I first heard about Crimson Rapture from a HaBo post over at Smart Bitches: Trashy Books. I can’t remember now if this book was the actual book or just one of the suggestions, but I guess it hardly matters. It sounded cool and I got it immediately from Paperback Swap.
It was originally published in 1986 and definitely has forced seduction in it—the kind where he does it for her own good and because he desires her too much to let another moment pass. There’s a lot of it, but it is well written, so if you’re in the mood for it, I would highly suggest this novel. A warning though… the comeuppance of the uppity bitch in the story is gang rape by the pirate crew which the pirate captain (hero) sanctions because she tried to kill someone (no, not the heroine.)
The story is one of those that goes everywhere (Boston, London, open seas, remote island in the Phillipines, Jamaica) and does everything (kidnapping, monsoons, shipwrecks, runaways, fake marriages, babies, plots and betrayal, and so on.)
It starts when the ship the heroine and hero are on is caught in the doldrums. The heroine is headed for Australia to live with her cousin and his family after her father’s recent death. The hero, Justin Phillips, is locked up in the hold somewhere on his way to his execution. He spies her presence one day and strikes up a conversation. He can’t really see her, but he figures she’s extremely plain.
Christina Marks is actually very beautiful. As the daughter of a reverend she is kind, naive, and innocent. Also, she is terribly shy except when she talks to Justin through the small opening. She gives him her rations to help him keep his strength up. When the wind breaks and Justin’s crew comes to his rescue he kidnaps Cristina determined to ensure her safety and wellbeing.
The adventure has only begun though and passion can’t be denied.
Flung back in time, Adrienne de Simon got thrust into medieval Scotland from modern day Seattle.
A captive twice over in a century foreign to her, Adrienne became faced with the challenge of dealing with the Scottish laird they called ‘Hawk.’
Described as irresistible, seductive and passionate – Adrienne swore to keep him as far from her as possible.
But how possible, is the impossible, when she’s been forced to marry him via a thick plot to destroy him.
Brought to the sixteenth century by the mighty Black Fae himself, of the mythical Tuatha Dé Danaan race, Adam Black, Adrienne is determined not only to go back to her own time, but to swear off men…that’s how she got into the mess to begin with; she swore off men.
Sounds easy enough? Well no.
While, Beyond the Highland Mist is filled with alluring mysticism, betrayal, mystery and action, it bleeds hyper-masculine eroticisms that are anything but enchanting from the very beginning.
From Adam, to the Fae Queen, Aoibheal, and even Adrienne’s keen sense of humor, nothing quite makes up for Hawk’s soft-abuse of Adrienne that is supposed to be sexy.
Like his name, Hawk, decides to train Adrienne to make her love him, in his eyes, he’s bringing out her love of him. Hawk blind folds her, strips her naked and leaves her in a dark bedroom for unaccounted periods of time. He talks to her as if she is one of his falcons that he’s training to be obedient.
While, Adrienne never suffers physical abuse from Hawk, the mental tauntings are not only freakishly haunting, but disturbing:
She stopped screaming only when her voice gave out.
Stupid, she told herself. What did that accomplish? Not a thing. You’re trussed up like a chicken about to be plucked and now you can’t even peep a protest.
“Just take the hood off, Hawk,” she begged in a gravelly whisper. “Please?”
“Rule number nine. My name from this moment forward is Sidneach. Sidneach, not Hawk. When you use it, you will be rewarded. When you don’t, I’ll permit no quarter.”
No woman in her right mind would choose willingly to stay with a man who treats her that way. Especially, if said woman, has been previously abused by men, has sworn them off and is supposed to be a feisty chick from the 21st century.
It makes no sense.
While, I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this introduction into the world of Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander series, its opening title falls short of hooking.
The novel’s only true saving grace is the literary universe created and expanded upon by Moning; it is what will have you coming back for more…time and time again.
“Huzzah” for this Kensington Zebra debut author! Erica Ridley’s Too Wicked To Kiss is a titillating whodunit set in a London castle. There’s unlit corridors, secret passageways, stolen kisses, and a hero in cravats and breeches, “Oh my!” I may not wield powers of clairvoyance like (Evangeline) Ridley’s heroine, but I’m predicting this author will receive many calling cards from readers.
Are you going to like this historical romance? Ooo…yeah! I received the eARC for review and pre-ordered the paperback from B&N. I simply must procure the paperback for my bookshelf! Just picture me for a second, walking on hot coals repeating, “Hot, hot, hot, hot!”
Evangeline Pemberton is no stranger to heartache. Her mother has recently passed, and she’s just ran-away from her physically abusive stepfather (Neal) who aside from hitting her also entertains lascivious thoughts regarding his stepdaughter. Evangeline’s clairvoyant gift has caused her to shun both friends and the touch of others. Any touch brings about visions either past or yet-to-be along with one hellacious headache. Alone and out of options, she turns to Lady Stanton and her daughter Miss Susan Stanton. They offer to take her to Blackberry Manor in London with “one” simple stipulation; entrap Gavin Lioncroft (hero) into a betrothal contract with Susan. Evangeline’s not sure which of these three options terrifies her more: (1) deceiving an innocent bachelor into marriage with a total stranger (2) the fact that Gavin is a presumed murderer and they’re to stay in his manor for two weeks or (3) that Neal will find her.
When a murder is committed in Blackberry Manor everyone’s suspect, with at least 15 suspects and three with a motive to kill, this whodunit will leave you second-guessing the guilty party until the very end.
Evangeline finds her upcoming deception harder and harder to accomplish. Gavin is stirring passions within her both new and wonderful. Will she entrap Gavin for Susan? Or will Evangeline keep this “sinfully handsome” man for herself?
My favorite character was the hero, Gavin. What’s not to love? He’s a wickedly handsome tease. He protects those he loves; he’s passionate and goes after what he wants. Not to mention, here’s a man who knows how to apologize.
My favorite scene: In the dining room Gavin’s gaze slides down Evangeline’s body and retraces the path back up. He stares boldly and lifts an eyebrow to let her know, he likes what he sees. When she does the same to him and looks up at his face, he winks.
Too Wicked To Kiss is funny, sensual, entertaining and has a happily-ever-after. A must read!
Recommendations: If you like romances, this novel is a must read. I’m also recommending it to readers who like Sherlock Holmes, whodunits, Nancy Drew, mystery, romantic suspense, hot reads, Regency, historical and happily ever afters.
The sequel to Too Wicked To Kiss is set to release in the spring of 2011. Too Sinful To Deny is the story of a gossip-hungry heroine Miss Susan Stanton. Susan is Evangeline’s friend in book one. Something tells me there are lots of changes to come for Miss Stanton and some of which include…pirates!
Julie Garwood is a staple, a household name, and Wedding is the first book of hers I ever read. Recommended to me by my closest friend, I came to the conclusion that it must go to the top of my TBR pile. I found the Wedding to be a delightful combination of bride stealing, tortured hero, and a quest for justice. The tortured hero was my favorite part, though the heroine was pretty great too. The Wedding is the sequel to The Bride, but I don’t think you miss anything by reading this one first; it is after all what I did first. I also found pieces of text to get choppy when going from scene to scene near the end or from heroine to hero point of view. Overall it wasn’t a bad start to learning about who this fabulous author is. Spoilers ahead…
Wedding focuses heavily on a revenge plot, which in the end I felt could have been wrapped up better. When young Laird Connor McAlister comes to his father’s death bed, he is made to promise to seek justice for the wrongs of his father. At ten, one would not think this would be particularly important or something that would be a driving force in the child’s life but we’re underestimating the loyalty between father and son, the pride of the Highlanders, and of course the time period. Connor seeks protection from Alec, forms a lasting brotherhood with the man and grows up to search for his father’s killers.
The man Connor’s father thought was behind the plotting is getting married. Since he cannot prove his involvement with his father’s death, Connor decides to seek a lesser revenge by stealing his bride, Brenna Haynesworth. Lucky for Connor, his soon to be bride, Brenna, shares a bit of history with him. I’ll give you it’s a relatively brief history, but this history is needed so that Connor can justify his actions to his brother Alec. See, Brenna as a young girl asked Connor to marry her three times during his one and only stay at her childhood home. Brenna is an amusing heroine because she loses her possessions constantly. Hair ribbons, knifes, shoes, it all follows behind her like a trail of bread crumbs.
When the novel focused on the hero and heroine falling in love, it was a very good read but then it drifted back into the revenge plot and stuck there with a few too many clichés. Connor's stepmother is plainly evil. She affects a loving spirit still in mourning for her dead husband in front of Connor, but sabotages Brenna at every turn and picks on all her fears about herself and Connor whenever the man isn’t looking. And Brenna is so concerned about gaining his stepmother’s favor and love that she doesn’t bring up her problems with Connor or anyone for that matter.
Then when Connor’s stepbrother arrives on the scene he is a lecherous cretin, bent on seducing Brenna as soon as possible, not caring at all if she’s willing or not. While this is going on the man Connor thinks plotted his father’s death is moving his players around and causing mischief so that Connor cannot be near Brenna or observe what is going on in his own household until it’s nearly too late. Then to top it all off is another communication misunderstanding and the happily ever after is almost caput. In the end they have it, but I would have preferred Garwood to draw it out more instead of tacking it on at the end as if she’d forgotten about it.
I had a hard time getting through this novel. Not only is Widow’s Peak very unbelievable, but the writing is not engaging. Both of these problems could have been ignored if the sexual interaction between the main characters was hot. It wasn't.
Here is what I had issues with:
Lady Amye de Barnard doesn’t act like a medieval lady. She acts like the lowest of chambermaids or servants, doing jobs and taking care of things that should have been delegated.
First, she washes Laine’s body, stitches him up, and tends to him herself during his recovery. As a lady this would never happen. When he’s awake and on the mend, she washes him like a baby and the blanket is the only nod towards modesty.
Amye is a very modern woman in a time when it’s just not possible. She rides astride. She pays the king a tax to stay unmarried. Her late husband was way too forward thinking for the time period. He got the king to sign a contract to allow Amye to be the land holder and owner of their fiefdom. She too is overly forward thinking when it comes to the vassals, serfs, and servants. I have a hard time believing the men surrounding her would not try to advise her or take control away.
She also is still completely in love with her late husband. Thomas is mentioned way too often. There's no way. Besides that every mention shows how wonderful Thomas was to her, to their people, to the land, in bed, as a husband, as a lover, as a teacher, as a friend, and on and on.
As for the sex, here are a very few examples:
Let her lips roam to his pouch sucked one of his round balls.
I found it hard to believe she was "tight as the virgins he was given" after 7 childbirths. Come on - really? Really? REALLY?
Laine as a hero also had problems. He was a terrible troubadour. He was a prostitute turned assassin. As an assassin, I have my doubts. He becomes injured by fighting in the trees (of all places how did the fight happen in the trees—how did they both get up there?) then as the two are fighting and falling from the branches he manages to get on top and survive.
Abigail Reynolds delivers again! The Last Man in the World is a Jane Austen variation of Pride and Prejudice. As a variation there are some things that must be accepted before you start the novel. The first is that for this variation to take place something must not be canon. This something is Elizabeth’s stunned silence when Darcy first proposes at Rosings.
In fact, much of the drama in Last Man in the World comes from Elizabeth’s self-enforced silence. She keeps her silence because of Charlotte’s mentoring earlier in the novel. It was along the lines of: Darcy likes you; you don’t like him, but if he knew that just think of how miserable he could make you. Hold your tongue, keep the peace, and you can learn to be happy. So Elizabeth does.
This novel is a tragedy and a comedy of manners all at once. Darcy and Elizabeth work at cross purposes throughout the entirety of the novel. Neither one quite knows what to do to make the other happy. Neither quite believes the other about their expressed feelings. Both are hurting and the solution is one of those simple yet nearly impossible ones to acquire.
I started this novel very late at night and gobbled it up in one sitting. Consequently I only have three hours of sleep the next day. It’s quite addicting and you’ll really want to know what happens next.
Depending on how you view Elizabeth’s characterization, you will either love the novel or you won’t. I personally thought this Elizabeth, while different in some ways is remarkably like the original.
Vikings were warrior men from the Scandinavia region of the world including specifically Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Viking is linked to naval expeditions or naval raids. A member of such a trip is called a Viking. Typically it is thought that the Viking period began as early as 700 A.D. and ended somewhere in 1100 A.D. Women warriors were known as Valkyries. At the peak of their influence Vikings reached as far east as the Byzantine Empire and as far west as Iceland and Greenland.
Warring or to ‘Go a Viking:'
Viking expeditions were one of two things. Firstly, Viking could be referring to a mercantile seafarer dealing in commerce and trade. Secondly and most commonly referred to today when brought up, Viking relates to warriors seeking vengeance or urged into the act by need/greed to find slaves and other worldly goods. The term to ‘go a Viking' specifically relates to warring or act of raiding and pillaging.
Ships:
Longships, or dragon ships, are the warring vessel. They had sails and room for oarsmen so they could battle and move without interference from the wind. Longships are shallow and narrow, and this design aids in Viking expeditions by making it easy to land and deploy troops.
A knarr vessel was roomier and could hold far more cargo than a longship. It did not have room for oarsmen. This ship was specifically used in trade and commerce.
Horned Helmets:
Horned helmets were never a part of Viking apparel. Sorry to say, the idea of a horned helmet being Viking is merely a myth. It was dreamt up as part of the romanticism revival to associate them with Classical antiquity. A horned helmet would be too unmanageable in battle because of the ungainly weight of the horns.
Cleanliness:
Steam-houses (saunas), dips into geothermic pools, and regular bathing occurred in Viking culture. It is thought they bathed every Saturday as it is referred to as the washing day still in Scandinavian countries. As part of their ablutions Vikings washed hands and faces every morning. They also had a wide diversity in grooming items including soap. The soap was used to clean their hair as well as strip it of color to make it blond. Vikings are not the unclean barbarians we imagine them to be, perhaps however they were blonder.
Classes:
There were three classes of men in Viking civilization.
The Thrall - an unfree servant whose status was marked by a collar around the neck and short hair
The Jarl - a member of the aristocracy or nobility, was a man of high birth and includes kings
The Bondi- included farmers, craftsmen, landowners, and other freeborn people
Women's Rights:
A girl or woman had no right to choose her husband. However, if she was under her brother's protection and rule she could declare rights to marry the third suitor to seek for her hand.
A free woman in Viking culture owned her children and could divorce without stigmatism associated with other cultures of the time a man who was a bad husband. All she had to do was declare herself so at the door to their home and at their martial bed.
The gravest insult for a woman is a slap to the face done in public. The insult goes beyond her and impugns on the family's honor.
Viking Weddings and Romance:
Vikings would marry on Friday or Frigg Day. Frigg was the name of their goddess for marriage, thus explaining the tradition.
Courtship was frowned upon and poetry expressly forbidden as it was thought that the wording could enthrall a woman. Only the goddess Freyja could be given poetry.
Women were expected to be unsullied or virginal before marriage and after display fidelity within her marriage.
The ring a man gave to a woman was highly important as it was indicative of the respect and esteem he held for her.
Weddings were rarely conducted for lovers. Typically a marriage was arranged between the groom and her family or between both families. Occasionally a marriage was served as a ‘peace-pledge,' which means the marriage is a sign of cease fire between feuding families.
The wedding ritual consisted of exchanging swords between man and wife. The groom gave his sword to his bride as a legacy to be passed down to their first born son. The bride then gave a sword that represented their union and future family to the groom. It was then his duty to take care of the sword as he would take care of her and their children. Vows were then said over the groom's new sword to cement the union.
The Wedding Night and Morning:
The bride wore a bridal crown and it was in their bedroom chamber that this crown was removed by her husband as a symbol of their sexual union. After this symbolic removal the wedding witnesses would leave the couple alone to consummate the vows.
The morning after, once again before witnesses, the groom gave his wife a gift. This gift marked that the marriage was complete. He then would give her the keys to his home and all the buildings he owned. The keys represented her dominion over his holdings and declared her as his lady.
Vikings in Romance Novels:
Nearly always Viking romance novels contain references to the mythology and religion of the time period. They take place in the Scandinavian region, sometimes including the regions within the wide reach of the Vikings. Without fail Viking romance novels include a Viking warrior. He is strong, robust, and very masculine. You could say he is the epitome of alpha males. Standard themes of Viking romance include bride stealing, kidnapping, slavery to freedom archetypes, enemies to lovers, and strong women. Rape also comes up in Viking romances whether or not it actually occurs due to the nature and background of the culture. Viking romances are easily recognizable by their titles which usually include the word Viking.
Viking Love on Youtube:
Originally posted 2008-12-13 22:06:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
I wanted to read another Western story when I selected Rogue Stallion. It’s set in Montana and is part of the Montana Mavericks series in the Silhouette line. I like the yellow and brown cover it reads and feels very Western.
The book itself is kind of average. I finished reading it because it was there, not because it was all that entertaining. It’s not bad, it’s just not that good.
The hero, Sterling McCallum, is a brooding plain clothes cop and ex-military. He grew up in foster care after sending his mother to jail for abuse. He has no family and no real close attachments. He knows he has issues and more specifically one of them is that nobody (especially a woman) lies to him.
The heroine is Jessica Larson. She grew up very sheltered, two parents, no real problems or hardships. She began a career as a social worker in her early twenties. Very early in her career, she went out alone based on a call about spousal abuse and was very badly beaten and nearly raped by the husband who blamed her for his wife leaving him. It’s not something she talks about and she took the hit publicly to protect the wife. Now she is in charge of the local unit and makes sure to send social workers out in twos or more. She too has no real family left.
Both are loners.
Jessica wants a baby, but can’t have babies herself. She couldn’t have them before the attack (supposed improbable at best) but now she definitely can’t have one of her own. Much of the book is focused on Jessica’s deep desire for children. In an effort to find Baby Jennifer’s mother Sterling and Jessica get close.
Listening to the Maestro’s Butterfly is an experience that will leave you flushed and begging for more. You’re in luck too because there are two more books after this! Rebecca Rogers is a truly phenomenal narrator. Her character voices are a treat and she’s a real actress. Quivering sighs, harsh words, moans, groans, she does them all without ever breaking form. Rogers draws you into Jones’ secret world of vampires and you can not escape… just like Miranda you are trapped, captivated and set a fire.
Jones' mythology is unique. Her vampires have heartbeats, never get sick, can't reproduce, and fangs that extend. The feeders once bitten become the perfect meals, producing more blood, become slightly stronger, and live longer younger. Holding one's breath even ruins the flavor of blood. To be taken by a vampire is to know the true meaning of sex as they love to combine feeding with intercourse.
In the Maestro’s Butterfly, Rhonda Leigh Jones sets a sexy stage and does not fail to deliver. If you’re into dominant/submissive power plays, vampires, and kinky sex you will love this story. There are elements of S&M, including whipping, public/stage sex, voyeurism, sex with multiple partners (not at the same time unless you count in sync with watching others), and anal sex. Very hot!
Miranda wants to be dominated. She wants to include fear, surrender, and the unknown in the bedroom. She longs for it and is afraid of her desires. Her dreams involve running down darkened streets and being caught and forced upon by the mysterious hunter. In her day life she’s a musician and with a lucky break gets Claudio du Fresne to tutor her for half price. One night after a performance of his, he invites her back to his place and along the way they strike a bet. He will be the partner she has always dreamed of and if at the end of 30 days he will make her his forever… if not she will allowed to leave and he will continued to tutor her at the prearranged deal.
But there is a darker side to this story. Miranda is unaware of Claudio being a vampire. That’s not all… in addition Claudio has struck another bet, this time with his brother, Victoire "Jack" du Fresne. If at the end of 30 days Miranda stays with Claudio, Jack will pay for Claudio quarter of a million dollar performance piece. If however, she bolts like Jack suspects, Miranda will belong to Jack… whether she wants to be or not.
Ever start a series and just want to keep reading it even when parts of it make you want to abandon ship and never look back? Anita Blake is like that for me. It's very love-hate right now when earlier it was all love-love. There have been times when I was so disappointed in how the story was progressing that all I wanted to do was dump the books off my keeper shelf and lock them away forever in a silver chain wrapped coffin. Other times I was so giddy with glee over what was happening that I could hardly stand how much time it took to read a page and turn it!
I surprised myself by picking Skin Trade up in the library recently. I’m glad I did because the last few books bummed me out a lot. I have very definite opinions on this series and how exactly I want Hamilton to handle Anita Blake’s ardeur. She’s got lust and anger versions of it and I am still anxiously waiting for it to turn solidly into love because as Anita says she’s got too many men on her plate! (Of course I love 90% of them and would hate to see them go but the large cast makes it hard I feel to truly develop them into full fleshed out characters.)
Skin Trade starts with a head mailed to Anita at her Animators Inc. desk. The message in St. Louis and Las Vegas is clear: “Come and Get Me.” Vittorio is a serial killing master vampire with extraordinary powers and a penchant for strippers. Joining Anita are Marshals Otto Jefferies (Olaf), Ted Forrester (Edward), and Bernardo Spotted Horse giving Skin Trade a feel of Obsidian Butterfly.
Jean-Claude is upset to find Anita has run off again to solve crime without notifying him. He sends her a team of bodyguards that double as food: notably Wicked and Truth, the bad boy vampire brothers. They get to star in very yum scenes later in the novel.
If a serial killing vampire on the loose with an unheard of weapon wasn’t bad enough Marmee Noir makes a reappearance giving Anita all kind of trouble (and I suspect that though she seems to be taken care of that in fact won’t be the case.)
Beyond vampires, Anita is having trouble controlling her gifts such as keeping shields in place and is dealing with local cops attacking her sex and personal life every chance they get. It got to be very frustrating because every time you thought the trust and dislike issues were solved they cropped up again.
Overall it wasn’t a favorite of mine, but it wasn’t half bad. I can’t wait to get back to St. Louis and Jean-Claude.
PS On one note as I was checking out the upcoming ABVH novels on LKH's site, I was surprised and as creeped out as LKH that a lot of readers like Olaf romantically. Say what?! He's not Edward. The man's an absolute crazy sociopath/serial killer! No. Bad reader. No cookie for you!
The second book in the Riley Jenson series is a continuance of the first. It’s very important to read Full Moon Rising before starting this one because they are extremely tied in and you will be left confused if you don’t.
The urban futuristic world is expanded and more players are introduced. The plot thickens as Misha reveals clues to who is really behind everything. We find out more about the limbs of the organization while the head tries to save itself. The head is a mystery and is not resolved in Kissing Sin.
Keri Arthur is very good at staging fights, which is a good thing as there are a ton of them! The last stand off at the end is extremely creepy as in horror movie creepy. I’d give more details but I’m trying not to spoil anyone.
The things that bothered me in the last novel are back only this time without the excuse of a full moon inciting the werewolf lusties. Again it’s not the amount of sex in the novel, it is who the sex is with and how Riley reflects on her sexuality. Two new guys enter her sex circle: We meet Kade Williams, the horse-shifter (not a lycanthrope – his shifting is not tied to the moon) and Kellen an alpha male werewolf Riley can feel is important to her future. I didn’t mind Kade or Kellen or Quinn, who’s back in this book.
I did mind Riley sleeping with the enemy for information sake. In addition it read very bad when Riley grumbled mentally that she didn't like being forced to fuck a guy (which if she becomes a Guardian is a sure thing) even though she's positive the sex will be good. I guess what’s good for the gander isn’t sauce for the goose in my case. It’s sexy on James Bond and not so much with her. I also minded the raping of Riley which happened again in flashbacks as she’s trying to recall the week that’s missing. She doesn’t really deal with it and it’s excused because sex is practically nothing to a werewolf.
Quinn is back in part because he wants to solve the mystery and in part because he can’t leave Riley alone. She invades his dreams. The two go back and forth and Riley gives him an ultimatum: accept her sexcapades as a part of her werewolf charm or get the hell out of her life. Quinn agrees to a compromise of exclusivity when he’s in town, but makes it very clear he’s possessive and territorial when it comes to her.
I find I am Quinn in this series. I can’t accept Riley’s blasé attitude toward sex. It must be the human in me as Keri Arthur repeatedly says in the books it’s the werewolf way of life and it’s the problem of the humans, who are too prudish and morally uptight to really understand. And I don’t! I don’t understand walking into a club and having sex in public on the dance floor. I don’t understand going to a party with a guy you had sex with on the way there and then slipping off to fuck another guy – even if he’s a werewolf hottie you slept with the night before. It’s seedy and tacky.
His world was shattered two summers ago when on a trading voyage his farmstead was ransacked by Danes. His wife and unborn child were slaughtered. When the news reached him Wulf’s heart vowed to make the Danish rue the day they ever dared to set foot on his soil. His quest was a tidy package of vengeance, justice, and revenge. He did not separate the murderers that wronged him from the rest of the Danish people. He became known as Wulf the Ruthless far and wide. It was said he was a cold, cruel man without a heart and that compassion was a word he did know.
She was stolen from her farmland in the last of Wulf the Ruthless’ raiding campaigns. The heartless Viking destroyed her life and sold her to a slave trader. By some twisted hand of fate she winds up being purchased two years later by his brother and gifted to Wulf to be his thrall and bed slave. Reyna was horrified to learn that the man who raped her and forgot her would become her master. But there was one thing the Norseman did not take into account; that Reyna had spirit. She would never submit and he would rue the day he ever stepped onto her father’s land!
Sounds amazing right? It was okay. There were a lot of turgid and quivering members and heaving bosoms. Instead of plowing there was spearing. Reyna was too good to be true as a heroine who had been raped and then sold into slavery to a harem in the Byzantine. She could fight, heal, make passionate love as a near virgin, and talk back to the scary Norse warrior that she thought raped her.
Reyna saved Wulf three times from the same situation. The only difference between each time was the place and the names of those fighting. She saved him once fighting the Finnish as one crept up behind him and then again from the Danish on her home turf and lastly on his home turf again but I can’t remember the country… probably Swedes. Honestly how does Wulf survive in battle to earn the name Wulf the Ruthless, if a girl is always saving his hinny from cowardly warriors who come from behind? He’d be Wulf the Dead and Doesn’t Appear in This Book that’s who.
The book flowed pretty well and overall it wasn’t so bad, but it certainly wasn’t one of my all time favorites.
MOC + second suitor + jealousy = win! Or… maybe not.
When a tour mixes up dates, Lian is stranded in Argentina with a minimum of Spanish. She takes a job as a hostess at a club only to find to her horror that a hostess is really just a polite word for prostitute. Help comes in the way of Ricardo who tells the owner and a client that Lian is his already for the night. He then proceeds to get her out of there and off to the nice hotel where he is staying.
His help come at a price. Lian must agree to a marriage of convenience or he’ll send her back to the club. Lian chooses marriage. Ricardo reveals he was bluffing. They marry and set off to his smallish plantation with a pit stop at the wedding of his half brother Carlos to prove he was wed first and retains all legal rights to the plantation.
Things progress semi-normally, at least for what one can expect from an older Harlequin. Then a acquaintance of Ricardo’s shows up. Lian is a little too friendly with Grant and earns a fierce rebuke from Ricardo. She defies him and maintains her overly friendly ways all the while attempting to figure out how to escape her MOC. When Grant suggests flight for the 8th time she agrees and off they go.
Ricardo tracks them down. Detains Grant and forces Lian back home where he proceeds to forcefully claim all his marital rights and tack on a required male heir stipulation before he’ll set her free. Martial rape… again. Why is this a consistent theme in older Harlequins/romances in general? Is this the only way a man is capable of sharing his “feelings” until the heroine cracks and says “I love you!”? Let me repeat this once again… rape is not romantic.
One of the better things in this novel was when the heroine rescued the hero at the end of the novel. The ending high is very nice.
Soul of the Wildcat is a wild and hot erotica! Devyn’s sexy Native American shifters will leave you breathless. I recommend this book to erotica readers.
She’s♀
Dakoda Jenkins, a ranger working in North Carolina’s South Mountains State Park. Her assignment, is to stop the poachers from capturing the Eastern Cougars.
He’s♂
Jesse Clawfoot, a Native American belonging to the Tlvdatsi; a tribe of the Cherokee Nation. He wandered too far from his reservation in search of a mate; when he scents a female.
They
Began their day never imagining they’d be taken, captured, and caged.
Challenge
Together, they’ll attempt to stop the cruel outlaws known as the Barnett brothers.
Problem
They need to escape first!
Pros
Devyn’s sex scenes are hot, explicit, and her descriptions are spot on. The sex scene inside a wrecked plane, during a lightning storm was steaming hot! Of course, the picnic table scene at the beginning wasn’t too bad either. (LOL)
Warning
Readers familiar with the author’s novels will find Soul of the Wildcat to be a “lighter” and slower-paced read when compared to her darker faster- paced works. This book contains- expletives, sexual molestation, and a reference to bestiality which some readers may find disturbing.
Today is a Double Dose of Devyn Day! Back to back reviews!
Embracing Midnight is Devyn at her best. A sinful, sizzling “fast-paced” page turner!
Come…, as I invite you to walk along the darker side of romance. Prepare yourself for the “ultimate” good vs. evil novel.
This novel, solidified for me, the reason why Devyn ranks among my top two favorite authors. Having read most of her books, this is her best novel to date. I can envision its conversion into a movie.
Embracing Midnight will appeal to any and all of the following: erotic romance readers, readers who enjoy romantic suspense, mystery, paranormal, sci-fi, thrillers, and for those readers who enjoyed the movies The Net and Men in Black.
I simply could not, read this book fast enough. My review should simply read (flip, flip, flip). What first appealed to me were the double entendres, and hot sexual innuendos between the hero (Iollan Drake) and the heroine (Callie Whitten).
Callie is a 30 year old blond who’s working for the bureau as an undercover agent. Her cover is working as a waitress at a Goth club. The military taught her how to crack and hack any system in the world. An ability that she’ll have to implement soon enough.
In enters a “mega-hot” 194 year old, motorcycle riding Irish vampire into her life. Who knows just how to please a woman, he’s sex-on-a stick. Together, they’ll learn how easily friends can become enemies, and discover how sworn enemies can change into our best allies.
Drake will uncover her darkest sexual secret, and fulfill her secretly guarded fantasy. His use of the endearment “love” towards Callie was touching. Iollan quickly became my favorite character, with his vulnerability, transformation, and ultimate revenge and redemption. When he reveals the full scope of his powers as the novel approaches its end, you will be left utterly speechless.
The least likeable character was Callie’s bastard ex-lover Roger Reinke.
Favorite scene- When Callie assists Drake in a hot shower.
Embracing Midnight’s fundamental theme was to stand up for injustice and cruelty, by fighting for what “you” believe is right.
There isn’t a rating high enough for this novel, so I’ll have to settle for the 5 star rating, when in actuality in my heart it deserved a 10.
Warning--This plot includes one m, f, m, m scene. Yes, I counted those m’s correctly! There was also a rape scene that lent to the real nature of one of the characters. (Chilling and unexpected revelation)
, but I don’t think you miss anything by reading this one first; it is after all what I did first. I also found pieces of text to get choppy when going from scene to scene near the end or from heroine to hero point of view. Overall it wasn’t a bad start to learning about who this fabulous author is. Spoilers ahead…
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