Wit and Sin

Review: Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

2012-01-26T05:38:00.000-08:00

Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor, Book 3
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780446571630
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Of the three Traeger sisters, Chloe has always been known as the “wild child.” Trouble just seems to follow Chloe wherever she goes, but now that she lives in Lucky Harbor, every little mistake she makes lands her in the path of Sheriff Sawyer Thompson. Sawyer should be far too straight-laced to appeal to Chloe, but everything about the oh-so-sexy sheriff makes her want to wind up cuffed — to his bed, anyway. Has the wild child finally met her match?

Opposites attract in the energetic, charming Head Over Heels. Jill Shalvis set the bar high with her first two Lucky Harbor books, Simply Irresistible and The Sweetest Thing, but Chloe’s story is every bit as good as her sisters’ books. I absolutely loved the free-spirited Chloe. She grew up constantly on the move and has a somewhat different take on life, love, and what it means to live than her sisters do. Almost nothing can slow her down (except for her asthma), but people tend to take Chloe at face value and not look any deeper, which made my heart break for her. It was a joy to watch Chloe come into her own in Head Over Heels — it was almost as fun as watching her fall for Sawyer. The sparks that fly between these two are red-hot and entertaining to boot. How could they not be, with as sexy a hero as Sawyer? The man may seem serious on the surface, but boy, oh boy, do still waters run deep. Sawyer is caring, considerate, and he truly sees Chloe. He’s almost too good to be true, but Ms. Shalvis never lets him enter into what I call “cardboard hero territory.” Sawyer’s got real flaws and has made plenty of mistakes, but his virtues outshine all that. He and Chloe fit like lock and key, which is one of the things I love about Head Over Heels. In fact, pretty much everything about Head Over Heels is delightful. It’s (at the risk of borrowing a different book’s title) simply irresistible.

Head Over Heels is the third book in Ms. Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor series, but it can be read as a standalone. However, I dare readers who haven’t read Simply Irresistible and The Sweetest Thing to read Head Over Heels and not rush to read the first two books. In the Lucky Harbor series, the world Ms. Shalvis has created is so bright, so full of joy, laughter, and zaniness that it’s impossible to resist. I’m head over heels in love with the Lucky Harbor series and I can’t wait for the next book!

Waiting on Wednesday: A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

2012-01-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

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

I love Julia Quinn's books and since reading book 1 of Smythe-Smith quartet, Just Like Heaven, I've been waiting for book 2, A Night Like This.

And if you like historical romance and haven't read Julia Quinn, definitely give her Bridgerton series a try!

Title: A Night Like This
Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet, Book 2
Author: Julia Quinn
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Julia Quinn Reading Order

Book Description (from Goodreads):

Three years ago, Daniel Smythe-Smith shot a man in a duel and was forced to flee the country. He used to be a devil-may-care charmer, but after three years of being quite literally hunted, he is wary and on edge. Now he's back in London and, on the night of his arrival, attends the annual Smythe-Smith musicale, where he notices that the young woman at the piano is definitely not his cousin. Anne Shawcross made a terrible mistake at the age of sixteen. Ruined by the son of the most important family in the district, she changed her last name and left home, eventually becoming the governess to the Earl of Pleinsworth's three daughters. When Sarah Pleinsworth takes ill the night of the musicale, Anne is asked to step in. Could Sarah be the woman to save Daniel and his wounded heart?

Teaser Tuesday

2012-01-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

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 in the middle of a couple of books at the moment, but the two I'm switching back and forth between tonight are Zoë Archer's sci-fi romance, Collision Course, and the classic murder mystery, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.

"Ambient light from the restless, lurid city filtered into the room. It traced the curves of her body, the angles on her face, finding a kind of poetry." - Collision Course by Zoë Archer, 53% on Kindle

"A startled look came into Tom's small eyes. Spade moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue and asked: 'Is that the hot tip that brought you here at this ungodly time of night?'" - The Maltese Falcion by Dashiell Hammett, page

Review: A Clockwork Christmas by Stacy Gail, PG Forte, Jenny Schwartz, and JK Coi

2012-01-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

A Clockwork Christmas by Stacy Gail, PG Forte, Jenny Schwartz, and JK Coi
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Steampunk Romance
ISBN: 9781426892752
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

CRIME WAVE IN A CORSET by Stacy Gail

Cornelia Peabody is the consummate thief. But after stealing a Fabergé egg from Roderick Coddington’s house, Cornelia finds herself in a world of trouble. She has seven days to retrieve the egg or she’ll die. The threat of death doesn’t rattle the professional thief, but the fact that Roderick may steal her heart most definitely does.

Author Stacy Gail brings a dark edge to the Christmas holiday in CRIME WAVE IN A CORSET. Roderick may toe the line close to villain territory at the beginning of the story – threatening the instantly likeable Cornelia with death isn’t the most endearing of introductions for a hero – but Ms. Gail slowly brought me around as I learned more about the clever professor. Cornelia and her inventions do tend to steal the show though, which is perhaps appropriate with a thief for a heroine. A healthy dose of sensuality rounds out the enemies-turned-lovers plot, making CRIME WAVE IN A CORSET a sexy seasonal story.

THIS WINTER HEART by PG Forte

Eight years ago, Ophelia’s husband Dario sent her back to her father after discovering that she wasn’t entirely human. Now that her father has died, Ophelia has no choice but to turn to Dario for aid. Dario’s anger at her return intensifies when he learns that Ophelia has a seven-year-old son she never told him about – one he doesn’t believe can be his. Ophelia knows that Dario once loved her…before he found out about her mechanical parts and started viewing her as a machine incapable of returning his love rather than a woman. Can she convince him that she’s far more human than he believes?

Estranged spouses and secret babies may be tried-and-true romance plots, but author PG Forte gives them her own dazzling, unique twist in THIS WINTER HEART. Ophelia wound her way around my heart almost immediately; and I found myself emotionally invested in her story, wanting Ophelia to find happiness. Dario, in turn, is a bit harder to like since he thinks of – or tries to think of – Ophelia as a thing, rather than a person, but Ms. Forte was able to make me follow his logic, even if I didn’t agree with it. I enjoyed watching Dario become the man worthy of Ophelia’s love, and ultimately I found THIS WINTER HEART to be a satisfying, original tale.

WANTED: ONE SCOUNDREL by Jenny Schwartz

Australian heiress and suffragette Esme Smith needs a man. And not just any man, but a respectable scoundrel she can hire to represent her political party, the Women’s Advancement League. American inventor Jedediah Reeve seems to fit the bill perfectly. But as the political intrigue that Esme and Jed are involved in heats up, so does their connection. Will Esme fall for her scoundrel who may or may not be all that he seems?

WANTED: ONE SCOUNDREL is light on both steam and steampunk devices, but it’s an interesting tale. Esme is a smart woman with a spine of steel, ready to go after what she wants. She doesn’t seem to want to depend on anyone, but thankfully, she’s not the type of heroine who turns away help just to make a point. Esme and Jed fit each other well on a number of levels, and the dynamic between them keeps WANTED: ONE SCOUNDREL afloat when the plot slows down in a couple of places. I enjoyed the Australian setting; it was a nice change of pace since almost all of the steampunk stories I’ve read have taken place in England or America. All in all, WANTED: ONE SCOUNDREL was an entertaining story.

FAR FROM BROKEN by JK Coi

Colonel Jasper Carlisle fell fast and hard for prima ballerina Callie and courted her until she agreed to be his wife. Their happiness comes crashing to a halt when Jasper’s enemies kidnap and torture Callie. By the time Jasper is able to find her, only a number of experimental surgeries can save her. But the surgeries leave Callie with a mechanical eye, hand and legs, making her feel like a stranger in her own body. Her anger at Jasper and his guilt at leaving her unprotected threaten to tear them apart. However, Jasper’s not about to give up on Callie or their marriage. He’ll prove to his wife that his love hasn’t changed, and he’ll regain her trust. But Jasper has to move quickly – his old enemies are back, and they’re determined to finish what they once started.

FAR FROM BROKEN is a heartbreaking story about two people finding each other once again. Callie has been through an unbelievable trauma that has left her physically and emotionally injured. Both Jasper and Callie’s true strength shows in how they come to connect with each other and the world around them. Though author JK Coi almost made me cry while reading FAR FROM BROKEN, I absolutely loved the story. The romance, character building, danger and steampunk elements all worked together flawlessly to create one fabulous story. I could go on, but suffice it to say that readers looking for a different kind of romance – one rich in both joy and tragedy – should read FAR FROM BROKEN.

A CLOCKWORK CHRISTMAS contains a quartet of unique steampunk romances. Each story is very different from the others, and I liked not knowing what to expect from one story to the next. The Christmas holiday isn’t really a big element in any of the stories in A CLOCKWORK CHRISTMAS, so readers are sure to enjoy this anthology all year long. Stacy Gail, PG Forte, Jenny Schwartz and JK Coi are all talented authors, and I look forward to reading more of their work.
Note: All the stories in A CLOCKWORK CHRISTMAS are also for sale as individual ebooks.

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

Review: Slaves of Love by Opal Carew

2012-01-23T20:33:00.000-08:00

Slaves of Love by Opal Carew
Publisher: Smashwords
Genre: Erotic Sci-Fi Romance
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Having finally returned to his home planet, Keern didn’t expect to find a naked woman swimming in a pond on his land as a homecoming. Shena was almost too perfect to be real, and Keern found himself falling in love with her from the start.

And then she betrayed him.

Now Shena is being sold as a sex slave, and Keern has the perfect opportunity for revenge. He’ll buy her, use her and rid himself of his desire for her. But from the moment he sees her again, nothing goes according to plan. Keern finds that he can’t harm Shena, no matter what she’s done. Yet how can he trust the woman whose lies wrecked his family? Perhaps there’s more to Shena’s story than Keern knows...

Lust, betrayal, heartbreak and second chances are at the forefront of the erotic adventure, SLAVES OF LOVE. Shena and Keern are two people who are clearly made for each other, but the treachery of others threatens to ruin them both. While SLAVES OF LOVE is clearly a romance, author Opal Carew definitely had me guessing as to how things would work out for Keern and Shena.

In SLAVES OF LOVE, Ms. Carew isn’t afraid to go dark – something I appreciated given the gravity of Shena’s situation. Shena’s been victimized her entire life, but it never breaks her spirit and in showing part of what she has to deal with, Ms. Carew only increases my respect for Shena. Keern, in turn, could have easily entered villain territory. Yet, at his core he’s a good person, and I was able to trust that his character and his love for Shena would pull him away from the darkness.

Ms. Carew’s signature sensuality heats up SLAVES OF LOVE, which should make the story a delight for fans of erotic romance. Aside from one scene which seemed out of place, I enjoyed the sizzling encounters in SLAVES OF LOVE. But most of all, what drew me to SLAVES OF LOVE were Shena and Keern. I adored these two together, and their love story made SLAVES OF LOVE a genuinely satisfying read.

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

Monday in Review

2012-01-23T00:45:00.000-08:00

Just a few reviews this week :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- How to Dance With a Duke (Ugly Ducklings, Book 1) by Manda Collins (available 1/31/12)
- Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor, Book 2) by Lisa Kleypas (available 2/28/12)

Other new review:
- Beck and Call by Nicole Morgan

Upcoming reviews:
- Kiss Me, I’m Irish by Roxanne St. Claire, Jill Shalvis, and Maureen Child
- Dear Miss Darcy by Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess
- When a Scot Loves a Lady (Falcon Club, Book 1) by Katharine Ashe
- White Knight (Scandals, Book 2) by Mari Carr
- I Want Candy by Susan Donovan
- Some Like It Hot (Rising Star Chef, Book 2) by Louisa Edwards
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Screw Santa (Who Needs Christmas?, Book 1) by Joyee Flynn
- Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Book 3) by Laura Lee Guhrke
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- Intimate Beings (The Being Trilogy, Book 2) by Jessica Inclan
- A Lady Never Surrenders (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 5) by Sabrina Jeffries
- If You Give a Girl a Viscount (Impossible Bachelors, Book 4) by Kieran Kramer
- Blame It On Bath (The Truth About a Duke, Book 2) by Caroline Linden
- A Rogue by Any Other Name (The Rules of Scoundrels, Book 1) by Sarah MacLean
- Girl Next Door by Lyra Marlowe
- Secret Light by Z.A. Maxfield
- The Saint (Highland Guard, Book 5) by Monica McCarty
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- Alien Sex 101 by Allie Ritch
- Celebrity in Death (In Death, Book 34) by J.D. Robb (coming February 1st)
- The Tattooed Duke (Writing Girls, Book 3) by Maya Rodale
- Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
- Time Out by Jill Shalvis
- Carrie’s Answer (Corporate Affairs, Book 1) by Sierra and V.J. Summers
- Meredith’s Awakening (Corporate Affairs, Book 2) by Sierra and V.J. Summers
- A Little Wild by Kate St. James
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler

Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

2012-01-20T00:59:00.000-08:00

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas
Series: Friday Harbor, Book 2
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance (with paranormal elements)
Release Date: February 28, 2012
ISBN: 9780312605889
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Lisa Kleypas Reading Order

Glass artist Lucy Marinn has the two things in life she’s always wanted: the ability to do what she loves for a living and the love of a trustworthy man. Then her boyfriend gives her the worst sort of surprise: he’s been cheating on Lucy with her sister, Alice, and he wants Lucy out of their house so Alice can move in. Stunned and burned by betrayal, the last thing Lucy wants is to jump into another relationship. However, fate isn’t content to let Lucy hide herself away with her glass and Lucy soon crosses paths with vineyard owner Sam Nolan. Sam’s sexy as hell, but commitment shy — not the best prospect for someone like Lucy. But the longer Lucy and Sam are around one another, the fewer reasons they can think of to be apart. Can two people scarred by their pasts bring themselves to take a chance on love?

Starting a Lisa Kleypas book is like been greeted by an old friend; it’s both comforting and joyful. In Rainshadow Road, Ms. Kleypas returns to the world of Friday Harbor that she introduced to readers in Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor. The life Ms. Kleypas imbues her novels with comes through in the details about Friday Harbor, Sam’s vineyard, and Lucy’s glasswork. I felt like I was walking alongside Sam and Lucy all throughout Rainshadow Road.

Lucy and Sam are undoubtedly the heart of Rainshadow Road. Lucy has gotten the short end of the stick her entire life and her boyfriend’s betrayal is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. My heart broke for Lucy, who is such a likeable, intelligent heroine that you can’t help but adore her. She deserved to find happiness, and it’s no surprise that she does so with Sam. For all that he’s a ladies’ man, what’s truly appealing about Sam is not his sex appeal, but his caring heart and utter geekiness. The further into the story I got, the more layers I discovered Sam had, which was wonderful. As a pair, he and Lucy are fantastic and it was easy to cheer for them to get together.

Rainshadow Road is the second Friday Harbor book, but you don’t have to have read Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor to enjoy Lucy and Sam’s book. However, fans of the first book will be delighted to see how Mark, Maggie, and little Holly have grown and changed over the past year. In Rainshadow Road, Ms. Kleypas also delves further into the character of Alex Nolan — whose story I am dying for — and introduces two new wonderful characters, Zoë and Justine, who I can’t wait to read more about.

There were only two things that kept Rainshadow Road from being a perfect read for me, and I feel they’re important enough to be mentioned. First is Alice, Lucy’s sister. Though I won’t provide spoilers, I was disappointed that at one point, Ms. Kleypas seemed to be making excuses for the woman’s poor behavior, when all along Lucy had been frustrated by the fact that everyone made excuses for Alice’s actions. The second factor was the slight paranormal element to Rainshadow Road — it didn’t work for me. Ms. Kleypas has included paranormal elements in her books before, but they’ve always felt organic. In Rainshadow Road, the paranormal scenes felt forced and slightly awkward, which was very disappointing. Yet, even taking these two points into account, Rainshadow Road was a great story and I could not put it down.

Lisa Kleypas is a master storyteller and the fantastic characters she has created will keep me coming back to Rainshadow Road again and again. I love the Friday Harbor series and I cannot wait to read Crystal Cove and Dream Lake!

Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

2012-01-19T21:55:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday: Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

2012-01-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

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

I'm kind of picky about YA books (nothing against them, I just tend to lean toward adult novels), but there are a few 2012 YA releases that have caught my eye. The newest one to capture my interest - and perhaps the one I'm most excited to read - is the YA steampunk/dark fairytale Innocent Darkness.

Title: Innocent Darkness
Series: The Aether Chronicles, Book 1
Author: Suzanne Lazear
Genre: YA Steampunk
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: August 8, 2012

Book Description (from Suzanne Lazear's website):

Wish. Love. Desire. Live.

In a Steampunk version of Los Angeles, Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the
Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed. If Noli doesn't die, an entire civilization will.

Teaser Tuesday

2012-01-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

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 started Kieran Kramer's fourth Impossible Bachelors book today (though I haven't read books 1-3). So far, it's not quite what I'd hoped for (it's a bit on the silly side), but I'm crossing my fingers it picks up.

"Daisy couldn't help being a bit scornful of her stepsister's attempt at rendering the mushy feelings she felt toward Mr. King into something poetic.

But Charlie's the king of your heart, Daisy, a ridiculous voice inside her head told her." - If You Give a Girl a Viscount by Kieran Kramer, page 191

Review: Secrets of Bella Terra by Christina Dodd

2012-01-16T02:02:00.000-08:00

Secrets of Bella Terra by Christina Dodd
Series: Scarlet Deception, Book 1
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9780451413093
Blue Ribbon Rating: 5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Christina Dodd Reading Order

Of the three Di Luca brothers, Rafe is the one who doesn’t want to stay put in their hometown in California’s wine country. But when his grandmother is attacked, security expert Rafe rushes home, intent on discovering her assailant’s identity. What he finds is that the attack was just the tip of the iceberg. A long-held secret in his family’s past has brought about new threats…and not just to the Di Luca family.

Brooke Petersson has been close to the Di Luca family ever since moving to Bella Valley as a teenager. But it was Rafe, in particular, who stole her heart all those years ago – and then broke it. Now she has to work with him to uncover the secrets lurking in Bella Terra, but being in constant contact with Rafe is hell on her nerves. The passion between them burns as hot as ever, yet even as she gives into the temptation that is Rafe, Brooke vows she’ll never again give her heart to him. Rafe seems equally determined to win her over, but with a dangerous enemy out to destroy everything the Di Lucas have built, Brooke and Rafe may not have a chance to find out if they’ll have a second shot at love.

Secrets and seduction make for a sinfully good read in SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA. The first book in Christina Dodd’s SCARLET DECEPTION series sizzles with passion, and Ms. Dodd keeps that hot blood pumping fast with a healthy dose of intrigue.

It was easy for me to become invested in Brooke and Rafe’s romance. Love has clearly never been a problem for them, but though they gave their hearts to one another at a young age, it’s clear they weren’t wholly ready for a forever kind of relationship until now. That doesn’t mean that Brooke simply falls into Rafe’s arms, no matter how fast the sparks between them fly. There’s a lot of past hurt to be dealt with as well as learning about the people they are now that has to occur. Ms. Dodd gives their relationship a wonderful sense of realism, which makes SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA even more engaging.

With the exception of the danger that the mystery of the SCARLET DECEPTION series brings about, the world of Bella Terra is lush and inviting; Ms. Dodd had me wanting to vacation at the Di Lucas’ resort. And speaking of the Di Lucas, the rest of the family was every bit as interesting as Brooke and Rafe. I adored Sarah, Rafe’s grandmother, sighed a bit over Noah, and holy mackerel, did the cliffhanger in SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA make me want Eli’s book! The only thing that disappointed me when I read SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA was that I finished it feeling upset that I did not have REVENGE AT BELLA TERRA on hand so I could keep reading.

I’ve loved Ms. Dodd’s books for over ten years and no matter what genre she writes in, Ms. Dodd wows me. SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA is an incredibly entertaining story that I’ll be re-reading many times over. In fact, I may just start a re-read right now. ;)

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

Review: Men Under the Mistletoe by Ava March, Harper Fox, Josh Lanyon, and K.A. Mitchell

2012-01-16T01:56:00.001-08:00

Men Under the Mistletoe by Ava March, Harper Fox, Josh Lanyon, and K.A. Mitchell
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Historical and Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781426892745
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Josh Lanyon Reading Order

MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME by Ava March
Four years ago at Christmastime, Thomas broke Alexander’s heart when he fled what was supposed to be their first night together and never returned. Now Thomas has come back to London, determined to win back his beloved. But Alexander is not the happy young man Thomas once knew. Will he be able to thaw the wall of ice Alexander has constructed around his heart?

MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME is a heartbreaking and heartwarming historical romance. Author Ava March shows Alexander and Thomas in love at nineteen and makes it understandable why Thomas ran away and why Alexander is bitter about it. Both men captured my heart, and I could not stop reading their story because I felt like these two deserved to be happy. The only thing I could wish for to make MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME the perfect story was a bit more information at the end. Given the historical setting, I did want to know how Alexander and Thomas would manage to make a life together work. Still, I loved this romance.

WINTER KNIGHTS by Harper Fox
Gavin is thrilled at the prospect of a holiday trip to Northumberland. He’ll be able to collect evidence that proves the fabled Arthur and Lancelot of Camelot are real. Even better than his research, though, is that this trip will be his first romantic vacation with his boyfriend, Piers. But when the devoutly Catholic Piers calls, saying that he can’t come to Northumberland and he can’t come out to his family, Gavin is devastated. Heartbroken, Gavin puts his energy into his work and goes out at night to find Hallowed Hill. A fall during a snowstorm sends two handsome rescue men Gavin’s way. The mysterious Art and Lance not only save Gavin, they’re prepared to introduce him to erotic delights that Gavin can teach Piers…if his boyfriend will give him a second chance.

Author Harper Fox adds a dash of the paranormal to the very sexy WINTER KNIGHTS. The twists and turns WINTER KNIGHTS takes are clever and sometimes, perhaps, a bit tongue-in-cheek. I enjoyed getting to know Gavin; he isn’t as blameless as he thinks he is when it comes to why he and Piers have broken up. Gavin has a lot to learn about love and patience, and his sexy rescuers teach him that…and so much more. A touch of sadness brings depth to WINTER KNIGHTS, making it a well-rounded story. Ms. Fox always delivers a well-written tale, and WINTER KNIGHTS is no exception.

LONE STAR by Josh Lanyon
Mitchell Evans always wanted to leave his home in Texas behind and become a famous ballet dancer. He’s achieved his goal, but a bad breakup and losing a coveted role sends Mitch back home to deal with his father’s estate that he’s been ignoring for six months. Driving into his home town, Mitch swerves to avoid a reindeer in the road. He’s rescued by the man who crushed Mitch’s heart twelve years ago. Texas Ranger Web Eisley is as handsome as ever, and the attraction between them still burns bright and hot. But it’ll take a Christmas miracle for Mitch and Web to get a second chance at a relationship.

LONE STAR features many of the romance tropes I enjoy and, as always, I can count on author Josh Lanyon to give the tried and true plot points of reunion romances his own spin. Mitch and Web are both likeable heroes who are clearly meant to be with one another. That being said, it surprised me that LONE STAR lacked the charm that Mr. Lanyon can usually be counted on to infuse his stories with. LONE STAR is by no means a bad story, but it wasn’t quite what I’ve come to expect from Mr. Lanyon. There was also an added element concerning a reindeer only Mitch saw. I’m not sure if it was a paranormal element, a hallucination or simply a tie-in to a Christmas gift from Web later in the story. Still, LONE STAR is a satisfying read overall.

THE CHRISTMAS PROPOSITION by K.A. Mitchell
Mel doesn’t HATE Christmas, but after six years of running his family’s Christmas tree farm, he doesn’t exactly love the holiday either. Mel works constantly and sometimes, he has to wonder what life would be like if he’d run off with Bryce when the man had asked. When Bryce returns to town for business and a wedding, the holiday season heats up. The pair can’t keep their hands off of one another, but Mel knows their reunion won’t last long. Strange things start to happen, though, and it almost seems like Bryce is trying to win Mel over. Is Bryce looking for more than a simple holiday fling?

Author K.A. Mitchell steams up the pages in THE CHRISTMAS PROPOSITION. Misunderstandings and perhaps even a lack of maturity kept Mel and Bryce apart in the past. I enjoyed watching Mel and Bryce stumble as they learned to be a couple outside of the bedroom. Their flaws made them more real to me than their virtues. THE CHRISTMAS PROPOSITION is a sexy, enjoyable tale and is the most Christmassy of all the stories in the MEN UNDER THE MISTLETOE anthology.

MEN UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a wonderful collection of reunion romances that will charm readers all year long. Ava March, Harper Fox, Josh Lanyon and K.A. Mitchell are all incredibly talented authors whose stories I always look forward to reading, so it’s no surprise that I snapped up MEN UNDER THE MISTLETOE. I’m also a sucker for reunion romances, which, perhaps, makes me an easy sell. If you’re looking for Christmas stories, it’s worth noting that that the holiday is more in the background than it would be in most Christmas-themed anthologies. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Carina Press is selling each story found in MEN UNDER THE MISTLETOE separately as well as in an anthology.

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

Review: Best Man, Worst Man by Stacy Gail

2012-01-16T01:52:00.000-08:00

Best Man, Worst Man by Stacy Gail
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781609285425
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Wedding planner Claire Pomeroy thought she’d seen it all. Then she met her clients’ best man, Ryder Price. Ryder is determined to convince the groom, Matt, to call off the wedding. Not because he thinks that Matt and his bride, Rachel, should split, but because he doesn’t believe in marriage. Ryder claims he’s only watching out for his best friend, but Claire can tell there’s more to the story than that. As she tries to prove to this “worst man” that marriage doesn’t have to end in disaster, Claire finds herself falling for the one man who stands against what she believes in.

I’m a sucker for a wedding-themed story, so it was with great excitement that I started BEST MAN, WORST MAN. I adored Claire and watching her handle the craziness involved with wedding planning was a lot of fun. Ryder, in turn, required a lot of patience. Claire, Matt and Rachel have their work cut out for them when it comes to convincing Ryder that Matt and Rachel’s wedding should go forth. I didn’t envy them that job, but I had faith they’d help Ryder overcome his bias. Author Stacy Gail does a really good job making sure Ryder wasn’t unlikeable, so it was fun watching him fall for Claire. BEST MAN, WORST MAN may start out as a bride’s nightmare, but it ends as a satisfying romance reader’s dream.

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

Review: Stark Naked by Desiree Holt

2012-01-16T01:45:00.000-08:00

Stark Naked by Desiree Holt
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781609285562
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Reenie Davenport has had it with men; she’s ready for a clean slate when she moves to Texas. And after relocating, Reenie looks forward to reconnecting with Amy Stark, a friend from college. Then, while visiting her friend, Reenie encounters Amy’s very drunk, very naked brother, Matt. Amy is mortified, but Reenie is turned on by Matt, so she makes a break for it. But before she can regain her equilibrium, Matt shows up on her doorstep, wanting to apologize, and Reenie’s defenses begin to crumble. It soon becomes apparent that Matt wants more than to apologize. Can Reenie trust him with her heart as well as her body?

Author Desiree Holt sure knows how to write one sexy cowboy! STARK NAKED is a rip-roaring, sheet-tangling erotic romance that’ll make you smile. I absolutely loved the chemistry between Reenie and Matt. Matt’s determination to win Reenie’s heart – a heart that was bruised by another man – endeared him to me. It’s not an easy task for him to persuade Reenie that they belong together, but whether he’s stark naked or fully clothed, Matt’s more than up to the task.

Reenie’s reticence to get into a relationship with Matt is logical. At the same time, it’s equally understandable how he’s able to get under her skin so quickly. Reenie and Matt are a great match, and the sparks between them carried STARK NAKED. All in all, I enjoyed STARK NAKED, and I really hope Ms. Holt writes a book for the incredibly likeable Amy Stark.

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

Musing Monday

2012-01-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

Musings Monday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

This week’s musing asks…

What devices –if any– do you read books on? Do you find it enjoyable, or still somewhat bothersome? Or: If you only read the print books, why haven’t you chosen to read on any devices?

I have a Kindle, which I absolutely love for a number of reasons. Since I read a lot of books that are e-book only, my Kindle doesn't hurt my eyes like reading on the computer does. Plus it's a huge space saver - I have four double-stacked, packed bookcases and 16 boxes of books (not counting my college and law school texts) and things are still overflowing. Plus there's the instant gratification factor. Want to buy a book? One-click ordering.

That being said, I prefer reading print books. Nothing beats curling up with an actual paperback. I don't get the same feeling reading on my Kindle.

Review: This Rough Magic by Josh Lanyon

2012-01-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

This Rough Magic by Josh Lanyon
Series: A Shot in the Dark, Book 1
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Historical Male/Male Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9781611184020
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Josh Lanyon Reading Order

When a priceless folio of Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST is stolen from the home of San Francisco socialite Brett Sheridan’s fiancée, Brett knows that he needs to be the one to halt the ensuing scandal…especially if – as he suspects – his sister is involved in the theft. His future father-in-law has given Brett three days to recover the folio before he goes to the police, and Brett can’t afford to anger the man whose pocketbook will save Brett’s own family’s fortune. The need for a private investigator sends Brett to the office of Neil Patrick Rafferty. But the case soon leads Rafferty and Brett on a merry chase; one that includes twists and turns that neither saw coming. The biggest twist being the undeniable attraction between the pair. Brett’s future depends on him going through with his marriage, and his illicit desire for another man means he could lose everything. The clock’s ticking, and it won’t be long before Brett has to make a choice that’ll change his life.

Author Josh Lanyon’s writing sparkles as he takes readers for a spin in the Thirties-style crime fiction, THIS ROUGH MAGIC. Mr. Lanyon has said that THIS ROUGH MAGIC is a riff on THE THIN MAN, but while THIS ROUGH MAGIC takes place in the Thirties and shades of Hammett’s famous novel color the book, don’t expect Rafferty and Brett to be Nick and Nora – or even Nick and Nick. Rafferty and Brett are wholly unique characters, and they’re heroes I fell hard and fast for. Rafferty looks the part of a hardened PI, but he’s surprisingly – and even adorably – sweet. I worried Brett would break his heart, and Mr. Lanyon kept me guessing as to how things would work out for the pair. Brett’s determined to marry heiress Juliet Lennox, but his reasons for doing so stem from a single-minded effort to keep his head-in-the-clouds family afloat. Brett and Rafferty are sympathetic characters and being that this is a historical, Brett’s engagement is actually the smallest of the obstacles their burgeoning relationship faces.

A cast of idiosyncratic secondary characters bring flashiness to THIS ROUGH MAGIC, contrasting perfectly with the more grounded Rafferty and Brett. The mystery of who stole the folio isn’t hard to figure out, but it’s Brett and Rafferty’s journey that the case is a catalyst for which gives THIS ROUGH MAGIC its life. By turns tender, witty and charming, THIS ROUGH MAGIC was a delight to read, and I can’t wait to see Rafferty and Brett’s story continue in the next SHOT IN THE DARK book.

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

Review: Three Ways to Wicked by Melinda Barron

2012-01-14T15:10:00.000-08:00

Three Ways to Wicked by Melinda Barron
Publisher: Resplendence Publishing
Genre: Erotic Fantasy Ménage
ISBN: 9781607352921
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Melinda Barron Reading Order

When Krisily Carmichael’s rat of an ex publishes naked pictures of her, the voluptuous author decides to hightail it out of town and away from the nasty letters filling her mailbox. The advertisement for a rental cottage in England seems to be a godsend. But there’s something unusual about the picturesque cottage; namely, the four people trapped in the garden.

In the sixteenth century, a sorcerer named Uriel and his two cousins, alchemists Bythos and Acolius, were imprisoned in their own garden by an evil witch. By pure accident, Krisily manages to free Uriel and then later his cousins. But the men are each missing one of their senses, thanks to the witch’s magic. And communication problems between three sixteenth century magical men and a modern day woman are the least of the foursome’s problems. The witch is still in the garden, and she’s gaining power. Krisily, Uriel, Bythos and Acolius will have to use their newfound connection to defeat the witch, or their burgeoning relationship isn’t the only thing at risk.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be Krisily, jerk of an ex, evil witch and all. There’s a veritable feast for the senses waiting for her in the idyllic English cottage in the form of the hunky Bythos, Acolius and Uriel. The three cousins work well as a team, and not just when it comes to magic.

Author Melinda Barron is a master at delivering sexy, fun reads, and THREE WAYS TO WICKED is no exception. I loved watching Krisily try to bring her men up-to-date on how the world works – there were some laugh out loud moments there. More importantly, when it came to defeating the witch I was cheering the foursome on. Ms. Barron makes it easy to become invested in her characters, and I definitely adored each of her protagonists...though I admit to having a particular soft spot for Uriel. All in all, THREE WAYS TO WICKED was a fast-paced, entertaining read that I plan on enjoying over and over and over again.

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

Review: Psychic Moon by M.D. Grimm

2012-01-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

Psychic Moon by M.D. Grimm
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Paranormal Male/Male Romance
ISBN: 9781613721162
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Derek Williams hates most humans. Given that he’s a wolf shifter working as a humane officer, his distaste doesn’t come as a surprise. There is, however, one human who is constantly at the center of Derek’s thoughts; Brian O’Donogue. Derek’s been lusting after the sexy veterinarian for two years, not knowing that the desire is mutual. But not long after Derek finally makes his move, a rogue wolf shifter attacks Brian. Is there hope for a wolf shifter who wants a human mate? Derek and Brian may not have a chance to find out if the rogue shifter has his way.

PSYCHIC MOON will both break your heart and make you smile. The romance between Derek and Brian is lighthearted and pleasing, giving PSYCHIC MOON buoyancy. Added in were the realistic descriptions of the conditions that humane officers often find animals in. Author M.D. Grimm managed to devastate me – though she never went overboard or entered Public Service Announcement territory – but this aspect of the book added depth and a sense of realism to PSYCHIC MOON. The combination of realism and the fantastic, sadness and hope, danger and joy made PSYCHIC MOON feel like a full story. The world Ms. Grimm created in PSYCHIC MOON was so interesting that I hope she pens more stories in the same setting. I greatly enjoyed PSYCHIC MOON, and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Grimm’s work.

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

Review: Come Back to me by J.S. Nichols

2012-01-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Come Back to Me by J.S. Nichols
Publisher: Sapphire Blue Publishing
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link

Erin Brady is ready to put her failed engagement behind her. That’s why she trades her honeymoon cruise tickets for a singles cruise. Unfortunately, it’s not long after Erin sets foot on board that she spies her ex entering a cabin a few doors down from her – with another woman! Erin is NOT ready to face her ex, especially since she has a secret she isn’t ready to tell him.

Ryan McKinnon is undercover, acting as a bodyguard to a spoiled heiress. But that’s not his only mission; Ryan is determined to win Erin back, and he’ll do anything to convince her they’re made for each other. But Ryan’s not the only one who has eyes for Erin. Ryan learns that women have gone missing on this cruise line before, and the kidnapper just might have his sights set on Erin.

COME BACK TO ME is filled to the brim with secrets, intrigue and lust. Author J.S. Nichols’ first novel has all the twists and turns that readers of romantic suspense will love. I liked that Ms. Nichols wasn’t afraid to make her villains truly evil, as it made it easy to become engaged in Ryan’s investigation. And speaking of Ryan…wow. Ms. Nichols had me sighing over him for sure. I felt so bad for Ryan; he’s a great guy with a good heart, and he desperately wants to win Erin over. I was rooting for him all the way through COME BACK TO ME.

To the best of my knowledge, COME BACK TO ME is a standalone novel. However, there’s quite a bit of history to Erin and Ryan’s story that had me wondering if perhaps Ms. Nichols has a prequel written that hasn’t been published yet. I hope so, for the glimpses of the past and of a romance involving Erin’s best friend are truly intriguing.

Overall, COME BACK TO ME is a fast-paced, entertaining book. There are a few points where readers will have to suspend disbelief and a dash of religion that surprised me, but neither of these points significantly detracted from the story. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Nichols’ books in the future.

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

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

2012-01-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

There's actually only one book I'm super excited for this month - A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries, out January 24th. It's the fifth and final book in her Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Not only am I excited for the Celia/Jackson pairing, but I'm looking forward to finding out what really happened to Celia's parents (the ongoing mystery of the series)

Review: How to Dance With a Duke by Manda Collins

2012-01-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

How to Dance With a Duke by Manda Collins
Series: Ugly Ducklings, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 9780312549244
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Pre-order it here: Amazon | B&N

Cecily Hurston has long been wary of marriage, as she has no desire to wed a man like her father – one who would try and curtail her studies of ancient Egypt. But a disaster on one of her father’s expeditions has Cecily hearing wedding bells, for there is no way she can gain entrance into the Egyptian Club and find the proof to clear her father’s name unless she marries a member of the club. Though Cecily and her cousins are known as the “Ugly Ducklings,” Cecily must learn how to become a swan in order snare a husband. There’s just one unexpected complication…

Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is determined to find out what happened to his brother, Will. Will went missing during Lord Hurston’s last expedition and the gossips are whispering that Hurston may have killed Will. Hurston’s daughter is Lucas’s best chance of learning what happened to Will, and he won’t let the opportunity slip him by. Cecily’s plan to gain entrance into the Egyptian Club through marriage may make sense to her, but Lucas cannot bear to see the beautiful bluestocking wed one of the nodcocks now dancing attendance on her. Cecily needs someone who will not only aid her in her quest to uncover what happened on Huston and Will’s last trip to Egypt, but will also appreciate and adore her for who she is. Though Cecily doesn’t see it, she needs someone like him.

An “ugly duckling” comes into her own in Manda Collins’s debut novel, How to Dance With a Duke. I was delighted by the premise of How to Dance With a Duke — it reminded me of the vintage Amanda Quick books. Yet while I think Ms. Collins has a promising future in historical romance, How to Dance With a Duke fell a bit short of my expectations. The elements of a good story were there: bluestocking heroine, considerate hero, mystery, murder, and romance. However, the story was weighed down with repetition, slow pacing, and a bunch of overused historical romance tropes. It took a long time for anything to actually happen in How to Dance With a Duke and Cecily seemed to reiterate the same information ad nauseam. I understand this was meant to highlight information that would come into play later on in the book, but it became a case of beating a dead horse very early on.

For the most part, Lucas and Cecily were likeable protagonists and it was easy to be charmed by their love story. Cecily is prone to pushing Lucas away as a defense mechanism, but at a certain point it got to be annoying. Lucas, in turn, is patient, kind, and all things wonderful, which made him a bit flat at times, but I could overlook it. What did pull me out of the story a bit in How to Dance With a Duke was that — when talking amongst themselves — Lucas and the men Ms. Collins sets up to be potential future heroes tended to talk like women rather than men.

Overall, How to Dance With a Duke was a decent read. Its flaws shone brighter than its strengths, but I could see the author’s potential nonetheless. While I’m not sure I’ll be revisiting How to Dance With a Duke, I am interested in reading Ms. Collins’s next Ugly Duckling book, How to Romance a Rake.

Review: Wedding Magic by Patricia Coughlin

2012-01-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

Wedding Magic by Patricia Coughlin
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary Romance (with paranormal elements)
ISBN: 9780425241233
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Sophia Bennett is fairly content to create wedding magic from behind the scenes at Seasons, the wedding and event-planning business her stepmother founded. But when an important client’s daughter decides she wants to have her wedding at the “Princess House,” a private estate in Newport, Sophie finds herself on a mission to convince the owner to open up his home for a dream wedding.

Scarred by tragedy and locked away from the world, Owen Winters doesn’t want anyone traipsing around his estate, never mind an entire wedding’s worth of people. Yet something about Sophie calls to him, and Owen can’t ignore the fact that she’s the only other person who seems to notice the ghost residing in his home. Agreeing to the wedding is the only way he can arrange to spend more time with Sophie, so he does. However, the wedding is the last thing the ghost in his house wants, and she’ll do anything to stop it. As Owen and Sophie work together to handle the ghost, their mutual attraction becomes too much to deny. But Sophie’s a hopeless romantic and Owen gave up dreams of happily-ever-after long ago. Is there any hope for such a pairing?

Patricia Coughlin dazzles with this bright and airy tale of love, hope and, yes, a little wedding magic. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Sophie and Owen. Sophie is an intelligent, hardworking woman who tends to fade into the background. She deserves the spotlight, and it’s easy to become invested in WEDDING MAGIC from the very first page because you want to see Sophie get her day in the sun. She’s a practical woman who is also a dreamer and a romantic, yet she’s never had the happily-ever-after she longs for. Owen gives her what she needs. She’s front and center in his mind, which charmed the heck out of me long before he himself did. Owen isn’t exactly a cuddly hero. He’s almost hostile to outsiders and wants nothing more than to be left alone to work. The why of it, I won’t reveal, save that it’s utterly heartbreaking. He has such a great capacity to love that my heart melted. As a pair, Sophie and Owen are phenomenal.

The plot of WEDDING MAGIC centers not only around the wedding that Sophie is planning, but also on the ghost of a bride who wants to call the celebration to a halt. To say much about the ghost would spoil the fun of WEDDING MAGIC, so I’ll leave it by saying that she is every bit as important to WEDDING MAGIC as Sophie and Owen are, and she’s also as fully fleshed out as her living counterparts.

WEDDING MAGIC is pure delight to read from beginning to end. Ms. Coughlin has delivered a fast-paced, engaging story that was impossible for me to put down. WEDDING MAGIC is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Coughlin but it definitely won’t be the last.

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

Review: Welcome to Paradise by Elle Kennedy

2012-01-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Paradise by Elle Kennedy
Series: Welcome to Paradise, Book 1
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781609285050
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Elle Kennedy Reading Order

Fifteen years ago, Charlotte Hill lost her virginity to Nate Bishop…who promptly broke her heart. Even though she’s now a famous singer, Nate’s cruel words have haunted her. When she receives an invitation to her high school reunion, Charlotte decides she needs some closure and, perhaps, a little retribution. This time she’ll seduce Nate and break HIS heart.

Nate can’t believe Charlotte is returning to their hometown of Paradise. Fifteen years ago, he deliberately stomped on her heart so that she wouldn’t give up her dream of attending Julliard to stay with him in Paradise, where everyone looked down on her because of her mother’s actions. When Nate sees her again, he knows for sure that his love for her has never died. Things heat up quickly, but what will happen when Nate learns Charlotte’s reasons for returning to Paradise?

True love gets a second chance in the passionate WELCOME TO PARADISE. Nate and Charlotte are two people who are clearly in love with one another but have a lot of obstacles to overcome before they can reach “happily ever after.” Many of their trials are of their own making, but Elle Kennedy makes their mistakes understandable. Nate and Charlotte are honestly good people, but pain and miscommunication have a way of throwing even the best people off their stride. Ms. Kennedy had me caring about these two, which made WELCOME TO PARADISE impossible to put down.

WELCOME TO PARADISE is the first story in a series by the same title, and I can definitely say Ms. Kennedy has me impatient for more books. While the focus of WELCOME TO PARADISE is undoubtedly on Nate and Charlotte, Ms. Kennedy nevertheless brings the town of Paradise to life and introduces many characters that I am dying to know more about. I’m hoping Ms. Kennedy plans for this to be a long series because there are a plethora of men and women in Paradise that seem to be begging for a story.

Elle Kennedy’s stories are wildly addictive, and WELCOME TO PARADISE is no exception. It’s sexy, romantic, emotional and, ultimately, heartwarming. I adored WELCOME TO PARADISE, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series, TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT!

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

Review: Wanna Do Bad Things With You by Shelley Munro

2012-01-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

Wanna Do Bad Things With You by Shelley Munro
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Male/Male Romance
ISBN: 9781419934704
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Ty Hamlin has been raised to do one thing; play rugby. Ty has got the talent to make it all the way to New Zealand’s national rugby team. Lately though, Ty’s lost his drive. And when openly gay rugby player Darcy Nichols joins the team, Ty begins to fear the ever-present eyes of the press. Because Ty has a secret, one not even his family or girlfriend knows – he’s gay, and he wants his new roommate with a passion that could cause him to lose focus and ruin his chances at moving up the ranks.

I admit, I snatched up WANNA DO BAD THINGS WITH YOU solely because I knew it involved rugby. To my absolute delight, Shelley Munro clearly knows the sport and brings the game to life in a way that will engage both rugby fans and those unfamiliar with the game. Rugby romances are a rarity, but I’ll forgo my excitement over that part of the story and focus instead on the two sexy heroes at the forefront of WANNA DO BAD THINGS WITH YOU. Ty and Darcy are dedicated rugby players who work their butts off and don’t ever expect to be handed anything. I admired their hard working natures and pragmatic attitude. What’s more, I respected Darcy, an openly gay player, for how he handles ignorance and homophobia. And while Ty may be the closeted one of the pair, he always stands up for Darcy. Of the two men, Ty is the one who changes the most over the course of the book, as he comes into his own. Watching his transformation was a true pleasure, and I cheered for him and Darcy to take their relationship from friends to lovers to something more permanent.

WANNA DO BAD THINGS WITH YOU is seduction, sex and sports all rolled into one entertaining story. I adored Ty and Darcy’s story, and I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Munro’s work.

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

Review: Jared by Cat Johnson

2012-01-11T22:00:00.001-08:00

Jared by Cat Johnson
Series: Red, Hot & Blue, Book 4
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
ISBN: 9781609284510
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Jared Gordon likes his laid-back life in the small Southern town of Pigeon Hollow. Producer Mandy Morris is a threat to that. It seems the L.A. lady thinks that Pigeon Hollow is the perfect site for her new reality show, and she wants Jared to be a part of it. There’s no way Jared will put up with a camera zeroed in on his face – or any other portion of his anatomy. Yet, while Jared has no interest in learning about reality TV, he does want to get to know Mandy. Mandy doesn’t seem to want to mix business with pleasure, but Jared is sure his own brand of cowboy charm can convince her otherwise...

Sparks fly in the sizzling fourth installment of Cat Johnson’s RED, HOT & BLUE series. JARED is a wickedly entertaining story that will keep readers’ fans on high this summer. Jared and Mandy are both inherently likeable characters whose main obstacle is that they’re on opposite sides of the proverbial line in the sand regarding Mandy’s proposed reality show. But disagreements can’t stop the sexual tension that simmers between them. And when things heat up in JARED, they really heat up. Ms. Johnson sets the page ablaze when Mandy and Jared hit the sheets.

Even though JARED is the fourth story in the RED, HOT & BLUE series, it can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the first three stories – TREY, JACK and JIMMY – but Ms. Johnson has me intrigued enough that I want to give them a try. In addition, there’s a sexy-as-hell deputy sheriff in JARED that makes me hope Ms. Johnson has another RED, HOT & BLUE book coming soon.

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

Wednesday in Review

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here, on Joyfully Reviewed, and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- Princess Charming (Legendary Lovers, Book 1) by Nicole Jordan (available 1/31/12)

All other new reviews:
- Hitched (Faerily Imperfect, Book 5) by Mia Watts and Katie Blu
- Kissing Sherlock Holmes by T. D. McKinney and Terry Wylis
- Through Traitor’s Gate by Melinda Barron
- Pride & Passion (The Brethren Guardians, Book 2) by Charlotte Featherstone
- Prior Sins by DJ Gross
- Vengeance Paid with Blood (The Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- Because of You by Cathy Maxwell
- Slow Ride (Fast Track, Book 5) by Erin McCarthy
- Blue Moon by Mackenzie McKade
- Mark of the Rose (The Tudor Vampire Chronicles, Book 3) by Kate Pearce
- No Shirts, No Shoes, No Spells (Mystic Café, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai
- Velvet Memories (Club Velvet Ice, Book 4) by Violet Summers

Upcoming reviews:
- Dear Miss Darcy by Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess
- Miracle of the Bellskis by Astrid Amara
- When a Scot Loves a Lady (Falcon Club, Book 1) by Katharine Ashe
- White Knight (Scandals, Book 2) by Mari Carr
- How to Dance with a Duke (Ugly Ducklings, Book 1) by Manda Collins
- I Want Candy by Susan Donovan
- Some Like It Hot (Rising Star Chef, Book 2) by Louisa Edwards
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Screw Santa (Who Needs Christmas?, Book 1) by Joyee Flynn
- Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Book 3) by Laura Lee Guhrke
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- Intimate Beings (The Being Trilogy, Book 2) by Jessica Inclan
- Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor, Book 2) by Lisa Kleypas
- If You Give a Girl a Viscount (Impossible Bachelors, Book 4) by Kieran Kramer
- Blame It On Bath (The Truth About a Duke, Book 2) by Caroline Linden
- A Rogue by Any Other Name (The Rules of Scoundrels, Book 1) by Sarah MacLean
- Girl Next Door by Lyra Marlowe
- Secret Light by Z.A. Maxfield
- The Saint (Highland Guard, Book 5) by Monica McCarty
- Beck and Call by Nicole Morgan
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- Alien Sex 101 by Allie Ritch
- Celebrity in Death (In Death, Book 34) by J.D. Robb (coming February 1st)
- The Tattooed Duke (Writing Girls, Book 3) by Maya Rodale
- Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
- A Little Wild by Kate St. James
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler

Waiting on Wednesday: Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

2012-01-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

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

Last year I fell head over heels in love with the first two books in Larissa Ione's Lords of Deliverance series (Eternal Rider and Immortal Rider). The last book left me on the edge of my seat for Lethal Rider and I can't believe I still have months to wait O_O

Note: There are MAJOR plot spoilers in the book description below, so if you haven't yet read Immortal Rider (and you plan on reading it), I recommend NOT reading the book description for Lethal Rider.

Title: Lethal Rider
Series: Lords of Deliverance, Book 3
Author: Larissa Ione
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Larissa Ione Reading Order can be found here on Wit and Sin.

Book Description (from Larissa Ione's website):

They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse - he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted - a family.

Review: New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

2012-01-10T13:45:00.002-08:00

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death, Book 33
Publisher: Putnam
Genre: Futuristic/Mystery/Suspense
ISBN: 9780399157783
Blue Ribbon Rating: 5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
J.D. Robb Reading Order

In the mid-twenty-first century, NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is facing possibly her worst nemesis yet: paperwork. Just as Eve finds herself wishing for a murder that would spring her from paperwork hell, something worse comes along.

Isaac McQueen – a violent pedophile Eve took down not long after she became a police officer – has escaped prison. McQueen seems more than eager to get back to raping and torturing young girls, but he’s added an additional target to his list: Eve. McQueen’s sick cat-and-mouse game will take Eve and her husband Roarke from New York to Dallas, where the demons of Eve’s past will collide with the terrifying danger that taking down McQueen presents.

Enter the explosively exciting world of Eve and Roarke in NEW YORK TO DALLAS. Author J.D. Robb brings the full gamut of emotions to the table in NEW YORK TO DALLAS and readers are sure to experience every one. I laughed, I cried, I sighed, I smiled, I relaxed and curled up with the book, then I tensed and sat up straight as I eagerly turned the pages.

As one might expect from the lack of “In Death” in the title, J.D. Robb shakes things up in NEW YORK TO DALLAS. Taking Eve out of New York doesn’t just equal a location change. She’s in unfamiliar territory, doesn’t have her partner, her squad, her commander or the familiar resources she’s used to. It was interesting, for me, to see Eve in such a situation. What’s more, Dallas isn’t just any location. As fans of the series know, Dallas is where Eve’s life was irrevocably changed. I won’t provide any spoilers, but it should come as no surprise that the ghosts of Eve’s past – a past she’s thought she’d mostly come to terms with – are added to the strain of trying to capture McQueen. I loved the character growth this aspect of the story brought to Eve, even as it broke my heart. And it wasn’t only my heart breaking. Roarke, Eve’s husband, is with her every step of the way. Not only do we see more of his character development come about – and I won’t say why or how – but the progression their marriage makes in NEW YORK TO DALLAS is simply beautiful to watch. In many ways, Eve and Roarke make a unique couple. But one of the things I love most about them as husband and wife is the fact that they have the “everyday” little problems couples have, not just big ones; they have to cope with both in this book.

A host of new characters are seamlessly introduced in NEW YORK TO DALLAS. I grew to love them almost as much as I do Eve and Roarke’s friends. Two of McQueen’s victims, in particular, grabbed my attention – and Eve’s – and it’s not just their courage which captivated me, but what they show about Eve that makes me hope I’ll see them again.

There’s a reason Ms. Robb’s dynamic IN DEATH series is still wildly popular more than forty books and novellas in. The books may be set in the future, but the themes of love, friendship, loss, pain, survival, courage, hope, despair, good and evil are universal. Too, the strengths, flaws and quirks of Eve, Roarke and their friends makes the characters not only loveable, but relatable.

NEW YORK TO DALLAS is the thirty-third full-length novel in the IN DEATH series, but Ms. Robb weaves in enough background for readers new to the world of Eve and Roarke to follow along. Fans of the series will, however, be in for a special treat, as there are so many moments in NEW YORK TO DALLAS that show just how far Eve and Roarke have come.

Ms. Robb brings her A-game to NEW YORK TO DALLAS. Love, intelligence, hard work and twisted-as-hell evil are a brilliant combination in the hands of someone like Ms. Robb. She has the ability to make even a predictable surprise plot twist feel like a sucker punch to the gut. That ability to bring forth such strong emotions is why I’ve been a fan of J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts for more than half my lifetime and why I continue to look forward to each new book of hers. NEW YORK TO DALLAS is captivating from beginning to end, and I finished it eager to see where Ms. Robb takes Eve and Roarke next!

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

Review: For Love of an Angel by Rosalie Lario

2012-01-10T13:45:00.001-08:00

For Love of an Angel by Rosalie Lario
Series: The Fallen Warrior Series, Book 1
Publisher: Rosalie Lario
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

When the veil between the human and angel worlds collapsed, mankind looked to the angels as godlike figures. It’s been a dozen years since the veil fell and angels rule the world, keeping humans in line. Most humans follow the angels’ orders blindly, but not Eva Smythe. Oh, Eva keeps her doubts to herself, but she cannot help but wonder what it is the angels are up to. Her questions are answered one night when an angel appears in her apartment.

Michael isn’t just any angel. He’s Fallen – one of twelve angels who rebelled against their brethren. Michael and the rest of the Fallen are determined to save mankind from the angels’ plans. But to preserve his strength for the coming war, Michael must find a mate with angel blood. And that mate is Eva. Will Eva give up all she’s ever known to join Michael and the Fallen?

Author Rosalie Lario has masterfully built a world unlike any I’ve ever seen in FOR LOVE OF AN ANGEL. The first book in THE FALLEN WARRIORS series is filled with passion, excitement, danger and most importantly, love. I was entranced by FOR LOVE OF AN ANGEL from the very first page. The world Ms. Lario has created just bursts with potential, and I practically devoured FOR LOVE OF AN ANGEL, as I speedily read the twists and turns of Eva and Michael’s journey.

As for the protagonists themselves, it’s impossible not to like Eva and Michael. She’s inquisitive and caring, he’s sexy and honorable. Together, they make a hell of a team and one red-hot couple. FOR LOVE OF AN ANGEL is filled out with a cast of supporting characters that will surely intrigue you...they sure as heck fascinated me. By the time I finished FOR LOVE OF AN ANGEL, I desperately wanted the next FALLEN WARRIORS tale. Bring on ANGEL’S DESIRE!

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

Review: Lady Varney's Risqué Business by Cerise DeLand

2012-01-10T13:44:00.001-08:00

Lady Varney's Risqué Business by Cerise DeLand
Publisher: Resplendence Publishing
Genre: Erotic Historical Romance
ISBN: 9781607352952
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Widowed Lady Katherine Varney is highly regarded by the ladies of the ton for her fashion sense and respectable behavior. She’s also highly desired by the bachelors of society who are seeking a wife, thanks to her discreet matchmaking business. What no one knows is that Kitty’s risqué business isn’t simply a pastime – it’s a means to survive and pay off her late husband’s debts. Kitty can’t afford to turn down a lucrative financial proposition, even if it comes from the one man she doesn’t want as a client.

Viscount Justin Belmont rescued Kitty years ago, but Kitty’s father forbade her from marrying the dashing then-captain. Now Justin seeks a wife, and his criteria are both strict and shocking. Not only is Kitty one of the very few women who meets Justin’s qualifications, she’s possibly the only one who will give into his demand that the “candidate” spend the night in his bed. Kitty knows she can never wed Justin, but is she willing to risk heartbreak once more to satisfy her longing for a night of passion in Justin’s arms?

I adore a good red-hot reunion romance, and LADY VARNEY’S RISQUÉ BUSINESS definitely fits the bill. Cerise DeLand perfectly blends lust and longing in this sizzling charmer of a tale. Kitty and Justin steam up the pages like there’s no tomorrow, but it’s their love for one another and the sadness of their initial separation that truly makes LADY VARNEY’S RISQUÉ BUSINESS memorable. At times, it seemed that hints of Jane Austen’s PERSUASION flavored LADY VARNEY’S RISQUÉ BUSINESS, but those elements only enriched the romance.

The obstacles blocking Justin and Kitty’s road to happily-ever-after aren’t insurmountable, but they aren’t easy to overcome either. Ms. DeLand kept me avidly reading LADY VARNEY’S RISQUÉ BUSINESS, eager to see how Kitty and Justin’s love story would turn out. Though I won’t spoil what happens, I will say that I finished LADY VARNEY’S RISQUÉ BUSINESS a well-satisfied reader. If you like your historical romance with lots of spice, then LADY VARNEY’S RISQUÉ BUSINESS is the story for you.

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

Review: Strong Arms of the Law by Cerise DeLand

2012-01-10T13:43:00.001-08:00

Strong Arms of the Law by Cerise DeLand
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781419934735
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Crime writer Skye Chamberlain always knows how to get the best story, but when digging for information on the Gonzaga Familia, she gets a bit more than she bargained for. Now a witness to a triple homicide, Skye is stuck in protective custody until she can testify in court. Things aren’t all bad, however. For one thing, Skye’s got sexy Texas Ranger Rex Martinez guarding her. If only Rex wouldn’t be such a stickler for rules – namely, the one preventing him from acting on the mutual desire between them – then Skye would be perfectly content. With nowhere to run and mounting sexual tension, it won’t be long before Skye can convince Rex to lower his guard. But pleasure comes with the price – and that price just might be Skye’s life.

A sexy-as-sin Texas Ranger meets his match in a luscious, determined crime writer in STRONG ARMS OF THE LAW. Author Cerise DeLand has delivered a fast-paced, exciting tale that is capital “E” Erotic. The sexual tension between Skye and Rex starts to build from page one and by the time the two give in, it’s probably a good idea to have a fan on-hand. With likeable protagonists falling in bed even as they fall in love, dangerous criminals out to catch them and Ms. DeLand’s red-hot prose, STRONG ARMS OF THE LAW is a wonderful read.

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

Review: Breaking Logan's Laws by Cameron Dane

2012-01-08T15:15:00.001-08:00

Breaking Logan's Laws by Cameron Dane
Series: Quinn Security, Book 4
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Erotic Male/Male Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781607379539
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Cameron Dane Reading Order

Logan Jeffries may have put down his detective shield, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the field. Now the head of Quinn Security’s investigations wing, Logan is prepared to dive into his first case concerning the disappearance of a young socialite. There’s just one complication; his partner Nate Jordan. Nate is a distraction that Logan can’t afford, not if he wants to keep the truth of his sexuality private and not if he wants to follow the laws he has made for himself. But the sweet, sexy younger man tempts Logan to loosen the tight control he exerts over himself. It’s not long before Logan gives into his desires, finding the pleasure to be had in breaking his laws.

There’s nothing sexier than watching an always-in-control man break out of his rigid lifestyle. And Cameron Dane turns the heat on high with Logan. The romance of BREAKING LOGAN’S LAWS is filled with eroticism, longing and heart as Logan discovers that when you meet “the one” there can be no holding back. The sexual tension that builds as Logan wrestles with his desire for Nate is red-hot, but when it boils over? Things go volcanic. Yet, while the heat index of BREAKING LOGAN’S LAWS is nothing to sneeze at, it’s the men at the center of the explosion that give the story its heart. Logan is hard-working, determined and delightfully imperfect. Nate, in turn, is kind, generous and adorably sweet, but with a spine of steel that shouldn’t be underestimated. The two of them work beautifully together, both romantically and professionally and their professional relationship is every bit as important as their burgeoning love. Ms. Dane doesn’t use the case of the missing woman simply to throw the pair together. The case adds twists and turns, danger and suspense to BREAKING LOGAN’S LAWS, and I was every bit as invested in the heroes’ investigation as I was their love story.

BREAKING LOGAN’S LAWS is the fourth book in Ms. Dane’s QUINN SECURITY series, but it can be read as a standalone. It was a delight to either revisit or see my favorite characters from the first three books – FINDING HOME, THE ULTIMATE KINK and SAYING I DO. More importantly, Ms. Dane introduces and re-introduces some men whose stories I cannot wait to read. Without giving any spoilers, I will say that, with the way things ended in BREAKING LOGAN’S LAWS, I am especially eager to read the energetic Riley’s book.

Cameron Dane never fails to deliver and BREAKING LOGAN’S LAWS is no exception. With action, intrigue and sensuality to spare, Nate and Logan’s story is a definite hit that will please old and new fans of Ms. Dane’s work alike.

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

Review: Handcuffs and Spreader Bars by Kim Dare

2012-01-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

Handcuffs and Spreader Bars by Kim Dare
Publisher: Resplendence Publishing
Series: Rawlings Men, Book 5
Genre: Erotic Male/Male BDSM Romance
ISBN: 9781607352372
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Detective Sergeant Alasdair Grant may be good at his job, but past experience proves he’s not the best at picking a Dom. His last boyfriend was so cruel, Alasdair isn’t certain he can trust any man to give him what he needs without hurting him. Knowing that about himself, Alasdair resists the temptation that is scene-of-crime officer Harland Rawlings. But when a brawl with a suspect lands Alasdair in Harland’s office, having evidence scraped off of him, the once-burned submissive learns that sometimes there’s no need to be twice-shy.

Who doesn’t love a sexy Dom with a box full of toys? HANDCUFFS AND SPREADER BARS is a surprisingly sweet erotic romance. Having been in an abusive Dom-sub relationship before, Alasdair is understandably wary of Harland’s advances. Luckily for him, Harland knows just how to handle him and shows Alasdair what it’s like to be in a healthy relationship. HANDCUFFS AND SPREADER BARS is just the start of Alasdair and Harland’s romance, but author Kim Dare leaves the reader fully satisfied with where the pair are headed.

HANDCUFFS AND SPREADER BARS is the fifth story in Ms. Dare’s RAWLINGS MEN series, but as I’ve read the series completely out of order, I can say that HANDCUFFS AND SPREADER BARS can easily be read as a standalone. However, those that read and loved the second story in the series, HANDCUFFS AND GLORY HOLES, will no doubt be delighted – as I was – to revisit the heroes from that RAWLINGS MEN installment. All in all, HANDCUFFS AND SPREADER BARS is a wonderful addition to an addictive series.

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

Review: Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon

2012-01-08T15:07:00.001-08:00

Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Male/Male Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781609282738
Blue Ribbon Rating: 5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Josh Lanyon Reading Order

Sebastian Swift was once a poet better known for his literary genius heritage and self-destructive behavior than the lines he wrote. To everyone’s surprise – including his own – Swift is now a clean-living, well-mannered professor living in a quiet town in Maine. He’s even in a healthy, stable – if somewhat more casual than Swift would like – relationship with the town’s chief of police, Max Prescott. Then, on a seemingly normal day, Swift’s world comes crashing down around him. One of his best students, Tad Corelli, shows up at his office, beat up and on edge. Thinking only to help the young man, Swift hands him the keys to his Orson Island home…before discovering that Tad’s father has been murdered and Tad is a suspect.

Swift is convinced Tad is innocent, but he knows he needs to find Tad before Max learns that Swift accidentally aided the kid in escaping the police. But the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions and Swift’s relationship with Max is put to the test when his lover discovers that Swift lied to him. If missing Max and dealing with his own personal demons weren’t enough for Swift to handle, he’s now caught up in a murder mystery he has no interest in solving…one with a killer who seems to have made Swift his next target.

Josh Lanyon doesn’t just top the A-List – he IS the A-List when it comes to blending wit, suspense and romance. Mr. Lanyon’s at the top of his game in COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS, an unforgettable story that will keep you entranced from beginning to end. As has happened with each story I’ve read, penned by Mr. Lanyon, I fell in love with the voice of COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS. There’s an almost sprightly quality to the writing that buoys the story along, even in its darker moments. As for its protagonists, Max completely charmed me from the start. I could see why Swift fell for him and, even though the story is told entirely from Swift’s point of view, I didn’t feel like I missed out on getting to know Max. As for Swift, he’s one of the most unique characters I’ve read in a long time. There is such brilliance to his character that I can’t help but smile when thinking about him…even long after I’ve finished reading - and re-reading - his story. He’s incredibly loveable, though that assertion would likely be surprising to him, which is part of his charm. He’s faced a lot of obstacles in his life and most of them are of his own making. To his credit, Swift isn’t one to pass blame or wallow in self-pity over the troubles he must face. The fact that he’s flawed and owns up to it makes him special. I feel I must also single out the fact that Swift is a recovering addict, since I commend Mr. Lanyon for how he handles that aspect of Swift’s character. To me, it seems like it would be difficult to have a hero who is a recovering cocaine addict without his struggles either being downplayed to an unbelievable point or having the problems said hero faces overpower the story. Mr. Lanyon perfectly balances Swift’s addiction with every other element in the book, which is part of the reason COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS is such an incredible book.

As befitting a book with a poet hero, COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS is filled with vivid imagery – I want to live in Swift’s house - and beautiful prose. It also has everything you could want in a story; a fast pace, intrigue, sensuality and love. I absolutely loved COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS, and I can’t wait to read the next exciting story that Mr. Lanyon has to offer!

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

Review: Handcuffs and Ball Gags by Kim Dare

2012-01-08T15:02:00.000-08:00

Handcuffs and Ball Gags by Kim Dare
Series: Rawlings Men, Book 6
Publisher: Resplendence Publishing
Genre: Erotic Male/Male BDSM Romance
ISBN: 9781607352808
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Dealing with mouthy environmental protestors isn’t out of the ordinary for Constable Andrew Rawlings. This time, however, the protestor mouthing off to him is his roommate, Ben…whom Andrew expressly forbade from attending the demonstration. When things get out of hand and Ben is arrested, Andrew isn’t surprised that the seemingly well-mannered teacher manages to talk his way out of trouble. But he’s downright shocked when Ben continues to challenge him after the fact. It turns out that Ben has no desire to follow Andrew’s orders – unless Andrew delivers them as his Master. Andrew’s not one to back down from a challenge, especially now that he’s learned the roommate he’s been lusting after is a sub. And he’s got just the item to tame his new submissive...

The teacher becomes the student in the sassy HANDCUFFS AND BALL GAGS. Kim Dare packs a lot of heat in this fun story, adding in a dash of sweetness to deliver a wonderful erotic romance. Ben and Andrew are both likeable heroes who have an everyman quality about them, something I find quite appealing. From the start, it’s clear that there’s sexual tension between them and the leap from friends to lovers isn’t a great one. It’s easy to become entranced by Ben and Andrew’s story because HANDCUFFS AND BALL GAGS has both the comfortable feel of an established connection and the spark of uncertainty that the new sensual dynamic between them presents.

HANDCUFFS AND BALL GAGS is the sixth story in Ms. Dare’s RAWLINGS MEN series, but not having read the previous five stories, I can safely say that HANDCUFFS AND BALL GAGS can be read as a standalone. However, Ms. Dare has a seemingly effortless, entertaining style that is so charming I know it won’t be long before I go back and read the entire RAWLINGS MEN series.

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

Review: Hail Mary by C.C. Galloway

2012-01-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hail Mary by C.C. Galloway
Publisher: Passion in Print Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781608203475
Blue Ribbon Rating: 5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Michael Santiago lives and breathes football. This makes him the best defensive end on his team, the Portland Tide, if not the entire National Football League. It doesn’t, however, do any favors for his social life. Not that Michael cares about that. Friendships and romance have no place in Michael’s life, not with his history.

Fate – and a lack of groceries in his fridge – sends Michael to the grocery store and plants him directly in the path of Mary Richardson. Michael knew Mary very briefly back in college, and the intervening years have only made her more appealing. Michael doesn’t have any desire to break out of his self-imposed isolation, but he can’t seem to resist the urge to see Mary again either. It’s up to Michael to decide if he, a closed-off pro-footballer, can let down his guard long enough to have a chance with the warm-hearted high school teacher he never knew he needed.

There’s a new name in sports romance and it’s one to watch; C.C. Galloway. Author C.C. Galloway’s debut novel, HAIL MARY, has everything you could want in a story; romance, sensuality, action, humor, heartache and a dynamic couple at the center of it all.

Michael is a tortured hero who will break your heart. He doesn’t have the clichéd attributes of the tortured hero archetype, but he does have a past that’s sadly realistic and will make you want to weep. Ms. Galloway makes Michael’s guarded attitude understandable and the reasons behind it keep him likeable, even when he screws up with Mary. And speaking of Mary, she’s an everywoman heroine readers are sure to love. She’s smart, generous and kind, without being unrealistic or un-relatable. Mary is, quite simply, a character you wish was real so that you could be friends with her. Together, Michael and Mary are a perfect fit, though it takes a while for them to get to that point. One of the many reasons I was so drawn in by HAIL MARY was that I wanted to see Michael and Mary find happiness together; both of them deserved that dreamed-about happily ever after.

I can’t write about HAIL MARY without mentioning the football scenes. I’m not a football fan by any means, but it was clear to me that Ms. Galloway knows the sport extremely well. The scenes on the field and in practice further added to the realism of HAIL MARY, in addition to fleshing out Michael’s character and a majority of the supporting cast. There’s just enough about football to add exciting non-romance action to HAIL MARY without it being too much for those, like myself, who aren’t into that particular sport.

Michael and Mary are wonderful characters, but Ms. Galloway has a plethora of secondary characters in HAIL MARY that I desperately want to know more about. There’s a number of sexy Tide players I am dying to read more about, so here’s hoping Ms. Galloway has stories in store for them. I was pleased to find out that Mary’s best friend, Calleigh, will be getting a book next. Ms. Galloway has some teasers in HAIL MARY regarding Calleigh that are just too delicious for me to resist.

Judging by HAIL MARY, Ms. Galloway is an incredibly talented author who is sure to set the world of sports romance on fire. I loved HAIL MARY, and I can’t wait to see what Ms. Galloway delivers next!

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

Review: Unlikely Protector by Nicole Sheldon

2012-01-08T13:38:00.001-08:00

Unlikely Protector by Nicole Sheldon
Publisher: Raven Mad Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Blue Ribbon Rating: 5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Nobody ever expects the world as they know it to end. But in the year two thousand and twelve, that’s exactly what happens. The veil between the human and supernatural world falls and what’s left of humanity is solely focused on survival.

For Moria, the end of the world hasn’t simply taken her from all she’s known; it’s given her a new purpose. Moria puts her knack for problem-solving to use at the underground survivor camp she lives in, but even her capabilities can’t prevent the need for the camp to move topside. The road to safety is fraught with supernatural peril. If Moria wants to make it to the new camp alive, she’ll have to rely not just on herself, but on Luke, a fellow survivor. The only problem is, while Luke may keep her body safe, Moria finds he’s a greater danger to her heart.

Debut author Nicole Sheldon brings originality and sensuality to the end of the world in the fantastic UNLIKELY PROTECTOR! Generally, I’m not a fan of post-apocalyptic romances, but Ms. Sheldon has changed my stance. UNLIKELY PROTECTOR is an imaginative, exciting, romantic story unlike any post-apocalyptic tale I’ve read before. There’s so much LIFE to Moria and Luke’s story that I was captivated from the first page to the last.

Moria is an ordinary woman who lands in extraordinary circumstances. What I love about Moria is that Ms. Sheldon makes her relatable; she’s smart, funny and hard-working, but she’s not superhuman. There’s natural vulnerability in her that matches her strength and the combination of the two makes Moria an exceptional heroine. And while UNLIKELY PROTECTOR is told from Moria’s point of view, Luke matches her in every way as a hero. At first, he appeared to be the strong, silent type, but Ms. Sheldon proves that still waters run deep. Deep and deliciously sexy. Luke’s a hero that’ll make you jealous of Moria – and yes, that’s even taking into account the supernatural dangers Moria has to deal with.

After the world had essentially crashed down around humanity’s ears, my first thought would be that love would be the last thing on anyone’s mind, even months after the apocalypse. But Ms. Sheldon made me re-think my assumptions. Love, lust, caring – any of those emotions really – is a large part of what makes us human. Moria and Luke’s burgeoning relationship didn’t just satisfy me as a romance reader; the quintessentially human aspects of their love story served as a contrast between humanity and the supernatural creatures that hunt them. Those same emotions also ultimately provided the catalyst – though I won’t spoil how – to the most unlikely of connections being made.

UNLIKELY PROTECTOR was a joy to read, pure and simple. It has everything you could want in a story; a clever and brave heroine, a sensual and strong hero, romance, danger, excitement and unusual creatures. I loved UNLIKELY PROTECTOR, and I can’t wait to see what Ms. Sheldon writes next!

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

Review: Prior Sins by DJ Gross

2012-01-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Prior Sins by DJ Gross
Publisher: DJ Gross
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9780983619949
Blue Ribbon Rating: 5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Oxford University Professor Hadrian Prior aids the British police in identifying criminals and building a case against them. He’s not sure how he’ll cope with a vacation from his consultation work when he takes a position as a visiting professor at the University of Michigan. Then a series of increasingly violent crimes on campus lead the Ann Arbor police to ask Hadrian for help, and he once against finds himself delving into the mind of a psychopath. A potential clue involving Greek mythology leads Hadrian to Classics Professor Sarah Roth and an attraction too powerful for him to deny.

Sarah Roth knows all about monsters – she is one. At least, that’s what her dreams of blood and death lead her to believe. She’s been told since childhood to never tell anyone of her dreams, but close contact with Hadrian starts to crumble the defenses she’s built up from childhood. The only thing she can do to keep her sanity intact is stay away from Hadrian, but her growing feelings for the handsome professor make that impossible.

Hadrian knows that Sarah is no monster, but before he can prove it to her, he has to help the police find the true evil that’s at large somewhere on campus. Because the case has taken a personal turn – the stalker is bent on targeting women to prove himself worthy of his true love...Sarah.

As far as I’m concerned, DJ Gross is one of the top romantic suspense authors out there today. Having fallen in love with Ms. Gross’s debut novel, STOLEN JUSTICE, I wondered if PRIOR SINS could possibly meet the bar I’d set in my head for Ms. Gross’s work.

It absolutely does.

PRIOR SINS is both a gripping thriller and a tender romance. At the heart of the story are Sarah and Hadrian. Sarah has nightmares of blood and death, leading her to believe that she’s a monster waiting to happen. While this isn’t true, the background that Ms. Gross provides shows why Sarah thinks of herself the way she does. My heart broke for Sarah and there are elements to her character arc that not only engaged, but surprised, me. Hadrian, in turn, is a sexy-as-sin hero that I loved. He’s brilliant, sensual and wonderful with Sarah, but best of all, he’s a rather surly guy. I adore the fact that Ms. Gross didn’t make Hadrian perfect; the roughness around the edges makes his interactions with Sarah all the more beautiful.

PRIOR SINS is, quite simply, a fabulous book. Ms. Gross kept me on the edge of my seat not just the first time I read it, but every single time since. I can’t give details without spoiling the excitement of PRIOR SINS, but I will say that the twists and turns the story takes had me almost literally glued to the book. PRIOR SINS has made it onto the list of my all-time favorite books; and I can’t wait to read Sarah and Hadrian’s story again and again and again!

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

Review: Stolen Justice by DJ Gross

2012-01-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

Stolen Justice by DJ Gross
Publisher: DJ Gross
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9780983619901
Blue Ribbon Rating: 5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

JT Flynn once headed a team of thieves who stole from criminals. After losing a team member, however, JT quits the thieving business and takes up running his family’s hotel. His peaceful existence is threatened when a gorgeous blonde with a gun in her hand and a laptop by her side blackmails JT into helping her.

Hacker Laura Danvers is determined to put a stop to millionaire Rob Autrey’s money laundering business. She needs JT and his team to divert Autrey’s attention by stealing a Van Gogh, and she’s desperate enough to threaten JT to do it. She’s planned for everything…except her sizzling attraction to JT.

Neither can afford the distraction their desire for one another brings, especially not when the mission’s danger increases ten-fold. The clock is ticking, and JT and Laura must work together to bring a dangerous criminal to justice.

IN-CRE-DI-BLE. That was the thought constantly running through my head as I read STOLEN JUSTICE. STOLEN JUSTICE is one of the best books I’ve read this year! With her debut novel, author DJ Gross has skyrocketed to the top of my auto-buy list. I absolutely loved everything about this book; the characters, the action, the romance…STOLEN JUSTICE is seriously top-notch.

JT and Laura are both wonderfully likeable characters who have to walk a fine line between right and wrong. Ms. Gross had me loving both of them from the start, so it was easy to become invested in STOLEN JUSTICE from the beginning. The chemistry between them is red-hot and even the non-romantic aspects of their relationship just plain worked for me. As for the rest of JT’s team, man, I am in love. The group clicks as a whole and the personalities of all the supporting characters are distinct. In particular, Ms. Gross had me almost crying over two team members, Mandy and Thomas. I LOVE this pair and, even if the rest of STOLEN JUSTICE hadn’t been utterly fantastic, I would be dying for a sequel just to see how these two continue to develop.

STOLEN JUSTICE is one of the very few books I’ve read that kept me guessing. There was even a scene where Ms. Gross crafted such a well-placed surprise that I actually shouted in shock. With STOLEN JUSTICE, Ms. Gross has raised the bar for romantic suspense novels. STOLEN JUSTICE is dynamite, and I am praying Ms. Gross writes a sequel!

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

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

2012-01-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

2012-01-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

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

I'm a HUGE Lisa Kleypas fan. Generally I prefer her historicals over her contemps, but I adored her first Friday Harbor book, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, and I can't wait to read the second book, Rainshadow Road :)

Title: Rainshadow Road
Series: Friday Harbor, Book 2
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: February 28, 2012

Book Description (from Amazon):

Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington. She is stunned and blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal: her fiancé Kevin has left her. His new lover is Lucy’s own sister. Lucy's bitterness over being dumped is multiplied by the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life. Facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's parents, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy and hopefully loosen her up and get her over her anger. Complications ensue when Sam and Lucy begin to fall in love, Kevin has second thoughts, and Lucy discovers that the new relationship in her life began under false pretenses. Questions about love, loyalty, old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings are explored as Lucy learns that some things in life—even after being broken—can be made into something new and beautiful.

Review: Pride and Passion by Charlotte Featherstone

2012-01-03T05:13:00.001-08:00

Pride & Passion by Charlotte Featherstone
Series: The Brethren Guardians, Book 2
Publisher: HQN
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 978-0373776177
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Lady Lucy Ashton has given into the spiritualism craze that has swept through Victorian London. But Lucy is no bored society lady dabbling in the occult; she wishes to make contact with her lover, Thomas, who perished in a fire. What Lucy does not wish is to believe the arrogant Duke of Sussex’s claim that Thomas is very much alive – and a killer in league with a man who goes by the name Orpheus. Sussex and his fellow Brethren Guardians are determined to protect mysterious Templar treasures and are working to bring down Orpheus and anyone associated with him, including Thomas. If that wasn’t enough to make Sussex Lucy’s enemy, the fact that her father is determined to marry her off to the priggish duke would do it. Lucy wants passion in her life and Sussex can never give her that… Or can he?

Pride & Passion is a bit of a problematic book to review. There are a number of things I love about it, such as the sensuality, charm, and overall appeal of Sussex, interesting secondary characters, and the all-too-brief glimpses of Templar treasure intrigue and the occult craze in Victorian England. That being said, my reading experience was tainted by the fact that the negative points of Pride & Passion overwhelmed the positive ones.

Let us start with the good: Adrian, the duke of Sussex. He’s a delicious hero with a scandalous secret. I loved the depth of caring he showed to Lucy and his sister, Elizabeth, and I couldn’t help but hope he found happiness with Lucy (even though I didn’t understand why he was in love with her). The only thing I didn’t understand was his propensity for seducing Lucy in odd places. I don’t think this was as much a character flaw as a blatant attempt by the author to further the story through sex scenes that happened at inopportune times in locations you’d think Adrian would be smart enough not to try to have sex at. As for Adrian’s sister, she too was a charming character and I’m looking forward to her book, Temptation & Twilight. Lizzy is clever, delightful, and doesn’t let her blindness keep her from living as independent a life as possible for a handicapped Victorian era lady. Lizzy is quite clearly in love with Adrian’s fellow Brethren Guardian, the Marquis of Alynwick and a fair amount of Pride & Passion builds up to their future romance in Temptation & Twilight. Normally, this might be something that bothers me (I prefer my romances to focus on the central couple), but since I liked Lizzy a lot more than Lucy, I didn’t mind the focus on her.

Now to address the unfortunate elements of the Pride & Passion: the heroine, the plotlines, and the mysteries. Pride & Passion is flavored with Pride and Prejudice references, but Lucy is no Elizabeth Bennet. Quite frankly, Lucy is insufferable for a good portion of the book. Ms. Featherstone tries to explain the reasoning behind Lucy’s behavior, but to be honest, the logic didn’t hold much weight. To put it plainly, Lucy is a self-centered brat and often a poor judge of character. She’s blind to Adrian’s virtues and focuses on his faults, some of which are imagined. She does idiotic things and by the time her character comes around and develops a modicum of common sense, it’s far too late in the story for me to like her.

The storylines of Pride & Passion are numerous and underdeveloped. Perhaps the Brethren Guardian series is best read as one large three-part book rather than three separate books. Though I didn’t feel that I missed anything by not reading the first book, Seduction & Scandal, the fact that there were so many plotlines that were only partially developed was disturbing. If I had read Pride & Passion as a bridge book in the series this may have bothered me less. As a standalone, I was annoyed that Ms. Featherstone dragged out the beginning (which focused primarily on character introductions, Lucy’s whining, and the romance), then shoved a bunch of action-packed subplots into the very last – very mishmash – chapter.

Not to make this review overly-itemized, but the final issue I had with Pride & Passion had to do with the “mysteries.” Namely, they weren’t so mysterious. Ms. Featherstone alludes to Adrian’s secret throughout the book and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out very early on what happened and why, but that isn’t what bothered me. The fact that the “big reveal” was dragged out for over three-quarters of the book is what got on my nerves. Second, there’s Orpheus. I suppose the quasi-reveal Ms. Featherstone gives at the end of Pride & Passion concerning Orpheus’s identity is supposed to be a surprise. It isn’t. I don’t expect hard-to-deduct mysteries in my historical romances – if I wanted a mystery I’d read a mystery novel – but when an author builds the story up to give a great “twist” at the end, then I should not be able to figure out what is going to happen near the beginning of the book.

While the negative outweighed the positive for me, I don’t think Pride & Passion is a bad book. It’s dragged down by an annoying heroine, predictable twists, and poor pacing, but Ms. Featherstone did create some wonderful characters that I did like, Adrian topping the list. I don’t think I’ll be reading Seduction & Scandal, as Isabella and Black didn’t intrigue me enough to read their story, but I’m definitely going to read Temptation & Twilight - I can’t wait to see what Ms. Featherstone has in store for Alynwick and Elizabeth!

Teaser Tuesday

2012-01-02T23:19:00.000-08:00

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 received an arc of Manda Collins's debut novel, How to Dance with a Duke for review. I just started it, so I can't really comment on whether or not it's any good quite yet.

"The first lady he'd encountered since his return to London with more than a passing acquaintance with her own brain, and she turned out to be just like every other woman he'd met since coming into the dukedom.

Title hungry." - How to Dance With a Duke by Manda Collins, 2% on Kindle

Books I've Read in 2012

2012-01-02T02:58:00.000-08:00

For the past two years I've track of the number of books I read and it was fun to look back at the end of the year and see what I read. So I'm doing it again :)

This list is only of books and novellas I've read and finished (though if I read an entire anthology, I list only the anthology title). The books are listed in the order I read them.

There are sure to be many wonderful books on the list, but the ones with a ** by them are ones I highly recommend.

1. What Happens in London (Bevelstoke, Book 2) by Julia Quinn (re-read)
2. Prior Sins by DJ Gross (re-read) **
3. Pride & Passion (The Brethren Guardians, Book 2) by Charlotte Featherstone
4. Jane and the Damned (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 1) by Janet Mullany
5. How to Dance With a Duke (Ugly Ducklings, Book 1) by Manda Collins
6. Thirty-six Valentines by Julia Quinn (re-read)
7. I Want Candy by Susan Donovan
8. Beck and Call by Nicole Morgan
9. Spellbound by Nora Roberts (re-read)
10. Alien Sex 101 by Allie Ritch
11. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor (Friday Harbor, Book 1) by Lisa Kleypas (re-read)
12. Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor, Book 2) by Lisa Kleypas
13. A Lady Never Surrenders (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 5) by Sabrina Jeffries
14. The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe
15. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe
16. A Rogue By Any Other Name (The Rules of Scoundrels, Book 1) by Sarah MacLean
17. Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis (re-read)
18. Girl Next Door by Lyra Marlowe
19. White Knight (Scoundrels, Book 2) by Mari Carr

2012 A to Z Reading Challenge

2012-01-02T02:52:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot of fun doing this the past two years, so I couldn't resist doing it again this year :)

Challenge details:
- Duration: January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012
- Read 26 books which titles begin with the letters of the alphabet.
- You may ignore articles like A, An and The at the beginning of the title.
- For the letter X, any book title with the letter X in it is acceptable if you can't find on that begins with X.
- You can sign up anytime.
- Please only list books you have read. You can read them in any order.
- A book only counts once, so you can include a re-read the first time you read it.

My list:
Alien Sex 101 by Allie Ritch – 1/16/12
Beck and Call by Nicole Morgan – 1/15/12
Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas – 1/18/12
D -
E -
Fall of the House of Usher, The by Edgar Allen Poe – 1/22/12
Girl Next Door by Lyra Marlowe – 1/26/12
How to Dance With a Duke by Manda Collins – 1/9/12
I Want Candy by Susan Donovan – 1/14/12
Jane and the Damned by Janet Mullany - 1/7/12
K -
Lady Never Surrenders, A by Sabrina Jeffries – 1/21/12
M -
N -
O -
Prior Sins by DJ Gross - 1/1/12
Q -
Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas – 1/19/12
Spellbound by Nora Roberts – 1/16/12
Thirty-six Valentines by Julia Quinn – 1/12/12
U -
V -
What Happens in London by Julia Quinn - 1/1/12
X -
Y -
Z -

2012 New (to me) Author Challenge

2012-01-02T02:45:00.000-08:00

I've done this challenge for the past two years and discovered some great new-to-me authors along the way (not hard to believe since I've read 233 new (to me) authors from 2010 to 2011). My favorite authors I "discovered" over the past two years are C.C. Galloway, DJ Gross, Larissa Ione, Riley Shane, Nicole Sheldon, Cherise Sinclair, and Dee Tenorio.

The Challenge: Read 20 or more books this year by authors you’ve never read before.
Dates: January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

My list:
1. Author: Charlotte Featherstone
Title: Pride & Passion (The Brethren Guardians, Book 2)

2. Author: Manda Collins
Title: How to Dance With a Duke (Ugly Ducklings, Book 1)

3. Author: Nicole Morgan
Title: Beck and Call

4. Author: Allie Ritch
Title: Alien Sex 101

5. Author:
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6. Author:
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9. Author:
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10. Author:
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2011 in Review

2011-12-31T22:37:00.000-08:00

2011 was another interesting year in Reading Land and it’s fun to look back at what I read and pick out my favorite books and authors of the year.

Number of books I read:289
Number of new-to-me authors whose books I read: 116
Other challenges I participated in: A to Z Reading Challenge
Favorite authors of 2011: Cameron Dane, Elizabeth Hoyt, J.D. Robb, and Riley Shane
Favorite new-to-me authors of 2011: C.C. Galloway, DJ Gross, Larissa Ione, and Nicole Sheldon

Now comes the fun part - taking stock and picking the best of the best. I read so many great books this year that it was reaaaaaly hard to categorize this part:

My Top Twenty Books of 2011 (new-to-me-books)
My Top Re-Reads of 2011
Honorable Mentions

My Top Twenty Books of 2011

Note: Not necessarily all published in 2011 but all were new-to-me reads
Also note: The books are alphabetized by title as I love them all equally

1. Beneath the Shield by Diana DeRicci
Buy Link

2. Blood Rose (Realm of Nine, Book 1) by Riley Shane
Buy Link

3. Celebrity in Death (In Death, Book 34) by J.D. Robb
Pre-Order Link

4. Chasing Alex by Riley Shane
Buy Link

5. Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon
My Review | Buy Link

6. Hail Mary by C.C. Galloway
My Review | Buy Link

7. Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 2) by Larissa Ione
My Review | Buy Link

8. International Relations (International Relations, Book 1) by Riley Shane
Buy Link

9. The Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer
Buy Link

10. New York to Dallas (In Death, Book 33) by J.D. Robb
My Review | Buy Link

11. No Mercy (Dark Hunters, Book 29) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Buy Link

12. The Palisade by George Seaton
Buy Link

13. Quick to the Hunt (Hawkins Ranch, Book 7) by Cameron Dane
My Review | Buy Link

14. Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane, Book 3) by Elizabeth Hoyt
My Review | Buy Link

15. Simply Irresistible (Lucky Harbor, Book 1) by Jill Shalvis
My Review | Buy Link

16. Stolen Justice by DJ Gross
My Review | Buy Link

17. Two-Man Advantage (Seattle Marauders, Book 1) by Riley Shane
Buy Link

18. Unlikely Protector by Nicole Sheldon
My Review | Buy Link

19. Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane, Book 1) by Elizabeth Hoyt
My Review | Buy Link

20. Winter Wonderland (International Relations, Book 2) by Riley Shane
Buy Link

My Top Re-Reads of 2011

1. Aidan & Ethan (Seeking Redemption, Book 1) by Cameron Dane
Buy Link

2. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Highland Pleasures, Book 1) by Jennifer Ashley
My Review | Buy Link

3. The Taste of Magick by Riley Shane
Buy Link

Honorable Mentions

These books barely missed making the top twenty list but they’re excellent.

1. The Closer You Get (Distance Between Us, Book 2) by L.A. Witt My Review | Buy Link

2. Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 1) by Larissa Ione
My Review | Buy Link

3. Finding Deaglan by George Seaton
Buy Link

4. Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet, Book 1) by Julia Quinn
My Review | Buy Link

5. Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changelings, Book 10) by Nalini Singh
My Review | Buy Link

6. Prior Sins by DJ Gross
My Review | Buy Link

7. Treachery in Death (In Death, Book 32) by J.D. Robb
Buy Link

Waiting on Wednesday: I Want Candy by Susan Donovan

2011-12-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

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

I was delighted by Susan Donovan's Cheri on Top - it's funny, romantic, and sweet. I'm really looking forward to the sequel, I Want Candy.

Title: I Want Candy
Author: Susan Donovan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: February 28, 2012

Book Description (from Amazon):

Candace Carmichael was just getting used to the lavish life when everything went sour. Now the down-on-her-luck real estate agent is back in Bigler, North Carolina, jobless and illegally rooming with her her mother in a swank retirement community. All this makes her wonder why she ever considered her BFF Cheri’s invitation to move back home. Life in this small mountain town may not be as glamorous as the one she had in Tampa, but she knows a girl can’t be too choosy in this market. Besides, everyone’s happy to welcome Candy back—especially one handsome widower named Turner...

Turner has grown up to be one fine-looking piece of man candy—and looks even tastier in his sheriff’s uniform. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t resist kissing him when he pulled her over for a traffic violation. Even if a relationship was part of Candy’s business plan, Turner would be off limits—he still wears his wedding ring, four years after his wife died. If falling in love too fast is a crime, Candy is soon guilty as charged and ready to be fingerprinted. But is she ready to lock away her dreams and hand Turner the keys to her heart?

Free Read: Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews

2011-12-25T06:06:00.000-08:00

From December 24th to January 7th, Ilona Andrews is offering a free Kate Daniels novella on their website: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/magic-gifts/

Magic Gifts will also be available as bonus content in the back of Gunmetal Magic, out 7/31/12.

Friday in Review

2011-12-23T02:48:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here, on Joyfully Reviewed, and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- The Duke Is Mine by Eloisa James (available 12/27/11)

All other new reviews:
- A Clockwork Christmas by Stacy Gail, PG Forte, Jenny Schwartz, and JK Coi
- Small Town Christmas by Jill Shalvis, Hope Ramsay, and Katie Lane
- The Duke Is Mine by Eloisa James
- Take Me Home Tonight (Welcome to Paradise, Book 2) by Elle Kennedy
- Christmas in Lucky Harbor: Simply Irresistible/The Sweetest Thing (Lucky Harbor, Books 1 and 2) by Jill Shalvis

Upcoming reviews:
- Dear Miss Darcy by Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess
- Hitched (Faerily Imperfect, Book 5) by Mia Watts and Katie Blu
- Kissing Sherlock Holmes by T.D. McKinney and Terry Wylis
- Miracle of the Bellskis by Astrid Amara
- When a Scot Loves a Lady (Falcon Club, Book 1) by Katharine Ashe
- Through Traitor’s Gate by Melinda Barron
- White Knight (Scandals, Book 2) by Mari Carr
- How to Dance with a Duke (Ugly Ducklings, Book 1) by Manda Collins
- I Want Candy by Susan Donovan
- Some Like It Hot (Rising Star Chef, Book 2) by Louisa Edwards
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Pride & Passion (The Brethren Guardians, Book 2) by Charlotte Featherstone
- Prior Sins by DJ Gross
- Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Book 3) by Laura Lee Guhrke
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- Vengeance Paid With Blood (Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- Princess Charming by Nicole Jordan
- If You Give a Girl a Viscount (Impossible Bachelors, Book 4) by Kieran Kramer
- Blame It On Bath (The Truth About a Duke, Book 2) by Caroline Linden
- A Rogue by Any Other Name (The Rules of Scoundrels, Book 1) by Sarah MacLean
- Secret Light by Z.A. Maxfield
- Because of You by Cathy Maxwell
- Slow Ride (Fast Track, Book 5) by Erin McCarthy
- The Saint (Highland Guard, Book 5) by Monica McCarty
- Blue Moon by Mackenzie McKade
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Mark of the Rose (Tudor Vampire Chronicles, Book 3) by Kate Pearce
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai
- Celebrity in Death (In Death, Book 34) by J.D. Robb (coming February 1st)
- The Tattooed Duke (Writing Girls, Book 3) by Maya Rodale
- Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
- A Little Wild by Kate St. James
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler

Waiting on Wednesday: A Perfect Storm by Cameron Dane

2011-12-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

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

I'm a huge Cameron Dane fan, so it's pretty much a guarantee I'm going to race out and buy her books. She rarely writes standalones, so that makes A Perfect Storm a nice change for me.

Title: A Perfect Storm
Author: Cameron Dane
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Loose Id
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Cameron Dane Reading Order can be found here on Wit and Sin.

Book Description (from Cameron Dane's website):

On an island off the coast of Maine, Lucien Cabot monitors the dark clouds rolling across a bleak sky. Patience and planning have been Lucien’s two closest friends for years, and now Mother Nature has aligned to create the perfect storm he needs to exact his revenge.

Television producer Sophie Emerson can’t believe her luck when the mysterious owner of Raven Island offers her a story about the island and castle. She really can’t believe it. Still, if real, this offer could be the break her career needs. Although suspicious, Sophie agrees to meet Lucien at his home.

Gotcha. Lucien can taste victory -- if only he can resist the keen intelligence, beauty, and light in Sophie. Falling for his guest is the last thing Lucien can afford to do.

Trapped on Raven Island, Sophie is shocked by her powerful desire to know more about Ravenstoke’s clever, darkly attractive master. In secret, Sophie also searches for the truth behind her invitation to Lucien’s island.

A perfect storm of fierce attraction and unbending revenge soon rages behind the walls of Ravenstoke. In the aftermath, once the debris has cleared, will Sophie’s love for Lucien be enough to bring him into the light?

Teaser Tuesday

2011-12-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

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 love Kate Pearce's work, so she's an autobuy author for me. Even if she wasn't, The Tudor Vampire Chronicles combines three of my favorite things - romance, vampires, and Tudor England. That's why I'm excited I found my copy of Mark of the Rose, book 3 of The Tudor Vampire Chronicles (it was MIA for a few months following a cat-related catastrophe).

"The mocking laughter faded and she struggled to breathe through the horrible sweet stench of decay. She knew the Vampire's taunts were meant to frighten her, but this time they had the opposite effect." - Mark of the Rose by Kate Pearce, page 176

Review: Small Town Christmas by Jill Shalvis, Hope Ramsay, and Katie Lane

2011-12-18T04:16:00.000-08:00

Small Town Christmas by Jill Shalvis, Hope Ramsay, and Katie Lane
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781455513611
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Three heartwarming holiday stories to prove that love is the greatest gift of all.

Kissing Santa Claus
NASCAR driver Logan Perrish returns to Lucky Harbor, Washington, with love in his heart and a ring in his pocket. But can Sandy Jansen forget the past and give him a second chance? Or will Logan be spending another Christmas alone?

I'll Be Home for Christmas
After ignoring the advice of Miz Miriam Randall, local matchmaker, Annie Roberts expects another hum drum holiday in Last Chance, South Carolina. But when a stray cat arrives in the arms of Army sergeant Matt Jasper, a calico named Holly just may be the best matchmaker of all.

O Little Town of Bramble
All Ethan Miller wants for Christmas is to celebrate in Bramble, Texas, with family and friends. But when his childhood neighbor, Samantha Henderson, comes home for the holiday, Ethan realizes that the girl-next-door could be the girl of his dreams.

“Kissing Santa Claus” by Jill Shalvis
I’ll admit right off the bat that I’m in love with Jill Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor series. So when I saw that Logan Perrish – who failed to win his ex-wife’s heart back in The Sweetest Thing – was getting a story of his own, I had to read it.

“Kissing Santa Claus” is a wonderful holiday treat. Logan fell hard and fast for Sandy without even knowing it. It’s only after spending five months away from her that he realizes he can’t live without her, so he returns to Lucky Harbor, intent on proving his love to Sandy. Who can resist a sexy man willing to pull out all the stops for the woman he loves? Not me. I do wish that “Kissing Santa Claus” were a bit longer, especially since I’d have liked to read about Sandy and Logan’s initial fling. Nevertheless, “Kissing Santa Claus” is an entertaining story with a dash of Christmas cheer and a healthy dose of sensuality that will likely please Lucky Harbor fans.

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” by Hope Ramsay
A handsome military man rescuing a stray cat? That’s pretty much all you need to capture my interest. Hope Ramsay’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” starts of sweet and has some incredibly touching moments throughout the tale, but it falls short as a romance. There’s chemistry between Matt and Annie, but Ms. Ramsay never capitalizes on it. In fact, just when I thought that something might happen between them, the story ends, leaving me an unsatisfied reader. This is the first story I’ve read by Ms. Ramsay and I liked her writing style enough that I’d read a different book by her even though “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” didn’t do much for me.

“O Little Town of Bramble” by Katie Lane
Friends become almost-lovers just in time for Christmas in “O Little Town of Bramble.” There was something just a bit “off” about Katie Lane’s story. It’s a contemporary romance, but the people and the town of Bramble feel like they fell out a sixties television show – in other words, the dialogue and incidents came across as staged. This made it hard to connect to the characters, even Ethan and Sam who were just a little too perfect to feel real. Ethan’s a small town farmer who never got to live out his dreams and Sam’s the little sister he never had who comes back to town all grown up and transformed into the woman he desires above all else. I liked both Ethan and Sam – in fact, I liked everyone in Bramble – but I wasn’t able to connect with them. There are some truly cute moments in “O Little Town of Bramble” but on the whole the story just wasn’t for me.

Small Town Christmas has a touch of spice and a whole lot of sweet, making it a charming anthology overall. Not all the stories were to my taste, but Jill Shalvis’s “Kissing Santa Claus” was a delight and readers who are looking for more Christmas than romance in their reading might enjoy “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “O Little Town of Bramble” more than I did.

Review: Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis

2011-12-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Lucky Harbor: Simply Irresistible/The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor, Books 1 and 2
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781455502523
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Simply Irresistible
Maddie Moore is at a crossroads in her life. She’s lost her job, ditched her jerk of a boyfriend, and isn’t in the best financial condition. With nothing left for her in L.A., Maddie heads to the small town of Lucky Harbor, Washington, to check out an inheritance left to her and her two half-sisters by their mother. What she finds is a run-down inn and two siblings who are nearly strangers to her. Maddie, the middle sister, has always been known as “the Mouse.” But Maddie wants to make a go of restoring and running the inn, which means she has to find her voice and convince her sisters to at least consider a trial period. It also means that the inn needs some serious work done on it. Maddie gets more than she bargains for when she hires contractor Jax Cullen. Jax turns Maddie on like no other man has, but with her life in chaos and her decision to stay in Lucky Harbor in peril, is Maddie really ready to take a chance on falling in love with Jax?

There are some stories that make you smile and give you a warm, cozy feeling reading them. Simply Irresistible is that kind of book. Jill Shalvis has delivered one of the most delightful books I’ve read in a long time. I loved everything about the aptly-titled Simply Irresistible.

Maddie, Tara, and Chloe are three half-sisters who seem to have nothing in common except one free-spirited, now-deceased mother. They’re virtual strangers at the beginning of Simply Irresistible, and part of the charm of the story is watching them start to become a family. I adored Maddie’s kindness and humor, Tara’s surliness and veiled caring, and Chloe’s zest for life and outrageous comments. In Simply Irresistible, Maddie also finds herself and her personal journey could have made the book fantastic on its own. However, what sends Simply Irresistible over the top into favorite book material is the romance. I loved Jax and Maddie together. Jax is the kind of guy I curse Ms. Shalvis for creating because I want one of him to show up on my doorstep (tool belt optional). Maddie and Jax hit it off from the start – almost literally since Maddie nearly runs Jax over – and the two of them make Simply Irresistible sparkle.

Simply Irresistible is one of the most entertaining books I’ve read this year and it’s got an honored spot on my keeper shelf. I finished Simply Irresistible one happy reader and I dove right into the second Lucky Harbor novel, The Sweetest Thing.

The Sweetest Thing
On the surface, Tara Daniels may have it all together, but being back in Lucky Harbor – the place where she made one hell of a mistake as a teenager – keeps her frequently on edge. As does sexy sailor Ford Walker. All Tara wants to do is get the inn she co-owns with her sisters up and running while she puts her life back together. She doesn’t have time for Ford or the feelings he evokes within her. Too bad her body and heart have no interest in following Tara’s plan. To make matters even more complicated, Tara’s sexy ex-husband shows up in Lucky Harbor, determined to win her back. The past is catching up with Tara and with two gorgeous men also in pursuit, life in the small town of Lucky Harbor is about to get very, very interesting.

Love lost and found is the name of the game in The Sweetest Thing. The second installment in Jill Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor alternately sizzles with sexual tension and tugs on your heartstrings. Tara and Ford have each been through things in life that have marked them forever. Though I won’t spoil what those events were, there are times that The Sweetest Thing brought tears to my eyes – tears of both joy and sadness. Tara and Ford both show only parts of themselves to the world and as I read The Sweetest Thing, I delighted in uncovering the layers of their personalities. Ms. Shalvis had me rooting for these two to get together, but she didn’t make the journey easy on Tara and Ford. Their road to happily ever after was filled with bumps, but the obstacles that had to be overcome made the end result that much sweeter.

A brilliant supporting cast of characters rounds out The Sweetest Thing, further bringing Ms. Shalvis’s world of Lucky Harbor, Washington to life. I can’t express how much I adored everyone in The Sweetest Thing, but the fact that I began reading the third Lucky Harbor novel, Head Over Heels, as soon as I finished Ford and Tara’s book should indicate how much I love this series.

Christmas in Lucky Harbor is an omnibus containing the first two Lucky Harbor books. While both books can be read as standalone stories, the Lucky Harbor series is simply too good for readers to miss out on a single novel. I practically devoured Christmas in Lucky Harbor and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary romance.

Now, when can I move to Lucky Harbor?

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

2011-12-15T23:21:00.000-08:00

In high school I fell in love with Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. Having a life-long love affair with fairytales, I eagerly purchased Rice's Sleeping Beauty trilogy set (The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment, and Beauty's Release), written as A. N. Rolquelaure, without actually paying attention to what the books were. Needless to say, these books were one hell of an eye-opener. They're straight up erotica and probably the most twisted, bizarre erotica books I've ever read. They're like a train wreck that you can't look away from, so even though they're not good, I have fond "WTF?" memories of these three stories. LOL.

Waiting on Wednesday: Destiny by Carly Phillips

2011-12-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

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

I adored the first Serendipity series book, Serendipity - it was a delightful contemporary romance. Nash wasn't my favorite character in Serendipity (mostly because I grew protective of Ethan, the hero of Serendipity), so I'm eager to see how Ms. Phillips makes me fall for him in Destiny.

Title: Destiny
Series: Serendipity, Book 2
Author: Carly Phillips
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 3, 2012

Book Description (from Carly Phillips's website):

Nash Barron may be cynical about love, yet even he likes a good wedding. But the only good thing about his brother’s wedding is Kelly Moss. Nash can’t help but admire her confidence and beauty, but he’s forced to keep his distance because getting involved with Kelly could destroy his relationship with his newly discovered half sister, Tess...

Kelly came to Serendipity to give Tess–her half sibling as well, thanks to an illicit affair–a second chance at life. She learned long ago not to rely on anyone but herself. Besides, she doesn’t want to upset Tess’s life by pushing for a fling with Nash. Except the more she gets to know him, the more vulnerable she becomes to the kindness beneath his gruff exterior, and the less she’s able to stay away. But she has other reasons for keeping her distance. Like the secret from her past she knows Nash will never forgive...

Teaser Tuesday

2011-12-13T01:26:00.000-08:00

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've never read a Jeaniene Frost book before, but I'm starting with book 1 of her Night Huntress spin off series:

"If you ever do something like that again, I'll stab you in the heart. Son of a bitch, I can't believe you threw me out of a plane!" - First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost, page 125

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

2011-12-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

Thursday in Review

2011-12-08T10:26:00.001-08:00

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- Scrumptious by Amanda Usen (available 1/1/12)

All other new reviews:
- Men Under the Mistletoe by Ava March, Harper Fox, Josh Lanyon, and K.A. Mitchell
- An Unexpected Gentleman by Alissa Johnson
- Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore, Book 2) by K.A. Mitchell
- To Command and Collar (Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 6) by Cherise Sinclair

Upcoming reviews:
- A Clockwork Christmas by Stacy Gail, P.G. Forte, Jenny Schwartz, and J.K. Coi
- Miracle of the Bellskis by Astrid Amara
- Dear Miss Darcy by Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess
- Hitched (Faerily Imperfect, Book 5) by Mia Watts and Katie Blu
- Kissing Sherlock Holmes by T.D. McKinney and Terry Wylis
- Through Traitor’s Gate by Melinda Barron
- White Knight (Scandals, Book 2) by Mari Carr
- Tangled in Tulle (Tulle & Tulips, Book 1) by Nikki Duncan
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Pride & Passion (The Brethren Guardians, Book 2) by Charlotte Featherstone
- Prior Sins by DJ Gross
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- Vengeance Paid With Blood (Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- The Duke is Mine (Happily Ever Afters, Book 3) by Eloisa James
- Princess Charming by Nicole Jordan
- Take Me Home Tonight (Welcome to Paradise, Book 2) by Elle Kennedy
- If You Give a Girl a Viscount (Impossible Bachelors, Book 4) by Kieran Kramer
- Because of You by Cathy Maxwell
- Slow Ride (Fast Track, Book 5) by Erin McCarthy
- Blue Moon by Mackenzie McKade
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Mark of the Rose (Tudor Vampire Chronicles, Book 3) by Kate Pearce
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai
- Celebrity in Death (In Death, Book 34) by J.D. Robb (coming February 1st)
- Christmas in Lucky Harbor (Lucky Harbor, Books 1 and 2) by Jill Shalvis
- Head Over Heels (Lucky Harbor, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
- A Little Wild by Kate St. James
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler

Review: Scrumptious by Amanda Usen

2011-12-07T04:04:00.000-08:00

Scrumptious by Amanda Usen
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Release date: January 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1402259821
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Chef Joe Rafferty made one promise to his dying mother – there will be “no more sluts.” He’s determined to keep that promise and settle down with a nice woman. But when he comes to the aid of his culinary school friend Olivia, Joe meets Olivia’s best friend Marlene. Marly is the exact opposite of the kind of girl Joe knows he should fall for, but what harm is there in taking a slight detour before he gets back on the path to finding Ms. Right?

Mr. Right Now is all Marly ever looks for; she’s seen enough damage caused by love and marriage, thank you very much. Joe would be the perfect candidate for a fling…if it weren’t for the fact that he’s trying to take over the restaurant she’s put her life’s blood into. If Marly wants to run Olivia’s restaurant, she needs to get rid of Joe. The only problem is, the more she’s around the too-sexy-for-her-peace-of-mind Joe, the more Marly wants him to stay.

Forget the frying pan – Scrumptious is all about fire. The fire between Marlene and Joe, that is. Amanda Usen’s debut novel sizzles with passion, but where it really shines isn’t in the romance or the love scenes, but in the food. Ms. Usen’s culinary background shows; the restaurant scenes in Scrumptious are to die for. Ms. Usen’s prose is effortless, light, and utterly charming when her chefs are in the kitchen.

Where Scrumptious falls short is in the characters. Marly has worked so hard to prove herself to Olivia that she’s understandably crushed by the fact that Olivia brings Joe to run the kitchen. And why does Olivia do so when Marly’s perfectly capable? Because Olivia and Marly – two life-long best friends – don’t have a simple thirty second conversation that could have cleared up their big misunderstanding. Joe, for his part, is the typical sexy hero, but it grated on my nerves that he thinks of Marly as a “slut” for most of the book. Yes, she revels in her sexuality…just as Joe does. When combined with a few other things he does in the book, the fact that Joe doesn’t see himself (or any other man) as a slut just shows him to be sexist, a trait I don’t find at all attractive. Both Marly and Joe just didn’t appeal to me as protagonists which made it easy for me to put Scrumptious down. As for the third major player, Olivia, she’s so blind on a number of issues that I wanted to shake her – hard – frequently.

The plot of Scrumptious mostly revolves around misunderstandings and the characters growing up. However, in the last quarter of the book the plot takes a turn into something strange, unnecessary, and way too over the top. I won’t spoil it by saying what happens, but I feel like Ms. Usen jumped the shark a bit in the end. Still, Ms. Usen’s skill at bringing the culinary world to life should not be overlooked. While Scrumptious didn’t hit the spot for me, I would give another one of Ms. Usen’s foodie romances a try in the future.

Waiting on Wednesday: Winter Wonderland and Miracle of the Bellskis

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

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

I've got two holiday picks this week - and both of them are releasing next week! First up is Winter Wonderland a Christmas short story from one of my favorite authors, Riley Shane. The day before that story releases, Miracle of the Bellskis, sequel to one of my favorite Hanukkah stories (Carol of the Bellskis) comes out. Both books are contemporary male/male romances.

Title: Winter Wonderland
Series: International Relations, Book 2
Author: Riley Shane
Genre: Contemporary Male/Male Romance
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: December 14, 2011

Book Description (from Riley Shane's website):

For Connor Marino, Christmas can’t get here soon enough. It’s his first holiday alone with his boyfriend, Delaney Carmichael, and they plan to celebrate by playing tourists in New York City on Christmas Eve, followed by a romantic Christmas day at home. But lately Delaney’s behavior has been odd and Connor is concerned. Connor knows Delaney loves him. Yet he can’t help but wonder if their “Winter Wonderland” of a holiday will be the thing that sends his and Delaney’s relationship into deep freeze...or be the gift the two of them need.

Title: Miracle of the Bellskis
Series: Sequel to Carol of the Bellskis
Author: Astrid Amara
Genre: Contemporary Male/Male Romance
Publisher: Loose Id
Release Date: December 13, 2011

Book Description (from Astrid Amara's website):

Too much family…too little Egg Nog.

It's been three years since Seth Bellski forced his boyfriend and ex-boss Lars Varga out of the closet. Since then, Seth has passed the bar and become an attorney, and Lars has started his own firm. Their sex life has gotten steamier, and everything seems perfect between them. Until the holidays arrive.

It's bad enough that Seth's mother and father want them over every single night of Hanukkah. And that Lars's less-than-tolerant parents are sleeping in the room next door for the duration of Christmas, putting the kibosh on their kink. They also end up attorneys representing opposing sides in a divorce case, one which quickly proves to be much more than it seems.

Amidst Hanukkah candles, Christmas lights, burned dinners and delayed court appointments, can Lars and Seth's relationship survive the ultimate holiday challenge: too much family?

Teaser Tuesday

2011-12-06T01:52:00.000-08:00

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've been absolutely loving Blood Rose, but I had to put it down last week to read a bunch of December release review books. So I finally got back to pleasure reading yesterday. Here are the teasers for the two books I'm reading - Blood Rose (paranormal romance) and The Doomsday Vault (steampunk):

"Fuck her promise; she wasn’t going to leave Gray to fight those revenants alone. She grabbed her dagger and started running toward the man she loved, but a hand suddenly grabbed her by her hair, yanking her back." - Blood Rose by Riley Shane, page 120

"He sprinted toward the zombies--and the clockworker in their midst. Alice, unused to trousers, fumbled through her pockets." - The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper, page 238

Waiting on Wednesday: Unacceptable Risk by Jeanette Grey

2011-11-30T03:09:00.000-08:00

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

I admit, it was the cover for this book that caught my attention first. I haven't read a lot of cyberpunk and I'm always interested in finding cyberpunk romances, which is why I'm looking forward to reading Unacceptable Risk.

Title: Unacceptable Risk
Author: Jeanette Grey
Genre: Cyberpunk Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: December 13, 2011

Book Description (from Samhain's website):

She may learn to live for love…if vengeance doesn’t kill her first.

Plix spends her lonely, gritty life trying to solve the mysteries her father left behind. Armed with a variety of cybernetic enhancements and a talent for getting into places she shouldn’t be, she searches for clues to his murder—and who’s responsible for poisoning her city.

Waking up on a street corner with her brain wiring fried to a crisp, she figures she must have gotten close this time. There’s only one man she trusts to pull her back from the brink: a tuner who can retrieve the evidence hidden deep in the recesses of her mind. A man she dares not let too close to her heart.

When Edison downloads a secret SynDate schematic from Plix’s burnt-out circuitry, he knows with dreadful finality that nothing—not even the fiery kiss he’s been holding back for years—will stop her from pursuing her quest past the point of insanity.

All he can do, as he helps her plan her final mission, is ease her pain, watch her back…and hope one of them doesn’t pay with their lives.

Product Warnings: Contains a heroine intent on kicking ass and taking names, a high-tech dystopia, cybernetic body modifications, and emotionally charged, sensual romance.

Teaser Tuesday

2011-11-29T05:33:00.000-08:00

Here's my teaser for this week (technically it's three sentences, but since it's the epigraph at the beginning of chapter one it made more sense to include all of it):

"It’s far better to bargain with a demon than a king. A demon only wants your soul for payment. A king will take everyone else’s and leave you with the mess. ~ Grayson van Court" - Blood Rose by Riley Shane, page 8

Note: Blood Rose is an ebook available at Loose Id.

Tuesday in Review

2011-11-29T01:01:00.001-08:00

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here, on Joyfully Reviewed, and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

New reviews:
- Slaves of Love by Opal Carew
- A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready
- Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
- Far Too Human by Anitra Lynn McLeod
- Lust on the Rocks by Dianne Venetta
- The Closer You Get by L. A. Witt

Upcoming reviews:
- Dear Miss Darcy by Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess
- Hitched (Faerily Imperfect, Book 5) by Mia Watts and Katie Blu
- Kissing Sherlock Holmes by T.D. McKinney and Terry Wylis
- Men Under the Mistletoe by Josh Lanyon, Harper Fox, Ava March, and K.A. Mitchell
- Through Traitor’s Gate by Melinda Barron
- White Knight (Scandals, Book 2) by Mari Carr
- Tangled in Tulle (Tulle & Tulips, Book 1) by Nikki Duncan
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Pride & Passion (The Brethren Guardians, Book 2) by Charlotte Featherstone
- Prior Sins by DJ Gross
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- Vengeance Paid With Blood (Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- The Duke is Mine (Happily Ever Afters, Book 3) by Eloisa James
- An Unexpected Gentleman by Alissa Johnson
- Princess Charming by Nicole Jordan
- Take Me Home Tonight (Welcome to Paradise, Book 2) by Elle Kennedy
- If You Give a Girl a Viscount (Impossible Bachelors, Book 4) by Kieran Kramer
- Because of You by Cathy Maxwell
- Slow Ride (Fast Track, Book 5) by Erin McCarthy
- Blue Moon by Mackenzie McKade
- Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore, Book 2) by K.A. Mitchell
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Mark of the Rose (Tudor Vampire Chronicles, Book 3) by Kate Pearce
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai
- Celebrity in Death (In Death, Book 34) by J.D. Robb (coming February 1st)
- Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis
- A Little Wild by Kate St. James
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Scrumptious by Amanda Usen

Waiting on Wednesday: Blood Rose by Riley Shane

2011-11-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

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

I always look forward to Riley Shane's new books, but this one in particular captured my interest. I love paranormal romance, particularly when the books have dark characters.

Title: Blood Rose
Series: Realm of Nine, Book 1
Author: Riley Shane
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Loose Id
Release Date: November 29, 2011

Book Description (from Riley Shane's website):

To save his people, a half-mad prince must enlist the aid of a woman who has no reason to help him...and who he has every reason to desire.

At sixteen, Rose Carrison lost both her parents and her freedom. Since her father’s death, Rose has had to pick up the mantle of her family’s legacy and guard an object of incredible power, one the monsters who murdered her parents would kill to get their hands on. After ten years on the run, Rose’s luck finally runs out. A fate worse than death threatens to consume her. Then, out of the darkness, comes the most unlikely of rescuers...

Grayson van Court is a man skating on the edge of damnation. He’s a revenant: a powerful, blood-drinking, returned-from-the-dead, magical creature that no other magical species wants anything to do with. For centuries, Gray has bargained and fought for the revenants’ right to survive, but his efforts are hampered by his sociopathic mother and the madness that permeates his own soul. When Gray rescues Rose from his mother’s machinations, his intention is only to stop the attacks against his people that would surely come if Rose were harmed. But then he sees her, and everything changes. Two people who should never have met soon find themselves fighting side by side for the chance at a love that could prove to be their salvation.

Teaser Tuesday

2011-11-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

Here's my teaser for this week:
"Enjoying the tension that had leapt into the air, Margo let it hum. She sent Michael a quick wink before following Kate." - Finding the Dream by Nora Roberts, page 125

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

2011-11-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday: The Duke Is Mine by Eloisa James

2011-11-15T22:09:00.001-08:00

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

I love fairytales and I've been a fan of Eloisa James for years. Put the two together and it's no mystery why I'm waiting on The Duke Is Mine ;)

Title: The Duke Is Mine
Author: Eloisa James
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Eloisa James Reading Order can be found here on Wit and Sin.

Book Description (from Eloisa James's website):

Tarquin, the powerful Duke of Sconce, knows perfectly well that the decorous and fashionably slender Georgiana Lytton will make him a proper duchess. So why can’t he stop thinking about her twin sister, the curvy, headstrong, and altogether unconventional Olivia? Not only is Olivia betrothed to another man, but their improper, albeit intoxicating, flirtation makes her unsuitability all the more clear.

Determined to make a perfect match, he methodically cuts Olivia from his thoughts, allowing logic and duty to triumph over passion…Until, in his darkest hour, Tarquin begins to question whether perfection has anything to do with love.

To win Olivia's hand he would have to give up all the beliefs he holds most dear, and surrender heart, body and soul…

Unless it’s already too late.

Thursday in Review

2011-11-10T00:42:00.001-08:00

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here, on Joyfully Reviewed, and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- To Wed a Wild Lord (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 4) by Sabrina Jeffries (available 11/22/11)
- Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 2) by Larissa Ione (available 11/22/11)
- Stark Naked by Desiree Holt (available 12/13/11)

All other new reviews:
- Baby It’s Cold Outside (Alaskan Nights, Book 1) by Addison Fox
- Best Man, Worst Man by Stacy Gail
- Taken by Passion (Wonderland, Book 1) by Jaymie Holland
- Wight Mischief by J.L. Merrow

Upcoming reviews:
- Hitched (Faerily Imperfect, Book 5) by Mia Watts and Katie Blu
- Kissing Sherlock Holmes by T.D. McKinney and Terry Wylis
- Through Traitor’s Gate by Melinda Barron
- A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready
- Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Prior Sins by DJ Gross
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- Vengeance Paid With Blood (Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- The Duke is Mine (Happily Ever Afters, Book 3) by Eloisa James
- An Unexpected Gentleman by Alissa Johnson
- Princess Charming by Nicole Jordan
- Take Me Home Tonight (Welcome to Paradise, Book 2) by Elle Kennedy
- If You Give a Girl a Viscount (Impossible Bachelors, Book 4) by Kieran Kramer
- Because of You by Cathy Maxwell
- Slow Ride (Fast Track, Book 5) by Erin McCarthy
- Blue Moon by Mackenzie McKade
- Far Too Human by Anitra Lynn McLeod
- Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore, Book 2) by K.A. Mitchell
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Mark of the Rose (Tudor Vampire Chronicles, Book 3) by Kate Pearce
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai
- Celebrity in Death (In Death, Book 34) by J.D. Robb
- Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis
- A Little Wild by Kate St. James
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Scrumptious by Amanda Usen
- The Closer You Get by L.A. Witt

Review: Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione
Series: Lords of Deliverance, Book 2
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: November 22, 2011
ISBN: 9780446574471
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Larissa Ione reading order: here

Born to a succubus mother and an angel father, Limos was raised among her mother’s kind and trained to be the ultimate traitor. But after living in the human realm for thousands of years, Limos is a different kind of person than she was in the demon realm. Now, as the third Horseman of the Apocalypse – the one who will become Famine should her Seal break – Limos fights her destiny. Yet there’s one thing Limos can’t seem to outrun: her past. It’s back to haunt her with a vengeance and it’ll destroy anyone that will try to keep her from harm.

Human warrior Arik Wagner has had plenty of dealings with the paranormal. But nothing could prepare him for Limos. The beautiful immortal tempts Arik like no other woman has and at a party he gives into his desire for her and steals a kiss. Little does he know that Limos has a secret that will damn Arik to the tortures of Hell. It seems that Limos has a fiancé – Satan himself. And the devil doesn’t like anyone touching his bride.

Limos will risk anything to rescue Arik, but with Satan’s minions and her eldest brother working against her, the cost of saving Arik may be higher than she could ever pay. And once Arik finds his way back to the human realm, both he and Limos find that the hellish torture he went through was only the beginning of their problems. The Apocalypse is nigh and Arik’s quest to free Limos of her hellish fiancé could be the very thing that tips the scales in favor of evil.

I didn’t think I could love the Lords of Deliverance series more, but Larissa Ione has proved me wrong! Immortal Rider is even better than its stellar predecessor, Eternal Rider. Who can resist rip-roaring action, forbidden passion, and an imaginative storyline? Not me, that’s for sure.

Arik is a human warrior working for the Aegis, an organization that protects the world from evil. One of Arik’s most attractive qualities is his personal code of honor, which goes all the way down to his core. There is nothing he won’t sacrifice to save others and Ms. Ione manages to make this compelling trait sing rather than be dragged down into the realm of martyrdom. As for Limos…man, do I have a new favorite heroine! I love, love, love the mix of strength and vulnerability in her; the natural blend of hardened, ruthless warrior and romantic girly girl. For all that she’s attracted to lies and deception, Limos is one of the most refreshingly “real” heroines I’ve read in a long time. She’s everything I love in a paranormal romance heroine and I applaud Ms. Ione for making the many different aspects of her character come together flawlessly.

As a couple, Arik and Limos work together. Really work. The sexual tension in Immortal Rider is insanely hot, but it’s the emotional heart of this pair that resonates with me. I hated it every time I had to put Immortal Rider down because I wanted to see Limos and Arik get the happily ever after they so richly deserved.

Even if you took out the romance aspects of the story, Immortal Rider would shine. Ms. Ione has placed her characters in a no-holds-barred fight against evil. And evil isn’t just some guy in a black hat. No, Ms. Ione is definitely not afraid to go dark and twisted and I absolutely love that. Ms. Ione gives the Lords of the Deliverance series such depth with the way she writes good, evil, and everything in between. I could wax poetic about the many shades of gray in her characters, but that would ruin the joy of discovery for readers.

Immortal Rider is the second book in the Lords of Deliverance series and though Ms. Ione provides enough information for readers new to the series to follow along, the book probably loses a touch of its impact if read as a standalone. Readers who have read Eternal Rider already will find their reading of Immortal Rider enriched, but be warned: once you finish Immortal Rider you will probably be dying to read book three, Lethal Rider. Indeed, the only bad part of my Immortal Rider reading experience was when I realized that I now have to wait for Thanatos’s book to be released. Given what happens in Immortal Rider, the wait for Lethal Rider is going to be painfully long for this particular overeager reader.

Immortal Rider is an incredible, engaging book that takes readers on a journey like no other. Fans of paranormal romance should not miss out on reading the Lords of Deliverance series! With her gift for creating captivating characters, developing unique worlds, and bringing the nuances of good and evil to life, Larissa Ione is an author whose work I will be reading and re-reading for years to come.

Thursday in Review

2011-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here, on Joyfully Reviewed, and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- What the Mistress Did by Anya Delvay (available 10/25/11)
- Claimed by Pleasure (Wonderland, Book 2) by Jaymie Holland (available 10/25/11)
- Lord of the Abyss (Royal House of Shadows, Book 4) by Nalini Singh (available 11/15/11)
- Spells & Stitches (Sugar Maple, Book 4) by Barbara Bretton (available 12/6/11)

All other new reviews:
- Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 1) by Larissa Ione
- His Wicked Revenge by Vanessa Kelly
- Retribution (Dark-Hunters, Book 30) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Rock ‘N’ Roll is Undead (Veronica Mason, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Destined Mate by Katie Reus
- Nuriel’s Cougar (Queens of Merab 2, Book 2) by Violet Summers

Upcoming reviews:
- Hitched (Faerily Imperfect, Book 5) by Mia Watts and Katie Blu
- Kissing Sherlock Holmes by T.D. McKinney and Terry Wylis
- A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready
- Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
- Baby It’s Cold Outside (Alaskan Nights, Book 1) by Addison Fox (Coming November 1st)
- Best Man, Worst Man by Stacy Gail
- Prior Sins by DJ Gross
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- Vengeance Paid With Blood (Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- Taken by Passion (Wonderland, Book 1) by Jaymie Holland (Coming November 1st)
- Stark Naked by Desiree Holt
- Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 2) by Larissa Ione
- To Wed a Wild Lord (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 4) by Sabrina Jeffries (Coming November 1st)
- An Unexpected Gentleman by Alissa Johnson
- Slow Ride (Fast Track, Book 5) by Erin McCarthy
- Blue Moon by Mackenzie McKade
- Far Too Human by Anitra Lynn McLeod
- Wight Mischief by J.L. Merrow
- Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore, Book 2) by K.A. Mitchell
- Mark of the Rose (Tudor Vampire Chronicles, Book 3) by Kate Pearce
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai
- Celebrity in Death (In Death, Book 34) by J.D. Robb
- A Little Wild by Kate St. James
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Scrumptious by Amanda Usen
- The Closer You Get by L.A. Witt

Review: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione
Series: Lords of Deliverance, Book 1
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9780446574495
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N
Larissa Ione reading order: here

As the children of a succubus and an angel, Reseph, Ares, Limos, and Thanatos have always walked the line between good and evil. They are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – powerful, immortal, and cursed to bring forth Doomsday should their Seals break. When Reseph’s Seal breaks and he becomes Pestilence, the countdown to the Apocalypse begins.

Cara Thornhart – a human with a gift for healing animals – knows nothing of Horsemen, Seals, or demons. Then a wounded hellhound is dropped on her doorstep and everything changes. Cara is thrown into the path of Ares, a devastatingly handsome warrior who is the key to helping her understand the supernatural madness that taken over her life. Cara’s drawn to Ares, whose need to protect her stems not only from his desire for her, but from the fact that she is the only being in the world who can keep his Seal from breaking. It’s a race against time for Cara and Ares to stop Pestilence and save the world. But the price of staving off Doomsday could be higher than either Cara or Ares are willing to pay.

Get ready for the ride of your life! Larissa Ione starts her Lords of Deliverance series with a bang in the action-packed Eternal Rider. I was captivated by Eternal Rider from the start and did not want to put Ares and Cara’s book down for anything.

Ares – who will become War if his Seal breaks – is the kind of hero I love. He’s a hardened warrior with a scarred heart and a mission to complete. His rough nature is belied by the depth of his ability to care. Ares is incredibly loving and protective, though those who don’t know him extremely well would never see it. Cara, in turn, is a heroine you have to respect. She a human with an interesting ability and she handles the hellish number of things that are thrown at her with a realistic measure of calm. Separately, Ares and Cara are great characters. As a couple, they heat up the page like nobody’s business. I loved Cara and Ares together and Ms. Ione had me eagerly turning the pages to find out how these two could overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that stood in the way of them finding any sort of happiness.

Eternal Rider is the first book in the Lords of Deliverance series, but this series is a spinoff of Ms. Ione’s Demonica series. It’s clear that events in Eternal Rider are brought about by what happened in the last Demonica book, Sin Undone. Yet while the two series appear to be closely connected, having not yet read the Demonica books I can safely assure readers that Eternal Rider can be read as a standalone. However, I was so intrigued by the Demonica characters I met that I will definitely be reading those books.

Eternal Rider has everything I look for in a paranormal romance and more. There’s risk, danger, lust, and, most importantly, love. I absolutely adored Ares and Cara’s story and I cannot wait to read the next Lords of Deliverance book, Immortal Rider.

Wednesday in Review

2011-10-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here, on Joyfully Reviewed, and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- A Most Dangerous Profession (Hurst Amulet, Book 3) by Karen Hawkins (available 10/18/11)
- The Viper (Highland Guard, Book 4) by Monica McCarty (available 10/18/11)
- Beauty Dates the Beast (Midnight Liaisons, Book 1) by Jessica Sims (available 10/25/11)
- Devil’s Kiss (The Hellraisers, Book 1) by Zoë Archer (available 12/6/11)

All other new reviews:
- Alterant (Belador, Book 2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love
- Deep Disclosure (A-Tac, Book 4) by Dee Davis
- Clever John by Elizabeth Hoyt
- Mummy Dearest (The XOXO Files, Book 1) by Josh Lanyon
- Orgasmatron by Brynn Paulin

Upcoming reviews:
- Hitched (Faerily Imperfect, Book 5) by Mia Watts and Katie Blu
- Kissing Sherlock Holmes by T.D. McKinney and Terry Wylis
- Spells & Stitches (Sugar Maple, Book 4) by Barbara Bretton
- A Novel Seduction by Gwyn Cready
- What the Mistress Did by Anya Delvay
- Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
- Baby It’s Cold Outside (Alaskan Nights, Book 1) by Addison Fox (Coming November 1st)
- Best Man, Worst Man by Stacy Gail
- Prior Sins by DJ Gross
- Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart
- Vengeance Paid With Blood (Drone Vampire Chronicles, Book 13) by Stephani Hecht
- Stark Naked by Desiree Holt
- Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 1) by Larissa Ione
- Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, Book 2) by Larissa Ione
- To Wed a Wild Lord (Hellions of Halstead Hall, Book 4) by Sabrina Jeffries (Coming November 1st)
- An Unexpected Gentleman by Alissa Johnson
- His Wicked Revenge by Vanessa Kelly
- Retribution (Dark Hunters, Book 30) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Blue Moon by Mackenzie McKade
- Far Too Human by Anitra Lynn McLeod
- Wight Mischief by J.L. Merrow
- Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore, Book 2) by K.A. Mitchell
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells (Mystic Café Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Rock ‘N’ Roll is Undead (Veronica Mason, Book 1) by Rose Pressey
- Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai
- Destined Mate by Katie Reus
- Lord of the Abyss (Royal House of Shadows, Book 4) by Nalini Singh
- A Little Wild by Kate St. James
- Nuriel’s Cougar (Queens of Merab 2, Book 2) by Violet Summers
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Scrumptious by Amanda Usen
- The Closer You Get by L.A. Witt

Master List of Urban Fantasy Reviews

2011-10-12T03:42:00.000-07:00

This is a master list of all my urban fantasy reviews. The books here are not technically romance, though there might be romantic elements in them.

Note: The review links will open up in a new tab/window.

Click to jump to a particular section:

New Reviews

Reviews for Upcoming Releases

Anthologies/Multiple Authors (alphabetized by title)

Alphabetized by Author:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

New Reviews

- Alterant (Belador, Book 2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

top

Reviews for Upcoming Releases

top

Anthologies/Multiple Authors (alphabetized by title)

- Alterant (Belador, Book 2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

top

A

top

Wit and Sin

Review: Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

Waiting on Wednesday: A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

Teaser Tuesday

Review: A Clockwork Christmas by Stacy Gail, PG Forte, Jenny Schwartz, and JK Coi

Review: Slaves of Love by Opal Carew

Monday in Review

Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

Waiting on Wednesday: Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

Teaser Tuesday

Review: Secrets of Bella Terra by Christina Dodd

Review: Men Under the Mistletoe by Ava March, Harper Fox, Josh Lanyon, and K.A. Mitchell

Review: Best Man, Worst Man by Stacy Gail

Review: Stark Naked by Desiree Holt

Musing Monday

Review: This Rough Magic by Josh Lanyon

Review: Three Ways to Wicked by Melinda Barron

Review: Psychic Moon by M.D. Grimm

Review: Come Back to me by J.S. Nichols

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

Review: How to Dance With a Duke by Manda Collins

Review: Wedding Magic by Patricia Coughlin

Review: Welcome to Paradise by Elle Kennedy

Review: Wanna Do Bad Things With You by Shelley Munro

Review: Jared by Cat Johnson

Wednesday in Review

Waiting on Wednesday: Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

Review: New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

Review: For Love of an Angel by Rosalie Lario

Review: Lady Varney's Risqué Business by Cerise DeLand

Review: Strong Arms of the Law by Cerise DeLand

Review: Breaking Logan's Laws by Cameron Dane

Review: Handcuffs and Spreader Bars by Kim Dare

Review: Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon

Review: Handcuffs and Ball Gags by Kim Dare

Review: Hail Mary by C.C. Galloway

Review: Unlikely Protector by Nicole Sheldon

Review: Prior Sins by DJ Gross

Review: Stolen Justice by DJ Gross

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

Waiting on Wednesday: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

Review: Pride and Passion by Charlotte Featherstone

Teaser Tuesday

Books I've Read in 2012

2012 A to Z Reading Challenge

2012 New (to me) Author Challenge

2011 in Review

Waiting on Wednesday: I Want Candy by Susan Donovan

Free Read: Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews

Friday in Review

Waiting on Wednesday: A Perfect Storm by Cameron Dane

Teaser Tuesday

Review: Small Town Christmas by Jill Shalvis, Hope Ramsay, and Katie Lane

Review: Christmas in Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

Waiting on Wednesday: Destiny by Carly Phillips

Teaser Tuesday

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

Thursday in Review

Review: Scrumptious by Amanda Usen

Waiting on Wednesday: Winter Wonderland and Miracle of the Bellskis

Teaser Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday: Unacceptable Risk by Jeanette Grey

Teaser Tuesday

Tuesday in Review

Waiting on Wednesday: Blood Rose by Riley Shane

Teaser Tuesday

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

Waiting on Wednesday: The Duke Is Mine by Eloisa James

Thursday in Review

Review: Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

Thursday in Review

Review: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

Wednesday in Review

Master List of Urban Fantasy Reviews

Review: Deep Disclosure by Dee Davis

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

Review: Clever John by Elizabeth Hoyt

Waiting on Wednesday: Scrumptious by Amanda Usen