Second Chances by Judy Bagshaw

July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Second Chances by Judy Bagshaw
Publisher: Awe Struck Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (164 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Larkspur

Everything was perfect in socialite Gillian Faraday’s charmed life until her father, Charles, died and left her destitute.

Businessman Jack McLaren had his world under control until he took on the care of his troublesome preteen niece and nephew. Gillian needs a job. Jack needs help. The solution seems simple.

The problem is, Jack is the major creditor who got the bulk of Charles Faraday’s estate and Gillian is not impressed.

It takes overcoming a mountain of misunderstanding before Jack and Gillian come to understand that everyone deserves a second chance.

Poor little rich girl Gillian Faraday finds herself out of money after her father’s sudden death, and in her eyes it’s all the fault of very rich and GQ gorgeous business man Jack McLaren who stands to inherit it all because of debts owed to him by her father. Maybe she’ll find her own way in the dog eat dog world, maybe Jack’s not the monster she thinks he is. It’s all up to Second Chances to find out.

Judy Bagshaw tells us her cute romantic story with laughs, tears and frustration. It’s a classic tale of boy meets girl, girl hates boy then they fall in love and, if they can get through the minefield of their romance, they may just find that elusive HEA.

The author tells us her story with easy to read and humorous narrative that will have you belly laughing one minute and wiping tears the next. Her characters are all well developed and interesting and we really get the feel of them all. Her heroine is someone I learned to love after despising her at first, while her hero was always my idea of the perfect man, caring and down to earth despite his financial status. Then we have the secondary characters, Jack’s twin niece and nephew, who are precocious little imps that I had no trouble loving from the start although I admit there were times I could easily have wrung their scheming necks as well. And then there’s a villain and you’ll know soon who it is but I won’t spoil the fun for you. Suffice it to say that this villain is a doozey.

It seems the romance is doomed from the beginning with all the classic pitfalls, but don’t despair because the ending is well worth the journey.

I love a great summer romance to jump start my season, and if you do too this one will really fit the bill. If you like memorable characters and a love story with a bit of bite to it, Second Chances will be right up your alley. Thank you Ms. Bagshaw for one remarkable love story.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

A Moth In Darkness by Frances Pauli

July 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A Moth In Darkness by Frances Pauli
Publisher: Mundania Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (197 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Larkspur

The boundaries between the worlds have fallen. Forced to integrate the creatures of fantasy into real life, humanity struggles against its disillusionment, prejudice and an inevitable feeling of inadequacy.

Once an agent for the embassy that mediates between the worlds, Elizabeth Larson has abandoned her past and slipped into a world of nostalgic addiction to fairy revels, dancing, and the dark lure of her own memories. But when Lockland Sheen, her former partner and lover, goes missing, she is pulled reluctantly back into service. She must venture once more across the borders, into the land that haunts her, facing a string of gruesome murders, the imposing Sidhe rulers and her own addiction in the process.

While the Embassy’s agents attempt to soothe tensions between the races, Liz and her new partner search the fairy realm for Lockland. Fighting the constant temptation of the revels, they piece together the trail of an unknown enemy. But the longer they follow it, the more it appears that the man they came to rescue is more villain than victim. And the more they rely on Elizabeth’s ties to the fairies, the closer she inches toward the madness that lurks behind her fantasies.

Once upon a time a witch inadvertently stumbled into the land of the Fey and a world of possibilities opened including meeting the Elf of her dreams, but fairytales don’t always have happy endings, and when her Fey left he took her heart and her dreams with her and left her A Moth in Darkness.

Frances Pauli takes us on an imaginary journey to her interpretation of Fey/Human realms, she does this with a story line straight out of an adult fairytale turned horror story. She adds quite a mystery to solve as well as she spins her fantastic tale with characters you only meet in fables, myths and lore and she brings them in a new light as she mixes them with humanity. She does this with very earthlike narrative so the story flows smoothly and even we lowly human type beings can easily understand and follow her story. She gives us characters that are as unique as her tale, and equally interesting and imperative to the telling of her story with humans, elves, gnomes and especially her fairies. Her heroine is a strong female character that’s not afraid to show her weaknesses but also doesn’t let those weaknesses stop her from aiding her hero, a hero who plays a very minimal role in the tale but is nonetheless very important to both the outcome of the story and the happiness of the heroine.

From the first paragraph the author had me enthralled by giving only bits and pieces at a time, by weaving a mystery into the plot and making it almost impossible for me to put the book down until I had the answers to all my questions. And even as I finished the book in one sitting I still had more questions and am very certain that Ms. Pauli isn’t done with this particular cast of characters and their stories as I found a definite cliff-hanger at the end.

So if this kind of fantasy tale/mystery/suspense romance floats your paranormal boat, by all means: All-Aboard. Thank you, Ms. Pauli for one heck of a trip.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Sea Witch by Helen Hollick

July 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Sea Witch by Helen Hollick
Publisher: SilverWood Books UK
Genre: Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (334 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Camellia

At 15 Jesamiah Acorne escapes the bullying of his elder half brother to become a pirate with only two loves – the sea and his freedom. But his life is to change after an attack on a merchant ship off the coast of South Africa when he meets the mysterious Tiola Oldstagh, an insignificant girl – or so he assumes until he discovers her true identity, that of a white witch. Tiola and Jesamiah becomes lovers, but the wealthy Stefan van Overstratten also wants Tiola as his wife. Meanwhile, Jesamiah’s half-brother, Phillipe Mereno, is determined to seek revenge for resentments of the past.

When the call of the sea and an opportunity to commandeer a beautiful ship, the Sea Witch, is put in Jesamiah’s path he must choose between his life as a pirate or his love for Tiola. He wants both… but Mereno and van Overstratten want him dead.

Tiola must use her gift of Craft to rescue her lover, but first she must brave the darkness of the ocean depths and confront the supernatural presence of Tethys, the goddess of the sea, who will stop at nothing to claim the soul of Jesamiah Acorne for herself.

He’s too wild and she’s too young, but Tiola knows the day will come when they will be one. Her ageless self that has been since time immemorial knows their souls have touched before and are meant to be together.

Jesamiah Acorne, a pirate wild and free, learned his trade from the best. He loves the danger, challenge, and adrenaline rush of the Chase. In his early twenties, he is already wealthy, but something other than pursuit of wealth drives him. Viciously abused by his older half-brother Phillipe before he was fifteen, he watched his inheritance burn and wept in total defeat with no one to protect him. Then a hand of comfort and protection touched him and the inner sense of a voice came, saying “fight him”.

Jesamiah, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, sets forth to roam the seas during the early eighteen century, robbing richly laden trade ships and loving every minute of it. The big trade ship “Cristina Griselle” eludes him but as she sails away, Jesamiah sees Tiola on the ship’s deck. The hair prickles on his neck.

Tethys, soul of the sea and spirit of the waves, wants the beautiful, dark-eyed pirate with the blue ribbons in his dark hair. She whispers to him and does not take kindly to the child-woman witch with her White Craft that lures him and challenges Tethys’ timeless supremacy.

Stefan von Overstratten, a rich, pompous Dutch merchant in Cape Town, Africa, sets his sights on Tiola for a wife. Even though she works as a midwife and healer in the squalid part of Cape Town, Stefan is attracted to her beauty and knows she is from “quality” folks in Cornwall, England, well-educated, and quite adequate for bearing his children.

Stefan is furious when Tiola drags the pirate out of the filthy alleys and brings him to her rooms to tend him as he heals from near-fatal wounds. The ensuing conflicts, filled with greed, social class snobbery, daring exploits, humor, mayhem, and a touch of magic drive the plot along at a fever pitch. From Africa to the Caribbean, through storms, earthquake, and times of tranquility, Jesamiah plies his trade and meets the conflicts head on.

Sea Witch is an armchair adventure of a life time with a swashbuckling, driven pirate and a White Craft child-woman witch, both of them very aware that death stalks them and will get them if they let their guards down.

Helen Hollick’s description of the pristine beauty of Cape Town at a distance along with the description of the squalid, brutal conditions in the alleys creates vivid pictures for the reader. Her meticulous description of the ships and ocean brings this adventure a strong sense of place. However, the most compelling of all are the characters with their deep fears, desires, needs, loyalties, and loves that propel the action through hate, blood, brutality, and misery to finally sail into tranquil waters that promise destinies will be fulfilled—in time.

Sea Witch, the first of a pirate trilogy about Captain Jesamiah Acorne, is set firmly in a historical time that Helen Hollick brings to life in the mind and imagination of the reader. This breathtaking, magical love story with the wild adventures is masterfully written and is an incredible vicarious journey for the reader.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Not-So-Perfect Princess by Melissa McClone

July 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Not-So-Perfect Princess by Melissa McClone
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full (192 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rated: 5 Books
Review by Snapdragon

Dutiful Princess Julianna has a secret—she’s actually happiest makeup free, sailing with the sea breeze in her hair. Her attraction to rebel prince Alejandro is instant— but her intended is his brother, the proper but dull Enrique!

For the first time, Julianna’s irresistibly tempted. Before long, she’s spending her nights sailing with gorgeous Alejandro while the rest of the palace believes she’s sleeping. Soon she’ll have to choose—remain the perfect princess, or follow her heart and stop sleepwalking her way through life.…

In Not-So-Perfect Princess, Melissa McClone has given us a classic ‘happily ever-after’ in charming, contemporary guise. Princess Julianna was – by expectation as well as training – quite perfect. She was also a realist and doing her best to go along with all that is expected of a woman from a royal household, even if those expectations are antiquated. So how come she’s been stood up at the last minute on three separate occasions and is still, embarrassingly, unmarried? It hardly seems her fault!

From the opening, we feel for poor Julianna. She’s smart and plainly believes in women’s rights, but she is also a loving and supportive daughter; and these, her own best characteristics, have left her trapped.

One of her few indulgences, sailing, reveals to us the true Julianna. And sailing is also an indulgence for the very not-approved prince: Alejandro. HE is, believe me, the stuff of romance-readers’ dreams. All right, so he does have a bit of a reputation; but he’s also clever and successful and uninterested in his own government/family’s throne, and seems far far above Julianna’s latest intended, his brother, the prince Enrique.

Sailing speaks to both of them: the wildness and freedom of a life caught between wind and wave. Ms. McClone’s vividly described scenes make this one of the richest and most evocative stories imaginable. Somehow, she equates Alejandro with all the best of the ocean – the wildness, the salty smell, the freedom. Yet, there he is, the same guy, also cuddling his rescued kitten.

Yes, he has good reasons to fade into the shadows, but will he? We cannot believe it. Before we are far into the tale, we know what we want to happen. Yet, for the good of everyone, including the good of two different minor countries, a very different outcome is the one we – and Julianna – should be hoping for. We know it, she knows it, even poor Alejandro knows it, although goodness knows, it’s in his best interest to vote the other way.

Sailing, mere sport to some, will actually reveal something about the inner soul of the prominent characters. There is the Med Cup on the horizon, the greatest of all sailing races. There is a chance, the merest possibility, that the race will force Julianna to wake up and see what she wants for a change…but perhaps options will be swept away before she ever gets a chance to make a real decisision.

Secondary characters (even the squeaky kitten!) are well-developed and believable. Motivations are clear and often, even though we don’t want to, we do sympathize with the desires of others; that of King Alaric to keep his daughter safe, or of Enrique to enrich his country (and also himself).

This is one of publisher Harlequin’s ‘Once Upon a Kiss” series; technically a ‘retelling’ of a classic…and although the word ‘retelling’ never fails to make me feel as though I already know this story, nothing could be further from the truth here. Ms. McClone has crafted an amazing and engaging story that creates all the desperation as well as the feel-good of any great fairy tale. Not-So-Perfect Princess is a must read.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Diaries of an Urban Panther by Amanda Arista

July 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Diaries of an Urban Panther by Amanda Arista
Publisher: Avon / HarperCollins
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (281 pgs)
Heat Level: spicy
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Violet Jordan Rule #1 of being a superhero: No tights.

Dear Diary,

By now you know I’m hardly a normal girl. Last night I woke up naked in an alley after fighting off some werewolves. All in a day’s work, I guess. I thought I was dealing pretty well with the whole werepanther thing: the training, the apocalyptic prophecies. And the hot guy following me around, protecting me at every turn, is definitely a bonus. I’m even starting to become accustomed to the bloodshed and the violence—and that’s what scares me. What will tomorrow bring…

Romantic paranormal suspense readers are in for a tasty treat. I was simply wowed by the great world building, fascinating and convoluted characters and a many leveled plot that had me wide-eyed with appreciation through most, if not all, of this book by a new-to-me author.

Ms. Arista has presented me with a new addiction and it’s all because she created an awesome heroine named Violet Jordan. One of the things that painted a vivid picture in my mind about the heroine was her self-references to Star Wars. I giggled and snickered but I got the point, and it played well into the dynamics of her character and her relationship with one of the important secondary characters, her best friend, Jenna. Violet is the focus of the tale and it’s told in her point of view. Everything I learned about the rules of engagement was gleaned when she figured things out, or when they were revealed on a need to know basis. Just like in real life, nothing is made easy or clean or without cost and that certainly applies to this story. The price is oftentimes high but with every scary or horrible thing that happens, I watched Violet grow stronger, her purpose solidify and her self esteem soar. Sure, it gets battered and smacked around a bit but that’s par for the course for a supernatural Xena on a mission. I enjoyed that whole process of her coming to terms that she even has a mission – she’s a scary movie writer for goodness sakes, not a heroine. But ultimately, that is what Violet is; a heroine with a heart.

The hero of the story is Charles Garrett, a/k/a Chaz. Oh, does he ever have a chip on his shoulder. He’s the classic mystery guy who comes to her rescue whether Violet wants him to or not. He’s not even sure why he’s involved until later on in the book. Even the good guys aren’t given all the facts, which of course compromises how effective they are at the job they’re sent to do. I am still not exactly sure about all the things that Chaz can do because I think the author only shared enough of what makes the hero tick to get him through this story alive and with Violet learning to trust him. There is so much more to this man that I am totally sucked into rooting for him and am enamored of his many talents. He’s a fighter, a cook, a domestic god and a heck of a kisser. He’s also lonely, with vengeance tormenting his heart. The best thing that ever happened to him was Violet, even when she drives him crazy and exasperates him no end.

There is plenty of humor sprinkled throughout this story as well as other secondary characters that give the tale flavor and substance. Each one plays a role in helping Violet learn about herself and glean important information that will affect her future. Some are good and some are bad and some secondary characters are icky nasty. Ms. Arista even threw me a curve ball with one of the bad guys. It was shocking and very well written. I never suspected a thing and when it was revealed, I was just has miffed as Violet was. Okay, perhaps not as strong as that. I mean, the heroine lived the tale so it personally made her fur stand on end whereas I could only commiserate with what she must have been feeling. The author did a wonderful job in getting me to care and connect with her characters, can you tell?

One thing of note, this story sounds like it is the first of many. It has a happily for now ending because Violet and Chaz really had to work up to their big moment of purrs and lovey dovey revelations. In the process of reading Diaries of an Urban Panther, a reader will see both characters fight the attraction because they both felt it had no future. By the time the story winds down, after exciting confrontations, double-crosses and fiendish claw action, the hero and heroine could finally take a breather and admit to what was in their hearts. However, it’s tempered with a few down to earth concerns that slowed the passionate pace their bodies were clamoring for. I liked how it ended, soft, with seductive promises of a future worth waiting, and perhaps fighting, for. What’s it going to take to give a full green light to their love? Maybe I’ll find out in the next book.

Diaries of an Urban Panther shows promise of being the next powerhouse series that readers will devour with avid devotion. The world building is incredible, with so many possibilities to explore and characters yet to reveal why they are really in Violet’s life. This book should resonate with readers of the Kitty Norville series because both of them have a strong leading lady who engages the imagination and keeps readers riveted by the romance blossoming and maturing in each book. I expect no less for Violet and I can’t wait. I am completely hooked on the potential fire between Chaz and Violet, and what role the heroine will end up playing in the shifter communities. The story is gripping, surprising, energetic and exciting. I was entertained and involved from the first moment the heroine saved the little boy and I couldn’t put the book down. I give Diaries of an Urban Panther high marks for being an awesome reading experience. Thank you for the new reading addiction, Ms. Arista!

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

This Time Forever by Linda Swift

July 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This Time Forever by Linda Swift
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (230 pgs)
Heat Level: sensual
Rating: 5 Books
Reviewed by Snapdragon

The Civil War brought casualties beyond the bloody battlefields as North fought South. Philip Burke, against his family’s wishes, volunteered to defend the Union and became a prisoner of war who bartered his medical expertise to remain out of prison. When the Union Army invaded Tennessee, Clarissa Wakefield’s antebellum mansion became a Confederate hospital. Philip was placed in charge and against propriety she volunteered to stay on and help nurse the wounded. Clarissa’s husband was a Confederate soldier and Philip’s fiancée waited for him in Oswego but the fire between them soon raged out of control. As the opposing armies fought for possession of Chattanooga, Clarissa and Philip faced their own battle. Caught in the passions of war and love, with hurt inevitable either way, would they be faithful to their vows or listen to their hearts?

This Time Forever is the most apt title; truly, throughout this wonderful Civil War Epic, your heart swells with the hope and belief that this time it is indeed true love; that this time, in spite of all that is happening in the world, love will find a way.

From the first moments, This Time Forever has a sentimental appeal that pervades and increases with the turn of every page. The characters are simply so engaging, you cannot help but hope for the best for them. Philip will soon be a surgeon, and his efforts to affect the look of sophistication contrast slightly with his more important ideals. He is a young man with concerns about becoming the man he wants to be, even who he is, is not quite who his family expects. Readers, certainly, find him admirable. He fulfills expectations, even if in a fairly unique way.

Clarissa Giles Wakefield is and is not the heroine we expect to find! On the one hand, she lives up to family expectations, on the other, she realizes something about unfairness in her own life and from that seems to recognize it in others. She’s comes with baggage…important baggage. She’s lovely and southern and so much more. From the first moment we meet her, we feel for her, and hope she becomes the firebrand she ought to be!

Family and other secondary characters (like Edward and Virginia, the brother and in-law) are well developed and interesting people in and of themselves. Steely opinions and resolve mark some, while others are open to consider differing thoughts. Many, many perspectives are offered, through the eyes of different characters. Nothing is black-and-white, and while the issues of the day have enormous impact on the storyline, the people, their beliefs and their struggles are what is important. Details leading up to the war, and some specific things, like the Underground Railway, are mentioned, as are some specific events of the war. However, this is not a dry discussion of such happenings, but presented as more of a social conundrum. The war will force some people apart – but bring others together. It is the characters opinions about these things that matter. There is the dark side of war – but also, the dark side of individuals.

Success and all its trappings is questioned, as are personal and national goals. At times you’ll be touched, at other times angry – but always, so so moved by that hope for forever.

A subtle humor–frequently based on the likable main character Philip – pervades these pages, offering just that hint of humanizing lightness, in a saga that could be dark, & set in a time when so many of us immediately imagine a dark drama. This Time Forever certainly has its serious side, and offers a wonderfully realistic view (and different views) of life, war, and responsibility, in the later nineteenth century. It is the strength of the characters however, their feelings and their perspectives; on life, their own lives, the state of the nation, that all work to bring the time period to life: not just the struggle and the war, but the people’s actual lives.

Swift’s slightly wordy style is immensely rich and readable; much is conveyed by her wonderful, evocative passages. A description can at once give you a visual and reveal something about a man (like Greek decoration symbolizing success at one home) and a moment’s reflection, exhibit the impact – and lack of – to specific people:

“Sometimes it seemed to Clarissa that the stories of fighting and deathand deprivation were make-believe and had no relation to her at all. It washard to imagine that the bandages and clothing made by their Soldiers’ AidSociety were actually needed by people suffering from the effects of thebattles that had so far left Chattanooga untouched. But she and Lydia hadsons who had never seen their fathers…”

You don’t need any special interest in the time period to enjoy This Time Forever, just a willingness to be enthralled by true love.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Just One Season in London by Leigh Michaels
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (375 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 Books
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

A family that courts together…

Viscount Ryecroft has a beautiful sister he needs to marry off… if only he had the money for her Season in London.

His family is in financial ruins, and his mother is willing to do anything to help her children, including sell herself to the highe st bidder…

Finds passion on their own…

Sophie Ryecroft will sacrifice love to marry for the good of her family… but instead finds passion and solace in an attracti ve alternative.

With so much riding on their one and only Season in London, Rye, Sophie, and Miranda can’t help but get hopelessly entangled with all the wrong people…

A chance to make a single lasting impression and hopefully garner a proposal for Sophie, an opportunity to become reacquainted with an old beau and gain a promise for Miranda, and a duty to fulfill by finding a willing and necessary heiress for Rye…all they need is Just One Season in London!

National Bestselling Author Leigh Michaels is well known for historical romances that sweep the reader along for epic adventures. Her characters will have you falling in love right along with them as they search for love in all the right places and manage to find it in the most unexpected places instead. This holds true for Lady Miranda Ryecroft, her son Viscount Ryecroft (Rye) and daughter Miss Sophronia Ryecroft (Sophie).

The Ryecrofts have lost so much since the death of their father and Miranda’s husband. All they have left is land that needs planting, a rambling manor in need of repairs, and their love and devotion to one another. Ms. Michaels has such a poignant way of building the characters up in the minds of the readers, I found myself worrying right along with them, considering all their options and finally rejoicing at how they each find their happily ever after.

Just One Season in London is a Regency historical and Ms. Michaels does a fantastic job of keeping true to the time period. If you’ve read this genre before you know that there are strict rules with the Ton. There are those that have money and title that is inherited and then there is the working class. Oftentimes the two cross when a member of the Ton marries down or one from the working class marries up. Both situations are highly frowned upon because it mixes “bad blood” either way. There is an underlying story about class distinction in Ms. Michael’s story that illustrates this outdated school of thought and the benefits of simply not caring.

Also, I must mention that Ms. Michaels uses a POV technique that I’ve not often seen and is difficult to pull off without confusing the reader. Within the pages of this novel the reader is treated to knowing what is going on with each character simultaneously in any given situation. It doesn’t come off as head hopping so much as a single continuing story where the directions and decisions made by Miranda, Rye and Sophie converge to produce a single fantastic journey.

I laughed, I sighed and I did my very best to steer the charismatic Ryecroft family in the right direction. Lucky for them, Ms. Michaels had their stories all planned out and it was terrific to sit back and watch. If beautiful settings, clever dialogue and heartwarming love stories are what you’re in the mood for then Just One Season in London is a true can’t miss. Move it to the top of you TBR, you won’t be sorry!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Taming Rowan by Suzanne Barrett

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Taming Rowan by Suzanne Barrett
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (190 pgs)
Heat Level: spicy
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Aloe

Karin Williams’ devastatingly handsome project officer has a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder. Rowan Marsden expected a male engineer and he’s not giving Karin an inch. Working conditions are…tense. Even…worse, she must share on-site accommodations with the sexy Brit who she fears will break her heart. What’s a girl to do?

If Rowan had his way, he’d never work with a woman. Yet as Karin demonstrates her expertise on the job, he cannot deny his growing respect for her–or his desire. He wants the passion she offers, but not the commitment. Until a horrendous accident at the project site threatens Karin’s life, and proves that even a wounded man is destined to love….

Karin knew the project officer on her next assignment was male and didn’t like women, but she figured she can handle the old crotchety fellow anyway. What she didn’t anticipate was that he would be a handsome hunk of a young man and that he would still feel that way.

This author has created a fun premise for her story. She takes an attractive young woman who does a traditionally male job and puts her on-site for said job in an isolated area. Not only must Karin prove her worth as an engineer, she has to deal with the scorn of her boss and the fact that she must share quarters with him due to limited housing. With all this conflict in a cramped travel trailer and a small office, you can all but feel the smoldering fire burst into flame.

Rowan loved once and got burned. He doesn’t care if Karin looks like a goddess, he’s not interested. And she looks too much like his ex-wife anyway. Ms. Barrett makes him a brash, belligerent character that has a heart there somewhere, but he’s not using it. She makes Karin pretty, intelligent, and independent and the two characters clash quite often throughout the story. Rowan is drawn to her and doesn’t want to be and Karin doesn’t always do what she’s told like a good girl. I could easily relate to Karin. Being independent myself, I found it easy to empathize with her position in life.

Watching these two do battle with each other is the most amusing part of the story. There is explicit sex in the story, but it fits. It’s part of Rowan trying to come to terms with his feelings for Karin. Even the story of their engineering feat is good reading. The smaller characters are all interesting, too. This author has created a “family” of engineers. Having the story set in England is an additional bonus. You even get to walk the fell with Karin and Rowan.

Why not get a copy of this book for you and watch these two fight their way to love? It’s a very good read.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Touch If You Dare by Stephanie Rowe

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Touch If You Dare by Stephanie Rowe
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (383 pgs)
Heat Level: spicy
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Aloe

He’s just about the hottest warrior she’s ever seen…

Reina Fleming really appreciates a man who’s on a mission-especially when he’s a badass warrior doing his best to impress her. And Jarvis is charmed by the way Reina’s magic touch can soothe his dark side.

But when Jarvis’s attention puts her job, her home, and her family in danger, Reina has to decide whether love is worth the price…

She’s working hard on trying to be a reaper for death. He’s trying to stay alive and not explode from the hate and anger he carries around in him. Ideal couple, don’t you think?

Ms. Rowe enjoys using her imagination and has created a story of magic, love, hate, and death that is total fantasy and great fun to read. She creates strong characters who care more about other people than they do themselves. She gives all them psychological hang ups of some kind that they must work through. And you just keep reading happily along to see where her story takes you next and what odd thing they must overcome next.

You have vampires who don’t attack people anymore with women who will stake them because they wish to be bitten. You have a Godfather of love who makes any woman around swoon in ecstasy. A real strange assassin who uses pink Ninja stars to take people out. And there is a whole lot more going on in this story. It’s busy, it flows well, the two main characters are falling love with each other but are too busy to consummate it, and you’ll keep flipping those pages to see how it ends.

This is fantasy at its best, the plot holds together well and Ms. Rowe has some surprises for you. I didn’t anticipate the ending. Of course, I didn’t anticipate a lot of what happened in this book, but I sure did enjoy reading it!

You’ll find yourself rooting for some characters and hoping others fail; the story line grabs you and makes you care about those you’re reading about. It’s also a good romance story. If you like a fun fantasy story with a touch of Abbott and Costello and with lots of action and odd situations salted with a touch of love, you’ll love this story.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Romance Novel by P.J. Jones

June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Romance Novel by P.J. Jones
Publisher: P.J. Jones
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (75 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Orchid

Smella Rosepetal must find a millionaire husband to finance her baby’s heart transplant. She flies home to her deputy father’s ranch in Pitchforks, Texas, where she falls in love with Deadward Forest, a wealthy environmentalist vampire.

When a deranged murderer is on the loose in Pitchforks, killing romance heroines, Deadward assumes Smella would be safer without him. Smella turns to her childhood friend, Snake Long, for comfort. But Snake doesn’t have the money to save her baby, so Smella places herself in peril in a desperate hunt for a rich husband.

Time is running out for Smella’s baby, and she must escape the Australian Outback and face down Flabio, an overweight and disgruntled, aspiring cover model, plus enraged vampire wives and their homosexual, vampire, cowboy husbands, a jealous were-gerbil, James Bond, a drunk rodeo clown and Smella’s strange boyfriend who wants to drain her blood, yet is repulsed by her smell

Disco music and dancing prevent any future happiness for Smella and Deadwood.

Romance Novel is exactly what the title promises, and more so. The story is a parody of every romance novel with a hero, heroine and minor characters all struggling to find their place.

Smella Rosepetal is a virgin looking for a rich husband. Not for herself but to enable her baby to have a life saving operation (see the confusion – a virgin with a baby?). She leaves little Joshua or Adam or Austin (his name changes every time he’s mentioned) with her best friend Ebony while she returns to her home town to seek out the richest man she can find.

Her hometown is either in Australia or Texas – I could never figure out which. Here she has a choice of men. The first is her childhood sweetheart Snake, who is broke and has an awesome secret. Another prospective husband is Deadward Forest a strange, pasty faced rich man who steals Smella’s heart. Murder and mayhem happen whenever Smella passes by but she is serene in the knowledge she’s the heroine and lives without fear. Because Smella knows the hero always rescues the heroine in the nick of time.

Romance Novel is hilarious. It takes a normal romantic story and accentuates all the bits that are not usually mentioned. Question: How could a virgin have a baby? Answer: Because she needed a baby for the plot.

Ms. Jones plays on these anomalies all the way through the book, and these provide a funny, well thought out book. Add to this the lack of sporty, rich vehicles, men with fabulous bodies, heroines with brains and you have an ideal romantic novel, or at least a parody of one.

By the time I finished reading my sides were aching with laughter. Well done Ms. Jones, you really made my day.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »