Friday, November 30, 2012

Review: Under the Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis

Under the Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor, Book 6.5
Publisher: Forever Yours
Genre: Contemporary Romance Under the Mistletoe Cover
Release Date: December 4, 2012
ISBN: 9781455544905
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Jill Shalvis Reading Order

Mia’s plan for a bright and joyful Christmas comes screeching to a halt when her boyfriend, Nick, refuses to come to Lucky Harbor and meet her family. Heartbroken, Mia travels to Lucky Harbor to lick her wounds and celebrate her aunt’s wedding. What she doesn’t expect is Nick to follow hot on her heels, begging for forgiveness.

Like Mia, Nick was given up for adoption at birth. Unlike Mia, he wasn’t adopted by loving parents and never connected with equally loving birth parents. Family, acceptance, and love are foreign to him, but he learns they’re things he wants. Now he just has to convince Mia to give him a second chance. Because for this Christmas and every holiday after, her heart, her love, is the only gift he’ll ever need.

Everyone deserves a second chance, and Nick gets his in this sweet, romantic Lucky Harbor story. Mia and Nick are young, smart, likeable protagonists who fit each other like lock and key. The similar issues they have because of their pasts might have been what initially drew them together, but Jill Shalvis clearly shows it’s not the sole reason they make such a powerful couple. Whenever Nick and Mia share a scene the chemistry between them is easy to see. I loved them together, and because I did I practically devoured Under the Mistletoe.

Under the Mistletoe can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment I recommend reading the first three Lucky Harbor books. Mia’s birth parents, aunts, and uncles are the heroines and heroes of Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, and Head Over Heels and they all play strong supporting roles in Under the Mistletoe. In addition, fans of The Sweetest Thing will recognize Carlos, Mia’s first love, as a supporting character and Ms. Shalvis gives a brief update on his love life that made me smile and want to know a bit more about the woman who captured his heart.

The only niggle I had when reading Under the Mistletoe was Mia’s wish to be “picked.” I understood her desire to be picked by someone instead of her always doing the chasing and choosing, but given that this need stems from her being given up for adoption, it bothered me a bit that she never addressed the fact that she was picked, by her adoptive parents, who clearly love her. Given that Under the Mistletoe is a Lucky Harbor story, I understand the focus on Mia’s birth family. I just wish there had been a bit more acknowledgment for Mia’s adoptive parents.

Overall, Under the Mistletoe was a delightful read that made me smile and fall in love with some of my favorite Lucky Harbor characters all over again. Under the Mistletoe is the perfect story to curl up with this winter, for Mia and Nick’s romance is simply lovely.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Review: The Gravedigger's Brawl by Abigail Roux

The Gravedigger’s Brawl by Abigail Roux
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance with Paranormal Elements The Gravediggers Brawl Cover
eBook ISBN: 9781937551636
Print ISBN: 9781937551537
Buy it here: Riptide Publishing

Dr. Wyatt Case is more in his element putting together a new museum exhibit than hanging out at a bar, but when his best friend needs a wingman, Wyatt can’t say no. As it turns out, Gravedigger’s Tavern isn’t your average bar. And it isn’t the history of the gaslight-style pub that captures Wyatt’s attention, but Gravedigger’s bartender, Ash Lucroix. With his easy smile and phenomenal collection of tongue rings, Ash isn’t the kind of man Wyatt would normally go for. But there’s an undeniable pull of attraction between the quirky, sociable Ash and the quieter Wyatt.

Before Ash and Wyatt’s newfound relationship has a chance to really begin, strange things begin happening at Gravedigger’s. Spooky noises, faulty wiring, and a ghostly presence begin to make Ash feel like he’s losing his mind. Is he imagining things? Or is there an evil presence haunting him? It’s up to Ash, Wyatt, and their friends to find out the truth before the haunted happenings cost them everything they hold dear.

Out of all the paranormal entities in literature, the ones I least enjoy reading about are ghosts. However, I’d heard many good things about Abigail Roux’s writing and I was so intrigued by the blurb for The Gravedigger’s Brawl that I had to pick it up.

I’m so glad I did.

The Gravedigger’s Brawl is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year! It’s charming, sensual, evocative, and wildly addictive; immediately upon finishing I wanted to read it again. Ash and Wyatt are two wonderfully developed heroes who quickly found their way into my heart. Wyatt is shy and uncertain of himself outside an academic setting at times. Ms. Roux made him human rather than cardboard perfect, and Wyatt comes with all the foibles a real person would have. He makes mistakes and hurts Ash, but not out of cruelty or carelessness. What’s more, he owns up to his mistakes and is truly the perfect man for Ash. Ash, in turn, is a hero with flair, and I’m not just talking about his bartending skills. He’s got an aura of likeability about him, one that Ms. Roux somehow manages to make transcend the page. Like Wyatt, Ash is interesting, which is probably the best thing I can say about a character. I love it when I’m fascinated by a character because of their personality, rather than a special skill or superhuman ability.

As individuals, Ash and Wyatt are great characters. As a pair? I find myself at a loss for words; just thinking about their love story makes me smile. The dynamic between Ash and Wyatt creates sparks and when they hit the bedroom The Gravedigger’s Brawl just explodes with heat.

Rounding out the main cast of The Gravedigger’s Brawl are Ash’s friends and fellow Gravediggers, Caleb, Ryan, and Delilah, along with Wyatt’s best friend, Noah. The secondary love story between Caleb and Noah is surprisingly sweet and every bit as romantic as Ash and Wyatt’s. The friendship between all the characters was as vital to the story of The Gravedigger’s Brawl as the romances. There’s life, humor, and wit in the byplay between the main characters, and even the simplest of scenes shine because of this. Ms. Roux made me care about everyone in the story and because I cared, I was invested in the book and could not put it down.

Twining through the romance of The Gravedigger’s Brawl is a spooky mystery that, I admit, had me startling at sounds I heard in the dead of night. I won’t say too much about the non-romance aspects of The Gravedigger’s Brawl, for that’ll ruin some of the fun for readers. I will say that Ms. Roux doesn’t cross the line into horror (a relief to someone as chicken about ghosts as I am), so the spectral sightings are often atmospheric. The paranormal elements are woven in brilliantly with both factual and fictional history, giving the spookier elements of The Gravedigger’s Brawl grounding in an imagined reality.

There are many reasons I adored The Gravedigger’s Brawl, but I fear this review would be far too long if I listed them all. Before The Gravedigger’s Brawl I hadn’t read any of Ms. Roux’s work, but consider me a new fan! With its hauntings, humor, and a happily ever after worth sighing over, The Gravedigger’s Brawl has it all. So what are you waiting for? Pick up The Gravedigger’s Brawl today!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Calculated in Death by J.D. Robb


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

Pretty much everyone knows I'm a huge fan of the In Death series, which means it should come as no surprise that I'm incredibly excited for Eve Dallas's next case in Calculated in Death. I'd say this one sounds fantastic, but I say that about all of them (and I'm almost always right) ;)

Calculated in Death Cover Title: Calculated in Death
Series: In Death, Book 36
Author: J.D. Robb
Genre: Futuristic Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Release Date: February 26, 2013
J.D. Robb Reading Order

Book Description (from Goodreads):

On Manhattan's Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better.

A well-off accountant and a beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn't seem the type to be on anyone's hit list. But when Eve and her partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the lieutenant knows Marta's murder was the work of a killer who's trained, but not professional or smart enough to remove all the evidence.

But when someone steals the files out of Marta's office, Eve must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke's world of big business to figure out who's cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an innocent woman. And as the killer's violent streak begins to escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it means using herself as bait...

Review: Touch Me and Tango by Alicia Street and Roy Street

Touch Me and Tango by Alicia Street and Roy Street
Series: Dance 'n' Love, Book 2
Publisher: Alicia Street and Roy Street
Genre: Contemporary Romance  Touch Me and Tango Cover
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

When her mother breaks her leg and needs help, professional ballroom dancer Tanya Gentilliano packs up her dancing shoes and heads to her hometown, only to find that things are far worse than she could have imagined. Her mother’s on the verge of losing the house and insists that there’s a fortune in diamonds belonging to their family buried on an island close to home. To make matters worse, Tanya’s mother has enlisted the help of Parker Richardson, Tanya’s ex-boyfriend, in the search for the diamonds. It’s been more than a decade since Tanya broke Parker’s heart and left him behind to pursue her dreams, but old wounds — and desire — create sparks whenever Tanya and Parker are around one another. Will Tanya be able to convince Parker to give her a second chance? She may not find out, for the search for the diamonds takes a deadly turn that endangers all that Tanya and Parker hold dear.

I love a good reunion romance, and TOUCH ME AND TANGO is definitely that. Tanya and Parker have true chemistry that brings them together and real problems that have to be dealt with if they want to overcome their shared past. Tanya hurt Parker deeply, but she isn’t a bad person. She’s searching for what she wants out of life and watching her character develop over the course of TOUCH ME AND TANGO was a delight. Whether the scenes take place in the ballroom or in the bedroom, authors Alicia and Roy Street make TOUCH ME AND TANGO sizzle. I particularly enjoyed the scenes involving dance, as Mr. and Ms. Street make the world of ballroom dance come to life fabulously. Unfortunately, what dragged the book down a bit for me was the inclusion of a suspense subplot three-quarters of the way through the story. I won’t spoil the story by providing details, but I will say that this plot thread was hard to believe, unnecessary and took the fast-paced energy of the book down a few notches. Still, I thought TOUCH ME AND TANGO was an enjoyable story overall, and I look forward to reading more DANCE ‘N’ LOVE books.


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Review: Wight Mischief by J.L. Merrow

Wight Mischief by J.L. Merrow
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Male/Male Contemporary Romance Wight Mischief Cover
ISBN: 9781609285500
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Will Golding loved visiting the Isle of Wight as a child, and he’s even more excited to return as an adult. He’s on a beachside camping trip with his best friend, Baz, whom Will desires but can never truly have. Baz is researching a book on the Isle of Wight ghosts, but it’s a not-so-ghostly encounter that captivates Will; a beautiful, naked man in the sea.

Novelist Marcus Devereux is used to people staring at him, but he’s not used to wanting to stare back. The tall, muscular image of Will haunts him, but when he meets Will again – this time with Baz – Marcus shies away from the object of his attraction. It’s not just Marcus’s looks that make him a recluse; it’s the story of his parents’ murders that makes him wary of people like Baz and, by extension, Will. Yet the attraction between Marcus and Will is too tempting to resist and the two men tentatively start something. But Marcus’s secrets may doom their relationship before it has a chance to start. With Baz digging around Marcus’s past, both his and Will’s lives are in jeopardy.

Mystery, murder and ghosts – oh my! Author J.L. Merrow has delivered an original, engaging book with WIGHT MISCHIEF. On the surface, Marcus and Will couldn’t be more different. Marcus is isolated, self-conscious about his albinism and suspicious of all strangers because of his guardian’s warnings. Will, on the other hand, is affable and athletic but is often mistaken for being dumb by those who don’t know him. Each man sees the other for who they truly are and that goes beyond looks…though lust is definitely present in WIGHT MISCHIEF. It was easy to get lost in WIGHT MISCHIEF because J.L. Merrow made me care about Will and Marcus. The ghost stories – and the threat of Baz and Will becoming ghosts themselves – adds dimension to WIGHT MISCHIEF and keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace. With romance, danger and ghost stories in the mix, there’s no going wrong with WIGHT MISCHIEF.


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Midnight Alias by Elle Kennedy


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I've been a huge fan of Elle Kennedy's for well over four years, so it's no surprise that I'm always eagerly awaiting her next book. Midnight Rescue, Ms. Kennedy's first Killer Instincts novel, was a gritty romantic suspense that I adored and I cannot wait to read the second book in the series, Midnight Alias!

Midnight Alias Cover Title: Midnight Alias
Series: Killer Instincts, Book 2
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Elle Kennedy Reading Order

Book Description (from Goodreads):

She’s smart, seductive, and in way over her head.
He’s her only way out.


An undercover DEA agent has gone off the radar. Suspecting an internal mole, the government needs Luke Dubois and his elite team of operatives to recover their man, and the New Orleans native thinks he’s found his way inside the dark underbelly of Manhattan: Olivia Taylor, the girlfriend of a mob boss and the sexiest woman he’s ever laid eyes on. His new mission objective? Get past Olivia’s defenses and convince her to take a chance—on him.

All Olivia wanted was to finish law school and live a normal life, but that dream was shattered when one dangerous night put her deeply in a mobster’s debt. Now Luke and his team will help her escape—in exchange for intel on the missing agent. But Olivia doesn’t anticipate her intense attraction to the reckless Louisiana charmer or that she’ll be forced to risk everything—including her heart.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Review: Alterant by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

Alterant by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love
Series: Belador, Book 2
Publisher: Pocket Star
Genre: Urban Fantasy Alterant Cover
ISBN: 9781439195246
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Sherrilyn Kenyon Reading Order

Evalle Kincaid has always been loyal to her fellow Beladors, even though many of them see her as a threat waiting to happen. She’s an Alterant – half Belador, half something unknown. Even though she recently saved humanity, she’s still looked on with suspicion. And when three Alterants escape their prison, Evalle is blamed for it.

To clear her name and keep her freedom, Evalle has to hunt her own kind. But finding the escaped Alterants isn’t easy, particularly when the only person who can help her sees her as a traitor. Not to mention the fact that the Beladors’ enemies are also hunting Alterants – and Evalle in particular. The clock’s ticking for Evalle, and the future of her race depends on her succeeding when the odds are stacked for her to fail.

Enter the fantastic urban fantasy world of the Beladors with ALTERANT. In the second BELADOR book, powerhouse authors Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love have built on the complex, engaging world they introduced readers to in BLOOD TRINITY. ALTERANT is even better than its predecessor, with its twists and turns, complicated loyalties, star-crossed lovers and action-packed plot.

At the center of ALTERANT is Evalle. She’s a kick-ass heroine that readers are sure to enjoy, but it’s her giving heart and hidden vulnerabilities which have me invested in her journey. Mses. Kenyon and Love have made me care about Evalle, and I desperately want to know more about her history, and that of all the Alterants.

There’s also a wealth of secondary characters in ALTERANT that I am fascinated by. I fell in love with Evalle’s best friends, Tzader and Quinn, in BLOOD TRINITY, and with what happened to these two in ALTERANT, I definitely want to see more of them – Tzader, in particular, because Mses. Kenyon and Love broke my heart with his forced separation from the woman he loves. Then there are Storm and Isak, two potential love interests for Evalle – though in ALTERANT it’s clear that Storm has an edge in that area. Both men have depths the authors have only begun to touch on, and oh boy, am I hooked on both of them. I could go on, but I’ll only add one more; Feenix. I don’t know anyone who can resist Evalle’s too-cute-for-words pet gargoyle whose impact on Evalle brings about some surprisingly emotional moments in ALTERANT.

ALTERANT is the second BELADOR book, and readers new to the series really should start with the first book, BLOOD TRINITY. If ALTERANT is any indication, the exciting BELADOR series is just going to get better and better. There are SO many things in this series that I want to learn more about; there’s no way I could list them all. Mses. Kenyon and Love have me on tenterhooks waiting for the third BELADOR book. As Evalle would say, “Bring it on.”


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Soulless: The Manga, Vol. 2 by Gail Carriger


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I adore Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series, and though I don't generally like manga I loved the first volume of the Soulless manga. Next week Volume 2 comes out and this volume covers the second Parasol Protectorate book, Changeless. The manga volumes can't replace the books, but they're fantastic companions to the series.

Soulless the Manga Vol 2 Cover Title: Soulless: The Manga, Vol. 2
Series: The Parasol Protectorate Manga, Vol. 2
Author: Gail Carriger
Genre: Steampunk, Manga
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: November 20, 2012

Book Description (from Goodreads):

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria. But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can. She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Bed, Breakfast and Bondage by Riley Shane

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Like last week, the book I'm putting up a teaser from this week is one I'm dropping everything to read: Riley Shane's Bed, Breakfast and Bondage, an erotic contemporary holiday romance that just released tonight at Loose Id. The first few paragraphs are a bit too hot to post, but to give some context for the teaser, the book starts with an erotic dream that you don't know is a dream until it's crashed by Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers ;)

Teaser:
"A flashing light signaling a missed call on my cell phone gave me a clue as to how my erotic dream had turned into a creepy Comic-Con-gone-wrong scenario. I squinted at the phone. It was one in the morning, and only Leah had “The Imperial March” as her ringtone. Sure enough, before I could return the call, Darth Vader’s entrance music blasted at me again. With a groan, I answered, positive I was not going to like whatever my best friend had to say."
*Bed, Breakfast and Bondage by Riley Shane, pages 2-3.


Book Description:
Bed Breakfast and Bondage CoverMost women wouldn't mind waking up to find six feet of perfectly-defined male muscle cooking for them. Then again, Anaya Bancroft isn't most women. She's the innkeeper and co-owner of Emerald Valley Bed & Breakfast and it's only pure desperation -- and a complete lack of ability in the kitchen -- that have her turning to her ex for help with the B&B's biggest event of the year. Devlin Levi may be a famous chef, but he broke Naya's heart once and she's not about to let him do it again. Devlin is welcome in her kitchen, but that's it.

At least, that was the plan.

Devlin has a plan of his own, one that could change everything. He wants Naya to give him eight nights. Eight nights of unbridled passion, eight sexual fantasies explored and fulfilled, eight chances to prove they're made for each other. If, at the end of their time together, Naya still believes they can't make a relationship work, the two of them will part -- for good. It's a bargain Naya can't resist, even though she fears it will end in heartbreak.

Then again, a lot can happen in eight nights...

Friday, November 9, 2012

Review: Spells & Stitches by Barbara Bretton

Spells & Stitches by Barbara Bretton
Series: Sugar Maple, Book 4
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Genre: Paranormal Spells and Stitches Cover
ISBN: 9780425241059
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

For Chloe Hobbs, life couldn’t get any better. She’s in love with the gorgeous Luke MacKenzie, her knitting shop, Sticks & Strings, is thriving, and her magical hometown of Sugar Maple is doing well after narrowly missing a disaster a few months back. Best of all, Chloe and Luke are expecting a new addition to their family. But being a pregnant sorceress isn’t easy. Chloe’s little sorceress-to-be is making her powers go haywire and on top of that, Chloe and Luke are stuck with a cantankerous troll who’s intent on guarding Chloe until the baby’s born. If that wasn’t enough, Luke’s very human family has discovered that Chloe’s expecting, and the soon-to-be-parents have to figure out how to mask Chloe’s magical outbursts. It’s almost too much for Chloe and Luke to handle…and that’s before a dark force intercedes, threatening Chloe, Luke and their baby.

Magic and mayhem are part and parcel of the SUGAR MAPLE series, and author Barbara Bretton makes no exception with SPELLS & STITCHES. I love this zany series and in SPELLS & STITCHES, Ms. Bretton ups the stakes for Chloe, Luke and the readers when it comes to the dark magic in this book. There are few things more frightening than a child in danger, and Ms. Bretton definitely tugs on readers’ emotions when Luke and Chloe’s baby is threatened. I could not put down SPELLS & STITCHES until I was sure the entire Hobbs-MacKenzie family would be all right.

Though the ominous presence in SPELLS & STITCHES kept me enthralled, the book itself isn’t all darkness and danger. As she has in her previous SUGAR MAPLE books, Ms. Bretton keeps the overall tone of the story light. SPELLS & STITCHES feels joyful most of the time, and it really was a delight to revisit the oddball town of SUGAR MAPLE.

SPELLS & STITCHES is the fourth book in the SUGAR MAPLE series, and Ms. Bretton provides enough information that readers new to the series can read this book as a standalone. I will say, however, that my emotional investment in SPELLS & STITCHES stems from reading this book’s three predecessors, CASTING SPELLS, LACED WITH MAGIC and SPUN BY SORCERY. I fell in love with Luke and Chloe in those books, and my attachment to them and their growing family only strengthens with SPELLS & STITCHES.

As far as buoyant paranormals go, Ms. Bretton writes the best. I absolutely adored SPELLS & STITCHES, and I hope Ms. Bretton has more adventures planned for Chloe, Luke and baby Laria.

Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Bed, Breakfast, and Bondage by Riley Shane


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I love Riley Shane's work, so it's no surprise I'm super excited for the new Emerald Valley series. According to the author's blog, Bed, Breakfast, and Bondage takes place during Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, so it's the perfect story for this time of year :)

Bed Breakfast and Bondage Cover Title: Bed, Breakfast, and Bondage
Series: Emerald Valley
Author: Riley Shane
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Loose Id
Release Date: November 13, 2012

Book Description (from Goodreads):

Can an erotic holiday bargain bring together two long-separated lovers?

Most women wouldn’t mind waking up to find six feet of perfectly-defined male muscle cooking for them. Then again, Anaya Bancroft isn’t most women. She’s the innkeeper and co-owner of Emerald Valley Bed & Breakfast and it’s only pure desperation — and a complete lack of ability in the kitchen — that have her turning to her ex for help with the B&B’s biggest event of the year. Devlin Levi may be a famous chef, but he broke Naya’s heart once and she’s not about to let him do it again. Devlin is welcome in her kitchen, but that’s it.

At least, that was the plan.

Devlin has a plan of his own, one that could change everything. He wants Naya to give him eight nights. Eight nights of unbridled passion, eight sexual fantasies explored and fulfilled, eight chances to prove they’re made for each other. If, at the end of their time together, Naya still believes they can’t make a relationship work, the two of them will part — for good. It’s a bargain Naya can’t resist, even though she fears it will end in heartbreak.

Then again, a lot can happen in eight nights...

Monday, November 5, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm a huge Nora Roberts fan, but it goes without saying that you generally love some series more than others. The Inn BoonsBoro trilogy? One of my favorites. I've re-read book 1 (The Next Always) three times this year and book 2 (The Last Boyfriend) twice. Since the final book, The Perfect Hope came out today and I pre-ordered it on my Kindle, I'm about to fall on it like my cat falls on catnip.

Teaser:
"With a few groans and sighs, the old building settled down for the night. Under the star-washed sky its stone walls glowed, rising up over Boonsboro's Square as they had for more than two centuries."
*The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts, first two sentences.


Book Description:
Dearly Beloved CoverRyder is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out—with a tough-as-nails outside and possibly nothing too soft underneath. He’s surly and unsociable, but when he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist his sexy swagger. Except apparently Hope Beaumont, the innkeeper of his own Inn BoonsBoro...

As the former manager of a D.C. hotel, Hope is used to excitement and glamour, but that doesn’t mean she can’t appreciate the joys of small-town living. She’s where she wants to be—except for in her love life. Her only interaction with the opposite sex has been sparring with the infuriating Ryder, who always seems to get under her skin. Still, no one can deny the electricity that crackles between them…a spark that ignited with a New Year’s Eve kiss.

While the Inn is running smoothly, thanks to Hope’s experience and unerring instincts, her big-city past is about to make an unwelcome—and embarrassing—appearance. Seeing Hope vulnerable stirs up Ryder’s emotions and makes him realize that while Hope may not be perfect, she just might be perfect for him...

Friday, November 2, 2012

Review: What the Mistress Did by Anya Delvay

What the Mistress Did by Anya Delvay
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: GLBT Historical Erotica What the Mistress Did Cover
ISBN: 9781609286811
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Lady Marianne Gillingham is both irritated and amused when the virginal Miss Annabelle Fraiser demands that Marianne break off her affair with David, Lord Harrington. Marianne cedes the field but warns the soon-to-be Lady Harrington that her experience in the marriage bed will surely be unsatisfying, for David will never do to her what he has done with Marianne.

It’s not long after Annabelle and David wed that the new Lady Harrington is back – and furious with Marianne for awakening her to the deficiencies in her marriage. She asks Marianne to resume her relationship with David but with a twist; Annabelle will secretly watch and learn what she needs to know to please David. The sensual journey that Marianne and Annabelle soon embark on is nothing like either expects. But soon emotions and passion tangle, and Marianne wonders if it will be possible for any of them to leave this arrangement unscathed.

WHAT THE MISTRESS DID is erotica at its best; sensual, alluring and inventive. Author Anya Delvay takes readers on two journeys; Annabelle’s and Marianne’s. Under Marianne’s hands-on tutelage Anabelle’s sexual awakening carries WHAT THE MISTRESS DID through its darker moments. There’s joy in Annabelle learning what pleases her, and the caring friendship that develops between her and Marianne was wonderful to read. Marianne’s plot – and the overarching plot of the book – is tinged with sadness. She’s in love with David but clearly recognizes that she missed her opportunity to claim the whole of him. What made WHAT THE MISTRESS DID fascinating was watching Marianne essentially grow up over the course of the story.

It’s nearly impossible to write about WHAT THE MISTRESS DID without mentioning the sex scenes. Ms. Delvay writes vast and varied erotic encounters, some between David and Marianne and even more between Annabelle and Marianne. I love that no one holds back in WHAT THE MISTRESS DID.

WHAT THE MISTRESS DID isn’t a “happy” book, but it’s ultimately a satisfying read nonetheless. If you’re in the mood for historical erotica, then WHAT THE MISTRESS DID is for you.

Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.