Review: Beautiful Player

Title: Beautiful Player
Author: Christina Lauren
Publishing Date: 2013
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B
Sensuality: Smokin' Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased an ebook.

Beautiful Player is the third book in Christina Lauren's Beautiful series.  Hanna Bergstrom has been spending too much time in the lab and not enough time being a young twenty something.  Her brother wants to make sure that she has an appropriate balance in her life between school and a social life.  He insists that she call up his best friend Will Sumner since they both live in the city, and meet some people and have fun.  Once upon a time Hanna had a crush on Will, her older brother's bad boy friend.  It's been years since she has seen him and once they start hanging out, it turns out that attraction Hanna had as a teenager is still there, only it's not one-sided any longer.

I really enjoy reading Christina Lauren's books.  Beautiful Player was no exception.  If you have enjoyed other Christina Lauren books, then I think you will enjoy this one too.  In this book, I really liked Hanna.  She is the type of person I could see myself wanting to be friends with and hang out together.  She is very direct and forthright in her behavior.  She is a "what you see is what you get" type of person.  Will finds this very intriguing as he has "dated" a lot of different women and they tended to be more superficial.  He finds Hanna refreshing.  It's obvious from the beginning that Will is attracted to Hanna, but she is clueless about reading the cues.  This leads to some misunderstandings between them.

I would say that much of the relationship between Will and Hanna is driven by their physical attraction to each other.  There is a lot of focus on sex in this book.  The good news is that I felt that the author used the sex scenes to build Will and Hanna's relationship.  But after a while it was like, here we go again.  Fortunately, Christina Lauren uses a lot of dialog to tell the story, rather than mental lusting.  There is some of that going on, but not so much that it detracts from the story.  All in all, I would give this a thumbs up.

Review: One with You

Title: One with You
Author: Sylvia Day
Publishing Date: 2016
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased this book at the RT Convention 2016.

Note***  If you haven't read the other books in this series, DO NOT start with this one!!!

One with You is the 5th book in Sylvia Day's Crossfire series.  It is the final installment of the sweeping saga between Gideon and Eva.  I originally thought this series would be a trilogy.  Imagine my surprise after the reading the third book and everything was not wrapped up!  Gideon and Eva's relationship can best be described as intense.  Everything about them is amped up to the maximum levels.  In this book, we finally see them learn how to deal with that intensity without wrecking themselves emotionally.  After their marriage, they have some damage to control as they inform their families and the public.  Plus, how will their marriage survive when they are unable to give in to the other in regard to certain issues?

I am on the fence with this one.  I really am.  It is very hard for me to give this book a rating.  On the one hand I enjoyed seeing Eva and Gideon work through their issues and learn to compromise without loosing a piece of themselves.  I liked that they became a team to face adversity when the world threw it at them.  There are some very tender moments between Eva and Gideon.  There is enough change and maturity in them to see that they are willing to do what's necessary to make their marriage work.  I can believe in their happy ever after.

On the other hand, there were a few problems I had with the book.  I felt like there were a few plot lines that were not wrapped up by the end of the book, and it was a long book, almost 500 pages.  I felt that the whole issue with Gideon and his mother was left open ended, as was the storyline with his childhood therapist.  Then due to spoilers I won't go into details but something very tragic happens to one of Eva's family close to the end of the story.  What!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?  This was just crazy to me and there is so much happening with that, but it is totally swept under the rug.  Ugh! I can't really say more than this, but if you want to vent, just comment or email me. 

Review: Falling for Gracie

Title: Falling for Gracie
Author: Susan Mallery
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: A
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I received this book at the RT Convention 2016.

Falling for Gracie is the second book in the Los Lobos series.  (Come to find out I own the first of the series and hadn't read it.  Ugh!  I hate it when I read books out of order!)  But it didn't really matter too much.  It's just that the characters from the first book are in the second, but the romance is definitely stand alone.  Gracie Landon, a successful cake maker, comes back home after 14 years for her sisters wedding.  When she was a young girl she had this massive crush on the neighborhood bad boy, Riley Whitefield.  She made such a mess of things that her mother sent her a way to live with her Aunt and Uncle.  Gracie has done a lot of growing up since then, however fate keeps throwing her and Riley together again.

I chose to read Falling for Gracie because I wanted something light-hearted and fun to read to take my mind of off things going on in my real life.  I am happy to say that I couldn't have chosen a better book!  Falling for Gracie was just what the doctor ordered!!  It was funny and sweet.  Gracie is such a genuinely nice person and goes out of her way to help her ungrateful sisters.  As Gracie tries to help her sisters it often puts her at a disadvantage and causes her lots of problems.  The thing is, Gracie is really strong.  Even when life beats her down, she doesn't stay down for long. 

It doesn't take Riley long to notice all the wonderful attributes Gracie has.  He is drawn to her positivity and determination and begins to become a better person because of her.  I love that.  He stands up for her when her own family won't.  I adore the ending and how Riley expresses his love for Gracie.  Heart-melting!!  I loved this one!

Review: Unmasking Kelsey

Title: Unmasking Kelsey
Author: Kay Hooper
Publishing Date: 1988, rereleased 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: D
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I was making a long car trip and I needed an audio book for the trip.  This was about the only thing that was available for immediate check out.

I really only listened to this because I was desperate.  I have read Kay Hooper before and I have liked her books, but I had a feeling that this would seem very out dated to me since it was originally published in 1988 and then rereleased in 2012.  Here is the new cover, but the one I have posted below is the original cover.  They send quite different messages don't they?!?!  You can imagine how someone would feel if they picked up the new book cover, only to find its not quite a suspense, but a category romance.

On to the review... Unmasking Kelsey is the 6th book in Hagen series.  This series is about a team of operatives for some special unit that solves crimes that other government agencies can't touch.  The mastermind behind the special unit is Hagen and he is a bit of an unintentional matchmaker.  All his operatives have ended up in love and then leave his team.  One of remaining few is Kelsey.  He is sent to the town of Pinnacle to investigate a manufacturing company called Metatron.  Something shady seems to be going on and his investigation leads him to the stunningly, beautiful Elizabeth.  Elizabeth has been raising her sisters on her own since her parents death and seems to be in over her head.  Kelsey can't resist coming to her rescue.

Mainly, its just that the book is really outdated and is an extremely old school romance cliché.  The beautiful, helpless woman needs rescuing by the emotionally, distant operative.  Of course, once he sets eyes on her, he can't help but be taken in by her beauty and everything he has ever known changes in the blink of an eye.  The book was just very silly to me.  The plot had lots of holes and was overly ridiculous.  At the end, the heroine puts herself in danger on purpose, which sets me on edge.  Also, the narrator of this book did a southern accent because the book takes place in South Carolina, and let me tell you, not good.  For some characters it was like nails on a chalkboard when she did their voices.  Steer clear people, steer clear!!

Review - Sweet Little Lies

Title: Sweet Little Lies
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publishing Date: 2016
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B-
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I checked this one out from the library.

Sweet Little Lies is the first in a new Jill Shalvis series, Heartbreaker Bay.  Just to give you a little bit of background if you are not familiar with Jill Shalvis (shame on you!), she writes awesome contemporary books set in small towns.  She gained well deserved popularity with her Lucky Harbor series, which is where I fell in love with her writing.  So back to Sweet Little Lies... Pru, a captain of a tourist boating operation, has made it her life's mission to right the wrongs her parents caused when they chose to drink and drive.  Her last operation is to make sure that hunky, bartender Finn is happy in life.  She sets out to make sure he finds happiness by falling in love, however, she certainly didn't intend for it to be herself!

What I liked.  I am super excited about all the new characters introduced in this book.  I love the little community set in San Francisco that theses characters have been able to carve out for themselves.  You have the brooding/man whore Jake, who has taken in upon himself to protect Pru.  There are several guys friends with Finn and then several girls friends with Pru.  I smell lots of sequel baiting!! Sweet Little Lies also has plenty of funny scenes where either Pru or Finn ends up in some sort of predicament. 

Why didn't I give this one a higher grade?  Well, I had a little trouble buying into Pru and Finn's romance.  I was much more interested in everything else going on in the book that the romance was secondary to me.  Also, for most of the book Pru withholds some important information about her history from Finn and that was looming over the story.  The reader is on pins and needles waiting for the big bomb to drop.  When it finally does, it is fairly predictable how Finn reacts.  It all seemed very anti-climactic and unnecessary.

Sweet Little Lies was not my favorite by Shalvis, but I am definitely interested in reading more in this series.

Review: Vortex

Title: Vortex
Author: Cherry Adair
Publishing Date: 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B-
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: Received a free copy at the 2016 RT convention.

Vortex is the third book in Cherry Adair's Cutter Cay series.  This series is about a family of brothers who own a treasure hunting business, as in sunken treasure.  Vortex features the oldest brother, Logan.  While Logan is out seeking a treasure near Lima, thanks to Dog, he discovers a woman in the water.  He is the hero of a romance novel, so of course he jumps in the ocean to save her!  Daniela was knocked on the head by her nefarious cousins and dumped in the ocean near Logan.  They are hoping she can provide Logan clues as to where the treasure is located and then swoop in and take it once Logan does all the hard work. 

Logan never trusts anyone and he can smell a lie a mile away.  To say Daniela is lying would be an understatement.  The thing is, she is genuinely afraid of something so Logan's protective instincts are in full swing.  I love a protective hero and I think readers will genuinely enjoy Logan's overprotective side when it comes to Daniella.  He can be a little heavy handed, but Daniella is no wilting wall flower and can stand her ground. 

Cherry Adair's books are guilty pleasures for me.  They really are over the top in lots of different ways.  There is always a lot of action, usually resulting in explosions of some kind or gun fights, etc.  The male heroes are larger than life, very protective and rich beyond belief.  The women are in need of rescue.  I am a sucker for this kind of a read!  It is total escapism. 

I have read all the books in the series so far and am enjoying them for what they are: fun, adventurous, sexy reads.  If you want something deep and meaningful, this is not for you, lol!!

Review - Kiss an Angel

Title: Kiss an Angel
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 1996
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: A+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: Received a free copy at the 2016 RT convention.

As far as I know, Kiss an Angel is not part of any series by SEP.  Daisy Devreaux's mother was a famous model, with whom her father had a fling with once and never married.  Daisy was raised by her unconventional mother and has lived a life of privilege.  Since her mother's recent death, Daisy has racked up a substantial amount of debt, enough that she could serve jail time.  Her father is willing to pay off Daisy's debts and keep her out of jail as long as she agrees to marry Alex Markov.  Alex owes Daisy's father a debt and Alex always pays his debts.  Alex is tasked with reigning Daisy in and teach her how to grow up and be responsible for once in her life.

As you can see from my rating, I absolutely adored this book!!!  Daisy might just be my favorite heroine ever.  At first you think, oh God, she is going to be a brat.  And this is exactly what Alex assumes, as well, when he meets her.  But actually Daisy nothing like you would think.  She is actually such a sweet caring person you can't help but fall in love with her.  She is very naïve about things and assumes the best of people and that it gets her into trouble.  Right after she marries Alex, he takes her to her new home, which is a run down trailer in a circus.  Yes, that's right.  A circus.

Let me tell you this book had me in stiches.  Some of the exchanges between Alex and Daisy are hilarious.  Daisy gets a few over on Alex every once in a while, but most of the story, Alex is ruling the roost.  Even though at first you think Alex is the stronger character, the reader quickly realizes that Daisy is the stronger one.  SEP always takes her heroines to rock bottom, only to have them strengthen their resolve and face the challenge head on.  Kiss an Angel has so much heart, and laughter and tears.  I loved it.  And this book has to have one of the best grovel scenes I have ever read.  I love, love, loved it!!  What are you waiting for??? Seriously, go and read this book!!

Review - A SEAL's Pleasure

Title: A SEAL's Pleasure
Author: Tawny Weber
Publishing Date: 2015
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B-
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I received this book in a goodie bag at the RT book convention 2016.

A SEAL's Pleasure is book number eight in the Uniformly Hot SEALS series.  Ugh!  I have not been reading this series in order.  I read A SEAL's Touch (book 10) first and really enjoyed it.  Then I tried this one next because I already had it.  But eh, this was probably a mistake.  Because this book took place around another SEAL couple's wedding, of which the hero, Gabriel is the Best Man and the heroine,  Tessa is the Maid of Honor.  I went and did my research and the couple getting married is featured in A SEAL's Secret (book 7). 

Gabriel is Mr. Hottie.  As a SEAL, he always wins in everything he sets out to do.  His MO is to be with the ladies and leave them satisfied, but not with attachments.  "Love them and set them free" is his motto.  But then he runs into Tessa and for the first time he is interested in romantic entanglements.  Surprise, surprise, Tessa knows right away upon meeting Gabriel that he spells trouble.  She has no room in her life for romantic relationships and she figures her best approach would be a wham, bam, get him out of my system approach.  Needless to say, these two have some issue to work out!!

Let me say I really like Tawny Weber's writing style.  She has fast moving storylines with relatable characters.  She can easily draw you into a story.  While I enjoyed this story, there were a few things that bugged me.  Mostly, I really felt that there was a lot more to this story that could have been expanded upon.  I was very interested in some of the external struggles that were happening with Gabriel and his teammates and also with Tessa and her company.  These definitely could have been explored more in the storyline.  Instead it felt like the story centered over Gabriel and Tessa's relationship reluctance a little too much.  Also, it seemed as though the couple wasn't together a lot of the book. 

I enjoy Ms. Weber's writing and need to start at the beginning of this series!

Review - Break Away

Title: Break Away
Author: Lisa B. Kamps
Publishing Date: 2015
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I received this book in a goodie bag at the RT book convention 2016.

Break Away is the fifth book in the Baltimore Banners series.  The Baltimore Banners are a hockey team.  This is the first book I have read by this author and I just jumped right in this series with the fifth book.  Break Away is a story about a couple who went through a tragic event five years earlier and their relationship fell apart.  Emily Poole runs into her old flame, JP Larocque at her niece's hockey game.  JP after seeing Emily all this time wants to rekindle their relationship, but Emily wants nothing more than to forget their painful past.

I struggled with this book a little.  The story is hyper focused on what happened between JP and Emily five years before.  The tragic event shapes the whole storyline and ultimately overshadows everything else.  For example, the author never really goes into JP's past, like his family history.  It would have been nice to understand how JP became a hockey player, is his family still in France, does he have any brothers and sisters, etc.  You get the picture.  We know a little bit more about Emily, but again everything centers around how her life changed after the big tragic event. 

The story starts out a little slowly and about half way through, I was getting more into the story.  I liked Emily and JP's personalities, that of which I knew about them.  At first Emily was a little off putting to me because she kept pushing JP away so much, but then she really started to change as a character.  She decides to stop living in the past and to move forward with her life.  I really started to enjoy the book when she comes to that realization.

I don't know if it would have made a difference to read the other books in the series first.  I am not sure if I would have gotten more back story on JP and Emily in the other books.  For me this was an okay read.

Review - Scandal Never Sleeps

Title: Scandal Never Sleeps
Author: Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
Publishing Date: August 2015
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: C-
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I received this book in a goodie bag at the RT book convention 2016.

Scandal Never Sleeps is the first book in the Perfect Gentleman Series.  This series is about a group of powerful, men who attended Creighton Academy when they were boys.  They essentially became each other's family and would do anything for each other.  Now they are all grown up and one of their own, Maddox Crawford, has died unexpectedly in a plane crash.  Grieving, Gabriel just wants to loose himself in the arms of an attractive woman he meets after Mad's funeral.  Everly is reeling from the unexpected loss of her friend Maddox and impulsively decides to sleep with a stranger, something she would never do under normal circumstances.  What Everly and Gabe don't know is that Everly worked for Mad as his head of IT Security and when Gabe inherits Mad's company he becomes Everly's new boss.  But it gets even more complicated when foul play is suspected in Mad's death and Gabe becomes the top suspect. 

This book had so much potential, I mean there is a lot going on with the plot.  We have all these hot, wealthy, powerful men banding together.  We have a murder mystery to solve, with lots of plot twists and turns.  We have a sexy romance burning up the pages.  So why didn't this work for me???  Two words for you - Mental Lusting.  Ugh!!!  A large part of the book had the hero or heroine lusting after the other, and it really didn't work for me given their situation.  They are both being chased by paparazzi, there is a house fire set by thugs, almost being run down by a car, and yet there is still plenty of time for Gabe to ogle Everly's chest.  Really???  Also, Everly was prone to TSTL moments.

That being said, I am such a sucker because I still want to read the next book.  There was a lot of sequel bating in this book because of the mystery surrounding Mad's death.  They don't solve it and there are still a lot of unanswered questions.  The next book will be between Connor, the CIA agent and the senator's daughter, Lara Armstrong.  She has a political blog that is causing trouble for the Perfect Gentlemen and Connor has a hard on for her.  Literally!

Review - SEALed Forever

Title: SEALed Forever
Author: Mary Margaret Daughtridge
Publishing Date: May 2011
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased an ebook for my Nook.

Garth Vale, after suffering very serious injuries as a SEAL in Afghanistan, has been placed on duty at a covert airport in North Carolina. Planes that fly under the public’s radar sometimes use the airport Garth is stationed. Garth discovers an infant in a box on one such plane. Garth doesn't want to take the baby to the authorities because he fears for the child's life. Instead he takes the baby to the local doctor, Bronwyn Whitescarver. Garth and Bronwyn are drawn together as they decide what is best for the infant.

I really love Daughtridge's writing. She just sings to me. I love that her characters are so REAL. Out of all the SEAL books that I have read - and believe me, I have read a lot - hers just seem to feel so REAL to me. This is another great book by Ms. Daughtridge. Garth is quite a yummy hero. He is one of those guys who knows what he wants and goes after it. He takes one look at Bronwyn and decides she is the woman for him. LOL! Bronwyn isn't anywhere near ready to have Mr. Vale and a battle of wills ensues. Garth's interest in Bronwyn could have come across as stalkerish, but because of his earnestness and honesty it works for me.

Garth has these certain expectations built up in his mind about Bronwyn and the type of wife she ought to be for him. As the story progresses, Garth realizes that these expectations might not be right for him or Bronwyn. He really does a lot of growing throughout the story. One thing I would have liked to see would be Bronwyn working through her issues with her family. It is a big conflict in the story, but not once does she actually confront her family, although she does come to her own terms with these issues. Also there is a small paranormal plot that was interesting, but not overpowering.

Review - Laid Bare

Title: Laid Bare
Author: Lauren Dane
Publishing Date: 2009
Genre: Contemporary/Erotic
Rating: B-
Sensuality: Burning
Book Disclosure: I received a free copy from this year's RT Book Convention.

Laid Bare is the first book in Lauren Dane's Brown Sibling series. Erin Brown a wild, free-spirit rocker chic and Todd Keenan straight laced, very conservative cop had a fling which didn't work out. Ten years later, things have changed. Todd has accepted himself and all his kinks but Erin has had an extremely unfortunate life changing event. Todd and Erin meet up back in Seattle and resume their relationship, however things are more complicated.

With Laid Bare I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, the book had certain components that I enjoy: lots of dialogue, unique characters and plenty of action to move the plot along. On the other hand there were things that I am not such a fan of, such as a heroine that is hard for me to relate to and an alternative lifestyle for the characters that seemed out of place or fast paced. Erin was not a typical heroine and she was quite unique in her make-up. This could be good or bad depending on your point of view. If you are a very conservative person, she is going to be difficult to relate too. I typically don't relate well to these types of heroines, but because Erin wasn't overly aggressive, I found her appealing. I really liked her directness. It was refreshing when so many heroines are wishy-washy with what they want.

As far as Todd went, I found him much more my speed. He is a man's man, but needs to come to terms with who he is and what he is willing to accept about his own sexuality. I have to admit that while I found the change in him believable, I did have trouble at the speed with which he accepted things. It seemed like his changes were too abrupt for my taste. Also, there were certain aspects of the threesome lifestyle that seemed a little "too good to be true". Hey, this is a romance, so I am not overly complaining. However, if you are looking for a more realistic approach you will need to give this book a little bit of open-mindedness when you read it.

Review - SEALed by a Kiss

Title: SEALed by a Kiss
Author: Jill Monroe
Publishing Date: Jan 2011
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I received a free copy at this year's RT Book Convention.

Rachel Sutherland has always found Riley Wilkes attractive. She has known him ever since she and her sister have used the local Navy SEALs to help with a speed dating service that they host at their bed and breakfast. Rachel always avoided Riley because she believes him to be a player and she is afraid of getting hurt. When Riley comes home on leave for a few weeks fate throws them together and they begin a rocky relationship.

For such a small book, SEALed with a Kiss does have a lot going on with it. It was mainly an okay read for me as I ended up enjoying the other aspects of the book instead of the main romance. Mostly this started out in the beginning because of Rachel's behavior towards Riley. She was very presumptuous about Riley and because of this there are a lot of misunderstandings. So right off the bat I had some reservations about the book. Both characters had some hang-ups and self doubt when it came to relationships.

I am glad I kept reading because what did work for me was that both characters grow throughout the book. Eventually both Rachel and Riley work out those misunderstandings. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was Rachel's marketing ideas. Rachel goes back to her marketing roots by helping out Bed and Breakfasts that need help improving their business and attracting new customers. It was interesting to read the ideas that Rachel had and the different themed places she and Riley would visit. Also, there is a series of old romantic letters that Rachel reads that add another dimension to the story.

Review - Not Another Bad Date

Title: Not Another Bad Date
Author: Rachel Gibson
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I downloaded an audio book from my library.

Not Another Bad Date is the final installment in Rachel Gibson's Writer Friends Quartet. Adele Harris is a successful Science Fiction author who suffers from the worst case of dating bad luck. The last man she was serious about when psycho on her and since then every date ends in disaster. Adele's sister needs her help, so off to her home town of Texas she goes to help her out. While in town, Adele runs into her college sweetheart, the man she was never able to get over. Zach Zemaitis pro-football player, turned high school coach, ambles back into her life.

Not Another Bad Date was a really enjoyable book. As a matter of fact, I think this one is my favorites by Rachel Gibson, thus far. (I have only read three or four of her books, for what it's worth). Anyway, this book had a lot going for it, sweet poignant flashbacks of Adele and Zach's young budding relationship, zany evil ex-wife, pre-pubescent teenage girls, fantastic funny dialogue and great sexual tension. Can you tell this book has a lot going for it???

Not Another Bad Date is both funny and poignant. The characters Adele and Zach are fun to read about. I thought they were both smart and stupid about each other. But that is what made this book an entertaining read for me. It kept me laughing and wanting to cry or shout all at the same time. At some points it feels a little silly, but then there are other points where the author really touches on a real emotion. I think this is a fun, easy read for someone who enjoys contemporary romance.

Review - Corralled

Title: Corralled
Author: Lorelie James
Publishing Date: 2010
Genre: Contemporary Erotic
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Burning
Book Disclosure: I received a free, signed copy from the RT 2011 Book Convention.

Lainie Capshaw works as a sports therapist for two different rodeo circuits. She has had a physical relationship with two men, Kyle who is bull rider and Hank who is a bull fighter. Lainie's problem is that she can't seem to choose between either man and neither has asked her to be exclusive. But then on accident both men end up at the same bar as Lainie, on the same night and the gig is up. However, since Lainie won't choose and they don't want to lose her both men agree to share her.

I have to say Corralled really surprised me, and in a good way. I found it to be one of the most realistic takes on how people would really behave in threesome situation. It actually tackled the issues of jealousy between the men over Lainie's attention and affection. The ending surprised me. It wasn't what I expected to happen. I am not really sure I had any expectations, but it surprised me and I liked it! There is a lot of sex in this book, but to me I felt the emotional connection between the characters was displayed in addition to the physical component to the relationships. This book really worked for me. I am definitely going to be reading more of this authors work.

Review - A Lot Like Love

Title: A Lot Like Love
Author: Julie James
Publishing Date: March 2011
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: A
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased a new copy.

Jordan Rhodes, the daughter of a billionaire and the owner of a Chicago wine store has been asked by the FBI to participate in taking down one of Chicago's notorious businessman. The FBI uses Jordan to infiltrate an exclusive charity event where they will have access to a crime syndicate’s office. Only things don't go as smoothly as planned and Jordan and FBI agent Nick McCall spend more time together than they bargained.

Woo hoo!! Julie James does it again!! A Lot Like Love is another brilliant contemporary romance by Ms. Julie James. Jordan and Nick explode onto the pages with their clashing personalities and witty banter. This couple exudes sexual tension. Nick is a hard-nosed cop who exudes testosterone from every pore. Jordan bumps elbows with the socialite crowd of Chicago and knows her way around fine wine. These two are as opposite as they can get and yet the attraction is magnetic.

This is Ms. James first novel where the heroine is not a lawyer. Instead Jordan is an entrepreneur owning her own successful wine store. James rocked her new heroine. I loved all the little snippets about wine and the fun that comes along with owning your own business. There is great dialogue and a slight mystery to the book. I thought this was a really fun read!

Review - First Lady

Title: First Lady
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 2000
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I listened to the audio version that I borrowed from my library.

Cornelia Case wants nothing more than to escape her life in the public eye. After her husband, the president of the United States was assassinated Cornelia longs to experience the ordinary. She manages to disguise herself and elude the secret service men tasked with her safety. On her adventure she meets up with Matt Jorvich who finds himself the guardian to two children Lucy and Button. Lucy at 14 whose Mother recently died has been raising Button by herself. Cornelia finds herself on a journey with the Jorvich to find the girls' grandmother. Along the way Cornelia finds herself part of a family.

First Lady was an enjoyable read. I thought the characters were endearing. The adventures they found themselves in were fun to listen to. First Lady isn't my favorite book by SEP. I can't really put my finger on why. I enjoyed the characters. Although I thought maybe towards the end that Cornelia and Matt were extremely stubborn in their resistance to their feelings for one another, Matt especially about having a family. If they would have just talked about things, misunderstandings could have been avoided. I know this review is short, but I just don't have much more to say about it. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't my favorite by SEP. That about sums it up for me.

*Interesting factoid:* Lucy makes an appearance in SEP’s latest release Call Me Irresistible as Teddy Beaudine’s fiancé.

Review - Match Me if You Can

Title: Match Me if You Can
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publication Date: 2009
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: A-
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I borrowed the audio version from my library.

Match Me if You Can is the sixth book in Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series. Annabelle Granger is desperate to land Heath Champion as a client for her new match making company, Perfect for You. With such a prestigious client, her new company will be sure to succeed and in doing so will get her family off her back. She is basically the black sheep in the family. Heath Champion is a very well known sports agent who is as ruthless as he is handsome. He is looking for a wife and has unrealistic expectations of the type of woman he is ready to settle down with. Annabelle has her work cut out for her if she is to be successful in finding him his perfect match.

I had a lot of fun listening to Match Me if You Can. First of all the narrator Anna Fields does an excellent job of getting the humor just right. She is able to use really good inflection when delivering those zingers. There is a lot of really great dialogue between Annabelle and Heath. These two go back and forth throughout the book and readers who love a lot of banter between the hero and heroine are going to really enjoy this book.

I loved Annabelle. She is my kind of heroine. She is funny, smart and completely driven and focused. She was a little insecure but it was only a small part of her character. Heath too was an excellent match for her. He is just as driven, funny and smart. He too has his own little insecurities to get over. I thought this was a great read with many memorable scenes. The dialogue is fantastic and is chock full of rich characters. I even found the secondary love story between Portia and Bodey a treat. Two thumbs up. I highly recommend it.

Review - Second Chance Pass

Title: Second Chance Pass
Author: Robyn Carr
Publishing Date: 2009
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I received a free copy from the RT Book Convention.

Second Chance Pass is the fifth book in Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. Readers were introduced to Vanessa and Paul in the third book in the series. Paul was Vanessa's husband's best friend. He secretly has loved Vanessa through the years but has suffered in silence not wanting to ruin the friendships he has with both her and Matt. Things change with Vanessa's husband, Matt and Paul's best friend is killed in combat. Time has passed and Paul isn't sure if Vanessa is ready to move on and maybe accept him in a new role other than friendship. Little does Paul know that Vanessa is more than ready.

All right, I have to admit that this book irked me. As far as Paul and Vanessa's relationship went I thought things were just a mess. Initially, Paul and Vanessa had a pretty big obstacle to overcome if they were going have a lasting relationship based on love. But not only do they have the death of their husband/best friend hanging over them, Paul has an unexpected complication in his life back in Grants Pass. It really irked me that these characters had to deal with this situation, like they didn't have enough to deal with already.

The other major complication I had with the book was that there had to be at least five other storylines competing with Paul and Vanessa's. There were characters from past books getting significant page time. There were also new characters setting up future books getting significant page time. The actual relationship between Paul and Vanessa couldn't have been more than a few chapters and the above previous issue was basically washed away in the rain. Really, I think this has been my least favorite book in the series. Now having said all that, Robyn Carr's writing is still as fabulous as ever. Her characters are as wonderful as ever. It is probably a testament as to why I am so annoyed. I guess this book just seemed more transitional than anything and I felt that Vanessa and Paul didn't get the book they deserved.

Review - The Trouble with Paradise

Title: The Trouble with Paradise
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B-
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased a used copy at a book store.

Dorie Anderson's life is just not turning out as great as she had hoped. She is at a dead in job in the retail world, when really what she wants is to be a fashion designer. Then consider her love life, or lack of in any case. All in the blink of an eye Dorie is on her way to Fiji on a cruise with not one but two hunky men who have caught her eye. Things turn sour when the yacht ends up in a terrible storm leaving them shipwrecked. At least she has sexy doctor, Christian to tend to her needs.

The Trouble with Paradise is not a terribly deep story. If you are looking for something simple and cute to pass the time then this is the book for you. Dorie is a sweet heroine who has a tendency to stumble her way into things. She is a very klutzy heroine, but she has luck on her side. She may not know it, none-the-less.

I liked the premise of the story. Girl looking for adventure and romance finds more than she can handle when her vacation boat ends up shipwrecked. I thought that more time would be spent on the island. It doesn't actually happen until two/thirds through the book. There is a little bit of complication because one of the crew members ends up missing and the characters don't know if it was foul play or not. That mystery was a bit distracting from the romance between Dorie and Christian. Also, I never understood why Christian kept pushing Dorie away when he was obviously drawn to her. Overall this was an easy read and was a nice way to pass the time.