The Reading Spot

The Mackenzie-Blackthorn books by Elizabeth Lowell
I read a couple of these a long while ago but could not find all of them so I got rid of them when I was thinning my books at one point. But this past week I found the one that I had been missing while I was a my ubs (Granite Man). And luckily they had all but one of the series in stock. So I bought them. The one they did not have (Fire and Rain) I had read a couple of times so I knew it pretty well and could fit it in the story (I hate reading books out of order).
But here is the series that I read. All of the books are great and are nice quick reads (except for Reckless Love that one is longer, I hadn't even realized this was in the series until I looked it up). This series is classic Lowell. The only thing I wish was different about the series is I am curious about Utah's story. As far as I can tell it was never written. He did not appear in any of the books but he was mentioned as the third brother and a little of his past as well.
I seem to be all about the parenthesis today.

Reckless Love by Elizabeth Lowell
I did not realize this was part of the series because it was a historical, but the main characters were part of the Mackenzie clan and were like great, great, great aunt and uncle to the heroes in the current time period.

Janna Wayland has survived in treacherous Utah Territory by using her wits, her grit and her knife. She is as bold and free as Lucifer, the wild stallion she vows to protect from men who would stop at nothing to possess him. Men like Ty McKenzie, whose will to survive is as strong as her own.

Nursing Ty back from death's grasp, she realizes that neither Lucifer nor her heart are safe from this man's fierce determination. Now Janna must follow Ty on a perilous trek through the badlands, battling renegade warriors, the elements and her own reckless heart with a fury that can be tamed only by love itself.

Fire and Rain by Elizabeth Lowell
This is the one that I do not own yet, but I have read it and it is very good.

Owner of the wildest, loneliest ranch this side of the Rockies, Luck MacKenzie hadn't laid eyes on Carla McQueen for three years. Not since they day he'd sent his best friend's kid sister storming from the Rocking M Ranch and out of his life -- for what he thought was forever . . . Now Carla was back, lovelier and even more desirable than in his burning memories. But Luke knew he could never give in to the raging need to make her his woman. For he'd made a vow long ago -- one that he was determined to keep -- that he would never fall in love with Carla McQueen. No matter how badly his body and soul ached for her . . .

Outlaw by Elizabeth Lowell
I love Tennesse I just wish I could see more of his background (I am always curious about people's pasts and what makes them they way they are).

Archaeologist Diana Saxton knew she couldn't trust a man to understand what was important—history had taught her that much. She couldn't allow herself to be sidetracked by a sexy, seductive stranger like Tennessee Blackthorn—but what would happen if just this once she broke her own rules…?

Granite Man by Elizabeth Lowell ( I have the one with the original Harlequin cover but could not find a pic of that one.)

Mariah MacKenzie returned to her family's Rocky Mountain ranch determined to reclaim a life she's longed for. Cash McQueen was a distraction she didn't need, a temptation she didn't want—but the only man tough enough to be her guide on a bold quest for a legendary treasure. Cash's passion for prospecting didn't run to beautiful women…anymore. Until Mariah made him want to believe again in something more precious than gold…


or
Warrior by Elizabeth Lowell (different covers I have the latter cover)

When wildlife biologist Eden Summers arrives in the Colorado Rockies, she has only one thing on her mind: to continue her research on the local cougar population. A capable woman, used to living and working alone in the wild, she is self-possessed and confident, able to handle any threat from nature's fiercest predators -- until she gazes into the eyes of Nevada Blackthorn.
She pulled him, injured and bleeding, to safety in the middle of a storm, unleashing a man who would invade her deepest dreams. But Nevada -- a rancher by trade, a warrior by nature -- is a man who has learned that walking away from caring is the only key to survival and that only the strongest survive. Any woman fool enough to try and change him will be hurt -- badly -- for their efforts.
Perhaps Eden is that kind of fool. Or perhaps she has no choice but to follow a calling as fierce, as wild and as natural as the beating of her own heart . . .

Labels: contemporary

Red Hot Reunion by Bella Andre
I enjoyed this one much more than the other that I read by her (Tempt Me, Taste Me, Touch Me). This one was longer so that was a plus, it was also a reunion story and I love those. So very hot book, with a cute chef for a hero and it is a reunion story what is not to like. (for me anyway)

The last time Jason saw Emma Holden, she crushed his heart. As college students, they were opposites in every way except for their thrilling, unpredictable passion. But deep down Emma was very proper, and in their senior year she blindsided Jason by dumping him for a wealthy jock and a dull, safe life.
Now it's ten years later, and if living well is the best revenge, Jason has done so in spades--he's a hunky celebrity chef with a hit TV show and all the women he wants. But he's interested in only one woman--Emma. And at their college reunion, he cooks up a wicked payback for her betrayal: teasing her with desperate desire, taunting her with the best sex of her life, just to see her fall.
Yet Emma has an agenda of her own, and teasing and temptation are just what she's hungry for. The "good girl" is now a daring, sensual woman eager to raise the sexual stakes, and she's hot for the most wildly erotic adventures he can dish out. Now who's turning the tables on whom?

Labels: contemporary

Drive by post today, I am on my way to my dad's 50th birthday party.

Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis
First book in a new trilogy and it was a fun action book. I cannot wait to read the rest of the trilogy, especially Brody's story.

Summary borrowed from Judy "book reader" at Amazon.
Noah Fisher is finally back in the air after a tragic plane crash months ago. He is on his way to some much-needed R & R, when suddenly a gun is poking him in the back. He can't believe he is being highjacked. Imagine his shock when it's his crush Bailey Sinclair. Bailey Sinclair is one desperate woman. When her no good husband gets himself killed a few months ago, he left her world in shambles. The money, everything is gone. Try telling that to his "investors." When these goons threaten the children she teaches, Bailey will do anything even highjack a plane to find the missing money. She trusts Noah and after a bumpy start slowly tells him the truth. Trying to stay one step ahead of the bad guys keeps these two on their toes. As the danger increases so does the all out chemistry between Bailey and Noah. They both have some deep trust issues from the past but what they have found is a once in a lifetime romance.

Labels: action, contemporary

Yea. I just got back from a side trip to the library on my way home. Score!! They were having a BOGO on their romance used books. So I got 8 books for TWO Dollars!!!!! (I would have gotten more but all I had in my pocket was two bucks and the hubby said I could not buy anything until payday.) But in the stacks were Sharon Shinn's first (?) five book in her Samaria series. So I got Archangel, Jovah's Angel, The Alleluia Files, Angelica and Angel-Seeker. I have heard good things about this series so I was very excited. The other three that I got were Touch Me by Lucy Monroe, The Wilde Side by Janelle Denison and The Love of a Lawman by Anna Jeffrey.

I got tagged by nath to list my three not so familiar favorite books
Rules: List and describe three of your favorite books that other people might not be familiar with. Then tag five people. See, easy!

This took a lot of thought but was fun to look through past reads. I will go with ...
The Princess by Lori Wick

In the Land of Pendaran, Shelby Parker lives a humble but good life. Her special qualities are eventually noticed by the king and queen of the House of Markham, who seek a new wife for their widowed son, Prince Nikolai.

To uphold the tradition of their country, Shelby and Nikolai agree to an arranged marriage. But while Nikolai is a perfect gentleman in public, he remains distant at home, leaving Shelby to wonder what is in his heart. Will the prince ever love her as he did his first wife? Can the faith they share overcome the barriers between them?

Beautiful Dreamer by Elizabeth Lowell ( I am sure this is not very unknown, but it is one of my favs)

Nevada's rugged, majestic beauty is a balm for the aches of Hope Gardener's heart. But the ranch she loves is dying of thirst, thanks to the worst drought the area has ever seen, Hope needs a miracle -- and one day it comes to the Valley of the Sun.
A man out of time, Rio is an anachronism in the modern-day West, bringing with him a reputation for finding water in any desert. Hope has no choice but to trust this dark stranger who claims to make dreams real. And Rio, who has never had a dream of his own to follow, has found something in this extraordinary lady whose passion tempts him to defy his own rules.In the midst of adversity, two free spirits must now explore the most closely guarded corners of their hearts...as they search for a beautiful dream big enough to hold them both.

Sleeping with Beauty by Donna Kauffman (hey, it is a nerd book and a friends to lovers book, two things I love)

At twenty-eight, elementary-school teacher Lucy Harper still feels more like a wallflower than the sex goddess she knows is trapped inside her. In fact, she can barely remember the last time she actually had sex. She claims she’s content with her life, but she doesn’t even realize she’s slipping into a coma–a sex coma, that is. Until It arrives: the invitation to her ten-year high school reunion.
Lucy’s childhood pals Jana and Grady are baffled by her decision to attend. But they’ve managed to put geek-hood behind them. This may be Lucy’s last chance to lose her loser reputation and knock her ex-classmates’ socks off–thanks to the modern-day fairy godmothers at Glass Slipper, Inc. For a not-so-small fee, they promise to bring out the princess in any woman. If only Lucy’s friends were more supportive, especially Grady. After all, he loves her like a sister. Doesn’t he?
Soon Lucy is under the scrutiny of eccentric self-made diva Vivian dePalma. And the diagnosis is dour: Lucy has slipped into the final stage of Sleeping Beauty Syndrome–meaning her love life is near death. Can Vivian rouse her in time for the reunion? And will a kiss from her teen crush really be enough to awaken her? For Lucy hasn’t quite opened her eyes to one important truth: the soul mate she’s been dreaming of has never left her side.

I cannot think of anyone who has not been tagged yet, so I will do the general "I tag anyone who has not been tagged yet".

Labels: misc

Maiden and the Monster by Michelle M. Pillow
I have heard good things about this author and was excited to get to try her. I was not disappointed. Now my least favorite genre is medieval historical because of the way women are treated and portrayed. I liked this one. It is not paranormal, I was not sure with the title and description. But it was an good story and had some really good scenes.

Vladamir of Kessen, Duke of Lakeshire Castle, is feared as a demon in the land of Wessex. The Kings have granted him a title of nobility in exchange for his part as a political prisoner. Discontent, he bides his time in his new home until war will once again rip through the land. But boredom soon turns to devious pleasure as the daughter of his most hated enemy is left for dead at his castle gate. Now the monster bides his time plotting revenge.

Lady Eden of Hawks' Nest doesn't know what to think of the man who saved her life, but she can't wrench her thoughts away. His words are those of a tyrant, true to his vicious reputation, but his touch is that of a man, stirring passion and lust when there should only be fear. It would seem the infamous monster is not as monstrous as he appears.

Labels: historical

Men to Die For by Denise Agnew, Shelley Munro and Ravyn Wilde
Great anthology!! And the cover is great as well. I do not think that there is anything i would change in any of the stories. They were long enough to satisfy me (which is odd for me) and the relationships were all very well done. There was also a nice mix of stories. One is a suspense, one is a paranormal and the other is a nice contemporary. i very much recommend this anthology if you have a chance to read it.

Hidden Enemies By Ravyn Wilde
A head injury has changed Jenna's once loving husband into a brutal monster. After a year of abuse, Jenna divorces him. Rick is enraged and swears to kill her. Even the police recommend she disappear for a while. Problem isshe doesn't know how. Then she meets Cole. Among his many attributes, Cole has published a book, Hidden Enemies. In it, Jenna learns everything she needs to know about hiding. After two nights of passion, Jenna takes one of Cole's books and disappears. But disappearing from Coleor the lust he stirs in herproves impossible.
Make That Man Mine By Shelley Munro
On her twenty-fifth birthday, Emma Montrose decides it's time to show bad-boy investigator Jack Sullivan she's more than an efficient secretary. She's a woman with needs, and she needs him. Jack is a taniwha, a shifter, who requires women to satiate the sexual demands of the serpent within. Nothing more. Then work forces the reluctant Jack and ecstatic Emma undercover as a couple. Thrown together, pretence and reality blur, generating hot sex laced with risk...
Meltdown By Denise A Agnew
Where there's smoke, there's fire. Evan Murdoch's firefighting career is on the line, his confidence shattered by a tragic accident that claimed the life of his girlfriend. Neighbor Lillian O'Hara understands disaster all too well and refuses to jump into any fire. But the passionate heat that unexpectedly flares between them forces them to confront the issues holding them back from what they most want. When a quake traps them in a basement, the threat of a collapsing building will force them to decide if their red-hot attraction and their lives are worth the ultimate risk.

Labels: contemporary, shape-shifter

Kiss of Midnight (The Midnight Breed Book 1) by Lara Adrian
Very similar world to JR Ward, but without the slang, the scars (but great tats) and the scenes with the bad guys are no where near as boring as the lessers. So I know a few people who might like this better (chantal ;) . I am enjoying both worlds. The next book Kiss of Crimson comes out next week.

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night—or this man—is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed—a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.
Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind—and the unwitting humans existing alongside them—from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.
Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . .

Labels: paranormal, vampires

Wulf by Kayelle Allen (ebook)
This is the first in the series of The Chosen. This was also my very first M/M book. Interesting. I do not think that I will read them on a regular basis but it made for an interesting change.

Lust. Power. Forgiveness. And a romance that lives forever.
Wulf Gabriel longs for freedom. A superstar in the Tarthian Empire, he is bound by an unscrupulous agent to a restrictive contract. With his career threatened and his life at risk, Wulf must trust the one man he swore would never again control him -- Luc Saint-Cyr, a.k.a. the Harbinger. For the Harbinger, saving Wulf is a simple matter of asserting his will. This enigmatic individual's legendary power makes him the most feared man in the empire. Gaining Wulf's trust, friendship, and eventually his love requires the consummate skill of a master -- and a romance that lives forever.

Alitus by Kayelle Allen (ebook)
Got this book not realising that there are other books between Wulf and this one. Now I have to go get the other two, At the Mercy of Her Pleasure and For Women Only. Those two are about brothers Senth and Khyff and though it is not imperitive to read them before Alitus, there were things mentioned that would have made a lot more sense if I had read the other two before this one.
It was interesting, but I think I will like them both better if I read all the books in order one after the other.

Alitus Vivaldi is a Better, an enhanced human bred for intelligence, discipline, and responsiveness. His combined talents in bed and politics take him from the Conqueror’s favorite pleasure slave to her personal assistant. He quickly learns the way to her heart is passion, love, and loyalty. When the empire’s political upheaval begins to nibble at her iron fist of control, the Conqueror must strip her favorite of his freedom and rights. To help the Conqueror accomplish her secret agenda, Alitus forsakes his identity and pride, and surrenders himself to his darkest fears. But will what he becomes save the Tarthian Empire and its Conqueror, or rock them both to their crumbling core?

Labels: sci-fi

The Demon You Know (A Novel of the Others Book 3) by Christine Warren
This is the third book in the Berkley release of the series. Now I am really needing to read the ones published with Ellora's Cave. Because those characters were a lot more present in this book and they referred to their pasts and meeting their mates. But the first two that I have read were, Wolf at the Door and She's No Faerie Princess. I will say that this is not my favorite of the series. I cannot at the moment put my finger on exactly why, but I did not like it as much as the other two. Some of me thinks it was the heroine, some of me thinks it was the storyline. I do not know. But I know I would like to read more about her brother, Noah, he was hot.

As a research grunt at a local television station, Abby Baker tends to blend into the background, which is where she’s most comfortable. But when she ends up being the last resort to cover a hot story, Abby discovers a whole new side to her personality when she is possessed by a fiend—a type of rogue demon. Suddenly everyone wants a piece of her. And now the demon Rule—also a hunter of his own kind who have gone astray—is Abby’s only hope…
Meanwhile, the Others—vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my!—have come out of the supernatural closet and the rest of the humans are all aflutter. Mischief is afoot in the demon realm, and Rule knows that Abby is key to figuring it all out before the fiends tip the fragile balance between the newly-discovered Others and the humans over into an epic battle. Now it’s up to two lost souls to make love, not war…..

Labels: demons, paranormal

Jamie's Cherub by Gail Faulkner
Very enjoyable book. Also nice and HOT. Very interesting storyline. Emma is very leery of wolf shifters because if a past experience so of course she ends up mated to one. (isn't that how it usually works out) but then Emma gets injected with a potent mixture of Vampire, coral snake and Jaguar (?) DNA and the wolf DNA that she received from being mated to a wolf and now they are fighting within her body for supremacy. On top of that they are fighting the bad guy to make sure that the balance between all the various Others and humans stays at a even level. I enjoyed this and am interested in reading more by her.

Jamie MacKelvin is Alpha Prime, king of the shape shifter wolves—and alone. Driven by duty, honor and the heritage of Alpha Primes, he's long since given up finding the one female who is his.
Emma's dark history has given her a beautiful daughter and the horrifying discovery that humans are not alone on Earth. The last thing Emma needs is a complex anybody, much less a dominant Alpha King.
Even if she wasn't his biological mate, he'd love her gentle heart, brave soul and intoxicatingly full figure. Claiming a reluctant mate is difficult—keeping her, the most dangerous thing they will ever do. Emma and her daughter are unwitting keys in an ancient battle for power. Ensuring their future will require a horrific price. Jamie is prepared to pay with anything except Emma.
Her trust in him as Master is the one thing that can save her, and Jamie will stop at nothing to acquire it, even if the cost is losing her ability to love him. Grimly he clings to the belief that mate bond is the last wildcard even the fates can't control.

Labels: paranormal, werewolves

Tempt Me, Taste Me, Touch Me by Bella Andre
Fun book, very hot. It is good if you can get past the fact that all three women fell in love the same day and they were all basically love at first sight. By the end of the weekend two of the three were ready to get married. That was what brought the book down for me. Once I ignored that I enjoyed the stories, especially the last story.

California wine country is a world of sensual delights -- the tantalizing kiss of sunlight . . . the luscious decadence of gourmet cuisine . . . the slow burn of wine that warms from within . . . and sinfully sexy men. For three women hungering for more, it's a destination for pleasuring both body and soul. . . .

TEMPT ME
Carrie can't explain why she turned down a marriage proposal from Mr. Perfect. But a chance encounter with a rugged winemaker who works the earth unleashes something wild in her. His raw, hungry power has her intoxicated with desire -- and she knows it's useless to resist. . . .

TASTE ME
After voluptuous Rose is left by her boyfriend for a thinner woman, she's in for a sensual shock when she falls for a chef who can't get enough of her luscious curves. One taste of his lovemaking will never be enough. . . .

TOUCH ME
Vanessa is used to loving and leaving her men. And the man she wants now is an intense artist who has her modeling nude amid the Napa vineyards. But this time, he's the one playing hard to get -- and their heated game of "look but don't touch" will soon have Vanessa begging for release. . . .

Where there's wine and women, there's bound to be seduction.

Something Naughty by Delilah Dawson - DNF (try again later)
Could not get into this one, but I think it was my mood. It has great potential so I will pick it up to try again later.

Damon Becker can't believe what he has just heard, from his grandmother no less! The matriarch of Becker Style business wear has come to an agreement with none other than Naughty Devil, purveyors of velvet handcuffs, edible underwear, and worse. Or better, depending how you look at it. Damon wants nothing to do with Naughty Devil—although he wouldn't mind trying out some of their items on ND's co-owner and sometime-model, voluptuously gorgeous Tanika Davis...
Tanika can't believe how resistant Damon is to Naughty Devil's product line—talk about too much starch in somebody's boxers. Still, Damon's stuffed-shirt exterior belies some seriously sexy potential, and she wouldn't mind being the woman who helps Mr. Becker get in touch with his inner kinky. After all, he fills a suit like no man she's ever seen—and she'd love to find out how well he can fill other things...
Now, a partnership rife with conflict is becoming a merger of a very different kind, as a pair of professionals with very different ideas about business come together after hours to discover the one thing they have in common...

Labels: contemporary

Voyeur by Lacey Alexander
This book is HOT, HOT, HOT.

Suffering from writer's block and with no lover to speak of, novelist Laura Watkins is in a funk. She needs a getaway and a release. Fast. Fortunately, she finds both in the retreat of a friend's isolated Colorado home. It's hers and hers alone for as long as she needs it. Then she comes upon the webcam, and her curiosity is aroused. So is her secret fantasy-to be watched by a stranger. His screen name is Flyboy (real name is Braden Stone and he owns the house). He likes what he sees. He wants to open up for her, too. Now, they're only one click away from exploring an after-hours game of exhibitionist and voyeur where anything goes. But now it's time to take it one step further-by meeting in the flesh. This time, no rules, no limits, and absolutely nothing to come between them.

Labels: contemporary

Here Kitty, Kitty! by Shelly Laurenston
I got this from a friend and now I need to go find the other book in the series. I think it is called Magnus Heat, it has the stories of her two best friends. This book was funny and HOT. Angelina is a major control freak and big on think before she acts. But she has got a mean aim and now that I think about it this book has quite a bit of domestic violence in it. Everyone is always punching someone else. But I had fun with it, I like kick butt heroines, and this one is definitely that.
Update: The first two books in the series are Pack Challenge and Go Fetch! The copy I read was from Triskelion but the first two have been re-released through Samhain and this one is being released in July.

Angelina Santiago didn't think her life could get any stranger. Her best friend is a shapeshifter. Her other best friend is in love with one. And people are actively trying to kill her. But she never thought helpful hillbillies would kidnap her, drag her cross country, and dump her at the home of their eldest brother and gorgeous shapeshifter, Nikolai Vorislav, for safe keeping. Nik the Hillbilly Tiger never wanted a woman in his life for more than a night, but he never met anyone like the psychotic hellcat his brothers drop on his doorstep. Now he has every intention of showing his little house pet exactly how strange and sexy life can get.

Labels: paranormal, shape-shifter

The Secret to Seduction by Julie Anne Long
I love her books, she is one of my favorite historical writers. She reminds me a lot of Lisa Kleypas. This is the third in a trilogy, the other books were also great and are Beauty and the Spy and then Ways to be Wicked. This was a good ending to the trilogy. I look forward to more books by her.

Sabrina Fairleigh arrives at an exclusive country soiree with marriage in mind. How shocking-and intriguing-to discover her host is an infamous ladies' man known for his indecent (and, ah, inspiring) poetry! They call him The Libertine, and his poetry is just as scandalous-and irresistible-as he is. But after one duel too many forces Rhys Gillray, Earl of Rawden, from lively London to his country estate, he's in desperate need of a cure for boredom. And the proper but beautiful vicar's daughter seems like the perfect test of his sensual skills. With wit and wiliness, Rhys strips away Sabrina's defenses. But as he teaches her pleasure, the emotional stakes of their sensual duel go beyond anything Rhys has ever known. For deep in his past lies the missing clue to the crime that destroyed Sabrina's family. And all The Libertine's seductive secrets may not be enough to save their future and their hearts.

Labels: historical

Well, first off, Happy Mother's Day to everyone. I am trying to post a review everyday to catch up on my to be reviewed list. But I keep reading so the list just stays about the same lenght at the moment. Well that is better than it getting just longer. I hope everyone has a great day.

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
This was a very interesting book and I cannot wait to read the next one (Succubus on Top comes out January 2008). It was unique. You don't read too many books about Succubi but I have read two in two weeks. Both very different but both good. This one has a who done it to the story some one is hurting her friends and she is trying to figure out who is doing it.

Succubus (n) - An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men.

Pathetic (adj.) - A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants. The wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid’s life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven’t stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess get-up complete with whip and wings. And she can’t have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy’s life. At least there’s her day job at a local bookstore—free books, all the white chocolate mochas she can drink, and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can’t.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle’s demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won’t help because Georgina’s about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny…

Labels: paranormal, succubi

Kiss of the Wolf by Morgan Hawke
I enjoyed this story a lot. I had never read any of her books before and do not read this time period very often so this was a delightful change of pace. Very interesting world, I am definitely interested in reading more about the prince. But I don't know if this is going to be a series or a stand alone.

Thorn Ferrell is a courier for the new American Secret Service, entrusted with carrying a secret message into Rumania in the dead of winter. It would be impossible for anyone to pass the Carpathian Mountains, but not Thorn, for she is also a werewolf. Settling into a deep cave for the night, she senses something else there in the dark…something not quite human, something that provokes both fear and a primal lust. And then he appears-tall, sensual, predatory, with black eyes and a body of carved beauty… As a vampire, Yaroslav is used to hunting for prey. But the beautiful naked woman who emerges from the wolf's form arouses a far different hunger. She is his equal in power, sensual skill, and carnal appetite. If he cannot tame her, he can certainly pleasure her. As they spend the night taking each other to new heights of raw need and unimaginable bliss, Yaroslav experiences something new, a desire so deep he will do anything to keep his new lover by his side forever…

Labels: historical, paranormal, vampires, werewolves

Flesh and the Devil by Devyn Quinn
If you like your paranormal dark and HOT then you will definitely like this one. It was a great dark sexy story about vampires. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

I am borrowing the summary from a review on Amazon. I found the description from the back of the book so I will post that after the Harriet Klausner review.
Vice Squad detective Brendan Wallace is working undercover trying to bust up the Exotic Jewels' prostitute ring. He calls the company and they send him sexy Liadan Niamh, as his lady of the night. However, instead of busting her, she somehow outs him as a cop before leaving him in knots. Recently divorced Brendan cannot forget the sultry siren and tries to set up a second tryst with her.
He soon learns how Liadan got the better of him when he realizes she truly is a lady of the night. She is a vampire. However, in spite of her attraction to the cop, she knows for his safety she needs to forget him; but she cannot and he will not let her; besides his desire for her there are dead females all over town with all the clues pointing towards Liadan. Concentrating on his love for her while thinking how his sister for years insisted there is magic in their blood; Brendan tries to help free his beloved from malevolent Auguste, who he believes is the serial killer.
This erotic supernatural police procedural romance hooks the sub-genre audience from the opening scene when Liadan leaves Brendan tied to a chair with the message to see her on his time not cop time and never unties the bonds of the reader until the climax. That opening encounter sets the relationship between two likable full blooded (even when she has not dined) protagonists falling into a taboo love for one another. The elements from the police procedural, romance and fantasy blend nicely together so that fans will appreciate the ties between the FLESH AND THE DEVIL.

Harriet Klausner

Vice cop Brenden Wallace has walked on the dark side for too many years. Now, newly divorced, he’s smoking too much and sleeping too little, and the empty darkness in his soul is the blackest part of any night—until he’s assigned to investigate an escort service called Exotic Jewels and meets Líadán Niamh. Lushly beautiful, she is the embodiment of seduction and thrilling control. She arouses Brenden’s most feral desires—fierce, bone-deep needs they explore together, mouth to mouth and skin to skin. But Líadán’s hungry kiss is more dangerous than Brenden could have imagined. Women are turning up dead, and every clue leads Brenden back to Líadán—and a raw, brutal passion that could cost him his life…

Labels: magic, paranormal, vampires

Oh man, I got tagged on two sides, nath and zeek :)

- you need to state 8 random things/facts about yourself if you're tagged
- don't forget to include these rules in your post!
- you need to tag 8 other persons
- comment on the blog of your 8 tagged persons, so they know they've been tagged


1. I adore chocolate and mint combined.

2. I eat my corn chips with cream cheese

3. I sing soprano.

4. I am dreading turning 30 this year.

5. My favorite cartoon characters are Michigan J Frog and Eeyore.

6. I have never colored or permed or done anything to my hair except cut it.

7. I wish I was 20 pounds lighter.

8. I love my kids and my hubby.

Well, since everyone else has pretty much already done this that I know. I tag everyone else who has not done this already.

Labels: misc

Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind by Karen Kelley
X-files comes to romance!! Just kidding. This was an interesting alien book. She is tired of her perfect planet of only women and reads about Earth and comes here to experience sex with a real man (as opposed to her perfect robot companion, Barton) and actually feel dirt and eat chocolate. Though it is hard to believe a world of only females and no chocolate. Scary. But now that she is here she wants to stay, but she has a wacked out guy in town named Harlan who has convinced the tabloid reporters that she is an alien and the people from her planet want her back. Choices, choices... perfection and sex with a robot or chocolate and sex with a man. I enjoyed this book, it was funny. I do not think it was a keeper for me, but I enjoyed reading it.

Labels: sci-fi

This is a deal/giveaway that Kate Rothwell is doing from her blog

Cool Stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isn't this an awesome giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!
(sorry, I get carried away with exclaimation points when excited.)

But here goes.......

__________________________________________________________________

Official Have I Got A Deal For You

It's official because I've got the updates put in and thus made it easier for you to use!

THERE ARE TWO CONTESTS! Both end JUNE 19, the day Revealing Skills comes out in print.


For CONTEST ONE, you don't need a website or blog. You can just email me or post a comment. (although if you do have a blog or website and you did post the review, I'd be grateful. Unless, of course, you compare the book unfavorably to horse manure)
For CONTEST TWO, you need a website or blog. (This is a change because, as someone pointed out, anything else is too spammy)

CONTEST ONE: Review a book and be put in a drawing to win a thirty dollar gift certificate from Barnes and Noble, Amazon or Samhain, your choice.
Here's how it works: I'll send you any one of my books. See the list below. You then write a review and put it in your blog or somewhere online. If you don't have a website, you can post the review in my blog under comments or email it to me. (my email address is on the right side of the page under OTHER PAGES WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME)

You hate the book, well, I'll survive. And you'll be put in a pool to win a gift certificate ($30) at Barnes and Noble or Amazon. The only book not included in this offer is Taming Him.


CONTEST TWO: Announce this contest--along with a link to this blog--on your blog or website, alert me and show me the link, and I'll put you in a drawing for everyone's favorite, a THIRTY DOLLAR! gift certificate for Barnes and Noble, Amazon, OR Samhain, your choice.

Don't forget to give me an email address/snail mail address for CONTEST ONE and/or a link for CONTEST TWO

That's not so complex, right? And for the first one, you also get a free book by me!

To reiterate (literally "repeat in another color"):

1. Get a free book by Kate and or Summer and write and post something about it ("I loved/hated this book by Kate and/or Summer. You should/shouldn't buy it and read it because_____. Don't ask me to send my copy, because this one happens to be an ebook and we don't share our ebooks.")

Be put in a drawing pool for a THIRTY DOLLAR GIFT CERTICATE.
You have to write something that indicates you at least looked at the thing, for heaven's sake. Also I reserve the right to lift really good comments from your great reviews and the right to use author calming visualizations if you post how and why you loathed the book. Either way you'll be entered in the contest--and the winner is picked by random drawing.

AND/OR

2. Post this offer on your site or blog Send me a link to your post and be put into yet another drawing pool for another THIRTY DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE.

Do both and be put in both pools.


Here're the books you can review--I've linked to descriptions of the titles:
by Kate Rothwell (both are print books)
Somebody Wonderful
Somebody to Love

Books by Summer Devon
Only ebooks, although I do have one meh paper copy of Learning Charity. Revealing Skills will be out in print--but the book is released the day the contest ends so...um, no, only ebooks unless you pick up a copy of Taming Him or, maybe, if you beg me prettily, I'll send you Taming Him. But you must be eloquent.

at Ellora's Cave:
Perfection
Futurelove
Invisible Touch

at Samhain:
Learning Charity
Revealing Skills

And here's one more by Kate,a rather peculiar ebook That's here, at booksforabuck, a great place, btw. Go Rob!

Have I left out any details? Let me know.
And don't forget to LET ME KNOW (and give me the appropriate information) if you're entering!

Labels: misc

Hell's Belles (Hell on Earth Book 1) by Jackie Kessler
Interesting. I enjoyed this one. I had been hearing a lot about this one and how great it was and I was not disappointed. The only thing that threw me was the first time that she time shifted in the chapters telling you the backgroud of the story and Jezebel. You would be reading and then the next chapter took place before "The Announcement". The story revolves around "The Announcement" that Lucifer made and you go back and forth pre- and post- Announcement. So the first time that threw me until I started paying attention to the chapter titles and looking for it. But it was a fun and hot book. (The next book The Road to Hell comes out in November.)
Warning: because I know some of you in my blog world do not like it when the heroine sleeps with someone other than the hero, she does.

She's A Hot Demon On The Run From Hell-- Which Isn't Easy To Do In Heels.
Once upon a time, Jezebel was a powerful succubus, capable of seducing men and sucking out their souls. But that was before Hell put a bounty on her head. Now her only chance to escape a fate far worse than death is to live as a mortal, losing herself in a sea of unfamiliar humanity, in a place where sinners walk hand-in-hand with saints--a place like Belle's strip club in New York City.
Working as an exotic dancer is a piece of cake for a former demon who once specialized in sex. Taking money from men? Please. It's like leading lawyers to the Lake of Fire. Plus the lingerie is great. But she hadn't counted on meeting sexy Paul Hamilton, a man haunted by his past. Good-bye, succubus; hello, lovestruck. Learning all about how complicated--and pleasurable--love can be, Jezebel thinks she's turned her back on Hell.
But Hell hasn't stopped looking for her. The secrets Jezebel holds are the most dangerous of all, the kind every demon in the Underworld would do their worst to protect. Demons are closing in, which is enough to make Jezebel shiver in her G-string. But it's her love for Paul that's going to have deadly consequences...

Labels: demons, paranormal, succubi

Bled Dry (Vegas Vampires Book 3) by Erin McCarthy
We finally get Brittany's story, yeah. Good addition to the series. I am enjoying this series a lot. It is a nice fun vampire series. If you like lighthearted vampire books these are great. The others in the series are High Stakes and Bit the Jackpot.

Hooking up with a vampire has its risks-but getting pregnant usually isn't one of them. Tell that to Brittany Baldizzi, who finds herself in the family way with no father in sight. After their one night of passion, vampire Corbin Jean Michel disappeared off the face of the earth-or at least off the Vegas strip. Corbin is a vampire with a cause, secretly trying to find a cure for his condition. But when he finds out Brittany is pregnant with his child, Corbin can't keep his paternal instincts from trumping his bloodsucking ones. Even when showing his hand could cost him the woman he can't help but love.

Labels: paranormal, vampires

Be Mine Tonight by Kathryn Smith
I kept hearing great reviews about Night of the Huntress which is the second book in this series and then realized that I had the first book in the series sitting in my tbr pile. (I also realized later that this was the same author who wrote Game of Scandal and I enjoyed that book very much). So I moved it up. It was interesting. I enjoyed it. The heroine was a bluestocking but unique to me in that she was dying and looking for possibilities to make her life a little longer. It takes place in 1899 Cornwall, England and Pru has cancer so she thinks that finding the Holy Grail and drinking from it will heal her, so that has become her goal. This was a great story you had that inner struggle of the vampire trying to figure out if he was good or evil and what his standing was with God. Plus a great love story. I very much recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read the next one.

I am called Chapel . . .
For nearly six centuries I have roamed the night, a mortal man no longer. Would that I could undo the past -- when I entered the sanctuary of the Knights Templar to wrest from them the Holy Grail, only to discover the chalice I raised to my lips was not the sacred relic but a hellish cup of damnation. Now I shun the day and all things human, driven by an ungodly thirst. And yet...
Never have I known a maiden the like of Prudence Ryland, whose beauty and spirit awaken a heart I feared long cold and dead. But her young life is slipping away, and she also seeks the deliverance of the Grail -- unaware that the cost of her search could be her soul. I must help Prudence, for in six hundred years, no other woman has stirred my passions so. But dare I tender to my beloved that which she most desires -- the sensuous "gift" of forever that is both rapture and a curse: my immortal kiss?

Labels: historical, paranormal, vampires

I am feeling better today, yeah!! But on the good side of being sick, since I was only relatively comfortable when I was laying down, I got a lot of reading done, I read Bled Dry by Erin McCarthy and Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind by Karen Kelley.

Fortune's Fool (A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3) by Mercedes Lackey
I really liked this book. I did not finish The Fairy Godmother and did not read the second book. One Good Knight, at all but I really liked this one. Starting the first book did help a couple times because Godmother Elena was mentioned and her strange horse, ??? cannot remember its name off hand, was in this one. So reading only half of the first book did help a little. Later I know I will go back and try the first one again, I think I was just not in the mood for it at the time. This was a nice warm fantasy adventure with romance, so I thought it was a delightful read.

As the seventh daughter of the Sea King, Ekaterina had a wonderful life—but also a lot of responsibility. Her special gift for moving around on land made her the perfect emissary from her father to check out interesting happenings on the surface. In short, she became the family spy.
On one such reconnaissance mission, she encounters Sasha—the seventh son of the king of Belrus. Though everyone sees his talent at music, they also consider him a fool. Ekaterina suspects something more powerful lies behind his facade. But before she can find out what, Ekaterina is kidnapped!
Carried off by a whirlwind and trapped in a castle with other kidnapped princesses at the mercy of a possessive Jinn, Ekaterina knows her chances of being found are slim. Which means that fortune, a fool and a paper bird are the only things she can count on. Oh, and of course her own clever mind and manipulative abilities…

Labels: fantasy, magic, mermaids

The Dead Girls' Dance (The Morganville Vampires book 2) by Rachel Caine
This is the second in the Morganville series, the first is Glass Houses. This is a decent series, but it is an ongoing one (i.e. her Weather Warden series is the same) so if you like a solid ending to your book/series then you need to wait and read them together. I am enjoying it but I do not think that they will be keepers for me. But I know people who rave about her other series and that was not a keeper for me either (though I will continue to read them).

Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Labels: paranormal, vampires, young adult

I found a new reading friend at work. I noticed her reading a book by Beverly Jenkins and i said that i enjoyed her books and she looked at me and said, "You read too? " And I said "every chance I get". So we started talking more and she is lending me a bunch of books that are on my want to read list. She buys them as soon as they come out and has quite a few that I have been dying to read but cannot afford and the library does not have them. Yeah!!! Off the bat she lent me Bled Dry by Erin McCarthy, Devyn Quinn's The Flesh and the Devil. This was a great part of my day which had been crappy. Try being sick to your stomach and dizzy while trying to organize class after class playing Tug of War in the hot sun. Not a pretty picture. So that was a great time to sit and chat about romances. Okay, on with the book...

Strip Search by Shelley Bradley
This is the sequel to Bound and Determined (good book as well). It has been a while since i read that one, but I think I liked this one more. The hero is the brother to the heroine of BaD. I love books with dancers. One of my favorite parts is when he auditions for her to be hired. Great scene. I have enjoyed her books and really, really, really want to read Wicked Ties by her (released under the name Shayla Black).

THE BEST WAY TO GO UNDERCOVER…IS TO TAKE IT ALL OFF.
If the Feds want to nail a Mafia kingpin, they need a slick trap to catch him. Enter Mark Sullivan, built for the job—to go undercover as a male stripper in the mobster’s Vegas club. The perk? The club’s owner. Sure she’s got some unsavory connections but how can anyone with those legs be all bad?
When it comes to business, Nicola DiStefano’s a pro. As for pleasure, she’s been out of commission too long to care. If anyone can strip her of her inhibitions it’s the new guy who’s stirring her wildest g-string fantasies. But Mark and Nicki have more in common than sizzling sexual chemistry. They each have their share of secrets and motives, and with the mob closing in, what gets exposed is as irresistible as it is dangerous.

Labels: contemporary, suspense

Nobody's Baby but Mine by Susan Elizabeth Philips
I liked this one a lot better than the others (It Had to be You and Heaven, TX). It did not take me as long to get into it. The only that I wish was different about it is that I wish there had been more mentioned about her homelife as a child. Maybe I missed it but I don't remember it being mentioned that much, and for it to have as much affect on her as it did, I wanted to see more of it.

The Plan
Genius physics professor Dr, Jane Darlington desperately wants a baby. But finding a father won't be easy. Jane's super-intelligence made her feel like a freak when she was growing up, and she's determined to spare her own child that suffering. Which means she must find someone very special to father her child. Someone . . . well . . stupid.

The Target
Cal Bonner, the Chicago Stars' legendary quarterback, seems like the perfect choice. But his champion good looks and down-home ways are deceiving. Dr. Jane learns too late that this good ol'boy is a lot smarter than he lets on -- and he's not about to be used and abandoned by a brainy baby-mad schemer.

The Explosion
A brillant, lonely woman who dreams only of motherhood . . . A take no-prisoners tough guy who'll settle for nothing less than surrender . . . Can passion and physical attraction propel two strong-willed yet vulnerable people to a totally unexpected love?

Seduction by Chocolate anthology by Thea Devine, Penelope Neri, Lisa Cach and Nina Bangs
This was a nice quick read. I enjoyed it. I like to do anthologies as a break from whatever book I am reading at the time. If I am getting a little bored or need a brief change of pace I read a story in an anthology. I think my favorite in this book was a tie between Sweet Sin and Meltdown.

Since you know I do not like writing sumaries and the book description was not posted at Amazon I borrowed this from one of the reviews posted by Harriet Klausner.

"Sweet Sin" by Nina Bangs. Matt Davis persuades his partner Ann Hawkins to make a statue out of chocolate of a naked man for a bachelorette party they cater. Ann agrees only if Matt is the subject.

"Eliza's Gateau" by Lisa Cach. In Brussels, sophisticated restaurateur Sebastian St. Germain notices the pretty naive American female traveling by herself with too much baggage. Eliza Mandish on a European trip sees the stylish Sebastian and knows he is out of her league.

"Meltdown" by Thea Devine. Event planners Donna Cavalero and Jessica Demont work extra hard to insure that the political fundraiser for Matt Greer is a success. However, both females learn that measuring success may not be in the amount of money raised, but in the respective hunk they desire.

"Seducing Sydnee" by Penelope Neri. Agricultural engineer Sydnee Frost travels to Costa Rica to help Cord Westridge save what is left of his cocoa plants. Upon meeting Cord, Sydnee wonders who can save her heart.

These four tales of SEDUCTION BY CHOCOLATE are delicious reprint of a 2000 anthology starring likable lead characters who understand death by sex and chocolate (you will not believe some of the applications that sound sinfully sweet and salty).

Harriet Klausner

Labels: contemporary

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
This is the second book in this series (the first is The Raven Prince) though the books can be read independently. I really enjoyed it and will continue to read her books. They are fresh and fun and she has a great voice. The next book and last book, The Serpent Prince is due to come out Sept 1st.

Wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland doesn't want a husband, though she could use a good steward to run her estates. One look at Harry Pye, and Georgina knows she's not just dealing with a servant, but a man. Harry has known many aristocrats-including one particular nobleman who is his sworn enemy. But Harry has never met a beautiful lady so independent, uninhibited, and eager to be in his arms. Still, it's impossible to conduct a discreet liaison when poisoned sheep, murdered villagers, and an enraged magistrate have the county in an uproar.

Labels: historical