Cold as Ice by Anne Stuart

Cold As Ice by Anne Stuart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


If Bastien Toussaint is like a bowie knife, brutally destructive, sharp and vicious, then Peter is a stilletto. They are both dangerous men, efficient weapons for the Committee. It's amazing how they could be so different, but still embody the ice cold, ruthless hero.



Peter starts out as a bland, gray ghost (as Genevieve calls him). He is deceptively mild-mannered in his role as assistant to billionaire philantropist Harry Van Dorn. Genevieve doesn't think much of him, except that he's annoyingly perceptive. However, that is an important tool in his arsenal: to be anywhere and everywhere, to blend in and do whatever it takes to get the job done.



On the second reread, it still took me a while to get a fix on Peter. He is so in the bland character that I underestimated him. Before I knew it, he had slipped under my skin. I can see why he drives Genevieve crazy. He is designed to be a woman's fatal flaw. I had to wonder how someone so bland could use sex as a weapon, but that was before he showed who he really was. The real man could probably seduce the panties off the most virtuous of nuns. The real man, well he's someone that is not to be underestimated.



Genevieve is a frustrating heroine. For a smart girl, she can make some stupid decisions. It's like she's almost all id. Her emotions seem to govern her intellect, which makes her an interesting counterpart to Peter, who analyzes and calculates every decision, until his well-buried heart makes its desires known. Still, his sharp mind maintains admirable control of the man.



Frankly, Black Ice is a hard act to follow. Bastien is so striking a ruthless hero, Peter throws you for a loop. However, that's good that he is so different. I found that although he didn't have that blatantly sexy edge of Bastien, I still loved him. He was the insidious kind of seduction that winds its way into your senses. If Bastien is a fine, potent wine, then Peter is like a tart, subtle dessert that you think you aren't impressed with at first, but the more you sample it, the more heady its taste becomes. Kind of like sherbet. I am an ice cream girl. Love its richness. But sherbet is something I always enjoy immensely when I eat it. And then I end up craving more.I read this book when I was tired out of my skull, and that's probably not a good time to evaluate a book, so it took me a while to feel his effects. However, I found that I enjoyed the sharp mind of his, the sensuality that he uses so effectively as a tool. I was very intrigued with how fast he fell for Genevieve, and once I thought about it, it made sense. Genevieve was not a woman easily dismissed, like the women in his past. He couldn't kill her or let her be killed. She meant too much to him. Although she was a very annoying woman, he had a way of getting her to do what he wanted, eventually. He kept her on her toes, made her alive with feeling, and killed her with his powerful, heady seduction.



Please forgive me if this review is incoherent. I am highly sleep-deprived right now. Although Cold as Ice just doesn't have the bite of Black Ice, I find that I still loved this book. Peter is in his own way just as irresistible as Bastien. His difference has an appeal of its own. Genevieve keeps things lively, and the plot moving, with her tendency to make stupid moves, and her complete inability to resist Peter. But who can blame her for the tendency to succumb to Peter?



Anne Stuart is an author who manages to keep me reading and never fails to lure me into her seductive web of dark romance and passion. Her tart humor is always appreciated. And no one writes a hero like this woman. It's rare that I don't enjoy her writing, and this story can't get less than five stars because what I love about her is here on offer. And Peter makes up for any shortcomings I might have seen as far as a villain that was more petulant child than anything else, and too quick a resolution on the suspense. Plus, the reappearance of Bastien and the advent of sexy Takashi O'Brien can definitely sway this reader's positive opinion.



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The Duke in Disguise by Gayle Callen

The Duke in Disguise by Gayle Callen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was an enjoyable, light, but not too light historical romance. Richard was a sweetie and so was Meriel. I liked their dynamic, how they ended up being drawn together and falling in love through their mutual concern for young Stephen. I don't care for deception between the H/h, so I wasn't predisposed to this book since Richard is pretending to be someone he's not. But it was handled very well.

Meriel has to overcome her trust issues, both of herself and Richard. She is still dealing with her father's betrayal, and how it rocked her whole mindset. She's a good person, and I like how she nurtured Stephen, and that she didn't let her heart stay hardened against Richard when she realized what a good man he was.

I still like The Lord Next Door more, because it has themes I prefer, but this was quite good, and it shows Gayle Callen's talent for writing a good historical romance. I liked the way she resolved what could have been a very difficult scenario with grace and in a way that brought a smile to my face. I recommend this book.



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Gold Mountain by Sharon Cullars

Gold Mountain by Sharon Cullars

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


This is a sweet, yet sensual historical that features the love story between a Chinese man and a Negro woman in the days of the Gold Rush in California. I was gleeful when my friend told me about it, since I love historical westerns, and I would love to read more with people of color. I was not disappointed.

I love the time and the detail that Ms. Cullars put into writing Chiang's viewpoint, and describing what it was like for Chinese immigrants in this time in history. Like blacks, they were horribly persecuted, treated as less than whites, given dangerous jobs for less pay, and subjected to violations of their basic rights. Despite that fact, Chiang is a man of great honor and dignity. I loved him immensely.

I thought that the courtship between Chiang and Leah was so sweet and captivating. It is nearly a love at first sight type scenario, although both take the time to examine their feelings and determine if they want to pursue a life together. Their chemistry is wonderful and it made me smile and have a warm heart as I read.

If I had any problems with this story, I would like it to be longer, and for there to be more of a physical description of Leah. Otherwise, this was just lovely. Man, I hope to read more stories about blacks and Asians in the west. That is surely my favorite historical setting, and I would like it be clear to all that the West was not just settled by whites. But don't me started on that.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a sweet but sexy story historical western with lovable characters, and a multicultural viewpoint that is typically left out of the history and fiction books.

I want to give this five stars, but since the last book I read was so much more profound, I will have to go with 4.5/5.0 stars, which is nothing to shake a stick at.



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Being Plumville by Savannah J. Frierson

Being Plumville by Savannah J. Frierson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Being Plumville is a love story about two people who knew they were each other's happy endings from a very young age. But society and the stupid notions of color, race, and what should and shouldn't be done managed to stand in their way for fifteen and more years.

Savannah J. Frierson takes the reader back to the late 1960s in the South where there is hope of things changing, but a lot of blood, sweat and tears will be expended to make things better. This is a world in which skin color dictates many things: how much you get paid, where you live, what kind of job you are able to take, even how well you get treated by others. It doesn't matter what you want for yourself or for your children. It is just the way it is.

The opening scene tells me a lot about Benny and Ceelee. Benny is protective, caring and possessive of little Ceelee. Ceelee loves and trusts Benny. Benny declares that he's going to marry Ceelee. However, it is not acceptable that Benny should feel that way about Ceelee, because Ceelee is black, and Benny has expectations that he must meet for his family and for Plumville. White future state judges (sons of prominent Plumville citizenry) don't marry black daughters of their family's housekeepers. So, Patty was forced to keep her young daughter away from Benny.

Fifteen years later, both Benjamin Drummond and Coralee Simmons have yielded to the dictates of their world. They live in the same small town, but inhabit separate spheres, black separated by white. Until Ceelee is asked to tutor Benjamin in English, or he will not longer be eligible to play as quarterback for their college football team. Benjamin has fallen into the mold of white prominent young citizen. He even jokes along with his racist friends about blacks, even if his heart doesn't feel that way. Deep down, he yearns for his friend Ceelee, and is secretly glad that he can reestablish that crucial connection that was missing in his life for so many years. But now, Coralee keeps him at a distance. She doesn't trust him anymore. To her, he is another white person who thinks he's better than her, thinks he can insult her, and treat her like a second class citizen. Benjamin is determined to show Coralee that he is different from the others. That he is worthy of her trust and friendship, because the truth was, he never stopped loving her. Coralee has to find the courage to fight for the love that she feels (has felt for many years) beneath the hurt and fear.

This book was a wonderful read. It was also very difficult to read. It brought the anger and rage to the surface. Knowing that in the United States blacks were (and still are in some instances) treated this way because of some bizarre belief that skin color determines intelligence, eligibility, and superiority. I was born a short five years after this book takes place. My mother and father (both black) lived in this world of Ceelee and Benjamin, dealing with the same issues. It is a painful thought to accept that one's life is not your own. That you don't get the same choices as someone else because that's the way it is. That it's okay for them to call you ugly names, and you have to bite your tongue and deal with it. That you can't love who you want to love without being rejected by your own people, and subject to physical harm by his people.

Ms. Frierson didn't make up any of that angst. This book is real. I rooted for Ceelee and Benjamin, even as I knew the road they traveled was a long, hard, ugly one. I could feel their frustration when they weren't even able to hold hands or express affection towards each other in public. It was okay for Benjamin 'try the dark berry', but he couldn't love a black woman. For Coralee, she was condemned and ridiculed for even thinking it was okay to date a white man. It was a lot to take, making this far from a fun, escapist read. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy or love this book. It was just a sobering experience for me, and sometimes I had to put this book down and regroup. I am glad I read this book, because I really appreciate Ms. Frierson's writing. Although painful at times, this gave me something to think about. It helps me to be grateful that I have the choices that Coralee didn't have back then, and not because I am smarter or more deserving than Coralee was. Although I have and will face prejudice for my skin color, my fate and my life is my own. I can love who I want, and if people don't like it, I have the safety and the ability to face that and not find my essential being damaged from it. I for one am grateful that people like Coralee and Benjamin and the real life Mr. and Mrs. Loving paved the way for interracial couples in the modern United States. People can say what they want, but their opinion doesn't legally amount to a hill of beans.

This was a moving, excellent book. It hurt my heart, but it also gave me hope that you can believe in love, even if it won't guarantee a perfect road ahead. But two is stronger than one. And love is worth fighting for.



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Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


With Mind Games, Carolyn Crane somehow manages to take the common tropes of female lead urban fantasy and turn them askew in a very appealing fashion. This book has no vampires, werewolves, or faeries. Nope. All humans here. Even if they are humans who can use their minds in ways that you didn't even really consider possible.



This book took a while to get going. I think it took me about 60 or more pages before I felt invested. After that point, I was engaged. Beforehand, I had to process Ms. Crane's writing style and what she trying to accomplish with this book. However, I came out of this book so emotionally invested, my stomach was hurting.



Justine is like a modern girl in her 20s. Dealing with identity issues, trying to make her relationship work with her boyfriend that she feels can give her a normal life, and working a job to make a living. But on top of that, is Justine's uncontrollable hypochondria. She is convinced that she will succumb to the Vein Star syndrome that killed her mother, who was also a hypochondriac. When she meets an absurdly gorgeous red-headed man with green eyes in a restaurant called Mongolian Delites, she discovers that there is a way to deal with her crippling health anxiety. Pass it onto other people. The delish red-head is named Packard, and he runs a group of people with mental issues, or abilities, if you will, called Disillusionists. They help to reform criminals by passing on their mental issues until the criminal breaks down and reboots, becoming an effective member of society. Justine thinks it's a load of junk, but she notices that for the first time in her life, after sharing energy spheres with Packard, that she isn't weighted down by her health anxieties. She begins to crave that release, and before she knows it, she's in. That doesn't mean she wants to give up her ideas for the 'perfect normal life'. She's got her exit strategy firmly in mind. Little does she know that she won't easily be able to part ways from the Disilliusionist crew and Packard's sphere of influence.



This is one book that sure is hard to analyze and rate for me. First of all, with the slow start, it makes it hard to qualify for a five star rating. However, it was very fascinating once it got going. I also loved the quirky, odd humor, and the off-the-beaten path characters. I am quite fascinated with the exploration of powers of the mind, and I like the fact that Carolyn Crane wrote a story in the urban fantasy genre that lives in this sphere. I also liked the superhero-y vibe of the story. Not the cape-wearing types, but the idea of super-powered humans who can use their mind to accomplish a variety of tasks. The whole deal with Packard and his imprisonment was brilliant and novel. This element is what had me clicking in my seatbelt to hang on for the book ride. In other words, that switch got flipped and I was 'in.' I like that Justine is refreshingly human in her anxieties, fears, desires, and her convictions to do the right thing, the best way she can. She might come off as whiny, but people who struggle with anxieties will surely get her. I know I did.



On the downside, I am just not a fan of the love triangle, and Ms. Crane throws a whopper here. This element caused me the most of my emotional angst when I read this story, and was part of why I couldn't put it down. Packard is my man! He is the kind of guy that makes a girl want to fan herself. I have this deliciously mind-numbing image of him in my head that I can't shake. Normally, I am so not the date the boss girl, but I'd make an exception for this hottie. No question about it. For me, there was no dilemma on who she should choose. I knew who I wanted to be the main man for Justine. Even though Justine had the hots for Otto Sanchez, and intellectually he seems right for her, and they have some pretty intense passion between them, my heart doesn't feel it. I think Otto is a very charismatic guy, but maybe a bit too charismatic. I like Packard's messy energy, his slightly anguished mien, his insight into people, and his conviction in himself, his crew, and his mission. I like that he gets Justine in all her messiness. I don't think what he did was right, but that doesn't mean he can't be the right guy for Justine. To me, Otto is more of a wish fulfillment ideal. I liked how the love triangle tied into the story very intrinsically. Justine truly faced a moral dilemma here. Which man did she owe her loyalty to? It wasn't just about what she wanted for herself, and that was an effective way to handle the storyline, on the part of the author.



I feel that Ms. Crane has a very good concept here, and this book just touches the surface. I want to see where she goes with this series, because it has a lot of promise. The characters are quirky and engaging, the humor is witty and odd-ball, and at times just on the urbane side of raunchy, which really works for me. I had a lot of fun reading this, and it got me thinking about the idea of what superheroes and supervillains are. Also about how the world processes and addresses criminality and what can cause a truly bad person to seem like someone you could have sympathy for.



There is a lot to like here with this book, and it is a fresh, interesting offering to the urban fantasy genre. That's why I would give it 4.5 stars.



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Dark Symphony by Christine Feehan

Dark Symphony by Christine Feehan

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Although this seemed to drag at times, I quite enjoyed this installment of the Carpathians series. There is something very compelling and irresistible about the Carpathians. It's very romantic but in a dark and gothic manner.



I liked Byron a lot. He made me laugh at some of his antics, how he would let Antonietta's annoying cousing Tasha see his red eyes and fangs when she was being a pain. He was a bit of a rascal, but in a good way. I think that he was quite romantic and courted Antonietta beautifully. She was the more aggressive personality for the most part, although Byron was plenty manly. I think they were a good balance for each other, since she was pretty Type A and Byron is Type B, don't worry about it, just fix the problem so we can move on personality.



There were a lot of steamy love scenes in this book. I did like how Antonietta was very sexually free, since she was a woman in her thirties and knew what she liked, and was very attracted to Byron. (who could blame her).



Josef's (he is Byron's sister Eleanor's adopted son) antics kept me laughing like crazy, especially hearing about his rap phase, how he rapped for the big guy, Prince Mikhail, and how horrified Mikhail was. Josef really got on Byron's nerves, but you could tell he loved the kid.



Sometimes I got a little sick of Antonietta's family, except Don Giovanni. However, I did like how close her family was, dysfunctional and all. She was the glue in that family, and they would be in trouble without her. It was cool that Byron understood that and didn't try to separate her from her family. He embraced Antonietta for everything that she was, which is great in a hero. The jaguar aspect was interesting, and I liked how that was a bigger part of this story than the fight against the vampires (Carpathians who become evil and vicious murderers).



Although there are similar elements present in every Carpathian books, Ms. Feehan manages to keep it fresh, because each couple's courtship is different. I like how the heroine is the one who's commitment avoidant in this series. The hero is usually like, let's get married right now (in the Carpathian fashion and otherwise). Antonietta is more aggressive and worldly than the typical Carpathian lifemate (and I think she has a passion and an energy that feels very Italian to me), and I think it suited Byron. I liked the fact that she was very laid back about the whole Carpathian deal. But, I guess as crazy as her family was, she was kind of used to a high weird quotient.



I ended up giving this a 4.5 star rating because it made me laugh so hard, and I just really liked Byron a lot. There was a lot to like about this one, and I adored the Borzoi dog, Celt. I want one!! Antonietta isn't my favorite lifemate, but she ain't bad. I like that she's a strong woman and doesn't let her blindness hinder her. Oh, and it was neat to see Jacques acting sane after the hot mess he was in Dark Desire.



Casting options: I pictured Monica Belluci as Antonietta. I didn't really picture anyone as Byron.



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An Accidental Birthright by Maisey Yates

An Accidental Birthright by Maisey Yates

My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars


Maisey Yates takes the royal and sperm-bank mix-up themes and combines them in a very satisfactory manner with An Accidental Birthright.





Things I Liked:





*I liked that Max wasn't an over-the-top, arrogant uber-alpha type. He was more on the beta end of the scale, which didn't make him a pushover. He was a nice guy. Although he was born royal, he had a huge work ethic and really cared about his country and his people. I liked that he never disrespected Alison. He showed her a lot of consideration, and was quite long-suffering with her issues. I feel that his marriage damaged him emotionally, because he took on too much blame for his deceased wife's emotional immaturity.


*I found myself identifying with Alison to a scary degree, which was a wake-up call to me. She tended to hold onto her fears of commitment a bit too much, and it was almost frustrating for me to see her be so dogmatic about her determination not to be involved. I did like Alison a lot. She was a strong woman who set a plan in motion for her life, and stuck to it, even through the hardships she faced.


*I liked that both Max and Alison were deep and complex individuals, not just the usual stand-ins that might popular a book of this type, and how they had to get past their respective fears and issues to realize that they weren't just going to be parents together, but that they loved each other truly and belonged together.


*I liked the passion and the emotion of this love story.


*Ms. Yates has a clear, modern, unique writing style, but she gives the reader of HPs what is classic and desired in this line of books, at the same time.





The only thing that I didn't like as much was the roller-coaster that Alison was on with her fears of involvement. I thought it was very cowardly of her to want a celibate marriage in which her husband would be given the go-ahead to cheat on her. I can't see a logical woman standing for that when she had good chemistry and liking for her spouse. I could understand her fears, but I wish she had not taken so long to give herself the opportunity to be loved as a woman after so many years of loneliness with a really good guy like Max. As far as Max, I didn't like that he was determined not to love Alison. I can understand him feeling wounded by his last marriage, but he was given a gift of a child, and a good woman to love and to marry. I felt that he should have been a little braver about taking that chance for a happy future.





Other than the overlong angst and waffling of the characters, I really enjoyed reading this love story. I'd give it 4.25/5.0 stars.









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Lifeblood by Werner A. Lind

Lifeblood by Werner A. Lind

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lifeblood is a rich and well-written story that makes for a delightful read. Mr. Lind's prose is erudite and elegant. His characters are vivid, each unique and realistic. Most of all, Ana is a heroine that will break your heart. For readers who appreciate a repentant creature of the night, Ana will be completely irresistible. Reading her backstory and the challenges she faces as a reluctant vampire made my heart ache for her. Ana enters the life as a vampire against her will, tricked into her conversion by an unscrupulous male who turns her for his own selfish desires. She spends the following years trying to find a safe place in the world. She has never fed on human blood and won't ever do so, valuing human life. Even though she is now unable to even say the same of God, or enter His holy places, she still honors Him through her conduct. She is a really good person, even if some would consider her a damned creature of darkness.



Joshua is an excellent counterpart to Ana. He is a decent young man, who works hard, honors his family, and treats others with respect. When he meets the tall, beautiful young woman with the odd manner of speech, he is captivated, and he wants to help her in any way possible. He cannot even consider the possibility that she is a vampire, because how can vampires be real? As evidence stacks up that there is indeed a vampire in the area, he still supports and stands by Ana. Even though Joshua doesn't have a fraction of Ana's strength and power, he still manages to be a wonderfully protective knight to her. The sacrifice that he made for her brought tears to my eyes.



I liked how Mr. Lind preserved and respected the older vampire folklore, but gave it a twist that I appreciated. His theory of vampirism is that not all vampires are necessarily evil. What they are in life is magnified in death. In the case of Ana, her goodness as a human being is still preserved and evident in her afterlife. I also liked how he demonstrates the fact that evil is not just found in supernatural beings. In this case, the most evil character in this novel is a human being. One who is devoid of human decency, honor, and respect for life. Although the extremes of good and evil are presented, it is not done in a mealy-mouthed fashion. The characters are human and well-developed, with layers to them.



For readers who enjoy a clean romance and dialogue free of bad language and objectionable material, I think this book will more than suffice. Although the world here is presented in a family-friendly fashion, it is not unrealistic. The social ills of modern life and Ana's past, shown through flashbacks, are presented realistically, but there is nothing vulgar about this novel.



I have been wanting to read this story for years, because I have maintained a friendship with Mr. Lind on Goodreads, and I do respect him tremendously, and I have always been impressed with his demeanor, his writing and his knowledge of folklore and supernatural fiction. I can honestly say I was in no way disappointed, and everything I had always respected about him as a person is evident in this novel. I am very happy I finally had the opportunity to read Lifeblood. It was a very enjoyable experience. This novel is both poignant and humorous. The underlying spiritual message is evident to those who are seeking it, but never shoved down the reader's throat. I think the vampire fiction genre is a better place for this story having been written.



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On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ilona Andrews (writing team of Ilona and Gordon) caught and kept my interest when I read Magic Bites. I liked the distinctive voice I saw in that story, one that has stayed true in the subsequent stories that I have read by this team. With On the Edge, they have continued that excellence, providing me with a novel that is multi-faceted, genre-wise and story-wise.

Although I grew up in the Midwest, my roots are Southern, and I do appreciate books set in the South that show the real ways of Southerners. In this case, I saw something very real and almost familiar in Rose, her brothers, grandmother, and friends and neighbors. I smiled when Rose threw the boys in the car and took them to Walmart. Yeah, that's real. Real people do shop there. How many times do you read a book where the characters go to Walmart to buy not the designer shoes, but the ones that look close enough to pass muster? How about a heroine who buys ground beef and adds rice and bread crumbs to stretch it? Yup, that's real alright. How about those moments when you have to stretch your paycheck and hope you have enough money left over the week to buy gas so you can get to work? I've definitely been there. And the love and ties of family, having to work hard all day and get home, take care of your family, go to bed, and get up and do it again. I think a lot of readers can identify with that. So what if Rose is magical, along with everyone in her family? That's a little more on the fantasy part of the scale. But this combination is why urban fantasy is so irresistible to me. The real and the surreal nicely entwined.

The ideas in this story strike me as very unique and different. I liked it a lot, even if some elements was pretty odd, like a reanimated grandfather who likes to eat stray dogs' brains. Or the fact that a lot folks in the Edge community can curse people, or send flashes of powerful energy out of their bodies. And then there is the shapeshifting younger brother of Rose, Jack. The other young brother is a powerful necromancer (hence the zombie granddad). And things get even more interesting when Declan shows up. Rose's powerful flash abilities have made her an asset to Blueblood families who want to integrate her genes into their family lines, one way or the other. She has become wary of men for that reason, since most of her suitors didn't ask nicely. So when too good to be true Declan shows up to claim her and take her back to the Weird, the magical lands that are adjacent to the Edge, she definitely doesn't eagerly go off with him. She makes an oath with the handsome warrior that he can have her if he succeeds in her three challenges. However, they have big problems on their hands, as there are horrible, magical hounds that are devouring Edgers for their magic. And they really want to get their hands on Rose and her family.

I loved Rose. She was a heroine that you could hang with, and that you'd be slightly in awe of, because she knows how to take care of business. She's the type that you tell to do something, and she takes about five minutes or more, and she's back and ready to get the job done. Not the heroine who is infallible and annoyingly perfect. Nope, she's the heroine that you love because she tries so hard, and she has the determination to do what is necessary. I loved Rose's commitment to her brothers, how she raised them from a young age after her mother lost her mind and her father ran off treasure-hunting. Jack and Georgie (her brothers) are adorable and genuine little boys, despite their very unusual abilities. They were sweeties and reminded me of the poem about what boys are made of (you know, snails and puppy dog tails). You could see why Rose loves them, even though being a single mom to her brothers is far from easy.

Declan was a great match for Rose. He was just as determined and capable. He might be a rich princelike guy, but he was down to earth enough that this didn't bother me. And I do like tough, warrior heroes, I won't lie. He took to the kids very quickly, and he treated them like they were his own. He even makes pancakes for them. I liked how he was as much a thinker as a doer, a problem-solver not afraid to get his hands dirty. He was a guy who made a commitment and stood by his word, no matter what. Declan was definitely a knight in shining armor, and I could see why Rose fell in love with him.

William was also adorable. I felt for him, and I will probably end up reading Bayou Moon soon to get more of him. I liked his wildness but also his goodness and how sweet he was with the kids (I am a sucker for that).

On the Edge has its dark, gruesome elements, but I'm okay with that. I like some dark in my fantasy. I loved the juxtaposition of the everyday with the fantastic and surreal. The Andrews have a great way of writing descriptively and setting the scene without overdoing things and info-dumping. I like that the narrative is spare in some places, and the character sketches give you enough to get an idea of the folks in the story, but you can still learn more as you read. There are times you have to figure things out as you go, which is what I prefer, to be honest.

Although I am sure this book wouldn't work for everyone, I had a ball reading it. I liked everything about it. The romance was great, but the fantasy elements were equally important. I'd recommend this to a reader who likes fantasy but wants to try romance, and a reader on the other side of that equation.



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Katrakis's Sweet Prize by Caitlin Crews

Katrakis's Sweet Prize by Caitlin Crews

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


There is something very distinct and elegant about Caitlin Crews' writing that appeals to me. I noticed that in her first book for HP, Pure Princess, Bartered Bride, and it was evident here as well. I liked the strength of her heroine in Tristanne. She was afraid, she was wounded emotionally, but she was strong! She approached a very dangerous man and offered to be his mistress, for the sake of her mother. And that's not the end of her troubles, because she's gone from the frying pan to the fire. Nikos Katrakis is not easy to manipulate into a fake arrangement as she planned. He's the kind of man who gets exactly what he wants, and he has plans for her and for revenge on her family. Nevertheless, she ends up falling into his bed and in love with him.



Although I feel that this story could have had more dialogue (it's almost entirely introspective thoughts and description), it was still exciting and intriguing, what a good Harlequin Presents should be. Crews has a great way of writing the exquisite tension between her characters where I was holding my breath in anticipation. Also expectantly waiting to see what will happen next. I didn't believe that Nikos would go through with his ruthless, cold-blooded plan for revenge. When he does, my heart sank. I sorted through my own emotions and wondered if Tristanne could forgive him. I have to say that the scene in which they reunite really threw me. Tristanne shows what love truly is. Instead of plunging the knife that Nikos hands her into his black heart and twisting it, she forgives him. Because she loves him. Because she sees that this man didn't know what love was. And it was her job to teach him.



This story is quite different from Caitlin Crews' first HP novel, and I really liked it for its difference, although the first is still my favorite. I liked the intense emotions and the very admirable, mature, self-sacrificing, but painfully self-aware heroine. I liked the blazing hot passion between Tristanne and Nikos. And I loved how Ms. Crews took the standard self-made, ruthless HP tycoon, and gave me a tortured, hurting man who had been used and hated by everyone who should have loved him. She took this character and put him into the hands of the perfect heroine to show him what it meant to love and to be loved in return. It makes me think of Nature Boy by David Bowie



Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.



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Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Dragon Bound was an awesome book. I loved just about everything about it. I'm not even going to pretend that my favorite element wasn't Dragos, 'cause it was! I have an unnatural attraction to possessive, jealous, stalkerific heroes who are scary as heck, and Dragos is going on my list of favorite heroes of this type. I liked that although Pia started out as a thief who dared to steal from him, she became his own personal hoard. He acted like a dragon of old, used to having his way in all things. Even though he came on kind of strong, it was clear that he wouldn't do anything to hurt Pia. He cared enough to make sure that Pia was happy! He brushed her hair all the time! He was actually a softie underneath all that hard scaly dragon armor! Ms. Harrison knows how to write this kind of hero very well!

Dragos is like a Harlequin Presents hero done well (with an intensity times one hundred). He is unbelievably wealthy, prominent and gorgeous. He is also immensely powerful. And he was done so well, there was never that incredulity factor where I have this sarcastic cheerleader moment in my head: "Yay, he is so awesome!" (rolls eyes). Dragos truly was awesome! Sick girl that I was, I liked that even though Pia found him hot and fell in love with him, she could still see he was a scary guy. Who doesn't like a guy who would give you the world, but he could also slaughter a whole army of enemies for you? Who's so jealous, he doesn't even like his crew touching you? (PSA awareness moment: Not okay in real life, but I like it in books. So shoot me!)

I thought the world-building was really good. I loved the fact that this book has a strong fantasy element, equal to the romance. It wasn't just a backdrop for paranormal loving (which was verra nice, mind you). There was a lot of thought put into creating this world in which humans live alongside Wyr (shapeshifters) and Faerie folk of all kinds, and old magic is alive and well in this world, and into the adjacent magic realms. It seemed eminently plausible that one of the most powerful economic figures could be an ancient dragon. Don't I wish?

Dragos is an awesome hero, and Pia is an equally awesome heroine. She is gutsy, intelligent, funny, and sweet. She never gave me the urge to ignore her and focus on the hero because I didn't like her. I loved her a lot. I could see myself having similar reactions to the strange circumstances she faces. I loved how utterly fearless (although inwardly quaking) she was when faced with the very scary Dragos, and especially at the end when she finds herself in a very rough situation. I loved her self-deprecating, humorous way of looking at the world, very down to earth and resourceful. I loved her secret heritage, and how Dragos cherished that part of her, and all parts of her. I felt tears brimming when she discovers what she truly is. (You have to understand that I was the little girl who was in love with Pegasus, Unicorns, and all mythical creatures. It was a sweet moment for this little girl who has never truly grown up inside).

I loved Dragos' crew, especially Graydon (who reminded me of Butch from the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward), and Tricks (a very hip elf who works as Dragos' PR rep and happens to be the true heir to Throne of the Dark Fae). How cool was it that his sentinels consisted of four gryphons and a tough female Harpy (she reminded me of my girl Xhex from the Black Dagger books). It was funny how Dragos came to life when Pia came around, and seeing how his crew reacted to the new Dragos.

I don't think my review can really add anything because there are some great reviews out there of this book. I really did love everything about it. It was just hip enough (but not annoying so), the story and the fantasy elements were fantastic, there were many laugh out loud moments (this book was really funny), and some poignant moments. I loved the relationship between Pia and Dragos, and how they had to work at some things, but they weren't going to give up on being together. And my being a romance reader who likes babies, I was so happy that she even had that element. Not enough PNR books have pregnancy and babies in them for me (I know some readers hate that, but not me!) So I was glad she did have that in this book, and it was so cool how she did it. Definitely some 'aww' moments there.

I know I want to hug this book tight to my book-loving heart. I will put this out on my favorites shelf for a frequent reread. I can't wait to see what Ms. Harrison does in the next Elder Races books. She has a fan in me!

My friends who said I would love this were right. High five!



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They That Dwell in Dark Places by Daniel McGachey

They That Dwell In Dark Places by Daniel McGachey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This nifty collection of stories by Daniel McGachey is just what a fan of old school horror stories deeply in the vein of Montague Rhodes James (who has rightfully been called the master of the ghost story) would clamor for once they have exhausted all the MR James out there on offer, or just as an adjunct to their classic horror reading. My tastes in horror are definitely in the old school vein, and I love when I am able to find newly written stories and novels that showcase the old school styles. My friend was kind enough to lend me her copy of this book, and I have spent the better part of this week and last reading and enjoying the stories on offer.



It goes without saying that this wouldn't appeal to readers who don't like the old school way of telling a story, and a reader who gets bogged down with antiquated description and language. However, if you are a big reader of classic horror, as I am, I think that you will find it enjoyable.



Admittedly, there were a couple of stories that were a bit on the dry side, and I found my attention wandering. But the truly scary, atmospheric, and just downright disturbing stories made up for it. I didn't try to read this one at night, except for when I read it one night on the elliptical at the gym. Yeah, that gave me a few creepy moments on the way home. Honestly, I would avoid reading this one at bedtime, because McGachey manages to get you where you live. For instance, he gave me that squirmy feeling of guilt at my penchant for loving tales of the macabre. Some might think it unsuitable reading for a 'good Christian'. I don't really think that intellectually, but there is a story that makes you wonder if you really should spend so much time looking into the dark, unless you want the dark to pay you a visit. Yeah, that's a disturbing thought. Not enough to put me off these types of stories, though. Just enough to raise some goosebumps.



I definitely have to give Mr. McGachey an A for his ability to write in the classic horror vein very authentically. I have read many stories from the Victorian and Edwardian periods with exactly the same language and style. He also develops atmosphere flawlessly. And I love his deft skill with a frame story, and how his stories seem to tie together in this volume. I liked Dr. Lawrence as his intrepid occult detective character, who reminded me of a more scholarly Kolchak. With the only negative being that some stories were a bit dry, I can't help but give this one a solid four stars. I will be looking for more of his stories to read in the future.



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Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White by Claudia Mair Burney

Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White by Claudia Mair Burney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What do you do when you feel like a stranger in your own land?
That’s the question that Zora and Nicky face. They both grew up in the church, children of ministers. Their whole lives were about living and walking in the footsteps of Jesus. But when did it become a matter of trying to please their fathers more than Jesus? When did this require the sacrifice of their entire identities?

Both Zora and Nicky are adrift. Nicky is the prodigal son, returned to the fold to try to rebuild his troubled relationship with a father who never showed him the loving embrace that a dad should show his son, like Jesus loves His church. Nicky wants to be a writer, but the words won’t come. He feels so alone and trapped. His girlfriend is the perfect girl for the life that his parents want for him. But not for Nicky. And Nicky is dealing with three years of celibacy and sobriety, after wild teenage years of leading church maidens astray when he was asking for help from a family who left his cries unheard. When he goes to a bible study held by his boss, he encounters the beautiful, dark-skinned Zora, and feels a mix of emotions that do not strike him as healthy with everything else on his plate. Is it just lust or he could he be in love?

Zora is the daughter of a minister who preaches prosperity to those who can proclaim God’s word with faith. He has no tolerance for poor Christians or those who just want to get by. Although he gives her everything material she could wish for, designer furniture, clothes, and a Lexus, he controls every aspect of her life, and seems blind to the true unrest in his church. Zora walks out of church one day, praying that God would show her how to be poor in spirit. She goes to a bible study full of white people and feels that intense emotional connection with God that she feels like has been absent, but she’s embarrassed by the way she breaks down in front of the other bible study members. And then there is the gorgeous blue-eyed, blond rogue that she’s been warned about although they truly love Nicky. How can she be drawn to a troubled and rascally white man when she doesn’t even love the perfect black man hand-picked by her father, and groomed to be the future minister of his church? What does she do when her father takes everything away because he feels she’s in rebellion just by trying to be herself? And to her surprise, the white folks from her bible study, and the roguish Nicky, come to her aid when her family and most of her church turns a blind eye.

Zora and Nicky is a very moving romantic story, but it also strikes at the heart of a reader who grew up in the Christian faith, but is trying to find out where she or he fits into the flock of God’s church. I loved how Ms. Burney wasn’t afraid to get real. She showed how church is full of people who do one thing and say another, but it’s also clear that there are many who love God so much, but they just don’t know how they are supposed to go about doing that. I just loved both Nicky and Zora’s characters. Not because they were perfect, but because they were real and hurting and damaged. They both had a genuine love for Jesus, and they wanted to be wrapped in His arms in all their wounded, flawed selves. Not only that, they wanted to have fathers who knew how to love them, and accept them for who they were. Their troubled relationships with their fathers clearly affected their relationships with God, because they didn’t know that unconditional love that Jesus has for us, unused to feeling that in the model for His love that one’s father and minister should show.

The racial issues in this story are pertinent and handled well. Ms. Burney addressed the ugly things that normal people think and do on both sides of the racial issue. Although the way Nicky’s grandfather and father act about Zora was absolutely chilling, Ms. Burney also shows that black folks can be just as racist in their thinking as white folks. And neither is okay. Because humans are just human. And no person should be seen as the stand-in or representative for their race. It isn’t fair, because you can only be you. And Christians of all people should know better than to judge someone for the outside, the mere difference in melanin that means nothing to God. Although it was clear how powerful the bond was between Zora and Nicky, they had to work out their own issues about race so that they could see each other with the love that God put in their souls for each other.

Even with the sometimes mean things they said to each other, I loved how they seemed to get who each other was deep down, and supported that, even when people who should have loved, supported and understood each other didn’t. I loved that their relationship was passionate even with no sex taking place (just very passionate kisses), how they talked to each other, fought for each other, and dreamed together. I loved that they both shared a powerful love for Christ that was another thing that bound them together. They had the makings of a relationship I could truly see flourishing fifty years in the future.

Zora and Nicky was a book that made me cry. It made me angry in some scenes. It affected me deeply, and probed into the hurting places that I have regarding my own walk in the Christian faith; dealing with that feeling that you don’t fit into the body of Christ the way you should. That even though Jesus loves you the way you are and wants the best for you, others don’t think you measure up. Also seeing the superficial Christianity that seems okay for most, and how you want something deep and true and it feels like you can’t find it. I could identify so well with those aspects of this book. And the romantic in me loved the beautiful story of love found between Zora and Nicky. I felt that God did bring them together, and He was working in both of them for their good and for their emotional wholeness and healing.

I didn’t much care for either Nicky or Zora’s father. Actually, I think they failed in very profound ways. I did feel that at the end of the day, their mothers did show the love that both Zora and Nicky needed, even though it wasn’t enough to balance out the pain that each father caused them. I also liked Zora’s relationship with her friend MacKenzie. They stood by each other through tough times, encouraging each other to reach for their dreams.

I really appreciated the characters of Linda, Rick, and Billie, who are members of the bible study. Also Ms. Pamela, one of the members of Zora’s congregation. Who all represent Christians who are filled with the love of Jesus, and have made it their mission to show it, even though some Christians wouldn’t find them fitting or good enough to represent the faith. However, they represent Jesus in the purest way. Jesus was the despised, rejected man who owned nothing but the robe on his back, was born in a manger, and died on a cross. And He is the one who is able to save and love everyone. So that’s alright with me if a shabby person shows me Jesus in my everyday life. And they were there to show that love when Nicky and Zora needed it. Just writing this review is making me cry. I just loved this book. It was so meaningful to me. I can’t recommend it highly enough.




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The Silent Pulpit by Donald Allen Kirch

The Silent Pulpit by Donald Allen Kirch

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Donald Allen Kirch writes an effective short story here, with the appeal of the old school macabre tales of terror and the unknown. His gift for humor is evident, as I found myself chuckling at some of the main characters observations and actions, even though some of it was a bit on the irreverent side. Humor aside, he expertly maintains that sense of dread that a good horror story gives this reader, where I know something bad is coming, and it ain't good. The idea behind this story was very interesting, and there was enough ambiguity that brought to mind the old school ghost stories where I didn't quite know everything that was going on for most of the story, and maybe not even completely at the end. Added to that were a couple of freaky and just downright wrong images that I need scrubbed out of my impressionable, visual brain!

The sinister tone of this story sticks with me, and gives me that lingering feeling of unease and alarm that makes me such a inveterate reader of tales of terror. That makes this a successful read. I liked this story a whole lot, although I didn't quite feel like my idea of justice was done. Of course, I can see that there were seeds with Father Donavon that led him down his unfortunate path. However, this hopeful reader always wishes for the moment of clarity that causes the doomed person to come to their senses before it's too late. But oh well! You can't always get what you want. And the reader can take some comfort in knowing this is just a scary story, and you can turn off your Kindle and go back to your less frightening real life existence. At least until your urge for a good scare brings you back.

Write faster, Donald! I need more scary stories to read!

Overall rating: 4.5 stars.


Thanks for letting me read this one, Don.



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Cage of Ice by Sally Wentworth

Cage of Ice by Sally Wentworth

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


The things we do for love!

Domino is in a tough situation. She falls in love with her bodyguard, who believes she's a married woman, and she can't tell him that she's merely pretending to be her sister, who is in hiding. She has to fight her intense feelings for this compelling, strong man who has claimed her heart, because she could put her pregnant sister in jeopardy if she reveals her secret. Yeah, that's intense.

Cage of Ice presents a scenario like this and it's done in such a way that I couldn't stop reading. Domino is a good person, and she's not selfish enough to go after her own needs, even if she loves Ace so badly it's hard to keep him at a distance. I felt for her and for Ace too. Although Ace acts like he despises Domino at first, it's because he feels that instant lightning strike for her. He loves her and he knows he can't have her, because: 1)she's married, 2)she's his package that he's been hired to protect, 3)his past taught him that rich girls will only bring him to ruin. But Domino (who he knows as Delphine) is not a woman he can ignore or avoid. I loved the fact that Ace was upfront about his feelings for Domino early in this book. He told Domino that he loved her, and that he'd make it work out for them to be together. I did feel conflicted because I hate cheating, and from his standpoint, it was cheating. But it was clear that wasn't a casual thing for him to get around either. I could feel how Domino was torn in two different directions, between her loyalty to her family and to her love and intense feelings for Ace. I hurt for her when she had to push him away and make him think she was a soulless, promiscuous tart who was just playing with his feelings so he'd back off. I was glad that Ace saw deeper and searched for more in this woman he had come to love.

Sally Wentworth does an excellent job of building the tension here. Domino is literally caged in, both physically and emotionally. Stuck in a chateau with her guards, due to bad weather, and the fact that she had to keep a low profile so that the possible kidnappers couldn't make a grab at her, and because they weren't supposed to be there. On top of that is the emotional storm that her bodyguard makes her feel.

Although these kind of storylines tie me into a knot because I want the couple to be able to be together and happy, I also relish the tension and the suspense of having to keep reading to see how things will be resolved. And Ms. Wentworth sustained that practically to the last few pages. My reward for persevering was an ending that was sweet and precious.

Although Ace was the tough, sometimes cruel hero, I really liked him. I could understand why he came on so hard, and I loved that he was a man of action instead of a born into privilege hero. I liked Domino a lot too. She really put her life and her heart on the line for love of her sister, and that spoke to me. I think Domino and Ace really deserved their happy ending, and I'm glad they got it.

This book is darn close to perfect, so I give it 4.5 stars.



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The Veranchetti Marriage by Lynne Graham

The Veranchetti Marriage by Lynne Graham

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I ended up giving this five stars because there was such a WOW factor on the reveal at the end. I did a complete 180 on Alex. He was giving me a serious a-hole factor for a lot of this book, and by the end, I really 'got' him, and I just wanted to hug him.



I guess because I am getting older, I am less enchanted (if I ever was) with the dewy, very young heroine. I started out sort of rolling my eyes (in a "Yes, I'm a fan of this author although I'm not feeling this plot element" fashion) at Kerry being eighteen when she married Alex, and becoming a mother. However, I think this was so much a part of their love story, it worked. Kerry and Alex were meant to be, and they would have stayed together, and worked through their issues, if it wasn't for what Kerry's sister did. I mean that was so wrong!!! She really ruined two (and almost three) lives. I don't know how she could have borne the guilt of that for four long years! I think I would have gone crazy, although I would hope I wouldn't do anything that lousy.



This is one of the books where I thought the hero was a b*stard, but when I found out what his issues were, I totally understood his crazy reaction to what he dumped Kerry for. It made sense, considering his history, and Alex turned out to be pretty darn tortured. Kerry is a suitably tormented companion for him. She was a feisty woman by nature, but she assumed guilt for something that wasn't her fault and it killed her spirit for four long years. When she finds out that she wasn't guilty, her normal spirit returns, and she gives Alex a run for his money.



This book touches on the destructive aspects of male jealousy. I admit I like a jealous hero, but I could see that Alex's jealousy was extremely unhealthy, and it made him impossible to be married to. It was sweet how Alex really tried hard to be a good husband to Kerry once he realized how scared Kerry was of his jealousy. It was sweet that he bought her a shop to continue her antiques business he made her give up when he blackmailed her back into marriage. I do have to say that Lynne Graham does a good job of showing that Alex is crazy about Kerry, although Kerry doesn't see it that way. She thinks he just wants to punish her, and to use her as a wife and mother to his son.



I loved how Alex's mom comes and talks to Kerry after he leaves when he realizes how wrong he was about Kerry. This is one of the best reveals I think I've read in the Harlequin Presents books. It makes you see a jerky hero in a really new light, and that's a good thing. In this case, it was totally right for Kerry to go to Alex, and those final scenes brought a smile to my face. And she even resolved the one aspect that was a bummer for me. I hate the unfairness of the heroine staying celibate while the couple is apart, but the hero having affairs. In this case, Alex just couldn't. He dated, but he couldn't have sex with them. He was still too in love with his wife. Big sigh!



I've been reading Lynne Graham for a long time, and I am a big fan of hers. This book showcases her unique style and why she has such a large Harlequin Presents following, and myself. Definitely a new fave of mine by this author, and it deserves the five stars I gave it when I finished reading it.



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Dangerous Allies by Renee Ryan

Dangerous Allies by Renee Ryan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was truly an incredible book, in my opinion. Ms. Ryan captured the fear and the isolation that a person who is in a harrowing situation and who is trying to do the right thing feels. I cannot even imagine what it must have been like for Jack and Katarina, trapped in an environment where evil is fostered and rewarded, and the slightest mistake could end up with one's horrible demise or failure in a mission to save lives.

What I truly appreciated was how the author wrote a fictional story that spoke to my spirit, my heart, and my intellect. It seems like a coincidence, but it's not. I read this book right when I needed. I am in need of being reminded that I am not in control, and better yet, that's not a bad thing. It's hard to accept that, but there is such a freedom when one does. For a control freak like myself (and Jack and Katarina), acknowledging that you can't control everything is one of the hardest things you must do, but you have to do it all the time. This past week at work was not good, and I tried to do my best in that situation, but I couldn't control all the situations I faced. I had to accept that, and seek God's will in that situation and trust that He would take care of me. So, I could feel what the characters in this book struggled with. But the good news is, that God is in control, and His will is done. It doesn't mean things will always go our way. But the truth is, when God leads you into situations, He will not abandon you or forsake you. I loved how Renee Ryan illustrated this so eloquently. How she had Jack and Katarina recalling scriptures from their childhood (since both had lost faith due to the horrible things that happened to them prior to this book) that reminded the of God's protection. As a Christian, the Holy Spirit will do that, and give the believer peace even in the worst of circumstances. As I read, I could deeply identify with that feelings that these characters I came to love experienced. How things looked so bad, but God's spirit promised His protection and His guiding hand for His children, even those who forgot that He will fulfill His promises. Yes, I read this book right when I needed to, and it helped renew my faith that God would take care of me.

Another thing I loved about this book were how charismatic and powerful the characters of Jack and Katarina were. Their magnetism reached off the page at me. Jack is a true alpha male in the best sense. He is unafraid to put himself on the line for others, always seeks to protect others, and uses his considerable assets of intelligence, training, and adaptability to maneuver in some truly dangerous circumstances. He is also tortured because he has left behind his godly ways after he ended up being forced into the life of a spy, and what his calling has forced him to see and to do. He believes he is doomed for his actions, although he does them for the right reasons. Katarina is an actress whose role lasts twenty-four hours a day. She is playing the role of an empty-headed Russian princess who earns a living on the stage, but has a penchant for getting involved with dangerous men. Deep down, she is a woman who is working for the British as a spy with the goal of protecting her mother, whose heritage could send her to the death camps. I loved the ice cool natures of these characters, and how they handled challenges that came their way. And I loved their vulnerabilities. Both had believed that God abandoned them and that they were on their own, but they learn that God never abandons His children. Sometimes we don't look hard enough to see His guiding hand, even though it's there in the dark. I loved how they found each other in the seemingly forsaken, evil environs of Nazi Germany, surrounded by men who seemed bent on world domination and annihilation of peoples who they felt beneath them, including the Jews, devout Christians (those who didn't follow the new religion of Germany based on nationalism and Nordic/Teutonic paganism), and people who spoke against their regime. Their relationship had real chemistry. I could see that they found something worthwhile in each other on every level. They saw something powerful in each other, that spoke to them. And God worked through both of them to bring them together and back to a knowledge of His love and protection.

This book has some very powerful scenes that made me cry. The scenes in which both characters seem at the end of their strengths, but manage to pull through because of their will, their newly rediscovered faith in God, and His steady hand of protection. I am not one for praying in a group (it makes me feel awkward), but I loved the scene where Jack and Katarina pray together. It make me cry because it was something they both needed and it gave them strength to face the dark circumstances that they needed to confront.

Ms. Ryan did a great job with this period. Although I am an not expert on this period, I have read up on it, and I could see that she did her research, and used that knowledge to write a powerful fiction story set during this horrible time in history.

I am so blessed to find another Christian romance that spoke to me. I had long feared that I wouldn't find any that ministered to me in a deep, powerful manner, and also provided an intense, edgy story that wouldn't leave me wanting more. Dangerous Allies definitely did this for me. Dangerous Allies shows a part of history that breaks my heart and makes me soul-sick. The good thing about this book was that it reminded me that although Nazi Germany seemed like a godless, evil place, and it seemed as though the Lord's presence wasn't there to protect the innocent from the terrors of the Nazis, that wasn't true. There were people of faith there working to end the reign of terror and horror that the Nazis had over Europe during this period. I couldn't ask for more in a book.

Thank you, Ms. Ryan.



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One Night with a Spy by Celeste Bradley

One Night with a Spy by Celeste Bradley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One Night with a Spy is the third book in the Royal Four series, which is an offshoot of the Liars Club series. It's been years since I last read any books by Celeste Bradley. I glommed her big-time, and then I decided to take a break so that I wouldn't get tired of her and Regency historicals (I don't like to get burned out on different genres). Now I am reminded why I am a fan of her writing.



Normally I have a low saturation point for witty, lighter Regency historical romances. Not that they are bad, I just prefer intense, darker romances. I think the Regency lord who happens to be a spy is a very trite, dull subject, so I am at the point now where I mostly give those a miss. But I have a few writers that I will read those by, Celeste Bradley would be high on the list. Ms. Bradley is able to write books that are a good balance of witty and intense. She also has a very good hand for a steamy read. And One Night with a Spy doesn't disappoint on any of those fronts.



Initially, I was predisposed to dislike Marcus. He was arrogant and a bit chauvinistic. Seemingly blinded by his ambitions, he had no problem insinuating himself in the widow, Lady Barrowby's affections with the ulterior motive of disproving her eligibility as the Fox, the member of the Royal Four who needed a replacement since Julia, Lady Barrowby's husband had died. He is low down enough to read her diaries, in an attempt to use it against her, but finds himself enthralled by the erotically detailed, sensual fantasies she has written down. Of course, he assumes that she is recording her true sexual adventures, and that makes him want to dislike her even more. However, his time 'seducing' Lady Barrowby culminates in his own seduction. He realizes that Julia is emminently qualified to serve as the Fox, having been her husband's groomed replacement, and in fact, acting as the Fox for the three years he was incapacitated with a stroke prior to his death. She's also very qualified to be the woman who steals his heart. Having seen this man gain a realization that he was way wrong in his estimations of Julia, I found myself shocked at his actions. He tells the Four that Julia is not qualified to serve because of her low birth--a secret she reveals in confidence when they make love for the first time. This creates a whole load of problems for Julia, causing her to go on the run or face being confined to a convent for the rest of her days. I was very angry with him, for hurting Julia that way. I understood of course that he was doing what was best for the country, or so he thought. But there was also selfish, blind ambition at work in his actions. At this point, I was thinking that Marcus was going to have to work really hard to dig himself out the hole he put himself into with his actions, and that Julia was a lot more forgiving that I am.



I do have admire that the author doesn't go the predictable route here. I wasn't sure how this would end, and that added a level of suspense to this story, along with the question about who and where the Chimera (a fierce antagonist of the Liar's Club) was. I was pretty much on Julia's team. I thought she earned the right to be Fox. Just because Marcus was a man didn't make him more qualified. And she was a lot more honorable and self-sacrificing than he was, although they both had their reasons for wanting the position as the Fox.



Although this didn't end up being as much of a favorite as the first two books in the Royal Four series, I really enjoyed it. I liked seeing Julia and Marcus' courtship, how Julia showed the great woman she was by her actions, and had Marcus falling deeply in love with her. The love scenes were very hot and sensual. Even though Marcus annoyed me, I could see why Julia loved him, and I understood why he was so ruthless in getting what he wanted. And he realized what was more important in the long run and went after it like a good hero should. The humor was good (as always), and the espionage elements were pretty intense. I also liked the aspects of the story involving Julia's adopted kin, the Fair Folk (who she had grown up with before she married Aldus, Lord Barrowby), and Julia's aged, toothless lion Sebastian's antics. Although brief, I liked the cameos from members of the Royal Four and a few of the characters from the Liar's Club books. I still mourn that she isn't writing those anymore. I loved that series. However, the Royal Four series is great too, and the good news is I still have one more book in this series to read. I think I'll be reading it soon.







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The Endearment by LaVyrle Spencer

The Real Deal by Lucy Monroe

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Amanda Zachary came to Simon Brant's house to talk the reclusive, scientific genius into agreeing to a merger with her employing company, and ends up falling in love. Divorced for two years, and not desirous of marrying again after her husband destroyed every inch of her belief in herself as a woman, she doesn't expect for Simon Brant to inspire such powerful sexual feelings in her. Although he's absent-minded, prone to going off in his lab when she's in the middle of giving her presentation, he's really hot, with a great body and a great mind. Amanda gets the idea from Jacob, Simon's irascible valet to stay at his house, so she can be around when he deigns to come out of his lab. But then he does incomprehensible things like volunteering to spend time brushing her up on her Tai Kwon Do moves, getting very up close and personal, and spending time with her that has nothing to do with discussing the merger details. She's totally feeling him, but is he feeling her? After her husband, she can't trust her feminine instincts, and she doesn't want to get hurt. She can't risk a sexual affair, when she doesn't feel beautiful, and she's never been casual about sex in the first place. But it turns out she's not the only one with feelings in this strange relationship she finds herself in.



Simon Brant has his own insecurities. He was a prodigy who ended up in college at fifteen, surrounded by older girls who used him for his 'talents' and his prodigious endowments. He's had relationships with women, but they always leave him because he doesn't spend enough time with them, his focus always going back to his scientific projects. He's started to wonder if women are worth the trouble, if they will just leave him when they get tired of his ways. And Amanda comes along. She's sexy and beautiful, and doesn't seem to know it. He can't keep his hands off her, and he is starting to care for her. But will she leave him too, when she realizes that he's never going to be like everyone else?



Don't let the light-hearted, 'chick-lit'-like cover fool you. This book was not exactly like that. It's not particularly light, but wasn't dark, either. I expected more of a slapstick/snappy banter 40s romantic comedy vibe, but that wasn't there. Instead, the heavy focus is on the emotions that Amanda and Simon struggle through, each full of insecurities, and the powerful attraction between them. Lucy Monroe has a straightforward, easy reading style that made this book a quick read. I liked the sweetness of the romance, although the love scenes are very sensual.



Amanda is a very nice woman who really got screwed by her family and her husband. What he did, and what her family allowed him to do was criminal. She internalized all of that and decided that there must have been something about her that made her unlovable and undesirable. She is very slow on the uptake to believe that Simon might want her, and cannot conceive that he could love her. It takes some heavy wooing on Simon's part, but he is not a man to fail at anything. Simon is sometimes clueless about how to react to others, and spends a lot of time analyzing what Amanda says and does and what it means. But he is also a sensual, warm man, and was able to trust his instincts to guide him in coaxing Amanda into realizing how beautiful, sexy, and lovable she is. I liked his 'geeky' bent, although I feel that Ms. Monroe should have gave him a few more nerdy traits, because it seemed like the nerd thing was an afterthought. I think that internally he was a nerd, but maybe she was afraid it would turn off readers if he had some of the exterior trappings. Nerds can be sexy even if they seem awkward too (it's the whole 'still waters run deep' thing). He seemed to have a little too much confidence in himself to have had his experiences in life. I would have expected a bit more uncertainty and social awkwardness to come off in his personality for what he had experienced as a younger man. And how did he attract all these women who essentially used him for sex? Those kind of shallow women wouldn't go for an intellectual type who wasn't flattering them with constant attention. That didn't quite ring true for me, because I know pretty cute guys who are on the nerdy side, and they don't get that kind of chick action.



I really ended up liking this book, devouring it very quickly. It's sexy but sweet, and that is an irresistible combination for this reader. I'd recommend it to readers who want a sexier read, but like the Harlequin-type contemporary romance vibe. Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.



Thanks to Julie for encouraging me to pull this one out of my tbr pile!



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Accidental Mistress by Susan Napier

Accidental Mistress by Susan Napier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Accidental Mistress was a nice Sunday afternoon read. I love settling down with a Harlequin Presents on the weekend, because they are quick, hopefully satisfying reads. In this case, I was about 90% satisfied.



I am a big fan of this author because she writes great heroes and heroines. Her heroines are nice, normal, and likable. They are attractive in a real world kind of way, but the hero seems crazy about them (I love besotted heroes). They are women you'd want to be friends with in real life. I definitely felt that way about Emily.



Usually, I am seriously crazy about Susan Napier's heroes. They are big, handsome (in a manly way), hard working and down to earth, and have a normal quotient that is higher than the typical HP hero. They are guys you'd want to crush on in real life, and would love to be pursuing you. In this case, I didn't go as gaga over Ethan as I usually do over her heroes. Not that he was bad. He wasn't. I just never really got a fix on him. I think the problem was that there was a prominent storyline about Emily's parents and her relationship with Ethan's uncle by marriage. My personal opinion is that it was too much to put in this story and have the romance stay focused. I guess I'm used to SN putting the romance as the forefront, and it was weird that it had to share time with Emily's family issues.



I think I was kind of disappointed with how things wrapped up. Ethan and Emily end up becoming lovers but plays out almost like they are just hooking up when they each have time for each other kind of thing. And I didn't really understand why, since it was clear that Emily loved Ethan, and he seemed besotted with her. I didn't get it a first, but apparently Ethan didn't want to reciprocate in his "I love yous" because of his commitment issues. I think the problem was I didn't get that Ethan was supposed to have commitment issues. He was pursuing Emily big time and when they got together, it's like the affair lost momentum. I thought maybe Emily was being insecure, but then it turns out she was right that Ethan didn't want to be in love with her, and he comes to his senses at the very end of the book. It just seemed too abrupt, and it didn't work for me this way. It wasn't bad, mind you, but just sort of a lukewarm conclusion to this story. Emily ended up coming to Ethan's house to give him something that has high sentimental value for a substantial favor he does her, and he pounces on her and makes his declaration. He should have come after her, darn it! That's what I want to see. The hero needs to make those gestures, or this reader is disappointed. I did think it was cute they way he proposed though. Emily's last name is Quest, and Ethan's last name is West, a source of confusion throughout this book.

Here is the passage where this happens:



"I mean that I love you, Ms. West." she thought she heard him say.

Her loving laughter echoed in the warm cavern of his mouth. "That's Quest, not West."

He fell down with her onto the white couch and lay her against his heart. "What say we clear up that potential confusion for once and for all?"

"And how do you propose to do that?" She invited huskily, linking her arms around his neck.

His eyes gleamed with wicked humour. "Why by proposing, or course...that we get rid of that pesky and divisive Q!"



It was goofy but cute.



Anyway, this was a good book, but not great by this very reliable author. All the same, a nice past-time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. By the way, the title is very inaccurate!



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The Yellow Sign by Robert W. Chambers

This story has me thinking and wondering. It starts out as one thing, and then turns into something else.

What I liked:

*The creepy guy that made everyone think of something dead or like a gross worm or something. It made me laugh, but also made me shiver.
*The narrator's sweet relationship with his artist model. How it meant more to him than could admit, because he felt he was not a good man, and because of his lost true love.
*The imagery of the story, fulled with symbolism that I will ponder and will cause me to reread this story again soon.
*The ambiguity of the implicit threat of the night watchman.
*So many unanswered questions. How does it all tie together???
*The romanticism throughout this story. Not just in a love story way. But in the use of language.
*The clear, infectious writing style that has a biting edge of humor that is still fresh after so many years.
*The narrator, who is both a deep romantic, and a true cynic.

I'm scratching my head over this one, and mourning the quick, although effective ending. And Chambers was considered a hack, pulp writer in his time? That's sad to me. Glad I have finally read this story!

The Real Deal by Lucy Monroe

The Real Deal by Lucy Monroe

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Amanda Zachary came to Simon Brant's house to talk the reclusive, scientific genius into agreeing to a merger with her employing company, and ends up falling in love. Divorced for two years, and not desirous of marrying again after her husband destroyed every inch of her belief in herself as a woman, she doesn't expect for Simon Brant to inspire such powerful sexual feelings in her. Although he's absent-minded, prone to going off in his lab when she's in the middle of giving her presentation, he's really hot, with a great body and a great mind. Amanda gets the idea from Jacob, Simon's irascible valet to stay at his house, so she can be around when he deigns to come out of his lab. But then he does incomprehensible things like volunteering to spend time brushing her up on her Tai Kwon Do moves, getting very up close and personal, and spending time with her that has nothing to do with discussing the merger details. She's totally feeling him, but is he feeling her? After her husband, she can't trust her feminine instincts, and she doesn't want to get hurt. She can't risk a sexual affair, when she doesn't feel beautiful, and she's never been casual about sex in the first place. But it turns out she's not the only one with feelings in this strange relationship she finds herself in.



Simon Brant has his own insecurities. He was a prodigy who ended up in college at fifteen, surrounded by older girls who used him for his 'talents' and his prodiguous endowments. He's had relationships with women, but they always leave him because he doesn't spend enough time with them, his focus always going back to his scientific projects. He's started to wonder if women are worth the trouble, if they will just leave him when they get tired of his ways. And Amanda comes along. She's sexy and beautiful, and doesn't seem to know it. He can't keep his hands off her, and he is starting to care for her. But will she leave him too, when she realizes that he's never going to be like everyone else?



Don't let the light-hearted, 'chick-lit'-like cover fool you. This book was not exactly like that. It's not particularly light, but wasn't dark, either. I expected more of a slapstick/snappy banter 40s romantic comedy vibe, but that wasn't there. Instead, the heavy focus is on the emotions that Amanda and Simon struggle through, each full of insecurities, and the powerful attraction between them. Lucy Monroe has a straightforward, easy reading style that made this book a quick read. I liked the sweetness of the romance, although the love scenes are very sensual.



Amanda is a very nice woman who really got screwed by her family and her husband. What he did, and what her family allowed him to do was criminal. She internalized all of that and decided that there must have been something about her that made her unlovable and undesirable. She is very slow on the uptake to believe that Simon might want her, and cannot conceive that he could love her. It takes some heavy wooing on Simon's part, but he is not a man to fail at anything. Simon is sometimes clueless about how to react to others, and spends a lot of time analyzing what Amanda says and does and what it means. But he is also a sensual, warm man, and was able to trust his instincts to guide him in coaxing Amanda into realizing how beautiful, sexy, and lovable she is. I liked his 'geeky' bent, although I feel that Ms. Monroe should have gave him a few more nerdy traits, because it seemed like the nerd thing was an afterthought. I think that internally he was a nerd, but maybe she was afraid it would turn off readers if he had some of the exterior trappings. Nerds can be sexy even if they seem awkward too (it's the whole 'still waters run deep' thing). He seemed to have a little too much confidence in himself to have had his experiences in life. I would have expected a bit more uncertainty and social awkwardness to come off in his personality for what he had experienced as a younger man. And how did he attract all these women who essentially used him for sex? Those kind of shallow women wouldn't go for an intellectual type who wasn't flattering them with constant attention. That didn't quite ring true for me, because I know pretty cute guys who are on the nerdy side, and they don't get that kind of chick action.



I really ended up liking this book, devouring it very quickly. It's sexy but sweet, and that is an irresistible combination for this reader. I'd recommend it to readers who want a sexier read, but like the Harlequin-type contemporay romance vibe. Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.



Thanks to Julie for encouraging me to pull this one out of my tbr pile!



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Chains of Ice by Christina Dodd

Chains of Ice: The Chosen Ones by Christina Dodd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Chosen Ones is really shaping up as a paranormal romance series. And this one is my favorite so far. It has the 'right stuff' to be a good read for me.



My Thoughts:



*I loved John. His powers. His wounded heart. His passion. His goodness. I loved the whole outcast/hermit/mountain man thing he had going on. He was rocking the dreds, overgrown beard, animal skins, and cowboy hat. I know it sounds goofy. But he totally was. And his abilities, the awesomeness!!! How he can control energy and use it to manifest force fields, and make a woman happy in an intimate moment with those powers. I think it's readily apparent that John is one of the most powerful of the Chosen Ones thus far. And he'll make a great leader. I really liked Genny too. She was a good woman, coming out of her overbearing father's shadow. I like that she decided to take control of her life, and she didn't settle for less than she deserved from John or anyone else.

*The storyline was good. How John was once on a team of Chosen Ones with Gary (the dude who was in a coma the first two books). Gary turned out to be a glory-hound loser who got his team killed, although he blamed it on John. But before that, he just had to sleep with John's wife. What up with that? So when John finds out, he's not a happy camper, but he still tries to save both his wife, Gary and the rest of the team on an ill-fated mission. When he fails to save all but Gary, he becomes a dropout, and goes back to the place of his birth, the rasputye in Russia. That's where he meets Genny. Genny's father signed a deal to pay for Genny's trip to Russia to study the endangered lynx cat, something she's always wanted to do. To make up for that, she has to try to recruit John to come back to the Chosen Ones. She really doesn't want to do it, but she doesn't have much choice. When she meets the illusive John Powell, sparks fly. Not only that, she really liked John. He's a nice guy, gentle despite his fearsome reputation and in harmony with the natural world that she loves so much. But the town doesn't trust or like John, because of their fear of the rasputye and those strange folks that come and go from the area. They do the Frankenstein thing, and John and Genny have to flee into that magical world between worlds. And John isn't the sweet guy she thought she knew when he finds out she came to recruit him back to the Chosen Ones. He turns into a real wild man then! That wasn't all bad though. (grins)

*This story felt a lot more linear and coherent than the first two books, although the second one was a lot better than the first, with a better romance story. The romance in this one really shines. I liked that the beginning of the book shows the development of Genny and John's relationship, and the last part of the book shows how they relate to the group of the Chosen. At this point, I am a lot more invested in the team of Chosen, and my mind is speculating on where the storyline will take them.

*The paranormal elements are nicely different from some of the other paranormal series. I particularly like the mythos of the Chosen Ones and the Others. Both children coming from a background of being forsaken/abandoned children with abilities. If they are lucky, the Abandoned Ones get the chance to have a good life, and form bonds that allow them to use their powers for good, becoming the Chosen Ones. If not, they end up on the dark side, serving evil as The Others. And evil is a demanding boss. An interesting development that the Big Bad in this series is the Big Bad. You know who! Those parts are very creepy, especially how he controls and tortures his minions.



Final Thoughts:

Yeah! This series won't have universal appeal. But I really like it. I like the way Christina Dodd writes romance. I must admit that I love her heroes. Her heroines are women you like. And together they are magic. I wasn't sure how well this series would work, but I must say it's working very well. So, five stars for this one from me.



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