Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Sexile (Teresa Knight, Book 3) by Lisa Lawrence
Erotic thriller released by Delta 27 Jan 09

I fell in love with erotica for one reason, and no, it’s not that. I fell in love with erotica because of the heroines. Good erotica heroines are everything that women are told they “can’t” be. Smart, sexy, confident, in charge and in control. These aren’t women who idly sit by and wait for a man to rescue them, marry them, and knock them up with triplets by the time the epilogue rolls around. These are women determined to chart their own course through destiny, and damn if they aren’t going to have a little fun along the way. Which is ultimately why I adore Lisa Lawrence’s Teresa Knight books. It’s all about the heroine.

Teresa Knight is a nice African British girl who has led an extraordinary life. She’s a bit of a nomad who loves travel, is best friend’s with a high-class madam who deals in male escorts, and takes on the occasional private detective job to help out a friend. However Teresa isn’t quite herself these days. She’s still reeling from the fall-out from her last adventure (Book 2 in the series, Beg Me) and she’s treading water in a relationship that is doomed to failure. Teresa is bisexual and is currently dating a lesbian who resents that Teresa claims to be bi. You’re either one or the other, not both. The girl is also prone to dramatics, which Teresa is quickly becoming disenchanted with. So when MI6 comes calling, Teresa takes them up on their offer even though the whole mess sounds really fishy.

They want Teresa to infiltrate Silky Pictures, whose owner they suspect is dabbling in sex slaves on the side. Since Silky has ties to Brazil, and many of these girls are plucked out of Brazilian slums, it seems logical. Only once Teresa starts working at Silky, she’s not so sure MI6 has the right guy. She’s just about got the whole mess unraveled when a dead body turns up and she’s the prime suspect. This is not good. MI6 hangs her out to dry, her flat is on the evening news, and the case gets a whole lot more complicated. So our girl goes into exile to find some answers.

Enjoyment of this series hinges on a couple of factors. One, the reader has to realize that erotic does not equal romance; the Teresa Knight books are billed as “erotic thrillers” and that’s a very apt description. Also, the reader has to be willing to let go and ride out the fantasy. There is some realism in these books, but essentially what we have here is a female James Bond. Teresa knows how to throw a punch, escapes a lot of tight situations, has charm and attitude to spare, and has more sexual escapades than a group of sailors at a brothel. As Teresa’s madam-friend Helena might say, “It’s fantasy darling. Don’t think. Just sit back and enjoy the ride!”

Besides Teresa, who rocks my world, the other enjoyable part of this series is that the author infuses timely issues into her suspense threads. Whether it’s western civilization meddling in Africa, greedy oil conglomerates, or the war on terror, there’s enough plausibility here to really make a reader think about global politics and our own country’s foreign policies. That said, it also makes things more than a little convoluted, and it takes time to really wrap your mind around it all. Even after just finishing the book, I know I’ll be pondering the intricacies of the suspense plot for a few days after the fact.

With Sexile being Book three, it’s starting to show it’s series roots. Most notably in the fact that Lawrence seems to have settled on her personal fictional bogeyman, who has now turned up in all three installments. Sexile does stand alone, but certainly readers who have traveled with Teresa over the entire series are going to get a fuller picture.

An intricately woven suspense thread, naughty sexual shenanigans, and a heroine who is quickly developing into a feminist icon are what make Lawrence’s books so compulsively readable. They won’t work for everybody, but for readers who can sort through the layers, and are hungry for a heroine who takes charge and refuses to sit on the sidelines, Teresa earns the highest marks.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Somebody’s shadowing Teresa Knight, watching the part-time investigator’s every move. And she’s about to find out why: tapped for an undercover assignment that takes her into the steamy world of erotic films, Teresa lands a job at Silky Pictures—and within weeks she’s directing the action, conjuring her own wildest fantasies onto film. But her employer is dabbling in something far beyond hard-core porn. And when the case culminates in murder, Teresa is at the center of the storm.

Framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Teresa’s on the run from Paris to Rio…and soon she’s playing hardball with the boys from Brazil while tangling with crime lords, terrorists, and one sexually adventurous clandestine agent. As she moves closer to the truth—and deeper into the erotic throes of her own unbridled sensuality—she’s following a trail that leads to the highest reaches of international government. Unable to trust anyone, caught in a tangled web of obsession and eroticism, suddenly she’s both hunter and prey in a deadly conspiracy that’s taking sex and power to a whole new level.…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LauraD’s review of Seduced by the Storm (ACRO Book 3) by Sydney Croft
Paranormal romance from Delta 28 Jul 08

I’ve read and enjoyed the first two books in Sydney Croft’s ACRO series, so I was quite eager to get my paws on the third installment. While paranormals are usually hit or miss with me, her slightly alternate version of our world, in which there are men and women trained to make use of their extrasensory abilities in extreme areas such as controlling storms, or mind control, is really interesting. Plus, there is usually lots of action and smokin’ hot sex.

Well, I’m not giving anything away by telling you that there is plenty of both in this book. Actually, sex is the hero’s special ability. Hero Wyatt Kennedy works for the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO), and he’s also telekinetic. ACRO has sent him to pursue a machine that they believe can control the weather. Along the way, he encounters Faith Black, to whom he is instantly attracted – not knowing that Faith is also an agent for a different group. Faith is after the weather machine as well; her sister has been kidnapped and the machine is going to be the ransom. They each find themselves playing an undercover role on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, with Faith’s evil ex in possession of the weather machine.

Wyatt is tormented by his past, and boy does he have a past. I’ve got to wonder what kind of bad day the author was having to give a guy this much baggage to haul around. But he does get to have a sex mojo, and that’s gotta be fun. Yes, that is what it’s called in the book. “Sex mojo.” He can attract anyone, give them the best lovin’ they’ve ever had, but they won’t remember him the next day. Which means he is always alone.

Faith is the exception.  After an initial and blistering one-night-stand, she remembers Wyatt and can’t help but fall for him. Faith is dragging around her own suitcase of problems, but is much more in control of her special abilities than Wyatt is. She’s a very strong heroine, but full of secrets, including her sister’s kidnapping.

Seduced by the Storm tries to both tell Faith and Wyatt’s story, and tie up several other ACRO storylines. There is a lot going on in this book, and I found myself going back and re-reading sections to make sure I understood what was exactly was happening at ACRO’s headquarters, or with any of the several couples in play. Different kinds of special abilities, at least two running storylines other than the main one, and appearances by almost every previous character, fill Seduced by the Storm further than I enjoyed.

Wyatt and Faith are a very sexy couple, and the first night they spend together is a page scorcher. Once they realized that they were both agents, working in competition, their relationship turns into a game of emotional and sexual tug-of-war. Wyatt is trying hard to do his job, and Faith is determined to save her sister. Without spoilers it’s hard to give reasons, but I found the HEA a bit unbelievable.

If you’ve been reading the ACRO series, you’ll certainly want this one. Wyatt and Faith may be the main storyline, but you will finally get resolution for Devlin and Oz. Annika and Creed return, and readers may or may not be pleased with where this book leaves them. Of course, there can’t be bad weather without Remy. However, if you haven’t read a Sydney Croft, I’d suggest starting with a different title.

Grade: C+

Blurb: 

They met in a steamy Florida bar-then spent a night of mind-bending passion. Two secret agents who each possess unique telekinetic gifts-and whose combined sexual powers leave neither of them unscathed. For ex-Navy SEAL Wyatt Kennedy, assigned by the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives to the most treacherous mission of his career, the woman in black leather and lace has just become more than a one-night stand. Because Faith Black is the sole barrier to the success of his mission-and not even Wyatt’s legendary seduction skills can penetrate her deep cover.

Faith’s psychic gifts make her one of the world’s most dangerous women-but she hides a secret pain she shares with no one. Until Wyatt. And Faith has an agenda of her own: using her unique powers to save someone close to her-a move that pits her against a man she thought she’d never see again. For as a deadly hurricane is unleashed across the eastern seaboard, desire reignites between Faith and Wyatt, exposing secrets that thrust them both into harm’s way. With the hurricane sweeping closer-and their erotic hunger for each other growing-these two wary hearts must come together to heal, to trust . . . and to harness the power of a storm that could consume everything in its path.

Read an excerpt (scroll down).

Finn’s review of Rites of Spring (Break) by Diana Peterfreund
Contemporary Fiction released by Delta 24 Jun 08

Secret societies on college campus’s have always fascinated me. So when I picked up Rites of Spring (Break) I couldn’t wait for all the secrets it would reveal about those ultra exclusive clubs. I was mildly disappointed.

Rites of Spring (Break) is the third of The Ivy League Novels by Peterfreund. Unfortunately I did not get to read the first two and I was a little lost throughout the story. I am one of those people that like to read books in order. Besides being a little lost it was an intriguing story.

Amy “Bugaboo” Haskel is having a bad winter at Eli University. A rival secret society has launched a personal attack on her, not the whole of the Rose and Grave society but just her. She has had drinks spilled on her, crickets but in her couch, a virus set to her computer, all sorts of pesky things. Come to find out it’s all because her ex-boyfriend’s new girl (a member of the rival society) is pissed off because he can’t seem to stop thinking about Amy. Talk about using all weapons at your disposal to attack some one that annoys you!

Well Amy gets away during Spring Break to Cavador Key, the private island of the Rose and Grave society. Unfortunately the harassment doesn’t stop when she and her friends reach the island. What follows is a growing love between her and another society member, which the society, tongue in cheek, calls incest and random attacks on D177 (this years ruling body of Rose and Grave).

Grade: B

From “witty and endearing” to “impossible to put down,” the critics have given elite marks to Diana Peterfreund’s Secret Society Girl and Under the Rose. Now, in a wildly captivating new novel, Amy “Bugaboo” Haskel and her fellow Rose & Grave knights are trading cold, gray, hyperintellectual New Haven for an annual rite of spring (well, early March) in Florida.

For Amy, a week of R&R on her secret society’s private island should be all fun in the sun—and an escape from an on-campus feud with a rival society that’s turned disturbingly personal. But along with her SPF 30 and a bikini, Amy is bringing a suitcase full of issues to remote Cavador Key. Graduation from Eli University looms, not to mention buckets of unfinished business with a former flame and—most pressing of all—the sudden, startling transformation of a mysterious Rose & Grave patriarch from sheerly evil to utterly…appealing?

Just when Amy thinks Spring Break can’t get any less relaxing, a wacky “accident” puts everyone on edge. And that’s only the beginning, as Amy starts to suspect that someone has infiltrated the island. With some major Rose & Grave secrets to be exposed, and the potential fallout enough to take down one of America’s most loathsome figureheads, what she can’t know is that the party crasher is deadly serious about making sure “Bugaboo” doesn’t get back to Eli alive….

Limecello’s review of Unleashing the Storm (ACRO, Book 2) by Sydney Croft
Paranormal romance released by Delta 26 Feb 08

This is the second book in the ACRO series (Agency for Covert Rare Operatives). For some reason I thought it was about two different characters, but I enjoyed it all the same. The characters are unique and creative, and I’m enjoying the books by Sydney Croft.

This book didn’t deal so much with physical storms, as internal ones. As a result, Tom Knight, better known as “Ender,” and Kira Donovan have an interesting time. Kira is a powerful animal psychic, and once a year, she goes into heat. To add yet another layer unto such an inconvenience, if she doesn’t have sex, she’ll die. Tom, is just a jerk.

Tom is sent to find Kira, and convince her to join ARCO. His orders are to recruit her within 48 hours, or kill her. It sounds harsh, but if she doesn’t join the good guys, the threat she provides is too high. The problem is, Kira doesn’t know about Tom’s orders, or how dangerous she really is. I’m mentioning this aspect of the story, because it was a source of frustration for me. It’s used near the end for a dramatic confrontation, but the scene lost some of it’s punch for me because I spent the majority of the book being annoyed by it.

I absolutely loved the second half of the book, and all the secondary characters and their stories. The book is very well written, engaging, and emotional. That being said, let me explain my issues with the first part. Tom and Kira have sex. A lot of sex – but there’s no emotional connection. Not only do they not trust each other, but it seems that they might actively dislike each other. Personally, that was not fun to read. Angry sex is all well and good, but generally that involves two people who have a preexisting emotional connection – they’re just upset at the moment. Kira and Tom, are purely physical.

Once the relationship begins to develop, however, the characters and their personalities emerge as well. The conflict and trials they go through are enthralling, and constantly serve to draw the two of them together. I enjoyed watching how Tom and Kira slowly fell in love. It was also fun once the two of them came into contact with other people, and Ender became possessive. I was amused. It seems confusing, because while with Kira, Tom is Tom, but with others, and back at ARCO, he’s all Ender. Really – read it to find out.

I liked Tom a lot more than Kira. Interesting because, Tom really is cold. Kira, however, annoyed me. She definitely wasn’t a wilting heroine, but she was stubborn, and so set on being independent that she put herself, and others in harm’s way. Personally, I view that as being TSTL as well – just in the opposite direction we’re used to. I can understand why she felt and acted the way to a certain degree – but the result was that it took me a lot longer to get into the book.

I think it’s important to remember this book is the second in a series. I enjoyed reading it, but think I would have enjoyed it less, and gotten rather lost if I hadn’t read the first. The secondary characters and their stories (there are about six of them that are important) have great stories – but they’re really introduced in book one. I liked how well developed the characters were – not just emotionally, but how they had an entire history. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book. And I want Annika and Creed’s story!

Grade: B-

Feel the heat. Hear the roar. The fever has begun.

There’s a storm rising. Electricity crackles in the air. For Kira Donovan, it’s that time of year again: when the need floods her flesh, when almost any man-the bigger and the stronger the better-will do. For Kira, an animal psychic, the heat is a matter of life and death, and this year it has come at just the right time. Tom Knight, a natural born predator, has arrived at her isolated Idaho farm-for reasons all his own…

At first Kira isn’t interested in Knight’s motives. She only needs him-his body, his hands, his scent. But soon, through a daze of desire and distrust, Kira discovers Knight’s world-the world of a covert operative, one man among dozens of secret agents waging an astonishing global war. Knight’s mission is to bring Kira–kicking and screaming if necessary–into the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives and harness her extraordinary gift. He never expected the powerful emotions she would ignite in him, or the fierce desire to keep her safe from harm. For as darkness gathers around them, Kira is feeling the heat once again, leading them both on a wild ride of delicious thrills…and terror beyond imagining.

Read an excerpt here.

To read all the posts and reviews about this book and others in the series, click on the ACRO Series tag below.

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

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

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

One such gift is the ability to control the weather.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: C+

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

Book summary:

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

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

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

     Read an excerpt.

Finn’s review of Exotica by Eden Bradley
Contemporary erotic romance 26 Dec 07 Delta

Exotica is a sexual fantasy resort in California where you can choose your fantasy. This single-author book contains two stories: “Seven Days of Kama Sutra” and “Nine Days of Arabian Nights.”  

In “Seven Days” Caroline is trying to gain some confidence back after a horrible marriage. In steps, Rajan, her Kama Sutra companion/lover/trainer and talk about some training. Yum! In “Nine Days,” Lilli, the manager of Exotica is trying to get past a tragedy that has left her ‘The Ice Queen.”  What perfect timing to enjoy a fantasy of her own with the opening of a new venue and a new companion, Kian.

Okay, if you decide to read this book, don’t read it looking for a lot of story. The story is there in both fantasy escapes, but the SEX and FANTASY is what really makes this book very satisfying. The love story between Rajan and Caroline is very sweet. Caroline has to get over her insecurity and Rajan has to get over his pride. Lilli and Kian have a whole set of secrets, on both sides, that they have to work out before they can love one another.

I don’t want to go into to much detail because these are short stories and I think it would give away too much. But if you like fantasies, then this book is a must.

Grade: B

Summary:

     Welcome to Exotica…  a lush, sensual retreat where women can experience their most taboo fantasies.  Step inside—and leave your inhibitions at the door…

     When her old friend Caroline invites her to Exotica for a week of pampering and pleasure, Lilli DeForrest has no idea what to expect. But when Rajan steps into her suite, the attraction is intense, immediate, overwhelming. He is her ideal lover—by turns tender, commanding, erotic. But, as Lilli is about to discover, Rajan’s masterful touch is just the beginning…

     As manager of the luxurious retreat, Caroline Winter creates thrilling escapist fantasies for other women. Now she’s about to live out a fantasy of her own: dark, exotic Kian will challenge her to accept the exquisite pleasures he offers. But what Caroline doesn’t expect is the power of Kian’s sensuality…surrendering to him means abandoning herself completely—and giving up all control.

     For Lilli, it’s the chance to test the limits of her sexuality. For Caroline, it’s trusting Kian with her most hidden desires even as she’s uncovering his own guarded secret. And for both women, it’s a journey into the hidden depths of fantasy—as they discover just how far they’ll go in search of seduction, surrender, and pleasure beyond imagining…

     Read an excerpt.

Finn’s review of Beg Me (Teresa Knight, Book 2) by Lisa Lawrence
Erotica released 29 May 07 by Delta

Beg Me is the second book of the adventures of Teresa Knight, a female private detective with a thing for kink. This book takes you from Bangkok, to New York, to Africa, and back to New York after Teresa is hired by Ah Jo Lee to investigate the murder of his sister, Anna. A sister who was in a BDSM cult in Manhattan that Teresa must infiltrate to find the murderer.

It would take some pretty heavy begging to get me to read this book again. Ugh! The first half of the book book is chaotic. It jumps from location to location, with so many place names and history lessons, it’s confusing.  The actual investigation into Anna’s murder doesn’t start until half way through the book, after I already wanted to stop reading it!

When Teresa final gets into the cult, the story takes off and reads well. The ending wraps everything up nicely – we learn who Anna’s killers are and Teresa stops a mass killing.

Overall, I say don’t bother with this unless you want to read the kink in the second half of the book.

Grade: D

Summary:

     It’s the ultimate erotic experience: a handpicked group where every man’s craving can be satisfied. But for Teresa Knight, it’s also a place where sensual adventures can spiral dangerously out of control. Hired to probe a suspicious death, the part-time investigator enters the sizzling New York fetish scene—a seductive, uncertain world that will test the limits of her own sexuality with every potential lover she meets. For gaining entry into this elite BDSM cult means that Teresa must let down her defenses—in more ways than one.

Her search for answers brings her into contact with an enigmatic businessman who takes her to the brink of her own untapped desires even as he enlists her help in solving a crime that dates back forty years and crosses continents. From exotic Bangkok to gleaming Manhattan, Teresa finds herself locked in a sensual power struggle with a shadowy man who has a deadly agenda. What she uncovers is a shocking conspiracy of murder that will imperil her life while giving a whole new meaning to going all the way.

Read an excerpt.

Sybil’s review of Immortal by Traci L. Slatton
Historical fiction released 29 Jan 08 by Delta

I honestly have NO clue what not only had me open this book but read it in just about one sitting. Although it might have had something to do with having just read The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum and needing something completely different to get me to stop thinking about it. Or it could be that it came in the same day, I am lazy, and it was close at hand.

Like that shocks anyone… with that here is our next ROB Review brought to you by the letter S and the number 2.

I should have known from the use of the word “religious” on the back this was not the book for Sybil. If that didn’t tip me off, the first page, hell the first line, “My name is Luca and I am dying” should have worked. The thing is, as depressing as the book is (and OMG I thought it was depressing), I don’t think that was the point the author was trying for and it is a very well written book.

This is FICTION. If fiction is not your bag, baby, just move along now. Still here? OK if “harm to children” is at all a book-killer for you, just move along now. Still here? If you must have a HEA… oh, uh, well hell. See? This is the thing. I honestly ‘think’ the author meant the book to end on a good note. This is where I point up to that line up there that says, “I should have known from the use of the word “religious” on the back this was not the book for Sybil.”

Immortal seems to have a feeling of “on earth to suffer but oh goody we get to par-tay in the next life.” This is so not a spoiler when it shows up in the first line. If you do enjoy historical fiction, which I do, you might enjoy this novel. If you do love to read about 14th-century Florence, which I do (I know, I seriously need to make note of when the whole Inquisition thing happens), Immortal could really be a great read for you. And, hey, if you have no want to step outside of romance, go check out the site anyway, you know you are curious now .

So why did I read this? Why am I telling you about it? Honestly for a fiction novel, for historical fiction, this is a fascinating book, and I could have enjoyed it on that level. The thing that kills it for me is the ‘romance’ and, people, this. is. NOT. a romance. novel. It is not mislabeled. So, even though I really, really, really did not like that aspect of the novel – AT ALL – I don’t think I can give the book lower than a C.

It isn’t like the book FORCED me to read it. So I will leave you with the summary. If you would like more info or spoilerishness feel free to ask away in the comments. And if you have read Immortal, I would LOVE to hear what you think of it.

Grade C

Summary:

     In an age of wonderous beauty and terrible secrets, one man searches for his destiny…

     In the majestic heart of Florence, a beautiful golden-haired boy is abandoned and subjected to cruelty beyond words. But Luca Bastardo is anything but an ordinary boy. Across two centuries of passion and intrigue, Luca will discover an astonishing gift—one that will lead him to embrace the ancient mysteries of alchemy and healing and to become a trusted confidant to the powerful Medicis…even as he faces persecution from a sadistic cabal determined to wrest his secrets for themselves.

     But as the Black Death and the Inquisition wreak havoc on his beloved city, Luca’s survival lies in the quest to solve two riddles. One is the enigma of his parents and his ageless beauty. The other is a choice between immortality and the only chance to find his one true love. As Luca journeys through the heights of the Renaissance, befriends Giotto and Leonardo Da Vinci—140 years apart—and pursues the most closely guarded secrets of religious faith and science for the answers to his own burning questions, his remarkable search will not only change him…but will change the course of history.

     Read an excerpt.

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: C-

Blurb:

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

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

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

     Read an excerpt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: A-

Blurb:

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

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

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

     Read an excerpt.