Book Binge

Guest Review: Beyond the Night by Joss Ware

2010-02-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of Beyond the Night (Awakening Heroes, Book 1) by Joss Ware.

A man with no future . . .When Dr. Elliott Drake wakes from a mysterious fifty-year sleep, the world as he knew it is gone. Cities are now desolate, and civilization is controlled by deadly immortals. Stranger still is Elliott's extraordinary new “gift” – he has the power to heal, but it comes with fatal consequences. A woman with a past . . . Jade barely escaped the immortals and is now hell-bent on revenge. She trusts no one . . . until Elliott. His piercing gaze and tempting touch shatter her defenses, but the handsome doctor seems to have dangerous secrets of his own. Is it safe to trust him with her heart? If they are to survive in this dark new world, Jade and Elliott must work together to fight the forces that take them beyond danger.. Beyond desire. Beyond the Night.

Author Joss Ware calls this a “post-apocalyptic” story set in a world that has been destroyed by earthquake, fire, evil, and greed, by those who sought to rid the world of humans and whose grab for power put the very existence of the planet in jeopardy. Five men who had gone caving in Sedona, Arizona, in June, 2010, became unconscious and remained so for fifty years due to the earthquakes. The world they now know is nothing like they remember and most of the humans they encounter in their search for any civilization were not yet born at the time of the catastrophe. Elliott is not the only one of the five with unusual powers and as these men encounter humans, a Runner named Jade, Strangers who are immortals from no-one-knows-where, and monsters who consume humans and animals in the night, they try to make sense of an existence for which they are ill prepared.

This story begins with tension and doesn't let up until the final page. Ware uses powerful language to sketch the horror of a world that has been changed irrevocably to one that knows almost nothing of the technological society of 2010. The need to survive and the valiant efforts of the human population, the efforts to re-establish a society based on law, the constant fear of the night-stalking monsters created by the immortals, are all artfully described as well as the efforts of the Resistance movement undercover within the city that is built on the remains of what used to be Las Vegas. Within this dark and forbidding world scenario, the story of Elliott and Jade's love is told, first as sexual attraction and ultimately as a love that withstands the tragedies caused by unmitigated evil. It is a powerful story of passion and regard. I really like Elliott, a man of ethics and honor, who takes his medical training and promises seriously, who respects and values Jade as a powerful woman who has survived torture and untold horrors at the hands of the immortals, as a woman who uses intelligence and strategy to find and defeat all who would crush the humans. He is a gentle and kind man, full of life but one who rarely if ever allows his baser instincts to drive his actions, even in a world that doesn't seem to know much of the society that has formed him. He is not sure he can survive in the world as it now exists and he certainly doesn't know if he can learn to live with his new “gift.” He glories in the power to heal but he is not sure he can figure out how to make the choices as to who should be healed and who must be allowed to die.

This is the first in this series and it is a powerful first-in-a-series novel. It holds the reader's attention from start to finish. This story is crafted by an author that demonstrates a complete understanding of the writing task and fulfills the promise of this story line with aplomb. In its own peculiar way, even though this is fiction, it forces the reader to consider what it would be like to live in a world without so many goods and services we now take for granted. A reader who desires a substantive reading experience will not be disappointed in this book.

I give it a rating of 5 out of 5.

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

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

Review: Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis.

2010-02-08T06:00:00.001-08:00

Rowena's review of Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis.

Hero: Wade O'Riley
Heroine: Samantha McNead
Grade: 4.75 out of 5

After a woman claims she’s pregnant with Wade O’Riley’s love child, Major League Baseball’s most celebrated catcher and ladies’ man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image. His enforcer is the team’s publicist, the tough and sexy Samantha McNead.

When Wade needs a date for a celebrity wedding, Sam steps up to the plate as his “girlfriend.” But given her secret crush on him and that one awkward night a year ago in a stuck elevator with too much scotch, the whole thing is an exercise in sexual tension.

Wade is thrilled when the pretense turns into an unexpected night of hot passion. But the next day Sam is back to her cool self. As a catcher, Wade’s used to giving the signals, not struggling to read them. Now, to win the love of his “pretend” girlfriend, he needs a homerun–even it involves
stealing a few bases…

This is the second book in Jill Shalvis' baseball series and for me, it's another winner. Jill Shalvis excels at writing charming characters that leap right off the pages and into your heart. The first book in the series, Double Play is where we meet the hero and heroine of this book. The hero, Wade is Pace's best friend and the catcher for the Santa Barbara Heat. Sam, the heroine is the publicist for the team and it's a well known fact that these two don't necessarily get along and they're troubles started in a hotel elevator in Atlanta.

It was the hottest encounter that either of them have ever had and that night in the elevator has definitely stayed with both of them but because they don't know how to play nice with each other in front of everyone, they've stayed far away from each other but all of that went out the window when Tia (the crazy stalker from Double Play) turns her attention to Wade. She claims that she's pregnant with Wade's love child and Sam has to clean up his image. The big bosses solution? Wade and Sam play boyfriend and girlfriend to show the public that Wade is not the irresponsible douchebag that would get a crazed stalker fan pregnant.

This book was a lot of fun to read because in true Shalvis fashion, the laughs kept coming and the characters were fantastic. I loved Wade when we first met him in Double Play and I loved Sam as well. I thought they were both great characters and was totally excited to hear that they were getting their own book. I couldn't wait because as much as I loved Pace and Holly, for me...it was all about Wade and Sam. I was not disappointed.

Getting the backstory on both of these characters was great. I enjoyed every minute of reading this book and I definitely think that this book will be on a lot of keeper shelves just like it is on mine. I thought the chemistry between Wade and Sam was real and I thought it was well written. They were perfect for each other and seeing Wade fall for Sam and watching Sam soften toward Wade was just too frickin' cute.

I enjoyed the side characters as well. LOVED Tag and I was really happy that Wade was able to fix his relationship with his Dad. I loved seeing Pace and Holly again and it was good to see them actually involved in the story and not just mentioned or seen dropping by or whatever. Most authors tend to just mention characters from previous books but what I like about Jill Shalvis books is that she actually puts the old characters into the new books and have them play secondary roles which don't take away from the main characters and still add depth to the story. I loved seeing Pace get on Wade to get his shit together before he misses out on something great. I loved seeing him involved in helping Sam feel better about picking up John from the bus station. I really just love Jill Shalvis' writing.

This book is a whole lot of fun and if you're looking for another great baseball romance than this book is the book for you. My only complaint is that the end felt kind of rushed but aside from that, I loved everything! Wade and Sam's story flies by really fast but it's a rolicking good time. I'm so glad that I read this book and am looking forward to more...who's next Jill, Gage? I'm mighty intrigued about him.

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here.

45% off at Fictionwise

2010-02-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

I own an eBookwise eReader. eBookwise is owned by Fictionwise. Awhile back I said I was going to start including links to eBookwise.com with sales and new release information, but I didn't say anything about Fictionwise. The reason for that is because until very recently Fictionwise didn't offer books for sale in a format that the eBookwise eReader would read. I found that rather ridiculous.

Recently that changed, however. Now if you buy a multi-format book from Fictionwise it automatically shows up in your eBookwise bookshelf. Which just makes my life that much easier.

So from now on I'll try to post both eBookwise and Fictionwise sales. No promises on how often, though. You know I don't do well with commitments...:)

45/45 VALENTINE'S ROMANCE SALE CONTINUES!

Valentine's Day is almost here and Romance titles are some of our most popular eBooks. So what does that mean? A Valentine's Romance Sale!

From now through February 14th at Midnight, every MultiFormat Romance/Erotica/Fantasy/Dark Fantasy eBook is discounted 45% while every Secure Romance/Erotica/Fantasy/Dark Fantasy eBook receives a 45% Micropay rebate! Start shopping now.

100% MICROPAY REBATE ON JANET EVANOVICH!

Janet Evanovich has appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list on countless occasions. If you've never had a chance to read any of her works, we're giving you the perfect opportunity. This week, at Fictionwise.com, you can get 100% Micropay Rebates on ALL of Janet Evanovich's eBooks! Show Now.

NEW 100% MICROPAY REBATE TITLES!

Each week we offer select titles with a 100% Micropay Rebate, which means that after you purchase the eBook with a credit card or PayPal, we add that amount back into your Micropay account to purchase more eBooks!

"Twice as Hot [Tales of an Extraordinary Girl Series #2]" [Romance] by Gena Showalter, click here.

"Blood Ties" [Suspense/Thriller] by Kay Hooper, click here.

"The Elusive Bride" [Historical Fiction] by Stephanie Laurens, click here.

"Taming the Highland Bride" [Romance] by Lynsay Sands, click here.

To see the rest of the 100% Micropay titles for this week, PLUS to get a 35% Micropay rebate on any of these authors other eBooks, click here!

Author Spotlight: The Dark Hunters.

2010-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Sherrilyn Kenyon stays busy writing stories for the Dark Hunters series. There's over 20 books/stories in that series alone. The series is so monstrous that it comes with a Dark Hunter companion to help you along your reading adventure.

If you're a regular reader of this blog then you should know we're all about the heroes here. We love us some hottie, manly stud heroes that rock our socks.

In the Dark Hunters series there's a bunch of Dark Hunters, Dream Hunters, Were Hunters and all sorts of other paranormal creatures lurking in the darkness. After all, they're the things that go bump in the night. =P

My question to you is: Who's your favorite Dark Hunter, Dream Hunter, Were Hunter, Whatever Hunter from this series? There's a whole lot to choose from but out of them all, who is your favorite?

I think it'll help us see who has a shot at being the next last hero standing.

My favorite hero from this series is a tie between Zarek of Moesia from Dance with the Devil and Acheron Parthenopaueous. I love the both of them for the same reason. They were so tortured in their human lives. I couldn't help but feel for them, want better for them and really to have someone show them the kind of love that really exists out there. I wanted them to see for themselves that there is good in the world and I think that's why I waited so long for Ash's book. I needed to see him get his happy ending. I was thoroughly happy with Zarek's story (I don't care what you think Holly, Zarek is the bomb![Holly: OMG, watch me stab my eyes out.]) and I wanted that same thing for Ash and wasn't disappointed. I think of all of the books that I've read in this series to date, Acheron is my favorite. Such a good book it was!

So tell me...who's your favorite Dark Hunter and why? Share your thoughts with us, won't you?

Guest Review: The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer

2010-02-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ames' review of The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer

A disgraced lord, a notorious highwayman

Jack Carstares, the disgraced Earl of Wyndam, left England seven long years ago, sacrificing his honor for that of his brother when he was accused of cheating at cards. Now Jack is back, roaming his beloved South Country in the disguise of a highwayman.

And the beauty who would steal his heart

Not long after Jack's return, he encounters his old adversary, the libertine Duke of Andover, attempting the abduction of the beautiful Diana Beauleigh. At the point of Jack's sword, the duke is vanquished, but foiled once, the "Black Moth" has no intention of failing again...

The Black Moth is Georgette Heyer's first novel, written in 1921. I for one am glad that her novels have been re-published by Sourcebooks. I probably would not have discovered these books if not for the shiny new covers. Yes, I get distracted easily by the shiny. LOL

As much as I enjoyed this book, it isn't one of my favorites by Heyer. I can partly put the blame on the blurb - I was expecting more in regards to Jack Carstares and Diana Beauleigh. Unfortunately, these two don't even meet until halfway through the book!

No, the plot of this book revolves around other characters. There is Tracy, the Duke of Andover. He's the villain of this book, he's the Black Moth (as one character describes him). You see, Tracy was vital in Jack being ostracized from polite society, wrongfully ostracized. You see, at a party (six years before our story begins), Jack's younger brother was caught playing cards with a marked deck. Back in the day, there's nothing worse than having your honour questioned, and Tracy questions Richard's honour...and Jack stepped in and claimed he marked the deck. So Jack was shunned.

And now Tracy thinks he has fallen in love and he attempts to kidnap the object of his affections in order to force her to marry him. Sounds like quite a likable fellow, don't you think?

Instead Jack, who has been playing at being a highwayman for the past few years, interrupts the kidnapping and saves Diana. Injured in the rescue attempt, Diana and her family house Jack during his recovery. And so a few chapters is given over to Diana and Jack falling in love.

I found that switch in writing styles from contemporary historicals somewhat odd to deal with. And it served to remind me that you can't hold Heyer's writing to modern standards. At least with this novel you have to. Her other books I've read have always heavily portrayed the H/H throughout the whole novel. The Black Moth is more of an ensemble piece...think of the movie Love, Actually - many little stories put together. That's how this book works.

Other strong characters are Jack's younger brother and his wife, Lavinia, an extremely selfish woman.

And now that I've told you what to expect, hopefully you won't go into this book with the same expectations I did.

The Black Moth gets a 4 out of 5 from me. I did enjoy it, but it's not Heyer's strongest.

This book is available from Sourcebooks. You can buy it here or here (it isn't available in e-format).

Guest Review: Moon Craving by Lucy Monroe

2010-02-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

Tracy’s review of Moon Craving (A Children of the Moon Novel) by Lucy Monroe

When Talorc-laird of the Sinclair clan and leader of his werewolf pack- must wed an Englishwoman, he's shocked to find that she is his mate. Deaf since childhood, Abigail hopes to keep her affliction from Talorc as long as possible, just as he has no intention of telling her that he's a werewolf. But when Abigail learns that the husband she's begun to love has deceived her, it will take all his warrior's strength-and his wolf's cunning-to win his wife back.

When Abigail was 10 she was fever ridden and they thought she would die. When she survived – only to find out she was deaf – her mother, Sybil, spurned her and Abigail was told not to let anyone find out as they would think that she was possessed by demons. So Abigail has lived her life keeping her deafness a secret. With the help of her step-sister, Emily, she was able to learn how to speak clearly, modulate her voice and read lips. But even with all of her accomplishments her mother still hates her – hates her so much that she has made arrangements for Abigail to marry Talorc, Laird of the Sinclair clan – a man her mother finds to be a barbarian. You see Sybil sent Emily off to the Highlands to marry Talorc approx 3 years earlier but Emily was kidnapped by a rival clan and married their Laird. Sybil wants Abigail gone from her household so badly that she writes the King and asks for redress. What does the king say? Send another daughter! But does the evil Sybil even tell her daughter that she’s getting married? No! And when Abigail finds out and starts to stand up to her mother, she’s beaten!

When Abigail and her parents reach the MacDougal clan holdings where they are to meet Talorc they are all anxious to meet this man that had once spurned Emily. Abigail had gotten letters from Emily over the years and what her sister had to say about Talorc was never very complimentary. But when Abigail meets her intended she is fascinated by him. He is a big guy and though she is frightened some she feels protected as well - even more so when he wants to kill Sybil for beating her.

Talorc and Abigail get married and immediately begin their journey to the Sinclair lands. While Abigail finds most of the clan members friendly there are some who want her gone just because she is English. Talorc is unwilling to trust Abigail with his werewolf but is furious when he finds out that she is deaf. While he’s angry at being deceived he doesn’t see the huge paradox staring him in the face. He wants all her secrets but is not willing to come clean with her. It makes for an interesting relationship.

I have to tell you that I’ve been looking forward to another Children of the Moon novel since I read Moon Awakening back in ’08. While I didn’t like this one as much as MA it had some great parts to it.

Abigail was a pretty strong heroine. Sometimes she showed her fear but really, for everything she had been through, she was quite tough. Yes there were times when she jumped to the wrong conclusions but I always expect that to some extent in my historical reading. Talorc was a handsome man who really was very kind to Abigail. For all of his hatred of the English (his mother had betrayed his father and his father, as well as many others in the clan had died because of it), he really did try to be as gentle and understanding of Abigail as he knew how. Yes, he was very upset to be deceived about her deafness and didn’t handle it well at first, but he managed to get through it. He had found his true mate so he was keeping her no matter what.

I did read Katiebabs’s post on the usage of contemporary words in a historical novel but when I read her post, before reading the book, I didn’t think that they would bug me. When I was reading the book however words like “okay” and “wow” did kind of throw me out of the book for a time. They just seemed too 20th century. I don’t personally think it was a lack of research just maybe some editing glitches. Despite that I liked the book and I don't feel that the word issues made too much of an impact on my overall liking of the book. I think that Lucy Monroe has once again captured the essence of who the people are who make up these werewolf clans and I enjoyed being in their world once again.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place.

The series:

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

Author Spotlight: Why I'll forgive Sherrilyn Kenyon for anything

2010-02-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

There is no logical reason.

If I were a rabid fangirl ~~like J.R. Ward's fans~~, it would be b/c of Sherrilyn Kenyon. She's one of a handful of authors that I'll forgive for anything and continue reading. I think like many authors, Sherrilyn Kenyon wasn't expecting her Dark Hunter series to become as successful as it has. The Dark Hunter world (including were, gods, etc) got big, fast. That's why I have forgiven her for the complete lack of inconsistency in her world building. Something that is going on in one book will be written completely different in another book. The Greek mythology in this series is so complex that I couldn't wrap my mind around it even if I was taking notes. The way that the books have been released completely out of order when it comes to the fictional timeline has thrown me off. I'll be reading a book and then think "I don't remember this happening" or "How did I miss that?". The most likely answers are "Because it didn't" or "I didn't miss anything".

For the last few years, I have said that as soon as I read Acheron, that I wasn't going to read the series anymore. Then I read Bad Moon Rising which came out after Acheron. Bad Moon Rising was one of the singular worst books in the entire series. Half of the book took place way back in the day that Vane's story took place, but from Fang's point of view. Aimee's continual denial of Fang got old. Mama Bear (Bernstein Bears anyone) was a bitch with real claws. It just felt like snatches were taken out of a book here and there, some things added and then put into print as Bad Moon Rising.

I've gotten a pretty good idea of what she's doing with Nick and can I just say WHAT THE EFF???? Why do we need to know about Nick growing up when we already know who he turned into. And not even Dark Hunter Nick. I remember Nick from the first three books so why would I pay money to read what I already know?

After reading Bad Moon Rising, I didn't even try to say that I wouldn't be reading the series anymore b/c I will. The whole fiasco that Nick is going to have to go through (and if he ends up with Artemis I will be pissed) [Holly says: he's so going to, she needs to face the music already] hasn't turned me off the series. I know I will continue reading this series until it dies a slow painful death. I won't be as excited as I was years before when a new book would come out. I might not even read it the first month it's out. But I know I'll read it. I won't try to deny that.

What author would you forgive for anything? Why?

Review: Dying Scream by Mary Burton.

2010-02-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Casee's review of Dying Scream by Mary Burton.

NO ONE WILL FIND YOU.

An aspiring artist. A high-school senior. A stripper. Three women who seemed to have nothing in common except their sudden disappearance. But one man knew them all. Wealthy, privileged Craig Thornton even claimed to love them. And for that, they paid the ultimate price.

NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU

When Adrianna Barrington receives an anniversary card from her husband Craig, she assumes it's a some crackpot's idea of a joke. After all Craig is dead. But then come phone calls, flowers, messages...all reminding her how much Craig misses her. While Adrianna begins to doubt her sanity, grisly remains are found on the Thornton estate. Detective Gage Hudson is convinced the bodies are linked to Craig. But the biggest shocks are yet to come.

NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU SCREAM

A psychopath has taken up his chilling work again, each death a prelude to the moment when she is under his control at last. And the only way for Gage and Adrianna to stop him is to uncover the truth about a family's dark past--and a twisted love that someone will kill for again and again.

I wasn’t too impressed by Mary Burton’s debut. It bore too many similarities to I’m Watching You by Karen Rose. I was able to get this book free on my Kindle which is really the only reason I read it. I’m glad I did because it has convinced me that while I didn’t like her debut, I like her writing style.

I liked Adrianna. She was very matter-of-fact. After losing her husband to a drunk driver, she has to take care of two years of medical bills and various other debts. Adrianna is auctioning off anything that remains of her husband’s estate. Selling the familial home is the last thing Adrianna has to do before she is free to start a life away from the east coast and anything that has to do with the Thornton’s.

Gage Hudson long since thought that Craig Thornton was involved with the disappearances of several women. When Adrianna needs to excavate the cemetery on the family property, he thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to find where the bodies are buried. Literally.

Adrianna and Gage had a brief summer affair before she went to back to Craig and subsequently married him. It was hot while it lasted, but ended when they started spending less and less time together. The attraction is still obviously alive between Gage and Adrianna. I don’t know what it was that made me care about this couple as much as I did.

I didn’t see what was coming which is not unusual. That didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book. I found that the blend of romance and suspense was done extremely well.

3.5 out of 5.

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

Last Hero Standing: Sherrilyn Kenyon, Round 1.

2010-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's a new month, new heroes and a new challenge. This month's spotlight is Sherrilyn Kenyon and boy are we going to be busy this month. She has written a crap load of books and so we'll be voting our asses off this month.

The first round starts off with:

Julian of Macedonia from Fantasy Lover
Kyrian of Thrace from Night Pleasures
Talon from Night Embrace
Zarek of Moesia from Dance with the Devil
Wulf Tryggvasen from Kiss of the Night
Vane Kattalakis from Night Play
Valerius Magnus from Seize of the Night
Alexion from Sins of the Night
Wren Tigarian from Unleash the Night
Ravyn Kontis from Dark Side of the Moon
Arik from Dream Hunter
Aidan O'Connor from It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Sin from Devil May Cry
Xypher from Dream Chaser
Stryker from One Silent Night
Cratus from Dream Warrior
V'Aidan from Phantom Lover
Gallagher from A Dark Hunter's Christmas
Dante from Winter Born
Velkan from Until Death We Do Part
Rafael from A Hard Day's Searcher
Zeke from Where Angels' Fear to Tread
Kerrigan from Sword of Darkness
Varian from Knight of Darkness
Kaziel from Darkness Within
J.D. Steele from B.A.D. Attitude
Nathan Drake from Phantom in the Night
Carlos Delgado from Whispered Lies
Hunter Wesley Thornton-Payne III from Silent Truth
Nykyrian Quikiades from Born of Night
Syn from Born of Fire
Devyn Wade from Born of Ice
Draven from Master of Desire
Braden MacAllister from Claiming the Highlander
Sin MacAllister from Born in Sin
Ewan MacAllister from Taming the Scotsman
Stryder of Blackmoor from A Dark Champion
Christian of Acre from Return of the Warrior
Lochlan MacAllister from The Warrior
Simon of Montfort from Where's My Hero Anthology
Black Jack Rhys from Master of Seduction
Captain Morgan Drake from A Pirate of Her Own

If you want your hero to make it to the next round then you must vote, vote, vote and get your family and friends to vote as well. One week from today, we'll be posting the top 10 heroes that made it onto the next round. After that it will be the top 5 and then the top 2. Help your heroes out by voting and voting often.

Good luck to everyone and their heroes and I'll see you guys next week!

-Rowena

Guest Review: Promise Me Tonight by Sara Lindsey

2010-02-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of Promise Me Tonight by Sara Lindsey

Lady Isabella Weston has loved James Sheffield for as long as she can remember. Her come-out ball seems the perfect chance to make him see her in a new light. James is stunned to find the impish girl he once knew has blossomed into a sensual goddess. Ane if he remembers his lessons, goddesses always spell trouble for mortal men. When Issiz kisses James, her artless ardor turns to a masterful seduction that drives him mad with desire. But, no stranger to heartbreak, James is determined never to love, and thus never to lose. Can Isabella convince him that a life without love might be the biggest loss of all?

It has been said that . . . “everyone loves a lover.” I think when you encounter these lovers you will be delighted. Isabella is truly a lovely human being in her spirit as well as her physical attributes, and her relationships with her family, especially her sister Olivia, are beautifully detailed and add greatly to the reader's understanding of the dimension of this character. James, on the other hand, is a man of genuine honor and a close friend to the Weston family. He is a man who has lost his beautiful, beloved Irish mother at the age of 10 years, and subsequently, as he endured the all-consuming grief in his own heart, he watched his father disintegrate and die a few months later. Brought to England to be with his paternal grandfather and raised as the only heir, he is dismissed and literally excluded from his grandfather's affections because of that man's predjudice and hatred of the Irish. He has gravitated toward the Weston family whose property adjoins his grandfathers' largely because of the loveless growing-up years and the emotional holes in his heart. Their warmth and inclusive circle has nurtured him and eased the pain caused by the rejection of his grandparent. He has closed off his heart in his belief that love and loss are just not worth the suffering and pain they bring. Yet from his earliest encounters with the Westons, precocious and energetic Isabella claimed his attention.

This is a artfully crafted story of friendship, love, authentic caring, and the fear of being vulnerable, the kind of vulnerability that all lovers must accept as they allow another person to invade their hearts and lives. There are twists and turns that are sometimes predictable and often surprising. These two people have character and integrity, both want love in the worst way, but Isabella doesn't know how to break through James' protective shell, and James simply can't face the prospect of allowing himself to be defenseless against Isabella's embrace. Add in the backdrop of the push-pull of the Weston family and you have a great story! I am led to believe that this is the first in a series of stories involving members of the Weston family and I am looking forward to reading more of this intelligent, stimulating, energetic, and sometimes uproariously funny family.

I loved this book and give it a 4.75 rating out of 5.

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

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

Author Spotlight: Sherrilyn Kenyon.

2010-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

This month's author spotlight will be on an author that each of us has been addicted to at one point or another. She's an author that created a world that you can't help but get lost in.

She's the author that is responsible for introducing us to...the Dark Hunters.

Kyrian, Talon, Zarek, Acheron....all of them were brought to us by this very same author. She introduced us to some of the most sexiest heroes to ever grace the pages of a romance novel and that's exactly why she's this month's author spotlight.

Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Author to many a novel, Sherrilyn Kenyon sure does keep busy. Not only does she write fantastically addicting paranormal novels but she writes steamy romantic suspense and swoonworthy historical novels as Kinley MacGregor. She writes a little bit of everything for everyone.

If you want to read about SK, you'll want to check out her website and her bio. Her back list is no joke. She's written over 40 books and shows no signs of stopping. She's got a fan base that you wouldn't believe and her website is a wealth of information on anything you want to know about any of her books.

Check out her back list:

That's quite a back list, don't you think? We're definitely going to have our hands full of discussions and re-reads this month but I think we're up for it. Come along with us as we reminisce and discuss everything Sherrilyn Kenyon related. There will be a lot to keep us busy so you won't want to miss out.

And don't forget to vote for your favorite SK heroes in our Last Hero Standing Challenge. We'll be knocking off heroes as the weeks pass by so if you want your hero to make it to the end, make sure you vote.

And with that said, let the SK fun begin...=)

Review: Stolen Sedution by Elisabeth Naughton

2010-02-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Casee's review of Stolen Seduction (Stolen Trilogy, Book 3) by Elisabeth Naughton.

Hailey Roarke was never interested in her family’s fortune. That’s why she became a cop. But with her father and now her cousin dead, she’s suddenly on the wrong side of a police interrogation. The only way to clear her name is to solve the riddle before the real killer. Without getting killed herself.

Detective Shane Maxwell can’t deny the spark of lust he feels every time Hailey is near. But the woman is clearly hiding something. Trusting his gut—and the heat in her eyes—he joins her on an elaborate global treasure hunt staged by her late father. Caught between a sizzling seduction and a maniacal murderer, for Hailey and Shane the biggest reward of all will be making it out alive.

This is book three in Naughton’s Stolen Trilogy. Hailey Roarke is Rafe Sullivan’s ex-wife (from Stolen Heat Fury) and Shane Maxwell is Lisa’s twin brother (also from Stolen Fury). Hailey has been more of a recurring character than Shane throughout the series. They first met in Stolen Fury when Hailey took Shane’s ass down. Literally. It was a very memorable first meet.

Hailey is one of the Roarke’s, something that she’s tried to distance herself from her entire life. She never went into the family business of Roarke Resorts (think Hilton). She wasn’t going to be under her father’s thumb her whole life. When he asks her to step in as interim CEO for a month, she can’t refuse him. Then her dad goes ahead and dies. It’s glaringly obvious that nothing her dad did in life was easy, so dealing with his death was going to be anything but. The reading of the will shocks even Hailey. Her eccentric (read: crazy) dad is sending the family on a treasure hunt. The first person to find the sixth statue of The Last Seduction wins RR.

One of the Roarke’s—Hailey’s cousin Bryan—ends up murdered the night that she broke into his home to look at his statue. Enter Shane. He doesn’t think that Hailey is capable of murder, but after a recent snafu with his job he doesn’t trust his judgment. When it comes down to taking Hailey into custody to stop her from fleeing Chicago or helping her, he goes with the latter.

Hailey is my favorite heroine in this series. She is a straight shooter. She tells it like it is and that’s that. She doesn’t apologize for who she is or the choices she’s made in life. As she and Shane start tracing the statue down, it becomes less about Roarke Resorts and more about whether her father was murdered. It’s not as far-fetched as it seems, especially since someone has tried to kill Hailey (and almost succeeded) multiple times.

There’s also Shane and all his baggage. He has more baggage than Hailey which says something right there. Hailey’s whole family seems psycho whereas Shane’s seems so normal. That doesn’t mean Shane is normal. We don’t know what happened to Shane until the end of the book and it really is a doozy.

I really loved this book. The treasure hunt/family secret style of the book was exactly what I was hoping for when I picked it up.

4 out of 5.

This book is available from Love Spell. You can buy it here.

The series:

Updated: Author Spotlight Giveaway: The Immortal Highlander - Autographed

2010-02-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

"Are you falling for me, Irish?"

- Adam Black

Karen Marie Moning's books are riddled with amazing quotes. One liners and short zingers and emotional bombs that go on for paragraphs. If I had the time, I could spend hours and hours finding all of my favorites and listing them.

Since I don't have hours and hours, I'm going to do the next best thing...ask all of you to share your favorite quotes instead. This way I'll have them all in one place, but won't actually have to spend the time finding them all. Brilliant, no?

Thanks to the lovely and generous Karen Marie Moning, I also happen to have a signed copy of The Immortal Highlander just waiting for a home. So how about a reward for all your hard work?

Leave your favorite quote in the comments of this post - or email it to contests @ thebookinge . com (no spaces), with KMM Quote in the subject line - and you'll be entered to win an autographed hardcover copy of The Immortal Highlander.

ETA: If you've never read Karen Marie Moning before and therefore don't have a favorite quote, leave a comment telling us what book you're most looking forward to reading and why instead for a chance to win.

You have until Saturday, February 6th at 11:59 p.m. to enter. Come on, show me what you've got...

The entire time I'm burning in Hell, I'll regret each tear I made you weep. But if Hell were the price for twenty days with you, I'd condemn myself again and again.

- Cian MacKeltar

*contest is open to all readers worldwide.

Review: At the Duke's Pleasure by Tracy Anne Warren.

2010-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of At the Duke's Pleasure (The Mad Byrons of Braebourne, Book 4) by Tracy Anne Warren.

Hero: Lord Edward Byron
Heroine: Lady Claire Marsden

All the Byrons are just as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" as their famous non-relation . . . but now the time has come for the eldest son to marry . . . Edward Byron, Duke of Clybourne, has everything a man in Society needs . . . except a wife. Duty requires he wed, so he decides that a long-standing arranged marriage will do nicely. He knows his bride is beautiful, biddable, and bright enough to run his household and nursery. He expects his betrothed, Lady Claire Marsden, will be thrilled with his decision—unfortunately, she's not! Claire has longed for Edward since she was sixteen, but how can he expect her to agree to his proposal when he barely knows her and doesn't love her? Nothing will convince her to accept a loveless marriage. And so she begins a battle of outrageous resistance, forcing Edward to learn that he must lose his heart in order to win his bride.

There seems to be a theme to my reading right now. This is the third book that I've read with this kind of storyline and while I enjoyed the book, it wasn't my favorite Byron book. I really enjoyed it though but while I enjoyed this book, Jack's book holds a special place in my heart. I heart Jack.

However, I did enjoy Edward's book as well. I'm a sucker for those unrequited love story lines and this was one of them. Edward and Clare have been betrothed ever since Edward was a young boy and Clare was a, well, a baby. There wasn't a moment that Clare didn't know where her future would take place and seeing who she was engaged to was easy as a young girl to paint white picket fences around her future. But when your groom takes his time coming to fetch his bride and when an overheard comment from that groom makes its way to you, it's hard to get over that heart break.

Watching Clare try to manipulate Edward into breaking off their engagement and then seeing Edward try to make sense of everything and keep their engagement in tact, all the while fighting his attraction to the woman that his young fiance turned out to be was a delight to read. It wasn't a very original plot (as I have stated, this is the third book with this storyline that I've read in the past few months) but Warren made the story work for both Edward and Clare. I thought she did a great job of keeping the reader entertained and she definitely made me want more from the Byrons.

Edward came off kind of stuffy at first but I thought he was a great match for Clare. Their chemistry was what had me coming back for more and I thought it was a good read. I loved watching Edward with his family, with the twins and then with his sister, even his mother. He was one of those honorable men who kept his word and he was smexy to boot. Watching him fall for Clare was a treat.

Then there was Clare, she's still young enough to be rebellious yet old enough to desire a man and I thought that Warren balanced her different emotions rather well. She didn't make Clare a hateful cow and I appreciated that. I thought the way that Clare came around where Edward was concerned made the story fun to read and I loved how they fell in love over time and not right away.

Overall, this story did its job. It entertained me, it made me sigh a little and laugh a little. It took me away from my real life for the hours that it took me to read it and I came away from this book, entertained and happy. Would I recommend this? Sure, to all of the Byron fans out there and to other historical lovers who want a fun, romantic story to pass the time. This is a good one.

4 out of 5

Reading order:

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

All Romance eBooks Has Heart

2010-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

During the month of love, when everyone's attention is focused on matters of the heart,All Romance eBooks (ARe) is helping to fight the number one killer of women, heart disease, with their 28 Days of Heart campaign.

Beginning February 1, 2010, ARe, the digital bookseller that owns All Romance
(www.allromance.com) and OmniLit (www.omnilit.com), will release one new novella
per day for twenty-eight consecutive days. All proceeds from the sale of these shorts,which will be offered exclusively on AllRomance.com and OmniLit.com as individual eBooks, will be donated to the American Heart Association.

The stories cover all the genres, from Gay to Interracial, Paranormal to Historical,
Contemporary to Sci Fi. They were generously donated by both best selling and up-and coming authors from some of your favorite publishers including Kensington, Berkley,
Pocket, St. Martin’s Press, Ellora’s Cave, Cerridwen, Samhain, Total E Bound, Loose Id,Phaze, Liquid Silver, Torquere Press, Siren, Amber Quill and more!

The stories range between 10,000 and 20,000 words, so they are a perfect sweet (or more accurately spicy) Valentine treat. Each includes a forward by author Charlaine Harris (of True Blood fame) as a show of support for the charity the stories will benefit. Indulge yourself this year for Valentines Day—enjoy one of each, and know you are helping a worthy cause at the same time.

View titles on-line at www.AllRomance.com and www.OmniLit.com

Review: Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis

2010-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Holly's review of Slow Heat (The Heat, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis

After a woman claims she’s pregnant with Wade O’Riley’s love child, Major League Baseball’s most celebrated catcher and ladies’ man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image. His enforcer is the team’s publicist, the tough and sexy Samantha McNead.

When Wade needs a date for a celebrity wedding, Sam steps up to the plate as his “girlfriend.” But given her secret crush on him and that one awkward night a year ago in a stuck elevator with too much scotch, the whole thing is an exercise in sexual tension.

Wade is thrilled when the pretense turns into an unexpected night of hot passion. But the next day Sam is back to her cool self. As a catcher, Wade’s used to giving the signals, not struggling to read them. Now, to win the love of his “pretend” girlfriend, he needs a homerun–even it involves
stealing a few bases…

I wasn't sure about Wade in the first book, but I'm happy to report Shalvis delivered. I think one of the things I liked best about this novel is that there wasn't really an outside force keeping the two separated. They each had to overcome their own personal issues in order for them to be together, but there wasn't anything outside of that keeping them apart.

A year ago Sam and Wade had a passionate encounter in an elevator. Ever since, they've been avoiding each other as much as possible. But when a woman makes a claim that she's pregnant with Wade's baby management steps in and says he has to clean up his act. Sam is charged with keeping Wade in line, so when he needs a date for a wedding she steps in as his "pretend" girlfriend.

The problem? They aren't playing pretend when it comes to the feelings between them. But Wade isn't looking for anything more than a good time, and Sam wants more from him than a casual fling.

As much as I liked Double Play, the first book in this series, Slow Heat worked so much better for me. I don't know if it's because I enjoyed the characters more or because of the overall plot, but I was wrapped up in the story from page one.

I really liked both Sam and Wade. They had chemistry in spades, both on the physical front and the emotional. Their banter was quick and witty and they really played off of each other. Shalvis has always excelled at dialogue, and this is no exception. They really played well of each other and I was definitely invested in their relationship.

Sam was a strong woman, but I really wished we would have seen something more come about with her family. They constantly dumped on her and I really wanted to see her stand up for herself.

Wade was somewhat more complex than Sam. Although he presents a laid back attitude to the world, he's really got some deep issues. I liked that Shalvis really took the time to explore these and didn't skim over them. I especially liked the dynamics between him and his father. I think their interactions showed major insight into both characters.

Other than my frustration with Sam and her family, my other major problem with this story was how abruptly it ended. I think both characters deserved more than what they got in the end. I turned the page expecting their to be more and was severely disappointed when there wasn't. They kind of got the shaft there.

Otherwise this is another hit from Shalvis. If you're looking for a strong, witty contemporary romance Slow Heat comes highly recommended.

4.5 out of 5

The series:

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

Guest Review: Sand Daughter by Sarah Bryant

2010-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of Sand Daughter by Sarah Bryant.

It is the time of the Crusades(1186 AD). The Islamic world is divided and the Franks have captured the Holy Land. As the mighty Saladin struggles to unite the warring clans of Arabia against the invaders, a young Bedouin woman faces danger—and discovers her own passion.

Khalidah is a woman of no obvious importance who faces an arranged, loveless marriage at the behest of her father. But when a mysterious stranger named Sulayman reveals the truth behind her impending union, she suddenly finds herself a pawn in a deadly plot involving her own feuding tribe and the powerful Knights Templar.

Faced with certain death, Khalidah runs away with a man she barely knows. Their journey, and the desire that grows between them, will thrust Khalidah into an unimaginable adventure. But she can't escape the echoes of a past that somehow connect her to the Jinn—mysterious Afghan warriors who may hold the key to winning the imminent battle for the Holy Land.

My Thoughts: This is one of those books that defines what “historical fiction” really means. It is a story that is based in fact, with fictional characters of great depth that match well with the historical figures that cavort with them through these pages. It is a time of tremendous upheaval in the world, when the East and the West clash repeatedly over the “liberation” of the Holy Land from the infidel. The identity of the infidel depends on which side one fights. It is a story that demonstrates with great clarity the harrowing and often life-threatening manner that ordinary people are caught up in the machinations of powerful people, when life was cheap and the acquisition of territory was more important than anything else. It demonstrates with frightening illustration through scene after scene that the convictions based in one's personal faith can form the foundation of foolish decisions that not only change one's own life journey but which often bring an end to lives, families, societies and cultures. It is a book that is rife with greed and betrayal, duplicity and fear, while also telling the stories of Khalidah and Sulayman, Bilal and Salim, each a product of their own environment and whose lives become intertwined because of the desires and goals of others.

There are surprises here. The relationship between the Bedouin Bilal and Saladin's youngest son Salim is tender and poignant; in many ways it is the making of the young Bilal. The initial distrust that surrounds Khalidah as she realizes that she is being betrayed by her uncle and cousin with the cooperation of her father, all because she is considered a “half-breed” (her sheikh father fell in love with and married one of the pagan Jinn) and as pawn in the power games of her uncle is in sharp contrast with the kindness and determination of Sulayman to save her life and lead her back to her mother's people and her grandfather. As leader of the Jinn Tor Gul Khan wants Khalidah to know her maternal heritage and sees that she is trained as a Jinn warrior and made ready to assume the leadership of this Afghani people. The exploits of the Jinn are the stuff of legend, but they are real and historical and the author tells their story with just enough detail to make them live in these pages. Khalidah makes her first true female friends here in this new land, and she learns the meaning of loyalty, not just to a religious belief but to those who have proven their ability and willingness to put friendship before all else. As an avowed Muslim she is troubled by the beliefs of the Jinn, but through time and friendship she becomes as close to what we would call “ecumenical” and open to other religious beliefs as was possible in that day.

Sarah Bryant has researched the battles of the Crusades vigorously and helps contemporary readers see the relentless cruelty and awesome bloodletting that those face-to-face battles became. How far they are from the pin-point bombing and off-shore shelling of modern warfare! There is hate here—hate that is so palpable that one can almost taste it. It is painful to read at times. Bryant has developed her characters so well that one becomes emotionally involved at some level with all of them. Even the sexual tension between Khalidah and Sulayman, while not overtly described at any time and to any great degree, is there in Khalidah's search for resolution to some unexpressed questions about future, loyalties, family origins, and the importance of all those as they conflict with and detract from the enduring relationship between life-long lovers.

This is a saga of love and loss, family love in many guises, formal betrothal and illicit love, children who are valued and illegitimate offspring and the pain they carry in their hearts for a lifetime. It is a story of old traditions and growing up, political greed and its ultimate destructiveness. Here you encounter people of great grace and those who have never understood faith or grace in any way but use the convictions of others to further their own selfish ends.

I stand in awe of writers that take on the task of writing such a novel. It is an achievement that many desire but not many attain or do well. Bryant stands among those who have “stepped up to the plate” so to speak and has given the time and effort to do it right. It is a wonderful piece of historical fiction that is as educational as it is entertaining. It is one of those books that bears re-reading and which continues to reveal its secrets in the third or fourth go-around. Bryant has balanced the stories of a panoply of characters and managed to tell them all well. This book is well worth the time and effort to read!

I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

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

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

Who Really Screwed Up, Amazon or Macmillan?

2010-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I blogged about Why I Buy From Amazon.com despite all the nastiness floating around about them and their business practices. What it comes down to for me is convenience. I'm willing to buy from Amazon because they offer me what I need at a reasonable price with no shipping charges. So even though they screw with reviewers and have system glitches and are a big bad evil corporation, I still buy from them. Because the bottom line for me is, well, me. To quote my post from earlier this year:

I don't care that Amazon is "taking over the world". What I care about is getting the books I love at a reasonable price in the least amount of time possible.

For those of you not in the know about the latest SNAFU, here's a quick breakdown of what happened:

Amazon and Macmillan are having a disagreement about ebooks and pricing. Amazon wants to continue to offer new hardcover bestsellers at $9.99 but Macmillan doesn't want Amazon to discount their books. Amazon refuses to budge, so Macmillan refuses to allow them Kindle rights. In a power play, Amazon then refuses to sell any Macmillan books. At all. If you looked over the last day or two, no Macmillan books - including Tor and St. Martin's Press - have a buy link at Amazon, unless it was through a third-party seller.

This is where Amazon screwed up. By taking away my ability to buy, they've now alienated me, the consumer. I can no longer buy the books I want in a convenient, reasonably priced manner.

But isn't Macmillan just as guilty? By trying to force me to pay so much for an ebook, aren't they also alienating me? I've been lamenting their pricing on ebooks for some time now, as I just don't understand it. Why would I want to pay $14.00 for an ebook when the print book is $7.99? And what exactly do they hope to accomplish by pricing ebooks the way they do? Are they really that opposed to ebooks? Isn't that rather shortsighted of them?

Personally I don't believe Amazon should have the right to dictate the pricing of books. The $9.99 bestsellers has been a point of contention with many and I'm not sure which side of the line I fall on. I will say it makes me nervous to see one company with that much power. But it makes me just as nervous that Macmillan refuses to see that readers want ebooks, and at a reduced price. I can't hold an ebook, lend it to a friend, transfer it or - in the case of Kindle books - own the rights to it, so why would I want to pay twice the mass market paperback price for one?

So who really screwed up? It seems to me a good share of the blame needs to land on both parties.

Review: Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

2010-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Casee's review of Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter series, Book 2) by Nalini Singh.

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…
They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…

There are some reviewers out there that write consistent glowing reviews for the same author. After a time, I tend to take new reviews with a grain of salt. Now I find myself as that reviewer. I’m the reviewer that is saying ZOMG, you HAVE to read this book. It’s not b/c Nalini is one of the nicest authors I’ve ever met (she is). It’s not b/c she sends me ARC’s (can you send me Hawke’s book?). It’s b/c Archangel’s Kiss shows what a truly extraordinary talent Nalini Singh has.

It’s true…I wasn’t convinced that I was going to love this Angels/Vampires world when Angels’ Blood came out. I was a believer of the series by the time I finished it and wanted more of Raphael and Elena. Archangel’s Kiss picks up right where Angels’ Blood left off. It’s been a year since Raphael Made Elena. She’s been asleep most of that time, recovering from what would have been mortal injury. She still retains her Hunter senses, which end up being needed in the Refuge.

Raphael is still the same uber-alpha hero. He will fight anyone to keep Elena safe, including Elena herself. He doesn’t apologize for his need of her. That’s one thing that sticks with me whenever I think of Raphael. He may not understand how Elena came to be as essential to him as breathing, but he doesn’t question it. His need of her is a living breathing thing.

Elena has been a great heroine from the beginning. The thing that I always liked about her is how she stood up to Raphael. She’s always recognized that his power is absolute, but she didn’t let him bully her. She fully admits that he intimidates her, but that doesn’t stop her from speaking her mind. I love that about Elena.

In Archangel’s Kiss, Elena has to learn the intricacies of being an angel. She basically has to relearn the most basic of functions. Her wings were described in such detail that I could see them. This book really delves into the world of the Angels and vampires. The hierarchy of the angels is really fascinating. Having Made Elena, Raphael finds himself in a unique position. Not only has he Made the first angel in any angel memory (which is a long damn time), but she is a Hunter. She’s not just a vampire hunter any more. She finds she also has the ability to track Angels, which is a gift she has to learn to use. And fast.

The blurb implies that the book revolves around Lijuan and her power over the dead, but it really doesn’t. Archangel’s Kiss is a continuation of the journey Elena has found herself on since she met Raphael. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those. The book that keeps you up late so you look like a zombie at work the next day. It’s official. The Guild Hunter series has nowhere to go but up.

4.5 out of 5.

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

The series:

Review: Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran.

2010-01-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran

Hero: Viscount Sanburne
Heroine: Lydia Boyce

Silver-tongued Viscount Sanburne is London's favorite scapegrace. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself, as she always has done. Certainly she requires no help from a too-handsome dilettante whose main achievement is being scandalous. But Sanburne's golden charisma masks a sharper mind and darker history than she realizes. He shocks Lydia by breaking past her prim facade to the woman beneath...and the hidden fire no man has ever recognized. But as she follows him into a world of intrigue, she will learn that the greatest danger lies within — in the shadowy, secret motives of his heart.

This is the first book that I read for the DIK Reading Challenge that the lovely ladies over at the DIK blog is running. I chose this book from Carolyn Jean's list and I have got to say that I really enjoyed this book.

I don't really know what I was expecting when I started this book but I heard a lot of good things about it and wanted to try it out long before now but it kept falling off my radar but boy am I glad that I finally picked it up to read. Duran did a great job of sucking me into the world she created for these characters.

Sanburne is one of those heroes who is off trying to piss his Dad off by being the outrageous rake that he is and he blames his father for his sister being in a mental hospital after she killed her husband. James hates his father and then there's the heroine, Lydia who is the woman who was spurned by the man she thought she loved but really only wanted her for a sister in law. Unlike James, Lydia adores her father and as the story progresses and we see the two of these guys fight to their way to their happy ending was such fun.

James had this devil may care attitude, he came off as irresponsible, he showed up in public drunk and high and yet there was something about him that I found utterly attractive. He made me laugh, he made me sigh and I adored him. He was far from the perfect man and yet still, I heart him. Watching him unable to stay away from Lydia was fun to watch.

Lydia was one of those heroines who thought she was unworthy of love and she had a beast of a sister that made me mad but I enjoyed getting to know Lydia. She was this thoroughly exasperating woman who was thoroughly humiliated and held her head high, everyone in the ton knew about her and George and still she didn't hide herself away, she went on her merry way and lived her life. She was strong and I admired her.

Overall, this story was great. It was a story that I enjoyed quite a bit. I'm so glad that I finally picked it up. Should you read it? Of course! If you haven't read this book, pick it up and read it, you'll enjoy it, I promise!

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

This book is available from Pocket. You can buy it here.

Last KMM Hero Standing- Winner Announced!

2010-01-31T10:38:00.000-08:00

We have ourselves a winner!

The battled waged on for an entire month between two heroes and all of the voting has brought us here to this moment. We have a new winner for this month's last hero standing and the winner is:

JERICHO BARRONS from The Fever series!

Congratulations to all of the Jericho Barrons fans out there for all of their hard work that made their hero come out on top. He must be some kind of amazing to bring out the numbers that he did. Thanks to everyone who came out and supporting the Last Hero Standing Challenge here on Book Binge. It's always a fun way to spend the month, don't you think? Jericho fans out there have gloating privileges for the entire month, woo hoo for you guys!

We'll be back to do it all again starting tomorrow, hope you'll join us again! Have a great rest of the weekend!

Cheers,
Rowena, Casee & Holly

25% Off ALL Romance and Erotica at eBookwise.com

2010-01-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is almost here and Romance titles are some of our most popular eBooks. So what does that mean? A Valentine's Romance Sale! Save 25% OFF on ALL Romance eBooks along with Fantasy, Erotica and Dark Fantasy titles. Shop Now!

New and Featured eBooks

For all the new eBooks added this week, click here.

Letters to Kelly
by Suzanne Brockmann
[Romance]

So here I sit, writing letters that have no hope of reaching you until I am free to deliver them myself. With luck, that will be soon. For your eighteenth birthday is coming, and I intend to be there, like I promised....For years, a trumped-up charge--and a Central American prison cell--kept Jax Winchester from claiming the girl he loved. Now he was a free man. Or was he?For only the memory of Kelly O'Brien--and the ... Details

Almost Innocent
by Jane Feather
[Romance]

Dear Reader, Almost Innocent is a romance that is particularly dear to me, with a heroine who surprised me with her strength and resourcefulness, and a hero who will always be one of my favorites. Growing up behind the impenetrable walls of an English fortress, young Magdalen does not know that she is the illegitimate daughter of a powerful English prince and his murdered French mistress--or that she has been a pawn in the struggle ... Details

The Choirboys
by Joseph Wambaugh
[Mystery/Crime]

Partners in the Los Angeles Police Department, they're haunted by terrifying dark secrets of the nightwatch--shared predawn drink and sex sessions they call choir practice. Each wears his cynicism like a bulletproof jockstrap--each has his horror story, his bad dream, his night shriek. He is afraid of his friends--he is afraid of himself. Details

Vanishing Acts
by Jodi Picoult
[Mainstream]

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her ability to tap into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she explores what happens when a young woman's past--a past she didn't even know she had--catches up to her just in time to threaten her future. Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her widowed father, Andrew, she now has a young daughter, a handsome ... Details

Star Trek Voyager #16: Seven of Nine
by Christie Golden
[Science Fiction]

Once she was Annika Hansen, an innocent child assimilated by the fearsome, all-conquering Borg. Now she is Seven of Nine, a unique mixture of humanbiology and Borg technology. Cut off from the collective that has been her only reality for most of her existence, and forced to join the crew of the Starship Voyager", she must come to grips with her surprising new environment -- and her own lost individuality.Seven of Nine has already captured ... Details

The Fixer Upper
by Judith Arnold
[Romance]

As the admissions director for one of Manhattan's finest private schools, Libby Kimmelman is overworked, underpaid--and totally overwhelmed by flowers, chocolates and other bribes from zealous parents determined to enroll their little Einsteins. The one parent who does intrigue her is Ned Donovan. Vermont-rugged, carpenter-sexy, he shows up in her office trying to explain how his ten-year-old genius son applied to the school without his knowledge.A widower with a lust for her marble fireplace, Ned ... Details

Die for You: A Novel
by Lisa Unger
[Suspense/Thriller]

Isabel Raine thought she had everything--a successful career, a supportive family, and a happy marriage to the man she loved. Then one ordinary morning, her husband, Marcus, picks up his briefcase, kisses her good-bye, and simply vanishes. That day, all her calls to him go straight to voice mail; the messages she leaves at his office go unreturned, too. Panicking after finally receiving a call from his cell phone in which all she can hear ... Details

Doors Open
by Ian Rankin
[Mystery/Crime]

Three friends descend upon an art auction in search of some excitement. Mike Mackenzie-retired software mogul, bachelor and fine art enthusiast-wants something that money can't buy. Fellow art-lover Allan Cruickshank is bored with his banking career and burdened by a painful divorce. And Robert Gissing, an art professor, is frustrated that so many paintings stay hidden in corporate boardrooms, safes and private apartments. After the auction-and a chance encounter with crime boss Chib Calloway-Robert and ... Details

Pursuit of Honor: A Novel
by Vince Flynn
[Suspense/Thriller]

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR VINCE FLYNN RETURNS WITH HIS MOST EXHILARATING POLITICAL THRILLER TO DATE, A PULSE-POUNDING TALE OF ESPIONAGE, COVERT INTELLIGENCE, AND COUNTERTERRORISM. The action begins six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, D.C., targeting the National Counterterrorism Center and killing 185 people, including public officials and CIA employees. It was a bizarre act of extreme violence that called for extreme measures on the part of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch ... Details

Chasing Brooklyn
by Lisa Schroeder
[Young Adult]

When Lucca died, no one took it harder than his best friend, Gabe. It's exactly one year later, and Gabe has just died of a drug overdose. Tragedy striking yet again. Brooklyn, Lucca's girlfriend, has learned to wear a mask of strength and indifference after losing the boy she loved. But inside, her emotions are in turmoil. Now her dreams are being haunted by a ghost, gray and sinister. She knows it's Gabe chasing after ... Details

Happy eReading

Giveaway Winners: Cindi Myers and Monthly Reads

2010-01-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

We'd once again like to thank Cindi Myers for guest blogging with us. I thought her post about The Perfect Hero was very enlightening. Without further ado, here are the winners:

Baby It's Cold Outside:

Helen L

The Father for her Son:

Maija A

Congrats ladies! Please email us at contests @ thebookbinge . com (no spaces) with your choice of format and mailing address (if applicable). Please put the title of the book you won in the subject line.

Now for our Monthly Reads winners. We keep falling behind on this. Sorry about that. I promise we'll try to do better in the future (I don't, however, promise that we actually will get better).

Must Love Mistletoe:

Kaetrin

The Summoning:

Pat L

Hidden Fire:

Jill D.

Guest Review: How I Met My Countess by Elizabeth Boyle

2010-01-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of How I Met My Countess (The Bachelor Chronicles, Book 3) by Elizabeth Boyle.

The Earl of Clifton intended one day to find the perfect countess . . . then he met Lucy. The improper daughter of an infamous spy, Lucy Ellyson saved Clifton's life and taught him everything he needed to know about serving his country, even how to fall in love. He vowed he would come back and make her his unlikely countess, but the war kept them apart for too long, and when he finally returned, she'd vanished. Lucy hadn't gone far—living a new life in the heart of Mayfair. But proper Society hasn't taught her how to mend her scandalous ways, and when Clifton happens upon her, she's landed in the sort of trouble that only a hasty marriage can solve. He's more than willing to be the hero she taught him to be and make her his countess, but all too quickly, secrets from their past threaten the passionate love that ignites them from the past.

Author Elizabeth Boyle most assuredly has a flare for historical romance. This book is evidence that she knows her craft and does her research. Set in the time during and following the Napoleonic War, the story of the Earl of Clifton, Lucy & Mariana Ellyson, and Clifton's brother Malcolm is spread over a period of seven years. I don't really lide flashbacks very well but in this case Boyle has used that technique to tell the story of Clifton, Malcolm, and the Ellyson sisters and to provide the foundational facts of their relationships. It is insight into the workings of the British Foreign Office and its undercover work in the service of His Majesty and Wellington's forces. Now, seven years later, Clifton finds Lucy as she is moving into a house in London which she is sharing with all the dowager Ladies Standon, all widows of Standon cousins. In so many ways this is a complicated story but throughout the twists and turns flows the love story between Lucy and Clifton, both of whom have never set aside their love for one another that bloomed during those months of training at Hampstead Heath. As is so often true in affairs of the heart, there are misunderstandings, missed communications, tangled relationships that aren't what they seem, betrayal and criminal machinations that put Lucy's future in jeopardy as well as nearly cause her once again to miss Clifton's arrival in London. Her undercover skills come into play late in the story once again and bring these two very interesting characters together once again, causing their passion to flame anew.

This was an interesting and really enjoyable book! I have always enjoyed this particular historical period because war as a backdrop seems to bring out the deeper reserves of human feeling—love, loss, grief, cynicism and hope which endures under inhuman circumstances. The social realities of society are also a part of the story—three widows, two of whom were born into the ton and have made the head of their family ill with their complaining, and Lucy who married out of desperation when her father died and she had no one left in her family or any honest means of support. The definition of poverty is considerably different for the upper levels of British Society, and it may be difficult for contemporary Americans to “get their heads around” the perspectives of life which drove the activities of the British Aristocracy. Boyle does an excellent job in helping today's readers gain some understanding of the stresses present for those who held titles and lands and responsibilities to renters and farmers and villagers. Add to this the strain on the British economy from bad weather, the cost of war, absentee landlords and such, and you have a fertile background against which to craft a wonderful love story.

I really like these characters. The Ellyson sisters are cagey, independent, good at what they do, work as a team with their father in his training of British spies, feel deeply and are loyal to a tee. They love each other—a love that is built on an unfailing friendship between sisters and between parent and children. Clifton and his brother are wonderful men who have chosen to take up the challenge to put aside their aristocratic lives and serve their country in unsavory and hidden ways. The unsavory characters Papa Ellyson brings into the training are colorful and and quite humorous. All in all, this is a delightful story and a great read.

I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

The series:

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

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

Guest Review: The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands

2010-01-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

Tracy's review of The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands (Argeneau series book 12, Rogue Hunter series book 3)

Nicholas Argeneau was once a successful hunter who went after rogue vampires who broke the immortal law. Except no one has mentioned his name in the last fifty years, not since he turned into a rogue himself. But once a hunter, always a hunter. When Nicholas sees a bloodthirsty sucker terrifying a woman, it's second nature for him to come to her rescue. He had no idea he would also want to kiss her senseless . . .

One minute Josephine Willan is taking in a breath of fresh air, and the next sharp fangs are heading straight for her neck! Luckily, a gorgeous stranger saves her life . . . and gets locked up for his troubles. Can a man who kisses so lovingly and passionately really have committed the crime he's accused of? Jo isn't so sure . . . and she's determined to prove that this renegade hunter is worth fighting for.

Nicholas Argeneau has been on the run for 50 years but he's not given up hunting rogues. While in pursuit of one such rogue he saves Jo Willan from certain death. Nicholas knows almost immediately that Jo is his life mate - a miracle as he had already found his life mate 50 years earlier, only to have her die a few months after their marriage. Nicholas wants to be with Jo, but knows that she'll be safer without him. On the run is no place for a woman to be - especially with an immortal (vampire).

Jo's not sure what all the fuss is about Nicholas, or why his family is locking him in a cell but she doesn't like it at all. She decides to set him free - but only after a few great heart stopping kisses.

Many events later Jo and Nicholas are on the run together. Nicholas tells Jo of his past - but strangely enough she's not disgusted with him as he thought she'd be. In fact she doesn't believe he killed the woman 50 years ago and decides to set out to prove it. When Jo is almost killed Nicholas knows the only way to save her life is to turn her to an immortal but he can only do that with his family's help. He takes Jo to them and in doing so pretty much seals his fate. But when Jo awakens from her turning she's determined to make Nicholas's family see that there is no way he could have killed all those many years ago.

I really liked this book. I thought it had good characters and the premise was one I hadn't seen in this series before and was caught up in Nicholas and Jo's relationship. With Sands' life mates they seem to fall for each other rather quickly, but there's always some obstacle that they have to overcome first. In this book it was the fact that Nicholas was supposedly a murderer and when he was found the Council would execute him. But Jo believed in his innocence and was determined to save him. I did have a huge issue with the end of the book I thought that the entire book was lessened by the ending. It was left more or less like a cliffhanger and hopefully we'll get more info in the next book.

Spoiler:
Where I had an issue with the book - the end. Jo goes into a huge diatribe and is determined to make Nicholas's family see her way of thinking. Yes there was a huge amount of supposition but she did a good job in her long-winded explanation. There was enough doubt put into everyone's minds that the head of the Council, Lucian, also the head of the Argeneau family, agreed to look into it. Nicholas was found innocent and they were all happy but then nothing was explained as to who it was that actually did it or why or why was Nicholas targeted, etc. It was incredibly frustrating! A very good book was lessened by the fact that (I felt) a huge portion of it was just left out.

Unfortunately the ending of this book changed my rating of the book which is sad since I had enjoyed the book so much until that point.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy's Place.

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

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25% Off ALL Romance and Erotica at eBookwise.com

Giveaway Winners: Cindi Myers and Monthly Reads

Guest Review: How I Met My Countess by Elizabeth Boyle

Guest Review: The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands

Updated: Author Spotlight Giveaway: The Immortal Highlander - Autographed