Sizzling Hot Book Reviews

Doubled by Charlotte Stein

2012-01-31T16:25:00.010-05:00

Twins… gorgeous beyond words and unable to be told apart by anyone but Bobbi. She had some strange ability to tell them apart until they decided to blindfold her to test her ability.

Bobbi has been friends with the Hoffman twins for one long, glorious year. They’re sweet, funny and kind, but there’s a problem…they’re also hotness personified. Times two. And when they lure her into a kinky little game involving a blindfold and some rather unexpected fondling, she finds them much harder to resist than she’d imagined.It seems they want to be something other than just good friends. They want a hot, steamy ménage, and all Bobbi has to do is decide if she’s up to the challenge. One big, gorgeous guy is enough for her.Two might be more than she can handle…

Sebastian and Tobias Hoffman are on the swim team and are good friends with Bobbi. They like to watch movies, have fun lunches and play poker. But the twins are interested in being more than friends with Bobbi and one night they play a game that will turn her world upside down.

Bobbi doesn’t see herself as beautiful or interesting. There are other girls who clearly want the Hoffman Twins but she is the one that they enjoy being around. When they take the friendship to the next level and have her crying out their names…she is confused and worried that they were just playing with her.

But the twins have something more permanent in mind and have to convince Bobbi that she is their perfect soul mate.

Doubled is a hot and steamy read filled with mind blowing sex and two hunky men. Both men are attracted to Bobbi but can’t expect her to choose between them since they are brothers and are perfect twins. Sebastian comes on strong but it is his fast talking that shows Bobbi that both of the Hoffman twins are interested in more than a one night stand.

Doubled felt like a college adventure filled with sex and erotic, electric passion. Bobbi is eager to show them how much they mean to her once she figures out that they are not teasing her but serious about their intentions. The descriptions of the largeness of the guys as well as their tenderness and sarcastic joking are some of my favorite parts. I’d love to see these guys with my own eyes. If you love a book filled with more than one racy sexual adventure, than you are going to love Doubled!

Renee’s High School Reunion by Cheryl Dragon

2012-01-31T15:21:00.007-05:00

High school reunions can be a huge deal for some people. The stress of seeing old classmates and worrying about how things have changed, causes more issues than a funeral. But Jesse and AJ are looking forward to their ten year high school reunion and the chance to reconnect with their old flame, Renee.

Nude photos, a prom fistfight, and losing the two men she loved are three good reasons for Renee not to go to her reunion. But Renee always pushed the boundaries. High school was ten years ago but she’s never forgotten AJ, her boyfriend, or Jesse, her gay best friend who was her first lover. Though she’s determined to heal the past with two great men, even Renee is shocked when she finds out what has happened since she left Vegas. AJ and Jesse have plans for her that start with a hot reunion weekend. Ménage love is a gamble, but the trio graduated with honors from Las Vegas High!

Ten years ago, AJ McNamara was the star football player who was dating the hottest girl in the senior class, Renee. But on the night of their prom, a fight broke out between Jesse and AJ because Jesse had taken some hot naked photos of Renee.

Jesse was out of the closet about his sexuality when it came to men. He’d tried a girl once but knew that he wanted hot guys rather than soft girls. As a photographer and artist, he was good friends with Renee. They could share their thoughts and feelings. But Renee had agreed to pose for Jesse’s senior project without telling her boyfriend and when he found out, jealousy erupted. On that night, their lives changed.

Ten years later, AJ owns his own body shop and works on restoring classic cars and motorcycles. He has found a wonderful caring and loving relationship with Jesse. Realizing that they were both interested in the same girl… the one that got away… they set out to convince her of their love.

Renee’s High School Reunion is a fun and sexy read that has a powerful message of acceptance. AJ faces taunting at the reunion and while he doesn’t care about coming out about his life with Jesse, facing the teasing is hard. But AJ shows that it isn’t who you love but how you act that makes the difference and he doesn’t let his old teammate, Steve, ruin his weekend.

Renee’s High School Reunion is filled with a lot of passionate encounters where the three characters build upon their past to create a wonderful future together. I recommend Renee’s High School Reunion to anyone who still thinks about the one that got away! Who knows what your reunion will hold for you!

Dear Addi by Regina Cole

2012-01-31T14:16:00.001-05:00

After Addison Laine finds love letters from her famous great-aunt to a Jasper Poole, she thought that the Poole family would see it the way she did: a most romantic love story. Unfortunately, the Poole family has filed a lawsuit for their right to the Laine fortune. When the family sends over a sexy and very smart antique specialist to insure the letters' quality, Addi starts falling for him. Not on the list of her best ideas, since the target of her lusting is Jackson Poole, the grandson of Jasper Poole.

When Addison Laine discovers her famous late-aunt’s love letters, she never expects a lawsuit over the information they contain.Enter Jackson Poole, son of the woman responsible for the lawsuit. Addi knows any relationship with Jackson would be disastrous but she can’t fight her attraction to his quiet intelligence and sexy-professor style.As Jackson works on authenticating the letters, he finds himself falling for the free-spirited Addi. His fierce need for her overcomes all his reservations—and his inhibitions.And sweet, exciting Addi is more than willing to help him explore his secret kinky side.

Addi can't control her feelings for Jackson any longer, even though kissing him would put them in an awkward position. Jackson stepped into her life only because of a lawsuit by his own family. He is there only to inspect the love letters that Addi found, in truth to find a sure stepping stone that the Poole family indeed has rights to the Laine inheritance. So why can't Addi stop picturing them together, perhaps doing naughty things. As Jackson explains to her that there isn't any proof of a marriage without the marriage certificate. Things start looking hopeful for Addi, as she has never found the certificate that proves her great-aunt union. Then one evening Jackson storms out without any explanation and he leaves an aged piece of paper, a marriage certificate, on the coffee table.

Dear Addi is a wonderful, modern romance. The man who is lusted after not only has a nice body but he wears glasses too, gorgeous and has smarts. Addi's character is so easy to identify with; if you don't relate to her actions, you've thought about doing them at one time or another. Addi's steamy scenes with Jackson don't over take their love story; Regina Cole does a wonderful job of balancing out the moods of the relationship. Addi and Jackson share many light hearted times together, and frankly just being in Addi's head alone would be enough to keep me entertained. Dear Addi is a good old "boy-meets-girl-and-they-fight-for-their-relationship" love story and a great one to add to the to-be-read-list.

Whips and Wax by Bonnie Bliss

2012-01-31T13:01:00.001-05:00

Marie was a happily married woman. She felt the pressures of being a mother and wife, and sometimes just had to relax. She fell more in love with her husband, her Sir, as their relationship grew and expanded the deeper they explored their love through the play they indulged in.

Marie's day starts out fine when a hot delivery man brings her a new leather corset.After giving him a hot glimpse of her body she can't resist trying it on and masturbating in it along with the matching leather thong.Neil comes home early and catches her in the act and the long hard punishment begins.
After four forced orgasms its down to the dungeon, tied up, no control, Sir whips his kitten and follows with hot wax play, ending with the rough hard scene they both enjoy.
Follow the whole hot story in Whips and Wax, culminating in the perfect end, the collar, Sirs kitten is truly Owned!

Neil was the Dom in the relationship, a fact that still surprised him. He started out the Dom to Marie’s sub to make her happy. Now he wouldn’t change if he could. The depth of their feelings expanded every day. Neil loved to surprise his kitten. He knew her deepest fantasies and was willing to indulge them, but on his terms.

Whips and Wax is a sensual look into the world of BDSM. Marie and Neil share a look into a day of play using Whips and Wax to tantalize and tease, and ultimately fulfill their fantasies. I enjoyed the play and care shown between Marie and Neil in their relationship. They fit their joy of BDSM into the demand of their lives together, to deepen and fulfill their relationship. The steam rises from the pages of Whips and Wax as Neil demands and Marie gives her all to him. Whips and Wax is a hot and “cool me off now” quick read for your pleasure.

Naked Treats by Pepper Anthony

2012-01-31T12:33:00.000-05:00

Naked Treats by Pepper Anthony is a short little story with a whole lot of spice. Out of work chef Rose is determined to make enough money to help get her little brother out of jail, even if she has to cook for men and even woman in the nude. What Rose doesn't count on though is meeting a man who makes her want to change her "hands off the chef" policy.

How does a newly graduated culinary student distinguish herself in a city full of experienced personal chefs? Rose Phelps cooks for her private clients in the nude. Her favorite client is sexy and successful Zack Cranston, a confirmed bachelor. The more he’s around Rose, the harder it is for Zack to resist her naked charms. Still, he figures all he needs is one night between the sheets with her and he’ll be over it.
Up till now, Rose has ignored his teasing advances; she’s dead set on keeping things all business between them. Then unexpected circumstances cause their emotional and personal boundaries to crumble. Will one night of smoking hot sex lead Zack and Rose to heartbreak and pain, or the possibility of a whole new future together?

Every other Sunday morning for six months, Rose has been coming over to Zack Cranston's apartment to cook him a gourmet breakfast in the nude. Rose has no inhibitions when it comes to cooking in the nude in front of most men, but being around Zack stirs something inside of her she didn't realize she'd been longing for. She realizes that she may want to know Zack as something other then a business client, and its going to take a whole lot of will power to resist this sexy man.

Zack is a self proclaimed bachelor for life. He has seen first hand that relationships in his family don't work. When Zack hired Rose to cook for him, he wasn't counting on needing her the way he does. Zack believes all he needs to do is sleep with her one time to get her out of his system. Unfortunantly, doing so only increases his desires for her and he begins feeling things for Rose he never imagined he could feel.

Rose is a woman who works hard to get what she wants. She is determined and strong-willed in every aspect and puts all of her own needs on the side to help others around her. She's definitely a woman who you can admire. Zack on the other hand is a very successful man. He lacks for nothing, except maybe love. He is determined to get what he wants, making him seem slightly spoiled. I enjoyed Zacks alpha personality, but felt his back story was lacking quite a bit.

Naked Treats contained some very steamy scenes between Rose and Zack. I did enjoy the banter that these two characters shared but overall I felt that Naked Treats was way to rushed for my taste. If you enjoy quick reads with some serious heat between the the main characters then Naked Treats is for you. Although it is not on my favorite's pile, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it though.

Because You Love Me by Mari Carr

2012-01-31T12:05:00.000-05:00

Because You Love Me is a fast paced exciting story about murder, mayhem, passion, and love. This romantic suspense will keep you on the edge of you seat while making you laugh and want to cheer on Bridget.

Safety in numbers? Depends on what you mean by safe…
Bridget Wilder’s life is shot to hell—literally—when she witnesses the murder of her best friend, Lyle. Protective custody? What a joke. Time after time, someone has leaked her whereabouts, forcing her to run from one safe house to the next.
Tired of cold, lonely beds and living in fear, Bridget convinces her guardian cop she’s safer off the grid, following Lyle’s trail of clues to a missing flash drive that could put the killer behind bars.
It doesn’t take twins Mark and Matt James long to figure out two things. Bridget’s not only in trouble, she is trouble—they both want her. When things get a little hot and heavy one night, though, they’re stunned to discover that they don’t mind sharing. And she loves being shared.
Between the James brothers’ hot, hard bodies, Bridget finally feels safe—and loved. When a hit man tracks her down, the last thing she wants is for them to place those bodies between her and danger. But those cowboys have other ideas. Like keeping her alive long enough to convince her she belongs with them. Forever.
Product Warnings: Scary times ahead! An evil judge, a car chase, a hit man and more! Luckily, the rough times are soothed by lots and lots of ménage sex with two red-hot alpha cowboys.

Bridget really won me over quickly with her heroic actions and determination to do the right thing. She is a character that I became quickly invested in and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen. As Bridget waits for the trial of the corrupt judge who murdered her best friend, she moves from place to place trying to stay alive with the man assigned to protect her. Finally ending up where the clues have led her, she meets two men whom she finds incredibly attractive.

Matt and Mark James are both attracted to Bridget as soon as they meet her even though they know she is hiding something. But, the brothers have always been determined not to fight over a woman and don’t want to start now. The arrangement they can agree upon is beneficial to everyone involved. Now, Matt and Mark need to convince Bridget that they are trustworthy and they both want to be with her.

Because You Love Me was a fun and exiting story. Bridget, Matt, and Mark, really steam up the pages with their time together and the excitement of Bridget having to solve clues to find proof against the corrupt judge that is sending people to kill her really keep the reader engaged in Because You Love Me. If you enjoy a fast paced story with some suspense, menage, love, and more complicated relationships, pick up Because You Love Me and enjoy it.

Hidden Fire by Jess Dee

2012-01-30T15:34:00.000-05:00

Garreth and Jenna really steam up the pages in Hidden Fire. As they finally come together and then are torn apart again, their passion, anger, hurt, and love really shine through Hidden Fire.

Dirty desires, dark secrets…deepest love
Fire, Book 2
Well, this is an unexpected twist. Jenna Brooks is all set to spend the weekend wallowing in misery, repairing the cracks in the façade she’s maintained for twelve years. Instead she’s…tied to a chair. Kidnapped by her own twin brother and her so-called best friend.
It’s for her own good, they say. She’ll thank them later, they say. But when they reveal her partner in captivity, she shores up her emotional barriers. It’s Garreth Halt. The one man for whom she let her guard down. What a fool she was.
For one electrifying moment, Garreth had Jenna naked in his arms, on the edge of losing her legendary control. Could have kept her there forever, too, if he hadn’t felt honor-bound to tell her the truth. Before she’d heard the whole truth, though, she’d retreated behind the fortress around her heart.
Now they’re knee to knee, with no escape. While he’s irritated he let his alleged best friend get the drop on him, a small part of him is thrilled. With one final chance to show her his love is real, Garreth methodically, wickedly, sets out to dismantle her defenses.
One dirty word at a time.
Product Warnings: Garreth may have charmed you in Winter Fire, but this time around, his blatantly sexy demands, even sexier actions and heartwarming love for his heroine are gonna make you fall head over heels.

Jenna was hurt deeply in the past and the result of that is some strong walls she’s built to hide herself and not be subjected to such hurts again. Garreth is the only man she is willing to let even peak inside those walls until she learns some new things about him. Now, she is determined to hide only its really hard to hide when you are tied to a chair and forced to face some tough love. Jenna is a great character. As she grows and breaks down the walls it’s interesting to see the two people she tries to be merge together.

Garreth has been in love with Jenna for a long time and has done some thing to get them together that he knows will piss her off if she finds out. But, he is determined not to keep secrets and tells her. Now, Garreth has to figure out a way to break down her even bigger walls and deal with the hurt he’s caused as well as her past. Garreth is a very alpha character and pushes just enough to get Jenna to come out from behind the walls, but not so much as to hurt her.

Hidden Fire is a fun, sexy, romantic story that will leave you breathless and wanting more. I think we have all been in places where we build some pretty heavy duty walls and just live life without feeling much. Hidden Fire really illustrates that there is more to most people than the facade that they present everyday. While Hidden Fire is the second Fire book, it is perfectly enjoyable on it’s own, I know that I will be going to find the first Fire book, Winter Fire, to get the background on these characters.

Dare me by Lexxie Couper

2012-01-30T13:23:00.000-05:00

Wow, Dare Me is definitely a red hot story. Grab something cold to drink before picking up Dare Me and be careful your don’t singe your fingers as you turn the pages.

Defying death is the ultimate dare. Defying love? Well, that’s just stupid.
A Red Hot Weekend story.
Back-to-back medical degrees took Emily Knox right where she planned to be: treating patients in an alternative cancer clinic. But nothing prepared her for a cocky, cheeky Aussie who strode into her life and dared her to cure him. She told herself it was his challenge she couldn’t resist—not his daredevil charm.
Eight months later, Rob’s out of danger…and Emily’s in trouble. She’s in deep, too deep. Worse, Rob has left the clinic against doctor’s orders. There’s nothing for it but to follow him across eleven thousand miles of land and sea to give him what for—as his doctor, of course.
Rob never expected to survive the brain tumor. Nor did he expect to fall head over heels for his very proper, very English oncologist. The problem? Her Hippocratic Oath hangs between them, keeping her just out of reach. Now, with “cured” on his medical chart and his duty as best man for his best mate calling, he takes off for home to start getting his old life back.
Trouble is, while the good doctor cured his cancer, she seems to have inflicted him with something else—desire he just can’t shake.
Product Warnings: Rob Thorton is addictive. Also, there’s scorching passion, undeniable lust, soul-shattering desire, heartbreaking angst, explosive sex and of course, Australian sarcasm. Did you really expect anything else?

Emily has released Rob from her care, but as his doctor she advises him against flying half way around the world for his best friend’s wedding. And this advice is from more than just his doctor. Emily has to face an ethical dilemma as she falls for a patient. Emily is a fantastic character. It’s interesting how she struggles to put being a woman in love before being a doctor when it comes to dealing with Rob.

Rob doesn’t really listen to anyone, least of all the doctor who has declared him healthy. So, when he leaves her and the medical clinic behind, why can’t he stop thinking about her? Rob is determined to ignore the fact that he survived cancer and go back to life as he knows. The problem is, when he sees Emily again, he can’t forget. Rob is so typically male and an adrenaline junkie. He made me laugh and want to hit him for being such a ‘wanker’.

Dare Me is funny and smokin’ hot. Dare Me is a quick story that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm tingly feeling for sure. Join Rob and Emily as they explore their passion and major changes in how they live their life. After putting Dare Me down, I was already missing being a part of their adventure.

Legend of the Inero Dragon by J.F. Jenkins

2012-01-30T11:00:00.001-05:00

Matthias and Jacob are twins. They are Inero Dragons, considered Touched. Time has come for them to take Elite brides. Jacob has no interest in a Bride yet, and Matthias has picked out the one he wanted. But, that didn’t mean she would be picked up by the guards or that he would have first choice before she was chosen by another one of his brothers. Matthias and Jacob were the favorite sons of their father. Matthias favors politics and is being groomed to someday take his father’s place; Jacob assisting with defensive spells when needed. Jacob didn’t believe his father was telling the truth and tried to do what was right. Matthias believed everything his father told him, and tried to make sure it would help out their land and people. Legend of the Inero Dragon has it that an Inero Dragon that is touched will be the bloodline of the Great Dragon.

Twin brothers Jason and Matthias Inero are the favorite sons of the great dragon lord of fire. More often than not they get whatever they want. Matt wants to do great things for his people while Jason wants to go off and explore the world. Both can have what they desire, but not until they take a bride and enter into adulthood.
Enter Kat and Gwen, two girls from very different backgrounds. Kat is happy to leave her home when the royal guard comes to bring her to loving arms of her childhood sweetheart, Matt. Gwen on the other hand is livid to be taken from her farm only to be thrust into Jason's life, and he's not to thrilled with the idea either. They have one year to find happiness with each other, or else they will be placed at the mercy of the ruthless dragon lord Lynx. Favorite or not, dragon law must be obeyed.
As their nation begins to prepare for war against a neighboring tribe, the brothers find themselves as key components in the battle plans. A dark prophet has had a vision of Inero victory, but at what cost? Both must decide where their loyalties lie and what they're willing to sacrifice – including each other – to achieve their goals.

Katarina was a young girl, just reaching womanhood. She was from an abusive home and her best friend Matt always seemed to know when she needed him. Matt would tell her stories about the Elite, assuring her that she was destined to become one because of her beauty. She had no idea that Matt was one of the Inero Dragons or that he was actually preparing her to be his bride. She liked hearing Matt tell her about the Elite because she could dream that if it did happen to her, she would then have a place to belong, and a family that would treat her well. When she was taken by the guards to be Elite, she was excited to leave home, even more when Matt chose her to be his bride. She had loved him forever it seemed to her.

Gwen was a young woman. She was a farm girl from outside the city. Gwen preferred to read in her spare time. She was followed home by the guard and taken to the city to be Elite. If she hadn’t gone, her parents and their farm would have been harmed by the guard. She had no desire to be an Elite, but did not have a choice. She was lined up in front of the Dragons wanting brides for them to pick whom they wanted. If one of them was not chosen, they were given to the guards to do with as they pleased.

I started out liking Legend of the Inero Dragon and initially enjoyed it. I got lost a few chapters in. Legend of the Inero Dragon jumped around a little too much for me at that point. I know that was to get all the perspectives in, but I lost track of whose perspective it was at times. Once I got past that, I enjoyed the rest of the book. Kat and Matt seem to be a good fit and are willing to work out their differences that all newlyweds face. I liked their characters. Jacob and Gwen fit better the more they get to know each other. Gwen seems standoffish and selfish. Jacob also seems selfish and appears to disguise it as doing the right thing, though both seem tenderhearted. I’m not sure how Matt and Kat met, and I kept wondering about that but Legend of the Inero Dragon is not done as this was the first in a series so perhaps we will find that out in the future. I like books about dragons, so I had to read Legend of the Inero Dragon. The dragon descriptions and types listed are enjoyable as is the legend prophesy.

Heartsight by Kay Springsteen

2012-01-29T15:51:00.000-05:00

Captain Dan Conway is a Marine who lost his sight in an IED blast in Afghanistan. He has gone through four years of operations and treatment to regain his sight. With the failure of the last surgery, he has had enough. He goes home to recuperate and regroup. He needs the time alone to come to grips with the fact that he will not regain his sight. This also means his career as a Marine as he knows it, is over. He has been offered a job that will keep him with the Marines, but he’s not sure he wants to sit behind a desk. Dan refuses to let his disability stop him. He has a Seeing Eye dog named Jake. He is also able to maneuver on the beach and in town as he grew up there. Dan plays his guitar to express feelings he cannot verbalize. He is enjoying his solitude until he feels the sticky hand of a little girl in his. When she leaves he realizes how lonely he has become. As Heartsight progresses, Dan shows how he lives the Marine motto, Semper fi-always faithful-in everything he does.

On a secluded beach in North Carolina, three lonely people find hope in each other.
Trish Evers is an artist and single mother, who has inherited her grandmother's Bed and Breakfast in a North Carolina coastal town. Though she must sell the house, she decides to bring her daughter to the beach for one last summer vacation in her childhood town.
Bella is a six-year-old girl who has Down syndrome. Rejected by her father, Trish, is the only parent she's ever known. Bella likes to explore the beach and has a tendency to wander off. One day, Bella goes exploring on her own, and Trish finds her in the company of an intriguing stranger.
Dan Conway is a U.S. Marine, who had been born into a family of Marines. Now blind as a result of combat injuries and unable to "suit up," he feels he no longer has a purpose in life. He's come home to the beach, where he spends his days in solitude. Dan must learn to believe in himself and to love life again, which he begins to do through his interactions with Bella and Trish. When a hurricane strikes, and Bella wanders off again, her only hope for rescue is Dan.
Working within the confines of his blindness, he must overcome his fear of failure and recall his training in order to search for the little girl and bring her to safety.

Trish is the mother of a special little girl, Bella. She is a teacher and an artist. Trish is emotionally upset as she is back at her grandma’s house to settle her estate. Trish was raised by her grandparents after her parents were killed in a car crash. She is earning money while there by selling her paintings, her budget always tight due to medical costs. She is divorced, handed the papers after her daughter is in recovery from heart surgery. Trish has little self-esteem as her ex constantly tore her confidence apart. She has learned to cope and patiently set boundaries for Bella. Bella’s Downs Syndrome needs the structure to keep her healthy and safe. Trish’s ex has never been there for Bella, preferring her to be put in a home. While she is there, her ex’s lawyer sends papers demanding alternating custody of Bella, with primary custodianship, adding more stress for Trish. Her bright spot is the handsome Marine that she meets from down the beach.

Dan and Trish meet when Bella leaves the house when she was supposed to be sleeping. She wandered toward Dan as she heard him playing his guitar. When Trish goes looking for her, she finds them sitting together. Heartsight shows how love can grow other than by what you see. Dan and Bella quickly gain a place in each other’s heart. Dan cannot see Bella’s differences and Bella easily accepts the limitations that Dan has. The interaction between the two is wonderful. As Dan, Trish and Bella interact; they instinctively find ways to overcome the handicaps involved. Trish and Bella come to quickly rely on Dan despite his blindness. Dan wants to become part of their lives, but worries his blindness would put too much of a burden on Trish than she already bears. Trish feels that she has little to offer to Dan with her debts and the special needs of her daughter. Despite all that, Dan and Trish have a hard time holding back the passion they inspire in each other.

Heartsight was a heartwarming story. A very wonderful read. Special dear to my heart as my son is a Marine. Added to that I grew up with my Uncle who has Downs Syndrome and could just see some of the situations being played out! Special children are nothing if not stubborn. They are also always loving and accepting, like Bella. The characters in Heartsight tug on your heart. Trish has fears that every woman has felt at one point in time. Dan is the upstanding, honorable, hot man we all want. Heartsight is appropriately named and thrums throughout the book without being said. You just feel it, and see it, in your heart. This is a book you do not want to miss.

The Cowboy and The Rose by Tess Quinn

2012-01-29T15:33:00.000-05:00

I can honestly say the only thing I didn't like about The Cowboy and The Rose was the title. The hero, Gabriel Burdock is not a cowboy, he is a vintner, and a witch. I will admit he does wear a Stetson and cowboy boots, but that does not a cowboy make.

A bond from the past, desire steeped in magic, love forged in passion... Gabe Burdock has two weeks to bond his power with April Willow or lose his magic. As a witch, his control over the earth contributes to the success of his vineyard, and he'll sacrifice anything to keep it...anything except his heart.
To escape her abusive father's control, April is ready to bond with Gabe, even if it means tying herself to a cowboy who claims he can't love her. But when Gabe and April touch, their passion explodes, and their magical bond cannot be denied. Can they put aside their fears and risk everything for love? Or will two witches lose their chance at happiness?

Gabriel and April are both witches with the same power, the ability to help plants grow. They were bonded as children, and must complete the bonding ritual within two weeks of April's twenty-fifth birthday or she will die and he will loose his powers. Unfortunately, Gabriel's parents didn't bother to tell him about the bonding until it is time for the bonding ritual to occur. Gabriel doesn't want to loose his powers, and he certainly doesn't want April to die, but he doesn't want a relationship either. Gabriel had his heart broken a year ago, when his fiance practically left him standing at the alter, and he's not willing to risk his heart again.

The Cowboy and the Rose was a really sweet romance. I loved the scene where Gabriel had the climbing roses on the house grow in through the window of April's room and bloom for her. Gabriel and April have a lot of emotional baggage to overcome before they find their happily ever after. But, sage advise from mom and dad, and a magical look into the future, pave the way for their happy ending. I really liked the family relationships in The Cowboy and The Rose. Gabriel's parents and his brother were terrific and I hope that Matt will have his story told in the future.

I will definitely be looking for future releases from Tess Quinn. I highly recommend adding The Cowboy and the Rose to your "to read" list. A wonderful, sweet, feel good romance.

Owned by S.L. Carpenter

2012-01-28T15:01:00.000-05:00

Owned is a very sexy story that really lives up to its warning. Eric and Lauren have enjoyed their friends with benefits status, but Eric really wants to try something new and convinces Lauren to try it with him.

Ownership comes with a price. Make sure you’re prepared to pay it.
Friends with benefits? Eric and Lauren are definitely that. A Friday night, a hotel, and a night of hot, satisfying sex. That’s it. Recently, though, Eric finds himself wanting more. More time, more fun, more Lauren.
Trouble is, she’s all tied up in her career, totally uninterested in getting tied down. How will she react when he musters up the guts to ask her for what he really wants: her to be completely his for one weekend. To let him own her, body and soul.
Lauren is sure Eric is just overthinking their strictly casual relationship. Still, the thought of doing exactly what he wants, whenever and wherever he wants, intrigues her. What’s not to like about letting go, handing everything over to a man she trusts in every way?
Their getaway is more sensual, more daring, more perfect than either of them anticipated. Until that most feared of emotions raises its head and takes aim at their hearts.
Product Warnings: Contains references to ownership, domination and complete submission; extra panties may be required, along with ice. This is not a book about training your pets, so treats and squeaky toys are not necessary, unless you’re into that...

Lauren is a busy professional and her work comes first – always has. But she enjoys the stress relief she gets being with Eric for their sexual fun. She has never wanted more until he proposes a new adventure for a weekend together. That really excites her. I really liked Lauren and her willingness to try something new. I think we all need to learn to balance work and personal lives better to help us enjoy life more. I do think that Lauren gave into Eric almost too easily but, otherwise she is a realistic and compelling character.

Eric has enjoyed his time with Lauren but now he wants more time with her so he pushes a little to get her to agree to a weekend with him completely under his control. He’s hoping she will let go and open herself to something new. Eric is a good guy with many facets to his personality. He starts out as the proverbial nice guy and grows quickly into a caring and compelling dominant that fits Lauren perfectly. I am sure he has more sides that we really don’t see as well.

Owned is a must read if you like a little BDSM play to spice things up. This is not their full time relationship but it definitely adds some excitement to what they had. Owned has a plot and characters that I think many of us can get involved in and relate to as Eric and Lauren explore some fantasies and push for a deeper relationship. Pick up Owned if you are looking for a fun, sexy, contemporary story that will leave you needing a cool drink and looking for your own partner to share pieces of it with.

Wild Cat by Jennifer Ashley

2012-01-27T15:24:00.001-05:00

Wild Cat is book three in the Shifter Unbound Series by Jennifer Ashley. If you haven't read this series I highly recommend you give it a try. I have loved every book so far, including Wild Cat. Wild Cat moves us from the Morrissey Clan, to Eric Warden's shiftertown just outside Las Vegas. (But, we do get a cameo from the too hot Dillon Morrissey)

When Feline Shifter Cassidy Warden saves detective Diego Escobar from plunging to his death, the naked Shifter woman takes his breath away. But she'd been breaking all kinds of human laws, and Diego, to save her from termination, has to promise his department he'll watch over her.
Diego finds the task harder than he thinks--Cassidy is trying to find out what kind of mysterious hunter killed her mate two years ago, a hunter that could bring danger to all Shifters. Plus Cassidy has scent-marked Diego--essentially telling all other Shifter females, "Hands off."
Diego risks his personal and professional life getting involved with Cassidy, but he realizes he'll do anything, even confront the deadliest of assassins and his own inner demons, to keep her safe.

It's the one year anniversary of Cassidy Warden's mates death. When Cassidy sets out to perform a ritual at the place of Donovan's death she finds herself the target of a hunter, and he's not quite human.

Diego Escobar is a vice cop. But, when he responds to a trespassing call on his way to work it changes his life forever. Diego is irresistibly drawn to the sexy shifter Cassidy. But, with a killer on her tail and Diego unable to give up his hunt for his partner's killer, can Cassidy and Diego find time for love?

Wild Cat was a great story, with interesting sub-plots, that managed to add to the story, instead of taking away from it. I loved how the villain changes throughout the story. I melted each time Diego said Mi Ja to Cassidy (nothing sexier than a man whispering sweet nothings in Spanish!)

I can see opportunities for at least three or four more novels in this series from the secondary character. Eric's book, Mate Claimed is set for release in October 2012. But, I want Shane and Lyndsay, and Xavier to get there own books too! So get busy Jennifer!

If your a shifter fan, you won't want to miss out on this wonderful series! Wildcats, wolves and bears oh my. Check out Wild Cat today!

Catherine Mann Interview

2012-01-27T10:00:00.004-05:00

A lot of your books feature "Men in Uniform" what made you decide to focus on PJ's for the Elite Forces series?

I had been churning around the idea for a few years. In fact, I had a PJ hero in one of my Wingmen Warrior books – FULLY ENGAGED. Once the timing and opportunity came around to showcase these unsung heroes, I was ready to roll!

Did you have to do a lot of research into search and rescue procedures for the Elite Forces series?

Absolutely! Air Force pararescue jumpers carry out their rescues in so many different realms – mountain, water, land. They work in not only combat settings but also assisting when needed in civilian operations. And on top of all that, they are fully trained medics. Truly an “elite force,” there are only about 350 of them in the world.

Do you know how many books will be in this series?

I’m currently working on the 4th “Elite Force” book, tentatively titled, FREE FALL.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I used to be a strict plotter, but I’m becoming more of a pantser.

What is your writing routine? Do you write every day?

I set weekly page count goals. That allows me more flexibility. Some days I may work 18 hours in order to take the next day off. I also write slower at the start of a book, needing more time for the characters to gel in my mind. I may take an hour to call my critique partner – Harlequin Blaze/Historical author Joanne Rock – to brainstorm. Then the last ½ of the book becomes very intense, long writing hours every day.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Lori Foster, Lisa Gardner, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Teresa Medeiros, Suzanne Brockmann, Sarah Addison Allen, Jill Shalvis…. I could go on and on. I read a lot!

I know you are very active with the Humane Society and foster many animals, how did you get started fostering?

We have always been supporters of our local animal shelters and all of our pets have been adopted from the Humane Society. But as for fostering – my son needed a service project for his church confirmation, so we opted for fostering a litter of motherless puppies until they were old enough for adoption. We thought it would be a one-time deal, but the experience totally hooked us. We’ve now fostered over 50 puppies and special needs dogs, and I serve on my local shelter’s Board of Directors.

How many animals do you have?

We have three dogs and a cat (who thinks he’s a dog.)

I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of Rachel Flores and her rescue dog Disco in upcoming books.

Do you often add animals to your storylines?

Yes, Rachel and Disco will be featured in the next “Elite Force” book UNDER FIRE coming out in May – thanks for asking! Animals do have a way of showing up in my books, but then animals are such a part of the fabric of our family life, it seems natural to me that they would be a part of my characters’ lives. I also have two novellas coming up in 2012 that will feature animals even more prominently. (An anthology in June with Lori Foster and another anthology in November with Vicki Lewis Thompson.) And yes, we will still have military hero hotties as well!

It's the New Year, so I have to ask the obvious questions. What are you looking forward to in 2012?

I’m looking forward to attending Lori Foster’s Reader/Author Get Together in June in Cincinnati, Ohio. While the internet is awesome, I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to visit with readers face to face.

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions?

I’m determined to exercise more, beyond walking my dogs. So far, I’m loving the elliptical machine and yoga classes.

Author Bio:
USA Today bestseller Catherine Mann writes military romantic suspense for Sourcebooks and Berkley, as well as steamy romance for Harlequin Desire. She lives in Florida with her military flyboy husband and their four children. Check out her website http://catherinemann.com/ FMI on her upcoming books: PROTECTOR (March), HONORABLE INTENTIONS (April) and UNDER FIRE (May.)

Facebook: Catherine Mann (author)

Twitter: CatherineMann1

Sam's Promise by Anne Rainey

2012-01-26T16:12:00.001-05:00

Sam’s Promise by Anne Rainey is a charming romance. Sam and Julie are a sweet couple. I enjoyed reading it very much. Sam’s Promise has just enough story to satiate the reader’s curiosity. There is just enough back story and it doesn’t leave too much to question at the end. Readers will find themselves falling in love with Sam and Julie and be fully immersed in the world Anne Rainey has created.

This Thanksgiving comes with all the fixings…and something extra hot.
Blackwater, Book 1
Sam Jennings promised his father he’d always take care of the woman who yanked him and his four brothers out of foster care. When his adoptive mom has a near-fatal heart attack, Sam knows it’s past time to live up to his word.
As he sets out to put the Blackwater Diner back on its feet, he runs into his first snag. Waitress Julie Rose’s sweet curves and long legs are driving Sam to distraction. Even his brothers aren’t immune to her kind heart. But Sam is determined to be the only man in her bed.
Julie doesn’t regret the years she lost caring for her grandmom, but now, between business classes and her job, she’s left with very little time and energy for dating. Then there’s her policy about never getting mixed up with the boss’s son. But Sam’s hard body and wicked ideas have Julie forgetting all about annoying things like rules, and she accepts his invitation to show her all she’s been missing.
Sam is more than willing to take things slow as he teaches her all about the pleasures of the flesh. Luckily for him, Julie is a darned good student…
Product Warnings: Contains explicit language, a sexy carpenter, and extra helpings of naughty fun under the stars. Heat and increased heart rate may help burn off extra holiday calories.

Julie is finally getting things together in her life. She has a job with a wonderful woman and is about to finish up her business degree. She had put her life on hold for a little while to care for her ailing grandmother. It was a sacrifice she would gladly do again. She was there for her in her hour of need just like her grandmother was for her throughout her life. Julie didn’t have time for romance, her plate was already full. Then she meets her employer’s four sons. Each of them are gorgeous but only one of them catchers her eye. She finds herself thinking about him a lot and she can’t seem to help it. When he expresses an interest in her too she is not sure she wants to take that risk. He is everything she could want or ask for in a man, so what is holding her back? Is it her lack of experience? Is it the fact that he is her boss’s son? Can she find love with Sam? Or will it end unpleasantly?

When Sam’s mother has a heart attack unexpectedly he runs to her side. After all he owed her everything, and he had made a promise to his father before he died. He promised that he would watch out for her. When he realizes that their restaurant might close he has to come up with a plan to save it. There is only one problem…Julie she is a distraction. He is intrigued by her and he wants to get to know her more, but he needs to concentrate. He can’t get her out of his mind. When he can’t fight his feelings anymore he decides to pursue her. She is hesitant at first and he is willing to play by her rules. He promises to take things slow even though that is the last thing he wants to do. Can he convince her that they are meant to be together? Or will he be shut out of her world forever? Can he save his mother’s restaurant and have Julie too? Or will he have to choose between the two?

I found Sam’s Promise a very poignant story. Sam and his brothers had to endure a lot of unhappiness before they found a happy home. My heart was warmed by their mother’s character. Her and her husband were very special people and meant a lot to Sam and his four brothers. I found Julie’s character to be tender hearted and very sweet. I liked that Sam’s character was able to triumph in life even though he had had a rough start. Sam’s Promise is a very warm and endearing story. Every character played an important role in this heartwarming tale about overcoming trials, love, and life. I would highly recommend Sam’s Promise to all my friends and to those who enjoy contemporary romances.

Good at Being Bad by Cathryn Fox

2012-01-26T15:11:00.001-05:00

If you are looking for a steamy, second chance at love, contemporary romance for a summer read, look no further than Good at Being Bad. This super hot story will leave your heart pounding as Ally and Carter reunite and find out things are worse apart then they were when they were together.

Sometimes a good girl just needs a little naughty.
Boys of Beachville, Book 1
Public relations specialist Allison Cooper is more than ready to handle a career make-or-break assignment: to develop and market a charity calendar featuring hot men. Her only problem is Mr. July, a sexy cop who happens to be her ex-lover.
Trying to keep his image squeaky clean—a must for her promotion—raises all sorts of challenges, especially when this bad boy is throwing a little kink into her plan.
Image is the last thing on Carter James’s mind. He agreed to be Mr. July on one condition—that during his promo month, Allison never leaves his side. He wants her back, and to make that happen he needs her undivided attention to teach him good from bad. Unless bad is what the lady wants…
Warning: Contains frank language, hot sex on the beach, and illegal but sexy use of handcuffs. Author cannot be held accountable for aroused state of mind or ruined manicures upon completion of this steamy book.

Allison, Ally, recently got promoted and is in charge of marketing a new calendar for charity. The problem is her gorgeous ex is one of the men being featured as Mr. July. Ally is a by the book type of person. I really enjoyed her character since I can understand where she is coming from. Can she go through the fights again though to be with Carter?

Carter is a bad boy cop that tends to not follow procedures but he gets the job done. When he realizes why Ally broke up with him, he is determined to show her he’s changed and that they can work. Carter is an interesting character. As a bad boy/rebel type is rare to see them try so hard to be good in order to get the girl. I found him cute and sexy despite the bad boy rap he has.

Good at Being Bad is a fun romance about balance. It really illustrates how we all have good and bad pieces and that the mix of both can be a lot of fun in the right circumstances. A wonderfully hot summer story that is sure to leave you feeling the need for a little air conditioning, Good at Being Bad is a must read if you like men-in-uniform stories that will make your skin tingle.

Going Greek by Lelani Black

2012-01-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

Going Greek by Lelani Black is wonderful romance. Lelani Black really knows how to capture the attention of her readers. Dmitri and Marigold’s chemistry leaps right off the page into the reader’s imagination. The icing on the cake is that the story is set against the beautifully picturesque backdrop of Greece.

Lingerie model Marigold Laurent arrives in Greece for a much-needed vacation from work and the sweet-talking man who broke her heart. Fate and the machinations of her well-meaning sister ensure that she collides with tall, dark and luscious Dmitri Damianos, forcing her no-men policy right out the window. But can he give her more than one-and-done?
Wealthy entrepreneur, Dmitri, guards his emotions well. And while he wants everything Marigold has to offer--beauty, wit, charm, and the best sex of his life--he can't give her what she really needs. But when the red-hot beauty climbs out of his bed and possibly out of his life, can he let her go?

Marigold is a successful lingerie model. She had everything she thought she wanted and more, but her heart was just dragged through the mud. Her ex boyfriend was attached and it wasn’t to her. She agrees to go on a trip to Greece with her sister to get away from it all. The last thing she wanted was a new love affair. When they arrive in Greece she meets the most gorgeous man she has ever laid eyes on. When she learns that he is her brother in law’s brother she is not thrilled because that means he will be around a lot, and her sister keeps insisting that he is exactly what the doctor ordered. That he is the perfect man to get her ex out of her head and help mend her broken heart. To top everything off she begins having fantasies and dreams about Dmitri. When he offers her a little fun will she take him up on his offer? Or will she wallow in her pain?

Dmitri is used to having girls swoon over him after all he is a Damianos so he is naturally blessed in the looks department. It doesn’t hurt that he is also wealthy. He has yet to meet his match and isn’t really looking for one at the moment. Then she walks into his life, the headstrong beauty he wants to call his own. Marigold is his brother’s new wife’s sister and she challenges him. Makes him look at himself and makes him question what he wants. He knows he wants her but he doesn’t want a commitment right now. Why is she so insistent on there being a commitment? They are not needed to have fun. He can’t get her out of his mind and she is driving him crazy. He is doing things that he would never do. He is even willing to try to give commitment a try. All he knows is he can’t pass up the chance to be with her. Can he follow through with commitment? Or will he resort to old habits? When Marigold’s ex shows up in Greece to win her heart back it may spell disaster for Dmitri. Will he lose her when he has just won her?

I really enjoyed the give and take in Dmitri and Marigold’s relationship. It did get a bit comical for me in the sense that I found myself saying things like “come on already”, “can’t you see that you are perfect for each other”. I think that Marigold’s sister played a big role in their match up. You could tell that was her plan from the beginning. Going Greek will leave the reader breathless and wanting to hop on a plane to Greece to find their own version of Dmitri. I would recommend Going Greek to anyone who enjoys reading romances.

Private Dancer by Lelani Black

2012-01-26T13:03:00.000-05:00

Private Dancer is a sensual novella by Lelani Black. I enjoyed being a part of Jacinta and Harrison’s life. They were an evenly matched pair that truly belonged together. Private Dancer is an easy quick enjoyable read.

Jacinta Carr--small business owner by day, erotic entertainer by night--sets the Honolulu club scene on fire every time she takes the stage as Sin, the sensual dancer who could tempt the most cynical soul. Desperate to keep her bikini boutique from going belly-up, and struggling to pay for her grandmother's care, Jacey's stripping could cost her more than her business, because when fiancée Harrison Allandt finds out, he'll name his own price!

Jacinta learned at an early age that she was the one that had to make things happen in her life. Rejected by her parents and sent to live with her loving grandmother was only the tip of the iceberg. When she met the man of her dreams she hesitated to be with him. Could she trust him with her past, her secrets, and herself? Or would she forever be marred by her ugly past. As their relationship progressed she fell more and more in love with him…there was only one problem she was hiding a secret from him and it could be a deal breaker. She loved him but she wants to push him away before he can hurt her like everyone else aside from her grandmother has. He is too nice to her he wants to do things for her that she is used to doing herself. She is desperate but not so desperate to take what he is offering. She knows that she must break off their engagement before he finds out how desperate she really is.

Harrison is head over heals for Jacinta and has been from the moment he laid eyes on her. He wants to live everyday proving his love to her. That is why he proposed to her. He was overjoyed when she accepted his proposal. The only problem is she is a bit reserved and it seems there is some things she isn’t telling him. Why is she so reserved and so secretive? When her grandmother dies he finds out that she has more debt than she can handle and offers to pay the remaining bill at the care facility. That only sends her running as far from him as she can. When she leaves he is devastated. When goes to the local strippers club he is surprised to see his shy reserved love dancing. He missed her and he needed to talk to her so he asks for a private dance. He will do anything to convince her of his love for her. Will he succeed? Or will his plan backfire? Will she even agree to a private dance? Will she listen to what he has to say?

I enjoyed the plot of Private Dancer. I also enjoyed the characters. Jacinta is a very strong character that is easy to identify with. Her struggles and feelings were so intense you could feel them. I was glad that she found a man as strong as Harrison because he was exactly what she needed. Harrison was every girl’s dream man. He was strong and understanding. He was perfect for Jacinta and that was obvious throughout Private Dancer. I would recommend Private Dancer to anyone who enjoys sensual romances.

An Irish Rogue By Suzanne Barrett

2012-01-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

An Irish Rogue by Suzanne Barrett is a quaint romance filled with wonderful characters. An Irish Rogue is an excellent book to grab a cup of coffee and sit back and relax to. I was fully immersed in Declan and Justine’s story. Anybody can see that the two of them were meant for each other now they are the only ones who need to see it. It was fun watching the two love triangles unfold throughout An Irish Rogue.

Justine Farris would do anything for her dotty old aunt, but marrying Declan Walsh seems just plain crazy. Although the handsome handyman might be sent back to Ireland unless they pretend to tie the knot, how can Justine possibly say “I do” when they can’t agree on anything.
Declan would never have proposed to an independent, unconventional woman like Justine, but this is an emergency. Then, suddenly, he begins to wish that his temporary fiancée could stay in his arms forever. And where there’s a will, there’s a way….

Justine is engaged to James, her best friend from childhood. They always thought they would end up together and here they are ready to take the next step. They are even building a house together. When Justine’s aunt hires Declan to help build it her world turns upside down. Suddenly she doesn’t know what she wants. She is attracted to him but she is engaged to another man. He seems to understand what she wants when it comes to her house, but they can’t seem to agree on anything else. When they learn that he doesn’t have a green card and will be deported back to Ireland she doesn’t leave so she blurts out that they are married. What happens when she realizes that she really does want to be married to Declan? Will they find love together or will their “marriage” remain fake?

Declan has been hurt in the past and is not looking to be hurt again. His ex cheated on him and that had devastated him. When his green card expires his cousin sets him up with a building job out in the middle of nowhere. It is the perfect hideout all he has to do is remain hidden. Everything would be perfect if it were not for his attraction to Justine. He can’t understand what she sees in her school teacher. He can’t stand building their dream house…but what choice does he have? When she accidently tells the INS that they are married his heart fills with joy. Things progress from there and he realizes before too long that he is in love with her. He sets out to woo her away from her school teacher. Will he succeed? Or will he end up deported home? Can he get over the wounds of the past to be able to start a future?

An Irish Rogue has great secondary characters. I enjoyed Willow, Laverne, and James’s characters. The story would not be the same without them. Willow was pining for a man she thought would never be hers. It was easy to see her struggles and her emotions were always on her sleeve. Laverne was the wise aunt who helped guide her nieces to their destinations. I enjoyed watching Declan fall in love again and learn about him in the process. He was able to learn from his past mistakes and make a change to gain what he truly wanted the whole time. Justine was an interesting character who came into her own over the course of the story. I love their chemistry. If you are looking for a sweet romance to read, I recommend you read An Irish Rogue by Suzanne Barrett.

Prince of Air and Darkness by Jenna Black

2012-01-26T11:34:00.002-05:00

Kiera Malone always thought her Mother's cheese had slipped off her cracker. Catherine Malone claimed that she was seduced by the king of the Daione Sidhe, Finvarra, resulting in Kiera's birth.Kiera doesn't believe in all that "woo woo" stuff her mother spouts. But, when strande things start to happen in Kiera's life after meeting Hunter Teague, she finds she may owe her Mother an apology.

It’s not easy being the son of evil incarnate…
Hunter Teague is the prince of the Unseelie Court, the dark half of Faerie. Raised in an atmosphere of unspeakable cruelty, Hunter has learned the lessons of his mother, the Queen of Air and Darkness, and he’s ready to put them to use. He’s on a mission, one that will shift the balance of power in Faerie forever: he will seduce the Seelie king’s mortal daughter and sire a child upon her—a child who will be heir to both the Seelie and the Unseelie thrones. Hunter has never met a mortal woman he couldn’t seduce...until now.
Kiera Malone is a self-employed web designer and a self-professed cynic. She doesn’t believe in magic or soulmates, let alone her mother’s ridiculous claims to have slept with the mythical Faerie King. But when Hunter hires her to design a website, Kiera finds herself drawn to him in ways that seem almost magical. He’s gorgeous and sexy as sin, the kind of man any woman would swoon over—but her every instinct warns her there’s something dangerous lurking beneath his charming façade.
To succeed in his mission, Hunter must let himself get closer to Kiera than he ever planned. Soon, he finds himself burdened with the one thing a prince of the Unseelie Court can’t afford: a conscience. Now Hunter must betray either the woman who is slowly working her way into his heart, or the Queen of Air and Darkness...who would destroy him and Kiera both.

Hunter Teague is Prince of Air and Darkness, son of the Queen of the Unseelie court. Curses with a conscience, thanks to his mortal father, Hunter has spent his life trying to fit into the Unseelie court. Now the Queen has given him a new mission. Seduce Kieara Malone and father a child. A child who will be heir to both thrones of the Fairie realm. Hinter doesn't like this assignment, but one doesn't say no to the Queen of air and darkness, at least not without dire consequences.

But, after meeting Kiera, Hunter isn't sure he can go through with the plan. He likes Kiera. Something he's never felt before begins to bloom in him. Can he find a way to foil the Queen's plans and still keep Kiera safe?

I loved how we got to see Hunter evolve. In the beginning he is so confident on the outside. So certain that he can do anything necessary for self preservation. Day by day we get to see his true personality emerge. Hunter is a character that touched my heart. I loved his strength and selflessness. He is a true hero.

Kiera was harder for me to like. She is so closed off to everything and everyone. She thinks her mom is a loon. She doesn't trust anyone but her friend Jackson. She doubts her own feelings, and keeps everyone at arms length. I did come to like her by the end of Prince of Air and Darkness, but, it was a long time coming.

Prince of Air and Darkness had some incredibly hot love scenes, the petite four scene was amazingly erotic. But, I also felt Prince of Air and Darkness beautifully showcased a true loving relationship. A relationship where each person cares more for the others welfare and happiness than they do for their own. Add in lots of suspense and intrigue. Evil goblins, a shapeshifting Irish Wolfhound, and the Wicked Queen, and you have a wonderful, exciting, romantic adventure. I highly recommend Prince of Air and Darkness to all fans of paranormal romance.

Guest Blog: Elisabeth Naughton & Giveaway

2012-01-26T10:00:00.003-05:00

Thanks so much to Marissa and Sizzling Hot Book Reviews for having me here today!

I have been a fan of romantic suspense for as long as I’ve been reading romance. My first loves in the genre were books written by Judith McNaught and Elizabeth Lowell. What hooked me about their early works was that no matter how suspenseful the story became, the focus was always on the romance. It makes sense then that in addition to the suspense element, I’m a sucker for a deep, emotional love story that’s enhanced by some sort of danger and intrigue. That focus has crossed over into my own work. Though I write paranormal books now in addition to my romantic suspense novels, you’ll always find the love story to be the focal point of my stories. Without the romance, the suspense falls flat, and vice versa, which is exactly how it should be in a romantic suspense.

Of course, not all readers like the same thing. The cool part about the romantic suspense genre though is that you can find a variety of romance vs. suspense weightings. Some authors, like Tami Hoag, Lisa Jackson and Lisa Gardner, write 80-90% suspense, only 10-20% romance. Other authors, like Nora Roberts, are more equally weighted in the 50/50 range. And yet even others, such as Judith McNaught, focus more heavily on the romantic relationship, putting their books in the 60-70% romance, 20-30% suspense range. Whatever your reading tastes, one weighting/style isn’t better than another. In my opinion, it only opens up more variety for readers who are looking for different elements in their books.

Within my own work, I’ve found I tend to change my weighting of suspense vs. romance depending on the story. My Stolen Series, which are treasure hunt stories that are quite adventurous, tend to be pretty equally weighted in the 50/50 range. But my latest book, WAIT FOR ME, is definitely heavier weighted on the romance side. The book opens with the heroine finding out her life has basically been a lie, and she sets out to find the truth about her past. Along the way she discovers a family she didn’t know she had, and her search for answers about what happened to her is the catalyst that pushes the suspense element forward. Without that search, without her meeting the hero, finding out about a life she doesn’t remember and the development of the romantic element first, the suspense would never have been able to develop. One builds upon the other for the story to work. Other books I’ve written start more heavily with suspense, but the fun part about RS is that there’s no one right way to tell a romantic suspense story. For writers—and readers—the true fun is seeing how it all comes together.

How much romance vs. suspense do you like in your books? Is it something you even notice? I’m giving away a copy of my latest release, WAIT FOR ME, a contemporary romantic suspense, to one lucky commenter today!

***

A woman without a past…

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn’t feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn’t know she had.

A man desperate for a reason to live…

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.

Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn’t remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can’t explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she’s supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they’ve both been searching for is finally within reach.

“Full of twists and turns, lies and deception, and the ultimate revenge, WAIT FOR ME is a great romantic suspense read.”

—Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick

***

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her at www.elisabethnaughton.com to learn more about her and her books.

Giveaway: Elizabeth is giving away an ebook copy of Wait for Me to one lucky commenter. Leave a comment to be entered. Contest ends January 31st.

Book Spotlight: Fool Me Once by Lacey Wolfe

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Fool Me Once is the first book in the Hot Bods Series. Book two is set to be released on February 20, 2012

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…

Drew is the last person Skylar wanted to see across from her at a local bar. A month ago he'd wined and dined her all weekend, leaving her feeling fully in love, but then she awoke alone in an empty hotel room and she hadn't heard from him since.

The weekend Drew spent with Skylar was phenomenal. There had never been anyone who made him feel as complete as she did. He shouldn't have disappeared, he should have called, but his feelings for her scared him, so he distanced himself. But when he saw her again, he knew he couldn't stay away any longer.

Skylar's determined not to give Drew another chance to hurt her, but he's just as determined to win her back. Although it won't be easy, he's up to the challenge, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal.

Content Warning: Explicit Sex

Links for Lacey Wolfe: Website / Facebook / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter

Buy Links: Amazon / Nook / BeachwalkPress/ _AllRomance / Bookstrand / Coffee Times Romance

Excerpt:

What the hell was he doing there? Skylar was finished with her aerobics class. Grabbing a bottle of water and squirting some in her mouth, she checked her schedule. She had an hour before her next class. That meant she had an hour to figure out what he was doing at this gym.

Taking a towel, she wrapped it around her neck and wiped off the sweat. She headed out of the room, intent on finding him. He was easy to spot. He was in the cardio area, in the back row like a typical man, watching the ladies' butts jiggle as they worked out. Rolling her eyes, she started his way.

"Hi, Drew," she said sweetly.

He turned off his machine and grabbed his water bottle. She watched as he touched it to his full lips, taking in a long sip.

"If you're done, do you mind following me so we can talk a minute?" she asked. She knew a confrontation in the middle of the gym wouldn't look good for either her or the business.

"Sure."

Spinning around, she headed toward the staff only break room. Once there she stepped aside so he could come in. Luckily the place was empty. She shut the door and locked it.

"What are you doing here?" She placed her hands on her hips, trying to portray she was irritated by him, when all she really wanted was to feel his mouth on her again.

"Honestly, I had no idea you would be here."

"Yeah, and I should believe that. I haven't seen you in a month until last night and then today you show up at my work place."

He took a seat, clearly worn out from his run. "My company just switched gyms. I was having a tough morning, so I wanted to blow off some steam by taking a run."

"Sounds convenient," she retorted.

"Shit, I didn't know you would be here. It's a plus though." He eyed her belly, and she imagined his tongue there, licking her sweat off.

Silence filled the room. She didn't know whether to believe him or not. His explanation sounded logical, and she would hate to think fate worked this out. Fate was what she first thought brought him into her life to begin with. He seemed so perfect for her. When they made love, it was so hot it almost seemed like sparks were flying off their bodies. At least at the time she considered it making love. Now she knew it was just sex to him, nothing more.

"Come here." He motioned to her.

She snickered. "I don't think so."

"Please, I just want to feel you again."

"Ain't happening, buddy. You had your chance." She knew all she had to do was resist him; that was the hardest part.

He reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to him. Yanking away from him, she took a step backward.

"Come on, Sky, I know you still have feelings for me."

"Oh, I definitely have feelings for you, just not the ones you're hoping for."

He chuckled. "You know, there's a thin line between love and hate."

"That line is pretty thick for me."

"I'm not so sure."

"I am." At least she hoped.

He stood, closing in on her. As he stepped toward her, she found herself once again flat against the wall. Shit, how does this keep happening? His mouth was too close for comfort. Her eyes drifted to it for just a second, knowing it was a mistake.

"This is not a good idea," she whispered. Desire stirred in her.

"I want to have you. I need to have you. You're all I have wanted."

Placing her hands on his toned chest, she pushed him back. "You're not doing this to me again, got it?"

"I will win you back," he said.

Lord Midnight by Donna Cummings

2012-01-25T16:54:00.015-05:00

If you enjoy Historical Romances, Lord Midnight is one you won’t want to miss. Marisa Dunsmore is on her way to the estate of a man twice her age that her father is blackmailing her into marrying. Why? Because her father is tired of her refusing to marry except for love; he tells her flat out she is unlovable and if she doesn’t marry Lord Edmund Westbrook he will have her Aunt put in Bedlam. Marisa caves to his demands and heads to the Westbrook estate, but the mischievous beauty is plotting her escape the whole time. On the way she unknowing finds an ally, the highway man who holds her coach up, whom she dubs Lord Midnight.

Lord Midnight is a dashing highwayman who lives for revenge against the uncle who stole his title and tried to kill him when he was a child. His plan for vengeance--seducing his uncle's bride-to-be--collides with his passion for this spirited young woman desperate to escape her wedding. Soon he must choose: the woman who stole his heart, or revenge against the man who stole his life.

Gabriel DeVault is the rightful heir to Westbrook Hall. At age ten his parents were in a carriage accident planned and executed by his Uncle Edmund. He survived the accident but Edmund was on hand to make sure there were no survivors. Finding Gabriel alive, he chokes him to death, or so he thought. The coachman Jamie saved him by knocking Edmund out and spirited Gabriel away. It is thought that his body was consumed by animals; no one even thinking the charming Edmund DeVault could be in any way involved in the tragic accident. Gabriel wants revenge. He has survived hand to mouth by living in ruins near his estate and becoming a highway man, plotting the best way to take down Uncle Edmund. He knows no one would take his claims of being the rightful heir seriously as he has little proof of his heritage.

Gabriel decides the best revenge would be to despoil his Uncle’s bride. Taking action on this he sneaks into Marisa’s bedchamber. As they get to know each other during his nocturnal visits, Gabriel can’t quite bring himself to do it, knowing his Uncle would take it out on Marisa. Marisa in the meantime, decides to try to persuade Lord Midnight to help her escape, but is continually distracted during his visits. During the day, Edmund fawns over Marisa, not realizing that she cringes from his slightest touch. When she can, she scouts out ways to escape, realizing as she spends more time with Lord Westbrook, that he is not quite sane.

Anything further would be a spoiler! Grab Lord Midnight and be prepared for a fun historical romp. It has all the ingredients needed: a damsel in distress, a hero disguised as a villain, and a villain disguised as an honorable man; love, passion and misunderstandings to overcome. I enjoyed the characters involved in Lord Midnight and the trouble they get into. The extra characters are used well to show how the personalities in Lord Midnight evolved. I enjoyed the spiritedness of Marisa and her determination to not give up. Gabriel, her Lord Midnight, is a charmingly villainous hero, but we can forgive him because he is just a man. Edmund, well, he is just a villain!

Hawthorne by Sarah Ballance

2012-01-25T14:35:00.001-05:00

Noah has waited for the day he would see Emma Grace again. She left him before her eighteenth birthday, but she didn't only leave him. Her grandmother that raised Emma spent the last of her days lonely. Noah believing that she kept him around, even though he was only the cake taker's son, because every time Margaret Hawthorne saw Noah, she saw a piece of Emma. Now, Noah has Emma back, but for how long?

After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it took ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home. She sought peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she found was an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she could right.
Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett never forgot about Emma Grace. In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents revealed a truth that could cost him everything. What he found gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?

Noah Garrett has uncovered some of Hawthorne Manor's secrets, the secrets being non too pretty. Now that Emma has returned, Noah is determined to give her the closure she needs. In doing so, Noah hopes to find his own closer when it comes to his love for Emma. Emma fell from the roof of Hawthorne Manor during one of their many strolls along widows walk. After that she couldn't return to her home and left Noah waiting for ten years. Noah remembers all to clearly the ghostly appearance of a women; it started Emma so badly she stumbled off the rooftop. Noah now knows the identity of the spirit that has caused so much hurt.

Hawthorne is a wonderful, romantic love story. Emma and Noah are especially endearing. When all the secrets and everything is revealed in the end, you can't help but feel a tightening in your chest for Noah. I wouldn't want to give anything away, but the ending of Hawthorne is a tear jerk-er and very original. Hawthorne has classic love story written all over it and Sarah Ballance's words touch every place in your heart. If you like your romances sweet and innocent, Hawthorne needs to be at the top of your reading list.

Air Bunnies by Stephanie Beck

2012-01-25T11:59:00.000-05:00

Jake prides his skills in the bedroom, unfortunately that has nothing to do with making a flight to Malaysia....or does it? When Jake misses his scheduled flight, fear over losing his job makes him desperate for anything that will take him on the twelve hour trip. When he is excepted aboard Double Ear Air, he realizes he'll be lucky to keep the stewardesses happy and avoid coach where some hungry redheads are waiting.

Second in the F*ck Like Bunnies series—wicked werebunnies worldwide!
Jake’s missed fight might cost him his job. Desperate to get to Malaysia, he follows a fellow traveler’s advice and gets a seat on Double Ear Air. An airline bent on sexy customer service, where the flight attendants offer much more than peanuts and stale pretzels—and don’t adhere to those pesky rules against the mile high club and giving head in the aisles.
Just when he’s ready to make Double Ear Air his carrier of choice, Jake learns the ugly secret of just who, or rather what, the women really are. To survive to his destination, Jake will have to keep a bevy of horny, blonde werebunnies sexually satisfied or risk being a snack for a pack of ravenous succubus sisters.

Jake is torn between his experience on Double Ear Air and telling someone about the dark end of the deal. He was able to live out his every fantasy with the girls on board. However, those who couldn't preform were sent to the coach where Jake saw first hand the succubus redheads take care of them. That redoubled his efforts to keep the blond "were-bunnies" happy. Six more hours, four more hours, two more hours and when it was time to buckle up for landing, Jake couldn't have been more glad to see solid ground.

Air Bunnies is the second book in the F*ck Like Bunnies series. Air Bunnies has a one of a kind story line, with an "edge of your seat" feeling about it. With some very erotic scenes on board the plane, keeping a bunny happy is the the whole point. The only things we seem to learn about Jake are his amazing bedroom skills, but that is what makes this quickie great, no attachments. If you like it erotic with no commitments, Air Bunnies is a great book to put on your quickie list.

Guest Blog: Keta Diablo & Giveaway

2012-01-25T10:00:00.002-05:00

About Dark Night of the Moon, the sequel to Holding on to Heaven.

Creed Gatlin flees to Arizona intent on eradicating the haunting memories of his brother’s wife. His brother Brand, presumed dead, resurfaces after a long absence and with his re-emergence, the destinies of those he loves is altered forever.

In a land rife with war and danger, Sage must travel to the village of her husband’s People. There, she is reunited with Crooked Back, the ancient healer. One the long trek back to Full Circle, devious plots are underfoot and peril lurks around every corner for Sage, Lauren and Peter Pa.

Dark Night of the Moon will take you on an unforgettable journey of war, violence, overwhelming grief, and finally, compassion and love.

~ ~ ~ ~

Why I wrote Holding on to Heaven and Dark Night of the Moon . . .

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for participating in DARK NIGHT OF THE MOON Blog Tour through RomFan Reviews.

Readers have asked why I wrote Holding on to Heaven and Dark Night of the Moon and I’d love to tell you. I’ve always loved history about the Civil War – the battles, the thousands of lives lost and the boundaries that were often crossed when family members choose sides. It wasn’t uncommon to find cousin fighting against cousin or neighbor against neighbor. The Civil War was a deeply personal war for many, and yet in the end, many didn’t know why they were fighting.

Before I was a writer, I loved to research my family history. Would you believe my great-great grandmother sent 5 sons, 1 brother and 1 son-in-law off to fight in the Civil War all at once? And she was pregnant with her 11^th child at the time. Thankfully, they all returned home, several with diseases that afflicted them for life.

I can’t think of anything more horrible than to have our country divided over ideals, beliefs or principles to the point we take up arms against our brethren. Imagine drawing a line across the United States – the top half of the states fight for one side and the bottom for the other. And suppose you had family down in Texas when you live in Wisconsin? I’m sure you can see why the Civil War was one of our darkest times in history.

Holding on two Heaven and the sequel Dark Night of the Moon are, in essence, stories about a woman named Lauren McCain and her twin, Sage. Lauren was raised in the South and moved to the North right before war broke out. Her loyalties were deeply divided. She falls in love with a Northerner, carries his child, and yet her father and family hail from North Carolina. Now, toss in the Dakota Sioux uprising in Minnesota at the same time and the entire country is ablaze with fire and terror.

Holding on to Heaven and Dark Night of the Moon are emotional stories about betrayal, grief, fate and abiding passion. If you like reading about the Civil War, I think you’ll love the story of brothers who love the same woman and yet, love each other too. Oh, yes, and paranormal twists and turns in the second story will hopefully keep you turning the pages.

Have a joyous and prosperous 2012 and I hope all your reads take you on memorable journeys.

Cover for Holding on to Heaven goes here with this link: http://amzn.to/v03tFa

Cover for Dark Night of the Moon goes here with link to my Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/ketadiablo/e/B002BODURI

About Keta:

Keta is a multi-published author of paranormal, historical and gay fiction. In 2009, her erotic romance Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the RWA Molly contest. In 2010, Keta's entry Phoenix Rising finaled in the Scarlet Boa contest and in 2011 Keta's acclaimed paranormal shifter, Where The Rain is Made, was nominated by Authors After Dark for a BOOKIE AWARD and by Deep In The Heart of Romance for BEST ROMANCE OF THE YEAR.

Many of her books, including her gay fiction series CROSSROADS have won numerous awards: Top Reviewer's Pick, Recommended Read and Best Book of the Month.

If you'd like to know more about Keta and her latest releases, she haunts the Net here:

Keta's Keep Blog, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.Author
Gay Fiction Blog: http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Please leave a comment and tell me what paranormal genre you read most. Two winners will be selected by the blog host and the winners will be notified by e-mail. You must be following KETA'S KEEP to be eligible. You can follow my blog here: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com/.

Good luck, and don't forget to leave your email address in the comment section in case you win!”

Stealing the Bride by Brynn Paulin

2012-01-24T16:05:00.006-05:00

There’s something to be said about predictability and knowing where you are going in life, following the rules of society. But often when you “phone it in” to your life, you miss out on passion and love. Mara Nelson is finding that to be the case when she has second thoughts about her upcoming marriage to Marco.

Mara is about to marry the wrong man and everyone knows it. At the eleventh hour, her roommates, Daniel and Jacob, devise a plan to steal the bride and keep her to themselves…forever.

Mara is a smart and funny woman with the body of Botticelli’s Venus. She has curves and freckles making her feel insecure about herself with today’s society of skinny women. Living with two gay men, Daniel and Jacob, and working in New York, Mara decided that it was time to marry, so when Marco asks her to marry him, she agrees even though she has doubts and doesn’t really love him.

Daniel and Jacob have been together as lovers and friends but they’ve been keeping a secret from Mara. They aren’t just gay, but bi-sexual and are in love with Mara. So when she leaves on a retreat to get her mind together before the wedding, what’s two guys to do but prove to her that she’s marrying the wrong man.

Stealing the Bride is a romantic tale of a non-traditional relationship. Daniel and Jacob are comfortable with their own needs and in their unique lifestyle but have been harboring a desire for Mara to complete them. Each of the characters have flaws that make them realistic and interesting. They are dynamic and so much like real people that you will find yourself easily connecting with them.

I really enjoyed the message of love that prevailed throughout Stealing the Bride. It didn’t matter what kind of relationship you were in or who you loved, it was more important that you felt love and gave love. To imagine having two wonderfully sexy guys at your disposal is every woman’s dream, and Stealing the Bride doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Not to mention the sex is smokin’ hot! I recommend Stealing the Bride for all those true romantics who believe in a “Happily Ever After” no matter what kind of relationship you’re in.

Bitter Black Kiss by Michelle Clay

2012-01-24T15:12:00.001-05:00

Nicole Riley is the club manager at Bitter Black. She turned it around from a dying neighborhood dive and made it one of the premier places to be. Bitter Black is one of three clubs owned by Sean Stone that Nicole manages. Nicole needed to be successful, her last job of managing a band turned into a nightmare where at the concert people were attacked and infected with the Lycanthrope virus. As the person that set up the concert and security, Nicole was the one who ending up being blamed, even though she had been infected also. She is still trying to put the pieces of that life in the past. Nicole does not want to be associated with Werewolves, and is taking the street drug wolves’ bane to keep from turning. To make matters worse, her ex-husband Aaron was the one who infected her and he has been stalking her since. Nicole is constantly looking over her shoulder, scared to trust any man after what Aaron did to her.

Former event planner Nicole Riley lost not only her job, but part of her humanity when a concert in L.A., fails in catastrophic proportions as the band attacks a rival werewolf pack in attendance. As one of the infected, Nicky has been keeping her “inner beast” in check by taking wolf’s bane, trying to remain in denial, and refusing to become a monster. She’s also slowly begun to rebuild her reputation after the L.A. massacre and has deep respect for Sean Stone because he took a chance on her when no one else would. Now she is in charge of the entertainment for all of Sean’s nightclubs and her life is as close to normal as it gets. Then Brody, the dee-jay at Bitter Black, plays on her sympathy by claiming to have just suffered a wolf bite and she can’t turn him away. She’s very attracted to Brody, but is it wise to mentor him when she can’t even accept what she is? Things take a dark turn when she finds out he’s been lying to her all along.
Brody Dunn is a former police detective in special crimes, a unit that deals with werewolves. When a stripper is found in an alley with a lethal dose of BST (street name: Beast) in her system, Brody poses as a dee-jay at Bitter Black. He’s convinced Sean Stone is the one bringing the drug into the city and his employee, Nicole was the last one in the dancer's apartment. Brody also knows that Stone has laid down a challenge to the local Alpha and wants to become Pack Leader himself. A change in leadership that Brody is dead set against. In order to get close to Stone, he uses Nicole and pretends to be newly infected by the werewolf virus. He knows that she’s a bleeding heart and will do what she can to help him. What he doesn’t count on is the way Nicole affects him by merely walking in a room.
Stone is used to having his way and getting what he wants. He now wants Nicole whether she’s agreeable or not. He’s more than happy to expose Brody’s secrets to her while hiding his own. Will Nicole be able to navigate the dark and treacherous path between the two men? For it’s not just a choice between her career or her heart, but her humanity hangs in the balance. Which will she choose?

Brody Dunn is a hottie of a DJ at Bitter Black. He is an ex-cop, now a PI. When testing for lycanthropy became required, he was found out. Brody had been born with the virus. Shortly after that, he was framed and thrown off the force. He is on the trail of his man, regardless that he is no longer a cop. The man he is after is Nicole’s boss, Sean Stone. Brody is determined to do everything he can to catch him as he knows Stone is one of the biggest drug dealers around, but he has managed to evade all of Brody’s attempts to prove it. Brody is almost positive that Nicole, the hot little blonde that manages the club, has to know something. Nothing will stop Brody from taking Stone off the streets.

Nicole can’t help but fantasize about Brody. He sets all of her nerve ends tingling. There is a no dating policy among workers in place so all she will do is dream. When Brody lies to her and tells her he just got infected, she gives him her number so he will have someone to call if he needs to. The more time Nicole and Brody spend together, the more they can’t resist each other. To make matters worse, Stone starts coming onto Nicole and she is too scared of losing her job to totally shoot him down, but lets him know that she is involved with someone else and hopes he will not make any more advances. Stone however plots to get what he wants and he wants Nicole. He doesn’t mind playing dirty.

Bitter Black Kiss had me on the edge of my seat. Fast action and fast paced, Bitter Black Kiss kept me involved in the story line. It is not your usual romance. The characters were well written and I felt like I knew them as the story progressed. I loved the idea that lycanthropy was a disease that infected people. I have not read a werewolf book that shows it that way before; laws and everything to keep werewolves in line and to protect them also. Bitter Black Kiss felt gritty and real. I felt for Nicole and what she is going through. I could feel Brody’s bitterness about his treatment from the police and the betrayal that both Nicole and Brody face in their lives. Bitter Black Kiss definitely needs to be put on your to be read pile, and if you want a little bitter amongst all the sweetness of a normal romance, this is the book to read. Bitter Black Kiss is a great change of pace while still being a great romance.

Take Me at the Ballgame by Cassandra Carr

2012-01-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

Baseball is America’s past time and game the stirs the adrenaline of fans everywhere. When a sports reporter gets a dream come true, it can also be a game of passion.

Sports writer JT Lovejoy has a chance that’s too good for a middle-aged, divorced guy to pass up—bedding a hot young intern. Of course, there might never be a bed involved, since all the steamy action goes down in the press box. Not that JT’s complaining. How can he, when a beautiful woman offers herself with no commitment? If he’s smart, he won’t question his luck. And JT is a smart man.

JT Lovejoy is a sports reporter for the local paper and has been working the baseball beat for a while. As a divorced forty something guy, the only action he’s seeing is from his hand. That is until he is caught staying late to finish up a story in the press box.

Sydney Wilson is a young beautiful intern. She is barely in her twenties with a firm hot body. After everyone leaves one night, she comes on to JT and gives him the blowjob of a lifetime. But Sydney isn’t looking for a relationship, just a good time. And her arrangement suits them both to a T.

Take Me at the Ballgame is a fast passed story that is a part of the Ellora’s Cave for Men series. When reading the story, you can definitely tell that it is written for a male audience with the choice of language and the “no-strings attached” policy between the characters. They are both out to service their needs, not have a relationship. Take Me at the Ballgame is a sexy read, meant to inflame and titillate the reader. After all, which guy wouldn’t love to have a sweet young girl hot for him. I really enjoyed the baseball references and the idea of two people finding pleasure together without all the complications of a relationship. If you enjoy a steamy read, filled with sex in public places where it’s all about the pleasure and not the relationship, than Take Me at the Ballgame is for you!

Everspell by Samantha Combs

2012-01-24T13:21:00.002-05:00

All is finally well once again for Logan Daniels and Serena Starr, temporarily at least. No more evil demons running amuck, their families are safe and together again, and the young couple is finally able to enjoy their relationship. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. In Everspell, book two in the Spellbound series by Samantha Combs, Serena and Logan once again must battle the supernatural forces that return to create havoc in their peaceful New Hampshire town.

Book Two in the Spellbound series continues the love story of Logan and Serena. Having previously dispatched Christophe, the dark demon trying to capture and kidnap Serena for her special witch DNA in Book One, the two lovers believe they are now free to plan and live their lives together. Or are they?
When an innocent mistake made by their newlywed friends frees the way for Christophe to return, their idyllic attempt at happiness is marred by the nightmare they must outsmart, finally, to achieve the happily ever after they deserve.
They know they can rely on their coven to be there for them, and some new friends and additions to the family, as they once again embark on an epic battle that will secure their life, their love, and their future together. Once, they were Spellbound, now their story continues, for love, forever, for Everspell.

Serena has been having a lot of nightmares lately, and usually they foretell something bad that is about to happen. She's on edge, and struggling with keeping herself afloat. Soon enough things start happening to both of their families again including the kidnapping of Tabitha, Serena's younger sister, and the odd incident at Logans mom and Serena's aunts flower shop in which Logan's mom is attacked by some scary looking flowers that actually come to life! Soon enough the puzzle pieces are put together and everyone realizes the truth, Christophe, the head of the evil demons, is back and he is after power and something even more shocking! Can good defeat evil once again?

While reading Everspell I noticed how there were several more points of view introduced throughout the story, including Skylar, Serena's newly discovered twin introduced at the end of Spellbound. He was stolen at birth by Christoph but realized later who his true family was. He led a sheltered life, not knowing televisions or computers. He was so happy just being with his family, you cant help but like him. He's sweet and caring along with extremely powerful like his sisters.

Also I got to know Lily a little more, Logan's mother. She had several chapters in her point of view as well. She is a passionate person. She gives love so freely that you will be amazed. She actually became a stronger person in Everspell, not the sad grieving widow she seemed to embody in Spellbound.

I always enjoy the banter and love shared by Logan and Serena, even if it's slightly over the top at times. They declare their love for each other in almost every other sentence they share. Sometimes it became a little ridiculous, but it still felt real for the most part. They both seem stronger and obviously more prepared for what they face in Everspell. They make quite a good pair.

I had a few issues with Everspell's plotline, especially having to do with Logan's teenage sister and his best friend Sully. I didn't care for the turn of events that took place between the pair. I thought to myself that Jade is way to young to to be going through what she and Sully do. I guess what bothered me the most was how happy and understanding everyone was about it. She's only sixteen, and everyone was okay with her becoming pregnant and getting married behind everyone's back, including her own mother! That was a bit stretched for me, and I can usually handle a far fetched storyline, not this time though.

Overall Everspell was still a worthwhile story to read. It had a few bad elements, but enough good ones to help me overlook any negative thoughts I held. I enjoyed the plotline most of the time, even if it was sickening sweet. There was enough drama and action to keep me going from page to page, and I really enjoyed the several points of view that were brought forth. In the end, I do recommend Everspell, only if you have read Spellbound though, otherwise you may find yourself confused at times as to what goes on. Young adult fans especially, will once again enjoy this action packed clean read at the end of the day!

Nailing the Boss by Katie Blu

2012-01-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

“No Strings Attached” sex with your hot, sexy boss is every guy’s dream, especially when the boss is as hot as Tanya Orly.

Billy Galan thinks his boss Tanya Orly is smoking hot. She’s got legs that go on forever, breasts begging to be touched and crimson-red lips that can make any man her slave. So when Tanya crooks her finger in his direction one day, he’s not about to turn her down for what becomes her last hurrah before her wedding to another man.
It’s all sex, all day, and there isn’t anything Tanya won’t do.

Billy Galan has secretly been fantasizing about his boss since he was hired. Her long legs and sensual body drive him wild. When he gets the chance to fulfill his fantasy of sex with her, he can’t believe his fantasy is now reality. But he only has one day because she is getting married and his morals won’t allow him to have sex with married women.

Tanya Orly is a passionate woman. Since she hired Billy, she’s thought of nothing else but having him inside her. She throws caution to the wind and takes a chance to make her dreams come true as they christen her office and the elevator.

Nailing the Boss is a part of the Ellora’s Cave series for men. It is written to appeal to the male readers of erotica with heart pounding sex and no relationships. Nailing the Boss is the story of a man who takes charge over his erotic boss, giving her the orders rather than taking them. They indulge in both their desires with voyeurism, slight domination, and rough sex. I really liked how the characters were honest with their wants and didn’t play games with each other. They were upfront with what they wanted and knew from the beginning that this was a one-time deal. If you’ve ever had the fantasy of having your way with your boss, than Nailing the Boss will satisfy your desires. Honestly, you won’t look at an elevator in the same way!

No Restraint by Sara Brookes

2012-01-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

Kegan Riley is a successful racer with the Aeronautical Racing Circuit but being a woman, she has always felt like she’s had to work harder to prove herself against the men. Her anxiety and overthinking about her racing is causing her to start slipping in the qualifiers and races.

For years, Kegan has been under the intense scrutiny of the public eye. The demand of competing on the Aeronautical Racing Circuit has forced her to tuck away her lifestyle choices and put her racing first. But when the opportunity for a quick break from the chaos presents itself, she detours to Tawse, a BDSM club on the frontier planet, Sypricon.
Walker knew something was special about the gorgeous hotshot racer the moment she stepped through the club’s doors. He doesn’t care about her fame and fortune; he just wants her under his control. Before long, Kegan confesses the secrets of her soul, and Walker is certain it won’t be long until he shows her how unrestrained submission can heal her damaged heart.

Kegan had been in training with a BDSM club, learning how to let go of control but the Dom that was training her was more about his needs and Kegan wasn’t as interested in that lifestyle 24/7, even going as far as faking her orgasm rather than totally submitting to him.

On a vacation trip, she decides to seek out the BDSM club again but comes in contact with a new Dom, named Walker, who is willing to teach her a few things about losing control and her own sexual needs. And in turn falls a little for this enigmatic woman.

No Restraint is a story that takes place in a futuristic world where women face some of the same inequality regarding their gender. Kegan has to work twice as hard and be even better than the best in order to prove to the guys around her that she can handle herself as a racer. She reminds me of some of the earlier women of racing like Shirley “Cha-Cha” Muldowney who became one of the world’s greatest women funny car racer.

I loved the strong silent type of Walker. He was so different than so many of the other male dominants that I’ve read about. Whether it came from the futuristic bent or his own unique style, he was quietly strong not forceful and knew Kegan better than she knew herself.

If you enjoy a futuristic story that is filled with steamy sex, strong characters and a great storyline, you are going to love No Restraint. Enjoy!

The Guardian by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2012-01-23T16:52:00.000-05:00

What would you do if you were at the mercy of the Guardian of Azmodea, a realm so depraved and fierce that it made Hell look like a child’s playhouse? The Guardian will leave you wondering about the horrible realities that some children face each day in the world and will make you take a second look at what beauty hides behind a stone façade.

Dream-Hunter Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions: To descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill her and her kind. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm’s most vicious guardian…
Seth’s time is running out. If he can’t hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn’t been able to break the god in his custody. Then there’s the beautiful Dream-Hunter Lydia: She isn’t just guarding the gates of Olympus—she’s holding back one of the world’s darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive...

Lydia has always known that she was unique with special powers because of her parentage. When she was younger, she had to hide her other half. Even her mother was forced to hide the evidence of her birth. But when her mother is killed, Lydia runs and finds her father where she learns to embrace her dual nature. She is an amazingly kind hearted person for someone who faced such horrible life lessons.

Seth was tortured as a child by his own parents and sold by his adoptive family but because of his immortality, no matter the extreme amount of torture, he was unable to die to escape the pain. Serving as the Guardian or whipping post to Noir and sexual booty call to Azura, Seth is forced to live through daily punishments that leave him to the point of death and at the mercy of his tormentors. Seth is broken inside and out, unable to trust or accept help from anyone. His life broke my heart.

Lydia and Seth come together like a train wreck. They shouldn’t love each other with the horrible way that Seth treated her father or the callus way that Lydia’s family treated Seth, yet they do. Both of them have issues with keeping things to themselves which come back to hurt the other, although they honestly did it with the best intentions. The Guardian contains one of the best scenes when Lydia is trying to teach Seth about computers and the Internet. My sides hurt from laughing.

The Guardian is a fast paced read of two people who are forced together and end up finding love. Lydia teaches Seth that people aren’t the horrible monsters that he believes and even sets herself up as his protector. I really enjoyed coming back to the world of the Dream-Hunters and Dark-Hunters. While each book is a read-alone, there are often cross-over characters who appear in each story. In this one, we get to see the Bears of Sanctuary and even learn a key piece of information about Nick Ambrose from the Chronicles of Nick books. I love how all Sherrilyn Kenyon’s book weave together.

If you enjoy books with flawed alpha males, evil dictators who want to take over the world, and the strong women who will do anything for the people they love, you are going to enjoy the story of The Guardian.

The Long Moon by Stephy Smith

2012-01-23T15:34:00.005-05:00

Carson and River where high school sweethearts until Carson's bull riding and River's temper got the best of their relationship. For the last few years Carson has been a hired hand on her daddy's ranch. As chance would have it, River needs Carson's help to bring down Harvey Jamison. Harvey has it in his head that if he married River, by force if needs be, he will get her land. Carson wouldn't let that happen; if he can't have River, no one can.

Carson Long fights to remain free of the swirling emotions a past love instilled in him. Denying his heart access to the long-haired beauty isn't an easy task.
River Moon desperately wants to reclaim the man she lost from one irrational fit of rage. He refuses to give into her request until she and her grandparents lives are threatened.
No matter what she did to him in the past, he couldn’t let her suffering go without helping her. But will he be able to resist the temptations of his past?

Carson Long has it settled that he will never be with River, however, his mind seems to have other ideas since he can't seem to stop thinking about her. Even old man Moon is telling him to give her another change. If River would learn to control her temper Carson would let her back into his life but he doesn't think he heart could take another beating. When River admits to being harassed by Harvey Jamison, Carson will do everything he can to put Harvey in his place. Not just for River but for her family as well.

River Moon lost the one most important to her when she lost Carson. She let her mouth run, and even if she hated seeing Carson put himself in danger on a bull, she shouldn't have let her hot head get the best of her. Now River owns her own Ranch, has her own hired hands, and she is very lonely. After Harvey threatens her and her grandparents' ranch, she decides that Carson is bet suited to get Harvey off her back and behind bars. Maybe seeing Carson again will bring River some closer for her heartache.

The Long Moon is a great love story with a country music beat. Stephy Smith's writing is wonderful, and Carson and River's chemistry can be felt in the air. Keeping a respect for said chemistry, Stephy Smith focuses on rekindling the romance between them emotionally; proving you don't need a physical scene to have a a great romance story. I love the ranch setting as well, where you not only see the southwest surroundings but you hear the southern drawl in their talk too. If you have ever worn cowboy boots, cried over a horse or just love a good, simple romance then The Long Moon is the read for you.

Spellbound by Samantha Combs

2012-01-23T14:27:00.001-05:00

Being late to school for once was finally worth it to Logan Daniels. If he wouldn't have been late, he wouldn't have met his destiny, Serena Starr. With destiny, there are always obstacles to overcome and in Spellbound by Samantha Combs, Logan and Serena struggle with an abundance of difficulties while discovering new and unwavering love with one another.

Logan Daniels has always led a sheltered life in sleepy, predictable Lancaster, New Hampshire. But when beautiful Serena suddenly appears at school one day, his comfortable existence becomes anything but as he finds himself falling in love with her. There's something special about Serena Starr. He realizes what it is when he sees her unleash her spells. Soon, a mysterious and foreboding presence settles over his placid home.
Logan and Serena find themselves battling darkness and evil with an ominous mission: it wants Serena and will stop at nothing to have her. Tearing apart Logan's town, threatening his friends, even causing harm to his family, the demon will spread its doom over every facet of Logan's once placid life. Logan matures in ways he could never have imagined as he struggles to protect those he loves, including Serena. But he can't do it alone.
Serena hails from a long line of able and powerful women who will aide in the battle and perhaps settle a score of their own. The strength of the coven and Serena's love will be behind him, but ultimately this is Logan's fight to win. But, will he?

Logan has never been interested in a girl until the beautiful and mysterious Serena moved in across the street from him and his mom and sister. She is not only beautiful and intelligent, but very intriguing as well. Logan is drawn to her like she's his life force, and he can't seem to even breathe unless she's near. There is something different about Serena, and getting to know her is going to be well worth the crazy emotions he feels. He begins falling in love with her almost immediately.

Serena just moved into town with her older sister Elizabeth and her younger sister Tabitha. Meeting Logan was a wonderful surprise, and she is as drawn to him as he is to her. Serena is different from him though and she knows she should stay away but she can't bring herself to do that. She falls for him hard and fast. Something a twitch, a teenage witch, should not do with a regular human.

Most twitches are just coming into their powers, but Selena is well on her way to becoming a full fledged witch. She has a unique gene she inherited from her late mother causing her to be extremely gifted in her twitch powers. She's stronger and has more abilities then most twitches and even witches should have. The council knows this and they want her to be part of their evil coven.

When Logan and Serena finally come together as a couple and begin to make their love known, the council begins doing everything possible to keep the couple apart. They also want to gain the powers they believe Serena entails. Demons are sent to terrorize Serena, Logan, and their families, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Serena and Logan's relationship is tested In so many ways throughout Spellbound. Family secrets are revealed for both characters, a lot of drama erupts, and a whole lot of spells are cast. Can Serena and Logan's love overcome all that it faces?

Logans character was so caring, brave, and at times even vulnerable. I loved reading about somebody so genuine and sweet. The a-typical bad boy that seems to take over every young adult novel now a days has taken a backseat, In my opinion, to Logan. He is an open book and never made it less then known how he felt about Serena. He is protective, and so loving, you can't help but swoon for him.

Serena is very confident in who she is. She constantly shines throughout Spellbound. She's a brave young woman with a willingness to sacrifice her needs for what she believes in. She loves with all her heart and never shows weakness in that. I enjoyed her character a lot.

Although I have been finding the storylines in a lot of young adult novels slightly over the top lately, I found the concept in Spellbound to be refreshingly different and good! The concept of witches and twitches is a newer one to me and I genuinely enjoyed reading about these characters and what they bring to the table! There was so much action in Spellbound! I became anxious and even excited at times while reading Spellbound, something I haven't felt in quite sometime while reading a book. I highly recommend Spellbound to fans of young adult books. It was a clean and sweet read that certainly knows how to cast a spell over you!

Battered Not Broken by Celia Kyle

2012-01-23T11:36:00.000-05:00

Gillian found herself running through the cold and wet snow for hours after her car had broken down miles back, her only thought was that if she could reach the warmth of the fire she spotted in the distance everything would be ok. Kyle wouldn’t be able to find her and hurt her again, her body could rest from her terrifying journey to safety and just maybe she could start over. What she found in the small cabin nestled in the deep woods wasn’t at all what Gillian expected but would definitely change her life forever.

Gillian Locke has been beaten, battered, and bruised, but her ex-boyfriend still hasn’t managed to break her. When she left Kyle for the last time, she knew the only way she’d ever be back in his grasp is over her dead body. When her car breaks down at the top of a mountain in the middle of a snowstorm, she thinks nature will take care of her death for him. On the run, the last thing she expects is to be offered shelter by three gorgeous men who can’t seem to get enough of her.
The Bearclaw brothers are descendants of the ancient Anikota tribe of Indians. Their beast spirit and blessing from the Maker allows them the ability to sense the one who would complete their soul. Being triplets, they always expected their mate to be one woman they’d share. With the Maker’s blessing, they’ll be able to ease past Gillian’s defenses before her past threatens to end their future.
Molten Silver: m/m/m/f sexin'. The men are brothers, so there's no lovin' between them, but plenty showered on the heroine. Violence against the heroine from the bad guy. And did I mention hot m/m/m/f sexin?

Gillian had been hit enough and this last time was the last time, with the bruises still circling her neck she heads off into the night to put distance between her and the man who had abused her. But when her car breaks down in a snow storm miles from help she finds herself struggling to make it to the safety she sees so far off in the distance. Stumbling around in the dark down a long winding driveway she finally makes it to the porch of a log cabin nestled in the woods. Knocking on the door she gets no response and decides to take her chances with the strangers who own the home to the bitter cold. Unable to feel her bodies’ aches and pains yet she trudges from room to room finding solace in a neat and tidy guest room. Lying her head down on the comfortable bed Gillian finds herself deeply wrapped in sleep.

The Bearclaw brothers never expected to find their mate, much less find her nestled in one of their beds and if coming home after a day of shifting into their bear forms and trudging through the woods to find a beauty asleep in their cabin bruised and scared isn’t a big enough shock then finding out that she is the missing piece to their soul just might be. Seeing the way Gillian recoils from them and the bruises surrounding her neck gives the brothers enough knowledge to know that they need to take it slowly if they hope to win Gillian’s trust before her fear makes her run again. Conner, Ronan and Max try desperately to contain the feelings they have for Gillian while making her feel comfortable in their world. How can the Bearclaw brothers help Gillian except that she is not one but all of their mates and keep her safe from the danger that seems to keep finding her without losing her forever?

Battered but not Broken by Celia Kyle puts a new twist on Goldilocks and the three bears that you will never expect. I really enjoyed the family dynamics that the Bearclaw family introduced us to, three witty brothers all different in their own way but sharing one soul and one mate, add to them poor Gillian whose life has not been an easy road to follow and together you get one heck of a story. With Gillian on the run from her ex Kyle who has manhandled her one too many times Gillian’s faith in men is pretty low but the way the brothers take care of her helps heal the hole that is left in her heart. Battered but not Broken really pulled at my heart strings, the way Celia Kyle writes the brothers feelings for Gillian it’s like you can feel their hearts breaking and their anger rise at the one who put Gillian’s life at risk. Battered but not Broken gives you all of the elements of a good romance book, three hot guys, one very distressed female lead, a cast of supporting characters that really bring the story alive and oh yeah some very hot and steamy scenes that will fog up the mirrors! If you enjoy a good read with the m/m/m/f aspect then I definitely recommend Battered but not Broken by Celia Kyle

Twilight Over Moldavia by Stephanie Burkhart

2012-01-22T17:35:00.000-05:00

Caroline is a princess of Carpathia in 1883. She is to be engaged to Prince Stefan; together they will uniting Romania. The arranged marriage seems to have promise, as the two of them get along quite well. Caroline hopes that the fluttering in her heart and the heat she feels when ever she and the prince share a simple touch will blossom into deep feelings. Little do they both know, there is someone who will do anything to make sure that Prince Stefan doesn't fall in love.

Romanian unification is on the horizon. Prince Stefan Sigmaringen travels to Ploiesti, Carpathia. He's to be promised in marriage to the Crown Princes Caroline, a spirited young lady who prefers riding horses and archery to embroidery and dancing.
Despite Stefan's initial apprehension, he discovers that his intended is a pleasant surprise with a caring heart. He also learns a strange man named Timon has an unnatural interest in him.
Two years later, Stefan and Caroline are officially engaged. To Stefan's horror he overhears his mother confessing to a dangerous secret – she cursed him in order to conceive him and Stefan owes his body to Timon. There is a condition to overcome the curse, but Stefan will have to draw on all his courage and inner strength to confront the werewolf who desires to posses his soul. Stefan feels it isn't fair to fall in love with Caroline with a foul enchantment hanging over his head. Dare Caroline break the blood bonds of the curse with her love?

Caroline knows that she is falling in love with Prince Stefan. Despite the curse that is running through him, she is determent to stay by his side. They work together to piece together the clues as to how to break the curse and free Stefan from the fate of becoming a werewolf. However, the werewolf who took part in the curse is making it known that he will stop at nothing to turn Stefan.

Stefan knows that secrets run thick in his family, his curse to turn into a werewolf being one of them. Stefan doesn't want to be unfair to Caroline and have her fall in love with someone to is doomed to be a beast. As much as he tries to not to love, his feeling for her grow, and so does the understanding of how to break his curse. Stefan begins to hope, but he soon finds out that he must rid himself of the werewolf who hunts them is he is to find true happiness with Caroline and within his family.

Twilight Over Moldavia is another wonderful werewolf tale by Stephanie Burkhart. Her writing takes you to the place and time easily, engaging your senses. Not only do you become familiar with the main characters, but also you'll come to know something about every person in the story. The twisting story line will keep your nose in the book until you have finished. Stephanie's ability to add suspense and mystery to romances gives her stories all the more depth. If you love werewolf stories, romances, or a good book, I recommend Twilight Over Moldavia.

Awakening Delilah by Abigail Barnette

2012-01-22T16:30:00.001-05:00

When Delilah moved to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to the gated community built exclusively for shifter, Gwinn Close, she thought she would find a place that allowed her to shift to her deer form and run, finding freedom but what she didn’t expect to find was that the shifters in Gwinn Close were gorgeous and overly friendly.

When Delilah Lewis moved from Atlanta to Gwinn Close, a sanctuary for shifters in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, she knew there would be an adjustment period. She just never thought getting shot at by poachers would be a part of that adjustment. When two sexy shifters come to her rescue, things get even more complicated. Delilah is a good girl, with a good-girl upbringing, and both men make her want to be very bad...
Miguel and Darius are in a committed relationship, but once they meet Delilah, they want more.While Delilah wonders if Gwinn Close is right for her, Miguel and Darius do everything they can to convince her to stay. But secrets from their past threaten a future with the woman they both crave. And while she struggles to let go of her boring former life, both men work to bring out the wild animal in her...

Delilah left her home in Atlanta with the hopes to live her life as a shifter where the ridicule of being different wouldn’t follow her. She wasn’t really leaving much behind in her home state of Georgia, a mother who thought to run her life, no love interest pining away for her and her job she did out of the comfort of her own home so no goodbye office party to miss out on. Running through the woods in her deer form meant freedom to Delilah until she realizes that she is being followed. Hurriedly shifting back to her human form she tries to outrun the large red wolf that is chasing her down only to see the wolf shift into a bronze god of a man who just happens to be as naked as she is. Miguel Paz isn’t alone in the woods chasing deer, up in the sky the biggest bat Delilah has ever seen swoops down from the sky to land as a man in front of her.

Darius and Miguel hadn’t wondered out into the woods of the Upper Peninsula and on Delilah’s trail by accident, knowing that the woods are full of poachers who would happily shoot any animal that crossed their tracks might just have the new girl in town needing a little help. What the two lovers didn’t expect to find was someone they both wanted to get to know better. Convincing Delilah that it is safer to stay together she accepts their offer of an escort to her new home in Gwinn Close and after allowing the boys to come in things between the trio get hot.

Darius and Miguel try to get Delilah to move their one night stand relationship to a more permanent arrangement but Delilah is tempted to just keep to herself and make the most of the short time she has been in Michigan. Never the real social butterfly Delilah finds it hard to make new friends and with the awkward feelings she has after the night she spends with the two shifters she fears that she will never be able to live the “normal life” she wanted. But with the help of a few new acquaintances showing her that there is a new way of life surrounding her on all sides Delilah might be able to let down her walls and welcome a new change in thinking.

Awakening Delilah was a great little read that shows us that no matter how different you may be physically or emotionally that there is always that certain special person or persons out there for you. Awakening Delilah is about a deer shifter that has been told to hide her abilities all of her life and to just be “normal”. Setting out on her own and far away from her over bearing mother Delilah moves to and exclusive community that was built just for shifters and their families. Living alone suits her just fine at first, no one around to tell her how to live or what to do but after meeting Miguel and Darius and seeing how the other members of the community live she soon realizes that she is missing out on some of the better parts of life. Opening her eyes she sees that there is a mixture of “families” in Gwinn Close, mixes shifter and non shifter families and then there are pack families. Awakening Delilah is not all family and community, nope there are some pretty steamy sex scenes that will have you turning on a fan or cracking a window! Abigail Barnette has a winner here for a continued series, giving us a great setting for shifters to live and commune in a safe environment that allows them to be their animalistic selves.

Defying the Odds by Kele Moon

2012-01-22T15:25:00.000-05:00

It takes a lot of trust in order for someone to love again after dealing with abuse in a relationship. In the novella entitled Defying the Odds by Kele Moon, down on her luck waitress Melody decides after meeting professional UFC fighter Clay "The Powerhouse" Powers, that she may finally take the risk and see if she can actually learn to love again. (even if her scarred past seems to continuously haunt her dreams.)

When struggling waitress Melody Dylan gives a handsome, lonely stranger a simple gift she has no clue her life is about to take a drastic turn.
The stranger ends up being Clay Powers, a famous UFC heavyweight fighter. Clay’s large build and dangerous fists have always intimidated. People in his hometown keep their distance and Clay is fine with that. Everything changes when a new waitress at the local diner buys him a piece of pie on Thanksgiving. Touched by the gesture when it’s obvious she can barely afford to survive, her warm smile and lush body churn up powerful feelings that leave Clay wanting more from her than pie.
Melody is running from her past and the small, country town of Garnet is the perfect hiding place. With an ex-husband after her and scars from her abusive marriage etched deep, the last thing she expects is to fall for a man who makes a living with his fists, but she can’t resist Clay or the tender connection they share.
Finding love in the most unlikely of places, the passion is undeniable, but Clay and Melody know their haunted pasts and unpredictable futures leave the odds stacked against them.
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: violence.

From the moment Clay sat in her section of tables at Hal's Diner, Melody knew there was something different and special about him. She found him sweet and endearing, not necessarily the rough and tough bad boy he is rumored to be. He can actually get her blood pumping in a positive way and it has been a very long time since thats happened. Melody is well acquainted with bad men, especially ones like her abusive ex husband. With Clay though, she tries to look past what everyone thinks of him. She likes forging her own opinion of people, especially a man like Clay.

Clay doesn't know what it feels like to genuinely be loved by someone. His whole career and popularity as a UFC fighter seems to be the only thing people care about, especially woman. He has yet to find someone who makes him remotely interested in a relationship either, that is until Melody entered his life. The intense chemistry he feels with Melody is so new to him. Now that Clay has felt this feeling, he's intent on never letting it go. Thus begins the up and down journey of Defying the Odds.

My opinions of Melody are so high. She is a brave woman with big hopes and dreams, even after a rough and loveless marriage. She was a victim of severe abuse, and pretty much left her entire life behind to start over. I felt for her deeply. Her bravery after suffering through such a harsh time inspired me a lot. I also loved her caring and sweet southern charm. She is a genuine person with genuine heart.

Clay is the a-typical bad boy you just can't seem to get enough of. He makes your toes curl and has you swooning with every line he says. He is a man with a troubled childhood, but channeled that into his UFC career making him seem rather determined in everything he says and does. He is a protector, a fighter, and when he learns to love as well, he masters that best of all. I'm sure there are a million adjectives I could use to describe Clay, but the one I can't get out of my head right now is yummy!

Defying the Odds was a good old fashioned predictable, but genuinely entertaining erotica romance. I felt like I got just enough back story from each character to keep me interested in their lives. I'm glad i was able to read Defying the Odds and I do recommend it to anyone who loves a hot and steamy overall good book.

Out of Control by Emma Hillman

2012-01-21T16:28:00.000-05:00

Jade had spent years fleeing from her adoptive home on the pride and her five mates, but the death of the woman who raised her has her racing back home in hopes to say her last goodbyes and bring closure to the men she once loved. As Jade drives closer to the gates she sees five dark and very angry men are blocking her entrance and all of them looked like they have a bone to pick with her.

Afraid she’d always be too human for the five shape-shifting lions who wanted to claim her as a mate, Jade left the Pride who’d adopted her as soon as she turned eighteen. Now she’s back, and only just realizing how much her departure affected them all.
They’re so intent on seducing her, she’s having trouble resisting. One, maybe she could have, but five sexy men eager to claim her?
Surrounded by men who won’t take no for an answer, and with the future of the Pride in jeopardy, Jade needs to decide who she can trust…starting with herself.

Jade was only eighteen when she fled from her pride, being the only female of mating age had made it hard on her and the five men who were vying for her heart and being human didn’t help. Afraid that she would never be enough for any of them Jade took off and headed to the city, hiding from the pride for years and when news of her adoptive mom and the last female of her Pride, reaches her she heads back to the pride to find that her absence was harder on the pride than she could have ever expected. Her disappearance caused her mates attitudes to change and the other pride members to flee she is surprised to learn that the only pride members remaining are her men.

Leo the leader of the pride along with the other four men have been waiting on her return, anticipating when they could truly make her their mate and live the life they were destined to live. But it’s going to take a lot of convincing to make Jade see that her rightful place in the world is by their sides, lioness or not and they are willing to go to any length possible to keep her.

I had read the first two books in the Grassroots series by Emma Hillman, Rough It Up and Suck It Up, both were boy meets girl, boy saves girl kind of books, but in Out of Control Ms. Hillman takes us on a whole new adventure with one girl and five very sexy lion shifters. At only eighty seven pages she does a good job of giving us some background into why Jade decides to skip town one night leaving the five men who all want her as a mate behind. Being a human with five lion shifters fighting for rights to mate with you must be one heck of a scary situation but when Jade returns she finds that the men have settled this little problem for her, its mate with all or none. She decides for the sake of the pride that she needs to mate with all of them and it’s not just for the sex, she truly loves these five men that she was raised beside of. We get to see a little of the past they shared, enough that we understand the dynamics and it’s not so weird to have five lovers. All of the men in Out of Control are different in their own ways and that makes for an interesting situations, Leo is the strong brooding type who is the leader of the Pride who has everyone’s best interest at heart. Then we have the triplets Logan, Samuel and Trent, all identical except for their hair. Then there’s Brian, the BDSM member of the group making for some crazy fun in the sheets. With five men and one woman the sex scenes in Out of Control become more like a giant puppy pile than a lions pride but the story is different and the writing is very well done. So if you are into a book where the girl gets all the guys then I highly recommend Out of Control by Emma Hillman.

Ghostly by Samantha Combs

2012-01-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

Sixteen year old Juicy Lucy has never been a guy magnet. She's never had a boyfriend either. Now in the short span of two weeks, that all seems to be changing. In Ghostly, a novella by Samantha Combs, Lucy, known by her friends as Juice, has quite a dilemma going on. Juice has suddenly found herself sought after by three amazingly cute guys.

High school has never been effortless for social misfit Juice Zander and her sophomore year is proving to be no exception. Having a new boy in homeroom actually pay attention to her might be a start to all that changing. But there are some big issues brewing. That fact that Shane Elliot has revealed himself to be a ghost isn’t her biggest problem. Neither is the fact that he wants her to help him find a “host body” so he can be a real teenager again. It’s not even that when she does find a possible donor for her supercute ghost, it’s another so-not-ugly guy who for some unprecedented reason likes her. No, her real problem is that after years of platonic friendship, she discovers one of her best buddies has feelings for her, and she’s afraid those feelings might be mutual.
Enlisting the help of her tight group of best friends, Juice sets out to 1) find the perfect host for her ghost, 2) figure out her surprising new relationship with her longtime friend and 3) maybe discover she’s not such a social misfit after all.

Juice seems to be in awe right now. Her life has remained relatively uncomplicated for the past sixteen years. Now she has these three cute guys suddenly vying for her attention. One of them happens to be one of her best friends. Everybody calls him Creepshow because of his love for scary movies. After discovering this, Juice actually begins noticing Creepshow as something other then her good buddy. He's filled out, grown taller, and he just so happens to be in love with Juice. Not to mention there is Mason her new hero who saves Juice from getting trampled by a group of people at the local battle of the bands night. Finally there is Shane, a fifteen year old guy who just so happens to be a ghost. He has been wandering aimlessly for sixty years waiting for someone to help him find a host body to live in. After all this time, he finally chooses Juice to help him, and she eagerly accepts.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of in Ghostly, but they are all important to the plotline. Juice first of all, is a fun loving and easygoing teen with a unique style, and an eagerness to make everyone happy and content. Then there is Creepshow. He's a typical surfer dude, with lots of love to give. He's actually fairly intelligent and has a good insight on life. Next is Shane, the ghost with no memory. He's pretty brave, and is not afraid to express his feelings. Then we have Mason, the mysterious boy who seems to be slightly obsessive when he is introduced more as a character. Finally we can't forget Sixx and Jett, Juice's other two best friends who are equally important to the story. These two characters develop a little relationship themselves, which was slightly predictable but still cute and fun.

Each character had their own distinct personality in Ghostly although I wish I knew just slightly more about each of them. Ghostly had all the materials to make up a good teen love story, but I felt it fell a little short of where it could have been. I felt that Ghostly was slightly rushed, and I really wanted it to slow down. One moment Juice was confused as to who she wanted to be with, and then all of a sudden she knew. I had to stop and make sure I didn't skip any part of the story because it all happened so quick. The ending was unique though, and I enjoyed the slight turn of events that occurred in Ghostly's conclusion.

Overall I do believe most young adult book fans should take the time to read Ghostly. Ghostly is a fun and quick read that has a little sweetness mixed into it that I did enjoy. With the paranormal aspect meeting up once again with the typical teenage love triangle aspect, Ghostly is a decent story that should be put on someone's to be read pile.

Lucky Ducks by Jan Romes

2012-01-21T14:52:00.000-05:00

Claire Stone is sporting her Lucky Duck panties, but will they be enough to change her life?

Recently divorced, Claire Stone is off to a fresh start. A new city. A job prospect. Wearing her lucky ducks underwear. Things are going great--until a clumsy lout barrels into her, sending her to the concrete. Her world takes a tumble too when the handsome klutz who scuffed her up turns out to be her new boss.
Engaged twice. Dumped twice. Kasen Isaak has had his fill of green-eyed women, yet his father insists he hire Claire Stone -- a nail-biting claustrophobic with the greenest eyes he's ever seen.
Will green eyes, a run of bad luck, and a slew of idiosyncrasies keep them from finding the greatest luck of all?

After catching her husband in bed with another woman, divorcing, and moving from L.A. to New York, Claire is trying to start over. A new job, a new place, a new love?

Everything that can go wrong seems to go wrong in Claire's life and her Lucky Ducks seem to be Unlucky Ducks for her.

Lucky Ducks was a cute if frustrating story. Both Claire and Kasen kept their feelings bottled up, making their connection doubly difficult. I loved the secondary characters. Jake Stone and Burdo Isaak were such cute conniving old soldiers and Gin and Riggs were awesome best friends.

Lucky Ducks was light and entertaining. A nice afternoons diversion.

My Kingdom for a Corner by Melinda Barron

2012-01-20T16:12:00.002-05:00

Francesca Steele is a Dom in the BDSM society. Although she does have a few subs that she reins over, she feels like something is missing in her life. Oliver McDunn is quit taken with Francisca from the moment he saw her. After he plays Dom over her, Oliver knows that he must be with her. The hard part will be convincing Francesca that she can have both Dom and sub side.

Though skeptical at first about playing the bottom role, Francesca decides to play along, thinking it’s just for one night. But after an evening of mind-blowing sex, Francesca can’t get Santa off her mind, especially when she finds out he’s Mr. Oliver, a popular new Dom who has a proposition for her: spend the weekend as his sub, and explore the part of her that she’s left hidden—the submissive side.
Will the explorations help Francesca find another part of her soul, or will it leave her wondering why she decided to play along?

Oliver is convinced that he has unlocked Francesca's sub side after seeing her as a submissive at her company's Christmas party. Oliver invites her to his house for the weekend to show her that it is him that she has been missing in her life. However, Oliver only knows one way to live his personal life and that is him as the Dom in their relationship. He hopes that the weekend will open a door to a lifetime together.

Francesca isn't sure about Oliver's proposal to stay the weekend with him as his sub, but she has convinced herself that she should be more open-minded. After being a Dom for so long, playing sub is proving harder than she would admit. Although, as Francisca admits to herself that she is enjoying her experiences with Oliver, she becomes even more scared that she is losing her Dominate side.

My Kingdom for a Corner is one of the best BDSM based books that I have read. With many BDSM scenes played out and wonderful detail in the writing, one thing you will not experience with My Kingdom for a Corner is boredom. Francesca's stubbornness with the situation makes for even more entertaining reading in between the steamy, provocative scenes. If you can't pass us a good BDSM book, My Kingdom for a Corner will keep you tied to the spot when you read it.

White Lighter by Angie Derek

2012-01-20T15:05:00.000-05:00

Two years after the brutal death of her parents White Lighter Lily Conner finds herself still on the run from a pack of Vampires who want to steal her inner light. With the help of her Vampire protector Brenda, Lily has managed to out run them and keep her little sister Sophie safe but sometimes it's impossible to know just who the bad guys are and how close they can be.

Lily Conner is a witch with an unusual side affect to her powers – she glows like a neon white light to all supernatural creatures. A vampire who kills her will absorb her light gaining the ability to use magic. Two years ago her family was killed when a pack of vampires followed her home. She barely escaped with her toddler sister in tow. Now she lives on the run with her four-year-old sister and a vampire bodyguard. Reyes Vega lost his whitelighter sister to vampires several years ago. When he meets Lily and her sister he knows he can’t let another whitelighter fall victim to the vampires and sets out to protect her from the same fate as his sister.

Lily Conner watched in horror as her parents were killed, knowing that her being a white lighter was the reason for their deaths and her sisters life being in constant danger gave her all the more reason to fight when needed and run when able. But when her protector Brenda is seriously hurt and they have to go in separate ways to keep Sophie safe Lily knows that she needs help. Taking the risk she flags down a sheriff and is surprised to learn that not only is he willing to help her he also knows what she is.

When Reyes saw Lily for the first time her aura was so blinding he knew right away that she was a white lighter just like his mother and the sister he had not been able to save. Trying to make up for the mistake of not being there to protect his own family Reyes agrees to stay with Lily until she and her sister are safe, even if Brenda doesn't agree or trust him. The instant heat between Reyes and Lily is undeniable and gives him all the more reason to stay, trying to win Lily’s trust he takes her to the one person he thinks can help, his mother. Unfortunately trouble seems to follow Lily wherever she goes and this time she has more to lose than just her inner light.

Whitelighter by Angie Derek is a great little read, I thought at first that it was going to be a hokey knock off from the TV show Charmed but this was a little different. The White Lighters here are witches and are in hiding because the Vampires are searching them out to steal their powers for their own use. Partnering with Brenda, a vamp who believes that killing witches for their light is wrong she tries to outrun danger but no matter how far she runs it just keeps finding its way back to her. When things get too bad Brenda leads the vamps away leaving Lily and Sophie to fend for themselves. A chance meeting with Officer Reyes, the son of a white lighter who can see peoples auras and determine whether they are vamps, pets or other, adds fuel to Lily's flame; whenever they touch sparks begin to fly and not long after meeting so do the clothes. The family dynamics in Whitelighter are very interesting too, the guilt each character feels is always present but it's something they need to overcome to get out of the next mess alive. Angie Derek wrote in WhiteLighter in such a vivid and interesting way that I really wish Whitelighter was a longer book, I would enjoy reading more of this story, a little more action and more ummm sex is always a good thing!

The King's Choice by Mandy M. Roth

2012-01-20T14:07:00.000-05:00

King Jakov has rule over his kingdom of shape shifters and while he has spend the last six hundred years doing whatever he has wished with whom ever he has wanted, now is the time to find a wife. Although, to King Jakov that doesn't necessarily mean changing his rules. When the beautiful, powerful and strong willed Dijana comes across his path, his heart is taken. When King Jakov notices that his brother is giving her the same look that he is sure is on his own face, there will be consequences.

During a place and time separate from our own, a King is forced to select the woman who will rule by his side for all eternity. Little does he know, it is she who will have the final decision. Will his carnal desires drive her into the arms of another? Or, will she see that he can only ever love her?
Once every one hundred years, the Red Moon rises over the Kingdom of Braluse. It is said in the prophecies that upon the sixth rising of the Red Moon during a King’s reign, they must have conceived an heir or never have one. Being immortal and living for an eternity with no child of their own is torturous.
King Jakov of Braluse, is unhappy about being pressured into selecting a wife. With the sixth Red Moon of his reign fast approaching, he has little choice in the matter. When his head advisor, and younger brother, Andrija brings forth a woman with a temper that rivals a King’s, he claims her on the spot. That was his first mistake. Ordering her to submit to his sexual desires was the next.
Who will tame whom in this planet where gods are real, blended shifters exists and the only way for a female to be immortal, is to mate to a powerful male. Can a King who has always had his way learn to compromise, and can a woman who never wanted a husband learn to be a queen?
WARNING: This book contains hot, explicit sex and violence explained with contemporary, graphic language.

Dijana is one of the last of her kind. Being a priestess she holds untold powers along with her unlimited stubbornness. She is now caught between the handsome king and his brother, Andrija. She finds that despite her unwillingness to entertain King Jakov as his wife, she is falling in love with him. When Andrija feels that his feelings for Dijana should lead to a challenge between him and his brother, Dijana is treated to bedding both brothers in order to combine their powers and produce a son to take the thrown.

The King's Choice is a fun short story. Dijana is a stubborn, independent woman and proves to be most entertaining when she takes over the situation. The bedroom scenes are steamy and are sure to raise your body temperature. If you are looking for a short and sweet read with a side of woman power, The King's Choice is a good one to add to your reading list.

Scorched Destiny by Michelle M. Pillow

2012-01-20T13:03:00.001-05:00

Lucienne, or Luci for short, is looking for an Egyptian legend. It is said that the djinni were put into a tomb to suffer until the once who could show them true passion would free them. This, for the djinni's unwillingness to enslave the women of there people; as such once they were given passion, the one who proved it would be their master. Luci was sure she had the passion to free a djinni, however what is freedom when the price is enslavement.

And one shall free him by succumbing to the passions within…
Lucienne's family has searched for centuries to liberate the ancient djinn imprisoned beneath the Arabian sands. Once free, the djinni Nadir will be her slave, forced to grant her every wish, her every desire, her every decadent whim. But in order to control him, she must first prove she has enough passion to make her worthy of being his mistress.

Luci and her family have been looking for the djinni for four generations. She has given her time, money and fantasies into finding them and given one her passion. When Luci opens the tomb of the one she seeks, she gives into the handsome djinni and frees him. He is now hers to do with what she wants and right now all she wants is him to pleasure her. Luci fears that if she frees him he will choose to leave her and she isn't sure he heart could handle that.

Scorched Destiny will make you feel just that, scorched. When Luci finds her djinni, their passion jumps off the pages as she fulfills her sexual fantasies. Even being able to turn one djinni into two. If you are looking for a quick read with wonderful writing and heart pounding sensual scenes, Scorched Destiny should be on your "to-be-read" list.

Mission of Seduction by Chloe Alison

2012-01-20T11:54:00.001-05:00

When Jessie gets a package from her boyfriend at work, she wasn't expecting lingerie and a "Top Secret Mission". Jessie decides to play along as the sultry Agent Aubergine to steal a microchip from the subject by means of seduction. Jessie excepts her boyfriends "mission" and plans to play Agent Aubergine exceptionally well.

Mission of Seduction - an Erotic Short Story
An intriguing and unexpected package arrives for Jessie at work one morning, apparently sent by her longtime boyfriend Matthew. In it she discovers a “secret mission” she must undertake to disable her target through seduction and recover a secret object hidden on his body.
Armed only with her alluring outfit and growing confidence, Jessie immerses herself into the role of the assured and sexy “Agent Aubergine” and proceeds to seduce her target with a “striptease mission procedure.” Losing herself into her secret identity, she begins to discover new, unknown pleasures as she provides some incredible surprises for her “enemy agent.” Jessie soon finds herself as deeply aroused as her captive target as the mission takes unexpected erotic turns.
By the conclusion of this erotic and explicit mission of seduction, you will find yourself as overtaken with pleasure and desire as Jessie and her helpless prey!

As Jessie takes on her new persona, she discovers a new side of herself she wouldn't have experienced otherwise. Proving that confidence is a true turn on, and trying something new is worth trying. Jessie reminds us all to take fun chances and sometimes being outside our comfort zone can be a good thing. Although, I'm not sure sending your girlfriend a package with lacy underwear to her work place is such a good idea.

Mission of Seduction is a fun, very short read. It is very well written and builds up to the juicy scene nicely. The playfulness of the story makes it light-hearted but steamy. Mission of Seduction could pass for the "How To" of role play and is worth a few hours of reading, really good reading.

Reckless Territory by Kate Watterson

2012-01-20T10:54:00.000-05:00

Lady Victoria Mead has had a rough year. First her father dies, than she found out he was broke, she was shipped off to relatives in the United States, and now her wagon train has been attacked by Indians. The lone survivor in the middle of Reckless Territory, Victoria is rescued by three men traveling to a new life. They are outlaws to the world, but saviors to Victoria.

When desire collides with danger, rope up and hang on for the ride.
Lady Victoria Mead cannot believe fate has been so cruel to her yet again. First, her father squandered the family fortune and died in the process. Now, her quest to secure a future in America has been foiled by an attack on her wagon train, leaving her alone and half-naked in the wilderness.
Her only hope lies in three outlaws who seem to have absolutely no idea what to do with the proper daughter of an English earl.
Ranching partners Cole, Jace and Robert can handle any threat with cool, swift precision. But when it comes to the gloriously lovely Lady Victoria, who seems to have no discernible survival skills, they’re in the dark.
Underneath Victoria’s fragile exterior lies an inner resilience they all come to admire—and a deep well of sensuality that tempts them to offer her a permanent place in their home, their beds…and their hearts.
Product Warnings: Strong sexual content, multiple partners, Western bad boys, Western bad language and some mild violence

Reckless Territory was very different for a historical. Victoria and all three men develop a relationship together. As Robert puts it "I'm never going to say we share you. You share us. And you know, we're all so damn glad of it". The relationships were interesting, each one special and different in it's own way, and I loved the fact that there were no jealousies.

Reckless Territory was part western and part romance, with the requisite shot out in the end. A very interesting and enjoyable story of life in the 1800's Wild West.

Unfinished Business by Barbara Sheridan

2012-01-19T16:39:00.000-05:00

Do you believe in reincarnation? Who would you have been with in a past life? Kim Ryan has always had fantasies and dreams about two men in shadows. She felt that she knew them but who they really were was always out of reach.

For many women, having a handsome, pleasant boss is a plus; having two is twice as good. But for Kim Ryan, two gorgeous bosses is double the distraction in her job as an architect at D & K Associates.
When Kim comes across the 1 Night Stand service she hopes indulging in the fantasy that haunts her—making love to men who resemble both her bosses—will quell her improper dreams.
Best friends and business partners Jack DeWitt and David Kiyomasa never could understand the sexual attraction to one another that hit them out of left field. But they enjoyed the best of both worlds as they studied then worked toward opening their own architectural firm.
Neither expected the decision to add a residential design department to their successful business would bring Kim Ryan into their offices and dredge up odd dreams of another time and place—a place in feudal Japan where they shared a passion that consumed them whenever she was around.

Seeing a one night stand to get her mind off her sexy bosses, Kim contacts Madame Eve and the 1 Night Stand Dating Agency. She would like to experience a ménage with two men who resemble her bosses so that she can get over her desires for them.

At the same time, Jack DeWitt and David Kiyomasa, Kim’s bosses, are also trying to get Kim out of their minds. They contact Madame Eve for a night with a woman who looks like Kim in an effort to satisfy their needs. Madame Eve makes sure to satisfy all three of them by bringing them together for a sexy beginning to a happily ever after.

Unfinished Business is a steamy read filled with carnal desires. Jack and David had found each other in college, they immediately hit it off, falling for each other. However their desires found a third person in Kim to complete them. They believe that they had met in a previous life and were together, reincarnated into this lifetime, where they find each other again.

I loved how three people could become a relationship and a loving unit, stronger for the three of them rather than competitive. Unfinished Business is a fun, sexy read filled with engaging characters and passionate sex.

Love, Transylvania Style by Stephanie Williams

2012-01-19T15:42:00.000-05:00

When ordinary men aren’t what you are looking for, take a look at the One Night Stand Dating Service. Madame Eve has the supernatural man for you!

Thaddeus Dumas is a Vampire looking for love. Well, he was at first until he realizes that finding true love means changing a potentially unwilling female. So he settles for a night of one-night stands, starting with Madame Eve’s services. He can’t possibly fall in love with a one nighter, and he can just move on to the next female. He didn’t count on the feisty Donna Kent.
Donna Kent is bored crazy with the men she’s been dating. The same old same old. Dinner, dancing, hanging out and dull sex. She wants something extraordinary. She’s more than surprised when Madame Eve finds that someone. But is this the extraordinary she’s willing to sacrifice herself for?

Thaddeus Dumas is a vampire but has been feeling lonely after so many years of living. He knows that being a vampire isn’t all that the fantasy writers have written about. He has loved and turned some women who ended up leaving him for another. Finding love with a mortal woman was also a sad affair because if they weren’t turned, they grew older and lost interest in his life. Thinking that a one night stand would be enough, Thaddeus contacts Madame Eve for a date.

Donna Kent is bored with the men that she’s been dating. They do the “normal” date routine and she finds herself not interested in them. What she is searching for is a “supernatural” man. When Madame Eve suggests a one night stand with a vampire, Donna jumps on it but doesn’t really understand all the complexities of a vampire’s lifestyle.

When Donna and Thaddeus come together, they find each other and learn more about their own prejudices about the other’s species. They see each other for people rather than just as vampire or mortal and begin to fall in love. The sex is amazing. Not only do they have heart pounding action but the first time that they make love, they do it in one of the castles that was supposed to be Dracula’s castle. Talk about setting the tone. Thaddeus sees more than a one night stand in Donna but since he can read her thoughts, he wants her to be sure.

Love, Transylvania Style is a fun fantasy read where vampires are not sparkly but are able to walk in the sun and eat regular food. They have the same needs as everyone else, wanting someone who will love and accept them for who they are. I loved that Donna was in lust with Thaddeus but that it turned to love as she learned more about him. If you enjoy a vampire story with a twist, you are going to adore Love, Transylvania Style.

Handcuffs and Haints by Thalia Frost

2012-01-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

Handcuffs and Haints by Thalia Frost, is an extremely quick read involving some romance, a bit of mystery and a few ghosts. Zoe Scott is looking forward to staying in a beautiful farmhouse in the tiny Georgia town of Applehill. She is looking for a little peace in order to finally finish her novel. She truly believes she has found it here in this rural town. Unfortunately Zoe soon learns that all things are not always as they seem.

When author Zoe Scott arrives in Applehill, Georgia, she relishes the seclusion of the old farmhouse she has rented, but the first night of peace is shattered by strange noises in the night. Zoe begins to wonder if she should believe in ghosts. Deputy Nick Wheeler answers her frantic, angry call to the police about the noises in the night, and when he comes out to do a report, sparks fly between the hot deputy and the skittish Zoe.
After a break in at the farmhouse, the stakes get higher. Nick decides he will do what it takes to protect Zoe from whoever wants to harm her-- ghost or man. And he'll get the handcuffs out if he has to to keep her safe.

While getting settled in her new place, Zoe soon gets a visit from an infuriatingly sexy green eyed deputy named Nick Wheeler. Nick stops by to not only introduce himself, but to also warn her of both the strange occurrences that may occur around her home at nights, and the not so friendly neighbors that live down the road.

Things just keep getting weirder and weirder for Zoe. She's hearing strange noises every night that seem to be gone as soon as they are there. Nick is also being a chivalrous southern charmer, and she can't seem to resist him like she usually can with other men. Soon after, Zoe gets an extremely disturbing and an almost threatening visit from, her very scary looking neighbor from down the road. Finally she discovers her place has been ransacked one night and her laptop has vanished. This was definitely not the peaceful summer she was hoping for.

Handcuffs and Haints had two main characters that were unfortunantly not very relatable to me. The first was Zoe, obviously the heroin. She had no story to gain insight from and i had difficulty getting to know her character. The only thing I could figure out was she was fairly indecisive. One page she felt so strong and self sufficient to me, and then the next one she seemed so extremely needy. Maybe if her back-story was a little more in depth, I could have possibly been more sympathetic towards her character.

Nick was slightly more easy for me to understand. He had a saddening past. He dealt with the death of his parents almost immediately after college, and never seemed to get to do what he truely wanted in his life. It was somewhat sad. He came off a tad bit arrogant in his confidence rather then sexy to me as well. Maybe it was just his front and he truly could have been a better hero if his character was also more developed. I didn't like how Nick just assumed the role of taking care of Zoe rather then asking her or giving her any choices on her own. I'm all for a dominant man believe me, but he just didn't do it for me.

I did wish Handcuffs and Haints was a little bit longer of a book. Handcuffs and Haints had the potential to be a good story but just fell slightly short due to the underdevelopment of the plot as well as the characters. I personally felt that even with a few more pages, the story could have been better. I do love reading about quick blossoming romances, but because Handcuffs and Haints was so rushed I didn't feel the romance buildup at all between the characters. I believe that the build up of passion is just as important as the full blown passion and i feel that Handcuffs and Haints lacked both. If you do decide to read Handcuffs and Haints though, just try remember to each is their own. Just because it wasn't my favorite doesn't mean it wouldn't be one of yours.

Hungry for Touch by Angelita Gill

2012-01-19T13:36:00.000-05:00

Coming home to America after years fighting in a war, many service men and women struggle to fit back into the lifestyle the left behind. Maybe by finding something new to believe in will help. Madame Eve gives one such lifeline to one returning soldier.

Kimber Dawson hasn't been able to connect with any man since her accident. Something inside seems broken...and 1NightStand may be her last hope to prove she isn't the ice queen men have claimed her to be. Can one man's touch do what others couldn't? All she wants is to feel a connection. For a night, an hour, or even a moment. Anything more would be unexpected.
After his third deployment in Afghanistan, Nate Brennan is a jaded soldier who has tasted the bitter and now aches to taste the sweet. Gone too long without sexual affection, he yearns for a woman to welcome him home with open arms and no expectations beyond the morning. Anything more would be unacceptable.
Two world weary souls will realize things can get very complicated when passion is satisfied...and a new hunger takes its place.

Kimber Dawson had an injury that left her in a coma. When she woke from the coma she was changed and unable to climax or even feel an emotional connection with another person. She hopes that with Madame Eve’s help, she will finally be able to reach her peak and reconnect with someone.

Sergeant First Class Nate Brennan has been overseas fighting in three different conflicts. He never thought he would see the day that he would make it alive back home. The war left him cynical and emotionally stunted. After a mysterious package arrives before he is sent home, he decides to sign up for Madame Eve’s One Night Stand Dating Agency, hoping that one night in a woman’s arms will help him feel good about his homecoming.

Hungry for Touch is a sweet romance between two characters who struggle to connect with others but are combustible when they meet. A misadventure in an elevator establishes their interest and passion in each other but it is the time that they spend together outside of bed (or off the floor) that show their tender side.

In Hungry for Touch, the sex is sizzling as Kimber and Nate are able to reach the highest plateau of ecstasy. But as the two begin to see about a life beyond the one night stand, they must learn to trust and love in each other. I recommend Hungry for Touch to all the fans of hot sex and strong characters, especially if you love military men who long for a woman to wipe the memories of war from their souls.

Worth the Scandal by Karen Erickson

2012-01-19T12:24:00.000-05:00

Worth the Scandal is the first book about the Worth brothers in the new Worth It series and in typical Karen Erickson style, the characters captivate you from the first page to the last. I seriously was late to work after starting Worth the Scandal early in the morning and not being able to put it down until I finished.

Strictly business? Try telling that to her heart…
Worth It, Book 1
Alexander Worth, President and CEO of Worth Luxury Goods, is a man never to be crossed. His unwavering sense of responsibility to the family business requires him to always be in complete and utter control. Until it comes to Tessa Crawford.
She’s quietly professional, shy, voluptuous…and she works for him. Which means she is the one woman he must never touch, no matter how hard his gut twists with need for her.
After rising above her disadvantaged childhood, Tessa knows the last thing she should do is risk throwing it all away by falling into bed with her sexy boss. But on an extended European business trip, all self-imposed barriers burn away in the heat of their sizzling chemistry.
Once back home, though, whispers of corporate espionage turn into full-blown scandal—and Tessa finds out the hard way where Alex’s loyalties lie. Determined to soldier on, she picks herself up and carries on with a secret, yet welcomed burden. Never guessing that Alex will make a reappearance in her life, ready to show her once and for all that family does, indeed, come first.
Product Warnings: Contains a sweet-yet-strong woman, and a bossy alpha male brought to his knees by the woman he desperately loves. Involves enough begging and groveling that the reader may be tempted to “accidentally” leave it for her significant other to “find”. For instructional purposes only, of course!

Tessa is naive yet determined. She has worked her way through the company to end up as the assistant to the CEO, Alex. She is professional, loyal and sexy but she can’t have the man she lusts after since he is her boss. As she struggles to suppress her feelings, she focus’ on work and being the best she can be. I give her a lot of credit for her determination and then taking the opportunities presented to her to go after what she wants.

Alex is a bossy man – used to having his own way. Unfortunately, he is also very used to having people use him and lie to him. So when he finally admits his desire for Tessa, he can’t really believe that she likes him for just him and not to cover a scandal or other nefarious purposes. I liked that Alex was willing to try and step out of his black and white world for Tessa. Although he makes a lot of mistakes and some pretty piss poor decisions, he is hunky alpha character that makes you swoon.

Worth the Scandal is a fantastic novel that anyone who enjoys a contemporary romance will fall in love with. I have to admit the storyline is one we have all probably read more than once, but Ms. Erickson really gives the characters and plot a lot of depth letting the readers get emotionally involved in the plight of her characters. Worth the Scandal is a classic story with just enough depth, love, romance, conflict and more to make it one story that is a definite page turner.

Heartsent by Kay Springsteen

2012-01-18T13:38:00.000-05:00

Lina Standish is one of the few female firefighters at her station. She has no family left in the area, her parents having died years ago and her sister six months ago. She has one hard and fast rule-no dating coworkers. That works well for her as the department also has a no raternization policy. She has decided that she wouldn’t get married and have children. The devastation she saw in her mother when her father died is something she never wanted to face. Lina’s mother ung on until she and her sister Ava were settled and then she passed away. When Ava and her husband died six months ago, Lina could barely stand it. They were only nine months apart and had relied on each other since their parents deaths. She didn’t want to get close to anyone else only to lose them. Acting on any attraction at the station could only lead to disaster as their jobs were so dangerous, and there was only one man she was attracted to anyway.

With her strict no-dating-within-the-department rule, Firefighter Lina Standish has a nickname in the Salem Hills Fire Department: Lina “Standoffish”. But Firefighter Kevin Daly has had his eye on Standoffish ever since a locker room incident nearly a year earlier, and now he plans to break all her rules. With the help of his niece and a hot-air balloon, he gets Lina’s attention and she agrees to “hang out” with Kevin as friends off duty, to take it slow and see where things go between them. Then Lina's life is turned upside down by a surprise miracle who doesn't even have a name. Kevin’s ready to step up, but is Lina?

Kevin is Lina’s partner at the fire station. They have worked together for the past year. He wants to date Lina but he knows her dating rule. He is pretty sure that Lina is “it” for him, and wants a chance to prove it. His ten year old niece Amelia comes up with an idea to kidnap Lina at the Founder’s Day fair the firefighters were helping with, and tricks Lina into a balloon ride that has Kevin at the helm. During the hour and a half ride, Kevin at least convinces Lina to hang out with him; thus circumventing her and the departments no dating policy.

When they plan a second “date” Lina gets a letter from her sister’s lawyer. In it she finds out she
has inherited her sister’s child who has just been born. This rips open her grief all over again. It turns out that Ava and Mark had a surrogate for their child as Ava could not carry. Lina has been named guardian in their will. Her first instinct is to refuse and Kevin convinces her to sleep on it. In the morning she decides to see her nephew and is unable to give him up. He is Heartsent from her sister, and a link she can’t bear to give up when she holds him. Now Lina has to find a way to make the changes in her life work.

Heartsent is wonderful story of two people that already know and trust each other that take it one step further to see where their attraction leads them. Lina is a warm and loving woman, just afraid of being hurt. Kevin is a well-adjusted man who knows what he wants and goes after it. I got involved in the story right from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. Both Lina and Kevin were in depth likeable characters that drew me in and kept me emotionally involved. Even so far as to shed a tear during one point of Heartsent. I definitely recommend Heartsent to any reader that is looking for a warm romantic romance to read.

Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux

2012-01-18T11:47:00.001-05:00

Emily is a competitive figure skater. Emily had done female singles but her new coach Sergei thought she would do better in pairs as she got so nervous at competitions. She’s skated since she was a little girl, and has put off college to try to reach her goal. She recently got into pair skating with Chris and they have set their goal on the Olympics. Chris calms her nervousness during performances. She is close to her family, living full time in her parent’s vacation home to be closer to the ice rink and coach. Her coach Sergei makes her heart race the more they get to know each other.

Nineteen-year-old Emily is new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to be the first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who left Russia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can break through and make history.
Emily and Chris are on track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbidden feelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemy threaten to derail Emily’s dreams of gold.

Sergei is six years older than Emily. He is a former Russian World Champion ice skater turned coach. He turned from skating when his former partner was forced by her father to quit skating because he didn’t approve of her dating Sergei. He decided to build a new life in America as a coach. Sergei struggles with his attraction to Emily as she is his student and he views any involvement as a conflict of interest.

Sergei had no intention of getting involved with Emily. The more that they got to know each other the more irresistible she became. They finally broke down and admitted how they felt, but didn’t want it to interfere with skating as it they worried about the ethics of it. Staying away from each other didn’t work so they started to see each other in secret.

Life on the Edge kept me on the edge of my seat during the book. Emily and Sergei had to stay professional no matter how they felt about it. Both tried to ignore their feelings and continue on with their lives, but that didn’t work. When they decided to stay together is when more problems cropped up. Life on the Edge brought back memories of sitting on the benches at the ice rink, cheering my daughter on as she figure skated. It showed an accurate portrayal of Life on the Edge and benches of the rink. Life on the Edge showed how goals set in life can become way more complicated than planned. Emily and Sergei were warm, engaging characters. I felt as if I was following their lives, and I rooted for them as they tried to balance striving for Olympic dreams and a way to keep their love going without it destroying all they had worked for.

Life on the Edge is a heartwarming story of Olympic dreams and the work involved by the athletes and coaches. Emily and Sergei’s story was not a rush of romance, but a love story spanning nearly two years of their lives, getting to know each other and facing challenges along the way. Life on the Edge highlighted Emily’s religious and her and Sergei’s moral beliefs and ethics and how they lived them. Life on the Edge should definitely be put on your to be read pile no matter what your age.

Patricia Yager Delagrange Interview

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Please tell the readers about yourself and the books you write?

I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and spent a good deal of time in Santa Barbara, California, as well. All my books take place in California so that I can give the reader a realistic portrayal of the scenery and details that only a Californian would know. I write contemporary fiction as well as contemporary women's fiction with romantic elements.

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

Moon Over Alcatraz is about a married couple who lose their first baby during childbirth and how their paths toward healing lead them away from each other instead of bringing them together. My first book Love to the First Power will be published this year by Wild Child Publishing. It's about a woman whose husband dies unexpectedly and she takes her young son in search of a new place to live, away from the memories. She and her son settle in a small town in Central California and she adopts an unwed teenager's baby. What happens after that is both tragic and happy at the same time. I have written two other novels: Taken Away and Brenda's Wish. Taken Away is about a veterinarian whose wife and child go missing and how his life changes when he comes to the realization that they aren't coming back. Brenda's Wish follows a divorced single mother and her teenage son after her ex-husband is murdered and how both of their lives are turned upside down during the investigation to find his killer. The results are nothing that she and her son would have expected.

What inspired you to write Moon Over Alcatraz?

I have always wondered how a couple deals with the death of a child. After watching a few movies in which this has happened, and Amber Alerts that have occurred in California, and being a mother of two children, I wanted to deal with the subject on a personal level, from a woman's point of view. The book also deals with infidelity and trust and the vow of "til death do us part" in a couple's marriage.

How do you describe your writing style?

I love to place the reader in the environment where the story happens so they feel they know where the characters are physically. And dialogue is one of my favorite things to write. I come from a family with a penchant for blabbing on the phone and on Skype for hours. Words are important to me, and I actually am fond of making up my own words to describe events, giving what happened an extra punch, based on how I say the word, what it sounds like when it comes out of my mouth.

When writing who is in charge, you or your characters? How do you deal with bossy characters?

After I create a character I let them speak for themselves, given the type of person they are. I use my past experiences to turn the characters into believable people who the reader may or may not like. I have a bossy character in Brenda's Wish and I love her. She's taken from a combination of my own mother and mother-in-law.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

I've experienced writer's block only once and it was devastating. Everything there is to write about has been done by someone over the years. The dilemma for all writers is to find a subject that they can write about in a different way than what has already been written. THAT is challenging.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing your books?

That I could write more than a page! Believe me, when I thought about writing my first book I didn't think I could do it. But I found a subject and created characters I loved and put the two together to pull it off. I was the most amazed person on earth when I wrote "The End" and had written 90,000 words!

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

You know, I have read a gazillion times "write what you know". But I think you should write what you're passionate about. That way, your subject will have the emotional kick needed to hook your reader.

Now for a fun question, what is in your TBR pile?

My TBR pile consists of authors new to me, but I've heard about them through my writer's groups: Dating Dr. Notorious by Donna Mcdonald, The Other Life by Ellen Meister, Annie Begins by Michelle Toth, Still Missing by Chevy Stevens, A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard, Skinny by Diana Spechler, and On Thin Ice by PJ Sharon.

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Were your family and friends supportive?

In 2009 my daughter came home from school and said her friend asked her why her mommy didn't work! I have been an at-home mom since 1994 when my son was born and worked hard at making sure my kids had a happy home life. I was insulted by the question. But since my daughter was eleven at the time and my son was fifteen, I realized I DID have time to do something totally different. So, I went to the Apple Store and purchased a MacBook and started writing. Yes, my family and friends are supportive of my writing. They all think it's really cool that I can write a real "book" and share in my excitement that I'm doing something I love to do.

Who (if anyone) has been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer?

I love Debbie Macomber's books about life in a small town with normal average everyday people. I also enjoy the simplicity and emotionality in the characters of Nicholas Sparks and Richard Paul Evans. I want to write what I love to read and hopefully there are readers out there who will like what I put down on paper...or in an e-book!

What are you currently working on? Anything you can share regarding your current Work in Progress?

I am still working on editing Brenda's Wish. I want to add more characterization to the mother and her teenage son, given that I have a son who is the same age as the young man in that novel.

Don't forget to give us links to your website etc:

www.patriciayagerdelagrange.com

Facebook name: Patricia Yager Delagrange Author

Twitter: @PattiYager

Whispers In the Dark by Maya Banks

2012-01-17T16:02:00.001-05:00

Shea Peterson hears Whispers in the Dark. From his prison in Afghanistan Nathan Kelly's pain and despair reach out to Shea halfway around the world. How or why neither of them knows, but an unbreakable bond forms between them.

She came to him when he needed her the most
She came to him at his lowest point. The voice of an angel, a whisper in the dark. She’s the only thing that gets Nathan Kelly through his captivity, the endless days of torture and the fear that he’ll never return to his family. With her help, he’s able to escape. But he isn’t truly free, because now she’s disappeared and he’s left with an all-consuming emptiness as he struggles to pick up the pieces of his life. Did he imagine his angel? Or is she out there, needing his help as he’d once needed hers?
Now he rushes to save her before it’s too late
Shea has been on the run from people who will stop at nothing to exploit her unique abilities. She never wanted to drag Nathan, who’d already suffered so much, into danger, but she doesn’t have a choice so she reaches out to him for help. Finally face-to-face after having already formed a soul-deep bond in hell, their emotional connection is even more powerful than their telepathic one. Nathan refuses to consider ever letting her go again, but she worries they can never have a life free of the dangers that dog her every step. He’ll protect her with his every breath, but can he convince her that they are meant to face these threats together?

Shea uses her ability to lead Nathan's brothers to him and bring him home. But, Shea severs their connection when Nathan is found. For months Nathan feels lost without the touch of Shea in his mind. When Shea next reaches out to Nathan , she has been abducted, drugged, tortured. She escapes and Nathan runs to her rescue.

Together Shea, Nathan and the men of KGI fight an unknown enemy. Nathan vows to keep Shea safe at all costs. They may not have known each other long, but, Nathan knows that Shea is the only one for him.

Whispers in the Dark was the first KGI book that I have read, and although it is a series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone book. I absolutely loved Whispers in the Dark! A hero who has endured the unendurable and come out alive, but maybe not quite whole. A heroine who has spent her life taking care of others, yet never worries about taking care of herself, and a family that loves and supports each other in every way.

Whispers in the Dark made me cry both happy and sad tears. It was a gripping, emotional, page turning, I can't put down this book, adventure.

I will be adding the rest of the series to my to read file as soon as possible. I highly recommend Whispers in the Dark to all fan of paranormal romantic suspense.

Legally Hot Anthology

2012-01-17T15:37:00.000-05:00

Legally Hot is and anthology by three wonderful authors, Lora Leigh, Cheyenne McCray, and Red Garnier.

Three of today's top writers of romantic suspense want you to meet a few good men who are so HOT, it's criminal...
Lora Leigh "Sheila's Passion"
As a former Marine, Nick Casey still wakes up in a sweat over the things he's seen in the field. However, when it comes to his best friend--and the only woman he has ever wanted--Sheila Monterey, he may have met his biggest challenge yet. Sheila has sworn off love after having her heart broken one time too many and Turk can't convince her to give it another try. But when he tempts her into becoming temporary friends with benefits, Nick fully intends to make her his forever...
Also included: Cheyenne McCray "Deadly Dance" and Red Garnier "Caught"

Sheila has been in love with Nick for years. But, she doesn't think Nick has any real feelings for her. When a mysterious stalker brings danger to them all, will love be won or lost forever?

Lora Leigh delivers her typical steamy love scenes and lots of action and danger. I liked both Sheila and Nick. Sheila was strong and self reliant, almost to a fault. Nick was bottled up and tight mouthed to the point of driving both Sheila and me crazy, but underneath it all he had the strength, love and faith to make it all worthwhile.

The prologue in Sheila's Passion left me totally confused. I didn't feel like it fit into the rest of the story. And while some answers become apparent in the rest of the story, the who, what and why of the bad guy are never revealed. I hate when a story leaves you with so many unanswered questions, so for me that was a draw back to Sheila's Passion.

When Edward Carter is released from prison on a technicality life becomes a Deadly Dance for Keri Holliday and Detective Adam Boyd. Keri's testimony got Edward convicted and he vowed "she would pay" for her betrayal. Adam and his partner were the arresting officers, and Adam's partner paid with his life. Now Edward is after Keri and Adam is determined to keep her safe.

Despite bullets and bad guys Adam and Keri are drawn to each other and discover love amidst the Deadly Dance.

Cheyenne McCray's Deadly Dance was my favorite novella in Legally Hot. I loved the characters. I loved the humor mixed so effortlessly into the drama. I just loved it period.

Caught, by Red Garnier was a slightly cliched plot. Identical twins, both in love with the same woman. One a cop, one a murderer.

Cody Nordstrom spends his life protecting the world from evil, one killer at a time. He vowed to catch his parents killer, his own twin Ivan, and he did. Now a homicide detective, Cody's only goal is to keep others safe. Afraid that the same evil that infected his brother exists in him, Cody refuses to allow himself any love or happiness. He will never give in to his love for Megan Banks. He doesn't deserve her. He isn't good enough for her.

Megan is bound and determined to make Cody see that he is not responsible for his brother's actions. That he is a good man, deserving of love. When Ivan escapes from prison, intent on revenge, all of Megan's best laid plans fall apart.

Caught was a frustrating story for me. Cody aggravated me. I couldn't understand his motivations. I liked Megan, but, I wanted her to be more forceful. To stop pussy footing around and lay it all out on the table.

Men in (and out) of uniform. Action. Adventure. Danger. And romance. Alpha heroes " So Hot It's Criminal" but, Legally Hot!

Last Call by Olivia Brynn

2012-01-17T14:13:00.000-05:00

Last Call is a hot contemporary romance that will probably scorch your fingers in some places. After a night of drinking, Joanne calls her brother for a ride, only she misdials the number and gets Eric instead. When her phone dies before Eric has a chance to explain the mistake, he realizes he can’t leave her there.

When sparks flare, stop, drop and roll with it.
When Eric Layton lunges for his ringing cell phone in the middle of the night, he’s halfway to the door before he realizes it’s not his chief summoning him to an out-of-control fire. It’s an out-of-control woman who’s too tipsy to figure out she’s dialed the wrong number. But the line goes dead before he can explain he’s not her brother.
His conscience won’t let him leave the woman to wait for a ride that’s never going to come. Yet nothing prepares him for the chemistry when he helps Joanne into his truck. She’s curvy, blonde, and vulnerable—a three-alarm warning to do the right thing and keep her at arm’s length.
Still keeping watch over her through the night sounds reasonable. Until she awakens, and desire burns reason to a crisp…
This book has been previously published.
Product Warnings: Contains explicit sex scenes that may be too hot for summer reading. Author recommends you check to make sure your air-conditioning is in working order and turned up full blast.

Joanne is a very funny drunk and that really helped draw me into the story quickly and endear her to me. After a crummy day of getting dumped and fired all at once, she goes out for a few drinks. After drinking alone for a while, she at least realizes she can’t drive home and attempts to call her big brother. I really enjoyed Joanne as a character even if a few of her actions seem out of place for what little we know about her.

Eric is a good guy. How many people do you know that would go pick up a drunk who dialed them by mistake? He is a sexy firefighter that gets woken out of sleep by a very drunk and very silly woman whom he feels obligated to help. But, once he meets her he can’t stop or hide his body’s reaction to her.

Last Call is a funny and sexy contemporary romance with a fantastic heroine and hunky hero. I can’t help but wish Last Call was a bit longer with a little more conflict. But, I do have to admit I enjoyed Last Call and what it did offer. If you are looking for a quick story that will leave you smiling and wondering about what might happen the next time you dial a wrong number, don’t miss out on Last Call.

Eternal Blood by Laura Wright

2012-01-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

I hate to say anything negitive about Laura Wright or the Mark of the Vampire series, Because I have loved the series thus far. But, I was disappointed in Eternal Blood. Not by the quality or content of the story, but by the lack of content.

Gray Donahue is crippled by the guilt he feels for his father’s death. An Impure vampire cursed with the ability to hear the thoughts of others, he indulges in blood and sex to stave off the pain of his existence. He is then abducted by the Eternal Order of Vampires, who subject him to a nightmarish ritual. But when he is rescued by the icy pureblood vampire Dillon, he finds something that is worth living for, dying for, killing for….

Eternal Blood is very short. It's an E-novella, so I can't give you a page count, but I read it in about half an hour. Eternal Blood gave me the feeling of a prologue for a novel or a first chapter.

We did find out some vital information on Grey's history and the upcoming Impure movement, that I'm sure will be pertinent to the coming novel, Eternal Captive. So, I won't say it wasn't worth reading. But, be prepared for an incomplete experience. Eternal Blood doesn't really have an ending, and nothing of consequence is resolved.

I liked how we got to see a change in Grey's perspective, and the foreshadowing of things to come. But, on the whole, Eternal Blood left me feeling like I'd bought a box of chocolates, only to discover one Hersey's Kiss inside. I got my chocolate... but I wanted more.

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

2012-01-13T17:00:00.001-05:00

It’s been two very long months since Merit lost her master and lover Ethan Sullivan when he took a stake to the heart trying to save her life, now her heart is broken but not beaten. With no time for mourning Merit has to hit the pavement and find the source of dark magic that is turning Chicago upside down, but can she find and stop the person causing the lake to turn black before the citizens of Chicago take their panic out on the Vampires?

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven't been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.
That's when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.
Chicago's mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for vampires and humans alike.

If a new unwanted addition to Cadogan in the form of Frank, a representative from the GP doing an investigation into the running’s of the house wasn’t enough to push Merit over the edge after Ethan’s sudden death, Lake Michigan turning black and the citizens of Chicago pointing their blaming fingers in the vampires direction just might be. But Merits not about to stop being sentinel of the house just because her heart is breaking and her world is falling apart, being sentinel feels like the only tie that she has left to her former lover and master and she plans to do the best job she can to save Chicago. With the help of Jonah, the hansom leader of the guard of Grey House and RG member she begins to investigate the obsidian mess that Lake Michigan has become. With the public threatening to help pass a new law by the new mayor forcing all paranormals to register she has to find the source of the black magic that’s causing such a panic and she needs to do it fast.

After interviewing several paranormal groups in Chicago, Merit finds herself at a dead end for the cause of the Michigan Lake madness so she goes to question the one person that played the major role in Ethan’s death, former mayor Tate at the lockdown facility. The things she learns on her visit with Tate gives several clues to the reason behind the crazy happenings in Chicago but his vague explanations leave Merit even more confused. Teaming up with Jonah she begins to question more of the paranormal world and eventually her questions lead her in a direction that will tear a new hole in Merits heart. Will Merit be able to save Chicago before her world is completely torn apart?

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill was my most anticipated book of the year, I have never held my breath so long in my life, but awaiting Drink Deep's release was like torture to me. I have read a few reviews from other reviewers who didn’t like Drink Deep as much as the other installments in the Chicagoland Vampire series but I wholeheartedly disagree with them.

Drink Deep is a roller coaster ride from the very beginning. With Merit finally accepting the death of her love and her new role in life as a vamp she takes some pretty big leaps. We don’t get to see much from the old villains from previous books or old loves for that matter but we get a small glimpse. Mayor Tate makes a cameo just to confuse us more and of course Morgan’s ugly head pops up and this time with a new love interest. But the main drama in Drink Deep comes from Chicago itself. With the Lake turning black, the land erupting into full on mountains, the sky turns red and the citizens out for Vamp blood there is no shortage of drama. Add to that Merits dilemmas at the house with the GP and her feelings for Jonah and it’s a nonstop thriller. Tell me how you can’t like that! Merit is just trying to survive after the death of her master and lover Ethan two months earlier, but of course the world is falling apart around her so there is no time for mourning. With the lakes surrounding Chicago turning black she is recruited to investigate and stop the paranormal happenings in her home town. With the help of Jonah, captain of the guards at Grey House and a member of the Red Guard she sets off to find the person or persons responsible for the black magic that is turning Chicago into a nightmare. With a pain in the butt investigator living in Cadogan House rationing blood and watching their every move Merit has to stay under the radar while trying to save Chicago and mend her broken heart. Merit also has the added stress of her vivid dreams, staring Ethan as her leading man; each dream seems to trigger a new event in the real world causing Merit to come to an unexpected conclusion. I was pretty sure about 1/3 of the way through the book who the bad person was going to be but not sure how Chloe was going to explain it or tie in the loss of Ethan. I was happily surprised but disappointed at the same time; I really wanted to be wrong. But nevertheless I was not disappointed in the amount of action and sexual tension that Drink Deep gives us. I loved that even though danger was all around and Merits love life wasn’t center stage Chloe Neill found a way to keep us up to date on the amazing supporting cast of Cadogan House. Add to the usual paranormal danger you have Frank making the vampires play a game of Russian roulette with the sun just to prove their strength and dedication to their house. Poor Merit has to make a hard decision and in the end it causes her to lose the last thing she has from Ethan.

Drink Deep is one of those book for me that has everything I could ever ask for, a kickass female lead with a healthy dose of romance and danger, a supporting cast of characters who can keep things rolling in between love and fight scenes and Chloe Neill’s imagination has turned the normal city of Chicago into a Mecca of magic that drew me in from the first page of Drink Deep.

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots by D.L. Jackson

2012-01-13T16:15:00.001-05:00

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots is an attention grabbing tale of second chances following retirement from the military. What would you do when the only job you’d ever known was no longer an option?

Sometimes Fairytales come true.
First Sergeant Cori Valentine faces a bleak future. She’s turning forty in three weeks and life as she knows it is over. An injury received while on deployment has earned her an early retirement from the Marine Corps, something she’s not sure she’ll survive. Things get even better when interfering Marines set her up on a blind date for a party she doesn’t want. The guy has to be a total toad to want to go out with her. Right?
When Madame Eve informs Retired SEAL, Sol Keller she’s found his perfect match, he doesn’t believe it, but takes up the challenge. One look at the First Sergeant in a sexy dress and combat boots has him wondering if fairytales really can come true. Madame Eve might be the legendary Fairy Godmother, and Cori his Cinderella. Sol intends to show the Marine beauty a Prince Charming she’ll never forget, and that retirement isn’t the end of her story but merely the beginning.

Cori Valentine has served her country for the last twenty-two years as a Marine. She worked hard and gave the military her all, earning her more than one injury for her hard work. But it was the last injury that took away her career in the military and was forcing her to retire. Cori was panicked about the direction her life was taking and without a little help from her friends, she wouldn’t have been able to face it with dignity.

Sol Keller was a Navy SEAL who also gave his all for his country. But when he lost his leg in combat, his whole life changed. No longer did the military want him. No longer did his wife want him. He was forced to find a new direction and built a career on his own personal experience. As a manufacturer of prosthetic limbs and protective gear for the military, he was successful in work but lacked the love and companionship he desired.

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots is an exciting read filled with military humor and respect for the people who put their lives on the line for our country. The combustible action between Cori and Sol was sweet and definitely worth a second read. D.L. Jackson was right on with her military setting and the family ribbing of a military unit. It reminded me of my own experiences with the military and brought back the warm feeling of truly belonging.

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots is a fabulous read and one to be sure to capture your heart as Cori must find her way after losing the only home and family she’d ever known. Cinderella Wore Combat Boots will have you wishing for your own fairy godfather Gunny who can make your dreams come true!

Make Me Shiver by Aline Hunter

2012-01-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

You should only put trust in what you know right? In the book Make Me Shiver, by Aline Hunter, Lacey is a straight laced woman who goes by this rule in life. That is until a snowy night accident puts her face to face with the one man she questions all her boundaries and rules for.

When Lacey loses control of her vehicle and finds herself trapped by ice and snow, she knows there’s only one person to call for help. Unfortunately, Michael may cause more turmoil than relief. She’s lusted for the gorgeous Dom ever since she first laid eyes on him. Trouble is, he doesn’t do vanilla and she’s not a submissive…or is she?
Michael’s hungered for Lacey for months, so when he notices her fleeting glimpses and blush-stained cheeks as he rescues her from an altercation with a guardrail, he decides it’s time to push the sultry beauty’s boundaries…only to discover Lacey’s not as reserved as she thinks.
Physical attraction blossoms into something neither anticipates, taking Michael and Lacey beyond kink, dominance and submission. Their newfound connection is strong. until a flame from Michael’s past returns, shatters the fragile trust he and Lacey have only just developed and threatens to destroy something neither wants to surrender.

Lacey left her ex boyfriend's office one night agitated and ticked off after finding them in a very compromising position on the copy machine. As she angrily heads home Lacey finds herself crashing into a guard rail on an icy road. Coming to her rescue is Michael, the alluring Dom who Lacey has been lusting over since a chance meeting at a bar several months prior. The only problem is Lacey is not sure whether the whole BDSM lifestyle that Michael leads is for her.

Michael has envisioned Lacey for months as his submissive. Now saving Lacey from her little accident he is once again feeling the heat and primal desires between them. Michael has hopes that maybe Lacey is willing to take a chance on him and his plans for them now. He believes that she is perfect for his BDSM lifestyle. He also envisions a future with her, which is something he never thought he wanted with a woman. He wants her badly and plans on not letting her slip through his fingers this time around no matter what challenges lie ahead for them.

Lacey is an admirable woman. She begins to chance things she has always questioned, and speaks her mind as to whether or not something is going to work for her. Although she has the tendency to overreact at times, she still comes across as a relatable character. She is strong, lovable, and overall someone I could see myself being friends with!!

Michael is one hot man. He is an all around fantastic fantasy that a lot of women would love to have. He's a natural alpha character with lots of love to give as well. He is a very real person who needs to be in control but still feels an undying need to please Lacey.

In the end, Make Me Shiver is an extremely erotic and sensual story that will leave you at times, breathless! Make Me Shiver has two characters that you find yourself thankful to have read about. I did enjoy this quick read and recommend Make Me Shiver to anyone who is a fan of the erotic BDSM genre. It's fairly original, steamy, and a great way to warm up on a cold winter night!

A Muse Gone Commando by Kacey Mark

2012-01-13T13:16:00.000-05:00

Tobin Blake can only be taken as mischievous and that is the way he likes it. Having had his fun and letting his reputation run wild, Tobin has decided that he is going to make a change in his life and slow down a bit. Not that it will get any easier now that Kyla has stepped into his life. Muses like Tobin can sense when they are in the presence of their mate. Tobin knows that being a Muse herself, Kyla isn't unaware of this fact. However, convincing Kyla that he would be true to her is turning out harder that Tobin thought. With Kyla's knack for finding trouble, Tobin is determined to watch out for her whether she likes it or not.

Dark Muse, 2
Perhaps Kyla Spades is a bit hasty to assume shefinally escaped her stalkers. As a Muse, they come with the job description.Hunt down those desperate for inspiration, soak up a bit of their soul, andearn a ravenous groupie for life. That’s about how it worked, and aftertwenty-eight years, Kyla should know that.
Her past chases her to the quiet town of Sterling Springs, andKyla must seek refuge with the only other muse of her kind. Tobin Blake,infamous womanizer by night, accused serial killer by day.
Tobin knew he should’ve sent her away the momentshe appeared at his door. With his enemies planning their demon uprising anyday, and his leg still suffering from the last attack, he couldn’t afford thedistraction—even if it came with cherry lacquered toes and a body that beggedto be sampled.
With the enemy closing in, Tobin and Kyla must findstrength in each other as they battle for secrets to Kyla’s past and the futureof their kind.

After leaving her hometown, Kyla is on the search to find her father. When luck, or maybe unfortunate coincidence would have it, Kyla finds herself in the presences of Tobin Blake, another Muse. Kyla is reluctant to add Tobin to her life but when trouble comes looking for her she has no one else to turn to. Kyla has left a trail of addiction behind her as well as Shades that seem to be all to interested in her. Now, not only does she have a shifter bear keeping an annoyingly close eye on her, but Tobin has deemed himself her protector as well. Kyla doesn't want to bring her problems into the lives around her, so she sets off to clean up her own messes.

A Muse Gone Commando is Book Two in the Dark Muse series. Taking off where A Muse Gone Rogue ended, with Tobin Blake as the main character. Tobin is what makes the books fun to read and he really shines in Book Two. Reading Book One first is a necessity, as it described the Muse characteristics and Book Two adds more about the demon Shades. Kacey Mark has once again taken my imagination on a magic carpet ride. With her creative, well written words taking you on a paranormal adventure, "goosebumps" included. If you liked A Muse Gone Rogue you'll love A Muse Gone Commando.

A Muse Gone Rogue by Kacey Mark

2012-01-13T12:32:00.002-05:00

When Quenton Blake loses the mother of his child, he is introduced to both fatherhood and the nanny. Quenton, can't take a Human nanny lightly however; he is a Muse and Humans can become addicted to the mind power a Muse has over them. Quenton not only has to worry about his nanny but his two year old daughter is showing signs of being a Muse herself. With Anna being such a young Muse, the demon Shades will see her has a easy target.

Dark Muse, 1
When a demonic attack leaves one child without a mother, Marie Durrant throws out her predictable lifestyle to become the little girl's nanny.
It’s a big enough step for the virtual shut in, but even more difficult when Marie becomes inexplicably attracted to the mysterious widowed father, who happens to be the most powerful muse west of Mt. Olympus.
Quenton Blake is an extra hunky, extra irritated immortal, cursed to seek out those desperate for inspiration and feed on their souls.There wasn’t anything wrong with saving Marie’s soul for dessert, but his sweet tooth has a way of overriding his good judgement.

Marie isn't sure how she got talked into the "n" word, but she will do anything for Anna Blake. Little did she know becoming Anna's nanny would bring a whole new world to light. Not only can her boss and his brother break into her mind but they also have an enemy that Marie would rather have nothing to do with. When young women start disappearing from their little town, all fingers point to Tobin Blake, Quenton's brother. Marie finds herself right in the middle of a dangerous situation, but who is her really enemy?

A Muse Gone Rogue is Book One in the Dark Muse series. A Muse Gone Rogue is a story that you'll just leap right into. Kacey Mark's creative writing brings you into a new world; the key is to let your imagination run wild. She does a wonderful job describing the unique ways of the Muse world. Not only is A Muse Gone Rogue a wonderful romance, it has its "goosebumps" moments when the Shades come into play. If you love the paranormal a little on the dark side or are looking for a creative read to jump start your imagination, A Muse Gone Rogue is the book you'll want to add to your reading list.

Lure of the Blood by Doris O'Connor

2012-01-13T11:06:00.001-05:00

Marnie is trying to move on from her past and focus on her law degree. Unfortunately, being on her own means paying for her schooling by herself. She finds herself working at a club as a dancer. After an attack by one of the club members, Marnie feels like her world is torn away leaving her in a fairy tail with werewolves and vampires.

Marnie's decision to finance her law degree by poledancing awakens her latent sexuality, and the mysterious stranger lurking inthe shadows sends her libido into overdrive.
Realizing her sexy lurker is a vampire is badenough, but her boss is the alpha wolf of a pack of shifters? Torn between herattraction to both men and surrounded by danger, she has a decision to make.One that will change her life forever.
Be Warned:multiple partners

Ion is club owner by night and alfa wolf-shifter by night. After Marnie is attacked, Ion takes her to his house where surrounded by his pack, they can keep an eye on her. Ion knows that Marnie is his soul-mate but he was cursed to fall in love with a human and end his blood line. Unless said human has ancent shifter blood, he is doomed to choose true love or giving his pack the next alfa. The more time he spends with Marnie the more he falls in love with her, and Ion knows what consequences his choice has.

Lure of the Blood is a well told story. The writing is wonderfully detailed and flows well through the story line. Marie isn't shy with her sex-life in the book, and if you aren't shy reading about it then Lure of the Blood is definitely a great read for you. Reading about a very independent girl who isn't afraid to tell off a wolf or a vampire, makes for wonderful reading entertainment. If you like a good werewolf story, Lure of the Blood should be on your reading list.

Fueling Her Fire by Piper Trace

2012-01-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

What would you give to be able to spend time with the one guy from high school who was your first love and then broke your heart? Many times people have a fantasy built up in their heads about their old high school sweetheart, but was it real?

Lonely and frustrated with her love life, Kip’s decided to spend Christmas alone in her family’s cabin in the mountains, rediscovering herself and not thinking about men…until a last-minute firewood delivery brings her face-to-face with the grown-up version of the sexy football star who broke her heart eight years ago.
Kip’s never stopped thinking about Dylan, but the memories are both searingly hot and brutally painful. When they find themselves snowed in together on Christmas Eve, neither can deny the passion that still smolders between them. If they can overcome the past, they can let the flames ignite at last.

Kip Parker is a successful lawyer in Chicago but something was missing in her life. She missed the one guy she loved who slept with her and then told everyone in the school about their sexual encounter. She just couldn’t forgive him for being labeled a whore. Determined to put the past behind her, Kip leaves small town Dalton Run and heads to college but her dreams have always brought her back to Dylan Johnson, the one man who broke her heart.

Dylan Johnson was the star football player who was dating the head cheerleader. Life appeared to be perfect for him on the outside, but his heart secretly wished for Kip’s attention. When she is paid to be his tutor, he takes a chance and after getting to know her, kisses her and makes love to her. When she suspects that he told everyone about their tryst, he isn’t willing to defend himself much because Dylan knows that Kip is destined for bigger things than a small town love.

Fueling Her Fire is a sweet read of old loves and misunderstandings. Kip and Dylan both had perceptions about each other from high school that weren’t really correct. Everyone in school thought that Kip was stuck up and snobby because of her shyness. Dylan appeared to be the high school stud but he was really a caring, loving guy who wouldn’t settle for less than the girl of his dreams.

I loved how the characters in Fueling Her Fire were able to reconnect after eight years. They had a past history and were able to find a way to make their love work. The sex was hot and steamy between Kip and Dylan. It was obvious that they both had grown up and were adults now who understood what they wanted and needed. If you enjoy a story with great characters and a hot and sexy love story, definitely pick up Fueling Her Fire! You never know, it might just steam up your bedroom!

Meredith's Awakening by Sierra and VJ Summers

2012-01-12T17:03:00.000-05:00

Meredith Worthington has spent her life building a wall of control around herself. In this emotional novella entitled Meredith's Awakening by Sierra and VJ Summers, that control she has fought so hard to keep might finally come down, that is if seductive Dom Tony Renatto has anything to do with it.

Tony Renatto has worked five long years to make himself worthy of the beautiful, untouchable Meredith Worthington. He knows the truth—beneath her icy demeanor hides a fiery woman who deserves love. A woman he’s dying to break free.
Growing up with an abusive father and a brother who condemned her sexuality taught Meredith not to trust anyone. There’s no room in her life for a man like Tony, whose presence threatens her hard-won independence. Without it, Meredith is afraid she’ll fall apart.
Tony knows what his ice princess needs, even if she doesn’t. He’ll shatter her control with all the dark, forbidden things she craves. He’ll power into her soul by way of her body and teach her to trust again, even if that means pushing past her every sexual boundary. Tony loves Meredith, and he won’t stop until she’s free.
Publisher’s Note: This story was previously published elsewhere and has been revised for Ellora’s Cave.
Reader Advisory: Contains a brief but amazingly hot M/M scene.

Meredith is a successful business woman who shares ownership of her deceased fathers company along with her domineering and scandalous brother. After five long years and one extremely sensual night together Meredith runs into Tony on one of her companies construction sites. Her sexual yearning for Tony comes back with a vengeance when they reunite. She can't help but remember their night together, it was by far the most incredible night of her life. The problem is that Meredith can't fall in love, lose control, or become the submissive woman Tony longs for her to become, can she? She's worked hard to get past her fathers abuse and her brothers scandalous and party boy ways to become a strong-willed and successful woman. By letting Tony take away her emotional as well as sexual control, Meredith might lose everything familiar and comfortable she now knows. Tony, on the other hand knows exactly what his ice princess needs and that is to be pleasured and loved by him inside and outside the bedroom, and he has waited five excruciating long years to do so.

Meredith pulled at my heart strings throughout this story. She is a woman who has suffered through physical and emotional abuse from her father only to use that to become a strong and driven woman. I admire her greatly. She is so brave and I wanted only good things for her. I was very happy when she began accepting what Tony offered because she is a woman who needed an abundance of love and affection. Something as simple as a hug was so foreign to her, and it kind of broke my heart a little.

Tony is quite a man. Passionate, driven, loving, and you can't forget extremely hot! As a Dom, Tony knows what women need, especially a woman like Meredith. He goes to the extreme to satisfy and please her. He literally made me swoon. Tony knew just what to say to get Meredith to completely surrender to him. His love for her was perfectly sweet and, and I found myself wishing i could jump into Merediths shoes numerous times just to be with a man like Tony. He is a delicious character!

I thought Meredith's Awakening was an amazing story. It was at times heart wrenching even. Even though it was a short read, i felt every emotion of both characters throughout this book. The chemistry was so real between Meredith and Tony that I could truely envision every sultry act between the couple each time one took place. I highly recommend Meredith's Awakening to all fans of the erotic BDSM genre. It has a fantastic storyline and a set of characters you want to see succeed in all they encounter. Read Meredith's Awakening, you won't regret it!

Claiming Their Cat by Maggie O'Malley

2012-01-12T16:03:00.000-05:00

Claiming Their Cat by Maggie O’Malley is a paranormal erotic romance that contains m/f/m ménage. There is plenty of action on this exciting world of werewolves, vampires, seers and humans. I enjoyed Claiming Their Cat and look forward to reading other books by Maggie O’Malley.

Cat Watson managed to escape from the powerful drug lord Alvarez and right into the hands of the notorious killer—Rabid Rio. Rio promises to protect her and her baby if she becomes his mistress. With no money, what choice did she have? Then Rio's brother, Creed, shows up and vows his protection too. She finally feels safe, that she belongs only to discover they’ve betrayed her.

Cat went purposely immersed herself into the world of Alvarez a notorious drug lord. She wanted to find her sister who had disappeared when she was with him. When she found out all he wanted was a mistress to carry his future heir to his drug kingdom she quickly puts a plan into action. When she doesn’t find her missing sister and things become too much for her she manages to escape his menacing hold. The only problem is she can only seem to stay one step ahead of him. When she ends up at a diner one night she runs into Rio who is also known as Rabid Rio to Alvarez she feels that she has fled from one crazy man into the arms of another one. She fully intends to run from him but she needs to buy herself some time and widen the space between her and Alvarez. Rio seems to want to protect her so she begrudgingly takes him up on his offer to help her. Then to complicate matters Rio’s brother Creed shows up and he arouses her the same way Rio does. She doesn’t understand why both men are hell bent on protecting her when they will both end up dead messing with Alvarez. They settle down into a comfortable pattern of life until she comes across an email that says they are planning to take her back to Alvarez. She flees once again only this time it is more difficult because she has her baby in tow. How will she stay away from Alvarez and the brothers who betrayed her? How will everything end when their worlds collide? Will any of them be alive to tell the story?

Rio is a werewolf and he is determined to find the woman who took advantage of him and took his money. She is his mate and he needs to find her. He is surprised when she walks through the door of his friend’s diner offering to work for a meal. His protective nature kicks into full gear when he realizes that she is on the run from infamous drug lord Alvarez. He must convince her to stay with him so that he can protect her but she is scared when she hears his nick name. He is known as Rabid Rio and has been hired out to take care of runaways and other problems for Alvarez. He must convince her that he is no killer; he must gain her trust because without him she may end up dead. He manages to convince her to take his protection for the night even though she is convinced that he will end up dead. After he hires staff to keep watch while they sleep the night in a hotel she agrees to go home with him. Once there she tries to run away from him but that doesn’t go well for her. Then his brother shows up and he finds him with his hands all over his mate and he is about to lose it when he remembers his grandmother’s warning words. She had told him to listen to his brother instead of trying to kill him. That’s when Creed tells him that Cat is his mate too. Talk about throwing a wrench into the works. How was this going to work? How could she be both of their mate? Could he share his mate with his brother? How could they rid themselves of the threat impending on her life? Could all three of them find happiness together?

Creed has been away for a while now. When he returns home is surprised to see that his brother has brought home his latest woman. That is against the rules. When he confronts her and asked her who she is he is surprised once again. She is his mate, his wolf can tell and he wants to claim her right now. He wants to erase Rio from her mind and her body. He can smell him all over her. He can tell that she is turned on by his arousal and he sets out to do something about it. When his brother walks in on them in the kitchen he knows that Rio wants to kill him. He will fight for his mate even if it means he has to fight his brother. When the two of them go outside and the arguing begins Rio tells him that she is his mate. Creed is very surprised by this and reveals that she is his mate too. Once this detail comes out in the open the fighting comes to a halt. When Rio gets Creed lets him know that they must get rid of Alvarez once and for all he is in total agreement. They won’t let any harm come to their mate. After an attempt to flee from them, Cat settles down into a comfortable life with the two of them. When they agree to bait Alvarez things go wrong. Cat leaves them and now they are in a race against time to save her. Can they save her from Alvarez? Or will they be too late? If they do save her will she come home with them? Or will she leave them?

Claiming Their Cat is a very engaging story and is full of rich characters. I enjoyed both the main characters and the secondary characters. Draco and Lucy enriched the story. I enjoyed watching the two of them fall in love as well. Both Draco and Lucy were friends of Rio. Lucy helped him take care of Cat when she needed it the most and Draco agrees to help them take Alvarez down. The relationship between Draco and Lucy is quite comical at first and they made me laugh. I would highly recommend Claiming Their Cat to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance thrillers. They won’t be disappointed.

One Chance by Clarissa Yip

2012-01-12T14:45:00.000-05:00

What would you be willing to do to stop your best friend from marrying the wrong woman? Would you take a chance on losing your best friend?

Shy tomboy, Jenna Faulkner has been in love her whole life—with her best friend. Except he’s marrying the wrong woman, and he doesn’t know it yet. But she’s determined to save him…
Instead of the normal bachelor party, Jenna decides to throw a different type of gathering…with just her. Alone. Will Cade finally come to his senses and see Jenna for more than a friend or has she ruined their friendship, once and for all?

Jenna Faulkner didn’t want her best friend, Cade, to marry. She’d grown up with Cade and shared the hardest part of her life with him when her parents’ divorced. She realizes that she will lose him either way so she’s willing to risk it all for him.

Cade Moorehouse is wealthy, hunky and has been Jenna’s friend since elementary school. However, he never shared with her how he really feels about her. He’d proposed to his girlfriend out of obligation and realized that she only wanted his money, so he broke it off with her.

Jenna sets out to seduce Cade so that he won’t marry the wrong woman and finally realizes that she has more than friendly feelings for him. Cade had been keeping a secret about Jenna for many years. In One Chance, both characters must take a chance on each other and step out of their comfort zone or risk losing each other forever.

One Chance is a fantastic read filled with steamy sex and fun characters. I loved how Jenna was willing to go the extra mile to help her friend. It was even more amazing when she realizes that her feelings are involved with Cade. Cade comes across as a sexy nerd and definitely a guy that many women would like to wake up with. I recommend that if you love a sweet and wonderful read that will have you cheering for the characters, read One Chance, today.

The Unexpected by Rory Michaels

2012-01-12T13:38:00.002-05:00

What's a girl to do with two gorgeous cowboys whose greatest wish is to share her? In the short story entitled The Unexpected by Rory Michaels, Jessie is in for a life changing experience when her fiance Perry finally convinces her to have a threesome with him and his best friend Sean.

Best friends since childhood, Perry and Sean know each other’sdeep dark secrets. The people of Macon Valley whisper of their deviant sexualways—the fact they like kink and enjoy sharing women. But the town doesn’tunderstand they’re looking for that one perfect woman to fill the void in theirhearts. They understand they’ll be sharing her both in and out of the bedroomand they’re fine with that. Trouble is the woman they’ve selected isn’t so sureshe’s ready for both of them. Can they sway her heart and her mind?
Warning: This short story contains ménages a trios, explicit sex,strong language and cowboys who will melt your socks off. This short story alsohas explicit, graphic sexual content and is not for the faint of heart.

This one night with two men seems so wrong but also so right to Jessie. She has secretly developed feelings for both men throughout the year she and Perry have been together. She doesn't realize though that both men are in love with her as well. Jessie is afraid to ruin what her and Perry have and she's even more worried that if she follows through with his desires that after the one night together, both guys will decide that would be enough and they would walk away. She has heard about their history with threesomes around town but up until now, neither man has ever fallen in love with the same woman. Perry and Sean are convinced though that they both want to spend the rest of their lives seducing and loving on Jessie, even if she needs forever to be convinced!

I didn't get much back story from the characters in The Unexpected and I what I did get was only mildly descriptive. Jessie is an insecure and inexperienced woman. From what I gathered, she had a rough home life growing up and that is most likely what leads to her insecurities. As for Perry and Sean, they are both alpha males who seem to get what they want most of the time. They were not the most believable of characters. I did like the fact that they way put Jessie's feelings above their own though. It was always about what she needed and felt comfortable with, that helped me know them just a little bit more.

Overall The Unexpected is something I mildly enjoyed. It was extremely steamy and sensual. The believability wasn't top notch, and the storyline was a little lacking, but the fantasy of it will make it appealing to those who enjoy quick erotic reads, especially ones with two sexy cowboys with one lucky lady.

Claire Ashgrove Interview

2012-01-12T10:15:00.001-05:00

Please tell the readers about yourself and the books you write?

Hi everyone! I’m Claire, or Tori, depending on which book of mine you’re reading. Today I’m wearing Claire’s hat. But behind all the pen names, I’m an author and a mother, above all else. I raise horses, write way too darn much, and really love to cook, so long as I’m not cooking for myself.

I write paranormal and contemporary romance under the pen name Claire Ashgrove. My paranormals are dark, and my contemporaries tend to involve horses somewhere. I also write historical romance as Claire.

Under the pen name Tori St. Claire, I write erotic romantic suspense for Berkley Heat, and prefer the darker side of human nature for edgier, grittier reads.

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

IMMORTAL HOPE is my newest release – Jan 3. (I’m also celebrating a Tori St. Claire release as well). It’s a dark paranormal romance involving the cursed knights Templar, demons, archangels and the most unholy, Azazel’s quest for the highest throne. It’s the first book in my The Curse of the Templars series, and is steeped in historical fact with a lot of speculative fiction applied.

You reviewed it here already, but I’ll share the back cover, which puts things so much better:

Centuries ago, Templar knights defied the archangels and unearthed the copper scroll that revealed the locations of the gates to hell. Cursed for their forbidden act, they now roam the earth, protecting mankind from evil. But darkness stalks them, and battles they fight bring them ever closer to eternal damnation. One promise remains to give them salvation—the return of the seraphs

Embittered by his purpose, Merrick du Loire must honor an ancient pact and bring peace to his cousin’s soul, releasing him from the clutches of their enemy. When he stumbles upon history professor Anne MacPherson, he discovers that she possesses a sacred artifact that marks her as a seraph. Duty demands he set aside his personal quest and locate the knight she’s fated to heal. As Merrick struggles with conflicting oaths, Anne arouses buried hope and sparks forbidden desire that challenges everything he’s sworn to uphold.

Anne has six weeks to complete her thesis on the Knights Templar. When Merrick takes her to the Templar stronghold, he presents her with all she needs—and awakens a soul-deep ache that he alone can soothe. Yet loving Merrick comes with a price. If she admits she is destined for him, her gift of foresight predicts his death.

What inspired you to write (title of your book)?

I have a long-standing fascination with the Knights Templar, and I’m also working on my Masters in Ancient Civilizations with a secondary emphasis on Medieval France, as time allows. So the era, the impact of the Order all are close to me.

I’m also fascinated with the circumstances surrounding the demise of the Knights Templar and their virtual disappearance when their forces and power superceded the power of the King who wanted them gone. Too many… coincidences… and loopholes there for my writer’s brain to not have fun with ideas.

How do you describe your writing style?

I like dark themes. I like ‘broken’ characters. Men and women who are scarred and damaged, and not your atypical hero/heroine.

I have also been told I have two dominant strengths: action and emotion. You’ll find a lot of that in what I write.

When writing who is in charge you or your characters? How do you deal with bossy characters?

I am in charge, not my characters. I have a great deal of difficulty relating to the “My character made me…” scenarios. I plot. I plan. I have spreadsheets and other files. When I get to the writing of the story, those are all laid out, and it reinvents the wheel to deviate from that outline, those growth arcs.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

I have too many damn stories in my head!

In all seriousness, I do suffer from idea-overload, and have file folder after file folder stuffed with ideas, proposals, etc. While it does make it easy to go to the “idea bank” and pull out something when I’m ready, on the other hand it frustrates me that there are two of me so I can actually get all those ideas out. The reality is probably only 1/3 of them will go farther than the idea pile.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing your books?

I always knew the knights Templar were vast, and the organization even more vast. I’d read numbers before, and really knew that information. Someone, however, made a comment in a different wording than the historical records, etc. “They had enough members to form their own country.” Their own country… those three words really hit home with me, despite my intensive familiarity with their history.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Understand that writing is a career path just like any other. Put some time, when you begin your quest for publication, and envision how you see your writing playing into your life. Is it something you want to do every day, just like you’d have to do at a job? Is it something you’re willing to put overtime into? If the career is what you want, then approach the practice of craft like you already have it.

Be realistic with yourself. There’s a grand illusion that authors sit around and drink coffee while doing whatever the heck they want all day long. Not so. There are aspects of the job writers hate. There are aspects authors love. But writing is a job just like any other.

You are in charge of how you want that job to play out. Is it part time or full time? Are you lower level management or the CEO? Whatever works for you is perfectly okay – there’s no right or wrong. But be sure you understand what you want, and that there’s a direct correlation between the end result and how much work you put into your goal.

Now for a fun question, what is in your TBR pile?

CRASH INTO YOU by Roni Loren, A LADY’S LESSON IN SCANDAL by Meredith Duran, WHISPERS IN THE DARK by Maya Banks, and THE IRON DUKE by Meljean Brook oh, and to catch up on The Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Was your family and friends supportive?

I have always written, but pursued publication in early 2008. My family and friends have been beyond supportive, my family especially. I couldn’t ask for a better environment.

Who (if anyone) has been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer?

Steve Berry and too many fantasy writers to name have been the dominant influences on my writing career. World-building is something I can’t get enough of, hence the fantasy writers. Steve Berry is a master at speculative fiction, and we share the same passion of working with loopholes in history.

What are you currently working on? Anything you can share regarding your current Work in Progress?

My current work in progress is the 5th short story in my Inherited Damnation paranormal series. But I’m also finalizing edits on IMMORTAL SURRENDER, the second in The Curse of the Templars, and as Tori St. Claire, finalizing edits on LIE TO ME, the second in the Black Opal series.

This year will see the completion of Inherited Damnation, and I have some interesting proposals on my editors’ desks.

Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

I can be found at:
http://www.claireashgrove.com/
http://www.toristclaire.com/
TWITTER: @ClaireAshgrove

http://claireashgrove.blogspot.com/p/immortal-hope-blog-tour.html

Claire will be giving away a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a second $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate to a second randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour. Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! Click the Blog Tour badge for a complete list of blog stops

EXCERPT:

“Dine,” Merrick insisted as he jabbed at her bowl with his spoon, the gesture jerking her out of her thoughts.

Anne stared down at the greasiest bowl of . . . glop she’d ever seen. Merrick said it was stew. But her eyes—and her stomach—refused to consider this mushy concoction as anything but garbage. “Oh. Hell. No.”

She pushed the bowl away and fought back the urge to whimper. She was so hungry her stomach was in knots. But even starving people had their standards, and that bowl of crap defied the minimal ones she possessed.

Spoon poised near his mouth, Merrick lifted one reproachful eyebrow. The men on each side of him—men Merrick hadn’t wasted time in discovering they weren’t meant for her—stared at her as if she’d just committed blasphemy. A blush crept up her cheeks, and she offered Merrick a weak, apologetic smile.

“ ’Tis food, Anne.”

“No it’s not.” No wonder everyone around here had massive chips on their shoulders. How long had it been since they’d had a decent meal? “Is there maybe some salad somewhere?”

Merrick’s other brow shot up. “Salad?”

His companions continued to stare. Behind Merrick, a stranger with long ash-blond hair turned to looked over his shoulder. His gaze narrowed. Cold blue eyes flashed. Dangerous energy assaulted her.

Anne swallowed down unexplainable foreboding and met Merrick’s soothing onyx stare. The uneasy tension in her belly dissolved. “Yeah, you know— lettuce, celery, carrots, croutons?”

A chuckle shook his shoulders, but he refrained from smiling. “A man does not eat leaves.”

Just like they didn’t believe in radios. Somehow that didn’t surprise her. She dropped her spoon to the table, folded her arms over the scarred surface, and gave each gawking face a sugary-sweet smile. The two men hastily turned their attention to their meal. Behind Merrick, the nosy stranger abruptly turned back to his meal. Anne gestured at her bowl. “If I’m going to eat greasy crap, I think I’ll take McDonald’s. Or maybe Pizza Bob’s. He delivers, you know.”

Merrick indicated her food with his spoon. “What did you tell me earlier? Ah, aye, get used to it.”

Jessica E. Subject Interview & Giveaway

2012-01-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

Please tell the readers about yourself and the books you write?

I set out to write a story for my daughter to encourage her to read, but ended up writing a novel she can’t read until she’s much older. I write science fiction romance and contemporary romance, with three stories published as part of Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand line.

Tell us about your latest book. Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

Beneath the Starry Sky is a contemporary romance and part of Decadent’s 1Night Stand line. It’s the story of Tamara and Josh, two people who don’t think anyone could love them. When Madame Evangeline sets them up together, both are in for an unexpected night.

I have another story coming out with Decadent Publishing soon. It’s a scifi/dystopian, and the first in a series of novellas. Also this year, I have a novel coming out with Silver Publishing, The Zurian Child.

What inspired you to write Beneath the Starry Sky?

After Celestial Seduction was published, Tamara wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote her story. She is the best friend of the heroine in CS.

How do you describe your writing style?

I like to give a fresh look at alien romance, and I don’t shy away from real-world issues. I believe everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after, and I try to grant them in my stories.

When writing who is in charge you or your characters? How do you deal with bossy characters?

I let my characters dictate their story. If I’m taking the plot in the wrong direction they are sure to tell me. If they’re bossy, I listen. Otherwise, I end up rewriting scenes and chapters.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

Evoking the same emotion that I feel when I’m writing.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing your books?

When I first started writing, I didn’t know ebooks existed, and that knowledge opened up an entire world of possibilities.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

The same advice that was given to me: Have your work critiqued; not by family and friends, but by other writers who are not your friends. I have since become friends with my critique partners, but out of a mutual respect to give honest feedback. They’re not afraid to tell me something doesn’t work, or say try again. In this industry, you must have a thick skin.

Now for a fun question, what is in your TBR pile?

Um, too many books. I love books. My mother always told me that buying books was never a waste of money, and now it’s become an addiction. They range from young adult to erotica, in romance, science fiction, dystopian, thrillers, and other genres.

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Was your family and friends supportive?

When I started and couldn’t stop. The ideas just kept flowing. Getting my first story published though helped to validate this urge. Most of my family and friends are supportive, but there are still some out there encouraging me to get a “real” job.

Who (if anyone) has been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer?

I met Lorna Suzuki on twitter shortly after I joined. I still didn’t know much about the publishing world, and had only just started writing. She told me to join a critique group, have my work read by other authors rather than family and friends. Through her I met one of my awesome critique partners, and have learned so much since.

What are you currently working on? Anything you can share regarding your current Work in Progress?

Wow! I have so many projects on the go right now, including sequels to already contracted stories.

Don't forget to give us links to your website etc.

Thanks again for having me!

I love hearing from my readers. You can find me here:

Website/blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Giveaway: Jessica E. Subject will be giving away $20 in All Romance Ebook Bucks (which can be used at All Romance Ebooks and OmniLit) as well as three ebook copies of Beneath the Starry Sky. Simply leave a comment (with your email address) on any of the posts during the tour for your chance to WIN! The more posts you visit, the more chances to WIN!