Sandy M’s review of Going Cowboy Crazy (Deep in the Heart of Texas, Book 1) by Katie Lane
Contemporary Western Romance published by Forever 1 May 11

What a fun read this is. It’s been a long drought since the last really good cowboy book I’ve read, so I’m very pleasantly surprised with this one. I love the humor, which is something quite difficult for a lot of authors to get down pat. But Katie Lane has no problem at all in that area. She also gives readers a bit of a different storyline involving twins and one sexy cowboy. At least it’s different for this reader.

Faith Aldridge has just found out at her mother’s deathbed that Faith is a twin. What the hell is up with that? So she takes care of the funeral, mourns amid the chaotic thoughts now rushing through her head, and then takes off for parts unknown in Texas to find her sister, the only family she truly has now. What makes this trek so much fun for the reader is that Faith has never been anywhere near anything country. She’s probably never even heard a country song on the radio. And now she’s hip deep in everything those songs talk about – monster trucks with waving, flapping flags, small-town mentality, and the sexiest cowboy she’s ever seen. Probably the only one too.

Football coach Slade Calhoun is trying his best to bring his team up to snuff to win the championship. If they lose again for the umpteenth time, Slade is likely out of a job. So his plan is to keep his nose to the grindstone, but those plans grind to a halt when he comes face to face with Hope, his best friend who ran off to Hollywood and has barely kept in touch. But something isn’t quite right with Hope. She’s never been one to sit back and keep her mouth shut at the townsfolks’ teasing or a perceived slight. This Hope also dresses very differently than before. A body can’t change that much in California, can it?

But when Hope’s secret is revealed, Slade realizes he never got anywhere close to the truth in his imaginings. Hope has a twin sister? Wonder what her parents have to say about that, when they find out Faith is in town. And how is it he looks at her and feels about her much more than he ever did for his childhood friend? Doesn’t matter. All that does is kissing her and making love to her, if she’ll let him. And this is where I had to laugh at Slade. He’s a man’s man, wants in Faith’s pants every minute of every day, and he freely admits it. No subterfuge or lies coming from this cowboy. His antics are funny, but they’re also sweet, especially when he backs down because Faith isn’t ready to move so fast.

Then when the town gets involved in the relationship, they begin to plan a wedding – between Slade and Hope, even after it’s explained that Faith isn’t Hope. These people hear, see, and believe exactly what they want and there’s no talking them out of it. Small town to the core. So you can imagine the hilarity going on page after page with these folks running around half-cocked. And Faith’s ignorance of anything western keeps you laughing too. Even dogs are a conundrum to her, and Slade’s poor pooch bears the brunt of that. I’m giggling now remembering what she does to the creature! That’s what being raised as an only child of big-city, staid parents will do for you.

Eventually Faith finds out her biological parents still live in Bramble. She’s shocked, confused, angry. As well as Ms. Lane gives readers laughs, she’s just as good at those emotions too. You feel for Faith, the one given up, the one who never knew, the one who’s life is different from what it could have been. Then there’s acceptance, understanding, and longing. Faith goes through it all. And then guess what??? Hope comes home! Now all hell is really about to break loose. At least Hope’s as blindsided by Faith as much as Faith has been blindsided by practically everything since she set foot in Bramble.

In and around all of this, Slade and Faith steam up the pages of this book quite fiercely. They both have their demons to overcome, neither wanting a long-term relationship at first, and it’s Faith, the woman in her, who begins to think twice about that. With a little help from her new friends in town. All of whom are hilarious in their own right. Slade is forced to look at how he interacts with his team, making him realize the reason for so many losing seasons. Faith has to come to grips with a large family, some of whom aren’t that happy she’s around, and her growing love for Slade. When it all falls apart, she reverts to the old Faith, the one who runs from confrontation and hurt. And Slade lets her go.

I’m glad to have found Katie Lane. There’s not enough westerns out there, light-hearted or not, so she’s a wonderful discovery. I’m hoping to get my hands on the second book, Make Mine a Bad Boy, after getting set up for it in a terrific way at the end of this book, and anticipate Catch Me a Cowboy in the spring of next year.

Come to Bramble, where the cowboys are sexy and fun!

Grade: B+

Summary:

Faith Aldridge wants answers. Bramble, Texas, is the only place she can find them . . . as well as Hope, the identical twin sister she never knew she had. But the townsfolk reckon that shy city-girl Faith is really her long-lost sister Hope, back in Bramble at last. And they’re fixin’ to do whatever it takes to heat things up between her and Hope’s long-time flame, Slate Calhoun. If that means rustling her car, spreading rumors like wildfire, and reining in some explosive secrets, well, there’s no way like the Lone Star way . . .

But Slate’s no fool. The woman in his truck may look like Hope, yet the way she feels in his arms is altogether new. He’s determined to keep this twin in his bed and out of his heart. Trouble is, the real Hope is headed home, and she’s got her own designs on Slate. If Faith wants to avoid heartbreak, she’ll have to show a certain ruggedly handsome cowboy that this crazy-impossible love is worth fighting for.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Don’t Mess with Texas by Christie Craig
Contemporary Romance published by Forever 1 Sep 11

I always have the best time when I read a Christie Craig book. I constantly smile, sometimes laugh, and usually sigh quite a bit over her heroes. In this new trilogy she’s given us three very drool-worthy men who have been betrayed, nearly lost everything, and are now doing what it takes to help people who find themselves in the same predicament they were in at one time, when those who should have stood by them instead turned their backs and left innocent men to suffer dire consequences. You can just imagine what kind of scars that left on our gentlemen.

Nikki is contemplating getting back together with her cheating ex-husband. She needs financial help, you see. Otherwise, there’s no reason for her to give up her current life to go back to the old one that didn’t work for the longest time. But she’s promised her grandmother she’ll have cable in her room at the seniors’ home. So Nikki is meeting the ex for dinner to talk. Thank goodness on seeing him she realizes she can’t go through with her crazy idea. However, she’s determined to get a meal out of it. Things never progress past their first few words to one another and Nikki stealing a shrimp from Jack’s plate, because Jack is in the middle of a phone call that doesn’t sound good at all. He walks out of the restaurant to finish his call, leaving Nikki to pick up the check. Pissed and ready to kill the jerk, what she’s not ready for is finding him really and truly dead. In her trunk.

Taking on cases in which he and his partners, all of them ex-cops, just know the suspect is innocent is how Dallas, Austin, and Tyler make sure others don’t spend time in jail wrongly accused of a crime. Sixteen months behind bars is no picnic, and if they can stop that from happening to someone else, they’ll do whatever they have to to keep injustice at bay. Nikki is now one of those people, and Dallas is immediately taken with this woman who barfs all over him. Twice. And the laughs begin. If you’ve not read a Christie Craig book before, you’re in for a delightful time on top of the mystery of who killed the ex and the fun times in the bedroom.

Though Dallas’ brother, Tony, the cop, keeps looking at Nikki as his prime suspect, despite Dallas’ involvement in the case and with her. And speaking of Tony, we get a lovely secondary romance with him and his estranged wife, LeAnn. They’ve suffered a horrendous loss which drove them apart, and Tony’s tired of LeAnn still pushing him away. So he takes his homecoming into his own hands, moves back home, and drives the woman crazy with his sexy antics. But LeAnn gives as good as she gets, turning the tables on Tony quite nicely. There are other secondary characters who are loads of fun too: Nikki’s grandmother and the old-timers running around in their Annie Oakley get-ups, and even Bud the bulldog, who loves his coffin for sleeping, gets into the picture, falling in love with Nikki too. He’s not as slow as Dallas. Good dog.

Dallas has his reasons, though, for being slow. He’s kept the ladies at bay after some lovin’ and he likes it that way. Though since he’s met Nikki, he’s not sure why. And he’s not sure about the feelings that have cropped up whenever he’s near her. Nikki does acknowledge her growing feelings for Dallas to herself at least, knowing it’s best to leave now and not let things go any further, especially when the man concentrates on the here and now and not the future. But every time Dallas looks at her, touches her, kisses her, everything else falls away and he talks her into one more day.

The dialogue is snappy and fast, so pay attention. Everyone gets into the fray at one point or another, free-for-alls that are hilarious. We get to know Austin and Tyler a little, and I enjoyed their relationship with Dallas. Going through their unjust incarceration, losing the support of those who should have stood behind them, well, it definitely brought them together in more ways than one, and I’m looking forward to their books.

I thought twice about not mentioning the stupid and frivolous lawsuit the Texas Department of Transportation brought against Ms. Craig for an injunction to stop this book’s release, claiming the title infringes on their logo for their anti-litter program. But, nah, their overzealousness and overreaction (“The book,” TxDOT’s suit says, “contains numerous graphic references to sexual acts, states of sexual arousal, etc.” Please!) has been the best advertising on the planet for Don’t Mess with Texas. As a retired court reporter, I’m glad the judge is one with good sense to see the case had no merit. You don’t always see that in the legal system, which plays into the pages of this book so nicely. So if you’ve just thought about buying DMwT and haven’t yet done so, get out there and pick it up now. You’ll have a great time reading, you’ll be supporting one of the genre’s best authors, all the while sticking your tongue out at injustice of all forms. Never thought you could contribute so much by being a romance reader, huh?

Grade: B+

Summary:

Nikki Hunt thought her night couldn’t get worse when her no-good, cheating ex ditched her at dinner, sticking her with the bill. Then she found his body stuffed in the trunk of her car and lost her two-hundred-dollar meal all over his three-thousand-dollar suit. Now not only is Nikki nearly broke, she’s a murder suspect.

Former cop turned PI, Dallas O’Connor knows what it’s like to be unjustly accused. But one look at the sexy-though skittish-suspect tells him she couldn’t hurt anyone. The lead detective, Dallas’s own brother, has the wrong woman and Dallas hopes a little late-night “undercover” work will help him prove it . . .

Read an excerpt.

Laura C’s review of Black Ties and Lullabies by Jane Graves
Contemporary Romance published by Forever 1 Jul 11

Bernadette Hogan is responsible. Responsible for everything and everyone. Former military, she has become a bodyguard and has been making good money for a couple of years protecting millionaire playboy Jeremy Bridges. She sticks out the job even though she finds Bridges annoying because the pay is good and her mother’s Alzheimer’s is slowly destroying her, and Bernie knows before long she’ll be paying someone to take care of her.

One night, annoyance turns to anger turns to attraction, and Bernie and Jeremy have sex. Bernie quits, resolving to stay away from him forever. Unfortunately, her resolution is short-lived as she finds out she’s pregnant. Still, she decides she will raise the child away from Jeremy’s bad influence. She just needs to get him to agree….

Baby-as-matchmaker is not my favorite plot device. Graves handles it well, but I still didn’t like this book nearly as well as Hot Wheels and High Heels or Tall Tales and Wedding Veils. The relationship between Jeremy and Bernie is predicated on the baby, and the vast majority of the conflict is external. Bernie is attracted to Jeremy but hates his lifestyle and the fact that he appears to be a complete jerk. Jeremy is attracted to Bernie but is not self-aware enough to figure out why. Jeremy changes in ways that make it acceptable for Bernie to love him. She doesn’t change at all.

Luckily, the thin plot and lack of emotional tension between the leads is saved by the other relationships and Graves’ trademark sense of humor. The book reads easily and quickly, and there are even a few laugh-out-loud moments. For example, this description of Bernie’s coworker:

Lawanda dropped a Subway sack on the desk, clunked her tote bag down beside it, and set a small cooler on the floor. She wore a lime-green baby-doll top with layers of sequin-lined ruffles, a pair of jeans, astronomical green pumps, and silver hoop earrings so huge they grazed her shoulders. False eyelashes stuck out approximately a foot in front of her face, and her cherry-red lipstick glowed by the light of the security monitors. Lawanda’s sense of style entered a room before she did. And because she was a plus-size woman, it filled every molecule of space once it was there.

Bernie’s concern and care for her mother add a touch of seriousness and sweetness and allow the characters to show new sides.

All in all, this is a fun, light book without the dark angst so many romances present. Great for the pool, but a little light on content.

Grade: B-

Summary:

A good girl can be bad for one night . . .

Bernadette Hogan doesn’t make mistakes. Not when it comes to caring for her mother, and not at her job protecting Texas’s most eligible—and infuriating—bachelor. Maybe that’s why she’s overcome with guilt after one tiny indiscretion: a passionate fling with her boss that’s left her confused, intrigued . . . and pregnant.

but can a bad boy be good for a lifetime?
To self-made millionaire Jeremy Bridges, women are like fine wine: if held for too long, they sour. But one wild night with Bernadette changed all that. She makes him laugh, she makes him think, and soon she’s going to make him a father. For the first time, Jeremy wants to be a one-woman man. So how can he convince the fiercely independent Bernadette he’s ready to change from partying playboy to dependable dad—and become the loving husband she deserves?

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Tempted by Fate (The Guardians of Destiny, Book 3) by Kate Perry
Paranormal Romance published by Forever 1 Dec 10

I really enjoy the concept behind the Guardians in this series, each controlling an element as dictated in ancient Chinese scrolls that have been hidden away for centuries to keep their powers out of the wrong hands. This time it’s the Guardian of the Book of Wood who is the recipient of Ms. Perry’s awesome imagination.

Willow has been after the Bad Man for twenty years, ever since he murdered her mother. They’ve played cat and mouse with each other over the years and Willow is ready to end the game. But the Bad Man is also stepping up his part. Trying to frame Willow for murder is his latest scheme.

Using her powers, she’s also staying a step ahead of Detective Ricardo Ramirez, who’s investigating the murders. Though he’s a practical man, having been raised by his grandmother, who has a few powers of her own, has given Ramirez a different perspective on what he experiences when near Willow. It doesn’t, however, help with the lust that runs through him when he interacts with the woman. He doesn’t need any help, though. Ramirez is all man, as Willow finds out.

It takes a bit for Willow to open up to trust Ramirez. Her mother had warned not to trust anyone, due to her experience with the Bad Man. But Willow reacts to Ramirez in the same he reacts to her. They’re cautious around each other, but when they share a few initial kisses, you can’t help but know the pages will smolder and burn in your hands when these two get around to making love.

This Bad Man is one of those truly evil villains you just love to hate. Cold and calculating, all he wants is power. He’ll do anything to get it, as we see early on in the story, but we hope he might have a modicum of decency when it comes to Willow.

I like the conflict Ramirez has to go through – arrest Willow or trust her. He’s a by-the-book, black-and-white man and Willow is all shades of gray. Willow has to decide what to do with her trust issues too, of course. When they meet in the middle, so to speak, and team up with previous Guardians and their mates, it’s just a matter of time before the Bad Man goes down. Secrets have to be revealed, however, and hearts and minds have to deal with the fallout.

This is turning out to be quite a fascinating series by Ms. Perry. The Guardians know one another just by being near each other, their powers reaching out, identifying who each is. And when the end comes in the series, it’s going to be awesome. All of the Guardians are being herded to San Francisco for a reason. Now we just have to be patient to find out what that reason is.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Willow Tarata is a Guardian who trusts no one. She hunts those who prey on the vulnerable. And she’s driven by a vengeful goal-find the man who murdered her mother. Yet suddenly Willow’s quarry now has her on the run… straight into the sights of San Francisco’s most dangerous detective.

Three bizarre murders have Inspector Rick Ramirez baffled-and determined to uncover the truth. But to catch the real killer, he needs the help of his prime suspect, Willow Tarata, even though this fierce and sexy blonde is challenging his professional cool.

And now, unless they believe in each other and trust their deepest instincts, a relentless evil will end both Willow’s and Rick’s life-and claim this Guardian’s extraordinary powers forever…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Shut Up & Kiss Me by Christie Craig
Contemporary Romance published by Lovespell 25 May 10

Where most authors pull me into a story with a tortured hero or a tragic heroine, Christie Craig reels me in with humor. In SU&KM, it’s the hero, when he grins and winks at the heroine during one of those you’ve-got-to-be-kidding moments, who had me laughing and grinning too and who let me know I was in for a terrific read.

Shala has been hired by Precious, Texas to do her magic to get the quaint Native American town hopping again, so it doesn’t end up a ghost town. Knowing tourism is the way to go, she’s been snapping pics in the few days she’s been there. At an official powwow, however, her camera is confiscated when one of the dancers thinks she snapped a photo, which is expressly forbidden. Ticked off and ready for a fight to get her equipment back, Shala tracks down the would-be thief at his home, where nothing goes her way.

Determined to uphold the letter of the law, Sky Gomez is holding Shala’s Nikon hostage for the maximum sentence possible, despite the woman intriguing the hell out of him in the way she scoured the town to find him. She’s now threatening to call the police, but he knows for a fact the local sheriff is off duty. Makes no never-mind to Shala as she dials 911. This is when Sky sends Shala that  incredulous grin and wink.

And I laughed out loud when his phone rings and he’s talking to the police dispatcher as she has Shala on hold to contact the sheriff. Such a terrific beginning scene between these two, which leads to a lot more before the danger begins.

Not long after their banter escalates in fun and frequency, attempts that seem like accidents are made on Shala’s life and break-ins occur to gain access to her camera. Sky puts it all together that she must have something on film that someone doesn’t want revealed. Feelings also escalate as Sky and Shala work together to find out who and what’s behind these sudden murder attempts.

We also get a couple of side stories with Sky’s foster father and sister, both fun and touching as their relationships are interspersed with Sky and Shala’s. I enjoyed each of these characters, especially Jose. LOL, the poor man goes through hell coming back home. But those are some of the best and funniest scenes in the book.

I know with every Christie Craig book I’m going to be happy when I read it and that feeling stays with me for some time after I get through with it. As good as she is when it comes to weaving a mystery into her books, it’s her humor I look forward to. She’s never let me down once. So, come one, get happy, read a Christie Craig so I can say, “I told you so.”

Grade: A+

Summary:

WELCOME TO PRECIOUS, TEXAS…where fistfights serve as dinner theater and fire ants rain from the sky. The locals are usually very friendly, if a bit eccentric. No pictures please, or you may find yourself a guest of the county morgue.

Photojournalist Shala Winters already had her hands full bringing tourism to this backward, podunk little town, but her job just got tougher. Pictures can say a thousand words, and one of Shala’s is screaming bloody murder. Now she has to entrust a macho, infuriating lawman with her life—but she’ll never trust him with her heart.

Trusted or not, Sky Gomez isn’t about to let a killer get his hands on Shala’s Nikon—or any of her more comely assets, for that matter. Her mouth might move faster than a Piney Woods roadrunner, but all he can think about is how good it must taste…and how she’ll never escape true love.

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Sandy M’s review of A Touch of Scandal by Jennifer Haymore
Historical Romance published by Forever 1 Apr 10

I knew with Jennifer Haymore’s debut book, A Hint of Wicked, that I’d found myself a new autobuy author, and AToS, which picks up where AHoW leaves off, proves that I made the right decision. And best of all, I like this latest book even more than her first.

Of course, Garrett is a favorite since we met him in AHoW. Having lost the love of his life to his cousin, he sets off on a return journey to the woman he thinks might soothe his broken heart. But he doesn’t get quite that far before both his heart and his world are first taken to new heights and then shaken again to the core.

I really like Kate. She intrigued me from the moment she wants to leave her maid position early to get down to her secret lake where he has been bathing and lounging for the last week. Sly gal. She likes herself a little peek of the male form she’s not supposed to be ogling. But she can’t help herself, and this time she does get caught. Thank goodness it’s by Garrett.

Looking for the bastard who betrayed him, stole so many years of his life, and was the impetus for losing Sophie, Garrett is closing in on William Fisk. But a little side affair with a willing and beautiful woman just might be in order. However, Garrett is touched by Kate’s innocence as well as her eagerness and desire. They enjoy some time together before betrayal is upon him again.

Both Garrett and Kate are thrown together in a set of cruel circumstances. They don’t find out who each other is until it’s too late, their feelings and hearts are engaged. Finding out Kate is Fisk’s brother is a blow to Garrett. Being held in the family basement, he begins to see Kate’s dilemma, though, when she’s the one who takes care of him during his captivity.

I admire Kate’s loyalty to her family. But then after a bit I began to get a little ticked at her steadfastness to them when they didn’t deserve anything from her. It’s hard to imagine Kate coming from a bunch as the Fisks. At one point I did want to shake her and yell at her to wake up, smell the coffee and the roses, woman, leave those idiots behind and be happy with your man. Thank goodness she does see light. I just wish it had come sooner.

Just when you think things are settling down and these two will finally have some peace to get to know one another better, well, you get wumped up the side of the head for thinking that. There’s enough twists in this book to keep you guessing along the wrong lines for a long while.

We also get caught up with Tristan and Sophie from AHoW. We get to see how Garrett finally takes care of his people when given the chance and not ostracized for his past behavior. And, of course, there’s little sister Rebecca and her ill-conceived idea of love. Her book is next and I look forward to her finally finding some happiness.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The last thing Garrett, Duke of Calton, expects to find while tracking his sworn enemy is the delectable, mysterious Kate. This beautiful servant girl rouses a longing the battle-scarred ex-soldier had never hoped to feel again. But when she turns out to be the sister of the man he seeks, he’s convinced he’s been betrayed.

Kate knows her duty to her family, yet how can she ignore Garrett’s powerful pull on her heart? Or the heady temptation of his stolen-and sizzling-kisses? Scandal has followed the duke since the war. Now the greatest shock of all is on its way-the one that can separate Garrett and Kate forever.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Chosen by Desire (Guardians of Destiny, Book 2) by Kate Perry
Paranormal Romance published by Forever 1 Oct 09

This book has it all. Mysteries from the ancient past, a brooding, sexy, alpha hero, an intelligent and independent heroine, betrayal, danger, sizzling love scenes, and a lot more. I’m very glad I’ve discovered Kate Perry and her Guardians of Destiny series.

Besides all of that, this hero and heroine actually talk to one another, get their issues out in the open and deal with them. That’s so very refreshing.

Carrie is working on her thesis, and when she learns of information about the Scrolls of Destiny, she heads to China and the monastery where they’re housed. She means to only get a look at the scrolls to authenticate her paper that will give her tenure at UC Berkeley, but her plans go awry and she ends up leaving the monastery and the country with the scrolls. She vows to return them once her work is done, despite the monk who seems to know what she’s done though he doesn’t pursue her.

At least that’s what she thinks until she receives a job offer of translating another ancient text belonging to millionaire Maximillian Prescott. He’s the monk who watched her so intently in China. He’s also a Guardian, a man of few words, a man betrayed, and the handsomest and sexiest man she’s ever seen. Their attraction is immediate and neither of them can deny their need for the other.

Max is sent to Carrie to retrieve the scrolls and make sure she doesn’t make any of their sacred information public. He doesn’t expect to want her as fiercely as he does, especially considering how he’s been betrayed before by a woman and his best friend, his brother. After spending so many years in seclusion at the monastery, controlling his desire for this woman is very difficult, and once he touches her he knows he’ll never let her go.

I, of course, love Max. He’s as alpha as can be, has shut his heart away and definitely needs someone like Carrie to bring him to life again. Carrie is the typical woman who thinks she’s not beautiful, she’s chunky, she’s bookish, so no man like Max could want her, but she learns very quickly that isn’t true. I also enjoyed the mystery of the scrolls and the ensuing danger to Carrie once it’s known she has the ancient tomes. The culprit is a surprise and is revealed very late in the book, so you’re kept guessing quite a long time.

Liking this book so much, I’m determined to track down a copy of the first book in the series, whose characters are featured in CbD quite a bit and I like them a lot. I’m hoping this series goes on for a while. There is a third book coming, but couldn’t find any information beyond that on the author’s web site. Keeping my fingers crossed, though.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Carrie Woods just can’t resist temptation. To solve an ancient mystery, she “borrows” a precious, legend-cursed scroll from a Chinese monastery. But with the scroll comes danger: bizarre powers, life-threatening accidents, and, most frightening of all, one sexy Guardian’s icy-hot gaze.Maximillian Prescott is all too happy to strip this innocent-eyed thief of her secrets and the scroll, yet he’s determined to fight the undeniable attraction pulling them together.

But Max isn’t Carrie’s only pursuer, and there’s just one way to keep the scroll safe. This adventurous blonde and brooding Guardian must dare to join forces and bare their souls to each other. . . before their enemies take not only the scroll but Carrie’s life.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of To Sin with a Scoundrel (Circle of Sin, Book 1) by Cara Elliott
Historical Romance published by Forever 1 Mar 10

The first few chapters of this book are a little…..slow. There’s a lot of backstory and I kept waiting for things to begin.  I’m glad I didn’t give up because once the hero and heroine finally start truly interacting, sparks fly, danger rears its ugly head, and seduction is a sensual game the hero is an expert at. Our heroine didn’t stand chance. And neither did I once Lucas begins his lure into passion.

Being a widow has given Ciara a certain amount of freedom. She’s a lady of science, so her experiments and meetings with the ladies from their Circle of Sin are what she enjoys most. However, that also means she’s a woman alone, and she’s the mother of a very young earl and her in-laws use everything at their disposal to discredit Ciara to try to gain control of her son. And this is all after they did their best to have her convicted of the murder of her husband. On top of it all, she can do without men after what she went through with said deceased husband.

Lucas is a delicious rake, one who cares nothing for what Society thinks of him. He’s always immersed himself in pleasure, whether it be drink or women or just plain old trouble for the hell of it. The one soft spot he has is his old guardian, who has always been a father to him. Henry has discovered an ancient writing and feels it has some importance if only it can be deciphered. He asks Lucas to take the document to Ciara, who is known in scientific circles for her expertise.

Meeting the Wicked Widow is nothing like Lucas expected. He’s immediately drawn to her, which he can’t figure out. She wants nothing to do his brash self, but he wants more of her. What I love about Lucas is the way he slowly and sensually seduces Ciara. She’s never had a man pay any kind of sexual attention to her and she succumbs to his wickedness touch by touch, whisper by whisper. It’s gratifying to see her enjoy his loving when it finally happens.

The danger surrounding Ciara and her son escalates, and Lucas takes charge of their safety, whisking them away to Henry’s seaside home. Of course, the evil follows them, strikes at Ciara’s son, and Lucas will make sure he’s safe or die trying. That’s another part of Lucas I really enjoy, is his boyishness when he’s with the children, playing with them, covered in grass and dirt stains despite the displeasure his valet is sure to throw his way. Lucas may be a scoundrel, but he’s a charming one to the core. And Ciara is a woman who can’t resist him for long.

This is a nice start to the series. I’m looking forward to the next book, To Surrender to a Rogue. Jack and Allesandra have already started their rocky relationship in TSwaS, so it’s going to be interesting to see how they’re thrown together and how they survive each other. Talk about sparks flying. More fun in is on the way.

Grade: B

Summary:

A reclusive widow known for her scientific scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she poisoned her husband . . . A rakehell rogue notorious for his devil-may-care antics, Lucas Bingham, the Earl of Hadley is not accused of murdering anything—save for the rules of Polite Society. The only thing they have in common is seeing their names featured in the lurid gossip columns of London’s newspapers.

Until an ancient manuscript draws them together.

Ciara needs a titled fiancé to quell the slanderous speculations which may send her to the gallows. Lucas needs brilliant scholar to help his elderly uncle decipher the secrets of the mysterious manuscript. So when her friends urge her to accept the earl’s proposal of a temporary alliance, Ciara decides that she had no choice but to make a deal with the Devil.

And so begins a seductive dance of sinful pleasures and hidden desires as the two of them waltz through the mansions of Mayfair. Lies, intrigue, treachery, sex. They find themselves facing slanderous whispers, unscrupulous relatives—not to speak of their own simmering passions, which quickly ignite into dangerous flames. It’s a potent mix and the result may be explosive—and perhaps deadly—if they don’t watch their step.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Jordan (Pendragon Legacy, Book 3) by Susan Kearney
Paranormal romance published by Forever 1 Mar 10

You know how you always hold out hope that a trilogy you’ve come to love will perhaps turn out to be a much longer series? I’ve had that hope while reading the three books in the Pendragon Legacy. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, no matter how we wish differently. I’m just glad I got to go along for the wild ride.

We met Jordan in the second book of the series, Rion, though we didn’t know that for the longest time. But once he’s been reunited with his Ancient Staff that had been lost to him when his world was betrayed and destroyed centuries before, he now has some of his lost power back and we learn he’s a shapechanger and he’s also the legendary Merlin.

Vivianne is a self-made businesswoman and she’s financing the building of a state-of-the-art spacecraft to give humans an advantage in their fight against the Tribes, who are rumored to be on their way to Earth and bent on destruction. Jordan is the mastermind behind designing that state-of-the-art ship to help them find the Holy Grail, but Vivianne’s goal is to save Earth.

Misleading Vivianne just a tad, Jordan commandeers the ship, along with an untrained crew, and their journey into the unknown begins. After a few chapters of this space flight, I begin to think there’s a possibility the story might become a little boring. I mean, how much can really go on in such a confined space for such a long period of time? Don’t ask me why I was worried. Ms. Kearney does a terrific job of weaving in the unusual, the dangerous, the fearful, the lusty, and a few other things for good measure. I should have known better, especially when Jordan’s Ancient Staff throws its mojo at him and Vivianne, making them squirm with lust they can’t keep their hands off one another and then some. Just thinking about that initial love scene now gets me all hot and bothered.

Throughout the two previous books we’ve been given a very different, although the same, story of King Arthur and his Knights, and we finally get to meet the man, alive and well, in person. Ms. Kearney had me grinning when even Lancelot makes an appearance, no hard feelings at all with or toward Arthur. At this point, Jordan and Vivianne receive more clues to find the missing keys to bring the Ancient Staff to full power.

The only problem with doing that, however, is that bringing these ancient artifacts together will end Jordan’s life. Jordan is willing to give that ultimate sacrifice to have vengeance for his lost world, but as much as Vivianne wants to save Earth, she’s come to love Jordan and isn’t sure she can give the same sacrifice.

My only very slight disappointment is I wanted more of their dragons. As much as I’ve always loved the King Arthur legend, I love my dragons, and there is less of them in this book than the first two. But, hey, I got some great love scenes starting very early in the book, so while it’s not an even trade-off, it’s close. These characters sizzle in the bedroom, when they’re in it anyway. That first sex scene made me want to find the nearest spaceship. See, can’t get it out of mind now.

This has been a terrific trilogy. If you enjoy the Arthurian and Holy Grail legends, if you love dragons, if you can’t get enough of dangerously handsome and sexy heroes, and you like strong and sassy heroines, if you want something very different to read, you need to crack open these books. And having them just for the covers alone is fine by me. The first two are quite nice, but Jordan and his blue eyes and 5:00 scruff beats them both hands-down.

Grade: A+

Summary:

1600 years ago, Jordan was the sole survivor of a ruthless Tribe attack which annihilated his world. To stop the Tribes deadly galactic conquest from continuing, he followed the Tribes to Earth, assumed the name Merlin and assisted King Arthur and his Knights to save Earth. When Arthur died, Camelot fell and Jordan lost his Ancient Staff. Now, over 1000 years later, the Tribes are back and so is Jordan. He’s recovered his Ancient Staff and is again on the trail of the Holy Grail to save Earth and protect the galaxy.

Vivianne Blackstone is a lady with her own agenda. An American businesswoman, self-made billionaire and a fighter from the get-go, she’s confident, capable and a definite type A personality. One of Earth’s brightest and most loyal citizens, she vows to do her part to save the planet when she learns the Tribes are on the move again.

Jordan and Vivianne team up to save Earth and along the way they fall in love. But according to galactic legend, there’s only 1 way to defeat the Tribes: Uniting the Ancient Staff with the Holy Grail. There’s only one catch, Jordan cannot live without the Ancient Staff. To defeat the Tribes and save Earth, he must perish.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Pursuit by Elizabeth Jennings
Romantic Suspense published by Forever 1 Apr 08

When I originally learned that Lisa Marie Rice also writes as Elizabeth Jennings, I had to get my hands on one of her Jennings books. Pursuit was the first I found, and I’ve had it for a while now, always saying I’ll get to it soon. Well, soon has arrived and I have only one disappointment.

How can I be disappointed in a Rice/Jennings book? I can’t. The disappointment is my own, waiting so darned long to read a book I knew would be absolutely terrific. It wouldn’t matter what name this woman chooses to write under, for me she’ll never write a bad book. Ever.

Charlotte Court is on the run from a man who wants everything she’s got. He’s just killed her father to make sure that happens. He’s also blamed her for the murder, so a manhunt is on and Charlotte is running for her life. She ends up in a small town in Mexico where she is welcomed by a local restaurant-owning family. Her life is changed and starting anew, and once she’s settled again she’ll be out for vengeance while clearing her name.

Finally out of the hospital and starting the long road to full recuperation after being shot in Afghanistan, Navy SEAL Matt Sanders finds himself in Mexico, staying with an ex-military buddy while working himself to the bone to get body and mind back to where they should be. During those months, his angel sits on her beach-front back porch, keeping an eye on him as he works out. They never speak during this time, but they share common ground of coming back after terrible personal injury.

When they finally do meet face to face — during a fierce storm in which Charlotte nearly loses her life — Matt is determined to look out for her, protect her, and make sure she can eventually take care of herself. He’s the typical alpha male, all military rigid when it comes to protecting what’s his and Charlotte definitely belongs to Matt now. Charlotte wants to trust him, but doing so will only lead to trouble and perhaps his death. She refuses to lead him into peril after he’s worked so hard when he denied death before.

But the closer her pursuer gets, Charlotte finally realizes she needs help and there’s no one better than Matt who can keep her safe. What they don’t know is they’re up against two enemies: one who is taking over Charlotte’s life and one who is in pursuit to end the new one she’s just found.

Of course, total alpha male lover that I am, Matt makes this book for me. And the love scenes are hot, steamy, sizzling, erotic, and sexy as hell. Even the first aborted attempt between them is full of tension and is one of the best in the book. The story itself is intense, and we get a number of chapters from the villains’ points of view, one certainly more chilling than the other. Charlotte is a toughie, she learns quick to do things she never thought she’d have to, given her life to date, and she nearly outsmarts the bastard after her.

There’s four other Jennings books, two out before Pursuit and two out this year. I’m hunting each of them down, just as I have her Rice books. I’ve already made room on my keeper shelf for them.

Grade: A+

Summary:

A shocking betrayal…her father’s murder…and a life-threatening accusation…Heiress Charlotte Court has walked into a waking nightmare-one that sends her running from her wealthy home to anywhere she can hide.

Across the border in Mexico, Charlotte creates a new identity and finds refuge in the battle-torn arms of Navy SEAL Matt Sanders. Fleeing his past, Matt yearns to protect her and replace her pain with pleasure. But Charlotte can’t trust anyone, not even someone she’s starting to love. She knows she’s a target-and out of sight, a soulless killer is zeroing in on his prey…

No excerpt available.

Sandy M’s review of Rion (Pendragon Legacy, Book 2) by Susan Kearney
Futuristic Romance published by Forever 24 Nov 09

The mystery, suspense, and romance continue in this second book of Ms. Kearney’s Pendragon Legacy series. And the dragons. The dragons are the heart of it all. This time around their plight breaks your heart and you hope there’s a lot of cheering going on at the end. You hope a lot.

Marisa is the twin sister of Lucan, the hero of the first book in the series. They’ve always shared that special psychic connection of twins, but Marisa has a step up on that, she’s a uniquely strong telepath. Since Lucan brought a cure to Earth to save mankind from extinction, one of the side effects is those who partook of the cure must intermittently dragonshape. Marisa is one of those. Her telepathy has been a godsend to others who are having a hard time with their transition; she’s able to communicate with them to help them learn to control their new status in life.

Not able to get to his home plant, Honor, since he helped Lucan locate and then lose the Holy Grail on Pendragon, he’s spent the last six months trapped on Earth, trying to convince its government they should prepare for the eventual attack on their planet by the Unari, a brutal race that has taken over his world by holding his people hostage as labor slaves. He needs Marisa to help him break that control on the dragons, and the only way to get her there is to trick her. Which he does quite effectively.

Angry at first at his tactics, Marisa soon forgives Rion when she sees firsthand how terrible Honor’s situation truly is. Joining a few rebel holdouts, Rion and Marisa must work together to figure out the best way for her unique gift to work in freeing the dragons and thereby taking his home back from the enemy. And through it all, their attraction grows, even knowing they do not have a future together, their worlds are too distant.

Once again, Ms. Kearney gives readers something so very different when it comes to a futuristic, paranormal read while mixing it together with Arthurian legend. The Unari is a race that seizes planets throughout the universe to further their hold on the Holy Grail. Their treatment of Honor’s dragons is horrendous and the author does an amazing job of getting across all the pain and emotion of an entire race in the throes of despair.

Rion and Marisa sizzle like mad during their love scenes. And when they’re in their dragon form, those scenes once again steal the spotlight throughout the book. I was really taken by surprise when we’re introduced to Jordan, the hero of the third book. If it weren’t for the dragons, that scene would have been the best in the story.

I’m hoping this series goes on for a while, that Ms. Kearney has enough stored in her terrific imagination to keep giving us wonderful books like this. I checked her website but didn’t see anything that gives a hint if there’s more than just these three books. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, though.

Grade: A+

Summary:

POWER IN THEIR PASSIONN
Marisa Rourke is a beautiful, fearless telepath who tames dragonshapers on Earth. Rion is a tall, dark, and sexy space explorer whose home planet is a galaxy away. The attraction between them is undeniable, but Rion is hiding a desperate secret that will change Marisa’s life forever.

DANGER IN THEIR TOUCH
Marisa’s gift is the only way Rion can communicate with his people, enslaved by a powerful enemy. He knows that kidnapping her is wrong, but saving his planet is worth sparking the fiery clairvoyant’s fury. Yet hotter—and more explosive—is the psychic bond growing between Marisa and Rion. Could their passion be the key to freeing Rion’s people? Only if he and Marisa can discover how to channel their desire . . . before a vicious enemy destroys them all.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Lucan (Pendragon Legacy, Book 1) by Susan Kearney
Futuristic Romance published by Forever 5 Sep 09

I’m so glad I’m finding dragon books to read lately, and this one is a very pleasant surprise. On top of that, it’s written around its own interpretation of the Arthurian legend, which is another favorite of mine. I’m not a huge futuristic fan, but Ms. Kearney weaves a terrific story on planets in a distant galaxy that is suspenseful, action-packed, and sexy.

Earth is on a course to extinction, and Lucan has made his way across the universe to Pendragon in search of the Holy Grail, mankind’s only hope of survival. Lady Cael is a healer and high priestess of Pendragon. Her life is very solitary and lonely; no one is even permitted to touch her. Both Lucan and Cael work on the team trying to breach the so-far-impregnable domed fortress of Avalon, where they believe the grail to be hidden. From their first meeting when Lucan rescues Cael when she’s stuck in a ventilation duct, all the way through their fantastic voyage, the sexual tension between these two is immediate and sizzling whenever they’re together.

Cael also wants the grail to save her nephew and she wants to keep it out of the hands of the military, but when things go wrong when Avalon’s protection is lowered, she and Lucan end up on the run, accused of trumped-up crimes. It’s during this time Lucan learns Cael is a dragonshaper, and the more information they uncover reveals the amazing story of how Earth and Pendragaon are linked by Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Ms. Kearney has taken little tidbits of an Earth legend and bound them with another world for a very intriguing read.

I enjoyed Lucan, of course. He’s a wonderful hero, torn between duty to his people, including his twin sister, and his unexpected love. Cael is a woman who only wants to be loved and cherished, something she’s never known despite her high status on her world. And the scenes when she shifts into her dragon form are some of the best in the book. You feel her flight, whether swift and frantic or swirling calmly on a breeze. And the surprise in store for Lucan along the way as he uncovers Arthur’s ancient secrets is an added bonus.

We also meet Rion, who is the hero of the next book in the series. His story is incorporated just so to get the reader oriented and ready for his book, which is due out later this month.

If you love dragons, knights, castles, intrigue, and suspense wrapped around your romance, you’re going to like this book. Ms. Kearney does an awesome job of taking a beloved myth and mixing it with her incredible imagination to give readers one heck of a read.

Grade: A

Summary:

THEIR LOVE IS FORBIDDEN

Healer and high priestess of her people, Lady Cael is fated to life without a mate. But a mysterious explorer named Lucan Rourke doesn’t know her secrets, and his touch makes her crave a future that her extraordinary birthright has forbidden her…

BUT DANGER IS NO MATCH FOR DESIRE

Lucan has just one mission on Pendragon: to find the mythical Holy Grail, Earth’s only hope for survival. His powerful attraction to Cael is a distraction he can’t afford, unless he convinces her to join forces with him. Yet working so closely together only heightens their passion…even when the terrifying truth of Cael’s heritage threatens to shatter Lucan’s every belief—and the galaxy itself.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore
Historical romance published by Forever on 1 Jun 09

I heard a LOT of hype about this book, and I have to admit, love triangles are one of my favorite story lines. There’s something about them – I know a number of people don’t like them and don’t think they work… but I’m not one such person. The storyline of A Hint of Wicked seems familiar (both in general but also specifically) – but Jennifer Haymore’s story is different and unique. I’m definitely looking forward to more of Ms. Haymore’s novels.

Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, pretty much has all the characteristics of a perfect romance heroine. She’s beautiful, smart, desirable, funny, and sensible. She’s also incredibly capable, and able to compete with a man (any man) on a number of levels. She also happens to be married to two men. Quite the conundrum, but Sophie deals with the situation with an impressive amount of class and poise. I liked that Sophie didn’t become melodramatic or maudlin, and that she remained neutral. I believed that Sophie was as impartial as possible (although not uninterested) – and that she truly would not have done anything to hurt Tristan or Garret, or pit them against each other.

Tristan Westcliff is quite the hero – he’s charming, smart, respected by his peers, and more. He’s handsome, and an incredibly loyal friend and a good man. Tristan is the consummate gentleman and I wish any number of heroes were more like him. While I liked Tristan, I didn’t feel like I really got to know him. The reader is only given a little information as to his background, and most of it focuses on his childhood relationship with Sophie and Garret. However, I love how caring Tristan is, as well as possessive. He feels strongly, but he isn’t irrational either. Tristan is Garrett’s heir (yeah, it’s all pretty twisted) – but he’s not concerned with the materialistic aspect of the money and title. He’s also a little bit naughty, which I definitely enjoyed.

Garrett, the Duke of Calton, is an imposing hero. In a way, I found him the most interesting – I think because the most happens to him. The poor man suffers.I did think that Garrett fell to extremes, and seemed a bit unfinished. One second he’d be cold and unbending, and the next smiling and being completely different with his daughter. I felt badly for Garrett, but unfortunately I think the villain was a bit too obvious, which made his story a bit weaker. That, or I’m not enamored with the way his story ends (although I will say I hope that’s the last we see of him – other than a cameo appearance.) Still, he has a number of redeeming qualities, such as honor and loyalty to friends and family.

I liked that Ms. Haymore focused the story on the characters, and the plot. There was the potentiality of a lot of society gossip and the pitfalls of getting distracted or bogged down in an unnecessary or annoying secondary character, but thankfully that was not present in A Hint of Wicked. There was already so much going on between Sophie, Tristan, and Garret. The small group of secondary characters in the novel were more than enough. I like how everything tied together neatly. Ms. Haymore does a wonderful job of writing and describing the relationship between Sophie, Tristan, and Garrett. I believed how close the three of them were- and could be. It made Sophie’s actions and behavior much more believable as well.

I put the book down for a bit around chapter 15, because I just didn’t know where it was going, and was no longer interested. I admit I thought the book might end up as a menage for a while. (Yes, even a historical! Stranger things have happened!) Alas, no. I will say, I did figure who Sophie would end up with early on, which is why I think it affected how I felt about the book – so much of it then seemed to drag or was filler. The same with the villain – I found it frustrating that so many brilliant characters would miss what was right under their noses, and allow for so many more problems to occur. That, and I found the scene where Sophie and Garrett are intimate completely unbelievable.  Garrett is an absolute ass, and does something horrifying, and although Sophie is aghast, she falls into bed with him immediately.

I think there’s some historical/legal geekery showing through, but I was absolutely fascinated by the discussions as to what was going on in court and the legal arguments Garret and Tristan were presenting. I have to admit to being a bit disappointed or let down in the end when it wasn’t clear what would happen. How would it work even on appeal if Garret didn’t challenge? And what about the estates? Much to ponder there. I also really appreciate the fact that while it’s apparent Ms. Haymore did a lot of research on the subject, it doesn’t become pedantic, or weigh down the story.

I’ve been suffering from major book ennui, and the fact that I finished this book says something. (Something good!) I really enjoy the love triangle concept, and I think this one is resolved satisfactorily. This was a well written and unique historical novel, and I recommend all fans of the genre pick this book up and give it a try.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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What happens when a lady desires not one man, but two?
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Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, has finally moved on. After seven years mourning the loss of her husband, Garrett, at Waterloo, she has married his best friend and heir, Tristan. Sophie gives herself to him body and soul…until the day Garrett returns from the Continent, demanding his title, his lands-and his wife.
.
Now Sophie must choose between her first love and her new love, knowing that no matter what, her choice will destroy one of the men she adores. Will it be Garrett, her childhood sweetheart, whose loss nearly destroyed her once already? Or will it be Tristan, beloved friend turned lover, who supported her through the last, dark years and introduced her to a passion she had never known? As her two husbands battle for her heart, Sophie finds herself immersed in a dangerous game-where the stakes are not only love…but life and death.
.
Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore
Historical Romance published by Forever 1 Jun 09

After hearing so much about this book, I did hope that it would live up to the hype going around the internet.  It definitely did that and so much more. Ms. Haymore does a beautiful job of interweaving the lives of three characters you can’t help but like and sympathize with when fate takes an ugly and tragic turn, turning their lives into a living nightmare where before nothing but love had been between them.

Garrett, Tristan, and Sophie grew up together, inseparable until Garrett made his intentions toward Sophie known. Tristan gracefully bowed out, roaming the world and allowing his cousin to marry the woman they both loved. The newlyweds are ecstatically happy, but war intervenes and Garrett heads out to fight for his country, leaving behind a pregnant Sophie, never knowing he will some day be a father.

Word of Garrett’s death reach Tristan and Sophie and they take comfort in each other as they grieve. It takes a few more years before Sophie is ready to move on, but she’s fallen in love with Tristan and they marry, only to have their happiness torn in two a year later when Garrett storms back into their life, demanding their marriage be invalidated by the court while not giving a thought to how they feel about the situation. Sophie finds herself caught between the two men who mean everything to her, the two men she loves with all her heart, but there’s nothing she can do when her life with Tristan is annihilated with the stroke of a pen.

Garrett is not the same man she married, just as she’s not the same woman, and living with him again is both a joy and quite painful; she still loves him in spite of everything. He begins to exhibit strange behavior and doesn’t believe a word the quack of a doctor that her husband’s aide pulls out of thin air says; Garrett is not going insane. All the while, living without Tristan is also taking its toll; she loves him and misses him in her bed. And Tristan is not letting go this time, he’s doing everything he can to have their marriage re-validated, all the while trying to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Garrett. The closer she and Tristan get to uncovering that evil plot, the closer danger is to all of them, and it’s Sophie who is about to pay the highest price of all, in more ways than one.

Ms Haymore has given Sophie a dilemma that no woman would ever want to face. How do you choose between your best friends, the men you’ve loved all your life, loved in more than one way? She does a terrific job of giving the reader the points of view from all three characters; you get inside their heads and hearts to feel all those swirling, angry, tumultuous but poignant emotions, to live through all those painful memories, all that tragic heartache. Of course, the writing has to be terrific to get all of that across in the way that it is, and Ms. Haymore does one spectacular job of it all.

I loved every last word of A Hint of Wicked.

Grade: A+

Summary:

CAUGHT BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE…

Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, has finally moved on. After seven years mourning the loss of her husband, Garrett, at Waterloo, she has married his best friend and heir, Tristan. Sophie gives herself to him body and soul…until the day Garrett returns from the Continent, demanding his title, his lands—and his wife.

TORN BETWEEN TWO HUSBANDS…

Now Sophie must choose between her first love and her new love, knowing that no matter what, her choice will destroy one of the men she adores. Will it be Garrett, her childhood sweetheart, whose loss nearly destroyed her once already? Or will it be Tristan, beloved friend turned lover, who supported her through the last, dark years and introduced her to a passion she had never known? As her two husbands battle for her heart, Sophie finds herself immersed in a dangerous game—where the stakes are not only love…but life and death.

Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Desire Unchained (Demonica, Book 2) by Larissa Ione
Paranormal romance released by Forever 3 Mar 09

It says something about the compellingness (is that even a word?) of an author’s series when it doesn’t take me six months between reading books. I didn’t wait long at all between reading Pleasure Unbound and starting in on Desire Unchained. And I have to say that this is an awesome paranormal series, and if Larissa Ione keeps it up, she will land on my very short list of auto-buy authors.

Yet again, we are treated to the three brothers who run Underworld General Hospital. This time, the focus is on Shade. When he is captured and chained, he is startled to find his ex-lover, Runa, sharing a cell. Turns out they’ve been nabbed by the ghouls who keep stealing organs from supernatural creatures, and Runa, far from being the clingy, needy woman Shade remembers, is strong, has new abilities, and isn’t so happy with Shade for breaking her heart.

Yet again, I was drawn into the world Ms. Ione has created. Ms. Ione’s style is reminiscent of J.R. Ward, only tighter. I believe the world she’s created and I like the fact that, yet again, we are given an anti-hero in the form of Shade, who isn’t always the nicest guy. Runa is a good match for him, and while she’s not nearly as strong a character as Shade, I was afraid she’d be a clingy weakling and was grateful she wasn’t.

The plot is tight, and resolves nicely, with enough of the major arc left hanging to make readers eager for the third book in the series. The secondary romance begun in the first book is even continued and I’m really hoping it gets resolved in the third book. What’s more, the romance is strong, with the leads having great chemistry and hot scenes together.

I do have a quibble though, which rather significantly detracts from the grade. I wish Ms. Ione hadn’t come so close to pushing the envelope only to back down at the last minute. Case in point: Shade has a dungeon. He has a need to be dominant, but he doesn’t like this fact about himself. He hates that Runa eventually wants him to engage in BDSM play with her, and he ends up feeling like he can’t do that with someone as pure as Runa. Blech. If a book is going to have BDSM themes, then it by god should have BDSM themes. It shouldn’t pussyfoot around them in an attempt to be edgy. Because the fact that Shade thought being a dom was something horrible made me lose lots of respect for him.

Overall, I liked this addition to the series. Ms. Ione is a talented writer, and I enjoy visiting the paranormal world she’s created. I just hope next time she’ll either push the envelope all the way or leave it alone.

Grade: B

Summary:
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Pleasure is their ultimate weapon . . .
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Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn’t resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy.
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A Seminus Demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he’d seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. But when he wakes up in a dank dungeon chained next to an enraged and mysteriously powerful Runa, he realizes that her effect on him is more dangerous than ever.
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As their captor casts a spell that bonds them as lifemates, Shade and Runa must fight for their lives and their hearts-or succumb to a madman’s evil plans.
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Read an excerpt

Lawson’s review of A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore
Historical romance released by Forever 1 Jun 09

I remember reading a story a bit like this one a long time ago. The name of the book and the author have escaped my memory, but I remember that it centered around a man who had been involved in the Napoleonic wars and was coming home. The twist was he had hit his head, had amnesia and it was years later and he had been given up for dead. There is that same storyline in Haymore’s story, but there’s so much more. This story also includes a love triangle and of course a choice that has to be made.

Garrett James and his cousin Tristan James have always been in love with Sophie. The three of them grew up together and since Garrett was older, Tristan walked away from his love for Sophie and married another woman. Tragedy befalls the friends, however, when Garrett goes to Waterloo with his unit and he doesn’t return. Eight years later he has been declared dead and Tristan and Sophie are now married. Tristan, being Garrett’s heir, has assumed his title, Duke of Calton, and both have gone on with their life without Garrett.

When Garrett suddenly returns there are a number of legal questions surrounding who Sophie is married to and both men want to fight to keep her. Things don’t go smoothly for there’s a horrible scandal, not only with Garrett’s return and both men fighting to be Sophie’s husband, but there are rumors that Garrett is not the man he once was and Sophie’s being abused by Garrett. Not only must Sophie now choose which man will have her heart but also she must protect her family from those out to destroy everything she holds dear.

Sophie is a beautiful heroine, inside and out. She doesn’t want to make a choice between her two friends and husbands and she’s always been the peacemaker. She wants the decision be something that everyone can live with and have no animosity between the three of them. While Garrett was gone Sophie had to become a strong, independent woman, which Tristan helped her with and their friendship blossomed into love while Garrett was gone. When Garrett returns he’s been mentally, emotionally and physically scarred by the war and she senses that he has changed as well and perhaps he’s not the man she remembers.

Tristan is a caring, intelligent man. Though he couldn’t have Sophie, he married another woman who gave him a child, but she died in childbirth and Tristan, though sad, knew he could make Sophie his. He’s an alpha male, but more of the strong, quiet type, being subtle in what he does and running things smoothly from behind the scenes. When Garrett appears suddenly he’s very angry that Sophie is being taken away from him, but he never stoops to the level of using the rumors about Garrett’s behavior and mental state for his own gain.

Garrett is another type of alpha. He’s a tall, broad man who is used to grabbing what he wants and taking it. When his memory returns and he returns to England to be the duke again, he feels betrayed by both his wife who is now married to his best friend, and his best friend who took everything his life was. Garrett is a bit of a bully because he doesn’t remember how to behave as the duke and is confused by his new life. Everything has changed in his absence and he doesn’t know how to handle anything.

These three points of view throughout the story tell of how people grow and change throughout their lives and the choices aren’t always the easiest and can hurt people. One must make those choices though, or else no one would get on with their life after tragedy. The interactions between the three of them are also real, emotional and show that someday they could all be close again, even after Sophie’s choice (hah, yep, Sophie makes a choice!).

The villain of this book is also one of the scariest I’ve read in awhile as he’s devious, sly, and his machinations are so subtle and mean that he fools so many people for so long and eventually. . .well I can’t say more, or it’ll be spoiled. Needless to say that his plans play into the emotion of the rest of the story. The only thing that I didn’t like was the gullibility of Garrett when it came to the villain and his unwillingness to trust the people from his past. However, given his trauma with the war and shock when he comes home to see his wife and best friend and his confusion from loosing his memory, it is understandable that he’d be in a state where he misplaces his trust.

There are some really good risks that Haymore takes with the characters and it all pays off in the end and makes for a great book. If you haven’t read it yet, you need to go and get this book ASAP. And Haymore’s next historical will be about the man that Sophie doesn’t choose, so I’m going to be waiting for that one.

Grade: A-

CAUGHT BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE…

Sophie, the Duchess of Calton, has finally moved on. After seven years mourning the loss of her husband, Garrett, at Waterloo, she has married his best friend and heir, Tristan. Sophie gives herself to him body and soul…until the day Garrett returns from the Continent, demanding his title, his lands-and his wife.

TORN BETWEEN TWO HUSBANDS…

Now Sophie must choose between her first love and her new love, knowing that no matter what, her choice will destroy one of the men she adores. Will it be Garrett, her childhood sweetheart, whose loss nearly destroyed her once already? Or will it be Tristan, beloved friend turned lover, who supported her through the last, dark years and introduced her to a passion she had never known? As her two husbands battle for her heart, Sophie finds herself immersed in a dangerous game-where the stakes are not only love…but life and death.

Read an excerpt

Sandy M’s review of Love, Suburban Style by Wendy Markham
Contemporary Romance released by Forever 1 Jul 07

This is only my second Wendy Markham book, but I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. Her books are fun, light reads that give a reader engaging characters, everyday family struggles, lots of fun and lovin’, and always a bit of the paranormal thrown in to make everything really interesting.

Meg is a Broadway actress and is at the beginning of the end of her career, losing roles to younger actresses. Her daughter has gone the way of the Goth, becoming a child she no longer recognizes, a child she’s raised on her own since her ex-husband left before Cosette was born and never looked back. Needing a change for both of them, Meg moves them to her suburban New York hometown where she grew up happy years before. She learns very quickly, however, that you really can’t go home. At least not the way you remember it. Only one friend is left, who introduces her to mothers who drive Hummers, a town that now has a sushi restaurant, and a haunted house that scared her as a young girl but now calls to her to make it their home.

And her haunted house is right next door to the high school football player she had a huge crush on. Sam Rooney, though, doesn’t remember Meg. He does want to get to know the new Meg, at least when he’s not feeling guilty and thinking about his deceased wife. He has two kids of his own and is trying hard to raise them right, even taking offense when his daughter latches on to Meg for some girl shopping and other things that only a mom can do. But even that doesn’t keep Meg far from his thoughts. Just he’s always in Meg’s. They keep crossing paths dealing with their children – Sam’s son and Meg’s daughter even hook up – and dealing with Meg’s ghost, who keeps scaring her right into Sam’s arms.

I had fun with this book.  Sam and Meg are normal, everyday parents just trying to make things work for their kids. They’re attracted to one another instantly, though Meg has a head start on Sam, and I liked them together as a couple, even if they didn’t for a while. I enjoyed seeing the change in Cosette as she got used to suburban life, while Meg didn’t change for the town she no longer knows. Sam had his share of learning with his kids too, letting go when necessary. The interfering spirit residing in Meg’s house is also quite fun and I never guessed a thing about that friendly ghost until all is revealed at the end.

I have a few more books of Ms. Markham’s books in the TBR pile and I think I’m going to be pulling them out and placing them closer to the top when I need something light and intriguing all at the same time. For those of you not familiar with Ms. Markham, she is also Wendy Corsi Staub.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Fed up with her moody teenage daughter, Meg Addams decides what they both need is a good dose of suburban wholesomeness. But when they leave Manhattan behind for Meg’s humble blue-collar hometown, they find it crowded with wealthy strangers and upscale boutiques. Settling into a creaky fixer-upper, Meg finally spots a familiar face right next door–and it belongs to none other than Sam Rooney. The would-be love of Meg’s high school life is now a single dad, her daughter’s new soccer coach-and a neighborly ghost-buster whenever things go bump in the night. With three kids and an undeniable attraction between them, Meg and Sam are in for some heart-racing, wee-hour encounters that have nothing to do with spirits…but everything to do with hearts.
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Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) by Larissa Ione
Paranormal romance released by Forever 20 June 08

Originally, I had been planning to review the first three novels in the Demonica series as a Duckies do Series post because RL, she keeps me busy. But recent discussions of the books on Twitter, and the fact that Fictionwise recently sold the book for $0.82 made me rethink that decision. If you didn’t take advantage of the offer of this book via Fictionwise, you are missing out on one of the most un-put-downable romances that’s come out recently! 

The Demonica series centers around Underworld General, a hospital run by three sexy demon brothers, Eidolon, Shade and Wraith. When Tayla, a human hunter, is brought to the hospital after sustaining serious injuries, the rest of the staff would rather kill her, because she belongs to the Aegis, a group of trained warriors that regularly kills demons whether they deserve it or not. But Eidolon intervenes and treats Tayla anyway, and the two of them find themselves unable to fight a fierce attraction.

I was actually quite surprised by just how much I loved this book. A number of aspects of the story felt really cheesy. The names come to mind, for one thing. While not as bad as Zsadist or Rhage, I did find Wraith and Shade to be two of the cheesiest names I’ve encountered in romancelandia. I also felt some of the world-building was a bit clunky, with names of creatures dropped in as if for no other apparent reason than that the author wanted to use all the stuff she’d worked out whether it was necessary or not. And then, well, there’s the whole “Either I need to find a mate or I’m going to become a crazy fucking machine!” which, as far as conflicts go, made me snort.

But such is Ms. Ione’s storytelling ability that these things didn’t actually bother me when I was reading the book. Her writing is vivid and detailed, and her characters are extremely well-done. I loved meeting them, and it was incredibly fun watching Eidolon and Tayla fight their attraction.

I also really appreciated that in this world there is good and bad in everyone, from the demons to the Aegis. I could see what drew Tayla about the Aegis, but I could also see why they were feared. I really appreciated the shades of gray, because that’s how life is, and I’ve gotten impatient with light and fluffy paranormals of late.

The action was intense, and the book was hard to put down. I kept fearing for all my favorite secondary characters, certain that Ms. Ione would kill them off, and as I said, I found Tayla and Eidolon’s romance compelling. I tore through this book, and even a few weeks later, scenes stick out in my mind.

I highly recommend this book. If you can put up with a bit of cheesiness, it’s well worth your time.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life…
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She’s a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure—but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.
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Two lovers will dare to risk all.
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Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his desire to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable—and let Tayla possess him, body and soul…
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of The Scarlet Spy (Merlin’s Maidens, Book 3) by Andrea Pickens
Historical Romance published by Forever 1 Oct 08

This is my first book by Ms. Pickens, and I’m not sure the third book in her series was the place for me to start reading her.  The writing is good, the concept interesting, the characters likable, and the previous books in the series are explained well enough to follow what’s gone before, but there’s just that little something missing to make this a great book.

I really like the idea of Merlin’s Maidens, a school that takes in young girls plucked from the slums of London to trains them in every conceivable discipline to be spies for the Crown.  This book started out well, getting to know Sofia, the latest Merlin to be given a mission, and also her superiors and what her mission will be.  But once Sofia gets to Town and begins her spying, things get a little bogged down with meeting all the players while she gives the hero a cold shoulder, which is logical since she doesn’t want anything or anyone to get in her way while figuring out her next move.

All of this just took a little too long, however, and I found myself wishing things would just get a move-on to the action.  I did enjoy Sofia’s character, though.  She’s been trained well, has a cool head, and can see herself through most any situation thrown at her, even trying to keep her wits when her attraction to Lord Deverill Osborne comes at her out of the blue.  Even at this point with Osborne involved, things didn’t really begin to move until much later during their first love scene.

The top dog at the academy chose Lord Osborne for Sofia’s entree into Society because of his connections and likability throughout the ton.  What he doesn’t bargain for is Osborne’s curiosity about the Contessa Sofia Constanza Bingham della Silveri, Sofia’s alias while on this mission,  and his attraction to her, especially when she doesn’t fall for his winsome personality and charming good looks like every other woman does.  At first he decides to let her go her way, but that old curiosity just won’t let him go his.  Once he, basically, pushes himself into her business, that’s when the book begins to take off, but at this point it’s more than halfway though.  I did enjoy Dev and Sofia’s love scene in which she decides if she has to give her virginity up during this mission, she wants it to be Dev.

From here on out the action is pretty steady with both characters involved and a twist thrown in for good measure.  I just wish it had all started a little sooner.  It didn’t have to be anything on par with the ending action, but just something more.  The only thing I do remember from the first part of the book is when Osborne spies Sofia galloping like the wind on an early morning ride because she needed to be away from the confines of the balls and musicales and other boring stuff.  Terrific scene.  Too bad there weren’t more like it.

I do have the first two books in the series and I plan to read them.  I want to see how the series started out, of course, but also how those characters and their missions were handled compared to this one.  I will read Ms. Pickens again.  I do enjoy her writing.  She has a new series in the works that involves, once again, smart women in a man’s world and doing most everything better than the men.  I’m always willing to give those types of stories a try.

Grade: C

Read Lawson’s review here or by following the Merlin’s Maidens series tag.

Summary:

The most ladylike of “Merlin’s Maidens,” Sofia possesses a natural grace and grandeur to go along with her deadly arsenal of martial skills—which makes her the perfect choice for undertaking a dangerous dance of deception through the highest circles of London Society. Assigned to investigate rumors of government corruption, she must spin through the glittering ballrooms of the Mayfair and the sinister slums of the city in search of the truth. One misstep on her part could prove fatal. Sofia knows she can’t afford any distractions as she works to unravel the tangled web of deceit and lies . . . but keeping the sinfully sext Deverill Osborne at arm’s length is a real test of her mettle.

Handsome, witty, charming, Osborne—dubbed Lord Sunshine by his peers—is the darling of the ton. So when he is asked by the Marquess of Lynsley to introduce a lovely young Italian contessa into Society, he is only too happy to oblige. A little harmless flirtation is all part of the game. However, he soon suspects that “Lady” Sofia is playing with fire. She seems drawn to the dark, dissipated side of city life, and when he catches her stealing valuables from a gentleman’s study, he torn between what to think. Should he believe the worst? Or should he trust the tantalizing murmur of her words . . . and the sultry, sensuous whispers of her body?

Light and dark, truth and lies. To unmask the clever conspirators, Sofia and Osborne must overcome a number of hidden dangers, including their own growing passion . . . which may prove the most dangerous force of all.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Demon’s Hunger (Compact of Sorcerers, Book 2) by Eve Silver
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Forever 25 Nov 08

I’ve been lucky through my last several books to read more of those sexy, demanding, alpha heroes that I so love when I read. And what makes those reads that much better is when there’s a strong and intelligent heroine by his side.  Eve Silver has given us that in spades with her hero and heroine, Dain and Vivien, and with the added plus of the supernatural, good and evil, a terrific storyline that will keep you glued to the pages, Demon’s Hunger is one of the best books I’ve read lately and it’s getting a special place of honor on the keeper shelf.

Dain is an ancient sorcerer with the Compact, sworn to protect that thin veil between the human and demon worlds.  He’s a man who does his duty by the book, letting no one close — not even his sorcerer brothers.  One who still harbors guilt over the loss of his wife and child, both killed by demons hundreds of years ago.  He has vowed to destroy any and all of those creatures he comes across, no questions asked.

While investigating recent mysterious murders, he encounters anthropologist Vivien Cairn and feels an immediate, all-consuming desire for her.  He also feels black magic whenever around her, something that gives him pause but doesn’t stifle the lust that resonates for her.  His suspicions of her grow the deeper he gets into the investigation, but so do his feelings and he finds himself in one tight spot — believe she’s a murderer or just make love to her like he wants with everything in him.

Through her work, Vivien has always been able to compartmentalize problems of any kind, think them through and find a resolution.  However, the things that have been happening to her lately defy that kind of logic.  She’s been losing hours of her life at a time, with no memory of the gaps.  Now she’s finding out the world isn’t as she always thought; it’s filled with sorcerers and demons, both of which are filling her life to capacity.

One in particular has her hungry for his touch, his kisses, his lovemaking. Dain.  She’s afraid to commit, though, because everyone in her life has left her, her father, her young love Pat, even her mother has an emotional distance that’s always hurt Vivien.  Only her best friend has been the one to stay, to be there for her when she needed someone.  But now there’s Dain.  He hasn’t left her side since her nightmare started.  It is possible if she gives in to the lust that something more may come of it all?

Both Dain and Vivien have issues to overcome, issues of trust.  Both have suffered loss and betrayal in their lives.  They keep denying their feelings where the other is concerned until it’s almost too late.  But when that time comes, when they finally open up, it’s well worth the wait.  The lovemaking between these two sizzles something fierce.  And with each other, even with the evil lurking about, the suspicions and the mystery all around them, they find what they’ve been looking for.

The secondary characters are all well written, so much so that you want to know their story too.  My favorite is Darqun, his history tortured, and I can’t wait for his book.  We’re given several twists and turns at the end of the book, after several sneaky attempts to point us in the wrong direction, but all of that, of course, brings up other questions to keep this series fascinating and interesting and coming at us for some time to come.

I’ve been a fan of Ms. Silver’s historical Gothics over the last few years, they bring back memories of my old Victoria Holt days, but her paranormals eclipse even my love of those books. This is a powerful series that is full of action and romance, that keeps you reading into the early morning hours, and that makes you hunger for the next gripping installment.  I’m already going through withdrawals and I finished this one just mere hours ago.

Grade: A+

Read more information about this series by clicking on the Compact of Sorcerers series tag.

Summary:

Forensic anthropologist Vivien Cairn fears she’s losing her mind. Her libido has kicked into overdrive, and she’s blacking out – leaving hours of her life unaccounted for and no memory of where she’s been… or what she’s done. But when a sexy stranger rescues her from a demon attack, Vivien realizes there’s more than just her sanity at stake…

A seductive killer is luring victims, and Sorcerer Dain Hawkins finds himself walking a dangerous line between ancient duty and sizzling desire when the brotherhood – and Vivien herself – begin to suspect that her mysterious symptoms may connect her to the crimes. Can Dain save Vivien from the evil that threatens to claim her? Or will they both succumb to… Demon’s Hunger…

Read an excerpt. (click Read an Excerpt link)

Other books in this series:

Shannon C.’s review of To Seduce a Sinner (Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 2) by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical romance released 01 Nov 08 by Forever

I’ve been feeling a bit guilty lately. I have a ton of historicals on my TBR, none of which I’ve read although they all look so good. But when Elizabeth Hoyt’s second book in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series came out, I knew I had to drop what I was doing and pick it up. This despite my reservations. I mean, come on. How many times do we have to read the fake rake meets bluestocking romance? Thankfully, what I got was so much more than that. 

This book picks up where the prequel, To Taste Temptation left off. Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, is left at the alter when he is approached by Melisande Fleming. Melisande proposes that Jasper marry her instead, since he does need a wife to beget an heir. Both Melisande and Jasper have secrets, and painful parts of their pasts, and each begins to slowly whittle away at the other.

Melisande really impressed me. So often, I feel that heroines in romances could just be there as placeholders. Not so Melisande. She really was perfect for Jasper, and she was a strong woman in her own right. I loved that she knew exactly what she wanted and went for it. She was also a woman of her time, not simply a 21st century woman in costume. And it was refreshing to see that Melisande remained a bit of a brown sparrow throughout the story. There was no makeover, no moment in which Jasper’s eyes widened at her sheer and suddenly stunning beauty.

As for Jasper, I liked him and found him refreshing in his own right. He hides his pain behind joviality and good cheer, which I think is a much more interesting response than writing proverbial emo poetry. I love that it is Melisande’s personality that he is drawn to, and I love that he always tries to do the right thing by her. He is definitely a man I could understand pining after for many years, and I loved the evolving love between these two. The scene at the end when Jasper presents Melisande with a tin snuffbox, the inside of which is encrusted with jewels is possibly one of the sweetest things I’ve ever read.

I liked the secondary characters. The secondary romance between Melisande’s maid, Sally Suchlike (which is not my favorite name ever in the history of the world, to put it mildly) and Jasper’s valet, Mr. Pynch, was sweet. I also liked the hero and heroine of the third book and think they are going to be interesting together, though I did think their introduction was a bit random and awkward, as was the plot thread involving a book of German fairy tales, which seems to go from heroine to heroine.

The mystery of what exactly happened at Spinner’s Falls which permeates the series as well was interesting, but not nearly as compelling for me as the romances. I also really loved the twist at the end of the book, though to give that away would be a spoiler.

This is a great series, and I am sad that I have to wait all the way until next May for the third book. I particularly think those looking for strong historical heroines will want to give this series a go. I think To Seduce a Sinner could be read as a standalone without missing much, though reading the first book certainly will enrich the experience.

Grade: B+

Read other takes on this series by following the Legend of the Four Soldiers series tag.

Summary:
THE ONE THING HE CANNOT REVEAL
For years, Melisande Fleming has loved Lord Vale from afar . . . watching him seduce a succession of lovers, and once, catching a glimpse of heartbreaking depths beneath his roguish veneer. When he’s jilted on his wedding day, she boldly offers to be his.

TO THE ONE WOMAN HE MOST DESIRES
Vale gladly weds Melisande, if only to produce an heir. But he’s pleasantly surprised: A shy and proper Lady by day, she’s a wanton at night, giving him her body-though not her heart.

IS HIS DEEPEST NEED . . .
Determined to learn her secrets, this sinner starts to woo his seductive new wife-while hiding the nightmares from his soldiering days in the Colonies that still haunt him. Yet when a deadly betrayal from the past threatens to tear them apart, Lord Vale must bare his soul to the woman he married…or risk losing her forever.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

To Desire A Devil, Book 4, Nov 2009

LauraD’s review of To Seduce a Sinner (The Legend of the Four Soldiers) by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical Romance published by Forever 28 Oct 08

Elizabeth Hoyt already has already made such a name for herself in the romance community that it’s hard to remember she’s only published four books prior to this one. They have all been outstanding, and she is an auto-buy author for me.

Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, has just been stood up at the altar. Again. Melisande Fleming gathers her courage and suggests to Vale that he marry her instead-and Vale, who just wants to produce an heir, says yes. Little does he know that Melisande has loved him for years, even when he was engaged to her best friend. Nor does he know that he will quickly become fascinated with his reserved young bride.

These are simply two wonderful characters. Jasper isn’t a typical romance rake, although he is tortured and does his share of carousing. He’s a solid, loyal, dependable man with a sly sense of humor and plenty of patience. Melisande is intelligent, as well as lovely. She knows just how to play Jasper in order to intrigue him, and the scenes in which she slowly seduces him are a treat to read. Melisande has a history that Jasper doesn’t know about, and she is at heart a very sensual woman. While it’s not readily apparent that behind her practical mask lies a seductress, once Jasper realizes her inner nature he embraces her fully.

The majority of To Seduce a Sinner is the wonderful evolution of Jasper and Melisande’s relationship from society marriage to a true love union of equals. The dialogue is a treat to read, often amusing and always clever. The book is the second in Hoyt’s Legend of the Four Soldiers series, and the mystery thread from the first book continues. It fits very nicely within the love story, and the conflict it creates between the couple is dealt with beautifully. Once they’ve admitted to themselves that they are in love, both Melisande and Jasper stand up for one another in ways that made me want to cheer out loud.

A truly heroic hero and a smart, sensual heroine. A romance novel in which the relationship develops without too much melodrama. Secondary characters that add to the story. Very sexy love scenes. A mystery that makes sense, and doesn’t require the heroine to be imperiled. Go get this book, if you haven’t already! The Elizabeth Hoyt stack on my keeper shelf grows…

Grade: A+

Summary:

THE ONE THING HE CANNOT REVEAL
For years, Melisande Fleming has loved Lord Vale from afar . . . watching him seduce a succession of lovers, and once, catching a glimpse of heartbreaking depths beneath his roguish veneer. When he’s jilted on his wedding day, she boldly offers to be his.

TO THE ONE WOMAN HE MOST DESIRES
Vale gladly weds Melisande, if only to produce an heir. But he’s pleasantly surprised: A shy and proper Lady by day, she’s a wanton at night, giving him her body-though not her heart.

IS HIS DEEPEST NEED . . .
Determined to learn her secrets, this sinner starts to woo his seductive new wife-while hiding the nightmares from his soldiering days in the Colonies that still haunt him. Yet when a deadly betrayal from the past threatens to tear them apart, Lord Vale must bare his soul to the woman he married…or risk losing her forever.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

To Desire A Devil, Book 4, Nov 2009

Gwen’s review of Insatiable Desire (The Demonborn, Book 1) by Rita Herron
Contemporary paranormal romance released by GCP Forever 26 Aug 08

This is the first of a new series for Herron.  The next, Dark Hunger, comes out in 2009.  It’s about a man born of a demon and his fight to squelch his “bad blood” from a horribly abusive father.  It explores his irresistible and unwanted attraction to a local grief counselor (and resident psychic), Clarissa.   It’s part horror, part thriller, part paranormal romance, and I hated it. 

I don’t say that very often – hating a book – but I’m afraid this was one of them.  I heard from other people that Herron’s regencies are very good, though I haven’t read any that I recall.  I don’t doubt she’s a talented writer, it’s just none of that talent seemed to gel in this entry.  I trolled around, reading reviews of this book here and there, and the few I found were positive, so I seem to be in the minority.  I’m willing to concede that this book just wasn’t my cuppa tea, though I had a lot more problems with it than just “tea”.  A lot more than a typical “D” review, so I had to give it an F.

To begin with, the hero is not just an anti-hero, he’s not just tortured – he’s actually not a very nice person.  The first scene in the book is him screwing the daylights out of an anonymous woman and hating her and himself for it. Then, through most of the book, he fantasizes about screwing any warm hole he can find.  Thank goodness one of the holes happens to be the heroine.  However, just because he refrains (barely) from screwing another anonymous one, didn’t mean he didn’t come close.  Sorry – that’s a deal-breaker for me in a romance.

The heroine, Clarissa, is kind of a non-entity.  We’re not told much about her other than she’s a psychic from a family of psychics.  We know her mom committed suicide.  But that’s about it.  Clarissa knew the hero when they were children, and other than that, we know nothing about her.  I need more than that to identify with such an important character.

Because the hero is an ass and the heroine is underdeveloped, I totally didn’t believe in the love story.  For a variety of reasons – none of which are reasonable – the h/h spend most of the book actively avoiding each other.   They refrain so much that by the time they actually do come together, just when I should have been whooping it up glad for the union, I simply rolled my eyes.  The h/h sex was steamy but unsatisfactory – I didn’t feel the ‘lurve’.

The next problem I had was how graphic the horror elements were.  I like a good fright – LOVE thrillers like Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels – but Insatiable Desire goes just a step or two too far.  Herron gives us details about the murders and the poor victims (as spirits) that I, frankly, could have done without, so some of it seemed gratuitous.  I’m not a prude when it comes to blood and guts, but I like it to have a purpose.  All the overkill (heh) did was squick me out.

Adding insult to injury, I felt the paranormal elements were repetitive and unimaginative.   Those that were described were confusing – I couldn’t tell what it was that the hero was doing when he was supposedly using his powers.  These elements – Zion’s powers, Pan and his shenanigans, and the hero’s abilities – had me rolling my eyes.  A lot.  Again, I just didn’t believe in them or see their purpose.

The next problem I had was how obtuse several of the characters seemed to be, and, as a result, how slow the plot moved along. You know how when you’re watching one of the Halloween movies and you yell at the characters on the screen, “DON’T OPEN THAT DOOR!” Well, this book has a lot of that.  The characters kept trying to figure out who was committing all the murders and yet they seemed to dither around doing a lot of nothing.  There was no real crime solving, no real analysis.  Just a lot of shuttling from one location to another with seemingly no plan or purpose.  Suddenly one character would seem to show up at a location with no reason to be there.  It was odd and confusing.

And can I bring up one small thing that bugged me several times?  I couldn’t tell what kind of chairs people were sitting on.  Chairs in the Sheriff’s office, for example – they’re described as “cane back,” then I read “wood slatted.”  Which one were they?  And souldn’t they have been metal or plastic?  It’s a small thing, but it kept pulling me out of the story.

So, the character development was uneven, the story arcs confusing, the details weren’t well thought out, and a lot of eye-rolling at critical points.  All this adds up to a very bad grade from me.  I do wish it had been better.  I’m sending this book on to another reviewer – perhaps it will fit them more.  I’m willing to try Herron again, though I doubt it will be this series – maybe one of her historicals.

Grade: F

Summary:

CAN SHE DARE TO TRUST HER HEART

Plagued by graphic visions and the desperate cries of murder victims, psychic Clarissa King will do anything to stop the brutal killer targeting her hometown — even work alongside the dangerously sexy FBI agent who thinks she’s a fraud. He’s the one man who sparks a hunger she never imagined possible – and the one man she should fear…

WHEN HIS SOUL BELONGS TO THE DARK?

Vincent Valtrez knows how to get inside a serial killer’s mind. But with a dangerous past and a secret to keep, he wants nothing to do with this gorgeous psychic – especially since just the thought of her luscious body ignites a dark, irrepressible desire he’s determined to keep at bay. When the killer they seek turns out to be demonic and otherworldly, Vincent learns his connection to the murderer is more than just hunger and prey. Will the darkness inside Vincent claim him…or will he save Clarissa – and himself – from the evil that threatens them both?

Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Pitch Black by Susan Crandall
Romantic suspense novel released by Forever 1 Jun 08

I really like books about troubled kids and the adults that help them. I know a lot of readers are actively repelled by that sort of thing, but I’m not one of them. Stories about mothers, social workers, or concerned human beings doing anything and everything to protect their children just tug at my heartstrings and make my inner budding social worker squeeful. And in Susan Crandall’s romantic suspense debut, she hits everything right.

Madison Wade is a Philadelphia journalist who recently adopted Ethan, a street kid she met who tugged at her heartstrings. They’ve moved to Buckeye, Tennessee, and are just settling in with Madison working as the editor of the local paper. Ethan’s even made some friends, and Madison’s attracted the interest of local sheriff Gabe Wyatt. Then Ethan is invited on a camping trip with his best friend, Jordan, the end of which results in Jordan’s stepfather being murdered. Immediately, suspicion turns on Ethan, and Gabe has to juggle his feelings for Madison with the fact that he doesn’t want to compromise his investigation.

Romantic suspense is usually a hard sell for me, and though I’ll try any new author once, very few of them write romance and suspense in such a way that I believe both. Thankfully, Ms. Crandall absolutely gets it right. The suspense wouldn’t have been nearly as compelling if it weren’t for the romance, and the romance only heightens the degree of suspense. I also liked that I was completely on the wrong track when it came to figuring out who the real killer was. Usually, I guess these things right away, and then spend the rest of the book being frustrated because the characters are too stupid to connect the dots. Thankfully, this didn’t happen, and when the killer was revealed, it only hits the reader a few pages before Gabe and Madison figure it out.

The really compelling thing about this book is that Ms. Crandall writes some great characters. I loved both Madison and Gabe. At first, I thought they would be a little bit typecast–she’s a brisk, city girl. He’s a laid-back Southern boy. But gradually, I connected with them. And I adored Ethan, too. This is no saccharine sweet kid. He’s definitely had it rough, and yet he’s grown into a person with unswerving loyalty and a strong sense of personal integrity. I also really liked the scenes between Madison and Ethan. They start the book already bonded, but their relationship is still sometimes a little tenuous even for both of them.

Madison herself is also refreshingly intelligent. She’s obviously a good journalist, and she doesn’t take any unnecessary risks to uncover the truth. It’s clear exactly what Gabe sees in her, and I loved the scene where she realizes that her life just isn’t complete without Gabe and Ethan in it. As for Gabe, I liked that he was an honorable man, who did a lot of self-examination. He knew what he had to do, and he tried to be conscious of the fact that he definitely had some personal biases during his investigation.

I also have to mention Ms. Crandall’s writing style. She keeps the tension up nicely, and she has a knack for ending chapters on cliff hangers, and feeding both the reader and the characters enough information that the suspense is heightened. She also did a great job of conveying menace and threats to the characters. There were times I was really glad I was reading this in the light of day.

I see from the information about the author that Ms. Crandall will publish another romantic suspense novel in early 2009. If this book is any indication, I will be anxious to read it.

Grade: A-

Summary:
In an effort to give her newly adopted teenage son, Ethan, a fresh start, Philadelphia journalist Madison Wade relocates to a small Tennessee town. When Ethan goes on a camping trip with three other teens and returns without their chaperone, Ethan’s past casts him as suspect in a crime. The secrets Madison uncovers as she tries to clear her son brings danger from unexpected places and puts her at odds with the local sheriff — a man who has been trying to win her heart.

Read an excerpt here

Sandy M’s review of Magic in His Kiss (The Magic Trilogy, Book 3) by Shari Anton
Historical Paranormal Romance published by Forever 1 Jul 08

This is the second book in about a week or so that started out slow for me and I had doubts that I would enjoy it when I was only a chapter or two in.  As before, the author turned me around in the nick of time with the end result being I enjoyed the rest of the book immensely and now would like to read the other two books in the trilogy.

Nicole was sent off to a convent when she was quite young, knowing one day she would be married off for political gain.  She always assumed it would the king who would do the deed, but when an old childhood friend suddenly appears at the abbey, her days of peaceful routine are numbered, as are her days as a single woman.  Things go a little awry, however, and she ends up on the run through England to reach Wales and her uncle who has his own plans for her.  Nicole is an intelligent young girl, noble born, and usually has a calm head in dire situations.  She also has a quick wit and tongue, which sometimes gets her in trouble.  Best about her, though, is her ability to speak to the dead and she tries to help them pass to the other side and put their souls finally to rest.

Remembering the young girl who caused trouble for him every time he turned around, Rhodri is at first hesitant to make the journey to escort Nicole to his mentor, Connor, Nicole’s uncle.  But he does as he is bade and when he finds the beautiful woman in the young girl’s place, he’s smitten immediately.  But his desires must be repressed, Nicole deserves better than the likes of a bard cum warrior.  On top of that, it seems she’s a little off in the head, claiming to talk to spirits of the dead. When the local earl becomes suspicious and carts them both off to his castle to await word from the king, Rhodri knows he has to act to carry out his duty to Connor.

Once on the road to Wales, his feelings for Nicole grow, loving the woman she’s become, the only woman who aggravates him to no end but who also draws out his best and who completes him.  Rhodri is a terrific hero.  He is a warrior, but being a bard who loves his music gives him a sensitiive and sensual side.  As much as he tries to do right by Nicole, his desire for her blindsides him and there’s a few scenes that are just terrific when things go wrong with her help during their trip, especially when he doesn’t need it.

This is a wonderful love story.  Journeying with Rhodri and Nicole gives you a look at them when they’re not at their best, but they still persevere and move on even when they’re at first fighting their attraction for each other.  The scene in which they first make love is wild and sensual and loving to the core.  This is my first book by Ms. Anton, and even with the slow start at the beginning, I ended up loving her characters and their story.

I look forward to reading not only the other two books in this series, which feature Nicole’s sisters, but her other books as well.  I enjoy her writing style and her voice very much.  She has a lovely way of drawing you in when you least expect it.

Grade: B+

Summary:
She was wild, willful,
and most certainly a princess.

But now she’s the king’s ward, and Nicole de Leon’s future is no longer her own. Bound by duty and honor she awaits an arranged marriage … until a handsome warrior appears to spirit her away. Nicole cannot resist his offer of protection or the darkening of desire in his eyes. But a powerful secret torments her, a psychic gift that only this rough warrior can help tame..

He was tempted, tantalized,
and most certainly not of noble blood.

Rhodri ap Daffyd’s duty is to defy the king and deliver Nicole to her uncle, his liege lord. But she’s not the spoiled young girl he remembers. She’s a woman steadfast in her loyalty and aflame with passion, a lady never meant for him. An act of defiance brings them together and duty threatens to tear them apart, but will the magic in his kiss reveal a destiny that can’t be denied?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of The Chandler Brothers Trilogy by Carly Phillips
Contemporary Romances published by Forever

Welcome back to Duckies Do Series! Brothers are once again the topic of our series review. This time it’s Carly Phillips’ Chandler brothers and they are a delightful threesome ready to head straight to the altar. Well, with a little help from mom. Read on to see how they fall one by one toward that happily ever after and they never find out what hits them until it’s too late.

The Bachelor (Book 1)
Released by Forever 1 Jul 02

Youngest brother Roman loses — or wins, it depends on how you look at it — the coin toss that the guys decide is the best way to keep a level playing field on who will be the one to give their mother grandchildren. The Chandler boys have avoided commitment in their small town of Yorkshire Falls, enjoying the ladies around town as the opportunity presents itself, which is usually a good portion of the time because said ladies line up to garner some lovin’ by any of the brothers.

Roman has been working as a foreign correspondent for a while now, enjoying the freedom to do as he pleases, no one to answer to. He rushes home when he gets a call from older brother Chase informing him their mother is in the hosptial. Since he’s the lucky — or unlucky — one, Roman thinks he’s figured out how to keep his freedom and give his mother her most desired wish. Or so he thinks.

He begins his search for a woman who will bear his child but who won’t care if her husband is at home with her or traipsing through another country or two for months on end. This plan lasts only until he gets a glimpse of Charlotte Bronson, his former one-date girlfriend. He still feels a connection to her and wants to pursue her, but he realizes Charlotte doesn’t deserve what he has planned. In fact, neither of them deserve such a life and little by little Roman’s feelings bring about more realizations when he begins to get to know Charlotte all over again.

Ten years is a long time to pine for a man she walked away from, but seeing Roman again makes Charlotte realize that’s exactly what she’s done. She knows she walked away for a good reason, but her heart doesn’t seem to care what that reason is. She liked him as a teenager but she loves him as a man now, as a woman loves a man, and giving him her heart again is something she may not survive. So instead, she’s decided to get the man out of her system by giving her all to him in the short time he’s town and when he leaves this time — just as she knows he will — she’ll be able to hold her head high and watch that tight ass fade into the horizon. Or so she thinks.

Okay, maybe it’s a little silly for a mother to manipulate her sons so, but it sure makes for fun reading. While this story starts out light hearted and airy, deeper issues eventually come to the forefront to play havoc with Roman and Charlotte and we just have to bump along with them to see if and how they face their demons. I enjoyed these two characters. Roman may be a bachelor through and through in the beginning and he may scheme some with his brothers, but he’s still a gentleman just like his mama raised him and it shows throughout the book.

Charlotte is independent and knows what she wants, is successful at everything she does, but she’s afraid of repeating her mother’s mistakes and nearly loses the best thing in her life – again. I also like how Ms. Phillips keeps all the characters interacting with one another instead of bringing others, like family members, into the storyline just every so often like a lot of authors do. It’s fun to watch these brothers interact with each other. Their character really shines through during those scenes with humor and sensitivity, and love.

Grade: A

Summary:

Will this bad boy make it to the altar?

Foreign correspondent Roman Chandler has always prized his freedom above all else. Now losing a coin toss has sealed this youngest brother’s fate. Finding someone to escort down the aisle is the easy part-every wannabe bride in sleepy Yorkshire Falls is itching to get hitched to this gorgeous, globe-trotting Chandler man. But Roman still lusts after the woman who got away. Stunning heartbreaker Charlotte Bronson has come home to put down roots and get her erotic lingerie business off the ground. She wants a man that won’t go chasing off to the far corners of the earth for a breaking news story. He wants her to say “I do.”

Read an excerpt here.

The Playboy (Book 2)
Released by Forever 1 Jan 03

This book picks up a few months after the end of The Bachelor and I love the way it starts out! Kendall is on her way to Yorkshire Falls after her Aunt Crystal’s death to take care of the house and property left to her. When her car breaks down just outside of town, her rescuer is none other than the middle Chandler brother, Rick. And he gets a surprise when he finds a beautiful woman in a wedding dress sitting in her broken down car on the side of the road. Rick has been dodging the women in town who have been encouraged by his mother to get to know her middle son and get him to walk down the aisle and here his is face to face with a bride running from the altar. I love the irony.

As Rick and Kendall get to know one another and secretly lust for each other, they come up with an agreement that is beneficial to both of them. They’ll pretend to be lovers while Kendall is in town. This way the women will leave Rick alone and Rick will tender his services to help her get her house ready to sell so she can be on her way to the next stop in her life. Kendall is a wanderer. She’s never had a stable home life like Rick. Her parents are usually out of the country and her Aunt Crystal had to send her away when her arthritis became too severe to take care of a young girl. So with no one around to love her and watch over her, Kendall has survived on her own, needing no one. This works well for both of them until the feelings start to bubble to the surface.

Another ripple in Kendall’s plan to hightail it out of town is her younger sister, Hannah. The girl ends up living with Kendall after she leaves the boarding school her parents carted her off to. She comes into the picture as a very unhappy teen and she lets everyone know it in no uncertain terms. It’s Rick who is able to get through to Hannah, all the while hoping Kendall will see how a stable life in a small town is the right thing for the sisters. Rick is the one in this book to admit his feelings first, but he never crowds Kendall or overwhelms her. He waits it out hoping her good sense and eventually her love for him will win out. There’s a couple of little twists thrown in, a jealous former girlfriend of Rick’s for one, who lets her anger take over and nearly causes Kendall to bolt for good.

I liked the touch of Rick the cop being good with kids, thus his connection with Hannah. Mom is still in there with her fake heart condition, although both Roman and Rick have ferreted the truth out and know she’s pretending. The fact that Mom is being caught in her own web is also fun. She’s seeing the town doctor, but of course can’t really get out and have a good time because she’s supposed to be taking it easy. The boys enjoy that quite a bit and do what they can to curtail her good times for a bit. The charming Southern man is also rampant in Rick and you have to love him too just because he’s a gentleman and treats the ladies just like his mama taught him.

Grade: A

Summary:

There isn’t a woman in town who’s immune to the legendary Chandler charm. Yet so far single cop Rick Chandler has managed to fend off the marriage-minded advances of Yorkshire Falls’ entire female population. A past mistake has taught him never to put his heart on the line … until he answers the SOS of a real-life runaway bride. In spite of her pearly gown and tiara, Kendall Sutton vows to never wed- which makes her the ideal pretend lover who can ward off Rick’s legion of admirers. When their passionate charade flames into the real thing, Rick is suddenly thinking about two words that spell forever after. But will Kendall ever say “I do?” Can a woman who’s had it with weddings tie the knot with the town’s most popular playboy?

Read an excerpt here.

The Heartbreaker (Book 3)
Released by Vision 1 Jun 04

Chase Chandler is the big brother, the head of the family. He’s taken his responsibilities since his father died very seriously and has been the perfect role model for his younger brothers. Now that the two of them are married, it’s time for Chase to cut loose and go after what he wants. He goes to Washington, D.C. as the reporter he’s always wanted to be. Little does he know he’s about to run into the story of a lifetime, a reporter’s dream. Turns out his professional dream and his personal dream end up being the same woman and his dilemma has only just begun.

Sloane learns that her life has been a total lie. She overhears her senator father’s top men discussing her and a scandal that will topple her father’s bid for the vice presidency. Thrown for a loop, she lets loose, hits the nearest bar and ends up in bed with a stranger. But what a stranger he is. She connects with him like never before, but she knows this one night is all they’ll have. Leaving Washington, D.C. behind, she heads for the little town of Yorkshire Falls to discover her past and hopefully her future. Never in a million years, however, does she think her one-night stand could ever be her future.

I loved the dichotomy in the life of these two characters. Chase has finally earned his freedom from responsibility after raising his brothers and keeping the family newspaper going. He wants that one big break to make his career. He finds it in Sloane, and at first he thinks he can let her go while making her the focus he needs. Sloane is looking for a husband, hearth and home, someone to take care of her and love her, plus she has a scandal following her that any reporter following her father’s political aspirations would kill for. It all makes for some great reading.

As with the other two books, this is a mystery afoot, some added danger that draw these two at first closer to one another, but eventual consequences cause them to back off from one another, something both of them soon realize is not the thing to do. Both Roman and Rick are included in the storyline, along with their wives and mom and her current beau, still making it a family affair when needed. Sloane’s scandal ends up being a very nice ending for her too. This is a great way to end the entire trilogy.

Grade: A

Summary:

As the eldest of three rebel-rousing brothers, Chase Chandler has waited a long time to leave his small-town roots behind. All bets are off when the single journalist meets a redhead who arouses a lot more than lust. Yet Sloane Carlisle isn’t just any woman. She’s a senator’s daughter who is about to thrust him into the eye of a breaking political scandal—and a shot at a story that’s already making headlines. All Chase has to do for an exclusive is keep her out of harm’s way.

A woman who refuses to play the Washington game, Sloane has just been hit with a bombshell that calls her entire identity into question. Feeling vulnerable, she does something completely out of character: She spends an incredible, passionate night with a handsome stranger. The last thing she expects is to ever see him again. But when she goes to the Chandlers’ hometown of Yorkshire Falls to uncover the truth about her family, there he is! Not only that, her sometime amour Chase Chandler is sticking closer than a Capitol Hill groupie and igniting more sparks than the Fourth of July.

Suddenly a guy who has always steered clear of marriage is falling for a serious-minded woman with a family secret that could land them both in danger. If they survive the fallout, what will it take to get Sloane to say the two words that could turn the town’s most eligible bachelor into the world’s sexiest spouse?

Read an excerpt here.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy. Each brother in his own way fights the dreaded committed relationship, but as they really get to know each woman as she comes along for them, you can see the door open and a whole new life is waiting for them on the other side as their realizations change, as they face that if they let this woman go, life will never be the same, life won’t be worth a darned without her in it. There’s also the extra bonus of their mother falling in love throughout her escapade she’s created and having to face each of her sons as they find out what she’s done. I also really like the love and support they give each other, the love they heap on their mother, especially after her scheme is revealed and they have every right to be angry.

If you have these books in your TBR pile, pull them out. You won’t be sorry one bit.

Overall grade: A

Gwen’s review of The Runaway Duke by Julie Anne Long
Historical romance released by Warner Forever 1 Aug 04

This book was in a large, unsorted pile that Sybil gave me. It’s signed by the author and I think it’s actually a prize for an old contest (ahem – Zara). Honestly, we’re not usually this disorganized around here – but in this one instance, I’m awfully glad we were. I would have totally missed this book if Sybil hadn’t had a blond moment and put it in my box! So, Zara, you’ll get the book shortly (gently read only once). Meanwhile, on to my quick review…

I’ve been on a bit of a historical bender lately. I’m normally the “urban fantasy don’t need no stinkin’ HEA” kinda gal, but everyone needs a little change every now and again. And, lately, for me, it’s been historicals. Mix that with a pile of books, and you get me reading The Runaway Duke by Julie Anne Long. I really love this book. I couldn’t read it fast enough and I didn’t want it to end when it did.

I love how complex the characters are. I wanted to strangle the hero a couple of times (bonehead, be honest with the gal and she won’t hate you). I love how complex the plot became and that it resolved in such a lovely, complicated way. The H/H got their sort of happily ever after, but it took on a slightly different twist – it wasn’t EXACTLY what they wanted, but it was what was correct.

The structure of the plot is quite good. The author’s descriptive technique is excellent – I could really visualize all of the scenes. The emotional reaction to what occurs is rational for the characters. The bad guys are believably bad, though I am wondering what happened to “‘utchins” and whether he’ll rear his ugly head again. I really was rooting for these characters and soo wanted them together. It was so sweet at the end.

This was a surprising book all around. I’m sorry I missed it when it came out and I’ll definitely be looking up her other books if they’re this good.

Grade: A

     Blurb:

No one could ever accuse Rebecca Tremaine of being a proper young lady. She’s wretched at needlework, pitiful at the pianoforte, and entirely too informed about the human body, courtesy of her father’s scientific journals. So no one is terribly surprised when she manages to get herself compromised by a dandy she despises. When her parents arrange a hasty marriage, there is only one man she can turn to for help: her father’s Irish groom, Connor Riordan.

No one knows that Connor Riordan is the fifth Duke of Dunbrooke, “killed” in action at Waterloo, and he wants it to stay that way. But a true gentleman never turns away a damsel in distress. Connor agrees to spirit Rebecca away- bumbling highwaymen, a scheming duchess, and Rebecca’s fiancé in hot pursuit.

But time alone with the beautiful and desirable Rebecca jeopardizes Connor’s secret every day-and tests his willpower every night. For if ever there was a reason to bring the Duke of Dunbrooke back from the dead, it would be to make Rebecca Tremaine his Duchess!

     Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of To Taste Temptation (The Legend of Four Soldiers, Book 1) by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical romance released by Forever 1 May 08

I’m still trying to figure out why I didn’t just totally love this book. I’m known in these parts for loving practically everything I read. So while love is not the right word for me this time, I did like this book very much. I like the storyline, the characters, the romance, the mystery. But for some reason it stopped just short of me closing the book after reading the last page and having stars in my eyes while thinking, “Wow!”

The best part of the book is the hero. Samuel Hartley is a man who is haunted by demons from his past. During the French and Indian War his regiment is ambushed by Wyandot Indians and all but a few men perish. Sam has been branded a coward during the intervening years because of his seemingly hasty retreat as the fighting began. He’s never defended himself against these accusations, deciding instead to live a simple woodsman life in America until he receives information he and his men had been betrayed. He goes to England to ferret out the culprit and uses the ruse of introducing his sister Rebecca into society as a cover. Killing two birds with one stone, Sam goes to Emeline Gordon, a beautiful widow who teaches young ladies proper etiquette and whose brother died in the attack, thus giving Sam his own entree into society.

Lady Emeline is not impressed with the coarse and tactless American. But she certainly is attracted to him. Every single thing different about Samuel should rub her the wrong way, but it’s those very things that keep her thinking about him even when he’s not around. Emeline tries her darnedest to keep him at arm’s length with her cool hauteur and uppity attitude, but Sam relentlessly pursues her. It took me a bit to warm up to Emeline. She takes herself a little too seriously and definitely lives by the rules of society. But when she finally gives in and lets Samuel love her, the sparks fly like crazy. She still tries to push him away, though, and she nearly loses him. Silly woman. I’m glad she finally wised up and realized what she could have. I do like her relationship with her son. He’s definitely a “little man” and her love for him is quite palpable.

The emotion Samuel goes through is heart-wrenching. He literally has physical symptoms to fight when he encounters anything that triggers memories of the ambush. The scene between he and Emmie when he returns from his harrowing run after an especially frustrating time for him in his investigation is simply wonderful when she ministers first aid to his injuries, and the consequences of such actions and closeness is all consuming. Each and every intimate scene between these two characters is fraught with every emotion imaginable.

My second favorite character is Rebecca. She’s an engaging young woman on the cusp of experincing everything thrilling and frightening in life, but she faces it all with grace and intellect. I’m hoping the third book in the series, To Beguile a Beauty, due out in May of next year, is her book, and I look forward to her budding romance with O’Hare. I also enjoyed the parallel fairytale at the beginning of each chapter throughout the book; a different story but with the same moral as the book itself.

As much as I’ve gone on about the book here, there’s still something that holds me back from putting this one on my keeper shelf. I will definitely continue the series and I know I will enjoy them all. Maybe I just need to work my way up to “Wow!”

Grade: B+

Read Shannon C’s review here and Lawson’s here.

From the back cover:

EVEN THE MOST REFINED LADY
Lady Emeline Gordon is the model of sophistication in London’s elite social circles, always fashionable and flawlessly appropriate. As such, she is the perfect chaperone for Rebecca, the young sister of a successful Boston businessman and former Colonial soldier.

CRAVES AN UNTAMED MAN
Samuel Hartley may be wealthy, but his manners are as uncivilized as the American wilderness he was raised in. Who wears moccasins to a grand ball? His arrogant disregard for propriety infuriates Emeline, even as his boldness excites her.

TO RELEASE HER PASSION…
But beneath Samuel’s rakish manner, he is haunted by tragedy. He has come to London to settle a score, not to fall in love. And as desperately as Emeline longs to feel this shameless man’s hands upon her, to taste those same lips he uses to tease her, she must restrain herself. She is not free. But some things are beyond a lady’s control…

Read an excerpt.

Lawson’s review of To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical romance released by Forever 1 May 08

I’m not ashamed of the fact that I read, loved and reviewed the three Prince books by Hoyt. She’s a talented writer with a gift for story and characterization. She had an interesting twist with how fairy tales were interwoven with the rest of the book. Starting a new series about soldiers from the French and Indian War has an interesting setting and time period, and I was anticipating this start to a new series from Hoyt. And what I found was. . .

. . . something that in ways was a repeat of what Hoyt has given before. Sure, there is good descriptions, tone, and characterization. There’s also fairy tales. Perhaps I’d hoped for some sort of different extra something to Hoyt’s new series, instead of going with another theme of using a fairy tale to help tell the story.

The soldier in the story is Samuel Hartley, a veteran of the 28th that was a hero in the French and Indian war. Some people say otherwise, however, but Sam doesn’t care for what people think. In fact he wears moccasins everywhere and doesn’t follow all the rules of polite society. He’s not in England for those sorts of things. He suspects his regiment was betrayed into a massacre and is searching for the traitor. Sam moves in next door to Lady Emeline Gordon, whose brother was killed at the massacre.

Emeline is a paid chaperone for untried ladies who need social polish to help them in social events. She is considered to be the epitome of English womanhood, always unassuming, quiet, stylish and nearly perfect. When Sam moves in, she’s not happy, though she enjoys the connection to the brother she lost. Her son takes to Sam quickly, but Emeline disapproves of his manners, his dress and his behavior. Sam tries to charm her, but she is always sniping at him. When Sam’s search for the traitor involves her fiancee, Lord Vale, things start to get complicated. But then the course of true love never did run smooth.

What Sam sees in Emeline is a mystery. Even what Vale could see in Emeline is not clearly seen. She’s judgmental, exacting, at times demeaning and narrow-minded. Though she does care for her brother in the need to know how he died, in every other way Emeline is not likable. Even at the end she’s thinking about her comfort, her needs and her social standing more than how much she loves Sam.

Sam seems to take Emeline in stride but it’s hard to see why he would even care for someone so selfish and unwavering in her belief in the benefits of London, society and the British way of life. What sparks are there between the two leads are fed more by the friction of their different personalities rather than any affection or perhaps caring on either side.

Lord Vale was a good character, a solid man who was dealing with his own issues but able to cope with Sam reappearing in his life. Sam’s sister Rebecca and her potential love story could make for a more interesting story than this one as she seems to be a more open, accepting and warm person than Emeline. Since this is the Legend of the Four Soldiers, are there to be four books in this series? If so, who would be the fourth?

Hoyt’s writing and characterizations are good as always, but Emeline was such a cold person it turned me off to other aspects of the story. Maybe I was spoiled by The Serpent Prince, but I’d hoped for a different tack than the fairy tales in the next series by Hoyt, and something else that matched the passion and emotion that Hoyt showed through Simon Iddelsleigh.

Grade: C

For a different view, read ShannonC’s review.

     Blurb: 

     The ton loves nothing more than a good scandal, and they’re giddy with the appearance of wealthy Samuel Hartley. Not only is he self-made, American, and in the habit of wearing moccasins, but he is also notorious for fleeing a battle in which several English gentlemen lost their lives. What the ton doesn’t know, though, is that Samuel is in Londonbecause of this massacre. He believes his regiment was given up to the enemy and won’t rest until he finds the traitor.

     Lady Emeline Gordon is captivated with Samuel. Not only does he defy convention with his unusual dress, his sensual smile, and his forthright manner, but he survived the battle that killed her beloved brother. Samuel suspects that the person responsible for her brother’s death is Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, a family friend since childhood–and Emeline’s fiancé. Despite Emeline’s belief in Vale’s innocence and her refusal to break off her betrothal, she and Samuel begin a passionate affair. But can their relationship survive the fallout from Samuel’s investigation?

     Read an excerpt.

PLEASURE UNBOUND (Book 1 in The Demonica Series) by Larissa Ione releases late June.  Read on for the blurb and an excerpt.  Another yummy paranormal series is on the way!

Book info:

     Someone is killing demons–someone other than the Aegis demon slayers, anyway. Now Eidolon, a doctor at Underworld General as well as a demon whose instincts to mate are growing stronger, must pair up with a sexy Aegis Guardian named Tayla Mancuso to learn the truth behind the killings. But Tayla has her own agenda. Her assignment is to find a way to destroy Underworld General. When she falls for Eidolon, who has shown her erotic pleasures she’d never dreamed of, she must face the horrors of her past and choose between becoming one of the very creatures she’s hunted–or death.

E-X-C-E-R-P-T

Darkness fell like a guillotine blade, severing Tayla and her partner from the daylight. Somewhere nearby, a dog barked, and gunfire erupted, probably another gang drive-by, but Tay and Janet weren’t cops, and they didn’t care. Hell, even the cops wouldn’t give rat’s ass. This part of New York City was a third world country at war, and the cops had long ago gone U.N. and withdrawn from the battle.

Standing next to the sewer access, Tay fingered her jacket pocket where she kept her stang, an S-shaped, dual-ended blade, each coated with a different metal. The gold side made short work of demons like the Cruentus they were hunting, and she wanted the weapon at the ready.

“Looks clear,” Tay said, and Janet lifted the heavy grating.

With a final glance into the night, they hurried down the ladder into tunnels ripe with the acrid stench of decay and waste. There were no lights, but the darkness posed no problem, not for any Aegis Guardian.

Out of habit — habit in the face of danger — Janet played with her necklace, a crucifix marked on the back with an etching of the Aegis Shield. Tayla wiggled her pinky ring out of the same habit, but the protective talisman wouldn’t help her in this instance; her night vision had always been exceptional even without magic.

She crouched at the base of the ladder, touched her fingers to a dark smear on the tunnel’s brick wall. “Blood,” she whispered. “It’s here.”

The sound of blades clearing their leather wrist housings echoed through the narrow passageway. Tayla held her spiked blade in one hand and her stang in the other as they followed the trail of blood. She ignored the squishing noises beneath her feet, ignored the rats and the sound of moisture dripping down the walls. Her focus narrowed to take in only the sights, sounds, and smells that would lead her to her target. Her eyesight sharpened, her ears tamped down her internal noises and picked up the most delicate sounds, like those of the cockroaches skittering behind the walls.

Down here, she was the predator.

Tay lived for this. Lived for the high, the rush of adrenaline that coursed through her veins during the hunt.

Lived for this because hatred was all that kept her heart beating.

Shadows shifted inside a tunnel ahead, and the hairs on the back of Tay’s neck prickled. In front of her, Janet sank into a crouch. Tay flattened herself against the brick and eased next to the opening.

Heart pounding, she wheeled into the tunnel arch.

Three red eyes met hers. Two rows of sharp teeth flashed. The demon’s high-pitched screech blasted through her brain, and son of a bitch, the thing wasn’t a Cruentus.

“Croucher demon,” she shouted back to her partner, who cursed and surged next to her.

“What, you can’t find a house to terrorize, you ugly piece of shit?” In one smooth motion, Janet drew an air claw from her belt pouch and launched it.

The demon shrieked, clutched the throwing star buried deep in one eye, hatred burning in the remaining two. Tay worked her stang into a spin that would sever the Croucher’s head, but motion in her peripheral vision brought her around. Janet tumbled awkwardly through the air and landed in a crumpled heap. In the space where she’d stood, the Cruentus demon growled deep in its skeletal chest.

“Not. Nice.” Tay hurled her spiked blade backward even as she lunged forward with the stang. She didn’t need to look to know the spike had buried itself in the Croucher’s throat.

One down, one to go.

The gold razor edge of her stang found its target and sliced a thin line across the Cruentus’s stomach. The thing stumbled back, one hand covering its belly as if it expected its guts to fall out. She spun, struck it in the pelvis with a roundhouse kick.

The creature slammed into an access ladder. Tay moved in, stang whirling. The Cruentus’s claws lashed out, catching Janet in the shoulder.

“Ow! Bastard.” Janet brought her favorite weapon, a hatchet, from beneath her jacket. The demon sidestepped her attack, and the blade landed only a glancing blow to its shin.

“Hey asshole!” Tay charged, but she drew short with a cry. Her right leg tingled, the muscles turned to water. Her hand went numb, and her stang clattered to the ground just before her body landed in the slime.

Not again. Not now!

“Tayla!” Janet screamed as the demon’s thorny fingers closed around her throat.

Gnashing her teeth, Tay dragged herself toward the demon, which was shaking her partner like a terrier with a rat.

“Hey!” Tayla’s fingers closed around a jagged chunk of brick. “You disgusting sonofabitch, look at me.”

She hurled the brick with her good arm, and a sharp edge crunched into the back of its head. Black fluid spurted from the wound. Snarling, it released Janet and turned, its eyes little more than orange balls of rage.

“Whore,” it rasped. “Filthy human whore. I’ll feast on your organs, suck them out through your cunt while you scream.” It slipped its narrow tongue between its fangs and slurped obscenely at the air.

“Men,” she muttered, stretching for the stang she’d dropped. “Doesn’t matter what species, you always make everything about sex.”

Baring its teeth in a smile that wrinkled its blunt, hairless snout, it picked up Janet’s hatchet. “Not sex. Death.”

It swung. The sound, the dull thud of a blade sinking into flesh tore through Tayla like a werewolf’s claws. Janet’s head, nearly separated from her body by her own hatchet, lolled to one side, caught against her shoulder only by a strip of sinewy muscle and skin. Surprise flashed in Janet’s blue eyes, and then the cloudy mist of death settled in them.

“Janet! No!”

“No!”

Tayla’s eyes flew open. Terror swept through her in a series of quakes. Sweat dripped down her forehead and into her hair as she took in the hospital equipment, the darkened, cool room. She was safe.

No, not safe. After the Cruentus killed Janet, it had attacked her, landed her in some sort of facility run by demons. She’d been patched up. Bathed. And oh, God.

She’d had sex with a demon.

Tayla swallowed bile and tried to keep her stomach from heaving. She needed to shower. And douche. Maybe sterilize her skin by burning it off.

Not that she could do any of those things, seeing how she was chained to a bed and could have been for days as far as she knew.

She made a fist, wiggled her toes. At least function had returned. But for how long? The episodes had been occurring more frequently, had gotten Janet killed and had nearly done the same for Tayla.

Next time, she might not be so lucky.

“Good evening.” A petite blonde woman in godawful fuchsia scrubs stood next to the bed. How she got there without Tayla hearing, she had no clue. “You look better than you did when you came in, what with all the blood and bite marks and Cruentus bits splattered all over. And you really should rethink the red leather. It clashes with your hair.”

“The red hides the blood stains, and who the hell are you? The fashion police?” Her voice sounded scratchy, unused.

The air-headed twit shook her head like Tay had been serious. “Nurse Allen. I brought food, but you can’t eat until Dr. Eidolon removes the restraints.” She smiled, revealing shiny fangs. “Obviously, the restraints are necessary, seeing how your kind are merciless murderers and all.”

Tayla stared. “Pot, meet kettle.”

“Thanks, Nancy. I’ve got it. Go home. We’ll see you tomorrow.” The masculine voice shivered through Tayla like a forbidden pleasure. Vodka for the alcoholic. Cheesecake for the dieter. Orgasm for the monk. “Hello, Tayla.”

“Hey, Dr. Evil.” She didn’t look. What if she’d dreamed up his good looks? What if he had horns, hooves, and porcupine quills?

Nancy’s bubbly laughter followed her out the door, and what kind of vampire chatted and giggled like a brain-dead cheerleader? Didn’t really matter, though. The vamp would die in a rain of embers and ashes just like any other bloodsucking fiend. Tay just wished the remains weren’t so greasy. Washing that crap out of clothes was a bitch.

But then, such was the life of a member of The Aegis, the unsung protectors of the world. The secret guardians of humanity. The slayers of demons and things that went bump in the night.

And all the other bullshit that was supposed to make Tay feel warm and fuzzy, but that only reminded her how she had nothing better to do with her life than hang out in monster-infested alleys that smelled like rancid piss.

After all, it was hard to find a legitimate job when you had an arrest warrant for murder hanging over your head.

Then again, even if she had a perfect record and a freakin’ doctorate to her name, nothing would change. She’d still spend her nights patrolling the New York City underground she knew more intimately than anyone should, searching for evil filth to squash.

Evil filth like the doctor whose footsteps grew louder as he approached. She closed her eyes, still unable face him. It wasn’t until she felt the head of the bed jack up that she dared to peek.

Chills shivered over her skin. Dressed in green scrubs, he was just as she’d remembered, all muscle and angular features and brown eyes that flashed with intelligence and confidence. That wicked tattoo on his right arm shimmered, its sharp, curved lines blurring when she looked too closely.

She’d fought demons for eight of her twenty-four years, but never had she encountered one whose devastatingly powerful presence filled her with a sense of awe. It was as though he was pure sexual energy contained in a wrapper of smooth, bronze skin, and damn, it wasn’t fair that a demon should be so cover-model handsome.

Too bad she’d have to ruin his looks with the bruising end of her right hook.

“I’m going to release your wrist restraints so you can eat. Don’t try to fight me. The hospital is under the protection of an antiviolence spell.”

Sure. She waited until he’d freed her hands. Then she smiled. And took a swing at his jaw.

Pain nearly sheared off the top of her skull. She fell back, clutching her head with both hands.

“I warned you.”

“My ass,” she groaned. “You wanted me to try something.”

“Maybe a little.”

When the pain dimmed, she narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s why I’m still alive, isn’t it? The spell. You probably want to kill me but can’t.”

He shrugged and marked something on her chart. “I also want to be inside you again, so I wouldn’t read too much into my instincts.”

She nearly choked on her own saliva. “I could have done without the reminder.”

Did he mean what he’d said? About being inside her? Not that it was a possibility, because clearly, she had to kill him at the first available opportunity.

“Oh,” he said, his voice rumbling through parts that had no business being rumbled, “you remembered all on your own.” He set aside the clipboard and put his long, slender fingers to the pulse in her wrist. “You didn’t come, but you wanted to. And I wanted to make you come. Wanted to feel you spasm around me.”

His eyes darkened as he took in her face, her throat, her breasts beneath the hospital gown. “I can still smell what we did. Smell your desire.” He pressed more firmly against the skin of her wrist, where her pulse throbbed harder with every word. “I can feel your desire.”

So could she, in the ache between her legs, the sweet pinch of puckered nipples, the rush of moisture that funneled through her sex.

“I wonder,” he purred, “how your desire would taste.”

Good God. The effect he had on her, the way he made her crave things she’d never wanted…it shouldn’t be happening. Not only was the man an enemy, but the lust itself…it shouldn’t be there at all. Sex had always been a weapon, a tool, the only form of currency that never ran out. Sex with a man was certainly not recreational. The times she’d tried to make it so had ended in anger, frustration, and emptiness. She faked orgasms like everyone else faked laughter at dumb jokes.

“Stop touching me,” she said a little too breathlessly, “or the only thing you’ll be tasting is my fist.” An idle threat, given the stupid spell, but threatening him made her feel better.

To her relief, he released her and stepped back, his arousal straining the front of his scrubs. Averting her gaze, she reached for the ankle restraints, but he shook his head.

“Leave them. Your hands are free so you can eat, but you aren’t at liberty to walk around.”

“Okay, Hellboy,” she said. “What if I have to go to the bathroom?”

“A nurse will assist you.” His voice pitched low with dark amusement. “Unless you’d rather I helped.”

“Thanks, I’ll pass.” She dragged her fingers through her tangled hair and cast a longing gaze at the food the vamp nurse had brought. “Do I get to eat, or what?”

He handed her the tray, and even though her stomach growled at the sight of what appeared to be an egg salad sandwich, she hesitated. “What kind of eggs are in this?”

“Could be anything. Rusalka. Harpy. Bone devil.”

She had a feeling he was messing with her, but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t take a bite. Not until she asked the vital questions that had been bugging her since she woke up.

“So, uh, where am I, exactly? And what do you plan on doing with me?”

“You’re at Underworld General Hospital. As you can probably guess, we specialize in non-human medical care. Our location is secret, so don’t ask.”

“UGH? Your hospital is called, ‘ugh?’ Oh, that’s precious.” Doc Humorless gave her a flat stare, and she sighed. “How did I get here?”

“Ambulance. We have our own.”

“Of course you do.” She wished she could remember even the smallest detail of the trip here, but her mind was a black hole. “What about the Cruentus? Is it dead?”

“He’ll be released tonight.”

Rage burned like acid in her belly. “It killed my friend.”

“Your colleagues have killed many of mine,” he shot back.

She ground her teeth and forced herself to take control of her emotions. Truthfully, she’d never considered Janet a friend — she’d learned long ago to avoid attachments to people who risked death on a daily basis, but if he wanted to talk about loss, she could go toe to toe — or hoof, paw, whatever he had — with him. But right now, she had to play smart. And smart meant intel. She just hoped Guardians had already found Janet’s body. The thought of an Aegis warrior rotting in a sewer made the acid in her gut bubble.

“So where do you get training for something like this? Because I’m thinking a lot of you wouldn’t blend real well in anatomy class.”

His pager went off, but he ignored it. “Anyone who is human or can pass as human trains in human medical schools. I’m a medical doctor with a degree from Harvard, for example. We train all others ourselves.”

He brushed his fingers over the medical symbol on the pocket of his shirt as though making sure what he’d said was true. At least, she thought it was a medical symbol. The familiar winged staff encircled by two serpents had been replaced by a sinister-looking dagger. The vipers wrapped around the blade looked ready to strike. And the feathered wings had been replaced by batlike, tribal wings in a pattern similar to those on his arm. She frowned, because she’d seen it before…

His necklace. His pendant matched the design on his scrubs.

“It’s a modified caduceus,” he said, and she tore her gaze away from the design because now the image of the silver blade caressing her skin while he’d been inside her was burned into her brain. “My youngest brother designed it. We couldn’t very well use a human medical symbol.”

“I still don’t understand how demons can get into medical school. Don’t you have to have good college grades, or hey, here’s a novel idea — proof that you’re human?”

“Not everyone who looks human is, Tayla. Friends in high places can arrange anything. Including getting demons who didn’t grow up in human society into med school.”

The idea that demons had come together to do something so organized and not blatantly evil blew her mind. Almost enough to make her forget that he hadn’t answered her second question. Almost.

“And? What about me? You just going to keep me tied to the bed as your personal sex toy?”

“I should point out that you begged me for sex. Not the other way around.”

There he went with the unnecessary reminders again.

“And what? You couldn’t resist the injured, weakened human having a sexy dream?”

Something in his gaze went all smoldering and hot, and her body answered with an inappropriate return of heat. “Call it a peculiarity of my species. I couldn’t resist your scent. You had a need. I responded.”

“But you didn’t fulfill it.” A cruel blow, meant to injure since she had no other way to do so, but he merely frowned, looking troubled.

“Could have something to do with your biology. I could run tests…try again…”

“No!” She wondered if his apparently keen sense of smell would pick up the odor of her failing deodorant. She knew why she hadn’t climaxed, but she wasn’t about to share. “Just answer my question. What are you going to do with me?”

He finally glanced at his pager and then back at her. “Some of my colleagues want to take you elsewhere and torture you until you talk.” The way he said it, all calm and matter-of-fact, frightened her more than the actual words did. “I’d rather they didn’t do that. I worked too hard to save you.”

Tay poked at her mystery egg sandwich, knowing she wouldn’t eat now. “Yeah, I can see how torturing and killing me after all your efforts would be a bummer.”

“Then give me something, slayer.”

“And what? You’ll let me waltz out the front doors?”

“I’ll make sure no one tortures you.”

“If you think I’m going to say one word about The Aegis, you’re on crack.” She looked down at her hand. “Where’s my ring?”

“Consider it a partial payment on your hospital bill.”

“You…you bastard,” she sputtered. “That ring has sentimental value.”

Upon joining The Aegis, every Guardian chose a piece of jewelry — rings, watches, necklaces, anything personal — to have imbued with magical enhancements, and her ring had belonged to her mother.

“Much of what The Aegis took from me had sentimental value.”

Great. Just great. If the enemy learned how the sorcery attached to her ring worked and what gifts it bestowed upon the human wearer, demons could find a way to neutralize the Aegis magic.

Clenching her fists, she cursed the antiviolence spell. “I’m not telling you anything.”

“Tell me about your parents.”

She blinked, caught off guard by the change of subject. “Why?”

“If you won’t give me anything about The Aegis, tell me something about yourself. What can it hurt?”

Surely it was a trick, but she didn’t see the harm in discussing people who no longer existed. “I never knew my dad. My mom died when I was sixteen.”

“Did you ever see your father? Pictures, maybe?”

“What the hell kind of question is that? And not that it’s any of your business, but no. My mom never even gave me a name.”

Tayla doubted her mom had known the guy’s name. Tay had been born addicted to heroin, so her old man could have been one of any number of losers her mom screwed while doped up.

Hellboy looked thoughtful, as if what she’d said had been fascinating. He must not have a life beyond patching up other evil demons and boinking human patients.

“How did your mom die?”

Memories she’d battled for years twisted and rolled like a living thing inside her head. She didn’t bother to tamp down the rage. The bitterness tasted too good, and she needed the reminder of why she hated this man. “She was killed,” Tay said. “By a demon.”