Review: To Command and Collar by Cherise Sinclair

To Command and Collar by Cherise Sinclair
Series: Masters of the Shadowlands, Book 6
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: BDSM Contemporary Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9781611186673
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Cherise Sinclair Reading Order

In the life before he was an engineer, a Dom and a Shadowlands Master, Raoul had seen plenty of darkness. But he’s never seen evil as sickening as the evil he finds in a human trafficking ring that he volunteered to help the FBI bring down. Raoul is no slave owner, but he’s more than willing to pose as one if it will help the FBI agents on the case. He has been instructed to reject all of the slaves offered for sale at the small auction he’s been invited to so that he’ll be invited to a larger auction. Despite his best intentions, Raoul throws the feds’ plans out the window when he sees Kimberly – a friend of one of the Shadowlands’ subs - as one of the slaves for sale. Raoul can’t leave Kimberly behind, so he buys her.

Kim has been physically, sexually, mentally and emotionally tortured by her captors, but she hasn’t let it break her. When Master R purchases her, Kim can’t simply put the past behind her. More challenging than coming to grips with what was done to her and the scars it has left on her body and psyche is the knowledge that her freedom came at the cost of other kidnapped women’s lives. When she learns that there’s a chance the FBI can still raid the big slave auction if she poses as Master R’s slave, Kim can’t bring herself to refuse. She’ll have to live with Raoul and learn to treat him as her Master in order to be successful. Kim figures she can live with anything if it means freeing other slaves. What she doesn’t count on is Master R’s loving brand of dominance making her feel more alive than she ever has before.

Get ready for the most emotionally wrenching MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS book to date. TO COMMAND AND COLLAR is a gripping, sometimes painful, sometimes joyful book with a dominant, caring hero and an incredibly strong heroine who has been through hell and is struggling to find herself again. Author Cherise Sinclair isn’t afraid to pack a wallop when it comes to human trafficking, something I appreciate given the seriousness of the subject. The beginning of TO COMMAND AND COLLAR was almost painful to read because of this – and that’s a good thing, even though the vivid imagery Ms. Sinclair’s words evoked meant I had to step away from the book a time or two.

It was beautiful to watch Kim come alive under Raoul’s care, though the love of her friends and the aid of a psychologist should not be discounted. Ms. Sinclair doesn’t abandon the reality of what Kim has survived. But it is the struggles of healing and the awakening of passion that Kim faces while living with Raoul that makes TO COMMAND AND COLLAR touching.

What I love about the MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS books is that Ms. Sinclair makes each BDSM relationship as different as the characters she creates. Raoul and Kimberly dive into a full-time Master/slave relationship. The timeline is sped up because of the slave auction. But aside from the book’s villains, the main obstacle Raoul and Kimberly must overcome, if they want their burgeoning relationship to work, is whether Kimberly wants to be a full-time submissive. Raoul has been burned in the past by a relationship gone south, and he knows he can’t be anything less than what he is, nor would he ever ask Kimberly to give him more than she wants to give. Kimberly is concerned that her time as a slave has affected her when it comes to what she enjoys in BDSM. The way in which Kimberly figures out her desires adds realism to the book, helping to bring TO COMMAND AND COLLAR further to life.

TO COMMAND AND COLLAR is the sixth book in Ms. Sinclair’s fantastic MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS series. Readers new to the series will be able to follow along with the information that Ms. Sinclair provides, and fans of the series will be delighted to see all their favorite characters again. As much as I enjoyed TO COMMAND AND COLLAR, I finished the book wanting another MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS story. Ms. Sinclair has me drooling over sexy FBI agent Galen Kouros and man, oh man, does she have me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know if Dom/sadist Sam will make things work with the woman who has captured his attention.

TO COMMAND AND COLLAR doesn’t have the usual sparkle – as I call it – of Ms. Sinclair’s MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS books, but given the storyline, that’s understandable. What is consistent is Ms. Sinclair’s phenomenal talent for delivering engaging, gorgeous stories with fiery hot love scenes. All in all, I can safely say that fans of the MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS series won’t want to miss TO COMMAND AND COLLAR.


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

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The "Be Thankful" Initiative

PENGUIN GROUP (USA) AND NORA ROBERTS HELP TACKLE HUNGER IN MARYLAND

The “Be Thankful” initiative urges support of our less fortunate neighbors

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family around an extravagant meal and be thankful for all the security and stability in our lives. But it’s also a reminder that a cold winter is ahead, and it is therefore important to acknowledge our less fortunate neighbors, which is why Penguin is proud to support The Maryland Food Bank, with Penguin’s first ever “Be Thankful” initiative.

#1 New York Times bestselling Penguin author, Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland and has a deep affinity for her home state, having set many of her more than 200 novels in Maryland. Her recent NY Times bestseller, “Thankless in Death” is a suspense thriller which centers around loved ones coming together for Thanksgiving. The brutal reality of hunger in Maryland sadly has its own frightening narrative. “I was shocked to discover that the Maryland Food Bank distributes more than 34.6 million pounds of food - the equivalent of almost 29 million meals each year - and despite that significant effort, families still go hungry in our region,” stated Nora Roberts. “I am proud to help raise awareness of this issue and to applaud the incredible work that local food banks do daily to eradicate hunger in Maryland. The holiday season is a great reminder to capture the spirit of giving thanks and helping those in need.”

Penguin would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Governor Martin O’Malley, who is committed to ending childhood hunger in Maryland by 2015. “One hungry child is one too many," said Governor O’Malley. “Because of its connection to student achievement, workforce strength, physical health, and behavioral health, we’ve made eradicating childhood hunger a priority in our State.”

“We are delighted to support The Maryland Food Bank for the first time. The negative cascading effect that food insecurity can have on a person, a child or a family, is devastating. Penguin is proud to recognize the tireless efforts of The Maryland Food Bank and its commitment to lead the fight against food insecurity and hunger,” said Leslie Gelbman, President of Mass Market Publishing, Penguin Group (USA). To mark the occasion, Penguin Group (USA) is making a $10,000 donation to The Maryland Food Bank. “There are more than 457,000 people in our service area who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and more than a third are children,” says Maryland Food Bank President & CEO Deborah Flateman. “The emotional toll of hunger is especially high during the holidays. Families are struggling to put food on the table, heat their home, and at the same time keep traditions alive, so their children feel normal – at least for one day. This gift will go a long way, and help many, many families in need.” The donation ensures that over 20,000 meals will be made available to the citizens of Maryland who are in dire need of food assistance.

You too can become involved in the “Be Thankful” initiative by donating food or volunteering; to view a complete list of the affiliated food banks and or participate in a Virtual Food Drive, please visit Feeding America’s national Food Bank Locator at http://bit.ly/9ociO.

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About the Maryland Food Bank
The Maryland Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization, leading the movement to end hunger throughout Maryland. For more than thirty years, the Maryland Food Bank has partnered with communities across the state to distribute food to individuals and families in need. Through carefully-crafted programs, the food bank aims to meet the immediate needs of Marylanders while simultaneously working to find long term ways to reduce hunger statewide. Currently distributing 79,000 meals per day – nearly 29 million meals annually – the Maryland Food Bank will continue to expand its efforts until hunger ends.

The Maryland Food Bank www.mdfoodbank.org operates from three facilities: one in Baltimore, one in Salisbury, and one in Hagerstown. Through an extensive network of soup kitchens, pantries, schools and other community-based organizations, food is distributed throughout 22 counties, including Baltimore City, and Somerset, Wicomico, and Washington counties – some of the most food-insecure regions in Maryland.

About Penguin Group (USA)
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group (www.penguin.com) is part of Penguin Random House plc, the international media company.

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Review: Foolish Games by Tracy Solheim

Foolish Games by Tracy Solheim
Series: Out of Bounds, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780425266649
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Bridal gown designer Julianne Marchione is the consummate professional. But combine migraine medication with a terrifying storm and even a pro like Julianne can lose her cool at a client’s wedding…particularly when a hot football player is involved. Although Julianne wants to put her foolish one night stand behind her, she finds she can’t for long. Nearly a year later, Julianne’s infant son needs a blood transfusion, and she isn’t a match.

Will “William the Conqueror” Connelly grew up with the stigma of being an illegitimate child and he’d never wish that on anyone. Which is why he’s thrown for a loop when he finds out he has a child. Will’s furious with Julianne, but he’s not about to let anything happen to their son, Owen. Determined to do the right thing, he talks Julianne into a temporary marriage. It’s supposed to be a marriage in name only, but much to his surprise Will finds himself bonding with his unexpected wife. Will their newfound passion lead to a real marriage? Or will the ghosts of Will’s past keep him from trusting Julianne?

Betrayal, babies, and blazing hot passion - Foolish Games has it all! Tracy Solheim has delivered an engaging sports romance with her second Out of Bounds novel.

I adored Julianne from the start. She’s a wonderfully human character, meaning she’s flawed and definitely makes mistakes, but she does her best to make things right. On the flipside is Will, a hero I admit I had a hard time connecting with. For me, Will tended to be more caveman than alpha man and that just isn’t my personal cup of tea. He’s also a bit too hostile and quick to judge Julianne. I understood this in the beginning of the book, but I was disappointed that the dreamy hero of the middle of the book reverted back to his initial behavior at the end. That being said, the scenes with Will and his son endeared him to me and I liked the steam factor when he and Julianne worked past their issues and hit the sheets.

A charming secondary romance between Annabeth, Will’s mom, and Hank, the general manager of the Baltimore Blaze (Will’s team), brought a smile to my face more often than not. Annabeth and Hank’s love story was quieter, but ultimately the more powerful of the two for me. The obstacles their relationship faced felt organic to the story, whereas the misunderstandings and blowups in Will and Julianne’s marriage came across as more manufactured.

Foolish Games is the second Out of Bounds novel, but it can be read as a standalone. The hero and heroine of the first book, Game On, do appear, which should delight fans of that story. Personally, I thought the highlight of Foolish Games was Will’s teammate Brody. The sexy tight end stole every scene he was in and I cannot wait to read his book. Thankfully, Ms. Solheim isn’t making readers wait long, for Brody’s the hero of the next Out of Bounds book, Risky Game. Though Foolish Games was hit and miss for me, I’ll definitely be buying Risky Game!

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Review: Confessions of a Bad Bridesmaid by Jennifer Rae

Confessions of a Bad Bridesmaid by Jennifer Rae
Publisher: Harlequin KISS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781460324196
Release Date: January 1, 2014
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Olivia Matthews is ready to let loose! Armed with tight dresses and a perfect tan, the Aussie bridesmaid is ready to take England by storm. Or at least ready to have a good time at her best friend’s wedding. But from the first, nothing goes as planned. The only appealing part of the weekend is the groom’s brother, the sexy Mr. Darcy-ish Edward Winchester. Now if only Olivia could convince Edward to give into their mutual desire and enjoy a fling that could turn into so much more…

Society weddings and familial tension are a combustible pairing before you throw in an outsider, so it’s no surprise that Confessions of a Bad Bridesmaid has drama to spare. Romancing blooming in the midst of a chaotic wedding weekend is nothing new, but author Jennifer Rae makes it feel fresh, thanks mostly to her leading lady. Olivia just about broke my heart. She’s always been seen as second (or third, or fourth, or fifth) best when compared to her near-perfect sister and her friends. As a result, Olivia is insecure about her looks and is determined to try and be the kind of woman men find attractive. Needless to say, it’s Olivia’s true self Edward falls for and what I liked best about Confessions of a Bad Bridesmaid was watching him peel back the party girl persona Olivia wears like armor to find the woman underneath.

While Olivia herself made Confessions of a Bad Bridesmaid impossible to put down, the story as a whole was a bit of a letdown. I grew frustrated with the push-pull between Edward and Olivia and their romance never quite drew me in. The secondary characters (Edward’s sister, Bunny, in particular) grated on my nerves more often than not. Still, Confessions of a Bad Bridesmaid wasn’t a bad read, just not a story I think I’ll re-read. However, I liked Olivia so much that even though Confessions of a Bad Bridesmaid wasn’t for me, I’ll be giving another one of Ms. Rae’s books a try.

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Review: The Heart of a Duke by Victoria Morgan

The Heart of a Duke by Victoria Morgan
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 9780425264836
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Lady Julia Chandler is tired of waiting for her fiancé to remember to marry her. She’s known Edmund, Duke of Bedford, all her life and thus has no compunction about tracking down the man in his own home and kissing him until he’s ready to post the banns. Fate seems to be smiling on Julia, for on her way to find the “Damned Duke,” she crosses paths with him. There’s just one thing she doesn’t know…

After years abroad, Lord Daniel Bryant has come home to face his evil twin, find out who tried to kill him ten years ago, and uncover the meaning of a cryptic note from his late father’s solicitor. Of all the surprises that await him, none are more shocking than his brother’s fiancée throwing herself at him. When they were younger, Daniel cared for Julia. His affection for her quickly turns into more upon meeting her again. Daniel knows he cannot let Julia marry Edmund, but if he claims her for her own, she might be caught in the crosshairs when Daniel’s unknown enemy attacks.

A dashing hero, a spirited heroine, and a crazed assailant make The Heart of a Duke a lively tale. Victoria Morgan charms readers with her delightful characters even as the story suffers somewhat from extreme predictability. It’s impossible not to like Daniel and Julia, and their romance is both sweet and quietly sensual. Where The Heart of a Duke falls short for me is in the mystery plotline. The answers Daniel returns to England to seek seemed glaringly obvious to me and every twist the story took was so blatantly choreographed that I was left feeling disappointed. As for the story’s villain, sadly Edmund was a maniacal black-hatted type, and I truly wished there had been some shades of grey to his character.

Julia’s family and Daniel’s friends add sparkle to The Heart of a Duke, particularly handsome American Brett and Julia’s sister, Emily. The chemistry between Brett and Emily left me hungry for more, and I dearly hope that Ms. Morgan plans to write a story for these two. If I hadn’t been able to foresee the book’s climax from the beginning, I think I would have adored The Heart of a Duke. As it stands, I did like romance and the tale’s good guys had me smiling more often than not. If Ms. Morgan writes a book for Emily and Brett, I’ll definitely be first in line to buy it.

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Review: The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780670023660
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

An imaginative story of a woman caught in an alternate world—where she will need to learn the skills of magic to survive

Nora Fischer’s dissertation is stalled and her boyfriend is about to marry another woman. During a miserable weekend at a friend’s wedding, Nora wanders off and walks through a portal into a different world where she’s transformed from a drab grad student into a stunning beauty. Before long, she has a set of glamorous new friends and her romance with gorgeous, masterful Raclin is heating up. It’s almost too good to be true.

Then the elegant veneer shatters. Nora’s new fantasy world turns darker, a fairy tale gone incredibly wrong. Making it here will take skills Nora never learned in graduate school. Her only real ally—and a reluctant one at that—is the magician Aruendiel, a grim, reclusive figure with a biting tongue and a shrouded past. And it will take her becoming Aruendiel’s student—and learning magic herself—to survive. When a passage home finally opens, Nora must weigh her “real life” against the dangerous power of love and magic.

For lovers of Lev Grossman's The Magicians series (The Magicians and The Magician King) and Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night).

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic is a difficult book for me to review. I was drawn to the title and premise, but ultimately found the first to be misleading and the second to be far more exciting in blurb format than in reality.

To begin with the good, Emily Croy Barker has developed a world of magic that is filled with promise. The magicians – chiefly Aruendiel – are an interesting lot and I’d have loved to have delved deeper into their characters. Unfortunately, there was a lot of missed opportunity in The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic. Our guide throughout the story is Nora, the titular “thinking woman” who really doesn’t use her brain as much as she ought to. Nora is from our world and I believe she’s supposed to be the character we all identify with, but she seems to lack common sense or the ability see anything from a viewpoint other than her own (Annoyed that people in this magical, medieval-type world aren’t as progressive or “enlightened” as you? *Sigh*). I didn’t mind this in the beginning of the book, when she was enchanted by the story’s villain, but I expected Nora to grow as a character in the ten months or so she was Aruendiel’s world. That she was so easily fooled by the villain near the end of the story pained me to no end. Aside from learning a few spells and parlor tricks, Nora really didn’t seem to learn much on her journey.

I could forgive Nora’s flaws if The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic were at least interesting. Sadly, we spend most of the book’s nearly 600 pages following Nora as she does her chores and follows Aruendiel about. There seems to be no real point to much of this, and the book could have been halved without losing anything. Near the end things do pick up, but much to my dismay, the book ends with a cliffhanger of sorts. Not an interesting cliffhanger, mind you, simply one that made me double-check my book because I thought I was missing pages. None of the major plot points are resolved, and since we spend so much time watching paint dry (figuratively speaking) I felt extremely cheated as a reader.

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic isn’t an entirely bad story, but it is one that suffers from a frustratingly obtuse heroine and a lack of any real direction.

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Waiting on Wednesday: Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson

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

I'm a sucker for Jane Austen adaptations, even though they tend to be hit or miss for me. Unleashing Mr. Darcy sounds like a whole lot of fun, so I've got high hopes for it :)

Title: Unleashing Mr. Darcy
Author: Teri Wilson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Release Date: December 31, 2013

Book Description (from Goodreads):

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman teetering on the verge of thirty must be in want of a husband.

Not true for Manhattanite Elizabeth Scott. Instead of planning a walk down the aisle, she's crossing the pond with the only companion she needs; her darling dog, Bliss. Caring for a pack of show dogs in England seems the perfect distraction from the scandal that ruined her teaching career, and her reputation, in New York. What she doesn't count on is an unstoppable attraction to billionaire dog breeder Donovan Darcy. The London tycoon's a little bit arrogant, a whole lot sexy, and the chemistry between them is disarming. When passion is finally unleashed, might Elizabeth hope to take home more than a blue ribbon?

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