Veena’s review of Charmed by His Love (Spellbound Falls, Book 2) by Janet Chapman
Paranormal Romance published by Jove 29 May 2012

Maximilian (Mac) Oceanus shook the earth and moved mountains to create a bottomless lake with a saltwater channel to the ocean to prove his love to Olivia Baldwin in Spellbound Falls.  Now that Mac and Olivia are happily married and starting on their new life together, Janet Chapman turns our attention to Olivia’s best friend Peg Thomson in her next installment of the Spellbound series, Charmed by His Love.

Lonely Peg lives for her children. She turns her back on love and romance, believing that the women in her family are cursed by a black widow curse that takes the lives of any men they marry. To prove her point, both her mother and grandmother are also widows having tried their luck at least twice already. She meets Duncan Mackeage in a storm of kicks and slaps as she attacks him for frightening her son.

Duncan of the Mackeage and MacBain highlander clans of Tarstone Mountain has been hired by Mac to build the road from Spellbound to the mountain resort that he is building his wife as a wedding present. Needing the gravel that Peg owns in order to get his road built, Duncan reaches out to Peg only to find her illegally hunting deer to feed her children.  Prickly Peg and crusty-on-the-outside Duncan are able to move past their unfortunate beginning, having negotiated a fair price for the gravel, to find mutually admirable characteristics.

So starts a tentative acceptance and friendship. Duncan quickly forges a relationship with Peg’s children, who view him as their missing father figure. Between Duncan, his cousin Rory MacBain, and nephew Alex, the family is protected from scary and unpleasant events in their quiet community. Duncan is the only non-magical person in his family of time-traveling, shapeshifting druids and wizards. But Peg and now Duncan are under the protection of the uber wizard Mac himself.  Duncan slowly and patiently works on Peg’s heart to free his very powerful magic that is just waiting for love to free it.

This is a charming family story with precocious children helped by a whale named Levithian, who subtly nudge their mother toward a romance that will free her to live a full life. I look forward to Carolina’s story next so I can revisit with all the characters we’ve met in these two books. The crowning glory of the book is the first day of school for Peg’s twins and Mac’s son Henry. Somewhat unusual in today’s romance novels, this one is a good clean read.

Grade: A

Summary:

All Duncan MacKeage wants is to keep his crew building roads and bridges up the mountain to the fancy resort overlooking Spellbound Falls’ new inland sea. He doesn’t want anything to do with his own family magic or with the beautiful widow, Peg Thompson, and her tribe of little heathens. But when Duncan is tasked with keeping an eye on the widow Thompson, trouble starts.

Because of a family curse, Peg fears that giving in to her desires will mean killing off another lover. But Duncan—the strong, handsome man buying her gravel—is unbelievably tempting and determined to take care of her. Torn between her head and her heart, will Peg find the strength to break free of her black-widow curse? Or will pursuing their attraction put these lovers in harm’s way?

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Laura C’s review of Trouble Me by Laura Moore|
Contemporary Romance published by Ballantine 27 Mar 12

I probably should have given this book a pass after the first scene between the hero and heroine. Jade and Rob meet up after a number of years at a hotel far from home where they are both snowed in. They have a night of wild sex without exchanging names. Not even first names. And right there, that should have let me know this book isn’t for me, because, according to the back of the book, Jade is supposed to be going home to show how much she’s grown up and how she’s ready to settle down. And all I could think is “uh, yeah, because that’s a really responsible thing to do.”

And, yeah, Jade makes a big deal—when she breaks down and tells her sisters about the incident—to say she used condoms when she slept with Rob. And when she confronts him, she says he was just as guilty as she. But…she took a stranger up to her hotel room. A stranger who’s much bigger, much stronger, much more capable of harm than she is. She never once gives any thought to the fact that it might not be a great idea to do so without at least telling someone in the hotel or, for crying out loud, asking his name.

But I pushed on. And off Jade goes to the town where she grew up only to discover that Rob lives there, too, and is, in fact, the cop who repeatedly arrested her when she was a wild teen. It was during one of those arrests, while Rob was booking Jade, that his wife died. He blames Jade for her death, for keeping him from her, though he knows he shouldn’t. Which he tells himself repeatedly and even tells his mother. (I don’t know why that annoys me, but it did. Her reaction is good, though. She basically tells him to grow a pair, only in a maternal way.)

And then he finds out that Jade, the woman he blames, the woman he had a one-night stand with, is going to be his child’s second-grade teacher. Needless to say, he’s furious, but as soon as he gets her alone . . . in the classroom . . . on parents’ night at the school . . . they start making out. Both of these people need to grow up.

As well as teaching second grade, Jade plans to teach riding to children at the family horse ranch. There’s a lot of detail about pony buying, pony riding, pony training, and pony grooming. I found it interrupts the romance. I feel as if I were reading two books: one with characters always itching to jump into the sack and a second about the care and feeding of ponies. It’s . . . disconcerting.

If I subtract my own (admittedly prudish) sentiments about how careless Jade is with her own safety, this isn’t a bad book. It’s just not very exciting, either.

Grade: C

Summary:

The youngest and wildest of the Radcliffe sisters, Jade is the last to return home to her family’s sprawling Virginia horse farm and its unsettling memories. She never planned on a night of passion with a stranger before starting her new life as a teacher and riding instructor—or the shock of recognizing the man who gave her so much pleasure standing right there in her classroom.

Officer Rob Cooper is stunned. Not only is the woman who rocked his world his daughter’s second grade teacher, but she’s the troubled teen whom he blames for his wife’s death years ago. Worse, now that he sees her in the light of day, he wants her more than ever. Time has softened Jade’s hard, rebellious edge—she’s spirited, honest, and sexy to distraction. But will the feelings ignited in the heat of desire be enough to heal a past that needs forgiving?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Secrets to Seducing a Scot (Highland Knaves, Book 2) by Michelle Marcos
Historical Romance published by St. Martin’s 2 Aug 11

I’ve obviously had this book for a while.     For some reason I just didn’t pick it up until recently. While it’s not a story that wows you to no end, it is an intense, somewhat sweet romance between a very unlikely pair who pull you into their lives during a time of uprising in Scotland.

Serena Marsh is the toast of London with her daily column in the local newspaper. Society hangs on to her every word about who’s been at what ball and all the goings-on that happened. She’s privileged, sheltered, and pampered. Though in the beginning she may seem selfish because of her upbringing, Serena eventually learns a lifetime of lessons in a very short time span while in Scotland, where her father is trying to negotiate terms between rebels and English crown.

Having lost his family at a young age, Malcolm Slayter has been on his own since the age of twelve, an outcast from his clan, a “slaighteur” for the perceived traitorous actions of his family. He and his surviving siblings are branded, literally, his brother and sister now captives of those who have taken everything from them. Malcolm is left for dead. But that doesn’t keep him and his need for vengeance down. A man now, without family, home, or country, Malcolm is, basically, a bounty hunter for hire. It matters not which side anyone else stands on, Malcolm will do what is required for the coin. There’s nothing else in his life worth anything.

But when threats are made against Serena, her father hires Malcolm to protect her. At this point Serena does get on the nerves a tad. She doesn’t take the threats seriously and does what she wants when she wants, despite warnings from both her father and Malcolm. You’d like to shake her to wake her up, but, of course, these things are needed to teach the girl a lesson. After treating Malcolm with a high-and-mighty attitude, never listening to his instructions, then fighting an attraction to him and finally succumbing to it, Serena goes one step too far and ends up in the hands of rebels intending to use her against her father.

Of course, it’s Malcolm to the rescue. Especially since acknowledging his love for her. Serena isn’t the only one to change throughout the book. The hardened, uncaring man he’s become slowly dissipates and a new Malcolm emerges. He’s not the man who would have come along if his life hadn’t been so radically and violently altered, but I think it’s safe to assume this man is close, all due to the love he’s now found. That’s what I like best about this character as he comes alive, along with his love for Serena, in this book. You can see his hard edges slowly recede, see a different person take the place of all the anger and hurt that’s resided inside of him for years. He learns to be romantic and loving while still retaining the steel needed to now survive not only for himself but also for Serena.

While you’ll get some intense love scenes, you won’t get those eye-popping events that keep you reading. What you do get is a gradual alteration of people who have to change their outlook on life as they’ve always known it. Even Serena’s father doesn’t go unscathed in this regard. I kept reading because I wanted to see the changes in Malcolm and how he handles them. I initially picked this book up wanting a dose of a Scottish hero. I got that and a lot more.

Grade: C+

Read Ash’s review here.

Summary:

A Diamond in the Rough

Torn from a pampered life of luxury and thrust into the midst of a Scottish revolution, Serena Marsh is shocked to meet the brutish man who has been assigned to protect her from the rebels trying to kill her—Malcolm Slayter, the most rugged, most dangerous, and most undeniably attractive man she’s ever encountered…

The Knave of Hearts

Malcolm has no loyalties, no country, and no sense of propriety. Hired by her father, Malcolm agrees to protect the lovely lass for a fee. But when Serena challenges Malcolm’s authority—and engages him in a risky flirtation—all bets are off. When the battle heats up, it’s anyone’s guess as to who’s seducing whom…and who’ll surrender first.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of A Wicked Persuasion by Catherine George
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 1 Mar 12

In this series of loose adaptations of classic novels by Mills and Boon, Catherine George has taken on Jane Austen’s Persuasion. So now it’s time to come clean. Yes, I’ve read Persuasion once, when I was eighteen. Second confession—Jane Austen isn’t a favourite of mine. I find her tone dry. I appreciate that she was a revolutionary writer who brought the novel on another leap, but I’d far rather curl up with a good Dickens or Tom Jones or Evelina or even Tristram Shandy, if I’m feeling adventurous. They’re bursting with life and in comparison I find Austen’s comedies of manners less than enthralling. Even the revered Pride and Prejudice.

There, I said it. I don’t have to be ashamed anymore. So I’m reviewing George’s book as a stand-alone.

The heroine, Harriet, is a doormat of the first order. The origins of this loose adaptation are probably clearest in the character of Harriet. I can see the book working well as a period piece, but while George’s efforts to bring her up to date are worthwhile, Harriet is still, by modern standards, a doormat. She made a promise to her mother to keep the house River House, which was descended through her mother, not her father, and when the stock market crashes and her father’s unwise investments with it, the house is under threat. Harriet finds the solution – to let the house to agencies, film companies and suchlike, not her father, who is a useless, selfish person until much later in the book, when I’d lost all patience with him.

Ten years ago, her father has Harriet’s one and only love sacked when she says she wants to move in with him. Actually James isn’t sacked, he is transferred, and returns ten years later as the owner of his own company and wealthy. To get his revenge, although he’s a sensible man who won’t let revenge get in the way of company success, so that makes the plot and motivation a little muddy.

Harriet makes herself ill looking after her selfish sister’s child, arranging for the management of her selfish father’s house and doing her regular job. She’s an accountant, and she enjoys it (so there). Told you. Martyr. James looks after her, so naturally she thinks he’s there to see her in her misery, s0 tells him to go away. Then she goes away for a few days. James joins her, and they have some weird disagreement which I’m still not sure about, but which moves the plot along nicely to its black moment.

I got lost in this story. There are far too many characters for a short novel to hold. While Ms. George does a great job at giving each person basic characteristics, I couldn’t follow them all. Just got too confused eventually. There are sisters and fathers and friends and a would-be suitor, and, as a result, the romance is pushed into the background. James and Harriet just don’t get enough time together, and because they are old flames, their relationship is merely rekindled, not renewed and refreshed.

Austen had a much longer novel to expand and investigate all the characters. There’s also the problem that she wasn’t writing a romance as such, only a comedy of manners (which isn’t to say that the novel is funny, or no funnier than Shakespeare’s comedies). I don’t really care about Harriet’s relationship with her selfish sister or her selfish father (there are a lot of selfish fathers in Austen’s books, aren’t there?) I want to read about the developing romance between a more mature Harriet and James. And I want her to tell everyone to look after their own lives. She doesn’t, they sort their lives out for themselves, and then say sorry. So there is no redemptive moment for Harriet. I am convinced that she wouldn’t continue to organise everyone’s lives for them, especially with the ultimate outcome.

However, Ms. George is a great technical writer. Her style flows and her voice is easy and confident. She’s weathered the many storms in the Mills and Boon household with ease, and as one of the old-school writers, she’s done a lot to adapt to newer requirements and not stayed in the brutal alpha/weak female rut. I’ve read books of hers with much more confident, competent heroines, and I’m sure she’ll do more in the future.

Grade: C-

Summary:

A flame that never died… One glimpse of James Crawford’s roguish good-looks sparked a fire in young heiress Harriet Wilde that burned red-hot – until her father forced her to break off the relationship. No way was his daughter going to dilute the family line! Ten years later… James, now the head of a multi-million-pound empire, returns to get revenge on the woman who thought she was too good for him. He’ll make her feel every ounce of the humiliation he once did. But he only succeeds in fanning the flames of a fire he’d thought long dead…

No excerpt available.

Sandy M’s review of The Wolf Who Loved Me (The Wolf Who Loved Me Trilogy, Book 1) by Lydia Dare
Historical Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Apr 12

With this new spin-off trilogy, Lydia Dare is giving readers more of her werewolves with the Hadley brothers, three rakes who get into trouble every chance they get.

I’m glad the wolves are back. I know Ms. Dare was trying to give readers something different with the last three books in the series that featured vampires. Those stories were good, but they just lack the flare of those werewolves that I’ve enjoyed so much from the beginning of this series. This time around we have some fun with the half-brothers of Dashiel Thorpe, who is hero of The Taming of the Wolf. Twins Weston and Grayson and Archer Hadley are about to have their ears flicked to bring them into line after causing havoc at every turn. Dash and Caitrin are fed up and desperate measures are in the works.

Weston has always been enamored of Lady Madeline Hayburn, but she’s out of his league. Even knowing her father has brought in eligible bachelors for her to choose from doesn’t bring him any closer to his dream of having her. Society doesn’t look kindly on the Hadleys. So he has to admire her from afar, with only minimum interaction. The lady has marginally noticed Wes, but her priority is staying away from the gents who are vying for her attention. And her money.

All the problems really begin when Madeline spies Weston from her window in an altercation with another man, incapacitating him. She’s curious as to what he’ll do next, so she slips out of the house to follow him to the barn. But what she ends up seeing alters both of their lives completely. It’s the full moon and Wes has no control over his shifting when it’s time. When he realizes what Madeline has seen, and despite the fact she’s now frightened of him, his only option is to head to Gretna Green for a quick marriage. If her future is tied with his, her silence is assured.

But being kidnapped and forced to marry isn’t Madeline’s idea of making the problem go away. She does her best to get away from Wes, even though she becomes more attracted to him as time goes on. When she stops to see he is taking care of her, he does feel something for her, her need to escape lessens. When her father catches up to them, Madeline must make a choice. Should she go back home, which is what she’s wanted for so long, or now take a chance on the man who has come to mean something to her? Madeline decides to take a chance. She jumps from the inn window into the arms of her future.

Of course, now that she’s made that choice, things can only sail smoothly for so long. During their trip they acquire a couple passengers, both known to Wes, who make it more difficult for him to keep soothing his intended’s feathers. After finally making it to Gretna Green, becoming husband and wife, and enjoying the best wedding night, it doesn’t take long for things to go awry. Madeline spies Wes in a compromising position with the actress who shared their carriage, and she thinks the worst. So much so she runs to Wes’ so-called friend to help her get back home. That plan turns out to be a major mistake. During his search for his wife, Wes realizes he was wrong to force Madeline into marriage, she deserves better than he can ever give her. So once he’s found her, he’ll return her to her father. That’s best for all concerned.

Madeline, however, takes exception to that idea. And at the end of the book is my only nitpick. I thought perhaps once I pondered on it I might change my mind, but I’ve found I haven’t. I feel Madeline’s “begging” is taken a bit too far, especially at the time and place it happens. I know it’s because she has to convince Wes she’s true in her words and feelings toward him, but I think an alternative or even some type of compromise with that scene would have worked better. For me, anyway. Her actions, of course, move Wes and do convince him, but that’s just not the Madeline I’ve come to know during this read.

Other than that, I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The Hadley brothers aren’t as charismatic as Dash – he’s still my favorite hero of the series – but they make for good fun and eventually romance. I’m quite intrigued with the budding relationship between Archer and Madeline’s friend, Sophie. That should be one wild romp, which I’m looking forward to.

Grade: B

Summary:

Lady Madeline Hayburn Has Money Problems…

Specifically, she has so much of it that she’s dogged by fortune hunters, including her bewilderingly attractive, penniless neighbor, with his wild nature and uncouth manners…

Weston Hadley Has An Identity Crisis…

Specifically, he’s just turned into a wolf while Madeline was watching. Now it’s up to the regal lady to tame the wild beast…if she can…

Read an excerpt. (click the Excerpt tab)

Other books in this series:

Veena’s review of Captivated (Phantom Corps, Book 3) by Lauren Dane
Erotic Romance published by Berkley Trade 1 May 12

Lauren Dane continues her Phantom Corps series with Captivated. As the threat of war escalates, three lonely people come together and discover a deep and abiding love. They work together with other members of the Phantom Corps to defeat the Imperialist plot and make the federated universes safe.

Vincenz Cuomo Fardelle was raised as the heir to the Supreme leader of the Imperialist Universe. For the past ten years he has worked with the Federation as a member of the Phantom Corps to bring an end to his father’s regime and free the people whom his father has persecuted in his quest for greater power.

Julian Marsters, his lover and partner in the Phantom Corps, is dealing with his own monsters. He burns to avenge his friend and partner Marame who was killed protecting Vincenz’s sister’s escape from the Imperialists.

Hannah Black is a brilliant scientist who has been held in isolation in an Imperialist Lab from where Vincenz rescues her during one of his missions. As she recovers her sanity and memories, she finds herself attracted to both Vincenz and Julian. Initially thinking they are gay, she fights this attraction until she finds that it’s reciprocated and she becomes a permanent third in their relationship. Their coming together and interactions are very erotic.

The erotic is very skillfully blended into an action-adventure story with a very strong emotional component.  As the Phantom Corps identify Ciro Fardelle’s diabolical plan and race toward finding and defusing his weapons of mass destruction, the relationship between the three deepens and they become a single unit.

While Vincenz and Julian are both dominant men as demonstrated by their sexual encounters with Hannah, they also show a deep level of tenderness and caring. It is very beautiful and touching to see these manly men bring Hannah little gifts to coax her out of her shell. I have read all the books in this series and while this book can be read as a stand-alone, Ms. Dane does touch upon the other characters from the series. I enjoyed this book very much. I found it fast paced with the right touch of romance, tenderness, and erotica blended into it.

Grade: A

Summary:

Vincenz Fardelle, exiled son of the Supreme Leader of the Imperialist Universe, has spent much of the last ten years working to stop the threat his father poses. But he’s not alone in his quest. Julian Marsters has lost his best friend and countless others in the war and has made vengeance his only goal. In each other, Julian and Vincenz find not only like minds, but kindred spirits.

However unexpected their relationship, everything changes for Vincenz and Julian when Hannah Black comes into their lives. Having been captured and held in near total isolation by imperialist troops, their immediate response is to protect her.

Emotionally shattered but resilient, Hannah rebuilds herself. Because of the warm safety she finds in the arms of Julian and Vincenz she becomes someone harder, stronger and bent on preventing the Imperialists from harming anyone else.

For the two men, wrestling with their passionate feelings for Hannah is only the beginning. War is about to send all three into harm’s way and an equally dangerous secret could tear them apart.

Read an excerpt. (click Excerpt link)

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of When She Wasn’t Looking by HelenKay Dimon
Romantic Suspense published by Harlequin Intrigue 1 May 12

I need to make it a point to read HelenKay Dimon more often. I enjoyed every darned bit of this story, especially the hero, Jonas Porter. From his name to his demons to his job to the heroine he’s sworn to protect, this is one sexy lawman you can’t help but love.

Jonas is taking one last call for a wellness check, and then he’s on his way home for some much needed rest. Of course, even the simplest of calls can’t go right for him. He finds a different woman at the address he’s been given than the one he thought he’d find. She’s young, pretty, and not in need of help. She also seems nervous with her abrupt attitude and refusal to answer questions. His instincts are shouting quite clearly and very loudly. So when the woman tries to run, Jonas is right on her tail.

Having had ten years of peace and staying in one place, Courtney knows her time to relocate has come again when she finds a deputy sheriff at her door. Her only option is the escape route she’s got set up. Her head start doesn’t give her much hope when that lawman intercedes. However, it’s a good thing he does. Jonas saves them both from the man who nearly kills them both.

From this point on, Jonas refuses to let Courtney leave his side. He knows there’s more to her story than she’s letting on and he’s determined to find out what it is so he can keep her safe. As her story unfolds and she begins to trust him, he sees her in a new light, this strong survivor of a tragedy that would fell most people. Trying to clear her father’s name has been her only goal for years, and now he’s going to help her find the truth.

Courtney hasn’t trusted law enforcement since she lost her family, but Jonas is a force all of his own and she finds it very easy to trust him. Her old nemesis has found her, but with Jonas now in the picture, she can see she’s been looking in the wrong direction for answers. So who killed her family? Who’s been after her all these years? And who is so close to her now she can feel him close by? She does find out, probably more quickly than any other heroine. Courtney is a woman who can’t do what she’s told, mostly for her own safety. I wanted to shake her a couple of times when she does exactly what Jonas tells her not to!

When Jonas finally gives in to his feelings for Courtney, their lovemaking is sweet and intense. For all the depth of feeling they share so quickly, there is betrayal in the works, along with a mystery that takes everyone by surprise. The only thing that bothers me is the ending seems to come too fast. It’s all over in about ten pages. I’m not sure what else could have been done, but I just felt rushed. But it doesn’t ruin the whole of the story and the romance.

This is a great, quick read with romance and mystery galore. Don’t miss it!

Grade: B+

Summary:

SHE WANTED TO TRUST HIM WITH HER SAFETY-BUT NOT WITH HER HEART…

No woman could deny the appeal of the sexy deputy sheriff Jonas Porter. But to Courtney Allen, Jonas has one major flaw-his badge. Years ago, Courtney’s father was wrongfully convicted of a crime and she vowed to never trust a cop again. But when Jonas becomes the only man to believe in her father’s innocence, Courtney begins seeing the brooding lawman in a whole new way.

Jonas knows in his gut that the real killer is still out there and determined to finish what he started long ago. To protect Courtney and bring the criminal to justice will require all the skills he can muster. And that means focusing on the job. Not the woman who makes him forget his troublesome past and arouses in him a passion that is anything but professional.

Read an excerpt.

C2’s review of Lucky in Love (Lucky Harbor, Book 4) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance released by Forever 22 May 12

It’s time to go back to Lucky Harbor and see what’s shaking with the quirky residents.  During this visit we find out what happens when the town’s favorite “good girl” has a stormy encounter with a man known only as “Mysterious Cute Guy.”  It might be time for the good girl to take a walk on the wild side.

Mallory Quinn is one of Lucky Harbor’s good girls.  Mallory is always around to lend a helping hand and does her best to take care of everyone – she’s a nurse, for crying out loud!  And like all good girls, Mallory is looking for Mr. Right.  Unfortunately, the last couple of Mr. Rights turned out to be all wrong.  So when her best friend tells Mallory maybe it’s time to have some fun with a Mr. Wrong, it doesn’t sound like such a bad plan.  All Mallory really wants is a date for an upcoming charity auction…she never expected for Mr. Wrong to literally fall at her feet.

Ty Garrison is a former Navy SEAL.  After he was the only survivor of a crash that killed the rest of his squad, he left the military and has been working for an independent contractor. Ty still goes out on missions and gets the adrenalin rush but has a bit more control over his assignments.  He is in Lucky Harbor recuperating from an injury he got during his most recent job.  One of Ty’s military buddies is now living in Lucky Harbor and has found him a house to rent and hooked him up with a local doctor to oversee his recovery.  Ty is ready to be back on the job – he is pushing himself too hard and his doctor knows it, though.  The last thing Ty expects is a tree to fall on him during a freak snowstorm – and one of his “rescuers” to set him up on a date with one of the others.

Mallory and Ty have instant chemistry – even though she doesn’t even know his name until he has to introduce himself to the very nosy auction-attending crowd – and spend part of the evening flirting.  When Mallory has to go to a storage area to look for a missing auction item, Ty goes along and – what do you know – there is a sofa conveniently in the storage area.  Just waiting for them to put it to good use, of course.  Wheeeeeeeee!

Ty knows Mallory is a good girl and that he should stay far from her, but being with her makes him feel different than he has in ages – more alive.  Mallory knows she should stay away from Ty, too.  He is only in Lucky Harbor for a little while and she has never been anywhere else, but doesn’t she deserve something that makes her feel good, even if it isn’t something a good girl would choose?

Oh, faithful reader, I love this kind of story!  When the hero and heroine know exactly why a relationship between them should never work but can’t resist.  Playing with fire FTW! Also?  Fire is hot and so is this book…it’s sweet, too.  Ty becomes more and more involved with the good folks of Lucky Harbor, whether he wants to or not.  And Mallory finally starts to show people who she really is – maybe not always the good girl but a strong woman.

Does this book stand alone?  It does, actually.  Certainly, if you’ve read the other Lucky Harbor books, your reading will be enhanced, but it isn’t strictly necessary – but read them, why don’t you?  It’s a very enjoyable series.  :)  Also, this book is the first of a trio of connected books – each of the other Chocoholics gets her Happily Ever After very soon.  If you’re looking for a sweet, sexy, entertaining small-town romance, look no further.  Ms. Shalvis is a master.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she’s expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she’d like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he’s only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he’s gone…

For the first time in his life, Ty can’t bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn?t?including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all…anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor.

Read an excerpt!

Other books in the series:

Veena’s review of Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea (Royal Entourage, Book 1) by Sophia Nash
Historical Romance published by Avon 28 Feb 12

Between the Duke and Deep Blue Sea is a wonderful kickoff to Sophia Nash’s new regency romance series. Alex Barclay, the newly minted Duke of Kress, barely gets to celebrate his good fortune before he finds himself penniless and exiled to his crumbling estate in the wilds of Cornwall to host a house party of eligible heiresses. Contrary to his orders from the Prince Regent, he’s strongly attracted to the unsuitable and very married Roxanne Vanderhaven, who joins his household after he rescues her from near death and drowning.

Roxanne is a commoner who was married for her fortune to the Earl of Paxton and elevated to the peerage. Gradually she is isolated from her family and the people she grew up with and becomes completely submissive to her husband until she is subjected to the final indignity where he tries to engineer her death. She wants to retaliate and finds an unlike ally in her efforts in Alex.  In a series of hilarious episodes, the two of them engage in pranks that prick her husband’s vanity and ambition until “I’ve grown weary of his uninspired villainy, if he cannot provide more sport,how long must I continue playing with a mouse who is already dead?”

Alex lives life on the surface, refusing to risk his heart after he lost his parents during the French revolution. He is determined to find a rich wife as commanded by the Prince and restore his crumbling estate to its former glory. Roxanne, however, breaks through all his defenses and he finds himself fighting a losing battle against his growing attraction to her.

As gold separates from the dross, Roxanne finds new and true friends amongst the ladies attending the house party. She finds love with Alex as he cajoles and flirts with her while giving her her self-esteem back. I found myself laughing aloud at some of the conversational dialogues between them and some of the things that they do to Roxanne’s husband.

There are a lot of interesting characters that are introduced in this book, and I am sure that some of them will have greater roles and may even be the center of some of the books to come in this series. This is a delightful, lighthearted romp and makes a great read. There are some interesting twists and turns to the plot, but all comes together nicely in the end with the help of new and old friends. I am looking forward to the mysteriously disappearing Roman’s story next.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The morning after the most scandalous bachelor party of the century, the dukes of the royal entourage must face all of London’s fury . . . when not one of them can remember a thing.

Roxanne Vanderhaven always believed herself the perfect wife. But when her husband, the Earl of Paxton, leaves her clinging to the edge of a cliff, she’s forced to face the truth: she married a murderous blackguard. Her eventual rescuer, Alexander Barclay, Duke of Kress, is one of England’s most disreputable peers—a member of the notorious royal entourage, no less–and certainly the last man she can count on. Indeed, the Prince Regent himself exiled Barclay to Cornwall, and now, by decree, the dashing duke must seek a royal bride to regain favor and help quell the public’s fury against the excesses of the crown.

Roxanne desperately wants a new life—after she’s uncovered the cause of her husband’s despicable actions—and she finds herself drawn, most surprisingly, to her unlikely champion. The Duke of Kress may not be quite the scoundrel he appears…but if she gives him her heart, will Roxanne be making the same mistake twice?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 6 Mar 12

Every chance I get, I read Maya Banks. So I was happy to pick up her Harlequin Desire, Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss. While it doesn’t satisfy as much as Ms. Banks’ romantic suspense books, it’s still a fun and emotional read.

Ashley is one of those young, effervescent, happy people. She’s been sheltered, is still a virgin, and is in love with Devon, a business associate of her father’s. They’re engaged to be married, and life couldn’t be any better for her. What she doesn’t know is her father has basically pushed Devon into a corner concerning the merger of their two companies. Though Devon wants to tell Ashley the truth, her father insists secrecy is the way to go. He just wants his daughter taken of. So marry her or no merger. Not a very smart move, Dad.

Devon is also in that category early on. He doesn’t love Ashley. And he doesn’t have any problem telling her that, along with the things he doesn’t like about her, that she needs to change to fit into his world. Yes, you don’t like Devon very much at this point. But you have to realize – what he doesn’t realize yet – is that he does have feelings for her, and you see that in the way he makes love to her. Though he’s in change-Ashley mode, in private they do have chemistry, even if Devon doesn’t look at it that way. It took me some thinking after finishing the book to look at it like this, and, of course, his turnabout, as always happens with a hero, helps.

But before all of that, Ashley discovers she’s pregnant and also learns of her father’s and Devon’s deal. Devastated, she is determined to be the wife Devon wants. We lose the happy, young woman who we met at the beginning of this book. In personality, dress, attitude, everything about her changes, exactly what Devon wants. However, she can only do this for so long. Ashley knows she can’t be someone else for anyone. She’s happy with who she is, and if that isn’t enough for Devon, well, he doesn’t deserve her.

It’s when Ashley leaves him that Devon realizes he does love her. He actually misses all those things he’s told her wants to change about her. Her bubbly personality, her whimsical clothing, and her constant smile have been imprinted on his heart and he wants them in his life again. He also know he’ll have to win her back so they can start their family together. For some folks Devon might give too little too late, but sometimes that’s how it goes in romance. It’s the fact he knows what he’s done wrong and he wants to remedy that mistake, do what it takes to make it up to Ashley that counts in this instance.

I’m actually surprised I feel this way about the story. Usually a young character such as Ashley will rub me the wrong way. It’s an age thing. As the years go by I prefer older characters, but I know I’m not going to get them as often as I’d like. Ms. Banks saves the day for me in this case, her deft hand at creating likable and sympathetic characters is always a treat. So Ashley does work for me, especially when she tries to change as Devon wants, becoming the wife he think he needs. Those scenes are quite emotional when she’s at war with herself.  Devon does have to grow on you for most of the book. It’s his insatiable desire for Ashley that keeps him in a good light, because I know he’ll realize what he’s lost in the end.

This is not my favorite Maya Banks book, but it’s one that makes you think, makes you take a second look because of life’s mistakes and how you own up to those errors. A nice read for a couple of hours one afternoon.

Grade: B

Summary:

Devon Carter was her first; now Ashley wants their passion to last. But her dreams of true love are crushed by the discovery that their marriage is another of Daddy’s business deals. Her strategy: act the part of perfect wife and make Devon love her.

But Devon misses the bubbly, no-holds-barred woman his wife used to be. Who is this Ashley with the steely demeanor of a society wife? And will he find a way to rekindle the fire in her eyes…especially now that she’s pregnant?

Read an excerpt.

C2’s review of Taming an Impossible Rogue (Tantalus Club, Book 2) by Suzanne Enoch
Historical Romance published by St. Martin’s 27 Mar 12

When a young lady leaves her fiancé at the altar, there are always consequences, aren’t there?  Usually unpleasant ones.  But what if the jilted fiancé wants his runaway bride back – but can’t be bothered to try?  Interesting things can happen, faithful reader!

Lady Camille Pryce and Stephen Pollard, Marquess of Fenton, were betrothed as children.  Their fathers were friends and wanted to unite the families.  Camille just couldn’t go through with a marriage to a virtual stranger, so she ran away.  When she returns to her parents house later in the day, they tell her she is only welcome if she goes through with the wedding.  Her friends are no more welcoming than her family…they do not want to be associated with her.  Finally, Camille ends up at the Tantalus Club.  (Interested in the background of the Tantalus? Click here!)

Now Camille is a hostess at the club.  She works and lives there and seldom leaves the grounds.  Camille doesn’t want to encounter people from her former life.  Her employers have barred her father and Fenton from the club so she can be as comfortable as possible.  Although she misses her old life, Camille has settled into her new one at the Tantalus quite well.  She has friends that accept her as she is and isn’t dependent on anyone but herself.

Keating Blackwood is Fenton’s cousin and has been living exiled in the country for several years.  Keating killed a nobleman – in self-defense.  He’s been having an affair with the dead man’s wife.  Moving to his country estate seemed like the best option for Keating after the scandal.  Unfortunately, the estate is not in the best shape and between the demands of the estate and some other financial demands, Keating is in money trouble – and Fenton knows it.  Fenton makes an offer – if Keating can get his runaway bride back to the altar, Fenton will give him 10,000 pounds…24 hours after the wedding.  Keating really needs the money, so he agrees.

From their very first meeting, Keating is honest with Camille – he doesn’t tell her everything immediately b,ut he doesn’t lie to her.  And as they slowly get to know each other and begin to trust each other, both Keating and Camille realize they have met the person who would be perfect for them…under different circumstances.  Even as Keating arranges short visits between Camille and Fenton – a drive, a picnic (all chaperoned by him and one of her friends from the club), even a visit to her parents’ home – Camille and Keating are increasingly drawn to each other.

But Camille knows why Keating needs the money…is she willing to put his happiness ahead of her own?  And will Keating let her marry someone more concerned with his reputation than her feelings?  Heh.  What do you think, faithful reader?

I always enjoy Ms. Enoch’s voice and this book is no exception – funny but not silly, emotional but not angsty…just all-around good reading. What more can you ask for? Does this book stand alone? Yes, mostly. Reading the first book in the series will give you the background of the club but very little of this story happens in the club. Also, I am looking forward to the next book in the series. The Duke of Greaves intrigues me greatly.

Grade: B+

Summary:One year ago, Lady Camille Pryce left her haughty fiancé at the altar—for good reason. Not only was the marriage arranged before she could even walk, her betrothed was too smug to exert himself to meet her! Now, disowned, with no husband or family to support her, she’s left with one option: go to work in the notorious Tantalus Club…

A gentleman’s gaming house run by a woman, the Tantalus is no place for a proper lady; so, to save face, her jilted fiancé must retrieve her. But banned from the club, he’s forced to employ his ne’er-do-well cousin instead. A handsome, experienced rogue, Keating Blackwood is the perfect man to lure Camille away. But the moment they meet, Keating instead wants to save her…for himself. Impossible? Perhaps. But if Camille can make the ultimate player lay his cards on the table—and risk his heart—all bets are off…

Read an excerpt.Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Yours to Take (The Connaghers, Book 3) by Joely Sue Burkhart
Erotic Romance published by Samhain 8 May 12

I don’t know about all of you, but when it comes to erotic romance, I read a lot of so-so books before I find a few gems that are truly worth the reading time. Sort of like kissing a lot of frogs before you find that prince. What I’ve found is the majority of erotic reads aren’t balanced between the hot and steamy sex and an intriguing and emotional story. So when I come across that author who hits all of those – and more – elements out of the park, she’s going to be one I’m on the lookout for in the future. Joely Sue Burkhart is the first in quite a long time to be in that very sparsely populated category for me.

The first thing that stands out in this book is that Ms. Burkhart makes me feel for her characters. Before there’s even a hint of sex, I like the characters. I want to know more about them. Their circumstances immediately pull me into their lives and I care.

Vicki Connagher is just beginning her second career, this time as a fashion designer – a dream she’s always had. But that dream was put on the back burner while she became an attorney representing the dregs of society. But that world came crashing down when one of her clients gunned down a cop – her lover’s partner. Her guilt was enough to break her, but when Elias also seemed to blame her and he walked out on their relationship, it was too much for Vicki. She quit her high-paying job, retreated into her now more private life and began to design the line of clothes that has always lived within her.

Having not seen Elias in months, Vicki is getting along. Trying to beat the coming snow storm, she’s returning home from the grocery store when she runs into the homeless man she came to know during her lawyering days. Jesse was a mainstay at the park she frequented when things got a little rough in the courtroom. That last day with all the emotional turmoil, Jesse is the one she ran to, the one who held her as she cried. Seeing him now brings back all those memories, especially when he hands her the birthday card he’d made for her months before. Deciding she can’t let him stay outdoors in the storm, she invites him into her home for the night.

Though it seems this move is a bit dangerous because she doesn’t really know Jesse, Vicki isn’t a stupid heroine. She does have him checked out. By calling Elias. The man is livid at what she’s done and hightails it to her front door. Jesse, meet Elias. As he rams the young man into the wall, cuffing him, ready to cart him off to jail. But eventually Vicki calms Elias down, at least enough to give Jesse the night’s respite she’s promised. From this point on, we delve into the relationship among each of these characters, what they want from the other, how the trio affects them individually, and Vicki’s new-found dominance Elias has always known about and enjoys fighting her for.

Jesse, of course, has loved Vicki all along, her kindness to a homeless man the start of it all. Elias is jealous as all get-out when he realizes Vicki wants to keep Jesse, but he knows he has no right to be because of his recent behavior. Vicki loves Elias, but her feelings for Jesse surprise her and she has no intention of giving them – or him – up. She does take it slow with Jesse, more for her own peace of mind and for Elias, hoping he’ll get used to the idea, but she also doesn’t want to hurt Jesse. He only wants to be loved, wants to choose how he’s loved and not forced as has been done to him so often in the past. He does like his loving rough and painful, which kind of surprises me, considering what he’s been through. There’s never really an explanation for why this is, which I would like because it just seems contrary to the Jesse I see throughout the story.

Between these two men, Vicki learns a lot about herself she never knew. She’s amazed at her need for Jesse, her desire for him, and she’s determined to give him what he wants. So she heads to big brother, Victor, who is a sadist. He’s known all along that Vicki is a dominant, she’s the one who’s had to find that within herself, and it’s Jesse who brings it out. While she has a great relationship with both of her brothers, it’s her mother who turns Vicki’s screws way too tight. Mother and daughter have been estranged for a while, but Victor has decided it’s time for them to work things out. It’s an interesting dynamic between them, and more emotion is wrung out of these characters to heal the relationship.

I love how Elias and Jesse have their own ways of loving and protecting Vicki. Both very different in methods but alike with a common goal. There are a variety of secondary characters who Vicki is able to to talk about the changes in her life, and each is unique in the role the play in the Dom/sub world. This type of story usually doesn’t appeal to me, mostly because I know I don’t understand the mindset, but once in a while an author does it just right and she gives me a new look at it all, giving me another viewpoint toward understanding.

This is the third book in the series, and having met Victor, I’m curious about his story, as well as Conn, another brother. I’m hopefully going to be able to squeeze those books in some day soon!

Grade: B+

Summary:

All fire and gunpowder need is a stray spark…

The day one of her old clients gunned down a cop, former defense attorney Vicki Connagher lost everything—her passion for justice, and her lover, Detective Elias Reyes. The dead cop’s partner.
Even though she’s following her dream to start her own fashion line, it’s tough with heartache as her only companion. Until she brings Jesse, a wandering street artist, in from a freak Texas snowstorm. His submissive flirting brings out dominant tendencies she never knew she possessed, yet she hesitates to let him take her as far and as hard as she wants to go.

Some homeless junkie in Vicki’s house? Not on Elias’s watch. Pride kept him away, but as long as Jesse is staying in Vicki’s downstairs shop, he’s staying with Vicki. On the couch, but it’s a start.

As the days go by, the three work out an uneasy alliance. But Vicki’s joy at having Elias back in her life is tempered with a growing desire to have it all. Elias in her bed, and Jesse under her command. The only question remaining is if her tough alpha cop is willing to embrace all that she is…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Karma (Serendipity, Book 3) by Carly Phillips
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 1 May 12

Can two people whose lives have centered on guilt find a way to move forward with their lives and find happiness together? The third book in Carly Phillips’ Serendipity series gives us the answer.

Dare Barrons’ entire life has been colored by a high school incident that left a classmate dead.  When a fight broke out at a party, one of the guys fell hard on a concrete patio.  Panic followed and a lot of kids, Dare included, fled the scene.  Dare’s guilt over running away and remaining silent about what really happened had a huge influence over all his future choices – the foster home he went to after his parents were killed in a car crash and even his choice of careers.  Now Dare is a police officer in his hometown and he still has regular run-ins with the person responsible for their classmate’s death all those years ago.  The only small bright side is that Dare also gets to see the guy’s older sister when she comes to bail him out of jail.  She was the only reason Dare went to the party to start with – he had a crush on her and hoped to see her.

Liza McKnight’s life has mostly centered around her brother.  Her parents always thought he could do nothing wrong and she could do nothing right – they did everything they could to make her brother’s life easy.  Now that her parents spend most of their time away from Serendipity, taking care of Brian has become her responsibility.  He has a job at the family’s architectural firm but isn’t a diligent worker, by any means, and has a drinking problem that has him regularly in and out of jail.  Liza knows he needs more help than she can give him, but he is an adult. He helped her once in college when she really needed it and it has always been beaten into her brain that she is supposed to take care of him.

Liza had noticed Dare when visiting the police station to bail out her brother – hot guy in a uniform??  Yes, indeed.  But his open hostility to her brother and her general discomfort with the locals keeps her from being friendly.  And Dare’s high school crush on Liza?  Still crushing along, even though he thinks she is an enabler to her obviously troubled brother.

Really, Liza and Dare have a lot in common – both feel guilty about their parts in that high school party that went wrong, both had less than stellar childhoods. Just as they begin to explore a relationship, Brian gets into more trouble. There have been instances of missing money and mishandled accounts at Liza’s firm and Brian works in that department. When Brian goes missing and Liza’s brake line is cut, it seems his enemies are trying to get to him through her.

I appreciate the fact that Liza isn’t one of those too-stupid-to-live heroines we encounter sometimes. When she finds out she is in danger, she accepts all the protection offered from the police and from Dare’s family. She doesn’t go rushing off in a misguided attempt to save the day – and bless her for it. LOL

Can Liza accept that someone actually cares about her and won’t push her aside for something or someone more important? Can Dare let go of his guilt from the past and look toward the future without bitterness?

I enjoyed this book much more than the second in the series, although not quite as much as the first (I loves me some bad boy/good girl plots). This is a good, steady small-town romance and Ms. Phillips’ fans should be quite pleased to see all the Barrons brothers settled and happy.

Grade: C+

Summary:
Police Officer Dare Barron has had a crush on Liza McKnight ever since he was a teenager. But despite his lifelong attraction, the closest he’s ever come to interacting with her is watching Liza regularly bail out her brother at the station.
 
Dare’s dark past with Liza’s brother, Brian, has always kept him from pursuing her. But suddenly Liza finds herself in need of protection and Dare appoints himself as the man for the job.  And while the sizzling attraction between Dare and Liza draws them together, the past that Dare and Brian share threatens to keep the two apart forever.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Where There’s Smoke by Karen Kelley
Paranormal Erotic Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 May 12

This is actually my first Karen Kelley book. I like the premise of the story, so thought it would be a good book to review. While I like the handsome and immortal cowboy hero – who wouldn’t want a cowboy for forever? – and the sex is hot and steamin’, there’s a couple of pet peeves that kept me on edge in between the sexy voice and grins that cowboy tosses around and the play of heaven against hell, stealing souls, and trying to do the right thing.

Destiny is a demon in training. She kinda messes up on occasion, so she’s been kicked out of hell to steal that one last soul to move her up to full demon status. Once there, it’s smooth sailing, she’ll finally have everything she’s been promised by the demon who turned her all those years ago. So she’s hunting for that next lucky – or unlucky, depending on how you look at it – soul, and she stumbles upon an uber sexy cowboy in a bar. Her first thought is not stealing his soul, it’s of sex – can’t blame her on that one! – which she hasn’t had in quite a little while.

The product of an angel and a human woman, Chance is a nephilim, a demigod, if you will. He’s immortal and, thus, has certain powers to go along with that status. His current mission is to save Destiny’s soul, convince her she can start again and have a better life than the one before, including her time in hell. Only thing is, she affects him as no other woman has. But he refuses to compromise his work ethic of saving a soul and then engaging in sex, if that’s what is desired. Sex first is the way his brothers in arms work, but not Chance.

What he doesn’t have a problem with is getting Destiny off any other way he can, and he does that quite deftly and often. This leads to the first of my pet peeves. For the first six chapters it’s Chance and Destiny coming together for their respective goals, only to have Chance work Destiny over to the point of boneless satiation so she forgets what she’s about. He then takes off because he won’t let things go any further. She gets pissed, promises to be in control next time, and then it starts all over again. Yes, there’s interaction between Destiny and the humans she befriends, as well as Chance and his brothers. Thus another pet peeve: we learn about these two characters’ lives and whatnot from this type of interaction and not from their interaction with each other. In the beginning all we get from them being together is plenty of foreplay.

Now, I like sex and all its variations in my romance books as much as the next reader – and, yes, I realize this is an erotic romance – but I also like a little story to go along with it. We get some basics in these six chapters, but that’s about it. Destiny isn’t allowed to fraternize with humans, but she’s suddenly overrun by neighbors in the apartment she “borrows.” Chance is still trying to keep his attraction to her at bay and discusses it over with his brothers, trying to do things the right way. Nothing new crops up until Destiny begins to care for her neighbors and Chance finally throws caution to the wind and the sex scenes ramp up a notch or two. But this is all too long in coming, too much redundancy for me in those initial chapters.

Once Chance and Destiny do the deed, though, the story begins to move along a little better. I enjoyed Chance’s use of magic, giving her romantic places to make love to her while they dance around one another trying to do their jobs. I also like Destiny’s shift in her attitude toward humans. She begins to really like this menagerie of quirky neighbors who invade her space every chance they get. Of course, the good times can only last so long before Destiny is reminded why she’s back in the land of the living. Her demon steps in with a heavy hand to show her the error of her ways in getting friendly with mortals. He also plants doubt about Chance, and Destiny then grabs hold again of her original mission to steal a soul so she’ll finally have everything she deserves. I waffled on whether I like the idea of Destiny throwing everything that she’s gained in the past few weeks to the wind, especially when she tells herself she’s not seen one thing promised to her in all the years she’s served in hell. But she talks herself into staying with what she knows. It’s when she sees the end result of her actions that she truly begins to see what she wants and needs in a different light.

The strong point of this book for me is Chance. I mean, how can you not love a sexy cowboy angel?    I’ve yet to read one, so this is fun for me. That he has to go through his own hell and face an old adversary – all because of and for Destiny – makes him that much more appealing. Destiny herself had to grow on me, so she’s the weak link in my mind. At times she comes off a little too whiny, but she does redeem herself in the end. I think a little less with the secondary characters and more between Chance and Destiny would have played much better, especially once they begin to know each other, other than in a sexual way.

Though what doesn’t work for me may work for you. I’d be interested in hearing what you think!

Grade: C

Summary:

When sexy wannabe-demon, Destiny Carter, is kicked out of Hell, she lands in Ft. Worth, Texas with one week to corrupt a soul. Or else. She slips into a slinky red dress, and heads straight for the delicious, corruptible looking cowboy at the bar.

But Chance Bellew has his own agenda-saving souls. He’s not your typical angel. He’s a nephilim, to be exact. Centuries ago, angels came down from Heaven and mated with mortal women. When the women bore children, a new race was created. Immortals with powers—demigods, nephilim.

But the children don’t live by the same rules as mortals, or that of the typical, robe-wearing, bright light-surrounding-them angels. Hell, most of the time the nephilim are breaking the rules, and making up new ones as they go. As long as they don’t cross over to the dark side, everyone pretty much stays out of their way.

But sometimes a demon-in-training, who looks like Destiny, comes along and all Hell breaks loose.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Angel’s End (Angel’s End Series, Book 1) by Cindy Holby
Western Historical Inspirational Romance published by Berkley 1 May 12

I’ve been in a cowboy mood for a while now, so every book that comes my way that has a cowboy hero, I’ve been more than happy to delve right in. So far, I’ve been lucky with the outcome of each, though a couple have fallen short of the mark. This story in Cindy Holby’s new series is a definite winner, full of emotion with an unlikely romance in the Old West, a time when you did what you had to to survive. She portrays that era perfectly, all with love and prayers, which was usually what all those who lived back then had to count on in their everyday life.

Cade Gentry is on the run. He double crossed a “business” associate and is now paying the price. While he’s not proud of some of the things he’s done, he just couldn’t be a party to murder for gain. What he got is a bullet for the trouble he caused. Figuring he’s going to die before he can get help out in the middle of nowhere, he stumbles upon a lone man, someone who could be in cahoots with his pursuer. But Cade takes a chance and instead meets Pastor Timothy Key, headed for Angel’s End to tend his new flock. Cade hasn’t talked to God in a very long while, all he’s ever gotten is silence so he figures why bother. God has a sense of humor, you know.

Now there’s one more thing Cade will carry around on his conscience – the pastor is caught in the crossfire when his partner’s hired guns catch up with him. Hoping he can pull off a identity switch, he takes the preacher’s coat, bible, and horse, leaving Pastor Key in the Lord’s hands. With pain and fever racing through his body, Cade holds on for dear life and eventually finds himself in the presence of the most beautiful angel he’s ever seen. He’s out of it for some time, fighting fever and other effects from the hole in his gut. When he wakes he hopes beyond hope he has maybe found a place he can call home. All under false pretenses, of course.

Though the new pastor would be living in her home anyway, Leah never imagined it would all begin with her taking care of the man because he’s been shot. How does a minister get in the way of a bullet? And there’s other small things that don’t seem quite right about him. But she has a son to take care of, along with a job and a house, all of it alone since her sheriff husband was killed a few years ago. The townsfolk help out when they can, especially Jake, a handsome rancher. Leah doesn’t return his feelings, though. She’s hoping for love a second time around. How she’ll find it in Angel’s End is anyone’s guess. Their town is literally the end of the road. When she finds herself attracted to the Pastor Key, Leah has to pray for strength.

Inspirational romance is not in my usual reading pattern – mostly because a lot of them get too preachy for me – but the title and blurb on this book intrigued me, along with the fact I’ve not read Ms. Holby before. She does a wonderful job, however, of giving each character in this book their own idea of God and what He offers them. There are those who believe unconditionally and send up a prayer when the going gets rough; others whose belief have gone by the wayside; and then Cade himself who just knows God laughs at him every chance He gets. While Leah holds steadfast in her faith, it’s Cade, of course, who goes through a transformation to allow both Leah and God into his life. He’s had a horrible time of it since his father abandoned him and his brother at an orphanage after their mother’s death. They were eventually adopted, something they’d longed for, but the brothers are cruelly separated and subsequent living has turned Cade into the outlaw he is today. All of the inspiration in this book is everyday life for characters of this era and it’s woven seamlessly into the threads and eventual tapestry of their lives.

Cade’s redemption isn’t given easily. He finds his conscience fights him where Leah and her son are concerned. The few scenes where he and the boy interact are lovely moments, for Cade as well as the reader. Knowing he doesn’t deserve Leah almost causes him to move on out of her life so someone better will come along for her. Even Jake would be better for her than himself. Almost. When they finally do come together, their loving is intense but sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed the turnaround when Cade takes care of Leah during her sickness. And the scenes with Jake wanting to stake territory that holds no reward for him only makes me like the man more. I’m very intrigued by this man and look forward to his book, which is next in the series. There’s a number of other fascinating secondary characters too. Even the town and the church play pivotal roles in the story.

If you love a good western romance, do read this one. Even if you’re not a total western and/or cowboy fan, I think you’ll be quite pleasantly surprised when you turn the last page of this book. You’re pulled in from the beginning, and your heart strings get a good tug every now and again. Early western life comes alive chapter after chapter. You will fall in love with simple folk trying to eke out a good life as best they can. Seems things don’t change much no matter how technology encroaches in our lives.

Grade: A

Summary:

In the mountains of Colorado, a small town called Angel’s End welcomes everyone with open arms–even a man fleeing his past…

Wounded and on the run, Cade Gentry stumbles into a kind man who’s on this way to become the new pastor of Angel’s End. But not long after Timothy Key takes him in, Cade’s enemies catch up with him, and the young pastor is killed in the cross fire. Cade survives, stealing Timothy’s identity to escape, and arrives in Angel’s End on the brink of death.

Leah Findley is the sheriff’s widow, trying to make ends meet for herself and her son. Having the new minister as a boarder will help, but she isn’t expecting him to be wounded when he arrives. And she definitely isn’t expecting the feelings that the new preacher stirs deep inside her.

The more time Cade spends with Leah, the deeper he falls in love. To Cade, she’s an angel who’s saved his life and given him the sense of hope he’s never known. But he’s not the man she thinks he is, and before he can find permanent shelter in Leah’s arms, he must learn to have faith and put hi former sins to rest.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Dinca’s review of The Cowboy’s Secret Son by Trish Milburn
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin American Romance 2 Jan 12

From Hell to Heaven in 224 pages. This book is a perfect example of fear dictating your decisions.  The heroine is so strong to pull herself up from nothing and remake herself, all out of fear.

After battling cancer, Grace Cameron realizes her son needs his father. But how can she go to the man after seven years of silence? She has already lost her son once. Knowing all the boy wants is a father, she is afraid Evan will be taken away from her again. To ease into the introductions, Grace enrolls her son in the Cowboy camp being run on the Teague family ranch, planning to watch how Nathan Teague interacts with Evan. Instead, she blurts out to Nathan that he is Evan’s father the moment she sees him. She swears him to secrecy not to tell the rest of the family. Seeing how taken Evan is with the horses and Nathan, her worries increase and she runs off with Evan again.

Nathan doesn’t know what to feel when he sees his mini replica. He is angry she’s kept him in the dark, yet puzzled why she disappeared without telling him in the first place. He finds he still has the “hots” for this mother, which can only lead to disaster. But spending time with his son is paramount. Keeping his son a secret from his family is next to impossible with such a close resemblance.

The story is nothing new but has several different takes on an old concept. Grace needs a backup plan in case she has a relapse and dies from the cancer. Which leads me to wonder what her plan was in the first case? Discovering why she is afraid of losing her son is a surprise you won’t want to miss. The recovery of her son is interesting.

There is not much of a side story, but the supporting characters are vivid, wonderful people you will want to get to know. I am giving it a B because I find the heroine to be selfish and all the overwhelming fear the author comes across with just doesn’t extinguish or justify the possessive, selfish feelings. She knew all along she was not acting in the best interests of her child, and that just doesn’t illicit warm and fuzzy feelings for the heroine for me.

Grade: B

Summary:

After battling a serious illness, Grace Cameron realizes one thing: her son needs his father. But how can she face Nathan Teague after seven years of lies? To ease into it, she enrolls her boy in the Cowboy Camp run by the Teague family on their Texas Hill Country ranch. Little Evan is bursting with excitement over horses, ropin’ and hanging around real cowboys! Oh, my!

Nathan is in shock when Grace comes back to town. Then when he discovers he’s the father of her cute little boy—a miniature Nathan—he’s not sure if he should be angry, grateful or both. He decides to go with angry. For a while, at least…until he gets the sense that Grace is still hiding something. What’s the secret—and how can he ever trust the woman who stole his son from him?

Read an excerpt.

Dinca’s review of The Would-Be Mommy by  Jacqueline Diamond
Contemporary Romance Published by Harlequin American Romance 1 Feb 10

The Would-Be Mommy is the first book in the Safe Harbor Medical series. It’s all about falling in love. First with the adorable baby girl, who is dropped off at the Safe Harbor Medical Center due to a mistake in the news, and then with the reporter, Ian Martin, covering the story.

Jennifer Serra is the PR director for Safe Harbor Medical.  She has always wanted a child and she agrees to temporarily take home one of the unwanted babies which flood the Medical Center. She bonds with baby Rosalie quickly. While trying to stay focused on the baby, she finds herself looking at Ian as father material.

Dredging up the past is not a good way to get into the good graces of the lovely Jennifer Serra with the big heart and pain-filled eyes when she talks about babies. But a reporter has to take a story where it leads, no matter how hard or damaging it can be to all involved.  I’m surprised how Ian grows as a  reporter and into a better person and, thus, has turned into one of my favorite heroes.

Jacqueline Diamond does a wonderful job of combining the past with the present. I look forward to the other stories in the series.

Grade: A

Summary:

From the moment he arrives at Safe Harbor Medical, Ian Martin is on infant overload. But the story he’s covering gets a lot more interesting when the adventure-seeking reporter meets Jennifer Serra, an intriguing PR director who has created a stir by taking home one of the center’s unwanted newborns!

Jennifer has always wanted a child of her own. Her dream becomes thrilling reality when she agrees to temporarily– permanently?–be a mother to a sweet baby girl. Ian could complete the picture–Jennifer sees how easily he bonds with little Rosalie.

But just when she begins to look at Ian as potential father material, the dashing journalist dredges up a scandal from Jennifer’s past that could
jeopardize her plans for adoption…and for a future with Ian.

Read an excerpt.

The M.D.’s Secret Daughter – 4 Sep 12

Liviania’s review of A Perfect Blood (The Hollows, Book 10) by Kim Harrison
Urban Fantasy published by Harper Voyager 21 Feb 12

Pale Demon injected life into the Hollows series.  It was tense, sexy, and all about the characters.  A Perfect Blood has a lot to live up to.  And it does have a promising plot – witches turning up dead, partially turned into demons, which Rachel is cut off from a great deal of her power.

Unfortunately, A Perfect Blood feels like filler.  Pale Demon pushed Rachel and Trent’s friendly and adversarial relationship forward by forcing them to spend a cross-country road trip together.  By A Perfect Blood, Rachel is (unwisely) ignoring Trent’s calls and stagnating their relationship.  They’ve had sexual chemistry since Dead Witch Walking and Kim Harrison seems to be flirting with letting them consummate their attraction.  But they spend most of this entry clumsily avoiding each other.

Instead of Rachel and Trent fireworks, we get the resolution of mostly forgotten plot threads.  Did Rachel ever get her pack tattoo?  You’ll find out in excruciatingly slow passages with Rachel’s new bodyguard Wayde.  Is her relationship with Malcolm really over?  Is that actually his name?  I can’t remember.  He’s so milquetoast I’d forgotten he existed until Rachel suddenly needed his help.  If that’s not his name, it doesn’t really matter, because the narrative quickly establishes that their brief relationship is over.  Also solved: re-felting Kisten’s pool table.  At times, it felt like Harrison had a list of questions people asked her and was ticking off the answers one by one because it would pad out the slight story.

A Perfect Blood wasn’t all filler.  Jenks and Ivy are both growing and changing.  Jenks might still miss his wife, but he’s moving on.  Likewise, Ivy moved on from her never-happened fling with Rachel.  Her relationship felt out of the blue, since I don’t remember her flirting with the character in question, but it’s nice to see characters in the Hollows acting happy.  It may also be the first mainstream threesome I remember reading.

The action scenes are also well done.  A Perfect Blood introduces HAPA, or the Humans Against Paranormals Association.  This feels clunky to me initially, since they’ve apparently been around for ages but never been mentioned before.  HAPA proves to be a good antagonist, however, so I’ll let it slide.  Although they’d only be decent antagonists during this book, which Rachel is at less than half power.

I think there’s life left in The Hollows.  There are still intriguing plot threads to play out.  There’s some new guys in town.  They didn’t play very interestingly in A Perfect Blood – they were a bit of a deus ex machina – but there are possibilities there.  (Maybe that’s what A Perfect Blood needed: more Al.  He’s barely in this book, but Harrison makes the most of his appearance.  He’s got a wonderfully chilling scene at the end.)  But with A Perfect Blood, I could see the wheels spinning.  Recommended for fans of the series; newbies will want to start elsewhere.

Grade: C

Summary:

New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison returns to the Hollows with the electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed Pale Demon!

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the I.S. and the FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth: a human hate group is trying to create its own demons to destroy all Inderlanders, and to do so, it needs her blood.

She’s faced vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more, but humanity itself might be her toughest challenge yet.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

LynneC’s review of The Fireman Who Loved Me (The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel, Book 1) by Jennifer Bernard
Contemporary Romance published by Avon 24 April 12

A small town romance featuring a reporter for a local TV station and a fireman from a station labelled the one with the hot bachelors. It should make for a cute romance, and on the whole it does. However, some distractions and deviations from the romance make it less than the hot romance promised in the blurb. In fact, it’s almost a case of false description, because the hot sex is a long time coming, and when it arrives, it’s on the vanilla side.

On the other hand, it’s quite a cute read, and worth picking up. I’m not sure who decided to sell it as a hot romance, but I don’t think they were doing the book justice, because while it doesn’t deliver on the erotic front, there are other enjoyable parts of the book.

Melissa is a producer for a local news program being upstaged by an airhead presenter. The presenter is a standard bimbo type who shows up in many, many romances and is increasingly uninteresting. She’s shallow, egotistical, and only there to present a foil and a conflict for the main female character. More effort put into that part of the story might have increased the interest there, and I might not have been tempted to skip those parts, since the outcome is as predictable as sunrise.

Melissa has a grandmother who is determined to see her married off. To that end, she puts her savings into a bachelor auction and buys Ryan, a hunky fireman, for an astronomical sum. But Ryan is hot, so Granny wants him for her granddaughter. Of course, all she has to do is put them together. When Ryan chickens out, after thinking his date is with Granny, and he’d never hear the last of it, his boss, fire captain Brody, steps in. And he ends up with Melissa.

To be honest, I’d have shoved Granny in the lake years before, not put up with her indulgently. Granny is cute as the old person who pushes into line at the supermarket, yelling, “Let me in, I’m eighty.” It’s one thing to allow someone into line, it’s another when they push their way in. Granny, aka Nelly, is like that. She’s clueless, she makes her presence known, and she’s as subtle as a sledgehammer. She isn’t cute or feisty, she’s the most annoying character in the book. She’s a caricature.

In fact, that’s my problem with most of the secondary characters in the book. They are less characters, more types, and you could pick out the ones meant for sequels, because more thought is put into them, although it’s of the “give this person three basic characteristics and take it from there” type.

What’s worse is that the secondary characters eat into the time Brody and Melissa have together. The book isn’t focused enough on the romance, and it doesn’t develop so much as lurch from incident to incident. We get Nelly’s point of view when we want Melissa, we get shenanigans at the TV station when we want to know what Brody thinks of his last encounter with Melissa.

The whole setup is so cute, my teeth are starting to ache. A fire station full of hot men, apart from one with a big belly, and two women we never really get to meet. They cook, they have an enlightened attitude to the opposite sex, they are great firefighters. A small town with no serious problems.

I kept reading, and unfortunately, it doesn’t improve a great deal. In fact, more characters and a distracting plot development detract even more from the romance. The trouble is, I don’t care about the other parts. The characters are sketchily done and the plot doesn’t have much to do with the romance. I couldn’t get interested, and had I not been reading this book for review, I’d have put it down at that point. Gently, and with regret, but down.

While this book doesn’t do it for me, I’ll keep an eye on Ms. Bernard to see what else she comes up with.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Fearless, smoking hot, and single: meet the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. These firemen might be heroes, but it’s their bad luck in love that makes them legendary.

News producer Melissa McGuire and Fire Captain Harry Brody couldn’t be more different, though they do have one thing in common: they’re both convinced they’re perfectly wrong for each other. But when Melissa’s matchmaking grandmother wins her a date with Brody at a bachelor auction…

Sparks fly. Passion flares. Heat rises. (You get the picture.)

Add a curse, a conniving nightly news anchor, a stunningly handsome daredevil fireman, a brave little boy, a couple of exes, and one giant fire to the mix, and Melissa and Brody’s love may not be the only thing that burns.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of About That Night (FBI/US Attorney Series, Book 3) by Julie James
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

What happens when a prosecutor meets up with an almost-hook-up from college – across a courtroom??  In Julie James’ most recent release we find out.

After a long-term relationship ends, Rylann Pierce moves back to Chicago and a position in the US Attorney’s Office – a change of location and a return to old friends might be just the thing to get her new life going. Her very first assignment sends her to court to handle the resolution of some charges against “the Twitter Terrorist.”  (An aside – I LOL!  I love me some Twitter and that it weaves its way through the story made me giggle so much.  :-D)  Little does Rylann know said Terrorist is billionaire heir/computer geek Kyle Rhodes…the very same Kyle Rhodes she spetd a flirtatious evening with years before.

Kyle is just glad to finally be getting free of house arrest – which was much better than his time in prison, sure.  The last person he expects to see representing the prosecution is Rylann.  Circumstances kept him from keeping their date all those years ago (she knew what happened, don’t fret, faithful reader) and they never found each other again – he didn’t even know her last name, for crying out loud.

The old spark is still there but Rylann is the new person in her office and still finding her place – a relationship with the defendant of a very high-profile case could be awkward.  Plus she is just out of a long-term relationship.  But…hot billionaire heir?  Who can resist that??  Also, umm…

Where were we, faithful reader?  I got distracted for a minute.

Kyle is ready to get his life back on track.  He had lots of time to think and plan in prison and now it’s time to put those plans into action.  Does he have time for a relationship after his last one imploded in a spectacular fashion and landed him in jail?  Rylann will have to be pretty convincing…

I so enjoyed this book!  It is my favorite of Ms. James’ books so far – and I have liked them all.  Kyle is a genuinely good guy.  He wants to do the right thing and make his own way and has matured a lot since we first met him in A Lot Like Love.  Rylann’s job is very important to her but not to the exclusion of everything else – she makes time for her friends and for herself.  It is nice to see a romance between two realistic characters – people who, if we knew them in real life, we would want together.  This book is charming and an all-around fun read.

Grade: A

Summary:

HE’S PLAYING GAMES

Though Rylann Pierce tried to fight the sparks she felt for billionaire heir Kyle Rhodes the night they met, their sizzling chemistry was undeniable. But after being stood up on their first date, Rylann never expected to see him again. So when she finds herself face to face with Kyle in a courthouse nine years later, she’s stunned. More troubling to the beautiful Assistant U.S. Attorney is that she’s still wildly attracted to him.

BUT SHE’S MAKING THE RULES

Just released from prison, Kyle Rhodes isn’t thrilled to be the star witness in a high-profile criminal case—but when Rylann comes knocking at his door, he finds she may be the one lawyer he can’t say no to. Still as gorgeous and sharp-tongued as ever, she lays down the law: she doesn’t mix business with pleasure. But Kyle won’t give up on something he wants—and what he wants is the one woman he’s never forgotten. . .

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Werewolf in Seattle (Wild About You, Book 4) by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Paranormal Romance published by Signet 3 Apr 12

I’ve really enjoyed reading Vicki Lewis Thompson’s paranormals, and she continues with her Wild About You series with a gentle and sensitive alpha werewolf who gets an attitude adjustment in his beliefs when he meets our heroine. Their romance is sweet but doomed. The wolf thinks he’ll be able to control his instincts, but he’s in for a huge surprise.

Colin is headed to his late great aunt’s island estate, thinking he’ll make quick arrangements to sell it all so he can return to Scotland to get back to his clan and his brother, who’s very good at keeping Colin cleaning up issue after issue. Though he has pleasant memories of visiting his aunt and the island, his duties as laird just won’t allow him to take on more responsibility.

Never fitting in nor having a home until she met Geraldine, Luna loves the Pacific Northwest island that has called to her since she arrived. She’s a hybrid, half were and half human, and never had anyone to guide her throughout her were life. Not wanting to lose the only place she’s felt comfortable, she has decided to propose a business opportunity to Colin when he arrives – turn the house and island into an exclusive shifter retreat.

When these two meet, the attraction is instant. Luna is determined to keep her distance because of her proposal, but Colin doesn’t care one whit about business getting in the way of having that lovely assistant in his bed. He doesn’t hide his feelings about weres mating with humans, so that’s another reason Luna doesn’t want to get involved with him, but good intentions on both sides go by the wayside every time they’re together. I like the early sexual tension between them, they don’t hide it, even if they don’t act on it then. And we don’t have to wait three-quarters of the book before they do fire up the pages between the sheets.

Colin tries to hold on to his idea that humans and weres don’t and shouldn’t mix, but meeting Luna makes him rethink things after a bit. He also helps her find some of her family, but they run into trouble on one end while finding a new beginning on the other for Luna. Colin has trouble of his own at home, so the time comes when he has to leave. Though they both know this time has to come, you begin to wonder what Ms. Thompson will do to get them to their happily ever after. You know it has to come, but the anticipation is fun until you get there.

Colin is a delightful hero, kind, generous, gentle, and sexy as all get-out. He even dons a kilt at one point and you can’t help but drool over him. Luna is a combination of savvy and innocence, which is due to her being alone with her werewolf-ness while growing up. There are some quirky secondary characters who keep the laughter high. This is a fun, light-hearted romance, as are the previous books in this series. It’s a feel-good read that will brighten any bad mood or reading slump. If you’re not sure what to read next, try this one. It’s time for some fun!

Grade: A

Summary:

Luna Reynaud has always been a lone wolf—because she’s half human. Afraid she’ll be rejected by both communities, she’s kept her secret from everyone, even the Weres she’s found a home with working on an estate in the San Juan Islands. But when her boss suddenly dies and the heir arrives, she discovers some secrets aren’t meant to be kept.

As the head of the most powerful werewolf clan in Scotland, Colin MacDowell isn’t eager to take on the responsibility of his great aunt’s estate—until he meets her sexy assistant, Luna. He thinks she’s the Were of his dreams, until he finds out she’s not. Highly opposed to bringing even half-humans into the pack, Colin knows he must resist this powerful attraction. But once aroused, a wolf’s instincts are not so easily subdued.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Crazy On You (Lovett, Texas, Book 2) by Rachel Gibson
Contemporary Romance ebook novella published by Avon Impulse 1 May 12

Can a woman determined to be responsible unbend enough to have a fling with the new, cute next-door neighbor?  And what happens if the fling turns out to be more?

Lily Darlington led an interesting life when she was younger but finally, at 38, she has put “Crazy Lily” behind her.  Now Lily is a homeowner, successful business owner, and single mom.  The last thing she needs is to get involved with the exceptionally hot, younger man who just moved in next door.

Tucker Matthews is relatively new to Lovett, Texas.  After serving ten years in the Army, Tucker left and began a law enforcement career and just started working for the county Sheriff’s Department.  After Tucker pulls Lily over for erratic driving (darn those cell phones!), he realizes she is his neighbor and is intrigued. And when her son Pippen’s bouncing basketball keeps him from sleeping (again), Tucker goes next door to negotiate with him – and gets another chance to talk to Lily – who doesn’t recognize him out of uniform.  Heh.

Lily is resistant to starting a relationship with anyone.  She has just gotten her life on track and doesn’t want to give the town reason to start reminiscing about Crazy Lily.  But Tucker is determined…and hot. Soon Lily agrees to a fling if Tucker doesn’t tell anyone.  He doesn’t understand what the big deal is but agrees. Soon, though, the sneaking around begins to bother him – is she ashamed of him?  What does it matter what other people think?  Finally, he tells Lily she has to decide whether she cares enough to go public or is she ready for the relationship, such as it is, to be over.  What’s a formerly crazy chick supposed to do?  Is it more mature to let the opinions of others rule your life?  Or should you be allowed to reach out and grab something potentially wonderful?

Crazy On You is an enjoyable read, but it feels very much like what it is – a bridge between Daisy’s Back in Town (Lily’s sister’s story) and Ms. Gibson’s next full-length release, Rescue Me (we very briefly meet the heroine).  It is a bit formulaic and feels like something I’ve read before, but, if you enjoy Ms. Gibson’s writing, you should enjoy the book – and it’s a bargain at $1.99. So if you’ve never tried this author…go for it!  I doubt it is necessary to read Crazy On You to read Rescue Me, but I can’t say for sure because I haven’t read it yet.

Grade: C+

Summary:Lily Darlington’s been called crazy in her day—and, yeah, driving her car into her ex-husband’s living room probably wasn’t the smartest move ever made—but the louse deserved it. Now Lily is happily single, and she’s turned it all around. She knows she’s a good mom, a homeowner, and a businesswoman, all wrapped up in one good-looking package.

A package that police officer Tucker Matthews is dying to unwrap. This ex-military man sure doesn’t need another woman in his life. His last girlfriend left him with nothing but memories and a cat named Pinky! But living next door to Lily has been driving him nuts. He dreams about her long blonde hair and even longer legs. And maybe it’s time to go a little crazy . . . and fall in love.

Read an excerpt.

Connected books:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Lady Drusilla’s Road To Ruin (Ladies In Disgrace #2) by Christine Merrill
Historical Romance published by Harlequin Historical 20 Mar 12

One thing is for sure, whenever I pick up a Christine Merrill Regency, I know I’m not going to get some been-there-done-that retread.  She always has such an interested take on the time period and populates her stories with such interesting characters, that even when I’m not totally enthralled, I still consider the story reading time well spent.  This second book in her Ladies In Disgrace series isn’t without a few bumps in the road, but I inhaled it in two sittings.

Lady Drusilla Rudney is trying to save her bubble-headed younger sister from total ruin.  The stupid chit has eloped to Gretna Green with her smarmy dance instructor!  Luckily they only have a day’s head start on Dru, and the weather is frightfully abominable.  She just might catch up to them yet, assuming she can keep herself from being accosted by the lout sitting next to her on the mail coach.

Coming to her rescue, but only after she literally kicks him in the shin, is former army captain, Mr. John Hendricks.  John was working as a secretary for an Earl, until he made the mistake of falling in love with the man’s wife (who did not return his ardent feelings).  So he does what any sensible love-sick fellow does – he falls into the nearest pint and gets so drunk that he mistakenly boards the wrong coach.  Now that he’s been roped into Lady Drusilla’s mad adventure to get to Gretna Green to stop a marriage, he decides why not?  If he helps the girl out, glowing recommendations from her father (a Duke!) will surely come in handy now that he’s unemployed.  Of course, he didn’t exactly plan on falling in love with the girl…..

There’s quite a bit going on here as far as conflict goes.  Dru wants to avoid scandal, so isn’t about to tell John every sordid detail of why she must get to Gretna Green.  Naturally this leads to a misunderstanding that she’s hoping to stop her true love from marrying another woman.  Then there’s the fact that Dru has spent her entire life playing second fiddle to the favored younger sibling.  Lady Priscilla is fragile, delicate, and the sort of simpering female men seem to fall all over themselves for, while Dru is tall, dark, witty, but with a sharp tongue that tends to put men in their place.  She’s spent her whole life trying to please a father who cannot be pleased, and her entire existence in the family is dictated by what is best for precious snowflake Priscilla.  That any man, anywhere, would be attracted to her over her sister is a revelation.  Never mind that the very man she falls in love with is a mere Mister, and the odds against them getting their happy ending are steep indeed.

The romance isn’t without some issues, though.  For one thing, when he meets Lady Drusilla, John is drunk in response to losing the woman he loves.  Three days with Dru and he’s having a hard time recalling What’s-Her-Name and he fancies himself in love with Dru.  Alrighty then.  Likewise, these two have the sort of courtship that consists of one step forward, two steps back.  They just won’t spit out their true feelings for each other and instead play it safe by pushing each other way.  After a while this sort of thing got a wee bit tiresome.  It also doesn’t necessarily make them the most likeable of characters all the time.

However, that pales in comparison to the secondary characters.  We don’t even meet Dru’s father until the end the story, and I spent the whole novel wanting to throw large, heavy objects at his head.  Or crotch.  Either one would have worked.  And Priscilla?  Good Lord!  She could give Cinderella’s evil step-sisters a run for their money!  And to think the author gives the girl her own romance in the next book in the series!  I’m so conflicted just thinking about that possibility that I’ll have to read it just to satisfy my morbid curiosity.  Hopefully the stupid feather-head suffers….considerably.

This is a bit of a mixed bag for me in the romance department, but the road/travel aspect of the story is really well-done, and the author keeps it lively and fun.  I also adored the ending.  Without giving too much away, the author laid her groundwork in character development and didn’t then throw the baby out with the bath water to make the happy ending…well….happen.  Would it be sunshine and rainbows for such a couple in real Regency times?  Well, certainly, it would have been tough.  But in Romance Novel Land?  I’m glad the Mister got the, admittedly, well-above-his-station girl in the end.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Considered a spinster, Lady Drusilla Rudney has only one role in life: to chaperone her sister. So when her flighty sibling elopes, Dru knows she has to stop her! She employs the help of a traveling companion, who looks harmless enough….

Former army captain John Hendricks is intrigued by this damsel in distress. Once embroiled with her in a mad dash across England, he discovers that Dru is no simpering woman. Her unconventional ways make him want to forget his gentlemanly conduct…and create a scandal all their own!

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Always In My Heart (Harts In Love #1) by Kayla Perrin
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Kimani Romance 17 Apr 12

Let this be a lesson for us all – this is what can happen when you pick up category romances willy-nilly.  I saw this book and thought, “Oh, I’ve read Kayla Perrin before and I’ve enjoyed some of her books” – which resulted in me not reading the back cover blurb that closely.  If I had?  Yeah, I would have read in between the lines and discovered that what I picked up innocently enough was actually a dreaded Secret Baby book.

Callie Hart is the oldest of three girls and is back home in Cleveland for her aunt’s funeral.  The girls were raised by their loving aunt and uncle after their mother abandoned them on their doorstep, an event that has cast a long shadow in their lives.  Her two sisters have been feuding ever since the youngest one boinked the guy the middle one was dating (Niiiiiiiiiiice!) – and Callie found herself stuck in the middle, with each of them wanting her to choose sides.  She’s hoping that now their aunt has passed that they can all bury the hatchet and move on with their lives.  But first she has to take care of some unfinished business, and that means righting a wrong with former beau Nigel Williams.

Nigel was heartbroken when Callie left him, without a word, and seemingly vanishing off the face of the earth.  No word.  No communication.  No closure.  Sure, they had a falling out over his becoming a police officer, but they were so good together – and he thought she loved him.  Now she’s back in town, standing on his doorstep and dropping the bombshell that her nine-year-old son, Kwame, is his son.  Yeah, when she ran away from Cleveland?  She was pregnant with his baby.

From now on, I will refer to Callie for what she is – The Stupid Cow.  This is the problem with Secret Baby plots – unless the guy is an ax murderer or a child molester, I cannot think of one good, solid reason when it is ever okay to willingly not tell the baby daddy that he is…well…a baby daddy.  The Stupid Cow’s reason?  Oh, well, she was “scared,” dontcha know.  It’s so hard for her to trust because Mommy abandoned her.  And then Nigel had to join the “enemy” (that would be the police academy) after one of their friends was a victim of police brutality.  Never mind that The Stupid Cow and Nigel both were socially active, fighting injustice, organizing drives and protests.  Gee, why would Nigel want to be a cop?  Oh, maybe because HE THOUGHT HE COULD DO SOME GOOD?!?!?!  You know, because becoming a police officer could in no way possibly be an extension of his social activism /end sarcasm.

The author wants readers to feel sorry for The Stupid Cow, to chalk up her keeping their child away from the father as a sign of emotional immaturity.  To this end, the fact that The Stupid Cow’s Mommy “abandoned” her is used as an excuse early and often.  Exactly what did Mommy do?  She left her daughters with their loving aunt and uncle – who raised them in a healthy environment and showered them with love.  Wow.  What a bitch!  Certainly the girls did not get “closure” from Mommy’s disappearance, but then The Stupid Cow turns around and does THE EXACT SAME THING to Nigel and her family!  Just up and leaves, with no word – and then on top of that she doesn’t TELL HIM ABOUT HIS SON!  And, golly, he just seems so angry and will he ever be able to forgive her?

Unfortunately, for us, this is a romance novel which means Nigel does forgive.  Ugh.  Just ugh, ugh, ugh!

By now you’re probably wondering why I kept reading this story.  Part of it is because Perrin can deliver in the writing department, and this book flowed easily for me even though it drove me bat-shit crazy.  Also, Lord help me, I found myself curious about what happened to The Stupid Cow’s Mommy.  This bit of mystery will, undoubtedly, carry over to the next two books in the trilogy.  But as much as I’m interested in reading about that?  I don’t think I’m all that interested in reading about The Stupid Cow’s sisters, who I wanted to bitch-slap early and often in this story.  Someone pass the vodka…..

Grade: D

Summary:

The oldest of three adopted daughters, Callie Hart has always loved being the protector of the family. But now she is all grown up—with a young son of her own to protect. Callie can’t wait to show him off when she reunites with her two sisters in Ohio. But that also means coming face-to-face with the lover she left behind. Nigel Williams is even more irresistibly attractive than ever. But what will he do when he learns about the secret she kept hidden from him for ten years?

Nigel has never forgiven Callie for fleeing Ohio—and the passion they shared. And when she shows up on his doorstep asking for forgiveness, the Cleveland cop is furious at her deception. But how can he deny the feelings Callie reawakens in him? Blindsided once again by the heat of desire, Nigel vows to fight for his future with the woman he has always loved.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Lust in the Library by Amelia Fayer
Erotic Romance published by Avon Red 6 Mar 12

This is a short that is probably expected to be sweet, sexy fun. Unfortunately, it misses the mark by some distance, at least for me. It’s about two librarians who work in what seems like a vast academic library and get it on in the stacks with their chosen partners. The short book is made even shorter by splitting it into two parts, so each librarian gets her own story.

Sara gets William, an English professor teaching at the university. He comes in and asks for books that don’t seem to have much in common, except that they came from the same stacks. When eventually she goes to the sixth floor to find him, they get hot and heavy. For anyone who has read many erotic romances, the development of the sex is fairly straightforward. Kiss, touch, part nakedness, full nakedness, oral, sex. The sex, despite happening in a library, is fairly vanilla.

The second story is Veronica, who gets Andrew. She starts by giving him head when she thinks he’s going to masturbate onto an old folio, and so spoil the book. However, he has no intention of spoiling the book, he has a napkin ready. She’s wanted him for some time, and he’s wanted her, but a misunderstanding has kept them apart.

Can I tell you more about the plot? No, because that’s just about it. Sex in the library.

The background seems to be fairly thinly researched. An academic library with six floors or more? Do they have many of those in the USA? But for a senior, fully qualified librarian in an academic library, Sara spends a lot of time doing what the library assistants would usually do. I did work as a library assistant once, and we did most of the shelving, checking, issuing and so on. And that wasn’t even an academic library.

There are some conversations between Sarah and Veronica where I lost track of who’s talking, because the women seem so similar. At one point in the first story, before the first encounter, I forgot whether Sarah or Veronica is supposed to be the heroine of this story. And most of the conversation is along “as you know, Bob” lines, bringing the reader quickly up to speed with the backstory.

There are some dizzying point-of-view switches where we are in one character’s head, then we become aware of what the other character is thinking, then straight back to the first character. I think most of them are technical problems, where the editor has failed to pick it up.

As a Brit, I find the assumptions made of English people not only old fashioned but odd. Apparently William finds American girls more outgoing than English ones. So he hasn’t met any Essex girls or Scousewives, or even WAGs, although it’s doubtful they’d be interested in him. And he wears a tweed jacket. Really? I did stop and boggle at that one. The only person I know who wears or even owns a tweed jacket is a septuagenarian. I’m not sure what he was a professor of, although I believe we were told at one point. It didn’t seem to matter.

I find Veronica and Andrew even more thinly characterized, and that’s my main problem with this book. It is, basically, stroke fiction for women. The characters aren’t interesting or believable and most of the prose is dedicated to the hot sex in the library. Fulfilling a fantasy. But because there is no development of character and precious little characterisation, other than what we are told rather than shown, so I don’t really care if they get their rocks off or not.

Not the engaging, fun read I’d hoped for, and the sex is pretty vanilla, described in a vanilla way, for the most part.

Grade: D

Summary:

Some like it hot, and some like it in the reference section

Sara is having a love affair with books. But, since books can’t make love to you, it means she’s in the middle of a very long dry spell. Until a sexy Brit shows up. Suddenly she’s learning just how stimulating a library can be—up against a bookcase, behind the card catalog, on the circulation desk . . .

Meanwhile, Veronica is incredibly frustrated. While Sara and her new man are using the library as their personal adult playground, she’s stuck with only her thesis and her sexual fantasies. But Andrew, her crush, isn’t above using his . . . assets to get Veronica right where he wants her: alone, in a darkened corner of the stacks.

Who knew reading could be this pleasurable?

No excerpt available.

Sandy M’s review of Sierra Falls (Sierra Falls, Book 1) by Veronica Wolff
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 3 Apr 12

I’ve read a few of Veronica Wolff’s historicals and time travel romances, some which worked for me and some which didn’t. So I was excited to see her try her hand at contemporary romance. I’m very glad to say that her work in this genre really scores big for me. This book is a fun, heartwarming read with a touch of mystery. The characters are charming, especially the hero, and the whole town gets involved when things are shakin’ around Sierra Falls.

Sorrow Bailey, walking in the footsteps of several ancestors who suffered because of that name, has always wanted to get out of Sierra Falls, a small town nestled in the Sierras, just like everyone else who’s lived there all their lives, including her brother and sister. They left as fast as they could, and when their father suffers a stroke, it’s Sorrow who gives up her dreams to stay and help out in the family business, the Big Bear Lodge. Sorrow loves to cook. The dishes she prepares take her to whichever country she chooses, thus experiencing their flavor in some little way. Only thing is, her father won’t allow her to cook at the lodge. The man doesn’t seem to care for fancy schmancy food over the burgers and other fare Tom Sullivan, a Vet who wondered into Sierra Falls and has stayed a few decades, currently dishes out.

The new town sheriff has been noticing young Sorrow lately. Billy Preston is about ten years older and a widower. He tries not to act on these new emotions when he’s around Sorrow, but though the guilt eats at him a bit, he begins to spend a lot more time at the lodge just to see her. And I love Billy Preston. I adore an older hero, though in this case he’s only in his early 30s, but that’s better than the alternative. You feel more for him at that age for being a widower, so it all works wonderfully well. He’s old enough and has been through enough to know to keep away from Sorrow until she’s broken up with her boyfriend – more on him in a minute! – and then to know he has to take it slow with her once they start dating. He has just the right experience to pull Sorrow from her sexual shell. She’s not a virgin, by any means, but it’s just been sex for her until Billy. He also makes an excellent sheriff, moving from the city after his wife’s death. He’s got a very deft touch when dealing with local citizens in every situation imaginable.

Knowing she’s feeling something for the sheriff, Sorrow examines her relationship with Damien Simmons, son from a well-to-do local family, the golden boy who has a finger in a lot of pies around town and can pull strings to help out the Bailey family whenever needed, and that seems to be a lot lately. Sorrow realizes she doesn’t feel anything for him like what she’s beginning to feel for Billy. What I love is when she’s finally free, her sister, who has mysteriously come home for a spell, encourages Sorrow to hightail it to Billy’s door for a night of seduction. The man hasn’t got a chance in hell of getting past this new Sorrow. And what a night it is. Something special has definitely begun.

In between all of this, when the lodge roof is damaged during a snowstorm, Sorrow finds a stack of letters written by her great-great grandmother, Sorrow Crabtree. Once the infamous information learned in these letters becomes public knowledge, the local historical society makes big plans for their upcoming festival. It’s fun amid those ladies and their speculations about the town’s founder and Sorrow’s namesake. You get the feel of small-town American with scenes like these and others throughout the book.

In the meantime, Billy has begun to suspect foul play after a series of seemingly crazy accidents around the lodge – around Sorrow. Vowing that nothing will happen to her on his watch, his investigation takes him further and further into territory everyone in town finds incredulous. Things get a bit dicey before it’s all over. Not a riveting, over-the-top mystery, but one that fits in with this community and its quirks. We also get a side romance with Tom and Marlene Jessup, a recent divorcee, both of whom finally decide to live life their way. I appreciate romance for older characters, being a little bit older myself. 

Personally, I like Ms. Wolff’s contemps better than her historicals. There’s just more character and charm to the stories for me. Her voice compliments the genre in every way. I look forward to more, especially in this Sierra Falls series.

Grade: B

Summary:

Family is important to Sorrow. She gave up her dreams to run the struggling family lodge. Even her name is a family relic, though lately it feels like a curse that might determine her fate. Things look up when she discovers a collection of letters from her three-times great grandmother and namesake, telling the story of a forbidden love affair.

Billy Preston is the new sheriff, a widower escaping the grief of his former life as a big city cop. He helps out after an accident at the Bailey lodge, and what begins as admiration for Sorrow’s quiet strength quickly becomes something much more. When Sorrow’s discovery brings fame to Sierra Falls, and her dreams of a better life are within reach, one too many “accidents” have Billy wondering whether someone is willing to kill to keep them off the map.

As the community pulls together, Sorrow takes a lesson from her ancestor’s letters: only in family, friends, and love do you find true joy.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Timber Creek – Jan 2013

Laura C’s review of Her Dark Protector by Carol Stephenson
Romantic Suspense published by Carina Press 26 Mar 12

I keep diving into the romantic suspense pool and hoping to find some rocking waves, but all too often I just find a stringy mess of seaweed. This book has great potential. Really great. Corruption, secret societies, sneaking around…but it just turns into a messy blob I couldn’t finish.

At the beginning of the book we meet Gail Malloy and the idea that she has a death wish is pounded into our heads repeatedly. In fact, my notes say “ok, I’ve got it. Move on already.” Why should I care about someone who doesn’t care about herself? I’m not convinced I do. But this is a romance, so it doesn’t take long before Jason Hawke (gimme a break on the name, please) shows up. He’s attractive. Check. Damaged. Check. Determined. Check.

And at that first meeting in a dark alley, Gail gets all turned on by “her dark protector” (yes, she uses the phrase a couple of times in the book) with the man she was supposed to meet lying dead in the street while she doesn’t give a crap and dismisses him with a casual “well, he stuck his nose into bad things once too often” attitude that totally rubs me the wrong way.

Umm…yeah…ok, so she has a death wish and questionable taste. I know we’re used to “love at first sight” in romances, but this is ridiculous. She knows nothing about Jason, not even what he looks like (because he’s wearing a hood and it’s dark) but she’s already considering him as a sexual partner.

Then we find out about the Justice Alliance to which Jason Hawke belongs. It’s an old, established group with…wait for it, because you know it has to be there…some members with paranormal abilities. Puhleez. I know this is just series bait and it won’t show up in this book, or at least I hope not, but can’t we have a book that just deals with reality as it stands? Don’t we have enough violence and enough vigilantes, enough paramilitary groups without psychic abilities?

So, I’m figuring I am close to done with this book, but I want to see when/how a relationship will develop between Jason and Gail. I read to the halfway point and then gave up. Because all that happens is sporadic “Oh my god I am so hot for him,” “Oh my god she gives me such boners” moments without any real emotion behind them and without build or continuity.

I didn’t care about the hero or heroine enough to read for their HEA, didn’t care about the villains enough to see them get theirs. What a bummer.

Grade: DNF

Summary:

Florida state prosecutor Gail Malloy may have a death wish, but she has no idea how close she is to having it fulfilled. In charge of the case against a notorious drug lord, she’s become the target of everyone on the man’s payroll—and corruption has permeated the highest ranks. Fortunately for Gail, a stranger is keeping watch…

Haunted by tragedy and seeking revenge, business tycoon Jason Hawke joined the Justice Hunters, a secret organization dedicated to maintaining law and order. He’ll do everything in his power to make sure Gail stays alive long enough to put the crime boss away for good. Even if it means keeping her with him day and night…

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham
Historical Romance published by Berkley Trade 1 May 12

I had hopes for this book after finishing Genevieve Graham’s debut, Under the Same Sky, which I loved. Sometimes a new author has a difficult time maintaining such excellence after a first book. So you can imagine my tad of hesitation as I began reading Sound of the Heart. Should I have been worried?

Not one bit. Ms. Graham writes like an old pro. The history is rich and deep. Her characters truly live the times, the emotion tugs at your soul, and her added twist of the paranormal is just the right amount to give readers a very satisfying read.

We meet Dougal MacDonnell again at roughly the same time his brother, Andrew, is escaping the aftermath of Culloden. Dougal, however, is a prisoner of war. The feeling of despair in the very inhumane conditions of the cells these prisoners are kept in and the treatment at the hands of the English make for difficult reading. It spears your heart, especially when you meet the two young boys have also been taken captive, Joseph and Aidan. Thank the heavens Dougal and his new friend John are there to keep those youngsters safe. It’s also the boys who devise a way to escape their prison. To wish all would go well for them is futile. Suffice it to say, it’s only Dougal and Aiden who make it out of that hell. They stay ahead of soldiers, make it to London and relative safety for the time being. The taste of freedom is exhilarating.

It’s when Dougal meets Glenna that his life is worth living again. They find an abandoned Highland home, small and cozy enough, where they live blissfully for ten years. This is an existence neither of them have dreamed of since the English had outlawed everything Scottish, from their plaid to their pipes. After such harshness of life so far in this book, this time with Dougal and Glenna is one of my favorites. Their love is first cemented in friendship, then lovers. It’s not without trouble, emotional and otherwise, but it’s a good life for them. They learn everything about one another – Dougal, especially, has a secret he’s never told anyone about, not even his brother Andrew, who he shares a close and psychic bond with – as they chip away at contentment and happiness.

Of course, in such chaotic times, that happiness can’t last forever, as Dougal and Glenna abruptly discover when out hunting during a long and cold winter. Suddenly surrounded by English soldiers, Glenna is taken into custody while Dougal is left for dead. Clawing his way back to consciousness and deciding that living is better than the alternative, he eventually finds himself part of the English army sent to the Colonies to help fight the French and the Indians, because he’s found out that’s where Glenna has been sent as an indentured servant. Once again, life has taken on a desperate and hard edge. It has been years since Glenna was taken and he knows nothing of her current plight; thus, after putting up with the English and their foreign way of fighting a war, Dougal contemplates desertion, something his honor abhors but his love needs.

As in the first book, Ms. Graham has divided the book into two parts between Dougal and Glenna, giving their perspective at that point in their lives. The last third of the book is Glenna’s. While I was ready to see things from her point of view, I nearly had a conniption when the author left me hanging at the end of Dougal’s section when he realizes his brother still lives. I calmed down and figured I’d see their reunion when it’s time. Little did I know how long that wait is going to truly be. But I digress. Glenna reaches the New World shores, after once again being stuffed into the cargo hold of a ship, and is immediately put on the auction block, her humiliation complete. However, she realizes her lot will be much better than other women sold into prostitution slavery. Her new “owner” is a tobacco plantation owner and he needs a teacher for his children. Because Glenna can read, she’s chosen for the job.

Her life turns out relatively good, the loss of Dougal her only nightmare. She believes him to be dead, so memories are all she has. Glenna enjoys her station with the children and family who’ve taken her in. But all good things must come to an end, and the next thing she knows she’s thrust into a life again not of her choosing and one that begins with violence and ends with her taking her destiny into her own hands. She brings to mind all the things Dougal taught her in their time together to outsmart the arrogant asshole who takes what he wants when he wants. Admiration for this woman goes up ten-fold for what she now endures and then conquers. By this time Dougal is closer to her than ever, and Glenna discovers this. Once again her intellect, cunning, and desire and need for Dougal outshine those around her, and she finds her man in the middle of a fierce battle. Nothing stands in her way.

Ms. Graham gives readers characters who defy the odds, who fight for survival with everything they’ve got. The Scottish spirit in the aftermath of Culloden is vanquished for only so long. Though Dougal and Glenna are no longer in their home country, they have that Highland drive that keeps them going, even the loss of the Scotland they love can’t break them. Their love is a real, living emotion between them and you feel it on every page, even when they’re not together. No punches are pulled throughout this book. The times are depicted quite vividly, and your compassion and ire are piqued in equal amounts.

I am so very glad I’ve been able to read these books, and I’m so very glad there are more to come. I’m looking forward to that meeting between brothers who thought the other had perished, only to find their link to each other again. But I’m also looking forward just to the beautiful writing and wonderful characters of Genevieve Graham. I’m a fan for life.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Dougal MacDonnell, a fierce warrior from the Highlands of Scotland, is able to hear the thoughts of other men and dream how the future will unfold.

Devastated by the loss of his family during the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he fosters a deep hatred for the English. But when Glenna, the love of his life and a Scottish outlaw, is captured and shipped overseas, Dougal is forced to join an English army made of vanquished Scots. Now fighting on the side of his sworn enemies, he embarks on a journey that will take him across the seas to the colonies.

There he will risk everything for the chance to find his true love.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Untouched (Amoveo Legend, Book 2) by Sara Humphreys
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 3 Apr 12

Kudos to Sourcebooks for finding new, up-and-coming authors who are writing outside the box, giving readers something a little different than the usual stories we’ve been getting lately. Sara Humphreys is the latest author I’ve found who’s taken my shifters and given them a bit of a twist.

Kerry is a model who’s known as an ice princess – she never touches anyone and stays as far away from people as she can get. What only a few know is that when she touches someone, visions and pain overtake her. What she doesn’t know is her heritage of being a shapeshifter to go along with her psychic gift. She’s a hybrid – born of an Amoveo father and a human mother – and the Purists are out to eradicate hybrids from their race.

Thus we meet Dante, a security specialist, who will be acting as Kerry’s bodyguard. Until he can work in the fact she’s also his mate. That has to be a slow and gentle unveiling. The Amoveo are ancient clans of a variety of shifters from eagles to panthers and everything in between. This is what I enjoy the most about this book. We’re dealing with a fox – Dante; a wolf – Samantha, Kerry’s best friend; an eagle – Malcolm, Samantha’s husband (both of whom are featured in Book 1, Unleashed); and several other animals, along with Kerry, who is a beautiful black panther. I like the fact we have different clans mating, rather than wolves with wolves and so forth like we normally read about.

Dante is determined to keep Kerry safe, not only because she’s his mate, but also because it was his father who was a major participant in the attack on Samantha, who is also a hybrid, in the previous book. Kerry’s next modeling assignment takes them all to New Orleans and an old, rundown house on the bayou. Another element of this story is that the characters can read energy of every kind, from loving to evil. The area where they’re working eventually takes on a very evil energy, only one more thing to add to the investigation of who’s behind all the recent break-ins and attacks.

Once Kerry begins to see Dante in a different light – she initially doesn’t care much for him – she now sees his desire to protect her, his loving nature, as well as his lust for her. And these two together do sizzle. Dante has to restrain himself around Kerry, at least until she knows exactly who and what he is, as well as who and what she is. So you can imagine the sexual tension by the time she’s ready. On that score, I like the fact we don’t have to wait until the last fourth of the book to experience their pleasure in one another.

When evil finally gets its clutches into our characters and it’s revealed who is behind it all, it is a surprise. This is where I also enjoyed them in their animal shapes. We see a totally different side both during capture and after, along with those who attempt rescue. Then we’re given another surprise combined with heartache as more information about Kerry is revealed. And this doesn’t end the betrayal, there are still those who need to be found, which will continue into the next book.

I have not read the first book in this series. While it would have been nice to have done so, I don’t feel I lost anything by starting here. I’m sure I would have gotten some information that might have helped a tad more while reading this story, but Ms. Humphreys does a good job of filling you in with little muss. If you’re a paranormal fan, give this series a try. I’m looking forward to getting caught up and then continuing on with Untamed later this year.

Grade: B

Summary:

SHE SHOULD BE SEEN, BUT NEVER TOUCHED…

Kerry Smithson’s modeling career ensures that she will be admired from afar, which is essential since mere human touch sparks blinding pain and terrifying visions.

EVERY GOOD MODEL NEEDS A HEAVENLY BODYGUARD…

Dante Coltari is hired to protect Kerry from those who know who she is—or more importantly what she is—and want her dead because of it. Nothing could have prepared him for the challenge of keeping her safe. But, strangely, his lightest touch brings her exquisite pleasure rather than pain, and Dante and Kerry have an otherwordly connection that might just pull them through.

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of The Darkest Seduction (Lords of the Underworld, Book 9) by Gena Showalter
Paranormal Romance published by HQN 28 Feb 12

I have to say that Gena Showalter can really do no wrong by me. Paris’ story is one I have been waiting for. He has been through so much and I think he’s really grown, maybe not in a good way at first, but he’s definitely not the same person he was at the start of this series.

At the start of the book, Paris is still searching for Sienna. He doesn’t know what will happen when he finds her, he knows he wants a happily ever after, but he’s doubtful since he is the reason she’s dead.

I think one of the things I appreciate most about The Darkest Seduction is the way Paris and Sienna come together. They don’t see each other and suddenly fall madly in love. It’s awkward and they have a lot of baggage to overcome. They are both full of guilt toward each other, but also have hope. They still have tons of chemistry and this book is hot. Paris has not been the keeper of Promiscuity without learning some things. They really have a love story, and I can read it over and over again. Paris is my new favorite, after William, of course.

There is also more fighting, new bad (maybe?) guys, new creatures, new good (maybe?) guys, and even a very conceited goddess who I love to hate. Things have been steadily going toward something happening, and finally something does.

The twist in their lives is completely unexpected, at least for me. It does make perfect sense, though, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s refreshing to not have things be put off book after book. It keeps things exciting and I want the next book right now. I also am dying for Zacharel’s book, and the start of that series. We get glimpses of the other Lords, and now I want to go and re-read Lucien and Maddox’s books – and probably all of the books.

I am just very happy when I am reading anything set in this world.

Grade: A

Summary:

Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive—but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he’d thought was forever beyond his reach…until now.

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris’s arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally—or tear them apart?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: