Monday in Review

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

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Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

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 Dream Lake!




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

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18 & Over Book Blogger Follow

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines and Kelly at Secrets of a Book Lover.

This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make new friends!

Question of the Week: Do you prefer your romance heroes inked, pierced, neither or maybe even both?

It depends on the hero. Generally, I lean toward neither, but a well-placed bit of ink can be incredibly sexy. And if it fits the character, piercings and ink can definitely work. I love Thanatos's ink in Larissa Ione's Lords of the Underworld. And John's tattoo in The Sweetest Tattoo by Cameron Dane just made me melt. And then the Dark Hunter tattoos in Kenyon's DH series are sometimes deliciously placed. So basically......it depends. But I go for ink more than piercings.

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Waiting on Wednesday: Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

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.

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Teaser Tuesday

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

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Review: Secrets of Bella Terra by Christina Dodd

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.

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

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.

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