C2’s review of Once and Again (Petal, Georgia, Book 1) by Lauren Dane
Contemporary Romance published by Samhain 30 Aug 11

In her latest book, Lauren Dane returns us to the ever-so-fun small town of Petal, Georgia.  Readers of her Chase brothers series will see lots of familiar faces, get to know some supporting characters much better, and meet some new people too.  I enjoyed the Chase books, so I’m very excited to revisit Petal.

Lily Travis grew up in Petal but didn’t come back after college.  Her family was borderline dysfunctional, and Petal bad boy Nathan Murphy broke her heart.  However, when her family crosses the line into full-on dysfunction, she has no choice but to return home.  Lily’s parents are divorcing and her father is involved with a bubble-head younger than she is.  Her mother is becoming much too dependent on pills and alcohol. And her teenage brother is running with a bad crowd, cutting school and failing his classes.  It is time for someone to step in and get a handle on things and Lily is the only one who is willing to try.

After leaving her job in Macon, Lily comes back to Petal and moves into the apartment over her parents’ garage.  She knows most of her family is a lost cause but is determined to keep her little brother moving in the right direction.  One of the first things she does is visit Chris’ school to talk to the principal and his teachers.  Wouldn’t you know one of Chris’ teachers is Nathan Murphy?  And, my goodness, didn’t he grow up nicely?

Nathan grew up in Petal (his sister married one of the Chase brothers). He knew Lily growing up because she was a friend of his younger sister. They didn’t start dating until they ran into each other in college. Then, while they were on a break (and my brain went “OMG Rachel, we were on a break!”  ”Shut up, Ross.”), she saw him kissing (or being kissed by) one of her cousins.  He didn’t explain himself, she didn’t ask, and they stopped seeing each other.  Ah, youth…

When Nathan sees Lily back in Petal, the old attraction rears its head. This time they are both older and more mature, hopefully.  But Lily doesn’t want to go down that road again. Nathan really hurt her and she doesn’t want a repeat experience.  And she really has a lot on her plate – her mom has a substance abuse problem, her dad is a self-centered nut, her sister has anger issues.  Also, he is Chris’ teacher and she doesn’t want her brother to deal with talk about her inappropriate behavior.   But…

Attraction is hard to fight – especially when only one half of the couple is fighting it.  And Nathan is determined.  He knows what he wants and knows she wants him right back, whether she’s willing to admit it or not.  Add in conspiring family and friends and you know where this ends, don’t you, faithful reader?

I really enjoyed visiting Petal again.  I like seeing how things are with all the Chases and other residents…including some Murphy siblings that might be getting their stories told eventually.  And Lily’s relationship with her brother struck me as very true – it’s a hard balance to strike when you’re trying to parent your sibling…especially when the real parent is there but ineffective…and we see that here.  I also like the way Lily dealt with all the problems her family is facing – especially with her mom and her brother’s situation – she consults professionals all along the way to find the best way to handle things.  It would have been so annoying if she had just gone in and seemed to know just how to handle everything. Once and Again isn’t a happy, fluffy book – not that it’s a big downer or anything – it takes a look at real problems and shows how real people deal with them.  And everyone is in a better place at the end than they were at the beginning…what more can you ask?

Do you need to read the Chase series before reading Once and Again? No, it stands alone quite nicely, but, you know, I think you should always read all the connected books (plus the first Chase Brothers book was FREE for Kindle when I wrote this review).  And the Chase brothers are smoking hot, just FYI.

Grade: B+

Summary:
Seven years ago, Lily Travis was only too glad to see her hometown of Petal, Georgia in her rearview mirror. Thanks to her father running off with a twenty-year-old, though, here she is, trying to pick up the pieces. First order of business: meet with her brother’s teacher in a quest to pull his grades out of a downward spiral.

Nathan Murphy is pretty much resigned to his bachelor status—until he looks up from his desk to see an all-grown-up Lily walking into his classroom. Of all the women who turned out to be totally wrong for him, she’s the only one who felt right. At least until his foolish, immature mistake drove her away.

Lily has to admit that time has been more than kind to gorgeous, sexy Nathan. Except there’s no room on her full plate for another complication. Especially with a man who broke her heart once before.

With a little help from his friends, Nathan has a plan to rekindle the flame. It isn’t long before they’re burning up the sheets. Winning her heart? That’s another matter.

Warning: Hot, sexy high school teacher in denim and boots. Strong-willed females abound. Bad words and naughtiness, too. Come on, you know you want to read it.

Read an excerpt.

Connected books:

Dinca’s review of Breaking Brent (Kiel Brothers, Book 2) by Niki Green
Contemporary Western Romance published by Samhain 30 Nov 10

I didn’t get much sleep until I finished this book. It held my interest to the very last page.  Niki Green has me hooked and I will be looking for Book 1 of this series. I am enjoying the little town of Millbrook, Texas and their hot cowboys. You won’t find any shy bones under their skin.

Peyton and her two best friends always hung out together when she was 18. Her first kiss came from Carter and her virginity was lost to Brent, along with her heart. So when Brent broke her heart, Carter slammed into Brent and they came to blows, not only with each other but to their friendship as well.  Peyton was totally heart broken when Brent called it quits after three long years of loving him.  Cater stepped in to relieve the pain and became engaged to Peyton. He was a rodeo rider and away a lot of the time. Okay, most of the time. But at least Peyton had a ring on her finger and the town gossips no longer had a field day with her fragile emotions.

This is the second book in this series. I have not read the first, but I will now go hunt it down because this one is so good. It picks up where the first one left off. It is easy to derive that Brent broke off his relationship with Peyton after watching his brother have his heart ripped to shreds by his lady love. Brent decides he doesn’t ever want to have that happen to him, so he takes control by doing the breaking up first, before it can happen to him. He doesn’t realize that watching his love walk into his best friend’s arms could have the same effect. He now has his heart ripped out and has lost the most important thing in his life, as well as his best friend.

Peyton and Brent have avoided each other for four long years. With Peyton running the only watering hole in town, she has to run into him at some point. Knowing she usually doesn’t work on Friday nights, Bent thought it safe to attend his brother’s bachelor party. Seeing Peyton and being so close to her is Brent’s undoing.  He can’t keep his mind off her, and at his brother’s wedding he stops trying to and backs up his decision with his body.

Peyton and Cater quit pretending months before that they would ever tie the knot. She just hasn’t found a way to break it to her family with the whole town starting the “Bless your heart” syndrome all over again. She hates being the center of gossip.  But when she finds herself in Brent’s arms again, she knows she has to find a way. But does Brent just want her because she’s off limits? Does he only want what he can’t have? If that’s the only way she can have a taste of Brent again, maybe she should take her time about telling him she’s not engaged to Cater.

Well, that is all the juicy tidbits you are getting from me. As far as I am concerned, this is a must read. But start at the beginning if you can. I am hunting down Book 1 for my next read.  Thank you, Niki Green, for a good time in Millbrook, Texas. I am looking forward to my next visit. I now have to go play catch-up with Chase’s story so I can get to Jason’s. Jason’s already tickling my fancy.

Grade: A

Summary:

When the going gets tough, the tough get busy. Real busy.

In Millbrook, Texas, there are cowboys. Then there are the Kiels, every girl’s idea of perfection in tight-fittin’ jeans. Peyton James is no different. Only she doesn’t want to admit it—because three years ago Brent Kiel ripped out her heart and handed it back in teeny little pieces.

In a twist of fate Peyton wound up engaged to Brent’s best friend. The engagement might be off now, but no one needs to know, right? It keeps the questions at bay…and the temptation called Brent Kiel out of reach. Until the night he shows up at her family’s bar.

The only reason Brent agrees to meet his brothers at Big Jack’s is that Peyton never darkens the door on a Friday night. Except tonight. Seeing her is a painful reminder of his mistake and what it cost him—and that no other woman’s lips or body will ever satisfy him like hers.

Nothing—not the past, not her legendary temper, not even the rock on her finger—will keep this cowboy from getting what he wants…

Warning: Seduction served by a brooding and standoffish cowboy who wants nothing more than his ladylove’s heart and soul—her body is just icing on the cake. Hot cowboy sex in a bar, in a barn, in a bed…just about anywhere.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of With Abandon (With or Without Series, Book 4) by J.L. Langley
Paranormal Romance published by Samhain Publishing, 22 Mar 11

Matt Mahihkan has never lived anywhere except the Southwest, so when he gets a scholarship to a college in Georgia, he has to leave behind his family, his friends, and his pack.  Did I mention Matt is a werewolf – an adorable, klutzy, color-blind werewolf?  Because he is. His friend Keaton, who happens to be from Georgia, arranges for Matt to spend full moons with his former pack.  While getting ready to move, Matt texts Keaton’s brother Aubrey to introduce himself and ask some questions about his new home.  He and Aubrey continued to text each other and develop a friendship of sorts – so much so that Aubrey offers to let Matt stay in his condo.

Aubrey Reynolds takes his responsibilities very seriously.  He recently has taken over management of his family’s chain of hotels and is high up in the structure of his pack, as well.  Aubrey grew up knowing he’s expected to take over for his father and maintain the family’s place in society – both human and wolf.  And growing up in the conservative South, expectations are very, very high.  So anything unusual has to be carefully concealed – his human business connections can’t know he is a werewolf and no one, human or wolf, can know he is gay.  So when he meets Matt in person and discovers Matt is his mate, Aubrey sees all sorts of problems looming on the horizon. Aubrey initially tells Matt he doesn’t have room in his life for a mate.  But they have such instant rapport and Matt is so sweet and temptingly close-by…

As Matt settles into college, dealing with classes and homework and making new friends, Aubrey deals with problems at work. The board of directors doesn’t want to listen to a youngster, one of the board is blackmailing an employee, and the potential scandal if anyone finds out about his and Matt’s relationship weigh on his mind.

Deciding what to do about his relationship with Matt is hard for Aubrey – he isn’t just battling the opinion of others, he is battling with himself.  It is hard to completely change the way you look at your life when you have had a clear plan for so long.  Aubrey is suddenly forced to address new possibilities and is tempted to put himself ahead of the people depending on him, but he wants so much to live up to all the expectations of others. Along the way Aubrey and Matt learn the enemy isn’t always who you think it is and friends aren’t always what they seem.

The relationship between Aubrey and Matt is so sweet and fun.  Being with Matt lets Aubrey play and de-stress and being with Aubrey gives Matt someone to take care of and gives him some grown-up responsibilities. Even though they come together with different ideas – Matt doesn’t want a relationship anything like the one his parents have and Aubrey wants to continue his family’s legacy – they balance each other.  With Abandon can stand alone, but I recommend the whole series…the world keeps expanding and getting richer and the friendships continue to deepen and strengthen.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Love was never part of his plan…until it pounced.

As heir to an old and proud heritage, Aubrey Reynolds works and lives for his family, his employees and his pack. Agreeing to watch after a visiting werewolf is no big deal—until he discovers the newcomer is his mate. His very male mate…which is a very big deal, indeed. Revealing his sexuality was never part of Aubrey’s well-ordered life plan.

Much as he loved caring for his eight younger brothers, Matt Mahihkan knows it’s time to grab the opportunity to attend college in Atlanta. Realizing Aubrey is his mate should have been a delightful experience…except Aubrey treats him more like a dirty little secret than a lover. Yet Matt is a patient man. Aubrey can’t stay in the closet forever. Can he?

In time, they settle into a comfortable, if complicated, routine. Until a rogue werewolf with an axe to grind forces Aubrey to add to the wedge of secrets driving him and Matt apart, leaving Matt exposed to danger…and Aubrey forced to choose between love and duty.

Warning: Contains color abuse with a really bad sense of fashion, a southern accent from hell, sex on antique furniture, a pouncing playful werewolf, obnoxious siblings, liberal use of a color identifier and impatient sex. No lightning bugs were harmed in the making of this book.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Maiden Lane is a Richard and Rose book. It’s the penultimate in the current cycle, and could be the last we hear from Rose for a time.

The first Richard and Rose book, Yorkshire, is the first book I had published. There was no way, I thought, that anyone would want it. It’s set in the mid-Georgian era, the 1750s, not the more popular Regency; it’s written in the first person, the same couple feature at the centre of every book, and the hero is a dandy. Not your pretend type, but a real, honest-to-goodness Georgian fashion addict. Which meant scarlet cloth, pink satin, lace frothing at sleeves and neck, powder, patches and wigs. Yes, wigs. No respectable Georgian gentleman went out without his wig. It helps if you think of it like a kind of hat. Richard is also deadly with a slim Italian stiletto (the dagger, not the shoe), and the sword.

I fell deeply in love with the 1750s when I was nine years old. It was love at first sight, and it’s been the longest love affair of my life. So I’m a bit keen to get every detail as right as I can. I want the reader to feel she can walk off the page into the elegant rooms populated by the richly dressed characters in the books. Even if the only reader the books ever had was me.

As it turns out, they got a lot more. Richard and Rose are currently with their third publisher, and I have to thank Samhain for sticking with them and helping to make them as popular as they are. Which still amazes me somewhat.

The seventh book, Maiden Lane, is set back in London. Maiden Lane was a narrow street at the back of Covent Garden (the river side rather than the St. Giles side). It contained a mixture of clubs, shops and private residences. There’s quite a lot known about it, thanks to the records kept of London in that period, poll tax records and the like. I visited it last year, after I managed to drag myself away from my favorite parts of the Garden to explore further, and I knew I’d found the location for the Drury’s seedy club.

Maiden Lane summary:

Life is cheap. So is death.
Richard and Rose, Book 7
With Rose expecting again, it should be a joyous time for her and Richard. Yet old enemies and new come out of the woodwork, seemingly intent on using whatever means possible to destroy their happiness. Not only is the legitimacy of their marriage called into question, a young man steps forward claiming to be a by-blow of Richard’s dark, wild past.
Closer to defeat than he has ever been, Richard musters all his friends and allies to defend against this attack on his own ground. However, no amount of incandescent lovemaking and tender care seems to keep Rose out of harm’s way.
Then a mutilated body turns up on their doorstep-and all fingers point at Richard. Rose has no choice but to emerge from his near-smothering concern to do what she must to save the love of her life. Even if she must appear to work against him.
As she lays her heart on the line, Richard fights to keep the violence that marks his past from claiming her life. For if he loses Rose, with her will go his humanity.
Warning: Rose gets her mad on, and Richard gets turned on. Contains married love, married sex and married fooling about. And pink coats with lace ruffles. And swords. And wicked goings-on.

So you want an exclusive excerpt?

The door slammed. My husband had come home in a temper. I glanced at Nichols. “You can go now.”
He arrived like a whirlwind but remembered to close the door quietly behind him. I smiled. “Welcome home, my lord.” I won a wry grin for my pains.
“Did I disturb you? I’m sorry.”
“I think you disturbed the people several doors down.”
“I fear not, because he has just disturbed me.” Reminded of the cause of his anger, he lost the smile.
He shucked off his heavy coat on the nearest chair. One thing I could never persuade my husband of was the need for tidiness. He saw no point at all in such a thing. After all, what were servants for?
The fire blazed in the hearth, and I had been ready for a rest with a favourite novel until it was time to dress for dinner. I mentally bade Tom Jones farewell. “So which of our neighbours has had the temerity to upset you?”
He snorted. “Pitt would disturb the devil if he thought there was political capital in it for him.”
Ah. Mr. Pitt and his wife lived farther down Brook Street, and the man was a termagant in male clothing. He had a brilliant political career, all his efforts except that of wooing and marrying the love of his life were for the good of his country and his party. He did nothing without a hidden motive, and his capacity for convoluted argument was probably only bettered by Henry Fox.
“So what political capital does he find in you?” But I guessed. If anyone could persuade Richard to use his share of Thompson’s to his good, then he would have a distinct advantage over his peers. So far, Richard had refused to agree. And as a shareholder, so did I.
Richard crossed the room to me and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You were about to rest, weren’t you? I’m sorry, my love. I should have been less precipitate.”
“Maybe. But I wasn’t resting, so pour us a dish of tea and tell me what made you so furious.”
His mouth tilted up at one corner. A good sign. “Only you know me well enough to know how disturbed he made me.” He stroked down the neckline of my gown. I had already removed the fichu, so a good amount of my skin was on display. He let his finger slide down to my cleavage but lingered there only a moment and put his attention to unhooking my gown where it fastened to my stomacher.
“Pitt caught me in the Cocoa-Tree. As luck would have it, the place wasn’t as full as usual, so he could speak freely.” He huffed a laugh and unfastened another hook. “As much as he ever does, that is. I won’t bore you with the convoluted way he got to his point.” He brushed the top part of my breast, and I shivered and half-closed my eyes, letting him see my reaction to his touch. His low purr of approval worked my arousal up another notch, set my skin tingling. Slowly, watching my face, he finished unfastening the garment before dropping it to the floor. Then he glanced down, my breasts all but revealed under the white kid stays and my shift. I breathed in and enjoyed his smile as he observed the swell.
He touched the upper surface of my left breast with one finger, gently stroking. The touch made me aware of all my skin, all my body, and what Richard could do to it.
“Soft, enticing,” he murmured, before he leaned forward and kissed me, just brushing my lips with his.
I moaned, wanting more, but I knew the game by now and I could relax and enjoy it. Barely. I also knew ways I could make him stop it. It gave me enormous pleasure to know that I could drive him out of his mind, make him lose control. I was probably the only person alive who could do that. I wondered if I could do it without his consent, but so far he’d always proved willing. More than willing.
“Go on. What did Pitt say then?” I reminded him.
He sighed. “Pitt asked how you did, how Helen did, how my parents did and then how Gervase and Ian did. He made a great point of coupling Gervase and Ian. Society knows they are more than Member of Parliament and secretary, but people are working very hard not to notice.” Gervase had learned from earlier indiscretions. That, plus his wealth, made him eminently acceptable to society these days. But he and my brother were very much in love. “He thinks to expose them publicly if I don’t fall in with his wishes. As you’ve probably guessed, he wants Thompson’s as his own private spy service.” He undid another hook, his actions deliberate, but his fingers still bearing the tremor of anger. “I’ll disband it rather than that. Thompson’s is for nobody. First the Fieldings try to coerce us, then the politicians. All for their own ends. I will not have it.”
Without pause I pulled the cord that held up my petticoat.
I watched the spark of anger in his eyes fade, replaced by the glow of arousal. “He also mentioned John Kneller. He seemed to think I cared, but I speedily disabused him of that notion.”
“What does he want? A share in Thompson’s?”
My petticoat slid to the floor with a solid thump, leaving me in stomacher, under-petticoats, hoop and shift. He dealt with the last petticoat before he spoke again. “Something more specific. The Drurys.”
I frowned. “They’re a threat to him?”
“Oh yes. You know that infernal club they’ve set up in Maiden Lane?”
I recalled it. “The Cytherean Club?”
“That’s the one. They’re filling it with notable members these days.” A chuckle. “In more ways than one. They specialise in debauchery, particularly of the bondage and punishment kind. Some people like it.” I recalled an incident with silk cravats and fichus in our own personal history and shivered. His voice lowered. “As do we, on occasion. But not in the demeaning way they practice it. Many of their activities are conducted with others looking on.”
It passed my understanding how people could engage in personal discourse with an audience. Perhaps I was just naïve, but I wanted Richard all to myself. Our personal life would remain just that.
“So there are witnesses. And some of Pitt’s allies are enjoying the Drurys’ hospitality. Julia Drury has always had ideas about control.” He made a sound of disgust. Julia was probably one of the coldest people I’d ever met, and it went far beneath the surface. Richard’s cool, cynical veneer was just that-a veneer. Not so Julia’s.
“She wants to control more than her father’s fortune. I wonder just how much of that fortune is left,” he mused, his fingers stilling on the strings of my hoop. “That aspect never occurred to me before, but with her father retired to the country and her husband’s lack of business acumen, they must be going through it at a fair rate. I shall certainly look into that.”
He resumed his actions, his agile fingers making swift work of my remaining clothing. “Pitt wants me to look into the club. Join it, in fact.” His lip curled. “Not likely. But I know they have been making inroads recently, gaining more influential members. And at the moment Pitt needs all the support he can get. In the next few years it will be either him or Fox. Or maybe both. I’d prefer both, there would be more of a balance, but I fear Pitt has outgrown his erstwhile ally. It may be as well. The next leader will probably take us to war, and the country needs a strong, determined man.”
“What of Hartington?” This was an interesting time in politics. With the death of Henry Pelham-Holles, the alliance between him and his brother, the Duke of Newcastle, had ended. Now different parties were jockeying for position in the Lords and the Commons. Our neighbour in Derbyshire, Lord Hartington and his father, the Duke of Devonshire, bade fair to control the Lords, but Fox and Pitt were still fighting it out in the Commons. Any advantage, in or out of the House was a great victory, and Thompson’s would be a jewel in the crown of either party.
“Hartington will soon be Devonshire. His father is, I fear, too ill to recover this time.” Richard had me almost naked now, standing before him in shift and stockings. I determined to redress the balance and fingered the buttons on his waistcoat. He smiled and watched me, his hands resting on my waist. “I will investigate the Cytherean Club, but for our own sake rather than anyone else’s.”
“You will join?” I hated to think of him in that place, although I knew he had indulged in that and similar activities in the past.
“I will make enquiries. However, I promise-”
I laid my finger over his lips to prevent him speaking. “You don’t have to promise me anything, because I know.” He wouldn’t betray me or what we shared.
He kissed my fingers and drew back a little. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”
I moved closer to him, felt the smooth silk of his waistcoat under my cheek. “Soon.”
He chuckled. “My love, you’re shameless.”
“Hardly. And in any case, you like me that way.”
“I adore you any way.”
I loved the flame burning deep in his eyes, demonstrating his desire for me.
Then I decided it was time Richard showed some flesh and pushed his waistcoat off his shoulders. He released me long enough to let it fall. That was my declaration of intent. The neckcloth came next, and he drew the long strip of fine fabric through his hands, watching me closely. I swallowed. I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but I had some ideas, and if they matched his, gentle lovemaking would be off the cards this afternoon.
He looked at me from under half-closed lids, his eyes glittering dangerously. “You should be careful, sweetheart. Open Pandora’s box and you never know what you’ll find.” He laid the cloth over the end of the bed, its careful placement a suggestion. It was enough, and he knew it. Under my petticoat and shift, my cleft dampened. I pressed my thighs together to bring some sensation to the bud of passion now blooming and wet, yearning for his touch. He paused in the act of undoing his sleeve buttons, growled low in his throat, an animalistic sound that sent my arousal into presto tempo.
Richard made short work of his shirt, loosening the ties and buttons and dragging it off over his head. I loved his chest, strong with muscle and sinew, and now I flattened my hands against it, enjoying the warm flesh and his heart throbbing under my palm.
“This is supposed to be my rest,” I said, my voice coming out huskier than I’d planned. A pathetic attempt at a tease, but all I could manage just now.
“My lady, I guarantee you’ll rest well. But not just yet.” He gripped my stays and pulled open the first few hooks at the front. My breasts spilled into his hands, and he pushed my shift down to bare them completely before he bent his head to feast.

Ash’s review of A Deepest Thread of Black by Finn Marlowe
Erotic Paranormal Romance published by Samhain Publishing 08 Feb 11

I really wanted to love this book. It has more than a few plot lines that I usually enjoy, but there isn’t a single thing I like here.

As soon as the story starts, it feels like I am missing something. Twice I checked online to see if there were previous books. The world is never explained well. It took a while for me to get the difference between shifters and werewolves, and even then it is unclear. It feels like the world building is an afterthought, something to give the characters a reason to hate each other. It’s just plain confusing.

As for the characters, Colton and Killian, I don’t care for either of them. We are told Colton is a big bad werewolf hunter, but my only impression of him is that he is weak. His character never comes together, and he feels like different people, depending on what the scene calls for. He is a character that is written as expected, with no real personality. Killian is almost the same, he just plays the dominant role. The scenes between them are cold and I don’t believe any of the emotions that are supposedly between them.

I’m sorely disappointed in this story. I had to force myself to finish it so I could write this review, and it’s a short story. Sadly, this isn’t an author I plan to read again.

Grade: F

Summary:

The seduction of his enemy is the ultimate hunt…When his mortal enemy, the handsome and deadly Colton Dècarie, shows up on his doorstep asking an unspeakable favor, Killian Frost is cautious—and curious. What could drive a shape-shifter to beg a werewolf for an honorable death in the line of duty—defending humans from soul-stealing Lycans? Moreover, why ask Killian, who has kept his own feet off that dark path?

Colton’s conflicted heart can take no more of the violence that consumes more of his humanity with every hunt. Even now, Killian’s werewolf scent makes him burn with the instinctive urge to shift and destroy. Death would be a mercy, but the price is impossibly simple: one night of submission in Killian’s bed.

Yet as Killian extracts payment in flesh and pleasure, Colton finds himself giving all that’s demanded of him and more, feeling something he hasn’t felt in a long time. Alive. And Killian discovers the hidden cost of sleeping with the enemy. To keep the balance between light and dark, Bella Luna binds his Lycan blood with a quest to unravel a conspiracy threatening all his kind. If he’s brave enough, he’ll discover a love that means more than the power of a dead man’s soul.

Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of The Wallflower by Dana Marie Bell
Paranormal romance released by Samhain Publishing 15 Apr 08

I’d heard of this book before it was released, bought it near the end of 2009, but only read it a few days ago. Just felt that little tidbit was relevant. I read it on one of the plane rides back home from RonCon, and it was a perfect for that – a quick read, with the requisite happy ending.

The story itself is short. Like really short-  but it’s a novella, so that makes sense. (Unfortunately it left me with way too much time where I was forced to entertain myself.) Also, in all seriousness, the length meant the story left something to be desired. I didn’t believe the manner in which Max and Emma get together. At. All.

I am, however, interested in reading the rest of the series – especially Simon and Becky’s story, which is next. The Wallflower was a free read, which pretty much everyone can get – and Samhain has been very clever, offering the first story of a number of series as a free read for a limited time. Well played, Samhain. Well played.

Getting to the characters, Emma is likable, but not really a wallflower. I think the title and label is just to give her a pre-developed character, so no time/space needs to be spent on exploring that. Be that for the length, or whatever, I didn’t go for it. The jokes or implications from the “mean girls” that Emma was a lesbian also seemed pointless to me.

Max on the other hand didn’t seem like that much of a catch to me. Sure, every girl wanted him, and he was the alpha… but I guess he didn’t really catch my interest. Also being so very attracted to Emma based on her voice seemed… uninspiring. I did like that Max decided he wanted Emma and went after her.

However, the whole, “I see you for the first time in ten years and then scare the crap out of you at night and kidnap you for dinner under false pretenses then bite you and give you an orgasm against your car and now you’ve turned into a puma and we’ll be together forever” didn’t really do it for me. Sadly that’s pretty much the plot of the entire story, which I generally try to avoid writing about, but I don’t feel like that’s giving much away.

I will say, however, that I enjoyed Ms. Bell’s voice in her writing, and liked the characters, just didn’t think what they did made very much sense, or that their actions were so believable. It seemed like there were a number of gaps and plot holes, which I’m going to attribute to the length of the story. This might also be Ms. Bell’s first (or at least early) book, so I’m definitely going to give the rest a try if/when I get my hands on them. Also, a giant shiny gold star to Ms. Bell for having an excerpt on her webpage.

Grade: D+

Emma Carter has been in love with Max Cannon since high school, but he barely knew she existed. Years later she’s a
small business owner, running a unique curio shop with her best friend, Becky. She’s finally come out her shy shell and
into her own.

When Max returns to his small home town to take up his duties as the Halle Pride’s Alpha, he finds that shy little Emma
has finally grown up. That small spark of something he’d always felt around the teenager has blossomed into something
more: Emma is his mate! A plot to match up his best friend (and fellow Puma) with Emma’s is a natural opening to get
her all to himself. A “kidnapping with food” and a bite to remember insure that the luscious Emma is permanently his.

And when his ex-girlfriend tries to interfere, Emma proves to the Pride that she has what it takes to be the Alpha’s mate.

Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of Veiled Seduction (Veiled Series, Book 2) by Alisha Rai
Contemporary romance released by Samhain Publishing 1 Jun 10

I read Veiled Desire and I knew I wanted to read Veiled Seduction, because Sasha’s story was going to be very fun. I’m definitely looking forward to more of Alisha Rai’s books. In fact, I hope she writes more quickly. I definitely will read them. I love the interaction between the characters that is so real but sweet, the personable the story was. I’m also a huge fan of friends to lovers stories, and this was a fast read that I know I’ll be revisiting.

Maira is a genius. She’s one of the people you read about in the newspaper, that started medical school at age eighteen. What I really like about her, and how Ms. Rai writes Maira, however, is how normal she is. Maira’s brain is just a part of her, and the fact that she’s so frighteningly accomplished is very matter of fact. Not to say that it’s a non issue. Ms. Rai realistically addresses the difficulty Maira had in fitting in, and the fact that she feels slightly awkward socially due to her development and experiences in life. Maira herself is very likable. She’s sensible and smart, and has gumption. Granted it takes a life or death situation to push her into action, but she decides to make the first move. For all that she’s conservative and really respectful of her parent’s wishes and her upbringing, Maira isn’t going to let anyone dictate how she should live her life.

Sasha Kirami is … an idiot, and an all around great guy. He’s normal, but not. He’s a cop who was just doing his duty, but is also a hero. I love the extraordinary paired with the mundane here. He also gets a little bit of his own back because he tormented his sister and best friend in Veiled Desire. Sasha is your typical clueless guy, and possibly even a little more macho. He’s also quite stubborn and likes calling the shots. I liked that Sasha had a possessive side, and especially that he kept it to himself. As in, he feels it, but he doesn’t impose his machismo on others or be overbearing. And he realizes when he’s just this side of cave man. The fact that that’s how he is, but doesn’t act on it is appealing.

A number of the scenes are quite sexy, but they are an equal number of scenes that have nothing to do with sex. It’s clear that Sasha and Maira are perfect for each other, and that they did take it slow, in that their two year friendship essentially was dating, without the physical aspect. (So I realize it’s not, but they know each other. Their likes, dislikes, family friends and background, and they’re comfortable with each other as well.)

I will say that the book ended a bit abruptly to me. I just thought there might be something more. But, it was a sweet moment, and when reading into it a bit more, it’s clear Sasha and Maira will be together. There were some great moments of comic relief, my favorite probably being when Sasha meets Maira’s mother. Your significant other’s traditional parents are always scary, and worse when you don’t meet them at your best.

I know I say I don’t like series, but Ms. Rai’s books can definitely stand alone, and I think Sasha’s friend Keirnan deserves a little romance in his life as well. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick romance that very well written, has great characters, and also has a little spice.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Beneath Dr. Maira Khan’s reserved exterior, her heart beats triple-time for only one man: Sasha Karimi. For two years she’s waited patiently for the handsome police lieutenant to wake up and see her as more than a buddy. When he’s injured in the line of duty, though, she realizes time is too precious to waste. Ditching her scrubs—and her shyness—she cooks up her very first seduction.

Sasha’s had a hell of a week. Thanks to the national media, amorous women are pouring out of the woodwork, all wanting a piece of America’s newest “hero”. The biggest disappointment? Maira seems to have contracted the same case of mass hysteria. Betrayed, he pushes her away—but not before he samples a taste of her luscious mouth and body.

It works. Maira retreats, mortified and ashamed. And Sasha realizes he’s just driven away the perfect woman. Now all he needs is a foolproof plan to win her back, starting with a proper courtship—and restraining his lust. Except once Maira glimpses the man behind the uniform, she sets out to show him that pure need has its own ideas about what’s proper…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of Anybody But Justin by Shelli Stevens
Contemporary romance released by Samhain Publishing 12 May 09

I love friends to lovers stories. There’s just something about them – the connection, history, inside jokes… so much goodness for an author to work with. Shelli Stevens puts a slight spin on her take, with Gabby and Justin being friends, but more like acquaintances or buddies. They have what I’d consider a “surface” friendship. And it works for them. I picked up this book because I loved the premise, it’s short, and I’ve been in the most awful reading slump.

As is a short story, I don’t want to over analyze it and risk ruining things or drag. Gabby and Justin were roommates, but one shared kiss freaked Gabby out, and she ran, moving out and avoiding Justin. Her reasons are that he’s a womanizer. What I actually really like about the story is how similar Gabby and Justin are. They both dated freely and often, and they’re happy with not settling down. Or they were while living together. It was pretty much an ideal roommate situation. Still, they were becoming really good friends and developing what could have been a great relationship, and Justin realizes it. This gives him depth, and makes him quite likable. (Who doesn’t cheer for the guy putting it all on the line to win the heart of his [true] love, right?)

Gabby’s reasons for breaking things off with Justin and not entering a relationship are valid, and important, but not too heavy. Gabby essentially works for a battered women’s shelter, and runs a program with a few of her friends and other co-workers. It was a nice secondary story that also explained a lot for Gabby, and kept her from being contradictory, or having a double standard, which could have been easy to assume.

In the end, I enjoyed reading about Gabby and Justin. They’re perfect together, and just work. It’s nice to read a relatively light story that still has substance and covers important issues. I’ll definitely be reading more of Ms. Steven’s books.

Grade: B-

The line between friends and lovers can get a little blurry…especially when you add tequila. A Chances Are story.

Gabby is serious about her search for Mr. Right, but no one can say she hasn’t had a good time looking. She enjoys her numerous dates and the sex that comes with them. Until she finds herself falling for the one man she vows to never love. Her best friend and roommate, Justin. A player in every sense of the word—and a reminder of her awful past.

One night, with the help of a bottle of tequila, things get a little too hot for comfort. She moves out, intent on removing him from the line of temptation.

Justin has different plans. The tequila did more than just change how he sees his good friend. It made him realize he doesn’t want to be just friends any more. He’s ready for something more intimate, and he’ll do whatever it takes to find out why she’s running. And convince her to stay.

Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of Veiled Desire by Alisha Rai
Contemporary romance released by Samhain Publishing 2 Feb 10

This is the first book I read by Alisha Rai, but it definitely won’t be the last. Veiled Desire also has so many of my favorite romance themes. The friends to lovers aspect. Then the “forbidden romance” – Leyla is Mason’s best friend’s older sister. I had high expectations going in and Ms. Rai did not disappoint. I can’t wait to read her next book.

Leyla is a special character, in that she seems to be full of subtle contradictions. She’s quite conservative outwardly, but in private (in really private) settings, she’s quite adventurous. I liked that Leyla is so real. She’s a mother figure, and wants to make sure everything is smooth, and resolved, and everyone is happy. Difficult when she’s one of the principle actors in the conflict, as it were, but it’s how her personality is.

I found Mason to be cute and quirky. He’d be a great hero for anyone, but he’s the perfect fit for Leyla, and the fact that he’s best friends with her little brother Sasha makes it priceless. I like that Mason is so determined to pursue Leyla, and that he understands and respects her. Mason is all in from the start, and it’s clear how invested he is in making the romance work, and maintaining all relationships – romantic, and platonic.

I enjoyed Ms. Rai’s sense of humor. It’s a bit wry, and tongue in cheek. The characters can be self deprecating in the best way possible, and they’re just random enough to be refreshing, but not confusing or over the top. It worked for me. Everything is connected, and complete. The characters are realistic, and true to themselves, all changes felt natural, and believable.

The interpersonal relationships are also great – Sasha provides another way to view Leyla, and that givesher a lot of depth. The outraged brother also provides humor, and I love the conversations between Mason and Sasha. The fact that they’re all friends also adds another layer to the story, and more warmth. I’m definitely looking forward to Sasha’s story, which I believe will be out in a few months. If you want to read a fun, sexy contemporary romance, I recommend  Veiled Desire.

Grade: B-

Leyla Karimi can’t keep her eyes off the hunky guy living in the house behind her. How could any woman resist ogling Dr. Mason Barrett, especially when he makes it so easy by parading around in his skin and skivvies?

If it was only their age difference, she would have made a move a long time ago. Except Mason is more than a neighbor. He’s her baby brother’s oldest friend. It’s not like they can have a casual fling and walk away in the morning.

Mason’s been doing a little lusting—okay a lot—for quite some time. When he catches Leyla peeking, it’s a sure sign she could finally be ready to heat up his nights with loving. One taste of her lips, though, and he doesn’t want a “little” of anything. He wants it all.

Unwilling to jeopardize a lifetime of friendship for a one-night stand, Leyla is reluctant to throw caution to the wind. When he’s kissing her senseless, though, it’s hard to remember all the reasons why she should hold back…

Warning: Contains a hot hero who doesn’t mind baring it all in the name of love, a heroine who doesn’t settle for less, a sweet romance, steamy sex in a car and more good lovin’ in bed.

Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of Jealous Lover by Brandi Michaels
Contemporary romance released by Samhain Publishing 16 Jun 09

I haven’t read a Samhain book in a while, and this was a cute, fast read. I’ve heard of Brandi Michaels, but this is the first book by her that I’ve read. I’ll definitely look into her back list – and see if she has any stories connected to this one.

Crystal Moran is a nice heroine. She’s smart, rational, and likable. She stands up for herself, and doesn’t fall into too many stereotypes. I like that she left Demetrius originally  – although she does “take one for the team” and agree to er, be with him, for money – but it’s for charity! Anyway, more importantly, Crystal, after finding “damning evidence” does something about it. Sure, there are a few melodramatic moments, but then she pulls on her big girl pants, and confronts the issue. I was pleased, and impressed.

Demetrius is a great hero. He’s… amusing, almost, in how arrogant and overbearing he is – but you like him. He’s not an asshat-  just… very Greek, and you find yourself charmed by his character. He’s obviously also very attached to Crystal, and does have a brain. Demetrius just isn’t very good at cooperating so much as asserting his will. I liked that he actually was rational, and regretted his harsh actions. It was nice to see a hero admit fault and show remorse- and before the “big reveal” even.

I thought of this book as an X-rated Harlequin Presents (…until I read another HP book- and was surprised as to the content) on fast forward.  I liked that the hero was Greek and certain aspects of his personality reflected that, but overall, I didn’t think it mattered. Yes, Ms. Michaels did her research, and I’m sure the Greek she uses was correct. (After all, she asked Tony and Lori Karayianni.) Nevertheless, as very few people in her audience likely understand Greek, everything Demetrius says is repeated in English. This bogs down the story and makes it repetitive. The Greek becomes a distraction, rather than a part of his character.

There were some basic misunderstandings, but nothing that annoyed me. In fact, the book pleasantly surprised me, because I thought it might become mired or be trapped by one of the pitfalls available- but it doesn’t! The characters are relatively rational and intelligent, though it’s somewhat crazy everything takes place in basically 24 hours. (Hence the “fast forward” aspect.) What also makes this story different is the er… techy underwear Demetrius brings for Crystal. Seemingly unnecessary kink, but hey – to each his or her own.

If you’re looking for a cute, smart, and short story – I’d recommend this one. I’ll probably re-read it when I want something quick, and entertaining.

Grade: C

Once burned, twice shy-until the passion reignites.

Three years ago, heiress Crystal Moran gave her heart to a man, only to have it crushed by his accusations of infidelity. Miserable, she picked up the pieces and returned to the United States to run her family-s non-profit corporation. Now, just as she-s got her life in order, he shows up at her big fundraiser. He thinks making a sizeable donation will win back her good graces.

As if.

Greek millionaire Demetrius Vartolas knows his money can-t turn back the clock, but it just might buy him enough time to convince Crystal she belongs in his life. And his bed.

The reunion of bodies leaves them both begging for more. Rebuilding lost trust won-t be so easy-unless she can prove her innocence to him once and for all…

Read an excerpt here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Once burned is all it takes…

A Rancho Del Cielo Romance.

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

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

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

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

Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of Circle of Friends: Steve’s Story by Jess Dee
Contemporary romance published by Samhain Publishing on 28 Apr 2009

I waited for what felt like a long time and was very excited for Circle of Friends: Steve’s Story… but am very sorry to say I was disappointed. I absolutely adored Tyler’s story, and was eager to see the circle of friendship be completed. I expected an emotionally loaded story, one with humor and fun, but, for some reason, it just didn’t come together for me.

In the interest of honesty and full disclosure… I have to say after getting through about three-sevenths of this book, I reverted to giving it the “grad school read.” There is a *lot* of sex and heat in this book, and that’s hot, but… it doesn’t really make up for the rest of the book. (Also, that’s not why I read romances or erotic romances, so it wouldn’t have worked for me anyway.)

I hate to say it, but the heroine, Pen (Penelope), is something of a bitch, and an idiot. I think it’s because she annoyed me so much that Steve’s nickname of “Sunshine” for her didn’t really work – and actually started reminding me of what she wasn’t. Pen is not bright light and happiness. She’s a mess of tears and seems to bring everyone around her down.

Yes, I felt horrible that she had the gene for Huntington’s Disease. Maybe it’s because I don’t know enough about it that I didn’t feel bad enough for her. Because after reading through nearly half the book, I was fed up, and had to put this book down for a number of months. [Yes, I did feel badly for her. But I'd been feeling badly for her since Tyler's story. Everyone around her was willing to accept her and love her as she is- but she just had to make everyone miserable for hundreds of pages.]

Steve Sommers is a great guy, and incredibly determined. So determined that it almost passes admirable, and reading the book is rather like watching him beat his head against a brick wall. You’d admire it, if you didn’t wonder why he didn’t just *stop.* Apparently I’m not that much of a romantic, because the happy ending didn’t excuse it. Or maybe I expected more of Pen.

Steve is great though – he’s willing to do anything and everything to get Pen, and he withholds his personal gratification in hopes that it’ll force Pen to acknowledge they have something good and the should be in a relationship.

I can understand Pen’s perspective – that she doesn’t want to put anyone though having to care for her once she begins deteriorating. And even more the pride aspect – where she doesn’t want those she loves and admires to see her in that way. I get that. But I didn’t need to be beaten over the head with it for however many pages this book was. The emotional problems, issues, and hang ups were made clear in the previous book – after the first few chapters of Steve’s story, this was just too much.

Also, their “catch phrase” of “fire it up” began to creep me out. It didn’t seem that Steve and Pen really ever had any emotional connection. It was all sex- and whenever Steve tried for something more, Pen would make it all about sex. I felt that Steve and Kate had a better emotional break through and connection than Steve and Pen, almost. And not because Steve and Kate had previously been engaged. More because they realize they still can be and are friends – and love each other as friends.

I might re-read this in the future, to see if I feel differently… but it won’t be something on the top of my to do list.
Grade: D

When love is threatened by truth, every moment counts…

Steve Sommers is having a gut-wrenching week. His fiancée has left him, the woman who broke his heart is back in town—and they’re all gathered at the bedside of his best friend, who’s in a coma. The emotional ties between them are strained to the breaking point. Like it or not, it’s up to Steve to find the strength and compassion to support the four of them through the toughest ordeal of their lives.

In the midst of the turmoil and trauma, passion unexpectedly flares anew between Steve and the woman he loves. Suddenly the future he’d believed lost lies within his reach. But she still carries the secret that once tore them apart, and determined to protect Steve from the truth, she fights their rekindled relationship every step of the way.

Now the fragile bond they’ve developed hangs in the balance, threatened by a reality that love may not be strong enough to overcome…

Read an excerpt here.

Permission to post from Christina Brashear, who will be joining us at TGTBTU for an interview soon. We look forward to learning more about is in store from Samhain but first a look the recent changes….

Samhain is ecstatic to announce that we have filled the position of Executive Editor and the new position of Managing Editor from within. We have a really great team of editors who are talented, personable and know their business. Samhain is so fortunate to have such a wonderful staff from whom we can promote as positions open.

Laurie M. Rauch has accepted the position of Executive Editor. She has been with Samhain since 2006. She has a BFA in theater and a diploma in Book and Magazine Publishing. As Executive Editor, Laurie will be responsible for our publication standards, house style and developing and motivating the editing staff. She has great ideas that align with my vision for Samhain. She looking forward to developing them, and those of the team, with the Managing Editor and Editorial Team. Bio

Lindsey Faber (you may know her as Lindsey McGurk) has accepted the position of Managing Editor. Lindsey has a master’s in literature, a fabulous sense of organization and a love as deep as mine for spreadsheets. Who better than she to take on this newly formed position and assume the administrative duties of publishing books, namely the publication schedule. She and Laurie share many of the same ideas for Samhain’s future. They will be great team leaders and sources for the editors and authors. Bio

Samhain is also fortunate to have joining our team a fresh voice with new ideas.

Lucia Carr of Macon, Georgia joins our team as Direct of Public Relations. This position will oversee marketing, advertising and public events such as panels and other speaking engagements. Lucia is looking forward to working with our team of staff and editors. Her task is to organize and guide our focus on the promotion of Samhain, expand what we’re already doing to reach new readers, and bringing new ideas for increasing our customer base. Bio

My goal is to have the staff and editors spreading the Samhain word–educating potential readers on the joys and benefits of ebooks and how totally awesome our authors and their stories are! My team is anxious to begin!

(syb note: I didn’t want it to get lost in the western posts)

This is just me, Lynne. I’m not speaking for anyone else, or on anyone else’s behalf.

Just before the weekend I lost someone who helped me build up my career at Samhain, but hopefully I haven’t lost a friend. Angela James was my editor, and she edited my Triple Countess and Secrets series for me (both unfinished). Then came Richard and Rose.

When an author finds an editor she gets along with, it’s a match made in heaven, and my relationship with Angela James was like that. Although Angie wasn’t a history expert, she loved my Richard and Rose series, and read it when it was with another publisher. So when the series was once again free she signed it to Samhain.

I was beginning to think this series is jinxed, or was, before Angie. The first book I had published was “Yorkshire,” the first in the series. First book, first page, first historical error. Richard said “hello” to Rose. Not in 1751 he wouldn’t. that word was invented for the telephone, and Richard and Rose were long before that. If he’d yelled it at her, he might have been nearer to its original meaning, “Halloo!” something shouted on the hunting field when someone saw the fox. Not exactly the sentiment I wanted to convey.

My love affair with the eighteenth century is the longest of my life. I fell in love with the era when I was nine years old, when we did a school project on coffee and tea, but we all make mistakes, however hard we try.

Angie isn’t an expert in the eighteenth century, but despite her other commitments, she did a thorough job. If she didn’t know something, she looked it up or she queried it. I didn’t get away with a thing, neither did I want to. After I’d edited the first book we worked together on, “Last Chance, My Love,” I ended up with a week with two Tuesdays in it (I concentrated the action and lost most of a week). At first, my timelines were a little – unusual, but Angie encouraged me to track them and keep them straight. I work hard at that now.

Then I had a total of six editors for the first four books, already written, now reissued at Samhain. There are two already written and contracted, and I want to write one more before I give the series a rest. I’ve had to do hard rewrites and I’m waiting to hear from my new editor for the release dates and details.

I’ve worked with a number of editors, and hand on heart, the ones I work with now are the best. They have supportive companies behind them, and they all do a thorough edit. I’ve heard of publishers whose editors don’t do edits at all, usually because they haven’t the time, but there’s no way I’d ever want to work with one of those. One day I might have to, but I hope not. An editor makes your work the best it can be, she polishes, shows you how you can improve, and deals with the funky stuff like formatting. She tries to bring out the author’s voice, instead of adding her own.

Angie had a large list of authors she edited, and we are all very different, in style and genre. I’m going to miss her, but one thing publishing definitely isn’t is static. She has moved on to new challenges and while I wish her the best, I will miss her input.

And I’m moving on to a new challenge, too, as is Samhain. It’s a thriving publishing house, one which I’m very proud to be part of. It supports its authors, has a strong roster of editors, cover artists and other staff, all of whom have helped to make Samhain one of the three biggest companies in epublishing. With the epublishing market in a heavy growth period, the years ahead are going to be very interesting.

Very interesting indeed.

LauraJ’s review of Jinxed by Inez Kelley
Contemporary Romantic Comedy released by Samhain Publishing on June 9, 2009.

I think every woman wants to find a man who is “perfect” (and it’s okay if your idea of perfect is different than mine, etc) and in this light-hearted romance I think Ms. Kelley has managed to get at least several “perfect man” qualifications on most women’s checklists in the hero Francis “Jinx“ Sullivan. Yes that is his name and how he got the name is quite cute, especially if you are the older sister of younger brothers.

Seriously, Jinx is the dream man we all want. He is handsome, has a great job, has money, says all the right things, is patient, kind to children, he’s funny and charming, takes care of those he cares about, and he willingly shops for feminine products for the woman of his dreams. He has suffered pain in the past and when he meets Frances “Frannie“ Sullivan, he believes that he has been given a second chance at love and he is willing to give a reluctant (very reluctant) Frannie all the time she needs to realize that she is “the one” for him.

Frannie, however, believes that Jinx is “a few fries short of a happy meal” (also a fruit loop, nut job, whacko and a few other terms used to describe crazy people). How could someone possibly fall in love at first sight and then propose marriage almost immediately (don’t worry, I’m not giving away any plot spoilers–it happens very early in the story)? Frannie feels that she is just plain, ordinary and someone like Jinx could never fall in love with her. She thinks that, just like her ex-husband, Jinx will get bored with her eventually and move on leaving her to nurse another broken heart. Eventually Frannie begins to fall for him, but she still thinks she can guard her heart. Break his before he breaks hers. But Jinx hangs in there, trying patiently to wait for Francis to come around and believe that he does truly love her.

Like I said, Jinx is the perfect hero, but really not in a overly obnoxious way. Frannie is also very likeable. You can understand her hesitation about getting in a relationship. Her ex-husband (we see him through “flashbacks” of things he said to her) was emotionally abusive and Frannie hasn’t gotten past that yet. Frannie keeps from Jinx why she is so hesitant about getting serious with him. He wants it all with her, but he never pushes her to reveal why she is so hesitant, but waits patiently for her to open up to him.

Although at first the story was lively and upbeat, it hit a spot that seemed to be a little long and dragged a bit, but soon I didn’t care because I really enjoyed Jinx and Frannie. Towards the end I also thought Ms. Kelley was going to let me down with the ending, but I’m very happy to say after reading it, she handled the ending very well.

I hope I see more books like this one by Ms. Kelley in the future.

Grade: B-

Summary:

     When opposites attract, they are screwed three ways from Sunday.

Frannie learned the hard way that a McHottie doesn’t always equal marriage material. She’s happy with her vanilla life. She has friends, a career and a double-D-powered vibrator. Then Fate shoves her, literally, into Prince Charming’s lap. His declaration of love at first sight is cute—and spikes her bullcrap meter into the red zone.

She’s more than willing to give in with her body. But she’s barricaded her heart behind castle walls—and permanently welded the gates shut.

Tragedy taught Jinx that time is too precious to waste, so when a series of uncanny coincidences thrusts Frannie into his life, he holds on tight. He knows she thinks he’s several fries short of a Happy Meal, but he’s determined to breach the fortress around her heart and give her a Happily Ever After.

Even if he has to carry her fanny-first into his kingdom.

Read an excerpt here.

LauraJ’s review of Taking Chloe (The Vaughan Series, Book 3) by Anne Rainey
Contemporary Erotic Romance released by Samhain Publishing 2 Jun 09

This is the third installment for the Vaughn Series by Ms. Rainey and I was very excited to see this brother, Merrick, get his story. I had even looked back to see if I had missed his story. I loved the other two stories (Touching Lace and Taking Candy), where Merrick and his wife, Chloe, appeared.

In this story, Merrick and his wife Chloe have been married for two years, but over the last several months Chloe has felt that she has been alone, abandoned by Merrick for his work. She has tried talking to him but he is always at work or when he comes home late he goes to be immediately. She decides that she must do something drastic to get his attention, so she packs her bags and waits for Merrick to come home to tell him she is moving out.

While waiting for him to change out of his work clothes so they can talk, he falls asleep. Chloe leaves without talking to him knowing if she doesn’t that she will chicken out and Merrick will continue to ignore her and their marriage. Merrick goes after her in shock that Chloe has left him and convinces her to give him one week to prove that they belong together.

The story is full of emotion. Merrick is trying to build a successful business and doesn’t realize that it is costing him his marriage to the love of his life. He loves Chloe and will do every thing to save their marriage. While he is a very alpha type male, he is also very vulnerable and it makes him more real.

Chloe doesn’t let Merrick off the hook easily and while she gives in to the week of pleasure that Merrick gives her, she knows it can’t be saved with sex alone. She want’s Merrick there both physically and emotionally. I liked that Chloe didn’t give in easily and felt it made her character stronger and more real.

Ms. Rainey continues to write wonderful, emotional and very sexy stories. I can’t wait to read the next one.

Grade: A

Summary:
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The only way to keep what he has…is to surrender everything.
.
     The Vaughn Series, Book 3
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Merrick Vaughn couldn’t be happier with his life. His business is jumping and his marriage to the love of his life is about as good as it gets. At least, that’s what he thinks…until Chloe announces she wants to separate.
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Stunned doesn’t begin to cover it, but it quickly becomes clear that she’s dead serious. And if he doesn’t take action, as in now, he’s going to lose the only woman he’s ever loved.
.
The last thing Chloe wants is a divorce, but she can’t go on living with a virtual stranger who spends all his time—and hers—behind a desk. It’s tearing her apart, and taking a break to sort out her thoughts seems her only recourse.
.
Then Merrick offers a wicked proposition: go to Hawaii with him for one week’s vacation. After that, if he hasn’t successfully changed her mind, he’ll let her go. No questions asked. There’s only one caveat. She must agree to give him complete control.
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Chloe’s intrigued and scared. One week in paradise might bring them closer—or be their ultimate undoing.
.
Warning: This story contains graphic language, a touch of voyeurism, anal sex, and husband-and-wife lovin’ in lots of sinful positions. Have your significant other handy!
.
Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Fortune’s Promise, (Fortune Series, Book 2) by Karen Erickson
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by Samhain 20 Jan 09

I’m usually not a fan of celebrity stories, either the hero or heroine is famous, they get involved with someone nonfamous, the tabloids do their thing, misunderstandings occur. While this book does follow that formula to a certain degree, what made it different for me is the characters, both of whom are drawn to each other from first glance but who both have their own issues to overcome, especially the hero, and Ms. Erickson makes them so likable that when the misunderstanding comes, I found myself rooting for them instead of groaning as I usually do when it comes to that type of circumstance for characters.

Maddie is one third winner of a huge lottery jackpot she and her two friends, Brittany and Lauren, shared. We’re talking big, big bucks. But Maddie hasn’t changed her life one bit since getting all that money. Still drives the same old car, works her same dull job in a business owned by her mother, still doesn’t take any changes in life, and, thus, is still alone. She’s just completed her bridesmaid duties for Brittany in her wedding with Charlie, the hero and heroine of the first book in the series, Fortune’s Deception.

For her reception Brittany has snagged the music industry’s hottest performer, Tanner Robinson, to entertain folks. It’s during his first ballad of the evening that Maddie is mesmerized by the man, who has also taken notice of her alone in the corner of the room. She feels as though he’s singing just for her, but, of course, she knows that’s silly. Tanner has just received his divorce papers and he’s looking to get laid, a dirty, nasty lay to make him forget all he’s gone through with his now ex-wife and the work he’s put in on his latest album. Trolling the hotel bar after the wedding reception, he spots the woman who’d watched him so intently as he performed earlier. He’s interested and hopes she is too, and they’re headed to his room after a swift introduction.

Knowing her friends are right, Maddie makes the jump back into life when Tanner asks her to join him in his room. Self-conscious of her weight, she’s nothing like the women he’s usually seen with, she’s not sure she’s made the right decision, but Tanner shows her how wrong she is. He loves her body and its response to him during their hot and sizzling lovemaking. But Maddie is fully aware nothing can come of their time together, Tanner will return to California and his music. leaving her alone again. However, he surprises her a couple of weeks later with an invitation to spend a weekend in Malibu with him, and she can’t resist, longing to be in his arms once again.

I really enjoyed both of these characters, Maddie for her vulnerabilities even though she’s now got money to take care of some of them, but it’s Tanner who hit my emotion button when we learn about why his ex-wife left him, but even more so later when he can’t get Maddie out of his mind. He even handles the aforementioned misunderstanding even though it wasn’t of his making. Brittany and Lauren are also involved quite a bit, being the good friends they are and looking out for Maddie when needed.

My only nitpick is the very end of the book. Though we’re given the proper signs and signals for their relationship at that point in time, we’re not given a concrete be-all end-all answer for that HEA. My first thought was maybe it’s supposed to be answered in the next book, Fortune’s Chance, which was released this past March and which I haven’t read yet. I also haven’t read the first book, so I have no idea if this type of thing happened in that story or not or it’s a one-time thing just for this book.  Yeah, okay, I can use my imagination and knowledge of the characters to come up with what I want, but I’m one of those readers who likes is spelled out, no guessing, no speculation. I was really irritated at this on my first read of it and nearly graded the book lower because of it, but I’ve since read it a couple more times and have satisfied myself enough that I left my original grade intact.

Grade: B

Summary:
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One amazing night. A waste of time? Or a new beginning?
.
After winning the lottery a year ago with her two best friends, Maddie Carpenter’s life should have changed for the better. Right? Wrong. She’s still stuck in her boring old life while her friends are living theirs to the fullest.
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Watching one of them get married brings all her self doubt into sharp focus. She resolves to do something exciting, something thrilling. Starting right now, with the singer performing at the reception.
.
Tanner is still bitter over his divorce, bitter toward women in general. But something about sweet and sexy Maddie turns Tanner inside out—and he can’t resist her.
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One amazing night of sex turns into many nights of more amazing sex. Soon their relationship is moving way out of the casual zone. But both carry excess baggage of suspicion and distrust that could cost them everything…
.
Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of Always by Lauren Dane
Contemporary romance released by Samhain 14 Apr 09

I had been looking for a simple romantic contemporary story. I wanted to read about a guy and a girl falling in love, and only about that. No secret mafia wars, no exploding bombs, no secret family curses or vampires, werewolves, or were-anything. That’s exactly what Always offered, and I really enjoyed it. Caitlin and Eamon are extremely likable characters.

Caitlin Moore is a great heroine. She’s 26 years old, and when the book begins, finishing up the first half of her year as a 2L, which is a second year law student. She lives in Seattle, and runs into Eamon at a club. They met in Ireland a few years ago, when she worked at his father’s pub for a summer during college. Caitlin has had an interesting life. While growing up with a privileged childhood, she was emotionally impoverished. Her parents aren’t the warm and loving type, and she also had a bad experience with her ex-fiance, which put her life on hold. However, all of that really caused Caitlin to become who she is today. Caitlin knows what she wants, and knows how to get it. She’s not pushy or overbearing, but she doesn’t let others control her or negatively influence her. She’s extremely capable, and satisfyingly independent.

Eamon Blake is a photographer who moved to LA for his career, and to be closer to his brother and sister-in-law. He’s charming, a lot of fun, and very career oriented. I liked that he had a sense of humor, and a close relationship with his family. It’s nice to see a hero who already has experienced real and fulfilling interpersonal relationships. It’s also nice that he’s so into Caitlin. Although Eamon is in no way static or incomplete, he does cede the stage to Caitlin.

I really liked that Caitlin and Eamon had history, even though it was just as fuck buddies. They had their summer fling of food and fun, and they were done. Caitlin went back home to the states, and Eamon stayed in Ireland. They left with no strings and no regrets, knowing their affair was only temporary. However, a chance meeting at a club in Seattle brings them together again, and this time, feelings begin to develop. And now, we come to the part that I really enjoyed. The realistic development of the relationship between Caitlin and Eamon.

Yes, they have really hot sex. A lot of really hot sex. And through that, both of them start to realize that they’re developing feelings for the other. But more than that, they speak to each other daily. Over the phone, internet, video chat, and remain um… intimate that way as well. It’s cute. They visit each other a few times a year, and it helps develop the relationship because Caitlin and Eamon are able to interact with the other’s friends. I think the interaction between mutual really helps develop and legitimize the relationship. (As an aside, I really liked how both Caitlin and Eamon had their own friends and personalities outside of just each other. And I must add, that I really liked all of the secondary characters.)

I felt that the tension between the relationship was extremely realistic, and legitimate. Both of the characters had their own hang ups to overcome, and Ms. Dane treated them respectfully and perfectly. I could understand and accept what motivated the characters and the actions that they took. In fact, I think all the events that happened were exactly as they should have occurred. Nothing was easy, but at the same time, nothing ridiculous. No missing someone by seconds to delay events, or drag on the story.

My only issues were that I felt like there might need to be a little bit more to this book. while I really enjoyed the story, I wasn’t gripped by it. I will say, however, that I didn’t really have a problem with, or notice a number of the dialogue issues that usually jump out at me with Ms. Dane’s writing. The characters still use dialogue for emotion (it’s hard to explain) – but it worked much better here. Always is a great story that follows the relationship of two unique and fun characters. I really liked that the relationship slowly developed over 1-2 years, which really adds credibility to the story. I definitely recommend Always to anyone looking for a great read that is a straight contemporary romance.

Grade: B

Summary:
.
Sometimes you have to go more than halfway to meet in the middle.
.
Caitlin Moore has every reason to celebrate. She’s through with law-school finals, and out for some post-semester fun when she runs smack dab into Eamon Blake, the Irishman with whom she had a summer fling years ago. Time hasn’t dimmed their lingering friendship—or their sexual chemistry.
.
Eamon isn’t looking for love when he bumps into Cat while he’s in Seattle on a job. Yet over the next year, he finds himself involved in a rekindled long-distance romance that moves from casual to a lot more.
.
That’s the rub. Cat is determined not to repeat her past mistakes with men and give up the dream job for which she’s worked so hard. Independence is something she’s spent years achieving. Eamon can start over so much easier than she can—why shouldn’t he make the sacrifice this time?
.
But Eamon doesn’t much relish leaving the life he’s been building in Los Angeles—and he really doesn’t like ultimatums. At an impasse, goodbye seems the only direction to go. Ending it is the right thing to do…or the biggest mistake they ever made.
.
Read an excerpt here.

LauraJ’s review of All Tied Up (Pleasure Inn, Book 1) by Cathryn Fox
Contemporary Erotic Romance novella released by Samhain Publishing 19 May 09

How does she do it? Cathryn Fox is able to create stories in a short amount of space and you still feel like you have read a regular full length novel. I have heard authors say that it’s much harder for them to write a novella than a novel because they have so much they want to say or they need to say to convey the entire story. In all the novella’s I have read by Ms. Fox I have never left feeling that I have missed any part of the story.

Now this is the first of what I’m assuming is going to be at least 3 stories.  There are two other characters that are introduced in this book that you can tell have their stories waiting in the wings and so there are “parts” missing but nothing that I know won’t be resolved in these other books, assuming of course, I’m right about the next two. As for the hero and heroine in this story I do feel that I got their whole story.

Lindsey, Candace, and Anna are three long time best friends who own their own interior decorating business. They are offered a job to fix up rooms in an old Victorian Manson in the town of Mason Creek for a woman who wants to turn the home into a place for lovers to indulge their fantasies. Each girl is asked by the owner to design her room based on her deepest fantasy.

In this first story, Lindsey decides to decorate her room in a BDSM theme. While she is trying to figure out how to make everything work and fit into the small room, the home’s owner introduces her to Brad is a handyman she has brought in for Lindsey to consider hiring to tear down a wall to make the room larger. Sparks fly immediately between the two despite the fact that both Lindsey and Brad have had relationships in the past that have made them wondering if there is “the one” for them. Lindsey has had several relationships where the men take from her without giving her anything in return but heartache. Brad is tired of women only wanting to bed him and not get to know him.

The story does have a bit of a paranormal tone to it with the two secondary characters, Pamina and her cat, Abra, who “guide” the girls who have given up on men to finding their heroes.

I don’t know how long I’m going to have to wait for the next two stories, but I hope it’s not too long.  The was a great, fast, and very sexy read and I’m looking forward to seeing how Candace and Anna’s stories play out.

Grade: A

Summary:
.
Interior decorator Lindsay Bell jumped at the chance to help restore the old inn at Mason Creek. What could be more fun than letting her imagination run wild on an unlimited budget? Eagerly she plans to turn her assigned room into a fantasy BDSM playground.
.
All she expected from her newly hired handyman was to help her tear down a support wall. She certainly didn’t expect Brad Caldwell to be so drop-dead gorgeous in a tool belt. When he proves to be a steady, hardworking, stand-up guy—unlike the men she’s dated—Lindsay has a new and wicked idea.
.
To take her new creation on a test drive down the road of their deepest, darkest, most delicious desires—and seduce her way into his heart.
.
Warning: Smokin’ hot sex with creative use of toys, and a dash of magic.
.
Read an excerpt here.

Limecello’s review of Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight
Contemporary romance published by Samhain Publishing on 21 Apr 2009

I heard a lot of talk about Butterfly Tattoo, all good things. Excessively good things, in fact, so I had to see for myself what the hype was all about. While I don’t think I liked it quite as much as everyone else did, I do think it’s a great book and very thought provoking. I think it would make an amazing film, if it stayed true to the book. I’m try not give too much away in the review, but I hope I’ve intrigued you, and that you read this book.

I thought about Butterfly Tattoo for a day or two before I sat down to review it. There’s a lot to process, and so much going on, yet at the same time the book is quite sedate, and almost painstakingly slow and measured. Nevertheless I was completely engaged and involved in the story. I thought about the characters throughout the day, and wondered about their situation and emotional state.

I liked how you got to know the characters throughout the course of the book. Both Michael and Rebecca are a bit stilted, but become much more personable as you read on. This also makes sense because the two open up, and begin living their lives once they end up together.  I don’t normally like books written in first person, but I got used to it in Butterfly Tattoo, and felt it was the best style for the characters. It was necessary, and possibly the only way to actually get to know Michael and Rebecca. It also helps underscore how very isolated each of them is.

I don’t normally do this… but I’m going to discuss the hero first. Michael Warner is an extremely unexpected character. His life and past makes him very interesting, and I can honestly say he is unlike any other hero I’ve ever read about, in a very good way. He’s very intense, and quite special. Anybody would be lucky to have someone like Michael in his or her life. He’s completely broken at the beginning of the book, yet doing a respectable job of keeping it together and providing for his daughter. He’s quite charming when he tries, and I loved getting into his head.

Rebecca O’Neill is a studio executive, but she used to be an actress. She’s led an entirely different life after being attacked by a fan and almost dying. After the incident, Rebecca has tried to pull her life back together, but still closes herself off. I really liked seeing Rebecca coming back to life. She’s a kind, warm, and good person. I was continually impressed by her generosity and strength. The amount of crap Rebecca is willing to put up with from Michael is also admirable, yet for once I wasn’t annoyed or felt that the heroine was being a doormat.

For once, I liked a child in a book. Andrea, Michael’s daughter, and Rebecca connected because they both bear scars, which is very fortuitous. (That they connected. The reasons for both their scars are excessively tragic.) At the same time, Rebecca and Michael connect well. I like how they bumble along, and their relationship is stilted, and flawed, yet so perfect. In fact, there was the slight theme of butterflies which I enjoyed (and I hate butterflies), with the characters slowly emerging from their cocoons of grief/living a half life, and reclaiming their place in the world.

I will say there was a time or two when I got a little fed up with the characters and how much they stayed in their heads. However, that was minor. There’s a special quality to Butterfly Tattoo that I’m having difficulty articulating. There was so much going on in this book. I loved the secondary characters and the complexities. While Butterfly Tattoo didn’t have a lot of action, it had a lot of drama, in a good sense. It’s a pipe dream, but I do think this would be the perfect film. There are so many intricate and progressive aspects to this book. It’d be great as an indie movie. I definitely recommend reading this book – and staying with it. (I will, however, say this is likely not a book to read in one sitting.)

Grade: A-

Just when the darkness seems permanent, fate flips a switch.

Michael Warner has been drifting in a numb haze since his lover was killed by a drunk driver. As the anniversary of the wreck approaches, Michael’s grief grows more suffocating. Yet he must find a way through the maze of pain and secrets to live for their troubled young daughter who struggles with guilt that she survived the crash.

Out of the darkness comes a voice, a lifeline he never expected to find—Rebecca O’Neill, a development executive in the studio where Michael works as an electrician.

Rebecca, a former sitcom celebrity left scarred from a crazed fan’s attack, has retreated from the limelight and from life in general, certain no man can ever get past her disfigurement. The instant sparks between her and Michael, who arrives to help her during a power outage, come as a complete surprise—and so does her uncanny bond with his daughter.

For the first time, all three feel compelled to examine their inner and outer scars in the light of love. But trust is hard to come by, especially when you’re not sure what to believe when you look in the mirror. The scars? Or the truth?

Limecello’s review of Private Property (Hauberk Protection Series, Book 1) by Leah Braemel
Erotic romance ebook released by Samhain Publishing 29 Jan 09

I found Private Property through a contest that Moira Rogers is offering (50 series, or something like that). Leah Braemel’s story caught my attention, so I went to My Bookstore and More, and bought a copy. I always enjoy a well written ménage story, and I might be one of the few readers who fervently wishes for more love triangles. (I guess I missed that phase of romance. Well, and it has to be believable.) The premise of the book offers one, and while that’s not really how the story plays out, it’s still an enjoyable read.

Jodi Tyler is an interesting character, and somewhat contradictory on the surface. Supposedly she’s all badass and intimidates the guys she has worked with in the past, along with her previous boyfriends. However, that’s not how I read her, nor would it be how I would characterize her. Nevertheless, the emotions and thoughts that go through Jodi’s mind in Private Property are believable and natural. Jodi believes what she has with Mark is a casual relationship – if even that, because he made it clear there are no strings attached. Even so, Jodi has become emotionally involved, and that puts her on uncertain footing.

Mark Rodriguez is a hero I didn’t like at the opening of the book, but he grew on me. And, he gets put through the wringer. I love a tortured hero. It’s always nice to see a guy get his comeuppance, and Ms. Braemel does a great job of that. I think she does a great job of getting into his head, and having him react very realistically to the situation. I really liked how he went through the natural progression of assessing his emotions for Jodi. And that he exhibited just the right amount of jealousy.

Private Practice is a novella, and the story is only about the one night hookup. It’s a very hot, sexy read, and does its job as a quick entertaining story. I felt I had to slightly suspend my belief to allow for the premise of this story, but the setup of how Jodi is introduced to Sam is quite interesting. I really liked how Ms. Braemel wrote the characters. Both Jodi and Mark have doubts about the situation, and second guess themselves, which adds a nice element to the story.

Nevertheless, the sexploration commences, and Jodi has a grand old time. I like that Jodi is willing to go for it, and the part Mark played in it. Mark sets it up, then has his regrets, but doesn’t take them out on Jodi. It was nice to see mature characters who could take responsibility for their own actions. Of course, there’s a happy ending – and in fact, a sequel. Apparently Sam’ll get his happy ending in Personal Protection, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to read that story as well. If you’re looking for a quick and entertaining read with a lot of sexing, Private Property is a great choice.

Grade: B-

Summary:
.
There’s nothing casual about this caper…
.
Jodi Tyler has loved and lost too many times to believe in happily ever after. That’s what makes her no-strings affair with her boss so perfect—his power in bed matches his respect for her independence. Still, when he surprises her with a ménage for her birthday, her secret thrill wars with a nagging thought: Why would he so casually share her with another man?
.
Even though Mark Rodriguez holds Jodi at arm’s length from his heart, her self-confidence is a turn-on he can’t resist. Inviting old college buddy and future business partner Sam into their bed for one night was supposed to set free her wildest fantasy. Instead he finds the tables turned, forced to watch while Sam brings her to the height of ecstasy.
.
Now, Mark’s not so sure he wants to share his treasure…
.
Warning: This book contains a woman fulfilling her sexual fantasies—including two men who are happy to tie her up, and be tied up, while using graphic language and floggers.
.
Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of The Legend of the Werestag by Tessa Dare
Historical romance released by Samhain Publishing 12 May 09

I’ve been suffering from a reading slump recently (more on that later), but I heard some buzz about this book. A few people I consider to be discerning readers said they enjoyed it, and after bumping into Tessa Dare on Twitter, I was reminded that I wanted to buy this book. So I hied myself off to My Bookstore and More, and made a purchase that I am very happy with. I have to admit, the title gave me pause. A lot of it. However, everything is in the realm of normalcy, and The Legend of the Werestag is a very well written story.

The heroine, Cecily Hale, is very likable. She’s sensible, yet not, warm, real, and is someone you’d want to be friends with. I like that she’s her own person and has experienced growth, yet still harbors a tendre for Luke. I really like that she’s devious, and has a mind of her own. Cecily is able if not willing to move on with her life, but she’s also willing to fight for what she wants. This seems contradictory, but it isn’t. What Cecily does is reasonable, and shows a level of self assurance that is admirable.

Luke is a deliciously tortured romance hero. Perfect for a historical romance, and I really liked getting in his head. It’s nice that he’s not maudlin, and a little selfish. Luke is flawed, but not hopeless. I also like that he’s honest with himself, and can admit that he didn’t love Cecily four years ago. That fact really adds a lot to Luke’s character, in my opinion. It also makes the story more believable. Luke also has some great one-liners, and you have to give points to any hero for that.

I have two admissions to make. First, that Ms. Dare managed to trick me with her book. I thought that something happened, but reading it, was led to believe the situation had played out differently. Only to find out in the end, that I was initially right, but then had completely written off my original thought. Confused? Good. You can and should buy your own copy and read it, to understand. My second confession, is that Ms. Dare saying a part of why she wrote this was because she wanted to use the phrase “felty thatch” intrigued me. I admit, considering the nature of most twitter conversations, I thought it was something very dirty an wanted to know how on earth Ms. Dare could use that in context, with the book actually being as good as everyone said, and not immediately rocketing the story into the realm of patently ridiculous.

I also want to share that I approached this book with an extremely high level of trepidation. While a quick Google search informs me deer/stags are not even in the same order as horses (you know, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, then species), I was nervous. Werestag implies paranormal shifter, and my friends had recently traumatized me with Mr. Hands. In my mind, there’s a line which paranormal authors should not cross, and that is it. Happily, Ms. Dare does no such thing. In fact, she masterfully addresses the subject of the werestag, and manages to inject just the right amounts of humor and drama.

Ms. Dare’s novel has a nice Gothic feel to it, but at the same time, it’s rather satiric. Like a modernized Northanger Abbey. The tone is lighthearted and engaging, but there’s just enough character angst to give some meat to the story. While it did feel a bit busy and confusing at the start with all the characters, there are only a few of them and easily sorted. I’m wondering if the other characters get their own stories, but I don’t want to jinx myself. (Also, because I think I’ll be biased and always consider Cecily and Luke’s story the best. Other than Denny. Poor Denny does deserve a happy ending.)

The Legend of the Werestag is a really enjoyable and entertaining novella, and definitely worth the $3.50 you pay. I’m so looking forward to Ms. Dare’s upcoming books as well. However, I will say that I didn’t enjoy the story quite as much when I began re-reading it. (Yes, already. I’m a re-reader.) But that’s because I knew the plot twist. The feel of The Legend of the Werestag also reminded me of a murder mystery, which I really liked. I recommend this story to anyone looking for something new, and especially to those who enjoy historical romances. Ms. Dare has an excellent writing style, and it’s something you should experience.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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To capture love, sometimes you have to grab it by the horns…
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If a woman could die of humiliation, Cecily Hale would have perished three hours ago. Luke Trenton had finally returned to Swinford Manor, only to cruelly spurn her long-held love. But she couldn’t conveniently die of shame on the spot—oh, no. Instead she joined her friends on this ridiculous search for a legendary man-beast. Now she’ll die here—alone in the woods, at the tusks of a snarling boar.
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Luke left for war a dashing youth and returned a man—just not the same man Cecily fell in love with. His passion for her is stronger than ever, but the ravages of battle changed him in ways she wouldn’t understand. Pushing her away was supposed to save her, not throw her into the path of another inhuman creature…or into the arms of another man.
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For it is a man who rescues Cecily, just as the boar attacks. A mysterious, silent man who disappears into the woods, leaving her with just a glimpse—of a fleeing white deer. Could her rescuer be the man-beast of local lore?
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A dangerous myth has captured Cecily’s imagination, putting Luke on the horns of a dilemma. Unless he summons the passion and tenderness to win her back, he could lose her forever…to the Werestag.
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Warning: This is a humorous, passionate historical romance, not a paranormal shifter story. However, it does feature a harrowing encounter with a wild beast, a tortured hero who feels half-human, and the unleashing of animal urges. In other words: explicit sex, mild language.
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Read an excerpt (scroll down).

This just in…  News about Linden Bay and Samhain (with permission of Crissy Brashear to repost).

The management of Samhain Publishing have decided what will happen next to Linden Bay, which Samhain acquired earlier in the year. So here’s the scoop: 

The Linden Bay Romance house will be retired by the end of the year, preparatory to a relaunch as an imprint of Samhain, probably in 2011. However, the new Linden Bay won’t be the same as the old one. It’s going to be a YA house, a new venture for Samhain.

Crissy Brashear, Publisher at Samhain says, “We think the name lends itself to YA, in the same vein as Sweet Valley High, and opens all kinds of possibilities.”

The imprint will start with one book a month, and the entire year planned out in advance. The Winter 2011 books should be presented at BEA in 2010. The books will release simultaneously in digital and print, which is a new venture for Samhain, which releases the print books in its own house ten months after the ebook.

The current Linden Bay authors will have their books reviewed for potential migration to the main line, Samhain Publishing. The chosen books will be re-edited and re-released as Samhain books. Not all titles will be suitable, as there are some differences between the two houses, and those authors will have all their rights returned. If an author does not want his or her books to go forward, they may ask for their rights back and will receive them. The last Linden Bay books will be released in ebook format in August, 2009, and the LBR titles will be gradually removed from third party retailers.

Crissy Brashear adds: “Change is both exciting and scary, and growth cannot occur without it. By establishing a solid foundation today, we can build a house that will be in publishing for many years to come and continue to explore new voices and fresh ideas. LB isn’t the only imprint planned—others are in development. Samhain is poised to grow even further in the marketplace. We will work towards that growth and solidify Samhain’s position in the publishing industry.”

As a Samhain author, it’s exciting to hear about new developments, but since I have books contracted and scheduled through 2010, I don’t think it affects me directly. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a Samhain author, and I hope that will continue for some time to come.

Shannon C‘s review of Crux (Southern Arcana, Book 1) by Moira Rogers
Urban fantasy/paranormal romance released by Samhain Publishing 3 Mar 09

This is yet another of those reviews about which I cannot be objective, because if I were to be trapped on a desert island with only a cabana full of nekkid mens and one erotic romance author for company, that author would be the Bree half of Moira Rogers. Not that Crux is all that erotic, really. What it is, though, is a very strong urban fantasy that introduces us to a world that is a lot of fun to visit, and yet surprisingly dark.

Mackenzie has been on the run for a month now, and finally has landed in New Orleans. She’s being chased by a crazy man bent on destroying her life because he says they have a destiny together. Of course, her life is only going to get more complicated when her boss sends Jackson Holt to ferret out her secrets. Jackson is sexy and as charming a good old Southern boy as anyone could want, and Mackenzie is attracted to him. But before they can consummate their feelings for each other, they must first deal with the complications of Mackenzie’s past.

Not to repeat myself, but I think the strength of this writing duo is their ability to make their characters exist in a fully realized world. Not only are we introduced to Mackenzie and Jackson, but we’ve also got their friends and associates and enemies. This lent the book a definite sense of verisimilitude without feeling like the authors were trying for sequel-baiting.

I also really liked the politics of the shapeshifters in this world. Their society is fucked up in some ways, but it definitely makes sense, and feels very original and organic, not merely like they borrowed tropes from other books. I also like that bad things happen to secondary characters. I know not everybody does, but I felt it made the danger the characters faced quite authentic.

While this book does have a romantic storyline which is central to the plot, I would definitely call it urban fantasy, if only for the darker tone and the fact that the conflicts keeping Mackenzie and Jackson apart are more external than anything else. I’m not sure it’s a book I plan to read over and over again, but it is a strong start to a series, and I am eager to see where else the authors want to take me.

Grade: B+

Read other reviews by following the series tag.

Summary:
To find her destiny, she must trust him with her life…and her heart.

Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn’t crack…until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.

New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn’t explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.

When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.

With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past—and her destiny.

Warning: This book contains devious schemes, epic battles, forbidden love between a shapeshifter and a spellcaster, nosy secondary characters, furniture-endangering sex and a woman fighting to choose her own destiny.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Crux (Southern Arcana, Book 1) by Moira Rogers
Contemporary Paranormal Romance published by Samhain 3 Mar 09

I found Moira Rogers late last year when I read and reviewed her Cry Sanctuary.  I love shapeshifters and Ms. Rogers catches the right feel of them, along with a great storyline and love scenes. This book is no different — great characters from the start, action that flies right along, and this time around we get wizards and cougar shifters.  Who could ask for anything more?

Mackenzie has been on the run for a month, running from a crazed monster who’s telling her things she knows just can’t be true. All she does know for sure is the man will probably see her dead if she stays in one place too long. When she hits New Orleans and meets people who are willing to help her, as much as she’d love to stay and maybe start over, she refuses to have their deaths on her conscience. But before she can do anything about it, the latest attack takes place and thank God for Jackson.

She’d been attracted to him anyway, but when she sees him in action, his magic flying all over the place, her fears are somewhat allayed, though her amazement and confusion at what she sees abound, and she wants to spend some time with the handsome wizard. When she finally reveals her story, the whole truth comes out and she’s stunned to learn the crazy things she heard are actually true. She’s a cougar shifter who has no memory of her early life, let alone the fact she’s a shapeshifter. She’s being pursued in an effort to repopulate her species, but the madman behind it all wants it done his maniacal way.

When she and Jackson team up with the local wolves and wizards, they can only hope their mission to rid the world of a very powerful master is successful. I enjoyed all of those characters. Nick is the local bartender, to the chargin of her Alpha wolf father; her sister is a Seer, one of the all powerful of her kind. Alec is Jackson’s business partner in their private investigation firm and he’s also a wolf shifter.  Mahalia is Jackson’s protege, she taught him all he knows of magic and then some.  Steven is another cougar, the nephew of the man they’re after, and he’s more than willing to help put a stop to his machinations.  All of these characters work together beautifully, suffer losses, but still love one another no matter what.

The only little nitpick I have is I would have liked to have seen more shifting, though the cat fight near the end almost made up for that.  Either way, this is another good book by Ms. Rogers.  It doesn’t quite measure up to Cry Sanctuary for me, but it comes close. And it makes me want to keep reading her stories.

Grade: B+

Summary:
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Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn’t crack…until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.
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New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn’t explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.
.
When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.
.
With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past-and her destiny.
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Warning: This book contains devious schemes, epic battles, forbidden love between a shapeshifter and a spellcaster, nosy secondary characters, furniture-endangering sex and a woman fighting to choose her own destiny.
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Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Biting Nixie by Mary Hughes
Paranormal erotic romance eBook released by Samhain Publishing 13 Jan 09

I love fresh takes on paranormal romance. Nothing is more boring to me than same-old, same-old, so I am delighted to report that Mary Hughes’ debut from Samhain is, at least in my experience, one of the more unique eBooks I’ve read. While it’s not without its flaws, there’s a lot of potential. Fans of solid world-building will enjoy this book, and people who like books that are funny should also give it a try.

Nixie, our narrator, is five feet nothing and full of attitude. She’s a carefree punk musician living in Meier’s Corners, a small Midwestern town. She gets railroaded into helping raise funds for a major festival the town is putting on when the mayor promises that, in exchange for her organizing the event, he’ll help bring her band, Guns and Polkas, to wider exposure. The festival organizing won’t be easy, and Nixie’s life is further complicated by Julian, a staid, boring lawyer who has come to town, who is definitely much more than he seems.

When Mrs. Giggles reviewed this book, she had a problem with the voice, thinking it seemed too YA for an erotic romance. I can see where she’s coming from, and the hurricane of pop culture references got a little tired after a while. Nixie also reminds me of a hyperactive small dog, constantly running around and going off at the mouth when she didn’t need to. But at least she was capable of saying swear words more heated than “darn”, and she didn’t come across as a 50-year-old woman trapped in a much younger body. Plus, there’s quite a bit to like about her. Her struggle to figure out how she can still be herself all the while taking on that dreaded responsibility felt very true for this mid-twenties reader. And despite the attitude, she did seem to be a genuinely good person who just needed to grow up a little.

Because the story is written from Nixie’s POV, Julian was a little harder for me to connect with. I liked him well enough, but he won’t be on my list of memorable heroes. That being said, I enjoyed what backstory he got, and I like that, through him, we get a lot of the paranormal world, which doesn’t take itself too seriously. Also, the sex in this book was squirm-in-my-chair hot.

I enjoyed the secondary characters. A lot of them were caricatures–from Nixie’s overbearing German mother to the mayor to the villains, but some of them were quite fun nonetheless, particularly Dirk Ruffles, the bumbling but clueless policeman with a hidden talent. I also liked the glimpse of Nixie’s friend, police officer Elena, and I was curious about her story. In fact, there’s a lot more Ms. Hughes could do with the setting of vampires in a small Midwestern town, and I hope she will, especially since, as I mentioned earlier, the world-building is excellent. There’s a lot I’ve seen before, but it was all explained in a way that felt fresh and unique and, most of all, made sense.

This isn’t the best paranormal romance you are ever likely to read. But it is entertaining and sexy and fresh. I hope Ms. Hughes writes more, because I can’t wait to see what else she brings to the table.

Grade: B

Summary:
Nitro? Meet glycerin…

A Biting Love Novel

Punk musician Nixie Schmeling is a hundred pounds of Attitude who spells authority a-n-c-h-o-r and thinks buying insurance is just one more step toward death. So she really feels played when she’s “volunteered” to run the town’s first annual fundraising festival. Especially when she finds out it’s to pay for a heavy-hitting, suit-wearing lawyer—who’s six-feet-plus of black-haired, blue-eyed sex on a stick.

Attorney Julian Emerson learned centuries ago that the only way to contain his dangerous nature is to stay buttoned up. He’s come from Boston to defend the town from a shady group of suits…and an even shadier gang of vampires. But his biggest problem is Nixie, who shreds his self-control.

Nixie doesn’t get why the faphead shyster doesn’t understand her. Julian wishes Nixie would speak a known language…like Sanskrit. Even if they manage to foil the bloodthirsty gang, what future is there for a tiny punk rocker and a blue-blooded skyscraper?

And that’s before Nixie finds out Julian’s a vampire…

Warning: Contains more eye-popping sex, ear-popping language and gut-popping laughs than can possibly be good for you. And vampires. Not sippy-neck wimps, but burning beacons of raw sexuality—this means passionate blood-heating, violent bloodletting, and fangy bloodsucking. Oh, and cheese balls. Those things are just scary.

Read an excerpt.

Limecello’s review of Only Tyler (Circle of Friends, Book 1) by Jess Dee
Erotic romance eBook released by Samhain on 20 Jan 09

This is the first book to Jess Dee’s new two part series “Circle of Friends”. Only Tyler is the second book I’ve read by Jess Dee, and I enjoyed it immensely. I knew that I wanted to read more of her books after I read Photo Opportunity, and jumped at the chance when I saw her name – and also the premise of this book.

I’ve always been passionately fond of a good love triangle (likely carry over from adoring Cyrano De Bergerac), so that combined with a new Jess Dee book was irresistible. I absolutely adored the opening to this book. There’s a real warmth to all the characters – and yet the story has a lighthearted and humorous vibe. It all works very well – and fits the setting of Down Under.

The heroine Kate is a well written character. She’s smart, kind, and generally has her head on straight. Unfortunately, there were [about] two chapters where I wanted to smack her. I’d just finished another book with a similar problem, so my tolerance level was low. Luckily, the beginning and end soothed my irritated soul.

What bothered me about Kate was that she could be a bit melodramatic — as well as wishy-washy. I wish her character would have been just a tiny bit stronger, and that she had been more honest with herself. The fact that Kate continued to perpetuate the farce of her relationship with Steve after she and Tyler essentially got back together was a bit much for me. But still, and aside, Kate is quite likable. It was nice that Kate could be independent, and had her own life outside her emotional ruin with Tyler. It’s also not too difficult to forgive her emotional confusion between the two men she loves. (In entirely different ways.)

Tyler was a great character. Well written, well meaning, and a great match for Kate. He was human, and reasonable. Willing to give his all to win back the woman he loves, yet not abrasive about it. I respected the Tyler who made a decision and decided to go for it. (His reasons for leaving while potentially understandable, were a bit weak.) Tyler also has personality and depth. He’s smart, driven, pragmatic, and… yes – extremely sexy. (Come on, that is a major positive!) He’s sweet, and caring, and I loved his emotional depth. Ms. Dee did a wonderful job of portraying Tyler’s dilemma between wanting to build a life with the woman of his dreams, and not destroying the precious relationship he has with his best friend. And you know what? Tyler’s just fun – and it’s always good to read a story with a hero like that.

One thing I didn’t like in the book was all the intrigue and secrets-  pertaining to Tyler and Pen. I can understand it, but when detached from the story itself — or reflecting back on it after having read the story, it seems like its main purpose is to draw the reader to getting the second book — which I think is unnecessary. I want to read Circle of Friends: Steve’s Story regardless of that – and possibly despite the lures. And as I said before, the drawn out misunderstanding between the characters. It was slightly reminiscent of those comedic sequences on a sitcom in the not so wonderful sense. Then there were the issues that could have been resolved with five words, but instead were ignored and then turned into major productions.

Okay, and normally I don’t say anything about them — and be objective here — especially not about eBook covers, but I really liked the cover for this book! Kudos to Scott Carpenter! And also, another thing I generally don’t mention — the dedication. In these times, I think it will resonate with a lot of readers/people.

Anyway, this was an extremely cute, feel good read – with well developed characters, as well as an extremely well written story line. I found Only Tyler hard to put down and am eager for the next book. (Yes, I went and read the excerpt for Steve’s Story!) A good love triangle is one of my favorite story lines, and I think they’re all too rare these days. (Notice I wrote good.) I found the relationships between all three believable, and I definitely recommend this book to any fan of Ms. Dee’s writing, as well as anyone else looking for a great contemporary romance.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Love…or friendship? Does she really have to choose?

Katelyn Rosewood is facing a moral dilemma, one that’s six-foot-two, sexy as sin—and her fiancé’s best friend. Katie spent a lot of time getting over Tyler Bonnard, but now that he’s back in Sydney, he’s turning her carefully reconstructed world upside down.

Her relationship with Steve Sommers may be short on heat and desire, but after Tyler left her two years before, she’ll take security and solid friendship over wild passion any day. Except Tyler seems to have a good—if outrageous—explanation for why he’s returned.

After a tragic family secret tore him out of Katie’s life, Tyler is glad to be back with his two best friends. But one thing is out of place: Katie’s in the wrong man’s arms. And if her reaction to his return is any indication, she’s not quite over him. Which could mean hope for Tyler, heartbreak for Steve…

And another devastating loss for Katie, who must choose between the man to whom she’s committed her future, and the man who still holds her heart.

Warning: Keep a tissue or two handy while reading this book. While it does contain a few steamy love scenes, the rest of the story might just make you cry. 

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

LauraJ’s review of One On One by Cathryn Fox
Contemporary erotic romance eBook shortstory released by Samhain Publishing 3 Feb 09

I know if I want a good, very steamy, hot, sexy read all I have to do is look for a book by Cathryn Fox. Sandy M.’s review of The Hot Line convinced me to try Ms. Fox’s books and I have been hooked every since. Christian was a secondary in that book and I hoped that someday he would get his own story. Not only did he get his own story, it’s one of my favorite type of stories: friends to lovers.

Christian and Taylor are neighbors and good friends. They get together to watch movies and eat Chunky Monkey ice cream with, but neither one realizes that the other is attracted to them. Taylor thinks that she is pretty much invisible to him as anything but a friend. He always has girls around him. Taylor’s friend offers a suggestion to use to seduce Christian. Christian is a little shocked at Taylor’s odd behavior, not that he is complaining.

I’m going to start with a small complaint (don’t worry, it’s more of a compliment IMHO): the story was too short but that is my only complaint though because the story itself, was very good. Ms. Fox was still able to squeeze a lot into just a few pages and what was there was H-O-T.

Christian had me somewhat curious since his first appearance in The Hot Line. Was he a player, a womanizer or would he be a sweet, tender guy waiting for “the one”? While he does come across as more of the first two in The Hot Line he is really more of the third in this story. He (as well as Taylor) have never acted on their attraction to each for fear of loosing their friendship if things don’t work out. Thanks to Taylor’s friends, who give her push to take the risk, she and Christian find out that they can have both.

I highly recommend this for those who have read The Hot Line and wanted Christian’s story, but if you have not read it, this story will stand well on its own. I also recommend it for anyone who has yet to try one of Ms. Fox’s story. I don’t think you will be disappointed especially if you like really hot stories.

Grade: B+

Summary:
It was just a sexy game. Then things went south…

Taylor Dayton has been holding back a secret from her best friend, firefighter Christian Bain: he’s the only man who can douse the flames inside her. It’s time he noticed her as more than an ice cream and movie pal. What better way to melt the blinders from his eyes than propose an irresistibly sexy grooming session?

Christian can hardly believe the woman from his erotic dreams has just issued a siren call no red-blooded male can resist. He’ll give her what she wants, and when he’s done with her, she’ll need more than a fire hose to cool her down.

When their little game leads them to discover their secret fetishes and fantasies, they realize that this sexy seduction is no longer just a game.

This time, it’s for keeps.

Warning: Hot sex in creative places, may leave reader salivating for more…

Read an excerpt here.

Other Books in the Series:

LauraJ’s review of Unraveled by Jaci Burton
Contemporary Romance eBook Novella released by Samhain 23 Dec 08

I will admit, while I have heard of Jaci Burton and have heard good things, I have never read one of her stories. I like novellas for the reason I can check-out the author’s writing without investing a lot of time. So when this one became available I thought it would be a good chance to try another new-to-me author.

Mitch Magruder is the type of guy who is used to getting what he wants without much effort and he wants to open a beach front resort in the town where he grew up. His company and investors have found just the spot but the owner refuses to sell. Mitch goes “home” to meet directly with the owner Greta Mason. He has known her for more than 20 years, the sister of one of his good friends. But when he arrives at her hotel, she’s not the same girl he knew back then, she has grown into a gorgeous woman and he’s finding he is very attracted to this grown up version.

Greta is happy to see her brother’s friend at first until she finds out that he is there to try and buy her hotel. The hotel was left to her by her father and she does not want to sell it even if it is draining not only her pocketbook but also her life. She has two children but taking care of the hotel takes up so much of her time she has little time left to spend doing the fun things she likes. Mitch is providing a distraction she doesn’t want, but she figures why not take advantage of the fun he’s offering.

While Mitch comes to Greta’s hotel to convince her to sell it he quickly finds a once vibrant woman, basically lacking a life. I liked how he put his plans on hold to show her that there was more to life and that it is important for her to take time for herself.

Greta is definitely a woman in need of some fun. I kind of expected her to be whiney and that type of heroine annoys me to no end, but she wasn’t. She’s a tough woman working hard to not only make ends meet but keep hold of something that is very sentimental to her. Mitch comes along at the right time to show her there is more to her life and that she can love again. Her loves scenes with Mitch are very steamy.

While not a huge fan of kids in romance books, Greta’s kids are actually critical to this story line and Ms. Burton has done a nice job of making the kids part of the story rather than just a couple of secondary characters thrown in. They provide a lot of insight to not only Mitch, but to the reader about Greta’s life and why she she‘s trying so hard make her hotel work.

Overall, I found this to be a quick and enjoyable read about letting go of the past, and learning to live and love again. I’m looking forward to reading more from Ms. Burton.

Grade: B

Summary:
The greatest gift is getting what you never thought you wanted.

Mitch Magruder, rich, successful, wildly popular surfer and entrepreneur, is always on the lookout for the next big wave or the next great deal. So when he’s home for the holidays, he jumps at the chance to build one of his famous hotels right on the white, sandy, Florida beach where he grew up. The only thing standing in his way is Greta Mason.

Divorced with two children, Greta welcomes the struggle to make ends meet at the ramshackle beachfront motel her father left her. The motel means everything to her, and no amount of money—or hot nights of persuasion—offered by gorgeous, sexy Mitch is going to change her mind. No matter how much his touch unravels her defenses.

For once, Mitch finds he’s the one doing the chasing, and Greta’s doing more than throwing a monkey wrench into his perfectly orchestrated world. She’s making him think about things he’s never considered before, things other than the pursuit of money. Things like settling down with the right woman.

Now if only he can convince her he wants more than hot sex, moonlit nights, and her hotel…

Warning: This book contains sun, sand, surf, bikinis, hot men in board shorts, talk of Christmas shopping (ack!) foreplay, midplay, afterplay, and all that deliciously naughty explicit sex (up against the wall, in a limo and…*gasp*…even in a bed!).

Read an excerpt here.

Shannon C.‘s review of Becoming Miss Becky by Shannon Stacey
Western romance eBook released by Samhain 23 Sep 08

I know I overthink things. I did even before I started reviewing, and it’s just gotten worse. Time was I could read a book like this one, smile in places, and shrug it off when I was done. But as I read, I kept wondering if the author had any idea what the underlying message of her story was, and if she did, why she would think that was a positive thing. Because what I got out of the story was, “Girls, don’t bother with the whole ‘finding yourself’ crap. Stick with your man, because he knows what’s best for you. Also women’s liberation? A laugh riot.” Needless to say, I wasn’t laughing. This is a shame, because I like Shannon Stacey’s online persona, and I wanted to like this book.

Rebecca Hamilton has just arrived in Gardiner, Texas, to find out what her aunt Adelle left her. She finds out that she’s been left with the town’s whorehouse, which goes by the always oh-so-erotic moniker the Chicken Coop. Rebecca’s a virgin, so she has no idea how to run a whorehouse. Sheriff Adam Caldwell, who meets her at the stagecoach station, tells her she has other choices. She can marry him. And while Rebecca thinks Adam’s hot, she’s not sure she wants to commit to that after knowing the guy ten minutes. So she goes to the whorehouse, and then decides that, being in a new place, she can shed the boring, drab image she’s always had, so she dresses in her aunt’s clothes, becomes bold and brassy, and wants to learn about sex from the oh-so-proper sheriff.

I actually liked Rebecca. I’ve read her before in other books, but I understood and approved of her attempts to try and figure out the kind of person she wanted to be. I have no idea what she saw in Adam, but I’ll discuss that more in a minute. I like that she was hesitant about taking on the whorehouse, but she was committed to the girls. (I absolutely refuse to refer to them, as the book does, as “the chickens”, because that? So not sexy. Also, I liked that Rebecca did have significant screentime with other female characters, and this book passed the Bechtel Test–and not just squeaked by, either.

Then, there’s Adam. Adam is a rootin’ tootin’ gun-totin’ twang-talkin’ scowl-wearin’ over-compensatin’ mean son of a bitch. (OK, maybe not the over-compensatin’ part, but he does actually tell us most of the rest. At great length. And often.) His favorite activities include shooting people. He is so prickly that people in town are afraid of him, except for his BFF and deputy, the town doctor. I have no idea how he got elected sheriff in the first place, since he is such an actively unpleasant person. Oh, and he doesn’t like whores. Because a fortune teller told him that a painted lady would be his downfall, so while he would marry Rebecca when she was drab and mousy, once she starts becoming Miss Becky, well, sure, he wants to do her, but he just can’t marry her. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the riveting romantic conflict. Needless to say, I found it ridiculous. I didn’t find Adam’s violent tendencies cute, and I didn’t believe his transformation at the end. I kept wondering if Rebecca wasn’t going to eventually trade a controlling father for an equally controlling husband. That said, I have to admit that there was a point where I expected a big misunderstanding to arise that would have shown up in another book, but Adam doesn’t go there. This doesn’t redeem him at all in my eyes, but it does raise the grade a little.

The secondary characters were about what you’d expect in a western. Rebecca’s BFF is a former women’s libber turned horrible cook and was the heroine in an earlier book, which I have no intention of reading. There are the whores, who all have hearts of shiny, shiny gold and are pretty and sweet despite the ravages of their profession. One of them even gets to get married and be all respectable. Then there’s the requisite strawman uber-Christian, and it’s a testament to… something… that this feminist, agnostic reader found her even more offensive than the former women’s libber turned housewife. Oh, and the women’s libber and the Christian hate each other and at one point get into a literal catfight. Boy, aren’t those uppity women cute?

The plot is fairly standard. Everything happens about like you’d expect from the beginning to the end. The aforementioned aversion of the Big Misunderstanding was the only real surprise here. Even the sex is a little boring, and felt more paint by numbers than actually passionate.

I don’t know. Maybe my sense of humor and Ms. Stacey’s just don’t mesh. I got the feeling this book was supposed to be a laugh riot. But I don’t find broad stereotypes amusing, and I don’t particularly like reading subtle misogyny in my books. I did like the heroine, and I wonder if maybe something more contemporary by Ms. Stacey would suit me better. But this book? Not so much.

Grade: D+

Summary:
A sheriff with a stone-cold reputation. An innocent madam hell-bent on disturbing his peace. Who will be the first to give in?

Rebecca Hamilton passed through life as bland as biscuits—until the day she buried her father and fled out West with a fortune in stolen jewelry. She arrives in Gardiner, Texas to find her aunt has bequeathed to her the only whorehouse in town.

With no other prospects except a proposal from a tall, dark stranger wearing a badge, Rebecca decides to embrace her vibrant aunt’s legacy and never again live under the thumb of an overbearing man.

After years of cultivating a reputation as a ruthless lawman, Adam Caldwell can’t believe he’s offered to marry the quiet, rather plain new madam. Even more perplexing is the fact she turns him down, choosing instead to become a sass-talkin’, sashay-walkin’ vision in feathers and lace.

With an innocent madam wanting him to teach her to be as wicked as she looks and rowdy townsfolk split over the scandal, the sheriff figures his cup of troubles is about full. But a man from Rebecca’s past catches up with her, and Adam has to decide just how much he’s willing to sacrifice for the woman who refuses to give up on becoming Miss Becky.

Warning: This book contains some brawlin’, some cussin’, and the kind of wanton lovin’ that brings a man to his knees.

Read an excerpt.