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Giveaway & Review: Secrets of an Accidental Duchess by Jennifer Haymore

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Secrets of an Accidental Duchess
Author: Jennifer Haymore
Publisher: Grand Central/Forever
Pub. Date: February 1, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0446573153
Pages: 432
Digital Price: $7.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
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With her pale hair and slim figure, Olivia Donovan looks as fragile as fine china, and has been treated as such by her sisters ever since a childhood bout with malaria. But beneath her delicate facade, Olivia guards a bold, independent spirit and the kind of passionate desires proper young ladies must never confess…

It was a reckless wager, and one Max couldn’t resist: seduce the alluring Olivia or forfeit part of his fortune. Yet the wild, soon-to-be Duke never imagined he’d fall in love with this innocent beauty. Nor could he have guessed that a dangerously unpredictable rival would set out to destroy them both. Now, Max must beat a Madman at his own twisted game-or forever lose the only woman to have ever won his heart.

~*~*~

REVIEW

Secrets of an Accidental Duchess is a sweet and romantic story.

I loved the couple in this book. Their romance is sweet and one of the best I’ve read in a while.

Max is instantly mesmerized by the beautiful Olivia when he spies her at a ball. He will do whatever necessary to meet her. In a moment of distraction he makes a wager with his rival that he can seduce the elusive beauty.

Olivia longs to be treated like a normal woman, but due to a childhood illness that left her prone to fevers, she is treated like a fragile flower. She has sworn never to marry, but when she meets Max everything changes.

Their relationship progresses at a slow pace. They spend actual time together – playing tennis, going for walks, etc. – which is actually kind of rare in historical romances. The attraction builds and there is a lot of sexual tension between the couple.

Max gains his title and all hell breaks loose. His enemy comes after him and Olivia, setting out to destroy the relationship that has developed between them. The test will be if Max and Olivia are willing to fight for their love.

The writing is what you would expect from a Jennifer Haymore novel. It flows seamlessly and keeps the reader enthralled in the story. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series – Pleasures of a Tempted Lady out in July 2012.

Rating: 4.5 (Excellent)

Heat-Level: 3.5 (Sensual/Hot)

Reviewed by Carrie

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Posted in Giveaways, Grand Central, Reviews | 52 Comments »

Giveaway & Review: My Wicked Little Lies by Victoria Alexander

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012


My Wicked Little Lies
Author: Victoria Alexander
Publisher: Kensington
Pub. Date: February 1, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1420117066
Pages: 352
Digital Price: $4.96
Print Retail Price: $7.99
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Evelyn Hadley-Attwater has it all—a genteel Victorian life replete with loving husband, ball gowns and elegant parties. No one, including the man she married, suspects that she was once “Eve,” a spy for England’s most enigmatic intelligence agency. Summoned for one final assignment, the excitement of her former life and memories of her mysterious, flirtatious boss “Sir” prove too tempting…

Adrian Hadley-Attwater is a respectable, dignified gentleman. But even the most proper gentlemen have secrets of their own. Secrets from the rest of the world, from their families, from their wives. Secrets that have a price. Now, as a veil of secrecy frays, a tantalizing game of cat and mouse will test the bounds of unfailing love…

~*~*~

REVIEW

“…but at the length truth will out.” – William Shakespeare

Evelyn Turner Hadley-Attwater, Countess of Waterson, has the perfect life. She is in love with her husband Adrian, his family and her responsibilities as a Countess. Since Evelyn’s parents died when she was young, leaving her to the care of a distant relative, Evelyn finds herself content in her settled and “normal” life. Normal life is appealing to Evelyn, who has a past full of secrets that threaten her marriage and life as she knows it, should her husband ever uncover the truth. Little does she know, he knows more than she knows, he knows.

Adrian Hadley-Attwater, Earl of Waterson has become slightly anxious since leaving his rogue lifestyle and assuming the position of Earl after his brother’s death. Adrian, who married the love of his life, has noticed Evelyn’s recent change in manner and is determined to find out what is causing her distraction and inattentiveness. Convinced his wife is having an affair; Adrian continues to search for the truth, only to uncover hidden secrets of the past that could ruin life as he knows it.

My Wicked Little Lies is a deliciously original story that kept me turning the pages in order to discover the truth of the past. The novel focuses on Adrian and Evelyn’s marriage and the lies of omission that are festering beneath the surface of their relationship. Both characters are extremely likeable, well developed and interesting, to say the least. The heat between these characters is evident without the in depth love scenes or spicy content. In fact, the first sexual scene is not revealed until the last half of the book. This enables the reader to feel the sexual tension and desire between the two characters before actually reading about their steamy interactions.

While I had this book figured out for the most part, I was still sitting on the “edge of my seat” waiting for the climax and, surprisingly, discovering it more than once. The author threw in a nice surprise near the end that I enjoyed and didn’t expect. Victoria Alexander has written an exciting and original historical romance that holds mystery, suspense and secrets that are sure to entice most every reader. I highly suggest reading this book. When you finish, come back and comment on this post. I’m itching to discuss the book!

Rating: 4.5 (Excellent)

Heat-Level: 3 (Sensual)

Reviewed by Tiffany

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Review & Giveaway: Colorado Dawn by Kaki Warner

Monday, January 23rd, 2012


Colorado Dawn

Author: Kaki Warner
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Pub. Date: January 3, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0425245224
Pages: 304
Digital Price: $9.99
Print Retail Price: $15.00
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The next in Kaki Warner’s sweeping new series about unlikely brides who make their way west-discovering newfound freedom and rediscovering love…

After only three letters and one visit during her six-year marriage to a Scottish Cavalry Officer, Maddie Wallace decides to build a life without him. Accepting an assignment from a London periodical to photograph the West from a female perspective, she sails from England, determined to build a new life as an independent woman.

After injury ends his military career, Angus Wallace returns home to find his wife gone, his family decimated by fever, and himself next in line to an earldom. His new mission is clear–find his wife and sire heirs. His search takes him across an ocean and half a continent, but he finally tracks her to Heartbreak Creek, Colorado. There his biggest challenge awaits–to convince his headstrong wife to return home as his viscountess.

Amidst statehood struggles, claim jumping, and railroad disputes their passionate battle rages…until word comes that Angus has become the earl. Now they must decide between a life in the mountains of Colorado, or in the glittering ballrooms of London…and between duty and desire.

~*~*~

REVIEW

In Colorado Dawn, Kaki Warner’s trademark humor, grit and attention to detail come together in a beautifully vibrant, entertaining, and emotionally gripping story.

Maddie and Angus Wallace have spent only a few nights together in their six-year marriage. The last time Angus deserted her to rejoin his regiment, Maddie struggled unsuccessfully to make a life with his family in Scotland. She finally leaves and strikes out for Colorado Territory, where she becomes a celebrated photographer introducing the world to America’s west through a female eye.

She tells her new friends in the failing mining town of Heartbreak Creek that she’s a widow, a lie that catches up to her when Angus (now Viscount Ashby, or Ash) seeks her out because he needs an heir.

But how can she even think about forgiving him, much less giving up a meaningful career, for a lazy life among the backbiting aristocracy? And how can Ash give up centuries of duty for a life thousands of miles from his family and heritage?

I’ve read all of Kaki Warner’s novels, and they go from strength to strength. Colorado Dawn is the second in her Runaway Brides series (Heartbreak Creek is first), and this novel cements Kaki’s place as one of my favorite novelists.

For me, one of the great pleasures of reading a Kaki Warner novel is the voice she gives her heroes. They’re rough, rugged and funny, but they’d do absolutely anything for their heroines. Unlike their Victorian England counterparts, there’s nothing polished about them. They’re survivalists, and it’s a good thing because hoo-boy! Kaki throws a hell of a lot of conflict their way.

Though Ash is a new member of the British aristocracy, he has much more in common with the sheriff and ranchers of Kaki’s previous novels than he does with English toffs. Ash is a Highland warrior, a soldier, who has suffered grave injuries and losses. Although he devoted most of his life to his career, and was devastated to lose it, he has managed to keep his sense of humor, as shows in this scene when he’s driving Maddie back to town after a night of passion.

They spoke little. It was one of those highly charged female-type silences that eroded a man’s confidence and had him scanning through recent events to determine what he might have done wrong. Ash tolerated it as long as he could, then looked over at his wife. “It was the uniform, right?”

In the slanted light, her eyes were as brown and clear as the medicine bottles that had lined the windowsill beside his hospital bed. Filled with promises and hope. Addictive.

“Uniform?”

“That caught your eye.” When she still showed no understanding, he explained. “I can feel you drifting away, lass, and I’m seeking a way to draw you back. The ladies always seemed taken with the uniform. As once did you. Shall I send for it?”

“Drifting away? You can say that after what we—you and I—when we—after last night?” She clasped her gloved hands in her lap and looked away, her cheeks as red as strawberry ice in a paper cone.

“So it went well for you then, love? You dinna say, so I wasna sure. But with all the squealing and carrying on, I should have known.”

Her head whipped toward him. “I did not squeal or carry on.”

“No? Then it must have been me.”

And the scene just gets better from there.

I love that Ash is a man of his time, completely befuddled at first by the fact that his wife doesn’t want to give up her photography for a lifetime of leisure and balls. But I also love that he learns how important her career is and strives to find ways to support her in it.

If you haven’t read Heartbreak Creek, I recommend you start there to get a feel for the friendships and the secondary romance that run through the series. I highly recommend this series.

Rating: 4.5 (Excellent)

Heat-Level: 3 (Hot)

Reviewed by Kat Latham

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Review & Giveaway: Destiny by Carly Phillips

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012


Destiny
Author: Carly Phillips
Publisher: Penguin Group / Berkley
Pub. Date: January 3, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0425245743
Pages: 304
Digital Price: $7.99
Print Price: $7.99
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Nash Barron may be cynical about love, yet even he likes a good wedding. But the only good thing about his brother’s wedding is Kelly Moss. Nash can’t help but admire her confidence and beauty, but he’s forced to keep his distance because getting involved with Kelly could destroy his relationship with his newly discovered half sister, Tess…

Kelly came to Serendipity to give Tess–her half sibling as well, thanks to an illicit affair–a second chance at life. She learned long ago not to rely on anyone but herself. Besides, she doesn’t want to upset Tess’s life by pushing for a fling with Nash. Except the more she gets to know him, the more vulnerable she becomes to the kindness beneath his gruff exterior, and the less she’s able to stay away. But she has other reasons for keeping her distance. Like the secret from her past she knows Nash will never forgive…

~*~*~

REVIEW

Readers were first introduced to the Barron brothers and the town of Serendipity in Carly’s first book of this series, titled Serendipity. If you enjoyed reading Serendipity, you’ll love Destiny. Destiny tells the story of Nash Barron and Kelly Moss. It also expounds on the first novel, giving insight into the town of Serendipity, its people, the Barron brothers and their past. Like most novels, these brothers have a past they’ve tried to escape. Unfortunately, you can run but you can’t hide, at least not forever. This town and its people have secrets ready to be spilled, scandals to peak your interest and its fair share of life, complete with love, pain and change.

He shook his head, reminding himself he wasn’t here for sex, no matter how suddenly primed his body was.
“Kelly?” He called out.

“In the back.”

He headed to the file room and found her waiting for him, her hand on a stack of legal files.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She drummed her fingers on the stack of documents, then finally met his gaze. “Richard asked you to help out on anything I was doing in the office, right?”

“Right. Is there something you’re having trouble with?” He took his jacket and laid it over a stack of files.
She shook her head. “I’ve actually put current work on hold and I’m archiving old files.”

He frowned. She couldn’t possibly need his help on those.

“Some of these date back to the nineteen eighties.”

“Okay,” Nash said, still not sure where she was headed or why he was here.

She drew a deep breath, her nervousness contagious and his palms began to sweat.

“Let’s say I wasn’t comfortable handing you a set of files to look at for no reason connected to any current case,” Kelly said as if posing a hypothetical.

Lawyers were used to hearing those “what if” situations all the time, but that didn’t easy his sudden anxiety.

“But,” she continued, “If I were to need your help getting through all these case files that would be different. And if, while helping me, you happened to read through this top file to make sure everything was in order that would be in the regular course of doing business.”
He glanced from her worried eyes to that file folder she hadn’t taken her hand off. There was something in there she wanted him to see but was obviously worried about violating confidentiality.

“Am I right?” she asked.

He nodded, recognizing that she was leading him to something important without actually handing him the information. “Whatever is in that file and how I came by it would never come back to bite you,” he promised her, his heart beating faster, though he was still in the dark about the contents.

She blew out a deep breath. “Okay. So I’m going to step out and take a break. But I’ll be in the other room if you need me.” She eased closer and placed her hand against his cheek. “And I think you’re going to need me,” she whispered, before walking out.

True to Carly’s writing style, Destiny is a magnificent story. Carly is one of those writers who tell a story with her heart and soul leaving the reader wanting more. Thankfully, Carly writes plenty of series, including this trilogy which still has its final chapter for readers to anticipate. I enjoyed watching Nash and Kelly’s story unfold. The characters are well developed, enabling them to come alive in my imagination as I read through the pages of the book. There’s a lot of fun entanglements in this romance, considering both Nash and Kelly are related to Tess. I enjoyed how each of the characters were concerned about their relationship with Tess and put it as a priority over love. Of course, when something’s meant to be, love happens anyway. The relationship between the characters is deeper than a surface attraction and includes mutual admiration, respect and understanding. Mix that with an explosive attraction and you have one hot and enjoyable romance.

Of course, every relationship has its secrets and speed bumps. In this novel, Kelly’s past includes a secret that could threaten her entire relationship with Nash, which gives her reservations about starting a relationship with Kelly, due to his recent discovery of his half-sister and fear of ruining their new found relationship. One of my favorite aspects of this book and its series is the realistic approach Carly takes to her characters’ lives. The story of these brothers and their estrangement is one that is likely true for others in reality. Carly’s stories feel real. Her characters are like friends or family. Her stories are relatable and natural. It’s always a pleasure to read books like this making this book one I would recommend to others.

Rating: 4.5 (Excellent)

Heat-Level: 3.5 (Sensual/Hot)

Reviewed by Tiffany

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Posted in Berkley, Giveaways, Reviews | 41 Comments »

Review: Sins of the Highlander by Connie Mason & Mia Marlowe

Monday, January 2nd, 2012


Sins of the Highlander
Author: Connie Mason and Mia Marlowe
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pub. Date: January 1, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1402261824
Digital Price: $6.39
Print Price: $7.99
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ABDUCTION

Never had Elspeth Stewart imagined her wedding would be interrupted by a dark-haired stranger charging in on a black stallion, scooping her into his arms, and carrying her off across the wild Scottish highlands. Pressed against his hard chest and nestled between his strong thighs, she ought to have feared for her life. But her captor silenced all protests with a soul-searing kiss, giving Elspeth a glimpse of the pain behind his passion—a pain only she could ease.

OBSESSION

“Mad Rob” MacLaren thought stealing his rival’s bride-to-be was the perfect revenge. But Rob never reckoned that this beautiful, innocent lass would awaken the part of him he thought dead and buried with his wife. Against all reason, he longed to introduce the luscious Elspeth to the pleasures of the flesh, to make her his, and only his, forever.

With two clans against them burning for battle, they must find a way to join together—body, breath, and soul. Or both will be made to pay for the…
SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER

(more…)

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Review: The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James

Friday, December 23rd, 2011


The Duke is Mine
Author: Eloisa James
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Pub. Date: December 27, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0062021281
Digital Price: $6.99
Print Price: $7.99
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Destiny will be decided between the sheets in this all-new tale of “The Princess and the Pea.”

For Olivia Lytton, betrothal to the Duke of Canterwick—hardly a Prince Charming—feels more like a curse than a happily-ever-after. At least his noble status will help her sister, Georgiana, secure an engagement with the brooding, handsome Tarquin, Duke of Sconce, a perfect match for her in every way . . . every way but one. Tarquin has fallen in love with Olivia.

Quin never puts passion before reason. And reason says that Georgiana is his ideal bride. But the sensual, fiery, strong-willed Olivia ignites an unknown longing in him—a desire they are both powerless to resist. When a scandalous affair begins, they risk losing everything—Olivia’s engagement, her sister’s friendship, and their own fragile love. Only one thing can save them—and it awaits in the bedroom, where a magnificent mattress holds life-changing answers to the greatest romantic riddle of all.

~*~*~

REVIEW

The Duke is Mine is a wonderfully written historical romance full of unusual characters and a very happily ever after.

Olivia and Georgiana Lytton have been raised with one goal in mind – to become a duchess. Well, really Olivia has been raised with that goal and as her twin Georgiana was lumped in. Olivia has been engaged to Rupert, Marquess of Montsurrey, since childhood. She doesn’t want to marry the Marquess, who because of a traumatic birth suffers from brain damage. Even though Olivia doesn’t want to marry Rupert she is willing to do what her parents expect of her.  With Olivia settled her mother sets her sights on Georgiana and agrees to send her to a house party of sorts at the country estate of Tarquin, Duke of Sconce.

Quin suffers from Asperger’s and has trouble with emotions. He had a terrible first marriage that ended in the death of his wife and small son.  Quin has promised himself that he would never allow lust to rule him again and agreed to allow his mother to find a second wife for him.

All of Quin and Olivia’s plans are thrown out the window when they meet each other, though they both try to fight it.

I loved the characters in this book. Rupert, who is very sweet but also very damaged, steals the reader’s heart even though no one wants him and Olivia to end up together in the end. Olivia, who has been told her whole life that her appearance is unbecoming (she is plump) and that she needs to refrain from being vulgar (one of the things she takes joy in). Tarquin, who is unsure how to feel or express emotions and Georgiana, who has lived in her sister’s shadow and wishes for nothing more than to learn more about the world around her. These characters are what made this book so great. There are places that the plot is silly and even unbelievable, but it didn’t matter because I needed to know what happened to these four characters.

The writing is fantastic and definitely has a fairy tale feel. The Princess and the Pea is the basis for the story, but is really a very small influence on the story. There are a few references, such as:

“A test?” Georgiania asked, her tone rather dubious. Olivia nodded. “Do you remember that old story of the lady who was decreed to be a REAL princess because a pea had been hidden under her mattress? Well, this is my version. No prince is REAL if he obeys his mother.” 

And at one point Olivia is given a stack of mattresses to sleep on. That’s the extent of the influence the fairy tale had on the story.

I found The Duke is Mine to be incredibly romantic and sexy. There were places where Quin’s dialogue made me swoon. For example:

“I’m fat,” she blurted out.

“You are not fat. You’re the most beautiful, voluptuous woman I know.” His eyes moved down her body, deliberately, slowly, then back to her face. What she saw in them sent fire squirming through her stomach and lower. “I want every inch of you,” he said, growling it. “I want to fall on my knees and worship at your hips.” He reached out, shaped her curves from breast to hips with a burning sweep of his hand that a man was allowed to give only his wife.

The Duke is Mine is a very fun read and sure to delight fans of historical romance and Eloisa James.

Rating: 4.5 (Excellent)
Heat-Level: 3.5 (Sensual/Hot)

Reviewed by Carrie

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Review: Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke

Saturday, December 17th, 2011


Trouble at the Wedding
Author: Laura Lee Guhrke
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Pub. Date: December 27, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0061963179
Digital Price: $4.99
Print Price: $7.99


Annabel is about to marry the perfect man . . .

The last thing Miss Annabel Wheaton desires is true love. She learned the hard way that love makes a woman foolish and leads only to heartache. That’s why she agreed to marry an earl who needs her money. He’s got a pedigree and a country estate, and he won’t ever break her heart. There’s only one problem . . .

Christian isn’t about to let her marry that pompous prig . . .

Christian Du Quesne, Duke of Scarborough, thinks the stubborn heiress is about to make the biggest mistake of her life, and he’s determined to stop her. Tempting beautiful women is Christian’s forte, after all. When her family offers him a nice sum of money to stop the wedding, he’s happy to accept.

Falling in love with Annabel was never supposed to be part of the bargain . . .

Buy Links: Amazon Kindle  -  Barnes & Noble -  iBookstore

~*~*~

REVIEW

What would you think of a historical romance that takes place in 1904 (not the Regency or even the Victorian period), starts out in New York City not England, and features a Southern Belle heroine?  Oh, there is a duke as a hero—but he’s penniless!

You’d think fresh, fresh, fresh, that’s what you’d think!

Laura Lee Guhrke has really created a charming read, the third in her Abandoned at the Altar series.  This book hooked me from page one and didn’t let go.

Our Southern belle, Annabelle Wheaton, is from Gooseneck Bend, Mississippi, her daddy having struck it rich from gold mining.  But she’ll never be good enough for the knickerbocker crowd of New York City.  She plans to marry the Earl of Rumsford, whom she doesn’t love but with whom she believes she has a relationship of mutual respect.  She will infuse his bankrupt estate with rejuvenating funds, and he will give her and her family the respectability and status she craves. Annabelle vows her little sister will have a proper coming out ball, unlike her humiliating one, where no one showed up.

Ah, but Rummy’s a true scoundrel, and Christian DuQuesne, the Duke of Scarborough, knows it well.  He’s in New York to scope out new investment opportunities to save his own floundering estate.  He knows Rummy agreed to marry Annabelle on board an ocean liner (think Titanic in size and scope) because he’s embarrassed of her and her backwater family.  Christian even sees Rumsford gleefully visit a courtesan in a gaming club right before the wedding.

But Christian has his own ghosts to fight.  He married an American heiress years ago to save his own estate.  She was desperately unhappy and he was irresponsible.  While he was using her money to gamble, she miscarried their baby and died.  And he cannot forgive himself.  He vows never to marry again, and is even content to let his ducal title pass to a cousin.

Then Annabelle’s Uncle Arthur makes him an offer he can’t refuse.   If Christian stops Annabelle’s wedding, Arthur will give him half a million dollars.  Christian agrees, needing the money, but also feeling that saving Annabelle from a clearly bad fate might help him atone a bit for his own past sins.

Here is a witty example of Christian really working it, doing his best to teach Annabelle the evils of living in a dilapidated English estate:

“We have ne-vah had central heating, my lady,” he said in a ponderous voice, managing to seem every bit as proper and stuffy as she’d always imagined an English butler to be.  “And we ne-vah shall, God willing,” he went on.  “Keeping our feet warm is what the dogs are for.”

 “Dogs?  You mean foxhounds?”

“No, no, hounds are another thing altogether.  They rather go along with the estate, like the entail, you know, and the leaky roof, and the inevitable dowager who always hates being usurped.  No, I’m talking about Rummy’s own dogs.  He has nine.”

Annabelle is attracted to Christian from the start, but has a weakness for bad boys, and she will not go down that road again.  She is determined to carry out her plan, despite the fact that Christian shakes all her mistaken beliefs about marrying for status and respectability down to their very core.

Sparks truly fly between these two.  Here is an exchange between Christian and Annabelle as he informs her of what her life will be like after her marriage:

“They’ll want to change you, mold you into what they think you ought to be.  They’ll change the way you dress, the way you move, your voice—”

 “What’s wrong with my voice?” she demanded, but even as she asked the question, she could hear how she sounded, how my became mah and voice became vo-iss, and she stopped, biting her lip in frustration.  A month’s worth of diction lessons, yet she still couldn’t stop drawing out her vowels, especially when she was upset.  

 “Don’t do it.”  He leaned close, all trace of amusement vanishing from his face.  “I meant what I said.  You have a gorgeous voice.  It’s like warm honey butter oozing over warm toast.  Don’t let them change it.  Don’t let them change you.”

Christian doesn’t count on falling in love with her.  This leads to absolutely disastrous consequences, which leads to even more disaster…

This is a really fun read full of freshness and deep feeling.  Both Annabelle and Christian must grow and change and realize what they truly want in life (and it is the complete opposite of what they thought they wanted).   Their inner conflicts feel very real.  Their road to happily-ever-after is fraught with trouble, and you will really enjoy the ride!

I highly recommend Trouble at the Wedding.  So now off I go to find books one and two of this trilogy…

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Heat Level: 4 (Hot) 

Reviewed by Miranda

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Review: Getting Friendly by Moira McTark

Thursday, December 15th, 2011


GETTING FRIENDLY

Author: Moira McTark
Reissue Date: September 11, 2011
ASIN: B005MK2BNW
Retail Price: $2.99

Can twelve years of friendship survive one night of no-strings sex?

Nichole has a problem. Matt’s been feeding her fantasy file again. She can’t sleep, she’s burned through two vibrators in as many months, and now she’s eyeing her best friend without benefits like he’s her favorite flavor of candy. Convinced this out-of-control attraction will destroy the most important relationship in her life, Nichole sees only one way to get Matt out of her system…by getting him into her bed.

Matt may have his own set of rules when it comes to Nicki and the strict lines he won’t cross, but Nichole’s willing to play dirty… tempting her BFF with her most secret fantasies and the promise of her ultimate surrender.

Warning: This book contains desperate acts by a determined woman, light bondage, frank and graphic language, and twelve years’ worth of sexual frustration coming to head in one night of erotic escape.

GETTING FRIENDLY was previously published by Cobblestone Press and has since been revised and expanded. Moira McTark is the pen name under which Mira Lyn Kelly writes Erotic Romance.

Buy Links: Amazon  Barnes & Noble  

REVIEW

Three words sum up GETTING FRIENDLY, scorching sexual tension. I loved it! 

I’m a total sucker for stories when the hero and/or heroine are trying their hardest to resist each other. This is one of those stories.

Nichole and Matt have been hanging in the ‘friends only‘ zone for twelve years. I mean, they even room together. They’ve pretty much had a thing for each other from the start, but Matt is not ‘going there’ with her. He refuses to ruin their friendship with sex. Nichole, on the other hand, broached the subject of more with him sometime near the beginning of their friendship and her turned her down flat. But he wants her just as much as she wants him. And it’s getting harder–no pun intended–for both of them to keep their hands to themselves.

And since I love a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it, Nichole is a fabulous heroine. She decides enough is enough. Her seduction starts on the stage with a mind-blowing kiss. She tells him it’s for the show–she’s does theatre stuff–but of course it doesn’t end there.  But boy does Matt resist. Finally Nichole convinces him that they should just have one night to get it out of their systems, and then they’ll go back to being just friends. Haha. Famous last words.

This is a great novella. It is hot and full of tons and tons of sexual tension. I absolutely adored Matt. He really really tries to do the right thing by their friendship. But for too many years he’s been fighting both himself and his desire for Nichole. The author does a great job not just making this an erotic read that’s not over the top erotic, but with the emotional aspect of the story. How they both are after their one night together is heart wrenching. I felt so much for both of them.

All in all, if you’re looking for a super sexy read, heaped with lots of emotion, you definitely need to check out GETTING FRIENDLY.

Reviewed by Beverley

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Review: Because You’re Mine

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011


BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE
Lisa Kleypas
Avon reissue

 

This month, Avon Books reissued one of my absolute favourite Lisa Kleypas historical romances, BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE.

Sigh. This is one of those books I have both in print and digital format. The print copy had to be replaced several years ago when the pages became dog-eared and started falling out due to over use.

The plot is one of those tried and true tropes where the heroine is determined to ruin herself to avoid marrying an aging lord. After hearing scandalous things about Logan Scott, an actor and a well-known notorious womanizer, Madeline Matthews decides he will more than do for a torrid affair. That should ruin her good and proper.

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Exclusive Excerpt: How the Marquess Was Won

Friday, October 14th, 2011
howthemarquess

Today, you are all in for a major treat. Treat I tell you! I somehow managed to twist the arm of the extremely talented and fabulous Julie Anne Long so much so, she agreed to give me an excerpt to post of her eagerly awaited January 2012 release, HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON, the sixth book in her Pennyroyal Green series.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the egalley of this fantastic book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The beautiful lyrical prose of Julie Anne Long doesn’t disappoint in this dry witted, tension wrought and emotional tale of the ruthless, cold Marquess Dryden, Julian Spenser, known as the Lord of Ice, falling for the most unsuitable Phoebe Vale, the paid companion to Lisbeth Redmond, the woman he firmly intends to marry.

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