Book Binge

Ames' review of Silent in the Grave (Lady Julie Gray, Book 1) by Deanna Raybourn.

"Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave."
These ominous words are the last threat that Sir Edward Grey receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, he collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that her husband was murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers damning evidence for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring the murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward's demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

I consider myself new to the mystery genre. I never liked to read mysteries because I would get so frustrated when I couldn't figure them out. LOL But I have to admit I'm not the most observant person around and I just need to accept the fact that I do enjoy reading mysteries and I shouldn't be too hard on myself. Deanna Raybourn's Silent in the Grave gives us such a great story that I wasn't hard on myself for not solving things until almost the main character, Lady Julia Grey, did.

First, Silent in the Grave starts off with one whopper of an opening line:

To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.

As a beginning, doesn't that just grab you?  It definitely had me hooked!

Julia Grey is hosting a dinner party at her home when her husband starts to have an attack.  Everyone assumes it is his weak heart, a family trait, and Julia assumes the same.  But when Nicholas Brisbane has another idea, murder, Julia is furious and refuses to consider the notion. It isn't until a year later when she's going through Edward's things that Julia begins to reconsider.  There are mysterious papers in Edward's desk and Julia recalls that Brisbane told her Edward had hired him to find out who was threatening him.  Intrigued, Julia engages Nicholas' services to find her husband's killer.

That's the most basic summary I can give you.  What you find between the covers is so much more rich and interesting.  First of all, there are the characters.  Lady Julia Grey is the heroine of this series and the book is told from her point of view.  So we the reader are in her shoes and see how she grows as a character and we discover what she discovers.  It's up to the reader to piece together what is happening.  Something I'm not good at, but the author gets us to our final destination - no worries on that score.

So Julia at the beginning is the perfect wife.  She's a great hostess, there's no scandal (except for her family's foibles and follies) and she didn't necessarily love her husband, not passionate love anyway.  She loved him as a friend since they had grown up together.  But after she engages Nicholas and she begins to participate, to have a purpose again, Julia slowly comes out of her shell and a strong, stubborn woman takes her place.  I really liked this character growth.

I found Nicholas an intriguing character but I don't want to go on about him too much, just that he's a mysterious fellow who knows that Julia can do better than him but these two are drawn to each other anyway.  

Aside from the rich characters, we have a very interesting mystery.  It took me a while to figure things out and there were a few red herrings thrown in there that definitely threw me off!  I found Deanna's style of writing very engaging and I couldn't put the book down.    I definitely recommend Silent in the Grave.  4 out of 5.

The series:


This book is available from Mira. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

The other night on Twitter, Donna and Bree, the writing duo that makes up Moira Rogers, were talking about finding one of their novels on Scribd, Bookrix and other sites for writers to share their original work. In this case, the writer in question, one Angela Priest, had taken a novel of Rogers, changed a few scenes and the character's name, and called it her own.

Through more research, Rogers discovered Priest had done this to other authors as well, including Nora Roberts. She claimed Roberts' Circle Trilogy as her own, after changing a few key things. Based on the examples given by Rogers, this was a text-book case of find and replace. Here's the blurb Priest put up on Scribd:

Artist and witch Flora Logger hasn’t had an orgasm since a bitter ex cursed her five years ago. Whenever she gets aroused, bad things happen. Now, she’s come to Last Call in hopes of gaining an audience with — and help from — its owner, a powerful wizard named Bernard Delacruz. If anyone can break the curse, it’s him. And if he won’t come downstairs to meet with her, she’ll bump and grind until his bar caves in from the backlash. Hurricane: Contents under magical pressure. Experience required. Bernard doesn’t get involved with patrons… not even the hot, sexually frustrated ones. But when a lush-looking reddish-blonde threatens to wreck his bar with her curse and her need, he decides it’s time to take matters — and her — into his own hands. After all, even if he can’t break the curse, he can certainly ease her frustration. And what powerful wizard doesn’t love a challenge?

and the original blurb from Hurricane, written by Moira Rogers and published by Changeling Press in 2008:

Artist and witch Fiona Logan hasn’t had an orgasm since a bitter ex cursed her five years ago. Whenever she gets aroused, bad things happen. Now, she’s come to Last Call in hopes of gaining an audience with — and help from — its owner, a powerful wizard named Benito D’Cruze. If anyone can break the curse, it’s him. And if he won’t come downstairs to meet with her, she’ll bump and grind until his bar caves in from the backlash.

Hurricane: Contents under magical pressure. Experience required.

Ben doesn’t get involved with patrons… not even the hot, sexually frustrated ones. But when a lush looking blonde threatens to wreck his bar with her curse and her need, he decides it’s time to take matters — and her — into his own hands. After all, even if he can’t break the curse, he can certainly ease her frustration. And what powerful wizard doesn’t love a challenge?

The similarities are too close to ignore. Since Rogers noticed what was happening, Priest has issued an apology and taken down all of the works she stole..from Rogers. The others are still up. Including what looks to be Nora Roberts Circle Trilogy. How stupid can one person be? To be so blatant about taking another authors work is bad enough, but to do it to authors like Nora Roberts and Shiloh Walker?


The best part, however, is that Priest is giving these stories away for free. I guess this is a new twist on Piracy..Plagiarize, then give it away for free! She also took copyrighted artwork and didn't give credit for that. Not that we're surprised.

Authors, I urge you to check out the sites to see if any of your works are there. Once Rogers realized Hurricane was listed, they did a Google search of the changed heroine's name and found a ton of other sites where these had been posted.

To see the original post, check out Moira Rogers blog.

Rowena's review of Silk is for Seduction (The Dressmakers, Book 1) by Loretta Chase.

Hero: Duke of Clevedon
Heroine: Marcelline Noirot

From the Design Book of Marcelline Noirot: The allure of the perfect gown should be twofold: ladies would die to wear it . . .and gentlemen would kill to remove it! Brilliant and ambitious dressmaker Marcelline Noirot is London's rising star. And who better to benefit from her talent than the worst-dressed lady in the ton,the Duke of Clevedon's intended bride?

Winning the future duchess's patronage means prestige and fortune for Marcelline and her sisters. To get to the lady,though, Marcelline must win over Clevedon, whose standards are as high as his morals are . . . not. The prize seems well worth the risk—but this time Marcelline's met her match. Clevedon can design a seduction as irresistible as her dresses;and what begins as a flicker of desire between two of the most passionately stubborn charmers in London soon ignites into a delicious inferno . . .and a blazing scandal. And now both their futures hang by an exquisite thread of silk . . .

I haven't read all that many books by Loretta Chase but when I do read her books, I'm not disappointed. Chase has a way of telling a story that pulls the reader into the thick of it all and I'm always entertained. This book wasn't any different.

This story tells the story of the Duke of Clevedon and Marcelline Noirot and what a story it was. I thoroughly enjoyed the book from the beginning all the way to the end. The chemistry between Clevedon and Marcelline was off the charts and it was such a delightful treat to read about these two. Watching their attraction grow and then seeing Clevedon unable to stay away from Marcelline and watching Marcelline melt under Clevedon's charm was delicious.

Marcelline and her sisters own a dress shop and they're trying to make a name for themselves in London. They're also trying to nab some big clients and since they come from a family of thieves and con artists, they know exactly how to go about making all of their dreams come true. Each sister (there are three) has a job to complete and Marcelline's job is to go to Paris where the Duke of Clevedon is and capture his attention so that he'll bring his duchess to their shop and they'll nab her as a client. Marcelline wasn't expecting to be captured in a tug of war of lust with the Duke but she was and watching her ride it out made for some great reading.

Both the hero and the heroine were great characters in their own right and I loved how Marcelline was up front and honest with Clevedon right from the very beginning. I also adored how she was quick to tell Clevedon when he was being an ass and I enjoyed that despite how much of an idiot she thought Clevedon could be, she loved him anyway. Their romance was wonderfully entertaining and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the books in this series.

I loved Erroll/Lucie and I loved the relationship that blossomed between Clevedon and Lucie. The way that he went out of his way to not disappoint Erroll was too adorable and made me love Clevedon so much more. I thought he was being such a dumb ass where Lady Clara was concerned but I knew that he meant well and like Marcelline, I loved him anyway.

the one thing that I could have done without was the whole stealing my designs thing. If it was a bigger part of the story then it would have made sense but it wasn't and I just didn't see the point of it all since there was plenty to keep the storyline going without it but that's just me. Overall, I adored this book. I adored the main characters, the secondary characters and really, I can't wait for more.

Grade: 4.75 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Lori's review of Sweet Possession (Sweet series #5) by Maya Banks

She's a singer who lives for the spotlight—and can't resist her adoring fans…

Outrageous and out-of-control, Lyric Jones is a spoiled pop star who lives hard and fast, always outrunning her past and the nightmares that haunt her. She's used to getting what she wants—groupies included—because she can't stand to be alone. So in bed, it's the more the merrier, even if it means closing off the deepest part of herself…

He's a hands-on bodyguard—and a one-woman man.

There is nothing Connor Malone wants to do less than babysit the celebratty songstress while she's on vacation. But part of him relishes taming Lyric and showing her what it's like to be possessed—body and soul—by one man. And though Lyric's crazy antics nearly drive Connor to the edge, his quiet intensity penetrates her defenses, leaving them both vulnerable to the secrets that could topple Lyric from the stage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Connor is the last of his friends to remain single. He has sat back and watched and laughed as every one of them has fallen like a rock for their wives. When he gets assigned to be Lyric Jones' bodyguard, he wants nothing to do with the rock star. It's dislike at first sight for them both, except for the huge spark between them.

Lyric doesn't understand why she needs a bodyguard when she already has two of them. Her record company is insistent that there are threats being made against her, and they want to protect her.

Once these two are stuck together, the sparks fly and they begin to see a little deeper into each other.

Oh, how I loved this book. This book brings all the friends together from the previous "Sweet" books. I love the camaraderie and that the girls all immediately accept Lyric into their group, and that the guys all tease each other like crazy, and that each of the women has every one of those guys by the balls. And that they all know it. It's very reminiscent of the families and close friends that Lauren Dane weaves through her stories as well, and I loved it. Think Brown family with more saucy and irreverence.

As for Connor and Lyric, what a wonderful, sweet love story. And holy cow. I think Connor is my favorite hero of the year. Tender and gentle, but still possessive and alpha through and through. *swoons* I loved how he took care of Lyric and understood her and was willing to wait for her to come to terms with her past.

"I'm the man who loves you more than anyone else will ever love you. I'm the man who wants to be with you and will do everything I can to keep you from every being hurt again."

"I want inside you, Lyric," he whispered. "I love your mouth, but I want you in my arms, your body wrapped around mine while I dive so deep that we lose ourselves in each other." *sniffle*"

I'm not sure if the rest of the security team will get their own stories, but I sure hope that Banks is writing Kane's story. How awesome was he!

I was totally in my happy place. A growly, hot hero and lots of tender sex, plus hilarious hijinks with girlfriends.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Series:



You can read more from Lori at I Just Finished Reading...

This book is available from Berkley Trade. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Judith's review of Learning Curves by Elyse Mady.

Leanne Galloway has no time for dating; her focus is on launching her academic career. Dragged along to her childhood frenemy Gillian's bachelorette party at a male strip club, she just wants to get through the evening—but she can't help interfering when Gillian sends a note to a sexy dancer proposing a hot hookup.  Brandon Myles is working backstage at the Foxe's Den to fund his post-graduate studies in dance, but he's forced onstage when the headliner fails to show up. He feels a surprisingly strong connection with a quiet woman watching from a table full of tipsy bridesmaids, and he's delighted when she appears backstage after his set.


After a scorching spontaneous encounter, Leanne and Brandon agree to go their separate ways. But they're both grad students on a small campus, and avoiding each other and denying their attraction won't work for long, especially when a jealous rival appears, determined to ruin both their academic careers.

Consider what it would be like to go through your entire life knowing that you had been a disappointment to your mother.  What would it feel like to know that she didn't even notice when others around her--her family's friends and even those closest to her parents as long-term friends--put you down and handed out oblique insults that your academic pursuits somehow put you in a category of dull, plain, and unable to attract the attentions of the important people?  That was the life experience of Leanne and the crowd keeping her pinned down with their quietly nasty words was the daughter of her mother's best friend, Gillian, whose wedding was approaching.  As Leanne endured the bachelorette party at the local strip club, she ached to leave and yet there was another achep--one for a relationship where she was appreciated, valued, and where she could feel beautiful and desired, a feeling she couldn't remember feeling ever.  Only when she spied the very particular interest of the headliner stripper/dancer as he seemed to be responding to her during his act did she even consider that there might be something about her worth noticing.

Brandon is an interesting study of a man whose parents couldn't even be bothered enough to care about him, about his achievements or talents, about teaching him to be a good person.  After their divorce he lived with a grandparent who loved him but whose generation frowned on any kind of outward demonstration of affection.  When she died, he was truly on his own--as he had been for most of his life, if the truth be told.  It was only when introduced to the creativity and expression possible in dance that Brandon began to find himself.  Yet he was still encased in walls to prevent any kind of emotional involvement, a way of living that seemed totally better than the caldron of anger and discontent his parents' lives showcased.  Meeting Leanne was an earth shaking experience, but he was prepared to enjoy their encounters until the sexual attraction wore off--it always did--and then move on.  His dance would continue to "feed" his spirit.  But when the sexual attraction didn't wear off for either Brandon or Leanne, and when Gillian's evil and vengeful spirit intruded in their lives and plans for the future, it seemed like there would be no future for them, either individually or together.

Some have criticized novels where the main characters seem to be afflicted with "love at first sight."  As one who experienced such in real life, I have no problem with it.  It has been the experienced of myriads of real people that there was kind of a "coming home" when initially with the person who eventually becomes their life partner.  Obviously Brandon and Leanne saw something in each other that was a kind of recognition that their encounters were more than just physical meetings.  Perhaps it was because for the first time they could remember, someone was truly interested in who each of them were, the connection being far more about who the other was rather than the external appearances or performances.  This story brings forward the truth that even good people can be conned by people who manipulate and use others through their physical beauty as did Gillian, but real and lasting love only finds a home in the hearts of those who care more about others than they do themselves. 

Brandon and Leanne stand as icons for those who want to be the best simply because it is the right thing to do, as representatives of individuals who believe that caring about others and seeing to the good of others is far more satisfying than serving one's own selfish ambitions.  This is really a story that highlights the differences between toxic persons and those who give their lives for the authentic attitudes and feelings that make us truly human.  It is also about the hurt people can cause even those they claim to love as they are drawn more to the external appearances than to the expressions of genuine affection. 

I found this story to be far more than the erotic content.  Hot, hot, hot it was, to be sure.  But the eroticism was the servant of the story and that is as it should be.  The story was beautifully written as so very delightful for those of us who not only like the content of a book but delight in the use of language when it is done well.
This book is available from [insert publisher here]. You can buy it here or here in e-format.  This is a novel that will play well with romance lovers and those who like a love story that has substantive connections to real life.

I give this novel a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

his book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Last year Fool's Gold (the fictional Northern California town in Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series) released a holiday e-zine. Now they've released a summer issue. I love these.

Go catch up on what's happening with all our favorite couples! There's also a new recipe.

Rowena's review of Waking Up with the Duke (London's Greatest Lovers, Book 3) by Lorraine Heath.

Hero: Ramsey Seymour, Duke of Ainsley
Heroine: Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort

They are masters of seduction, London's greatest lovers . . .

Renowned for his bedchamber prowess, Ransom Seymour, the Duke of Ainsley, owes a debt to a friend. But the payment expected is most shocking, even to an unrepentant rake—for he's being asked to provide his friend's exquisite wife with what she most dearly covets: a child.

Living for pleasure, they will give their hearts to no one . . .

Lady Jayne Seymour, Marchioness of Walfort, is furious that such a scandalous agreement would be made. If she acquiesces, there must be rules: no kissing . . . and, certainly, no pleasure.

Until love takes them by surprise.

But unexpected things occur with the surprisingly tender duke—especially once Lady Jayne discovers the rogue can make her dream again . . . and Ransom realizes he's found the one woman he truly cannot live without.

Lorraine Heath knows how to bring on the emotions when writing her stories. One of the main reasons I enjoyed the first two books in this series so much was Heath did a wonderful job of making me apart of Westcliff and Stephen's worlds. She made me care about them as people and she did a bang up job of making me come to love them as well. She does that once again with Ainsley's story.

Heath sure knows how to pull at my heart strings with the whole unrequited love thing and I felt Ainsley's guilt and his longing for Jayne as if it were happening to me. We don't get to know Ainsley much in both Westcliff and Stephen's books, in those books he was the younger brother that acted like he was the oldest brother. He was the brother that was forever getting his brothers out of trouble and he's pretty hot dang close to being perfect. In this book, we find out why he is the way that he is.

Of course something happened. Three years ago, Ainsley got the good news that his best friend's wife was pregnant with his heir and they went off to celebrate the happy news. At the end of the night, Ainsley and Walfort get into what would be a modern day drunk driving accident and Walfort is forever changed.

Walfort becomes paralyzed and Ainsley holds the guilt of all of that close to his heart because he was the one that was driving. Walfort can't walk anymore and he can't bed his wife anymore. After the accident, Jayne's (the wife) grief becomes more than she can bear and she loses the baby and with Walfort out of commission, any hopes Jayne had of raising her own family die with the baby.

Of course she blames Ainsley for this. He was driving and he was reckless and he walked away with barely a scratch while her husband can't walk anymore and their lives are forever changed. In an effort to support her husband, Jayne gives up pretty much everything. She gives up hunting, even though she used to love it, she gives up dancing which again, she used to love and she gives up all of these things in the name of love.

Jayne is really loyal to her husband and while that is all fine and dandy, as the story progresses and we realize that Walfort isn't the angel or even the doting husband that he should, her loyalty starts getting on my nerves.

Walfort comes up with this insane idea that Ainsley owes him for the accident and he wants Ainsley to get his wife with child so that he can have his heir and so his wife will have something to live for again. He wants to see her happy again and he thinks a child will do the trick so he asks Ainsley to do this for him.

Ainsley is totally against the stupid plan because it's crazy and because he wants Jayne too much. Ainsley has wanted Jayne from the jump but his friend beat him to the punch. He's longed for Jayne from afar all this time and understands why she hates him even though he wishes she didn't. Watching him battle against his desire for Jayne and his desire to make all of this right made for a good story.

I didn't know how I was going to feel about the whole married woman thing but Heath did a good job of making me okay with the whole story line. I'm not one for cheating but the circumstances with which this story came about made it easier to digest. This is one complicated story and while I went into the story not sure how the heck I was going to like it all, I still enjoyed the story as a whole.

Ainsley was a fabulous hero. He's everything that we knew he'd be from reading the other books and yet, he's so much more. My one gripe with him was that he wasn't honest Jayne when he started falling in love with her about everything that she should have known about. He takes that bros before hoes thing very seriously.

Jayne was a good heroine but there were more than a few times when I wanted to smack some dang sense into her. The whole loyalty to Walfort thing had me gritting my teeth because of everything that we find out. Yes, I understood that he was her husband but the way that she was so sure she didn't want to hurt him made me roll my eyes down the street a few times but heck, I enjoyed the story anyway.

Overall, this book is good and it'll pull at your heartstrings. If you're a fan of the series then you should read this one to continue the series and if you're a fan of Heath's work then I'm sure you'll enjoy this one as well.

Grade: 3.75 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

 Holly's review of A Fool Again by Eloisa James

A Fool Again is the story of Genevieve, who once made a dash to Gretna Greene to marry, but was caught by her father. Now, a few years later, she attends the funeral of her elderly husband (not the man she ran away to marry) and who does she see but The One Who Got Away! Can they make their love work this time around or will Genevieve be A Fool Again?

This was a free Nook download. I'm not a huge EJ fan. I've read a few of her books and enjoyed them, but not so much I find myself anxious to read more. This novella was sweet and simple. I enjoyed it for the most part, though I did have issues. 




Genevieve was ready to marry the man of her dreams after only a few hours, but they were caught on their way to Gretna Green and she was forced to marry an old man instead. He has recently passed away and Genevieve has her cap set on marrying her late husband's business partner. Who, it just so happens, has control of her trust until she marries.

Tobias Darby has been in love with Genevieve since the day they met. He left the country while she was married, but rushed back as soon as he heard she was a widow. He's determined to have her now and nothing will stop him, especially not Genevieve herself.

I enjoyed parts of this, but I never really understood why Genevieve was so in love with her husband's business partner. Therefore I didn't understand the rest of her actions. Especially her stubborn refusal to see the good in the hero. Yes she thought he betrayed her 7 years ago, but even faced with proof of his feelings for her she still refused to admit he was a good man or that they had a future together.

I really liked Tobias and how quick he was willing to cop to his feelings. He understands why Genevieve is upset and truly wants her to be happy. It was hard not to like him, considering. I really liked the parts of the story that focused strictly on Tobias and Genevieve together. When they were getting to know each other. Those scenes were very sweet and made up for some of what was lacking in other areas.

Overall not a bad read considering the length.


3.25/5
 
This book is available from Avon in e-format only. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

My Google Reader sure has been good to me today because I came across this scrumptious looking cover thanks to HelenKay Dimon who posted about it on her blog. What an awesome way to give back to the people who serve this country to keep us safe. I know that I will definitely be buying a copy for myself and maybe some copies to giveaway here on the blog as well.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will go toward the Veterans Medical Research Foundation so really, do the soldiers a good and get yourself a copy, won't you?

The book comes out on November 11, 2011 so you have a bit of a waiting period but with the list of amazing authors that took part in putting this book together, I'm sure you won't be sorry. For the price of one book, you'll be getting stories from the likes of:

For more information, check out SEAL of My Dreams: A Charity Anthology. Sexy SEALs for heroes and a whole lot of great writers in one book? I'm in....are you?

Lori's review of Breaking Point (I-Team book 5) by Pamela Clare

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive.

Betrayed by another operative, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.

Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach's battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.

But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh how I love Pamela Clare's heroes. And, this one had a wonderful heroine as well. Natalie did what she had to, but never ventured into TSTL. She always asked for help when necessary, but used her wits as well. Smart and sexy. With a lot of heartache in her background.

Zach... mmm. He was smart, confident, and I loved how he had to earn the respect of Julian, Gabe, and Marc. And how it took a long time, but he did it, even though he pulled some dumbass moves. He was smart and resourc...moreOh how I love Pamela Clare's heroes. This one had a wonderful heroine as well. Natalie did what she had to, but never ventured into TSTL. She always asked for help when necessary, but used her wits as well. Smart and sexy. With a lot of heartache in her background.

Zach... mmm. He was smart, confident, and I loved how he had to earn the respect of Julian, Gabe, and Marc. And how it took a long time, but he did it, even though he pulled some dumbass moves. He was smart and resourceful. Of course, a former SEAL, why wouldn't he be?

I liked watching them work together and maintain and grow a mutual respect for each other. While Natalie had been through a lot, she wasn't a pushover, and made Zach stop and look into himself. Clare really has a way of getting her heroes to open up and fall at the heroine's feet without emasculating them. Their fears, their tears, their revelations all do nothing to change the raw masculinity that they emit. And while her heroines are strong, competent women, they all keep their vulnerability and their femininity as well.

I dislike it when heroes pull the "I'm not good enough for you" line, which is why Zach left Natalie. But here, Zach had some serious guilt playing on him, and I understood it. I still wanted to smack him up one side and down the other, but I understood it.

I also really enjoyed seeing the camaraderie between the precious I-Team heroes. And how protective they were of Natalie and of their wives.

All in all, another suspenseful winner from Clare, complete with a *gasp* moment that, while it doesn't rival the one in Naked Edge, still made me sit on the edge of my seat.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Series:


You can read more from Lori at I Just Finished Reading...

This book is available from Berkley . You can buy it here or here in e-format.