Review: Bloodspell

Title: Bloodspell
Author: Amalie Howard
Publishing Date: 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Rating: C-
Sensuality: Kisses
Book Disclosure: I received this book for free at the RT Convention 2016.

Bloodspell is the first book in the Cruentus Curse series.  Victoria Warrick has experienced some very strange happenings within her own body around the time of her seventeenth birthday.  On her birthday, she receives a music box from her late Grandmother, that help to provide answers as to why these strange experiences have been happening to her.  She comes from a long line of witches, as she happens to be a direct descendent from one of the most powerful.  Victoria moves to a new school and meets Christian Devereux.  There is something unusual about him that Victoria can't help but be drawn to. But because of Victoria's power, other supernatural beings are after her and she is in danger.

I really struggled with this book.  It took me over a week to read it and it just couldn't hold my attention.  I think some of it was because of the plot.  It just felt all over the map, with the world building.  Establishing the witch and vampire lore for this storyline took up some space and it just wasn't all that interesting.  It was also hard to like the main characters.  Victoria is not a warm and fuzzy heroine.  She is darn right prickly and standoffish.  It was hard to feel empathy for her and the same with Christian.  Then some of the adversary characters felt like comic book bad guys.  Also, I felt the romance with Christian and Victoria was not very believable.  First, Christian and Victoria had such a difference between their ages, that it was hard to believe that a romance would be possible.  Also, they spent quite a bit of the book pushing each other away.  And then the piece de resistance, when Victoria is in grave danger he realizes his true feelings. 

The saving grace for this book would be the action packed ending.  The last quarter of the book, boy do things really pick up and I enjoyed the battle at the end.  But other than that, there wasn't much that I would recommend.  I most likely won't be continuing on with the other books in this series.

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 - 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 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 - From Dead to Worse

Title: From Dead to Worse
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mystery
Rating: C
Sensuality: Subtle
Book Disclosure: I listend to an audio book that I downloaded from my library.

From Dead to Worse is book 8 in Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mystery series. Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress for a Louisiana bar, finds herself in the middle of a werewolf war. There is actually quite a few plots going on in this installment of the series and somehow Sookie ends up in the middle. Sookie's boyfriend Quinn has gone missing and Sookie isn't sure what to do about it. Jason insists on involving Sookie in his life with the shifters. Sookie doesn't want anything to do with any of it, but she is involved anyway.

From Dead to Worse felt like a very transitional book in the series. There were a lot of little subplots without there being a major one. This book felt like the author had to tie up some loose ends before she could move on in a new direction. I am interested in seeing where the author is going to go with the series. However, Ms. Stackhouse needs to pull her head out her butt!

I have to say, I was not overly thrilled with this book. Sookie was getting on my nerves with her incessant whining. I have noticed before in other books, but this one really takes the cake. The hair that broke the camel's back for me was how she treated Quinn. It really pissed me off. Don't worry; I am not going to give away spoilers or anything like that. I am just going to leave it at that. I did NOT like how Sookie reacted or handled that situation. Of course, I am going to continue with the series, but this is my least favorite of the bunch thus far.

Under the Northern Lights

Title: Under the Northern Lights
Author: Vivian Arend
Publishing Date: 2010
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased a new copy.

Under the Northern Lights is actually two books in one. Both the first two stories in Vivian Arend's Granite Lake Wolves series are included in this book. The first book is Wolf Signs which the story of Robyn Maxwell, a deaf woman who meets Keil, a local wolf shifter who is next in line for Alpha of his pack at a secluded cabin in the woods. Robyn is a wolf and Keil's mate, but she doesn't know it. She was adopted and hasn't learned her past heritage.

The second story Wolf Fight features Robyn's brother Tad who is a wolf but can't shift. Tad was never able to forget the girl from high school who moved away. Missy reenters Tads life and the sparks pick up right where they left off all those years ago. Tad forms a bond with Missy to protect her from her past.

Under the Northern Lights was a quick and easy read. The characters were likable. I thought Robyn was interesting in that she was deaf but still a strong, determined woman. If she set her mind to do something, nothing was going to stop her. The book was on the short side for my taste. I felt the pack dynamics were lacking and I would have liked to see more depth to the world building and characters. I did like that a lot of the book was action driven. It made for a quick read.

Review - Raine

Title: Raine
Author: Elizabeth Amber
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Historical/Erotic
Rating: C-
Sensuality: Burning
Book Disclosure: I received a free copy at the 2010 RT Book Lovers Convention.

Raine is the second book in Elizabeth Amber's The Lords of the Satyr series. Three brothers have been tasked with finding the Fairy King's daughters and marrying them to keep them safe from harm. Raine the second brother is already scarred from an unsuccessful first marriage that failed because of his ravenous sexual appetite. Needless to say he is definitely reluctant when it comes to finding the King's daughter. He finds her in Venice, Italy. Jordan has been raised as a man. She is the most unusual person because she actually has both male and female genitalia. When Raine sets eyes on her Jordan can't believe that a man can look at her as a woman when most of her life she has only been known as a man, especially when deep down inside intrinsically she knows she is a woman regardless of her mysterious sexuality.

I must admit when I first heard about this book I was intrigued. I mean who wouldn't be a little bit curious about a female character that has both a vagina and a penis! I went into this book knowing that it would be outrageous. Knowing that, this book did have its moments when it came to ridiculousness, but I didn't feel that Jordan's sexuality was one of them. What I had a problem with were the so called "bad guys". I just hate it when the bad guys get a lot of page space in a book. That is exactly what happened in Raine and I couldn't stand to read the demented ravings of the enemy. In this case there wasn't just one but two.

I did like Jordan's character and her internal struggle with whether or not she was a man or a woman. There were facets to her personality that suggested she enjoyed playing both parts. I was disappointed though with the conclusion to the story. Jordan and Raine have a major confrontation at the end of the book and I don't feel like things were resolved between them satisfactorily. I felt that Raine owed Jordan a huge apology because of that fight and it never came. The final sex scene seemed overly gratuitous when I would have liked to see them work through some of their earlier conflicts. I will give Ms. Amber kudos for her imagination though!

Review - Ecstasy

Title: Ecstasy
Author: Jacquelyn Frank
Publishing Date: 2009
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I received a free copy at the 2009 Romantic Times Book Convention.

Ecstasy is the first book in a new spin-off series by Jacquelyn Frank. Ashla Townsend finds herself in a post apocalyptic world after she wakes up from a fatal car crash. She is the only living person until she finds two huge warrior men fighting one another in a department store. Trace, a shadowdweller is surprised that the beautiful human woman can see and hear him. In the shadow world no human should be able to. Strangely enough, Trace and Ashla form a unique connection even though they both may be in danger with a traitor among his people.

Ecstacy is my first Jacquelyn Frank novel. I found the book to be inconsistent at times. The first part of the book was fairly interesting and had my complete attention. As I continued reading, the pace would slow, pick up, slow down etc. It seemed that a lot of the book would be internal monologues from either Trace or Eden and that is when the pace would slow down for me. I liked it when the action was taking place. When that was going on I really liked the book. When Trace or Eden were overly thinking things and rambling on in their heads is when I would lose interest.

I liked the world that Jacquelyn Frank created. It was unique and interesting. I just wish she would have focused on it more than she did. I think that if there would have been less internal dialogue and more action, I would have enjoyed this book more than I did. I liked the characters, both Eden and Trace. I feel that I want to give Ms. Frank another try. I may go back and try one of her Nightwalker novels.

Review - Prairie Moon

Title: Prairie Moon
Author: Maggie Osborne
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Western
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I downloaded an audio book from my library.

Della Ward has lived an isolated existence since her husband was killed in the Civil War. Living in a remote western farm she spends her days regretting the last letter she wrote to her husband. James Cameron is haunted by his past as well. He has spent the last ten years struggling with the decision to go to Della Ward and give her a letter and photo that her husband had on his position when he died. James struggles with the death of Della's husband, but he will have to tell her the truth if he is ever going to move on with his life. He owes Della that much, at least.

Prairie Moon is a very tender and sad love story. Della and James both have an incredible amount of baggage. I like that Ms. Osborne doesn't reveal everything at once to the reader but rather dished it out a little at a time to keep the reader interested in what is going on. Once the reader does discover what both of these characters have gone through, especially Della, their heart will break for them.

There were a few things about the book that kept me from giving it a higher grade. James keeps a very big secret from Della for most of the book and the reader knows that eventually Della is going to find out James motivation for coming to her. James allows Della to make untrue assumptions about how her husband died and he doesn't correct her. When the truth does finally come to light Della reacts just the way James had feared. That bothered me about her. After everything she had learned about James and all the time she spent with him she should have handled it better. Eventually these two do get their happy ending, but boy did they have a long journey of heartbreak to get there.

Review - Seduced by the Night

Title: Seduced by the Night
Author: Robin T. Popp
Publishing Date: 2006
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: D+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I purchased a used book.

Seduced by the Night is the second book in Robin T. Popp's Night Slayer series. Bethany Stavinoski is a biochemist and has recently been awarded for her brilliance in her leading research. Unfortunately for Bethany, it has made her the target of a group of men looking to create a new drug. These men are strange and mysterious but Bethany is lucky to have a protector in Dirk Adams a former military man who has a few secrets up his sleeves. Bethany is engaged to another man, but that doesn't extinguish the flames that burn between Bethany and Dirk.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series Out of the Night, which I rated an A. But unfortunately I didn't enjoy Seduced by the Night quite as much. One of the things I really enjoyed about OOTN is the unusual twist to the vampire legend. I thought it was rather clever and different from most vampire books, but by the second book that novelty had worn off and nothing new in terms of the legend had come to light, although there were new characters and motivations that surfaced in this book.

The other thing that bothered me with this book was that Bethany was engaged to another man and while she didn't feel passionate toward him she still was committed to him and it took away from her relationship development with Dirk. Dirk was kind of a Neanderthal with Bethany at times and of course hated the fact she belonged to another. I just couldn't really get into this one. Robin T. Popp's writing style reminds me of Elizabeth Jennings or Lisa Marie Rice, where the heroines are very feminine and the males are extremely protective, which is not a bad combination, it just didn't work for me in Seduced by the Night.

Review - Hot and Bothered

Title: Hot and Bothered
Author: Dianne Castell
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased a new copy.

Hot and Bothered is the first in a series of books that takes place in Savannah, Georgia. Four women who have been close friends since childhood are all somehow connected to the disappearance of the heir to a wealthy hotel owner. Griff, the wealthy hotel owner, hires Charlotte to find the missing heir. Charlotte is a private PI and with the help of her girlfriends begins to unravel more than just the missing heir. Charlotte finds herself in danger on more than one occasion and it is not just a coincidence. To complicate matters Griff and Charlotte have long since desired one another but never acted on that desire. Although now that Griff and Charlotte are spending more time together, it's getting increasingly harder to do.

Right away, Ms. Castell immerses the reader with “Southern Charm”. It feels like the town of Savannah was created as its own character in the book. The customs and traditions of the people really come out in the writing. The characters' pasts are all intertwined and somehow connected to the mystery that Charlotte is trying to uncover.

I felt that the romance was the weaker part of the story because Charlotte and Griff have to share the spotlight with Charlotte's friends. And those friends are also involved in romantic entanglements. Therefore much of the romance between Griff and Charlotte felt secondary. However, I did enjoy Griff and Charlotte's interactions with each other. They are both fairly straight forward with their emotions - although I can't understand why they waited so long to act on their feelings for each other. It almost seemed like their relationship progressed too quickly over the course of the story to be believable especially in light of them not acting on their crushed for such a long time.

There is a continuing story arc that isn't quite resolved by the end of Hot and Bothered that will be carried into the next book in the series which is Hot and Irresistible. I have in the TBR and I'll probably get to it eventually.

Review - Naked

Title: Naked
Author: Megan Hart
Publishing Date: August 2010
Genre: Contemporary (Erotic)
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Burning
Book Disclosure: I purchased an ebook from Barnes and Noble for my Nook.

Naked is loosely connected to Megan Hart's book Tempted. It continues with Alex Kennedy meeting Olivia Mackey the morning after a Holiday celebration. It turns out that Alex needs a place to stay for a few months and Olivia has an apartment she can rent out to him while he is in town on business. Both are attracted to each other but Olivia is very hesitant to become involved in a relationship with a man who might swing both ways. She was already hurt once by her former fiancé Patrick who finally came out of the closet.

Megan Hart's writing is so difficult for me to give a grade when reviewing. I think she is such a fabulous writer. Her characters are completely fleshed out and so human that it is hard not to be drawn in by them and have an emotional reaction. But at the same time sometimes the characters are so human, faults and all, that the very same thing that drew you in pushes you away. Am I making any sense at all?

Let's start with Alex. On the outside he seems so completely put together. All posh and circumstance, yet just past the surface the man is a mess. He thinks he knows what he wants, but I am not convinced that he does. Olivia's perception when it comes to relationships is very skewed and much of this is due to the fact that the only serious relationship she has had is with a gay man.

But despite all these obstacles it is obvious that these two when together are happy. They have baggage that they will have to work to overcome. I like that the author doesn't sugar coat things and faces the fact that for the relationship to be successful, Olivia and Alex will have to work for it. I really liked how Ms. Hart ties themes of acceptance throughout the book. She took religion, race and sexual orientation all without being preachy, and showed how these things can affect a person or people. I thought that was very well done of her and it gave the book quite a bit of depth.

I must admit the way the book was going I thought it was going to end badly. Fortunately, things were resolved in the end, but I felt that the ending was VERY abrupt. I wish that things could have been hammered out a little better and eventually this is what led me to lower the grade rating. I am not entirely convinced of the happy ever after.

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Review - Play Dead

Title: Play Dead
Author: Harlen Coben
Publishing Date: 2010
Genre: General Fiction
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I borrowed a copy from my co-worker.

Play Dead is Harlan Coben's first published novel. It has been rereleased this year. There is a letter from the author warning readers that if this is your first experience to reading one of his books he suggests that they stop reading, go and get another of his books and then come back to this one. I had to laugh because this book is my first by Mr. Coben and I couldn't read a different one because this was December's book club choice. So, I went into reading this book with an open mind.

I can completely see how Harlan Coben has been able to keep readers spellbound and why he has such a following. The story he weaves is one that makes readers try to figure out what the hell is going on. He gives the reader just enough information to keep them hanging on to find out what next little secret he is going to reveal.

Now having said all that, I can see why he was apologizing to his fans and telling new readers not to start with this book. It is painfully obvious to me that this is an inexperienced author. The story is rich with its twists and turns, but it is executed poorly. The book was 500+ pages and could have been told in 300 and I would have been satisfied. Often times the clues where all too stingily delivered to have them pounded into the ground over and over by different character view points.

I found Play Dead to be an entertaining read. But I thought the two main characters were slightly superficial and the book a little too long. Other than that, I felt that Harlan Coben has great potential and wouldn't be averse to trying something else by him. Do any of you who have read him before have recommendations?

Review - Pleasure Control

Title: Pleasure Control
Author: Cathryn Fox
Publishing Date: 2006
Genre: Contemporary/Erotic
Rating: C
Senuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I received a free copy from the RT Book Lovers Convention.

Pleasure Control is book one of Cathryn Fox's Pleasure Game series. Laura Manning is a scientist working on discovering a potion to inhibit a man's libido. For a long time she has had a crush on her lab partner Jay Cutler. With a deadline for the potion hanging over them, Jay suggests Laura try the potion on him and then seduce him to see if it works. Against her better judgment Laura goes along with the plan.

Pleasure Control was an okay read for me. This book kind of gets the kiss of death I guess since there is not a lot that sets it apart from other books, nor is there anything that really stands out in my mind about it. It was neither good nor bad but somewhere in between. The characters, the plot and the execution were all just mediocre. What else can I say?

The good things Pleasure Control has going for it are that is it short and sweet. There is not a lot of conflict. It's a relatively fast read at only 228 pages. Unfortunately, I can't really recommend it, unless there is not much else to read, or you want something short.

Review - Bound to a Warrior

Title: Bound to a Warrior
Author: Donna Fletcher
Publishing Date: September 2010
Genre: Medieval
Rating: C-
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I bought an ebook from Barnes & Noble for my Nook.

Duncan MacAlpine, on his way back home to Scotland finds himself captured by the English. He is handcuffed to a brave English woman, Mercy. At the first opportunity Duncan and Mercy break away from their captors. They must travel over treacherous land riddled with English soldiers avoiding recapture while literally bound to each other by their wrists. Talk about teamwork. These two must learn to master the art of hiking, eating, bathing and sleeping as one unit.

Sounds like a winning scenario for a great romance, right? Not so much. After the first chapter I knew this book wasn't for me. I am one of those optimistic readers who hope that the book is going to get better. While it did get better, it still wasn't a stellar read.

My main problem with the book was the writing style. It was overly simplified and too explanative. I didn't need to be given an explanation for every little action made by either Mercy or Duncan. Readers aren't idiots. We don't need every little nuance spelled out. Give us good action and we can intuit what is going on between the characters for ourselves. Also, the characters especially Mercy seemed a little too "fairy tale" perfect. Their personalities were not realistic enough for my taste. It is difficult for me to recommend this book.

Review - Hot Finish

Title: Hot Finish
Author: Erin McCarthy
Publishing Date: August 2010
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: C-
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I borrowed a copy from the library.

Hot Finish is the third book in Erin McCarthy's Fast Track series centering around NASCAR race car drivers. Suzanne and Ryder Jefferson married young and could never seem to talk about their marriage problems. After a few years they divorced feeling it was for the best. But Suzanne and Ryder somehow seem to keep the other still in their life, not to mention the pesky little problem of still having feelings for the other. Suzanne and Ryder are once again thrust together when the wedding Suzanne is planning is a NASCAR wedding the Ryder is the best man of the groom. To complicate matters it turns out the divorce papers were never signed properly and Suzanne and Ryder are still legally married.

Hot Finish was a major disappointment for me. I really enjoy Erin McCarthy's writing. I loved her last Fast Track novel, Hard and Fast choosing it as a top read for last year. With that in mind I was really looking forward to her next release. The main reason for my disappointment was that Suzanne was such a BITCH!!! Honestly, she was not a very nice person. She was always griping and complaining. It was made even more glaringly obnoxious because Ryder was always so considerate and generous with her. I just couldn't stand the way she would treat him. Granted I will say that some of her behavior I could understand, but most of the time it just grated on my nerves.

Fortunately, Hot Finish is a well written book, with good dialogue between the NASCAR boys and the camaraderie between Suzanne and her friends. It's funny and fast paced like McCarthy's other books, but I just couldn't stand the heroine. If it wasn't for the stellar story telling I would haven't even finished the book. If you don't mind a prickly, bitch heroine with a stick up her butt, then maybe you will enjoy this more than I did.

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Review - Red Leopard

Title: Red Leopard
Author: Tracy Cooper-Posey
Publishing Date: 2003
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I recieved a free ebook from the author requesting a review.

Red Leopard is the first in Tracy Cooper-Posey's series Guns n Lovers. Calli Munro, an American has traveled to South America where her Uncle has asked for her help. She immediately books a flight to Valeria, even though the country is in the midst of a possible civil war. Rebel troops have been building in the mountains and the political upheaval is at dangerous levels. When Callie departs the plane her Uncle is supposed to be waiting for her at the airport, but he is not there. Callie is arrested after a few minutes and is at the mercy of the police who do not even speak English. After a while a well spoken man with political influence and a very forceful presence releases her from jail. Callie later learns that her savior was none other than the Red Leopard.

Red Leopard starts out strong with an intriguing beginning when Callie ends up in prison and Nicolas (Red Leopard) helps to gain her release. Ms. Cooper-Posey paints a very beautiful picture of the South American countryside. The descriptions of the lands and the Valerian culture are some of the highlights in the book for me. Callie is a wonderful heroine. She is strong, but she under values her strength. She doesn't realize how courageous she truly is until she is faced with the Valerian rebellion and the dangerous times they represent.

Nicolas Escobado is a very regal man with many responsibilities to his country and his people. Unfortunately, he was a little lackluster for my tastes because his duties came before his feelings for Callie. Because Callie is such a strong heroine, I felt like Callie deserved better. Nick should have been falling over himself to snag the likes of Callie. I also felt that the ending to the story was a little too neatly wrapped up in light of the heavy impending civil war. However, there are more books to the series and these issues might be address in the future. In summary, I found Ms. Cooper-Posey to have very fine writing yet the hero was just not to my taste. I have plans to read the next book in the series.

Review - Veil of Night

Title: Veil of Night
Author: Linda Howard
Publishing Date: August 2010
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I borrowed a copy from my library.

Jaclyn Wilde literally runs into Eric Wilder while dealing with a traffic violation at city hall. They end up later at a bar and have a night of very passionate sex. The next day Eric is called in to investigate the homicide of a young woman. It turns out Jaclyn is the main suspect, seeing as the victim was a young bride and Jaclyn her wedding planner. Jaclyn had been slapped in the face because the "bridezilla" was anything but pleased with Jaclyn's service. Eric has to clear Jaclyn's name and can't play favorites especially because of their former relationship.

Veil of Night starts off strong. It has a fast, interesting beginning. Unfortunately, things slowly deteriorate from there. First off, let me state for the record that I cannot be impartial when writing this review. I have been a long time fan of Linda Howard. She is one of my favorite all time authors, however I have been less than enthusiastic with her recent releases. This one included.

The problem for me is that I have come to expect a really superb romance, with a strong romantic thread between the hero and heroine. Veil of Night does not deliver in this aspect. While Jaclyn is a fine heroine and Eric a definite hero, the romance is left to the wayside as Howard allows the murder and the details to detract from the main relationship. I can't help but compare Howard's recent work with her former and it just can't compare.

I would say that if reading Howard for the first time, there is still something about her writing that can lend itself to intrigue. The characters invite confidence and an easy manner that will draw readers in. The mystery is somewhat ordinary and hard core mystery fans will most likely think that part of the story is weak. Overall, I am not impressed. I just can't help compare Veil of Night to her other work and it just doesn't stand up. It makes me so sad. I just don't want to give up on her books, but what can I do? I don't think I can hang in there any longer.


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Review - The Empress' New Clothes

Title: The Empress' New Clothes
Author: Jaid Black
Publishing Date: 2002
Genre: Sci-Fi Erotic
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Burning
Book Disclosure: I purchased a used copy at a bookstore that specializes in trades.

The Empress' New Clothes is the first book in Jaid Black's Trek Mi Q'an series. Kyra Summers is spending her vacation at a resort that specializes in stress relief and relaxation with her best friend Geris. She is completely clueless that meanwhile, in a galaxy far, far away, the Emperor of Trek Mi Q'an has learned that his queen shall be none other than Kyra Summers. Zor takes a trip to Earth to pick up his destined mate. He finds her outside the resort and whisks her away to his planet. There Kyra must learn the new customs of Zor's world and succumb to his passionate nature.

This book was a lot of fun. It's hokey and over-the-top, but it is also entertaining as all get out. So the theme is a fish out of water. Kyra is taken to another world, existing in another time. It's nothing at all what she is accustomed to and she must learn a whole new way of life. This is the part of the story that I was most interested in and found entertaining.

Since this is an erotic romance there is a lot of sex in this book. The customs on this particular world all seem to revolve around sex. I liked reading about the different customs, but after a while I was bored with the sex. It just seemed like the sex scenes became repetitive. Wash, rinse and repeat. Boooorrring. The entertainment for me came from Kyra finding out the hard way certain customs. That was always good for a laugh. Zor was completely clueless as to what Kyra would accept and not accept as a custom. I actually enjoyed reading this book, but it is no literary classic. If you like Sci-fi and enjoy a good laugh, then you might want to give this one a try.

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