.

		Honey Pie (Cupcake Club) by Donna Kauffman Edition: Paperback Price: $9.08  Kindle Price: $7.39
4.5 Stars - Truly Sweet AND Hot!, April 30, 2013 File Size: 521 KB Print Length: 321 pages Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Brava (April 30, 2013) " Mocha Chocolate Chip. . . Caramel Fudge. . .Strawberry Lemonade. . .Butter Rum. . .There's no such thing as guilt when it's another delicious bitch and bake session with the women of the Cupcake Club. . . When Honey D'Amourvell inherits property on tiny Sugarberry Island, she's prepared to start a whole new life. Her plan is simple--make a home, open a shop, and maybe, finally, find a place to belong. But the building she now owns is leased to none other than the owner of Babycakes, which means her spot is already occupied. Honey isn't sure how to put down roots when she has nowhere to plant them. But sexy, softhearted mechanic Dylan Ross seems determined to help. He's everything she never imagined she would find in a man, and each kiss is more persuasive than the last. . . Soon enough, Honey is another important ingredient in the spicy mix of the Cupcake Club. But will Dylan convince her that what she craves most is his love?" This review is from: Honey Pie (Cupcake Club) (Paperback) This is part of a series, but since I haven't read any of the other books I can assure you that you do not need to read them before you read this one. What I can tell you is that after reading this particular novel, you may do as I did and go and buy the rest of them. This was definitely one of the most unusual books that I have read in a long time. It's filled with colorful characters, interesting problems and a man,Dylan Ross, that just needs to fix everything and perhaps even everyone but most especially Honey.Honey D'Amourvell, a rather mousey looking, seemingly crazy lady that doesn't want to be touched...at ALL! We have a woman, Honey D'Amourvell, traveling from one coast to another to collect on her aunts inheritance. Using this inheritance will allow Honey to not only create her art in a public environment, it will allow her to interact with the public. Something she hasn't done in more than eight years. You see she is touch sensitive. But as she is pulling into town, her car gives out and she is forced to take it to the mechanic, a rather surely southern gentleman. While she is waiting for her car she sees that what is supposed to be her store has already been rented. And so the story begins! I really don't want to spoil the book for you so I'll leave my synopsis at that. The character growth in this novel is phenomenal, the heat between Honey and Dylan is scorching and the author uses a unique technique to keep fanning the flames. I mean, be ready to take a couple of cold showers as you are reading this book. And be prepared to do so even before Honey and Dylan ever really DO anything! There is humor aplenty as well as many parts where you will be looking for the Kleenex but since this is a romance you can be assured it will all work out for the best in the end.

		The Cowboy's E-Mail Order Bride (Cowboys of Chance Creek) Price: $3.99
3 Stars - A Little Difficult to Like, April 30, 2013 This review is from: The Cowboy's E-Mail Order Bride (Cowboys of Chance Creek) (Kindle Edition) It was a bit difficult for me to get into this novel. Don't get me wrong, the concept of updating the mail order bride of the historical novels into the 21 century by using the e-mail and Youtube was interesting and somewhat fresh. What I did not like is the fact that both of these people are perpetuating lies. I understand that the stores wouldn't have gone anywhere if it weren't for that ploy, but I think I would have been less disgruntled if perhaps only one of them were lying. There is a bit of character growth, but not as much as I would have thought given the subject matter. For the first quarter of the book, there is a ton of inner-dialogue and very little interaction between Ethan and Autumn (unless you count the sex they had a few hours after meeting?). There is more inner-dialoguing throughout the rest of the novel, but the characters finally DO start interacting, however they still are not telling the whole truth. Several aspects really riled me up ------------------------>SPOILERISH<--------------------------------> Autumn pretty much took it in stride when she found out about Ethan's lies, however Ethan was so angry and down-right mean when he had to confront Autumns lie and he never even asked for an explanation. Plus, the fact that Lacey, Ethan's old flame just sashays into Ethan's house, takes Autumn's computer and plops it down on the table in the middle of a restaurant and nobody even blinks an eye? If you can look over some of these things you may find the light, fun read that the author was intending. I did just that and finally just let myself enjoy the book for what it is.

		Club Monstrosity Offered by Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc Price: $2.99
A Fresh Idea for a New Series, April 29, 2013 This review is from: Club Monstrosity (Kindle Edition) I found this to be a refreshing idea for a cozy mystery series and the book kept me interested from start to finish. This book was not violent and although there is some romantic thoughts, everything physical is done off-screen so-to-speak. Monsters of the city are being hunted and killed in the manner in which their classic books have been written. So far, the Monsters have lost The Blob, the Invisible Man and soon they will lose one more. Natalie Grey is the assistant to the Medical Examiner and she is also one of Dr. Frankenstein's creatures (please do NOT call her Frankenstein, that was the man who built her!), so it has been a little difficult for her to help autopsy her friends. Soon Natalie and the Wolfman (the fetching) Alec, Dracula and the beautiful Mummy are out and about trying to find out just what the heck is going on. Who is next, is the biggest worry as these acquaintances learn that they need to become friends to fight this problem of just who has discovered the `monsters' in the city and why are they being killed off. This was a quick, cute, amusing and clever mystery. I actually read this thinking that the killer was someone else. The characters a well developed and the world building was interesting. This was a good start in what looks to be a new and fresh series.*ARC Supplied by publisher*

		The Deep Zone: A Novel (with bonus short story Lethal Expedition) by James M. Tabor Edition: Mass Market Paperback Price: $7.19
4 Stars But With a Slight Reservation, April 24, 2013 "Burned by her own government in a trumped-up scandal, brilliant microbiologist Hallie Leland swore she’d never return to the world of cutting-edge science and dangerous secrets. But a shocking summons from the White House changes all that. A mysterious epidemic is killing American soldiers in Afghanistan—and poised for outbreak in the United States and beyond. Without the ultrarare organism needed to create an antidote, millions will die. Hallie knows more about “Moonmilk” than anyone—but it can be found only at the bottom of the deepest cave on Earth. To get there, she and her team of experts must brave a forbidding Mexican jungle crawling with drug cartels, federales, and murderous locals. And in the supercave await far greater terrors: flooded tunnels, acid lakes, bottomless chasms, mind-warping blackness—and a cunning assassin with orders to make the mission a journey of no return". This review is from: The Deep Zone: A Novel (with bonus short story Lethal Expedition) (Mass Market Paperback) If you are an adventurer in life or just an armchair adventurer, this is going to be a novel you just can't put down. The only problem I had with this book was that there was just a touch too much technical data for me, otherwise this was almost as good as Frozen Solid: A Novel, "Frozen Solid" has a little more finesse than "The Deep Zone" did. Anyone who has an interest in caving is going to LOVE this novel since most of it takes place in a 'super cave'. This book was written with a lot of skill and attention paid to fine dovetails, both in drawing his characters and on the world around his characters. The research that went into this novel is astounding, and the author discusses what he has used in this novel and has explained at the end of the novel, that all of these things he speaks of which sound like jokes or made up things, are in actuality real items, inventions, products -whatever. As far as the cave descriptions, those too are real though not all in one place like in this particular supercave. And yes, supercaves exist too. Something I did not know before reading this book There is so much about our world that I don't know or don't understand. When an author takes a subject that I know little or nothing about and is able to spin a story that, although complicated, is still explained so someone like me could understand and enjoy it, I latch on to that author and buy every book of theirs I can. Hallie is an extremely strong woman both in body and spirit and when the government asks her to be on a team to go to this supercave to harvest some more of the organism (Moonmilk) they need to produce an antidote for a disease that is hitting our armed forces, she has no problem in saying yes. Of course there are nefarious people just as adamant that this outbreak not be contained by "Moonmilk" and this is where the fun begins. Accidents can happen especially since they will be traversing lakes of acid, narrow horribly high bridges of rock, nearly bottomless pits of water and other fun and relaxing places in the cave. An interesting if slightly unbelievable side story, is that a relationship starts to blossom for Hallie and one of the teams members. There is also a slightly unbelievable albeit super exciting fight between Hallie and her twice shot love interest. There is an exciting if slightly rushed ending and I really recommend that you do read the next novel which is even more polished than this one and even more breath-taking with its excitment.  Comment | Permalink

				An English Bride in Scotland by Lynsay Sands Edition: Mass Market Paperback Price: $7.19 Release Date - (June 25, 2013)
4.5 Stars - Where Can I Get My Own Kilted Hunk?, April 20, 2013 " From New York Times bestselling author of The Husband Hunt, The Heiress, and other beloved historical romances, comes Lynsay Sands’s An English Bride in Scotland, the first book in a new series set in the wilds of the Highlands. Annabel had planned to become a nun. But when her mother arrives at the Abbey to bring her home to marry a Scottish laird—her runaway sister’s intended husband—her life takes a decidedly different turn. And though Annabel isn’t the wife he’d planned for, strong, sexy Ross McKay is taken with his shy, sweet bride. Annabel knows nothing about being a wife, running a castle—or the marriage bed. But her handsome new husband makes her want to learn. When Annabel’s life is threatened, Ross vows to move the highlands itself to save her and preserve the passion that’s only beginning to bloom." This review is from: An English Bride in Scotland (Mass Market Paperback) Oh my. This book is classic Lynsay Sands. It is everything I love in my romances. It has the pre-requisite hot hunk in a kilt who is, of course a sex god, he is also thoughtful and kind and did I mention he was hot? Then we get to the heroine. At first glance, she seems as if she is going to be a useless, fumbling ditz, but that glace would be incorrect. Annabel may have been raised in a convent ready to become a nun, but when she needs saving, she generally saves herself and maybe even saves Ross! The story briefly without spoilers - Annabel is the second daughter and has been confined to a nunnery since she was seven. Her sister Kate had been contracted to marry Ross, but for reasons you will see when you read the book, the deal falls through. Ross and Annabel marry, leave her parents house and all of a sudden someone is trying to either kill Annabel or to kidnap her. The end of this book really surprised me because the person after Annabel was sure not one that I would have ever thought of. Clever move Ms. Sands! Annabel is worried that by not being raised to be a Châtelaine that Ross will end up throwing her over when he finds out and while Annabel cannot lie about her upbringing, she sure can put off telling the truth with the best of them! This book has all the elements that the typical Lynsay Sands book has, wonderfully written main characters generally strong but with some sort of flaw, funny and loveable secondary characters, an interesting mystery and most importantly a bit of a message to us women. I think Ms Sands does a wonderful job in each of her standalone's of promoting the message that we women are perfect the way we are and that usually we allow others petty jealousies to shape our idea of ourselves. I don't particularly like the idea that most authors push the idea that it only takes a good man to force us to see ourselves as the perfect women we always have been, but this is a romance and certain ideas need to be followed. Ms Sands promotes these ideas in the best way possible and I love her writing because of it. One of my favorite lines in this book-"Annabel began to soap herself. It seemed she would marry, be a wife to this unknown Scot, the mother of his children, and lady of his people...Lord save them all." *eARC Supplied by Publisher paper copy by Vine*

Stuck On You
by Cheryl Harper

 

4.5 of 5 stars

Stuck On You by Cheryl Harper
This was a sweet and funny romance centered around two mismatched people. They meet when KT Masters, former child star and now producer, comes to the Elvis-themed hotel in which Laura Charles is working as a waitress. He is rude to her, she is rude to him and so the story begins.

Now KT has to produce a look-alike show for the Travel network while fantasizing about the cute and short feather bedecked showgirl waitress. Laura is also fantasizing about the handsome, smooth, arrogant, cranky-pants! Fortunately, they each decide to take the high road and apologize to each other. And this is where the story starts to get interesting.

I loved the line that KT fed Laura – although it was a truth really, not a line – that “he would love to see her pink satin costume balled up on the floor next to his bed”. I don’t know why I thought this was so sexy but I sure did!

The characters all of them are well written, fully fleshed (even the secondary and tertiary characters are fleshed out fairly well). The backdrop, while not unique, it was still fun to read about, and the relationship between KT and Laura was believable. Even the happily ever after rang a bell with me.

However, what I would have liked to have seen was this to have been a dualogy with the HEA coming at the end of the second book. Kevin could have had a reason to produce another show at the hotel and continued to pursue Laura and to get to know Holly better. With more time we could have learned more about his grandmother and Willodean the owner of the Elvis themed Rock’ n’Rolla Hotel and I think that would have made this a bit more of a substantial book. Still for the price, this is totally worth it for a vacation or beach read and I am defiantly going to be buying the next one in the series.
*ARC Supplied by publisher*

Dangerous Refuge: A Novel by Elizabeth Lowell Edition: Hardcover Price: $15.98 4.5 A Definite Re-Read, April 16, 2013 This review is from: Dangerous Refuge: A Novel (Hardcover)    "Book Synopsis Murder and mystery spark unexpected romance in this captivating new tale from the beloved New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell On the surface Shaye Townsend has little in common with Tanner. He's a hard-edged big city cop come home to the historic Davis family ranch to settle his uncle's estate. She's working for an environmental conservancy that acquires and protects old ranches—and she wants to preserve the Davis homestead. When the suspicious death of Tanner's uncle at his ranch throws the two opposites together, tempers flare and sparks fly. While they have trouble seeing eye to eye, Shaye and Tanner agree on one thing: They need to uncover the truth. Combining their unique skills—Shaye's low-key approach and local connections and Tanner's experience as a homicide detective—the unlikely pair share long nights in the pursuit of justice. Before they know it, the friction they generate turns to heat, igniting a love neither ever expected to find. They believe passion this intense cannot last. But when Shaye becomes a killer's target, Tanner realizes he'd give up anything to protect her—including his life"     Dangerous Refuge by Elizabeth Lowell (My Review) I may be one of the luckier readers in that I had no expectations when I picked out this book. I do not think I have ever read this author before and if I did, I just don't remember it. Therefore, I have no way to be able to compare this book to past books. All I knew was that I really liked the premise - rich girl turned conservationist, and sexy, hunk of a cop who acts like the devil in disguise needs a conservationist (specifically Shaye) to help him solve what may be the murder of his Uncle. I loved the lack of rapport that they showed for each other in the very beginning, I loved that Shaye was a strong woman in her own right, and showed common sense when it was called for. Yet she was also able to help save herself when she needed it and really didn't have to wait for a man to do it. Of course, for the sake of this being a romance, the man did do most of the saving, but I knew that Shaye could have finished it if she had the chance. At any rate as you can tell I really liked this book, I know that many people did not and they are readers who have been following Ms Lowell's work since probably day one. I had no preconceived notions about the type of writing it should have been or what past books were like. This book in my opinion was great. The level of heat between these two was excellent, the romantic scenes are tasteful yet very hot, and the conclusion of the mystery surprised me somewhat. I loved the way that the main characters were written and the authors' description of the area made it really pop in my mind. This was quite a satisfying read, and one that I will definitely be re-reading in the future. *ARC Supplied by publisher*

		Don't Go by Lisa Scottoline Edition: Hardcover Price: $15.98
Not Shocking, Surprising or Thrilling, April 14, 2013 This review is from: Don't Go (Hardcover) Don’t Go - by: Lisa Scottoline It is going to be quite difficult to describe why I did not see this novel in the same light so many others have.  However, I will try. I have to wonder just why the editor/publisher chose not to add a synopsis of the book here but used the first chapter, which has nothing to do with giving an over-all look at the book.  Ms. Scottoline wrote this as if it was two almost separate books in one.  The first book was the emotional one, dealing with the death of Chloe and then several of the members of his medical team.  This first half was written while Mike was still at war and was filled with a lot of medical technical jargon. The second book deals with Mike coming back to the US, dealing with his medical condition and trying to become a proper father to his daughter. It reads as if the time passage is much longer but only about a week goes by while it is all hitting the fan. All I could think while I was reading this novel was just how obvious everything was.  You knew every mistake Mike was making BEFORE he made it just by reading closely I had no sympathy for Mike or any of the other main characters in this book.  Where I should have been experiencing deep emotion, I was rolling my eyes. He was always using what could be termed ‘the easy way out’ and I never saw him as good father material. ------------ SPOILERISH--------- By the time   Bob and Danielle was having  Mike’s parental judgment questioned and they all went to court, if you read between the lines as I did, you knew it was coming right from the time that he went back to war after Chloe’s death. You just knew these two were hoping that he would make some sort of mistake and they would get Emily’s custody. The fact that they waited less than a week to do this cruel thing, was quite telling. The clues were there all along as to who fathered Chloe’s love child too. -------------END SPOILER<------------------>  What kind of Aunt and Uncle would EVER allow this child to call them Mom and Dad; this was just beyond wrong.  I have no children and my younger sister has four, and even if something had happened to my sister when the kids were young, I would never want to take away her memory as their mother by allowing the kids to call me mom. Moreover, to have Emily call Bob Dad, when she still has one is in my estimation – self -serving and vile. I could not warm to anyone in this novel and I find that amazing.  Usually you end up liking or sympathizing with someone, but not in this book. Nothing came as a shock to me, surprised me, or thrilled me in this entire novel. There was an exciting ending, but it was too little too late to make much of a difference.

				Beach House No. 9 by Christie Ridgway Edition: Mass Market Paperback Price: $7.19
Predictable Story, April 11, 2013 This review is from: Beach House No. 9 (Mass Market Paperback)   This was an interesting book. It is not one that I particularly liked, but it was interesting. Actually, this particular book reminded me a lot of several different books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and I couldn't help but compare the two authors. Sadly, Ms Ridgway didn't come out on top with this particular book. The protagonists seemed a bit on the dull side, the story line has been over-done lately and the angst from both Griffin and Jane is almost intolerable for me at times. Jane is a book doctor and is enlisted to help Griffin write his memoir and to apparently help him out of his funk that he is in, from his year that he was imbedded with the troop in Afghanistan. Naturally, it was not pretty and people that seem to be close to him have died. Jane is going to do anything she can do to make Griffin get his butt in gear and start on this book. Griffin is the master of procrastination so this will be the main part of this story line. Jane has also had her own disappointments in life -he Father, her brothers and the last person she was under assignment to. So we have a man who has vowed to NEVER get involved with a woman for more than a one night stand -and a woman who vowed to NEVER fall in love again. Well guess what, did you really think that they are going to stick with their vows? Therefore, what this book is is the perfect story of the hunter/hunted and advance/retreat with the typical ending. The last few chapters are a little less predictable than the bulk of this novel, but I don't think that it is enough to make up for the 'tortured hero/brooding, angst filled macho man' story line. Unfortunately, for me, the writing and everything else did nothing to make up for this trite and clichéd book for me. There is nothing new or fresh here.

		Frozen Solid: A Novel by James M. Tabor Edition: Hardcover Price: $14.28
I'm Looking Forward to More by This Author, April 9, 2013

The Deep Zone was hailed as “an absolutely phenomenal read by the new Michael Crichton” (Brad Thor), a book that “should come shrink-wrapped with a seat belt” (Steve Berry). Now, bestselling author James M. Tabor ups the ante and the action in his second extreme thriller, as brilliant and battle-tested heroine Hallie Leland confronts intrigue and murder in the most unforgiving place on Earth.

The South Pole’s Amundsen Scott Research Station is like an outpost on Mars.  Winter temperatures average 100 degrees below zero; week-long hurricane-force storms rage; for eight months at a time the station is shrouded in darkness. Under the stress, bodies suffer and minds twist. Panic, paranoia, and hostility prevail. 

When a South Pole scientist dies mysteriously, CDC microbiologist Hallie Leland arrives to complete crucial research. Before she can begin, three more women inexplicably die. As failing communications and plunging temperatures cut the station off from the outside world, terror rises and tensions soar. Amidst it all, Hallie must crack the mystery of her predecessor’s death.

In Washington, D.C., government agency director Don Barnard and enigmatic operative Wil Bowman detect troubling signs of shadowy behavior at the South Pole and realize that Hallie is at the heart of it. Unless Barnard and Bowman can track down the mastermind, a horrifying act of global terror, launched from the station, will change the planet forever—and Hallie herself will be the unwitting instrument of destruction.

As the Antarctic winter sweeps in, severing contact with the outside world, Hallie must trust no one, fear everyone, and fight to keep the frigid prison from becoming her frozen grave.

This review is from: Frozen Solid: A Novel (Hardcover)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

Frozen Solid by James M. Tabor

I think I actually would have LOVED this book had I known that there was another one attached to what looks to be a series. Read "The Deep Zone" first, I think it might help.

This is quite the complicated, yet superbly explained to the nonprofessional, scientific thriller with finely written characters. It is an action based novel with a great sense of place, a colorful and easily imagined scene and good plotting.
That is not to say that this novel was without some little problems -or big ones depending on how you look at it. There is an issue with an obvious `bad guy', but that was sort of taken care of by a tiny little plot twist that I enjoyed.
Taking high action and high excitement scenes cutting them and then picking up like nothing had ever happened, with no exploitation or very little explanation - was a big problem for me.

I understand that this is going to be an ongoing series so I can see why the author may not want to rush to fill in the gaps of the `heroine' and her lovers' life together. However, the author may need a little more finesse with this since he opens up a huge can of worms and then never resolves or revisits this issue.

I read this in one bite and am looking forward to having the time to read the first book in this series.

		A Perfect Proposal: A Novel by Katie Fforde Edition: Hardcover Price: $15.12
4.5 A Definite Re-Read, April 9, 2013 This review is from: A Perfect Proposal: A Novel (Hardcover) A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde In this delicious romantic comedy, a young Englishwoman gets an unexpected proposal from a dashing American, but it's not what you think Sophie Apperly's frustratingly dismissive family has never taken her seriously, but they do take advantage of her. So when an old friend offers her the chance of a lifetime, she decides to swap Little England for the Big Apple, and heads off to the land of opportunity. From the moment Sophie arrives in Manhattan, she's determined to enjoy every minute of her big adventure. And when fate throws her together with Matilda, a spirited grande dame of New York society who invites her to Connecticut for Thanksgiving, she willingly accepts. English-born Matilda is delighted with her new friend—though her grandson Luke, undeniably attractive but infuriatingly arrogant, is anything but welcoming. When Luke arrives in England a few weeks later, Sophie hardly expects him to seek her out. But Matilda has hatched some complicated plans of her own—and so Luke has a proposal to make, but it hardly seems perfect. With all the warmth and wit that have made Katie Fforde's novels huge bestsellers in the UK, A Perfect Proposal is an irresistible tale of love and literature and the quest for a happy ending. Katie Fforde "has imagination to spare, using witty writing and plotting to build a story” (The New York Times Book Review). All I can say about this novel is WOW! I loved it from beginning to end. I adored the characters -even the ones we are supposed to dislike! This was a sweet, gentle wonderfully written story of a young woman battered down by circumstances and her very selfish family who finally does something for herself. She takes off to visit a girlfriend in New York City and to take a nanny position, thinking that she was going to be close to her pal. What she was not aware of is that the job was in Maine-but that actually didn't matter since the job fell through, only she didn't find out until she was in America already! Fate, luck or circumstances put Sophie in the path of a very wealthy New Yorker -Matilda-who invites Sophie to her home in Connecticut for Thanksgiving. Here she is thrown together with Matilda's grandson Luke who has a proposal for Sophie. If you have read the synopsis you already know a lot of what is going to happen -sort of- what you aren't going to get from it is the wonderful way the author has of bringing these people to life. Imagine poor Sophie, a girl who loves to talk second hand clothes and turn them into something like art thrown in with a bunch of uber wealthy, snobby Conneticutites for a holiday they don't celebrate in the UK. So poorly the author could have handled this, but it was such a treat for me to read. However, do not worry! Just in case you think it is only Sophie who has to suffer from `fish-out-of-water-itis, Luke will be suffering the same thing too. And it is a hoot to see such a stick-up-the-bum young man have to deal with it. In the background, Matilda is working her magic trying her hardest to get these two together, So it is basically a story of a poor but sweet and smart young woman eventually falling in love with a slightly older wealthy man -two such different backgrounds. In addition, you might think that there could not be anything new here that it is clichéd and trite, but you would be very wrong to think that way and to pass this book up. If you liked the movie "Bridget Jones's Diary" you may find that you will be equally enchanted with this romantic novel. PS - I have already re-read it once and it still was as fun to read the second time as it was the first.

		The Buckhorn Legacy (Hqn) by Lori Foster Edition: Mass Market Paperback Price: $7.19
A RE-Print, April 3, 2013 "Emma Clark is back in Buckhorn. Once she was the girl with too much makeup and a bad reputation—and she tried everything she could to get Casey Hudson into bed. He was the cutest guy in town, and the only one who seemed to really care about her.As a hot-blooded teen it was hard for Casey to resist Emma. Now, eight years later, it's impossible. But Emma is doing her best to shut him out—and Casey needs to convince her that the attraction that burns between them isn't just leftover teenage lust, but his real love for a real woman…"

This review is from: The Buckhorn Legacy (Hqn) (Mass Market Paperback)

 

I've not read any of the other brothers books so I had no clue what to expect. If they are anything like this book though, I think I will pass. In order for me to enjoy my 'Alpha Hero' books, the hero actually has to be alpha, not just desperate and horny. Oh, and regretting that he didn't nail the heroine when they were kids.

The book also has to be a lot less vague than this one was in at least one part.

________SPOILERISH<--------------->
I could have sworn that Emma was pregnant when she had left town; that the reason she claims to have lied to Casey's family was that she didn't want to tell her parents WHO the father to her baby was, so she was letting her parents think the child's father was Casey. I felt that it was very vaguely written and that is why I thought the lie was that and NOT that she really wasn't pregnant. I spent more than 1/2 the book wondering just when someone was going to bring up her child, until I went back to re-read a couple of chapters! My fault totally I see that , but it could still have been spelled out a tad clearer.

------------ END SPOILER<----------------------->
There really is no story that I can see in this book. The entire story revolves around Casey having his way with Emma, very little is about Emma facing her past and dealing with it.

This ended up being a very slow moving and fairly boring story of what amounts to nothing but a building up of tension prior to a sex scene. I saw no character growth, and to tell you the truth I didn't very much like the characters that I did see. The characters that do show up more than once seem to be cliched and trite. The story of a small town bad girl with a bad reputation, getting hers and then leaving town under a suspicious cloud, only to show up years latter as somewhat of a success - has pretty much been done to death.

		The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn Edition: Paperback Price: $9.98
4.5 A Definite Re-Read, April 3, 2013 This review is from: The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (Paperback) It is said that if you haven't read any of these book that you won't enjoy these stories because you won't know what is going on - I disagree! It has been years since I read most of these books and have forgotten most of these plots, and I am actually sure that I have not even read all of these particular books. Yet I still enjoyed these `2cd epilogues'. If you take them as if all they are simply short stories, you do not need to pre-read the original books. This will make a wonderful vacation read with each story being rather short, but not so short that there isn't all of the elements we need to be satiated.. Several of them are quite sexy, at least one is tear inducing, and all of them have some elements of humor. A fan of Ms. Quinn's will definitely want in their collection this book. Second epilogues are included for these stories: ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING IT'S IN HIS KISS WHEN HE WAS WICKED TO SIR PHILLIP, WITH LOVE ROMANCING MISTER BRIDGERTON AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME THE DUKE AND

				Too Hot to Handle Price: $6.15
3.5 Stars - But With Reservations, March 27, 2013 This review is from: Too Hot to Handle (Kindle Edition) Too Hot to Handle - Victoria Dahl Overall, with Merry and Shane being the personalities that they are, they were perfectly made for each other. You may like the characters more and at an earlier time than I was able to and I hope you do. For me it took until nearly the end of the book to really feel something for Shane and Merry. This book is an adequate way to kill a couple of hours since it is such a light potato chip type read. This is a relationship driven novel, built on Merry, our female protagonist, wanting to get `some'. She, for once in her life, wants to feel sexy and not inadequate which she gets from almost everyone else in her life. There is tons of sex in this novel. Merry has drifted through her life mostly and now she has landed this very interesting job as a curator of a theme museum. What she does not know is that the people who have hired her have their cash hampered by the Grandson of the person who left them this land/town. To make a long story short Merry meets a man and not just any man but one that sets her panties on fire. Naturally, this man has a huge secret he is keeping. One that will not only get Merry fired but can crush her heart. This man - Shane -is also a brooding angst ridden, sometimes very annoying man As I was reading the novel I had to keep wondering...weren't the characters supposed to be in their 30's or so? If so then why did Merry constantly speak like a college freshman? Why was she such a flibbertigibbet? She is naïve and flighty, needy and altogether annoying, so would she ever be able to mature? Shane was altogether the ultra man...hot, smart, sexy kind and hiding a deep dark secret. He knew just exactly what this would do to Merry yet he perpetuated this mess. In addition, naturally, he is found out and the mess brought to Merry's attention in the worst way possible. This book was a bit clichéd, which I have to say, is a little unusual for Ms Dahl's work. Her writing is usually like a breath of fresh air to me. However, this time the plot was a little thin and more or less just served as a way to fit in the sexy scenes. The characters in this book were for the most part annoying, if not sometimes downright unlikable for a more mature reader. I love erotica, but I also want my book to have a darn good story behind all the sex---nighttime dreaming about sex- the daydreaming about sex and sex with battery-operated toys. Luckily, though, if you stick with it, the characters do grow and learn from their pasts and become what each other needs and wants. *ARC Supplied by publisher*

.

		If He's Tempted (The Wherlockes) by Hannah Howell Edition: Mass Market Paperback Price: $5.98
4.5 As Close to Perfect as You Can Get, April 2, 2013 This review is from: If He's Tempted (The Wherlockes) (Mass Market Paperback) If He's Tempted - Hannah Howell This is part of a series, but I must tell you I have not read but a couple of them and I had no problems treating this like a stand-alone book. Ms Howell does an excellent job of giving you enough back-story so that you never get lost. I do so love the Wherlocke's and I really wish I had been keeping up with them a little more. I didn't realize just how much I was missing until I picked this book up. I had totally forgotten just how funny an author like this could be. You seldom see historical writers portraying a woman of this era with as much backbone and grit as you see Ms Howell do. It is like a breath of fresh air. It is a pleasure to see the man being very manly, but always allowing that the woman has a mind of her own and that it may very well be a perfectly wonderful mind. Moreover, no other historical author does villains and villainesses as Ms Howell does. Briefly, we have Agatha Mallam coming to get help from Olympia Wherlocke. It seems that Agatha's evil mother is trying to marry her off to a man three times her age, to a man that is not exactly good husband material or even very healthy anymore, if you get my drift. It seems Miss Mallam cannot get a message to her brother so Miss Wherlocke takes matters into her own hands. Now the Wherlockes are something altogether special and they all have some amount of special powers and Olympia's is foresight - with a little bit of hindsight thrown in for good measure (be sure to pay attention when Olympia is leaning against Brants wall in his home the first time she goes there...it's a hoot!). Together they realize what they must do to stop Brants mother's evilness. As usual, Ms Howell draws wonderfully fleshed out characters, gives us a little bit of mystery, throws in enough frustrating moments to keep us at the edges of our chairs and has just enough hot and sexy scenes to have us looking longingly for a cool shower. This was a quick but very pleasant read. This book is one that I think I will even be pulling out to read again. Most certainly, I will be going over Ms Howells back-list to see what I have missed.*ARC Supplied by publisher*