Category Archives: Category Romance

Review: Can’t Buy Me Love – NLA – Maggie Marr

April 13, 2012

Expected Release Date: March 28, 2012
Publisher: NLA Digital Liaison Platform
Imprint: N/A
Author’s Website: http://www.maggiemarr.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Everyone knows that Cole Jackson is lethal—in his charm and in his reputation as ruthless media mogul. A fact his former assistant Meg Parson has learned firsthand. Banished from her position as executive assistant to one of the world’s great CEO’s, Meg Parson returns with the one deal Cole Jackson has always wanted. She tempts him with a deal of a lifetime. Will Cole face his painful past and admit that in Meg, he has finally found his match? 

What Worked For Me:

  • Meg was not a virgin. Hallelujah. I’ve never been a big fan of virgin heroines in contemporaries, especially when paired with the Rich Playboy Boss Man, and I was so relieved to find out that Meg had traded in her v-card years ago.  Don’t get me wrong, she still had that conservative, workaholic vibe that played nicely against the ruthlessness and, well, playboy persona of Cole.
  • I really loved how a third party was able to point out just how perfect Meg and Cole were for each other. More than that, however, I really enjoyed how what started off as playing a part of sorts turned into something far more serious.
  • The chemistry between Meg and Cole was wonderful, with just enough heat to keep things interesting.
  • I do love a good groveling hero, and Cole’s helping of humble pie was delicious.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I was so frustrated with Cole’s reaction to the Big Misunderstanding. While the author did a lovely job of establishing his history in a way where such an overreaction would be almost understandable, I still wanted to shake him.

This was a fun, fast read.  While there was a “Big Misunderstanding” (during which Cole needed to be pimp-slapped for his major overreaction), there was no truly heavy drama. Instead, we got to focus on the sweetness of the relationship between Meg and Cole, and to enjoy watching them fall in love.

Recommended for fans of inter-office romance, Big Misunderstandings, and learning to trust again.

A very enjoyable 4/5 Stars.

 

Also posted in Contemporary – 1 Comment

Review: Hajar’s Hidden Legacy – Mills & Boon Modern – Maisey Yates

December 12, 2011


Expected Release Date: January 1, 2012 (Available Now on M&B website – UK Only)
Publisher: Mills & Boon
Imprint: Modern
Author’s Website: http://www.maiseyyates.com/
My Source for This Book: Gift from the author
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Beauty… 

Princess Katharine has always been destined for a political marriage. Her heart heavy, she prepares to meet her future husband-the man whisperers in his royal kingdom call The Beast of Hajar… 

…and the Scarred Sheikh… 

Concealing his disfigurement from public scrutiny, Sheikh Zahir rules his country from within the castle walls, allowing no one in. Until duty demands he carry on the Hajar family dynasty and allow his new bride to cross the threshold. 

Zahir expects Katharine to flee at first sight. Yet her unflinching gaze fires Zahir’s blood, and their attraction burns hotter than the scorching desert sands…

Princess Katharine of Austrich has always known that she was destined to have an arranged, political marriage.  Having been seen as nothing more than a commodity by her cold father, she’s always striven for her every action to matter – attending parties brings rich tourists to her country, agreeing to a political marriage cements trade agreements and gives protection to her people, and remaining a virgin to appease the traditional rulers of other countries ensures that she always has a bargaining chip if the original agreement falls through. Cold blooded, true, but Katharine knows that since a female can never rule her country, she must do whatever is necessary to make sure that she can contribute in any way to the well-being of her people.

When her intended husband and his family are killed by insurgents of his country, leaving only the younger son Zahir to rule, Katharine is saddened by the loss but not heartbroken — after all, while she certainly liked Malik, theirs was by no means a love match.

Now several years later, with her father quickly approaching his deathbed and her younger brother too young to ascend the throne, Katharine must approach Malik’s younger brother and convince him to enter into a political marriage with her, or else her beloved country would be placed under the rule of a power-hungry man who would surely destroy everything her family has worked for.

Sheikh Zahir of Hajar is as reclusive as a monarch could ever be — choosing to address his people via radio from the security of his palace walls, and delegating whenever possible.  Horribly scarred, both physically and emotionally, by the attack that took the lives of his entire family, Zahir has well earned his reputation as The Beast of Hajar.

When the lovely Katharine first approaches him with the idea of their marriage, Zahir expects her to flee in terror when faced with both his scars and his temper, but the beauty surprises him with both her tenacity and her pleas for him to think of the good of both their countries.

Reluctantly agreeing to a temporary marriage to protect Austrich until Katharine’s brother reaches the age at which he can legally rule, Zahir waits for Katharine to turn from him, but the infuriating woman not only refuses to be intimidated, but insists on trying to break him out of his self-imposed isolation.

Having agreed that their marriage will be a temporary one, both Zahir and Katharine soon discover a blistering attraction that has the power to leave them both burned…

What Worked For Me:

  • Oh I do love me a tortured hero, and Zahir has it in spades. His physical scars are far more extensive than those of most “scarred heroes” — consuming half of his face and body, leaving him with a limp, and taking the sight from one eye.  More than those, however, are his emotional scars. Suffering from flashbacks and anxiety, Zahir has closed himself off from the outside world in every way possible.  He keeps his emotions under strict control, and despite the fact that Katharine is the first woman since the attack who has stirred sexual attraction, he refuses to give up his precious control and allow himself to give in. This inner battle makes him an incredibly sexy hero, and only emphasized his honor and integrity.
  • I also liked Katharine, despite the fact I’m not usually enamored by physically perfect heroines.   While she knows that her beauty is a commodity in the eyes of her father and other politicians, she’s remarkably humble.  Realizing that most of the compliments she’s received have come from those trying to ingratiate themselves to her and her country, she sees her physical beauty as just another fact of life, and chooses to avoid using it as a bargaining chip if for nothing else than to prove that she’s more than just a “pretty face”.
  • The flashbacks and Zahir’s reactions were very well done, and I liked that Katharine realized that she was trying to “slap a bandage on the problem” simply because it is in her nature to “fix” things.  Once she started to care about Zahir on a personal level, she tried very hard to help him outside of just a quick fix.
  • I loved the wedding tradition of the sand. I loved that so much that if I hadn’t already been married half my life, I would insist on doing that at my own wedding ceremony. In fact, I may force Mr. R. to do something similar for one of our anniversaries. Beautifully symbolic and intensely romantic, this was one of my favorite recurring themes in the book.
  • The love scenes were quite tasty, especially when Zahir finally allowed himself to let go with Katharine.
  • The scene in the market was fantastic. Zahir’s intensity, and Katharine’s reaction were absolutely wonderful, and hinted beautifully at things to come.
  • I loved the oasis — both the history behind it, and what it came to mean to Katharine and Zahir.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  •  Zahir “recovered” a little too quickly for my tastes. Yes, it was romantic that Katharine was able to center and ground him enough that he could avoid flashbacks, but real PTSD takes so much longer to treat that it almost trivialized the condition a little bit.  This was a very minor point, but it was definitely something I noticed.

Anyone who knows me already realizes that I am a Maisey Yates fangirl, so I pretty much fell over with joy when this arrived in the mail, and I was so happy to discover that it more than lived up to the hype.

Ms. Yates has such a talent for writing heroes who can be ruthless jerks and yet we readers cheerfully forgive them for their behavior because they’re so beautifully damaged.  Zahir was absolutely delicious, even with his physical imperfections, and Katharine proved that even a perfect outer appearance doesn’t always protect one from internal scars.

Perfect for fans of tortured and scarred heroes, arranged marriages, and of finding that sometimes protecting those you care about just means loving them with all your heart.

A beautiful 4.5/5 Stars.

1 Comment

Review: The Disgraced Playboy – Harlequin Presents – Caitlin Crews

November 21, 2011

Expected Release Date: July 19, 2011 (Available Now!
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harlequin Presents
Author’s Website: http://www.caitlincrews.com
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, The Notorious Wolfs
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Lucas… Playboy. Rebel. Rogue.

No one denies Lucas anything. Women fall at his feet and into his bed at the click of his fingers. His life is charmed, reckless and carefree—he is definitely a bad boy.

Grace Carter knows uncontrollable Lucas could ruin her career, and she won’t tolerate his wayward behavior, despite their chemistry. But working with Lucas is thrilling, and after just a small dose of his magic, even Grace’s prim–and–proper shell begins to splinter…

What Worked For Me:

  • I loved that Lucas was so conceited. I know that some readers will probably be a bit put off by how full of himself the man was, but I just ate it up with a big spoon.  There’s just something about a man that’s so used to being able to charm the panties off of anything female (and probably many males had he desired to), coming up against a woman who is able to resist him.
  • I also really liked that Grace was as buttoned up as she was not because she was truly oppressed sexually, but was instead rebelling against her promiscuous mother.  Grace was a passionate, sensual woman who was desperate to avoid falling into the same trap of revolving boyfriends as her mother had, especially following an episode in her teens that showed her exactly where she stood in the opinions of her mother and her hometown.
  • I also enjoyed the depth added to Lucas’ character by the details of his childhood.  Rather than just allowing him to be a spoiled playboy, it helped to show that there was so much more to him, and that he had to work hard to be so bad.
  • Another thing I liked was the fact that Grace was from a small town in Texas.  A Southern gal myself, it made it easy to keep her accent in my head as I read.
  • The heroine was not a virgin. That’s right, she wasn’t in her late twenties yet untouched by a man, set all aquiver by a potent, virile male and all that (though don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy those types on occasion). Instead, she was attracted to Lucas, sure, but she wasn’t naive or completely without experience.
  • The love scenes were nice and spicy, but more than that, Grace chose to have sex with Lucas. Chose, as in, weighed the pros and cons and made a conscious decision to pursue the relationship and suffer the consequences.  This was so refreshing because many if not most heroines of category romances tend to just be so incredibly overcome with lust whenever they’re in physical proximity to the hero that they literally lose their ever-lovin’ minds.  Not Grace, and for that, I adored her.
  • I also really enjoyed that there wasn’t a “miraculous transformation” of Lucas. He didn’t go from sexy, carefree playboy womanizer one minute to perfectly behaved instantly monogamous gentleman over the course of a chapter.  Instead, he offers Grace a year, saying that he truly he  has no idea if he loves her (though he’s pretty sure he does) because he’s had no experience with it.  This was better than an automatic Oh ILY So Much I’m Gonna Be The Perfect Husband blah blah because that’s not as believable despite the fairy-tale appeal.   Don’t get me wrong, I still felt that the HEA was believable, and honestly had no doubts as to whether Lucas would be an incredible partner for Grace for the rest of their lives.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • Maybe I’m just jaded from being American and therefore inundated daily by all sorts of sex and scandal in the media, but her teenaged mistake didn’t seem like that big of a deal to me. Granted it was explaned as to why it ws such an issue but still.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.  Grace is definitely one of my favorite HP heroines at the moment, with her backbone, sass, confidence, and vulnerability, and Lucas was delightful as well.  The dynamics of their relationship were what really kept me invested, and the crackling chemistry between them was just the icing on the cake.

Recommended for fans of conceited playboy heroes, of stuffy but not innocent heroines, and of choosing to fight past long-standing obstacles that may come between you and happiness.

A wonderful 5/5 Stars.

1 Comment

Review: Enticed by His Forgotten Lover – Harlequin Desire – Maya Banks

September 12, 2011

Click on Bookcover to Visit Purchase Page

Expected Release Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harelquin Desire
Author’s Website: http://mayabanks.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1, Pregnancy & Passion
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

“Have we met?”

Answer: a right hook! Because Bryony Morgan pulls no punches. Even when she’s very pregnant and facing down the father of her unborn child. She fell for wealthy hotelier Rafael de Luca when he courted her for her beachfront real estate. Then he disappeared. Now, she’s in New York for answers—and she won’t accept a brush-off.

But selective amnesia after a crash has Rafael puzzled. How could he ever forget a combustible beauty like Bryony? Solution: return to the island where they met, and relive the unforgettable nights in question—until he remembers everything….

Bryony Morgan has come to New York to confront the lowlife businessman who lied to her, seduced her, and then abandoned her, leaving her pregnant with his child. Spotting him at a social event, she’s prepared for anything — except for the cad to pretend that they’ve never met!

Rafe de Luca has been suffering from selective amnesia ever since his private plane crashed returning to New York after landing the business deal of the year.  Unable to remember a month-long period of his life, his doctors are baffled, and insist that there is a psychological reason behind his amnesia rather than a physical one, but regardless of the cause, he can’t let investors get wind of his condition without risking their support.

When he spots the lovely Bryony at a party for his investors, he tries out his most charming smile on her, only to receive a punch in the face for his efforts!

Now faced with a woman who claims not only did he promise that he would not develop the island property he purchased from her — an action that is so out of character that it might as well be impossible, but that he is also the father of her unborn baby!

Determined to get to the bottom of his seemingly inexplicable behavior, Rafe accompanies Bryony to the island in question to see if anything can spark his memory, but that’s not the only thing sparking between him. Unable to resist the crackling chemistry between her and the man she still loves — the man who claims to remember nothing about their time together — Bryony is determined that even if Rafe never regains his memory, she will make him fall in love with her again…

What Worked For Me:

  • One of my favorite tropes in romance is amnesia, and this one didn’t disappoint. One thing I really loved about this was how Bryony and Rafe both felt disbelief at Rafe’s amnesia, with Rafe even commenting that it was something you’d only see on television.
  • I liked the side characters as well, from Bryony’s grandmother to Rafe’s best friends, and even the portly mayor of the island.
  • *dreamy sigh* I have to say that I adore grand gestures and groveling heroes, and let me tell you, Rafe just takes the cake..
  • The love scenes were hot without being overabundant, and the intense chemistry between Bryony and Rafe was palpable.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • While I normally enjoy the length of Harlequin novels, I felt that the shorter length was a little detrimental to this story.  It’s not so much that the pacing was off (because really, the pacing was fine), but it’s more a matter of there was too much information and actions to cram into such a short word count.

While a bit short for my tastes, this book had several of my favorite things in category romance — amnesia, a forgotten woman whom the hero got pregnant during the time he’s forgotten, betrayal, and of course, incredible chemistry.

Rafe also makes a wonderful groveling hero, and his grand gesture was not to be missed.

Overall, this one was definitely a solid entry into the Harlequin Desire line.  With just the right amount of angst and sensuality, this book would be a perfect fast read for those in need of a quick love story.

3.5/5 Stars

Also posted in Contemporary – 2 Comments

Review: Legends – Loveswept Classic Romance – Deborah Smith

August 28, 2011

Click on Bookcover to Visit Purchase Page

Expected Release Date: August 8, 2011 (Re-issue, Originally Published 1990)( Available Now!)
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Imprint: Loveswept Classic Romance
Author’s Website: http://www.deborah-smith.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No.
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Elgiva MacRoth descends from a long line of bold Scots willing to fight for their heritage. When her picturesque town comes under siege by a corporate raider, she devises a daring plan to stop billionaire Douglas Kincaid. But kidnapping a man off the rooftop of his penthouse and holding him hostage proves far less complicated than saving herself from his intoxicating sensual assault.

The stunning beauty with her golden eyes and fighting spirit make captivity feel like a fantasy. The desire heating up is enough to make them both forget the battle, and surrender to something far more pleasurable. But Douglas has his own dreams for this lovely spot of Scottish land. And he has a proposal that he hopes will convince Elgiva to give up her hard line and give in to him in every way that matters. With a warrior’s will, he’s fighting for his legacy, his heart, and the woman of his dreams.

Elgiva MacRoth is a woman on a mission. When her quaint village in Scotland is threatened by a billionaire determined to purchase the estate that lawfully belongs to her family, she hatches a scheme to put a stop to the purchase.  A daring kidnapping of Douglas Kincaid, the man behind the money ends with him locked in a cell in her small remote cottage in Scotland, where she hopes to not only keep him captive until time has run out on his deal to purchase her family’s estate, but also to get him to fall in love with Scotland.  Douglas is actually a member of the long-forgotten Kincaid clan, whose feud with the MacRoth’s in history resulted in their banishment to the Americas long ago.   Determined to use her time with Douglas to put an end to the centuries-old feud, Elgiva is astonished by not only her physical attraction to Douglas, but also to how badly she may have misjudged him.

What Worked For Me:

  • I don’t know if this book has been “updated” or not, but I really liked that it didn’t feel dated, despite the original publishing year being 1990.
  • We always read historical novels set in Scotland where the hero and heroine are from feuding clans, and the hero ends up kidnapping the heroine for whatever reason and they fall in love and la la la, but this was such a fun take on that!  Instead of being a historical novel, it is set as a contemporary, and has our heroine doing the kidnapping.
  • I really enjoyed the turn of events about halfway through that added a lot more drama and really gave Douglas a chance to shine (though, whether he actually did shine with his behavior, or not, is debatable).

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • Despite their attraction, when Douglas started groping Elgiva without her consent, I didn’t feel that her response “fit” the way her character had been written up to that point. I’m presuming that the reason for her reaction in the book was to illustrate a growing physical attraction between the two, but all it really did to me was paint Douglas as a coarse, callous man, and Elgiva as wishy washy when it came to her hormones.
  • It very well could have simply been a bad file, but the file I got from Netgalley had multiple formatting errors which took away from my reading enjoyment.
  • I didn’t really care for the fact that Elgiva was so sexually inexperienced after 12 years of marriage. It simply didn’t feel realistic to me, even with such a quaint setting, for a modern day marriage to have had absolutely no education in the marriage bed outside of  an “insert Tab A into Slot B” type of thing.

Overall, this was a fun twist on the classic “guy kidnaps girl from feuding clan then they fall in love” story.  Having the heroine be the main one behind the kidnapping of the hero was brilliant, and I really enjoyed how Douglas attempted to lash out at her but always felt horribly guilty afterwards.  I also liked Elgiva’s determination to kill him with kindness, and the sheer stubbornness of them both.

This was a fairly quick read, with quite a bit of avoidable drama. That said, I tend to enjoy avoidable drama, and treated this one as a Category Romance even though it may technically not be one, since most CR’s have a lot of melodramatic issues that could’ve been avoided if the characters had simply talked.

In the end, I found it quite enjoyable despite the few formatting errors, and my irritation with a few of the turns the plot took.

3.5/5 Stars

Also posted in Contemporary – 0 Comments

Review: Cowboys Like Us/Notorious – Harlequin Blaze – Vicki Lewis Thompson

August 1, 2011

Click on Bookcover to Visit Purchase Page

Expected Release Date: Available Now!
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Blaze
Author’s Website: http://www.vickilewisthompson.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Sons of Chance Miniseries
Series Best Read In Order: No
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

Real cowboys aren’t born. They’re made…

Logan Carswell has just kissed his professional baseball career goodbye. Goodbye dreams, career and future. For now, though, he’s working at the Last Chance Ranch and the town saloon, where sexy bartender Caro Davis is definitely taking his mind off his troubles….

Caro’s days have been so hectic, she’s forgotten all about the finer aspects of life. Like men. And sex. And really smokin’-hot sex with men like Logan. But when their two worlds collide—and boy, do they ever collide—they both realize that once the gear is off, a cowboy is still a cowboy!

Bonus Story Inside: Celebrate the 10th anniversary with Vicki Lewis Thompson’s first Blaze™ book, NOTORIOUS! 

This is actually two books in one — Cowboys Like Us followed by the full-length story, Notorious.

The main book, Cowboys Like Us, follows Logan Carswell, who is a self-proclaimed “washed up baseball star”, after sustaining a serious knee injury during a game. Unable to play any longer, he finds himself adrift, with his girlfriend having left him now that he’s no longer a pro-ball “star”, his big-league friends rarely returning his phone calls, and the only career path available seeming to be sportscasting, which is something he simply can’t see himself doing.

Leaving Chicago behind for a few days to attend a friend’s wedding, Logan can’t even relax in the manner to which he’s become accustomed — the prescription painkillers that allowed him to dance at the reception can’t be mixed with alcohol, and being in a small town prevents him from hooking up with even the most willing of women, because he can’t bring himself to leave a woman behind to face the small-town judgement that would result in her having had a weekend fling with him.

However, his plans to behave are obliterated when he meets Caro Davis, the wholesome yet sexy bartender who has forgotten how to relax since her grandmother has moved to an assisted living community. With her grandmother and her job literally taking all of her time, she hasn’t had time for men, but when it becomes clear that the incredibly hot Logan Carswell is interested, well, all bets are off.

What Worked For Me:

  • I really loved that Caro wasn’t a virgin.  I know, I know, I say this all the time, but it makes heroines and their brazen actions so much more realistic if they’ve had a lover or two in their past.
  • Whoo boy the sexual chemistry between Caro and Logan definitely earned the Harlequin Blaze name, and the spicy creativity between them was wonderful as well.
  • I also enjoyed how Logan made Caro promise not to mention his knee injury any more, but that he was also finally able to recognize that he had sunk a bit into self-pity, and really needed to get over himself.
  • Logan was really wonderful. While both he and Caro entered into their relationship with the knowledge that it was going to be short-term, he truly tried to spare her from the reputation, gossip, and pity that he knew would follow her once he left.
  • I loved the sub-plot with Caro’s grandmother. I wanted to dislike the woman at first for her willful ignorance as to how her behavior was affecting Caro, but once she had a “project” of her own, she really seemed to open up, and I saw that she wasn’t bad, but was simply a lonely old woman, terrified of losing the one constant in her life.
  • Having not read the other books in the series, I appreciated how there was just enough information for me to be able to keep the characters straight without feeling as though there was a lot of info-dump.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • Again, having not read the whole series, I wasn’t sure if the “haunted bar” was something that played a part in the other books as well. I have a feeling that it probably did, but as a standalone, I must say I wish Ms. Thompson had either left out any inkling of a “haunting” or expanded on it more.
While Caro’s belief that she wouldn’t be subject to pity after Logan left annoyed me, I found her determination to engage in an affair and let the rest of the town go hang was a bit refreshing.  I also loved that Logan was a gentleman from the start, even though he intended for their time together to be a simple fling.
I think the fact that this was actually two books in one threw me off, and made me feel as though the ending were rushed, even though it really wasn’t.  I still had so many pages left before the end of the book that when the resolution and even epilogue presented itself, I was taken a bit by surprise.
Overall, this was definitely hot little read, perfect for summertime.  3/5 Stars
Keywords: Affair Turns To Love, Bartender, Contemporary, Harlequin Blaze, Professional Athlete, Secret Affair, Small Town, Steam Level: Hot, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Western Romance.
BONUS STORY — Notorious

Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

Keely Branscom had always been a little notorious. A confirmed wild child, she’d shocked the town by posing for a centerfold at the age of nineteen. But what she’d really wanted was to get a reaction from seriously sexy Noah Garfield. Only, back then, he hadn’t quite known what to do with her….

Now, years later, Noah’s still in over his head with Keely. But when he catches her walking into a Vegas strip joint, he knows that he has to save her from herself.

Only, Keely doesn’t want to be saved. Instead, Noah’s supersexy childhood nemesis seems determined to show him exactly what he’s been missing….

Feeling stuck in her small hometown, and suffering from an unrequited crush on the sexy Noah Garfield,  nineteen year old Keely Branscom shocked the town (and her family) by posing nude as the centerfold of Macho Magazine.  Disgusted with her behavior, her father was understandably angry, but his harsh words were only the nudge Keely needed to leave her podunk town far behind.

Now, years later, Noah is in Vegas for his best friend’s bachelor party and wedding, when he literally bumps into Keely outside of a strip joint. A few arrogant assumptions later, and Noah is determined to play White Knight to Keely’s Damsel in Distress, only Keely isn’t looking for a white knight. Instead, she realizes that this is her only opportunity to exact some revenge on the serious Noah for turning her down when she was younger, and is determined to show him what he’s been missing all these years.

What worked for me:
  •  The UST is so thick in this story you can practically cut it with a knife!  Noah is determined to remain a gentleman, and Keely is just as determined to get him to shed his staid persona and let loose, preferably between the sheets. Or in the hot tub. Or up against the wall. Or… well, you get the idea.
  • I loved the arrogant assumptions that Noah made, and that Keely just kind of went along with things.  While, of course, it came to bite her in the bum, I couldn’t help but enjoy seeing a cocky man being taken down a peg.
  • I also really liked that Noah’s friends embraced Keely as one of their own, even after her centerfold status was revealed.  It would’ve been so easy for them to write her off as a “good time girl”, but instead, they saw the very real connection between Noah and Keely and did everything they could to encourage the two.
What didn’t work for me:
  • I… didn’t really care for just how brazen Keely was.  Surprisingly, however, this was a minor point, because while she was a little “wild” for her small hometown, and while she definitely jacked up the pressure on Noah, she wasn’t some wanton hoochie.  Even so, I tend to like my heroines a wee bit less brash.
Overall, this one was surprisingly enjoyable. I don’t typically go for such brazen heroines, but the sexual tension and chemistry between Keely and Noah was enough to make the devil sweat.     The misunderstanding about her career amused me, as did Noah’s determination to show her that someone could want her for more than just her body, especially when he started to justify his desires to himself by making it sound as though he would be doing her a favor by sleeping with her.
A very easy, sexy read, this too would be perfect for a lazy summer day.  3.5/5 Stars
Keywords: Affair Turns To Love, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Contemporary, Mistaken Identity, Reporter, Secret Identity, Unrequited Love, Harlequin Blaze, Small Town, What Happens In Vegas, Family Issues, Steam Level: Hot, UST Galore, Vicki Lewis Thompson.
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This is the first time I’ve read a Harlequin that was essentially two books for the price of one.   For less than $4 on the Kindle,  you can enjoy both the sexy city-slicker-turned-cowboy Logan, and the staid rodeo rider Noah whose determination to not take advantage of the one woman he wants the most leads to some of the tastiest tension I’ve read in a Harlequin in a while.
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Review: The Highest Price to Pay – Mills & Boon Modern – Maisey Yates

July 29, 2011

Click on Bookcover to Visit UK Purchase Page

Expected Release Date: July 15, 2011 (UK), August 1(US-iBooks)
Publisher: Mills & Boon
Imprint: Modern
Author’s Website: maiseyyates.com
My Source for This Book: Won in a contest
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

When Ella’s failing business comes wrapped up as part of Blaise Chevalier’s recent takeover, he plans to discard it — as is his usual way with surplus goods. Then he meets Ella! Cast from the same fiery mould as he is, she makes an intruiguing adversary. Perhaps he could have a little fun with his new acquisition…

As proud and strong as she she is beautiful, Ella is determined to prove Blaise wrong about her business and her worth. As long as she hides her hint of vulnerability and denies the flicker of attraction between them when she catches her enemy’s eye…

Ella is a talented fashion designer, determined to find success with her own line and small boutique. Though technically an “heiress” of a famous family, she relies only on her own talent and perseverance to make something of herself with her line.  Unfortunately, fashion is a very expensive business, and she’s accumulated massive debt with her business. When her loans are purchased by Blaise Chevalier, a man well known for both his playboy lifestyle and his ruthless business acumen, she sees all of her dreams going down the drain.

However, Blaise has seen Ella’s potential, and knows that with the right connections, he can make them both incredibly rich off of her work. All she has to do is give up control of her precious company to a man whose reputation paints him as heartless.

Even knowing that it’s unwise to mix business and pleasure, both are unable to resist the attraction crackling between them, despite the fact they each know they have nothing to offer each other…

To be absolutely fair, I have to start off any review of a Maisey Yates book by saying this: I am a Maisey Yates fangirl. I have, thus far, absolutely adored everything that I have read by her, and was incredibly upset to learn that at the time of its publishing in the UK, there were no plans for a U.S. release, and that it was therefore unavailable to me.  When I found out I’d won this book through a contest on the SEVEN SASSY SISTERS blog, my husband can attest to the fact that I quite literally squealed like a little schoolgirl and probably frightened my neighbors. Never fear, they’ve recovered, but my excitement about this book never faded.

So.

What Worked For Me:

  • I really, really enjoyed that Ella was physically imperfect, and that she actually flaunted her smaller scars to satisfy the curiosity of others without actually revealing her deepest insecurities.  It was also refreshing that while she had endured a rather crappy childhood, she wasn’t a poor little orphan who’d grown up in the foster care system.
  • I don’t normally go for virgin heroines in contemporaries, but Ella’s self-consciousness about her scars and bad prior history with men definitely made this instance more plausible than some.
  • Don’t tell Mr. Romanceaholic, but I’m pretty sure I now want a beautiful mocha-skinned Frenchman of my own *drools*.  The epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, Blaise was incredibly dreamy. I also appreciated that there was just enough French scattered throughout the dialogue to remind me to read Blaise with a French accent and my oh my, it’s called the Language of Romance for a reason *dreamy sigh*
  • I also loved that Ella was a talented fashion designer — this isn’t a career I’ve read about often in romances, and the fact that I read it on the same night that Project Runway’s new season premiered made it even better :P
  • Oh Em Gee. The scene. On the yacht. With the rose. *swoons*  That, in all seriousness, was probably the most romantic scene I have ever read in a category romance. Ever. It was sheer and utter perfection.
  • I really liked that there was no “evil ex” or surprise pregnancies or family ultimatums or any of those things in this story. While I  certainly enjoy those things on occasion, it was refreshing to simply see two broken people working to repair the damage of their pasts, without a lot of outside influences.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I really wish there’d been more details about what had happened with Marie. Or, if not what had happened with Marie, then at least some more about his relationship with his brother.  I tend to like my books to be wrapped up into a neat little bow when they’re complete, and it felt as though there was some unfinished business left dangling by not having some sort of on-screen resolution so to speak with his estranged family.
  • I hate to say it, but the fact that the heroine has terrible burn scars from a fire and the hero’s name is “Blaise” was a wee bit too cheesy for my tastes.  Though, this is a very, very small negative point, because frankly, he could’ve been named “Sparkles the Cupcake Princess”  and I’d have still adored him.
Overall, I of course loved it.  Two tortured people hiding their vulnerabilities behind a public mask of indifference, they were absolutely perfect for each other.   Ella used her smaller, more visible burn scars to erect a sort of armor around her, flaunting them to satisfy the morbid curiosity of the masses. Blaise, on the other hand, fell into his role of heartless womanizer, ensuring that he’d never fall vulnerable to the traitorous and disasterous emotion of love.  Together, however, neither could resist both the physical attraction between them, nor the lure of finding out just what was hiding behind each others’ masks.
The love scenes were tasty, but more than that, this book was romantic.  The scene on the yacht with the rose just blew me away — I literally re-read it three times before moving on, because the incredible tenderness and respect that Blaise showed Ella completely decimated her resistance to him.
Recommended for fans of tortured heroes, stubborn and  physically damaged (and therefore insecure) heroines, and of finding someone to love you in spite of all of your flaws.
A very cheerful 4.5/5 Stars
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Review: To Touch A Sheikh – Harlequin Desire – Olivia Gates

July 15, 2011

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Expected Release Date: August 8, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harlequin Desire
Author’s Website: http://www.oliviagates.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Pride of Zohayd Trilogy
Series Best Read In Order: Worked well as a standalone
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

The Sheikh’s Surrender

No one gets past Prince Amjad Aal Shalaan’s defenses. No one. But when Princess Maram shows up at Amjad’s gala in her father’s place, destroying Amjad’s plans to reclaim what was stolen from his family, Amjad sees red… and uses a freak sandstorm to make her his prisoner of passion.

Swept to safety by the man she’s always loved from afar, Maram knows she has one chance to make Amjad see her as a woman. His woman. But when the impossible prince and the unstoppable princess take shelter from the storm, neither is prepared for the aftermath of their desire…

 

Prince Amjad Al Shalaan once entered into a political marriage for the sake of his country. He graciously forgave the fact that his bride did not come to him a virgin as custom dictated — after all, he’d chosen her from a list of suitable candidates only a few weeks before the wedding, and since he was not a virgin himself, it seemed hypocritical to punish her for her missing virginity. He even forgave her when she turned out to be carrying the child of another man. What he couldn’t forgive, however, was her almost successful plot with her lover to murder him.

Ever since, Amjad has been tainted by a bad reputation — that of a Mad Sheikh, because he is completely untouchable. Women vie for a place in his bed, but he turns away everyone — even to the point that detractors have begun to speculate about his sexual orientation. His celibacy has become a thing of legend, but even that does not come close to the rumors of his paranoia…

Princess Maram has her own bad reputation. Having been forced into a political marriage to a man she viewed as her uncle, she flouted traditional mourning and almost immediately married a young, rich playboy, whom she promptly divorced after he was disowned from his family.   Having grown up in America, she has little patience for the pomp and circumstance (and restrictions) placed on a princess from her country, though her patriotism does run deep.

She is also incredibly attracted to Prince Amjad from the neighboring kingdom of Zohyad.  Intrigued rather than repulsed by both his reputation and his aloof personality, she has fancied herself in love with him from the start.

The two constantly trade barbs, but underneath it all is a simmering attraction.

Amjad intended to take Maram’s father hostage in order to force him to return the property that he has stolen from Amjad’s kingdom. When the king instead send Maram in his place, Amjad is forced to alter his plans, and intends to use the princess as his unknowing hostage instead.  Maram sees the freak sandstorm that traps her with Amjad in a secluded villa as a blessing in disguise. Knowing that she need only tempt him to act on the sizzling attraction between them, she is brutally honest with Amjad about both her feelings for him and her desire.  Soon they are both swept away by their passions, but when the storm passes, and Maram realizes that Amjad has been using her, will her love for him stand, or will his betrayal be the final straw?

What Worked For Me:

  • Hallelujah — the heroine was NOT a virgin!  She’d actually been married twice — once making her a widow, and the second ending in divorce. While I’m sincerely hoping that she never consummated her political first marriage, it is entirely understandable that she embraced her sexuality with her second.  Unfortunately for her, she’s been given a bad reputation due to her marriages — the first was a political marriage intended to help her father take power of her country, and the second was a rebellious decision that ended with her ex-husband being disowned from her family.
  • I loved the snark between the Amjad and Maram.  While Amjad is often brutally honest, much to his downfall, the two of them trade barbs in a sensual sparring match that is unparalleled.  The sexual tension is absolutely crackling between the two of them as they verbally spar throughout the novel, and while each uses their sarcasm as a mask at times, the level of comfort they feel with each other is obvious.
  • I really loved that Amjad was celibate since his first wife tried to kill him.  This fit well with his paranoia and mistrust of females, but it was also an incredible intensifier of his desire for Maram.
  • I thoroughly enjoyed the twist not only as to the identity of the villains, but the grand gesture from Amjad.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

  • I admit, the whole tantric sex thing was a bit of a turn-off for me. I could understand why Maram was so confused and hurt at first, and while you should feel free to attribute it to my western upbringing, the idea seemed a bit implausible especially since he’d both been without a woman and had wanted Maram for so long.
  • Maram “keened”. A lot.  I kept having auditory visions of Xena warrior princess doing her battle cry for some reason, every time I read this (and it was often, I promise).  It was quite distracting.
  • I was very disappointed that Ms. Gates chose to pursue the pregnancy angle, especially after such a point had been made as to the fact that Maram was protected from pregnancy. It just seemed like such a cop-out, when Amjad was about to come grovel and Maram was all “I’ll marry you because I’m pregnant but you need to leave me the eff alone”.

I absolutely loved the first half of this book! The incredible betrayal at the beginning, the verbal sparring between Amjad and Maram, the tension built by Maram’s secret kidnapping and the intimacy created by their forced isolation was absolutely delicious.  While I enjoyed the book in its entirety, there was something about the second half that simply didn’t appeal to me as much.  Perhaps it was the tantric sex angle, or the fact that while they supposedly hiked and whatnot it seemed that all they did was bed each other, but there was just something missing once they began to sleep together.  While Amjad’s ulterior motives for being with Maram created a delicious amount of angst, I really felt as though her feelings were a bit extreme.  Granted, she’d fully given herself to him while he maintained his prior aloofness, but for love to turn to hate so quickly seemed a bit out of character for Maram.

In the end though, it was still a very enjoyable read. The back and forth sparring between the two made this book worth reading alone, because Maram is not your typical milquetoast virgin who lets the hero walk all over her. Instead, she’s a strong, modern woman, who knows what she wants and boldly goes after it, all the while nurturing a vulnerable heart.

Recommended for fans of modern heroines with a healthy dose of sarcasm, untouchable heroes who find themselves ensnared, and an angsty downfall of both hero and heroine, topped with a beautiful Grand Gesture and a very satisfying HEA.

4/5 Stars

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Review: The Man She Loves To Hate – Harlequin Presents Extra – Kelly Hunter

June 6, 2011

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Expected Release Date: July 26, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harlequin Presents Extra
Author’s Website: kellyhunter.com
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No, but part of the Dirty Filthy Money “Extras”
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

Three reasons to keep away from Cole Rees…

1. My mom had a scorching affair with his dad—just think how awkward that “meet the family” would be…

2. His arrogance drives me mad—he might be a gorgeous billionaire, but I hate how he knows it!

3. Every time he touches me I go up in flames… and it’s utterly terrifying.

Come on, a fling with the man I love to hate? Like that would ever work out…

But everyone knows it can’t buy you love!

Okay the official blurb is pretty awful. While it covers the main points, it almost makes the book seem as though it will have a first person POV and it most decidedly does not.

When Jolie Tanner was young, her best friend Hannah Rees suddenly turned on her at the urging of her brother Cole, without so much as an explanation.  So, too, did all of her other friends at school.  Unable to understand what she had done to cause all of her friends to shun her, she went crying to her mother, only to discover that her mother was the cause of the problem.  You see, her mother was having an affair with a married man — James Rees, Hannah’s father.

For the rest of her years, Jolie was treated as the daughter of a whore, fighting a reputation that she’d never earned and certainly didn’t deserve. The fact that she was the spitting image of her mother — gorgeous, redheaded, and innately sensual — only made things worse for Jolie.

Now a talented graphic artist, she has built a modest life for herself relying on her own hard work and talent.  When James dies, she travels up to his old ski lodge to retrieve her mother’s items from the cabin before his family is forced to see them.   Of course, things are never as simple as we might want them to be, and on the way down the mountain, not only is there a brutal snowstorm blowing in, but she must share the last ski gondola with the last man on earth who could tolerate her presence — Cole Rees, the son of the man whose marriage her mother wrecked so many years ago.

Trying (and failing) to hide her identity from Cole, their animosity and resentment towards each other reaches a boiling point just as the storm raging outside reaches its own peak, and their gondola crashes to the ground during an avalanche.  Wounded and at risk for hypothermia, they reluctantly join forces to reach the safety of one of the ski outposts before they freeze to death.

Emotions are running high, and neither can resist the sparks of attraction crackling between them, and in the short wait for their rescuers, both are not only blindsided by the level of passion they find together, but also by the realization of just how much they’ve misjudged one another.

But can Cole and Jolie put aside the hostilities of the past, and build a future together when it will only bring pain to their families?

What worked for me:

  • I loved the whole premise of Jolie having been treated horribly her entire life for the sins of her mother.  I don’t know why that appealed to me so much, but I think it was something about the injustice of it all that I found endearing.  Jolie’s really a great person. She’s incredibly shy, but also beautiful, talented, loyal, and smart, and I really liked that about her.  I also loved the fact that she wasn’t a virgin.  I can’t tell you how refreshing that was for a Harlequin Presents, even for the Extra line, especially since Ms. Hunter could’ve easily gone that way what with Jolie’s shyness and bad reputation.
  • I was actually surprised by how much I liked Cole as well. His youthful actions were wrong, but they were also the natural reactions of a grieving child.  The fact that he was willing to put aside his past prejudices, and actually listened to Jolie while they were up on the mountain meant a lot, and even more was the fact that he was willing to swallow his pride and defend her both in public and against his own family spoke volumes.
  • On that same note, as sadistic as it may be of me, I really enjoyed the Rees family’s disapproval of Cole’s relationship with Jolie.  In addition, the fact that she wanted to keep things quiet because she didn’t want to put his family through any more pain than they’d already been through simply raised my level of respect for Jolie another notch.
  • There was just something about the writing style that I found beautiful. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but I will gladly say that I will be reading more of Ms. Hunter’s books in the future if this is any indication of the quality of her writings.
  • Despite the fact that I would rate this book as being “Steamy” rather than “Hot”, the sensuality was very well done, and more importantly, there was a strong focus on the love blossoming between Cole and Jolie instead of just intense sexual chemistry.

What didn’t work for me:

  • I didn’t really care for the whole “pretending to be a boy” thing on the gondola. It seemed at sorts with Jolie’s personality, since even though she was shy and nonconfrontational, she also seemed intelligent enough to know it would never work.

In the end, I absolutely adored this one.  A beautiful heroine who knows that she’s attractive but is also painfully shy and despises the reaction that her looks attract was quite appealing, and of course, the Enemies to Lovers ploy is an all-time favorite of mine.  There was also something lushly sensual about this book despite the fact that there were few graphic love scenes, and watching Jolie’s mother quietly grieving for her dead lover was strangely poignant even though I couldn’t help but to disapprove of her actions.

Recommended for fans of enemies who fall in love, heroines with an undeserved bad reputation and the cynicism that goes along with it, and selfish heroes who recognize that while sometimes you can’t have it all, you can have what’s most important to you.

A very solid 4.5/5 Stars

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The Mogul’s Maybe Marriage – Harlequin Special Edition – Mindy Klasky

June 4, 2011

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Expected Release Date: July 26, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Harlequin Special Edition
Author’s Website: http://www.mindyklasky.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Official Blurb:

PREGNANT?

His grandmother’s ultimatum was that he marry, not become a dad. But when brilliant physician Ethan Hartwell
searched for the only woman he’d never quite forgotten, he found a two-for-one—Sloane Davenport was carrying his child! Now Ethan had to decide whether to tell Sloane his darkest secret….

A foster kid, Sloane dreamed of giving her own child a perfect family. But one incredible night with Ethan left
her pregnant and—outrageously—fired from her job. Struggling to keep her independence, Sloane refused
Ethan’s logical proposal. She wasn’t about to marry for anything but respect and partnership and love. So what
will it take for her “maybe” to become a “yes”?

The head of a prestigious company specializing in genetic testing and treatments, Ethan has never wanted children.  A dark secret from his past makes him fear for any children that he may have, and as such he’s never allowed himself to pursue any serious relationships. Instead, he plays up his playboy image, much to the disappointment and consternation of the grandmother who has raised him.

Fed up with his scandalous ways, his grandmother Margaret decides to hand him an ultimatum — marry by her 80th birthday, only months away, or she will donate her controlling shares of the company that Ethan has dedicated his life to seeing thrive to a charity that will bog down the Board of Directors until the company undoubtedly fails.

Thinking over his past, he realizes that there’s only been one woman with whom he has any hope of making things work — Sloane, a beautiful woman with whom he had a one night stand with a few months prior.

Upon tracking her down, he realizes that not only was Sloane fired from her previous position due to her dalliance with him, but that she’s also carrying his baby!

What worked for me:

  • Let me tell you, this book had something I’ve never read in a category romance before — the heroine insists on not sleeping with the hero until the wedding… and he agrees! Despite the fact that the couple knows that they have blisteringly hot sexual chemistry, and the fact that the heroine is pregnant from the very start, she asks that he not pressure her into a physical relationship until they’re married, and despite his attraction to her, Ethan agrees to not push things.  I have to admit I had a lot of respect for Ethan, because not many men would tolerate such a request.
  • Of course, Margaret’s ultimatum predictably becomes a huge point of contention between Ethan and Sloane, since Ethan kept the truth from her despite her insistence on basing any relationship on trust, respect, and partnership.  I adored the angst that resulted from her finding out the truth, and subsequently doubting all of Ethan’s actions and declarations up to that point.
  • I loved Daisy, and both of their reactions to her heart condition. While it was a bit predictable that their dog would have health issues given the premise of the book, I admit that I didn’t really mind the fact that I was expecting it, because the sweet puppy became such an integral part of their lives.
  • I really enjoyed the sexual tension between Ethan and Sloane, and the memories of their one night together was surprisingly more than enough to tide me over until they actually consummated their relationship.
  • I admit, I also liked Margaret. Even though I was frustrated with her ultimatum (because really, how is forcing someone to marry in only a few months going to turn out well in the real world?), I could see that she only did so out of love for her grandson, and I felt that her insistence on approving of his future bride helped to prove that she truly did want nothing more than Ethan’s happiness.

What didn’t work for me:

  • I admit that Sloane came off as a bit of a Mary Sue at time. A foster child who wanted to start her own charity to help other foster children, and one who intended to keep her baby no matter what the cost, as well as the fact that she was basically living in poverty when Ethan tracked her down, all made me wish she’d at least show some sort of weakness or greed or pettiness just to show that she was real.  The fact that she never even considered tracking Ethan down to get him to help at least cover the cost of her medical bills so that she could get regular prenatal care made her seem rather… well, stupid, rather than noble.

Despite the fact that Sloane seemed a bit too good to be true, I admit that I loved this one.   I think I’d forgotten just how enjoyable a good Harlequin Category Romance could be, with its melodrama and angst, but this book was exactly what I needed right now.   I loved that Ethan’s playboy ways were a way to rebel against his controlling Grandmother, and the fact that he fell for Sloane for much more than just a way to thumb his nose at Margaret’s ultimatum by choosing an “ironic” bride.

The simple fact that the couple restrained themselves from physical intimacy for most of the book really allowed me as a reader to feel their love and affection growing out of something other than just basic lust and sexual compatibility, and that was a lovely change of pace.   The angst resulting from the revelation of Margaret’s ultimatum was absolutely delicious, and Ethan’s groveling and desperation afterwards made me fall in love with him all over again.

Recommended for fans of heroes being blackmailed into marriage, heroines who are determined to do what is best for their baby no matter what the cost, and heroes who grovel beautifully, all smothered with delicious sexual tension.

5/5 Stars

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