Bare Essensuals (BE) Reviews

Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter

2008-05-24T09:56:00.004-07:00

Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter
ISBN: 0446699241
Publisher: 5 Spot
Length: Novel
Genre: Mommy Lit
Price: $13.99 USD

Taylor Young is a Bellevue mom with everything she could ask for: a gorgeous husband, three beautiful girls, her dream house and a nanny. She has time for committees, pilates, spa dates and more. She is a super mom. She does everything and appears to do it all well and easily. Unfortunately, it's all about to end as a secret is revealed that blows her world apart. When most of her friends shrink away from the 'disaster' her life as become, she finds another friend in the most unlikeliest of people. Somewhere along her journey Taylor learns that being Mrs. Perfect on the outside doesn't change the inside and not being perfect might be a better choice, anyway.

I have to say that I did not like Taylor Young much as I read through the first chapters of this book. In fact, I had a strong distaste for her. But, like a train wreck, I kept reading because Ms. Porter knows how to draw the reader in. I was sucked into the world and I needed to beleive that Taylor would be redeemed somehow.

Early on, I was able to guess the secret that was going to rip apart Taylor's world. I don't really want to disclose it because the build up in the beginning of the book is imperative. While part of me is unsure how it could have gone on so long without a conversation, part of me understands the world this couple built and the need to not disappoint each other. At first I was solely on the side of Nathan, the husband. I was in total disdain that Taylor had been the major cause of their problems.

However, once their world starts to collapse it is Taylor who is the strong one, while Nathan runs away, ostensibly to make it all better. Although it took a good while (what was with her being so rotten to Lucy and then the sudden flip - it's ok to be nice since they're both in crappy situations?), Taylor seems to reach down inside herself and suddenly she isn't the selfish, vain person I thought her to be in the beginning. The reader starts to see the real Taylor. The insecure woman trying to please everyone. To be everything to everyone but herself. It seemed like she was redeemed a bit too easily, but then again I had no trouble suspending disbelief at that point. I was too sucked in - too invested in the story to stop.

Ms. Porter does a great job of portraying how friends react when the bad stuff happens. Some are there no matter what and then there are those who slink away and pretend they never knew you or are embarrassed to know you now. Then there are the ones who take advantage of the situation. The character of Monica totally cracked me up because I'm sure we all know someone like that.

The build to Nathan coming back was quite quick at the end and I think I would have liked to have seen more about that, but this was really Taylor's journey so it was ok.

All in all Mrs. Perfect was a great read. Although I can't relate to the financial status of most of the women in this book, I found it realistic and heart-wrenching all the same. Because money is not what makes us who we are. What we have does not define us. And, I think, that is the point. Ms. Porter has a way of taking something superficial and showing us the heart that beats underneath.

I give this a 4

Forever Again, Shannon Stacey

2008-05-07T09:15:00.003-07:00

Forever Again by Shannon Stacey
ISBN: 1-59998-001-0
Length: Category
Price: $4.50
Genre: Romance/Contemporary
Publication Date: January 3, 2006

After fifteen years apart, after a disastrously brief 13 day marriage, Gena Taylor and Travis Ryan run into each other again. Unfortunately, it is when Travis arrives at Gena's inn with his new fiance.

Travis hasn't told his fiance, that he was ever married before, let alone the reason why. He's still trying to forget that he was conned into marriage by a fake pregnancy after one night with Gena all those years ago.

However, the pregnancy wasn't fake, but Travis never stuck around to find out. Now Gena isn't sure whether to introduce him to his fifteen year old daughter, Mia, or to continue to keep the secret from the only man she ever truly loved. The man who devastated her when he accused her of being a scheming lier.

As they struggle to find solit footing for this new relationship, trying to be good parents to Mia and form that relationship for her, they are overcome by both the past and the passion they are trying to deny.

I picked up this book last night because I was in the mood for a nice solid romance, without any twists and turns (no paranormal, no romantic suspense, etc. - just straight romance) and I like this author's romantic suspense/adventure (The Devlin Group) series, so I thought why not. Although not usually a fan of the surprise/hidden pregnancy stories, I was willing to give it a shot.

I'm glad I did. I read this straight through and fell in love with the characters, especially Gena and her daughter, Mia. I wanted to kick Travis' ass on several occassions, and frankly still do a bit, but he did manage to redeem himself in the end. I wish he hadn't been so bent on villifying Gena when I believe he was the jerk in the first place. However, if he hadn't then there wouldn't be much of a story and frankly, this was done so well that even though I normally hate heroes like this, Ms. Stacey made it work.

My only problem was the head hopping. Ms. Stacey did seem to make it fairly clear that it was a switch, but (anyone who has read any of my reviews will know this) I hate any head hopping. I prefer to stay in one character's head per scene. It was the only thing that detracted from my total enjoyment of this book. And she did it well enough that I was able to ignore it after a while. To be fair to Ms. Stacey, I recently read my first JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts) book and I had the same problem. Ms. Roberts wrote her story so skillfully that the head hopping didn't bother me nearly as much as it always does. I would say that Ms. Stacey has written her story just as skillfully.

Overall, when the story was said and done I had a lump in my throat and I was so glad I'd read it. It was a wonderful, feel good, contemporary romance that lived up to its promise of Forever Again. I'm still smiling this morning when I think of it. It reminded me of the romance stories I read when I was younger, before I got caught up in needing suspense, action, adventure. A time when I was happy to feel the romance and get my happy ending. A time when I dreamed that I was every heroine, just waiting for my hero. Thank you for taking me back.

I give this 4.5 (reduction is purely for the head hopping)

The Trouble with Paradise by Jill Shalvis

2007-12-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

(sorry, borrowing the blurb from the book for this one, due to time constraints this time) When Dorie Anderson meets a cute guy, she becomes a huge klutz. But one phone call has turned her dead-end dating life into an adventure: she's won a trip on a singles' cruise to Fiji. On board, she soon meets pro baseball player Andy, and the ship's hunky French doctor. She's sure she'll fall head-over-heels in no time. Unfortunately, she's right: soon, she trips over her luggage right in front of them. Mortifying. But a bigger disaster is just on the horizon. Dorie finds a man murdered in his bunk the same night a storm wrecks the ship, stranding everyone on a deserted shore. It'd be a perfect setting for romance-if it weren't for the fact that there's a killer among them.

I had trouble with this book. I didn't particularly like Dorie or the hero much. Every time I started to like Dorie, something else made me cringe. I get that she's supposed to be clutzy and tongue-tied around cute guys, but it's the choices she makes that I mostly don't like.

The story wasn't horrible by any means, and in some ways it was very entertaining. Ms. Shalvis did a great job with the sex scenes and also with the tension during the storm and other suspensful scenes. I just had a lot of trouble suspending disbelief for various parts throughout the book and the ending seemed slightly convoluted. Or maybe that's only because this reader didn't buy-in previously.

While I waffle back and forth on my feelings on this book I can clearly see it as movie of the week material. I didn't have a lot of emotional investment in the characters or plot, but didn't find it an entire waste of time either.

I give this a 3

First Comes Love by Whitney Lyles

2007-12-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

Cate Blakely is enjoying being newly wed to Ethan when she suspects she might be pregnant. Her and Ethan weren't even trying, they were just trying to enjoy couple time. Most of their friends recently having babies, pregnant or trying, and everyone is asking whether they're next. Then suddenly they are.

Ms. Lyles follows Cate's journey from first pregnancy panic, through doctor's appointments, a friend's fertility struggles, pregnancy ills, other people's babies and the general overall travel through the land of motherhood in a very realistic way. There were times I was nodding my head. There was no perfect pregnancy here. When Cate is so sick that she can barely comb her hair or get out of bed to help with the business, even when a younger, prettier assistant is hired, I was sold. This was my pregnancy. I've been there, I understand that!

This book made me laugh out loud, made me smile or grimace in rememberance of my own pregnancy journeys, and made me wisftul and sad about fertility and miscarriage issues. The tone of this book was well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hadn't read the previous installments of this heroine, but it didn't matter, I didn't need to. This book was very stand alone.

I wonder if Ms. Lyles will be penning a new novel that tells of motherhood and how Cate's relationship with Ethan evolves through that. I, for one, would like to read it.

I give this a 5

Hang tight

2007-10-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

... there are more reviews coming. I've got at least four (4) reviews to get to (the books are read, now I need to write the reviews). Life has been crazy, but I promise you'll see more reviews by November.

Just didn't want anyone to think I wasn't posting any more. :-)

The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer

2007-09-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer

New American Library (Penguin), June 2007

Nola Deviln is not who people think she is. Or rather she is, but Belinda Apple isn’t. You see, she’s both. On a quest to show her magazine editor that being overweight has nothing to do with how well she can write, Nola invents Belinda Apple, a thin, gorgeous, and hip writer from Britain.

She initially does it to prove a point, then gets all caught up in the fantasy. While no one’s ever met Belinda, everyone thinks she’s fabulous. Even Nola’s friends take advice from Belinda—her weight loss advice, in particular, gets their notice. Thus the Cinderella Pact is born, and Nola and her two best friends vow to lose weight by a certain date. Belinda says it’s as easy as walking it off.

As she starts to lose weight, Nola feels great, but Belinda is having issues. The magazine can’t seem to get a hold of her and have started to worry they’ve been defrauded. They aren’t happy. As Nola struggles to keep her identity hidden, lose the weight, keep up with her sister who’s getting married (with Belinda as her maid of honour), deal with a man who pops in, and then back out, of her life, she realised that it’s hard enough to be one person, let alone two.

This book was wonderful. I loved that Nola was a real woman, with real problems and real curves. I loved that even though she lost weight and became thinner, that it didn’t immediately make everything in her life become perfect. I loved that they talked about the various ways people try to lose weight, and that, mostly, Nola made sensible decisions about weight loss.

The tension and pacing in this book were very well done. I laughed out loud, I felt sorrowful, I sneered at the magazine editor, and I was smiling at the end. Even though I had guessed who the hero was, there were moments when I became unsure, moments when I wavered in my loyalty to who he was and what he was up to.

Ms. Strohmeyer has produced a witty book, with characters that are all three-dimensional. I’m not a big fan of the big girl who loses weight and suddenly has a fairy tale ending but, in this case, the author delivers the story with such finesse that I found myself sucked in. Well done! I look forward to picking up more of this author’s books.

I give it 5 Kisses, Reviewed for Romance Divas

Nowhere to Hide by Jennifer Elbaum

2007-09-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

Nowhere to Hide By Jennifer Elbaum
Lovestruck Books
ISBN: 0-9786454-0-5
Romantic Suspense
200 pages
Publishing Date: 2006
$5.00 ebook or $10.95 trade paperback

Alex Maguire is a waitress on the run with a little girl. The little girl, Gail, is supposedly the daughter of her very good friend, Simon, and Alex is trying to protect her. The Trust is after them and there is nowhere to hide and no one they can trust.

Simon has asked Detective Dan Greywolf (Wolf) to help Alex and Gail, and that's what he plans on doing, even if Alex drives him to distraction. He's wanted her since meeting her the year before, but the woman has trust issues. It doesn't help that, no matter where they go, The Trust seems to catch up to them. Alex starts to believe that Dan is leading them there.

The Trust trained Alex and Simon, two of The Six, years before at The School. Now, apparently, they want to get The Six back together to perform one more job. It's a life or death situation and not all is as it seems. Can Dan and Alex fight their growing attraction to take on an evil entity and win? Or will it be that attraction that saves them in the end?

Nowhere to Hide has a great plot and the background behind it is very ingenious. Unfortunately, the point-of-view shifts between the main characters every paragraph or two had my head spinning. As most of you, who read my regular reviews, are aware, I am not a fan of the head-hop. As well, I have some issues with the fact that Alex did not seem to be concerned with Gail's welfare. Alex always seemed more worried about whether Wolf was ok. I understand that Alex isn't the girls mom, or even used to be around kids, but, in my opinion, a man who is a detective can take care of himself, whereas a four-year old girl can't.

That being said, I love the premise for the story, a corrupt corporation that is training young children to do their bidding. Ms. Elbaum was able to create tension, and build a very interesting world around The School and The Trust. Oh, and I loved the ending, it was brilliant. It made me smile. I can't say more than that, but it's what makes me think the author intends to do a series with The Trust, perhaps using each of The Six. I would be interested in reading this series and I hope Jennifer Elbaum continues in writing it.

I give it 3.5 Diners

Blood Seduction by J.M. Jeffries

2007-09-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

Blood Seduction by J.M. Jeffries

Genesis Press, Inc., 2007

Major Ursula Carlson is a career military woman, who is heading a special ops team of vampires. She is trying to prove to the government that it would be beneficial to work with the vampires, rather than against them. That they could be great allies. After proving this, yet again, and pulling off a special job Ursula feels she’s in line for a promotion.

Unfortunately, her superiors feel otherwise and she is kept in the field and given a new boss. And to top it off they decide it’s better to eliminate the vampires and they want Ursula to head the clean-up team after they are destroyed. Shocked and dismayed at the idea of mass slaughter Ursula warns the vampires and goes on the run with sexy Solomon.

Blood seduction follows Solomon and Ursula as they race to save the vampire nation, and take down the head of the military branch that is running the operation.

Once again J.M. Jeffries has done a great job of sucking me in to a story. Although I have read Blood Lust, the first in this series, this book stands alone and there is no problem trying to catch up. Having read Blood Lust so long ago I was thrilled to remember some of the old characters, it felt like catching up. My favourite is Elder Turi. I think I’d really like to meet him. In any event, the pacing and action in this story are tight, and I felt the back-story was inserted at appropriate times. There were a couple of awkward phrases where I wasn’t sure if a word was missing or if that was intentional, but other than that the reading was smooth.

I picked this up and read it straight through to the end. I got a little less sleep, but was very happy with the story. The vamps are just like the rest of us, each flawed and real, but there is no horror-style gore. It is like many other suspense/adventure type books I read—it just has vampires. I look forward to the next installment, should there be one.

I give this a 4.5, Review for BE Reviews

The Ultimatum by Dan Graziano

2007-08-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

The Ultimatum by Dan Graziano

Avon, 2007

Henry is an author who’s been living with his lawyer girl-friend, Layla, for about six years. They are in love and comfortable. Life has an easy rhythm. However, Layla decides that it’s time to take the next step—marriage.

She tells Henry that he has one week to propose or she’s outta there. Their good friends, Jack and Gina, are getting married one week to the day and Henry has until the bouquet toss to make good on his relationship with Layla.

What ensues is a thought-provoking, often humorous, tale of each day as it the countdown to week’s end is on. Will the ultimatum end in a proposal? Or will this couple go their separate ways?

The Ultimatum is a fun story and the author, Dan Graziano, is able to bring a uniquely male perspective to the story. As I was reading this I kept thinking of how I, or any female author, may have presented this. I realised I very much enjoyed seeing the male take on the situation. The author does present both Henry and Layla’s point of view, so he is trying to present both sides to the story. Unfortunately he often cuts back and forth between them, or narrating omnisciently, with no scene breaks, which I found very confusing, and distracting.

However, there were some great laugh-out-loud scenes, as well as some wonderfully touching emotional ones, in this book. As a woman I thought it was a great look into how a man might react to an ultimatum like this. I found it pretty realistic. Especially all of the golf and drinking! While I’m not entirely sure a woman would make the whole date decision as Layla did, I didn’t find it unrealistic either.

All in all, I found The Ultimatum by Dan Graziano quite enjoyable and engaging.

I give it 4 Kisses, Reviewed for Romance Divas

Hunting the Demon, Jaci Burton

2007-08-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hunting the Demon by Jaci Burton

Release Date August 28, 2007

Nic Diavolo is the son of the head Demon, destined to become the ruler of the Lords of the Sons of Darkness. Only he doesn't know it. And, even though he dreams it, he doesn't want it. Or anything to do with it.

Shay Pearson is a demon hunter, with the Realm of Light. She's the one who needs to capture Nic, lure him in to their midst, and determine who's side he is on. Has his demon half taken over? Or is he all male? Or is he the best combination of both?

With the Lord of the Sons of Darkness ready to make him their king, will Shay and the others be able to save him? Or will power be too strong of an aphrodisiac?

I have been waiting for this book forever. Truly. I loved Surviving Demon Island. Was a little worried because I've never been a big fan of the demon. But Ms. Burton knows how to make her demons desirable. At least the ones that are only part demon, anyway! LOL And, Hunting the Demon did not disappoint.

Just like SDI, Hunting the Demon is non-stop action, and sizzling passion. I loved the tension that gets ratcheted up with every passing chapter. And I really loved Dominic "Nic" Diavolo. A lot. Mmm. The only drawback to this story was that I found I wasn't as connected with Shay as I was with Gina (SDI). I'm not sure why. With SDI I felt invested in both Gina and Derek, whereas with Hunting the Demon I was more concerned with Nic. Maybe he was just so hot that I was distracted. :-D

The problem with Hunting the Demon is that it made me become heavily invested in two more characters: Angelique and Ryder. The way Ms. Burton weaved them into this already packed tale was brilliant. I wasn't sure who I wanted to watch more. Them or Shay and Nic. I must have Angelique and Ryder's story now, and I think it highly unfair of the author to string me along like this. Damn good technique--just unfair.

At this point you must realise I can't say enough good things about the series. I really like it. I highly recommend Hunting the Demon.

I give this a 4.5, BE Reviews

Starting Out Sideways by Mary E. Mitchell

2007-08-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

Starting Out Sideways by Mary E. Mitchell

St. Martin’s Press, May 2007

Roseanna Plow figures she has a pretty good life. She lives on Long Island in a small apartment with her husband, she has a good career as a job counsellor for the developmentally challenged and she’s close to her mother. In proximity, that is. Her mother is only slightly meddling and, while she dresses like Donna Reed, she sounds like a drill seargant.

It turns out that Roseanna’s husband isn’t so wonderful and he’s decided to move in with her best friend. Her mother’s way of fixing things is to set Roseanna up with the manager of the local grocery store. Ham, who’s real name is Mickey Hamilton, used to be a butcher and, to Roseanna, he’s a little dull, even if he does have a cute butt.

Roseanna strives to find her way back to normal, all the while dealing with her soon-to-be ex-husband and her ex-best friend buying a house, her clients dealing with life’s challenges in their own special ways, a new punk-looking best friend who’s only twenty-five and parents who aren’t who she thinks they are.

This is a touching and, often, hilarious look at life for an every day average woman who finds out she isn’t so average after all. While Roseanna finds out that things aren’t always what they seem the reader is reminded that blessing can be found everywhere, even in the smallest of things or moments.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was the perfect read to curl up under the covers with on the, unfortunately, rainy days we have had of late. It would be just as perfect on the beach. It was refreshing to read about a woman who had a normal job and life, who wasn’t trying to come up with crazy schemes but just wanted to continue on with her life and be happy. Written in contemporary chick-lit still Starting Out Sidways, is poignant and funny. A truly delightful find.

I give it 4.5 kisses, Review for Romance Divas

All Jacked Up by Penny McCall

2007-08-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

All Jacked up by Penny McCall

Berkley Sensation, April 2007

Aubrey Sullivan thought she was pretty content in her world of books. As a librarian for the Library of Congress she was doing what she loved to do and, partly due to her photographic memory, she got invited to all the in and hip parties with the higher ups in D.C. Unfortunately, due to that same memory apparently, someone wants her dead.

Jack Mitchell is the FBI agent/possible mole who says he’s only kidnapping Aubrey to protect her. It doesn’t matter that he’s trying to save his own hide, and job, in the process. With one of the largest mob bosses in the U.S. after them, Jack isn’t taking any chances with something happening to either one of them.

In close quarters and on the run, Jack and Aubrey drive each other crazy, sometimes even in a good way.

This is a fairly fast-paced story by debut author, Penny McCall. It starts out pretty intense and stays that way, pretty much throughout. Unfortunately, the head hopping kept disconnecting me since I had to keep reading back to figure out who was saying what. Sometimes I still wasn’t sure. It was there, constantly through the entire story, and not just between the hero and heroine. That was the main thing that really bothered me, but it bothered me a lot. That, and the fact that Jack kept referring to Aubrey’s size. Yeah, we get it already, she’s skinny and not built.

On the other hand, the author has a great voice and I love the comedic edge she applied to both Jack and Aubrey, which helped to lighten up some of the more intense moments. The supporting characters were hilarious and I could see all of them very clearly, which I loved. All in all, it was a good story with some kickass moments.

It looks like Ms. McCall has another book coming out in July and I will give it a read. If she’s managed to lessen the head-hopping the book could be phenomenal.

I give this 3.5 Kisses, Review for Romance Divas

Hunter's Salvation by Shiloh Walker

2007-06-20T08:50:00.001-07:00

Hunter’s Salvation by Shiloh Walker

Berkley Sensation – July 2007

Vax used to be a Hunter. He used to track down evil in all its scary forms, evil that preyed on humans. But when that evil took out someone he loved he walked away, never wanting to hurt or be hurt like that again. Unfortunately, somebody somewhere needs him and the pull to return won’t let him go. It’s as if he has no choice.

Jess Warren is hunting something of her own. She’s hunting the person or persons responsible for killing her sister and many other girls. Maybe it’s not a person, she doesn’t know and she doesn’t care. She’s willing to die tracking this person down because she wants him or it to suffer the way her sister suffered. She’s going to make someone pay, no matter the cost.

When Vax and Jess come face to face and realise they are tracking the same thing Jess just wants him out of her way. She doesn’t care that he is trained for this and she isn’t. Even after he saves her from an evil worse than they even imagined, she isn’t sure. However, Vax and Jess are drawn to each other and they join forces to hunt down a weird cross-breed and its origin.

When this book started out I wasn’t really hooked. Having not read the previous book I didn’t find any of this information compelling or interesting. However, the end of the first chapter caught me. Interesting. Now I was intrigued. I read further. OK, again I felt the first couple of chapters were a bit abrupt and that’s how I read them (I picked the book up and put it down several times) but I could see where the author was going and I was compelled to read on.

The more I read the more I was hooked. Half-way through chapter three I didn’t want to put the book down anymore. I wanted to keep reading. I wanted my kids to go play elsewhere so I could keep reading. What a fantastic, and scary, world Ms. Walker has created. The mind boggles at the imagination required to build this world. This reviewer found it fresh and original. There is another point in the book that we meet other Hunters from the past. This was well done and I didn’t feel the need to read those books to understand what was going on (I want to now but I don’t need to). I felt like I knew what I needed to about the various Hunters, enough to keep me moving through the story and not be confused.

The tension between Vax and Jess is well done. I longed for them to find each other and bit by bit they worked their way in to each others hearts. Even the “morning after” moment was well done. I thought this was very typical guy stuff, very real. I also liked that afterwards Jess got hurt and then pissed. That’s how I would have felt too. This book had comedy, horror, drama and emotion to spare and it was all believable.

I recommend Hunter’s Salvation and look forward to reading more in this series by Shiloh Walker.

I give this 4.5 kisses. Review for Romance Divas

Into the Dark by Cindy Gerard

2007-06-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Into the Dark by Cindy Gerard

St. Martin’s Paperback, June 2007

Amy Walker has been after a madman for a long time. In her quest to find him she was held hostage, raped and tortured, in a foreign country. Then along came the Dallas and the guys from E.D.E.N. to rescue her and the other hostages. After the rescue she decides it’s better not to get anyone else involved so she disguises herself and goes in to hiding. She’s determined to get the man who is running the secret organisation that reduced her mother to a vegetable. She’s even more determined to keep Dallas out of it.

Dallas has wanted Amy back every since she left. When she shows up on his doorstep six month after disappearing he isn’t sure what to think. Seeing that she is in danger he swears to protect her no matter what the cost and the two of them head off in search of a killer. A killer who happens to be related to Amy. Falling in love isn’t part of his plan.

I have been waiting for this book ever since I first read about Amy and Dallas in To The Brink. Sometimes when you are highly anticipating something it doesn’t meet your expectations. Well, I am thrilled to say that Into the Dark met and exceeded my expectations. I loved it.

Ms. Gerard transformed Amy from a victim to a hard-core, kick-butt heroine with a vulnerable side and it was believable. I loved the interaction between Amy and Dallas. The story pacing was intense all the way through. The tension was palpable.

I kept waiting for something that would make Amy not related to the bad guy (this isn’t a spoiler it’s on the back cover). I kept waiting for anything to redeem these antagonists, there was nothing. If I could hate a book character I would hate these ones. These “bad guys” were so bad it made me sick to my stomach. When the story rocked to its conclusion I was one happy girl. Well, other than the fact that the story concluded.

What made me even happier was meeting two new characters, Jones and Jenna, who were just as real as Amy and Dallas. Often in books that have so many high octane heros and heroines the characters start to feel like no one you’d ever meet. However, Ms. Gerard has given each of these characters flaws and personality and even though they have jobs to do you feel that you know them - they could actually exist. Ms. Gerard says this is the end of her E.D.E.N. series. Whether it is or whether it isn’t I sincerely hope we will see Jones and Jenna’s story.

Kudos to Ms. Gerard for maintaining the tension, pace and quality of writing throughout this series.

I give this 5 kisses. Review for Romance Divas

Burning Reflections by Rachel Carrington

2007-05-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Burning Reflections

Author: Rachel Carrington

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

ISBN: 1-59998-373-7

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 179 pages

Publishing Date: 2006

When attorney Morgan Hennessey keeps turning down dates from a mild-mannered colleague, Dexter Canfield, little does she know that within him lurks the heart of a psycho who likes to play with fire. After he plays with his favourite blow torch game Morgan ends up in the hospital for quite some time, scarred both physically and emotionally. Since the psycho got away Morgan’s not sure where to turn and her ex-husband’s arms are awfully tempting. He’s the sheriff of her home town and she is desperate to feel safe.

Evan Hennessey has been missing Morgan since the minute she left. They had been best friends for twenty-odd years and when their marriage went south they promised they would still be friends. He wanted more than friendship and with a killer after Morgan, Evan would stop at nothing to keep her safe. So he brought her home. Determined to protect her, and remind her why they were good together, Evan never suspected the killing spree that would lead Dexter to their door.

Can Evan prove that he still loves Morgan and that her scars don’t change who she is? Will he be able to protect both Morgan and his townspeople without any more casualties? Or will Dexter allude him as he has alluded so many others and in the process destroy a love that was never meant to die?

This book started off with a heart-pounding weird feeling that lets you know things are not going to go well for the heroine. I think I sat forward in my chair as I read the first chapter. What happened was not what I expected and I think I actually gasped out loud.

Ms. Carrington has written a brilliantly evil character in Dexter Canfield. One who likes to play with fire but not really as your typical arsonist. He’d rather burn people than buildings, although I don’t think he really discriminates a lot (well, I guess he does decide that hookers aren’t worth eliminating so that must count for something!) His character is well fleshed out and he gave me goose bumps.

I also loved the relationship between the hero and heroine, although I would have liked to see more reasoning behind why Morgan really left Evan in the first place. There was some answers but it didn’t really satisfy me. They seemed perfect together and I guess I needed more of a reason to believe she would just walk away from that. Maybe it was that I needed more info on him being a Navy SEAL and some kind of undercover cop in New York. That was only handled very briefly so I didn’t get a sense of what that was all about.

Other than that I loved this book. I liked all of the characters, found the love story real, and the suspense was very well-done.

I give it 4.5 Flames (Review for Gotta Write Network)

Dolce and Diana by Cassidy Kent

2007-05-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Dolce and Diana by Cassidy Kent

Phaze

Diana Radford isn’t really looking forward to the arrival of Chance Kohler and his game show entourage, but the publicity that she can garner for Dolce, her restaurant, and Cease and Sekkle, her resort, is supposed to be worth it. Chance has a reputation with the ladies and was, apparently, killer in the kitchen as well. Competing against him on his game show makes her nervous but all Diana wants to do is prove her skills in the kitchen because, win or lose, all press is good press.

Chance Kohler was the latest and hottest celebrity chef. He had taught himself skills that were envied by others and had brought himself to his current fame with hard work and dedication. On his show he had faced off against some of the best chefs around and always come out on top. Of course, the last show had seen him embroiled in a hot scandal but in reality he tried to play things low key. The only place he ramped it up was in the kitchen. That was the place he knew he was the best and some new chef wasn’t going to get him kicked off his own show. After he saw her cooking in designer duds and fancy shoes Chance knew there was no way Diana was going to best him.

Things get hot in the kitchen, and then even hotter elsewhere, as Diana and Chance come face to face and the laws of attraction and good food are combined.

This book is a winner. Combine good food, a hot couple and some nasty exes and how can it not be. Add to that a tropical locale and I’m wishin’ I was there. I have no idea how Diana cooked in those heels, I wouldn’t attempt it, but to each their own. The only thing that surprised me was how fast that Chance became proprietary over Diana but it wasn’t entirely unbelievable, given close proximity of the couple on both the show and island.

With Dolce and Diana Cassidy Kent has outdone herself with wonderful characterisations, food and locale descriptions. There is nothing sexier than a tropical climate and good food. Well done!

I give this 4.5 Ayres (RORR)

The Pickle My Little Friend by Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey

2007-05-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

The Pickle My Little Friend by Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey

The Wild Rose Press

Detective Jack Carter is working on the Bicycle Chain murders and his eighth victim has just been found. No matter how hard he works he seems to be one step behind. But this victim is different. This victim is holding a bag with a pickle in it. Something keeps nagging at him but he can’t put his finger on it until his secretary, and object of his lusty thoughts, Vicky Peik stand just a little too close. When it dawns on him that he has smelled her perfume at several of the murder victims locations he thinks he has the story wrapped up. Little does he know that Vicky has been a step ahead of him, herself. She has been trying to steer him in the right direction and in the process becomes the target of someone with a warped mind. Can either Jack or Vicky figure out what’s going on before it comes between their potential romance?

This story was interesting in that it read like an old-time PI book. It was hard to keep up with who did what and that’s always good in a suspense but the romance wasn’t that believable for me and the twist at the end left me feeling oddly dissatisfied. However, this story was well-written and if you enjoy investigative tales the way they used to be told then you should enjoy this short story.

I give this 3.5 Ayres (RORR)

Stealing Amy by Randy Jeanne

2007-05-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Stealing Amy by Randy Jeanne

Triskelion Publishing

Bad things keep happening to Amy Harrington, and none of them are her fault. Someone stole her identity and seems to have run off to Mexico with it. When her car is towed, another credit card declined and she is arrested for the second time, Amy decides to take matters in to her own hands and track down her identity thief.

When Amy meets Nick Cavenaugh, an architect on his way to the location where she has pinpointed the suspect, she uses his lack as of an assistant to her advantage. He’s a hot man who needs help getting around in Mexico and Amy is just the girl to help.

As straightlaced, uptight Nick and carefree and casual Amy spend more time together they start driving each other crazy, and not always in a bad way. Unfortunately when Amy learns that the INS now suspect her for smuggling illegal aliens across the border she ends up in a lot more trouble than she bargained for and someone wants her dead.

I liked this book from beginning to end. It was a fun and fast read. The heroine made me laugh out loud and her attitude about everything made me wish that I thought more like that. Even as someone kept taking over her identity and getting her in trouble she tried to carefree. Combine her with the sexy but uptight hero and it made for a great read. Best of all, the heroine saved herself in the end, while Nick had to come to his own conclusions and take care of his own issues that had been plaguing him. The characters were well built and the addition of several side character, including Amy’s rather neurotic mother and the alcohol swilling bad guy with many faces.

I read this all in one sitting. The pacing and tone of the book was well done – there was fun and suspense, a very hard combination but it worked here. I will definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

I give this 5 Ayres (RORR)

Rubies of Fire (Dept 57)by Lynne Connolly

2007-05-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

Dept 57 Rubies of Fire by Lynne Connolly

Triskelion Publishing

Andreas Constant is undercover as the sleazy, office dude who hits on all the women in the CIA Department of Internal Business. He is actually vampire orphan and a field agent for Department 57, which is another department of the CIA, who are investigating a leak that apparently came from the DIB. He has been slowly getting to know everyone and entering their minds without them noticing. He has also been attracted to Roz Templeton since day one on the job and upon entering her mind he finds that she’s another vampire.

Roz has been working in the department trying to uncover leads to the two family member’s untimely and unorthodox deaths. She has been trying to stay away from the office sleaze, Andreas, but somehow finds herself drawn to him. When she discovers he’s undercover, looking for the same answers she is, she allows her passion and desire to take over. When the danger hits too close to home they find out that they might be the only ones they can count on.

Rubies of Fire is an intense, on the edge of your seat suspense with a paranormal twist. Or perhaps that would be an intense paranormal with a suspense twist. Either way, it was good. Initially, I found it a bit hard to follow all of the departments, jobs, and various Talents (which include vampires, shifters, dragons and sorcerers) but as the story settled in it started to make more sense.

I loved all of the characters in this book, most especially Fabrice Germain, the virgin sorcerer. The hero and heroine were also interesting and believable, and the heat between them seemed real. There was no doubt in my mind that they were meant to be together. There are a lot of characters and sometimes that is slightly confusing as well, most notable when editing errors use the wrong characters name at the wrong time. There were a couple of editing errors which caused a blip in my reading enjoyment, most especially when Candy states in one case that she’d known Fabrice for a long time and then only two pages later says she didn’t know him; however the plot carried me through and I was able to move beyond the errors and really get into the story.

You will need to know that there are some rather shocking elements (for the unprepared) and eyebrow raising issues in this book but they are handled well. The author tackles homoerotic issues as well as rape but not the way you would expect. In my opinion she has done a good job of creating and layering her characters and story so that these elements are believable for the plot. Other than the issues mentioned above I really enjoyed this story. Apparently this is book three in a series. I will look for the first two and I certainly hope Fabrice will come into his own story from Department 57 very soon.

I give this 4 Ayres (RORR)

Rises the Night, Review for Romance Divas

2007-04-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

RISES THE NIGHT

By::Colleen Gleason

Signet Eclipse, 2007

A Historical Paranormal

Lady Victoria Gardella is a vampire slayer who is dealing with her own heartbreak and tragedy. When she takes her anger and despair a little too far one night, she decides to take a step back and re-focus on better learning her skills and control. It's a good thing she does because there is a new evil rising up as a very powerful vampire gains control over the ultimate weapon to control the souls of the dead. It could mean the end of the Venators and thousands, if not millions, of people.

With the not so trustworthy, but still attractive, Sebastian Vioget, by her side, she heads across Europe for the final showdown in Italy. Unfortunately, it is there that she witnesses the ultimate deceit by a former ally

Having not read The Rest Falls Away but hearing good things about it, I decided to give this book a chance. Honestly, I would not have normally picked up a historical but the description was just too interesting to pass by. I'm so glad that I made that decision. Rises the Night is a fantastic account of this lady, vampire slayer and her family. I love the way Ms. Gleason gives us history, along with action, humour along with angst.

The women of Rises the Night intrigued me. Even though Lady Victoria can obviously kick some major vampire butt, she is still tender and unsure of herself. Her losses, her loves, all come in to play in her reactions. I wouldn't have pegged her for as young as she was because she seemed so mature, but she had already seen so much in her short life. Aunt Eustacia was marvelously written. I could picture her clearly in my mind and I really liked her. She's someone I wouldn't mind having in my family, that's for sure. I wonder if we will learn more about the mysterious Wayren

I found Rises the Night to be an easy read that has many levels of complexity and information. I didn't need to read The Rest Falls Away as it stood alone fine on its own. I will, however, be buying it since I now want to collect this series. Congratulations Ms. Gleason you turned this non-historical romance lover into a believer! I look forward to more of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles.

5 Kisses

Wild, Wicked & Wanton, Review for Romance Divas

2007-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

WILD, WICKED AND WANTON

By::Jaci Burton

Berkley Heat, 2007

A Contemporary Erotic-Romance

Blair, Abby and Callie are three best friends who have been making bets and sharing secrets for a long time. Over drinks, where they decide they have each been lacking in the sexual gratification department, they make the bet to end all bets. They each must sleep with a person, to be decided by the other two. One weekend of wild sex for each of them. Three completely different friends. Each with their own needs.

Abby was married to a cheater. He was a schmuck and he left her wanting while he went and fulfilled his needs elsewhere. Little did he know that he left a wild, sexy, kitten behind who wanted more than he could ever imagine. Good thing her friends know a couple of veterinarians that have a little wild thing going on for Abby.

Blair is a career woman who isn't going to let anyone tell her what to do or how to feel. She likes to be in charge in all areas of her life except one. But in that case, she's not willing to give it up to the one man who stole her heart fifteen years earlier. She's too afraid to let go and so her wicked desire have gone unmatched. That is, until her friends decide she doesn't have a choice anymore.

Callie has worked hard to get where she is. After her husband passed away five years ago, she set about taking care of and making a solid life for herself. However, she's lonely and her dreams are more than a little scandalous to a sensible girl like her. Even her husband had never known her wildest fantasies. When her friends hook her up with a man who just might be her match in all ways, will she be able to handle it?

This is a warning – this story is hot! I mean, if I wasn't reading this in PDF format I would expect the ends of the paper to start curling from the flicks of the flame. That hot! My warning would also have you keep a “friend” on stand-by but that's up to you!

Ms. Burton has a way of making all sorts of fantasies come to life on paper and be realistic and true. It's erotic, wild and romantic. Sometimes when stories are this filled with sexual desires, it reads like porn and the plot is just filler. In this case it is always about the romance, even when you can't figure out how she gets there, she does. Even with the ménage scenes.

My one problem with this book is that not once, anywhere, are condoms used. Now granted, that may have pulled the reader out of the story, but in my case I had a hard time believing that these very smart women would have done without. In Abby and Callie's stories, specifically, as Abby was in a ménage with men who admit they get around, and Callie is with a virtual stranger (getting coffee at her shop every day for a year does not mean he has been safe sexually). The only reason I'm willing to give Blair a break is that she's known the guy for fifteen years but even then, it sounds like she was a busy girl, doesn't he want to protect himself?

If you want a read that will recharge your sex life and give you that happy-ever-after as well, then this is the book for you. It is well written and full of hot, sexy fun that will leave you Wild, Wicked and Wanton.

4 ½ Kisses

On the Edge, for BE Reviews

2007-04-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

On the Edge by Shannon Stacey

Samhain Publishing

Tony Casavetti is due for some extended time off. He has just finished an assignment where he was ousted by the bad guys a little sooner than he expected where his trusty assistant over the com port, Charlotte Rhames, helped him get through it all in one piece. Before getting his time off, however, he needs to attend an important meeting of the Devlin Group, the privately owned rogue-agency that he works for. He is looking forward to the getting together with the Devlin Group if only to finally meet Charlotte whose voice he has dreamed of for over eight years. While his mental picture of Charlotte is not very flattering he thinks her voice is sexy as hell. Meeting Charlotte and attending the Devlin Group function sets of all sorts of explosions.

Charlotte Rhames has been the Executive Administrator for the Devlin Group for a lot of years. She’s met many of the agents but none of them pulled her like Tony Casavetti. She is hoping that the two of them could turn their vocal parry into something more physical after the tête a tête but unfortunately, when their world is rocked in more ways than one she has to make things right. As she heads back into a world she thought she’d never turn to again she does it with Tony by her side. Charlotte isn’t a trained field agent but this assignment is more personal and she’s the only one who can get close to the man who set off the attack on the Devlin Group. When all the tremors stop, will there be any chance for Tony and Charlotte?

I have been waiting for this book for a very long time. I loved 72 Hours, which was the first book in this series. I couldn’t wait to see the next book. In fact I had it in my mind that it would be Gallagher’s story. I wasn’t expecting this one. My disappointment did not last long, however, because this book kicked butt. From the very start the pacing was on and didn’t let you out of its grip.

I loved the build up to the meet between Tony and Charlotte. I mean, yeah, I knew she was obviously not going to be a grandma but, whoa, she was hotter than anyone would expect, least of all Tony and I loved that he was surprised like that. He seemed a bit cocky and that threw him for a loop. Both Tony and Charlotte’s backgrounds were built into the story so that you were able to understand their actions and reactions. The sparks between the two were evident from the beginning but it was easy to understand how they couldn’t just be together immediately.

There are some truly shocking moments in this story and my heart was thumping as I wondered how far it would go. I was right there with Tony in thinking this couldn’t be happening. I was right there with a heavy heart, hurting for both of them. It was powerful. I don’t really want to get into what this was because it is something the reader must experience to understand but it was very well done and very awkward to get around. Ms. Stacey handled it brilliantly, in my opinion.

Some books are easier to write a synopsis of than others. There are things that happen in this book that made me cringe and things I can’t disclose in the review without giving away more than I want to. I just truly believe you need to read this book. Then re-read it. It is good and if I tell you more than that, it will spoil it.

I will now start my letter writing campaign to Ms. Stacey about the third installment in this series. Surely she must have them all written and is just torturing us with the wait for the next one?

I give this a 5

Sunset Key, Review for Gotta Write Network

2007-04-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Title: Sunset Key

Author: Cassidy Kent

Publisher: Phaze

ISBN: 1-59426-563-1

Genre: Erotic Romance

Length: 44 pages

Publishing Date: 2006

Cost: $2.00

Freesia Daniels comes home to her free-spirited parents after being fired from her corporate job in Boston. Freesia has never forgotten her childhood sweetheart, Zachary Gray, or the way he just let her go when she walked away. She wanted to make something with her life and had tried to convince him to do the same. Little does she know that he has done exactly that, without ever having left home.

When Freesia and Zach get trapped together in his house, while a storm rages outside, they rediscover each other and start their own storm inside. As the dust settles and the corporate world comes calling again will Freesia go back to her carefully planned life, or will she throw caution to the wind and choose heart over matter?

This quick tale from Cassidy Kent is a good look at what happens when we walk away from love to be what we think is right, rather than following our instinct. Sometimes we spend so much time running towards a goal we “think” we should have, rather than realising we are actually running away from what we already have. The author does a great job of showing the emotion and tension between Freesia and Zach and their night of love is well depicted and sensual.

I would have liked to get a better feeling for Freesia’s hurt over Zachary because in my opinion it was she who walked away and it seemed clear to me he wanted her to stay. I couldn’t quite figure out what she expected from him but in a story this short it isn’t always easy to convey all of the back story. I was, however, easily convinced of Zach’s feelings for Freesia and I also loved the way Freesia’s parents were written as I could picture them clearly in my head. It sort of reminded me of how Dharma’s parents were in that sitcom, Dharma & Greg, although maybe a little more hip!

If you are looking for a good, solid read with a wonderful, feel-good ending then I suggest Sunset Key. This is my second time reading a book by Cassidy Kent and I believe she is an author to be watched.

I give this 4.5 Lightning strikes out of 5

Kiss Me Deadly, Review for RD

2007-04-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

Kiss Me Deadly by Susan Kearney

Tor Romantic Suspense, July 2007

While driving home from work Mandy Newman, a lawyer dealing in divorces, is run off the road by someone she assumes is an angry ex of one of her clients. While shaken she tries to move past the ordeal and concentrate on taking care of her baby daughter with the help of her mother. When she and her co-workers discover they have won the lottery and millions of dollars she is on cloud nine. Not even a face to face with her daughter’s father can bring her down, especially since he doesn’t know he’s a dad. As one of her co-workers is murdered and the rest are being targeted by a killer Mandy has no choice but to accept help from the one man she is trying to avoid – Zack Taylor.

Zack is a DEA agent who on leave after a rough assignment turns sour. When he comes face to face with Mandy Newman again after almost two years all he can think about is how she made him feel when they were together, and the night of passion they shared. He has no idea that one night created a child he never knew he wanted. But when Mandy is threatened and his family is jeopardized he starts to understand that he can deny his feeling all he wants but he would do anything to protect those he loves. He must now catch a killer before the killer catches them and destroys any hope he has of starting over.

Kiss Me Deadly gripped me from the first page, all the way through to the end of the book. I love how Ms. Kearney has made Mandy both tough and vulnerable, showing first one side and then the other. When faced with possible impending death her thoughts were only of getting home to her daughter, which, as a mother, I found completely heart-wrenching and believable. Zack Taylor is an Alpha male but he comes flawed and we see tenderness creep through that makes him not so Alpha that you want to smack him. He was still the hot hero, but without the “me Tarzan, you Jane” mentality that so many Alpha males have.

The suspense in this book builds as you are taken back and forth between various scenarios and trying to get a feel for who the villain is. While I started to suspect fairly early on who it might be, I did change my mind a number of times, and even expected that I would be wrong. Layered in with the suspense and main love story we get to know the supporting characters and feel their lives are integral to the story – you find they are much more than people thrown in to add red-herrings or pad the story; they are living breathing beings who made Kiss Me Deadly rich and textured.

If you are looking for a romantic suspense that alternates between sizzling, tense and nice sweet “aww” moments then I suggest you pick up this book.

I give this 5 kisses.

In Another Man's Bed, Review for RD

2007-04-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

In Another Man’s Bed by Francis Ray

St. Martin’s Griffin, February 2007

Justine Crandall walked in on her husband with another woman. Everything she had ever dreamed about was dashed in that instant. A short time later, while in pursuit of her and trying to explain, his car goes off a cliff.

In the months that follow Justine is faced with the decision about whether to take him off life support. How do you make that decision when your heart is broken? How do you know why you’re making it?

In the meantime Justine’s high school sweet, Dalton, comes back to town and they fall in love all over again. Once again Justine is faced with a choice – be with the man she loves and loves her back or honour her marriage vows and stay true to the man who cheated on her and now lies in coma.

I thought the concept for this story was a good one. What a difficult decision this must be for anyone. The choices Justine made were steered by everything she had grown up to believe in and by that age old feeling that we should never let anyone down. She was trying to make everyone happy while drowning herself. I thought Ms. Ray portrayed Justine’s character very well for the most part, although sometimes I did think she needed more back bone and was thrilled to see it arrive at the end of the book. I loved Dalton’s character and thought he was the perfect accompaniment to Justine.

Unfortunately, I found the side love story of Brianna and Patrick to be distracting from the main plot. On one hand I though Brianna’s immediate resistance to Patrick, bordering on rudeness, a little over the top. On the other hand I found Patrick’s character to be pushy and arrogant and frankly if a man stalked me (he watched her every move noting when she left for work and arrived home, showed up to her work, and on her runs, just to name a few things) that way I certainly don’t think I’d be romantically interested in him.

The blurb on the back of the book focused on Justine but the actual story seemed split between the two love stories – that of Justine and Dalton and that of Brianna and Patrick. While I liked that Justine and Brianna were best friends going through stuff together I just did not like the Patrick/Brianna thing and it pulled me out of the story too often for me to focus on the rest of it. However, I think the storyline of how Justine handled this touchy situation was very well done.

I give this 3.5 kisses.

Dead of Winter, Review for Gotta Write Network

2007-03-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Dead of Winter

Author: Patricia Parkinson

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

ISBN: ISBN: 1-59998-012-6

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 236 pages

Publishing Date: 2006

Cost: $5.50

When Kate Madison finds her friend Harley Wilson dead behind his house she immediately suspected foul play. Although murder in Windy Creek, Montana is not the norm she just knew things weren’t right. Harley had become the father she’d never had - in her heart he was her true Dad. She is determined to find out what happened to him, no matter what the local Sheriff says. She’s a mystery writer who thinks she knows a thing or two about investigations and she doesn’t need his permission.

Sheriff Steve Lambert has only been in town for just over a year but his heart had skipped a beat from the minute he had seen Kate. This isn’t to say he was going to let her play detective while he was trying to track down a murderer. Keeping her safe is his utmost priority. When Kate started noticing him as more than just a sheriff his priority became trying to keep his hands off of her long enough to solve the case.

When Kate admits to Steve about a mistake she made in her past, he’s not sure he can get beyond it. When a stalker goes after he learns his heart might not survive if she’s not around.

Dead of Winter is a great story about the many people we allow into our hearts, whether by blood or familial ties or just bound by something inexplicable. The suspense is real and you are constantly guessing about the suspect and changing your mind all the way through, although once guess seems pretty obvious and I wish it was less so.

There are many characters scattered throughout the pages of this novel and Ms. Parkinson did a great job of keeping them all real and making them fit into the storyline. The reader is really able to feel the small town and get to know its inhabitants.

The romance between Steve and Kate was nice and their moments together believable and tension filled when necessary. All in all I’d say this is the perfect book to grab a cup of hot chocolate and cosy up next to the fire with. It’s comfortable and warm like that.

I give it 4 Grizzly Bears

Not Quite Dead, Review for Gotta Write Network

2007-03-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Title: Not Quite Dead

Author: Sela Carsen

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

ISBN: ISBN: 1-59998-184-X

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Comedy

Length: 83 pages

Publishing Date: 2006

Cost: $3.50

Sabine Harper is hanging out in a cemetery watching her niece play at being a witch when all of a sudden it appears to work. Standing beside her is a vampire and a dead man seems to be walking out of a grave. When she later tries to console herself to the fact that she might be hallucinating or perhaps mildly psychotic the dead man appears at her door, claiming it’s his house. Other than being dirty, he seems nice. Plus, he’s gorgeous.

Willem Breaux has been dead for about one hundred and twenty years. He’s been given a short amount of time to avenge his murder with his deceitful fiancé, Rose, and his ex-best-friend, the vampire. He mistakes Sabine for Rose at first and then finds she’s a whole lot better, in many ways.

Can Sabine and Willem find love even though one of them is Not Quite Dead?

Not Quite Dead is an often amusing, well-written, romp of a read. It carried me from beginning to end with lighthearted touches, genuine feel-good romance and even some centuries-old evil. The only thing that held me back from giving this a full five marks is that the wrap up with Rose seemed a bit abrupt. There was a love scene that went on for two chapters but not a lot of attention paid to what turns out to be a pivotal point to the plot. I think a bit more back story about Rose, not a lot, but just something more that made me think yeah, that makes sense. As it stands though the ending was a nice surprise and Ms. Carsen pulled it off well.

I think my favourite thing about this story was Sabine character. Even though she describes herself as solid, level-headed and without the looks of her family she is feisty and fun and frankly, someone I’d love to hang out with.

If you are looking for a fun, quick read that’s a bit quirky and sentimental too, I’d suggest Not Quite Dead.

I give it 4.5 Gravestones.

The Last Thing I Expected, Review for Gotta Write Network

2007-03-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

Title: The Last Thing I Expected

Author: Heather Rae Scott

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

ISBN: ISBN: 1-59998-028-2

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Length: 83 pages

Publishing Date: 2006

Cost: $5.50

Grace Adams believes she is cursed. She has bad luck with men and things in her life are always going wrong but a mother of one of her students gave her a simple ceremony to perform to make it all right again. Unfortunately, the ceremony involved fire and Grace used a coffee can with paint thinner in it as her receptacle.

There’s nothing like a small explosion and the smell of smoke to bring a fire fighter running. Eddie Mancilla isn’t any ordinary fireman either. He’s the big hunk of Grace’s high school dreams less a lot of the weight he used to carry. He was always saving her hide in high school but never dreamed a popular girl like her would be interested in an overweight guy like him. Though the years had changed Eddie physically, he is now buff and brawny, mentally he is still the poor overweight guy in love with the girl he thought he could never have.

Grace liked Eddie in high school and she likes him now but she’s not willing to bring him into her cursed and crazy life and he’s decided that a career as chief firefighter is more important than being hooked up. Can these two look beyond their past and see that the future they could have would be so much brighter together?

Right from the start I liked this book. Grace and her two good friends reminded me of myself and my best friend. When we get together who knows what’s going to happen – it’s all heartfelt talks, zaniness and giggling. Ms. Scott described all of this perfectly. I loved that Gracie was, all at once, ditzy and smart, helpless and feisty.

I also enjoyed the hero, Eddie Mancilla, a lot. It isn’t often that we see the overweight boy turning into the buff man – usually in romances it is the woman who’s transformed herself. Eddie is written as tough and vulnerable and I adored him. I wanted to crawl into his arms myself, and stay there! I’ve got friends from large Italian families, who are firefighters no less, and the description of Eddie and his family and the way they interact was dead on.

If you are looking for love, laughter and heartfelt warmth then this is the book for you.

I give it 4.5 Red Strings out of 5

Ninja, Review for RORR

2007-03-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

Ninja by Racy Li

Loose ID

Liz Blackwell, leads a double life. The face she shows the world is all attorney but in her spare time she helps the FBI. The new world is full of superheroes, demons and secret spies all tangled up in a web of organized crime.

Kent Alistair is an ex-dotcom exec who seems happy as Liz’s secretary – the one she thinks is a geek. Ninja is the fantasy superhero who rescued her from the bad guys. He’s the one she wants to get all hot and sweaty with.

Will she discover that Ninja and Kent are one and the same? Or will the game of deceit they are both playing be their undoing?

Ninja by Racy Li is hot, hot, hot. Whew. Did I say it was hot? Kent Alistair is like a future combination of Spiderman and Superman (he’s even named Kent) with martial arts and mystic thrown into the mix. He’s hot. Yes, ok, everything about this book is hot.

From the very start we are aware that this is going to be a very sexual, sensual read. Thankfully, there is a plot in between all the sex scenes and a pretty darned good one at that. Although, trying to keep track of the various sides (who was a good guy and who was not) did get a bit confusing at times. The only other thing that bothered me, and it wasn’t a huge thing, was the whole lift up Ninja’s mask and kiss him on the mouth scene reminiscent of that of Spiderman and Mary Jane. Plus, just as with those superhero movies, I have a hard time believing a mask would keep anyone from figuring out that the hero is really mild mannered “enter name here”. However, I choose to believe Ms. Li was going for the old-fashioned superhero effect and she nailed it.

If you are looking for a kick butt, sexy rompin’ read with a superhero who is rock hard (yes, I said that!) then snap up Ninja by Racy Li – you won’t be disappointed. Ms. Li has created an interesting world that I’m eager to learn more about. I suspect we will be seeing more of Metrocity and Ms. Li.

I give it 4 Ayres

Gone Missing in the Underground, Review for RORR

2007-03-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Gone Missing in the Underground (A Jessica Tyson Mystery)

by Jerol Anderson

Whiskey Creek Press

Special Agent Jessica Tyson is called in when four people in separate incidents from the Seattle Underground Tour. Jessica sets up home base in the area where the Underground Tour starts, and where a large number of homeless gather.

With the help of a teenager, who’s been in the homeless world before, Jessica is able to see beyond what is really there to capture her suspect. The perfect crime is perfect no longer when the suspect gets caught up in a web of his own deceit.

Gone Missing in the Underground could have been spectacular as the premise was intriguing and one that could have been layered and built to its final conclusion. Instead, I found, that this story was one dimensional and meandered all over the place.

I could connect to any of the characters until the introduction of Melinda, the niece of Jessica’s boyfriend/fiancé. She was the only one who had the depth to draw me in and make me feel for her. Jessica herself is a Special Agent brought on to the force because she can “see” things. And that’s exactly how she describes her own talent, she sees “signs”. The word “signs” is always in quotation marks as if it is something not real. If the heroine really believed in herself and her gifts would she describe it that way? I never get a feeling that Jessica is actually gifted and she really only has two “signs” or sights or whatever you want to call them in the whole book. Which is fine except that is the reason she’s on the case.

Other than not a whole lot happens in the case, or what does happen doesn’t make my heart pound in excitement, nor does it make me care that they have a suspect. There is nothing that makes me want to figure out who did it or even care why. I spent most of the book trying to figure out why Jessica is freaked out about homeless people (and the answer at the end of the book when Melinda asks the same question is not very satisfying), why her boyfriend/fiancé David seems to assume that Jessica should take time off to care for his niece ( a niece that he never even told her he had from a sister he also denied), and how come she seemed so close to Sam (the suspects girlfriend) who she barely even knew at the start of the case and the dealing they did have weren’t that close. These were the things I thought about instead of caring about “who dunnit”.

I believe this book may be second in a series and perhaps if I’d read the first I’d understand more but it needs to stand alone. Gone Missing in the Underground isn’t a bad book, unfortunately there was just nothing in it that spoke to me and pulled me in to the story. It was just there, like a road that runs parallel to the highway but doesn’t actually go anywhere. However, as a dissertation on the plight of the homeless in Seattle I would say it is excellent - I really felt for them. The author has clearly researched both this issue and the area that this story is set.

I give it 3 Ayres

Chosen Prey, Review for Romance Divas

2007-03-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

Chosen Prey by Cheyenne McCray

St. Martin’s Paperback, March 2007

Lyra Collins has been running for five years. Running from a man, Neal, who is the head of a cult called the Temple of Light. They believe that Lyra is the chosen one who will produce the new Messiah. She is supposed to become Neal’s new First Wife. She is determined to never let that happen.

Dare Lancaster is the PI that unwittingly leads The People, members of the cult, straight to Lyra’s door. An ex-cop, who watched his partner murdered years before, he is determined to make it right by Lyra. To protect her now that he’d broken her cover. The fact that he finds her hot and irresistible only adds to that determination.

Will Lyra trust Dare to protect her when nothing has ever stopped The People before? Will she ever be able to stop running or will Neal find her no matter where she goes?

I was very excited when I read the blurb for this book as it sounded really good and right up my alley. Chosen Prey starts off right in the midst of the action which was a good hook, but seemed rather sudden. I found the head hopping, which started after the first couple of scenes, very disconcerting and spent a lot of time being pulled out of the story trying to figure out who’s point-of-view I was reading. In fact, it was like this throughout the book. There would be scenes and chapters where there was no head-hopping at all and then all of a sudden there it was. Now this is something that might be taken care of in final edits, I’m not sure, but usually at that point they are just fixing grammatical errors.

While the story was definitely action-packed, and the plot interesting, I just didn’t feel the connection between Dare and Lyra. It just seemed to me that if she was so scared and on the run from this cult she wouldn’t trust him and/or feel the sexual feelings she had for him so quickly. Maybe I’m just cynical but I felt there needed to be much more of a trust build up. Even though she ran away from him she sat in a car with him, alone, and went to his house, alone, even though she really had no idea who he was. He was just “the man” or “the cowboy” – why would she trust him after all she went through when she lived at the commune? Plus, I found it odd that, after establishing their interest in each other, Lyra went on and on about how hot Nick, Dare’s partner, was. I get mentioning it because that’s reality but I don’t think it needed mentioning more than once. I almost started thinking there was a ménage a trois going to happen. Add to that the fact that Lyra was a virgin who sustained some pretty harsh sexual/emotional abuse at the hands of the cult and I just can’t see her being up to the level of sexual interaction that is provided in this book.

There were some parts of the book where I found I was quite gripped by the tale, especially the interaction between Neal and his people, as well as between Neal and Lyra. Unfortunately, the rest didn’t connect for me.

I give this 3 kisses.

Rising Moon, Review for Romance Divas

2007-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

Rising Moon by Lori Handeland

St. Martin’s (paperback), January 2007

Anne Lockhart headed to New Orleans on the trail of her sister, who had been missing for three years. She is a private investigator whose life has been stalled ever since Katie, her sister, disappeared. When the photo of Katie in front of the Rising Moon club shows up she has to follow the lead, wherever it may take her.

John Rodolfo is the mysterious owner and frequent jazz player at the Rising Moon club. He touches a part of Anne she never realized she had and doesn’t really have time for. Between his frequent disappearing acts and weird deaths and disappearances of others all around town, Anne has her hands full. What she doesn’t anticipate is how crazy suddenly becomes reality or that she will fall in love with the man who appears to be the center of it all.

Rising Moon is at turns funny, gripping and sensual. There are times where the tension was so tight I found I was holding my breath and then immediately afterwards I would be laughing. This paranormal romance has suspense to spare and a kick-butt realistic heroine.

There were only two drawbacks to Rising Moon that I could see. One, the heroine seemed to go right towards what you know has to be frightening, in the way of all horror flicks, and you just can’t help thinking, “Are you nuts? Turn back, for God’s sake woman!” However, to be fair, all of the good PI’s all the way back to Nancy Drew did this so you’ve got to think that curiosity is getting the better of them. The second drawback was how quickly it wrapped up in the end. While the resolution was superb, I felt it happened just so quickly in just a few pages, which was slightly disappointing. Maybe it was just disappointing that the story ended at all.

If you are looking for a romantic paranormal suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat, while managing to make you smile and sigh, then I suggest you pick up a copy of Rising Moon.

I give it 4.5 Kisses

Dangerous Games, Review for Romance Divas

2007-03-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Dangerous Games by Lora Leigh

St. Martin’s Paperback, February 2007

Morganna Chavez has been running after Clint McIntyre since she was a toddler. She saw past his icy Navy Seal exterior to the man underneath. Clint, on the other hand, had been running from Morganna since her teens, since he saw through to the woman she would become and the danger to his heart.

Clint is cold as steel and no one will stand in his way. He wants to protect Morganna from life, as only a surrogate big brother should, but when he finds out she is working in dangerous territory he’s not sure he can. Morganna is set to prove she’s made her own life and she’s a big girl. She doesn’t need Clint or anyone to protect her, she can do it herself.

When both Clint and Morganna end up in a high stakes game of hide and seek with a maniac, in an investigation of a date-rape drug, their close encounters are a little hotter than either anticipated, in more ways than one. Will they make it out alive? And will either risk their heart to the only one who can shatter it?

Dangerous Game by Lora Leigh is a fast-paced, high tension romantic suspense that is adventurous in many ways. To be honest there are elements in this book that disturb me and that would have probably made me not choose this book, had they been mentioned in the blurb. I think the blurb is a little deceiving and perhaps that was the point, I’m not sure. This book enters the world of BDSM and while mostly using fringe clubs and probably not really getting in too deeply it is not something I am comfortable with. I am not familiar with this author or her style so have no idea if this is the norm for her; however, the author’s note in the book does talk about the setting and her dominant hero theme for this new series she calls Tempting SEAL’s.

I gravitate towards romantic suspense and this book sounded perfect. I got a bit more than that. However, I was able to put my discomfort aside and read the book because the suspense storyline was very good, if paced a bit fast at times. There was a lot going on but the author handled it adeptly and I think the backtstory for Clint was especially well done. It showed us why he had become the man he had, why he made the decisions he did and why he was called the iceman. I think the heroine was completely suited to him and the author did a great job building the layers of their relationship.

If you are looking for a thrill ride of action, adventure and suspense with over-the-top erotic romance thrown in then Dangerous Games is the one for you. Despite my reluctance with the BDSM theme I am eager to read the next in this series, as Ms. Leigh has created a world and characters where you just need to know what happens next. I need to know what happens next and to whom.

I give it 4 kisses.

In For the Kill, Review for GottaWrite Network

2007-03-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

In for the Kill
By Betty Sullivan La Pierre
SynergEbooks
ISBN: 0-7443-1284-1
Mystery
165 pages
2007, $5.98

Tom Casey, aka Hawkman, is leading a new life under a new name. It has been a long time since anyone has known him as Jim Anderson. When he and his wife, Jennifer, receive a threatening message for Jim Anderson on their answering machine they are immediately concerned. The last time he went by that name he was with The Agency.

Tom contacts his old boss to see if they are able to make any kind of connection as to who might be harassing them. Unfortunately, the harassment escalates, people are hurt, vehicles are stolen and Tom and Jennifer's house is lit on fire. What starts out as one P.I. and his wife investigating, turns to the local sherrifs and then the entire County's law enforcement members.

Tom and his wife, Jennifer, seem to have an easy relationship and the addition of Miss Marple as their new kitty adds a new, if sometimes too encompassing, dimension. The action starts off pretty quickly and their suspect is pretty wily which increases the tension right away. I especially liked the buildup from the first incident of a car being run off the road to finding Hawkman in his office parking lot.

I believed the original antagonist, Jack Hargrove, and his reasonings behind his original pursuit of vengeneance against Hawkman. What I didn’t believe was his flip flopping change of heart once Jack's stepson arrived. One minute he was deranged and the next he thought his stepson was going too far and that he had been manipulated. Then he'd go back to the "ok, I'll hang in with you and do the deed." It just didn't make sense to me and I had trouble suspending disbelief pretty much from the point where they met up.

I haven't read any of the other books in this series but the book is fairly stand alone, other than a few references to characters where I had no idea who they were. I found this mystery to be pleasant. While I was not entirely able to connect and thrown myself into it too deeply it was a nice read.

I give it a 3

Kiss of Midnight, for BE Reviews

2007-03-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

Bantam Dell

http://www.laraadrian.com

Gabrielle Maxwell’s life hadn’t started of so well. Apparently abandoned by her mother in a garbage bin, she made her way through a variety of foster homes before she was adopted at age twelve. By then Gabrielle was quite independent and had learned she was “different”. That difference led her take amazing photographs of lonely, deceptively, deserted places. While out at a night club, celebrating the success of a good gallery showing, she witnesses a brutal and bizarre murder and no one believes what she saw.

The murder and her photographs bring visitors to her door. These visitors aren’t from Gabrielle’s world – they are vampires. One of them, Lucan Thorne, wants to protect her and is passionately drawn to her. One of them only wants to use her in a mounting war between vampires, and then discard her as dead.

Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind against the threat of the Rogues. What he doesn’t know is that the Rogues have a new leader and the battle he is staging is going to be one that they’ve never seen before. He never expected, or wanted, to bind himself to a mortal woman, but Gabrielle is not just any woman. She is a Breedmate, a kind of mortal woman that is able to bear the children of a vampire.

While Lucan and Gabrielle fight against an unknown enemy, as well as their feelings for each other, they discover that fate had brought them together when she was a baby and destiny brought them together now.

Kiss of Midnight drew me on the very first page and didn’t stop until I was finished. I eagerly wanted to read each page and each word lead me to the next. I found all the characters believable and their relationships something I could relate to or at least understand. Lucan was hot from the minute I “saw” him watching Gabrielle across the crowded dance floor of a night club. At that point all I knew of him were a pair of sunglasses but I sensed so much more.

Gabrielle had a great mix of independence and loyalty; she had passion for her work and friends to have fun with. Behind all of this I felt an aching in Gabrielle to really belong that I can’t put into words but that I really felt as her characterization was further expanded. When she met Lucan that aching started to diminish and I was knew they were right together. That may sound odd but there are so many times in books where the lead characters meet and I don’t believe it - I don’t believe their relationships or that they were connected so quickly. In Kiss of Midnight I believe all of it.

It takes a true craftsman to layer characterization and build relationships in such an intricate weaving that the reader is drawn in to the tale. Lara Adrian is that true craftsman. Also, even though Kiss of Midnight is the first in a series, which I knew before I started reading it, the book was written in such a way as to show the entourage of Breed warriors without doing it in an obvious “oh yeah, this is heading to a series” kind of way. That usually dulls the reading slightly for me.

All in all, Kiss of Midnight was an excellent read. I am excited to see Ms. Adrian continue on with this series and look forward to the release of Kiss of Crimson. I

I give this a 5

Secret Surrender - Review for WCP

2007-02-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

Secret Surrender

Title of Book: Secret Surrender
Author: Lisa Dawn MacDonald
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN Number: 1-60154-006-X
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: 2006
Author's Website: Lisa Dawn MacDonald’s website

Vivian Ashton has been widowed for just over a year. It has been the longest, hardest year of her life. She had to take a menial job at a flower shop to make ends meet for herself and her three children, two of whom are teenagers and growing up way too fast.

Trevor Ashton has been a playboy most of his adult life and likes it that way. When his brother dies he comes to the aid of his sister-in-law, Vivian, and in the process becomes her best friend. It is natural for him to shoulder the responsibilities of his brother’s family but all too soon he realises he wants more. He starts thinking of Vivian as a desirable woman, as a partner. He wants her in his arms, and in his bed, forever.

Would Trevor and Vivian’s growing love and desire for each other tear her already broken family further apart? Or would it be the bond that brings them back together?

The poignancy of Secret Surrender is very real. We find a mother trying to keep her family together after a devastating loss and leaning heavily on her brother-in-law. I found the growing relationship between Vivian and Trevor to be believable. Ms. MacDonald has done well in layering the friendship between these two so that we see the transition from friendship to lovers. She also does a great job of portraying both Vivian’s journey and that of the children’s reaction to the news of their mother’s new love.

While this is a heart-warming tale of a woman’s second lease on life there were, unfortunately, a few things that stalled the story for me. The head hopping and tense (past and present) changes between the hero and heroine pulled me out of the story time and again, while I figured out who was saying what and what was going on. Then, quite unbelievably to this reader, was the fact that the other man interested in Vivian had one date with her, and only one, before presenting her with a diamond tennis bracelet. One date where I thought her lack of interest was made perfectly clear to him. Even if it wasn’t I find it hard to believe his next step would be to present diamonds! In addition, there was a side storyline in Secret Surrender that left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied but I think that may have more to do with the way I think it should have been handled, rather than the way it was.

I give it 3 cats

InSINerator, Review for WCP

2007-02-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

InSINerator

Title of Book: InSINerator
Author: Joseph DiFrancesco
Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing Inc
ISBN: 1-55404-355-7
Genre: Suspense
Length: Category
Release Date: May 2006

There is a serial killer on the loose and detective Bob DiStanza is determined to find him. What he doesn’t want to find is any more dead women. He’d really love to just concentrate on his own life and happy ever after.

When things suddenly take an odd turn and the killer’s M.O. changes Bob has to follow a new trail. He can’t figure out whether there is one killer or two. The killer himself is suddenly made aware that changes have been made and that makes him nervous, as well, especially when an arsonists seems to be following his every move.

When all is said and done, who will catch the killer? And whose side is he on?

InSINerator is a great suspense that builds from the very start and comes to a very satisfying conclusion. The author layers everything in such a way that the reader is eagerly anticipating what will happen next. What I liked about this book was that I only guessed who was behind something at the same moment that the detective did. I love it when a suspense is able to keep me in the dark for as long as possible. If I figure it out too soon then the book isn’t quite as interesting to me.

While not labeled a romantic suspense, there was a sweet romance building alongside the mystery/suspense of this story. I found it very believable and loved the way the main character kept trying to reach out to his girlfriend’s daughter, to include her in the relationship.

This book is told in third person omniscient and, after the prologue where that was clear, it took me a while to figure out that we weren’t head hopping through scenes. This was slightly distracting to me as we’d be in one head and then the other and sometimes it was confusing who was talking and/or thinking.

If you are looking for good suspense with a twist and just a darned good plot, then I highly recommend InSINerator.

I give it 4 Cats

I'll Be There For You, Review for Gotta Write Network

2007-02-22T23:37:00.000-08:00

I'll Be There For You
By Ellen Fisher
Contemporary Romance
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-038-X
Novella, 130 pages
June 2006

Jeri Winston and Alexander Frost have been best friends since high school but Alexander has secretly carried a torch for Jeri the whole time. When an old high school crush of Jeri's shows up and is interested in her she decides to see if she can change history and finally win the most popular guy in school. Xander realizes he had better find a way to make her notice that he is more than just a friend and fast and starts turning up the heat.

Will Jeri be able to move past her old defenses and find the love of her life or will she settle for the man she once thought unattainable just because he's the prize catch from her past?

This tale is all at once funny and poignant. I think both the hero and heroine are relatable to so many of us. You get: That feeling that we were so geeky in high school and that the popular kids were unattainable. The feeling that you have at your high school reunion when you notice the geeks are suddenly hot and that popular girl isn't quite what she once was. The feeling you get when you look at your best friend and suddenly realize he's the one you've been wanting your whole life, while you were busy looking elsewhere.

Ms. Fisher has done a great job of building likeable characters and giving them many layers. In a short time you are rooting for Alexander and hating Connor, but then you think that Connor is a decent guy and you aren't sure if Jeri even deserves Alexander. Then you change your mind again. There are parts where you just tell the heroine to "get over it. Why can't you see that he's awesome and so are you?" Then you realize what she went through as a teenager in that very impressionable time and you forgive her.

All in all, I’ll Be There for You is a great read and a wonderful, feel good story. It is a bit like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Sometimes what you seek has always been there.

I give it 4.5 prom dates out of 5

Hallowed Ground, Review for BE Reviews

2007-02-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

Hallowed Ground by Lori G. Armstrong

Bear Butte county PI Julie Collins is struggling to learn the business while her partner dears with his own issues. Left on her own she gets involved with a case that leads to several disturbing murders. While trying to track down a missing girl, nothing is what it seems and everyone around her is getting hurt.

Hired to find the missing girl by Tony Martinez, Julie starts to get suspicious when things don't add up. Nothing about the case, or her feelings for Martinez, are simple and as the body count rises she becomes the next target for the killer.

From page one of this book I was taken in where, frankly, I didn't expect to be. I'm not sure why. The blurb on the back of the book is good but something in me hesitated. Maybe I've just read too many "just ok" suspenses lately so I didn't want to expect too much.

Hallowed Ground has a lot going on from a missing child and a Lakota Holy group, to rival Casinos and an east coast crime family, reminiscent of the Mob. Add to that one badass hero who heads a version of what I assume to be the Hell's Angels. Even with all that the author keeps everything straight. There was no time where I had to go back and re-read something to figure out what she was talking about. The only thing I was kept guessing about until the end was who did it and I love that.

Told in the first person we get to see the world through Julie's eyes. She is a is a kickbutt heroine, with a scarred past and an interesting way with dealing with things. She's tough and yet, not so tough. Like so many of us, her mouth gets her in to trouble on more than one occassion - she's feisty and real. I like her, although I'm not sure I'd want to hang around with her, as trouble seems to follow wherever she goes.

Having not read the first book in this series, Blood Ties, I will now be placing it on my to be read list. While this is definitely a stand alone book I'd like to see more of Julie Collins and her world. Ms. Armstrong has me hooked and it looks like I will have to wait for November of this year for the third installment. I highly recommend you get Hallowed Grave.

I give this a 5

Visting Donna Dee, Review for WCP

2007-02-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

Visiting Donna Dee

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

Title: Visiting Donna Dee
Author: Zinnia Hope
Publisher: Amira Press
Genre: Inspirational
Length: Short Story
Release Date: February 2007
Author's Website: Zinnia Hope's website

Regina Mayse is the store manager at a bookstore, which she happens to live above. When she hears about Arnold Cuttshaver she thinks her boss is out of his mind to have hired an ex-con. An ex-con who served fifty years for murder no-less.

Arnold Cuttshaver is the cantakerous ex-con who just wants to do the job he was hired to do and be left alone. When he was locked up he lost his freedom and the wife he loved so much. Whether he actually committed the crime he was incarcerated for wasn’t the point.

In this short story Zinnia Hope tells a unique tale of friendship between a young girl and an old man. I really liked Arnold and found his character to be especially well written. I completely believed the fact that he saw his ex-wife Donna Dee in Regina. The rising floodwaters added to the tension in this very nice story but unfortunately I thought the wrap up to be slightly abrupt and didn’t necessarily believe the very last line.

However, this author knows how to layer characterization and build the story. I found this to be a delightful, feel-good read.

I give it 4 Cats.

Precious Things, Review for RORR

2007-02-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

Precious Things by Katelyn Hughes
Triskelion Publishing (ebook),
December 2006

On her way to a job interview with one man at Bulwark Mutual Funds, Jewell Kincaid witness an employer being rude to his employees and stops to intervene. When she realizes he is hearing impaired she signs to let him know what she thinks. She finishes her interviews and leaves, and although acing the interviews she is unsure what standing up to a manager at the company will do for her hiring chances. When she is hired on for a higher position that what she applied for, with a higher salary to match, she has no idea what she’s in for.

When Jewell Kincaid stands up to BP (Benjamin) Roth he is taken aback. After perusing her resume and seeing how well she can handle herself, in addition to the fact she is fully capable of using ASL, he decides to manipulate things and hire her himself.While he hires her based on his libido Benjamin has no idea that it is his heart that is in danger.

Together Jewell and Benjamin become a formidable force in the office, both personally and professionally. As they draw closer together Benjamin’s life explodes. The murder of his sister rocks his already fragile world. Being brought up by an abusive father and a seemingly indifferent mother has made him tough. Very tough. The only one to get through to him, before meeting Jewell, had been his sister, Victoria, and now she was gone.

Can Jewell show Benjamin that love makes all the difference and that she will stand by him no matter what? Or will Benjamin retreat to his cold, silent world where it is easier to not love anyone than continue to be hurt by them?

Katelyn Hughes has done a masterful job at creating both these characters and the world in which they live. I love the way she has made Benjamin both soft and hard with his emotions. The way he is at war with himself, the way he strives to be better than he is told he would be, yet how he believes that he is unlovable, touches the reader. It would easy to let him fall to the bitterness yet Ms. Hughes intersperses sections where you can see how much love and tenderness this hero really has. Jewell is no wilting lily either; even though she is sweet and giving she is also feisty and strong. She stands up for herself when needed and realizes when just stepping back is a better idea. Growing up in a diverse, loving family has given her a solid background and her family’s back story is very well thought out.

My one and only caveat for this story is if you buy it based on the cover, as some people do, then you will be slightly confused as it really has nothing to do with the story. Also, for myself, I didn’t really like the addition at the end of the story where the heroine is pregnant. I think this was a typical plot line in an atypical book. It wasn’t needed as the book “had me from hello” so to speak. However, this is a minor thing and it didn’t upset me too much. With writing this good I’m not sure there’s much to ruin.

Precious Things is wonderful, touching novel that will leave you, at times, gasping in horror at how awful people can be and then smiling in delight at how good they are. This isn’t your classic good versus evil, although there is that element, it is the growth of two people, both individually and as a couple, and how they come together to prove that love is a precious thing that can overcome even the most heinous of circumstances.

I give it a 5

Seven of Cups Review for RORR

2007-02-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

Seven of Cups by Joanna K. Moore

Triskelion Publishing

Izzy MacPherson seems to have trouble keeping her boyfriends alive. After the second one in a year is killed she starts to think she is cursed. And she should know, she comes from a family of famous witches. She’s been avoiding her own legacy for years, although her senses are telling her it’s time to get on board, and she’s not who she thinks she is. In her search for a killer, Izzy finds herself, can she find love too?

Eric Baxter is the crime novelist who arrives to take on the case of the murders from a year before. Originally determined to paint the MacPherson sisters as the culprits behind the real murderer he starts to realize everything he knew about Izzy was all wrong. Now instead of wanting to put her away he wants to keep her away from all who are trying to harm her. If only she’d let him.

When I started to read the Seven of Cups I wasn’t that appreciative of the first chapter, in fact I was already thinking about how I was going to rate this book. That was a mistake. In fact the parallels between my assumptions of that first chapter and the assumptions made about the heroine, Izzy MacPherson, are uncanny.

I truly enjoyed this book. The more I read the more I wanted to read. Written in the first person the reader enters Izzy’s heart and mind and grows as she grows. We see how she goes from girl that just wants to have a good time to the girl who is ready to become a woman and take on the world and save those that she loves. Eric Baxter is hot and, although I would have liked to see him fleshed out a bit more (which is hard to do when the story is written in first person I know), a wonderful accompaniament to Izzy.

The secondary characters in this book are also well done and make me now want to go back and read the first book. I didn’t know this was a series and this book certainly stands alone but I had an inkling there must be another one and I was happy to find out I was right.

If you are looking for a romantic paranormal with suspense then you should pick up Seven of Cups. You won’t be disappointed.

I give it a 4

Desert Guardian, Review for WCP

2007-01-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

Desert Guardian

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

The Way to a Man's Heart, Review for WCP

2007-01-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

The Way to a Man’s Heart

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

Bonding Experience, Review for WCP

2007-01-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

Bonding Experience

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

Things To Do review for Gotta Write Network

2007-01-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

Things To Do
By Nell Dixon
Romantic Comedy/Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 1-59998-136-X
Novel, 311 pages
August 2006
Samhain Publishing

Emma 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 5

In the Spirit Review for RORR

2007-01-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

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.

A Sight to Dream of Review for WCP

2006-12-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

A Sight to Dream of (Oberon: Book 2)

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

Title: A Sight to Dream of (Oberon: Book 2)
Author: P.G. Forte
Publisher: SynergEbooks
ISBN: 0-7443-0728-7
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Length: Long Novel
Release Date: 2004
Author's Website: P.G. Forte

Things are different in Oberon. Sometimes things happen in such a way as to be far more than just coincidence. Unfortunately, Sam Sterling is new to town and he hasn't learned that yet.

Arriving in Oberon on his motorcycle Sam is a man trying to hide from a killer. When the local reporter ends up dead at the exact spot he was designated to meet her, Sam is pretty sure his partner has figured out where he is and has sent a killer. He has no idea that the local psychic will be his saving grace, nor the angel from a photo he saw, come to life.

Marsha Quinn is a bit of an oddity, her psychic abilities came to her after a nearly life ending accident left her scarred and broken. When she sees Sam looking at her as if he knows her she is not too surprised, although she is not sure why. She only knows that she is willing to vouch for him when a body turns up dead.

I really enjoyed this book from P.G. Forte. It had unusual characters as the leads and I liked that. No cookie cutter heroes and heroines here as both Marsha and Sam are uniquely gifted in both abilities and looks. I like that Marsha is scarred and psychic and that Sam still finds her attractive and sexy. I even like that he is a bit put off by her abilities because I think that's the way most of us are...we don't really want to believe in the paranormal and yet we are still drawn to it. Sam is not the typical tall, dark, Alpha male, and in fact that the author gave him silver hair which made me smile, for it is not often used with heroes as far as I'm aware. Little touches, like making him a brilliant man able to read special stock market coding to see trends but yet still stand and watch a flock of birds or find beauty in a scene, make him more real. Often corporately brilliant men are depicted as cold and unfeeling and Sam is none of those.

There was a good build up for the suspense of the novel and a great inclusion of a good number of characters, any number of whom could have reason to have killed the reporter. For me it did get a bit to busy at times with some stories overlapping but for the most part I was able to keep it all on track. I would have liked to see Marsha be a bit more firm with her ex and some others that seem to walk all over her but maybe that is in keeping with her peacekeeping nature. I thought in the end she was a bit harsher with Sam than she needed to be considering how she let others treat her but, again, perhaps this was her finally taking a stand.

My one caveat is that the book is quite long and I don't necessarily think that all scenes were necessary for this storyline and one didn't even wrap up as far as I'm concerned. Having said that, however, they maybe necessary to further the series and I may find what I'm looking for in a further book. I hope so. My point on this, mostly, is that I think this would be easier to read in print so if you can buy the print version I suggest doing so.

In the end I think P.G. Forte has created a unique world in Oberon, one I'm interested in exploring again. I did not read the first book in this series but this one was perfectly capable of standing alone. If the rest of the books are like this then I suspect the author has created a winning series.
four cat review at Wild Child Publishing.com

Rating: 4 cats.

Surviving Demon Island - review on RD

2006-12-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

SURVIVING DEMON ISLAND

By::Jaci Burton

Bantam Dell, 2006

Paranormal Romance

Top female action star, Gina Bliss, signs up for a Survivor-like reality show for what she thinks will be a nice break on a tropical island. Unfortunately, she's not prepared when she really must survive more than just the elements. Luckily, the trainer, Derek Marks, is not only hot but he is trained in martial arts, jungle warfare and more. Gina has never let anyone get to close to her and guards both her privacy and heart fiercely. Could Derek be the one to tear down those walls?

Derek is a trained hunter and he has no time for prima donna's, even if they are sexy as hell, but something about Gina brings out the beast in him. When all hell breaks loose, can he trust his instincts to protect his team, or is he being pulled towards an abyss he can never get out of? Will his feelings for Gina be an asset or a liability? In this game of survival it isn't every man for himself, it's all about teamwork.

This book is fantastic. The writing is strong, the pacing tight and the tension very real. You can feel it coil in your stomach as you read page after page. What you think is going to happen and what actually happens are sometimes two different things and that's a good thing in a novel like this. Jaci Burton has done a great job of creating a world that is both intense and real. There are some laugh aloud moments and some holy crap moments.

The romance between Gina and Derek grows, falters and grows again. The intense attraction between them is hot and immensely believable, especially given their circumstances. Sometimes the only way you can hold on to reality is to hold on to someone else.

This reviewer does not normally like books about demons, real or otherwise, but this novel is your classic case of good versus evil and it is done very well. This is action adventure and romance at its finest. My understanding is that this is the first in a series but unfortunately, the next one isn't due until next Fall. I'm not sure I can wait that long! Go put your name on a list to buy this as soon as it is released. It is a keeper for sure.

5 Kisses

Noon review for BE Reviews

2006-12-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

Noon by Katherine Warwick
Grove Creek Publishing
http://www.ballroomdancenovels.com/

Nicole Dubois has grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth and only the best dance partners money can buy. She's so good that no one measures up. Until her mother hires Noon.

Breck Noon is a boy from the wrong side of the tracks and he has definitely never had the privileges that Nicole is comfortable with. The one thing he does have is moves. He starts out dancing to earn his way out of hardship and ends up loving both the dance and his partner.

Can Nicole and Breck overcome their differences and end up in sync and on top? Or will circumstances rip them apart over and over again?

This is the second novel I have read by Katherine Warwick and where I liked the first one, I loved this one. It was enchanting, gripping and my hands actually started to tense while holding my palm pilot (I was reading it in ebook format). My first glimpse of Breck Noon was that he was an arrogant man who was just taking back something he lost. I was thinking I didn't like him. I was wrong. The backstory of this novel is intense and real and Breck Noon turned into a man to be admired. He refused to let history repeat itself and didn't give up even when there were so many times there was no reason for him not to.

Nicole Dubois is a spoiled, rich girl but eventually she earns some integrity and common sense. Once in a while her decency would peek out but her focus was on dance and how far she could climb. Her solid family background helps to bring her to a more attainable and likeable level.

I found all of the characters in this novel to be well written and believable. While my knowledge of dance is pretty much limited to Dancing with the Stars, I found myself envisioning each dance clearly as the author so delicately details them. Nicole and Breck grow from awkward teens to adults and encounter many trials and tribulations all the way. They even head to the top dance competitions but there are so many twists and turns that who knows which partner(s) may win.

Without a doubt, Noon is a recommended read. Katharine Warwick is well on her way to a great career and I cannot wait to read more from this descriptive author.

I give it a 5

Dragon Undone Review for WCP

2006-12-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

Title: Dragon Undone
Author: Sara Dennis
Publisher: Cobblestone Press
ISBN: 1-60088-022-3
Genre: Shifter/Fantasy
Rating: Wild
Length: Novel
Release Date: July 2006
Author's Website: http://www.saradennis.com

Berdhan loves his drink and his village, and he's vowed to protect his family since his brother was killed by a dragon. Since Berdhan then took that dragon's life the village assumes he is the one with the knowledge to protect them against further attacks.

Chaia is a dragon, able to take human form. Unfortunately, on one of her practices, she is captured by the men from Weld village, who mistakenly assume they are protecting her from the dragon.

Berdhan and Chaia form a bond and, in a quest to take her home, they learn more than they ever wanted to know about each other and an ancient prophecy that ties them together. Will they be able to unite their two worlds or will their union result in a war?

For one who was never into dragons before, this reviewer has certainly been reading them now, and amazingly, finding them quite enjoyable. I really liked this book by Sara Dennis, although it did seem slightly familiar with the quest to unite the dragons and humans. Ms. Dennis was skillful in her narration of this tale and I was drawn into the story immediately.

I found both Berdhan and Chaia immensely likeable and loved Berdhan's slightly cynical views. Chaia seemed a bit too delicate at first but showed her strengths quickly. For me this book was a fast read and I did not want to put it down, and in fact I stayed up late to finish reading it. The prophecy was handled very well, as was the reaction from the dragons to Chaia's relationship with Berdhan.

I enjoyed everything about this book until the ending. When it ended I had the same feeling I did after watching Pirates of the Caribbean II (and numerous other movies where the ending only serves to make you need to see the next installment) - I was disappointed. I understand wanting to have a lead in to the next book in the series, I just wish it wasn't handled this way. It left me worried and upset. In the Harry Potter series we know there will be more books in the series but each book has its own conclusion, it could stand alone (although why you would want it to is beyond me but I digress). The ending of this book makes it clear you need to read the next book to know what will happen. I would have been happy if it ended even one or two pages back. I'm not saying I won't buy the next book, but what happens if I can't or I miss it or something...then I will never know what happens and THAT will bother me forever.

Ms. Dennis, I loved your story and I would have given you a Freya's Award had it not been for the way this ended. Others may have no problem with the ending but this reviewer needs each book to stand alone and leave her hoping you will write a sequel, rather than forcing her to have to wait for one. Otherwise, your writing is brilliant, creative and, obviously, you will go far.

I give it 5 cats

No Greater Loss Review for RORR

2006-11-27T10:45:00.000-08:00

No Greater Loss by Diane Craver
www.samhainpublishing.com

Dr. Jennifer Hunt suffered a great loss when she lost both her husband and baby son only months apart. That was fifteen years earlier but she had never got over it and she feels it is too painful to love again.

Luke Brunsman is introduced to Jennifer at a friends store and is immediately attracted to her but she keeps him at arms length. They set up a business relationship and as they spend more and more time together and get to know each other love starts to bloom.

In the midst of this Jennifer’s call in radio show ends up influencing a young girl and sets off a vengeful reaction in her partner. Can Jennifer and Luke over come their past hurts, new obstructions, and lots of memories to build a new life together?

I really wanted to like this inspirational book. The main story subject is heart wrenching and it is interesting to see how the heroine overcomes her past hurts to move on. Unfortunately, there are parts of this book that get decidedly preachy (there is a difference between inspiring and bang you over the head). There is also way too much stuff jammed into this book and I started to get distracted trying to keep track. If the author had stuck to the storyline with Jennifer and Luke I think there would have been enough there to hold the reader’s interest.

Ms. Craver is very good at writing characters and her book is filled with them. I do like them all, especially Uncle Ryan, I just think there were too many in one book. As much as I liked Luke and Jennifer I was completely thrown when Jennifer tells Luke how she found her mother dead - all he does is say sorry and then hands her some paper to write down what she wants for her house. Umm, that was rather dramatic for you to just brush off there! How can you be starting to fall for someone and callously disregard something that major that happened in their life?

As I said, I really wanted to like this book and I did like certain parts but other parts just read way too heavy (and I am a Christian). While trying to keep up with Luke and Jennifer, I got sidetracked by Stevie, Marie and Zach and wondering why it now appeared that there was a new couple when it wasn’t appropriate (I don’t want to give anything away but it was confusing). Also, I don’t think that a thirty-three year old woman would refer to people as a “dear man” or a “dear girl”, it sounds decidedly like something my Nana would say.

In conclusion, this reviewer feels that this story could have been really good if it left out a lot of the side stories and stuck to the main love story. There is some great stuff here, maybe it just needed to be broken into several stories, with less preaching and more love and inspiration.

I give it 3.5

Midnight Whispers Review for Wild Child Publishing

2006-11-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

Midnight Whispers

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

Title: Midnight Whispers
Author: Anisa Damien
Publisher: Cobblestone Press
ISBN: 1-60088-032-0
Genre: Contemporary/Interracial
Rating: Wanton
Length: Tryst
Release Date: July 2006
Author's Website: http://www.anisadamien.com/

When a mysterious caller, the "Lion", to her midnight radio show targets Joie as his prime candidate for seduction, she cannot seem to resist him. After a failed marriage to a cheater, she's not sure she wants any man let alone a stranger who seduces her by voice recording.

Returning home to convince Joie that they should be more than sex friends, Leo is determined to get it right this time. Getting through this past year a special ops agent had only happened because the memories of Joie were burned into his heart and mind.

I found this story to have well written love scenes but honestly felt that there really wasn't much plot to connect the sex scenes of the story. The love scenes were definitely hot and very sensual but I didn't find the backstory that compelling. I have no idea what Leo's background as a special ops agent had to do with the story at all. I realize his partner was killed and he had a near death experience but still don't get why that made him realize that the best lay he ever had was also the love of his life. More to the point I don't believe it did.

Also, Joie is worried about becoming attached to the sensual voice on the cd/tape (it was called one then the other so I have no idea which it was) but that was after listening to only one package from him and based on that she decided to return the second package unopened. The fact that Joie couldn't figure out that Leo was the "Lion" (Leo=Lion??) was a bit absurd.

If you want to read some erotica that sizzles with hot sex scenes and don't really care about the story than this is the read for you. It definitely has juicy, sexy love scenes. I'm all for sizzle, but I need a little more substance, unfortunately here I was just not convinced.

I give it 3 cats.

The Pirate's Booty Review for Wild Child Publishing

2006-11-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

The Pirate's Booty

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

Title: The Pirate's Booty
Author: Shelli Stevens
Publisher: Cobblestone Press
ISBN: 1-60088-021-5
Genre: Contemporary/Interracial
Rating: Wicked
Length: Novella
Release Date: July 2006
Author's Website: http://www.shellistevens.com

Renee crashes a very exclusive party in order to retrieve something belonging to her family. What she doesn't know is the party is a bit hotter than she expected. All she had to do was slip in and slip out with the item, and no one would be the wiser.

Devon Murray is the descendant of the pirate who allegedly stole Renee's family heirloom. He is also the man throwing the sexy little party and keeping an eye on the comings and goings, so to speak. Realizing that Renee shouldn't be there, he pegs her for a reporter and figures he'll take care of it on his own rather than letting his bouncers handle it. Something about this party crasher intrigues him, but he's not sure what.

This book definitely started out a la Eyes Wide Shut, which was quite interesting, and I wasn't sure how the author could take that and run in a way that wasn't just bad for the romance part of the book. However, I was very impressed. Shelli Stevens was able to take this very erotic tale and turn it into a romance that I wanted to see continue and was interested in. I found the characters to be fascinating and believable for the most part and I liked them.

Often in erotic romance, I find a lot of filler, added just to connect the sex scenes, but not really adding anything to the plot. This wasn't the case in The Pirate's Booty, which was a welcome change. Although you will find the steamy bits to be absolutely sizzling and daring, you will find the romance to be sweet. It goes back and forth, and, for this reviewer, I find that believable because if you think about who you are in bed and who you are in real life, you will generally find (although not always I'm sure) a bit of a split personality.

The only thing that I thought a bit unbelievable was how quickly they fell in love. While a good many romances have the couple falling in love in a short period of time, in this instance because of the extremes between the erotic and sweet, I would have liked to have seen the couple spending a bit more time getting to know each other outside of the bedroom. I think it's hard to see someone in the image of a sex-party and then as the love of your life three or four days later. The author did do a good job of setting this up as some kind of deja vu from their ancestors, so perhaps she intended that to help suspend disbelief.

All in all a surprisingly enjoyable read!

I give it 4 cats.

Sorcha's Heart Review for Wild Child Publishing

2006-11-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

Sorcha's Heart

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

Title: Sorcha's Heart
Author: Debbie Mumford
Publisher: Freya's Bower
ISBN: 1-934069-19-1
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: Sweet
Length: Novella
Release Date: July 2006
Author's Website: http://www.debbiemumford.com

Sorcha wants to prove that she is a strong enough wizard to retrieve the Hearts of Fire amulet and bring about some kind of peace treaty between the humans and the dragons. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get the amulet, even going against her mother's wishes and advice.

The price exacted against Sorcha is much higher than she expected, but out of it comes a new understanding for dragons, and she believes she will be able to help both the dragons and her people. At her side is the one being she never expected to fall in love with — he is a dragon.

Sorcha's Heart held me captive from the word go. The writing is impeccable, and the story is very unique. In the quest to unite two worlds, a heroine finds herself squarely in the middle, with an amazing hero by her side. I am trying to word this review carefully as there are some surprises in this novella and I'd rather not give them away. I love the way the author made us feel for both the dragons and the humans and how I was able to truly be inside Sorcha's mind. I felt everything Sorcha felt. Debbie Mumford has created a world that you feel could really exist.

The problem with this review is I want to be vague because I want you to read the book. I want you to go out and buy this novella and read it and be taken to another land where you will be at once enchanted and awed. The only flaw I can find, and it is slight, is that the ending may have been just a little too cute for the story. That being said, however, it did make me smile and nod. Sorcha's Heart is a wonderful romantic fantasy by Debbie Mumford.

I give it 5 cats.

I Did (But I wouldn't Now) Review for Rites of Romance

2006-11-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

I Did (But I Wouldn't Now)
by Cara Lockwood
Downtown Press

Lily Crandell is separated from her crazy rock-star husband only to find herself in trouble for some of things she did in retaliation. She flees to London to avoid seeing photos and hear constant news of her ex and his silicone filled actress/girlfriend. The only problem is she wasn't quite supposed to leave the country.

In London Lily hides in the flat of an ex-boyfriend, now best friend, who has commitment issues of his own. Add to the mix a high-flying soccer stud who thinks he's God's gift to women, a totally deranged stalker girl, a hugely pregnant sister who thinks her husband is cheating and a tiny dog with incontinence and you have a lot of fun packed into one novel.

When I first started reading this book I wasn't quite sure I liked Lily Crandell, as she herself admits, she is a bad person. However, you look beyond some of her deeds and see the reasons and you have to agree that there are times any one of us would love to retaliate the way she does. Most of us don't actually follow through but, like reading any of the tabloids, it's a guilty pleasure we'd love to act on if only just once. So, in the end I was cheering for her because really, even though she'd made bad choices, she did it mostly from love (I think). I also loved the story between Lily and her old flame. Who among us hasn't longed for that friend to become something more?

I Did (But I Wouldn't Now) is a truly delightful read and as I headed towards the home stretch I was actually laughing out loud at some of the antics. If you want an entertaining story that will make you forget about your own problems I highly recommend this one. As far as chick lit goes this is one of the best I've read.

I gave this a Full Moon (the best rating available on Rites of Romance)

Bound By Blood Review for Rites of Romance

2006-11-12T17:05:00.000-08:00

Bound By Blood
by T.C. Lotempio
Whiskey Creek Press

Top New York investigative reporter Leigh Hartley is a recently divorced mother who is trying to make the right decisions for her and her teenage daughter, Rory. When she inherits an old manor that's been in her family for centuries, she figures it's a good opportunity for her and Rory to get away from the big city and start fresh. What she doesn't realize is that the estate comes with attachments more pressing than the six months Leigh is required to live there in order to complete the inheritance.

Paul Devlin is a detective on the hunt for a serial killer. Unfortunately for him he lives in a town where they believe that spirits and ghost stories actually do come true. What's worse is he's not so good with ghost stories.

Leigh and Rory Hartley find that Coltonville is a whole lot more interesting than they'd initially anticipated, and not necessarily in a good way. No one in town is who or what they seem to be. Who can they trust? Can they even trust their own intuition? In a race against time they will discover the key to the killer is in their own house and in their ancestry.

I'm not sure my blurb for this story does it justice. Frankly, I didn't know what to include because there is so much going on in this book, and for once it is a good thing. I think my heart rate was kept at an accelerated pace during the entire book, in fact, it probably increased as I read further. The suspense and spine-tingling effect of Bound by Blood is really that good. While I sort-of guessed who the killer was, I changed my mind quite a few times and even then I didn't expect the ending, although I guess I did in a way. Now I'm sure that is a confusing sentence but you will have to read the book to understand.

Honestly, this book was excellent and I don't normally read books about spirits and witches. Frankly, I don't appreciate going to bed completely scared, which I did after reading this book. It wasn't scary in a "boo" kind of way but it was frightening nonetheless. The only bad thing I can say about this is that it head-hopped quite a few times and there was a thread of information between Rory and her father that I would have liked to have seen resolved because stuff like that should not be left undone. Despite this I have to give this story a Full Moon because as a suspense novel it absolutely hits the mark. If you are looking for a suspenseful tale, a battle between good and evil and a romance all wrapped together, then you need look no further than Bound by Blood.

I gave this a Full Moon (highest rating available for Rites of Romance Reviews)

Deadly Mistakes reviewed for Rites of Romance

2006-11-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

Deadly Mistakes by Denise Belinda McDonald
Samhain Publishing (ebook)
Reviewed by: Michelle Puffer

When Charlie Foster discovers a dead man on her living room floor, she becomes entangled in a web of viscious circumstances, which really have nothing to do with her.

Detective Bobby Allen is on leave from the Chicago PD, trying to figure out who killed his brother and trailing a man who ends up dead.

When another murder victim is found the local police are pointing their fingers at Charlie but Bobby is able to clear her by being in the wrong place at the right time. The two of them work together to defeat a madman and discover that there are more than one. Can their growing attraction keep this pair together or will Bobby's past come back to rip them apart?

The author has done a great job of making the reader care about the characters in Deadly Mistakes. The pace certainly never lets up and there are moments where you feel your heart pounding just as loud as you imagine the character's heart is. There are thrills and chills about in this suspense novel and definitely some nail biting moments.

While I truly did enjoy the story, there came a part where I just felt it was too much. Could any more happen to this heroine? Towards the end I felt that perhaps it stretched out a bit too long. However, the author has a great voice for suspense and, I suspect, a great career ahead of her.

I gave this 4 Moons

No Bull by Kelsy George Review for RD

2006-10-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

No Bull by Kelsy George
www.cerridwenpress.com (ebook)

Diana Forsythe has come back to Casper ready to take over Old Doc Carter's veterinary clinic. She has made a good name for herself as a vet but Josh Windom doesn't want her anywhere near his ranch or his livestock. He had blamed her for a lot of years for the death of her sister Jessica, also his fiancé, almost 20 years earlier. He wasn't ready to deal with any more Forsythe women but when his prized horse is brutally attacked she is the only one who can help.

When cattle rustling, killer bulls and plenty of arson lead a path straight to Diana's door, Josh believes the circumstantial evidence and turns his back on her once again.

This story by Ms. George held me captive from page one. I loved all the interaction between not only Diana Forsythe and Josh Windom but of all the supporting characters, including the animals. It is obvious that both the heroine and the author love animals. There was a scene in the book that literally made me weep in sorrow and, as many books as I read, that is a hard thing to do these days. The only thing that kept me from giving this book 5 kisses was that there was a bit of head hopping, which was rather confusing at times.

I highly recommend No Bull to those readers who like romantic intrigue, the pacing was good, the characters real and flawed, and the emotional roller coaster very satisfying. And that's "No Bull" (sorry couldn't resist!).

I give it 4.5 kisses!

What Lies in Winter by Cassidy Kent

2006-10-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

New review by me on Romance Divas:

What Lies in Winter by Cassidy Kent

Publisher - Amber Heat

(ebook - novella length)

Hayley goes on her annual vacation to the same cabin every time. Deep in the Mammoth mountain area she expects to relax and have fun with her best friend, Eden. She doesn't expect to meet a British beast of a man staying at the cabin she has reserved and paid for.

Nicholas Rhiordan is using his cabin to get some much needed solitude while trying to finish his latest manuscript. While he is a best-selling mystery author he is experiencing terrible writers block. He doesn't need a hot-headed female getting in his way, even if they are both at his cabin due to an administrative error from his staff.

When a blizzard keeps Hayley's best friend away and her and Nicholas tightly behind the closed doors of the cabin, with the generator knocked out, what other choice is there? A little heat, a lot of sparks and you get a fire.

Cassidy Kent has woven this novella with plenty of humour, a touch of sentiment and a whole lot of hot, hot, hot. I think Hayley forgave Nicholas a tad too quickly maybe but when the fire is that hot your brain can't think anyway. Whew! Part of me wanted to turn away from the deeply private moments between this couple because I kept forgetting it wasn't real. I'm telling you there should have been steam rising up from my computer. A great fast, and definitely exciting, read from this author.

I give it 4.5 kisses!

On my TBR List - Raleigh in RIO from some Divas

2006-10-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

This post has moved here to keep this site solely for my reviews.

Two new reviews today

2006-10-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

On Rites of Romance I have two new reviews up as of today:

3 Moons:

Surprise by Arianna Hart

4 Moons:

Dancing With His Heart by Katherine Warwick

Recent Reviews on Rites of Romance

2006-10-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Click on the name of the book to read reviews.

3 Moons
No Worries by Lauren N. Sharman

4 Moons
Soul Jar by Jennifer Colgan

Previous Reviews

2006-10-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

This will be one post (or possibly two) to catch up but from here on out it will be one review per post so as to make each review easier to find. Click on the name of the book to open the reviews. These are most of my Romance Diva reviews:

3 Kisses:
Stairway to Heaven by Shannon Leigh

3 1/2 Kisses:
Missing Member by Jo-Ann Power

Fading Illusions by Kimberly Holt-Whitlock

Scarecrow & Betsy McGee - Book IV Planes, Trains and Betsy by Trixie Stiletto

4 Kisses:
Just Short of Crazy by Nina Foxx

Hot Case by Patricia Rosemoor

Brand Name Dates by Melanie Blazer

She's Got Legs by Amanda Brice

Edge of Darkness by Tess Harrison

Crash and Burn by Maggie Nash

Losing It by Sasha White

4 1/2 Kisses:
Taken by the Wind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo

5 Kisses:
To The Brink by Cindy Gerard

Blood Lust by J.M. Jeffries

The Crossroads Cafe by Deborah Smith

Chella's Quest by Laura Bacchi

72 Hours by Shannon Stacey

Eternal Conquest by Clara Verone