Entries Tagged 'Friends' ↓
March 6th, 2010 — 4 Stars, Another Planet/Dimension, Book Review, Fantasy, Foster/Orphan, Friends, J-L, Medieval, Regency, Revenge, Survival, Virgin Heroine, Warrior, Young Adult
Choices Meant for Gods is a fantasy adventure romance, the first of three parts. Medieval overtones color the epic tale following a young twenty-year old heroine. Her name is Amanda Chariss. She has long auburn tresses, violet eyes, and holds the Geasa’n, the natural ability to perform magic. Chariss is an orphan, protected and raised by an old wizard named Hrazon.
For sixteen years, Hrazon and Chariss have been on the run from the sorcerer Jamieson Drake. Drake killed Chariss’ mother, Vertigo, and seeks to finish his revenge by obtaining her death as well. She does not trust stability in any form, for life has taught her it disappears in a blink of an eye. Hrazon has done his best to train his ward, but even a powerful wizard and protégé need help.
Meet Rothahn, the Master. He is the head god. His father before him selected Rothahn for the throne before moving aside. Rothahn however is far from holding ultimate power, a fact which annoys him as he thinks it would be useful… at least if only to kill off Godric, his daughter’s husband, and hid the blame.
Nigel, the twenty-eight year old man and our hero also holds the Geasa’n. He is Godric’s son, and Rothahn’s grandson. He, like Rothahn, holds no love for the man who sired him. Noble and kind, Nigel spends his time looking after his family and their holdings. When he meets our heroine for the first time he knows something is about to change in his life.
Julette is an evil goddess known as The Dragon. When her husband gave up the throne she was incensed that he would dare pass the power and glory to Rothahn. Was she not Queen? In league with Drake, Julette is determined to bring about a new world order that would have all mortals bow to her and pray for her deliverance.
Below are my two favorite passages between Chariss and Nigel as they discuss love:
“I fail to see how these simple things tell you you’re in love. Kaylin enjoys my company. Mia enjoys arguing with me. Master Rothahn says I’m compassionate to a fault. I saved Sorne’s life once. Jake told me I’m beautiful. Does this mean they’re all in love with me?”
“If love could be explained that easily, it wouldn’t be real.”
…
“Nigel, let me give you some advice. You don’t want to marry for love because people fall out of love, and then there’s nothing left between them.”
He stared at her in shock. “I believe that’s the most cynical statement I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Watch him break down her walls... sigh.
Rating: 4 Stars
Choices Meant for Gods
Originally posted 2009-06-16 03:43:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
March 2nd, 2010 — 2 Stars, Artist, Book Review, Business, Contemporary, Friends, M-O, Nerd, Teacher, United States of America
February 28th, 2010 — 5 Stars, ARC, Artist, Blackmail, Friends, Gentry, Great Britain, Guest Reviews, Magic Users, Mystery, P-R, Paranormal, Rape/Abuse, Regency, Scarred Hero, Suspense/Thriller, Virgin Hero
by Susan S., Guest Reviewer
“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!
Rating: 5 Stars
Buy: Too Wicked To Kiss
Zebra Books, An Imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp., Historical Romance, Regency, Paranormal, eARC, Copyright March 2, 2010, pages 451. ISBN (10) 142 010 9936. ISBN (13) 978-1420109931.
Online Stores
February 26th, 2010 — 4 Stars, Artist, Contemporary, Doctor, Enemies, Estranged, Friends, Ghost, Movie Reviews, Rogues and Rakehells, Time Travel, United States of America
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
Buy: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
 |
|
US $4.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $3.25 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $4.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $4.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $2.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $2.50 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $3.25 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $1.50 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $3.00 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $5.49 |
Sale |
Originally posted 2009-05-13 05:17:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
February 8th, 2010 — 3.5 Stars, Book Review, Comedy of Manners, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Friends, Georgette Heyer, Great Britain, Regency, Runaway, Spinster, Virgin Heroine
Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer is one scrumptious romp of trouble after the next. It all begins when Miss Charity Steane was found wandering the hillside, luggage in one hand and very sore feet. She is picked up by Viscount Ashley Desford and whisked away in his curricle as blasé as anything you please. He knows he can’t convince her to return to her miserably wretched aunt and so must take it upon himself to see that she is taken care of.
Cherry (Charity) is of course pleased beyond measure that he is not putting her through a lecture and more than willing enough to carry her the rest of the way to London. She has high hopes of running down her grandfather and begging him to take her up. Even if she has to resort to another menial position like the one she held at her aunt’s inside his home.
But the pickle of it becomes when Cherry and Desford find out that her grandfather is not in town. The neighbors do not know his direction, and the sole man inside the home refuses to speak about his master. Desford immediately sets about getting Cherry off his hands and into some more respectable ones. He doesn’t want to damage her reputation and as a single bachelor he can’t feasible continue to keep her in his care. So he settles her at Lady and Miss Silverdale’s home.
Miss Henrietta Silverdale and Desford were once a long time ago thought by their fathers to be an excellent match. They of course both knew better. Now Henrietta is entertaining new suitors and Desford seems to have his eye on Cherry. He is certainly gong well above and beyond the call of duty to locate her grandfather and find her a respectable situation.
What will happen when Desford confronts her grandfather with the charge of his granddaughter? Will Cherry remain in the good graces of Lady Silverdale? Will Henrietta’s brother, Charles, whisk Cherry off to call his own? What will Henrietta’s suitor think of the whole affair? Full of messes as well as larks, Charity Girl will have you alternately tutting like an old hen and giggling like a schoolgirl over all the crazy shenanigans.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Buy: Charity Girl
Find and buy more Georgette Heyer novels.
 |
|
US $9.10 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $12.99 |
Sale |
![CHARITY GIRL Georgette Heyer PB VG]](http://www.loveromancepassion.com/images/e/380214383320_0.jpg) |
|
US $.09 |
Sale |
Originally posted 2008-12-05 09:04:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
February 6th, 2010 — 3.5 Stars, Book Review, Bride Stealing, Dukes and Earls, Friends, Great Britain, Heiress, J-L, Medical, Mistaken Identity, Regency, Runaway, Soldier, Virgin Heroine
If you're looking for a light happy read though you will like this novel. It's a perfect companion for a long flight or car ride and will keep you entertained.
The romance is a little overblown and the plot devices a little too farcical. There is a whole gamut of standard plots can be found within this romance:
The hero gives up his title and fortune to become a baron’s head groom in a pointless act of revenge against his father. Next our jaded hero falls in love with the artless ingénue. The heroine sucks at female domestic stuff like sewing and refinement. Instead she wants to be a doctor in a time period where that’s impossible… Unless you were a gypsy. There’s gypsies. The hero and the gypsies both approve of her becoming a healer.
A semi-evil ex-mistress turned dowager duchess, having married hero’s brother. A fortune hunting shmuck that pursues the heroine who thinks he’s in love. Our hero finds out he doesn’t mind his fortune and prestige. No, really? He’s happy to take back control and if not lovingly then kindly and open-mindedly looking out for his tenets.
Heroine gets mad at hero just before the resolution because he’s been keeping stuff hidden from her. It’s a pretty ridiculous argument because she’s agreed verbally and nonverbally to his withholding information for the first five sixths of the novel.
What’s nice though is that despite the shortcomings the narrative is extremely engaging. Julie has a talent for drawing you into the story. I was reading it pretty happily. It’s very indulging and fun. Not a runaway success, but highly enjoyable nevertheless. I know, bad pun.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Buy: The Runaway Duke
 |
|
US $4.54 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $4.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $1.00 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $4.96 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $1.00 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $1.00 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $1.00 |
Sale |
Online Stores
February 5th, 2010 — 4 Stars, Friends, Gambling, Great Britain, Guest Reviews, J-L, Rogues and Rakehells, Widow or Widower
By: Marcia, guest reviewer
Anthony Hamilton had always been scandalous. Even his parentage was questionable though his mother's husband accepted him as his son. Anthony had been thrown out of school several times for gambling although he did finish Oxford in record time. His debts are sometimes rumored to be very high and at other times he seems flush with cash. He keeps company with married women and it is rumored that he also talks them out of their funds. Anthony Hamilton is scandalous; too scandalous for marriageable young ladies. One evening at a ball he sees Celia Reece, the sister of an old school friend, trying to discourage an ardent admirer. He steps in to help. Suddenly he realizes that Celia, who is eight years younger, is no longer the child that used to follow Anthony and her brother, begging to join in their summer pastimes. Her beauty stuns him. The more that he watches her and remembers how much he always enjoyed her company, the more that he thinks that maybe this is a woman he could marry. Given his reputation, he does not think that her family would accept him, but after several weeks he finally gets up the nerve to ask for her hand. Unfortunately.... Celia marries someone else.
A Rake's Guide to Seduction has a straightforward plot with almost all of the action centered on Celia and Anthony, but the unique approach and Linden's fluid writing style sweeps the reader away into another time and place and presents us with a timeless romance. The main antagonist is doubt. Anthony and Celia doubt their own judgment, and must struggle to trust their own hearts. This wonderfully presented story makes for very enjoyable reading.
Four Stars
Originally posted 2008-12-29 05:33:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
February 2nd, 2010 — 4 Stars, ARC, Convict, Friends, Gentry, Great Britain, Heiress, J-L, Ranching, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Soldier, Spinster, Thief, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine
Lessons in French is a feel-good story. It’s cute, lighthearted, and full of whimsy. It was the right novel at the right time. I needed cute, lighthearted, and whimsy. I smiled a lot when reading it and rooted for both of the main characters. They’re imperfect, but that just makes them extremely likeable.
The heroine is as Laura Kinsale describes--an anti-kickass heroine. Callie Taillefaire is pretty shy. She prefers her animals to men and ballrooms. In ballrooms she’s an absolute wallflower without even trying. She was betrothed three times and all three men left her cold. The people of Shelford love her, but even they have to wonder what’s wrong with her when eighty thousand pounds won’t get a man to the altar. What’s great about Callie is that even though she’s not one of the kickass heroines running around in other romances, she can be fierce and courageous. She’ll even save the hero.
Trevelyn d’Augustin is a very interesting character. He is the son of aristocratic but impoverished French émigrés. Nine years approximately before the story starts, he was in love (or pretty darn close to admitting it anyway) with Callie. That her father did not approve of him is an understatement. One bad episode and Trev runs away to France where he does a lot of things from organizing fights, shooting at Englishmen, becoming a war prisoner, returning to England and organizing more fights, and getting in trouble with the law. He’s avoided Shelford for ages because he’s positive Callie is married with kids, but with his mother extremely ill he can no longer stay away.
They both get a second chance at first love. Trev pulls Callie out of her shell, one hilarious incident after another. Callie gives Trev comfort and quiet strength and a sense of purpose, but she can’t imagine that he feels anything beyond friendship and gratitude for her. So when her sister, Hermione gets engaged to Sir Thomas Vickery, Callie seriously entertains the attentions of an old fiancé. She won’t burden her sister and she won’t stick around with her cousin and his wife Dolly. Trev won’t pursue her romantically because of his legal troubles and because he feels she deserves more than he can offer… and certainly more than this idiot who’s back and sniffing after her eighty thousand pounds.
Rating: 4 Stars
Buy: Lessons in French
Online Stores
January 15th, 2010 — 4 Stars, 4.5 Stars, Book Review, Dukes and Earls, Friends, Georgian, Great Britain, Heiress, J-L, Politician, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Widow or Widower, Writer
How I felt about Scandal by Carolyn Jewel in 140 characters:
@cjewel I just finished Scandal & it was completely wonderful. Thx for the past hours spent happily reading. Luv the "I hate you" love scene
I finished the book just before midnight with a happy glow. My favorite scene was in fact the scene after they got married. She was telling him how much she hated him, despised him, and deplored him with every breath as he brought her to orgasm. What makes it so hot is that we know as the reader the heroine really does love the hero, even if she’s unwilling to face it just yet. It’s toe-curling yumminess.
When it came to Scandal, I savored it. At first because it took me a bit to get into the story, which is entirely my fault and not the fault of Jewel’s writing. I’ve been a bit scatterbrained and have read several books all in a short period of time. It was good to slow down, read slower, linger longer on passages.
The way Jewel weaves the story is different than most historicals in that fact that it feels truer to life in several aspects with its depictions of personal tragedies and interwoven story of two people engaged elsewhere slowly coming together. The story takes place in the present and in the past, where the characters are now and where they were. I was expecting this divergence in the timeline and still it tripped me up once or twice. If I’m correct in my calculations Sophie is about twenty-five and Banallt is thirty-four or thirty-five in the present timeline. Or perhaps that was in the past timeline? In any case they're a bit older than the usual romance couple.
Sophie Evans is a tragic character. She made the worst choice possible in her youth and eloped with a scoundrel. Tommy had her convinced he loved her for herself when in truth Tommy loved only himself and the money his new wife brought to his pockets. Her marriage caused a rift between her family and herself that wasn’t mended until after her husband’s and her parent’s deaths.
The Earl of Banallt, whose first name I am currently unable to locate in the book, was exactly like Tommy if not worse when he first encountered Mrs. Evans. Her plain features and intelligent blue-green eyes arrested him and featured in his dreams. He too was married and unfaithful to his wife. With the deaths of loved ones Banallt grew up, but not before making an utter mess of things with Sophie.
They meet again, a few years after Tommy’s death and Banallt is quite determined to prove himself to Sophie. He wants her, desires her, loves her but Sophie is equally determined not to let another man hold power over her heart. She is good at denial and self-denial. The book nearly ends with Sophie refusing to give ground and admit her feelings, but happily she does and the result is spectacular if a bit hushed.
Rating: 4-4.5 Stars
Buy: Scandal
Originally posted 2009-04-26 05:44:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
January 15th, 2010 — 5 Stars, A-C, ARC, Cowboy, Firefighter, Friends, Guest Reviews, Kidnapping, Older Woman/Younger Man, Ranching, Soldier, Teacher, United States of America, Western
By Susan S., Guest Reviewer
Brown’s novel will warm your heart, and bring you characters so real, you’ll swear they’re flesh and bone. Getting Lucky will move to the top of everyone’s list of new comfort reads.
Getting Lucky is book three from Brown’s Lucky Trilogy. It stands alone, here’s why: In this novel the hero (Griffin Luckadeau) tells the heroine (Julie Donavan) fate stories. These stories will retell Milli and Beau’s fate in Lucky in Love. Griffin also goes on to retell Jane and Slade’s fate in One Lucky Cowboy.
Do we have “small” cameo appearances in Getting Lucky? Not just no, hell no! We got the whole family together!
In book three, which tells the story of another hunky Luckadeau cowboy named Griffin, we’ll stumble upon a chockfull of clichés, idioms, silly sayings, and similes. Here’s a glimpse:
Cliché: Don’t get your panties in a wad.
Idiom: The pot calling the kettle black.
Silly saying: One legged chicken at a coyote convention.
Simile: Her heart thumped in her chest like a bass drum.
This book reminded me of my first romances, First Love from Silhouette. I’m recommending this novel to anyone who enjoys romances, HEA’s, and heart-warming stories which leave you smiling.
Julie moves from Jefferson, Texas to St. Jo. As a single mom raising a daughter named Annie, she hopes to leave the gossip-mongers behind. She’ll soon realize she’s jumped out of the frying pan, and straight into the fire. Julie’s first day as a kindergarten school teacher has left her stupefied. Her new student Lizzy, is the exact double of her daughter Annie.
Lizzy’s single father Griffin feels perplexed over the girls' similarities. While the story unravels, the reasons for these similarities will begin to surface.
Getting Lucky gives us plenty of new characters to fall in love with. My favorite of these? Alvie, the love-stuttering rancher.
What will you love? References to Wild Sex Anonymous, bumping headboards, bull riding, women making bets, and the six sheets to the wind stories.
What did I love? In the barn, Julie’s heel gets caught on a loose board. She trips, Griffin grabs her, but ultimately they both fall to the floor. Is there more to this? Maybe.
Fundamental themes: Friendships are to be cherished, and fate will not be ignored.
Julie thinks Griffin’s egotistical, domineering, and too young for her (she’s six years older.)
He thinks all women are shrewd, conniving, with ulterior motives.
They certainly feel the attraction, but will they overcome prejudices, and stop letting their past cloud their judgments? Maybe.
This is a 5 Star Comfort Read!
Buy: Getting Lucky
Contemporary Romance, ARC, Trilogy, Sourcebooks, Inc., Casablanca, January 2010, Mass Market Paperback, Print Pages 393. ISBN# 978-1-4022-2436-2.
Online Stores
December 27th, 2009 — 2 Stars, A-C, Blackmail, Book Review, Category, Contemporary, Cooking, Divorced, Friends, Marriage of Convenience, Mexico, Pregnant, Tycoon, United States of America, Working with Land
The main plot line for Marrying King’s Millions is marriage of convenience, which winds up not being so very convenient. I found Travis King’s reasons for marrying a little strange, and stranger still to find out his brother did it and wound up finding his soul mate and having a little HEA. Seems way too neat, but then it is part of the Kings of California line and most lines will have interconnected stories with past lead cameos.
Travis King is a vineyard owner looking for an international distribution deal with Thomas Henry. His eligible bachelordom means Henry is pushing is “unsavory daughters” (we never meet them by the way) so in order to avoid these daughters Travis coerces Julie O’Hara, an unmarried childhood friend low on her luck into a marriage deal. He’ll give her money to start her bakery after one year of marriage.
Jean Claude Douchette, Julie’s sleazy immoral ex-husband turns out to be not so ex as she thought, Travis is certain she tricked him. He believes women in general are only after his money so while he’s disappointed he is not surprised. When he compromises her in public and pictures appear the next day even then he’s wondering if she did it on purpose. Nothing Julie says or does convinces him otherwise until she’s pregnant and then for inconsistency sake he suddenly believes her. Go figure.
Rating: 2 Stars
 |
|
US $1.00 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $4.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $1.50 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $8.61 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $5.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $1.00 |
Sale |
Online Stores
December 24th, 2009 — 4 Stars, 5 Stars, Architect, Book Review, Business, Contemporary, Entrepreneur, Friends, P-R, The Arts, United States of America
Bed of Roses is number two in the Bride Quartet (which might as well be called Vows after their business).
I have not yet read or listened to Vision in White
. I’m on the list at the library for the book and the audio book but neither has come in. This is just another reason why I love Stellar Sellers which denote materials that can be checked out for one lending period only and can’t be put on hold. Hurrah!
Nora Roberts skillfully sets up the friendships and characters with just a few words. Emmaline (Emma) Grant is an optimistic woman with romance in her soul. She believes in love and HEA because she has seen it work in her parents. She loves flowers and is the florist in the business. Her job is very rewarding because she is almost always complicated over her work arranging and designing flower bouquets. It does leave her hands a little worse for wear – stripping roses of their thorns is hard work!
Emma has been in love with Jack Cooke for a long while, but has successfully denied her feelings even to herself over the course of the years. He is the best friend of Parker’s (her best friend) brother. In her mind that made him a no-go territory because to pursue him and have the relationship fail would certainly cause strain on the group mechanics.
Jack is an architect who owns his own firm. He can be romantic, but has a crippling fear of intimacy. His reasons for avoiding Emma are similar to her own but with the added knowledge that pursuing Emma would more likely mean a wedding, marriage, kids, a beer gut in ten years, and teaching Little League. The idea practically unmans him, but the experience of kissing Emma behind the scenes at a wedding is too amazing to pass up… and he wants to do it again soon.
Angela Dawe, the reader, does a phenomenal job bringing the book to life. I sincerely hope she narrates the rest of the Quartet because she is just that good and I couldn’t imagine the characters sounding different. She’s an actress and improviser so it’s no wonder how easily she pulls off different moods, inflections, accents, and tones. I highly recommend listening to this book!
Book Rating: 4 Stars
Narrator Rating: 5 Stars
Buy: Bed of Roses (Audio Book)
, Bed of Roses (Paperback)
Online Stores
December 4th, 2009 — 3 Stars, Blind, Book Review, D-F, Erotica, Friends, Gentry, Historic America, Scarred Hero, Soldier, United States of America, Virgin Heroine, Wartime
I recently finished the audio book version of the Land of Falling Stars. This Civil War erotica loosely brings to mind Gone with the Wind
with Rhett, Ashley, and Scarlett… only this time played out by Gavin, Jesse, and Sophia. Gavin and Ricochet were my two favorite characters. So scrumptious! (Gavin not the dog.) My least favorite was probably Sophia from the good guy team; she was so hot and cold and acted very childish on several occasions, which made it hard to like her. The story did include one of my favorite character flaws: blindness. Several yummy sex scenes occur throughout the blindness of Sophia.
Gavin returns to Arbor Rose with terrible, soul-wrenching news. He must deliver this news to his childhood love Sophia and he doesn’t know how he can do it. Haunted by what he’s done in the war, Gavin knows he faces censure at home not only because he chose to fight for the Yanks but also because he is Jesse’s murderer. It doesn’t matter if it was in the middle of battle and he didn’t know who he was aiming at – the outcome was the same. Jesse, Sophia’s fiancé, was dead by his hand.
Mistaking Gavin for another cruel heartless Yank, Sophia shoots him on sight only to learn it’s her childhood friend and protector come back from war. Horrified by what she’s done, Sophia races to his side and nurses him back to health. It’s been months and months since she’s heard from Jesse, and all the while she’s with Gavin she can’t help forgetting the perfect man her father found her for the scarred and imperfect flesh and blood man before her. Terribly confused by her attraction for Gavin, Sophia wavers and falls, then returns to teetering and vacillating and questioning with several relapses while trying to sort out her feelings for the man she was supposed to love and marry, and the man she can’t live without.
Rating: 3.0 Stars
Get the audio version here.
Originally posted 2009-03-21 05:33:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
November 29th, 2009 — 2.5 Stars, A-C, Artist, Book Review, Category, France, Friends, Gentry, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Spinster, Travel, Virgin Heroine
This was one of those books where I had to slug my way through it. I don’t know why I had to slug but I did. I started and stopped this three times and finally finished it. Woohoo. I feel very accomplished.
One of the parts about this book that bothers me is that it’s first cousin romance. I’m not sure why this had to be the case. They grew up for the most part away from each other – so could they not have been childhood friends or perfect strangers? I suppose it is historically accurate as first cousin marriages took place among royalty of the time so why not the gentry, but it was more than a bit off putting.
Elinor is a dowdy bluestocking spinster. She acts as her mother’s secretary and artist as a way to escape the endless parade of pointless ballroom attendance. On a trip in France to study religious houses Elinor runs into Theo Ravenhurst. At first she doesn’t recognize him as her cousin, but pretty quickly that is sorted out.
As the two fight attraction, Theo is on a mission to recover an artifact that he purchased from a late Duke in the area. Theo manages to get himself, Elinor, and her mother invited to the new Duke’s chateau and conducts midnight searches. A near brush with death and subsequent flight throw the two into a night of wild passion but of course everything between them is so screwed up they only hear the words the other is saying not the meaning.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Buy: The Disgraceful Mr. Ravenhurst
Buy eHarlequin: The Disgraceful Mr. Ravenhurst
Online Stores
October 11th, 2009 — 4 Stars, Book Review, Contemporary, Crime and Protection, D-F, Erotica, Friends, Police, Survival, Suspense/Thriller, United States of America, Writer
This contemporary romance is about Molly Jennings is erotica romance writer Holly Summers. Tumble Creek, Colorado is just the place for her to get away from her creepy ex-boyfriend Cameron Kasten. It was also just the place for her to indulge in a longtime fantasy Ben Lawson the local police chief and her brother's best friend. Getting arrested never looked so good. Yummy.
Victoria Dahl is great at ramping up tension - sexual, physical, emotional... I had a niggling feeling about the stalker in Molly's backyard. Sergeant Kasten, one of Denver's top negotiators is the easiest choice of bad guy. So is he?
I loved how the verbal tools of a negotiator were used in the novel and how one of them became the title. Very cool. I learn something new with every novel I pick up!
As I am not a huge fan of suspense/thriller romances that are super scary I greatly appreciated Dahl's restraint on the creepy factor. It's creepy, but not the "I have to leave a nightlight on and keep my cell phone close" type of creepy. It's also fun and humorous and quirky. I wouldn't mind reading The Wicked West by Holly Summers for instance!
To sum up: I liked Dahl's ability to combine humor, lust, and suspense. I picked up Talk Me Down and read it in a day (keep away from scary romance reader she bites when disturbed) that's how hooked I was. I wish a few things went down differently, but overall it's quite excellent!
Rating: 4 Stars
Buy: Talk Me Down
Online Stores
