Just One Thing by Holly Jacobs

Grade: B
Hotness Level: Ember
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary

Published: 6/10/14

Reviewed by Kate

198 pages

Lexie has had a terribly tough adult life.  Seriously.  A really hard life.  Just one thing after the other.  As she struggles to come back from the last thing, she starts walking to the local bar each Monday, just for one drink. She slowly starts talking to the bartender Sam.  Each week he asks her to tell him "just one thing" about herself.  Through these small confessions, Sam and Lexie slowly start a relationship and start to heal.

This one is hard for me to review because it wasn't an easy romance (and easy romances are the kind I like to read).  An easy romance where the hero and heroine meet and you know that it's going to be pretty easy going except for that one conflict that would be resolved in the last few chapters.  No.  This is a romance where you know instantly there is going to be drama.  And a lot of it.  And no shortage of tears.

This one centers around Lexie and as she slowly tells her "one things" to Sam you get to discover her journey to Sam.  And just like Sam, you discover it one thing at a time.  One tear-jerking thing at a time.  Sam has a past that slowly comes out as well, but honestly it's Lexie's story that overshadows everything.  Everything including the budding romance between Sam and Lexie.

It would be easy to say that I didn't like this one.  It would be easy and wrong.  This story sucked me in during the first chapter and wouldn't let me go until it was finished.  The "one things" are written in flashbacks and I knew every time I picked it up I was going to be crying, but I had to get the next piece of the puzzle that is Lexie.

If you like your romances carefree and lighthearted this probably isn't one for you, but if you like Danielle Steel or similar authors, give this one a try.

The Kraken King Part II: The Kraken King and the Abominable Worm by Meljean Brook

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Ember
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Steampunk, Serial
Series: Iron Seas #4.2 (Part 2 of 8 parts for this story)

Published: 4/15/14

Reviewed by Anne

71 ebook pages

So, I'm still loving this story, and the serial format is still killing me!  This installment of the serial starts with another letter from Zenobia to her brother Archimedes.  This is a really clever way to trigger my awful memory and remind me what happened in the first installment. (Still, this is a serial, and MUST be read in order.)

This time Zenobia and her entourage set out over land with Ariq and his entourage.  They travel in mountain walkers which were fascinating to read about!  Zenobia and Ariq dance around their attraction to each other. Despite her decision not to have anything to do with him in Part I, she enjoys his continued pursuit.  Unfortunately this installment ends with yet another obstacle in their path.

I find it difficult to review this without giving away everything about it.  So I'll just say, if you can stand the serial format, I highly recommend this book!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Ember
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Published: 2/26/13

Reviewed by Anne

(audiobook)

Sometime last year I heard a lot of buzz about this book.  I jotted down the title and decided I should read it one day.  Then when I was burnt out from my 3rd re-listen to the In Death series by J.D. Robb, I thought I'd listen to Eleanor & Park instead of reading it.  I remembered that it was about high schoolers.  I downloaded my copy and started listening.  And I listened and l listened and I listened.  It was so good, but it was also heartwrenching.  

I'd stumbled into a trigger of mine and I had a hard time putting it down.  I kept inventing chores to do so I could continue to listen.  That night when I went to bed only half way through the story, I felt like I was abandoning Eleanor and her siblings!  It haunted me!  I managed to finish it the next day, and it's still haunting me.  In a good way, but disturbing, too.

Sixteen year old Eleanor has just moved back in with her family after a year away.  They're in a new house and a new school district, so besides her family, she knows no one.  And after a year away, even her family feels like strangers.  

Park first sees Eleanor on the bus.  She's clearly going to be a target to be bullied, with her bright red bushy hair and weird clothes.  When she can't find a seat on the bus he surprises himself by reluctantly making room for her in his, all while hoping it won't draw the bullies' attentions to him.  

The way their relationship unfolds is sweet and so true!  This is the best description of first love I've ever read!  Rainbow Rowell just nails it.  Along with their relationship, we also hear about Park trying to live up to his father's expectations and dealing with his own issues as a half-Asian kid.  And we hear about Eleanor's horrible step-father who abuses her mother and looms over the whole house like an awful shadow, infecting everything they do.  And then there's the abject poverty Eleanor's family lives in.  It's just painful to read about.  But the sweetness and hope that comes when Eleanor and Park are together is so wonderful, it balances out some of the bad.

Eleanor and Park were great characters.  They weren't perfect and they both made mistakes that strained their relationship.  They came across as very real and three dimensional.  They grow and change as the story progresses.  Even the bullies in the story are multi-dimensional.  

The story takes place in the eighties, and it's quite a contrast to the anti-bullying climate we see in schools today.  Eleanor bullied at school and there are times that the teachers not only don't help, but make Eleanor's life even harder.  I've rarely been so rage-filled toward a character as I was toward Eleanor's gym teacher!

This book made me wish I was back in high school or in a traditional book club and could analyze it to death.  I hated that in high school, but now I want to know what people think.  Did they see this big twist coming?  Why did this character act in this way.  Was this just a perception in his head, or was it a real thing?  WHY did Eleanor make that choice?  What was up with Eleanor's mom?  How much did Park understand?

I loved this story, and it's really stuck with me.  I highly recommend it, with the caveat that it's emotionally wrenching!  Honestly,  I avoid a books like this because the kids in the story just break my heart.  i wouldn't have read this one if I'd known about the abuse in it. I'll for sure read Rowell again, though! 

The Kraken King (Part 1) by Meljean Brook

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Ember
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Steampunk, Serial
Series: Iron Seas #4.1 (Part 1 of 8 parts for this story)

Published: 4/15/14

Reviewed by Anne

78 ebook pages

So, I did something I swore to myself I'd never do... I started a serial.  I hate cliffhangers.  I'd rather wait a serial out and read the whole thing once it's done!  But then I saw this one.  And it's Meljean Brook.  MELJEAN BROOK!  And it's in the Iron Seas world.  One of the coolest worlds I've read.  Best steampunk I've read.  And can I wait until August to read the whole thing??? No.  I cannot.  So here I sit, in the mess I made for myself, wanting more but having to wait until the next installment.  Because it was GOOD.

Zenobia Fox, author of the tales of Archimedes Fox and Lady Lynx has always lived in the adventures she writes.  Besides a couple kidnappings, she hasn't traveled much.  But she's off to see the world now.  She's smart about it, though, as she's travelling under an assumed name and taking her trusted body guards with her.

Not long into her journey, the airship she's on is attacked and blown up.  She's rescued by her bodyguards, her own coolheadedness, AND by the Kraken King.  Ariq, the Kraken King, goes by many names. He's mayor of his isolated town and has been fighting off and investigating the group that took down Zenobia's ship.  Zenobia and her friends take shelter in his town as they wait for another ship to take them on to their destination.

I don't think there's anything mind shattering about the plot as it seems to be standard adventure fare, but the book really shines in the relationship between Ariq and Zenobia.  They've got a lot of sexual tension and they don't deny it! Acknowledging it doesn't mean acting on it, necessarily.  They're both smart, and they're not going to make stupid decisions.  There is no TSTL in this story!  Zenobia not only depends on her bodyguards, but she listens to them!

I'm primarily a romance reader, so I appreciate the development of Zenobia and Ariq's relationship, but the action sequences really rock, too!  The escape from the airship was a scene I could picture in a blockbuster summer movie!  Well written and exciting!  And I really want to see the dead Kraken on the beach!

My only complaint (besides the fact that it's a serial, and that's my own fault for being weak and not waiting it out...) was the misunderstanding set up in this installment.  I hope that's cleared up soon.

I think this one would stand alone if you hadn't read the rest of the series.  The characters are all new - Zenobia has been mentioned in other books, but not featured.  The world building is easy to catch on to.  So, go forth and enjoy!  Join me in the agony of waiting for the next installment!

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Ember
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, Nerdmance
Published: 10/1/13

Reviewed by Anne

292 pages

 

So, I saw this book had some good buzz last fall as a funny romance told from a Sheldon-like character's POV.  I put it on my To Read List and finally got around to it over Christmas Break.  I devoured this book!  It gave me a serious case of Book Cranky as I had to fit it in around my kids and family obligations!

 

It's told from the first person point of view of Don.  Don is someone I'd guess is on the autism spectrum.  He is certainly very literal minded and has a hard time understanding people.  He is very self aware, though, and his narration is unintentionally funny.  Actually, it's unintentionally hysterical!  He knows he would like to have a wife, because he has observed in others a happiness level he associates with a long term partner.  After deciding that being set up with people and online dating are very unefficient ways to meet a potential mate, he begins The Wife Project.

 

He runs The Wife Project with the help of his married friends, Gene and Claudia.  Their relationship is a secondary story line.  In the course of The Wife Project, Don meets Rosie, who he immediately recognizes as unsuitable for wife material.  However, he's intrigued at her current quest to find her biological father.  He finds this situation interesting enough to start The Rosie Project, his effort at helping Rosie in her quest.  

 

This story was touching and sad at points, but it's so funny throughout that it didn't bring me down.  Along with Don and Rosie's quest, we hear about Don's relationship with his elderly neighbor, Daphne, who helped inspire Don to undertake The Wife Project.  This story reminded, in emotional tone, to the beginning of the movie, Up.  Don and Daphne's story is very simply told, but so much lays between the lines.  It's an excellent way to get insight into Don's character and it left me rooting for him!

 

I don't really know if it's an accurate portrayal of someone with Asperbergers or autism.  If it is not, a reader with familiarity to this issue might not enjoy the story.  That issue aside, I really enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it!

 

Note: I'm listing this one under Best of 2013 and Best of 2014, because I read it late in December, after I made my Best of 2013 list.

Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery

Grade-B+
Hotness Level-Ember
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Fool's Gold #12.5
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
336 pages

"That's the thing about love. We often get more than we deserve and isn't that incredibly wonderful?"
Yet another installment of Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series and I fall more in love with the series every book. This one is about Noelle who runs the Christmas Attic store in town. That's right a store specializing in Christmas 365 days a year. I can't help it, it warms my heart.  Noelle was very sick in the recent past but has overcome it. She lost her mother and grandmother to a auto accident and her fiancé to her illness. She made her way to Fool's Gold and never looked back. She loves the town, townspeople, friends, her store and her home. But she wants her own HEA and watching her friends marry one by one is bittersweet
.
Gabriel Boylan is the brother of Gideon, who settled in the town a couple of years ago. Gabriel is a trauma specialist with the Army. He has worked overseas and had seen enough horror to last a lifetime. After losing his fiancé to a combat related his issue, he decides that he won't ever fall in love again because it hurts too bad to lose someone you love. He comes to his brother's house for the Christmas holiday and meets Noelle.

I so much enjoyed this book because of it's sweetness. I'll admit the ending was a little far fetched for most towns but not Fool's Gold. I can't wait for her next installment. My continued complaint regarding her separate books with this series is that the heat content is totally unacceptable.

The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins

Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Ember
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary

Published 2/1/2010, 8/27/2013
Reviewed by Kate

400 pages 

Lucy's husband died very young and for the past 5 years, she's walked around in a funk -- doing her best to just get through each day.  When her sister has a baby, Lucy decides it's time to strive for something a bit more.  She wants to get married again and have some kids.  But that means getting rid of her friends-with-benefits, Ethan.  But Ethan doesn't want to be gotten rid of.

 

The characters in this book were so well written.  Ethan's character was endearing and the way he kept waiting for Lucy made me want to give him a hug quickly followed by a smack upside the head.  Lucy made me tear up a few times with her agonizing, but managed not to cross that fine line into annoying.  You really felt the pain she was going through, trying to move on with her life.  Lucy's aunts and mother could rival Jill Shalvis' Lucille of Lucky Harbor for the quirky older lady character of the year award.  They definitely provided some comic relief for the story.

 

My one complaint with this book was that it was told solely from Lucy's point of view.  I really would have loved to hear Ethan's side of things as well.  Of course, that might have spoiled some of the emotional build-up of the story.

 

I think it should also be noted that this book has fade-to-black, behind closed doors sex scenes.  I mention that strictly because this blog tends to focus on more steamy books in general and I don't want anyone to be surprised by the lack of heat.  However I was almost finished with the book before I realized that there wasn't really any on page sex.  I think that says a lot about the story that it could distract me from noticing that.

 

The Next Best Thing provides everything a strong romance requires.  Engaging characters, a moving story, and an ending that leaves you wanting more from the author.  Well done, Kristan Higgins.

Begin Again by Christy Newton

 

Grade: C
Hotness Level: Ember
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Reviewed by Anne

111 pages

 

Maisie's husband and unborn child died in a tornado two years ago.  Since then she's been just getting by.  Living in her sister's basement and saving money from her job at the diner in hopes of buying a home for herself, mostly just so she can be alone.

 

Ryan is an exotic animal vet who moves to town and meets Maisie when he stops in at the diner to get some apple pie.  He likes her even more than the pie, and the pie is really good.  He can tell that she's hurting about something, but doesn't know what it is.  He's content to take things very slow, though.  He talks her into going out with him just as friends and helps her with her ailing hamster.

 

The best part of this story is the story - the friendship and romance that develops between Maisie and Ryan.  The book felt longer than 111 pages, and I mean that in a very good way.  It's very focused and you get to see why they fall for each other.

 

This was a sweet and touching romance. I liked the story, but it felt a little raw and unpolished. The characters were likable and I really cared about them. The issues they were dealing with were very believable and tugged at my heart. I especially thought that the mourning process that Maisie went through felt true to life. A huge loss like that wouldn't be easy to get over.

There were a few wtf moments that made me wonder why they were included in the story. These moments stuck out even more because they had very little or no effect at all on the story. In fact, they were distracting.  Now, the story was very spare, with almost every word applying directly to the romance, which was actually really nice, but it made those wtf moments feel more out of place.

There was a lot of head hopping, too. Seriously, like every 3 paragraphs. I got used to it and it worked with this story, but it was unusual. A couple other unusual things I noticed: Maisie's parents were missionaries and at one point Maisie mentions that she'll pray for someone. I kind of appreciated the normalness and complete lack of preaching that went along with this. There also was no alcohol in the book at all, and I didn't miss it. I do have to mention that the sex scenes were fade to black, which caught me a bit off guard and I know would really bother some readers. 

I'll admit that a low/zero heat romance like this is not usually what I read, but this one worked for me.  How about you?  Does a fade to black sex scene drive you nuts, or are you ok with it?

The Officer and the Secret by Jeanette Murray

Grade-D
Hotness Level-Ember/Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Semper Fi #3
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
346 pages

Dewayne just got home from a deployment and is having a hard time adjusting to life in civilian world. He has pretty severe flashbacks and seeks help from a chaplain. He does enjoy spending time with his friends and especially Veronica. They skyped a few times when he was trying to reach his friends. He realizes that their talks and her voice got him through some rough times in his deployment.

Veronica is a cousin of one of the other characters in this series. She is very awkward and shy as a result to being raised by religious zealots in war torn third world countries. She left that life to have what she called a normal life. She has a job, a place to live and is studying for her GED. She also wants to try to date and have sex.

This started out so cute it made me giddy. The development of their relationship was slow and sweet. Between his PTSD and her sheltered to the extreme childhood, it was a wonder it happened at all. I liked the characters and was interested in hearing their stories. Then the sex happened and just kept shaking my head. It was so non descriptive it was all most off page. I had to reread the sex to make sure I didn't miss something. Boring. From there it was downhill and I won't read anything more by this author.

One Perfect Night by Bella Andre

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Ember
Kink Level-No Kink
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay

Love at first sight. That is what this novella is all about. Noah and Colbie have a chance meeting at a ski resort. Noah rescues her from a fall and teaches her how to snow ski better. Then Colbie, who has had her heart broken before, gets frightened over what she's feeling toward a man she's just met. She ends up running away from him. Both characters hire a private detective to find the other when they get back to the city. Oddly, enough they hired the same one, who is a family friend.

This was just okay for me. I mean the premise is one I'm a sucker for. Love at first sight. I liked the characters but never felt the connection between the two. And the love scenes were almost off page and I hate that. I normally like Bella Andre a lot but this one again, was just okay.

Laiden's Daughter by Suzan Tisdale

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Ember
Kink Level-None
Series-Clan MacDougall #1
Reviewed by Kay

Duncan McEwan is a warrior, training to become a future Chieftain. He was never looking for love and never suspected he would find it in the hopeless and abused woman he and his friends find face down in a stream. Aishlinn, no last name, has never experienced kindness from a male. Not her stepfather, stepbrothers, or pretty much anyone else that should have cared for her. She escapes after years of repeated and horrific abuse only to end up face down in that creek.

Her rescue at Duncan's hands is the start to a love story that will touch your heart. Not just the love but the scars each of them carry from their pasts both physically and emotionally. This novel started out so good but drug in the middle pretty badly for me. There are some plot twists and they leave the reader pretty satisfied with them I would say. What didn't work for me honestly was the heat level. It was barely there and I am a big fan of heat. Sadly, her good writing and storytelling was penalized for me because of it. Enough that I won't read any of the others. It makes me sad because anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Scottish Highlander romance!

X Marks The Scot by Victoria Roberts

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Ember/Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-Bad Boys Of The Highlands #2
Reviewed by Kay

This was my first novel by Victoria Roberts. I didn't read the first book in this series and feel I was at a loss a little bit because of that.

Declan MacGregor is a highlander, sigh, and he has been ordered by King James to escort Liadain Campbell to court until he decides what to do with her. This seriously puts a damper on his drinking and wenching.

Liadain Campbell is the half-sister of the bloody Campbell, Archie. She's also a healer. She's fiercely independent as a result of her raising.

Watching these two characters fall in love was so very fun. This novel has great humor in it. I laughed out loud several times and there were some heartfelt moments that left me with tears in my eyes. My biggest complaint- not HOT enough. On the love scenes this was a total miss for me. The story saved it as it was good.

The Magic Mirror and the Seventh Dwarf by Tia Nevitt

Grade – B+
Hotness Level – Ember

Kink Level - None
Genre – Fairytale
Series - Accidental Enchantments #2
Reviewed by Anne

I have a fondness for fairytale retellings, especially in the romance genre.  I’ve always got an eye out for them. I remember reading The Sevenfold Spell in 2011. (Kate's review of us just went up yesterday.)  It was a Sleeping Beauty retelling from a different point of view, and I enjoyed it.  So, when I saw Tea Nevitt had written a new story with her twist on Snow White, I was really looking forward to reading it.  I wasn’t disappointed!

In this story, we see how the Snow White events unfold as told primarily through the eyes of Richard, the man magically bound to the Evil Stepmother Queen’s mirror, and Gretchen, the seventh dwarf.  Richard must answer three questions from the Queen each sunrise and sunset when she calls on him through the mirror.  He must answer these questions truthfully.  He has taken to wandering through the countryside and staying away from people in order to avoid having knowledge that may get those people in trouble.  He hopes to someday find and destroy the mirror enslaving him.

Gretchen is the only dwarf in her small town.  Though much loved by her family, she feels like a social outcast.  When a traveling minstrel tells the tale of a farm run by dwarves, Gretchen decides she will go there and see if she might have a better life living on the farm.  She’s also curious to see if anyone else in the world truly looks like her. 

Richard and Gretchen’s storylines run in parallel, only overlapping toward the end of the book.  Richard finally finds his way to the city that houses the Queen and the mirror.  There he meets Snow White and falls in love, not with her legendary beauty, but the wonderful person she is.

Gretchen meanwhile is very much enjoying life on the farm with the other dwarves and has decided to choose a husband from the four available men.  She also becomes friends with Angelika (Snow White).

I really enjoyed the way their stories unfolded and finally intertwined.  It’s a really clever retelling of the Snow White story.  My favorite part of the book was the way a princess really wakes up from a magically induced sleeping spell.  (Hint: it’s not with a stretch and a smile.)  The Queen’s handling of Richard was deliciously evil.  She would never put him in a prison.  She knows he’s most miserable and of most use to her wandering her kingdom.

There were a couple negatives in the story for me.  The way Angelika’s aunt and uncle treat her didn’t seem to have a place in the story.  I wanted a better (more vengeful, perhaps?) ending for the Queen.  I didn’t like Rudolf, one of the dwarves, and felt like the story would have been better without him.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this twist on Snow White, the two romances in it, the look at inner and outer beauty, and the cleverness of thinking about the enchanted mirror from a different point of view.  I enjoyed it enough that I can’t even complain about the lack of on page sex. (There was none!  But I’m not complaining, just mentioning.)  I recommend this book.

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.

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.

To the Princess Bound by Sara King

Grade-A
Hotness Level-ember
Kink Level-No kink
Series-Terms of Mercy #1
Reviewed by Kate
Ah...the siren call of a free book. There is just something abut the whole freeness that calls to me. Of course I typically end up disappointed, but every once in a while I stumble across a gem. To the Princess Bound by Sara King is just one of those gems. 

A sci fi romnce...gotta love the ability to completely alter a world to suit your storyline needs, right? Princess Victory was captured, tortured, and raped for six years. Now back at home she is terrified of all males. Her ass of a father decides that to get her over her fear, he is going to chain her to the biggest slave they can find.

Enter Dragomir, a native emp...someone who can heal with their mind. Dragomir is taken from his home and chained to Victory. Then he discovers that he and Victory are soul mates...have shared dozens upon dozens of past lives...and he can heal her... if he can get her to trust him.

While definitely a romance, it is not terribly steamy. Only a few kisses before the last few chapters of the book. While that might normally bother me, it wasnt the case this time. I enjoyed this one a lot.

Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy

Grade-A+
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Reviewed by Anne

I can't believe I waited so long to read this book! It was incredible! I didn't want to put it down.  I was severely book cranky inbetween reading sessions. I see there is a sequel that catches up with Simon and Declan a few years later. I will definitely read it, but for now I just want them to be perfectly happy in my head for a while!
Tigers and Devils is a contemporary male/male romance set in Australia.  And when I say it's set in Australia, it's really in Australia, with Australian slang and references I had to figure out.  Declan is a pro footballer and a mega celebrity.  He just happens to overhear Simon both insulting and defending him at a party.  Simon is a huge football fan, but a bit of an "arty wanker".  After overhearing a comment that lets him know Simon is gay, Declan comes on to Simon when they are alone.  The only hitch is that Declan is far, far in the closet.  And this starts a funny and touching journey for the two of them together. 

There were several things I loved about this book.  I smiled constantly while reading it.  The whole story is told from Simon's point of view, and he's a funny, self-depreciating guy.  The story also feels very realistic.  I believed in Simon and Declan's affection for each other.  That made their situation all the more gut wrenching. 

Simon and Declan were great characters, too.  Neither was perfect, and both made frustrating decisions.  The way they worked through things was realistic, too.  It's incredible writing!

There were a few little things that might bother some readers.  As I mentioned, the story is told exclusively from Simon's point of view.  This worked fine for me.  Also, the sex in this book is behind closed doors and not detailed. There's no doubt it takes place, and there's lots of it, but it's not written explicitly.

I highly recommend this story!

A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Ember
Kink Level-None
Series- Fool's Gold #10
Reviewed By Kay

This is the story of Evie Stryker and Dante Jefferson. Evie is the lone female sibling in the male dominated family of Strykers. She has been on her own since the age of seventeen with no real sense of family. Dante is her brother's business partner with no real sense of family either. The difference is that Dante at one time had it and Evie never has.

I have waited for this book and I have to say I was disappointed. The story was Susan Mallery's usual effort and I was engaged with both characters but on a hotness level, nothing! No on screen sex? What's going on Susan? Reading about them falling in love and their individual healing was good but simply not enough for this smut reader.