Di’s review of A McKaslin Homecoming (The McKaslin Clan, Series 3, Book 5) by Jillian Hart
Inspirational Romance published by Steeple Hill 1 Jul 07

Any time you need a heartwarming story with remarkable characters, pick up a book by Jillian Hart.  She writes contemporary, inspirational romances with Christian characters, but they’re not overly done as they meet the challenges in the world today.

In A McKaslin Homecoming, Lauren’s mother had taken her as a toddler and fled for L.A., leaving her other siblings behind in Montana.  As a teen when she asked her mother about that time, the answer was always, “We were not wanted.”  Being self-reliant throughout her life, Lauren’s past has made putting her faith and trust in anyone very difficult.

When her long-lost grandmother’s invitation to meet her family comes, Lauren accepts it on faith. So during her summer break from college, she returns to Bozeman, Montana after being away for more than 20 years.  Instead of being greeted by her grandmother, it’s the cautious, rugged, dark-eyed Sheriff Caleb Stone who comes out of the shadows, whisking Lauren off on her first adventure in Big Sky country.

Most of her family is excited and they welcome Lauren during her visit. However, their way of handling the one “sour apple” among their bunch is to ignore Caleb’s opinion.  Then Lauren’s new sister starts treating her as if she just returned from the corner store and wraps her in the fold of sisterhood.  This includes sharing, caring, and most certainly interfering. The love and laughter of sisters sharing and interfering brings smiles with a heartwarming glow as you share Lauren’s becoming a part of this loving family.

For so long Lauren has relied on herself,  so it’s hard to believe others may care about her. Not everyone gives her the warm welcome her grandmother hopes for, though.  Afraid of losing her heart, Lauren holds her thoughts a little too long and everything goes wrong.

Instead of the trust she thinks Caleb has earned from her, Lauren finds she has been deceived. He’s been spending time with her to get information, not because he cares, and all the while she’s been losing her heart to him.   How can she continue to return to visit her family, knowing her heart will break every time she sees him? It seems with all the love and family she has finally found, she has discovered heartache as well.

The loyal, upstanding Caleb Stone is caught in the middle between his close family ties to the McKaslins and his awakening feelings for the returned lost daughter who some are not welcoming home. He reluctantly does what he is asked by a so-called friend, but fears it will destroy any chance he might have with Lauren.

Caleb’s desire and faith drives him to at least try to make things right, and you find yourself cheering him on as he makes his plans. After all, he is the one who has destroyed her fragile faith in trusting for the first time in her life.  Hopefully he can rectify that awful mistake, even if he doesn’t win her trust again.

If you are into inspirational stories, this is a recommended book, along with the other books in this series.  The entire McKaslin family so far covers four different series.  To discover them all, be sure to check out Jillian Hart’s web page.

Grade:A+

Summary:

When contacted by her long-lost grandmother, Lauren McKaslin wanted to reconnect–with all the warmhearted Montana McKaslins. For too long, she’d relied solely on herself and her faith. But mistrustful lawman Caleb Stone stood in the way, and his questions about her were intimidating. Was his attention more than a protective instinct? Now that she believed in family again, perhaps this was also the time to believe in true love.

No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Dawna’s review of Soul Song (Dirk and Steele, Book 6) by Marjorie M. Liu
Paranormal Romance published by Leisure Books 3 Jul 07

I’ve always been told never judge a book by its cover. But when I glanced the sexy man emerging out of the turbulent ocean depths, ready to walk right off the page, I was compelled to pick this book up.  Soul Song by Marjorie M. Liu has a lot more going for it than just its cover art.  She’s created intriguing characters full of depth and a riveting story that will keep you turning pages.

Her hero, M’cal is a tortured merman sent to steal souls for an evil witch.  With a sirens voice he literally sings their souls right out of them.  He’s compelled to do so by order of the witch and has given up all hope of escape until he meets his latest victim, Kitala Bell, a renowned violin player.  The first time he sees her on stage with instrument in hand, her music calls to him.    For some reason he has the power to withstand the witch’s compulsion when it comes to Kitala.  He finds the desire to protect her rather than harm her, but the peril she’s in may threaten both of their souls.

Kitala makes her own kind of magic through her music.  Old Jaz Marie has tried to teach her how to use that magic, but Kitala never paid much attention to her grandmother.  She never wanted to accept the visions of death she saw either, but lately they have become more frequent and when she sees a beautiful woman in her audience with a knife through the eye, she can only do one thing: warn her.  By intervening, Kitala puts her own life at risk and is forced to form a partnership with a beautiful man whose voice can kill, but there is something about M’cal that doesn’t frighten her away.

What I liked best about this book was the fast pace and twists.  You never really know who the bad guy is until the very end.   And Ms Liu even does a good job of making you feel a bit of sympathy for the witch, be it very slight. In my opinion, it takes a good writer to do so.   I recommend this book for anyone who likes a perfect blend fantasy and danger, a sexy merman that can walk on land and a heroine who can hold her own.

I give this book an A because I haven’t found anything quite like it before and it definitely kept me turning pages.

Grade: A

Summary:

Against her will, Kitala Bell foresees the future. But only deaths, and only violent.

Kitala’s own future is in peril. From the ocean’s depths rises an impossible blend of fantasy and danger, a creature whose voice is seduction incarnate, whose song can manipulate lives the way that Kitala herself manipulates the strings of her violin…even to the point of breaking. He is a prince of the sea, an enigma-a captive stretched to the limit of his endurance by a woman intent on using him for the purest evil. And when survival requires he and Kitala form a closer partnership than either has ever known, the price of their bond will threaten not just their lives but the essence of their very souls.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: B+

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

Liviania’s review of Never Deceive a Duke (Neville Family Trilogy, Book Two) by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance released by Pocket Star 24 Jul 07

In Never Lie to a Lady, Gareth acted the runner-up.  He loved the heroine and offered her a good marriage, but Xanthia just didn’t feel for him like she did Lord Nash.  Liz Carlyle guides him from being second best to the hero quite well.  She starts by making him a Duke, through an inconvenient death of a man who lacked children.  Of course, he didn’t lack a young and beautiful wife.  Carlyle endears herself to me by not making Antonia a twice-married virgin. 

For Antonia was married before the Duke of Warenham.  Her first marriage traumatized her, leaving her with the urge to sleepwalk and a few mental problems.  Instead of therapy her father married her to a tyrant.  She’s got every right to be depressed and scarred by her past, and her emotions feel very real when she discusses her pain.  Unfortunately, she’s a bit boring.  I can tell you she’s beautiful and needy due to her awful past, but very little else.  It stands out compared to the fullness of Gareth’s characterization.

Gareth was Gabriel, a half-Jewish bastard and despised by his English family.  He was first raised in the Jewish community to know the traditions but still be an outsider.  Then he came to live with his father’s family were he was treated horribly, then thrown out after a terrible accident.  At this point he ended up on a pirate ship.  We all know what happens to pretty boys at sea, even if Antonia doesn’t.  Still, he manages to reinvent himself as Gareth with the help of the Nevilles.  Inheriting the dukedom forces him to reconcile the two identities.

Meanwhile, someone wants to kill Antonia and it’s looking like the former Duke’s death was no mistake.  My favorite character, George Kemble, comes to the rescue.  While he and Baron Rothwell entertain me, they take over the story.  In a series of humorous scenes, Kemble questions the servants who all realize what he’s up too.  Humorous, entertaining . . . completely unlike Antonia and Gareth’s angst fest.  They save the book by pulling the focus of the bland romance.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel.  The mystery managed some surprising twists, and the characters never acted too dumb in their search for the culprit.  (They did make some silly mistakes, but not enough to be bothersome.)  My favorite minor characters made lengthy appearances and the hero got a nice character arc.  But while the tragedy was there for Antonia and Gareth, their romantic happiness was hard to buy.

Never Decieve a Duke is the weakest in the trilogy, but still worth reading.  If you’re looking for a romance that remains light while dealing with some darker issues, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Grade: C

Summary:

They call her the porcelain princess…

With her fragile beauty and regal bearing, the Duchess of Warneham knows how to keep her admirers at a distance. Twice wed and twice widowed, Antonia has vowed never again to marry; never again to surrender her freedom. But when her husband’s death is deemed suspicious, and his long-lost heir returns to seize control of the dukedom, she finds that fate has placed her future in yet another man’s hands—but not just any man.

They call him a cold-hearted bastard . . .

Deep in London’s docklands, Gareth Lloyd runs Neville Shipping with an iron fist. Unrecognizable as the starving orphan who was abandoned by his family and sent an ocean away from home, Gareth has put his troubled past behind him. That is, until the Duke of Warneham is found dead, and Gareth turns out to be the dynasty’s last living heir. Wrenched from his solitude, Gareth neither wants nor needs the honors and obligations of nobility—especially the Duke’s all-too-tempting widow… Or does he?

Read an excerpt here.

Liviania‘s review of Demon’s are Forever (Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom, Book 3) by Julie Kenner
Paranormal romance released by Berkley 3 Jul 07

A couple of years ago, Julie Kenner’s Carpe Demon caught my eye in the bookstore due to its cute tagline and cover. I enjoyed the novel and I have continued reading the series. Demons Are Forever is her third novel to feature demon-hunting soccer mom Kate Connor.

Kate used to be a full-time Hunter for the Catholic organization Forza Scura before she decided to settle down with her husband Eric (also a Hunter) and have children. Eric died a few years later, in what Kate learned to be a murder rather than a mugging in the last novel. Now she’s not only returned to hunting demons, her daughter knows about her past and she has to uncover the secrets of Eric’s death while caring for a toddler and keeping everything a secret from her current husband. Oh, and Eric just might have stolen the body of one of their daughter’s teachers.Demons Are Forever entertained me, but it felt less fun than the first two. I’m not entirely sure why that was. Kate still struggles to balance her life as a suburban house wife with the fight against evil. But it felt less fresh. There’s a limit to how many times a character can hide a body in the shed during a social event. She encountered one demon in front of Stuart and it felt like a lawyer should be asking more questions and be more concerned about having her press charges or something. He just seems so blind to Kate, particularly when her best friend and teenage daughter have already managed to discover her secret.

Once more demons are after an artifact in San Diablo. Why demons are suddenly popping out of the woodwork of the city still seems unexplained, as the demons are always after something that’s been in San Diablo for years. As Kate tries to find the jewel before the minions of Andramelech, she comes close to discovering the truth about Eric’s death. Connect to both the jewel and Eric is Nadia, a Hunter presumed dead by Forza Scura. She’s your classic leather-clad wild woman, and some of her antics are pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, Kenner never gives her much depth and she remains a one-note character even as her importance to the plot increases.

My favorite character almost never appears. Cutter, Kate’s sparring partner, has little more than a bit part. He’s always been a minor character, but his scenes are always fun. Plus he, unlike Stuart, realizes Kate has secrets and tries to get her to open up. It felt odd that Father Ben, her alimentore, never seemed to be onscreen. It seems pointless for her to have a guide/mentor/researcher if she only calls him a few times for advice.

While I focused on many points that disappointed me, I still enjoyed Demons Are Forever. I can recall one scene involving Kate accidentally threatening a young neighborhood boy with an ice pick that is hilarious. The series is breezy, relaxing urban fantasy with an unconventional heroine. The minor characters tend to have distinct, unannoying personalities. The series’ mythology is easy to follow and makes sense. Despite the fact I liked the novel, it felt like a stumble while I was reading it.

Grade: B-

It isn’t easy when your daughter’s figured out that her mom’s a demon hunter—and wants to grow up to be just like her.

Or when you suspect your dead husband used the forces of darkness to filch the body of another human. And your living husband has shifted into such political overdrive that he doesn’t seem to be the man you married either.

Moreover, Kate’s acquired a precious—but deadly—item that every demon within commuting distance is seething to get hold of. With husband woes playing havoc with her emotions, an ambitious teenage protégée at her heels, and hell to pay, this stay-at-home mom’s putting in a lot of overtime…

Shannon C.’s review of Dark Thirst by Sara Reinke
Paranormal romance published by Zebra 3 July 07

I’ve been wanting to read a Sara Reinke book for years, ever since I saw her promoting one of her books on an ebook promotion yahoo group I used to be on, so I was excited when I got my hands on this first volume of her Brethren series. What was even better was that Ms. Reinke made the tired old vampire genre her own. These are no tormented warriors out to protect humanity. These vampires are scary and deranged and I certainly wouldn’t want to be alone with most of them. But aside from that, Ms. Reinke creates a memorable cast of characters whose lives and story drew me in completely. If not for a few missteps, this would have been a damn near perfect book for me.

The vampires featured in this book are called the Brethren. One part cult, one part mafia, one part really wealthy group of rednecks, they are an insular community that sustains itself by feeding on and killing the disposable illegal immigrants that work on their land. Brandon Noble has grown up all his life around these people. Brutalized in an attack that has left him both deaf and mute, he seeks only a way out.

However, after an abortive attempt to apply at Galaudet, the famous deaf college, he is discovered and the Grandfather, the clan patriarch, breaks his hands. Brandon waits and seethes until he is healed, and then runs away, going to the home of his former tutor. Instead of the tutor being present, he meets Lena Jones, his tutor’s sister. Lena, a police officer, is soon drawn to the quiet, sweet Brandon. But the Brethren don’t take well to being defied, and Lena and Brandon must take their stand against them.

I really really love a good beta hero, and Brandon is a great character. He may be unworldly, but his sheer determination is sexy, and I enjoyed reading about his struggles to deal with being a normal person. I also thought that Brandon’s disability was dealt with in a realistic manner, and as someone who has serious reader baggage when it comes to disabled characters, that says a lot. Brandon has good reason to be a tortured character, and yet, I never particularly felt that he wallowed in his angst. I also liked how his feelings for Lena developed from an adolescent crush to true passion, and it was so refreshing not to read any predestined soulmates crap in this book.

Lena, on the other hand, was both one of the best things about this book and one of the worst. She’s a tough cop, and she actually acts it. Too often I think that romance authors have to struggle to find reasons to keep their heroines pure of heart and full of kindness. I can’t remember the last time I read about a heroine who was actually capable of killing someone who needed killing and then actually doing it without going on and on ad nauseum for pages and pages about how hard it was.

Lena is also not particularly full of angst, and I loved that she was just as capable of violence as the next person. On the other hand, the climax of the book involves her being TSTL in a major way, so much so that I very nearly literally introduced my head to my desk. I know I moaned aloud, “Oh, no, *why* did she just do that?”

There are some great secondary characters. Rene, Lena’s partner and the hero of the next book, is someone that I think a lot of readers will love. I know I certainly did, and I don’t drool over fictional characters very often. Plus, he’s already got chemistry in spades with Tessa, Brandon’s twin sister, so their book should be great reading for the romance. As for the villains… The most interesting of them was Lena’s ex, a human lawyer who really was a smarmy asshole. I loved that he got exactly what he deserved. The Brethren, too, are seriously creepy. I cannot wait to see what else Ms. Reinke has in store for them in future books.

The plot is absorbing. I read this book in a matter of hours, and didn’t want to put it down for such necessities as sleep and food. Occasionally, the writing gets a little bit clunky, with flashbacks that last a shade too long, but I’m hoping that some of that will smooth itself out in time. There’s a lot of violence, though, so if you’re squeamish about that, this is probably not the book for you. Me, I was glad Ms. Reinke added those touches, since the violence lent the story plenty of grit. I also appreciated the fact that the characters all used four-letter words. The ending is more Happy for Now than Happily Ever After, and is clearly a setup for the second book in the series, but I’m glad the story ended the way it did, because I think anything else would have wrapped things up too neatly.

I haven’t mentioned the fact that this is an interracial romance, because I don’t think that Lena’s being black was particularly relevant to the plot, but if you’re thinking to yourself that you might like to try an interracial romance, you could do way worse than this one. I am definitely hooked on this series, and, while I would have liked for Lena to have been a lot stronger as a heroine, I still cannot wait for the sequel to this book to come out in September.

Grade: B+

Summary:
Brandon Noble is one of the Brethren, an ancient clan of ruthless vampires. Horrified by his birthright, Brandon shuns the ritual of the first kill, earning his family’s lasting wrath. When he finds love with a human woman named Angelina — forbidden among the Brethren — his fate is sealed. Can Brandon protect Angelina from his enemies — and his own dark thirsts?
You can download an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of Immortals: The Awakening (Immortals, Book 3) by Joy Nash Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Love Spell 31 Jul 07Three books down in this series, one to go before we get all new stories about these sexy Immortals. The first book, Immortals: The Redeeming, of the new installments will be out in September and I have a feeling it’s the one you’ve been waiting for just like I have, and I’m on pace to bring you reviews right up to the new release dates. But let’s talk about Awakening first.

Kalen is just as alpha and sexy as his brothers, but he’s kept pretty much to himself for the last several centuries. He hasn’t had any contact with his brothers in all that time, and he has no idea of the havoc that’s currently raining down on the world. Christine is a witch, drawing her power from water, and she’s on the hunt for Kalen so he can help his brothers save them all. What she doesn’t expect is both love and horror to push their way into her life.

While I liked this book, I don’t like it nearly as much as the first two. I do like the characters very much. They’re as engaging, kick butt, and fun as the previous characters. The love scenes are right up there with the rest of them. What brought this story down for me was the fact we have no contact with either Adrian or Darius at all. Tain and his demon do show up near the end, but I still wanted at least a phone call, a psychic connection, something between these brothers. We do find out that Kalen is not all that thrilled with his oldest brother, Adrian, but even a few choice words or some thrown punches would have been better than nothing. The reunion between the brothers is part of what makes these books for me. I did get the reunion with Tain, which makes me glad, and I wasn’t disappointed in that, it was on par with the other reunions. I just wanted more.

Other than that, this story is just as fast paced, just as grim, just as hot and heavy as the other two. We meet two new characters, Mac, who is an age-old god but looks about sixteen, and his sister, Leanna, who is as power hungry as they come, so much so she sells her soul. I’m going to love to see how she fares in succeeding books ‘cuz it can’t be good and she deserves it! The mystery of why Kalen refuses to fight is done well; it’s only his love that moves him to risk everything. But without that connection to the previous characters, I felt cut off from what had gone before, even with disaster running amuck in this book.

Grade: B+See my review of The Calling and The Darkening. See Shannon’s review of The Calling.

Summary:

She comes to him in a dream: her creamy skin delectably cool, silky raven hair smelling of the sea and ocean-blue eyes reflecting the depths of her passion. She is everything Kalen has been desperate to capture in his art — and in his bed. In reality, when Christine finds his remote Scottish castle, it is to persuade the Immortal warrior to help repel the darkness spreading around the world. But Kalen has a vindictive Sidhe trying to steal his powers and a dark secret of his own to battle before he and Christine can give in to –The Awakening.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Shannon C.’s review of Untamed Cowboy by Pam Crooks
Western romance published by Harlequin Historicals 1 Jul 07

I really like westerns. Admittedly, I’ve not read many books in the genre, but I count LaVyrle Spencer’s The Endearment as one of the best romances I read when I first found the genre. For me, the appeal of the western romance is that it involves characters who have to be strong and tough and show what they’re made of. It is, in fact, the dirt that I love when it comes to westerns.

Pam Crooks gives a very satisfying western read in Untamed Cowboy. We have two strong characters, Penn McClure, a former Secret Service agent bent on revenge against the counterfeiters who killed his fiancee, and Carina Lockett, a strong, spirited cattle rancher who wants nothing more than to have a good legacy for her daughter, Callie Mae. When Callie Mae is kidnapped, Carina must rely on Penn’s help to drive her cattle from Texas to Dodge City in hopes she can get her daughter back.

If this is the kind of offering that Harlequin Historical puts out, I think that Sybil will have gotten herself a new fan, because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Carina and Penn come off as very likeable characters, and I very much liked watching their attraction develop on the cattle drive. I particularly liked Karina, because after my last few books, which have featured completely bland and boring heroines, she was a nice breath of fresh air. I understood her desperation to get her daughter back, and her determination to do right by her men. I liked that she did what needed to be done, but she didn’t stomp her feet and declare that dad blame it, she was as good as any man! She just did what she had to do.

McClure is an awesome hero, too. He’s the kind of alpha that I like — quick to take charge but not an asshole. I also understood his need for revenge and his willingness to do whatever it took to get that revenge. In another author’s hands, that need for revenge might have made him a thoroughly unpleasant character, but the revenge angle wasn’t milked for all it was worth, and in the end I liked that Penn and Carina had similar goals.

The romance worked well here. Carina and Penn slowly come to be friends, and when they finally consummate their relationship, it’s a great love scene. I also really loved the end of the book and the decisions that the characters made. I also have to mention, while I’m gushing about the characters, that I really liked Callie Mae. She’s not the stereotypical saccharine romance child, and is, at times, kind of a brat. But I liked that she, too, experienced some growth and development by story’s end.

The action moves along at a steady pace, with all kinds of adventures to liven things up. Every scene felt necessary to the story, and the author certainly didn’t waste any words. I was hooked from the first page until I finished the book with a happy sigh.

This book wasn’t perfect. I was a little disappointed that the major villain was so flat, especially given the fact that his accomplices are drawn as much more nuanced characters. I also thought that Carina should have given Callie’s grandmother the swift boot to the ass that old bitch so rightfully deserved. I also wasn’t really sure why people didn’t make more of a big deal about Carina’s being a woman. Penn’s the only one who ever really seems to notice, and I wondered about that.

I wasn’t completely blown away by this book, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Definitely recommended for fans of western romance.

Grade: B

You can also read Gwen’s review for another take on this book.

     Summary:

     Carina Lockett is driven to build a legacy for her young daughter, and she doesn’t need a man to help her do it. But when her precious child is lured away and held for ransom, she must swallow her pride and ask for Penn McClure’s help.

     Penn McClure has no intention of playing cowboy for any woman, especially one as strong-willed as Carina. But driving a herd of cattle to Dodge City is no easy task. And he has a score to settle with the man waiting for them at the end of the trail.

     Along the way, he discovers Carina is pure female–and that her legacy has become his own.

    Read an excerpt here.

Nikki’s review of She Did a Bad, Bad Thing by Stephanie Bond
Contemporary romance published 1 Jul 07 by Harlequin Blaze

Jane is a professional in the area of make-up and dress but she doesn’t use her skills on herself. She considers herself plain and feels like she’s making a fool of herself if she tries to pretend otherwise. She dresses so as to not draw attention to herself and focuses on making others beautiful.

Then the condo next door is bought by the very handsome Perry. His ultra-sexy self is hard enough to deal with. Add in his ultra-sexy “friend”, obviously “with benefits”… benefits she has to listen to twice through the wall… who parked in her spot and Jane has had enough. Even a Plain Jane should be able to go home after work and watch her favorite TV show. But after confronting this pair of beautiful people she overhears some nasty comments they make and is devastated.

Have you ever stuck your foot in your mouth? Ever said something mean about someone and then found out they heard? Perry was angry and a little drunk that night but when he found out he’d hurt Jane he was sick over it. He decides to make it up to her, somehow, but she doesn’t want anything to do with him.

If you’ve read Stephanie Bond you already know this author puts you in the people’s lives. I felt how Jane just wanted to get home and watch her show and forget everything. How she felt a little giddy when it was about to start. She was real to me just a few pages in.

I felt so bad for Perry, too. Most all of us have been there. Yeah, he asked for it but he felt so bad. I felt like he redeemed himself nicely. He did seem to change his mind about her looks a bit too radically and quickly but I could let that go.

The end seemed rushed. There isn’t a plain resolution to the problem that has come up with the old friend. Even though I could assume how it would go, it would have been nice to have a few more pages telling about it. Aside from that this book is just fun and sexy. Stephanie Bond writes just what I want in a Blaze.

Grade: B+

     What would you do if you hit the jackpot?

     Just once, mild-mannered Jane Kurtz wished she had the nerve to go for what she wants. And she really wants her neighbor, bad boy Perry Brewer. But he’s totally out of her league…until she wins the lottery and decides, once and for all, to change her life. So she heads out to Vegas for the ultimate bad-girl makeover! Poor sexy Perry won’t know what hit him!

     The woman’s driving him crazy! Perry’s been trying to get Jane’s attention for days, with no luck. Now she’s all alone in Vegas and, well somebody’s got to look after her. What’s a decent guy to do? But after he sees Jane in all her new naughtiness, there’s no way he’s going to be able to stop at just looking…

     Read an Excerpt

Sandy M’s review of Ghosts and Roses (The Sexth Sense, Book 2) by Kelley St. John
Contemporary paranormal romance released 1 Jul 07 by Harlequin Blaze

It’s been a long since I’ve read a Blaze, mostly because the ones I read didn’t do much for me, but I actually liked this book. The characters were all very likeable, the plot was good with some mystery mixed in along with the paranormal aspect of it all, and the hero is one of those really sensitive, sexy guys we’d all love to have in our lives.

Now, see, I know that would bother some of you, that too-good-to-be-true kinda guy. But, hell, that’s why I read. None of us will ever have that perfect man — not your current husbands or boyfriends, you know what I mean! — that we’ve always dreamed of, so when I open a book I want him right there front and center.

Gage Vicknair is the perfect guy. He’s a doctor. He has a great sense of humor. He comes from a loving family. He talks to spirits to help them cross over. And with no training at all, he saves the heroine from flying bullets let loose by a madman that comes back again and again. And don’t forget the sexy and sensitive. When he finally meets, literally, the woman of his dreams and learns about her terrible past, he knows this is the woman for him and refuses to rush her into making love, soothes her fears away with reassurances and intimate caresses. And he’s determined to save her friends from said madman. As much as I love my alpha heroes, I could go for a guy like Gage.

I did like the ghost aspect of the story. The entire Vicknair family sees and speaks to these earth-bound spirits to help them overcome whatever it is holding them so they can cross over to where they belong. Each family member has their own specific way of knowing when a ghost is about to visit. Gage hears crying and within a short period of time his next assignment has appeared. I also enjoyed the other members of the Vicknair family. They teased, argued, and worked together as a family. The mystery surrounding the heroine and her friends is done well, including the fear they experience throughout the story. You can definitely feel it as they’re experincing it.

There are two other books in the series, Kiss and Dwell and Shiver and Spice, and I’m going to try them both based on this read. I’d like to see what happens to Gage’s siblings and their respective spirits.

Grade: B

From the back cover:

He’s never touched her but he’s made love to her. He doesn’t know her, but he has to find her… Before a killer does.

Gage Vicknair has been dreaming-incredible erotic visions-about a mysterious brown-eyed beauty. Makayla Sparks has been dreaming about a strong, sexy man who keeps her safe — and very, very satisfied.

When a spirit from beyond tells Gage he needs to rescue a stranger named Makayla, he never expects that stranger to be the same sensuous woman he’s enjoyed so thoroughly in his nightly fantasies. But Makayla is very real-and she’s living a nightmare. A vengeful murderer is determined to get her. And Gage is equally determined to save her.

Because the only way he and Makayla can have the love they’ve dreamed of is if they’re still around to live it…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Alicia’s review of Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann
Romantic Suspense published hardcover by Ballantine 15 Aug 06 & mass market 31 July 07

I got so behind reading Brockmann’s books. I wasn’t crazy about Breaking Point so I put off reading Into the Storm way too long. This book felt just like old times.

Jenk is just a nice guy, well, and a SEAL. He almost gets killed and decides he wants to move ahead with the wife/family thing before it’s too late. So, he looks at the situation and chooses the person he wants to marry an starts working toward the goal.

When his SEAL team is set to train against the Troubleshooters and Lindsey Fontaine walks into the meeting room, the two have instant chemistry. The problem is, oops, she’s not the one he’s decided to woo and marry. The target bride is the inept receptionist Lindsey’s been struggling with recently because Jenk got her hired. No matter that said prospective bride still thinks of Jenkins as her friend’s almost invisible little brother.

Lindsey and Jenkins are really good together. I liked the way they interacted. Brockmann built heat, as usual, very well without being explicit. Mark Jenkins’ personality stayed true in his patience with Lindsey’s personal baggage. Lindsey is tough without being hard. She also has a great sense of humor.

As familiar couples get their HEAs I’m looking to see which new characters are going to be getting books. We get a little more of Sophia and Decker and Dave. Jules is mentioned but not seen. We get a lot of Izzy Zanella. I’m wondering if we’ll see the victim, Beth, again.

The suspense was great. If you don’t want to read about a serial killer, don’t read this book because the suspense side of the book is strong. I enjoyed it. It’s well done and quite creepy. He’s not so easy to just take out. The storm is almost another character. Everything the rescuers do is pitted against this huge, fierce entity which almost defeats them all by itself.

Grade: B+

Blurb:

     In a remote, frozen corner of New Hampshire, a Navy SEAL team and the elite security experts of Troubleshooters, Incorporated are going head-to-head as fierce but friendly rivals in a raid-and-rescue training exercise. Despite the frigid winter temperatures, tension smolders between veteran SEAL Petty Officer Mark “Jenk” Jenkins and former cop turned Troubleshooter Lindsey Fontaine after an impulsive night goes awry. And then, suddenly, Tracy Shapiro, the Troubleshooters’ new receptionist, vanishes while playing the role of hostage during a mock rescue operation.

     Teaming up with the FBI to launch a manhunt in the treacherous wilderness, Jenk and Lindsey must put aside their feelings as a record snowstorm approaches, dramatically reducing any hope of finding Tracy alive. The trail is colder than the biting New England climate until a lucky break leads to a horrifying discovery-a brutally murdered young woman wearing the jacket Tracy wore when she disappeared. Suddenly there is a chilling certainty that Tracy has fallen prey to a serial killer-one who knows the backwoods terrain and who doesn’t play by the rules of engagement.

     In a race against time, a raging blizzard, and a cunning opponent, Jenk and Lindsey are put to the ultimate test. Rising everything, they must finally come together in a desperate attempt to save Tracy-and each other.

     Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Highlander Untamed (The MacLeods of Skye Trilogy, Book 1) by Monica McCarty
Historical romance released by Ballantine 31 Jul 07

This has been a year of new authors for me, and Monica McCarty is one of the few shining stars to stand above a lot of the averageness out there. She gives you strong characters, a great plot, and true love and romance in her books. Do you really need anything more in a romance novel?

Isabel is finally getting the chance to prove to her father and brothers that being born a female isn’t a waste, that she can contribute to the family in some way just as they always have. However, what her family has asked her to do is to spy on the enemy and learn his secrets in any way she can. Any way whatsoever. Isabel knows the MacDonalds and the MacLeods have been at odds ever since her uncle sent The MacLeod’s sister home in disgrace after a handfasting that he obviously never meant to go through with, and so she is willing to now handfast herself to Rory MacLeod and do the same as her uncle at the end of a year, repudiate their alliance and hopefully return home with the means to destroy the MacLeod clan once and for all.

Being forced to handfast at the order of the king is bad enough, but to a MacDonald is more than Rory can take. He will welcome his enemy only to get this sham of a marriage started and then in a year’s time, he will send the woman home so that he can get back to the business of a true alliance with another Highland family to further his clan’s standing with the king and to make them stronger — stronger to wipe out their enemy. What Rory never counted on was that Isabel MacDonald would be the most beautiful lass he’s ever seen and his reaction to her is one he’s never had for any other woman. Vowing to stay away from her as much as possible, he is certain the next year will not be too difficult to get through.

Could there be a more handsome man anywhere? No, he has to be right here in the MacLeod castle where Isabel’s snooping and eavesdropping will bring her the harshest punishment if Rory ever catches her at it. She’s had too many close calls already, but that isn’t the worst of it. Since her handfasted husband is determined to ignore her all the time, Isabel has gotten to know and made friends with Alex and Margaret, Rory’s siblings, as well as a couple of his warriors — and that particular friendship seems to irritate the laird to no end.

But Isabel is determined to make the most of the time she has with the family she’s never had, along with the love of the people around her. The longer she lives with this clan, the more she hates the reason why she’s been sent to them. She is growing to love them, and betraying them is something Isabel simply no longer wants to do. Can she get away with tricking her uncle into believing she’s given him what he’s asked for and not betraying Rory after all?

Monica McCarty’s Highlander Untamed takes you through the depths of treachery of one clan upon another, the honor of a leader to revenge his family’s disgrace, the suspicions of a man and woman from opposite sides of a feud getting to know each other, and the joys of their new-found love and then the agony and heartache of betrayal that runs so deep you can feel it to the bone.

Ms. McCarty has created a hero and heroine whom are the epitome of strength and honor. Isabel is eventually faced with betraying her clan or betraying the love she’s just found. Rory is faced with following his duty as leader of his clan or sending away the one person in the world who will love him and make him happy. I enjoyed this book and its characters immensely. The emotion from every character you meet is heart felt, and you root for a love that looks like it may not endure after all.

Grade: A

Summary:

She has a year to make him love her… Isabel MacDonald agrees to a handfast marriage with Rory MacLeod, her clan’s bitterest enemy in order to end a deadly feud. But the handfast is only a cover to gain her access to his castle—and with a little seduction, his heart. But her treacherous plans are immediately tested by the fearsome Rory, a powerful Highland chief who embodies everything she admires. Soon Isabel has found the place in the family she’s always dreamed of with the man she must betray, and her only hope of happiness is to escape her own dangerous web of lies.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer… Rory’s duty as Chief of Clan MacLeod is clear: He’ll obey the king’s directive to handfast with the MacDonald lass—but under his own terms. As a handfast is only required for a year, at that point Rory plans to return this unwanted handfast bride to her family and forge a different marriage alliance. But his plan to keep his distance from his unwanted bride is challenged by the beautiful seductive siren who proves impossible to ignore. And when he catches her snooping and removes her to his bed to watch over her, Rory finds himself wishing that the year would never end.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of In the Midnight Hour (Light Warriors, Book 1) by Patti O’Shea
Paranormal romance published 31 July 2007 by Tor

Yes yes.  I know I’m late with this.  What can I say – too many books, so little time.

Patti O’Shea is one of my favorite action romance writers.  Her book The Power of Two (2176 Series, Book 4) , is one of the best science fiction/action romance titles I’ve ever read.  So I was seriously stoked when this title came out.  I was not disappointed.

Doesn’t this cover go beautifully with Sybil’s blog? 

Patti O’Shea is able to create a full, complex world with incredible ease.  Her books never come across as overloaded with “brain dump” prose – where an author has to take the reader to school on the world they’ve built.  Details just flow naturally as part of the story, and the reader is never left behind.  Another of O’Shea’s talents is characters who stay true to themselves throughout a book’s trials and tribulations – no “cop outs.”  This book is another of those – a complex, rich world populated by interesting characters.

The book opens with some fun scenes where the hero and heroine are getting to know each other and the situation they’re in.  The immediate tension and attraction is tempered by their reality – they’re in a fix that might kill them both.  Ryne, the heroine, is the more powerful character for most of the book – I loved that.  The hero, Deke, is a funny, sexy man who knows how to love a strong woman – I loved that.

This was a tremendously fun book to read.  The premise was interesting and peppered with unique, believable details that really made for page-turning fun.  The romance between the characters was sweet and steamy by equal turns.  The story slowed a bit in the middle but picked right back up again.  It was an all around good read.  I’m looking forward to the next entry in this series.

Grade: B

Here’s the book blurb:

Anise is trouble
Ryne is a magical troubleshooter, sworn to protect the innocent from being harmed by magic–and she’s been chasing Anise, her former mentor, for six years.

Deke is a private investigator who knows something key to defeating Anise. But Anise cast a dark spell over him, and even though Ryne has managed to temporarily lift the curse, Deke can’t remember what it is that he knows.

Ryne has sworn to never get involved with a human, but Deke is sexy, charming, brave, and irresistible–and as Ryne and Deke are pulled further into Anise’s evil schemes, it’s harder and harder for Ryne to resist the attraction.

But dark magic has its own attraction, and in order to defeat Anise and lift Deke’s curse permanently, Ryne will have to risk following in Anise’s footsteps and succumbing to the lure of the darkness…

Read an excerpt.

What’s next for Patti O’Shea:

In Twilight’s Shadow (Light Warriors, Book 2), June 2008

P.S. I kept singing Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” while reading this book.  

Alicia’s review of Wired by Liz Maverick
Urban Fantasy/SciFi romance released 3 Jul 07 by Dorchester Shomi

This is the first book in Dorchester’s new line, Shomi. Since I’m always looking for serious SciFi Romance, I have kept tabs on their website from the day I heard about it.

I read the first chapter of Wired before it was released and couldn’t stand the wait to be able to finish the book. I hate that the reviews I’ve seen (even Publishers Weekly!) give a spoiler! I don’t care that the scene is in the first chapter. It is just so much better to let it unfold properly! When I read it, during the time that Roxy doesn’t know who the men are, I didn’t either. That’s the way it should be! That first scene is just so wonderful! Many things happen in that short time that make you go “what?!” and are explained later in the book. Why mess it up?

At first I thought this book would be like Terminator but it isn’t. This book is like a cross between the movies Frequency and Paycheck. A lot more about the puzzle of changing the past than about the action scenes. I absolutely loved this aspect of it.

I usually have trouble with books written in the first person. This book kept me so captivated I totally forgot it was first person. If I had any problem, it was wanting so badly to know what was going to happen next that my eyes would jump ahead and I’d have to drag myself back to where I was. The first person POV was essential to this book because Roxy doesn’t know who to trust. Seeing either of the other main characters’ thoughts would have ruined this, entirely.

Character growth is important to me and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a character grow more in one book than Roxy does in Wired. She sees herself as helpless, paralyzed by fear, at the beginning of the book. The lady at the end of the book would seem to be another person entirely, except we saw her become that person.

Ms Maverick’s imagination is superb. I liked the smartie. It seems like the direction technology could go. I loved the motoway. The idea of motorcycle/roller coasters replacing most city traffic is very cool.

Now for the cons. Please remember that as bad as this part may sound, I did enjoy the book. It’s almost like I’d have half the book rated A++ and the other half rated C-. The negatives are pretty bad.

• First, Roxy behaves in some pretty unbelievable ways, at times. She just seems to let it go way too easily that someone has tried to kill her. She doesn’t just trust them, she jumps right into romantic feelings for them. Even if she’s confused about who’s the bad guy, it would be much more natural for her to be immune to any advances, not drawn. She also does something, at one point, to make herself and one of the guys unable to respond to any threat in a capable manner.
• The romance is, actually, really weak. There was nothing that showed me either H/H actually loved each other. I liked the hero but I didn’t see any explanation for some of the things he did. We’re supposed to accept he had some kind of good reason, or that it wasn’t what it seemed, but it wasn’t nearly enough for me.
• There were, also, a lot of scenes where things just happen. They almost seem like they were, maybe, stripped to cut word count or something. There’s little description or explanation, just this is what happened. And often they were things that I felt wouldn’t work. So, I’m wondering if Ms. Maverick had a good explanation that she took out or if she couldn’t make the scene work, so just skimmed over it. These scenes felt like a different style of story than the rest of the book. More James Bond than Paycheck.
• The end of the book is in this second style, and I found it a little unsatisfying.

Overall there were so many positives about this book that even though it had a few flaws that will put some people completely off, I would recommend it. If you can just accept stuff and enjoy the ride, it’s still fun.

Grade: B-

From the back cover:

     Seconds aren’t like pennies. They can’t be saved in a jar and spent later. Fate seeps through cracks and shifts like fog. Pluck a second out of time or slip an extra one in, the consequences will change your life forever. Is the man you love really the man you think you know, or is there a version of your life in which he’s your enemy? If you didn’t know who or what you were before, would you take a chance on becoming that person again?

     L. Roxanne Zaborovsky is about to discover fate is comprised of an infinite number of wires, filaments that can be manipulated, and that she’s not the one at the controls. From the roguishly charming Mason Merrick—a shadow from her increasingly tenebrous past—to the dangerously seductive Leonardo Kaysar, she’s barely holding on. This isn’t a game, and the pennies are rolling all over the floor. Roxy just has to figure out which are the ones worth picking up.

     Read an excerpt.

Lawson’s review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J.K. Rowling
YA fantasy fiction hardcover released by Arthur A. Levine Books 21 Jul 07

Alright, I know, I KNOW, this is a romance blog and here I am talking about Harry Potter. What could I be thinking? I felt this book deserves to be discussed however. And really, unless you’ve been in a hole, hiding away for the last 10 years and have only just now gotten internet access and thus never heard of Harry Potter, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with blogging about the Boy Who Lived. Especially since Meljean Brook referenced Harry Potter (or rather He Who Shall Not Be Named) in Demon Angel. 

Just for posterity’s sake here’s the basic history of the series so far: Harry Potter is a legend in the wizarding world for being the only person to survive the killing curse. He was one year old when Voldemort attempted to kill him, but it backfired and Voldemort spent the next 10 years trying to come back so he could have world domination. Book 1 is Harry’s first year at Hogwart’s, a boarding school for witches and wizards. The next six follow his adventures, coming of age, and battles with Voldemort who goes from a spirit and less of a man to a restrengthened evil wizard bent, again, on world domination as soon as he can kill Harry Potter, ’cause it’s making him look really bad and he doesn’t like to be thwarted.

Like the other six, Harry starts off the book at the Dursley’s, his aunt and uncle, house in London during the summer vacation. He’s about to turn seventeen, the legal age for wizards, and he’s being moved to a safe house so that he can be protected from Voldemort. He’s being swept away by the Order of the Phoenix and of course there’s a massive plan and diversion.

Harry and six doppelgangers fly off in various directions and are set upon by Death Eaters, followers of Voldemort. There’s mass chaos, Voldemort figures out which one is the real Harry, but Harry gets away, but two of his friends die in the escape. No, I’m not telling who dies.

Harry gets to the Burrow, childhood home of his best friend Ron Weasly, where he, Ron and Hermione Granger plan to go off on one last quest given to them by their former headmaster Albus Dumbledore (he died at the end of Book Six) which could help stop Voldemort once and for all. First though, they’ve got to attend the wedding of one of Ron’s many older brothers, but in the confusion at the reception when they find out the Ministry of Magic has been compromised by Voldemort, the three friends escape and venture off to fulfill their quest.

Even though this is marketed to young adults, the series has always dealt with some very adult themes. Death is a big one, due to the deaths of Harry’s parents and Voldemorts constant fear of death. In defense of Harry there’s a lot of people that die in this one as well, and character’s acceptance of death is one thing that defines the good and the bad.

Harry’s coming of age is another theme that goes through all of the books. He goes from 10 to 17 over the course of the books and he has to deal with all the things a normal adolescent does: girls, acceptance, hormones, friendships and self discovery. There were times in the last few books where Harry got rather whiney, but that was rather absent in this one, even though he didn’t have his mentor, Dumbledore, there to help guide him.

Leadership is a big idea dealt with through many different things. Dumbledore’s leadership of Harry and Hogwarts. Harry’s leadership of his friends and those around him because of his legendary status. Voldemort’s leadership of his Death Eaters, his justice on the world and his ideas on how to deal with not only the wizards but muggles (non magical people). Even the fact that leadership is sometimes helping others do the work and you have to step up to do your part.

Rowling throughout the book references things from the series, though not huge things, but every thing seems to get tied in somehow, even if it seemed inconsequential three books ago. By the end it seems that Harry, as well as Ron and Hermione, have seen the world not as innocent children, but as people who have been through that process that everyone has to go through to get through life: adolescence.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The heart of Book 7 is a hero’s mission–not just in Harry’s quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man–and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore’s warning about making the choice between “what is right and what is easy,” and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling’s skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

No excerpt available.

Other books in the series (mass market or trade paperback linked where available):

Gwen’s review of Embraced By Darkness (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 5) by Keri Arthur
Urban Fantasy released by Dell 31 Jul 07

This series is difficult to pigeon-hole.  It’s fantasy, paranormal, futuristic, suspense, mystery, and romance all rolled in one.  The heroine is Riley Jensen – a werewolf/vampire half-breed.  The heroes are as numerous as the situations she finds herself in, but this book’s hero is Kellen, another werewolf and, she thinks, the love of her life.  Riley and her twin brother, Rhoan, fight the baddies, try to have normal personal lives, and deal with pack politics all in one.  Riley is a vulnerable, kick-ass heroine and I like her honest approach to life. 

I found this series shortly after the first book came out last December.  I proceeded to wait for each release with barely contained excitement. And, because of the back-to-back release dates, I was able to satisfy my jones quickly – no suspension of self-gratification for me.  BONUS!

Riley is a heroine I can identify with.  She wrestles with normal (though perhaps not the “getting fuzzy” part, but I’m not speaking for Sybil    ) – juggling personal life, work, life-goals, etc. She’s a funny, honest character whose approach to life is scarily “normal” for all the abnormal stuff she deals with.

A big complication in Riley’s life is she is evolving into something ”more” due to exposure to a drug (unbeknownst to her, in book 1).  As a guardian, she’s forced to kill bad guys and in this book, to her personal horror, she begins to kill more easily. All of this makes her relationship with Kellen – an alpha werewolf - difficult.  He wants/needs to protect her and, because of her job, she keeps getting her ass kicked and not letting him help.  She doesn’t even call him on a couple of occasions. (Personally, I think she is suppressing her her real self to have this relationship with Kellen – she’d end up being really unhappy in the long run.)

Ms Arthur’s storytelling is getting better and better with each book.  As with the other books, Embraced has suspense, interesting concepts, terrific main and secondary characters, well developed story arcs, and the world-building is highly entertaining. In addition, Ms Arthur is one of the very few authors who can write from first person and I don’t hate it.

I think this series is worth the time and emotional investment to read.  Be aware, however, that there be a lot of boinking goin’ on in several of the books.  Riley has lots of different partners but it’s appropriate to the story, rather than squick-worthy.  However, in this book Riley tries too hard to get what she’s always imagined she wanted - soulmate to another wolf, white picket fence, kids running around, etc.  As a result, she suppresses her natural wolf-tendencies to have sex with men she’s attracted to, and she’s faithful to Kellen (at least in body, if not mind).  Not that this book isn’t still steamy and oh-so-hot – it just didn’t have the ultra-steaminess of the other entries in the series.

This is a great summer read.  Be forewarned it doesn’t have the typical HEA ending.  But I can’t wait to find out what happens to Riley in the next entry; which according to Keri’s blog, will be called The Darkest Kiss and QUINN COMES BACK in it! Not sure about the release date, but it looks like it will be next year.

Grade: B

Read more reviews by following the series’ tag.

Summary:

Now a full-fledged guardian–or supercop–Riley Jenson is riding high…until her family comes calling. When her pack’s alpha demands that she solve the mystery of a vanished girl, Riley can feel a trap closing in around her. Soon she is caught between a lover who demands that she give up her work, a serial killer who knows no boundaries, and a club where humans and supernaturals mix–at their own peril. Thrust into a realm of seduction and violence unlike any she could have imaged, Riley has to battle to save everything she holds dear. But the ultimate hunt has only just begun…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Our Guest Author, Shannon McKenna – her Edge of Midnight comes out 31 Jul – gives us a peek into her TBR pile. 

Wow, my To Be Read pile is vast and complicated, because I’m so desperately disorganized and short of time with the deadlines and the little girl, I never get a chance to read. A bad state of affairs for a writer! You really need to read like you need to eat. I’ve been living off my fat (figuratively speaking) for a while now, but I would really love to read more. Much more.

Let’s see, the stuff I have in my TBR pile include a bunch of Donna Leon mysteries, Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels Trilogy, Rohinton Mistry’s A FINE BALANCE, Marisha Pessl’s SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS, Stephen King’s LISEY’S STORY, [Audrey Niffenegger's] THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, Barry Eisler’s “John Rain” thrillers, and a bunch of others that just don’t come to mind right now because they’re buried so deep. I have no order at all for my to be read books, nor is there any point in trying to establish one, since it is one of my daughter’s chief joys to pull books off the shelves and listen to the thud as they fall. So why fight it? Sadly, though, I often spend precious minutes that I could be reading searching desperately for an unread book, or else I completely forget that I have them and discover them by chance months later.

I would say, without hesitating for an instant that the book I am most looking forward to in all the world is the next Diana Gabaldon installment in her magnificent OUTLANDER series. I put that at the very top of my favorites list. What wonderful escapist reading; fab romance, intense emotion, gripping tension, hot sex, wild, rip roaring adventure, and meticulous, fascinating historical research which never intrudes on the story. It’s brought seventeenth century Scotland and the American Revolution alive for me as I’ve never imagined. I hope she writes bunches more Jamie and Claire stories before she closes that series. I’ll buy them in hardcover the second they’re available.

Outside the romance genre, I recently read Yann Martell’s LIFE OF PI, and I was deeply moved by it. Gorgeous, dense, rich, poetic writing that made me just ache inside, even though the story was so lonely and so full of pain and privation. But wow, what a book, what a writer. I’ve had a wonderful time with Alexander McCall’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, graceful and funny and positive and delicious stories.

And beyond that, well, let’s see—I picked up Susan Krinard’s LORD OF THE BEASTS while doing some market research for my pet dream of writing fantasy paranormal someday, and it was a great discovery. Her graceful, intelligent writing and her super sexy and yet understated, controlled, gentlemanly hero really delighted me.

I also have really loved the Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflower Series recently. I’m a fan of the J.R. Ward [Black Dagger Brotherhood] series. Very sexy vamps that you can count on to be righteous dudes. I usually don’t go much for vampires, but these guys work for me. I recently read and enjoyed Lori Foster’s CAUSING HAVOC, very fun, juicy, sexy read. And of course, I’m really, really looking forward to HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, along with six billion other people. I just love Harry. I wish students had to stay longer at Hogwarts, because I am so, so not ready to say goodbye.

What all these writers do for me is to engage my emotions and make me care deeply about the characters. Without that, I just don’t engage in a book, and I end up putting the book down and forgetting it. It’s a mysterious, magic thing, and it crosses all genres, all types of novel—some books are dense and intense and poetic and I savor them in little careful sips like a fine liqueur, others are wild bumpy exciting thrill rides and I gulp them down like ice cold Gatorade on a hot day, but the key is always that magic happening. It’s gotta have it. Make me care.

Well, I’ve certainly rattled on long enough. I’m delighted to have shared some of my chaotic life and creative angst with you all, and I thank you in particular, Sybil, for the opportunity to do so. It’s lovely to reach out a bit—I usually stay huddled in my shell, cyber-space wise, and it takes a big, friendly kick in the patoot to get me out there into somebody’s blog. So thanks for the kick, Sybil! And thank you all for your kind interest. I hope you all enjoy EDGE OF MIDNIGHT, and EXTREME DANGER.

I’ll close with a quote that my cousin gave to me years ago, from Khalil Gibran’s SAND AND FOAM. I may not get it exactly right, since I can no longer find the dog-eared index card that he wrote it on, but the gist of it is this: “If you should care to write—and only the saints know why you should—then you must needs have knowledge, art, and magic. The knowledge of the music of words, the art of being artless, and the magic of loving your readers.”

That about sums it up for me!

Thanks again, and I wish the very best to all of you!

Thank you, Shannon! This view into your TBR and reading list will, I’m sure, open doors to new material for many people, making our TBR piles as tall as yours!

Gwen’s review of Aiden’s Charity (Breeds Book 12) by Lora Leigh
Futuristic Paranormal Erotic romance releas by Ellora’s Cave 1 Jul 07

This is another entry into Leigh’s Breed series.  It is set in what is presumably a contemporary Mexico, South America, and Colorado.  The heroine is Charity Dunmore, a human scientist who worked undercover, helping to free Breeds from captivity for several years before she herself is turned into an experimentation subject.  The hero is Aiden, a wolf Breed, former experimentation subject himself, and security specialist for the Compound where many of the wolf Breeds live.

This was a far more sexual Breed story than others I have read.  This fact should have folks quaking in their panties, so to speak.  I mean.  This is Lora Leigh, after all.  But damn if it wasn’t a good book!

If you’re a Breeds fan, you should read this story.  It fills in some of the gaps in the mechanics and biology of wolf Breed physiology.  Oh, and it also has a nice love story, though it was tough to find with all the boinking going on.

This book is available via download from the Ellora’s Cave site or print from EC’s eBay store.

Now I’m going to go take a long, COLD shower.

Grade: B
Here’s the book blurb:

The forces of survival and destruction swirl in the darkest corners of men’s minds. The nature of the beast cannot be harnessed, and survival is the purest of all instincts. Survival of the species itself goes soul deep.

But can the human heart accept and adapt as easily? Can Charity bestow the love and the acceptance that has always been a part of her, to the man whose very survival depended on the hardening of his heart, of his soul? And can Aiden maintain that cruelty now, in the face of the sacrifices she made? Only time and nature can tell…

Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of Scent of Darkness (Darkness Chosen, Book 1) by Christina Dodd
Contemporary paranormal romance released 3 Jul 07 by Signet

This paranormal is set in modern day Napa Valley and western Washington state’s Cascade Mountains (presumably somewhere near Mt. St. Helens, but it’s not mentioned).  The heroine, Ann Smith, is the assistant to winery owner and hero, Jasha Wilder.  Ann has secrets.  Jasha has secrets.  The trick is to tell each other their secrets before the bad guys catch up to them and make it a moot point.  Oh, and fall in love and have some steamy sex – of course.

The story uses as its basis the age-old conflict between Good and Evil. Nobody less than God and the Devil are fighting over the souls of Ann and the Wilders. This portents an excellent climax in what will presumably be the fourth and last book of the series. Perhaps by then we’ll understand the meaning and purpose of Ann’s birthmark, and several other elements left tantalizingly incomplete.

I enjoyed the steamy erotic scenes, but I didn’t completely believe in the romance between Ann and Jasha.  Not enough time is spent on their “pre-drama” relationship to build a basis for the strong emotions.  Nor did I think the baddies were quite consistently bad or smart enough to be truly evil.  In addition, it was weird how Ann and Jasha just returned to their workaday lives after running for several days from this evil.  I mean, how do you just stroll back into the office when you’re in the middle of a fight for your very soul?  It was odd.

I enjoyed this read.  It has some problems with incomplete story arcs and the editing is choppy – or perhaps the story is a little choppy – but it was readable and fun.  Not engrossing, but fun.  While I won’t be waiting with barely controlled impatience, I will definitely read the next book in the series, Touch of Darkness (Darkness Chosen, Book 2) , out 7 Aug 07 (love those back-to-back releases – no delaying my gratification).

Grade: C+

Summary:
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Ann Smith loves her handsome, dynamic boss, Jasha Wilder, but her daring plan to seduce him goes awry when she encounters a powerful wolf who – before her horrified eyes – changes into the man she adores. She soon discovers she can’t escape her destiny, for she is the woman fated to break the curse that binds his soul.
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Read an excerpt. You can read another excerpt after signing up to the site.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Don’t Talk Back to Your Vampire by Michele Bardsley
Contemporary paranormal romance published 3 Jul 07 by Signet Eclipse

This paranormal is set in modern day Broken Heart, Oklahoma. This fictional town (http://brokenheartok.com/) is filled with, and rebuilt around, “parakind” or paranormal kind such as fae, vampires, lycans, etc.  The heroine, Evangeline (Eva) LeRoy, is the town’s librarian and a vampire.  The hero, Lorcan O’Halloran, is a former druid/monk/scholar and a vampire plus a little extra sumpin’ sumpin’.  This is a story of how these two fun folks come to terms with how they met (violently) and repel some baddies, all while falling in love.  Of course.

If I’m honest with myself, I’ll have to admit that I ended up really liking this book.  It sure didn’t start that way, though.  When I first picked it up, this book had three strikes against it in Gwen’s Book o’ Review Candidate Selections: (1) corny title, (2) written in a casual “hip” style that grates on my nerves if it’s not done well, and (3) it’s written in first person POV.  Shouldn’t even pick it up, right?  Well, if I had followed my first impression, I’d have missed out on a good read.

The book starts a little rocky but the rhythm smooths out about 50 pages in. At first, there doesn’t appear to be a story arc.  It feels like a recitation of the daily comings and goings of this unusual community.  That is, until Eva’s teenage daughter is attacked, then Eva is kidnapped and “tampered” with.  It is interesting before, but after it is downright fun.

There is a lot of good story-fodder in this book: single mom becomes a vampire, mom falls in love with a vampire, there’s a mysterious disease infecting the undead, someone is making vampire/lycan mutants, etc., etc.  Ms Bardsley would have to hang her head in shame if she couldn’t get a few good pages out of all that.  Luckily, she got plenty of good pages and won’t have to be publicly humiliated.  : )  I even cried a bit – I won’t ruin it for the rest of you, but if you’re a mom, you’ll cry, I guarantee it.

There is a little trouble with pacing and segues here and there.  I felt a little bereft on a couple of occasions, but I was able to regain the story thread before too many sentences went by.  Not a big complaint when I was able to forget about the first person POV (bonus!).  And, since Ms Bardsley can obviously write nicely erotic scenes, I would have liked bit more steam between Eva and Lorcan (only two erotic scenes – wah).

This was a fun, quick summer read.  I highly recommend it for your poolside TBR pile.

Grade: B
Here’s the book blurb:

Being a mother is never easy-especially when you’re undead.

Eva LeRoy, Broken Heart, Oklahoma’s librarian, got “vampified” when everyone else did: during a rogue vampire’s feeding frenzy. But books still make her undead heart beat-and, strangely enough, so does Lorcan the Loner, the vampire who killed her…

Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of The Vampire Queen’s Servant (Vampire Queen, Book 1) by Joey W. Hill
Contemporary paranormal romance published 3 Jul 07 by Berkley Trade

This paranormal romance is set in modern day Atlanta. The hero, Jacob Green, is a drifter and brother of a vampire killer. He is found by the vampire queen’s former servant and is trained to become his replacement. The heroine, Lady Lyssa, is the vampire queen – the oldest of all the “born” vampires. This novel tells how these two people come to know each other, come to terms with each other, and fall in love with each other. But, it isn’t your normal work-a-day romance. No siree. (Side note: isn’t this cover gruesomely attractive?)

There is some freedom for authors when writing a paranormal novel. They can use “magical realism” to introduce magical elements into an otherwise normal reality. In addition, the physical and emotional parameters are stretched to extremes, social taboos are often centerpieces, and villains are often deliciously bad (love a good villain). This novel was no exception.

Servant is heavy on storytelling and narrative, and light on dialogue (though it has enough dialogue to move the story). Books without a lot of dialogue risk losing my attention – this one did not. In fact, Isabel Allende is one of the few authors who’s narrative storytelling style is tolerable to me, with Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry novels a distant third. Joey Hill now occupies the coveted second position in Gwen’s Book o’ Authors She Really Likes.

The novel opens with a scene where Lyssa becomes fascinated by Jacob and his irrepressible disobedience. She agrees to take him on, despite serious misgivings. In order for both of them to survive in her world of vampire politics and back-stabbing “friends” she has to teach this alpha male how to submit, how to surrender himself to her will. The push/pull of this predicament is fascinating.

The story of how Lady Lyssa and Jacob come to love each other is not conventional. It’s edgy and sensual and has a vampire-version of HEA. Ms Hill does an exceptional job helping us to understand where everyone is coming from throughout the book – the reader is never left behind.

This novel combines magical realism and storytelling in a way that is irresistible. I read, and read, and read some more until it was all gone. It was very difficult to put down.

Grade: A-

Here’s the book blurb:

      His blood. His soul. His body. Hers for the asking¦

     Lady Elyssa Yamato Amaterasu Wentworth is a centuries-old vampire who’s been given a new servant, Jacob, a total alpha male unaccustomed to submitting to any woman’s wishes. What really binds Jacob to her are not her sensual midnight hungers, but something far more provocative. It stirs her blood, renews her life and awakens her soul like only true love can. The passion between Lyssa and Jacob yields something else unexpected - a shared history that reaches back through the centuries and is fated to challenge their destiny like nothing ever will again.

     Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s Review of Untamed Cowboy by Pam Crooks
Historical romance published by Harlequin Historicals 1 Jul 07

This novel is set in late 19th century Texas, Kansas, and the Indian Territory in between. The hero is a cowboy named Penn McClure (very cowboy name), and the heroine is Carina Lockett (very cowgirl name). The basic plot is she’s a successful cattlewoman with a successful spread, a single mom trying to get her daughter back from a ne’er-do-well, and he’s a former government agent returning to his cowboy roots to wreak revenge on the counterfeiter who killed his fiancee. The two get to know each other and fall in love on a cattle drive from Mobeetie, Texas to Dodge City (interesting map here).

I’ll start by saying that I have not been a fan of Harlequin novels in the past. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I am a fan now, but I’m less of an “un-fan” than I was, I’ll admit. And those of you who know me, know that this isn’t my usual erotic romance fare. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book.

This was an interesting book for me to read. I come from a long line of Texas ranch families and Texas farmers (7-8 generations back). I actually rode our horse, Buck (a big, beautiful palomino), on a wagon train for several days way back when. I’ve helped worm, feed, muck-out, birth, and basically tend to all kinds of critters, so reading a novel about a successful cattlewoman was interesting. It’s just not something you read every day. I felt the only “departure” from reality was no real mention of the day-to-day running of a large outfit – purchasing and breeding details, budgets, payroll, paperwork and more paperwork, even in the late 19th century. And the small detail of a female Treasury agent – did they have them in the 1880′s? But those are small sacrifices to make for a really good story.

I enjoyed the characterizations in this book. Carina’s relationship with her hands and others was wholly believable; it was nice to see a strong woman that men listened to and respected (except for her good-for-nothing ex-lover, father of her daughter). Her evolving relationship with Penn was also interesting and kept the pages turning faster and faster. Crooks manages to capture the banked passion adroitly with very few words.

For example, this passage just gave me chills it was so durn SEXY:

     Then, hardly before she realized it, McClure tied the ribbon on her camisole and re-fastened her blouse.

     The moment gone, her fingers fell away from his wrist, and he stepped back. Yet his gaze lingered over her, a fathomless pool of unspoken things between them. Desires and promises. Curiosities left unsatisfied.

     For now.

     He touched the brim of his Stetson, turned and walked away.

     And though he hadn’t told her so, Carina knew one thing for sure.

     Penn McClure wasn’t finished with her yet.

This type of writing will keep me coming back for more. Plus, there’s a lovely HEA at the end. Thank you, Ms Crooks. I highly recommend this to fans of western romance, and historicals in general.

Grade: B+

P.S. Pam – Tell Harlequin to pick a different cover mdoel next time. This guy looks like a dweeb. Here’s what a real cowboy looks like.

     Here’s the book blurb:

     Carina Lockett is driven to build a legacy for her young daughter, and she doesn’t need a man to help her do it. But when her precious child is lured away and held for ransom, she must swallow her pride and ask for Penn McClure’s help.

     Penn McClure has no intention of playing cowboy for any woman, especially one as strong-willed as Carina. But driving a herd of cattle to Dodge City is no easy task. And he has a score to settle with the man waiting for them at the end of the trail.

     Along the way, he discovers Carina is pure female–and that her legacy has become his own.

     Read an excerpt.