Undercover Heat by Tami Lund

March 23, 2015 By 1 Comment

HEAT
Undercover Heat by Tami Lund
Publisher: Crimson Romance/ F+W
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (107 pages)
Heat level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Willow

A year ago, agent Kyra Sanders almost closed the case of her career—almost, but not quite. Her boyfriend and colleague ended up cheating on her with the perp she was chasing, blowing the case and ruining Kyra’s belief in happily ever after. When she’s given a second chance to catch this crook, she’s determined not to let anything interfere.

Quinn Daniels is an FBI agent with a hell of a skeleton in his closet: his father was a career criminal. Locked up in federal prison, he still manages to torment Quinn, never letting him forget that he failed as a son and a human being. Hard-drinking, hard-talking Quinn vows to stay on the straight and narrow.

But when Kyra and Quinn are assigned to go undercover as a married couple, trouble—and desire—flares. Opposites may attract, but can they keep the heat between them undercover long enough to close their case?

This amazing novel is everything I hoped for and more!!

Quinn and Kyra are both brilliant and complex characters that – though they came from completely different backgrounds – share the same struggles. The way Ms Lund portrayed these characters from their emotions and heated reactions down to their very witty banter and chemistry was excellent. I instantly fell for Quinn and Kyra.

In such a short amount of time, Ms Lund created two amazing characters with intense backgrounds; I really didn’t want the novel to end.

Undercover Heat has a very well thought out plot and is quite easy to follow along with. Ms Lund has taken the idea of finding your love in the workplace (even though it may not be what you were looking for) and putting a very exciting spin on it.

Discovering that Undercover Heat is the second book in the ‘Tough love’ series – though can be read as a stand alone novel – makes me really want to read Naked Truth (Tough love #1).

I finished this book in a day; I actually ended up missing my train stop because I was so into this novel. I highly recommend Undercover Heat to those romance readers out there and I very much look forward to reading more of Ms Lund’s work in the future.

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Echo Lake by Carla Neggers

March 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment

ECHO
Echo Lake by Carla Neggers
Publisher: Mira
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (342 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

In snowy Swift River Valley, unexpected romance is just around the corner…

Heather Sloan has landed her dream job—the renovation of Vic Scarlatti’s stately 1912 country home overlooking the icy waters of Echo Lake in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. It’s the perfect project for the family business, but for once, Heather is in charge.

Diplomatic Security Service agent Brody Hancock left Knights Bridge at eighteen, a few steps ahead of arrest and the wrath of Heather’s older brothers. Though Brody had never planned to return, Vic, a retired diplomat and friend, needs his help.

Staying at Vic’s guest house makes it impossible to avoid running into a Sloan at every turn—especially Heather. Seeing her again has affected Brody more than he wants to admit. But Heather is wary of Brody’s sudden interest in her, and she suspects there’s more to his homecoming than he’s letting on…

Set against the scenic backdrop of a New England winter, Echo Lake is a captivating tale of family, friends and the possibility of new love.

Romance, secret intrigue, regrets, and redemption fuel emotions on multiple levels in Echo Lake. Carla Negger’s unique writing style sparkles and entices a reader into a memorable interlude with the people of Knights Bridge, Massachusetts during the cold, cold winter.

Heather Sloan is no longer the twelve-year-old girl who challenged the boys to a game of “Risk” and played with a “take-no-prisoners” attitude. Now, she is definitely a grownup, curvy, pretty woman with a “can-do” attitude. She is good at her job with Sloan and Sons. Her professional footing is solid. She’s in charge of a major renovation of an old home that retired diplomat Vic Scarlatti owns.

Her emotional footing hits a slippery place when diplomatic security service agent Brody Hancock, once the town’s bad boy and her secret love, visits his old friend Vic Scarlatti.

The change in both Brody and Heather is subtly and enticingly revealed as they interact, with the reader getting to enjoy the humor, the undercurrent of caring, the misgivings, the undeniable love that has abided so many years and now demands its place in their lives.

Family love and dynamics, the pains and adjustments in retirement, the hurts of bad decisions made long ago, along with community’s meddlesome caring take the reader on a vicarious cold winter experience that is thought-provoking, heart-warming, and sensory rich.

If the reader has read previous Swift River Valley novels, getting to catch up on what is happening in well-remembered characters is an added bonus in Echo Lake. This novel is a super good addition to the other novels that take place in this unique environment.

Carla Neggers, with a great plot and interesting, well-developed characters, delivers excellent reading once again.

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Nobility by Kayla Bain-Vrba

March 17, 2015 By Leave a Comment

NOBILIYT
Nobility by Kayla Bain-Vrba
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (45 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual, F/F
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Determined to escape an arranged marriage, and with very few options available, Danna brings a curse down on herself and settles into life in an enchanted tower. The very last thing she needs or wants is to be rescued, no matter how beautiful or compelling her unexpected rescuer is.

Nobelle is desperate to avoid the hangman’s noose, and as last ditch efforts go her life could be worse than rescuing a bratty princess. But an easy way to stay alive turns into a complicated tangle of lies as she and Danna grow closer and Nobelle has no easy way to admit that she’s no knight in shining armor…

The path to true love isn’t always smooth.

The dialogue was a lot of fun. It included snappy comebacks and a few retorts that made me giggle. Ms. Bain-Vrba definitely showed off her playful sense of humor in this tale. What I enjoyed about this the most was how the author used the comical dialogue to reveal her characters’ personalities. Nobelle and Danna both had incredibly unique voices. It only took me a short amount of time to immediately know who was speaking simply by how they strung words together.

There were a few issues with the conflict in this story. While I liked the fact that the characters had to overcome so many obstacles during their adventures, I would have preferred to see them spend more time struggling to find solutions to their problems. Allowing them to figure out those solutions so quickly dampened the tension that should have been rising as the plot moved toward its exciting conclusion.

Danna and Nobelle’s chemistry didn’t show up right away, but seeing it develop was well worth the wait. At first glance they appeared to have completely opposite personalities and interests. What I found compelling about their growing attraction, though, was just how much they had in common once I pushed past my first impressions of them. They appeared to be a good match for each other which made rooting for them to get together even more rewarding than it might have been otherwise.

Nobility is something I’d recommend to fans of the romance and fantasy genres alike.

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

Periwinkle Cove by Cassandra Pierce

March 16, 2015 By Leave a Comment

COVE
Periwinkle Cove by Cassandra Pierce
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (50 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One year ago Darcy’s lover, Gail, died in a mysterious accident at a seaside cottage. When Darcy learns that she has only three months to live, she decides it’s time to return to the cottage, both to ready it for sale and to prepare for her own end.

Instead, she finds herself attempting to discover what really happened to Gail. Assisting her in the quest is Livia, a mysterious new acquaintance with a peculiar connection to the sea who claims she also may know a way to save Darcy’s life…

The ocean is full of mysteries. Only a few of them have been discovered so far.

There’s something vaguely melancholy about looking out at the ocean on a cold day. Few people are willing to walk down the beach on the off-season, so there’s a good chance that anyone who does show up will be alone. Such a quiet time and place was the perfect background for this tale. Darcy’s grey mood matched her setting so well that I couldn’t imagine one without the other.

I had some trouble understanding the romantic elements of this story. The characters involved in it were fascinating as individuals, but the chemistry between them never quite worked for me. There were many obstacles between them and their desire to be together. It would have been easier for me to root for them to end up together if they’d either had fewer issues to overcome or more time to come up with creative solutions for all of the things that were keeping them apart.

Figuring out Livia’s connection to the sea was straightforward. The clues about it were fairly easy to recognize for anyone who is familiar with this sort of tale, but having my guess confirmed was gratifying. Livia was a likeable character, though, and her secret only added to her charm. Both her strengths and her weaknesses revealed important information about her identity. She was exactly who I expected her to be!

All-in-all, I’d recommend Periwinkle Cove to anyone who really enjoys this genre of story.

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Wounded Hearts Book 2: The Rebel’s Redemption by Jacquie Biggar

March 6, 2015 By 1 Comment

REBEL
Wounded Hearts Book 2: The Rebel’s Redemption by Jacquie Biggar
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (163 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

Annie Campbell has made a good life for her and her young son in the mountain town of Tidal Falls. She’s dating the sheriff, owns a successful business, and has the support of the community.
So why isn’t it quite enough?
Jared Martin left Tidal Falls a hotheaded youth, and now, after eight years in the military, he returns a bitter, disillusioned man.
Then he finds out he’s a father.
When an old enemy follows and causes mayhem in the small town, can Jared overcome the odds to protect the woman he’s always loved and the child he never knew, or will it be too late?

“He disappeared around the corner, leaving nothing but the slowly turning tire on a bike and Jared’s heart as it shattered.”

When Jared, a Navy Seal, comes back home he finds out he’s a father and the mother of his child, Annie Campbell, is none too happy about it. Annie and Jared had been friends for a long time. After one night of uninhibited sex, Jared enlists and leaves without telling Annie. No wonder, she isn’t happy.

They have history; a child and undeniable passion between them that they can’t ignore or let go of.

What I loved about this story was not only the premise but how it all came together. As a whole it’s a very good book but it’s not simply a romance, it’s supposed to be a Mystery/Suspense novel as well. That aspect of the story kept diminishing with every page I turned. It simply wasn’t as much of a focus as I thought it would be. The plot and the climax both were good though it was easy to guess the ending.

The story gives a glimpse of a small town. That’s a setting I love to read. The characters were well developed. I could probably explain every character but I don’t have enough time for that. The writing style of Miss Biggar allows me to understand both sides of this story which is a big plus in my book.

Rebel’s Redemption is the second book in the Wounded Heart series. I have not read the first book in this series but I am going to read it and will keep an eye out for Miss Biggar’s other books. The series can be read as a standalone but to get the most enjoyment I would suggest you to read from the start.

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

An Irish Promise by Isabella Connor

February 25, 2015 By 1 Comment

 

IRISH
An Irish Promise by Isabella Connor
Publisher: Choc Lit.
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (414 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

Art historian, Rachel Ford has returned to the Irish village of Kilbrook intent on keeping her promise to take revenge on the school bullies who ruined her childhood and destroyed her family.

Australian actor Finn MacKenzie sets hearts fluttering when he turns up in sleepy Kilbrook to help his aunt with a school production. He seems to have a charmed life, yet his confident façade hides heartbreak and tragedy. Although Finn isn’t looking for love, when he meets the mysterious Rachel, there’s a definite spark between them.

Rachel is torn between her desire for revenge and this new love affair. She doesn’t want to deceive Finn, but can she trust him to keep her real identity a secret? And will he understand why she must keep her promise, no matter the cost?

An Irish Promise is a story of revenge, remorse, guilt, and secrets with love having a hard time getting a toehold.

Rachel returns to Kilbrook, where she’d lived as a child with full intentions of hurting bullies. She soon realizes her plan could hurt innocents also. But she reads “The Diary” each night to remind herself why she returned to this place of remembered miseries. It strengthens her resolve.

Father Daniel Quinn has returned to Kilbrook for a very different reason. His efforts, emotions, allegiance, and, finally, his honesty, with himself and others intrigue. His gaining enough courage to do what is right for himself and others is an intricate part of the plot.

Finn Mackenzie returns to Kilbrook, supposedly to help his Aunt Helen, but he, too, has a secret agenda. He has reinvented himself and is a successful actor, but it wasn’t easy. Now, he wants, in some way, to atone for a cruel wrong he was a party to in his miserable youth.

The primary antagonists, Mellissa and Jay Cole, were bullies in school and continue, as adults, to use people, giving no consideration to the damage they are doing. Of course, there is a back story about them that explains their behavior, but it is not enough to excuse their actions.

Rachel and Finn’s relationship evolves and he gives her a pendant with the Claddagh, an Irish design of two hands holding a crowned heart that symbolizes friendship, loyalty, and love; yet each of them have secrets they have not revealed to each other.

Deceit is a major element in An Irish Promise. I even felt deceived at one point. But love is tenacious and hangs on through a multitude of conflicts.

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The Playboy of Rome by Jennifer Faye

February 25, 2015 By Leave a Comment

ROME
The Playboy of Rome by Jennifer Faye
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (250 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Taming the Italian playboy…

Lizzie Addler’s dream of working in Italy is about to come true—that is if she can convince passionate Italian chef Dante DeFiore to keep his side of their bargain. Dante might be hotter than the Italian sun, but he’s as cool as ice toward Lizzie…

Dante hasn’t the time to pander to Lizzie’s dreams of culinary fame—he has a restaurant to run! But as Lizzie proves herself to be a spectacular addition to his kitchen—and to his life—Dante wonders…can he keep her forever?

The Playboy of Rome has an appealing premise: a hot Italian chef, a young, aspiring cook and the fiery tension between them, all filmed for a reality show.

The novel starts off very promising. There were great scenes with the chef, Dante, especially the scenes at his family home. His interaction with his grandfather, father and brother were intense and very revealing of his character. But unfortunately, they were also far more emotional than his scenes with Lizzie. I simply couldn’t feel any chemistry between the two of them despite the fact that I liked them as individual characters.

Perhaps this was due to the slow progression of the story – we get to see some action in the kitchen only in the second half of the novel, while in the first half they more or less only talk. I felt that the instant attraction between Dante and Lizzie was a bit overdone, a slower start would’ve been more believable. However, the deep feelings that they both feel towards the end made their break-up even more painful and angsty.

Lizzie’s character and her strength were heart-warming. She was a foster child and the neglect she’d experienced in her early childhood explained many of her characteristics, but towards the end this storyline became a bit too repetitive. However, I liked her gentleness towards Dante’s grandfather and father; it showed clearly what family meant to her.

Despite the protagonists being chefs, The Playboy of Rome focuses more on their romance and not on the cooking. However, their love story under the hot Italian sky is delicious nonetheless.

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The Heartbreaker by Maddie James

February 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment

HEART
The Heartbreaker by Maddie James
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (196 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The heartbreaker is back in town…

Lucki Stevenson spends most of her time coaching unruly teenagers and avoiding the unwelcome advances of a co-worker in her Parks Department job. So when all-grown-up, boy-next-door, Dr. Sam Kirk moves back into his childhood home, she doesn’t hesitate welcoming him back into town and her life, as her childhood best friend, of course. Because that’s all they will ever be—best friends.

Sam broke her heart once; she won’t give him a chance to do it again.

Returning home to care for his younger brother J.J., after his mother’s death, Sam is happy to accept Lucki’s expert advice about kids—and even happier that the tomboy he remembers is now a beautiful woman. When Lucki agrees to help him with J.J., Sam is sure he’s on the road to success as an instant parent, and possibly as a husband—but first he’s got to convince Lucki that he’s not the heartbreaker of her past.

In fact, he might have to get the whole town in on the act.

This small town is a hoot!

I love the work of Maddie James. I know I’m going to get a story with heart that will stay with me. This one was no different. I’m glad I picked this book up. I won’t forget it.

The writing flows well. Once I opened the book, I had to know what would happen next. Lucki is great. I liked her hesitancy. I felt like I was right there with her, fumbling through what she was going to do with life and with Sam. She’s got a good head on her shoulders and I rooted for her right away. I loved how she worked out what she wanted to do with JJ, too. Smart girl.

Sam…at first, I didn’t like him much. I’ll be honest. I wanted to conk him on the head. I kept thinking, can’t you see what’s right in front of you? But with that said, I loved, LOVED the way the story was handled. Maddie James kept me right there, even when I wasn’t thrilled, needing to know that things would work out. I came around on Sam and by the end, I rooted for him, too.

If you want a book that’s great for a beach read or just a great quiet afternoon read, then this is the book for you.

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I’m Your Man by Joanne Rawson

February 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment

MAN
I’m Your Man by Joanne Rawson
Publisher: Bottom Drawer Publications
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (70 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Quince

Ruth Jones loves her boyfriend Justin. He is handsome, has a killer body, and the sex is awesome. He does have one major fault though. He travels so much with work that she only gets to see him once or twice a week, and that is his reasoning for always wanting to . . . stay in. At first she’s happy that he only wants to be with her, but over time, his habit of jibbing out at the last minute for every family occasion, work function, or any bloody occasion that involves socialising, really does her head in. All she wants, for goodness sake, is for people to get to know her boyfriend. Okay, so she wants them to see she has a hunk of a boyfriend, but is that so wrong?

When Ruth wakes up in a hotel room one morning suffering from a major hangover, she tries to piece the events of the previous night together. Feeling let down by yet another no-show by Justin at a work function, she headed to the bar and ordered a drink. The last thing she remembers is sitting next to an average-looking guy with a nice accent and large hands, and wondering just what those hands could do given half the chance. When the bathroom door opens and Mr. Average walks out, she realises that at the ripe old age of thirty-three, Ruth Jones has experienced her first one-night stand.

A one-night stand that is about to send her world into utter turmoil.

I’m Your Man asks that timeless question … who do you choose: a hot guy or a good guy? Ruth Jones has a very good looking boyfriend Justin, but from the very beginning it is obvious that there is something wrong with him and their relationship. I was often left wondering why Ruth couldn’t see beyond Justin’s beautiful face and see that he is really bad for her. But one night after Justin stands her up again Ruth has one night stand with average looking Danny. This one night stand turns soon into nice, cozy friendship between Ruth and Danny.

Predictable? Yes, I’m Your Man is a very predictable story. But the predictability doesn’t mean that it’s not worth reading or that the story is boring. On the contrary, I had so much fun reading this wonderful short story.

I really liked Danny’s character. He’s a great guy, caring, solid, lovely. I also like how the story develops. I said that it’s predictable because it’s pretty obvious who will win Ruth’s heart in the end, but the story has a few nice surprises. Secondary characters were also great.

This story is really worth reading, it’s a quick read, full of great British humor, friendship and love.

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An Inconvenient Desire by Alexia Adams

February 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment

DESIRE
An Inconvenient Desire by Alexia Adams
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (107 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

Investment banker Jonathan Davis has spent the last ten months renovating his Italian villa and getting over a nasty divorce from his supermodel wife. As a favor to a friend, he escorts Olivia Chapman to a medieval festival and can’t help but fall for the gorgeous woman. When he discovers she’s a model, however, his innate sense of risk analysis tells him to bail. Then his ex-wife abandons his previously unknown daughter at his door, and it’s Olivia who steps in to help. But does Jonathan dare capitalize on his desire and venture his heart again?

Olivia Chapman has hidden her ugly childhood scars under the glamour of her modeling career. She thinks her pretty face is her only asset, until she discovers a talent for motherhood when a frightened toddler literally arrives on the doorstep. Olivia can’t bear to see another child go unloved. But caring for Hannah means staying with Jonathan, a man she finds almost impossible to resist.

When a big surprise leaves both Olivia and Jonathan reeling, their mutual attraction could end up destroying their futures … or healing the past once and for all.

Bruised and battered hearts in tow, they inadvertently set out on a journey when Jonathan finds his daughter at his door. A daughter he never knew existed.

For Jonathan, spending months renovating his Italian villa was his way of getting over his ex and getting back to normal after his divorce was finalized. When he sees Olivia, he reels between taking a chance or saving himself from heartache all over again.

However, when Jonathan’s ex-wife leaves his eighteen month old daughter who he had no idea existed, he’s frozen in shock. Olivia, seeing everything unfold, is faced with a frightened toddler and a new dad who has no idea what to do. So, she takes charge and vows the child will know she is loved.

The journey brings them face to face with each other’s desires, pain and secrets. The story had a couple of twists that I was not expecting at all. I liked the fact that this story was not only about Jonathan and Olivia. It had a hint of family in it that completely rounded out the story.

I think the characters were well thought out and mesh seamlessly with the plot. The relationship between Jonathan and Olivia is slow in the developing process. They had lust and desire between them when they first met and I was immediately thinking that the lust would be the point that would bring them together. I was so wrong. I loved the slow developing relationship they had. They had something going for them and between them besides the impossible to ignore lust.

All in all, I think it this is a book for romance lovers and readers looking for damaged heroes and heroines finding their way back to love.

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