Gwen’s review of Never Romance a Rake (Neville Family Trilogy, Book 3) by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance released by Pocket 22 Jul 08

I enjoy breaking up my urban fantasy and contemporary reading with a nice, refreshing historical.  I tend to the “heavier” historicals and try to avoid “teh funny” as much as possible.  This book delivered on all levels – it cleared my palate mid-pile o’ UF, and is a weighty tale that distracted and entertained me. 

I realize I’m late to this series – the last book was released a year ago last July – but at least I came along for the ride.  I’m glad I read this book before the other two.  Though it would be entertaining to read them all in order, I don’t believe it’s necessary – this book stands alone fine.

The hero is Kieran, Lord Rothewell, and the heroine a young French woman named Camille.  Through some rather tried but true authorial maneuvers, the hero “wins” the heroine in a card game (he cheats, by the way). The two are thrust together mostly by choice and somewhat by circumstance.

Kieran is a rake of the worst sort – dissolute and depressed.  He is convinced that he’s an awful person and punishes himself suitably by totally abusing his body.  Camille has been raised by two of what must be the most selfish people on the planet.  As a result her self-image is not the best.  Nevertheless, Camille is determined to have a child so that she can have someone in her life she can truly love.

What I found surprising about both of these damaged people was how much I liked them.  I’m not a fan of the “oh woe is me” type of character.  You know the kind – Kenyon’s heroes are almost all a bunch of whiney babies.  Camille and Kieran doubt themselves, and Kieran wallows a bit, but neither of them whines.  They eventually talk to each other about what has damaged them and then overcome it together.  They act like, gasp, adults!

There’s a few other things that happen in the book that made me think for a few pages that I was reading a Dynasty script.  Regardless, the book remained entertaining and didn’t fall into the “no way!” realm.  Near as I can gather, this is the only book of the trilogy that doesn’t rely on a political suspense element to carry the story.  It’s all about the couple – another thing I really liked.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a meatier romance that is truly centered on the couple.  If you’re a fan of historicals, you’ll also like it though there’s actually not much about the period in this entry.

Grade: B+

Read more reviews and information by following the series tag here.

Summary:

Baron Rothewell lives a dark, shuttered existence by day, and a life of reckless abandon by night. Scarred by a childhood filled with torment and deprivation, Rothewell cares very little anyone or anything. His life on the edge of ruin suits him—until he meets a man who just might be his nemesis. The Comte de Valigny likes to play deeply and dangerously, but Rothewell’s recklessness is undeterred. Until one night when de Valigny wagers something just a little more valuable than gold.

Mademoiselle Marchand is a desperate woman in a strange land, and her pleading eyes seem to swallow Lord Rothewell body and soul—assuming he still has one. Now the baron must play his hand with the utmost care, for at last something meaningful is at stake…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series (I adore these covers – such pretty colors):

Holly‘s review of The Daddy Audition by Cindi Myers a(caution – sound on the site)
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin American Romance 14 Jul 09

I enjoyed the basic premise of this story: heroine leaves to pursue her dreams and leaves high school sweetheart behind. Now she’s back and so is their attraction. 

I liked both characters up until a certain point, but then the way they refused to talk to each other and their personal insecurities started to annoy me. I understood Tanya’s reasons for leaving, just as I understood Jack’s for letting her. But as the story progressed, I became frustrated with both of them.

Jack didn’t think he could put himself out there because he didn’t know how she felt, while Tanya was suffering the same issue. By the end I was pretty fed up with both of them, though the heroine more than the hero. Mostly because she was the one who ran and refused to put herself out there in high school, and spent most of the book pushing him away again.

The parts with Tanya’s daughter were cute, but she didn’t play a very large part in the story. At times she almost seemed like a filler – there to take up space rather than enhance the story. That really disappointed me because I felt there was a lot of potential there to really highlight the character of both Tanya and Jack.

Overall not bad, but not great either.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Tanya Bledso couldn’t wait to leave Crested Butte to chase dreams of Hollywood stardom. Now the single mom has returned to run the local theater and raise her daughter. But the peaceful, charming town she took for granted has exploded into a bustling tourist attraction, thanks to one man.

Jack Crenshaw. Property developer extraordinaire…and her former high school sweetheart.

Ten years hasn’t cooled the heat between them. Worse, Jack is bonding with her daughter and giving her the crazy idea he’d make the perfect family man. But is he ready to forgive and forget the heartbreak of the past for the role he seems born to play?

Read an excerpt here.

Holly’s review of Taming the Texas Tycoon by Katherine Garbera (author’s site very out of date)
Contemporary Romance released by Silhouette Desire 14 Jul 09

I liked this story on a superficial level. If I start examining the motives or actions of the main characters I have major issues. As a fluff story – something quick to pass the time – it was good, but there were a lot of flaws. 

My main gripe is the heroine’s complete lack of identity away from the hero. Also, the fact that the hero was engaged to someone else for the entire length of the novel really turned me off, even though the circumstances were explained well enough.

Although I liked Lance, I didn’t see why Kate loved him. He was sweet enough to her, but he seemed pretty conceited and wrapped up in himself. He didn’t even notice her until she got a complete makeover. That has worked for stories in the past, but I didn’t buy it in the case. Mostly because he considered her a best friend and one of his family. I’d think he’d take more notice of her than as his assistant if that was really the case.

As for Kate, well, I liked her on a superficial level. But like I mentioned above, if I look at her too closely I just get annoyed. It seemed in the beginning that she had a backbone, but as the story progressed I began to wonder. She really seemed like a dishrag once her initial burst of steam dissipated. Not only that, but we knew nothing about her as a person. Her entire identity was wrapped up in her feelings for Lance.

It was obvious that something was going on between Lance’s fiance and his brother. despite my feelings for this one, I’d be interested in reading that story.

Grade: C

Summary:

For Texas Cattleman’s Club member Lance Brody, marriage is about gaining the right connections. But one plain-Jane personal assistant is about to change his mind…

For years Kate Thornton had dreamed of becoming Mrs. Lance Brody. Then her boss became engaged strictly for business and Kate had had enough. Giving her two weeks’ notice should have released her, but Lance’s eyes had finally been opened. Kate couldn’t be allowed to walk away from the business, or him. And if it meant taking her to bed to keep her…well, that was one job he would gladly do himself!

Read an excerpt here.

Holly‘s review of Texas Wedding by Kathleen O’Brien
Contemporary Romance released by Harlequin SuperRomance 14 Jul 09

I’m still formulating my thoughts about this one. I generally enjoy the reunited lovers plot line, but this couple was bitter and angry. 

Susannah especially rubbed me wrong. She was bitter and angry, and her actions throughout didn’t speak well of her. She did her level best to treat Trent like shit, then complained when he didn’t fall all over her. Basically she was a complete and total bitch. This was explained away because of Trent’s actions in the past, but that was 11 years ago. I really felt like there should have been more growth on her part.

Trent I liked quite a bit better. He admitted what he did was wrong and tried to make up for it. He wasn’t afraid to say he didn’t have all the answers. He was tired of running and just wanted to put his life back together, which included making peace with Susannah and things that happened in their past.

Having said that, I didn’t read any of the previous books in this series and I get the impression I missed a lot of backstory. It could be my impressions would be different if I read the previous books. I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to do that. We’ll see.

Grade: D

Summary:

The days of Susannah Everly dreaming about white dresses, churches and Trent Maxwell are long gone. So it’s more than a little funny that she finds herself actually married to the guy. But she’s determined to save the family ranch by any means possible, and if Trent is those means…

Still, they both know the deal. This is a business arrangement and there are rules. Rules that do not include rekindling those old feelings or surprise midnight seductions. So what’s Susannah to do when Trent seems determined to break their agreement? Especially when what he offers is way too tempting.

Read an excerpt here.

Holly‘s review of Burn by Linda Howard
Romantic Suspense released by Ballantine 7 July 09

I’ve been disappointed in most of Linda Howard’s more recent releases, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It reminded me quite a bit of All the Queen’s Men. Kind of light on the romance and heavy on the storyline, but still oddly satisfying. 

I really liked the beginning of the book. Though it was kind of drawn out, I enjoyed getting to know Jenner and seeing the circumstances behind her winning the lottery. I think it really gave insight into the character she was and how she changed because of betrayals along the way.

Jenner was strong and levelheaded. Right from the beginning I liked her and was cheering her on. She was just your average ordinary girl who had something extraordinary happen to her. As the novel progresses into the second half we see that she’s changed quite a bit. She’s more jaded and cynical, though her core has remained the same. I liked that most of all, I think. Her core remained the same.

Cael is another story entirely. I never really felt like I got to know him despite the amount of time we spent in his head. I guess we got a feel for the basics, but I would have liked to see more of his backstory. Though it’s noted right from the start that his motives aren’t what they appear, I still wondered if he’d cross the line.

I was concerned that the resolution between Jenner and Cael wouldn’t be quite satisfactory, but I was pleased with the way it turned out. I felt they worked well together.

The storyline was interesting because it took place almost exclusively on a cruise ship. The suspense plot didn’t contain much mystery – the villain was introduced almost immediately – but it still worked. I’m sure if I thought long enough I could find plenty of holes in the story, but the truth is I was entertained enough that I didn’t care.

Grade: B

Summary:

It’s true what they say: Money changes everything. And in Linda Howard’s red-hot novel Burn, the changes come fast, furious, and filled with the kind of sexy suspense, heart-stopping romance, beautiful people, and risky business guaranteed to give you the most bang for your buck.

Money certainly changes Jenner Redwine’s life when she wins a lottery jackpot. But it also costs her plenty: Her father rips her off and disappears, her fortune-hunting boyfriend soon becomes her ex, and friends-turned-freeloaders give her the cold shoulder when she stops paying for everything.

Flush with new money, Jenner can’t imagine ever finding a place in the world of the wealthy. Seven years later, though, she’s rubbing elbows with the rich, despite the fact she still feels like a party crasher. Luckily she finds an ally – and a guide to the rarefied realm of privilege – in shy, kind-hearted heiress Sydney Hazlett, who quickly becomes Jenner’s confidante and surrogate sister.

When Sydney invites Jenner on a charity cruise aboard a luxury liner, Jenner reluctantly agrees. But while she’s expecting – and dreading – two weeks of masquerade balls, art auctions, and preening glitterati, what she gets is more like a Hitchcock movie than a Love Boat episode. Taken hostage by a menacing stranger, Jenner must cooperate in a mysterious cloak-and-dagger scheme – or else. With nowhere to run, and with Sydney’s life as well as her own at risk, Jenner is drawn into a game of dizzying intrigue and harrowing danger. But as her panic gives way to exhilaration, and fear of her captor turns to fascination, Jenner rediscovers feelings she hasn’t had in years – and realizes she’s found a life worth living. If she survives.

Read an excerpt here (click on the book cover).

Limecello’s review of Taming the Texas Tycoon by Katherine Garbera
Contemporary romance published by Silhouette Desire on 14 July 2009

Katherine Garbera is a harlequin author I always keep an eye out for. I really enjoy her Silhouette Desire books, and Taming the Texas Tycoon was no exception. It also has one of my favorite romance tropes. The boss-secretary romance. It’s my guilty pleasure, and I love it in fiction, although I think it’s so smarmy and implausible in real life. But that’s why I can indulge in the books I read, right? I found the personalities of the characters very real, and really enjoyed the storyline. Taming the Texas Tycoon is also the first Brody brother book – the second is The Oilman’s Baby Bargain. Not only that, but this book heralds the beginning of another set of Texas Cattleman’s Club books. Yay for Southern gentlemen!

Kate Thornton is a great person. She’s smart, talented, loyal, and… in love. Kate is rather normal, but that makes her a good romance heroine, in my mind. She doesn’t have a ridiculous past, although she isn’t as close to her family as she might like. Nevertheless, Kate is very rational, and the beginning of the book also is the true beginning of Kate’s transformation and own life. I liked that Kate was willing to make herself the main focus, and that she valued herself enough to not let Lance take [total] advantage of her. Most importantly, Kate realizes that she has to make and adopt changes for herself.

Lance Brody isn’t the type of hero I’d normally like – but he’s so clueless that it’s rather endearing. I think it helps that Kate ends up being a strong enough match for him, and also that Lance does sink pretty low – and grovels nicely. Lance is a really stand up guy – generally on the straight and narrow, but emotionally confused. He gets engaged to a senator’s daughter purely for business reasons, but comes home and realizes that he’s in love with someone else. (Hey, I never said he wasn’t emotionally stunted.) Everything is pretty black and white to Lance, and I think that helps excuse his actions – though in his mind, there’s nothing that needs to be excused. And that seems smarmy – but in actuality, it’s because Lance feels that he’s already severed all ties with Lexi. (The senator’s daughter and short term fiancee.)

This book had a number of tropes I really like, and dislike at the same time. I’m a huge sucker as I said for the secretary-boss romances. However, I am totally against two-timing, and in a way, Lance is sleeping with Kate while still engaged to Lexi. Kate doesn’t know it – and in his mind Lance knows he won’t marry Lexi – he just hasn’t formally taken care of it yet. I know it seems a bit too pat, and unrealistic, but the way it’s written, and based on the personalities of the characters, it works. (Hopefully you’re still with me.)

All the secondary characters are great, and I really liked the focus on Kate and Lance’s relationship. It helped that they had a history. Granted, the heroine pining after the hero, the whole unrequited love thing isn’t my favorite either. It’s hard to respect a woman who is wasting her life on someone or something that will never work… but understandable at the same time. That, and, well – it’s a romance. So obviously it will work out in the end. It doesn’t hurt that Ms. Garbera is a fantastic writer, and her Silhouette Desire books are almost always a guaranteed good read.

If you like your stories with Texas flair, a friend to lovers story, Silhouette Desire books, or Ms. Garbera’s stories, then this is the book for you.

Grade: B-

For Texas Cattleman’s Club member Lance Brody, marriage is about gaining the right connections. But one plain-Jane personal assistant is about to change his mind…

For years Kate Thornton had dreamed of becoming Mrs. Lance Brody. Then her boss became engaged strictly for business and Kate had had enough. Giving her two weeks’ notice should have released her, but Lance’s eyes had finally been opened. Kate couldn’t be allowed to walk away from the business, or him. And if it meant taking her to bed to keep her…well, that was one job he would gladly do himself!

Read an excerpt here.

Holly‘s review of Inherited: One Child by Day Leclaire
Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 14 Jul 09

I’m always looking for new authors to try when I browse eHarlequin.com and the blurb for this one caught my eye. I’m glad I picked it up, because it turned out to be a good read. This story is told almost completely from the hero’s point of view. That was kind of refreshing. Too often I think we spend too much time in the heroine’s head speculating about the hero. 

Jack wasn’t much of a parental figure to his niece, Isabella, in the beginning. He didn’t know how to relate to her and honestly I don’t think he wanted to. Finding a nanny to marry was the solution that kept him from having to get his hands dirty. Naturally at first I wasn’t very impressed with him, but once Annalise explained that he needed to be more hands on, he really got into the spirit of things. I liked watching him fall in love with his niece. And her nanny.

He and Annalise were really good together. I think she forced him to realize what was important and to take time away from work to relax. I really got a good sense of him and what made him tick, so I wasn’t surprised or upset when he acted cold or gruff. It just added another layer to him and the story.

I liked that Annalise jumped right in with Isabella. She didn’t shy away from standing up to Jack or making sure he knew what was important to Isabella. She was strong and capable. Her reaction to Jack’s proposal really seemed to fit with her personality. Up until the end, I thought she was great and his perfect match. But more about that later.

I had issues with a few technical things in the plot. For example: I doubt a social worker, who was having serious doubts about the well-being of the child, would have no problem leaving said child in the home as long as it was a couple instead of a single. Especially since the time frame was like 6 weeks. So in 6 weeks uncle meets nanny, talks her into marrying him so he can keep niece, and case worker believes it’s a HEA and decides to leave child in home? I was able to suspend disbelief enough to read the story, but it always niggled at the back of my mind.

Aside from that I didn’t have any complaints about this book – until the very end. Then the heroine drops a bomb that really had a WTF-type quality. Because of clues the author dropped throughout, I had a feeling it was going to happen. Even so, my reaction was W.T.F., and not in a good way. Especially because the heroine was the one who screwed up, but it was the hero who had to apologize. She walked away and he went chasing after her. That made NO FREAKING SENSE.

I’m just going to spoil it. Skip the next part if you don’t want to know…..

***SPOILERS***

The niece was adopted by Jack’s sister and BIL. As it turns out, Annalise, the heroine, is her biological mother. Annalise decided to get a job working for Jack to make sure he was taking care of her little girl.

Which works, I suppose. The problem for me was that when the truth finally came out, Annalise stormed off and Jack had to chase after her, at which time he apologized to her for getting upset with her. I didn’t understand that at all, because it was HER who lied. She was the one who kept that secret from him. At that point he’d already confessed he wanted a real marriage with her, so her storming off and saying she wouldn’t come back unless he agreed to a real marriage made no sense.

***END SPOILERS***

Aside from that twist at the end I really enjoyed this story. Unfortunately the twist – and the way the characters dealt with it – is going to detract from my grade.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Billionaire businessman Jack Mason had devised the perfect strategy for keeping custody of his orphaned niece. He’d hire the right nanny and seduce her into marrying him. It should prove easy enough. He was, after all, irresistible.

Annalise Stefano was ideal. The attractive new nanny had quickly bonded with the little girl. And Jack was anticipating their wedding night more than he’d imagined. Even so, he couldn’t have predicted that Annalise wouldn’t want to become his wife. Or that the secret she was keeping could jeopardize his plans for creating the perfect family….

Read an excerpt here.

C2’s review of Beauty and the Duke by Melody Thomas
Historical romance released by Avon 28 Jul 09

We’ve all been there, haven’t we, faithful reader, when we’re in the mood for a certain type of book? A certain type of character or a certain type of plot is what we want. Well, Beauty and the Duke might fit the bill. It is filled with familiar characters and story elements…a brooding duke, a blue-stocking, a curse, a plotting mother, an eccentric aunt, a jilt, an emotional teenager, a magical ring, a fey-like child, a marriage of convenience, mysterious disappearances, dinosaurs… *screeching brakes sound* Wait…dinosaurs?! Yes, you read that correctly.

Christine Sommers (our blue-stocking) is a paleontologist. She is trying to prove the existence of dragons (or some similar creature). However, her colleagues in the scientific community only mock her efforts. She and her father worked together until his recent death. Now she continues with her research while overseeing a girls’ school for her (eccentric) aunt Sophie. On the evening she is to perhaps win an award for a paper she has written, she discovers that her friend and co-worker is marrying another paleontologist that Christine was interested in. That same evening, Christine encounters Erik Boughton, Duke of Sedgwick. She and Erik have a history – they had a fling several years before but he ended up marrying her cousin (who died soon after…there is a curse, remember).

Erik Boughton has come to London to ask an associate of Christine’s for her help in figuring out some bones that have recently been discovered on his estate. Some are unlike anything anyone has ever seen…and some are disturbingly human. There is a mystery afoot that involves Erik’s second wife. She disappeared several years before under unusual circumstances. Most people believe she is dead but there are those who claim to have seen her…Erik is determined to get the bottom of things so he can move on.

Christine sees a chance to prove some of her dragon theories and asks Erik to hire her for the job instead. To get Christine back into his life and keep her there, Erik offers Christine the chance to come to Scotland to his estate and see what she can uncover about the bones that have been found – but only if she comes as his wife. She will get her beast and he will get an heir. Christine tells her aunt they will be “business partners” and nothing more.

Soon after Christine arrives in Scotland, accidents start occurring. She learns that the dukes of Sedgwick have been cursed by a neighboring family – none have survived past the age of 35. Erik’s 35th birthday is only a few months away. Is it coincidence or proof of the curse? And what about the bones – human and beast – will Christine be able to uncover the truth in time? Ah, faithful reader, if you want the answers you know where to find them.

I have to say, there was a little too much going on in this book and the heroine was not the most likeable. It was a case of almosts – Christine was almost likeable; the plot was almost interesting, I was almost engaged in the story. Beauty and the Duke isn’t a bad book but it isn’t wonderful, either. Apparently, it is the first in a new series. Will I check out the next installment? I doubt it.

Grade: C

Summary:

The face he shows to the world is not the face she sees …

Once, ten years ago, they were young lovers sharing sinful touches and desperate ecstasy. But he was bound to another. Since that fateful time, Christine Sommers has grown into a headstrong beauty, the kind of woman who thinks nothing of daring travels to the ends of the world. But for all her achievements, Christine has never found anyone who makes her heart race the way Erik Boughton did.

Since that fateful time, Erik Boughton, the Duke of Sedgwick, has become something of a beast, at least according to the gossips of the ton. They say he is cursed, that any woman who shares his bed will meet an untimely end. But when he comes to Christine, desperate for her help to preserve his family and his title, she does not fear the devil duke. Enthralled by his ravenous desire, she would give him anything he wished even her body … and her heart.

Read an EXCERPT.

C2’s review of The Infamous Rogue by Alexandra Benedict
Historical romance, released 28 July 2009 by Avon

What’s a pirate to do when he can no longer scour the seas for booty? *Heh. Booty.* Captain James Hawkins was once the infamous pirate Black Hawk. He and his brothers sailed the seas, preying on whatever ships caught their fancy. However, when their only sister married a duke of the realm, the Hawkins brothers decided to put away the Jolly Roger *snicker* so she would never be embarrassed or endangered by their actions.

James and his brothers have become sea merchants – their ship no longer slipping up silently on unsuspecting vessels and relieving them of their cargo but, instead, carrying legal goods bound for or returning from exotic ports. James is slowly being smothered by society’s constraints but what can he do? He refuses to hurt his sister in any way.

While suffering through a society ball, he escapes into the garden, hoping he can breathe easier there. Instead of feeling refreshed, James feels a knife at his back and hears a voice say “Why aren’t you rotting in hell, Black Hawk?” It is a voice James did not expect to hear ever again…that of his one-time mistress, Sophia. To say they parted under bad circumstances would be…well, accurate, actually.

Sophia Dawson, daughter of a pirate and an island wench, has come to England to marry nobility. She wants to escape the censure and stigma she grew up with in the islands. Seven years ago, she left James Hawkins after he refused to marry her. Her parting gift – a solid gold watch with the inscription ”May you rot in everlasting hell”. Oh yes, faithful reader, Sophia has style when it comes to vengefulness.

James is baffled by Sophia’s desire to become part of the very society he loathes. He cannot understand how the free-spirited lass he was involved with could ever want to confine herself that way. Plus, he is still angry about the way the relationship ended. He wants her to suffer like he suffered and feel the way he felt when she left him.  Oh, and his pet snake is named after Sophia…he’s vengefully creative, too.

It seems the harder Sophia and James try to avoid each other, the more they are thrown together. And when they are thrown together sparks fly. Each insists they want nothing to do with the other but it never quite works out that way.

The Infamous Rogue is the first in a series – I’m sure each of the other three brothers will get his turn at finding a Happily Ever After. Heaven knows I love me some pirate books…but I didn’t love this one as much as I would have liked. The characters were interesting, the plot was fine – the sub-plot was a building block for the rest of the books, I’m guessing, because it could have been left out, otherwise. The dialogue was good, especially between the brothers (and the sniping between James and Sophia was fun, too). Still, awkward sentence structure and some odd word choices were distracting as I read the book. Bottom line – *smirk* *seriously…enough with the teenage boy humor* – will I check out the next book in the series? I think I will.

Grade: C+

Summary:
They paid no mind to society’s prying eyes . . .

The daughter of a wealthy bandit, Sophia Dawson once lost herself in the arms of Black Hawk, the most infamous pirate ever to command the high seas. But now, determined to put her sinful past behind her, she prepares to enter society as the bride of a well-born nobleman who knows nothing of her scandalous youth. All goes according to plan until her ex-lover—now a respectable sea captain but just as handsome and dangerous as ever—appears and once again tempts her with desire.

From the moment he sees Sophia again, James Hawkins wants only one thing: Revenge. He’ll see to it that the reckless beauty pays for abandoning their heated affair. And so begins a battle of wills that can end only in utter ruin . . . or wicked surrender . . .

Read an EXCERPT
Other books in the series:

Holly‘s review of Make Me Yours by Betina Krahn
Historical romance released by Harlequin Blaze 1 July 2009

Before I go into my review, I have to tell you that it annoys the crap out of me that the Blaze line now includes historical and paranormal novels. In the past Blaze has always been sexy, contemporary romances. That’s what I expect when I pick up a Blaze. 95% of the time I don’t even look at the blurb, just throw it in my cart based on the “Blaze” logo and the author’s name. Messing with reader expectations is never a good idea. Just saying.

Moving on to the review….

I love Betina Krahn. She kind of fell off my radar a year or so ago, and I’m really bummed about it. I love how true she stays to the historical time period she writes about. This wasn’t necessarily a comfortable storyline. Watching the hero follow around after the heroine while she finds a husband who won’t care she’s going to be mistress to the prince is unconventional to say the least. The fact that Krahn makes it work is a testament to her ability as an author.

I really liked Mariah. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place so she made the best possible decision she could. I really enjoyed her wit and humor. The way she played the situation to her advantage was hilarious.

Jack was a strong character who had strong convictions and a deep sense of right and wrong, but that didn’t transfer well at first. His attraction to Mariah is frustrating to him because he knows he can’t have what the prince has already claimed for himself. I really enjoyed his inner struggle, because it really gave us more insight into his character. He seemed like a stick in the mud, but watching his passion come unleashed was worth the wait.

The two of them were really good together. They had great chemistry that really came across the pages. I was definitely rooting for them as the story progressed.

The storyline here was unique and though a bit uncomfortable at times, I was impressed overall. The heroine was refreshing and a perfect match with the hero.

Grade A

Summary:
Mariah Eller was only trying to save her inn from being trashed. So how did the widow manage to attract the unwanted—and erotic—attention of the Prince of Wales? Not that being desired by royalty is necessarily bad… Only, Mariah much prefers the prince’s best friend….

Jack St. Lawrence is very tempting, and very loyal. And he knows that the prince gets involved only with married women. So he figures sexy Mariah is safe…until the prince demands Jack find her a husband!

The problem? Jack and Mariah can’t fight their sizzling attraction. And once they give in to their desires, the situation is even worse. Because the prince’s man has found a husband for Mariah.

Himself…

Holly‘s review of Magnate’s Make-Believe Mistress by Bronwyn Jameson
Contemporary Romance released by Silhouette Desire 14 July 2009

I don’t believe I’ve read many (if any) book by Bronwyn Jameson before. The name sounds familiar, but I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve heard it from others (most likely Wendy) or from my own experience. Either way, I’ll be looking for more in the future.

I wasn’t sure about Isabelle when the story first opened, but I was won over as we learned more about her. She seemed kind of wishy-washy at first, but it wasn’t long before we were given more insight into her character. I like that she was a family-oriented person and wasn’t willing to compromise herself or her morals for anyone. That really showed strength.

Cristo started out like many category heroes – jaded, cynical and totally arrogant. I was surprised then that his behavior afterward didn’t support my initial opinion of him. He really surprised me with the tenderness and caring he showed Isabelle. In the end, he capitulated way easier than I would have expected. I was pleasantly surprised.

I didn’t really understand his reasoning behind going to Australia himself, however. It seemed incongruous that a millionaire magnate would check something like this out on his own. He’d have lackey’s to do that for him, I think. That part didn’t make sense to me.

I was really interested in seeing how things turned out with the overall storyline. In the end I was surprised at the twist the story took, but can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

My only other complaint was the timeline. I believe the story spans about two weeks from beginning to end. I don’t believe that’s long enough to really make the HEA totally believable. Suspending disbelief I was able to get past that, but it did detract a bit from my overall enjoyment.

Grade B

Her new client was devilishly handsome, superbly charming…and absolutely hiding something. Why else would a man as rich and powerful as Cristo Verón have any interest in the cleaning services of lowly Isabelle Browne? Her suspicions were confirmed when she discovered his real reason for hiring her. And suddenly, she was agreeing to a preposterous proposition….

Cristo would protect his family at any cost—and keeping Isabelle close was key to his plan. Having her pose as his make-believe mistress was step one. But he hadn’t counted on wanting to make the pretense a reality.

Read an excerpt

Harlequin Blaze is one of my favorite category lines (no surprise the other is Silhouette Desire), and I’ve also enjoyed Rhonda Nelson and Lori Borril’s previous books, so buying these three books made perfect sense. For Ms. Nelson, I love her military heroes, and was very intrigued by the premise of each book. For Ms. Borril, I have to say I was skeptical, but was willing to give her characters a chance, based on previous books.

Limecello’s review of Letters from Home by Rhonda Nelson
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin Blaze on 1 Jun 2009

Admittedly, I love military heroes. And I love a friends to lovers story. I also happen to really like Rhonda Nelson’s Blaze books, so it logically follows that I enjoyed Letters from Home.

Natalie is a unique heroine, and I liked her, despite the fact that… she does something that made me cringe in a major way. I generally identify with the heroine, so I really hate it when she puts herself in a sticky spot. (I imagine most anyone hates feeling trapped and potentially foolish.) Nevertheless, I admire the fact that Natalie is willing to put it out there. She is in love with Levi, and is going to go after him – no matter what. In the end, however, it all works out because retains her sense of self, so I really enjoyed and appreciated that.

Levi is a great hero, although a little clueless. I was impressed by his character, and his dedication. It was actually somewhat cute, how confused yet enthralled he was by the letters, and then Natalie. Their interaction was what one would expect and want to find in a Blaze book. Levi and Natalie’s personalities mesh, and I think that a nice compromise is worked out between the couple. I’m glad I read this book.

Grade: B+

Subject: Levi McPherson, Army Ranger.

Current status: Active duty.

Mission: Locate a sexy, unidentified correspondent. Conduct very private negotiations!

Obstacle: Natalie Rowland, longtime star of his X-rated dreams…

Levi McPherson’s tour of duty has an unexpected benefit: anonymous red-hot love letters! Someone he knows is mailing the rugged soldier her very explicit fantasies. And he’s loving every word.

On an unexpected leave home, he discovers his sexy secret admirer—Natalie Rowland, the longtime star of his own X-rated dreams!

But he’s not letting Natalie know her cover’s blown…yet. That way, the exquisite pleasure of fulfilling each and every one of her naughty ideas is all his—and hers….

Limecello’s review of The Soldier by Rhonda Nelson
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin Blaze on 1 Jul 2009

After I read Letters from Home, I knew I had to read The Soldier, and I’m glad I did. It’s not often you read about a hero who is an amputee, and especially not a military hero. I felt that Ms. Nelson wrote about a difficult subject respectfully, and in a really nice way and realistic way. It was nice that Adam was able to overcome his issues about losing his leg, and relationships throughout the course of the book.

Winnie was a great heroine. She has been in love with Adam forever, but I liked that she still saw Adam for who he was, and that she wasn’t blind to his flaws. She also knows enough of her own worth to stand up for herself, which was very nice. Winnie also doesn’t let Adam get away with brooding or feeling sorry for himself. There’s a lot of heat, humor, and a good balance between plot and character development.

While I don’t really understand either Natalie or Winnie’s need to stay in the same town, it fits the story nicely. I also liked how Adam and Winnie were able to adapt their situations, and forge a relationship. I believed that the romance was real and Winnie and Adam would work. This was one of the best Blaze books I’ve read in a while, and I definitely recommend reading this duet.

Grade: A-

(Subject: Adam McPherson, Special Forces.

Current Status: Out of commission…for now!

Mission: Return to battle.

Obstacle: Winnie Templeman. She won’t take no for an answer!

Adam is Uncle Sam’s man. Yet even his strict military discipline is no match for Winnie’s charms!

A horrific roadside bomb sent Adam home injured—and haunted. Feisty Winnie, however, has her own plan of attack. Her nonregulation method of sexual healing is guaranteed to get him back on his feet.

But being flat on his back in Winnie’s bed might be the best remedy of all…

Overall Grade: B+

Limecello’s review of The Personal Touch by Lori Borrill
contemporary romance published by Harlequin Blaze on 1 Aug 2009

I’ve read a few of Lori Borrill’s stories before, so I thought I’d give this one a try even though the premise didn’t really interest me. I’m afraid I have little sympathy for “playboy millionaires” – but Ms. Borrill makes it work. I’m also not big on the matchmaker heroine. There’s something that… always seems a bit cheesy or sordid, but the role Margot plays here works quite well.

I really liked that Clint and Margot had to work through a number of issues, and that Margot was so determined to resist Clint. It was also nice that Clint had to work more than he was used to for a woman, which left him befuddled and rather cute.

I have to say, I really like the ending. Right before it, there’s a slight twist and I thought something else had happened. Something that made me want to slap both Margot and Clint upside the head, but Ms. Borrill tricked me nicely, and I was left feeling quite pleased at the close. This is a cute contemporary romance that I enjoyed reading.

Grade: B-

When matchmaker Margot Roth is hired to find a date for the mother of a playboy millionaire, an erotic fling is the last thing on her mind. Well, maybe not the last thing. Clint Hilton is the sexiest man she’s ever met, and she has to admit naughty things go through her mind when he looks at her with his sultry eyes.

But now that Clint is there to turn her fantasies into reality, Margot isn’t sure if giving in to temptation is the best idea—even if he’s determined to share his bed with her…or something more.

Overall Grade: B+

Harlequin Blaze books are one of my go-to lines from Harlequin, and I enjoy both Ms. Nelson and Ms. Borrill’s books. This trio of stories was great fun, and a nice pick me up for bright summer days, or for a break for the busy fall rush. I’m glad I read them, and expect to re-read these stories at some point. If you like quick contemporary romances, or these authors, I recommend these books.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Daddy Audition by Cindi Myers
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin American 14 July 2009

Cindi Myers continues her series set in the resort mountain town of Crested Butte, Colorado with this romance featuring a washed-up single mom actress and the man whose heart she broke ten years ago. I read and really enjoyed an earlier entry in this series, which was my sole motivation for picking up this latest title. I’m sorry to report that this tale didn’t work nearly as well for me, with most of the blame getting heaped on to the heroine’s shoulders.

Tanya Bledso was Crested Butte’s rising star. She was pretty, popular and the lead in all the school plays. She was also Jack Crenshaw’s sweetheart. However none of that was enough to keep her in her hometown. The moment she got her high school diploma in hand, she was on the first bus out of town, heading for the bright lights of Hollywood. She landed a couple of commercials, and soon was featured on a popular daytime soap opera. She got married, had her daughter, soap opera got cancelled, and now she’s back in Crested Butte to start over. Partly to lick her wounds, but also to raise her daughter, Annie, in the kinder, gentler environment than Los Angeles.

Jack Crenshaw’s heart was broken the day Tanya left for L.A. without so much as a backward glance. Now she’s back in town, and it’s opened up old wounds. However, he’s no longer the boy who so tried to impress her by joining the drama club. No, now he’s a man trying to impress her. He turned his father’s small construction outfit into a major player. He built all the condos that are springing up around town. He’s a successful, handsome, eligible bachelor. So how come he can’t seem to get over his high school sweetheart?

My main issue with this story is Tanya who comes off as one part self-absorbed and two parts dense. She practically ran out of town as if her hair was on fire, so big were her dreams and ambition. So even though she’s now the head of the local community theater and arts program, she still feels a failure. It doesn’t really help matters that she had to move in with her parents. She left town and moved on, but when she comes back she’s dismayed that Crested Butte didn’t wrap itself up in bubble wrap and wait for her. She gives Jack crap for building condos in the area. She whines about how the town has changed and how many newcomers there are. I couldn’t help thinking “Get over it cupcake. Life goes on whether you’re around or not.” Then when someone mentions to her that maybe her fleeing town 10 years ago just might have left Jack nursing a broken heart she’s shocked. No, really? Jack might have been upset that his girlfriend took off without even talking to him about it? She just assumed he was aware of her plans. Gee, why would he be upset?

Moron.

Jack seems like a nice guy, but he spends a lot of time (oh, like 10 years) pining for a woman who took off without giving him a thought. He also drags his feet for a while in confessing to Tanya how he really feels. Jack eventually does lay all of his cards out on the table, but he takes his sweet time getting around to it.

The ending is kind of sweet, but it doesn’t really help much with Tanya’s character, who still comes off as self-absorbed and wanting her own fan club. By this point Jack saves the day, but ultimately by the last page I’m left with the feeling that he deserves better.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Tanya Bledso couldn’t wait to leave Crested Butte to chase dreams of Hollywood stardom. Now the single mom has returned to run the local theater and raise her daughter. But the peaceful, charming town she took for granted has exploded into a bustling tourist attraction, thanks to one man.

Jack Crenshaw. Property developer extraordinaire…and her former high school sweetheart.

Ten years hasn’t cooled the heat between them. Worse, Jack is bonding with her daughter and giving her the crazy idea he’d make the perfect family man. But is he ready to forgive and forget the heartbreak of the past for the role he seems born to play?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Deeper by Megan Hart
Paranormal Romance released by Harlequin Spice 1 Jul 09

I received this book in e-format to review, and because I like reading Megan Hart, I didn’t bother getting online to read a blurb or except about it. Therefore, I knew nothing about it when I started reading. Thus, I didn’t know there would be several surprises ahead for me. Guess I should have known, but either way, it’s always a terrific ride with one of Ms. Hart’s books.

What I liked best about this book is how it alternates chapters between the time when Bess and Nick are young adults, twenty and twenty-one years of age, and then twenty years later when Bess is going through a separation and divorce from her husband. We get most of the mystery behind Nick’s disappearance from Bess’ life in the “Then” chapters and the re-acquaintance of the characters and answers to certain questions in the “Now” chapters.

Bess has inherited the beach house where she spent summers as a teenager and young adult. That’s where she first met Nick all those years ago, the bad boy in town, at a local party. Her friends warn her to stay away from him, he’ll be no good for her. But once she is introduced to him, there’s no way on earth she can stay away from him. She thinks of him, dreams of him constantly. There’s the usual antics that young people pull on each other and the angst that goes along with it, but as soon as Bess is tired of her supposed boyfriend’s, Andy, cheating, along with the fact she wants Nick, they forge a sexual relationship over several weeks toward the end of that summer.

Now as sparks of memory come back to her being on their beach again, Nick suddenly appears, claiming it took only his name falling her lips for him to come to her after being in the “gray” for so long. Besides the fact he hasn’t aged a day in twenty years, she realizes that Nick has no heartbeat and other things that tell her he’s not alive, but she doesn’t question any of it because he’s very real and he’s with her now. She refuses to ask questions of him about what happened when he failed to come to her as he promised back then; she doesn’t want to know because it won’t change anything now.

They enjoy getting to know one another again, mostly in the bedroom — it was always very electric and hot between them and it still is. Coming up with a story for Nick’s reappearance, they head into town for the day, only to hit a brick wall when Nick becomes violently and painfully ill the further they get away from the house and the beach surrounding it. To be with Bess, he’s restricted to that small piece of real estate and no further. But because everything is so new between them again, they love each other, they believe everything will be all right and work out as things should.

In between all this, Bess has also been reacquainted with another friend from her summers at the beach. Eddie was a good friend, though he wanted to be more in those days when they worked together. He now owns the soda shop in town where they spent a lot of time before. Eddie is still interested in Bess, but once again she has to keep the relationship friendly all due to Nick. Also, her sons eventually come to visit and things don’t go well at all when they realize what the relationship is between their mother and this very young man.

This is a terrific story, and Ms. Hart does a great job in linking everything together between the two time periods to lead you to a resolution and get your questions answered. And that’s my only nitpick I have with this book. I really didn’t care for that resolution. As I read, I kept thinking to myself, “I wonder how she’s going to have him truly come back to Bess?” I looked forward to one of those quirky, different ways that could be done, especially coming from an author like Ms. Hart. Didn’t get that at all. In fact, I kind of felt cheated the way it all did end. Anything else I say here will be giving too much away, so that’s the end of that.

At least the story up to that point in time is an enjoyable one. I’m not sure, however, if that makes up for the less-than-stellar ending.

Grade: B-

Summary:
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Some lovers never leave you…
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Twenty years ago she had her whole life spread out before her like a mesmerizing map. She was Bess Walsh, a fresh-scrubbed, middle-class student ready to conquer the design world. And she was taken. Absolutely and completely.
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But not by Andy, her well-groomed, intellectual boyfriend who hinted more than once about a ring. No. During that hot summer as a waitress and living on the beach, she met Nick, a dark haired, local bad boy. He was, to put it mildly, not someone she could take home to Daddy.
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Instead, Nick became her dirty little secret; a fervent sexual accomplice who knew how to ignite an all-consuming obsession she had no idea she carried deep within her.
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Bess had always wondered what happened to Nick after that summer, after their promise to meet again. And now, back at the beach house and taking a break from responsibility, from marriage, from life, she discovers his heartbreaking fate–and why he never came back for her. Suddenly Nick’s name is on her lips…his hands on her thighs…dark hair and eyes called back from the swirling gray of purgatory’s depths.
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Dead, alive, or something in-between, they can’t stop their hunger.
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She wouldn’t dare.
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Read an excerpt.

Liviania‘s Quick Quack Reviews of A Bunch of Category Romances by a Bunch of Authors
Paranormal and contemporary romances released Jun-Jul 2009

That’s right, I’m back in the US and all moved into my apartment.  But . . . I’ve got a lot to catch up on.  So here’s some short reviews of various Harlequins I read on vacation.  That’s the lovely thing about eBooks – you can take them anywhere without affecting the weight of your baggage.  [Gwen ed.: we made her save room in her luggage for booze and chocolate souvenirs for us ducks.] 

The Highwayman (Wicked Games, Book 1) by Michele Hauf
Paranormal romance released by Silhouette Nocturne 1 Jul 09

This is my second exposure to Michele Hauf, the first being a Nocturne Bite.  I enjoyed the short story, but found it a bit thin.  It can be hard to develop two characters in a very limited page count.  Luckily, the hero and heroine of The Highwayman get more development, though part of the hero’s reasoning still remains opaque to me.

Aby is a familiar – in the case, a familiar is someone who brings demons into the world through having sex.  Max has a deprivation demon trapped inside of him, making him unable to sleep, orgasm, or feel full.  This has made him a little testy.  But he’s found a way to escape his fate with Aby’s help – but he still plans to kill her afterwards, even after he gets to know her.  I prefer my heroes to be less intent on spilling the heroine’s blood.  Especially when they’re an otherwise reasonable person and the heroine has given them no reason.

Max’s stubborn homicidal tendencies would annoy me more if the plot didn’t work so well.  It moves right along, building the mythology of familiars, revealing Max’s past, and moving the characters to France for the final showdown.  It’s quick and fun, just like a category should be. I look forward to the second book in the miniseries, Moon Kissed, available September 1.

Grade: B

Summary:
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Max Fitzroy, the legendary Highwayman, had slain scores of demons with a razorlike whip and a burning need for revenge. Now, to rid himself of the demon inside him—who’d cursed him with immortality and stolen all sensual pleasures—Max needed a witch’s familiar, the one creature he’d made a career of killing.
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But the Highwayman wasn’t prepared for the familiar named Aby. The sleek and sexy conduit to the demon world saw past his swirling shadow as easily as he scaled the walls she’d erected to protect herself. Max needed Aby to grant him his freedom, and then he needed to slay her. But how could he destroy the only creature he’d desired in centuries?
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Read an excerpt here.

Wild Wolf (The Pack) by Karen Whiddon
Paranormal romance released by Silhouette Nocturne 1 Jul 09

I haven’t read any of Karen Whiddon’s other Pack books, but she quickly sketches out the important parts of her world and moves onto the relationship and plot. Simon is a member of the Pack, charged with finding feral werewolves and deciding whether they can be rehabilitated or need to be put down. Raven is a feral werewolf, living along after a traumatic experience with a mad scientist.

I can buy that feral werewolves are dangerous. Raven manages to fit into wolf society because she is sane – she just doesn’t want to live among humans because of her past. Since she is reasonable and Simon can see it, things have to go terribly awry in order for the plot to have enough excitement. And go awry they do.

Seeing how corrupt this segment of the Pack has become really makes me wonder how Whiddon set this up in the previous novels. It seems like something that was probably building. I love that Wild Wolf gives a sense of the larger world while standing fine on its own. The leads work well together. Both of them are strong, neither deferring to the other. Raven’s got as much alpha instinct as Simon does. It’s a nice change.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Turning her back on humans because of her ability to shape-shift into a wolf, young and beautiful Raven doesn’t believe she needs anyone. Until the day a darkly handsome man appears near her remote cave…and she watches him turn into a wolf.
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Simon Caldwell has been sent to assess the threat of a new feral wolf prowling the Rockies. But he’s wholly unprepared for his intense attraction to Raven. His investigation is about to take a deadly turn as he and Raven become the hunted. Now their very survival depends on Simon’s ability to win what this wild wolf holds most dear!
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Read an excerpt here.

Return of the Wolf by Karen Whiddon
Paranormal romance novella released by Silhouette Nocturne Bites 1 Jun 09

After finishing White Wolf, I headed happily into this Bite by the same author. Three tries later and I still haven’t finished the sixty or so pages of this story, so I’m giving up. It begins slow, with the hero and heroine fishing together. They’re instantly attracted – Gideon knows she’s his wolf’s mate, and Memphis believes their reincarnated lovers.

I couldn’t sympathize with either of the characters. Memphis especially seems rather dippy. It takes quite a bit to make the destined lovers work, and I wasn’t buying. It didn’t help that I found the beginning boring. Fishing just doesn’t appeal to me.

This may work for others, but for me it’s a pass.

Grade: DNF

Summary:
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When Gideon Aronditis meets his new client Memphis Ayers for a fishing expedition, they both feel an instant attraction–and sense that they’ve met before. For shape-shifter Gideon, the explanation is clear: Memphis is his true mate and destined to be with him. Yet Gideon refuses to accept Memphis’s belief that knew each other in a past life, even though she has seen Gideon in her dreams for years. Can Memphis convince Gideon of the truth, or are they doomed to lose each other once again?
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No excerpt found.

The Illegitimate King (The Castaldini Crown, Book 3) by Olivia Gates
Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 14 Jul 09

I liked the summary of this one, even though I’m not that familiar with the line. Clarissa and Ferruccio would have had love at first sight, if they hadn’t managed to deeply insult each other at first conversation. Ferruccio pursued Clarissa for years, and now has the leverage to make her romance him since she’s trying to convince him to accept the position of king of Castaldini. (Yes, the country name is ridiculous.)

This one had a few problems. Ferruccio could be kind of sleazy and their inability to communicate doesn’t bode well for a future relationship. (That doesn’t prevent a baby-filled epilogue since this is the end of a miniseries. If I were one of the wives, I’d insist on condoms. That many pregnancies takes a toll on the body.) Still, it was a perfect vacation book. It kept me interested and there was definitely sexual tension.

I might skip the first sex scene. It includes such awful descriptions as Ferruccio “feeling like a sword just out of the fire” to Clarissa. Not all of it is that painful, but none of it is sexy. It does get better, but that one scene is truly awful.

If you like family secrets or the other novels in this miniseries, you’ll probably like this one. The Illegitimate King made me want to try to the previous two novels, even with all of it’s problems.

Grade: C+

Summary:
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Once, she’d scorned him. And illegitimate secret prince Ferruccio Selvaggio had sworn he would make her pay. Now, Princess Clarissa D’Agostino was in his power. It was time to teach her a lesson…. The future of the kingdom rested on her. Clarissa knew she had to do whatever it took to convince Ferruccio to accept the crown and save them all. Even if it meant marrying a man who believed the worst of her. Even if it meant giving him her heart.
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Read an excerpt here (click “Read the prologue”).

Endless Summer by Julie Kenner, Karen Anders, and Jill Monroe
Contemporary romance anthology released by Harlequin Blaze 1 Jul 09

Normally I would separate all the novellas, but these are intertwined so I’ll do them as one. I picked up this anthology since I enjoy Julie Kenner’s paranormal books and wanted to try one of her contemporary offerings. It helped that Endless Summer, as the name implies, was a surfing collection. I enjoy surfing stories even though I’ve only been to a beach where you actually could surf once.

I’m not which of the stories was my favorite. I liked Drea, from Jill Monroe’s story, the best of the heroines because of her strong personality. I liked Zach, from Karen Anders’ story, the best of the heroes. Due to an injury, he became overly cautious. It’s a change from the take-charge hero. He’s also not afraid to design clothing. Now that’s a man. Kenner’s Laci and Taylor were a bit more bland. And Laci makes the classic mistake of not explaining why she’s angry. For some reason I want my romantic leads to communicate well even though I know miscommunication is a standard part of life.

But while each story had elements I liked, part of the reason I can’t pick a favorite is that nothing really stood out. While perfectly readable, each story was by-the-numbers – not what the risk-taking heroines deserve. I read these stories just yesterday and they’re already fading from my mind.

Grade: C+

Summary:
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Summer has never been sexier!
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Making Waves by Julie Kenner, Laci Montgomery is determined to be pro surfing’s Golden Girl. Does she need help from her ex—hottie sports promoter Taylor Dutton? No way! Well, not unless she’s on top…
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Surf’s Up by Karen Anders, After a crash meeting in the waves, surfer J. C. Wilcox and entrepreneur Zack Fanning practice daring moves that would make fish blush. But is it just sexy fun in the sun—or are they ready to risk their hearts?
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Read an excerpt here.
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Wet and Wild by Jill Monroe, Daredevil Rookie of the Year Andrea “Drea” Powell needs a sponsor. Superstar pro Kirk Murray needs a flashy new surfer to back. The explosive results heat up the competition…and the bedroom!

Lynne Connolly‘s review of Magnate’s Make-Believe Mistress by Bronwyn Jameson
Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 14 Jul 09

Nice one, Bronwyn.

A fun beginning, overtly sexual but really our polo-playing hero was riding a polo pony – something most of us call a horse, being seventeen hands of heaving horseflesh.  Called away from the polo field to sort out a family dilemma, Cristo hires a house in Australia with a housekeeper, Isabelle Browne, and it’s Isabelle that he’s really interested in. Isabelle is a professional housekeeper, taking care of VIP customers on short-term leases. Cristo thinks she’s involved in discrediting his future brother in law, and so he comes to Melbourne, Australia to investigate. 

Wherein lies my first problem. Without Cristo and Isabelle meeting, there’d be no story, but there was no reason for this to happen, not really. Cristo could have sent a deputy and stopped any future scandal, he could have had her investigated, and what executive could change his plans at such short notice? He does it all himself – arranges the house and the housekeeper. Another “wha…?” moment for me. What makes him think he’s better at this than a professional investigator, and what would have happened if they’d bubbled him? If Isabelle was the conniving manipulator he thought when he first arrived at the house he would have been playing right into her hands. Her word against his, that kind of thing. But, thankfully, the misunderstanding doesn’t last long.

And he believes Hugh, his future brother-in-law, who has had a chequered past, enough to disrupt his schedule and fly off to investigate. On the other hand, I was happy with the way the story panned out, but I won’t say more in case I venture into spoiler territory. I also felt a bit indignant for Cristo’s sister, who knew nothing about any of this until later. They wanted to sort out the ‘little woman’s’ problems without telling her, not letting her make her own decisions. I felt kinda cross on her behalf.

A series of misunderstandings follow. Cristo thinks at first that Isabelle is the one the person claiming to be Hugh got pregnant. Then he realises it’s her sister. The Cinderella images are delightfully woven into the story, especially the shoe motif.

And I have to mention the contractions. Sometimes the characters speak so formally it reads wrong. Little moments like when Chessie says to Isabelle, “Then I will see you downstairs,” instead of “I’ll.” The occasional speech that sounds like narrative, because the language is formal. Quite a few “cannot”s instead of “can’t”s, that kind of thing.

Contrivance s happen through this story, but I still enjoyed it. Because I liked the characters. Isabelle is sweet without being cloying and has a sense of her own worth, so I read it for her. There are some interesting secondary characters too, not least of which was Cristo’s mother Vivi. I’d really love to read a story with Vivi as a central character. It was characters shoehorned into a plot, but the plot is probably the least of it. Cristos, despite his addiction to polo, a rich man’s sport, didn’t behave like a wealthy, busy executive and he was the weaker of the two leads, but he was an charming foil for the much more fully realised Isabelle.

I’d have to give this one a B- and most of that is for Isabelle.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Her new client was devilishly handsome, superbly charming.and absolutely hiding something. Why else would a man as rich and powerful as Cristo Verón have any interest in the cleaning services of lowly Isabelle Browne? Her suspicions were confirmed when she discovered his real reason for hiring her. And suddenly, she was agreeing to a preposterous proposition..

Cristo would protect his family at any cost – and keeping Isabelle close was key to his plan. Having her pose as his make-believe mistress was step one. But he hadn’t counted on wanting to make the pretense a reality.

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Gwen’s review of Branded by Fire (Psy-Changeling Series, Book 6) by Nalini Singh
Sci-fi/UF/Paranormal romance released by Berkley 7 Jul 09

Nalini Singh just busts up all my neat little genre categories.  Her books are undoubtedly science fiction, unquestionably urban fantasy, solidly paranormal, and very firmly romances.  Hot, hawt romances.  She also mixes in healthy servings of romantic suspense, mystery, and sometimes a little bit of horror.  I love her books and just roll with the genre morphing, knowing that no matter what they are, I’ll enjoy myself. 

Branded by Fire is no exception to this rule – we get a little bit of everything, and them some, and it all mixes well to make a tasty cake of a book.

Our hero and heroine are introduced earlier in the series.  Mercy (heroine) is a Leopard shifter and sentinel (read, warrior/pack protector) and Riley (hero) is a Wolf shifter and lieutenant (also warrior/protector of his pack).  Mixing them is a bit like mixing fertilizer and diesel fuel – strong enough on their own to do their job and explosive together.  Of course Singh has to make them fall in love/lust and complicate everyone’s lives.  I mean, we ARE talking romance here, right?

I won’t spend too much time reviewing the plot in this review – if you’ve read any of Singh’s Psy-Changeling novels, you know that the world is complex and the bad guys are remorseless and legion.  There’s a little bit of bad in every faction involved, also some good, and some “positionally evil” as well (evil depending on where you stand on issues).  This makes for interesting plot twists and very exciting reading.  Singh does a terrific job pacing the revelations and plot movement, so you’re never left with a dull moment.

In Branded, the romance between the hero and heroine is steaming hot and sweet.   Mercy and Riley are undeniably attracted to each other, but because they’re both alpha and different animals, they’re left with a “hopeless love” kind of thing.  Neither one of them knows what to do with their emotions at the beginning, but they figure it out by the end.  Mercy is a bit slower to accept the relationship, but Riley’s steadfastness  – even when he’s a bonehead trying to control Mercy – makes up for her doubt.

This book is a fast-paced good read.  You get to hear about the couples from the earlier books – the characters playing logical roles in Branded without being simple reunions or sequel bait. The romance is sweet and sad a few times because of the alphaness of both main characters and because of the different species.  Nevertheless, there’s an HEA that is very interesting.  It makes me wonder if there will be more inter-pack couples in future books.  I wonder what a kid who can shift into either a wolf or a leopard would be like…  8).

In this book we’re introduced to a new Changeling faction – the Hawks.  We’re also reminded of The Forgotten – the Psy who didn’t follow Silence from the first, who have been hunted by the Psy who did follow Silence, and who have since melted into society by intermarrying with other races.  This will prove key in the next book in the series, Blaze of Memory (excerpt here), coming November this year.

As always, I highly recommend Singh’s series and this book to anyone looking for some genre olio and a hot summer read.  While it could standalone, I believe you’ll get much more from it if you have read at least one or two of the earlier books.

Grade: A

Read more reviews of, and information on, this series by following its tag here.

Summary:
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Though DarkRiver sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he’s a wolf, she’s a cat, and they’re both used to being on top.
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But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man-before his shadowy captors decide he’s no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it’ll leave them both branded by fire…
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Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

		The Cannibal Princess
A Gift For Kit

Gwen’s review of Atlantis Unmasked (Warriors of Poseidon, Book 4) by Alyssa Day
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Berkley 7 Jul 09

This book starts with a bang and does not slow down for several chapters.  You are immersed in the battle of humans and Warriors of Poseidon against vampires and their minions.  In this series, the vamps are the bad guys and they also have their own house in Congress.  The vamps are doing everything they can to destroy the Warriors and to take over the world.  It’s up to our hero and heroine to do all they can to stop this plan. 

This is all characteristic of Day’s Warriors novels – strong heroines, yummy alpha heroes, hot romance, and action.  Where they differ from each other is the personalities involved.  Day is adept at weaving in secondary characters without obvious sequel-baiting – they actually serve a purpose for the current book’s story arc.  There’s some “convenience” in the Alaric character (Kenyon fans will see small similarities to Ash from the Dark-Hunter novels) – he’s seemingly all-knowing and -powerful, haunted, and moody as hell and he tends to bail the main characters out of trouble.

What I liked about this entry in the series was the focus on the main characters.  We don’t spend too much time in other heads, even with the rather large cast and complex world.  This is one of the nice things about Day’s books – you really get to know the main characters.

The romance is very steamy and believable.  I loved how kick-ass the heroine is and how the hero let her be so – he wasn’t trying to protect or change her.  He let her be her kick-ass self and she was able to shine and develop as a result.  Was it easy for him to do that? No.  But he loved her enough to let her be who she is.  That makes me smile.

There’s lots of action and an interesting new story arc with the fae begins in this entry.  I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next entry in Feb 2010, Atlantis Redeemed.  SPOILER ALERT!  At the end, the bad guys are naturally thwarted; but something unknown, and probably awful, has happened to Quinn.  That’s the other thing about these books – main characters often go through some rather horrendous experiences and all for our entertainment and, presumably, the author’s desire to torment us  .

I’m not sure if this book stands alone – there are a lot of moving parts to this world and it may be a little difficult if you haven’t read at least one of the other entries.  All in all, Unmasked is a very good entry into the Warriors saga and one that I recommend to all the fans following the series.  If you’ve dabbled in the Warriors series, make sure you pick this one up.  There’s yumminess to be had between these covers – so to speak.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Poseidon’s warriors swore an oath eleven thousand years ago to protect humanity from those who stalked the night. Yet when a woman with an ancient Gift dares to claim the heart of one of Poseidon’s fiercest warriors, the world teeters on the knife’s edge between desire and darkness . . .
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A warrior scarred…Alexios survived two years of unspeakable torture at the hands of a vampire goddess. Now he’s been ordered to team up with a beautiful warrior and take on the most dangerous mission of his life: to retrieve the Vampire’s Bane. Without it, Atlantis can’t ascend to the surface and take its rightful place in the world. But when evil threatens, will Alexios be led by duty-or his heart?
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A descendant of Diana…Grace is part of the rebellion against the vampires and shape-shifters trying to take over her world. She is deadly with her bow, because when she takes aim, she never misses her target. But suddenly she’s focused on a damaged Atlantean warrior who sees her as a weapon, not as a woman. When thousands of lives are on the line, will passion overrule, or will her aim still be true?
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When two worlds collide…Atlantis is unmasked.
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Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

		Atlantis Redeemed

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Cowboy Comes Back by Jeannie Watt
Contemporary Romance released by Harlequin SuperRomance 14 July 2009

When someone asks me why I like to read category romance I tell them it’s because of the strong focus on the romance. When the author is working with shorter word counts, they don’t have the time or space to delve into multiple character story arcs and secondary plot threads. Every single word counts, and those words have to be used towards building the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine. All that being said, one of the reasons I enjoy the Harlequin SuperRomance line is that it is one of the longer category romance lines. Authors can introduce some secondary characters and maybe a secondary plot thread. Unfortunately when it came to Cowboy Comes Back, I felt the author tried to juggle one too many balls and the romance ended up suffering.

Kade Danning and Libby Hale were childhood sweethearts. They had a lot in common – Kade living with an abusive single father and Libby with two parents more concerned with slowly drinking themselves to death than with her. They were young and in love. Until Libby told Kade that she didn’t think she was ready to get married. He translated this into rejection (because he’s a moron) and then proceeded to knock up the next available woman that came along. He married his first wife, they had a daughter, he made a name for himself on the rodeo circuit. Then it all went to hell when he found out his financial man swindled him, the IRS came calling, his wife divorced him, and Kade fell into the nearest bottle.

Kade’s come crawling back home now that his asshole Daddy is dead. He has settled his debt with the IRS, but his rodeo career is finished and he needs money to move closer to his ex-wife and daughter. He’s home only long enough to fix up the family ranch and sell it. Then he’s out of there. Which frankly, suits Libby just fine. Kade’s betrayal still stings and she’s nursing a serious grudge. It doesn’t help matters that Kade’s daughter has also been in town visiting her father. So not only does Libby have to see Kade’s handsome face, she also gets to be smacked up side the head with the evidence of his infidelity.

The conflict between Kade and Lily is pretty serious stuff. It’s certainly serious enough to sustain the entire length of a Harlequin SuperRomance novel, especially since Lily had every right to 1) skin Kade alive and 2) slice off his Mr. Happy. Instead, the author keeps the romance dangling on the line for entirely too long. Lily and Kade don’t really spend much time together, on the same page, until almost half way through the story. Instead the author introduces a mountain of secondary conflict – such as Lily’s evil bitch of a boss, Kade’s job search, a wealthy man who is unhappy about a herd of wild mustangs grazing on his land, and Kade’s horse, Blue, who he let loose in the wild after he left home. All of it is marginally interesting, and certainly the stuff about the mustangs and ranching add a lot local color to the setting of the story…..but none of it was the romance. And that’s why the reader is there. For the romance!

Because so much time is used to set up other aspects of the plot, I never really got on board with the happily ever after. This is probably because I thought Lily had every right to be majorly pissed off, and towards the end the author turns it around so she has to take some of the blame for their initial break-up all those years ago. Look, Lily had cold feet. She was unsure of herself. Kade was the one who couldn’t keep Mr. Happy in his Wrangler jeans. While certainly most break-ups take two people, and it’s usually not just one person’s fault – I didn’t see that here. Frankly, Kade’s lucky Lily didn’t gut him with a steak knife.

All this being said, this is a well-written story, and the characters were all interesting people that I could get behind. I just felt the pacing was off, and the time spent on other aspects of the plot made for a weaker romantic storyline. Which isn’t necessarily good in any kind of romance novel, but it’s really detrimental in a category length one.

Grade: C+

Summary:
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Now that his rodeo career is over, Kade Danning has nowhere else to crawl but back home. He wishes he could just keep his head down, fix up his father’s abandoned ranch and then sell it so he can afford to spend more time with his daughter. Move back, then move on—quickly. Unfortunately, after ten long years he can’t avoid Libby Hale.
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Kade has loved Libby all his life and he’d give his championship titles never to have hurt her. But he did. And convincing her to forgive him is the hardest challenge he’s ever faced—in or out of the arena.
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare
Historical romance published by Ballantine Books on 28 July 2009

I heard a lot about Tessa Dare’s debut book, Goddess of the Hunt, and I definitely think that it lives up to the hype. Ms. Dare has a unique, enjoyable writing voice, and the story is well thought out and engaging. Goddess of the Hunt is a unique “friends to lovers” story, and I’m a major sucker for that trope. (Actually it’s almost more like frenemies to lovers…) I’ll probably re-read the book soon, in fact. Now, on to the good stuff.

Lucy Waltham is a tomboy, and not entirely sensible, but eminently practical. The opening of the book has Lucy going to Jeremy’s room to practice seduction techniques on a mutual acquaintance (Toby). She’s not so much foolhardy, as reckless and young. However, the way Ms. Dare writes Lucy makes her charming and refreshing, rather than totally clueless or TSTL. I admit that Lucy does some things that made me shake my head, but she’s driven by her emotions, and I found that admirable. Generally I don’t like the clueless hoyden heroine, but Lucy is so much more than that. She’s finding herself (she’s only nineteen), and has such a warm heart. You have to forgive her for her mistakes, especially because she realizes she made them.

I love the emotionally stilted hero. He makes me want to smack him, but I love him anyway. Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall is exactly one such character. He feels so much, but past experiences have taught him, and even forced him to be emotionally void. I love that he has so much trouble expressing himself, but is still more emotionally aware than so many of the other characters. Jeremy simply is – he’s comfortable with himself, and doesn’t try to conform to the expectations or opinions of others. It’s a very attractive quality, as is his need to take care of Lucy. (Even though he bumbles it and does come off as rather overbearing.) Jeremy has a very interesting past, and I enjoyed reading about it and seeing how it contributed to the man he became.

Something I really appreciated was the fact that Ms. Dare’s characters are realistic, and sensible. There wasn’t some great miscommunication which dragged the conflict out to ridiculous proportions, or made it worse that it should have been. Even though, for the vast majority of the book, the characters indeed do not communicate with each other, and generally misunderstand the others intentions and feelings. It truly should have vexed me, but instead I found myself being entertained. The secondary characters are a lot of fun, and I’m glad they’re in the subsequent books as well.

Although I did feel that the final resolution was a bit rushed, what made me believe the romance was how very attuned to Lucy Jeremy was. He saw her for who she was, and knew her before she really knew herself. I found it very believable that Lucy actually thought herself in love with Toby out of habit. Normally I’m annoyed when the heroine is so sure she’s in love with one person, only to find out she isn’t really. Here, Ms. Dare lays out the plot in a meaningful and compelling way.

There has been some talk that Ms. Dare’s writing is reminiscent of Jane Austen’s, and upon further reflection, I think it’s because of her characterizations and settings. (In fact I’ve mentioned it before.) There’s the house party, and well, you have to read it. Of course Goddess of the Hunt also very loosely follows the general story line of Pride and Prejudice, where the spunky nobody heroine Lucy/Elizabeth marries the wealthy, coveted gentleman Darcy/Trescott. (However there’s the major difference of a lot of sexual tension, and much more fun, improper behavior.)

Although this is a minor issue, in a way I’m most impressed that Ms. Dare made me like Sophie, who is the heroine in her next novel, Surrender of a Siren. Sophie is “the other woman” initially in Goddess of the Hunt, and I’m quite loyal to cannon, so I started out disliking her. Sophie seemed too perfect, and then… well a bit strange. (I’m looking forward to reading about her eccentricities.) Sophie’s story has a great twist in Goddess of the Hunt which lays the framework for Surrender of a Siren, as well as A Lady of Persuasion (the third book).

You have to admire and be impressed with an author who manages to subtly, yet decidedly lay the foundation for a trilogy in the first book. It helps they’re all being released back to back, because I don’t think I can wait any longer to get my hands on Ms. Dare’s books. I really enjoyed Goddess of the Hunt, and recommend it to fans of the genre, as well as romance in general. There’s something refreshing about Ms. Dare’s writing that I think should be experienced.

Grade: B+

Ever the bold adventuress, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband. But first she needs some target practice. So she turns to her brother’s best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man. But her practice kisses spark a smoldering passion—one that could send all her plans up in smoke.

Jeremy has an influential title, a vast fortune, and a painful past, full of long-buried secrets. He keeps a safe distance from his own emotions, but to distract Lucy from her reckless scheming, he must give his passions free rein. Their sensual battle of wills is as maddening as it is delicious, but the longer he succeeds in managing the headstrong temptress, the closer Jeremy comes to losing control. When scandal breaks, can he bring himself to abandon Lucy to her ruin? Or will he risk his heart, and claim her for his own?

Read an excerpt here.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of His L.A. Cinderella by Trish Wylie
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Romance 14 July 09

Confession time. Even though I love reading about hot, sweaty, raunchy sex – every now and then I feel like a sweet romance. The kind where there are just kisses or the author closes the bedroom door in my face. Silhouette Romance used to be my go-to Harlequin line for these types of story, but when they closed up shop a couple of years ago I found it hard to make the switch over to Harlequin Romance. My perception? A whole lot of royalty and tycoons – neither of which I’ve overly fond of. But Irish author Trish Wylie’s latest intrigued me right out of the gate. A Los Angeles set romance about two former screen writing partners who find themselves working together again.

Cassidy Malone used to have big dreams of Hollywood. She shared those dreams with her lover, Will Ryan. But when their last movie tanked at the box office, and family obligations began piling up, Cassidy gave up her dream to become a school teacher in her tiny Irish village. Will left, without a backward glance, and made it big. He now lives in Malibu, has a score of successful films based on his screenplays, and runs his own production company.

Will drops Cassidy an e-mail asking for her help. They signed a contract way back when and the studio is calling it in. Their last film that was a box office flop? Thanks to DVD sales, devoted fans, and Internet buzz, it’s generated into a monster hit. Studio wants a sequel, and Cassidy packs her bags. But how can she work with Will once again when she hasn’t written anything in years and she’s still nursing a broken heart?

I was sold on this story thanks to the interesting, and different plot. However, the style in which it was written kept me at arm’s length when it came to the romance. While not written in first person, the author spends the majority of the book firmly lodged in Cassidy’s head. This would be fine, except it gives Will the short shift. The reader is left with Cassidy’s impression of him. The lout who left her high and dry in Ireland. The guy who pursued his career and didn’t give her a second thought. It doesn’t help matters that over the course of the story he comes off as extremely ambitious, stubborn, and a touch demanding. I desperately wanted to get to know him, but the author doesn’t give the reader that opportunity until the final chapter. What we see of inside the hero’s mind in that final chapter is certainly intriguing, and I couldn’t help feeling sad that I didn’t get to know him better.

The story is engaging, the banter fast and furious, and the story itself played out a bit like a chick lit novel. It was an engaging book to read while lying in bed, and the uniqueness of the plot really elevated the story for me. That said, more hero please.

Grade: C+

Summary:
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Cassidy Malone describes herself as a plain, slightly plump schoolteacher—totally unsuitable for Hollywood life. Unfortunately she is now at the beck and call of top movie mogul and old flame Will Ryan.
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Once upon a time she signed a contract, in a whirlwind of youth and confidence. Now, as they write the script they never finished, Will’s devilish smile and lethal charm make her yearn for the safety of the classroom!
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Read an excerpt here.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Hard To Resist by Samantha Hunter
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Blaze 1 July 09

Sometimes how well a book works for a reader all boils down to how willing they are to suspend their disbelief. Depending on the story, and the characters, I have been more than willing to shut off the nagging part of my brain and roll with wherever a story takes me. I do enjoy the Beauty And The Beast trope after all. However for Samantha Hunter’s latest for Harlequin Blaze I just couldn’t do it. When the characters don’t behave in a consistent manner it gets harder for me not to raise an eyebrow.

Lacey Graham has changed her name and moved to New York City in order to escape her past. An ex-boyfriend beat the snot out of her, broke her arm and left her for dead. Now that he’s in jail, she’s ready to move on to a photography gig shooting a beefcake calender featuring “American Heroes.” Guys who rode to the rescue after 9/11. That’s how she meets Texas Ranger, Jarod Wyatt. Despite the fact that she’s still gun-shy around men, sparks start to fly and the two are soon burning up the sheets. But then Lacey’s past comes back to haunt her.

My main problem with this book is that it had too many issues crammed into the short word count of a Blaze. Lacey is still traumatized from her past. She dumped counseling because it “wasn’t for her” and she’s so jumpy that it doesn’t take Jarod long to realize that she’s hiding something. It’s natural that she’s spooked around men, especially aggressive men. However when her and Jarod finally succumb, she’s the one to initiate it (which I normally like) and she’s soon letting him take photographs of her. Naked. Performing sexual acts.  Oh, and did I mention they’ve only known each other for a matter of days?

Sorry. I’m not buying.

Jarod seems like a nice enough guy, although I literally scoffed out loud when he parades Lacey around New York City playing tourist so they can draw the bad guy out of hiding. Yep, he uses her as bait. And no, I don’t really care that he’s right there to “protect her.” He’s using her as bait. My hero.

The author does a decent job of throwing in red herrings, and tying up loose ends, but the resolution to the abusive asshole ex-boyfriend storyline strained my credulity . Will it work for some readers? Probably. But any woman with an abusive ex in her past will likely throw the book against the nearest wall.

When I pick up a Blaze book I’m not necessarily looking for deep. I want fast and fun. Certainly the sex and tension in this story were well-executed. Too bad I didn’t believe in any of the characters or their motivations.

Grade: D+

Summary:
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Who says girls don’t need eye candy? Bliss Magazine is proud to bring you twelve months of smokin’-hot guys! Our Sexiest American Heroes calendar will feature one heart-stopping hero after the next—including our very own Texas Ranger, Jarod Wyatt, with his intense chocolate eyes…and a backside that would make Michelangelo weep for an eternity.
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And no one is more smitten by our luscious lawman than the artist behind the camera lens, commercial photographer Lacey Graham. Like every woman with a past, she’s trying to quit testosterone—but Jarod seems to know exactly how to break her willpower…one sizzling kiss at a time!
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Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of Rapture (The Shadowdwellers, Book 2) by Jacquelyn Frank
Paranormal Romance published by Zebra Jul 1 09

I am so glad I started this series now and didn’t wait like I’ve done with Ms. Frank’s Nightwalkers series, which I’ve yet to start. This second book in the series captivated me just as much as the first, but in a whole different way. Ecstasy, the first book, dealt with the three ‘scapes for the Shadowdwellers as the hero and heroine find each other and fight for a life together and it was as intriguing, adventurous, and romantic as could be. This book, however, deals more with the betrayal that drove Ecstasy, the awakening of both the hero and heroine in several ways, and still gives us a look at those ‘scapes but in more narrow window.

Magnus is the head priest and founder of Sanctuary, the religious haven for the twin monarchs of his people, the other penance priests who teach their children, and the handmaidens who serve side by side with those priests. He is still trying to come to terms with the betrayal of his previous handmaiden who was lured by those wanting to take over Sanctuary and nearly killing both Magnus and Ashla, his new daughter-in-law. Trust is something he now harbors close to the vest and gives to no one without merit.

His goddess has led him to a new handmaiden, Daenaira, whom he finds out is a former slave, a fact that horrifies him. Slavery is against their law, and seeing what it has done to this young woman pushes him even more to gain her trust. He learns very quickly Dae herself can also push his buttons more than anyone has ever done. His patience is put to the test time and time again, along with his temper, and finally everything between combusts. And those are some of the best scenes in the book.

Daenaira is at first skeptical that freedom is now hers. But after learning who Magnus is and where she is to serve with him, she tries to conform to what is expected of her, but Magnus himself is the one who creates such fury and burning in her she can’t help but lash out. As she comes to know and care for the people of Sanctuary, however, she begins to feel that this peaceful and beautiful place can actually be her home. Only after the traitors who are killing the priests one by one are stopped, however, and she’s going to be part of that no matter what Magnus thinks.

Magnus and Dae are fun to read, though most of the time their situation is dire. But once they turn that corner and become lovers, they are a pair to be reckoned with. Getting there, though, is where the great reading comes in. Magnus has not had sex in at least 200 years. He chose to keep things platonic, so to speak, with his previous handmaiden. Dae, of course, being a slave has never had the experience of sex at all. Watching these two come alive in each other’s arms is full of sizzle, charm, and romance.

They both have to learn how to trust and are put to the test very thoroughly throughout the hunt for traitors. Their need for control is also tested, and they must learn to give both trust and control to each other. We get to know more of the priests in Sanctuary a little better this time around, along with a number of other secondary characters, all of whom I hope eventually get their own books. The villains running around this place wanting more of anything and everything they don’t deserve finally get what’s coming to them, and I really enjoyed a couple of those endings. The fight scene at the end in Dreamscape is quite compelling and happens at the same time another betrayal is happening in Realscape, but things are not always what they seem to be.

This is one terrific series, and Pleasure, the third book, is out next month. I can’t wait.

Grade: A+

Summary:
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The Shadowdwellers live in a realm of darkness and sensuality, where order is prized and sin must be punished. Yet for Magnus, the head priest of Sanctuary, salvation rests with the one woman who will entice him into breaking his every rule…
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SHE WAS HIS ULTIMATE TEMPTATION
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Magnus is a man of contradictions—a spiritual leader in a deadly warrior’s body. Rules and order are for enforcing and visions must be followed—even if that means freeing a beautiful slave and making her his reluctant handmaiden. But she isn’t the only unenthusiastic partner. Betrayed once before, Magnus can barely bring himself to trust another woman.
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Yet everything about Daenaira’s fiery innocence compels him time and again to cross every line he’s ever drawn for himself.
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Daenaira grew up hearing tales of the fearsome priest named Magnus. But no one can convince her that men of honor truly exist. She soon learns that Magnus is very real—every inch of him—and so is the treachery that surrounds them. Beneath Sanctuary’s calm surface, an enemy is scheming to unleash havoc on the Shadowdwellers, unless Magnus trusts in a union ordained by fate, and sealed by unending bliss…
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Sensual Winds by Carmen Green
Contemporary romance released by Kimani Romance 01 July 2009

I had high hopes for this third book in Kimani Romance’s multi-author Mother Nature Matchmaker trilogy. It’s got the same ingredients that made the first two books appealing, Key West and a cabin romance theme, plus the hero is Lucas McCoy. The man has been building a dream house for his New York City-based fiancee for the last two books, while girlfriend has been putting off making visits to the island. Will Lucas finally realize that his friends are right and that his engagement is a farce?

Lucas met Emma when he was on a job in New York City. They had a heated affair, fell in love, and quickly became engaged. But his life is back in Key West, while she has a very demanding career in New York. They’re trying to make it work, but over the course of several months it’s apparent to everyone that the relationship has disintegrated. It’s so bad that Emma has “delegated” the building of her dream house in Key West to her assistant Doreen Fleming. It’s Doreen who is taking phone calls from Lucas, picking out the flooring, suggesting furniture, and getting updates on construction, while Emma isn’t returning his phone calls.

Lucas has finally had enough. He gives Emma an ultimatum through Doreen. If she’s not on the plane for a planned visit then he’ll consider them through. He gets his answer when he shows up at the airport and finds Doreen standing at baggage claim. Emma sent her down to break-up with Lucas for her, and in exchange she’ll pull a few strings to get Doreen a promotion she’s been gunning for. However Doreen has come to care about Lucas, and their consulting on the house has led to a full-blown crush. Now she’s in Key West and with a hurricane approaching it looks like she’ll be stranded there for a few days. A few days with her, Lucas and a big empty dream home. Whatever shall they do?

Now this sounds like a fairly intriguing set-up with plenty of conflict to move the story along. Unfortunately, the conflict sputters and dies the moment Doreen lands in Key West. Lucas and Emma have a phone conversation that pretty much clears the air. Hey, this is great. They’ve talked. They’ve acted like adults. And yet they’ve also managed to put all the conflict to rest. Now what will we do for the next 150+ pages? The answer? Not much. This story reads like a series of vignettes at times, instead of a focused story with focused conflict. The author even resorts to tossing in some stranded tourists to get us through to the end, but instead of being interesting additions, they come off more as annoying distractions.

Doreen and Lucas are nice people, and I definitely could have gotten behind them as a romantic couple. But what little conflict there was lacked any real bite, and I found myself bored. So bored that the only thing that kept me reading was the knowledge that this was a category romance and “only 200 pages” long. In the end though, there’s nothing offensive or “bad” about the story. It’s just….boring. It’s worth a look if you’re a fan of the trilogy and need some closure. Otherwise? Meh.

Grade: C

Read reviews for the other two books by following the series tag.

Summary:
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Giving her boss’s fiancé the kiss-off isn’t in Doreen Fleming’s job description. But when she meets the soon-to-be ex, gorgeous real estate developer Lucas McCoy, Doreen knows she’s headed for a storm tide of trouble.
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Building his dream house isn’t the same without someone to share it. Doreen may be just the messenger, but she’s unleashing a tempest inside Lucas that’s tempting him to risk his heart again.
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Then a hurricane hits, stranding Lucas and Doreen in the house of both their dreams. As the winds howl outside, the passion rages inside—hotter than the sweltering summer night…and twice as explosive.
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of The Brides of Fortune Trilogy by Nicola Cornick
Historical Romances released by HQN Jun – Aug 2009

I jumped at the chance to read this trilogy because I’d just read and reviewed my first Nicola Cornick book, Unmasked, a few months ago, and I so enjoyed her writing. Her characters, while fun and full of life, always have secrets and issues to overcome just like the rest of us. Her setting in these books is just as quirky as some of those characters, but you still get that English feel that readers of historical romances want. This is a very satisfying trilogy and I highly recommend it, whether you’ve read Ms. Cornick before or you’re just now discovering her as I have.

The Confessions of a Duchess (Book 1)
Released 1 Jun 09

We first met the hero and heroine of this book in Unmasked, where they shared a wonderful night of lovemaking, after which Laura, the Duchess of Cole, cold-heartedly told Dexter Anstruther they could never be together, he was only one of many to grace her bed. Dexter returned to London, continued to do his job and look after his family the best he could. Laura later became the Dowager Duchess and moved with her daughter to Fortune’s Folly to enjoy her independence after enduring a horrible husband and marriage.

It’s four later years when Dexter is sent to Fortune’s Folly to investigate the murder of a local man and he meets up with Laura once again. In that interim, he’d become something of a rake after Laura’s rejection, but since his father’s death, he’s now reined himself in and become a conservative and very in-control man and the head of the family. The excesses his parents took part in over the years have served as an expensive lesson for Dexter, he is now penniless and must marry for money to take care of his mother and siblings.

Since the Duke passed away, Laura has lived in Fortune’s Folly with her daughter, the child Laura never thought she’d have. Dexter’s presence is upsetting for Laura on several levels, one of which would alter her life and that of her daughter drastically. She tries to stay as far away from him as possible, but they seem to cross paths in the most unexpected places and ways.

When the local squire assesses the ancient Dames’ Tax on the women of the Folly, Laura is back in rare form with her friends, instituting old laws of their own in retaliation. Things end up going a little too far, a murder is discovered, secrets are revealed, forgiveness is withheld, and Laura can only hope and pray their decisions made in time of personal turmoil will not be the biggest mistake of their lives.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Laura, Dowager Duchess of Cole, has sworn never to marry again. But the arrival of Dexter Anstruther, the man with whom she once shared one forbidden night of passion, throws her plans and her heart into turmoil. Laura knows that the secret she is keeping from Dexter would destroy any chance of a future together. But can she keep her secrets and keep Dexter at arm’s length when he is so determined to rekindle their passion?
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Read an excerpt here.

The Scandals of an Innocent (Book 2)
Released 1 Jul 09

Alice is a former maidservant who has inherited a fortune from her now-deceased employer. She’s been refusing suitors left and right because they want her only for her money due to the Dame’s Tax the local squire has placed on all unmarried females. The one man who she might have said yes to, if he hadn’t left her high and dry while he chased another heiress for her fortune, is back in Fortune’s Folly, blackmailing Alice into accepting his proposal.

Having been foisted aside for an man of higher rank, Miles finds himself back in Fortune’s Folly looking again for the right woman to take to wife and take care of his incredible debt, which he now has more of after inheriting the Marquisate of Drum, a crumbling, low-earning estate. Alice Lister is the perfect candidate when he catches her red-handed breaking the law. He’s a cynical philanderer, so why not add blackmailer to his list of attractions.

Miles is in for a bit of a surprise, however, when he finds that Alice’s fortune comes with conditions of a prospective groom. Forced into behaving as a gentleman should for the next three months, both he and Alice begin to learn more about each other as well as themselves and their attraction once again grows, much to Alice’s dismay. Try as she might, she can’t keep her heart from wanting Miles after his despicable treatment of her before. And Miles is stunned when his heart begins to feel things that it hasn’t known for years.

Grade: A

Summary:
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Miss Alice Lister is the most scandalous heiress in Fortune’s Folly. A housemaid who inherited her late employer’s money, Alice is courted by every penniless adventurer in town. When Miles, Lord Vickery, seeks to blackmail her into marriage, Alice can only hope that the conditions attached to her inheritance will foil him – for how can such an insufferably attractive but deceitful rake be completely honest with her for three whole months?
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Read an excerpt here.

The Undoing of a Lady (Book 3)
Released 1 Aug 09

When we meet up with Lady Elizabeth in her book, she’s getting ready to commit a very serious crime. But it’s in the name of love and friendship, so she doesn’t hesitate. Her friend Nat Waterhouse is making a mistake marrying one of the local heiresses and Lizzie is not about to stand by and do nothing about it. The only thing to do is kidnap the man, hold him hostage until the time of the wedding has come and gone, and then let him go. Nice and simple. Problem solved. Or so she thought.

Nat, of course, is none too happy once she pulls off her caper, and when she refuses to release him, it’s his cajoling about her impulsiveness and wont for trouble that eventually causes trouble for them both. He pushes her a little too far and Lizzie steps up to the plate to prove to Nat how far she will go to follow through when it comes to her schemes. This time it’s Nat who loses control when passion ignites between them and Lizzie is ruined when they make love.

Calling off his wedding is Nat’s only choice so he can marry Lizzie. It’s actually the best plan, she gets the protection of his name and he gets her dowry that will help keep his secrets where they belong. But Lizzie knows Nat doesn’t love her and she refuses to live a lifetime without love. She holds out as long as she can, but Nat wears her down and they eventually marry. And that’s when the formerly high-spirited, do-anything miss becomes the outrageous, broken-hearted Mrs. Waterhouse who pulls stunts the like of which the folks of Fortune’s Folly have never seen.

Danger and mystery are also afoot throughout this book, and, as usual, Ms. Cornick gives us the slip and throws a culprit at us that we never expected. I do have to say that Lizzie is my favorite character of the series. Though her stunts are a little much for her times, you feel the hurt and desperateness that cause her to forge head without thought. And kudos to Nat for hanging in there with her, just like a husband should.

Grade: A-

Summary:
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When her childhood friend Nathaniel, the Earl of Waterhouse, betroths himself to a pea-brained heiress, Lady Elizabeth Scarlet decides to save him from making a big mistake by kidnapping him on the night before his wedding. But when unexpected passion flares between herself and Nat, Lizzie is seduced and ruined. With Nat insisting on marriage to save her reputation, can the fiery beauty win her husband’s love – after their marriage?
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Read an excerpt here.

Overall Grade: A-

This is a fun and engaging trilogy, three very different stories involving friends and acquaintances of a small country village. Ms. Cornick pulls you into each book with those characters and you feel as though you’re right there with them in Fortune’s Folly.

My favorite of the three is The Scandals of an Innocent. It takes a slight lead over The Undoing of a Lady. As much as I really like Lizzie in all three books because of her outrageous and fun behavior, I felt more for Miles and his predicament, his past, and how love creeps up on him before he knows it.

At first I was thinking I was a little disappointed in The Confessions of a Duchess because Laura was such a dichotomy in Unmasked, but she still retains some of her spirit in this book. Her focus, however, has shifted because of her circumstances in life and, therefore, this book wasn’t quite what I expected at first. It does hold its own, though, due to those circumstances and ended up being a very good read.

I really enjoyed how each of the characters had fairly good roles in each succeeding book of the series. They’re friends and they’re involved in each other’s lives and Ms. Cornick makes sure to give that to the reader, therefore giving the stories more depth.

Be sure to read my interview with Nicola this week here at the Pond.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Mountain Wild (Wild Series, Book 3) by Stacey Kayne
Historical romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Jul 09

Life must be really great for Regency historical and paranormal fans. If they hit on a book by an author that doesn’t move them, they have the luxury of saying “Well, that author didn’t work for me” and move on. But if you’re a western historical lover? Yeah, authors tend to get second, third and in some cases, fourth chances. Why? Have you seen how many western historicals get published these days? Yeah, not many. I’ve previously read one book by Stacey Kayne, and didn’t really care for it. I thought she was a fine enough writer, but her characters drove me batty. But I love westerns, and Lord knows the pickins’ are slim these days. So Kayne landed on my Give Her Another Shot list, and in this instance, I’m glad I gave her another look. Mountain Wild is a dandy read.

This being the third book in the author’s Wild series, readers will recognize hero Garret Daines as Skylar Daines’ baby brother from Mustang Wild. Garret is all grown up now, and boy howdy did he grow up to be a mighty fine man! He now owns a cattle ranch in Wyoming, near his sister and her family, and is neck deep in a range war. Seems someone is chasing off (and in some cases killing off) neighboring ranchers, and rustling cattle. Garret is barely staying afloat, with the local Cattleman’s Association literally gouging him for the privilege of bringing his cattle to market. Still, he wasn’t expecting to get knocked out cold while traveling through the mountains looking for his missing partner. He’s unconscious and buried in a snow bank when Mad Mag finds him.

Everyone in town calls her Mad Mag. Maggie Grace is a hermit, living in the mountains, making her way as a trapper. She’s a bitter old hag, nasty as can be, and she doesn’t smell too good. Well, that’s what they think. Maggie is actually young, pretty, fond of floral soaps and knows how to needlepoint. She learned the hard way that people can’t be trusted, and she likes her solitude. She knows who Garret is. His ranch isn’t too far from her isolated cabin. Trust doesn’t come easy to Maggie, but she also can’t leave a wounded man to die in a snow storm.

What follows is a very fine romance about two very fine characters. Garret is a picture perfect Gamma hero. He embodies the best qualities of an Alpha and a Beta hero. He’s charming, sweet, and willing to wait Maggie out. But he’s also a hard working rancher who will skin any man alive who says one unkind word about his woman, and he’ll fight to the death for what is right. I was half in love with this guy by the end of the first chapter.

Maggie is one of my favorite types of western heroines. The girl has gumption, and she’s no shrinking violet. Her childhood and family taught her that appearances aren’t what they seem, and the man who rescued her from that life taught her how to take care of herself. However in that time she also learned to hide, which is what she’s been doing ever since.

There is a villain in this story, and unfortunately he is the weak link. He has unfinished business with both Garret and Maggie, stopping at nothing to run them to ground. His main motivation is greed, and that’s really all the depth the author goes into. Certainly greed is a compelling enough motive, but in this instance I really wanted more insight into his psychology. All I really took away from his character was that he was a “bad man.”

While the third book in a trilogy, Mountain Wild stands alone very well. Readers who have to know every drop of back story by the end of the first chapter will have to practice some patience. Maggie has had dealings with Garret’s family in previous books, and while the author does eventually fill in those details, she does so in later chapters. I kept up just fine, and never felt like I was missing any pieces to the puzzle.

Mountain Wild is an entertaining western romance featuring two extremely likable protagonists. I’m glad I gave Stacey Kayne a second chance.

Grade: B-

Summary:
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Fourteen years ago a terrified young Maggie Grace fled into the wilderness of the Wyoming mountains, where she has lived alone, fighting for survival, ever since. Until she finds cowboy Garret Daines lying unconscious in a blizzard.
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Snowbound in Maggie’s cabin, sharing the only bed with this beautiful, wild woman, brings Garret’s body—and guarded heart—pulsing back to life.
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Garret is the only man ever to show Maggie any kindness, and the walls around her heart begin to crumble. But this wildcat won’t let herself be easily tamed….
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Liviania’s review of Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, Book 2) by Richelle Mead
Urban fantasy released by Zebra 28 Jul 09

I have been wanting to try Richelle Mead because of her Vampire Academy series.  I’m starting to burn out on vampires, but that doesn’t mean I’m not attracted to the mention of them.  Of course, I’m all for the fey.  Eugenie Markham is a shaman, dedicated to banishing the fey and demons from the human world.  But things have gotten a little less black and white for her recently.

Thorn Queen can be read without reading the first novel Storm Born.  I can guarantee this as I have yet to read the first novel and could understand what’s going on.  I would like to see more of her conversion, as she doesn’t take any fey banishing jobs in the novel.  (She does miss one and cancel others.)  Yes, she now rules a fey country and needs to learn how to do it well, but that seems to have happened at the very end of the last book.  I can still see her continuing with her job.  (Otherwise, Eugenie’s shifting mindset is well-portrayed.)

There are two main love interests: Kiyo and Dorian.  Kiyo’s a good guy shapeshifter and veterinarian, doing his best to keep Eugenie from getting too deep into politics.  Unfortunately he’s busy with the imminent birth of his child by another woman.  Dorian’s the bad boy, a fellow ruler who wants Eugenie to become more ruthless.  He also wants her child, since Eugenie or her half-sister is destined to bear the conqueror of the human world.  In many ways, he’s more helpful than Kiyo even though he’s more dangerous, which complicates her choices.

I liked Eugenie’s point of view.  She’s pretty straightforward, but she’s stuck in a position where she has to make hard choices.  (For example, what to do with her teenaged half-sister who is determined to get pregnant – that is, if she finds her.)  She doesn’t have much of a support network in the gentry world, since she grew up in the human one.  She also seems to be the only person who cares about the fate of some teenage girls that went missing near her country’s border.

The climax put me off some, when I found the story to otherwise be an engaging urban fantasy.  It makes sense given the series’ plot, but it’s a – I don’t want to say “plot device” – [thing] I’m getting tired of.  It seems to me like some serious shit is getting taken lightly.  I don’t mean to come down on Mead, who I don’t think took it lightly… but to me, it was a somewhat depressing end to an otherwise fast and funny read.

I am going to try to find a copy of Storm Born, and I’m sure I’ll pick up the next in the series.  The sour note was more of my own issues than a fault in the writing.

Grade: B-

Summary:
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Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she’s also become queen of the Thorn Land. It’s hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one—except Eugenie—seems willing to find out why.
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Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren’t making things any easier. Her boyfriend, Kiyo, is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty—even if it means facing the darkest—and deadliest—side of her nature…
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Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Lynne Connolly’s review of The MD’s Mistress by Joan Hohl
(released as omnibus with The Money Man’s Seduction by Leslie Lafoy)
Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 17 Jul 09

I’ve already reviewed the Lafoy book, and loved it, so I thought I’d do the other book in the omnibus. I won’t judge them together, they were released as separate books and the only thing they seem to have in common is their publisher. 

Becca is a nurse in Africa, who has secretly loved the surgeon, Dr. Seth Andrews (aren’t surgeons addressed as Mr.?[Ed.: in the US we call them "Dr"]) for months. After she collapses with pneumonia, both she and Seth are shipped back home and return to Philadelphia. But Becca receives an anonymous gift from a benefactor known, unsurprisingly, as “the anonymous billionaire” (it’s a series) and she is sent to a luxury cabin in the country to recover.

Seth loves Becca, Becca loves Seth. But if they admitted that from the off, as they easily could have done, it wouldn’t be much of a story, would it? The obstacles thrown in their paths are mainly internal. Becca is a martyr. She won’t give up in Africa until she collapses, she won’t admit she is seriously ill and in need of recovery and once in her luxury ‘cabin’ she goes off and volunteers at the nearest health center. To be honest, she got on my nerves, especially when she wants to martyr herself to Dr. Seth. He comes after her, because he can’t leave her alone, sleeps with her, and still she thinks it’s a convenient sexual arrangement.

Seth is never really brought to life. He’s one thing, then he’s another, an alpha male, a compassionate doctor, a wealthy surgeon, and a superlative lover. Yawn. He’s a great cook, too. He cares for Becca, but because of a couple of brusque words, she assumes they’re just lovers.

The tone of the book is strangely old-fashioned. After their first night together when they make love twice, Becca is too sore to do it again the next night. Seems a bit off to me, even though she isn’t a virgin, at least I don’t think she is, though this is a bit vague. When Seth asks her to come back to Philadelphia and continue their relationship, she thinks of him as his “mistress.” What twenty-five year old woman thinks in those terms? And in HMB terms, isn’t a ‘mistress’ a kept woman, and Seth isn’t asking that of her. Although lip-service is paid to modern electronic devices, the characters don’t think in those terms. Cell phones, laptops, email and so on are mentioned, but only in passing. Seth and Becca don’t think in IT terms, they don’t text, phone, email or IM, which I would have thought they would have done. No, Seth takes off to visit Becca without making sure she’ll be at home, or even there.

The scenes are static. They spend a lot of time thinking, sitting, talking, drinking and eating. And talking some more. The conversations don’t sound right, stilted sometimes. Lots of “he said,” “she thought,” and other tags that drag after a while, at least they did for me. This is a short book, but still the pace was slow.

All this would have still given me a pleasant hour or two, except for one thing, that, unfortunately plunged the book into D territory.

Spoilers coming up…

They don’t use a condom. Never even think about it. Hello, they’ve been in Africa, home of AIDS? They’re in the medical profession where a misplaced hypodermic syringe can give you AIDS or hepatitis or any number of other nasty, communicable diseases? Not to mention the possibility of pregnancy, which, since Becca insists on thinking of their affair as temporary, isn’t a responsible thing to do. I really wanted to slap them both. At first, I assumed they were using one, I like to give characters the benefit of doubt, but later, Becca gets pregnant. Another irresponsible thing to do. When you make a child, that’s a third person, not some kind of possession. When she considered keeping her pregnancy a secret from Seth, I nearly hurled the book, but she decides to tell him. When he tells her he loves her it comes as a complete surprise and I wondered where she’d been.

I’m not a condom purist, but for two supposedly responsible people in the medical profession to not even think or discuss using protection seemed out of character and appallingly careless, so I had to downgrade a comfortable C to a D. I have a feeling that over at Dear Author, Jane might have treated it worse.

Grade: D

Summary:

Such arrogance! Nurse Becca Jameson spent months side by side with Dr. Seth Andrews in a tiny, understaffed, under-funded African hospital. He was bossy, gorgeous, brilliant…and she’d fallen for him, hook, line and scalpel. Now back in Philadelphia, he had the nerve to make this outrageous proposal…how could he? And how could she refuse?

Read an excerpt here.

C2’s review of Hot Pursuit (Troubleshooters, Book 15) by Suzanne Brockmann
Romantic suspense released by Ballantine 28 Jul 09

In Suzanne Brockmann’s latest Troubleshooters book, we become reacquainted with The Dentist, a serial killer who likes to claim the teeth of his victims – sometimes before he kills them. We first heard about The Dentist in a bonus short story featuring Sam and Alyssa that was included at the end of Flashpoint. In Hot Pursuit we learn that Alyssa is part of a task force trying to track down elusive Dentist. What Alyssa doesn’t know is that The Dentist has developed a fixation on her and has started making plans.

The events bringing Sam and Alyssa back into contact with The Dentist start out innocently enough – or do they? A New York assemblywoman has been receiving threats and needs her security beefed up. Since she happens to be a good friend of Savannah van Hopf Karmody (heroine of Out of Control, for those not familiar with the whole series), the Troubleshooters team takes the job. It seems like a nice easy assignment that will let Sam and Alyssa and the rest of the gang help out a friend of a friend while spending some time in New York City. But when do things ever run so smoothly for the TS Inc., faithful reader? As always, in the Troubleshooters world, there is a lot going on.

First things first – the team assigned to assist Assemblywoman Maria Bonavita with her security issues: Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke (along with baby Ashton), Izzy Zanella, his not-so-loving brother-in-law Danny Gillman, Jay Lopez, and Tony Vlachic. Gillman is recovering from an injury that has left him with nightmares and blackouts. Stress from a potentially career-ending injury plus the usual Zanella-induced stress does not make Danny a happy boy.

To distract himself and, perhaps, get some happy (or something), Gillman decides Jenn, the assemblywoman’s chief of staff, is a prime candidate for an assignment-long fling. Jennilyn LeMay is not a dainty, delicate flower. She is what some would call real-sized (“statuesque”, thinks Dan). She isn’t focused on her appearance, she doesn’t date much, she’s the pal in the background of her friends’ lives. Needless to say, when the gorgeous Danny starts flirting, Jenn is suspicious of his motives. But our Dan is a smooth talker and good with the rationalizing so she agrees soon enough.

There are those (you know who you are) who would say Gillman is an ass and a player and only out for what he can get with the least effort expended. I choose to think he has issues stemming from his childhood and more recent traumas and just needs a bit of therapy to help him deal in a more constructive way so he can recognize the good thing right in front of him (which he almost does, without the therapy). Yeah, yeah…yell at me in the comments.

In the meantime, the security threat to Assemblywoman Bonavita has taken a gruesome turn and the team springs into action to catch the person responsible. The FBI is called in on the case and you know what that means, don’t you? Jules! Ah, faithful reader, he is my very favorite person in the Troubleshooters world. A TS Inc. book without Jules is like a day without sunshine. Plus Robin is along for the ride – and to provide babysitting services – since things in NYC have become dangerous and Sam and Alyssa will be busier than they anticipated.

We find out what has been going on elsewhere in the Troubleshooters world…new babies, weddings, promotions, etc. We also get an update in the Izzy/Eden saga. Izzy, we learn, has made several trips to Germany to try to talk to Eden; so far, no luck there. Oh, Izzy…he just breaks my heart. He’s still the same in Hot Pursuit – always with the jokes and smart comments and impromptu songs – but his sadness shows around the edges. I don’t think it’s a spoiler (since it’s all over the interwebs, by now) that his book is next in the series. Let me take a moment to say YAY and Snoopy dance with joy!

As we race toward the end of the book, there is police brutality, bodies are found, and people are being stalked. Characters are kidnapped and their would-be rescuers seem to be off on a wild goose chase, as the Dentist’s evil plan comes to its climax. Will the good guys win? Will everyone survive?? What are you looking at me for? Go read the book!

Grade: A

PS: The blurb for this book makes it sound as if Alyssa is the main focus of Hot Pursuit but I didn’t find that to be true. Yes, she is a main character and at the center of a good bit of the action but I think this was Danny Gillman’s book. After you read it, come back and tell me what you think.

Summary:
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Alyssa Locke is no stranger to dealing with danger. As team leader of the nation’s number one personal security company, Troubleshooters Inc., she’s seen more than her share of action, survived plenty of close calls, and holds her own with the best of them–and against the worst of them. Guarding lives is her game, and no one plays it better. But her toughest challenge will be protecting herself from a serial killer she’s been after for years–known only as “The Dentist”–who is determined to make her his ultimate trophy.
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The assignment was supposed to be an easy one: teach self-defense techniques to a newly elected assemblywoman and her chief of staff after a political controversy generates a blizzard of hate mail–including death threats–from hotheads and cranks. But as soon as she mobilizes her squad of moonlighting Navy SEALs in New York City, Alyssa begins butting heads with the hard-case cop who thinks that the Troubleshooters are chasing shadows.
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Until they discover a dead body. And then another. Now Alyssa really has her hands full bodyguarding two independent, busy women, managing a murder investigation, and trying to find time for her husband, Troubleshooters operative Sam Starrett, and their infant son. Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be a Troubleshooters operation without romantic sparks and heated rivalries–and any time the SEALs of Team Sixteen are involved, there are plenty of both.
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But then, while investigating a suspect, Alyssa is ambushed and suddenly finds herself imprisoned by The Dentist. Cut off from everyone she loves and relies on, Alyssa must call upon all of her strength and skill to survive this final confrontation with the sadistic monster, meanwhile trusting that her Troubleshooter teammates, led by her beloved Sam, will reach her before it’s too late.
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Read an excerpt HERE!

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Stolen Heat (Stolen Series, Book 2) by Elisabeth Naughton
Romantic Suspense published by Love Spell 28 Jul 09

The action, danger, suspense, and romance haven’t slowed down one bit in this second book in Ms. Naughton’s series. This story is about Pete, who is the best friend of the hero in Stolen Fury, the first book, and Kat, the woman he knew he’d never see again. Literally.The moment she amazingly and unexpectedly shows up in his life again, they’re on the run, all the while finding their way back to one another as they learn to trust each other again after all the lies, secrets, deceit, and murder they went through when together six years before.

And the lies and secrets are on both sides. Pete has kept his past from Kat because he didn’t want her to think badly of him, especially since he’s thinking of proposing. It’s a very poignant moment near the end of the book when he tells Kat how she influenced him, even when he knew she wouldn’t be in his life anymore. Kat’s deceit went a little deeper — she faked her death. The men after her had threatened her family, so you can’t fault her for her decision, and she thought it was over between her and Pete, so she didn’t look back when she took the opportunity to die.

Six years later Kat comes out of hiding when she learns Pete is auctioning off all of his Egyptian artifacts he’s collected over the years — pieces he couldn’t resist because they reminded him of her. She has to get her hands on a certain piece, and from the moment she does nothing goes right, including getting to know Pete all over again. It’s Pete himself who doesn’t want to get tangled up in Kat’s life again. He had enough the first time around, especially after grieving for her, but when the chances come to walk away from her, he just can’t do it.

Together they unravel the mystery surrounding the dig Kat was on in Egypt all those years ago, the missing antiquities she reported to the proper authorities, and the evidence that’s been hidden in plain sight during the time of her supposed demise.  They also work to learn about each other again. The spark, the lust, the chemistry, and finally the love they both finally acknowledge is still there. They just have to want it at the same time to make things work. And when that moment comes, it’s Pete who breaks the reader’s heart as well as Kat’s. He’s a hero in a million.

This is a well-thought-out concept and wonderfully written books in the trilogy so far. The mysteries are complex but the love is simple, a balance achieved with characters you can’t help but like. The third book, Stolen Seduction, is due out next year and I am looking forward to it. You get to know both the hero and heroine of that book while reading the first two. I like them already, so I know their story is going to be just as good as these first two.

After reading these two books, Ms. Naughton is now on my auto-buy list.

Grade: A

Read more reviews of books in this series by following its tag here.

Summary:
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His past tore them apart. Her lies thrust them back together. Now a killer’s out for revenge, but the biggest threat for both may just be the heat they thought they’d already lost…
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Antiquities dealer Peter Kauffman walked a fine line between clean and corrupt for years. And then he met the woman who changed his life—Egyptologist Katherine Meyer. Their love affair burned white-hot in Egypt, until the day Pete’s lies and half-truths caught up with him. After that, their relationship imploded, Kat walked out, and before Pete could find her to make things right, he heard she’d died in a car bomb.
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Six years later, the woman Pete thought he’d lost for good is suddenly back. The lies this time aren’t just his, though. The only way he and Kat will find the truth and evade a killer out for revenge is to work together—as long as they don’t find themselves burned by the heat each thought was stolen long ago…
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: