Sandy M’s review of Warrior’s Redemption, (The Warrior Series, Book 1) by Melissa Mayhue
Paranormal Time Travel Romance published by Pocket Star 27 Dec 11

I really enjoy reading Melissa Mayhue’s Highlanders. They’re always honorable men, fair leaders, and, of course, wonderful heroes. On top of that, we usually get to time travel in her books. Actions and reactions to these events are varied and unexpected at times and make for great storylines. Once again, another good read from Ms. Mayhue in this first book of her new series.

Danielle has always believed in faeries. Nearly all her life she’s left milk for them, just as the book she read as a teenager told her to do, all on the chance they’d eventually place her where she belongs. Not once has she felt she belongs anywhere – except in a kitchen. Cooking calms her, keeps her centered. But it takes fifteen long years before the fae do decide to grant Dani’s one fervent wish.

Living with guilt over something he really had no control over, trying to keep his people from starvation during the upcoming winter, Malcolm’s life only becomes more difficult and complicated when his half-brother demands payment and fealty from the weary warrior. But Malcolm is now laird of his dead wife’s clan, and though he lacks the confidence to lead that he once held, he’s determined to do whatever necessary to see them flourish. Under Torquil’s rule is the fastest way to hell for them all.

Then out of the blue Malcolm has two extra people to take care of – a woman so different from any he’s ever known and his mother-in-law, whose presence only heightens his guilt. Of course, the fae would be involved in it all, they can’t seem to keep their magic out of his life. As he and his men prepare for battle with Torquil to rescue his sister, his feelings for Dani grow. They hatch a plan to distract and attack, but at the last minute Malcolm decides to take matters into own hands, facing his brother one on one and hoping their differences can be settled without bloodshed.

This puts the reader about halfway into the story, and so far the storyline lacks the action with sword and brawn that Ms. Mayhue does so well. So if you’re looking for that early on, be warned, this is a much slower rendition than her fans are used to. Even when I expected some of that action once Malcolm reaches his destination, I had to wait a little longer. When he finally faces his brother, that scene is a bit anti-climatic after my anticipation. It all seems to be over before it begins. Malcolm is held in chains while Dani and Patrick, another of Colm’s brothers, plan his rescue. I’m just a tad disappointed there isn’t more action throughout the book, though what do we get near the end almost makes up for that lack in the first half and despite the fact Malcolm seems to be out of his league when up against Torquil’s magic.

That magic, however, is a nice element to Ms. Mayhue’s stories, and she uses it quite well here to give the upper hand to the villain, causing our hero and heroine to have to outsmart the man for his final defeat. This one is pure selfish greed and power hungry, and he doesn’t care who he has to get rid of to get what he wants. I so enjoy the way Dani attacks the jerk, but it’s not the last we’ll see of him. And there’s a twist I didn’t see coming after the Torquil is down for the count.

One small nitpick I have is it seems Malcolm gets over his vow to never give his heart again and not to marry again a little too quickly. And once he does, his reasons aren’t delved into very deeply after such avowals. We know the reason for Dani being thrust back in time, but he doesn’t and I feel that needed to be explored more once he makes his decision for their future.

Warrior’s Redemption is a good start to this new series. I look forward to the rest of it. Christiana is a very interesting character and I’m anxious to find out what is in store for her, as well as Torquil. I hope his final end is spectacular.

Grade:B+

Summary:

Will the magic of modern romance help him defeat an evil ancient power?

Malcolm MacDowlyt sees himself a failed warrior, haunted by the death of the woman he married to become laird of Clan MacGahan.  Neither his Viking heritage nor his claim to descend from Norse gods can restore his confidence in his ability to protect his people.  His sister is held captive, her life in jeopardy, and his Magically powerful half brother wants him dead.  The last thing he needs is more responsibility, but that’s exactly what he gets when his Faerie mother-in-law arrives seeking justice for her daughter in the form of an enticing woman from seven hundred years in the future.

Danielle Dearmon has waited fifteen years to discover the life she is supposed to live.  She just never dreamed she’d end up in the thirteenth century with a handsome Scot bent on saving everyone but himself.

With the lives of those most dear to him hanging in the balance, Malcolm sets out to battle a powerful evil Magic, only to learn that the redemption he seeks exists only in the arms of the woman he loves.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Warrior’s Rebirth – 2012

Laura C’s review of With No Remorse (Black Ops Inc., Book 6) by Cindy Gerard
Romantic Suspense published by Pocket Star 19 Jul 11

Cindy Gerard is one of my favorite paramilitary romantic suspense authors. She always gives you plenty of action and adventure, and With No Remorse is no exception. Her Black Ops, Inc books take you on a ride that–while sometimes less than plausible–is always fun. The books are ensemble rather than strictly series, so you can read them out of order if you like–each member of the BOIs gets his own book and, although the other members of the team have cameos, you don’t need to know their backstories to enjoy the books.

In this book, team medic Luke “Doc” Colter is paired with international supermodel Valentina, whom he meets on a train in Peru. The train is boarded by men with guns, and, although Luke is disillusioned with himself and unsure whether he has it in him to be a hero any longer, he cannot stop himself from helping her escape. She has no idea why she is being pursued, and Luke must solve the mystery while protecting and, eventually, getting them both back to the USA.

It’s an unlikely relationship and one that, I am afraid, doesn’t get any more believable as the book goes on. The heat is certainly there, and there’s plenty of good sex (as always with Gerard), but the emotional depth is lacking. It’s hard to believe that these two will make it as a couple in the long term.

Part of the problem is Valentina herself. The character isn’t particularly fleshed out. We know she is gorgeous (after all, she’s a supermodel) and she proves that she has grit, but we’re never shown her intelligence or strength of character. In fact, several times I wanted to smack her. She’s not TSTL, she doesn’t get herself into terrible fixes and expect others to get her out, but you can’t imagine her at, say, the family barbeque chatting with various relatives about sports, politics, anything of any import.

This is a hard book for me to review and it comes down to having to split the review into two sections: readability and romance. I would give the thrill, the ride, the enjoyability of the book while actually reading it high marks. But the romance should be the payoff, the thing that keeps a story with you long after you close the book, and that’s ultimately unsatisfying.

Grade: B-

Summary:

His quiet vacation in the Peruvian Andes turns deadly when a Black Ops, Inc. operative rescues a stunning stranger from a mysterious train robbery and discovers she’s the target of a vengeful manhunt.

A DANGEROUS MAN
For Luke Colter, down time is an illusion. He should know better than to ever leave his gun behind. Especially since he risks his life to save world-famous supermodel Valentina.

A REBELLIOUS WOMAN
Val thought traveling incognito through the mountains would be the perfect cure for her bruised heart . . . until someone tries to kill her. Without knowing who is after her—and why—does she dare trust her irresistible protector?

A PERILOUS MISSION THAT COULD SEAL THEIR FATE
Luke’s elite military training offers little defense against his feelings for Val. When his BOI team links her ruthless enemy to the cutthroat global weapons trade—and to a man from her troubled past—he’ll do anything to save her.  So when Val offers herself as bait, will he make the right call . . . or surrender to the hold she has on his heart?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Highlander’s Curse (Daughters of the Glen, Book Eight) by Melissa Mayhue
Historical Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 29 Mar 11

As much as I love this entire series, I really enjoy those books that include time traveling. And when there’s time traveling going both ways, I’m in heaven. Colin and Abby have a time of it when magic and evil combine to wreak havoc on them while fighting an attraction they don’t understand or necessarily want at this point in their lives. But then again, life isn’t done rotating on its axis yet.

Colin MacAlister has a deep hatred for the Fae due to the injurious damage they’ve rained on his family. When searching for his destiny from a seer, he runs into the Faerie Queen herself, who doesn’t take kindly to his selfish and arrogant attitude and promptly curses him to feel the pain of all souls who were torn from their mates, never to be reunited. He suffers for a long ten years, learning to block the anguish just get through each day.

Having the uncanny ability to locate items just by thinking of them, Abigail Porter is quite successful in her chosen field of archeology. She’s been chosen for an assignment of a lifetime in Scotland and has no way of knowing that a darkness is about to invade her world. When celebrating and saying goodbye to friends with a tad too much to drink, she wishes for The One to share her life with.

Fae magic once more intervenes in Colin’s life, this time whisking him across the centuries to Abby. She’s a woman he could fall for, but through the abilities he’s gained from his curse, he can tell she already has a soulmate. Not for a minute believing in faeries, especially when it comes to herself, Abby has to eventually suspend her belief when she and Colin are cornered by the evil that has slyly insinuated itself into her life. Only when they are transported to Colin’s time – initiated by her wish that it be so – and she meets his family, which includes another twenty-first century woman, does she begin to realize what she can have in her life. But Abby knows she doesn’t belong in the past and is determined to return to her home. With Colin intent on saving his king and his friends from an ambush, all of which he learned from reading history books in the future, Abby has no choice but to go along with his crazy idea of marrying to keep up appearances as they travel headlong into danger.

I really like Colin and Abby, they complement each other so very well. Each is intent on doing what they think is right; each is very stubborn when it comes to that intent. They have their own vulnerabilities, but once they acknowledge their feelings, they become stronger and work together very well. Ms. Mayhue has a penchant for creating villainous evil and Flynn is no exception in this book. Man nor beast is never safe when he’s around and bent on getting what he wants. We also get caught up with past characters, which helps because after eight books there are a number involved. It’s definitely one big, happy, and complicated family, but the relationships are spelled out succinctly so you’re never lost.

I don’t know how much longer this series is slated to last, but for however long that is, I intend to keep enjoying every last word. You just can’t get enough of the magic that is Melissa Mayhue’s romantic Scottish fantasies.

Grade: A

Summary:

When COLIN MACALISTER is cursed by the Faerie Queen and ends up in the bed of a twenty-first century woman — who also happens to be the most beautiful creature he’s ever laid eyes on — he’s torn between anger and lust. Colin is determined to see Scotland free of English control and must return to the fourteenth century, yet he cannot forget the woman who haunts his dreams and stirs him with scorching desire.

ABIGAIL PORTER can’t believe her luck. After making a wish to find her Soulmate, she wakes up to find a gorgeous man in her bed! Can he really be a medieval Highlander summoned by her Faerie Magic, however? It seems crazy, but when Abby discovers someone wants to enslave her because of her Faerie heritage, she agrees to flee with Colin to 1306 Scotland to avoid capture.

Thwarting danger at every turn, Abby and Colin surrender to an irresistible passion. But is the magic of true love powerful enough to save them?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Healing the Highlander (Daughters of the Glen, Book 7) by Melissa Mayhue
Historical Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 22 Feb 11

There are some series I’ve gotten behind on reading – Kathryn Smith’s The Brotherhood of the Blood and Christine Warren’s The Others series as examples. There’s others I haven’t started reading yet – Christine Feehan’s Dark Series, which is now too daunting to even contemplate beginning – but there are those series I’ve been able to stay up to date with that I thoroughly enjoy and always look forward to the next book. Melissa Mayhue’s Daughters of the Glen series is one of those. This series has grown from book to book, giving us interesting situations and plot twists for the magical and enchanting characters Ms. Mayhue has created for her readers. And there’s only more of the same to come. I, for one, am looking forward to every last word.

I really like the time travel aspect of this series. Certain characters are aware of the ability to do so, but they don’t use it often, only when absolutely needed. As we saw in the last book, Leah, our heroine here, had been shuttled back into time to live with Robert’s parents to keep her away from the Nuadian Fae, who wanted her for their evil breeding purposes, all due to Leah’s Fae blood.

As we meet up with Leah again, it’s been twelve years since that time and she’s done very well living in Medieval Scottland, having freedom to do as she pleases without fear. She’s been happy, despite having to leave her sister behind. Then with the return of Hugh and Margery MacQuarrie’s oldest son, Richard – the Dick, as Leah likes to call him – all of their lives are about to change – for the worse. With her grandfather imprisoned and no one else able to proffer help, Leah makes use of a hidden tunnel out of the castle to hightail it to Dun Ard, home of the MacKiernan clan, to ask for help. She has all she needs to get there from MacKiernan relatives who are now living in the future, so she heads out, hoping that she makes it before it’s too late for her grandfather.

We’ve also met Andrew MacAlister in previous books – Ms. Mayhue has woven an intricate relationship among all these families of past and present – and Drew became my favorite after he was severely injured while helping rescue his sister years ago, before her foray into the future. He now has to fight pain every day, try to keep his leg muscles as limber as possible to avoid becoming bedridden later in life. He searches constantly for that something or someone who can give him the miracle he needs. On his current sojourn he rescues another young woman fighting for her life in a lake. Hearing her story, he agrees to take her to Dun Ard – without telling her it’s his home. With English soldiers after her, Drew is cautious in what he shares with this lovely and fascinating woman.

Trouble does catch up with them as they take refuge at a nearby priory. Those same Englishmen arrive ahead of Drew and Leah, latching onto them, despite their tale of just getting married and heading to his family’s home. That trouble follows them all the way to Dun Ard where they must truly marry to keep English suspicions at bay. With her life in chaos and Drew discovering her Fae power – a power she hates and has sworn to never use again – they gravitate closer to closer to one another, their attraction growing until they each desire their upcoming nuptials. Once vows are said, however, their new life seems to go all wrong, pulling them apart now that they’ve discovered bliss with one another.

It’s a great author who can keep a series fresh as each book comes along and Ms. Mayhue has been quite successful at that with this series. Her characters are always charming, enticing, and intriguing. The storylines are intense and peppered with nice, light-hearted moments. Romance and mystery are entwined to keep you reading for the rawness and sweetness of the love and to find out who the baddies are and what they’re ultimately up to. Though there isn’t any actual time travel in this book, it’s referred to, letting the reader know why it’s needed and how it happens.

This is a well-rounded, solid, fun, interesting, and magical read. If you haven’t started this series, you should. There’s nothing like being taken away to live lovely fantasies in a Melissa Mayhue novel.

Grade: A

Summary:

ANDREW MACALISTER longs for a cure to free him from the excruciating pain caused by an old wound, but when he rescues a drowning woman, he has no idea how much his life is about to change. All Drew knows is that this mysterious woman is hiding secrets—and that he’s never felt such a consuming desire before. Yet he cannot deny her request for help, even if it means bringing the detested English army to his Highland clan’s home.

LEAH NOBLE MCQUARRIE still harbors a deep hatred of the Fae who tortured her eleven years ago, forcing her to escape back in time to the thirteenth century. A descendant of the Fae, Leah denies her heritage and her magical healing abilities. But the English army is holding her beloved adoptive grandfather captive, so Leah must seek help from the Fae—and the captivating man whose touch she craves.

Then Drew discovers Leah’s secrets, and he’s torn between old loyalties and trusting a woman who has the power to give him the future he’s sought—but could destroy his clan forever…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of How to Woo a Reluctant Lady (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 3) by Sabrina Jeffries
Historical Romance published by Pocket Star 18 Jan 11

I’ve begun reading a couple of historicals lately that, uh, well, bored me. They didn’t engage me immediately, make me care for the characters right off the bat, make me want to continue reading about their lives. So, needless to say, this book instantly blew fresh life into me with the emotion Ms. Jeffries shares with us concerning Minerva on the very first page. My heart wept for her young broken heart. And then I smiled at the way that brokenness healed. A perfect beginning to a wonderfully written story.

Though all of the Sharpe children are hellions and do their own thing despite what society thinks of them, I believe Minerva is going to be my favorite – and that’s saying something due to the little bit of insight we get here into Gabe and how emotional his story can potentially turn out to be. Minerva has loved Giles Masters for years until he intentionally breaks her heart. He knows his secretive life is not conducive to a successful relationship, so he sacrifices all of what might be between him and Minerva. But enough time has now passed that he’s ready to leave that life behind and concentrate on his barrister career, the potential of becoming one of the King’s Counsel, and perhaps even settling down. That brings the beautiful Minerva to mind, especially after his employer shows Giles Minerva’s latest book in which the villian eerily resembles Giles. Also included in her latest work is an advertisement for a husband!

Heading straight to Minerva with a two-fold goal in mind – keep all the other prospective husbands away from her and then end up being married to her himself – Giles instead ends up on the wrong side of the woman and her schemes. Playing along with her – and her grandmother, who has given all her grandchildren an ultimatum concerning marrying or being cut off – Giles is serious in his courting of Minerva and will marry her despite any and all objections. Minerva only wants to be left alone to continue her writing. Having had her heart broken once, she’s not ready for that to happen again, so she happily goes through the motions of pretending to be engaged to Giles. But the man creeps under her skin once again. The more she finds out about him and his legitimate occupation, she fears her heart won’t stand against another break, because that’s exactly what Giles will do to her.

This couple is so charming and engaging together. They each have mysteries in their lives and each comes unraveled as circumstances either work for them or against them. I really enjoy the fact they do work and stay together, even when the chips are down or there is conflict between them. They talk to one another to work those issues through. And the emotion throughout the book is wonderful. You feel their individual fears, hurts, and happiness as well as when they’re together. Minerva is able to keep her independence because Giles doesn’t want her to change, and it’s Giles who changes when he realizes what he has to do to keep his wife.

Thank goodness for Sabrina Jeffries and Giles and Minerva! I’m actually looking forward again to the next historical book I pick up.

Grade: A

Summary:

Lady Minerva Sharpe has the perfect plan to thwart her grandmother’s demand that she marry by year’s end:  become engaged to a rogue!  Surely Gran would rather release her inheritance than see her wed a scoundrel.

And who better to play the part of Minerva’s would-be husband than wild barrister Giles Masters, the very inspiration for the handsome spy in the popular gothic novels she writes?  The memory of his passionate kiss on her nineteenth birthday has lingered with Minerva, though she has no intention of falling for such a rakehell, much less marrying him! Little does she know, Giles really is a covert government operative.  When the two team up to investigate the mystery behind her parents’ deaths, their fake betrothal leads to red-hot desire. Then Minerva discovers Giles’s secret double life, and he must use all the cunning tricks of his trade to find his way back to her heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Gwen’s review of Ecstasy in Darkness (Alien Huntress, Book 5) by Gena Showalter
Sci-fi Romance released by Pocket Star 26 Oct 10

For the first chapter or two (or three) of this book, I was convinced I would hate the hero.  The heroine I loved – great dynamic between her and her BFF, and I was getting a kick out of how she treated the hero.  She’s someone I’d love to go to lunch with.  He was someone I wanted to pummel with a rotten fish. But then I kept reading…

Showalter’s Alien Huntress’ world always surprises me.  The stories are fun, the characters engaging, the dialogue a blast to read, and the romance hot and believable. Don’t let me forget to tell you that there’s almost always a twist to the story that makes it a boatload of fun to read. Ecstasy in Darkness is no exception to all these “rules”.

The hero, MKell, is introduced in earlier novels.  He’s is downright surly and nasty for the first few…  well, for the whole book. BUT! But he grows on you.  I actually got to like him and, more importantly, I got to sympathize with him and loved his romance with the “mere human” heroine, Ava.

I found myself many times cheering Ava on when she would yank a knot in McKell’s tail (Texas saying – let me know if you’re not sure what I mean here).  I also love – LOVE I tell you – how McKell would stop time so that he could punch the smarmy face of some dickhead that insulted Ava, then start time again whereupon said dickhead would try to figure out how come his face hurt. HA!  I mean, how many of us have wished we could do THAT?!

The great thing about Showalter’s Alien Huntress books is that she takes characters who would not typically get HEA’s in “typical” romance novels, and gives them the full treatment.  Her heroes and heroines aren’t always noble, upstanding citizens, but they’re still people (mostly) and, according to Gena, they still deserve that one, special love. And we deserve to read about them – thank goodness.  I have derived many hours of contented entertainment reading Showalter’s books. I don’t think I’ve been disappointed by her yet, and I’m a very unsentimental reader.

The pace of Ecstasy in Darkness is quick and fun, though the reader is never left in the dust.  It can be read on its own, but you’ll have a lot of fun reading the other books in the series and will understand more of the hero’s backstory.  The ending is a little abrupt, but I think there must be more to this story in the next few of the series (I can’t wait!).

I highly recommend this book to anyone following the series, fans of sci-fi romance, or just fans of quirky, action-packed romances. It’s a great story about a surprising couple set in a memorable world.  Loved it.

Grade: A

Read more information on this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator, or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of A Hellion in Her Bed (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 2) by Sabrina Jeffries
Historical Romance published by Pocket Star 1 Sep 10

I have a feeling a few of you — hell, maybe scores of you — are going to call me crazy after reading this review. I even had a thought or two like that roll around in my head as I read. I mean, we’re talking Sabrina Jeffries here. But the first half of this book is just so-so for me.

And I’m not totally sure why. I like the idea of a lady brewster in Annabel Lake’s day. She’s a smart cookie who does what she has to to get around in a man’s world to help her family out, help them survive. She loves working in the family brewery. She has secrets, of course, and that’s where she gets in trouble. Jarret Sharpe has spent the last nineteen years earning a living at gambling due to the fact his grandmother forced him out of their family brewery when he was much younger, made him go to school instead, which he hated immensely. Also losing his parents has shaped him into the wild and carefree wastrel he is today.

Annabel goes to Hester Plumtree to talk business about entering into a partnership that will be beneficial to both their breweries, but she runs into Jarret instead. He’s currently and reluctantly in charge of Plumtree Brewery while his grandmother recovers from her illness. Jarret, as well as his other siblings, are chafing at the ultimatum grandma has dished out to them — get married by the end of the year or you’re disinherited. He’s made a deal with her to run the brewery for that year and then he’s scot-free to back to his responsibility-free existence.

Jarret and Annabel make a wager over a game of cards — she wins Jarret will go along with her plan to save Lake Ale, he wins she spends a night in his bed. They are evenly matched at whist and it’s a draw up until the last hand when Jarret is distracted and eventually loses to Annabel. Now, of course, there’s other things that go on during this short synopsis, but up to this point the story is just…..slow for me. The idea of the breweries didn’t seem to flourish enough and the characters didn’t leap off the page as they usually do in a Sabrina Jeffries book, which surprises me because Jarret and Annabel banter and drive each other nuts.

Things pick up a bit when the scenery turns to Lake Ale. Jarret is there to look the place and its books over to make sure it has the wherewithal to sustain the plan Annabel has created for them. Slowly but surely Annabel’s fabrications about the state of her family, even herself, come undone. Jarret begins to put pieces together until the truth does come out.

And this is where the book comes alive for me. Jarret’s anger with Annabel scorches a fire between them fraught with guilt, betrayal, self-doubt, and self-realization, and that all leads to one intense and sexy as all get-out love scene. It’s raw and emotional. Annabel comes clean about her lies. Except one. The big one. And when it is revealed later, it’s unexpected reactions and emotions for both Annabel and the reader. Her revelations bring on an eventual look at the past in a different light and a relationship no one ever imagined.

If you haven’t read the first book in this series, The Truth about Lord Stoneville, but I truly don’t think you need to in order to read this one. Ms. Jeffries does a great job of giving us an overview of the family dynamics and what the series is based on, as well as a look into the mysterious deaths of the siblings’ parents. I’m definitely looking forward to Mnerva’s book, which is out next year. We’re given just enough to whet our curiosity as to what will happen.

I’m glad my audacity to give Sabrina Jeffries a C for this book has been nipped in the old proverbial bud. Jarret and Annabel make a stupendous comeback amid anger and terrific bed play, so my grade makes a comeback of its own.

Grade: B

Summary:

Mired in scandal after his parents’ mysterious deaths, notorious gambler Lord Jarret Sharpe agrees to tamely run the family’s brewery for a year if his Machiavellian grandmother rescinds her ultimatum that he marry. But the gambler in him can’t resist when beguiling Annabel Lake proposes a wager. If she wins their card game, he must help save her family’s foundering brewery. But if he wins, she must spend a night in his bed. The outcome sets off a chain of events that threatens to destroy all his plans…and unveils the secret Annabel has held for so long. When Jarret discovers the darker reason behind her wager, he forces her into another one—and this time he intends to win not just her body, but her heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of by Enemy Lover (L.O.S.T. Series, Book 1) by Karin Harlow
Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 25 May 10

Well, I have another series I’m now hooked on and have to stay up to date with! But this one is worth it. Karin Harlow has started her debut series with a huge explosion with Enemy Lover. Betrayal, espionage, action, suspense, hot and smokin’ sex — and then she tosses vampires into the mix. This is one awesome read.

Being a cop is in her blood, she’s followed in the family footsteps of fighting for justice. But when she’s betrayed by those she works with, left to twist in the wind to save their sorry selves, and before she can even catch her breath or begin her jail time, she’s intercepted by a covert operation that exacts justice its own way. The Last Option Special Team, L.O.S.T., takes her under their wing, gives her a new identity as Jax Cassidy, and suddenly her entire life is starting over.

Jax’s first mission is to get as close to Marcus Cross – an assassin much too good at his job – as possible to find out what he knows concerning his mentor, Joseph Lazarus, and then eliminate Cross while also taking down Lazarus and his aspirations for the White House. Marcus is loyal to his boss. The man gave him a second chance at life after his platoon turned their back on him, left him to die in Afghanistan. He’s now a vampire and Lazarus’ soldier of death, taking care of threats against the country, all calculated to further Lazarus’ plan, unbeknownst to Marcus.

It’s not until he and Jax become more involved both personally and professionally that they both begin to see things differently on their side of the coin. Each has a strict code to finish the job, do it right, don’t get involved. It’s Marcus who comes up against a brick wall and has to make some difficult decisions.

I thoroughly enjoyed these two characters. Strong, lethal, loyal, and they sizzle like mad when together. Intense, explosive, and sexy love scenes, full of emotion, each different than the last, turn up the heat at the right moments, then lead right back into the action. They face their demons with honor and dignity, and there are demons to be faced.

Lazarus is one of those maniacs who always get what’s coming to them and you can’t wait to see his demise, hope it’s horrific and painful and he suffers a lot. There are some other terrific secondary characters who would be great heroes of their own books. I don’t know who’s up next in the series, but whoever it is, awesomeness will abound once again.

Grade: A+

Summary:

It’s Jax Cassidy’s first mission for L.O.S.T.—one that will give the former cop who went rogue a chance to prove herself. Her assignment: gain the trust of assassin Marcus Cross . . . eliminate him . . . then take down Marcus’s mentor, Joseph Lazarus, a man with a bold eye on the White House. But the woman who’s known by her team for being a femme fatale succumbs to passion, only to discover Cross’s deadly secret. He’s a vampire, and Joseph Lazarus is his creator.

Left for dead by his platoon in the violent hills of Afghanistan, special ops sniper Marcus Cross was given a second chance at life. His newly heightened skills make him the perfect killing machine, and as Lazarus’s right hand man, he’s quickly rising to the top of his dark empire, purging enemies with speed and precision. Only when dangerous beauty Jax Cassidy is sent to bring him in does he begin to question Lazarus’s motives and his own actions. But when Jax’s life is threatened by the one thing that can destroy them both, Marcus must make a bitter choice—her death or his.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Dark Warrior Untamed (Talions, Book 3) by Alexis Morgan
Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 27 Jul 10

Well, Sybil has not beat the I-need-to-read-a-series-in-order out of me entirely. Yes, I know the majority of books are written to be stand-alones and sometimes that works. Sometimes it works a little bit. And sometimes it doesn’t work well at all. In this case, it works a little bit. But however you cut it, a good book is a good book; reading in order just gives the reader more pleasure in the long run.

I really enjoy Alexis Morgan’s books. While this is my first book in her Talions series, I’ve read the first several in her Paladins series and loved them all. She has such imagination when it comes to the worlds she builds for her characters and storylines. And that’s where I wish I’d read the first two books in this series beforehand.

I wanted to know more about the Kyth, the people of the hero, Grey. We get a little bit thrown in to give us an idea of who they are, but I needed more. I was curious about how they came to be, wanted to know more about how their world works, and I’m sure that the end of the second book, Dark Warrior Unbroken, when their current leader is killed would have given me better insight when I began DWU.

Now, all of this is not to say DWU is not a terrific book. It is. Very much so. I just feel my understanding of the relationship between the characters, the new leader and her consort, and a few other things would have been heightened, especially when I asked myself “Why?” a few times during certain scenes.

Grey has just relocated to the Puget Sound where he will lead other Talion warriors in protecting the Kyth’s Grand Dame, Kery Thorsen. Things don’t start off well when he finds his office is occupied by Kery’s new assistant, Piper Ryan. Fireworks of the pissed-off kind, with fiery undercurrents of another kind, start flying. They butt heads from the beginning and it doesn’t look like they’ll be getting along any time soon.

Only until threatening emails begin to come in, that is, screwing with Piper’s computer, which makes her look guilty, and only until other information comes to light to throw doubt and guilt Grey’s way. Their mutual war escalates and turns instead in the direction of trying to find the evil set on destroying Kery.

While Piper is glad to have Grey around when danger hits too close to home, she’s still wary that he’ll continue to dig into her past. She knows her secret will come out eventually, she just hopes it’s not Grey who discovers it. But will telling him about it first make any difference, because after getting to know the man, he’ll probably toss her out anyway.

But the more they work together to keep Kery safe and find who’s behind the danger that just keeps coming, their attraction grows, and I have to say that Grey and Piper have become a favorite couple of mine. They talk to each other and respect each other. They listen to one another, give in when the other’s idea may work better, and they love so deliciously. Grey and Piper are very dynamic together, indeed.

Ms. Morgan gives us twists and turns that come out of nowhere, keeping the story fresh and alive. I always enjoy how she brings back all of her characters from previous books and still keeps the featured hero and heroine front and center. Doing so makes her series ultimately more complete for the reader.

Especially if they’re read in order, Sybs.

Grade: A

Summary:

He questions everything.

No one thought Chief Talion Greyhill Danby would report to work so soon after wrapping up his affairs in London. Then again, he didn’t expect to find a beautiful spy with a major attitude in his new office. Clearly the Kyth’s Grand Dame doesn’t trust him to do his duty-to protect her.

She fears the truth.

Piper Ryan isn’t keen on the arrangement either. Matching wits with an ancient warrior isn’t in her administrative job description. But sharing space with the red-hot head of security
could have unexpectedly tempting benefits . . . if he doesn’t dig into her secret past.

Opposites always attract.

When a mysterious e-mails result in danger, the fiery sparks between Piper and Grey grow scorching hot. They must defend the throne from a deadly invisible attacker, but will their raging desire keep them together . . . or will their burning suspicions tear them apart?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Liviania’s review of Wicked All Day by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance released by Pocket Star 22 Sept 09

Coming off the high of Tempted All Night, I had high hopes for Liz Carlyle’s Wicked All Day.  I enjoyed Zoë Anderson in that novel and looked forward to seeing her meet her Prince Charming.  While Wicked All Day wasn’t everything I wanted and more, it was a good romance.

Zoë Anderson knows that as a bastard she will never be good enough for the upper echelons of society.  Therefore, she transforms herself into a flirt, enjoying herself and rubbing her presence into their faces.  But then her father, Lord Rannoch, lays down the law: she must become engaged or live in Scotland.  Upset, she goes to her oldest friend for comfort and things go a little too far.  Now she and Robert Rowland are engaged, though they only care for each other as friends.

Most of Wicked All Day is a bummer.  The characters seem determined to make themselves unhappy.  Zoë reveals the fragility underneath her irrepressible exterior, but it just made me ache for the bold woman she is in Tempted All Night and at the end of this novel.  Stuart, Robert’s older brother, has been getting the two of them out of trouble for ages.  He fell for Zoë long ago, but can’t spit it out.  At the time of the novel, he’s occupied with getting rid of a vindictive mistress.  But I never quite believe his reasons for not making a move earlier.

Part of the reason the characters are all determined to make themselves unhappy is the fact that they’re all determined to be martyrs for each other.  No one likes a martyr.  Things improve drastically once everyone decides to start going after what they want.  And Zoë and Stuart want each other, though both of them take a ridiculously long time to admit it.

To be honest, there is not that much wrong with Wicked All Day. There’s even a lovely secondary romance between Robin and his mistress Maria that I would love to see more of.  The sensible widow is a good match for him.  The main problem with Wicked All Day is that it is no Tempted All Night. Carlyle set the bar too high for me to be happy with the immediate follow-up.  (Note: I have now typed these two titles far too many times.  I’ve begun to call the books Wicked All Night and Tempted All Day.)

If you enjoy stories about being caught in the tangles of honor, Wicked All Day is a good choice for you.  If you hate it when the heroine or hero can’t spit it out, Zoë and Stuart might frustrate you as they did me.  But they redeem themselves in the end, because a romance isn’t a romance without happily ever after.

Grade: B

Summary:
New York Times bestselling author Liz Carlyle continues her enthralling historical series with the story of an impetuous, illegitimate beauty and the forbidding nobleman who protects her—while fighting an obsession to possess her . . .

Miss Zoë Armstrong is beautiful, charming, rich—and utterly unmarriageable. So, while she may be the ton’s most sparkling diamond, her choice of husbands looks more like a list of London’s most unsavory fortune hunters. Since a true-love marriage seems impossible, Zoë has accepted—no, embraced—her role as society’s most incomparable flirt and mischief-maker . . . until in one reckless, vulnerable moment, her future is shattered.

Stuart Rowland, the brooding Marquess of Mercer, has been part of Zoë’s extended family since she was a child. As dark and cynical as Zoë is lively, Mercer has always known they would be the worst possible match . . . until his scapegrace brother Robert does the unthinkable, and winds up betrothed to Zoë. Now, secluded on Mercer’s vast estate to escape a looming scandal and the ton’s prying eyes, Zoë and Mercer may find that a dark obsession has become a tempestuous passion that can no longer be denied . . .
Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of A Highlander Christmas (Highlander Series, Book 7) by Janet Chapman
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 27 Oct 09

This is my fourth Christmas book in the last three weeks. The previous three didn’t have a whole lot to do with Christmas or they didn’t deal with the holiday that well, and I wasn’t thrilled with them for one reason or another beyond that. Though I was expecting some warm season’s greetings and other related Christmas goings-on in this book, none of that happened. But, you know what? This time I didn’t care. That’s what a good story, great characters, and terrific writing will do for you.

I’ve been a fan of this series from the start and the books are now focused on Grey’s daughters, but I’m absolutely fine with that. As long as Ms. Chapman gives me a hot hero to go with all those daughters, as long as she keeps the magic different and interesting along with the story, I’m happy with it all. That’s exactly what she’s done in this book and that’s exactly why I didn’t mind one bit that whoever titled this book thought they’d make an extra buck or two pulling readers in by expecting Christmas when, in fact, Christmas is a very, very, very small part of this book.

Quitting her job a year before, Camry has been bartending and walking dogs for a living since. And her parents have no idea. She’s a physicist for NASA and lately has been having difficulty with magic and science mixing, which has to be done if you know her family. So she quits her job when further pushed by an arrogant Frenchman who questions her at every turn on her latest project. Living up to her mother’s reputation in the scientific world is not easy.

Concerned when Camry’s correspondence abruptly ends and that he may have been responsible for the crash of her mother’s satellite, Luke Renior treks to Springy Mountain for what information he can find. Only he’s the one found and now faces Camry’ parents, an understanding mother and a protective father. They send him to a small Maine town to bring their daughter home by the winter solstice. How in the world they think he’s going to do that is anyone’s guess. Little does he know that magic is in the air.

And the magic starts immediately when Camry and Luke come face to face for the first time, in more ways than one. Their ragtag team consists of two dogs and a young runaway who plays matchmaker for them whenever she gets the chance. Secrets are finally revealed and the attraction between them is still there, so they continue on to see where that magic leads them. Wizardry and avalanches can’t keep them apart nor away from their goal for very long.

Ms. Chapman always writes a delightful story and this book is no exception. Along with everything else, I really enjoyed that Grey and Grace, Camry’s parents, have a fairly good part in this particular story. Their romance started the series way back when and it’s nice to find out what they’ve been up to through all these years. You’d think endearing characters ensconced in magic would grow old as a theme in this series, but with Janet Chapman at the helm, that will never happen.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Camry MacKeage has absolutely no intention of telling her parents that she left her job as a NASA physicist for the small-town life of a dog-sitter — which is why she’s spending the holidays alone in coastal Maine with her furry friends Tigger and Max. Unfortunately, her irresistibly handsome rival, scientist Luke Pascal, accidentally spilled the beans. Now he’s on a mission from her mother to tempt Camry home for the family’s annual winter solstice celebration. But Luke is hiding his own secret, and he’ll need a little bit of magic to earn Camry’s trust…and a whole lot of mistletoe to seduce his way into her heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Summer  of Two Wishes by Julia London
Contemporary Romance published by Pocket Star 18 Aug 09

I hadn’t intended to read this book for review when I picked it up to look it over. But it’s one of those themes that you’re curious to know how an author deals with the subject matter, the emotions, and, of course, the conclusion.  This is one of those situations that is impossible to deal with, impossible to know what to do, impossible for a woman to choose. But there has to be an ending to the story, and it’s always interesting to see how many readers, especially women, want one solution and how many want another.

Macy’s life drastically changes twice in the span of four years. First is when the Army informs her her husband has died in Iraq. She’s finally gotten on with her life, dealt with her grief, and decided to live again. The second time is when the Army informs her they made a mistake. Her dead husband is, in fact, alive. Something she is happy about, grateful for, thank the Lord. But she’s also remarried and now has a second husband to deal with.

Flying to Washington, D.C. with her family as well as her first husband’s family, her greatest wish has been realized, Finn, the love of her life, escaped his captors, is in pretty good shape considering all he’s been through, and he wants to pick up right where they left off four years ago. As much as Macy wishes that could happen too, she does have Wyatt to consider. He brought her out of her misery, made her want to live again. She loves him too.

I felt for Macy from the beginning. Doesn’t matter how it happens, a woman in this situation has a difficult choice of a lifetime. More than difficult. But also right from the beginning, I got a little irritated with her. I realize she had to go to D.C. She had no choice. Wyatt was very understanding about that. But the entire week or more that she’s gone, she did not once contact Wyatt to keep him updated, and all that man wanted was to hear her voice, make sure she’s okay. She never returns his phone calls, never thought about him and what he might be going through.

The week is busy for her and Finn, the Army putting them through all kinds of meetings and whatnot, morning TV shows clamoring for them and their story, but, I’m sorry, Macy should have had at least sixty seconds for the husband she left at home. Especially since the next thing we know, she’s refusing her first husband’s sexual advances and finally tells him she remarried, and things begin to go south for them. Then when she gets home to Wyatt, he can’t wait to have her in his bed again and she goes willingly. But then her next step is to move out so she’s not staying with either man until her decision is made.

I think that little tidbit so early in the book is what turned me toward my decision that I would choose Wyatt for Macy. Of course, I couldn’t help but feel for Finn too. He went through hell during his captivity, thoughts of Macy the only thing keeping him going the entire time. I know that probably put a good many readers in his corner. And he not only finds his life with Macy gone, but also his home is gone, his ranch run down and the land about to be sold, his prized horses sold long ago. But this information came a little too late in the story for me. Macy does take her time making her decision, and she makes it her way. Even later on when Wyatt decides to play hardball to win her, I couldn’t fault him for it. Of course, both men eventually realize their fates and come to their own conclusions after a lot of heartache.

I’m a bit surprised at my choice in this instance. I thought I would cheer for the love that would eventually end up winning, but I definitely did not. And, on top of that, the man who was not chosen, Macy never hears from him again, we have no idea what happens to him after he knew he would never win his fight for her. I didn’t care for that at all, of course, because of my partiality toward him all along. It’s not clear to me why Ms. London chose to do that. I had this niggling thought that perhaps another book might come of it, but I doubt it, especially since there is nothing on her website alluding to that, that I can tell anyway.

This is an interesting read and an emotional one, no doubt about it. It’s a book that could put you on the opposite side of what you think you might do and of what others might think. Even Macy’s friends and family had clear thoughts on what she should do when she takes so long to make her decision. She always thought her choice would be clear-cut, but when finally faced with such a dilemma and with life being so different after so long, who’s to say we really know what we would do in the same circumstances.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Whose wife was she?

Macy Lockhart’s life shattered in a moment with the news that her husband, Finn–serving in the military overseas–has been killed in the line of duty.  Their ardent and devoted marriage is over, leaving Macy alone and directionless.  But while she tries to sustain herself with memories of Finn, the quiet, strong man who made her and their small Texas ranch the center of his life, it is wealthy Wyatt Clark who slowly brings joy back into her life.  Her love for Wyatt may be less romantic than the breathless passion she’d once shared with Finn, but she vows to cherish him, and their marriage is happy and solid as a rock.  Until the day that Finn, miraculously spared from death, returns home to claim his bride…

How can a woman choose between the two men she loves?  And how will she make the right choice–for herself and everyone involved?

Read an excerpt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: D+

Summary:

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

Read an excerpt here.

Gwen’s review of Seduce the Darkness (Alien Huntress, Book 4) by Gena Showalter
Futuristic paranormal romance released by Pocket Star 30 Jun 09

I’ve read lots of Gena Showalter and enjoy her writing quite a bit – she’s edgy, passionate, and not afraid to go to dark places.  I hadn’t read any of this series until this book.  Even then, I read the blurb and, frankly, I was underwhelmed – it just didn’t grab me.  But I read reviews of the series, from people I respect, so I took a chance.  I even soldiered on in spite of early misgivings in the first few chapters. I mean, the hero is a total p___y hound and the heroine is a complete cipher.  I remained perfectly prepared not to like it.  Read on to see if I changed my mind… 

YUP!  THIS WAS A DA… er, DARN GOOD BOOK!

Now there were a couple of times when I wondered about the male characters’ dialogue – it doesn’t always sound too male.  I’d hazard a guess that male dialogue is one of the tougher elements for many a female author.  Nevertheless, I just can’t picture my brothers talking like Dallas and Devyn do a couple of times.  Looking past that very small and infrequent flaw, I had a damn good time reading this book.

The heroine, Bride, is one of my favorite kind – kick-ass, capable, powerful in her own right, and smart.  However, Bride is an orphan with no friends or family other than another young orphan she practically raised and from whom she’s been separated for years.  She’s never forgotten her young charge, though – particularly her smell. Growing up completely segregated from anyone like her has made Bride distrustful and very, very lonely.  A very unbalanced combination that leads to some interesting collisions with the hero.

Bride runs across Devyn, our hero, on a crowded street and, because of things you’ll have to read about, he smells like Bride’s missing friend.  This starts a series of events that thrust our main characters together in a battle of wills and libidos that fairly burns up the pages.  I got to where I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough.  The dialogue between Bride and Devyn – including their own internal dialogue – was some of the best I’ve read in an urban fantasy this year.  You SOOOO want this couple to get together that, by the time they do, you’re panting yourself.

In addition to the sexual tension, Showalter has a serious romance going on.  By the end of the book, you really can’t see these two ending up with anyone else.  They’re both very broken people who manage to find each other and see past the crazy façades to what they are deep inside -  both very lonely and in search of a home for their hearts.  Sounds trite, doesn’t it – yeah, I know – I don’t do the “soul mate” thing either, and, luckily, neither does Showalter.  But these two are as close to it as I think I’d ever care to read.  I love how Devyn and Bride challenge each other, allow each other to be their own people, but also expect and give respect.  It’s a wonderful balance they’ve built and it’s very satisfying to read.

So, the sexual tension and romance is high, but you wonder about the rest – how’s the action, the world building, the secondary characters, the overall story arc and motivations, right?  Excellent, good, excellent, and excellent.   Apparently one of the draws of this series is couples from the past books get to make reappearances in subsequent novels.  We get that in StD (no pun intended) – all logically woven into the main story and no excessive or gratuitous sequel-baiting or reunions.

The story arc takes us on an interesting road as Bride searches out more of her own kind and discovers some very interesting things about herself.  She ends up doing some amazing things that made me want to jump up and do a couple of Bruce Lee chops – all with a loud “KIIIYAH!”  (What can I say – I’m a child of the late 70′s.)

And you’ll be happy to know that the hero grew on me.  Sure, a bit like a fungus, but I like some fungi – again, no pun intended.  But he ended up devoted and in love and what’s wrong with that.  Not a darn thing, I tell you.

I’d recommend this book to anyone following the series, or anyone looking for a fun alternative, future Earth romance paranormal kind of love story.  This book stands alone fine, but I’m going right out and buying the back list so I can immerse myself in this world for a bit.  It’s a damn good time and a terrific summer read.

Grade: A

(GASP! This is the first of this series we’ve reviewed on this site!?)

Summary:
.
SHE HAS A BODY MADE FOR TEMPTATION . . .
AND A KISS TO DIE FOR.
.
The war between otherworlders and humans changed Earth beyond recognition. It also saved Bride McKells’s life. Before, the gorgeous vampire was a target for every fanatic with a stake and a crucifix. Now she’s free to roam the streets—and desperate to find others of her kind. One man claims to have the answers she seeks. Devyn, King of the Targons, is a warrior and a womanizer, and he makes no secret of how much he wants Bride—and how dangerous he could be to her in every way.
.
An avid collector of women, Devyn easily seduces human and otherworlder alike. Until now. Not only does Bride resist him, but she leaves Devyn feeling something entirely new . . . a bone-deep need bordering on obsession. Her blood is the key to curing a vicious alien disease, but helping Bride uncover her origins will compel her to choose between electrifying passion and a destiny that could tear her from Devyn’s side forever.
.
Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Not that Innocent, anthology with Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole, and Gena Showalter, coming 31 Jul 09 (but I can’t find any details on the book)

Related YA books in the “Teen Alien Huntress” series:

And some close-up coverliciousness – just ’cause I love me some luvly man…

Gwen’s review of Primal Needs (Primes, Book 7) by Susan Sizemore
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Pocket Star 30 Dec 08

I’ve read several of the Primes books – not all, but several.  I’m always entertained by them.  The characters are interesting, and the world they inhabit is unique.  Not too many vampire novels are based on a matriarchal society.  Plus we have werewolves, and vampire hunters, and the whole thing is often deliciously sexy and brutal by turns.  That isn’t to say all of these books are perfect, however… 

Here’s what I wrote after I read this book: “ARGH!  Here i was enjoying a good book, when it fell apart in the last couple of chapters.”

Did you ever cut into a golf ball when you were a kid?  If you cut into the ball far enough, they used to have miles and miles of rubber bands inside that would unravel like ramen noodles meeting hot water  – they don’t make ‘em like that any more.   Sadly, that’s what it felt like this book did at the end.  It’s like it imploded or something.

It starts with really good characters.  The hero and heroine know each other and are in love with each other.  The story unfolds and is a great yarn with several separate storylines coming together – Joe and Sidonie, Sidonie and her son, Tony and Rose, and all the Clan/Family/Tribe machinations.  I’m reading along, enjoying myself, loving the romance.  Then.  Blam!  It just didn’t work toward the end.  The author made it sound like the badguys wanted it to evolve the way it did, but I just didn’t buy it.  It was all way too easy and convenient and a lot was just plain confusing.

Sadly, there are several other, better Primes novels.  I can’t recommend this one unless you’re a real fan and have to positively read everything in a series.

Grade: D+

Summary:

In New York Times bestselling author Susan Sizemore’s sizzling new novel, a warrior werewolf and a beautiful vampire discover a passion that breaks every rule….

Sidonie Wolf never wanted the traditional life of a female vampire — with her favors fought over by powerful Prime males — but she must accept her duty to her kind, even if she’s already given her heart to a werewolf she can never have. Erasing Joe Bleythin’s memories of their blistering affair was necessary to keep him safe, but he sees her betrayal as unforgivable. So Sid’s new assignment to work with Joe to track down supernatural terrorists is sheer torture…a shockingly delicious torture.

Joe can’t believe his new role with an elite military team known as the Dark Angels has drawn him into an uneasy alliance with the woman who deceived him. Ignoring Sid, even hating her, should be easy. Instead, he wants her more fiercely than ever. Now, partnered with Sid on a dangerous mission, he’ll discover just how deep desire can be — and just how far he’ll go to keep her….

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Devon’s Review of Snowy Night With a Stranger by Jane Feather, Sabrina Jeffries and Julia London
Historical romance anthology released by Pocket Star 28 Oct 08

I may just be a convert to Christmas-themed anthologies. Many love them, but I have always avoided them like the plague, assuming them to be filled with miracles, “God Bless Us Everyone” treacle, and assorted schmaltz. No doubt it is because my heart is “three sizes too small.” However, after plowing through two anthologies in a weekend, I’m ready for more. Fun! These three tales (by new-to-me authors) all feature characters stranded for the holidays, unexpectedly finding love.

A Holiday Gamble by Jane Feather

While journeying back to his family seat in Northumbria, the new Viscount Allenton, Ned, is hampered by snow and thieves. He is forced to take refuge with a nearby landowner, Roger Selby. He quickly discerns that nothing is what it seems: not his jolly host Selby, not innocent revelers and revelry, and not Selby’s beautiful, diffident ward, Georgiana.

This was a very interesting story. The setting and characters were vivid and a bit unusual. Feather does a great job of portraying the vulgarity and underlying menace of Selby and company. Ned was good beta hero: handsome, but unassuming, and a sharp, intelligent and crafty fellow underneath. He was a great foil for Georgiana, who is quite crafty herself, and has been surrounded by brutish louts. They made a good pair, though I found the leap from interest to true love to be a bit sudden. The story kept my interest and kept me guessing just enough as to what Georgiana and Roger Selby were about.

Grade: B

Summary:

Jane Feather leads an unwitting Yuletide traveler down a twisting path….

Edward Vasey, Viscount Allenton, is journeying precariously through a snowstorm when his coach is overtaken by high-waymen! Robbed of his money, Ned takes refuge at Selby Hall, where a spirited beauty with a shocking secret may steal something more — his heart.

No excerpt found

When Sparks Fly by Sabrina Jeffries

Heiress Elinor Bancroft, her aunt and young cousins get into a carriage accident on their journey. An overbearing, rough fellow, covered in soot, comes to their aid. He turns out to be Martin Thorncliff, “The Black Baron”, and Ellie and her family end up at his estate, where they must remain through the holidays, while the aunt recovers from a broken leg. Ellie is irritated and intrigued by the abrasive Thorncliff. Why is he so grumpy? Why does he hate Christmas? And why is he called “The Black Baron?”

This story was lighter in tone than the first, and featured some familiar elements. Ellie is the spirited, smart wallflower type, unable to interest any man but fortune hunters. Thorncliff is a tormented guy, suspected of nefarious deeds, but a big old teddy bear underneath. But it didn’t feel tired and clichéd, just fun. I didn’t even mind the passel of children running about, as they moved the story along and weren’t too cutesy. (There’s a funny nod to “God Bless Us Every One” too). A cute read with a nice romance.

Grade: B

Summary:

Sabrina Jeffries unlocks the heart of an embittered lord….

When a coach accident strands heiress Elinor Bancroft at the home of the notorious Black Baron, she discovers the Christmas Day heartache that darkened his soul years ago — and her generous heart brings a festive air to his home and reawakens his spirit to love.

Read an excerpt

Snowy Night With a Highlander by Julia London

Lady Fiona Haines is forced to return to Scotland to search for her brother, who has been accused of adultery with the Princess of Wales. Worse, she must call upon the odious Duncan Buchanan to help her get to her family home in the Highlands. But Duncan has changed a great deal in the intervening years, emotionally and physically. Could he now be a man Fiona could love?

Och, if that Scottish dialect doesna get on m’ nerves a bit. It gets to be a bit much when every character talks like that, but after awhile my distraction started to fade. I like road romances and this one kept my interest. The hero and heroine were a bit one-note: Duncan was so angst-ridden and Fiona was so perky, with all her little stories. Duncan’s transformation at the end was a bit speedy. One second he’s hiding in the shadows, the next he’s throwing a huge party. An okay read.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Julia London sends a debutante into the wintry Scottish wilds….

Searching for her rakehell brother, an earl lying low in the wake of a scandalous affair, Fiona Haines is led by a rugged Highlander who obscures his scarred face. As they journey on, Fiona draws closer to her brave, enigmatic protector — but will fury or passion ignite when he reveals his identity?

Read an excerpt

A solid B all the way. While none of the stories blew me away, all three were entertaining and featured solid romances and good characterization. Worth a look by Christmas and historical fans.

Overall Grade: B

Book Summary:

Warm up on a winter’s night with three passionate love stories from three shining New York Times bestselling authors!

Connie’s Quick Quack review of Thread of Fear by Laura Griffin
Romantic Suspense released from Pocket Star on 30 Sept 08

Fiona Glass is a forensic artist and is the best in the business, but the things she sees haunt her.  She feels she needs to get out of this work and concentrate on her art.  However, Jack Bowman has a cop’s instinct and won’t take “no” for an answer and drags her into his case. 

Jack did not intend to bring Fiona so far into his case, or into his life, but he does both and can’t back away. Together they must uncover a small town’s secrets and expose the evil that lives there.

Fiona seems to have a a talent for getting the most from a witness.  She helps a young witness and they find his life is in danger.  Fiona can’t leave him to fend for himself and puts her own life in danger.

I don’t remember reading Laura Griffin before and, if you haven’t either, you might want to check her out. This story had some engaging characters.  I’m going to check out the next story and add her to my to-be-bought list.

Grade: B

Forensic artist Fiona Glass is the best in the business — which is precisely why she’s quitting. Her skill at mining victims’ memories to re-create the faces of sadistic criminals has left her haunted and wary, and only Jack Bowman’s dogged persistence convinces her to help him. The rugged police chief is hunting a serial killer who’s targeting teenage girls. But what seems like a simple assignment is fraught with complications, including a searing attraction to Jack that’s tempting Fiona to let her guard down in potentially dangerous ways.

Jack never intended for Fiona to become so deeply involved in the case — or in his life. But every instinct tells him she’s his best hope for finding a psychopath who’s lurking in plain sight, growing more ruthless with each passing day. And now that Fiona is right in the killer’s crosshairs, the only way to keep her safe is to unravel a small town’s darkest secrets, one terrifying thread at a time….

Read an excerpt (scroll down).

Liviania’s review of Never Romance a Rake (Neville Family Trilogy, Book 3) by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance release by Pocket Star 22 July 08

I doubt anyone who read the other entries in the Neville Family Series can resist Baron Rothwell’s story. But even those unfamiliar with the other two can enjoy this novel.  The plot relies on several cliches, but Liz Carlyle uses them well.  This book uses the gambling set up, when the slimy Comte de Valigny offers his daughter for a wager.  Kieran doesn’t have much of a conscience, but he knows he’s her best option between the two men at the table.  Camille’s willing to take any option if it means marriage and a child.  What really makes this trope work is Carlyle examining why Camille would choose to gambled away.  She’s a survivor, caught between the legacy of her neglectful and selfish parents ever and a better life – if she marries and bears a child soon.  She has no desire to fall for a rake like Kieran, but she finds herself doing so anyways as she manages to observe pieces of his better side.  She’s determined and fierce and the perfect match for the self-destructive Kieran.

Carlyle makes Kieran’s character work by not holding back.  Like any real person, he’s not all bad.  He obviously cares for his remaining family and his servants.  They, in return, see his better side and wish he would stop his destructive behavior.  However, he is not simply misunderstood.  He gladly drinks, gambles, and whores about because he believes he deserves to be punished.  His abusive childhood and damaging first love guaranteed his terrible self-image.

Never Romance a Rake retains Kieran’s black humor.  While all three of the books involve dark subjects, this concluding volume contains the most darkness.  (As such, it contains the least Kemble, as he would be out of place.  He still shows up enough to make Camille and I happy.)  He’s terribly prickly and unwilling to let Camille into his heart since his lifestyle is finally destroying his health.

In Never Romance a Rake, I wondered often while reading how Carlyle could possibly deliver a happily ever after, when Rothwell’s destiny seemed to be the grave.  She did make him suffer for it, although events do conspire to grant Kieran and Camille an extremely happy ending.  Some parts seem almost too lucky, but it’s hard to begrudge the character’s their good fortune when they survived some of the world’s worst parenting.  It’s a pleasure to watch these two damaged, self-reliant characters learn to trust and love each other.

Grade: B+

Summary:

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

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

Read an excerpt here.

Okay, so the awarding of these books is waaaay overdue. Mea Culpa, I plead too much sun. As you may remember, about a month ago we offered up 10 copies of each book in Liz Carlyle’s latest trilogy: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke and Never Romance a Rake. Then it somehow got lost in the shuffle. Well, I finally got my act together, so click on the cut to see who won.

Cara: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Meared: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Ilona: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Little Lamb Lost: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Lyra: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Katharina: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Natasha: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Maureen: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Emma: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Ninoska Suarez: Never Lie to a Lady, Never Deceive a Duke

Cheryl C.: Never Romance a Rake

Jess: Never Romance a Rake

Danny: Never Romance a Rake

Phyl: Never Romance a Rake

Rosario: Never Romance a Rake

CrystalGB: Never Romance a Rake

Lacey: Never Romance a Rake

Marg: Never Romance a Rake

Willa: Never Romance a Rake

BethanyA: Never Romance a Rake

Congratulations! Please send your mailing address to redwyne at gmail dot com. Put “Liz Carlyle Winner” in the subject line. Also include the titles you won. Yay!

Connie’s Quick Quack review of Then You Hide (The Bullet Catchers, Book 6) by Roxanne St. Claire
Contemporary romantic suspense released by Pocket Star 24 Jun 08

Bullet Catcher Wade Cordell is assigned to track down a woman on a Caribbean vacation to get her to meet her birth mother and see if she can help save the woman’s life. Vanessa has known she was adopted and that her birth mother was in jail for murder and wants no part of meeting or helping her and has her own agenda for her vacation and leads Wade on a merry chase.  Vanessa is an extremely strong willed person and hates her birth mother. 

Wade is just as determined to get Vanessa back in time to help her birth mother.  Vanessa is determined to help her friend but someone doesn’t want her to find him or uncover what he found and is trying to hide from.

The Bullet Catchers are a good series and this book was a good read. There are some rather strange characters and some you’ll really like. This series is one to check out.

Grade: B

Summary:

When Bullet Catcher Wade Cordell is offered a cushy assignment to track down a woman on vacation in the Caribbean and persuade her to meet her birth mother, the secret ops sharpshooter decides it’s the perfect antidote to his stressful job. Except spirited and sassy Vanessa Porter isn’t on vacation, she’s on a hunt for a friend who has disappeared. Wade’s news doesn’t faze a woman who swims with the sharks on Wall Street — Vanessa knows she’s adopted and has no intention of meeting or helping the woman who gave her up in a black market scheme. But as it becomes clear that her missing friend is deep in hiding and deeper in trouble, Vanessa strikes a shaky bargain with the sexy bodyguard who’s an expert at finding people who don’t want to be found. How high a price will she have to pay the Bullet Catcher willing to put his life on the line for her? Will she sacrifice her pride . . . her heart . . . even her life?

Other books in this series:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: C

Summary:

They call her the porcelain princess…

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

They call him a cold-hearted bastard . . .

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

Read an excerpt here.

Liviania’s review of Never Lie to a Lady (Neville Family Trilogy, Book 1) by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance released by Pocket Star 19 Jun 07

Before reading the Neville Family Trilogy, I had no experience with Liz Carlyle. I recognized the name and knew Sybil was head-over-heels for the latest book, but I didn’t know what to expect. The opening of Never Lie to a Lady disappointed me. Xanthia Neville meets Lord Nash on a terrace and they proceed to snog, an action both of them consider ill-considered and out of character. Xanthia thinks about how she drank a little, but neither of them had the excuse of drunkenness. A bit scared that I’d agreed to review the entire trilogy, Carlyle spent the rest of the book wowing me so much that I can happily ignore the first chapter.

Carlyle makes me believe in Xanthia’s independence. She does not desire marriage because that would mean her property, one-fourth of Neville Shipping, would become her husband’s property. She enjoys trade and would never give up her business for a man. Of course, she doesn’t give up men completely. She lost her virginity long before the story begins with no regrets. She knows the ton would find her lifestyle scandalous, but only worries about it for the sake of her niece, whom she’s chaperoning for the Season. Xanthia’s smart, sensible, and aware of her wants.

Lord Nash is mildly scandalous himself. He’s of mixed blood – part Russian – and made a large portion of his wealth through gambling. His brother, the politician, is the respectable one. He wants to court Xanthia, but she tries to stay away from him until two men from the government ask her to investigate whether he’s a smuggler. This introduces my favorite character, George Kemble.

He’s snarky, insouciant, and almost every line of his dialogue makes me laugh. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but this barb might be it:

Kemble looked at her incredulously. “This afternoon?” he echoed. “But we are talking about the Government here, Miss Neville. There will be forms. Procedures. Perhaps even a committee or two.”

In fact, I quickly looked at the other two books in the trilogy to see if either of them where Kemble’s. Alas not, although he shows up in all of them. Hopefully Carlyle will one day correct this tragic oversight.

In addition the wonderful characters, Carlyle controls the plot. As in most romances with a plot outside of the relationship, most of the action happens during the climax. Unlike those, it isn’t shunted to the side during the bulk of the story. Xanthia remembers that she’s supposed to be spying on Nash, and does so to prove his innocence. She holds meetings with Kemble and his boss to discuss what she’s discovered. It prevents the ending from being an abrupt, “Oh yeah, there was something about smuggling at the beginning.”

I apologize for doubting Carlyle. Never Lie to a Lady is a solid romance and an excellent start to a satisfying trilogy. Now I need to search for more books by her.

Grade: A-

Summary
The notorious Marquis of Nash is a creature of the night; his wealth and his title provide but a tenuous entrée into polite society. With his Eastern European manners and dark elegance, Nash tempts women even as he tempts the scandalmongers. Rumors abound of the men he has bankrupted and the hearts he has broken. But when Nash leaves his lair for a rare foray into the ton, and enjoys a moment of heated passion with a mysterious lady in the dark, he develops an obsession which will lead him into the hellish world of smugglers, spies, and political intrigue as the Continent edges nearer to war.

Xanthia Neville has arrived in London to expand her family’s most lucrative business holding—Neville Shipping. With her brother Rothewell all too happy to waste his life in debauchery, Xanthia opens up shop in London’s grimy Docklands, and sets about expanding the family fortune, all the while flaunting the ton’s silly strictures about how a lady ought to behave. But London, she soon learns, is not Barbados.

And when the British Government approaches Rothewell to ask the family’s help in exposing a dangerous arms dealer, Xanthia must enter society after all, only to find her loyalties torn. Someone in London is fueling the conflict on the Balkan Peninsula by smuggling illicit weapons into the Aegean—and there is only one likely suspect. The Marquis of Nash has the resources, the contacts and, quite possibly, the deeply divided loyalties. But can Xanthia’s subterfuge prove him a traitor to the Crown before her heart is broken?
Read an excerpt here.

As promised, today we have a hot little bonus excerpt from Then You Hide, the fifth book in Roxanne St. Claire’s Bullet Catchers Series (Pocket Star, 24 June 2008). You can find the first excerpt here, the second here, and the third here.

When Bullet Catcher Wade Cordell is offered a cushy assignment to track down a woman on vacation in the Caribbean and persuade her to meet her birth mother, the secret ops sharpshooter decides it’s the perfect antidote to his stressful job. Except spirited and sassy Vanessa Porter isn’t on vacation, she’s on a hunt for a friend who has disappeared. Wade’s news doesn’t faze a woman who swims with the sharks on Wall Street — Vanessa knows she’s adopted and has no intention of meeting or helping the woman who gave her up in a black market scheme. But as it becomes clear that her missing friend is deep in hiding and deeper in trouble, Vanessa strikes a shaky bargain with the sexy bodyguard who’s an expert at finding people who don’t want to be found. How high a price will she have to pay the Bullet Catcher willing to put his life on the line for her? Will she sacrifice her pride . . . her heart . . . even her life?

BONUS: For Your Ears Only

She was soft, sweet, sexy and he knew she’d be smart enough not to question the kiss.

But was she good enough to pull this off, or would Wade have to elicit genuine moans of ecstasy from her? He hadn’t taken the time to examine the listening device planted in the shelves, but it looked professional, and even a cheapo from a spy gear shop could pick up a whimper, whisper, or a gasp of pure delight from three hundred feet away.

Which was exactly what he wanted their audience to hear.

He opened his mouth and added the tip of his tongue to the kiss. She responded with plenty of enthusiasm, still no sound.
How far would he have to take her to get some noise?

He cupped the backside that he’d been admiring a few minutes ago, the curves as firm and smooth as he’d imagined. That earned him the first little moan from her throat. He delved his tongue deeper, taking one second to appreciate the taste of her, the fullness of her lips, and the sharp, slick line of her teeth as he took a swipe over them.

He pulled away for some silent eye-to-eye communication.

But hers were closed. And her lips parted with a shudder. He leaned back to steal a glimpse at the slope of her breasts, her skin pink with heat and the nipples peaking wickedly. Her hips rocked in an instinctive sway, and inches away from her crotch, the pressure of a hard-on strained his briefs with that very same instinct.
Nobody was acting.

He kissed her again, sliding his palms up her bare back, aware that she’d unclasped her hands from his neck and was working her grip over his shoulders and biceps.
Finally, he got the kind of moan he needed: low, long and rich with a non-verbal approval of his physique, and, best of all, loud enough to reach the mike.

She stopped the mouth-to-mouth this time, but only to nibble and kiss the shoulder she kneaded, tilting her head to give him access to her neck again. He suckled and smelled the skin, kissed her collarbone and the translucent flesh below it. She tasted like paradise. Like salt and sun and palm trees she’d driven under all day, all mixed with the scent of excitement and woman.

“That’s nice,” he murmured, turning his face toward the mike a few feet away.

She responded with a breathy “Yes,” but without enough volume. He pointed in the direction of the mike, and mouthed, “Louder.”

She nodded, her eyes glinting with the shared secret, her body quivering under his hands. “Yes,” she repeated, leaning toward the shelves, her voice was still little more than air, but not the least bit fake-sounding. “That’s nice.”

“How ’bout this?” He stroked her back as if it were as alluring and sexy as her front, urging her into the moment for the benefit of their act. He kept the touch innocent enough, his thumbs at the sides of her breasts, definitely not crossing the line. “You like that, baby?”

Her skin was creamy and warm and tight over defined but feminine muscles, shooting a sexual shockwave through him.

“I do,” she said, giving it a note of believable desperation with an audible catch in her voice. “She leaned into his touch, inviting more. “I really like that.”

They shared a quick look, his brow angled with a question that was answered by a nod, another groan, and a little come on hand motion that said, “Keep it going.”

He stepped closer into the space between her legs, making contact. She shivered, rocked forward, and let out a whimper of surprise and pleasure.
A very genuine whimper.

“And that?” he asked.

“Oooh, yes. That.” She added a sexy laugh and lifted her hips to ride the length of him with the flimsy little of patch of nothing she wore as underwear. “Definitely that.”

The line between real and fake was disappearing as fast as his control, blood draining from his brain, where he needed it and down to his cock, making him achy and stiff. She arched toward him, her hair falling over her face and down to her breasts, grazing her nipples the way he wanted to.
His mouth watered. His chest tightened. His entire lower half constricted into a full-blown erection.

He put his lips against her ear. “More?” If that question got picked up by a supersensitive device, it wouldn’t sound out of place, but he had to know how far he could take this cover.

She drew back, gave him a blistering gaze, and touched his lower lip with her fingertips.

“Oh, yeah. More,” she said, her voice just forced enough for him to know it had to be for effect. “I want this.” She dipped her fingertip into his mouth and curled around his tongue. “And this.” She trailed the wet tip over his chin, down his throat and over his chest, traveling over one ab muscle after another, a sneaky smile pulling at her lips as her finger take its joyride.

She stopped less than an inch from the tip of the hard-on bursting through the waistband of his boxer briefs.

She wet her lips. “And, oh, honey, I really want this.”

He clenched his jaw and braced for the mind-blowing impact of one slender female finger, but she didn’t touch him. Instinctively, he tightened his hold on her ribs, squeezing enough for soft flesh of her breasts to plaster against his wrists.

It hurt so bad not to touch her, he gave a loud groan of frustration.

“Good one,” she mouthed.

Did she really think he was faking? She closed her eyes and released a long, sensuous sigh, her breath warming his lips and drawing him closer until her breasts were fully pressed against his chest.

She sucked in a deep, noisy breath.

Heat and arousal hammered through him, kicking his pulse into double time, stealing another bona fide rumble of desire from his chest.

She released another sex-kitten moan, totally and maddeningly in control. He’d been worried she couldn’t fake it? She was giving an Oscar-worthy performance and he…was fighting for every last ounce of command over his hormones.

He channeled the burn into a long, wet kiss, slamming his hands on the counter to add credence to the sound track and give him something safe to grab.

She opened her mouth and vacuumed up his lower lip, sucking with enough force to punch a sound needle to the red, along with every yearning cell in his body.

Sweat stung his skin, and heat rolled over him as his balls tightened and throbbed.

“Vanessa.” He yanked her into him, shocking them both with a roll of his hips. “You’re killin’ me, honey.”

She tensed her legs around his thighs. “That’s the idea, isn’t it?”

With a sultry laugh, she flattened her hands on his stomach, stroking his skin and caressing his muscles. Her fingers dipped low again, the tip of her thumbs so close to his engorged head, he could swear he felt her nails graze the moist droplet there.

He leaned back, hoping she could read his warning look.

“Don’t stop now,” she replied, far too loud for it to be anything but an act as she pulled him right back for a searing, brutal kiss.

“You go one more inch…” he growled into her mouth, only half caring if he chose the perfect words to get his point across and fool anybody listening. “And I’m not responsible for what happens next.”

“Oh, yeah?” Under his lips, he could feel her smile just as her fingers stroked his slickened head, punching the breath out of him. “So what happens next?”

“We move to…” A safer place. He lifted her from the vanity, forcing her to wrap her legs and arms around him to hang on. “Bed.”

And the excerpts keep rolling! This is the third excerpt from Then You Hide, the fifth book in Roxanne St. Claire’s Bullet Catchers Series (Pocket Star, 24 June 2008). You can find the first excerpt here and the second, here.

When Bullet Catcher Wade Cordell is offered a cushy assignment to track down a woman on vacation in the Caribbean and persuade her to meet her birth mother, the secret ops sharpshooter decides it’s the perfect antidote to his stressful job. Except spirited and sassy Vanessa Porter isn’t on vacation, she’s on a hunt for a friend who has disappeared. Wade’s news doesn’t faze a woman who swims with the sharks on Wall Street — Vanessa knows she’s adopted and has no intention of meeting or helping the woman who gave her up in a black market scheme. But as it becomes clear that her missing friend is deep in hiding and deeper in trouble, Vanessa strikes a shaky bargain with the sexy bodyguard who’s an expert at finding people who don’t want to be found. How high a price will she have to pay the Bullet Catcher willing to put his life on the line for her? Will she sacrifice her pride . . . her heart . . . even her life?

Excerpt #3

“Fine.” Vanessa automatically raised her hands, as if there was a snowball’s chance in the Caribbean that she was armed. “I’m going to step away now, okay?” Please don’t shoot.
She kept her gaze straight ahead, not willing to make eye contact with whoever held a gun to her back.
“I, um, I let the cab go.” Or rather, it bolted, leaving her in the Armed House-o-Male Prostitution in a skanky part of town up a deserted dirt road and a good mile from what passed for civilization. Son of a bitch, Clive was so dead for doing this to her.
If she didn’t die first.
“Go.”
She heard the gun cock, felt it shift against her back, and slowly walked toward the front screened door, where sunlight poured in, along with freedom and safety.
She glanced over her shoulder at Bones, who’d followed her, but he looked at whoever was behind her, and nodded. Oh, Jesus. What did that mean? Go ahead and shoot her?
She dove for the screen door and thwacked it open so hard it hit the house. Just as she stepped outside, a bright yellow cab screamed around the corner, coming to a gravel-spitting stop in front of the house.
“I’ll take that!” Clive was right –the cab gods were freakishly good to her.
The cab door flung open just as the screen door slammed, making her jump.
“Go!” Gideon lumbered onto the wooden porch, the boards groaning under his enormous weight. Then he looked over her shoulder, and a major smile broke across his face. “Oh, hello.”
Vanessa whipped around. Speaking of the gods — this one had dropped down from Olympus in person to deliver her cab. Six seriously solid feet of…gold. Close cropped sun-kissed hair, tanned, chiseled, square features, broad shoulders in buttery yellow cotton, and eyes the precise color of the sea and sky behind him.
A customer, no doubt, of Gideon Bones. Reminding her of another inside joke she shared with Clive. You guys get all the good ones.
She pointed to the cab. “I’m taking that back into town.” She practically leaped off the wooden porch to the dirt drive.
The golden man merely stepped aside, then held the door for her with a quiet, “Ma’am.”
She muttered thanks and dove in, dragging her bag across the seat. “To Basseterre, please,” she said to the cabbie. “Really fast.”
Golden Boy slid right in next to her.
“I’m sorry.” She added a smile, just tight enough to let him know she’d fight for the cab if she had to. “I have an emergency and I need to take this cab to town.”
He nodded to the driver. “Take us to town, please.”
“But…” She glanced at the house. “I’m sure he’ll get you another cab when your, uh, done.”
“I’m done.” He settled into the seat and calmly rested his arm across the back, giving her a look that was as reassuring as it was sexy. “I’m going where you go.”
Through the dirty cab window, she saw black eyes bore a whole through her from the porch.
“Thanks a lot. He didn’t like me before, and now he really hates me.”
“Why’s that?” He stretched out long legs, drawing her gaze to the muscular thigh covered in crisp khaki pants.
“Because I asked questions he didn’t want to answer, made him mad enough to sic his hit man on me, and now I’m taking his hot, new john away.” She tapped the driver’s seat. “I’m really in a hurry, if you don’t mind. Basseterre. Stat.”
“I’m not a customer,” he said.
“You were sightseeing up a deserted hill, and just happen to cruise by the best li’l gay whorehouse in St. Kitts? Sorry, don’t buy it.”
“I came up here for you.”
“Excellent pick up line, stud, and if I weren’t running for my life at the moment, you might have a chance.” She nudged the seat in front of her. “The Ballahoo Restaurant, please. Now!”
Finally, the cab took off, kicking a few stones at Bones to seal her fate as his lifelong enemy. She looked out the back window to see him on a cell phone. God, did everyone on this stupid rock get service but her?
“Did you find whatever it is you’re looking so hard for?”
His question threw her almost as much as the sharp downhill curve. She hung onto the cracked vinyl seat to keep her balance, the picture of Clive still clutched in her other hand.
How did he know she was looking for something?
“No,” she said. “But I pissed off the madame.”
“I saw that.”
Something in his voice sent a little shiver over her skin. Smooth and sweet and from way below the Mason Dixon line, and a little too damn sure of himself.
“Yeah? Did you catch that ‘I’m gonna kill you?’ look he saves for his favorite customers?”
“No, I caught the barrel of a Walther 99 in the second floor window pointing right at your head.”
“And that’s why you got in the cab?” He was either extremely chivalrous or as scared as she was of guns. She took a quick trip over his rock solid shoulders, his corded neck, his washboard flat stomach. She’d bet on chivalry, cause this dude wasn’t scared of anything. “Well, thank you, but I don’t need an escort.”
“I didn’t join you to be an escort.” He added a smile, which under any other circumstances, would be classified as killer, and would be returned. Whatever he was doing at Bartholomew Nine, he wasn’t gay. No way. This guy drank testosterone for breakfast, chewed nails for lunch, and then made a meal out of any whatever lucky lady offered herself up on a plate for dinner.
“What’s the hurry?” he asked.
She shrugged. “That’s how I roll. Fast.”
“I noticed.”
He noticed? Was he some kind of stalker? “When?” she asked warily.
“About two minutes after you got off the boat.”
She let out a half-choke of surprise. “You followed me here?”
“You’re Vanessa Porter, right?”
Apprehension pushed her away, into the door. She could jump out if she had to; they weren’t going very fast.
“How do you know my name?”
He reached out a hand to shake hers. “Let’s make it official, ma’am. My name is Wade Cordell, and I’m in St. Kitts to find you.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or pop the door handle and risk a bloodied knee. Was he serious?
“Who are you and why are you following me?”
“I plan to tell you outright, ma’am, but I’ll warn you, it might be a little upsetting.”
What could he possibly tell her that could make her day any suckier?
“Hit me, pal. I’m in a hurry.”
“All right.” He straightened and turned to look directly at her. “I’m here on behalf of your birth mother.”
White lights flashed behind her eyes like she’d been punched in the head.
Oh, yeah. Her day just got seriously worse.

Next, a steamy, sexy bonus!

Today we have the second excerpt from Then You Hide, the fifth book in Roxanne St. Claire’s Bullet Catchers Series (Pocket Star, 24 June 2008). You can find the first excerpt here.

When Bullet Catcher Wade Cordell is offered a cushy assignment to track down a woman on vacation in the Caribbean and persuade her to meet her birth mother, the secret ops sharpshooter decides it’s the perfect antidote to his stressful job. Except spirited and sassy Vanessa Porter isn’t on vacation, she’s on a hunt for a friend who has disappeared. Wade’s news doesn’t faze a woman who swims with the sharks on Wall Street — Vanessa knows she’s adopted and has no intention of meeting or helping the woman who gave her up in a black market scheme. But as it becomes clear that her missing friend is deep in hiding and deeper in trouble, Vanessa strikes a shaky bargain with the sexy bodyguard who’s an expert at finding people who don’t want to be found. How high a price will she have to pay the Bullet Catcher willing to put his life on the line for her? Will she sacrifice her pride . . . her heart . . . even her life?

Excerpt #2

Vanessa tapped. Everything. She tapped her foot on the scarred wood floor. Tapped her fingers against her thigh, and her tongue against the roof of her mouth in a tsk of impatience.

How long would she have to wait in this cigar-stinky parlor for a “madame” named Gideon? She’d been here fifteen minutes and except for the creepy little guy who opened the door, she hadn’t seen anyone or heard anything. She smelled plenty, though. Stale cigar smoke, dank air, the remnant of an unwashed cat in the near vicinity.

She rubbed her bare arms, but not because the overhead fan was doing anything to lower the temperature to something under ninety. It was just that creepy sensation she’d had ever since she got here. Like someone was watching her. It didn’t help that the cabbie refused to stay in spite of the twenty she offered, leaving her in front of a two story house at the edge of the mountain rainforest.

She whipped off her glasses to wipe some perspiration from her face, then looked at her watch for the six millionth time, irritated as hell. It was still early in the day in New York, but near the close of the London Stock Exchange, and most of her Hong Kong clients were asleep. Everywhere on the globe in between, deals were going down, money was being made, and investments were changing hands.

While she was on some God-forsaken pile of sand doing…

The right thing.

Eight excruciating minutes later, the floorboards of the hallway stairs squawked with heavy footsteps, and she reached into the side pocket of her tote bag to dig for the picture, pulling it out as a shadow darkened the parlor.

He filled the doorway. Then he filled the room. Literally.

A huge three hundred pound man with ebony skin, India ink eyes, midnight dreadlocks, and dark clothings that made him look like a big black Mack truck. And from the look on his face, Vanessa was about to be roadkill.

“Mr….Gideon?”

“They call me Bones.”

Then they clearly had a sense of humor.

He walked past her, around her, made her turn to follow him and the heavy, vile stench of a stogie that clung to him.

“What do you want?” His voice didn’t match his body. He had a British accent, with a little island lilt.

She held out her hand to shake his. “I’m Vanessa Porter, from New York.”

He didn’t move, didn’t blink, and forget any glimmer of a smile. His eyelids were no more than folds of flesh, his cheeks wide, puffy and shiny. If he had teeth, he wasn’t showing them. She dropped her untouched hand.

“What do you want?” he repeated.

She raised the picture, but he didn’t reach for that, either. “I’m looking for a friend of mine.”

He didn’t move. Just stared her down with a crushing glare, the only sound the rhythmic clicking of the inefficient overhead fan.

She just needed to bluff a little. “I think he’s been here recently.”

His nostrils widened like a dragon and she half expected a shower of flames. “I cannot help you. Please leave.”

“You don’t even know what I want yet,” she shot back, indignation straightening her back. “I’m trying to find a friend. This man. Here.” She fluttered the picture at his face. “About a month ago, he came down her on vaca–”

“Go away.”

“Won’t you just look at the picture?” Her voice rose exactly as she didn’t want it to. She cleared her throat and looked him in the beady eyes. Far badder bad asses than Gideon Bones had tried to spook her in M&A negotiations, and every single time, the bastards failed. And so would this big fat freak. “His name is Clive Easter–”

“No.”

“–brook,” she finished, her jaw clenching. “Clive Easterbrook. He’s my friend. Won’t you even look at this picture, Mr. Bones?”

“No.”

Her hand hit her thigh with a thud. “Look. I’m not with the media or the police or anything. Clive is a really good friend of mine who–”

“No.”

Shit. “–went on vacation a month ago and decided not to come home. I’m worried about him.”

His eyes turned to thin, black slats. “Why?”

“Because he’s…” Would she have to reveal Clive’s secret to get some help? She hated to be a rat.

“He’s gay?” he said, raising his eyebrows in challenge.

“Well, yes, of course. But that’s not why I’m worried about him. And, believe me, I’m not a jealous girlfriend or a clueless wife. Clive is my closest friend and colleague at work and he’s also…moody.” Bi-polar was more like it. “I think he might be…depressed.”

Drunk, high, and suicidal, too.

“No.”

The single syllable irked. “No, what? No, he’s not depressed or no you won’t help me ,or no you don’t know him?” Her voice tightened with frustration. “No what, Mr. Bones?”

“No I will not discuss visitors to my home. You can leave now.”

She exhaled with a curse of frustration. It’d been like this since she’d arrived in the Caribbean.

“I understand your position, Mr. Bones,” she said. “I have clients of my own and respect confidentiality. But I’m worried that my friend’s sick or hurt or spiraling into depression because he is prone to that, and –”

She froze as something hard and round stabbed her in the back. Whoever it was, this person had entered behind her without creaking a single floor board. Despite the hellish heat, chills rose.

Bones just stared at her, not acknowledging whoever was behind her.

“You talk too much,” he said.

Her whole body went rigid, her knees locked, her neck stiff. She wasn’t afraid of too many things…except guns.

Guns killed people. She knew that better than anyone.

“Leave Miss Porter.”

Stay tuned for the next excerpt!

Then You Hide, the fifth book in Roxanne St. Claire’s Bullet Catchers Series, will be published by Pocket Star on 24 June 2008.

As in TODAY!

Read about the series and the Bullet Catchers, then read on for the first in a series of excerpts!

Oh and feel free to tell her to hurry her ass up and finish the nifty thing she is working on for us…

When Bullet Catcher Wade Cordell is offered a cushy assignment to track down a woman on vacation in the Caribbean and persuade her to meet her birth mother, the secret ops sharpshooter decides it’s the perfect antidote to his stressful job. Except spirited and sassy Vanessa Porter isn’t on vacation, she’s on a hunt for a friend who has disappeared. Wade’s news doesn’t faze a woman who swims with the sharks on Wall Street — Vanessa knows she’s adopted and has no intention of meeting or helping the woman who gave her up in a black market scheme. But as it becomes clear that her missing friend is deep in hiding and deeper in trouble, Vanessa strikes a shaky bargain with the sexy bodyguard who’s an expert at finding people who don’t want to be found. How high a price will she have to pay the Bullet Catcher willing to put his life on the line for her? Will she sacrifice her pride . . . her heart . . . even her life?

Excerpt #1

Vanessa Porter was not his type.

Not that Wade didn’t appreciate a tall, sexy blonde as much as the next male, especially when her black tank top and white shorts hugged some sweet curves. But something about her irritated him — even from fifty feet away with clusters of tourists separating them across St. Kitt’s main port.

The horn rimmed glasses? A power play. The speed of her trajectory? That screamed Yankee to him. The little left-right sway in her backside that grabbed the eye of every man she passed? He despised women who drew attention to themselves. Her generous breasts were more than the requisite handful, her hair needed a six inch trim and something to keep it from flying all over the place, and those thighs? They didn’t quite touch at the top, as if there was room for…someone else in there.

She was plenty womanly, all right, but not feminine. He liked a sweet, tender peach, all squeezably soft and fresh. Vanessa Porter was no peach.

She was a tart.

And, just for the record, this tart was not on vacation. He didn’t have to scope her for ten minutes to figure that out. She’d disembarked a water taxi from a sailing ship anchored a half mile away, and held a brief conversation with an older woman who wore a ridiculous orange sunhat and a matching muumuu. Discussing an itinerary or shopping and lunch plans? But then she took off at the speed of light, leaving the big orange hat looking vaguely disappointed.

Wade followed her, easily matching her speed and agility, but marveling at it.

She navigated packs of tourists on the promenade, sidestepping street vendors who waved their wares, heading straight into the crowded streets and clogged sidewalks of Basseterre. Carrying only a huge handbag, her flip-flops snapping on the pavement, she moved like a heat-seeking missile with no camera or guidebook in sight. She was on a mission all right, and it wasn’t to sightsee in the capital of St. Kitts.

But whatever she had on her agenda, Wade was about to change it.

He planned to get the adoption-and-dying mother announcement over with as quickly and cleanly as possible, just like he would if he’d been sent there to put a bullet in her head. Find the target, scope out the situation, take a clean shot, be done.

If he got lucky, she’d take the Bullet Catcher plane to South Carolina all herself, and he could just hang around the tropics with no shirt, no shoes, no problems.

Watching her buzz through Basseterre, that fantasy faded fast. Everything about her body language was uninviting and closed. Her delicate jaw was set in the direction she strode, her left arm clutching her bag like a warrior’s shield, her right hand pressed protectively to her side as she barreled along.

Maybe that was just the walk of New Yorker, as observed by a man who grew up twenty five miles south of Alabama. Still, he followed her easily, his interest notching up. After years of stealthily tailing targets, Wade had gotten very good at surmising what someone was up to.

And Vanessa Porter, thirty-one year old Wall Street high flyer who hadn’t taken a vacation in six years and pulled in a quarter mill a year – base pay – as vice president and director of mergers and acquisitions at Razor Partners, LLC, was definitely up to something.

Every few minutes, she whipped out a handheld device and angled it to the sun, touching the screen and muttering to herself. Once, just for fun, he circled around and brushed by her, and heard what his mama called the ‘dirtiest of dirty words’ when she didn’t get whatever she wanted from the little computer.

She’d glanced up and met his gaze, holding it longer than any southern girl who’d been schooled in the art of averting her eyes. She gave him a thorough checking out before she zoomed on. She didn’t pause to check out the landmark tower, inhale the sweetness of the frangipani that hung over the whole island, or toss some change to the herds of barefoot children pleading for pennies on every corner. She sailed right past candy-colored buildings and marched over cobblestones and bricks with the focus of a woman who knew exactly where she was going, and why.

Wade stayed right on her tail and watched those white shorts hitch left, right, left, like her own military march.

Not far from the Circus clock she slowed her step, glanced up and down the busy intersection of Fort and Banks street, then crossed to enter the Ballahoo Restaurant. The tables were outdoor, under umbrellas, mostly peppered with the early lunch crowd, and she snaked through them, straight to the bar, where she levered herself into an empty stool and whipped out that handheld again.

Wade followed her path, murmuring some “excuse me’s” she’d no doubt skipped and stood close enough to her to hear, but not draw attention.

The bartender placed an empty cocktail napkin in front of her. “CSR and Tang? It’s the official drink of St. Kitts, you know.”

“No, thank you.” She slid something across the bar. “Have you seen this man in here in the past few weeks?”

Oh, so that’s what she was up to. On the hunt for the one that got away.

The bartender raised his brows a little, glanced at the picture, then at Vanessa. “No, sorry.”

Wade saw her shoulders sag in frustration. She pushed the picture forward again. “Are you sure?”

The man’s smile faded. “I’m sure. And if you’re going to sit here, you need to buy a drink.”

“Are you absolutely positive?”

The bartender glowered at her. To be fair, the man had barely looked at the picture and Wade would have wondered the same thing. Only he’d have taken the time to get friendly first, to make a connection with the potential informant, and probably get a better response.

“Listen,” she leaned closer, and reached for the man’s hand. “I know about this place.”

Wade took a tiny step closer, glancing around the bamboo bar and it’s higher-end clientele. What about the place?

The bartender’s black eyes narrowed. “I have never seen your man in here. Sorry.” He turned away.

She stared at him for a second, then turned in her stool to survey the patrons. She lingered over a table of four young men, tanned, toned, and dressed in the tourist’s uniform of khakis, T-shirts and flip-flops. One of them said something, they all laughed, and toasted beers.

She watched for another few seconds, gathered her giant bag, her phone and her picture, and headed straight for the table. The laughter died down when she reached them, changing to a look of surprised interest.

If she was out to get lucky, which Wade doubted, maybe she didn’t realize she’d gone to the wrong side of the street. That group was far more interested in each other than blonde in short shorts and a tight top.

Wade moved to the other end of the bar and leaned against the last stool. He couldn’t be hear the conversation, but he had a direct view of the table and their interaction.

Out came the picture again, passed from man to man. The first three shook their heads. The last one studied it and said something, eliciting laughter from the others.

Except for Vanessa, who gave them a tight, impatient smile. Then she crouched down and spoke to them, whatever she said holding their attention. One nodded. Another put a sympathetic hand on her arm.

“Buy you a drink?”

Wade pulled his attention from the table to the older man who stood next to him, quickly taking in an impression of wealth and confidence.

“Unless you’re more interested in that table of playboys you’re watching,” the man added.

His target had led him right into a gay bar.

“No, thanks,” he said, but the other man eased into the next barstool, forcing Wade to move his arm.

“You on vacation?”

“Business.” Wade turned away, just in time to catch one of the men at the table write something on a paper napkin and hand it to Vanessa.

“What business are you in? Modeling? You’ve got the build for it.”

She said goodbye and whisked her way toward the street.

“‘Scuse me.” Wade pushed off the stool and followed, staying about twenty steps behind. She paused at the entrance, re-read the napkin, and crunched it into a ball before tossing it onto a table that hadn’t been bussed.

Wade grabbed the discarded napkin just as a large group of tourists entered, blocking him long enough for her to dash across the street and get into a taxi. He uncrumpled the paper and read, Bartholomew Nine. Gideon Bones.

“You won’t do any better there.”

Wade drew back at the intrusion, meeting the gaze of the guy who’d tried to pick him up at the bar. “How’s that?”

He cocked his head and gave him a get-real look. “More babies at Bonesy’s place. No real men.”

Wade held up the napkin. “Is this another bar?”

That was met with a snort. “That’s a whorehouse for fags. Men like me wouldn’t be caught dead there.” With a shrug, he walked away.

Wade stuffed the napkin in his pocket, crossed the street to the taxi stand, and got into the first cab.

“Bartholomew Nine,” he ordered.

“In Monkey Hill?” Black eyes met his in the rear view mirror. “You looking for a mon?”

“Actually, I’m looking for a woman.”

The driver shook his head and bared spaces where his two front teeth should have been. “Not at Bonesy’s house. For twenty dollars I take you to a woman.”

“I’ll give you fifty if you take me to Bartholomew Nine and wait.”

The cabbie flipped the meter. “No problem, mon. But you don’t find no woman up dere.”

But Wade had a feeling he most certainly would. “Just hurry, please.” Because that woman moved fast.

Stay tuned for Part Two!

Liviania‘s review of Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (Immortals After Dark, Book 4) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance released by Pocket 1 Apr 08

I started Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark with this one, and I believe it is my favorite. This romance focuses on the youngest of the Wroth brothers, the insane Conrad, and Néomi, a dead human. Yes, it is a bit of a logistical nightmare. On the other hand, it gives the characters time to talk and develop a strong emotional relationship before they have sex.

In a last-ditch effort to save Conrad’s mind, his brothers imprison him. They believe they have found the means to restore his sanity without using Riora’s gift, which made more sense after I read No Rest for the Wicked. Elancourt just happens to be Néomi’s former estate and her soul anchor. Since only Conrad has killed and become a Fallen vampire, he is the only one that can see and hear the ballerina. However, when a vampire kills, he absorbs the memories of his prey. Conrad is lost in the memories of his numerous kills and believes Néomi to be yet another of his hallucinations.

Néomi realizes Conrad can see her and proves to him that she’s real. After all, she was a famous ballerina in life. She commanded the attention of hundreds of people at a time. Now she has spent several decades only able to observe those who venture onto the estate. Madman or not, Conrad can see and talk to her and that means everything – even if he does keep destroying parts of their house.

Kristoff imprisons Nikolai, Murdoch, and Sebastian (the brothers) for not killing Conrad. This gives Conrad and Néomi time to talk and get to know each other beyond, “I want you because you’re my Bride.” It eventually leads to one of the cutest moments in the series, when Conrad offers to deface the grave of her murderer. No really, it’s cute. And it’s just one of many surprisingly cute moments in their relationship.

In the end though, Cole must find a way for Néomi and Conrad to be able to touch. Enter Mariketa, Bowen, and Nïx. (And now that I have read the other books, I notice Regin’s short cameo.) Nïx is one of the best parts of these books – a nutty seer with a thing for mayhem and nail polish. It’s no wonder the Valkyrie are feared. In the very end, the solution becomes a tad convenient, but overall Cole develops a satisfying method to embody Néomi.

She also continues what she started in Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night and develops Cadeon’s character. She manages to set-up his story and to revisit the previous couples without crowding Conrad and Neomi’s story, which is very enjoyable. She also seems to be developing interest in the identity of Murdoch’s mystery bride.

I went into Dark Needs at Night’s Edge with high expectations and Cole met them all. I particularly liked that I understood the world’s rules and the characters’ relationships without exposure to the previous novels. Of course, I instantly bought those first three novels and devoured them. Now if only I can get my hands on Playing Easy to Get . . .

Grade: A

A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK…

Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers — until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.

A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS…

To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER?

Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

Click on the Immortals After Dark series tag for more excerpts, more reviews, and more everything on this series.

Liviania‘s review of No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance released by Pocket Star Books 31 Oct 06

The second Immortals After Dark novel focuses on the second-youngest Wroth brother, Sebastian. His village hires Kaderin the Cold Hearted to kill him, but the two quickly realize she is his Bride. After a brief amorous encounter, Kaderin leaves, unwilling to undergo the humiliation of being involved with a vampire. (She’s seen how her family treats Myst, whose husband is a vampire – and Sebastian’s older brother.) Currently she’s focused on winning the Talisman’s Hie, a contest run by the goddess Riora. After all, she’s won the past five times and must defend her title.

Since Sebastian’s older brothers turned him against his will, he chose to become recluse. Thus, he does not realize how dangerous Kaderin is. (Much like Emma in the previous novel, he knows little about other creatures in the Lore.) He follows and tries to protect her like the knight he was in life. Kaderin is not amused. However, Kaderin only feels this displeasure because her emotions returned after she met Sebastian. Someone answered her prayer not to feel after a vampire killed her two sisters – a vampire whose life she saved. The winner of the Talisman’s Hie will receive a key that will take the user into the past. Kaderin wishes to save her sisters and wishes the vampire would stop interfering.

Sebastian and Kaderin’s strongest competitor is Bowen MacRieve, who first appeared in A Hunger Like No Other. His mate died in the eighteen hundreds and he has been slowly dying ever since. He’s a sympathetic character and Cole shoots herself in the foot by making him a main antagonist. The reader wants Sebastian and Kaderin to succeed, but the reader wants the same for Bowen. Terrible things are done to him throughout the novel. I think I managed to move past him and focus on the romance only because I knew his future due to reading the fourth book first.

This is a large flaw simply because Sebastian and Kaderin’s romance is strong. It sticks out because the rest of the book is solid. Sebastian earnestly pursues her and two fall in love as they learn to trust the other (even as each of them still wants to be the protector). They’re both strong, fierce, and capable. They clash because of Kaderin’s independence and Sebastian’s determination to be her knight-in-shining-armor. They work when he allows her to stand on her own.

Plus, Kaderin deserves HEA after listening to Regin’s choice of music in Antarctica. She spent years without emotions and then immediately has to deal with one of the party valkyrie. I do like how Cole sets future romances in place. I look forward to there being a novel about Regin and her reincarnated but doomed lover.

Perhaps the most action-oriented of the series, No Rest for the Wicked moves at a quick pace with no dull spots. If only the villain were dastardly . . .

Grade: B+

Summary:

A vampire soldier weary of life… Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire-a nightmare in his mind-against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.

A valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him… When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow-accidentally extinguishing al of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings-particularly lust-emerge multiplied. For the first time, she’s unable to complete a kill.

Competitors in a legendary hunt… The course will take them through ancient tombs and catacombs, seeking relics around the world, and the prize for victory is powerful enough for Kaderin to change history and prevent her sisters’ deaths. Sebastian competes as well, and begins winning-her. But when forced to choose between Sebastian and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?

Read an excerpt here.

Click on the Immortals After Dark series tag for more excerpts, more reviews, and more everything on this series.

Liviania‘s review of Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance released from Pocket 20 May 08

Kresley Cole began setting the stage for Dark Desires After Dusk during Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night.  Those teasing glimpses of Cade’s character hold nothing to his full story.  Pornophile, hard drinking, fast driving rage demon Cadeon the Kingmaker has it bad for repressed mathematics professor/student Holly Ashwin.  Cole writes it so well they don’t even seem like an odd couple.

For one thing, she hints throughout in scenes that have nothing to do with Holly that Cade respects knowledge, wished he had a better education when young, and has been teaching himself about esoteric subjects during his mercenary career.  Holly is repressed precisely because she has been avoiding her Valkyrie/Fury instincts.  Disastrous attempts at sex convinced her remaining celibate was the best option, which went against her naturally lusty personality.  She quickly realizes that she could sex Cade up without hurting him – and she might not be as adverse to the idea as she pretends.

One obstacle is Holly’s current boyfriend, who despite their relationship of two years respects her wish to wait until marriage without complaint.  While she cheats on him, the two (as Cade points out) had more of a friendship than a relationship.  Cole manages to hit the right balance of Holly feeling guilty about being intimate with Cade before breaking up with Tom; she seems neither callous nor angsty.  Actually, Cole’s characterization of Holly hits all the right notes.  The OCD remains a constant characteristic, rather than coming and going as it fits the story, but it serves a purpose and doesn’t become an annoying trait that’s supposed to be endearing as is all too common in romance heroines.  She also earns her geek cred.  She knows her Star Wars and dreams up one awesome code.  (When she describes the code, Cade thinks she sounds more like a Valkyrie than a geek.  Obviously he needs to experience the wonders of gaming.)

The problem with these two getting together is that Cade needs to betray Holly so that he can get a sword to kill Omort the Deathless and regain his brother’s kingdom.  As we know from previous installments in the Immortals After Dark, Cade knows he messed up bad and feels some major guilt.  Cade and Holly drive cross-country in Rydstrom’s fab one point two million dollar ride, evading various attempts on Holly’s life and exchanging some of the best dialogue I’ve read all year.  Did I mention everybody wants Holly because her womb is magic?  Man, I don’t even hate that plot point.  For one thing, it leads to fabulous chase scenes and the return of Tera from WDOAWN.  The tomb of the incubi groups still has great friend chemistry.

For those wondering what Rydstrom is doing during these hijinks, he gets captured early in the novel by Omort’s sister Sabine..  He doesn’t appear again until a scene toward the end that makes me want the next book now.  (Actually, she’s been handing out hints about so many couples throughout the series that I want the next five or so books now.  I’m not greedy, really.)

If you have any love for paranormal romance whatsoever, do yourself a favor and read Dark Desires After Dusk.

Grade: A

     Summary: 

     A seductive beauty he can never have, yet can’t resist…

     Cadeon Woede will stop at nothing to atone for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. But once he secures the key to his redemption, the halfling Holly Ashwin, Cade finds that the woman he thought he could use for his own ends and then forget haunts him as much as his past.

     A tormented warrior she should fear, but can’t deny…

     Raised as a human, Holly never knew that some frightening legends are real until she encounters a brutal demon who inexplicably guards her like a treasure. Thrust into a sensual new world of myth and power, with him as her protector, she begins to crave the demon’s wicked touch.

     Surrender to dark desires…

     Yet just when he earns Holly’s trust, will Cade be forced to betray the only woman who can sate his wildest needs — and claim his heart?

Click on the Immortals After Dark series tag for more excerpts, more reviews, and more everything on this series.