The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrne

The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I hate that I am so late writing this review. It's in no way a reflection on this book, because I loved it. Christopher Argent is the real deal. He is in every way a lethal assassin. Yes he really does almost kill Millie. But he can't do it. Something about her, he just can't. They form a bond that is terribly inconvenient to Christopher, he's a damaged soul who has vowed not to love anyone or anything since he lost his mother in such a horrible way. He is rich beyond calculation, has a fearsome reputation, is at the top of his game as an assassin, but inside he's a prisoner. He is truly a tortured hero in every way. I love tortured heroes. I love dangerous heroes. I love assassins. And he's a redhead. Bingo! It's Christmas.

Millie is a great heroine. She's strong and intelligent and loving and determined. She's able to work past her fears or rejection and rightfully fear of being with a cold, ruthless man like Christopher, to try to reach his heart. He's the man for her and she knows it very quickly. The question is how to conquer his arctic heart and soul.

Kerrigan Byrne knows how to write a spicy romance that will burn the pages up. She doesn't disappoint in this book. However, because Christopher is so damaged, it takes a while for them to get intimate and even longer before it's truly satisfying. I liked how she shows the ice melting around his heart, and how it's a painful process, much like when one has frostbite and hypothermia and must be warmed slowly. Millie is so good about giving Christopher space, but not giving up on him. She also has some wounds of the soul, but in contrast, she has gotten healing for her wounds. And she has her adorable son who anchors her and gives her a reason for being.

The action is very good and the villains are very evil. There are some quite violent moments. Nothing gory, but it's done in a way that cements the authenticity of the dangerous world that Argent lives in, and the seriousness of the thread that Millie is facing. I loved seeing Farah and Dorian from The Highwayman, and we get to meet the heroine for the next book The Highlander. I confess I read that one first, so I'm excited to look back and see where Mena came from. Her story is very sad. I'm glad she gets her happy ending in the next book.

If you're a historical romance fan and you're not reading this series, you need to rectify that immediately. This is a great series. I've loved every book I've read. Dangerous heroes and strong, intelligence, loving heroines in an authentic historical setting with plenty of action and intrigue. Oh and some hot loving. What more can you ask for?

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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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Untameable Rogue by Kelly Hunter

Untameable Rogue by Kelly Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Kelly Hunter is two for two now. I tend to avoid the Modern Romances for Harlequin Presents, but now I know I can get a satisfying read when I reach for her books. She writes chemistry beautifully. The attraction between her characters sizzle, and the dialogue jumps off the page. Her characters are layered, three-dimensional, and have issues, but they work through them and communicate.

I love the Bennett family, just from the two I've read, this and The Maverick's Greek Island Mistress. I am especially fond of Jake, and I am excited to read Red Hot Renegade. She's already set the stage for the reunion between lonely warrior Jake, and delicate but strong Jianne. I wanted to meet the rest of the Bennett clan after the first book, so I worked on acquiring the Bennett books that were published, and I bought this one when I saw it was out, expecting an enjoyable read. However, Madeline and Luke's romance took me by surprise. I was expecting the story to be about a hot affair that slowly becomes love, but there was a depth and an intensity to their emotions from the start. They didn't fall mindlessly into bed right away. They spent some time getting to know each other first. Initially, a compelling attraction drew them together, but they weren't sure they liked each other and what the other person represented in each of their minds. But respect developed very quickly. They just had to come to realize that they could be together, and not compromise who they both felt were integral aspects of their being. I loved the touches about Luke's job. He defuses bomb and explosive devices, and he can be called to work at a mere moment's notice. He's not eager to give that job up, for any woman, so he settles for casual relationships. But he wants more with Madeline, even if he's not sure how to make that happen. Madeline is considered an older man's trophy wife, despite the fact that she brought his corporation back from the brink, and expanded it in the time since his death. I like that she freely admits that she didn't love her husband and married him for security. After her tumultuous youth, she deserved it. I respected her for who she was. Sometimes marriage is about things other than true love. William loved her and gave her security, esteem, and devotion when she'd never had that as an orphan and ward of the state. She showed William respect and devotion in turn, and he had no reason to complain. She didn't deserve being judged by anyone. I'm glad Luke realized that he was wrong to judge her that way.

I loved the Singaporean setting. Something about Asia always calls my name. I could see the appeal that drew Madeline, Luke, and Jake there, despite them being Australian. I loved how Madeline adopted Po, a streetwise, orphaned youth, and provided a safe, stable home for him with Jake, and later Luke and herself. And then there is Madeline's bossy savvy housekeeper who saw Luke clearly despite his tough warrior facade. These elements just reinforced the feeling of family that this book resonated with, in a delightful way.

Kelly Hunter has made it to my autobuy list after this book (although I had previously made a note to read all her Bennett books after The Maverick's Greek Island Mistress), and I am counting the days until Red Hot Renegade is in print. I'd recommend her to fans of short contemporary romance.



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