The last thing Sir Duncan wants to do is see Isabel again. She broke his heart and their engagement to be the mistress of a powerful earl. But her brother asks Duncan to rescue her, and he feels compelled to comply to his dying wish. The childhood sweethearts are reunited, but can they overcome all the obstacles in their way to reignite the spark that is between them?
When Diana Cosby contacted me about having a promo at the blog, I was excited. I love being introduced to new authors... and especially those who write medieval romances. It's not a common setting for romances, since most historical writers tend to look at the regency era. So, I'm always on the lookout for the medieval setting in my romances.
I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed the characters, setting and the plot. I'll admit that sometimes I felt like Isabel and Duncan kept repeating the same arguments as to key they can't or can be together. But past that occasional feeling of repetitiousness, I was glued to the book. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to read a medieval romance set in the Scottish highlands. It is the second book in a series, but it totally stands on it's own and there's just a couple references to events that happened in the first book, His Captive.
Reviewed by Jamaica Layne (http://www.jamaicalayne.com and http://jamaicalayne.blogspot.com)
The Wild One is Denise Eagan's second novel, the followup to her well-received debut, Wicked Woman. This historical romance is set in the American Old West, beginning in post-Civil War San Francisco, and the plot meanders around through Colorado and finally to Texas not far from the Mexican border. Shakespearean actress Jessica Sullivan shares a tiny flat with her fellow actress Michelle, a Midwestern jezebel stage actress who bleaches her hair and pretends to be French. Unlike her sensual roommate, who has a whole host of lovers, Jessica is "frigid" and celibate, not just because she is actually married (her estranged ne'er-do-well husband abandoned her six years ago), but because she truly believes that she does not enjoy sex. Lonely and miserable Jessica takes comfort in her supposed frigidity, but finds herself shaken out of her comfort zone when she is attracted to Lee Montgomery, a free-spirited professional gambler and general scoundrel who also happens to be Michelle's current flavor-of-the-month boyfriend.
Jessica has been saving all the money earns from acting over the past six years to pay back her family for the money her estranged husband helped her steal from them. But instead of using a bank (which were notorious for sudden failures in the 1800s), Jessica asked the manager of her acting troupe to "hold" it for her. When the troupe manager suddenly shuts down the San Franscisco show and insists the troupe move to Denver, she discovers that he hasn't "held" the money for her at all---instead, he's used it to support his gambling habit, and every cent of the money she's saved over the past six years is gone. Desperate and broke, Jessica engages Lee's help to confront her boss----and instead they find him dead, murdered from a slit throat. Jessica and Lee are framed for the murder and have to flee on horseback across the frontier to avoid death by hanging. Passion, drama, and excitement ensue----and I can't say much more about the plot without giving away too many spoilers.
The Wild One is a sexy, engaging read, but it is not without its flaws. For example, there are a lot of jarring anachronisms that deter from the historical setting, especially in the characters' speech. Many conversations sound a lot more twenty-first-century than they do nineteenth century (no Victorian-era person ever said "OK", let alone in every other sentence) and even though Michelle's French accent is supposed to be fake and her French phrases and grammar poor, that doesn't excuse the author (or editor) for misspelling tons of French words. (I minored in French in college, so I am a real stickler for that). Plus, the copyeditor really seemed out to lunch on this book----it's riddled with typos, from missing words and skipped phrases to rampant misspelling (I recall seeing the word "brooch" misspelled three different ways on the SAME PAGE).
If you can get past the typos, anachronisms, and somewhat clunky beginning, though, The Wild One is still an entertaining book. The plot is suspenseful and keeps you turning the pages, and the love scenes are appropriately steamy.I look forward to Denise Eagan's future books as she continues to develop her career.
THREE STARS (out of 5)
Amanda Feral, our zombie heroine, is going on a road trip from Seattle to South Dakota to have closure with her mother who is dying. But she and her friends (including another zombie, a vampire and ghost) end up on the run from an angry vampire and his werewolf goons, picking up a couple humans and encountering a plethora of paranormal beings.
I was excited to have the opportunity to get an advance copy of this book when Mark and I were setting up his promo on the blog. Urban Fantasy is right up the alley of books I enjoy reading. But unfortunately I had trouble getting through the book, only finishing it last night.
Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't bad... in fact, I found the premise intriguing. Just something about it didn't agree with me. Part of it could be the language and a lot of it was the gore. And I found the footnotes (yes, footnotes in fiction) to be overused and often distracting. But I think the turn off for me was Amanda. I have to like the main characters in the book to enjoy it and more often than not I couldn't like Amanda. I didn't enjoy her sense of humor and snarkiness. And that made for a rough read.
This is the second book of Amanda's memoirs, following Happy Hour of the Damned. I admit that I felt like I was always a step behind because I haven't read the first book in the series... and recommend that if you're going to try these books, going in order is probably the way to go.
Sheryl Brennan was a guest at Book Talk in early January. So, when I was asked to read and review Celtic Sacrifice, I jumped at the chance. Here's how Sheryl described the book from our interview: Celtic Sacrifice is a historical romance set in 16th century Ireland during the end of the English/Irish Nine Years war. The story follows Ceana O’Hagan, the daughter of the chieftain of Dungannon, whom her mother’s clan of O’Connor feel is the key to a generation’s old prophecy. Over the course of the book, we get to see Ceana’s personal struggles with love, religion, and her own place in the world. There is a very interesting political plot twist that I won’t give away… but it shakes Ceana’s beliefs down to their very foundation. One of the overall themes in the book is that God, by any name you call him, has a plan for you. (Jeremiah 29:11) Free will being what it is one of my constant prayers is that if I am straying off that path, he will guide me back to it.
Sheryl Brennan has created a well-crafted and well-told story. While I normally don't like books written in first person, this one drew me in and probably wouldn't have been as good if it hadn't been told this way. I was especially surprised by the book considering it is the debut for the author and the publishing house. While there were a few loose ends I wish could've been wrapped up in the book, I still very much enjoyed the tale. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Brennan and can only hope that she'll revisit historical Ireland once again in the future. Read More......
Review by C.K. Laurence
Katie Cramer runs away from her dull life “balls out,” after a near fatal accident. Looking for the adventure she had never allowed herself, Katie answers an ad for a temporary office manager at Wilder Adventures in the town of Wishful. Imagine her reaction when, during the first night in her cabin she awakens to see ruggedly handsome Olympic champion Cam Wilder standing over her bed!
Wilder has returned from a year-long journey to find himself following a life shattering snowboarding wreck. His two brothers, Stone and T.J., and Aunt Annie who raised him, are thrilled to have him home and put him right to work at the family business Wilder Adventures—where neither he nor Katie can escape one another.
The story follows Cam and Katie’s battle against the growing attraction between them. The two face obstacles from every direction as they fight to take back their lives and find passion and love along the way. Of course there is the formula ex-girlfriend to complicate matters and one family crisis after another to keep the plot moving. Did I mention that there is lots of hot sex between the couple?
Instant Attraction had me turning the pages to see if and how the couple would succeed, and I must admit I could not put it down. The only thing that niggled at total enjoyment was Shavis’ obsession with green eyes and Cam’s amazing body. I found myself wanting to say “Okay, I get it. I get it!” It wasn’t so bad that it stopped me from plowing through the novel in only two days, though.
For anyone looking for a romantic read with plenty of action, warmth and some big smiles, I can tell you this—Shavis next novel is a sequel involving Cam’s brother Stone, and I have every intention of reading it.
Reviewed by Jamaica Layne (http://www.jamaicalayne.com)
It had been a long time since I curled up with a novel from Harlequin's red-hot Blaze line, so when the good folks at Book Talk asked me to review this book as my first guest review on the blog, I jumped at the chance. It had been quite a while since I'd read any series romance at all; in fact, so I was curious if the line had changed any in the four or five years it's been since I last read it. As an erotic romance author myself, I'd been a fan of Blaze (Harlequin's sexiest line of traditional romances until they began the Spice line a year or two ago) from its earliest days.
If Lisa Renee Jones' Lone Star Surrender is any example, it seems Harlequin has turned up the heat in its Blaze line considerably. The book opens with a sex scene, in fact---and this is no ordinary sex scene, either. The book's heroine, Nicole Ward, a federal prosecutor in South Texas about to try the case of her career, meets a mysterious and sexy Latino man in a crowded bar, who without even giving his name, brings her to orgasm right in the middle of the bar. Nicole----freshly divorced and on the lookout for a one-off fling---doesn't yet know that this mysterious man is going to be a very big part of her life very soon.
Nicole is about to prosecute a sinister drug lord named Alvarez. The feds have been building a case against him for three years, and Nicole is literally risking her life trying the case. After a threat on her life by one of Alvarez' men, she is placed under FBI protection until the trial begins by one of the undercover agents who helped the feds infiltrate Alvarez' drug empire. To Nicole's shock and surprise, the undercover agent assigned to protect her is none other than the mysterious stranger she hooked up with in the bar a night earlier. His name is Constantine Vega, and he's a dark, mysterious man, far more than Nicole ever bargained for.
Lone Star Surrender is a cross between a traditional sexy romance and a suspense thriller. The story is fast-paced and addictive as it follows Nicole and Constantine as they try to evade Alvarez' assassins before Nicole has a chance to try and convict him. There are machine-gun-filled ambushes, sex-filled hideouts in caves, dirty cops and corrupt lawyers----along with plenty of red-hot sex. I had trouble putting this book down. Still, there are a few continuity issues (one scene has Nicole and Constantine seemingly trapped inside a desert shack while surrounded by gunmen; yet on the next page, they somehow have escaped to the woods, but no explanation is given how they managed it).
Despite a few rough patches, Lone Star Surrender is an engaging, entertaining read. I'll look forward to Lisa Renee Jones' next book.
Lone Star Surrender, by Lisa Renee Jones. (Harlequin Blaze #442- January '09). Paperback, $4.99.
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Katerina Pavlova Garibaldi, the Contessa de Salerno, a lovely imposter and jewelry design genius, is bent on revenge. Prince Drako "the dragon prince" Kazanov, the object of her revenge. Throw in unknown enemies trying to kill the both of them and a fierce attaction between Katerina and Drako and you have the makings of an explosive, passionate story.
Enticing The Prince is the latest story in Patricia Grasso's series following the Kazanov family. The book stands very well on its own, however there are so many characters from previous books (as well as a lot of alluding to events in those books), that I strongly suggest reading this series in order (see Patricia's website).
I really loved this book. Patricia Grasso has become one of my favorite story tellers. She weaves such interesting characters into fun plots with plenty of twists and turns to make this reader quite happy. Her inclusion of Russian royalty into English society gives a different spin on a Regency romance, for which I am very grateful. I highly recommend this book.
Liz Phoenix has always been a little different. But when she discovers her foster mother near death, Liz comes to find out just how different when she's thrown into a paranormal world she never knew existed. And how prominently she fits into that world.
This is the first book in Lori Handeland's new series, The Phoenix Chronicles. These books follow Liz as she comes to terms with her new life, exploring her new powers, and saving the human world from destruction. Book two is scheduled for release in mid 2009.
I won this book in an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) drawing on Library Thing. It was my first full length Lori Handeland novel. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The publishers aren't marketing the book as romance, where in the past her books were. I always get a little nervous when an author deviates from the genre he/she gained their fan base. But I think there's enough "romance" --perhaps not in the traditional sense, seeing as there isn't a happily ever after --to keep fans happy.
I like this world Lori created. She pulled paranormal creatures from a variety of cultures to spin a unique world. And the character of Liz is unlike any I'd read before. She's thrown into this bizarre world, has this totally unique role and is so unsure of herself, stumbling through her new role in life, yet she deals with it with sarcasm and trial and error. I think it was the sarcasm that won me over. A word of warning though. If you have a weak stomach when it comes to blood and gore, you're forewarned.
Here's the back cover blurb:
GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUDE
Shoveling sulfur and brimstone could really get a girl down. When her dad offered freedom from the fiery depths in exchange for one simple soul-snatching, Lucy Firr jumped at the chance. With her considerable powers of seduction, she threw herself at rancher Jed Caine. Yet instead of taking her to bed, he made her muck out the pigsty.
It would take the patience of a saint to resist the likes of Lucy Firr—and Lord knew Jed was no saint. The temptress fired his blood like no woman he'd ever met. Why she'd suddenly latched on to him, he had no idea. But the safest place for her—and her virtue—was out in the barn.
Lucy could see the heat in Jed's gaze. But it was the tenderness of his touch and his hard-won smile that undid her. She was supposed to steal his soul, yet here he was…capturing her heart.
I had read Laura's earlier straight historical (meaning non-paranormal) westerns, Charming Jo and Here Comes The Bride, but hesitant to pick up this first book in a new series. To me, paranormal and western just don't really seem to go hand in hand. So, I'd just passed over these books. Then I received Laura's newsletter in my inbox and I decided to contact her to come guest on our blog. It hit me that she'd be promoting the release of book 2 in the series and should probably read book 1. So, I got my hands on a copy and decided to review it for her.All that said, here's my review:
I actually liked this book. It took me a while to get past the fact that Lucy was the devil's child, but this was my own hangup and not really the fault of the book. I will say that I liked the character of Jed more than Lucy...but Lucy did grow on me as the story went along. A couple of the minor, secondary characters were annoying but not so much that they ruin the story. So, a original plot and some interesting characters and you've got a pretty good book.
Laura is going to be our guest at Book Talk with J & J starting on Monday, Dec 1 to promote her new book, Dancing with the Devil, which is the sequel to The Devil's Daughter. I'll be giving away my copy of The Devil's Daughter and Laura will be giving away a special prize (to be announced with her interview). Read More......
A couple months ago I received Eve Silver's newsletter and she mentioned that she had a new book coming out in November. So, I decided to contact her about coming on the blog to promo the book. And to my excitement, she said yes AND she asked me if I'd like to review Demon's Hunger. OK, now is when I admit that I ended up on Eve's mailing list because I had entered a contest on her site, but I'd never read any of her books. So, before I could read Demon's Hunger I had to get my hands on a copy of the first book on the series, Demon's Kiss.
This series is about a brotherhood called the Compact of Sorcerers who are sworn to protect humans from the demon realm. These men are immortal and have extraordinary and specialized powers to help them in their battle. And they are tortured souls, for how can we have a romance without external and internal conflict?
In Demon's Hunger we have Dain Hawkin's story. Dain's fight with the demons is quite personal since they killed his mortal wife and child centuries before. So, when he meets Vivien Cairn he doesn't want to be so completely drawn to her. And Vivien feels the same way since she's not had the best of luck with any sort of relationship since everyone seems to abandon her.
Let me start of by saying that I'm loving this series. I like this paranormal world that Eve Silver has created. It almost seems possible that there are demons and hybrids (half demon/half human, for lack of a better explanation) living among us. Her heroines are strong women and face their challenges and shortcomings head on with little complaint, which is quite refreshing. Demon's Hunger kept me enraptured and turning the pages. I didn't want to put the book down because I wanted to know what happened next without any delay. I highly recommend this series, and reading them in order (although the books do stand completely on their own).
If you'd like a copy of this book, Eve will be joining us at Book Talk from Monday, November 24 through Thursday, November 27 with an interview and excerpt from the book. If you leave a comment on her interview or excerpt, you'll be entered in a drawing for a copy of Demon's Hunger. So, stop by next week and comment to win a truly excellent read.
I was lucky to receive an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from Alison Kent with the understanding that I would review it before it's December release. So, I read it this past week and here are my thoughts...
Finn is in Miami on a PI assignment-- to dig into the personal life of Roland for a potential suitor. But when Olivia, Roland's boss, spots Finn staking out her boutique, she approaches him about a photographic project that she wants to undertake.
That is the blurb condensed down to two sentences. Problem is, that's only half the story. The other half of the story deals with Roland and his life and love interest, Jodi.
I rather wish Finn and Olivia's romance was explored a little more. Roland and Jodi got a lot more time than I felt a sub-plot (and one that wasn't even mentioned in the blurb) deserved. Characters, relationship and plot probably could have been developed more if they were given more time and both stories would have excelled if they were given their own books.
All that said, I did like the book. It's the first full length Alison Kent novel that I've read and I'm intrigued and want to read more by her. Word of warning, this a pretty spicy book, so if you don't like to read about bedroom play, you'll probably want to pass on by.
It's Jane's birthday and everyone has forgotten her. So, she's decided to take the day and celebrate by doing things she's always wanted to do. One of those things was to kiss a handsome stranger... but she chickens out and takes his picture instead. Mitch catches Jane snapping the picture and confronts her. The attraction between the strangers flair, but Mitch puts a time limit on their time together--one night. However, things never go as planned.
Kate is visiting our blog during the week of August 4. When she approached me about doing an interview, I had to confess that I hadn't read any of her books. She very graciously sent me a copy of One Night, One Baby, which has just released. I absolutely devoured the book. I couldn't put it down. I just had to know how Jane and Mitch were going to put aside their differences and get together (because you knew they were going to... it's a romance after all!). I fell in love with the characters and were rooting them on. Kate put a fun spin on the classic "oops we got pregnant" plot line, which I adored.
Oh and did I mention that when Kate is here, she's going to give away a copy of this book? Stop by next week and comment to win!
Gervase has been searching for a suitable wife, but an emergency sends him from London to his ancestral estate where there are very few eligible ladies. Except for his neighbor Madeline and he's determined to make the strong and independant woman his.
Beyond Seduction is the sixth book in Stephanie Laurens Bastion Club series. It's a great continuation of these tales following ex-spies who need to find wives but on their own conditions. I loved the character of Madeline. She was unique as she acted as her brothers guardian and head of household in a time when women didn't do such things. It was also what attracted Gervase to her and I liked that he wasn't intimidated by her. It was a well written book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lady Phoebe has resorted to selling handmade gowns as a way to support herself... done in secret to avoid a scandal. However, she's blackmailed into travelling to Lord Summerfield's estate to create gowns for his sisters. But what is she to do when she's attracted to the viscount and he thinks she's a seamstress? Well, start an affair, of course. But what will happen when her identity is revealed?
I remember liking this book as I read it several weeks ago. But as I sit here trying to write a review, I'm finding it very hard to put words down on specifics. It's just that this book isn't standing out from others that I've read. In fact, I felt the secondary characters more than the primary ones, which isn't a good thing. I was a little let down with this final book in Julia London's Desperate Debutantes series.
Gray and Caitlin were once engaged until a misunderstanding drove them apart. Over a decade later, she's a witness to a murder and he's the cop assigned to protect her.
Caitlin's Guardian Angel (Heartbreakers: 50th Book) (Silhouette Intimate Moments, No 661)
Holy Smokes is the fourth and final book following the life and love of Aisling Grey (although I understand she and Drake will be pretty prominent characters in Katie MacAlister's new Silver Dragons series). This is a series of books you have to read in order for them to make any sort of sense. So, here's the order: You Slay Me (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 1), Fire Me Up (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 2), Light My Fire (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 3).
In this installment, Aisling and Drake are finally getting married, but as the book opens, Drake isn't showing up for the ceremony. They do eventually make it to the altar, but nothing in Aisling's life is ever done easily.
I've been a big fan of this series since book one. They are full of humor and you can't help but just shake your head at all the trouble Aisling gets herself into (think Lucille Ball from "I Love Lucy"). But there was something about this book that fell a little short for me. Aisling seemed to whine more than usual (or perhaps it's only my memory since I read book three over a year ago). She didn't seem to be herself and I kept waiting for someone to slap some sense into her. Oh how I wish I could give this particular book a better review since I loved the previous ones. It did have a happy ending and left lots of questions unanswered that will hopefully be tackled in the new series.
Simon and Anne meet when Simon saves Anne's nephew from a disastrous accident. Life continued to throw them together and then a passionate kiss plunges them into a marriage neither of them wanted. But Anne realizes that she does want it and begins to tear down the walls around Simon's fragile heart.
I enjoyed this story. It was the first full length novel I've read by Samantha James (my previous experience with her writing was in an anthology called Married at Midnight) and I wasn't disappointed. Simon had valid reasons for guarding his heart and Anne was the perfect heroine for him. If you're wanting a story with a classic alpha male, this isn't the one for you. But Simon is a great beta hero and the story works.
US Marine Zachariah has a blazing hot affair with Becky before he ships out on a long tour. However, he finds that he doesn't want the affair to end, so they secretly marry just before he leaves. Eighteen months later, he's home, nursing war wounds and getting to know his wife. Things in the bedroom are great, but outside, Julie's life is being threatened and Zach finds he has a new mission to undertake.
At Your Command was an OK book. Nothing about it screams out to me that I need to read it again or even highly recommend it to other readers. There's a decent plot, some steamy sex scenes and likable characters. It was just missing that extra something to make it special.
Anthony has buried himself in his work as head chef at the family restaurant since the death of his wife. But when Vivi decides to open a bistro across the street, he begins to feel alive again. There is something about the stunning French woman that makes his Italian blood boil.
I first picked up a Deirdre Martin book because her hero was a hockey player and that seemed intriguing for me. And I was hooked. In fact, that book was the story of Michael and Theresa… and Michael is Anthony’s (the hero of Just a Taste) brother. After having read this series of books, I was happy to finally get Anthony’s story. His restaurant had been in many scenes and I’d been wondering when we’d get to know him better. And Ms. Martin didn’t disappoint in this story. She gave him a mate who matched his intensity, understood him, and loved him. This was another exceptional book, filled with both laugh out loud humor and heart wrenching emotion.
The book starts shortly after The Naked Duke ends. Charles, who was happy to be a second son, is now a marquis after his brother is killed. Along with the title, he has acquired guardianship of his two young nieces. He knows he needs to marry, but he doesn’t want to endure the marriage mart. So, when he reunites with a childhood friend, Emma, who also happens to be the nieces’ temporary governess, he decides he’s rather marry her. Problem is that Emma has been in love with Charles for years and she only wants to marry for love.
I’m quickly becoming a fan of Sally MacKenzie. She’s written another page turner. I couldn’t wait to see the sparks flying between Charles and Emma. And there was enough twists and turns in the story to keep me riveted to the book.