A Torrid Tango by Jude Johnson

A Torrid Tango
A Torrid Tango by Jude Johnson
Save the Last Dance 3
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (60 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

For two lovers, simply getting to a ballroom competition mimics a Spartan obstacle course.
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Maggie Pearce and John Harrison are finally free to become a couple–except for the ocean between their homes and the careers that seem to conspire to keep them apart. Maggie’s first ballroom competition in Las Vegas seems the perfect place to rendezvous, but an arrogant dance instructor and a lascivious producer create obstacles at every turn.

Maggie and John just want some time alone.

I definitely feel sorry for Maggie and John. They are trying hard to make their long distance relationship work, but nothing ever seems to go according to plan for the couple. I won’t spill the details, but they can’t even have something as simple as a phone conversation without some sort of mishap. Many of the obstacles Maggie and John overcome on their way to their happy ending are certainly entertaining and had me laughing often.

Maggie and John are likable characters, but I must admit it was a little hard for me to gauge the chemistry between them because they don’t actually spend much time together in this short romance. Most of the plot is about them trying to reach each other. After I read this story, I learned that there are two other previous short stories that feature these characters. I believe reading those stories will help readers better understand Maggie and John and their situation.

There is never a dull moment in Maggie and John’s world. All of the plot complications surrounding Maggie and John’s quest to be together are resolved in quick, yet satisfying ways. I was a little surprised at how things turned out at the ballroom competition. To say it was chaotic is a massive understatement. However, Maggie and Johns reunion is very passionate and certainly well deserved.

I enjoyed reading A Torrid Tango. It is a fun, fast paced story that can easily be enjoyed in one sitting. Readers who enjoy over-the-top plot complications and romantic endings should certainly give A Torrid Tango a try.

Acts of Grace by Misa Buckley

ACTS
Acts of Grace by Misa Buckley
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (24 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

After stopping the power-hungry CO of Global Solutions from burning the world, Grace McKenna turns her attention to Hammel Mental Institute, the asylum where Benedict was locked up without reason, determined to close the place down.

Her investigation uncovers mysterious donations, vanishing patients and a hidden laboratory beneath the building.
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Still coming to terms with her abilities, Grace faces the possibility that the mutation was manufactured. But who by and, more importantly, what for?

There’s no such thing as a bad question. Whether Grace and Benedict will actually want to know the answers to their questions, though, remains to be seen.

The last time I met Grace I wished I knew a little more about her as an individual. Her personality shines through this short story, and the scenes that tread into sensual territory make much more sense this time around given everything I’ve figured out about the characters involved in them. Seeing how Grace reacts to what happens to her in this story gives me the urge to reread the first instalment of this series in order to see if there are any clues about her personality that I’ve missed.

There was uneven pacing in the beginning due to all of the references to what has happened to these characters in the recent past. As soon as the plot thickened, though, I became caught up in what Grace and and Benedict might discover in the asylum. A strong ending provided some much-needed answers and made me wish I could start part three right away.

This short story can be read as a standalone tale, but I the importance of certain scenes is easier to understand for readers who are already familiar with what happened in Grace Under Fire. It was especially interesting to see how the Grace and Benedict have grown as individuals since I first met them as not all of the changes are necessarily obvious right away.

I didn’t want Acts of Grace to end. This is a great choice for anyone in the mood for a short, satisfying dip into the science fiction genre.

Grace Under Fire by Misa Buckley

GRACE
Grace Under Fire by Misa Buckley
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (22 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Grace McKenna wakes up to find the world in danger – the sky is on fire and the only man who knows how the global satellite system works is languishing in a mental institute. Sent by the director of Global Solutions, she discovers a man largely forgotten by society, a man whose powers intrigue her.

One of them, and the most frightening one, is erectile dysfunction. cheap viagra india A research shows that 69% of Americans usually take herbal products, vitamins and discount viagra cute-n-tiny.com minerals and or any known natural health products. They need to think about the fact that erectile dysfunction is considered as taboo in the male organ and improve erection cheap pill viagra in bed. Men are so relaxed and tension free after viagra online delivery was introduced, it went on to be the most popular drug. Breaking Benedict Thomas out of the institute might be as crazy as he’s alleged to be, but someone is lying and Grace is determined to find out whom. Especially since those lies have put the entire world in danger…

What could very well be the end of the world is the perfect time to take risks. If it doesn’t happen now another chance might never present itself.

I can’t imagine a more electrifying opening sentence than this one: “The sky was on fire.” As soon as I read it I couldn’t wait to see what Ms. Buckley planned to do with her characters and the dying world that no one else has been able to save. The descriptions of what happens to a society that knows there may not be any days left for them after this one were as chilling as they were intriguing.

It’s difficult to discuss my criticism of this piece without revealing spoilers, but the scenes that earned it a sensual rating felt out of place when compared to the tone of the rest of the plot. Either section would have made a compelling short story on its own, but attempting to bind a thrilling science fiction mission with what happens later on never quite gelled for this reader. I did not sense much chemistry between the individuals involved in those scenes, and that made it difficult for me to understand certain interactions between them.

The fast-paced plot kept me interested from beginning to end. Just enough information about Global Solutions and the backgrounds of the characters is provided to explain what’s happening. There were a few details I would have preferred to have more information on, but none of it is strictly necessary in order to understand what Grace is trying to do. Leaving certain questions unanswered also means that there is space for a sequel to this piece. While I don’t know if Ms. Buckley is planning to write it, I would be quite interested in revisiting these characters in the near future.

Grace Under Fire is a solid tale that left me wishing for more. This is a good choice for anyone in the mood for a quick, satisfying read.

Midnight At Ripley Inn by Stephanie Beck

RIPLEY
Midnight At Ripley Inn by Stephanie Beck
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (159 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A family vacation becomes more than a mother’s worst nightmare.

Rene only wanted to temper her mommy guilt with a nice family vacation to the coast. Waking up to a room covered in blood and her youngest child biting herself never entered her plans. With her seven-year-old trying to hurt the ones around her and no way off the island, Rene and her husband rely on the help of the locals.

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It’s hard to trust someone you’ve just met, but that’s exactly what Rene must do to save her family.

The fast pace kept me glued to this novel from beginning to end. Ms. Beck knows how to pack quite a bit of action into a short period of time, and while I was able to anticipate many of the plot twists in advance I really enjoyed seeing how certain surprises were so tightly woven into what was already occurring.

This is a heavily plot-based novel and the consequences of that focus show up as the story progresses. It was a little difficult for me to get to know these characters as individuals because so much time was spent focusing on solving the mystery. I would have liked to spend a few more scenes exploring their personalities before all of the strange things that occur at the Ripley Inn start disrupting their lives.

I also some trouble determining when this story is supposed to be set. Due to lack of cell phones, computers, or other portable electronic devices I originally assume it happened before the late 1980s or early 1990s. The true time period is eventually revealed, but I still have questions about certain clues that showed up early on in this piece. What I learned was intriguing, and I would have really liked to see a more thorough exploration of this topic.

Slowly decaying buildings can’t help but to be a little gloomy. The descriptions of what it feels like to visit what was once a popular and well-maintained hotel add a subtle sense of dread to this story. Nowhere is this more true than in the opening scene of this tale, and I can’t imagine a more satisfying way to introduce the reader to this particular group of characters.

Midnight At Ripley Inn kept me on my toes. This is a good choice for anyone in the mood for a truly scary mystery.

Whitechapel Quill by Angela Ashton

CHAPEL
Whitechapel Quill by Angela Ashton
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (206 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

In 1888 London, an aspiring journalist will do almost anything to get a story on the front page of her father’s male dominated newspaper. Long grown tired of revamping redundant weekly missives regarding high-society fashion and gardening tips, Samantha Winston yearns for the day when she might prove it doesn’t take a pair of over-inflated bollocks to merit the coveted headline…even if it means going undercover to unearth the identity of the most sadistic killer to ever darken Whitechapel’s fog-laden alleys. Yet when Samantha intersects the path of Adam Hawkins, a meddlesome, fork-tongued, disarmingly attractive American seemingly hell-bent on ending the elusive killer’s reign of blood and terror, she finds herself no longer the huntress, but the hunted…

The killer is much closer to Samantha than she realizes.

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Even though Samantha’s attitude is somewhat abbrasive, I still think she is a likable character who is brave and dedicated to her writing. Since her father won’t give her the space in the paper that she deserves, Samantha feels she has no other choice than to go undercover and discover the identity of the killer stalking Whitechapel. Little does she know that the killer is practically right under her nose. I think Samantha’s plan to catch the murderer is a very foolish one. She has absolutely no experience with undercover work and even less experience in chasing murderers. As I read, I kept wondering what she would do if she actually did come across Jack the Ripper. However, I will admit that Samantha did the best she could with the resources she had, but it quickly becomes clear that Samantha is in way over her head.

Adam and Samantha have excellent chemistry from the moment they meet. Ms. Ashton paces their relationship perfectly. I enjoyed watching Samantha and Adam dance around their attraction for each other. It made the moment when they finally gave in to their feelings even sweeter. Samantha and Adam are both way to stubborn for their own good. However, I have a feeling that they’ll be an excellent couple.

I figured out who Jack the Ripper was fairly easily. In fact, as I read, I became increasingly frustrated when no one else seemed to be able to figure it out. Adam insisted on suspecting a certain character when there was absolutely no proof. There are plenty of hints concerning Jack the Ripper’s true identity, but Adam kept ignoring them until it was nearly too late. Adam is a smart man and really should have figured the mystery out much sooner. Despite my frustrations, I really like the way the story ended. Ms. Ashton found a clever and completely plausible way to explain the reason why Jack the Ripper’s identity remains a mystery.

Whitechapel Quill is a certainly a good read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark mysteries, historical romance, and a heroine with attitude to spare.

Beyond Forever by M. W. Davis

FOREVER
Beyond Forever by M.W. Davis
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre:  Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (22 pages)
Heat Level:Spicy
Rating: 3 stars
Review by: Hydrangea
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Hanna’s organized life has been fractured by one mistake, one incredible night with a stranger, and now her world has descended into unbearable solitude. Days burning sunlight in a mind numbing haze, nights staring into the black void enveloping her empty bed, until a peculiar man lost within his own shadows, offers a path to resolution. To purge the memories that hound her thoughts and block her return to a normal existence, she must circle back to where it all began.

This story took me to a whole new world. The author created an environment that grabbed me and made me forget where I was. However, at times I did feel lost and confused with things being present a bit unclearly.

This book was interesting and I did like the ending. There was closure, and the author wrapped up everything nicely. The idea behind the plot was interesting.  This was also a “paranormal” painting that added a very nice twist to the story!  The main characters have plenty of sexual tension and the sex, when it happens, is well written and steamy but not burn yourself hot. The author is a man, and, in my opinion, sex is different from a man’s point of view.

I would love a sequel so I can learn more about some of the characters. It is a nice short read, and worth the time.

Dark Horse by Linda Rettstatt

HORSE
Dark Horse by Linda Rettstatt
Dark Heroes Series
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (67 Pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Jasmine

Private investigator Vanna Marbury arrives in Lexington to search for a stolen thoroughbred. She boards her daughter’s horse at Big Sky Stables and becomes curious about the mysterious black colt the owner keeps sequestered in the barn. Stable owner Braxton Hicks lives up to his name. He can truly be a pain with his grumpy demeanor and arrogant attitude.

To Brax, Vanna is nosey, over-bearing and too damned attractive, and he considers telling her to take her horse elsewhere. Especially after she tells him she is an investigative journalist. The last thing he needs is more headlines and a snoopy woman looking over his shoulder.

Despite their differences, Vanna is attracted to the dark, brooding horseman, and an unfamiliar jealousy stirs in Brax when he sees the way his brother Pete looks at Vanna.

Dark Horse features a female private investigator on the case of a missing colt that could be the “next big thing”, so she manages to integrate herself into what is predominantly a man’s world by posing as a reporter writing a story. Things heat up between herself and a stable owner while things simultaneously heat up on the case.

Merck & Co. are the manufacturers of this drug and based on them a stopping of this drug will stop the loss and, levitra on line in many cases, prompt regrowth. Papaya is a tropical fruit and it aids viagra price digestion. One of the first steps viagra online prescription is to ask people for recommendations on sites they may have used. What is Kamagra? It is a treatment that is generic and potentially dangerous.A generic medicine is normally cheaper compared to original one, cheap viagra canada my link say 20% to 80% less expensive the emblem title pills, sold at your community pharmacy. Savannah, or Vanna, is an independent, single mom determined to do what she has to do to make a better life for her daughter. Jessie, Savannah’s daughter, is cute and so typical of most little girls her age with her obsession with horses that it made me think of my niece and picture her throughout most of the book. I really enjoyed Savannah. She refuses to allow Brax to intimidate her and gives it right back to him at every turn. She is also conflicted by her attraction to him due to her maternal duties (not that she views it as a duty) and is very believable in her reactions.

Braxton Hicks, or Brax, is a good looking but brash man who runs the horse stable where Savannah boards her daughter’s horse while she is in Lexington. He is surly and rude with a type A personality. He finds himself attracted to Savannah, but like her, he fights the attraction. We eventually learn the cause for his behavior which makes him easier to understand, but not necessarily any more endearing.

I wasn’t a fan of Brax. He was very abrasive in the beginning and not all that likable. By the end, he was a bit better but with a story of this length it doesn’t really allow enough time to redeem the hero when he comes off so unlikable in the beginning. I had a hard time connecting with him. His brother, Pete, was far more interesting to me.

It was very interesting to get a glimpse in to the world of horse racing in and around Lexington, Kentucky. Having grown up close enough to the area, you know that the Kentucky Derby is like the Olympics in the horse world. To see the lengths people go to in order to achieve status in that sport is fascinating and the danger is all too real. The way that the colt was disguised was ingenious and not something that ever would have occurred to me.

The ending is a nice way to wrap it up, but it also would have been nice to, perhaps, end it with getting to see the horse race. Throughout the story, we are told repeatedly how this horse might be the next big thing to hit the tracks, so it would have been neat to see that happen.

A great choice if you’re looking for a quick read on a lunch hour, something to read before bed or if you like books about horses.

The Rest is Silence by John Paulits

REST
The Rest is Silence by John Paulits
The Shakespeare Murders Volume 1
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (148 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

The director of the AWB Theatre Company, Lawrence Mickelman has alienated everyone in sight with his tyrannical manner. When his body is found in the locked theatre, a sword from Hamlet in his chest, the troupe’s owner asks Mark Louis, one of the actors, to dig a little deeper than she thinks the police will. The police investigation points toward Don Lovett, the play’s Hamlet, but Mark’s suspicions turn elsewhere. As the police prepare to arrest Don, Mark must bring the murderer out into the open before the killer strikes again

This is a fun mystery which takes place during a theatre company’s rehearsals for a production of Hamlet. And as I re-read the Prologue, I realized that there are a number of clues given right there, clues which both I and our amateur detective didn’t pick up on until near the end. The entire murder is detailed in the Prologue, with, of course, the exception of the names of the murderer and the victim.

We’ve all had this experience: You login to your viagra doctor email account, excited to read messages from friends, relatives, co-workers, or your girlfriend perhaps. This herbal pill viagra sample free invokes body’s own mechanism to stop nocturnal emissions. There are ways shop viagra online that we can help support the bacteria in our gut and achieve optimal health. As men age, energy level decreases, this is an early sign of reduced sexual http://djpaulkom.tv/kokoe-x-dj-paul-kom-re-up-video/ generic levitra desire. John Paulits has written an engaging stories, and I could identify with many of the characters. The story is told from different points of view, which allows Paulits to show more dimensions to his characters. A murder in an acting company is ready-made for all sorts of intrigue, plotting, jealousies, and backstabbing. Mark Louis, the amateur detective, plays the role of Laertes, but in fact he would much rather be writing than acting, and he has just had one of his stories published in Ellery Queen Magazine. He does finally solve the mystery, with a lot of help from his friends, and the story ends well. It is refreshing to read a whodunit without a lot of blood and gore.

I did feel that the plot dragged in spots. The characters seemed always to be eating and/or drinking, frequently at a luxurious apartment belonging to Ashley, the aging actress who funds the AWB Theatre Company and also plays the role of Gertrude. Very little of the novel actually takes place in the theatre. Most of it occurs at the after rehearsal dinners and post-murder gatherings. Several events seemed contrived in order to provide the reader with necessary information.

However, overall, Paulits has written a light-hearted cozy mystery with a nice scattering of Shakespeare, and I found it to be an enjoyable read. I can recommend it to any fans of cozy mysteries.

Earth Witches Aren’t Easy by Heather Long

EARTH

Earth Witches Aren’t Easy by Heather Long
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (197 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lisianthus

He’s supposed to be dead…

Nearly a decade ago, hedge witch Chance Monroe’s life was irrevocably changed. She survived the attack of a serial killer. His death should have set her free.

But he’s killing again…

When her ex-lover shows up on her porch, Chance isn’t ready to hear Randall Oakes is still alive and less prepared for the sea of emotion that swamps her. One man wants her dead and the other just wants her. When the FBI offers protective custody, Chance refuses. Connected to the earth, Chance must rely on her supernatural senses and her own wits to survive this game of cat and mouse.

But this time, she plans to teach her hunter a lesson…
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In the farm rich countryside of her native Northern Virginia Chance must confront her troubled past, a supernatural adversary and a sizzling passion that’s lain dormant for years to survive….

Earth witches aren’t easy targets…

Earth Witches Aren’t Easy is a departure from Ms. Long’s normal romance, and is a delightfully suspense filled Urban Fantasy romp. Chance Monroe is a hedge witch, that nearly a decade ago was the only survivor of a serial killer’s spree and she thought she was finally free of the nightmare with his death. Now he’s back and very much alive and the killing has begun again, and her ex-lover and FBI agent Jack Harker, shows up to protect her.

Ms. Long writes a wonderfully rich world where a hedge witch is just another part of the world to those in the know. She spends her time healing the earth and helping with the harvest, so everyone assumes she’s weak, but Chance is an incredibly complex character that is easy to fall in love with and root for. The rituals and rules of the world are all fleshed out nicely, and the mystery and suspense of this action packed story keeps the story moving along quickly. This isn’t a romance, there is no happily ever after between Chance and Jack, thought their friendship remains strong, and there is this thread of sexual tension between them that just amps up the story.

The first person can be hard for some to pull off well, and I will admit I’m very picky about mine. However, Ms. Long pens Chance’s voice in such a way that you become so immersed in the world and how she sees it that the first person just adds another layer to this multi layered and colorful story.

While Chance may spend her time with fairies and blessing fields, she’s still a very strong witch and it’s easy to see how everyone could underestimate her. My only complaint for this story, if I can even call it that, is that I wanted more. I want more adventures with Chance and hopefully more appearances from Jack and maybe even some of the lovely cast of characters that add to and enrich Chance’s life.

If you love action packed Urban Fantasy with a mystery that keeps you guessing right up until the end, you need to pick up this book. Soon you’ll be waiting for more Chance Monroe books just as anxiously as I am.

A Falling Star by Linda Rettstatt

STAR

A Falling Star by Linda Rettstatt
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (268 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Tulip

Actor Spence Parker’s career teeters on the brink of ruin thanks to a fling with the slightly crazed and drug-addicted daughter of a powerful and well-loved Hollywood film producer. Taking the advice of his agent, Spence takes a little vacation away from Hollywood while the dust settles. Not sure of where he can go to fly under the radar, Spence returns to his small hometown south of Pittsburgh.
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Valerie Marks, Spence’s high-school girlfriend, is now running her grandfather’s newspaper and raising a nine-year-old daughter. She’s still single, but not because she’s been waiting for Spence to return. After all, he left without saying goodbye. When he appears in front of her on a street corner, however, old feelings are brought to the forefront.

Spence is a small town boy turned Hollywood star. His life in the fast lane gets him involved in a scandal that likely spells disaster for his career. It is a disheartened Spence that heads back to his hometown looking for some comfort and acceptance. What he finds is a small town that is slowly dying due to economic downturn and more than a few bridges that he burned on his way out of town. Spence finds himself drawn to the girl he left behind all those years ago but Val is still sore at the way he left and that anger comes exploding out more than once. She’s afraid of the inevitable heartbreak when Spence decides to move on again. So she spends most of the story pushing him away.

The romance part of the story was slow and sweet. As a single parent Val was careful and guarded and kept waiting for Spence to disappoint her yet again.  This made the story all the more believable. The primary focus of this story was on Spence and his self discovery. Once again, this was a slow process with Spence realizing the need to rebuild the broken relationships in his life. This story was well developed with Spence investing himself in the revitalization of his hometown. The heat factor was a little mild for my personal reading taste but because the characters were so compelling, I truly enjoyed every minute of this story.

I’d recommend this one to all contemporary romance fans.