Gayle Callen - Surrender to the Earl

Three men with three debts of honor to fulfill to the families of their fallen comrades. This premise quickly sets the stage for the books of the Brides of Redemption series and it is always a pleasure to read stories where men of the nobility are truly noble men as they are put to an impossible task. In Surrender to the Earl, Lord Knightsbridge faces an even greater test of his honor when the woman he came to help has true challenges in her life to overcome.

Arriving at the estate of Baron Collins, Robert Henslow intends to offer both his condolences and his assistance to the widow of his fellow soldier Martin Blake. His reception into the home is less than welcoming, but in wandering he finds the woman he seeks at the piano and he gets swept away in her emotional playing. All too soon the moment is broken and Robert must quickly find his footing in the situation when he learns that Mrs. Audrey Blake is blind. They talk for a moment under the eye of Audrey’s father Lord Collins, keeping the conversation light. But in a brief moment of solitude, Robert makes Audrey the offer of assistance. He is shocked when she immediately accepts his help and asks him to remove her from her father’s house where she is being kept as a virtual prisoner by her family.

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Upon the Midnight Clear

Ok, so I was in a Kenyon mood and since I was waiting for someone to catch up to me so I could continue with the Chronicles of Nick, I took some time to fill in some of the Kenyon's that I missed in my mad glom last summer.  These were the ones that weren't vital to the greater story arc (mostly Dream Hunter stories) and I skipped them.  So now, when I am in a Kenyon mood, I pick them back up again!

Aidan O'Connor has been betrayed by everyone he ever cared about.  As a jaded and famous Hollywood actor, he has retired to a mountain cabin where he can nurse his bitterness in peace.  But little does he know, his deceitful brother isn't done hurting him.  In fact, he has summoned a demon to kill Aidan all because he is jealous of what Aidan had.

When he most reviled enemy is awoken and summoned by a human, Leta knows that she can not sleep any longer.  Though she has been in stasis for centuries, with the demon who killed her beloved husband and infant daughter once again surfacing, she knows that she can rely on her anger to fuel her and to help her deliver her vengeance once and for all.  As a Dream Hunter who can no longer feel emotions because of a curse, Leta knows that the bitterness that the target - Aidan - feels will help her to feel the anger she needs.  Little do either of these two wounded souls expect, the emotion they generate is anything but hate and they battle for their lives and their souls.

Tessa Dare - Any Duchess Will Do

This kind of review very hard for me to write because I’ve been a fan of Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series since the beginning. Each book before Any Duchess Will Do expanded on characters we’ve known from the start and it was fun to see them grow, change and find love that would take them from the small seaside town into the greater world. However there was less appeal in a story featuring characters Pauline Simms and Griffin York as romantic leads since neither one was a particularly memorable character to me from their previous appearances. In fact Griffin was slightly repellant in A Week to be Wicked, so Ms. Dare had her work cut out for her in making him sympathetic and lovable and getting me invested in Pauline as a leading lady. I give her an A for effort, a B in execution, but the book was more a mid-grade read for me.

Reaching her wits end with her son the Duke of Halford, the dowager duchess decides that it’s about time for him to marry. Taking advantage of his penchant to drink, she drugs him and kidnaps him into traveling to the seaside community of Spindle Cove, known in London as the hideaway for spinsters who will jump at the chance to marry a duke. Griffin York has personal reasons for not marrying, none of which he is comfortable sharing with his mother, and he isn’t about to let her force him into an engagement on her terms. When the dowager makes the claim that she will turn any of the women in the room into the ideal Duchess of Halford, Griffin meets her challenge by selecting the woman least likely for the position, the serving maid Pauline Simms.

Eloisa James - Once Upon a Tower

For a moment I thought Eloisa James had done it to me again. Her last few fairy tale inspired books have been disappointments for me because Ms. James seems to excel at creating likable characters doing very unlikable things and it just ruins their story. Once Upon a Tower seemed to have a similar story path; with two great protagonists making some imprudent choices that turned a very good story into a slightly more uncomfortable one. However, this time I persevered through the difficult parts of the tale and I was rewarded with a fantastic read.

The Duke of Kinross has come to England looking for a wife. With his estates now running efficiently after the neglect of the previous duke, Gowan Stoughton believes that the next thing to put in order is finding his duchess. Attending a ball held by his associate Lord Gilchrist, Gowan is introduced to the earl’s daughter and believes he has found the perfect woman for him. She is beautiful, demure and he falls heavily in lust with her after just one dance. As a man used to taking action and getting what he wants, Gowan uses his relationship with the earl to secure a betrothal agreement for Lady Edith without any of the messy courtship rituals or even meeting with her a second time. He leaves London assured in the thought that Lady Edith will be his perfect duchess in all things.

Lara Adrian - Midnight Rising

Sigh. To me, there is nothing worse than potential squandered. And that is, unfortunately, where I see the Midnight Breed series headed. Rio's story was a big disappointment for me....

Let me sum it up. Rio is a Breed warrior whose Breedmate, Eva, betrayed him then committed suicide. Her betrayal was to try to get him away from the Order and so she could have him all to herself, but when his life was jeopardized, she outed herself and that cost her his love altogether. In response, she killed herself. Now, after decades of marriage to his Breedmate and then her ultimate betrayal, Rio is on a mountain in Prague with a duffle bag of explosives. His plan is suicide and protecting a mountain cave. Problem one - who leaves a suicidal brother in arms with a duffle bag of explosives? To me, someone who WANTS him to die, but that is only problem 1. Before he can off himself (cause it takes him five months to do the deed as he lives IN the cave - Problem 2), along comes investigative reporter Dylan Alexander. A Breedmate who sees dead Breedmates who was lead to the cave by none other than Eva (Problem 3 - REALLY???)

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Invincible

I just knew it... I KNEW I should trust Kenyon and things would start to make sense... They aren't there all the way yet, but they are getting there!

So poor Nick has just discovered his boss is a vampire.  Given that his new best friend is an immortal... "something", this shouldn't be that big of a surprise, but it still somehow ends up being one.  As long as Kyrian has no plans to start drinking from Nick or his mom, he figures he can take it.  But as soon as he discovers Kyrian's truth, Nick gets innundated.  His gift of seeing the truth explodes.  He can see Werebears, Death, Pain, Suffering.  Boy, when will it end?

When the new football coach forces Nick into an untenable position, Nick begins to take items from his classmates. Little does Nick know, this is leading to something really bad... With such innocuous items as a hairbrush or a writing sample, the new coach can cause Nick some serious problems.  Soon, Nick is once again fighting against preternatural creatures and his own destiny to try to stay on the straight and narrow.

Stacey Kennedy - Werewolves Be Damned

While I loved the story and the set up for Stacy Kennedy's Magic and Mayhem series in Werewolves Be Damned, there was something missing.  Great creativity in world building, good characters, fast paced story... so why aren't I more excited?

Nexi is a half breed member of the Otherworld.  In general, half breeds are unknown.  Children of mixed parentage become either one or the other, but in Nexi's case, she is both a Witch and a Guardian.  Because of the potential in that, when her mother dies, her father Drake sends Nexi to be raised as a human to protect her from his world and the life of a Guardian.  Now, years later, when her adopted parents are murdered by a werewolf, Nexi is brought into the world anyway.  And now, she is bent on revenge for the death of her beloved parents.

Paula Quinn - Lord of Desire

I’ve wanted to revisit this series for some time. Finally the opportunity came so I jumped in with both feet! I am a great fan of Paula Quinn’s work and this just happened to be the first book of hers that I ever read, and a coincidence; it was her first published novel. I wasn’t disappointed in this sojourn. I enjoyed it just as much the second time through, visiting with old friends and, well, those gorgeous Risande men!

The book begins as Brynnafar, daughter of Lord Richard Dumont, is on her way home from visiting her uncle and her carriage is stopped by a fallen tree. As the road was being cleared, she wandered off and saw a man swimming naked in a lagoon amid the dogwood blossoms. Brynna dubbed him her merman, but later as he was joined by a beautiful woman, her fantasy was shattered. A year later her indefatigable father was defeated by a Norman and their beloved home - Avarloch -  was being turned over to him. In order to keep a Saxon in the home, they agreed that Brynna would marry the Norman, Lord Brand Risande. Then when she saw him, she was speechless! It was her merman, whom she had dreamed of almost nightly…Lord Brand the Passionate.

Anna Cowan - Untamed

My curiosity about Untamed all started with a tweet. Through the magic of Twitter I got to eavesdrop on a conversation between author Anna Cowan and another blogger talking about her debut book and it was mentioned that the hero was a cross-dressing duke! For some reason that just stuck in my brain and I became obsessed with finding the book for myself. With just that morsel of fact to go on I think I was expecting a comedy of errors or some kind of farce tied up in a Historical romance. What I got was much more complex than a standard Historical and I’m still wrapping my head around some of the concepts introduced.

The cross-dressing is actually very insignificant when weighed against the drama that begins almost instantly for Miss Katherine Sutherland and Lord Darlington when they meet in London. Katherine, or Kit to family, has heard the whispers that her married younger sister Lydia has become the mistress to Lord Darlington and her protective instincts kick into high gear to keep the man as far away from her family as possible. With confrontation her goal, Katherine waits on the perimeter of a ballroom for Lord Darlington to make his entrance and she begins a conversation with a handsome gentleman who seems to share her distaste for the duke. Believing she had found a man worthy of regard she is disgusted to later find the same man having sex with the hostess of the evening, Lady Marmotte. She is even further enraged the next day when the gossip pages all reveal that Lady Marmotte was carrying on an affair with the real Lord Darlington, the stranger from the ballroom. During a ride through Hyde Park, Katherine is formally introduced to Lord Darlington and she asks the real him to stay away from her sister. Knowing she has nothing to force his hand, Kit is shocked when Lord Darlington promises to stay away if Kit will take him back with her to her country home.

Jacquelyn Frank - Forever

The moment I finished Forbidden, I started searching for this book! I was frantic to read it! I love books in a series where I am able to continue the relationships I formed with the characters who I have come to consider as friends, and well… lets just say friends, okay?

In Forever we are reintroduced to Bodywalkers, Egyptian royalty and religious leaders who, in their hubris, thought they could fool the gods and live forever! Ra was angered and banished them to the ether, where they would stay, disembodied, forever. But a war arose between the Politic, ruled by Menes, and the Templars, the religious group lead by Odjit. The problem? Ra would never come back to free them from their self-made hell if they didn’t find a solution… if the right side didn’t win, and both side felt they were right. The upside? If you found your sole mate, forever was bliss. The Bodywalkers had found a way to approach those mortals who were near death, passing through the ether; giving them the choice life, with many enhancements, or continue on with their death. One of the enhancements? If Menes or his soul mate Hatshepsut was the Bodywalker, you would have the love of… well, more than you ever dreamed; they were soul mates that transcended time.

Donna Lea Simpson - A Rogue's Rescue

It’s always fun to see a con artist getting conned. Getting the perspective of those who realize they’re being lied to and watching how they turn the lies around can be great fun in a story. It’s even more fun when the all the lies and plots are put aside to reveal a true romance. It was this kind of scenario in A Rogue’s Rescue that made this short story such a nice little read.

It all starts with a bit of gossip: Miss. Ariadne Lambert, having recently come into some money, is entering the marriage mart at the shockingly old age of thirty-three. Being so firmly on the shelf as to collect dust, she is probably desperate to find a man who would marry her and take control of all the funds that a woman couldn’t possibly manage on her own. Of course the story is a complete fabrication, but it hits its mark when whispered into the ear of the sister of known fortune hunter, Mr. Dorsey.

Ariadne is far from a mindless spinster hoping to capture a handsome beau while finally making her debut 15-years too late. She’s on the hunt to trap Mr. Dorsey at his own game of false seduction to help a friend and she allows the gossip to spread in the hopes of sending him right to her.

Lara Adrian - Midnight Awakening

So...the next book in the Midnight Breed series was probably my favorite so far.  And, unlike sometimes, with this one, I can pinpoint EXACTLY why!:)

Tegan is a Gen One Breed warrior.  What this means is that he is very old, very powerful, and he is one of a very few.  Though he had his own bout with bloodlust in the past, we have seen him as the detached warrior in the group whose biggest concern seems to be keeping Lucan from succumbing to bloodlust himself.  Though we know the two were once close friends, the reasons for the parting of the ways are not clear.  Now we learn that Tegan's Breedmate became a minion and it was left to Lucan to essentially put her out of her misery.  Though Lucan thinks that Tegan blames him for it, and in a way he does, Tegan mostly blames himself for not better protecting his Breedmate whom he cherished.

Elise is a widowed Breedmate who also had to see her beloved son go through a tough bout with the vampire drug Crimson just a few months ago.  This caused her son's death and left the fragile woman with a burning desire for revenge.  As she enters the human world - one that causes her constant pain and turmoil - she is found by Tegan who had befriended her a few months ago.  Tegan protects her from the voices in her head (from her Breed gift) and soon the two come to an unusual bargain.  In exchange for helping her to control her gift through bonding, Elise will help the Order to track down the latest mystery.  The result is a global chase that brings Elise and Tegan close together and sets the Breed world on its ear.

Lori Dillon - Fire of the Dragon

One of the first romance books I ever bought for myself was a time-travel romance and slowly I expanded out into other genres, with fantasy romance being the next step in my evolution. It was such fun for me to return to both of those well-loved tropes within the pages of Lori Dillon’s independent release Fire of the Dragon. Her world of knights, magic, and even a hint of mythology was the kind of story that grabbed my attention from the start and kept me reading into the wee hours to see how everything would conclude.

Jill Donohue didn’t realize that she was looking for adventure or danger in her life when she went into town; she just thought she was looking for a gift for her niece. But the fates had a different plan for Jill’s life and one of them made sure to put Jill back on the correct path to meet her destiny. Entering an antiques shop in Richmond, Jill finds herself drawn to an old piece of tapestry with exquisite embroidery of a dragon on it. The shopkeeper, with the unusual name of Clotho, is certain the piece is exactly what Jill is looking for and invites Jill to sit and relax for a moment to admire it. Jill keeps starting at the dragon, getting the eerie sensation that the cloth is somehow moving beneath her fingers, and she slowly feels as if she is falling and losing consciousness.

Amelia C. Gormley - The Laird's Forbidden Lover

I am not going to lie... the reason I chose to review this all goes back to Lover at Last. I was interested in other ways that M/M books were written and I wanted to give it a try. Well... I think that I am sticking to M/F... or at least non-historical M/M! :)

Tavish is the Laird of his clan and he is gay. More than that, he is in love with the farm boy, Ian. What follows is a tale of two men who are deeply in love, but fighting against clan, family, and society pressure. How can this possibly end well? The two met as youths and it was a mutual exploration and discovery of their sexuality in a time when expectations were clear. As the Laird of his clan, Tavish is expected to marry and produce heirs. But his love for Ian prevents him from taking that step for his clan and his family.

As a Male/Male romance, I have to say that Ms. Gormley was not as hot and descriptive as Ms. Ward in her latest Black Dagger Brotherhood book but she was far more realistic - at least from a straight woman's perspective. She handled the love scenes with less hot and more tender romance. I definitely appreciated that. The idea that one "bottoms" for the other regularly was still an issue, but the innocence of the two heroes early in the book did make a difference to me. You were able to see and feel the love grow between the two of them and their exploration of their sexuality was a nice change of pace. They discovered what they were together and the love came from that understanding that they shared.

Eliza Knight - The Highlander's Reward

I began this book with great joy and excitement! Not only was it in my favorite genre, but I was going to meet a new friend! I look at authors as friends you see; they share so much of my time, so how could they not be? So when I pick up a book with a new-to-me author, well, I was borderline giddy! This one had a great big plus going for it because it  had a favorite man of mine from history woven through it… William Wallace! This is the story of Magnus and Arbella, and how a couple of strong men are easily controlled by a loving woman.

Magnus Sutherland, a sheep farmer and Laird, is on his way to Glasgow Castle to deliver his pregnant sister to her lover and soon to be husband, the Clan Chief Mongomery, who he does not approve of. He finally capitulated and allowed the union so that the child would not be born a bastard. On the way home, he and his retainers are asked by William Wallace to join in the battle at Stirling Castle. They were successful in routing the English and assisting Wallace in taking possession of the castle. As he was leaving, he saw a woman being attacked, and though she bravely fought off the men, she would soon be raped and killed. He saved her at the last second, then they rode off together on his horse to the Highlands.

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Infinity

I love Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. Therefore, I thought it was high time to read the Young Adult series - The Chronicles of Nick - which features one of the Dark Hunter characters as a teen. I know that a movie is being made and since some of MY favorite Dark Hunter characters are involved, I figure I ought to know what is going on.

Nick Gautier has had a rough upbringing. Despite the fact that he has a loving mother who is willing to sacrifice whatever she must for him, they are struggling to make ends meet and things are hard all over. Nick is a scholarship student at a ritzy private school where his economic situation makes it really hard for him to fit in. But he is a good hearted kid and he tries to do right from wrong. Until one night he is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Nick almost helps to mug an elderly couple. When he realizes what is happening, he fights for the couple and his whole life changes with that single decision. He is beat up by his cohorts, but then miraculously saved by Kyrian Hunter. This brings Nick into a whole new world of not only the supernatural, but a world where people know what it means to have it tough and are willing to help a young Nick make a better life for him and his mother. Almost overnight, Kyrian and his friend Acheron make a big difference in Nick's life. They also seem to have some answers to the pesky Zombie problem plaguing Nick's school. Little does Nick know his destiny is starting to knock on his door waiting to pull him in.

Tessa Dare - Beauty and the Blacksmith

Readers of the Spindle Cove series have kept asking the question “What about Diana Highwood?” Would she ever find her own happy ending after seeing her sister and her friends find love? Was she destined to remain just another unwed member of the community? Would her mother ever stop scheming to match her with a titled man? When the fourth full length novel was announced and Diana was not the heroine I was crushed that we wouldn’t see her fall in love too. Thankfully in the novella Beauty and the Blacksmith all of our questions are answered and Diana’s perfect man is revealed.

Diana Highwood, her mother and her youngest sister have become full time residents of the sea side community as the moist air has helped improve her weak lung condition. Within the safety of the town, Diana has found more independence and has also found the object of her lust in the local blacksmith Aaron Dawes. Manufacturing reasons to see him at his smithy, Diana thinks that her attraction to Aaron is one sided (and hidden) until he confronts her about her many visits. With the temptation made real for her, Diana decides to take the chance for love and welcomes a courtship with the man of her dreams.

Giveaway - The Cover Art Duplicates

Cover Art Monday:  Each month, we will have a different unique look at cover art by all the blog authors on the first Monday of the month.  Each month we have a Cover Art piece, there will be a giveaway with it! :)  So always check back to see what goodies we are offering!

This Month's focus: Duplicates - Are publishers getting lazy by constantly reusing cover art?

Spotlight on Paranormals....

A lot of times, people ask me what is a Paranormal?  What is the difference between that and a Fantasy?  Why would a Historical Romance reader like Fantasy Romance?  So I thought I would give you my classifications and see what you think! :)  For me, all of these would fall under Paranormals, with the different listings being the subgenres.

Kathleen Harrington - Lachlan's Bride

This book, my friends, is what constitutes my dream book! Gorgeous Highland warrior, who happens to be a pirate, an intelligent heroine who has lived just a little, real life history woven into the plot, a bad guy that not only the characters hate, but I do, too! Then the plot itself…I like it when it is a little convoluted; I like twists and turns! Well, this one had almost all of those things!

In this, the second book of the Highland Laird’s Trilogy, Lachlan MacRath, is Laird of the Clan, Captain of the Sea Hawk and is also known as the Sorcerer of the Seas. He is in the Palace of King Henry VII of England to escort and guard his daughter’s court, namely her lady in waiting, the dowager Lady Francine Walsingham, to Edinburgh for the wedding of Princess Margaret to King James IV. This would solidify the peace between the two countries that was so diligently worked on by Francine’s deceased husband. But en route, a plot was afoot! The fragile peace treaty that existed between England and Scotland with the proxy marriage of Princess Margaret and King Jamie of Scotland, just performed in England, would be shattered in an instant. A note was intercepted outlining a plot to frame Lachlan in Francine and her daughter’s murder, shattering the fragile truce. The men (of course) felt the best way to protect her, was for Lachlan to stay within arms reach of Francie…even as she slept!