Sandy M’s review of If You Hear Her (Ash Trilogy, Book 1) by Shiloh Walker
Romantic Suspense published by Ballantine 25 Oct 11

As most of you know, Shiloh Walker is an absolute favorite of mine. I have a feeling with this new trilogy, a lot more fans are going to be coming out of the woodwork to follow this very talented author.

Ezra King has come to Ash, Kentucky to recuperate in both body and spirit. His grandmother left her home to him, so he’s healing amid a bit of grief and nostalgia. He’s been content to piddle around the place – until he meets Lena Riddle. The woman not only shoots lust through his system, but she demands respect and admiration for her determination and love of life.

Finally living on her own with no one to tell her how to do it, Lena is happy in every aspect of her life – she’s a chef for the local B&B and she’s surrounded by loving friends. When a man with a sexy voice shows interest in her lasagna, his interest in her piques even further after they share a meal or two together. But then Ezra puts on the brakes, and for a little while is one of those men who says he’ll call but doesn’t. He has his reasons, and once you learn of them you can understand why he’s so hesitant to start up a relationship with this fascinating and beautiful woman. Lena tries to forget the man, even when they run into each other in town, but after so many meetings and too much temptation, Ezra gives in and pursues Lena into a wonderful blossoming relationship.

What brings them together finally is the scream Lena hears one night outside her home at the edge of the forest. The only people who believe her are Ezra and Law, one of Lena’s best friends, and the local sheriff. But on investigation, no evidence is found of anything untoward. Lena can’t let it rest, however, and makes a trip to the sheriff’s office, where Ezra is making his own unrelated complaint. While the deputy helping Lena doesn’t believe a word she says, it’s Ezra who gets things moving to further investigate the matter, but everyone is baffled at the lack of evidence.

The reader knows exactly what’s happening, though, and sees what an evil villain lives and breathes in these pages. What he does to the women he kidnaps slowly weakens and breaks them until they’re praying to die. It’s his latest victim who Lena hears from her bedroom this fateful night that changes life for all concerned – including our villain. And from this point on, you are immersed so deeply in both the romance between Ezra and Lena and the deceptive and evil mind of a madman whose identity is kept from you the entire book. And the second book. You won’t know who it turns out to be until the last book. Talk about tension!

I love Ezra and Lena. Their romance is swift and sure. Ezra turns into the typical alpha cop he is when danger is unveiled around them and their friends. Lena is a sassy, smart, and independent woman, but she knows when to let go and do as she’s asked so everyone survives whatever situation is going on at the moment. Their lovemaking is vintage Shiloh Walker – steamy, intense, and loving. We also meet Remy and Hope, who are featured in the next book, and you love them on sight just as much as you do Ezra and Lena.

Pins and needles having nothing on this storyline. Tenterhooks is more apropos for all the goings-on, especially the suspenseful aspects of the story. If you’re ready for an edge-of-your-seat read that you can’t put down until it’s read, this is it. And do be sure to read this trilogy in order. They’re tied too closely together and left open ended to start in the middle or, heaven forbid, with the last book.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.

Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close?

When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Fatal Heat by Lisa Marie Rice
Erotic Romantic Suspense novella published by Avon Impulse 8 Nov 11

I always love heroes written by Lisa Marie Rice. Give me a hero like Max Wright, alpha, determined, strong, but still tender and gentle, and I’m a very happy reader. It then follows she’ll also create the perfect heroine for such a man. Storyline is secondary for me, as is villain – hell, everything else, though she usually gives me something I can sink my teeth into. But it’s all about the hero for me.

Max is a former SEAL, severely wounded in Afghanistan. Taking a former commander’s offer to recuperate at his beach house, Max figures it’s better to wallow there than anywhere else; at least he’ll be alone. His military career may be over, but he’s going to prove the doctors wrong. All it takes is determination and perseverance. He’s walking when they said he wouldn’t, now it’s time to push even further.

What he doesn’t expect is the Cookie Lady, the niece of his commander. She lives next door and leaves a plate a cookies for him after a particularly strenuous exercise routine. And that’s all it takes. From the next moment on, after he gets closer for a better look, he’s taken with Paige Waring. She makes him quite happy and horny – especially because it’s been two years since he’s had any interest in sex during his healing period. She makes his body respond every which way.

Paige is surprised at her reaction to Max. She’s the staid researcher, not a seat-of-your-pants adventurous type. But this very manly SEAL has her thinking outside her lab coat on all counts. When he offers to watch her dog – Max, of all names! LOL I had as much with that as they did – her heart trips a little faster. Within twenty-four hours these two get to know one another very, very well. She’s never done anything like that in her life. With Max, however, she can’t resist the fire and desire in his eyes.

Then out of the blue Paige is kidnapped because of the knowledge she possesses about a work project that has gone terribly wrong. Hoping Max can figure out the clues she leaves behind but fearful he may be too late, Paige holds on the best she can when being “interrogated.” With the help of pet Max, our SEAL goes after his woman, pushes himself beyond all reason, refusing to lose the best thing that’s ever happened to him. This is a man every woman wants in her life.

Of course, because this is a novella, a lot is packed in in a few pages. As usual, Ms. Rice does it just right – just enough alphaness, just enough emotion, plenty of lovemaking, and her SEALS always do that exactly right. Now, however, I’m in the mood for a full-length Rice novel. I never seem to get enough.

Grade: A

Read LynneC’s review here.

Summary:

Former Navy SEAL Max Wright is out of the SEAL Teams forever after being almost killed by an Afghani RPG. He retreats to his former XO’s beach house to lick his wounds. He wants to snarl at the world but finds it hard to snarl at his new neighbor, his XO’s beautiful goddaughter, Paige Waring, who also comes with a ridiculously likable, totally undisciplined dog.

As a plant geneticist, Paige has always been focused on her work, but when she and her dog run into Max, she recognizes the lonely, shattered man behind the rugged exterior. To her mind, sexiness always comes with a white lab coat, not with acres of tanned muscle and a tough mind-set.

When Paige’s work becomes the target of criminals and she’s abducted, Max springs into action. Though still terribly wounded, this tough as nails SEAL goes on his last mission—stopping at nothing to save the woman he loves.

No excerpt found.

LynneC’s review of Reckless Night (Dangerous Trilogy, Book 3.5) by Lisa Marie Rice
Contemporary Romance ebook novella published by Avon 29 Nov 11

This story is an epilogue to a book by Rice, something I didn’t realize when I started to read it. It reads well as a standalone, and Rice is a competent storyteller, but I thought the story really needed to be in context to its novel.

Viktor (“Drake”) Drakovich and his wife Grace are living under new names and a new location. As far as the world is concerned, Drake died when his office complex exploded, but with a bit of plastic surgery and a lot of money, he’s been able to start his new life.

Grace gives Drake beautiful gifts that she’s made herself. Exquisite gifts, and her latest is a painting of his hand in front of a vase of flowers. This is described so beautifully that I wanted to see the painting, not just read about it. Strange how most artists in romance novels concentrate on traditional techniques and figurative images, but at least this painting sounds like an interesting one. I’ve read about paintings in romance novels that I’ve been glad I couldn’t see, the gaudy, sentimental kind of painting that I would gladly see on the top of a bonfire, but in few other places. Not so here. Grace does sound like a woman happy with her talent, capable of creating beautiful paintings and craft items and who loves her husband. I didn’t read that Grace was unhappy in her new life or that she regretted changing her lifestyle so drastically. That’s Drake, feeling guilty about dragging her away, not Grace.

Since this story is so short, it’s hard to discuss it without spoilers. Suffice it to say that Drake plans a surprise for her that goes somewhat awry, and the end of the story we’re wondering – what? Why? I’d have been much happier had the story ended with Grace and Drake learning to live their new life. The ending read like an intrusion, something that shouldn’t be there, that turns the whole situation on its head and means that they are left in the same slightly unsatisfactory position that they had at the beginning. There’s no progression, although there are moves towards it, and then something happens to stop it.

I do like Grace and Drake, and I can see where Rice is going with the main story. Drake is immensely wealthy, was an arms dealer with more money than he can count, and used to be surrounded by security stronger than any President. Grace is a free spirit, an artist who enjoys walks and her more relaxed lifestyle. The initial story must have been interesting, but now I’ve read the outcome, I can’t say I want to read it, because Drake and Grace are in a limbo of their own making, a well-protected beautiful island where they must exist, rather than progressing and getting on with their lives. Without that shock ending (don’t worry, it’s a romance, she doesn’t commit the ultimate sin of killing off her main characters!), it would have been more satisfactory and would have made for a happier ending. As it is, we’re left wondering – so what happens now?

My other problem is that half this book is a lengthy extract from the main book, the one I no longer want to read. I do think this story spoiled the main one for me. The story is 30 pages long, so there’s another 30 pages of extract and adverts. If you buy this book on Kindle, it’s currently $3.16, but if you buy it on B & N, it’s $0.99 – I don’t know why there’s a difference or why Amazon has allowed it, but I know which price I’d rather pay. Too expensive at $3.16, fine at $0.99

Note: While I do share a publisher with Lisa Marie Rice, this book isn’t published by our mutual publisher, and Lisa Marie is not a special friend, so I felt it was fine to review this.

Grade: D

Summary:

What do you give your beautiful wife when you’ve got all the money in the world but can’t spend it?
Victor “Drake” Drakovitch used to run a criminal empire, but he gave it all up for the woman he loves. Grace, an accomplished artist, abandoned the life she knew in order to be with the one man she could never live without.
Exiled to an island far from their former lives, the two stay safe from the watchful eyes of Drake’s many enemies. This Christmas, Drake wants to show Grace how much her sacrifice means. But what can he give a woman who shuns gold jewelry and diamonds, furs and expensive cars? Grace doesn’t want fancy things; she wants what Drake can give her—unquestioning devotion, fierce protection… and the best sex a woman has ever had.
Until terror strikes and Grace realizes that the best gift of all is a dangerous husband.

Read an excerpt.

Laura C’s review of If You See Her (Ash Trilogy, Book 2) by Shiloh Walker
Romantic Suspense published by Ballantine 31 Jan 12

First things first: if you haven’t already read the first book in this series—If You Hear Her—you should run out and do so before you pick this up. The books are tied much more closely together than the usual trilogy. In fact, you may find the beginning of this a bit confusing if you haven’t read the first one. You’ll adjust quickly though, so if you find yourself a bit lost, just forge ahead; the rest will definitely be worth your while!

Hope Carson has the kind of past that should make me shudder as a reader. I’ve mentioned before how overdone I think the “abused wife running for her life” thing is. But Shiloh Walker doesn’t follow the formula here. Sure, Hope is an abuse survivor. But she’s not hiding from her ex, even though he went so far as to have her committed to an asylum to keep control over her. As anyone would, Hope has moments where she doubts her own sanity, and more where she doubts her own worth. But she’s not self-pitying about it.

“So it doesn’t bother you that I was hospitalized?” she said, tossing it out like a challenge.

Carefully, Remy laid the knife down. Then, not trusting himself to speak just yet, he reached for his wine, but he didn’t go for sipping it. He tossed it back, but it didn’t do a damn thing to cool the rage burning inside, He’d be doing better if it was tequila. Or whiskey—straight, burning a path down to his stomach, and maybe burning through the fog of rage in his brain.

Looking at her, he bit off, “Oh, hell, yes it bothers me. But not for the reasons you think. You didn’t belong in there and we both know it. That bastard you were married to somehow managed to manipulate the system to put you in there and keep you in there and that pisses me off in more ways that you can imagine. Yeah, it bothers me. But not like you think.”

“Thank you.” She glanced down at her glass and then back up at him.

“Don’t thank me.” He reached for his knife and went to work on the rest of the vegetables, chopping up red bell peppers with a vengeance. “Don’t thank me, okay?”

It seemed kind of weird, but as he stood there, the sleeves of his blue dress shirt rolled up, the silver knife flashing as he cut up the vegetables, Hope felt her heart flutter.

Remy’s fury is doubled because Hope’s ex used the system—a system he, as a prosecutor, is an integral part of—to abuse her. If this book has one weakness it is that we don’t get to see enough of Remy’s personality away from Hope. He’s a great guy, no doubt about it, and he’s obviously just what Hope needs, but I didn’t feel as if I quite knew him the way I wanted to.

The romance progresses very slowly, as one would expect for a character like Hope, and the suspense is a slow build, too. There are double villains at work, both the serial killer who haunts the whole trilogy and another criminal specific to this book. But even with the dual threats, if I were going to categorize this book in some way, I would say that it’s more about Hope’s growth and self-realization than it is about either the mystery or the romance. That is possibly a function of this being the middle book in the trilogy—like the middle child, it finds its way in the shadow of the one before, which was strongly romance-centered (I didn’t review that here, but it’s one of very few books I’d give an A), and the final book, which I suspect will be villain-focused since the killer has escaped detection in the first two books.

Don’t get me wrong: there’s plenty to fear here and plenty of emotion. The relationship between Hope and her friend Law (who will be the hero of the third book) is gut-wrenching in and of itself, even before you add in her romance with Remy. So settle back in front of a roaring fire and read the first two books of this series. Then you can wait along with me for the third!

Grade: B+

Summary:

Hope Carson may not look like a survivor, but she has escaped an abusive ex-husband and recovered from a vicious assault. Now she endures the painful memories and suspicious rumors surrounding her involvement in the attack. Her ex is a cop, so the last people she trusts are law enforcement officials—and she certainly doesn’t trust how the local DA makes her feel inside.

Remy Jennings should know better. He has no business falling for a woman who he suspects may have a deeply troubled mind. And even if he did make a move, she’d bolt like a frightened rabbit. But how can he deny a burning desire that threatens to consume him? As Hope’s past catches up with her in the worst way, Remy is determined to break through her defenses, earn her trust, and keep her safe in his arms—before it’s too late.

Other books in this series:

Laura C’s review of The Professor by Cathy Perkins
Romantic Suspense published by Carina Press 23 Jan 12

Meg Connelly just wants to get through her complicated life as a grad student, student advisor, and waitress. She has a hard enough time with the rich, spoiled kids in the sorority she oversees, she doesn’t need hot SLED Agent Mick O’Shaughnessy upsetting her life. But Mick’s investigating a serial murderer and Meg’s right at the center of the investigation.  And even if she weren’t, he’s not so sure he could leave her alone.

I began this book with great expectations. Despite their pervasiveness, I still enjoy serial killer stories. And the descriptive passage that begins this book, with the police at the scene of a body’s discovery, is nicely narrated:

The body lay in dappled shade. Patches of light caught pale flesh—an ankle here, a hip there. Resurrection ferns spread lacy fronds, partially concealing the limbs. Mick wondered if the irony was deliberate.

This deep into the woods, the trees blocked the breeze and the humidity increased as the air sucked moisture from the thick mulch spread across the forest floor. The noxious mixture of smells pressed against him in a cloying layer that was nearly visible amid the shifting patterns cast by the overhead branches. Pausing at the edge of the clearing, he batted at the flies circling his head. He hated flies. He associated them so strongly with death that a fly in his condo drove him crazy.

Two local detectives looked up, acknowledging Mick’s presence. His short hair marked him as a cop as much as the holstered pistol and gold badge clipped to his belt. The locals would already know who he was. He hadn’t been able to escape the publicity surrounding the murders—the Captain kept putting him in front of television cameras.

Unfortunately, the procedural stuff is really the only aspect of the book that is strong, and it’s not strong enough to support the rest of the story. The characters are cardboard. There’s no real intimacy between the hero and heroine. She spends her time running away from him and he spends his time alternately chasing after her and telling himself he shouldn’t pay her attention since he knows nothing about her.

And then there’s the sex. I don’t mind whether my romances do or don’t have sex, so that’s not a problem, but this book has the worst of both worlds—plenty of perverted villain sex, but no lovemaking, no happy sex to offset the ugly sex. To me, that’s a problem, particularly in a book that calls itself a romance. I had no sense that these two characters could make it as a couple.

I also had issues with the villain. “The Professor” is such a cartoon that I had to stop reading his sections entirely in order to finish the book. Here’s a sample of the interminable scenes with the villain:

He returned to his den, intending to work, but found himself contemplating his current situation instead. All too soon, the coverage of Emily’s death would degenerate into a repetition of the same limited facts, followed by more inane commentary from a consulting psychologist. The Professor wasn’t sure if he found them an irritation or pompous frauds. Their sloppy research and analysis would never be tolerated in his field. Settling more comfortably in his desk chair, he reviewed their arguments.

They thought he was “afraid” of women; that he had “issues”—who came up with that term anyway? Whatever happened to plain-old problems?—with a domineering mother. After Ashley, they’d debated whether he was using a condom or “failing to maintain an erection.” Whether he was a homosexual. Whether he could have normal sexual relations.

He’d laughed over that. How much more normal could you get than using a woman for her sole purpose in life—sex? He didn’t use a condom to protect himself from the women or disease. Semen was evidence, so he eliminated it.

None of them—the police, the shrinks, the reporters—understood. The pleasure, the euphoria transcended mere sex. He closed his eyes, sinking into the vivid memory: He presses his palm against her flank, feeling the liquid warmth of her blood, hotter than her skin. Hot, like the passion that burns inside the human beast. Hot, like the life force that he has claimed.

He lifts his hand to his nose. The scent is distinctive and metallic. Opening his mouth, he licks the wet slickness. Even the taste is metallic. The ancients ate the flesh of their vanquished. Cut out the heart and consumed the soul, taking their enemy’s strength for their own.

Pressing his tongue to his palm, he savors the woman’s blood and feels her mystery enter him. It runs through him, triumphantly adding to his mastery. His penis stirs in response. Earlier, he’d climaxed explosively while his hands tightened around her neck. Her fear fed his appetite. Stripped of the veneer of respectability, she’d shown her true nature—a groveling whore. Pleading, desperately begging, offering her body in a pathetic bargain, as women have bargained throughout history.

Finally, I had problems with the setup. The hoary old saying “write what you know” comes to mind. Take it from a career academic with degrees from schools big and small, private and public, the atmosphere and relationships within the college are all wrong. Meg refers to one of her professors, a man she both TAs for and writes papers for, as “Mr.”  Um, no. If he’s teaching grad students, he’s a “Dr.” And Meg never goes to class. We never really see her studying. Grad students are consumed with academics. Yeah, they have jobs, frequently more than one, but nothing is more important than their classes while they’re in that phase of their education or their dissertations when they get to that phase.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Someone is murdering women on South Carolina’s college campuses: three women, three different schools. The Governor’s order to State Law Enforcement Agent Mick O’Shaughnessy is simple: make it stop. More political maneuvering diverts Mick to nearby Douglass College. There, instead of another dead body, he finds Meg Connelly, grad student and faculty advisor for the latest victim.

Determined to finish her master’s degree, Meg doesn’t need anybody’s help – including her estranged family – to succeed. There’s something irresistible about Mick, but the last time she let someone get close to her, she lost everything except her self-respect.

As the investigation heats up, so does their relationship. But Mick’s interest in Meg doesn’t just endanger her heart–it puts her in the sights of the killer.

No excerpt available.

Sandy M’s review of Whispers in the Dark (KGI, Book 4) by Maya Banks
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 3 Jan 12

Hi, my name is Sandy. And I’m addicted. To Maya Banks’ Kelly boys. Hooboy. I was a goner with the first book, and now with the fourth? Needless to say, I’m not coming up for air anytime soon.

This time it’s Nathan, one of the two youngest Kellys, twin to Joe, who goes through hell to find love. As we learned in the previous book, the twins were finally leaving their military service to come home and join their brothers at KGI. Before that could happen, they are both severely injured, Nathan taken hostage in Afghanistan. He’s beaten and tortured, forced to watch his brothers-in-arms also being tortured, even ultimately killed to try to force him to talk. It’s during a rare moment of solitude that an angel comes to his aid. She soothes his soul, takes his pain away, boosts his spirits – all in his mind, of course. Which can’t be. Has he finally gone around the bend?

Shea is telepathic and has been on the run for a year now. Separated from her sister by necessity of protection – information concerning each other that they don’t have can’t be shared – from those who want them both for their powerful abilities. But when she hears a man in pain, needing comfort, she can’t leave him to suffer alone. Stealing into his mind, she bolsters him enough to give him that extra spark he needs to keep going, enough hope that he’ll make it out alive. Shea stays with Nathan until he’s able to escape his captors and his brothers arrive to take him home. Then she’s gone. Totally. No matter how he calls for her, Shea doesn’t answer.

Bereft at the loss of his angel, Nathan is back home, healing. At least physically. It’s his spirit and mental capacity that he doubts. Was she real? Or just his imagination, a way his brain needed for him to survive his ordeal? And though it was thoughts of his family that kept him going while in captivity, now that he’s with them, he seeks solitude more and more, confusing and worrying his loved ones even further. Then everything changes when Shea reappears, her lovely voice echoing through his mind. But just as quickly her pain and fear overwhelm him, and Nathan knows he has to get to her soon. Wanting to include his brothers but knowing that will take too long, he commandeers a KGI jet, but even that seems to take forever to find Shea.

Once Nathan has Shea in his arms, he knows she’s the one for him. They share a bond like no others. They’ve seen and felt each other’s pain and fear and hopelessness, given each other the will to go on. Shea feels the same, she trusts Nathan and it’s heaven to trust someone again. She’s been on her own for far too long. Now her only concern is to find Grace, her sister. But Grace has gone silent after one last, very cryptic telepathic communication, and now Nathan and Shea are on the hunt to bring her to safety.

Maya Banks is another author for me who makes me feel everything her characters go through. Nathan’s pain and anguish in the beginning are palpable. Shea’s connection with him screams of hope. The love between them when they finally meet in the flesh is electric and soul deep. Then there’s all the intermediate emotions of the Kellys when Nathan’s fate is unknown, Shea’s fear for her sister, and then her own terror when all their plans are thrown into the wind by someone they thought they could trust. There isn’t a page in this book that doesn’t radiate with some type of feeling, even laughter, which is always a must when the Kelly family is together.

While the emotion in these books is what draws me back to them – well, besides the alpha, sexy heroes anyway – the heart-pounding action of ambushes and rescues and the like is also habit-forming. The scenes at Shea’s family home with the panic room never slow down until you’re about to jump out of your skin. There’s a few scenes like that, in fact. The helicopter scene later in the book is the same. It’s shorter but packs the same punch. I also enjoy Nathan and Shea’s telepathic communication with each other, especially in a car full of his brothers and other team members. There’s plenty of surprises throughout this story, fun and otherwise.

We’re now down to two Kelly brothers, Donovan and Joe, and this series will be over. Withdrawal will then be imminent for me. I’m not sure what I’ll do after that. I know I will be lost for a time. Maybe the Kellys have some cousins or other relatives – long-lost brothers? – who will save me. Yes, reaching for straws is a bad sign. I know I don’t want this addiction to come to an end.

Grade: A+

Summary:

She came to him when he needed her the most

She came to him at his lowest point. The voice of an angel, a whisper in the dark. She’s the only thing that gets Nathan Kelly through his captivity, the endless days of torture and the fear that he’ll never return to his family. With her help, he’s able to escape. But he isn’t truly free, because now she’s disappeared and he’s left with an all-consuming emptiness as he struggles to pick up the pieces of his life. Did he imagine his angel? Or is she out there, needing his help as he’d once needed hers?

Now he rushes to save her before it’s too late

Shea has been on the run from people who will stop at nothing to exploit her unique abilities. She never wanted to drag Nathan, who’d already suffered so much, into danger, but she doesn’t have a choice so she reaches out to him for help. Finally face-to-face after having already formed a soul-deep bond in hell, their emotional connection is even more powerful than their telepathic one. Nathan refuses to consider ever letting her go again, but she worries they can never have a life free of the dangers that dog her every step. He’ll protect her with his every breath, but can he convince her that they are meant to face these threats together?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Clay: Armed and Dangerous (Armed and Dangerous, Book 4) by Cheyenne McCray
Romantic Suspense published by St. Martin’s Griffin 12 Apr 11

Wow. Talk about one hot cowboy. And he carries a big gun. Goes after what he wants. Doesn’t let the heroine, Rylie, get away from him. Clay is my favorite of this series, by a long shot!

Clay is the local sheriff and has his hands full with an investigation into stolen trucks from area ranches. Enter rancher Rylie Thorn, who’s the latest victim of the thieves. She’s not going to stand for anyone ripping her off. Along with working with the sexy lawman, she’s going to be doing some investigating of her own. I can still see her creeping around that cabin where her suspicions have led her and currently where some bedroom shenanigans are going on, only to have Clay sneak up behind her. Things begin to sizzle between them in no time flat.

The impetuous and spunky Rylie also confronts the local car dealer who has underhanded dealings all over the place. Clay is rescuing her once again before things get out of hand. She believes the man is involved in the theft ring, but, of course, she has no way to prove it. Since he’s determined to have Rylie in his bed, Clay doesn’t want her to know just yet the evidence is pointing closer to home – her brother.

This is a quick, fun read. Yeah, a lot of it is pretty predictable, but you know what? With a hero like Clay, a man who takes charge, smolders, and makes love in that alpha, intense way, who cares! Rylie is feisty, but she also needs a harness to keep her in check now and again. She’s free spirited and not afraid to say what she thinks. Since she doesn’t believe in love and marriage, Clay takes on the added mission of convincing her otherwise. And his convincing causes some serious shivers and earth shattering. The sex scenes are smmmmokin’. There’s not many erotic books that work for me when there’s more sex than story, but if an author gives me characters who draw me in first, sex on every page might just work then, even with a mediocre storyline. If you’re not that kind of reader of erotic romance, though, this probably won’t work very well for you, even though I’m exaggerating on the sex frequency.

I’ve enjoyed this series a lot. I mean, sexy characters burning up the sheets amid danger, what’s not to like? Go with the way it’s all intended and you’ll have one hell of a good time.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Rancher Rylie Thorn loves everything about men, but she’s positively phobic about commitment. After growing up in a broken family and witnessing too many failed marriages, Rylie knows “forever” is just not in the cards for her.

Sheriff Clay Wayland has been called in to investigate a rash of crimes in the southeastern corner of Cochise County. But one night when he goes into the field to do some observation, he comes across a sensual woman who’s doing some investigating of her own. Rylie immediately sets his blood on fire and he knows he has to have her. And it isn’t long before Clay begins the job of taming this wildcat and making her his. . .for keeps.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of The Heart of a Killer (The Killer Series, Book 1) by Jaci Burton
Romantic Suspense published by Mira 18 Oct 11

I enjoyed the majority of this book. It has a great mystery linking five people together through a crime that was committed twelve years ago. There’s plenty of heat and sizzle between the hero and heroine to burn up a few pages. Everyone has several secrets of their own, aside from the big one they all share. Unfortunately, what let me down is the ending.

We meet Dante, Anna, Gabriel, Jeff, and Roman when they’re teenagers hanging out together in high school. Even then, Dante and Anna have a special bond. But when Anna is in the clutches of a rapist/murderer, the boys come to her aid, beating the jerk to a pulp. After making sure Anna is okay, they discover they went too far, but all agree they should keep quiet about the body in the alley. Calling her father, after talking the guys into letting her handle it all, Anna is saved from facing any further trauma, as are her friends. But when the storm clears the next day, Dante is gone. Without so much as a goodbye.

For twelve years Dante has never stepped foot in St. Louis. Until now. Only because his foster mother asked him to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with her and her husband. Not much has changed. Except his friends. Jeff is a successful businessman. Gabe is tied up with the local mob. Roman is a police detective. As is Anna, which he discovers when their past comes back to haunt them – a murder has happened in the same alley, done in the same way as all those years ago. Including the same special surprise on the body as Anna’s attacker left on hers. Someone else must have been there, seen what happened. But why wait so long to let them know?

All they can figure is that they’re all together again, so the killer is making his move. Dante and Anna dance around one another in between working the case, but they’re fairly honest with one another, at least as much as they can while hitting the sheets. Dante’s military status gives him carte blanche in whatever area he wants. To be in on the case, he requires FBI identification, so he gets it. But all his friends know is he’s with the FBI. Anna is still wary where Dante is concerned, except her body has no issues with the man at all. They do steam up the pages quite well.

Then their world falls apart as the killer strikes again, this time very, very close to home. Twice. Burying two more loved ones pushes them all to find this guy, but it’s been tough going because he leaves no evidence whatsoever. Then they do catch a break, but it’s a long shot. It’s better than nothing, however, and they grab on to a thread and begin pulling. Frayed edges and torn pieces come into focus, but just when they think they’ve got it all figured out, the killer does what they never expected and has Anna in his clutches, just as she was in another’s hands years before.

I like the mystery of this story. Ms. Burton keeps me guessing from chapter to chapter. But when it finally comes down to revealing the killer? I have to say I’m a tad disappointed. It’s nothing new. We’ve read it before. And when I finally figured out who it is, it’s much earlier than I normally figure such things out. It just all clicks into place at one point, so reading the rest of the action doesn’t have the punch it should have otherwise.

Dante is a terrific Burton hero. He comes back home confident of who he is. He’s grown up quite nicely. Of the four brothers, I like Gabe next. It’s going to be really interesting to see what’s up his sleeve, since we know he’s not what he seems. Anna is also a great heroine. She’s become strong and independent because of what happened to her, but that event also marked her in more ways than one. She hides behind her work instead of working her life out as it should be. It takes Dante and his love to help her do that.

Despite my disappointment with the revelation of the killer, this is still a good book. Everything else works, and though this ending blip could be considered a major issue, it doesn’t overshadow the characters and the mystery of the story. A slight letdown, yes. But friends and family, steamy lovemaking, and a stalking killer keep everything interesting the rest of the time.

Grade: B-

Summary:

No one said coming home would be easy. But for Dante Renaldi, it’s murder.

Before the Special Forces hero has even unpacked his bags from twelve years of active duty, he’s embroiled in murder—corpses bearing the brutal trademark he’s seen only once before—on the worst night of his life.

The last time Detective Anna Pallino saw Dante Renaldi, they were in love. Now, he’s part of the connection to a string of fresh homicides and a horrible assault Anna only survived thanks to him.

More than anything, Anna wants to trust Dante. But as the bodies and the coincidences stack up, Anna will have to decide, and fast: Is the man she owes her life to the very same one who wants her dead?

Read an excerpt.

Laura C’s review of She Can Run by Melinda Leigh
Romantic Suspense published by Montlake Romance 28 Nov 11

Because this is my first Montlake Romance book, and because I think people might be wondering about the quality of these books, I want to give my impressions of the physical object itself before I start to talk about the story.

First, the cover. Go enlarge it so you can see what it will look like on a trade paperback sized book. It’s ugly. Really ugly. Like a first-year photographer and first-year Photoshop student could do a better job. I don’t want to see every pore of the poor heroine’s skin highlighted by bad lighting and emphasized by the ugly color scheme.

So it was with some dread that I opened the book. But the interior is a pleasant surprise.  Nice, heavy paper with a creamy color and a well-designed interior with readable font and good spacing. If you’re a trade paperback buyer, this is a good quality book, once you get past the cover.

Unfortunately, the story is a disaster. I couldn’t finish it. Melinda Leigh is a fine technical writer–her characters speak naturally and she has a good sense for how much description is enough without going overboard, but her plot is trite, clichéd, and full of holes.  I only got to page 110, and these are the clichés I counted:

Our heroine, Beth, is on the run from her
1 ) abusive husband, who is (naturally) a
2 ) powerful politician because she
3 ) saw something she shouldn’t have seen. She runs to her sort-of uncle who has ESP (not a cliché, but gimme a break already), which of course makes him a
4 ) Deus Ex Machina. He sends her off to a
5 ) horse farm in the middle of nowhere which happens to be owned by
6 ) an injured ex-cop who
7 ) “sees too much” and has as his companion a
8 ) dog who flunked police training and a
9 ) housekeeper who loves kids. Oh, did I mention Beth has two kids from her previous marriage? Well, she does, so this would be great except that Oops! there happens to be a
10 ) serial killer on the loose in their neighborhood who
11 ) fixates on Beth.

The characters in this book are incredibly flat. There are no shades of gray. You have good on one side, evil on the other. Good guys are guys who want to help Beth. Bad guys are ones who leer at her breasts or make (unwanted) passes at her like the neighbor or the feed store delivery guy or, of course, her husband that she’s on the run from.

And speaking of being on the run from the second husband, Beth’s psychology is all wrong for an abuse victim.  Most women who stay with abusers don’t bring to the relationship two kids from a solid, stable, faithful and loving marriage. They’re damaged goods going in, which is what abusers sense, what gives them an opening.  And Beth has approximately three hours–with no planning–to disappear completely, which she manages to do at the beginning of the book because her husband, unlike most abusers, doesn’t actually have all that much control over her.

Luckily, her aunt’s lover, who she is still in contact with and runs to in her hour of need, is the kind of guy with dozens of fake IDs (ESP, you know) so he cannot only help her disappear, he can disappear himself when the husband finds out where she went. Of course, that’s after he’s gotten her a job on the horse farm in the middle of nowhere.

And Jack, the ex-cop? His psychology is all wrong, too.  Beth complains over and over about how he sees everything. Well, maybe he sees, but he sure doesn’t interpret. Most every cop I know (and yes, I’ve known plenty over time) has the same reaction when a woman flinches around men: “domestic abuse victim.”  It’s like it’s hardwired into their brains.  And yet Jack, our hero, can’t figure out what Beth could be on the run from?

I gave up on this book when the husband, who has shown no signs of being a psychopath up to page 110, just a bad guy and a bully, decides that he’s going to deal with Beth by imitating the serial killer because it would be fun to torture, rape, and strangle her.

Grade: DNF

Summary:

Elizabeth was a young widow with two small children when she met Congressman Richard Baker. Handsome and wealthy, with a sparkling public image, Richard seemed like the perfect man to provide the security that Beth and her kids were craving. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret about her new husband, Beth realizes he will go to any lengths—even murder—to keep it. After barely escaping with her life, she and her children flee. They eventually make their way to a secluded estate in the Pennsylvania countryside, where Beth dares to hope she has found a safe place at last…

Forced into retirement by an unexpected injury, Philadelphia homicide detective Jack O’Malley is mourning the loss of his career when his uncle abruptly dies, leaving Jack to dispose of his crumbling country house. Unbeknownst to him, his uncle engaged a caretaker just before his death, a mysterious woman with two children and a beautiful face that haunts his dreams. Determined to know her, Jack begins an investigation into Beth’s past. When he uncovers the shocking truth, and a local woman is viciously murdered, Jack puts his own life on the line to keep Beth and her children safe.

Read an excerpt.

Ash’s review of Undertow (Cutter Cay Series, Book 1) by Cherry Adair
Romantic Suspense published by St. Martins 28 Dec 10

Part of Undertow I really like, and part of it just makes me exhausted. It’s like one of those action movies that doesn’t know when to quit, but the romance is pretty good so you still watch it anyway.

I really like Teal. She doesn’t wear makeup, doesn’t care much about clothes or girly things. She loves working on engines and she is a strong person. She’s the character that pulls me into the book. I think putting her together with Zane is a really great idea. Zane is carefree, he loves everyone, and he is not shy like Teal. They are a good balance for each other. They aren’t anything alike and I enjoy seeing them come together. The progression of their relationship and of them as characters is the part I really like.

I think the book would have been better as a straightforward contemporary romance. The suspense part is just too much, and after the first round I’m over it.

Zane is getting millions of dollars worth of treasure off of the ocean floor, so, of course, people are going to want to steal it from him. There is a mystery of who it is and then there’s a fight scene with the bad guys. The book is not close to being over at that point, so I’m thinking it would focus more on Zane and Teal after that. I was wrong, and even badder guys come and the story gets weird. There are gunfights, people dying, people racing for their lives, and it seems to all come out of nowhere. Suddenly Teal knows how to make Molotov Cocktails and Zane becomes a badass fighter. It is all just too much and I’m tired thinking about it.

If Undertow was all action then I probably wouldn’t bother reading the next book, but Cherry Adair did a great job of making the characters into real people. And I really enjoyed the whole salvage and diving parts of the book so I am looking forward to reading Riptide.

Grade: B-

Summary:

SHE TAKES THE PLUNGE.

Teal Williams is content with her career as a ship’s master mechanic—until Zane Cutter, the “Casanova of the Caribbean,” makes her an offer she can’t refuse: to climb on board with him for a real-life treasure hunt. Teal must help him dredge up a shipwrecked vessel containing an abundance of gold, silver, and emeralds—and she’ll claim part of the prize.

HE’S BLOWN OFF COURSE.

Zane needs a mechanic—not a lover—and Teal, who can also dive, is perfect for the job.  So it suits him just fine that Teal is completely immune to his charms…or so he tells himself.  But with a deadly enemy in their midst—one who’s silently edging closer—Zane and Teal sink into troubled waters. Trapped in the middle of a perilous sea, they have no one to turn to but each other as they face down a danger that runs unfathomably deep—and a passion that runs even deeper…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Laura C’s review of Deadly Little Lies by Jeanne Adams
Romantic Suspense published by Zebra 01 Sep 11

Billionaire Davros Gianakopulos has lusted after Carrie McCray for years, but with his own murky past and her unfortunate one, he’s kept his distance. Finally he makes his move…just as a vengeful enemy from his past makes a move of his own. Soon Davros and Carrie are running for their lives in the jungles of Central America. Davros’ security team is close behind, but there are far more villains in the picture than any of them are aware and no one may get out alive.

Although romantic suspense is probably my favorite subgenre of romance, I think it is the hardest to write well. All too often one side–either the romance or the suspense–fails to satisfy. When it’s the suspense, I can forgive it because my emotions are still wrapped tight in the romance, but when it’s the romance, well, that I find more disturbing.

Unfortunately, while the suspense plot in Deadly Little Lies is nice and twisty, with different villains around every blind curve, with double and triple-crosses, the central romance falls flat. Compare these two sections, one of a conversation between the two main characters about their relationship, the other an action sequence:

This occurs about one-third through the book:

“I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that you believed in me.” She found his hand again, squeezed his fingers, then brought them to her cheek. “You never wavered, did you?”

“Never,” he said, because it was true. He couldn’t help it, he had to touch her, hold her and ease her sorrow.  Using the anchor of the hand she held, he moved closer, found her face with his other hand. “Carrie, you’re like a dark flame to me, with your beautiful black hair, your sapphire eyes, and your brilliant mind and wit. I carry a picture of you in my head.” He caressed her cheek, felt the dampness of a tear, but didn’t let that deter him. “I measure other women against you and they always come up lacking.”

Okay, let me just say that if my husband said that to me, I’d ask him where he put his…manly bits. And if a guy I was just dating said it? He’d be out the door before he knew what hit him (which would be my knee).  But they go on that way for the entire book!  It makes me want to scream.

And then the action:

Not good. Too many forces at odds. To many pieces on the chessboard.

He continued to watch, unwilling to shift the balance yet. He gritted his teeth when the men turned to the hole as well, having finished with their work at the road. They crept over to the same place Niko had, but they were more intent. When they aimed their weapons downward, he could see both night-scopes and suppressors. Shifting to his work, Jurgens sighed, focused and let out a long, slow breath.

Idiots.

He squeezed the trigger once, then twice. Pivoting fast, he shot again, taking out the sniper who had been watching the camp as intently as he had. The fact that that watcher hadn’t shot meant that he worked with these men. Therefore, he had to be taken off the chessboard.

Oh, so much more interesting! At various points Ms. Adams throws a little a conflict into the romance, but as readers we never take it very seriously. Too much has been given away already too quickly, so what we have is a romance novel with no build in the relationship.  The thriller part, no matter how much fun and how exciting, can’t overcome that.

(My recommendation? Read Jeanne Adams earlier series—Dark and Dangerous, and Dark and Deadly—instead. They’re both excellent.)

Grade: C+

Summary:

Billionaire industrialist Dav Gianikopolis believes in working hard and enjoying the fruits of your labors.  He believes in legacies, but given the dark and dangerous legacy his own father passed on, he’s not sure he really wants to take the chance on love and marriage.  Nearly getting killed – and having his best friend nearly die in his arms – changes his mind, and Dav decides its time to settle down.  He decides he’s going to marry Carrie McCray, the woman he’s been drawn to for years, but never been able to reach.  When she finally agrees to a date, everything goes horribly wrong and Dav and Carrie are kidnapped, whisked away to an unknown location, with the threat of death hanging over every move, every word.  Locked away underground in an impenetrable cell, how can Dav and Carrie survive, much less, escape?  When their captors are murdered before their eyes, with no warning, they must work together to escape, or perish.  Having finally found a woman he can trust, and maybe even love, Dav isn’t giving up, and neither are his friends and colleagues Gates Bromley and Ana Burton-Bromley.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Tempted by His Target by Jill Sorenson
Romantic Suspense published by Harlequin 20 Sep 11

This book hits the spot in many ways. It’s a straightforward road book with a chase thrown in. The characters are interesting and appealing, and they don’t do anything stupid enough to make you want to throw the book across the room. That is a win. Another is that the book kept me engrossed until the end, without me checking the page count or anything else.

Isabel is on the run. She used to be a fun-loving party girl, but things went wrong, and now she’s in Mexico, scraping by on a living as a journalist and surfing. Isabel loves surfing. Brandon is looking for Isabel. He’s a US Deputy Marshall, (shades of Timothy Oliphant, yum!) and he’s been tasked to find her. He surfs, too, so that’s how he makes the connection. Then the baddies catch up with them, and they have to run. That’s about it, really, for the plot.

Yay, I say. The simple plot gives Ms. Sorenson time to develop the characters and put in enough detail to make you feel the heat of Mexico and the desperation. Isabel doesn’t entirely trust Brandon, even though she’s attracted to him, and she does try to do something about it at a point in the story where many authors would make their heroines do something stupid just to move the plot along. She doesn’t. She does something, but she knows what she’s doing, and she could have gotten away with it, but—that would be telling. Read the book and find out.

Isabel doesn’t know who Brandon is or why he’s interested in her, and she has too much nous to take him at face value, although at first they don’t have a lot of time for idle chitchat. She doesn’t realize that Brandon already knows her secret. Brandon has his feelings of guilt to cope with, along with the problem that if he fraternizies with her, it puts his job in jeopardy. Isabel is a “person of interest” and being attracted to his targets is something Brandon doesn’t do. And he has his preconception of her as a feckless party girl who popped pills and swigged alcohol, a model who showed as much of her body as she had to for her assignments. He carries a picture from her modelling days in his bag, but later dumps the picture, not just because she might see it and twig to the fact that he knew her identity before he met her, but also because the Isabel he now knows isn’t like the one in the picture. Isabel has learned more than life-saving techniques in her two years on the run. She is beginning to learn her self-worth and her place in the world outside the wealthy party crowd.

I’m a sucker for a road book, and this is a good one. Brandon and Isabel come to an understanding of each other, although they don’t trust each other completely until the end. But they get off on each other, and there are complications along the way that ensure the tension is kept tight and high. The reason for the chase is obvious and believable and the chase itself is exciting and visceral.

This book hits the spot in many ways. It’s a straightforward road book with a chase thrown in. The characters are interesting and appealing, and they don’t do anything stupid enough to make you want to throw the book across the room. That is a win. Another is that the book kept me engrossed until the end, without me checking the page count or anything else.

If I have a caveat, it’s that sometimes the narration is a little too crisp, a little uninvolved, but I can’t say that affected me a huge amount, or that I cared enough to stop reading. On the whole I had a good time with this book, and it’s definitely worth your time.

Grade: B

Summary:

Wanted for the murder of a Mexican drug lord’s son, party girl Isabel Sanborn fled to Oaxaca. Now she owes her life to Brandon Knox, a passing tourist who just saved her from a hit man.

But Knox is no accidental hero—he’s an undercover U.S. marshal assigned to bring Isabel to justice. Instead, wanting to protect her, he joins her on the lam…with cartel goons and corrupt police in hot pursuit!

And as the danger escalates, sexual tension sizzles. For the first time in his career, Brandon considers jeopardizing his mission to safeguard his target. And though Isabel can elude the authorities, she can’t escape her feelings….

Read an excerpt.

Laura C’s review of Revenge at Bella Terra (Bella Terra, Book 2) by Christina Dodd
Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense published by Signet 06 Sep 11

Eli De Luca has been blackmailed into convincing Chloë Conte to marry him. He tells himself he’ll be good to her, that she’ll never want for anything and she’ll never know he doesn’t love her. And at first, it all seems to be going well.  But then violence from the past visits the present and when Eli and Chloë are threatened, he begins to realize his feelings are far deeper than he’d ever imagined they could be. But can she ever forgive him for not telling her the truth?

Although the publisher markets these books as “romantic suspense,” so far the series has had much more of a contemporary romance feel to me. That’s not a negative—I like contemporary and I don’t think nearly enough people are writing it—but it is a warning to people who are looking for something with thrills and chills: this isn’t it.  This is a great, emotional, contemporary romance, with a touch of suspense and a good, solid mystery.

The basic plot of this novel is probably more familiar to readers of historical romances than to those who read contemporaries: broke guy needs to convince wealthy woman he is in love with her and while he’s acting out his role he actually does fall in love. Yes, it’s an old story, but Dodd handles it beautifully, perking up the old story into something new and different. The mysterious death of the bootlegging wine-maker Massimo Bruno during Prohibition brings these two characters—mystery writer and vintner—together, and the quick pacing of the plot keeps them together.

The mystery aspect is well-developed, but the real focus is on the romance.

Eli watched Chloë climb the cellar stairs ahead of him.

He liked this sundress. It bared her back and arms, displaying long, sleek muscles and a lithe, catlike movement that made him want to pet her. Her legs were good, too, and in that skirt and from this angle, he could see a lot of them.

He really, really did like this sundress.

He probably should feel ashamed of himself for leering at an unsuspecting woman. In normal circumstances, he was sure he would.

But these were not normal circumstances. He was going to marry Chloë.

Besides, she wasn’t what he expected. When Conte had proposed the deal, Eli had thought he’d be stuck with a girl without personality or wisdom, someone whose primary ambition was to perch on the back of a Jaguar convertible while Eli drove her through center of town during the annual Wine Crush parade.

Instead, she drove a blue Ford Focus.

‘Nuff said.

I really enjoyed watching the interactions between Eli and Chloë, especially his growing frustration as she continually dismisses him as a suitor. She knows her father has been matchmaking (though she doesn’t know about his blackmail) and tells Eli at the beginning that he doesn’t have to worry, she won’t be persuaded to marry him. At first, this suits him perfectly, but as his situation becomes more dire and his emotions become more complicated, it begins to drive him a bit crazy. Chloë is more straightforward with less to hide, but the one thing she absolutely requires in a man is honesty—so Eli’s sort of up a creek.

I would recommend this to any contemporary romance reader. Yes, there’s some violence, but not too much, and it mostly takes place off the page, so you don’t have to be immersed in it.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Ruthless Eli Di Luca hides the torment of his past beneath a façade of iron control. No one suspects the anguish he suffers, or the reasons why he has sworn never to marry. Only blackmail could change his mind…

Beautiful young author Chloë Conte’s first book zoomed to the top of the bestseller lists. Now, struggling to write her second mystery, she retreats to an isolated cottage in a private vineyard. But with his magnetic appeal and his fascinating tales of Bella Terra’s violent past, Eli Di Luca proves an irresistible distraction, and Chloë finds herself falling in love with a man she hardly knows. Soon she discovers that Eli has been keeping secrets from her, and the truth will bring more than heartbreak…it will put them both in mortal danger.

When murder and peril threaten, the only way Chloe can survive is to trust the man who has betrayed her…and that’s a price her stubborn heart may not be willing to pay.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Betrayal in Bella Terra, April 2012

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s Duckies Do Series review of Mystery Men #3 through #5 by HelenKay Dimon
Romantic suspense published by Harlequin Intrigue Feb 2011 – Sep 2011

I easily get distracted by The Shiny, which means when it comes to connected books, I inevitably fall behind.  I’ve really been enjoying HelenKay Dimon’s Mystery Men series for Harlequin Intrigue, likening them to action movies on paper with some mushy “love cooties” thrown in on the side.  Because of various shiny bits, however, I found myself faced with the final three books languishing on my e-reader.  Seemed like a good way to make myself feel productive was to bang out reading the final three in order.  So what have the final three uncoupled men in the qausi-governmental Recovery Project been up to?  Well, gee – what haven’t they?

Gunning For Trouble (Mystery Men #3)
February 2011

Caleb Mattern came to the Recovery Project after getting canned from his lab technician job.  His job was just to do the work, look at the facts.  But no, not good enough for Caleb, who also wanted to play crime-buster.  Going rogue got him fired, but it led him to Recovery – where he now works as their in-house science/medical/forensic guru.  With their boss, Rod, missing in action and a corruption scandal in the Witness Protection Program they’re trying to get to the bottom off, Caleb really doesn’t have time to deal with his ex-lover, Avery Walker, showing up on his doorstep.  Especially since she claims Rod sent her, and oh yeah, there are armed goons gunning for her.  Did I mention the bit about Avery being Caleb’s former boss?  The one that fired him from his last job?  Yeah, awkward.

What we have here is a straight-up reunion story, with some misunderstandings tossed in, and a bit of rescue fantasy thrown in for good measure.  Avery knows something about the WitSec corruption that could get her killed, and in fact some very bad men are trying to do just that.  Caleb is trying to keep her safe, but their past baggage is making things a bit complicated on a personal level.  The suspense here is handled well, with a definite thriller edge.  What didn’t work as well for me was the romance, mostly because Avery and Caleb seem to bicker a lot.  Right up until the bitter end.  Still, they do work past it, the bad guy problem at hand is dispatched, and the continuing mystery continues on….

Grade: B-

Summary:

When he was recruited by the Recovery Project, Caleb Mattern found a new lease on life. Tracking missing persons. Protecting witnesses. But even after stretching his muscles and becoming one of the company’s elite agents, he couldn’t leave his past behind. Avery Walters wouldn’t let him.

His former boss had also been his onetime lover, and now she’s burst back into his life with dangerous consequences. But settling old scores won’t be on the agenda—not yet! With the nation’s security depending on them to act appropriately, Caleb must pull off the most impossible assignment of his career. Now that Avery’s put her life in his hands, what will Caleb do with it?

Read an excerpt.

Locked And Loaded (Mystery Men #4)
August 2011

The WitSec scandal involves the exchange of cash for information on participants in the program.  Two women are already dead, and a third woman, Maddie Timmons, is on the hit list.  Recovery Project computer expert, Adam Wright, has been dispatched to West Virginia to keep an eye on her.  Moving in next door, eating pie at the diner where she works, and watching her every move gets to be mighty tempting though.  Even though this woman testified against a brutal drug-dealing ex and presumably was intimately involved in that business operation.  When bad guys come calling, Adam rides to the rescue, only to discover a woman who is pretty capable of trying to rescue herself.

What I really like about this story is that Maddie has a bit of a harder edge than the previous heroines.  She’s living in the WitSec program, which means she’s never idle, never rests, and always has a contingency plan.  Adam has sexy geek written all over him, and I’ll admit that I’m shallow enough that I actually swooned.  The ending here isn’t quite as tidy as in the other books, namely because Maddie being part of WitSec means she won’t be totally in the clear until after the resolution to that mystery.

Grade: B

Summary:

Nothing was as it seemed… Not even the protection Maddie Timmons was promised when she’d entered the Witness Security Program. One of her handlers was missing, the other had burned her, and now Maddie was at risk.

All that stood between her and certain death was one sexy stranger.

Deep undercover, Recovery Project agent Adam Wright vowed to keep Maddie safe from the leak at WitSec. But Adam wasn’t prepared for the confident woman he’d rescued, the sensuous lover who got under his skin. He could do nothing about her past being taken away, but he’d do anything to secure her future…even if it meant forsaking his own….

Read an excerpt.

The Big Guns (Mystery Men #5)
September 2011

Sela Andrews is the personal assistant to Trevor Walters, a very bad, very crooked man who is neck-deep in the WitSec corruption.  For that reason, the Recovery Project has been keeping an eye on her.  Well, not the whole team, just Zach Bachman.  An explosives expert, Zach is the strong, silent, borderline aloof member of the team with a haunted past and quiet disposition.  Admittedly though, watching Sela gets under his skin.  She’s sexy as hell, but rumor has it she’s boff’ing the boss.  And given Trevor’s activities, this doesn’t say good things about her.  However, when Sela is kidnapped, it’s up to Zach to save the day.  Which he does.  But not before there’s a lot of gun play, a lot of falling in love, the resolution to the WitSec corruption and missing Recovery Project boss, Rod.

I’ve read all five books in this series, and this one is my favorite.  Not only do we finally get the resolution to the overarching suspense, but the romance here is very strong.  Zach definitely fits the strong, silent type, is Alpha to the core, and definitely has a bit of a rescue complex.  He’s a good, solid man though, and Sela is a smart enough girl to weigh her options carefully.  Being Trevor’s assistant means she knows about Recovery, and doesn’t necessarily think of them as “the good guys” – but she’s smart enough to read the signs.  She’s smart enough to not constantly fight Zach when it becomes very apparent that he’s keeping her alive.  And she’s also smart enough to challenge him at every turn, confront him, and bring him emotionally to his knees.

Grade: B+

Summary:

When he saw his mark being kidnapped, Recovery Project agent Zach Bachman had no option but to rescue her. Even if it endangered his assignment. After weeks of watching Sela Andrews from afar, he was now trapped with the blonde beauty as her bodyguard.

Her brave protector relished the heat of gun battle but retreated from his own emotions. Sela learned that when, in the dead of night in a darkened safe house, the loner became her lover. Still, as her would-be killers closed in on them again, she had no choice but to put her life—and her heart—in the hands of her reluctant guardian.

Read an excerpt.

Harlequin Intrigue is a tricky line because it does put a bit more emphasis on the suspense than the romance.  For that reason, Insta-Lurve can creep into the books, which usually operates on a short timeline.  The final three books in this series are not immune to that.  However, Dimon writes this style of suspense so well, and the overarching mystery thread is interesting enough, that I’m willing to shut-up and enjoy the ride.  This has been a fun, exciting series, and here’s hoping for lots more Intrigues from Dimon.

Overall Grade: B

Other books in this series:

Laura C’s review of Secrets of Bella Terra (Scarlet Deception Series, Book 1) by Christina Dodd
Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense published by Signet Select 02 Aug 11

I’ll just admit up front that I love Christina Dodd. That said, I always face books written by my long-time favorites with some trepidation. Will it be as good as I expect? If not, will I be able to forgive the author? How many chances can I give an author before I give up? (The answer: a lot.)

Luckily, in this first new book in her Scarlet Deception series, Dodd does not disappoint.  It’s touching, sweet, and has enough intrigue to keep the pages turning long into the night. It’s as much small town contemporary romance as it is romantic suspense, so I’d recommend it to anyone who reads in either of those subgenres.

Rafe di Luca is the epitome of tall, dark, and dangerous, and his short-lived but passionate affair with Brooke Petersson ended because neither could come to grips with the other’s lifestyle. None of that has changed. Rafe is still a world traveler and security specialist, while Brooke still prefers to stay home and manage the Bella Terra resort and winery complex. When Rafe’s grandmother is attacked on the Bella Terra grounds, he comes running home…smack into Brooke. Forced to deal with each other to figure out what is going on, they gradually remember the positive things in their relationship as well as the acrimony.

If you are a reunion romance fan, this book is definitely for you. Even when you know they’ll get their HEA, the question of how they will overcome the things that separated them in the past looms until the very end. He even admits as much to himself and to Brooke’s mother:

“…I’ve never done anything to deliberately hurt Brooke, and I never will.”

“You never used malice, you mean. But deliberately…yes, you have. You two have been in love and out of love, but how would you even know if the same things are important to both of you? What kind of relationship do you have that you don’t talk to her about your job? About what matters to you? About your plans?”

“Fair enough. I’ll take all your points under advisement.  Now, take mine under advisement. I’ve dealt with my PTSD. It changed me, true—in the end, it made me a better man, and one able to help Brooke in her hour of need. It’s time for some honesty between Brooke and me, and for you”—he pointed his finger at Mrs. Petersson—”to back off.” He didn’t wait for her to argue. He didn’t have the time and he didn’t have the patience. Instead, he walked out the door and into the warm spring morning.

I felt the mystery here took a backseat to the romance, but that didn’t particularly bother me. The slash and burn style of romantic suspense can leave one a bit exhausted (though that doesn’t stop me from picking up every single one that hits the shelves) and it was lovely to read one that moved a little more slowly.

Occasionally, I did think the plot moved a little too slowly, and once in a while the dialogue got a bit stilted (not between Rafe and Brooke but, as above, between secondary characters).  Still, those are relatively minor quibbles and I read the book until way too late at night and was thoroughly satisfied at the end.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Dark, brooding, and sexy, Rafe Di Luca has returned to Bella Terra for one reason: to find out who attacked his beloved grandmother… and why. Owner of one of the world’s leading security firms, he has his prime suspect: the beautiful Brooke Petersson, manager of Bella Terra. Years ago, he and Brooke shared a powerful passion before he walked out of her life. She swore the affair was over forever, yet they find themselves drawn into an erotic web neither can escape. Now Rafe must decide if he should trust the desire Brooke ignites in him—or if seduction is her revenge…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Betrayal in Bella Terra – April 2012

Sandy M’s review of Fatal Consequences (Fatal Series, Book 3) by Marie Force
Romantic Suspense ebook published by Carina Press 18 Jul 11

With just one book, Everyone Loves a Hero, Marie Force has become a favorite of mine.  I have other books of hers in the TBR mountain just because I like the title or the back cover blurb. So it’s always an extra thrill when the story inside matches what you’ve built up in your mind from those extraneous descriptions, and Ms. Force does that in spades. And she surprises me too. This book, the first of her Fatal Series I’ve read, has surprised me. Now, I know you’ll say, “Well, Sandy, you should have known from the title that this book isn’t full of fluff and fun.”  Yeah, I get that, but I still expected a tad bit of that. But what I actually got is so much more.

The first thing I really like about this story is that our hero and heroine are already together. I believe that happened in the previous book (I’ll have to read that book to satisfy my curiosity. ) when Nick lost two close friends to murder, one of whom was a U.S. Senator and Nick has filled that interim spot and is now campaigning on his own. Sam is a lieutenant with the D.C. police, good at her job, and she solved the case involving Nick’s friends. There’s where I think the relationship began. And what a terrific relationship it is. Sam is still gun shy after surviving her abusive and murderous ex-husband, but she’s doing her best not to keep things from Nick. He’s an honest and straightforward kind of man and needs the same from her, no matter what. He can’t fight what he doesn’t know about. None of that do-what-you-think-is-best-without-telling-anyone garbage that leads to crazy misunderstandings in this book, and I love it. Work together and fight the conflict together. Makes me so very happy as a reader. Of course, because they’re lovers early on, we also enjoy a lot more of bedroom fun, including heart-to-hearts.

From what I gather, it’s not unusual in Sam’s work life for a case to be dropped in her lap at a moment’s notice, and this time it’s at her father’s wedding. And this one is a doozy. At least it is once the team begins investigating. An employee of a cleaning service that takes care of senate offices is killed, and the Senator who finds her is a friend of Nick’s, so he calls Sam to try to keep this tragedy away from the media. That’s only the first warning bell that goes off for Sam. Come to find out the lady and the senator are more than passing friendly. The investigation leads them to another employee who has suffered the same fate, and suddenly this case takes on much larger proportions than Sam and her team could ever imagine.

What cements that is when Sam receives a threat telling her to back off, but she’s a stubborn cuss. No way in hell will she do that. Then one of her team is attacked, beaten and raped, left alive only to deliver a message to Sam. And those scenes are written to perfection, from Sam’s reaction to the threat to her empathy toward her friend and colleague to that woman’s range of emotions, as well as that of her boyfriend. Sam is now more determined to find out who’s behind this well-kept secret that’s been hidden for years by the good old boy network of government officials. You don’t threaten Sam and get away with it.

Through all of this Nick does his best to stand by Sam. When she decides to share what’s going on with him, that is. What he wants more than anything – even being a senator – is to make her his wife, and he finally gets the agreement he wants from her, so he doesn’t hesitate. A date is set and all arrangements are now in the works. This is where that little bit of fluff comes in for this book, and this couple is fun when life isn’t throwing curves at them, all of which is needed amid all the heavy evil going on around these characters. But they deal with it all beautifully, even when houses are torched and ex-husbands get released on a technicality.

I also like the side stories we get in this book. Tommy is faced with news out of left field, but he’s thrilled and appalled at the same time once the situation is finally clear cut. He takes action, though it may cost him his relationship with Christina. Freddie is having the time of his life with Elin, but his mother and Sam caution him right and left about the woman. I’m a little confused as to why he took a vow of celibacy at a young age and has just now discovered sex. Another reason to get to the previous books ASAP! Curiosity has to be satisfied. Though he’s loving the sex, Freddie wants more, but is that what Elin wants too? And we also learn about Sam’s father and his retirement from the department, something Sam is still working on to solve to this day. But we’re just as happy as Sam to see him happy again.

Characters who draw you into their lives on the first page, a storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat, turning page after page and throws you a twist you never see coming but also warms your heart and then beats it out of your chest in those extra special moments, and just plain old great writing are all hallmarks of a Marie Force book. What are you waiting for? Pick one up today, especially this one and its predecessors. A great read is waiting just for you.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The murder of two members of the Capitol Cleaning Service might’ve been just another homicide investigation—that is If one of them hadn’t been romantically involved with a married senator from Arizona. Lt. Sam Holland and her team are plunged into another complex case that at first seems open and shut. But as Sam tugs on the threads of the investigation she uncovers a deep, dark Washington secret that threatens the careers of some of the government’s highest-ranking officials. Racing to catch a killer before he can strike again, Sam and her fiancé, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, attempt to plan a wedding while her colleague Detective Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales faces life-changing news.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Cover Me (Elite Force Series, Book 1) by Catherine Mann
Romantic Suspense published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Jul 11

This is my first Catherine Mann book, and, wow, what a way to start. She’s taken the wilds of Alaska and made them beautiful and horrific at the same time. She’s written two very strong-willed characters who know they can’t tame those wilds but wouldn’t give them up for anything but an undying love. She’s come up with a storyline that’s different from anything else out there, at least that I’ve read. I enjoyed every action-packed moment of Cover Me.

Wade is a pararescueman whose rigorous training takes him a step above a Navy SEAL. He’s on his last training mission when a call comes in for his team to locate and extract lost climbers in the Aleutian Islands. Parachuting through a blizzard, Wade comes face to face with Sunny, the last to be found. Or so he thinks. The more he gets to know this close-mouthed, independent woman, the more he has a feeling something just isn’t right. Now just to find out what that is.

But Sunny has her reasons for being evasive when this handsome military man asks his questions. She’s just handed off a couple who chose to leave their isolated village, a place where folks live off nature and all it has to offer and who can never return once they’ve experienced the rest of civilization. Sunny and her family have lived there for years and she’s happy as can be with the way her life has turned out, all due to her determination and hard work. But that world is about to come crashing down, and thank God Wade is by her side.

When it’s discovered that someone has been manipulating the village and its citizens for years, all for ill-gotten and bone-chilling gains, disbelief wars with a need to keep those she cares about safe, so instead of staying with Wade while the military and law enforcement investigate, Sunny is determined to return home to warn everyone of the danger in their midst. Wade refuses to leave her side, whether she wants him with her or not and despite the fact the woman can take care of herself – in most situations. She and her townspeople have never been up against someone as evil as this villain, who knows just how to get people to do his bidding to further his own selfish needs. I love how he’s eventually taken down, a surprise to him as well, in more ways than one.

The attraction between Wade and Sunny starts early but slowly. They’re drawn to one another because in one sense they’re so much alike, knowing how to survive against the elements, while everything else in their lives are so different from the other. Even so, they complement one another quite well. Sunny has to learn to trust, especially after the awful discoveries in her backyard. I like that Wade doesn’t give up on her, keeps working to build that trust. When they finally do come together, their loving is intense but sweet, and I like that we didn’t have to wait for three-quarters of the book for that to happen. Sometimes sexual tension is taken a little too far, but Ms. Mann does it perfectly here.

The action is done very well, keeping your heart pumping till all is said and done. We meet a number of Wade’s brothers-in-arms. Their teasing and joking within the team is fun, giving us a closer look at those we’ll meet again later. So I’m definitely looking forward to more books in this series.

Grade: B+

Summary:

It should have been a simple mission… Pararescueman Wade Rocha parachutes from the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine…

But when it comes to passion, nothing is ever simple… With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down ina  cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm… until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime…

Unable to trust the shady local police, Sunny and Wade investigate, while their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled…

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: B-

Summary:

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

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

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

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

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LynneC’s review of Inside (Bulletproof Series, Book 1) by Brenda Novak
Romantic Suspense published by Mira 28 Jun 11

I had this book to keep me company on a long, loooong airplane journey and it ate up a nice bunch of hours. After a shaky start I found the story totally absorbing, the characters believable and engaging.

I wouldn’t call this romantic suspense, more a straight thriller with a romance, but don’t let that put you off because this is one great read.

Peyton Adams is a deputy at one of the biggest high security prisons in the US. She is asked, or rather given no choice, to help with an operation to discover which member of a gang killed a judge, and to do that, they are going to put an ex-con undercover.

We first meet Virgil Skinner under his fake name of Simeon Bennett. He has just been exonerated from a crime for which he served sixteen years, but he’s not home free with his release because he killed two men in the prison. He was a member of a gang, but not the gang they want him to go inside to finger.

The romance is hot, hard and fast, and probably the weakest point of the story. There is little development, it just is. They meet, sleep together and they are in love. But with so many other things going on, there isn’t the room to develop a full-bodied romance.

Novak handles the complex storyline with a masterful hand. Different characters who may not know each other interact and do things that affect everyone else in the story. There’s no big “tada!” moment, which can put a story off balance, there is just a relentless progression.

There are numerous points of view too, something not found in the regular romance and I felt that a few of them weren’t really needed, and it might have helped the suspense if they were left out, but Novak’s delineation of character is fine and beautifully done. If that’s the way she needs to tell the story, that’s okay by me.

I enjoyed it, and read breathlessly to the end. Novak says she got the idea for this story after watching Prison Break. I don’t know how accurate it is, but it seemed authentic to me, and she sustains her world so that I believe in the danger threatening the two main characters. The only jarring point is the dearth of curse words. I don’t believe that cons and ex cons don’t use fuck on a more regular basis, but in this story it’s only used in relation to the sex act.

I’ll be looking for the next story in the series, if there is one, because this is an engrossing and well-written book.

Note: I got this book as an ARC from netgalley.

Grade: A

Summary:

Book 1 of the Bulletproof Series

Virgil Skinner served fourteen years for a murder he didn’t commit. He’s finally been exonerated, but he can’t escape the gang he joined in order to survive. They’ll do anything to keep him from telling what he knows. And if they can’t get to Virgil they’ll go after his sister and her kids.

The California Department of Corrections needs someone to infiltrate another gang, one that’s taking control of the state’s most notorious supermax. Virgil’s the perfect candidate — and he’ll do it in exchange for his sister’s protection.

Assistant deputy warden Peyton Adams is opposed to having Virgil in her prison. How will she protect him if things go bad? Besides, she’s attracted to him; she might even be falling in love with him. That makes her all the more desperate to keep him safe — and it gives him someone else to lose.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

November 2011

Sandy M’s review of Breaking Point (I-Team, Book 5) by Pamela Clare
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 3 May 11

When I open a Pamela Clare book, I know I’m going to be in for a very emotional, very sensual, and very wild and dangerous ride. I know I will laugh. I will cry. I will become enamored of her characters. I will revel in the intensity, tenderness, and romance of their love making. I will sit on the edge of my seat, praying those characters will get through their hell as quickly and unscathed as possible.

So far I’ve only read the last two books of this series, and they are as gripping and full of emotion as can be. The way the heroes and heroines meet are unique and intense, and I’m now so curious to find out if the previous books are the same.

Zach is ex-military and now a U.S. Marshall in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, investigating Los Zetas and its leader, who is suspected of abducting, torturing, and then murdering young women for his bloodthirsty rituals. Having gone through days of torture at their hands, Zach is surprised to hear the bastards toss a woman into the cell next to him. He knows her fate and tries to calm her fears as her reality sets in.

But Natalie is much stronger than he could imagine. She’s the one, despite their odds, who manages to free herself from her restraints and then help Zach so they can make their escape.

Grade: A+

Summary:

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive.

Betrayed by another operative, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.

Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach’s battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.

But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of The Edge of Night by Jill Sorenson
Romantic Suspense published by Dell 05 Apr 11

This book is a bit different from what I am used to. The romantic suspense books I read are usually about military heroes with lots of action. This is the first time I’ve read one featuring a patrol officer. It’s just not my thing, but I am glad I decided to give it a try.

April and Noah are our main couple, and I like them well enough. They have huge obstacles in their way, and right up until the end I wondered how they would overcome them. The relationship, the emotions, the problems, they all feel realistic. I think I would have liked more romance and more scenes with the two of them. A lot of time is spent focused on other things and not them. At the end of the book, I feel like I don’t know them as well as I should. Still, I did truly enjoy every part of this book. I’m not sure it would have worked if there’s more focus on them. So while I do wish there’s more of them as a couple, I don’t think any of the other stuff should be taken away.

Something I tend to do a lot with romance book is I get more interested in secondary couples, which is what happened here. There is another romance going on with Noah’s nineteen-year-old sister, Meghan, and a gang member, Eric. They have a sort of Romeo and Juliet thing going on and every time they aren’t on the page, I wish they were. Their relationship is heartbreaking, and I want so badly for them to get their happily ever after. I read on Jill Sorenson’s site that they might get their own book, and I really, really, really want them to. I’m disappointed that there’s no book already to look forward to.

The murder case fits in nicely. Everything kind of revolves around it, but it doesn’t take over the book. I could easily picture this as a movie or TV show, the way it all comes together perfectly. I definitely have to go see what other books Jill Sorenson has out now.

Grade: B+

Summary:

In a sultry California city on the Mexican border, a brutal crime pushes a struggling young mother and an idealistic cop to the edge of passion—and beyond.

To support her small daughter, April Ortiz does what she has to do—which means waiting tables in a skimpy outfit at a popular nightclub in a gang-infested area of Chula Vista. When one of her co-workers is raped and murdered, April does what she knows she shouldn’t—she defies the neighborhood code by giving the police a hardcore gang member’s name.

Clean-cut cop Noah Young wants a shot at breaking this case more than anything in the world—that is, until he meets the unforgettable April Ortiz. When April gives Noah the tip, a spark ignites. As the fire between them threatens to blaze out of control, the two are dragged down further into the dark mysteries of the graffiti-lined streets, taunted by a crazed killer who could strike again at any time.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Hidden Away (KGI Series, Book 3) by Maya Banks
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 1 Mar 11

This is one of those series that turns me into a rabid fan who always asks, “When’s the next book?” “Can’t you write any faster?” You know, those types of questions that annoy authors to no end. I devour each book in turn and then get irritated when I read each one so fast, didn’t make any of them last. What’s a reader to do!

Garrett Kelly is recuperating from a gunshot wound when a new case comes along, only requiring relaxing on a beach while keeping tabs on a traitor’s sister to finally bring the man down. He’s tired of being sidelined, so takes this case on, despite his brothers’ disagreements. Garrett wants Marcus Lattimer, and if babysitting a young child is what it takes, he’ll do it. Little does he know the surprise that’s waiting for him at Sarah’s isolated getaway where she’s been holed up.

Trying to regain her life after begin raped by her boss, and then witnessing Marcus kill the man in revenge, Sarah hightails it to a secret location so she can’t be used against him for trying to protect her. She’s cautious and suspicious at every turn, but the handsome, wounded man on the beach turns out to be kind and generous. They begin to spend time together, learning about each other, and Sarah is halfway in love with Garrett after experiencing all the little things he does for her. Of course, a woman after my own heart, she knows a good thing when it’s staring her in the face and it doesn’t take long before hopping into bed with him. It wouldn’t have taken me nearly as long, though I don’t have the issues she does. Still. Garrett is worth it.

It takes a little longer for Garrett’s true feelings to surface, but there’s something about Sarah that brings out his alphaness and his willingness to go that extra mile for her. When he does learn her story, he’s determined she’ll never be hurt again, even though he’s first in line to do the hurting. He’s been deceiving her so far, wants to kill her brother if given the chance, but everything else between them has been honest. Not a lot there, he admits, but it’s something to build on once the shit hits the fan. Which happens sooner than he’d like. Suddenly Sarah is gone, running once again when things begin to close in on her. But Garrett is good at his job, finds her fairly easily, and you’d think things would start to get better for them. No chance. The bad has only just begun.

As usual, Maya Banks keeps the action and the intensity high and moving. I think the only point there’s any downtime is when Garrett and Sarah make love, but that’s pretty darned intense too. The scenes when they’re “detained” by fraudulent law enforcement wring the energy right out of you. And then the calvary shows up and the tide is about to turn for the good guys. I just love Rio’s hideaway sanctuary. I’d say he surprised everyone with his attention to detail.

And it’s always great to have the whole family together. The Kellys stick together no matter what, and it’s nice to see the boys finally agree that even Rusty is now part of their clan and they prove it to her too. They family also spends a lot of time in hospitals, this time around it’s Rachel bringing the newest Kelly into the world. There are great scenes from Marlene rounding up the daughters-in-law when all the men are in rescue mode to finally coming face to face with Lattimer, and so many others in between.

We have a long wait for the next book, Whispers in the Dark, which is Nathan’s book. It’s not out until February next year. I believe I will begin my stalking of Ms. Banks next week to see if she can write any faster. If not, at least she has a Highlander trilogy out this year, and I have a feeling I’m going to love those just as much as I love this Kelly gang. Can you imagine what she can do with Highlanders? OMG……

Grade: A+

Read Ash’s review here.

Summary:

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super elite, top secret, family-run business.

Qualifications: High intelligence, rock hard body, military background.

Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the US government can’t…

A man who shoots first and asks questions later…

Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who’s in hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half-brother—and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath a disciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it…

…and the ultimate moving target.

But Garrett hadn’t counted on falling for Sarah. He’d considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah’s dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe—even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn’t know exactly who, or what, Sarah’s running from, but whatever it is, she’s running for her life…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Breaking the Rules (Troubleshooters, Book 16) by Suzanne Brockmann
Romantic Suspense published by Ballantine 22 Mar 11

Ah, faithful reader, I must start off this review by admitting that I am a fan of Suzanne Brockmann and I love her Troubleshooters series – a couple of are in my top 20 books ever. So when I heard her next release (and, as it turns out, her last Troubleshooters book for a while) was going to be Izzy’s book, I was very excited. Izzy – always upbeat and finding the fun even in dire circumstances. Readers have loved Izzy since he first sang and quipped his way into the Troubleshooters world and him being the star of his own book? Awesome! Right? Well…

Breaking the Rules picks up not long after Hot Pursuit ends. The opening is the kind of action-packed battle stuff we’ve come to expect from Ms. Brockmann. The SEAL team is deployed off into a danger zone and Izzy, Danny Gillman, and the gang are soon in a sniper’s sights. Danny is hit and is in danger of bleeding out before they can get him to a hospital, so Izzy performs a battlefield transfusion – a direct line out of him into Gillman. He’s family, sort of…right? (For those unfamiliar with the series, Izzy is married/estranged from Danny’s sister Eden – their backstory is played out in several books.)

Then we flash to New York where Danny’s maybe-girlfriend (they met in Hot Pursuit) is about to be taken hostage by some disgruntled veterans when she receives word that Danny has been seriously injured and airlifted to Germany. The veterans rethink their hostage-taking and the leader goes with her to the airport. I found this to be unnecessary and forced – why the drama here??

Another flash takes us to Las Vegas where Eden has arrived to rescue her teenage brother from a hellish home life with their mother and her current husband. Eden knows she will need money to support herself and her brother Ben and she owes Danny money, so she wants to find a job that will pay a lot. She decided to audition for a job at an exotic dance club – her reasoning? ”After years of getting leered at wherever she went, she was now on the verge of getting paid for the very same thing.” Of course, Eden is young (22 in this book) and has a bad history with men. And, from a completely objective standpoint, there wasn’t another legal activity that would let her earn lots of money, fast. Meanwhile…

Somewhere in Las Vegas, a young girl escapes from the the illegal brothel she was brought to as an eight-year-old and has been kept there ever since. Illegal aliens imported and kept as sex slaves…certainly not a subplot found in romances, normally. You know why, faithful reader? Nothing sucks you out of a romance novel faster than the thought of children being kept as sex slaves! I know authors have to write the book they are moved to write and who am I to question where the story takes them? Oh wait, I’m the reader. And this as a subplot in a romance? A poor choice, in my opinion.

Also, in the mix of subplots is Eden and Danny’s younger brother Ben. Since Ben came out, his stepfather is convinced (and has convinced the mostly-absent mother) Ben must be sent to a “special” camp so he can be shown the error of his ways. Also, Ben has Type I diabetes, so he has special health issues that must be considered. While at the local mall, guess who Ben meets? Yup, our little runaway – her name is Neesha. Ben tries to give her some advice on escaping the notice of adults, but she doesn’t trust anyone (go figure).

Tying all these plots together takes a lot of effort – and, reading the book, I felt that effort. All the characters aren’t in the same place, working toward the same goal until about halfway through the book. The structure feels very fragmented and disjointed. The switching from place to place and subplot to subplot is jarring.

Izzy is the first to arrive in Vegas. He has been trying to catch up with Eden for the last few books and, when Dan’s father visits the hospital in Germany, Izzy finally gets her address. He heads for the States, hoping for closure. He finally, finally has decided that he has to accept that Eden doesn’t want him.

And now we come to my main problem with Breaking the Rules – the portrayal of Izzy. He has always been so upbeat and able to see the good, even in bad situations, but in this book he is sad. And actively works to keep his natural optimism down. Even after he agrees to help Eden and Ben, at least until Danny can get there, he just isn’t the same Izzy. He and Eden agree to just have a physical relationship and when they’re done, they’re done. No together forever, no happily ever after. And sure, that isn’t an unusual agreement for couples in romance novels, but, usually, it isn’t described in such a sad, hopeless tone. Nor does the tone continue for an extended amount of time.

Izzy’s attitude toward Eden is so out of character – he decides to just go with it and sleep with her, even though he knows it is just temporary because she needs his help and that’s just how she operates. Just waiting to get your heart broken? Again?? Looking at someone with your eyes wide open, knowing they will leave you and not look back and still hanging around for whatever crumbs you can get before the implosion? Heartbreaking. And the whole tone of the book is so bleak and sad because of that.

Being noble didn’t get him anything last time she was in his life, so this time he’s going to take whatever pleasure he can get for however long it lasts. But he never forgets that it will end. He expects it and doesn’t pretend otherwise with Eden. She has burned him too many times before. And Eden thinks no one will ever love her – because of her past, her reputation, her whatever – but she knows lots of people will want her and she’s willing to work with that, if it will help her get what she wants.

Really, the character that grows the most, changes the most, is Danny Gillman. Readers started learning more about him and what makes him tick in Hot Pursuit and we find out more in Breaking the Rules. He and Jennilyn really become a solid couple over the course of the book – who knew he isn’t a complete jerk?

Only in the last few chapters, when everything comes to a head and the good guys rush in to save the day, does this book have the same feel as the other Troubleshooters books. It’s like the characters suddenly snap back into their real selves (with some improvements in Dan’s case). And after the good guys prevail, we’re done. After all the sadness and suffering, everybody loves everybody and The End. I would have liked a bit more happy to balance out the bleakness of the rest. So is the happy ending worth suffering through the previous 7/8 of the book? For fans of the series, I’m not sure. For new readers, maybe. So is it necessary to read the rest of the series before reading Breaking the Rules? No – probably just Hot Pursuit. You might be better off, actually.

My final thought? Izzy deserves better than this.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Izzy Zanella wasn’t looking for another reason to butt heads with his Navy SEAL teammate, and nemesis, Danny Gillman. But then he met Danny’s beautiful younger sister, Eden. When she needed it most, he offered her a place to stay, a shoulder to cry on—and more. And when she got pregnant with another man’s child, he offered her marriage. But Eden’s devastating miscarriage shattered their life together—and made the intense bad blood between Izzy and Danny even worse.

Now Eden’s back, and she’s on a mission to rescue her teen brother, Ben, from their abusive stepfather. Even if she and Izzy can prove that their broken marriage is still in one piece, winning legal custody of Ben is a long shot. But they’re not alone: Danny and his girlfriend, Jenn, offer to help, and he and Izzy agree to bury the past and fight for Ben’s future.

As they plan their strategy, Izzy and Eden grapple with the raw passion that still crackles between them—while Danny and Jenn confront new depths in their own rocky relationship. But events take a terrifying turn after Ben befriends a girl fleeing a child prostitution ring. When the young runaway seeks refuge with Eden and Izzy, her pursuers kidnap Ben—and a deadly standoff begins. Now they must all pull together like never before and strike back, swift and hard, to protect their unconventional little family and everything they hold most precious.

Other books in the series:

Ash’s review of Hidden Away (KGI Series, Book 3) by Maya Banks
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 01 Mar 11

After reading the first two books, I was a little worried that Hidden Away would be more of the same thing with different people. I’m very happy to be wrong.

I never had a favorite Kelly brother, until Hidden Away. In the first two books, the focus is so much on each hero that the other brothers are kind of in the background. I have found a favorite, and I wish I could read this book all over again just for him. Garrett is just plain awesome. I wish more heroes are like him. He is the perfect alpha male without going overboard. He does what needs to be done and he won’t apologize for it. I didn’t expecting to enjoy him so much. He is just what Sarah needs after all she has gone through. Sarah is the typical heroine for this series, damaged and in need of protection. She at least tries to save herself, which I appreciate. So while she does need to be saved from physical threats, emotionally she doesn’t need Garrett to save her. I like Sarah, and I like Sarah with Garrett.

Hidden Away is less emotionally driven than the previous two books, and I love that. There is more action, violence, and I really wondered how in the world they would overcome the obstacles in their relationship. Sarah loves her brother and to her he isn’t a bad guy. Seeing him through her eyes makes him more human and not just some villain to be killed off. I almost want there to be some way for him to redeem himself.

As for the secondary characters, I don’t usually like when books switch POVs, but it works here. We get just enough of everyone to want more, and we get to see what is going on with Ethan and Rachel and Sam and Sophie.  Also, the Kelly brothers finally figure out what they should be doing with Rusty, their new sister. I love the scenes with her. Rusty is someone I can relate to in a way and I want her to be happy. I am hoping this series will be sticking around long enough for her to get her happy ending.

My only complaint is that I feel like the ending came together a little too neatly. After all the stress of wondering how Sarah would handle the truth and what would happen with her brother, it all feels rather anti-climatic. A little too much ‘they rode off into the sunset’ for me.

Hidden Away is the best so far, and this is still a series that I am eager for more of. I’m grateful there is no shortage of people to write about and I can’t wait to see who’s next.

Grade: A-

Summary:

A man who shoots first and asks questions later…

Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who’s in hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half-brother—and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath a disciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it…

…and the ultimate moving target.

But Garrett hadn’t counted on falling for Sarah. He’d considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah’s dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe—even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn’t know exactly who, or what, Sarah’s running from, but whatever it is, she’s running for her life…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Darkwood Manor by Jenna Ryan
Contemporary Gothic romance published by Harlequin Intrigue 01 Feb 11

One look at the cover art on Jenna Ryan’s latest Harlequin Intrigue and I was sunk.  Creepy mansion and waves crashing against a rocky shore have always been key signals to any romance reader worth her salt that we have a Gothic in our midst.  I have a major soft spot for these type of stories, so happily settled in for what I hoped would be a creepy atmospheric read.  Yeah, it didn’t really work out like that.

Isabella Ross has inherited Darkwood Manor from an ex-boyfriend who drove his vintage Corvette off a cliff near the spooky old place.  David wasn’t particularly close to any of his family, but Isabella is still a little surprised to be the new owner.  Her family in the hotel business, she’s driving to tiny Mystic Harbor to check it out with her cousin Katie to see if they can salvage the place as a boutique hotel.  Before you can say “spooky” – Katie disappears and Isabella gets warned off the property by Donovan Black.

Donovan is an FBI sharpshooter (well of course he is!) and a descendant of Darkwood’s original owner, a man who went mad and murdered his less-than-faithful wife.  Donovan warns Isabella off because his uncle swears something is afoot at the manor, and Donovan has never known the man to exaggerate.  However Isabella cannot be swayed.  She’s not going anywhere until she finds cousin Katie.

This story didn’t work for me on several levels.  First off, it’s possible that maybe I was having a slow day, but I found the writing a bit clunky in the first chapters.  However once I got an ear for it, I was rolling, until Katie goes missing.  This is where the book, and the characters, really stumble and never quite recover.  Isabella and Katie are almost like sisters.  They’re very close.  But when Katie goes missing, there’s no real sense of urgency.  Isabella leaves the manor (where her cousin vanished), drives into town, and talks to the local law who has fewer brains than Barney Fife and a lot less gumption.  No dialing 911 from the scene of the crime.  No calling the family to say Katie’s gone missing, or to even ask if they’ve heard from her.  And by this point she’s encountered Donovan, who she inexplicable trusts immediately despite him warning her off, because golly he’s so dreamy.  Her concern for cousin Katie seems to turn off and on as easily as a light-switch.  One moment she’s harassing the local law, the next she’s sucking face with Donovan and barely giving Katie a thought.

Donovan seems standard issue Mysterious Hero and never elevates himself past that.  His FBI background is never explored, other than he can make some phone calls and pull a few strings.  He fears he’ll be struck with “madness” because his family is “cursed.”  Yet when spooky things start happening at Darkwood he’s one of the few in town who dismisses the idea of his ancestor’s ghost haunting the place.

And I know shows like Ghost Hunters are popular (for reasons that escape me) – but everybody in this town believes in ghosts?  Really?  Have none of these people seen one episode of Scooby Doo?

The problem with Gothics is that they work a lot better as historicals than contemporaries.  In contemporaries you just expect people to be more “worldly” for a lack of a better word.  When Isabella runs up against the incompetent local law, there’s no going to the local media, no posting messages on Facebook or Twitter, no calling the state troopers.  Instead her answer is to snoop with Donovan and play kissie-face with him.

The resolution to the mystery is beyond thin, with an eye-rolling villain I’d expect out of a half-baked soap opera script.  The entire thing is just too easy, and smacks of convenience.  But the author does dot her i’s and cross her t’s – so at least I wasn’t left with any questions.

The romance itself is also pretty thin.  Donovan is just too much of a trope.  He lacks personality, and never really came to life for me.  Isabella is an OK girl, but one moment she’s haranguing the local law, and the next she’s wiping Katie from her mind to boink Donovan.  None of it really worked for me, and it’s a shame, because I love a good Gothic.

Grade: D

Summary:

An estate haunted by over a hundred years of tragedy—and Donovan Black stood at the heart of it. Like Darkwood Manor, Donovan was an utter mystery. An FBI sharpshooter who couldn’t break away from his past, he only wanted to make sure that history didn’t repeat itself—especially now that the manor had a lovely new owner.

Isabella Ross had either discovered the perfect vacation spot or her final resting place. Now her only hope for survival is a man who doesn’t want her around—a man she can’t seem to resist. But the secrets in his family’s attic threaten to consume them both, and something—or someone—won’t rest until the manor house is empty….

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Guns and the Girl Next Door (Mystery Men, Book 2) by HelenKay Dimon
Romantic Suspense published by Harlequin Intrigue 4 Jan 11

Get ready for one hell of a ride. HelenKay Dimon puts the gloves on, throws punches of action at readers one-two, one-two and never lets up until the bad guys are down and out. You have to hang onto your hats at the risk of being tossed out of the ring at the rate the action moves in this book. Fastfastfast. I held on for dear life and cheered every darned minute of it.

Holden Price is cooling his jets while his Recovery Project team is going through a congressional investigation, all thanks to a congressman who wants more power than he deserves. While fighting boredom waiting for the hearing results, his world is literally thrown for a loop when our heroine crashes a car through the front door of his secluded cabin, his very private sanctuary no one but his team knows about. Trying to figure the woman out and why she ended up in his living room takes a backseat to the mercenaries who are now closing in on them. More questions need to be asked of the sexy blonde, but first thing’s first. A top-notch secret escape to rival any Hollywood movie.

Scared witless and in shock, Mia Landers escapes her deranged boss by the skin of her teeth. Finding herself in the middle of Holden’s home seems to fit with the rest of the craziness she’s gone through this night. She’s even more surprised when she trusts Holden enough to follow directions to outmaneuver more men who want to kill her. Once they’re safe they find they have a common enemy and begin working on a way to make things right. But these bad guys have a way of infiltrating everything Holden and his men do. I think I was more frustrated than the men each time their efforts were blocked and they had to fight for their lives. Every time they turn around they’re having to re-plan and re-attack just to stay a step ahead of those evil-doers.

Amid all the action, what I also enjoy about this story is how Holden and Mia learn about each other as they escape danger time and time again. It’s done effortlessly and seamlessly. They both have issues to overcome, aside from the present danger, and as their attraction grows, so does their trust in each other. The romance, of course, is in the background, but I think that actually enhances those moments between these two when the time comes. Their loving is intense and raw, needed desperately by both. So if you’re a romance-aholic and need it front and center, still give this book a chance. It’s well worth the tone-down.

This is my first HelenKay Dimon book and it’s definitely not my last. I wish I’d read Under the Gun first just to have the feel of the series down, but I don’t feel I missed anything by not doing that. And there’s plenty of questions left open for the next book in the series, which is out later this year. I’m now addicted to these Mystery Men!

Grade: B+

Summary:

Before the recovery project was even up and running, its first case exploded on the scene.

Agent Holden Price didn’t have to go far to find his next case—it crashed right into his living room! Not only had the beautiful blonde lost control of her car, but if she was telling the truth, someone was also trying to kill her. As a recovery agent, he had an obligation to investigate. And he couldn’t deny that Mia Landers interested him more than she should.

Nothing made sense to Mia—especially not the attempt on her life. All she could do was trust Holden, the tall, dark and devastating agent who discovered that he and Mia had a common enemy…and a fierce attraction. But in order to act on it, they’d first have to come face-to-face with their darkest fears and a deadly revelation that might put their newfound love on the line.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of No Place to Run (KGI Series, Book 2) by Maya Banks
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 7 Dec 10

No way was I missing this second book in Maya Banks’ KGI series. These Kelly boys have burrowed their way under my skin and into my heart. This time it’s Sam’s turn to fall, and amidst steamy lovin’ and betrayal from different directions, he definitely falls hard and he falls fast. Just the way I like it to happen.

During a KGI mission Sam meets Sophie, a waitress at a local restaurant in Mexico. They hit it off more ways than one and enjoy an intense affair until Sam gets the lead that tells him he won’t be seeing Sophie again. Walking away is the most difficult thing he’s done. But that doesn’t last long. The mission doesn’t go exactly as planned, and he heads back to their motel room, only to find the woman has taken off with no clue left behind.

Five months goes by and finally Sophie gets her chance for freedom from her father and his dispassionate, evil ways. Surprised the hell out of me the way that happened. She’s on the run as long as possible and knows the time has come to find Sam. She can’t make it on her own any longer and keep her baby safe at the same time. Surviving one last attempt by her uncle’s men, Sophie is found by Sam and his brothers as she floats unconscious down the lake by his home.

Finding the woman he hasn’t been able to forget is amazing. That she’s carrying his child is even more so. But doubt floats around in Sam’s head and heart. Why is Sophie here now? Why didn’t she come to him five months ago? And what’s she still hiding from him? From this point on, this book moves and it moves fast. In between the doubt and the secrets, Sam can’t stay away from Sophie, she’s that stuck in his system. And I’m glad, because these two combust every time they’re together.  ‘Course, I think it’s just because he’s a Kelly. Those men are burnin’ up, sizzlin’ hot!

Danger hits very close to home and Sam finds himself having to protect not only Sophie and the baby, but the rest of his family too. The surprises also keep coming. Ms. Banks throws us a good one, making both Sam and Sophie freeze in their tracks, tossing doubt out for all once again.

I’m glad we get to catch up with the other Kellys. There’s a lot of emotion in this book that matches what we read in the first in the series. I love Sam, of course, and Sophie is one strong woman, a survivor like you wouldn’t believe. I think all of the heroines for these Kelly men are going to be such; Rachel, from The Darkest Hour, lived through hell and is better for it. Same goes for Sophie.

Garrett’s book is next, Hidden Away, due out next year, and I’m already past anxious to read it. I know Ms. Banks will wow us again and again, so I can patiently wait for now.

Grade: A+

Read Ash’s review here.

Summary:

Sam Kelly was her first love.

The last person Sam Kelly expected to pull wounded from the lake was Sophie Lundgren. Once they shared a brief, intense affair while Sam was undercover and then she vanished. She’s spent the last months on the run, knowing that any mistake would cost her life and that of her unborn child—Sam’s child. Now she’s resurfaced with a warning for Sam: this time, he’s the one in danger.

Now he’s her last chance.

Sam has too many questions to let her slip away again—like why she disappeared in the first place. This time he vows not to be seduced. But one look in her eyes, and the passion burns again, and Sam knows he’ll do anything to keep her and his child safe. However, Sophie’s dark past is more dangerous than he imagines, and the only way for either to survive it is to outrun it.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Silent Night Stakeout by Kerry Connor
Romantic suspense released by Harlequin Intrigue 12 Oct 2010

I cut my reading teeth on mystery novels, so it’s not surprising that when romantic suspense novels don’t work for me, it’s usually because I felt the author dropped the ball in the suspense department.  Happily, this is not the case with Kerry Connor’s latest.  A compelling suspense thread and a nice romance?  Christmas came early this year!

Regina Garrett is a criminal defense attorney looking forward to her upcoming Caribbean vacation.  She’s got one final meeting with a client, and then she’s outta there!  Jeremy Decker was arrested for burglary, but Regina was able to get the charges dropped, and Jeremy out of jail in time for Christmas.  So when he practically begs her for a meeting, she wonders what’s going on.  She never finds out.  Just as she’s given up on him showing up for the meeting, Regina discovers Jeremy’s lifeless body in the parking lot – with his throat cut.

Marcus Waters is the homicide detective who catches the call.  Like a lot of cops, Marcus has little use for defense attorneys, but one look at Regina and sparks fly.  He’s attracted to her, and doesn’t want to be.  For one thing, she’s got quite a reputation among the department and for another, she’s trying to horn in on his investigation.  Figuring it’s better to keep her close, Marcus allows her to help – only to quickly realize that the killer might now be gunning for her.

While I never felt that the author went into overly grisly details, the violent nature of the crime and the opening prologue succeed in hooking the reader.  I was invested, and rather quickly, in who would want to harm Jeremy, and the back story of his arrest.  The author keeps the suspects plentiful, twisting and turning the plot to an exciting finish that had me letting out an audible gasp.

The romance here is also quite nice.  Marcus isn’t wild about defense attorneys and Regina knows that not every cop on the planet is a “good” one.  However there’s no needless bickering, no jumping to conclusions, just two adults who act like…well…adults.  Their attraction is immediate, mutual, and a little unwelcome, at first.  As a couple, they work together nicely – both romantically and professional.

I did, however, have a few procedural bugaboos.  First, the reader has to be willing to roll with a cop who allows a criminal defense attorney, one personally tied to the victim, to ride shotgun.  Especially when the cop in question has a partner who never seems to do any actual partnering with him.  That guy’s sole purpose in this story is to be surly and disapproving.  It was like the author included a partner because she “had to” – but then dumped him to the sidelines knowing he would hinder the developing romance.  Couldn’t the guy have just been on vacation and never included in the story to begin with?

That aside, the suspense works well, the romance works well, and the whole thing ends on a nicely believable note.  There’s a short time frame here for the romance (a week) and the author wisely doesn’t try to shoe-horn in a marriage proposal or a heroine discovering she’s having triplets.  If anything, it sells me all the more on this story.  Yes, she defends accused criminals for a living and he’s a cop – but you know what?  I think these two crazy kids are going to make it work.

Grade: B

Summary:

All Regina Garrett wanted this holiday season was some R & R. What she got was mixed up in a murder investigation, and the personal protection of a very sexy homicide detective.…

Marcus Waters couldn’t help wondering just what Regina knew about the case that practically landed in her lap. But between her direct connection to the evidence he’d uncovered and the threats against her, Marcus also knew she needed his help if she was going to stay alive. Convincing her it’d be safest if he stayed on her couch, Marcus prepared for a string of sleepless nights.

As a cop, having Regina a few feet away was smart.

As a man, it was pure torture.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Kade: Armed and Dangerous, (Armed and Dangerous, Book 3) by Cheyenne McCray
Romantic Suspense published by St. Martin’s Griffin 26 Oct 10

I normally don’t look at reviews of books I’m reviewing while I’m reading or writing my review. But when I was at Amazon gathering info to put this review together, something in a review there caught my eye and I ended up reading most of those posted there. I learned a couple of things by doing some additional research and I questioned another couple of things by the reviewers at Amazon.

A few of those reviewers were ticked at the fact that the books in McCray’s Armed and Dangerous series are rewrites of novels released by a previous small e-pub. T’hey lamented they wished they’d known before they’d pre-ordered the book because they liked the previous version better, along with a couple of other reasons, and, therefore, wouldn’t have wasted their money on this version. I went so far as to do something they failed to do: I took a trip to Ms. McCray’s web site. Lo and behold, right there in black and white and plain English it tells anyone who bothers to look how Kade and its predecessors and successors came about and will come about. No one but themselves to blame for not doing that research and then complaining about it.

Another issue that didn’t affect me as it did these other reviewers is about Trent, Kade’s 10-year-old son. I have to say first, I don’t have children. Maybe that’s why this part of the story didn’t stand out for me. Their gripe is the fact that Trent colors pictures and takes them out for dad and Kelsey to look at. He has a hard time pronouncing a few words and gets help from the grownups. I recently had a visit from my sister, brother-in-law, and my 10-year-old niece, and when she pulled out her latest colorings to show me, that rang a bell and I told them all about this issue. They didn’t see anything wrong with Trent doing these things in the story either. Maybe Trent just likes to color, maybe it’s a precursor to a budding art career. The kid lives in Texas, doesn’t know a thing about “San Francisco” or has never used or heard of “binoculars,” so why not have a tough time hearing and saying the words for the first time?

In other words, these two things worked just fine for me in reading this book. I guess I just don’t get why they would be issues considering everything else that went on in the story – the fact the characters are charming and interesting, the action is fast, the sex is intense, and it’s a fun story. With all of these assets and more on every page, it never crossed my mind Trent colored or couldn’t pronounce certain words. He’s a cute kid and added to the scenes he’s in. I bring this up only because two or three people said exactly the same thing. Sounds fishy to me and that’s why I want to address it all.

Kade is one of those heroes who is just perfect. Yeah, some women may not like that, but I do. Too-good-to-be-true-hero to die for, handsome, gentlemanly, a terrific father, loving son, romantic, sexy, great in bed, and a whole host of other wonderful qualities. Okay, yes, he makes a mistake or two, but that flaw only makes him more appealing. Kelsey is reeling from a recent divorce from a jerk of a husband, so she’s guarding her heart. Meeting a sexy cowboy on the plane to Texas does show her she still has some kind of feeling left inside.

The book is a bit predictable – something I can agree with some of those other reviewers on – and one is these two meeting on the plane and just happens to be headed to the same place where they’ll work on the same issue, though in very different capacities,  of immigrants stealing into Texas from Mexico. Another predictable spot is later in the book, after their relationship has progressed, Kade leaves for work with a promise from Kelsey she’ll get out of bed, dressed, and into town where she’ll be safe from smugglers while he chases those bad guys down. Of course, she falls asleep again, putting her behind schedule and into to the hands of the man Kade is hunting. I could see it coming and by that time I liked these characters too much to care.

But the backdrop of the immigration problem into the United States and how officers try to combat it is interesting. There is a twist on who the villain is. It’s nice to watch Kelsey give her trust again and to see Kade understand her confidence problem and do his best to aid her. And I like the relationship between Kade and his son, as well as how much and how quickly Kelsey takes to the boy.

The action is not as fast paced as Luke, the previous book, but it’s enough to keep things moving along. All in all, a good read, especially if you’re not familiar with the previous series this new one stems from.

Grade: B+

Summary:

After a bitter divorce, reporter Kelsey Nichols has erected a border around her heart too strong for any man to cross. She’s not ready for a relationship of any kind with any man. But when Kelsey meets Kade she can think of nothing but being in his powerful arms and in his bed.

Intelligence Agent Kade Owen is hot on the trail of a notorious smuggler when the sensual blonde reporter comes into his life. Once he gets a hold of Kelsey, nothing will stop Kade from winning her heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of No Place to Run (KGI Series, Book 2) by Maya Banks
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 07 Dec 10

I have been waiting for this book since I read the last page of The Darkest Hour. My expectations were pretty high and while I enjoyed it very much, it wasn’t as great as the first.

I started reading saying I would read a little before bed, and I ended up reading straight through to the end. Maya Banks knows how to draw you in, and in No Place to Run we start with Sam and Sophie together, before he leaves to finish his mission. Right away the chemistry between them is strong and I was excited to see what would happen. I won’t say it’s downhill from there, but it’s a choppy ride.It’s as if everything that happens is because it’s supposed to happen in that order. For example, when Sam and Sophie finally come together after she comes back into his life, it didn’t feel like the right time, but that it’s expected. Things are going good and then there has to be conflict, so one of them does something to cause drama. It just didn’t flow.

By the end, I really didn’t like Sam much.  I do have to say, however, that even though it felt formulaic, Maya Banks gets the emotions dead on.  When Sam and Sophie have moments together to talk or comfort each other, I’m in it with them. My heart hurt for Sophie, especially when she is surrounded by his family. I felt her pain, and all Sam seems to do is add to it.

I loved this family in The Darkest Hour. I loved reading about their relationships, seeing how close they are and how they pull together to help each other. In No Place to Run, I just want to smack them. I understand that they are suspicious of Sophie, and it makes sense for them to be, but the up and down gets old fast. One chapter they like her and she is family,  next they are suspicious and don’t trust her. Sam especially gets on my nerves. He doesn’t trust her, but he can’t keep his hands off her. I feel it’s unfair to Sophie, and I want her to get mad at him. She would see him and forget that he’s being a jerk. The worst is at the end, minutes after he admits to himself that he loves her, he turns and believes that she has betrayed them in the worst way. He never had faith in her, and if I was her I would have made him work hard to get me back.

So, I guess this doesn’t really seem like a B review, but Maya Banks knows how to write. I think the problem is I’m too connected to Sophie. I get mad for her. But I just could not put this book down and I want to read a book for every brother and KGI team member there is. It’s not often my emotions get so wrapped up in a book, but I feel what these characters feel; not just Sophie and Sam but also the other characters. Even Rusty, the teen Sam’s parents have taken in. She isn’t in the book much, but when she is, she is just as strong as anyone else.  I really like how Maya Banks is able to have the right amount of emotional and action.

I can’t think of another romantic suspense series that has given me exactly what I want out of it. For those reasons alone, this series is a must read for me.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Sam Kelly was her first love.

The last person Sam Kelly expected to pull wounded from the lake was Sophie Lundgren. Once they shared a brief, intense affair while Sam was undercover and then she vanished. She’s spent the last months on the run, knowing that any mistake would cost her life and that of her unborn child—Sam’s child. Now she’s resurfaced with a warning for Sam: this time, he’s the one in danger.

Now he’s her last chance.

Sam has too many questions to let her slip away again—like why she disappeared in the first place. This time he vows not to be seduced. But one look in her eyes, and the passion burns again, and Sam knows he’ll do anything to keep her and his child safe. However, Sophie’s dark past is more dangerous than he imagines, and the only way for either to survive it is to outrun it.

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