Book Binge

Rowena: I can't believe October is already knocking at our doors. Halloween is literally right around the corner and then before we know it, it'll be Thanksgiving and Holly will have her baby and then Christmas will be here. Jeez, it'll be a hectic next few months but I'm kind of excited. At the moment, I'm reading Heartstrings and Diamond Rings by Jane Graves. I'm really enjoying it so far so I'm hopeful that it'll be a keeper. After I finish this one, then it's on to Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison. I'm plugging away at my TBR pile so wish me luck on that. =)

Holly: The baby is ruining my reading mojo. I can't concentrate long enough to finish a book in one sitting, and I get so distracted when I set it down I forget to go back. I'm a mess. I did read The Pirate Prince by Gaelen Foley this week. I remember loving it the first time I read it (many years ago) but I had a hard time recalling exactly why. Although I think it held up, the drama and angst were a little much. If you're curious, I live-tweeted while reading. You can check it out on Twitter under the hashtag #ThePiratePrince (http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23ThePiratePrince).

Now I have no idea what to read. I might go through my pile of unread category romances. Maybe reading shorter stories is a better idea right now.

Casee: I just finished reading Blood and Fire by Shannon McKenna. I love Shannon McKenna. After finishing it, it's been hard to find a book to get into. I decided to try Cheri on Top by Susan Donovan. I am hoping it's more like her earlier books. I haven't much liked the last few. We shall see.

What are you reading?

Tracy's review of Romancing the Countess by Ashley March

Sebastian Madinger, the Earl of Wriothesly, thought he'd married the perfect woman-until a fatal accident revealed her betrayal with his best friend. After their deaths, Sebastian is determined to avoid a scandal for the sake of his son. But his best friend's widow is just as determined to cast her mourning veil aside by hosting a party that will surely destroy both their reputations and expose all of his carefully kept secrets...

Leah George has carried the painful knowledge of her husband's affair for almost a year. All she wants now is to enjoy her independence and make a new life for herself-even if that means being ostracized by the Society whose rules she was raised to obey. Now that the rumors are flying, there's only one thing left for Sebastian to do: silence the scandal by enticing the improper widow into becoming a proper wife. But when it comes to matters of the heart, neither Sebastian nor Leah is prepared for the passion they discover in each other's arms....

Leah George should be wracked with grief over the loss of her husband but she feels nothing but relief. She’s known that he was having an affair with his best friend’s wife and the knowledge ate at her every day that he was alive. Leah wants nothing more than to move on with her life – she’s only 20 years old after all – but there are many things and people standing in her way. First there’s society. They expect her to be in widow weeds for a year and she hates that! Then there is her dead husband’s best friend, Sebastian, the Earl of Wriothesly. He wants Leah to say that her husband was just accompanying Sebastian’s wife, Angela, and to quell any rumors of the affair that might appear. She agrees but only because he’s doing it because of his son, Henry. He wants absolutely no speculation that Henry might not be his son.

Leah decides that she needs to break out of the mold a bit and throws a house party just 4 months after Ian’s death. She says to the attendees that the party is to honor Ian and to have them all do the things that he loved to do – but they’re really just things that Leah herself wants to do. Since she only invited those who didn’t know Ian well they have no clue. Sebastian shows up at the house party to berate Leah for her callousness and to try to stop her but he doesn’t succeed. What does happen is that Sebastian finds himself becoming attracted to this woman who was once just an extension of Ian with no personality of her own – but he’s found that’s not who she is at all.

Sebastian himself has been tortured with the knowledge that the wife that he loved and could hardly be away from not only was having an affair but with his best friend. If that wasn’t bad enough Leah says that she has letters that Angela wrote to Ian that state her love for him. Sebastian wants to wallow in his grief but instead he decides to live. He starts spending more time with his son which is a wonderful thing. But then he needs to keep Leah in check – especially when she goes a bit crazy at her house party and people start spreading rumors about not only Leah and Sebastian but also Angela and Ian. In order to stop the rumors Sebastian proposes a marriage to Leah. He states that it is in name only and they won’t consummate the marriage until she’s ready – if she ever is. He tells her it’s because of the rumors and the need for a mother for Henry but he’s really fallen in love with her and wants her near. Leah, though she agrees has issues that stemmed from her marriage with Ian and they are holding her back from truly giving the marriage her all.

This was a very good story that had my attention from start to finish. The tension throughout the book was palpable. From the carriage accident to the house party to the marriage between Sebastian and Leah I could feel whatever the characters were feeling whether it was anxiety, sadness or love.

I have to admit to being confused about Leah for a long time during the book. I understood some of her motivations but for a long while in the story we weren’t given all of the information. The minute everything was brought to light my feelings for her character changed and she became much more likeable. I felt bad for her with regard to her relationship with Ian but was so happy to see her have the possibility with Sebastian who truly loved her.

Sebastian seemed a little obsessed with Angela when I first started the book and I wasn’t sure if I liked him very much. I guess after reading that in the letters she wrote to Ian that she couldn’t stand to be touched by Sebastian any longer I thought maybe Sebastian was a bit dense and blind because how could he not see that? I assume in this case he loved her, never thought badly of her and chose not to notice how she was pulling away from him. I felt as horrible for him as I did Leah after a bit and was quite happy with him when he chose to start living again.

The romance between Leah and Sebastian was not always easy but it was very well written and I enjoyed reading it. The ending was quite satisfying with a conclusion that made me smile. I can say that if you like historical romance you will like this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place


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

Holly's review of Stand-In Wife by Karina Bliss

Playing with dynamite, a girl could get burned…

What does he know about love and marriage? And exactly how did he, Ross Coltrane—a special forces elite soldier and demolitions expert—end up playing middleman to his kid brother and the estranged wif And most important, why is he suddenly noticing how beautiful his sister–in–law is? He's never thought about his brother's wife…that way…before.

Then he figures it out and everything makes sense. This tantalizing woman is the other twin! The identical sisters have pulled a swap and duped everyone around them. Furious much? Oh, yeah. Poised to bring down their plan, Ross hesitates. Something about Vivienne Jansen's courage and zest for life gets to him. Except, he's not a man who has feelings. Everyone calls him the Iceman. He doesn't know how to be anything else…

Buying into the plot of this book took a major suspension of disbelief. Vivienne Jansen comes home from New York to check on her twin sister, whose marriage has fallen apart. Meredith has sounded increasingly depressed and Viv is worried about her. She convinces Merry she needs a change and talks her into going to an interview at a new hospital, an hour away, thinking that Merry getting away from her soon-to-be-ex and his new flame will be good for her.

Unfortunately Merry breaks her leg while there. Viv goes to pick up the kids from her mother-in-law's house and runs into her brother-in-law (Merry's husband's brother), Ross Coltrane. Viv had a thing for him 8 years ago and it hasn't fully gone away. Except Ross mistakes Viv for Merry and throws a lot of accusations at her regarding her marriage. Viv gets defensive and doesn't bother correcting him. Then the mother-in-law falls from a stool and dies, with only Viv as witness. She rushes out and grabs Ross and together they try to revive her.

Now Ross thinks Viv is Merry and Viv goes along with it because Ross threatened her sister's custody arrangement. Viv has to fool her sister's husband, kids and the rest of the family. Not to mention juggle two kids and all the household chores - something she's never had to deal with before. In the midst of this her attraction to Ross is reawakened, she's asked to help plan the mother-in-law's funeral and her sister's husband tries to work on a reconciliation..with the wrong sister.

While this plot could have easily moved into "hot mess" territory, Bliss managed to keep it all straight and make it work. Is it likely this scenario would happen? Probably not. But Bliss sold it to me in a way that made it work despite my disbelief.

Ross is dealing with a lot of built up anger over his last mission where two of his team members in the SAS were killed and he was dragged to safety by a third. His one goal is to get back to 100% physical condition so he can be deployed again. He doesn't have time to deal with his half-brother's almost-ex, or the kids, or any the funeral of his step-mother. Then he realizes he isn't dealing with his brother's wife, but her irresponsible twin sister. Which does, admittedly, make him feel better about the attraction he's been feeling toward her. Or it would, if he could get past his anger at being deceived.

Viv is tired of feeling like a failure next to her perfect twin. Stepping into her life doesn't make her feelings of inadequacy any better, either. I liked Viv's zest for life and the way she tried to see the good in every situation. She was way outside her comfort zone, but she did her best to make it work. I wish she would have stood up for herself sooner and not let herself be so taken advantage of. I do like that she didn't let anyone else get away with anything (ie Ross or her sister's husband).

The romance worked because both Ross and Viv worked on their personal issues throughout the book. This wasn't just a love story, it was also a personal journey for them.

I really loved the family ties of this book. The strong relationships stood out and brought the convoluted plot together.

3.75 out of 5


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

Judith's review of Ecstasy Wears Emeralds by Renee Bernard.

Like all the Jaded Gentleman, Dr. Rowan West may have his secrets, but he's done his best to forgive the ghosts of his past. Until the beautiful Miss Gayle Renshaw appears on his doorstep, jeopardizing his medical practice, his reputation, and, worst of all, his heart.


Having read and reviewed the first two books in this series, I was delighted to be able to read and review this newest addition to the "Jaded Gentlemen" series.

It is a well-established historical fact that women have seldom been allowed to be the pioneers in any scientific field. Madame Curie, of course, is one notable exception, but even her life was overshadowed by the disapproval and professional blocking of her scientific education or carrying out any scientific project. Certainly we all know that women had to wait decades before being given the vote here in the United States, but it was even longer for women to have to wait before being allowed to enter the medical profession as doctors. Even Florence Nightingale, famous for her own "war horse" kinds of efforts to improve the nursing of wounded soldiers, didn't approve of women as doctors. Only after the Civil War were women allowed to pursue a medical education and even then, many individuals would rather be dead than searching out the services of a doctor who happened to be a woman.

This novel takes up the issue of women as doctors. Dr. Rowan West, one of the "Jaded Gentlemen" who survived imprisonment in India, has come home to London and become one of that city's most reknown physicians, mainly because he insists on treating the poor, no matter how poor or how sick, and a doctor who thinks it is OK to inquire of the patient about his/her condition, how they are feeling, what are their symptoms, etc. Strange as it may seem, such empathizing with patients was thought to be silly by the medical establishment.

Now into Dr. West's life comes a woman, previously unknown to him, and one who is not prepared to accept any response to her request in the negative. She wants to be a doctor. As a physician known for his open mind and rather radical way of treating the sick, she plans for him to take her on as an apprentice--the accept method of introducing a person to the practice of medicine. Rowan is understandably reluctant as he knows the response she will encounter when trying to enter the university as a medical student. Gayle Renshaw is one beautiful lady but all that social polish hides a very determined woman, with financial resources, a plan, and some rather distressing personal facts about Rowan's life she is more than willing to use to blackmail him into taking her on as an apprentice. Suffice it to say, Rowan caved as Gayle expected, but what she didn't expect was his efforts to load her down with books and assignments and learning projects designed to get her to become discouraged and drop her whole plan. She didn't. Rowan's anger at being forced into this relationship gradually turns to respect and admiration. It doesn't hurt that she is gorgeous and sexy. What does give him pause is that she is planning never to marry even though their love affair lights up the London sky.

As in the two previous novels in this series, each of the Jaded Gentlemen has to deal with the efforts of an enemy seeking to hurt and destroy this small circle of friends by any means. Those efforts continue and not knowing who will be the next target of the anonymous enemy keeps ramping up the tension, the sense of danger and mystery, and not only keeps the story's characters on edge, but the reader as well. And as I have found to be true throughout this series, Ms Bernard's writing, her crafting of the story, the action and interaction of the characters continues to be consistent, free of those irritating dead spots or seemingly useless pages and pages of introspection, with effective use of descriptive language. Even when the wife of one of the Gentlemen is poisoned and her life hanging by a thread, the expression of the characters' emotions were kept in control so that there was a sense of the tension that most certainly would exist in any such situation.

Part of my reading enjoyment is a story that is well-told, one that is expressed in excellent English, with good use of verbs, adverbs, adjectives, a balanced presence of phrases, sentences that are neither too long or two short. In other words, I appreciate a writer who truly commands the language. Such a writer is Ms Bernard and her novels have been a joy to read from that linguistic standpoint. Yet she also has demonstrated the knack for allowing the language to serve the story, letting the plot and story line to shine through. I am sorry to say that there are good stories which suffer because the writer does not use good writing skills, command of the language, or a sense of good rhetorical expression to make the story come alive.

This story is also about the old wounds that some people carry around, moving on with their lives, but still bearing that hurting at the center of their hearts. Certainly that was the case with Rowan and, I think to some extent, Gayle. For Rowan it was the mysterious death of his fiance while he was in India, a death her mother continued to believe was Rowan's doing. For Gayle, her growing hurt was rooted in her dream of being a doctor. The attitude toward gifted women that was prevalent in Victorian England was like wearing a hair shirt for those who knew they had been given talents and abilities that could benefit people positively. But it was considered improper for gently bred women. Living with those kinds of prohibitions couldn't help but be wounding. And in the case of those wishing to enter the medical profession, the hardcore resistance was generations long. I remember my hubby's response when we were considering going to a woman as our family doctor. I had to remind him that all during my pregnancies it was considered perfectly alright for me to be examined, rather intimately, by a man who wasn't my husband. Why was it any more improper for a man to be examined by a woman?

I found the relationship between Rowan and Gayle to be a bit of challenge for me--I understood her as a hell-raiser and one having the guts to challenge the status quo, but I found her to be just a bit immature in her responses sometimes. Rowan was patient, giving, kind, caring, willing to run himself ragged to help just about anyone, including Gayle. He had put his reputation on the line to do as she asked in taking her on as an apprentice. Yet from time to time she attributed less than noble attitudes and actions to him, mostly because she was prone to "run" with half the story. Not the mindset of a mature person. That being said, I had the sense that throughout the course of the book she "grew up" in many ways, backed away from her impulse thinking, and became far more adept at thinking before she spoke.

While this is a stand alone novel, it is a continuation of the saga of the Jaded Gentlemen and their on-going quest to be finally free of the evil that has followed them from India. It is truly Rowan and Gayle's story even though the other Gentlemen waft in and out of the story from time to time. It is a very good look at the "temper" of the times regarding women and medicine, and it is, as always, a well-researched historical romance that, while it is fiction, could easily be real life. For my money, those are the best kinds of historical novels!

I give this book a 4.25 out of 5

The series:

Rowena's review of Lucky Girl by Cate Lord.

Hero: Nick Mondinello
Heroine: Jessica Devlin

Jessica Devlin isn’t looking for love. Heartbroken after being dumped by her unfaithful ex-fiancé, she’s determined to have a fabulous time during her vacation in England where she’ll be maid-of-honor at her cousin’s wedding. After working overtime as beauty editor of Orlando’s O Tart magazine, avoiding dating, and putting on ten pounds, Jess is ready to toss her past like an empty lipstick tube and party like a single gal. But when she steps into the church on her cousin’s wedding day, she sees the one man who could sabotage her plan—James-Bond-gorgeous Nick Mondinello. She’s never forgotten the London marketing exec who held her in his arms after her beloved grandfather’s funeral two years ago. Ambitious, and lusted after by women everywhere, Nick is completely wrong for guarded, Plain Jane Jess. Could Spy Man Nick ever fall for her? Nope. Not unless Jess is one lucky girl.

What a fun book this turned out to be. It wasn't a book that took itself too seriously but it was still an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Jessica Devlin is a beauty writer for a beauty magazine in Orlando, FL who is on her way to England for two weeks to attend her cousin's wedding and to take a much needed vacation from her life. The last time Jess was in England was for her grandfather's funeral and she was there with her ex-fiance. Her ex-fiance did a real number on her and she's focusing all of her energy on moving on from him. This trip to England is her way of getting away from it all and to play up the single card.

She's ready to have a real good time when she gets to the wedding and when she runs into the one person that she humiliated herself in front of the last time she was in England, her good time stutters. I say stutters because it didn't go away completely, it just stalled for a quick minute or two. Jessica is hoping against everything that Nick, the hottie who held her hair back while she threw up outside the pub two years ago, won't remember how she sobbed her grief over her grandfather's death and then threw up all over the place but she's not that lucky because he tells her in no uncertain terms that he knows her.

The start of her vacation doesn't go as planned when Jess gets it into her mind to go after Nick since he seems interested in her but when some other gorgeous woman slithers herself into Nick's arms, Jess' plans take a back seat because well, she's got her pride and all. So she goes about her business and with the help of her cousins, Charlotte and Anna, she starts to really get into her vacation. She spends time with family, she has girly nights with Charlotte and Anna, she hangs out and she even goes out with a guy named Troy from the wedding. Things are going well for her if only she could forget about hottie Nick and if only he'd stop showing up everywhere she is. Especially if he's going to stare intently at her every time they bump into each other.

The romance that comes together between Nick and Jess was fun. Oh my goodness, their names are Nick and Jessica and I'm totally having flashbacks to Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. That just made me laugh, sorry. Anyway, Nick and Jess were a lot of fun to get to know. Nick was a sexy beast and I wanted to do him every which way and Jessica had me laughing all throughout the book. The way that she just went about everything was so much fun to be apart of and I was delighted to have read this book.

This is one of those quick summer reads that fans of chick lit and contemporary romances will enjoy and I'm glad that I picked it up for review.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is available from Entangled Publishing. You can buy it here.

Holly's review of Unclaimed (Turner Brothers, Book 2) by Courtney Milan

Her only hope for survival…

Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.

Is to ruin the man she loves…

But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs…and the love she knows is impossible.

I considered not finishing this book when, more than halfway through, the heroine was still being dishonest about her motives and intentions with the hero. While I'm glad I finished it, I find her actions - both before he learned of her deceit and after - tarnished the story.

Jessica is a courtesan that can't stand to be touched by men. She needs money to start over somewhere else and the only way she can get it is by ruining the most popular man in England. Mark Turner is supposed to be chaste, but Jessica knows all men have a price. She just has to find his. If she can, she'll receive enough money from her former protector to start a quiet life elsewhere. 

Mark needs a break from the pressure of London and the hordes of adoring fans, so he retires to the country. Which is where he meets the widow Jessica Farleigh. Mark isn't just chaste - he's trying to live a chaste lifestyle. That means doing the right thing because it's right, not because it's fashionable. He isn't a hypocrite. He has needs and desires the same as every other man. He's just chosen not to act on them..because to do so wouldn't be fair to either himself or the lady in question.

Jessica is wounded. Her life hasn't been what she expected it would be and things have only gone from bad to worse. She needs an out, and for a woman in her position life doesn't offer many. I understood that. But I had a hard time connecting with her. Part of the problem is my own hang-up. I can't stand it when a character keeps a massive secret from his/her counterpart for the entire book. Especially when it's something that will cause the other person pain. Since Jessica did this - even having good reasons for doing so - I had a really hard time forgiving her.

Aside from that, I truly enjoyed her personal journey. She needed to learn to like herself. It wasn't always easy, but with Mark's help she was able to recognize her own worth. I found this personal aspect of her story fascinating.

Mark was..well, honestly, Mark was close to perfect. He wasn't just pretending to be a chaste man. He wasn't just pretending to want to do the right thing. He was a flawed man willing to own his mistakes and shortcomings, and to try to overcome them. It wasn't that he wasn't flawed, because he was, but he accepted his flaws.  

This was a well written historical romance that deals very well with the personal journey of the heroine. But I found it somewhat lacking in the romance. Not that I didn't believe in the HEA, but I wasn't invested in them as a couple so much as I was curious about them as individuals.

The romance world needs more heroes like Sir Mark Turner.

3.75 out of 5

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

Judith's review of A Just Deception by Adrienne Giordano.

The protector: Peter Jessup, former Navy SEAL, currently employed by Taylor Security. He likes being the hero—in charge and in control.

His client: Lawyer Isabelle DeRosa. The sexy brunette is the personification of Peter's fantasies. She's willing to get physical but nothing more serious.

The assignment: When Isabelle becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her cousin, Peter is there to protect her and help her find the real killer. Their investigation leads to a big-name charity that seems to draw cultlike followers. Isabelle manages to infiltrate the group and become close to their leader, leaving Peter both jealous and worried for her.

As their search leads to danger, Peter realizes he's falling in love with Isabelle. He wants all of her, but she's too used to guarding herself to let him in…

I was excited when this second book in a series appeared after reading and reviewing the first book Man Law, and found that like many series, some characters were carried over. Not that they are main players in this story, but they give broader scope to the story for those who read the first novel. This is still a stand alone story and any reader new to this series or this author will still enjoy and be able to get everything out of this novel that I think the author intended.

That being said, we meet an operative who has come to that dangerous edge many people face who are in the protection "game" and where the inner person needs some R & R to recoup their humanity and sense of perspective. So it was with Peter Jessup, effective and lethal, yet hurting in body and soul at the loss of two of his buddies. Both deaths were tough even though when operatives with this agency are called upon to do "off the radar" government assignments there is always the danger that there will be lives lost. Yet Peter is in that bad place where he is blaming himself for the loss of his friends. His head tells him otherwise, but his heart is still grieving. His family is affluent but intrusive, so it is not a happy guy who is told by his boss to go home and rest, relax, be on vacation because he is "off the clock."

Enter Isabelle DeRosa, close personal friend of one of the agency's owners, who is once again being stalked by her cousin who abused and sexually assaulted her in her teens and who has been shielded by Isabelle's uncle. Believing that it is simply a matter of supervising the installation of a security system, Peter is asked to oversee this seemingly innocuous project. After all, Isabelle lives close by. But it isn't too long--a day or two--when problems arise. Peter meets the cousin and forms a very negative opinion. Then Isabelle and Peter receive the news that the cousin has been murdered and Isabelle is suspected, especially when it becomes known that the cousin had again threatened her safety. Now the plot thickens and begins to involve both Peter and Isabelle in an undercover project to find out the exact nature of the cousin's "charity" and to answer a whole host of questions and inconsistencies related to that property and so-called charitable non-profit organization.

This is a fine novel, written beautifully, well-edited, put together with a sure hand, and one that will keep the reader right on the edge. There is a pervasive sense of evil about the organization that puts Isabelle's teeth on edge as she infiltrates the property, going in as the cousin openly, but really trying to find out some answers and resolve some mysteries--some of which crop up after her arrival. Her cousin's partner gives her the willies and openly ogles her at every opportunity. Hidden in a local motel, Peter monitors Isabelle's activities along with another operative, a man with whom Peter has exchanged some heated punches in the past, but who is very good at what he does. However, underneath all the cloak and dagger stuff is a sort of on-again-off-again love story between Isabelle and Peter, one that the reader won't really know much about other than it seems to be a right now sort of thing rather than a long term relationship. That seems to be the way both Isabelle and Peter want it, isn't it?

Both these characters are hurting, fearful about the future, needing to trust but not really sure how to do that, needing to move past old hurts and griefs but not really sure how to do that either. Neither seem to be able to walk away from one another and sometimes that causes complications. It is not a simplistic love story at all. And surrounding this tentative and uneasy relationship is the situation with the murder, suspicion of being the culprit, the almost gut-level belief that nothing that her cousin was involved in could possibly be on the up and up, and the mysterious disappearance of a congresswoman's daughter. It's a very involved story with multiple strands that the reader holds like reins of a team of horses, and they must be juggled as the story progresses. Truthfully, it's my kind of story.

The bottom line? Peter is what many would call a "man's man" with all the machismo and blood/guts that special ops/former Navy SEALs are known for, yet he needs the softness of Isabelle's understanding and comforting. On the other hand, Isabelle has been used and abused and is bound and determined that no one, most especially a man, is going to get the control of her life. Yet she needs Peter's strength, his support and his sheltering arms when things get really "hairy." They must walk this rocky path together and work pretty hard to try to find a way to resolve a whole host of points where they can't seem to find resolution. There are no simple solutions, but in life there rarely are. This author has not backed away from the cost that men in dangerous endeavors must pay when they put their lives, their souls, their peace of mind on the line. There are also the difficulties that persist when victims of sexual abuse are not given the understanding and support by those closest to them.


So I recommend this riveting novel to those who like a love story that isn't syrupy and cloying, who want the grit and edge when getting down to the place where good collides with pure evil, and who want a book that will exercise the brain as well as entertain. You've got it with this book.

I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

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

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

Tracy’s review of Must Love Lycans (Broken Heart Vampires #8) by Michele Bardsley

Since the moment Damien showed up-gloriously naked-Kelsey Morningstone has been having a hard time keeping her relationship with the clinic's latest amnesiac patient strictly professional. Even with her empathy abilities Kelsey's not sure she can get past Damien's anger to find the cause of his delusions. After all, falling for a patient is bad enough, but falling for a patient who thinks he's a werewolf is a whole other kind of crazy...


Kelsey Morningstone doesn’t feel like she’s quite qualified to run an entire clinic, especially with the background she’s had but she’s doing it anyway. Of course seeing one’s patients pace naked in their cells makes for quite a nice diversion. She’s pretty impressed with the new guy’s physique but after finding out that he things he’s a werewolf she’s not sure what to think. It doesn’t stop her from going to him thought and he draws her like no one else she’s ever met.

When he breaks from his apartment to seek her out and then bites her to claim her she’s not sure what to think. After she awakens from a bout of what she thinks is the flu she’s ready to break free of the clinic and break Damien the I-think-I’m-a-werewolf guy out as well.

Damien ends up saving Kelsey instead of the other way around. He ends up taking her to Broken Heart to protect her from her boss at the clinic who also wanted to claim her. The problem is is that when Damien bit Kelsey he started the change in her – which has never happened before – werewolves are born, not made. Yet Kelsey’s boss injected her with something that is fighting the change and no one knows if she’s survive or not. There are things that can be done to save Kelsey’s life but neither Damien nor Kelsey are sure that they can be accomplished in enough time to save her life.

Let me start with Damien and Kelsey’s relationship. I really liked them together. They had a great chemistry and Damien seemed that he was a more light-hearted person when he was with her. He tended to keep people at arm’s length and I loved how Kelsey just flat out told him that he couldn’t be “statue man” with her. He just had to come clean with his thoughts and feelings.

The other parts of the book were darker than previous Broken Heart books I’ve read. There were new prophesies that had to be dealt with and the issue of Damien and his brother’s birth and coming clean about who his parents were. We also were privy to Kelsey’s volatile relationship with her mother and frankly I wasn’t too impressed with it. I felt that it was not a part of the book that furthered the story and I wasn’t sure why it was brought up. Yes, Kelsey had a history with her mother that was bad but furthering the bad blood didn’t do anything for me. There was definitely humor in the story as we’re used to from Bardsley but not quite as much.

Overall it was a good story and worth reading, especially if you’ve been reading the whole series. Hopefully we’ll get to hear more about Drake and Darrius (Damien’s brothers) in future books.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place



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

Judith's review of The Heart of a Hero by Barbara Wallace

How to heal a hero…



Zoe Hamilton is the kind of woman who seems to gravitate toward needy people.  Her recent divorce from a grasping and financially needy golf pro wannabe is a case in point, and she just wants to put some distance between her past and her present.  Her solution is to buy the summer home where she remembers fun times while growing up and where she hopes to recoup the good times in her lives.  What she doesn't plan on is the state in which she finds the house, the lack of maintenance given the property, and the need to do some repairs almost immediately in order to even be able to live in the house.  When inquiring at the local hardware store--only one in miles in a community that is quite small when the summer vacationers are missing--and she finds out that her unfriendly, hermit-like neighbor is the only person who has the skills to do home repairs.  So whether Zoe wants it or not, she is thrown together with her neighbor Jake, a veteran of the Middle East conflict, and one who has not intention of even carrying on a conversation with her, much less allowing her to penetrate his walls of silence.

Jake, on the other hand, is a deeply troubled veteran who has become convinced that he has lost his chance for happiness.  With the failure to bring his soldiers home safely, Jake believes he doesn't deserve to be happy and has enclosed himself in a prison of silence.  He resents Zoe's attempt to break through and works very diligently to drive her away.  He needs the money he earns as a handyman, but he doesn't appreciate her efforts to get friendly.  He is dreading the coming of the summer residents--they just make noise and steal his silence from him.  He also rejects any efforts by the local veterans' organization to involve him in any activities.  He is indeed the quintessential "leave me alone" guy.

This is a wonderful novel that highlights the damage that war does to good men and women and the wreckage of their inner spirits that they must live with when they return to their civilian lives.  Obviously it is worse for some than for others, but for those in a command position seem to bear an even greater burden of sorrow over those under their care and whose lives were lost.  The whole issue of "survivor's guilt" is only in the past several decades being understood as the powerful force which has defeated so many good people.  So Jake had a considerable load of trouble on his heart and spirit and Zoe's efforts to break into his prison of silence only seemed to him to be another invasion he had to fight.  I found it interesting that she approached the difficulty as one who just extended caring and friendship.  While it appeared that Jake was successfully rejecting her efforts and her, the reader is aware that Jake's castle of silence was slowly coming apart--not very fast, to be sure, but it was buckling under the assault of Zoe's sweet spirit and openness to him, however he projected himself.

This is a romance novel, pure and simple.  But the themes of deep neediness, Zoe's wounds and her disappointment with herself, her anger over being used by her ex, and her hope that Jake could become a more settled person permeate the narrative.  Jake's recalcitrant nature, his growling and closed off demeanor stand in sharp contrast to Zoe's open and giving spirit.  She is even willing to brave his deepest displeasure if she could involve some of the other veterans in Jake's life, knowing that they have had to battle the same demons and have found a way out of the shadows.  Ms Wallace is a new writer for me but I found that she did a masterful job in telling Jake and Zoe's story and in making the reader not only a part of their tender love story as well as making all of aware of the wounds that soldiers carry around long after the shooting is past.

This is a Harlequin romance that is quite good and one that is in touch with our times and the people who must live in our world.  Readers who love a good love story will like this book a lot.  A good story, interesting characters, themes that are contemporary and which relate to the world's current situations, and a writing style that is readable and which flows seamlessly from chapter to chapter and scene to scene.  Don't miss this one; you will be glad you didn't.

I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

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


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

Remember this post?

If you planned to enter the writing contest and it fell off your radar then you're in luck because the powers that be, the ones running the contest have extended the deadline to enter the contest. The new deadline is October 15, 2011.

So if you've got a manuscript that fits the description and you want some professionals to take a look at it, send your writing in. They want to hear from you!

To recap what you might remember from the previous post that I put up, check it out:

Debbie Macomber Inspired Short Romance Fiction Writing Contest:

Winning Entry will be published as part of Avon’s “Family Affair” paperback and e-book in July 2012!

NEW YORK, NY, August 9, 2011 – To celebrate the 2012 mass market publication of Family Affair, a novella by #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber, Avon Books is hosting a Debbie Macomber-inspired online writing contest! Aspiring writers who participate in the “Make Your Dreams Come True” contest may find themselves enjoying an “American Idol”-type moment, as the winner receives a cash prize of $500, and the winning entry will be published in the back matter of the paperback and e-book edition of Family Affair, going on-sale in July 2012. In addition, the grand prize winner may also be offered an Avon Impulse publishing contract!

“This is a great opportunity for a new voice in romance to be discovered,” says Liate Stehlik, Senior Vice President and Publisher of William Morrow/Avon Books. “It’s the publishing equivalent of ‘American Idol’ – entries will be reviewed by Avon editors, and the winner will be picked by Debbie Macomber herself. The possible exposure is amazing: the author is beloved by readers around the globe, and this short story could be read by millions of her fans.”

Avon Books executive editor Lucia Macro states, “We’re hoping to discover a new voice in romance. We’re so excited to work with Debbie on this contest, and publish the winning entry along with the heartwarming novella Family Affair.”

Contests entrants should go online to www.familyaffaircontest.com to submit their 20,000 – 25,000 word short story. Entries should be written in a style that complements Macomber’s own gentle, uplifting work.

Book Page attests, “When it comes to creating a special place and memorable, honorable characters, nobody does it better than Macomber,” and the Chicago Tribune notes that Macomber’s books “(glow) with genuine goodness and great emotional warmth.”

The Grand Prize of the “Make Your Dreams Come True” writing contest receives a $500 cash prize and is eligible for an Avon Impulse publishing contract. Three finalists will receive a collection of Avon Romances (approximate retail value: $100).

“Make Your Dreams Come True” Contest Rules and Entry Procedure:

No purchase is necessary. To enter, complete the entry form at www.familyaffaircontest.com. Entrants will need to provide a short story in the Romance genre, as well as their full name, postal address, e-mail address, phone number, and date of birth. Multiple entries are automatically disqualified, and only the first entry will be considered.

The contest is open to all legal residents of the United States, 21 years of age and older by August 1, 2011, excluding anyone who has ever received compensation in excess of $100 for publication of a work of prose fiction and employees and immediate family members of Avon, and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, assigns, advertising, promotional and fulfillment agents, attorneys, and other representatives and the persons with whom each of the above are domiciled.

Story Requirements

Story submissions must satisfy all of the following requirements:

• The story must be in the Romance genre and have a low-level of sensuality without any explicit love scenes.
• The story must not have been previously published in any form or media, including posting in any manner on the internet.
• Prose romantic fiction only; poetry, plays, screenplays, and non-fiction are not acceptable.
• English language only.
• No less than 20,000 words and no longer than 25,000 words.
• No images or illustrations of any kind.
• No curse words or depictions of vulgar behavior.
• An original work created solely by you without any material that violates or infringes another's rights, including but not limited to material that violates privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright infringement.
• The story must be in a Word or PDF file when submitted.
  

A submission that does not satisfy all of the above requirements will be disqualified without notification.

Avon Impulse further reserves the right to publish the story of the Grand Prize Winner and/or the other finalists as described above, but shall have no obligation to do so.

Entry Period:

The Contest will commence on August 9, 2011 (9 a.m. ET). The last entry will be accepted on October 15, 2011 (5:00 p.m. ET).

Selection and Notification of Winners:

Three Finalists will be selected by a panel of two judges, who will be professional editors selected by Avon. Entries will be judged based upon the following criteria: (1) Plot (40%), (2) Character Development (30%), and (3) Literary Style (30%). The three finalists will be chosen on or about October 15, 2011. All potential winners will be notified by e-mail. Potential winners may be required to sign and return to Avon an affidavit of eligibility and release of liability (the "Affidavit"), and, if the Affidavit is not returned within seven days of notification, the potential winner will be deemed to have forfeited the prize, and an alternate potential winner will be chosen.

Based on the judging criteria above, Debbie Macomber will select the Grand Prize Winner from among the finalists. The winner will be announced on or about November 15, 2011.

Prizes:

Each of the three finalists will receive a collection of Avon Romances. Approximate retail value: $100.

The Grand Prize Winner will also receive a cash payment of $500.

Total approximate prizing value for contest: $800.

Only one prize will be awarded per individual, family, or household. All prizes are non-transferable and cannot be sold or redeemed for cash. Avon may substitute a cash payment of equal or greater value for the prize. Any federal, state, or local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner.

More information and complete contest rules available online at www.familyaffaircontest.com.

Don't miss the opportunity to have your work seen by the professionals. This is a writing opportunity that you don't want to miss!

Good luck!

Rowena's review of To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell.

Hero: Zack McLaren
Heroine: Ellie Kendall

Jill Mansell is one of the biggest authors of women's fiction in the UK with a growing audience in the U.S. Her appeal lies in her poignant, funny, romantic love stories with secondary characters from different generations that draw a huge female audience from 16 to 60, and the kind of plot twists and complications that make every book a pageturner. Newly widowed Ellie moves to London's glamorous Primrose Hill to start over, and life is looking up. But her new boss, Zack McLaren, is terribly distracting as he does everything he can to win her attention and her affection.

Jill Mansell did another wonderful job of sucking me into the lives of the characters she created. In To the Moon and Back, we meet Ellie as she goes from living the life of a happily married woman to putting her life back together again as she loses the husband she loved so much.

Mansell always does a wonderful job of making me connect with her characters and that wasn't any different with this book. I've dealt with the death of a loved one and I saw my thoughts and reactions mirrored with Ellie's thoughts and reactions in this book. The denial and the grief, followed by the need to blame someone (even when there really isn't anyone to blame) took me back to a few months ago when I was going through the same thing with the death of my Mother. There isn't anything that could bring them back but that doesn't stop you from wanting it and it doesn't stop you from having conversations with that person even though they're gone.

Ellie was a well rounded character that I related to and connected with on so many levels. She definitely made this book just that much more enjoyable and I'm glad that I picked this book up for review because it showed that it may take time but you'll move on. You won't want to and you won't lose sight of the people you lost but you will pick up the pieces of your life and move on.

As with all of Jill Mansell's books, her secondary characters stand out. They're all so wonderfully three-dimensional and I absolutely loved them all. From Roo and Todd to Tony and his love interest (dang, I forgot her name)- they all made this story just that much enjoyable and I really enjoyed getting to know the whole lot of them. It's never hard to fall into a Jill Mansell book and while I haven't loved every single one of her books, I did love this one.

Kudos to Jill Mansell on another wonderfully written story that had me tearing up, smiling and laughing more times than I can count. It's an enjoyable read and I so recommend it to fans of chick lit, women's fiction, romance and British characters. This is a good one.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5.

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

Ames' review of Mere Mortals by Erastes.

Orphaned Crispin Thorne has been taken as ward by Philip Smallwood, a man he's never met, and is transplanted from his private school to Smallwood's house on an island on the beautiful but coldly remote, Horsey Mere in Norfolk.

Upon his arrival, he finds that he's not the only young man given a fresh start. Myles Graham, and Jude Middleton are there before him, and as their benefactor is away, they soon form alliances and friendships, as they speculate on why they've been given this new life. Who is Philip Smallwood? Why has he given them such a fabulous new life? What secrets does the house hold-and what is it that the Doctor seems to know?

Mere Mortals was a very interesting gothic tale. Right from the beginning we are immersed in this mysterious, dark, almost foreboding atmosphere.  Told from Crispin's point of view, I was intrigued with the mystery and loved how the setting (Norfolk countryside) really played a key role in the story.

Crispin is an orphan and has been raised in a boarding school.  When he was caught with another boy, he thought for sure he'd be booted out with nothing to his name.  But such was not the case.  Crispin became the ward of the mysterious Phillip Smallwood and after completing his final year at school, Crispin went to live with his benefactor, a man whom he'd never met.

When he arrives in Bittern's Reach, Crispin meets two other young men whom Phillip became benefactors to:  Jude Middleton and Myles Graham. And it's not too long before Crispin realizes both these men prefer the company of other men as well.  And then they meet their mysterious benefactor.  Phillip quickly sets their schedules up-they are to continue schooling, but they will also receive training in other areas, to be young gentleman.  He even decides on their clothing.  Despite this regimented schedule, the men do have a certain freedom on Phillip's estate.  Unfortunately for them, living in Norfolk, to go anywhere else, they need to travel by boat.  Keeps them isolated.

As the story progresses, the setting and atmosphere really work well together to engender a feeling of quiet menace below the surface of their lives.  There's something off a bit with the way everything is going down and Crispin isn't quite sure what.  And the what is a bit of a surprise.  I was so engrossed in Crispin's tale and since it's from his point of view we only have the same clues he does to work with.  I thought it all came together in a satisfying way.  I really enjoyed Crispin's character and thought the other characters were well done too.  But the real star of this novel was the setting.  Erastes did such a good job of placing us in that Norfolk countryside.  That really set the mood for the story, and not in an obvious way.

If you're in the mood for a gothic historical m/m, I recommend Mere Mortals. 4 out of 5

 This book is available from Lethe Press. You can buy it here in e-format.

Holly's review of Hunters: Heart and Soul (The Hunters, Books 9 and 10) by Shiloh Walker

In the shades of night, when the evil are free to seduce the weak and indulge their desires, there are still those who will fight to the death for the innocent. They are The Hunters. They are at the heart of a sensuous and strange new world…

Two men. Two women. Paranormal warriors and eternal lovers who keep the undead in line by destroying those who have gone rogue. They serve as Judge, Jury, and Executioner. They are as merciless as their prey. And they are its soul.

But in this strange enclave of midnight retribution, some discover a hunger they’d never imagined, a love that crosses unnatural boundaries, and a blood reckoning with a damnable past that could save the Hunters or destroy them.

This is two long awaited novellas in one. Mike and Leandra and Malachi and Kelsey. I recently read the short story, Malachi, and was dying to finally get his HEA. I'd recommend you read that short story before this one.

 Mike and Leandra - I've been excited for their story for awhile, though I confess I picked this up because I wanted to read about Malachi. I wasn't disappointed. Mike was just what I expected him to be..strong, caring and everything Leandra needed. Leandra I became frustrated with at times, simply because I wanted her to wake up and realize what she had (both figuratively and literally). I do love how strong she was and that Walker made her journey one worth reading.

3.75 out of 5

Malachi and Kelsey - The way Mal kept running away pissed me off. He was a grown man, yet he kept storming off in a huff. Otherwise I really enjoyed this. The romance was well done, though I think it would have benefited from a longer page count. More focus should have been on the couple. I really liked the storyline.

3.5 out of 5

Strong characters and interesting plots made for a great read.

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

Holly: It's been another slow reading week for me. I blame the pregnancy brain. I just can't stay focused on one thing very long - including reading. Plus, my husband and I are currently doing a Sons of Anarchy Marathon, so that's taking up a lot of our time.

Yesterday I re-read England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch. I love that book. It's probably in my top 5 all time favorite historicals. It isn't a perfect novel - the heroine is frustrating at times and the mystery plot rather weak - but the hero and his personal journey is so touching! That makes up for any flaws the story might have. I really recommend you read it if you haven't already.

Earlier in the week I read Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl. I'm surprised at how well Dahl transformed a character I didn't care for much in the previous two books. Eric was stubborn, sanctimonious and honestly not very nice in Good Girls Don't and Bad Boys Do. I expected to dislike him in this novel as well..but Dahl made me come to care for him. Sadly, much of the rest of the novel fell flat. Especially the siblings and their relationship.

Today I'm going to start Isabella and The English Witch by Loretta Chase. I found this book at the UBS when Ames was visiting. I'm excited to read both stories.

Rowena: I've gotten some serious reading done this week and I'm happy for that because one of my reading goals for the week was to get my NetGalley review stack down. This week alone, I've knocked out five books and I'm glad for it. I finished reading Something So Right by Elyse Mady (review and guest blog to come soon), The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross, In Total Surrender by Anne Mallory, Unclaimed by Courtney Milan and Only His by Susan Mallery. I enjoyed all of them but I think of the four, I enjoyed Only His the least. I adored the romance between Tucker and Nevada but everything else (meaning all of the couples from previous books) had me rolling my eyes down the street.

Next up on my list is What a Duke Wants by Lavinia Kent and There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones, I've started the first and I will start the second over the weekend.

What are you reading?

Judith's review of Red's Hot Cowboy (Spikes & Spurs #2) by Carolyn Brown

When Pearl Richland inherits her aunt's 1950s motel she returns to her roots. Tired of the big city, she's ready for small town life, especially when sexy cowboy Wil Marshall comes in to escape an ice storm. Pearl never thought she'd turn in her high heels and start dating a cowboy, but Wil's got an awful lot to offer if a girl's available for a whole lot of fun, sizzle, and unexpected trouble...

Ok, so I'm into cowboys right at the moment and that is just the way it is! I never thought I would be--there have been many years when I looked at an American historical or contemporary "Western" novel and just shuddered. No way, no how! Just give me another gorgeous Regency historical and I'll be a happy camper, or so I said. Yet I find myself enjoying American historicals more and more and as well as gravitating toward those tall, broad-shouldered, dark, handsome, mysterious cowboy types. Go figure.

In the process I have discovered some really good books and some very good authors. I think Carolyn Brown is one of those. This particular novel is the second book in her "Spikes and Spurs" series. The main characters are completely new and references to the first book are not very obvious unless the reader has read that first novel: Love Drunk Cowboy. This is definitely a stand alone book. Yet it bears the marks of good writing, unique characters, sparkling repartee, humor, and an underlying emotional stream that also embraces a social ill or two.

Another reason I liked this book will be obvious to anyone who knows me personally--as a redhead I had a really hard time when people referred to me as "Red." I would invariably respond: "That's not my name!!" The only person who got away with that was my favorite uncle who I adored, who I saw very little because of geographical location, and who always treated me like I was his daughter (as he had no children of his own). Anyone else got a dirty look and perhaps a few well-chosen "not nice" words. So it was with this heroine. Pearl just didn't like it, period! And she made her feelings known whenever the occasion arose. She finally caved and allowed Wil to call her that because of his solicitous care and kindness when she sustained a mild concussion and multiple bruises after a bad fall. And I think she became more and more accepting of his calling her by this nickname because her feelings for Wil were getting warmer as time went on.

This story is really about the need for a very bright, very driven woman to make her own way in the world even though her education, family expectations, and career path seemed to be pointing in a different direction. Throughout the narrative Pearl reasserted her desire, her need to be her own person, even though her refined, Georgia-raised aristocratic mother seemed unable to accept her for who she was. Pearl loved being the owner of an old motel in a little burg in Texas rather than an up and coming banking executive. She loved opening her doors to people of all kinds, of being a part of an "underground" effort to protect abused women and children, of using her mind and resources to live her own style. She loved driving a vintage Cadillac, of sharing her cat with Lucy who lived and worked at her motel, of sharing her life with her best friends, of using her inheritance to allow a best friend to launch her own dream. Pearl was her own person and she was determined to remain so.

Yet Pearl's heart was no longer satisfied with the thrill of the chase, the flirting, the dizzy tingles of lust and first attraction. She knew she had to face her past, her collection of "demons" associated with love, her fears of being once again abandoned by someone to whom she had given her heart. Both she and Wil needed to trust--I think she more than Wil, really--and recognize that being with one man, especially a man to whom she was precious, was what she desired and for which she hungered more than anything.

I really love a good story, a good love story--to be exact--but a story that brings in lots of interesting side issues. This novel does just that. Pearl's good friend Austin (whose story is featured in the first book) is still lurking. But Pearl's best childhood friend, Jasmine, is a woman who also had a dream and the account of her "liberation" is a part of this novel is a way that does not take away from Pearl and Wil's story, but really enhances the reader's understanding of how Pearl's mind works and her degree of loyalty to those who have stood by her through thick and thin. Austin's two bachelor brothers-in-law are hanging around, wafting in and out of the narrative, actually being present to put just a bit of pressure on Wil to make up his mind about his relationship with Pearl, not a presence to be taken lightly, as it turns out. Both those guys would have loved to date the beautiful redhead. (Raylen's and Dewar's stories are coming up in future books, I have a feeling.) I think you'll like Pearl's grandmother and great-aunt Kate--two very open-minded and open-hearted women who bicker constantly about tradition vs modern thinking where women are concerned, and their responses to Wil are just a hoot!

If you like cowboys, I think you'll like this series and this book. Just lots of fun, good relationship, fun family scenes, the push-pull of a growing relationship between two people who have been around for a while and who feel a growing need to be "settled." It is about friendship and loyalty, generosity and healing, kindness and caring, and lots of good humor. It is the kind of book I found incredibly satisfying for an afternoon read and one I am delighted to have encountered. This novel will be turning up in stores very soon if not already on the shelves, and I encourage you to get it.

I give this novel a rating of 4.25 out of 4

Tracy’s review of In the Heat of the Bite (Regency Vampyres Trilogy #2) by Lydia Dare

Chivalry is far from undead...

Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, is one of the few men in the ton who can claim to be a knight in shining armor- because that's precisely what he was before being turned into a vampyre. When he spies a damsel in distress in the midst of a storm in Hyde Park, his natural instinct is to rush to her aid...

But not every woman needs to be rescued...

Weather-controlling witch Rhiannon Sinclair isn't caught in a storm-she's the cause of it. She's mortified to have been caught making trouble by the imposing earl, but she doesn't need any man-never has, and is sure she never will...

But when Rhiannon encounters Matthew again, her powers go awry and his supernatural abilities run amok. Between the two of them, the ton is thrown into an uproar. There's never been a more tempestuous scandal...

Rhiannon follows her sister to London thinking to save her from her aunt who is not a nice person and is more likely to sell her to the highest bidder rather than find her a love or even a proper match. But when she gets to London she finds that her aunt won’t even let her see Ginny. In her sadness Rhiannon heads to Hyde Park where she throws a bit of a temper tantrum and when Rhiannon does that you never know what’s going to happen. You see Rhiannon is par of a coven of witches and she’s a weather-born witch. She can make it rain, hail, or even strike people with bolts of lightning.

Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, and vampyre sees Rhiannon in the park and is entranced by her. He finds himself more than attracted to the woman and escorts her home. Of course she’s staying at her fellow witches house and that witch is married to a Lycan who is quite protective of her and doesn’t like the vampyre at all.

Rhiannon wants to look after her sister and devises a plan where Matthew is pretending to court her so that she can be found more respectable and therefore able to attend the same balls that her sister attends. But Matthew wants it to go further and make it a real engagement. The problem is that he doesn’t find that he can because of so many reasons. He will outlive her and he can’t give her children. Soon, however, Matthew finds that she’s the only one that he can feed from and this proves to be a problem when Rhiannon is surrounded by so many Lycans. Fortunately magic is on Matthew’s side and he soon finds that nothing will stand his way to Rhiannon.

Another nice addition to the series by Lydia Dare. This story sets us in London rather than Scotland which was a bit different. I find that I like the stories set in Scotland as all the witches are Scottish and they just seem to fit better there.

I really liked Matthew in this book more than I did Rhiannon. He was strong, honorable and just a darned likable guy. Rhiannon was nice and a fine character but she really didn’t stand out in any particular way – even with the weather thing. She was very emotional as shown to us by all the storms she created but other than that…there was nothing to make her stand out among heroines.

I also was quite aware of how being respectable and proper was important in this book but the woman were running around without chaperone’s and Rhiannon would go out walking with Matthew or get into his carriage with no consequences. I think I’ve had regency etiquette put into my head so much by the many historicals that I read that the lack really showed in this story.

Again, a cute story but really not all that much different than the book right before it in the series. Good characters and all but with much the same story as the first book in the trilogy.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The series:


You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

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