Sunday Book Blog

I'm back and I'm ready to plunge feet first into all of my authorial responsibilities. And I do that by presenting you with the Book Blog.

Burn by Linda Howard

You would think that luck would follow anyone who'd won more than $200 million dollars in the lottery but that is not the case for Jenner Redwine. Yes, she did win the lottery but then her boyfriend sued her, her father stole from her, and her best friend used her for the money. So, seven years later, you'd think that her luck has changed.

Wrong.

Not only are she and her best friend kidnapped right before they're off to set sail on a charity cruise and held hostage, but she's also fighting a mad attraction her her kidnapper, Cael Traylor. Stockholm Syndrome?

Soon enough, she realizes that Cael and his team are the good guys and they they must all work together to save the lives of everyone on the boat.

Okay, I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ms. Howard has a way of making you not only root for the bad guy but make him likable and sexy as well. Of course in her previous book, the bad guy was REALLY a bad guy and in this book we kind of know the deal but that doesn't make Cael anymore endearing to us until we get to know him.

I just love all the suspense elements in Ms. Howard's books. I have from the beginning. In fact, one of my favorite lines in a novel comes from one of her books. The hero tells the heroine to stay where she is while he goes after the bad guy and she says to him, 'Of course I'm staying. I'm not stupid. I know what happens to those women.' Or something like that that made me applaud her because she wasn't stupid enough to follow him into danger.

There is real chemistry between Jenner and Cael. I believed the story even though it was fantastical. I highly recommend this book. I only wish that there was more sex but don't I always?

RATING: RUN

Sunday Book Blog

Hello!  It's been a while but things are finally settled down and I can finally do my bloggy thing.  At least for the next two weeks and then I'm off to Costa Rica!  I know.  You can smack me.

Kissing Midnight by Emma Holly

Edmund Fitz Clare  has loved Estelle Berenger for years but has kept away from her because he has a secret.  He's an upyr, a vampire.  But when her life in endangered, no force on earth can keep him from claiming her.  

Estelle has always loved Edmund but never dreamed that he could ever feel the same way.  He's the adoptive father of her closest friends' for heaven's sake!  Still, when it finally seems as of she's going to get all she's ever wanted, Edmund is taken from her and it falls on his family to find him.

Okay, I've never made any secret that I am an Emma Holly fangirl.  I love her and I love this series.  I especially love that the three books come out back to back.  As always, great characterization.  I love Edmund and Estelle together.  

Since this is Emma Holly, there is plenty of sex.  Although it's not as explicit as it can be.  This book is truly and erotic romance (maybe even romantic suspense) rather than the erotica that I've read of hers before.

RATING: RUN!!!

My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel

Xia spent a lifetime as a slave to the mage Rasmus Keeler.  He hates all witches and the last thing he needs is to be saddled with Daddy's little girl, Alexandrine Marit.  Still, he has pledged his loyalty to Nikodemus and that includes protecting her from her homicidal father.  His job is to keep her alive...if he doesn't kill her first.

Alexandrine knows that as a witch, she's not much.  Her powers are sporadic at best.  So when she finds an amulet while on the hunt for her birth father, she never dreams that it would plunge her into a world of danger.  She doesn't trust Xia or Harsh, the brother she believed dead for years, but they must work together to bring down Keesler.

So, I think I reviewed the previous book, My Wicked Enemy a few months ago.  I enjoyed it.  I was peeved that when the H/H were making love, Ms. Jewel failed to describe his demonic body.  She does a little better in this book but still all I get  is a vague impression of blue skin and creepy eyes.

That being said, I believe that I enjoyed this book more.  Maybe because I had all the worldbuilding and she didn't spend too much time on backstory.  Xia was the killer from the first book and he's just as badass as he was back then.  Alexandrine is tough as nails and thankfully not TSTL.  They work well together.  They have great chemistry even if it starts out as a hate-hate relationship.  Nice sex scenes.  Good story.  Good read.

RATING: SPEED WALK

Until next time...Later Gators

Monday Book Blog

Okay, seriously, let's just call a spade a spade.  I haven't written this blog on a Sunday since I first came up with the concept.  It should have an asterisk after the name.

Burning Wild by Christine Feehan

Jake Bannaconni has survived a childhood of abuse but in order to do it, he has become a man as emotionless and as ruthless as the leopard that lives inside him.  When a shocking twist of fate brings Emma Reynolds into his life, he knows immediately that he has to be the one to possess her.

Emma is different from Jake in every way. Soft where he is hard.  Loving where he is cold.  She knows that he wants to control her life and she allows it.  She has her reasons.  But when strange forces try to harm her children, she will show them, and Jake, just how a mama protects her cubs! 

Okay, I can't deny it.  I am a Christine Feehan slut.  I will read anything and everything that she puts out.  Even if it is shit, I will eat it and say, "Um, um, yummy!"  That's just the relationship that she and I have.  

But, that doesn't detract from the fact that this is a fabulous book.  Jake is the Alpha of my dreams.  Emma is his perfect foil because she simply smiles at his edicts and does whatever the hell she wants.  She is not a shrinking violet.  She goes into the relationship with her eyes wide open and acknowledging what kind of man he is.  In the end, he is the one that is profoundly changed and not the other way around.

RATING: RUN LIKE A FUCKING LEOPARD IS CHASING YOU!!!!

Bad Blood by L.A. Banks

Sasha Trudeau thought she knew everything there was to know about werewolves.  Having been bit herself, she takes medication to control the infection and works with an elite Special Ops group determined to bring down any and every werewolf they see.  Little does she know that everything she believes to be true has been a lie or that a chance encounter with the enigmatic Max Hunter will change her life.  Whether it is for the better still remains to be seen.

This is the first L.A. Banks book that I have ever read.  It's also one of the few that I bought from RT because I liked her so much.  Alas, you know that it didn't get signed.

Anyhoo, I have to admit that I stayed away from her books because for some reason, I got it into my head that she writes in first person.  I am vehemently opposed to first person (except in the case of my LOVELY CP VIOLA!  Whose book, comes out in a couple weeks, BTW!).  So I was pleasantly surprised that it was the dear old third person.  And that it was a kick-ass book!

Technically, I guess this book is Urban Fantasy, or Dark Fantasy as the spine reads, but I think of it more in the lines of Fantasy with romantic elements.  It's clear that this is a series much like J.D. Robb's 'In Death' books.  

I also have to say how much I enjoyed it.  I'm so glad that I got the next two books in the series so no waiting there.  I'm also going to check out her Vampire Huntress books.  I love her style of writing.  I'm also so digging Sasha.  She's my kind of bad ass.  Her and Hunter burn up the pages and there is still plenty of action so if you want to trick your man into reading a romance, this would be the way to go.

RATING: RUN 

 

Blame it on RT

So, I know that it's been for-fucking-ever!  I have a good excuse!  I've been at the Romantic Times Booklover's Convention since Tuesday and the internet there was slow as shit!  I barely made my TGIF blog over at the Vixens plus, my hotel room was far as fuck away from the convention center that there was no way I was sneaking away to blog.  

Don't distress, however, I will be blogging about my experience on Wednesday and boy did a lot of shit happen!  I love this convention so much that I may even brave Columbus, Ohio  next year.  (Saying that made me throw up.  Just a little.  A chunk to chew on in case I was hungry.)

But for now, I want to give you what you come here for (besides my potty mouth which got worse in this past week).  

THE SUNDAY BOOK BLOG!

Unfortunately, there's only one book this week.  Ironically enough, at a Booklover's convention, I didn't have time to read any books.  I did read one yesterday as I was flying for 10 fucking hours! 

Rapture by Jacquelyn Frank

Magnus is supposed to be the spiritual leader of his people, an icon of stability and peacekeeping.  That is until his world at the Sanctuary begins to unravel, starting with the betrayal of his handmaiden, Karri.  He has no one to trust, not even the woman that Drenna has sent to him.  

Daenaira knows all about slavery.  So when she is sent to Sanctuary to be Magnus' handmaiden, she believes she's leaving one captivity for another.  Still, she cannot deny that being the right hand of one of the most powerful men in 'Dweller culture is all bad.  Especially Magnus, who draws her closer even as she tries to keep her distance.  Neither one can trust but they're are going to be forced to work together to keep Sanctuary, and the Chancellery, from falling down around them.

Okay, you may be asking yourself, 'Rapture?  Doesn't that come out June 30th?'

THAT'S RIGHT BITCHES!  I got an ARC from Jacki herself.  I had to stalk her, hunt her down like a lion awaiting a lame gazelle.  I got her and her LAST ARC!  I just about screamed in her ear but I think she loves me anyway.  Even if she doesn't, I got the book.

And it was good.  Can I just tell you that the 'Dwellers are freaks!  Way more sensual and sexual than the Mightwalkers.  Seriously, I want to be one just for the sex lessons.  I mean, I'm good but I can always get better.

Anyways, Magnus and Daenaira are smoking!  They are a great H/H combination, striking off each others' strengths and weaknesses.  Daenaira is a kick-ass bitch, literally and Magnus knows she can be his best, and most powerful, weapon as well as his greatest weakness.

All in all, a very satisfying read.  Very different tone from her Nightwalkers series but still with the lush prose and great action. 

RATING:  RUN BITCHES!!!! (When it comes out!)

Sunday Book Blog

Sorry, I missed last week.  I did have two books ready and willing but I spent so much time with my website that I just didn't have the energy to do it.

But I'm back now and aren't you so glad!

Edge of Hunger by Rhyannon Byrd

Ian Buchanan has always felt as though there was something dark, something evil, inside of him just waiting for the opportunity to strike.  So when so-called psychic Molly Stratton comes to him saying not only that what's inside of him is real, but that his mother, his dead mother, sent her to help him confront it, he does the only thing he can think of.  He throws her out.

But that doesn't stop her from haunting his dreams.  Dreams of incredible sex and violence where Molly is featured front and center.  Dreams that Molly not only shares but experiences in waking life.  They have little time to worry over that.  An ancient evil, the Casus, has escaped its prison and it's on the hunt for the Merrick, aka Ian and his siblings.  Now Ian and Molly must confront the Casus and save mankind but lose their hearts in the battle.

Okay, this is my first time reading Ms. Byrd and I have to say, she hooked me from the first page.  And it didn't hurt that the first few chapter were about sex.  Really good, hair pulling, pelvis pounding, fangs in the throat sex.  Too bad we didn't get more of it until almost the end of the book.  SIGH!

Anyhoo, this was a good book with an interesting premise.  I'm not sure that I understand totally the Casus and the Merrick thing but it is a trilogy so I'm sure that by the end, I will.  Ian is a good character, torn between what he thinks is being a good man and the darkness inside of him.  Molly, a psychic with her own tragic past, is a bit of a freak because she's kind of digging the rough sex and fangs thing.  A match made in heaven. 

Can I also say how grateful I am that the books are coming out in April, May, and June?!?! No stupid 6 month wait in between where you either forget or have lost interest between books.  I love that.

RATING: RUN

Kept by Jamie Alden (Gemini Men, Book 2)

When Derek Taggart met Alyssa Miles at a swanky society party and subsequently brought her home for a night of incredible sex, he never expected the havoc she would wreak on his life.  

Alyssa Miles, is the quintessential party girl, famous for no other reason that her antic in the press and her family.  But, as heiress to the Van Weldt diamond fortune, she is trying to clean up her image.  A feat that becomes impossibly difficult when her father and stepmother are killed in an apparent murder-suicide.  Her life is further complicated when her uncle hires Derek Taggart, a personal security expert, to be her 'keeper.'

Their attraction only grows stronger, despite strong evidence that Alyssa, a former junkie, is up to her old tricks.  Even Derek, who can't keep his hands off her, doesn't believe her story that she's being drugged. Not until she's kidnapped and the two of them are thrust into a conspiracy beyond their wildest imaginations.

This story is good and complicated, involving blood diamonds and international conspiracies.  I really liked the fact that Alyssa, a Paris Hilton-esque character, was so flawed as to have a history of drug abuse.  Being a therapist, I take issue with the fact that she's never been tempted to relapse, but that's my issue.

Derek is a typical male bonehead.  He sees how her family treats her and he sympathizes with her then goes on and does the exact same thing.  He really has no reason not to trust her other than what he's learned in tabloids.  Alyssa reminds me of a kicked puppy who keeps coming back to her abusers for love but in a good way if that's possible.  She's not a weak person in general but she is starved for love which is why she chooses Derek because he's incapable of feeling.  So at the end, both of their arcs are satisfying and there's plenty in between to keep you interested.

RATING: RUN

Until next week, later gators

P.S. I'M GOING TO COSTA RICA!!!!  Just had to share that!

Sunday Book Blog

Current Read: Phantom in the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love


Blood Magic  by Jennifer Lyon 

Darcy McAlister doesn't know that she's an earth witch.  Which is really inconvenient when a band of rogue witch hunters come to kill her.  Fortunately for her, Axel Locke comes to save her.  Unfortunately for her, Axel plans to keep her locked in a basement until she can conjure up a cure for his little sister who has been marked for death.

Still, that does little to stop their growing attraction to each other.  But their time is limited.  She only has until the next full moon (about 7 days) to find a cure or else Axel with find the witch that cursed his sister and kill her himself.

So, this is a new author.  I think this is her first book and I have to tell you, she nailed it.  This book was hot and steamy as well as a good departure from the typical paranormal romance.  It has a solid mythology behind it.  

Apparently the Witch Hunters were created to protect witches, a special breed of human that evolved into magical beings.  Then, thirty years ago, a witch hunter turned his back on their god, Wing Slayer and some crazy shit went down which ended in witch hunters craving witch blood.  So to stop the hunger, they either need to fuck women like bunnies or kill a witch which then turns them rogue which then leaves them without a future and a lust for witch blood.  Pretty smart, pretty complicated.  I've already told you that I admire a good world builder.  Ms. Lyons hit the mark dead on.

Oh, and did I mention the steamy sex?

RATING: RUN

Bride of a Wicked Scotsman by Samantha James

Lady Maura O'Donnell swore to her father on his deathbed that she would retrieve the Circle of Light stolen from them years ago by a Scottish pirate, the Black Scotsman.  The theft of which cursed their lands and their bloodlines.  The only obstacle is that to do it, she must trick and wed Alec McBride, the Duke of Gleneden, and the current Black Scotsman.  Now her only problem is keeping him from discovering her deception while seeking out the treasure.  A difficult feat when he seems determined to seduce her at every turn.

I know you're probably think, huh?  Is this a historical?  Well, yes it is.  I do read them occasionally.  Especially when I read a good plot.  And this had it.  Also, I vaguely remember reading previous Samantha James novels and I recall enjoying them so I picked this one up.  

I loved this story.  There's nothing like a good bit of deception and forced marriages to get the blood going.  My standards for historical novel are vastly different from my ones for contemporary novels.  I don't mind the forced marriage so much.  Plus, this was inventive.  I enjoyed Alec and Maura and their chemistry crackled off the page.  Plus, I enjoyed that this was a relatively simple plot.  No really big mystery.  There was a bit of paranormal elements but they didn't really drive the story.

RATING: SPEED WALK

Until next time...

 

(Back to the) Sunday Book Blog

I know that you're all super-excited so I won't keep you waiting.

Danger in a Red Dress by Christina Dodd

Home care nurse Hannah Grey is down on her luck when she decides to take a job caring for Carrick Manly's mother.  Little does she know that she has just been thrust into a world of intrigue that she's ill-equipped to handle.  When Mrs. Manly lets Hannah in on a secret, the whereabouts of the billions of dollars that her husband Nathan seemingly absconded with, Hannah knows she's in trouble.  She's proven right when on Halloween night, Mrs. Manly is killed and Hannah's the one who (unwittingly) delivers the fatal dose.

Gabriel Prescott has been searching for his birth family ever since his mother dumped him off in the middle of an interstate when he was four years old.  He's finally found it in the Manly family.  When his brother (who doesn't know that they're related) hores him to spy on Hannah and his mother, Gabriel jumps at the chance, especially after seeing Hannah's photo.  When Hannah disappears on the night of Mrs. Manly's murder, it's Gabriel who tracks her down almost a year later in his home state of Texas.  And he has no plans to let her go...yet.

So, Danger in a Red Dress (although there's no red dress in the book) represents the culmination of two series, the Lost Texas Hearts and Fortune Hunters.  I've been waiting for Gabriel's story for years.  He's always been quite mysterious.  I do have to say that I was satisfied.

BUT...

Yes, there is a 'but.'  First of all, Hannah and Gabriel don't meet until almost half-way through the book.  Yes, they speak on the phone but they don't lay eyes on each other.  Second, Gabriel is living on the estate and spying on Hannah and Mrs. Manly.  Kind of creepy.  Finally, Gabriel's almost blind loyalty to his obviously messed up brother is perplexing.  I know that he has a deep respect for family but he has sisters and brothers so it's not as if he's alone.  Oh, and one more thing, when Hannah and Gabriel do finally 'meet' as themselves, it's for like a week.  

That being said, I have to say that there is something about Ms. Dodd that keeps me slathering over her books.  I admit that I'm more a fan of her historical novels but she does do a nice romantic suspense.  This isn't my favorite story in either series but it's solid.

I do wish that there was a little more meat to the one sex scene that was in the book but who am I to question where an author wants to go with her novel?  If you like Ms. Dodd, you'll enjoy this book.

RATING: WALK

Darkness Revealed (Guardians of Eternity, Book 4) by Alexandra Ivy

Two hundred years ago, Anna Randal gave herself and her blood to Conde Cezar in a night of reckless passion, only to have him disappear, leaving her forever changed.  Now he has reemerged and Anna wants some answers.  Like why she can't die.

Cezar has never forgotten Anna or their one amazing night.  A night that cost him almost two hundred years of his life.  But once he sees her again, he knows that it has been worth it.  The second they see each other, their passion blazes as hot as before.  Cezar has been tasked with keeping Anna alive so that she can claim her destiny as an Oracle.  A feat that become almost impossible when Morganna, the Fairy Queen, orders her death.  Now, Cezar and Anna are fighting for their lives and each other.

I have nothing but good things to say about this book.  I really enjoyed it.  I thinke Cezar is hot and Anna is more than a match for him.  I like the mythology behind the story.  I so admire an author that and world build and so it consistently.  It's a talent that I don't believe I have which is why I don't write paranormal.  Plus, the love scenes were hot (something that is super-duper important to a freak like me).

And before you ask, yes this book can be read as a stand alone although I would highly recommend that buy her previous books.  I particularly liked Viper.  *Shudder*

RATING: SPEED WALK

Sunday Book Blog

Here we go...

Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis

When good girl accountant Katie Kramer found herself the only survivor of a horrific crash, she decided that life was too short and that she wanted to leave her old, staid, and quiet life behind and go off in search of adventure.  Which was how she ended high in the Sierra Nevadas working as an office manager for Wilder Explorations.  It did not, however, explain how she ended up in the bed of Cameron Wilder.  But maybe it explains why she wants to stay there.

After a knee injury ended his career as a professional snowboarder, Cameron Wilder decides to run away.  A year later, he is surprised to come home to find a sleepy, sexy Katie curled up in his bed.  And that he doesn't want to throw her out.  Instead, he finds himself admiring her.  They both have been through trauma, only unlike Cameron, Katie is embracing life.  But can a man who's spent his life hiding really stop long enough to allow himself to be found?

I really enjoyed this book.  Katie is perky without being annoying.  Cameron is wounded without being too 'Mr. Rochester-ish.'  (Which as you know, I don't mind but he would have been too dark and brooding for little Katie.)  This is a great example of a straight up contemporary novel in all of its glory.  Boy meet Girl.  Boys has issues.  Girl has issues.  They fall in love but the issues raise their ugly heads and must be resolved before the Happily Ever After.  

I've said this before but it bears repeating.  Jill Shalvis is one of my literary heroes.  I love her books.  They're fun and sassy and I love her voice.  If I could be a cross between her and Lora Leigh, I would be in heaven.

RATING: JOG

Dream Warrior by Sherrilyn Kenyon

A war is brewing between humanity and gods who want to bring it to its knees.  Only one man can stop them and it's Delphine's, an Oneroi, a Dream-Hunter and protector of the human race, mission to find him.  It's just too bad that the baddies got to Jericho, aka Cratus, before she could.  

Jericho has wanted revenge against Zeus and his pantheon since he was banished and cursed from Olympus for saving the life a child.  No one, not even a naked Delphine served up on a silver platter, is going to stop that.  But when the gods, Noir and Azura, betray him, he has no choice but to join forces with Delphine and, by extension, Zeus, to stop them.  With Delphine by his side.

I will tell you all this.  This is not a book to start your Sherilynn Kenyon experience with.  This book is so full of subtext and backstory that even I had a hard time following because there were two novellas that I missed.

Even so, I enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed all of her books.  Delphine and Jericho sizzle off the page.  I enjoy a brooding hero and Sherrilyn Kenyon gives you that in Spades.  (Although, if you want tortured heroes, read Zarek, Valerius, or Acheron's stories.)  Delphine is a good balance to him.  My only issue is that there was so much backstory that I wish there could have been more time to develop the relationship.  It seemed somewhat rushed. 

Again, there was A LOT going on.

RATING: RUN

Until next week...

Sunday (Monday) Book Blog

I swear that I would have had this out to you yesterday if it wasn't for one tiny thing...

THE SUPERBOWL!!!!

Okay, can I just tell all of you how much I fucking love football?!?!  I am a self-procliamed 'Football Freak.'   Now you might be telling yourself, 'Oh, she's a Broncos fan' and to you I say, 'Fuck the Broncos!  COWBOYS, baby!!!!'

Yes, I am a Dallas Cowboys fan although on occasion, I can be persuaded to root for the Patriots or the Colts.  But never Denver.  It's a good thing that I'm anonymous becuase that comment alone would get my ass kicked here.  

Now onto the books...

Seeing Red by Susan Crandall

Fifteen years ago, Ellis Greene was the only witness to her cousin's brutal  abduction.  Hers was the testimony that put the man she believed responsible in jail and made her a target for his revenge.  Since that night, Ellis has lived in a self-made cocoon of safety, never leaving the safety of her South Carolina home.  She thinks everything is behind her until the man responsible for her cousin Laura's death is given parole. 

Fifteen years ago, everyone believed that Laura's boyfriend Nate was responsible for her kidnapping and beating.  Until Ellis' testimony absolved him.  At least in the eyes of the law.  Unable to bear the scrutiny, Nate leaves town.  He comes back fifteen years later, full of secrets and surrounded by danger but he's the only person that Ellis trusts.  But with a killer with an eye for revenger after her, can she afford to trust a man she doesn't really know but can't keep away from?

This was my first book by Ms. Crandall and I have to say that I enjoyed it.  It was suspenseful with a crazy twist at the end.  Ellis and Nate spark off each other from the beginning and have sustained chemistry.  It is a very well-written romantic suspense.  

But you know me, I would have liked to have read more sex.  It's my problem.

RATING: SPEED WALK

Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl

When Molly Jenkins moves back to her small Colorado mountain town, it's with a secret.  That she's an author.  Not only an author but that she writes erotica.  Really well.

It's a secret that has been driving Sheriff Ben Lawson crazy for years.  Is she a prostitute?  A phone sex operator?  A drug mole?  He knows that he should stay away from her but the harder he tries to fight her the, er, harder he gets.  Soon enough, they're jumping into bed, or a truck, whatever, every opportunity that they get.  

But for Molly, the thing with Ben is a fling at most.  She knows how scandal has ripped apart his family in the past and she knows that her career will send Ben right back into the fire. 

Okay, I have to say it.  

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

There!  It reminded me about everything I loved and still love about good old contemporary romance.  There were no explosions, no kinapping, no crazed murderer on the loose.  There was a bit of creepy stalking but, hey, every book has got to have some conflict.

Ben and Molly practically sizzle off the page.  They had me fanning my face so much I had to check and make sure that I was reading an HQN and NOT a Brava.  Dahl's writing is fresh and witty, modern and funny.  It's everything that I want my writing to be when I grow up.

Plus, it didn't hurt that there was a bit of dirty talk in there.  I'm a sucker for some dirty talk.

RATING: RUN!!!!!!! 

Until next week...

CLIVE OWEN

Sunday Book Blog

Well, look at me.  Delivering the book blog on time!  I deserve something for that.  Please send chocolate.  

Anyway, I know I promised you an announcement on my Whatever Wednesday blog but I got distracted my menages.  Hmmm...Colin and Gerard.  But never fear, my announcement will definitely come on Wednesday and involve a contest and sex.  Lots of sex!

STAY TUNED!

And now onto the blog

Daring the Moon by Sherrill Quinn

Taite Gibson is not a woman to walk away from a fight but how does one fight both a stalker and a...werewolf?  By running.  That's exactly what she does right into the arms of reclusive horror author and werewolf expert Ryder Alexander.  The attraction between them burn high and hot from the moment they lay eyes on each other.  There's just one problem.  Taite may have escaped one wolf only to find herself in the arms of another.

Okay, let me preface this by saying that I really enjoyed this book.  Ryder was HOTT!!! Taite was a good match for him.  The chemistry felt real and right.  The sex was great and again, hot.  So it worked for me. 

Now, my problem?  The insta-love.  

Yes, you heard me right folks.  I am a romance writer who doesn't believe in love at first sight.  

I'm all for insta-sex.  In fact, I'm a big proponent of it.  Especially in erotic romance.  The more sex the sooner all the better.  But love?  That takes some time.  And excuse me, but three days is not enough time to accept that the man you love is a werewolf.  I'm not saying that you wouldn't come to that acceptance, but I'm saying that it's later rather than sooner.  Hell, women have a hard enough time trying not to scream at their mates for leaving the toilet seat up in the middle of the night.  

But a werewolf?  

I'm just saying. 

RATING: SPEED WALK

Hunting the Hunter by Shiloh Walker

For two years, Kane Winter has been haunted by the mysterious death of his bounty hunting partner Duke.  And by the hauntingly beautiful woman who may or may not have been at the scene.  To find out the truth about his partner, he does his own investigating and in the process starts killing vampires.  When he finally meets the woman from his dreams, he finds she's the very thing that he's been hunting but that does little to deter his hunger for him.  Kendall is a Hunter, part of an elite paramilitary group of paranormal beings that hunt evil in the world.  The sparks fly between them and soon enough between the sheets.  The only problem is that they're being stalked by someone who won't stop until Kendall is dead.

I love Shiloh Walker.  I know she's really big in the e-pubs but I discovered her by reading her book 'The Missing' a few weeks ago.  (An aside: the book was an IR and I loved it but my problem was that although heroine was black, she was light enough to 'pass.'  Let the dark skinned ladies get their man!)

Sorry.  I guess that this book is part of a series but I didn't know and it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book so don't worry about it. 

Anyway Kane and Kendall practically scorch off the pages and then there's the dirty talk.  I'm a sucker for a potty mouth in bed.  (Literally!)  The story is complicated but not overly so.  It's also written in parts which I felt was unnecessary.

My peeves?  One, it was never really explained what Kane was.  He was human but he had some kick-ass psychic powers.  Two, the epilogue.  Read the book, you'll get it.

RATING: RUN 

Until next week!

Later Gators.

Sunday Book Blog

Hello and welcome to the first Sunday Book Blog of 2009!

So, I've got lots of fun and interesting things planned for my blog this year.  I'm still plotting and planning and I'll keep you all apprised as they come along.  But without further ado, I present the first Sunday Book Blog of 2009!  And they have the added bonus of being from two of my all-time favorite authors.

Running Hot (An Arcane Society Novel) by Jayne Ann Krentz

It was supposed to be a routine sneak and peek mission.  They were to find a killer named Eubanks and report back to Fallon Jones, head of Jones and Jones Investigations.  That was what they told him but Grace Renquist was not the mild-mannered librarian that Luther Malone expected.  Instead, she was sex in a neat and compact package.  His attraction to her is immediate and what's even better is that their psychic profiles seem to mesh together so well.  For her part, Grace doesn't think much of a 'bodyguard' that uses a cane and doesn't carry a gun (not that he was much of great shot in the first place). 

Unfortunately, what starts out as an innocent job turns deadly when the idyllic Hawaiian resort turns into a viper's nest filled with Nightshade agents.  There's that psychotic opera singer who moonlights as a trained assassin who wants to kill Grace.  

Okay, so this isn't the best description of the book but I don't have the inside flap with me so it'll have to do.  

I enjoyed this book but then again, I enjoy most of her books.  The Arcane Society books are a series that she writes both as Amanda Quick and Jayne Ann Krentz.  They're also similar to the flower books she wrote as Jayne Castle (I love those!).  Basically, I'm a Krentz/Quick/Castle bookslut.

I enjoyed these characters.  I thought that the plot seemed to veer off course.  I'm not really sure that the whole Eubanks thing was relevant but seemed liked a convenient plot device.  Plus, there was this one thing that Luther and Grace experienced that seemed like it was going somewhere but she left us dangling.  And I would have liked to have read some beefed up sex scenes but then again, I always do.  Still, there is something about her writing that I can't get enough of.  And there were only a couple places where the plot seemed thin but overall it was a very satisfying read.  Plus, Fallon seems like he's going to be getting his own book soon!

If you like JAK, you'll love this book.

RATING: SPEED WALK

Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood

Newspaper reporter Sophie Snow has been trying her whole life for the to get out from beneath the spectre of her modern-day Robin Hood father and after a lifetime of interrogations by every government agency with initials the last thing she needs is to get involved with an FBI agent.  Even if he were as incredibly sexy as Jack McAlister.  But when her father is suddenly thrust back into the news, several threats are made on her life, and her bra thwarts a bullet, she can't deny that she needs him.  If that weren't enough, her life becomes severely complicated when a man she interviews turns up in the wilds of Alaska eaten by a polar bear named Barry.

Sophie, being Sophie, can't give up on the reasons why a man with no apparent motive leaves a 5k race and ends up dead in Alaska.  So it's off to the wilds, Jack McAlister hot on her heels and in her bed.  She can't deny their attraction but neither can she forget who he is.   

Okay, I just love Julie Garwood.  I wish that she would continue writing her historicals.  Anyway, her romantic suspense books are awesome.  I love them all.  This one is no exception.  You may remember Sophie from The Murder List.  My only issue with her is that she seemed really naive.  Seriously, if someone is making threats on your life and then you get a mysterious phone call asking you to go to he window, would you do it?  Uh, no.  Plus, she's very trusting for someone who has lived under the scrutiny of every government agency in the U.S.  Still, this adds to her charm.

I liked Jack and Sophie.  They had great chemistry and hot sex.  Plus there was a really interesting story intertwined that could be farfetched but she made it work.

RATING: SPEED WALK  

Until next week!

Final Sunday Book Blog of 2008

One of the things that I've been enjoying about my time off is all of the extra time that I have for reading.  I usually read about 2-3 books per week anyway but it's been great to just read and not worry about writing.  Although, I have to say that this month the publishing world seems to have some kind of a dry spell because I haven't been impressed with my local Barnes and Noble.  So I've been re-reading some oldies but goodies.  I love re-reading.  No matter how many times I read a book, if I enjoy the writing, I can always allow myself to be swept up in the story again. 

But the slump is over!

I bring to you two books (whose due dates should technically be in January but were shelved this week) that I truly enjoyed.

Stay the Night (Darkyn Book 7) by Lynn Viehl

When undercover FBI agent Chris Renshaw meets the elusive but oh-so alluring Rob one night in a smoky nightclub, she had no idea that he is the elusive art thief that she has been chasing.  That's why she allows herself to be swept away in an incredible night of passion unlike any that she has experienced before.  And why she needs to walk away the next morning.  When Robin of Locksley awakens to find his bed empty, he is not pleased, especially when he finds out that he's been deceived by Chris.  But circumstances forces them to work together when the book that they've booth been pursuing is stolen from under Robin's nose and on Chris's watch. A stunning act of betrayal propels them to join forces on an international romp in search of the book and a passion that cannot be denied.

Okay, well, this is no my best description.  In fact, it's really just bare bones because there is so much happening in the book that no blurb could encompass it all.  I really enjoyed this book and Ms. Viehl's writing.  She truly weaves the plot lines from the different books seamlessly.  There are also surprises galore throughout the story.  My only qualm is that there is no description of Chris and Robin's first night together which I gather was amazing since Chris says that she had things done to her body that no man has done before.  But this fact is forgiven by a very artful and very sexy m/m scene that comes out of left field but explains so much.

I am very sad because it seems like this might be the end of the Darkyn series.  She is branching out into a series of book based on the Kyndred (you have to read the book to find out what means).  I'm looking forward to see where this goes.  My only complaint is that I wish she would put out more books a year but I'm sure that she doesn't have a tone of control over this, plus she writes in multiple genres.

This is not a book for someone new to the series.  In fact, if you haven't read the previous Darkyn novels, don't even pick this up.  Start with book one and work your way through them.

RATING: RUN

Witch Heart (Elemental Witches, Book 3) by Anya Bast

When Claire, an elemental witch from an alternate universe, is pushed through a dimensional portal and into Chicago, it's no wonder that no one believes that she's being pursued by demons and lock her up in an insane asylum.  But she's used to captivity.  On Eudae, she was little better than a slave.  But she manages to get a message to the other Earth witches and is rescued by Adam Tyrell.  The attraction between them is immediate.  Claire is unlike any witch Adam has known.  She's way more powerful, all four of the elements are hers to command.  Her powers do not prevent her from being pursued by demons who want the Elium, a powerful weapon, which was thrust into her just before her Demon master pushed her through the portal.  But being pursued by demons does little to dampen Adam and Claire's desire for each other as they let their passion explode while at the same time working overtime to save her life.

I love this book.  I loved the previous two books. Anya Bast creates powerful characters and love scenes so hot, they practically scorch your fingers.  That's what I love about writers who come out of e-pubs.  They know how to craft a love scene.  The romance genre is moving towards hotter sex scenes and the e-pubs were and are at the forefront of what the public wants.  Adam and Claire are good with each other, and not just in bed.  I liked the story line.  Even though it's paranormal, it's not that far-fetched (if you get passed the whole alternate world thing).

Rating: Run

Well, Happy New Year!  I'll be back soon with more Harmless Smut, Reviews, and Observations the week of January 5th.  

Sunday Book Blog(s)

Sorry about being out of touch but I've been such a slacker and since my job has resumed, it's been crazy.  So here is the Sunday Book Blog for the past TWO weeks.  Yup, folks, your math is right, it's FOUR books that I am going to review.

And without further ado...

Noah by Jacquelyn Frank

As King of the Demons, Noah prides himself on his self-control and his sound mind.  So when the dreams that he has been having of his Mate for the past six months suddenly stop, it drives him over a precipice and causes him to commit a heinous act.  One that he can neither forgive himself for nor can he ask others to forgive him.  But he cannot deny the incredible pleasure that having Kestra in his life brings.  They are as different as night and day.  She a highly trained mercenary and he a King more at home among his books than on the battlefield.  Together they must find a way to be together and fight against those that would pull them apart.

Now, I first want to start off by saying that I love this series.  My personal favorite was 'Elijah.'  I don't know why but something about that story got to me.  

I enjoyed getting to know Noah.  Although he has been in all of the books, you've never really gotten a true sense of who he is other than he is a Scholar King.  And I thought that Kestra was a good match for him, both in temperament and vibe.  I liked their romance.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I was disappointed in some aspects of the book.  

This book marked the end of the 'Nightwalker' series and Ms. Frank will be moving on to the 'Shadowdweller' series.  That being said, I was expecting big things out of this book.  For the first three books, there was this great storyline going on with Ruth and her daughter Mary who betray their demon kind because Jacob inadvertently killed Mary's Imprinted Mate.  That sends these crazy bitches into a tailspin and they set out to wreak havoc.  This storyline culminates in 'Elijah' where Mary gets killed and Ruth vows revenge on Jacob and Bella and Gideon and Legna's children whom it has been prophesied will usher in a new era of peace.  Great story, right?  Too bad it ends there.  If I remember correctly, Ruth had a bit part in Damien and Syreena's story and she is almost an afterthought in 'Noah.'

Huh?

What happened to her?  Is she working with the Vampires to overthrow all the Nightwalkers?  

And what's with that library that they found buried deep in the ground that was said to contain some crazy knowledge and prophesies?

And was Kestra a mercenary?  Her background other than what happened when she was 17 years old (read the book) was sketchy at best.  Why did she turn to merc work after getting out of the Marines?  Those questions just niggled at my brain. 

There are so many loose ends in 'Noah' that by the end, although I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I wanted to rip out my hair.  To me it seemed as though both 'Damien' and 'Noah' were stand alone stories and didn't really fit in with the story arc created in the first three books.  Which is fine but as a reader, when I hear that a series is ending, I want everything wrapped up in a neat bow and this book just didn't give me that.

But that will not stop me from reading her next series.  I love Ms. Frank's writing.  I love Jacki (I met her last year which is how I got started reading the books).  So while I am disappointed, it won't stop me from gobbling up her next book and hope that I get some of the answers to my questions there.

Rating: Speed Walk

Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh

Dorian Christiansen has nothing good to say about the Psy.  They covered up for the psychotic killer who murdered his sister and even though Dorian exacted his revenge, his hatred for the Psy has not diminished.  Ashaya Aleine represents everything that the Psy stand for.  So deep in the Silence protocol that Dorian doubts that she even has a heart.  But that doesn't stop him from wanting her.  She's like a fever in his blood but to look at her, he was sure that ice ran in hers.  So when Ashaya enlists his help to save her son, he has no choice to to repay a debt.  And when Ashaya soon follows her child, she and Dorian are trapped in a world of pleasure and torn apart by the fact of their very natures.  

There are no words to describe how much I love this book.  Ashaya and Dorian are in my heart.  I cried, I laughed, I fell in love.  To see Dorian struggle with the knowledge that Ashaya is his mate and that she is Psy was heartbreaking but not nearly as much as watching Ashaya try to bury her love for her son and deal with her sister.  

Sniff.

The tension between Dorian and Ashaya is palpable.  They're drawn together and yet repelled.  They are the epitome of opposite attracting especially when Ashaya is determined to hold onto the Silence protocol, something that Dorian believed contributed to his sister's death.  

Great storyline.  Consistent plot.  Steady worldbuilding.  Everything that a paranormal romance should be.

Rating: Sprint like you're that Jamaican dude who blew people away at the Olympics. 

Bound by Light by Anna Windsor

The only thing that Astraroth demon Jake Lowell wants more than to be human is Merilee Alexander, the broom of the Manhattan Sibyl triad.  But after two years with no success, Jake has decided to put that dream aside and join his brothers on the OSU team of the NYPD.  Unfortunately, that puts him in constant contact with Merilee since her triad sisters are pregnant and not able to fight with her.  

Psychics are disappearing all over Manhattan and it is up to Jake and Merilee to find out the reasons why.  Especially since Merilee is very much afraid that she might be next on the madman's list.

This was a very enjoyable end to a very enjoyable series.  Jake and Merilee practically scorched off the pages.  I found the story to be completely engaging and like the two before this book, very unique.  This was a cohesive trilogy that unlike some other trilogies, gave each couple their own arc and separate story but still managed  to keep everything together.

Rating?  RUN

And I saved the best for last...

Dark Curse by Christine Feehan

Lara Calladine has endured a lifetime of pain in just the first eight years of her life.  Held hostage by her father and grandfather and used as nothing more than food, with the help of her aunts, she was finally able to escape.

Nicolas De La Cruz can feel the darkness covering his soul.  The call of the Vampire echoes in his head.  His last duty?  To relay a message to the Prince of their people before choosing the dawn.  When he meets Lara on the streets of a Carpathian village, he cannot help but call her to him, the dark hunger rising in his blood.  The Vampire can no longer be denied.  However, at the sound of her voice, colors explode before his eyes and long-dead emotions flood into his heart.  She is it.  The one that he has been searching centuries for.  She is is Lifemate.

Bound together, Lara and Nicolas must work to find her aunts, expose the experiments of a madman intent on causing the destruction of all Carpathians,  and save their race before it's too late.  For either of them.

Christine Feehan is a genius.  Plain and simple.  I await every single one of her 'Dark' books with bated breath.

And the sex?  OMG, the woman is a master.  I wish that I could write love scenes like she does, which such intensity and sensuality.  I'm still stuck on the ones that I have to write for my WIP.  I need to go back and read her some more to get inspiration but her books are never at the library.  They all get stolen.  That's how good she is.

I really enjoyed this story because I liked the humbling of a De La Cruz.  If you've ever read Ms. Feehan then you would know that these brothers give new meaning to the word 'Chauvinist' even in the Carpathian world.  And while other Lifemates have 'tamed' their De La Cruz brothers, none have been humbled and truly changed like Nicolas was.

Rating: Pull a Usain Bolt.

Until next time...

OH!  And check out to Vixens Blog to find out if you're the winner in our contest.

Sunday Book Blog

This week I have not two but three books for your reading pleasure.

So without further ado...

Insatiable Desire: The Demonborn by Rita Herron

Synopsis:

When he was a child, Vincent Valtrez witnessed his mother's death at the hands of his father--or so he thinks.  Twenty years later, he's no closer to the memory.  So when Vincent, an FBI agent, is called back to his hometown to investigate a series of seemingly unrelated murders that psychic Clarissa, a girl from his past, believes to be the work of a serial killer, he fears that those memories will come back.  Together they solve the mystery of his past and his potential future.

Um, I left out a lot in this synopsis.  Like the fact that Vincent was born from a demon father and Angel mother, therefore making him a Demon Lord.  His father, Zion, is going to be the new leader of Hell and needs his son by his side to make the transition permanent and rule the earth.

Oh, maybe I didn't leave anything out.

This books marks a departure for Ms. Herron.  She usually writes romantic suspense and this is definitely a paranormal.  Which I think is great.  I always believe that artists should be constantly expanding and growing.

I enjoyed the book.  It was very sensuous.  The sex was definitely amped up.  Plus, I really do like books that use 'fuck' to describe the act.  I'm sick like that.  The hero is tortured, which I adore.  The heroine is a match for him.  I think the story was inventive and I liked her 'voice.'  

Only two issues.  One, while I enjoyed the sex scenes, I think that there was a big build-up to it but the while the scene was good, I was left wanting just a bit more.  And second, this is a trilogy where the next book won't be out until 2009 which sux great big donkey balls.

My new rating system: Walk, Speed Walk, Jog, Run

This book?  Speed Walk

First You Run by Roxanne St. Claire

Synopsis

Adrien Fletcher, a bullet catcher, is on the hunt for woman.  Only not in the way you might think.  He's on the trail of a woman who was sold through the Black Baby market thirty years ago and finding her might just save a woman's life, literally.  What he finds is Miranda Lang, a linguist who's new book about the Maya calendar is majorly pissing off some people.  In order to see if she's the woman that he needs, he's going to need to get close to her, very close, in order to find a tattoo marking her as the woman he needs.  And Adrien is more than up to the job.

While Miranda may not be the one he wants, he is definitely the one she needs when death and mayhem start to follow her everywhere she goes.

This is the beginning of a second set of trilogies and it's a good one.  I always love a good bodyguard story.  And the introduction of the Maya calendar angle was ingenious.  I learned something new which makes me happy.

I also enjoyed the H/H combination.  There was enough suspense at the end of the book that will make me want to read the next one.  Which is out now.  That's awesome!

Verdict?  Speed Walk

Fairyville by Emma Holly

Psychic Zoe Clare sees ghosts and fairies.  Fortunately, that's not so odd in the town of Fairyville Arizona.  But for all her psychic abilities, she still can't figure out how to get her landlord/manager, Magnus Monroe, to see her.  What makes it worse, is that she seems to be the only woman in the town whom he hasn't...sampled.  So when her high school flame comes back to town, she seizes the opportunity to make him jealous and get some sex all at the same time.

Okay, I love this book.  I LOVE EMMA HOLLY.  Her books are what got me started in erotica because she does it so well.  She is the queen of threesomes and foursome and somehow manages to do it in a way that's both classy and romantically satisfying.  Usually, I don't like the multiple partner angle but she manages to keep the romance between the two couples while at the same time serving up some steamy sex.

This book has everything, M/M, M/F/M, and the oh-so popular M/M/F/M.  Now that was something new.  Three guys and a girl?  HELL YEAH!!!

My ultimate foursome you ask?  Well I'll tell you.  Me (of course), Gerard Butler, my new hotness James McAvoy, and Anderson Cooper.  Although, I would substitute AC for either of the Colins (Ferrell or Firth).  

*SIGH*

Now that is heaven.

Rating?  RUN!!!!    

Until next week!

Acheron!

Okay, this book was so good that it deserved an early Book Blog all its own!

First let me tell all of you that I want to be Sherrilyn Kenyon when I grow up!  Not only the multi-NYT bestseller part, but also just the fact that she is such a wonderful person. She was here in Colorado last night doing a book signing and I got to meet her.  At first I wasn't going to go but then I decided that I really wanted to see her in person and I am so glad that I did.

First, can I just say that very rarely do any really big authors come to Denver.  Sherrilyn had come twice this year and she's coming back in May for my local RWA chapter's conference.  That's just one reason she rocks.

Secondly, she is so nice and funny!  I was laughing the whole time.

But I think the most important part about why I loved her was just how gracious and lovely she was.  She took the time to talk to everyone.  She took pictures with us, she chatted, and she encouraged me to keep up with my writing.  When I left the bookstore, it was almost 10:30 (30 minutes after closing time) and she was still going strong.  She had at least another hour or so of work left and I'm sure that her hand was dead this morning.

That's the kind of author that I want to be.  Not only surrounded by adoring fans, but to be that accessible and welcoming and just so...awesome.  She was awesome.  

So on the off chance that Ms. Kenyon ever reads this blog, thank you so much for your time and your patience and your grace.  I will always have that and the fuzzy picture that my crappy camera phone took to remember you by.

Now on to the review:

Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon 

I'm not going to bother with a synopsis here because there is so much going on in this book that it would be impossible to do it justice.  I will just say that this is a book that I have been waiting years for and I was not disappointed.

If you read my previous book blog, you know that I love me a tortured hero and Ash delivers that in spades.  The first couple hundred pages had me in tears almost constantly.  When you read about Ash's past, if you can maintain a stiff upper lip then there is something seriously wrong with you.  I haven't cried this hard since Valerian's story.  And before that, Zarek's.  

*SIGH*

Tortured heroes so do it for me!  

And something that I found interesting is that for a while, Ms. Kenyon was able to make me not only like Artemis, but root for her.  But then she took it all back.  I hate Artie with a vengeance matched only Ash and his new woman.  (And if all of this means jack shit to you, go read the books!)

Now this is not a book, it is a tome written in four parts.  It's over 700 pages and worth every bit of lost sleep that I got from reading it.  It took me a day, more or less.  Not only because I'm a fast reader but because it was an amazing book and I didn't want to put it down.  

But this is not only about Ash but his heroine.  I won't reveal her name or anything about her other than to say that I think that they meshed so beautifully together that they were literally made for each other.  (Okay, I will give you a hint.  She has been in a previous book but you will never guess which one.  So read them all.)

My only qualm is that I wish that she had been able to cram in a few more love scenes between Ash and his lady.  Not only because I'm a bit of a pervert and would do anything to get more descriptive about Ash but also because I just loved them together so much.  But I got over that because this time, I cried at the HEA.

This book could be read as a stand alone.  There is a lot of backstory but it's nothing that a novice to the Dark-Hunters couldn't follow.  But my advice is to read them all from the beginning.  You get to know Ash before you get to know him.  

I'm only sad that now the mystery is gone for me about Ash.  But there is always Savitar and Jaden.  

Please, Ms. Kenyon, let there be Savitar and Jaden.

Screw the rating system.  

RUN.  DO NOT WALK.  DO NOT PASS GO.  BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm probably going to go read it again.

Sunday Book Blog

Here it is, another Sunday Book Blog brought to you on an actual Sunday.

The other day I was talking to my friend and she was looking for something new to read and she was asking me for recommendations for books to read and I have to say that I was stumped. What do you recommend for the novice romance reader? I don't really know anything about her general fiction choices. Does she like mysteries? Thrillers? Who are her favorite authors? I do know that she likes David Sedaris. (As do I because, seriously, I want to be as funny a social commentator as he is. In my other writing life, I want to have a hilarious monthly column in Vogue or The New Yorker, even though I've never been to New York.)

As I was talking to her, I commented on the fact that while I really don't read too much fiction outside of the romance genre, within it, I'm very well read. I read historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, paranormal, interracial, and assorted other subgenres. The only things that I don't really go for are Sci-Fi or time-travel. The latter because I really can't see going back to a time without indoor plumbing or modern dentistry. Plus, as a Black person, going back in time for my people is not an appealing thought.

But my book choices today reflect my diversity. We have a romantic suspense and an historical.

Now on to the books.

First up:

Trial by Fire: The Firefighters of Station Five by Jo Davis

Synopsis:

In the small town of Sugarland, Tennessee, an arsonist is on the loose. Kat McKenna is housesitting for friends when she comes by one night to find the home ablaze and calls the fire department. Inside, the firemen make a deadly discovery, a body handcuffed to the bed and burned alive. One of the firemen is Howard Paxton, six-foot-six-inches of rugged fire hunk.

For Kat and Howard, the attraction is instant and undeniable. Howard has some serious trust issues but Kat is willing to accept them for him. What she doesn't know is that Howard has somehow become the target of the deadly arsonist's rage. Can they find out who is doing the killing and why they want to punish Howard before it's too late?

This is the first of a series (obviously!). The next book doesn't come out until May 2009 which really ticks me off because that's like nine months instead of the usual six. I just hope I can remember that I really liked this book and I would dearly love to read anything by Ms. Davis again.

Okay, can I just say that I love the name Howard as hero's name? I've never considered it sexy before but when it comes attached to some prime beefcake like in this story, I really can see myself moaning that name. (That's my litmus test for hero names. What do they sound like when you moan them?)

I liked the story, especially the chemistry between Howard and Kat. The love scenes were good, very good. They did call this a romantic suspense but I'm not quite sure that it was 'romantic suspense' mainly because to me, the definition of the genre is such a nebulous thing. This storyline could just as easily have been classified as a straight contemporary. But what do I know? I'm just a struggling writer.

My advice: GO BUY IT!


Next up:

Sins of a Duke by Suzanne Enoch

Synopsis:

When Sebastian Griffin, the Duke of Melbourne, is asked by Prinny to become the liaison to an unknown Central American country, he's not happy. Especially when he finds out that part of the duties is to squire the princess, Josefina, around Society. Josefina is unlike any woman he's ever known and despite the fact that she smacked him in public and she continues to challenge him at every turn, he cannot deny his desire for her. But he also can't escape the feeling that something is amiss with this newly crowned royalty.

But is Josefina really a princess? And what will happen when the entirety of England becomes aware of the potential fraud?

I don't remember if I've ever read Ms. Enoch before but I will definitely read her again.

Now, this book was the last in the series and I have to confess I try not to read books like that but this story was entirely self-contained that I had no problems diving in.

My first chuckle was the the name of the island that Josefina and her family were the supposed rulers of was Costa Habichuela, the Bean Coast. It just made me laugh.

And Sebastian is my favorite kind of hero. Total staid Alpha Male with hot undercurrents of sensuality just waiting to bubble to the surface. There is something about a man who is forced to keep a tight reign of his baser desires that drives me crazy. He was kept from being a total buttoned-up frump by his daughter and their obvious affection. It was nice to see their interaction. And a surprise considering the way that Society, especially Dukes, behaved towards their children back in the day.

The only thing better is the brooding, tortured Mr. Rochester type.

*SHUDDER*

Sexy.

Anyway, I liked the H/H combination. Josefina was just the type to shake up the uber-conservative Sebastian. And the love scenes were well-written and enjoyable.

Can I just tell you that in my opinion, historical romances were way ahead of the curve when it came to the level of sensuality in stories nowadays. I remember reading Linda Lael Miller, Susan Johnson, and Amanda Quick specifically because they were so much more descriptive. It took contemporaries a few years to catch up, and now exceed, historicals.

But back to the Duke.

GO BUY IT.

Until next week!

Sunday Book Blog

Okay, after all that hoopla about this not being a book review blog, here I am with two new reviews. I really shouldn't be writing this. I'm 5,000 words behind on my WIP but I'm in massive denial about it. So...

Pfft!

Today's books:

Bound by Flame (The Dark Crescent Sisterhood Book 2) by Anna Windsor

The second book in the series starts off a few months after the first book. Creed and Riana are married. Cynda, the heroine, and Marilee have moved to the townhouse once owned by Creed and Nick, the heroine and Creed's twin brother demon. The house has now become the HQ for the OSU and the Sybils. The book starts out with Cynda and Nick meeting with an informant. It soon turns into an invisible demon attack. Turns out, the Legion or someone else, is targeting fire Sybils like Cynda and Nick is assigned to be her bodyguard when her sister sybils are not around. She's resistant at first (of course!) but after seeing the devastation of other Triads, she relents. Nick and Cynda and the rest of the Scooby gang must work together to see who is targeting the fire Sybils. All sorts of mayhem ensues, especially when one of the demons that they are hunting turns out to be Creed and Nick's brother, Jake. Oh, and Cynda has been ordered out of a relationship with Nick. Is Jake the bad guy? Will love conquer all?- (Of course, it's a romance novel!)

All in all, I enjoyed the book. I really like Cynda, she reminds me of the heroine in my current WIP. The relationship between them is also very interesting. One thing that I found curious was that although Cynda is a fire Sibyl, the chemistry between Riana and Creed from the first book, is way more explosive. I thought that it was quite the dichotomy. A strong addition to the trilogy and I only have to wait a couple more weeks until the next book.

GO BUY IT!

My Wicked Enemy by Carolyn Jewel

In a world of Mages and Fiends, Carson Philips is as lost as a babe in the woods. Practically held hostage for years by a powerful Mage, Magellan, Carson has been helping him for years without her knowledge. One night, she witnesses just how evil Magellan is and goes on the run. Fortunately, she is found by Nickodemus, a powerful Warlord. Unfortunately, he also wants to kill her. Along with Magellan's thugs. The good news is that he doesn't kill her, the bad news is that Magellan has been slowly poisoning her for years so that he could suppress her use of her magic but still be able to draw it from her and she only has a little while to live. Together Carson and Nikodemus must stop Magellan from his evil plotting and find a way to save Carson's life before it's too late.

First off, this book was a real lesson of world building in the paranormal. It has some crazy complications. The synopsis that I gave you is really bare bones because so much is happening in this story that there is no simple explanation. How Carson gets saved is also weird and I'm not sure I understand it. I would give you more info but too much can ruin the book and I want you to discover it for yourself.

There was one part that I didn't enjoy. At times in the book, it seemed like there was going to be threesome, which I don't object to, but it came so late in the game that it kind of put me off. And the heroine does have sex, I think, with someone other than the hero. But it wasn't clear if it was happening in reality or in her head like some super hallucination. Either way, it grossed me out.

Well, two parts because one time Nikodemus and Carson were having sex and and he turned into his demon self and the author chose not to give us a description of what he looked like. Big downer.

However, the rest of the book makes up for these lapses and I am definitely looking forward to reading another one of her book.

Buy it.

Man, I need a ratings system.

P.S.
Aren't you proud of me for getting you the Sunday Book Blog on an actual Sunday?

Yay me!

Sunday Book Blog (on a Wednesday)

Sorry about the last post. My Internet is kind of wonky and so my blogging had been put on hold but I did find enough of a signal to send this.

This weekend I discovered a new author. Anna Windsor.

Well, I didn't 'discover' her so much as ran across her book at Barnes & Noble and the book sounded good.

Bound By Shadow (The Dark Crescent Sisterhood) Book 1

Synopsis:

A Trio of Demon Hunters called Sybils are out protecting Manhattan. The lead warrior Princess, Riana, meets NYPD homicide detective, Creed, as he is on the hunt for the killer of a senator's son. Creed is part of a super secret division of the NYPD that deals with the occult. She instantly senses that he's a demon but she also knows that he's the sexiest man she's ever met and they have a problem keeping their hands off each other. But can a Demon hunter and a Demon ever find happily ever after?

Let me just say that I loved this story. It's inventive in a way that very few paranormals are anymore. Paranormals seem like they are a dime a dozen but there are new voices that stand out among the pack, like Ms. Windsor and Nalini Singh (who if you haven't read, you need to go, run, not walk, to buy ALL her books!) The plot is also engaging. Not a dull moment in my opinion.

It's also dark, which I like. And the sex scenes are awesome! In part because Ms. Windsor used to write for Ellora's Cave (something we may have in common in a few months).

But what makes me absolutely ecstatic about this trilogy is that the books are coming out in June, July, and August. NO WAITING!!! I enjoy trilogies but I have to say that waiting six months between books can be so frustrating! I don't always remember that I want to read the next story.

Her next book, Bound By Flame (The Dark Crescent Sisterhood Book 2) is already out. And Bound By Light (The Dark Crescent Sisterhood Book 3) is out August 26th but is available for pre-order.

So GO BUY IT!!!