Desert Guardian, Review for WCP
Desert Guardian
Wild Child Publishing.com © 2007
Title: Desert Guardian
Author: Karen Duvall
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN: 1-60154-014-0
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: Novel
Release Date: October 2006
Kelly Bancroft has found the location of the crazy cult her brother has joined, determined to bring him home. Easy, right? Not really, since she has absolutely no idea what she’s in for and the time she’s already spent there has been a bit of a blur. Everything is not what it seems and what she hoped would be a simple matter of talking her brother out of his depression turns in to a desperate attempt to save both his life and her own.
Sam Reed is a cult intervention specialist hired to rescue both Kelly and her brother. He’s played rescuer/kidnapper before and is known as The Arrow. Unfortunately, this time he’s dealing with a cult leader that both wants something from him and has kept something from him. This time the cult he needs to infiltrate brings memories that are a little too personal. Sam’s not sure he can keep the focus he needs to get the job done.
Star Mother has all of her people believing they are going to a wonderful new world. She has strict rules and they must be followed but very soon a new life will await all of them. Unfortunately, it’s a little too Jonestown and the special elixir she’s been giving them isn’t letting any of her members get any perspective. Can Sam and Kelly join forces and help each other or will a fanatic take down a large group of people with her crazy visions?
Desert Guardian is a fast-paced well-written romantic suspense. Other than watching the Jonestown massacre movie on tv, and perhaps seeing some other news clips, I am not familiar with cults other than wanting to stay away from them. Ms. Duvall has painted a very clear picture of what life can be like for those who join particular groups and how easy it might be for someone to become acclimated within a cult without even realizing it. She shows how it affects families and loved ones and the very real danger in trying to extricate people from that world.
In a gripping tale the author makes us believe that the hero and heroine must work together to achieve their outcome and that the close contact they have makes their growing attraction for each other very real and intense. As Sam and Kelly walk the fine line between lust and trust they find that in order to achieve their final goal they must depend on each other. Even In the scene where there is a small misunderstanding that leads Kelly away from Sam it is believable because her background has been depicted as such that the reader knows she would have those insecurities. Often I find those scenes in a book and think “but if they just talked to each other” but here between the timing and the heroine’s history it works.
Desert Guardian was a highly enjoyable book that I read straight through. If you are looking for a good suspense with a romantic theme and a new twist on danger, then I recommend this book.
Rating: 5 Cats
Labels: Rating 5
The Way to a Man's Heart, Review for WCP
The Way to a Man’s Heart
Wild Child Publishing.com © 2007
Title: The Way to a Man’s Heart
Author: Charlene Sands
Publisher: Cobblestone Press
ISBN: 1-60088-035-5
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel
Rated: Sensual
Release Date: August 2006
Authors Website:
http://www.charlenesands.com In high school Christy Evans, his neighbour, was the one girl Kyle Warren could never get. The one who had always blown him off. He had been the star athlete with girls falling at his feet, except the one he really wanted. When he returned home to take care of his father’s estate he noticed that the girl next had grown up. He was interested and this time he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He was ready to show her he wasn’t who she thought he was.
Hometown girl Christy Evans had always thought Kyle a womanizer and, having been burned by others she thought like him, knew that she would do well to stay away. When Kyle’s dad, Pop Warren, died she knew she had to extend her offering of friendship to his son. It was the least she could do after all Pop had done for her and this town.
The Way to a Man’s Heart is a nice, heart-warming tale of never giving up on love. It is enjoyable reading, as Kyle and Christy learn to negotiate friendship and love. Christy needs to get over old high school hurts and learn to trust again. She jumps to conclusions a little too quickly and seems slightly more wary than any of the situations call for. However, Kyle is nothing if not persistent and he wins her over. I liked Kyle immediately and I think he is a hero for all time. Good looking, smart, rich and nice – it works for me and sometimes made me wonder how Christy could keep on resisting him. But Christy is a modern woman with a career and I did like her feistiness. Although, I must say it’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone called a scoundrel in a contemporary novel!
If you like you Harlequin Romance, you will enjoy this sweet love story that has a slightly sensual side too.
Rating: 3 Cats
Labels: Rating 3
Bonding Experience, Review for WCP
Bonding Experience
Wild Child Publishing.com © 2007
Title: Bonding Experience
Author: Cora Zane
Publisher: Cobblestone Press
ISBN: 1-60088-037-1
Genre: Shifter
Length: Tryst
Release Date: August 2006
Author's Website: http://www.corazane.com
Claire Vaught is still single and so, when she receives the letter from the pack leader, she is not surprised. The letter would hold the information of who she would be mated to. What did surprise her was the name in the letter. She had been promised to Luke Roman, her high school nemesis. There must be some mistake and she’s determined to set it right.
Luke Roman has been trying to get Claire’s attention for years and she apparently had failed to notice. This time he was going to make her notice. After arranging with the pack leader to be bonded to Claire his wolf instincts take over and he decides to get what he wants.
Can Claire see past all of Luke’s high school hi-jinks to see that all he wanted was her to really notice him? Or will Luke’s high-handed ways strike out, leaving him frustrated and alone?
Bonding Experience is an atypical version of unrequited high school love. In this case the man/wolf is the one who has always loved the heroine, while she just thought he was being annoying and mean. The story starts off well but quite quickly into it the hero basically forces himself on the heroine and here is where I lose interest. Yes, I know that the old “he forces himself on her but she really loves it” thing was popular in the past but, to me, no still means no. Perhaps it is different in were world but that is my opinion. So even while the heroine does obviously like the hero, and is just not wanting to get hurt emotionally, I still feel the whole tying her up scene was over the top for me.
However, the writing is good, the pacing effective, and it all wraps up nicely as it should. The love scenes after the first one are hot but beware that they are quite explicit and therefore not for the faint at heart
Rating: 3 Cats
Labels: Rating 3
Things To Do review for Gotta Write Network
Things To Do
By Nell Dixon
Romantic Comedy/Romantic SuspenseISBN: 1-59998-136-X
Novel, 311 pagesAugust 2006Samhain PublishingEmma Morgan is an ordinary girl going about her life and conveniently forgetting she is married. She had been married to a man she worked and played with briefly in Antigua and it had nothing to do with her daily life back home in England. Or at least she had stuffed the memories away and merrily gone on with her life. Unfortunately, life has a way with catching up with you and Emma's "husband" came back to claim her, catapulting her into a whirlwind life that is a bit more than she is expecting.
Suddenly Emma is faced with her not-so-secret husband and his "friends," a dog-napper, her sister's cheating fiancé, her female best-friend's possibly cheating husband, and, to top it all off, her mother is dating her boss. Life is not so humdrum anymore. Add to that some gangsters, her male best-friend becoming the man of her dreams and Emma isn't sure what she wants or where she is going, or frankly, if she'll make it there safely.
Things to Do by Nell Dixon is a fun chick-lit style romance with a suspenseful twist. I loved the way she took the chick lit tone and managed to make it at once thrilling and funny. Her heroine Emma is a bit daft, and you kind of wonder how she doesn't clue in more to her suddenly attentive husband and his secretive ways, but then again sometimes love is blind and lust even more so. She also doesn't see the best friend who's always been there, and her contemplation that he is in love with her sister is all wrong. Again, I think this can be so accurate as we all see ourselves in a certain light and often we don't think as highly of ourselves as we do others. I think this is especially true with dynamics like this heroine's family has.
With all of the twists and turns you would think it would be hard to keep track of who's who and what's what but it isn't. Ms. Dixon has done a good job at making it all seem effortless and the whole storied played brilliantly as a filmstrip in my head. This book combined two of my favourite types of reading - romantic suspense and chick lit. Well done Ms. Dixon!I give this story 5 Guylian chocolates out of 5Labels: Rating 5
In the Spirit Review for RORR
In the Spirit by Shannon Stacey
Samhain Publishing (ebook)
Jessica Newton is an author looking for a secluded place to write far away from the holiday mayhem she abhors. The remote cabin in the mountains seems to be a perfect place to escape the holiday spirit.
Zachary Roberts loves Christmas. At least he did when he was alive, so why not carry on the tradition even though he is ghost? He often surprises the residents of the cabin with a fabulous display, in all different forms.
Zach is a holiday spirit ready to spread some joy. When he sees Jessica he knows he wants more than that. Can a bah humbug and a mischievous spirit come together to find the true meaning of Christmas?
This light-hearted tale by Shannon Stacey is filled with fun and frivolity. From the first word I was captured in the Christmas spirit, even as the heroine fought against hers. I know that if I found a ghost inhabiting a cabin I'd hope he was as gorgeous as Zach Roberts sounds!
My biggest gripe about this story was that Jessica didn't seem too disconcerted to find her cabin inhabited by a ghost. I think we are to assume that since she writes horror, that things like this don't faze her. Maybe, but I would still have liked to see a bit more of a struggle with this issue. However, the way they negotiated their way through the Christmas decorations was fantastic.
If you are looking for a fun story with lots of heat then look no further. In the Spirit is a feel-good holiday romance that will leave you smiling.
I give it a 4.Labels: Rating 4
