Ash’s review of Finding the Lost (The Sentinel Wars, Book 2) by Shannon K. Butcher
Paranormal Romance released by Onyx 03 Nov 09

I wanted to like this book, but it never really sucked me in. It’s never a good sign when your least favorite parts are the ones with the hero and heroine.

Finding the Lost felt like it was just there to move the series forward. In fact, the parts I did enjoy were when we got to see the POV of other characters. Halfway through the book I ended up skimming anything with Paul and Andra.

They both bored me, and I never got the connection between them. Sure, Paul’s luceria responded to Andra, but so did someone else’s. Who, btw, was barely there for maybe a page and was much more interesting than Paul or Andra. She tended to annoy me. She fought being with Paul up until the end, when it was almost too late. She didn’t even think about loving him until ten pages before the end of the book. I was over her by the third chapter. She claimed to care for her sister above all else, but would argue over letting other people help her. Andra is basically the exact type of heroine I hate.

Paul wasn’t quite so bad, but he wasn’t so great either. I really have no feelings towards him at all. He didn’t stand out in any way. He acted stupid about some things, and for being such a warrior, in the end it’s Andra who is wearing the pants. In real life, I am more than okay with that. In romance land, I can’t stand it.

With all that said, and even though I didn’t like Finding the Lost much, I am actually looking forward to the next two books. They feature two couples who I am already excited about. I was eager for any scenes with them, and was sad when the little glimpses we got ended. I haven’t given up on The Sentinel Wars yet, and I hope the next one is worth it.

Grade: D

Summary:

Andra Madison knows that monsters are real. She’s been fighting them ever since her family was victimized by the Synestryn eight years ago. Now she’s devoted to finding children who’ve been abducted by the Synestryn. When she gets a call about a lost little boy, she tracks him to a warehouse on the outskirts of town, where she’s aided by a trio of human men…or so she thinks.

Paul has been searching for centuries for a woman like Andra. To find her, he strikes a bargain with a bloodhunter that could cost him his life.  Now his desire for Andra threatens to destroy his much-needed control. Against her wishes, Andra agrees to join Paul on a journey fraught with danger–one that leads directly to the Synestryn.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Liviania’s review of The Trouble with Heroes edited by Denise Little (no website found)
Fantasy anthology published by DAW 3 Nov 2009

What do heroes do in their downtime? It’s an interesting premise that’s suppose to serve as the basis of the stories in the fantasy anthology The Trouble with Heroes. Unfortunately, most authors barely touch on the premise. Fortunately, most of the stories are still charming and funny. Plus, the anthology was unexpectedly female positive.

Geeks Bearing Gifts by Kristine Grayson

Is Eros a hero? He shows up more than once, so he must be. Still, I don’t think being a god necessarily makes one a hero.

Overall, this story didn’t wow me, but I did like Bethanne, who is above all a businesswoman. She runs Eros.com, a dating service for hetero- and homosexual geeks. Then Cupid-in-disguise walks through the door, looking to use the service. Kristine Grayson created an absorbing voice for Bethanne, which meant I hoped for a happier ending.

Grade: B-

The Horror in the Living Room by Adrian Nikolas Phoenix

Adrian Nikolas Phoenix plays fast and loose with history by turning H.P. Lovecraft into a hero instead of an insane man who couldn’t market his work. The story is told through the point of view of Augusta Howard, his highly capable and cool-headed housekeeper. Phoenix’s descriptions of the things that visit Lovecraft’s home made me laugh, which in turn made me partial to the story.

Grade: B+

Take My Word for It: Bad Idea by Mike Moscoe

Heracles cross-dressing is one of the classic episodes in Greek mythology. It’s almost too funny to be true. Mike Moscoe’s pacifist Queen Omphale is no fool. She knows that Heracles killed the last monarch who made him complete impossible tasks. So while he’s under her control, she’s going to keep him out of the way and out of trouble with women’s work.

Omphale sells this story, because you really can’t be a fool when you’re dealing with the Greek gods. (Plus, Heracles cross-dressing is a classic for a reason.)

Grade: A

Merry Maid by Jean Rabe

The first three stories are comedies, but if “Merry Maid” is a comedy, it’s a black one. Maid Marian followed Robin Hood willingly, but she’s starting to get disillusioned. He keeps most of the money he steals and frankly, he smells. She’s getting tired of it.

Jean Rabe’s take on the Robin Hood legend is original and coherent, if not quite my thing.

Grade: B

The Problem with Dating Shapeshifters by Nina Kiriki Hoffman (no website found)

I’ve read several short stories by Nina Kiriki Hoffman, since she’s a regular in Firebird anthologies. The narrator of “The Problem with Dating Shapeshifters” is unlucky enough to catch Zeus’s eye. Anyone whose read even a little mythology knows how that story goes.

I like Hoffman’s prose, which flows easily. I also loved her interpretation of Hera, as well as the story’s ending.

Grade: A-

Reclaiming His Inner Ape by Terry Hayman

What happened to Sam and Mary’s relationship once she was no longer a damsel-in-distress, captured by King Kong? Terry Hayman’s diction sets the mood well, evoking the feel of the classic movie. I enjoy stories that look in at couples after the happily ever after, and liked where he went with Sam and Mary.

Grade: B+

For a Few Lattes More by Annie Reed (no website found)

Terri, a Starbucks barista, frequently serves a cowboy who lives in a nearby park. This story is one a few that shows heroism in action instead of a hero off-duty. It also drops the character’s epiphany on the reader’s head like an anvil. I’d Annie Reed’s story more if it had any subtlty.

Grade: C

Beloved by David H. Hendrickson

“Beloved” tackles the Bible. David eventually married Saul’s younger daughter, but was first offered the hand of his eldest. This story follows Merab as she tries to help David and Michal get together. David H. Hendrickson’s Merab has a wry humor that livens up the story.

Grade: B+

Inspiration by Phaedra M. Weldon

A jogger is rescued by Oberon, King of the Fairies, which leads to a conversation between two people with very different sensibilities. I would’ve preferred if the story stuck to the conversation instead of involving another attacker, especially because it leads to a very corny speech. Like “For a Few Lattes More,” “Inspiration” lacks subtlty.

Grade: B-

Honey, I’m Home by Pauline J. Alama (no website found)

Penelope is pissed that Odysseus took his sweet time coming home and then slaughtered everybody despite the fact she had everything under control. It’s an interesting take on The Odyssey, but Pauline J. Alama’s prose didn’t really capture me. She attempts the Homeric cadence, but in my opinion the end result leans a little more towards parody than pastiche.

Grade: C+

Ballad of the Groupie Everlasting by Robert T. Jeschonek

“Ballad of the Groupie Everlasting” is a retelling of The Pied Piper through the point of view of Terpsichore, the muse of music.  (Another story with an odd choice for a hero.)  I found the story underwhelming and thought Robert T. Jeschonek’s choice to use modern diction was a misstep.  It does have a strong ending, however.

Grade: C+

The Quin Quart by Laura Resnick

This is another high concept short.  The Orkney brothers serve as expies of the hosts of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and take on Queen Guinevere’s image.  I’m a sucker for anything to do with the Matter of Britain.  Oddly, “The Quin Quart” made me sympathize with all of my least favorite characters (like Lancelot) and dislike my favorites (like Gawain, who always gets robbed in modern retellings).  Laura Resnick’s story wasn’t quite my thing, but I enjoyed how she played with her subject matter.

Grade: B

How Jack Got His Self a Wife by John Alvin Pitts

Molly, who just killed a giant and a witch, encounters Jack fighting a bear.  “How Jack got His Self a Wife” is a little odd, but does contain an amusing courtship.  Cute, but mostly forgettable.

Grade: C

If the Shoe Fits by Dayle A. Dermatis

“If the Shoe Fits” is a modern retelling of Cinderella, featuring Ella the business management student who borrows some awesome shoes from her Aunt Sheila.  It lightly skewers a few fairy tale conventions, but the shoe definitely fits for Ella and Prince Rupert.  The ending was easy to see coming, but still funny.

Grade: B+

Big Man’s Little Woman by Dory Crowe

Tiny Acacia and Paul Bunyan grow up together and fall in love, with her serving as the brains of the operation.  Then Lucette comes along.  I find the premise squicky, but the story is fairly inoffensive.

Grade:  C+

Boldly Reimagined by J. Steven York

This was my dad’s favorite in the anthology, and I must admit that it’s a highlight.  Diana Mallock is a staff-writer on a new fantasy drama series loosely based on Jason and the Argonauts.  During concept development, she quickly realizes that the show is going to be sexist and terrible.  It satirizes the industry well, making it perfect for anyone who has watched a terrible adaptation of a beloved work (or just terrible television in general).

Grade: A

Roxane by Peter Orullian

Cyrano de Bergerac romances a prostitute Roxane, and teaches her a lesson about judging appearances.  I’m not big on romances where people are nasty to each other and thus didn’t love this one.  It did get one of my favorite Police songs stuck in my head.  I suppose whether that is a plus or a minus depends on the person.

Grade: C

A Long Night in Jabbok (or, Who, Exactly, Is in Charge Here?) by Janna Silverstein (no website found)

This is another biblical story, focusing on Rachel wrestling a stranger in the night.  Rachel and Yaakov are stumped by the ineffable nature of God, leading to a frustrating conversation.  I liked the exploration of the Bible as an authored text.

Grade: B-

Love in the Time of Car Alarms by Ken Scholes

Superheroes!  Have I mentioned before that I love superheroes?  “Love in the Time of Car Alarms” takes on the classic question of the girl who gets constantly stood up by the hero in his schlub guise.  This story does contain an active act of heroism, but I’ll let it slide.

Grade: B+

The Problem with Metaphors by Steven Mohan, Jr. (no website found)

I wasn’t big on this one.  It was creative, but I’m not sure it succeeds in its experimentation. Nor does the tone fit well with the rest of the anthology.  I will give Steven Mohan, Jr. props for the silly things the computer says when it goes haywire.

Grade: D+

If I Did It by Allan Rousselle

Medea tells her version of the events that led to the death of her children and Jason’s new lover.  Whereas “The Problem with Metaphors” was too ambitious, I think “If I Did It” doesn’t play around enough with the base story.  The writing was competent, but it wasn’t exciting.

Grade: C-

Clay Feet by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Museum employee Harper has an encounter with Mercury, messenger and thief, on the matter of a statue featuring his likeness.  “Clay Feet” served as a good closer – clever dialogue and interesting questions about the intersection of the classical world with the modern.  Of course, Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a highly capable author, so a good story isn’t surprising.

Grade: A-

The Trouble with Heroes was an affable anthology, funny and female-positive.  A few of the stories were misses, but not particularly terrible misses.  The thing that weakens it most was the lack of a standout story.  There were some that I enjoyed quite a bit, but none that make the anthology a must have.

Overall Grade: B-

Summary:
These 22 all-new tales pay tribute to the true heroes-the people who enable and put up with heroes. From what it’s like to be Hercules’ wife (complete with an appearance by Hercules in drag) to the trials of H.P. Lovecraft’s housekeeper, from the perils of being King Kong’s girlfriend to the downside of dating a shapeshifter, this anthology turns heroism on its head, revealing the behind-the-scenes drama, as opposed to glorious rescues. From the Pied Piper’s power trip to David acting like a giant you-know-what after slaying Goliath, these stories show heroes in all their ignominy and shine a light on the unsung faithful standing in their shadows.
No excerpt found.

Ash’s review of Three Days to Dead (Dreg City Series Book 1) by Kelly Meding
Urban Fantasy released by Dell 24 NOV 2009

I read Three Days to Dead in about four hours because it was just that good. I’m almost glad I waited to read it, only because now I can read the next book without having to wait.

Three Days to Dead starts different from most other books, our heroine Evy has already died and in a pretty gruesome way. She, of course, has changed, mentally as well as physically.

I like who Evy is now, and I get the feeling that I wouldn’t like who she used to be quite as much. My only complaint is that it is still unclear how much, if any, of Chalice’s personality has transferred to her. It almost made it seem like her feelings towards Wyatt aren’t actually real, which I didn’t like. I want them to be together, but I want it to be Evy who wants it. Their relationship is a huge part of the story. Wyatt is someone I hope is there until the end.

Kelly Meding has shown she isn’t afraid of breaking her readers’ hearts. Not that I am complaining, I don’t expect everyone to get a happy ending in this genre. There are some characters who we get to know and like who don’t make it. Actually, a lot of people seem to die or get injured, but it all makes sense. I never felt like people were dying or things were blowing up just to add in some more action scenes.

The world Evy lives in has vampires, weres, goblins, gnomes, fey, and a bunch of other creatures. Some are good, but most are bad. Kelly Meding has created a world that is different but familiar enough to keep from confusing readers. She has put her own unique twist on beings we already know, and she has done it pretty well.

The next book starts off right after this one ends, and I can’t wait to get started on it.

Grade: B+

Summary:

She’s young, deadly, and hunted—with only three days to solve her own murder…

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue – in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there – her troubles are only just beginning.  Before that night, she and the other two members of her Triad were star bounty hunters — mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives, but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor . . . and she can’t even remember what it was.

Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice – and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days, Evy will die again – but this time, there’s no second chance…

Read an excerpt.

LauraJ’s review of Dating Outside Your DNA by Karen Kelley
Contemporary Romantic Comedy released by Kensington Brava 24 Nov 09.

I have to admit right up front, I’m a bit disappointed. I have loved every one of these books. The characters are so fun and in each book there are several times I would laugh out loud (I did learn after the first one that these books are not good to read in public). I should clarify that I’m not disappointed in the book, no not at all. I loved it, but I’m disappointed because this is the last book in this series. I’m going to miss Ms. Kelly’s quirky characters from this series. The heroes all tough seemingly alpha males brought to their knees by alien woman who has a very low tolerance of both alcohol and chocolate.

In this latest book, Roan Hendrix is a special agent who is on leave after being shot in the line of duty. Thinking he is going to be put back on full duty he is called in to his boss’ office only to learn that the only way to get back to duty is to train a half human half Nerakian woman named Lyraka. Grudgingly he accepts. While he knows that the woman of Nerak have very different abilities, he is no where near prepared for Lyraka’s abilities. He’s much like the other heroes of this series, a tough guy, doesn’t need a woman, especially one as much trouble as Lyraka is, but quickly falls for her.

Lyraka’s half human, half Nerakian born on earth where she has spent her entire life because her mother chose to be exiled rather than give up her daughter. Lyraka was raised in a commune and her mom was very protective of her, sheltering her and keeping her as far away from humans as she could. Because of her heritage, Lyraka’s abilities are different and stronger than full blood Nerakians. It’s Roan job to help her learn to control them so that she can become a an elite member of the agency. While Roan is pretty much like the other heroes, I did find Lyraka a bit different. Her struggles to fit in were different than the other heroines because she didn’t really fit in on either side (human or Nerakian). I liked her tenacity and the fact that she made her own path. The worse kind of heroines in my book are the whiny, “woe is me”, too stupid to live kind and Lyraka was none of these.

What I liked most about this book and the others was taking the alpha hero and putting him up against a heroine that throws his whole world upside down. Roan is the most knowledgeable about what he’s getting into with Lyraka the other previous heros of this series, but still, like the others has his world turned upside and inside out.

Now this book did have more suspense in it than the previous books and I’m not a fan of suspense but Ms. Kelly still made it light and fun and the villain was so dastardly (yeah, I’m using that word because he reminded me of Snidely Whiplash from the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon) and he got his due in a very comical way. While not my favorite in this series (that honor goes to the first book Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind) I still really, really enjoyed this book.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Set Phasers To Sizzle…

Special agent Roan Hendrix is a straight shooter with weapons and women, so he doesn’t appreciate it when his boss throws him a curve. But what a curve. A half-human, half-Nerakian who needs a one-on-one crash course in how best to channel her powers. And while Roan’s usually a master at separating business from pleasure, one glance into Lyraka’s green eyes is enough to spark scorching fantasies of seriously close encounters with the tall, tanned temptress…

Lyraka’s trying not to mind the way Mister Macho Special Agent keeps barking orders, but it’s impossible to ignore Roan’s rough-and-ready appeal. The sensitive ponytail guys Lyraka grew up with didn’t have a clue how to handle her outsized sex drive, but Roan looks like he’d be up to the task in every way. Better still, he never got the memo that Lyraka’s human side makes her—ahem—”special talents” even greater than the average Nerakian’s….

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Captain’s Wicked Wager by Marguerite Kaye
Historical romance ebook short story released by Harlequin Historical Undone 01 Nov 2009

What makes a story work, or not work, for a reader, often comes down to a simple matter of timing.  This short story by Marguerite Kaye has been languishing on my Sony Reader for months now.  Life got busy, other obligations came forward, and it kept getting pushed aside.  If I had any inkling that it was set during the Georgian period, I have no doubt I wouldn’t have neglected it for so long!  It’s been ages since I’ve read a romance set during this time period, and this sexy short story hit the spot.

Isabella “Belle” Mansfield needs money, and needs it fast.  So she powders her hair, dons the nicest gown she can find, musters up some courage, and is letting it all ride at one of London’s most notorious gambling establishments.  However, the sheer size of her bets are giving the matron some pause.  She doesn’t have time to nickle-and-dime her way through the evening.  She needs to win bets, large bets, and fast.

Captain Ewan Dalgleish spies the breathtaking Isabella, is immediately intrigued, and tells the house that he is willing to cover her bets.  When her luck runs out, Ewan proposes another wager.  He’ll let her keep her money, and in exchange she must spend the next three nights with him, each evening resting on a roll of the dice.  Whomever wins the roll, will get to decide just how their evening will be spent.

This is a fairly conventional set-up, featuring the well-worn trope of the desperate heroine who enters into a wager with the hero, because honestly, she has very limited options.  It’s a plot that sings here because the author excels by writing anticipation.  The desire, and lust, that both characters feel for each other practically leaps off the page, and while this is a short story, I never felt like any of their encounters were rushed or rushed into it.  It was sexy and tantalizing!

What doesn’t work so well is the time frame.  The Harlequin Historical Undone line adheres the traditional romantic happily-ever-after, and for readers to buy into the one in this story, they need to be able to roll with the time table.  Hero and heroine do not know each other previous to meeting in the first couple of pages.  They spend two days, and three nights together, before declaring that they’re perfect for each other, want to spend their lives together, and admit their undying love.  Certainly, some readers are going to be able to roll with this, and some just flat-out aren’t.  I’m definitely not a love-at-first-sight kind of girl, but given the sizzle of the sexual encounters, and the anticipation factor that the author writes so well into the story?  It worked for me here.  It wasn’t perfect mind you, but I’m not left with the sinking filling that this relationship is on a slow boat to doom either.

This was a sexy, sizzling read, set against the exciting backdrop of Georgian London, post American Revolution.  Kaye appears to be a relatively new face in the Mills & Boon/Harlequin universe, and if this short story is any indication, I can’t wait to see what she can do with a full-length story.

Grade: B

Summary:

Captain Ewan Dalgleish was as famous for breaking society’s rules as for his daring exploits on the battlefield. Yet nothing could truly satisfy his need for excitement…until he laid eyes on beautiful Isabella Mansfield at the gaming saloon, staking her future on a turn of the cards. Her enticing combination of sensuality and haughtiness intrigued him as much as his notorious reputation interested her. So when Belle loses the money she so obviously needs, Ewan can’t resist making a scandalous wager: that in return for her money, she must spend three nights with him, each starting with the roll of the dice…and ending however the winner chooses…

No excerpt found.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Seducing a Stranger by Christine Merrill
Historical romance short story ebook released by Harlequin Historical Undone 1 Nov 09

Sometimes all it takes is a shorter format to make me more tolerant of certain storylines.  If Seducing a Stranger had been a full-length Harlequin Historical, it probably would have gotten on my nerves.  However as a short read that I zipped through on my lunch break?  It hit the spot.

Victoria Paget was a faithful, dutiful wife who followed her soldier husband to the battlefields of Europe.  When he is killed, she returned home to England, a young widow with many questions.  Her husband had voiced concerns about Timothy Godfrey, a Lieutenant in his unit.  When the entire regiment is killed and only Timothy survives, it’s easy for Victoria to become suspicious.  Is it possible that Lt. Godfrey was a French spy that led her husband to his death?  Determined to ferret out the truth, she discovers he’s a patron of a certain brothel.  With some help, she makes plans to meet him there under the guise of being one of the new girls.

When Timothy enters the brothel he is shocked to discover Victoria Paget.  Between the stories that Captain Paget told about his wife, and the miniature he carried with him, Timothy was more than a little envious.  He half fell in love with her, even though they had never met.  He wanted to speak with Victoria after her husband’s death, but she quickly left for England and he was transferred to a different regiment – only to return home to England shortly thereafter thanks to his own battlefield injury.  But now that he has Victoria in his sights, he’s not letting her get away.

What follows is the classic Big Misunderstanding plot.  Timothy thinks Victoria has fallen on hard times after her husband’s death (why else is she in a brothel?) and being the gallant, valiant sort, is determined to protect her.  Victoria thinks that Timothy is a traitorous scum bag who led her husband to his death, but she’s quickly having doubts.  Not only does this man stir her passions, but he certainly doesn’t act or live like someone in cahoots with the enemy.

Naturally it all eventually comes tumbling out, in no small measure thanks to the lust shared between both characters.  The Undone line promises spicy love scenes, and the author certainly delivers!

At the end, all is right with the world, although I was a little surprised how quickly Timothy forgives Victoria for her deception.  Oh, who am I kidding?  Just the fact that these two didn’t come from money and weren’t titled had me halfway sold on this story before I even started it.

That said, if you have an extreme displeasure for the Big Mis, this one will probably irritate.  But for this reader, it was just right.

Grade: B

Summary:

Though Lieutenant Tom Godfrey had never met Victoria Paget, he desired her. The late Captain Paget’s stories of his wife—and her portrait—were enough to arouse his envy…and his lust. Now Tom’s returned from the peninsula—and never expected to find the young widow in a bawdy house!

Necessity had brought Victoria to the house of ill repute: it was the only place she could confront Tom, whom she suspected was responsible for her husband’s death. But when she meets the virile soldier, his gallantry and her body’s passionate response to him take her completely by surprise.

What started as a one-night seduction may lead to much more…but will they still have a future when all their secrets are revealed?

No excerpt found.

Lynne Connolly‘s review of Desert Prince, Blackmailed Bride by Kim Lawrence
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Nov 09

Another daft title, but a bit more accurate than some I’ve read recently, where the title seems to have been drawn out of a hat.

I enjoyed this one. Like most HMB’s it suffers from the shoehorn aspect, where certain aspects have to be there, but in this one I could believe in the 24 year old virgin, and it’s not for any angsty reason, either. But I am getting tired of the “he stilled above her” moment in the Presents books.

Gabby arrives in Zatara trying to help her brother, who is in prison accused of drug smuggling. Although she will do anything to free him, she accepts that he’s a feckless person, so it’s not a case of blind love.

When she meets Rafiq, she thinks he’s in the palace clandestinely, but she doesn’t think that way for long.

I really liked Rafiq, who had a proper sense of duty. It overwhelmed him somewhat and certainly needed moderating, but he started from a good point. I didn’t believe the first scene, where the doctor tells him he’s dying, because he’s the hero and this a romance, and, well, heroes don’t die in romances, do they? But nobody else took it terribly seriously, either.

And the news should have brought his father, who remains absent throughout the book, even when Rafiq marries (this happens late in the book, but it’s in the official blurb so I’m mentioning it too).

Gabby has enough spirit to be interesting and not enough to be irritatingly feisty. She is the blonde, slight beauty that is so not Rafiq’s type, and her refusal to play dress-up can be irritating. Also the insistence on “designer” as if they are interchangeable. Everything is designed by somebody, and without the names the reference becomes fairly meaningless, it’s just a synonym for “expensive.”

However, their falling in love is believable and you get to see it and share it, which is the most important part of a Harlequin romance and that’s why I enjoyed the book.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Rafiq Al Kamil, heir to the desert kingdom of Zatara, thinks innocent Gabby will be the perfect convenient wife for his brother. But Gabby isn’t as biddable as she seems…

Now Rafiq will have to persuade her! Except the more time Rafiq spends with Gabby the more he wants her—in his own bed. But when he discovers she’s a virgin, the earth collapses under his feet. Suddenly, having her as his mistress is not enough— Rafiq demands she become his bride!

Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M‘s review of Time Storm by Samantha Winston
Erotic Romance ebook novella released by Ellora’s Cave 1 Nov 09 (reissue)

I’m a huge time travel fan, so that’s why I wanted to read this book for review. It’s a good thing there’s definitely some time traveling in this ebook because that’s about the only thing that worked.

Now, I know this is also an erotica and love scenes need to be more graphic, as well as the language than other genres.  But the way certain words are used over and over again, one right after the other with no variation page after page , and it’s not romantic, it’s not sexy, and it’s definitely not erotic. And the fact that we don’t get to know the hero and heroine that well from the beginning sets the tone for a story that never rises much beyond putting pornographic words on paper just for the sake of doing it . Giving a prologue about the heroine, in disguise, climbing through the hero’s window in the dead of night, blindfolding him, and then proceeding to screw his brains out because he’s leaving the next morning and she may never see him again for quite a while isn’t what a reader needs to get to know the lead characters. At least not this reader.

After that night Ian is lost at sea and for years Heather is lost herself, inconsolable after hearing the news of his death. Deciding it’s finally time to move on with her life, she makes the trip to the island where Ian died, hoping that being in that place will help her along. However, she ends up caught in a storm and when she awakens, she finds herself in another time being rescued by a shipful of pirates. It must be a tour ship and these crazy men are doing their job quite well. Or so Heather tries to tell herself.

But then she comes face to face with their captain and he’s the mirror image of her Ian. Come to find out, the captain’s name is also Ian and he can’t remember a thing before ten years ago when he was rescued pretty much as Heather just was.  It doesn’t take long for them to hit the sheets and that’s when his memories rush back to Ian, how he was lost at sea, his rescue, and of course he remembers Heather, both as the young girl who followed him everywhere and as the woman who came to him that last night, even despite her efforts to keep that from him.

The actual time travel part of this story isn’t all that bad. It’s a little see-through, you figure out quite early on what’s going to happen. But I never felt invested in these characters because I just never got to know them well. The twist at the end is pretty good and about the best thing in the book, but that’s simply not enough to pull this books from such depths of nothingness. I just wish the author would have taken less time with the so-called erotic part of the story and instead give us more about Ian and Heather. It would have made the whole thing so much better.

Grade: F

Summary:

Ian’s loss at sea left Heather shattered. Now she’s come to say goodbye. But her love defies time, and a sudden storm transports her to 1770…and Ian.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Lord of the Highlands by Veronica Wolff
Time Travel Romance published by Berkley 3 Nov 09

Ms.Wolff and I started out on a rocky path together. I’m a huge time travel fan, and though the time travel element of her first two books was good, there wasn’t much more I liked in them. However, that path began to smooth out with Ms. Wolff’s third book, Warrior of the Highlands. I’m not sure exactly what it is that’s changed things for me after reading that book, but whatever it that Ms. Wolff is doing, it’s working. LotH is another job well done.

This time around the time travel aspect of the story is overshadowed by the hero and heroine. Felicity knows her perfect mate is out there, she just has to keep looking. What she finally decides is to put her love and happiness in the hands of a Tarot deck and let the cards fall where they may. Rollo is a warrior to the core, knows he can never have more in life. No woman wants a cripple for a mate and he wouldn’t burden anyone with his handicap anyway.

When Felicity lands in the Highlands of the past, when she meets Rollo, it’s her attitude — and her chattiness — that makes her so much fun. It doesn’t matter where her true love is, once she finds him she’s not letting go. That he’s in Scotland of old doesn’t matter. And what I love best about her is her curiosity, and she’s not afraid to use it. She questions everything, and in doing so that’s how you learn about her and failed attempts at jobs and other aspects of her life that never seemed to work for her. I know this side of a heroine may irritate some readers, but the way Ms. Wolff has written it and the hero she’s paired Felicity with works so well.

Of course, Rollo, the battle-hardened warrior, has to grit his teeth at her constant talkativeness. He’s not used to such a woman, and when he learns she’s from the future, everything falls into place. Including his love for her, a love he can’t reveal to her because she doesn’t belong in his time, and he’s going to make sure she returns to where she does belong. But along the way, Rollo begins to hope. Perhaps the right woman has found him, one who doesn’t look at his injury but looks at the man in him. The moment he goes with such feelings, however, the moment he gives in and loves the woman he never thought he’d find is when fate, evil, danger and so much more steps into their path to tell him he is a fool for thinking they could have a good and happy life.

As much as I like Felicity and her happy chatter, I love Rollo that much more. He’s not a totally tortured hero, but he’s close. From the prologue that’s full of emotion and heartbreak for his young self, I was lost to him for the duration of the book. I also really like the ending of this story, something we don’t get very often in time travels, and I’m glad Ms. Wolff went this route for Rollo. It’s the perfect ending.

Though Ms. Wolff continues to use real-life historical people for her heroes, I think she’s let go and is using more imagination in her stories so she’s not so limited in what she can do as a writer with history. That’s just my opinion due to my reaction to her first two books, which is so very different from my reaction to these last two books. I believe she’s come into her own and has discovered the right balance to give readers lovely fantasies with perfect happily-ever-afters.

Grade: A

Summary:

HE WAS HER ONE TRUE LOVE.  HE JUST LIVED IN ANOTHER CENTURY.

An online dating service may have pronounced Felicity “unmatchable” but she’s determined—and destined—to find her perfect mate. All it takes is a mystical deck of Tarot cards to put her dreams to the test.

Light a candle. Choose a card. And old Scotland is only a wish away…

Scarred by betrayal, Will Rollo lives to defend the monarchy against traitors…and he rides alone. The last thing he needs to contend with is a love-struck woman. So when Felicity appears, spirited by magic, Rollo’s determined to crush all tender feelings for her. But as passion binds them in a dark era, where witchcraft is punishable by death, Rollo must make a daring choice: send Felicity back to her own time, or endanger both their lives….

Read an excerpt.

Other related books:

Liviania’s review of Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie
Contemporary romance released by HQN 24 Nov 2009

I’m supposed to focus on new releases, not reprints.  I picked up this Jennifer Crusie because I know she’s a favorite of many.  (I’ve even seen her on my mother’s shelf.)  I figure it’s all right then, as there are probably a number of readers like me who are new to the romance genre and pick up a big name completely clueless as to whether it is new or a reprint.  I can say this after finishing Strange Bedpersons: Crusie earned her reputation.

Tess is the crunchy granola feminist.  Nick is the lawyer determined to make partner.  Together, they pretend to be affianced even though they broke up.  (Why they broke up is a bit of a headbanger.)  Nick is about to land an important client, and it matters to him who Nick is dating.  Then Tess gets further involved with Nick’s life when her best friend, retiring dancer Gina, begins to date and falls for Nick’s best friend, playboy lawyer Park.  Tess and Nick have conflicting sensibilities and desires, but an undeniable attraction to the other.

Unfortunately, Tess was the weakest part of the story.  She is utterly intolerant of other people’s points of view.  She’s that friend who tries to make you guilty for ever eyeing a cow, much less eating and wearing it.  I’m all for living in the way you prefer and not hiding your lifestyle, but people who try to shove their way of living onto others because it is the only way to really live and be a good person annoy me.  Luckily, Gina gets a great scene of calling Tess on her shit.

On the other hand, I really loved Nick.  Tess’s main issue with him is that he’s too ambitious.  However, he never comes across as ruthless or cut off from other aspects of life.  Dude wants to make partner and be secure and thus does a good job.  She’s also got a problem with the fact he isn’t instantly GGG when she tries to foist her kink on him.  Kink’s fine, but you’ve got to look out for your partner if he or she is going to indulge you.  My main problem with Nick is that he kept pursuing this crazy chick who stepped all over him.  (That, and he messed with her clothes.  He’s not perfect, but he was more likeable and sympathetic than Tess.)

This sounds really down, but it is a major compliment to Crusie that I enjoyed Strange Bedpersons despite my initial dislike of Tess.  The book is extremely funny, particularly during the final dinner scene.  Nick and Tess have enough chemistry with each other and enough willingness to compromise (even if it does come slower on Tess’s part) that I believe the happy ending, despite the relationship’s rocky beginning.  I think I will seek out another one of Crusie’s novels, though I know some of them are considered misses.  After all, it doesn’t take much work to check out the blogs and see which ones are hits.

Grade: B-

Summary:
Tess Newhart knows her ex-boyfriend Nick Jamieson isn’t the right guy for her. He’s caviar and champagne; she’s take-out Chinese pot stickers. He’s an uptight Republican lawyer; she was raised in a commune. He wants to get ahead in business; she just wants…him. But there’s no way Tess will play second fiddle to his job.

Yet somehow she finds herself agreeing to play his fiancée on a weekend business trip that could make or break Nick’s career. And while he’s trying to convince Tess that he needs her in his respectable world, Tess is doing her best to keep her opinions to herself and her hands off Nick.

Read an excerpt here.

Gwen’s review of Vampire Sunrise (Delilah Street, Book 3) by Carole Nelson Douglas
Urban fantasy released by Pocket 24 Nov 09

I’m a huge fan of urban fantasy.  I love it when authors cut loose and create a whole new reality that’s only loosely based on the “real” reality.  It’s an opportunity to really explore the “hey, what would  happen in our world if…”.  They’re almost always set in a slightly futuristic world, too — which I find even more fun. 

This series is based on the adventures of our heroine Delilah, who has some unusual abilities that make her valuable in this world’s alternate Las Vegas.  Delilah threatens the existing were and vampire power structures, while at the same time she seems to tantalize them into keeping her around.

Naturally, she has an ex-FBI boyfriend – otherwise, she would have a tough time doing what she does.  Delilah also has one of my favorite heroine accessories – a really big, really loyal dog. Lots happens with and around that dog in this book, so if that’s one of your favorite things too, you’ll like this book.

This is the first book in this series I’ve read.  I found it stood alone fine and there was little I struggled with understanding.  The author does a fine job giving the reader details without info dumping.

Douglas’s writing and storytelling rhythm is quite good in Sunrise. I immediately enjoyed reading the heroine’s thought process and internal dialogue.  The book is told in first person POV, so it’s important to like the pace.

However, there is one element of her writing that almost ruined the book for me – scene transitions.  These segues are very often clumsy, with the characters deciding – out of the blue and apparently with little to no reason – to do something or go somewhere.  The reader is jerked along for a rather bumpy ride with a “whoa – wait, why are we here again?” kind of feeling.  Sometimes very jolting.

I found this a very interesting quandary for a book told in first person POV.  It’s downright difficult to not give the reader the full skinny in this voice – almost impossible, really.  It made me think that perhaps quite a bit of this transition text didn’t make it through one of the edits.  I can’t imagine a writer not writing about why a heroine goes to a place or does an important thing.  It makes the heroine appear a bit aimless and that she’s just dithering along through life.

I also think this author hates commas.  That made some of the sentences difficult to read, but d0-able.

Nevertheless, I was entertained by the book.  I like the heroine and the story enough that I’ll probably read the next in the series.

I gave this book a C+ because it was good, but not so good that I could recommend it without reservations.  If you’re a fan of urban fantasy, books set in a future Vegas, or wry humor, you’ll like it.   But it’s a narrow recommendation.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Werewolf mobsters and vampires run Vegas, but that’s yesterday’s news for Delilah Street, paranormal investigator. What’s truly fearsome is her bloody discovery of an undead evil rooted in ancient Egypt. Now, with her lover Ric fighting for life after a grim battle, the chips are down.

But Delilah is a born winner who has never let a little danger throw off her game, and she’s been learning fast since she came to Sin City. Her affinity for silver is making mirror-walking a real breeze, and being forced to accept the albino rock star sorcerer Snow’s Brimstone Kiss has ramped up her powers to a startling new level. With the help of her trusty uber-wolfhound Quicksilver, not to mention the orange demon parking valet Manny, Delilah is determined to solve even more paranormal secrets, and hopefully save the few innocents left in town. But can Delilah win her high-stakes gamble for life and love against ancient gods and lethal supernatural odds?

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Lynne Connolly’s review of Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh
Futuristic paranormal romance released by Berkley 3 Nov 09

The cover? Weird. Dev is Asian, with a fair bit of Indian in him, and he’s a director, not a cop, but the cover seems to show a George Michael type with a weapon in a blazing street. I know the scene it’s supposed to represent, it just seems more suspense than paranormal to me.

Dev Santos is the director of the Shine Foundation, which deals with the descendants of the Psy called the Forgotten. A woman is brought to him, one who has been tortured and has a terrible implant in her psychic memory, one they can’t access and they can’t remove. She refuses to respond to her name of Ekaterina, so Dev gives her the name Katya.

He takes her in to his home and looks after her. Katya has been badly treated, starved and tortured, and so mentally battered I don’t think she would have bounced back as quickly as she did.

The story is interwoven with two other narratives. One is hundred year old letters from a woman living at the cusp of the introduction of Silence. I would have loved these written as a story in themselves, but interspersed into this story, I found it took away some of the intensity of the main narrative.

The other is accounts from somewhere called the Sunshine station. At first, I connected this with the Shine Foundation, but it’s soon clear that they are separate, although I found it a bit confusing at first. I also didn’t understand Dev’s gift and how it factored into the story until quite late on.

The romance developed a bit unevenly, with some pauses to get on with the complex external plot, and at first I thought there were probably a couple of scenes too many, with a few repetitions of how and why.

Singh’s style is great, adult, with no gimmicky aspects, which is one of the reasons I enjoy her books so much. Her characters are adult too, not overgrown teens and they reason their way through the story. Perhaps a little too much at times, but I’m not complaining.

The end of the story contains a device that will be familiar to fans of the Psy/changeling series. Everything seems lost. I know, from writing “Sunfire,” how much fun these scenes are to write, but when I got to that part (desperately trying to avoid spoilers here!) I thought “I’ve read this before.” But I was happy to read it again, and see how these people coped with the dilemma.

I loved Dev, but I felt the romance was a tiny bit lacking. I’m not even sure why, because it’s all there – the sex, the growing intimacy, tenderness and care, but I did feel disassociated from the characters occasionally, not as involved as I wanted to be.

Still, I love this series and I’m eagerly awaiting the next one.

GRADE: B

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

Summary:

Nalini Singh returns to the Psy/Changeling world and its “breathtaking blend of passion, adventure, and the paranormal”* as a woman without a past becomes the pawn of a man who controls her future…

Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she’s dangerous. Charged with protecting his people’s most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It’s a task he’s never hesitated to complete…until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might yet prove the enemy’s most insidious weapon.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor, and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity itself. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

		The Cannibal Princess
A Gift For Kit

Limecello’s review of One Night Mistress… Convenient Wife by Anne McAllister
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin Presents on 1 Nov 2009

One Night Mistress… Convenient Wife is one of those books you want to read, but don’t because you’re embarrassed of the title. That’s why you can order harlequin books online… or get them electronically. Anyway, Harlequin Presents titles seem to all be like this, and I didn’t care, because Anne McAllister wrote it, and I knew I wanted to read it.

Natalie Ross seems at first glance to dangerously skate the edge of a too stupid to live heroine. It might be my personal feelings, but I felt she left herself open emotionally one too many times. Although – in a way she didn’t, because Natalie knew she’d be hurt. She just didn’t care, because she wanted everything she could get before the not-relationship was over. In a way, I admire that. I also admire the fact that she dropped out of law school. (I know, I’m twisted right? That and jealous.)

Christo Savas is… I feel like “jackass” is too strong a word but… he really is a jerk throughout most the book. Yes, he’s super sweet- is an incredibly caring and empathetic lawyer and friend, but as a boyfriend, he stinks. He doesn’t consider himself a boyfriend, but as a lover. Maybe not even that. A booty call- but … classier. That makes for a difficult romance – or lack of one. However, Christos has a number of redeeming qualities- he’s just not willing to be involved emotionally in a romantic relationship. Or… have romantic relationships. Friends are fine, sex is great, but no mixing of the two.

I thought it was nice that Natalie and Christo had a history, paltry though it was. Natalie had a mad crush on Christo, but nothing ever came of it. Christo was also attracted to Natalie, but couldn’t act on those feelings. A lot had to do with their career paths. Perhaps I feel it more strongly that others might, but I was very impressed with how Ms. McAllister got the mundane details right. She doesn’t leave loose ends. Natalie was in law school, and a summer associate, but then dropped out. Christo, however, continues to work as a lawyer. The firm is where the two first meet, and what they decide to do with their lives I think shows a lot of Natalie and Christo’s character.

I enjoyed the secondary characters as well, and all the secondary stories. Christo and Natalie both have a close relationship with certain members of their family, and it was nice to see them as “real” people- and how they acted with others. Natalie and Christo were both very human, and well rounded.

What I didn’t like about this story was… basically the lack of romance. Natalie and Christo essentially are fuck buddies. Natalie is way more in than Christo is – and that’s because he’s an idiotic emotionally stunted male… but I don’t find that to be a valid excuse. Then Christo essentially coerces Natalie into going to a wedding with him… which is South America… (I want to say Brazil). It makes Natalie appear to be something of a push over.

Nevertheless, there is the happy ending, which is a major point both in Ms. McAllister, and this book’s favor.  I normally love Ms. McAllister’s stories, but found this one was essentially average. I am, however, looking forward to her next book, whenever that may be.

Grade: C+

Three years ago Natalie was utterly humiliated when handsome, debonair Christo Savas rejected her clumsy advances. Now, suddenly, unexpectedly she finds herself at Christo’s beck and call.

Natalie is older now, wiser by far. She won’t fall for him again — she hopes.

But Christo has other ideas now that the little firecracker has grown up. Now he is more than ready to take what she once offered. He wants just one night to satisfy his desire — But one night is never enough!

Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress by Jennifer Lewis
Contemporary Romance published by Silhouette Desire 10 Nov 09

This is a horrible title, I know. (Or, not horrible especially considering Harlequin’s general ones…) Anyway – I got it because it was written by Jennifer Lewis, and also because its part of the new Texas Cattleman’s Club installment(s). I’m trying to work my way through those books in no particular order.

Alicia Montoya is a well written heroine – although a bit desperate. So, she’s never had sex before. The way Alicia/Ms. Lewis describes it, you’d think she had some sort of horrible communicable disease. I suppose I didn’t see the how/why it was “such a burden” or terrible thing for Alicia. She seemed so normal otherwise. Aside from that, however, Alicia is a warm, caring, and engaging individual. I liked that she had a brain (after she had sex- lets not analyze that please), and took steps to protect and assert herself.

Justin Dupree is sweet, sexy, desperate for Alicia, and… an ass. It seems to be a recurring trend recently, where the hero introduces himself to the heroine under a pseudonym, then gets stuck. I understand why he does it- and it makes sense, and even the resulting flare up is reasonable, but… sometimes over the top. Nevertheless, Justin is a good guy because he feels guilty and wants to come clean, and more importantly, almost does. Even better, Justin knows he was wrong – a hero willing to see and admit his flaws is always a step in the right direction. He’s sweet, charming, and very charismatic. Just… a bit confused.

I loved Alex. I love the overprotective big brother, and how he torments Justin. (I freely admit I love the hero who has to go through a bit of torture.) I think it was all the subsequent actions the characters took that really proved the depth of their affections. He’s a great secondary character, and I’ve been enjoying his cameo appearances throughout the series. Although he’s been painted as a villain, I sense there is so much more, and I’m looking forward to his book.

I suppose I have to analyze my issues with Alicia more. It seemed like there were two parts to this book. Pre-sex, and post- sex. Alicia was frankly, somewhat disturbing about how upset she was that she’d never had sex. In some ways her personality didn’t mesh. She was too naive or simplistic, and very self assured and demanding in other ways.

Aside from those issues, I liked the fact that characters from the previous books in the series were involved in this book. It was nice to see how everyone was doing, and still that this book could stand alone. I’m always impressed by the Silhouette Desire authors who manage to write a cohesive series where each book still can be read by itself. I liked the plot, and thought the story was sweet – just that sometimes the characters deserved to be smacked upside the head.

In the end, I recommend this book if you’ve been reading the Texas Cattleman’s Club series, are a fan of Jennifer Lewis, or Silhouette Desire books.
Grade: C

Texas Cattleman’s Club member Justin Dupree has met the perfect woman…too bad their relationship is built on a lie.

Her life in danger, Alicia Montoya turned to the one man she thought she could trust. Her new boyfriend—a tall, dark Texan—offered her refuge in his posh penthouse. And she eagerly accepted his proposal of protection…

…until she discovered her lover’s true identity: Justin Dupree, notorious playboy and her beloved brother’s enemy. She had given her virginity to a man who had betrayed her. How could she possibly accept anything this maverick said as truth?

Read an excerpt here.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Tale of the Dancing Girl (Maeve & Devlin #3) by Grace D’Otare
Historical erotic romance short story ebook released by Spice Briefs 01 Nov 2009

I like to read short stories because it’s a good way to find new authors without investing a lot of time and money.  I hit the jackpot with this latest by Grace D’Otare which is apparently part of a series.  Needless to say, I’m going back and buying the first two stories.

Devlin and Maeve are a married couple driving along a rain-soaked deserted road.  Devlin enjoys it when his wife tells him naughty stories, and this time out he wants a story of a woman who is afraid and a man who helps her overcome her fears.

Delilah is a young widow working as a tutor in the Khan’s palace.  She’s been teaching the girls English, and they’ve been teaching her to dance.  As a favor to a sick girl, Delilah takes her place in a performance for the Khan and some palace guests, only to realize with horror that Colonel Weston is in the audience!  He’s been patiently trying to catch her eye for months, and she’s dismissed him because she has vowed to not fall in love with another soldier.  But after the highly erotic dance, and some personal sensual lessons from one of the girls, will Delilah finally make the leap and fall into the Colonel’s embrace?

This was a highly sensual, erotic story with a satisfying romantic ending.  Delilah is scared, and fearful of moving on with her life, but learning to dance has begun to awaken her own desires.  It takes a push in the right direction to get her to open her eyes, and her heart, to not be afraid anymore.  Weston cuts a dashing figure (in uniform and out) and endears himself to the reader by being totally smitten with Delilah.  Even with the short word count, I bought into their romance completely.

This is a good short story I would highly recommend to both regular erotic romance readers, and those who don’t dip their toes in the genre too often.  There is some girl-on-girl action here, which serves it’s purpose in awakening Delilah from her stupor, preparing her to take a chance on Colonel Weston who has been desperately trying to win her favor.  It’s sensual, erotic, and a romance.  Very well done indeed.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Devlin loves it when Maeve tells him erotic stories. This time, he wants a story about a woman who is afraid—and the man who helps her overcome all her fears….

Delilah took the place of the young dancing girl as a favor…but she didn’t expect Colonel Weston to be among the Khan’s guests! Her provocative movements catch the Colonel’s eye…and awaken her own desire. Can the dance—and a little hands-on tutelage from a fellow dancer—teach Delilah to lose all her inhibitions with Weston once and for all?

No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Birthday Present (The Countess Trilogy #3) by Alison Richardson
Historical erotica short story ebook released by Spice Briefs 01 Nov 2009

What can I say?  Sometimes it’s an intriguing writing style that keeps me coming back for more, even when I logically know that a story shouldn’t work for me in the slightest.  Which is why I decided to finish out the trilogy, and get some closure, for Richardson’s lusty, wicked and snobby heroine, Countess Anna von Esslin.

It’s been two years since the events of An Impolite Seduction and Anna is now living in Munich.  What is truly troublesome is that she’s been celibate this whole time.  Part of this is because Anna has found her tastes have grown more refined with age (not just any willing young buck will do), but also because her rival, that low-born Scot, James McKirnan has been steering any man remotely desirable away from her salon.  So she’s well and truly desperate when her cousin Robert offers her a birthday present.  A mystery lover who will only take her while she is blind-folded and who is so skilled that he soon has Anna panting after him.

Yeah, we all know where this is going right?

Richardson’s writing style continues to deliver most of the goods here.  Where there were a few instances of tell over show (especially in regards to dialogue), readers once again get a delightful first person narration from Anna’s point of view, and several wicked observations that induce some laughs.

The characters continue to be somewhat of an issue – most notably Anna.  While I do not subscribe to the school of thought that the heroine has to be “likeable” – there has to be “something” there for the reader to grasp on to.  While the author wraps up the saga of James and Anna in a neat package by the end, I’m still left with the question of why, as the reader, I should care what happens to either of these two.  James at least has moments where he’s not totally debauched and vile – and while it’s certainly historical accurate, Anna’s snobbery and scheming can wear very thin in short order.

At the end of this third and final story, I find myself continuing to ponder this series.  Richardson can write, of that there is no question.  These stories have been erotic, evocative, delightful, and even amusing.  If the author were to publish a full-length novel, or even more short stories, I would no doubt happily buy and read them.  All the while, praying that the heroine will be someone who truly deserves any positive outcomes that play out over the course of the story.  Frankly, I was never sure that Anna did.

Grade: C+

You can read reviews for all three stories by clicking on the series tag.

Summary:

Countess Anna von Esslin has done something very uncharacteristic: she hasn’t taken a lover in over two years! None of the men in Munich meet her standards…especially her rival, James McKirnan.

Then the Countess is given a surprising birthday presents—a mystery lover who will only see her when she is blindfolded. He fulfills Anna’s every desire…but when the blindfold comes off, will she like what she sees?

No excerpt found

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of No Reservations by Megan Hart and Lauren Dane
Erotic romance released by Black Lace 10 Nov 09

I wanted to read this book as soon as I learned it existed… which was right around the time I finished Taking Care of Business. I liked this book more, as the basics of the characters and couples had already been developed. The greater focus on the romance was very much appreciated, and enjoyable. I felt that Kate and Dix, and Leah and Brandon each had their own stories, but that all four were sufficiently tied together as well.

I really like that No Reservations starts out with our characters/couples in different places. If I understand and remember correctly, six months have passed since the end of Taking Care of Business, and the book deals with that nicely. It was nice that all the characters have separate lives, but are tied together. It really brings the dual book/story together that much better.

Kate and Leah are very different, yet very similar. Both are career women, self actualized, happy, in stable, loving relationships… and both have their own kinks. What they look for and want in men are different- and they definitely aren’t the same person, but they fit together. They’re best friends. The rapport between two friends, and women isn’t in every book, and was a key factor here. Kate and Leah’s friendship was just as important as their respective romantic relationships.

I loved that Brandon and Dix bonded on this trip. Yes, they knew each other before, but I felt here was where they really became friends outside of their significant others. Spending the night in a death trap of a rat motel of course, would likely do that. As well as going for the same thing – trying to pin down an elusive woman. It does show, however, that they have each others backs. In fact, a number of scenes show Dix and Brandon feel loyalty and sympathy towards each other. They also like and admire each other as individuals. I think that helps develop their characters, and give the story additional depth.

There are a number of parallels in No Reservations, but the stories are distinct. Kate has to deal with a lot of external baggage that comes with Dix- namely his insane ex-wife, and then his two daughters. Leah has to overcome her need for space, and the fact that she keeps herself detached in interpersonal relationships. While the major focus was on Leah and Kate, Dix and Brandon held their own.

Of course, there’s a lot of decadence and hot sex once all the characters arrive in Las Vegas. And you know, before too. And it’s what one would expect, considering the authors and the publisher. I liked the realistic and pragmatic tone of this book. It wasn’t all perfection and angelic choruses once the characters admitted they loved each other. Rather, it took a lot of effort and meeting demands of personal growth that prompted the characters to agree to cement their relationships, and get married – even though it might be easier not to.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how real it was. Maybe not the sex and decadence, but the complications come along with being an adult, and in a relationship. I’ve been reading too many books where there isn’t a real happily ever after, or the ending is a cop out. Not so here. Perhaps in Taking Care of Business things were a bit vague, but in No Reservations the reader gets closure. I need that. I know it’s not a fairy tale – that it won’t be all puppies and sunshine and rainbows from now on, but that the couples will be able to withstand any arguments and stay together.

I have to say – kudos to Brandon and Dix for being the ones who are so adamant about marriage. Finally! Too often it’s the woman who is fanatical about getting married and pushing it – but really. A number of guys are just as anxious about that commitment. I liked that the characters had to work through issues – and were willing to address them – after some initial bursts of insanity. The ending is really sweet too – it’s nice to see that not only do Dix and Brandon adore Kate and Leah… Kate and Leah truly love and appreciate Dix and Brandon just as much.

I do think it is important to read Taking Care of Business before reading No Reservations. While this book can be read alone, much of what the characters say and do refers to the previous story. I recommend No Reservations to fans of Ms. Hart and Ms. Dane, or if you’re looking for a quick, hot read that has a satisfying amount of depth.

Grade: A-

Four days in Vegas. Two sexy and determined men. One penthouse suite… And No Reservations.

Christmas isn’t so merry for Kate and Leah. Kate’s romantic winter holiday is destroyed by the sudden and uninvited presence of Dix’s annoying ex-wife while Brandon’s super-perfect family and a diamond ring sends Leah running for the refuge of a girl’s holiday in Sin City with Kate in tow.

Dix and Brandon both know what they want. Hopping a plane in hot pursuit, the men show up in Vegas, ready to use every sensual trick they have to convince Kate and Leah to take a gamble on forever.

Read an excerpt here and another one here.

Lawson’s review of Bed of Roses (The Bride Quartet, book 2) by Nora Roberts
Contemporary romance released by Berkley 27 Oct 09

The second book of the Bride Quartet pairs Emma with Jack, and I’m sure there are many that have been waiting for this book. As cute as Mac and Carter were, Emma and Jack could be explosive (potentially). There is some of that, but also some very subtle insights into what makes a relationship work, between friends, lovers and others in between.

With one of the partners of Vows now engaged, the other members feel a bit jealous, but are very happy for Mac and Carter. Emma Grant has plenty to keep her busy to make her happy in other ways as well. Her flower business as part of Vows is doing extremely well and she’s surrounded by friends, family, and sometimes a new man. What Emma doesn’t expect is the sparks that fly when she gets stranded on the side of the road after a party and Jack Cooke comes to her rescue.

Jack has had an attraction to Emma for years, but he’s never known if she would return it and since she’s his best friend’s honorary sister he’s kept a hands off approach. When the sparks fly after an unexpected kiss, Jack knows it’s his time to try to get closer to Emma, in any way possible. What starts is a casual relationship that defies what Jack has expected of being with a woman and he gets more than comfortable with being with Emma.

With their past as friends as well as his past relationships, Jack works to keep things simple, but when deeper feelings are involved, his as well as Emma’s, Jack knows he has to change is views that overcome his past and work for a happy future.

Emma is one of those nice people that is annoying with her chipperness, but you can’t help but want to be friends with her anyway. Even with a sunny outlook on life, Emma is still a realist. She’s always had men around her, but she keeps things easy and makes sure there are not hurt feelings on either side when she knows things won’t work out. When she realizes she is really attracted to her good friend Jack, she works through her feelings before she jumps in the sack, which is always nice to see.

Jack is similar to Emma, though he’s been protective of himself due to his parent’s divorce. While Emma has had a large family and always seen the true love of her parents, Jack knows that’s rare and sometimes goes out of his way to protect his space. He’s still a great guy, very caring and understanding of Emma and gets surprised by how easy being with her and how necessary she is for his life.

Emma struggles throughout the story with keeping her feelings to herself so she doesn’t scare Jack away. While that makes sense with the way Jack has run from commitment and a friend turned lover would recognize that part of his character, Emma has a bit of an overreaction about his ingrained habits near the end of the book. However, I didn’t care. I completely understand how she felt in that moment and how she’d tried to show her love by caring for him in many different ways. Plus, Emma beat herself up enough and recognized her own faults as well as Jack’s, which made her such a well rounded and wonderful character.

It was a sweet and wonderful love story, not just for the romance between Jack and Emma, but both of their realism towards being in a relationship and the change from friends to lovers. It was also nice to see the continuation of Mac and Carter, as they plan for their wedding, the set up of the next book between Laurel and Del, and meeting Parker’s man (I think). Go get this series ASAP, you won’t be sorry.

Grade: A-

As little girls MacKensie, Emma, Laurel, and Parker spent hours acting out their perfect make believe “I do” moments. Years later their fantasies become reality when they start their own wedding planning company to make every woman’s dream day come true. With perfect flowers, delicious desserts, and joyful moments captured on film, Nora Roberts’s Bride Quartet shares each woman’s emotionally magical journey to romance.

In Bed of Roses, florist Emma Grant is finding career success with her friends at Vows wedding planning company, and her love life appears to be thriving. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn’t found Mr. Right. And the last place she’s looking is right under her nose.

But that’s just where Jack Cooke is. He’s so close to the women of Vows that he’s practically family, but the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. When Emma returns his passion—kiss for blistering kiss—they must trust in their history…and in their hearts.

Read an excerpt

Lawson’s review of To Desire a Devil (Legend of the Four Soliders) by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical romance released by Vision 1 Nov 09

Hoyt’s Legend of the Four Soldiers ends circling back to the beginning a little with the St. Aubyn family. Emeline’s brother who has been thought dead for seven years has appeared in London. Reynaud’s arrival is a shock to many, including the uncle that took over his title. Those that have been waiting for the revelation of the traitor of the 28th Foot at Spinner’s Falls will get that story resolved as well as see the happy endings of all those of the series so far.

When Reynaud St. Aubyn interrupts a political tea in his father’s town house, he really doesn’t know what’s going on. He’s feverish and happy to have made it back to London after seven years of captivity among a tribe in North America. After several days of recovery, he comes to know the niece of his uncle, the new Earl, Beatrice Corning, who has been caring for him.

Beatrice has been fascinated by Reynaud for years. She’s started for many hours many nights at his portrait, painted just before he went to the colonies. The real man is much more fascinating, dark, mysterious and damaged from his captivity. He’s also driven to reach the goal he’s had for the last seven years, which is to do anything to regain all that he’s lost. His title, lands, money and family. Unfortunately his uncle is attempting to prove his insanity to keep the title.

Placed in the middle and forced to make a choice, Beatrice works for her own ends trying to get a bill passed that would provide for veterans. Reynaud tries to get Beatrice on his side so that he doesn’t look insane and he can regain his title. The traitor works to cover his tracks so he won’t hang for his decisions.

Beatrice is a sweet, strong heroine, but she never seemed fully fleshed out. She’s devoted her life to helping her uncle, but she doesn’t agree with his political leanings. She devotes quite a bit of time to her friend Jeremy, who came home from the war horribly scarred. She spends time with her friend Lottie, who has some troubles with her marriage, which disillusions Beatrices towards love and marriage. While there are many facets to her personality, as a character, she seems a bit flat.

Reynaud is about the same. He sets out to use Beatrice and claim her as his own, but there isn’t much emotion involved in either decision. His focus is on the goal of regaining his life and damn anyone who wants to get in his way. He does get drawn into the search for the traitor by Vale, but that feeds is ultimate goals rather than is something that he feels he should do.

The story does have some interesting points, but they are just blips on the radar that get a bit overwhelmed by the somewhat interesting, but unfortunately flat characters of Beatrice and Reynaud. The other thing is Hoyt’s use of a fairy tale to open each chapter. While somewhat entertaining and showing a different side to the characters, the fairy tale, in the end, just distracts from the story. From the excerpt at the end of the book, it appears Hoyt will continue the use of fairy tales in the next series. While a concept that sets her apart from other writers, the fairy tales are almost like a schtick and don’t help the main story as they did in Hoyt’s first series.

Grade: C-

NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING-
Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl’s heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

OR DANGEROUS-
Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle’s home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh-and luring her into his bed.

THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.
Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud’s savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice’s love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title-even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

Read an excerpt

Limecello’s review of Power Play by Nancy Warren
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin Blaze on 1 Nov 2009

I really enjoy Nancy Warren’s books. She’s an author I try to keep up with, and am happy to read any of her stories by whatever publisher.  Power Play was no exception, and definitely a great Blaze story. I have to say, I’ve also got a soft spot for hockey player heroes.  And this one’s a cop too. Actually, a cop first – but in the book, he’s at a hockey tournament. No really, this all makes sense. Enjoy.

Emily Saunders is a contradictory heroine. Or, I thought so, but in a way, that makes her realistic. In another way, I found it annoying. Let me explain. Emily is smart, savvy, put together, and has it together. She’s a massage therapist and essentially owns her own business. She has a good life, and is well adjusted and happy. Until she’s around family. Then she’s a giant pushover, and basically a door mat. She knows this. It drives her insane. But she doesn’t do anything about it. (I know this is all too common and prevalent in real life… but fiction! Anyway, there’s always the hope.) I didn’t hold it against her.

Jonah Betts is hot, and adorable. If I think about it too much he’ll be a bit old for me – but… that’s not a universal thing. Jonah is the one who first figures out what is going on at the hotel- and he’s so… there. Once he’s in, Jonah is committed. You know Jonah is a good guy because he keeps his word, and is grown up. Jonah promises to not make a move on Emily, and he doesn’t. In fact, he gets a little pouty because he thinks Emily was just leading him on – but she was waiting for him to act first. I found this to be the cutest, sweetest thing ever. Ever!

If you read Ms. Warren’s website, you’ll see that the horrible hotel situation actually happened. That explains a lot – everything is so realistic, and borderline ludicrous that it had to have been based on an actual experience. The secondary characters are fun and entertaining, and Emily’s family outrageous and infuriating, as they’re supposed to be, I imagine. I also must make a note of the secondary romance. It was fantastic. I almost wish the couple didn’t have their happy ending because I wouldn’t mind reading an entire book devoted to the two of them. (Yes, me. The one who is starting to despise series.)

I’ve come to realize that Ms. Warren’s stories are so… small town and comfortable (at least in feel, though not always in setting) until *bam* you’re hit with some rather outrageous action. Ms. Warren hints at it throughout the book, but its not what you really expect. I can’t decide if this is a good or bad thing, but it definitely comes as a surprise to both the characters, and the reader.  The relative/villain was a bit static – and I thought it was over the top, how Emily’s family acted about him when they thought the two of them were “hitting it off” – but… what can you do. Family is crazy. (And I suppose hard to write realistically when given the word/length restrictions of a category.)

I loved this book… up until the end. I hated the ending. In fact, I disliked it so much I’m going to tell you what it was. (And generally I do my utmost to avoid that.) Do Emily and Jonah end up together? I don’t know. The easy answer is “yes of course.” But really in the book, all the characters say is “no, this wasn’t just a weekend fling!” In fact, Emily starts dwelling on it – in her head only – and Jonah “reassures” her by saying “You think we were done? Silly, we’ll definitely hang out in Portland!” Ok, so that’s not it verbatim, but am I convinced they’ll end up happily ever after and together forever? No. Not necessarily – and that is the reason why I read romances, dammit.

So. Aside from the ending, I really liked the book. Unfortunately, just thinking about the ending annoys me. You’ll notice I still think Power Play is a good book. It just… couldshould have been better. Still, I recommend this book to everyone who likes Blaze books, Ms. Warren’s writing, or is looking for a quick and fun contemporary. Especially those of you who love heroes who play hockey.

Grade: B

Keep her hands to herself?

Not easy for Emily Saunders, who’s in Elk Crossing, Idaho, for a family wedding. She’s double booked in the same hotel room with a sexy cop attending—of all things!—a hockey tournament. As a massage therapist, Emily’s soon itching to soothe Jonah Betts’s gorgeous muscles—both on and off the ice.

Jonah can’t believe his luck—a sexy single woman sharing his cozy room, albeit temporarily. Okay, her orange bridesmaid dress is a disaster and her family is convinced he’s actually her boyfriend. He’s ready to go along with it even as he makes his play….

Until Emily is suddenly calling for a TIME-OUT! Will Jonah’s fantasies be permanently iced?

Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of Burn For Me by Dee Tenorio
Contemporary romance published by Samhain Publishing on 3 Nov 2009

I’ve only read a few of Dee Tenorio’s stories, but I think she’s an author to keep an eye on. (I said the same about Jess Dee.) I’ve read Burn For Me a few times now, and find it very enjoyable. I love stories where the hero and heroine knew each other. There are qualities and factors that make this story different from others, although some things are very familiar. For example, the secret baby. Evil potential in-laws, and so on. However, the small town and large family dynamic give Burn For Me something more. I believe there are more books set in this city, and I intend to look into that. Also, cliche, but I have to say it. Did you look at the cover? Love it. I want  Scott Carpenter skills when I grow up.

Dr. Penelope Gibson is an interesting character. I think that she’s well rounded, and very human. She’s emotional, determined to be strong, makes mistakes, knows she isn’t perfect, worries a lot, but will do anything to protect her daughter. In short, she’s a mother. But that’s good. Her friends call her “Pen” – and I’m not sure if it was another book I was reading at the same time, but I found that distracting. I like how cautious Penelope is. Finally there’s a heroine who sticks to her guns, and really has to be sure about the hero before she’s all in. I thought it was realistic that Pen would be willing to be with Raul physically, but not certain they’d have a lasting relationship. (With good reason.)

Raul Montenga is a hero that you like now, but wouldn’t have if you had known him in the past. I think his flaws  and colorful history really help his relationship (or the lack thereof) with Pen. He was a jerk, but now that he’s home, he’s all grown up. Raul needed that time to become a man. That sounds so cliche, but its true. I think Raul needed some time to play and figure out what he wanted from life. Once he does, Raul goes after it with single minded determination. Not only do I think that is admirable, I absolutely adore it when the hero is head over heels for the heroine, and doing his best to convince her to take a chance on him.

Perhaps its because I’m over thinking as I write this review – but the secret baby aspect. Raul’s mother knew immediately knew that Chloe is her granddaughter. That I can believe – sometimes with family you can just know. However, with the town being so small and everyone in each other’s business, one would have thought it’d be a bigger deal that Chloe is Raul’s daughter.  Even before he knew. (Nobody knows who Chloe’s father is for years.) Although, I suppose that isn’t the focus. In a way, I liked that Penelope and Raul already having a daughter together is something of a collateral benefit, and not why Raul wants to be with Penelope.

The really interesting twist is the family aspect. Both Penelope and Raul’s families are well described and extremely different, but the disparities are enjoyable. There’s a twist, with almost reverse racism, for a lack of a better term. I liked that Ms. Tenorio addressed such an interesting and difficult subject, and that she made it integral to the story, rather than it being simply some personal agenda to “educate the world.”

While I really enjoyed this book, there was just something about it -not that it was off – its hard to describe, but maybe not complete, or that mysterious quality that made me want to hug the book after finishing it. The elusive squee, I suppose. Nevertheless, its great. Chloe is a likable character (I have to say I’m not a fan of children in romances. I guess kids freak me out. Anyway.) But she’s well written, and quite the kid. Raoul and Penelope’s relationship is real, and occurs naturally. They’re sweet, and their interaction is very sexy. While there are a number of secondary characters, most of the focus is on Raoul and Penelope… and their parents. Another interesting twist. I recommend this book if you enjoy Ms. Tenorio’s writing, or if you’re looking for a quick enjoyable contemporary.

[And... brace yourselves. Longest. Book blurb. Ever!]
Grade: B

Once burned is all it takes…

A Rancho Del Cielo Romance.

Twelve years ago, Raul Montenga left home to live life on his own terms. Yet for just as long, his nights have sizzled with erotic dreams of Penelope, the girl he left behind. Enough is enough. It’s time to find out if the sparks are real, or all in his head.

Not that he expected a warm welcome, but her cold shoulder and icy rejection sting more than he cares to admit. So he’s more than a little surprised to find her tomboy daughter standing nervously on his porch…claiming to be his child.

Dr. Penelope Gibson’s worst nightmare isn’t that her daughter wants to know her daddy. It’s facing—and keeping at arm’s length—her biggest youthful mistake. Now he’s back and the feelings she’d thought frozen solid are melting fast. Along with her inhibitions, her clothes and her better judgment.

Problem is, Raul’s not content to stop at getting acquainted with her daughter. He wants it all—Penelope’s love, her body and her soul. After twelve years building a life without him, though, she’s not sure she trusts him—or herself—enough to try.

Read an excerpt here.

Lynne Connolly‘s review of The Christmas Love-Child by Jennie Lucas
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 10 Nov 09

I harshed on the last book I read by Jennie Lucas, The Innocent’s Dark Seduction because the alpha hero went way, way over the top for me. This is different, this is Ms Lucas back to form. 

Grace is a doormat for her boss, the appalling Alan Barrington, who knows she’s hot for him and uses her. He could be the hero of a different romance, but thank goodness, he’s not the hero of this one. She’s running an errand for him when she is splashed by Maksim’s car. Maksim, it appears, is in wait for her, but she doesn’t know that at the time. Recognizing her boss’s business rival, she refuses to get involved with him, but he offers his help to her.

I liked the way Maksim abandoned his idea to use Grace as soon as he hears her story and realizes he wants her more.

This is a Cinderella story and it wears its clothes lightly, otherwise some aspects of the story would be uncomfortable. Instead of dropping a shoe, she drops a bag of lingerie, and she lives in the basement of her boss’s house. But it’s easy to see the origins, and Lucas intends it that way, making the veil between Cinderella and Grace almost transparent at times.

Grace is a doormat, like Cinderella, and Maksim is a prince, a Russian one to be precise. There isn’t a fairy godmother, thank goodness, but there is an evil ex mistress taking the place of both stepsisters (yawn).

Maksim is delicious. His turnaround halfway through the book is a bit too much to believe, and he deliberately hurts Grace, something I don’t think a hero should deliberately do, but while I hated Ms Lucas’s previous excursion into fairy tale, I enjoyed this one. Very Christmassy.

The epilogue will probably make your teeth ache, but the final scene in the book proper is delicious. Ms Lucas never forgets that this is a Christmas book, and this is one to be savored while sitting under the tree on Christmas Eve.

A B from this curmudgeon. Have a good one.

Grade: B

Summary:

It’s Christmas time in London, and unwittingly Grace is swirled into the sumptuous and scandalous world of Prince Maksim Rostov. When the unworldly secretary learns he took her innocence in exchange for a business deal, broken-hearted she flees.

But when Maksim discovers Grace’s pregnancy secret, the ruthless Russian drags her to his guarded mansion in snowy Moscow. There he’ll keep her as his captive bride and unwilling princess….

Read an excerpt here.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Under The Boss’s Mistletoe by Jessica Hart
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Romance 10 Nov 2009

Sometimes the right book finds you at just the right time.  Having been mired in what I’m calling The Reading Slump From Hell for the past month, I’ve been slogging my through one book after another.  However, just as I was about to dissolve in puddle of tears, I picked Jessica Hart’s latest Harlequin Romance.  The skies parted, and I swear I heard a heavenly choir belting out a rockin’ tune.

At twenty-seven Cassandra Grey is a supreme disappointment to her family.  Her brothers and sister are wildly successful, while Cassie has flitted from one job to the next.  However she’s finally settled on a career she thinks is right for her.  She’s working for a wedding planner, although business has been a bit slow lately.  That’s when her boss gets a call from Jake Trevelyan inquiring about their services and asks to meet with Cassie.  Jake and Cassie knew each other when they were younger, and the last time they saw each other was full of teenage angst culminating in a scorching kiss.  Cassie looks back on her behavior and is slightly mortified.  But the business needs the booking, and Cassie needs her job, so she agrees to meet with Jake.

Turns out Jake isn’t getting married.  No, he’s inherited Portrevick Hall, a stately manor in the quaint small town where he and Cassie grew up.  Jake is a very successful business man, but even he cannot afford a huge English manor.  No, the Hall is going to need to pay for itself, so he has the idea of making it available to the public for various events.  Oh, like weddings.  Someone told him Cassie was in the wedding business now, so he gives her a call.  When she shows up, he discovers Cassie is still the sweet, slightly bumbling, chaotic girl he remembered.  However she has some good ideas, and agrees to hire her to turn the Hall into a venue.

In order for this story to work, the reader has to be willing to buy into a couple of things.  For one, that Cassie could work for a wedding planner.  She’s certainly a sweet, charming and lovely girl, but she’s also a bit disorganized and messy.  She’s the type of person who is always 15 minutes late, she wouldn’t know sleek and cool if it bit her in the butt, and she thrives on clutter.  This doesn’t mean she’s too stupid to live.  No, Cassie is a bright girl.  She’s just not what I would call “Type A.”  But she’s charming, delightful, and just what Jake needs in his life.  Also, the prologue of the story is a bit overwrought.  That being said, it sets up the story by showing Cassie at 17 and Jake in his very early 20s.  Overwrought with a fair amount of exclamation points is pretty much par for the course at 17.

Jake grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, so when he got a chance to escape his hometown, he took it and ran.  To compensate for a childhood where everyone treated him like trash, he became the classic over-achiever.  The right suit, the right tie, the right job, and the right girl.  Jake has attached himself to smart, cool, sophisticated women who always wear black.  Cassie is most definitely not his type.  So why is he so drawn to her?

What I liked so much about this story besides the fact that it was charming and sweet, was that Jake and Cassie spend a fair amount of time talking to each other.  After slogging through one too many romances where the romantic couple is unwilling or incapable of this it made Jake and Cassie’s interaction with each other a breath of fresh air.

What I enjoy about the Harlequin Romance line is that they’re multi-generational stories.  The type of stories that you can read and then give to your mother, grandmother or teenage daughter without missing a beat.  Under The Boss’s Mistletoe is a textbook example of this.  Read it, savor it, and then give it to your 13-year-old daughter to read.  You’ll both love it.

Grade: B+

Summary:

In high school, Jake Trevelyan was Casie Grey’s dream rebel. He surfed, rode a motorbike – now he’s her new boss! It’s events planner Cassie’s job to transform Jake’s mansion into a snow-kissed wedding venue. NOT to relive her old fantasy that they’re the ones getting married. Posing as the happy couple for a publicity photo shoot, Cassie pinches herself as Jake leans in for a show-stopping kiss … but it’s just for the cameras, isn’t it?

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Wild Blue Under (Mer Series, Book 2) by Judi Fennell
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 3 Nov 09

The fun and the intrigue continue in this second book in the Mer series by Ms. Fennell. This time, however, most of the action is inland instead of under the sea. I actually like this book a tad better than In Over Her Head. There’s still a slight lack of the family connection/emotion that I also wanted in the first book, but overall I was highly entertained throughout the story.

Instead of fish as secondary characters, this time around we get birds. From seagulls to sparrows, there’s a variety of avian represented by either helping Rod and Valerie or working against them as they race toward the ocean to save the earth, or so Rod has been told by the Atlantis Council. It’s Livingston the Seagull who steals the show most of the time. He’s the head of security for sea creatures and he loves food, especially human food, salty French fries being a favorite.

Rod has been sent to find Valerie, the half-human/half-Mer woman who is pivotal in The Prophecy and has no idea she’s not all human. He has to figure out a way to get her to the ocean, where the Council and the Gods will take over, but in the middle of his attempts to get Val to their destination, the coup to bring down the current royal family hits hard, leaving Rod, Valerie, and Livingston on their own, fighting off a contingent of fish-bomb carrying birds, among others, lead by a revenge-seeking JR, a seagull intent on teaching Rod’s father a thing or two.

Valerie is only along for the ride to take possession of the inheritance her no-good father left her, thereby saving the ocean-themed souvenir shop her mother started on the open plains of Kansas. She’s always been restless, moving around looking for something she can’t name, but when Valerie’s mother passes away, she realizes that little shop is home and where she needs to be. Saving it from the tax man suddenly seems easy when Rod shows up spouting news about her father, a man she’s glad she never knew.

Through the many dangers that blocks their way, the antics of a talking seagull, and the intrigue of what they’ll find at the end of their journey, Rod and Valerie try to fight their growing attraction. But when Rod is denied his tail when finally back home in the water, when it becomes clear who wants him dead, he realizes for the first time he hasn’t really been living his life in preparing to become High Councilman. His life is the woman who stuck by him through thick and thin, to hell with everything else. But will the gods agree and let him walk away to spend a normal life with Valerie?

I really liked how Valerie adapted to every situation that came at them on the road, choosing to stay instead of run like she’s done all of her life. There’s a couple of female sparrows, Maybelle and Adele, who are so cute, and they do their part in helping keep Rod and Valerie safe.

Similar to what happened in the first book, what I didn’t get was a meeting between the brothers, Rod and Reel, when it’s Rod’s guilt over a situation with Reel that has guided him through his life so far. I realize it’s Valerie’s love and his own realizations that help him on that score, but the added emotion that could have come from such scenes with the brothers would have been very welcome.

But this is still a light-hearted book that keeps the fun and smiles coming just as its predecessor did. It’s different and it’s entertaining. I mean, who wouldn’t want a Mer man if he showed up at their door out of the blue? Fanciful fantasy to the very end.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Rod Tritone, heir to the throne of the undersea world, needs a queen capable of ruling the oldest kingdom on earth. Someone regal, learned and of noble birth. Problem is, the only eligible noble-born Mer princess is half-Human – and she doesn’t have a clue about the non-Human part.

Valerie Dumere has screwed up her life at every turn, so when her mother dies and leaves her the family business, Val realizes it’s up to her to buckle down and get her life on track. No more excuses.

So when a guy shows up claiming to be her destiny, she scoffs. No way. She isn’t running away from her responsibilities ever again – no matter how good the guy looks without a shirt.

But Rod isn’t going away. He can’t claim his inheritance without her – and Val will lose hers if she goes with him.

It’s going to take one whale of a tale to get her to chuck it all and follow him off into the wild blue under…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Lynne Connolly‘s review of Getting Red-Hot With the Rogue by Ally Blake
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Nov 09

Another goodie. Title – ignore it, it’s stupid and it doesn’t have anything to do with the story.

This book is awash with humor, but it never gets in the way of romance. Wynnie won’t be stepped on or doormatted, and several times through this book I found myself cheering for her. Dylan doesn’t hurt her, denigrate her or belittle her, but he still manages to be alpha to the max.

The technology is appropriate, something I really appreciated, since in many of the Presents books, the executive hero seems to be mired in the past, fighting his way through reams of paper and only using his laptop when he wants to impress the heroine. Dylan isn’t pompous, either, and he does give Wynnie the benefit of listening to her and taking her thoughts and ideas seriously. My kind of hero.

Wynnie can be a bit hotheaded, but she doesn’t do it to the point of stupidity and she is good at her job. You can see why her employers chose her and have trust in her. She’s capable, and she shares Dylan’s sense of humor. You could actually see why these two got on so well.

The story starts when Wynnie handcuffs herself to the “zig-zag” sign outside Dylan’s building, in the cause of eco-friendly policies. She’s not an eco-warrior, she’s a lobbyist, and while she agrees with it, it never becomes the focus of the story and Blake never preaches the cause. Instead, she gets her point over with reason and discussion – after she snags his attention with the handcuff trick.

A pity she’s allergic to nickel and a pity she bought cheap nickel handcuffs. When Dylan sees the marks left by the cuffs, he doesn’t think “how stupid,” he admires her courage and the way she just copes. And it makes him want to take care of her.

Brisbane makes a great backdrop to the story, and is obviously a place the author knows well. I enjoyed this one and I’m going back for more.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Lobbyist Wynnie Devereaux is a woman on a mission – to save the planet one man at a time.

She has her reasons for wanting to spend her days flirting, prodding, pushing, winging, dining and encouraging those in power to try a little harder to protect the planet – some reasons are born of altruism and hope, others are a tad more murky.

Her mission leads her to set her sights on Dylan Kelly – the spare heir, and head of Media Relations for the the formidable Kelly Investment Group banking family of Brisbane – as the one man who can help her change the world.  The fact that she has never met a man who has affected her as ardently, as instantly, or as alarmingly intensely, a man whose own life’s mission to take down anyone with the notion to target his family for their own ends, means that most of all it is her heart which needs protecting!

Read an excerpt here.

Lynne Connolly‘s review of Playboy Boss, Live-In Mistress by Kelly Hunter
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Nov 09

You know when they say if you look hard enough you find what you’re looking for? I found it. Loved this book.

Title – ridiculous. Everything else – great. 

This is a friends-to-lovers book, which isn’t always my favorite read. I love the first meeting scenes in romances, the shock of recognitions, which isn’t always there in friends-to-lovers books. This one though, rockets into one of my favorite reads of the year.

Sienna is a grown-up heroine. She thinks for herself, and her independence is important to her. In fact, it’s the main conflict of the story. She won’t take what Lex offers her. But there’s far more than a plot contrivance in this, and it’s part of Sienna’s backstory. Yes, she’s adult enough to know that her background shouldn’t dictate her life, but the emotions she’s left with are undeniable. She is left with an obsession. If she can find the missing paintings that are all that is left of her parents’ fortune, she’ll be able to keep the house she loves and live reasonably. Thus the job with Lex. The desire to find the paintings obsesses her, and it’s this she has to learn to cope with, rather than the actual discovery.

Lex is your happy-go-lucky millionaire, but he works hard, close to the work-obsessed so many wealthy men are in real life. It’s so good to see the work actually mean something, and while Lex loves what he does and works hard at it, he does have other interests.

The banter is marvelous, natural sounding for people who have known each other nearly all their lives but are now reaching for something deeper. It went a long way toward my enjoyment of this book. This bit is only one example:

“Any more stock reports to read?” he asked her.

“You mean apart from the dozens you’ve already read?” she said, without lifting her gaze from the book she was reading. “No.”

“Any more newspapers?”

“You’ve read all those too.”

“Just checking.” He waited a beat. “What’s that you’re reading?”

“An airport novel.” Sienna’s long-suffering tone served only to amuse him. Clearly the nut-driving worked both ways. “I’m up to the part where our hero—due to a combination of strength, determination, brilliance, luck, and fortuitous plotting—single-handedly nabs the villains and then walks away from the traitorous yet agonizingly beautiful woman who betrayed him.”

“Sounds reasonable,” he said. “Keep me posted.” He drummed his fingers on the armrest, flicked through the entertainment channels. Sighed.

Sienna looked up at him from her book, those golden brown eyes with their tiny flecks of green revealing acute exasperation and a refreshing lack of guile. “Admit it,” she said. “You have the attention span of a gnat.”

“I do not.”

“And you want my book.”

“No, I don’t. Unless of course you’re finished with it.”

“I’m not.”

“Because it certainly sounds like the end to me.”

“There’s an epilogue.”

“You actually read epilogues?”

“Wouldn’t want to miss anything,” she said sweetly. “Attention to detail is what you pay me for, remember? It was in the job description.”

“Wasn’t catering to my every whim in the job description too?” he asked. “I thought it was.”

“Maybe in your draft. Your former PA removed all references to slavery before she sent it out.”

They were meant to be together, weren’t they? The book is full of that kind of banter, and that went a long way towards my enjoyment of it.

By the time the action turns more serious, you’re ready to follow them into their discoveries and root for their romance to work out into their happy ever after. And this is one HEA I can completely believe in. Lex and Sienna are going to be equal partners in a fulfilling relationship.

I have to mention the understated secondary romance between an older couple, which is just as carefully observed as the main one. It added to the main romance, and made me wish the book was just a bit longer, so we could learn more about them.

An unreserved A from me, and I’m looking forward enormously to Ms Hunter’s next book.

Grade: A

Summary:

As far as Sienna Raleigh is concerned, Alexander Wentworth the Third – childhood nemesis and bane of her existence – is the man who has it all and regularly acquires more. More wealth, more women, more charm, and far more power than is good for any man.

Becoming Lex’s PA for a month is like being gifted a crash course in business savvy from the reigning master, and within that context Sienna willingly follows his lead. As for bedding him… no, no, and NO – no matter how tempted she is to find out what all the fuss is about. When Sienna does finally fall in love it will be with a good plain steady man, not a charming billionaire playboy with the attention span of a gnat.

Working closely with Lex and living in his house brings challenges aplenty and more than just kisses. Pretty soon, Lex is demanding everything Sienna has to give. And he isn’t a man to take no for an answer.

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Gwen’s review of Blaze of Memory (Psy-Changeling Series, Book 7) by Nalini Singh
Futuristic paranormal romance released by Berkley 3 Nov 09

At this point, I’ll sound like a broken record I’ve said this so much.  Nevertheless, I’ll say it again.  Singh is one of the best storytellers out there today, and the best paranormal romance author.  Her stories are set in an interesting, complete world, have luscious heroes and heroines, good plot lines, full and logical story arcs, excellent villains, and really dreamy romances. 

Blaze is no exception to these rules.  We get a full, rich romance with lots of great details and a really fun story.

Singh tells us a story about the head of the Shine Foundation, Dev, and a psy named Katya.  They meet under unusual circumstances.  Katya initially suffers from complete amnesia. (I know, I know, it’s a familiar tune, but it works here.  Honest.)

Over the course of the book, Dev and Katya, with other psy and changelings, solve the mystery of Katya and her condition.  They fall in love, have some awesome sex, and thwart a seriously nasty plot set in action by the villains.

I won’t give away any other details except to say that if you’re following this series, you definitely want to read this book.  If you’re new to the series, you might be a little at sea with Blaze - by this book, there’s so much backstory that you might miss quite a lot jumping in here.

Blaze is a romping good time with a new group of characters in this rich, interesting series.

Grade: A

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

Summary:

Nalini Singh returns to the Psy/Changeling world and its “breathtaking blend of passion, adventure, and the paranormal”* as a woman without a past becomes the pawn of a man who controls her future…

Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she’s dangerous. Charged with protecting his people’s most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It’s a task he’s never hesitated to complete…until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might yet prove the enemy’s most insidious weapon.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor, and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity itself. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

		The Cannibal Princess
A Gift For Kit