Lothaire by Kresley Cole

Lothaire by Kresley Cole

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book!  This was worth waiting for, even though it was a long wait for it to come out in paperback.  I can say that the hours spent reading it were truly enjoyable. It's true that I am a huge fan of this series, but it never gets old for me. I do believe this is one of the best paranormal series out there, hands down!  It has a lot of sex, so I wouldn't recommend it to a fantasy fan who doesn't like sex, but I feel that the world-building stands up to muster for a fantasy novel as well.  I think that this story keeps expanding in ways that intrigue and fascinate me. I am happily surprised at all the twists and turns Cole gives this storyline.

Lothaire totally lived up to his potential. He is all that and more.  I think that Cole did a great job of giving this character a romance without compromising who he was.  Lothaire will always be a bad guy.  He is just a bad guy who sometimes does the right thing.  Kind of different and it worked for me!  I have a sick fascination weakness for villainous/antiheroic types, and Lothaire is the top of the list!

Things I loved about Lothaire
*Lothaire stays true to his character. He doesn't become a Stepford Hero just because he finds his true love.  He is always going to be Lothaire, just Lothaire in love.
*He cracks me up. I know he's not trying to be funny. He's just being him, but his way of twisting his words to get around his physiological demand to be truthful, and his sheer arrogance, results in some laugh out loud, snarkalicious comments. I can imagine Ms. Cole cracked herself and her editor up reading as she wrote it. I know she cracked me up.
*I love a wickedly intelligent guy. My Achilles' heel. Lothaire is such a calculating dude. Always working all the angles.  It was interesting to see how others reacted to him.  Many hated him, some were scared witless by him, and some admired him (in a "I hate him" kind of way). No one was 'meh' about him.
*Lothaire actually wants to be faithful to his Bride. 

Things I loved about Elizabeth
*She's very tough considering all that she went through.  (Shudders) I can't imagine having that awful thing taking over my body committing those horrible acts with it.  And then, where she spent five years!  That was so dark!
*She's so down to earth. I love a down to earth heroine.  She's very proud of her humble root, loves her family, and is unshakably loyal.
*She holds her own with Lothaire. Maybe she doesn't have thousands of years of experience or his incredible, immortal strength, but she has a snarky tongue, plenty of intelligence, and a big heart.

Things I loved about this book
*Kresley Cole never tries to sell this as a normal people/functional romance. From the beginning, it's clear that this is not for the faint of heart.  Lothaire is not a kind, loving, good-hearted boy next door. He is the Enemy of Old.  Ellie is not the normal girl next door with a sweet, happy existence.  Her life was tough since she was young, and it turns into a living hell when she's eighteen, and things just get worse.  Despite that, I found it to be a sigh-worthy romance. I don't want a Lothaire of my own, but I sure did like reading about his romance with Ellie!
*Lothaire has met his match in Ellie.  Although he tried to walk all over her, he finds out the hard way that's not going to fly.  Ellie proves to be a dangerous woman in her own right.  If you have read this, you'll find out.
*I didn't find this to be predictable.  I had my ideas about how things would work out, but I was wrong!  In fact, I was thrown a loop a time or two. I love how Cole turns all the endgame goals of Lothaire on their heads.
*Freaking hilarious.  Despite the very dark beginning and dark subject matter, there is much to enjoy and laugh about this book.
*Smoking hot love scenes. I mean, wow! (thinks about the scenes and wipes forehead)
*This world is endlessly fascinating and entertaining.  All the different characters and how their immortal lives intersect.  I like seeing the plots come together and overlap. With each book, I just want more.

Over five hundred pages of fantastic goodness. And when it ended, I was sad.  I want to read it over again, but no time.  Good thing I am planning on an Immortals After Dark series reread early next year!

Thumbs Way Up!!! This is a Goodread For Sure!






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Knight's Possession by Carole Mortimer

Knight's Possession by Carole Mortimer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow, this book had a sucker punch!  Laurel seems so normal when it starts, but she's kind of an emotional mess.  I can understand why, and it made me sad that she harbored so much hate in her heart for a person who had only wanted the best for her.  And because of those deep wounds from childhood, she had closed her heart to love and caused herself to be manipulated by the man who she selected to marry just because she didn't think her heart was at risk.

There were some fierce emotional parts in this book.  I was so surprised at just how commitment-phobic Laurel was.  And what really hit me was how Reece was so patient with her even though she threw his freely-given confession of love back in her face in a very hurtful way. 

(Sound of record scratching loudly)

What?  A Harlequin Presents hero freely admits love way before the heroine does? Yes.  He does!  It was refreshing.  Even though I felt bad for Reece, I was glad that he persisted in his love for Laurel.  She had felt unwanted and unnecessary, rejected for so many years. It was good to know she had someone in her corner.

I liked the fact that Reece lives up to the name of the book. He truly is a Knight. And he takes the chance to go after Laurel when the opportunity becomes available.  Also, this pursuit is much like a game of chess.  Calculated moves to capture the queen.  I'm no chess expert, but at least I know that.

For a short book, there's a lot going on in this book. I liked the textures of it.  Not only a good romance, but delving into complicated family relationships. A study in guilt, harbored anger, and the need to forgive and move on.  Laurel is as much a victim as a perpetrator in the family drama, but I love that she does own up to her part in the rift with her mother, and realize that Reece is the man for her and she can't afford to let him go.

Good book!  I'm happy to explore more of Carole Mortimer's backlist.





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Wild Lady by Ann Major

Wild Lady by Ann Major
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was glad when I read the afterword and found out this was Ann Major's first book. For a first book, it's actually quite good. If this was a recent entry from an author I had read and been very impressed by, I would have been more disappointed. As it stands, it was pretty good.

Things I didn't Love
*Let's face it, Kit is very immature. She's young, with very little life experience. She's also spoiled. For all that, she is a good person. I think she always did love Ted, but her youth made it hard to express that. She doesn't quite know how to make a relationship work, and it shows.
*Ted is harder to get a handle on for most of the book because the book is from Kit's viewpoint. He annoyed me when he flipped out on Kit and put her out. He didn't give her a chance to defend her, just assumed. He should have been a bit better at relationships for his advanced years over Kit, but clearly he isn't.
*This book relies heavily on misunderstandings, which can be kind of tedious as a source of conflict. As I said, for a first book, I can respect that this was a chosen device for a novice author.
*Phyllis, Ted's sister-in-law was annoying and interfering in Kit and Ted's relationship. I wanted for Ted to tell her to butt out, but he didn't get around to it during the book. That's a shame.

Things I liked
*I did get the feeling that the love between Kit and Ted was real and strong, despite all their fits and starts. I just wish they communicated better.
*I liked that Kit was half-Mexican and half-white, and embraced both parts of heritage.
*I'm always a sucker for books set in Texas.
*Ted's daughter was cute. I wish she was in the book more though.
*Ted was a self-made man.
*Ted was red-headed.

So not a great book, but not a bad one either. It's always interesting to read an author's first book and to see how far they have come.

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Protected by the Prince by Annie West

Protected by the Prince: The Weight of the Crown by Annie West

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Annie West couldn't write a bad book if she tried.  Because of that, I have high expectations.  Also, I messed up. I read Prince of Scandal first, and I loved that so much. I am not big on the modern royalty theme, but she made me buy in hook, line and sinker  with that book.  So that's why I didn't like this one as much.  I just didn't connect to Alaric as much as I did with his cousin Raul.  Alaric seemed more, I don't know if callous is the word...   I did feel sympathy for his journey and his losses, but I felt that he didn't show the sensitivity that Tamsin needed.  At the end of the day, I felt that Tamsin was too good for him. 

Maybe it's because Tamsin had some serious self-esteem issues, and she was sort of a
'babe in the woods'. I kind of felt like she was in over her head and he was manipulating her.  That's what was off about this book.

Also, he's too much of a rich playboy type for me.  I'm not saying he wouldn't make a good ruler. I just think that he has some character development he needs to do.  Maybe Tamsin will be good for him, tempering out his tendency to be impulsive and wild in his emotions.  I did like the proposal scene and the ending. That was quite romantic.

For a reader who likes the Cinderella theme, the normal heroine who gets swept off her feet by an experienced, wordly prince, this book will probably be very enjoyable. It's well-written, with good atmosphere, sexual tension and love scenes, a vulnerable, likable heroine, and a nice dose of angst. That's why I gave it four stars even though Alaric didn't quite catch me as a hero.



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Sweet Surrender with the Millionaire by Helen Brooks

Sweet Surrender with the Millionaire by Helen Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really good book. I like how Helen Brooks takes two people who have no intention of getting romantically involved and shows them falling deeply in love.

In the case of Willow, she is recovering from a very toxic marriage, married to a man who abused her mentally, undermining every inch of her confidence in herself. She does not intend to trust any man with her life ever again. On the other hand, Morgan has no problem with sexual involvement with savvy career women who don't want any more emotional entanglement than he does. However, when they meet, the mutual determination to keep things light and to be 'just friends' doesn't work very well. Because the more time they spend together, the more they realize that nothing less than everything will qualify when it comes to each other.

I'll be the first to tell you that I don't usually go for heroes like Morgan, guys who eschew emotional involvement and settle for empty sexual relationships. However, I couldn't help but like him. He was actually a very good guy underneath all the city sophistication. More than anything, he was used to trying to control his life and compartmentalize things. He had his slick city existence, and his quiet country life, and he kept them both separate. Before he knows it, the country life and time spent with Willow (who was not at all likely to go for a light sexual affair) is what he wants more than anything. And when the time comes, he's brave enough to tell her he loves her, even knowing her emotional wounds will make her run in the other direction.

Helen Brooks writes a very romantic story. The writing felt fresh and modern, with characters who seemed relevant today. Despite that, I didn't feel like they were unrelatable. I had plenty of time to see the love develop between them, and their happy ending felt right and genuine. Willow is very down to earth, and despite his image, so is Morgan where it counts. I liked that he was generous with himself in a relationship with Willow even though he knew there wasn't going to be the usual payoff.

A good story about friends turning into lovers. I'd recommend it to people who enjoy this theme.

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A Breathless Bride by Fiona Brand

A Breathless Bride by Fiona Brand
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I was disappointed with this one. I love Fiona Brand's Silhouette Intimate Moments series about SAS soldiers in New Zealand, and I was excited to read a new book by her. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the love or the passion in this story.

What went wrong?

Fundamentally, I like a hero who is psycho crazy about the heroine. I want to believe he couldn't live without her. Not that he was merely sexually attracted or fixated on her. In this book, I did not think Constantine ever lost his cool truly. He always stays in control. Even when he does make decisions/moves to bring Sienna back under his control, it doesn't speak of passion so much as manipulation. And even up to the end, he never really trusted her or let go with her. That failed him as a hero to me. I don't mind a manipulative hero when it's out of passion or intense love for the heroine, but I hate when a hero is manipulative out of sense of arrogance, control or just out of a sense of his incredible power. That master of all he surveys thing doesn't work for me at all. I'm was not convinced that Constantine truly loved Sienna when this over. I felt as though he was going through the motions. And worse still, I felt Sienna was always the one at risk, giving of herself, and out of control, while Constantine held all the cards. What Constantine did at the end didn't relieve me of this feeling. It felt like a move of desperation because he couldn't do anything otherwise. I'd have preferred a passionate declaration of crazy love. But that's just me.

I guess it's just a case of too high expectations. This wasn't a bad book. It was pretty good, especially if it had been by an new author, rather than one who had wowed me so much in the past. I just loved Cullen's Bride by her! Others might like this one more than I did.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 stars .



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Secrets in the Marriage Bed by Nalini Singh

Secrets in the Marriage Bed by Nalini Singh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! I can see Nalini Singh's distinctive voice and brilliance with romantic relationship and character development. I was so sucked into this book, I didn't want to put it down to eat dinner. I loved how neither Caleb nor Vicki was the bad guy. They were both good people, but their family dysfunction had wired them with defense mechanisms that don't make emotional openness easy in a marriage.

I loved how the older hero, younger heroine dynamic (10 year age difference) isn't a mere plot point here. Vicki was attracted to Caleb because his strength and his energy, that he is a man who would take care of her and keep her safe; and Caleb wanted Vicki as his wife because of her beauty and her sweetness, her unique elegance. She represents his image of the perfect wife and the happy family he longed for growing up. But the things that attracted them to each other are part of their emotional angst and defenses against the world. Five years later, a lot of unresolved issues build up, and it was good reading to see those walls come down and the healing begin.

What I loved:
*The sensuality was perfect. Talking about Sexual Healing! Since sex was an issue, I did feel that all the sexy scenes were perfect and fitting for this book. And Ms. Singh definitely writes a hot love scene excellently. You could see how deeply Vicki and Caleb cared for each other and desired each other, despite Vicki's programmed hangups courtesy of her grandmother and mother.
*The characters are real and lovable. I adored Caleb's mix of strength and vulnerability. He truly is an alpha man, in the best ways. Very caring and nurturing to Vicki (and takes a lot of stuff off his family because he feels it's right). He just didn't know how to help Vicki or to get past the wall between them, and his issues with his family didn't help matters. I love how they stand up and fight for each other against others and the world, a united front. The evolution that they go through is organic. As the painful issues of their past are healed, I could see the strengths of both of their personalities shine through to reveal who they are truly meant to be.
*I don't normally reach for a married couple romance, but this one is perfect and maybe I am changing my view on that, since I realize I can read about a couple who have to work on their marriage without it being a lot of painful angst and excess drama. I liked that they fought for each other and their marriage because deep down, they didn't want anyone else or to be apart. They just wanted all of each other.
*This book was about two people who loved each other, even if they couldn't say the words. The love is there and it gives me a high to see love conquer all, as it does in this book.


Definitely going on my favorites list!

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Don't Play Games by Emma Darcy

Don't Play Games by Emma Darcy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oy, this was a good one! I liked Alex a lot. He was a tough man's man, and a highly astute businessman. Pretty savvy with human nature. Most especially, he knows how to treat women with respect. I was a bit worried how things would go, since Kate is married at the beginning of the book...to another man. He's a lousy husband, no question. I was actually hoping he'd get killed off (terrible of me). And what he asks Kate to do for her divorce, well he proves to be a huge slug. Let's just say things develop to my satisfaction.

In swoops Alex with a marriage proposal, knowing the one thing that Kate couldn't turn down. I told you Alex was a good student of human nature. I loved how Alex woos Kate. He shows her the treatment her first husband failed in giving. Slowly building up her trust in him (after five years married to a lower life-form). Of course, there enters the obligatory other woman, but it was well handled. I liked the way things resolved and how they both admit their love for each other.

I haven't necessarily reached for many of Emma Darcy's older books. But since I liked this one so much, that might have to change.

Highlights of this Read

*Hero is very appealing, large, manly, but a sweet guy where it counts
*Kate is a tough woman, honest, and straightforward. I liked how she held her own with her loser first husband and cut her losses when she could.
*Unorthodox first meeting between Alex and Kate works, and it didn't cross my personal ethical boundaries.
*Great chemistry between Alex and Kate--the development of their relationship starts with appealing banter and mutual respect.
*Interesting mother-son dynamic between Alex and his mother
*Excellent declaration of love!

This was a good book. I'd recommend it to fans of older Harlequin Presents books.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Leap of Faith by Rachel Elliot

This one was just okay. I found Tessa's tendency to let Marc treat her disrespectfully tedious, especially since she is known for her independence and feisty nature. Not to mention being the only sister surrounded by brothers. She should know how to hold her own. I wanted her to tell him where to stick it, and she never did. Unfortunately, I didn't buy his declaration of love, and I especially didn't like that she went back to him instead of letting him do the pursuing. This guy needed to eat a large helping of 'humble pie.' So at the end of this read, I was just feeling so-so about it.

Playing With Fire by Gena Showalter

Playing with Fire by Gena Showalter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Belle Jamison is quite the heroine in this superhero-themed paranormal romance. She’s very ordinary, a working stiff like most of us. Sailing from menial job to menial job (keeping none very long), with good intentions. She wants to take care of her ailing dad who sacrificed so much for her. One day, she literally runs into a mad scientist who doses her with a special formula in her mocha latte. A formula that makes her able to harness all the elements: earth, wind, fire, air and water. That puts her on the map for two vying supernatural agencies, one bad and one that works to protect the world from scrims (supernatural criminals). She meets super-sexy PSI agent Rome, and sparks fly, literally. Rome is sexy and lights a fire in Belle’s heart, but she can’t afford to let her libido make decisions for her now. Rome might be hot for her body, but his priorities are elsewhere. Can suddenly super Belle save herself, and maybe even the world?

This was a fun book. I love superheroes, and I liked the idea that Belle started out so normal. She has been fired from most of her jobs, she doesn’t have the best temper, and her luck with men is so-so. But deep down, Belle finds her destiny, and that’s not something you can run from. Along with the fun superhero elements, there is sexy, sizzling romance between Belle and Rome. Rome has some interesting secret powers of his own, and that was fun to discover. I also liked Tanner, the young man who Belle befriends, who turns out to have some abilities of his own. The superpower scenes are exciting, well-written, and often very funny. I could visualize this as a movie very easily.

This is classic Gena Showalter: fun, flirty, hilarious, and sexy paranormal romance, with a kickbutt heroine that you can’t help loving, even in all her snarkiness. I definitely recommend this book to readers who like superheroes, and want a tough (and mouthy) lead female who gets to do a whole lot of the saving and buttkicking herself.


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The Master's Mistress by Carole Mortimer

The Master's Mistress by Carole Mortimer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What I liked about this book:

*The hero Rogan is American and he is ex-military. He is not a billionaire businessman (so bored with them). He is a man of action (and elusively mysterious). And he has long hair. He's very sexy!
*The heroine Elizabeth is has a doctorate in history and is a professor. She is a bibliophile who likes to snuggle up with a steamy vampire romance in bed to wind down at night. She is an older virgin, and is not a twit about it (who loses her knickers just because the hero looks at her).
*I liked the development of their relationship. It's almost adversarial, but with a good back and forth and lots of banter. It reminds me of the 80s-90s Harlequin American Romances (especially Anne Stuart's) where each day in the book is another opportunity to explore the chemistry between the characters.  While this book is strongly sensual (surprisingly so), there is an intellectual connection between both characters. They have a maturity and they act like adults in their interactions, even though they often trade insults when they aren't trading kisses.
*This is a fast-moving, well-flowing book, a real pleasure to read. 

There is nothing I didn't like about this book except it ended!:

I'd love to read more books with this feel and dynamic. This is why I often reach for the older Harlequins because I love that banter and back and forth, more than the hero buying stuff for the heroine and constantly trying to seduce and conquer the heroine in bed.  In this case, their chemistry was a mutual thing, and Rogan was as much a victim to it as Elizabeth was.

A definite pleasure to read!





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The Girl That Love Forgot by Jennie Lucas

The Girl that Love Forgot by Jennie Lucas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'll be the first to tell you I can't stand womanizers. So I had to get past that off-putting aspect of Stefano's character, and the fact that he set out to cold-bloodedly seduce Annabelle just because she was a 'new woman', one who he hadn't slept with. Ick! I think the execution was well done here, but the message that because Stefano was so good at knowing what women wanted sexually, he was the one who could open Annabelle's heart. I don't think this is necessarily the case. A man who met her emotional needs what was Annabelle needed. It wasn't about sex, as he finds out. Yes, they have explosive chemistry between them, but being 'good in bed' would never be enough for a woman like Annabelle. She had deeper emotional needs that she was starved for fundamentally. I think that Stefano learned along the way that while he had believed that Annabelle was the fearful one, he was too in a different way. He was happy to spend a night with a woman but walk away, but no deeper emotional or intellectual engagement than that. I like the fact that Annabelle challenged him to be about more in his interaction with her. Even as he challenged her to truly live and connect with the world, not just behind the lens of one of her cameras. She wasn't just another conquest. She was 'the one.' Of course, he had to almost lose her to find that out.

A huge strength of this book was the view of life on a Spanish horse-breeding farm. This made Stefano a more likable hero to me. His deep love and knowledge of horses, and his desire to help others and give of himself generously to make their lives better. It was almost incongruous with his callous attitude towards women, in fact. His reasons for being that way with women so didn't necessarily ring true, but the fact that he felt Annabelle was the real coward when he was just as much definitely created a sense of irony in this book.

Annabelle was one of my favorite Wolfes from the beginning, so it was great to see a book solely focused on her. After reading her book, she is still one of my favorites. She was in a state of suspended animation due to her very traumatic past. I loved seeing her grow as a person, come out of her shell, and realize that she was capable of loving and being loved. The only regret I have is that I didn't get to see her interact with her brothers, other than a quick phone call with Jacob. I am hoping that in Jacob's book we will finally see all the siblings together, bonding, since that is one of the reasons I love this series.

I'm kind of sad that I only have one book left in this series, but excited that Jacob's long-awaited book is up next. Stay tuned!
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The Trophy Wife by Janette Kenny

The Trophy Wife by Janette Kenny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Much better than I expected!

I saw that the main characters had been married already for five years, and I was prepared to read a book full of marital strife. Fortunately, that's not this book. However, this couple did have some issues to work through to keep their marriage on track, and to resolve pain from their unhappy childhoods.

What I liked:

*Even though I don't normally reach for a romance with a couple who's been married this long, it was kind of refreshing. The problem in their marriage is not a lack of love. They are just going through growing pains, and they need to spend time on their marriage when their careers had come between them for far too long. I saw two people who were committed to stay together and truly did love each other, and that made this a touching and emotional read for me.
*Both Leila and Rafael show what a married couple needs to do. They have to make sacrifices for the well-being of their counterpart. This is what love is. I could see this happening with both. They had a mutual commitment, and it was merely a matter of fear (of rejection or not measuring up) that made them seem disconnected from each other. In the end, they realize that their love is stronger than any fears and shortcomings that might temporarily interfere in their bond.
*Although I lack any personal experience with anorexia, I feel that the author's choice to feature a heroine who battled this disease adds depth to her characterization. It gave me something to think about, although I feel that she just scratched the surface of this issue with this book.

I have to give this four stars because it had some deeper levels than I expected, and I was touched by the love that Leila and Rafael shared. I rooted for them to get their loving marriage back on track, and fortunately they were able to do so. This was a good addition to the Wolfes series.

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Ruthless Lover by Sarah Holland

Ruthless Lover by Sarah Holland
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

*Warning*

If you don't like the vicious "I love you, I hate you" and "I despise you but you set me on fire" go around in a book, avoid this one like the plague. Serena spends most of the book acting like she can't stand Nick. Since his arrogance was off-putting and his double standards about marital fidelity were infuriating, I could see why Serena was putting up barriers against him. On the other hand, he did have that male vitality and strength that makes for a compelling Harlequin Presents hero despite his arrogant ways.

I spent most of this book really disliking Nick. He seemed like a jerk to me. He was so assured of his place in the world, and he was pushy in a way I didn't like. I admit I do love a jealous/possessive hero, but in light of his numerous mistresses, really? Okay the end helped me to be okay with him, but I can't say why, because it's a spoiler.

If the dramatic back and forth in a romance book works for you, this one will do the trick. I do agree there was sizzling tension between Nick and Serena, very well written and culminating in a very sensual love scene.

1.5 hours of reading that were diverting, even if I was annoyed at the characters for a large deal of that time. I have to give this 3.5/5.0 stars because it was a fun read.

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A Spanish Awakening by Kim Lawrence

A Spanish Awakening by Kim Lawrence
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I squeezed this on in between review reads. I needed a quick, satisfying romance, something I could read even though I wasn't feeling great. It did the trick.

My Thoughts:

Megan was a bit frustrating to me with her self-esteem issues. I understand why she had them, but I think her brain was turned off. I think that Emilio couldn't have been more clear about his feelings unless he hit her over the head with a club and drug her off to his cave. I'm glad he didn't do that. He did take her off to his penthouse and then picked her up and put her in his limo at the end, so close enough. I wanted to say, "Girl, this guy is into you!" I mean, no man goes to those extremes for a woman he doesn't care about. The other thing was her insistence on hanging onto what happened two years ago. Stuff happens, and people say mean things. You have to move on and not put your confidence in with others say about you. Your confidence has to come from within. What I did like was her concrete reasons for remaining a virgin. I am not one of those readers who scoffs at a virgin heroine. I don't find them unrealistic or dated. Nor do I doubt that a woman a certain age can be a virgin. It does happen, more than the media tries to present. What I have a problem with is the neblous-minded accidental virgin so common. Yes, that can happen too, although I think they are overrepresented in the fictional virgin arena. There are more than a few virgins due to a lack of opportunity, and I can go along with that. But at the end of the day, there are some virgins by choice. I like that Megan was one of those. I can see why she made that choice based on her parents' actions and its affects on her upbringing. I also found it realistic when she decided not to be a virgin anymore when she encountered Emilio. He was the man of her dreams, the only man she wanted. He wasn't married anymore, and she went into their encounter with open eyes. So that part was suitable to me as a reader. As I said, my major issue was her self-esteem issues. It didn't ruin the read, but definitely knocked down my rating to a four star.

I liked Emilio. He knew what he wanted and went after it. He was honest enough to realize that his actions two years ago weren't rational and were based on his jealousy and his uncontrollable love for Megan, doomed to be denied since he was married. I loved that he was determined to be faithful to his wife, even if it was a convenient marriage. Fidelity is a huge stickler for me. To have a hero who believes in it is a real plus for me. I think he was very patient with Megan, through her determined actions not to believe he wanted her for her. He sure does know how to show what he feels. Another thing I love in a hero.

End Verdict:

Not a ground-breaker, but a pleasant read. Nice pick-me-up for a Sunday when I wasn't feeling very well and just needed something relaxing to read. I love a good love story and this one had some aspects that appealed to me despite its shortcomings.

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Ruthless Game by Christine Feehan

Ruthless Game by Christine Feehan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Reread from 7/28-8/3/12

My Thoughts:

General Thoughts--

I loved this second book with Team Three! This is one family I would want to have at my back.  Being a sappy person who loves babies and gets jazzed with the inclusion of a pregnancy into the storyline, I was a happy camper with this book. And to think Ms. Feehan was able to successfully integrate this into a high-octane action romance, even better.  The storyline takes the Whitney GhostWalker conspiracy to a different level, and it's kinda twisted with the creation of super-soldiers the hard way.  I'm really glad that Kane and Rose loved each other and were able to get their baby free of that mess.

I adore Sebastian.  His uncanny intelligence and awareness at a young age really worked for me. Reading about him was one of my favorite aspects of this book, along with the camaraderie between the Team Three family.  I know, broken record.

Kane--
Such a great mix of tough alpha hero and sweet, loving hero.  I love a guy who can kill the bad guys but also deliver his child and take care of the baby's mother so lovingly. Sigh! Kane has so much integrity and that shines through. I can see why Rose didn't want to give him up!

Rose--
Rose is tough and sweet.  She's a mix of vulnerable and fierce. I loved her protectiveness of her child, but also the fact that she had a soft-hearted love for Kane, despite being raised only for being a soldier.  She's one of my favorite women in this series, but that's saying a lot because I love them all.

I will keep this review short to avoid the Broken Record Syndrome. Anyway, loved my third reread, and super-excited to continue this series.  This brings my epic Summer 2012 reread of the GhostWalkers series to a conclusion. Now I can read the next installment, Samurai Game, and keep my fingers crossed that Ms. Feehan will get to Javier and Rhianna's book sometime soon. That's going to be outrageous!


Addendum to Review for Audiobook--Completed 8/28/11:

Although I really dislike the narrator's voice (the same one as on Predatory Game), especially the manner in which he does the women characters, I couldn't resist checking this out from the library.  I loved Kane and Rose's story the first time, and loved it this time as well. It took me forever to finish because I would listen to this at bedtime. Of course, I'd fall asleep, and the next night I'd have to rewind it to get to the part where I'd fallen asleep.  My prior review of the book stands, but for the audiobook, my rating is slightly lower, because the narrator made some parts sounds cheesy, unfortunately. 

I am a huge fan of Christine Feehan, although I can totally see why she wouldn't work for some readers. She is a bit repetitive in some of the language. That's something I can get past, because pretty much everything else works very well for me in her stories.  I admit I would get really excited as I listened to some parts.  The action was great in this book, so was the interaction between the characters, romantic and otherwise. The parts where Kane helps Rose have the baby and takes care of her just turned me into a molten pile of goo.  When he cries as he holds the baby.... I was sighing like crazy.  That's how I roll!

The book reminded me how excited I am for Javier and Rhianna's story. I hope that Ms. Feehan is working on it even as I write this review.  I adore this series so much, and I will always snap these books up as soon as they come out.  Even a less than satisfactory narrator can't ruin them for me.

Audiobook Rating:  4.25/5.00 stars  My advice is to read these books first. Don't do the audiobook.  You will think they are totally cheesy and that is so not the case when reading them.
Book love rating:  5/5 stars

Original Review Below:
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Oh, dear!  My jones for the GhostWalkers is much, much worse after this book.  I love how each of these books is different. It makes sense, since people are unique, and therefore, each relationship would have different nuances to it.  However, you would think when it comes to military men and the women they love, there would be a sameness to these books.  To me, there wasn't. Each couple stands out differently to me. I had really high expectations for Kane and Rose's story. It's such an intriguing idea, since Kane and Rose were paired in "Mad Scientist" Whitney's GhostWalkers breeding program, and last we heard, Rose was pregnant and on the run.  Poor Kane was clearly tortured about his part in that situation. I knew there was going to be some built in angst and tension.  I loved the execution here.  Instead of Kane and Rose being adversaries, at each others' throats, they were a united team.  Pretty much from the beginning, it was clear they would stay together, come hell or high water; the problem was getting through a sea of adversaries to find their safe place together.  But Kane knew something that Rose didn't. He had a team of men and women who would die to protect them and keep their child safe.

If you are a fan of pregnancy and baby storylines in romance, you will love this book. I certainly did.  I especially loved how Ms. Feehan still managed to write a fantastic action-adventure story, but incorporate the heart-melting moments of mother, father, and child bonding.  Kane is such a good daddy.  He even delivered his child, even though he felt that being a rough soldier with no idea about parenting made him the least likely candidate for the job.  All those bonding moments between Rose and Kane,  Kane and the baby, and Rose and the baby, and the three of them, made this book for me. I loved Kane's discussions with his baby, regarding being a good soldier and taking out enemies, and how great Mommy was!  Okay, this is probably not going to work for readers who don't like the whole happy family vibe.  Kane and Rose and their child form a beautiful family, and it's not even in the traditional way that sometimes gets shoved down our throats by the conservative voice of the media.

I loved how Kane and Rose made sense together. It was great how their pairing turned out well for both of them. In a sick and twisted way, that Whitney is quite the matchmaker.  He might have paired the GW couples for his own agenda, but the results turned out fantastic, nine times in a row.  They had an intimacy that wasn't just about physical attraction. Kane is a very caring, gentle, loving man.  He doesn't see himself that way, but I was glad that Rose saw that in him every early on, and it turned out that she choose him as her breeding partner for that reason, along with his formidable warrior prowess.  They are both so loveable, and multi-layered people.  Rose is totally kick-butt, but sweet at the same time. She might be pint-sized, but she is an incredible warrior in her own right.  She totally earned my respect in how she handled herself in numerous dangerous situations her and Kane found themselves in.

As always, Ms. Feehan delivered high-octane, fantastic action sequences.  I loved those parts of the book just as much as the romance and the family moments.  Kane and Rose have more enemies than they can count on one hand. For those who have an interest in the escalating situation with the Mexican drug cartels, I think Ms. Feehan did a great job of integrating that into this story. I wish there were really GWs who could deal with those cartels and teach them what it feels like to deal with someone who won't stand for their bullying and terrorist tactics.

Of course, I was sold on the GhostWalkers books even after Shadow Game, but I was a little apprehensive when the story seguewayed over to a new team. However, I am eating my words. I love the Urban Warfare team. In a way, they are even more bad@$$, because they do their magic in environments that are fraught with obstacles.  I am already loving the members of this team!  Mack wasn't quite as abrasive in this book, and Javier really gets the spotlight.  I am glad that we get to see Rhianna more in this book, and I am telling you, Javier and Rhianna's book is going to be smoking hot. I can already see the formidable chemistry between this pair.

I freaking love this series, and this book has made me love it even more. I was sad when I finished Ruthless Game. I just wanted to keep reading. I even reread a little of it last night when I should have been going to sleep. There are a lot of sigh-worthy moments in this book, and the action is crazy in all the best ways. I loved how Ms. Feehan didn't create conflict by breaking up this wonderful couple, but made the major source of conflict about them adjusting to their family life in a very dangerous world, where the GhostWalkers will always have powerful enemies, but nothing that they can't handle.  None of those forces can prevail against the teams and the families that these unique men and women have formed together, and the powerful bonds of friendship, love, and unity.   I can't say anything more without spoiling, but Ms. Feehan could write these book well into the future, with all the fascinating layers and story threads that are unfolding with each book.  Let's just say that the world better look out for the next generation of GhostWalkers!



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Lamplighter by DM Cornish

Lamplighter: Monster Blood Tattoo: Book 2 by D.M. Cornish

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This took a long time to finish because I was listening to this at night before bed and I would often fall asleep and have to rewind it the next night!  I finally finished it early this morning. While I didn't like this one quite as much as the first book or the last (I had to read book 3 a few months ago for review), it was still a good read, and I was drawn into the world of our intrepid young hero.  I just love Rossamünd. He's like my honorary little boy. Just a sweet kid.  When he hurt, I hurt, when he was lonely and uncertain, I wanted to hug and comfort him.  I was proud of him when he triumphed.  He has a lot more honor, bravery, love, and heart than a lot of grown men, and he is a very humane person, which counts for a whole lot in these books.  He alone makes this book series worthwhile.

I wasn't as enamored of the lifestyle of a lamplighter.  Perhaps a bit too regimented for me.  I believe that Rossamünd is about ten or so, but he is treated like a grownup, like an army recruit in a dangerous job that didn't make a lot of sense to me. Mind-numbingly boring, and unnecessarily dangerous.  Not a good mix at all.  Basically folks risking their lives on the roads to keep the highways lighted, way out in the boondocks (because that's so important), for the glory of the Emperor of the Half-Continent.  The grunts are hard-working folks, and some of their superiors as well. But as always, you run into useless bureaucrats like the Master of Clerks who appear to want folks to end up dead.  I couldn't figure out if he was just clueless or deliberately evil.  I am leaning towards the latter since he is in cahoots with one in this book who definitely is evil.

As always, Rossamünd struggles with the moral conflicts of killing monsters or stepping aside in this war, when innocent humans' lives are at stakes. He knows quite well that not all monsters are bad and not all humans are good. He has to make the choice to fight or not near the end when things come to a head.  And he chooses rightly.  But for his troubles, he has to deal with enemies that are high in the government's workings.  Good to know he has a powerful person or two on his side like Europe.

I have to be honest that I spent a lot of this book looking for Europe when she wasn't around.  It's because I love the relationship between her and Rossamünd. I think that she is the mother that he never had, and he is her child in all but birth. But beyond that is a mutual respect and an essential aspect to their relationship that challenges them both to be better in the ways that are unique to each as an individual.

Threnody, a young girl that also joins the Lamplighter corp is much as I would have imagined Europe as a girl.  Very haughty, yet unsure, her social superiority much like armor against the hurts of the world and the fact that she can't ever live up to her highborn mother's expectations.  It was not surprising that she and Europe didn't get along at all. No doubt due to a sort of jealousy for Rossamünd's attention that Threnody feels, and perhaps some projection on her by Europe for the young Europe that she sees in the girl. Threnody was a bit annoying for most of the book, but at the same time, she grew on me, because I could see how she connected to Rossamünd and depended on a relationship with him to be 'normal' and perhaps feel human.  And that is a bit of irony in itself.

Cornish has a way with imbuing this work with characters of distinction, even if their roles are quite small at times.  I loved seeing Masters Fransitart and Cramupalin again.  And I liked some of the fellow lamplighters and authoritative figures that Rossamünd engages with. The bad guys are quite unlikeable, be it evil monsters or evil beaurocrat humans.  But the good thing is no one is cardboard or lackluster. 

As far as world-building, this book has a complexity that makes it a more difficult listen than read.  However, it was distinct, creative, and interesting. This world of monsters against humans isn't all black and white, but very much in shades of gray, which works well when you have a lead figure like Rossamünd who doesn't fit especially perfect in either world.

Although I didn't enjoy this as much as book one or book three, it was still enjoyable.  More than anything, this is due to an unforgettable and utterly endearing main character.  My beloved Rossamünd stands out to me.  What a sweet kid he is.  Equally fascinating is our Lady Europa, The Branden Rose.  A woman of power and authority who has a surprisingly tender heart when it comes to Rossamünd.  I love her for that.

I am sad to see this series come to an end as far as my reading pleasure. I would love to see more of Rossamünd and Europe.

This won't work for every YA or even older reader, but I like that it is a bit off the beaten track and challenging in the subject matter. I feel that the writer put a lot of energy and effort into building this world, and his characters will linger long in my mind, even though I have finished this book. A sign of a good book indeed for this reader.

Kodi Smit-McPhee as Rossamünd Bookchild



Gemma Arterton as Lady Europe, The Branden Rose





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The Cleaner by Brett Battles

The Cleaner by Brett Battles
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The Cleaner was a slow read for me, but ultimately I enjoyed it. I appreciated the attention to detail evident in this novel. It felt authentic (although I could hardly say yay or nay since I am not a spy and I don't know any). I feel that the world-building lends a credibility to the concept of Quinn as a Cleaner, at any rate.

As far as characterization, Quinn remains a mystery, but I felt that I get to walk inside of his skin and get a feel for how he processed things. He clearly knows his stuff when it comes to the spy world. He is more than able to handle himself in a lethal situation. He uses his brain to get himself out of tough spots, and violence is a last resort, although he has no problem using it if necessary, although lethal force is not his preferred method. In his way, he is a man with values. He might steal a car, but he won't murder an innocent person, and he tries to protect those who are under his charge. It's clear that Orlando is very important to him, although he doesn't feel he can act on that. I think is apprentice Nate is in good hands with him.

I feel that people who enjoy spy movies (like myself) but haven't read a lot of spy novels might enjoy this book. It had that feel of the spy TV shows and movies I enjoy. Although at times it wasn't the most exciting book, I wasn't at the point where I wanted to give up on it. I would read it and then put it down if my attention wavered. But I did want to go back to it. I wanted to follow the story and see where it led me. I think that was because I was engaged with Quinn's character and his shadowy world of a cleaner, a man who goes behind the ops and erases any evidence of what occurred.

I will read more of these books.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars

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The Bridal Price by Barbara Boswell

Bridal Price by Barbara Boswell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun, well-written update of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew (actually one of my faves by him). In this case, Carling (Katarina) is an only child, the spoiled society princess of a Texas Congressman and wife, and Kane (Petruchio) is a principled, hardworking, focused rancher. If you don't like a heroine with a sharp mouth who isn't particularly nice to the hero, you might want to avoid this book. I was quite impressed with how Kane took many of the verbal darts from Carling cheerfully. I love a hero who doesn't give up on the woman he wants and shows honor in the pursuit. Yes, I love a bad boy, but not a sleazy guy. Kane is an earnest, strong-minded guy and that comes through in his actions and personality. He's not exactly domineering, but he definitely has his ideas about how things should go. I'm not into the whole "I want my wife to stay at home with our kids and just be my wife" type guy, but if that works for a woman, than Kane will definitely appeal. As it was, I still liked him and found him sexy and attractive in this book. He has a rugged, cowboy vibe that really works.

Carling has some growing up to do, but down deep, she is a decent, good-hearted woman, unfortunately a product of her shallow environment. But she has a lot to offer Kane as a wife, and I'm glad that he picked the right woman to pursue in the end. Their love connection made for a fun, sexy reread.

I'd recommend this book to folks who like the Taming of the Shrew dynamic, as well as modern western/ranch-set romances with sexy cowboy heroes.

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The Man With the Money by Lynn Raye Harris

The Man with the Money by Lynn Raye Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I gave this book five stars because it kept me drawn in. The passion was intense and well-written. Two characters who didn't want to fall in love but did anyway. I loved how Ms. Harris takes them to glitzy, high class locales and describes them so well, but the story always stays grounded with authentic characters. The characters had depth and a realness that transcended the fact that their worlds are not familiar to me. Their realness formed that bond between me as the reader and them as the characters that kept me reading.

I really appreciate this series, how each Wolfe has manifested the scars of their flawed family in different ways. How they are moving forward in the present to face that past and their brothers and sister to repair those broken bonds.


Jake wasn't just a high class, monied wheeler dealer with a taste for the ladies. He was a hurting man who was running from his past, from the anger, disappointment and guilt he felt for the tumultuous family dynamics he had lived through as a youngster but never fully healed from. To him, protection was not allowing himself to feel deeply for anyone and using money to accomplish what he wanted in his life. Power to substitute for a childhood where he had very little power. At the end of this book, he showed true bravery and that he was ready to break free from the cycle of emotional cowardice spurred on by his past. He struck me as very sensual, masculine, and distinctly British (which is the icing on the cake for this Anglophile). He might have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he knew how to handle himself in every situation. Just a well-crafted character all around.

Cara was down-to-earth, authentic, and deeply principled. She was woman of courage and integrity. She was unafraid to expect the most from a man, to meet her as an equal in a loving relationship. I admired and liked her. Even though she was afraid and out of her league at points in this book, she still carried herself well. I rooted for her happy ending, and I loved how she inspired Jack in his own way to face his troubled past and confront his anger at his brother Jacob.

Jake's book turned out to be my second favorite in this book after Nathaniel's. I am reenergized to continue this series and to explore more of the Wolf family, whom I am completely emotionally attached to now.



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Roccanti's Marriage Revenge

Roccanti's Marriage Revenge by Lynne Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very enjoyable read. I honestly adored Zara. She has a sweetness, a genuineness, but also a inner strength that appeals. Her parents treated her terribly, and her self-esteem as a result wasn't great. But despite that, she still stood up for herself and didn't let Vitale control her. More than anything, he became like putty in her hands because he fell in love with her for the unique, good person she was. That's always sighworthy to this reader.

I liked the descriptions and imagery in this book. I could see the characters and the settings very clearly. I also liked the dialogue. I think Ms. Graham did a great job of showing how Roccanti and Zara went from enemies to lovers. Roccanti had some serious emotional issues from a childhood filled with pain and insecurity. Not easy to overcome, but Zara provides him a place of safety, security and love and opens him up to trusting and loving others. I liked seeing how Roccanti realized how wrong he had been about Zara and how fruitless revenge can be. Except in this case, his revenge bore unexpected, bountiful fruit because he met the love of his life and started a family with her.

I read Zara's sister Bee's story first, A Deal at the Altar, and I was insatiably curious about how Zara ends up with Vitale instead of Sergios, and I have to say I liked this one just as much. The only thing I wish is that I had gotten to see the sisters interact more, although I understand why they don't, considering the tumultuous relationships with their connected family and the failure to marry Sergios (since Bee marries him instead). I hope I do see more sister interactions in Tawny's book, A Vow of Obligation

Lynne Graham delivers on her sexy, passionate, entertaining and emotional romance yet again with this book. I recommend it.

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Thursday's Child by Sandra Brown

Thursday's Child by Sandra Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book and I couldn't put it down. But I honestly have to say I was almost repelled by Spencer initially. I mean ugh! Even if you are strongly attracted to your best friend's fiancee', that doesn't mean you have a right to pursue that and wreck his engagement because you feel like you have a stronger bond with the woman than your friend. He didn't respect boundaries at all. Keep your octopus hands to yourself dude! I think his insistence on honesty came out of a sense of self-indulgence, arrogance and not true honor. If he was the better man he would have walked away. I wasn't sure I wanted him to be the hero of this book until well into the story. I thought Allison was much too good for him. He gave me this skeevy vibe that I couldn't get past. Towards the end of the book I felt better towards him, but I can't say I love him as a hero. He is merely okay to me. When I finished this book, I shrugged and thought, "If that's what she wants, okay." If I had a choice, I would have gone for a different hero with a lot more class than Spencer (and I'm not talking money and polish).

I really liked Allison. Despite her insecurities, she was twice the woman her sister was. Her sister had the same level of intelligence, but seemed kind of shallow, and I feel that her guilting her sister into pretending to be her with her fiance' was selfish and immature. Why would you do that to your sister? Put her in that situation, just so you could get a (view spoiler)[ surprise boob job (hide spoiler)] for your fiance' and not be sensitive to the distress you were causing her? I loved when Allison finally got fed up with both guys and came clean on the switch. That was the best part of the book. If I am going to be honest, I might as well lay it out here. My sister would never want me to go off to have a fling with a sleazy guy who was hitting on his best friend's fiancee'! I'd want him to stay far away from my sister, not helping her buy sexy clothes and unpacking her bras when she went off for her fling. Honestly, I don't find her sister's fiance' to be a deep man either. I hope they will be happy together in their shallowness. Your mileage may vary.

This book was pretty darn steamy. For a book written in 1985, I was like, wow. Very sensual. Sandra Brown knows how to write some sexy romance! I liked the voyage of discovery for Allison, and I liked that she realized that her life was a lot more open to possibilities than she could imagine. But I also liked that she did fall in love with Spencer instead of just being hot for him. That would have made the whole situation a lot more tawdry in my view than it had the potential to be. It was also a saving grace that Spencer clearly did fall in love Allison as well, instead of just being on the make. If not, I think I might have used this book as a hockey puck based on how he was acting at the beginning.

I think the fact that I enjoyed this book despite having very little respect for most of the characters is a sign of good writing by the author. If I just go with the flow, I can think of this as a fun, grown up version of The Parent Trap with a little bit of Love Potion No. 9 thrown in. A good oldie by this very popular and talented author.

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Passionate Scandal by Michelle Reid

Passionate Scandal by Michelle Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very good lovers reunited romance. I think for a short book, it successfullydelves into and explores what makes a relationship between two people who truly love each other fall apart. Sometimes it's a complex mix of internal and external forces. In the case of Madeline and Dominic, it was insecurity, differences in age, and fears on how that affected their relationship, and too much interference from their family in their relationship.

I liked that neither was perfect and neither was demonized. Neither was the bad guy who destroyed their relationship the first time around. Madeline was young and willful, and Dominic was presumptuous and controlling. Eventually that worked against their first chance at love. But four years later, they are able to see past all that and find the strong chord of deep love between them and refuse to allow their insecurities, pride and fears stand in the way. I truly liked that about this story. I love that idea that two people who truly love each other will get the chance to be together, and I like that Ms. Reid delivered that in this book. I also loved the intensity between them, that strong, fierce emotion that neither could deny. Even four years later, it was so strong that they couldn't move on with other people. That love drew them back together.

This was a quick, involving read. Not just a momentary diversion, but involving me emotionally in the story. Normally with lovers reunited, I feel like more than anything there is too much angst and repercussions about why it didn't work the first time, and this doesn't draw me into a story. I prefer the first contact and the build of their relationship to the happy ending. In this case, I found it interesting to see how they were able to get past what went wrong in the past and work it out in the future. The layers intrigued me and kept me enthralled in the story. I saw a lot of growth and maturity in both Madeline and Dominic, and I appreciate that. Of course the HP drama and zing also makes for a good read for me. Another thumbs up book by this author on my keeper shelf.

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Deal of a Lifetime by Susan Napier

Deal of a Lifetime by Susan Napier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love you, Susan Napier. This is why you're my favorite Harlequin Presents author. What's wrong with being a career-oriented woman? What's wrong with being highly educated and working in the business world? What does that do for your dating chances and what sacrifices will you have to make?

Emma faces this situation and I cheered her along. I could understand what she was going through. Just because she liked children, could cook, and had an earth mother vibe didn't mean that was all she wanted in her life. I could understand the armor she used in a world where men are so comfortable calling the shots and forcing women to jump through hoops or prove they belong there. You have to be very careful about every word you say, every step you take. And yes, you do become paranoid. And better yet, Emma didn't have to give up anything to get her happy ending. She could be a career woman and she could love kids and want a family. Yes, you can do both.


I liked Frazer a lot. He had that teasing, arrogant in a good way vibe that Napier handles so well with her heroes. He only made me mad one time in this book for what he says to Emma about when Tom (his son) got sick. But I sure did cheer when Emma got him told. And he knew he was wrong for it and apologized and owned up to his vulnerabilities. He loved that Emma was a fierce woman who stood up for herself and knew how to handle herself. His courtship is a bit sneaky, but I didn't find him manipulative or undermining of Emma because of what he wanted with her or wanted her to be. He wanted her to be with him and be happy with who she was. The power plays don't have to dictate this relationship and I appreciate that they don't. Parity is so desirable in a man/woman relationship, and I love seeing this dynamic in a romance novel. Yes, yes, more HP books like this. Please write more, Ms. Napier.

I like the message here. Womanhood is not one thing. Womanhood is many things. A woman who handles her business doesn't have to be a Sex and the City heroine to be modern. If that shoe doesn't fit, then not every woman has to buy a pair and force herself into it. If her values don't fit that model, she is doing herself harm to force it onto herself. On the other hand, a woman can't suppress who she is deep inside because others want her to. In the office, be a professional, but be your own woman all the time. That's what I liked in this book, Emma coming to embrace who she was and not worry about what she wasn't. To me, that is the message behind feminism. Women having the ability to decide for themselves what they want in their individual lives, even if that doesn't look like the woman standing next to her, and especially not what men tell them they should want.

This was a very good book. Fun, enlightening, sexy, inspiring. I had read this before years earlier, and I appreciate it more as a woman in my 30s who has experienced some of those challenges in the career world that Emma deals with. This will definitely go on my faves list by this author and as a Harlequin Presents reader overall.

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Street Game by Christine Feehan

Street Game by Christine Feehan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

***Reread from July 17-July 19, 2012

My Thoughts:

Looking back at this book, I can't believe how much I came to love Team 3. They are firmly entrenched in my heart. Initially I felt sort of thrown and betrayed that Ms. Feehan had left my beloved Teams 1 and 2 and went to a bunch of folks I didn't know. I am eating my words. These guys (and two girls) rock! A different feel and relationship with this group. All the teams are a family, but these folks grew up together, and that bond is many years in the making. I could feel that family tie between them and it makes this book shine.

Jaimie and Mack--

This couple is very complementary. Mack is hard and decisive. Authoritative. Jaimie is warm and welcoming. Her strength is in her mind and in her heart. She is thought and intellect. Her mind is kind of scary and beautiful at the same time. Mack is acting and moving. Jaimie is pondering and mental exploration and examination. That is not to say that Mack is not intelligent and Jaimie isn't decisive. But in those areas where one abounds, the other benefits. I liked that about this book.

I liked Mack more this time around. I could see that he loves deeply and strongly, but that's not about declarations, but about doing. He did learn a lesson when he lost Jaimie the first time, and it has impressed on him that he needs to give her what she needs, the affirmation. We can take people for granted, assuming they know how important they are. But Jaimie didn't know how important she was to Mack. She thought that she was an add-on to his life, easily replaceable or forgettable. She didn't know that his life more or less fell apart without her. When he comes back, she can't understand his anger. But the thing about a man like Mack is that if he can't change or fix something, it makes him mad. When Jaimie left him, he couldn't fix that. So now he is angry at her for taking something so precious away from him and not understanding how important she was. She thinks she's the one who has more of a grudge to bear against him.

Their job now was to find that way of giving each other what they truly needed. I liked seeing them come to this point of understanding that one was not too hard or the other too soft, but perfect for each other. Together they were complete and full, making something even stronger as a unit. It was also funny seeing how the family worked through and around their issues with each other, because their relationship affected the whole group and the guys loved them both. I liked how integrated the romance aspect was into the overall group dynamics.

Overall Thoughts: I didn't think this was a favored romance in this series, because Mack is so pushy in some ways. In the end, and even moreso on the reread, I loved it so much. It's different from all the other books (as each one is). While Mack isn't my favorite GhostWalker, I have come to love him for who is. There are some people who challenge you in a way that no one else does. And that's good. Because their presence in your life makes you well-rounded in ways you lacked before. I am taking Mack this way. He is teaching me to deal with the kind of guys that get on my nerves, and teaching me understanding. I do need that.

A different installment, but great in its own way. Love Team 3, love all the characters, and I loved the escalation and expansion of the conspiracies.

Another thumbs up. Yes I am hopelessly in love with this series!

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Original Review:

To express my powerful feelings for the GhostWalker series, I would like to borrow the words from Oliver by its namesake: "May I have some more please?"

Street Game takes the GhostWalker series to a different level, but captures everything that I loved about the preceeding books. I love how this series is so intricate, with different storylines that intersect. There are familiar things here that continue to light my fire for this series, but this story is also unique as Mack McKinley and Jaimie Fielding get closure on their past relationship.

Street Game focuses on the Urban Warfare team led by Mack McKinley. He loves his job and what he does. He even loves the enhancements that Whitney's program has given him. This is slightly different from the heroes in the prior books, because they generally felt betrayed that their bodies had been manipulated in such a fashion. Mack takes it all in stride, enthusiastic that his enhancements enable him to do what he does best, fighting the bad guys and protecting his country.

Mack is very much an alpha hero. In fact, he almost comes off as nearly unlikeable at times. He is the macho type, not one to express his feelings unless it involves putting his fist into something, giving orders to his men (and girlfriend), and expecting them to be followed, or having a bout of energetic sex with his girlfriend. He is blown away when Jaimie leaves him. He tells himself that she'll come back, because she needs him much more than he needs her. However, he finds that to be far from the case. Jaimie was his everything, and every day without her is like a gaping hole in his life. When a mission leads him to Jaimie's doorstep, he's determined to get her back, still baffled that she left him.

I said that Mack nearly was hard to like at times. Well, this would be be the case without Ms. Feehan's masterful handling of him. Hugely surprising to this GhostWalker fan, but Mack is probably the most alpha hero yet in this series. He is aggressive and intensely male, take charge, and used to giving orders. At first, it's hard to see his vulnerabilities, because he's quite adept at keeping that part of himself concealed. He's not a man who likes feeling helpless or wounded, and doesn't know how to express himself emotionally. Being in control is crucial for him. Before, this was something that Jaimie was used to. Mack was the one who kept their self-formed family together. They met when Jaimie was an eight year old genius who was already in high school, and Mack took care of her from the very beginning, protecting her from bullies and watching over her, along with the rest of the guys and girl they grew up with in their Chicago neighborhood. Over time, their relationship became a romantic one. For as long as he could remember, Jaimie was his, to protect, to watch over, and to come home to, loving the fire that they had together. Mack always admired Jaimie's intelligence, and was proud of her, but he didn't like her expressing doubts about the GhostWalker program, especially on a botched mission, and his way of dealing with it turned out to be the last straw for Jaimie.

Jaimie never stopped loving Mack, although she knew they couldn't be together, because they were too different, and she didn't like the violence of what their GhostWalker abilities allowed them to do. She didn't trust their superiors when they went into a mission that could have led to the death of some of their team members. When she tried to express her doubts about it, Mack doesn't listen. Instead he dismisses her concerns. She's devastated that he doesn't trust her or take what she's saying seriously, and knows that she has to leave him. Two years later, Jaimie has made a new life for herself, but plans to set up her business so she can take care of her brothers. She knows she can't be with Mack any more that way, but she still cares about him. When Mack and his team end up on her doorstep, she isn't surprised, knowing that she's being set up to be taken out because of the information she had recovered about the conspiracy behind the GhostWalker experimentation.

This book delves further into the conspiracies behind the GhostWalker program, going above and beyond Whitney to the power players that have ties with the White House. Jaimie is a thinking woman's heroine. Her phenomenal brain and analytical skills are used to follow the trails of information to find out who is setting up the GhostWalker teams and why. This installment of the series flows seamlessly into the other books, although the only returning characters are peripheral ones, or characters we only got an intriguing glimpse of in past books. Instead, we meet a whole new group of men, who managed to claim their place in my heart. What I love about this series is that each book makes me want more.

Christine Feehan really knows how to write characters that you become attached to, and yearn to read about. You see their flaws and their pain, and you want them to be happy. This book challenged me, because men like Mack tend to rub me the wrong way. I'm not a big fan of chest-thumping type men. But I was allowed to peel back the layers to see that Mack is a simple, yet complex man who takes his responsibilities very seriously. He has to be brash and confident, because he takes the lives of his team as a powerful responsibility. His way of taking care of others is leading and protecting them. For him, his feelings for Jaimie couldn't be described with mere words. Yet, Mack had to learn that Jaimie needed more from him that he was giving her. He thought that she saw his devotion and adoration, but she felt as though her only place in his life was as his hero-worshipping, cheerleading, brainy, and nurturing girlfriend.

This book has some moments that really strike me with their emotional intensity. These moments show the profound nature of the feelings between the characters. My favorite is when Mack is finally able to express into words just how much he loves Jaimie. I love how that scene is written, and how unexpected it was. She's blown away by it, and so am I. You know that Mack will never be the type to say the three words all the time, and freely, but it's more than clear how much he does love Jaimie. The steamy sex in this novel is pretty awesome, but the emotions behind it are what really enthrall this reader. You feel the fire between Mack and Jaimie, and the powerful bond between them that goes beyond the bedroom to the deepest parts of their heart and minds.

As usual, I love all the interactions between the GhostWalker team. I already love the new characters introduced in this installment, and look forward to seeing more of them. Each character brings something different to the table. I am impressed with the incredible storyline that Ms. Feehan has created with this series. I love reading about the abilities of the different characters, and how they seem imminently plausible, but fantastic at the same time. The action scenes are well-done, and I feel that this book would appeal to a fan of techno-thrillers as much as paranormal and romantic suspense fans. But what I love about these books is how you get the octane moments, the well-thought out and often mind-boggling plot involving the GhostWalkers, the steamy love scenes, the funny and heartwarming moments, and the three-dimensional characters that you cannot help but love, all fashioned together into a beautiful package. This book ends with the evidence that there are more adventures ahead, as the groundwork is laid to follow up on some important storylines introduced in the preceeding books, and touched on in this installment. And all I can say is, I Can't Wait!!

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Tangled Hearts by Carole Mortimer

Tangled Hearts by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I don't have anything grand to say about this reading experience. It was pretty good. I liked Garrett a lot. He was actually a very kind, decent man. Sarah was a good person as well. She did a lot of harsh judging of Garrett based on the limited understanding she had of his marriage to her sister. She judged him wrongly, as it turns out, and didn't see her sister realistically. Her young age was actually a factor in that. I'm glad that she did realize the truth in time to give her the chance at love with Garrett. Yeah, I know it's sort of icky on the surface that her sister was married to Garrett, but reading this book takes that sting away. It's one of those books where you have to go with the flow and things will turn out right in the end.

What I thought about specific aspects of the story:

(view spoiler)[ I found the aspect about her being so terribly in love with Garrett as a sixteen-year-old, and that being the cause of why she was so hostile to him, hard to swallow. I was like what? I didn't think she had spent enough with Garrett to be that in love with him. Okay, whatever. Go with the flow.

As far as her sister having an affair with Garrett's brother, despite him being so in love with his wife, and his wife being oh so forgiving....Yeah, that's true love, ain't it? Especially when he tried to go into Sarah's room, half-believing she was her sister (like ten years after the sister was dead). And having your brother clean up your mess by marrying Sarah's knocked up sister? And look, he's a US Senator. Awesome! Not! That was a more digestible piece Harlequin Presents wacky goodness drama than Sarah being so in love with Garrett since she was sixteen. It made me feel some love for Garrett that he did step up and be a dad to his brother's child. And how he claims the boy as his own. Very sighworthy. (hide spoiler)]

Points for the cute ending!

This one was a 3.5 star read.

A good vintage HP for readers who like a more betaish hero.

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Unbuttoning Miss Hardwick by Deb Marlowe

Unbuttoning Miss Hardwick by Deb Marlowe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book called to me because I love unrequited love stories. I also like the idea of the heroine working for the hero and having a buttoned up/no-nonsense demeanor but still getting under his skin. I have to say I was very satisfied by this book. Deb Marlowe is going on my reading list now for sure. Her sense of time and place is excellent, but so much life and feeling in her writing, her characters.

Chloe found her way into my heart. I liked everything about her. I can see a little of myself in her, that determination to fix herself so that she could handle anything that comes her way. Her situation in this book called to me deeply. Her fear and loneliness. Her loving heart, and her keen mind to match. Her struggle to face and defeat her fears and climb out of that box she had created for safety, but had grown too big for, so that it was just constricting her overall growth as a person. I really loved her, cheering her strengths and feeling for her vulnerabilities. I wanted her to get her man, and I love that her strategy did exactly that. Not only did she get her man, she let him realize for himself that she was the right woman for him. What a savvy, lovable heroine!

I found Braedon absolutely lickable, warts and all. Big, vital, strong-minded, wounded, afraid to love. What a complex mix that made for a hero I fell head over heels for. Even when he frustrated me with his stubborn determination to cling to old thought patterns that no longer would keep him safe and certainly didn't bring happiness. I felt for him and understood why. His family would make anyone afraid to love and open one's heart. Deep down though, he was a man truly worthy of loving. Even if he didn't think so. Like us all, he faced some real challenges that he had to overcome in his relationships with others, including a young boy who enters his life and raises some old demons. But like a well-made sword, he comes out of the fire even stronger as the impurities are burned away.

As I said earlier, I loved the main storylines, but also the plot threads about Braedon being a collecter of ancient weaponry. It made sense on a deep, symbolic level that a man with his emotional wounds would build himself a citadel of safety full of sharp, protective weapons. In the process, he realizes that when a man walls himself in, he builds a prison as well as a fortress. Whereas, if he allows himself to trust and to love those who prove worthy, he is much more safe in the long run, even if that requires a step of faith and going out into the danger zone of the unknown frontiers of emotion. What a beautiful, meaning-filled message. I am trying to be more strict about five star reviews, but when a book touches me this way, I have to give it the highest rating.

People regularly put down Harlequin books. To each their own. For myself, some of the best and most meaningful books I have read have been written by authors in the Harlequin imprints. They might not be long or have the dubious honor of freedom from the "Harlequin title stigma", but they are hidden treasures all the same. This is one of those books. Definitely recommend it!

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The Fearless Maverick by Robyn Grady

The Fearless Maverick by Robyn Grady
My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars

I wasn't that keen on reading this book. I am not into sportspeople as a rule, particularly race-car drivers (Sorry, they do nothing for me!). I mainly read this because it's part of the Notorious Wolfes series and I didn't want to read the series out of order.

I ended up liking it more than I thought. Alex had more depth than I expected, and I really liked Libby. Alex as a race-car driver is a metaphor for trying to outrun the pain in his past. Eventually he comes to realize that he has to slow down and face the ugly emotions from his past. Ms. Grady got the anatomy and physiology facts right, and kudos to her for that. It added credibility to Libby's being a physiotherapist. There is a nice twist with Libby that adds impact to this story. Overall, this was good but not great.

I liked Libby's backstory a lot. (view spoiler)[The fact that she used to be a champion surfer until a shark attack. I wasn't expecting Libby to have lost a lower leg in an accident. I felt that this made her more identifiable than the typical Harlequin Presents heroine, who seems to be so perfect that the identification factor is blown to smithereens. Honestly I didn't think the fact that she was an amputee who wore a prosthesis was handled to the degree that I wanted. She didn't describe it or dwell on the day to day of having a prosthesis. I was looking forward to that part. Since I have recently had mobility issues, this was in my mind as I read the book. I wasn't sure that she would have that degree of freedom of movement to be completely unnoticeable as a prosthesis-wearer, but I will give a benefit of the doubt on that. Overall I was disappointed about the overall handing of this part of the story. But still, kudos to having a heroine who has an obvious and permanent physical 'imperfection' in this line but has taken measures to move on with her life. (hide spoiler)]

I would have liked to see more of the Wolfes in this installment, because that's why I enjoy this series, the family dynamics. On the other hand, I appreciated a closer glimpse at the family through the eyes of Alex and to see how that terrible night that changed the whole family impacted him in particular, especially as Annabelle's twin.

All in all, this was a good book. The romance was well-written and I felt the chemistry and feelings between Alex and Libby. Both had character depth and their emotional angst had an impact on me. Fundamentally, I just didn't like this as much as the other books, and I don't feel that for me it's a four star book. Pretty close though. After all, I liked it more than I thought I would, and Libby's character kicked this one up a notch more for me. I am excited to read Annabelle and Jacob's stories.

Overall rating: 3.75/5.0 stars

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