Thank you for the opportunity to chat with you today. I always love visiting TGTBTU.

I love romantic suspense, which likely isn’t a secret. I write erotic shorts, contemporaries without suspense, and am about to try some other romance subgenres, but romantic suspense has long been a favorite.

I love when they run:

“I haven’t done anything wrong.” The tension over her shoulders eased. She switched from fighting to boneless.

But he wasn’t ready to trust her, so he held on. “From my experience, innocent people don’t run.”

“You’re kind of big to be that naïve.”

“Sounds like you have trust issues, but-” He reached for his radio. In that brief span where his fingers didn’t wrap around her arm, she took off. “You’ve got to be kidding. You’re running?”

She crossed over the gravel road separating the back of her private property from the protected forest behind. Turning to the left, she slipped along the fence running parallel to the tree line. Not once did she look back.

When things explode:

She’d barely raised her leg when the ground shook beneath her. A deafening crash thundered through the sky and rattled in her ears. Her knees buckled as the pavement bounced and shifted.

One minute she saw Jonas’ shirt. The next he flew backwards as the railing in his hand broke free and the stairs blew apart. She tried to call his name but no words came out. Smoke choked the air and glass rained from above.

Car alarms exploded in unison into chirping sounds. People screamed and a baby cried. The roar of drums sounded all around her.

She hit her knees and threw her hands over her head. Sharp pricks assaulted the bare skin as she hid her face. She didn’t know she’d held her breath until her chest burned and she started coughing.

Her eyes itched and watered as if the smoke had worked its way under her contacts, but the raging heat had her full attention. Fire danced all around her. Flames engulfed the top floor of the complex except in the black hole in the middle. Papers flew around. Pieces of furniture littered the ground. And the sedan with Walt’s provided protection burned.

And when everything goes wrong. In fact, the more that goes wrong the happier I am. I can appreciate pretty ball gowns in historicals and the incredible creativity that goes into developing new worlds in paranormals, but give me a book that plays out like an action movie and I’ll forgive almost anything you do in it – except bore me.

[Ed. A copy of HelenKay's When She Wasn't Looking is up for grabs - or winner's choice from her back list - so be sure to leave a meaningful question or comment and we'll throw your name into the hat!]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: B+

Summary:

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

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

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

Read an excerpt.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grade: DNF

Summary:

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

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

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Protector (Dark Ops, Book 4) by Catherine Mann
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 6 Mar 12

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these military-themed books from Catherine Mann. I’ve not read many so far, but I intend to remedy that as soon as I can. I’ve had that much fun with them.

While I do like this book, I have to say it’s not as intriguing nor as gut wrenching as the prior one I read, Hot Zone, from her Elite Force series. That book sucked me in from the beginning and never let go. This story begins in the same way – tense, in-your-face events – but then it slows down quite a bit. And then even when I thought it was going to pick up again and take off, it doesn’t. What saves it is the characters.

After being captured and tortured, Captain Chuck Tanaka feels he’s lost his edge. His superior, however, thinks he should get back on the horse in a new mission, one where Chuck and his technology expertise is needed. Taking on the role of a blackjack dealer on a mob boss’ cruise ship, Chuck is assigned to make contact with the man’s daughter to discover information about a terrorist plot.

JoLynn Taylor has made a life for herself, far away from her father. As a child when witnessing the death of her beloved uncle – and not being believed when she went to her father about it – JoLynn now wants nothing to do with man he’s become. But when he suffers a heart attack and asks for her, she can’t ignore his request. Thing is, nothing has really changed. He still pushes her away, demands she return home. This time, though, JoLynn is determined to stick around. Especially after she meets the new, sexy blackjack dealer.

I do like Chuck and JoLynn. They’re vintage Catherine Mann characters, strong and intelligent, sensual and sexy, they get the job done. Chuck tries his best to keep distance between them when he interacts with JoLynn, but the attraction is just too strong. He walks away as often as he can, which only proves to JoLynn she’s not worthy of love. But she also can’t help herself when she’s around Chuck, so why the heck shouldn’t she enjoy a fling with a handsome man?

Innocuous events take place that make Chuck think someone is after JoLynn, and when his suspicions are confirmed as they enjoy a day port side, they end up on the run with only Chuck’s training to keep them a step or two ahead of the bad guys. When their safe house is breached, this is when I thought things would really pick up in the story. They escape through a second-floor window, blend in with the Italian crowd, and I expected a harrowing chase. They flee, thinking they will be chased, but Chuck takes them to a friend’s cottage where he recuperated after his release from the hospital the year before.

While I was looking for action at this point, I have to tell you that the time Chuck and JoLynn spend at this Italian cottage is some of the best scenes in the book. They truly get to know one another, let their feelings go where they will, and enjoy some hot and sizzling sex. Both of them, however, feel it’s more than just sex. But they keep those feelings to themselves. JoLynn learns that Chuck has lied to her from the start, even though it’s his job that’s brought him to her doorstep and he has no choice. It’s now his job to keep her safe. He’s had no contact with his team since the safe house, but he’s hoping team members can put it all together and figure out where they’re hiding out.

We also get a nice side romance with Chuck’s CO, Colonel Rex Scanlon, and the ship’s singer, Livia. This is where reading an entire series from the start helps. These characters have apparently appeared in previous books, and I do feel I missed a little by not reading those books. There’s history between them – not a huge amount, but enough that I think I’d have a better feel for their present circumstances and romance. Scanlon feels a relationship won’t work between them because of their age difference – he’s 44 and she’s 29. No problem for me! She’s the one who walked away earlier because she didn’t want to compete with his dead wife. So there’s something there that would have helped if I’d read them before, but I still enjoyed them.

So even though this story lacks some of the action that I’ve read in other of this author’s works, it’s still a good read with interesting and savvy characters. I was able to figure out the bad guy before it’s revealed, so I’m surprised JoLynn didn’t. Although I know her heart is involved and she wouldn’t look that direction. But Chuck is there to rescue her, and he does a damn fine job.

Grade: B

Summary:

TRUST, LOVE …AND LIES.

After barely surviving enemy torture, Captain Chuck Tanaka doesn’t trust himself to do more than ride a desk—but new orders leave him no choice.  Assigned to the investigation of a mob boss whose luxury cruise ship is reportedly a hub for terrorist activity, Tanaka goes undercover.  His target: JoLynn Taylor, the mob boss’s daughter.

As a child, JoLynn saw her beloved uncle murdered.  Since then, she’s stayed far away from her father’s crooked empire.  But when he falls ill, she returns, hoping to mend the gap between them.  Instead, she finds herself on the run, one step ahead of unknown enemies. The only thing keeping her alive is the man she knows as Charles Tomas, the only man she’s ever been able to trust.

Unfortunately, he’s also the man determined to destroy her family…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Laura C’s review of Run from Fear by Jami Alden
Romantic Suspense published by Forever 1 Mar 12

We meet both Talia Vega and Jack Brooks in the previous books in Alden’s series, but they are only sketchily defined, especially Jack. I was really looking forward to their book and waited for it with no small impatience!

Talia has a horrific past. She fell in love with a man who turned out to be a big-time gangster who pimped her out under the guise of having her run his nightclub, which he filled up with girls he brought in as sex slaves. When the girls got out of hand, he had them killed by a sadistic monster, who eventually turned his sights on Talia. Talia survived only with Jack’s help and a lot of luck.

When this book opens, Talia and her younger sister Rosie are getting their lives back together. Talia has a job in a restaurant and bar, and Rosie is in college. When Jack shows up, Talia is not happy to see him. After all, he’s seen her at her worst and he knows all the secrets she wishes she could forget.

What Talia doesn’t know is that Jack has never been far away. He’s watched her, waited for her to get on her feet, even supported her in ways she has no clue about. He wants her to feel strong so that when he comes back into her life she feels like an equal. So when he thinks she’s in good shape, he lets himself be seen.

But someone else is hanging about in the shadows, too, and his motives aren’t so pure. He remembers the sick killings performed by the man who took Talia hostage and aims to go that lunatic one better, by completing his collection with both Talia and Rosie.

I must admit, I found this book a bit of a letdown in places. I understand Talia’s need for independence, but I felt as if she pushed Jack away too hard for too long. Plus, I really thought that if she were as concerned as she’s been shown to be about her sister, she would have kept in touch with Jack if for no other reason than to protect Rosie. And why she couldn’t understand Jack’s need to protect her when she has the same issue with Rosie was particularly difficult.

On the other hand, I liked the way their conversations developed and the strength of character of each of them. When they were “on,” I was totally absorbed in the story. (I wish she’d left the bits of the villain in his day-to-day life out. I found them dull. But then, I am finding more and more of those kinds of bits dull and the serial killers weak-seeming.)

It takes a long time for Talia to truly trust Jack, and watching her come to that point is definitely a worthwhile journey, even if it’s a little more uneven than the previous two books in the series.

Grade: B

Summary:

More than anything, Talia Vega wanted to leave behind her harrowing past. Moving eight hundred miles away, she succeeded . . . until the one man who knows her darkest secrets wanders into the restaurant where she works. Now the agonizing memories come crashing back-along with an undeniable desire for Jack Brooks, the ex-Green Beret who rescued her from a sadistic monster two years ago.

Jack Brooks knows that showing up unannounced is a purely selfish move. Talia doesn’t need his protection anymore, but he can’t get the raven-haired beauty out of his mind. And when a twisted madman is hell-bent on resurrecting her torturous past, Jack vows to do anything to keep her safe-even risk his own life to save the only woman he’s ever loved.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of Born to Darkness (Fighting Destiny, Book 1) by Suzanne Brockmann
Paranormal romantic suspense released by Ballantine 20 Mar 12

When a bestselling author decides to go in a new direction, you never know what might happen.  So when Suzanne Brockmann announced she would be taking a break from her popular Troubleshooters, Inc. series to try something new – paranormal! futuristic! – I wasn’t sure about the whole business (especially since I was less than pleased with the last Troubleshooters book.  Yes, I’m still bitter…SO?).  Still, I was intrigued enough to check out the new book (and beginning of a new series), Born of Darkness.  Aren’t you curious, faithful reader??  Stick with me…

First, the setting, Boston in the near future – about 30 years or so from now.  Things in the world are not good.  There is a severe recession.  Jobs are hard to find, homeless rates are high, healthcare is difficult (birth control is banned in 48 states!), and the government is a corporate entity.  Nothing so hard to believe, actually.  In this future, there are people who are able to access more than the usual fraction of their brain’s abilities – aka Greater-Thans.  The extra brain-power can reveal itself in all sorts of interesting talents – telepathy, telekinesis, and all sort of other things.  There is also a new drug being produced (street name: Destiny) by the evil (though unimaginatively named) Organization.  Destiny mimics the natural talents Greater-Thans have.  It is made from a compound found in the blood of Greater-Thans – usually young girls who are taken and held in “farms” until they are no longer of use.  Destiny is really, really expensive, but it can reverse aging, heal sicknesses and all sorts of good things. BUT it is instantly addictive and can lead to spontaneous insanity (aka jokering).  Combine the crazy with super powers and you’ve got a bad, bad situation.

Our hero – Shane Laughlin, a former Navy SEAL (what?? just because it’s a new series doesn’t mean we don’t still get SEALs!).  Shane was recently dishonorably discharged (and blacklisted) after disobeying an order on a mission.  He has been contacted by the Obermeier Institute – a facility that finds and trains Greater-Thans – because he is a Potential.  That means Shane’s brain is slightly more integrated than most people’s and he could, with training, become a Greater-Than.  Since Shane doesn’t have a job and the few places that are hiring won’t hire someone blacklisted, he decides to take OI up on their offer.  The night before he enters the program he goes out for one last hook-up and meets…

Our heroine – Dr. Michelle (Mac) Mackenzie, a pretty powerful Greater-Than.  Mac’s extra powers include super-charisma (she can target someone and wrap them around her little finger…handy, if you really need something or they are otherwise out to get you) and super-fast healing.  Mac has found that the super-healing is sped up even more when she has sex.  Since during an earlier encounter with a joker, she hurt her ankle and was otherwise banged up, Mac needs some companionship. When she goes to visit her boyfriend (read: boy toy), she discovers he’s been cheating on her and is gone.  What’s a super gal gonna do??  Mac heads off to a nearby bar and spies a hot guy across the room.  That’s our pal, Shane.  They instantly have a connection and go back to her place.  During their first encounter, not only are Mac’s injuries completely healed, the entire neighborhood goes dark in one big power surge.  Heh.  However, when Mac hears that Shane is reporting to OI in the morning, she backs way off and tells him they can never see each other again, but she doesn’t say why.

In the meantime, back at OI we meet the other major players in the book – Dr. Joseph Bach, uber-powerful and the head of the Institute.  Dr. Bach is in charge of training the Greater-Thans.  One of his tenets to increase integration and increase power is celibacy…a tenet Mac so doesn’t follow – but Dr. Stephen Diaz does. When Stephen returns to OI after the joker incident, he accidentally touches Dr. Elliot Zerkowski and Elliot is instantly plunged into Stephen’s (lusty, amorous) thoughts.  Unbeknownst to Elliot, Stephen has had a crush on him for ages.  Elliot wonders if a romantic connection between a Greater-Than and a Potential or even an average person – the right person – can noticeably increase the Greater-Than’s power. A very interesting theory… Stephen and Elliot’s relationship is sub-plot number one.

Our second sub-plot involves Dr. Bach and Anna Taylor.  Her thirteen year-old sister, Nika, has been kidnapped by The Organization.  The researchers at OI have just found out she’s a strong Potential, but before they can find her and get her into the Institute, The Organization’s thugs find and grab her.  Since family member often are also grabbed, either for leverage or to see if they also have hidden potential, Anna comes to OI for safety and to help find Nika.  Dr. Bach is drawn to her, but, of course, has had years and years of resisting such impulses…Anna?  Not so much.

With Ms. Brockmann, we are pretty much guaranteed a few things – several plots interwoven throughout the book, characters that feel and sound very much like real people and lots of action.  Certainly, Born of Darkness doesn’t disappoint on any of those.  I usually find her male characters much more likeable than her female characters and that is again true in this book – it isn’t that I think her women are unlikeable…her guys are just so excellent, it’s hard for the ladies to compete.  :-)  Mac is a tough chick.  She has had a difficult life and her powers have made her wary.  Shane, for all his Navy SEAL-ness, seems much more open and optimistic…generally a happy dude.  Same goes for Elliot – basically a happy dedicated doctor dude.  And Steven and Dr. Bach are mostly zen.  Even Anna seems mostly content with her less than excellent life, bumps and all…at least, before all the bad stuff starts happening.

Another good thing, even though this is the first book of a series, there iss not a lot of sequel baiting.  It is easy to see the possibilities of where the series could go, but I could not even guess who might “star” in the next book.  It could be Dr. Bach and Anna, but Ms. Brockmann does like to make her couples work for their happy endings and I suspect she might drag their storyline out a bit.  That’s just a guess, though.

I know this review is miles long (sorry, faithful reader!) and I really only skimmed the basics of the plots.  I’m very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.  Obviously, it stands alone.  Is it worth hardcover price?  I say yes (you know, the discounted HC prices usually aren’t too bad).  However, if you’re on the fence about trying a new series in hardcover – and I totally wonder what the publisher was thinking…I’m still not sure it was the best choice – there is an e-novella prequel that will give you a feel for the world she’s building and introduce you to Shane.  It is a bargain at 99 cents!

If you like dystopian settings and the kind of paranormal where there aren’t any vampires or other assorted creatures – the kind of world that feels genuinely possible in the not so distant future – I encourage you to try this book.  It starts off with a bang and doesn’t slow down.  And you get not one but two happy endings.  Yay!

Grade: A+

Summary:

Dishonorably discharged, former Navy SEAL Shane Laughlin is down to his last ten bucks when he finally finds work as a test subject at the Obermeyer Institute, a little-known and believed-to-be-fringe scientific research facility. When he enters the OI compound, he is plunged into a strange world where seemingly mild-mannered scientists—including women half his size—can kick his highly skilled ass.

Shane soon discovers that there are certain individuals who possess the unique ability to access untapped regions of the brain with extraordinary results—including telekinesis, super strength, and reversal of the aging process. Known as “Greater-Thans,” this rare breed is recruited by OI, where they are rigorously trained using ancient techniques to cultivate their powers and wield them responsibly.

But in the depths of America’s second Great Depression, where the divide between the haves and the have-nots has grown even wider, those who are rich—and reckless—enough have a quick, seductive alternative: Destiny, a highly addictive designer drug that can make anyone a Greater-Than, with the power of eternal youth. The sinister cartel known as The Organization has begun mass-producing Destiny, and the demand is epidemic. But few realize the drug’s true danger, and fewer still know the dirty secret of Destiny’s crucial ingredient.

Michelle “Mac” Mackenzie knows the ugly truth. And as one of the Obermeyer Institute’s crack team of operatives, she’s determined to end the scourge of Destiny. But her kick-ass attitude gets knocked for a loop when she finds that one of the new test subjects is none other than Shane, the same smoldering stranger who just rocked her world in a one-night stand. Although Shane isn’t a Greater-Than like Mac, as an ex-SEAL, he’s got talents of his own. But Mac’s got powerful reasons to keep her distance from him—and reasons that are just as strong to want him close. She’s used to risking her life, but now, in the midst of the ultimate war on drugs, she must face sacrificing her heart.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of If You Know Here (Ash Trilogy, Book 3) by Shiloh Walker
Romantic Suspense published by Ballantine 28 Feb 12

I devoured this trilogy in nothing flat. Every character – yes, even the villain – is first rate, the mystery keeps you guessing for quite some time, and the romance is vintage Shiloh Walker. If you’re already a fan, you know how good these books are. If you’re not a fan yet, well, you need to step up to the plate. Ms. Walker has knocked it out of the park, time for you to bring it on home.

Up to this point in the trilogy, the reader has no idea who the killer is. You might have an idea or two, there’s some good misdirection going on throughout, but it’s not until about a third of the way into this book we find out who’s been wreaking such havoc on Ash, Kentucky and these characters we’ve grown to love. And that’s all because Nia, cousin to Joely who was killed in the first book, pushes this villain’s buttons, pushes him to re-plan time and again. This guy is scary. Not only because of his need to pursue, violate, and kill, but he blends in. He’s grown up among the people he’s terrorizing, and they have no idea the kind of monster they have in their midst.

Nia has returned to Ash because things regarding the death of the killer and the closure of her cousin’s case just don’t sit right with her. Something isn’t right. So she’s determined to do her own investigating, with the help of the new sheriff, Ezra King, who is the hero in the first book. Ezra has had the same kind of feeling, so he listens to Nia and promises to look into it. But that’s not fast enough for her. Between her research and calling in favors, she’s uncovered some vital information.

Law remembers the golden-eyed, trigger-happy woman who pulled a gun on him because she thought he’d killed Joely. Now she’s back in Ash and she’s on his mind. He doesn’t know if he really wants anything to do with someone who’s so rash, he can’t resist Nia. And I’m glad, because these two are great together. When they meet up again, it’s awkward for Nia because of her previous actions, but Law is ready for more, so much more. When he discovers why she’s really back, he doesn’t think she’s crazy and he wants to help.

Then the killer begins to stalk Nia, trying to scare her enough she’ll hightail it out of Ash, but she feels safe with Law, and little by little the pieces begin to fall into place. Our villain knows the jig is almost up and he begins to put his final plans in motion, knowing he won’t go to jail. And this guy will go to every length there is to stay free. When they find his workshop, holy shit. You’re as sickened and amazed as the characters who discover it are. When all is actually solved this time around, Nia leaves town. Leaves Law. I couldn’t believe it.

You must read this trilogy from the beginning. No way around it. I don’t know that you’d be lost if you failed to start here, but you sure won’t get the whole effect of the story or the characters. These characters feature dominantly in each book, but each romance is never lacking. The story arc moves in time through each one, so you will definitely miss a lot if you read out of order. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Grade: A+

Summary:

A SHADOW IN THE WINDOW

Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. Come hell or high water, she intends to find her cousin’s killer. She returns to Ash, Kentucky, for answers. What she doesn’t expect is to ache with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him. But can she allow herself to take comfort in those strong arms when a murderer still roams free?

Unknown to Nia, as she quietly slips into Law Reilly’s home, is that she’s being watched—by someone who is waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Timing is everything, though he can’t wait forever. If she’s not frightened, she soon will be. Nia has made a vow to find her cousin’s killer. She should be careful what she wishes for.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

LauraC’s review of If You Know Her (Ash Trilogy, Book 3) by Shiloh Walker
Romantic Suspense published by Ballantine 28 Feb 12

This is the final book in the Ash trilogy, so all secrets are revealed…and boy are they deeply buried! Walker takes you on a great, emotional ride full of twists and turns. Book 1 of this trilogy gave us Lena and Ezra, book 2 Hope and Remy, and finally Law Reilly gets his chance in the spotlight. Although this is definitely Law and Nia’s book, the other four are never far away, and we see further developments in their characters and relationships as well.

In the first book—If You Hear Her—a murdered woman is found. She is identified as Nia Hollister’s cousin and her only family. In this book, Nia is back in Ash because she refuses to believe the story that the man who killed her cousin has himself been killed. Things don’t add up, and she’s having a hard time processing her cousin’s murder. She’s looking for a killer, not a relationship. But the best laid plans and all that…and she can’t help her feelings for Law. Even if she does spend as much time pissed off at him for trying to protect her as she does lusting after him. Indeed, the two frequently occur at the same time.

I figured out the killer about a third of the way into this book. (He was a prime suspect for me back in Book 1, but I wasn’t sure until now.) But the characters figure it out about two-thirds in, and knowing who it is doesn’t take away any of the tension, since he disappears and they don’t know where he is or what his plans are. Plus, he’s in on everything that goes on in Ash (which we know from his thoughts through the whole series), so it sort of doesn’t matter that you know who he is. It’s like when you see the creepy villain in the horror movie waiting around a corner, and you see the girl walking toward the corner, but you can’t do anything about it.

Nia and Law are a good, solid couple. They fight, they make up, they’re believable together. Their careers and goals don’t seem far apart and you can imagine them having a future. The romantic aspect is very emotional and complements the suspense in a way that’s not easy to find.

This is an excellent book, but a word of warning—you want to read this series in order, preferably back to back. So go grab all three, then settle in for a good time!

Grade: A

Summary:

Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. She’s returned to Ash, Kentucky, with a vengeance—and with a mission: find the killer who brutally ended her cousin’s life. What she didn’t count on was trembling with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him. But can she allow herself to take comfort in those strong arms when her sister’s killer still roams free?

She may think she’s a bad ass, but she should not have come back to his town. He is watching her—as she slips into Law Reilly’s house, as she storms into the sheriff’s office. These men won’t be able to protect her when her time comes. Timing is everything, though he can’t wait forever. She’s nosing around the woods, looking for his hiding place. Yes, he is watching her . . . through the window . . . in her bed . . .

If she’s not scared, she should be . . . because he is very good at what he does.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Veena’s review of Nightfire (Protectors Trilogy, Book 3) by Lisa Marie Rice
Romantic Suspense published by Avon Red 7 Feb 12

Nightfire is the concluding story in the Protectors Trilogy from Lisa Marie Rice. Sam Reston (Into the Crossfire), Harry Bolt (Hotter than Wildfire) and Mike Keillor (Nightfire) forged their friendship and became” brothers” at the foster home where each of their personal life tragedies brought them to.  The story starts with them having completed their stint in the special forces (Delta Force, SEAL, Marine), they’ve now opened a successful security business and also run an underground railroad to help abused women and children disappear and set up new lives.  Sam and Harry found their HEA in Books 1 and 2, leaving Mike struggling with his darkness and feeling alone in the midst of his brothers’ happiness.

Chloe Mason has spent her childhood and formative years in and out of hospitals as her body and bones have been put together.  She has vague recollections of her brother Harry, but it isn’t until the death of her adoptive parents that she discovers the complete story and hires a private detective to help her find her sibling.  She shows up unannounced to meet with him and Mike. For Mike it is love at first sight, particularly since her brightness seems to dispel the shadows around him.  She definitely  reciprocates this attraction, but before they can explore it further and deepen it into a relationship, Mike’s darkness catches up with him and he is accused of raping and physically abusing a woman he met in a bar the night before he met Chloe.

While Mike is acquitted, actually with Chloe’s help, Harry warns him away from his sister and Mike honors his word. Chloe starts to volunteer at a women’s shelter and inadvertently steps on the toes of the Russian Mob, where she helps prostitutes develop a backbone and stand up for their rights.  Mike and Chloe find their way back together and finally kick off the romance as they stand against these gangsters.

I find that this book is not as good as the first two and the story seems to be a little disjointed and slow to get started.  Once the Russian Mob becomes engaged and the love story starts to take off, the book becomes more interesting and flows into a great ending.  I would recommend this book only because it brings closure to Mike’s story and, therefore, to the series.  It is heartwarming to see that love conquers all and these three men get their well-deserved happy endings.

Grade: B

Summary:

Chloe Mason can’t remember much about her childhood, except for being in and out of hospitals. Now healthy and all grown up, she’s determined to fill the gaping hole that was her past. When she finds her long lost brother, Harry, she discovers family and something else that was missing from her life. Love.

As a child, Mike Keillor helplessly watched as his parents were massacred. Vowing to never again be vulnerable, he joined the Marines and became a Recon sniper, SWAT officer, and an expert in martial arts, before establishing his own successful security company. When his friend and partner Harry reconnects with his long lost sister, Chloe, the hard-as-nails Mike is felled by the one thing he can’t fight. Love.

But their future is jeopardized when Chloe accidently steps into the path of the Russian mob. Though his adversary is way bigger than he is, nothing can stop Mike from saving the woman who has captured his heart. He lost his family, and he will not lose Chloe. Failure is not an option.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Laura C’s review of Edge of Midnight (Chasing Evil Trilogy, Book 3) by Leslie Tentler
Romantic Suspense published by Mira 24 Jan 12

Eric MacFarlane has no business chasing the serial killer known as The Collector, not after the man killed Eric’s wife. But Eric can’t let the case go, and when a woman is found, barely alive, having escaped The Collector, Eric knows the killer won’t let her go, so he sticks as close to her as he can.

The serial killer aspect of this story is interesting. We meet him, we know who he is, basically. That is, we know he’s not a buddy of the people in the story, so you’re not afraid he’s going to catch Mia at the office or something. You don’t worry that he’s going to turn out to be one of the people she trusts. I think that is part of what made me feel…less tense…about this story than I might have been.

The romance in this book is definitely secondary to the suspense. Mia is a victim, Eric an FBI agent. That alone has him fighting his attraction to her, even without the added conflict of his wife having been murdered by The Collector. Still, this *is* a romance, so there’s no doubt that he’ll give in…and he does. Both he and Mia are strong characters, both determined to catch the killer, and a reader can easily imagine them making a life together at the end of the book. All the conflicts are external—the killer, their jobs, etc.

Mia has amnesia and can’t remember anything about her time with The Collector, so she agrees to participate in an experimental and very dangerous procedure involving multiple rounds of drugs and hypnosis to get her memories back. I’m not sure what the point of this whole storyline is except to show us how Mia is both strong and fragile and to give Eric a reason to feel responsible for her (he convinces her to work with the psychiatrist).

I wish I could point to one thing or the other that made me feel a bit “off” about this book, but I can’t. It’s a fine book, plenty of action, a good villain to hate, a good couple to root for. I just don’t feel as if it gells. I am sure others will feel differently.

Grade: B-

Summary:

The writer becomes the story when crime reporter Mia Hale is discovered on a Jacksonville beach—bloodied and disoriented, but alive. She remembers nothing, but her wounds bear the signature of a sadistic serial killer. After years lying dormant, The Collector has resumed his grim hobby: abducting women and taking gruesome souvenirs before dumping their bodies. But none of his victims has ever escaped—and he wants Mia back, more than he ever wanted any of the others.FBI agent Eric MacFarlane has pursued The Collector for a long time. The case runs deep in his veins, bordering on obsession…and Mia holds the key. She’ll risk everything to recover her memory and bring the madman to justice, and Eric swears to protect this fierce, fragile survivor. But The Collector will not be denied. In his mind, he knows just how their story ends.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Guns and Roses Anthology by Roxanne St. Claire, Allison Brennan, Laura Griffin, Lori Armstrong, et al.
Romantic Suspense anthology ebook published by Murder She Writes 21 Feb 12

I jumped at the chance to review this anthology, which is unusual for me. Anthologies are normally hit and miss for me, I like a few of the novellas and the rest are ho-hum. It takes an exceptionally talented author to give me a satisfying short read, so I’m always wary when it comes to this type of book. But this is a five-star lineup I couldn’t pass up, especially since I’ve read only a few of the authors featured here and have wanted to read a majority of the rest. Did my chance jumping so quickly pay off? Let’s find out.

Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. Claire

I’ve read only one Bullet Catcher novel and have wanted to read more. Alas, time isn’t a reviewer’s friend when there are so many books in a series. But when I get to enjoy little nuggets like this one that let me know what I have to look forward to some day, I can bide my time. One of the things I remember about that previous Bullet Catcher book is sexy hero and intelligent heroine. Ms. St. Claire has created a world where that, among other things of course, is a necessity, and she doesn’t fail one bit in this novella.

Benjamin Youngblood has worked with Lucy Sharpe for a number of years, but he’s been called on the carpet a few times on how he gets the job done. Finally Lucy has had enough when Ben costs the company a client this time around. Not wanting to lose this job that saved him when he was young and headed in the wrong direction, he talks Lucy into a deal – if he can solve the case and get the client back on the books, he can have his job back. Lucy puts her foot down on him using Bullet Catcher resources, however. Ben is on his own.

And he is a resourceful devil. His last assignment that went wrong, according to Lucy (but went right according to Ben’s gut), is Florida’s Governor McManus, who is receiving death threats. Ben knows the black roses and other items left at the defunct re-election event for the governor are clues that will lead him to the would-be assassin. He follows the rose angle and discovers a farm, almost in the politician’s backyard, that grows the flowers. Getting information from the pretty and feisty farm girl is another story, though. The woman is outdated when it comes to keeping sales records and not as initially forthcoming as Ben would like.

Callie Parrish has just discovered someone has snipped every last one of her rare Black Cherry roses and absconded with them – thousands of dollars worth. On the heels of that discovery comes a handsome and sexy man who barges into her store, asking questions about the very flowers that could be the end to her plans to take her grandmother to France. When she fills Ben in on the woman who bought – and then stole – the roses, as well as info on how dangerous they are when mixed with other elements, he doesn’t have to drag her kicking and screaming to find the culprit. She wants payment for all those lost blooms.

And from this point on, this short story doesn’t let up. The pace is fast and even twists a bit when you think you might have it all figured out. The scenes in the walk-in freezer are fun, even though there’s danger staring Ben and Callie in the face the whole time. I like the ingenuity the Bullet Catchers are trained for, and Ben doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Full of fun and excitement, plenty of sexual tension, this is a terrific start to the anthology.

Grade: A

Summary:

When Bullet Catcher Benjamin Youngblood sets out to track and trap an assassin, he’s forced to trust a sexy flower farmer who could be as dangerous as her homegrown poison.

Read an excerpt.

Nightfall by Laura Griffin

On her way to deliver flowers for a wedding, Holly Henriksen skids and slides on an icy and isolated road, taking out a guardrail and pitching nose first into a ditch. Injured but still able to make her way to the nearest house a mile or so back, she doesn’t get far when gunshots ring out all around her. And at her. Escaping into the dark woods, Holly can only pray whoever is gunning for her won’t be able to find her the deeper she runs.

Colin Denton is AFT and undercover, trying to take down a drug trafficker he’s been after for months now, but with no witnesses and now a botched meet, things aren’t going well. He spies a white van off the side of the road on his way home, but finds no one around – and the back full of flowers? He’d totally been expecting something else. Searching further he finds a cell phone and eventually the owner of the device. Scared but cautious, Holly decides to trust the man, especially because her options are limited as she tries to save her business with this upcoming wedding.

This is my first Laura Griffin read, and it’s definitely not my last. Another author who pulls you in immediately and gives you a story to sink your teeth into, despite the shortened length. These two characters are perfect with each other, Holly’s independence taking over her fright – enough to piss Colin off big time — and Colin’s trust in Holly when doing so could cause hell for them both. After a rough start, they work well together, and Holly trusts Ben just when she needs him most.

Grade: A

Summary:

Alone on an icy road at nightfall, Holly Henriksen puts her trust in a charming stranger and soon discovers he is keeping a dangerous secret.

Read an excerpt.

Above Reproach by Allison Brennan

This is also my first read by Allison Brennan, and I have to say she knows how to push a reader’s buttons. My buttons don’t go off until the end, but more on that in a sec.

Selena Black is a top-notch detective in the sex crimes unit, and she’s after a rapist who’s now turned killer. And he’s a high-powered local attorney, Greg Keller. She’s been after him for months and at every turn she’s smacked down when trying to gather more evidence on the man. He taunts her each time they come to face to face, and it seems as though Selena is losing her objectivity. She’s going about her job so out of character even her partner doesn’t believe her in certain situations anymore. Her past is beginning to haunt her, pushing her to help these current victims, to push Keller into doing something stupid. But he’s a smart, arrogant asshole. Her commanding officer finally puts on her leave.

What’s kept her sane so far is her lover, Dr. Gabriel Storm. He’s the harbor she goes to when things spiral out of control. The relationship works on so many different levels, but the understanding they have of the rigors and heartbreak of each of their jobs is what keeps them on an even keel amid danger. I wish there’d been more of Gabriel in the story, but what we do get is just right. I love the scene in the stairwell at the hospital. He knows just what she needs.

And now that ending. It’s one of those “It’s up to the reader’s imagination” endings. The twist is unexpected and perfect, but it’s never truly confirmed. Even Selena picks up hints and questions the very same things you do. Being who she is and what she does, you wonder if she can let it go. But then why not, when it gets her what she wants. So then why stop short of spelling it out completely? I’m not sure!

I also like the first person POV in this story. I’ve always enjoyed that and you don’t see it too often anymore, so it’s nice to read it here.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Sex crimes detective Selena Black puts her career and life at risk to prove that high-profile attorney Greg Keller is the brutal River City Rapist before he strikes again.

Read an excerpt.

Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong

Again, a first-time author read for me. I think this is one of those stories that needs backup of reading the previous books in the series. Not that I don’t like it or it’s not good, far from it. But I do feel out of sorts with the relationship between Tony and Judy. They’re having problems, at least as far as Judy is concerned, and it reads like they’ve been having problems for a while now. So having some history between them would be nice just to keep on an even keel as we move through the story. Especially because Tony seems to have some shady business dealings, so a reader just meeting him doesn’t know his history. So at first I’m not so sure about Tony.

Judy isn’t so sure about him either. She begins to suspect he’s having an affair. Little things she learns just don’t gel with what she seems to know. And the current case she and her partner, Kevin, are investigating eggs her on in her doubts about unfaithful men. Then the tables begin to turn – for me. Judy seems a little out of control with her suspicions, and she never confronts Tony until she’s nearly talked herself out of the relationship. Tony is of the same mind, why didn’t she just come out and ask. So now I’m feeling a little more for Tony, especially after everything he reveals to her to ease her mind. His explanation is heart felt and sincere.

There’s a bit of humor, which is nice. And though I do come to like Tony, I just wish I’d known him before, despite the fact he’s even now won my heart.

Grade: B+

Summary:

PI Julie Collins trails cheating lovers, which leads to questions about her relationship with Tony Martinez.

No excerpt available.

Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day

Nobody does it like Sylvia Day. I especially love her heroes. I’m a sucker for an alpha hero, and Jake Monroe steals my heart completely when he’s faced with his heroine again after ten long years.

It’s Anastasia who broke it off with Jake when she left town, trying not to ruin his life, which would have happened if she’d have stayed. Which he obviously didn’t know. All he knows, now and then, is that Ana was gone, and he’s waited for her return ever since. In that ten years, Ana has taken her life experience to track down thieves as an insurance investigator. That’s what has brought her home. A huge jewel heist has just gone down, and she knows exactly who’s behind it. Her mother has never been able to curb her need to pull off the perfect con.

What Ana has never understood is that Jake would stand by her, no matter what. He loves her. End of story. And when he, with hardly any preamble, demands Ana she’ll be staying with him as long as she’s in town, my heart stuttered. Though it seems as though they’re picking up where they left off, Ana giving herself over to Jake’s domination – and their first scene together is simply moving and hot, hot, hot – they’re both more mature and realize the life they want together still may never be.

Ana tries to keep Jake out of the loop in her investigation – if he doesn’t know anything, his life and his job won’t be compromised or ruined. But Jake has other ideas and he forces his way in so they can work together to keep their families safe. Coming up against a crazed gunman, who has nothing to lose and only goes more berserk when cornered, and only hope and luck will get them out danger safely.

While the suspense and action has been front and center in these novellas so far, here it’s the emotion of the love of family and a man’s love for a woman and her love for him, one that doesn’t wither and die, one that is true and will overcome. It works beautifully because no one does it better than Sylvia Day

Grade: A+

Summary:

When insurance investigator Anastasia Miller sets out to retrieve the rose-hued pink diamonds stolen in a recent heist, she finds herself working alongside former flame, deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Monroe—the man she loved enough to leave behind.

Read an excerpt.

A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield

This is my first time reading Sophie Littlefield, and I’m not sure this is the place I should have started. While the idea of this story is a good one, the pace is too slow and the resolution is really no surprise. We meet the heroine well into the story, and once the decision is made she’s the right one for our hero, that’s all we get. I don’t necessarily have to have steam between a couple, and while there’s empathy and sympathy, they barely get past the acquaintance stage, as the blurb talks about.

There is no action to speak of, the investigation Detective Joe Bashir is working on is a death in a college dormitory. So it’s interrogations of students amid his walk down memory lane while he was a student on campus, the racism he and his family faced, which is almost a bigger part of the story. Joe’s father was severely beaten post-911 and now must be taken care of in his childlike state. Joe makes the trek home on Sundays to help his mother out, spending time with his dad while she goes shopping and gets out of the house.

As the investigation heads toward solution, a red herring is tossed the reader’s way, but there’s too many ifs for that to work. The culprit really isn’t a surprise, and neither is the reason for his actions. It all just needs something more to get the story moving along better.

Grade: C-

Summary:

While investigating the stabbing death of a student at his own alma mater, Detective Joe Bashir confronts painful memories and makes an intriguing new acquaintance.

No excerpt available.

Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke

I’m surprised I don’t like this novella by Ms. Tabke more. I love her books under her Karin Harlow pseudonym, which are full of action and exciting characters. So I’m a little perplexed that this story is so tame compared to her other work.

This involves another college murder which brings Cash Cantrell, the detective investigating the crime, and Rebel Yell Culpepper, a friend of the victim, together. Cash is half black, and in the south that’s still a problem for a lot folks. Cash has learned to work around such attitudes and obstacles, however. Wanting Southern Belle Culpepper is another story. He can’t get let himself want her because she’s involved in his case, the product of a true southern family, and he’s got just a week left before he heads to Raleigh and the new job he’s worked hard for.

With his current case mirroring a cold case from five years before, Cash ends up taking Rebel along during his investigation because she brings a different look at things that no one has noticed before, giving him new leads toward solving both murders. I doubt his superiors would have liked his new partner, but they do work well together – to a point. Problem is, Rebel can’t do what she’s told. That’s a bad thing and a good thing, depending on how you look at it and what’s happening at the time. Suffice it to say, she nearly botches the investigation only to turn around and pretty much solve it with her keen observations.

Once again, there is plenty of sexual tension, but the romance is left out and the happily ever after doesn’t happen when you expect. The villain seems to be a tad too convenient. It’s not a super complex case, so the officers from five years before should have been able to figure it all out, but it’s left to a college co-ed to help out. The last scenes with the villain are just a little too lax in conversation and deed to ring true.

Grade: C+

Summary:

For Detective Cash Cantrell, hunting down a University serial killer is as routine as strapping on his gun each morning. Until he comes face to face with meddlesome coed, Rebel Yell Culpepper. He doesn’t know if he should arrest her or kiss her, but one thing Cash knows for sure, Rebel is key to finding the murderer, and the killer knows it, too.

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

The Housewife Assassin’s Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown

Another first for me, reading Josie Brown. I thoroughly enjoyed Donna and Jack, their zeal for their missions and each other – done with humor and in the fun, inventive ways of James Bond.

Donna and Jack are in the process of liberating a prisoner from a Mexican prison – on Valentine’s Day. So they have some very nice plans to get to after they’ve accomplished their goal. Of course, those plans go awry at every opportunity. I kept grinning at how they come up with a Plan B whenever something does go wrong. James Bond doesn’t have anything on these two. Even when their prisoner gets only “halfway” to their destination, nothing deters them from finding the answers they need.

I’m going to be checking out the Housewife Assassin series by Ms. Brown. Very entertaining, and I’m now curious about these two characters.

Grade: B+

Summary:

CIA contract assassin Donna Stone’s idea of Valentine’s Day? A couples massage with her mission’s leader Jack Craig–not breaking

out of a Mexican prison, then stopping a massacre by an international terrorist cell.

No excerpt available.

King of Hearts (A Rough Riders short story) by Lorelei James

I know when I read a Lorelei James story she’s going to rile up my emotions, especially when it comes to the McKay family. This short story is no different.

Sheriff Cam McKay has been called to a horrendous crime scene. On Valentine’s Day. A murder/suicide. Friends Jim and Teresa Swenson. And when the disbelieving parents of both deceased arrive, it takes everything Cam and his fellow officer have to keep them away, both for scene preservation and peace of mind for the bereft loved ones. And then the blows start. Father against father, mother against mother. Then it’s the accusations, and one is thrown is Cam – why didn’t you help my son when he left military service? Everyone knows Cam returned missing limbs and emotionally distant for years.

Thrown for a loop at the accusation, not even knowing Jim had been in the service, Cam retreats into the darkness and solitude that’s claimed him so many times before when reliving his nightmares. Even his rambunctious children and loving wife can’t cut through the guilt eating at him. But he quickly sees that barricading himself away from everything he needs does no one any good. Family is all that’s needed.

It’s that family along with the love and romance, no matter how it’s found, that always keeps me coming back to this series. Not once have I been disappointed.

Grade: A

Summary:

Deputy Cam McKay deals with a murder/suicide case on Valentine’s Day.

No excerpt available.

Bobbie Faye’s Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey

Another addition to an existing series, but Bobbie Faye doesn’t let you dwell on that fact. I have no idea all the trouble’s she’s ever gotten into – I just know she gets into it. A lot. I have no idea how and where she met Trevor. I just know they love each other as they are, come what may. The in-between shenanigans are hilarious and fun. Ms. Causey says on her web site this is the last of this series for a while. That just might be a cryin’ shame.

Bobbie Faye is in a tizzy trying to find a church to get married in, a dress to walk down the aisle in, and other such necessary things to take care of before her wedding day. She’s not happy with anything she finds. The Catholic church has ex-communicated her and no church in the nation will host her special day. All this because Trevor think she wants it. Well, she might, but some things have to be worked out first.

Like the bozos who kidnap her at church on the French Quarter, the one that Trevor forced into holding their wedding. Bobbie Faye is appalled at their inept unprofessionalism, even if they are criminals. I had to laugh at her restraint when she realizes they don’t really want her but something or someone else. And when that restraint finally lets fly, I’m as amazed as Trevor when he eventually figures out where she is and attempts his rescue. One terrific scene.

There’s a lot of secondary characters who I assume have been included in all other books in the series, but I never felt lost or frustrated with their involvement. I just had fun with them all. The love and romance is said and shown in the way Trevor doesn’t want to change Bobbie Faye, lets her go her own way in her own time, and does anything and everything to see that she’s happy. Throw in an evil mother who will stop at nothing to keep “trash” out of her family, and you’ve got one heck of a good time.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Bobbie Faye Sumrall, Cajun Contraband Days Queen, gun expert, and ultimate professional in being in the wrong place at the wrong time, absolutely positively does not want to go through with the wedding that Trevor’s forcing her to agree to, but she soon finds out she has more important things to worry about–like surviving the plot to make her disappear when she’s set up as a fall guy for the theft of a priceless religious icon.

No excerpt available.

Overall Grade: B+

The old saying you can’t please all the people all the time is very true. While I enjoyed a good portion of these novellas, found a couple of authors whose books I’ll check out, there’s still a few that don’t work for me, though that won’t keep me from looking up their future reads. These are all very talented authors, and what may not work for me may work just fine for you. And that’s all that counts!

Laura C’s review of Last Man Standing (The Men of Black Ops, Inc., Book 7) by Cindy Gerard
Romantic Suspense published by Pocket 31 Jan 12

This book finally answers the question that has been plaguing the characters through the first six of Gerard’s Black Ops, Inc. (BOI) books: What really happened on the mission on which Bryan Tompkins got killed? Was it just bad intel, or was there something more?

Naturally, the answer is “something more.” There wouldn’t be much of a story otherwise!

The romance between “Mean” Joe Green and Stephanie Tompkins—sister of the late Bryan Tompkins and daughter of Robert and Ann who have become substitute parents to all the BOIs—began several books ago as a secondary plotline. It’s referenced, and we meet Joe, but we never really spend any time with the two of them together until this book. But when this book begins, Joe’s in the process of breaking it off with Stephanie. Not that he wants to, of course, but he feels he has to.

The BOIs were on a mission in Sierra Leone when they were ambushed and Bryan was killed. Joe has a lead on the truth, but he doesn’t want Stephanie—or the rest of the BOIs—involved if things go badly. And they do. Joe ends up in jail in Freetown, while the bad guy has arranged for the rest of the BOIs to be on a blackout mission and, thus, completely out of touch. So Stephanie travels to Sierra Leone to rescue Joe…and finds herself. While there, she realizes that Joe only broke up with her to protect her, but she’s furious just the same. Until she realizes that his opinion of her is partially her own fault.

Joe didn’t think she could take the heat.

And why would he? What had she ever done to make him believe she was strong enough to carry the weight of the issues he dealt with every day of his life.

She walked over to a window, shaking her head at her stupidity. And her cowardice.

You get what you give. You reap what you sow.

Well, all she’d ever given him was silent understanding. She’d never challenged, never bullied or badgered him to open up to her. Sure, she’d asked him to talk to her, but when he didn’t, she’d accepted it. Never pushed. Never pried. Never prodded him to confide in her or to give her credit for being more than a woman who needed a man to take care of her.

She puts Joe on notice that once the bad guys are taken care of, they’re going to have a talk about opening up. And while she breaks her own rules and crosses lines she sets for herself, she always keeps that endgame in mind. She’s an admirable heroine and this is really her story more than Joe’s.

There’s really no question about the romance in this book. He loves her, she loves him, they’re both certain of each other’s love relatively quickly. And although Joe has a lot to deal with if he’s going to truly open up to Steph, we don’t doubt he will. As a result, the story lacks a certain emotional punch for me. And the thriller part, while satisfying, is not terribly exciting. So while I find this miles better than With No Remorse, it doesn’t quite measure up to the earlier books in the series. Still, it is a fun, quick read that I’d recommend over a great deal of what else is out there!

Grade: B

Summary:

Special operative Joe Green has gone vigilante. His mission: avenge his Black Ops, Inc. brother’s death during a bloody ambush years ago in Sierra Leone. He refuses to drag the BOI team or his lover, Stephanie Tompkins, into the hunt for the man responsible, so when he finds himself beaten, starving, and alone after being falsely imprisoned for the murder of a Freetown priest, he knows he’s as good as dead. Joe meant to protect Stephanie when he walked out on their relationship, but he can’t stop her now from executing his escape. Breaking him out of prison is the easy part. After Joe’s explosive theory pans out and his cunning enemy emerges as the front runner for a high-level presidential appointment, he and Stephanie must race to derail the traitor’s conspiracy if they are to save their loved ones, the nation, and each other.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Her Cowboy Defender by Kerry Connor
Romantic Suspense published by Harlequin Intrigue 07 Feb 12

Category romance is the one area of the sub genre where I still actively impulse read.  Now that said, I picked up this latest by Kerry Connor because I enjoyed one of her previous releases, and that “Thriller” tag-line that Intrigue likes to use sometimes tends to hook me.  I go into those particular reads expecting a non-stop, action-packed suspense thread, with a wee bit of romance tossed in for flavor.  Plus, “cowboy” is in the title.  I’m a girl who has a hard time saying no to a cowboy.  Unfortunately, with all that going for it, this story didn’t work all that well for me.

Cade McClain (best hero name EVER!) is driving down a deserted road near his ranch when he sees a broken-down car on the side of the road.  He stops to help the lone woman, only to have her pull a gun on him and demand his truck.  Well, that is until she realizes it’s a standard transmission and she can’t drive stick.  So she kidnaps him to be her driver.  When bad guys show up and start shooting at them?  Cade realizes that today isn’t going to be typical.

Piper Lowry’s twin sister Pam is an FBI agent and is lying in a coma after a car accident.  She rushes to her sister’s bedside in Dallas, only to get a phone call from a Very Bad Man.  He has kidnapped their younger sister and is holding her for ransom.  The price?  Pam was supposed to squirrel away some information from the FBI.  Being twins, Very Bad Man doesn’t realize that Pam is in a coma and thinks Piper is Pam.  So now Piper has to figure out what the intel is that Very Bad Man wants, needs to save her baby sister – oh, and she can’t go to the authorities because she thinks someone in Pam’s FBI field office is bent.  To add insult to injury, her rental car is now a smokin’ hulk on the side of the road and she’s late for her rendezvous with Very Bad Man.

OK, here’s the problem: I don’t buy it.  Any of it.  Piper pulls a gun on Cade, threatens him, he gets shot at by hired goons, and she gives him the ol’ Can’t Go To The Law Because I Don’t Know Who To Trust line and he…..drops his entire life to help her.  Listen, I get that some guys have a Hero Complex and have a fetish for helping damsels in distress – but this one strained for me considerably.  It just did.  It also doesn’t really help matters that all this takes place over the course of 48 hours.  It’s hard for me to believe in a lasting romance when in all likelihood the attraction was helped along by the danger elements.

The author does succeed in giving the reader an action-packed plot, though.  This book starts with a bang and doesn’t let up all the way to the final chapter.  It’s go, go, go.  Never a dull moment.  No downtime.  However, even with all the action, it’s hard for me to stay fully engaged because I never really fully bought in to the setup.  Also, things are helped along considerably by inept hired goons.  Seriously, bad guys who don’t lock doors?  They just don’t make villains like they used to.

While I never was fully engaged and had my issues, the writing is clear and crisp.  I also stuck with it all the way to the end.  And just because I don’t buy in doesn’t mean that other readers won’t.

Grade: C-

Summary:

From the moment he finds himself staring down the barrel of her gun, Rancher Cade McClain knows Piper Lowry isn’t just another stranded tourist. Armed and desperate, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to carry out her mission. A mission she claims only he can help her with. Knowing it would be impossible to walk away from this tempting, determined woman, Cade offers her a place to hide from the gunmen on her trail. Despite his broad shoulders and intimidating gaze, it isn’t long before the straight-shooting cowboy realizes he can’t guarantee Piper’s safety. Even if his heart is beginning to tell him he has no choice but to try.…

Read an excerpt.

Laura C’s review of Sweet Reward (Last Chance Rescue, Book 9) by Christy Reece
Romantic Suspense published by Ballantine 27 Dec 11

I’ve enjoyed the vast majority of the Last Chance Rescue books, and I will be sorry to see them go if, indeed, this is to be the last one Reece writes. On the other hand, I look forward to whatever she does next, as she’s created many a character I’ve been happy to spend time with. Jared and Mia are no exceptions.

Jared is everyone’s favorite kind of hero: damaged but strong, haunted and unable to get on with his life until he meets Mia. Jared works for Last Chance Rescue, so it’s no surprise that when his ex-wife’s child is kidnapped, she calls him. But Mia—the only operative ever to have been asked to leave LCR—is also on the trail of the same baby thieves, though from another angle. Noah, the head of LCR, insists on them working together, though Jared at first mistrusts Mia’s capabilities. After all, she looks young and soft.

That youth and softness are incredibly attractive to Jared, despite his doubts. And Mia feels the same way; Jared’s dedication to the cause they share appeals to her as much as his body does. She understands why he doesn’t trust her at first. In fact, I’d say one of the biggest weaknesses in this book for me is that Mia seems to do all the understanding. Jared doesn’t really change.

The suspense side of the story is (no big surprise here) a rescue operation. But it becomes clear relatively quickly that one of the “big bads” is an old friend of Mia’s family, and she has the only in. Jared doesn’t want her to date a guy they think is a psychopath, needless to say, which causes no little tension between them, but in the end he has to let her take the more active role in the operation. That was a fun turnabout from many romantic suspense novels where the alpha male is the active party most of the time.

The brutality scenes are..well..brutal. And the big bad is definitely a psychopath, but I didn’t find my tension raised particularly high by this book overall. I wish I could pinpoint the reason. Maybe because right up until the end, I didn’t feel as if anyone, even the kidnapped baby, was in particular danger. People die, but they’re people I’ve barely had a chance to meet.

Still, despite my quibbles, this is a fun read. It didn’t take me long and I’m sorry to see it end. Definitely worth reading, even if it’s not as good as some of the others in the series.

Grade: B

Summary:

Adrenaline junkie Jared Livingston has found the perfect blend of exhilaration and danger in his new job at Last Chance Rescue. Raised to depend only on himself, Jared tried marriage, but the end of the relationship renewed his belief that he was meant to be a loner. Now a desperate plea from his ex-wife puts Jared in the unique position of using the skills she despised to rescue her missing daughter. The case brings Jared face-to-face with Mia Ryker, the only agent ever fired from LCR—for playing too far outside the box. Now Mia’s back, and as a team, they’re as compatible as fuel and fire—blowing off tension in each other’s arms, blowing open the secret life of a wealthy philanthropist and his shameful dealings. Their search for the innocent child takes them to places neither have been before—to the edge of danger and to the edge of their hearts.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

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

The intense story of murder in Ash, Kentucky continues in this second book of Shiloh Walker’s trilogy. This book centers a little more around the suspense than the romance, but never fear, there is still plenty of romance to be had. It just has to go slow, because our heroine, Hope Carson, is only two years out from an abusive marriage. She needs TLC as much as she needs to finally stand on her own.

We met Hope in the first book of the series when she finally made it to Law’s, her best friend, where she now feels safe. At least as safe as can be with all the craziness going on in the area. But she now has a job, earning her own money, even though she still jumps at the smallest noise and goes into panic mode when near a man in uniform. That part of her past really makes me want to knock someone around, so too bad her ex-husband isn’t real.

Remington Jennings is one of two local prosecutors, as well as part of the Jennings family who basically founded and practically owns a hefty part of the town. We meet several of them in this series, especially this book. His nephew and brother, who is mayor, will break your heart when their aspect of the story comes to a head. Remy is taken with Hope before he even knows her name. He’s taken with her even when he’s investigating her for murder and comes very close to arresting her. Then when it’s proven Hope is not involved in the horrible events at Law’s home, Remy takes himself off the case so he can pursue her, even if that doesn’t occur to him right away. But he can’t stay away from her, finding himself near her whenever possible and finally asking her out.

This relationship is wonderful to see, to watch it progress. It’s Remy’s tenderness, even when he’s angry as can be at how this woman has been treated, that brings Hope out of her shell. He also gives her room to grow, letting her do things on her own. Little by little, a new Hope emerges, a new woman who now wants to go shopping for clothes so she can look nice, a new woman who can look at herself in the mirror, a new woman who seduces the man who has brought her back to life and living. Those are simply beautiful scenes between these two. It’s just the right amount of romance for these characters.

Of course, to balance out, if you will, those scenes, there’s the addition of a new villain in this book. I find this interesting, because our original villain seems to suddenly have found his heart, so to speak. For a good part of the book you’re left to wonder which villain is doing what, but then things begin to become clear, and the role reversals are quite intriguing, though I doubt there will be any feeling left over for that first killer, whoever it ends up being. I have a feeling it’s going to be late in the third book before his identity is revealed. You fly blind just as these characters do throughout the evilness in the story.

This book is not a standalone. You must start at the beginning, read If You Hear Her first. It’s best to get to know these characters, even that villain, from the very start and to be part of every little thing that happens. I know my curiosity is at a super high pitch right now, wanting to know who’s behind the horror that has hit Ash, Kentucky. Ms. Walker has done a terrific job at keeping the intensity quite high and the love and romance sweet, tender, and also intense. I’m chomping at the bit to get hold of the next book, If You Know Her. I need to be put out of my misery!

Grade: A+

Read LauraC’s review here.

Summary:

A FACE IN THE MIRROR

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.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Ash’s review of Riptide (Cutter Cay Series, Book 2) by Cherry Adair
Romantic Suspense published by St. Martins 30 Aug 11

I was hoping this book would be better than the first one, but sadly that isn’t the case. I love the idea of treasure hunters and it could be such an interesting storyline. Cherry Adair just has to involve spies and special ops and there isn’t enough about the treasure.

I have a few issues with Riptide. First of all, and I can’t remember if anything was mentioned in the first book (but why would it be there and not in this one?), but this brother, Nick, is also a sort of spy?! The book opens with him undercover and completely disguised as another man, who apparently has a reputation as a bad guy. Other than what the “mission” is in the book, we are never told how he came to have this other identity, how often he uses it, or if he even has any type of military training. We know he is kind of friends with a T-Flac agent, so maybe Nick is mentioned in one of those books? I have only read the first, so someone will have to tell me. Other than all that, I like Nick. He is nicknamed Spock by his brothers because he is practically emotionless, until Bria gets under his skin. It is the type of romance plot line I usually adore.

However, I think he deserves a better heroine. Bria lets him get away with being a jerk, and I just wanted to shake her. She is also a bit boring, the things that should make her stand out as a heroine just don’t. She is a princess who was hidden away after her parents were murdered in front of her, but it felt played out. Her personality, her background, and even her country feel like they belong more in a Disney movie than in a romance book. Nick’s personality just rolls right over her and she goes along for the ride.

The suspense part of the book is nothing new either. I want to know more about salvaging and I want something other that the typical bad guys. The Cutter men could be anyone, anywhere. The fact that they are treasure hunters is wasted. Also, I get that Cherry Adair wants to add in her T-Flac men, but this is twice now when they show up pretty much after the fact. Doesn’t make them look too good, in my opinion. Not all series need to be connected, and I wish they would stay away. I do plan to read the next book, because while I am not in love with this series, I still enjoy it, even if I have to suspend my belief more then a little. And while these books are called a trilogy, I really hope Nick’s best friend Jonah gets a book. His story is one I want to read.

Grade: C+

Summary:

SHE’S SWEPT INTO TREACHEROUS WATERS

Princess Bria Visconti demands the return of the money her brother rashly invested in Cutter Salvage. Treasure hunter Nick Cutter is too reckless, too arrogant—and far too handsome—for his own good. But he can’t charm his way out of this one. Bria plans to make Nick pay up even if she has to board his boat, don a wet suit, and dive for the treasure herself…

HE FIGHTS THE RELENTLESS PULL…

Nick sees Bria as a beautiful but spoiled princess who’s never done a day’s work in her pampered life. But once they set sail for the dive site, and the legendary fortune in gold the wreck carries, Nick begins to see Bria in a new light. This princess may be out of her depth, but she’s ready to take on the hidden danger and excitement a treasure hunt stirs to the surface. Together they must fight unexpected enemies—and reveal their darkest secrets—before they’re pulled into a rip current of danger.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Dinca’s review of Sworn To Protect by Kimberly Van Meter
Romantic Suspense published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense 21 Jun 11

A romantic suspense set on an Indian reservation, this traumatic, heartwarming story will fill you with a wide range of emotions as you discover the true identity of the evil that awaits.

Iris Beaudion had been brutally attacked on her own Indian reservation where everyone knows everyone. She wakes up at the urgent care clinic where she works as a nurse. Her doctor and childhood friend, Mya Jonson, tells her she was drugged, sexually assaulted, beaten, and left on the side of the road. Mya’s brother, Sundance, (Sonny) Jonson, is the only tribal police officer for the reservation and will be interviewing her about the attack. Iris doesn’t want to tell Sonny. She was only at the bar on the reservation to try to get him out of her mind. Somewhere in between their snipping relationship, she has fallen for him. The one man she could never have. Now he’s going to see her broken and raw.Sonny would give anything to have this feisty, confident woman back in his life, even though he finds her irritating and desirable. Having come face to face with his feelings for Iris, he has to find a way to work around them. Now is not the time to lay his heart on the line. He has to find a way to keep her close so he can protect her. She’s the only one who can identify her attacker.

I had no clue who was actually the bad guy. I thought I did once or twice, and yet I was surprised in the end. I do think most of the characters are a lineup for sequels.

This story is very traumatic and needed to be told. Yes, there is life and love after trauma. It is not what I would call light reading, yet I did not put the book down unless I had to. The book is very well written on a subject that is hard to write about, and I feel the author did a very good job.

Grade: A

Summary:

Iris Beaudoin has always been a pain in Sundance Jonson’s side. But recently, she’s become a sweet ache in his heart. He only wishes he realized his feelings sooner. Before she was attacked and left for dead. Before she became a victim, a survivor.

As the lone tribal police officer, Sundance knows it’s his job to protect his people. But with Iris, it’s personal. When Iris is threatened again, the hunter becomes the hunted. Sundance can’t let a monster destroy Iris. He won’t stop until he finds the assailant and arrests him. Or puts him in the ground….

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Fever (Phoenix Rising Series, Book 1) by Joan Swan
Romantic Suspense published by Brava 28 Feb 12

I just love it when a debut author hits it out of the park. Joan Swan has done that and then some. She’s given readers an intense and suspenseful story infused with a romance that grows as secrets are revealed, all with an underlying paranormal element that gives the Phoenix Rising series its base, on which Ms. Swan has built exciting characters and storylines.

Alyssa Foster has worked hard to keep her medical career on an upward track, culminating in a promotion she’s ready to knock out the competition for. She’s on overload and tonight, because they’re short staffed, she’s taking care of prisoners from San Quentin. Two inmates are brought in, and what she gets for ogling a handsome man with a rock-hard bod is danger and fear when they force her from the hospital and on the wildest ride of her life that will change her forever.

Not willing to give up a chance at freedom after years of incarceration for crimes he didn’t commit, Teague Creek plots to take a hostage central to his plans to get back to the one girl who means everything to him. But plans have a way of going wrong, and things definitely go wrong for Teague. The woman he grabs has more backbone than any female he’s ever met. Alyssa gives him trouble from the beginning. His partner in crime is also trouble, but Teague needs him for the time being. And the guy is slime to the core. He’s a racist who acts on his ignorance. Some readers may not like the slurs this jerk spews, but it’s real and honest, and you know how much fun it can be when characters like that meet their destiny. Don’t let that put you off this book, because you’ll be missing out on a terrific read. Then Teague finds out he has the wrong hostage. What the hell is he supposed to do now?

But as Alyssa learns Teague’s story, as she sees the gentleness in him, the love and protection he has for those he cares about, her perception of him goes through a pivotal change. She also sees his regret at how he’s treated her during this ordeal. As all of the people involved with Teague’s case begin to emerge and the stakes for them both climb higher, Alyssa knows there’s no use denying what she feels for him any longer. And their love scenes sizzle and steam like you wouldn’t believe. Especially since it’s been so long for Teague, thinking he’d never touch a woman again. Amid all of this Alyssa adds her expertise to what he’s accumulated concerning the case, hoping to help him clear his name, but Teague is resigned to the fact that he’ll never have a normal life again.

There are a number of players involved in the entire story, but Ms. Swan does an excellent job at keeping them straight for the reader, never confusing you with the intricacies of the mystery. Teague is a wonderful hero. His softer side is revealed little by little, and you love him more each time you glimpse his internal emotion, and never do you question his masculinity. Alyssa is the perfect heroine for me. She’s sharp and stands up for herself, even against a convict, but she also shows fear and anxiety where it’s needed. She’s never TSTL and not too much of a kick-ass heroine to make her hard and standoffish.

We also meet Luke, Teague’s best friend, in this story. The paranormal ability Teague possesses was caused by a warehouse fire fought in his former life as a firefighter. We find Luke was also affected, though his ability is slightly different from Teague’s, and the mystery behind it all is not revealed here but will continue on in Luke’s book, Blaze, which will hit the shelves in October of this year.

What an all-consuming, thrilling, and passionate first book from Joan Swan. It’s action packed, the pace never slows down, and the romance is gradual and definitely satisfying. The promise this story gives to the entire series, however many books there may be, is never ending, so I hope there’s plenty of books in store for us. There aren’t many first-time published authors who would go on my keeper shelf, but Ms. Swan is definitely the exception to that rule. I have a feeling she’s going to be an exception to a lot of the rules out there. Look out, Romanceland!

Grade: A+

Summary:

Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish…

But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with a ripped body, a determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.

A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose…

Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Blaze – October 2012

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.