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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: C-

Summary:

When racing for the checkered flag…

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

…expect a few speed bumps.

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

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Limecello’s review of Hot Finish by Erin McCarthy
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 3 Aug 10

I love Erin McCarthy. Erin McCarthy is awesome. I don’t like NASCAR – and yet I love this series. It’s not something I can think about too much. I suppose it helps that the books don’t focus too much on the heroes being drivers, but at the same time it does. There are basic aspects of life that affect how they act, their schedules, and so on. It’s not a gimmick, but it doesn’t take over the story as well. In fact, Ms. McCarthy incorporates what the heroes do better than many general romances. (Can you tell I’m hesitating calling them athletes? But I know that’s what they are and that it’s incredibly difficult. It’s just… NASCAR.) Anyway, there were certain lines, paragraphs, and so on that made me stop reading and just bask in the loveliness. I wanted to just roll around in the wonderful words and sentiments.

Suzanne is a fantastic character. She’s smart, fun, loving, but has this crazy hard shell around her. She’s also someone who doesn’t process with others, and internalizes. I can, yet can’t identify with her, and I like that. Suz is extremely pragmatic, and takes everything in stride except for her personal life, where she wants and expects more. Lucky for her, she’s the heroine in a romance novel, and she gets it. Suz is also very likable and has quite a temper. I appreciated that, and found it gave her many more layers. She also brazened out any number of situations, yet dealt with some very trying people with kindness.

Ryder is adorable. I want to say he’s an idiot, and he is, but he isn’t. It’s simply inconceivable to him that Suzanne wouldn’t know how much he loves and adores her. He saw Suz and fell for her from day one. His friends see it, and he just makes the assumption that she knows. After all, they were married for four years. The sticking point is that Ryder doesn’t exactly tell her. That, and the circumstances of their marriage could be considered suspect. To Ryder, that doesn’t matter. He’s caring, sweet, sullen, hot, and … well just a guy. Ryder for sure isn’t perfect, and definitely lived his own life while he was [divorced] – but that also helps make him that much more realistic.

Suz and Ryder have major communication problems. Normally this really annoys me when characters could resolve their issues and conflict much earlier in a book. In fact, that’s one of my pet peeves. However, it makes sense here, and works. (So basically I’m opposed to baseless extended conflict.) In Hot Finish it actually wouldn’t have made sense or been believable for Suz and Ryder to talk out their problems. Fancy that. I was fine with Suz and Ryder dancing around their issues and being unwilling to bring up the sticky difficult topics.

And you know, they both thought they had been divorced for two years as well.

This book was sexy, fun, amusing, and the characters had definite personality. After the first few chapters I felt I’d have known who was talking/what characters were in each scene even if names hadn’t been mentioned. (Although I’m definitely not suggesting that is what should happen in the future.) I’m having trouble writing this review because I just want to be mushy and frivolous. Really it’s a fantastic summer read. Who am I kidding. Spring, winter, fall, all great times to read this book. Then read it again.

And… lest you think my brain has gone mushy from all this squishy happiness… I have to say while I might not have it entirely down… (if I’m right) I hate the premise/concept of the next book. The heroine I think is a gossip blogger. And… blech. Blargh. Meh. Ugh. Not to say I won’t read it. I will. Very likely I’ll even love the story (I hope to) but… blech.

I’m going to be eagerly awaiting Evan’s book. He’s the eternal bachelor, so he’s going to fall hard. But we’re talking about Suz and Ryder. And their romance. And it was fantastic. It might just be my favorite of this series. Go out and buy it. Really. Get your hands on a copy. Now.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Not all marriages last forever!

Suzanne Jefferson is broke, which is why she’s given up charity work for wedding planning. Fortunately, she has a high-profile client,and best of all, he’s paid in advance. There are just two teensy problems: The bride is a bona fide bridezilla, and Suzanne’s ex-husband is the best man. At least she thought he was her ex-husband!

But this one might…

Two years after their marriage fell apart, stock car race driver Ryder Jefferson still can’t stop thinking about Suzanne. Which is why he isn’t too upset that, due to a glitch, the two are still technically married. Now he’s imagining easing Suzanne’s woes by satisfying her needs in the bedroom. After all, that’s the one room they never argued in. Besides, with wedding bells ringing all around them, Ryder is wondering if,even though they’d quit the race a few laps too early,they can still come on strong with a big, romantic finish!

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of Out of the Light, Into the Shadows by Lori Foster Erin McCarthy L.L. Foster
Contemporary and paranormal romance anthology published by Berkley on 4 Aug 2009

I got this book based entirely on the authors, because I have enjoyed both Lori Foster and Erin McCarthy’s books in the past. That’s the plus when you’ve built a reputation as a great author. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Out of the Light, In to the Shadows as much as I would have expected, and in the end am glad that I got it from the library.

Have Mercy by Lori Foster


I thought this might be a return to Ms. Foster’s earlier contemporary romances that I enjoyed so very much, but there’s something … just a little off about it. I could be wrong, but it seems that Ms. Foster’s most recent few novellas start off with the hero and heroine already knowing each other, and the novella dealing with only one aspect of the relationship. I think that didn’t help convince me of the romance and relationship between the characters.

i didn’t feel much of a rapport with the heroine Mercedes Jardine, or the hero Wyatt Reyes. I suppose I wasn’t entirely convinced of the connection between Mercedes and Wyatt, and the story depended on that. I’m afraid I don’t really see the sense of how Mercedes acted either, and that the major role her brother played was due mostly to the fact that Ms. Foster wanted to set up his character for his own novella.

The sexual chemistry between Mercy and Wyatt was well written, but I didn’t put much credence behind the reason why Wyatt protested a binding relationship. I understand his concerns, but simply was unconvinced by the way it was presented.  I think the story would’ve been much better if it had been longer. It seems that the length restriction affected the quality of the story.

Grade: D+

Wyatt Reyes is hiding some very dark secrets from his past by making some very grand business plans for his future. Long ago he ruled out the prospect of marriage. But when Mercedes Jardine professes her love, rules become harder to follow.

With her circumstances drastically changed, Mercedes is determined to have it all, and that includes Wyatt’s hand in marriage. Trusting in love alone isn’t easy when she has more than herself to think about.

Mercy needs a solid plan for her future. No matter what it takes, she has to convince Wyatt that a future together will be worth breaking his rules.

Read an excerpt here.

Deal or No Deal by Erin McCarthy


I felt like I was missing something while reading Deal or No Deal. I think it’s because I found that fact that Katie gives up one hundred years of hate and angst so easily not entirely believable. Yes, she does take some time to herself… but the quick turnaround was a bit too pat in my opinion.

I did, however, like Katie’s personality, as well as Michael’s. He’s the perfect example of a loving, devoted, tragic hero. He’s been constant in his affections for a century, and is so adorably confused and crushed when Katie is so harsh initially.

The conflict involving the necklace was a bit too convenient, and I didn’t find it that believable. As Katie had been a vampire for over a hundred years, she should have known something was wrong, or strange about the necklace. Also the manner in which she got Rasputin['s] seemed way too easy as well.

Nevertheless, I’m glad that Katie and Michael got together, and they had a cute little story.

Grade: C-

Read an excerpt here.

Total Control by L.L. Foster


In a way I feel like the blurb (which I only found on the website) gives more insight and background than the story itself. There were also too many holes with the “high-level government officials” part, but I suppose that’s not a primary factor. My issue was that there was juxtaposition within the story – the fact that so little is said about Brax, and what kind of person he is, but it’s the entire purpose of the story.

I definitely didn’t think the Jardine’s special talents and skills were explained enough – it wasn’t believable, even for a paranormal or Urban Fantasy story. Nevertheless, the fact that Brax and Cameo’s (what a name!) romance had been initiated in Mercy’s story I think did help. The fact that they’ve been working together for five years also contributes in laying the believable ground work.

I did think that Cameo made quite a transformation – possibly a bit too much, from perfect composed practically robotic assistant, to… well, what she becomes. However, I supposed the events that occur would change anyone. I wasn’t that surprised by the plot twist, but it was clever. I did think that Brax and Cameo had the most believable relationship, and perhaps the best chemistry.

Grade: C

(Urban Fantasy novella by L.L. Foster)
For centuries, males in the Jardine family have been born with a gift: they can sense, capture and manipulate the emotions of others. Such a talent comes with grave responsibility, and the Jardine men, working with high-level government officials, have been given immunity to tame the more psychotic edges of society. Only a very special woman would be able to match such a powerful male. When Brax Jardine realizes that Cameo Smithson can somewhat withstand his influence on her emotions, he’s more than intrigued.

He’s in love.

Since meeting her, he’s wanted Cameo, but settling down into a monogamous relationship isn’t easy for the Jardine men. They “feed” off the ultimate, mind-numbing release of sexual activity, using it to counter the corrosive influence of darker animus. Without a woman to soften the edges, a Jardine male starts losing his sanity.

Only when the right woman is found can a Jardine male stop carousing and settle for true love.

Brax already knows that Cameo loves him, but will her love be enough for her to face his horrific battles with inhumanity, and the carnal demands he’ll put on her in the bedroom?

Read an excerpt here.

Undead Man’s Hand by Erin McCarthy


Undead Man’s Hand is twisted, end of story. I knew there was something strange about Peter, but I definitely wasn’t expecting that. I did enjoy the budding romance between Nick and Jordan, and felt that their personalities meshed perfectly, but the major conflict is resolved too easily. I suppose enough happens to Jordan that she is convinced that vampires are real, but it still seemed a bit too contrived. I also have read all of Ms. McCarthy’s vampire novels, but admit that I can’t keep the characters straight anymore. The fact that Nick is a bodyguard for the vice president of the vampire nation really meant nothing to me, and didn’t particularly tie the story to that world.

I liked that each dealt with conflict, and the fact that Nick and Jordan got to know each other. It was cute how well they fit, and how unsure they were of each other. The tragic figures in their families was also another convenient tie, that helped make the pairing more feasible.

I like that Jordan had a lot of sense, was practical, and strong willed. That, and the fact that Nick while extremely strong and capable, is a big softy around Jordan. And she sees that. While not the best, and I think there were some major holes, it was a cute story, and it does have a nice ending.

Grade: C-

I wouldn’t say that this book “blew chunks” as the TGTBTU/Pond grading scale so eloquently states… but I only recommend it with more than a little reservation. In a way, I wish I had the time I spent reading it back. I’m glad I read it because I know I would have been curious about the stories. (Which is indeed why I read it before other books I’ve heard are excellent.) Lori Foster used to be one of my favorite authors, as well as Erin McCarthy. While the novellas didn’t put me off Lori Foster forever, I do plan to proceed with caution considering her most recent books, and think I might be getting her future books from the library first, not the book store. Sad. Nevertheless, if you like both these authors as I do and did and are inquisitive as I am, I recommend you read this book to sate your curiosity.

Overall Grade: C- -

The dark and light sides of desire collide in four brand-new novellas by three of today’s hottest authors.

Embrace the darkness and experience the light in this all-new anthology filled with touching stories of happily ever after alongside smoldering tales of irresistibly dangerous, otherworldly passion. From bewitching emotions and untamed desire to dazzling romance and tantalizing sensuality, these novellas explore the complex facets of the human heart—both the light side and the dark.

No, that’s not a typo. I’m unique. And the rogue duckie – so instead of making my own “Best of 2008″ list… I’m going for the new year. These are the 10 books I’m most looking forward to in 2009. (You’ll notice some books don’t even have cover art yet.) 

N.B. I’d like to issue the caveat that… this is only based on books/lists that I could find. I’d also like to note that… just because I’m excited about it, doesn’t mean its a guarantee I’ll like it. (Color me picky.)

I also haven’t been reading romances that long, and it seems my tastes/author choices differ from a number of people. But that’s ok, because this is my list and I’m sticking to it.

In no particular order…

	1. What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary romance, Wm.Morrow, 27 Jan 09).  Case in point – I’m not 100% sure how I feel about Ms. Phillips’s last few novels. But I bought them – in hardcover. The premise for What I Did For Love sounds interesting, but hasn’t gripped me. (Then again – I wouldn’t have thought I’d *love* Nobody’s Baby But Mine, based on the plot summary.) So we shall see. But still. It’s Susan Elizabeth Phillips – and she’s one of my favorite authors.
	2. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas (Contemporary romance, St. Martin’s, 31 Mar 09). She’s one of my favorite authors – and… don’t kill me, but Seduce Me at Sunrise and Blue-Eyed Devil were good reads, but not AMAZING. I’m already more excited about Smooth Talking Stranger based on the blurbs. Ms. Kleypas is also one of the few authors that can make me enjoy first person point of view. (Cuz FPPV and I? We are not friends.) But the Travis’s! And… even though it’s a secret baby book, which makes me chuckle, I WANTS it.
	3. Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole (Contemporary paranormal romance, Pocket, nodate Jan 09). I discovered Ms. Cole relatively early in 2008, not too long before I started reviewing, and I think she has the one series I’ve reviewed in total (thus far). And, the hero, Rydstrom, has horns. Horns! I never thought I’d be into horns, but… Ms. Cole has won me over. I love her kick ass heroines who *actually* kick butt -and they’re super hot to boot. And the heroes. Yum. This is a great paranormal world. Fun, scary, violent, full of lore- but one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. My kind of books.
	4. Naked Edge by Pamela Clare (Contemporary romantic suspense, Berkley, 3 Nov 09). I heard about Ms. Clare, and first read Extreme Exposure, which is probably one of my favorite books. Extreme Exposure is extremely well written, great plot, and the hero is one of my favorite types. A good politician. More rare than… well something you’d think is outrageous but I’m sure is in a number of paranormals. Thus, Extreme Exposure (and the subsequent books by Ms. Clare I’ve read, have prompted me to put Naked Edge on my list). I have been waiting for this new I-Team book – and… I don’t know. The heroine Kat is Native American. I think that’s pretty nifty. (Major understatement.)
	5. Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh (Paranormal romance, Berkley, 7 Jul 09). I discovered Ms. Singh early on in ’08, and read all her Psy/Changeling books – in proper Psy/Changeling chronological order, even – serendipitously. Ms. Singh’s book world is intense, and amazing. It’s so well developed you believe it’s real. Scary. (But oh so cool!) Thus, this book edged out Angels’ Blood. (That and the blurb talks about lots of violence and I’m kinda squeamish about teh violences.) AND more importantly, when I read the excerpt for this book my reaction was pretty much “SQUEE SQUEE SQUEE!”
	6. True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson (Contemporary romance, Avon, 28 Apr 09). Yes, another one of my favorite authors. And a book back to/dealing with Hockey. I read See Jane Score  – and I was hooked. I was even willing to get into hockey. (SEP‘s Chicago Stars, along with college, were what got me into football. And if you click around in my posts, you’ll see I can be a football nut. Especially College.) Although… I will say I DO NOT like all the Flash stuff on Ms. Gibson’s web page. Yay for her designer and all – but it takes forever and I can’t get to the information I want. Does not like! The book, however… *happy sigh*
	7. Deeper by Megan Hart (Contemporary erotic romance, Spice, nodate Jul 09). I love the title. I love the cover. I really like Megan Hart’s writing. There’s something about it. Like crack. It also often depresses the hell out of me – which I hate – but I love her books. They’re so raw, yet well written. And this book blurb. *shivers* I’m going to smack myself if the ending isn’t relatively happy. (I know not to expect bubblegum yay.)
	8. What Happens in London by Julia Quinn (Historical romance, Avon, 30 Jun 09). Yet another author that goes on my “best of” lists – and… while others didn’t like it as much, I adored The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, and I hope to like the sequel just as much. (Especially if, you know, it is its own book.) So joy for another book more like The Secret Diaries!
	9. Written On Your Skin by Meredith Duran (Historical romance, Pocket, 28 Jul 09). This one looks more interesting than Bound by Your Touch – although I’m a little skeptical about some of the settings. Though I expect if anyone can win me over to parts written in Hong Kong, it is Ms. Duran. I hope not to be disappointed. This book also makes the list because had I done an ’08 list, Ms. Duran would have made it with her debut novel Duke of Shadows.
	10. Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy (Contemporary romance, Berkley Trade, 5 May 09). First, it’s Ms. McCarthy. Second, it’s Ms. McCarthy writing a contemporary novel. Third, the heroine’s name is Imogen. I really like a number of Imogen Heap’s songs – so I have a major positive association with her. And – Ms. McCarthy may even win me over to NASCAR. At least in fiction. I read the excerpt, and I am in love. I love it. I want this book. I don’t even want to see when this book comes out (May 09) – because I don’t want to wait.

—

Honorable Mentions/if I squint just right are included/still within the number 10…

	10a. Tasting Fear by Shannon McKenna (Contemporary erotic romance, Brava, 28 Jul 09). Okay, so I have to admit, I know nothing about this book. I think it’s Kevin McCloud’s book – and how exciting will it be for a McCloud book to actually star a McCloud? (See? I can good naturedly mock my favorite authors/self.) I also know that Ms. McKenna is one of my favorite authors, and she is one of the few authors I will venture into adventure/suspense for. (And once I buy Ultimate Weapon, Ms. McKenna might have the sole and honorable distinction of being the only author whose entire back list is in my possession and my property…)
	10b. Relentless by Lauren Dane (Sci-fi romance, Berkley Trade, 5 ay 09). I don’t read scifi/fantasy or futuristic novels. I haven’t read scifi/fantasy since middle school. I’ve never particularly enjoyed futuristic novels. BUT! But! I read Undercover, and I loved it. I can see why Undercover took Ms. Dane to the bestseller’s list – and if you haven’t read it – you should. I enjoyed Undercover so much I had to pace myself, and used it as a way to treat myself. And Ms. Dane’s writing (in my humble opinion) only gets better.
	10c. This Duchess of Mine (Historical romance, Avon, 26 May 09) and…10d. A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James (Historical romance, Avon, 30 Jun 09). I, being the lowly peon I am, do not know what these books are about (other than This Duchess of Mine is Jemma’s book). I have been waiting for Villier’s book, so hopefully he’s healed at some point in the near future. And you know, I love Ms. James’s books. I read Duchess in Love and fell in love. There’s been no turning back since.

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11. The book I don’t know about by the new author (whoknows, someone, date TBD). I know a lot of people will say that’s a cop out, so that’s why I listed 10 books, then have this one. I mean, I’m sure there are books I don’t know about – and/or what about that one newbie author that writes an amazing book?

The End. Seriously.

Out of all the books coming out in 09 (that I know about – and I found some lists of hundred of books.) These – *these* I want. I will do much to get my hands on these books. What did Scarlet O’Hara say? “Lie, cheat, kill or steal” right? Well… take out the third… and you’ve pretty much got me

Are you tired of reading 2008 wrap-up lists yet?? Too bad! Read on, suckers gentle readers.

My top 10 books I read in 2008 (in no particular order): 

	Heart Fate (Celta’s HeartMates, Book 7) by Robin D. Owens Fantasy romance released by Berkley Trade Sep 2008 A series that just keeps getting better and better!
	Flat-out Sexy by Erin McCarthy Contemporary romance released by Berkley Sensation Nov 2008 Sweet, sexy, fun read! The internet buzz sucked me in and I’m glad. )
	Innocent In Death by J.D. Robb Futuristic romantic suspense released by Berkley Aug 2007I purposely keep myself behind in this series but I’m catching up – oh noes! I must pace myself better.
	Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) by Larissa Ione Paranormal romance released by Forever Jun 2008 An excellent start to a new series! With a looonnngggg wait between books one and two. However, books two and three will be out back-to-back. Yay!
	Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair Sci-Fi romance released by Bantam Oct 2005  Sully! Does anything else need to be said? I didn’t think so.
	Grimspace by Ann Aguirre Sci-fi romance released by Ace Feb 2008
	A Lady’s Secret by Jo Beverley Historical romance released by Signet Apr 2008 I love the Mallorens and this was one secret I was glad to see revealed.
	At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker Historical romance released by Avon May 2008An excellent Avon debut! Ms. Parker’s website says she is working on the sequel.
	Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James Contemporary romance released by Berkley Oct 2008 More online buzz I couldn’t ignore and another excellent debut.
	With Every Breath by Lynn Kurland Fantasy time-travel romance released by Jove May 2008One of my very favorite authors! She doesn’t get the attention she deserves, says me.

A side note – I have got to change my rating system, dang it all. I suppose I’ll go back to numbers. I always have too many books with the same rating and then I can’t sort them properly.

Honorable Mention:

	Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English Mysteries – yup, I read them all in 08…I can haz moar, plzkthx?
	J.L. Langley’s Englor Series – just so fab!

Devon’s review of First Blood by Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green, and Meljean Brook
Paranormal Anthology released by Berkley 05 August 2008

I’m pretty well-read in the Vampire Romance subgenre. That’s what got me reading romance again after a long hiatus. Blog title referenced it and all. It was kind of funny to find myself reading a vamp anthology with so many new to me authors. I’m a Meljean Brook fangirl, but have never read Sizemore or Green, and only one McCarthy novel. While I didn’t love all the entries, they made me curious to check out the authors I was unfamiliar with, so that’s a good thing.

Cave Canem by Susan Sizemore

This novella is part of her “Laws of the Blood” series which I have never read. I think fans of the series will enjoy it most, because some of the concepts were hard to follow. There were characters that were obviously recurring, and significant to the alternate universe of these books. I felt like I was trying to connect the dots and fill in blanks as I went along. There was also a bit too much thrown in. Back story, plot, multiple characters and subplots…it all felt rushed. The primary romance was particularly rushed and unconvincing. I found Dan and Tess’ first sexual encounter rather creepy actually. This was my least favorite story of the bunch, but my curiosity about this “world” was piqued enough to look at the author website.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Susan Sizemore returns to the universe of her Laws of the Blood novels with a sizzling story of the relationship between a vampire enforcer and a werewolf.

No excerpt available.

Russian Roulette by Erin McCarthy

I believe this story is set in the same universe as the “Vegas Vampires” series. I’ve never read any of these books, and I think this might be a another case where those who follow the series will enjoy it most. The heroine, Sasha must have appeared in another book, where her journey from abused trophy wife of an evil vampire to vampire slayer to vampire is more fully explained. I didn’t quite get the timeline on that one. Sasha is rescued from a nasty kidnapping by vampire Alistair. In order to protect her, Alistair moves her in with him and employs her in his bar. The prickly Sasha has had a strange and difficult life, and reading about how she learns to adjust and let her defenses down was the best part of the story. Alistair was bland, as was their romance, and the ending was a bit anticlimactic. An okay story.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Erin McCarthy’s Sasha Checkikov flees the bright lights and dangerous slayers of Vegas for New Orleans, where she is saved by a vampire haunted by his past-and hungry for passion.

No excerpt available.

Double the Bite by Chris Marie Green

Another story related to a series I’ve never read (the Vampire Babylon series). Set against the glittering, decadent backdrop of 1970’s Studio 54, Double the Bite features twin vampires who take an interest in a Texas sheriff, in New York to investigate his brother’s murder. The writing was very atmospheric, capturing the setting well. The vampires are also disturbing, dangerous and creepy, while still being sympathetic. I liked that they weren’t neutered. Ginny, the conflicted one, was very interesting, as was her relationship with her increasingly unbalanced sister Geneva. However the object of Ginny’s attention and later, affection, Ben Tyree, was not all that interesting. Their romance seemed rushed. While I enjoyed the way the story was told, the development of the romance was choppy and unconvincing. Overall, it was an unusual, interesting story that didn’t quite do it for me.

Grade: C

Summary:

Set in the Vampire Babylon world, Chris Marie Green’s story puts the bond between twin female vampires to the test when one of them falls for her prey.

Read an excerpt.

Thicker Than Blood by Meljean Brook

Brook is the author whose work I’m most familiar with, and this entry is further evidence that she is a go-to for well developed characters and romance. This one is not difficult for a new reader to follow, and makes for a good introduction to the Guardians series. It is set in Philadelphia rather than the San Francisco setting we’ve seen before, and it focuses on the city’s vampires, who haven’t been privy to the SF events. It is a story of lovers reunited. After medical resident Annie Gallagher was turned into a vampire she cut ties with her human friends and family. While searching for the young human ward of some friends, Annie comes upon Jack Harrington, the FBI agent she had fallen in love with just before she “died”. Jack is astonished to see the woman he had loved and mourned. Jack’s investigative skills and ability to go out in the daytime can help Annie, and the spark between them hasn’t died, but how can a human and vampire make it work? Meljean Brook writes some of the best characters around: strong, but flawed, and lightened with a sense of humor. And the lovably bitchy Lilith is around. Another solid romance from Meljean Brook.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Annie Gallagher is the only survivor of a demon attack that exterminated every other vampire in her city. But she can’t leave before she finds Cricket, a young human girl whose vampire guardians have been killed. Annie needs help, but the rules of her kind demand that she operate in secrecy.

And when help comes, it’s from the one man she never expected…

Meljean Brook’s vampire Annie Gallagher needs help to save a young human girl, but she doesn’t expect the help to come from the FBI agent she loved-and had to give up- when she was transformed.

Read an excerpt.

This anthology was a mixed bag, but fans of the various authors should check it out.
Overall Grade: C+

Summary:

Four all-new stories of forbidden passion and dark desire.

You never forget your first blood…

Gwen’s review of First Blood by Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green, and Meljean Brook
Contemporary paranormal romance anthology released by Berkley 5 Aug 08

This anthology was very entertaining and the stories were a great way to pass some quick time.  Each story had a vampire in it – some used the character type more successfully than others, but all were entertaining at some level.  All four stories had some nice romance, a little bit of action, and a couple even made me go “awwww!” and mist up a bit.  Read on to see which had me reaching for a hanky and which had me scratching my head… 

Cave Canem by Susan Sizemore
(60-pages)

She’s a young werewolf and an “enforcer” of sorts for hellhounds who spiral out of control.  At least I think she is – that’s never quite clear to me, but that may be because I don’t follow the Laws of the Blood series. He’s an ancient vamp who raises hellhounds and is beguiled by her courage and beauty.  There’s magic, spells, demons, and assorted other creatures in this world.  It was all very interesting but a little confusing to me.  It’s a rather complex world for such a short story – I think about few more pages would have served it well for background and more character development.  As it was, the story ends abruptly and I never did understand if there was a romance between Dan and Tess or even if Dan and Tess were the story’s hero and heroine (there were quite a few characters to wade thru).

Grade:  C-

Summary:

Susan Sizemore returns to the universe of her Laws of the Blood novels with a sizzling story of the relationship between a vampire enforcer and a werewolf.

No excerpt available.

Russian Roulette by Erin McCarthy
(72 pages)

She’s a new vampire turned against her will and recently sold by her best friend to an enemy.  He’s a 400-year old vamp who has “been there and done that” a few times.  He is now content to live his life simply, with as few “attachments” as possible, including personal belongings and women.  This was a good story with engrossing characters.  However, I never did understand the purpose of them being vampires – the paranormal didn’t really add much to the story and seemed to only muck it up a couple of times.  It almost would have been better if there hadn’t been any paranormal elements.  The ending was a bit confusing – I didn’t understand why Cassandra (the enemy and ex-wife of the hero) suddenly felt Sasha “wasn’t worth it”.  It ruined the story for me.

Grade: C

Summary:

Erin McCarthy’s Sasha Checkikov flees the bright lights and dangerous slayers of Vegas for New Orleans, where she is saved by a vampire haunted by his past-and hungry for passion.

No excerpt available.

Double the Bite by Chris Marie Green
(72 pages)

She’s an identical twin, “turned” in the 1950′s with her sister.  He’s a human who arrives in the late 1970′s New York City (Studio 54, cocaine, assorted excesses), looking for his brother’s killer.  We’re sent on this journey where she betrays her sister, he discovers some truths about his “paragon” of a brother, and they fall in love.  This was a very gothic story, and very traditionally vampiric (crucifixes, sunlight, etc.). The ending was unexpected, yet touching. This is a new-to-me author and, while I’m not a big gothic fan, this was a unique romance.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Set in the Vampire Babylon world, Chris Marie Green’s story puts the bond between twin female vampires to the test when one of them falls for her prey.

Read an excerpt.

Thicker Than Blood by Meljean Brook
(105 pages)

She’s a relatively “new” vampire enforcer who is still getting used to the concept and her hungers.  He’s a human who grieved for her for six years and cannot believe she’s back in his life.  They come together in a stressful situation and are startled into living their lives once again.  This was just a terrific story.  The paranormal elements are integral to the story and being a vampire is key to character motivation.  I loved the hero and his steadfast love for the heroine – Meljean’s heroes are so drool-worthy.  Jack made me very misty on several occasions with his tender humor.  The suspense elements are fun, and the other characters help move the story along.  This was romantic vampire love story with a terrific ending.  I want to read more with these two characters and wish they had more than the 100-odd pages they got in this anth.

Grade: A

Summary:

Annie Gallagher is the only survivor of a demon attack that exterminated every other vampire in her city. But she can’t leave before she finds Cricket, a young human girl whose vampire guardians have been killed. Annie needs help, but the rules of her kind demand that she operate in secrecy.

And when help comes, it’s from the one man she never expected…

Meljean Brook’s vampire Annie Gallagher needs help to save a young human girl, but she doesn’t expect the help to come from the FBI agent she loved-and had to give up- when she was transformed.

Read an excerpt.

While I didn’t necessarily care for all of the stories, I was impressed with the quality of the writing. Perhaps if I were more familiar with the world of a couple of them I’d have enjoyed the stories more. I think that’s a risk with a paranormal anthology – authors may get some new readers, but they also risk confusing folks if the world is complex.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for some quick vampire love stories or readers of any of these authors.  And if you’ve never read Meljean Brook’s Guardians series, I recommend testing the water with this story.  Just terrific.

Overall Grade: B

Summary:

Four all-new stories of forbidden passion and dark desire.

You never forget your first blood…

Laura J’s review of Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy
Contemporary romance published by Berkley Sensation 4 Nov 08

Over the last couple of years there has been a surge in books based around the sport of stock car racing. Harlequin has a line of NASCAR books. Kimberly Raye and Pamela Britton have also released books featuring this very popular sport. Erin McCarthy has now jumped onto the scene with this latest featuring a rookie race car driver and the widow of a former race car driver. 

I’m so glad to that Ms. McCarthy is back to writing her contemporary romances. It’s been two years since her last one (I like her paranormals too, but her contemporaries will always be my favorites). Sybil couldn’t believe it took me a week to read this book, but after waiting for so long, I wanted to savor it for a while and after reading the first chapter I knew I didn’t want to rush through this one.

Having lost her husband to the sport two years ago, Tamara Briggs wants no part of a relationship with another driver. She is the mother of two young children and having them lose another father would not only devastate her children, but her as well. Tamara is one of the few heroines that I have read this year that I truly, truly liked. I have liked others, but Tamara felt like a real person. Her fears were real as well as her determination to move past them and feel like a woman again. It was not easy for her and a lot of that determination came after she met Elec and was able to see how he saw her and that he did mean all the things he was telling her.

Elec.  Well, what can I say about him. He is an amazing hero. Caring, tender, funny, patient, understanding, and, of course, flat-out sexy. He was willing to let Tamara direct the relationship to a point because he knew and understood her fears. While he respected those fears he would still gently nudge her toward a more open relationship with him, but even then, if he sensed her unease, he would back off. Elec is definitely in my top ten heroes for 2008.

I really loved all the characters in this book and I am looking forward to seeing more of them. Just in this book alone there is the potential for several more books (read this as I really WANT more books with these characters). The chemistry between Elec and Tamara was hot but tender at the same time as he slowly made her believe how beautiful she was.

There is a teaser at the end of the book for the next one, but no title and no date as yet when it will be out. So yes, I will be stalking the bookstore and websites looking for the release of the unnamed second book.

Grade: A

Summary:

Independent single mother Tamara Briggs wanted to find a new, sexy, no-strings-attached man—just not one as young as NASCAR driver Elec Monroe. But he sure does get her heart racing. And after she’s tricked into a blind date with him, Tamara gives in to her passion. Things screech to a halt, though, when he asks to meet her children. Whatever happened to wham-bam-thank-youma’am? Suddenly Tamara has to decide how much risk she’s willing to take to experience the power of true love.

Read an excerpt here.

Gwen’s review of The Magical Christmas Cat by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, and Linda Winstead Jones
Contemporary paranormal romance anthology release by Berkley Sensation 7 Oct 08

This collection of stories are all centered on the holiday period and all have a few things in common – love, passion, and cats. They’re all quite nice stories, a couple are downright great. Read on to see how they fared…

Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh (87 pages)

This is a very good Psy-Changeling story that centers around the heroine, a school teacher named Annie Kildaire, and the hero, a DarkRiver soldier named Zach Quinn. It’s very much their love story and has none of the typical Psy-Changling “suspense” elements that we normally see from Singh. Just a pure love story and I loved it. The cat in this story is the hero.

Because we’re centered on the relationship, we get a couple of very well developed characters in the H/H. Especially the heroine and while the hero is still very yummy, perhaps more time could have been spent on him, but it wouldn’t have been a short-story if that had happened. And, can I say, OH MY about this hero. I wanted to lick him all over.

The conflict in this story came from family – particularly the heroine’s. Annie had been injured horrifically when she was a kid and still suffers some side effects from it – both physical and emotional. This causes some interesting scenes between Annie, her family, and the DarkRiver soldier she brings to dinner. It’s very “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and is very fun to read.

This was just a terrific Psy-Changeling story and worth the price of the book all on its own.

Grade: A

Summary:

My [Singh's] contribution to this anthology features Zach, a DarkRiver soldier you’ll love, and Annie, a human woman who finds herself tangling with this irresistible cat.

Read an excerpt.

Christmas Bree by Erin McCarthy (76 pages)

This was an enjoyable story, if a bit forgettable. I felt a little like I was reading a really racy Cosmo story. Lighter, more chick-lit-type stories aren’t my thing, though. So keep that in mind as you read this review.

The heroine, Bree, has dreams about the hero, Ian, and doesn’t realize it until she meets him on her doorstep. Bree’s cat, Akasha, keeps showing up in the hero’s car, under their feet, in the hallway, and always with a bit of mistletoe in her mouth. There’s so much build-up as a result of the year of dreams the hero and heroine have of each other they fall to boinking on the floor almost as soon as they meet each other. Twice.

The heroine is a pretty stereotypical almost-goth chick who calls herself a “witch” and the hero is a pretty stereotypical poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks who makes good as a big-city lawyer. Not a lot stood out for me in the story, but, remember, these kinds of stories aren’t my thing. I liked it and promptly forgot it.

Grade: C

Summary (mine – not the book’s):

Self-professed witch, Bree Murphy, is unconventional and likes it that way. She taught her little sister to read tarot and she reads palms and futures for a living – all in the rambling old Victorian house she inherited from her grandmother. Ian Carrington is a big city lawyer to the millionaires. He brokers deals for the high society when they don’t want to get their hands dirty. One of his clients wants Bree’s house and wants it bad. Problem is, Ian wants Bree too. How is he going to balance his client’s wants with his own? Will they end up happy or will hearts be broken?

No excerpt available when the review was written.

Sweet Dreams by Linda Winstead Jones (76 pages)

This was the darkest of the four stories. The cat in this case is actually the villain – a demon trapped in the statuette of a cat. The heroine, Ruby, is a local baker who doesn’t realize that her soul will bring about the release of the demon, who will then lay waste to mankind. Her neighbor, Zane, a local professor who also happens to be a member of a group of warriors dedicated to the extermination of this demon (of course), discovers that Ruby is the next/last victim and goes about trying to keep it all from happening.

I didn’t like the hero much until about mid-way thru the story. The action elements were good and the villains were interesting. It was a fun paranormal story, but the romance felt a bit forced. Interesting, but, in the end, forgettable.

Grade: C+

Summary (mine – not the book’s):

Ruby Kincaid, the town’s best baker, doesn’t realize she’s about to be the culmination of a spell that has been brewing for centuries. But her hunky neighbor, Zane Benedict, does. A parapsychology professor at the local univerisity, Zane knows about Ruby’s destiny and is determined to do everything in his power to stop the spell and keep an unspeakable evil from being unleashed on the earth – including killing Ruby if he has to… But he doesn’t want to…

No excerpt available.

Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh (117 pages)

This was a lovely Breeds story and I think it’s obvious who the cat is in this entry. Noble, our hero, is a Jaguar Breed and has been in love with Haley, one of the librarians at the Sanctuary Library, for a while. He doesn’t realize it, but Haley is in love with him, as well. The story follows the predictable “heat” path – irresistible lust and some seriously hot, and I mean HAWT, sensuality with really steamy, raw sex, eventually ending in a life commitment and love. The path there is littered with dead bodies, an explosion or two, family holidays, and some major bad guys.

There’s good action and tension throughout the whole story. There was one scene that I didn’t like where one of the villains catch the H/H mid-boink. I could have done without that mental image and it’s the only thing that keeps the grade from an A. Nevertheless, there’s good character development even if the villain(s) felt like a bit of an afterthought. I loved when the heroine’s family shows up and bowls the hero over – he had never experienced anything like her, her family, or their celebration of the season. It was charming.

This was a very good Christmas love story… Breeds style.

Grade: B+

Summary (mine – not the book’s):

Noble Chavin, Jaguar Breed, and Sanctuary librarian Haley McQuire find love and heat under the Christmas tree.

Read an excerpt.

This was a charming and very readable collection of four Christmas stories all themed around cats. I highly recommend it to any fans of the four authors, or someone looking for some quick paranormal hits to while away an afternoon.

Overall Grade: B

Book Summary:

Put a little meow in their stockings this year with these all-new tales of Christmas and felines-from beloved bestselling authors!

New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and top-selling authors Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones have a special gift for readers this year: never-before published holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. With four new stories-including one featuring Lora Leigh’s genetically altered Feline Breeds-this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night…

That noise you just heard… was me squeeing *g*.  Dude I almost hate me right now.  But I don’t

Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy coming November 2008!  COVER DEBUT!

This is her FIRST CONTEMPORARY since You Don’t Know Jack, which was released in Oct 2006.  YES! 2006… two. years. ago. Good thing for us her Paranormals have been so flat-out fab but when I heard she was finally going back to contemps… oh yes… I sqqquuueeee and THIS cover is flat-out sexy *g*.

Keep reading for the blurb…

She met him at the racetrack…

..which was the last place Tamara Briggs wanted to find a man. Even a deeply intriguing, seductively sexy man like Elec Monroe. Tamara’s a single mother now after losing her daredevil husband in an accident—and she’s not about to get involved with another driver and put her kids, or herself, through that again. Besides, Elec’s young enough to be her…younger brother.

Now things are moving a little too fast…

But he sure does get her heart racing. And after she’s tricked into a blind date with him, Tamara gives in to her passion. Things screech to a halt, though, when he asks to meet her children. Whatever happened to wham-bam-thank you ma’am? Suddenly Tamara has to decide how much risk she’s willing to take to experience the thrilling, terrifying power of true love…

And now for an even “bigger” image – intriguing bulges, no? 

Limecello’s review of Fallen (7 Deadly Sins, Book 2) by Erin McCarthy
Paranormal Romance released by Berkley Jove 29 Apr 08

Erin McCarthy is one of my favorite romance authors. My expectations may have been too high, because Book 2 of the Seven Deadly Sins series unfortunately disappointed. I felt that the story didn’t truly begin until chapter 9. The story moved too slowly for me, and I felt that the action didn’t begin until the nearly the end, and it became rushed. I also would have liked a bit more romance.

Gabriel and Sara have a very stilted relationship – if one can even call it a relationship for the first 20 or so chapters. More like awkward coworkers inexorably connected to each other, but stunted. They’re flawed, and their personalities seem to compliment each other. However, it takes a little work to like them. They have so much potential but don’t move towards each other in any way for so long.

I know Ms. McCarthy is a terrific writer, so featuring every positive in the book would take too long. Accordingly, I’m going to discuss what I disliked in the book. In an oversimplification, I don’t have much sympathy for Gabriel. His life sucks, he’s a fallen angel, cry me a river, he did it to his own damn self. Some theological issues bothered me too. Also, for someone who has had such a traumatic past, Sara… just doesn’t seem right. Even for someone weary and emotionally isolated, for a while Sara is rather… annoying.

Those notes and sniveling women, and Gabriel’s “women problems.” Gag. And the letters. Personally I didn’t think truly had an 1850s feel to them. There was an excessively suspicious character – and a major “duh” moment early on. The “legal speculation” upset me. Maybe it was the way the articles were written. I hate the media.

Fallen wasn’t much of a romance for much of the book, and while normally I’m a fan of unrequited/forbidden love romances, Fallen didn’t bring it for me. The characters were too disconnected and uncertain. Thee story itself is well written, but I would have liked more romance, and a better developed relationship between Gabriel and Sara. All the depositions, newspaper articles, and letters didn’t add much to the story for me. They didn’t give me insight into the characters, and having observed more than my fair share of trials, I don’t think what you get from the media would be useful in truly finding the facts of a murder. I also have a lot of questions about the absinthe. I guess I’ll have to try it. I do know absinthe is different in Europe vs. the US.

There were some very sweet moments in the book. For example, when Gabriel sketches Sara, hanging out the window, and when he finally plays the piano for her. Chopin always amuses me, and I can’t help but think of Franz Liszt. I normally really like Ms. McCarthy books, and I know she can write “darker” stories – I was bowled over by My Immortal – so I’d say that I set my expectations too high, but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy Fallen as much as I thought I would. I do plan on re-reading it in the future and hoping I like it more then. Erin McCarthy fans may or may not enjoy Fallen and you may want to read it to see what is happening next in the series. I do however, plan on reading any and all of Ms. McCarthy’s books. I love her work, this book just won’t make it to the top three of my list.

Grade: C-

Read Devon’s review here and Laura D’s review here.

Blurb:

New Orleans, 1880s. Sent to watch over the decadent city, the angel Gabriel loses himself in the liquid pleasure of absinthe. So when his mistress, Anne, is murdered—and all evidence points to him— a foggy Gabriel cannot be sure he didn’t do it. His penance: to be forever denied love. Should he seek pleasure with a woman, she’ll know the depths of despair. New Orleans, today. Hoping to unlock that unsolved mystery, forensic scientist Sara Michaels, Anne’s great-great-granddaughter, meets the ageless, tormented Gabriel. To work together would mean suppressing their mutual attraction—he can’t allow himself to touch Sara, for her own sake. And for Sara, already familiar with the dangers of addiction, Gabriel poses the ultimate threat to her self-control. But can the desire burning between them turn into their salvation—or lead them both to destruction?

Read an excerpt here.

Devon’s Review of Fallen (7 Deadly Sins, Book 2) by Erin McCarthy
Paranormal Romance released by Jove 29 Apr 08

Fallen is the second book in Erin McCarthy’s darker paranormal series. It has a gorgeous cover, an intriguing premise revolving around unsolved murders, a tormented hero, and an unusual heroine. While there were certain elements that I enjoyed, these parts did not add up to a particularly strong whole.

Fallen angel Gabriel was doomed to remain on the mortal plain, chained to New Orleans until he completed his punishment. He became addicted to alcohol, particularly absinthe. One night he passed out, awakening to find his mistress brutally murdered. While Gabriel was acquitted of the crime, he has always wondered what happened that night. Did he do it? If not, who else did it and why? In the present day, Gabriel is a true crime writer still living in New Orleans. Intrigued by the parallels between a recent Florida murder and that long ago crime, he invites the victim’s daughter, a forensic pathologist named Sara Michaels, to collaborate on a project to investigate the two events.

The murder mystery aspect was very intriguing. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the records that revealed the earlier murder and subsequent investigation. The idea of a connection to Sara’s mother’s murder was interesting. But the whole thing kind of lost steam. Sara kept an important secret regarding the two incidents from Gabriel, for no good reason. Then it was Gabriel’s turn to look like a bonehead, when he made a discovery that he should have noticed long before, if he had been a decent researcher. The mystery was resolved rather abruptly, with too many loose ends. That was just a fake out, but the final resolution still felt weak to me. With a strong mystery subplot, I want a climax with some impact and more explanation.

The hero and heroine are interesting characters. Both are a bit emotionally distant, both have struggled with addiction. They had a great friendship, but a rather boring romance. I’m not even sure why. I just could not figure out why, when and how Gabriel fell in love with Sara. I thought they made great friends, but I was supremely unmoved by their passion.

There were things here that I liked, but overall the book felt a bit disjointed. Perhaps too much had to be packed in: the paranormal worldbuilding, the murder mystery past and present, the love story. The focus jumped around, and by the end, no aspect was fully developed. This was my first read by McCarthy, and I’d be interested in reading her lighter stuff, which I’ve heard raves about. But I’d only recommend this to fans of the author or those who like fallen angels/demons.

Grade: C

Read LauraD’s review here.

Blurb:

New Orleans, 1880s. Sent to watch over the decadent city, the angel Gabriel loses himself in the liquid pleasure of absinthe. So when his mistress, Anne, is murdered—and all evidence points to him— a foggy Gabriel cannot be sure he didn’t do it. His penance: to be forever denied love. Should he seek pleasure with a woman, she’ll know the depths of despair.

New Orleans, today. Hoping to unlock that unsolved mystery, forensic scientist Sara Michaels, Anne’s great-great-granddaughter, meets the ageless, tormented Gabriel. To work together would mean suppressing their mutual attraction—he can’t allow himself to touch Sara, for her own sake.

And for Sara, already familiar with the dangers of addiction, Gabriel poses the ultimate threat to her self-control. But can the desire burning between them turn into their salvation—or lead them both to destruction?

Read an excerpt here.

Sybil’s review of The Power of Love by Foster, McCarthy, Laurey, Stockham, Blake, Castell, Sargeant, McLane, Monroe, Kelley, Maynard, and Wilder
Special Romance Anthology released by Berkley on 3 Jun 08

The Power of Love isn’t at all what I thought it would be. Novellas are hard to do well. Make it a short story and it more often than not doesn’t work for me. Add in the awesome fact the author’s proceeds go to The YMCA Battered Women’s Shelter of Cincinnati – well I was expecting more women’s fiction than romance. I was very wrong.

Each of these women deserve a round of applause. Not only did they put together a book for a great cause, they did it well. These are not throw away stories. Each story ranges from a nice bite to a snack size and the overall book will give you a great taste for each author’s writing.

We are talking 305 pages and 12 authors, so I am going this a touch differently than a normal review. You can find the summary and a bit of background here. And excerpts Vol I and Vol II have been posted as well. The reviews are arranged by grade, not order of appearance in the book.

Grade: A+

Salesman of the Year by Karen Kelley
This was a hard story for me to grade because I so adore the author but haven’t been able to read a book of hers lately that worked for me. Karen Kelley is awesome on the funny, which rarely works for me. Salesman of the Year is a tale of second chances and finding the stregth in yourself to be who you want and not what you are told to be. In 20 pages she wasn’t able to flesh out the heroine as well as she could have but since I knew to expect that going in I went with what I was told. Because no woman deserves an Adam…

Angel in the Alley by Patricia Sargeant
Completely loved this story and was surprised because I admit I saw ‘Angel’ in the title and my reaction was ACK here be inspy. I am not sure if Patricia was going for an inspy feel to her tale or not but it is a fabulous story. My complaint is I wanted more pages because it was wanted more with more time with Archer.

Grade: A

Unpredictable by Erin McCarthy
Predictably I loved this story. The h/h were fantastic and interesting. McCarthy shines in novella form and this, while not her best, shows just what she can do. I really hope Kensington does for her what they did with Foster’s Truth or Dare and McKenna’s All About Men – release her Bad Boy novella’s in a MM book with just her connected stories.

Chicken Soup for Annie by Luanne McLane
This is an author I have never been able to connect with and don’t think I have finished a novel by her yet. Again she is one who does well with the funny (and I don’t). I was shocked by how much I adored this story. I would have given it an A+ but honestly I wish she hadn’t of put it in here (although it fits perfectly with the theme) because even though the story begins and ends to where you KNOW where they are going. I wanted to read it all.

Dance the Fandango by Rosemary Laurey
This is another tale of 2nd chances only this time it is for LOVE itself not a love lost. I didn’t expect a 65 year-old heroine and honestly do not pick them up to read that much. Dance the Fandango works perfectly in The Power of Love and is done very well. But man the kids annoyed and hello they were in their 30s.

Grade: A-

Sweet Dreams by Lori Foster
I LOVED how this story unfolds and Foster shows why so many people love her novellas. She is awesome at building a story, characters you care for and telling a whole story in a short page count. This one was 23 pages! I would have given this an A+ but the five year wait didn’t work for me – just too long

The Mouse Who Roared by J.C. Wilder
This is the one story I would say isn’t a romance, doesn’t tell a whole story and is more of a moment in time. But more than that it is THE beginning of a woman taking control of her future and embodies what “I think” this gift of stories is about. I was too bummed that it ended like it did to give it an A but it is a fabulous story of finding your strength and going for it.

Grade: B+

The Girl Next Door by Janice Maynard
TGND seemed a touch out of place because it starts from Jason’s pov (the hero). A tale you all know, parent’s die sibling comes home to raise the younger kids. Somewhere along the lines lurve developed between a best friend forever of one of the sibs. I love those stories. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea. And I loved Jason and Felicity.

Grade: B

No Angel by Lucy Monroe
This is a would be office romance story and I like those. No Angel has a Harlequin Presents feel to it but too much time was spent away from the h/h. With the page count being so small I would have like to have more time with Cheryl and Zack.

Hannah’s Choice by Kay Stockham
Another 2nd chance at love story… do so love those. Hannah and Mitch are great characters. And you feel so much for them in so few pages. This is a grade A story that is missing at least 10 pages. (at least) Hannah’s choice to run made sense but not from Mitch. Mitch is too great a guy and the author doesnt have enough time to sell why Hannah made such a bonehead move.

Grade: C

Last of the Red-Hot Mammas by Dianne Castell
I think this was my least favorite story. It isn’t really bad but I just couldn’t take that ride. The plot seemed to unbelievable and the characters didn’t click with me enough to over come that. It is a sweet story but I can’t see any school wanting the Principal to behave like that.

After Hours by Toni Blake
More lurve in the office… only this one the hero annoyed. And there wasn’t enough room for Michael to grovel enough. Odd it seemed like there wasn’t enough connection between the h/h, thinking back on it I think this was the steamiest story. Blake can do really steamy really well when she wants too.

Overall this really is a great novel to pick up and get a chance to try out 12 different authors. Or, if you are already a fan of Lori Foster and Erin McCarthy, you will want to pick this up. And of course it is supporting a great cause – by helping people by buying a book .

Overall Grade: A-

Blurb:

In this engaging anthology of never-before-published stories, twelve award-winning and bestselling authors are united by their unique visions of the resilient woman and her quest for self, for fulfillment, for empowerment, and for an enriching new appreciation for what love really means—and why it matters.

A young woman is torn between the overbearing security of her fiancé and the excitement of an old flame…a desperate wife is forced into the workplace for the first time in her life…an ambitious professional woman finally finds the courage to take control of her career—and her man…an emotionally fragile divorcee finds resolve in the ethereal visitations of an archangel. These are just some of the women who discover and rediscover their wonderfully fallible selves in the shadow of love—romantic love, platonic love, new love, and lost love. You’ll be touched, inspired, charmed, and amused by these twelve original stories of disparate longings, unsettled lives, and the power of love.

Read short excerpts of each story here.

The Power of Love, Special Anthology. Coming from Berkley Trade June 3, 2008.

Since this is an anthology with 12 authors the stories range in size. So the excerpts are pretty short. But hey we got you something! We will have two posts a volume I and II.

enjoy!

“Sweet Dreams” by Lori Foster

Cara Compton woke from a deep sleep, bolting upright in her bed, her eyes wide in the dark room.

Holy smokes.

She ran her hands over her face and realized she was damp with sweat. And no wonder. Given that vivid, purely sexual dream…

Appalled at herself, needing to dissipate the effects of the dream, she threw back the sheet and sat up to turn on a lamp. The June weather had turned stifling hot, and no air stirred in her room. Trying to obliterate the tingling in her stomach and on her skin, she strode to the window to open it wider. It slid up easily, letting in a warm, restless breeze, and…

Her heart froze in her throat.

Across the way, in the same apartment complex but in the building adjacent to hers, the object of her hotter-than-hot dream stood at his own window. A soft light limned his body.

Jamison Lawton. Bare-chested. His hair mussed. Knowing he looked right at her, Cara lifted a limp hand to wave.

“Unpredictable” by Erin McCarthy

Hannah saw it coming. As a man drenched in sweat wearing a knit cap came barreling toward her she sidestepped him, reaching out her hand to catch the purse she knew he would drop.

What she didn’t anticipate was the police dog.

Until she was pinned against the wall being held hostage by yellowed fangs and a vicious snarl.

“Good doggie. You’re not going to bite me or drool on my rayon skirt, are you?” Clutching the purse, she tried not to move, annoyed that yet again her mild psychic ability had provided her with thoroughly useless information, like when to catch the purse, but failed to warn her she was the next episode of When Animals Attack.

“I didn’t steal the purse,” she pleaded with Lieutenant Lease, who growled again, showing no sign of easing up. “This has all been a mistake, really.”

“He can’t understand you, you know.”

Hannah looked past the toffee fur into the amused eyes of one very good looking cop, uniform straining across his broad chest.

“Recall, Ralph.”

The dog sat down and his tongue lolled out.

“After Hours” by Toni Blake,

At first, his mouth barely grazed her lips, yet the leisure it released inside her was immeasurable. When the kiss grew firmer, more demanding, it moved through her like warm liquid, slow but potent. By the time it ended, they were both breathing heavy, the only sound in the room.

Their eyes met, and despite being in a high-rise office building that bustled with hundreds of people each day, Marla felt completely isolated, like nothing existed but the two of them, and desire. It was late enough that even the vague sounds of downtown traffic on the streets below had faded to nothing.

And something in his eyes, in her heart, in the passion that now stretched so tautly between them, urged Marla to make the boldest move of her life.

“Last of the Red Hot Mammas” by Dianne Castell,

Gloria knew that Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Gigolo was not what she wanted even if her sister and the rest of Savannah insisted it truly was. So she seemed a bit cranky, irritable and been a long time without a man. Heck, she’d survived the divorce, got custody of Dacey against her ex and his high-faulting lawyers and even started Scrumptious Savannah. All was well. She’d won!

Or had she? A brush with cancer made one man run for the hills and the chance of another man taking off when things went straight to hell was more of a gamble than Gloria was willing to take … until Rab Langley came to town and turned her life and her heart upside down.

“Salesman of the Year” by Karen Kelley

“Hi, Jenny.” Devon’s words were spoken with a soft, Southern drawl.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, a lazy smile lifting one side of his mouth. His dark hair was still a little too long, just like in high school. He hadn’t cut it back then, either. He’d spent a lot of time in detention his senior year. The bad boy of Austin High.

The rebel that had all the girls drooling, including her.

She cleared her throat, pulling herself back to the present. “Devon, what are you doing here?”

“I grew up and became a Realtor.” His gaze lazily roamed over her again, bringing a flush to her cheeks. “And I see you grew up.”

“Dance the Fandango” by Rosemary Laurey

“Querida, I miss you. Two days is a long time.”

“You’re right there! I’m tempted to leave my bedroom window open but I don’t want to see my daughters dropping dead from shock if they decide to bring me a cup of early morning coffee.”

“True. No point in scandalizing the young. They shock so easily.”

“You can say that again.”

“I would rather say, “I love you’.”

”I love you, too, Juan.” Wondrous really, after losing Sam she’d been empty, hollow.

Juan had changed all that.

“Tell me, my love, would Sunday be the time for me to ask their permission to marry you?”

“You don’t need to ask anyone but me, and I’ve already said ‘yes.’”

“It might help.”

He was right. Much as the thought rankled. “Ask Simon. The sons-in-law can go sing, and the girls will probably want to debate it and take a vote.”

The Power of Love, Special Anthology. Coming from Berkley Trade June 3, 2008. Read on for the blurb, a video and some very special news about this new anth.

12 Original Stories by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Rosemary Laurey, Kay Stockham, Toni Blake, Dianne Castell, Patricia Sargeant, Luanne McLane, Lucy Monroe, Karen Kelley, Janice Maynard & J.C. Wilder

In this engaging anthology of never-before-published stories, twelve award-winning and bestselling authors are united by their unique visions of the resilient woman and her quest for self, for fulfillment, for empowerment, and for an enriching new appreciation for what love really means—and why it matters.

A young woman is torn between the overbearing security of her fiancé and the excitement of an old flame…a desperate wife is forced into the workplace for the first time in her life…an ambitious professional woman finally finds the courage to take control of her career—and her man…an emotionally fragile divorcee finds resolve in the ethereal visitations of an archangel. These are just some of the women who discover and rediscover their wonderfully fallible selves in the shadow of love—romantic love, platonic love, new love, and lost love. You’ll be touched, inspired, charmed, and amused by these twelve original stories of disparate longings, unsettled lives, and the power of love.

*All author and agent proceeds go to a battered women’s shelter.*

The blog will be buying a copy to give away. And will pick a winner from the comments out of the PoL excerpts and this post. We will announce the winner Friday May 23, 2008.

You can pre-order your copy here. I know Laura J will be picking it up. And I will be… hey Erin McCarthy, Lucy Monroe and Lori Foster… those are some of my faves just right there. And if you like teh funny, you can’t beat Karen Kelley. Really, you should buy two copies .

LauraD’s Review of Fallen by Erin McCarthy
Paranormal Romance released by Jove 29 Apr 08

This is the second in Erin McCarthy’s 7 Deadly Sins series, and now I’m going to have to go track down the first one, because “Fallen” was just that good. Gabriel St. James is a demon, cursed to drive women crazy with love for him. Sara Michaels is the woman he lets into his life. Throw in a murder mystery 5 generations old, a couple of Big Secrets, a few more demons and an absinthe addiction….

It might sound over the top, but I promise, it’s not.

Gabriel’s curse began in the mid 1800′s, when his lover Anne was murdered, and Gabriel was accused but acquitted of the crime. Now, he is using his modern day status as a crime writer to try to find the real killer and hopefully end his curse. Enter Sara, a forensics expert-and the daughter of a woman who was murdered in the same horrific manner as Anne.

Gabriel and Sara are both immediately attracted to each other, but not in the overly dramatic I MUST HAVE YOU NOW way that seems to have put the norm in paranormal. These two actually have conversations. They go on walks, they have dinner together. Yep, that’s right. The relationship develops! Even the internal lusting is well paced. Best of all, they help each other grow as individuals.

Fallen is set in New Orleans, and the city is part of the story. You can feel the muggy heat of the day, and smell the café au lait. I loved the use of “historical” documents and newspaper accounts to tell the story of the first murder trial.

There aren’t a lot of other significant characters in Fallen. Needless to say, that makes it pretty easy to figure out who the killer is. I wasn’t totally onboard with the killer’s motivation, but ultimately I was reading for Gabriel and Sara’s relationship, and I believed in their HEA.

I will be looking for the next in the series!

Grade: B

Forever cursed.

Forever FALLEN.

New Orleans, 1840s. Sent to watch over the decadent city, the angel Gabriel loses himself in the liquid pleasure of absinthe. So when his mistress, Anne, is murdered—and all evidence points to him—a foggy Gabriel cannot be sure he didn’t do it. His penance: to be forever denied love. Then in modern-day New Orleans he meets forensic scientist Sara Michaels…

I think this is one of my favorite covers of the year. It is just awesome. After the cut you will find a great excerpt and a bigger version for your viewing pleasure.

Fallen will fall onto the shelves on the 29h of April and is the second in Erin’s Seven Deadly Sins series.

Forever cursed.

Forever FALLEN.

New Orleans, 1840s. Sent to watch over the decadent city, the angel Gabriel loses himself in the liquid pleasure of absinthe. So when his mistress, Anne, is murdered—and all evidence points to him—a foggy Gabriel cannot be sure he didn’t do it. His penance: to be forever denied love. Then in modern-day New Orleans he meets forensic scientist Sara Michaels…

New Orleans, 1849

Gabriel St. John knew that he was fallen. From angel to demon, favorite to disdained, he embraced the change, welcomed the passion, wallowed in the ecstasy he found day after day in the bottom of the bottle, and night after night in the arms of his favorite whore. In the two years of his tenure walking the earth as a Watcher, he had absorbed the stench and pain of human misery surrounding him until he could no longer suffer the helplessness and hopelessness they brought upon him. Their sad, desperate, begging eyes were a much easier burden to bear when his over-heightened angelic senses were dulled from vast quantities of whiskey, opium, and the beautiful green fairy of absinthe he had come to adore. It was a drink he had come to worship, to crave with every ounce of his preternatural essence. His absinthe was his clarity, his respite, his one true love.

“Good evenin,’ Mr. Thiroux,” a stout woman in full-blown scarlet silk said to him.

Gabriel stepped inside the parlor, such as it was, of The House of Rest For Weary Men. The name of the two-bit bordello never failed to amuse him, the irony even more prominent in his case, given that while he was weary, he was not a man, and in either case, rest was never what a man sought at this particular address. Escape. Fleshly pleasure. A bawdy good time. Oblivion. They were all sought at various times by various men for mere pennies passed to Madame’s hand. Gabriel was never bawdy, but he longed most vigorously for escape, for a contentment that eluded him, for the respite the grandiose name promised.

“Good evening, Madame Conti, you’re looking well.” In fact, Madame was looking rather ill at ease, standing in front of him, blocking his way to the creaky, slanted stairs that led him up to Anne, where his glass and spoon would be waiting. Perhaps he’d forgotten to pay. He wasn’t really sure when he’d last fronted Madame money for his nightly sojourns, but several months prior he had sold a painting for a significant amount, and had settled his affairs far enough into the future that he had lost awareness of the time.

“You’re early tonight,” she commented, fanning her heavy bosom vigorously with a faded lace fan.

“Impatient.” He gave her a smile and took a step forward, assuming she would move. The dryness in his mouth was irritating, the shake in his hands increasing.

Madame Conti didn’t move, which annoyed him. Moreover, she placed one fleshy hand on his chest and stopped any progress he might have made. “Anne isn’t ready for you yet, Mr. Thiroux.”

Gabriel despised the use of his false name. But he disliked being made to wait even more. Staying away for twelve hours of daylight was becoming more and more of a struggle for him. “I do not care. Whatever she is doing can be done in my presence.”

“In all certainty. But I’m guessin’ you don’t want to see it.”

Gabriel stared at Madame Conti, nee Ginny Black, and narrowed his eyes. A former prostitute who had invested wisely, Madame was a shrewd businesswoman, with a mixed vocabulary, acute intelligence, and a devious mind. She didn’t miss an opportunity to make money.

“What might I see?” Though he already had a suspicion, and it did not please him.

“Her toilette.”

It was an innocuous remark, but Madame tipped her hand by shifting slightly in front of him again. Rage lit through him, clashing with the craving for his drink and pipe, and sent heat rushing into his face. “She’s with another man, isn’t she?”

There was no response, which was as telling as an admission. Gabriel brushed past her and pounded up the steps, down the hall, and shoved open the door to Anne’s room. What he saw made his stomach twist in an unpleasant knot. Anne was beneath a man, her slim pale legs spread. A broad shouldered man with black hair was mounting her with noisy enthusiasm. Gabriel couldn’t see Anne’s face, but she was giving encouraging mewling sounds. His sounds. They belonged to him.

Madame slid to a stop behind him. “It’s just business,” she said. “No sense letting her laze around all day.”

“Dispense with him or I will,” Gabriel told her. He wasn’t exactly sure why he was so angry, but Anne was his. She and his opium and absinthe were all intertwined in his mind, and he loved his pipe and his drink, loved the pleasure she gave him while his mind sharpened and his body floated, while he stretched and strained to achieve an escape from mortality.

Stepping into the hall, Gabriel wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead, struggling to ignore the pervasive nausea clawing at his innards. He knew his human body was addicted to the alcohol, the opium, and the absinthe, and he felt no remorse for that, just merely resented the inconvenient symptoms of withdrawal. Leaning against the wall, he waited. It was a mere jaw-locking, bile-producing three minutes later that a man brushed past him, cursing while Madame offered him three girls in compensation for the one he’d lost.

Gabriel didn’t even glance at the man, that irritated, whining voice familiar, yet not enough for him to care, to look up, to connect the pieces that floated around his agonized, sloshing brain. He was amazed that Madame had carried out his demand to get rid of Anne’s unexpected client, but then again, Gabriel spent an obscene amount of money in her establishment monthly. He was a preferred client.

Anne appeared at the door, clad in a dressing gown, rich auburn hair spilling over her shoulders, green eyes wide and full of tears. “Are you angry with me?” she asked, voice trembling, anxiety palpable. “Madame said it was what you wanted, that you wished to watch, but I didn’t know it was…”

Anger was a pale description for the depth of what he felt, but he found it wasn’t directed at Anne. She was a simple woman, and she had always aspired to please him. Madame was manipulative, and Anne not bright enough to see her obvious lies. It startled him to recognize he retained such a well of compassion.

Yet he still was disgusted at what he had seen, so he cut her off by saying roughly, “Just get my drink.” He pushed past her, stripping off his coat and tossing it on the chair at her vanity table.

The sight of the rumpled bedcovers increased his fury. The night was ruined, tainted, the idea of stepping in and escaping gone, replaced by the ugly and brutal reality that escape was ever elusive. He had thought perhaps tonight he’d sketch after he drank, was feeling a pleasing tug of creativity, but it was all shattered by the sheets, soft and yellow with age, disheveled and stained.

Reaching over, he tore the sheets completely off, and tossed them in the corner of the room. Mouth dry, he undid his shirt collar, and sat in his chair, sighing. He felt tired all the time, his human body protesting the abuse he rendered it. His tray was next to him- pipe, glass, spoon all waiting. The bottle. Gabriel unstopped it, poured it into the tumbler until it was half full, and reached for his spoon, the sugar already carefully resting in its well. The shaking in his hands had stopped, and he focused with total clarity on the task, body tingling with anticipation, heart beating faster. When he poured water over the spoon, the liquid in the glass below kicked up a deliciously beautiful cloud, and he watched it, appreciating the swirls and ebb and flow as the absinthe turned a milky white. While it stirred and mixed and mesmerized, he struck a match and lit his pipe. The opium took him down into a relaxing languor, the absinthe pulled him back up into sparkling awareness. Together the two gave him a shade shy of bliss. Between draws on his pipe, the first glass went back smoothly, settling into his limbs and easing the ache. The second he drank just as fast, and by the time he was pouring and stirring the third, a cloud of smoke rising around him, blurring his vision and his brain, he remembered Anne, and beckoned her to him.

She went on to her knees in front of him, undoing his trousers, and stroking his bare flesh as he relaxed back, eyes closed, glass in hand. He sipped and reached, seeking the sharpness of mind, the sense of confidence, of clarity, the absinthe brought. It was ironic that escape could be achieved by such pure and clear thinking. Gabriel felt more intelligent when he was in the bottle, more rational, more decisive. Perhaps the night could satisfy him after all.

Anne was caressing him with her hands, the tip of her tongue, the moist inside of her mouth, and the pleasure was acute, bright and crystallized, right. Opium, absinthe, and Anne, and he was almost out of his mortality, could almost reach the pinnacle of perfection that he had known as an angel.

Except that he was not in heaven, nor in the presence of God, but sitting in a rickety chair in a dingy room on Dauphine Street, one of the many such rooms around New Orleans, where sex was bought, and hungers of all sort satisfied for a mere sixteen cents. He should have been ashamed that he had descended into such depths of depravity, but he no longer cared. All that mattered was that medicinal ecstasy rushing through his veins, that pulsing in his head, that throbbing intensity that Anne’s tongue and fingers drew out from his groin as she licked and sucked on his flesh.

All that pleasure, all that shattering desire coalescing into rigidity, an acute sense of self, and the need to take, to own, to feel everything, yet nothing, to be utterly in control, yet surrender, surged up in Gabriel, and he accepted the physical release. His human body let go of its messy brand of satisfaction into Anne’s mouth, and he closed his eyes, sank back, went up, then down, embracing the darkness, the incoherency, the oblivion.

When he pried his lids back open, he had no idea how much time had passed, but the candle on the night stand had burned out, the bottle was empty, and Anne was sleeping in her bed. His mouth was dry and he reached for his glass and tossed back whatever drops of diluted absinthe were still clinging to the bottom of the cloudy glass. There was a sour smell in the room, but Gabriel ignored it, knowing a foul odor was not out of place in The House of Rest.

He was relaxed, still floating, his vision sharp and clear, tumbling over the familiar hulks of furniture in the room despite the dark, and he enjoyed the vision of Anne lying in bed, one arm above her head, the other carelessly abandoned at her side. Most of her figure was in shadow, but the free arm was milky white, caught in a pool of moonlight bursting through the slats of the broken shutters on the window. That elegant limb beckoned to Gabriel, made him struggle to reach the paper and pencil he kept next to his chair, at the ready in case he felt the urge to sketch. He hadn’t, not in months, but Anne At Rest spoke to him, and he moved his pencil quickly, capturing the bed, the hidden figure, the beautiful, illuminated arm.

Standing up, he stretched his stiff, weak body, ignoring that all too familiar nausea, and walked towards his lover. She was a good girl, Anne, with none of the brashness of many common whores, and she did a fine job of tolerating him. Some nights he even suspected she felt love, such as she was capable of, for him. He read it in her anxiety, her eagerness, that desperate desire to please. In return he felt something like gratitude. Now he simply wanted to capture her features, her expression, see and appreciate how her lovely worrisome face relaxed into innocence in her sleep.

Still two feet from the bed, Gabriel’s boot heel slipped on the floor and he cursed, nearly going down before grabbing the bedpost for balance. Glancing to see what had halted his progress, he saw a dark spot on the floor, raised like a puddle. Unsure what it was, he shifted forward, his hand sliding along the side of the mattress as he leaned for a better look. There was dampness beneath his fingers, and he realized the puddle appeared to be originating from the bed, a stained trail descending from the sheet to drip upon the floor.

Head snapping up, mouth hot, room spinning from the alcohol, Gabriel rushed his gaze past Anne’s perfect arm and hand, to her face.

Or where her face should have been.

Unrecognizable, covered in blood, Anne was lacerated from hairline to waist with multiple stab wounds, a bowie knife placed mockingly in her other hand, her chemise and huge areas of her flesh shredded.

She was dead.

Bile rose in his throat, and he turned and spilled the contents of his stomach on the floor beside that dark circular stain of her life’s blood, his heart racing, his mind registering a rapid succession of shock, horror, regret, fear. Anne had just been alive, warm and anxiously eager to please him. Now she was irrefutably and grotesquely dead.

Slashed to bloody bits while he floated in a pleasure cloud of drugs.

While he could never die, she had viciously been yanked from this mortal coil, and for him there would be no escape.

Ever.

Finn’s review of High Stakes (Vegas Vampires, Book 1) by Erin McCarthy
Paranormal romance released 1 Aug 06 by Berkley

High Stakes is a bitingly (snort) fun vampire love story. Alexis is a Clark County prosecutor bent on protecting her naïve little sister from casino owner Ethan. Problem is Alexis is intrigued by Ethan, who claims to be a vampire, and not just any vampire but the President of all the registered vampire voters.

This story was very funny and quick-witted. If you are a gal that can turn any phrase into a sexual innuendo then you are going to like Alexis. Strong, independent, and a really smart woman who can kick a guy’s ass with her Korean equivalent of a black belt, Alexis is a no nonsense kind of lady. Ethan is a strong man, but by no means pushy, who is floored when Alexis doesn’t fall at his feet in rapture of his manly physique. He finds ‘sweet and sugary’ boring and goes after feisty Alexis with teeth bared (snort) knowing she’ll spice up his staid vampire years. It’s fun to watch these two spar with each other and fall in love at the same time. Competition is part of their foreplay and makes for some hot love scenes.

McCarthy has also set up an excellent cast of sub-characters. She tantalizes you enough with their stories to keep you anticipating the next installment in her Tales of Vegas Vampires.  Book 4, Sucker Bet, was released this month.

Grade: A

Backcover copy:

He’s a bloodsucking freak of nature. But, unlike other politicians, Ethan Carrick is actually a nice guy. Not to mention a very hot, wealthy, casino-owning vampire. It’s an election year for vampires, which means he’ll first have to escape his opponent’s hit men. Then he’ll have to find a suitable First Lady, preferably here in Vegas.

Brittany Baldizzi fits the bill. She’s smart, pretty- and sweeter than a glass of diabetic O-Negative. But her protective sister Alexis steps in with a message for Ethan: Bite me. It’s then that he realizes it’s the sexy, no-nonsense Alexis who raises his stake. And as much as she denies it, Alexis wouldn’t mind a romp in the coffin with him. But can a mere mortal, even one who risks her life for him, make a centuries-old, womanizing vampire feel something entirely new?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Alicia’s review of An Enchanted Season by Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, and Jean Johnson
Paranormal romance anthology published 02 Oct 2007 by Berkley Trade

Melting Frosty by Maggie Shayne

This story shows what happens when opposites collide. Matthew has hated Christmas ever since his father died, while Holly has embraced the holiday season more than ever since losing her whole family just before Christmas. Can these two apparently mismatched souls ever find love together? A certain black hat seems to think so….

Holly is sweetness and light as Sybil would say. *G* Matthew is a true scrooge. Maybe I’m just sappy-happy now but this story was so sweet! I loved the happy “Magic of Christmas” feel to it.

Grade: B+

Charlotte’s Web by Erin McCarthy

This story has three sisters who have been told by family that they are witches. The heroine doesn’t want to be a witch, she just wants to be normal. Her sisters pressure her to try casting a spell to attract her secret love who is also her best friend.

The witch aspect is secondary to the romance. The characters were appealing and the story was fun. The seventeen year old sister was a bit too sexually aggressive for my taste, but that’s me.

Grade B-

Beat of Temptation by Nalini Singh (excerpt)

This story is part of her Psy-Changeling series.  Tamsyn Mahaire is the Healer of the DarkRiver pack, an unusually high position for one so young. The mating bond between Tamsyn and Nate Ryder snapped into place when Tamsyn was only fifteen years old. Now, at age nineteen, Tamsyn is ready to claim Nate for her own… or lose him forever.

I read this book for this story. I actually read it before I read Mine to Possess then came back to the rest of this book. While lighter than her full-length titles, Beat of Temptation is still classic Nalini Singh. The characters were consistent and the story drew me along. Nate went too far but that was the point Tamsyn was trying to make. Not to be missed for any Psy-Changeling fan.

Grade: B+

Gifts of the Magi by Jean Johnson (excerpt)

This story concludes this anthology. Steve Bethel and his fiancé, Rachel Rutherford, are trying to make a living from the Bethel Inn. A freak blizzard has led to cancellations of all of their scheduled guests, leaving a mortgage they can’t pay to their miserly banker. However, unexpected visitors have arrived and miracles will be in store this
Christmas.

This story was the weakest in the book. It read more like women’s fiction than a romance. I got the point but it was way before the story actually ended. The love scenes were sweet, showing the couple were solid and in love (not hot) but they felt like they could have easily been left out. I would have enjoyed more it if it were about a third of the length it was.

Grade: C-

Composite grade: B-
Blurb:

It’s the time of year when dreams come true, miracles happen every day, and love is the greatest gift of all…

The holidays always seem to bring out the best in everyone, with heartfelt hugs for long-missed friends, sincere smiles in the spirit of the season, and a feeling of magic in the air.

Here, for the first time, is a collection of paranormal romances celebrating the holidays as never before. From a shape-shifting leopardess who wants a packmate to be her soulmate to a snowstorm that brings a surprise gift, these all-new tales by Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, and Jean Johnson will stir your spirit in all the right places.

An Enchanted Season by Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, Jean Johnson
Releases Oct 2

Give readers a gift-new stories from a bestselling lineup of romance authors.

It’s the time of year when dreams come true, miracles happen every day, and love is the greatest gift of all…

The holidays always seem to bring out the best in everyone, with heartfelt hugs for long-missed friends, sincere smiles in the spirit of the season, and a feeling of magic in the air.

Here, for the first time, is a collection of paranormal romances celebrating the holidays as never before. From a shape-shifting leopardess who wants a packmate to be her soulmate to a snowstorm that brings a surprise gift, these all-new tales by Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, and Jean Johnson will stir your spirit in all the right places.

Melting Frosty by Maggie Shayne:

For Matt, Christmas has aroused painful memories ever since his father died, leaving his family all but destitute and Matt with far too much responsibility too soon. Holly lost her family in a tragedy but found solace and strength in the holidays her family loved so much. So when Matt and Holly cross paths, it’s more than fate it’s a chance for both of them to find the one perfect gift they have both searched for all their lives…

Charlotte’s Web by Erin McCarthy

For the longest time, Charlotte Murphy has burned for Will Thornton. But as far as Charlotte can tell, Will sees her only as a friend. Tired of waiting for Will to recognize her as the sexy, wanton woman she truly is, Charlotte decides to fall back on her genes – and embrace the witch within her. Her newfound powers offer a tempting way to get what she wants out of who she wants. But does she really want a man like Will to love her because of witchcraft – or because he wants to?

Beat of Temptation
Young Tamsyn has always held a special place in her heart for her powerful fellow pack-member Nate. But as a dominant male leopard in the pack, the more experienced Nate doesn’t want to trap Tamsyn into the fierce demands of the mating bonda bond driven by the animal within—when she’s hardly had the chance to grow into a woman. But Tamsyn knows what she wants for Christmas, and she’s going to get it…

EXCERPT

Gifts of the Magi
Steve Bethel and his fiance Rachel could use a few miracles right about now; the family bed-and-breakfast is mortgaged to the hilt, the biggest blizzard in half a century is ruining the shortest day of the year, the local bank manager is a stickler for bills being paid on time, and their guests are canceling right and left. But when three strangers show up at what seems like the darkest hour, looking for a place to stay for the holidays, the simple gifts of peace, knowledge, and comfort seem to be just the miracles they need.
EXCERPT

Have no idea if these stand alone. But I have just started the book, which kicks off with Melting Frosty a feel good holiday tale where four people are dead so far and I am not through the second chapter! Let me me tell ya, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

I so meant to use my icon today! A Texas Bad Boy author must include a BRAIN in a cowboy hat post!

Since I forgot to mention it… do go visit Dianne at VAMPS AND SCAMPS where she can be found blogging with ERIN MCCARTHY and KAREN KELLEY (guest author day aug 31)! And future guest authors to be (as soon as I talk them into it) Shiloh Walker and Lucy Monroe.

review

excerpts 1 and excerpt 2

If you haven’t checked Erin McCarthy books out yet you really need too!

Let’s give away a Bad Boys pack…

a copy of each of the Bad Boy books I’ve been in:

Bad Boys Online,

Bad Boys In Black Tie,

Bad Boys Over Easy,

When Good Things Happen To Bad Boys,

Bad Boys of Summer!

To enter respond to any post dated Thursday August 10. The winner will be randomly drawn on August 11 at midnight. And posted on August 12!!!!

Congrats Jennifer Y.

Bad Boys Online was a book I picked up because it was at the ubs when I went to get Smart Mouth.

Oddly enough I ended up reading BBO first. It was an ok anthology, I would grade it a C. It is the second anthology I have read where all the stories are by the same author (Under Cover by Maryjanice Davidson was the first and it was better).

Hard Drive was uh hard for me to believe because I can’t see anyone reading dirty cybersexish emails at work. They track that shit! And where it is fiction and you need a suspension of belief and all that jazz, I never got past that point. And there is the whole I can prove real life sex is better than cyber sex (duh) idea, which I didn’t have a hard time with. BUT he wanted to use the emails to prove it. And well I just thought the idea of taking one mans ideas and performing them as icky.

User Friendly involved a site being hacked. And the whole time it never dawned on the really smart computer guy to take the site off line while he figured out how to fix it and seduce the chick. I like the friends to lovers theme and the story is better than HD but still just eh.

Press Any Key had a funny idea of the boss setting up co workers to do an online team building type seminar and screwing up by signing them up for a couple’s seminar. Cute idea, could have been done better.

All in all for a first book it was a cute read, you just had to take out your brain before you started it.

Smart Mouth I liked much more. Reese Hampton rides a little too close to being a selfish bitch at times but the humor and her fear saves her. That and I think she is really don’t see the things she is doing as selfish until the end, and then once she doesn’t she owns it. So I can get past it.

Derek gets a lil close to being a wuss but you forgive him. And the sister is amusing. The relationships we get to see between the sisters and brothers (derek and his sister and Reese and her two brothers) are brief but great. It makes you wonder if anymore books will be coming but I didn’t see a mention of sequels at her site.

Erin McCarthy is a brava author. She has the humor, hot sex and quick writing that makes an enjoyable book. She isn’t Maryjanice Davidson and I am trading both of these back in but I enjoyed SM enough to want to read Houston, We Have a Problem.