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Tiger Kersen Amat wants to marry leopard Jarita Namar. All he needs to do is find rubies for the bride price and woo the sexy shifter. Unknown to him Jarita is already interested. When they meet in the Burmese jungle sparks fly, along with love and laughter. Mutual pleasure explodes, sweet, erotic and compelling, until thieves intent on stealing rubies intrude. A disaster since without the rubies there’s no bride price and their courtship will be doomed. Obtaining Jarita, a jewel beyond price, as his mate might take more than rubies and seduction…
Ms Munro asked for some volunteer reviewers for some of her short stories and I was very happy to volunteer. This story was part of an anthology put out by Ellora's Cave called Risque Ruby, but it is also available on its own from Ellora's Cave.
This was a great short story. It had a good storyline, a little action, great love scenes and did not leave me with a feeling that I was missing something. I wanted more from this world but this chapter of it was complete.
These shifters live in the wilds of Thailand where they can roam without too much fear of regular humans. Kersen makes arrangements with Jarita's father for her hand but he has to court her to get her acceptance first without her knowing about the arrangement. While he is courting her they run into some bad guys and Jarita gets a chance to see if Kersen really wants her or a pretty statue to put on a shelf.
I enjoyed reading this story and would look forward to seeing more in this world.
Labels:
paranormal,
shape-shifter
I have a review up at Book Binge here for Bone Magic by Yasmine Galenorn. It is the 7th book in her Sisters of the Moon series.
this has been a rough end of the week for me. On Thursday I learned that one of my roommates from college died during childbirth. She had pre-eclampsia and was 35 weeks so they did an emergency C-section. The baby was born healthy but my friend died from intercranial bleeding. Now her husband, Matt, is left with four little ones and no wife.
I had grown apart from Kylee in the last few years but what I remember about her was how much life she had and how much she loved God. That is where I am getting my comfort, I know that she is now singing and dancing up with the angels and having a blast. with all this happening I found out that she had a blog that she occasionally posted to and I went back and started reading old posts. This is one that I read today and started crying because it is so her.
Kylee, I will miss you but am happy that you are Home. Labels: misc.Hungry for Home
This week I had a conversation with a friend. It was difficult, sad, and full of truth at its purest. What was spoken was nothing to be argued with and yet it made me long for Home.
Last week Matt was gone for our staff retreat. I chose to stay home with the kids and it was difficult, fun, and full of laughter and some tears. I realized that I am deeply connected to Matt. The kind of connection that I am scared to admit. Part of me wants to believe that if I had to, I could make it on my own. But the truth is, I am a better person with him around. I laugh more, choose truth more, cry more for others, seek Christ more fervently, am sharpened and well...more like Jesus because he and I are deeply intertwined. It made me wonder what Home will be like, with all of us together in our purest form, tightly wound around eachother, depending on one another without self-protection, without reservation or fear.
I am longing for Home. I know this is good because I was never meant to nestle in here. The verse that has haunted me often is when Jesus is talking and says that birds have nests, foxes have dens, but the Son of man has no place to lay his head...it sobers this world up a bit. It keeps me from being intoxicated by what it has to offer. There is a line in a Rich Mullins song that says, "Nobody tells you when you get born here, how much you'll come to love it and how you'll never belong here. So I'll call you my country, but I'll be longing for my home. I wish that I could take you there with me."
What I do long for on this side of heaven is deep, intertwining friendships that never question the realm of purity and never tap into self-protection. There is a loneliness that subsides only for a little while, usually with a hug or a warm smile. But usually...usually it haunts me because I know I have no place to lay my head and weep.
I received this award from Tracy at Tracy's Place
I am supposed to list 10 things about myself, then pass the award on to some other bloggers! Okay, here it goes:
1. I teach music to elementary schoolers and love it!
2. I have three beautiful little girls.
3. I have a major sweet tooth, can never pass up a piece of chocolate or ice cream.
4. My whole family loves to read, we have 9 very full bookshelves in our house.
5. i love to sing, but my piano skills are sorely lacking.
6. I enjoy scrapbooking, but it usually gets pushed aside to read, alot less clean up.
7. I have lived in FL my entire life and only seen snow once when i was little.
8. I abhor housework, especially dishes. Waiting to win the lottery so I can hire a maid.
9. I have always wanted to visit England and Ireland.
10. I married a boy I dated in High School. We unintentionally ended up at the same college and got back together and got married.
I award this to some old friends and some new ones I am interested in knowing more about:
Labels:
misc
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Highland Pleasures Book 1) by Jennifer Ashley (A)
The year is 1881. Meet the Mackenzie family--rich, powerful, dangerous, eccentric. A lady couldn't be seen with them without ruin. Rumors surround them--of tragic violence, of their mistresses, of their dark appetites, of scandals that set England and Scotland abuzz.
The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.
Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama--an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.
And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.
The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.
Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama--an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.
And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.
At our first FL blogger meeting, Jill and I were talking as we were shopping and were discussing Jennifer Ashley's newest release because we both had it. Then she asked if I had read this book, I hadn't. She told me it was one of her favorites from 2009 so I had to go find it. My library had it so I grabbed it. I read it in one day. I am not a big historical reader as I prefer contemporaries and paranormals. I am very glad that I picked this up.
Lord Ian is a unique hero, and I loved that. For me he made the book. I loved his cluelessness. He was basically a historical nerd. He has an eidetic memory which means that he remembers everything he sees and hears. (Like Dr. Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds)
The story starts with Beth Ackerly being engaged to a nasty man named Mather. Ian warns her about Mather's predilictions and then proposes to her. Beth refuses but also breaks things off with Mather.
Beth is a strong heroine. She was raised in the slums but met a nice lady who hired her and then left Beth her wealthy estate when she died. She is an interesting blend of strength and naivete. Because of that naivete and optimism she does have one or two TSTL moments but I still liked her.
Ian, because of his memory, lack of social understanding and a couple of other things was put into an asylum when he was a child. His brother got him released years later after their father's death. But he is still labeled by most as "mad" because of his mannerisms and difficulty focusing on what is going on. I loved his character. It was such a nice change from the usual rakish characters in historicals.
Loved this book, I give it an A. Thanks Jill for the recommendation :)
Here is Jill's review as well.
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