Archives for March 2014

Haunt Me by Lena Loneson

March 18, 2014 By 2 Comments

HAUNT
Haunt Me by Lena Loneson
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre:, Suspense/Mystery Horror, Contemporary, Paranormal, Action/Adventure, Holiday, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (80 pages)
Other: M/F, Voyeurism
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Minerva Silence, TV psychic and fraud extraordinaire, can read them all. She’s not even aware that her gift is real until she’s confronted by the spirit of her late husband, and by the man who murdered him.

Bram would do anything to protect the woman he loves, even from beyond the grave. But he needs her passion, her body’s response to him, if he’s to manifest and help her to defeat the men who mean to kill her.

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The chemistry between Minerva and her deceased husband, Bram, is as strong now as it was on their honeymoon a decade ago. By far the best scenes in this novella explore how little has changed between these two over the years. After spending so much time together Minerva and Bram know exactly how to turn each other on. The results are electrifying.

It took me some time to understand the rules governing spirits in this universe. While I figured out what they are and are not capable of doing, it would have been helpful to have certain restrictions spelled out a little sooner in the plot. What seem like inconsistencies early on turn out to have good explanations, and had this not been the case this story would have easily earned a much high rating.

By the end of the first scene I was intrigued by the spooky, atmospheric plot. Ms. Loneson does a fantastic job at combining the horror and erotic themes in unexpected ways beginning with the reader’s first introduction to Minerva. I’m a fan of both genres but have never read a book quite like this one before, and I am planning to explore the rest of this author’s catalogue soon in the hope of finding more treasures like this one.

Haunt Me kept me guessing until the very end. This is a great choice for anyone in the mood for a spicy, paranormal mystery.

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

What the Groom Wants by Jade Lee

March 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment

GROOM
What the Groom Wants by Jade Lee
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (392 pgs)
Heat Level: Hot
Rated: 5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

An honest love…

Radley Lyncott has been in love with Wendy Drew as long as he can remember. When he went to sea, she was too young to court. Now that he’s returned to take up his Welsh title, he is appalled to find that debt has ruined the Drew family, and—even worse—Wendy is being courted by another man.

Or a dangerous attraction?
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Family comes first for seamstress Wendy Drew, who is forced to settle her brother’s debt by working nights at a notorious gambling den. But her double-life hasn’t gone unnoticed—she has captivated none other than Demon Damon, a nefarious rake who understands Wendy’s darkest desires and is hell bent on luring her into his arms.

What this groom wants, he’s not about to stop until he gets.

I was given the honor of reading another book in this series and I’m glad. What the Groom Wants is fantastic and a wonderful addition to the series. The writing is crisp and flows well. I was thoroughly engrossed for three hours and couldn’t put the novel down.

Where do I begin with this book? The complexity. The characters aren’t easily picked apart and the plot? Holy plot twists, Batman. Yeah, you have to keep on your toes. To a degree, there are a lot of characters. It is the second book in a series, so a lot of characters is expected. But each has a very important role. At various times, I laughed, wanted to bonk characters over the head and cringed and then smiled again.

Wendy Drew isn’t an easy character to read about. She’s not. She’s got lots of flaws and has done things some (in the book) might object to. I say, so what. She’s interesting! She has a mind of her own and isn’t part of the upper crust. She can get away with things the finer ladies might not. I loved it. She doesn’t let people tell her what to do–for the most part–and is smart. I rooted for her from the start. Heck, I was rooting for her in the first book when she was a secondary character.

Then there’s Radley. I have to say is the best character. He takes doing things his way to a new level. He’s also very smart, but very devoted. This guy totally plays by his own rules. He’s a newly minted Duke, but don’t tell him that. He’s happy in his regular clothes and holey stockings–yes, its in there and hilarious. I could visualize him and wanted more of him. Heck, yeah, bring on the good guy!

This book is a tad high on the spice meter. There are some topics mentioned in passing that happen at the gaming hell that some readers might take objection to, but please don’t let that keep you from reading this books. It’s spicy and sweet and totally worth the read. I highly recommend it.

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

The Bride Says Maybe by Cathy Maxwell

March 17, 2014 By 1 Comment

BRIDE
The Bride Says Maybe by Cathy Maxwell
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (196 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Quince

What happens when a bride says maybe?

She’d once been the toast of London, but now scandal has brought her down. Still, pretty, petted Lady Tara Davidson can’t believe her new fate. She had wanted to marry for love . . . but her profligate father has promised her hand to none other than Breccan Campbell, the “Beast of Aberfeldy” and laird of the valley’s most despised clan! Well, Tara may have to marry him, but Breccan can’t make her love him—can he?
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What happens when the groom insists?

Breccan Campbell is nobody’s fool. He knows that Tara is trouble. Yet he’s determined to reform the Campbell name even if it means forging an alliance with the arrogant beauty. There’s no doubt that Tara is a challenge, and Breccan loves nothing more. For he’s vowed to thoroughly seduce Tara—and make her his in more than name alone.

The Bride Says Maybe is the second book in the Cathy Maxwell’s series The Brides of Wishmore. After reading the first in the series (The Bride says No), I was really eager to read its sequel because I wanted to know Lady Tara’s story. Lady Tara is a character I didn’t like much in The Bride Says No. I found her spoiled, insensible, self-centered and shallow but somehow by the end of the first book I realized that there might be more to her than met the eye. I was not wrong.

The Bride Says Maybe is a character driven romance novel in which the reader follows the development of the romance between Lady Tara and Breccan Campbell, two people who both have their issues. They were total strangers who decided to get married, each for their own special reasons. As the story progressed and Tara and Breccan gradually learned about one another, they fell in love. Love between Tara and Breccan sprung from mutual respect and climaxed in one beautiful, sensual lovemaking scene. The sexual tension between characters is so magnificently built up through the story and because of that it was pure enjoyment to read. Both characters are complex and lovable at the same time, and I became very fond of them by the end of the story. Besides the main characters, I also enjoyed very much the stories that Breccan told Tara; the stories were based on Scottish legends and they spoke about love between a man and woman. Besides that, they helped bring a mystical atmosphere and extra spice to the story.

Although The Bride Says Maybe can be read as a standalone I highly recommend to readers that they read the first book in the series before this one so they can fully understand what is going on regarding the subplot of this story.

The Bride Says Maybe was a sequel worth waiting for. I enjoyed every page of this story, and it brought up so many emotions in me. I highly recommend it to all romance novel readers, regardless of their favorite sub-genre. I think it is needless to say that I cannot wait for the next installment in this series.

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

Lost in Transplantation: Memoir of an Unconventional Organ Donor by Eldonna Edwards

March 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment

LOST
Lost in Transplantation: Memoir of an Unconventional Organ Donor by Eldonna Edwards
Publisher: Whole Heart Publications
Genre: Autobiography, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (249 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One Gently Used Kidney, Free to a Good Home.

When 48 year-old single mother, massage therapist and returning student Ellie meets a young woman with kidney disease, she decides to make it her mission to save the girl. Unfortunately, outdated rules made it difficult for altruistic donors, and besides, the woman doesn’t want a savior. Does this stop Ellie from her quest to “be the change” one seeks in the world? Not a chance.
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Told with humor and self-reflection, this inspirational memoir of courage and compassion is interwoven with anecdotal stories that help the reader identify what kind of person commits the selfless act of organ donation. Ellie,a self-described devout agnostic, is kind but often irreverent. She is generous, but she is no saint. Ultimately, becoming a kidney donor has given her a renewed sense of purpose and fulfillment. Lost in Transplantation asserts that we are all capable of altering a human being’s life for the better, including our own.

How much would you risk to save the life of someone you’ve never met? It’s easy to talk about altruism as an abstract term, but it’s much more difficult to live in out in such a personal manner.

Ms. Edwards decision fascinates me, but it is her honest, wry sense of humour that made this story so enjoyable for this reader. She has the uncanny ability to find the light side of even the most serious topics. Nowhere is this more evident than in the beginning of her journey when she realizes that a classmate has kidney disease. Her spontaneous offer to give her classmate one of her kidneys gave me an early glimpse into the author’s character as well as provided some of the funniest moments in this tale.

As interesting as it was to read about everything else that was going on in the author’s life while she was in the process of donating her kidney, all of these subplots bog down the gist of her memoir. This is especially true when it came to all of the information I learned about her childhood and young adulthood. The tales were interesting, but some of them were off-topic for this particular book.

With that being said, Ms. Edwards descriptions of the donation and recovery processes are absolutely fascinating. By far my favorite sections focused on all of physical and mental health tests one must pass in order to be considered as a candidate. I wish more time had been spent discussing this part of the donation process because, at least for me, the risks weigh heavily on my mind when I think about the possibility of being a live donor. While the vast majority of donors recover without any complications, there is always a chance of developing an infection or having a bad reaction to the anesthesia with any surgical procedure.

Lost in Transplantation: Memoir of an Unconventional Organ Donor is a thought-provoking look at one woman’s unorthodox decision to save a stranger’s life. I’d recommend it to anyone who has even the slightest whiff of curiosity about this subject.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Snug Fit by Anna Bayes

March 17, 2014 By 2 Comments

FIT
Snug Fit by Anna Bayes
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (14 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis
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Friday night, 7:52 pm. Kate’s dress feels too tight, the restaurant seems too fancy, and her date is running late. She has decided that tonight is a bad idea after all, until a stranger two seats away begins talking to her.

Writing a good story in fourteen pages isn’t always an easy task but I think Ms. Bayes did just that in this sexy read. It’s a fun tale of a woman who goes looking for one thing and then ends up with a pleasant surprise. The two main characters are likeable and draw you in as soon as they meet.

The dialogue moves this plot nicely and the build up to the sex is slow and well-paced. Another thing I enjoyed with this story, which is sometimes the case with shorter reads, is nothing seemed contrived. The meeting of these two people seemed believable and not just set up to the make the story work.

I liked the ending in that there was the possibility of a happy ending and more encounters for this two. I’ll definitely be checking out more books by this author.

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

Sweeter than This by Samara King

March 17, 2014 By 1 Comment

THIS
Sweeter than This by Samara King
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (128 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

With her best friend murdered, the man believed to be partly responsible under the nose of her gun and a stranger looming in the shadows out for blood, Officer Elle Taylor is running out of time and people to trust. Will Elle risk crossing the line between attraction and revenge to take help from an unexpected source, before the murderer strikes again and leaves her life in flames?

Some of them are: Customized healing diet Drinking healing mineral water acquisition de viagra http://cute-n-tiny.com/cute-animals/bun-in-a-teacup/ may naturally neutralize the whole body system and a man gets energy and strength to perform magnificently during love making. So buying apartments in kharadi tablet viagra is very worthy one. A rapid increase in body strength and an even increase in body weight occur. viagra professional for sale get more If men consume a higher dose of Kamagra, then it can have repercussions on health. viagra on line discover this web-site Durant Kane is no stranger to trouble, especially the kind that comes with a gun trained on his face and an angry woman attached. But Elle’s something different, something unexpected and sweeter. He never could have imagined coming to feel so deeply about her, even if his own disastrous path in relationships hadn’t left him so wary. But he’ll have to take the risk if he doesn’t want to lose the woman he’s come to realize he can’t even think of living without.

Secrets, secrets and more secrets. Sweeter Than This has its share of secrets and the author did a fantastic job of keeping me in suspense. Officer Elisha ‘Elle’ Taylor has just found out who her biological father is and she isn’t too happy about it. As the saying goes ‘it’s a small world’ because the bad boy Elle slept with a year ago is in the same line of business as her biological father…murder, and drug smuggling. Word on the street is blonde hair, and blue eyed Durant Kane is the rightful successor next in line to take over Montgomery Kearns criminal empire. Elle is a cop, working to up hold the law and to find out her biological father and the man that she is drawn to is on the other side of the law, is a real battle for her.

Elle has been an officer of the law for seven years. Not only does she have a battle between her work life and her personal life, another secret has been revealed:  she has a sister. This unknown sister is coming with vengeance. As Elle will soon find out, her biological father’s death wasn’t from natural causes. I was surprised at the action and the vivid description the author gave. The action plays out like a movie. The suspense kept me reading as the mystery sister makes her memorable appearance.

I enjoyed reading Sweeter Than This. The plot is highly entertaining, with a mixture of suspense, romance and action. The story described just enough to give complete visual scenes of the action and wasn’t wordy. I enjoyed the passion and emotions of the characters. The author did a good job of making the characters real and like able. Though the main character Elle tries to fight the attraction and pull that she felt for Durant, the author describe it so that I felt compassion and actually wanted things to work out in her best interest. Both Elle and Durant had prior relationships that ended under sad circumstances, reasons they couldn’t control. Their past hurt, and sadness makes the intensity between the two connecting them deeper.

I would highly recommend Sweeter Than This. It’s a novel that will give you juicy bedroom scenes, along with fast paced romantic suspense.

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

Molly Harper by Emelle Gamble

March 14, 2014 By 8 Comments

0Cover_Molly Haper
Molly Harper by Emelle Gamble
Publisher: Posh Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (293 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Rose

Movie star Molly Harper has it all, beauty, success in her field, and a loving family and marriage to actor Ben Delmonico.Norma Wintz, Molly’s mother, has it all, a lovely life style and two children who adore her, and a respite from the battle against cancer she’s been fighting. Anne Sullivan, at age fifty, is optimistic that her move to sunny Santa Barbara, California, will allow her to be closer to her youngest son and his family, and help her start her life anew after the death of her beloved husband.

But all three of these women, despite their considerable blessings, are plunged into turmoil when the most intimate of secrets that ties their lives together is revealed. At this same time, Molly Harper is confronted with the news that her marriage to actor Ben Delmonico is over. As she navigates this heartbreak and tries to keep the personal details of the drama off the front pages of the newspapers, Molly must also find a way to once and forever negotiate a way forward with her ex- lover and best friend, the volatile and compelling Cruz Morales.

How each of these characters handles the resulting upheaval in their own life, and in their relationships with one another, forms the compelling story of family, secrets and trust in the romantic women’s fiction novel, Molly Harper.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be my last! Ms. Gamble does a wonderful job of drawing these characters and making them just leap off the page.
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The story starts with Anne waiting in a restaurant to meet with the woman who adopted the child Anne gave up at birth–Anne has discovered some information that she feels the adoptive family needs to know. And, that would have been the end of that except for the fact that Norma passes out and Anne’s training as a nurse brings her into the very home of her biological daughter.

Molly is going through crises of her own–her marriage is breaking up, her best friend seems to be on a self-destruct path, and her mom is very ill.

Ms. Gamble puts us slap-dab in the middle of this and magic happens. I found myself caring for the characters and wanting the best for them. At times I found myself smiling over a bit of very well-done “product placement”—the books/movies talked about are Ms. Gamble’s own. Clever bits, those!!

The one character I had trouble liking 100% was Cruz Morales. And, I’m not sure how much of it was the way the character was drawn or because I kept picturing Cruz Castillo from the old soap opera Santa Barbara and having issues reconciling this character’s behavior with that character. I had trouble seeing what Molly saw in him. Perhaps if I had read the novella that was a prequel to this, I would have understood that better. By the end of the book, however, he had grown on me and I was rooting for him and Molly.

I will definitely be searching out the rest of Ms. Gamble’s works.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Camelot & Vine by Petrea Burchard

March 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment

VINE
Camelot & Vine by Petrea Burchard
Publisher: Boz Books (self-published)
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (185 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Hollyhock

Telling lies is second nature to Casey Clemens, whether she’s talking to strangers on national television or to her mother on the phone. Casey’s got a cushy Hollywood condo, an efficient cleaning lady and a rich boyfriend. (Never mind that he’s married.) When Casey feels dissatisfied she fantasizes: about winning an Oscar, about finding real love or about her childhood hero, King Arthur.

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Her career and personal life in a tailspin, actress Casey Clemens finds herself hurled back into King Arthur’s time. Mistaken for a wizard, surrounded by enemies, caught up in a love triangle, and secretly attracted to the king, she’ll need more than 1.21 gigawatts to get herself back to the future.

Casey is a complicated character who is so used to pretending in her tinsel-town life, that it seems natural to her to continue pretending once she enters a reality straight out of her father’s storybooks. Because of her fantastic arrival in the past—she’s struck by a car and sent through a gap in time, landing on Arthur himself—the king assumes she is a wizard. Afraid for her life in this rugged world, Casey plays along. Eventually, though, she comes to understand that her actions have consequences for the real—not storybook—people she comes to care for.

Along with the rich level of history, I appreciate that this story has a warts-and-all approach to the past. Casey has to figure out how to survive in a reality without toothbrushes, regular bathing, or her migraine medicine. It’s a difficult transition, but I like how she learns to deal with it and how it eventually seems like home to her. I also like how we find out more about Casey’s childhood as the drama around her—especially Guinevere’s infidelity—reminds her of, and helps her come to terms with, events in her own life.

Along with the drama surrounding her, there are some genuinely funny moments in the story. I especially enjoyed the opening sequence when we see what Hollywood and her stalled acting career are like for Casey. I also appreciate that unlike other time travel novels I’ve read, Casey is only too ready to tell people she’s from the future—and they usually believe her. In fact, Arthur welcomes her because she is from the future. Eventually, the events in Arthur’s time lead Casey to reevaluate her own life. She’s a different person at the end than she was in the beginning, and I don’t ask more from a story than that.

Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit and especially enjoyed how the author ties things up at the end. This novel is based on the rougher, earlier versions of the Arthurian legends, rather than the more romanticized ones, and uses Welsh names, such as Cadebir rather than Camelot and Myrddin rather than Merlin. Although not technically a romance, I think Camelot & Vine will appeal to fans of historical romance and especially fans of the Arthurian legends.

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

What’s It to You? by Judy Irwin

March 14, 2014 By 6 Comments

3_7 Cover_Whats It To You
What’s It To You? by Judy Irwin
Genre: Middle Grade
Length: Full length (104 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Rose

What if nothing was the worst thing you could do?

For 13-year old Tim Stockdale, it’s all about keeping his head down and fitting in with the friends he’s managed to make at his new school. His older brother, Eli, is the opposite. He’s trying to set up a Gay-Straight Alliance at his high school, where he’s a junior. Even though the school board is against it, Eli’s not afraid of what the fallout might be.

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Ms. Irwin has brought us a story about a young teen trying to find his way in a new school–walking that fine line between being part of the crowd or standing up for what he knows is right.

Tim’s family has moved to another part of town–putting Tim in a different school. His older brother, Eli, is able to remain at the high school, where he is trying to set up a Gay-Straight Alliance.

The kids at the new school aren’t very friendly and Tim finds himself reaching out to the only people who are nice to him–a self-professed “anger guy” and his buddies. Unfortunately, they not only have anger issues, they are bullies. While Tim doesn’t join in the bullying; he just stands there and does nothing. He feels badly about it, but doesn’t want to be alone.

And therein lies the essence of what this book is about … for kids, when does doing nothing become just as bad as the bullying itself? Tim has some tough choices to make and Judy Irwin captures those choices and this age group very well. I could identify with Tim being in a new place and trying to fit in. Especially as a kid, this is so hard.

It was quick, easy read– I read it in one night–and it was interesting to see not only the relationships with the kids at the middle school, but also the interactions between Eli and Tim as well as between the boys and their parents. Ms. Irwin has a good handle on this age group and it certainly makes her books more real and readable.

There are more books in this series–I’m looking forward to reading the others.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

It Takes a Scandal by Caroline Linden

March 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment

SCANDAL
It Takes a Scandal by Caroline Linden
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (384 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Bluet

Sometimes It Takes a Scandal…

Abigail Weston has everything: beauty, wit, and one of the largest dowries in England. Her parents hope she’ll wed an earl. Abigail hopes for a man who wants her desperately and passionately. But the money seems to blind every man she meets—except one.
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Sebastian Vane has nothing. He came home from war with a shattered leg to find his father mad and his inheritance gone. He’s not a fit suitor for anyone, let alone an heiress. But Abigail lights up his world like a comet, bright and beautiful and able to see him instead of his ruined reputation. And it might end happily ever after…

To Reveal Your Heart’s Desire

…Until Benedict Lennox begins courting Abigail. Ben is everything Sebastian isn’t—wealthy, charming, heir to an earl. Sebastian won’t give up the only girl he’s ever loved without a fight, but Abigail must choose between the penniless gentleman who moves her heart, and the suitor who is everything her parents want.

I do love a story about a wounded warrior, and Sebastian Vane definitely fits the bill. He’s now living a quiet life, doing the best he can with his limited resources. He accidentally encounters Abigail Weston, who is the kind of woman he once might have hoped to marry. He is definitely intrigued and enchanted by her, but he turns down her overture to further their acquaintance, feeling that it can go nowhere.

As they meet again, Abigail does her best to change Sebastian’s mind, and in turn, his resistance is melting away. I loved the way this story evolved, and I loved Sebastian and Abigail. They both had strong character – he chose to live a quiet and dignified life, and did not become surly, and she wasn’t arrogant or haughty though she was beautiful and an heiress. They talk to each other, so they don’t have to deal with secrets or big misunderstandings. Once they commit to each other, their problems are from outside events, they’re not of their own making. Of course, there are villains – one in particular caused such pain and humiliation for Sebastian, that I freely admit I would have rejoiced to see him dead.

I enjoy Caroline Linden’s books, and this one is no exception. Although there was a mystery here, I felt that the focus was on Sebastian and Abigail, and their wonderful, sexy romance. I recommend this book and am looking forward to the next in the series.

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