Friday, April 30, 2010

Romance Byte: The Sweet Scent of Blood

Author: Suzanne McLeod
Series Connection: Spellcrackers.com - Book 1
ISBN-13: 978-0441018710
Genre: Vampire/ Paranormal

Purchase this book here


Description:
'My name is Genny Taylor. I work for Spellcrackers.com. It’s a great job, pays the rent, lets me do the thing I’m good at – finding magic and cracking it – and the bonus is it’s run by witches, which stops the vamps from taking a bite out of me.

Not that vampires are the big bad any more, not since they launched a slick PR campaign –  oh, and they brought the goblins on board. Now the vamps are sought-after celebrities, and Getting Fanged and taking the Gift are the new height of all things cool.

But only if you’re human.

And I’m not.

I’m Sidhe fae.

And I know firsthand just how deadly a vampire can be.’

When Mr October, a sexy calendar pin-up vamp, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, an old debt is called in and Genny is forced to help prove his innocence, risking her job and the protection it offers – and threatening to expose her own dark secrets. Searching for the killer plunges Genny deep into the hidden heart of vampire society. It’s not long before she realises that she and Mr October are both unwitting pawns in a centuries-old power struggle between London’s non-human communities . .  . and it’s not just her own neck that’s at stake, but the lives of all London’s supernaturals.

Romance Byte: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

Author: Sarah Maclean
ISBN: 978-0061852053
Genre: Historical
Publisher: Avon; Original edition

Purchase your copy here

Description:
An entertaining Regency debut.

A lady does not smoke cheroot.

She does not ride astride.

She does not fence or attend duels.

She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing. But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . .

Romance Byte: Deadly Deals

Author: Fern Michaels
Series Connection: Book 16 in the Sisterhood series
ISBN: 978-1420106862
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Zebra reprint edition

Purchase this book here

Description:
After years of trying to become pregnant without success, Rachel Dawson and her husband Thomas felt their dreams had finally come true the day they brought home their newly adopted twin babies. Though the lawyer Baron Bell who arranged for the surrogate mother charged a hefty six-figure fee, one glance into the eyes of their precious children told them it was all worth it. Until the birth mother reappeared, first demanding more money, then the twins themselves. Suddenly Baron Bell was nowhere to be found, and the Dawsons were once again childless, heartbroken and nearly destitute.

When the case finds its way to the offices of high-profile attorney Lizzie Fox, she can't wait to take down the so-called 'Mr. Wonderful.' And she knows she'll have all the help she needs as it's just the kind of crime that really gets the Sisterhood's adrenalin flowing. Once they get their hands on the perpetrators there will be hell to pay, and it will cost a lot more than cold, hard cash.

Author Spotlight: Jennie Marsland

RBS: Tell us a little about yourself.
Jennie: Thanks so much for having me here today, Roni! A little about myself…well, I’m a teacher, an amateur painter and musician, and for over thirty years, a writer. I fell in love with words at a very early age and the affair has been lifelong. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, with my real-life hero and the most outrageously spoiled cat and dog on earth.
 


RBS: How old were you when you first decided to sit down and write your first book?
Jennie: Forty-five. I’d always written songs, poetry and short stories, but never attempted anything longer until the inspiration for McShannon’s Chance struck me while I was on a camping trip. I couldn’t find anything to write on but paper towel, so I grabbed a couple of sheets and started scribbling. I still have that paper towel tucked away. Six months later, I had the first draft of a novel on my hands.
 
What was your first novel ever published, be it e-book or print?

McShannon’s Chance is now available as an e-book and will soon be out in print. I can’t wait to hold a copy in my hands.
 
It can be difficult to get a book published. Who or what was the greatest encouragement you had during the non-published times?
I have a good friend, an artist, who was the first person to read Chance. She kept encouraging me through two publishing efforts with companies that closed. Her name is on the dedication page along with my real-life hero’s. My family has been incredibly supportive as well. I’m very lucky.
 


RBS: What is your favorite genre to write? Why?
Jennie: I like writing and reading historicals, especially Westerns. I developed a soft spot for them early on, reading my father’s Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour collections. I like rugged heroes who’ve worked hard for what they have, who’ll defend their loved ones to the death, and who have a deep romantic streak underneath their toughness. I’m experimenting with other genres as well, but glimpses of the past have always sparked my imagination.
 
Tell us about your current release?

McShannon’s Chance is set in the Colorado Territory in 1871. Trey McShannon is a Georgia boy who followed his conscience and fought for the Union in the Civil War, and so had to make tracks for the West afterwards. After five years of homesteading, hard work and loneliness are wearing him down, but his wartime experiences have left him cut off from his feelings. He sends for a mail-order bride, thinking he’ll get a wife who’ll be content with what he can offer and won’t demand his whole heart.

What he gets is Beth Underhill, a young woman from a privileged background who has no business answering Trey’s letter. Beth is disillusioned with the marriage market and distrustful of love in general, having been hurt by a man she thought cared for her. She isn’t prepared for the roughness of the frontier or Trey’s life, but she isn’t afraid of a challenge, including the challenge of helping Trey finally heal. They both have to learn to trust before they can have the life they both want together.


RBS: Who or what were your influences when you begin to write your newest release?
Jennie: I think writers are affected by everything they hear or read. As a child, I loved to hear my parents and grandparents tell stories about life in rural Nova Scotia early in the last century and during the Great Depression. The moose that moved into the barn with the horses one winter in my great-grandfather’s lumber camp. The day my father and his brothers accidentally rolled over their sister in an old wagon. My grandmother, still a teenager, teaching in a one-room country school. Those stories started me thinking as a writer, and they gave me a lot of respect for the resourcefulness, resilience and plain old backbone of our forebears. I think that’s why I enjoy writing historicals so much. 
 


RBS: What is a typical writing day look like for you?
Jennie: Right now, I’m afraid there’s no such thing as a typical writing day for me. I’m substitute teaching and working as a private tutor, so every day’s schedule is different, but I try to get in at least two hours of writing a day. I usually write on my living room sofa – I love my laptop! – with the critters nearby, trying to distract me.
 


RBS: Do you have a favorite hero from one of your books? What is it about him that makes him stand out?
Jennie: McShannon’s Chance is my first novel, but regardless of how many others I write, I think Trey McShannon will always be special to me. I like his combination of strength and vulnerability, and his solid values. What Trey wants from life is “a faith, a farm and a family,” as John Denver said so well, and he’s willing to work for it. There’s a streak of poetry in Trey as well, though he wouldn’t admit it under torture. I have a weakness for the strong, silent type.

RBS: Do you have a favorite heroine from one of your books? What is it about her that makes her stand out?
Jennie: I really enjoyed writing the character of Trey’s wife, Beth. She’s an unusual woman for her time, an artist who values her work and isn’t willing to sacrifice it for a husband, even one she loves deeply. She’s unconventional and passionate, and she isn’t afraid to take risks.

RBS: Who is your favorite author? Did they give you any kind of inspiration in your own writing?

Jennie: It’s so hard to choose. The Western authors I love, Jane Austen, the Brontes, Dickens, a list of modern romance authors whose work I enjoy…they have all influenced me, but if I had to pick one author it would be Lucy Maud Montgomery. I learned from her very young that everyone has a story and that everyday life is full of small-scale drama. Her journey to publication, as written in her journals, helped teach me perseverance. It also doesn’t hurt that she was a fellow Maritimer - and one of the first female authors to sue her publisher and win!

RBS: What's coming up on your book schedule in the next year?
Jennie: I’m currently working on McShannon’s Heart, a prequel to Chance, which features Trey’s twin sister Rochelle. When her mother dies just before the outbreak of the Civil War, Chelle emigrates with her father to his old home in Yorkshire, leaving a lover behind her. She soon finds herself attracted to Martin Rainnie, a young widower with a baby daughter. I’m hoping to have the book finished by Christmas, so if all goes well it should be out fairly early in 2010. After that, I’ll be working on a ghost story set at the time of the Halifax Explosion in 1917. Then, Trey’s nemesis Nathan Munroe has a story to be told. Those projects should keep me out of trouble for a while.

Roni, thanks again for the opportunity to be here today. All the best to you and your readers!

Check out more Author Spotlights on our website: www.RomanceBookScene.com

Romance Byte: Hannah's List

Author: Debbie Macomber
ISBN:  978-0778327806
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: MIRA Books Hardcover



Purchase This Book Here

Description:

On the anniversary of his beloved wife’s death, Dr. Michael Everett receives a letter Hannah had written him. In it she reminds him of her love and makes one final request. An impossible request. I want you to marry again. She tells him he shouldn’t spend the years he has left grieving her. And to that end she’s chosen three women she asks him to consider. During the months that follow, he spends time with Winter, Leanne, and Macy, learning more about each of them . . . and about himself.

Learning what Hannah already knew. He’s a man who needs the completeness only love can offer. And Hannah’s list leads him to the woman who can help him find it.

About the author from her website:
Debbie Macomber, the author of BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET, SUSANNAH’S GARDEN, A GOOD YARN, THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET, BETWEEN FRIENDS and the Cedar Cove series, is one of today’s leading voices in women’s fiction. A regular on every major bestseller list with more than 75 million copies of her books sold, the award-winning author celebrated a new career milestone in September 2007, when the latest in her Cedar Cove series, 74 SEASIDE AVENUE, scored #1 on the NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and Bookscan bestseller lists. Her popularity is worldwide with her books translated into twenty-three languages.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Romance Book Review: Bad, Bad Girlfriend

Author: Delilah Devlin
Series Connection: Red Stilettos series
ISBN: 9781419926709
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Publisher: Ellora's Cave



Jolie is in a relationship with a great guy, but he isn't willing to commit. In order to get his attention she decides to don on a pair of red stilettos and strut her stuff at a local strip joint that she knows he patrols on his beat as a cop. If he takes the bait he'll realize that his big, beautiful girlfriend is more than a doormat he can use whenever he gets an itch.

Gabe is happy with his relationship with Jolie and he thinks she's happy to, until she starts in on him about getting married. Gabe really cares for Jolie, but he saw what being a cop's wife did to his mother when his father died. He doesn't want that to happen to the woman he gets involved with. Can Jolie tempt him enough to change his mind.

I've read several of Delilah Devlin's books and this one is one of my favorites. I like the way she makes Gabe a strong character even with his issues and how Jolie can be the woman she wants to be without worring about be a skinny model.


Description:
Expect magic when one determined woman dons a legendary pair of red stilettos and bares body and heart to get her man’s attention…

Jolene’s a big, beautiful woman with an even bigger heart. But she’s become her police officer boyfriend’s favorite doormat and that’s so not working for her. It’s time for a little conversation, time to tell Mr. Happy Pants to “pee or get off the pot”.

Gabriel has seen what his profession does to marriages. He’s not willing to risk that kind of heartbreak. Besides, he likes what he has with Jolene. The woman is sex personified. So when Jolie tells him she won’t see him anymore if he’s not willing to commit, he’s shocked and angry.

With a girlfriend’s encouragement and the added confidence a certain pair of red stilettos gives her, Jolene arranges a special show at a strip club to prove to Gabe once and for all that she’s more woman than any man can handle, and if he doesn’t want the job, then she’ll find another lover who does.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Romance Book Review: Pride and Passion

Author: Jenna Bayley-Burke
ISBN: 978-1-60504-952-6
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd



When Lily's father dies she is thrown into a world of scandal of his doing. Her fairy tale life is over and she must figure out how she is going to take care of herself. Lily isn't afraid of hard work though and she will do what she has to and she'll do it without Jake's help.

Jake has loved Lily for a long time, but her father, his business partner, never encouraged him where Lily was concerned. Now that she is penniless all he wants to do is take care of her, but she won't let him. Now he has made a bargain with her in hopes that he can convince her to marry him, before he loses her forever.

Pride and Passion is an sweet contemporary romance featuring a strong hero and a heroine coming into her own.

Description:
He’ll let her have control…until he’s ready to make his move.

The only things Lily Harris inherits after her father’s untimely death are debt, scandal and loneliness. She doesn’t protest when her father’s business partner, Jake Tolliver, steps up to help with the mess she finds herself in—until Jake reveals the last promise he made to her father.

Jake may be as compelling to look at as a marble statue—and stir a frighteningly powerful desire within her—but no way will Lily agree to be his socially acceptable bride while he continues to bed his string of beautiful women—not without getting him to agree to a deal of her own first.

With a well-earned reputation as a feral hunter who goes after what he wants, Jake has his sights set on Lily, and her lack of options puts her right where he’s wanted her from the first moment he laid eyes on her.

Jake’s not above making Lily think she’s having it her way if that’s what it’ll take to have his way in the end. But once he grows tired of playing beast to her beauty, he’s not above changing the rules of the game until they’re both playing for the same prize.

Romance Book Review: Intermission

Author: Desiree Holt
Series Connection: Wet Dreams and Fantasies Series
ISBN: 978-1-907280-52-8
Genre: Erotic Romance/ Paranormal
Publisher: Total-E-Bound




Very erotic romance featuring a woman who enters a bar and goes completely out of character by having public sex. The next day she goes back to the bar and it isn't the same place. When it rains again the bar turns into the place where she met the man she had public sex with again.


I am always slightly disappointed with books that center their whole story around sex. This one could be an interesting paranormal if it were longer and the plot was more developed. For those who like erotic romance Desiree Holt is a good at her craft and this novella will be a good read.

Description:
Lisa Graham's erotic memories of Interlude prompted her to visit Danny's Pub, its strange replacement, but five minutes into her first night there she got more than she bargained for.

Lisa Graham hugged to herself the memories of Interlude, the erotic pub that, it seemed, only appeared when it rained - and brought her unbelievable sex with the stranger, Mark. Scoping out Danny's Pub, the bar that occupies the space when there's no rain, she meets Jake, and falls into an erotic whirlpool that has a shocking surprise for her.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes with multiple sex partners and public nudity.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

BLOGMANIA THIS FRIDAY

April 30th marks the spring Blogmania Tour. 

Take some time out Friday to check out some fun blogs on the web. In the next couple of days we'll be posting all the sites that are involved in the tour. Simply click from our site and then click to the next on the list and follow the trail to some real fun on the web.

On each site there will be a chance to win some prizes. We'll be giving away a Barnes and Noble Gift Card, some signed romance books and other great prizes. All the details will be available on this page  Friday starting at Midnight, April 30th.

Hope to see you there!

Romance Book Review: Sanctuary

Author: Cassidy Hunter
ISBN: 978-1-60737-572-2
Genre: Shape-shifter/ Paranormal/ Menage/ M-M/ M-F-M/ F-F
Publisher: Loose-id



Kimberlyn is a werewolf who has lived without a pack for her whole life. Wanting to belong she goes to Kentucky where she knows there is a pack. Stumbling upon the pack the first night she moves into her new home, Kimberlyn heals the packs leader who is injured in a battle with bear shifters. What she doesn't know is not everyone who is a shapeshifter is a healer. For her own protection Kimberlyn is put underguard, but she doesn't see it that way. She feels like she is being held against her will. All her plans of freedom go down the drain when the pack leader tells her she is the third mate with he and another male member of the pack.

Sanctuary is a fast moving, often violent novel about shapeshifter who live their life in a constant battle between each other. I was kind of disappointed that the leader of the pack never seemed to have much of a soft spot. He shows his dominance by forcing people to his will, which make the loyalty of the pack not earned but feared because there is no other way. A stronger heroine character would have told the pack where to go in the beginning, but that's just my opinion. Generally, Cassidy Hunter has great potential for telling a good story. I may try a book of hers in the future just to see if I like it better than this one.  


Description:
Kimberlyn is a were at odds with herself. She longs to express her true nature, but she's not sure what that is. What she knows is that she needs lovers who can satisfy her needs for rough sex and submission. What she doesn't know is that as the only Healer of her kind, she's incredibly valuable to the pack that can claim her.

Pack Alpha Logan and his partner Andrew need a third to solidify their pack and protect it from the Bears who want to take over. They know Kimberlyn's their girl from the moment they lay eyes on her. Now they just need to convince her they can fulfill her darkest desires. And to keep her away from the Bears.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Romance Book Review: Firehouse Heat

Author: Carol Lynne
Series Connection: Cattle Valley Series
ISBN: 978-0-85715-126-1
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ M-M/ Erotic Romance
Publisher: Total-E-Bound



In book  of the Cattle Valley series, Carol Lynne tells the story of Mario's new neighbor, Leo. Leo has come in as the new Assistant Fire Chief. At 48 years old he realizes he's too old for you Sammy Lee, but he can't help but fall for the sexy younger man.

Sammy knows exactly what he wants and that's Leo. All he has to do is convince him that the 18 year age different between them means nothing.

In the meantime two new stories develop. Leo has been counseling Neil, one of the EZ Does It Ranch hands after the lose of his friend in the rodeo incident. He learns that there was an older man in Neil's life once.

Sammy and Zac, another firefighter, are best friends and have been most of their life. Zac is injured after a fight with his partner Terry. There is a mystery behind what happened because Zac isn't talking about what happened and feels very guilty about it. These two sound like future stories in the Cattle Valley series for sure. One other note. Carol, the mayor's secretary, is nine months pregnant and as cranky as ever. Should be interesting to see where that story line goes.

All and all, Firehouse Heat was a nice story that seems to be helping the series move along.

Description:
Despite the eighteen year age difference, Sammy Lee wants his new boss, Assistant Fire Chief, Leo Burkowski. Living and working side by side at the firehouse several days a week is wearing on Lee's control. When Leo asks for his help with a special project, Sammy can't take it anymore and makes his move.

Although Sammy is playing for keeps, Leo refuses to think of the relationship as anything more than a passing affair. Age has been an issue in the past, and although Leo's attracted to the younger man, he's learned the hard way to keep his heart out of it.

Will the heat generated between the two men be enough to melt Leo's resolve, or will Sammy's hopes go down in a blaze of disappointment?

Dedication from the front of this book:
In early April of 2007, shortly after my second book was released at Ellora’s Cave, I decided I wasn’t cut out to be a writer. I stopped writing for over a month, miserable and quickly sinking into a depression of epic proportions.

One day I received an email from Claire Siemaszkiewicz about a new epublishing company she was planning to launch. There was something about Claire that drew me in. For the first time in weeks I was able to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I quickly agreed to write a short story for Total-E-Bound. To be honest, I wasn’t sure at that point I could even pull a short story off. I wrote Coach, book one in the Campus Cravings series, and Claire released it on Total-E-Bound’s opening day. It truly was the start of a new type of writing for me. To work with an owner/editor who seemed excited by my stories was like a breath of fresh air.

Firehouse Heat is my 50th book with Total-E-Bound, and I’m as happy working for Claire now as I was that first release back on July 2, 2007. I can’t explain what it is like to work for a publisher that truly seems to care about their authors and the stories they put out. A publishing house that doles out respect along with on-time payments and a cheerful attitude is not easy to find, and for me, Total-e-bound is one of the best.

Thank you, Claire. Without you, my life would not be what it is today. Here’s hoping for another 50!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Romance Book Review: Werewolf Me

Author: Amarinda Jones
ISBN: 9781419925641
Genre: Shapeshifter/ Erotic Romance
Publisher: Ellora's Cave

[Excerpt]



Truro finds it hard to trust or believe in love or soul mates. Her past is filled with people who have mistreated her. All she is looking for is someone to have sex with and reaffirm that what her previous boyfriend told her wasn't true. She picks up Murphy for a one night stand, but Murphy knows that the two are meant to be together, and he isn't giving her up.

Murphy is a werewolf who has been called to the little town of Ludlum to meet his soul mate. He knows he has found her when he meets Truro. He realizes right away that he has his hands full when he learns how she feels about soul mates, but he isn't worried because already he knows that Truro loves him. She just needs to realize it is true.

While Murphy and Truro are stumbling through the mating ritual, there is someone who wants to create havoc on the clan and use Truro against Murphy.

Amarinda Jones' sense of humor shines through the pages of this paranormal. Truro, love this name, is a strong quirky woman. I like that she isn't perfect and Murphy is strong, but still sensitive and willing to wait Truro out until she comes around to his way of thinking. Good, fun story for shapeshifter and paranormal fans.

Description:
Truro Simpson is confused. What the hell is going on in the sleepy town of Ludlum? One moment her life is quiet and boring and the next she’s having orgasmic sex with a hot, tattooed stranger and odd people are turning up talking about werewolves and soul mates. Do the wolves of Ludlum have something to do with that? And does any of it really matter when she is having the best sex of her life?

Every fifty years, a clan of wolves seeks new mates. Murphy Green is a werewolf. He is in Ludlum for Truro, his soul mate. The problem is the lady doesn’t believe it. That’s okay. His plan is to seduce her with sweet words and hard cock until she’s as breathless with need and as hungry to touch and taste as he is.

About the Author
Amarinda Jones believes anything is possible and sometimes just asking for the impossible will surprise someone enough that they will give it to you. Writing is like that. Put it out there and wait for a response. There is always the possibility you may fall on your ass, but after all, that’s what cellulite is for. Amarinda believes in taking chances, speaking her mind and aging disgracefully. Twenty years from now she plans on being the neighborhood witch who all the kids are scared of. But then, everyone has to have a hobby.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Love Inspired of the Month: A Mother's Gift


Author: Arlene James and Kathryn Springer
Anthology
ISBN: 9780373875894
Genre: Love Inspired/ Contemporary Romance/ Religious
Publisher: Steeple Hill

Purchase this book here

 

Two unrelated stories of faith and the belief that their is a greater force in charge of one's destiny. Mother's Day is the general theme behind the two stories. Both stories are emotionally inspiring. Both stories in the book convey family and mothers. Finding lost faith is also a similar factor.

In the first story, Dreaming of a Family,  Dixie is a widow who believes she is responsible for the circumstances behind her husband's death. She keeps the secret to herself and resists efforts of comfort from family and friends. She is far from ready to move on to the next step in her life like everyone seems to be pushing her toward.

Joel has heard about Dixie for years from his mother. Dixie is the daughter of her best friend. It has been two years since Joel's unit was attacked and he lost his eyesight. He has decided to come home and start his life. He meets Dixie and her son and decides that God has put Dixie in his path for a reason. Joel hopes it is so the two of them can start a life together, but he knows first Dixie needs to come to terms with her life.

In the second story, The Mommy Wish, Nick and his daughter Beth move into the little house next door to Julia. Unknown to Nick, Julia's family has wanted to purchase the property next door to hers for years and just when the property became available, Nick got the chance to purchase it first.

Nick is a widower who is looking for a place in the country to raise his young daughter, Beth. Beth is a lively character who befriends everyone, even the woman who lives next door and doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with her or Nick. Beth sees the house as an answer to her wish from God. She has other wishes and she hopes that Julia will be part of.

Julia has lived like a quiet, alone life since she was in an accident years earlier and her fiance and mother left her behind. She isn't interest in getting to know the new neighbors no matter how handsome Nick is and special she finds the young girl.

Description:
Dreaming of a Family by Arlene James
Widowed mother Dixie Stephenson never stopped blaming herself for her late husband's accidental death. And she didn't expect any of her dreams to come true, especially since she had been dreaming of another man. But is Joel Slade, a wounded soldier, truly the answer to her prayers? Can he be the father her little boy needs, and the man who helps Dixie finally heal?

The Mommy Wish by Kathryn Springer
Julia Windham's country house was her sanctuary—a quiet place where she could be left alone to grieve her shattered dreams. That all changed when handsome widower Nick Delaney and his precocious daughter, Beth, moved next door. Now there's noise, laughter and maybe even hope for a future as a family.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Romance Book Review: Sweet Temptation

Author: Maya Banks
Series Connection: Sweet Surrender, Sweet Persuasion, Sweet Seduction
ISBN-13: 978-0425232583
Genre: BDSM/Erotic Romance/Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Berkley Trade

Purchase this book here
 


First let me say that while this wasn't one of my favorites in this series, I wasn't surprised with the content and the excessive BDSM scenes. At the end of the last book in the series, Sweet Seduction, we see the into scene for Sweet Temptation getting an inside look at Micah life. All along readers have seen into Micah's kinky sex life, so it wasn't surprised that Micah's book would be filled with BDSM scenes.

The problem wasn't just the scenes being in the book, but rather than Micah having erotic sex with Angelina in the scenes fell far short and seemed too much like sadistic punishment, not making Micah came off as a good guy. I was sorry to see that because in the others books Micah was really a great character. That being said, it doesn't mean that some readers who enjoy erotic BDSM scenes will not like this book. It may not be to everyone's taste, but there is a market for those who enjoy this genre.

One thing I did like about this book was the mystery of Angelina's stalker and the scenes of Angelina taking care of him. Very nicely done.

In Sweet Temptation readers learn that Micah has been keeping secrets from his co-workers and friends. He is a former cop from Miami who come to Texas to forget his past. Three years ago his wife and best friend, David, whom he shared his wife with, were killed in a car accident. After the death of his two loved ones he leaves town and doesn't mention them again to anyone. Once a year he has gone back to Miami to let his grief out.

Angelina is David's sister. When Micah left Miami he left Angelina behind without a second thought, even though he had told David he would watch out for her. Angelina comes to Texas to find Micah not realizing that he isn't ready to love yet. She tries to convince him that the two of them are meant to be together, but all Micah offers her is sex. She accepts because she'll do anything for him to give them a chance.

Angelina comes into trouble and it falls on Micah to protect her, but can he come to love Angelina or is she just wasting her time?


Description:
He was a by-the-book cop who broke the rules in the bedroom…

Micah Hudson has painful secrets he’s run hard from. He has new friends, a new life, but he’s about to be confronted with the one person who reminds him of all he’s tried to forget—Angelina, the sister of his oldest friend David. She knows everything about his past, including how he and David fell in love with the same woman, and how they decided the best way to prevent her from tearing them apart was to share her between them. But then a terrible accident left Micah alone…

She was willing to do anything to make him see the woman she’d become…


Micah lost the two people who meant the most in the world to him. Angelina lost her only family. And she kept her deepest secret close to her heart. Her love for Micah. No longer willing to wait, she decides it’s time to go after him and bring him to his knees. She knows his secrets, his desires, his kinks and fetishes, and she’ll use whatever it takes to reel him in. Behind the easy going, loves women exterior lies a man with dark needs and passions. She can give him what he wants. But will he decide she’s what he needs?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

BLOGMANIA 2010

There are so many great blogs on the web, but it is hard to get the word out about all of them. So one blogger, Between the Lines', Lynda, decided to start a twice annual "Blogmania" tour. The tour encourages people to check out as many blog sites as possible on one day.

The next tour is set for April 30.

All of the blogs that are participating are offering a chance to win prizes to everyone who stops by. Sometimes they'll ask you to comment on a post or sign up for a newsletter, sometimes they'll just ask you to say hi.

Romance Book Scene, my blog, will be offering signed books from Romance Authors, a Barnes and Noble gift certificate, book marks and maybe even a few candy bars and other things.

So come on and check us out. It will be fun to see what's out there, plus if you check out my site you'll get to see some great book reviews and upcoming releases.

Check out this video one of the bloggers made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhN7P8mh0GQ

Hope to see you there.
Roni

Monday, April 19, 2010

Romance Byte: Shattered


Author: Karen Robards
ISBN-13 9780399156274
Genre: Contempory Romance/ Thriller/ Suspense
Publisher: Putnam

[Excerpt]



Purchase this book here

Secret, betrayal, and a mysterious family history plague the heroine in the latest novel from New York Times-bestselling author Karen Robards.

The past is never over. It just gets dusty.

Lisa Shewmaker was a rising star in a prestigious law firm in Lexington, Kentucky; that is, until the firm went bankrupt and she lost her job. With an ailing mother to care for, Lisa takes the first position she can find: research assistant to District Attorney Scott Buchanan. Scott is as disagreeable as he is sexy, and Lisa suspects the only reason she got the job is because of her privileged upbringing as the daughter of a wealthy federal judge.

While reviewing cold cases in the Fayette County courthouse, a particularly thick manila envelope draws Lisa's attention. The details of the case are engrossing: An entire family-father, mother, and two children-disappeared more than twenty-eight years ago. Except that's not all: The mother in the photo could have been Lisa's twin, and the toddler in the picture bears an uncanny resemblance to Lisa herself. Before Lisa can learn more about her past, a series of catastrophes strike close to home. Lisa confides in Scott, and their relationship develops into something completely different. Together Lisa and Scott unravel a terrifying web of criminal connections that could destroy the very fabric of Lisa's life-if she lives long enough, that is.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Romance Book Review: A Hero's Homecoming

Author: Laurie Paige
Series Connection: Montana Mavericks
ISBN: 9780373310388
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Western
Publisher: Silhouette

Purchase this book here




It has been 25 years since Wayne Kincaid, aka J.D. Cade, has been back in Whitehorn. He hadn't planned to come to stay, but when he learns of the trouble that has been happening on the Kincaid Ranch he can't help but want to stick around and help any way he can. Not wanting to get wrapped up in the family he left long ago, Wayne come in under a fake name. Unfortunately it is taking a little longer than he thought to solve the mystery at the ranch. Now he's been here a year and ready to hit the road.

Dr. Carey Hall knows that J.D./Wayne isn't here to stay. She really knows better than to get involved with a drifter in any way, especially after the mess of a marriage she escaped from three years ago. She also has her five year old daughter to think about, but one touch of J.D.'s lips and she can't deny the attraction between them any more.

Can Carey and her daughter's love be enough to keep Wayne from his restless ways and having the drifter thinking of settling down for good?

Silhoutte is now re-releasing selection series of the Montana Maverick's popular series. This book is part of a series since 1998. The thing about series books is it is important to follow along and read everything in order, especially with the Montana Mavericks, because they follow a mystery. Some people don't like to stay that dedicated to a series.

I happen to like it. The Montana Mavericks is one of the best series available through Harlequin. A Hero's Homecoming is a little dated with some of the technology in the story even though it is only 12 years old, but still a great part of the series.

Description:
He was a loner, a drifter…and the only man who could save a little girl's life. But to do that J. D. Cade would have to reveal a secret he'd kept for over twenty-five years—the secret that he was still alive.

J.D. certainly hadn't planned on staying in Whitehorn. But soon he was renewing old friendships—and forging a tempting new one. Vibrant and tender, Dr. Carey Hall didn't know who J.D. was, but she seemed ready to care for him. What would happen when she discovered J.D. was really Whitehorn's nearly forgotten golden boy—and she'd fallen prey to another Kincaid?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Romance Book Review: Bitter Notes

Author: Sarah J. McNeal
ISBN:9781935348962
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Amira Press


[EXCERPT]



Ella is finding it hard to get on with her life after she is jilted on her wedding day two years before. Everyone is telling her to get on with her life, but all she can remember is the betrayal she feels at finding the man she loves in bed with a friend. One day driving across town she sees a beautiful piano outside on a lawn in front of a house. When she sees it again a week later she can't believe that someone would leave such an expensive and beautiful piano out against the elements. She goes to the front door of the house and confronts the owners. The owner tells her to mind her own business. The piano was his wife's and she left him for another man. He is going to leave the piano outside until it rots.

Distraught by the news, Ella calls her friend Nick. Nick repairs pianos. She asks him to talk the man into letting her purchase the piano. The man still refuses Nick. Nick has his own story. He has been in love with Ella since before she announced she was getting married, but he has never done anything about it, knowing that Ella is just not ready.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday Ella invites Nick to go home with her. She knows her family is worried about her and asks him to pretend they are getting married so that they won't hassle her during her visit. Nick agrees, but only because he sees this as his chance to finally get Ella to see that they can have a great life together.

Bitter Note is really pretty much a bitter story. I like the authors style and writing ability, but frankly I was ready to put the book down in the middle. It was a wonder that  Nick stayed around for as long as he did, most men wouldn't have bothered for so long.  For those who are looking for a highly emotional story about a woman who has serious trust issues and a very patient man with a sexy foreign accent this is pretty much a well written piece.

Description:
Left at the altar humiliated and broken, Ella has vowed never to open her heart again. Nickoli has loved her for years, but she sees him as only a friend. How can an abandoned piano heal a broken heart and make it sing again?

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Romance Byte: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

Author: Sarah MacLean
ISBN: 978-0061852053
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon

Purchase this book here

A wonderfully talented new author joins the Avon Romance family—Sarah MacLean, who fans of Eloisa James and Julia Quinn will immediately take into their hearts! Sarah’s delectable debut, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, is the Regency Era romp readers have been waiting for—fresh, fun, and wonderfully romantic—placing her solidly in the company of Elizabeth Hoyt, Sophie Jordan, and others of the new generation of exciting up-and-comers.

Description:
A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . .

Romance Byte: Savor the Moment

Author: Nora Roberts
ISBN: 978-0-425-23368-9
Series Connection: Bride Quartet — Book Three
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley Trade Paperback

Release Date: 4/27/10 


Purchase this book here

Description:
New Love takes the cake in the third novel in Nora Roberts's new Bride Quartet-in a stunning French flap edition

Wedding baker Laurel McBane is surrounded by romance working at Vows wedding planning company with her best friends Parker, Emma, and Mac. But she's too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that their clients seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker's older brother Delaney, on whom she's had a mega-crush since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her-or so she thinks. When Laurel's quicksilver moods get the better of her-leading to an angry, hot, all-together mind-blowing kiss with Del-she'll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever...

Romance Book Review: Hot in the Clutch

Author: Ann Jacobs
Series Connection: Gridiron Lovers
ISBN: 9781419921742

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Publisher: Ellora's Cave

[Excerpt]




When his long football career is over, Dave Delaney is ready to settle down back in his small hometown. He's lived the highlife over the years including having a swinging open marriage with his ex-wife, but he's ready for something different. To find just one woman to live out the rest of his life with.

In Hedgewood, Texas Diane Connors has lived her life in an abusive marriage. Her ex-husband is now dead but she can't quite get lose of all the memories. She thinks all she wants is an affair with a passionate man and now that Dave, a man she had a crush on in high school, is back in town he would be perfect for that affair.

But after spending just a little time with Dave, Diane finds out he's looking for something more. Now she has to decide if she can put the past behind and have a real happy ever after.

Well written story, but a little too cliche. I liked Ann Jacobs take on it and as always with Ann Jacobs the love scenes are hot and steamy.

Description:
Book 3 in the Gridiron Lovers series.

After twenty years in the NFL, Dave Delaney’s playing days are over and he’s back home in Hedgecock, Texas, coaching football at his old high school. He’s tired of meaningless sex and his empty lifestyle. Dave is ready for change and sets his sights on the girl who got away.

Diane Connors is attracted in a big way, but Dave is used to being chased by groupies almost young enough to be his daughters. He’s still a chick magnet with a wild reputation, and she’s gun-shy after escaping a miserable marriage with a bully—another local jock.

Thing is, neither of them can forget what might have been.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Romance Book Review: Letter to a Lonesome Cowboy

Author: Jackie Merritt
Series Connection: Montana Mavericks
ISBN: 9780373310357
Genre: Contemporary Series Romance/ Western Romance
Publisher: Silhouette Books

Click here to purchase this book



Over the past few months, Silhouette has been releasing several of the former Montana Maverick series books from the late 90s. The Montana Mavericks has been a very popular series for the book publishing company, written by various authors, offering a look at life in the Big Sky County. This set of stories revolve around the Kincade Ranch and all of the misfortunes to hit the Kincade family. The entire family is killed, excepts for one tiny baby, by a woman who had hoped to gain the fortune for herself. She is finally found and put in jail for her actions.

But life on the Ranch doesn't go back to normal after she's gone. Someone is still causing trouble at the ranch and it is up to Rand Harding as forman of the ranch to figure out what is going on. In Letter to a Lonesome Cowboy, readers get to meet Rand. After reading a magazine ad that has lonely men looking for wives, Rand can't help but wonder if those men are on to something. On a whim he writes his own ad.

Back in Baltimore a young boy, Mack Paxton, reads the ad. Mack has always secretly wanted to work on a ranch. His parent are dead and he's living with his unmarried sister. If he can somehow get the rancher and his sister together he can have his dream and his sister can have someone to take care of her. So the scheme begins.

The rest of the story has Mack heading to Montana after his sister, Suzanne, yells at him for writing to a stranger in her name. Taking off after him, Suzanne arrives at the Kincade ranch just in time for a terrible snow storm hits and is standed on the ranch wit Mack, Rand and a bunch of cowhands.

There are strange happenings going on that Suzanne doesn't know about. Since Rand wants Suzanne to stay he has to make sure she stays safe and sound. The mystery of who is reaking havoc at the ranch continues throughout the story and the series.

Series romance isn't for everyone. It is kind of like a continuing soap opera. Each book tells the story of a new couple while the underlying mystery is presented in pieces until the end of the series when the mystery is explained. I actually am a great fan of series and love to catch each book in order so I can continue to find the clues. For those who like series romance like this the Montana Mavericks is one of the best series that has been written. There are several mysteries that go one throughout the longlived series. For those who are fans of the series this is the chance to go back and find some copies that haven't been around for a while. On the side bar of this site is a list of the Montana Mavericks that Silhouette is currently putting out. Some can be found on their site and at used bookstore.

Description:
The ad said rancher Rand Harding—a real, live cowboy!—wanted a wife. So orphaned city kid Mack Paxton began planning. He'd pen a gushy letter. Enclose a pin-up picture. Forge his big sister's signature. And presto! Mack would have it nailed: a mail-order marriage for Suzanne and a happily-ever-after home on the range.

Trouble was, Mack's mischief caused surprising friction between rugged Rand and stubborn Suzanne.

So Mack aimed to fan those flames and start the home fires burning!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Romance Book Review: Instant Temptation

Author: Jill Shalvis
Series Connection: Wilder Brothers
ISBN: 9780758231277
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Purchase this book at the link below:
Instant Temptation



I've been waiting for this Jill Shalvis book to come out. Instant Temptation is the third in Jill's Wilder Brothers series. I've read all three from the beginning and while I liked the two previous stories, I believe this is my favorite of all. One of the best parts of the story is she sets the scene in the California Sierras, one of my favorite places in the world and lucky for me only a less than three hour drive from my home. Jill writes with such detail, I can almost picture some of my favorite places that I like to explore.

I was a little unsure of where Jill was going to take T.J.'s story. There was someone he loved in his past who died, but rather than dwelling on that part of the story, the author attaches T.J. to Harley, a friend of the family who was mentioned in the other books briefly.

Harley and T.J. share a past. The two grew up together, both experiencing hard times during their childhood. One faithful night in their youth they sleep together, but the problem is that Harley is the only one who remembers. Because of that their once close relationship has become strained and T.J. has no idea why.

T.J. is constantly leaving town. He runs the long-term guided adventure trips. He's home now and is finally ready to ask Harley what happened to change their friendship. He's always been attracted to her, but when he realizes her attraction to him, it is no holds bared. The only problem is this relationship can only be temporary. There is always another long term trip T. J. needs to take and Harley is being offered a job far away from the California Sierras. Harley isn't a causal affair kind of woman. T.J. is all about casual affairs. Is there any hope for these two?

This book gives you a new insight into T.J. I didn't picture him as the ladies man in previous books, but also he is described as one in this book, he doesn't really act like one here either. Once he sets his sights on Harley he is determined to have her. He's the strong alpha, head of his family and the mastermind behind the family business. Harley is a strong willed prideful woman. She too is the elder in her family, even though her hippy parents are still alive. She takes care of her whole family, even when she barely has enough money to take care of herself. A strong love story and hot sensual love scenes make up this novel.

Description:
T.J. Wilder is the perfect package of breathtaking adventure and raw sex appeal. Even better, he's about to reconnect with the one woman he's never been able to forget...

Get Your Pulse Racing

To Harley, the landscape around Wishful, California, is exhilarating, untamed, and more than a little dangerous. The same could be said for T.J. Wilder, who's invited himself along on her trek to study a rare coyote. Harley's career is riding on this trip, and she doesn't need a stubborn, incredibly sexy distraction. But T.J. is a professional guide who knows when to stay back and when to provide invaluable expertise-just like he's done since they were in high school. And Harley, as usual, is torn between throttling him and giving in to the raw attraction that's been smoldering all these years.
T.J. knows how proud and capable Harley is, but he's damned sure not letting her put herself at risk when there are illegal hunters in the area. She needs him, with the same soul-stirring urgency that he's always craved her. And here, in this beautiful place days from civilization, he'll finally have a chance to prove it-over and over again...

Friday, April 9, 2010

Romance Byte: Tease Me

Author: Tracy Wolff
ISBN-13: 978-0451229250

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: NAL Trade


Purchase this book at the link below: 
Tease Me

The “edgy and erotic” (Shannon McKenna, New York Times bestselling author of Tasting Fear) author of Tie Me Down and Full Exposure offers another steamy novel of sex, lies, and sultry games.


Description:
You can look, but you can’t touch…

Burned once too often, true crime writer Lacey Richards has sworn off love. Instead, she explores her deepest desires through her anonymous—and very provocative—blog. Anonymous, that is, until her dark and ultrasexy neighbor discovers her dirty secret.

Stockbrocker-turned-carpenter Byron Hawthorne gave up life in the fast lane, hoping to start over in a new city. When he learns his alluring neighbor is the one writing the sizzling blog that keeps him up all night, he can’t resist offering to fulfill her fantasies in the flesh. But Byron isn’t the only man provoked by Lacey’s writing. Now Lacey doesn’t know who she can trust—and who she can dare to tease.

About the author from her website:
Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from contemporary to paranormal to erotic suspense.

And for all of those who want the unedited version:
Tracy Wolff lives with four men, teaches writing to local college students and spends as much time as she can manage immersed in worlds of her own creation. Married to the alpha hero of her dreams for twelve years, she is the mother of three young sons who spend most of their time trying to make her as crazy as possible.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Romance Book Review: Lion's Heat

Author: Lora Leigh 
Series Connection: Breeds
ISBN:  978-0-425-23380-1
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Purchase this book from the link below:
Lion's Heat (Breeds)




The long awaited Lion's Heat was released this week and it was well worth the wait. For those who are familiar with Lora Leigh's Breed Series, Jonas is a well known character. He's the mastermind behind many of the Breed matings over the last several books. Jonas is the Director of Breed Affairs, and no not the sexual affairs, although it might seem that way. As the Director, it is Jonas' job to take care of all of the Breeds and he takes his job seriously. So seriously that there are those who believe that Jonas is manipulative and plays games with other Breed's lives.

For those who don't know the story behind Lora Leigh's Breed Series, The Breeds' are a group of scientifically enhanced being who were created in a lab. Their DNA is made up of part animal/part human. In Jonas' case he is part lion. He is the son of the first Breed ever made "The Leo".

In Lion's Heat Lora Leigh answers as many questions to the long running series as she does bringing new mysteries and secrets to light. Readers get to see a whole other side to Jonas. Where as before he is presented as cunning and arrogant, he is now presented as a man who cares for the Breeds and is willing to put his life on the line for each and everyone of them. Callan, as the leader of the lions, Wolfe as the leader of the wolf pack and Del Gado as the leader of the coyote pack have all been introduced as the leaders of their own kind. Jonas is the conduit of all of them. Someone who has been there to keep justice for the Breeds as a cohesive group.

In Lion's Heat readers finally get a better look at Jonas' personal assistant, Rachel. In past books it was evident that there was a tie between the two, but she was pregnant with another man's baby and there was always the wonder of her being involved with someone else. In this book we learn that Rachel has been sent to be Jonas' new assistant through Callan mate Merrinus. She is efficent and Merrinus believes will be exactly what Jonas needs to keep him from self distruction.

With Rachel Jonas is a completely different man. He isn't brass and manipulative. He works to keep calm around her. He knows she's his mate, but he isn't quite sure that he wants to put Rachel in the danger her live will become if she is more involed with him. What he doesn't realize is that someone is already after her and while Jonas doesn't realize it, instead of going after him, the bad guys go after Rachel and her baby.

Now it doesn't matter anymore if he keeps away from Rachel. He needs her more than ever. Now all he is waiting for is from her to love him. Jonas isn't interested in Rachel just for the mating heat. He wants her love. What he doesn't realize is that that is the same as Rachel wants from him. Rachel isn't going to stand for anything but Jonas' heart. She knows he has one and she knows he's capable.

While the same old story line is there in the background, Lion's Heat adds more intrigue to the developing story. It also opens a new story line for future novels. Lora Leigh has said that she has stories already in mind for Cassie Sinclair and some of the others. Since Cassie is still young either the author will have to jump ahead some years in the story or she'll have to settle on one of the others regular characters to do the next story on. It will be interesting to see who she picks. Although, I think fans are waiting for Dane's story, I'm not sure we're ready quite yet to hear it.

Description:
The mating urge cannot be ignored...

Bad boy Jonas Wyatt knows it is fate that Rachel becomes his mate. He can sense it. He can also sense her reluctance. But she has little power over the mating heat of the Breeds. It is Jonas's destiny to claim her. And nothing will stop him from having his way.