Shannon C.’s review of Caressed By Ice (Psy-Changeling Series, Book 3) by Nalini Singh
Paranormal romance released by Berkley 4 Sep 07

I know my reaction to Angels’ Blood, Ms. Singh’s latest novel, was fairly meh, but I still adore her Psy/Changeling series. Recently, my friend Bree got onto a Nalini Singh kick, and so I picked up the third of Ms. Singh’s Psy/Changeling books to read along with her. Read on to see what I thought of it.

For those of you who, like me, haven’t caught up with these books, this is the story of Jud, a psy who has dropped out of the Psy-Net with the rest of his family and now lives in a Changeling wolf pack. He is drawn to Brenna, a wolf changeling who was viciously attacked in the first book. Psys are supposed to be cold and emotionless, and none more so than Jud, whose telekinetic powers could be deadly if not tightly controlled. Brenna threatens to break Jud’s control at every turn, and to add to their confusion, someone is threatening Brenna, and there’s more Psy intrigue going on.

I confess this was the one book in the series I wasn’t looking forward to reading. I really like the strength of Ms. Singh’s heroines, and I was afraid Brenna would be too weak and clingy for me. Thankfully, she wasn’t. She’s been through a lot, but even she admits that she hates feeling like she’s wrapped in cotton wool. I really liked watching her grow into her own strength. And this is definitely one of those perfect romances, where the hero and heroine both have to grow together before they could be happy. Jud has to accept his own strength and his feelings for Brenna at the same time that Brenna has to work through what’s been done to her. Watching them grow together was a delight. And, of course, the two of them have smoking chemistry.

There’s more intrigue with the Psy Council, who quietly run things in the background. I find scenes with them fascinating, but am glad they don’t overpower the story. There are hints of future plotting in this book, and I’m really glad the fourth book in this series features a human heroine, since we haven’t seen much of that so far.

This one wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I did enjoy it while I was reading it, and I know that this series can be counted on for a perfect comfort read which will provide a captivating and thoroughly enjoyable story.

Grade: B+

See Gwen’s and Sandy M’s reviews. And read more reviews on this series by following its tag.

Summary:
.
Explore new heights of sensuality in this return to the world of the Psy—where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts…
.
As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…
.
Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…
.
Read two excerpts here (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Caressed by Ice (Psy-Changelings Series, Book 3) by Nalini Singh
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 4 Sep 07

Don’t ask me how I somehow missed reading this book back when it was released. It’s the only one of the series I haven’t read, and, as much as I love the series, it baffles me too how this one slipped by me. But I finally remedied that, and I’ve vowed not to let such a thing ever happen again with one of the Psy-Changelings books.

While this book is not my favorite of the series, it’s still a pleasure reading Ms. Singh’s writing.  She could probably write a book about the dictionary and it would be worth reading. For some reason, though, Judd as a hero didn’t quite grab me as other heroes, Lucas or Dorian, for example, but he is an interesting character and I enjoyed watching his logic erode when he eventually is unable to resist Brenna’s love. The process he goes through near the end when he finally relents and decides to take the risk of freeing himself of Silence is so very intriguing, learning how the Psy had conditioned his mind and the depth of that conditioning is simply amazing.

Both he and Brenna are mega tortured souls; his due to Silence and the lengths his superiors went to in making him the perfect killing machine and Brenna’s due to her attack by a madman who physically and mentally tortured before her rescue. She ended up with many residual fears, but the most fascinating to me was the loss of her shifting ability. All readers of this series know of Dorian’s latency which prohibits him from shifting, so it was only logical Brenna seek him out to ask questions and learn whatever possible from him.

Another intriguing concept for this couple was the fact that though they love one another, there isn’t the mating bond as with most mated pairs, and I liked the twist Ms. Singh comes up with for that. Of course, these are just a couple of things that stand out, but the book is full of fascinating happenings and this review would go on for pages just to cite them all.

I was glad to see the DarkRiver cats were included as much as possible here, though the story centered on the SnowDancer wolves. I did enjoy getting to know more of the wolves better, especially Riley and Drew, Brenna’s brothers. Which reminds me of the life-saving procedure Judd performed at one point on Drew.  My heavens, what a scene. It amazes me what this author comes up with in each succeeding book. I think of the characters left, I’m looking forward to Hawke’s book, especially after what was revealed about him in a scene with Brenna.

This series gets better with every book, as evidenced by Hostage to Pleasure, the book right after this one. Ms. Singh has one fascinating mind and I, for one, am so glad she’s chosen to write romances and share her talent and imagination with us.

Grade: A-

Read Gwen’s review here.

Summary:
Explore new heights of sensuality in this return to the world of the Psy—where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts…

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Shannon C.’s review of Wings of Change by Bianca D’Arc
Fantasy erotic romance eBook released by Samhain 11 Sep 07

I recently glommed the first four books in Bianca D’Arc’s Dragon Knights series. You can read my thoughts on that set of books here. Originally, I’d started the fifth book during that initial glom, but reader fatigue set in so I didn’t pick it up until later. While it was not as compelling as the original four books in the series, I will definitely keep going.

This entry features Reynar, a dragon who has been wounded in battle. His rider, Kaden, thinks this is his fault, and both he and the dragon are carrying around some heavy guilt. Rey goes to hang out at a tavern where Lucia, former princess turned wandering nomad, is working as a servant. Lucy is drawn to Rey, and then to his rider, as well as his rider’s best friend, Marcus, whose dragon is mated to Rey. But can she give up the life she has lived in order to be with the dragons?

In more cynical moments, I have a tendency to turn up my nose at this sort of book. Lucy is a pretty flagrant Mary Sue. She can hear dragons, she commands powerful magics, and of course she has a tragic past. But then, I do have a soft spot for this sort of fantasy, and I remember that I always wanted to fly on a dragon, and who can fault a girl for wanting two hot men to fall at her feet? So this story was a great comfort read, with all the soppy dramatics and wish fulfillment I could want.

I liked the slightly longer word count of this book as compared to some of the other books I’ve read by Ms. D’Arc. I felt the characters were a bit more fleshed out because of it, and I thought the conflict was interesting and emotional, at least between Kaden, who I adored, and Reynar. Where I thought the book faltered somewhat was the romantic tension between the three protagonists. I felt that their coming together was pretty much a foregone conclusion, and Lucy was mostly being stubborn about the whole thing for no good reason. I do still find menage stories where the two men willingly share one woman hard to swallow most of the time. And this is the rare series I’ve read that convinces me that a M/F/M menage would not only be possible, but fun and exactly what everyone wanted.

I liked the glimpses of past happy couples, and was pleased that their presence only enhanced the action of the story. And the overarching plot about the dangers to the land of Draconia keeps developing in interesting ways that compel me to keep reading.

Overall, I found this story quite satisfying. It’s light and fluffy, but sometimes a bit of brain candy is a good thing.

Grade: B

Summary:

One young woman could be the miracle that heals a dying dragon—and unites a family with her love.

I Dream of Dragons I

Lucia, born a lady in a foreign land, now waits tables for her keep. When she sees Sir Reynor wasting away, she storms the Castle Lair seeking help for the dying dragon. What she finds is a dashing rogue, a mighty dragoness, and a contrite knight who blames himself for his dragon partner’s injury.

Marcus is enchanted by the foreign beauty and intrigued by her mission. Few women will go near dragons and fewer still can communicate with them. Marcus recognizes Lucia for the treasure she is and knows she is meant for him…and for Kaden.

Kaden is wracked with guilt over the injury that has grounded the dragon—possibly forever. He knows Lucia is special, and he wants her. Lucia just might be the missing piece they all need to form a family. But with Reynor unable to fly, how can any of them be happy?

To make this family whole, they need a miracle. And love—the greatest miracle of all.

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex and ménage a trois.

Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of The Master (The Sons of Destiny, Book 3) by Jean Johnson
Fantasy romance released by Berkley Trade 4 Sep 07

It should be no surprise that I like a little fantasy with my romance.  I know it doesn’t come as a surprise that a book titled “The Master” was something I liked.  What is surprising me is how compelling I’m finding this series.  It’s very fun fantasy romance with lots of interesting characters and a unique world where paranormal is normal and normal is not. 

So far I’ve only read The Master and The Storm.  I have The Cat and, I think, The Sword in my TBR pile and I’ll be happy to read them one of these days.  All of the books so far read fine on their own – I wasn’t too at sea when I first read The Storm (the first I’ve read).

The Master begins with our hero being held captive and eventually sold in a slave market to our heroine.  She wants to use him for some tantric magic to correct a long ago cast spell that went awry.  Through practicing for the “tantric” part of the spell, our hero and heroine fall in lust and then love.  It’s a nice romance and both characters grow thru it and become more mature people as a result.

I enjoyed this book, though I wasn’t in raptures over it.  Johnson has crafted an interesting world filled with interesting twists and fascinating details.  However, this book lacks some of the tension and drama I see evident in The Storm and I think it lacks “content” as a result.  It is a lighter version of the story/world.

As with The Storm, this book has a large cast of interesting secondary characters.  Included are the other brothers, their mates (so far), and various other peoples.  All secondary roles are there to promote the main relationship, so there’s no distractions from the key reason we’re here – the romance between the hero and heroine.

I did NOT like how stupid the heroine remained about the key misunderstanding in the book.  One of my pet peeves is the “Big Misunderstanding” plot device authors use.  I find it very frustrating when characters don’t just talk (one of my personal pet peeves, for that matter).

I recommend this book for fans of the series and Johnson’s writing.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to the Isle of Nightfall, where women are forbidden. But when the abducted third-born brother is taken by a powerful and beautiful mage, he wonders if she is his own Prophesied Disaster, his foretold wife-to-be

Kidnapped from the Isle of Nightfall, taken captive by slavers, Dominor is sold to a lovely mage, who promises freedom. But Lady Serina has plans for him; she needs another powerful mage to re-enact a mating ritual, to help reverse a Tantric spell cast centuries ago. Agreeing to help her, Dominor doesn’t suspect the secret she holds back from him: there is more to this magical mating than the Arithmancer has revealed.

Once the ritual is complete, he will be returned to Nightfall. But when that secret finally shatters, baring the truth behind the misunderstandings now separating them, Dominor is determined to retake possession of the woman who is his Destiny.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Lynne Connolly’s reviews of the Throne of Judar Trilogy by Olivia Gates and The Billionaires’ Brides Series by Sandra Marton
Contemporary romances released by Silhouette Desire & Harlequin Presents

I’ve been in bed for a week with the flu for the past week, and all I could do was read. So, being woolly-headed, I went for Harlequin, my comfort reads of choice.

Apart from my fave Sara Cravens, I discovered Olivia Gates’ Throne of Judar trilogy, and Sandra Marton’s The Billionaires’ Brides series. Totally preposterous plots, but if you go with them, you find interesting characters and situations that the authors work hard for you to believe in. 

Throne of Judar Trilogy by Olivia Gates

The Gates trilogy — Throne of Judar, consisting of The Desert Lord’s Baby, The Desert Lord’s Bride, and The Desert King — is delicious, all three, but with plots I’d usually avoid like the plague.

I’m not fond of children in my romance books, but the baby in the first book was necessary to the plot, acted its age and didn’t take up too much page time. It was also a Secret Baby, but in this book, it worked.

The writing is lush and romantic, the hot scenes tended towards the purple, but worked in the context and I found that, for me, the books improved as the series went on, mainly because of the quality of the writing. As a writer myself, I love reading writers who “come on” in their writing, and I believe Ms Gates really does.

For the Throne of Judar, B-, mainly for the purple in the sex scenes, and the fact that I couldn’t always work out what exactly was going on in them.

Overall Grade: B-

	The Desert Lord’s Baby by Olivia Gates Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 13 May 08 Summary: There was nowhere Carmen could hide from this prince of Judar. No stone he wouldn’t turn to find her, no wall he couldn’t tear down. Nothing would stop Farooq Aal Masood from claiming the mother of his baby. She had betrayed him. And she would pay. In his bed. As his wife…until he tired of her. And though Carmen professed to love him, that it was all a misunderstanding, well…Farooq would never fall for her lies again! Read an excerpt.
	The Desert Lord’s Bride by Olivia Gates Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 8 Jul 08 Summary: The future of Judar rests with Farah Beaumont, a foreigner who wants nothing to do with her heritage. And to secure his country’s peace, prince Shehab Aal Masood must make her his bride-by any means necessary. Hiding his identity and sweeping Farah off her feet is a start. But the joyful, seemingly innocent Farah is nothing like he expects. And Shehab’s calculated seduction soon becomes an affair too powerful to control…. Read an excerpt (scroll down).
	The Desert King by Olivia Gates Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 9 Sep 08 Summary: Their farce of a marriage will save his kingdom. And in return for an heir, Kamal Aal Masood will give his new wife Aliyah anything-except the trust and intimacy she desperately wants. When Kamal abruptly ended their blistering affair years ago, he vowed Aliyah would never ensnare him again. Only a fool allowed his actions to be ruled by his heart. And only a woman like Aliyah would dare to challenge a king in a passionate battle of wills…. Read an excerpt (scroll down).

—

The Billionaires’ Brides Series by Sandra Marton

Sandra Marton’s Billionaires’ Brides series is about three European princes finding their American princesses, and consists of The Italian Prince’s Pregnant Bride, The Greek Prince’s Chosen Wife, and The Spanish Prince’s Virgin Bride. (I cringe at the titles, why do they do that?)

Again, there is that pattern to the stories, but I found that interesting, to see what a good writer can do with a restrictive format. Each book conformed, but the characters in the books treated their situations differently.

Sandra Marton is an experienced Harlequin writer, and her books are really easy to read. That kind of skill isn’t in itself easy to acquire, and I found myself admiring it while I was reading. Scenes and situations flow naturally, and it’s only when you stop reading, you start to realise how daft the whole set-up really is. But it doesn’t matter, because Marton takes you into her world and lets you play there. Beautifully written and constructed, with the characters making the difference between believability and preposterous over-the-topness, they were all great reads.

	The Italian Prince’s Pregnant Bride by Sandra Marton Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Aug 07 Summary: It was payday for Prince Nicolo Barbieri. The Italian aristocrat’s negotiations to take over Manhattan’s SCB bank were about to bear fruit. But he wasn’t expecting Aimee Black, granddaughter of the bank’s current owner– who was pregnant with Nicolo’s baby! Nicolo felt duty bound to marry Aimee and give his child his name. But Aimee had other ideas about surrendering herself to this arrogant foreigner, who surely didn’t love her! No excerpt available.
	The Greek Prince’s Chosen Wife by Sandra Marton Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Sep 07 Summary: Ivy Madison claims she’s pregnant with Prince Damian Aristedes’ baby, but he’s never even met her! Is she just another gold digger, exploiting his wish for a son and heir? But Ivy is expecting Damian’s child — as a surrogate mother! The arrogant Greek is furious, but he’s not about to let Ivy go. After all, he missed the pleasure of bedding her to conceive his baby… No excerpt available.
	The Spanish Prince’s Virgin Bride by Sandra Marton Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Oct 07 Summary: Prince Lucas Reyes is angry. His grandfather is forcing him into marriage with penniless Alyssa McDonough who’s pretending she’s untouched by any man. But the intense sexual chemistry between them tells him otherwise.—Lucas’s fiery royal blood is roused! He’ll force Lyssa to go to Spain with him, where he can get their marriage annulled. Because he’d swear that she’s pure, uninhibited mistress material, and never a virgin bride! Read an excerpt.

—

Although one series (the Gates) was a Desire, and the other a Presents/Modern (Modern in the UK, Presents in the States), I didn’t actually find a lot of difference in the heat level. Although the Martons had one less sex scene per book, it was more explicit than the Gates ones.

These books are really hard to write, and very easy to read, which is why many women find them perfect in certain situations. On long journeys, ill in bed, or just looking for a read to accompany a break and a cup of coffee, they’re excellent.

I’ve tried a number of times to write for Harlequin, and so I know how hard it is. Taking a restrictive set of requirements (not a formula, because you can do what you want within those requirements) and writing a believable, enjoyable story within them is so much harder than writing whatever you want and letting your imagination dictate the story completely.

Actually, I have a couple of submissions in right now. Just sayin’.

Limecello’s Duckies Do Series reviews of The Awesome Foursome Series by Susan Lyons
Erotic romance published by Aphrodisia Feb 06 – Apr 08

Ever finish a book, where after you bask in the afterglow of the ending, you want to jump up and make everyone you know read it? If you haven’t, or are looking for more, have I got four (yes four) suggestions for you! The books Susan Lyons writes are sexy, smart, and have real humanity. I read each of the Awesome Foursome books in 1-2 sittings, staying up til 4 AM to finish them. (And I did the exact same thing the second, and third+ time around.)

The Awesome Foursome is a group of women who meet through yoga. They bitch about class in the locker room, and decide they’d all rather be eating and hanging out than exercising. Suzanne Brennan is a veterinary student, Jenny Yuen is a journalist, Ann Montgomery is a harried lawyer, and Rina Goldberg is a professional musician. All the men Suz, Jen, Ann, and Rina end up with are equally as diverse and fun. I’m so glad we’re doing the “Duckies Do Series” reviews, because this is the perfect format for the Awesome Foursome.

Champagne Rules (Book 1)
Released 1 Feb 06

Suzanne Brennen, the girl next door, and Jaxon Navarre, over worked litigator, have a host of issues to deal with. Suzanne lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Jaxon lives in San Francisco, California. More importantly, they haven’t had any sort of interaction during the past four years, and before that, only one afternoon while they were (separately) vacationing in Crete.

Suzanne and Jax reconnect over the Internet – and end up having lots of steamy cybersex. They agree to meet, resulting in Jaxon going to Vancouver for a visit. The chemistry is instantaneous, but both play it safe. After all, what do they really know about each other? Suzanne and Jax come up with rules – their arrangement is purely physical. No emotional ties, no demands, none of the heavy stuff. They’re just like champagne – if you drink it every day, it gets flat. Thus, the Champagne Rules are born.

The distance forces Suzanne and Jaxon to be creative with their love life, although they don’t have any compatibility issues in the bedroom – or out of it. More visits and conversations lead to another important factor – life goals. The relationship forces introspection on both Suzanne and Jaxon, and in the end, a revision of their rules.

What really impressed me specifically was the fact that Jaxon is Black, and an eminently believable character. Normally, stereotypes come out of the woodwork – where it seems the author wanted to address racism, but didn’t really know how to go about dealing with it, making the issue fall flat. Not so here. Racism is serious, and Ms. Lyons treats it very respectfully, but it never bogs down the book. She weaves different concerns and controversies together artfully, where each one works to support the plot, not distract from it.

Grade: A+

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW

When Suzanne Brennan met Jaxon Navarre, she ad yet to experience the ultimate in pleasure.. but his tender initiation made her wildest dreams come true. Their brief, passionate affair had nothing at all to do with … forever. Four years later, the same rules apply. Keep it light. Keep it simple. And keep it sexy. Very, very sexy. In Jax’s bed, Suzanne finds that desire goes deeper than she ever imagined and erotic pleasure has a whole new meaning. But when it comes right down to it, she’s ready to break every rule in the book for him…

Read an excerpt here.

Hot in Here (Book 2)
Released 1 Aug 06

Jenny Yuen is a very interesting character for a myriad of reasons. First of all, she’s about 5’, 100 lbs, with long gorgeous black hair – but her personality is about twice her size, and as outrageous as her parents would like her to be demure. Jenny lives at home, because of her family, and has to deal with their demands that she marry a nice Chinese boy, and follow their rules. Jenny finds their involvement chafing, but stays out of love and respect for family. (I got the impression that Jenny is Cantonese, but I could be wrong.)

Scott is a firefighter, and in a way he has the same issues as Jenny. He loves what he does and it’s his dream job. Unfortunately his family doesn’t approve of his career choice. They’re German immigrants and farmers, and they want Scott to carry on the family business. I loved that Scott was serious about Jenny first, and that he was the one that took the first steps into making sure they had a real relationship.

The way Scott and Jenny experience pressure from their loved ones is something that brings them together, although they deal with it in very different ways. Because Jenny knows Scott is not someone her family would approve of, she thinks a relationship would be doomed from the start. However, Jenny can’t deny the off the charts chemistry, and is unwilling to give up their sexy trysts. Taking her cues from Suzanne and Jaxon, Jenny creates a set of rules for herself and Scott. Fantasy rules. Each time they get together, they’ll take turns acting out a fantasy one of them has. Thus, they’re both satisfied, but won’t expect anything beyond mutual, physical satisfaction.

It was nice to see how both characters grew throughout the book, and the crazy sexcapades they get into were also quite enjoyable. Not to mention how they met. And everything in between, with the subtle “public service announcements” and banter between the characters. You have to read this book.
Grade: A

RESCUE ME

Journalist Jenny Yuen lands a very steamy assignment: cover a firefighter calendar competition. Her personal favorite? Mr. February. Also known as Scott Jackman. Also known as hot…

Read all about it: the sexy rookie is the man of Jenny’s dreams – her wildest dreams. She’s up for a wickedly sensual game if they play by their very own set of rules: No taboos. No holding back. No commitment. But the desire they feel is impossible to control… and even harder to resist…

Read an excerpt here.

Touch Me (Book 3)
Released 1 Sep 07

Ann Montgomery and Adonis Stefanikis are as different as black and white. Ann is a career driver lawyer, and feels as plain and straight laced as her name. Adonis, by all accounts easily lives up to his namesake, the male beloved by both Aphrodite and Persephone. Adonis also isn’t concerned with what a “modern man” might cherish. He’s a healer, and a gifted masseur, and is happy to travel the world, following the warm weather. Adonis isn’t concerned with material wealth, and has few possessions, refusing to put down roots.
All of this seems tame, but the story is spiced up with all that tantric sex Adonis practices with Ann. Aside from all the fun there, this angle is legitimate, and works in the story. Adonis’s application of tantric sex fits into his personality perfectly – not only him being laid back and taking things slow, but how and where he learned it. And it’s a major factor in helping Ann slow down. There’s also a minor love triangle of sorts, and I love a little competition in romance.

As usual, the couple has a set of rules – they take turns being in charge. Ann is very goal oriented, and for Adonis, it’s the journey that matters. Applying that rule to their encounters results in a good thing, either way.

Grade: A

SKIN TO SKIN

Rub me down. Love me up. Ann Montgomery can’t get enough of Adonis, her new massage therapist. He’s hot, he’s hard, and his big, warm hands are melting away every one of her inhibitions. Naked on his table, needing all he can give, Ann surrenders to his sensual touch in intimate sessions that have her begging for more…

Slowly, skillfully, Adonis unleashes a wild side of her – and a fierce desire that will never be satisfied in just one night…

Read an excerpt here.

She’s on Top (Book 4)
Released 1 Apr 08

I literally danced around my house when I saw that this book had arrived, and with good cause. Rina Goldberg a gifted musician, a beautiful person inside and out, but has a number of body image issues. Giancarlo Mancini is a music video director, but he met Rina at a music camp in Banff when they were both only seventeen. They reconnect after Rina’s boyfriend (not Giancarlo) proposes to her, which ends up being a very good thing.

I loved following the developments of Rina and Giancarlo’s relationship. The way they learn about each other, and how facets of their personalities are revealed. It was nice to see them dealing with issues, with Rina and Giancarlo truly discussing their reservations. Most novels simply skip past that, or end before such an occurrence.

As usual, there were the Foursome lunches, dinners, and emergency meetings. It was nice to get the updates and cameo appearances by the previous three heroines. I re-read this book most recently, and was squeeing to myself near the end.

Grade: A+

Music is Rina Goldberg’s passion and she can never forget the sensual rhapsody she experienced in the arms of Giancarlo, her first lover. Ten years later, Giancarlo is sexier and more romantic than ever. His masterful fingers still know how to create the most intimate melody and pleasure and he understands every nuance of a woman’s sensuality. And Rina is the only woman he wants. Their passionate encore takes her to a glorious, unforgettable climax… and there’s more where that came from. Much more…

Read an excerpt here.

I loved every one of these books. There’s something that every reader can relate to in each story, and see parts of themselves in Suzanne, Jenny, Ann, and Rina. I think it’s fantastic how Ms. Lyons manages to effortlessly weave important, serious topics together with such sexy dialogue and heat. She doesn’t beat you over the head with her themes, but they do get you thinking. The friendship, the setting, concerns and emotions just leaped off the page and gripped me. I felt that I really got to know the characters and their personalities. The writing is impressive I’m refraining myself from all the gushiness that wants to well up, because this are just a fabulous books. Terrific.

My only complaint about the series is I wish it were longer. I finished each book thinking “I want more” after turning the last page (especially after She’s on Top, when all the characters meet). There’s so much to each story a simple review doesn’t do it justice, there’s a depth and complexity to Ms. Lyon’s writing that few authors achieve with such effortless and engaging prose.

Overall Grade: A+

With her deliciously tempting Awesome Foursome Series, Susan Lyons introduced four friends who broke every single one… and found out just how much fun it is to be bad. And the fun never ends…

Limecello’s review of If His Kiss is Wicked by Jo Goodman
Historical romance published by Zebra on 1 Sep 2007

I know I sound like a broken record, but this is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. It’s strange because I feel like I haven’t been reading many good books, but at the same time, all the reviews I post are gushing. (Clearly the other books are so bad I’ve blocked the memory.) This book, however, deserves all the effusive emotion I can muster. Some how this is the first Jo Goodman book I’ve ever read (and what a back list, right?) – and I loved it. In fact, I’ve already started reading another of her books.

Emma Hathaway is how every reader wishes every heroine would be. Emma’s smart. Next, she’s loyal, pragmatic, realistic, yet softhearted, gifted, kind, and most importantly, personable. You want a friend just like this. In fact, you wish every friend were like Emma. She knows she’s not perfect, is devoted and allow people to take advantage of her, because ultimately there’s no real harm, and she just can’t say no. At the same time, when an issue is important, i.e. morals or lives are on the line, Emma is willing to step up and defy the wishes of those she loves for the greater good of everyone. You may think Emma appears as paragon of everything, but she’s just too human and likable.

Restell Gardner was a very fun hero. He’s affable, and seems to be rather frivolous, but that’s only because he doesn’t much care what others think of him. Restell has unknown depths, and seems to act based on his own personal code, and for his own amusement. He’s capable of amazing things, and in fact carries them out, but at the same time can be quite vulnerable. At times, Restell is so honest and open with subjects that those he is conversing with assume he’s lying. A neat trick. Really, there’s nothing about Restell to dislike. Or Emma, for that matter.

The interaction and interplay between Emma and Restell is ingenious. In fact, the secondary characters and their involvement is quite clever as well. At times, the plot and dialogue would jump, leaving the reader wondering what had just happened, but in a good way. I was continuously engaged in the book, and not only that, I was thinking (not something required by every novel). What’s nice about this is Ms. Goodman never leaves the reader in the dark – she’ll explain the leap the characters made, or what had just happened. It’s easy to follow because you’ve been considering what was implied in the prior paragraphs.

The extremely well written plot with unexpected twists and turns has a gratifying attention to detail. Each character was dynamic in a way that should please every English teacher. Minor details tie into the remainder of the book, and have more weight and impact than expected. If His Kiss is Wicked is creative and fun. The ability to laugh at themselves make for charming characters, and a story that didn’t take itself too seriously, even while dealing with heavy matters.

I will say that I had expected just a tad more romance – at the least I definitely would have enjoyed more. Additionally, the title is cute, but doesn’t resonate with the story for me. There were a few rather inconsequential remarks I wish had been explained, but weren’t crucial to the story. Those pretty much are the only critical remarks I can make. Maybe it was just my mood, but this book simply hit the spot. I enjoyed it, and plan on re-reading If His Kiss is Wicked, once I get my hands on a copy of my own. I can definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy a historical romance, along with a clever, involving story that doesn’t get too weighty or dark.

Grade: A

Read other reviews by clicking on the If His Kiss Is Wicked tag.

USA Today bestselling author Jo Goodman delivers the unforgettable story of a beautiful young woman who believes someone wants to kill her. Only one man can reveal if she’s truly in peril or if she’s going mad. But will his forbidden kiss lead to a dangerous seduction?

Shy by nature, Emma Hathaway usually leaves the drama to her rebellious cousin, Marisol. But when Emma agrees to meet with her cousin’s secret lover to end the affair, she is pulled into a dangerous game. Now Emma is convinced her involvement in the scandal has put her life in jeopardy. The trouble is none of Emma’s confidantes believe anyone is trying to harm her. As whispers of madness begin, Emma turns to the only person who might be able to help…

The very handsome, barely respectable Restell Gardner has gained a reputation for helping people out of compromising positions. Never one to turn away a lady in need, Restell agrees to help solve the intrigue. Sensing there is more to the green-eyed beauty than meets the eye, Restell feels himself falling for Emma. But he resists succumbing to his passion… at least until he learns the truth about the danger that is haunting her. For if he gives in to temptation to soon, he could lose Emma forever…

Shannon C.’s review of Little (Grrl) Lost (Newford series) by Charles de Lint
YA Urban fantasy released by Viking Juvenile 6 Sep 07

I love Charles de Lint. He’s remained a consistent favorite for me for many years. Every time I pick up an urban fantasy, I keep hoping for a de Lint-esque writing experience. He’s one of the few authors out there who really gives me a sense of wonder when I visit his world. Not all of his books are keepers — in fact, I’ve been on sort of a losing streak with the last few of his releases I’ve read — but none are godawful, except, possibly, Spirits in the Wires, which I choose to pretend never happened. But I do like the direction he’s been going lately with his YA stuff, so I was excited for this book.

I was actually quite pleased with LGL. De Lint does a great job of infusing the modern urban world with a true sense of wonder, a feeling that, if you looked out of the corner of your eye, you might actually encounter a fairy or a hobb somewhere. And as usual, he writes some of the best female characters out there, despite the fact that he is, well, a man. I loved both T.J. and Elizabeth, the girls in this book. Both felt very much like real teenagers, with their struggles and angst, and I was relieved that this was a very cheerful story that wasn’t bogged down by so much internal angst.

As usual, I loved the paranormal stuff here. The story mainly concerns Littles, six-inch-tall people who live between the walls of normal-sized people’s houses. There are other creatures that make appearances, too, from gnomes to hobbs to sentient animals, and all of them are unique and memorable.

The secondary characters are good as well. I fell in love with T.J.’s possible romantic interest long before she did, since he is such a cute proto-romance hero. We don’t get much in his POV, but what is shown of his character made me really like him. Other characters, like Hedley the Gnome, Bakro, a Feral (meaning not house-bound) Little, and Sheri Piper, a writer of children’s books who plays an important role in the story, are equally fascinating.

The only sour note that was ever struck was with Geoff, a boy T.J. meets at a bookstore who fails utterly to believe T.J.’s story about having a Little for a friend. He reacts, in my opinion, fairly reasonably if a bit rashly, and his head is bitten off for it. I didn’t think that was fair, and it annoyed me enough to bring the grade down.

This is very much a coming-of-age story, and it really works as such. I enjoyed reading it, and think it would be a good place for readers interested in Charles de Lint to pick up with his Newford books.

Grade: B

Summary:
When fourteen-year-old TJ and her family are forced to move from their farm to the suburbs, she has to give up her beloved horse, Red, but she makes a surprising new friend. Elizabeth is a Little, a six-inch-high punked-out teen with an attitude, who has run away from home to make her way in the world. TJ and Elizabeth the Big and the Little soon become friends, but each quickly finds herself in a truly life-threatening situation, and they are unable to help each other.

No excerpt is available.

Sandy M’s review of Ask Adam by Jess Dee
Contemporary Romance published by Samhain 18 Sep 07

I admit it, sometimes I buy a book because the cover grabs my attention and won’t let go. I do read the blurb for it and if it sounds even okay, I’m a sucker, I plunk down my money. The icing on the cake, however, is when you read the book and it turns out to be a great read and you’ve found a new author to check out. Ask Adam is my most recent cover buy and I have to say, I done good!

Lexie is trying to get the jump on her meeting with the one man who can make her new program for children at the hospital where she works a reality. She needs his donation to get it up and running. They are both staying at the same Melbourne hotel, but she seems to always miss him by minutes, no matter how hard she tries to catch him. Instead she literally falls into the arms of the handsomest man she’s ever seen and they end up sharing one hot, sweaty night together, a night that Lexie will never forget. She never does meet Mr. Riley, so she tries to move on, stay in the moment with her program, but the man who gave her so much pleasure won’t stay out of her brain. Day and night she thinks of him. Imagine her surprise, her incredulity when she arrives for her appointment with AJ Riley back in Sydney and finds her fantastic one night stand sitting behind the desk.

He’s been aware of Lexie for a while. The woman turns him on just by being in the same room with him and now that AJ has had her in his bed, he can’t think of anything else. He even told her to call him Adam, for heaven’s sake. That’s something he’s never done. He likes the distance his nickname, among other things, gives him from the hurt and anguish he suffered ten years ago. Now Lexie has brought feeling back into his life and that scares him senseless. Making her walk away from him and what they could have together is the best thing he can do for both of them. Isn’t it?

These two characters are something else. They’ve both gone through hell when tragedy strikes a loved one, but the outcomes they suffered were so very different and brought them to very different places in life so many years later. Adam has totally cut himself off from feeling, vowing never to love again. He even stays away from his family so he won’t have to feel. Lexie finally gets under his skin enough that he shares his heartbreak with her. And your heart will break right along with hers when he tells all. There’s a number of scenes that will tear at you when Adam opens up and lets the emotion he’s held at bay for so long flow through him. I love a story more when the hero isn’t afraid of letting his feelings show and Adam runs the gamut of every feeling there is during his return to living. Even when he lashes out at Lexie you feel for him, you know why he’s doing it and you have to love him that much more because of it. Lexie gives him comfort with her heart and her heart does get trampled, but she doesn’t let her love go for this man who needs her. They are simply a wonderful hero and heroine.

I really like Ms. Dee’s writing style, especially the way she has with emotionality. Her characters are very well developed; she’s not afraid to have them act out harshly when situations call for it. They’re that much more human for it. Her new book, Photo Opportunity, was released last month and I’m looking forward to reading it. It’s got one of those covers that sucks me in, so I’m doomed either way.

Grade: A

Summary:

Can one wild night of passion turn into the romance of a lifetime?

Lexi Tanner’s got a major problem: AJ Riley, the man she’s about to approach for a hefty donation, turns out to be the stranger she shared a night of steamy sex with less than a week past. She’ll do anything to raise money for a children’s charity—anything except sell herself. Now how can she ask AJ for money without it seeming like he’s paying for sexual favors?

If there’s one thing the past has taught Adam “AJ” Riley, it’s that loving someone can only lead to pain. He knows he shouldn’t feel so attracted to Lexi, and he definitely shouldn’t trust a woman who’d sleep with a man one week and approach him for money the next. Yet somehow Lexi breaks through all his barriers. His instincts tell him to run but his heart wants to give Lexi—and love—a second chance. How can he let go of his tragic past and still protect his battered heart?

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Shannon C.’s review of The Master: Sons of Destiny, Book 3 by Jean Johnson
Fantasy romance released by Berkeley Sensation 4 Sep 07

I absolutely love the Sons of Destiny series. I’ve tried to analyze exactly why this is so that I can write a more coherent review than one that simply says, “OMG read this boook! Now!” So far I haven’t figured out exactly what it is I love so much about the series except that it works.

You can read my reviews for the first two books in the series here and here.

The third book brings us back to Dominor, the third of the eight exiled Sons of Destiny, who’s been kidnapped by Mandarites. The Mandarites believe in the inherent superiority of men, and are trying to convert Dominor, who is, after all, a male mage, to their way of thinking. But they don’t get too far before the ship on which they’re sailing is captured by a Natallian warship. The Natallians, we find out, are engaged in a civil war against the Mandarites, because Natallian magic is passed on through the female line, thus causing issues. Anyway, Dominor is captured with the rest of the Mandarites and sold into slavery where he is purchased by Serina, guardian of the magical font of Coral-Tae. Serina needs Dom’s help to enact a ritual that will bring balance to the power between the genders and thus end the war.

I absolutely adored Serina, mostly because she was a pleasant surprise from what I was actually expecting. Given what we know of Dominor from previous books, I assumed that his and Serina’s courtship would involve a lot of shouting, foot-stomping, and then hot angry sex. But while Serina is the equal to the competitive Dominor, and has a strong will, she isn’t feisty, thank the gods. I in fact loved that she was an intelligent, if scatterbrained woman who really did need someone to take care of her. I liked her a lot, and I admire Johnson for writing a very different woman from the loud, opinionated Kelly and the gentle Alys in Serina.

I warmed up to Dominor as well. It turns out that behind his arrogance there is a man who really wants to be important to somebody. When he realizes that someone is Serina, he does everything he can to ensure that she needs him as much as he needs her.

The romance between them works well, for the most part. Given that Dominor and Serina aren’t on Nightfall, there is blessed relief from the rest of the family clammoring for attention. The only problem I really had was a big misunderstanding that would have been resolved pretty easily had Serina not had a really stupid moment. But given that Dominor says as much to her when it’s resolved, I can’t really bring myself to subtract any points from the book.

The plot moves along at a good pace, and I pretty much read the book in one sitting, which is a rare treat when it happens. I wasn’t sure how everything was going to resolve itself in the end, which is something I haven’t always been able to say about the books I’ve read lately, so it’s a nice treat when that actually happens.

Unfortunately, this book isn’t perfect. I wish the world-building was a little tighter. Sometimes it really does seem to me that the people in this world are pretty much modern Americans in funky clothes, especially when they start espousing liberal values and beliefs, which in itself isn’t a bad thing but seems kind of inconsistent at times with the rest of what is presented. There’s a lot of potential for some really cool stuff–I’m especially intrigued by the mention of the Moonlands–but the world-building in other places is particularly sketchy, with things just kind of happening with no real explanation of why they do. And some of the characterization feels a bit forced. A boisterous, loving family like the Nightfall brothers, who are all perfectly content to matchmake their own siblings in a way that I’m pretty sure most *real* men wouldn’t, ought to notice that Rydan, the most mysterious and aloof of the brothers, gets disturbed by strong emotions. And these men and their mates aren’t generally stupid, so I really want to grab someone and shake them and shout, “He’s a freaking empath you idiots!”

The sequel-baiting here was pretty obvious. We know pretty much from the start who Evanor, my favorite of the brothers and the hero of the fourth book, will have as his mate. I was a bit skeptical of that particular pairing, but I have to admit the first scene between Evanor and his heroine was very cute in a way that I thoroughly enjoy.

As I said, I love this series, and I don’t know many people in romancelandia who are reading it. It is definitely a series I highly recommend.

Grade: A-

     Summary:

     Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to the Isle of Nightfall, where women are forbidden. But when the abducted third-born brother is taken by a powerful and beautiful mage, he wonders if she is his own Prophesied Disaster, his foretold wife-to-be.

     Kidnapped from the Isle of Nightfall, taken captive by slavers, Dominor is sold to a lovely mage, who promises freedom. But Lady Serina has plans for him; she needs another powerful mage to re-enact a mating ritual, to help reverse a Tantric spell cast centuries ago. Agreeing to help her, Dominor doesn’t suspect the secret she holds back from him: there is more to this magical mating than the Arithmancer has revealed.

     Once the ritual is complete, he will be returned to Nightfall. But when that secret finally shatters, baring the truth behind the misunderstandings now separating them, Dominor is determined to retake possession of the woman who is his Destiny.

     Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of If His Kiss Is Wicked by Jo Goodman
Historical romance released by Zebra 1 Sep 07

It surprised me that we hadn’t yet reviewed this book on TGTBTU.  We’ve talked about it a lot, and several ducks have it on their list of “all time great books of 2007″ but we haven’t reviewed it.  Let me rectify that.

Did I like the book?  Yes.  Was it the best book of 2007 for me?  Not really.  Before some of you get out the tar and feathers, let me explain myself.

This book is written in a very “dense” style.  It’s very readable, but you must read carefully and slowly to catch all the nuances of what Goodman conveys with her many words.  The dialog is very contemporary to the late regency period, which is to say not exactly contemporary to the early 21st century.  I’m all for historical exactitude.  I do, however, like to be able to grasp what I am reading.  Even though I usually understand most of what I read and nearly all of what I’m told, and I still had to slow down and really READ this book.  I’m not complaining so much as I am warning those of you who may not yet have read this book.

Other point of criticism (since I’m reviewing here and all), IHKIW has many secondary characters – so many that I got a little confused a couple of times, but managed to catch up quickly.  Not a criticism but rather praise – there were also quite a few twists and turns to the plot, most of which aren’t resolved until the bitter end.  The resolution isn’t exactly telegraphed early in the book, but neither is it a surprise.  However, there are a few plot twists that were surprising, so I give my kudos to Goodman for that – it’s tough to suprise me.

The emotion in this book is all very nuanced, very subtle.  There are no huge declarations of love between the H/H – though they do eventually tell each other of their love, in a late Regency fashion.  The characters are, again, very correct for their era when it comes to declarations and the consequences of a simple kiss.  I’m not sure if I liked that, but it was a nice change to the forced 21st century sensabilities on historical figures.  In fact, if it hadn’t been for the very mild sex scenes (very mild) and accurate depiction of the heroine’s PTSD, I might have thought I was reading a Regency romance actually written in the Regency period.

This was a good book, but not a great book to me.  It kept me engrossed and flipping pages, even if I had to slow my normal reading speed and re-read several passages to make sure I caught everything.  In my opinion, IHKIW is to a “modern” historical romance like a lovely, delicate orchid is to a full-blown, very showy rose.  If you like orchids, I highly recommend IHKIW.  For those of you who aren’t sure, I highly recommend reading the excerpt before committing to the book.

Grade: B

Summary:

     Shy by nature, Emma Hathaway usually leaves the drama to her rebellious cousin, Marisol. But when Emma agrees to meet with her cousin’s secret lover to end the affair, she is pulled into a dangerous game. Now Emma is convinced her involvementin the scandal has put her life in jeopardy. The trouble is none of Emma’s confidantes believe anyone is trying to harm her. As whispers of madness begin, Emma turns to the only person who might be able to help…

     The very handsome, barely respectable Restell Gardner has gained a reputation for helping people out of compromising positions. Never one to turn away a lady in need, Restell agrees to help solve the intrigue. Sensing there is more to the green-eyed beauty than meets the eye, Restell feels himself falling for Emma. But he resists succumbing to his passion… at least until he learns the truth about the danger that is haunting her. For if he gives in to temptation to soon, he could lose Emma forever…

     Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical romance released by Forever on 1 Sep 07

This book surprised me.  I read the excerpt and thought, “Oh look.  Nice, predictable historical.  Simple lass nurses wounded aristocrat, they fall in love and live HEA.”  So, I wasn’t in a big tearing hurry to read it.  Figured I’d get around to it eventually.  Well, I finally picked it up.  Holy crap.  Was I ever WRONG. 

This book was surprisingly unpredictable for me.  I read it in a day (thank goodness for Spring Break or I’d be looking for a job now).

We have talked about Hoyt’s Prince trilogy quite a lot on TGTBTU.  So much so, I only recently remembered I hadn’t yet read The Serpent Prince.  So yesterday, once I realized I was getting a bit burned-out on paranormals and contemporaries, I picked The Serpent Prince out of the TBR pile/mountain for a nice change of pace. 

Am I glad I did!  If you haven’t read this book yet, do not let anyone stop you on the way to the bookstore.  You must go buy it and read it.  Right now.  I’ll still be here when you’re done and you can share my gushing praise of this book.  G’head.  I’ll wait…

Are you back?   Finished reading it yet?  DIDN’T YOU LOVE IT?!

I don’t often get gushy over, well, anything.  I like to think I’m too pragmatic for “gush.”  You know – worldly older woman and all that.  But this book blew me away.

For those of you who didn’t heed my purchasing advice, imagine a formulaic historical turned almost completely on its ear.  What you thought would happen, doesn’t.  How you thought a character should act, won’t.  And the writing!  Oh my goodness, the writing!  I am soooo an author’s bitch if her/his writing is good. 

Let me share a favorite passage with you.  This is not long after the hero and heroine “meet” and they’re at dinner during Simon’s convelescence at Lucy’s house.  At the table are Lucy, Simon, Simon’s young friend Christian Fletcher (who I hope we get to see in his own book soon), and Lucy’s father Captain Craddock-Hayes.  The scene is being told from Simon’s POV, after Fletcher almost spilled some salacious beans about Simon:

     Good God.  “Surely that tale isn’t for a lady’s ears,” Simon hissed.

     Christian flushed, his eyes widening. “I only–”

     “But I enjoy hearing things not meant for my delicate ears,” Miss Craddock-Hayes said softly.  Her gaze challenged him until he could almost hear her seductive siren’s call:  Tell me. Tell me.  Tell me who you truly are.  “Will you not let Mr. Fletcher continue?”

     But the protective papa stirred, saving him from further folly.  “I think not, poppet.  Leave the poor fellow be.”

     His angel flushed, but her gaze did not waver, and Simon knew if he stayed here much longer, he would drown in those topaz eyes and bless the gods for his fortune even as he went down for the third time.

Holy crap.  I could read that scene over and over.  Especially now, knowing why he’s so tortured and, trust me, he’s legitimately tortured due to some really horrendous events and rumors.  I especially love that last sentence.  The book is chockablock with passages like that.  Hoyt really outdid herself with TSP.

Simon is urbane, smooth, sophisticated, vulnerable, tortured, and driven by devils of his own making.  He’s such a complex character that he’s perfectly paired with Lucy.  Lucy is Simon’s opposite when it comes to the negative side of his nature.   She’s intelligent, centered, calm, and pragmatic.  Everything he needs to find and keep his soul again.

The ending made me cry, smile, cry again, sigh, smile some more, and sigh again.  I loved this book.  I might even have to read it again and I NEVER read books twice in a row.  Just ask Syb.  But the writing was just so damn good.

Do not miss this book!  This and the other two Prince books, The Raven Prince and The Leopard Prince, are loosely related to each other thru some common chracters, but they’re all three standalone books.  And TSP is the best of the lot.  Best writing.  Most truly drawn characters who stay true to their motivation throughout the book. If you follow the earlier link to the TGTBTU posts, there’s an old post from Hoyt explaining the fairytale Prince theme – it was the perfect touch in this book.

Damn.  I’m gushing again.

Grade: A+

From the back cover:

     WHEN THE DEVIL MEETS AN ANGEL
     Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man-a naked unconscious an-and loses her innocence forever.

     HE CAN TAKE HER TO HEAVEN
     Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he’s hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities-even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.

     OR TO HELL
     Charmed by Simon’s sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has-her love…

     Read an excerpt.

Rose’s review of The Witch’s Trinity by Erika Mailman
Historical fiction (hardcover) released by Crown on 25 Sept 07

The Witch’s Trinity is a well told story that grabs your attention and keeps it throughout the book. It shows how desperation can bring out the absolute worst in us and make some do things that in good times would be unthinkable.

The characters are well written and realistic. It’s such an interesting tale with such great insight into a world that seems so distant to us, but in other parts of the world might not be so far fetched. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a bit of history, spun with a fascinating tale of despair, faith and mysticism.

(By the way, not Romance… at all!!)

Grade: A

Book summary:

     The year is 1507, and a friar has arrived in Tierkinddorf, a remote German village nestled deeply in the woods. The village has been suffering a famine, and the villagers are desperately hungry. The friar’s arrival is a miracle, and when he claims he can restore the town to prosperity, the men and women gathered to hear him rejoice. The friar has a book called the Malleus Maleficarum—“The Witch’s Hammer”—a guide to gaining confessions of witchcraft. The friar promises he will identify the guilty woman who has brought God’s anger upon the town; she will be burned, and bounty will be restored. Tierkinddorf is filled with hope. Neighbors wonder aloud who has cursed them and how quickly can she be found? They begin sharing secrets with the friar.


     Güde Müller, an elderly woman, has stark and frightening visions—recently she has seen things that defy explanation. None in the village know this, and Güde herself worries that perhaps her mind has begun to wander—certainly she has outlived all but one of her peers in Tierkinddorf. Yet of one thing she is absolutely certain: She has become an object of scorn and a burden to her son’s wife. In these desperate times her daughter-in-law would prefer one less hungry mouth at the family table. As the friar turns his eye on each member of the tiny community, Güde dreads what her daughter-in-law might say to win his favor.


     Then one terrible night Güde follows an unearthly voice and the scent of charred meat into the snow-filled woods. Come morning, she no longer knows if the horror she witnessed was real or imagined. She only knows that if the friar hears of it, she may be damned in this life as well as the next.


     Read an excerpt.

Nikki’s review of Brazen by Maya Banks
Erotic romance ebook released 4 Sep 07, print release 29 Jul 08 by Samhain

I just love, love, love ménage stories. They are my weakness. They are the ones I finish even if they are bad. They are the ones that have me reaching for Buzzy, my B.O.B. Having read and enjoyed Bad Girl, I was thrilled to find a ménage story by Maya Banks.

Brazen is a different kind of ménage story. Most take the easy way out. Two guys are trying to get a girl to join, a girl finds a bi-couple and tries to join, etc. Brazen comes from the direction of a young lady trying to convince two straight men to share her. Ok, it’s loosened up a bit by the fact that the guys have shared women before but they weren’t relationships, just sex. This time they are facing the idea of sharing a wife.

The younger brother, Zane has been the most easy-going brother. For six years Jaz has been coming to him at night if she needed comfort. He let her snuggle in bed with him and it wasn’t sexual. He’s closer to her age and so it is more of a shock for him, when she comes home from a year away, to find himself getting hard for her. He tries to fight it, hide it, not realizing it’s exactly what she wants.

For older brother, Seth, it isn’t a new thing. He’s the more controlled, more conservative brother. And he’s wanted Jaz for years but hasn’t acted on his desire because she’d been through enough. She needed a place she could feel safe. A home. He doesn’t know she wants to change the dynamics of that home quite so radically.

Jasmine’s character is a good example of a young woman just coming into her own. She’s inexperienced and makes some judgment errors but nothing extreme. It was definitely in her character, not bad writing. She has determination and a lot of heart. She shocks them right away with in-your-face sexy dress and behavior that they can’t ignore. The fact that they both love her, already, definitely gives her an edge.

I love Maya Banks’ writing. I’m thankful every time I find an author who’s easy to read. There are just times in life when I need to sit down and enjoy a book without having to work at “getting into it”. You know that reading zone where you don’t see the words on the page anymore, you’re just in there? I get there with Maya’s writing from about the first page.

As for the erotic side, this book builds well. It is a romance and doesn’t just toss in sex where it doesn’t fit. Thank you. Nothing is, to me, as unsexy as sex that doesn’t fit.

Butt, on the topic of sex that doesn’t fit… The first dual-penetration scene was my only real problem. I don’t know if it was deliberately glossed over for more sensitive readers (though a ménage book probably assumes anal sex in most minds) or if it was unintentional. Jaz hasn’t done this before and it just wouldn’t be that quick and easy. Anal sex allows for some very tender, trust building interaction precisely because it takes so long to prepare for. The guys wouldn’t hurt her for the world, and anal sex shouldn’t hurt, but the way it was written would hurt. A lot. But maybe Banks just didn’t want to go into it for some reason. This was the only area I felt a little cheated.

Overall Brazen was a treat. Highly recommended.

Grade: B+

     One woman’s campaign to win the hearts of the two men she loves. Jasmine left the Sweetwater Ranch and the Morgan brothers, no longer able to bear the painful dilemma of loving them both. After a year away, in which she gains new perspective, she returns home with one goal. To make Seth and Zane Morgan hers. Jaz may have left an innocent girl, but she’s returned a beautiful, sensual woman. Seth and Zane aren’t prepared for the full on assault she launches and each battle an attraction they’ve fought for years.
     She wants them both, but Seth has no intention of sharing his woman. Its up to her to change his mind because she can’t and won’t choose between two men she loves with equal passion. For her, its all or nothing.

     Read an excerpt and an  excerpt (it’s a hot one).

Alicia’s review of Kidnapped! by Jo Leigh
Contemporary romantic suspense released 1 Sep 07 by Harlequin Blaze

I enjoy Jo Leigh’s writing. Let me say, first, that I’ve only read her Blaze titles. The plots move and the dialogue is enjoyable. I can count on her books when I need to unwind. They don’t ask too much from me.

Tate is friendly but flawed as a result of tragic events in her past. She doesn’t want a lot. She’d just like to have a chance to go out with Michael like a normal person would.

Michael is in a security job when he’d really rather still be in the military because of his younger brother. He’s not bitter, though. He’s a nice guy. He likes Tate a lot and sees what her life is really like better than most people.

The beginning of the book just zips happily along. I cringed when the brother is introduced, just like I was supposed to. I felt sad for Tate but respected her struggle to overcome her weakness. I wanted to swoon over Michael’s integrity and loyalty. I felt her friend was a real friend. Good to go.

Then, I hit a speed bump after the action got going. I hit the limit of my believability threshold when Michael and Tate got naked together when the bad guys could come in at any time. It may seem like a small thing and I’m sure lots of people will just ignore it and love the book but when it happened a few more times (not exactly, but in similar ways they weren’t acting like they were in a life or death struggle) it ruined my enjoyment for a good portion of the story.

BUT… the hot scenes were very hot. I liked the scene where she comes into her own with the bad guy and I enjoyed the dialogue at the end of the book.

Grade: C

From the back cover:

     Okay, it’s certainly an unconventional way for Manhattan heiress Tate Baxter to conquer her fears. But when your whole life takes place behind the tinted windows of a limo and your household staff are all gun-toting ex-CIA, drastic measures have to be taken. Especially when one member of that staff has got her all hot and bothered.

     Chauffeur Michael Caulfield has just one assignment — keeping Tate safe. But when she’s kidnapped for real, the only way he can save her is to become a prisoner with her. He may be just “the help,” but as her take-charge protector, he’s the Michael of her sexual fantasies. Maybe a man she can trust and even dare to love? Except once out of his uniform, he isn’t exactly laying bare all his secrets — to Tate.

     Read an excerpt.

You can find Devon’s Review of Kidnapped! here…

Nikki’s review of Bad Girl by Maya Reynolds 
Contemporary erotic romance released 4 Sep 07 by NAL Trade

Sandy Davis watches out for people. As a matter of fact, she’s gotten in the habit of watching out for everyone in the building across the street from her condo… through their windows, with her telescope. She feels responsible for them, in a way. And if she happens to see some of their intimate moments and slide her hand into her panties, well, nobody knows but her. Or so she thought.

Vice officer Zeke Prada starts out just planning to scare Sandy straight without having to report her. He’s attracted to her more than he thought, though, and soon he’s going much farther than he had planned. Another thing he hadn’t planned was her getting involved with the evil bad guy he was there to watch in the first place.

Zeke is a really cool hero. He’s a good guy who’s a little on the naughty side. He makes Sandy feel sexy and he has a taste for the things she wants to do. He brings out the bad girl in her. Which is where I come to one of my problems with the book.  He can have a kinky side in his private life but I think he’s a little too easy going about the chance of getting caught with his pants down (literally). He could get in a lot more trouble than the story implies if he gets caught having sex in public. But I decided to let this slide since he is so sexy and this is erotica, after all.

My other problem is with the heroine. Sandy makes some really bad choices. The kind of choices that will bring on the rant that she’s “TSTL”. That’s kind of harsh but having the heroine make stupid decisions to further the plot felt cheap and made me mad.

But the book is just so dang sexy! And Sandy and Zeke actually had the chemistry the book claimed they had. So often the author tells us it’s there but I just never feel it. They had enough to make me believe their HEA. So, I say read it but don’t expect the suspense plot to hold up to too much scrutiny. It’s fun and hot, if a little light.

Grade: B-

From the back cover:

A sizzling new voice in erotica offers a hot debut novel of sex and suspense.

Being bad can be so good. All it takes is the right man. By day, Sandy Davis is a dedicated social worker. By night, she’s found an unlikely pastime: spying on her neighbors’ erotic encounters. She tells herself that it’s harmless, until one night she finds herself on the receiving end of such a fantasy-and an anonymous phone call from a peeping stranger who calls himself Justice, and whispers, “You’ve been a bad girl.” The arousing predicament turns into a sensual dance between the adventurous pair. But when a third player enters their sexy game, the fun turns to something darker and more dangerous.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s reviews of The Return to Troublesome Gulch (Books 1, 2, and 3) by Lynda Sandoval
Contemporary romance 1 Sep 07, 1 Nov 07, and 1 Jan 08 by Silhouette

I received the second book in this series, not realizing it was part of a series until I was finished with it. But after the emotion I went through while reading this book, I had to find the first and third books immediately. I’m glad I did. All three are full of emotion from laughing to crying to being royally pissed off, but at the end you’re cheering for these characters and their triumphs for truly surviving and living again after a tragic night that changed their lives forever. All three stories take place twelve years after that tragic night.

The Other Sister (Return to Troublesome Gulch, Book 1)

Although this first book has some very teary-eyed moments, it’s the laughter that makes it worthwhile, and it starts from the very beginning. Faith is trying to be an adventure-loving adrenaline junkie like her older sister, one of the victims of that long-ago prom night tragedy. Taking a leap of faith, she throws herself down a snowy mountain that is way beyond her skill level on skis. She doesn’t make it far and ends up careening down the mountain instead. Enter Brody, who disppeared twelve years ago and hasn’t told anyone he’s back in town, and the fun begins. The wit, the banter, the teasing, the laughs continue throughout the book, interspersed with some very tough moments for Brody, the first survivor we meet who thinks Faith and her family hate him since that fateful night. This is a terrific start to this series to learn what happend all those years ago and to be introduced to these victims and their families all learning how to live again.

Grade: B+

From the back cover:

You gotta have faith…

Years after a prom-night accident claimed his best friend, Brody Austin decided it was time to stop running-and return to Troublesome Gulch, Colorado, to overcome the pain and guilt. Right away, a chance encounter on the ski slopes brought Brody face-to-face with his best friend’s kid sister, Faith Montesantos. Boy, was she all grown up! And yes, the vivacious high school guidance counselor still missed the older sister she’d lost, but she chose to focus on the joyful memories of their short time together…and seemed determined to teach Brody to do the same. He had hoped to conquer the demons of his past, but in Faith he found the key to his future…

Read an excerpt. 

Deja You (Return to Troublesome Gulch, Book 2)

Of the three books, this one is my favorite. It’s the most emotional of the trio. We’re thrown into Erin’s nightmare immediately as she hightails it out of town after fighting a fire throws her for a loop full of horrific memories and she’s running from and searching for something she can’t name. Her scars seem to go deeper than the other suvivors of that night, she lost a little more than the others. On her meandering quest she runs into Nate and they have a hot and heavy one-night stand. Erin relies on her friends to get her through the resulting pregnancy when she can’t locate Nate months later. It’s fate that brings him to the Gulch and he learns he’s going to be a father. The ensuing emotion between these characters is heart-wrenching. It brought me tears several times, but the turmoil is definitely worth it in getting to know Nate and Erin.

Grade: A-

From the back cover:

Burning out of control…

When a deadly apartment blaze sparked memories of the prom night accident that took her fiancé and unborn baby, firefighter Erin DeLuca ran…and lost herself for just one night. Erin was left pregnant, and the stranger who’d offered solace was nowhere to be found.

Until he showed up in Troublesome Gulch. And irony of ironies, Nate Walker was a pyrotechnics engineer-and when he saw the mystery woman who got away, now very pregnant, his entire being lit up. For Erin, it was a déjà vu moment brighter than any fireworks display-not about reliving pain, but about the joy of being in the arms of a loving man….

Read an excerpt.

You and No Other (Return to Troublesome Gulch, Book 3)

This third book gives us a villain who’s tyranny will make you so angry you want to spit and you can’t wait until he gets what’s coming to him. Cagney’s family has always been dysfunctional thanks to her father, the chief of police. His control over her is what led to her being a victim on prom night. It also led to the love of her life leaving town that same night without a word to anyone, and it isn’t until Jonas comes back to Troublesome Gulch for his own revenge that they both find out what Cag’s father had done to help alter their lives so dramatically. This lawman is one mean, controlling asshole. But when Jonas and Cagney finally overcome their animosity toward one another and the truth comes out, that’s when the fun begins. As they say, payback is a bitch, and it comes none too soon for all of these characters.

Grade: B

From the back cover: 

The boy is back in town…

Twelve years ago, Jonas Eberhardt was run out of Troublesome Gulch on prom night by the jack-booted police chief. Even worse, the chief’s daughter, Cagney Bishop, love of Jonas’s life, seemed to go along with Daddy’s wishes. But the boy from the wrong side of the tracks made millions, and he’s back to fund a youth center for troubled teens…and rub the naysayers’ noses in it. Especially Cagney’s.

Cagney Bishop’s prom night had ruined her chances of happiness-until seeing Jonas reopened a door in her heart she thought was sealed forever. But is Jonas there to get even…or get true love back on track?

Read an excerpt.

I love the emotion of this series. Family and friends stick together no matter what, a town becomes bigger and better, its citizens become closer, and they all learn how to heal and love as a result of tragedy. I also like how Ms. Sandoval intersperses the characters throughout each book. These friends are there for each other and you feel the love between them on every page.

There is to be another book next year, Lexy’s story, and that one can potentially be a real tear jerker. Too bad there’s such a long wait for it. But these three books are a great start. Life and living from tragedy, true friends, love and happiness. How can you go wrong with that?

Devon’s review of Kidnapped! by Jo Leigh
Contemporary romance published 1 Sep 07 by Harlequin Blaze

Tate Baxter is beautiful, young and the only daughter of one of the richest men in the U.S. However, her privileged existence brings her no joy. As the victim of two kidnapping attempts, fear, anxiety and her father’s overprotectiveness have made Tate a virtual prisoner in her Carnegie Hill penthouse. She is surrounded by a cadre of servants and aides, most of whom carry concealed weapons.

One of the bright spots of her day is chatting with Michael Caulfield, her chauffeur/bodyguard, who accompanies throughout her day. She’s even got a little crush, but is too afraid to make a move. Michael enjoys Tate’s company, and is attracted to her as well, but in addition to her panic disorder, the status difference seems an insurmountable goal.

But Tate is fed up with living in fear, and agrees to a fake “kidnapping”, suggested by her therapist, in order to help her overcome her phobias. When the “kidnapping” goes horribly awry, Michael is close at Tate’s heels. He swoops in for the rescue, only to find that he is more involved than he had thought. Trapped on a yacht to the Cayman Islands, Tate and Michael are free to explore their attraction, as well as help Tate discover a strength she never knew she had. Their future looks bright, if they can survive that is.

I am often persuaded to pick up Blazes. They have a more ‘contemporary’ feel than many harlequins, and catchy plot descriptions. However, in the effort to amp up the sex level, the reader is treated to absolutely ridiculous plot devices (love potions, sex-themed hotels). Kidnapped! was quite different.  On a certain level, it was quite a dark book. Tate had lived through two kidnapping attempts, one with particularly tragic consequences, and so lives like a recluse at 24. This ain’t no silly neurosis, it’s debilitating anxiety. It was interesting to watch her take control back, and to recognize her own strength.

Mike was a great hero: strong, intelligent and likable, and able to see Tate for who she was. I liked that their previous relationship was based on conversations in a limo, a meeting of the minds. Having them stuck together in a room provided a good setup for them to get to know each other even more. Their romance was sweet and sexy.

Kidnapped! was a real page turner. I read it very fast, wanting to see what happened with the kidnapping and with the relationship. I found the subplots interesting. Mike’s dysfunctional relationship with his brother Charlie was an interesting mirror to Tate’s relationship with her father. I wasn’t entirely convinced that Mike would be attracted to Tate at the beginning. Think she’s a great girl, yes, but she was such a timid mouse! But by the end, I believed in them. My big quibble was the ending, which was abrupt. Mike angsted and angsted over whether they could be together, then it’s just, “Okay. Swell. The End.”

Jo Leigh’s name often comes up as one of the best Blaze authors. I know I will definitely be reading her again. Kidnapped! packed a lot into its brief length–emotional depth, interesting characters, and a lot of action. I hope best friend Sara gets the next book, and I look forward to reading it.

Grade: B

Read excerpt here.

Gwen’s review of Caressed by Ice (Psy-Changelings Book 3) by Nalini Singh
Paranormal romance released by Berkley Sensation 4 Sep 07 

This is the first of Singh’s Psy-Changlings books that I’ve read. I think I have Book 2 in my TBR and I’ll be looking for Book 1. This was a very fun book about an alternate world where changelings and telepathics/telekinetics vie with humans and each other for their piece of the pie. It’s a fascinating world that is built meticulously and entertainingly. 

Singh has created an amazing world in her Psy-Changling books. It’s rich with political intrigue between all the races – Psy who are tele-somethings who live almost solely in their minds, Changelings of many species, and humans. Her world has complicated social structures, backstabbing (literal and figurative), and complicated business dealings. There are also taboos and social mores that make life even more complex for the denizens.

All of the characters in Caressed are complex, multidimensional people. Singh’s world-building is smart and she doesn’t do “brain dumps.” You learn as you go along, which always feels more natural – and that applies to her characters as well. She brings secondary characters into the story when they’re needed. I never felt like a to-be hero/heroine was shoehorned into the book for the sake of the next in the series. It all made complete sense.

The relationship between the Judd and Brenna was sweet, complicated, and different. Judd’s conditioning makes it painful for him to feel any emotion, so it’s literally painful for him to love Brenna.  Brenna was brutalized by a madman before she met Judd, making trust a very big deal for her.  These two damaged people manage to find each other and fall in love in a most non-traditional way.

This was a very interesting, engrossing book. I can’t wait to read the others in the series and the next. I think I’ll find them all equally compelling. Highly recommended read if you want something to really sink your teeth into.

Grade: B+

Here’s the book blurb:

Explore new heights of sensuality in this return to the world of the Psy – where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins – cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted – and had her mind violated – by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

Read an excerpt and an excerpt.

P.S. You can find all sorts of interesting bits and pieces about her world-building, characters, and what not on Singh’s website.

Other books in the series:

Mine to Possess, Feb ’08 (read an excerpt)

Gwen’s review of The Devil’s Right Hand (Dante Valentine, Book 3) by Lilith Saintcrow
Futuristic paranormal urban sci-fi so-not-your-normal-romance published 1 Sep 07 by Orbit

This series is not normal.  And I am BIG TIME glad it isn’t.  It combines science fiction, urban fantasy, futuristic, paranormal and romance all in one (or five) package.  The main character is a bounty hunter and necromancer named Dante Valentine.  She leads a dangerous life tracking down the bad guys and, sometimes, slicing them up. 

Dante, Danny to her friends, has fallen in love with a demon named Japhrimel, the Devil’s eldest child and his assassin.  Japh, thru his love of Dante, has “fallen” and lost some of his demon-ness.  At the same time, he made Dante a bit of a demon herself so that she could fight the bad guys and not be “damaged.”  These books are about Dante’s complicated personal and professional life, her unusual but so satisfying love affair with Japh, and acts as a primer on how to negotiate with the damned.  It’s an all around good time that doesn’t fit neatly into any of the genres (yay!).

We start this book with Dante and Japh living in a villa in what would be today’s Italy.  They live a quiet, peaceful life and are constantly in each other’s company.  What occurs in the first two novels is a large part of this book.  I wouldn’t recommend reading RIGHT HAND without reading the other books first.  Too much happens that sets up events for this book.

Saintcrow may as well be writing history books – her world-building is so complete you feel like it exists.  Her primary and secondary characters are full, complex, three-dimensional beings that stay true to their personalities.  The fight action sequences are so well written you’re there, watching it as if it were a movie.  The love affair between Dante and Japhrimel is intricate and gratifying, and you so want them to have it - they really complete each other.

This book is a “mid-story” book.  It covers an important part of the story, but you meet it and leave it mid-stream.  It’s critical to read if you’re interested in the series but not one I’d read on its own.  There were several times the love story brought tears to my eyes, and this was not the first time in this series.  The story is complex, rich in detail, and full of complicated emotions.  There is no happy ending, but it’s not a bummer either - it’s not your classic romance, though there is undoubtedly a romance.

I really love this series.  I am totally transported each time I read one of these books.  Thanks, Lilith!!

Grade: A

Blurb:

Dante Valentine is not a happy camper. She’s just signed away seven years of her life—and her partner’s—to hunt down four rogue demons that have escaped from hell. Maybe she’ll find them. Maybe they’ll find her. Nobody said it was easy being the Devil’s right hand.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Lessons of Desire by Madeline Hunter 

He first appears beneath her prison window as her savior—a sinfully attractive man whose charm and connections have ensured her release from an unjust arrest. But author and publisher Phaedra Blair quickly learns that the price of her “freedom” is to be virtually bound to her irresistible rescuer.

For Elliot Rothwell did not come solely on a mission of goodwill. He came to extract a promise that Phaedra won’t publish a slanderous manuscript that would destroy his family’s name, and he’s not above bribery, threats, or bedding her to get his way. And with each erotic encounter raising the stakes between them, Elliot discovers he’s ever more reluctant to lose this sensual game. . .or the unusual, provocative woman who is every bit his match.

I so can not wait to read this book! The first book in this new series, The Rules of Seduction, was just grand. And the excerpt at the end of it for this book made me want to read it RIGHT that second.

Sadly that didn’t happen, but soon my friends, soon. But before that (hopefully in the very near future) Madeline will be sending us an excerpt to post! Even better is the fact she will be a guest on the blog in October. I know… makes you wanna sqqqquuueeee doesn’t it *g*.

Gwen’s review of Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) by J.R. Ward
Paranormal romance published by Signet 25 Sep 07

This is the fifth book in the Brotherhood series.  It’s based on a group of warrior vampires who protect their species, a species who is (we believe) secret from humans.  Who are these warriors protecting their fellow vamps from? Why, some bad guys who smell like, uh, baby powder – the Lessers.  Just roll with it, okay?  Oh – don’t read all of this post if you care about spoilers.  I have a few after the grade. 

I love reading about the Brothers.  I love that they’re giants and still have table manners.  I love that they’re the protectors of their race, but still have flaws.  I love the easy camaraderie between them.  I have loved nearly all of the Brother’s stories.  I even spent time on the BDB discussion forums – until they kept editing or deleting my not-always-PG13 posts (I know, shocking, isn’t it?  LOL).  I will probably keep reading the BDB books, but perhaps with a little less anticipation now that I’ve read LU.

I actually blame myself for this dilemma.  I have come to expect so much from a BDB book.  It would be nearly impossible for an author to consistently meet that archetype every time they step up to bat.  At the same time, there are things I really did not like about this book, and those I place squarely at the author’s feet.

Ward has not managed to create a heroine I consistently like (really in any of her books, to be honest – not as Jessica Bird or J.R. Ward).  All of her female characters have been weaklings or stricken with the TSTL curse.  This book is no exception – the heroine starts strong, but ends on a weak, confusing note.

I was glad that this book didn’t harp on the bad guys, the Lessening Society.  Those are the parts of past BDB books that I skipped or skimmed.  The only time I felt the Lessers had any true evil was in Dark Lover.  After that, they were too plastic or cookie cutter.  All they lacked was a t-shirt that said, “I’m the bad guy.”

Unlike other reviewers, I had no trouble with the unusual aspects of Butch and V’s relationship.  Complicated relationships and confusing emotional attachments are a fact of life.  For a species for whom life is on such an emotional, primal edge as these vampires, it’s not surprising that Ward felt she needed to complicate this relationship between best friends.  Complexity is a fact of life and it’s interesting to read about it – to me at least.

I had a problem with the amount of ink spent on Phury in this book.  I would have preferred to get less of his back story, and more of V and Jane.  I don’t doubt Phury’s story will be interesting to read, but I thought I was here for V and Jane.

There be spoilers ahead.  Don’t click past the grade unless you wish to read them.  For those of you who won’t be reading thru,

Grade: C

Summary:

The ruthless and brilliant brother Vishous possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn’t choose takes him into a future that does not include her…

Read an excerpt.

Keep reading for the rest of the review, spoilers and all…

Still with me?  Okay.

I hate what Ward did to Jane in this book.  It was tragic when Wellsie died, but it spurred an interesting storyline that I can’t wait to see how it pans out. In this book, Ward kills off another Shellan - Jane.  I was sitting there crying, almost sobbing right along with V.  Wondering what on earth would V do now, how would he survive without his mate, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT.  I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

So what was there for me to dislike, you ask?  What I disliked was WARD BROUGHT HER BACK!  She kills Jane off – unnecessary, but hey, it’s a gritty, dramatic book, so I was prepared to deal. Main characters don’t die often enough in romances, in my opinion.  There’s a whole different level of drama you get when characters have to deal with a loss like that.  BUT THEN Ward ”resurrects” Jane as a spirit! It was just weird and it relies too much on ”suspension of disbelief” on my part. And the whole “non-corporeal” sex thing going on between V and Jane is just odd.

Ward had me until that happened.  I mean, there were problems with the book – what book doesn’t have a bump or two – but it was totally an A review book.  THEN SHE BRINGS HER BACK.  Arrrgh!

Who knows. Perhaps Jane’s spirit-ness will play a key function at some point in a future book. Right now? It just pisses me off.

Other books in the series:

Elizabeth Hoyt, the wonderful and gracious author of The Serpent Prince, The Leopard Prince, and The Raven Prince, has written this Guest Post for The Good, The Bad, & The Unread.

We will also post a Hoyt contest later today, so check back with us. And now, without further ado, allow me introduce Elizabeth Hoyt!

—

Writing Simon Iddesleigh
by Elizabeth Hoyt

It’s the writer’s job to reveal her characters to the reader. Ideally, by the end of a book, the reader should be able to recognize a line of dialogue, a movement, a thought as coming from a particular character and no other. That really shouldn’t be all that hard, right?

The problem is that in order to reveal the character, the writer first needs to know that character.

At this point, the non-writers reading this are probably thinking that I’ve wandered off the path of reason and gotten tangled in the shrubbery of artistic idiocy. How can a writer not know the character she creates? Well, believe me, she can. Some characters hide behind foggy veils. The hero of my May [2008] release, To Taste Temptation, is Samuel Hartley and he’s one of those characters. He’d smile at me as I wrote (very cordially – he’s an easy going guy. Mostly) and say, “Am I really feeling sorrow here? Or is it anger-mixed-with-sorrow? Or maybe I’m just horny. I am a guy after all.”

Sam gave me fits.

Not so Simon Iddesleigh, the hero of my third book, The Serpent Prince. The moment Simon walked onstage in The Raven Prince as a secondary character I knew who he was. I knew how he portrayed himself on the surface and I knew that he was hiding three-fourths of himself from view, even from his best friends. Simon was a revelation. His language–his emotions–are so over the top at times that I would pause in my typing, stare at my computer screen, and wonder if I could really get away with a particular line.

Simon was – is – a writing gift. I hope you have as much fun reading about him as I did writing him.

Cheers!

Elizabeth Hoyt

—

Thank you, Elizabeth!!

Lawson’s review of Love Letters From a Duke (The Bachelor Chronicles, Book 3) by Elizabeth Boyle
Historical Romance released by Avon 27 Aug 07

Felicity Langley has always had one goal in mind: to be a duchess. She’s very near her goal, being in London when her almost-betrothed comes at last. And she’s in luck, since she’s been writing him letters for many years and she feels she knows and loves him. Felicity and her sister Tally are staying just around the corner from the London house of the Duke of Hollindrake, and they are waiting for him to come to town for his investiture since his grandfather has recently died and her almost-betrothed is the new duke.

But Felicity and her sister have a problem. A big problem involving the fact that their solicitor won’t release their funds to finance a season, or even some decent new clothes. So being the resourceful (and rather forceful) girl she is, Felicity is able to maintain appearances by bartering, bullying and some B and E. Sort of. And she’s got to guarantee that she really is betrothed to Hollindrake, since she wrote him a letter years before and proposed to him.

So, of course, one of the things one must have to keep appearances up is a footman, and when a Mr. Thatcher arrives on her doorstep, in desperation Felicity hires him. Though she’s attracted to him, she thinks he won’t realize that they don’t have money to pay his wages, but by that time Hollindrake will have come up to stuff and she’ll be set for life. What she doesn’t realize is her new footman is actually her almost betrothed, Aubrey Michael Thomas Sterling, former Marquess of Standon, now Duke of Hollindrake.

Aubrey had shown up to break off the engagement and tell Felicity that she’d been writing letters to his grandfather all these years and he’d had no knowledge of any betrothal since he’s been in Spain for the last decade with the army and escaping the machinations of his meddlesome grandfather and disinterested family. Soon though Aubrey realizes that Felicity is a gem and he wants to do what he can to win his love for himself and not her Hollindrake.

Felicity has not been an endearing character to me. When she appeared in This Rake of Mine she was overly meddlesome and stubborn. And she needed to learn that life doesn’t always go her way and she doesn’t get what she wants. So when I heard this was her love story, I admit there were some reservations, but I was hoping for the best.

So did I miraculously do an about face and like Felicity and her pushy ways? Eh. I understand where she’s coming from, she’s very resourceful, she’s got some fine qualities, but I still just don’t like her. Now if I ran across her in the street would I treat her like her nemesis, boorish American heiress Sarah Browne? No, I’ve got some class, thank you, but I don’t think I’d want to be friends with Felicity.

Aubrey is another story. Noble, overcoming a reckless youth and a fish out of water in his new circumstances (he didn’t stand to inherit, he’s the third son of a third son, but it happened) he handles himself admirably and finally realizes that being ducal is about who he is not who he’s supposed to be. And he is obviously dynamite in the sack.

The fact that Aubrey is trying Felicity to give up her dream of being a duchess and marry for love instead to her footman is probably the best part of the story. Felicity’s reaction to the truth and her manipulations detract from the story. Especially since she’s so single minded for most of the book to not have fun and be someone she’s obviously not. Why Aubrey thinks she’s really worth all the effort is a little beyond me, since he seems much more mature and prepared to handle life’s problems than she is.

I do love Boyle’s books and Aubrey is a great hero. There’s fun secondary characters like Tally and Pippin, Felicity’s overly romantic sister and cousin, Jamilla, one of her father’s former mistresses, Aunt Minty the not so good chaperon, and appearances from Temple and Jack, but Felicity is too much to take in.

Aubrey and some of Felicity’s better qualities (I do admire the fact she’s fluent in four languages) do tend to outweigh Felicity overall, she’s just not a character I really like and I think she’s better off now with her story over and she can be a secondary character again. As long as she doesn’t meddle too much.

Grade: C

Summary:

He’s at her service . . .

Though she can’t afford the coal to heat her drafty Mayfair mansion, Felicity Langley still clings to her dream of marrying a duke-one she’s had since her very first curtsy. After all, she’s been promised to the very lofty Duke of Hollindrake for the last four years. Now all she has to do is meet him. But what Felicity doesn’t realize is that she has met her duke-he’s the altogether too handsome man who Felicity has just mistaken . . . for her new footman!

By rights, Thatcher should immediately set this presumptuous chit straight and tell her he has no intention of honoring the arranged betrothal. But he’s quickly smitten by Felicity’s delightful determination, her irrepressible charm . . . and her breathtaking sensuality. Yes, she’d wed him in an instant were his true identity revealed-but Thatcher’s vowed to marry only for love. So begins his deception and his conquest of this uncommon woman who doesn’t believe in romance, but is about to find her heart and passion set aflame by the unlikely man she’s sworn to resist.

Read an excerpt.

Lawson’s review of The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical Romance released by Forever on 1 Sep 07

I can’t help it so . . . SPOILERS! SPOILERS!! You have been warned.

Lucy Craddock-Hayes had accepted she’d have a quiet, country life most likely married to the local vicar. Her life and future change when she finds a naked man in her village. On the verge of death, she takes him home in hopes she can save his life, though she doesn’t know who he is.

Simon Iddesleigh, Viscount Iddesleigh, has been doing some bad, bad things and he’s gotten himself nearly beaten to death for his trouble. He’s been on a quest for revenge against a conspiracy, but it’s nearly cost him his life. Recovery in a quiet village with Lucy to watch over him is something Simon realizes he needs.

Simon is soon too much for country-bred Lucy to handle, with his city manners and dandyish fashion sense (red heeled shoes, my goodness!). Lucy falls hard for Simon, but when his attackers seek him out he returns to London to spare her life, but soon realizes he can’t live without her. Lucy’s love becomes something that he realizes he could lose if he continues on his quest for vengeance, but it’s something he’s come to depend on, far too much.

There is a definite dark, brooding tone to this book, even more so than The Leopard Prince. Where Harry Pye was out to prove he was better than his father in his idea of revenge, Simon is going out and doing the worst thing possible: he’s dueling and killing his opponents. And he’s doing it for the memory of a brother he didn’t even really like.

When Lucy enters his life, Simon doesn’t really know how to react. She’s innocent, caring and someone he knows that he can corrupt, but he’s drawn to her goodness and light in a way to banish his demons. For Lucy, Simon is sophisticated, urbane, charming, and everything she’s ever wished for, without knowing it. After meeting Simon, she knows that her quiet, simple country life isn’t enough and marrying the local vicar won’t make her happy.

What is best about this book is the contrasts and complements that Lucy and Simon bring out in each other. And their love and love scenes are something worth wishing for. The love scenes are steamy, erotic and amazingly caring. Because no matter how Simon feels about Lucy, his personal mission to kill those who killed his brother eventually is too much for her to bear. And he doesn’t blame her.

There’s this great scene at the end of the book, that I just can’t talk about because it would be too spoilery of me, and I just can’t do that. But it’s just so. . .heartbreaking, and breathtaking, and wonderful.

Though there are Hoyt’s traditional well drawn secondary characters, including Harry Pye and The Raven Prince’s Earl of Swartingham, it’s the Simon and Lucy story and they carry the plot so well, I didn’t want it to end. Though Simon’s young friend, who turns out to be the villain’s son, makes a wonderful naive foil for Simon’s cynicism, Lucy is his perfect match and when Simon realizes that. . .again. . .best scene at the end of the book.

Go get this one now. Though dark for many tastes, it is worth the read for the sweeping love story, the secondary story of Simon’s revenge and the steamy love scenes.

Grade: A

[edit from Gwen:  Sorry but "Harry Pye" still makes me giggle like an adolescent boy.  But I am GETTING THIS BOOK!  Like, yesterday!]

The ever darling (even though she is mean to me) Caroline Linden will be guesting with us today!

AND today is the official release of her newest historical:

What A Rogue Desires

We have some great posts, a contest, a very thought out deep and meaningful Q&A but sadly no funny meeting Caroline Linden stories at RWA (that would be Anna ).

She I was lucky enough to meet me her (my god she is thin) in Dallas. In fact it was something of a herd of zebras… hmmm maybe we will have a post about that after all. LOL depending on how much of the party I remember. Hey! I wasn’t feeling well and was very well medicated. So go get the book if you haven’t yet and then come back.

We will chat, tis be fun. (Think of some hard questions to ask Mz Linden, trust me she likes it.)

What A Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden

I WANT! Mine, mine, alllllll mine!!!!

I am thinking Zebra is trying to help Justin bring sexy back…

September is shaping up to be a great month for upcoming historicals from Zebra. What do you think of the cover? Like it better than the other two?

I still don’t like the idea of messing with the ‘branding’ of a series. I mean the first two books follow a theme. But maybe they didn’t sell well? I am not sure.

I liked both of them so if this will help and not hurt I am all for it. Sadly to see if it works…

There still isn’t much on her website but I do have this quote I found when she did a guest day last year.

I just finished a follow-up to WHAT A GENTLEMAN WANTS, in which the very wicked brother, David, gets his comeuppance.

It’s a bit about not knowing what you’ve got until you’re about to lose it. I didn’t begin WHAT A GENTLEMAN WANTS with the intention of writing David’s story, so I made him pretty bad, and left myself quite a hole to climb out of with him!

But his heroine is one of my favorites; she’s very smart-mouthed, and clear-eyed about the world, and she doesn’t take any baloney from anyone, especially not David which is exactly what he needs. And now I’m getting started on Marcus’s and David’s younger sister, Celia.

le sigh… someone may need to come take three books away from me so I stop rereading them.

Have you bought If His Kiss Is Wicked by Jo Goodman yet? Cuz you need too…

Emma pushed herself up on her elbows. “You invited me to join you when you went to a gaming hell. I don’t suppose you can appreciate how dear I hold that memory. Not only the adventure, Restell, but the invitation. To be asked to share that small enterprise with you, it was outside all my expectations, yet you proposed it casually, as if there were nothing the least improper or singular about it. You acted as if I were your equal.” Her voice became huskey whisper, “As if I were your friend.”

Emma sat up the rest of the way. Her face was close to his.

“It seemed irrelevant that I was your wife or even that I was a woman. You made it irrelevant to me.” Emma cupped his face, smiling sympathetically as Restell’s eyes darted to the compress at her side. “Have you need of it?”

“It depends,” he said. “On whether you think being a woman – and my wife – is irrelevant now.”

Love that! It so shows their relationship. I don’t really know where you would put Restell in the alpha beta lists. He is so very in control. Always clever, understanding and caring. But he is not on to allow himself to be walked on…. period.

He is so in my top 10 favorite heroes.

She was looking remarkably pretty, for one thing, and Restell knew his Achilles’ heel was a pretty woman, not a beautiful one. Although he could not precisely define the difference, he knew very well that one existed. Often a woman who was pretty at the outset became beautiful in his eyes, but the reverse had never happened. Pretty denoted a liveliness of affect that he had never found in strictly beautiful women. He appreciated the turn of the head that was prompted by curiosity, not vanity. The smile might be a shade too wide and was almost always a bit crooked in its presentation, but Restell was inevitably beguiled by its inherent honesty.

Sorry I will stop.

oh just one more!

Restell was compelled to point out, “We didn’t steal anything.”

“But we could have. Sneaksmen, I have heard them called. Really, it was quite exciting. You are very good to indulge me, Restell.”

“I would rather you were satisfied with a string of pearls or a diamond choker.”

“Then you should have proposed to Marisol.”

Hee! Sorry I just lurve her. I am just a sad sad fangrrl aren’t I?

So what are you going to be reading this holiday weekend? Other than If His Kiss is Wicked and Driven – of course.

I am still deciding and it is my most favoritestestest person in the world birthday on Monday. So that means I am not gonna get out of spending time with my family. What? I adore my mom and sister but I am working on becoming agoraphobiac. And really do you have any clue how many books I have to read. Oy not even counting the books to read for next year so I start on the guest author day schedule for 2008. I know, you feel really bad for me.

So hit me with your best shot! What cha reading? What have you just finished you lurved muchly? What is up next?

The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

WHEN THE DEVIL MEETS AN ANGEL

Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man – a naked unconscious man – and loses her innocence forever.

HE CAN TAKE HER TO HEAVEN

Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he’s hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities – even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.

OR TO HELL

Charmed by Simon’s sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has – her love…

I am sure it is very wrong of me, in oh so many ways to say this, but…

If you haven’t already, put this down on your TO BE BOUGHT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE list.

This is a flat out amazing read. The Serpent Prince is a darkly beautiful, morally questionable and erotically charged must be read novel. Simon and Lucy have a love that seems so hauntingly raw, you won’t know if you are envious or if you want to kiss it and make it better.

A few people will have a very hard time reading this maybe even more than a few. It is as violent as it is passionate, with two characters I did not want to leave. I am on a complete book high right now and the only complaint I would say I had was it ended.

Well there were a few other minor things but I will tell you about that later. But trust me. You want this book.

The ever delightful Elizabeth Hoyt has given us another excerpt to share with you! This follows the first excerpt, you can find here.

E * X * C * E * R *P *T

“I’ll not have him in my house,” Captain Craddock-Hayes pronounced, arms crossed over his barrel chest, feet braced as if on a rolling deck. His bewigged head was held high, sea-blue eyes pinned on a distant horizon.

He stood in the entrance hall to Craddock-Hayes house. Usually the hall was quite large enough for their needs. Right now, though, the hall seemed to have shrunk in proportion to the amount of people it held, Lucy thought ruefully, and the captain was right in the center of it.

“Yes, Papa.” She dodged around him and waved the men carrying her stranger further in. “Upstairs in my brother’s bedroom, I think. Don’t you agree, Mrs. Brodie?”

“Of course, miss.” The Craddock-Hayes housekeeper nodded. The frill of her mobcap, framing red cheeks, bobbed in time with the movement. “The bed’s already made and I can have the fire started in a tick.”

“Good.” Lucy smiled in approval. “Thank you, Mrs. Brodie.”

The housekeeper hurried up the stairs, her ample bottom swaying with each step.

“Don’t even know who the blighter is,” her father continued. “Might be some tramp or murderer. Hedge said he was stabbed in the back. I ask you, what sort of a chap gets himself stabbed? Eh? Eh?”

“I don’t know, I’m sure,” Lucy answered automatically. “Would you mind moving to the side so the men can carry him past?”

Papa shuffled obediently nearer the wall.

The laborers panted as they wrestled the wounded stranger inside. He lay so terribly still, his face pale as death. Lucy bit her lip and tried not to let her anxiety show. She didn’t know him, didn’t even know the color of this man’s eyes, he was a stranger to her, and yet it was vitally important that he live. He’d been placed on a door to make it easier, but it was obvious that his weight and height still made the maneuver difficult. One of the men swore.

“Won’t have such language in my house.” The captain glared at the offender.

The man flushed and mumbled an apology.

Papa nodded. “What kind of a father would I be if I allowed any sort of gypsy or layabout into my home? With an unmarried gel in residence? Eh? A damned rotten one, that’s what.”

“Yes, Papa.” Lucy held her breath as the men negotiated the stairs.

“That’s why the blighter must be taken somewhere else–Fremont’s house, he’s the doctor. Or the poorhouse. Maybe the vicarage–Penweeble can have a chance to show some Christian kindness. Ha.”

“You’re quite right, but he’s already here,” Lucy said soothingly. “It would be a shame to have to move him again.”

One of the men on the stairs gave her a wild-eyed look.

Lucy smiled back reassuringly.

“Probably won’t live long in any case.” Papa scowled. “No point ruining good sheets.”

“I’ll make sure the sheets survive.” Lucy started up the stairs.

“And what about my supper?” her father grumbled behind her. “Eh? Is anyone seeing to that while they rush about making room for scoundrels?”

Lucy leaned over the rail. “We’ll have supper on the table just as soon as I can see him settled.”

Papa grunted. “Fine thing when the master of the house waits on the comfort of ruffians.”

“You’re being most understanding.” Lucy smiled at her father.

“Humph.”

She turned to go up the stairs.

“Poppet?”

Lucy stuck her head back over the rail.

Her father was frowning up at her, bushy white eyebrows drawn together over the bridge of his bulbous red nose. “Be careful with that fellow.”

“Yes, Papa.”

“Humph,” her father muttered again behind her.

But Lucy hurried up the stairs and into the blue bedroom. The men had already transferred the stranger to the bed. They tramped back out of the room as Lucy entered, leaving a trail of mud.

“You shouldn’t be in here, Miss Lucy,” Brodie gasped and pulled the sheet over the man’s chest. “Not with him like this.”

“I saw him in far less just an hour ago, Mrs. Brodie, I assure you. At least now he’s bandaged.”

Brodie snorted. “Not the important parts.”

“Well, maybe not,” Lucy conceded. “But I hardly think he poses any risk, the condition he’s in.”

“Aye, poor gentleman.” Brodie patted the sheet covering the man’s chest. “He’s that lucky you found him when you did. He’d've been frozen by morn for sure, left out there on the road. Who could’ve done such a wicked thing?”

“I don’t know.”

“Nobody from Maiden Hill, I’m thinking.” The housekeeper shook her head. “Must be riff-raff down from London.”

Lucy didn’t point out that riff-raff could be found even in Maiden Hill. “Doctor Fremont said he’d be around again in the morning to check his bandages.”

“Aye.” Mrs. Brodie looked doubtfully at the patient, as if assessing his odds of living to the next day.

Lucy took a deep breath. “Until then I suppose we can only make him comfortable. We’ll leave the door ajar in case he wakes.”

“I’d best be seeing to the captain’s supper. You know how he gets if it’s late. As soon as it’s on the table I’ll send Betsy up to watch him.”

Lucy nodded. They only had the one maid, Betsy, but between the three women, they should be able to nurse the stranger. “You go. I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Very well, Miss.” Brodie gave her an old-fashioned look. “But don’t be too long. Your father will be wanting to talk to you.”

Lucy wrinkled her nose and nodded. Brodie smiled in sympathy and left.

Lucy looked down at the stranger in her brother, David’s, bed and wondered again, who was he? He was so motionless that she had to concentrate to see the slight rise and fall of his chest. The bandages about his head only emphasized his infirmity and highlighted the bruising on his brow. He looked so terribly alone. Was anyone worried about him, perhaps anxiously awaiting his return?

One of his arms lay outside the covers. She touched it.

His hand flashed up and struck at her wrist, capturing and holding it. Lucy was so startled she only had time for a frightened squeak. Then she was staring into the palest eyes she’d ever seen. They were the color of ice.

“I’m going to kill you,” he spoke distinctly.

For a moment, she thought the grim words were for her and her heart seemed to stop in her breast.

His gaze shifted past her. “Ethan?” The man frowned as if puzzled and then he shut his weird eyes. In a minute more, the grip on her wrist grew slack and his arm fell back to the bed.

Lucy drew a breath. From the ache in her chest, it was the first since the man had seized her. She stepped back from the bed and rubbed her tender wrist. The man’s hand had been brutal, she’d have bruises in the morning.

Whom had he spoken to?

Lucy shuddered. Whomever it was, she did not envy them. The man’s voice held not a trace of indecision. In his own mind there was no doubt but that he would kill his enemy. She glanced again at the bed. The stranger was breathing slowly and deeply now. He looked like he was slumbering peacefully. If not for the pain in her wrist, she might have thought the whole incident a dream.

“Lucy!” The bellow from down below could only be her father.

Gathering her skirts, she left the room and ran down the stairs.

Papa was already seated at the head of the dinner table, a cloth tucked in at his neck. “Don’t like a late supper. Puts my digestion off. Can’t sleep half the night because of the gurgling. Is it too much to ask for a dinner on time in my own home? Is it? Eh?”

“No, of course not.” Lucy sat in her chair at the right of her father. “I’m sorry.”

Brodie brought in a steaming roast beef crowded with potatoes, leeks and turnips.

“Ha. That’s what a man likes to see on his dinner table.” Papa positively beamed as he picked up his knife and fork in preparation for carving. “A good English beef. Smells most delicious.”

“Thank you, sir.” The housekeeper winked at Lucy as she turned back to the kitchen.

Lucy smiled back. Thank goodness for Brodie.

“Now then, have a bite of that.” Papa handed her a plate heaped with food. “Mrs. Brodie knows how to make a fine roast beef.”

“Thank you.”

“Tastiest in the county. Need a bit of sustenance after gallivantin’ all over the place this afternoon. Eh?”

“How have your memoirs gone today?” Lucy sipped her wine, trying not to think of the man laying upstairs.

“Excellent. Excellent.” Papa sawed enthusiastically at the roast beef. “Put down a scandalous tale from thirty years ago. About Captain Feather–he’s an Admiral now, damn him–and three native island women. D’you know these native gels don’t wear any– Ahurmph!” He suddenly coughed and looked at her in what seemed like embarrassment.

“Yes?” Lucy popped a forkful of potato into her mouth.

“Never mind. Never mind.” Papa finished filling his plate and pulled it to where his belly met the table. “Let’s just say it’ll light a fire under the old boy after all this time. Ha!”

“How delightful.” Lucy smiled. If Papa ever did finish his memoirs and published them, there would be a score of apoplectic fits in His Majesty’s navy.

“Quite. Quite.” Papa swallowed and took a sip of wine. “Now then. I don’t want you worrying over this scoundrel you’ve brought home.”

Lucy’s gaze dropped to the fork she held. It trembled slightly and she hoped her parent wouldn’t notice the movement. “No, Papa.”

“You’ve done a good deed, Samaritan, and all that. Just as your mother used to teach you from the Bible. She’d approve. But remember”–he forked up a turnip–”I’ve seen head wounds before. Some live. Some don’t. And there’s not a blessed thing you can do about it either way.”

She felt her heart sink in her chest. “You don’t think he’ll live?”

“Don’t know,” Papa barked impatiently. “That’s what I’m saying. He might. He might not.”

“I see.” Lucy poked at a turnip and tried not to let the tears start.

Her father slammed the flat of his hand down on the table. “This is just what I’m warning you about. Don’t get attached to the tramp.”

A corner of Lucy’s mouth twitched up. “But you can’t keep me from feeling,” she said gently. “I’ll do it no matter if I want to or not.”

Papa frowned ferociously. “Don’t want you to be sad if he pops off in the night.”

“I’ll do my very best not to be sad, Papa,” Lucy promised. But she knew it was too late for that. If the man died tonight, she would weep on the morrow, promises or no.

“Humph.” Her father returned to his plate. “Good enough for now. If he survives though, mark my words.” He looked up and pinned her with his azure eyes. “He even thinks about hurting one hair on your head and out he goes on his arse.”

As good as Elizabeth Hoyt’s first two books were, this is her best book yet. SEPTEMBER 2007! Mark it down. You can thank me later.