Wow. Yes! I love dark heroes. Hugh is such an ass. But who wouldn't be after being raised by Roland? Roland dumped him though, and after months of self-pity, Hugh needs to find a place to keep his Iron Dogs safe. Elara Harper needs men to keep her people and castle safe. A perfect union. Except Hugh and Elara hate each other at first sight. But also the sexual tension crackles between them and some respect starts to seep in. Really, the chemistry between Hugh and Elara is amazing.

I was able to hate the things Hugh did to Kate and characters I love, but also accept his redemption. I started to admire him.

I really think you need to read the Kate Daniels series before reading this one. Andrews doesn't spend much time explaining the world and familiar characters. And I think you need to be introduced to Hugh as Roland's man first.

I received this ARC through NetGalley.

Enjoyed the premise; I like historical romances with women doing unconventional occupations for the time period. In this case our heroine, Lady Miranda Garrett, is an architect, though nobody outside the company knows she's doing this work.

The characters were pretty disappointing, though. Winfield Elliott is supposed to be very wicked and a ladies man. But his character plays more awkward than wicked. We really only get to hear about his wicked ways and not experience them. And the only thing I really found interesting about Miranda was her neat occupation.

I will say I did like Win's reaction to finding out Miranda is the architect. It was the complete opposite of what I was expecting. It was the only time I really liked this character.

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Hmmm, how would I label this book? - YA alternate historical steampunk with a dash of time travel. The book has two young female protagonists. The first, Evaline Stoker, besides having a famous author brother, is also the ancestor of a famous vampire hunter readers of Gleason's Gardella series will be very familiar with. The other, Mina Holmes, is the niece of the famous detective and has inherited his power of observation. They will need all the skills they possess to investigate why young ladies of society are going missing and dying.

I really enjoyed Gleason's steampunk London. It's dark and dangerous. And I'm a fan of mysteries involving Egyptian mythology. I had a fondness for Mina more than Evaline, so enjoyed her chapters a little more. Though I really enjoyed Evaline's possible love interest - cocky and flirty Pix. Mina has two possible love interests. Dylan is adorable, but I have a softer spot for the crotchety police detective, Inspector Grayling. You can tell he's completely put out by his attraction to Mina. The ending is left a bit unsolved, but without an annoying cliffhanger. I'm excited to see where Gleason takes this series.

For the first book in the series, I enjoyed the first half, but thought the second half dragged on for too long. I had the opposite problem with this one. The story in the first half dragged for me, but got a bit more interesting towards the end once the hero and heroine were married. We know the two get married before this book even starts because you see some of their story in the previous book, as these two stories take place pretty much at the same time. But it takes the hero and heroine forever to actually get married. It's back and forth as Leah deals with her father and Nicholas tries to figure out how to keep her safe.

I also had a problem with how their major conflict once they are married was resolved. I couldn't believe Nicholas had never talked to his family about what he conceived to be a huge problem. He makes this very concrete decision about his life without making sure the reasons for doing so are actually true. It was just very unbelievable to me.

And one personal quibble I had that other readers probably won't have a problem with, Nicholas uses the endearment "lovey", and he uses it a lot. I don't mind "love", but add a y at the end and it makes me cringe.

I enjoyed the books I read by Burrowes outside of this series. I think I'll go back to reading about the Windham's and leave this series alone for now.

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Warrick Fitzhugh is on a mission. He is looking for a certain man and he suspects Fallon, the Marchioness of Mystery, can lead him to this crime lord. Fallon is very reluctant to help Fitzhugh when he demands her help. The man he is looking for is from her past, a past she would rather forget. But to keep her past hidden, she agrees to help.

Fitzhugh is a hard man, set on his mission. He's a bit tough on Fallon in the beginning. He only knows her as her reputation. But, of course, there is much more to Fallon. She's smart and resourceful. We get to watch Fallon confront her awful past. Fitzhugh does soften a little as he gets to know Fallon. His focus starts to not be solely fix on his mission.

I'm really liking the Jewels of the Ton series. Galen gives us three women, who on the outside look like courtesans just out for some fun in Society, but are much more complex characters. The heroes too, at first, seem either too focused or too stuck up, but as you learn why they act the way they do, you find much more complicated characters. And watching their lives collide and their understandings change is very satisfying to read.

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Many reviewers are comparing this book to the movie The Hangover. It's a good comparison. Lady Georgette Thorold is in Scotland visiting her cousin. She wakes up one morning in a strange bed with a strange man wearing a wedding ring. She has no memory of the night before. When he wakes up, instead of asking him what happened, she freaks out and runs.

James McKenzie is not much better off. When he wakes up, he doesn't have complete memory of the night before either. And then he is bashed over the head and knocked out by the woman he wakes up with.

Once Georgette regains her composure, she goes on a mission to find out what happened the evening before and who the man is that she supposedly married. James is also on the hunt for Georgette, thinking her a thief. They spend the first half of the book making their ways around the village working out what exactly happened.

It's a really cute story. The hero and heroine spend half the book apart, but the journey to their reunion is fun. Once they are together and after James realizes Georgette is not quite who he expected, the story takes a very sweet turn.

Also we get a bearded hero for once. I liked that.

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We finally get the story of what happened to Lord Nathaniel as a child and we get to meet the man he has become. Kidnapped as a child by a man holding a secret of Nathaniel's father, he is taken from London to New York City. Once he is released years later, he doesn't go back to his family (he has a reason), but stays in America and takes on a new identity and boxing. It isn't until his deceased sister's husband and son come looking for him that Nathaniel goes back to London to confront the life he once lived and the father he has come to hate.

Nathaniel continues his boxer identity in London and there meets Lady Imogene Norwood. She and her brother are looking for a boxer to sponsor as an investment. Imogene has suffered much of her life with an illness and she leads a pretty sheltered life. She becomes very intrigued by Nathaniel. He can be extremely flirtatious one moment, and the next very sweet. Nathaniel has a tough exterior and some trust issues, especially in an intimate setting. But Imogene trusts him from the beginning.

I didn't completely buy the actions Imogene and her brother settled on to make sure Nathaniel did not walk out on them as their boxer or follow their regiment. But it ends up putting Nathaniel and Imogene together a lot, and I did really enjoy these two together. Marvelle writes really great sexual tension and hot sex scenes. It's not just the sex, though, they're pretty adorable together.

Nathaniel also deals with his family, confronting his show more father and getting to know his nephew. I'll tell you, the secret his father was keeping, I did not see coming. What an awful reason for abandoning his son.

I had a small gripe involving Imogene's illness. It was such a major part of her life and the reason her brother married a woman he ends up hating. It just seemed a little too easily resolved by Nathaniel.

Overall, though, a great ending to this series.

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This anthology of holiday-themed BDSM short stories all have some sweetness to them, whether dealing with love, redemption, or reuniting. I was most looking forward to Joey W. Hill's story (she's one of my favorite authors), and it did end up my favorite of the bunch, but none of the stories were disappointing. Most of the stories were M/M, with one F/F, and a M/M/F. A great collection for those looking for some holiday cheer in their BDSM.

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This dualogy features two Christmas short stories. Delilah Marvelle's story, Merry Christmas, Mrs. Robinson, involves a secret admirer and a reunion. I loved the hero in this one. He's slightly younger than the heroine, a little lonely, and determined once he gets a sort of second chance with the heroine. I would've liked to have had the heroine's intimate insecurities explored a bit more. They seemed resolved a little too easily. Otherwise, it's a very sweet romance. 4 stars

The second story, The Twelve Days of Seduction by Màire Claremont had a really good beginning and end. The hero and heroine have a great physical connection. There is a lovely bond between the hero, the heroine, and the hero's young daughter. And it was nice seeing that bond strengthen throughout the story, especially between the hero and his child. But I think I needed more beyond the physical and the bond with the child to make the story more enjoyable for me. I needed more seduction. 3 stars

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Scary or suspenseful stories that take place on spaceships freak me out a lot. For me, the setting is claustrophobic and alien and just generally makes my skin crawl. But I'm always drawn to them and always have to watch the show or read the book. This one was well worth my small anxieties.

This story is more suspenseful than scary. The mission for the people on this ship is to travel the farthest any human ever has and then turn around and travel back to earth. Cormac Easton is the ship's journalist. He is observing and writing about the mission for the folks back home. But the mission is far from successful. First they find the captain dead in his hypersleep chamber upon waking. Then the crew, one after another, die, all in different ways, until Cormac is the last man standing. And once he realizes the ship does not turn around towards home like it's automatically supposed to, Cormac knows he is doomed.

All that I've got up here is tranquility now, I suppose.

That's just the first quarter of the book. I'm not going to give away the rest of the story other than it includes flashbacks to the months and weeks leading up to the mission. During these flashbacks we learn more about the crew and Cormac's relationship with his wife. These flashbacks are revealing and important to what is happening on the ship. And what's happening on the ship is enthralling. The reveal is slow going, but never boring. It's dark and beautifully written.

That was how it was sold: a voyage to rival show more Columbus, to rival the stories of Jules Verne.

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James Hartley and Ellie Vyne have always bickered with each other. And they continue to bicker with each other throughout this whole book. They act like they can't stand each other. But it's pretty easy to see they use all that arguing to hide their true feelings and, really, themselves. Neither is completely the person they present to society and their family and friends. It's also a way for them to connect. They seem to really enjoy it and they bicker all the way to the end.

I did not like James when he appeared in the previous book. He acted like a real jerk. I wondered how Fresina was going to get me to like him. She presents a more complex James in this book. He's actually pretty sweet. And I liked his humor very much. James won me over.

I wouldn't have minded seeing a couple more sweet moments between the two. They always seem in conflict, even when they are intimate.

But the characters really make this book. They're fun.

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This one was so much fun to read. I love historicals with smart heroines and Lady Philippa Marbury is a very smart woman. She knows she is odd compared to her peers. She likes to study anatomy and horticulture. She is engaged to Lord Castleton and is very worried about her marital duties. She is not sure what to fully expect and she is the type of person who likes to analyze and get all the details. She knows anatomy and has seen animals mate before, but thinks there must be more to procreation for humans. She decides an experiment is in order. She will learn all she can before her wedding day. And she thinks she has the perfect experiment partner - Cross, part owner of a gaming den with her brother-in-law. He has quite the reputation among the ladies.

Cross is absolutely captivated by Pippa when she shows up at his office with a proposition to learn all about sex from him. But he refuses. He doesn't think she deserves his darkness. Pippa, though, ends up finding her way into his life over and over again. And Cross finds it harder and harder to keep his hands off her. As for Pippa, the more time she spends with Cross, the more she realizes just how passionless her marriage to Castleton will be.

Cross is a tortured hero. But I love the way he sees and adores Pippa. He likes her oddities. He likes the way her brain works, her honesty, and forthrightness. He even finds her spectacles very sexy.

I enjoy historical romances that have the heroine saving the day. Cross sacrifices show more and Pippa plans. She's not giving up on happiness and a marriage with passion.

This is another great book by MacLean.

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This romance caught me off guard. Not only is the story told only from the point of view of the heroine, but it's also written in first person narrative. I got used it, but I'm glad most historical romances aren't written this way. I like having the viewpoint of the hero, too.

Unfortunately I had some problems with the characters. I started out liking Roses. She doesn't let her laird take advantage of her and is able to defend herself and escape. But once she's with the hero, she turns into a... well I don't want to say a complete sop, because she doesn't completely lose her bravery, but she's very sopish in her interactions with Wilkie. There's one paragraph in particular that had me flabbergasted, where she goes on and on about how sorry she is for not heeding his commands. And she didn't even do anything awful! She was just expressing her need of him and confusion as to what he wanted of her. She seems to lose all willpower when it comes to Wilkie.

And Wilkie is not much better. From the first moment he meets Roses, he is obsessed - insanely, over-the-top obsessed. We don't get his viewpoint, but we know he is obsessed because he tells her all the time - he needs her, she's so beautiful, he's driven daft with longing for her. Their conversations seemed to consist of how much they need and want each other. He also acts extremely possessive and jealous of any interaction she has with other guys. Normally, I don't mind the heroes acting possessive or even a bit obsessed, show more but Wilkie's obsession just seemed excessive.

As for the story - well, when it wasn't centered around Roses and Wilkie's need for each other, there was the mystery of who Rosie really is. She doesn't know who her birth parents are and she's always had a strange tattoo on her back. I think most readers are going to figure out who her parents are pretty quickly, like I did. Also the laird she fought against in the beginning very much wants her back. Wilkie and his clan must figure out a way to keep her safe from their neighboring laird.

The story was not badly written and some of the first person description from Roses was beautiful, but the characters were too much of a disappointment.

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If I hadn't known three authors were responsible for this book, I would have thought it written by just one. The characters all have their own voices, but the three stories within this book meld together really well. You can't really call it an anthology, but there are three distinct stories in this book.

Taran Ferguson wants to see his two nephews married and with heirs soon. He takes matters into his own hands while they are visiting by helping himself to four ladies from a neighboring Christmas party and bringing them home for his nephews to pick and marry. In his raid he accidentally also kidnaps Lord Bretton as he is napping in his carriage. Now because of a snow storm all are stuck together, and romance is bound to happen.

It's a pretty silly set up. But it's fun and cleverly written. The characters are great and the romances sweet. I do wish each section had been longer. I would have liked to have stuck around some of these characters a bit more. But overall, I thought a fantastic read.

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Ok, I'm not going to go into detail about the story because I don't want to spoil anything. I mean people die, some come back to life - you just don't know who is going to stay dead. I'm really interested to see where all this death, magic, and resurrection leads. Snyder has only given us hints so far.

Avry and Kerrick are separated through most of the book, and unfortunately Kerrick's parts weren't as interesting as Avry's. I can, though, see how Kerrick's venture up north with the tribe will be important in the third book. I just wish it hadn't taken up so much of his time in this book.

But Avry's parts were really good. I like Avry. She's smart, and though she very much fears getting into Tohon's clutches again, she's not afraid to help those fighting against him. She's persistent and doesn't give up. She does much in this book - trains soldiers to walk through the forest silently, tries again to reacquaint with her sister who pretty much only has hatred for her at the moment, works in the infirmary, outsmarts the enemy, mourns the dead, and communicates with Death and Peace Lilys. She's really not allowed to rest at all in this book.

Because of Kerrick's parts, I didn't quite enjoy this one as much as the first book, but I like where the story is headed, and will definitely be reading the third book. Just a warning, the book ends on a cliffhanger, a dang frustrating one.

3.5 Stars

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In the third book in the Lords of Midnight series, Elliott gives us a very prim and proper heroine and a dangerous rogue of a hero. They are getting their second chance at love, though neither know it.

Sophie Lawrance has always done what she thought best for her family. That includes not eloping with her neighbor Cam Daggett when they were both young and in love. Now years later Sophie has pretty much declared herself on the shelf and working hard to make sure her younger sister's engagement and marriage happen smoothly. She finds herself in a predicament when she is blackmailed with information about her deceased father. She will do anything to keep this from affecting her sister's engagement.

Cam chances on Sophie as she is delivering something to her blackmailer at the Wolf's Lair, a gaming den and brothel. This is the last place he ever thought to see Sophie. He's intrigued and can't stop himself from seeing her again and then helping her with her blackmailer.

Sophie acted a bit too proper for me. It was a little hard for me to relate to her in the beginning. But I liked her perseverance and her more relaxed attitude with Cam later in the story. Cam fights his attraction to Sophie through much of the story, because he thinks he is not good enough for her. He hasn't led the most moral life. But he's loyal and tough. I did enjoy his slow turn to realizing he deserved love, happiness, and Sophie. Their romance had a real enjoyable push and pull.

Definitely a nice finale show more to this trilogy.

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This book jumps a whole decade. It takes 12 years to train a druid apprentice and Granuaile is just about done with her apprenticeship with Atticus. They just have her binding to the earth to do. They've been in hiding; most everyone, including the gods, think Atticus is dead. But just as they start Granuaile's binding, they are discovered. Atticus has many who wish him dead, including a few different gods and the dark elves.

This is my favorite Iron Druid Chronicle so far. What I really enjoyed about it -

It mostly takes place in different realms. Atticus and Granuaile rarely stand still as they avoid murderous gods, try to fix the consequences of Atticus' actions in the previous books, and complete Granuaile's binding.

Granuaile is on the cover! This very much makes sense. Though the book is still just from the viewpoint of Atticus, Granuaile is very much a major character in this book. And I adore her. She is strong, steadfast, sweet, and funny.

Atticus and Granuaile's relationship. We've had hints of Atticus' attraction to her in previous books. In this one we find out Atticus is very attracted to her. But he refuses to do anything about this attraction. She is his apprentice. He doesn't want to take advantage as her "sensei", as Granuaile likes to call him. I really like how Granuaile handles this.

Oberon loves bacon; I love Oberon.

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Sorry to say, this urban fantasy did nothing for me. I decided to give it a try because it sounded a little different. Natalya is a werewolf looking to rejoin the pack she grew up with. She's also going to therapy for her germaphobe tendencies and her obsessiveness with collecting holiday ornaments. While she is preparing for the trial to get back into the pack, her father goes missing. She finds out he owes a moon debt to a mafia boss. With the help of some friends she sets out to fulfill that debt and keep her family's honor in the pack. This story also includes a love triangle. Nat has to decide between Thorn, the ex-boyfriend she has never gotten over and Nick, a wizard she met in her therapy group.

Everything was just too goofy - the story, the dialogue, the characters, and their relationships. I rolled my eyes about as much as the characters did in this book. And they rolled their eyes a lot, especially Nat. I did like the family aspect of the book, specifically Nat's relationship with her grandmother and parents. Otherwise, this story just wasn't for me.

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Princess Kimiri is sent off by her brother to the neighboring mountain kingdom of Helsmont to be married to the king in exchange for weapons he needs to fight another neighboring kingdom he is at war with. She's not particularly happy about this. To her surprise, the king offers her a year courtship to decide if they are suitable for each other. During that time Kimiri is to get to know her new kingdom and the man she is to marry.

She spends most of her days wandering around the city getting to know the citizens. Everybody treats her respectfully and likes her. She also spends time with her future husband's hostage, a prince from the kingdom her brother is at war with. They become friends. She also has breakfast every morning with the king. At first he is very quiet, but slowly they get to know each other. I did feel like Lee told us about their developing feelings more than showing us. I was probably most disappointed with this part of the book. King Tathan seems like a great guy, but I felt like I never really got to know him. In fact, because of that and the actions Lee did show us, I found him very passive. He doesn't want to push Kimiri into marrying him, but it almost at times felt like he wasn't even trying to win her affections.

Her relationships all seemed very simple. We don't get any real conflict until the end of the book, and that ended up being my favorite part of the book. Probably also because the title promised dragons and they finally show up at this show more point.

If you are looking for something very uncomplicated and sweet, you may enjoy this story.

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Regina has just moved to New York City to start working at the library of her dreams, the one her father always took her to as a child before he died. It's her first time living away from home; her mother always guilted her into living at home all through her schooling. One of her first encounters with Sebastian Barnes is walking in on him having sex with some random lady in one of the private collections rooms of the library. She soon finds out he is the president of the trustees and an up and coming photographer. Sebastian is not shy about pursuing a sexual, specifically BDSM, relationship with Regina. Regina finds herself intrigued and then enjoying being a submissive.

Regina is not sure if she can stay in the type of relationship Sebastian is asking for. She enjoys the sexual relationship she is having with him, but ends up wanting more. Sebastian has always had two types of relationships - one night stands or BDSM lovers. Even though Sebastian feels more for Regina than any of his past lovers, he's not sure he can give her what she truly needs in their relationship.

Also, trust ends up being an issue with them. Regina feels like Sebastian keeps secrets from her. I did feel like Regina was a little premature in one of these trust issues. Their relationship was still very new. She expected Sebastian to spill his darkest secret pretty quickly. Their trust issues also end up spilling into Sebastian's photography (in a fun way I thought).

It's hard not to miss some of the show more similarities to Fifty Shades - a naive virgin enters into a BDSM relationship with a slightly older rich fella. This book is much better written than the other. Regina is nowhere near as annoying as Ana. She may be a bit naive, but Regina is not a pushover. Sebastian is wealthy and enjoys the BDSM lifestyle, but he is never a jerk. BDSM is positively portrayed in this book. Sebastian isn't into it because he is emotionally screwed up (though he does have one dark secret); he just really enjoys dominating.

This is a romance, so it does end with a commitment between Regina and Sebastian. Though, to me, it felt more like a happily for now rather than a happily ever after.

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The reason I couldn't give this book five stars was because of the action scenes. They were too long and somewhat confusing at times. I've complained about that in the past with Chance's books. But the action scenes seemed especially long in this book.

Otherwise loved it! Loved the relationship progression between Dory and her father. The past memory scene was awesome and sweet. And loved the relationship progression with Louis-Cesare - Finally! I was nicely shocked by the ending and look forward to seeing how Dory's new "position" and her self changes affect her and those around her.

I think I may actually now prefer this series over Cassie's.

The second son of a clan chief, John Brunson, at a young age, is sent to live with the royal court. He's always resented the fact that his father seemed to have no interest in him, to only pay attention to his older brother who would one day become clan chief. He hasn't seen his family or home in 10 years. Now his king has sent him back home to gather his family's men to join the king's war against a traitor. His reception home is a cold one. He finds out his father has recently died at the hands of a rival clan. His brother is now clan chief and has no interest in helping the king. The Brunson clan is focused on revenge.

Cate Gilnock is also bent on revenge, and she shares the Brunson's enemy. After the murder of her own father and the brutal taking of her innocence she turned to the Brunson clan for sanctuary. John's father promised her revenge. She hides herself in a tough exterior, never letting anybody get really close. She is learning to fight so she will never be vulnerable in any type of situation. She ends up being John's answer in getting his brother to send their men to help the king. If John can persuade her to give up her drive for revenge, then his brother would be free to help the king.

It's almost comical John's thought process at the beginning. He thinks it will be really easy to persuade Cate. He's used to women throwing themselves at him at court. He thinks first to seduce her into following his will. Cate's not going for it. She trusts very few men and show more in the beginning John does nothing to persuade her he is worthy of her trust. That trust slowly builds, though, once he promises to help her with her revenge and they spend more time together.

John had to grow on me too. I thought he was a little too cocky at first. I wasn't sure if I was going to ever like him. But I think it was his way of dealing with his insecurities with his family. Part of him wants nothing to do with them, to return to his king. And another part of him wants to prove to his family that he is still a Brunson and belongs with his family.

Once John gets past his insecurities, I started to really like him. Cate did too. The more Cate starts to trust John, the more he is able to break through her shell. She's really vulnerable, but determined. Cate vows never to be put in a position again where she feels helpless, where she won't fight. I liked that drive in her. Really John and Cate end up helping each other get past their problems and insecurities. Trust and respect become major factors in their relationship. But it wasn't all seriousness. John ended up having a cute flirty side too.

I do have to say something about the cover. I adore it. I love the way both models are looking out towards us. I love the colors and the almost suggestive way she is holding his sword. But Cate's hair is short throughout the book and she mostly dresses in men's clothing. The cover Cate does not really match book Cate. That bothered me a little.

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I didn't know Frank was revisiting her Nightwalker world until I spotted this book in NetGalley. Frank introduces a new Nightwalker race, the Bodywalkers. They're an interesting race - a mixture of Egyptian mythology and reincarnation by soul sharing. I had a little trouble wrapping my brain around how their whole soul sharing worked. But it's a unique concept. The Bodywalkers aren't body snatchers. They get permission to join with this person, to share their body. It's a merging of souls. Frank did a great job creating this new Nightwalker race out of the Ancient Egyptians obsession with preparing themselves for their afterlife.

The Bodywalkers are currently fighting a civil war - the religious (Templars) vs those loyal to the king and queen (Politics). Dorcia finds herself in the middle of this war when she is pushed off a bridge and, while near death, agrees to merge with a Bodywalker. She doesn't remember this when she wakes up and so is not prepared when her life is threatened a second time. This time she is saved by Ram, the Bodywalker who has come to help her with her merging. Both find themselves very attracted to the other as Ram helps Dorcia with her merging and introduces her to his culture. Ram fights this attraction because Dorcia is merging with his queen. His queen has always loved the king, who will be merging soon too.

I felt the story and world building did overshadow the romance a little. I can forgive that because it's the first book in this spin-off show more series and because I found the mythology different and entertaining. But I liked both Dorcia and Ram, and would have liked to have seen more of a build to their relationship.

It's a good start; I'm glad Frank returned to this world.

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This was a sweet novella. I like historical romances where the hero and heroine are separated for some reason. In this case the hero, Max Quinton, meets the heroine, Eleanor Hardwick, on a bet. What's supposed to be just a kiss ends up being real feelings. Eleanor is devastated when she finds out about the bet and refuses to hear Max's side of the story or trust the feelings he has professed. Five years later pass and neither has really gotten over the other. Now 30 years old, Eleanor is well on her way to spinsterhood. Eleanor and Max are reunited while Eleanor is staying with her cousin Elizabeth and keeping an eye on Elizabeth's 18 year old daughter, Caroline. While on a walk Eleanor and Caro run into Robert, a young man, whose ward just happens to be Max. Now that Max has Eleanor in his sights, he will do whatever he can to make sure Eleanor knows they are meant to be.

Eleanor could be a bit frustrating. Especially when she runs from Max a second time after she thinks he did another something very wrong. She obviously didn't learn the first time that talking is better than running. But I did like their second reunion. This time it's as they are racing to Scotland after Caro and Robert have decided to elope.

I found the dialogue witty and humorous, especially when Max was involved. I liked him very much, and he made up a lot for Eleanor's stubbornness. This story introduces us to Caro, who is the heroine in the first novel length book in this series. She's very innocent show more and a little immature in this novella, so I look forward to seeing how she has grown in her book.

I do wish we could have seen more of the week when Eleanor and Max first met. Much of their feelings developed during that time. By the time we meet Max, he is already declaring his love for Eleanor. I would have liked to have seen those feelings develop.

3.5 Stars

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Reflected in You begins right where Bared to You ends, and really never lets up. Gideon and Eva are exhausting. They both feel so much - too much. They are completely obsessed with each other. But neither knows how to be in a normal healthy relationship. Gideon is possessive and secretive. He has to be in control of everything. Eva is very jealous and insecure about all of Gideon's past relationships. Both had awful traumatic things happen to them when they were young and neither has really come close to healing from those traumas. All this leads to a very dramatic relationship. One minute they are deliriously happy, and the next, one or both is extremely upset over something.

No matter how screwed up their relationship is and gets, I really want it to work out for these two. They really do not seem healthy for each other, but I keep hoping they will work through their problems. I keep seeing glimmers that it could work, that at some point they will get past their issues. They both seem to want to make it work.

And then the second half of the book happened. I could not understand what the heck Gideon was doing? He was ruining everything! The ending reveals were a small relief. I have no idea where their relationship will go next. Day has me hooked; I look forward to reading her conclusion.

ARC provided through NetGalley.

I've read and greatly enjoyed Hill's paranormal series - Vampire Queen and Daughters of Arianne. I love her characters, every single one. She's just extremely good at writing complex, messed up, dark, lovable characters. When this one popped up in NetGalley, I thought it a perfect chance to try one of her contemporaries.

This one is the fifth in the Knights of the Board Room series. And, of course, this book centers on the most extreme of the "knights". Ben is pretty messed up. All the guys in this series are heavily into BDSM. All but Ben have found their permanent submissive. Ben doesn't think that will change. He's just too dark and too severe in his mastering to keep someone around.

Marcie has known Ben since she was a teenager. He has always been there for her. He's always treated her like a big brother. But she knows she is the submissive for him. She knows she can handle his type of BDSM; she craves it. Making Ben see that she is perfect for him will not be easy. He pushes her away, tries to scare her off. But she won't give up.

Based off this book, Hill writes just as great characters in her contemporaries as her paranormals. I enjoyed Ben, but really liked Marcie and her determination. Both characters are emotionally wrung dry. It was exhausting to read, but hard to put down. I will be going back and reading the rest of this series.

Book provided through NetGalley.

Hmmm, so far the reviews are very positive for this book. I have to agree in liking the characters for the most part. Noelle is supposed to be very innocent, but she got a little immature for me at times. But I enjoyed the other characters very much, especially Jasper and Rachel. And the sex was pretty hot and plentiful. No real arguments from me on that.

I guess the biggest problem for me was the world building and the story beyond Noelle and Jasper's relationship. It just wasn't developed enough for me. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where few survived solar storms a few decades before. This book centers on the city Eden. I don't know if this means it is the only city to be built up after the solar storms or just the only one mentioned? The people in the City have really awesome technology, but a very strict moral code. People who do not follow their moral codes, i.e. no drinking or sex, are forced outside the City and are living in sectors along the city limits and must rely on themselves to survive. Or they are forced to live on farms, where I guess they are treated like slave labor? How or why this type of cultural divide developed after the solar storms is never really explained. How could they create such awesome technology so quickly after the devastation of the storms? Why the forced contraceptives? - overpopulation is mentioned, but does that mean there are not enough resources? or not enough non-ruined land to live on? I had too many questions show more by the end, and was left unsatisfied with the story.

So the point of the story, I think, was Noelle coming into her own, sexually and as a person. And I did enjoy that. But in the end, I just got too distracted with all my questions.

ARC provided through NetGalley. show less

Two years ago I picked up a book called Grimspace. I loved the cover, and the premise sounded neat. I figured I'd give it a try. I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved Jax. She's flawed, but so brave and so dedicated. She's so human; I couldn't get enough of her. And it wasn't just Jax. Aguirre introduced such fascinating and complex characters, some human, some alien - Vel, March, Loras. They are what kept me picking up each book in this series. So it was very bittersweet starting Endgame. I was so happy to get back to the characters I love, but sad to know that once I finish this book, that's it, that was the end of the series.

For the finale, Jax is on La'heng to fulfill her promise to Loras to help him free his people and planet from the Nicuan Empire. Diplomacy doesn't work, so they start a resistance. It's exhausting for Jax, all the fighting and blood shed. This is not a fast fight; a few years pass in this book. The La'hengrin refuse to give up and are very brutal in their determination to get their world back. But it's needed. The Nicuan are just as brutal in their retaliation. They do not want to give up their slave world and slave labor.

Jax and March hash out their relationship a lot in this book. They both haven't been completely honest with each other on how they feel and those truths finally come out in this book. Jax and Vel also come to some conclusions on where they stand with each other, what they actually feel for each other. We get to see Sasha show more become a young man. And Zeeka is always a sweet, happy presence. I did miss Dina and Hit, who don't appear at all. But I was very satisfied with where all the characters ended up by the end of this book. Though I wish I could remain with them as they continue their adventures. But since I can't - goodbye Jax. show less

I was very happy when I saw Maya Banks was writing another highlander historical romance series. I really enjoyed her McCabe trilogy. She wrote such great characters, and she continues that trend at the start of this series.

Eveline Armstrong has not been able to hear ever since an accident falling off her horse. People, including her family, now assume she is simple rather than deaf and Eveline, instead of coming clean, uses their misconception to get out of marrying a sadistic neighbor. Her family has a huge rivalry with the Montgomery clan. The king decides the only way to stop their fighting is to marry Eveline to the head of the Montgomery clan, Graeme. Eveline sees it as an opportunity at a new life. She thought she would never have a chance to marry while using the charade to stay unmarried to the sadistic neighbor.

Graeme is furious when he hears he is to marry Eveline. He has heard rumors of her simpleness and assumes he will never be able to have children with her. She hasn't spoken since her accident, but has taught herself to read lips. Though she can speak and wants to, she is afraid she will sound stupid and is not really sure how to start, so at first stays silent around Graeme and his clan. She also has to deal with extreme animosity from many of the Montgomery clan. They do not trust her loyalty and make things very difficult for her. The sadistic neighbor also makes an appearance and complicates things even more.

Banks did a great job with a deaf heroine. show more Eveline doesn't speak for half the book, and Banks was able to still present a complex character. She's innocent, but tough. She's willing to make the best out of a new, hostile situation. I really felt for her, and grew just as frustrated as Eveline with her new clan. Graeme is very patient with her, and at first almost treats her like a little kid. But he starts to realize there is more to her and she is definitely not simple. Graeme fights his lustful feelings for her, thinking them at first depraved, but his resolve gets tested as Eveline expresses her interests. He can also be a bit gruff, but really, he is very good to her.

So glad Banks wrote this book.

ARC provided through NetGalley show less

I've been looking forward to learning more about Jason since book one of this series. He's the silent spymaster with the hinted at dark past. I was soooo happy when Singh announced Jason was getting his own book. Finally we get to learn why he is so silent and emotionless. His story is so sad and tragic. Gosh, I can see why he doesn't trust emotions, why he pushes them deep inside. He only sees darkness within himself and doesn't believe he could ever have a real connection with anybody.

But he finds himself captivated by Princess Mahiya. They meet when he offers his services to the archangel Neha to discover who killed her consort, Eris. Mahiya is the daughter of Neha's sister and Eris. Neha did not take their infidelity very well - killing her sister and imprisoning Eris. Mahiya is now virtually a prisoner in her aunt's court and dreams of freedom. And now that her father is dead, she fears there is no reason for her aunt to keep her alive. She's a very strong character. Mahiya never let her aunt's cruelty break her. And she's smart. Jason never really stands a chance - he's drawn to her almost immediately.

Added to that story line - we get some great moments between Dmitri and Honor. I was happy we got a little continuation of their story. And this book begins a story arc that hints at great upheaval and devastation. Label me intrigued.