Star Crossed by Kele Moon

Grade – A
Hotness Level – Inferno
Kink Level - None
Genre – Contemporary
Series – Battered Hearts #2
Reviewed by Anne
 

 

After reading Defying the Odds I went pretty much straight to Star Crossed.  I was a bit nervous.  I really liked the first story, so I wondered if the second would live up to it.  Well, no worries there – Star Crossed was awesome!  I liked it even better than Defying the Odds, and that’s saying a lot.
 

OK, character roll call.  We’ve got Jules (aka Juliet) who is a smart and confident small town lawyer in her 30s.  She’s very close to her twin brother, the Sherriff, Wyatt.  Jules also works part time at the dispatch center.  Together with their best friend and UFC Heavyweight champion, Clay, they own a large gym and training center in town. 
 

Clay just defended his title by defeating Romeo Wellings.  (Yes, Romeo and Juliet!)  Clay has come to like Romeo after the events that happened at the end of Defying the Odds.  However, Wyatt still sees Romeo as the enemy. (See!  Romeo and Juliet!)  Romeo is New York City slick, rumored to have mob connections, and no one that Wyatt wants around his sister.  He’s every bit as confident as Jules, to the point of being cocky.
 

Unbeknownst to everyone in Jules’ circle of friends, Jules and Romeo had a one night stand after the UFC fight.  That leads to a string of increasingly hot phone calls, text messages, and video chats between the two of them.  When Clay retires and offers to train Romeo, he accepts, knowing Clay will be a good trainer, he’ll be getting some space from his mob connections, and – most of all – he’ll be close to Jules.
 

Star Crossed picks up in time right where Defying the Odds left off.  An extremely hot phone sex call between Romeo and Jules makes their attraction very clear.  A lengthy flashback to their Vegas hookup fills in some blanks and we final jump to present day.  This is one extremely hot and dirty book. 

There are so many things I liked about it, it’s hard to pick one to start with.  I like to mark notes while I read on my ereader.  At the end of this reading I had 30 notes, and 25 of them are pretty much just me remarking how hot a scene is, how funny a comment was, or how much I love these characters.

Jules and Romeo work so well together.  Jules is so comfortable in her own skin and sexuality.  This is a trait that’s put other men off, but Romeo loves it.  Their chemistry is off the charts, even when they aren’t in the same room. 

Jules and Romeo are both very close to their brothers.  I thought those relationships were really realistic, and these characters were fun to hang out with.  The book is full of moments like this one:

“I’m sexy and I know it.”

Romeo looked to Tino, who was currently enjoying the benefits of satellite radio, and arched an eyebrow at his youngest brother.  “You’re officially banned from energy drinks and convenience-store doughnuts.”

Tino bounced his head, giving Romeo a wide smile, showing off even white teeth as he sang off-key.  “I work out.”

These funny moments come between the hot and dirty and raw ones.  Here are a few lines from one of Jules’ and Romeo’s over the phone meetings:

“Don’t encourage me…’cause it feels really good when it happens like this.  I like it.”

 “Yeah?”

 Jules panted. “Um, yeah, I do it like this when I got extra time and the house to myself…like tonight.”

“I’m gonna come,” Romeo admitted with a pained groan.  “I’m so fucking turned on I’m going blind from it.”

“Oh, do it.” Jules couldn’t keep the whimper of longing out of her voice.  “I wanna hear it.  Lemme hear you come thinking about me and listening to me finger fuck myself.”

“Shit!” Romeo shouted.  His breathing was harsh, making it obvious he’d given in and come.  “Fuck, Juliet!”

There were a few things I didn’t like in the book.  Wyatt was portrayed as this very responsible and mature man, but he made some really, really foolish choices that had big repercussions for Jules and Romeo.  It wasn’t totally out of character, though.  I’m not a huge fan of secret relationships, so Jules and Romeo’s down low status went on a bit too long for me.  I really don’t know much about the mafia, so I can’t speak to how realistic that part was.    

Overall, though, these were just small blips on an otherwise incredibly good book.  This one is certainly going on my best reads of the year list, and I’ll be looking at Kele Moon’s other books, too!

Covert Seduction by Callie Croix

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Genre-Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by Kay

Reid Galvin is a Navy SEAL on leave after a horrible mission and all he wants is to see Becca Anderson. They had a situation before he was deployed and it carried on through his deployment. He has decided how he feels about her and wants to set matters right.

Becca Anderson is an employee at an investment firm who decrypted a file for a co-worker recently that was quite a shock. She loves Reid but has a hard time with his job and where their relationship stands. Reid calls her to set up a time for them to talk things out and interrupts her on a date that really isn't one.

David told Becca that on the file she decrypted that some one embezzled money from the firm. Big money, like two billion dollars big. He gives her a copy of the information on a zip drive. She's very scared about all this as she should be but agrees to wait until David has found out everything and everyone involved before they go to the authorities.

On the way home from the fundraiser they are ran off the road by another car and into a deep canal. They are trapped upside down inside the car with water seeping in from a crack in the back windshield. Meanwhile, Reid decides to wait for Becca at her house to come home after her date and happens upon the accident scene. He jumps in to rescue whoever is trapped, having no idea it's Becca.

He rescues them both and then takes Becca back to her apartment to take care of her. The next day, she gets a phone message from David saying someone has broken in and ransacked his home. She then hears someone attack David and the line goes dead. She at that point tells Reid. At the same time downstairs, a man breaks into her house. Reid chases down the man and holds him until the police come.

Reid takes Becca to his friend's beach house where they stay until the police wrap everything up, which they do quite quickly. They both admit they love each other and are willing to work on their relationship. In the epilogue, they are happily married.

This was just an okay read for me. It was plenty hot enough and that was done well. There was a couple of things that didn't ring true for me, such as, Reid and Becca having sex in front of a picture window where the neighbors could and did see her. Also, Becca made a comment about tying him up at her mercy. The book describes how dominant he is and how he's held back in their encounters in the past, so I don't see him allowing himself to be tied up. Nor do I by into an alpha male allowing anyone to see the woman they want to marry, naked. Those for whatever reason were an issue for me. The rescue scene with the car trapped in the canal was pretty good but again, just an okay read for me.

Out of This World by Jill Shalvis

Grade - C+
Hotness Level - Blaze
Kink Level - None
Genre - Contemporary/Paranormal
Reviewed by Kate
One of the things I love about my library is it's romance section. Four shoulder-height racks that rotate. The part I like best is that they are only loosely alphabetized. Meaning all the "M"s are together, but not necessarily in order. It might seem like a strange thing to appreciate, but I love stumbling across a favorite author's book I haven't heard of before. That's how I found this quirky Shalvis read.

Rachel inherits a Bed & Breakfast in Alaska from her aunt. She takes her good friend Kellan with her to explore the B&B. There she meets Marilee, the cook who can't cook, and Axel, the guide who always gets lost.

Rachel and Kel get struck by lightning and wake up with x-ray vision (for Rachel) and super-human strength (for Kel). And that's just the beginning of the strangeness. A secret pair of guests, the aunt's fully stocked gun cabinet, and dimension jumping pirates round out the plot.

This is definitely a departure from the Lucky Harbor Shalvis I am used to. Written in first person from both Rachel and Kel's point-of-view, Shalvis has created a separate world that you are only given the smallest glimpse of, enough to leave me with tons of unanswered questions.

Spanking Ms. Whitman by Kate Richards

Grade - B-
Hotness Level - inferno
Kink Level - moderate (spanking, D/s)
Genre - Contemporary, novella
Reviewed by Kate

Mona Whitman is habitually late for work. Maybe if she wasn't daydreaming about her boss, Mr. Marks, she might have a chance at being on time.

When Mr. Marks calls Mona into his office to discuss her tardiness, he asks if she has any suggestions for punishment. She accidentally blurts out that he should spank her, revealing one of her secret fantasies. While surprised, Mr. Marks has been having the same dream for a long time and the opportunity is too good to pass up. 

Personally, I could have done with fewer self-pleasuring scenes, but I actually enjoyed this one, despite it being a short story.

Favorite Authors for Kay

Anne and I were talking and she had the idea that we should maybe be more specific and name our favorite authors. Sounds good to me, so here goes. These are in alphabetical order not in order of preference.


Historical-

Jennifer Ashley
Maya Banks
Kresley Cole
Alexandra Hawkins
Jennifer Haymore
Lorraine Heath
Sabrina Jeffries
Nicole Jordan
Christie Kelley
Beverley Kendall
Sarah Maclean
Margaret Mallory
Monica McCarty
Sarah McCarty
Jenna Petersen
Julia Quinn
Michele Sinclair

Paranormal-

Lara Adrian
Shannon K. Butcher
Kresley Cole
Alexandra Ivy
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Shelly Laurenston
Gena Showalter
J.R. Ward

Contemporary-

Bella Andre
Maya Banks
Shayla Black
Toni Blake
Jaci Burton
Lorelei James
Robin Kaye
Susan Mallery
Lisa Marie Rice
Jill Shalvis

These are my favorites and I like almost everything they write in these genres. I hope this gives insight into some of what I like and please feel free to comment and let me know some of yours.

Kay

Defying the Odds by Kele Moon

Grade - A
Hotness Level - Inferno
Kink Level - None
Genre - Contemporary
Series - Battered Hearts #1
Reviewed by Anne

Melody is a dirt poor waitress making a new start in a new town after escaping her abusive ex-husband.  Clay is a UFC champion.  He's big, grumpy, and doesn't have many friends in the small town he grew up in and trains in. Then Melody buys him a piece of pumpkin pie when she sees him eating alone on Thanksgiving.  He's so taken with her that he attempts to choke down the pie, even though pumpkin pie literally makes him gag.  No one thinks these two belong together, but they can't stay away from each other. 

There are so many things I liked about this story!  It's going on my Best of 2013 list.  Clay is a really sweet guy.  A huge man who tends to be grumpy and enjoys beating up his best friend in the name of training.  He sees Melody struggling financially, tired from all the shifts she's working at the restaurant and he wants to help her.  When she refuses his help, he respects that.  He tries to work around her, but he gives in when she insists she wants to make her own way. 

Melody is a hard working woman trying to rebuild her life away from her abusive ex-husband.  She's smart enough to check in with the sheriff when she gets in to town to let him know about the restraining order she has.  She knows absolutely nothing about UFC fighting, but is happy for Clay that he's found success at something.  She's simple and straightforward in her thinking without tons of angst, which was refreshing! 

I really enjoy a book about an unfolding relationship without a lot of extra drama and conflict brought in to the story, and this one fit the bill for me.  The UFC fighters' violence, even just hanging around reminded me of Shelly Laurenston's shifters in a good way.  I think I enjoy the violence in a fantasy way after spending so much time with my kids advocating for peace and gentleness.  I'd have a hard time hanging out with people who broke each others' noses in real life, but I enjoy it in a book.

The story really worked overall for me, but there are some issues that might put others off.  In particular, Melody is described as having survived years of physical and emotional abuse, but she has surprisingly few issues that bother her.  In the middle of the story Melody makes a decision that borderline TSTL, but it works out ok.  Melody leaves Clay for a while and he's terribly broken up about it - it reminded me of Bella after Edward left!  I was very frustrated with Bella, but I thought Clay was cute.  It's possible I have some gender bias issues.

I have to put in a mention that this story featured a positive foster care experience.  That always adds bonus points for me!

And then there's the sex.  Hot.  Really well written!  Really.

This book was published in 2011, but somehow it never crossed my radar until now.  I can't believe how much I liked it!  I'm anxious to read the next book in the series (Star Crossed) to see if I have a new favorite author! 

Found: One Runaway Bride by Stella Bagwell

Grade - C
Hotness Level - Blaze
Kink Level - None
Genre - Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate

Ahhhh---an amnesiatic (if that's not a word, I'm making it one) bride. Cordell finds a car in a cornfield. Inside he finds Abby wearing a wedding dress and unable to remember anything other than her first name. The car has no registration or plates and Abby has no identification.

After a night in the hospital, Abby has a choice to make. She can either ride an hour with the sleazy sheriff to a battered women's shelter where she can stay for a while. Or, she can take Cordell up on his offer to recover at his farmhouse with him and his two children.

Cordell's wife died 2 years ago. She was a high-maintenance woman who was never happy on the farm. She also had more than one affair during their marriage. Cordell is determined to never marry or fall in love again (is there a hero out there who is looking for love?), but he does enjoy the cooking and cleaning Abby is doing while she stays in his house.

While Abby would like to explore her attraction to Cordell, he resists at every turn. After all, she already ran from one man at her wedding. What's to keep her from leaving him? Cordell is positive once her memory returns she will want no part of farm life.

I'm not exactly sure what I was hoping for at the end of the book, but the resolution left me feeling flat. The beginning held such promise but it didn't deliver.

Simple Need and Ink Spots by Lissa Matthews

 
Grade - B+, B+
Hotness Level - Inferno
Kink Level - Moderate
Genre - Contemporary, Novella (52 and 75 pages)
Series - Simple Need #1 and #3
Reviewed by Anne

Some time ago, probably December of 2011, I went on my yearly buying frenzy at All Romance eBooks and I picked up books 1 and 3 of this series.  I'm not 100% sure why I didn't pick up book 2, I think it had to do with a Goodreads review mentioning the use of vegetables...  I don't know, but now that I've read these, I may have to go pick up Book 2, Carnal Ecstasy.

These books are short.  And they are wicked hot.  And they are a mix of things that REALLY work for me, and small moments that pull me out of the stories. Let's start with Simple Need.  Elise is at a bar after a recent text message dumping by a loser of a boyfriend.  She meets Vinter, who is pretty much opposite in every way from the guys she usually dates.  To her surprise, Vinter is very interested in her.  She doesn't realize how much.  She's contemplating a one night stand and Vinter is asking her name and thinking thoughts like this:

"What's your name?"
"Does it matter?"
Does is matter?  Of course to hell it mattered.  How was he supposed to whisper it in her ear as he pounded her ass if he didn't know it?  "Yes."

 Simple Needs was full of little moments like that that I loved.  But it also had times that made me shake my head wondering, such as the scene where Elise falls asleep in the car with her hand resting "limply between his legs."  Now, I can imagine falling asleep driving home with a long time boyfriend, but on the way to stranger's house?  A stranger whose name you don't even know?  I think I'd be looking for road signs!    And there's the moment where Vinter has made Elise waffles and serves her three of them and she thinks to herself, "She'd never eaten three waffles in her life"  All I could think was REALLY?  How big are those waffles?  Because I can totally handle three waffles.  With peanut butter and syrup, thank you very much. 

However, moments like these were outweighed by Vinter's sweetness and the overall hotness of the writing.  This would have been an A read for me without the weird moments.  And I cannot end the review for this book without mentioning that Vinter's penis is pierced.  Many times.  Go read it and see for yourself. 

Ink Spots was the same kind of read for me.  This book features Vinter's friend Jaz, a tattoo artist, and a waitress he's been interested in, Mandi.  They have a mutual friend, Jackie, who negotiates a birthday gift for Mandi, and the gift is 24 hours of Jaz.  As is the case with Simple Need, Jaz has deeper feelings for Mandi, but is willing to use this 24 hour deal to get to know her better. 

As with Simple Needs, this story is peppered with WTF moments, such as the fact that the heroine allows Jaz to tattoo her, with the tattoo of his choosing!  I understand that she's been his waitress for a few months and that she's crushing on him, but that's a lot of trust.  And then there's the fact that he decides to tattoo his name onto her shoulder.  Seriously!  And she's fine with that!  Crazy.

But again, for me the hot and sweet moments outweighed the crazy.  You've got lines like this:

She was a heavy weight against him, a big girl, but shit, he loved it.

 

 And Mandi is 40 and sexually experienced!  Hooray for a non-slender flower virgin heroine!  At one point when they are having anal sex, Mandi is thankful for her sex toys and former lovers, because it leaves her more ready to enjoy this with Jaz.  I think I've read a lot of slut-shaming, where heroines are bad for having sexual experience before meeting their HEA hero.  I really enjoy a story where sexual experience doesn't equal evil.

 

So, Ink Spots was also a B+ read for me.  I think this makes Simple Needs and Ink Spots officially crack reads for me.  Because I'm not sure they are good, but I really enjoyed reading them, and I know I'll read them again. Crack.  And, yes, now I need to go get Carnal Ecstasy and see if it measures up.

You've Got Male by Elizabeth Bevarly

Grade - C-
Hotness Level - Blaze
Kink Level - None
Genre - Contemporary
Series - OPUS #1
Reviewed by Kate

Avery is an agoraphobic computer whiz.  She lives alone with her cat and does her best to never leave.  She has, however, met Andrew on line.  He is the perfect man.  Or so Avery thinks.   In truth, Andrew is Adrian (aka the Sorcerer), an OPUS agent gone rogue.  And he's only after Avery's mind (there's something you don't hear too often in a romance).  When Avery was barely an adult, she accidentally released a computer virus that caused tons of issues (revenge plot against a bad boyfriend gone wrong).  She ended up in prison for 2 years.   While Avery is unaware of Andrew's true identity, Dixon knows exactly who the Sorcerer is and what he's capable of.  An OPUS agent himself, Dixon has been trying to figure out who Avery is and what the Sorcerer wants with her.   OPUS uses Avery to draw the Sorcerer out.  Dixon remains as her side, and obviously the two grow closer.  Avery is sure she's too messed up for anyone to love.  Dixon can't figure out why he's so attracted to her.   I have to admit this is the first time I've run across a heroine who dresses in pajama pants and raggy sweatshirts through most of the book.  While refreshing, it took a pat-down search for weapons for Dixon to become attracted to her. The single sex scene weirded me out a little.  It started with an online conversation between the Sorcerer and Avery, but ended up with Dixon and Avery going at it.  Throw in a relationship between Dixon's partner and Avery's sister and it was just too much.   Honestly, I struggled through the first quarter of the book.  By page 100 it started to get a bit better (page 100 is the point I give myself permission to quit reading a bad book).  By halfway through there was just too much extra stuff going on.  I'm not saying it was terrible.  I just wasn't for me.  I almost wish I had quit at page 100.

Taking The Stage (The Complete 5-Part Series) by Emma Rose

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Series-Taking The Stage (Parts 1-5)
Reviewed by Kay

Therese is a very full-figured gal and she's comfortable with that. She has a spoiled younger sister who is described as skinny. Her sister says some things that I considered hurtful regarding Therese's weight. I only mentioned that because Therese is very selfless where her sister is concerned. Nikki, the sister, loves rock star, Max Stone. Therese ends up winning tickets and back stage passes to his bands' upcoming concert. So, she and Nikki go. When they get in the limo Max is in there. Therese doesn't recognize him and this thrills him. 

After the concert, there's a party where Therese and Max hook up. This torrid experience sets things in fast forward. There's an angry ex-girlfriend, curious family members and Therese's disbelief at Max's sincerity regarding his interest in her. The parts to this book are very short which is why I am reviewing them together. I liked reading it but it didn't blow me away. I don't know if it was the fast pace or maybe lack of character development. Maybe both. I would read Emma Rose again though because I did like it. I always like to buy into the fantasy of a hot guy falling for the less than waifish heroine.

Easy by Tammara Weber

Grade-B-
Hotness Level-Ember
Kink Level-None
Genre-New Adult
Reviewed by Kay

Jacqueline is a sophomore in college that followed her boyfriend to school. In her second year here, said boyfriend decides he wants to sow his wild oats and breaks up with her. She is heart broken and distraught. She skips classes while in mourning and gets behind, which causes her to need a tutor. She also attends a frat party where she walks back to her truck alone at night, in a dimly lit parking lot. She is attacked and almost raped by a guy in her ex-boyfriend's fraternity but she's saved by a guy named Lucas.

Lucas gets her home safe and sound after beating her attacker senseless. Lucas is a senior in college and different in every way from Kennedy, her ex. He's quiet but fiercely protective of her. They begin a relationship this consists of attraction and friendship. Jacqueline also has a sort of relationship with her tutor, Landon. They haven't had a face to face but converse through e-mails. Most of their conversations are school related but some personal information is also shared.

A lot goes on in this story, Lucas is Landon, which gets explained, her attacker goes after her repeatedly until the authorities are called in, her ex wants her back and she learns that first love doesn't always last. This was a sweet book about real love and forgiveness of one's self for mistakes made both in and beyond your control. I'm not a fan of the young adult and new adult genre, I like my romance spicy, but this was a good book.

Giving by Charlotte Stein

Grade - B
Hotness Level - Inferno
Kink Level - moderate
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Anne

In my continuing trend of reading shorter, dirtier books, I read another of Charlotte Stein's novellas.  Giving is a contemporary set story about Clarissa and her boyfriend, Oliver.  Oliver has given Clarissa three birthday requests.  All of them have to do with Clarissa sexually dominating him in different ways.  Clarissa agrees to do this for Oliver.  Giving tells how they play out these three wishes and Clarissa's surprised response to playing with Oliver in this way.

I thought this was a very well written story.  It's short, but it's very complete.  I felt like I understood what was going on in their heads.  I think this is remarkable because this story crossed my personal kink line.  So even though it got to something that made me personally uncomfortable, I didn't feel uncomfortable for the characters.  It was clear that this was consensual and enjoyable to them, which made it a good read for me.

Angel Baby by Leslie Kelly

Grade - C+
Hotness Level - Blaze
Kink Level - None
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate
Claudia goes into labor while visiting her husband's grave. Chase, who stopped to visit his mother's grave, decides to drive her to the hospital. Realizing they won't make it in time, Chase takes her to his house (conveniently close by-where any good hero's house should be) to wait for the ambulance. Claudia ends up delivering baby Sarah in Chase's bed.

Fast forward 9 months. Claudia is moving closer to her only friends and has a job interview. To her surprise, the interviewer is Chase, the owner of the company. No one should be surprised that he hires her.

Both Chase and Claudia are surprised at the strength of their attraction to each other. Both are battling with childhood issues that make them deny their attraction. Both follow a fairly predictable path to love.

I was surprised by the ending.  Instead of Chase turning into a sudden jerk and believing Claudia has done something completely out of character until she can force him to see reason, the author chooses to let Chase trust in the love he has for Claudia.  An ending that just didn't seem to fit the formulaic story.  It actually felt too anti-climactic.

Candy Store by Bella Andre

Grade - C+
Hotness Level - Blaze
Kink Level - None
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate

I have been wanting to read a Bella Andre book for a while now, but the price tag on most of her full lengths are more than I like. So when this one came up as a freebie, I snatched it up -- despite its nearly novella length of around 118 pages.   Right off the bat, the title reminded me of a disturbingly suggestive Brady Bunch song called "Candy (Sugar Shoppe)".  Seriously, check out the lyrics sometime and see if you don't agree. Who knew the Bradys were that dirty? But, I'm guessing that's an issue that probably won't bother most of you. Anyway **clearing throat** on to the review... Callie is at a wedding one night bemoaning the fate of her candy shop. Unless she can make a lot of money fast, she'll have to close the doors on her dream. It's a good thing a consultant is coming the next day to help her out. It's also a good thing there's a really hot guy at the bar, willing to take her back into the commercial refrigerator of the reception hall and help her forget about business for the night. Derek hates weddings and wouldn't be at this one if he wasn't the best man. Luckily he meets up with Callie, who proves to be just the distraction he's looking for. But he's a little confused when she runs away after it's over. The next day Callie heads into her store to await the consultant. That consultant, of course, is Derek. After taking care of some naughty business, they get down to the business of saving her store. I sure hope they remembered to bleach the counters-and the refrigerator-and the tables... This was a fast read with characters who I immediately felt comfortable with. Although it was not a book I will reread, I look forward to reading more by this author.

 

 
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-Tall, Dark and Deadly #1
Reviewed by Kay

Lauren Reynolds is a lawyer with the DA's office and she's working a huge profile case. Royce Walker is a former FBI agent turned security specialist who's looking into threats made against her and her father. They have been attracted to each other for quite some time. One night at an event, Lauren decides she's gonna act on her attraction to Royce and go to bed with him. Royce likes that idea a lot but hates keeping his involvement with her dad a secret.

I had high hopes for this one and was disappointed. I liked the characters and the whodunit part was good but the love scenes were so mediocre. Let me explain, when I read about this book it emphasized how HOT, HOT, HOT this book was. It was NOT, NOT, NOT. There was sex but it never worked for me. It was abbreviated and fairly bland. A book doesn't have to be hot for me to read it but don't advertise it as such.

This was my first read by Lisa Renee Jones and I am uncertain if I will read more by her. The suspense was good but not great and it wrapped up abruptly with believability questionable. For someone who likes their romantic suspense simple and a little less spicy, this book might be fantastic for you.

Another Woman's Son by Anna Adams

Grade - C+
Hotness Level - ember
Kink Level - None
Genre-Contemporary, Harlequin
Reviewed by Kate

Okay, get your pens and papers ready. Take notes -- there'll be a quiz at the end (okay, not really, but you still might want to take notes).

Best friends Will and Ben married sisters Isabel and Faith. Will and Isabel. Ben and Faith. Got that? Keeping up? Good. One more person to add to the mix. Tony is Ben and Faith's toddler son.

When Isabel presses Will to have a baby, he admits he already has a son with -- wait for it -- Faith. That's right, little Tony is really Will's son, not Ben's. Isabel leaves Will. She decides not to tell Ben about Tony's true parentage.

Three months later (where the story starts), Will and Faith have decided to run away with Tony. They are in an accident with Tony being the only survivor. Faith had left a note for Ben, so he now knows Tony is not his biological son.

Ben is terrified Isabel will tell her parents that Tony is really Will's son and they will want to take custody away from Ben. He decides the best course of action is to keep Isabel close to him, so he invites Isabel to stay with him while she is cleaning out Will's house -- the one she hasn't lived in for 3 months.

Isabel is a great big ball of internal conflict. She feels guilty for not telling Ben about Will and Faith's affair. She knows the best home for Tony is with Ben, but worries Ben might refuse to let her family visit Tony. She doesn't like lying to her parents, but doesn't want to ruin her parents' memories of Faith with the truth of Faith's infidelity.
This story has a fast timeline. Four months from start to finish. Ben and Isabel's feelings for each other started within a few days of the funerals. I can usually overlook a quick sprint to being in love, but this felt a little off. To top it all off, the epilogue was a bit too hunky-dory for me. It was an okay read, but I don't think I'll be rereading this one.

The Sherbrooke Bride by Catherine Coulter

Note from Anne - this is the first romance novel I owned, the one that started me on my love affair with romance.  It hasn't stood the test of time, though.  Back in the day, I reread this countless times.  I set romance aside for a few years and when I got back into it, I didn't care for this one any more.  I actually ended up giving it away, because it made me feel yucky.  Kudos to Kate for taking on the challenge of reading My First Romance Novel.


Grade - C-
Hotness Level - Blaze
Kink Level - None
Genre-Historical
Series - Bride Series  #1
Reviewed by Kate

Douglas, Earl of Northcliffe, needs a bride and an heir to get his family off his back.  Due to a scheduling conflict, he sends his cousin, Tony, to wed the beautiful Melissande by proxy.  Unfortunately for Douglas, Tony and Melissande fall madly in love and elope.  Not wanting to return to Douglas empty handed, Tony makes the choice to proxy-marry Melissande's younger sister, Alexandra, to Douglas instead -- without informing him.

Douglas spends most of the book telling Alexandra he wishes she were her sister.  Alexandra, who has secretly loved Douglas for the last 3 years, spends the book alternating between planning ways to make Douglas love her and trying to run away.

While Douglas The Ass and Wishy-Washy Alexandra are the main characters, Tony and Melissande's relationship is also a focal point -- a disturbing focal point. Melissande, being beautiful, is very self-centered. Tony, being her husband, must train her to be a better person. This takes the form of "I'm your husband, you must do as say," but left me feeling almost dirty. It came off as belittling, embarrassing, and degrading.

The repeated references to Alexandra's spine being strapped to a broom handle and Douglas's continued use of "tell me you understand" got tedious. A sub-plot involving a kidnapped mistress leading to Alexandra being kidnapped herself added another layer of weirdness to the story.

All in all, I'm glad I didn't waste money on this one.

When You Don't Get What You're Expecting

So, I just finished all 38 pages of Cara McKenna's Brazen.

There.  Enjoy that cover goodness!  For about 37 pages I was in love with this short story.  It's different.  It's really hot.   Caroline and Sean are awesome together.  And Caroline put together an honest to goodness harem of young men who are on a schedule to come and hang out with her each evening.  (Or should I say hang out and come with her???)  But on that last page...  it's not a happy ending.  They each go their own way.  I just didn't see it coming and it really caught me off guard!  (Note to self: check tags on goodreads reviews to look for HEA before reading.)  I think I still would have read it if I'd known it was just about a short affair.  I think I would have liked it better for knowing what I was getting into, actually.  Which brings me to my point...

I hate it when I don't get what I'm expecting!  I read to escape my real life.  I expect a HEA, and I appreciate some hot sex along the way.  But I'm picky about that, too.  I like to know what kind of heat level to expect before I read.  I'm generally ok if a book is hotter than I expected, but if I'm expecting explicit love scenes and I don't get them, it leaves me disappointed.

Most of the time, reading for escape, I'm reading for an HEA.  The new 50 Shades trend of trilogies where you only get the HEA after all three books?  Drives me CRAZY.  I don't want to wait that long!  But it makes me horribly mad to read and find a cliffhanger ending when I'm not expecting it!  That's rare now, as I'm reading more reviews and on the lookout for such manipulations!  I'd rather think of the trilogy as one big book, and I don't want to read them unless I can read them all.

There are excpetions, of course, because I totally love Dallas and Roarke (J.D. Robb) and I think I'll read anything in the Kate Daniels world (though I'm a book behind!) and these are both series that stay with the same couple all the way through.  Oh, and the Adrian English series by Josh Lanyon goes on that same couple series list.  In each of these cases, the book itself comes to a pretty satisfactory ending, it just leaves you wanting more - not teetering at the edge of a cliffhanger.

So I know what I want.  And I'll read reviews and snoop around to make sure I'm getting what I want.  And if I'm goign to step out of my usual, I like to know it going in.  (Ummm, yeah, people have mentioned that i might have some control issues.  It's ok, I've got it under control.)  How about you?  Do you enjoy a surprise?  Are you ok with a cliffhanger?  What do you think?  ~Anne

Raw Heat by Charlotte Stein

Grade - B+
Hotness Level - Inferno
Kink Level - None
Genre-paranormal, novella
Reviewed by Anne

I have been on a break from reading.  I didn't mean to, it just happened!  I started sewing and crocheting and I had so many ideas I wanted to get to and... I just wasn't picking up my reader!  Then when I did pick up my reader I was in the middle of a sweet Christmas romance and, as much as I wanted it to work for me, it just wasn't working!  So, I set aside the Christmas sweets (thank you for that advice, Kate) and picked up something much darker - Raw Heat.

 

I'm a Charlotte Stein fan.  I haven't read everything she's written, but I'm working my way through her back list and I really enjoy her voice.  I had Raw Heat on my reader, bought at a 50% off sale at All Romance eBooks, I suspect, and I decided to try it.  It's a novella and it's a pretty short one, but there's a lot of story packed into the pages.  Serena is a nurse, well, almost a nurse at an underground facility that experiments on werewolves.  See, werewolves have taken over the world to the point that just pockets of humans exist, hiding away in above ground fortresses or in literally underground cities.  But werewolves regularly attack and the humans are losing.  

 

Serena's patient is Connor.  She cleans him up after the "doctors" have experimented on him.  Tortured him.  He is a werewolf, which means he quickly heals any damage they've done to him.  But healing doesn't remove blood, so Serena comes in each day to clean him up.  And they have started talking to each other.  And Serena is falling for him.

 

The story is told entirely from Serena's point of view, but it's done in such a way that you clearly know Connor has feelings for her as well.  This is an erotic short, so it starts when Serena and Connor are finally taking the step to make their relationship physical.  

 

I really enjoyed the story.  It was a good hot read while being dark and complex.  All that in a short story.  From the beginning I was a bit creeped out wondering if Serena was part of an experiment she wasn't aware of with Connor.  That bothered me, but added an edge to the story.  I think that added a bit too much suspense for my personal taste, but overall the story worked for me.

Paradise Awakening by Jaci Burton

Grade - B-
Hotness Level - Inferno
Kink Level - None
Genre-Contemporary, novella
Series - Passion in Paradise #1
Reviewed by Kate

Professor Serena Graham knows her sexual fantasies could cause her to lose her job if anyone in her small hometown were to find out. So she books a week stay at the Paradise Resort to try some things out.

When she arrives, her suite has already been taken by author Michael Donovan, who is at the resort doing research for his next novel. Michael had planned on bringing his girlfriend along but she cancelled on him. He is not to upset as that relationship was falling apart anyway.

There are no other rooms available, naturally, so Michael and Serena decide to share the two bedroom suite. That agreement quickly turns into an agreement to share all the experiences offered by the resort...no strings attached.

This one is HOT, HOT, HOT. Even though there are tons of steamy scenes, you are still able to get to know Michael and Serena. The conflict in the book stems from the 'no strings attached' part of the agreement. Of course, they both fall for each other. Of course, he denies it and then feels guilty for hurting her. Of course, she tells him she loves him right before she leaves. And of course, he tracks her down afterwards. A fairly predictable plot...broken up by some really steamy action. Did I mention HOT?

The Navy Seal's Promise by Soraya Lane

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Reviewed by Kay

The novel is about the promise Luke, a Navy Seal, made to Saskia, a soldier in the Army. They sat next to each on a flight and got to talking. Saskia is a single mother and on leave for forty-eight hours over the Christmas holiday and wants to see her son. Luke is on his way home also but to spend Christmas by himself. He enjoys her company and conversation as they make their way home. Her connecting flight is cancelled leaving her heartbroken, so Luke promises her he'll get her home.

Luke lost his wife to cancer three years ago. He made her a promise he'd get home to her but didn't arrive until after she'd passed. He saw the sorrow in Saskia's eyes and was moved to help her. He knows all too well how short life is and how important it is to be with the ones you love.

This was a very cute and very sweet love story about two people who know about not only sacrifice but dealing with loss. They find something in the other person that they connect with and a love begins to grow. This story made me smile more than once.

The Bride Finder by Susan Carroll

Last week Kate and I (Anne) were on the phone and she mentioned that she'd checked her FIRST out from the library again.  Her FIRST, the very first romance novel she'd ever read, the one that made her fall in love with romance.  We both wondered if it would still be as good now as it was then.  (I've never read it, I just wondered with her.)  So, she read it, loved it, and decided to write up a review for us.  So here's to firsts!  What was your first romance novel?  Would it still be good today?  ~Anne
 
Grade-A
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Genre-historical, touch of paranormal
Series - St. Leger #1
Reviewed by Kate
When I was 19 or 20, I ran across The Bride Finder in the check out lane of our local Shopko. The title alone fascinated me. I bought it without even reading the back. It turned out to be my first romance, one of my best impulse buys, and still one of my favorites to this day.

Anatole St.Leger comes from a rather strange family. Some of his ancestors have been conjurers, clairvoyants, exorcists, sorcerers, etc. Anatole's own powers include seeing visions of the future, sensing a person's presence, and levitating objects.

One of the family's unique members is the Bride Finder, a person able to locate the one true mate for each St.Leger male. Anatole's father chose to marry someone who was not chosen by the Bride Finder. Anatole's mother ended up being terrified of her son and his powers. As a result, Anatole grew up feeling unloved and shut off from the world. Reluctantly, he sends the Bride Finder out to find his one true bride, determined to keep his powers a secret from her. It would crush him to have another person he loves be terrified of him.

When Madeline arrives at Anatole's castle, she find herself facing a husband who won't open up to her and a house full of secrets. Ever a logical person, she is determined to show Anatole the truth behind all of his family's legends and myths. Little does she know...

A magical journey of Madeline fighting her way to the heart Anatole locked away years ago, and Anatole doing his best to keep himself from falling in love. I don't think I can say enough to recommend this book except:
1. This is the book that I most regret donating when we moved, and
2. When I checked this book out from the library, even my husband got excited about rereading it (I made him wait until I had finished it though).

All Over You by Emily Snow

Grade-B+
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-Low
Series-Devoured #0.5
Reviewed by Kay

This is the prequel to Emily Snow's Devoured series. It is about the events that led up to the night Lucas and Sienna almost shared together. Lucas is a rock star and Sienna is the wardrobe assistant at the video shoot for his band. He sees her and decides he must have her. No matter what. He pursues her and she finally gives into his invitation to dinner.

Sienna is a shy and kind person. Almost too soft hearted if you ask me. She tried to rebuff Lucas but to no avail. She was just in awe and over her head where Lucas was concerned. He takes her to his house where they have dinner and then the seduction starts. Sienna is right there with him the whole way until he brings out the handcuffs. She refuses and all bets are off now. He throws her out and that ends the story pretty much.

I liked having the prequel to read even if I read it after the first book. It filled in the blanks a little bit. I would recommend this story and the first book in the series. Good reads. Can't wait for book three.

Raphael/Parish by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Series-Bayou Heat #1
Reviewed by Kay

These joined novellas start a co-authored series by Alexandra Ivy (Guardians of Eternity series) and Laura Wright (Mark of the Vampire series). Ivy wrote the first novella and Wright the second one. Raphael is a Pantera puma shifter and Ashe is an abused and neglected girl from town that has spent most of her life caring for her alcoholic mother. The two met when she came to the Cougar's Den bar to pay off her mother's tab. They have sex, Raphael takes away her memories about that night and Ashe realizes six weeks later she's pregnant.

Raphael can't seem to find her but he can smell she's pregnant and that's a huge thing because Panteras have been infertile for the most part. He hunts her down and kidnaps her to protect her from people who want to harm her and the baby. She is hesitant at first but she knows she's in love with him, so she just goes with it.


Parish is a Hunter for the Pantera and also a puma shifter. He's sent to get Ashe a doctor to care for her until the baby arrives. Parish also hates humans as one was responsible for his sister's death years before. He sees Julia and falls for her instantly, which is humorous to his fellow Panteras. They kind tease him about it. Julia had just lost her job, her home and her boyfriend before Parish kidnaps her. She not only has to come to grips with her captors but also face the fact that the boyfriend she lost wasn't really anything to lose. She bonds with Parish instantly and their love grows quickly. Ashe is attacked and that's the cliffhanger for the next story.

I love Alexandra Ivy and read her Guardians series and I have read Laura Wright also and enjoyed her but this just didn't click for me. It was hot which I love and appreciate in my paranormal books but that was about it. This review is, as always, just my opinion but I don't think I'll read anymore in this series. I'm very picky about my paranormal, so perhaps I'm overly critical. Both of these authors are absolutely fabulous and I am disappointed that I didn't enjoy the stories.

Shades Of Gray by Maya Banks

Grade-B+
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-KGI #6
Reviewed by Kay

This novel is the story of Cole and PJ, and I, like other readers of this series, have been waiting a long time for it. Cole and PJ are snipers for the KGI team. KGI is a black ops type of organization. It is family oriented but they do have non family members within the organization. The book starts out with Cole showing up in the bar in Denver that PJ hangs out in between missions. They have some tequila shots and decide to act on their simmering attraction to one another. The next morning they both get a call that their team is meeting for their next assignment. At the meeting it is decided that PJ will go undercover as semi bait for a human trafficker. No one likes the situation at all, especially Cole, since he's already admitted to himself that he's in love with PJ, and has been for some time.

During the mission, something goes horribly wrong and PJ is brutally raped and physically scarred. What makes this so terrible is that her whole team hears everything that happened to her. She resigns the team and disappears for six months, while her teammates and KGI desperately look for her. But let's not forget, PJ knows how to disappear and go off the grid. She tracks down 3 of the 4 men who were at her rape. She killed the guards who watched but didn't participate first. Then she killed one of her rapists and that just leaves the boss.

Finally her team tracks her down and decides to help her find the other man. She doesn't want this but agrees to it. Vengeance is her sole focus and she doesn't want to involve KGI. She and Cole reconnect and their relationship grows more intense by the day.

I anticipated this book for so long and I'm thrilled it was all I expected. I was a little concerned that she might do a little paranormal in this one the way she had the last two. I read both of those books and thought she might have honestly ruined the series for me. This book was a total redemption for the series in my opinion. I love the vigilante part and the closeness of her team. She had several things deal with and I thought they were handled well. It wasn't hot after the one and only sex scene and understandably so. I didn't miss that as I was transfixed on how the rest of the story played out. I know it's $7.99 but it is truly worth every penny. I got my copy from the library since I was wary because of the last two books, but the KGI series is back to being an auto-buy for me.

Montana Reunion by Soraya Lane

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Genre-contemporary
Trope-marriage of convenience
Reviewed by Kate

When Maddison discovers her fiancee is gay, she takes a break from her busy Los Angeles life and returns home to Montana. She runs across Jack right away. Jack was her childhood best friend whose father has recently died. In order to inherit the farm, Jack must marry within a year, or contest the will...a long and expensive process. Maddie offers a marriage of convenience. Both agree that their marriage is a good idea, but they disagree about children. Maddie wants kids as soon as possible. Jack refuses to have kids because he worries he will be a terrible father like his own dad. So what happens when Maddie ends up pregnant?

I really liked parts of this book. Jack and Maddie genuinely care about each other and their relationship reflects their prior friendship. The whole kids vs. no kids argument got old fast, though. Maddie decides to marry him knowing there won't be kids, but she continually tries to convince him he would be a great father.

In general, I am a marriage of convenience kind of reader, but this one just didn't do it for me.