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My Forbidden Desire starts with Harsh (from the first novel) and Alexandrine reconnecting. They are brother and sister. Alexandrine has been certain of Harsh’s death for years, she’s resentful for his sudden presence and insistence she needs protection from an evil mage… who just happens to be her real father.

Xia, a secondary character in My Wicked Enemy, is a newly freed fiend and the one charged with protecting Alexandrine. When Carolyn said she had refashioned bad boy Xia into a hero I knew I had to read his story! His intense hate, eagerness to kill, and desire to give out pain would be hard to overcome for any writer. Even more so when you planned to pair him up with someone who Xia considers his enemy, no matter how harmless. In my opinion, Carolyn has done a phenomenal job revealing the witch hater’s inner good qualities. Xia is very easily worth the price of the book.

Alexandrine Marit as a heroine is very likeable… despite being a witch. She possesses a great amount of unselfishness, though she has to work for it. The talisman she has found is putting a number on her similar to Golem’s reaction around the one ring in The Lord of the Rings. Her self-sacrifices pile up throughout the novel – if I were to list them it would seem ridiculous, but I assure it is not. Simply put it is quite the only way to prove her character to Xia.

It took me a while to get into this book. The first chapter or two was pretty rough. I started and stopped twice before finally overcoming the strangeness of the novel’s set up. As with Carolyn’s other novels, once you are involved in the story you simply can’t put it down!

Rating: 3 Stars

Buy: My Forbidden Desire

So far as a romance novel goes, Lucy Burns has the very broad requirements and none of the nuances. It ends happy. There is a guy. She ends up with him. The romance was nonexistent as no emotions or depth came across when I read it. The story primarily focuses on Lucy Burns finding salvation.

As a heroine, I wasn’t particularly enchanted with her. I was unable to sympathize with Lucy past her little girl stage. She came across exactly as she thought of herself: shallow, empty, and not particularly kind or nice beyond the relationship with her neighbor, her neighbor’s child, and Luke Marshall.

I suppose Lucy redeemed herself in the end, but I didn’t really connect to those inner changes. She was obviously disenchanted with herself, her job working for the devil, and with people and life in general. There was no growth to her character.

Luke Marshall was vague as a hero. We learn he teaches creative writing at a university, is writing a manuscript based on his perception of Lucy Burns, and sings off key when drunk… oh and he’s blind, which means he can’t see the gorgeousness that is Lucy at all.

Things in the book that I didn’t like at all:

• Lucy getting so wasted she urinated on herself in her hall closet during a Tupperware party. What romance novel could happen without that?
• Her pretty blasé attitude over an innocent man accidentally going to hell by walking down into her basement. If there was regret, it was a twinge and nothing more.
• Her blasé attitude over the coffee shop goth-girl (admittedly not the friendliest of people) finding herself going to hell by trying to escape the some unrobed KKK members by running down into the basement…
• Reading the lyrics/song titles of Teddy Nightingale and random excerpts from Luke’s novel. One or the other happened in every chapter. It was overkill.
• The backdrop of two movies duking it out in theaters that also appeared every other chapter or so. The movies were Adoring JC (Jesus Christ) and Absolutely Adolf: What were you thinking?

Rating: 1 Stars

Buy: The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns

This three hour BBC miniseries is just precious. It’s lighthearted, humorous, and perfect. Pride and Prejudice is revisited and reintroduced. Lost in Austen pays homage to Jane Austen’s original masterpiece while reinventing it. My friend, who is not a Pride and Prejudice fan—blasphemous I know!—loved this film. My other friend, who is a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, to the point of being a purist, loved it also. Two endorsements right there! Make that three as it has mine also!

It starts with the heroine, a representative for all modern women, reading the classic tale. She has read it so many times, she can say it by heart, practically see herself there at Pemberley running to Darcy—wait hold up!

Amanda Price thinks she’s going crazy what with Elizabeth Bennet showing up in her bathroom and all. It is just one more sign of impending institutionalization. Really, how could a fictional character appear in her bathroom? The lives of those in Georgian England are made up after all… right?

When a wall opens up in Amanda’s bathroom and Elizabeth affirms it is her house on the other side, Amanda can’t resist stepping through. Like Alice, Amanda has gone through the rabbit hole and is trapped in Wonderland. The door swings shut behind her, but Amanda is filled with only a slight trepidation as she descends into the madness that is the Bennet house right at the beginning of the story.

What follows is a fabulous, wonderful, delicious story of a modern girl trying to make the story happen only to mess it up. Every time Amanda attempts to fix things, it gets worse. Some end up married to the wrong person, new background on characters is revealed, and more. Who could imagine blustering Mrs. Bennett as a ball-buster? One of the things that I loved was how Wickham is redeemed in this version. How? Watch and find out!

I’ve been told that the American version is missing a scene where Amanda is singing. I noticed a jerky transition where it should have occurred. There are also a few minor things left out, so I’ve been told. I wish they hadn’t taken it out, I mean once you’re at three hours, what’s another fifteen or so minutes right? Anyway, it was marvelous. Get it from your library or buy a copy – you’ll love it!

PS: Elliot Cowan, who plays Mr. Darcy, in looks is a cross between Colin Firth and Heath Ledger. Yum! His wet white shirt scene… double yum! Take a look:

Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Buy: Lost in Austen

By: Zarabeth, guest reviewer

Miranda’s Big Mistake is a contemporary romance set in London. Our lead female, Miranda, goes through a series of what turn out to be unfortunate relationships all while “the one” sits quietly on the sidelines attempting to be supportive.

Our supporting female, Bev, is a very interesting character as well with entirely different standards, wishes, and dreams for her perfect man. Miranda leads a fairly average life as a junior hairstylists in a fancy salon and rents a room with a fantastic “old bird” of a woman, Florence.

We follow Miranda, Bev, Flo and a few other characters through a complicated web of relationships. But, by the end everyone ends up with the right man and it is a happily ever after.

I loved the style of narration and Jill Mansell’s attention to certain details. I never felt lost or bored. I enjoyed reading the book immensely. It was rather long at 450+ pages but I didn’t notice at all.

As with other romance novels, I can’t forget to inform you that this is not a smutty sexually erotic story. It’s about her life and the situations she finds herself in. Lots of situational humor, tragedy, and foresight that you wish the characters could see. Mansell does a wonderful job of keeping me reading the book.

Overall 4.5/5 Stars

Buy: Miranda’s Big Mistake

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This was a very sweet storyline, but there are some flaws. Amery writes a light humorous story. She’s dead funny on BOBs and teenage girl crushes.

Jake is a former Broadway star. He’s one of New York’s up-and-coming directors. Legions of fan girls inspired that career sidestep, allowing Jake to enjoy the theater but without the scary mob. This weekend, he’s back home participating in a egad… bachelor auction all for his best friend’s little sister.

When Jake spies his high school ex waving her paddle, he knows he’s doomed. A beautiful blond in the back is his only chance. By only chance, I mean, the only option he finds acceptable. Mouthing the words, “Help me,” at her, Jake is relieved when she enters the bid war.

Sophie feels her blood shimmer at those words. She can hardly believe it, Jake was her high school crush, getting him to help out at the event was a feat but this… this could be the coup of a lifetime. Now if she could get him to break that no relationship rule…

Overall, I felt it could use more polish as there were several parts where I felt I was observing far above the scene instead of being a part of the scene. Does that make sense? Kind of like watching yourself dream, a bit out of body, not quite grounded in the tale. I wanted more sticky in the writing, something that would grab me and hold me in the moment.

Rating: 2-2.5 Stars

Buy Paperback: Saving Sophie

Buy Kindle: Saving Sophie

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Wow, another movie that was totally trashed by reviewers is yet another one I really enjoyed watching. I think My Life in Ruins is a smash. It uses stereotypes to make everything appear awful at first and then slowly unravels the truth beneath the façade. You have obnoxious American tourists, an old lady that steals everything that isn’t nailed down, a gentleman who thinks he’s the life of the party, Australians you can’t understand even though they speak English, a married couple at each other’s throats, a moody teenager, divorced woman on a man hunt, etc.

Georgia, played by Nia Vardalos, must take this ragtag group of tourists through Greece. She knows everything there is to know about the ruins and monuments, but she’s disillusioned. Nobody cares about history or the treasures right before their eyes. Georgia has lost her kaffee.

Richard Dreyfuss plays Irv, the tourist who thinks he’s hilarious. Irv is rude, makes terrible jokes, and wears down Georgia’s every last nerve until she snaps. To her horror she finds out this is the worse trip for him ever not because she’s a terrible tour guide, but because his wife is dead and this is his first time abroad without her.

Poupi, a terrible name if there ever was one and one of the few things that was just this side of ridiculous in the movie, is the bus driver. Alexis Georgoulis is quite handsome under his beard and long hair. Poupi crushes on Georgia and helps her rediscover her love of Greece and love of life during this trip.

The romance is cute, the bad guy gets his dues, and you get to enjoy the fabulous scenery of Greece. Having been, I’m so glad they showed the Parthenon in Athens at night. It truly is an amazing sight to see. It looked magical in person and on screen.

My one major irk, and my mother’s too, who saw this with me, was Nia’s shoes. How on earth could that woman traipse around Greece’s ruins in high heels, tall platform shoes, etc.? It just isn’t possible. Delphi for instance, was repaved by the Romans in old marble monuments. The road is slippery and sweats in the summer months and it tricky to navigate in tennis shoes! The Parthenon has gravel and chunks of rocks everywhere, no way! She would twist an ankle and fall.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Buy: My Life in Ruins

The first time she met Dex Wilder she was in a bed sheet and body glitter. The second time she was in handcuffs. Could a girl never catch a break?

Sydney Stratton is a tall honey-blond light blue-eyed struggling singer. She wants to make it big and doesn’t want to use her looks to get there. Sleazy talent agents, grabby hands and propositions are a hazard and ones she’s learn to avoid. When she isn’t with her band playing a gig in a seedy bar, she’s sleepy, writing music, or most likely working her tailbone off at a caterer job to make ends meet.

She meets Dex Wilder on the eve of his fame. They hit it off, attraction sizzling between the two enough to set her toga on fire (not literally). They have wild heart-pounding, breath-stealing sex, and when he wants her number she runs off. Sydney tried to relegate their fling into a one-night stand and forget him, but soon his picture is everywhere, his music everyone.

When they meet again, she’s still as she was, struggling to get her big break. The lust is at an all time high and it’s only ratcheted up a notch or two or twenty with the handcuffs.  He’s still interested in her, wants to take her to dinner but the perils of his fame are already zapping. Scared and unsure of his sincerity, Sydney runs… it’s a good thing Dex has longer-legs or he’d never catch her.

My two favorite lines:

I instantly knew what sex with him would be like: hot, hard, and devastating.

Dex Wilder was definitely better than anything you could order from a catalog.

The story is good, solid, and sexy. The editing, not so much, which by now is a dead horse.

Rating: 3.5-4 Stars

Buy: Nashville Heat

In Over Her Head is the ultimate beach read. No, seriously, it is. You have talking fish, Mers (only humans would classify them by gender), sea monsters, underwater cities hidden by the Greek gods, heirs, thrones, adventure, a cache of diamonds… there’s so much going on in this book.

In so many ways this book is a retelling of Little Mermaid, though I prefer to think of it as the reverse of The Little Mermaid. The hero is a prince, but he’s also a Mer. It’s the heroine who is human and is afraid of the water. She is petrified to be in the ocean: sharks, sharks, mysterious voices, sharks, and well sharks. It’s a wonder she ever got certified to dive.

Both characters are driven by the urge to prove themselves. Erica has been labeled incompetent, useless, and a nutcase ever since the Incident. She’s been struggling to prove to her brothers, who’ve teased her mercilessly ever since, that she is capable and smart and well normal.

Reel, being the second son, is the Spare… as in the heir and the… all his life he’s been a part of the Mer world without any of its perks. As the second son he doesn’t have fins, he has legs. Sure he can breath underwater, speak to fish, but he’s never had respect. The most important race in his life and he was four minutes behind. He doesn’t have the power or the immortality the rest of them do and has been struggling for acceptance into a society that looks down on him. If only his father would get to know him instead of considering him the ultimate embarrassment.

It’s a fish of a tale, pun so intended–bad as it undoubtedly is. If you’re looking to kick up your fins and read a good kelp-turner… yeah, okay I’m done with the water jokes. Judi is much better at these than I am. Well, no I do have one more. Have you ever heard that joke about the Merman, the Kraken, and the Female Human?

Rating: 3 Stars

Classified interracial because of Mer/Human relationship.

Buy: In Over Her Head

I am a big fan of Lisa Kleypas. I love her historicals. I heard about her contemporaries. I wanted to give them a try, but I was afraid I wouldn’t love them as much as I do her historicals. Contemporary novels and I have had our fair share of issues in the past. So I waited, and waited, and waited, until I finally found it in the library. Then I snatched it so fast, it made the other patrons’ heads spin.

I laughed, and chuckled, and giggled, out loud and in my head all the way through the book. Kleypas wrote a gem when she wrote Smooth Talking Stranger. I can’t possibly say enough good things about this book. The dialogue was witty, the leads had phenomenal chemistry, the path from singledom to motherhood and coupledom was breathtaking and sweet.

When I finished the book, I closed with a blissful sigh and one thought running through my head… must own my very own copy. I wanted to sing praises about this book to the nearest person I could find — and I did. It happened to be my mother. She’s now borrowing it from the library.

I’m so thrilled to be converted to the dark side (contemporaries). I’ve put my name on the hold list for Blue-Eyed Devil. I just can’t wait to read it. If it’s half as good as Smooth Talking Stranger, it’s going to be a toe-curling and very yummy read indeed.

The book pits a high society Texan playboy against a woman who has no use for his charm, wealth, or position other than forcing him to admit he’s the father of her sister’s new baby.

Rating: 5 Stars

Buy: Smooth Talking Stranger

By: Zarabeth, guest reviewer

I give props to Holly’s Inbox for being constructed using a very unique style of writing; however as a read the whole going through email thing… well there’s a lot of narrative I missed. I wanted more when I had less. That last statement is kind of cryptic so I’ll explain a bit further. It would sometimes take 3-6 days before a new email showed up to share the background behind something that was mentioned.

You really feel like an outsider, because Holly clearly knows what all is being said and what it refers to but as a voyeur to her story, I felt pretty clueless at times. I wish that as a reader I was enlightened sooner. Overall I must say I was not a fan of reading through email.

The romance part was sketchy at best because they weren’t writing romantic love letters to each other. No poetic prose for me to sigh over. Instead of wildly romantic notes it was just the barest, the most vague of details. As a reader, we only know what she tells the other secretary in email so a lot was not very clear it bothered me…

The story came together eventually and it’s definitely a Happily Ever After. It was nice, but the email format not so much. That sentiment is probably redundant at this point, but clearly the formatting wasn’t for me. I hear there’s a book that’s all done with instant messaging style, ttfn (Internet Girls), and I certainly won’t go looking for that. The idea of that is just excruciating.

Rating: 2 Stars

Buy: Holly’s Inbox

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I’m going to start off and say that this was a Did Not Finish for me. If it was a print book I would have thrown it at the wall. My biggest problem is the heroine. I just don’t get her. I can’t wrap my mind around a person willing to be that submissive to somebody else especially when humiliation and degradation is involved. The heroine infuriated me to the point where I was ready to grab all the reading material I could find on feminism and start up a local chapter.

As for the sexual content, I was warned by the author, but still I wasn’t prepared. I like to think I’m fairly open-minded when it comes to BDSM and the whole kinky sex scene but I draw the line at urination (which is mentioned as something the couple did in the past). Additionally as a heterosexual woman I was not at all interested in reading about the heroine’s submission under a woman (not once but at least twice with hints of future contact with Dom Blade) because her husband wanted to see it done. All in all the content wasn’t even close to be erotic for me.

Warning: STRONG BDSM, spanking, rope bondage, group sex w/ a single female, F/F & M/F scenes, public sex, voyeurism, domination, submission, side characters telling tales of sex parties, feasts, a girl who is and just wants to be Cunt the dog, etc.

The blurb on the site makes you think you’re getting into a fun sexy story about a married couple looking to explore their sexual horizons. I thought I was in for “Leslie has no clue about the BDSM, Phillip her husband wants to try it out,” but oh no-no…. not even close. Leslie and Phillip have been doing lots of BDSM and Leslie isn’t shocked she’s trained for it.

Meanwhile, readers get to enjoy a creepy pervert called Vincent. He’s strongly attracted to Leslie’s innocence as it were and wants to truly break her in all the way. He’s basically a stalker, identifiable to blinded (by a blindfold) Leslie by rank smell. I’m sure this comes to a head later but I couldn’t make myself read any further.

Rating: 0.5 Stars

Buy: Blind Seduction

Do you like paranormal romance? Did you at one point enjoy Anita Blake? Well, My Wicked Enemy just pwned Anita Blake, but don’t take my word for it see for yourself! I read this in a day, I couldn’t put it down!

Our heroine is a terrified (rightly so) woman who experiences intense migraines. She’s seen something she shouldn’t (a ritual sacrifice) and it on the run from her guardian (the bad guy). Carson took nothing with her, and that includes her medicine, in hopes to escape. Being in a hurry might seem like a disadvantage now, with a pulsing multi-colored migraine rearing its ugly head and a man who’s stalking her through the streets, but it will in fact be a blessing in disguise.

Nikodemus is a warlord, a fiend with natural leadership, and he is the one stalking the pretty and petite Carson Philips through the streets. Killing her is on his to-do list, just below mage Magellan. He can’t believe how easy it is to track the witch. Her magic is fluctuating all over the place. One minute it’s there and the next it’s almost as if she were a human. When he corners her, Nikodemus asks just one question, “Why shouldn’t I kill you?”

The answer leads them through a dangerous adventure that spins out of control as they face mageheld fiends, evil mages, skitterish warlords, blood twins and more! The book starts out like it ends, by taking your breath away.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Marked interracial because the heroine is a witch and the hero is a fiend.

Buy: My Wicked Enemy

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Fans of Debbie Macomber will enjoy this sweet, small-town romance set in fictitious Angel Ridge, Tennessee. Author Deborah Grace Staley has mixed the well-known elements of a quiet librarian with the town’s former bad boy to produce a charming read filled with southern flavor. The first book in a series about the town. Bestselling author Jo Ann Ross calls Staley “a great storyteller.”  Trade paperback, 14.95, at Amazon.com and other online stores.

Purchase: Only You

This post was submitted by Deborah Smith.

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• Edward Cullen

Boy Type: Aloof Artist

Edward Cullen is the gorgeous aloof boy who sits with a select group of people at lunch. He keeps to himself and has a fantastic brooding expression that simply makes the girls drool. He’s into music: listening to it, playing it, and creating it. On top of all that he’s a vampire and that gives him the bad boy edge. Can we say swoon?

• Jacob Black

Boy Type: Mr. Fix-It

Jacob Black is the ultimate handyman. The place you’re likely to find him is the family garage as he loves cars and spends all his time, efforts, and money fixing them up. In fact, Bella’s truck is just one of his pet projects. Jacob is good at fixing more than just cars– he can fix problems and people too. Must be his warm and fuzzy nature. His friendship with Bella is what brings her out of the dark in New Moon.

• Mike Newton

Boy Type: Guy Next Door

Mike Newton is the boy next door. His life is pretty easy. He has good friends, a good family, a good entry level job, and good looks. He can be pretty bright too and make smart observations. He wishes Bella would give him the time of day. He’s persistent to a point and yields defeat when it’s apparent things won’t be changing.

• Eric Yorkie

Boy Type: Sweet Nerd

Eric Yorkie is on the school newspaper, part of the yearbook staff, and on prom committee. He’s active and smartly dressed, a little dorky, but that’s all part of his charm. He’s not used to asking girls out and misses his chance more than once. Perhaps all he needs is a little nerd girl loving!

• Tyler Crowley

Boy Type: Popular Jock

Tyler Crowley is the popular jock. He’s definitely into something athletic like basketball or football. Like Mike Newton, it’s not hard for him to find a date, unless it’s expecting that date to be Bella. Tyler is a flirt and very outgoing. If it isn’t his muscles flashing, it’s his shiny car as it comes toward you.

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This is a fabulous contemporary update of the Christmas Carol. Matthew McConaughey is Connor Mead. Connor is the new Mr. Scrooge, except he’s gorgeous, charming, and wealthy. So what’s wrong with the guy? Connor is a miser, just like Scrooge. How? Unlike Scrooge, Connor withholds love/feelings instead of money/possessions. Just like Scrooge, Connor gets visited by 3 ghosts and is forced to learn just what kind of man he really is.

The first ghost is the Ghost of Girlfriend Past. She is a 16 year old girl to whom Connor lost his virginity. Played by Emma Stone, she’s hardly recognizable in braces, frizzy red hair in pigtails and a crazy outfit. If it wasn’t for Stone’s distinctive voice I wouldn’t have been able to place her at all from her role in House Bunny.

Noureen DeWulf plays Melanie, the Ghost of Girlfriend Present. As Connor Mead’s overworked secretary she is the most consistent woman in his life. Melanie’s job includes scheduling everything from photo shoots to play dates. She draws the line at breaking up with his women (a firm believer in karma). DeWulf is fantastic and a sheer joy to watch on screen.

Nadja, Ghost of Girlfriend Future, is played by Emily Foxler. Beautiful and ethereal she leads Connor through the life he can expect if he doesn’t change his ways. Silent like the angel of death from Christmas Carol, she is nevertheless affective in communicating to the audience.

Daniel Sunjata is the wedding beefcake brought in to sex up Jenny Perotti’s love life. It bugged me the whole movie how gorgeous he was and how familiar his face and unable to place him. Ladies before you go to IMDB.com he’s James Holt from the Devil Wears Prada. He plays a sincere, sweet, and intelligent man, luckily for him when Jenny and Connor reunite he is not left out in the cold.

Jenny Perotti, played by Jennifer Garner, is the love of Connor Mead’s life. We watch them as youngsters, as teenagers, as just starting out in life adults and as established adults. Jenny is the girl next door, the one right under your nose. She’s been hurt by Connor in the past. If only being around him didn’t make her feel for him all over again she could move on with her life… will Connor learn his mistakes and if he does can he get her to believe in him again?

I predict Ghosts of Girlfriends past becoming a favorite among many. It certainly is one of mine!

Rating: 4 Stars