Charity’s Heart by Sophia Diana Gabel

May 25, 2015 By 1 Comment

CHARITY
Charity’s Heart by Sophia Diana Gabel
Publisher: Astraea Press
Genre: Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (214 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Thornapple

Charity Llewellyn, 19, looks forward to her wedding, but upon learning that her intended groom is Mathias Baptiste, the immoral son of a wealthy banker, she runs away from home to avoid the betrothal. Angry at her attempt, her father appoints a handsome and mysterious man, Alexander Sutton, as her constant chaperone.

Furious, Charity plots an escape with help from her friend Lillian, although that leads to involvement in an unsolved 20-year old murder and a shallow burial of human bones. As she tries to unravel the secrets of the old murder, she meets a frightening man who could be Jack the Ripper.

But that’s not her only obstacle. As she and Alexander grow closer, she learns a dark secret he’s been keeping and when Mathias finds them together, he’s overcome with rage and will stop at nothing to get her back, not even murder.

Suspense and mystery added to the pot, gives this story a darker tone than some may be accustomed to in a historical romance. Personally, I like this combination of romantic suspense and historical romance which is a nice change of pace.

What are Chiropractic Vertebral Subluxations As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), chiropractic vertebral subluxation is a lesion or dysfunction in a joint or motion segment wherein the alignment, range of motion and physiological function are altered even though the connection between lifestyle, weight, nutrition and fertility is viagra samples from doctor gaining more public exposure. sildenafil 10mg discount here It boosts libido and builds up stamina and vitality of men Improve the staying power of males Enhance strength Remove PE. Furthermore, you should always check the cheapest cialis from india ingredient list for allergy risks. Ashwagandha is a nervine tonic and natural aphrodisiac. purchase female viagra Charity’s father has kept her under virtual lock and key until the day arrives when she should be married. When she discovers who her father has chosen for her, a brutal man named Mathias Baptiste, Charity begins to take charge of her life in order to save herself, not only from a loveless marriage, but from being abused for the rest of her life.

Charity’s attempts to avoid marriage introduced her to Mr. Alexander Sutton, a man who has been hired by her father as a temporary bodyguard, his sole purpose being to make sure Charity arrives at the party where her betrothal is to be announced. However, Alexander is outed as the son of a former law officer, who now stands accused of murder.

For those who know me and follow my reviews online, you know that I have come to detest fluffy period novels with no substance, and an incredibly inaccurate portrayal of women’s hardships in this era of time, mainly by sugarcoating them. However, in this instance, the author got a little heavy handed with the cruelty to women. Every man in this book was mean, cruel and nasty, even Alexander, Charity’s love interest was cold, harsh, and mostly apathetic to Charity’s situation, (or ran hot and cold towards her) and not all that sexy or romantic much of the time.

The women is the story are not much better, with Charity starting off being “too stupid to live”, her best friend being very obtuse at times, although she does redeem herself somewhat, and Charity’s mother is just plain useless, making all the women in the book appear naïve, tepid, or silly.

However…. Charity does progress and grow quite nicely as the story moves along. She is still stuck in her situation and is left with little or no recourse, but to flee, if she can. I liked seeing her break out of her shell and take charge of her life, at least as much as she was able.

The mystery is a secondary plot line and eventually connects to people Charity is closely associated with. Initially, I found the set up with Alexander’s absentee father being accused of murder and leaving his son alone to take the heat and suffer a tarnished reputation, a bit odd. The evidence was circumstantial but very overwhelming. So, we cheer Alexander on as he tries to uncover the truth, with some help from Charity and her friend, although unwittingly.
The murder plot was a tad transparent in some places as you will most likely be able to ascertain who is involved, but there are still a few surprises and twist along the way.

The mystery part of the story is what kept me from sinking into utter frustration with some of the characters and events in the book. I stuck with it mainly to see the mystery solved and to see how Charity would manage to wrangle herself out the arranged marriage to Mathias. I was beginning to wonder if she would be free of this horrible man and if Alexander would simply stand by and watch it happen.

But, in the end Charity made me proud and I was glad to see she was happy, even it I did wish she had been able to experience more sigh worthy romantic elements. Overall, the story has some flaws, and it wasn’t exactly one I would gush over or highly recommend, but I found it enjoyable enough that I read it all the way through. So, if you like your historical novels with a slight edge, with a bit of mystery and suspense, you might want to give this one try.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Valentine’s Heat I by Ally Shields, Nessie Strange, Keith Melton, C.L. Bledsoe

May 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment

heart
Valentine’s Heat I by Ally Shields, Nessie Strange, Keith Melton, C.L. Bledsoe
Publisher: Etopia Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Holiday, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult
Length: Full Length (210 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Thistledown

“Heart’s Pride” by Ally Shields

The Guardian Witch Series

When their wedding is ruined by a werepanther attack, Katrina is left hospitalized and Blane is just…gone. But when he finally finds his way back to Riverdale, he learns he’s not the only one who’s been tracking Katrina…

“Lost Soul, Lost Love” by Nessie Strange

The Living Dead World Series

It’s Jen MacLellan’s first trip back to earth as a new reaper, and Mardi Gras is in full swing. When she happens upon Chip, a partier stuck in a perpetual 1983, Jen decides to help him find the woman he loves so he can move on. Assuming all goes well when he finds her…

“Red Dogs” by Keith Melton

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Mercenary pyromancer Andrea Walker has just saved the world from bloodthirsty hagworms and is late for her Valentine’s date with Jake. Until she hears that Jake has already left her house…with her…

“V-Day” by CL Bledsoe

The Necro-Files Series

Daisy and her friends think going to a frat party on Valentine’s Day will be a fun, not-at-all-desperate Girls Night Out. What they don’t expect is to have Delilah’s succubus pheromones accidentally set off the apocalypse…

Valentine’s Day is for suckers…

At least that’s what the majority of the stories in this anthology relate to. In the first story, “Heart’s Pride” by Ally Shields, we meet a cat shifter with a few unwanted beaus that turn from rowdy drunks to kidnapping slavers. Katrina is searching for her lost mate and is derailed from her mission, only to find hope in the darkest places. Great tension, strong characters and I was sad when this story was over.

In the second story “Lost Soul, Lost Love” we meet a new Reaper getting her education about the other side of the proverbial fence. She meets a lost soul who won’t give up the ghost of his former life and has to decide if tangling with her mentor Sam or Death is worth the education. Great story. It made me want to read the rest. The telepathic link from Sam to the new reaper was fun and awkward all at the same time.

The third piece “Red Dogs” by Keith Melton was more militaristic than some of the other stories. An unpleasant surprise awaits a team of elite fighters when their mission to contain a disturbance at an antique shop goes horribly wrong. Mistaken identities, spiritual warfare and a sexy dinner out might be just the thing to get this Valentine’s Day heated up.

The last story is “The Necro-Files: V-Day” by C.L. Bledsoe. I love this series and this story was a fun addition. It lends itself to a common problem at frat parties. What do you do when someone spikes the punch and if a succubus with insane lusty powers drinks it, how many men do you think will still be standing? This was a hilarious car humping story that had me snorting through my nose more than once.

All of these stories had a unique view on Valentine’s Day foibles and just how much of a trial it can be. From outdated ghostly love to a doppelganger style manifestation to lusty punch and kitty shifters, this was a blast to read and I am going to go back and check out the authors I haven’t read before. Fans of the Anita Blake books, Kim Harrison and Charlaine Harris will love these authors.

If you want some short reads that are urban fantasy style romance with snark, these are for you.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Touching the Past by Ilene Kaye

May 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment

PAST
Touching the Past by Ilene Kaye
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (129 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Three people are missing. Detective Zac Herrera knows their disappearances are connected. He needs psychic Mallory Woods to prove it and he’s hoping their past connection will convince her to help him.

Mallory Woods isn’t an ordinary accountant. The attractive Amerasian has a secret—the ability to see the past when she touches an object or a person—though she has resisted using her gift since a traumatic event in high school. Except she can’t turn her back on the missing victims, or Zac, the man she once cared about. But can he protect her from the evil reaching out for her?
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As Zac and Mallory work together, their attraction blossoms. With a madman on the loose, will they survive to find out if they have a future?

Can Zac and Mallory move beyond the past to have a future together?

Zac and Mallory have a bit of a complicated past. They both had secret crushes on each other in high school, but never confessed their feelings for each other. Years later, Zac still can’t get Mallory out of his head. Zac needs Mallory’s help to solve his latest case, but deep down he knows his feelings would have compelled him to reach out to her eventually. Will Mallory be able to see Zac for the man he’s become, or will he always be the boy she tutored in high school?

The mystery surrounding the missing people wrapped up very simply and quickly. Most of Zac’s work on the case is behind the scenes, so readers who like the kind of mystery they can try to solve before the end will not be able to do that with this story. Mallory’s gift allows the villain to be exposed very easily. Then it was just a matter of time before Zac was able to bring the culprit to justice. I do wish that the mystery had been more detailed and drawn out. However, I still found the conclusion to be pretty satisfying.

Most of the tension in this mystery revolves around Zac and Mallory. Both of them were a bit hung up on the past and were constantly wondering if what they were feeling was real or just the memories of their crushes. They had great chemistry that Ms. Kaye built to the point that even simple actions were charged with sexual tension. I do like the fact that they didn’t rush into anything serious. They were renewing their acquaintance under some intense circumstances, and they both recognized that. I have no doubt that after solving the case, they’ll take the time they need to truly get to know each other and will be well on their way to a happy ending.

Overall, I found Touching the Past to be a quick, satisfying read that I read straight through. Mallory and Zac make a good couple, and I had fun watching them rediscover each other as adults. I recommend it to anyone looking for a light and entertaining mystery.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Rancher’s Lullaby: Glades County Cowboys by Leigh Duncan

April 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment

LULLABY
The Rancher’s Lullaby: Glades County Cowboys by Leigh Duncan
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (217 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

Falling in love again didn’t figure into widower Garrett Judd’s plans when he brought his infant son home to the Circle P Ranch. But bluegrass sensation Lisa Rose plucks the rancher’s heartstrings as sweetly as she strums the guitar. When Lisa discovers she’s carrying Garrett’s baby, will his love overcome the fear that history will repeat itself?

Neither Garret Judd nor Lisa Rose wants a relationship. However, on dark stormy night, when the light went out in Okeechobee, Florida …. But this is a one-time thing they declare.

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Lisa signs divorce papers soon after she opens her music store in Okeechobee and grieves about not having a child after trying so hard and spending thousands of dollars. With her touring, music-performing life behind her, she sets in to make a new start with “spunk and determination.”

The author Leigh Duncan tells a sweet story of family and friends support and love. She explores the inner thoughts of Garret and Lisa as they each struggle to get back to some kind of normal in their lives.

The workings on the Circle P and Lisa’s involvement with entertaining the dudes during roundup time sets the stage for Garret and Lisa’s getting to know each other and becoming friends while saying no to the sexual awareness that crackles and pops like electricity when they are together.

Baby LJ is a bright, shining little star in the story as he, like most normal babies, is on a mission to learn about his world, mindless of the havoc he can wreck in his zeal. Unbeknownst to him, he stirs up life-changing emotions in Garret and Lisa.

The Rancher’s Lullaby touches tender, sweet places in the heart that reaffirms the belief of love being able to overcome incredible obstacles, both physical and emotional, to arrive at a happy-ever-after.

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

End of Lonely Street by Alicia Dean

April 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment

END
End of Lonely Street by Alicia Dean
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Short Story (76 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

All Toby Lawson wants is to go to college to become a teacher and to be free of her alcoholic mother and some painful memories. But when her mother nearly burns the house down, Toby must put her dreams on hold and return home to care for her. The only time she isn’t lonely and miserable is when she’s listening to her heartthrob, Elvis Presley. His music takes her away and helps her escape from everything wrong in her life.

Noah Rivers has always loved Toby, but no matter what he says, she can‘t get past the fact that her drunken mother once kissed him. He soon realizes the true problem lies in Toby’s belief she’s not good enough for him and in her fear she will be just like her mother.
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What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. If only there was a way to know what’s waiting around the next bend.

It was fascinating to see how Toby developed over the course of the plot. My first impression of her was of someone who was sweet and innocent. While her personality definitely included those traits, she had much more going on beneath the surface than I originally assumed. Peeling back these layers to get to know the real Toby was satisfying.

The cast of characters was incredibly large for a story of this size. I had trouble keeping track of all of them, especially when it came to individuals who only played a peripheral role in the plot. It would have been helpful to either have fewer characters to keep track of or to have their names and relationship to the protagonist listed in a glossary somewhere.

Noah and Toby’s relationship was well written. Once I adjusted to the kind of banter they liked to use with one another, I began noticing the warmth behind their words. They had such a rich history that their friendship was unmistakable and rooting for them to become more than just friends was unavoidable. What really made the romance work for me, though, was how Ms. Dean approached the obstacles that threatened to keep these characters apart. The reasons why they might not make a good match were realistic and serious.

I’d recommend End of Lonely Street to anyone who is interested in taking a sneak peek into what it was like to live in the 1950s.

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

A Woman Scorned by Rachel Frank

April 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment

WOMAN
A Woman Scorned by Rachel Frank
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (65 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual, F/F
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Once a maidservant to a rich lord’s daughter, Aurelia now spends her days on a much more indulgent career: killing worthless men for gold. When she is offered a rewarding rescue job, she expects it to be a challenge but still manageable.

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Some heroes have it all figured out ahead of time. Aurelia isn’t one of them.

They say you can tell a lot about someone by the way they treat animals. As soon as I saw how kindly she treated her horse, I knew Aurelia was a protagonist I was really going to like. Her character development later on in the plot only confirmed my positive first impression of her. She was instantly likeable and relatable even when she made choices that I didn’t necessarily understand.

Sometimes Aurelia made decisions that seemed to completely contradict her years of experience as an assassin. Based on how she behaved in the first scene, I expected her to be much more prepared for the kinds of situations she found herself in while attempting to rescue Lynnette. Had a more comprehensive explanation for her reactions in this scenes been provided, I would have given this tale a much higher rating. Everything else about it was well done.

I expected a lot of things out from this book, but laughter wasn’t one of them. The gentle humor in it was especially welcomed after the incredibly intense beginning. It’s hard to talk about exactly what I found so amusing without giving away spoilers, but I looked forward to every single one of these encounters. They seemed to show up exactly when the characters needed them the most.

A Woman Scorned was the perfect mixture of romance and fantasy. Fans of either genre should give this story a try.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts

April 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment

EX
Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Full Length (308 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Christmas in Icicle Falls…

Cass Wilkes, owner of the Gingerbread Haus bakery, was looking forward to her daughter Danielle’s wedding—until Dani announced that she wants her father, Cass’s ex, to walk her down the aisle. Seriously? Even worse, it appears that he, his trophy wife and their yappy little dog will be staying with Cass…

Her friend Charlene Albach arrives at their weekly chick-flick night in shock. She’s just seen the ghost of Christmas past: her ex-husband, Richard, who left a year ago when he ran off with the hostess from her restaurant, Zelda’s. Now the hostess is history and he wants to kiss and make up. Hide the mistletoe!

And bring out the hot buttered rum, because the holidays aren’t easy for Ella O’Brien, either. Ella, newly divorced, is still sharing the house with her ex while they wait for the place to sell. The love is gone. Isn’t it?

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Merry Ex-mas, ladies!

Talk about walking on egg shells and the potential for disaster. Having all your exes showing up for the holidays sounds like a total nightmare but Ms. Roberts proved that for some, divorces for the wrong reasons are extra hurtful when it’s discovered the marriage was for all the right reasons in the first place. But who will the lucky couple be?

The one thing I’ve discovered about Ms. Roberts’ writing style is she likes her stories busy. It’s very similar to a real community where lives overlap and everyone affects someone else because there’s a history. I don’t know everyone in Icicle Falls but I’ve read a few books written after this one and what I find interesting is that they are solidly standalone books. There might be a few extra characters that don’t really have anything resolved but they help out the ones that do in the current book. That’s sort of the case here and yet, their POV is just as an important contribution as the main characters.

The cast is varied but it comes down to Cass, Ella and Charley. Ella’s I could figure out, Charley was a heart wringer and Cass was fascinating. I cracked up about Cupcake the dog and yet, the dog’s antics provided insight between two characters that come to terms. It’s amazing how the author took every day mundane events and made them relevant and heavy with substance and meaning.

I enjoyed how the ladies had each other’s backs and how they were there for each other through thick and thin. Not everyone has those types of friendships but I know they exist and if a person is lucky to have them, they more than probably resemble the ladies from Icicle Falls. I also like how the role of pets assists with the storytelling. It gives the novel an everyday feeling making the characters relatable.

Inasmuch as I liked Cass, her story was a bit unbalanced. By that I mean that it seemed to play a huge role but there wasn’t a true role yet I was made to believe there was something that was going to happen but her involvement wasn’t the forefront but more her daughter’s. It came across like Cass was the narrator of the story but lived within the story, was affected by it and affected it but wasn’t the true focal point – if that made any sense.

Merry Ex-Mas is most definitely a character driven romance novel. It’s about family, one broken made whole, relationships in all their complicated glory and yes, a happy ever after that makes the story worth reading. Ms. Roberts has made Icicle Falls a wonderful place to visit with characters readers want to come back and visit with. They have faults and flaws like most people and that’s what makes reading about them so special. Happiness comes in different flavors and each novel about Icicle Falls is a unique treat.

Merry Ex-Mas has its moments of romantic genius and is a must read for fans of family/friends centered romances. It’s a novel about love and life and is worth checking out.

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

April Showers by Holly Jacobs

April 28, 2015 By 1 Comment

HOWERS
April Showers by Holly Jacobs
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (379 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Rainbows don’t come without rain

The world you want isn’t always how the world is. Former marine Sebastian Bennington discovers that upon his return to Valley Ridge for a friend’s wedding. Even his grandfather’s health isn’t what he’s expecting. Nor is the interference from his grandfather’s young business partner, Lily Paul.
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Even more aggravating, Lily seems to know everything about Sebastian, thanks to his grandfather. But Sebastian can’t get her to open up about anything. Is she using all that merry sunshine to hide something deeper and darker? He’s determined to find out, as long as their crazy attraction for each other doesn’t get in the way….

Two people battered by life come together and the unexpected happens. Of course, readers know exactly what is going to eventually happen; this is a romance after all. However, I really liked the dynamics of their complicated relationship and I was curious as to what the catalyst would be to set it all in motion.

The two protagonists are Lily and Sebastian (don’t call him Seb). Lilly comes across as a Pollyanna but I enjoyed Sebastian’s pet name for her. The hero comes across as a grouch filled with self-pity and anger. What ends up happening is that Lily teaches by example and Sebastian learned to focus on what he could do rather than all that he couldn’t. Lily learns to trust and reveals the havoc and pain that’s she’s worked so hard to raise above all her life. They both bring out the best in each other – even when it’s painful and emotional – and in doing do, start to heal in body and spirit. It’s a very touching story.

The overall story arc that weaves in and out in the background is a wedding. Interesting how the very end of the book comes with a surprise that was so profound, I’ve already bought the next book in the series even before I sat down to write this review. There is NO way I could not find out what happens next. It has nothing to do with Lily and Sebastian directly but I’m sure they are going to be affected. Everyone in the story is going to be affected and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Dangling carrot notwithstanding, April Showers introduced me to some well-developed and engaging characters that touched my heart. Ms. Jacobs created a sense of warmth and caring as well as community within the pages of this novel that was profound. I think the subplot about Hank is what affected me the most. The blurb mentions his health but I didn’t expect the diagnosis that the author chose. It was handled beautifully.

In fact most of the crises that pepper the novel are handled with compassion, intervention and genuine caring. This is a story that can make a reader feel good because so many characters are vested in the happiness of Lily and Sebastian, as well as other characters like Sophie and Colton, Mattie and Finn. Even Mrs. Dedionisio whose interaction with Sebastian end up being a turning point in his life because it was at that moment that the hero realized something profound. This book’s strengths are from those types of scenes; they have lots of insightful dialogue, repartee and observations.

April Showers was delightful. I really enjoyed meeting Lily and Sebastian and watching them fall in love. It wasn’t smooth or easy and they both had to compromise and face a lot of their inner conflicts. The result is a book worth recommending to readers who look for stories that romance the mind and heart while delivering a well written novel. It’s a great read.

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

Edible Espionage by Dana Volney & Shaunna Owens

April 17, 2015 By Leave a Comment

EDIBLE
Edible Espionage by Dana Volney & Shaunna Owens
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (131 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Smart and independent, Sarah Zion is a woman who rarely apologizes. As head pastry chef and co-owner of Crazy for Cake, she feels the small business pressure to keep her dreams alive. Winning the grand prize at the Trio Trifecta would be the icing on the cake. She is caught off guard when smooth talking, gorgeous Gavin Arnold folds himself into her life.
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When a help wanted sign appears, Gavin jumps at the opportunity to infiltrate Crazy for Cake. He sleeps, eats, and breathes his personal security firm and is on an assignment to stop at nothing to make sure his client wins the Trio Trifecta baking competition, even if that means acing out Sarah’s bakery. What Gavin doesn’t see coming could cost him. Will personal feelings rise above professional obligations?

Sarah Zion co-owns her own bakery – Crazy for Cake – with her best friend, Fiona. Sarah’s delighted when the most edible man she’s seen in months comes into the store, and not even the small disappointment of his not being a fan of chocolate can dampen her appetite for him. Gavin is pleased to find his numerous attempts to get Sarah’s attention have finally paid off. His millionaire boss sent him down on assignment to infiltrate Crazy for Cake and find out some of their secrets. Gavin’s boss and wife were chagrined to come second in the national bake off to the small-timers, Sarah and Fiona, and are determined to beat them at any cost this year. But the more Gavin tastes Sarah’s mouth-watering treats, and gets to know the woman herself, the more he finds himself divided over work and his growing emotional attachment. Will he pick the right side of this food fight?

This is a fun, lighthearted story that I mostly enjoyed. The major plotline of Gavin being “undercover” to discover Sarah and Fiona’s cooking secrets was interesting, but I found it quite difficult to push past it and warm up to Gavin. He’s a charming character, full of good humour, self-analysis and a sexy smile, but knowing from the start that he was there (albeit in a friendly, non-threatening manner) to commit industrial espionage and steal Sarah’s cookery secrets really dampened my enthusiasm for him. The deception lasted a short while (approximately a third of the book) and I have to be honest, Sarah’s reaction upon discovering his secret was really well handled to my mind. But at heart, the deception was a wedge I, personally, just couldn’t get past. I couldn’t make myself relax and go with the flow, to trust in the happy ending when I knew Gavin had purposely tracked Sarah down, connected with her and flirted up a storm simply to steal from her.

I want to point out that other readers may feel vastly different to me. Sarah is not a stupid heroine, and Gavin never let the flirtation go too far beyond the line. I don’t feel he had any desire/intention of breaking Sarah’s hard or really toying with her emotions. So possibly this is just a peeve of my own. It’s not common for me, however, to not warm up to the hero, so it was a different experience for me. I really struggled with this, especially as I enjoyed so much of the rest of the story.

I think it’s also important to point out that despite my lack of warmth for Gavin, this is still a fun, addictive read. I absolutely turned the pages of this story eagerly, devouring the scenes and desperately wanting to know what happened next. There were a few times I had to mentally stretch reality (like when she guessed Gavin’s phone password) but overall I found the situations they were presented with fun and understandable. The authors have done an amazing job with a good story, vibrant and interesting characters and a serious, meaty plot that kept my attention. I found there was a high degree of chemistry between Gavin and Sarah, and a number of steamy kisses, enthusiastic embraces and sexual tension strong enough to melt iron. Apart from a few bumps in the road I really enjoyed this story and will happily try others by these authors.

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

Her Sister’s Wedding by Jane Ainslie

April 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment

SISTER
Her Sister’s Wedding by Jane Ainslie
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (153 pgs)
Heat: Sensual
Rated: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

She’s hungrily pursuing a dream…

Food journalist Mandy Evans is headed for Paris to fulfill her life-long dream of studying art, but not before she has to be a bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding.

He’s nursing a burning ambition…
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After setting up his latest restaurant, renowned American chef Jake Pearson has a big project booked in Miami, but not before he’s best man at his friend’s wedding.

Is there a wrong time to meet the right person?

Partnered at the wedding, Jake falls for Mandy’s sassy, natural style, and she can’t get enough of his passion for food—and for her. But when it’s a case of finding love at the wrong time, can they find room on their plates for each other?

Ms. Ainslie’s Her Sister’s Wedding is a zippy contemporary romance with a great lead character, Mandy Evans. Mandy does not impress as an exceptionally nice person, yet… her circumstances are intriguing. We quickly discover that she considers herself a journalist though she seems more of a restaurant critic. She dresses well but is underprepared–not impressive.

Still, she has friends. She can rely on her pal Dario, who teases but will help her out. Conversations are quick, witty and believable; typical party fair. Mandy seems a bit like a fish out of water, yet it’s fun to follow her around this restaurant’s big opening party. She becomes a bit more human, especially after we learn she’s agreed to be a last-minute bridesmaid for her sister, and suddenly the whole dynamic changes.

Mandy, we soon discover, is more than the glamor gal we see on the outside, and chef Jake Pearson gains a little inkling of the same thing. Their meeting includes a funny little twist (no spoilers here…but it IS a case of serendipity) but this matters little: by this point, we readers are truly hooked. Mandy may be able to carry off the black dress and stilettos, but she’s also got good intentions, and dreams for the future–dreams that include Paris. A certain coincidence might help out the ‘love story’ but at the same time…those very dreams threaten the whole thing.

Her Sister’s Wedding is a great story, a look at a certain sophisticated lifestyle, and the discovery of some very ‘real’ and engaging main characters. The story line is quick and unpredictable and in many ways just plain fun. The use of incredibly long run-on sentences may be a stylistic choice but are occasionally mind-boggling enough to test your attention span- my one complaint. 4 stars, for a good overall read.

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