Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Romance Book Review: Jacky Russell's A Pack of Two


Author: Jacky Russell
ISBN: 9781616504236
Genre: Paranormal/ Shifter/ Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Lyrical Press


Breanna is a one of a kind earth witch in a world where witches aren't too popular and many times killed on site. Lucky for Breanna she's won the respect of a group of werewolves and a few vampires in the Bravo Unit. On a scouting mission, Breanna comes upon a wolf being attacked by black magic creatures. 

When Lucas opens his eyes the first thing he sees is an angel. The two have an instant attraction. the only problem is werewolves and witch don't match and worst of all a werewolf alpha cannot mate with a witch. 

Lucas has a bit of his own problems. His father wants him to be involved with a pack Lucas feels no connection with. The year before his brother who was to be alpha disappeared and feared dead. That leaves Lucas to take his place. Lucas isn't interested in being the pack alpha. He doesn't even like being around other werewolves. 

Can two misfits find their way together against all odds?

Wonderful characterization and world building in this novel length book. Lucas is a strong hero with lots of insecurity issues that work right along with Breanna's tough warrior persona.

Description: 
A WITCH AND A WEREWOLF. A PACK OF TWO.

Master Sergeant Breanna Welker loves hockey games, cheesy fries, and being second in command of the U.S. Army's Bravo Company. The fact that her commanding officer is a vampire and most of her fellow soldiers are werewolves doesn't slow her down a bit. Her colorful vocabulary and uncompromising loyalty have endeared her to her unit, who don't give a damn she's a shape-shifting witch. 

Lucas Benelli can't boast the same loyalty from the people close to him. His father is the Alpha of the largest known werewolf pack in the world--a pack Lucas is expected to be the leader of. But Lucas has spent most of his life avoiding contact with his father's pack and they don't seem to like him much either. 

Together, they forge a connection not even Lucas's dysfunctional pack or Breanna's meddling unit can break--and come face-to-face with the hardest choice either of them has ever had to make. 

CONTENT WARNING: Includes a horde of evil witches, and one deliciously wicked witch with Mother Nature at her beck and call. 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Romance Book Review: Aliyah Burke's Holiday Liaison


Author: Aliyah Burke
ISBN: N/A
Genre: Interracial/ Erotic Romance
Publisher: Whispers Publishing



Sage decides to do something different this year and attend a singles ski weekend for Christmas. She leaves a little early to spend some time skiing and meets Conall.

Conall and his friends are off for a couple of weeks on the slopes and hope to meet some pretty women along the way. The minute Conall steps out of the car and sees Sage he knows she's the one he wants to spend his vacation with. 

Sexy, sweet romance, featuring a good cast of characters. A little slow moving at times, but a nice romantic holiday read.

Description: 
A Christmas getaway may be just the thing to fulfill your greatest desires.

Conall Lennox is trying something new this holiday, a single's gathering at a resort in Colorado. The woman he meets there is a breath of fresh air for him. It doesn't take long and he's envisioning a lot longer than the short time they have together.

Sage Addison comes to the Village Resort to avoid the stress of Christmas with her nagging family. Still, meeting tall, dark, and handsome makes her think of spending more than just Christmas with him.
After their time together is over will Conall and Sage learn that not all liaisons are meant to be brief but can be the beginning of something new, something wonderful? Miracles can and do happen in Wonderland.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Romance Book Review: Lora Leigh's Wizard Twins Series


Lora Leigh is finally getting back to her Wizard Twins series next month with her new book Twin Passions. The Wizard Twins series was first written in 2003 with Menage A Magick featuring a far away world where Wizards and Sorceresses rule the planet. For a thousand years Sorceresses and Wizards have stayed clear of each other, but now because they are losing their magick they must find their way to forming relationships again. 

The first connection is up to Princess Sorceress Brianna. She must become the consort of the Veraga Twins, however tales and rumors of how one set of twins tore a woman apart keep her afraid to go anywhere near them. Drago and Lasen must convince the young princess they mean no harm.

In book two, When Wizards Rule, released in 2005, the Sashtain Twins must convince Brianna's sister Marina that she should be their consort. They have heard stories that Marina has been attacked by males before and she isn't going to amenable to a connection with the twins, however Caise and Kai’el are not ones to give up on something they want. They plan to seduce Marina into combining her magick with theirs, however the Sashtains are not the only ones with a secret that could change their lives forever. 

The book ends at a cliff hanger with the possibility of the planet going to ruins and an evil doer on the verge of causing a war between the Wizards and Sorceresses. 

Book three, which will be released on Amazon on Dec. 11 and Ellora's Cave on Dec. 12, features a heroine that was only mentioned once in the second book Aster. The book will feature more deception and knowing Lora Leigh some incredible sexy scenes. 



Menage A Magick
ISBN: 1-84360-457-4
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave


Description: 
She was to be the filling in a Wizard Sandwich. For a millennial, the Covenani Sorceresses of planet Sentmar have been separated from the Cauldaran Wizards, their natural mates. Deceit and blood have forced a reunion; destiny and passion have forced a bond.

Brianna, youngest of the Princesses of Covenani, will be a consort to two handsome, virile Wizards. Will the union be forged in desire and love, or will she deny the union, as well as the two men who are bound to her, hearts and souls?



When Wizards Rule
ISBN: 1-4199-0335-7
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave


Description: 
Desperate to avoid a Joining with the wickedly handsome Sashtain Twins, Marina escapes them

at every turn. Relentless, they plague her days, and torment her dreams - wickedly erotic dreams that make her body pulse with the promise of dark desires revealed and a sexual heat that will send her up in flames.

But when the hated Seculars gain in strength, and dark magic weaves an insidious, invisible threat to all she holds dear, she discovers there is more to be gained by aligning her magick with the Sashtain Wizards than she thought.

Caise and Kai’el Sashtain, focused solely on convincing the innocent young Sorceress to bond with them, get a lot more than they anticipated when Marina unknowingly weaves her magick spell on them - a sensual spell that pulls them into a vortex of churning emotions, forcing them to decisions that could alter all their lives.

Dark magick is terrorizing the land, no one is safe, all become suspect, and trusting her Wizards with her heart, body and soul is a lesson Marina has to learn before all is lost.

Twin Passions
ISBN: 9781419943065 
Publisher: Ellora's Cave


Description:
Book three in the Wizard Twins series.

Astra Al’madere betrayed all. All she loved. All she swore to protect. And all for the Dark Wizards whose passion and heat she could not turn away from. A Sorceress can sense her Twins, the men destined to join her in her power to strengthen the planet of Sentmar, and there was one thing she’d sensed for a while—the Delmari were hers. She could not turn her back on them, deliver them to justice, even though they had turned from her many years ago. A pain that still ripped her heart in two.

Torran and Rhydan knew the road to claiming their Consortress would not be an easy one. After all, a painful lie had driven her away, causing her to believe they did not burn for her. Were not consumed by her. But when she chooses to save them rather than to honor her duty, these Wizards know they now have the chance to show her she has always been the only one whom they desire.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Romance Book Review: Lora Leigh's Jacob's Faith


Author: Lora Leigh
Series Connection: Breeds/ Wolf Breeds
ISBN: 978-1843607489
Genre: Science Fiction/ Futurist/ Erotic Romance/ Paranormal/ Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing 


Haven't had my Breed fix lately, so I decided to pull up one of the old books from the popular Lora Leigh series. While these books are best read in order the older books are easy to keep up with, without having to read pervious editions. 

Jacob's Faith is the second in the wolf breed books. The story features Jacob, the pack's enforcer, and Faith Aiden's blood sister and the pack liaison Jacob and Faith were forced together in the labs when Faith was just 18 years old and Jacob was afraid he hurt her then, even though he was wildly attracted to her. Since years had passed and they began understanding such things, Jacob realizes now that Faith is his mate. He's done everything up until now to keep her comfortable, except for giving her himself. He has been waiting for her to stop being afraid of him.

Wolfe, her pack leader, has sent Faith on an infuriating mission. She is to find Jacob in South America and give him some information. She's been search for two months without finding him. When she finally does, she really isn't all that happy to see him. All she wants to do is give him the message and get back to her life and away from him. That isn't possible. Wolfe has his own plans and that is finally get the two together, or lose Faith all together. 

Now the two are forced to go through mating heat and get to know if they can make it together. That could be difficult especially if Faith doesn't get her coffee and beer fix. Jacob knows that both are the worst things she could have if they all are going to stay sane.

This book follows suit with all of Lora Leigh's very erotic books that she wrote under the Ellora's Cave name. Erotic is however one of her strong suits, so be prepared for a lot of sex and frolicking. Jacob's Faith goes into a lot more detail than the short Wolfe's Hope before hand and explores more of the mate issues involved in the series. Fans of the later books will enjoy meeting the earlier characters who are so fondly mentioned in the newer books. 

Description:
They are a new breed, a new race. Engineered rather than born, trained rather than raised, and their unique genetics have created more than one surprise…

Jacob left Faith six years before, unaware that the mark he left on her also left her in an agony of sexual heat that never dimmed. Now Jacob and Faith are together again, but surprises lurk around every corner and dangers as dark and deadly as their very creation surround them in more ways than one.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Romance Book Review: Mary Wehr's A Heart's Endeavor


Author: Mary Wehr
Digital ISBN: 9781937325428
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Beachwalk Press


After the death of her very unsupportive husband, clinically depressed Melanie is finally coming out of her shell and getting on with the rest of her life. She's found a new job and she actually driving a car again after four years. It is at her new job that she meets a new man and now she must decide if she can start another relationship or if her depression will get in the way of the new life she can have.

Jack is a state trooper who is close to retirement and hoping the next stage in his life he can find the right woman. When he sees Melanie for the first time he's ready to go over and find out exactly who the new woman is. After meeting her it isn't long until he decides Mel is the one for him, but first he has to find out what that sadness is in her eyes and make her realize she's the one for him no matter what the problems are.

This book tackles one of the tough issues in life and adds a budding romance to the mix. A little on the clinical side when relating to the subject matter, however well written erotic scenes and a good romantic match with the lead characters make up for it.

Description:
There are times when it's best to allow your heart to overrule your head.

Being diagnosed with depression not only messed up Melanie Manning's life, but her marriage as well. Her husband made it very clear that he considered her "damaged goods" and he didn't have time to coddle a mentally ill wife. After his sudden death, Melanie knew she was destined to be alone. Loneliness sounded a hell of a lot better than exposing her illness to another man. Her self-esteem couldn't survive another blow.

When state trooper Jack Horan meets Melanie, the attraction is immediate. Her deep blue eyes make him weak in the knees, but those eyes also hold a hint of sadness. Jack is determined to wipe away her pain, but how can he do that when Melanie refuses to let him get close to her?

Can Melanie learn to face her fears and trust her heart in the hands of another man?

Content Warning: some strong language, spanking, and sex play with a piece of fruit wielded by a hot guy in uniform.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Romance Book Review: Judy Mariott's Paranoral Siting Richmond, England


Author: Judy Mariott
ISBN: N/A
Genre: Paranormal/ Romantic Suspense/ Mystery Suspense
Publisher: Whisper Publishing


Lovelle has run into a bit of bad luck on her farm for the past couple of years and she has to consider if she can keep up with the farm or sell. Just as she is experience yet another left of sheep on her farm she gets a new boarder. Jacob is a sexy new traveler to the area that Lovelle finds she's thinking about more than her problems.

Jacob is more than Lovelle knows. He's been sent to clean up an area of rogues for the organization he works for. By taking care of his problems is it possible he can take care of Lovelle's as well. 

Quick easy read featuring a sweet romance and a well written story line. The story develops quickly and builds offering good description of scenery and background for the mystery. 

Description:
When Jacob, a werewolf and an American agent for the, ‘Centre for World Wide Paranormal Sightings,’ arrives in England to investigate an increase in werewolf activities, he rents a room in the farmhouse of the beautiful Lovelle. He is intensely attracted to her but he knows she is forbidden fruit.
Immediately, Lovelle knows that Jacob is the man for her. But he is just ‘passing through’ and she does not need any further complications in her life.

It’s lust at first sight but both Lovelle and Jacob know that their desires cannot be indulged; Jacob must destroy the negative forces in the area and she has to save her family inheritance.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Romance Review: Tara Chevrestt's Style Me Sexy


Author: Tara Chevrestt
ISBN: N/A
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Sweet Romance
Publisher: Whispers Publishing


Bridget has a blind date and she wants to look her best, even though she doesn't think she can every be really pretty. She goes to her favorite salon to find her normal stylist isn't available. She's dismayed to see the sexy stylist who is available to help her.

Javiar has seen Bridget come into the salon several times and can't stand the fact that the pretty woman doesn't realize just how attractive she is. If he does nothing this day he will make sure that Bridget leaves the salon seeing exactly how beautiful she is.

Short story featuring a sweet romance theme with a lesson in loving the person you are.

Description:
The Self-Conscious Lady


Meet Bridget. She's a sweetheart, but she's carrying some baggage: distrust of men and the fear that she's ugly. Can a male stylist help her in time for her big date?

Bridget isn't beautiful. At least she doesn't think so. Besides, her ex always told her she wasn't. And she believes him. So when an online romance leads to a blind date, she heads to the salon for a makeover stat.

She's dismayed to discover that her usual stylist isn't available, and she has no choice but to let a man do her hair. Nervousness turns into sexual awareness as the sexy Javier buries his fingers in her tresses.

Javier has been aware of the timid but kind woman for some time and vows to make her see that she's beautiful on the outside as well as on the inside. Will he succeed in keeping his own feelings at bay and style her sexy?

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Romance Byte: Rebecca Joyce's Emma's Tresures

Author: Rebecca Joyce
ISBN: N/A
Genre: Erotic Romance/ Contemporary Romance/ Menage A Trois/Quatre/ Western Romance
Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand, Inc.
Available: Nov. 14, 2012



Description: 
The darling girl of Treasure Cove, Emma McKenzie, wanted for nothing, except the love of three men. Days after her twenty-first birthday, she gets her wish. But one night of passion takes everything that she has ever known. Emma finds herself miles away with a secret that will change the lives of the people she left behind.

After a fire that rocks the town and takes the lives of two of their own, the town is left with unanswered questions.

Travis, Tucker, and Tate Quinn are hardworking ranchers and have made a life for themselves in the community. They never forgot the girl that got away. When she shows up several years later, she brings unanswered questions, danger, and a surprise. Together, the Quinn brothers must work to figure out the mystery of the past, save the girl they love, and protect all that they hold dear.

Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.

A Siren Erotic Romance

Romance Byte: Carly Phillips' Perfect Fit


Author: Carly Phillips
Series Connection: Serendipity's Finest
ISBN: 978-0425259719
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Available: Dec. 31, 2012


Description:
In the picturesque town of Serendipity, New York, three siblings have grown up in the shadow of their proud and respected police chief father. But what do love, fate, and fortune have in store for the next generation of Serendipity’s finest?

Always feeling like the odd man out in his family, Michael Marsden wanted to make it on his own. So he escaped Serendipity to become an undercover cop in Manhattan, where the Marsden name wasn’t known. But Michael’s independence is compromised when he returns home to replace his sick father as chief of police. Back in the shadow of his family, he’s as lost and restless as ever, until he’s challenged by someone he never anticipated.

Cara Hartley is the Serendipity cop with whom Mike had a one night stand three months earlier. Neither expected anything more but fate has other things in store. When Mike returns as Cara’s boss, the sexual tension between them is impossible to ignore – and the unexpected emotional connection continues to grow. But Cara’s a small town girl while Mike has a wanderer’s blood in his veins.
Both are convinced a future together is impossible. Until Mike’s real father’s secrets come back to haunt him and he realizes there are some things worth staying and fighting for. Including Cara.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #1


Title: Bared to You
Author: Sylvia Day
Series Connection: A Crossfire Novel
ISBN: 978-0425263907
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Erotic Romance
Publisher: Berkley Trade


Description:
Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness...

He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily...

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds... and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #2


Title: Witnes
Author: Nora Roberts
ISBN: 978-0399159121
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Putnam Adult


Description:
Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man’s seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security  systems—and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail’s reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something—and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #3


Title: The Recruit
Author: Monica McCarty
Series Connection: A Highland Guard Novel
ISBN: 978-0345528414
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Ballantine Books


Description:
Fiery, aggressive, and bold, Kenneth Sutherland is a true champion—skilled with any weapon and driven to win. Now Kenneth is ready for his greatest challenge: joining Robert the Bruce's secret army to fight among the elite. Kenneth's best chance to attain that honor is by winning the Highland Games. Focused and prepared for victory, he is caught off guard by a lovely wisp of a woman—and a stolen moment of wicked seduction. Her innocent arousal and her shameless hunger fire his blood. He will win his place in the guard—and in Mary of Mar's bed.

The ruggedly handsome hero-in-the-making stirs a heart that should know better. Mary vows her surrender will be sport only—no promises, no heartbreak, just one night of incredible passion. Nothing, she swears, will persuade her to give up her hard wrought independence and put her fate in the hands of another powerful man. But with every gentle touch and heart-pounding kiss, Kenneth makes her want more. Now Mary wants his heart. But is this determined champion willing to surrender everything for love?

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #4


Title: Gunmetal Magic
Author: Ilone Andrews
Series Connection: A novel in the world of Kate Daniels
ISBN: 978-0425256138
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Ace


Description:
Some people have everything figured out—Andrea Nash is not one of those people

After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea’s whole existence is in shambles. All she can do is to try to put herself back together, something made easier by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend Kate Daniels.

When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano—the male alpha of the Clan Bouda and Andrea’s former lover—die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate…and must work with Raphael. As Andrea’s search for the killer leads her into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta, she knows that dealing with her feelings for Raphael might have to take a back seat to saving the world…

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #5


Title: Lothaire
Author: Kresley Cole
Series Connection: Immortals After Dark
ISBN: 978-1451683301
Genre: Paranormal romance
Publisher: Pocket Books


Details:
ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD
Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER
Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED
Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #6


Title: Forever and a Day
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series Connection: Lucky Harbor
ISBN: 978-1455503698
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Grand Central


Description:
LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT

Grace never thought she’d be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh’s lovable mutt to caring for his rambunctious son. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad…

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family-until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “good bedside manner.” Josh and Grace don’t know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day…

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #7

Title: Redwood Bend
Author: Robyn Carr
Series Connection: Virgin River
ISBN: 978-0778313106
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: MIRA Books


Description:
CAN CHANGING A TIRE CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

Katie Malone and her twin boys’ trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie doesn’t have the first clue about putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.

Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the sight of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another.

In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road.


Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #8


Title: Darker After Midnight
Author: Lara Adrian
Series Connection: A Midnight Breed Novel
ISBN: 978-0440246121
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Dell


Description: 
The climactic novel in Lara Adrian’s New York Times bestselling Midnight Breed series--and her hardcover debut--Darker After Midnight invites readers to enter a thrillingly sensual world where danger meets desire.

In the dark of night, a blood war escalates within the hidden world of the Breed. After existing in secret for many long centuries, maintaining a fragile peace with the humans who walk beside them unaware, a single act of retaliation has put the entire vampire nation at risk of discovery. It falls to the Order--a cadre of Breed warriors pledged to protect their own and humankind alike--to stop Dragos, the power-mad vampire at the center of the conflict, before his push for domination can explode into catastrophe.

At the center of the Order’s quest is Sterling Chase, once a morally rigid enforcer of Breed law, now a warrior fallen from grace, whose biggest battle is the one he wages against his own savage nature. With addiction beckoning him toward eternal darkness, Chase’s path to redemption has never seemed more out of reach--until he finds himself drawn to a beautiful young woman who may be something much more than she seems . . .

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #9


Title: When the Duke Found Love
Author: Isabella Bedford
Series Connection: Wylder Sisters
ISBN: 978-0345527332
Genre: Historical
Publisher: Ballantine Books


Description:
The spirited Wylder sisters continue to scandalize the ton in Isabella Bradford’s witty and winsome trilogy. This time, the most impulsive of the siblings meets her match: a charming rake determined to save her from an arranged marriage.

The youngest of the Wylder girls—and the last left unwed—Lady Diana is also the most willful, a trait that’s leading her ever closer to dishonorable disaster. While her family’s solution is a fast and excruciatingly respectable marriage, Diana can’t imagine being wed to the very staid and dull Lord Crump. But while wedding plans are being made, a chance meeting at a gala turns Diana’s world upside down.

A kiss from a dazzling stranger gives Diana a most intimate introduction to one of the ton’s most resolute and scandalous bachelors, the Duke of Sheffield. Torn between family duty and her heart’s desire, Diana recklessly surrenders to the headiest of passions, recognizing that she has found a kindred soul in the handsome young duke. Soon it’s clear that seduction is no longer the game: Something deep and lasting has come to bind their hearts, and the stakes are nothing less than true love.

“Sexy, funny, touching, and truly romantic.”—New York Times bestselling author Loretta Chase

Amazon's Romance Book of the Year #10

Title: How to Be a Proper Lady
Author: Katharine Ashe
Series Connection: A Falcon Club Novel
ISBN: 978-0062031761
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: June 26, 2012


Desciption:
The rules of being a proper lady

1) Never take steps greater than six inches apart

2) Never look boldly at a gentleman

3) And never, ever kiss a man who is not your fiancé…

But beautiful, bold Viola Carlyle doesn’t care about the rules. And she desperately wants to kiss the notoriously tempting Captain Jin Seton, the man who brought her kicking and fighting back to English society. Kidnapped as a child, now she longs to return to that life of freedom where she was able to live—and love—as she wished.

Having hunted Viola for two years, Jin Seton has finally found his good luck—for by finding Viola his oldest, deepest debt will at last be paid. And although he has vowed not to let her win his heart, this very improper lady might finally be the one who tames him.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Romance Book Review: Serenity Woods' Whistling Dixie


Author: Serenity Woods
ISBN: 9781616504182
Genre: Romance/Science Fiction
Publisher: Lyrical Press




Dixie can not forgive Riley for getting the promotion she should have had. Every time he tries to get to know her a little better she avoids him. Finally he just gives up. 

When a case comes up that their boss thinks they should work on together, Dixie finally gets to meet the real Riley. Dixie's been hurt before, can Riley break through her shell?

One of the most fascinating things about this book is the world that the author has created around the story. In Dixie and Riley's world the AIDS virus is far worse than ever. Now just kissing can cause the virus to spread. The city around them has also been hit by a major earthquake and not is unable to recover. The best way to have sex is through cyberspace so that no one can get sick. Really well done and imaginative. 

Description:

Virtual sex is saving the world, but for Dixie, it might just be the end.

Detective Sergeant Dixie Green’s assignment is clear: Dorsett House, the virtual adventure playground, have sex in her dreams with a complete stranger, and let them record it so she can find out who’s been blackmailing the rich and famous. Easy, right?

Wrong. Dixie may be sexually frustrated, but she’s completely opposed to dream sex. However, if she doesn’t accept the assignment, Riley Hannigan, the irritating senior promotion-stealing Detective Sergeant who’s also on the mission will take all the credit. 

It’s only dream sex, Dixie tells herself on the big night. But when her partner turns out to be sexy Riley himself, she realizes she’s about to find out how advanced this new technology is... 

WARNING: Hot m/f love

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Romance Book Review: R.M. Prioleau's Tears of the Goddess


Author: R.M. Prioleau
Series Connection: The Goddess Series
ISBN: N/A
Genre: Fantasy/ Romance
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.


Celestra has always had the dream of building her own world and having the Genesis Tree select her so she may find her how star. She is the Goddess of Beauty and she knows that some day she will be able to leave her home at Siyr and make her dream come true.

Tydus is the God of Chaos, he is adored by many Goddesses and although Celestra loves him she doesn't believe he will ever notice her. 

When she finally has her chance to see her dream come to fulfillment, she also realizes that Tydus is in love with her, but the vengeful Queen may have something to say about that. 

Nice beginning to the Goddess Series. It will be interesting to see where the series can go. Very short and quick read.


Description
Celestra, Goddess of Beauty, aspires to leave her home of Siyr, the god-realm, to travel the cosmos and create a new world of her own. But her dreams cannot be fulfilled unless she is one of the seven chosen to undergo a trial put forth by the Genesis Spirit—a trial in which she alone must nourish a Genesis Seed with tears from her heart.

Tydus, God of Chaos, is renowned and adored by many in Siyr, but his heart has always yearned for only one—Celestra. Unlike most Siyran goddesses, Celestra is unyielding and determined, but Tydus’s attempts to win her heart go unnoticed as she keeps her attention focused on her trial. 

This fanciful tale of romance and determination tells the story of two lovers who strive for happiness and realize how much they need one another.

Romance Byte: Jacquelyn Frank's Forbidden


Author: Jacquelyn Frank
Series Connection: The World of Nightwalkers Series
ISBN-10:0345517695
ISBN-13:978-0345517692
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group 


Description:
The unexpected happens in an instant. On her way to work, secretary Docia Waverley hurtles into a crashing crossroads, and she quickly begins to suspect that things will never be the same. Then, when a tall, blond, muscular stranger intervenes on her behalf, telling her it is his duty to protect her at all cost, what is just a feeling turns to proof positive. That is, as long as Docia’s savior doesn’t turn out to be a crazed kidnapper.

When Ram finds Docia, he has no doubt that she is his queen. But as this golden warrior sweeps in to protect her, he feels something more than body heat every time they touch. He is overwhelmed by a searing connection that goes deep into the twin souls inside him. A desire rises in him that is forbidden—this woman is his queen, the mate of his king, his leader, his best friend. And yet Docia is so vulnerable and attractive that she awakens a hunger in Ram that is undeniable, a carnal craving he cannot yield to . . . not without risking the very survival of the Bodywalkers.

Romance Byte: Terry Spear's Highland Rake



Author: Terry Spear
Series Connection: The Highlanders
ISBN: N/A
Genre: Historical
Publisher: Amazon


Description:
Dougald MacNeill takes Lady Alana Cameron to his laird brother James's Craigly Castle when he finds her roaming the heather on the MacNeill lands. But who has sent her there and why? Her uncle, laird of the Cameron clan, and warring with the MacNeill for years, has made a marriage arrangement with another clan and now that is even at stake.

Having witnessed her father's death, and even believing he had returned her home when all along he had been dead, Alana discovers she has the gift, or curse, of seeing the newly departed and sometimes those who should have long ago passed over. Her own deceased brother continues to plague her, the rake, and now another, who is very much of the flesh, Dougald MacNeill, has her thinking marrying a rake might just have its benefits. Dougald's sister, who is one fiesty ghost, has offered to help Alana keep Dougald in line if he thinks of even straying.

But who sent Alana on a fool's errand in the first place to remove her from the Cameron's lands and set her squarely in Dougald's care, and who really killed her father and her brother, and what has it all to do with Alana? Will she and Dougald learn the truth before it is too late?

Friday, November 9, 2012

Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series becomes an original primetime series on the Hallmark Channel



Hallmark Channel Press Release

"CEDAR COVE," A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL PRIMETIME SERIES, STARRING ANDIE MACDOWELL AND DYLAN NEAL, RECEIVES SERIES GREENLIGHT, BEGINS PRODUCTION WITH VETERAN CARL BINDER AS SHOW RUNNER
Series Scheduled to Premiere Spring 2013, Two-Hour Sneak Peek Kick-Off Premiere, January 19, Based on the Beloved Cedar Cove Book Series from New York Times #1 Bestselling Author Debbie Macomber

Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President, Programming, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel announced today that the network's first-ever primetime series, "Cedar Cove" has received a greenlight and is heading into production in Vancouver with veteran show runner Carl Binder at the helm. Binder is best known for many successful seasons of "SGU Stargate Universe," "Stargate Atlantis," "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," as well as, being one of the writers of the Disney animated classic, "Pocahontas." "Cedar Cove" is based on a series of beloved novels from New York Times #1 bestselling author Debbie Macomber. 

The series stars internationally acclaimed movie star and Golden Globe nominee, Andie MacDowell ("Four Weddings & A Funeral," "Green Card," "sex, lies, and videotape") and veteran actor Dylan Neal ("Blood Ties," "Dawson's Creek"). The pedigree of the series is further enhanced by Executive Producers Dan Wigutow, Caroline Moore and Michael Scott, the team responsible for Hallmark Channel's top-rated Original Movies, "Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle," "Debbie Macomber's Call Me Mrs. Miracle," and "Debbie Macomber's Trading Christmas" in 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. "Cedar Cove" will feature a two-hour sneak peek for devoted fans exclusively on Hallmark Channel, Saturday, January 19 (9 p.m. ET/PT, 8c) before the series joins the weekly schedule in early Spring.
"If ever there was a recipe for series success, 'Cedar Cove' is it," said Vicary.

"Start with internationally-acclaimed actor Andie MacDowell, add seasoned co-star Dylan Neal, Debbie Macomber's bestselling stories, the consistency of a world-class show runner, and one of the most successful producing teams in television, and you'll see why we think the outcome will be irresistible - Cedar Cove will be the place we all want to call home," Vicary concluded.

In "Cedar Cove," MacDowell plays Judge Olivia Lockhart whose Cedar Cove Municipal Court is the professional milieu and social microcosm of issues the judge will face in her own day-to-day life with family and friends. Neal plays Jack Griffith, the new editor of the Cedar Cove Chronicle, and budding love interest for Judge Lockhart.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of nearly 87 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, Frasier, Little House on the Prairie, and The Waltons. 

The channel is also home to a diverse range of lifestyle programming, including the newly-launched Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot and Marie, a one-hour talk show hosted by iconic entertainer, Marie Osmond. 

Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, original Hallmark Channel movies, and special events.

New Romance From Resplendence Publishing


Hana's Handyman
Author: Tessie Bradford
Series Connection: Erotic Gems Short 
ISBN: 978-1-60735-600-4
Genre: Erotic


Description:
Hana Coswald is in dire need of professional help. Her dream home is way more of a fixer-upper than she planned on, but finding the perfect contractor is proving to be equally as exhausting.

When Sam Maclosky offers viable solutions, at reasonable prices, she hires him on the spot. Hana quickly discovers her handyman has skills far beyond those relating to construction. 

WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT.  YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE TO PURCHASE THIS TITLE




High Noon 
Author: Kris Norris
Series Connection: Between the Veils Series, Book Two
ISBN: 978-1-60735-599-1
Genre: Paranormal/ Erotic Romance 


Description:
Blake Smith hates ghosts. Since joining forces with his big brother, renowned paranormal investigator Avery Smith, Blake’s been content to stay in the shadows. What better place for a technical specialist to hide than with his creations. And if Blake never saw another apparition, he’d be one happy guy. Too bad his life is about to get spirited.

When Payton Scott moved to Virginia City, she never imagined her biggest problem would be ghosts. With her gallery set to open in a few weeks, her only option is to call her former boyfriend, Avery Smith. But when Avery turns out to be unavailable, she gets far more than she bargained for—his little brother, Blake. She’s never admitted Blake was the reason she couldn’t commit to Avery, or that she’s had a secret crush on him for years. But their mutual interest isn’t the only thing from the past threatening their future, and if Blake can’t wrangle the spirit before it makes its next move, they might end up becoming Virginia City’s next ghostly citizens.

WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT.  YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE TO PURCHASE THIS TITLE. 



Mastering Her Desires 
Author: Melinda Barron
ISBN: 978-1-60735-598-4
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ BDSM



Description:
Piper Hutchinson wants nothing more than to be a chef. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the money for culinary school, and she has a tendency to anger her employers, causing her to lose jobs.

Enter Kenan Tree, a bounty hunter in search of a submissive to help him in an undercover operation at a BDSM resort. Kenan wants someone to whom he’s not attached, so he can concentrate on catching his prey.

But the more time he spends with Piper, the more he finds himself distracted. Can the two of them keep their distance and catch their man?

WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT.  YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE TO PURCHASE THIS TITLE. 



Monday, November 5, 2012

Decadence, passion, betrayal, and political intrigue

Warriors of Rome collection

All November long, Riptide Publishing will be releasing titles set in this period of decadence, passion, betrayal, and political intrigue. Readers of both historical romance and historical fiction will enjoy these well-crafted stories, as our authors and editors have paid the utmost attention to accurate historical detail, in addition to developing the excellent storylines readers have come to expect from Riptide Publishing. 

"We feel these titles would also be perfect for readers new to LGBT fiction, as the LGBT elements within each story reflect the attitudes and examples of LGBT romance most commonly found during this time period," Riptide Publishing reported.

Here's a list of the books. 

The Left Hand of Calvus
Author: LA Witt

ISBN: 978-1-937551-61-2
eBook release: Nov. 5, 2012


Purchase Link

Description:Former gladiator Saevius is certain fortune’s smiling on him when a Pompeiian politician buys him to be his bodyguard. But then his new master, Laurea Calvus, orders Saevius to discover the gladiator with whom his wife is having an affair. In order to do that, Saevius must return to the arena, training alongside the very men on whom he’s spying. Worse, he’s now under the command of Drusus, a notoriously cruel—and yet strangely intriguing—lanista.
But Saevius’s ruse is the least of his worries. There’s more to the affair than a wife humiliating her prominent husband, and now Saevius is part of a dangerous game between dangerous men. He isn’t the only gladiator out to expose the Lady Verina’s transgressions, and her husband wants more than just the guilty man’s name.

When Saevius learns the truth about the affair, he’s left with no choice but to betray one of his masters: one he’s come to fear, one he’s come to respect, and both of whom could have him killed without repercussion. For the first time in his life, the most dangerous place for this gladiator isn’t the arena.

He is Worthy
Author: Lisa Henry
ISBN: 978-1-937551-54-4
eBook release: Nov. 12, 2012


Purchase Link

Description:
Rome, 68 A.D. Novius Senna is one of the most feared men in Rome. He’s part of the emperor’s inner circle at a time when being Nero’s friend is almost as dangerous as being his enemy. Senna knows that better men than he have been sacrificed to Nero’s madness—he’s the one who tells them to fall on their swords. He hates what he’s become to keep his family safe. He hates Nero more.
Aenor is a newly-enslaved Bructeri trader, brutalized and humiliated for Nero’s entertainment. He’s homesick and frightened, but not entirely cowed. He’s also exactly what Senna has been looking for: a slave strong enough to help him assassinate Nero.
It’s suicide, but it’s worth it. Senna yearns to rid Rome of a tyrant, and nothing short of death will bring him peace for his crimes. Aenor hungers for revenge, and dying is his only escape from Rome’s tyranny. They have nothing left to lose, except the one thing they never expected to find—each other.


The City War
Author: Sam Starbuck
ISBN: 978-1-937551-56-8
eBook release: Nov. 19, 2012




Description:
Senator Marcus Brutus has spent his life serving Rome, but it’s difficult to be a patriot when the Republic, barely recovered from a civil war, is under threat by its own leader. Brutus’s one retreat is his country home, where he steals a few precious days now and then with Cassius, his brother-in-law and fellow soldier—and the one he loves above all others. But the sickness at the heart of Rome is spreading, and even Brutus’s nights with Cassius can’t erase the knowledge that Gaius Julius Caesar is slowly becoming a tyrant.
Cassius fears both Caesar’s intentions and Brutus’s interest in Tiresias, the villa’s newest servant. Tiresias claims to be the orphaned son of a minor noble, but his secrets run deeper, and only Brutus knows them all. Cassius, intent on protecting the Republic and his claim to Brutus, proposes a dangerous conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. After all, if Brutus—loved and respected by all—supports it, it’s not murder, just politics.

Now Brutus must return to Rome and choose: not only between Cassius and Tiresias, but between preserving the fragile status quo of Rome and killing a man who would be emperor.

Mark of the Gladiator
Author: Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane
ISBN: 978-1-937551-59-9
eBook release: Nov. 26, 2012


Description:
After an inconvenient display of mercy in the arena, the gladiator Anazâr is pulled from the sands and contracted to nobleman Lucius Marianus to train his new stable of female gladiators. His charges are demoralized and untested, and they bear the marks of abuse. Anazâr has a scant two months to prepare them for the arena, and his new master demands perfection.

Anazâr is surprised by how eager he is to achieve it—far more eager than a man motivated only by self-preservation. Perhaps it’s because Marianus is truly remarkable: handsome, dignified, honorable, and seemingly as attracted to Anazâr as Anazâr is to him.

But a rivalry between Marianus and his brother sparks a murder conspiracy, with Anazâr and his gladiatrices caught in the middle. One brother might offer salvation . . . but which? And in a world where life is worth less than the pleasures of the crowd or the whims of a master, can there be any room for love? As a gladiator, Anazâr's defenses are near impenetrable. But as a man, he learns to his cost that no armor or shield can truly protect his heart.