Waiting on Wednesday: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

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

I'm 3/4 of the way through the first His Fair Assassin book, Grave Mercy, and I'm LOVING it. Dark Triumph comes out on my birthday next year -- I'm definitely pre-ordering it so I can celebrate with a good book ;)

Title: Dark Triumph
Series: His Fair Assassin, Book 2
Author: Robin LaFevers
Genre: YA Historical
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Release Date: April 2, 2013

Book Description (from Goodreads):

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

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Review: Captain Gravenor's Airship Equinox by Heather Hiestand

Captain Gravenor's Airship Equinox by Heather Hiestand
Series: Steampunk Smugglers, Book 3
Publisher: Coffee on Sundays
Genre: Steampunk Romance
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

All Philadelphia Hardcastle wanted to do was invent machines to make her family’s farm operation more profitable. After learning that her brother sold her inventions to the British Air Enforcement — who then manipulated and turned her technology onto people — Philadelphia feels there’s no better penance for what she’s done than taking her own life.

When smuggler and airship builder Brecon Gravenor rescues a woman from the edge of a cliff, he has no idea he’s just saved the infamous “Dr. Castle.” Even after he learns the truth, it’s clear to him that Philadelphia’s no monster. But the smugglers Brecon works with don’t see it that way. They’re determined to have Philadelphia make inventions for their own purposes.

Philadelphia is eager to help undo the damage the BAE has done, but she’s not happy being thrown in a jail cell with Brecon and commanded to work. Philadelphia will have to work with her unlikely rescuer if she ever hopes to escape. What she doesn’t expect is to find love with her handsome cellmate.

As one might expect in a story with two inventors for protagonists, the true uniqueness of CAPTAIN GRAVENOR’S AIRSHIP EQUINOX comes from the inventions. Author Heather Hiestand develops fascinating steampunk technology in CAPTAIN GRAVENOR’S AIRSHIP EQUINOX and I admit that my interest in the world building outweighed my interest in the romance in this third STEAMPUNK SMUGGLERS tale. That being said, Brecon and Philadelphia are by no means bad characters. They’re survivors with intelligence, kindness and general likeability which make it easy to hope that they beat the odds and find happiness. Yet, while I liked Brecon and Philadelphia, I was never really invested in either the romance aspect or the twists and turns of the danger plotline in CAPTAIN GRAVENOR’S AIRSHIP EQUINOX. When compared to Ms. Hiestand’s previous STEAMPUNK SMUGGLERS tale, CAPTAIN FENNA’S DIRIGIBLE VALENTINE, I felt there was something almost inexplicable missing in Philadelphia and Brecon’s story.

CAPTAIN GRAVENOR’S AIRSHIP EQUINOX is the third STEAMPUNK SMUGGLERS story, but it can be read as a standalone. Fans of the series will undoubtedly be delighted by mentions of characters from the first two tales, CAPTAIN ANDREW’S FLYING CHRISTMAS and CAPTAIN FENNA’S DIRIGIBLE VALENTINE. While CAPTAIN GRAVENOR’S AIRSHIP EQUINOX wasn’t my favorite story in the STEAMPUNK SMUGGLERS series, it is an inventive tale and I did enjoy reading it.


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

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Review: Trouble in Texas by Katie Lane

Trouble in Texas by Katie Lane
Series: Deep in the Heart of Texas, Book 4
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 18, 2012
ISBN: 9781455515714
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Prim and proper Elizabeth Murphy is the spinster of Bramble, Texas. But what Bramble’s townsfolk don’t know is that their librarian has just inherited a house of ill repute! Elizabeth wants to sell the legendary Miss Hattie’s Henhouse, but its elderly residents aren’t about to let Elizabeth sell the place without a fight. The “hens,” as they call themselves, want to restore and reopen Miss Hattie’s and they want Elizabeth to take part in their legacy. If that wasn’t enough to give Elizabeth a headache, the drugged, bound, handsome man the hens have taken captive will definitely do it.

Branston Cates has come to Miss Hattie’s for answers. He wants to break the curse on his family before he loses someone else he cares about. Instead he finds himself in a bed with the most intriguing woman he’s ever met. Brant knows there’s more to Elizabeth than meets the eye, and he’s willing to use every seduction technique he has to find out what’s beneath her oh-so-proper façade.

With a little help from the hens, Brant and Elizabeth will discover that there’s magic to be found in the walls of Miss Hattie’s Henhouse. The kind of magic that’ll help Elizabeth and Brant find not only their purpose in life, but love.

Trouble in Texas is a difficult book for me to review. I really wanted to love it, but I had some issues with the story. My biggest problems with the book were (1) the story felt slightly sexist at times (which was annoying) and (2) I couldn’t connect with either Elizabeth or Brant (which was disappointing). The two of them felt a bit flat and I was saddened that author Katie Lane simply tells readers Elizabeth and Brant fall in love rather than showing why we’re supposed to believe in the love story. As for the characters themselves, Brant was a fine hero, but largely unmemorable. Elizabeth, however, stands out in my memory for all the wrong reasons. I understand and liked that she’s supposed to be rather sheltered, but Ms. Lane takes Elizabeth’s “innocence” a bit too far and instead makes her come across as improbably ignorant (virgin or no, in a contemporary romance I don’t expect to see a thirty-seven-year-old woman believing her hero’s “attributes” are too big). What I believe was an attempt at comedy just struck me as ridiculous. So goes a lot of the humor in Trouble in Texas.

Enough with the bad. The bright spots of Trouble in Texas are Brant’s irrepressibly good humored brother, Beau, and the over-the-top hens of Miss Hattie’s Henhouse. Beau, Minnie, Baby, and Sunshine brought life and laughter to Trouble in Texas and it’s because of these four that I didn’t put down the book indefinitely. The twists and turns involving the reopening of Miss Hattie’s and the mystery of Brant’s family curse were interesting as well, though I won’t spoil the book for readers by saying anything about these plotlines.

Trouble in Texas is the fourth book in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series and I think it’s possible my enjoyment of Brant and Elizabeth’s story was lessened by my not having read Going Cowboy Crazy, Make Mine a Bad Boy, and Catch Me a Cowboy. Perhaps had I read those books I would have been able to connect with the townsfolk of Bramble and the cameos from past heroes and heroines would have meant something to me. At the moment, I’m not quite inspired to give the first three books in the series a try. However, I was intrigued by Beau Cates and I want to read his book, Flirting With Texas. While Trouble in Texas wasn’t the book for me, perhaps I’ll enjoy Flirting With Texas more.

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Review: Unleashing the Receptionist by Juniper Bell

Unleashing the Receptionist by Juniper Bell
Series: ...the Receptionist, Book 3
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781619212572
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link

Dana Arthur couldn’t be happier with her two bosses, Simon Dirk and Ethan Cowell. Both in work and play, her lovers make sure she’s…well, fulfilled. Still, there’s a little part of Dana that’s unsatisfied. Ethan and Simon are close-lipped about their past and until they open up to her, their three-way relationship can’t be equitable.

But Dana’s concerns about her love life will have to be put on hold for a moment. A vengeful former partner is targeting Ethan and Simon’s firm, and with a tax auditor watching their every move, all three members of Cowell & Dirk will have to be on their best behavior. Dana’s not about to stand idly by while the men and business she loves are under attack. Ethan and Simon’s enemy doesn’t know what she’s unleashed when this receptionist goes on the offensive.

UNLEASHING THE RECEPTIONIST zings with red-hot eroticism. Author Juniper Bell mixes tantalizing sex scenes with genuine romantic warmth in the third book in …THE RECEPTIONIST series.

As I have not (yet) read the first two …THE RECEPTIONIST stories, I didn’t have any expectations regarding Dana, Ethan, Simon or their relationship. What I found was a genuinely loving, equal partnership with plenty of kink and a lot of heart. Ms. Bell gave me a great sense of who Dana was right from the start of the book, and the sassy receptionist immediately endeared herself to me. Like Dana, I wanted to know more about Simon and Ethan’s shared past so that the threesome’s already stable relationship would be rock solid. Happily, Ms. Bell peeled back the layers of the dominant Ethan and roguish Simon over the course of UNLEASHING THE RECEPTIONIST, allowing both Dana and the readers to become even more attached to Dana’s two sexy bosses.

UNLEASHING THE RECEPTIONIST was a deliciously naughty read and I greatly enjoyed it. Dana, Simon and Ethan are all characters I quickly grew to care about, which is why it was so easy for me to become invested in their story. I will definitely be reading the first two …THE RECEPTIONIST stories, TRAINING THE RECEPTIONIST and RESTRAINING THE RECEPTIONIST, as well as the short story THANKING THE RECEPTIONIST.


Note 1: UNLEASHING THE RECEPTIONIST features light BDSM and a few scenes of F/F eroticism.

Note 2: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

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Waiting on Wednesday: Simply Scandalous by Kate Pearce

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

I love the House of Pleasure series and I'm sorry to see it end. That being said, I'm really looking forward to the final book, Simply Scandalous.

Title: Simply Scandalous
Series: House of Pleasure, Book 9
Author: Kate Pearce
Genre: Erotic Historical Romance
Publisher: Aphrodisia
Release Date: December 24, 2012
Kate Pearce Reading Order

Book Description (from Goodreads):

After years of fighting on the continent, Richard Ross has finally returned to London to make peace with his father, and the erotic delights of his stepmother’s Pleasure House provide a welcome distraction for his war-weary heart. But he is shocked to encounter someone there whose resemblance to his lost love leaves him both tempted and tormented...

As a former spy, Violet LeNy has mastered the art of deception. But there is no disguising the heated passion that still burns between her and Richard, the man she once betrayed but who now is her only hope of survival. Soon she plans a scandalous game of seduction where sensual surrender is the ultimate pleasure...

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Monday in Review

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:
- Under the Mistletoe (Lucky Harbor, Book 6.5) by Jill Shalvis (available 12/4/12)

All other new reviews:
- Unleashing the Receptionist (…the Receptionist, Book 3) by Juniper Bell
- Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane
- The Gravedigger’s Brawl by Abigail Roux

Upcoming reviews:
- Hex Appeal anthology
- Love is Murder anthology
- Legacy (The League of Illusion, Book 1) by Vivi Anna
- Skies of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, Book 3) by Zoë Archer
- Wickedly Good by Anya Breton
- A Younger Man (Cabin Fever, Book 3) by Cameron Dane
- How to Ravish a Rake (How to Series, Book 3) by Vicky Dreiling
- Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards
- Some Like It Hot (Rising Star Chef, Book 2) by Louisa Edwards
- Hot Under Pressure (Rising Star Chef, Book 3) by Louisa Edwards
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, Book 1) by Robin LaFevers
- Come Fly With Me (Alaskan Nights, Book 2) by Addison Fox
- Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Book 3) by Laura Lee Guhrke
- Dearly, Beloved (Gone With the Respiration, Book 2) by Lia Habel
- Captain Gravenor’s Airship Equinox (Steampunk Smugglers, Book 3) by Heather Hiestand
- If You Give a Girl a Viscount (Impossible Bachelors, Book 4) by Kieran Kramer
- Trouble in Texas (Deep in the Heart of Texas, Book 4) by Katie Lane
- One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (The Rules of Scoundrels, Book 2) by Sarah MacLean
- Secret Light by Z.A. Maxfield
- Lyon’s Bride (The Chattan Curse, Book 1) by Cathy Maxwell
- Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, Book 1) by Bec McMaster
- What Happens in Scotland by Jennifer McQuiston
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Crazy Thing Called Love (Crooked Creek Ranch, Book 3) by Molly O’Keefe
- Educating Elizabeth by Kate Pearce
- Redeeming Jack by Kate Pearce
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- Simply Scandalous (House of Pleasure, Book 9) by Kate Pearce
- Alien Sex 102 by Allie Ritch
- Nights of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, Book 4) by Nico Rosso
- Daniel’s Surrender (Corporate Affairs, Book 3) by Sierra and V.J. Summers
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Easy by Tammara Webber

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Review: Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane

Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 978-1455522361
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Since her father’s heart attack, Cassie McPherson has been working harder than ever for her family’s construction business. Being a workaholic, she doesn’t exactly have time to scare up a date for her family’s holiday party. Rather than showing up to the party alone and being subjected to countless matchmaking attempts, Cassie hires an escort. But James isn’t like any escort Cassie’s hired before. James is charming, sexy, and puts Cassie’s libido into overdrive. There’s just one problem…

James isn’t an escort — he’s her family’s biggest competitor! A case of mistaken identity lands him as Cassie’s date for an evening, but by the time he falls into bed with the raven-haired beauty, James is already tumbling headlong into love. James knows he needs to tell Cassie who he really is, but will he be able to convince her to give their burgeoning relationship a chance once she learns the truth?

Sex, secrets, and holiday cheer are at the heart of Hunk for the Holidays. Author Katie Lane delivers a fast-paced, sprightly romance that’s ideal for anyone looking for a sensual, fun Christmastime read.

James is a hardworking contractor who is pretty much the perfect hero. Yes, he doesn’t tell Cassie the truth immediately upon figuring out she’s mistaken him for an escort, but to be fair to him, she doesn’t seem to want to listen when he does try to explain. James is handsome, patient, and a bit lonely, making it easy for me to want him to find love. Cassie, in turn, is a bit harder to root for. I wanted to adore her. In the beginning of Hunk for the Holidays, Cassie’s presented as a smart, capable woman who’s not ashamed of being a tomboy, and I liked her for it. But as the story goes on, she (1) has no interest in listening to James when he’s trying to tell her important information and (2) has so many “TSTL” moments (example: dragging a half-dead tree across luminarias [candles in paper bags] and then acting surprised when the tree catches on fire) I grew irritated with her. Cassie’s increasingly frustrating behavior and the multiple big misunderstandings in Hunk for the Holidays dragged down what otherwise would have been an utterly delightful romance.

I can’t write about Hunk for the Holidays without talking about Cassie’s family. Where Ms. Lane truly made me smile was in scenes involving the McPherson clan. Cassie’s brothers all charmed me in their own way and her aunt Wheezie was a pip. The McPherson family brings humor and warmth to Hunk for the Holidays, keeping me invested in the story when I might have otherwise put the book down. Out of all the McPhersons, I was most enraptured with Rory. Ms. Lane has a subplot involving Rory and the woman he’s loved for years, Cassie’s best friend, Amy. Rory and Amy’s romance just might be my favorite plotline of Hunk for the Holidays; it’s simple, heartwarming, and truly lovely.

Hunk for the Holidays has some ups and downs, but overall it's an entertaining story. I enjoyed the McPhersons enough that I’m hoping Ms. Lane has plans to write a sequel to Hunk for the Holidays, for Cassie’s two unmarried brothers have all the makings of excellent heroes.

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