Pam's Review: Unwrapped anthology

Unwrapped
~Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman,Kate Angell

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Brava
Publish Date: September 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0758251327
ISBN-13: 978-0758251329
ASIN: B005CRY8JK

From Goodreads:
From the streets of Chicago to the back roads of Kentucky to the wild dunes of a Scottish isle, mistletoe and mischief are this season's hottest gifts...

Blue Christmas
While a blizzard blankets the world outside, Blue Farrow burrows into the arms of her highway hunk at the No Tell Motel. The road might be closed for dangerous conditions, but the couple navigates their own Kentucky Christmas curves. Nice and oh-so-naughty, Blue and her man open up to each other as they keep the Yule log burning.

Santa in a Kilt
The wind-whipped December sands of the isle of Kinloch invigorate Kira McLeod as she sets out to tame rugged Shay Callaghan, a Scottish bachelor as wary of a wedding ring as a snowman is of the hot sun. It'll take all the wiles of the canny islanders to weave a perfect Celtic Christmas for all....

Snow Angel
Snowed under in Chicago, free spirit Allie is trapped in Dutton's department store on Christmas Eve when the lights go off and the holiday romance heats up. Our snow angel finds herself face to face with the dashing Aiden, the heir to the retail riches and her host for a night of winter wonder...

Hmmmm, a Christmas anthology. Three romantic stories, one book, with Christmas as the theme? Sounds good right? Well, it mostly was; let me break it down by story:

Blue Christmas by Erin McCarthy
This was my first time reading anything by Erin McCarthy, but it most certainly will not be my last. I read Blue Christmas, approximately 90 pages, in one sitting. The main character'’s name is Blue, and she meets her leading man with fate’s help of a car accident due to a massive snow storm. (Fortunately no one was hurt). The storm is so bad that both of them have to stay the night at a local hotel. See where this is going? This was a great story with fantastic writing, and if I were to rate it by itself it would be a five star story.

Santa in a Kilt by Donna Kauffman 
The only reason I read this story all the way through was because it was only a hundred pages. I'’ll be honest; this one took me a few days to read because I was so bored. The story is about Shay Callaghan and Kira McLeod. They both have emotional baggage; Kira was hurt from a divorce, and Shay is wary of relationships because he sees couples downfalls in his profession as a divorce attorney. Not only is the story boring, but random things happened that had nothing to do with the plot, and left me saying to myself, why did I have to read those extra pages? Anyways, if I were to rate this story by itself, it would be a one.

Snow Angel by Kate Angell 
This is a Christmassy story that starts out on the ski slopes. Allie loves skiing and meets a handsome man named Aiden; they end up having a one night fling. Allie wakes up and gets scared; her feelings are way too strong for him. So she leaves him before he wakes up. Neither of them could find each other if they wanted to; they didn’t know each other'’s last names. Three years later they bump into each other and have a little snowbound time together. I really liked this story. It felt warm and romantic. This alone would be a four.

So, two out of three great stories is why this book only got a three star rating from me. It would have received a much higher one if not for Santa in a Kilt (the story, wink wink).



My Rating:3 stars Pam
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Say You'll Be Mine by Julia Amante

Say You'll Be Mine
~Jullia Amante

Paperback: 384 pages 
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 
Publish Date: October 25, 2011 
ISBN-10: 0446581631 
ISBN-13: 978-0446581639 
ASIN: B004QZ9PGU
From Goodreads:
Isabel Gallegos, owner and CEO of Gallegos Wines is tired of always being responsible. Tending to everyone else's needs before her own has left her divorced, unhappy, and unfulfilled. The winery had been her parents dream, but never hers, though she devoted herself to making it a success. After much thought, Isabel decides to sell the winery, move to the beach, and finally take back her life.

But just as these changes are about to take place, Isabel's cousin and her husband are killed and she becomes the legal guardian to their three young children. Convinced this must be a mistake, Isabel returns to Argentina, intent on finding a more suitable home—and parent—for the kids. But as she spends time getting reacquainted with her family and her past, the decision to return to her own life grows complicated. Should she bring the children home with her, or find a way for them to stay in Argentina? Should she stay with them? Can she really give up her own dream, just as she's about to realize it?

Isabel Gallegos is tired of taking care of everyone but herself. From helping her parents with their winery for decades to dealing with her alcoholic husband (now ex-husband), she’s had enough. She is tired of being selfless and thinks it is about time she starts being selfish and acquire what she actually wants for a change, which happens to be to sell her family’s winery and retire to take some time just for herself. Things are headed in that direction; she has some interested buyers in her business. Then Isabel gets some shocking news; her cousin has died and left her the guardian of her three children. Isabel sees this as just another bump in the road that she will take care of before retirement, but sometimes life and love have other plans.

My thoughts:
This story started out okay. It took me a long time to really get into it, long as in about 200 pages. However, once I did the rest of the book sucked me in and I stayed up reading until 4:30am by accident! The characters and the story just snuck up on me, and I couldn’t stop reading until I got to the end.

Isabel isn’t my favorite protagonist, but I don’t really dislike her either. I can see where she is coming from, sometimes. For example, her cousin Brenda, who died and left her the kids, lived in Argentina where Isabel is from. Isabel currently lives in America, and has for some time now. I understand that she was ready to retire and finally do what she wanted to do, but some of the decisions she made with these kids were pretty bad. Granted, she is not a mother and all of this came at her out of the blue; she was bound to make mistakes. But some of these mistakes make her seem pretty cold hearted.

As I mentioned before, the last hundred or so pages flew by because I was so involved in the story. So while Say You’ll Be Mine started out as an okay book, it ended up being good which is why I gave it 3 stars.



My Rating:3 starsPam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Dreaming of the Wolf by Terry Spear

Dreaming of the Wolf
~Terry Spear 

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (December 6, 2011) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 1402245556 
ISBN-13: 978-1402245558 
ASIN: B005UF0V7C 

From Goodreads:
Werewolf pack leader Jake Silver is an acclaimed photographer. He sees a beautiful woman at the art gallery where his photos are on display, and his intrigue turns into wolfish protectiveness. Alicia Greiston has never met anyone like Jake-he's sexy, alpha, and totally irresistible, and he calls to something primal in her soul.

Alicia Greiston is a bounty hunter.  She's working a big case, trying to bring in two hardened mob criminals.  This case is personal, they killed her mother and Alicia is determined to put them away.  They'll stop at nothing though, and after a threat to Jake, the gorgeous guy she's falling for, she's got to go into hiding to protect him.

Jake Silver is triplet-brother to the pack Alpha, Darien.  He's in town, dropping off his landscape photos at an art gallery.  When he comes across a young lady who seems to be in trouble, he pretends to be her boyfriend in order to scare off the guys threatening her.  He's intrigued by this woman, and wants to get to know her better, but he knows it's pointless since she's human.  But he can't get her out of his mind, and after a fabulous afternoon of amazing sex, she disappears...but then he starts dreaming about her - every night.  And when he gets a call that she might be back in town, he goes looking for her.  What he finds changes everything...

My thoughts:
Dreaming of the Wolf is the 8th book in Terry Spears' Heart of the Wolf series.  You can definitely read this book as a stand-alone, although Silver Town and it's inhabitants are featured in previous books.  It's actually nice to see how Darien and Lelandi are doing since their book, Destiny of the Wolf (book 2).

I must admit I had a hard time starting this book, Alicia was a bit annoying and the mob tie-in was a bit fantastical (But werewolves aren't?  I know, I know!), but as I read on I started to like Alicia more.  The other thing that put me off at first was that the romance happened a bit quickly - like the same day they met.  But, once they were separated and the story progressed, I fell into it and enjoyed their dream sharing.  Then, when they got together again it felt "right".  I should also mention here that the sex in Dreaming of the Wolf is pretty hot *winks*.

There were some plot twists I didn't see coming, which always makes me a happy reader.  I liked how Jake and his brothers helped Alicia with her problems - both being a new wolf and her legal issues that kept cropping up related to her bounty-hunting the mobsters.

The other thing I liked about Dreaming of the Wolf is that the secondary characters are not just wooden cut-outs.  They're interesting and bring depth and humor to the story; there were several characters I wouldn't mind seeing get their own book.

Dreaming of the Wolf is a nice installment to the Heart of the Wolf series.  I'm hoping we'll see more of Silver Town and it's residents soon.



My Rating: 
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Sins of the Highlander by Connie Mason with Mia Marlowe

Sins of the Highlander
~Connie Mason with Mia Marlowe


Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
Publish Date: January 1, 2012 
ISBN-10: 1402261829 
ISBN-13: 978-1402261824

From Goodreads:
“Mad Rob” MacLaren thought stealing his enemy’s bride-to-be was the perfect revenge. But he never reckoned that this beautiful, innocent lass would waken the part of him he thought dead and buried with his wife. Against all reason, Rob longs to introduce the luscious Elspeth Stewart to the pleasures of the flesh, to make her his and only his forever. 


Even with her gift of the Sight, never had Elspeth Stewart imagined her wedding would be interrupted by a darkhaired stranger charging in on a black stallion, scooping her into his arms, and carrying her off across the wild Scottish highlands. With two clans against them burning for battle, they must find a way to join together–body, breath, and soul. Or both will be made to pay for the Sins of the Highlander.

Elspeth Stewart is getting married.  Her groom is the leader of a neighboring clan and her father has arranged the marriage to benefit both clans.  While they're standing at the altar, in rides "Mad Rob" MacLaren, stealing her from the altar and riding off with her!!!

MacLaren doesn't care about Elspeth, he's avenging his dead wife.   Elspeth's betrothed, Lachlan Drummond, is responsible for MacLauren's wife's tragic death.  His plan is to steal and keep her, thereby having some measure of revenge and embarassing Drummond in the process.  What he doesn't count on are the feelings he gets when he's around Elspeth, feelings he hasn't had since his wife died...

My thoughts:
I've been in the mood for Highlander Romances lately, and Sins of the Highlander was a captivating read.  (<-- no pun intended, lol)

I liked Elspeth - although she was an innocent maiden, she had a head on her shoulders and was a quick thinker.  She was constantly planning how to save herself or her loved ones in a manner that was well-thought out and reasonable, not full of fluff like some historical heroines.  Was she always right?  Well, no, but it's the planning, not the execution, that counts, right? Er...moving on...

MacLaren was not as swoon-worthy as I would have liked.  For one, he's supposed to be a clan leader, which I would think would require a keen eye for detail, yet he didn't notice Elspeth dropping her scraps of clothes for her father/fiance to find or notice a rope strung across the river to stop their voyage.  But, he did grow on me, and his inner turmoil regarding his feelings for Elspeth vs. his feelings for his deceased wife made me sympathetic towards their reaching an HEA.

I should also mention Sins of the Highlander contains some hot sexual tension and an interesting plot twist near the end that had me hurrying ahead to see how the book would end!


My Rating: 
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Quest 
~Colleen Houck 


Hardcover: 496 pages 
Publisher: Splinter 
Publish Date: June 7, 2011 
ISBN-10: 140278404X 
ISBN-13: 978-1402784040

From the author's website:
Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest--this time with Ren's dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger's Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER'S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them. 
Buy here.

 ***Spoilers if you haven’t read book one, Tiger’s Curse!***

Kelsey decides to leave India and go back home to Oregon. She finds many surprises on her return trip, such as a house that was bought for her, and that someone already enrolled her in college. Believing that she and Ren were through, Kelsey begins dating a few young men. While she starts to wonder if she could ever feel the same way with anyone as she did with Ren, something unexpected happens. Ren shows up in America and tries to win her back. Will things finally fall into place for them?

My thoughts:
There was much, much, much more to the story then the brief summary I gave, but there is a great deal that I could potentially give away, and I don’t want to do that. I didn’t like this book as much as the first one. It was good, not great. This book has great reviews, so why am I not feeling it? I think one reason is the immaturity of Kelsey. I know she is only a teenager, and I mentioned how it bothered me in my review of the first book as well. I do feel like she starts to mature though; so there is hope.

There was so much going on in this book that I shouldn’t have been able to put it down. But I did put it down, and I was never in a rush to read it until the last hundred pages or so when it finally got a hold on me. The story is really good; I just couldn’t always connect with the characters. I didn’t always feel like their feelings were believable.

However, as said on page 478:

“Just because you can’t see the star doesn’t mean it’s not there. It might be hidden from view for a while, but you can rest assured that it still shines brightly somewhere.” 

The last hundred pages really picked up to the point where I finished the book, and then picked up the third book, Tiger’s Voyage, immediately. So while this wasn’t my favorite book, the series is starting to have more of a hold on me. Not only are the characters finally starting to evolve and mature, but I believe the author’s writing style is as well.

Stay tuned. Review for book three, Tiger’s Voyage, to come soon.




My Rating:Pam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson

Utterly Charming 
~Kristine Grayson 

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
Publish Date: October 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402248512 
ISBN-13: 978-1402248511 
ASIN: B005EU50K6 

From Goodreads:
Bestselling author Kristine Grayson's fairy tale romances bring the classic stories into the present day, where fairy tale characters must grapple with the complexities of modern life as well as their own destinies.

This time when Sleeping Beauty wakes up, she wants nothing to do with the man who kissed her. Consoling Alex Blackstone, the rejected suitor who is a brilliant magician but inept when it comes to women, falls to modern career woman and lawyer, Nora Barr. Nora now has to deal with Beauty's evil stepmother, and the discovery that Alex just might be her own personal Prince Charming...

Nora Barr is a young attorney who decided to open her own practice instead of joining a big law firm out of law school.  Money's running short because she doesn't have a lot of clients, so when Aethelstan (Alex) Blackstone shows up in her building looking for an attorney, she agrees to talk to him.  It turns out he's trying to contact a dear friend in a coma, but the friend's guardian won't let him near her.  He is not related to this friend, nor does he have any sort of custody, so Nora tells him she can't help him and sends him on his way.  A few days later, Nora gets a call from Alex's friend telling her he's in desperate need of an attorney and to come right away.

What follows is a story about true love and what happens when you get what you think you want.

My thoughts:
I kept expecting this story follow Sleeping Beauty and that's not at all what happened....

Nora is a tough attorney, even though she looks like a cheerleader.  I like that she doesn't let anyone walk all over her - even magical beings who could turn her into a frog, lol.  She's practical, except where Alex is concerned, something about him just keeps Nora off-center.  But not so off-center that she doesn't continue to do what she thinks is right.

Alex did not grow on me as much as he could have.  His blind infatuation with Emma (the close friend in a coma), I think, in part was responsible for this - how can a romance grow and develop with Nora while he is pursuing Emma?

I loved Alex's friend, Sancho - he was funny and vividly written; I loved the scenes he was involved in! Sancho was the kind of wise but irreverent secondary character who lights up the page.

Utterly Charming was a fun, modern twist to a traditional fairy tale, full of magical characters learning to navigate life the 20th century.  A cute, light read.



My Rating:
The first book in this series, Wickedly Charming, is currently free in ebook format from your favorite retailers through October 9!
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review and A Giveaway: Chosen by Paula Bradley

Chosen

~Paula Bradley



 Paperback: 334 pages

Publisher: Fiction Studios (August 16, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1936558106

ISBN-13: 978-1936558100

ASIN: B00551ASGK



From Goodreads:

Shy and introverted Mariah Carpenter has concealed a hidden talent from childhood that, according to her mother, would brand her a freak. Now a fateful encounter has caused her secret skill—an extraordinary psychic ability—to become greatly enhanced. Suddenly, she has a purpose for her gift, as her vision gives her the ability to find kidnapped children telepathically. But is this a blessing or a curse? When Mariah’s fourth finding is filmed by the FBI and the recording is stolen and sold to a broadcast journalist, Mariah’s worst nightmare becomes a reality. She is acclaimed worldwide as a saint and messenger from God—and vilified as the Antichrist whose powers must be quelled. Meanwhile, another government agency has its own covert agenda for Mariah…. In the midst of all of this, Mariah has a series of horrifying nightmares, culminating in the discovery of an ingenious serial killer, one who somehow prevents Mariah from finding out who and where he is. Locating this murderer before he kills again becomes Mariah’s obsession, one that threatens to consume her––and could even destroy her. Chosen introduces readers to a remarkably complex, achingly human, and absolutely unforgettable heroine. Bursting with tension, danger, and the thrill of the unexplained, Chosen is a singular reading experience.

Mariah swallows almost two dozen Restoril pills with the intention of killing herself. She is stunned when she wakes up the next morning, very much alive. However, something happened to her while she was sleeping, something she refers to as the ‘visitation.’ As she confides what happened to her friend, he thinks that this was something miraculous and prompts her to talk to the minister of his church. Michael, the minister, also thinks that this was God’s doing, a miracle. And soon Mariah finds a new home in the church along with singing in the choir. A short while after the ‘visitation’ another unusual occurrence happens that leads Mariah on a psychic sort of journey to find a kidnapped victim. When these psychic like episodes continue Mariah really does not believe that God is behind these events after all….



My Thoughts:

Well, I can definitely say that this book is unique and I have never read anything like it before. It was a good story that kept me interested most of the time, but there were some parts that didn’t fit, and some things that were missing. For instance, Mariah tries to kill herself, and what happens? People think it’s a miracle that she survived, but no one addresses the problem of her wanting to end her life! I just couldn’t fathom it. If my friend tried to kill herself, even if I thought it was a miracle she survived, you better believe I would call a close family member and make her get professional help. Also, sometimes there were too many people for me to keep track of, and the friend that she confided in about her suicide doesn’t get mentioned a second time until so much later in the book that I didn’t remember who he was.




On to the positive; I cannot figure out what is on the cover of this book, and it really creeps me out, which I believe is the intention. As Mariah’s psychic abilities increase, she begins to have different sort of dreams, and some of them even made me scared reading them by myself at night. It takes some pretty good writing to have that kind of frightening effect on me. Also, as mentioned before, this story is definitely one of a kind. You’re not going to read it and have it feel familiar to you.



If you’re looking for a different sort of story, one that may frighten you at times, while at the same time keeping you wanting more, then you should give Chosen a try.

 My Rating:

Pam

Thanks to the lovely ladies over at Media Muscle, 

we have a copy of Chosen to give away to one lucky reader!  Simply leave a comment stating you want to win this book.  

US addresses only.  Contest ends 9/22.

Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Red's Hot Cowboy by Carolyn Brown

Red's Hot Cowboy 

~Carolyn Brown 



Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publish Date: August 1, 2011 

ISBN-10: 1402253613 

ISBN-13: 978-1402253614 

ASIN: B0057H76V2 



 
From Goodreads:

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...

Pearl Richland has given up her job as a loan officer in a large bank, and has decided to run the motel her great aunt Perlita left her in her will.  She's tired of watching other people pursue their dreams and has decided  it's her turn.  She's enjoying running the hotel, even if it does leave her tired and with no time to go out and have fun.  A winter storm knocks the power out in the next city over, and suddenly her little motel is full.  The last guest to check in, Wil Marshall, is one handsome cowboy, even if he did call her Red.  But Pearl has no time for handsome cowboys, she's got a motel to run.



The next morning, however, the motel is overrun by police, looking for Wil, claiming he murdered someone during the night.  Pearl knows he didn't do it, and heads down to the police station to say so.  After a few hours, Wil is released and the police admit they made a mistake.



Wil appreciates her assistance, but has no plans to pursue any sort of relationship with Pearl other than a thank-you dinner.  Pearl doesn't even want that, she's too busy.   Neither can get the other out of their mind, though, and they start talking by phone, then go out a few tiimes, and by the time they realize they're head over heels for each other it's too late to slow down.



My thoughts:

This was a cute read, neither Pearl nor Wil were looking for romance, it just happened.  I have to say, one of the parts I loved about Red's Hot Cowboy was how they'd talk and flirt on the phone just like an old fashioned romance, and had a few kisses before anything else happened.  Their comraderie and friendship was refreshing to read.



I enjoyed seeing Pearl's cousin Austin again, from the first book in this series, Love Drunk Cowboy, and getting to check in on how she and Rye are doing.  We also get to see Rye's family again (I'm looking forward to his brothers' stories)



That being said, I had a little trouble with the dialogue...I think it was because there were so many times contractions were not used ("you are" instead of "you're") it just felt awkward and pulled me out of the story.  I also didn't see the conflict very well:  Wil was worried Pearl wouldn't want to settle down with one cowboy, but I didn't really see what was holding Pearl back.



All in all though, a light, cute read.  Fans of Ms. Brown's books will enjoy Red's Hot Cowboy and be anxious for the next installment in the series, Darn Good Cowboy Christmas, featuring Rye's brother Raylen (*whew!* that should be good!)

 My Rating:

Book received from the pubisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: A Gentleman Never Tells by Amelia Grey

A Gentleman Never Tells
~Amelia Grey

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publish Date: July 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402239750
ISBN-13: 978-1402239755
ASIN: B00514OWVI

From the author's website:
When a lady is in a predicament...

Beautiful, clever and courageous Lady Gabrielle thwarts the shackles of her arranged betrothal by kissing a stranger in the park. But who is this man? Finding herself stuck in yet another forced engagement Gabrielle needs another strategy that isn’t so dangerous.

A gentleman may find himself in deep trouble...
Brentwood is walking in the park early one morning when a beautiful, enchanting young lady walks out of the mist and into his arms. Now Brent has no choice but to marry the delightful Lady Gabrielle. Unfortunately his intended bride has other ideas, and the determined Viscount finds himself plunging into one scandal after another.

Viscount Brentwood (Brent) is walking his mother's dog, Prissy, though Hyde Park when he runs into a beautiful young lady who is accompanied by an extremely large dog.  They exchange a few words, and then - she kisses him!!!  Before he knows what happened, her father and her fiancee's father are there, demanding to know how long they've been secretly meeting.  Naturally Gabrielle's engagement is called off and Gabrielle's father, the Duke of Windergreen, demands that Brent marry her to salvage her honor.  He threatens Brent's younger brothers' new shipping company if he does not comply. In the confusion, Prissy runs away.


Lady Gabrielle just caught her younger sister kissing Gabrielle's fiancee!  Distraught, she takes her mastiff, Brutus, for a walk through Hyde Park.  She comes upon a gentleman walking a tiny dog, and after a few minutes, leans in and kisses him!  She doesn't have explanation for her behavior, she was overcome with curiosity and kissed him, and she liked it.  She's pleased she'll no longer have to wed her fiancee, but when her father informs her she'll be marrying Brent instead she is horrified - she doesn't want to be forced to marry.

As Gabrielle works to convince Brent that he doesn't want to marry her, he realizes more and more that he does.  Gabrielle wants a husband that wants her, not one that's being forced to marry her.

My thoughts:
A Gentleman Never Tells was adorable!  I liked both Gabrielle and Brent, they were honorable characters without being saccharinely so.  It was funny to watch their story unfold from each of their viewpoints, if only they would have communicated more with each other!  The secondary storyline revolving around Prissy being missing was a nice diversion to get these two to spend time together.  I liked that the H/H were both dog lovers.

With respect to the secondary characters - they were a juicy bunch!  Gabrielle's sister and ex-fiancee totally deserved each other; that's all I'm saying about that.  Brent's younger twin brothers were rakish fun - I hope they each get a story.  Gabrielle's aunt, who came down to visit for the-wedding-that-didn't-happen, is one of those characters who is insightful and fun.  I hope now that she's in London she'll continue to try the Duke's patience!

All in all, A Gentleman Never Tells is a sweet story featuring an adorable couple, their canine companions, a feisty pair of twins, and a mysterious pet thief.  


My Rating:




This book was received by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Sunset Bridge by Emilie Richards

Sunset Bridge
~Emilie Richards

Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Mira
Publish Date: June 28, 2011
ISBN-10: 0778312380
ISBN-13: 978-0778312383
ASIN: B004Z2I4XO

From the author's website:
Five very different women find friendship–and unexpected love–on the barrier island known as Happiness Key.

Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she's formed with her tenants: Wanda, the wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner. Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day. Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter. Maggie, Wanda's daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy's own.

The new man in Tracy's life hasn't mentioned love or commitment–and suddenly Tracy needs a big dose of both. Janya longs to be a mother–and inherits two young siblings to care for. Alice may lose her beloved granddaughter to someone no one expected. Maggie helps out at Wanda's Wonderful Pies, but is the kitchen big enough for both Gray women when one of them is looking for a murderer?

As a tropical storm brews, the wind carries surprises and secrets over the bridge to Happiness Key. Now, more than ever, five friends will discover just how much they need one another.

Sunset Bridge is the third book in a trilogy about the lives of four women living in a small community in Florida:

Tracy Deloche lived a life of luxury until her husband was arrested for fraud and the feds took almost everything they owned. Tracy has been dating Marsh Egan, a conservation activist, for a few months,and has just found out she's pregnant.  She doesn't know yet if Marsh cares for her, but she knows she wants this baby.

WandaGray is an older woman who used to be a waitress but fulfilled her dream of opening her own pie shop. Wanda's daughter, Maggie, has just quit her job as a police officer in Miami and left her long-term boyfriend to come to Happiness Key to help her mother in her pie shop and to think.  Her boyfriend still wants her in his life, and she's also met someone else who might be fun to spend some time with.

Janya Kapur is a young wife from India who loves her husband although it was an arranged marriage. Janya wants children but previously learned her husband is unable to have children.  When a horrible tragedy strikes a young couple they've recently met, their young children are left in the care of Janya and her husband.  But Janya and her husband are sure the tragedy is not what it seems at first glance.

Alice, a grandmother who's unexpectedly raising her teenaged granddaughter. Alice is tired.  She's getting older and is having a hard time keeping up with the demands of being parent to a teenage girl.

These women have formed a close friendship in their tiny community of five homes on the island of Happiness Key. 

My thoughts:
Whew! There's a lot going on in Sunset Bridge! I did not read the first book in this series, Happiness Key, but I did read Book 2, Fortunate Harbor, so I knew who the characters are and where they are in life.

I liked the pacing in this book. With so many stories to keep track of, normally I'd be all over the place trying to keep track of who was where, but with Sunset Bridge that wasn't a problem. It felt like the story was moving slowly but there was so much going on that I stayed interested.  I liked the introduction of Wanda's daughter, Maggie. She's the kind of character that I don't usually see in women's fiction (I have not read too many books in this genre so don't hold me to that) and I really liked her character - tough, self sufficient, stubborn to a fault; but she's also smart, good-hearted and helpful. It was her involvement in Janya's part of the book that I was most interested in.

I liked all the characters except Tracy: Tracy is the character I had a problem with in Fortunate Harbor.  This time around her weight was pretty low-key but her attitude towards Marsh really drove me nuts.  Other than Tracy though, I liked the women and their quiet support of each other.  Their weekly meals together, their willingness to assist, even their occasional snaps at each other, all shows the reader a family, if not in name.

Sunset Bridge ends with a bang - I was flipping pages quickly as the occupants of Happiness Key were cast about in a chain of events that left them (and me) breathless; it was a wonderful end to the trilogy. Oh, and for those who read Fortunate Harbor, there's a nice little blip about the owners of the restaurant that fired Wanda; it was the best thing that ever happened to her!




My Rating:

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Dark Awakening by Kendra Leigh Castle

Dark Awakening
~Kendra Leigh Castle

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: July 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1609418379
ISBN-13: 978-1609418373
ASIN: B004T4M5TC

From the author's website:
Tynan MacGillivray has spent the better part of his three hundred years serving at the pleasure of the queen of the Ptolemy dynasty, her prized hunter in a world where blood is destiny. But the lowblood cat-shifter gets far more than he bargained for when his new target, a human woman whose rare abilities make her the only hope for saving the greatest of the vampire dynasties, turns out to be far more than she seems. Lily Quinn is an innocent whose beauty hides secrets that could change the world of night forever…and Ty will have to choose between the loyalty that has kept him alive, or a love that promises more than he ever imagined…if it doesn’t destroy them both.

The story:
Tynan MacGillivray is a vampire.  In the vampire world, there are several sects; Ty is a "lowblood", a cat shifter who works for the Queen of the Ptolemy. Someone has sent a Mulo, a crazy dead thing, to attack the Ptolemy when they are in groups - effectively killing off the sect.  As their numbers dwindle, the Queen has sent Ty on a quest to find a Seer; someone who will be able to tell them who sent the Mulo and where to find  it so they can destroy it.

Lily Quinn lives a boring life that she's happy with.  Ever since "the incident" when she was a child, she's known she's different, so she tries hard to fit in and be normal.  She meets a handsome stranger at a friend's ghost hunt party, but after a searing kiss he quickly disappears.  She meets him again a few days later in the parking lot where she teaches, and their meeting leaves her unsettled. When she gets home, she is attacked by a vampire, and she loses control of her carefully compressed emotions, causing damage to everything in the room.

Lily reluctantly goes with Ty once they figure out there is more than one vampire sect looking for her. They travel through the underbelly of vampire society, trying to find answers about why the Queen really sent Ty on his quest.  Things are not what they seem and he finds he's reluctant to deliver Lily to the Queen, but if he doesn't, the Ptolemy may die out forever.

My thoughts:
I am a fan of Ms. Castle's MacInnes Werewolves trilogy, so when I saw that she had a new series coming out, I was thrilled!  I knew that this book would be nothing like her previous books, so I had no illusions going in.

That being said, I really didn't enjoy this story as much as I would have liked to.  I really liked the idea of different dynasties of vampires, and their potential for conflict and interaction, but I felt like the author didn't pursue this part of the storyline as much as she could have.  We learn there are different  dynasties and they don't get along, but that was about it. Tynan is a vampire who can shapeshift into a cat, placing him at the bottom of the vampire "caste" system. 

I was also disappointed in Tynan's character - he seemed to be more a shapeshifter who was called a vampire, but I never really saw any vampiness.  This could have been due to the fact that he was constantly referred to as a cat, but it seemed to me like all his vampire action took place "offstage".

I did like was the Lilith storyline, although again I felt like it could have been fleshed out a bit more.  I'm wondering if possibly due to the worldbuildling some aspects of the story had to be sacrificed?  I'm hoping the next book in the series, Midnight Reckoning, will be more character oriented since the world has already been established.  Midnight Reckoning will feature Ty's friend Jaden, who's story is hinted at briefly in Dark Awakening.

My Rating:

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Bastian by Elizabeth Amber

Bastian (Lords of Satyr, Book 6)
~Elizabeth Amber

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Kensington Aphrodisia
Publish Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0758241305
ISBN-13: 978-0758241306

From the author's website:
Man-gods born to live and love forever, the Lords of Satyr are renowned for their sexual prowess…and unquenchable lust…

Call My Name

The forum excavations in Rome go on, directed by the iron-willed, charismatic Lord Bastian Satyr. Out of nowhere, a mysterious, haunting voice calls out to him…and lures him to the site of a long-vanished temple, where vestal virgins once performed rites of erotic surrender. The temple is the find of his career, but his heart is about to face the unknown…

Michaela is a pure Ephemeral. She can enter the bodies of others—and become any woman a man might wish to possess. His choice is her pleasure. And the commanding and utterly virile Bastian is the only man she desires…

Silvia has been traveling the earth for centuries - she was the virgin servant of the goddess Vesta, along with 11 other "sisters".  Part of their duties to the goddess was to keep her fire lit, and they were each entrusted a sacred stone to keep in the fire pit.  When the temple was destroyed, the girls fled, and the stones were scattered.  She's now charged by the evil Pontifex to find the stones.  He's imprisoned her sisters and he's getting impatient.  Silvia's best friend, Michaela, left the sisterhood and has taken her human form permanently; she's fallen in love with Bastian, one of the last remaining Satyrs.

Bastian Satyr has been excavating the ruins of Vesta's virgins, and Silvia needs to help him along, thinking she'll find the stones.  Using her ability to possess a body near death, she take the form of a young street urchin, and in that body gets to know Bastian much better - he really is as wonderful as Michaela says he is.  Silvia is beginning to fall for Bastian too, but between Michaela's affections for him and her own vow of chastity, she resists.  When tragedy befalls Michaela, she begs Silvia to take her body and make love to Bastian.

In fulfilling her best friends dying wish, Silvia experiences a sensual new world that leaves her wanting more of what she knows she can't have. Between trying to outsmart Bastian to find the stones, and trying to keep the Pontifex from getting the stones, Silvia is having quite a time of it. Bastian eventually figures out who she is and wants to help her, but she refuses.  Silvia is torn - should she choose a human life of happiness with Bastian or find the stones and turn them over to the Pontifex in the hopes that he might free her sisters?

Elizabeth Amber has created a fascinating world with her Lords of Satyr. The creatures of Else World, a parallel world to Earth, is in turns sultry and scary:  There are the Satyrs - four sexy brothers who protect the gate between worlds, and on the other side is The Pontifex, a disgusting, sex-starved denizen in Else World. Bastian was an interesting story, I liked the ancient ruins as a setting - I could easily envision the dust in the air and men digging, finding pieces of history and cataloging their treasures. The scenes with Bastian and Silvia as a young boy were wonderfully written and fun.  Once she lost the boy's body, though, I got frustrated with Sylvia's "body hopping" (she can only spend a month in each body) - I wanted her to take her human form for Bastian.

The erotic aspect of Bastian was very, very sensual. Silvia's ability to possess other bodies made for quite a bit of variation in the sex play. There was some f/f and m/m activity, which I wasn't expecting. And yes, this is the series where the hero has two penises, but in this particular book that plays a very small part. Bastian is the second book I've read in this series and I'd like to go back and read the earlier stories of his brothers.

My Rating:

This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review and Giveaway - Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Forgotten
~Cat Patrick

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN-10: 0316094617
ISBN-13: 978-0316094610

From the publisher's website:
What if every day when you woke up, you had no recollection of the days before?

Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can “remember” are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you’d easily forget, but try as she might, London can’t find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it’s time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting – before it destroys her future.

Forgotten has a very unique and interesting premise:  a teenage girl who "remembers" events in the future but can't recall past events from even a day before.  Every night she leaves herself notes in a journal - what she'll wear the next day, who she talked to, if she has a test coming up.  For someone with such a difficult "condition", she seems like a pretty well-balanced kid.  She's got a best friend  and seems social enough in school.  London has a great sense of humor and is a genuinely likeable heroine.

When she meets Luke, a cute new boy in school, it's instant attraction.  I liked the way she'd write about him in her journal so she knew about him and expected to see him, but every day was like seeing him for the first time.  I really liked Luke's character, he was considerate and seemed to be a sweet kid, not some obnoxious kid looking for sex or an ego stroke.  He's keeping a secret that is kind of surprising, and I loved him all the more for it, even if London didn't.

London's friendship with her BFF Jamie takes a bit of a rough turn when Jamie gets involved in an adult situation, and I didn't like the way the author let London maneuver things so that someone else handled the problem for her.  I felt that for a young adult book there could have been a better course of action that London should have taken.

As if the normal teenage drama with friends and boyfriends isn't enough, London is having weird repeating dreams about a funeral and trying to hunt down clues about it's significance.  I had a couple of nagging questions while reading the book, and once London was able to figure out the dream,  many of the questions I'd had while reading were answered when the mystery was solved.

Forgotten is a sweet, sometimes sad but always hopeful journey through a short period in one girl's unusual life.  As I read along, I found myself wondering what I would write every night if it was me who would lose my memory - What were the important happenings of the day I'd feel were important to remember and what would be okay to let go forever?  The ending is happy but a bit open ended; I think there could easily be enough of London's story left for a sequel.  I'd certainly like to know what the future has in store for her.

My Rating:

  Thanks to Little, Brown and Company Teens, I have two copies of Forgotten to give away!  To enter, leave a comment and a way to reach you. Following is not required but is always appreciated.  Giveaway ends July 1.  US addresses only.

Watch one of London's video diaries:

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

New Reviewer Pam: Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn

Please join me in welcoming Pam, who has graciously offered her reviewing skillz to Book Addict.  When she's not reading, Pam plays the piano, kayacks, and is a chocoholic.  She stays up late to read, averaging around 3am, which is how she came up with the name @moonlightreader for twitter - go say hi!

Laird of the Mist
~Paula Quinn

Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: December 1, 2007
ISBN-10: 0446619124
ISBN-13: 978-0446619127

From Goodreads:
PROTECTING HER WAS HIS PASSION
High-born though she is, Kate Campbell isn't afraid to draw her sword. When raiders strike, she rushes into the fray...and is lucky when a mysterious Highlander shields her from a deadly blow. Swept onto his stallion, she soon discovers that her rescuer is her clan's most hated enemy; Callum MacGregor, the man they call The Devil. Yet she cannot ignore his achingly tender touch or the way his fiery gaze leaves her breathless.

POSSESSING HER WOULD BE HIS PLEASURE
Callum MacGregor has taken many Campbell lives, but he's never saved one ;until now. Mesmerized by this spirited lass, he wants her by his side, even if it means holding her for ransom. As his fingers graze her sumptuous curves and tangle in her unruly tresses, Callum realizes Kate Campbell is his most dangerous foe of all. For he can't make love to her without betraying his kinsmen and his honor...and surrendering his heart forever.

Pam's review:

When I was scrolling through my nook and this book popped up on an advertisement for a steal of 99 cents, I was like, why not? It’s my first read by Paula Quinn and the first book of a series. I’m always looking for a new series to escape in.

The book pulls you right in Kate Campbell’s world where she is practicing her ax-fighting skills right before her home is caught in a raid. Callum MacGregor (aka: The Devil), her clan’s enemy, happens to intervene just in time to save Kate’s life. She ends up being taken as a hostage although she is definitely not treated like one. Kate grew up with horror stories of Callum and how he killed members of her clan. She soon realizes that there is more to the stories she grew up with and perhaps not all of them hold truth.

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be a great romance with decent character development and a good plot. The character development while good, is also a bit one sided favoring Callum. The reader got to know what made Callum who he is, but I felt as though Kate’s character development got put on the back burner. The secondary characters in the book were likeable and made me smile; like Callum’s sister, Maggie, who was adamant about not eating meat, and very caring for her animals. However, without giving anything away, by the middle to two thirds of the book I just wanted it to be over already. I knew where the story was going and what was going to happen but the story just turned into the run of the mill at that point.

It’s disappointing because it started out so great and unique, but then it felt too familiar like it was something I had already read. Because of that, I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars.


  Pam

Review: Beg for Mercy by Jami Alden

Beg for Mercy
~Jami Alden

Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: May 31, 2011
ISBN-10: 0446572802
ISBN-13: 978-0446572804
ASIN: B00495ZE5S

From Goodreads:
Megan Flynn thought she was falling in love. Cole Williams wasn't just handsome and passionate, he was one of the good guys. Or so she thought, until he arrested her brother-the only family she has left-for a murder she knows he couldn't have possibly committed. Now, with her heart broken and her brother's life hanging in the balance, Megan will risk everything to prove his innocence. Even if that means throwing herself into the path of a sadistic killer with a hauntingly familiar MO.

Seattle Detective Cole Williams had given up on making Megan see reason where her brother is concerned. But when she insinuates herself into the most shockingly brutal case Cole has ever worked, he can't stand idly by. Plunged into a secret world where the city's elite indulge their darkest desires, Cole will do whatever it takes to bring down a madman who has made Megan his most coveted prey.

Megan Flynn's brother Sean has been convicted of a horrible murder.  She knows he's innocent, but can't prove it.  He's been sentenced to death and is done appealing his sentence.  Megan can't accept that her brother is going to die for a crime he didn't commit, and is determined to save him.

Cole Williams is a cop - the cop who arrested Megan's brother for murder.  He and Megan had been dating at the time, and after the arrest their relationship ended after it was made public.  He's been called out to investigate a brutal rape and murder.  He's surprised when he gets to the crime scene and Megan is there - she's the teenage witness' legal advocate.

After Megan notices  a similarity in the current murder and the murder her brother was convicted of, she asks Cole for his help.  He doesn't want to help, but once Megan starts uncovering clues, he's not only helping her find the truth, he's helping her stay alive.

My thoughts:
Megan is a likable heroine, even with her single-minded determination to free her brother. Cole is a by-the-book cop; noble and courageous, if lonely.  Even though he believes Sean is guilty, he agrees to help Megan, if only to help her accept the truth. I liked Cole and his ability to admit to himself that this might be his second chance at happiness, however briefly.  We don't really get an in-depth look at either the hero or heroines pasts though, only that Megan and Sean's parents died when they were young.

The killer was cold and calculating, and entirely insane.  At first I wondered how Megan was connected, but as we are given glimpses of his history, we see his path to insanity and why he does what he does.  I pegged who the killer was early on, but there were a few spots in the story where I second-guessed myself.


I like Jami Alden's writing style, she has an ability to pull the reader into the scene without being overly descriptive.  For example, during scenes in a trailer park, I could picture it in my head, the dirt, the desperation, the hopelessness of the residents.  

The climax was fast-paced and full of suspense. Beg for Mercy was a quick and entertaining read.

My Rating:

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Love Drunk Cowboy by Carolyn Brown

Love Drunk Cowboy
~Carolyn Brown

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publish Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402253583
ISBN-13: 978-1402253584
ASIN: B004TTS2TO

From the back cover:
She’s a Self-Made City Girl…
High-powered career woman Austin Lanier suddenly finds herself saddled with an inherited watermelon farm deep in the countryside. She’s determined to sell the farm, until her new, drop-dead sexy neighbor Rye O’Donnell shows up…

He’s as Intoxicating as Can Be…
Rancher Rye O’Donnell thinks he’s going to get a good deal on his dream property—until he meets the fiery new owner. Rye is knocked sideways when he realizes that not only is Granny Lanier’s city-slicker granddaughter a savvy businesswoman, she’s also sexy as hell…

Suddenly Rye is a whole lost less interested in real estate and a whole lot more focused on getting Austin to set aside her stiletto heels…

Austin Lanier is an oil executive in Tulsa. Her mother has always encouraged her to put her career first and focus on working her way to the top.

Rye O'Donnell is a cowboy through and through - he owns a ranch, raises bulls, and rides in the rodeo.

When Austin's grandmother dies, she leaves her a watermelon farm and very specific funeral instructions. Austin goes out to Terral, Texas to carry out her grandmother's wishes, and she meets Rye, who lives across the street from her grandmother's farm. Rye was friendly with Austin's grandmother, and after her death Austin and Rye spoke on the phone, but Austin assumed he was an older man in his 70s, not a 32-year-old hunky cowboy.

Austin's intention is to clear out her grandmother's home, sell the farm, and move back to Tulsa, but it her plans keep leading her back towards Terral: There's migrant workers who depend on working the farm, a watermelon winery that's a surprise to Austin, and she can't stop thinking about that sexy cowboy right across the street.

My thoughts: Love Drunk Cowboy was pretty cute. I liked both Austin and Rye, and their chemistry was good. I loved how various scenarios made it seem that Austin's grandmother was pushing them together from the grave. The townsfolk were friendly and fun (the workings of the gossip mill had me smiling), and I enjoyed reading Austin's struggle between her corporate career and small-town living. While I liked Rye's family, I didn't care for Austin's mother and aunts - they seemed one-dimensional and flat. Austin's obsession with Rye's tattoo drove me up a wall, I think it was mentioned at least a dozen times.

My Rating:

This is the first book in Ms. Brown's "Spikes & Spurs" series, and I'm looking forward to the next book, Red's Hot Cowboy, coming August 1, 2011:

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Welcome to Last Chance by Hope Ramsay

Welcome to Last Chance
~Hope Ramsay

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Forever; 1 edition
Publish Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0446576093
ISBN-13: 978-0446576093

From the author's website:
Dear Reader,
Yes, our town is way off the beaten path but strange, wonderful miracles happen a lot around here.

I’ve owned the Cut ‘n Curl beauty shop for years, and I’ve seen folks come for a visit then stay for a lifetime. Take Jane—that pretty firecracker of a girl who just arrived in town. I would swear she’s running from something. She came with only five dollars in her pocket but she’s worked real hard to make a fresh start. She’s turned my son Clay’s life upside down without even realizing it.

And thank goodness for that! Every since Clay left his country western band, he’s played everything too safe. He needs to take a chance on Jane. Besides, the more he tries to keep his distance, the more he’ll realize that he and Jane are singing the same tune.

But I should quit ramblin’ and go check on Millie’s permanent wave. Next time you’re in Last Chance, be sure to swing by…we’ve got hot rollers, free coffee, and the best gossip in town.

See you soon,
Ruby Rhodes

Mary Smith has just stepped off the 9:30 bus in Last Chance, South Carolina. She's got just $5 to her name and the clothes on her back, but she's hoping to settle in and start a new life. She walks into Dot's Spot, the local bar, and hopes to find someone willing to buy her dinner. She ends up leaving with the fiddle player from the band, Clay Rhodes. They end up having a one-night-stand, and as she's sneaking out of the room, she peeks into his wallet to see what his name is...and he catches her, and thinks she's trying to steal from him. He's furious, and empties out her purse, finding two IDs, one that says Mary Smith, and one naming her as Wanda "Jane" Coblentz - her real name.

Clay has a history of helping damsels in distress, and his plan to break that cycle is to get Jane back on to the bus and out of town immediately. The only problem is they're in the middle of a (light) hurricane and there's no busses. He buys her breakfast and they head over to the hardware store that Clay works at. Clay's mother stops in and ends up hiring Jane, saying it was meant to be. Clay's pissed - he's attracted to Jane and wants her gone. Jane's attracted to Clay but has decided this is her chance and she's not going to blow it by getting involved with a man; she's going to pick herself up and start her new life. What she really wants is to go to Nashville and make it big as a country music singer.

We slowly learn Jane's old life was a disaster and she's running from an old boyfriend, Woody, who owes money to the mob, and that Woody gave her a gift that the mob wants back. She's done some things in her past in order to get by, and she's ashamed of some of them, but believes she's been given a second chance in Last Chance and intends to make the most of it.

Clay meanwhile, has two ex's show up over the course of the week - his first love, who left him for someone richer, and his great love, who left him for the lead singer of Clay's country music band, The Tumbleweeds. After she left him, Clay left the Tumbleweeds and came home to Last Chance to get over her.

Clay and Jane keep crossing paths, and when Jane's troubles follow her to town, Clay doesn't know what to think or do.

My thoughts: I liked the country, folksy setting; everyone knows everyone else's business, the local sheriff is Clay's brother, the bar is where people meet in the evenings, and everyone goes to the same church.

Welcome to Last Chance has mystery - Jane's history is revealed very, very slowly throughout the book. It has humor - I loved Clay's friend Ray, his best friend from high school who'd suffered brain damage after a car accident; Ray had me in stitches. And there's romance - Jane and Clay sparked with electricity whenever they were near each other.

I was kind of "meh" on the angel portion of the story - Clay's descendants see angels, one person from each generation. Clay's father sees them and he's afraid it will be him next. He doesn't know his niece sees them.

I'll admit I was frustrated by the pacing of Jane and Clay's background stories. Because of the lack of information up front, I didn't really feel connected with their characters. Even so, I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. Welcome to Last Chance is a cute book, perfect for a vacation read.

My Rating:

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Safeword Rainbow by Candace Blevins

Safeword: Rainbow
~Candace Blevins

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 238 KB
Publisher: Excessica Publishing
Release Date: December 16, 2010
ASIN: B004GKMK26

From the author's website:
Tyler and Vivian have found each other again after a three day fling three years ago. They think they are ideally suited for each other and go forward to try to make a relationship work. And then they realize that Tyler was expecting a 24/7 total power exchange relationship and Vivian will never be a 24/7 submissive. They want to make a relationship work, but how can they get past this? As they try to find a compromise Vivian must deal with what a Total Power Exchange means, even if it is only a part time power exchange. And Tyler must decide if he can be okay with a sometimes Master and sometimes boyfriend relationship. Will they find their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

Vivian MacNeill is a professor working on her PhD. Her students would never guess that at night she's a regular at the local BDSM club. She's a sub, and she's just found the perfect Dom. Too bad he's gone after three days.

Tyler Hastings is in town for three days, and he found the sub of his dreams. They were fabulous together, but he was only in town for those days and then gone with his job. He's never forgotten her...

Three years later, Tyler is out of the CIA and headed home with his best friend, Mac. Mac's sister Vivian is home, helping care for their sick father. Once Tyler and Vivian realize who they are, they want to try being together. Tyler wants the Dom/sub relationship 24/7, but Vivian only wants it part-time, with "scenes" that have a definite beginning and end. Between trying to navigate a new relationship, working through their Dom/sub issues, and both of them starting new jobs in a new town, they have a lot to work through to try and find their HEA.

My thoughts: Wow. When the author mentioned this book was a fairly intense BDSM, I thought to myself "bring it on". She did. And it was definitely out of my comfort zone. The story was interesting, and I really enjoyed the scenes where they were working out how to balance his desire for 24/7 vs. her desire for part-time Dom/sub. I liked that they both found unexpected pleasure in the compromise.

What didn't work for me were the sex scenes. While I do enjoy light BDSM reads, the sex scenes in Safeword: Rainbow were pretty brutal. At several spots I was actually wincing while I read. I don't know if I can really call them sex scenes, as the sex was secondary to the pain. I also had difficulty with the the fact that he controlled her bathroom habits.

If you enjoy hard-core BDSM reads, I would recommend Safeword: Rainbow. I enjoyed the storyline (minus the intense scenes) enough that I'm currently reading her next book, Safeword: Stormclouds (<--it's got vampires!). I'd also be interested in reading a story about Vivian's brother, Mac, who is into menage, if Ms. Blevins decided to write one (hint, hint)!

My Rating:

This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.