Pauolo gives Alyssa a chance to ride his motorbike. I’m assuming that the Ducati is one of the big ones, but it sounds more like the cute girly ones in this scene. I did enjoy imagining her on one of the beasts Ducati produces. I do ride motorbikes, and twisting the throttle will find you on your back on the ground, probably with a ton of metal on top of you, unless you know precisely what you’re doing. You don’t have your first motorbike lesson on one of those.

Pauolo is interesting, but he opens up to Alyssa a little too late in the book. I do like the way he treats her fairly, but the contrivances that keep her from being his employee are a little much, since she has an office in his hotel and works exclusively for him for most of the book. His stubbornness is irritating, but it is part of his character and probably meant to annoy.

There are some pleasant developments, not least when Alyssa decides to discover more about Pauolo’s first marriage. She does something I don’t like her doing, but in the process discovers that (gasp) Pauolo’s ex-wife isn’t a complete bitch and has a mind of her own. That I enjoyed. Alyssa annoys me sometimes, but she’s a bearable heroine, and she works hard for her happy ending.

The last scene doesn’t work for me at all, I’m afraid, but I’m venturing into spoiler territory here. I think I know what the author was trying to do, feature a facet of Pauolo’s personality that had proved significant to his character, but when he does the right thing, Alyssa responds with baffling stubbornness and that leads to another scene, which, let’s say, isn’t a bit romantic.

And the pop references drive me a bit nuts. They seem to be all the wrong things for my taste, and that is a risk you take when you use such references. Comparing the hero to Taylor Lautner doesn’t work for me. It doesn’t work for me a lot. I’m a David Bowie girl, George Clooney, even Brad Pitt, but no, not Lautner. Not even his chest does it for me (too much make up). And discussing a Lady Gaga concert as if I’d actually like to attend one—gah! Radiohead or nothing, I say. Constant comparisons until the book is about three-quarters overstrained the narrative a bit, without adding colour. While it’s nice to have modern references, in a year, maybe two, the book will be outdated (whereas Clooney and Radiohead will go on forever, lol!) Phones are always “cellular phones,” and not the more familiar “cell.” That might be an editorial decision, though. It did stop me once or twice.

The sex scenes are fairly standard, not too hot, and many are described in narrative or after the event. I wondered if Ms. Carson is comfortable with writing scenes at that level of heat, and euphemisms and the softer phrases are used in place of the more explicit. However, there’s no doubting that these two are into each other.

I did enjoy the read, but it isn’t a book that I’ll remember for too long. And please, (and this is addressed at the whole line, not just Ms. Carson) enough with the event planners already. We’re in a recession, so how many event planners can there be these days?

Grade: C+

Summary:

Play with fire…

Miami hotel tycoon Paulo Domingues knows that beneath his events planner’s southern priss, Alyssa Hunt is all sass. Little Miss Prim has Paulo’s inner rebel roaring to life – he’s determined to seduce the fire out from behind it!
And you might get burnt!

Tough-cookie Alyssa hasn’t fought tooth and nail to shake off her past to be blindsided by one smooth-talking boss. Until, punch-drunk with desire, she succumbs to temptation and realises what she’s been missing out on! But will Miami’s most wanted bachelor run when he discovers the real reason behind her good-girl façade…?

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

LynneC’s review of More than Perfect by Day Leclaire
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 7 Feb 12

I enjoyed this book, not quite as much as the first in the series, but it’s still a good, solid read. It is still more Desire than Presents/Modern, with the millionaire more human, a touch less alpha, and the heroine older and more independent minded. I enjoyed it despite the cute kid. I’m not a big fan of cute kids in romance novels.

After a one-night stand with his ex-girlfriend, she tells him she’s going back to his best friend, Geoff. Lucius thinks she’s a bitch, but she tells him he is just as bad and marries Geoff. They are killed in a train accident, leaving their small son in Lucius’s care.

Angie is Lucius’s PA, and secretly in love with him.

Get the setup? Read it before? Probably. But you haven’t read this book about this couple, and that’s what makes Day Leclaire special. While she uses stock plots, she doesn’t use stock characters.

I would love to write a series of books with the same beginning point and the same tropes but with different characters to see how they cope with it, and this, to a certain extent, is what she does.

Lucius finds the perfect PA, Angie, after consulting the program developed by Praetorius and his young assistant. Now he’s using the same program to find a wife, because he wants  someone for little Mikey and as a partner. Unbeknown to Praetorius, Angie and said assistant tweak the program a bit, so she appears to be the perfect wife candidate. I like that, instead of mooning around, she answers him back and she does something to get what she wants. So the conflict is set up. What will Lucius do when he discovers her tinkering?

Meantime, Angie and Lucius set about falling in love and fighting for custody of Mikey, when the baby’s grandparents sue. While feeling sorry for them, both Lucius and Angie are appalled by their cold, analytical nature. So they have another reason to stay together.

Lucius is bone-headed, powerful, strong, but he also has a sense of humour and the ability to laugh at himself. So I like him, and I could understand why Angie falls for him. Angie is fully aware of her folly in falling for him, but she won’t take too much from him and she will answer back, so I ended up liking her, too.

This is how to do a Desire right, and while it won’t shake the romance world to its foundation, it is a satisfying, enjoyable read. Together with Day Leclaire’s smooth, accomplished writing style, it makes for a pleasant hour or two.

Grade: B-

Summary:

When billionaire Lucius Devlin inherits his best friend’s child, he needs a wife. Preferably one who fulfills his every need. So he checks out the Pretorius Program, since it had once found him the perfect assistant.…
Angie Colter can’t understand who wouldn’t want to spend time with the sexy, caring and utterly compelling Lucius and darling baby Mikey. Then she discovers his goal. With a few tweaks to the program—and to her appearance—Angie will be the perfect wife! But what if Lucius finds out the truth about his nearly perfect fiancée?

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

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 Murder, Mayhem and Mama by Christie Craig
Contemporary Romance published by BookEnds Literary Agency 20 Dec 11

Whenever I finish reading a Christie Craig book, I’m always smiling and I feel darned good. That smile usually lasts for a while too. In between the mystery of the story and her characters I love to death, her books are just plain fun.

Cali has just lost her mother, is ready to kick her boyfriend out, and is dreaming of her mama giving her advice just when she needs it most.  Then all hell breaks loose when her boyfriend begins acting bizarre, shoots her front door out, his aim much to close for comfort, and Detective Brit Lowell keeps coming back to ask her questions she has no answers to. Brit’s partner was recently killed and they’ve had no breaks in the case, so he shouldn’t be messing with an insignificant case like this domestic brouhaha. Except for that Cali. He can’t seem to shake her out of his head, though he keeps telling himself he wants no one in his life like his mother, who always returned to the abusive relationships she’s been in over the years. Cali fits that bill and that’s not for him.

The more he’s thrown into her path, discovering both cases are somehow connected, the more the woman gets under his skin. Though she’s fed up with men right at the moment, there is something about the detective that makes her want to give in and take what he seems to be offering. But there’s a few issues that prohibit their getting involved – the most important being the fact Cali’s a witness in Brit’s case. Brit does his best to keep his hands and mouth to himself, but he finally crosses the line of “I don’t care” and gets Cali in his bed. And, heavens, do they tangle the sheets and steam up the windows. They both still have their doubts, especially Brit, and that, of course, causes an extra set of problems in the long run.

In between all of this, Cali’s mama is still doling out advice. He’s a good man. He needs your help but you can’t fix him. Don’t go to lunch tomorrow when at work. And many more, all designed to keep Cali alive and on the right track toward a good relationship with Brit. Hopefully. At one point, however, Cali tries to put distance between her and Brit, and I like her solution to putting an end to her sweet Charmin baby face – take bitch lessons. That’s only one of the numerous fun parts of this book that had my ear-to-ear grin in full swing.

Brit is falling hard for Cali, despite his misgivings and his acknowledgment of that fact. He desires her, yes; lusts for her; wants her constantly; and wants to protect her from harm at all costs. But he won’t go any further in the feelings department. He still feels she’s too much like his mother, even though she assures him differently. And Cali has gone the distance as far as feelings, but she knows Brit is unable to commit to her. I do feel for both of them, caught up in circumstances beyond their control – and dangerous to boot – thus confusing their emotions outside the bedroom. They’d be good together, so you definitely want them to get beyond the bumps they keep racing over.

I also enjoyed the relationship between Brit and his sister – and his sister getting involved with his partner. Brit gnashes his teeth at that budding relationship, cautions his partner to be very careful not to hurt his sibling, all the while refusing to look as closely into his own relationship problems. Cali gets her chance at the ex once he’s caught, and I cheered her on every step of the way. That jerk is something else. Brit solves the case, of course, and then has to face himself and Cali. A very lovely scene at the end when he finally decides to fight for her.

This book is vintage Christie Craig. Wonderful characters who draw in from page one. Emotions pinging away on both sides. Sizzling love scenes throughout – you don’t have to wait until the book is nearly over before you get some lovin’. A mystery that keeps you guessing and is far from one dimensional. And it’s fun and full of laughter. Can’t beat that any day of the week.

Grade: A

Summary:

Being a mama is hard. But the job’s even tougher when you’re dead.

Cali McKay’s mama isn’t ready to pass over to the “other side” yet. Her unlucky-in-love daughter needs her now more than ever. Before Mama can chain-smoke her way to heaven, she’s gotta make sure Cali’s ex deadbeat boyfriend doesn’t get her daughter killed.

Grief Sucks. Love Heals.

Cali lost her mom to cancer. Detective Brit Lowell, lost his partner to murder. Now he’s in the mood to take down some dirtbags and Cali’s ex just happens to be a dirtbag leaving a trail of dead bodies behind him. Can Brit trust this beautiful woman to help take down her ex? Can Cali look past this sexy cop’s hard exterior to trust him with her heart? Can life get any crazier when Mama starts meddling from the grave? Only one thing is for sure–none of it will matter, unless they catch a killer before the killer catches them.

No excerpt available.

Sandy M’s review of Scrumptious by Amanda Usen
Contemporary Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Jan 12

I’m one of those people who likes upscale food in fancy-schmancy restaurants. Being a hillbilly at heart, I also like down-home food where the atmosphere is relaxed and fun. Amanda Usen gives me all that and more in this fun and light-hearted read.

I don’t usually read books dealing with food. I’ve not found one that’s been written by a classically trained chef who make culinary delights believable and enjoyable. Until now. Ms. Usen is a chef in her own right, and she does a terrific job of describing life in a fast-paced kitchen, while also tantalizing the reader with dishes served up for lunch, dinner, and even Sunday brunch. I also like that the heroine, Marly, is not a school-taught chef. She’s one of those who just loves to cook, found her affinity for it early enough through the help of friends, and gets a thrill every time she steps into a kitchen, professional or not. She’s living my dream.

Olivia owns Chameleon, a family restaurant, and Marly is her best friend and has helped her out from day one, keeping the place running smoothly, especially after Olivia meets Keith in culinary school, marries him and then brings him back to restaurant and puts him on the line with Marly. The man is a total screw-up, and it’s Marly who’s making him look good all the time, until she’s had enough. Asking to be taken off the line, she retreats to the bakeshop where her desserts are as mouthwatering as her entrees. The lady is talented in every aspect of the kitchen. She ran Chameleon while Olivia was in school. Now when things begin to truly fall apart, Keith is tossed out after one too many of his shenanigans, Olivia doesn’t turn to her for help. She brings in an outsider.

A sexy outsider who Marly would dearly love to have in her bed. Joe Rafferty is the love’em and leave’em type of man and a master in the kitchen. He never stays in one place long enough to be more than that, but he’s trying to change. He promised his mother on her deathbed  he’d find someone to fall in love with and start a family. No more sluts. But he’s just as attracted to Marly as she is to him, despite the bit of hard feelings when Joe does agree to put off his trip toward a new job in California to help Olivia until she finds a new chef. And so begins a sexy but battling dance between these two chefs.

After a couple of foolish and childish pranks on Marly’s part (which I’m glad didn’t go any further, didn’t sit well with me) and when strange things begin happening around the kitchen, Joe and Marly begin to work together to figure it all out and to keep Olivia from taking back the snake or even selling the restaurant. It’s Joe who finally realizes what they have, is willing to give up his plans to stay with Marly. But she’s just not there yet. Love and marriage aren’t for her, just like it’s never been for her mother. But with Joe? Her eyes should have opened much sooner than they did. After all they’ve been through, all the loving they’ve shared, Marly still drags her feet. A little too far for me, but at least she does wise up before it’s really too late.

I like the issue each of them has with their fathers. It takes a lot of long, hard looking to resolve those issues in the end. The mysterious goings-on in the restaurant are also solved, Marly ultimately being the cardsharp needed to get to the heart of it. All in all, you keep turning the pages for the fun in the kitchen, the food being served in the dining room,the lovemaking that is sizzling and sweet once it begin, and the laughs along the way.

Grade: B

Summary:

Joe Rafferty is just as mouthwatering as the food he cooks. But if he thinks he’s going to waltz in and take over her kitchen, he’s denser than a thick slice of chocolate-ripple cheesecake. Marly has invested too much of her life in Chameleon to hand off the restaurant to someone else—especially a cocky-as-all-get-out superstar chef.  But there’s no denying the man knows how to light her fire. Question is: Can she have the sizzle without feeling the burn?

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Lucious – July 2012

Laura C’s review of One More Summer by Liz Flaherty
Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction published by Carina Press 02 Jan 12

Don’t be fooled by the cover. This is not the light-hearted contemporary romance you might expect from the artwork. There is a romance, it’s true, but the focus is far more on the heroine’s personal growth and the relationships and stories surrounding the secondary characters than it is about the romance.

Here’s the thing: if you’re looking for a happy-go-lucky, humorous read, this isn’t the book for you. But if you’re after an exploration of the meaning of family and friendship, it may well be. Sometimes, I think the author goes a bit overboard on the “life-trauma” side and in those moments, I feel as if I’m being manipulated, but most of the time I enjoyed the ride.

Grace has a boatload of trouble: survivor’s guilt over her mother’s death, a best friend with possibly terminal cancer, and secrets she keeps from everyone, along with those being kept from her. Grace’s secret (and I don’t want to spoil it, so I am going to tiptoe around it) is the one I find least believable. I knew what it was going to be from the moment it’s hinted at, and I didn’t think it fit with her personality or the history the author gave her.

But outside of that, the story is a good one. Grace’s relationship with Promise, her bff, is particularly sweet. Promise’s cancer serves as a catalyst for Grace’s growth, perhaps even more so than her own father’s death. Grace’s aunt, Maxie, is portrayed in an amusing but delicate manner; the symptoms of dementia she suffers are not overdone or maudlin, which can be a tough balance.

Grace’s relationship with Dillon falls under the “friends-to-lovers” umbrella. He’s the ultimate “nice guy,” a successful writer who shows up to spend the summer at Grace’s because his best friend—her brother—insists that Grace needs the rent money. But he ends up fixing screens, painting, and generally making Grace’s life easier. The pressures on their relationship (notwithstanding that he stood her up for prom years earlier—she’s not so stupid that she can’t forgive that) are largely external. There’s no real question that he and Grace will end up together as their relationship grows slowly and fairly evenly.

I rarely found myself getting emotional or angsting over the romance, but the other plots have plenty of that to go around, so if you’re looking for solid women’s fiction with a strong romantic element, this might be for you.

Grade: B

Summary:

Grace has taken care of her widowed father her entire adult life and the ornery old goat has finally died. She has no job, no skills and very little money, and has heard her father’s prediction that no decent man would ever want her so often she accepts it as fact.

But she does have a big old house on Lawyers Row in Peacock, Tennessee. She opens a rooming house and quickly gathers a motley crew of tenants: Promise, Grace’s best friend since kindergarten, who’s fighting cancer; Maxie, an aging soap opera actress who hasn’t lost her flair for the dramatic; Jonah, a sweet, gullible old man with a crush on Maxie.

And Dillon, Grace’s brother’s best friend, who stood her up on the night of her senior prom and has regretted it ever since. Dillon rents Grace’s guest house for the summer and hopes to make up for lost time and past hurts—but first, he’ll have to convince Grace that she’s worth loving…

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of  The Petrov Proposal by Maisey Yates
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 24 Jan 12

Maisey Yates is one of my go-to authors and while she didn’t disappoint with this book, it isn’t as amazing as last year’s Highest Price to Pay. It is still a highly enjoyable read.

Madeleine is event planner for Aleksei Petrov’s highly successful jewellery company. He designs high-end jewellery, so prestigious presentations at luxury resorts and hotels is an important part of the job. She’s worked for him for a while, but hasn’t met him, although she’s seen his picture. He is, naturally, gorgeous. The story starts when they meet, and it’s a satisfactory “wow, you’re gorgeous” kind of meeting, but, of course, they don’t act on it. Yates does the stages of intimacy thing very well, increasing and teasing until the reader is really ready for them to get together.

Aleksei believes in love, but he doesn’t want it. His wife was killed in a car accident six years before, and he loved her to bits. Until she was in bits, so to speak. (sorry!) He has designed nothing for six years, but has used other designers and concentrated on the business side. I think there’s a slight problem here, because Aleksei is known as a brilliant designer of jewellery, and by his own admission later in the book, he wasn’t the tycoon he is now when his wife died, he was “getting there.” So how is he a brilliant designer? I suppose people could retrospectively love his work, but most designers have to keep current and that is very noticeable in jewellery. But he has designed a necklace, and it will be shown at the upcoming exhibition.

I think that’s my problem with the book. The background is drawn very lightly, and in some parts it doesn’t make sense, like the designer conundrum. When the necklace is shown, Madeleine wears it for him, and she’s hardly at the party five minutes before Aleksei drags her on the dance floor, then kisses her a lot, then drags her off to bed. It just doesn’t seem realistic to me, and the necklace is priceless, so taking it off and dropping it on the bedside table seems a bit nutso, too. I just can’t see it happening, even if the necklace belongs to Aleksei’s company. But it is for sale, it’s not a personal possession. It would be the centre of the show, and she’d be expected to show it off to the clients. Then it would be in the media. When she wrote about fashion in Highest Price To Pay, I got a real sense of the industry, although, of course, romanticised and simplified somewhat. (When I told my mother I wanted to go into the fashion industry, she said, “Over my dead body.”) I didn’t get the same sense in this book of the jewellery trade. For one thing, security is frightening. Every diamond has its own ID number, and the really expensive stuff is so rigidly controlled, it hardly gets an outing.

I think Aleksei is a little more in the usual mold. I do like the way he listens and understands Madeleine, but I have read his kind of hero a lot. He is powerful, from humble roots, is self-made, and the Russian side of him is drawn very lightly. A couple of endearments and references to Moscow. I’d have liked something a little more specific. Maybe not Moscow, maybe more of a Russian syntax, or reference to the gangsters who run much of Russia these days.

The heroine, Madeleine, is an interesting character, too. And a grown-up, which is something I really appreciate about Yates’s books, Madeleine is the daughter of wealthy parents who don’t care. She has a brother, Gage, who loves her, and Gage is considerably older than Maddy. I think she is more developed as a character, and something from her youth, discussed later in the book, is really heart-stopping. But she doesn’t repine, and even her later, and very public, affair with a married man is treated with stoicism. In fact, part of Maddy’s journey is to get over the way her lover deceived her and then left her to face the press on her own. I did enjoy this part, and it does account for most of the higher grade I gave the book. She has a lot to get over, but she does it with humour and without self-pity. Maddy doesn’t believe in love, and at first she’s happy to indulge in an affair, even if it is with her boss, but she comes to admit that she’s falling for him.

I don’t want to denigrate this book, as it’s a well-written, entertaining romance, but I would like a few more specifics. The hero is satisfyingly alpha, but not as well depicted as some of Yates’s other heroes. Still, I can’t deny I had a good time with this book.

Grade: B-

Summary

The first time Maddy Forrester heard her boss’s mesmerizing voice barking orders down the phone, she knew he was a force to be reckoned with. But nothing prepared her for the sight of Aleksei Petrov. He is the last thing Maddy needs, but the first thing she wants!

Aleksei is determined not to mix business with pleasure, but he struggles with the irresistible sparks his feisty secretary ignites in him—she’s a problem he does not want.

The proposed solution? One unforgettable night to fulfill their every wicked desire.

Read an excerpt.

Laura C’s review of Because of You by Jessica Scott
Contemporary Romance published by Loveswept 14 Nov 11

This is a great read, if a tough one. When Shane Garrison wakes up in the hospital, all he can remember is being blown up, and all he can think about is getting back to Iraq and taking care of his men. But it’s not going to happen. And nothing, not even the presence of Jen St. James, the woman he hasn’t been able to forget since meeting her the night before he was deployed, is enough to soothe him.

I really enjoyed this book. I put off reading it for quite a while because I was afraid the subject matter—Jen’s a breast cancer survivor and Shane is a wounded vet—would subsume the romance. And, in a sense, it did for me: I found Jen difficult to get a handle on because of her reactions to the fact that she’d had a mastectomy. Perhaps I was meant to feel that way, but it still distanced me a bit from the character.

She knew how hard it was to look at her own missing pieces. After all this time, her hand was still shaking at the thought of what she was about to see. She braced herself and pulled her bra away. The silicone form flopped to the floor with a splat, but she didn’t bend to pick it up. This. This was what she avoided. The scar had long ago faded from angry red, but it still held her gaze. The raised pink scar and the indent in her skin where her nipple had once been cut across her chest like a jagged ravine through a field. The stark contrast between the swell of her right breast and the jagged, hollow left. Her other breast, still full and round, still with a perfect pink nipple, stood in the shadow of that scar and the missing flesh. How long had she been hiding from what she was? The silicone mound gave the illusion that she was still a whole woman. Who had she been trying to fool? No one but herself.

Shane seems more consistent to me. His reaction to his injuries is what I would expect. He’s angry, furious even, frustrated, depressed…and he can’t see how he’s going to fit into the only life he’s ever known. His reactions do more than tug at the heartstrings, they haul them around with a hydraulic winch. There’s no way you can read Shane’s story and not feel for him.

A slow burn started in his guts, and then it sparked into something that was at once odd and familiar and terrifying. Responsibility. By taking this single sheet of paper, he was resuming responsibility, no matter how bastardized, for one of his men.

But as soon as the feeling came, so did the realization of all that had changed. He couldn’t do this, He couldn’t make sure that Osterman made it to formation or take him for a run when he finally got a prosthetic leg. He couldn’t do anything but sit in PT with him. Who was he kidding? Carponti was right about him not being a leader anymore. And this little sheet of paper wasn’t going to give that back to him. He stared down at it. It mocked him for everything he no longer was. He was lying to himself and everyone around him. He had nothing left to give. All he could do now was take.

There’s a thread of humor in the story in the person of Shane’s buddy Vic Carponti, who Jen calls to bring Shane out of his funk. The fact that she understands that Shane needs someone like Vic, someone other than her, is actually a refreshing change from many romance novels where the hero/heroine seem to believe all the other needs is them.

There’s also a secondary storyline between Jen’s friend, Laura, and her husband. This is unresolved at the end of the book, clearly waiting for a followup, which kind of irks me. I feel like this book could have been bigger, encompassed both stories, along with the secondary suspense plot that also remains unresolved at the end of this book.

But, that said, the romance between Jen and Shane is very satisfying. Shane’s realization is perfectly true to life:

He’d fallen for her and he didn’t even know when it had happened. He just knew that today, she’d pushed her way into his personal hell and shoved him out of it. And he was so damn grateful that she was there.

That’s what I want in a book. Plenty of angst suffered by well-developed characters, followed by a happy ending. It’s amazing how rarely I get it, so I’m very pleased to have finally read Because of You and I look forward to Ms. Scott’s next book.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Keeping his men alive is all that matters to Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison. But meeting Jen St. James the night before his latest deployment makes Shane wonder if there’s more to life than war. He leaves for Iraq remembering a single kiss with a woman he’ll never see again—until a near fatal attack lands him back at home and in her care.  Jen has survived her own brush with death and endured its scars. And yet there’s a fire in Shane that makes Jen forget all about her past. He may be her patient, but when this warrior looks her in the eyes, she feels—for the first time in a long time—like a woman. Shane is too proud to ask for help, but for Jen, caring for him is more than a duty—it’s a need. And as Jen guides Shane through the fires of healing, she finds something she never expected—her deepest desire.

Read an excerpt.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of A Cowboy Comes Home (Colorado Cattle Barons, Book 1) by Barbara Dunlop
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 03 Jan 12

Books like this one seriously depress me.  On the surface, it has a lot going for it.  We have a sexy guy on the cover, a cowboy that returns to his hometown many years after leaving, it’s the first book in a projected series, and on top of the whole “reunion”-vibe, the hero falls for the sexy girl next door.  Seriously, I couldn’t download this one fast enough.  Unfortunately, it seriously flubs on the execution.

Caleb Terrell left home at 17 and didn’t look back.  Naturally he turns out to be one of those 27-year-old global CEO-types that proliferate in Romance Novel Land.  Anyhoo, his asshole daddy (the reason he left home in the first place) has finally kicked the bucket.  But the old man is still causing chaos from beyond the grave.  Instead of leaving the family ranch to Caleb’s fraternal twin brother, Reed – you know, the one who stayed behind even though Caleb begged him to come with him?  Yeah, the old man left the ranch to Caleb.  Sick jerk-wad that he was.

Mandy Jacobs is worried about her neighbor and BFF, Reed.  He hasn’t been seen since his father’s funeral, and now his estranged brother is in town.  Caleb had plans to sign over the ranch to Reed, what with him staying behind and putting up with their old man for ten years.  But now that Reed has vanished?  With only a snotty note left behind?  Yeah, Caleb can’t sell the place fast enough and get back to his life in Chicago.  Standing in his way?  Mandy.  Who isn’t about to let him up and sell the place while Reed is off pouting.

This book suffers from what I call Hero Logic.  The backstory of Caleb’s rotten childhood is certainly compelling stuff, and even if my eyes were rolling excessively at a globe-trottin’ 27-year-old CEO, you can’t help but admire his work ethic.  Unfortunately, he’s also a jerk.  He’s all set to just turn the ranch over to Reed.  But because Reed isn’t waiting for him when he gets there?  Yeah, Caleb takes this to mean that Reed must not want the ranch, so hey, he’ll just sell it and give the money to him.  Seriously, I’ve met rocks smarter than Caleb.

Mandy’s a nice enough girl, even though her meddling does get tiresome.  I like that she has a sharp tongue and doesn’t let Caleb walk all over the situation.  The first chapter in particular is really good stuff, with Mandy giving as good as she gets.

Ultimately, though, the problem with this book is that it’s a Desire (so less than 200 pages) that is the first book in what I’m assuming is going to be a long series. There’s too much noise surrounding the romance.  Mandy has six siblings, three of whom get quite a bit of lip service here, plus a sister in New York who’s mentioned more than once.  Then you have Caleb’s sexy, high-powered lawyer showing up.  Oh, and, of course, a mysterious private investigator gets name-dropped once said lawyer convinces Mandy to hire him to find Reed.  There’s also Mandy’s parents, a local gal they run into at the rodeo, and so on and so on.  I can appreciate that the author needs to set up the series, but, seriously, do all these people need to be in this book?  Uh, no.  And because they are, that means we spend less time on what the reader really cares about – the romance between Caleb and Mandy.

So, at the end of the day, I’m depressed.  Granted, I could just be hitting a wall with series, because there are moments here that really sparkle for me.  But then the noise would intrude, or Caleb’s Hero Logic would kick in, and I couldn’t slog through the rest of the book fast enough.  Reed’s book is up next, and given that he does run away to pout instead of confronting his estranged brother?  Yeah, not interested.  Moving on.

Grade: C

Summary:

At a Crossroads

After years of being the black sheep, an unexpected inheritance has finally drawn Caleb Terrell home. But that doesn’t mean the cowboy-turned-CEO plans to settle down on his family’s Colorado ranch. His single-minded goal is to sell and get out… until he’s reunited with the sexy girl next door, Mandy Jacobs.

Her mere presence reminds him of happier times. Denying Many seems impossible, but seducing her can lead only to heartbreak. There’s no room in Caleb’s agenda for such a delectable distraction. Because once he gives in to temptation, he may not be able to walk away.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Once A Ferarra Wife by Sarah Morgan
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 24 Jan 12

Sarah Morgan is a great Mills and Boon writer. Her books contain real characters and fresh takes on the standard Mills and Boon tropes. I know I’m in for a good read when I pick up one of her books and this is no exception.

Laurel is flying into Sicily to attend her best friend’s wedding, but when she arrives at the airport, the passengers are asked to wait until a VIP has embarked. She looks out of the window to see some posh limousines and her soon-to-be ex-husband. The VIP is her.

A delicious beginning and from then on the book doesn’t let up. This is a reunited, second-chance story, but although the tropes are more than familiar, the treatment isn’t. Laurel and Cristiano have their specific problems and they concern them, nobody else. Cardboard characters don’t belong here, nor do situations that are just excuses for drama. What happened to these people is because of what they are, and the external events are triggers.

Cristiano never stopped loving Laurel, and he is the one with the emotional openness. He is also a workaholic, and after returning from college in his early twenties at his father’s death, he’s parlayed the company into a big multimillion concern. His brother, Santo, who is, I hope, the subject of an upcoming story, also has a lot to do with the company’s rebirth and continued prosperity.

Laurel left Cristiano after she lost their baby, and he only sent her a text to say he’d see her soon. Well, you would, wouldn’t you? But where I objected to the casual use of a stillbirth in Lynne Graham’s recent offering, Bride For Real, here this incident is given serious treatment and consideration. It’s the characters’ reaction to the event that starts them on the road to reunion, but only after a painful separation.

Cristiano didn’t realise that Laurel’s pains were serious, but his real problem was that he didn’t understand Laurel properly, or her needs. If he had, he would have recognised her cry for help and come immediately, but he didn’t. He comes from a loving, close family who have given him the confidence to display his feelings. Plus, he’s Italian.

Laurel is the opposite, coming from a childhood in care homes and foster homes, where she has learned to keep her emotions to herself. So when Cristiano demands affection, she can give it, but only up to a point. She doesn’t understand Cristiano, or rather, she doesn’t dare to. She’s no Cinderella, though, she has a successful fitness business, and although not as wealthy as her husband, she doesn’t need him.

The reversal of the roles works really well. While Cristiano is still a powerful alpha male, his ability to express his emotions acts in his favour. He is closer to himself, and he can reason, but in the case of his wife, he makes assumptions that, in reality, don’t work. The dazzling sexual attraction between them blinds them to their problems at first, and then it is too late.

#The story unfolds naturally and after one heartbreaking scene at the wedding, the story takes a turn, and they start to reconnect. Almost. Nearly, not quite. Morgan doles out the surprises and developments into a smooth, engrossing read that I didn’t want to put down until I’d finished it.

This is what a Modern/Presents book should be, the use of the standard tropes to examine and delve into character, to show us what happens when a standard external plot happens to a particular couple. So what Laurel will do wouldn’t be what Polly (from Ms. Morgan’s last book) would do in the same situation.

That’s the joy of it, and that’s why I look forward to each release from Sarah Morgan.

Grade: A

Summary:

For better…or for bedding? Laurel Ferrara wouldn’t know a happy ending if she fell over it – of course her whirlwind wedding was always going to end in disaster. But it wasn’t as simple as just walking away. From the moment she is summoned back to Sicily the shivers of unease set in… The command comes from legendary billionaire Cristiano Ferrara, the husband she can’t forget – but it might as well have come from the devil himself. The outrageously gorgeous Cristiano’s power is a potent reminder of this Sicilian dynasty’s unbreakable rule: once a Ferrara wife, always a Ferrara wife…

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of Nothing Short of Perfect by Day Leclaire
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 1 Nov 11

Day LeClaire is a great example of someone who has been writing for the Desire line for a very long time but manages to keep her characters and situations fresh and interesting. More than interesting. I love the hero and heroine in this book.

While many category writers are out of step with modern technology, writing about PDAs instead of smart phones, for instance, Day LeClaire’s geek hero knows his way around technology. True, he’s an engineer, but engineers have a great deal to do with tech these days. The deliciously named Justice has developed a computer program to help employers find the perfect employee for certain jobs, and he and his uncle have tweaked with the program to provide himself with the perfect wife.

He wants a wife partly for him and partly for his uncle, who suffers badly from agoraphobia and never leaves the house. After a car accident six months before, he realizes he needs someone in his life. When the emergency staff ask him who to contact, he has no one. His uncle can’t come because of his illness. He has a housekeeper, but he wants more. He wants children. Justice has no problem attracting women, but he spends most of his time in his remote house. However, he has to go to a conference.

This is where the story starts. Daisy is at the same hotel as Justice and recognizes his name. She’s there to sign the children’s’ books she’s written, but she gatecrashes the engineering conference. She doesn’t understand much of Justice’s speech, and while she recognizes that he’s done well since she last saw him, she doesn’t realize how much people idolize him. Justice is a star of the engineering world, and since his childhood in foster homes, he has made himself rich. He met Daisy in his last foster home and the two young people fell in love.

What Daisy doesn’t realize is why Justice walked away. I won’t spoil the reason, but suffice it to say it’s a really, really good reason. While I don’t usually believe in many of the reasons why a couple is separated, this one is perfectly believable, and although Daisy wasn’t at fault, the consequences of their affair hurt Justice badly. But he doesn’t recognize her and they spend the night together. His car accident caused him some amnesia, and although he doesn’t recognize her, he is drawn to her and they spend the night together. Then he recognizes her and boots her out.

Daisy arrives at his house with their child nineteen months later. Normally I’d object to that, too, but Daisy has done her best to contact Justice. Because of his remote address, and because he has instructed everyone that he doesn’t want to talk to her, she has resorted to setting a teenager and computer geek to find out where he is. They find a strange house. Daisy has brought the teenager, her housekeeper and the baby with her, and that is something else I shouldn’t like – a cute kid and a precocious teenager, as well as a loveable and capable housekeeper. But LeClaire makes them real people, albeit heightened ones.

She takes the reader, in this case me, on a journey, after making me care about her two leading characters. I read the book wanting Justice and Daisy to get together, understanding that they fill parts of each other’s personalities they would otherwise be missing. The book shows how people have to change and adapt if they want to love and be loved. Both Justice and Daisy have a way to go, but they set out with humour and courage to achieve it, and by the end of the story, I get what I haven’t had for some time – the happy sigh.

I wanted more Dantes, but the “perfect” story is obviously the first in a new series, where the program concocted by Justice’s uncle, with help from the teen terror, will form the basis. So far, so good. I’m happy.

Grade: B+

Summary:

First comes marriage—and Justice St. John has a plan. Using a foolproof equation, the brilliant scientist designs a program to find the perfect woman. But after a night of unexpected passion, he discovers that Daisy Marcellus is entirely the wrong woman—and it’s back to the drawing board.
But their passion has consequences…. And when Daisy—with little Noelle in tow—tracks him down, she brings life and color and chaos to his cold and orderly world. Their negotiations for the future are just starting when Daisy discovers he’s still searching for the perfect wife….

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of Tool Belt Defender (Lawmen of Black Rock, Book 5) by Carla Cassidy
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense 20 Dec 11

Occasionally I venture into romantic suspense territory, and this book is from that Harlequin line. And, in any case, how can I resist a book with the title Tool Belt Defender?

Unfortunately, I don’t share Cassidy’s tool belt fetish, even when Batman is wearing it, and the hero of this book is no Batman. He’s an ordinary guy, an ex-lawyer from Chicago who is setting up in the small town as what we in the UK would call an odd-job man. It isn’t the most obvious place for hero material (my odd-job man also worked as Captain Mayhem, a childrens’ entertainer, so I can say that my new shed was built by Captain Mayhem – there has to be a book in that!). In this book, the occupation gives the ex-lawyer a chance to develop his muscles so he can rescue the heroine from her dilemma.

The heroine is Brittany, who was the town’s deputy to her brother’s sherriff, but is now recovering from a trauma. I found it difficult to believe she could recover so quickly from a trauma that involved her getting kidnapped by a serial killer and kept confined for four months, while the baddie tormented her every day talking about what he was going to do to her. She is shown as jumpy, but she isn’t going to therapy, something I’d have thought her employer would have insisted on for quite a long time, and she doesn’t have many other symptoms. She was kidnapped from her car, for instance, but we see her pootling around quite happily in the story. She doesn’t like to go into town because people stare, and she’s lived as a virtual recluse since the attack. Considering how quickly she gets together with the hero, especially since he’s a stranger to her at the start of the story, her trauma seems to come and go, as the story demands.

Although the serial killer is dead, Brittany starts seeing signs that he’s around, such as a red balloon tied to her mailbox and a note pushed through her door which mysteriously disappears. Her brother the sheriff and everyone, except Alex, thinks it’s part of her trauma and dismiss it as her imagination. I find that somewhat hard to believe, too, considering one of the things the experts in serial killers always look for are copycat killers. Any sign would have been followed up, unless the sheriff is incompetent, and since he’s Brittany’s brother, I don’t think he’s meant to be. And if it is her imagination, then surely they would encourage her to see a shrink?

Alex has a daughter. He’s a widower, and one reason he’s moved to a small town is for the family infrastructure he can have there (the girl’s grandparents live in the town). Although he does explain why he’s given up lawyering for odd-jobbing to Brittany, I’m not sure I buy it. He seems somewhat without ambition and a bit directionless to me, although he’s perfectly happy building Brittany’s deck. Yes, she has a deck. Alex’s daughter is a moppet, a poppet, and she is infuriating. When events catch up with them later in the book, I found her Pollyanna attitude distinctly annoying, and I would have told her about death and taxes a lot earlier. It’s just me, I know, but I really don’t like it when cute kids show up in romances. They tend to bring the sugar level right up and provide a useful McGuffin for the author, which can lead to lazy writing.

The book is easy to read, and the events unfold as they should, apart from the “oh, let’s have sex” scene which I find a bit puzzling, as if it’s put in because, well, there has to be one somewhere. I’d have preferred it towards the end, perhaps when the heroine has gone through her ordeal and the hero wants to prove his love to her. It doesn’t seem to fit where it is. They are vaguely fancying each other, and then it’s, oh, well, we might as well, and there it is.

The weakest part of the story is the internal plot, which deals with the motivations and inner feelings of the characters. All too often the reader is told how the character is feeling and not shown it, or told the feeling and then the character made to act accordingly. The reasons that keep the hero and heroine apart are weak and not altogether convincing. The external plot works well, and if the internal motivations had matched that, it would have been a better read.

Grade: C

Summary:

“It’s party time.”That’s the “invitation” shoved under her door. It’s got Brittany Grayson fearing for her life…and her sanity. She’s sure the monster who once held her captive for months is dead, so why his chilling words in the note? His menacing face in the window? And why won’t anyone —even her lawmen brothers—believe that somehow he’s after her again?

Brittany just wants a normal, independent life in Black Rock. Romance is out of the question…although she’s okay as friends-with-benefits with Alex Crawford, her hunky, marriage-phobic contractor. Alex, a single dad, has his own good reasons not to fall for Brittany. But none of them matter when the race is on to find the killer who’s kidnapped her!

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Other books in this series:

Laura C’s review of Undeniably Yours (Kowalski Family, Book 2) by Shannon Stacey
Contemporary Romance published by HQN Books 24 Jan 12

I am not sure how I missed this book when Carina first released it in 2010, since I love the Kowalski family books.  But there it is, the book passed me by until Harlequin decided to release it as a paperback. Figuring some of you might have had the same experience (and missed Sandy’s review of it as well), I figured I’d add my own impressions.

Kevin Kowalski basically meets Beth Hansen when she bartends at his brother Joe’s wedding (yeah, there’s a tiny bit of backstory before that, but not really). He’s an ex-cop-turned-bar-owner and comes off as a player, though he isn’t really. In fact, he’s at a point in his life when he’s ready to try settling down again–his first attempt having failed when he found his captain in bed with his wife, resulting in both a divorce and a job change–when he meets Beth. They spend a night together, but she gives up on him when, half-asleep, he tells her to lock the hotel door after her on her way out. Fate isn’t done with them, however, and although they were careful, three weeks later she realizes she’s pregnant.

I love the Kowalski clan, from little Bobby, who tells jokes to pregnant Beth’s stomach so that his new cousin will be his friend when he comes out of the womb, all the way up to Leo and Mary, who welcome Beth into their family even though she and Kevin aren’t married. Beth, on the other hand, drives me up a wall. She has two main issues: first, she’s avoided responsibility all her life by moving around every four to six months (a phobia never clearly explained); and, second, she doesn’t trust that Kevin really loves her.

“Tell me you won’t just disappear,” he finally said. “If you decide to take off, at least call me first. I don’t want to wake up someday and find you gone.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you, Kevin.” Tears made her eyes sparkle for a moment, but she blinked them back. “Just staying here is a big adjustment for me, and being pregnant, I think a serious relationship might be too much on top of it, and I’m afraid if we hook up and it goes wrong, it’ll be ugly, and that’s not  what I want for our child.”

Kevin is super patient with her. Far more patient than I was, in fact. She keeps them apart with one excuse after another for almost a year. He just wears away at her, constantly taking everything she gives out and being nothing but nice. I wouldn’t say it’s dull because Ms. Stacey’s writing is fun, upbeat, and always has a quirky fun to it that keeps it from ever being mundane, but it is annoying.

I’m actually more invested in the secondary romance between Paulie, Kevin’s bartender, and her former fiance, Sam. They both come from society backgrounds, but Paulie–Paulette–left hers behind when she left Sam at the altar because she realized she couldn’t be his wife. She changed her name and moved away, and he only finds her by chance. But he doesn’t know why she ran and he’s both furious and hurt. She explains it to Beth:

“He has to attend hundreds of fancy functions every year–the kind of functions you bring your wife to, all dolled up. And his wife would be expected to serve on charitable foundations and play tennis at the country club. That’s just not my thing.”

Of course, it’s not so easy to explain that to Sam. Nor is it so easy to mesh the lives of a tycoon and a bartender, and Paulie loves her job and her life.

I wish I could have liked Beth a bit better because this is one of those stories where I absolutely adore the hero, but I’d still recommend the book if for no other reason than the secondary characters sparkle and Stacey’s writing is superb.

Grade: B

Summary:

One-night stand + two percent condom failure rate = happily ever after? Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him, but lately he’s more interested in finding a woman to settle down with. A woman like Beth Hansen. If only their first meeting hadn’t gone so badly…

Beth’s tending bar at a wedding when she comes face to face with a tuxedo-clad man she never thought she’d see again. She tries to keep her distance from Kevin but, by last call, she can’t say no to his too-blue eyes or the invitation back to his room. Then she slips out before breakfast without leaving a note and, despite their precautions, pregnant.

Kevin quickly warms to the idea of being a dad and to seeing where things go with Beth. After all, he’s not the player she thinks he is. But she’s not ready for a relationship and, given his reputation, it’s going to take a lot to convince her to go on a second date with the father of her child…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Carrying the Rancher’s Heir by Charlene Sands
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 3 May 11

They caught each other at a vulnerable time for them both, decided to forget the past and the future and spend the night together. A delicious premise for a romance novel, but sadly, one we only see in brief flashbacks. But for all that, the book didn’t disappoint, and we get to see Tagg and Callie together through the force of circumstance, and then falling in love, despite their determination not to.

Callie is the daughter of local rancher Hawk Sullivan, and when she finds she is pregnant with Tagg’s baby, she at first doesn’t tell him. However, she knows she will have to, she doesn’t make the idiotic mistake of playing with another person’s life (her unborn child). So she goes to tell Tagg, but ends up telling him that she’s working at the charitable facility that his brother, Clay, has opened. Tagg isn’t happy, and he doesn’t like his renewed attraction to Callie, but when he discovers she’s pregnant, he insists on marrying her.

Tagg has a troubled past (whoopee, I love a hero with a troubled past, as long as it doesn’t prove an excuse or a plot device). He is a cowboy (another whoopee in the Connolly household). Callie isn’t a shrinking virgin, she knew exactly what she was doing when she slept with Tagg and she doesn’t regret it (oh yeah). She also faces up to the consequences and so does Tagg.

They have what the romance book calls “chemistry.” In other words, they fancy the pants off each other, and they prove it very nicely indeed, once they marry, but they don’t trust each other. Callie is the daughter of Tagg’s biggest business rival, one who has snatched a contract from under Tagg’s nose recently. And yet they both try to put that aside. However, deep down, both know they’ll have to cope with that problem sooner or later.

Tagg was married before, and his wife died in an air crash after having an argument with Tagg. While he hasn’t blamed himself unnecessarily, he still blames himself for the way his marriage was heading and what he said to her. He vowed not to let another woman that close to him again, but he isn’t so stubborn that he doesn’t recognize sexual attraction and liking when it happens. He feels both for Callie.

I’m a bit disturbed to see Callie riding all over the place after she knew she was pregnant. I hadn’t got on the back of a horse since I was about eleven years old, and still when I got pregnant, my doctor insisted on telling me that I mustn’t, in any circumstances, ride a horse. I have no idea why, but I presume it’s the danger of being thrown. Even the best rider falls sometimes, and arguably the best are the ones that fall more often, because they might take chances a more cautious rider wouldn’t, but I didn’t see this ban in this book, although I’ve seen it in others. I did want Tagg to enforce the no riding thing, but he seemed unaware of the problem, as well.

I really enjoy the description of a modern ranch and the management involved, as well as Tagg’s other business ventures. It takes me to a world I never hoped to see until a few years ago, and it will perform that function for other readers, too. I just love me a man in chaps, a big hat, and an easy way of talking. So you might say I was already prepared to enjoy this book.

There is nothing groundbreaking about this Desire, but there doesn’t have to be. Sands takes well used themes and uses them to enhance and illustrate the characters of two likeable people who still have some things to learn about each other and themselves.

Grade: C+

Summary:

The passionate, impulsive evening Tagg Worth had spent in the arms of brown-eyed beauty Callie Sullivan was madness. Visions of their tryst still haunted him, but their one-night stand was a mistake the wealthy rancher swore he would not repeat. Hawk Sullivan’s daughter was strictly off-limits—especially since Hawk’s main goal in life was to put Tagg out of business.
Then, suddenly, there was a baby on the way. His baby. Tagg vowed to do the right thing, no matter what it cost him. But his inconvenient new bride tempted his solitary heart down a path a Worth didn’t dare follow….

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Dinca’s review of A Mother’s Homecoming by Tanya Michaels
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin American Romance 2 Aug 11

If you like a lot of “the way we were and could be again” in your story, this book might be for you. At first it read like an autobiography of a recovering alcoholic which is not my idea of light romantic reading. I kept thinking it had to get better since it’s a Harlequin. It is a love story in the end… and I mean end.

Pamela Jo returns to her hometown after twelve long years as a recovering alcoholic to make peace with her mother, who is also an alcoholic, only to find she has passed away and left Pam the house she grew up in.   Thinking her ex-husband and daughter she abandoned live in another state, she is surprised to find them in town. Not wanting to disturb their life, knowing her stay is temporary, she tries to stay away from them while she gets the house ready for sale so she can leave again.

Nick doesn’t know what to do or how to protect his daughter, or if there is a need to protect her, from Pamela Jo. His daughter wants to get to know her and has set out to do it with or without his approval. He decides if contact is to be made he will be involved in it. Doing so gets him and Pam involved again. Spending time with her brings all the old feelings back. He has to decide if they are new feelings or the same ones that never left.

The book is half over before it turns into a romance. In Chapter Eight they have a decent conversation and it’s much later before any romance develops in this fifteen-chapter story. The rehash of twelve long, grueling years is a little much for me. It is really not my idea of light reading. In the end they start over again, living the teenage years and all its antics. I am surprised Pam fell for that and Nick, since that is what she left in the first place. One would think Nick might have picked a more adult approach twelve years later.  I am really happy she cheers for him when he tells his mother off. That’s about twelve years too late, but better late than never.

The book is well written and there is certainly a story to tell. When looked at from that point of view and not as a light-hearted romance, which is usually what I am after, all the informational data and drama is necessary and the author does an amazing job. My hat is off to anyone who can accomplish this feat and turn it into a romance in the end. In the romance element of it gets a C, but it is so well written and detailed I am giving it an A.

Grade: A

Summary:

Welcome Home, Stranger

For Pamela Jo Wilson, returning to her sleepy Mississippi hometown means coming face–to–face with her past. At seventeen, overwhelmed by the responsibilities of a new marriage and family, she fled Mimosa. But Nick Shepard wasn’t the only one Pam left behind. Now, thirteen years later, she just hopes she can make things right with her ex–husband and the child she barely knows.

Nick’s first instinct is to protect his daughter, but his little girl is hell–bent on meeting the woman who left her behind. With his own feelings for Pam being as powerful and all–consuming as ever, how can Nick know what he’s feeling is real? And how can he trust Pam again? First she has to convince him she’s through running. That she’s come home—this time for good.

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of Say It With Diamonds by Lucy King
Contemporary Romance published by Mills and Boon Modern Romance 1 Jan 12

Lucy King has considerable talent as a writer, and her first book for Harlequin was fabulous. However, the subsequent ones are evidence that she hasn’t yet settled in properly. It is fascinating to see the development of a writer with this house, since their requirements are so stringent. I do have hopes that eventually Lucy King will become one of Harlequin’s stars. Or she could break out and join another house, writing the books with more open requirements.

In this one, the heroine is old for a Harlequin heroine, thirty-five, but she doesn’t always behave that way. But then, what thirty-five year old does? Bella has her own jewelry business, and a man visits her out of the blue to ask for her opinion on several pieces he produces from his pocket and tosses carelessly on the counter. Lucy examines them and realizes that despite their fabulous appearance, the stones in them are fake. She accompanies the man, Will, to a bank vault, and it’s here that she learns that her new client is a duke. He takes her to the vault and she spends time splitting the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Then a woman enters, a lovely blonde in fashionable clothing, and Will realizes that she has been taking the gems and replacing them with fakes.

I had a few problems with this beginning. First, if Bella is a jeweler and she knows her stuff, surely she’d recognized pieces from a great and famous collection? Second, Will wouldn’t be carrying the pieces in his pockets, because of the potential damage that would cause. They’d be in boxes, carefully packed. Third, I would have thought that she’d need some kind of security. The security at the bank vault seems worryingly lax, too. There is this lack of attention to external plot detail throughout, and sometimes I stopped and went “huh?” Like the time Bella is working on an emerald in a pendant. In a pendant? Surely the jeweler works on the gem before it’s set? And we didn’t hear if the jewel was an engraved cabochon or a faceted one, in which case she wouldn’t be cutting it in situ. Things like that kept recurring. I’d have liked a more authentic background and a bit more research. I know the background and setting are secondary considerations to the romance, but done properly they can enhance and add to the characters and the individuality of the story. I can’t help comparing this story to Day LeClaire’s Dante’s Inferno series, where the jewelry background has helped to make the series something really special.

The lovely blonde turns out to be Will’s aunt, who looks younger than she is, and she’s been selling the gems to make money to feed her internet bridge addiction. Bridge? Not poker or casino games? And the problem is easily solved. Will makes her promise not to do it again, and off she goes. The whole situation reeks of plot device, just something to bring the hero and heroine together and to hint at Will’s difficult background.

Bella is desperate to marry and have children. I wasn’t too keen on that aspect. While I could understand it, the desperation seems to indicate that she hasn’t thought of alternatives, like artificial insemination, asking for a donor, or even adopting. Is it marriage or children she wanted, and why? The motivation doen’t reflect on her behavior in the book, which starts with her bonking Will in the back of his chauffeured car and then lusting after him afterward. She confides in him that she wants a lasting relationship, and they part, only to come back together in uncontrollable lust later on.

Will is as thinly drawn as Bella. He has deep motivations for not wanting what Bella wants, but until later in the story, it seems like another contrivance, something taken out of the “how to write romance” textbook in the “provide a conflict” chapter. As a writer who sometimes finds that bit tricky herself, I do sympathise with Lucy King, but the conflict is a bolted-on one, provided because they need something to keep them apart. Although that’s better than providing a conflict from outside the relationship, I still find a disconnect between what the characters say they want and what they actually do. Will chases Bella, even when he knows she wants the thing he doesn’t, and she goes with him. When she states they would have a short, torrid affair, my heart sank a little, because this is a trope that is fast tiring me. “Let’s go at each other until it burns out.” The problem with it is that if they do that, and if they do burn out, there’s no story as far as a romance writer is concerned, so it’s one we know will end in a lasting relationship. There’s no danger there, no worry they’ll split.

But King can write. Her descriptions are excellent and she doesn’t often veer into purple territory. The sex is hot, and it’s nice to have the woman in charge for a change. Good that Bella carries condoms with her, as well as Will, although that does rather run counter to her wish for a lasting relationship. I would have liked more depth in both characters, more of the desperation in Bella, for instance. And a reason why she wants the whole caboodle instead of part of it. So a nice read, but needs more work, I think.

Grade:C-

Summary:

All that sparkles… At thirty-five, Bella might be an expert on diamonds – but she’s still missing a big fat one on the third finger of her left hand. However, at least she has her successful jewellery business – with very interesting new client William Cameron, AKA the Duke of Hawksley, no less! She’s expecting portly and chinless – but actually Will’s tall, dark and so distractingly good-looking it’s hard to concentrate on his jewels! More of a surprise: this weird chemistry between them is actually mutual. Urgent… And it catches them completely unawares in a black London taxi… All that glitters is not gold. All that sparkles isn’t diamond. All men who turn you on aren’t the real thing. But being cynical gets boring…maybe it’s time for Bella to throw caution to the winds…?

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of A Dangerous Infatuation by Chantelle Shaw
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents Extra 3 Jan 12 (M&B Modern – 1 Nov 11)

This is an old-style Modern Romance and is very much a book you can sink into for an hour or two’s pleasure. It’s a woman struggling with her life and a billionaire. Don’t expect anything revolutionary, but sometimes you need a break from revolution, and this book provides it.

Emma is a district nurse in Northumberland, and it’s snowing. She’s driving to the house of the last patient on her round, an old lady who lives in a large manor house on her own. She comes across a man who has just crashed his unsuitable but dashing car in the snow, and she gives him a lift. He turns out to be the grandson of the old lady, Rocco, an Italian and the chief exec of the car company that makes his flashy car.

So far so usual. It carries on in the same vein. While this isn’t an earth-shattering book, with one proviso it’s written in a clear, smooth style that makes the story easy and pleasant to read. Let’s get the problem over with. And this could well be my preference. It might not bother you. There’s a lot of POV transitions. A lot. I won’t call it head-hopping because that’s when you don’t know which character’s head you’re in and Shaw is skilful enough not to do that, but the reader is constantly moved from one head to another and back again. That does bother me, quite a lot, because you can’t go really deep and I’d rather not know what both characters are feeling in a scene. If the kind of thing exemplified in the passage below doesn’t concern you, then you’re good to go.

“ ‘Thank you,’ he murmured, closing the door and feeling a welcome blast of warm air from the car’s heater. It was only now sinking in that he was lucky not to have been injured in the crash, and that he could have faced a long, cold walk to find civilisation. ‘I was fortunate you were driving this way.’
Emma released the handbrake and carefully pulled away, her hands tightening on the steering wheel when she felt the car slide. She rammed the stiff gear lever into second gear, and tensed when her hand brushed against the man’s thigh. In the confines of the vehicle she was even more aware of his size.”

His thoughts, then hers, in two adjacent sentences. Then the narrative could easily move back to him again.

Now to the characters. I like that Emma is competent and, although struggling, good at her job. Not in abject poverty. Her small daughter is three, but she’s a precocious, annoying three who seems to be fully potty trained and speaks in complete sentences (not impossible, I admit). The child seems to be a five-year-old transposed into a three-year-old. I could have done without the child, who could have stepped out of a 1930’s “cute kid” movie.

Rocco doesn’t let it faze him. He gets on with seducing the sexy nurse after their meet cute, when she’s wrapped up so much she resembles a bowling ball. “Good for her,” I thought. Snowy Northumberland isn’t to be messed with. But does she have a Geordie accent, I want to know? In the version in my head, she did. “Why aye, Rocco, you gan canny!” would have fit rather well into the story and might have made the heroine a bit different. Rocco is pretty much your standard hero. But I happen to like the tall, strong, wealthy Italian type, so that’s okay by me. And Rocco isn’t too arrogant. On the whole he’s a likeable character.

There is a big misunderstanding at the beginning, where Rocco thinks Emma is too bossy and managing and Emma thinks Rocco is heartless because he left his aged grandmother to live alone (he employed help, but his grandmother fired her after finding her stealing). Since that all happens in the first three chapters, I don’t feel that’s much of a spoiler, and that’s why I didn’t mind this particular misunderstanding. Emma and Rocco talk, and explain themselves, and, lo and behold, they come to a better understanding of each other.

There is a secret in Emma’s past, again revealed to the reader early, that her husband, while a hero, was also a cheater in his marriage. So she’s understandably wary of handsome bastards who go from woman to woman. While many Moderns use the trope of the character’s past life affecting their present beliefs, this time it worked for me because the past is recent for Emma – to some extent she’s still hurting. So her reticence to accept Rocco as a lover is understandable.
And that’s the way to use Mills and Boon tropes. They are part of the story, they reveal the character and they’re not stretched to unbelievable levels or tedious levels. They’re not strained. When one problem ends, another begins, or is bounced off the first one. Their past lives affect both characters, but they’re intelligent enough to reason with themselves and deal with their problems. When they come to a mutual understanding, they deserve it, although Rocco does get stuck with the precocious kid, and he even wants more. Let’s hope they find some great nannies.

Grade: C

Summary:

Rocco D’Angelo doesn’t do needy women—and he certainly doesn’t do commitment! But the spark notorious playboy Rocco feels with his beloved grandmother’s nurse, Emma Marchant, is more than the usual thrill-of-the-chase adrenaline!

Never in her wildest dreams did cautious Emma imagine she would be swept from a sleepy English village to the exotic climes of the Italian Riviera—especially by a man as disreputable as Rocco.

Emma could be the one to tame the untamable—unless her infatuation is more dangerous than she imagined….

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of There’s Something About A Rebel by Anne Oliver
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents Extra 1 Jan 12 (M&B Riva Aug 11)

I picked this because of the hunk on the cover – so unlike Mills and Boon’s usual male models and so tempting! But inside, I found the same old story with a slight twist. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, just that I expected a little more.

It’s part of the Riva line and is supposed to be a little different. That’s the trouble. It is a Modern Romance, tweaked a little. The attitudes and the dilemmas are Modern/Presents all the way.

The difference? The hero was a navy man, a diver part of a special unit like the SEALS, but after he lost a young colleague, he retired from the Service. He blamed himself for losing the young man, because he was in charge of the operation, and he brooded a bit. But the conflict isn’t deep enough for me. Perhaps losing the young man was the final straw in a series of tough assignments, but we never hear about them. Many SEALS, or the equivalent, retire because they’re burned out after a series of operations. I’d have preferred something of that nature, as it makes for a richer backstory. But Blake doesn’t appear to be too jaded, apart from a few bad dreams. He sets to organizing Lissa’s life with enthusiasm, when they get over their initial problems. Yes, that’s right, Blake is wealthy. This is a Modern/Presents book, despite its sexy cover.

The problems are that Blake’s no-good father sold his houseboat twice – to Blake and to Lissa. Luckily, Blake also owns the nearby luxury house and a considerable fortune, because his mother was a wealthy woman. Another problem lightly touched on was that his mother spent more time with her charities than she did with Blake, a bit like Mrs. Jellyby in Bleak House, presumably, except that Mrs. Jellyby and her daughter were more surely drawn.

Lissa is straight out of the Modern/Presents line. She’s in her mid-twenties, she’s an interior designer who isn’t doing too well but has bags of talent, she’s beautiful, she’s been in love with Blake for years, since before he joined the navy. Her brother is Blake’s friend.

Blake sets out to help Lissa. The problem with the houseboat disappears quickly (literally), and Blake persuades Lissa that he should invest in her business. Then they sleep together, although they know it is wrong. He takes Lissa to parties and introduces her to his mother’s rich friends and she gets on fine, her business grows like Topsy.

I think that’s my problem with this book. None of the conflicts introduced seem to meet much. The houseboat, Blake’s nightmares, Lissa’s money troubles, all melt away. It’s a true fairytale story, and nothing goes deep enough to have any bite, to get the reader conflicted or involved. It would have been better had Blake’s nightmares been true fatigue syndrome or Lissa had been a rubbish interior designer. But she’s not, she’s brilliant, and everyone loves her work. So she would probably have succeeded eventually anyway without Blake’s help.

The Riva line isn’t working for me as a separate line because the books read like their origins – Cherish or Modern. I like the Moderns, and some of my favorite authors write for that line, including Anne Oliver, but this is presented more honestly in the US as a Harlequin Presents Extra, although the cover is in itself a spoiler. However, even as a Modern/Presents, I would have liked a little more.

All in all, this is a perfectly good book about a nice couple. But that’s also its problem. It’s too nice. So there’s really only one grade for it.

Grade: C

Summary:

Her fantasy man – in the flesh! Lissa Sanderson is at an all-time low – so why does her brother’s gorgeous, brooding best friend have to come back into her life now? Even worse, the teenage crush she once had on Blake Everett is back with a vengeance, despite his scandalous reputation and the fact the ex-Navy officer would clearly prefer to be left alone. Only now she’s a woman. And Blake’s not quite so immune to her as he makes out. There’s definitely something about a rebel – and Lissa’s going to enjoy finding out just what that ‘something’ might be!

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of 10 Ways to Steal Your Lover (Love by Numbers, Book 1) by Dee Tenorio
Contemporary Erotic Romance short story published by Dee Tenorio 15 Dec 11

Well, I just have to read Dee Tenorio more often. That’s all there is to it. She intrigues me with her characters and storylines, makes me laugh, her heroes make me sizzle and burn, and she packs so much into a shorter length book. But you know what’s almost better than all that?

I like the fact she can put two characters together in a room or any other small, enclosed space for pages and even chapters and never once do those scenes get boring. She did that quite successfully in Shaken, which I really enjoyed. (If you haven’t read that book, you should!) And she does it here just as successfully, starting the book off with our hero and heroine, Kane and Delilah, waking up together, naked, and with very hazy, nearly non-existent memories of the night before – Delilah’s wedding night – to Craig. Not Kane. Oh, boy.

So between touches and kisses and lots of steaminess in their Las Vegas hotel room, they try to figure out how the hell they ended up together like this. Each remembers a different portion of the previous evening. First order of business is to start investigating to see what they can find out about the happenings of last night, along with figuring out where the bag of money in the hotel closet came from. Did they rob a casino? Not once are these scenes mundane in any way. Kane and Delilah go from bewilderment to hot and bothered to guilt and a few other emotions, all wrapped in a sensuousness in those very close quarters.

And thus begins their trek of talking to whoever they can to discover how their world woke up feeling so right in and among the guilt – not the feeling of settling for something less. They get a lot of discovering done before they have to face Delilah’s parents – and Craig. Kane, Jesse, and Craig have been best friends for years, the unlikeliest of friends you’ll find, but the friendship works and is quite special to each of them. You can imagine then how Kane must feel to face Craig, knowing what he’s done to this man who’s also like a brother. The same goes for Delilah, but she has the added stress of also facing her military father – the booming drill sergeant type man who expects to be obeyed, no matter what.

I have to tell you, the way the story unfolds, bit by bit, the haziness clearing away, the sacrifices and pure friendship that are revealed are just wonderful. Dee Tenorio always gives readers these little romantic jewels that never disappoint. Try one of her books and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Grade: B+

Summary:

His best friend’s wedding just turned into the craziest hangover ever…

Kane Wilkensen’s buddy was about to marry the girl of Kane’s dreams. Which would have been fine—heartbreaking but fine—if Kane hadn’t woken up in a Las Vegas honeymoon suite with her, a giant sack of money and a great big blank spot in both their memories first.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

5 Secrets You Never Tell – 2012

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:

LynneC’s review of On The First Night Of Christmas by Heidi Rice
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 29 Nov 11

I don’t do many seasonal reads, just a few, and this offering looked like a fun one. It didn’t disappoint. In an England being blown into the sea by gale force winds, this was just the book to sit indoors and cuddle up with a kitty and a fire. Nothing earth shattering, just well written and fun.

Heidi Rice is a “solid” write with excellent style, engaging characters and believable situations. She rarely gets the fuss that some Harlequin writers do, because she produces well-written books in time and on point. Because she is so good at writing the category romance, it’s easy to overlook her. You read the book, smile when you put it down, and then get on with your life. That’s what Harlequin is, at base, all about, and it’s one of the reasons the genre gets such an unfair battering from time to time.

Cassie is walking to the Tube in London when a car splashes her. She is annoyed enough to rip open the passenger door and yell at the driver, until she recognises him as someone she went to school with. Jace the Ace he was called then. Now he’s Jason Ryan, millionaire and New York resident, in London to conclude a deal on the company he made his name with.

The professional backgrounds of the two protagonists are lightly drawn and not very convincing, but the story isn’t about that, so pushing their careers into the background seems appropriate for such a feel-good book. It did add to the fairytale feel of the whole story.

Cassie was too young to date Jace at school, but she isn’t now. Jace comes from the regulation broken home, but one of the things I like about this story is that Jace doesn’t get the immediate cure from his instinctive recoil from anything involving revealing his feelings. There is a nice epilogue that copes with that.
Jace takes Cassie back to his hotel, and they are into each other like anybody’s business. The sex in this book is great, hot and believable and a touch wild, but still vanilla m/f. Far from bland, though.

Rice sets out two main problems for Jace and Cassie and spends the story exploring them. Jace lives in New York and Cassie lives in London. However, her career, as some kind of illustrator (told you the descriptions were vague!), isn’t too much of an impediment. Jace’s inability to get involved is a problem, and instead of walking all over her and then grovelling, Cassie helps him come to terms with his feelings. There is a very nice grovel scene, though, when the inevitable black moment is reached and passed.

Cassie has relationship issues, having dated two low-lifes in the past and even been engaged to one. There is a lot of the naïve to Cassie, although she claims to have gone to an inner London high school, a place where it’s very difficult to remain that naïve, but as I, said, Christmas fairy story.

The two set out to enjoy London in the festive season. Jace doesn’t do Christmas, but he’s not exactly a Scrooge. He just doesn’t do it. Cassie makes him, and even shows him that you can do Christmas shopping in Oxford Street in an hour, if you plan properly. That’s almost one fairytale too far for me, having scrambled through Selfridges and other shops just before Christmas, as queuing to pay can take that long, but okay, yes, you can just about do it. Though as an inveterate shopper/browser, it sounds a bit pointless to me!

The story flows well and is an effortless read, exactly what you need at this time of the year. Definitely a great read to get you in the mood when you take a break from wrapping presents!

Grade: B

Summary:

Cassie’s tips for the Perfect Christmas Fling!

1. ‘Tis the season to be daring: Find the perfect Mr. Right Now (extra points for a bad-boy-turned-billionaire) and be brave about getting him—even if that means jumping straight into sexy Jace Ryan’s car!

2. Enjoy the ride: Once you’ve chosen your man, get swept away by the moment! For once, Cassie’s determined to stop worrying about the future, but she must remember one thing…

3. This fling is just for Christmas: Jace Ryan’s a seasonal special. Do not start falling for him, Cassie, no matter how perfect the package or how much you’ve enjoyed unwrapping it.…

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of A Win-Win Proposition by Cat Schield
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 4 Oct 11

This is a makeover/boss-secretary book, so be warned, it does have its problems. However, if you don’t take it too seriously, it’s a pleasant read, although some points made me a little uncomfortable.

Sebastian Case is attending a summit with his PA, Missy Ward, in Las Vegas. Missy has a makeover and decides to move on with her life, so Sebastian is shocked to find the sexy redhead under his previously dowdy assistant. Sebastian is a player and enjoys his bachelor status, but Missy turns the tables when she takes him to the roulette table and bets five thousand dollars on red. She wins, and she also wins a bet with Sebastian. She’s had the hots for him for years, and now she wants one night with him. She resigns, determined to leave her crush on her boss behind.

So my first doubtful moment is the “take your glasses off, Miss Smith.” I really dislike it when a man only notices his secretary after she’s had a makeover. So her intelligence, long service, and friendship means nothing? Not next to a day at the spa, a new haircut, and some new clothes. I went along with it, but Sebastian doesn’t ever give a reason why he never noticed Missy before, apart from the fact that he doesn’t mix business and pleasure, so only after Missy resigns is she fair game. I don’t buy that, or that he never noticed her in that way. She’s not a new employee, she’s worked for him for years.

Then, when they have sex, there is no mention of protection. Later in the story, there is a mention that they “used protection,” but in the scenes themselves, they don’t stop for the condom moment or even to discuss it. These days, what idiot has sex with someone who is a known player without even mentioning a condom? I don’t care how carried away you are, if you’re intelligent, as Missy is supposed to be, then you think about it. She might be inexperienced, but she isn’t stupid and she isn’t that naïve.

With a few tweaks, those aspects of the story could have been sorted out. But this isn’t a deep read and I don’t believe wholly in the characters. Sebastian doesn’t have a huge amount of depth, he works things out as he goes along, but his devotion to Missy is sweet, and I like the way he wants to take care of her and takes responsibility for her after they become an item.

Missy is an enigma. A dingbat in bed, a supposedly clever woman with an MBA out of it, we don’t really get to see the clever side of her. We do get to see her home life, after a development later in the story, and we learn that she’s a terrible cook and she can’t bake. Basically, an oven is an oven, whether it’s meatloaf or cake, so I didn’t get that part. Missy does what’s needed for the plot.

Sebastian’s father is described as interfering, and I don’t quite understand why he would want to stymie the deal Sebastian is working on in Las Vegas. I do understand that his father is regretting his retirement, and I would have liked a little more of the father and son relationship. It might have given Sebastian more depth.

Ms. Schield does have an easy, readable style, which drives the story along at quite a pace, but I wish she’d have put her skills to better use on characters with more depth and motivation. Something a little outside the norm, perhaps. I’m sure she can do it.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Sebastian Case relies on his irreplaceable assistant for everything. But since arriving in Vegas for a conference, mousy Missy Ward has transformed herself. From ordinary to ravishing. From modest and reserved to bold and sensual. And Sebastian, who’d barely noticed she was a woman, finds himself dazzled by her allure.Now she’s quitting and Sebastian will do anything to keep her. Including accepting her outrageous bet. One spin of the roulette wheel—black and she’ll stay…red and Sebastian owes her one night of passion. What can he lose, except maybe his heart?

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Sandy M’s review of Any Given Christmas (Sugar Shack Series, Book 2) by Candis Terry
Contemporary Romance published by Avon Impuse 6 Dec 11

I am having such a good time with these Sugar Shack books by Candis Terry. Her sense of humor is terrific. Her characters are charming and fun. The Sugar Shack is one of those nearly extinct places only the smallest of American towns will know, along with all the other beloved amenities and values that are becoming more and more lost. While Ms. Terry brings some of that into present day – which we as a society sorely need – she never lets go of the old-fashioned-ness that takes her hero in a direction he never dreamed of.

Dean Silverthorn is the golden boy of Deer Lick, Montana – a big league quarterback with chart-topping records and mega-buck contracts. But all it takes is one hard sack to the turf and his playing days may be over. So he’s come home to recuperate just before Christmas, where he gets two big surprises of his life. First, he taken with the local school teacher. She’s the kind of woman who wants love, kids, a picket fence, and happily ever after. Forever. Dean knows he’s not that type of man, not after the life he’s led with movie stars, supermodels, and top athletes. Second, driving his mom’s old boat of a Buick around town comes with an unexpected passenger – his mother’s ghost, who still has work to do to see her children settled.

We met Emma Hart in the first book of the series, Second Chance at the Sugar Shack. She dated the hero, but then gave him up when she realized he still loved his heroine. Her dream has always been to have someone love her for who she is, to not forget who she is. Being forgettable is her worst fear. So you can just imagine Dean’s amazement when Emma turns down his overtures. Sure, it’d be wonderful to be on his arm and in his bed, but she can’t compete with supermodels. She’d be forgettable for sure. Emma is holding out for that perfect man just for her.

But Dean can’t let her go. She’s in his mind constantly and little by little arrowing her way into his heart. He wants her, even knowing she wants something more than he can give her. Every instance this couple is together is magic. Even those when they don’t see eye to eye and things aren’t going that smoothly for them. Dean finds himself doing and wanting things he never imagined. He loves Emma’s softness and curves when it’s always been stick-thin supermodels he’s dated before. He’s allergic to cats, but when tragedy strikes Emma and Oscar, he’s right there for her, taking care of everything. He scores big time with Emma and me during that scene.

Emma does try to stay away from Dean. She knows after his shoulder heals and he’s 100% again, he’ll be leaving Deer Lick to head back to his team and the game he loves. Only when she discovers he’s not planning to be hands-on with the camp for autistic children he’s funding is when Emma truly walks away. He talks the talk but he doesn’t walk the walk. It’s not until he returns to the team doctor to be released for play that Dean realizes maybe Emma is right. He does some soul searching, but can he give up the game that’s meant everything to him for so long?

Very slowly you see Dean change throughout this book. Emma is a terrific influence on him, but you also see how he was raised. His father still misses the wife he lost not too long ago. He loves his children with all his heart, and you see that at every turn, and you see the same from Dean’s mother. Those are some great scenes in the beginning when Dean gets his first meeting with his mother’s spirit. The longer Dean is away from his celebrity life, the more he finds all he left behind years before and what the future can hold for him if only he’d reach out and take it.

If you’ve been in a reading slump lately, pick up these books. I can guarantee you’ll be back on the road to reading after meeting these characters and living their lives with them. Even if you’re not in a slump, read these books anyway. They will do your heart good.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Dean Silverthorne’s mother may be dead, but she still has matchmaking to do.

When an injury dashes NFL Quarterback Dean Silverthorne’s Super Bowl dreams, he heads back to Deer Lick, Montana with a chip on his wounded shoulder and more determined than ever to get back in the game. He loves his kooky family, but his trip home is nothing but a very brief Christmas visit.

His game plan didn’t include an instant attraction to Emma Hart, a feisty kindergarten teacher who seems to be the only person in Deer Lick not interested in the hometown hero. Or his dearly departed mom popping up with mistletoe in hand and meddling on the mind. Now Dean can’t help but wonder if there’s more to love than life between the goal posts.

Read an excerpt. (click appropriate tab)

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of His Christmas Acquisition by Cathy Williams
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 29 Nov 11

I have enjoyed Cathy Williams’ books in the past, but, sadly, this one isn’t one of them. Tired situations, tired characters no thicker than a sheet of paper, and a tired style make this a disappointing read.

Apart from his habit of wearing jeans to work, Ryan Sheppard is the usual type of Modern/Presents hero. He is powerful, wealthy, owns his own company—and the other stuff. He behaves in a conventional way, so making him a computer entrepreneur and getting him to wear jeans for work is only a thin disguise. He isn’t updated at all. This would have been fine, but Ryan behaves exactly as he is expected to by the reader, and there is really very little to say about him. He doesn’t stand out and he isn’t different. We have the standard supermodel-type girlfriend, except that Williams’ versions all seem to have hair down to their waists. Apart from that, they’re interchangeable, only there to compare to the wholesome heroine.

Jamie is a doormat of the first order, but at the beginning of the story she is running on empty. Her sister, a complete and utter bitch, is currently separated from her husband, a vet (not a veteran, an animal doctor) and the vet is the man Jamie used to work for before she came down to London to get away from him. Because she was quietly and desperately in love with him for years and she doesn’t think he noticed. No man is going to ignore that, unless he’s brain dead. She runs to London to get away from her sister marrying the vet. And meets Ryan.

Her sister makes Jamie ask people to Christmas dinner, including Ryan, and then Jamie does all the cooking while selfish people drink her wine and enjoy their day. It doesn’t say a lot for Jamie, who, after all, brought her sister up, that Jessica turns out to be such a dyed-in-the-wool, irredeemable bitch. What happens to Jessica in the end is so unbelievable that I nearly threw my Nook across the room.

Ryan and Jamie do the “this is only for two weeks” thing that is fast becoming one of my most unfavorite tropes in Harlequin-dom. Almost every author is using this artificial construct, and it is getting wearing. If an author who knows how to write interesting stories about real characters used it and added internal character pressures, then count me in, but when the hero just says it, for no real reason, or the heroine agrees to it, then it doesn’t work as well.

One of my big disconnects with this book is the head hopping. It’s a long time since I read head-hopping this wild and confusing in a published book. Unpublished authors do it all the time, and it’s one of the big things they are asked to change by critiquers. We’re told that you won’t get published if you head hop, and it’s true, most editors are very anti. Either Williams has earned her place because of her previous titles, or she has an editor who doesn’t care about this, or she doesn’t have an editor at all (this being Harlequin, I doubt that last bit). But during the first chapter, I started to mark the head hopping. After that, I didn’t bother. She changes points of view in the same sentence, so that at one point Ryan is thinking something about Jamie, and by the end of the sentence, the reader is in Jamie’s head. It’s only made worse by using a masculine-sounding name for the heroine, so, at first, it’s hard to remember if Jamie is the hero or if it’s Ryan.

A disappointing read, as if several tropes were jammed together, and a few characteristics added for effect.

Grade: D

Summary:

There’s only one item left on entrepreneur Ryan Sheppard’s Christmas list—something scandalous for his buttoned-up secretary…
It seems that disapproving Jamie Powell is the only woman that doesn’t fall at Ryan’s feet. Jamie is well aware of her boss’s heartbreaker reputation…fending off his discarded women is virtually part of her job description!
Ryan’s hoping a Christmas trip to the Caribbean will entice Jamie out of her pencil skirt and into the skimpiest of bikinis! And, with the boardroom transferred to the beach, surely there’s little harm in indulging in a little festive pleasure on the side…?

Read an excerpt.

Laura C’s review of Space in His Heart by Roxanne St. Claire
Contemporary Romance published by Roxanne St. Claire 28 Nov 11

Deke Stockard has plenty to worry about: as well as an astronaut, he’s a safety engineer on shuttles and reports on the Endeavor shuttle, the next to go up, keep disappearing. He’s sure something’s wrong, that someone is hiding weaknesses that could cause the Endeavor to explode. The last thing he wants is to have to take time off from his real job to do PR.

But NASA needs funding, and they’ve hired a PR expert, Jessica Marlowe, who thinks Deke has “the right stuff” to make the space program sexy. And popular. And Deke, well, he’s not happy about the interruption, but he’s willing to take the time if it means getting to see more of Jessica.

On Amazon’s Kindle page for this book, they say it is a “full-length never-before-published romantic suspense novel.” It’s hard to tell because I read this on my Kindle, but I’d guess it’s category-length—which is absolutely full-length, but a different length (and therefore a more straightforward story) than people may be used to from St. Claire, who usually writes single-title length, very action-oriented and complicated tales. It’s also not romantic suspense in anything but the most general way. There are office politics and a bit of a suspense twist at the end, but really nothing more than is in most contemporary romances. If I were rating this as a suspense, the rating would be considerably lower!

As a category contemporary, however, this is definitely above average. Jessica is the kind of woman I’ve known for years—ambitious, determined to make her mark on the world, and unwilling to let anything get in her way. She’s not unpleasant about it, however, and the reader never finds her ambition alienating. Deke is ambitious in his own right, as well as a likable guy whose clashes with Jessica are all about their different goals and not about their personalities or attraction.

Deke Stockard had never second-guessed a decision in his life and he wasn’t about to start this morning. In fact, he congratulated himself for salvaging what was left of his miserable week. Today, he didn’t want to think about coolant tube inspections or emergency landings. He didn’t even want to discuss his required role at some silly movie premiere next week. All he wanted was the simple seduction of the wind in his sails and the company of one extraordinarily appealing woman.

Padding about in nothing but draw-string sweat pants, he took his time preparing their lunch, wondering what Jessica might be thinking about today. She was softening to him, he thought with certainty. He wanted her in the most physical way, but something else had nagged at him since they’d returned from New York. He liked her. Her cool demeanor that covered a softie inside, her biting, teasing wit she used as a guard, and most of all, her fiery enthusiasm for life. All in a package he couldn’t wait to unwrap.

Two hours later with the boat packed, he stood on the deck, wrapping the lines and making his instinctive last-minute checks. He caught sight of her walking down the river path toward his dock. She wore jeans and a white tee shirt that pressed against her in the slight breeze and clung to her body. With a sweater tied around her shoulders and her hair in a ponytail, she looked like a teenager. He never got tired of looking at her.

Jessica doesn’t want to give in to her desire for Deke because her career is on the line and sleeping with a client isn’t going to help. Deke is afraid that one day, perhaps all too soon, his career is going to leave any woman alone, a widow if he marries her. He’s willing to admit he wants her, but not that he’s emotionally committed. She’s willing to admit she wants him, but she refuses to do anything about it. They’re both stubborn, and the most entertaining part of this book is watching them overcome that stubbornness in themselves and each other.

The other really neat part of this book is the level of technical detail about the space program. Of course, I am a geek, so that totally appeals to me!

Grade: B+

Summary:

When PR superstar Jessica Marlowe is tasked with making America fall in love with space exploration, she knows exactly what to do: find some smokin’ hot astronaut eye-candy and make him NASA’s poster boy. When she meets Commander Deke Stockard, a Navy fighter pilot turned astronaut, the shiver down her spine tells her she’s found her man.

Consumed with the safety of the upcoming shuttle launch, Deke has zero interest in being part of a lame media blitz–but orders can’t be ignored. He also can’t ignore the way Jessica’s sexy smile and single-minded determination throw his well-ordered life into a tailspin….and ignite an undeniable attraction.

But when the next launch becomes a ticking time bomb that could spell the end for NASA, passion and courage won’t be enough to reach the stars. Deke and Jessica will have to work together, and hope they both have space in their hearts…for love.

Read an excerpt.

LynneC’s review of A Moment On The Lips by Kate Hardy
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 1 Nov 11

Kate Hardy is a great writer. Her style is easy to read but deceptively clever, so you don’t notice it until you think, “Hey, that’s good.” She brings her characters to life, and they’re not cut out of cardboard. They have characteristics and traits that make them determinedly individual. I always know I’m in for a great read when I pick up a Kate Hardy book.

A Moment on the Lips is no different. In this, Carenza has taken over the family ice-cream business in Naples, after her grandfather fell ill. Before this, she was a party girl, mainly in London, with little thought to anything else. But her grandparents brought her up, so she owes them. A shame she doesn’t have the experience to go with the job, but she is smart enough to know she needs a mentor. So she goes to Dante.

Dante owns a chain of restaurants, and although Carenza doesn’t know it, he owes her grandfather. Their businesses overlap, but aren’t in direct competition, so he sees her when she asks, do-me shoes and all. That’s where the story starts, with him cynically noticing her shoes. He remembers her from before, and he hates that he still wants her.

So follows one of the steamiest scenes I’ve ever read in a Presents, even though they don’t get to fourth base. They reconnect, and how!

The following story becomes inevitable, but they won’t consider anything permanent. Once the misunderstandings of the first part of the book are swiftly cleared up, and glory be, they actually sit down and talk about it – Dante agrees to mentor Carenza and they set out on the wild journey that will lead to their happy ending.

All Kate Hardy’s efforts are concentrated on the two main characters. That means that the supporting cast is often thinly drawn, although there are a few memorable cameos, such as Dante’s PA, that I enjoyed. And the plot isn’t her main forte. The two main characters enjoy each other very much, and most of the problems come from the outside, forcing them apart. The story of the problems with the ice cream business will be familiar to many Presents readers, and the conclusion won’t come as a surprise, since the villain is clearly telegraphed from the get-go. In fact, there is little tension in the book, but a delightful story of two people getting over their initial doubts about each other and falling in love.

Naples is nicely described, but Hardy ignores the terrible part of the city that any visitor can’t help but notice. The huge piles of garbage, for instance. And as the owner of ice cream parlors, Carenza would definitely be paying protection money. So this is an imaginary, idealized Naples. Perhaps putting in some of the real place might have added some interesting shades to the book. But I wouldn’t have sacrificed any of the luscious love scenes for that.

Read this for a charming love story that hits the spots well. Perhaps one day Kate Hardy will get her teeth into a full-length romance. I’ll be in the queue to buy it.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Dante Romano may be dark and delectable, but Carenza Tonielli will never sell him her family’s ice cream empire. Only she needs him—to help her learn how to run it! And when Dante looks at her as if she’s the next decadent sundae on the menu, even wary Carenza just can’t resist mixing business with a bowlful of pleasure.…Cue one red-hot fling that’s blowing her mind! But, unlike Carenza, her ice-cool Italian is adept at keeping his emotions well under wraps, so she decides to turn the tables on Dante and prove that sometimes living in the moment is sinfully good for you!

Read an excerpt.

Dinca’s review of Taming the Texas Playboy by Crystal Green
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Special Edition 15 Feb 11

I am not sure what the title of this book has to do with the story. I find no evidence in the hero’s character to warrant his supposed bad reputation

Ally Gale has her life in order and it does not include a commitment-shy playboy with seduction on his mind. She has lived through enough scandal to last a life time. Now she looks forward to a quiet life with a child of her own.

Jeremiah Barron is stunned to discover he wants the one thing he cannot have – Allison Gale. He follows her to California and insinuates himself in her life. He is shocked when he realizes she is keeping a low profile because she’s trying to adopt a child. Her mind is made up and he is confounded to find he’s not turned off by her decision.

I do feel the author is working too hard with her thesaurus, coming up with new words and changing them from nouns to verbs and not making the sentences read well. It really takes away from the story line when you get distracted by the unrelenting creativity by the author’s attempt at demonstrating her vocabulary.

I find Crystal Green’s descriptions also weak and unrealistic. As an example:

“She ran her free hand over the back of his neck, around the front, where she rested her fingertips over his jaw line.”

I even had to stop reading to try it out on my husband. He asked me if I was trying to put him in a headlock. We were entertained a bit over that one.

The storyline’s an unusual one, although lacking and unrealistic. There is not enough interaction in the brief encounters between the hero and heroine to warrant such emotion on the short, infrequent times they are together. I would have enjoyed the story if it was a little longer with more interaction between the main characters.

Grade: C

Summary:

It was meant to be a game of seduction—a distraction from his epic family scandal. And devilish tycoon Jeremiah Barron was the ultimate player: cool, calculating and in control both in business and the bedroom. When sexy, reserved socialite Allison Gale breezed into his life with an exclusive property to sell, he was determined to acquire a lot more than her real estate.  But what he didn’t expect was for one soul-touching kiss to knock his world completely off its axis!

Single mom Ally knew a commitment-shy playboy when she saw one. But beneath his Stetson beat the heart of a compassionate cowboy. A man worth loving—if she was willing to take the ultimate risk….

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Hot Zone (Elite Force, Book 2) by Catherine Mann
Contemporary Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Dec 11

With only two of her books read so far, Catherine Mann has now become a favorite author for me. Hot Zone is action packed, full of steamy and sizzling loving, heart-breaking and life-affirming emotion, and a mystery with some twists and turns you don’t expect. Hugh Franco is my perfect hero, the kind of man I enjoy reading about, one to fall in love with before I’m too many pages into the story.

An earthquake in the Bahamas has trapped Amelia Bailey under the rubble of the hotel she and her brother and sister-in-law are staying in. They’d gone to grab lunch for all of them while Amelia stayed with newly adopted Joshua, her nephew. He’s trapped right alongside her, but the boy is a strong little tyke. He’s hanging in there with her, she can feel him breathe and move now and again. But help has to come soon or neither of them may survive the hell they’ve been tossed into.

Hoarse after hours – or is it days? – of yelling for rescuers, Amelia’s relief is palpable when Master Sergeant Hugh Franco, a pararescueman, tunnels his way into the rubble to assess any damage and get her out of danger. He’s a lifeline she hangs onto with everything in her. Admiring Amelia’s spirit and toughness, the control with which she harnesses her fear, Hugh is taken with the spunky woman, a first for him in the five years since tragedy struck his happiness in the blink of an eye. His past weighs heavily on him, turning him into a man who runs headlong into the most dangerous missions his team is assigned, all with the hope that someday he’ll be with his family again.

The initial scenes of this book are riveting. It’s just Hugh and Amelia, covered in dirt and grime, talking, laughing where possible, and holding tight when aftershocks strike, waiting endless hours for the light of day. You’d think with such restrictions on a lengthy scene it would become boring, but Catherine Mann knows her stuff and keeps you glued to the pages, hoping, just as those characters are, that all turns out okay. You learn so much about each of them as they talk and cling to one another.

You also hope once Amelia is freed and Hugh escorts her and Joshua above ground that life will calm down and let them acclimate to a new look their lives. Not so. Just when you and they are complacent, the action bolts into high gear once again, this time Amelia and Joshua are kidnapped from their makeshift hospital. Right after she and Hugh enjoyed some adrenaline-based sex. In a broom closet. In the hospital. And they’re not prepared for the connection that’s further cemented between them.

After a crazy ride through the forest with their kidnappers, Hugh takes matters into his own hands, knowing only Joshua would survive if he allowed them to reach their destination where the Guardian, a self-proclaimed savior of orphans after such natural disasters, is waiting for them. Escaping isn’t easy, but Hugh and Amelia make their way toward civilization, hoping to find her brother and his wife alive. Before they make it that far, however, they exchange one danger for another, realizing too late they’re smack-dab in the middle of a viper’s nest. Hugh once again relies on his elite training to find a way out, but can one man alone pull off a needed miracle?

This book never slows down. Even those love scenes are raw and intense and full of fire. It’s only later that Hugh and Amelia take their time to learn one another inside out, taking their time to make love, despite danger still lurking about. I just adore Hugh. He’s strong while tender and generous at the same time. Though he’s afraid to love again, he makes peace with his past to do just that. Amelia is also a strong character. As much as she’d like to panic at everything thrown at her time after time, she keeps her fear and stress under control and does what’s needed to keep Joshua safe.

We also meet Liam and Rachel, who are featured in the next book, Under Fire, and I’m already anxious to read their story to see what’s in store for them, given the fact they’ve also met under stressful circumstances, just like Hugh and Amelia. I don’t know how many books are planned in this series, but I hope there’s a few more to come. I will never tire of these pararescuemen.

Heroes from any branch of the military have always been a favorite of mine to read, and I’m glad I’ve finally read Catherine Mann. Edge-of-your-seat page turning with stories that enthrall you until the last word is read is perfectly done. Heroes who steal your heart with a look and a touch and heroines who are independent and intelligent make picking up these books worthwhile.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Days full of danger…
For Pararescueman Master Sergeant Hugh Franco, it’s all about saving other people’s lives. Then he moves on. But when he pulls beautiful Amelia Bailey and her adopted nephew from the rubble of a catastrophic earthquake, he finds himself entangled in their lives in ways he could never have imagined…

And desire-filled nights…
Amelia’s trip to the Bahamas to help with an international adoption has been no vacation, but the hardest part is yet to come. As Amelia and Hugh are pulled unawares into a deadly smuggling scheme, simmering beneath their growing need to protect each other is a compelling attraction they’re both determined to deny…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: