Lynne Connolly‘s review of The Greek Tycoon’s Reluctant Bride by Kate Hewitt
Contemporary romance released by Mills & Boon (UK) 1 Jan 08, Harlequin (US) 9 Feb 10

This book should really have been a full-length novel in a more serious line. The hero and heroine both have Issues, and they are nasty ones, ones that would take more than a category-length title to resolve. I think there’s a pacing problem here, too, because after a long set up and middle bit, it was resolved too fast. 

Alethea and the hero, Demos are both Greek. Demos marries Alethea when he thinks she will make no demands on him, believing her to be the party girl she pretends to be.

Both hero and heroine are wealthy, Demos being a self-made man. I liked their internal conflicts, I really did, but it resulted in a book that was decidedly down-key for HMB. Nothing really to cheer them on for or to smile at on the way. It was depression all the way. So I read and read and kept wishing I liked this one more.

There’s a genre in the UK, until recently very popular, known as mis-lit. Nothing cheerful happens until the last page. Usually it is about struggle through adversity. Maybe this would have made a great mis-lit book and I really think that Kate Hewitt should have thought about writing this as a woman’s fiction book. Or maybe she can take the heroine’s dilemma and write a long, exploratory novel about the problem. I would totally read that.

Alethea behaves much as someone with her history would, but because we don’t know her history until later on in the book, she appears petulant and spoiled. Alethea is a cocktease, and she does it to Demos, but he pursues her and proposes because he wants a party girl, someone who will make no demands on him and show his troubled sister that marriage can be fun. However Alethea has real problems, and one of my problems with her character is her father. The man is stupid, blind, and doesn’t see what he shouldn’t, and yet he is presented in a sympathetic manner. He deserves a kick up the butt.

The hero’s problem is clear from the start. He’s a self-made man, looked after his family from when he was a small boy and when his mother remarries, he finds she doesn’t need him anymore. Unlike his sister, who needs him too much. Demos is a tycoon, a billionaire, and his mother lives in a little house with her husband. Strikes me as a tad unlikely, but I could see why he was miffed, because she refuses to take advantage of his money.

It was a great attempt that ultimately failed, partly because the pacing is off, and partly because there is unrelenting unhappiness for most of the book. And at the end I wasn’t convinced that the marriage would last. It ends on a decidedly ambiguous note – they are together and in love, but I didn’t think this one would be a successful marriage. At least they understood each other. As a Harlequin, I have to give this one a C-.

Grade: C-

Blurb:

The Greek tycoon’s marriage demand!  Darkly handsome Demos Atrikes wants a wife to provide heirs to his fortune. No emotions, no complications…
Catching sight of stunning, intriguing Althea Paranoussis, he has to have her. She may be a society party girl, but he believes she’s perfect wife material – and their wedding is arranged.  The chemistry between them is all-consuming. But, once married, Demos discovers the painful truth of Althea’s childhood. She needs more from him than he’d ever planned to give…

Read an excerpt here.

Shannon C.’s review of Enchanting the Lady (Relics of Merlin, Book 1) by Kathryne Kennedy
Historical paranormal romance released by Love Spell 1 Jan 08

I harp a lot in my reviews about the heroines in books. I’m a dirty, hippie, liberal feminist, and I’m proud of it. Give me a kick-ass chick any day who fights for what she believes in and doesn’t take crap from anybody. That being said, I am also as prone to Cinderella stories as the next girl, and if there’s a promise of a Cinderella-type plot, I am there like white on rice. You know the ones I’m talking about: poor, mistreated and oddly beautiful, usually orphaned girl is abused horribly but finally meets a man who falls in love with her and spirits her away from the badness.

I’ll tell you the plot that I’m not so keen on. It’s the one where the Prince Charming is all, “Grrr. This oddly beautiful and sweet woman is obviously hiding a core of evil in her soul, and further, she knows something I need to know, too. I will court her and seduce the information out of her, because that is the only interrogation technique ever, and, my schlong, it is mighty.”

All that being said, Kathrynne Kennedy’s Enchanting the Lady delivers both plot elements I described, and does so in a fashion that’s so over-the-top in its cheesiness that I ate it up like sweet, delicious candy.

The story is set in a kind of Regency England where one’s rank in society is determined by how much magic one can wield. Ms. Kennedy explores what this means for people of high rank quite well, with world-building that’s top-notch. Into this world, we meet Felicity, who is heir to a duchy. She lives with her aunt and uncle and her despicable cousin Oliver, but unlike all of them, she doesn’t have much magic. However, she must be tested to see if she has enough magic to inherit her duchy, a test she’s certain she’s going to fail.

At her testing she meets Terence, a baronet. In this world, the baronets are shape-shifters, and Terence is no exception. The baronets are also used as spies for the prince, and Terence is looking for one of the 13 relics of Merlin, magical talismans that contain evil magic. When Terence meets Felicity, he immediately sniffs the taint of relic magic on her, and since his lion side is attracted to her, well, obviously there’s only one thing for a good spy to do-seduce the information out of the chit.

As I said above, I like a Cinderella story, and so as a heroine Felicity worked for me. She’s beautiful, but she’s had a spell cast on her so that she appears invisible to everyone unless she makes her presence known. This has caused no end of havoc, as she’s always being run over by servants. So she thinks it’s exhilarating when Terence, who is immune to magic, not only sees her perfectly clearly but appears to be attracted to her. I really loved Felicity’s sense of wonder as the possibilities of love and passion were revealed to her. I even tolerated some of the quirks I’ve often seen in her type of heroines, like the fact that her maid is practically her BFF, because I guess if everyone thought I was invisible, I’d pretty much want to talk to anyone I could, despite the societal norms.

Terence was a bit more problematic but no less enjoyable. I love the idea of were-cats, and I love the idea of ones in particular who are so consumed by passion that they take every opportunity to grope their mates in public. Terence was totally hot in that way, and most of the time I wanted him to just go back to seducing Felicity and getting inappropriately caught up in his passion. Instead, he goes for long periods of the book obstinately deciding that someone as naive and awe-struck at the world must be a great actress hiding evil things. He takes a little bit too long to become convinced of Felicity’s innocence for me.

The secondary characters vary. I liked that Felicity’s family wasn’t entirely what it appeared to be, and I understood the motivations of the villainous members. One of them even gets a bit of a redemption, which was cool. And then there are the servants. Felicity’s maid, Katie, and Terence’s manservant, Bentley, were both great characters. Bentley especially deserved a freaking metal for his dedication to chaperoning poor passion-struck Terence.

The relic plot was a lot less interesting to me than the romance, but it does allow for some interesting possibilities for world-building. I was especially taken with Ms. Kennedy’s idea of the London underground, and I hope we’ll see more of it in future books.

There is something about Ms. Kennedy’s style that works for me. Felicity’s such a Mary Sue, and Terence is kind of cheesy in his own right, but I loved them both and I want to see what else Ms. Kennedy has in store. This is truly a unique paranormal premise, and I’ve already got the second book on Mt. TBR.

Grade: B

Read more reviews of books in this series by clicking on the Relics of Merlin series tag.

Summary:
In a world where magic ruled everything, Felicity Seymour couldn’t perform even the simplest spell. If she didn’t pass her testing, she’d lose her duchy-and any hope of marriage. But one man didn’t seem to mind her lack of dowry: a darkly delicious baronet who had managed to scare away the rest of London’s Society misses.

Sir Terence Blackwell knew the enchanting woman before him wasn’t entirely without magic. Not only could she completely disarm him with her gorgeous lavender eyes and frank candor, but his were-lion senses could smell a dark power on her-the same kind of relic-magic that had killed his brother. Was she using it herself, or was it being used against her?

One needed a husband, and the other needed answers. But only together could they find the strongest magic of all: true love.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Lynne Connolly‘s review of The Spymaster’s Lady (The Spymaster Series) by Joanna Bourne
Historical romantic suspense released by Berkley 2 Jan 08

Annique Villiers is a spy for Napoleon’s France, but recent changes in the way her country operates and changes in her personal circumstances have made her more wary of her masters. She is in possession of a secret that both sides would kill to get hold of. And she’s the prime target. 

Grey is in charge of England’s spy unit. Strong, intelligent and powerful, he’s what Annique needs. But can she trust him? Annique meets Grey when they are both captives and in a bad way, together with a young man who is in imminent danger of dying from a bullet wound. That’s the start of the adventure that takes Annique and Grey from war-torn France to war-ravaged England.

This book isn’t perfect. There are very few that are, and I suspect that if one exists, it would be a dead bore. This book is anything but a dead bore. I’ve been putting off reading it for a while, because I’ve read a few highly recommended historical romances recently that disappointed, and I didn’t want that to happen again. It didn’t. It’s a great yarn and an involving read. I enjoyed reading this book, and with only a couple of longueurs, raced through it from start to finish.

I could have done with a few less “kitchen table” scenes (when characters sit around and discuss what has just happened and what is to be come) but that was a very small price to pay. Bourne works at the border where improbable shades into impossible, one of the most exciting areas for a historical novelist, and one which is dangerous, because a few shades the wrong way and the book goes into “unbelievable” territory. Bourne never does this.

The book uses the three act structure. Act one is the journey to England, but I won’t say what acts two and three are for fear of spoilers.

While there are several improbabilities in this book, notably the existence of a separate spy network in this period  which was of little practical use outside the military in the Napoleonic period and there’s no evidence for it, but then, it’s possible so the reader can happily read on. I enjoyed it very much, even though I guessed most of the surprises before they happened. It didn’t matter. I dislike books that depend on shocks and revelations to carry a story through and while this book had its share, the enjoyment didn’t depend on them. They sprang up as needed, to push the story on.

I liked Annique. She was a complex and fascinating character, believable given her training, background and needs. Grey I found more shadowy, the alpha male who falls in love very early and is superior in spying skills to the heroine. Just what she needed, but I would have liked a few more insights into him and his needs. He had no fears, except losing Annique. Their awareness of each other and their enmity is the core of the book, the old lovers who should be enemies plot that for me anyway, never gets stale.

This book gets a B+ from me. Great story, great characters and a great read.

Grade: B+

Read other info and more reviews by following the Spymaster Series tag.

Summary:

She’s never met a man she couldn’t deceive…until now.

She’s braved battlefields. She’s stolen dispatches from under the noses of heads of state. She’s played the worldly courtesan, the naive virgin, the refined British lady, even a Gypsy boy. But Annique Villiers, the elusive spy known as the Fox Cub, has finally met the one man she can’t outwit.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Lawson’s review of The First Total War: Napoleon’s Europe and the Birth of Warfare as We Know It by David A. Bell
Nonfiction history paperback released by Mariner Books 16 Jan 08

I had originally read this book for my own enjoyment, as I’m a history nerd and Napoleonic history does it for me. However, when Gwen’s review of The Spymaster’s Lady went up, I remembered some of the historical aspects of the book and my view of the characterization of Annique changed because of Bell’s slant on some of the things that she’d gone through in France during the French Revolution. Though this is a history book, not a romance, it sheds some interesting light on what people were dealing with more than just the battles from 1792-1815 and the shifts in the view of the military and warfare. 

Though Napoleon is listed in the title, there’s more time spent on the Ancien Régime of Europe and the French Revolution than Napoleon himself. What this does, though, is offer a basis of comparison of Europe before, during and after the changes in 1792-1815. What Bell does is outline first the roles of the nobility in pre-1792 France. Though it’s generally taught in schools as the period when warfare was considered “civilized” in the way that two armies met at an agreed upon spot, discussed terms, had some maneuvers, then whoever seemed to be ahead was declared the winner. Warfare was conducted in the summer months, and the rest of the year the officers would go back to court, as most of them were aristocrats.

What starts to change, however, is the unrest in France and the subsequent limiting of the king’s power, the rise of the National Assembly, the seeming betrayal of the king and his beheading. Through all of this there’s a new rhetoric arising about the nature and view of war. War was the realm of the aristocrats, the soldiers, for there was no real standing army, were uneducated near draftees, but with the downfall of the king, and later the abolition of the nobility lead to a new view of war and its participants. After the king is beheaded by the guillotine and France is beset by declarations of war by other European powers, the military needs to be reorganized.

The campaigns and actions of the French army are now seen and recorded by a new type of soldier. A middle class volunteer, almost citizen army (for an interesing take on this read Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose about the American soldiers in Europe in WWII) who has heard the words of Robespierre, Danton, and Marat about the need for perpetual peace to benefit society. Those words had been inspired by Rousseau, Voltaire and other Enlightenment philosophers who were dreaming of a better society. Unfortunately when the radicals such as Robespierre gain control of the Committee of Public Safety, this call for peace is surpassed by the call for a cleansing war to eliminate the dissenters against the Republic, calling forth the Terror.

Part of the Terror is the actions in the Vendee, which is a department in northwestern France, near the Atlantic. What happens in the Vendee started as a common small revolt in demand of better treatment and the need for food. However, things get out of control when the church is suppressed, and there’s a call for defense on a religious level against the Republic which doesn’t have the resources to feed all the people of France (a common problem in wheat shortages throughout French history). The change here is when the Vendee revolt starts to fall apart, the French army instead of cleaning up the matter instead starts what we call today total war.

Men, women, children, the old, the infirm and even priests are not safe from the wrath of the French army, which leaves an interesting mark on the public consciousness of France. The change in tactics because of the Vendee is felt quickly by those at war with France, and it carries on from the fall of Robespierre to the end of Napoleon’s career in 1815. The other example of something like the Vendee is the actions of the Spanish against Napoleon in 1808-1814, when the term guerrilla warfare was introduced into the lexicon.

Bell uses a lot of sources, such as speeches, newspaper articles and letters to show the mindset of the French Revolutionaries. Each year from 1789-1795 (the “start” to the end of the Terror) the rhetoric, the attitudes, and the feelings of the politicians and leaders changes so that the shift is seen as almost a polarization in those 6 short years. When Napoleon then gains control in 1799 and spends basically the next 15 years fighting nearly every other power in Europe, the view of his actions by the French people was seen as bringing them glory, even though in his battles so many of the young French died.

What is left then, after 1815, is a consciousness of war and the military as a society of their own. There are no longer pampered aristocrats who play at war with a noble opponent, but strategists that have worked their way up the ranks and performed well. The parallels can be drawn to current views of the military in the US, all of which were born in the violence of the French Revolution.

So, in reading all of this military and cultural history, Annique has a new light shed on her. The French Revolution was not an easy time to live in. The exact body count of the Terror, the Vendee and other minor purges that sought to save the republic from the people who sought to destroy it may never be known. However, the reasons why Annique is the character she is, why her motivations are what they are and how she copes with life have been shaped by the birth of total war.

It’s hard for me to grade this book. Being nonfiction, it is presenting fact, but it’s still an argument of point of view, and the aspects that Bell gives to defend his idea of the birth of total war during the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars is put forth in a way that gives attention to detail as well as deftly explaining the point. It also gives a good entry into the perceptions that people had of life an what was expected of them in the Ancien Régime, the French Revolution, and after Napoleon.

Grade: A

Between 1792 and 1815, warfare on an unprecedented scale ripped jaggedly through Europe. It caused millions of deaths, affected every state on the continent, and saw the creation and destruction of the greatest European empire since the days of the Caesars–Napoleon’s empire. It was the first total war.

It was during this time that modern attitudes towards war were born. During the eighteenth century, many educated Europeans thought war was disappearing from the civilized world. So when large-scale conflict broke out during the French Revolution, they could not resist treating it as “the last war”–a final, terrible spasm of redemptive violence that would usher in a reign of perpetual peace. Ever since, the dream of perpetual peace and the nightmare of total war have been bound tightly together in the Western world, right down to the present day, in which hopes for an “end to history” after the cold war quickly gave way to renewed fears of full-scale slaughter.

The First Total War tells this story through a mixture of narrative and analysis. After an introduction which lays out the principal argument, the early chapters describe the aristocratic culture of war which prevailed before the Revolution, and the new currents of thought which arose during the Enlightenment. Subsequent chapters explore the impact of these ideas during the French Revolution of 1789, as the new revolutionary state first tried to renounce war, but quickly ended up embroiled in a massive international and civil conflict. The final chapters offer a new interpretation of the career of Napoleon Bonaparte, discuss the fate of his empire, and discuss the implications of the story for the present day.

Gwen’s review of The Spymaster’s Lady (The Spymasters, Book 1) by Joanna Bourne
Historical romance released 2 Jan 08 by Berkley

To say that the dialog in this book was “clever” is to say that Paris is “pretty”. Paris is Beautiful and this book’s dialog is more than Clever – it’s downright Brilliant. It was so easy to get completely lost in this book. I totally believed the characters, their world, and what was going on. I never once doubted the author and, by the end, was oh-so-thankful Bourne deserved the trust I put in her. This book was a treat to read.

Annique Villiers is the best kind of heroine – savvy, smart, capable, deadly, and beautiful. The hero, Grey, is the yummiest of yummy heroes – large and in charge. They’re both spies who play on the canvas of early 1800′s European politics – a time very fraught with intrigue and peril. These elements of the story are fascinating and, obviously, very well researched. I loved both characters and loved that they were able to come together. I had a few moments of doubt – wondering if they’d be able to overcome the hurdles in front of them, but they make it in the end.

I loved all the secondary characters and felt they were integral parts of the story. In fact, they’re essential in several cases; there are a few plot twists that throw everything for a complete loop and use the secondary characters to full potential. I loved the villains – I wanted to skewer them soooo many times I can’t count, but I’m more bloodthirsty than our heroine, though less capable.

I can’t say much about this book other than if you like good dialog and a terrific plot, this is the book for you. Forget it’s a historical (unless that’s your thing) and just read it for the dialog. Here’s my favorite snippet from the book – remember the heroine is French and speaks in a very French manner:

He would ask. Not demand. Just ask. She did not know how to fight such cunning. “Can I say no?”

“Of course you can. There are five or six empty bedrooms, one right across the hall. I can put you in there.” He took back the space between them till they were almost touching. “I’ll leave my door unlocked. Will you come to me?”

“I am very stupid.”

“I think that means yes.” He was smiling.

She gave him his victory. “I would come to you sometime in the night, tiptoeing down the hall, and open the door and crawl in beside you. Already, I am listening to the argument your body makes to mine. If you carried me to the bed, even without taking a moment to be persuasive, I would want you like flames.”

“The hall gets chilly. Sleep with me tonight, in that bed.”

He cradled her cheek into the warm hardness of his palm. He was so aware of her… even the infinitesimal nod of her head, he felt.

“You have to say it.”

“Yes.” She was without shame.

Isn’t that amazing? The book is full of passages like that. Happy sigh… I love romances like this, and I’ll be reading the next book in the Spymaster series, My Lord and Spymaster, as soon as I can get my mitts on it. It came out 1 Jul 08.

Happy sigh…

Grade: A

Click on the Spymaster series tag below for more reviews and information.

Summary:

She’s never met a man she couldn’t deceive…until now.

She’s braved battlefields. She’s stolen dispatches from under the noses of heads of state. She’s played the worldly courtesan, the naive virgin, the refined British lady, even a Gypsy boy. But Annique Villiers, the elusive spy known as the Fox Cub, has finally met the one man she can’t outwit.

Read an excerpt.

Here and here are very interesting outtakes that I think are important to read AFTER you read this book – they explain a couple of things.

Other books in the series:

Limecello’s review of L is for Leather by Alison Tyler
Erotic anthology published by Cleis Press 21 Jan 08

I’m not much of one for erotica, but I was asked to write a review for one, and I happened to have this book lying around, so I decided to read it. I admit to being intrigued, but still somewhat unsure. This was a good , and rather clear that the majority of the stories were written by women. I find the contrast very interesting.

The stories we well written, and perfect for this format. There are 13 stories in only 137 pages. Of course, some are longer than others, but there’s a wide variety, and I’m pretty sure any reader of erotica would find something to fit their taste. Especially a leather fetishist.

Personally, I like leather. It makes me a bit sad how it’s made/what it comes from… but shoes, purses etc – sometimes leather is best. That being said, leather played a greater or lesser role in each of these stories, but it was a focus. It came in all forms and had varied uses throughout the anthology, and many I’d never read before.

I was definitely impressed with some of the novellas, how the author managed to write such a powerful story in only 4 pages. Others, didn’t appeal to me as much. It’s just not my thing to read girl/girl action, and strap-ons. I don’t really understand what is so compelling about them, but I haven’t though about them much. Even so, the stories are provocative, and there’s a good flow to them.

This book is also perfect as a “short bite” – you can read a few and put it down, or read the whole thing in an hour or so. If you like erotica, and especially leather, this is definitely a book you should look into. For those of you who like erotica, or simply want to try it, this book, or any in the Erotic Alphabet series might be something you’d like to look into. (I haven’t read the others, but each has a main theme or subject, and with 27 different ones to choose from, there should be something for everyone.)

Grade: C

Is it better in leather?

Leather chaps, combat boots, black leather gloves, stilettos, belts and hoods all give way to kinky stories of leather adventures. Zip yourself into a skin-tight full-length coat, redolent with the feral fragrance of animal passion. Meet a cowboy after church who knows a good trick with leather belt. Luxuriate in the sensuous texture of gloved hands on tender skin. Fell the collar snap shut around your neck. Sit down, strap it on, L is for Leather will make your skin tingle and your senses awaken.

Sandy M’s review of Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance published by Brava 1 Jan 08

I am having a great love affair with these Sky High Air men. They’re handsome and know how to have fun. They’re, of course, sexy. That goes without saying. But when they’re going down for the count and falling in love, and they haven’t realized it, they love and protect their lady with a greedy fierceness; and when they finally realize they are in love, well, you’re a goner by that time.

I realize I’m a little behind the times in reading this book since the third in the series is already on the shelves. But because I was so intrigued with Noah and his partners in Smart and Sexy — especially Brody ‘cuz I have a feeling he’s going to fall the hardest — I kept my anal self under control to read these in order. It’s not totally necessary to do so, but I like getting huge doses of these guys in each book. And, as I mentioned before, it’s fun watching them fall all in a row.

Shayne is the playboy of the trio. He’s laid back, always in control, and has done things his own way to get where he is. No help from the rich family. So you’d expect he’d end up with one of those model types he usually dates. But when he gets a glimpse of a clumsy but sexy woman making her way, er, clumsily, through their huge, all-out thank-you-for-the-business party for a rich client, he’s intrigued and just can’t help himself when he finds himself talking to her. Then kissing her. In a closet. He’s puzzled at why he finds her captivating, but he decides to go for it and when he finds out who she is, he’s not sure he’s made the right decision.

Dani, it’s rumored, is crazy. Literally. Even her family thinks so. But she knows different. Just because she walked away from millions and wants to work with animals at the zoo doesn’t mean all her elevators don’t go to the top. But when she tries to please to her mother by showing up at her party hosted by Sky High Air, things just go from bad to worse the minute she steps through door, even though she told herself she can do it and do it with aplomb. The best was kissing Shayne Mahoney under the mistletoe in the closet. The worst? The dead body outside in the rain. That disappeared. Now even Shayne looks at her like she truly is crazy. But he takes a chance on her, makes it his job to protect her, and she knows her heart will eventually get broken when he’s had enough of her.

Shayne, however, doesn’t get tired of Dani and that’s one of the best things about this book. His belief in her strengthens her, makes her more confident. Their love is also strong once they stop denying it. It’s fun, though, to watch Noah and Brody tease him about it. The ensuing mystery after the Dani’s discovery of the body takes on a life of its own and even though I thought I had the culprit pegged, I was wrong each time.

We get more of Brody and Maddie and I’m really looking forward to Superb and Sexy. Brody is the biggest teaser when it comes to women and love, so his turn is coming. Actually, it already started in this book when Maddie ups the ante a little.

I’ll hate to see this series end, but it’s been one heck of a flight.

Grade: A

See all the related posts and reviews by clicking on the Sky High Air series tag.

Summary:

BLOWING IT ALL SKY HIGH

In a family of serious over-achievers, Shayne Mahoney has always been the laid-back, easy-going rebel. But running Sky High Air – a charter airline catering to the rich and famous – is a dream come true, in-flight specials included. Like kissing his client’s beautiful, brainy daughter in a coat closet. But before Shayne can say – Fasten Your Seatbelts, Dani claims to witness a murder, gets stalked in her own apartment, and as added bonus, gets them both shot at by a mystery sniper. Normally Shayne would be running from the obviously crazy woman, and yet he finds himself trying to help her, leaving him to doubt his own sanity…

There’s a reason Dani never attends her mother’s high society parties. The fake people, the shallow conversation – and the fact that she doesn’t fit in. She’s a zoologist, not a starlet, and happy about it, even if she wishes men like ruggedly handsome Shayne Mahoney would spare her a second glance. Of course, dodging bullets isn’t exactly what she’d call the perfect follow-up to their heated kiss, but Shayne makes it clear she can depend on him. All she has to do is hold on tight to his delicious hard body until the ride is over…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Finn’s review of Knave’s Honor (King John, Book 3) by Margaret Moore
Historical Romance released by HQN 1 Jan 08

Well just the fact that one of the main character’s names is Finn made me curious about this book. Lady Elizabeth d’Averette likes adventure and she meets it in human form when she encounters the outlaw Finn on the road home. Those who know Lizette know she has more courage than sense. Which attracts Finn like a fly to honey!

Lizette was on her way home from the exciting world of the royal court when she and her entourage were accosted on the road by a man trying to kidnap her and bring her to evil Lord Wimarc. Finn is an outlaw who is desperate to get into Lord Wimarc’s castle to release his brother from the dungeon. Lizette comes up with a plan to pose as a couple going to visit Wimarc to get them in. Once they’re in they have to pose as a married couple, well as you can imagine it gets pretty interesting. Lizette and Finn must find Ryder and escape from Castle de Werre all the while making sure that Wimarc doesn’t discover who they really are.

This is a great love story with just enough suspense to keep you turning the pages.

Grade: B+

His arrow strikes true…

bringing Lady Elizabeth d’Averette face-to-face with the decidedly intriguing Finn—an outlaw with more honor than most knights. When he saves her from unspeakable violence, she agrees to reward his valorous actions. But would sharing his bed—however chastely— prove too high a price to pay?

Finn values courage, a quality Lizette displays in abundance. She joins him in a dangerous subterfuge to rescue his brother and expose the long-held secrets of the royal court, her adventurous spirit seeming to be a true match to his own. But could a noble beauty really care for a common son of the hills of Eire?

LauraJ’s review of Cosmic Sex (Nekarian Aliens, Book 2) by Karen Kelley
Contemporary paranormal romantic comedy released by Brava 29 Jan 08

I’m the one who loves to read books with quirky, off the wall humor. I don’t remember how I heard of Karen Kelley. I think a friend of mine told me about her and thought I would like her books. Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind had just came out and I picked it up, mostly because the title caught my attention, read the back and decided I had to read the whole book. I knew within the firs few pages that Ms. Kelley was going to be an author I liked.

Cosmic Sex is the second story in the Nekarian Alien books and features Mala’s cousin Kia. Kia has come to earth to find her cousin who didn’t return home after going in search of the “sheriff”. After she lands, Kia is “rescued” by Nick, an undercover cop who thinks Kia is in trouble during a botched undercover sting. Kia, who is a warrior on her planet, thinks it’s cute that Nick tried to rescue her and decides to get him to help her search for her cousin. Nick is reluctant at first and is quite shocked when Kia informs him she is an alien, which he refuses to believe thinking that Kia is mentally unstable or suffering from amnesia. He does agree to help her finally and can’t resist his attraction to her. Kia plans to return home with her cousin, but while on the search for her cousin she finds there are a lot of things on earth that are hard to resist like Nick and chocolate and it’s going to be tough to say goodbye to both.

Ms. Kelley has put together a quirky and humorous cast of characters that I absolutely loved. Kia, who from one viewpoint may look ditzy and like a stereotypical blonde, she is anything but. Normally I don’t like this type of heroine, but Ms. Kelley has created Kia both intelligent and naive and it works very well. Nick is adorable and doesn’t quite know what to do with himself or Kia and it makes him all the more lovable. I like for the hero to tough as well as sensitive and Nick does this. This book wouldn’t be complete without some crazy secondary characters and these come in the form of the bumbling villains and Nick’s partner Sam (who gets his own story in Bad Boys Guide to the Galaxy).

This book had me laughing at loud many, many times. I couldn’t put it down because I had to know how Kia would react to a new earthly pleasure and how poor Nick would handle it (the book cover pretty much has Nick down to a tee). This book is going in my keeper pile and whenever I need something to lift my spirits I’ll be picking this book up and reading it again. I can’t wait for the next book, which comes out next week and hope she continues with even more stories after that.

Grade: A

Summary:

Take me to your leader. Come to think of it, just take me.

Planet Nerak was perfect—no disease, no darkness, no hunger—until an expedition to Earth brought back an unwanted guest. Enter one talented Nerakian named Lara, sent on a special fact-finding mission in the vast region called Texas. Fortunately, a warrior (he calls himself a “cop”) named Sam Jones has offered to help. Unfortunately, Sam’s skill at sex is quite distracting—as are plenty other earthly delights, like the dangerously addictive substance called chocolate. Temptations such as these could seriously compromise Lara’s—ahem—research…

Crazy, that’s what Sam is. What sane man would voluntarily isolate himself in the Texas woods with an alien, not to mention a female one with a superiority complex, legs that won’t quit, and a penchant for walking around buck naked? Between bragging about her home planet and levitating, Lara wastes no time getting on Sam’s last nerve…and even less time getting into his bed. Talk about going where no man has gone before. Of course, when you’re from Texas, nothing—not even an entire planet—is going to stop you from getting what you want.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

And coming soon:

Liviania‘s review of Guardian’s Keep (Unbound, Book 2) by Lori Devoti
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Silhouette Nocturne (Harlequin) 1 Jan 08

Kol Hildr, a garm (wolf shapeshifter of sorts), guards the portal located in the bar Guardian’s Keep. Based on the events of Unbound, the Garm Council feels Kol may no longer be the best guardian. The fact witch Kelly still snoops suspiciously around the bar, during a time of concentrated attacks, deepens their misgivings since Kol seems to do nothing about her presence. Kol will not act because he does not want to believe Kelly is his enemy due to his attraction.

Unsurprisingly, Kelly is not his enemy. She’s being manipulated by Aesa, a woman who claims her son went missing due to the activities at Guardian’s Keep. The rebel garm, who want portals of their own, quickly realize she is Kol’s weak spot. They easily manipulate the lovers because Kelly continues to be as dumb as she was in Unbound and Kol tends to descend to her level. It’s sad this is a romance focused on those two because there is some very interesting politics going on.

The most powerful garm, Fenrir, was long ago betrayed and trapped on Lyngvi. The gods feared his power and wanted him out of the way. It may just be that the Garm Council had a hand in his betrayal. After all, Fenrir does not seem like a menace. When he encounters Kelly and Kol, he helps them to survive. Fenrir and Aesa’s story caught my attention far more than that of Kol and Kelly. I wish the book could have given them more screentime. Aesa’s a strong female who sometimes makes bad choices due to her desperation. Many mysteries were left unsolved about the garm’s history and the future of Fenrir and his son, which left me disappointed. Those aspects of the book drew me in the most and I wish they were given more resolution. (That is not to say I did not love the bit of resolution they were given, which was quite sweet and showed Aesa’s determination.)

Another excellent aspect of the story is the relationship between the misfits that frequent the Guardian’s Keep portal and Kol. They show how good Kol is at his job and why he was assigned to such an important location. It’s an important part of his life for Devoti to illuminate since he tends to make rash decisions under the influence of Kelly. Actually, I did expect there to be more revelations based on the Garm Council’s efforts to keep Kol in their employ. The emphasis on his importance to them seemed like it would should go somewhere.

While Guardian’s Keep disappointed me, I am still going to read Wild Hunt. I hope the lack of Kelly will allow it to equal or surpass Unbound. I also hope to learn more about the hellhound society, even though the politics of the garm were interesting. Devoti has established an interesting world and writes entertaining action scenes. For now I will choose to consider Guardian’s Keep a fluke.

Grade: C

Kol Hildr had spent the last century battling hellhounds and warlocks who sought to usurp his portal’s magic. A mighty shape-shifter with the ability to change into wolf form, Kol made accessing the powerful gateway nearly impossible–unless you were a witch of Kelly Shane’s talents. She had a score to settle and would do anything to close the portal that led to her unearthly prison. Though an alliance with her compromised Kol’s purpose, something about the little witch overwhelmed his fierce, battle-worn soul. But when he learned Kelly’s life might be in jeopardy, could Kol put aside the one thing he thought he valued most–the portal–to journey to the other side and rescue her?
read an excerpt

Holly’s review of To Pleasure A Lady (Courtship Wars, Book 1) by Nicole Jordan
Historical romance released by Ballantine Books 29 Jan 08

Sometimes you need a book just because it’s mind candy. Kind of sweet and fluffy, but not deep or emotionally investing. That’s what this book was for me. Mind candy.

I enjoyed the basic premise behind this story: Woman wants independent freedom and to remain single for the remainder of her days. Man wants woman safe and cared for and out of his hair. Then man becomes attracted to woman and decides to keep her for himself, only woman isn’t having it.

Unfortunately I don’t think it was as well done as it could have been.I like that Marcus was the one doing the pursuing and I love that Arabella was completely honest about her feelings. She said she wasn’t interested in marriage, but when Marcus asks her if she enjoyed their kissing/touching/etc, she didn’t pretend not to. She flat out said, “Yes, I enjoyed it.” That was a refreshing change from so many other novels where the heroine doesn’t want marriage.

I also loved Marcus and his friends, and the way they interact with each other. I literally laughed out loud and their reaction to him saying he wanted to get married. Hilarious. I think too often authors focus on the relationship between women (whether it be friends, sisters, etc) when there is so much fun to be had in observing men and the way they interact with each other. Kudos to Ms. Jordon for that.

I did have a hard time suspending disbelief long enough to get on board with the fact that Marcus knew he wanted to marry Arabella within hours of meeting her for the first time. She went from being a “hellion” he didn’t want to have to deal with to being the woman he wanted as his Countess within the space of about two hours. It didn’t ring true for me. I also had serious issues with the constant use of key phrases, such as “lovely face”. Arabella had an exceptionally “lovely face”. He loved staring at her “lovely face.” Blech.

I was also left wholly unsatisfied by the development that comes about late in the story regarding Arabella’s past. I don’t wish to spoil it for those who are interested, but I was frustrated with the way a certain aspect of the conflict was resolved. Frustrated enough that it detracts from my over all grade.

Still, it was a cute story with fun characters and steamy love scenes.

Grade: B-

     Blurb:

     Marcus Pierce, a strikingly handsome aristocrat with a wicked reputation, inherits guardianship of spirited Arabella Loring and her two younger sisters – and immediately declares his intention to marry them off. But enchantingly defiant Arabella sparks frustration – and something deeply erotic – in Marcus. After matching both wits and swords with her, the possessive nobleman concludes this beautiful and formidable foe must be his.

     Having sworn off marriage and men, Arabella wishes to be left alone to run her finishing school for young ladies. To that end, she boldly accepts Marcus’s intimate challenge: if he can woo and win her within two weeks, she’ll take her place in his bed as his wife. However, if she can resist his considerable charms, the Loring sisters will be granted their independence. Thus an extraordinary game of seduction begins….

     Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s reviews of Wolf Unbound (Cascadia Wolves, Book 4) & Standoff (Cascadia Wolves, Book 5) by Lauren Dane
Contemporary Paranormal Romance eBooks published by Samhain 1 Jan 08 & 4 Mar 08

I’m the typical reader who needs to read a series of books in order. However, reviewing books doesn’t give you that luxury very often. I’ve never read Lauren Dane before and suddenly I had the last two books in her Cascadia Wolves series in hand and once I started reading, I didn’t care one iota I hadn’t read the first three books before beginning these two.

I was immediately drawn into this world of wolves to whom family means everything, and they’re in the middle of the fight of their lives to save everything and everyone they hold dear. These books are action packed and full of love and romance, along with loads of alphaness and women who know how to handle all that testosterone.

Wolf Unbound (Cascadia Wolves, Book 4)
Paranormal erotic romance eBook released by Samhain 1 Jan 08

Tegan Warden is just beginning to live again after four years of grief and lonliness. She lost her mate in Afghanistan and has overloaded herself with her job as an enforcer for her pack. After a little pushing from her sisters, she decides to take that first step and heads to a local bar. As a wolf and an enforcer, Tegan is by nature and training always in control and ready to protect her pack when danger is at hand.

She likes to give up that control and is submissive in the bedroom, something she shared with her late mate. She never dreamed she would find another dominant male to give her what she needs, but meeting Ben Stoner is a step in the right direction. Imagine her shock after a night of sex he turns out to be her mate as well. Tegan is thrilled to have that intimate connection with someone again, someone she can love and someone who can hopefully love her. Ben, however, is not that happy about the situation.

As attracted as he is to Tegan, Ben isn’t ready to give his whole life over to someone he’s just met, even if she’s a dream of a submissive behind closed doors. He’s been betrayed before and isn’t looking for a mate for life, but it seems no matter what he does, his connection to Tegan won’t let go of him. He feels her every emotion even though he’s human, and being away from her is hell. But he has to get his head on straight before he can commit to such a relationship, especially to a woman whose brothers would rather pull him apart than give him the chance to hurt her.

Plus, there’s the fact that he wants to protect her from the danger facing her pack and she definitely loses her submissiveness when she’s on the job. Just because she can tear him to pieces with little effort makes no difference, Ben wants her safe and he’ll do what he has to, by God, to make sure that happens.

I’m normally not a fan of the D/s storylines, mostly because I just don’t understand the appeal, but that’s just me. Dane, however, doesn’t go overboard with it in this book. She makes it sexy and there’s more of a caring overtone than I’ve read by other authors. Even though you know Ben is in dominant mode by voice and action, he makes sure Tegan is comfortable, asks her if she’s okay, and this is all before he realizes how deep his feelings go for her.

And I enjoyed the contrast of Tegan being his equal outside of the bedroom and Ben having to learn to deal with that. Most of all I really liked the family interaction of these books, how they accept a new mate, how they take care of their differences, how they respect and protect their alpha. We get the added plus here with Ben’s family and the repercussions of him falling in love with a werewolf.

Sandy M’s Grade: A

Read Teddypig’s review.

     Wolf Unbound Summary:

     Werewolf Enforcer Tegan Warden has been alone since the death of her mate four years ago. Until she meets Ben Stoner at a local club and she feels something she thought died inside her. Things move very quickly and she finds herself mated to a human man who’s not altogether sure he wants a forever kind of love with a woman he’s just met.

     Ben realizes in short order Tegan is not only worth forever love, but a woman who’ll stand at his side without tolerating anything other than a full partnership.

     In the bedroom it’s another story, as Ben has finally found a sexual submissive with a spark, and Tegan a man worthy of her submission. Together they work toward building a permanent relationship even as the specter of danger from the Pellini Group grows in the world of wolves.

     All around them, the rising violence threatens the Packs and the only thing they know for certain is one another.

     Read an excerpt.

Standoff (Cascadia Wolves, Book 5)
Paranormal erotic romance eBook released by Samhain 4 Mar 08

Standoff basically picks up where Wolf Unbound left off. The packs are still after Warren Pellini, trying to end his reign of terror. Cade, the Cascadia alpha, has declared war on Pellini and his outlaw wolves, and when meeting with someone who has volunteered vital information about their enemy, Cade gets the best and worst shock of his life. Their informant is Cade’s mate. He knows it the second she walks into the room. She is also Pellini’s sister, Grace. Of course, this matters not to Cade. The pull of his mate is stronger than anything and this is something he’s waited so long for and something he’s wanted more and more recently. She’s strong and independent, his equal is nearly every way. She will make the perfect alpha alongside him. Now more than ever he has to rid the world of this rogue wolf and his desire to be a mega-alpha, because the most important thing, even more important than pack, is on the line and she must be kept safe.

Grace Pelilli is only trying to do the right thing when she returns to work for her brother. She knows he’s out of control and must be stopped. The only way to do that is pretend she’s on his side while working in his lab to outsmart him and get what information she can to the packs. In doing so she never thought her life would change so drasticially. But realizing she is Cade’s mate gives her a sense of peace along with the want and the need to be part of him. She never really had a family; her parents supported her brother so she wanted nothing to do with them. Becoming part of Cascadia’s family is at first difficult because not all of them trust her, but when she is finally accepted as alpha, she embraces the warmth, the love, the camraderie of family. Even better than that feeling is the emotion, the deep, binding emotion, she now shares with Cade.

I like the wolf characteristics that Dane keeps consistent with all of her characters even when they are in human form, including the submissive posture one takes when they’ve done wrong; the way they all have the need to touch, feel a touch, rubbing a cheek on a shoulder, a group hug when needed, and helping a wounded family member bring their wolf out to allow them to heal (this was done especially well in Wolf Unbound). Of course, all of the love scenes are sexy and hot. All the characters are paired perfectly, so anything from sex to teasing to raising their young is done exactly right.

This is one series I will never get tired of and I’m so looking forward to the next book, Fated, due out in August 2008.

Oh, Sybil!

Sandy M’s Grade: A

Read Teddypig’s review.

     Standoff Summary:

     Cade Warden has put his Pack first for most of his life and now Warren Pellini and his thugs threaten everything he holds dear. Into that life of intense focus and increasing loneliness walks the woman he’s been waiting for.

     Grace Pellini isn’t just Cade’s mate, she’s the sister of his greatest enemy and she’s been putting herself in grave danger to gather information to aid the Nationally Allied Packs. Cade is everything she could have hoped for in a man even if he is overprotective and pushy at times.

     Against the backdrop of their increasing passion and deepening bond, they race against time to find a key to stop Pellini’s biological weapon. And then the stakes rise again when Pellini calls an ancient Challenge. It’s up to Grace to stand by and let her mate risk everything for his people. And his life is in her hands.

     Read an excerpt.

Check out Gwen’s review here of Wicked by Sasha White and you can read an excerpt on her site here.

THEN you can check out another excerpt… behind the cut *g*

Summary:

Readers first met Karl Dawson in BOUND, they’ll get to know him a little better in TROUBLE, but one woman will learn all in WICKED.

Bad-boy divorce attorney Karl Dawson has seen all the ways love can go wrong. That’s why he’s given up on it. Jaded and feeling restless, he has playmates, not girlfriends. A leather-clad Dominant, he comes and goes in the city’s after-dark playgrounds as he pleases. That’s how he likes it.

Lara Fox is an independent jack-of-all-trades who can do anything she sets her mind to – except that falling-in-love thing. She’s got a need for control too strong for most men, and an inability to walk away from a challenge. Including a challenge like Karl. He’s cocky, arrogant, and demanding. That’s how she needs it.

They’re perfect for each other. But what begins as a sensual battle of wills turns into a journey neither is prepared for when Lara is threatened and emotional walls start to crumble.

The band was playing and the heavy beat matched the low level throb in Lara’s blood as she moved. The heat of admiring eyes drifted over her skin. There were so many, male and female, all hot with passion that fired her blood.

She’d take one of them home that night. A man. A man with a big cock, plenty of passion and lots of stamina to help chase away the hot dreams of that arrogant egotistical … lawyer.

Large hands rested on her hips and a body brushed against her back. She glanced over her shoulder and winked at the bald college boy who’d moved in to dance with her.

She shouldn’t call him a boy, he was probably only younger than her by a year or two, but he wasn’t man enough to inspire a stronger title. His excitement and eagerness fairly bled from him as he rubbed his groin against her ass in an effort to be sexy. It might be a little mean of her to tease him, but she couldn’t stop herself.

She bent forward at the waist, pressing her hips back against him, and did a bump and grind that had her own body softening, readying itself for action. With a flip of her head, she straightened up, back arched as she rested her head against his shoulder and undulated against him in time with the music.

You are so fucking hot,” he panted in her ear, his hands slipping over the smooth flesh of her belly that was bared by her crop top.

She spun in his arms just as the last notes of the song were struck, and the music faded into the crowd’s applause.

The band said they were going to take a short break, and everyone started to drift off the dance floor. It was time to rehydrate.

Thanks for the dance,” she said to the boy, and spun on her heel to leave.

He grabbed her arm, halting her steps. “That’s it? Come on, baby. Let’s find a dark corner and get to know each other better.”

She looked at his hand on her arm before raising her gaze to his. She gave him a look that any smart man would recognize as a warning. College boy wasn’t stupid, and he released his grip.

Yeah,” he said with a sneer. “Whatever.”

Lara headed for the bar without another word, and immediately spotted the lean blond parked there in leather pants and a snug black t-shirt.

Oh, shit.

Her heart kicked in her chest and every hair on her body stood on end. Karl looked so fucking good her mouth actually started to water. Saliva pooled on her tongue and her pussy clenched in recognition of what it hungered for. She’d been able to resist the lure of his challenge when she only had images of him in a suit and tie in her mind, but this … she had no resistance to the living fantasy in front of her.

Even worse, she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

Altering her course slightly she headed straight for him. “Well hello there, sexy. How are you tonight?”

Feeling pretty good after watching your little show there,” he replied. “You move very well, sweetie.”

Pleasure swept over her at his compliment and she gave herself a mental kick in the ass. She knew she moved well, she didn’t need him to tell her that. Plus, he’d called her sweetie.

Lara eyed him.She realized he was being sincere and that sent a wave of pure desire rushing through her veins. Normally she hated it when men called her sweetie or baby or darlin’, or any number of chauvinistic endearments. But Karl’s lazily spoken words were different somehow.

Thanks,” she said before smiling at the bartender and asking for a bottle of water.

When he set the water on the bar Karl handed him a bill before she could, and the bartender walked away.

Thank you, again.” She turned to face Karl, stepping closer so that her hip brushed against his leather-clad knee.

She let her eyes roam over him, not bothering to hide the need simmering in her blood. Why should she? She’d made it pretty clear the other night that she wanted him. He’d been the one to walk away.

Remembering that, she shifted, a little unsure exactly how to handle him now. Unsure of how she wanted to handle him now.

As if he could read her thoughts, Karl’s lips tilted slightly and the lines around his eyes crinkled, making the small scar that ran through his left eyebrow shift. “You didn’t call,” he said.

Not wanting to shout in the loud bar, or let him sense her momentary doubts, she shifted closer. When she moved, he spread his knees wider and she automatically filled the spot.

Why didn’t you call?” he repeated.

She arched a brow at him. “Why didn’t you call?”

He chuckled. “Because you’re the one who needs to decide if you’re really willing to do anything at least once.”

Would she? Wicked heat zinged from her brain to her sex in answer and she grinned. Payback could be so much fun, sometimes.

Follow me?” she challenged.

His chocolate eyes darkened and his lips twitched as he stood so they were chest to chest. “Lead the way.”

With a little extra swing in her hip, she headed for the back of the pub.

The band was starting up again and they were going against the stream of people heading back to the dance floor. Karl’s hand rested on the curve of her hip, the heat of his body close behind her as they passed the mens room, then the ladies room and went straight out the back door.

She’d been antsy and horny before she saw him, but in the past three minutes her body had started to burn from the inside out. Everything in her was centered on having him – he was not going to walk away from her again. She was in control this time.

Karl was all man – all very sexy, very primal man. She might not know exactly what was going on between them, but she did know one thing for sure – she was woman enough to take him on, and revel in it.

The cool night air hit her skin and a shiver ripped through her. She glanced around the empty parking lot, no real plan in her mind, just animalistic need driving her to do what came naturally. She started to head for her car, but then spotted the narrow walkway between the pub and the darkened building next to it. A big leafy tree almost hid the small space.

It was perfect.

Without a word she entered the small passage and went about ten steps before stopping. She turned and faced Karl, who was looking at her with a mix of curiosity and approval.

You,” she said, putting her hands on his chest and gently shoving him against the cement wall of the pub. “Are not walking away from me this time.”

She leaned in, pressing her body against his fully, and ran her tongue over the tattoo on his neck. His pulse jumped as she nibbled her way toward his ear only to have her head pulled back sharply. The hand that was suddenly wrapped in her hair tightened, and her pussy throbbed in answer.

Oooh,” she cooed in appreciation, but the sound was cut off when his head came down and his mouth covered hers.

Lara struggled to remember her plan as Karl’s flavor washed over her. He tasted so damn good – hot, potent and male. His muscles flexed and danced under her hand as she swept them down over his chest and flat abs to his belt. Her fingers shook with her eagerness as she unsnapped and unzipped his pants.

Pushing aside the supple leather, she groaned into Karl’s mouth when his cock leapt into the palm of her hand.

Oh yeah! He was well built all over.

The grip on her hair tightened and her head was tugged back. Karl’s mouth slid over her cheek to her ear, where he nipped at the sensitive lobe, sending bolts of pleasure straight to her pussy. “What are you gonna do with that, naughty girl?”

She pulled back slightly, shaking her head and dislodging his grip. “I’m going to make it mine,” she said as she bent her knees.

Karl watched as Lara knelt in front of him, the moonlight streaming through the trees leaves and gleaming on the top of her head as her hot breath drifted over his naked cock. She’d surprised him again, in a very good way.

© Sasha White. All rights reserved

Gwen’s review of Wicked by Sasha White
Contemporary erotic romance released by Berkley Trade 2 Jan 08

This is a tale about how a boy finds a girl. It’s set in modern day. However, it struck me as I was reading it that the story could have been set in any time – the characters and the plot were that universal. There are no paranormal distractions, no deeper mysteries to solve other than how were the hero and heroine going to make things work. A universal tale, really. Well…

Except for the D/s elements, that is.

Wicked isn’t as, well, wicked as perhaps White’s other books in this cycle, but it is interesting. Wicked is a brief exploration of the Domination/submission subculture. White doesn’t use the D/s as titillation, though; she actually delves into the mechanics of why D/s is a lifestyle choice for many people. I got a deeper understanding of why this is the only choice some people can make. It was actually very fascinating.

There are a couple of cliches – the proud down-on-her-luck heroine who is saving every penny to have her dream of her own home, the gay best friend, etc. – but they don’t distract much from the main reason we’re here: the romance. I enjoyed the hero’s predicament of falling in love after having spent years running from it.

There are a couple of suspenseful elements that managed to not detract much from the main story and added some much needed tension.

While I enjoyed this book, I didn’t have near the fun with it I did with Trouble and Sexy Devil. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of White’s writing or who likes contemporary erotic romance.

Grade: B-

     Summary:

     Readers first met Karl Dawson in BOUND, they’ll get to know him a little better in TROUBLE, but one woman will learn all in WICKED.

     Bad-boy divorce attorney Karl Dawson has seen all the ways love can go wrong. That’s why he’s given up on it. Jaded and feeling restless, he has playmates, not girlfriends. A leather-clad Dominant, he comes and goes in the city’s after-dark playgrounds as he pleases. That’s how he likes it.

     Lara Fox is an independent jack-of-all-trades who can do anything she sets her mind to – except that falling-in-love thing. She’s got a need for control too strong for most men, and an inability to walk away from a challenge. Including a challenge like Karl. He’s cocky, arrogant, and demanding. That’s how she needs it.

     They’re perfect for each other. But what begins as a sensual battle of wills turns into a journey neither is prepared for when Lara is threatened and emotional walls start to crumble.

     Read an excerpt.

Finn’s review of Explosive by Charlotte Mede
Historical Romance released from Brava 1 Jan 08

Explosive was not very explosive. This is a story of the history of nitroglycerin/dynamite and Beethoven’s music. Gray Dalton works for the government and Devon Caravelle is the alleged mistress of a French aristocrat. These two must work together to unlock the code buried in Beethoven’s “Eroica”.

Devon plans to take Gray hostage but the tables turn when Gray is the one in charge. The two must work together to discover the recipe for dynamite all the while trying to keep it out of the hands of the deadly Frenchman.

The story moves to slowly, but the way Mede writes a sex scene is really good. I like the way she describes the interaction and how the characters can’t seem to get enough of each other. The banter between the two is funny and entertaining. But, unfortunately it doesn’t help the story along.

Grade: C

     Summary:

     London, 1818. A beautiful, brilliant woman and a cynical, aristocratic spy are forced into a desperate mission to decipher a secret code that could change the face of Europe forever…

     Explosive

     Gray Dalton, the Marquess of Blackburn, wakes in a dark London cell staring down a gun barrel. Devon Caravelle, alleged mistress of a deadly French aristocrat, has been sent to ensure Blackburn’s cooperation in a secret plot to unlock the mysteries buried within Beethoven’s Third Symphony, the Eroica. It’s terribly convenient and just as Blackburn planned. And taking the lady hostage is–if not terribly gentlemanly–not very difficult. Resisting her dangerous allure, on the other hand, is. Suddenly, the man famed for his cold-blooded control, wants a woman fiercely, wildly, forever…

     Devon Caravelle has loved two things in her life: music and her father. She would do anything to discover his murderer and clear his name, even if it means forcing the contemptuous, debauched Marquess to her aid. But when he turns the tables and takes her prisoner, she is not prepared for his skillful seduction or her white-hot response…

     It was supposed to be a seduction each side intended to win easily. Instead, the first spark unleashes an untamed passion in a game where all rules are forfeit and every move brings them closer to an unspeakable danger…

     Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Satisfaction Guaranteed by Isabel Drake
Contemporary romance eBook released by Cerridwen Press Jan 08

I knew going into this book that I wasn’t going to like it. After about paragraph two, I had to stop, remove my jaw from the floor, sigh and shake my head. After all, the e-mail I got from Sybil with the review copy of this book said, “It’s probably more Laura’s taste than yours.” Did I listen to Sybil? Of course not. That will teach me! So, naturally, I only had myself to blame for continuing to read.

Elizabeth Sewell wants a change in her life. Finding a man is on her list of goals, and if she doesn’t, then her mother, her sisters, even her great-Aunt Alice will try to set her up with whoever is available, which sounds about as appealing to Elizabeth as bathing in Listerine. So she decides to do what you or I would do in this situation, by which, of course I mean, that she marches herself to the office of an escort service.

Only, the escort service isn’t in that office anymore and instead she gets Jack Harley, attorney at law. Since disabusing her of the notion that she walked into the right office would mean there would be no more story, Jack decides to look on Elizabeth as a challenge, and goes along with her assumption that he is a male escort.

First of all, can I just say that Jack Harley is the kind of name only found in a romance novel? Every time I read the name, I tended to picture one of those guys who does the voice-overs for movie trailers saying it. “Jack Harley. Attorney at law.” in this big bass voice of doom.

Anyway, as has become abundantly clear I’m sure from my yattering, I couldn’t get past the initial premise. I thought Jack not telling Elizabeth who he was right away made him come off as really sleazy, and all his hand-wringing about how he didn’t lie to people like that ordinarily just made me roll my eyes and think unfair and uncharitable thoughts about his chosen profession and how, in hindsight, Elizabeth probably shouldn’t have been all that surprised.

As for Elizabeth, we’ve seen her many other times before in other books. Of course she works too hard. Of course she wants to advance in her career and doesn’t have any idea how to attract men. And of course she vacillates between bitchiness and being a doormat, so of course she drove me out of my flipping gourd. A lot of the time I felt like Elizabeth wasn’t so much a character as a place holder for the reader, which of course never works for me when it feels that obvious. She gets to live a lot of female fantasies–she gets a caring man who will bring out her feminine side who she can show off to her family.

Probably because I didn’t buy the initial premise, I had a hard time believing any of the romantic stuff between Elizabeth and Jack. There were a lot of sex scenes for a Cerridwen Press book, and I actually fell asleep reading their first sexual encounter. I wasn’t invested in the characters and didn’t particularly care about their HEA.

As for the secondary characters, most of them are stereotypes in one way or another. I expect Jack’s cousin is sequel-bait, and we have the whole gammut of uncaring bosses, evil co-workers, meddling relatives, and best friends to contend with.

I regret to say that I didn’t enjoy this book at all. With the flat characters, the premise I couldn’t get past, and my general ennui about the whole thing, this is one I can’t recommend.

Grade: F

Workaholic accountant Elizabeth Sewell needs a man. According to her well-laid-out lifeplan, it’s time to find Mr. Right and move on to the next phase of her life — married with children. The problem is, she’s been so busy working her way up the career ladder, she won’t spot Mr. Right even if he’s carrying a neon sign. So, being an organized businesswoman, she comes up with a strategy. She’ll hire a man to teach her what she needs to know to get what she wants.

Disillusioned attorney Jack Harley needs a distraction. He’s left behind a high-pressure job with a prestigious law firm in Dallas and he’s determined to get his life back on track by opening a private practice in Houston. When a sexy brunette mistakes his new office for the recently relocated escort service, he’s stunned silent by her request for a variety of men and experiences. But when she asks him if he’s man enough to uncover what turns her on, he finds his voice in time to accept the challenge.

You can read an excerpt here.

Excerpt of Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis, released by Brava 1 Jan 08. Read on…

She rushed into Shayne Mahoney’s party as if there was a firecracker on her ass; wobbling on heels she clearly wasn’t comfortable in, wearing a little black dress that revealed pale, porcelain curves most people found unfashionable these days. Not Shayne. Nope, he loved curves.The woman’s dark hair was piled haphazardly on top of her head, held there by two yellow pencils. Interesting choice for a formal cocktail party. So was the way she moved into the large reception lobby, her gait a little awkward, her smile broadcasting her nerves.Very interesting.

She wasn’t his type. Not because she wasn’t tall, stacked and model-ready, but because she pretty much screamed fish out of water.

All of the women he’d dated lately – hell, ever – had been confident. Bold. Overtly sexy.

And, as Brody and Noah would tell him, none of the women he’d dated had managed to hold his interest.

There was a message there, he knew, but he didn’t care. He shifted to move away, but then something had him turning back, just as the woman tripped over her own feet. As he started toward her, she managed to catch herself, then furtively glanced around the crowd to see if anyone had noticed, a self-conscious gesture that made him smile.

Definitely not confident, bold, or overtly sexy.

And yet something about her seemed incredibly appealing, and not just because in a sea of pedigreed roses she stood out as the lone wildflower, but because she seemed familiar.

He hadn’t slept with her, he knew that much. He hadn’t flown her in one of his planes, or for Sky High Air, and he hadn’t worked with her.

So who was she?

A server passed her, and she took a flute of champagne, flashing the guy a quick smile that could break a heart at fifty paces because it was real, it made her more than just pretty, but someone he couldn’t take his eyes off of.

And yet the server didn’t smile back, which pissed Shayne off. Granted, she wasn’t fake-tanned or gym-toned like the other women here, and no, she wasn’t especially graceful, and clearly felt out of her element, but she was a guest, and as such, deserved the same respect the others received.

Shayne would talk to the server, that was for damn sure, though it would do little good. The people here tonight were shallow, all of them. Hell, Shayne himself had been hit on no less than three times before the party had even gotten started, including Michelle, a woman he’d stopped seeing when she’d gotten a little too possessive after two dates.

But this woman wasn’t hitting on anyone, she was trying to be invisible. Interest piqued for the first time in days, he kept his eye on her. She was attempting to tuck some of her wayward hair back into its constraints, not being successful in any way as the strands immediately slipped free again, brushing over her throat, her shoulders.

Yeah, she was a complete wreck.

An adorable, sexy, complete wreck.

Sybil’s review of Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis
Romantic Suspense released from Brava 1 Jan 08

I have a really hard time with funny books, make it slap stick comedy and I am generally running for the hills. So it is odd that I made it past the first chapter of this book because the opening is a very klutzy heroine at a fabulous party. One who of course has a perfect mother and catches the eye of the most perfect man in the room. I hurt for her, this normally makes me close a book faster than anything and toss it in a ubs bag never to be seen again.

There are two reasons I kept going. First and foremost I like Jill’s Harlequin’s I have read and the book had something of a ‘Foul Play‘ feel to it. (Odd since the hero isn’t a cop and if you have never seen the movie you should Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase are grand – my review I can go off on any tangent I want.) In the end I was very happy I finished the book.

Shayne is just as confused as the reader is as to why he can’t stay away from Dani but from the word go she has him. I mean really is there a better woman for a pilot to date than one who fears flying? The secondary love story is wonderful and really almost too much because you close the book completely frustrated you have to waited to find out what happens to Brody and Maddie.

So this works out perfectly if you haven’t read this yet because you can get it now, read it and be ready for Superb and Sexy to come out in June. Doesn’t that rock? The book was a solid B read for me until almost the end when Dani does a completely boneheaded thing. And I understand (sort of) why she does it. Sadly that didn’t remove odd ‘we need one more conflict thrown in here’ feel to it.

That is sort of vague but really it is very close to the end and you could feel differently and it didn’t ruin the book at all just annoyed my glow a bit. If you love your funny – Laura J you would ADORE Jill S – or are looking for a great weekend read this is your series. And do keep a look out because in July Jill has some Firefighter Blazing your way from Harlequin – and yes we have some excerpts .

Grade: B -

     BLOWING IT ALL SKY HIGH

     In a family of serious over-achievers, Shayne Mahoney has always been the laid-back, easy-going rebel. But running Sky High Air – a charter airline catering to the rich and famous – is a dream come true, in-flight specials included. Like kissing his client’s beautiful, brainy daughter in a coat closet. But before Shayne can say – Fasten Your Seatbelts, Dani claims to witness a murder, gets stalked in her own apartment, and as added bonus, gets them both shot at by a mystery sniper. Normally Shayne would be running from the obviously crazy woman, and yet he finds himself trying to help her, leaving him to doubt his own sanity…

     There’s a reason Dani never attends her mother’s high society parties. The fake people, the shallow conversation – and the fact that she doesn’t fit in. She’s a zoologist, not a starlet, and happy about it, even if she wishes men like ruggedly handsome Shayne Mahoney would spare her a second glance. Of course, dodging bullets isn’t exactly what she’d call the perfect follow-up to their heated kiss, but Shayne makes it clear she can depend on him. All she has to do is hold on tight to his delicious hard body until the ride is over…

     Read an excerpt (you have to scroll down).

Azteclady’s Review of The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green, Book 1) by Julie Anne Long
Historical romance released by Avon 29 Jan 08

This novel has an interesting pacing. It starts rather slowly, almost disinterestedly, with a prologue. Little by little, chapter by chapter, the pace increases without the reader’s awareness, until one is racing towards a climax that surprises even upon a second reading.

As the story begins, Colin Eversea has convinced himself that he’s resigned to die for a murder he didn’t commit. He’s literally feet from the gallows, during a completely unexpected and unbelievably daring rescue, when he realizes that he’s been lying to himself. In the months since his arrest, during his imprisonment at Newgate, Colin has little to do but remember and reflect—and so he does. He wants to live, and he’s determined to prove his innocence. His shock at finding himself still alive and free—even if it’s a precarious from of freedom—only increases when he realizes that his rescuer is a woman.

However, this woman is quite unlike the women Colin has known, and charmed, as he coasts through life as one of the legendary Everseas. While Madeline is called a mercenary at one point by Colin, in fact she’s more of a criminal mastermind—or, as she calls herself, a planner—which is much easier for me to believe, given the period the novel is set in. It’s fairly evident that she’s not a lady yet neither is she uneducated nor ordinary. That she’s intelligent and resourceful there can be no doubt, given that Colin’s rescue is accomplished with great fanfare yet little to no actual danger nor harm to either spectators or soldiers. It is all smoke and mirrors.

But even with Madeline’s nigh flawless planning, there are unknown players at work, and thus these two are forced into an uneasy alliance, since their goals are not quite compatible. Colin is racing to stay free and alive, to prove his innocence, and to stop the imminent wedding of his eldest brother Marcus to Louisa Porter, whom Colin has loved from childhood. Madeline is running for her life, from her past, and towards a new beginning across the Atlantic.

I very much enjoyed how these two characters became more complex with each page. They do not start as two dimensional cut outs by any means, but the more they interact with each other, the more intriguing they become. While the novel barely covers a full week, what happens is that Colin and Madeline each act as catalysts for each other’s realization of their inner growth and their core strength.

Particularly enjoyable for me is that the author didn’t resort to villainy to explain Madeline’s past nor how it informs her present. Her pain is due to the realities of her time, and not the doing of man, and her healing is silent, unobtrusive, while she’s busy surviving. Colin his incarceration and sentencing, and then his time on the run with Madeline, scrape away at his self-cultivated varnish of charm and carelessness to the core of steel and feeling that is the man.

There are a couple instances of ‘small town syndrome’ in the course of the novel that made me both smile and realize that the London of the time, as big as it was, was still a comparatively small place, where people of many different social strata sooner or later crossed paths, even if only for an instant. (McBride, the apothecary in Seven Dials, with his remedies for any and all complaints of a certain nature, and Croker the broker, are perfect examples.)

In the novel there are circles within circles, with people seemingly unrelated to the main plot being manipulated into acting as pawns for whoever is pulling the strings behind the curtains. I like how each new thread in the story leads Colin and Madeline to apparent dead ends, and each time there’s some little hint, just a whisper of a clue, leading them onward.

These threads introduce the reader to quite a few secondary characters, each one complex in his own way. There are no two-dimensional placeholders here, but fleshed-out, well rounded people, each and every one: a countess and a footman, an apothecary and a hackney driver, a renowned surgeon and the Resurrectionists who provide him with bodies, a group of soldiers and a thug hoping to capture Colin and cash in on the reward posted for him.

We also see how the story is shaped by:

• Families, and the myriad complex and often contradictory feelings that familial ties and love often encompass.
• Secrets; the power in knowing them, the dangers of having them; their uses and the impact of their revelation upon the unwary.
• And, finally, the reality that life does go on, and that the human spirit can survive most anything. In Colin’s words, “Life can be the very devil sometimes.”

I was ecstatic to discover, while writing this review, that The Perils of Pleasure is actually the first book in a series about the Everseas and their sworn enemies, the Redmonds, because it means that some of the questions about these characters that are now swirling around in my head will likely be answered—or at least explored a bit. Even better, from my perspective, is the fact that I didn’t expect this novel to be part of a series. The open ended conflict and the unanswered questions felt completely organic and real. The next installment, Like No Other Lover, comes out in November 2008.

Grade: B+ (8 out of 10 for me)

Read Lawson’s review here.
Back cover blurb:

     A rescued rogue…  Scandal has rocked the city of London. Colin Eversea, a handsome, reckless, unapologetic rogue, is sentenced to hang for murder and, inconveniently for him, the only witness to the crime disappears. Then again, throughout history, the Everseas have always managed to cheat fate in style: Colin is snatched from the gallows by a beautiful, clever mercenary.

A captivating captor…  Cool-headed, daring Madeleine Greenway is immune to Colin’s vaunted charm. Her mission is not to rescue Colin but to kidnap him, and to be paid handsomely for it. But when it becomes clear that whoever wants Colin alive wants Madeleine dead, the two become uneasy allies in a deadly race for truth. Together, they’ll face great danger-and a passion neither can resist.

Read an excerpt.

Devon’s review of Enchanting the Lady (Relics of Merlin, Book 1) by Kathryne Kennedy
Historical Paranormal Romance released by Love Spell 1 Jan 08

It has been a long time since I stayed up late reading. I’ve read some decent books lately, enjoyable ones, but nothing worth jeopardizing my precious beauty sleep. And it is always a good sign when I just can’t wait to get back to a book. Enchanting the Lady had been on my pile for awhile, waiting for my mood to be right. It was a delightful surprise, one of the most engrossing romances I’ve read so far this year.

This book is set in a Victorian England filled with magic. Magical ability is the province of the Aristocracy, helping them maintain their power over society. Each level of the aristocracy has their own abilities, and the higher the social rank, the greater magic the person is supposed to possess. Unfortunately, Felicity Seymour, the Duchess of Honor Stonehaven, can barely perform a spell.

As the story begins, Felicity fails the magical testing necessary to claim her title and lands. But during her humiliating experience with Prince Albert, she comes to the notice of Sir Terence Blackwell, a lowly baronet and were-lion. Prince Albert uses shape shifters as his personal spies, since their immunity to magic enables them to perform a variety of tasks for him, including finding the dangerous Relics of Merlin. The shapeshifter/Baronets are looked upon with great disdain by other nobles, because of their animal natures, lack of magic and ability to see through others’ illusions, as well as their favor with the Prince. The moment Terence sets eyes upon Felicity, he knows there is more to her than others see. And that she may well be able to lead him to a Relic of Merlin.

I fell for these characters and world hook, line and sinker. The author is able to create great chemistry and passion between two characters who manage to stay charming rather than annoying. For example, Felicity is the very, very sweet, naive and spunky miss. These kind of heroines can often be TSTL or irritating, but given Felicity’s circumstances, her naivete and her forthrightness make total sense.

Terence is one of those heroes who just loves to go on about how he’s not in lurve, though his actions scream otherwise. This can be tedious, but Terence’s lack of self-awareness was rather adorable. He’s quite in touch with his animal side, but he’s just as astonished as Felicity to find himself leaning on her, nuzzling her neck, snuffling and purring. It was amusing and quite romantic how his lion side fell in love even as Terence told himself he was just on a mission. They are two lonely souls, craving the acceptance and interest the other provides. Their romance was very sweet, even as it was pretty hot.

The story moved along at a nice pace, and the magical background was richly detailed and lively. Some may find the details a bit precious: Mayfairy instead of Mayfair, Trickside instead of Cheapside, Pall Mage instead of Pall Mall, Gargoyle Square….Personally, I didn’t find it distracting or too cutesy. Certain things seemed glaringly obvious to me, so I found myself frustrated that they didn’t catch on quicker. And I thought the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly and neatly. But this was a fun read with entertaining characters, a delicious romance and an interesting world. I’m really looking forward to the next ones. Definitely recommended for fans of fantasy and historicals.

Grade: B+

     Summary:
.
In a world where magic ruled everything, Felicity Seymour couldn’t perform even the simplest spell. If she didn’t pass her testing, she’d lose her duchy-and any hope of marriage. But one man didn’t seem to mind her lack of dowry: a darkly delicious baronet who had managed to scare away the rest of London’s Society misses.
.
Sir Terence Blackwell knew the enchanting woman before him wasn’t entirely without magic. Not only could she completely disarm him with her gorgeous lavender eyes and frank candor, but his were-lion senses could smell a dark power on her-the same kind of relic-magic that had killed his brother. Was she using it herself, or was it being used against her?
.
One needed a husband, and the other needed answers. But only together could they find the strongest magic of all: true love.
.
     Read an excerpt here.

Teddypig‘s review of Going Down by Ann Somerville
Gay Science Fiction & Fantasy released by Lulu (self-publishing house) on 27 Jan 08

Ann Somerville obviously loves this world she has created here in Going Down. The scope of world-building is rich and lightly foreign in feel and the characters she populates it with are familiar in some ways and fascinating in others. Paranormal gifts like empathy and telepathy are relatively common place and these gifted people populate the crowded streets in an almost ordinary fashion and their jobs in the Corps reflect a culture that has found a way to benefit from them.

[Ed.: The proceeds from the book are being donated by the author to Doctors Without Borders.]

Derzo Einan an empath, and our hero, is suffering though. He went through a traumatic event that has left him in pain and unable to function. He goes day after day abusing drugs and booze to ease his frayed nerves and numb the gift that has become a curse to him. He will eventually meet up with Troe Thalem, a man who suffers almost as greatly as he does but together they might just find the solution to their problems and the inner salvation they seek.

I would NOT consider this “Gay Romance” or “Gay Erotica” even slightly which are two of the tags that I saw on the Lulu page for this story. It is way way way too Young Adult in feel. That’s not a horrible thing in all honesty and it does not feel forced. Reading Ann Somerville’s Going Down I caught a hint of Ursula K. Le Guin peeking from amongst the cracks here and there.

I have got to ask because it kept coming up when thinking about this story… Why bother to even hint at a possible romance between the two men towards the end when you never really define them sexually for most of the book? I was fine without it really and with their situation and the emotional scars etc etc etc, and so little time left in the story for any real romantic development or for understanding how homosexuality was handled in the society they lived in, I came away finding the stronger sexual tones used at the end a little heavy handed to me. I am just saying the whole homosexual nature of this story seemed unused and unnecessary to even be commented on.

I guess others will see this as a sweet type of gay romance, which I think is more implied than actually written, but I grew up reading Young Adult, Science Fiction/Fantasy buddy stories and adding in my own spicy homosexual undertones and this is a fine example of the kind of story I thrived on.

I just wish it had more adult flavoring.

Grade: C

Blurb:

Derzo Einan wanted to help people, and for fifteen years he rescued others from fires, floods and natural disasters. But in the aftermath of a horrific event, he’s left unable to help anyone, not even himself, his gift of empathy now more of a curse and his career in tatters. Running from his demons, Einan finds refuge in a big city, discovering an underclass of helpless hopeless people even worse off than himself—and another soul as troubled and damaged as him. In saving one more person, will he find his own salvation?

Read an excerpt.

Read more from Teddypig at The Naughty Bits.

BevQB’s review of Kiss of the Highlander (The Highlander Series, Book 4) by Karen Marie Moning, narrated by Phil Gigante
Paranormal historical timetravel fantasy romance Audio Book released by Brilliance Audio on 20 Jan 08

Kiss of the Highlander in audio format is the perfect mating of story and storyteller and I can’t imagine merely reading this story from a printed page ever again. Phil Gigante brings every minute of this pure escapist fantasy story to life. Audio books, in fact most Romance books, don’t get any better than this!

WAIT! WAIT! I know you are expecting me to once again squee about the aural pleasures to be found in Phil Gigante’s eargasmic portrayal of Drustan (and, oh, I will), but there’s much more to expound on in this absolutely spell binding audio book. (btw, did ya notice the big “contest” tag? Hmmmm?)

This is the fourth audio book release in KMM’s Highlanders series and centers on Drustan MacKelter and Gwen Cassidy. Containing both paranormal and fantasy (fae) elements, Kiss is set, through time travel, in historic and modern day Scotland. This is a standalone story, so it is not necessary to be familiar with the previous books in the series to enjoy this one, but, trust me; you’re going to want them all!

Have I ever mentioned just how damn ENTERTAINING Phil G’s narration is? In fact, I really hesitate to refer to what he does as mere narration. It’s a PERFORMANCE. The voices and effects he uses for all the characters, both lead and minor, are spot on. Often, when a man attempts a woman’s voice, it comes off as mocking. However, while no one will ever mistake Phil’s voice for a woman’s, I quickly was no longer conscious that a man was voicing the female characters. Yes, he uses a higher pitched voice for women, but there’s something else there too… a softness, a vulnerability… something… that does not scream “man mocking woman”.

Unless he wants to. One of the most entertaining moments in this audio book and one that showcases Phil G’s amazing talent is when Drustan is teasing Gwen and repeating her words in her “voice” . So we’re treated to Phil as Drustan mocking Phil as Gwen using Drustan’s version of Gwen’s voice. Trust me, Phil nails it!! Just hand him next year’s Audie Award now!

When I think of The Highlanders series, Kiss of the Highlander has always been the first one to come to mind. But if, like me, you are also a fan of KMM’s brilliant Fever series, you will have a lot of fun listening for Fever clues throughout the Highlander books. Kiss is the second book with a direct link to the later series (The Hallows appear in book 3, The Highlander’s Touch), and is the first of the MacKelter books (we meet Christian MacKelter, from Bloodfever, towards the end of Kiss). It’s fascinating to revisit all the Highlander fae lore that eventually comes together to spawn the complex Fever books.

But, the most compelling reason (besides my all-time favorite Nathan Kamp cover pic) to buy this (and all the rest of the series) in audio format is what narrator Phil Gigante does for your ears— and other body parts that are directly or indirectly attached to them. Be sure to use earphones when listening to Drustan’s seduction of Gwen- Phil uses a deep vibrating growl that you can seriously feel down to your toes! I’m not ashamed to admit that listening to Phil G’s Scottish brogue has become an addiction and an obsession for me.

	Grade: A Listen to a summary of the book followed by a sample of Gigante’s narration here. And oh, what a shiver-worthy sample it is!
	Click here to sample the rest of the Highlander series audio books.Book 5, The Dark Highlander, will be released 20 March 2008, followed by book 6, The Immortal Highlander, in May 2008. I highly recommend that books 5 and 6 be read/listened to in order AFTER this 4th book, Kiss of the Highlander. Go. Buy. Or borrow from your library. Audio books don’t get any better than these!

CONTEST!!

It’s no secret that everyone here at TGTBTU is unashamedly a fan of the Romance genre. Plus – we love nothing more than to share our love of the genre with anyone and everyone. So, I’ve decide to put my money where my mouth is.

I so love this audio book that I want to SHARE IT WITH ONE LUCKY DUCK AND WILL HAVE IT SHIPPED DIRECTLY TO YOU FROM AMAZON. Just comment on this post for a chance to win one copy of the unabridged KISS OF THE HIGHLANDER CDs.

One entry per IP address, U.S. residents only (sorry non-US folks).  The winner will be selected from comments made before midnight tomorrow, Tuesday, 18 March, according to the blog timestamp (we’re US Central timezone).

And, if you end up listening to Kiss of the Highlander, PLEASE let me know what you thought of it.

Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.

This is great.

I read The Opposite of Love back in January and can still clearly see the scenes Julie talks about here in her podcast.

The author makes some great points – and yes I know, Lawson, you are tired of hearing me talk about this book - but I was amused by how well I got the book *g*. Go forth and listen.  Any else get a chance to read this yet?

Julie Buxbaum also stopped by during our Valenduckie week – which you can check out here.

Sandy M’s review of Guardian’s Keep (Unbound, Book 2) by Lori Devoti
Contemprorary paranormal romance released by Silhoutte Nocturne on 1 Jan 08

I’m fast becoming a Lori DeVoti fan. I fell in love with her shape-shifting hellhounds in Unbound, the first book in this series, last year. Her wolves now have me captivated, and we’re left wide open at the end of this book for more in her world of the garm.

Kol is a garm – half-human/half-wolf protector of portals – and he has protected his portal for hundreds of years. We met him originally in Unbound, and now Kelly, a twin witch, is back at Kol’s bar to make him pay for the death of a friend when. Kol is protective of Kelly from the beginning, although neither of them stop to think about why. Trouble is brewing and Kol feels it, knowing he has to be constantly on guard; therefore, he doesn’t need a pretty, but nosy, witch in the middle of things.

Kelly does have a legitimate cause that brings her back to Kol’s door. Her revenge is something she can wreak on him in the process, especially when she finds out he’s allowed children to be transported through his portal. Her current client is the mother of a kidnapped eight-year-old boy, taken as a pawn to use over his father, Fenrir, the most powerful garm there is. Trying to discover the secret to opening the portal is her first priority in rescuing the child, but Kol never leaves it unguarded.

The more these two are thrown together, the more their attraction grows. The emotion in the book also grows when both Kol and Kelly will do anything to save the other. The scenes that take place on the other side of the portal are quite intense.

Kelly is a strong woman, just like her twin. She knows how to harness her power and doesn’t hesitate to use it. Kol is definitely an alpha character, but I enjoyed how he let Kelly do her thing when they had their backs against the wall. As much as he’d love to coddle her and send her home out of harm’s way, he knows she can hold her own. I like these two together and the other regular patrons of Kol’s bar are an interesting lot – it’s fun to see them a little more in this entry.

While I like this book, I enjoyed Unbound more – the more tortured the hero the more I love their story and Unbound‘s Risk was seriously tortured. But Keep is action-packed, full of tension and suspense, betrayal, love and romance, too.

So far this is a great series, and I’m really looking forward to June 2008′s Wild Hunt, the story of Risk’s son, another very tortured hero.

Grade: B+

See my review of Unbound here.

From the back cover:

Only the strongest guard the portals and gateways to other realms

Kol Hildr had spent the last century battling hellhounds and warlocks who sought to usurp his portal’s magic. A mighty shape-shifter with the ability to change into wolf form, Kol made accessing the powerful gateway nearly impossible—unless you were a witch of Kelly Shane’s talents. She had a score to settle and would do anything to close the portal that led to her unearthly prison. Though an alliance with her compromised Kol’s very purpose, something about the little witch overwhelmed his fierce, battle-worn soul. But when he learned that Kelly’s life might be in jeopardy, could Kol put aside the one thing he thought he valued most—the portal—to journey to the other side and save her?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:
and coming in June 08, Venge’s story (Book 3), Wild Hunt

Sandy M’s review of Call of Temptation (Call of the Lycan, Book 3) by Michelle Pillow
Erotic paranormal romance released by Ellora’s Cave 23 Jan 08

This is the second book I’ve read in this series and I liked it much better than Call of the Sea (book 1). I liked the storyline of turning a human into a werewolf, plus the continuing story from Book 1 of hunting down a traitor of the clan. Both story lines go together and are woven together very well.

I also liked James a little more than I liked older brother and heir Ian in his book. And I even liked Ian better in this book that I did in his. But James is alpha down to his tail, takes his responsibility of keeping the clan and its name safe, and has a soft spot even though we don’t we see it often. He is hunting Meghan, a rogue lycan from Book 1. He has tracked her far and wide and is finally close, but not close enough to save Claudia, Meghan’s latest victim. The clan always takes responsibility for those humans turned, so James is determined to see Claudia though the next couple of weeks as her body either welcomes its new nature or she dies when her body rejects the change. What he never expected was the strength Claudia shows during this process. She surprises him again and again, especially when she demands sex, something his body has wanted all along.

Claudia actually takes becoming a werewolf quite well due to her psychic abilities. She believes in the paranormal, so after her initial shock and anger, she adapts to her new nature. What is especially enticing about that new nature is wanting and demanding sex from James, who she soon begins to fall for. She is counting her blessings when she discovers James wants to use her for her psychic link to Meghan due to the rogue creating her, and she begins to have doubts about James’ feelings her. It is Claudia’s strength that gets her through everything thrown at her since her nightmare began. She stands her ground on issues even when James tells her she’s wrong.

Besides liking the characters better, I felt this book just had more meat to it than the prior one. I just wish it had been longer to work with the story line more, flesh out the relationships further But what was here worked even with that limitation.

Grade: C

Summary:

     James O’Connell lives simply, except for the whole hunting werewolves part. As one of the three lycan princes of the O’Connell clan, it’s his duty to enforce the lycan law. When a member of their clan begins killing humans, he’s sent to bring the rogue wolf in.

     Claudia Hughes lives an ordinary life as a computer software analyst. Her mother and grandmother had psychic intuition, but hers is severely underdeveloped. Taking a solitary vacation, she trusted where instinct led her and ended up at the end of some crazy woman’s fangs. She’s led into a surreal world where lycans exist and passion for the man who saved her is the least of her worries.

     Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Maverick Wild (Wild Series, Book 2) by Stacey Kayne
Historical western romance released by Harlequin on 1 Jan 08

Every now and again I enjoy a good western/cowboy story and it’s always nice to find an author who knows how to write one. Stacey Kayne is a new author to me and I’m glad I’ve found her. I also read the first book in her series, Mustang Wild, and her writing is fluid, full of western flavor, and her story telling is rich and very consistent.

Where Tucker in Mustang is the wild brother always looking for a good time, older brother Chance is the serious one, the one who has to make sure the bills are paid and their ranch is running smoothly. Though Tuck gave in on their agreement never marry, Chance is not about to follow suit. That is, until Cora Mae shows up. Suddenly his world is turned upside down, and it’s a hell of a fun time watching him being turned inside out, not knowing which way is up, all because of a woman. He gets so turned around that he even thinks of courting another woman, one who is only after money and prestige, but he soon learns such foolishness isn’t going to solve his problem.

Cora Mae is a character you immediately feel for. She’s been through hell — all because of her mother. Chance and Tucker also tangled with her mother when they were young, but they were able to get out on their own, even if they did end up serving in the war. Chance promised Cora he would come back for her, but barely surviving the fighting, the two youngsters grew up fast and things just didn’t pan out.

Now with Cora on his doorstep, Chance is suspicious of her, not knowing if all those years with her mother has turned Cora into a clone of the bitch. But her loving nature and her helpfulness to his pregnant sister-in-law shows him quite quickly how wrong he is, even if he knows she’s still hiding something. It’s a very emotional scene when Cora Mae finally reveals her secret to Chance.

There’s fun, tension, a couple of hair-raising close calls, a lot of teasing and loving, and even a misperceived betrayal of sorts. In short, this book has a little bit of everything besides some sexy cowboys. And there’s plenty of emotion when Chance makes that ultimate decision to follow his heart.

If you’re a cowboy lover, take a chance on Ms. Kayne’s books. I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

Grade: B+

From the back cover:

     Chance Morgan had locked away his heart. Until Cora Mae Tindale crossed half the country to find him. The beguiling creature who insisted on turning his serviceable ranch into a home was hiding something-and Chance was hell-bent on finding out her secrets!

     Cora Mae only wanted a place to hide, but her youthful protector had grown into a war-hardened rancher with looks that could tempt a saint. Yet his dark glances were filled with distrust…and unmistakable desire. Cora Mae’s childhood crush was rapidly becoming a much more adult craving!

     Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

And now we give you the last of Michelle Styles’ columns to date. Problem is, I (Devon) somehow neglected to notice that this is actually January’s column. Oops! No matter, there is some stuff that I was unaware of and will definitely be of interest to readers.

Join us in March for more from Michelle Styles!

TGTBTU’s Harlequin Insider: New in 2008
By Michelle Styles

January is a month of beginnings and this January is no exception. This column intends to bring you news of what is happening within Harlequin Enterprises, the world’s largest publisher of romantic fiction.

For any aspiring author, debut authors are very important to read. It is here that you are most likely to see the direction that the editors are taking the line. January sees the publication of Nocturne’s new author — Patrice Michelle. It is the start of her Scions series–entitled Scions: Resurrection – the next one will be released in May 2008. [Ed. Note: See Devon’s review and Alicia Thomas’ review.]

January also sees the expansion of the Presents line to twelve titles per month. Within these twelve titles, two Modern Heat titles will be included. Modern Heat was formerly known as Temptation. However, in the time that it has been abroad, the line has changed and has gained a whole new crop of authors and London-based editors.

As the writing guidelines say: Take an international city background that vividly conveys the sophistication and buzz of cosmopolitan life, an independent woman who knows what she wants from love and her career and a guy who’s very much an alpha male—charismatic, confident, gorgeously sexy—and you have the Modern Heat line. Recent settings have included: Hong Kong, London, New York City and Melbourne.

Modern Heat writers to seek out include Julie Cohen, Trish Wylie and Kate Hardy. Kate Hardy’s The Pregnancy Ultimatum is out this month. It was originally published in the UK as In the Gardener’s Bed. [Ed. Note: Ooh, ooh! I read a Kate Hardy that I really liked.] Kate got her start writing for Black Lace and she is also one of the Medical stars. Julie Cohen’s His for the Taking (originally Driving Him Wild) is a February release.

To help celebrate the expansion, the Presents editorial team is running a writing contest . The top prize is an editor for a year. There are several runners’ up prizes of a telephone consultation with an editor. Exactly who the editor will be has not been disclosed, but ALL the editors in the London office are excellent. Tessa Shapcott, the executive editor for the line, is known to produce legendary revision letters. The prize really emphasizes the Harlequin commitment to growing authors. Harlequin doesn’t simply buy books; they buy authors. Presents is also the engine that drives Harlequin. It is the most popular line worldwide. There is no limit to the times a person can enter BUT they are emphasizing Quality. The contest closes on 14 February. [Ed note: Ummm…hope ya’ll saw this already...oops.]

The I (Heart) Presents blog has lots of tips and helpful hints for anyone wishing to submit. In addition to the contest, the editors are still accepting submissions in the normal fashion: query letter, one to two page synopsis and, most importantly, the first three chapters.

The other big new look is at e-harlequin. In recent months, they have totally revamped the community portion of the site and it goes live on 2 January. The primary purpose of e-harlequin will still be to sell its books, but its community pages will have more of a social networking approach.

Alicia’s review of The Stolen Princess by Anne Gracie
Historical romance released 2 Jan 08 by Berkley Sensation

After eight years fighting in the war, Gabriel Fitzpaine is unable to settle into civilian life. He’s restless, feeling guilty and useless. All of a sudden he finds just what he needs, a damsel in distress! Oh, yes! And a ruthless, vile, dangerous villain! He has purpose, again.

Princess Caroline (Callie) has had a horrible time of it. She struggled all her life to please, first her exacting father then her critical husband. A year ago her husband was killed and someone started trying to kill her son. She’s been raised to have proper manners and an impeccable public face. Now she has to run and hide, doing for her son and herself with no help. Or so she intends.

She had loved, before, and had it tossed back in her face. She had tried in vain to please men all her life. She is finally free of men and their demands and she intends to stay that way. Boyish charm will not sway her. Really. It won’t. Neither will kindness toward her son who has known little kindness.

But Gabriel has no idea she doesn’t trust a man’s kindness. He loves Callie from the beginning and is somewhat confused by her behavior. I love books where the hero is just in love with the heroine and Gabriel is besotted. He’s so happy to be around her he jokes and plays like a boy. But he’s a man and a warrior, too, who is ready to do what it takes to protect her and her son.

This story has a prominent suspense plot but it just isn’t the focus. The book is about the characters. I believed the characters. They were consistent and their actions made sense for them. They change as they learn more, too. Gabriel, as he learns the danger Callie is actually facing and Callie as she sees the man Gabriel really is. And, of course, the dialogue is wonderful!

I can count on Anne Gracie to make me laugh. She doesn’t cram humor in where it doesn’t fit. She has witty characters who use humor naturally. She creates situations that are just funny. This book was no exception. I giggled over several pages and sniffled over others.

If you like sweet stories with witty dialogue and just a little spice get this book. It’s not to be missed.

Grade: B+

From the back cover:

     The estranged youngest son of an earl, Gabriel Renfrew earned glory and honor on the battlefield, but now, without purpose, he finds himself deliberately courting danger. One night he races his horse along a death-defying moonlit cliff-and stumbles upon a beautiful woman obviously in need of saving.

     A princess on the run, Callie has disguised herself and her son, the Crown Prince, as commoners, hoping to protect him from those intent on stealing the throne. She has no choice but to trust the handsome ex-officer who’s come to her rescue, even when he insists that only a marriage of convenience will provide her the ultimate protection. Can her new husband keep Callie and her son safe from assassins? And what will he do to her heart?

     Read an excerpt.

Not so long, long ago or far, far away, the Duckies were all aglow with the flush of the coming year. The new year is so full of promise, isn’t it? The promise of new releases, new authors to discover, new ideas for the blog. Sigh.

Then came The Move. Sigh again. The difficult, nearly disastrous move to a new server and a new template. With the head Duckie’s full attention so thoroughly engaged, some of our wonderful plans did not quite happen. Almost. But…

We have been planning to spotlight Harlequin for several months and we’re finally getting around to it. Like them or not, one cannot deny the publishing house’s impact on the genre. No other publisher offers such a wide variety for romance readers. Therefore, to celebrate this variety and the publisher’s commitment to our obsession hobby, each month we will spotlight a different Harlequin/Silhouette line. We hope from that people will see some favorite authors and find some new ones.

The lovely and talented Michelle Styles, author of The Roman’s Virgin Mistress and The Gladiator’s Honor (among others) has agreed to write us a monthly news column from the Harlequin front. In fact, she has been far more diligent than us, already turning in several columns. Over the next few days, we will be catching you up on Michelle’s tidbits. And stay tuned for more things Harlequin.

So, without further ado, I give you the first edition of TGTBTU’s Harlequin Insider…

TGTBTU’s Harlequin Insider: The State of the Historical
by Michelle Styles

Is the Historical genre on the upswing?

There have been rumors of a historical upswing for months. Or maybe it is simply the realization by publishers and booksellers that a large proportion of romance readers enjoy reading Historicals. Harlequin remains committed to providing quality reading for this segment. Not only with its Harlequin Historical program (which provides four books per month in retail, six per month direct and through its e-book program), but also through its single title programs, HQN and Mira and new venture Love Inspired Historical.

On 27 January 2008, when asked what HQN was looking for, Keyren Gerlach, editorial assistant for HQN stated on the blog Magical Musings: ‘Sexy historicals, romantic comedies, dark paranormals, fantasy, emotional tearjerkers. You name it, we do it, as long as the romance plot is the main star of the narrative. (But we are anticipating that historicals are poised to make a comeback.)’

The Love Inspired Historical line debuts this month with two strong offerings

The Briton, a Medieval from debut author Catherine Palmer, and Homespun Bride, a Western from veteran Harlequin Historical author, Jillian Hart. Love Inspired Historicals will publish two books per month which feature overt religious themes as well as providing a great romance. The authors will be a mix of new and multi-published authors, including Victoria Bylin and Cheryl St John. As Bylin pointed out recently, her westerns often have featured preachers and so this is a natural progression for her work.

According to the guidelines: “… the time periods included in the series will be biblical fiction, Americana (e.g. Westerns, post-Civil War, etc.), European historical eras (e.g. Tudor, Regency and Victorian England, eighteenth-century Scotland, etc.) and twentieth-century (turn-of-the-century through World War II). We are also interested in stories featuring missionaries abroad in exotic locations during various historical periods. We are not looking for stories set in Colonial America or the Civil War at this time.” You can the full guidelines on EHarlequin.Com. The books are 70,000- 75,000 words (computer count).

M& B celebrates 100 years!

Interest in the Mills & Boon centenary continues to grow, with extensive coverage of the Mills & Boon story featured in the British quality press including The Times, The Sunday Observer and the Daily Mail. Most articles make reference to the infamous Violet Winspear quote from 1970 about how her heroes had to be capable of rape. It should be noted that Violet Winspear was a shy spinster whose personal experience of life may have been lacking. Today’s Mills & Boon authors reject that notion, pointing out that the category hero has changed with the times and reflects the fantasies of today’s reader rather than the social mores of the late 1960s.

The articles also mention real life heroine and Mills & Boon novelist, Ida Cook (Mary Burchill), who used the proceeds from her writing to help rescue Jewish people from Nazi Germany. Afterwards, she continued to support Jewish refugees. The Observer’s article contains a quotation from best selling novelist Jilly Cooper: ‘After all, life’s bloody tough. Mills & Boon is much better than binge drinking.’ [Ed note: how about binge brinking while reading Mills & Boon?] For those interested in such things, Harlequin was founded in 1949 in Winnipeg and started buying in Mills & Boon Medical romances in 1954. Harlequin purchased Mills & Boon in 1972.

M&B in India

Mills & Boon also received coverage in the Times this week for its move into India. This is seen as confirmation of the burgeoning middle class in India, who seem to want to purchase their books rather than borrow them from the numerous circulating libraries. Despite the mention of Louise Allen’s Virgin Slave, Barbarian King by the Times, the offerings at the moment are limited to the Romance, Presents and Desire lines.

If they prove a success, the other lines will be included. Andrew Go, the managing director of Harlequin Mills & Boon India, also confirmed that he is hoping to discover several India-based authors. As with any of Harlequin Enterprise authors, these authors would be published on a global scale.

Finn’s review of Evermore (A Novel of the Darkyn) by Lynn Viehl
Paranormal romance released 2 Jan 08 by Signet Eclipse

Evermore is the 5th novel of the Darkyn (Knight Templers who came back from the holy land with a curse, vampirism). This is the story of Jayr and Byrne, seneschal and master. Problem is, they both secretly yearn for each other and refuse to act on those urges. I love Viehl’s Darkyn series and was eagerly anticipating this installment. It did not disappoint.

Evermore is set in the Realm, a castle that the Darkyn run as a medieval amusement park. Think of it as stepping back in time to a medieval tournament. Byrne has decided to step down as Suzerain of the Realm and is holding a tournament to find Jayr a new master. Which completely pisses her off. Robin of Locksley and Will Scarlet even make an appearance!

I love Viehl’s characters, they are so juicy! Her stories have great twist and turns that keep you guessing till the end of the story. Viehl makes the exchange of blood between Jayr and Byrne an erotic experience. Michael, the leader of the American Darkyn, and his love Alexandra are there to make sure the right man takes over Byrne’s job. Alexandra makes Jayr realize that she is a woman and she can love Byrne.

Overall a wonderfully erotic love story.

Grade: A

 Blurb:
.
Scottish vampire Byrne wrestles with love for Jayr, his female seneschal (or senior officer in charge of domestic ceremonies) in this fifth book in the Darkyn series. In order to dispel temptation, Byrne, lord of Orlando, decides to hold a tournament to see who will replace him as ruler of his domain. A bevy of ambitious vampires come forward, including, distractingly, a vampiric Robin of Locksley (i.e., Robin Hood). When a stranger appears claiming to be the rival Lord of Nottingham, tempers are set immediately on edge.
.
Things grow even more complicated as Jayr and Byrne’s attraction becomes too great to ignore, and attempts are made on Byrne’s life, perhaps by a lord overeager to take his seat. The plot is full of exciting twists and turns, but the chemistry between Jayr and Byrne is fairly tepid. Knowledge of prior books helps one along, but overall Viehl tells a self-contained, page-turning story of medieval vampires.
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Read an excerpt.