Limecello’s Duckies Do Series reviews of the Holidays Abroad Series by Merline Lovelace
Contemporary romances released by Harlequin Nov 2008 – Jan 2009

I quite fancy the idea of Christmas in summer (especially during a sweltering heat wave), so when I read the Duke’s New Year’s Resolution, I realized I was in the middle of a series, and read the other books in the trilogy – The CEO’s Christmas Proposition (Book 1) and The Executive’s Valentine Seduction (Book 3). This is a really cute trilogy that follows a natural progression, and takes place realistically chronologically. I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for Ms. Lovelace’s books in the future. [And yes, I realize for some places at least, summer has disappeared and we're facing bitter cold. So... this is good to prepare for the upcoming holiday season!]

The CEO’s Christmas Proposition (Book 1)
Released by Silhouette Desire 11 Nov 08

While I didn’t find the premise of this story very believable, I nevertheless liked it. The whole winter wonderland aspect really appealed to me, and I also appreciate the “we’re stranded together so our relationship will develop much more quickly” trope. I think that Devon and Cal were characterized nicely, and that each stayed true to him and herself.

Although generally I’m not a fan of this, I really liked how Sabrina and Caroline had parts in this book. Normally I’d say the focus should have been on Devon and Cal, and that Sabrina and Caroline had their own books to be released soon enough. However, Ms. Lovelace writes the characters in so that they fit naturally, and really bolster the story. After all, the entire premise of this series is that Devon, Sabrina, and Caro are abroad because they’ve just started a new business. And they’ve started a new business because they’re best friends, all looking for something different.

I also enjoyed the fact that Ms. Lovelace incorporated the holiday into her story, and the way Cal and Devon treated Christmas really showed a lot about their personalities as well. And yes, led to their relationship as well.

Grade: B-

Summary:
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A case of mistaken identity landed Devon McShay on the receiving end of a mind-blowing kiss—from her new client! CEO Cal Logan was an undeniably handsome man, and despite their business relationship, Devon couldn’t help thinking about kissing him again.
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When a crippling ice storm traps them in Salzburg for Christmas, sharing a room is their only option. And sharing a bed becomes their pleasure. Could this passionate encounter evolve into anything more than a holiday affair?

Read an excerpt here.

The Duke’s New Year’s Resolution (Book 2)
Released by Silhouette Desire 9 Dec 08

I think this is my favorite story of the bunch. First of all, I’m a sucker for a sexy Italian hero. And he’s a surgeon. And he’s a duke. Be still my beating heart.

However, I also like The Duke’s New Year’s Resolution so much, because I liked it — even though the premise of the book has so many things I don’t like. (That makes sense, right?) First, the heroine is/was a heiress, and I cannot stand the “poor little rich girl” character. However, Sabrina isn’t like that. She knows she was wild and bratty when she was younger, and that rebelling openly and publicly in the tabloids against her father probably wasn’t the best thing to do. She also doesn’t particularly feel sorry for herself, but it’s clear her emotional relationship with her father was lacking. That will elicit my sympathy. And it did.

Then there’s the creepy factor wherein Sabrina supposedly looks just like Marco’s deceased wife. (I don’t think this was entirely necessary, but it definitely adds a lot of drama.) It does force the characters, and especially Marco to profess the depth and sincerity of his feelings for Sabrina, which is always nice.  I really like how Sabrina’s past comes to haunt her – I felt that Ms. Lovelace tied all aspects of the story together nicely, and made it believable. It wasn’t all cotton candy and fluff, and the characters had to take responsibility for their actions and pasts.

And you know, the romance and heat and super hot Italian duke/surgeon.

Grade: B

Summary:

The setting was picture-postcard perfect; the hero, bonafide royalty. Sabrina’s worst fear was that she would wake up and discover it was all a dream. Duke—and doctor—Marco Calvetti had almost run her off the road. Now Sabrina was playing houseguest in his Amalfi-coast villa. Marco’s romantic words and skilled hands gave new meaning to the term “bedside manner,” but his brooding eyes hid secret wounds…or was it a secret agenda? Either way, the duke promised her a New Year’s she would never forget.…

Read an excerpt here.

The Executive’s Valentine Seduction (Book 3)
Released by Silhouette Desire 13 Jan 09

I enjoyed this book because the hero grovels. I have this slightly sadistic streak, which makes me revel in the heroes’ suffering. (I think it was because I read too many old school romances starting out, so I always felt that the heroine gave more than the hero.) In The Executive’s Valentine Seduction, Rory has to work for it. But with good reason. I really like who Caro is as a person, although she is off balance for much of the story.

I also love the trope of friends to lovers – and the story here is a loose interpretation of it. Anyway, Caro and Rory definitely have history, and a lot to work through, but it gives them a foundation, and makes the fact that their “forever and totally in love” relationship is established in the course of a few days believable.

Another thing I really appreciated is that Ms. Lovelace featured Rory. We get to see him in action, and it really brings everything together – what Rory does, who he is, the entire purpose of the conference, which is why Rory and Caro meet again. (With some orchestrations on Rory’s part.)

Lastly, I thought there was a sense of finality to this book, and the series, as Ms. Lovelace had Cal and Devon, as well as Sabrina and Marco all go to Rory and Caro in Spain. It was nice the three women get together, and all have their happy ending.

Grade: B

Summary:

Amor was on the menu…

And Rory Burke was intent on having Caroline Walters as the main course.

This meeting he’d arranged in beautiful Tossa de Mar was no mere business transaction. Having learned the truth about his long-ago lover, Rory had gone to great lengths to orchestrate this Valentine reunion in sunny Spain. His plan? To lure Caro back into his bed—as his bride. With his powers of persuasion, the high-powered executive was certain he would get his way—until the power of pasión turned the tables on him….

Read an excerpt here.

I felt that the relationships Ms. Lovelace wrote were incredibly believable, and I liked the focus she had on it. I don’t think I’ve read anything by Merline Lovelace before now, but I know I’m definitely going to look for her new books, as well as her back list. All three couples work individually, and together, and I think it was a very well written series. I like that Ms. Lovelace had such well developed heroines, and that they were satisfyingly showcased. Each story played to the heroine’s strengths, which made for a great romance.

I definitely recommend this if you like reading from the Silhouette Desire line, or if you’d like to try the line out.

Overall Grade: B

Gwen’s review of Wicked Is the Night by Catherine Mulvany
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Pocket Star 25 Nov 08

I’m not a terribly picky reader.  I’ll read almost anything if it’s fiction – contemp, historical, erotic, romance, science-fiction, suspense, fantasy, urban fantasy, or any combination of all of the above.  You name it, I’ll read it.  This book is a combination of contemporary, paranormal, and romance.  And, you know what?  I think it only needed two of the three and it would have been oh so much better. 

Wicked delivers on the contemporary front – the hero is a former race car driver and the heroine is a pretty amnesiac who is running from some bad guys but isn’t sure why (yes, that semi-trope) and is rescued by the hero.  It delivers on the romance front – sort of – we actually get two romances for the price of one.  But the paranormal? Not so much.

In fact, I didn’t understand why the author felt she even needed the paranormal bits.  I think the book would have been fine without it.  In fact, I think it would have been considerably better without the distraction of the vampire baddies – they were silly and the vamp-ness add nothing whatsoever to the plot.

The characters were okay – I liked the secondary characters better.  The setting was interesting.  The premise of the plot was a little tired but readable. So it wasn’t an awful book, but neither was it very good.  If only the author knew when to leave a subgenre behind…

Here are my notes on the book right after I read it: Okay story.  Didn’t really believe in the main romance.  Believed in Marcello and Britt’s [secondary characters] romance more than Trick and Nevada’s [hero/heroine]. Most of the paranormal elements felt like an afterthought. The vampire angle ruined what would have been a perfectly good romantic suspense. Took too long to resolve the mystery of Nevada’s identity in the characters’ knowledge. Would have liked more of an ending.

This one wasn’t horrible, but I’ve read much better.  I can’t recommend this to anyone except those who are a fan of the author.

Grade: D+

Summary:

They’d erased her past. Now they were trying to erase her future.
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Desperate to discover her true identity, Nevada Smith, a.k.a. Subject 111, escapes from the research facility where she’s been forced to play guinea pig for the last five years. She hitchhikes across the country, determined to follow up on her only clue, an anonymous address in San Francisco.
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But someone else is just as desperate to prevent Nevada from unlocking the secrets of the past. That someone sends two blood-sucking demons to track her down.
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They nearly succeed, too, until she joins forces with gorgeous former race car driver Trick Granger. Together, Trick and Nevada delve into her past.
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But the closer they come to solving the mystery, the more Nevada fears she may not want to know who-or what-she really is.
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Daylight can be dangerous, but in a world full of secrets…Wicked Is the Night.

Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of Strangers in the Night by Saskia Walker
Erotic romance published by Harlequin Spice on 1 Nov 2008

Hot on Her Tail is the third and last installment to Saskia Walker’s Loving on the Edge series. I got this novella because I really enjoyed the first installment, Caught in the Act, and knew I wanted to read Colin’s story, as he had a fun cameo appearance in Caught in the Act. I felt like this novella had the most in terms of a story line, and it was definitely interesting to read about Colin and Lara. It was also a satisfying end to the series.Lara Miller isn’t your typical heroine. Or, at least not your general romance heroine. She’s someone who enjoys being submissive, but only in the bedroom. I liked that she was so self assured, and that she wasn’t timid. That gave both her, and the story a dimension that was new, and enjoyable. Lara doesn’t experience distressing trepidation or anxiety, and she’s more than a match for Colin. I felt that I sufficiently understood Lara, which was nice for a Spice Brief -the length (or lack thereof) often makes it difficult to give the characters personality. I felt that Ms. Walker did a good job of giving her characters depth. The manner in which Lara approaches and deals with problems shows that she’s a very strong woman, but enjoys being controlled sexually.

Colin O’Neil is something of a stereotype, yet not. The dominant police officer, he’ has many more facets that simply that. I liked that Ms. Walker showed Colin at work, which moved the plot along, and also developed Colin’s personality and character. He’s someone who is good at his job and knows his place in life. Colin also isn’t impressed by wealth or position, and is unwilling to be influenced or coerced into going against his principles. He’s controlling, but only in a caring manner. I also liked that Colin was so into Lara and determined to pursue a relationship with her, but happy to let her set the pace. (It seems contradictory I know, but it isn’t – and it fits them perfectly.)

I liked that Ms. Walker added a conclusion of sorts to the series in Hot on Her Tail, but I wish that Colin and Lara had gotten a slightly longer story. Much like Chrissie and Liam in Caught in the Act, it felt like Colin and Lara had a future. The chemistry between Colin and Lara is explosive, and they connect emotionally as well. The manner in which they meet, and the ensuing circumstances were all cleverly done by Ms. Walker. There’s the plot, but the strained situation also allows the natural progression of a physical relationship to occur much more quickly than it might otherwise.

I think it’s difficult to write a balanced dominant/submissive story, and that Ms. Walker does a good job here. The characters aren’t frightened of their desires, which felt like a refreshing change from your usual story. I think that Colin and Lara’s story would lend itself best to being longer, and more developed out of the three-  there was so much going on, it was a packed Spice Brief, and a satisfying end to the series.

Grade: C+

It wasn’t the knee-high black leather boots or the skintight leather hotpants that grabbed his attention, but the padlocked slave collar she was wearing around her neck. As she stepped out of the stolen vehicle he’d been chasing, Officer Colin O’Neil was thunderstruck by the alluring redhead in the provocative attire.

Upon further investigation, it soon became clear that despite appearances, Lara Miller was not some crazy car thief dressed like a bondage slave from a porn movie. She was, in fact, the victim in some underhanded maneuvering by her vindictive ex. Now it was up to Colin to help her out of this mess. But the electric attraction that blazed between them soon culminated in a night of explosive passion that would change Colin’s life forever.

Here is the tantalizing conclusion to Saskia Walker’s sizzling erotic series, Loving on the Edge, about the hard-working, hard-loving O’Neil brothers.

Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Paranormal romance released by Ballantine 4 Nov 08

I can’t quit Laurell K. Hamilton.  She writes a total piece of crap like Mistral’s Kiss and I think it’s safe to quit the Merry Gentry series.  Then she follows it up with A Lick of Frost, a one-two punch of featuring my favorite character from the series and more plot.  Fortunately, Swallowing Darkness makes me happy I haven’t been able to quit her yet.  (The lame double entendre title does cause a wince every time I think about it.) 

To be honest, I can deal with more sex in the Merry novels since the plot requires sex.  It does make sense to slow down on that some now that she is pregnant, but some fans may dislike the fact Swallowing Darkness has something like one full and two aborted sex scenes.  I don’t mind it, but feel there should be fair warning.  Why don’t I mind it?  Because the sex is replaced by movement of the plot.  And I love it when the plot moves, since LKH often seems to forget she’s telling a story.

Merry’s pregnant and should thus be declared the winner of the race to the Unseelie throne, but things are never that simple.  She has to protect her children and their fathers, which may require some extreme measures.  The violence isn’t up there with the early Anita Blake books, but there are several great battle scenes.  In between battles comes the political maneuvering.  After all, one of the fathers is already a king, and the Seelie King Taranis is claiming he’s actually the father.

There are no new characters, so if you don’t like the personalities of Merry and her men, don’t hold out hope for the hope of someone new.  (Although I can’t imagine someone making it so far in the series if not for the characters.)  I do think LKH does a good job of giving the men different personalities despite the large number present.  This one has a lot more Sholto than any since A Kiss of Shadows, which I thought was a good thing.  I rather thought that one was building him up to be more of a main character before he got shunted over by some of the others.  (Is Galen going to get his day in the limelight soon?)

Everything builds to a satisfying climax.  LKH ties off threads, completes the story she started in the novel, and finishes several of the stories she started in others.  While there are many plots left to explore in the future novels, the end of Swallowing Darkness feels like an end, rather than a convenient point to stop writing. Overall, it feels more like LKH at the top of her game rather than the dreck she’s been putting out lately.

I fell in love with LKH’s writing.  Then I fell out, but couldn’t tear free because I was attached to the characters.  Swallowing Darkness made me happy I hadn’t torn free, even moreso than A Lick of Frost, and I hope she keeps giving Merry the meaty plot she deserves.  Otherwise I may have to hate myself again for not having the willpower to stay away.  (At least my relationship with the Merry books is far less dramatic than that with the Anitas.)

Grade: A-

Read more reviews by following the series tag.

Summary:
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I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child-twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children.
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Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt’s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court-and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen.
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But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me.
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I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price-for I am truly my father’s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything-even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie.
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Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Lawson’s review of The Pagan Stone (Sign of Seven, Book 3) by Nora Roberts
Paranormal romance released by Jove 25 Nov 08

Book three of the Sign of Seven trilogy follows Gage and Cybil and also ties up the series about Hawkins Hollow. If you haven’t been reading the series, it’s about three childhood friends who released an evil on their town unknowingly on their 10th birthdays. Every seven years the evil has returned, and this time it’s set to end everything. However, Gage, Cal and Fox have Quinn, Cybil and Layla to help them, as well as paranormal gifts, to end the evil once and for all.

The tone of this story is rather different than the other two. Gage is dealing with his childhood still, which involved his alcoholic and abusive father. He’s restless and can’t stay in one place too long, but he always knows he has to come back to Hawkins Hollow for “the Seven”. As he’s seen his two friends fall in love, he feels he may be up as well, but he knows Cybil doesn’t like having her fate laid out for her any more than he does.

Gage, like Fox and Cal, was given a gift to help fight the evil on that fateful 10th birthday. Cal can see the past, Fox the present and Gage the future. Gage has used it time and again to help him get out of a tight spot or make some money to keep him going when he’s not in Hawkins Hollow. Cybil also has the gift of sight, and the two of them together, when they finally get together, really do work well using their gift as well as the inevitable fall.

Everything the other two books gets tied up here, dealing with the Seven and what that’s going to do to the six people who are fighting it, as well as the destinies of all of them and the glimpse of a good future. Gage and Cybil did seem to have the most to bring to a relationship taking shape, not just their gifts, but their pasts and how that made them the people that they are. The shedding of their fears and giving in to what is meant to be fate could be cliched, but it’s told well enough to work with the story and who the characters are.

Grade: B

Read more reviews and info by following the series’ tag.

Summary:
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The Pagan Stone had stood for hundreds of years, long before three boys gathered around it to spill their blood in a bond of brotherhood, unwittingly releasing a force bent on destruction …Gage Turner has been running from his past for a long time. The son of an abusive drunk, his childhood in the small town of Hawkins Hollow was tough – his only solace his friendship with Fox O’Dell and Caleb Hawkins. But, aged ten, the boys unleashed evil on their town: every seven years murder and mayhem reign, and each cycle is more extreme than the last.
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Now Gage has returned home to help his friends save Hawkins Hollow, but a lifetime as a loner has made him wary of emotional ties. And who can make plans for the future when their present is so uncertain? For unless they find a way to use the Pagan Stone against the demonic force, everything they know and love will be destroyed …
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of For the Love of Jazz by Shiloh Walker
Contemporary Romance published by Samhain 25 Nov 08

This is my monthly open-a-drawer-and-see-what-you-find read. Ever since I read and reviewed Ms. Walker’s The Missing, I’ve wanted to read something else by her, so when I pulled this book out of the drawer, I put all the others that came before it back for another day. I have to let you know, though, my copy of this book is from 2004. It has since been republished by Samhain and it has been revised and expanded, according to their website. ‘Course, didn’t know that until just now, but I’m assuming the gist of the book is the same and I’m hopefully not missing anything super critical. At least I hope so.

What I like the most so far about Ms. Walker’s books are her characters and how she draws me into their lives, their families, their loves, their hurts, their joys, their tragedies, and all of those things happen at the beginning of this book. Jasper, aka Jazz, goes through hell as a kid with a stepfather who beats him and his mother until his mother finally can’t take anymore, her actions leaving Jazz alone in the world. He’s taken in by his best friend’s, Alex Kincaid, family. He loves them as he did his own mother, except for Anne-Marie. He could never look at her as a sister, she was so much more to him, even at their young age.

Tragedy strikes again when Jazz and Alex are in a major car accident. Alex dies and Jazz is left with the guilt because he’s told he was behind the wheel, although he can’t remember what truly happened. Soon after the funeral Jazz leaves town and it’s sixteen years before he comes back to Briarwood to find out what really happened that night. He’s lost his wife to cancer, but she gave him Mariah, his daughter. Mariah becomes ill and Jazz takes her to the local pediatrician, and that brings him face to face with Anne-Marie once more. She thought she’d never see Jazz again. She always believed he’d never been responsible for the accident that killed her brother and seeing him after all these years, she knows she’s right.

Thus begins the love between them as well as the nightmare that is working to tear them apart. Now that Jazz is back in town, people are dying and it’s a good thing he has an alibi each time because the killer is trying to frame Jazz for the murders. If the unexpected hadn’t happened each time the bodies were found, Jazz would be in jail. With the help of Anne and his cousin Tate, the sheriff, he’s determined to find out who despises him so much they’d kill to be rid of him. The author does a great job of keeping you guessing who done it. My suspect, the one I’m sure she wanted me to suspect, was eventually killed and then I was as stumped as I was when the whole thing started.

Jazz and Anne-Marie are a wonderful couple and I’m glad they found each other after so long and after so much heartache. Watching Jazz not want to hurt those he loves just by being near them, especially Dr. Kincaid, his second father, is so emotional for him each time they come in contact. But love triumphs and Jazz once again has his family back.

I’m glad I picked this book up. I’ll be doing the same each time I come across one of Ms. Walker’s books when digging through the TBR pile,  with no hesitation whatsoever.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Someone wants a secret to stay buried—even if it means murder.
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Since waking up in a hospital at age eighteen, accused of driving the car that killed his best friend, Jazz McNeil has lived with a guilty heart. Now, more than a decade later, he has returned to his hometown to raise his daughter and to uncover the truth about what happened that fateful summer. And gaze into the eyes of the girl whose life he shattered.
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Though Anne-Marie Kincaid was told that Jazz was responsible for her brother’s death all those years ago, she has never quite believed it. The facts don’t quite fit; they never did. All she knows is, she still feels loved and safe when she’s with Jazz, and that he misses her brother just as much as she.
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Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of Red (Dead World, Book 1) by Jordan Summers
Urban Fantasy Romance released by Tor Paranormal Romance 4 Nov 08

I read a lot of urban fantasy.  I read a lot of historicals, too.  Okay, okay.  I just plain read a lot.  But I still read a lot of urban fantasy and when I find a new UF series, I can normally tell within a few chapters if it’s a series I’ll want to follow.  I think this is one I’ll likely follow, if for no other reason than its interesting mix of genres. 

This series is placed in a believable alternate future.  The world is a post-apocalyptic, depleted ozone layer world where even human bodies are recycled for their base elements, etc.  The North American federal governments have broken down into individual republics (seems to be a popular premise these days) and violent crime is rare.  In Summers’s world we have the Others: a variety of beings who, because of government-sponsored genetic manipulation, are vampires, werewolves, etc.  A much rumored, never proven sub-species of humans.

Unbeknownst to her for much of the book (but patently obvious to the reader, so this is really no spoiler), our heroine is part Other.  She is also a member of a cross-republic law enforcement squad who roams the wastelands looking for crimes.  When the squad she’s assigned to finds a particularly grisly murder, they begin an investigation that thrusts our heroine into a world she had only heard rumors and innuendo about – a world that completely changes what she knows about herself and her family.  A world that brings her in touch with her mate.

This was a fun-to-read book with a very good murder mystery, good political sub-plots, and some fun world-building.  The romance is hot and well developed and most of the characterizations are very interesting.  The only problem I had with the book is the amount of real estate spent on the world-building, but I think that is an unavoidable side effect of a first book in a series that relies so heavily on sci-fi-like aspects.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a cross between contemporary paranormal romance, thriller, sci-fi romance, and urban fantasy.  This is a new author to me, so it’s tough to say whether it’s indicative of her writing in general, but I did find the story arc flowed well.  It’s an all around good story that should, based on what I read on the author’s site, develop in interesting directions.

Grade: B

Summary:
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War is brewing in a near-future world where murder is all but unheard of and the existence of creatures known as the Others has yet to be proven. In the end, one woman will face her fears to stand and fight.
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Gina Santiago is a member of an elite tactical team in charge of protecting the world. She’s devoted her life to apprehending the most heinous criminals that prey on society-and now she’s after the worst one yet.
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On her own, with no backup, the trail takes her to a dusty, tight-knit town on the fringes of society, where everyone’s a suspect. Even the sexy sheriff, Morgan Hunter, isn’t telling her everything.
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The closer Gina comes to finding out the secret of this sleepy little town and its big, bad sheriff, the more scared she gets-because she’s beginning to realize that she has a secret, too. A secret that will change her life…and make her the killer’s next prey.

Read an excerpt (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

and Crimson (Book 3), coming Nov 2009

Sandy M’s review of Cat of a Different Color (Halle Pumas, Book 3) by Dana Marie Bell
Contemporary Paranormal Romance eBook published by Samhain 18 Nov 08

What a fun book this is.  There’s just enough humor interspersed throughout combined with the action to make this a quick read where you’ll laugh out loud quite a bit. The rest of the time you’re just chuckling. Well, at least when you’re not cheering the hero on to kick the villain’s ass, that is.

Adrian is happy as can be in his single status; he doesn’t need the mating bliss his two best friends have recently found. Sheri doesn’t want a mate either but for very different reasons. She’s on the run from a wolf who abused her and then savagely attacked her. She’s come back to the Halle Pumas for protection. Denying Adrian is her mate is the only way she can keep him safe from the rabid wolf who wants her for his own only because she got away.

This big, bad kitty is not about to let her go, however, now that he’s admitted Sheri is his mate. So the loving and the fighting are on. The scenes between Adrian and Sheri go from tender to hot in 4.2 seconds. The action is just as fast when Sheri is kidnapped and Adrian and his pride, with the help of the local wolf pack, are not far behind. The ensuing shapeshifting and fight bring everything to a satisfying end.

I enjoyed all the characters in this book, so much so that I’m going to be buying the first two books in the series very soon. We get a nice setup at the end between the Alpha Wolf and Belle, a puma, for the next book in the series, and it sounds like it’s going to be one heck of a time.

Grade: A

Summary:
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Dr. Adrian Giordano is quite happy with the way his life is going. His two best friends are happily mated, and he’s still
sanely single. He has friends, a thriving business, and the occasional Saturday night date. Then Sheridan Montgomery
comes to town. His inner Puma responds to the husky-voiced snow princess in a way that tells him his life is about to be
turned upside down.
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Sheri can’t believe her luck could be this bad. Instinct tells her Adrian is her mate, but the last thing she wants to do is
drag him into her messy life. She’s on the run from a big bad wolf—an ex who won’t take no for an answer. Worse, if he
catches her, he’s got the teeth (and the Pack!) to take what he wants.
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She doesn’t stand a chance alone, but with her friends—and the persistent Adrian—by her side, she might just survive.
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If her ex doesn’t eat the yummy Dr. Giordano for lunch, that is…
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Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language, a handsome, dark-eyed shifter and a couple of bites to remember.
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Enticing the Prince (Kazanov Series, Book 6) by Patricia Grasso
Historical Romance published by Zebra 1 Nov 08

This is my first book by Ms. Grasso.  For the most part I liked the storyline.  The characters only had their moments, though. I’m wondering if I had read any of the previous books in this series and had been introduced to these people earlier I would have liked them better before starting this book. Hard to say.

At times I liked the majority of the characters, but at other times a lot of them seemed stiff and awkward to me.  I blame a lot of that on the dialogue. I was surprised at the way these characters spoke, especially knowing Ms. Grasso is a very seasoned author. During certain conversations I kept thinking the passages sounded like a debut author who still has some growing to do. It was just a little too simplistic for me.

Then I had to decide if I really cared all that much for the hero.  Drako Kazanov is a very arrogant man.  Now, usually that doesn’t bother me. I think the difference is that Drako tells himself he’s handsome and wealthy and any woman would be glad to have him, so the heroine, Katerina, should be a little more appreciative of his attention. That’s just not the same as a handsome hero just being good at what he does, exuding confidence and sexuality. But I have to admit that after a bit Drako did grow on me, despite my misgivings about him. He loves children, and though he’s a playboy, he does right by Katerina and others. And he can make love. That’s a huge plus.

Katerina is definitely the more interesting of the two. She’s come to London from Russia with her siblings and daughter to exact revenge on the man who destroyed her family when he killed her father, a sister, and a brother. With her sister’s last action as proof, Kat believes it is Prince Drako who is the culprit. Through her extraordinary ability at creating jewelry for the upper crust, she is allowed into circles most average folks don’t see.  Thus, she’s able to entice the prince into loving her and then she’ll pounce. She never once thought she would develop feelings for the man, but that’s exactly what happens.

I did enjoy the secondary characters, although at first there were so many of them I couldn’t keep them straight. But once I was able to identify them in subsequent scenes, a few stood out. The Duchess of Inverary turned out to be a favorite, along with Douglas Gordon, the Marquis of Huntly.

All of the previous books in this series are in my TBR mountain and I have to say I’m curious enough now to learn more about this multi-faceted family that I’ll move them nearer the top when I come across them in the future.

Grade:B-

Summary:

The daughter of Moscow’s most celebrated jeweler, Katerina Pavlova has inherited a keen eye for gems. But when the whims of a wealthy prince bring tragedy to the Pavlovas, Katerina flees Russia with her family’s fortune. Once in London, the beguiling Katerina reinvents herself as the Contessa de Salerno, a beautiful, mysterious aristocrat with a talent for making dazzling jewelry. Soon, every lady in London desires one of her glittering creations—while every man desires the Countess herself…

Prince Drako Kazanov is one of the men who longs to seduce the Contessa. But Katerina is convinced that Drako is the man behind her family’s downfall and she’s determined to exact vengeance. When Drako learns Katerina’s true identity, he promises secrecy for a price—her complete surrender to their mutual attraction. Katerina has no choice but to become Drako’s mistress…a role she finds more pleasurable than she ever imagined. But when an unseen enemy tries to kill both her and Drako, Katerina must choose between her life—and her newfound love…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Tall, Dark and Kilted by Allie Mackay
Contemporary Paranormal Time Travel Romance released by Signet 4 Nov 08

I usually give an author a second try when I read one of her books and it doesn’t do much for me. Just because I don’t care for one book doesn’t mean the same is going to happen with the next.  Too bad that’s not what happened in this case.  In fact, I liked this book even less than the first, Highlander In Her Bed. I have yet to read the book that comes between these two and I doubt when I find it in the TBR pile that I ever will.

I remember thinking Highlander in Her Bed had too many silly elements to it to be a really good read, but this book has that one beat by a mile. The hero has been cursed and for the last seven hundred years he’s been pleasuring women left and right, sporting a constant hard-on that he hides behind his battle shield that he keeps handy for such purpose.  Okay, I’m one who can suspend disbelief for the sake of a story, so I let this bit go, hoping for something, I don’t know, more, different, whatever. However, I certainly wasn’t ready for the rest of this book.

What I got was said Highlander squeezing the hell out of his penis because, although his original curse has been lifted, a new one has taken its place — he must not become fully aroused for the next year or the first curse will come back with a vengeance, new additions to it to make him even more crazed than he was due to the initial curse.  His painful squeeze is due to meeting the heroine, of course.  Later he binds himself flatter than a pancake with his tartan so he can at least pleasure the heroine and not be condemned to hell and back for it.  Please.

This is all way too much, even for me.  On top of that, the characters never really have any serious contact, let alone conversations or anything else, before they’re falling for each other on looks alone.  Yeah, I know that’s how some relationships can start, but here the hero is a ghost and she’s in denial about that for quite some time, telling herself he’s a charlatan.  It’s not until much later when he comes clean and tells her about his curse that the book settles down and could become an interesting read. By then they’re already in love just based on seeing each other around the castle and interacting with boring secondary characters grousing about a huge, irritating bird.

Despite all this, the hero and heroine are likable characters, at least enough so that my grade didn’t go down any further.  But after this I just have no desire whatsoever to try this author again. There’s too many other really good books out there for me to waste my time on ones like this.

Grade: D

Summary:

A good man is hard to find…

Cilla Swanner has been jilted by her lover, and is struggling with a jewelry business that’s far from sparkling. She needs a getaway to someplace quiet and remote. Someplace like Dunroamin Castle in Scotland, where her aunt and uncle run a retirement home in the majestic Highlands. But what she finds there may be more than she can handle…

Or is it the other way around?

Centuries ago, the roguish Scots knight known as Hardwick was renowned for his swordsmanship both on and off the battlefield. Then a traveling bard cursed him to wander the world forever, pleasing a different woman each night with no hope of fulfillment or true love. Until he meets Cilla—who may be his only hope for salvation…

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Broken Wing by Judith James
Historical Romance published by Medallion Press 1 Nov 08

Every now and again a story comes along that pulls at your heart, wrings emotion out of you until nothing is left, defies you to hope for that happily ever after that you take for granted in every romance book you pick up. This is definitely one of those books for me. The fact that this is Ms. James’ debut book makes it all the more special.

The beginning of the book gives us Gabriel realizing his life is about to get worse than it’s ever been. The one person who is his friend in the horrible world Gabriel has grown up in is about to return to his family.  He has protected James for the last five years, something that has kept Gabriel living.  Gabriel has been thoroughly tutored in the art of sex.  He is more than capable of pleasuring a woman or a man.  He is highly valuable to the brothel he’s been in nearly all his life. Too many times his hope over the years has been crushed, so now with the prospect of not even having James in his life, the world is a very dim place for Gabriel.

Until he meets Lady Sarah Munroe and Ross, the Earl of Huntington, James’ siblings. They offer him more hope than he’s ever had in his life. To repay him for befriending their brother, for bearing any punishments that were to be given to the child, for keeping his innocence intact, they offer Gabriel a place in their home as a companion to James. Grasping onto that lifeline, Gabriel leaves the hell of his existence behind. It takes some getting used to, not expecting people to take from him at every turn, but eventually Gabe finds peace.  He also learns how to love, all with the help of Sarah.  Her tenderness and her love saves him even from himself.

Once their love is declared, Gabriel is determined to take care of Sarah with money made with his own hands.  What he has learned since leaving the brothel is privateering on the high seas, so he heads out one last time to make his fortune so he and his love can be together forever. Of course, we know that isn’t going to happen any time soon, Gabriel has to go through so much more before total happiness is his.  I found myself thinking over and over again when is this man going to get a break. When he is lost at sea, he ends up in the hands of a man from his past, and this is what nearly breaks the hero my heart has gone out to since the first page of the book.

I love Sarah’s character because she never condemns Gabriel for what has been done to him, as a lot of people have.  He is always afraid to tell her that next horror of his life, but when he does he never receives recriminations from her. He gets nothing but understanding, love, and tenderness, something he doesn’t know what do to with in the beginning. But he’s a man who craves such things and he latches on to both Sarah and her loving ways to find the happiness in life others take for granted.

This is a wonderfully written book. Your heart will break, then soar, break again, and then wonder if it will ever soar again during this story. I did want to scream at Gabriel during the second half of the book when he seemed to give up too quickly, but I simply couldn’t because not only of what he’d been through, but also because of how he sees himself, which without Sarah, is something he doesn’t see very clearly.  Ms. James has given us a beautiful romance and love story with characters who will stay in your heart for a long time to come.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Abandoned as a child and raised in a brothel, Gabriel St. Croix has never known tenderness, friendship or affection. Although fluent in sex, he knows nothing of love. Lost and alone inside a nightmare world, all he’s ever wanted was companionship and a place to belong. Hiding physical and emotional scars behind an icy façade, his only relationship is with a young boy he has spent the last five years protecting from the brutal reality of their environment. But all that is about to change. The boy’s family has found him, and they are coming to take him home.

Sarah Munroe blames herself for her brother’s disappearance. When he’s located, safe and unharmed despite where he as been living. Sarah vows to help the man who rescued and protected him in any way she can. With loving patience she helps Gabriel face his demons and teaches him to trust in friendship and love. But when the past catches up with him, Gabriel must face it on his own.

Becoming a mercenary, pirate and a professional gambler, Gabriel travels to London, France, and the Barbary Coast in a desperate attempt to find Sarah again and all he knows of love. On the way, however, he will discover the most dangerous journey, and the greatest gamble of all, is within the darkest reaches of his own heart.

Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Dancing With the Devil by Laura Drewry
Historical paranormal romance released by Leisure 25 Nov 08

Dear Satan,

…And he should be smart and funny. I don’t care what he looks like as long as he’s good in bed and has a really big…

Oh, wait, that’s my letter to Santa. Oops. I get so confused sometimes.

I’m one of the pickier reviewers on this site, and I’ve joked before that writing bad reviews is like making a sacrifice to you, my Dark Master. Not that this is a bad review. My reaction to the book was actually kind of “meh”, hence my need to spice up a normally bland review in this way. So it’s only fair that I should talk to you about your son, as described in Laura Drewry’s latest novel. I figured you wouldn’t mind, since it takes a lot of hubris to write a letter to you, and I’m thinking those other reviewers who write epistolary reviews aren’t in the habit of being critical of the devil himself. Anyway, now that we’ve established that I do, in fact, have titanium cojones, let’s go on with the review… 

First, I congratulate you on inspiring the blurb, which actually doesn’t bear much resemblance to the plot. And since readers do want to know what a book is about, I guess this means I’ll have to try and summarize the story. Basically, Rhea’s not all that happy when Deacon comes back into town. She was doing fine without him, running her parents’ store, but then he shows up at her door and all the heartache she experienced because of him rushes back and she shoots him. To add insult to injury, she did so in public, and because she’d pretended Deacon was her husband, he has to stay with her until they can figure out a way to end the charade. She’s not expecting love from Deacon. She knows he’s not capable of it. But she still can’t help the way she feels about him.

Deacon, for his part, has returned to Pennance, Texas, with one thing on his mind. He needs to ease the pain in Rhea’s heart, because he feels it in his own. Only then can he return to hell and do whatever it is your kids do in their spare time. What he doesn’t count on is the fact that Rhea pretended they were married, and the fact that once he’s back in her life, he can’t leave her so easily.

To give the devil your due (heh, did you like that, O Father of Lies?) I really liked the first book in this series. The pun on your daughter Lucy Fir’s name was hellish (yeah, kind of like the one I just made), but she was unique and refreshing, and Deacon, your son, was someone I loved to hate. He was vain and evil and soulless and creepy, and he served as a good foil for the actual hero,.

So what happened, O Master? Why did he have to turn into a giant woobie in this book? Not to criticize your mad parenting skills, but, dude, really! You beat the sexiness out of him.

Or maybe you had the last laugh, after all? I mean, Rhea, Deacon’s love interest, is so shrill and impulsive and keen to jump to erroneous conclusions that I wanted to smack her. Oh, and let’s not forget that she’s one of those heroines who conveniently espouses 21st century ideals about how men can’t tell her what to do but still manages to be scandalized that Deacon wants to touch her. Living with her could certainly not be worse than actually hanging out with you in the lake of fire. I couldn’t understand why you were so keen to get Deacon back since a life with Rhea would have certainly kept him sufficiently miserable.

I did like that Ms. Drewry didn’t actually bring you into the story itself. You are, as you should be, a shadowy presence of great menace. Well, except for the fact that this is a romance novel, and you’ve already lost one of your kids, so… yeah… You’re shadowy and abusive but not terribly menacing. Much as I imagine you are in all those other books where your kids run amok on Earth.

I didn’t hate this book. There were parts I really liked. I liked that there was some moral ambiguity, and it was nice to read that Rhea’s tragically dead parents weren’t saints. The secondary romance between Rhea’s helper at the store and a local girl was cute, and said store employee was a great character. I also liked the introduction of your other daughter, Kit. Sadly, though, for you, I’m sure Kit gets her own book, and then where will you be? Alone and unloved, with only the screams of the damned to comfort you in your time of need. Ah, well, you’ll always have this letter.

Will I continue to read the series? I would be interested in reading Kit’s story, but I’m a little worried that these books could get predictable very easily, and I would hate to see that, as paranormal westerns are still a very awesome and rare thing.

Until next we meet,
Your Faithful Servant

Grade: C

Summary:

Hell Hath No Fury. . .

Deacon knew Rhea wouldn’t exactly be happy to see him again. But he didn’t think she’d shoot him. Right in the shoulder, no less. He’d experienced worse pain in his life, though. Besides, now Rhea would have to let him stay until she could nurse him back to health. Oh, the hardship.

Like A Woman Scorned

His convalescence would give Deacon a chance to convince Rhea he’d turned over a new leaf, that he was no longer the son-of-a-devil who up and left her all those years ago in a puff of sulphurous smoke. Now he’s a man who knows what he wants. And no matter what kind of trouble Rhea has gotten into while he was away, what he wants more than anything is to win her heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Talk of the Town by Karen Hawkins
Contemporary Romance released by Pocket 18 Nov 08

With all the Karen Hawkins historical books on my shelves, you’d think one of those would have been my first read of hers.  Nope.  Instead I started off with her first contemporary book, and I’m glad I did.  I had a heck of a good time with this book.  It’s full of laughter and fun, and I chuckled out loud a number of times.  Ms. Hawkins has a wicked sense of humor and I can only hope I find some of it when I finally read her historicals.

Roxie and Nick spent four glorious weeks together when they were in high school.  They went their separate ways after an argument, both eventually leaving Glory, the small North Carolina town they couldn’t wait to get out of.  Roxie was brought up by a mother who wanted everything perfect, but that only came across as snobby to the kids in school.  So she ended up marrying a man she later realized she never loved.  Nick was the bad boy who went through girlfriend after girlfriend, until it came to Roxie.  But that’s something she never knew back then.  He finally got his act together, ended up on the straight and narrow by becoming a cop.

Nick has been back in Glory for a couple of years now.  He’s the sheriff, does everything by the book after going through a rough time at the Atlanta PD where he’d turned himself around with the help of a mentor who was more like a father than anything else.  It’s peace and quite he craves after the big city and he’s found it in Glory.  But when Roxie comes barreling back into town, with her brother and a maid in tow, when her mother needs help after a heart attack, she ends being the talk of town because she’s not the Roxie they remember.  It’s not the Roxie he remembers either, but the lust still hits him fast and hard just like it did all those years ago.

She found her husband in bed with someone else, which led to a huge dip in her self-esteem, so it’s time for her to make some changes.  And make them she does.  Roxie goes blonde, gets a belly ring and a tattoo, along with an attitude adjustment.  No longer is she the timid, shy girl Glory knew in the past.  She goes for what she wants now, and she definitely wants Nick.  But Nick tries to keep his distance, not wanting anything to distract him from his job.  He learned a hard lesson in Atlanta and he’s not about to let the same thing happen to him in Glory.  He finds keeping his hands off Roxie is harder than he’d ever imagined, however.

In the middle of all of this is Roxie’s mother, one of those controlling, take-charge women who don’t listen to what anyone wants. It’s what she wants that matters.  Roxie and Mark have an adult perspective when it comes to their mother now and they treat her accordingly, which gives us some great scenes between them.  Tundy, Roxie’s maid, is helping taking care of Mrs. Treymayne, and she is a hoot!  My heavens, the things that come out of that woman’s mouth are hilarious. She nearly steals every scene she’s in.

Then there’s the Murder Mystery Club whose members are senior citizens who reside in an assisted living home, and they buck the rules every darned chance they get.  Roxie ends up trying to solve a murder with them, which frustrates Nick to no end, but he eventually comes to realize he needs all the help he can get, thus riotous pandemonium ensues.

One of the best scenes in the book is the showdown between Roxie and Robin, the mayor’s girlfriend.  Nick and Susan, his dispatcher, are present for the entire thing, with Susan interpreting every move for the poor man.  It’s all womanspeak and I laughed through the entire scene.  Absolutely priceless.  Also, the revealing of the seniors’ still they’ve been using since the owner’s death was great funny twist in their murder mystery.  There’s a number of other scenes like that throughout the book, all making it so worth the read.

I’m hoping Ms. Hawkins might write another book about Glory and its citizens with Mark and Susan as the main characters.  There’s something there, given to us in bits and pieces, and I think it would be fun to find out what can happen between them.  I checked her website, though, and didn’t see anything about it.  At least it’s something to ponder, Ms. Hawkins.  Please consider it!

Grade: A+

Summary:

DO BLONDS HAVE MORE FUN?

Newly divorced Roxie Treymayne is dying to find out. After years of being the perfect Southern lady, all she ended up with was a cheating husband. So she goes bombshell blond, gets a provocatively placed tattoo, and prepares to live it up as a Bad Girl. But then her mother falls ill, Roxie is forced to return to Glory, North Carolina where, no matter how she dresses now, she’s known by one and all as ‘that nice Treymayne girl.’ Only Roxie is feeling anything BUT nice!

HE’D LOVE TO KNOW.

Once the town bad boy, Nick Sheppard is now Glory’s highly respected sheriff. When the hot blonde he stops for speeding turns out to be formerly prim Homecoming Queen Roxanne Treymayne, Nick doesn’t quite know where to look – though he’d like a much closer one at the tattoo peeking from her shorts.

BUT IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO.

Roxie and Nick had a steamy fling in high school, but a love affair between a Southern princess and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks was doomed from the start. Now they have a second chance. Can they get it right? Or will they just end up . . . the talk of the town?

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Shannon C.’s review of Demon Bound (The Guardians, Book 7) by Meljean Brook
Paranormal romance released by Berkley 4 Nov 08

I emailed Meljean asking for an e-arc of Demon Bound before its release date, which was, for those of you paying attention, in November. She graciously sent me the book and then I promptly… didn’t read it. I realize that the book release date is not merely a friendly suggestion when presented with an ARC, and Ms. Brook doubtless would have appreciated the positive review at the actual, y’know, release date. So if she’s reading this, she has my permission to tell Sybil to beat me, whip me, and make me write bad checks. Because I loved this book.

I honestly wasn’t sure that Alice would work for me as a heroine. Creepy Victorian woman with a gift for skulking and a penchant for spiders who’s supposed to bring the heart of the leader of the Guardians to a demon? I wasn’t interested. I should have trusted Ms. Brook’s storytelling better than that, because eventually I came to love Alice. She’ll never be a Lilith or a Savi, but we can’t all be that flavor of kick-ass. And I think that drawing distinct characters is something Ms. Brook does well. I can tell the difference between Charlie and Lilith and Alice in their dialogue from book to book, same with Jake and Ethan and Colin.

Jake, our Vietnam war soldier turned novice guardian, is very compelling as well. I loved that he was kind of an idiot, and had to grow up over the course of the story. I love that his relationship with Alice makes him a better person, and not because Alice is so gosh darn pure that he can’t help himself. No, it all flows together naturally.

I wouldn’t recommend reading this latest entry in the Guardians series if you’re not a little bit familliar with the world. Yet again, Ms. Brook shoves the reader into the plot and expects us to keep up. And the plot here is intricate and byzantine enough to satisfy me.

There were a few things that I noticed that drew me out of the story a bit. The first is subjective, and likely won’t matter to anyone else. But Jake’s Kansas is straight out of the Wizard of Oz movie. I promise, the entire state does consist of other things beyond flat boring wheat fields. And sometimes I find the way Ms. Brook introduces future characters a tad jarring. They’re just kind of there, with no prelude or mention of them at any time previously.

The Guardians series is meaty paranormal romance at its best. It’s the epitome of what the genre can be but so often isn’t, and I highly recommend readers start at the beginning, with Demon Angel [Ed.: or the short story in Hot Spell.] and fall in love with this world as much as I have.

Grade: A-
Read other reviews of books in this series by clicking on its tag.

Summary:
Alice Grey is known as the Black Widow – a woman trapped in a web spun by the demon Teqon. Jake Hawkins is a novice Guardian whose gift of teleportation could be invaluable to Alice in determining her next move. But can they survive when fear and secrets threaten not just their lives and souls, but the fate of the universe?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series, in reading order:

Shannon C.’s review of Moonfire (Pure Wildfire Series, Book 3) by Lynne Connolly
Contemporary paranormal romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 12 Nov 08

I like Lynne Connolly’s Pure Wildfire books. They’re probably my favorite series she’s got going at the moment, as each of the stories that I’ve read has been consistently readable. Moonfire is no exception, and while it isn’t my favorite entry in the series due to a villain who was so obvious he should have been wearing a neon sign proclaiming, “I AM THE VILLAIN!” it is still a nice addition to the canon. 

Like all of the Pure Wildfire books, this one stands out on its own very well. Up to this point, readers of the series didn’t know much about Jake Keys, the bass player for rock sensation Pure Wildfire, a band composed of talents — this world’s paranormal beings. But this is Jake’s story. He is called back to Springwater, Texas, a town he’d left over a hundred years ago, when his wife is murdered. He doesn’t know much about who killed Cheryl at first, but he does know her sexy yet vulnerable business partner, Teri, didn’t do it.

I usually like Ms. Connolly’s heroines, and Teri was no exception, although I did have a few problems with her. I liked that she is suitably overwhelmed with all the stuff that’s going on around her, and in particular her feelings for Jake. I also liked that she was determined not to be a notch on his bedpost. That seems like a very realistic romantic conflict, and it comes together surprisingly well. My problem, though, is that I thought she veered a bit too much into martyr heroine territory. I understood her reasons for not clarifying that she and Cheryl didn’t have a sexual relationship, but I still found the reasons a bit silly and I thought they added a needless layer of complication. Also, I kind of lost some respect for her due to her relationship with the villain, who, as mentioned above, is not subtle. At all.

Jake is much more likeable, but then, I like Ms. Connolly’s men. Jake is easygoing and a genuinely nice guy, and I loved that he fell head over heels for Teri very quickly, and allowed her her independence without crowding her. Also, the story of Jake as it relates to the town of Springwater was quite sad, and there were a few moments, like when he thinks he’s got to leave Teri forever, where I wanted to reach into the book and give him a hug. Also, I thought his arrangement with Cheryl was interesting, and I felt his grief at losing such a good friend.

The plots in the paranormals I’ve read by Ms. Connolly all tend to lead up to the same thing. The terrorist group out to destroy talents suspects someone, they move in and threaten the heroine, and the hero comes to the rescue. This was no exception, but for the most part I liked it in a comfort-read sort of way. I did, however, have issues with the villain, who is so creepy/obsessive that I couldn’t believe the heroine never once picked up on how obvious he was being about it. And the actual history of the villain made me roll my eyes. A lot.

This is one of the more original paranormal romance series I’ve heard about, and I am sad that there’s only going to be the one more book for me to enjoy. If you’re like me and enjoy a meatier ebook for your money, this is definitely one to try. And, having written this review, I just noticed that Thunderfire, the last book in the series, was recently released! I know exactly what my book budget is getting spent on!

Grade: B

Read other reviews of books in this series by clicking on its tag.

Summary:
One look at Teri Gilpatrick and Jake Keys wants her so bad he can’t think straight. The trouble is, she’s in prison, accused of the murder of his wife, Cheryl. He has to get her free before the people who killed Cheryl come for her too.

But can a shape-shifting firebird, a member of the hottest rock band on the planet, persuade a sassy, independent woman to take a chance on him? Once, that is, she’s not under sentence of death. From the law and from the hidden group seeking to destroy Jake’s band, Pure Wildfire.

Teri’s only salvation is the incredibly sexy Jake Keys, but she wants far more from him than that. Maybe more than he wants to give. And she won’t settle for second best. She wants Jake, and everything he has to offer. Fiery passion and everlasting love. And the amazing Talent he holds.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Liviania’s review of The Black Ship (Crosspointe, Book 2) by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Fantasy released by ROC 4 Nov 08

For some reason, I like reading about people on ships.  Well, about sailors.  I’ve been on a boat before and know just getting ferried around isn’t a particularly exciting experience.  But something about the camaraderie and skill needed to safely sail captures my imagination.  (Sea battles don’t hurt either.  Nothing like a good battle to liven up a story.)

With these requirements, I really got into The Black Ship.  Navigator Sylbrac refused to let people close due to his past.  He realizes he needs to fix his attitude, but doesn’t get much of a chance before his guild betrays him.  He’s taken by an unregistered ship and determined to keep his crew alive.  Unfortunately, the captain only cares about finding his lost wife, sylveth in the water can turn men into monsters, and pirates raid to capture navigators.  (Without a navigator and compass the ships can’t avoid the sylveth in the open sea.)

While this is a novel of Crosspointe, knowledge of the first entry (The Cipher) is not necessary.  The main characters of The Black Ship are either new or tangentially related.  The plot does build on events from the previous book, but the previous book’s events are succinctly summarized without being much of an info dump.  In fact, The Black Ship might be better read without The Cipher.

Diana Pharaoh Francis starts the book strong and continues in that vein – the characters are well-done and the language has a good rhythm to it.  The plot isn’t overly complex as it basically amounts to the ship needs to deliver its cargo so Sylbrac can find out who killed his brother and the captain can find his wife.  There are hints of politics, which always pleases me, but not too much as Sylbrac is not an overly political man.

Then Francis drops the ball.  The book ends with a total lack of climax.  (Warning: The rest of this paragraph could be construed as a spoiler.  I don’t really see it as such, but this is a just in case.)  Sylbrac and Captain Plusby are simply told their answers before they deliver the goods.  The book then ends while they go off on the last leg of the journey.  Their HEAs are left hanging, the ship doesn’t reach its goal, and the answers (for the most part provided by The Cipher) are delivered in a speech rather than slowly revealed.  No lie, as I closed the book I wondered where the last hundred pages were.

I absolutely want to read the next Crosspointe book.  I love the world Francis developed and want to see the characters succeed in saving their home.  However, the next one better have a real ending.  The abrupt ending truly shocked me out of the groove the book at pulled me into and I’m not sure I can take repeated whiplash.

Grade: C+*
*Until I turned the last page and realized there wasn’t any more I was ready to give it a B+

Summary:
Thorn is a member of the Pilot’s Guild—those who possess the magical ability to navigate Crosspointe’s deadly seas. When a malevolent master within the Guild bans him from the sea, it seems his life is over. Then he is kidnapped and forced to serve aboard the rogue ship Eidolon—pitch black from bow to stern—and Thorn finds himself battling a mad captain, a mutinous crew, and the terrifying magic of the sea.

But there is a saboteur on board, trying to make sure the Eidolon never arrives safely in port. Thorn begins to realize his kidnapping may have been no mere chance— and that the cargo the black ship carries may seal his doom…
Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Liviania’s review of Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk
Urban fantasy released by ROC 4 Nov 08

I love all sorts of urban fantasy, but I definitely have a soft-spot for the currently ubiquitous female solving crimes.  Due to that ubiquity I’m constantly afraid when I start reading one of those books because there’s a strong chance it might be terrible.   When I first learned protagonist Allie Beckstrom’s magic worked different from most, I winced.  Fortunately Devon Monk assuaged my worries with an excellent story.

One of the coolest parts of Magic to the Bone is the worldbuilding.  Allie’s world recently discovered magic and the people believe they have most of the rules figured out.  But Monk begins developing a larger picture for the series, and there’s apparently quite a bit hidden from mainstream knowledge.

What Allie does know is her magic comes with a heavy price.  Not only does she pay the physical price like other magic users, she also loses bits of her memory.  It’s an interesting device that comes into play most effectively at the end of the novel.  Until then I thought it was a just a nifty idea, but the finish made me curious about how Allie’s memory loss will play out through a series of novels.

To be honest, I think that’s one Monk did best: arouse my curiosity.  Magic to the Bone, on its own, is a good mystery/adventure with a likeable heroine, a mysterious hero, and cute supporting characters.  Allie solves the cases she set out to solve: who hurt Mama’s Boy and who killed her father?  Along the way, she begins to deviate from what she knows about her world’s magic to how it is whether people know it or not.  The set-up for a larger structure doesn’t overshadow the standalone story, but does provoke small questions once the book is finished.

I think I also like Allie because Monk provides a good reason to make forgive her when she makes dumb decisions.  She’s often suffering from backlash and it’s quite difficult to make good decisions when you’re in pain.  She’s a little bit over-trusting but really has no reason not to be.  She lives in more difficult conditions than she has to, but she’s still not as tough as she thinks she is.  It’s endearing because she has a good work ethic as well as good intentions.

Zayvion, as the hero, hasn’t entirely won me over.  He remains a little too mysterious at the moment, which makes his motivations a bit murkier than I like.  But Monk did offer some insight to his past and function, so I don’t think she’ll be overly coy and prevent Allie from finding out more to the point where the question gets boring.

The reason I keep picking up the female protagonist urban fantasy books is the hope I’ll find something new I enjoy like Magic to the Bone.  My only real issue is I can’t already pick up the sequel to see if I like it as well.  I hope I do since I enjoyed the debut quite a bit.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Using magic means it uses you back, and every spell exacts a price from its user. But some people get out of it by Offloading the cost of magic onto an innocent. Then it’s Allison Beckstrom’s job to identify the spell-caster. Allie would rather live a hand-to-mouth existence than accept the family fortune—and the strings that come with it. But when she finds a boy dying from a magical Offload that has her father’s signature all over it, Allie is thrown back into his world of black magic. And the forces she calls on in her quest for the truth will make her capable of things that some will do anything to control…

Read an author’s essay on the book.

Other books in the series:

Shannon C.’s review of Retreat by Mari Carr
Erotic romantic suspense eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 27 Nov 08

With smaller turnaround times between proposals and release dates, it’s possible for an e-published author to get a very good idea of what readers are buying and write books specifically to that market, whether that’s a market they’re any good at writing or have much interest in. It’s a logical thing to do, and if I were a published author, I’d definitely want to write books I knew would sell.  But the knowledge that a book will sell doesn’t guarantee the book will be good, and even if all the elements are there to be a bestseller, the book still has to engage the reader and bring something new to the table, which is not what happened with Mari Carr’s latest.

It feels like the kind of story that was written because both menage and BDSM stories are selling well at the moment. (I don’t know whether this is true, and I wouldn’t dare to presume to speak for the author.) Unfortunately, because this story does feel so much like something that was written for the guaranteed sale, it suffers. Devon has already reviewed this book, and if you are a fan of the author, you might want to read her thoughts instead of mine. Because this book, quite frankly, sucked.

The biggest problem I had with this book was that it should have been a lot darker, and it should have been a lot less superficial. The author thankfully doesn’t go into a lot of detail about the BDSM training that our protagonists, Jon and Night, go through, and she doesn’t use the cult to titillate. But she doesn’t really explain why it was traumatic beyond a superficial explanation. I really wanted to understand exactly why it was that these men in particular felt that they couldn’t be fulfilled sexually unless they shared women, other than that that is an erotic romance trope.

The BDSM aspects that were present weren’t very heavy. They could have been left out entirely, and it wouldn’t have made any difference to the plot. Which is a shame, because I would have respected the author more if she’d pushed the envelope and actually written, y’know, a BDSM story, full-bore, with all the props and bells and whistles. Instead, she writes enough for it to be considered a little kinky, and even during the scene where the boys try to scare the heroine, Carly, away from getting involved with the federal agency’s attempts to infiltrate said cult by showing her what “hardcore BDSM” is really like, all they really do is manhandle her a little roughly and make her call them master. I at least wanted to see more definite bondage, maybe some whips and chains. Alas, no. I mean, at least if they’d gone for more of the BDSM thing, I’d have believed the heroine really was a submissive at heart. Instead, the men back off and decide they can’t use Carly in that way. So, yeah, how exactly is that going to help when she infiltrates the cult?

The plot itself, aside from the BDSM cult aspects, was not only boring but seriously paint-by-numbers. Every plot development might as well have been advertised in blinking neon lights. At one point, I was sending incredulous emails, to a very patient friend of mine, in which I predicted every exciting twist. I was never, ever wrong.

Plus, what’s not boring and paint-by-numbers is patently ridiculous. A federal agency doesn’t have enough manpower to bring down a cult without the help of the sons of its leaders? You have got to be kidding me. They don’t have enough trained professional female agents and have to resort to sekretly submissive school secretaries to infiltrate the cult when it starts up again? Please. Tell me another one. Furthermore, lots of nameless victims of domestic violence being willing to put their lives in the hands of an obvious psychopath like Cassandra and overlooking the fact that she practically has “I am fucking crazy!” tattooed on her forehead? My credulity is strained to the point of pain here.

As for the characters, well, we have Carly, who is a school secretary and sekret submissive. If a woman like her truly exists outside of Romancelandia, I think she should be taken to someone’s lab for reprogramming. Carly is wholesome, despite her sekret submissiveness, and yet, she describes herself as not being like other girls. I’m not sure what that means in this context, exactly, but considering that the other female characters in this book are a psychopathic nutjob trying to pass her evil organization off as a shelter for victims of domestic abuse and the nameless women who are stupid enough to fall for it, I can believe that. Given the other women we see, Carly really is a beacon of intelligence and bravery… except, you know, when she’s TSTL, which happens a lot. Oh, and Carly talks like a woman about four times her age. (I don’t know when I’ve ever heard a woman under 50 actually refer to a group of men as “fellas”. And Carly does. A lot. So much so that it got to be somewhat distracting, because every time she did, I kept thinking, ‘Nobody talks like that!’)

Carly is well-nuanced in comparison to Jon and Night, though. Jon and Night both have potential for being unique characters, but they don’t quite reach it. The only things that differentiated the two of them were their hair color and the different ways in which they expressed the terrible emo darkness in their soul. In fact, they both express the fact that each has half of the other’s soul. WTF does that even mean? To me, it reads like the kind of shortcut where the author doesn’t need to make her characters actual, you know, individual people, so in the end I get the impression that Carly has ended up with two manbots instead of two men. Here again, I would have liked a bit of audacity.  These boys are really, really good friends, but they are as close as brothers. If the author had made them actual brothers, I would have rolled my eyes, but she doesn’t. If she’d made them hot for each other, I’d have liked them a little more, but she doesn’t.  So, again, she treads the safe middle ground of not offending anyone’s sensibilities.  And because I didn’t like any of these people, I felt distanced from them during the sex scenes, and was mostly bored.

Also, the characters routinely refer to their relationship as a ménage. I know this is such a little thing to nitpick about, but I hate when people in contemporary erotic romance do that. I am not an expert on polyamory, but I have friends who are involved in multiple-partner relationships. None of them have ever referred to said relationship as a ménage. A threesome, yes. I’ve even heard triad. But ménage? No. Just. Fucking. No.

I know there are other Duckies on the site who love them some Mari Carr. But this book, with its overly silly plot, its underwhelming characters, and the paint-by-numbers feel has convinced me she is not for me. I can’t even recommend this book for fans of the author. It’s that awful.

Grade: F

Summary:

Jon Walker and Night Thomas lived their childhood in a cult. They embraced the lifestyle, and it was there that they were trained as BDSM Masters. Only when the cult was infiltrated by undercover agent Reilly did the boys learn of the cult’s seedy underside, and help to destroy it.

Nearly fifteen years later, Jon’s job as a high school teacher — and his lust for the school’s gorgeous secretary, Carly — bring him close to the normal life he’s always craved. Just when that life is within his grasp, Reilly returns. An incarnation of the cult has resurfaced with Jon’s evil mother at the helm, and Reilly wants Jon and Night to go undercover to stop Cassandra Walker once and for all.

Shocked by his mother’s return and his BDSM past come back to haunt him, Jon is terrified of Carly discovering his dark secrets. Including the darkest of all — his complex relationship with Night, and his unrelenting urge to share Carly with his best friend.

Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of Immortal Warrior (Immortal Brotherhood, Book 1) by Lisa Hendrix
Historical paranormal romance released by Berkley 4 Nov 08

This was an interesting book for me.  It’s a historical (medieval) paranormal romance – something I don’t read very often (not sure why that is).  And it’s an author I’ve never read before.  The mythos in the book is unfamiliar to me – I mean, I know who Odin, Thor, Loki, and Freya are, I have actually read some of their legends, but that’s about it.  So this was relatively new ground for me.  Turns out I’m glad I took the chance on this book. 

The hero and heroine were solid, three-dimensional characters who stayed true to themselves and their motivation throughout the book. No quick cop-outs (love that). The secondary characters were solid and interesting. The villain(s) were interesting and didn’t get too frustrating with Teflon-like abilities to shuck responsibility – hate it when the bad guys don’t pay.

It wasn’t a perfect novel – it was quite slow in spots.  However, if I just rolled with it, I enjoyed it, even if I did skim paragraphs here and there. It was a good solid yarn with few surprises but a very nice romance.   The story had some good action – when there was some.  There was lots of interesting historical details in the book, but that wasn’t what slowed it down; that was more due to how the story evolved than anything else.

The book’s main, and unique, premise is the hero and eight other Norse warriors are cursed by a witch to take the form of an animal either all night or all day – different animals and diurnal or nocturnal periods for each man.  You can imagine the complications this brings to a relationship.  “I love my husband, but he’s just a bear all day long.”  (::snort::  sorry – couldn’t resist)  The next few books in the series should be interesting now that the characters know how to break their curse.  This lack of knowledge really sucked some life out of the main relationship in this entry.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who thinks they need a change from the average paranormal romance.  And if you’re looking for a promising new author in the genre, this is the book for you.  I’ll definitely be looking for the next book, Immortal Outlaw, coming June 2009.  There’s no indication on the author’s site what she’s going to call this series.

Grade: B

Summary:

He came to England in search of treasure. Two hundred years later, he’s found her…

Ivar Graycloak is a brave warrior, a man known for his strength and integrity. He is also a man with a terrible secret. Long ago he was part of a Viking crew cursed by an evil sorceress to live for eternity as were-creatures. An eagle by day and a man by night, Ivar has lived a solitary existence for over two centuries. Then the king orders him to marry.

Lady Alaida is everything a man could want in a bride-intelligent, spirited, and beautiful-and their wedding night is a balm to Ivar’s lonely spirit. Then a seer brings him word of a dark vision, one that makes Ivar vow to stay away from his lovely wife forever. But now that Ivar has sampled Alaida’s passion, her humor and warmth, he is enthralled. His traitorous body-his very heart-longs for that which he
can never possess.

Lady Alaida may surprise him yet, though, for she has a power of her own-a power that will either destroy everything they hold dear or ultimately set them free…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Night Shadow (TFLAC Night Trilogy, Book 3) by Cherry Adair
Contemporary paranormal romantic suspense hardcover released by Ballantine 25 Nov 08

I think Cherry Adair is having a contest with herself to see how many different series she can have with inter-related characters.  I lost count at eleventy-million.  This trilogy is another of what I call the TFLAC novels, and is part of the Night Trilogy.  It’s the first book of the trilogy that I’ve read, but because it’s related to so many of her other books, I was able to pick up the story pretty quickly. 

I liked this story.  I liked the characters. I liked the James Bond on steroids plot.  It was a quick, fun read with lots of suspension of disbelief, but still exciting and, well, fun.  I won’t spend too much time analyzing the technical prowess of the author or how her scenes are nicely linked together in logical and exciting story arcs.  It’s just not that cerebral of a story.  It was a popcorn action flick with some romance – not a moody period piece.

I liked how Adair kept her characters consistent throughout.  She didn’t let the hero change the heroine and let the hero be fallible and flawed.  In fact, the heroine ends up saving the hero’s bacon in the end (not a spoiler – you’ll see what I mean).  This is something I’ve come to expect of Adair’s books – nicely consistent characters that I can get behind and cheer for.

This was a fun paranormal romantic suspense novel.  Don’t look too deeply into it and just roll with the rather “out there” scientific concepts and you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.  I think you should be able to find it relatively inexpensive as a used book on amazon.com now that it’s been released a couple of months – not sure when the paperback release is scheduled.

I recommend this book to anyone reading Adair’s TFLAC books or fans of the author.  If you’re looking for a little escapist fun with a hot romance, and you’re familiar with Adair’s novels, then this is the book for you.

Grade: B+

Summary:

The passion and suspense of Cherry Adair’s latest killer trilogy, begun in Night Fall and continued in Night Secrets, now reaches its explosive conclusion in Night Shadow, as mismatched international agents take on evil head-to-head-and each other heart-to-heart.

Aside from working for the international anti-terrorism agency T-FLAC (and having the same last name), Lexi Stone and Alex Stone are polar opposites, right down to Lexi’s mere mortality and Alex’s paranormal powers. While straight-arrow Lexi pushes paper at an Internal Affairs desk, renegade Alex is busy pushing the envelope as he pursues the most dangerous global criminals. And though Lexi disdains his rule-breaking bravado and cowboy tactics, she can’t deny Alex’s skills when it comes to getting his man (not to mention any number of women)-just as she can’t ignore how his roguish charm makes her heart race and her temperature rise.

But Lexi’s secret desires clash head-on with her duties when suspicions arise that Alex is poised to switch sides-and join forces with a European terrorist cell. Tapped for her first field mission, Lexi finds herself assigned to shadow Alex’s every move, and if necessary, terminate him. Despite her feelings, Lexi’s willing and able to carry out her orders, as long there’s proof that Alex is a traitor. But getting the goods-and the drop-on her superagent quarry becomes an even tougher task when Lexi and Alex suddenly find themselves partners on an emergency mission in Russia.

When terrorists seize a busy Moscow railway station for ransom, then abruptly massacre their hostages and vanish into thin air, the agents realize they’re facing adversaries possessing of the same paranormal abilities as Alex’s elite T-FLAC/psi unit. But after Lexi kills an armed suspect during a breathless rooftop chase, she makes a series of shocking discoveries about the enemy T-FLAC is facing, the troubling truth Alex has been concealing, and the terrifying plot of a treacherous mastermind that could spell the downfall of T-FLAC’s most powerful and valued operatives. To save precious lives and stop the rise of a superhuman terrorist threat, Lexi and Alex must work as a well-oiled team in a race across the globe-and against time-with lethal shadows looming behind them, and no one to trust but each other.

Read an excerpt (click on the book cover).

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Rough, Raw and Ready (Rough Riders, Book 5) by Lorelei James
Contemporary Erotic Romance eBook released by Samhain 4 Nov 08

I’m amazed at how Ms. James can keep the stories in this series fresh as fast as she writes them.  But with each book we get a closer look into this circle of family she’s created, a much closer look into their lives, tragedies, loves, and their good times in life.  In this latest book is the update her fans have been waiting for, the past and present loves of one man collide, which puts the future of everyone involved in jeopardy.

Trevor and Chassie have been married for a year, barely eking out a living on her family ranch, but they’re at least happy in their new life together, both away from the families that made them into people they didn’t like and left with nothing and no one but themselves to depend on. Then with the appearance of a man who Trevor thought to never see again, their lives take on a decidedly different turn.

Edgar Mancuso was Trev’s roping partner when they were both on the rodeo circuit.  They became more to one another after a couple of years together, Trevor giving into the confusing desire he felt for the man.  Theirs was a tempestuous relationship even while being a fierce and loving one.  It all came to an end several years ago when Ed headed back to Brazil after realizing the man he loved would never acknowledge that love, neither with a loving gesture in public nor the words.  Things have not gone well for him in those intervening years and he’s back on U.S. soil to see if there’s any chance at all Trevor would want to pick up where they left off.  His wife may have something to say about that, however.

Trevor is both elated and scared to death at Edgar’s sudden presence in his life again.  The same feelings that took him by surprise the first time around are still there, but now he has a wife he loves more than anyone and won’t do anything to compromise what they have together, even though his heart wants Ed in his life again.  Chassie is thrown for a loop when she finds her husband kissing another man, and when she learns the whole truth that Trevor never told her about, she’s afraid he’ll want Edgar over her.  Deciding to do anything at all to keep him in her life, she decides to finally learn about those sexual goings-on she’d always heard about on the rodeo circuit.

What she never thought would happen is finding she’s developing feelings for Ed.  The fact she’s having the time of her life with two sexy cowboys in her bed should muddy the waters, but instead it only tells her what she knows her husband wants from her ever since Edgar walked back into his, and now her, life. It didn’t all go as smoothly as this makes it sound, they each have their moments of doubt and vulnerability during the getting to know each other process.  Having Trevor and Edgar come together again also didn’t go all that smoothly.  I like how everyday things get in the way to go along with their mind’s and heart’s uneasiness at times.

And, as I say in each of my reviews of these books, the family factor in these stories is one of the main attractions for me.  This time, however, though we do see a lot of the McKay family, it’s Trevor’s family that rear’s an ugly head to remind him of what he should be grateful for.  There’s also little teases thrown in for the next couple of books.  I’m waiting for Cam’s story myself.  The beginning of his storyline caught me off guard in this book and it has the makings for a very, very emotional story.

While this is not my favorite of the series, it’s still loads of fun, full of hot and steamy love scenes, and it’s always the cowboy’s themselves that get under my skin.

Grade: B+

Read reviews and info of the books in this series by following its tag.

Summary:

…Torn between the love he has…and the love he’s always wanted.

Chassie West Glanzer hasn’t been a stranger to drama and tragedy. A year of wedded bliss to sexy-as-sin cowboy Trevor Glanzer has brought her the happiness and contentment she never thought she’d find, and mellowed Trevor’s rodeo wanderlust. Then Trevor’s old roping partner ambles up the driveway—and Chassie’s life changes drastically.

Trevor never expected to see Edgard Mancuso again, after it became clear he couldn’t be the man Edgard needed. Now Edgard is back from Brazil to sort out their tangled past, and Trevor is plagued with feelings he thought he’d buried over three years ago. Although Trevor is hat-over-bootheels in love with his sweet, feisty wife, the sense his life is missing a piece has always gnawed at him.

Chassie’s shock that Edgard and Trevor were once lovers turns to fear of losing her husband. Or worse, fear that Trevor will stay with her only out of a sense of duty. Yet as the three of them spend time together, the sins of the past blur and fade, leaving raw emotion—and unbridled passion.

Passion that could heal…or cause irreparable damage to their future.

Warning: this book contains unbelievably explicit sex, including multiple cowboy/cowgirl/cowboy ménage scenes, juicy, hot, male on male action, a bucketful of politically incorrect situations and true Western ideology. 

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series (paperback releases referenced where available):

Limecello’s review of Reckless (Indecent Proposals Trilogy, Book 2) by Tori Carrington
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin Blaze on 1 Nov 08

This is the second book I’ve read by Tori Carrington, and I enjoyed it a lot. This is also the second book in the series Indecent Proposals, which focuses on love triangles of a sort. I read an excerpt for Reckless a while ago, and was pleasantly surprised when I picked up the actual book.

The story itself is interesting – the premise is one of my favorites (though I know a number of people dislike it) – a love triangle. However, Tori Carrington takes a slightly different stance on the issue. Rather than involving all three characters in a competition for affection, the focus is on one character, and in this case, her internal dilemma. It’s quite interesting (although I do enjoy some healthy vying for attention and one-upmanship in romances).

Heidi Joblowski is an extremely real character. She’s confused, and has a number of issues to work through. I liked how complex she was, and I never felt that it was too much. Heidi has been in a relationship with Jesse forever – and has never really gotten along with Jesse’s best friend Kyle Trapper. However, that’s beginning to change. Amidst her romantic confusion, Heidi decides to focus inward, and ends up reconnecting with the family she essentially shunned. At times, I felt that Heidi was a bit clueless, but I also understand the lengths people – especially women – will go to hide truths in order to salvage a relationship.

Kyle Trapper is a great character. He’s an all around good guy. It’s a tiny bit cliché that he hides his attraction to Heidi by being cold – but it’s understandable. I enjoyed seeing things from Kyle’s point of view as well as getting some background on all the characters. I thought it was sweet how persistent Kyle was in pursuing Heidi once he got started. Kyle was also very introspective, and it helped me understand and like him more. I know there’s the stigma of someone “moving in on” his best friend’s girl – but I didn’t get the smarmy vibe from Kyle, and I think that Kyle’s character was extremely well written.

I loved the opening of Reckless – it was unusual, unexpected, and gripping. I enjoyed the story, but did find a few things a little less appealing. First of all, all the references to “Jesse’s Girl” became too repetitive. I know it’s a cute concept to reference the song (and that’s in the “Dear Reader” letter at the beginning of Reckless as well) I just found it a bit of an overkill. I also felt that at times all the characters were a bit too clueless or oblivious. Then personally, the “twist” with Jesse – it provides a convenient out for Heidi and Kyle, but I wonder how it would have worked without. (Although I realize a lot of readers would not have accepted Heidi and Kyle otherwise.)

I found the emotions in Reckless real, and engaging. It was fun seeing characters from the previous book making little cameo appearances, without them taking over the story. I liked all the secondary plots, and how they worked together with the main storyline. I appreciated how Heidi and Kyle were also able to take some time and evaluate their relationship. It was nice to see how practical the characters were – which made the story much more believable. I’m looking forward to reading the next book, Restless, which I bought after reading Reckless. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick, enjoyable contemporary romance.

Grade: B

Summary:

Heidi Joblowski has her life perfectly on track. Education: check. Career: check. Marriage: soon-to-be checked. Has she missed anything? Yes, actually: Kyle Trapper. Tall, blue-eyed, blond hottie. Check, check, check! The problem? She’s just about to marry Kyle’s best friend, Jesse. But that doesn’t stop her and Kyle from indulging in some incredibly perfect sex….

Hmm. With her careful life plan off track, Heidi needs a new blueprint, and fast. And it just doesn’t have room for Kyle Trapper in it.

Unless, of course, he has anything to say about it. Which he does—every time he lures her back to his bed!

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Demon Bound (The Guardians, Book 7) by Meljean Brook
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Berkley 4 Nov 08

I am a gigantic fan of Meljean’s writing.  I find it to be quick, witty, complex, and always telling a really good story.  The Guardians series is all of that and more.  This is a very complex world – one full of factions within factions, in-fighting, not-so-good good guys, sympathetic bad guys, and passion. 

As I probably should have expected, nothing was straight-forward or easy in Demon Bound.  There were many times I just had to trust in the author to get me thru a particularly complex scene, a bit of complicated dialog, or seemingly labyrinthine character motivation. I was never disappointed by Brook – she always dragged me out the other side having enjoyed the torture – though I do admit to not liking this entry as well as the other Guardians novels and stories I’ve read.  I was just a bit bowled over by how complex much of the book was – sometimes it’s nice to see why something is happening before you get to the very end of a scene.  I like to make at least part of the trip with a characters.

I never fully understood Alice’s, the heroine’s, “jerky movements” – never could picture them in my mind or why they would appear creepy.  I blame this lack on me – not the author.  I also wasn’t sure I fully believed the love affair resolving the way it did, though it was sweet at the end; there just seemed like too much baggage for Alice to overcome so quickly.  Jake’s (the hero and novice Guardian) inability to control his teleporting is a refreshingly human frailty in an otherwise supernatural world.   I also really enjoyed Jake’s encounter with this human family – it was really quite lovely.  He was my favorite character, but that may have to do more with the creep factor of spiders, etc., than anything.

I liked Demon Bound, but almost gave it a C because of the complexity of the writing.  However, it’s a much better book than a C.  The story arcs are complex but complete.  Some of the characters are deliciously Machiavellian – I cannot wait to see what Brook does with the Doyen, Michael.  Now there’s a character I could sink some fangs into.  Yum!

I recommend this book to fans of the series.  If you haven’t read any of the previous Guardians novels, I don’t recommend starting with this one unless you’ve first read Brook’s Guardians Primer found here (something I highly recommend). I also highly recommend you snapping up the mass market paperback release of Wild Thing, coming January 2009 (see link in the below covers) – those are some excellent stories, including a terrific Guardians one.

Grade: B

Read reviews and info about this and other books in The Guardians series by following its tag.

Summary:

Alice Grey is known as the Black Widow-a woman trapped in a web spun by the demon Teqon. Jake Hawkins is a novice Guardian whose gift of teleportation could be invaluable to Alice in determining her next move. But can they survive when fear and secrets threaten not just their lives and souls, but the fate of the universe?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series (links to mass market paperback releases where available):

Sandy M’s review of Enemy Lover by Bonnie Vanak
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Silhouette Nocturne 1 Nov 08

I read and reviewed Ms. Vanak’s first werewolf Nocturne, The Empath, last year and absolutely loved it. That’s where we first meet Damian and Jamie, the hero and heroine of this book.  While I enjoyed most of Enemy Lover, it didn’t quite capture me the way The Empath did.

Jamie witnessed Damian and his men kill her brother, so she’s out for revenge.  She has no magick of her own, something she’s always wanted and now something she needs.  Contacting Kane, a Morph leader, he gifts her with dark magick so she can carry out her vendetta.  Thinking her plan worked and Damian is no more, she’s taken by surprise when he surfaces and claims her as his mate.  She’s now on the run from him but finds that nothing will keep him from her.  Nothing except death.

Time is working against Damian as he hunts for Jamie.  Kane exacted his own sense of justice and cast a death spell on Jamie, a slow and painful death, and Damian cast his own magick to bind her to him, but even that connection will not keep her death at bay forever.  He has to make her see they’re meant to be together, she’s meant to be by his side as alpha, but she’s running scared not just of him but something else in her past.  There’s also powerful magick within Jamie and as much as she wants to use it, it’s his nature to protect those he loves, especially when he’s failed in that once before.

As with Nicolas in The Empath, I really liked Damian’s character, alpha draicon, tortured by his past, needing family in his life and protecting them no matter what.  He’s sensitive when it comes to Jamie’s fears but refuses to give up his need to protect.  That’s just who he is.  What fell a little short for me is Jamie. I know at first she’s afraid what Damian will do to her if he catches up with her, plus issues from her past, but after he does find her and he does nothing further to make her fear him, I was disappointed that she kept pushing him away as long as she did.  I was well past three-quarters of the book before she finally thinks about trusting him and what she could have with him.  I wanted that so much sooner because there was nothing more Damian could have done to assure her of his feelings, of how he and his family would treat her.

Other than that, this is still a great read.  I enjoyed all the other characters, especially Damian’s brothers and his relationship with them.  The mystery of the Book of Magick, which held the answer to Jamie’s plight, was interesting, and even the twist at the end caught me off guard. This is a fun series and I hope Ms. Vanak is going to give us more stories of the characters we’ve met so far.

Grade: B

Summary:

After nearly being killed by his destined mate, Draicon Damian Marcel hunts her down in New Orleans and discovers she’s been infected with the lethal stone spell and her body is slowly turning into granite. She’ll be trapped forever inside stone, her spirit alive, but imprisoned for eternity.

Thinking he murdered her brother, Jamie Walsh hates and fears Damian, but must team up with the werewolf leader to find a missing book of magick that contains a cure to save her. As they search through the French Quarter for the book, they race against time and battle evil Morphs who will use the dark magick spells in the book to eliminate the Draicon for good.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Shannon C.‘s review of Kansas City Christmas by Julie Miller
Contemporary romantic suspense released by Harlequin Intrigue 11 Nov 08

I know that, by the time you read this, you are probably not looking for another Christmas book. I know that I’m certainly not in the market for one now that the excitement of the holidays is past. But I did read this book on Christmas eve, having been drawn to it because of the title. (I know, I know, I shouldn’t encourage the Harlequin marketing department.) After all, I have spent Christmas in the Kansas city area and surrounding environs, and I decided that, since I was reading the book on Christmas Eve, I could forego my obsessive need to read all previous books in a series. What I got was exactly the kind of book to read during the holidays–a heartwarming story of love and redemption. 

Edward Kincaid is one of the most damaged souls I’ve read about in a long time. After his wife and daughter were cruelly murdered just before Christmas, he spent much of his time in a bottle until the murder of his father. After that, it’s all he can do to keep going from one day to the next, slowly working his way back to sobriety. He’s not sure he can handle his family, let alone his job with the Kansas City Police Department. But his brothers–all of whom have received their own story–convince him to help pin down the last bit of the evidence they need to uncover the murderer of their father. And to do that, Edward must seek the help of cheerful, Christmas-crazed medical examiner Holly Masterson. But helping Edward puts Holly in much more danger than either of them anticipated, as a shadowy terrorist group tries to keep her from discovering their secrets.

I like to tell people that I don’t like my heroes tortured, but I don’t think that’s precisely true. It’s more that I dislike heroes who wallow in whatever has caused them angst. Which is all to say that I loved Edward, who had me from his first appearance in the book. He’s a very damaged soul, both physically and emotionally, and I liked that he starts out the story well on the way toward recovery, needing only for someone to push him just that little bit farther. Holly provides exactly what he needs in that regard, and though I don’t think she’s as well drawn as Edward, she certainly works very well as a foil for him. I believed in their romance, and I wanted them to have a future together.

The plot is slightly more problematic. I was able to keep up just fine even though this was the last book in the series, but I didn’t quite understand the stakes. It felt like it was just too big for one book, and there were often moments where I really just wanted Ms. Miller to get back to Edward and Holly, who are by far more interesting.

Ms. Miller’s writing is compelling. I was at the edge of my seat in the appropriate places, and there was one scene in particular near the end that made me shudder, and not in a good way. While I didn’t find the particular suspense plot itself compelling, I did appreciate its effect on the characters, if that makes any sense.

Overall, this book was satisfying. I came to care about Edward and Holly, and even though the series they’re in is wrapped up completely, I do think I’ll be revisiting the Kansas City police department to read the books about the other Kincaid brothers.

Grade: B

Summary:
A detective with no badge, Edward Kincaid’s brooding nature scared medical examiner Holly Masterson, but couldn’t dim her holiday spirit. It was when she attracted a stalker that the most wonderful time of the year turned into the most frightening. Working together to reveal a conspiracy too many people had died covering up, Holly found Edward’s protection–and powerful embrace–hard to resist. Now, as new clues surfaced, could she bust the case wide open and give her silent knight the Christmas miracle he deserved?

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Slippery When Wet by Kimberly Raye
Contemporary Romance published by Love Spell 25 Nov 08

I’ve been having luck reading and enjoying contemporaries lately.  Then I hit the proverbial brick wall with this book.  It’s not a really bad book.  It’s just not a really good book either.  It’s slow reading and has a hero and heroine that I just couldn’t warm up to.

At first I thought maybe it was the NASCAR theme that didn’t appeal to me.  I’m not into racing, so that seemed logical.  But the more I read the more I realized there were other problems for me.  First, Rory and Jaycee, our hero and heroine, spend very little time together for much of the book.  They’ve been friends since they were kids, but when Jaycee as a teenager dolled herself up to make a play for her man, he rejected her and that was the end of their friendship.  They’ve seen each other here and there because they’re both NASCAR drivers, and now that they’re taking over the top spots after each race, things are heating up and they’re thrown together more for publicity reasons.

That’s when we find out Rory does have feelings for Jaycee, but he’s determined to keep them buried because racing is his life and he won’t allow any distractions.  So he stays as far away from her as possible.  No matter how worked up he gets just seeing her.  But they’re competitors and that’s just the way it has to be.  However, his racing begins to be affected when he can’t keep his concentration on the track.  So maybe the better way to go would be to just bed her and get her out of his system.  So begins the turnaround of his attitude toward Jaycee that has her completely baffled.

Until she realizes that it’s not her that has Rory now sniffing around.  It’s the makeover her sponsor has insisted she go through to make her more likable to their demographic targets.  She’s always been a grease monkey because it was the only way to get her father’s attention.  He lived and breathed racing, so she did too. When he passed away, his will stipulated that Jaycee and her older sister, Riley, had to spend the next racing season together before they made the decision to stay with the team or walk away.  Not knowing she had an older sister, it’s taking everything Jacyee’s got just to get through her days, let alone the next year. And now on top of that, she’s got Rory and his smiles and dimples and that body to contend with.

So until Rory makes his decision to have Jaycee, which is more than halfway through the book, all we get is Jaycee’s makeover, talk about Rory’s chauvinist father’s attitude,  Riley constantly haranguing Jaycee about the makeover and other tidbits before we have the two finally together and things happening between them.  Even when they get intimate the first time irritated me.  After all was said and done, everything else came to a dead stop and they couldn’t get away from each other fast enough.  And that’s before Rory’s decision.

I actually wanted more about Riley and her attraction to Trick Donovan, an ex-racer with a NASCAR talk show.  There’s a spark between them that really interested me, but it never came up again.  Maybe they’re being saved for a future book.  I checked the author’s site to find out, along with some other info, but sadly it’s a site lacking on book information.  Practically nil on this book alone.  I’m hoping it’s a good sign that I want to read a story about characters in this book.  Too bad it’s not the one I got.

Grade: C

Summary:

Jaycee Anderson is the first female to take the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit by storm, and after finishing fourth overall last season, she has her eyes on the prize: knocking Rory Canyon out of the number three spot. She’ll do anything to see the job done, too, even transform herself from a tomboy into a glamour queen if that’s what it takes to get sponsorship and the edge. Rory’s the kind of infuriating chauvinist who’s just begging to get the pants beat off him by a woman—on the track, at least; Jaycee’s fairly sure he’s never had to beg anywhere else. Not with the millions of female fans who buy his shirts and caps and posters. Rory’s just the type who gets Jaycee’s own pistons pumping, her wheels spinning, and her engine burning oil. With their past, she’s surprised they haven’t already seen a smashup that ended in flames. But this track they’re running has some deadly curves…and it’s getting more slippery by the minute.

Read an excerpt.

We continue with the second excerpt from Holiday Seduction, from To-Do List by Lauren Dane.

First Excerpt: From Unwrapped by Jaci Burton

Excerpt

Belle shivered as Rafe’s mouth touched her neck. A sense of total and utter unreality stole over her. Here she stood, in the dark, wrapped around the guy she’d had a major crush on since she’d been twelve years old. Hell, that very morning, she never even imagined he’d thought of her this way.

“You taste good, Belle. Delicious and sweet with just a little spice.” The low vibration of his voice echoed up her spine. The warmth of his hands at her hips, just barely touching the bare skin peeking below the hem of her sweater and above the waist of her trousers sent waves of pleasure through her.

Even as she searched for words, his tongue made its way, slow and sinuous, up her neck and to her ear. His breath stirred tendrils of hair that’d escaped the barrette holding it back from her face.

“I think I’m going to need to kiss you, now. I’ve been wondering all night long if that lip gloss is flavored. Are you old school like that?”

Holy sweet baby Jesus on a skateboard. How on earth was she supposed to answer him when he said stuff like that? When he pressed against her, his body work-hard and strong. His cock a solid, hot weight against her belly.

“Watermelon,” she managed to gasp.

“Well now, I definitely need a taste of that.”

He angled his head and his mouth moved to hers, his clear, sleepy brown eyes seeing right straight through her.

And when he kissed her, her entire body went boneless as she held on, her fingers digging into the material of his coat. His mouth was softer than she’d imagined, hot, wet, he tasted of coffee, salt and something else she couldn’t identify but wouldn’t ever forget.

His kiss was slow and heady. He took his time like a man who knew what he was about. Like a man who knew she wasn’t going to bolt. He explored her mouth, his teeth catching her bottom lip, his hands firming their hold, settling beneath the sweater, fingers splayed against the sensitive, bare skin of her hips. His thumbs slid slowly back and forth, back and forth in the hollow of her hip bones.

Her nipples throbbed in time with the slide of his thumbs, shooting straight to her clit.

“Belle? Rafe? You guys there?” Brian called from the other room and Rafe stood back, breaking the kiss. At least his chest heaved and he appeared to be as affected by the kiss as she had been.

Cripes, she wasn’t sure when the last time a kiss had nearly made her come, or even if a kiss had ever so aroused her.

“Yeah. I’m just helping Belle bring her suitcases in,” Rafe answered Belle’s oldest brother without moving. He grinned at her slowly and dragged his gaze up above her head. She followed and noted the mistletoe.

“Oh!” She blushed, mortified. Here she’d thought he was on fire for her and it was just the damned mistletoe? “Duh.”

He reached and took her chin in his fingers, shaking his head. “No, Belle. I’ve wanted to kiss you for a very long time, the mistletoe just gave me an excuse. But now that I’ve felt your nipples as you kissed me, now that I know your taste? I’m going to kiss you as often as I can.”

“Oh,” she sighed again. Yeah, it was totally obvious she was a powerful attorney who made her living with her ability to speak coherently.

He chuckled and grabbed her suitcases. “I’m going to put these in the guest room and then we can get on over to your parents’ for dinner.”

Belle heaved a sigh as she leaned against the wall to keep from melting into a puddle of goo. Raphael Bettencourt had just laid the hottest kiss of her entire life on her. Rafe.

The object of many a fantasy and he’d…his mouth…it was…oh wow!

Copyright 2007, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Samhain Publishing

*****

And don’t forget, I’m going to give a copy of Holiday Seduction, along with The Perfect Gift (by Annmarie McKenna , Maya Banks , MacKenzie McKade , Kate Davies and Stacia Wolf), to two commenter’s on today’s excerpts.

I’ve grown quite enamored of holiday anthologies this year. Just long enough to give you a dose of Christmas cheer and romance during your down time from the torture preparations for various festivities.  Today we have excerpts from the anthology Holiday Seduction, featuring stories from two beloved authors of erotic romance, Jaci Burton and Lauren Dane.  The first excerpt is from Unwrapped by Jaci Burton.

UNWRAPPED: Amy’s kind of fantasies wouldn’t cut it in the straight-laced law firm where she’s fought her way to partnership. And she refuses to let a younger man use her to advance in the firm. Justin might be brilliant, gorgeous and sexy, but he’s firmly implanted in the look-but-don’t-touch realm. Until a corporate acquisition in Hawaii over Christmas gives Justin the opportunity to show Amy he’s interested in her as a woman. And he has the ideal plan to help unwrap the perfect Christmas gift for Amy.
TO DO LIST: Since she could pick up a pencil, Belle has used lists to map out her life. But now, she realizes the life she thought she wanted exacts too high a price. Exhausted, she heads home for Christmas to make a new to-do list. She didn’t factor in Rafe, her brother’s best friend kissing her under the mistletoe! Belle finds herself with a whole new set of goals to balance with what she thought she always wanted. Rafe’s plan is to seduce Belle back home where she belongs.

Excerpt

As always, Amy felt like an unwanted third whenever she and Justin met with Mitch. Justin had apprenticed for the legal department of one of Mitch’s corporations while in college before coming to work for McKenzie and Shoals. They were close, almost like brothers, even though they weren’t close in age. But their easy, relaxed camaraderie was always a bit disconcerting. She wasn’t used to sitting back and being quiet. That wasn’t her style at all.

The Tiki Lounge stood high on a deck overlooking the ocean. The swirling breeze provided a cooling respite from the humidity as they walked outside and were seated at a table cornering the outdoor restaurant.

“Mai Tais,” Mitch announced to the waitress, holding up three fingers before turning his attention on Amy. “Hope you don’t mind eating here. I hate being stuck inside the offices or the suite. Nothing like fresh air and a Hawaiian sunset to relax after a hard day. Besides, if I know you, you haven’t been outside much yet.”

“I spent the afternoon at the gift shop.”

“There’s a surprise,” Justin said. “I thought you’d spend it working.”

If she hadn’t needed clothes, she would have. “I’ll work later tonight.”

Their drinks arrived and when Amy took a sip, she grinned at the tangy, fruity flavor. “Oh, this is good.” She’d always been a sucker for a sweet drink. It was like having a forbidden dessert.

Their business was discussed over drinks, all the last minute details ironed out. They had only to go over the documents tomorrow to finalize everything and make arrangements for the transfer of assets to complete the deal.

Amy spied a couple strolling along the water’s edge, the woman wearing a simple white shift, a row of flowers in her hair. She held a bouquet. The man had on a white linen suit.

“Newlyweds,” Mitch said with a grin. “Lots of people come here to get married. You’ll see a ton of them.”

Amy nodded. “Uh-huh.” She really should have bought a new vibrator.

“Hawaii is all about sex and romance, you know,” Mitch said. “Must be something in the air.”

Amy shifted and squeezed her legs together, determined to quell her libido. She would not think about sex. “So, Mitch, are you satisfied with the arrangements for the acquisition?”

Mitch laid his hand over hers. “Amy, relax. The acquisition is fine. There’s nothing left to do but paperwork.” He gave her fingers a light squeeze. “You really need to let loose and enjoy yourself, breathe in the Hawaiian air, have another Mai Tai.”

Let loose? “Mitch, I appreciate the sentiment, really. But Justin and I are here to work. For you. We’re not on vacation.”

“There’s not much paperwork left to do except going over the finer details and making sure everything’s signed,” Justin said. “Mitch is right, Amy. Have fun while you’re here and relax.”

Easy for him to say. He took everything lightly, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Amy was serious about her job, her career, advancing up the corporate ladder. This acquisition had to go down perfectly.

“Don’t you ever unwind?”

“Of course I do.”

Mitch leaned back in his chair. “Really. And what do you do for fun?”

“I work out at the gym.”

Justin snorted. Amy shot him a glare.

“That’s relaxing to you?” Mitch asked.

“It releases the tension and keeps me in shape.”

“Well, there’s no doubt you’re in shape, but there are much better ways to release tension.”

Oh, God. She didn’t even want to think of all the “better” ways she could release tension, and she wasn’t about to discuss the other ways she released, especially in the privacy of her bedroom. And she especially didn’t want to start thinking about said release while in the company of two very sexy men. Her fantasies were vivid enough without sending her mind into overdrive.

She took a long swallow of her drink. It was sweet, so she took another, quenching her thirst until the glass was empty. At least one of her thirsts, anyway. Mitch signaled the waitress and in short order she had another full drink. Yummy.

“Damn, Mitch, I should have never left your side,” Justin said, tipping his glass toward him. “You’ve made one hell of a life for yourself.”

“Thanks. So much a life that I have to unload some of the business side of it so I have a chance to enjoy a few of the fruits of all the years of labor.”

“That’s why you have us,” Amy said. “To help you divest some of your hard work. It’s time for you to relax a little and unburden yourself.”

Mitch laughed. “I’m hardly ready to head out to pasture yet, Amy.”

Amy sat straight in her chair, realizing her blunder. “Oh. Of course not. That’s not what I meant at all. I mean, for someone your age you’re in phenomenal shape. Most guys half your age don’t look as good as you.”

She realized she was babbling, and in a really inappropriate way. Why didn’t she just crawl into his lap, lick him all over and just complete the humiliation?

Her cheeks flushed hot, her eyes widened, and Mitch grinned.

Jesus, could he read her mind?

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Long flight, not much sleep and…what’s in these drinks anyway?” She pushed the offending cocktail to the center of the table.

Mitch pushed it back in front of her. “Amy, chill. I’m the last person to be insulted. I want you and Justin to have a good time here. I’m a pretty laid back kind of guy. You can say, or do, anything you want.”

He wasn’t helping by saying things like that.

“Now that’s a tempting offer,” Justin said, slanting his gaze to Amy. “And Mitch is right, Amy. You do need to unwind.”

Amy’s gaze shifted back and forth between Justin and Mitch, and her fruity-drink-addled brain went foggy.

Oh, yeah. That could be fun and a fantasy come true. Sexy, forbidden Justin, the man who’d fueled her fantasies for years, and rugged, outdoorsy Mitch, older, experienced…

And for more holiday cheer, I’m  going to give a copy of Holiday Seduction, along with The Perfect Gift (by Annmarie McKenna , Maya Banks , MacKenzie McKade , Kate Davies and Stacia Wolf), to two commenter’s on today’s excerpts.

Gwen’s review of Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Fantasy fiction released by Ballantine Books 4 Nov 08

The Meredith Gentry novels resonate with me on several levels: they’re fantasy novels, they have lots of action and suspense , they’ve got some good sex (sometimes a LOT of good sex), and they’re almost always interesting stories.  That’s not t say that some aren’t stronger entries than others, but they’re all interesting on some level.  This was one of the more interesting ones, if not necessarily the best.  Read on to find out why I think so… 

To begin with, I’m writing this review to those of you already following this series and who are already familiar with the characters.  If you are not and don’t know them, this AIN’T the book (or review) for you. The Meredith “Merry” Gentry world is a twisted, convoluted one full of frenemies, factions, and subplots that would be nearly impossible to unravel if you jump in to the middle of the series.  I don’t recommend doing that and I don’t recommend this book as your first foray.  Start at the beginning and be glad you heeded my advice.

This entry in the series opens with Merry acknowledging she’s pregnant with twins and the babies have three daddies EACH.  Based on what Queen Andais has promised Merry and her guards, anyone who got Merry preggers gets to be King.  Hence the reason for all the boinking in previous books.  This means that Merry’s Queen will have six Kings.  You can imagine the consternation this causes in almost all of the Courts of Faerie, including the Light, Dark, etc.  Some Courts are more accepting than others (Sluaugh) and some are downright pathologically incapable of acknowledging that they had no say-so in the whole process.

This leads to a LOT of assassination and kidnapping attempts, causing the “deaths” of various members of Merry’s entourage and other supernatural occurrences. And very little boinking.  I KNOW!  GASP! An LKH novel with only one or two sexed up situations!

As a fan of the series, I enjoyed this entry as being one of the more “story-like” entries.  I think Merry comes into her own in this entry and starts acting more royal and less “scared little girl” than in the other books.  I think her character can see the finish line to her travails on the horizon.  By the end of the book, Merry thinks she’s living her HEA, but we know better.  There’s still at least two more Merry books on the horizon and she hasn’t had her babies yet.  I have a feeling that these babies will be forces to contend with on their own and that we’re in for a very interesting ending to this series.

I can recommend this book to any fan of the series and fan of LKH.  If you’re new to the series, and like fantasy with some edge, don’t start here but do start.  You’ll like it (some more than others).

Grade: A

For more reviews and information, follow the Meredith Gentry series tag.

Summary:

I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child – twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children.

Bearing an heir has placed me halfway to my aunt’s throne, that much closer to my reign over the Unseelie Court – and well ahead of her son, my cousin Cel, in this race. Now I must stay alive to see my children born and claim my place as queen.

But not all in faerie are pleased with the news, and conspirators from every court in the realm plot against me and mine. They seek to strip my guards, my lovers, from me by poisoned word or cold steel. But I still have supporters, and even friends, among the goblins and the sluagh, who will stand by me.

I am Meredith Nic Essus, and those who would defy and destroy me are destined to pay a terrible price – for I am truly my father’s daughter. To protect what is mine, I will sacrifice anything-even if it means waging a great battle against my darkest enemies and making the most momentous decision ever made as princess of faerie.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series (links are to mass market paperbacks, where available):

Devon’s review of Retreat by Mari Carr
Erotic romantic suspense eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 26 Nov 08

I knew there was a possibility this one would be ridiculous (check out the summary to see why). A BDSM cult? What would that be all about? But yet I was strangely intrigued. What kind of an effect would being raised in a BDSM cult have on one’s psyche? Although I suspected that this was a rather exploitative plot device to raise the kink factor, I had to give it a go.

If you’re looking for a deep exploration of the cult mentality, and the effects of being raised in one, you’ve got the wrong book. What the cult was all about, what role BDSM actually had in the cult—we don’t really know. There was a religious aspect, but it wasn’t really explained. I felt that the BDSM factor was there to up the creepy atmosphere and explain the heroes’ (Jon and Night’s) sexual predilections. To the author’s credit, the BDSM/cult aspect was not treated exploitatively, but rather as the form of child abuse it was. Although there is a bit of light D/s, this is not a BDSM story. Jon and Night enjoy what they enjoy, but do not want to live that lifestyle.

Retreat was plagued by a number of ridiculous plot elements. Jon and Night spent their formative years in this corrupt cult, with no formal schooling. As teenagers they are recruited by a super-secret government agency to bring down the cult. They will not be punished for their activities if they then join the agency. ??? Is the government so hard up for qualified people? Then, later in the story, the government agent is determined to recruit Carly, Jon’s love interest, to go undercover at the compound, where nefarious activities may have resumed. This only thing more preposterous than this is the fact that Carly, an insecure school secretary, is totally ready to go. Oh yeah, sign me up too. Please.

I found some of the romance ridiculousness much easier to swallow, because Ms. Carr writes some very nice characters. The initial romance between Jon and Carly was nice — tentative, based in friendship. But Jon has the uncontrollable compulsion to share the ladies with best friend Night. The previously insecure and inexperienced Carly is more than willing to fall into bed with them both, and to fall in love with Night in about a minute, to boot. It’s a bit hard to swallow [Ed.: heh], but I enjoyed all three characters and their interactions. Too bad the suspense plot was absurd.

Sometimes, after reading too many erotic romances, I start to look at people differently. Does that lady in Target live in a happy ménage with two men? Does the guy in Stop & Shop have the need to share his women with a best friend or brother? It’s just so prevalent in Erotic Romanceland, and I don’t know any in real life. Maybe just me. Mari Carr has been read, enjoyed and reviewed at TGTBTU before. I suspect I would enjoy her straight contemporaries better, as I did like the characters and romance. The suspense plot was just so silly, though.

Grade: C+

The Summary:
Jon Walker and Night Thomas lived their childhood in a cult. They embraced the lifestyle, and it was there that they were trained as BDSM Masters. Only when the cult was infiltrated by undercover agent Reilly did the boys learn of the cult’s seedy underside, and help to destroy it.

Nearly fifteen years later, Jon’s job as a high school teacher — and his lust for the school’s gorgeous secretary, Carly — bring him close to the normal life he’s always craved. Just when that life is within his grasp, Reilly returns. An incarnation of the cult has resurfaced with Jon’s evil mother at the helm, and Reilly wants Jon and Night to go undercover to stop Cassandra Walker once and for all.

Shocked by his mother’s return and his BDSM past come back to haunt him, Jon is terrified of Carly discovering his dark secrets. Including the darkest of all — his complex relationship with Night, and his unrelenting urge to share Carly with his best friend.

Read an excerpt