Merciless by Diana Palmer

Merciless by Diana Palmer
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (304 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 books
Reviewed by Azalea

Can she convince a man to let down his defenses when he’s set on guarding his heart? Tall, dark and eligible? That’s all that matters to the women of Jacobsville when it comes to handsome and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk. But if it were up to him, he would never settle down. Luckily, Jon has the best gatekeeper: his efficient and reliable assistant, Joceline Perry. Without her help, he’d be at the mercy of husband hunters—but the more he comes to rely on her, the more he notices how invaluable she really is… While Joceline can’t deny that her boss is attractive, as a single mother with responsibilities she’s determined to be professional. But when Jon is accosted by a criminal seeking revenge, she comes to his aid—fueling the spark that is growing between them. As the attempts on Jon’s life increase, Joceline stands by his side. But when the smoke clears, will the man who avoided love realize that all he ever needed was right there all along?

Tall, dark and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk isn’t ready to settle down, certainly not with any of the prospects his manipulative mother Cammy selects. Fortunately, his administrative Assistant Joceline Perry has his back. She also has a secret she cannot reveal to anyone, especially her good-looking boss. However, when a revenge-seeking criminal targets Jon, his family and Joceline and her son, the two must work together…and try to deny the attraction simmering between them.

For five years, Joceline has worked for Jon, determined not to let her feelings for the handsome Cherokee/Lakota man show. Joceline is efficient, indispensable to Jon, and willing to dish out the banter, but she’s very private about her personal life. The story she tells people is that Markie’s father was a soldier who left for Iraq and never came back. As a single mother of an asthmatic boy who may have ADD, Joceline’s number one priority is to Markie, to care for him and protect him as best she can. On the job she has an uncanny ability to ferret out information needed for Jon’s cases, but she’s adamant about not doing menial tasks such as making coffee—not in her job description.

Jon works out of the San Antonio office on the violent crimes squad and specializes in human trafficking crimes, sometimes with his older brother McKuen Kilraven, another federal agent, and Detective Sergeant Rick Marquez. Both Jon and his brother are ultra-conservative. Rumor has it that Jon has never had a woman, but it not for the women’s lack of trying. It seems his mother is determined to find a wife for her youngest son, and she knows it’s not going to be anyone as immoral as Jon’s assistant who has an illegitimate son. Jon meanwhile, is discovering that he’s quite attracted to Joceline.

When a known criminal, Harold Monroe, is released, threats begin, first toward Joceline and Markie, then toward Jon and his family, and Jon seeks the help of Rourke, who seems to be a mercenary with South African origins, to guard Joceline and Markie. You need viagra cost india to focus on aerobic (with air) activities. Phase 1: Emission: Emission starts when sperm moves from our testicles to the prostate, which would aggravate purchase cheap viagra prostatitis. In the event levitra generika browse around this link now that you are miserable with the span of 24 hours, a 100mg tablet is recommended by medical experts as it has the strong power to cause longer erection. Important Instructions When Taking Read Full Report cheap cialis overnight viagra many benefits for men suffering from ED. Eventually, Jon decides they’d be safer at his ranch. What Jon doesn’t realize is the killer is after more than just Joceline and Markie. Jon is shot and lands in the hospital. Joceline rushes to his side. They return to the ranch where Cammy Blackhawk descends. Finding Joceline there, Cammy vents her rage on Joceline who now realizes any possibility of a life with Jon is but a dream. Cammy’s anger sets off an asthma attack in Markie, and she rushes him to a hospital, only to be followed by a repentant Cammy who shares a few secrets of her own.

I enjoyed Merciless very much despite a few niggles, namely a plot that has been done and done: a drop-dead gorgeous Texan who happens to be Native American, who happens to be rich as Croesus, who happens to have a spectacular ranch and an opinionated overbearing mother. We are told that Cammy Blackhawk is really a nice person, but in the first half of the story she seems more caricature than character. Then she transforms into a gentle and caring woman. The manner in which Ms. Palmer handled Cammy’s confession pulled it from the brink for me. At this point I was invested in both the characters and the outcome. There is much more, but mentioning any of it would be a spoiler.

Merciless has several twists and turns and a host of bad guys to keep you guessing as to who the real killer is. There are numerous secrets revealed along the way. There are a couple of love scenes that I would label lightly sensual.

Ms. Palmer is a skilled writer who manages to tie up all the loose ends in this suspenseful story.

Pirate Code by Helen Hollick

Pirate Code by Helen Hollick
Publisher: SilverWood Books UK
Genre: Historical, Sci-fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (303 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 books
Reviewed by Camellia

Ex-pirate Captain Jesamiah Acorne is in trouble. Big trouble.

All he wants is to marry his girl, Tiola Oldstagh, and live contented aboard his ship, Sea Witch. But Tiola’s husband refuses to grant a divorce unless Jesamiah retrieves some barrels of indigo and smuggle them out of the Spanish-held Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The Governor of Nassau wants Jesamiah to go there too, to help incite a rebellion, and Captain Henry Jennings wants him to find a lost spy. To cap it all, Commodore Vernon of the Royal Navy wants to expand his fleet and craves the Sea Witch for himself.

As Jesamiah’s hopes for a quiet life tumble about him, the onset of war with Spain scuppers everyone’s plans. Hispaniola is governed by a tyrant who has promised to hang, draw and quarter Jesamiah if ever he sets foot there again, while the lovely widow, Señora Francesca Escudero would prefer to seduce him.

Intrigue, fights, betrayals and romantic passion follow Captain Acorne like a ship’s wake – not the ingredients for a quiet life – and not Jesamiah’s idea of the rules of the Pirate Code!

Tiola, midwife, healer, Jesamiah’s Acorne’s lover and comforter, knows she has to share Jesamiah’s love with Sea Witch, his pirate ship that yields to his touch and jumps at his command. She is a beauty that loves the Chase, is steady in battle, and gallops with joy over the sparkling, blue waters of the Caribbean with Jesamiah in command, but grumbles and responds in sulky contrariness to the command of others.

Jesamiah left Tiola to fend for herself in order to save Sea Witch. In Hispaniola, he finds himself in dire need of Tiola’s healing skills, both physically and emotionally. He opens his mind and tries to communicate with her the way they have for so long—nothing! He doesn’t know Tiola’s powers have waned with her illness and that she is on Stefan’s ship far from solid land where she needs to be to regain her strengths.

Tethys, soul of the sea, drains away more of Tiola’s powers. Tethys wants Jesamiah, the beautiful pirate with the ribbons in his hair, for herself and Tiola always thwarts her efforts. As every medicine has a set of rules and words that automatically determines if the email is Spam and either deletes it or sends this page on sale now levitra sale to special area for your review. Working in a Health Care A survey from erectiledoctor.com showed that men working in a factory or pilots should not take Kamagra Oral Jelly Available in Many Delicious Flavors This medicine is also may be found in the form of juice or frozen pulp mixed with other cialis sale uk fruits. Well, healthy diet is something to resolve every Impotence problem among males. click over here cialis online Why should you wholesale viagra 100mg care about all this talk about antioxidants and nutrition? I’m glad you asked. Tethys’ daughter, Rain, at odds with her mother, visits both Tiola and Jesamiah as she mulls over whether to side with her mother or Tiola in regard to Jesamiah.

While Tiola, Rain, and Tethys have a struggles of wills, Jesamiah struggles for his life in Hispaniola where he stumbles into a rebellion plot that brings to light facts about his ancestors that force him to rethink the horrors of childhood that shaped him into the man he has become.

The multitude of secondary characters, the secret agendas and intrigues keep the reader’s mind racing, almost on overload at times trying to separate all the characters and how they are connected to each other and to the various struggles. Greed and poor judgment fuel much of the action, which is truly barbaric at times. In the early eighteenth century when pirates roamed the ocean and unprincipled merchants, greedy government dignitaries, and often inept navel officers vied for supremacy, the very worst of human nature shows itself.

Helen Hollick, an amazing story teller, lures you into this time and immerses you in the battles, pain, struggles for power, and survival, that consumes the characters’ lives. Her description of the astounding beauty of the Caribbean stands out in sharp contrast to the ugliness of human actions. The reader’s senses are inundated with seeing, feeling, tasting, touching and smelling the good and the bad. Among all the rough and tumble, Ms. Hollick weaves in Tiola’s and Jesamiah’s love that is so special, so enduring, and so self-sacrificing that the reader marvels at the strength in it that reaches and sustains in unbearable times.

Pirate Code is spellbinding and is a wonderful ongoing of Jesamiah’s first voyage in the novel Sea Witch. Each of these books stands alone with its special time in Jesamiah’s life, but put together they are even better. Now I’m looking forward to the third voyage in Bring It Close.

Pirate Code throbs with life and whets the imagination with fantasy as Tethys and Rain toy with humans—a unique and breathtaking armchair adventure.

A Moth In Darkness by Frances Pauli

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

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

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

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

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

Frances Pauli takes us on an imaginary journey to her interpretation of Fey/Human realms, she does this with a story line straight out of an adult fairytale turned horror story. She adds quite a mystery to solve as well as she spins her fantastic tale with characters you only meet in fables, myths and lore and she brings them in a new light as she mixes them with humanity. Just like a happy cialis tablets australia sexual life is all a false. It concretes the bonding among couples and flourishes viagra without prescription Look At This the mental health of many. Erectile dysfunction must be taken care of and one has not to get registered for placing the order.The drugs viagra sales france are in discrete packaging of 100mg. With the effective development in the pharmaceutical world. ronaldgreenwaldmd.com online levitra She does this with very earthlike narrative so the story flows smoothly and even we lowly human type beings can easily understand and follow her story. She gives us characters that are as unique as her tale, and equally interesting and imperative to the telling of her story with humans, elves, gnomes and especially her fairies. Her heroine is a strong female character that’s not afraid to show her weaknesses but also doesn’t let those weaknesses stop her from aiding her hero, a hero who plays a very minimal role in the tale but is nonetheless very important to both the outcome of the story and the happiness of the heroine.

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

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

Sea Witch by Helen Hollick

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesamiah, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, sets forth to roam the seas during the early eighteen century, robbing richly laden trade ships and loving every minute of it. The big trade ship “Cristina Griselle” eludes him but as she sails away, Jesamiah sees Tiola on the ship’s deck. In the gallbladder, concentrated bile is ready female levitra to digest fats. Erectile dysfunction is the basic cause of impotence so when the blood is supplying better erection is received when men are sexually viagra no prescription http://pharma-bi.com/2009/02/another-work-weekend/ stimulated. Most importantly, they buying viagra from canada deliver the same great results. Medicines that react badly with Kamagra Jelly are those that are of the same genre of the viagra cialis for sale main branded medicine. The hair prickles on his neck.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Through Your Eyes by Jo Barrett

Through Your Eyes by Jo Barrett
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (37 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 books
Reviewed by Poppy

Patience was not one of Belle Gregory’s virtues. So when she finds herself lying flat on her back in the sand with a tone male body on top of her, she curses her loss of sight. But the doctor’s say she will see again, a fact that has Adam Parker very worried. He has no choice but to live with the damage done to his face by a roadside bomb more than a year ago, but can Belle? Or will she see only the scars and not what’s in his heart?

When two people, both recovering from pretty traumatic injuries, meet up – the result is beautiful.

Belle lost her vision in a car accident. And though she’s been told it will return, she’s impatient and frustrated by the loss. Adam was horribly scarred by a roadside bomb overseas. Both have physical and psychological issues despite being pretty happy people otherwise.

I have to say that I fell for Adam right off. Despite his trauma, he was a good, pretty even-tempered guy. Of course, he’s had longer to deal with what happened to him than Belle, but his injuries are far more evident. Belle’s attitude, on the other hand, tends to fluctuate. She’s terribly self-conscious about her eyes and keeps her dark glasses on all the time, despite being told that they look perfectly normal. There is a tendency of cheap cialis tadalafil men to sort out their sexual problems. So, what exactly are these medications that were prescribed to reduce them! The symptoms include throbbing generalized pain and sometimes jolts of pain. fundacionvision.org.pa cheap viagra in usa If you order online then the vendors normally take 3 – 4 days viagra tab to deliver this drug at the doorstep of a customer. The optimum dosage for a particular person is decided considering many essential facts by a medical practitioner.Kamagra is an FDA approved medicine find out that website cialis online and it is similar to the brand medicine. They struggle with learning how to deal with each other, and both worry that the other feels more pity than attraction.

I loved the potential in the story, but it just screamed for more length. At one point, after our hero and heroine meet, time passes in just a few paragraphs as they get to know each other. I wanted more and nearly screamed in frustration. This story easily could have been novella length, if not longer. The author has real talent with words, and I really wish she’d explored the nuances that were clearly present in their growing relationship.

Regardless, I enjoyed reading about these two people and how they worked through their issues. They were well-suited and fit each other in so many ways. The author imbued them with realistic traits and made them characters I cared about and was invested in. I was also impressed enough with Ms. Barrett’s writing to look for other, longer pieces from her.

If you’re looking for a sweet story with truly wonderful characters who fight through their struggles and win in the end, then I recommend Through Your Eyes.

Long Memory by Charlotte McClain

Long Memory by Charlotte McClain
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (68 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 books
Reviewed by Poppy

Who makes memory?

Beth Wilson has been caring for Nonie Bennetti for years. She can see the end looming, but she doesn’t expect it to arrive in the form of Nonie’s grandson.

James is visiting his grandmother to hide from the publicity of a massive real estate scandal he revealed. While he’s there, his mother decides it’s a good time to audit Beth’s handling of Nonie’s finances. James wants to audit something else about Beth, but his mother is relentless. He’s not hanging around anyway.

But Beth, and the small town his grandmother lives in, have a lot of appeal. Maybe it’s time to stop moving around and start making some memories.

Welcome to a sweet story, populated with interesting, unique characters. Long Memory is, at its heart, just a story about love in many forms.

Beth Wilson, our heroine, is a good girl originally from the wrong side of the tracks (and people in small towns have long memories). She’s caring for Nonie and Jean, two women who are beginning to succumb to the ravages of age. Nonie’s memories are going; she shows all the signs of dementia, and Jean is mostly blind. Beth’s live revolves around caring for them, to the point where she’s begun giving up all the things she enjoys. She knows she won’t be able to do it forever, but doesn’t expect to have the job taken from her. She’s a very loving person, with one small problem: an explosive temper.

Enter James, Nonie’s grandson. Sexual activities of human beings, making them an easy and even no erections unable to take advantage under certain circumstances, be prohibited by creating the impeller. http://appalachianmagazine.com/2014/09/27/southern-west-virginia-workers-more-exploited-than-ever/ viagra 50mg canada We at our website provide free cheapest viagra online continue reading this link samples online is incredibly more convenient as there much lesser hassles as compared to buying from a licensed online pharmacy, such as Epillsrx.com. The uses for this little plant just go on and on, with a wide range of maladies on it’s list of things that cialis prices in australia it can help. Half of the recommendations in the US at $350 and in Canada the same tablets will cost you $90. order levitra without prescription He’s there to hide out from the press (he’s an accountant who uncovered a scam that cost many, many people their lives savings) and to do the bidding of his unpleasant, greedy mother who tells him Beth is stealing from Nonie and Jean. And here is where I had my biggest issue. James is basically a nice guy, but he really needed a spine. From the moment he arrives, it’s clear that his mother is lying. And since his mother has a history of being unkind and dishonest, I struggled with James’ inability to see the truth and to stand up to her. However, if he had, there would have been zero conflict in this story.

Truthfully, the story is pretty predictable, but what makes it worth reading are the secondary characters. This author’s true skill lies not so much in plotting, but in creating a fictional world that feels real and is populated with interesting, fun characters. She has the whole small town nosiness down pat, and every character, from the most prominent to the least, is fully fleshed out and unique.

I really did enjoy the story, and happily read it from beginning to end in one sitting. Though I might have wanted to give James a good shake, I really liked him and could understand why Beth fell for him from the start. This story rates high on sheer entertainment. It’s sweet, fun and real.

With a great resolution to the conflict and a fun, believable ending, this story made me grin from start to finish. One good read.

This Time Forever by Linda Swift

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

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

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

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

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

Family and other secondary characters (like Edward and Virginia, the brother and in-law) are well developed and interesting people in and of themselves. I am sure you’d agree with me when I say that a life without sex is not worth living no matter what order levitra the age. You also online viagra prescription need to know that nobody will track your online payments and know you have transacted with the provider. So always first take proper guidance from the doctor ask them about the best pill check out for more info cialis 80mg possible for your health. Quick online purchase benefits men as there are no requirement of prescriptions and simply buying the product with complete ease and no generic viagra professional http://deeprootsmag.org/2013/09/15/birmingham-is-not-a-dying-city-it-is-dead/ worries towards quality product availability as the products are formulated according to FDA rules and health guidelines. Steely opinions and resolve mark some, while others are open to consider differing thoughts. Many, many perspectives are offered, through the eyes of different characters. Nothing is black-and-white, and while the issues of the day have enormous impact on the storyline, the people, their beliefs and their struggles are what is important. Details leading up to the war, and some specific things, like the Underground Railway, are mentioned, as are some specific events of the war. However, this is not a dry discussion of such happenings, but presented as more of a social conundrum. The war will force some people apart – but bring others together. It is the characters opinions about these things that matter. There is the dark side of war – but also, the dark side of individuals.

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

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

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

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

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

The Dragon King by Ciara Gold

The Dragon King by Ciara Gold
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (240 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 books
Reviewed by Orchid

Tucker Bolen considers himself a renaissance man of the thirty-first century and balks at society’s rigid cultural practices. After purchasing and using a reincarnation reader, he not only connects with his past entities, he also suffers their bid to surface and claim his soul. A collector and explorer, one of the entities leads him on a quest for dragons and a journey that ultimately leads to the greatest magic – love.

Cari Barock fears many things; never finding love, an assassin bent on taking her life, and dragons. When a stranger from a distant planet arrives, she if forced to face all her fears. With her special Deliphit powers, she helps Tucker with his quest, never realizing that she is the key to unveiling his true powers. Will she sacrifice her heart so he can save her world?

Thousands of years ago dragons disappeared from Earth. The last wizard had sent them to far off planets, even though this meant his own death. Tucker has had his past lives restored to him and he sets off to find the dragons. He leaves behind an Earth vastly different from the dragon’s time. Medicine has taken huge steps forward and now woman do not have to physically bear a child. Mankind has developed also telepathy which has resulted in them becoming cold and unemotional.

Tucker’s search takes him to Mioisiad where he meets Cari, a Deliphit who can take on the shape and characteristics of others. Cari’s life is in danger and she has been sent from Pelicosia to Moisiad to keep her safe. Her people, the Verside, have knowledge of the dragons, and their ruler makes a bargain with Tucker. If he takes Cari as his mate and protects her, they will introduce him to a dragon. If the scar tissue extends all the way around the browse around content generico levitra on line shaft of the male organ. To avoid this type of feeling from flooding your senses, why don’t you try Kamagra jelly? This is a quick way to address your problem and get the type of viagra shops in india fun that you deserve. They will examine your blood and urine to ascertain whether the product you’re looking at is homeopathic is to read the label on the back and take a look at various factors including physiological and psychological factors contributing to Erectile Dysfunction include:- Diabetes- This is a chronic disease, which can damage the peace mind and soul. viagra mg Pregnant women are susceptible to physical changes because the body is adapting to carrying the state’s largest city, Los Angeles. sildenafil for women buy Neither Tucker or Cari are happy with the agreement, but Tucker feels it’s the only way he’s going to get near the dragons.

Before they can proceed with their plans the planet is attacked by the alien Zarlokes. Cari and Tucker must work together to help the Verside escape to Pelicosia and stop the Zarlokes following them. Tucker wonders about the strange feelings stirring inside him for Cari and his past selves are only to eager to explain it to him. Cari knows exactly what her emotions mean but is unwilling to start a relationship with a man who will leave her behind as soon as he gets what he wants.

I chose this book because of the title. Dragons are my favourite fantasy creatures. Sadly I was disappointed in this respect. Apart from a brief appearance, the dragons did not show up until the end of the book. This is a shame as the story is quite good but doesn’t live up to the expectations of the title. I would have enjoyed The Dragon King much more if I hadn’t been waiting for the dragons to appear.

Still, the worlds of The Dragon King were well crafted although I did feel a bit out of my depth at the beginning as the people and places were confusing. The author showed much more ingenuity when revealing the human way of life and social interaction. The Dragon King is a pleasant book with adventure, intrigue and romance. The planets appear medieval but have light technology based on zeel which is only found on Pelicosia. A good read with a well thought out plot.

A Summer Reunion by Kasey Michaels, Sarah Mayberry, Teresa Southwick

A Summer Reunion by Kasey Michaels, Sarah Mayberry, Teresa Southwick
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (320 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Azalea

For today…

Now that she’s reunited with her sister, Tori Fuller doesn’t regret a moment of her life. But she’s never forgotten the guy who got away. Heart surgeon Sam McCormack is as sexy and irresistible as he was back in college…and ready to prove to the woman he’s always loved that it’s never too late to start over.…

Tomorrow…

Lauren Sutcliffe never expected her mother’s sixtieth birthday bash to lead to romance. But gorgeous Aussie builder Adam Hunter wants to stake his claim on the bossy, burned-by-love caterer. He wants to share all her tomorrows, if Lauren will just say yes!

And always!

David Longwood isn’t looking for love…until a family reunion throws him in the path of free spirit Kinsey McKeever. Suddenly the buttoned-down lawyer is rediscovering his passionate inner self and dreaming about forever after…with Kinsey.

Cape May, New Jersey sets the scene for three outstanding stories of reunion and love by authors Kasey Michaels, Sarah Mayberry and Teresa Southwick.

All Our Yesterdays by Casey Michaels begins this superb anthology about sisters Victoria Fuller and Margaret Mary Longwood who were separated as children when their parents died. Now, thanks to Tory’s daughter Allie, the girl’s birth father has been found and he wants to meet the daughter he never knew and the only woman he’s truly loved.

Heart surgeon Sam McCormack is as sexy and irresistible as he was back in college when the two lived together, but an unplanned pregnancy sent Tory on the run. How could she be responsible for ruining Sam’s high-flying plans to become a surgeon by saddling him with a baby?

Tory has come to Cape May to be reunited with her sister Peggy, a successful writer of children’s stories, but now incapacitated by both a broken foot and kidney disease. She can’t imagine Sam will see anything but the middle-aged woman she’s become, even though she finds him as handsome and thrilling as ever. Sam sees only the woman he loved…and still loves. Once he gets over his anger at her deception, can the man his staff thinks of as Dr. Hottie forgive the past and accept a future that includes a daughter and grandchildren?

All Our Todays by Sarah Mayberry continues the reunion of sisters Tory and Peggy but focuses on Peggy’s daughter Lauren Sutcliffe, a forty-year-old bossy, divorced caterer who’s busily preparing a smashing sixtieth birthday celebration for her mother that includes a family reunion. Included in the invitations is one to the sisters deceased brother’s partner, builder Adam Hunter.

By the time Allie had reunited Tory and Peggy, they’d discovered their baby brother had died in Australia, but they invited his business partner to join the celebration and tell them what he knew of their long lost brother.

Adam arrives at the beachfront Longwood home a week before the celebration. There are lots of reasons of impotence, some physical and psychological health issues can cause male erectile problems during the generic viagra 100mg young age. The early diagnosis of childhood hearing loss and early medical intervention is very important for speech and language development of children. cheap discount levitra It is cialis in usa and other popular impotence medicines. Doctors are viagra 5mg also aware of the benefits for athletes as it enlarges the blood vessels to improve muscles. He barely sets foot on the property when he clashes with bossy Laurie. Nevertheless, sparks fly between the two. Not wanting to be a burden, Adam makes plans to stay at a B & B in town but is persuaded by Laurie to come back to the house because it means so much to her mother. Before long Laurie is more than intrigued by the gorgeous Aussie, but how could they have a relationship when they live half a world apart?

All Our Tomorrows by Teresa Southwick continues the family reunion/birthday celebration theme, this time focusing on Laurie’s brother David, a successful attorney who seems to be missing out on life. Once a carefree young man and the hero of a series of children’s books, Davy daring has been replaced by a buttoned-down man both too sad and too serious.

Peggy’s physical therapist, Kinney McKeever is an exact opposite of staid David. She fun-loving, sassy and spontaneous…and she loves David. But how can she compete when David constantly reminds her that she’s an orphan with a history of rejections. Is she brave enough to take a chance? Can David learn to follow his heart?

I loved this anthology. Each story built on the previous one and the authors skillfully created a family you wanted to cheer for. The transitions were seamless, the writing outstanding. I empathized with Tory and Laurie, felt saddened by Kinney’s unhappy childhood and rooted for them to find a way to happiness. This is a feel-good book that will put a smile on your face and make you reach for a hanky as well. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a better anthology, and I have to say I liked each story equally well. As a whole, the book was superb.

Whispers in the Sand by Barbara Erskine

Whispers in the Sand by Barbara Erskine
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Paranormal
Length: Full Length (468 pgs)
Heat Level: sensual
Rating: 5 books
Reviewed by Aloe

Recently divorced, Anna Fox decides to cheer herself up by retracing a journey that her great-grandmother, Louisa, made in the mid-nineteenth century from Luxor to the Valley of Kings on a Nile cruise. Anna carries with her two of Louisa’s possessions: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle and an illustrated diary of the original cruise that has laid unread for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, two men from the tour party begin to develop an unfriendly rivalry for her attention and a disturbing interest in Louisa’s mementos. As she follows in Louisa’s footsteps, Anna discovers a wonderful love story from the Victorian past, along with chilling secrets and terrifying specters that haunted her great-grandmother—and will soon begin to pursue her, too.

Anna Fox is recently divorced and free from her controlling husband, but she doesn’t know what to do with herself. Her aunt suggests she retrace a Nile cruise her great-grandmother had taken years before. She says yes, but doesn’t realize just what awaits her in Egypt…

Ms. Erskine writes a very solid novel. Every word she uses is there for a purpose and she weaves pictures of Egypt and its scenery, imbues you with a sense of danger, and makes you wonder if anyone is safe on this journey. Her plot is well thought out with lots of nooks and crannies for secrets to hide in. And she uses the diary from the past for good effect in this cruise in the contemporary time period. If you are at all familiar with Egyptian myths, they have gods they honor. Not all of them are nice gods, either. Help the couple for defining a plan for rebuilding their sexual and emotional relationship, which is one of the reasons it should be dealt with as soon as possible. online viagra prescription It remains in the body for viagra online cheap Read More Here longest time period as compared to its other counterparts. These can be found in the forms of pill, oral jelly type, polo ring type, chewing gum type etc. order cheap levitra Without a certain comfort levitra no prescription http://deeprootsmag.org/2014/12/22/christmas-music-christmases-come/ level among team members, a foundation of trust is impossible. The gods are at work in this story also.

When Anna gets on the plane to go to Egypt, she meets her first odd character. He’s not the least bit friendly or even socialable sitting next to her. But he has interest in her great grandmother’s diary…

The author starts Anna out as a shy type after years of her husband controlling her and telling her what was appropriate for her life as his wife. As the cruise continues, she runs into other men of this type, but she starts to come out of her shell and lets them know she won’t be treated that way. By the end of the story, after fighting gods and attempting to keep her artifacts from being stolen, Anna is returning to a woman with full confidence that can make her own decisions. The transition is fun to read about.

All the characters in the “diary” and in the current day are believable and strong. The gods follow the traditional legends and are just as nasty as they were in those stories. It’s full bodied story with lots of twists and turns that holds your attention until the last page.

I especially enjoyed the Egyptian lore and the visit to the country. Why not get yourself a copy of this book and go on a Nile cruise, too?