Jamie Sobrato

So, before the review, a little personal blurb: I must admit, I had some snobbery going on. A year ago, I would not have touched a romance for anything. Obviously, I discovered I was wrong and really do like romances - but I still had a bit of snob left for Harlequins. I decided to do something about that, and it helped that
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books endorsed them - some, at least. Yes, my friends, I like them. Below I shall share with you why.

Following a workplace tragedy, Lieutenant show more Commander Kylie Thomas finds her rigid world collapsing. Suddenly she is incapable of controlling her thoughts, her emotions - both at and outside of work - and, most worryingly, her impulses and fantasies regarding her subordinate, Ensign Drew MacLeod. They find themselves in bed and then in Hawaii (and in bed) together, forcing Kylie to re-think her position in life - and the Navy.

Alright. So, I went and bought not only a Harlequin, but a Harlequin Blaze. Hey, I like to read steamy romance! I was not disappointed. I used to think Harlequins (especially the intentionally sexy ones) were all about the sex. Yeah, I was wrong. Contained in Seducing a S.E.A.L.'s 215 pages are a story, two fully developed characters, a romance, a tragedy, healing from said tragedy, and a decent amount of hot sex. I really really enjoyed it.

Even though Harlequin's short format leaves me wanting more story, more background, that's okay. I can get that with longer romances - the ones which are 400+ pages long. These are quickies - no pun intended. They're short, quick, fun books to which I can see myself quickly becoming addicted. Heck, I already have a second Blaze waiting for my reading *ahem* pleasure, and have a quickly growing wishlist of soon-to-be-released Harlequins (not to mention the backlist!). Thank God I have a local used bookstore which pretty much specializes in romance! show less

Famous writer Marcus Kastanos gets shot while promoting his bestselling book. When the news of the shooting makes it to TV, he gets contacted by his thirteen-year-old daughter that he never knew he had. Isabel's mother (Marcus's college girlfriend) recently died from cancer, and now Isabel (Izzy) wants to meet her father. Marcus is also contacted by his college friend, Ginger Townsend, who he hasn't seen since college. Ginger's always been in love with Marcus, and she needs to know that he show more is doing okay. Marcus decides he needs to take the time to get to know his daughter, so Ginger generously offers to have Marcus and Izzy come and stay with her at her cottage by the lake for the summer.

This was a very enjoyable friends-to-lovers story. Marcus was the type of guy who never wanted to be tied down and always off to the next new adventure, so finding out he was a father really threw him for a loop. He was determined to do his best for Izzy, but at times he was very thickheaded when it came to being a parent. Ginger's help was a real blessing for him. Ginger was able to connect with Izzy, since Ginger had lost her own parents at an early age. Ginger was hoping she'd be over her feelings for Marcus after all these years, but found them resurfacing even as she was trying hard to fight those feelings. It was fun to see Marcus falling helplessly in love with Ginger, and him wondering how he had failed to notice how lovely and beautiful she was back in college. I liked Ginger's cozy cottage (even if it was a bit run-down) on Promise Lake. The setting was peaceful and tranquil by the woods and the lake. I adored Izzy's sweet little dog, Lulu. The only thing disappointing was the story's rushed ending. Still it was a very enjoyable and emotional read. show less

Competent romance about a former teenage computer hacker and an ex-FBI agent who's been shadowing her for ten years, looking for evidence to justify sending her into juvenile detention.

Although the story unfolds smoothly with good dialogue, the characters are on the two-dimensional side and the attempt to weave in a second, parallel romance between the heroine's BFF and a workmate, though interesting at first, results in a disastrous narrative stumble when the heroine's desperate escape from show more a gun-wielding rogue FBI agent segues into another petal-pretty episode of the secondary romance.

My copy of the book was published under the Harlequin Blaze imprint, but the sex scenes, though plentiful and varied, were hot rather than blazing. show less

Ariel Turner has a mission in life - to find the perfect sex partner, and to share his moves with the public on her anonymous blog. Unfortunately, her last bed-buddy ended up having ties to a terrorist group, which has put her sex life into a bit of a tail-spin.

Luckily for her Marc Sorella shows up. Easy on the eyes and generous between the sheets, Marc is everything she's wanted in a perfect lover - except that he seems to want there to be a relationship involved rather than just sex. And show more commitment and responsibility are at the bottom of Ariel's wishlist. Then there's that little detail that he's actually investigating her for the CIA...

The entire book is essentially what happens when two commitment-phobes meet and fall in love (if they only let themselves admit it). The story's plot is pretty weak - various elements are introduced, only to disappear into nowhere (what exactly happens to the kitten?), and the reasons for commitment-phobia are laid on pretty darned thick. Plus the "sex columns" idea is blatantly stolen from sex and the city, and they're neither original nor particularly interesting - it makes you wonder why she would even have devoted fans...

Luckily when it comes to writing the steamy scenes themselves, Sobrato doesn't leave the readers hanging. There's steamy sex - early and often and all over the place. And that, at least, is good.

It's ok for a read, if you read it for the sex, not the story, but not worth keeping. Especially not since the cover models are in the most awkward position I've seen in a while, and the guy looks frighteningly like the non-sexy Robert Sean Leonard... show less