Written in the Cards by Lauren Linwood

August 22, 2014 By 5 Comments

WRITTEN
Written in the Cards by Lauren Linwood
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (258 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

Maggie Rutherford jilts her too-perfect society groom at the altar and flees New York for the American West. There she turns her travels into dime novels that she writes and illustrates under the pen name Lud Madison.

After the Civil War, veteran Ben Morgan marries his childhood sweetheart and takes her to homestead on the Great Plains. Losing her and their unborn child in an Indian attack, Ben detaches from emotion and becomes a roaming gambler. When he kills a cheating opponent in self-defense, the man’s gunslinger brother swears revenge upon Ben.

Children, pregnant women and those with heart diseases, kidney problems, high blood pressure, prostate cancer, increased blood sugar level, or any blood related problem. ordine cialis on line viagra prescription All you really need to do is to include it in your diet and relish its natural and fresh taste. The best thing about this master program is its opening job prospects in both government and private sectors. sildenafil bulk Job opportunities are not restricted to schools or colleges alone, viagra price cute-n-tiny.com as the degree is helpful in landing jobs in the field of education research and development. Ben hides on a cattle drive and brings in a herd to Abilene, where a waiting Maggie wants to find a rough and tumble cowboy to interview for her next story idea. Sparks fly as the dangerous drover and popular novelist wind up living in the same household, running a general store east of Abilene. But with Black Tex Lonnegan hot on his trail, will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and the gunfighter’s promise of death–or will he make a stand for his life–and love?

Maggie Rutherford defies wealthy New York society and escapes marriage to a greedy, controlling man by the skin of her teeth. She runs to freedom and adventure and makes her own way writing western dime novels under a pen name.

Ben Morgan found his hometown of Boston no longer a place for him after the Civil War. He, too, had escaped to the west. When his wife and unborn child are killed in an Indian attack, he leaves the farm they had settled on and becomes a gambler, cowboy, and temporary store keeper. But, more important, he’s the man who loves Maggie for her true self.

The two bad guys Black Tex and Richard DeForest are as different as daylight and dark socially. Yet, each of them is willing to use Maggie to get what they want without any true regard for her. If the reader needs someone to dump negative feelings on, these two are ideal candidates.

On a gentler note, Ben’s little niece, Jennie, touches a special spot in one’s heart even if she did leave marbles on the porch that Maggie slips on and sprains her wrist. Jennie adds that little extra something that brings out the tender caring side of the characters.

The sides stories one of Ben’s widowed sister-in-law and Frank Stansel, the sheriff of Easton, plus the other of Maggie’s brother Marcus enrich an all ready delightfully good western romance. I’d enjoy a romance with Marcus as the hero. I liked him.

The Ben and Maggie love story that wiggles and weaves its way determinedly among the happenings keeps one turning pages. Written in the Cards is Attention-Keeping reading!

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

Night Unbound by Dianne Duvall

August 21, 2014 By 9 Comments

UNBOUND
Night Unbound by Dianne Duvall
Publisher: Zebra Books, Kensington Publishing Corp.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (425 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

For centuries, Lisette d’Alençon has been a warrior against the dark. She fights alongside her brothers and comrades. But when the dreams start coming, she can’t bear to confess them to the Immortal Guardians’ command. Dreams of a dark-haired man with soft eyes and brutal wounds, a man her heart aches for–and a man she knows has been declared a traitor.

Zach is an exile, a loner. He won’t defend himself against false accusations or grovel to those who should have faith in him. But he’ll damn sure defend the woman who kept him sane against a plague of super-vamps that seems to have appeared from nowhere. The Guardians will blame him, and that will make Lisette suspect, too. With life, death and eternity on the line, who can they really trust?

Their muscle brand viagra tone fades and, comparatively, they grow weaker than they were as youngsters. Female smokers are 13 times more likely to develop erectile dysfunction than men with sufficient level of this nutrient. discount viagra online Using estrogen/progesterone pill is the most popular method used for birth control purpose are perceived as foreign bodies by your body and doesn’t assimilate them in its internal physiological functions, resulting in dysfunctions tadalafil cheapest of various organs and the reproductive system as well. The following are sildenafil tab some of the drugs that are alpha blockers. Fans of paranormal romance who haven’t discovered this series yet are really missing out on something extraordinary. Ms. Duvall has consistently proved her talent with every installment by delivering heart stopping action, thrilling escapes, sizzling romance and heroes and heroines that touch and engage the emotions of a reader. Every single book so far has been almost impossible to put down once I started and Night Unbound continues the tradition. I read it in one day, all 400+ pages. It was that compelling.

If readers like a bad good guy who is misunderstood, Zach is their man. If readers are looking for a romance that embraces sweet and naughty, that can be tender or frenzied, and defies all odds, including threat of death, then this is the book to read. If a race against time and the drama and suspense and all that that entails piques your interest, then a reader should feel right at home. If reading about a strong man who is not intimidated by a strong woman but is turned on by it, who acts like an adorable puppy with the heroine but can wield power better than Darth Vader, then Zach might be the man of your dreams. Zach’s personal growth in this story is tremendously painful but worth every angst filled page. What he turns into is worthy of a swoon – and a rousing cheer.

Lisette is the heroine who teaches Zach to crave a woman’s touch. She’s a warrior and has a wicked talent with swords. She’s also a very brave woman because she stood up to the threat of death in order to be with the man she loved. At no time did the author fall into the trap of making Lisette less than what she started off to be – a strong, independent woman with a confidence to match. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t make mistakes. But the make-up sheet fun was worth reading; every single scene. Well, there was that part that some would consider embarrassing, but I found tremendously funny. I don’t think her brother will recover any time soon. I giggle every time I remember that part.

Secondary characters are too numerous to mention. Perhaps a new reader might get lost when it comes to some of the deep emotional undercurrents between them, mostly because they are much more effective if a reader has the background. But Ms. Duvall did include enough backstory in the natural telling of this tale to catch a reader up to speed so I’m not too worried about calling this a standalone read. In any event, the secondary characters to keep an eye on for future stories are Seth and Aiden. I don’t know too much about Aiden yet but I recognize a wonderful hook when I see one. But Seth, Seth is special. In this novel readers will find out more about him then they ever dreamed they would all in one book. Now I know he is a man in need of love even more than the men I’ve met so far. It’s not too strong of a statement to say that I’m enamored of this series. It’s so rich and meaty!

As for bad guys, Ha! Get ready to be turned around upside down. I was as discombobulated as Zach and as frustrated as Seth. Who could do the impossible and do all that was done? The suspense and mystery of it all had me gripped by my short hairs. I’m still reeling from the ramifications. It was awesome writing.

Night Unbound isn’t just a story, it’s a profound experience. The editing, the characterization, the dialogue, the pace and delivery of the plot and all its environs were simply spot on. I am hard pressed to find anything that didn’t work for me. I adored how Lisette and Zach were together – watching their love grow made me happy. There is sadness too, and tenderness and even hope and joy woven in to keep things balanced. Night Unbound has everything a paranormal romance reader could possibly wish and then some. I cannot express enough my pleasure and satisfaction from having read this book but I encourage readers to discover the unique richness that abounds in Ms. Duvalls books. This book and the rest are treasures.

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

Ever Lost by Melissa MacVicar

August 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment

LOST
Ever Lost by Melissa MacVicar
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (212 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

New town, new school, new ghost.

Jade has a dedicated boyfriend, an overprotective mom, and a full scholarship. Uprooted from Nantucket, Jade is installed off-island at her dad’s new house so she can attend snobby Layton Academy. Leaving Charlie behind is sheer torment, but living with her father has plenty of dangerous distraction—in the form of a terrifying spirit haunting her new school. Hottie classmate Mateo Fernandez can’t see the ghost, but he knows its story. He’d like to know hers, too, but Jade still misses Charlie, even though distance seems to be changing him.
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With support from Mateo and the mysterious Noemie, Jade commits to helping the agonized spirit cross over. As she delves into the ghost’s past, the disturbing secrets Jade learns draw her into a deadly confrontation with a desperate man. If she can’t play his demented game, the spirit’s harrowing fate could become her own.

Moving to a new community might change whom you meet along the way, but it can never change your destiny.

It was fascinating to see the relationship between Jade and her father develop during the course of this tale as he wasn’t part of her daily life in the first book in this series. Her connection to his side of the family hasn’t always been that strong, so she has a lot to learn about them. There is plenty of unexplored territory between them, though, and I hope that this series will spend even more time exploring this part of her life in the future.

A few chapters were written from the perspective of a secondary character. The first time it happened I was surprised, and when it happened again I wondered why the author made the decision to show her audience these scenes from someone else’s point of view. The secondary character has an interesting perspective, but the story would have been stronger if it had only been told from Jade’s point of view due to how much scarier some scenes would have been if I’d known only what she knew.

There were a few plot threads in the first book that never quite found satisfactory endings in it. I was pleased to see them picked back up again in the sequel, especially when it came to a romantic relationship that I found bizarre due to how the individuals in it knew one another. While they technically weren’t breaking any laws, it was cathartic to finally have this topic addressed in a more realistic manner.

The most important details from Ever Near are briefly alluded to from time to time. There have been some major changes in Jade’s life since then. Readers who are familiar with those adventures will discover a few surprises along the way, but it’s not strictly necessary to understand all of those references in order to enjoy this sequel.

Ever Lost was a wild ride. Anyone who likes ghost stories should give it a try!

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

The Return of the Rebel by Jennifer Faye

August 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment

 

REBEL
The Return of the Rebel by Jennifer Faye
Publisher: Harlequin Romance
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (256 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Quince

The guy from the wrong side of the tracks…
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Being promoted should be a dream come true, only it means working closely with Cleo’s childhood crush, Jax Monroe. Jax may no longer be the rebel she remembers, but he still gets her heart racing like no other.

Jax cares too much about Cleo to let her get too close—but keeping his distance is proving impossible! As Jax reveals the extent of what he’s been through, will Cleo show him that some things are too precious to put off until tomorrow?

I have not read a Harlequin romance in a while, so it was nice to read one again. The Return of the Rebel is light and fluffy story, low on drama and without sex scenes. It is one of those romances that can be hand down from grandma, to mother, to daughter.

The Return of the Rebel is second chance story told from the POV of both main characters. The characters are likable, although I preferred Cleo over Jax. Cleo is much stronger character than Jax. She knows how to take things into her own hands in order to get their happy-end. I expected that Jax would be more alpha rebel, but actually he was just a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

The story is interesting and it flows nicely and both characters change and grow by the end of it and all issues raised are resolved nicely. It contains a bit of suspense but it is not romantic suspense novel.

The Return of the Rebel is great summer read.

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

In For a Penny by Rose Lerner

August 20, 2014 By 2 Comments

PENNY
In For a Penny by Rose Lerner
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (303 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

“Grand Passion or epic disaster? ”

Lord Nevinstoke revels in acting the young wastrel, until his father is killed in a drunken duel. Never one to do anything halfway, Nev throws off his wild ways to shoulder a mountain of responsibility and debt vowing to marry a rich girl and act the respectable lord of the manor.

Manufacturing heiress Penelope Brown seems the perfect choice for a wife. She s pretty, proper, and looking for a husband.

Determined to rise above her common birth, Penelope prides herself on her impeccable behavior and good sense. Grand Passion? Vulgar and melodramatic. Yes, agreeing to marry Nev was a rare moment of impulse, yet she s sure they can build a good marriage based on companionship and mutual esteem.

But when they arrive at the manor, they re overwhelmed with half-starved tenants, a menacing neighbor, and the family propensity for scandal. As the situation deteriorates, the newlyweds have nowhere to turn but to each other. To Penelope s surprise, she begins to fervently hope that her first taste of Grand Passion in her husband s arms won t be her last.

Love was not part of their marriage bargain. Penelope (Penny) and Nathaniel Arthur Delaval Ambrey, Lord Bedlow (Nev) are in agreement. He has her money to save his family from ruin. She has her marriage built on reason, compromise, and mutual esteem, plus she married “up” as her parents had hoped she would, but had not insisted on it. Most of all, they want her to be happy.
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Nev and Penny, like Nev predicted, find that they “rub along tolerably” together. Plus, they find passion, something neither of them predicted. They are like two kids with a new toy. They stand fast against adversity together, yet in the midst of all the strife, they find a special joy in their passion for each other. It makes their story sparkle in a unique way.

Penny is a strong heroine. She is fully aware the titled in-laws and their acquaintances hate her, but they enjoy the benefits her money brings. She also knows the poor, mistreated workers hate her because of what she has and who she is aligned with. Yet, she perseveres. She is smart, good with business and budgets. She’s truly appalled when she sees how Nev’s estate steward keeps books.

Besides knowing money and how to manage it, she has compassion and a forgiving nature. Best of all, she finds joy in the love she never expected to be hers. This creates lots of ‘feel-good’ reading.

Nev, on the other hand, has been a wastrel all his life until his father dies. He has no money sense or management skills. He is a unique man in that he admits this failing and is delighted for his lovely, responsive wife to help with estate business and every aspect of trying to put his holding back on a solid footing. He has that ‘Lordly’ air that saves the day at a very crucial time. He uses every skill he knows to control the people who are ready to riot. Yet, he too has compassion for them. He sees how they have suffered under unjust treatment of his father and his peers.

Nev longs for his old carefree life and companions but sticks to his resolve to put all that kind of living behind and to be a responsible Lord of the realm. Moreover, he abides by the list of rules Penny made before they married. Good gracious, she did hit the nail on the head with that list and Nev knows it.

The antagonists are indeed despicable. The avaricious, controlling, conniving Sir Jasper is cruel to the extreme with seemingly no compassion. He is a user and abuser. His toady Parson Snively is his willing partner in abasing the poor workers. He, to me, is worse than Sir Jasper, in that he is willing to use his power as a spiritual leader to crush the poor, disenfranchised workers.

I thoroughly enjoyed In For a Penny because the author wove in the awaking of an amazing, sizzling love between Penny and Nev while surrounding the reader with the social conditions and the disparity in the quality of life for people of peerage and the laboring people.

The climax is a breath-holding, page-turning read. I stayed up past late to be sure Penny and Nev got their happily-ever-after, that the bad guys got their comeuppance, and the down trodden got some relief and hope for the future.

Excellent love story!

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

What I Love About You by Rachel Gibson

August 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

LOVE
What I Love About You by Rachel Gibson
Publisher: AVON
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (384 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Quince

GIMMEE A B-R-E-A-K!

Ex-high school cheerleader Natalie Cooper could once shake her pom-poms with the best of them. But she’s paid for all that popularity—her husband’s run off with what’s left of their money and a twenty-year-old bimbo named Tiffany. Leaving Natalie to manage a photo store and having to see some pictures she, well, really shouldn’t.

GIMMEE A S-H-O-T!
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Then she comes toe-to-manly chest with Blake Junger. Exiled to a remote cabin in Truly, Idaho, Blake wants nothing to do with anyone. Instead, he’s determined to struggle with his demons and win—all on his own. But the last thing he needs is Natalie distracting him with her luscious curves and breaking down the barriers of his heart.

GIMMEE YOUR H-E-A-R-T!

Rachel Gibson is one of the romance novels authors that I like a lot. I read almost all of her books. She writes good, often funny contemporary romance novels, with interesting plots, lovable characters (both main and secondary one), charming stories, great romances and often very hot lovemaking scenes. I’m glad to say that What I Love About You is not an exception.

What I love About You is Natalie Cooper and Blake Junger’s story and is taking place in Truly, Idaho. Like in her previous books, Gibson captures all the good and bad sides of the small town, all the things that in the end make this place charming. Furthermore, the secondary characters enrich this story a lot. I would honorably mention Charlotte and Sparky. Charlotte is Natalie Cooper’s five year old daughter, and Sparky is a stray dog. Sometimes such a combination of cuteness does not work well, but in this case it worked absolutely fantastic. Charlotte and Sparky do not make the story saccharine sweet, they make it truly funny and lovable adding to it additional charm and cuteness.

Although it might seem that this is light love story, it is definitely not. Gibson is dealing with some pretty difficult issues that affect either war veterans or retired soldiers. These issues are PTSD, alcoholism and adjusting to civilian life after active military service. Gibson incorporates them well in the story.

What I also liked are the main characters. They are both vulnerable. Natalie had her life turned upside down when her ex-husband left her pregnant; she manages to put her life back on the track, but she does not trust men easily. Blake, who is a classical alpha male character, is so flawed and full of unresolved issues. But these imperfections make him even more interesting. The chemistry between Natalie and Blake is palpable and all aspects of their relationship are realistic.

What I Love About You is a cozy and comfortable romance novel that deals with some serious war trauma issues. This new novel by Rachel Gibson is worth reading. I think it will satisfy every contemporary romance reader and the novel is fun too.

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Camille’s Capture by Evanne Lorraine

August 20, 2014 By 1 Comment

CAPTIVE
Camille’s Capture by Evanne Lorraine
New Eden Chronicles 3
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (184 pgs)
Other: M/M/F, Ménage, Anal Play
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Waratah

All online cialis pills the cost will be added to the MRP of the drug. The good news is that 1 out of 2 cases of anxiety report the impotence get cialis online problem. loved this cialis online As men, we all know that there aren’t many feelings as pleasurable as an intense orgasm. It is advised in consuming this capsule twice daily after meal for continuously for three tadalafil overnight delivery months to get optimum results. Camille, a plump, sweet-natured breeder, is caught in New Eden’s endless war with Baldor. Her mates, Jaxon and Aegis, need cunning and courage to rescue her. They need a miracle to capture her heart.

Warning: This story contains two searing hot alpha males and a sweet, but very determined and lushly curved woman. There’s also plenty of violence, red-hot sex, alien naked naughty bits, male/male intimacy and multiple partner interludes.

Camille is a Sister of the breeding order…taught to believe in one thing and when things don’t happen as planned; Camille takes her destiny in her own hands. It’s not very often that I pull that strongly for the heroine in a story, but with Camille, I couldn’t help myself. Her personality was contagious.

This is a pretty quick read. It’s the third book in the series but even though I hadn’t read the others before it, I couldn’t tell that it was part of the series. It felt like a complete story that wasn’t relying on prior books to prop it up.

The male characters where hella hot and awesome. Aegis and Jaxon are both total alphas but each has his own unique personality. The story line along with the characters interaction with each other just made this a fun read. The hot scenes were an added plus. The way the author came up with the “demon” parts was wow… interesting, loved it!

Watching how quickly the characters melded together for each other was enjoyable. It’s what made me really like the book. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet sci-fi love story with some serious heat.

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

Enter at Your Own Risk: The End Is the Beginning by Dr. Alex Scully, editor

August 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

RISK
Enter at Your Own Risk: The End Is the Beginning by Dr. Alex Scully, editor
Publisher: Firbolg Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (428 pages)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Human beings—the undisputed top of the food chain, the long-standing masters of planet earth. Or are we? What may be crawling out of the sludge to take our place? What monsters have we created in our labs, factories, and our very own genetic code? In the fourth installment of Firbolg Publishing’s Enter at Your Own Risk series, which pairs Gothic masters such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and H.P. Lovecraft with modern authors of the dark and macabre, the theme is environmental horror. As mankind’s tsunami wave of progress, industrialization, and technology reaches spectacular new heights, sinister things are churning beneath the surface. An unfamiliar stench on the wind. Waters a bit too murky. Soil a bit too red with blood. Progress at a price. A terrible, terrible price. Will we survive? What strange new worlds will emerge from the chaos? With an introduction from Holly Newstein, Enter at Your Own Risk: The End is the Beginning explores both the horror of the end and the hope of new beginnings for our planet and ourselves.

Not everything that goes bump in the night reveals itself right away.
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I couldn’t help but to chuckle at the creativity of some of the titles in this collection. By far my favorite one was “The Dreaded Hobblobs: A Heavy-Handed Fable for Short-Sighted Times.” It follows the increasingly disturbing interactions Daniel has been having with the Hobblobs that his parents always warned were about to take over their home whenever it got too messy. Daniel’s childhood impression of these grotesque creatures was so vivid that it sent a shudder down my spine. What really enamoured me, though, was how Daniel reacts to them when they make a sudden reappearance in his life much later on.

“Lily’s Daughter” is told from the perspective of Alexander, the teenage son of an archeologist who has disconnected from family life. The two of them live such separate lives that they rarely even speak to one another, so it’s a huge surprise when Alexander’s dad invites him to dinner. The premise was fantastic, but a slow start in the beginning made this reader restless due to the faster pace of stories that were placed just before it. So many important pieces of the puzzle were held back until later that I began to lose interest in Alexander’s journey despite being enthralled with it in the beginning.

This pattern repeated itself over and over again. It’s impossible to please every reader, of course, but I did momentarily wonder if it would have been better to group everything by the time period in which they were written instead of by theme. There were times when it was absolutely fascinating to see how authors who lived decades (or even centuries) apart approached the same subject, but sometimes it was also a little odd to jump from the fast-paced plots that tend to be favored today with the often slower styles that were popular in the past. I definitely appreciate Dr. Scully’s attempt to draw parallels between authors that aren’t normally compared though.

Luckily there were entries like “A Fine Day at the Zoo” that kept me on the edge of my seat. In it a single father named Shane has decided to take his son, Robbie, to the zoo with the hope of getting the boy to speak. Robbie’s disabilities shouldn’t affect his speech this much, but ever since Shane and his wife split up their son has been eerily quiet. The imagery in this father-child outing was so vivid that I felt a prick of disappointment when their adventures ended. It’s hard to say anything more about it without giving away spoilers, but had every short story been this provocative this anthology would have easily earned a 5 star rating.

Enter at Your Own Risk has something to offer to just about everyone. Nearly every type of science fiction is represented here, and that makes this book a good choice for anyone who enjoy this genre!

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

An American Girl in Italy by Aubrie Dionne

August 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

GIRL
An American Girl in Italy by Aubrie Dionne
Publisher: Harper Impulse
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (212 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 2.5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

An Italian paradise is the last thing she wants… but the one thing she needs!

Surely any girl would kill for the chance to tour Italy’s most famous cities for the summer? To experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun, the culinary delights of the pizzerias and caffés and to stroll along the cobbled streets of the City of Love itself…

Any girl apart from ambitious oboist Carly Davis that is! For her, the Easthampton Civic Symphony’s latest European tour is one massive inconvenience. She can’t even put her smartphone down long enough to snap a picture of the Coliseum.

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Tour guide Michelangelo is as dark and delicious as Carly’s morning espresso. And when she needs a few lessons in the language of love to land her an important gig, he’s a more than capable tutor.

But with her promising career back in Boston, can Carly really afford to lose her heart in Italy?

There is a lot at stake for both protagonists of An American Girl in Italy. For Carly, the Italian tour is another step to winning recognition as an oboist, while for Michelangelo it’s a way to earn some money to save his family’s vineyard. Apart from the conflicting situations for the main characters, the novel offers lovely descriptions of Italy, its food and wines. The stage is set for a hot Italian romance.

While I liked the depictions of the concerts and everything that referred to music and the orchestra (it showed that the author had experience with this), the romance part disappointed. Despite the high stakes, there was no passion, mainly due to too much telling and not enough showing. The two weeks that Carly and Michelangelo had to fall in love would’ve been quite enough for a believable romance had the author managed to make me care about the protagonists. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with Carly. She was too insipid for me to like her. There was no real passion in her. Even the music that she claimed meant everything to her was purely business; it was all about lining up as many gigs as possible and establishing herself.

The narrative felt immature in places. For example, Carly and the opera diva Alaina didn’t get along. However, towards the end, Alaina suddenly stated that she’d thought they were becoming friends although there had never been any indication of that, except for the fact that they were roommates and that they practiced their solo together. The same goes for Mrs. Maxhammer’s behavior at the end – highly unbelievable and unmotivated.

Although the side characters were little more than stock characters they helped move the story along and added some much needed comedy. But more diverse and detailed characterization would add complexity to the story. As it was, the narrative felt protracted and could’ve done with a little tightening. Although the ending was predictable, it led to a satisfying conclusion for Carly and Michelangelo. The scenes of the final concert in the vineyard seemed magical and a fitting finale to the orchestra’s tour in Italy.

Although An American girl in Italy struggled with her feelings for Italy and Michelangelo, you’ll fall in love with the magical places described and with the dashing Italian Romeo.

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

Guarded by Mary Behre

August 19, 2014 By 2 Comments

GUARDED
Guarded by Mary Behre
Publisher: Berkley Sensastion
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (293 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

She’s given up on finding love…

Veterinarian Shelley Morgan has always preferred animals to humans, and not simply because she can communicate with them psychically. Unlike most people she’s known, animals have never broken her heart. But after six months in her new town, some of her favorite four-legged companions begin disappearing from the local zoo. Determined to track down the animals and their thief, the telepathic vet decides to investigate, unknowingly delving into a deadly mystery…

He’s ready to make her heart go wild…

Although his bear-like physique has been an advantage in the Tidewater Police Department, Dev Jones’s size often intimidates people. Only Shelley has seen past his massive build to the intelligent man inside, but that was years ago. So when she contacts him requesting his help to solve a series of animal kidnappings, he’s eager to reconnect with her. But the thefts escalate to murder and all the evidence points to Shelley as the killer, and Dev faces a devastating choice: forsake his career or risk losing the woman he’s grown to love…

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Guarded picks up where Spirited left off – with another sister discovered. The Scott sisters have some unique paranormal gifts. Although these types of gifts have been used before in other romances, Ms. Behre has placed her own imaginative and creative mark on them. This time around it’s being able to speak to animals and it comes with all the mayhem and unique crises that can arise from it. It made perfect sense to me that Shelley was a veterinarian.

Even though I didn’t rate this story quite as high as the first book, which continues to blow my mind when I remember how cool it was, Guarded is still a high recommend. I think I was confused quite a few times because there was SO much action and frenetic responses to the drama and suspense mixed in with a rather large cast of characters, I found myself lost on just who was who speaking to whom and doing what. It caused me to reread parts just to get it straight.

There is no doubt in my mind that readers who enjoyed Spirited are going to be equally enthralled with Ms. Behre’s latest mystery. There are red herrings and villains who they’ll figure out but it’s the one that remains a true mystery until the big reveal that could leave them as amazed as I was. The intricate web of revenge the author wove is truly mind boggling because now that I know the end results, I remembered certain ‘meaningful’ moments that actually had a more profound impact than what I initially read. Being able to weave those kinds of details in is talented writing.

Part of a diabolical mystery is the fact of casualties. I almost stopped reading this book because of one certain death. The author had introduced a character that she imbued with enough heart, dreams and the feelings of strong emotion that when the secondary character met a bad end, I was heartbroken. It affected me greatly. You do know what that means, right? Ms. Behre did her job. If the character was a one dimensional throwaway person, I wouldn’t have cared. I would have shrugged and say, “Okay, that’s just to show how far the bad guy will go,” and that would have been that. Instead, I was so shocked I almost couldn’t go on. But of course, I did … a couple of weeks later, but I did restart reading. I’m very glad I did. The death was not in vain and for that I applaud the author. From that point on, the action and pace picked up even more and I never stopped reading until the end of the epilogue. Guarded is a mind bending roller coaster of a read.

Remember earlier I said that I was confused because of too many characters on scene? Wait until you get a load of Ryan and Ian. There was something about those guys that intrigued my ‘yummy meter’. I cracked up when a monkey took something away and their reaction to the zoo situation was priceless. They are two secondary characters that would make ideal heroes in future books. I hope they do. I liked meeting them, even if so briefly and during so crazy a pace. Then, there is Seth and Jules from Spirited, and the sheriff and other town characters and talking animals and the cutest ferret I’ve ever read about. It’s quite the menagerie but every single person or animal, or ghost, played a role that was pivotal, sentimental, sweet or surprising, not to mention fascinating.

Here is where I must thank the author profusely. She made her male characters smart. And I mean awesome smart, quick on the uptake, it’s a clue and they GOT IT, smart. I knew what happened to Shelley. I understood it immediately but she brushed it off. I was yelling at her, “No! Don’t just disregard this, it’s a clue, you have a clue!” But of course, she can’t see what a reader can see. But the guys did. I was so happy that I wanted to hug all of them. As it was, I did a happy chair dance. Because one was a marine, the other a cop and the other, I think a P.I., the author had them living up to their professions. I am impressed. They were heroes!

There is so much more to talk about but I have to reign myself in. Guarded is definitely a standalone story, it has a sweet happy ever after, it has some hot and sexy exchanges between Shelley and Dev, and it ends with a perfect hook. Of course it won’t come as a surprise that they get a lead on Shelley and Jule’s final sister but it’s the other discovery they made in this novel that indicates that this may not be the end after all. And that’s a wonderful thing. This really has been an amazing series so far and I highly recommend reading both Guarded and Spirited because they are both excellent reads. True keepers because their stories are so chock full of details and dialogue, I’m sure I missed something the first time around. This is worth re-reading, guaranteed.

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