Love To Read For Fun

Book Promo: Serial Date by DV Berkom

2012-05-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

Serial Date

By DV BeRkom

BLURB:

A retired assassin. A serial killer with a social agenda.

A politician with a fondness for free-range livestock.

Determined to leave her old life behind, retired assassin Leine Basso accepts a job working security at one of television's most popular reality shows, Serial Date. When a contestant is found dead in the prop closet, it appears the killer is one of the 'bachelors' on the show- an ex-con billed as a serial killer- but the detective in charge of the case isn't so sure.

Santiago Jensen, a homicide detective with a playboy reputation is assigned to the reality show murder case. There's instant attraction when he meets Leine Basso, but until they catch the murderer, he has to keep his distance.

When Leine's estranged daughter is abducted by a man claiming to be the real killer, she's forced to rely on old skills to find her, and must come to terms with who she really is. She soon realizes the murderer may be a grisly remnant from her past and she'll need to use all of her cunning to stop him and rescue her daughter.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

Excerpt from Serial Date:

He didn't have long to wait. Her green sedan pulled to the curb fifteen minutes later. He watched as she opened the door and climbed out, then shut and locked the car behind her. When she reached the walkway leading to the front door of the house, Jensen got out of his car and crossed the street.

"Leine."

She stopped but didn't turn.

"You need to go." Her voice rippled through the still evening air.

He covered the distance between them and placed his hand on her arm. She turned and he could see by the light of the street lamp she'd been crying. Surprised, he let go.

She turned and walked the rest of the way to her door, fumbling in her purse. Jensen followed slowly, not wanting to spook her.

"Listen, Leine. If there's something wrong, I can help. Just tell me." All of his senses were heightened, being so close to her. He could feel her body heat and smell her hair, her perfume. Something by Chanel, she'd told him the other morning.

"No. You have to leave. Don't ask me to explain." She found her key and slid it into the lock, but didn't open the door.

Jensen edged closer and placed his hand on the small of her back. She didn't move. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent and encircled her waist with his other hand, bringing her closer to him. The feel of her body against his left him unhinged and he bent his head to devour her neck, acting like a man who'd found water after days without. Her breath caught; she offered no resistance.

Her body began to relax into him and a soft moan escaped her. He continued to nuzzle her earlobe and neck, his heartbeat matching his excitement. All sense of time and space vanished. Nothing mattered except Leine.

Without warning she stiffened and pushed him away. Confused, he drew back.

"I can't see you anymore," she said, as she unlocked the door. Before he could protest, she slipped inside and closed it, sliding the deadbolt into place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author:

DV Berkom grew up in the Midwest, received her BA in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Several years and at least a dozen moves later, she now lives outside of Seattle, Washington with her sweetheart Mark, an ex-chef-turned-contractor, and writes whenever she gets a chance. You're welcome to email her at dvb @ dvberkom.com or chat with her on Facebook and Twitter- she loves to hear from readers as well as other writers.
For more information, you can visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://www.dvberkom.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/dvberkom
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/DV-Berkom/e/B004EVOYH6
Smashwords Author Page: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/dvberkom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/dvberkom
Bad Spirits Book Trailer http://www.blazingtrailers.com/show/1615/

Review: Improper Relations by Juliana Ross

2012-05-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Improper Relations
Author: Juliana Ross
Published: April 23, 2012
Pages: 59 (novella)
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Source: NetGalley
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "It's more than goddamn nice," he growled. "It's bloody perfect, that's what it is."

summary from Goodreads
Dorset, 1858

When Hannah's caught watching her late husband's cousin debauch the maid in the library, she's mortified -- but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she's used to being ignored.

The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she's witnessed, but there's something about Leo that draws her to him.

When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can't bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she's losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends?

Marq's thoughts:
Hannah is a widow who is living with her late husband's family. She is the poor relation that is being tolerated. Leo is the black sheep of the family and Hannah has always been intrigued by him. When she spies him tupping the maid, she is turned on. While married, Hannah's sex life was less than stellar. Though she's no virgin, she is innocent of what it feels like to feel and give pleasure. She wants Leo to teach her and Leo is more than willing to oblige.

I enjoyed reading Improper Relations. I liked that Hannah was not afraid to give in to the curiosity that plagued her. She was willing to explore her sexual needs and wasn't looking for a commitment in return. The novella is very sexy and steamy. Leo is the perfect teacher; patient, accommodating, willing to be used for practice. I thought the overall relationship between Leo and Hannah was perfect. I started to have a problem when feelings started to develop. Hannah was already half in love with Leo but was content to be with him for sex only. She was 30 years old, a widow, with no money and possessions. For her, her life was over. She didn't have any fantasies of a rich, handsome man sweeping her off her feet and marrying her. Leo doesn't want to be married and has made it clear to his family that he will not marry. I didn't buy the HEA for Leo and Hannah. I would have liked the novella better if there was no HEA. I wanted Leo and Hannah to continue their secretive, sex only relationship.

Improper Relations is a well-written and steamy novella. Even though I didn't like the ending, I still enjoyed it. I looked forward to reading more from Juliana Ross.

Review: Wicked Burn by Beth Kery

2012-05-24T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Wicked Burn
Author: Beth Kery
Published: May 1, 2012 (reprint)
Pages: 343
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley)
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Tabatha

Favorite quote: “I’m Vic.”
His hand rose to cradle her chin, lifting her face until she met his gaze. Niall’s pulse throbbed madly at her throat when she saw the heat in his gray eyes as they fixed on her mouth.
“Now that we’ve got that out of the way…” His head dropped slowly. “Let’s get down to the good stuff Niall.”

summary from Goodreads
A red-hot read from a brand-new voice in erotic romance.

He wanted all of her and did she ever let him have it…

Vic Savian knows what he wants when he sees it. And what he wants is his sexy neighbor, Niall Chandler. When he finds her in the hallway of their building being harassed by an aggressive suitor, Vic steps in and finds himself greatly rewarded…

Sleeping with her gorgeous neighbor when she didn't even know his last name was the craziest thing Niall's ever done. Now, she can't seem to get enough of Vic or the uninhibited passion he stirs in her. Suddenly, with his help, she's opening to sensual pleasures she's never known before. But when Niall's past comes back to haunt her, will she and Vic let themselves venture beyond the bedroom and explore the possibility of the love that's in their hearts?

Tabby's thoughts:
Seriously. I think my heart rate went will above normal like 150 times reading this book. I would have read it all in one sitting had I not had to do the mommy and wife thing. Yes, it was that addicting. Within the first 5 pages; these two were going at it.. Not the simple, "Oh you look good, we have sex - cut scene" type of going at it either, but the type that makes you wish you were Niall, instead of the one reading the book.

Niall is a simple girl, yet complex at the same time. She has enough baggage that most men would run screaming, yet seems like she has it all together. She has a past that she hardly shares with anyone, not because she has something to hide, but because, even after almost 4 years, she is still trying to come to terms with it. After a night of "company obligation" she's saved from an over eager co-worker by her, sex embodied neighbor, Vic.

Vic has his own secrets... err past that he has FINALLY began to come to terms with. He is a successful playwright and even owns a ranch. So what was he doing in the city, as her neighbor, saving her butt? He happens to live there half the week to be closer to work. After playing the night in shining armor; for whatever reason, they both throw caution to the wind and get down with the nitty gritty. To Vic, it was a one time thing - yet, when she attempted to up and run - he stops her. Way.To.Go.Vic

The two of them together face not only his past, but hers as well. There are several obstacles that are thrown at the both of them and during a few, you got the feeling that the two weren't going to make it through. What I loved about these issues were that they are real. Real stuff that we all go through, or have gone through at some point in our lives. It helped with connecting with the characters.

This was a well thought out story. Nothing seemed to jumbled for me and everything flowed with an ease. I felt that the back stories more than helped give us an understanding of the characters we were reading about.

The only thing I have to comment on is I wish there was a little more back story on Niall's parents. Aside from that, I freaking loved this book!

Review: Acrobat by Mary Calmes

2012-05-23T13:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Acrobat
Author: Mary Calmes
Published: May 6, 2012
Pages: 239
Genre: m/m romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Rating: C-
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.

Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been looking for. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.

Marq's thoughts:
I've heard nothing but great things about Mary Calmes's m/m romance novels. I jumped at the chance to read Acrobat when I saw it on NetGalley. Plus I really liked the cover and the fact that the main character is an older man.

When I started reading Acrobat, I really wanted to like it. Nathan Qells is a very likable character. He's smart, gorgeous and everyone loves him. In fact, he's too perfect! He doesn't realize that he's hot or that his students crush on him. I liked that we wasn't self-involved and egotistical but after awhile his, "People like me? They really like me?" spiel started to wear thin. I always found the dialog kind of clunky and there was so much of it. I'm a fan of dialog but I felt that in Acrobat, it slowed down the overall story instead of adding to it. There were a lot of phrases that were used over and over. And I think everyone in the book was a neanderthal because they grunted and groaned a lot during normal conversation.

The first half of the book is spent on Nathan and his former student, Sean, trying to get together for a date. But obstacles, personal and professional, keep getting in their way. In the end, I didn't see the point in bringing Sean, the former student, into the picture because there was a nice built up and then everything just fizzled. Was it just another way to show how hot Nate is and how he's completely oblivious to his hotness?

Acrobat started getting better when Dreo, Nate's mobster neighbor, fully entered the picture. This was past the 50% mark. That's a long time to wait for the central love story to commence, especially since the book is less than 300 pages. Again, too much of the book was spent on "other" stuff which took away from Dreo and Nate's developing relationship.

Acrobat worked best for me when the focus was on the developing relationship of Nate and Dreo. I also liked the scenes with Nate and Michael. Everything else felt like filler and for me, it added nothing to the overall story. Even though Acrobat was just okay for me, I am looking forward to reading more of Mary Calmes's work.

Early Review: His Dark Embrace by Amanda Ashley

2012-05-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: His Dark Embrace
Author: Amanda Ashley
Release Date: May 29 (digital) June 5 (print)
Pages: 320
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher (Kensington)
Rating: D
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “While I’ve been here, taking care of my mom and trying to keep my dad’s spirits up, Lance has been out on the town with another woman.”

summary from Goodreads
A VAMPIRE’S KISS. A WOMAN’S SURRENDER.

Tall, dark, mysterious—and with a faint scar on his cheek that only makes him more gorgeous—Kaiden Thorne is one schoolgirl obsession Skylynn never forgot. Now, returning to her childhood home after eight years, she can’t believe her reclusive neighbor is still living across the street—and hotter than ever. Skylynn doesn’t know how Kaiden manages to stay so young, virile, and impossibly attractive. But she knows she wants him…even if he harbors a fearful secret he refuses to tell her.

When Kaiden sees the beautiful young woman Skylynn has become, he can no longer control the bloodlust that is his true nature. Once he pulls Skylynn into his arms, presses his lips against hers—and accidentally draws blood—he longs for more. Only she possesses what he wants and what he needs. Only she can save him or destroy him. But once Skylynn agrees to help Kaiden battle his darkest desires, there is no turning back…

Ellie's thoughts:
Skylynn McNamara has returned to California after her grandfather’s death to sort out all of his belongings and settle his estate. Skylynn hasn’t been home since she left for college and is shocked to see her neighbor and childhood crush Kaiden Thorne still living across the street. Kaiden hasn’t aged a bit and Sky is shocked when he asks her out fulfilling her childhood fantasy. But Kaiden is not what he seems and the more time they spend together it becomes obvious Kaiden is not what he seems.

Kaiden Thorne has been a vampire for over four hundred years and with the help of his neighbor Mr. McNamara he was able to be a normal person and not a creature of the night. With McNamara death, the formula for keeping Kaiden able to walk in the sunlight is lost and he is desperate to find it. Kaiden is shocked to see Skylynn all grown up and as important as the formula is Kaiden cannot walk away from her. Kaiden is not the only one looking for the formula and soon old enemies are back in Kaiden and Skylynns life and together they must set things right.

I wanted to like this book but I have finally accepted that I am not a fan of this author’s work and need to just stop trying . I found this book to be very cheesy and the dialogue had me spending a lot of time rolling my eyes. The quote I used is the perfect example of the corny things characters say and it made it so hard to read this book. Kaiden and Skylynn aren’t bad characters and I really liked them at first but after awhile they got very annoying. Neither could make up their minds about anything and Sky would run and hide when anything bad happened. Sky seemed very naive and very young, which is not something I look for in a heroine. I don’t think her and Kaiden are a good match and it made it very hard to root for them to have a happily ever after.

I don’t want to give too much away and I don’t want to be super negative. I personally am not a fan of this book or it’s characters and this will be the last book I read by this author out of fairness to her and her fans.

Two Reviews: Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

2012-05-22T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Lethal Rider
Series: Lords of Deliverance, #3
Author: Larissa Ione
Published: May 22, 2012
Pages: 444
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: NetGalley
Reviewed by: Ellie and Marq

summary from Goodreads
They're here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Born of a match between good and evil, four siblings stand between hell's minions and everything they want to destroy. They are the Lords of Deliverance, and they have the power to ward off Doomsday...or let it ride...

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.

**The reviews contain spoilers if you haven't read the previous two books in the series**

Ellie's thoughts:
Favorite quote: “You have no say over who I have in my bedroom. If I want to invite the entire Miami Dolphins team into my bed and have a big orgy while covered in chocolate sauce, you have no say in that whatsoever.” “My house, my rules. No chocolate NFL orgies in my keep.”

Lethal Rider picks up roughly eight months after Immortal Rider ended. Thanatos, also known as Death, is one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and has been frozen for months by his brother and sister. Thanatos always thought his seal, the one if broken would trigger the Apocalypse, was his virginity but that was proven wrong after one night of passion with the sexy Aegis Guardian Regan Cooper. It’s been months since but Thanatos hasn’t forgotten and he will stop at nothing to get revenge on the sexy Guardian who has haunted him since that night.

Regan Cooper should have been killed as a baby for being half demon but the Aegis took her in and raised her giving her the only family and life she’s ever known. When the Aegis asks her to seduce Thanatos and get pregnant with his child to save the world she does what has to be done. Now eight months pregnant, Thanatos has come for her and is shocked to find her pregnant with his child. The spark between the two is still there and grows strong the longer they’re together. The life they have created could be the key to their future but it’s up them if it’s the beginning or the end.

To say that I liked this book is like saying chocolate is just okay. Lethal Rider is my favorite of the Lords of Deliverance series so far and Thanatos is going on my all time favorite book boyfriend list. With that being said I was very hesitant to start this book because of my feelings about Regan coming off Immortal Rider. Regan was very annoying and I was not happy about having to read four hundred pages about her but she slowly redeemed herself in this book and I found myself actually liking her by the end.

There is a lot going on in Lethal Rider as the fate of the world rests with Thanatos and Regan’s unborn child. It seems that everyone, even Thanatos usually faithful servants, want the child dead and the Apocalypse to begin and no one can be trusted. As Than and Regan fight to save their child the more they realize they need one another. I always love stories where the woman is pregnant and I think that really helped me like Regan and Than together. I find few things more beautiful then a man being excited to be a father and stopping at nothing to save his family.

What I love so much about Larissa Ione is that you never know what to expect with each book except the return of some gorgeous Sem brothers. I love Shade and Wraith so much and always get excited when they make an appearance. I love how this book ended and is true Larissa Ione fashion I am now left with just as many questions as I started with. Add in my growing excitement and anticipation about Reaver (Who is he? Will he remember his past?) with the fact that I have no idea what’s going to happen with Reseph I might drive myself crazy waiting for Rogue Rider.

Larissa Ione is one of my favorite paranormal romance authors and each book just gets better and better. I am so happy with Lethal Rider and it was everything I wanted and even things I didn’t know I wanted. I am actually planning on rereading this book just to hold me over because Rogue Rider and November are very far away.

Marq's thoughts:
Favorite quote: "No. I'm pissed. There's a difference. If I were crazy, you wouldn't have nearly as much to fear."

Larissa Ione left us with a mother of a cliffhanger at the end of Immortal Rider. Lethal Rider picks up 8 months later. Than is being held against his will by his siblings by being injected with hellhound venom to keep him immobile while Regan is at Aegis headquarters, waiting to give birth to their son. Pestilence is in even rarer form and is getting more deadly and vicious and powerful.

I will admit that I was not happy with Regan at the end of Immortal Rider. I know that she was manipulated and what the Aegis did was based on planted information, but I was angry with her and the Aegis. When I started reading Lethal Rider, I still wasn't happy with her or Than's siblings. Everyone was doing what they thought was best for Than without asking Than what he wanted. So when Than was able to escape and went off, they have no one to blame but themselves. Hee hee!

I was on Than's side from start to finish and was pissed at everyone else. Haha! I wanted Than to hold onto his grudge for as long as possible. And whenever someone said they were doing something for Than's "own good", I wanted to grit my teeth and throw my Kindle. Poor Than! They had him trapped in his own mind for 8 months! All that did was manage to fuel his anger and his thirst for revenge. Maybe not the best move.

It took me a while to warm up to Regan, like I didn't really like her until almost the end. It was hard for me to get over her deceit even though she was remorseful and apologized for her part in taking Than's virginity. I'll admit, I wanted her to bleed. Is that wrong? Regan has her own issues with trust. The Aegis is the only family she's truly had so her loyalty to them knows no bounds even when evidence is presented to her that they are not forthright and honest. She is pretty much brainwashed and what the Aegis says is golden. I never liked The Aegis since The Demonica series and my dislike for them as increased with each book in both series.

Like the previous two books in the series, Larissa Ione does a great job of having you at the edge of your seat during the entire ride. The fate of the world rests on Than and Regan's son. That's a lot to put on a newborn baby. While Than and Regan wait for the birth of their son, Pestilence is doing whatever he can to make sure that his nephew does not live.

Pestilence is a super nasty bugger in Lethal Rider and he manages to recruit some allies that will surprise you. Once again, the Horsemen are always two steps behind Pestilence and by the time they figure out their next step, Pestilence has already done his damage and has moved onto the next thing. It was driving me crazy! I'm like you guys are thousands of years old, you should be able to figure this stuff out! Let's get ahead of the program for a change.

When I started reading the Lords of Deliverance series, I wondered how Larissa Ione was going to redeem Pestilence/Reseph. Well, at the end of Lethal Rider, we find out. And it is genius. And with how Lethal Rider ended, I have some theories on who Reaver really is. Ugh I hope we don't have to wait too long for Reaver's book.

As usual, Larissa Ione does not disappoint. She could publish her grocery list and I'd read it. Lethal Rider is another great addition to the series and I can't wait to read Rogue Rider! I love this world so much and I loved that some of the characters from the Demonica series had a bigger role in this book.

I highly recommend this series. Larissa Ione is beyond fantastic. If you don't believe just check out the acknowledgment below. Squeee!!!

And we still can't remember the Big Spoilery information that Larissa told us! Grrr!

Early Review: Shades of Desire by Virna DePaul

2012-05-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Shades of Desire
Author: Virna DePaul
Release DAte: May 22, 2012
Pages: 384
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Harlequin
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “They say that when a person loses one of their senses, it enhances the others. That leaves us at least four we’ve got to work with. And they’re pretty damn good ones, if you ask me.”

summary from Goodreads
WHAT SHE CAN'T SEE COULD KILL HER.
Natalie Jones is the lucky survivor of an elusive killer who preys on young women and then disappears from view. And since her harrowing ordeal, the once gutsy photojournalist has remained isolated in her home, paralyzed by fear and her failing vision. Special Agent Liam "Mac" McKenzie has scars of his own. But despite his efforts to ignore the attraction that simmers between him and Natalie, he needs her help to catch a predator. Soon, they will forge a tentative alliance-charged with desire. Through a soft-focus lens, Natalie dares to envision a future with Mac beyond the investigation...never guessing that the clues hidden within her photographs are drawing them into an explosive confrontation with a madman.

Ellies' thoughts:
Natalie Jones was a world renowned celebrity photographer until a genetic disease took away most of her vision. Before she lost her vision Natalie may have witnessed something she shouldn’t have seen and now someone wants to make sure she’s no longer alive to talk to the police. Special Agent Mac McKenzie is one of the most successful detectives in California and he has a knack for catching bad guys others can’t. When Mac meets Natalie sparks fly and Mac soon finds a woman more important than his career and he will do everything it takes to keep her alive.

I am a huge Virna DePaul fan but I really struggled with Shades of Desire. My reading tastes tend to run along the romance line with some mystery, suspense and paranormal aspects thrown in. Shades of Desire does not follow this line and I would not classify it as a romance novel at all. I felt at times that I was reading a James Patterson novel with some sex scenes thrown in towards the end. This is not my type of book and is not what I am used to reading from Mrs. DePaul.

Apart from the non romance Natalie, drove me crazy. Natalie is blind and wants everyone to know it and wants everyone to stay away causes she’s fine on her own. She is one of the most frustrating characters I have come across in a very long time and she rubbed me the wrong way. Natalie also is one of those silly females who likes to put herself in stupid and dangerous situations and then gets mad when she has to be rescued and people are worried about her. I honestly wanted her to get really hurt and stop being stupid.

My biggest issue was that Mrs. DePaul lets you know why everything is happening and who the killer is half way through the book. After that you’re just sitting around twiddling your thumbs waiting for everyone else to find out what you’ve already been told. I found this highly frustrating and really annoying. I believe this is going to be a new series and I might give the next book a shot but I need some more romance if I’m going to spend my time reading almost four hundred pages.

Review: Lucky In Love by Jill Shalvis

2012-05-20T20:41:00.001-04:00

Title: Lucky In Love
Series: Lucky Harbor, #4
Author: Jill Shalvis
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Grand Central Publishing)
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "You're thinking so loud I'm already hard."

summary from Goodreads
Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he's gone...

For the first time in his life, Ty can't bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn't -- including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all...anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor.

Marq's thoughts:
We were introduced to Mysterious Cute Guy in the previous Lucky Harbor book and finally, MCG finally has a name and it's Ty Garrison. Ty is recuperating in Lucky Harbor until he gets the all clear from his doctor that he can go back to work. Ty isn't only healing from a physical wound but an emotional one as well. He isn't in Lucky Harbor to make friendships or have a romantic entanglement. Mallory Quinn is the "good girl" of Lucky Harbor. She does the right thing, doesn't talk back and pretty much let everyone take advantage of her kindness. Mallory has always wanted to take a walk on the wild side and thinks that Ty is the perfect Mr. Wrong to help her be wild.

I was so excited when I learned that there will be three more books in the Lucky Harbor series. I love the setting, the characters and Jill Shalvis can write humor in romance like no other. There were many times where I was snorting or laughing while reading Lucky in Love. The characters are realistic and relatable. And the heroes are so hunky and sexy.

I really liked Mallory's character. Her growth from the good girl who was a borderline pushover to a woman who stood up for herself and didn't take crap from anyone was a gradual and realistic process. I do not like meek women in romances but I felt that Mallory's character was written so well that you understood why she was the way she was. She comes from a crazy and wild family and she was the glue that kept everything together. Mallory felt that she didn't have the "right" to be wild because if she did, her family would fall apart and she couldn't let that happen.

Ty, as sexy as he is, was so frustrating. He ran hot and cold until almost the very end. Losing the members of his team who were also his friends, has him gun-shy about forming attachments. Ty is willing to have sex with Mallory but the moment it looks like the sex is turning into a relationship, he heads for the door. I wanted to knock him upside the head a few times especially when it was Mallory who made the decision that what they had could not and would not be a relationship. And yet, in everything Mallory did, Ty interpreted it as their agreement becoming something more. I swear men are so dumb at times.

I liked Lucky in Love but while reading the book, I felt like something was missing. I liked Mallory and Ty but I don't know if I liked them together. I couldn't figure out why they were together beyond the sex. Every time they were in each other's presence, every conversation would lead to almost sex or sex. Maybe that was the issue. Too much sex, not enough anything else. Both Mallory and Ty grew as characters but I didn't feel the growth and development with their romance.

Also, the citizens of Lucky Harbor always provide comic relief with their meddlesome ways but for some reason, in Lucky in Love, they annoyed me. I know this is a small town with quirky people which I normally like but not this time around. Maybe because their small town ways displayed how close-minded and prejudiced they were and that didn't sit well with me.

Lucky in Love wasn't my favorite of the series but it had all the elements of what I enjoy about a Jill Shalvis romance.

Review: Kiss The Bride (Anthology)

2012-05-17T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Kiss The Bride
Authors: Dierdre Martin, Christie Ridgway, Kaura Florand
Published: April 24, 2012
Pages: 320
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Brava)
Rating: C-
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “You deserve the best. Every woman deserves the best.”

summary from Amazon
Fashion exec Dana Fine lives a fabulous life of international travel and glamour. But it only takes a few days visiting with her matchmaking grandparents - and meeting the sexy landscaper next door - for her to long for something more...Luke Harper is the last man wedding planner Charlotte Bond would ever date again. Then her latest client demands that Charlotte get up-close and personal with the whole bridal party - including best man Luke - and suddenly Charlotte's "never" is coming dangerously close to "I do". Going undercover as a bride-to-be, food blogger Eloise Layne intends to learn French chocolatier Simon Casset's famously guarded secrets. But instead her man of mystery is succeeding in uncovering her every desire, one smouldering kiss at a time...

Ellie's thoughts:
Kiss the Bride is an anthology of three stories all dealing with what else brides and marriage. Early Bird Special by Deirdre Martin is the first story in the book. Dana Fine is in Florida to open a new boutique for her company and visit with her grandparents who are very worried about her still being single. The grandparents set her up with Josh Green, a local architect/land scraper, whose aunt lives in their retirement community. Dana is a snotty brat the first time she meets Josh and doesn’t get much better as the story goes on. Josh is a great guy and I wanted him to dump Dana and run away very fast. The story is very short and predictable.
Grade: C

Chrisite Ridgeway’s Weddings, Ink. was by far my favorite and honestly, in my opinion, the only one worth reading. Charlotte Bond writes very personal wedding vows for her clients and is shocked when her ex-step sister hires her for her wedding and asks her to join her wedding party bonding weekend for ideas. It just so happens that Charlotte’s ex Luke is the groom’s brother and Charlotte and Luke are supposed to pretend to be a couple for the weekend.

It all sounds a little corny but it’s very cute and well written. Charlotte has a lot of issues with both her step sister and her step father which in turn hurt her relationship with Luke. I really enjoyed both Luke and Charlotte and wish that this had been a full book and not a short story. I think there were a lot of issues and complications that needed more time to be discussed and figured out. Even though I was left craving more Luke and Charlotte I really enjoyed the little bit that I got.
Grade: B

Finally we come to Laura Florand’s All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate. This was by leaps and bounds the worst of the bunch and took me forever to read because I hated it so much. Ellie is an American food blogger in France blogging about Simon Casset, one of the most famous and private, chocolatiers in the world. Ellie runs into Simon and tells him that she wants him to cater her wedding to her finance, which is big lie. Simon, who knows she’s lying, plays along and the two start an “affair”. I disliked everything about this story but Ellie made me want to pull my hair out. She was annoying, a liar and extremely immature. I had to stop reading at one point and walk away because it got so bad. If this would have been been a stand alone I would have DNFed it.
Grade: F

All in all, Kiss the Bride is good but not great. I personally do not recommend spending $14.00 on a just okay anthology but that’s just me.

Review: Undone By Her Tender Touch by Maya Banks

2012-05-15T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Undone By Her Tender Touch
Series: Pregnancy & Passion
Author: Maya Banks
Published: April 1, 2012
Pages: 162
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Harlequin
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "Watching a pregnant woman inhale her food isn't for sissies."

summary from Goodreads
Just one night? Yeah, right. Pippa Laingley should have known better. When an unplanned evening of passion with Cameron Hollingsworth results in unplanned pregnancy, she's at a crossroads. She knew going in that the enigmatic entrepreneur had built a fortress around his feelings. What she's just discovered is that he's loved and lost before—wife and child. Tragically.

Now Cam stands to lose it all again. If he lets Pippa get too close. If he pushes her away with loveless arrangements of financial support. Either way, he's doomed…unless he can let himself love again.

Marq's thoughts:
Undone By Her Tender Touch is the last installment of the Pregnancy & Passion series and it is my favorite of the series. We've seen Cam support his friends through their relationship troubles and successes. He has been a bit mysterious and we finally learn about him and his past. Pippa is attracted to Cam and knows the score when she agrees to go back to his home. No commitments. No expectations. But all that changes when Pippa is surprised by an unplanned and unexpected pregnancy.

Pippa and Cam are the perfect match. Pippa is strong and stands up for herself. Even though Cam tries to railroad her life by making all the decisions, Pippa is smart enough to know when to choose her battles. Cam has experienced loss in his life and is reluctant to get excited about the baby. His hot and cold attitude towards Pippa and their child causes a huge conflict in their relationship.

I thought that Undone By Her Tender Touch is the most emotional book of the series. Cam has gone through a lot and I can understand his skittishness. But then I would get angry at the way he would treat Pippa. Cam's desire to keep himself emotional distant from Pippa ended up constantly hurting her feelings and have her feel insecure about having Cam in her and the baby's life.

Undone By Her Tender Touch was a nice end to the series. I enjoyed the series very much. It was emotional and sexy. The romance worked and I found the conflict appropriate for the situation. I also enjoyed revisiting the characters from the previous books. I'm always a sucker for a pregnancy story line.

Review: Warrior Enchanted by Addison Fox

2012-05-14T13:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Warrior Enchanted
Series: Sons of the Zodiac, #4
Author: Addison Fox
Published: May 1, 2012
Pages: 355
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher (Signet)
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “I know what I saw. The smelly, oily fish has a girlfriend.”

summary from Goodreads
Pisces warrior Drake Campbell and his zodiac brethren have driven themselves to the edge. He'd love to take comfort in the arms of the woman he cares for, if only she would lift her emotional barriers to him.

White witch Emerson Carano has more to worry about than the Pisces warrior. Their affair may be red-hot, but she keeps the sexy man at arm's length to avoid getting hurt. When her estranged brother, Magnus, suddenly reappears—wielding a dangerous dark magic—Emerson has no choice but to ask Drake and his brothers for help.

Long-buried secrets and dangerous alliances will threaten the very foundation of the warriors while striking at the heart of Emerson's carefully constructed world. Can she put aside her fears to join forces with the only man who can help her—even if her own family must pay a terrible price?

Ellie's thoughts:
Drake Campbell has been sleeping with his neighbor Emerson Carano for over a year but what Drake really wants is to take their relationship to the next level. Emerson has spent her life keeping people at a distance and no matter how hard she tries with Drake he refuses to let her keep up her carefully constructed wall up. Drake and Emerson’s relationship is soon the least of their problems as old secrets arise and a new enemy has their sights set on the Themis’s warriors.

Warrior Enchanted is the fourth book in Addison Fox’s Sons of the Zodiac series and if you have not read this series I do not recommend reading this book. This book is in no way, shape or form a stand alone and if you try to read it without the previous books you will be LOST. I spent two hundred out of three hundred and fifty pages trying to figure out what was going on and who was who. I think that if I had read the books in order I would have liked this one better.

I really like the concept of the series and I am very excited to read the next book in the series. I am a big fan of astrology and greek mythology and this series is packed with it. My biggest problem with the book was with Emerson. I found her to be very whiny and she seemed to repeat herself over and over again. After a while she sounded like a broken record and I really wanted Drake to toss her out of his brownstone. Why Drake kept fighting to be with her I have no idea and it made for a very long book.

There are a couple side stories that kept this from being a complete failure. Mrs. Fox did an amazing job at setting up the next book for Grey and Finley and I found myself much more interested in their story then Drake and Emerson. I also really enjoyed Emerson’s family especially her relationship with her sister. This is the only thing that kept me from really disliking her.

As I mentioned before this is not a stand alone and the series should be read in order. This series has great potential and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

Review: Heart of Brass by Kate Cross

2012-05-14T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Heart of Brass
Series: Clockwork Agents, #1
Author: Kate Cross
Published: May 1, 2012
Pages: 400
Genre: Steampunk
Source: Publisher (Signet Eclipse)
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “It seems you were with me when I didn’t know it”

summary from Goodreads
Arden is an undercover agent for one of the most powerful organizations of this steam-powered world—the Wardens of the Realm, a group with extraordinary abilities, dedicated to protecting England against evil.

Arden Grey enjoys a life most women in 1898 London can’t even dream of: she has the social status, wealth, and independence of a countess. She also has the ability to witness the final moments of a murder victim’s life. But ever since the disappearance of her husband, Lucas, none of this means anything to her. Until one night, when Arden spies a man watching her—a man she recognizes as her missing husband.

He’s been ordered to assassinate Arden as retribution for her part in the killing of a Company agent. Luke remembers nothing of his life before The Company, a corrupt agency that has erased his memory. Even so, something prevents him from completing his assignment. There is something familiar about his lovely target, something that attracts him and fills him with dread. For he knows that if he doesn’t kill her, someone else will—and kill him as well.

Ellie's thoughts:
Seven years ago Luke Grey went out on a mission and never came home. In those seven years his wife Arden has never given up hope that he is still alive and she has devoted her life to the Wardens of the Realm, the secret government Luke was working for. Arden is a woman with many talents including building all sorts of devices that can assist in police investigations which she does often. While aiding the police on a very gruesome murder case Arden sees a man that she swears is Luke and her suspicions are confirmed when he tries to murder her days later.

Luke Grey has been as assassin for The Company for seven years. His newest assignment is to kill Lady Arden Grey, a woman of the Ton who murdered a Company agent the year before. As Luke tries to carry out his mission he finds himself unable to kill this woman and it gets even worse when she says his name like she knows him. With old memories surfacing Luke must make a choice to kill the woman and complete his mission or take a chance and discover who he really is.

Heart of Brass is my favorite steampunk novel that I have read so far. It has the perfect blend of 19th century England with all of the gadgets, technology and fashion that any steampunk fan will love. From the very first page I fell in love with the world that Kate Cross has made and I never wanted to leave. This book has it all: romance, murder and mystery all woven together to create a book I couldn’t put down until I finished it.

Arden Grey is strong, smart and stubborn and I really enjoyed her. Arden never gave up that Luke was alive but when he comes back it’s very interesting to see how she adapts to the New Luke. I found myself feeling a little sorry for at times but she always picked herself up and did what she needed to do. The chemistry between Arden and Luke is sizzling and kept the pages flying. There were a few times when the story lagged a little but for the most part I loved it.

We are given a small glimpse into the next book in this series Touch of Steel that comes out in December. This story will surround Alastair, Luke’s best friend, who we meet in Heart of Brass. To say I’m excited for this book is an understatement. I am hoping that this book can live up HofB and if it can I have found my new favorite steampunk series and author.

Guest Post: A Blueberry Breakfast by Kimberly Llewellyn

2012-05-13T13:25:00.000-04:00

A Simple Blueberry Breakfast for Mother’s Day

Thank you for letting me share with you today, just in time for Mother’s Day!

What’s this simple delectable treat?

Grilled Blueberry Muffins. I can’t think of a better way to fully enjoy this muffin!

Many of my books, like Almost a Bride, take place in New England. After all, that’s where I grew up. Springtime in New England offered the promise of an endless supply of wild growing blueberries that became ripe for picking starting in May. Armed with pails of blueberries picked by my brothers, sister, and me, my mom added blueberries to everything she cooked well into summer.

Whether you pick fresh berries or simply pick them up at the grocery store, these sweet-tart fruits add a nice, fresh touch when preparing a special treat for your mom. Today, I thought I’d share with you my favorite blueberry-laden food. (Pssst...feel free to pass this idea onto your own family members so they can make them for you on Mother’s Day or ANY day.)

You can make the muffins from scratch using your favorite recipe or simply pick them up at your favorite bakery. What makes these special is how you prepare them.

Preheat a griddle with plenty of butter. Cut the blueberry muffin vertically. Many muffin top lovers like to cut it horizontally to have the full grilled effect on the muffin top. That’s totally acceptable! Place each muffin half cut-side down onto the griddle and grill until golden brown. Once grilled, add a little more butter to the cooked sides. Place on a pretty dish and serve with a nice glass of juice.

The good news is, you can do this with any kind of muffin, but there’s just something about the way the blueberries melt in your mouth that makes these especially yummy.

If you take Mom out to breakfast on Mother’s Day and she orders a muffin, be sure to suggest she have it grilled. The chef will be happy to oblige. When that golden grilled muffin comes to your table, you’ll be envy of the entire restaurant. And once you or your mom get a taste of a grilled blueberry muffin, you’ll won’t want to eat it any other way.

And Happy Mother’s Day from Kimberly Llewellyn!

Contemporary Romance Author of Almost a Bride

Almost a Bride

by Kimberly Llewellyn

Award-winning author, Kimberly Llewellyn, introduces a sexy fun story about two people who discover they have a lot more to share between the sheets than they ever bargained for. Ivy Hammond got dumped at the altar, all because she was too much of a good girl in the bedroom. So when a research study on sex appeal needs participants, she jumps at the chance to learn what it takes to be sexy. Kip Lockehart owes his foster brother his life. He repays the debt by agreeing to participate in a new sex appeal study. From the first sizzling assignment, Kip is immediately intrigued by the lovely Ivy, who’s innocently curious about what makes a woman sensual. Kip is more than happy to show her. But as each passionate assignment brings them closer, he fears they may break the study’s number one rule―don’t fall in love. But when he can’t stop picturing Ivy as his bride, he sets out to convince her some rules were made to be broken.

Available at Amazon.com

Review: Rough Ride by Keri Ford

2012-05-11T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Rough Ride
Series: The Roughnecks, #1
Author: Keri Ford
Published: May 6, 2012
Pages: ebook
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Won on Goodreads
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "Are you too big for your towel?"

summary from Goodreads
You do for family, no matter what. Lane Iverson knows that better than anyone. Harboring a secret about his mother’s death, Lane is counting the days until he finishes helping his brothers with some work and can head back to his hiding hole hours away. As long as he doesn’t have to face his three brothers every day, the guilt is easier to carry.

There is only one thing that can risk his plan. All of five foot tall, with these deep eyes and a voice that shudders through him. The completely addicting, Gretchen Jones. She’s been watching him the entire time he’s been in town. With courage from her friends behind her, she confronts what she wants. To her surprise, that’s the easy part. Keeping her heart protected when she knows he’ll be leaving? Not so easy, but her only choice.

Marq's thoughts:
Lane is in Apple Trail, Arkansas working with his brothers. Lane works hard; from sun up to sun down so that he can avoid being too close to his brothers and revealing a secret that he's been holding onto since their mother's death. When he's not working, Lane is silently lusting after the trailer park manager, Gretchen. She is not his type - she's petite, blond, cute and happy. But there is something about Gretchen that Lane is drawn to. He's determined not to give into the attraction but what he doesn't know is that Gretchen is equally attracted to him. Lane has a hard time keeping his distance as Gretchen uses the old adage "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" to get Lane into bed.

When I saw that I won an eARC on Goodreads, I was excited. I've heard so many great things about Keri Ford's books but haven't read any of them. After I finished Rough Ride, I knew that I would be adding Keri Ford to my auto-buy list.

What I loved most about Rough Ride was how awkward and cute Lane was around Gretchen. He wasn't suave, with the smooth moves. He is attracted to Gretchen but doesn't want to shit where he sleeps. Also, his main goal is to finish the restoration project with his brothers so that he can hightail back home. Getting involved with Gretchen will create an attachment that he is trying to avoid. But Gretchen doesn't give up too easily and with the help of her friends, sets out to seduce Lane and get him into her bed.

I love that the characters are realistic and lead simple lives. No one is super rich. They are normal, hard-working folks. The main characters live in a trailer park! I don't think I've ever read a romance novel where it was centered around a blue-collar community.

I loved the writing and once I started reading Rough Ride, I could not put it down. I loved the characters, especially Gretchen's girlfriends who provided some humorous moments along with Lane's brothers. I could imagine myself sitting down and eating pie with these folks. Along with the wonderful characters, there is sizzling, hot chemistry. I found the attraction and romance between Lane and Gretchen believable. The lead up to them finally have sex was 7 months in the making. And boy when they finally give in, it is explosive.

I really enjoyed reading Rough Ride and can't wait to read the next book in the series. It was a fun, sexy read that I could not put down. I will definitely more of Keri Ford in the future.

Review: Untouched by Sara Humphreys

2012-05-10T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Untouched
Series: The Amoveo Legend, #2
Author: Sara Humphreys
Published: April 3, 2012
Pages: 320
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “Hey, Tarzan, my face is up here.”

summary from Goodreads
SHE SHOULD BE SEEN, BUT NEVER TOUCHED…

Kerry Smithson’s modeling career ensures that she will be admired from afar, which is essential since mere human touch sparks blinding pain and terrifying visions.

EVERY GOOD MODEL NEEDS A HEAVENLLY BODYGUARD…

Dante Coltari is hired to protect Kerry from those who know who she is—or more importantly what she is—and want her dead because of it. Nothing could have prepared him for the challenge of keeping her safe. But, strangely, his lightest touch brings her exquisite pleasure rather than pain, and Dante and Kerry have an otherwordly connection that might just pull them through.

Ellie's thoughts:
Kerry Smithson may be a supermodel but she’s always felt like a freak. Unable to stand being touched without excruciating pain that makes her sick for hours and visions from the person’s mind have made Kerry avoid touching anyone since she was a young child. Secretly Kerry yearns to be touched and is shocked when her new bodyguard Dante Coltari is able to do so without hurting her. Dante is the answer to Kerry’s prayers and it sure doesn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eyes but he’s hiding something and Kerry is determined to find out what it is.

Dante Coltari knows Kerry is his mate the moment he laid eyes on her. Kerry is a half breed, half-human half-amoveo, which is why it’s taken Dante so long to find her but no that he has he will do anything to protect her. With Kerry being a half breed many of Dante’s race want her dead so they can keep the amoveo bloodlines pure. Dante must also convince Kerry what she is and show her the pleasure of touch that only he can give her.

As a huge shapeshifter fan I loved this book! This is the second book in the Amoveo Legend series but it can be read as a stand alone without feeling lost or confused. Untouched picks up right after the first one and the attraction between Kerry and Dante sparks from their first encounter. I love when the couple in the book are mates especially when the male knows they are mates and the female doesn’t.

Dante does a great job teasing Kerry and trying to win her heart. He does an even better job throwing her for a loop by slowly showing her that she can touch him and not feel pain. It is so fun to see Kerry learn and enjoy being touched for the first time and how gentle and caring Dante is with her. To say I swooned over Dante is an understatement and he made the book for me.

There was a lot going on in this book with a great twist at the end that I never saw coming. It’s always fun to be kept on your toes and guessing what’s going to happen next to keep things interesting. I am not sure whose book is ext but I can’t wait to read it. This is a great shifter series and is being added to my must read pile ASAP.

Review: Angel's End by Cindy Holby

2012-05-09T13:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Angel's End
Series: Angel's End, #1
Author: Cindy Holby
Published: May 1 ,2012
Pages: 320
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley)
Rating: C-
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “You’re a very beautiful woman Leah. And I’m a very weak man.”

summary from Goodreads
In the mountains of Colorado, a small town called Angel’s End welcomes everyone with open arms—even a man on the run from the sins of his past...

Wounded and on the run, Cade Gentry stumbles into a kind man who’s on his way to become the new pastor of Angel’s End. But not long after Timothy Key takes him in, Cade’s enemies catch up with him, and the young pastor is killed in the crossfire. Cade survives, stealing Timothy’s identity to escape, and arrives in Angel’s End on the brink of death.

Leah Findley is the sheriff’s widow, trying to make ends meet for herself and her son. Having the new minister as a boarder will help, but she isn’t expecting him to be wounded when he arrives. And she definitely isn’t expecting the feelings that the new preacher stirs deep inside her.

The more time Cade spends with Leah, the deeper he falls in love. To Cade, she’s an angel who’s saved his life and given him the sense of hope he’s never known. But he’s not the man she thinks he is, and before he can find permanent shelter in Leah’s arms, he must learn to have faith and put the sins of his past to rest...

Ellie's thoughts:
Cade Gentry has not lead a very Christian life and luck has never been on his side but all that changes one night in the middle of Colorado. Cade is on the run from his past when he stumbles on to his future in Pastor Timothy Key. The pastor is on his way to Angel’s End, Colorado to take a new job but is shot and killed by the men looking for Cade. Cade resumes the pastor’s identity and makes his way to Angle’s End where he meets Leah Findley the late sheriff's widow. Cade and Leah have an instant attraction and try to fight their feelings for one another as they both try to heal the other’s wounds.

I tried very, very hard to like this book and it just never happened. I struggled a lot to finish this book, to like the characters and care about the plot. I think my major issue with the book was with Cade and Leah. I really disliked them both, Cade especially. Cade was very hard to like and he just lied a lot over and over again to not only Leah but to himself. I didn’t want them to be together and I think Leah would have been better off than dealing with Cade. especially since Leah has a child.

I would classify this novel as a historical christian romance and it was not for me. I think the next book in this series might be okay but after how much I struggled with this one I don’t think I’m going to continue with this series. The idea of the book was good but the characters made it bad and a very difficult read.

Review: Captivated by Lauren Dane

2012-05-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Captivated
Series: Phantom Corps, #3
Author: Lauren Dane
Published: May 1, 2012
Pages: 326
Genre: Erotic Fantasy Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley Heat)
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “You can let it go, baby. Let yourself fall apart a little while if that’s what you need. I’m here to hold all the pieces until you’re ready.”

summary from Goodreads
Vincenz Fardelle, exiled son of the Supreme Leader of the Imperialist Universe, has spent much of the last ten years working to stop the threat his father poses. But he’s not alone in his quest. Julian Marsters has lost his best friend and countless others in the war and has made vengeance his only goal. In each other, Julian and Vincenz find not only like minds, but kindred spirits.However unexpected their relationship, everything changes for Vincenz and Julian when Hannah Black comes into their lives. Having been captured and held in near total isolation by imperialist troops, their immediate response is to protect her.Emotionally shattered but resilient, Hannah rebuilds herself. Because of the warm safety she finds in the arms of Julian—and Vincenz—she becomes someone harder, stronger and bent on preventing the Imperialists from harming anyone else.For the two men, wrestling with their passionate feelings for Hannah is only the beginning. War is about to send all three into harm’s way and an equally dangerous secret could tear them apart.

Ellie's thoughts:
No one writes M/M/F romance better than Lauren Dane and as a huge fan of her contemporary romance books I jumped at the chance to review Captivated. In this book we meet Vincenz and Julian who are a couple and in the military battling their enemies the Imperialist. On a mission Vincenz saves a young woman named Hannah who has been held prisoner by the Imperialists for over a year and brings her back to live with him and Julian. As Hannah recovers from her trauma the three get very close and slowly start to heal both new and old wounds.

Captivated is not something that I would normally pick up but I am so glad I did. My first encounter with M/M/F romance was in Mrs. Dane’s Brown Siblings series and found myself hooked into a new genre of romance to love. Captivated has a lot of things going on and deals with some heavy emotions. It’s hard enough dealing with three people in a relationship but when all three have been deeply hurt and are emotionally fragile it makes for some heart breaking storylines.

The book starts out with Julian and Vincenz as a couple and we get some very hot scenes from just the two of them. The sex in this book is HOT and I found myself blushing a couple of times but in a very good way. I loved the way that Julian and Vincenz are with Hannah and how they all come together to help each other and love one another. I felt that there were a few times when the characters were having sex when it wasn’t really appropriate or safe but for the most part I really enjoyed their relationship.

My only issue with the book is that you aren’t really given a back story at all. This is definitley not a stand alone book and I spent a lot of time (when there wasn’t hot sex going on) wondering who was who and what kind of world this was taking place in. I’m not sure if there is or ever was a plant Earth or how many planets there are, who’s in charge and who are the Imperialists. I really wish there would have been mor information given but besides that I really enjoyed this book.

Review: Larkspur Road by Jill Gregory

2012-05-08T13:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Larkspur Road
Series: Lonesome Way, #2
Author: Jill Gregory
Published: May 1, 2012
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley)
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “Don’t look so thrilled. It might go to my head.”

summary from Goodreads
Fifth grade teacher Mia Quinn expected a tranquil summer in her hometown of Lonesome Way, Montana, sewing for her quilting group’s exhibition fundraiser and caring for her rescued dog, Samson. But all her plans for a relaxing break are thrown out the window when Travis Tanner—the boy who broke her heart in high school—returns to town with his ten year old adopted step-son. A former FBI agent, the boy Mia once knew is now well over six feet of male muscle—and he still has the power to make Mia lose her train of thought with just a glance. When Travis asks her to tutor his troubled son, Mia quickly discovers that the sparks between them are hotter than ever. As danger comes to Lonesome Way and family secrets come to light, will Travis and Mia realize that love can be even better the second time around?

Ellie's thoughts:
Larkspur Road is the second book in Jill Gregory’s Lonesome Way series and it is an amazing contemporary romance novel. This book picks up about a year after Sage Creek ends and is the story of Mia Quinn and Travis Tanner both of whom we met in Sage Creek. Mia and Travis was THE couple in high school and everyone thought they would get married including Mia. Everything changed when right after prom Travis breaks up with Mia and leaves town. Now twelve years later Travis is back and with him is his adoptive son looking for a fresh start and both he and Mia soon realize old feelings don’t always go away.

I was not a big fan of Sage Creek, the first book in this series, but I decided to give it a second try with Larkspur Road and I am so happy I did. This book is one of the best contemporary romance novels that I have read in a very long time and I am now sold on this series. There is a lot going on in this book besides Mia and Travis but it never feels overwhelming or cluttered. All three storylines are really great and they flow together perfectly.

I was a little nervous when I first started this book because I disliked the female lead in the last book but Mia is a great character and I really liked her. The relationship Mia has with Travis is very broken and heartbreaking but I loved seeing them try to work through their past. I wanted to hate Travis for what he did to Mia but I just couldn’t. The relationship he has with his son makes you fall in love with him and I just couldn’t hate him no matter how much I tried. I liked that Mia and Travis take things slow and don’t jump right back into things and they have a great romance.

There are two other storylines going on in this book. The first one involved Mia’s aunt and some family secrets. This was my favorite part of the entire book and it could have been a book all on it’s own. Without this storyline I don’t think I would have loved this novel as much as I did. The second storyline involves Mia’s niece Brittany and I could have done without this part of the book but it wasn’t horrible. Both storylines tied in great with Mia and Travis and kept things from getting boring.

This is a great contemporary romance novel and turning into a great, must read series. I’m not sure what’s going to happen next or what characters will be in the third book but I will be reading it. I can’t wait to see what happens in Lonesome Way next.

Review: Sound of the Heart by Genevieve Graham

2012-05-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Sound of the Heart
Author: Genevieve Graham
Published: May 1, 2012
Pages: 336
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley Trade)
Rating: A
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “Glenna is the reason I breathe, John.”

summary from Goodreads
Dougal MacDonnell, a fierce warrior from the Highlands of Scotland, is able to hear the thoughts of other men and dream how the future will unfold. Devastated by the loss of his family during the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he fosters a deep hatred for the English. But when Glenna, the love of his life and a Scottish outlaw, is captured and shipped overseas, Dougal is forced to join an English army made of vanquished Scots. Now fighting on the side of his sworn enemies, he embarks on a journey that will take him across the seas to the colonies. There he will risk everything for the chance to find his true love

Ellie's thoughts:
Sound of the Heart is the sequel to Genevieve Graham’s book Under the Same Sky. Both books start off at the battle of Culloden in Scotland and ends in the colonies of America but they are very different in the way they are told. Sound of the Heart follows Dougal MacDonnell from his imprisonment after Culloden, to finding his soulmate and then on his journey across the Atlantic to America. This book is a great mix of history, romance, heartbreak and adventure all rolled into one amazing package.

We met Dougal briefly in Under the Same Sky but did not know for sure if he survived the battle at Culloden. Like UTSS this book does feel a little like Outlander but without the paranormal themes but I’m a huge fan of highlanders and history and both are so well written. Dougal takes on the big role of helping the weak in this book and he meets a young girl name Glenna who steals his heart away and never gives it back. The love between Dougal and Glenna is amazing and I loved the scenes where they were actually together.

The history aspect of this book is wonderful and I would have gotten much better grades in school if I had been taught the material like this. It was very interesting to see how indentured servants were treated in the colonies and how the English put all their prisoners to work fighting the French in America. There are very few books, especially romance books, were I walk away feeling like I got a great love story and an even better history lesson. Genevieve Graham is on my list of my read authors and I can’t wait to see what she delivers next. This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

Review: Take Me by Bella Andre

2012-05-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

Title:Take Me
Series: Take Me, #1
Author: Bella Andre
Published: November 15, 2005
Pages: 272
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: Purchased
Rating: A
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "Don't ever play games with me."

summary from Goodreads
Lily Ellis has curves -- soft, beautiful curves. The kind of voluptuous body she fears Travis Carson, the man she's always loved from afar, would never crave. But Lily is about to be proven wrong. Her adventure begins when the demure San Francisco interior decorator agrees to model a plus-size dress for her fashion designer sister. Watching this sensual beauty move down the runway, Travis can't believe it's the same Lily he's always known -- and always rejected. In a whirlwind of electric attraction, Lily is soon moaning Travis's name in his bed, not just in her wild fantasies. But Lily is all too aware that she's nothing like his past lovers.

Determined to beat Travis at his own game by guarding her true feelings, Lily partners with him on a business deal that takes them all the way to Italy. In the seductive warmth of the Tuscan sun, Lily plays a game of desire with the hot-blooded Travis. Will she be burned by an all-consuming ecstasy or will Travis open his heart to the sexy, exciting, and lasting love she has to offer?

Marq's thoughts:
Take Me has been on my radar and wishlist for a year. I wanted to read this book so bad but I wasn't willing to pay $11.99 for an ebook. I kept hoping that eventually the price would drop and thankfully it finally did! I bought the book and started reading it immediately. And OMG, all I have to say is that reading Take Me was definitely worth the wait!

Lily was friends with Luke and his twin brother, Travis. But when Luke and Travis's mother died, Travis changed. He went from being one of her best friends to being a virtual stranger. Travis ignored her, ridiculed her. Lily grew up always conscious of her weight. As an adult, she doesn't want to be seen so she dresses in ugly, shapeless clothing. When her sister asks Lily to fill in for a model at the last minute, Lily resists. But she is always there for Janica so decides after several glasses of champagne, she won't have any problem walking the catwalk. Travis is in the audience and when Lily struts out onto the stage, he takes notice. He'd never seen Lily look so beautiful and so hot.

Travis and Lily have so much chemistry that it should be illegal. Take Me is smoking hot with some of the best and hottest sex scenes I've read to date. But not only is Take Me extremely sexy, it is also very emotional. Even though Lily is constantly heating it up with Travis, she is very insecure about her size. No amount of extremely hot sex can rid Lily of years of hurt and ridicule. And the person that she loves most was part of that. Lily wants to believe that Travis doesn't care about her size and that he truly likes her for her, but she is constantly on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Lily's low self-esteem and self-doubt was very frustrating. But I understood that growing up feeling unattractive and being called fat takes time to get over. I wanted to yell at Lily, "stop sabotaging yourself!" Just when Lily started to think that Travis was legit and was giving into her feelings, Travis puts his foot in it. This is when Take Me started being more about trust and security and love. I was so emotional while reading the last 25% of the book and my heart broke for both Travis and Lily. Even though they have sexual chemistry in spades, they both had to navigate through emotional landmines in order to realize that they were meant to be together.

I absolutely loved Take Me. When I finished it, I was ready to read it again if only to read one of the hottest bathroom scenes EVER! I already have Love Me , the second book in the series, which is currently free on Amazon!

Buy Take Me now if you haven't already!

Review: In The Company of Witches by Joey W. Hill

2012-05-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

Title: In The Company of Witches
Series: Arcane Shot, #2
Author: Joey W. Hill
Published: May 1, 2012
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley)
Rating: D
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: So he was really good at sex. It didn’t mean unicorns would spring out of his backside and the world would be bathed in rainbows.”

summary from Goodreads

All witch and part succubus, savvy businesswoman Raina has converted a Southern plantation house into an extremely profitable old-fashioned bordello. Because of her abilities as a witch, the demons under Raina’s protection can feed off the sexual energy of their clients without killing them—definitely a good thing for repeat business.

But when a rogue incubus shows up on Raina’s doorstep begging for asylum, the witch’s well-run business is put in jeopardy. The incubus has stolen an object of great power from Lucifer, and Underworld Dark Guardian Mikhael will do anything to get it back—even if it means incinerating the incubus on Raina’s porch to get the answers he seeks.

Not to be trifled with, Raina enters a dangerous match of wits with Mikhael to achieve their mutual goals—only to discover that the reluctant attraction between them is the most hazardous game of all…

Ellie's thoughts:
In the Company of Witches we are given Raina, a half witch, half succubus, and Mikhael, a dark guardian. We are first introduced to Rania and Mikhael were in the first Arcane Shot novel Something About Witches where Rania was the heroine Ruby’s best friend and Mikhael was Ruby’s lover. To say I had a hard time getting into this book is an understatement given our hero and heroine’s history.

Rania runs a brothel and all of her employees are subbi or incubi who, like herself, want to feed but not hurt humans. A rogue incubi appears on her land one day being hunted by Mikhael and Rania offers the man protection. Mikhael and Rania soon battle both in and out of the bedroom over what to do with the thief who has supposedly stolen from Lucifer. Rania and Mikhael have an undeniable chemistry that neither can walk away from but might end up killing them both.

As I mentioned earlier Mikhael is introduced in this series as Ruby, Rania’s best friend’s lover and he is helping Ruby overcome her grief of losing her child with lots of painful sex. Mikhael is not a very likeable man in Something About Witches and that doesn’t change when we get to this new book. I have a huge problem with Rania sleeping with Mikhael after he slept with Ruby and I feel that it really tainted how I felt about this book. I honestly didn’t even want to start it once I realized the direction it was going to but I sucked it up, read it and didn’t like it at all.

Joey W. Hill is great at writing very sexually charged romance novels and I am usually a very big fan but this book threw me for a loop. Right away the characters are jumping into bed and including some very heavy BDSM. I usually am a fan of this type of stuff but again I couldn’t wrap my head around Rania sleeping with this man or the fact that she had such big sexual hang ups. She’s a succubus and a Madam for goodness sakes. I felt that attempts to make Rania softer and more likeable actually did the opposite and made me dislike her even more.

Mikhael was my biggest problem and he actually made it really hard to read this book. I never liked him or found him genuine at all. At the end of the book i found myself shaking my head and wondering how this man fell in love. I have no idea why he liked Rania so much or why he started to woo her in the first place. All Mikhael did was piss me off and make me want to DNF this book.

I think I’m done with this series. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book and I liked this one even less. I’m not sure where this series is going and I’m not very motivated to find out.

Weekly Recap: What Ya Missed (4/29-5/6)

2012-05-06T19:00:00.000-04:00

The week was soooo much better than last week! Couldn't you tell? More content, more consistent posting. Woo hoo!! And I've been reading so that means more reviews. I think I have found a balance (which is easy to do with work has calmed from 60 to 10). It may get busy again but I have enough scheduled posts where I won't be frantic that I don't have any new content. Yay for thinking ahead!

What Ya Missed:

Reviews:

Crystalfire by Kate Douglas - B
Sweet Addiction by Maya Banks - C
My Lady Rival by Ashley March - B
His Secret Tempation by Cat Schield - C
Once Her Man Always Her Man by Heather Long - C
Melt Into You by Lisa Plumley - C-
Tall, Dark and Dead by Tate Hallaway - C
My Wicked Gladiators by Lauren Hawkeye - C+
Karma by Carly Phillips - C
Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire - C

Other stuff:

Giveaway winner - First 3 books of The Demon Slayers series
What I'm Reading This Month
April DNF Reviews
Bewitching Book Tour Book Spotlight - Once Her Man Always Her Man
Ellie's Month in Review - April
Bewitching Book Tour Book Promo - My Wicked Gladiators
Marq's Month in Review - April

What's on Tap:(subject to change)

Reviews:

In the Company of Witches by Joey W. Hill
Take Me by Bella Andre
Undone by Her Tender Touch by Maya Banks
Larkspur Road by Jill Gregory
Sound of the Heart by Genieve Graham
Rough Ride by Keri Ford
Love Me by Bella Andre
Hunted by Rebecca Zanetti
Wicked Burn by Beth Kery

Winner!

2012-05-06T17:58:00.000-04:00

Winner of the first 3 books of The Demon Slayers series by Kate Douglas is:

Yadira

Thanks to everyone who entered and for Kensington Books for hosting the giveaway.

Review: Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire

2012-05-06T16:47:00.002-04:00

Title: Barefoot in the Sand
Series: Barefoot Bay, #1
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Published: May 1, 2012
Pages: 432
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "When something's right, it's right."

summary from Goodreads
When all you hold dear is taken away . . .

When a hurricane roars through Lacey Armstrong's home on the coast of Barefoot Bay, she decides all that remains in the rubble is opportunity. A new hotel is just what Mimosa Key needs, and Lacey and her teenage daughter are due for a fresh start. And nothing, especially not a hot, younger architect, is going to distract Lacey from finally making her dreams a reality.

A second chance is the only thing you have left.

Love has already cost Clay Walker everything. And if he's going to have any chance of picking up the pieces of his life, he needs the job as Lacey Armstrong's architect. What's not in the plans is falling for the headstrong beauty. Her vision of the future is more appealing than anything he could have ever drafted for himself. Will Clay's designs on Lacey's heart be more than she can handle, or will she trust him to build something that will last forever?

Marq's thoughts:
Barefoot in the Sand is the first book in a new contemporary romance series by Roxanne St. Claire. I love her romantic suspense novels and was excited to read Barefoot.

Lacey just lost her home in a hurricane and sees this as an opportunity to open a B&B. It has been a long dream of hers and she finally wants to fulfill that dream. Lacey decides to hire architect Clay Walker but what she gets instead is his son; a younger, much hotter architect than what she expected.

Barefoot in the Sand was an enjoyable read but there were some issues I had with it. The main one was the abundance of secrets between Lacey and Clay and Lacey and her best friends. I guess the secrets with her friends were put in place to set up the next books in the series but it was so frustrating and felt that it would have been better if it was left out. It was such a tease and I wanted to know more, which I guess is the point, right?

The romance between Clay and Lacey was okay but I didn't feel like it sizzled. Clay is 7 years younger than Lacey and the age difference was mentioned but was not the focus of the relationship. I understood that sexual attraction is what drew them together but didn't feel like they had much else in common to sustain a relationship. Clay is gun-shy when it comes to relationships and has been burned in the past. There was one aspect of why he didn't have his architect license that I didn't understand. It was explained but I didn't feel like it was made clear. Another thing that bothered me was Lacey's ex, David, showing up, throwing a wrench into her plans and romance. I guess it was supposed to appear that there would be a love triangle but felt that it wasn't fully developed. If the author had no plans of going that route, I felt that David should have been left out of the equation.

I liked Barefoot in the Sand despite the few issues I had and I am looking forward to reading the future books in this series.

Review: Karma by Carly Phillips

2012-05-06T16:24:00.002-04:00

Title: Karma
Series: Serendipity, #3
Author: Carly Phillips
Published: May 1, 2012
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: (Berkley)
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Police Officer Dare Barron has had a crush on Liza McKnight ever since he was a teenager. But despite his lifelong attraction, the closest he’s ever come to interacting with her is watching Liza regularly bail out her brother at the station. Dare’s dark past with Liza’s brother, Brian, has always kept him from pursuing her.

But suddenly Liza finds herself in need of protection and Dare appoints himself as the man for the job. And while the sizzling attraction between Dare and Liza draws them together, the past that Dare and Brian share threatens to keep the two apart forever.

Marq's thoughts:
Dare is the youngest of the Barron brothers and I think his book has been the most anticipated. We learned some of Dare's secrets in the previous book that shed some light on the younger Barron. Dare isn't the carefree brother that everyone thinks he is. He has been living with secrets and a guilt that he has been unable to shake.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Karma. I knew that we would learn more about Dare and his feelings about being at the party the night Stuart Rossman died and his hand in not doing anything to help Stuart. What I wasn't expecting was for Liza to have her own deep, dark secrets and emotional issues that made navigating a relationship with Dare rocky and difficult. In this aspect, the shared emotional grief that both Dare and Liza were going through made them a great match as a couple. But it also made the book a hard read at times for me.

I loved Dare since the first book and liked him even more in this one. Even when he was perceived as being an ass, I was always on his side because honestly, I felt the same way as Dare in regards to Liza constantly bailing out her brother, Brian. Liza was a character that I could not warm up to. She is used to being on her own and people not coming through for her. And she feels like her brother's behavior affects her socially in the small time which is why when she wants to blow off some steam, she heads to Manhattan to hang with her friends from college.

Liza isn't an easy character to like in my opinion. Despite everything she has gone through, I couldn't feel too much sympathy for her because her personality was not there. With the previous heroines, I felt some connection with them, but with Liza, I felt that there was something missing. There is always a personality trait of a character that you can focus on and say, "I love that this character is this." I didn't feel that way about Liza. Other than the sexual chemistry she had with Dare, I felt that there was nothing there. I'd rather she be a rich snob who thought that wouldn't give Dare the time of day because he's a cop than have her be a cold fish who thinks that Dare was going to dip out on her at the drop of a hat. I understand her feelings because her parents sucked but I wanted something more from her, and I wasn't getting it.

Karma wasn't my favorite book of the series but it was definitely the steamiest. Despite their issues, Dare and Liza have smoking, hot sexual chemistry. I loved how everything came together in the end. I am a huge fan of an epilogue. I love seeing where everyone ends up after the initial HEA. I am so excited that the series will be continuing, featuring the cops of Serendipity.

I definitely recommend this series. I love the Barron brothers and Ms. Phillips knows how to write a great story centered around a broken family that finds their way back to each other.