Entries Tagged 'Mistaken Identity' ↓

Review: Love with a Perfect Scoundrel by Sophia Nash

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I selected this novel because of the gorgeous female cover model. She looks like a fairy princess and the pink and black and warm tones are just lovely. The big plus is this is how the heroine is described… well, I think it was an angel, but you get the point: lovely, blonde, kindhearted.

Moving on, the first half of the novel can be said in three sentences:

Grace Sheffey has been jilted twice, widowed once.

Michael Ranier has murdered twice, rescued once.

These two souls get together under a single lodging and share one passionate interlude.

The second half deals with the consequences. I found Love with a Perfect Scoundrel to be a fun, fast-paced romp filled with nutty characters, sensual situations, and many a marvelous moments. Some to me seems a little over the top, like a seventy-five thousand pound promissory note, but I will let you decide for yourselves.

I had a wonderful time reading the novel and I felt great when I finished. I haven’t read anything else by Sophia Nash, but I highly recommend her if her other novels are like this one.

Love with a Perfect Scoundrel is book three of the widow club.

Rating: 4 Stars

Buy: Love with the Perfect Scoundrel

Review: The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn

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By: Marcia, guest reviewer

Grace Eversleigh has a problem.  She is in love with a highwayman and a Duke.  Neither is marriage material since socially the highwayman with beneath her and the Duke is well above her.  The fact that they are both the same man does not help her situation at all.

Grace is a woman from a good but undistinguished family who was thrown out her home after her parent’s death.  Her only possessions are her self-respect and good name.  Never one to miss a good opportunity, the dowager Duchess of Wyndham hired Grace as a companion.  Late one night while returning home from a local dance in the dowager’s elegant coach, she and Grace are held at gunpoint and robbed by a masked but charming highwayman.  The dowager insists that she knows his voice and is convinced that he is her grandson.  She gives him the ring off her finger as proof.  The next morning the Dowager, accompanied by several servants, kidnap the highwayman for the purpose of returning the dukedom to him.  Never mind that there is a current Duke of Wyndham who has been fulfilling these duties well for many years.

The ring is familiar to Jack Audley.  He has one just like it left to him by his father who drowned in a shipwreck off the coast of Ireland.  His mother survived the same shipwreck, but only lived long enough to give birth to him. Having been raised with love and laughter by his maternal aunt and uncle, Jack was told only that his father was from a good English family.

The underlying theme of this book is about being worthy…worthy of position and love.  For some readers today, this may seem a little farfetched.  After all, today we believe that an individual should go after what they want.  But in England, during the early 19th century, this was not the case.  Duty to one’s family and county were foremost, as well as, knowing one’s place.  This social structure was supported by the prevailing religious belief that God did not intend for man to be happy. It will take tremendous courage for Jack and Grace to take a chance on their personal happiness.

Julia Quinn’s first novel about the Cavendish family is a winner, told with humor and wit.  This is a ‘feel good’ novel where all the characters, including the dowager, are sympathetic and their motivations are clear.  The story moves along smoothly with a tightly constructed plot.  It is a great book to read in summer on a sunny beach or wrapped in a blanket on a cold winter’s day.

Four Stars

Originally posted 2009-01-12 05:25:18. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Movie Review: Walk in the Clouds Starring Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón

Walk in the Clouds is one of the sweetest love stories I have ever seen on the silver screen. I’ve fallen in love with the cast and characters as surely as I have fallen in love with Pride and Prejudice. The grandfather (Anthony Quinn) is by far my favorite; he’s got eyes in the back of his head. The man turns up every time poor Paul (Keanu Reeves) tries to run off and follow the plan he and Victoria (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) hatched before arriving to her family’s vineyard. Who doesn’t love Anthony Quinn? Really? I want him to adopt me so I can be his granddaughter.

Walk in the Clouds is the name of the vineyard the Aragóns have cultivated and inhabited for generations. They are a proud set of Mexican descendants who have recipes that were in their family cookbook before Americans created their Constitution. Something Papa Aragón loves to rub Paul Sutton’s face in. Papa doesn’t believe this drifter is or could ever be the right man for his daughter, Victoria and tries to scare him off.

Leaving is exactly what Paul needs to do. His plans were to help Victoria by posing as her husband. They met on the train, and then on the bus, and then alongside the road to her family’s home. She tells Paul that her father is going to kill her – and he just might, for Victoria has a secret… she’s pregnant and the father deserted her when he found out.

The unfolding of love and devotion throughout Walk in the Clouds between the gorgeous Victoria and honest Paul will pull at your heartstrings. There are some decidedly sensual moments throughout the movie – when Victoria teaches Paul how to fan the grapes and when they’re both covered in grape juice from the harvest. Whew! If you have never seen Walk in the Clouds – you must! If you have reestablish your connection with this tremendously wonderful tale set around the end of World War Two.

Rating: 5 Stars

Originally posted 2009-01-10 05:09:49. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Review: Too Hot to Handle by Robin Kaye

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Robin Kaye’s second book, Too Hot to Handle is witty and enchanting. Too Hot to Handle is the sequel to Romeo, Romeo. It follows Rosalie Ronaldi’s sister, Annabelle, on her tumultuous journey into love. Luckily for her, she has a sturdy cast of lively friends and a dog there to help her figure it all out. Her journey starts with this humorous first line: Ghosts don’t have sex, do they?

Of course the answer is no, but the distressingly dashing Doctor Mike Flynn looks almost exactly like her late boyfriend Chip Larsen. They could have been twins. Sure, his mouth is a little different, his nose broken and healed could have once been Chip’s nose, his eyes the same shape if different colors and his package is certainly better equipped… but other than that the similarities are shocking.

Annabelle’s past with Chip was rocky at best. Chip was not a very good boyfriend, even his sister thought so, but Annabelle never got the chance to really figure that out on her own. When the cancer came back, Chip refused to go through chemo again despite Annabelle’s and his family’s begging. Despite the heaviness of the emotional issues, this is still a romantic comedy.

Mike Flynn is working at a dead-end practice. His research though thorough wasn’t enough to prepare him for the realities. He’s going to be blackballed for bringing notice to a sloppy ill-informed partner. His only shot is to get out before it becomes common knowledge about his disagreements. Meanwhile his love life is pitiful, he’s tired of seeing the girls that Nick has let go, he wants a girl of his own and believes he struck gold with Annabelle who he met at her sister’s/his best friend’s wedding.

Mike’s background and Annabelle’s history will do their best to keep them apart. Life is messy, but with the help of a domestic god and busybody friends, family, and neighbors can it be cleaned up?

Rating: 3.5 - 4 Stars

Buy: Too Hot to Handle

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Review: Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood

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Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood is the second book in the set of three novels, Guardian Angel follows on the heels of The Lion’s Lady. I didn’t know this when I started and was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the book. Usually I dislike sets of romances because one couple or half of a couple ends up irking me due to their actions in a previous book. However, Lyon and Christina are already wedded by this point and I loved them in their story. I did wonder as to their purpose in this novel, but Lyon is clearly Caine’s friend and trustworthy ally which Caine will need before the novel is up. Speaking on ends, I thought the ending to Guardian Angel was lacking in some fashion. I can’t put my finger on it but the ending left me feeling vaguely like how the ending of The Wedding made me feel… unresolved I guess.

The Marquess of Cainewood is on a mission. Revenge coldly calculated, this ruthless man has set out to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of the notorious pirate known only as Pagan. The pirate would meet his maker, and then perhaps Caine’s father would get some peace. Sitting in the back of a pub that had become his haunting place since his brother’s death, Caine’s evening is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of an angel with fiery red hair. She’s scared, trembling, but determined.

Her first question is about his identity… is he Pagan?

His charade as the pirate was working, but instead of drawing out the real Pagan, he got a maiden in distress. She asks him to kill her before the men after her catch up and do the job themselves. She wants to die quick and painlessly and hoped the honorable Pagan would help her. Honorable indeed! Caine refuses and shoulders the burdens of the young woman.

Jade he will find leads him on a merry goose chase after criminals who do and don’t exist. And all the while she is flitting about trying to keep Caine occupied, a real mystery is brewing… but also passion. Can Jade keep her heart safe or has a man finally pierced her shields to the vulnerable girl inside?

Rating: 4 Stars

Edit: The sex in this novel doesn’t follow the usual path in romance novels. When Jade loses her virginity it’s not a quick flash of pain and then over with. I enjoyed how Garwood handled everything when it became an issue between Jade and Caine. Jade was also very tender for her second time. It was different than what I am used to in a romance novel and I found that I enjoyed it because of that.

Originally posted 2009-01-06 00:40:53. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Review: Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer

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Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer is enchanting and will assuredly transport you to another world. Georgette Heyer, praised to be the new Jane Austen, was born in 1902 and her tales are quite old but hold the same classic feel as any one of Austen’s novels. I can picture the whole novel as a movie and am surprised that I’ve not seen it made into one. Of course I haven’t checked in at IMDB so I could be quite wrong about its silver screen status.

This is my first time reading Heyer and such I found it tough to start (as such it’s affected my rating). The writing while at first difficult to read and to get into because of the level of vocabulary and particular word phrasing which is unusual for today’s standard’s. However it gets easier the more you read. By the end of the book you’re practically flying through the pages trying to get to the end of the story and see the leads get their happily ever after.

In the true spirit of a Regency novel, this novel includes a secondary romance to entertain us. Neither romance goes to the bedroom, in fact the first and only kiss mentioned is at the very end of the tale. My one fault with the story was there was much too much time spent on ditherings going on around the leads and not nearly enough time focused on them. They were more thrown together in the beginning when Dominic kidnapped poor Mary than later.

Mary Challoner is determined to save her sister from scandal and intercepts a letter from Marquis of Vidal to her sister Sophie arranging an illicit tryst. A daring scheme to take her sister’s place and fool Vidal comes to her and Mary rushes through with it, barely thinking out the consequences.

When Vidal finds out he’s most upset and assuming her to be like her untoward and loose sister, Vidal forcibly takes her the rest of the way to France. Once there, Mary is able to make her true nature known and flummoxed Vidal is forced to do the one thing he never thought to do – propose marriage. Imagine his surprise when Mary refuses! What’s a Marquis to do?

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Originally posted 2008-09-02 05:43:56. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Review: The Heiress by Jude Deveraux

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The Heiress by Jude Deveraux started off exceptionally well in my opinion but tapered off into mediocrity and stayed there after the jumpstart. It’s too bad that it did that as my initial impressions of the novel were four out of five stars. The editing felt choppy in the middle and was completely disconnected towards the end. There was a distinct lack of transitions between scenes and as I read I felt like I was missing the good parts, the parts that tied everything together.

It was hard to feel for the characters after the initial start as well. There was no chemistry between the two of them in the end and that’s what killed the book. I kept reading though hoping it would turn around and be the amazing story it started off as. No such luck.

Axia has forever been stigmatized by her fortune. When people first meet her, they dismiss her, but that soon changes when they hear about how she is the Maidenhall Heiress. Their entire demeanor would do a one eighty. Men previously uninterested would turn fawning gazes her way and declare their undying love and devotion. For once Axia would love to be wanted, needed, and desired for who she was rather than how much money she represents.

James, call him Jamie, Montgomery is a dirt-poor Elizabethan knight. He inherited his brother’s earldom after his death to a fever. Unfortunately for James, his brother had gambled away everything leaving the family with nothing and no way to support themselves. James had responsibilities to the tenets whose land had once been Montgomery before his brother’s debts, his withdrawn mother, blind twin sister, and tomboy younger sister. So when Maidenhall offered to pay him to escort his daughter Axia to her betrothed, James said yes.

But then his sisters found out and hatched a plan to use Jame’s beauty to save them from destitution. He would woo the Maidenhall Heiress while she was under his charge and convince her to marry him instead of the man she was betrothed too. However Axia outsmarts James and convinces her beautiful cousin to play the part of heiress to allow Axia freedom on the journey. The tale is a topsy-turvy ride through layers of deception, intrigue, and desperation.

Rating: 2 Stars

Originally posted 2008-08-25 05:41:11. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Review: Beast by Judith Ivory

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For the most part I truly enjoyed reading Beast. It’s a twist on the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast and has a scarred hero who just happens to be a prince… a prince of nothing as it were because it was a French aristocratic title bestowed after the dissolution of the monarchy. The hero is extremely fond of perfumes and perfume ingredients. He’s a botanist, chemist, and a nose which is to say an expert at smelling things. He’s quite a vain creature who has worked very hard to be charming, well thought of, wealthy, and seen as handsome instead of grotesque. His manners are faultless, his skill as a lover unparalleled, and his person dressed and draped in the finest money can buy.

The heroine is a vain person as well, but hers is a beauty that was bestowed upon her from birth and not anything she ever had to work to achieve. In fact she sneers at anyone who comments upon her beauty. If only they could see the girl beneath whomever that girl may be… She doesn’t want to marry at all and she’s certainly not inclined to marry someone who is not as beautiful as she is because isn’t that something she deserved? Couldn’t the man she married be handsome as well as titled, wealthy, charming, and whole of body?

It was a good set up but about halfway through I thought wouldn’t it be great if the hero to put the heroine in her place. Of course it never happened. In fact the reverse did. Why though? Sadly, I believe it is how the initial key plot points unfolded. So despite the hero perpetrating the whole disaster and the heroine being the cause of the disaster, the hero was forced to grovel.

So what happened? Louise found out her husband wasn’t as magnificent as her parent’s said he was and she was determined to find a lover who could give her everything she was certain her new husband could not. Charles overheard and hatched a scheme to force her to see beyond his face and his original intentions were to reveal himself and make her the butt of the joke. Instead he fell in love and tried to unsuccessfully woo her as himself in daylight. She figures it out eventually because he slips up. He’s tried to tell her who he is/was but Louise is clueless and refuses to see the connection because that would just be too horrible!

So because Louise didn’t grow up and Charles did the only growing I’m going to have to give Beast 3 Stars instead of the 4 Stars I would have if the heroine had owned up all of her faults instead of just a few and try to make amends to her husband.

Buy: Beast

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Review: Secrets of a Proper Lady by Victoria Alexander

Secrets of a Proper Lady is a tale of deception, mistaken identity, and double… double crosses, all in the name of love. Victoria Alexander weaves a delightful story all about the comedy of manners and if it wasn’t for the delightful bedroom scene could be considered a Regency romance. The scandalous and amusing misconceptions are definitely worth reading.

Miss Sarah Palmer is being most scandalous in her behavior. On the behalf of her employer, distant cousin, and good friend she is stalking Mr. Sinclair’s secretary, a Mr. Warren Lewis. It is imperative that Lady Cordelia know all about the man her father is forcing her to marry. Mr. Sinclair could have bad breath, loose morals, or worse still be a total bore. Warren Lewis, looking out for his employer and good friend, finds his conversation with Miss Sarah Palmer to be most engaging and informative… at least about Sarah herself.

The more Sarah meets with Warren to learn about Daniel Sinclair, the more she wants to spend time with him. Time not spent talking strictly about Lady Cordelia’s assets or Mr. Sinclair’s. She wants to get to know Warren. He isn’t wealthy, but then again Sarah doesn’t care about that. She is looking to marry for love and she could quite easily come to love the honest and upright Warren Lewis.

Unfortunately for Sarah, she is really Lady Cordelia. Warren Lewis is not her intended, nor the man she is supposed to get to know. But his kisses are intoxicating and his eyes mesmerizing. How can she reveal to him that she is not Miss Sarah Palmer, but the woman his employer is going to marry sight unseen. He would surely despise her! And her father would be most upset because his business would fail without the elder Mr. Sinclair’s money and connections, maybe not immediately, but it would fail and the family would be in ruin. Cordelia has wanted to be considered an adult in her family for years, and here was the opportunity to achieve that; for even spoiled princesses must make sacrifices. If only Warren were the prince she needed, or a knight that could find the treasure and rescue her from her fate.

Warren Lewis is just as conflicted as Cordelia, though he doesn’t know that the woman he loves is his employer’s future wife. He needs a wealthy heiress as all his business dealings and prospects in America are sure to dry up and disappear without a sudden and heavy influx of money. Sarah is a woman whose affections a man should not play with unless he intends to marry her. Warren Lewis can not marry Sarah, because he is really Daniel Sinclair and the heiress he suddenly needs is the woman he’s been avoiding; Lady Cordelia Bannister. How on earth is he going to confront the sweet and charming Sarah Palmer and tell her of his deceit and his intentions to marry another woman? He can’t, he just simply can’t. If only Sarah was wealthy in her own right, or his father’s money wasn’t tide up in preparation for dealing with Lady Cordelia’s father… why then everything would be perfect, he could tell Sarah he loved her and wanted to marry her. If only.

Rating: 4 stars

Buy: Secrets of a Proper Lady

Originally posted 2008-12-06 06:10:04. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Review: Destiny’s Jewel by Rachel Kenley

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Have you ever read your name in a romance book? How about with different spelling? I rarely do as my name is fairly unique. Listening to my name as a protagonist in Destiny’s Jewel was definitely a bit of naughty fun.

Rebecca Rogers, who narrated Maestro’s Butterfly, narrates Destiny’s Jewel and does another amazing job! Five out of five for steamy!

I recently went on a road trip to meet with some friends and Destiny’s Jewel was my trip companion. Who needs the radio? Seriously! Listen to some erotica instead - it’s sure to keep you awake and get your blood pumping.

Kyra L’orrac has been entrusted to guard a royal treasure, a giant sapphire known as the Stone of Destiny. It is her first big assignment under the Royal Special Forces (RSF). She is protecting it from the incoming vizier and magician Ellard J’aron, who seeks it for personal gain and power.

For Ellard it is imperative that he retrieved the star sapphire and its two sister jewels, an emerald and ruby respectively. If he fails to bring the trio home to Dolnair he faces execution and his family the ultimate disgrace. As if Ellard’s troubles aren’t enough he is under a very strict time limit and the pretty girl who holds the first of the jewels inspires passions he should not-nay can not-indulge, even if he wants too… desperately.

Rating: 3 Stars

Buy the Audio Version Here!

Side note: I marked this book as interracial because of one partner being magical and one partner being non-magical.

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Review: Vexing the Viscount by Emily Bryan

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I literally couldn’t put Vexing the Viscount down. I devoured the book in just two days. For those on Twitter, this was the book I was talking about not too terribly long ago. So what’s it about?

Romance treasure, naughty sculptures, and pagan adventures are the pursuits of the impoverished Viscount Rutland and curious Miss Daisy Duke. But even more scrumptious than the thrill of finding lost treasure is watching Daisy Duke attempts to win over the reluctant Viscount.

The man won’t budge! Ever since Lucian Beaumont’s run-in with her pike while playacting when they were younger. (Despite the past acquaintance they are not childhood friends.) If her deadly aim weren’t enough of a detraction, clearly there must be something dreadfully wrong with her as she is a lovely unwed heiress… must mean she is nothing less than socially unacceptable. He needs a fortune, but he does not need hers! As if his own reasons weren’t enough of a deterrent his father’s particular disliking for the Dukes, especially her uncle, must be taken into consideration.

Still, Daisy remains undaunted. Adventure she craves and adventure is what she’s going to get. The girl takes the mistaken identity plot device and runs with it - playing herself by day and courtesan by night. It’s wicked good fun! Plus Lucian Beaumont is a virgin hero. Yes, that means what you think it does… a virgin hero going to a virgin heroine for love lessons. Squee!

Vexing the Viscount is engaging, spicy, and delightfully intricate… a must read for the adventurous at heart.

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

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The classic story of Sleeping Beauty retold by Catherine Murdock in Princess Ben takes on a life of its own. When her father, mother, and uncle are brutally murdered under the orders of King Renaldo of Drachensbett, Benevolence is summoned by her aunt, the queen, to take her place as the heir to Montagne.

Ben is resentful of all the tortures Queen Sophie inflicts on her from classes in deportment and dancing to limiting her food in an effort to slim her figure. Ben has never been one of those silly princesses, who dined on air and compliments. She was plump and happy about it. She enjoyed her food and having it taken away is a terrible injustice!

After her latest punishment from Queen Sophie, Ben cried and raged and somehow stumbles upon a secret doorway. Behind the doorway is a stairwell, and the stairwell leads to a room. In the room there’s a book, a magic one, and in the dead of night Ben steals away and practices magic in secret. One spell creates a sleeping body double.

Prince Florian of Drachensbett, believes in destiny and true love… until he realizes that the sleeping girl who can not be woken from his prophecy is the sullen rotund Princess Ben. Despairing, Florian chooses to lead warriors against Montagne, but thoughts of war can’t block out Princess Ben. He dreams of her, as she dreams of him, much to his disgust because the girl in his dreams is nothing like the Princess Ben he met.

This book is weird to read as its first person omniscient. Queen Benevolence is recounting her tale to readers and at times it reads from young Ben’s point of view, but you get voiceovers from the present older Ben. I felt like I should believe the experiences were happening to a fifteen year old girl, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around it with the narrator voice being so much older.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

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Review: Destiny of the Wolf by Terry Spear

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Terry Spear weaves paranormal, suspense, and romance together in one non-stop rollercoaster of passion and adventure. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying a protagonist werewolf plot (I’m more inclined to favor vampires) and a mystery thriller plotline (again not something I usually go for). I love this novel’s front cover (hmm sexy). Don’t you? This book reminds me a bit of Only With Your Love by Lisa Kleypas. Overall, there were many pieces that I enjoyed in this book and many pieces that I did not. Of course the story wouldn’t be the same story without the parts that I like least… and all the parts I’m not in favor of can be contributed to the dead sister Larissa.

Larissa is dead. How did she get there? Her living triplet Lelandi is in Silver Town to find out. Her discoveries show just how much of a royal mess Larissa made of her life. One of them (and this is what gets me) was to take Darien as her mate. Darien has a special gift to find his true soul mate through dreams. Larissa claims to be the one he dreams about while knowing the real woman of his dreams is her sister Lelandi. Talk about some sisterly backstabbing!

When Lelandi comes to town to find the truth, her very presence upsets and stirs Darien. He’s attracted to her as he never was for Larissa. He thought the dream mating must have reflected a truer connection than the physical one, which is why he always felt sort of bereft after making love to Larissa. After discovering who Lelandi is and what she really means to him, Darien vows to move heaven and earth to claim Lelandi as his mate.

Throughout the developing passion, Darien and Lelandi unravel the mystery surrounding Larissa’s last months in an effort to find her murderer. Lelandi soon becomes a target herself, but that doesn’t deter her from seeking justice. The clues will reveal a most surprising culprit.

Rating: 3.5 Stars.

Book is categorized as interracial because of the pairing of two different breeds of werewolf… red and gray.

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Book Review: Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye

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I picked up Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye on Monday. This was a mistake because as soon as I started reading I couldn’t put the book down. I didn’t want to and I literally tried to multitask while reading and that didn’t work out so well so I just went back to reading. I took breaks for food, sleep, and unavoidable errands. Reading Romeo, Romeo was like finding a new best friend.

Kaye’s writing style is so engaging you are hooked before you finish the first page. I guarantee you will be as engrossed as I was. Kaye writes romance like Janet Evanovich writes serial mystery comedies. I haven’t been so pleased with a contemporary romance as I was with Romeo, Romeo in a good long while. I can see why this book won the Golden Heart Award for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance Manuscript in 2007 at RWA. A Golden Heart Award as you know is given out to unpublished authors and manuscripts.

The cast of characters Kaye created are as fabulous and as endearing as any of the Stephanie Plum characters. Rosalie, the heroine can cuss in four languages, but three don’t count in her mind and will give her bonus points with God. Rosalie’s a turn around CFO with a tough as nails assistant named Gina who can also add loyal and kindhearted to her resume. Rosalie is as Italian in her looks as Gina is Latino. The two women are best friends.

Dominick Romeo is the owner of a string of car dealerships. He was a bad boy Morelli type of character in his youth and got into a spot of trouble that turned his life around. He’s now the Italian version of Donald Trump in New York and has surrounded himself with shallow Barbie doll type girls until he got tired of them and of the game.

The meet cute: Dominick has had a terrible weekend. Everything that could go bad in his opinion has. He thinks he’s gotten a double dose of the saying ‘trouble always comes in threes.’ Throwing the towel in on figuring out the mess that was his Viper, Nick grabs the keys to the wrecker and hauls himself home. On the way home he spots number six by the road kicking and cussing at her car.

Rosalie is livid. Her stupid brother took her money and her car and never once put the money to good use. Now she’s stranded without a donut-sized spare let alone the full one she paid her brother to get. Seeing Nick pull over to help, she wonders if the bonus points she’d been earning over the last little while were about to be cashed in for the help she needed. Of course something is weird about Nick. Since when has a wrecker just happened by and pull over– especially after she’s called around and nobody was open or available? And since when has a lowly mechanic had an expensive haircut and dress shoes?

Dominick convinces her to get in the wrecker after proving he’s not some whacked-out psychopath and drives her home. He finds himself incredibly attracted to her and wonders how to get a date. There are only two things wrong with the situation in his mind. One she’s got a boyfriend and he doesn’t poach, even though he thinks the guy is an idiot. Two, Rosalie turned out to be the younger sister of the boy he got in trouble with in his youth which was sure to cause bad blood. What’s a guy to do? Wait for her to dump the first boyfriend that’s what, and to speed her along to that end he tantalizes her with almost kisses.

Rating: 5 Stars for Hot, Steamy, and Hilarious!

I am definitely keeping an eye out for Kaye’s next novel!

Originally posted 2008-10-22 09:40:22. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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Movie Review: While You Were Sleeping starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman

While You Were Sleeping is one of the sweetest movies I have ever seen. This movie is entirely based on a series of misunderstandings and hilarious situations. The movie features an all star cast including Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, and Jack Warden. Everyone was amazing in this film. I even liked Michael Rispoli as Joey Fusco Jr.

Lucy Eleanor Moderatz, played by Sandra Bullock, is a Chicago transit tollbooth worker. What Lucy most wants out of her life is a stamp in her passport and a reason to not work every holiday. She is also hopelessly besotted with daily commuter, Peter Callaghan, played by Peter Gallagher, whom she has never met.

Peter is a charming schmuck, but Lucy doesn’t know this. One day after flashing his perfect white smile in her direction Peter gets mugged on the platform for the L train and falls onto the train tracks. Lucy saves him from certain death and follows him to the hospital.

There a nurse overhears Lucy dreaming aloud to herself and misinterprets. Lucy is ushered in to see Peter, but he is in a coma. Minutes later his family bustles in and the nurse introduces Lucy to them as Peter’s fiancée. Oh boy! Now the fun starts!

Well you can imagine. The mother and father are hysterical in these moments. I love Peter Boyle as Ox Callaghan. Saul, the beloved sort of godfather, played by Jack Warden is a hoot and the grandmother Elsie played by Glynis Johns will leave you in stitches. Elsie sort of reminds me of Grandma Mazur in the Stephanie Plum novels, just crazy in a different way.

As the story spins out Bill Pullman playing as Peter’s brother Jack is suspicious of Lucy. She is not his brother’s type. Surprisingly both find themselves drawn to each other. Jack gets possessive and there’s this whole scene about “The Lean.” Loved it! But they’re not supposed to be with one another as Lucy is Peter’s fiancée.  Jack has a great scene with Peter in the hospital while Peter is still in his coma. Poor Jack!

Anyway the fun is watching Lucy navigate her way through muddy waters. She loves the Callaghan family and doesn’t want to give them up and if she comes clean about who she it they won’t want her anymore… not even Jack. Or so she thinks. Feel good fluff!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Originally posted 2008-10-21 22:45:22. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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