Book Binge

Guest Review: His Secret Past by Katie Reus

2012-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of His Secret Past by Katie Reus.

Six years ago, Alexis Baptiste’s world was turned upside down when Hunter Cassidy disappeared without a trace, leaving her alone and pregnant. She’s finally moving on with her life when he resurfaces, just in time to rescue her from a would-be assassin. Forced to join him on the run to protect herself and her young son, Alexis is now in even more danger: danger of falling for Hunter all over again.

Betrayed by rogue CIA agents after infiltrating an infamous drug cartel, former DEA agent Hunter Cassidy has spent years trying to clear his name. He’s not proud of the things he’s done, and knows he doesn’t deserve a future with Alexis, or the son he never knew he had, but he’s determined to protect them from the men who ruined his life. Convincing Alexis to trust him—and denying his feelings for her—is going to be the hardest mission he’s ever faced.

Katie Reus seems to be one of those authors who has found a way to craft a story that maintains the delicate balance between a serious and involved romantic snarl with the demands of a suspense story of the kind that could be a stand alone novel on its own merits. You have a hero who has been almost literally buried as an undercover DEA agent in South America in an effort to unravel the hold of a major drug cartel on the drug trade. You also have a strong heroine who has been left behind by the love of her life to put her emotions back together after her lover's abandonment, a single mother of a son her lover has fathered and whose existence is unknown to him, and a woman whose life is about to be upended by threat to herself and her son by the very men who have sought to end the life of the man she still loves. Add in rogue intelligence agents who appear to be in the inner circle who should have been totally trust-worthy, and you have tension on several levels and all of which enrich the novel and engage the brain in a satisfying way.

In some ways I was a bit upset over a hero who seemed to be mired in his own pain until I realized that his six years undercover had violated him morally and emotionally in such a way that he wonders if he can ever be the man he once was. His feelings of being undeserving of the love of a good woman--his woman--and the respect of his son are, in my opinion, directly connected to the inner violation of who he was as a person of conscience and as a person who was committed to do the right thing. On the flip side, there's lots to like about Hunter, his love for Alexis, his careful handling of a touchy situation when meeting his son for the first time, and his determination to keep them safe even if it's at the cost of his own life.

Alexis is a woman who has sustained one of the worst wounds humanly possible in losing her love and the father of her child. Not knowing where he was, not knowing why he literally vanished from her life, not knowing how to reconcile his absence with his declarations of "forever" love, Alexis has to find a way to put herself and a life for her son back together and move on with her life even though a significant piece of herself is still with Hunter. I think sometimes we, as a society, become so used to the presence of single parenting that we forget how difficult it is to insure the well-being of oneself and a child or children. It is a lonely and difficult life, and in Alexis' case, it is also complicated by the slow drain on her emotional well-being because she still doesn't know why Hunter left.

This is a novel that will grab the interest of suspense romance fans right from the start. It will keep the reader on the edge of the chair. It was a book I found impossible to put down. The book is beautifully written and edited and as such is a treat for serious readers. It is a fine demonstration of this author's grasp of the writing task so that the plot and story are well-thought-out and the characters are crafted in such a way that they are defined and clear to the reader. Put all together, this novel is a credit to the writer's art. I enjoyed it very much and will probably be re-reading it in the near future. There's so much here that I don't think it is possible to get a handle on everything after just one reading.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Guest Review: Should've Been a Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson

2012-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's Review of Should've Been A Cowboy (Sons of Chance #4) by Vicki Lewis Thompson.

Party organizer Tyler O'Connelli is on the fast track to her dream career. She's so close she can almost taste it. But when she returns to her family and sees her one-night stand, Alex Keller, all done up in his cowboy gear, her self-control is stretched to the breaking point….

They're worlds apart. She's a busy career girl, and Alex is a cowboy. But while getting together might not bode well for anything long-term, it more than makes up for it in sheer hot chemistry! Problem is, this is one wrangler she might want to get tied down—and tied up—to…indefinitely!

This is another in a series of stories written for Harlequin Blaze involving family and friends of a Montana ranching enterprises. It brings two people together who shared only one night--a night that was one filled with unforgettable passion and which marked them both far more than they realized. Now, not quite a year later, they are once again together with Alex Keller having found his niche in the ranching structure while Tyler is still pursuing her ultimate dream.

There is definitely an imbalance in the lives of these two. On the one hand, their struggle to make sense of their continued attraction and to find a place in their mutual futures is a large part of the story. But there is also the matter of Tyler's struggle to balance her dream job and her hoped-for achievements with the overwhelming desire to be with Alex permanently. There are some reviewers who find the story difficult because it appears that Tyler is the only one of the pair that is making the concessions. I didn't find this to be a problem in light of the fact that Alex had made his choices and settled in to a place that seems right for him. It is Tyler who is conflicted and torn between a professional dream and a need that is deeply personal and emotional. It is this struggle that forms the basic conflict in the story.

As always, Ms Thompson shares a polished writing style with her readers that has delighted them through many past great reads. Even though this is not an extensive novel in length, it is a very satisfying one that brings a great group of characters once again into the reader's mind while introducing them to Tyler and her deep inner struggles. Readers are also given a more complete of Alex and what he is really about as he moves into a more settled phase of his life, one that makes it possible for him to consider a permanent relationship with a woman whose influence and presence in his life was formerly one night of shared passion. The tension between these two main characters forms a great deal of the tension that holds the story together. The continued experiences of characters who were formerly featured in other stories in this series forms the backdrop to the new episode. Yet it is a successful stand alone story. All in all, it is a very fine writing effort from an author who has a proven track record for delighting her readers.

This is a fun book and one that I think will please not only Ms Thompson's fans as well as new readers of this newest of her books.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Harlequin Blaze. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Review: Breakaway by Deirdre Martin.

2012-02-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Breakaway by Deirdre Martin.

Hero: Rory Brady

Heroine: Erin O'Brien

They had it all planned out: college, marriage, happily ever after. But it didn't quite work out that way...

Erin O'Brien was everyone's favorite in Ballycraig, while Rory Brady was the town's golden boy: the local lad who moved to America and became a professional hockey player. Rory promised to return to sweep Erin away to the life of her dreams in New York. But the bright lights and late nights turned his head and he never came back.

Two years later, Rory realizes he's made the worst mistake of his life. Heading back to Ballycraig, he's confident that all he needs to do is flash his winning smile and Erin will fall back into his arms. But Erin's moved on.

Racing the clock, Rory needs to prove to her that the man she fell in love with is still there. But can happy-go-lucky Erin risk it all and give another chance to the man who broke her heart?

I haven't read a Deirdre Martin book in a long while and she's hit or miss with me. Some of her books I've really enjoyed and some, I haven't liked. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed reading this one. Rory and Erin were childhood sweethearts who had plans to get married and live happily ever after but when Rory changes his mind, Erin is left in Ireland brokenhearted.

Rory went to play professional hockey in the states and left the country town of Ballycraig behind. He up and left without looking back, ditched everything and everyone. Broke Erin's heart and pissed his best friend Jake off. In all the time that he's been gone, he's realized that he misses what he had back home and he's going back to get it.

He also knew that grudges were made and will definitely be held against him but that wasn't going to stop him from going back home to get what's his. But just because he knew that they were going to have it out for him didn't mean that he didn't understand why they were all so bleeping mad at him. He had his reasons for dumping Erin and for walking away from Jake. He knew that he was an ass for hurting his best mates but what's done was done and he was going back to make amends.

Martin did a great job of showing us just how pissed off the folks of Ballycraig was of the home boy turned Yankee. They gave him lip every chance they could but they also forgave him when he proved his worth to them. He won them over slowly but surely and I enjoyed seeing them make him sweat it out before they welcomed him back.

Erin was a great heroine. She was smart, knew her own mind and had plans for her life that at first didn't include Rory. What I liked most about her was that she didn't deny her feelings to herself for very long because she knew that she still loved the hell out of him but it was nice to see Rory win her over as well. I loved how loyal she was to Sandra and the kids.

Rory had a lot of ground to cover when he came home so he had already learned his lesson, this book was about showing him win everyone over again. I enjoyed getting to know him and I enjoyed the romance between him and Erin. I thought they were cute together so I was rooting them on throughout the entire story.

Overall, this was a great contemporary romance with a charming cast of characters and a setting that I want to visit in real life. I'm glad I read this one and would definitely be up for more New York Blades story goodness.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Guest Review: Dreaming of the Wolf by Terry Spear

2012-02-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of Dreaming of the Wolf (Heart of the Wolf #8) by Terry Spear.

Werewolf pack leader Jake Silver is an acclaimed photographer. He sees a beautiful woman at the art gallery where his photos are on display, and his intrigue turns into wolfish protectiveness. Alicia Greiston has never met anyone like Jake-he's sexy, alpha, and totally irresistible, and he calls to something primal in her soul.

It's a great day for wolf shifter paranormal fiction lovers when another of Terry Spear's "Heart of the Wolf" series appears. It is also another opportunity to check in with some of the characters who have been featured in other books in this series. However, this book is one that I particularly enjoyed because of the realistic content re: wolves as well as a new concept known as "dream mating" which Ms Spear has made a pivotal part of the love story between Jake and Alicia.

This is a story that is chock full of good stuff. Of course, there is the hunky alpha male wolf shifter whose brother is the pack alpha but who is an important individual in the pack leadership. There is the human female who attracts Jake and who brings out all the protective instincts in his powerhouse body as he finds out that this diminutive woman is a bounty hunter who has decided to take on some really heavy hitters in organized crime. There are hot love scenes and chases; intrusive federal law enforcement and local detectives who must be kept in the dark about the existence of shifters; there is the whole dilemma that the reader experiences as Alicia is "turned" and has to go through the first weeks as a shifter without any kind of guidance or information about her new life; and there is the whole shifter mating phenomenon known as "dream mating" and the connection between Jake and Alicia that is strengthened through this unusual process.

This is also a novel that grabs the reader from the very first word, that keeps the tension surrounding the crime figures at peak level throughout, and one which develops the relationship between Jake and Alicia relentlessly in spite of numerous ups and downs. There are surprises and some plot twists that keep the reader off balance. I certainly didn't expect some of the developments that I encountered. It is a story that is well written by an author whose command of the language enables her to craft word pictures that create this alternate species in such a way that it all seems so real and "normal." Alicia is a study--a woman whose early life and relationships have not been the best, whose own mother has not been a good role model for choosing wisely in regards to her romantic involvements, and one whose loyalty and close friendship with her mom have launched her on this path of finding and apprehending her mother's killers. Yet as brave and really well trained as Alicia is in many ways, she is also vulnerable and needing to find the love of a good man, one who will respect and cherish as well as protect and encourage her to be her very best.

Readers familiar with this series will also enjoy the continuation and involvement of Jake's brother and sister-in-law whose story were featured in an earlier novel. The strong bonds of family and pack loyalty not only form an important social structure in the novel but are an important factor in giving Alicia the strength to go through some daunting experiences as she becomes the target for the mob killers who killed her parents. All in all, it is a fine paranormal romance and is well-balanced between the suspense and the romantic aspects. It is one that has already become a favorite of mine and I am looking forward to reading more of this pack, especially Jake's brother Tom who is now coming to really desire his own mate after the experiences of his two older brothers. Something to look forward to, and as always, this author is sure to please.

I give this book a rating of 4.25 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Sourcebooks Casablanca. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Guest Review: Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr

2012-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of Redwood Bend (Virgin River #18) by Robyn Carr.

Katie Malone and her twin boys’ trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie doesn’t have the first clue about putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.

Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the site of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another. In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road.

WELCOME BACK TO THE RIVER.

There are those who really and truly believe that there are no coincidences, no acts of fate, no accidental meetings that prove to be fortuitous in a scary sort of way. And there are others who just can't seem to get away from the fact that some encounters really do seem to be the result of some sort of cosmic planning. Whatever one's belief or mindset, the meeting of Katie and Dylan in this story does seem fortuitous if only because this widowed mother and her 5-year-old twins are stranded on a narrow mountain road in Northern California with no cell phone connection and a really destroyed tire. The appearance of Dylan Childress and his biker friends certainly got Katie and her kids back on the road, but when the meetings between these two keep on happening, there does enter a sense that perhaps this odd kind of connection between these two was meant to be.

One could say that these two were hurting individuals. In some ways that is true. But Dylan was deeply wounded by parents, step-parents, half siblings and step siblings, the affluence of Hollywood that had been heaped on him as a successful child TV and movie actor, and the sense that everyone and everything in his parents' lives took precedence over him. He has grown out of the laziness and self-centered approach to living and is not a successful business owner of a charter air service in Montana, thanks to a grandmother who refused to see her grandson walk down the same path his dad did. But one serious residual effect remains: Dylan is convinced that there is something in his family's DNA that prevents him from ever being a successful husband and father. He carried around those old memories, the realization that he really wasn't important to his mother, and the fear that was at the core of it all that he would ultimately be the same kind of relational failure as everyone else in his family.

Katie certainly wasn't doing emotional handstands as she journeyed toward Virgin River where her brother lived. She was lonely--the kind of loneliness that seeps into the heart and soul like a cold, wet wind. Her Medal of Honor winning husband had died in Afghanistan before her twin boys were born but she would be the first person to tell you that she wouldn't give up one second of her short-lived marriage to a man who truly loved her with a passionate heart. She will freely admit that she doesn't want to be alone the rest of her life, but her main concern is her sons. All else pales in importance.

This novel brings a heavy dose of family connections to the story through the relationship between Katie and her brother and her brother's significant other. It is also a curious look at a grandmother/grandson relationship that is respectful and loving, but each is living according to their personal dictates. Yet throughout there is that sense that Dylan has encountered a woman unlike any he has ever met, one who is confident, sassy, independent, loving to a fault when it comes to her children, her brother, and her friends. She is a woman who has developed the skills to live her own particular way according to the demands made on her and readers of the female persuasion will greatly enjoy the parts of the story that describe her mothering behaviors and if they are like me, will absolutely delight in the actions and words of those 5 year old twin boys--full of life and, as my mother-in-law would say, were full of pee and vinegar. They could get into more trouble in five minutes than any adult on the planet.

I am a confirmed fan of the Virgin River series and have been going back and reading some of the first novels in order to get a fuller picture of the characters that keep showing up in so many of the subsequent stories. I know there are readers who have grown weary of the series but I am not one of them. I don't think they are at all stylized or formula stories any more than any other romance novel. Yet I find that I still want some of these people as my friends and neighbors. They are just really good people. It is always a joy to read about a community that is filled with realistic, life-like, just-as-troubled-as-we-are kinds of characters. They make the stories come alive for me. I hope you will get this book and enjoy it as much as I did.

I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Mira. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Review: It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas.

2012-02-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas.

Hero: Lord Marcus Marsden, Earl of Westcliff
Heroine: Miss Lillian Bowman

Four young ladies enter London society with one necessary goal:they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So they band together, and a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.

It Happened at the Ball...

Where beautiful but bold Lillian Bowman quickly learned that her independent American ways weren't entirely "the thing." And the most disapproving of all was insufferable, snobbish, and impossible Marcus, Lord Westcliff, London's most eligible aristocrat.

It Happened in the Garden…

When Marcus shockingly -- and dangerously–swept her into his arms. Lillian was overcome with a consuming passion for a man she didn't even like. Time stood still; it was as if no one else existed…thank goodness they weren't caught very nearly in the act!

It Happened One Autumn...

Marcus was a man in charge of his own emotions, a bedrock of stability. But with Lillian, every touch was exquisite torture, every kiss an enticement for more. Yet how could he consider taking a woman so blatantly unsuitable…as his bride?

Another delightful read by Lisa Kleypas. It's really easy to fall right in love with a Lisa Kleypas story. She has a talent that is in a league all it's own and she showcases her talent when she wrote this story because I'm telling you right now, in Secrets of a Summer Night, I hated Lillian Bowman. I hated her so much that I wanted to punch her in the face and bloody her up real good. As much as I hated her though, I didn't want her to get kidnapped by that rascal, Sebastian St. Vincent.

Lillian has such a strong and stubborn personality, she's got that whole "my way or the highway" kind of attitude and it really made me want to choke her the hell out numerous times.

This book was good.

I really enjoyed the entire story, going into this book though I didn't expect to like it, because I wasn't wild about Lillian in Annabelle's story, because gosh this woman was so damn loud and "I know everything, it's my way or the highway" type of girl, I didn't think I'd like her. I should've known better though, because Lisa Kleypas certainly delivered with this story.

I loved the sparks between her and Marcus, I loved the whole "it's the perfume" that's why he's wildly attracted to me. I loved how Marcus knew what the secret ingredient was and how he turned out to be right. I just liked the whole damn book, it was fantabulous!

I even enjoyed the whole, Sebastian stealing her away from Marcus, leaving Marcus to come and save the day! Was I mad at Sebastian for doing it? No...did I hate him? No...but that's probably because I knew he was the hero in the next book and was giving him the benefit of the doubt...I just really enjoyed all of the coming together of Marcus and Lillian, I loved the secondary characters as well, especially Mr. Simon Hunt and his wife, Annabelle. They were the bomb in this story just as they were in their story.

Besides, the old cow that is Marcus' Mom, I hated that Annabelle referred to her husband, as Mr. Hunt and not Simon. It bothered me, don't know why but it did...hello, you're amongst friends, your best friends at that, there's no need for you to be so formal when talking about your husband, GOSH!

Aside from that, I really enjoyed the story and the way the whole story ended, leading into Evie's story, I LOVE IT!!!! It made me start the next book right away. Just effing loved this whole book. Daisy is STILL my favorite though, but I'm not so mad at Lillian for being such a big brute about everything, she's cool for the moment...haha.

Great book! FANTASTIC series!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Reading Order:

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Guest Author: Mary Burton Discusses Why She Loves Carnivals.

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Please join us in welcoming Mary Burton to Book Binge. We're delighted to have her join us to discuss why she loves carnivals. Take it away, Mary!!!

___________________

One of the backdrops in BEFORE SHE DIES is the carnival. It’s the fall. The air is crisp and the carnival has just set up near Alexandria. It is an exciting time for many but for my heroine Charlotte Wellington the carnival brings bad memories of a past she wants to forget.

When I was a kid I looked forward to the arrival of the carnival. The lights. The clowns. The Ferris wheel that made me a little dizzy. The ring toss I could never win. I loved smell of caramel popcorn and the funnel cakes. I could not wait to visit this magical place.

However, I could never quite understand why my parents didn’t love these visits. My dad
grumbled about the characters lurking about. My mom talked about the dirt and grime. They
saw what I didn’t see when I was a child. They saw the darker side of the carnival.

Now as an adult I understand exactly what they were saying. In the light of day without the
night and the sparkling bright lights, it’s easy to see the chipped paint, the worn equipment and
the tired faces of the workers. It can be as rough as it is magical.

A carnival also is the perfect foil for a villain. Bad guys can wear one face in public and much
darker one in private. It is the light and dark, good and evil contrast of the carnival that I love so
much. And why it is the perfect setting for BEFORE SHE DIES.

MARY BURTON

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mary Burton’s romantic suspense novels include the just published Before She Dies, her two earlier Alexandria, Virginia set novels Senseless and
Merciless, and her thrillers Dying Scream, Dead Ringer and I’m Watching You. All have been published as paperback originals by Zebra Books.

A Virginia native whose family’s Richmond roots run as deep as the nation’s, Mary was born, raised in, and raised her own family there. She graduated from Hollins University and began a career in marketing before writing her first novel, a historical romance, published in 2000. Eleven more novels and three novellas for Harlequin followed. In total, she has written nineteen novels and four novellas.

She is a graduate of the Henrico County Citizens Police Academy and the Richmond FBI Citizen’s Academy, and has participated in Sisters in Crime’s Forensic University program and the Writers Police Academy in Jamestown, North Carolina, where she attended seminars on undercover work, autopsies, and the theories behind why people kill.

When not killing people—the total is upwards of a dozen now—or researching, Mary can be found
pursuing her second love, baking, practicing Astanga yoga, enjoying her family, playing with her miniature dachshunds Buddy and Bella, or pursuing her Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond.

Mary Burton writes full time. Her next suspense novel is The Seventh Victim, which will be published in February 2013.

www.maryburton.com| http://www.facebook.com/maryburtonfanpage|www.kensingtonbooks.com

BEFORE SHE DIES
Mary Burton
Zebra Books/Mass Market Original/Fiction
February 2012/On Sale 1-31-12

________

Thanks so much to Mary Burton for stopping by today. If you haven't read her book yet, you should. Her new book Before She Dies is out in stores today!

Book Watch: Taking a Shot by Jaci Burton.

2012-02-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

If you want to score, you have to get in the game...

The last thing Jenna Riley needs is more sports in her life. While her brothers are off being athletic superstars, she's stuck running the family's sports bar, whether she likes it or not. Then in walks pro hockey stud Tyler Anderson. As much as Jenna would like to go to the boards with him, she's vowed to never fall for a jock-even one as hot as Ty.

Ty, intrigued by the beautiful bar owner, becomes a regular. He senses that Jenna wants to do something more with her life. And as he gains her trust, the passion between them grows, as does Ty's insistence that Jenna should start living for herself. With his encouragement, Jenna starts to believe it, too...

But first, Jenna has to figure out what she wants, what she needs, who she loves, and if she has the passion and pride to take a shot at having it all-including Ty...

I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it. I need to get my ass in gear and read the second book because it features the girl that I hated in the first book. I need to see for myself how Burton redeems her in my eyes. This is another series that I'm going to play catch up on in the new year. Aside from how freaking hot the cover is, I'm looking forward to reading this one and that's why I'm putting this up as a book watch because well, the cover and I want to read it.

Is anyone reading and enjoying this series? This book comes out on March 6, 2012 so mark your calendar ladies...=)

This book is available from Berkley. You can pre-order it here or here in e-format.

Guest Review: Their Divine Doctor by Heather Rainier

2012-02-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of Their Divine Doctor by Heather Rainier.

Emma Guthrie has been playing it safe all her life, watching friends marry and have families. She’s dedicated her life to healing others and now it’s time to heal herself.

Duke Rivers and Gage Randall are intrigued by the blushing doctor, whom they’ve observed in the past making a naughty sex toy purchase. Fate brings them together when Emma treats Gage for an arrow wound to the buttocks. When she moves in upstairs, they decide it’s time to take a chance.

The socially awkward threesome discovers a mutual need to stop allowing life to pass them by, and they embark on a quest to accomplish each item on their “bucket list” together. From the treetops of the North Georgia Mountains to the frozen Canadian Northwest Territories and points in between, they chase their dreams as danger closes in at home. Will Emma pay the ultimate price for loving them both?

It isn't often that we come across a novel that embraces really awkward people--all of them, in fact. In other stories it may be an awkward hero or a shy heroine, but in this holiday menage tale every main character is a person who has been absorbed with lots in their life that has little to with personal relationships. Dr. Emma has given her whole adult life to pursuing her dream of being a doctor and giving her time and attention to the community of Divine, Texas. Duke and Gage are security and technology "giants" in many ways, but that keeps them behind the scenes more often than not, and most definitely not out where they interact with others very much. For all three, it's OK for a while. But all three of these people are now coming to a time in their lives when the job, the profession, the daily grind just doesn't "do it" for them. Through an interesting set of circumstances, these three peoples' lives converge and their mutual attraction gives them the courage to reach out to one another. And that all important bucket list? It's what seems to give them an agenda as they work through the issues in their personal relationship.

This is a story of people that are often invisible unless their doing their job or their skills are needed. Yes, they all have a small circle of friends, but those people, as important as they are, are really on the periphery of their lives--perhaps that's where they have all kept them. But now Emma knows that she is getting older and she wants someone important in her life to love. She wasn't planning on having two hunks pursuing her. But Emma's heart is large and she is probably one of the most open-minded and open-hearted people you could ever meet. Her generous spirit seems to call to Duke and Gage and they are more than delighted to be embraced by her generous heart and her loving arms.

Throughout this Divine Creek Ranch series is it evident that the underlying truth that drives these stories is that human love comes in all shapes and sizes and is expressed in many different relational configurations. There has been a sense of rejection even among some citizens in the wider community of Divine, but there has also grown to be a portion of the community that have accepted that some people have not difficulty including more people in their family circle. And for Emma, Duke and Gage, having that sense of security, knowing they are deeply and irrevocably loved is the missing piece that has now been put in place so that they are finally whole. Once again readers are treated to the good things about all these people: genuine caring and respect for one another, open minds for people who may have chosen an alternative way of living and relating, deep community ties, friendship that goes the extra mile, and a sense of being connected on many levels.

This is a shorter holiday story, but it adds just a little bit more to the reader's growing knowledge about this growing circle of friends and family as well as insights into the community. Most of all this story embodies the very values that all people know to be an intrinsic part of what the Christmas spirit is about. As always, Ms Rainier brings her growing expertise and writing skill to the task. All of us who love this series have been aware of her growth as a writer and her careful handling of language, story line and plot. It is a truly delightful read and one that will be welcomed by fans of this series. This is also somewhat shorter than most of the other books in the series but it is every bit as good. While it is a stand alone book it is even better when the reader is familiar with characters that have been featured in previous novels. It is the kind of book that will be a joy to read at any time of the year.

I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Siren Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

What Are You Reading? 2-17-12

2012-02-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

Rowena: My friendship with Holly goes like this: she pimps books for me to read and I don't read them. A few years pass and I'm looking for something to read and I finally pick up the book that Holly was gushing about years and year ago...and I get hooked. I'm always late to the party and Holly always says, "Why don't you ever listen to me?" I'm not sure why this happens but it happens all the time and it happened again this week. I'm finally reading The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. And yes, I'm loving it.

Holly: I love being right. Now if you'd just read Dragon Bound......

This week I went on a - brace yourselves - paranormal binge. That's right, after 3ish years of avoiding pnr like the plague I can't get enough of it. I'm currently digging shifters. At Jane's suggestion I read the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs. It was wonderful. I can't wait for the next book to come out at the end of the month.

I'm not sure what to try next. Maybe Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley. Any other pnr shifter recs?

What are you reading?

Guest Review: The Passionate Italian by Diana Fraser

2012-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of The Passionate Italian by Diana Fraser

Passion wasn’t high on Rose’s agenda growing up in poverty: survival was, independence was, but not the crazy, elemental passion that she’d found with Giovanni Visconti. But, after a year together, the passion had twisted into jealousy and control and Rose had disappeared—seemingly unable to deal with her husband’s passionate nature.

But, two years later, Giovanni tracks Rose down. He’s discovered something that makes him realize that there was more to Rose’s departure than he’d first thought, and he’s determined to control his jealous passions in order to prove to his wife that she can trust him. But Rose is keeping secrets from him—secrets with the potential to destroy more than just their relationship.

I first encountered culture shock when a kid and our family was moving to distant areas in the United States and my sister and I had to literally begin again with friendships and feeling comfortable with a place being "home." I found out that it is even more of a severe change when moving from the United States to another country when first married to a serviceman who was stationed in Germany. Lots of folks may have spoken English and even loved everything American, but that didn't change the fact that people raised in Germany simply experienced life differently, valued many of the same things but still there was significant differences on many levels.

Those cultural differences are very much at the heart of this novel about an English woman who has never really known love in her young life and who is completely taken over by the passionate advances of a wealthy Italian business magnate. Head of his international business as well as an ancient Italian family, Giovanni fell madly in love with the beautiful Rose and swept her into a marriage which, while it was exciting and lusty, began to take over her life with her husband's over-protective and jealous ways and what seemed to her to be a serious lack of trust. After nearly being raped by her brother-in-law and losing their baby--events that Giovanni knew nothing about because he had been gone for six months--Rose left Italy for parts unknown. She certainly had no idea that she was taking a significant part of Giovanni's heart with her.

Some reviewers have had a very negative response to Giovanni. Now on the surface it appears that he is an overbearing jerk and perhaps that may be still true to some degree. But I think readers have to put on a different set of glasses with which to view this man who has been shaped by a culture far different than ours, born into an ancient family with all its traditions and expectations, and a man for whom power was a way of life from the first moment of his life. It is significant that Rose never doubted Giovanni's love for her, but she just couldn't live with his jealousy. This story is significant for understanding the power of love to convince a man like Giovanni that he must adopt a far different view of marriage and relationship--his willingness to change in order to woo his wife back to his side says a great deal about the quality of human being he was.

This story is also about the destruction that can be caused when partners refuse to give up their fears of the future because of the conditioning of the past. No one will deny that Rose had legitimate reasons for developing the survivor skills she possessed in order to rise above the emotional black hole in which she lived her early years. What is so sad for many was true for Rose: she couldn't seem to move beyond the need to be independent, the need to withhold her trust, her unwillingness to allow Giovanni's love to keep her safe. No wonder he came to the conclusion that she just didn't love him enough.

This is a very insightful novel that gives readers an opportunity to look at relationship through the eyes of another culture. It has times of great joy and peace, but throughout there is that strand of tension that there is a sinister something that can and will disrupt any hope these two people have for a future together. It is this dark presence that keeps on rearing its head and which keeps on upending Giovanni's efforts to regain a relationship with the woman he loves. But it is also Rose's insistence at keeping her secrets, Alberto's attempted rape and the loss of their baby, and refusing to trust Giovanni and his love for her. It is a clear lesson that we as human beings often make serious mistakes when we attempt to make decisions for others.

I found this a very good book--entertaining and stimulating and ultimately a very satisfying reading experience. It is not a really long book, but it is long enough to allow for good story and plot development and to develop characters that are realistic and basically very human.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Diana Fraser Publishing. You can buy it here in e-format.

Guest Review: Darn Good Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown

2012-02-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of Darn Good Cowboy Christmas (Spikes & Spurs #3) by Carolyn Brown.

The author of the #1 bestselling Christmas romance in 2010 (Honky Tonk Christmas) creates a new installment in her sexy contemporary cowboy romance series that showcases her amazing Southern voice.

Born and raised in a traveling carnival, all Liz Hanson ever wanted for Christmas was a home that didn't have wheels. After she was old enough to date she added one more item: a sexy cowboy.

She's about given up on Santa ever bringing either one when her father dies and leaves her an ugly house and twenty acres in Texas. Then rancher Raylen O'Donnell walks onto her property...

It has been said that we are all children at Christmas--admittedly we all love receiving presents. Some have even conceived of adult Santa lists. Few have had requests as strange as Liz Hanson's as she moved into a new phase of her life. All she wanted for Christmas was a house that wasn't built on wheels and her very own cowboy. Her carnie family had a very hard time accepting her desire to separate herself from her life-long association with the carnival life. Her mom, her aunt, and all their family members thought she was crazy. With the exception, however, of her uncle who never accepted his "place" in the traditions of the carnival into which he was born. Now he has decided to deed his ranch over to Liz and it would appear that she has a chance to make this significant move away from the transient life. She still loves the carnival in many ways and as time goes on she misses parts of it--not being with her mom and others in her family her primary loss. Yet she knows that this is right for her and she just needs to prove this to those who love her.

Now for the cowboy for Christmas: she has had a crush on one of the O'Donnell boys since her early teens. Her shock comes when the now grown up Raylon appears at her door and the teen crush appears to be in danger of turning into something far more adult in nature.

Carolyn Brown fans will love this story. Crisp and clear character development, humorous, one-of-a-kind characters that form the background and context of the story, the on-going saga of the O'Donnells and their attempt to marry off their kids in order, and the delightful repartee that peppers and enlivens the dialogue throughout. It is such a fun read. Having read the first two books in this series and really liked them a lot, I was delighted to get this book for review. It was like meeting up with familiar characters that almost border on friends, yet their continuing story doesn't overshadow the new story and its action. It is a story that includes some pretty intense erotic loving--an attraction that seems to have the main characters falling into bed with each other fairly frequently. But unlike other novels embodying a similar attraction, the love story does not overtake the other aspects of the novel. Liz's family is unique and the objections of Raylon's family to Liz and her background make this story come across with a different impact. It isn't just about the sex. It really is about a relationship that Liz must fit into a life that is still in transition, fraught with challenges and struggles, especially those that are launched by well-meaning and loving family members.

This may be a novel that highlights the Christmas season as a significant part of the story context, but it is a love story that is timeless in the issues that impact the lives of these two main characters and the people who are an important part of their lives. It is the kind of story that will be a fun read, no matter what time of year. I highly recommend lovers of cowboy/Western romance to latch on to this one. It's just a really good book.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Sourcebooks Casablanca. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Rachel Gibson's ePub Titles are on Sale!

2012-02-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Got some Avon news in our email and thought we'd share the knowledge.

From the email:

Avon is very happy to announce a special price promotion for Rachel Gibson’s backlist in anticipation of her brand new to epub titles! Please help us spread the word, and introduce the bestselling author to some new fans.

NOW AVAILABLE AT THE DISCOUNTED PROMOTIONAL PRICE OF $5.99

True Love and Other Disasters
Nothing But Trouble
True Confessions
Sex, Lies and Online Dating
I’m in No Mood for Love
Tangled Up in You
Not Another Bad Date
Lola Carlyle Reveals All
Any Man of Mine ($4.99)

NEW TO EPUB RELEASES ON 4/1/12 ALL ONLY $3.99!

Simply Irresistible
It Must Be Love
See Jane Score
The Trouble with Valentine’s Day
Truly Madly Yours
Daisy’s Back in Town

Don’t forget RESCUE ME, the first chapter in Gibson’s new series on men of the military, will be on-sale 5/29/12.

Looks like a great deal, so head on over to your nearest online retailer and get your own copies.

Happy reading!

Guest Review: The Devil of Jedburgh by Claire Robyns

2012-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Tracy's review of The Devil of Jedburgh by Claire Robyns.

Raised on rumours of The Devil of Jedburgh, Breghan McAllen doesn't want an arranged marriage to the beast. The arrogant border laird is not the romantic, sophisticated husband Breghan dreams of—despite the heat he stirs within her.

In need of an heir, Arran has finally agreed to take a wife, but when he sees Breghan's fragile beauty, he's furious. He will not risk the life of another maiden by getting her with child. Lust prompts him to offer a compromise: necessary precautions, and handfasting for a year and a day, after which Breghan will be free. For a chance to control her own future, Breghan makes a deal with the Devil.

Passion quickly turns to love, but Arran still has no intention of keeping the lass, or making her a mother. He loves her too much to lose her. But when a treasonous plot threatens queen and country, Breghan has to prove only she is woman enough to stand by his side.

Breghan is not excited about getting married to a man that she thinks is truly the devil. She gets on her horse and rides the day before the wedding and ends up far from home – farther than she intended. Or did she purposely head far off as to avoid the man. She ends up hurt and being taken care of by three strapping men. She soon realizes that one of them, the one she's most attracted to is her soon to be husband and figures that there is a lot of rumor in the stories that she's heard of him all her life. But she's still not happy about the marriage. She talks to him, calling herself Bree so he won't know she is his intended bride, and questions him about what he wants in a wife. She soon discovers that the man who wants to take her to wife only wants a brood mare! He wants some strapping woman to bed and make babies. He doesn't care about love or companionship or even if she's attractive.

When Bree and Arran finally make it back to Breghan's father's keep all hell has broken loose because of her desertion overnight. Breghan's father is madder than a hornet and isn't willing to listen to a word that she says about anything. Arran was certainly no expecting a slim beauty when he made the deal with Breghan's father. Since Breghan is the 13th child in her family and she has 12 strapping brothers Arran assumed that she would be a big strapping girl. Wrong. Arran agrees to a handfasting rather than a marriage (handfasting used to last 1 year and 1 day) and to let Breghan decide how their future would go thinking that she would bow out. Breghan agrees to the handfasting, which shocks Arran, but she has her own motives. She makes her father agree that if she completes the handfasting then her father will let her choose her own suitor after that rather than choosing one for her. He agrees.

Breghan and Arran head off to Arran's home and he's more than kind - giving Breghan time to get used to the idea of the bedding. He soon has her in his bed but he pulls out as he doesn't want to get her with child. He has his secrets from his past and the demons that he lives with that make him want to prevent a pregnancy. As the months go on, however, they both fall in love – not that they'll come clean about that – and Breghan soon takes matters into her own hands to force Arran's hand. Yeah, life doesn't always turn out the way you think it will.

This was a great medieval story. I didn't love the arguing that occurred between Arran and Breghan during the first part of the book but it was so very realistic I just had to keep reading. They were both so stinking stubborn but so very much alike that I was pulling for them from the start.

While I can't say that I loved the deception that Breghan pulls on Arran but I understood it completely. As I said they were both incredibly stubborn! There was a bit of political intrigue in the book that, while it showed us what was going on in the kingdom in Edinburgh, I just didn't think really fit in with the whole story. It almost seemed like it was put in just to put the couple in a stressful situation that forced them together. I liked those parts of it, I just thought them unnecessary.

Overall a really good medieval love story.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy's Place

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Guest Review: Season of the Shadow by Bobbi Groover

2012-02-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

Tracy’s review of Season of the Shadow by Bobbi Groover.

It was a time of chivalry and grace but also a time of turmoil in antebellum America. Fletcher Stedman is the crown prince of Virginia's famous Seabrook Plantation. The handsome rakehell is a man of dreams with headstrong passions and an ingenious mind. Suddenly his dreams are shattered and his life ripped from him by a jealous cousin, and Fletcher is put to the test fighting for his life and his sanity. Kyndee Brock always dreams of marrying her handsome Fletcher--her kindred spirit and dearest love. One day, however, Fletcher mysteriously disappears. Kyndee must spend the next decade defying fate, following her heart to reunite them and recapture the love that they had been denied.

Ten years ago Fletcher Stedman was attacked, kidnapped and then incarcerated in a madhouse. He spent six year there, managing to keep his sanity along the way. When a fire broke out at the facility he managed to escape and has sent the last four years becoming human again after being treated like an animal for so long. He is now ready to go back to his family and seek revenge on the man he knows was the instigator of it all, his cousin, Buck. You see, Buck has come to live with the Stedman family when he was 12 and his parents had been killed in fire themselves. Buck and Fletcher never got along but Fletcher just went about his business and tried not to spend too much time thinking about Buck. Apparently he should have.

Now he’s back in his home town and he’s finding that his revenge is going to take way more time and energy than he thought as Buck has covered his tracks at every turn. On top of that the woman who he loved before and has never stopped loving is now Buck’s wife – oh the agony! He can’t decide whether he loves or hates Kyndee but he can’t stop thinking about her.

Fletcher has a hard time convincing his best friend that he is who he says he is as he now is taller, has a beard, and a raspy voice due to the knife that entered his throat the night of his kidnapping. He isn’t recognized by anyone and he is determined that no one know until he is ready to tell them.

Kyndee is miserable. She longs for her lost love, Fletcher, and has only married Buck at her father’s persistence. The reason he was so adamant that the match be made is because the father was facing financial ruin and Buck offered to pay the families debts if Kyndee marry him. Buck is a loving and attentive husband…in public but behind the bedroom door he is rough and unkind cares nothing for Kyndee at all except for the fact that he now possesses the woman that his cousin Fletcher once loved. Kyndee tries to deal with Buck as best she can but she really doesn’t like the man at all and letting him touch her is completely revolting.

When Kyndee meets Zachary Brown she is stunned at how many mannerisms he has that her long lost Fletcher once had. She is drawn to the man and doesn’t know why. When evidence comes to her that Zachary is actually Fletcher she is thrilled and turns to him for verification. Fletcher is coarse and angry with her but she loves him nonetheless. The couple have a volatile relationship to say the least. Fletcher doesn’t understand why Kyndee ever married Buck and Kyndee is honor bound to her father not to let on what the issue was. Kyndee understands why Fletcher feels the need to get back at Buck but yet she knows that even if that happens and the Stedman family plantation goes back to Fletcher, Kyndee will still be married to Buck.

Normally books with revenge plots aren’t my thing but when I read the blurb to this one it really piqued my interest enough that I wanted to read it.

The book had so many twists and turns, ups and downs – both with Kyndee and Fletcher’s relationship as well as the revenge against Buck - that it’s hard to summarize it all. The main parts of the story were varied from rarely and I really liked that about the book. Fletcher had so many demons inside him from his time in the madhouse and I really felt for the man. He didn’t always go about things in a logical manner and things rarely went his way when he wanted them to. I have to say I really liked that about the book. It didn’t just kowtow to the hero of the book – it made him jump through hoops before he could get what he wanted.

Kyndee was an incredibly strong character. For someone who had been pampered all of her life she truly had a core of steel and I really liked that about her which made the book that much better to read.

I think the issues I have with the book and why it didn’t get a stronger rating from me was the length of the book. I think because things weren’t wrapped up earlier (I was right there with it until about pages 350 or 375 and then I just needed to be done) the story started having a more melodramatic feel to it and it got to be a bit much. A couple others were...I got a little freaked out when the hero stripped and got in bed with the heroine when she was sedated. Now he didn't know she was sedated and when he realized it he stopped his fooling around but it just kind of gave me the creeps. Another was the hero and heroine having sex right after she was beaten. Really? I know she's strong but come on, that's a little much. Anyway....don’t get me wrong – I liked the whole story but it did have it's moments.

Rating: 4 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This book is available from ebookit.com. You can buy it here or here in e-format.