My Lord Scandal was the perfect non-angsty historical I didn't realize I was craving. And it had a smart heroine. So I have to give kudos to Ms. Wildes because I like her heroines. Think of saucy, take charge Brianna from Secrets from a Scarlet Lady. Amelia Patton wasn't as take charge, but she was direct, didn't act coy and although she knew she shouldn't be attracted to Alex, she just couldn't help herself so she went for it full-throttle. Why couldn't she be with him? Well! Amelia's grandfather was married and having an affair with a debutante - who happened to be Alex's grandfather's sister. It wasn't widely known, but the debutante committed suicide because she couldn't be with the man she loved and Alex's grandfather killed Amelia's in a duel.

What does this have to do with anything? Alex's grandmother wants him to find something that is in Patton's family's possession but doesn't belong to them, it belongs to the St. James's. So in an effort to take it back stealthily, Alex breaks into Amelia's home while the Patton's are at a ball and starts looking around. Unbeknownst to him, Amelia has returned early from the ball and is in her room - which is the point of entry for his little break in. So he tries to sneak out and is trapped on Amelia's balcony, with a front row seat to her undressing. When she comes out onto the balcony and appears faint, Alex comes forward to offer assistance. He scares her, but Amelia is quickly intrigued by him even being there and gets show more over her fear. Alex cannot help himself and kisses Amelia before he leaves. Amelia is curious about her visitor but because she's a smart heroine, she knows she'll see him again - she can tell he's quality people. When Amelia next sees Alex and asks her aunt who he is, she finds out that he is not to be acknowledged, spoken to or be near him, ever. For a woman like Amelia, that's like throwing gasoline on a flame - and that's exactly what happens when these two get near each other.

I thought My Lord Scandal was delicious. Emma's writing is very enjoyable and this book was no exception. The characters were good. They were practical, smart and interesting. Not just Alex and Amelia, but the secondary characters too. There was a cute second romance plot that I enjoyed. I also liked that the conflict wasn't too angst-ridden. Yeah an old family feud is somewhat of a barrier, but not to two people who didn't really know those involved and acknowledge that they want to be together. Yay for strong-willed lovers! Also, I thought the whole family feud bit was interesting! There is a bit of a mystery in regards to letters between the two dead lovers and I had the wrong character in mind!

As you can see, there is a lot that is good with My Lord Scandal. I enjoyed it and can't wait to read the second book. show less

Love’s Fortress, book 7 in Samantha Kane's Brothers in Arms series, was deep. Gideon lost part of his leg in the war and he’s burned on his face and arm. So his requirement in a wife is someone who can look past the scars and no one has been able to – until his neighbors set up a meeting with Sarah, a reverend’s daughter. You see, aside from the fact that Sarah knows how to run a household and raise children (she’s the eldest of a bunch), she has a birthmark on her face and that makes her singularly qualified to deal with and know to some extent what Gideon has been going through since the war. She’s used to people looking at her, and not always kindly.

Sarah is drawn to Gideon. She doesn’t judge a man by how he looks, since she’s been there enough. But Gideon, she can tell, is a leader and a strong man. He isn’t cruel, but he is hard. And they get along very well.

Gideon’s friend, Charles, is worried that now that Gideon is going to get married, that he won’t be needed anymore. Gideon and Charles are just friends, although they both want the other – but after the events that led to Gideon’s scars, these two men haven’t been able to bridge that gap between their desires and reality. But Sarah – Gideon wants things to be good for her so he invites Charles’s to their bedroom and these three hurting people quickly realize that three is better than one and with two ganging up against one, Gideon is going to have to open up and move beyond the show more past.

Ok, the reason I said Love’s Fortress was deep was due to all the hurt (physical and emotional) that all three characters are holding in. Charles saved Gideon’s life during the war and took care of him afterwards. He’s wanted Gideon all this time but Gideon never let anyone in because he thought he was less than a man because of his injuries. Sarah has had to deal with suitor after suitor rejecting her because of her birthmark. But these three people together worked so well and they balanced each other out perfectly. What made this book so good was Sarah’s practicality. You’d think a virgin on her wedding night would run screaming from the house if her husband brought another man to their bed, but when asked why she accepted Charles, she said because obviously her husband wanted it. So refreshing! Sarah made this book work for me, she was such a strong character and at no point did she melt into the background when the men finally acted on their attraction for each other. She was the bridge for these guys, and she was a good strong bridge. LOL

I have to give Love’s Fortress a 4.25 out of 5. Definitely a must read for those who like threesomes! show less

I was pleasantly surprised by the Wine-Dark Sea. And this after almost putting it down after the first chapter!

Let me explain that first chapter. Daniel is an English writer currently working on his latest book in a small town outside of Calais, France. He notices a homeless man on a rooftop across the way from his small apartment. He has just gone to market to buy some food and so he motions for the homeless man to come over. Daniel questions his motives the whole time this is going on, but the plight of homeless immigrants in France has touched him and he wants to help where he can. When the homeless man arrives on his doorstep, Daniel feeds him and offers him a bath. The homeless man is named Kofi and he's injured. He's also extremely good looking. Daniel tends his injuries and a shy Kofi makes his advances on Daniel. Kofi has never been with a man before, but he really wants Daniel. After devouring each other, Daniel wakes up to find Kofi in the kitchen holding a butcher knife. Daniel, realizing he's invited a homeless man into his home, thinks Kofi is deranged and going to kill him.

Ok, I was ready to put the book down right there. That was the craziest beginning to a book I've ever read but I wanted to see if The Wine-Dark Sea got better and I'm so glad I persevered because I loved this book. It wasn't perfect, but it was riveting and very enjoyable. I actually look back at that beginning with fondness now. LOL

Five months later, Daniel is back in Paris and he's now show more in a relationship with Francois, a very temperamental artist. Daniel loves Francois but he doesn't care for his friends so much - they're catty, gossipy, hangers-on and Francois usually gets struck by artistic inspiration in the middle of visiting them, leaving Daniel to entertain. Daniel hates that. One evening, that cattiness gets the best of Francois and Daniel, and Francois unceremoniously dumps Daniel without explanation, only to say something about Alain, Daniel's previous lover. Daniel has no idea what's going on but he leaves, banished from Francois's love. However, the very next day after Francois is injured at his opening he wants Daniel to come to his hospital bedside. He apologizes for what happened and he doesn't want Daniel to abandon him. Daniel takes Francois back and nurses him back to health. On one condition though - that handsome man hovering around Francois's bed? He has to go. No more cheating. Francois agrees and these two go back to the happy days of before. Francois's friends are still there, his former lovers show up sometimes, but Daniel is happy.

But Francois wants to get back at who he believes ruined his opening - a French actress he painted in a very unflattering way. Caught up in his new scheme, he reverts back to the way he was, ignoring Daniel and bascially just using him. Daniel puts up with it until he finds out that Francois has cheated again. After he makes a clean break (that destroys Francois - yay!) Daniel runs into an old friend.

I know I'm not doing this book justice, but it was really good! I love how Daniel eventually stands up to Francois and how he kind of becomes friends with Alain, his former lover. And just how everything ended was perfect. I'm glad Francois got what he deserved. He was a real sleazy character but he had a lot of charisma and you can't blame Daniel for staying with him as long as he did. And Daniel. I liked him. Although he comes off as silly (especially with that beginning!) he comes into his own and he realizes some truths about himself. That was nice.

Although not perfect, the story hidden in this book was really good. For pure enjoyment alone, this book is getting 4 out of 5. Glad I found this hidden gem! show less

Holy spaceballs! I don’t know what I was expecting when I opened this book up, but I was totally blown away by what I read.

Mace is a space pirate who is masquerading as a lab assistant on a remote planet. She’s working for Alec Roiten, trying to discover a cure for ryana poisoning, which her brother-in-law is currently dying of. She knows she and Alec are close to a cure. She also knows that Alec is the last man in space that she should sleep with, but there’s something about the scientist that is just so yummy. She knows he’s attracted to her as well and one day over lunch, they’re just about to do something about it when a gang of bounty hunters walk into the restaurant where they’re taking a break. Mace is no stranger to bounty hunters (she does have a bounty on her head) and she quickly grabs Alec and they make their escape.

What Mace doesn’t realize is that Alec also has been on the run for the last 7 years and it looks like his past has finally caught up to him.

The two head to Mace’s apartment, where she has her bags packed for such an emergency but things hit a snafu when she finds out the hard way there is a bounty hunter hiding in her apartment.
Alec is flabbergasted when he sees his former lover, Byron, holding a blaster to Mace’s head. Alec ran from Bryon in an attempt to keep him safe 7 years ago. Byron has come for Alec to get him to safety, knowing there’s a bounty on his head. But Mace quickly gets the best of him and knocks him out. She show more then spirits Alec and an unconscious Byron to her ship and they head off into deep space.

Byron comes to, overpowers Mace and Alec and then him and Mace come to an understanding. They both want to keep Alec safe. Alec, meanwhile, is reeling from the truth about Mace. He doesn’t know who he can trust right now, least of all himself.

As you can see, the action begins immediately in No Remedy. Which is great! And unfolding right alongside all the action is a really great romance. First of all, there is enough history between the three characters that the quick pace of the romance makes sense. You see, Alec still loves Byron. He left him 7 years ago to protect him. And Alec was already attracted to Mace. Where the fun begins is when Byron, who is a bossy, domineering guy to begin with, takes over in the bedroom. And oh my goodness, the way these three get together? HOT STUFF. I love the reason for it and it fits right in with the sci-fi plot.

I really enjoyed Mace’s character. She is the epitome of a kick-ass heroine. And she’s not one of those stupidly stubborn characters that has to prove her independence by refusing to listen to a man when he tells her something for her safety. Her only vulnerability lies in the way she sees herself as a woman – and Bryon and Alec show her just how attractive and sexy she is. Those two guys were very yummy. They were also very yummy when they were together. Bryon is a strong, steady kind of character and Alec likes to play the guilt card. I like how Bryon and Mace worked together to get Alec out of his own way mentally.

No Remedy had everything good going for it. A space pirate, a bounty hunter and a scientist. There was all combinations of loving that really spiced up an already interesting concept and all the action just hit the spot. I highly recommend No Remedy for anyone who likes sci-fi romance, m/m romance, ménage a trois, and excellent writing.

On a side note – there is a previous book for Mace’s brother but you don’t have to read it to enjoy No Remedy. However, I did buy it and really look forward to reading it. show less

It's obvious by this book's title that this is a light, fluffy read. I would definitely call it a romantic comedy and as such, there needs to be a suspension of belief of historical societal rules in order for this book to work. Otherwise, how would an innocent, naive miss possibly pass as a mistress and that the two main characters would actually think they could get away with it all?

When Harry Met Molly begins with a 13 year old Molly reciting a poem at a family friend's ball. The family is the Traemores, and Molly is in love with the eldest brother Roderick. In her poem, Molly describes her love for Roderick and how he should not marry her sister, Penelope, because she caught her kissing Roderick's younger brother, Harry. As a result of her poem, Molly is banished to a girls' school in Yorkshire and Harry is forced to enlist in the army.

A few years later, Molly is eloping with her father's assistant and they run into Harry and his mistress at a pub. Harry's mistress runs off with Molly's "fiancé" and Harry talks Molly into being his false mistress for a wager he wishes to win in order to remain single for another year. Molly cannot stand Harry, but he is charming and persuasive and so she agrees. So these two childhood enemies team up.

All right then. I wish the childhood antics and the animosity had been built up a bit better between these two. I didn't feel like they truly couldn't stand each other but then on the flip side, I thought they put aside their seemingly show more hateful feelings pretty quickly. Other than that, I really enjoyed the "courtship" between Harry and Molly. They knew each other already, they become supportive of the other and Harry wanted Molly, and Molly eagerly embraced the kissing lessons Harry gave her (to pass herself off as a mistress). That stuff was cute. I also enjoyed how Molly befriended the other mistresses (there was a competition).

Harry also was a good character. He always saw himself as the "spare." His older brother would inherit the dukedom and so Harry wasn't given as much attention. This sets Harry up to see himself as nothing to get excited about and with Molly's poem and a subsequent scandal while he was in the army, Harry embraces his ne'er-do-well status. But Molly makes him want more for himself, and I like how his character grew.

As I said earlier, you need to suspend some belief in order for this book to work. I thought the author was asking a wee bit too much from the reader at times, but because of the characters, I was willing to forgive her for this. I do look forward to reading Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right when it comes out later this month. show less

Ok, this book totally had me cracking up! What would you do to get fired? Anne is about to find out how far she'll go. And oh my goodness I could not believe how far she went. Along the road to unemployment, Anne begins to see her fellow coworkers in a new light. For example, there's the graphic designer in the cubicle next to hers. She's never noticed Ken before, just that he appeared quiet and when she spies a drawing of herself in his portfolio, she becomes intrigued and starts trying to get to know him. Then there's Sheila on the other side of her cubicle. Sheila, Anne notices, is acting pretty outrageously as well. Could she be trying to get fired and why? Anne finds out her and Sheila have quite a bit in common...

Ok, I haven't really gone into the humor of this book but believe me, it's there. I found myself cracking up so many times and I was glad no one was around to see me.

I was telling a friend about the book and she asked if there was romance in it. There is a flirtation struck up with Ken but this book is more about Anne's journey towards self-discovery than finding Mr. Right. And that's ok. The journey Anne takes is funny and somewhat emotional. She has to deal with her dreams, the death of her father, the strained relationship with her mother and also she has to come face to face with the consequences of an affair she had. All in all, Fire Me was a really good read. And bonus! If you email the author, she'll send you a bonus chapter that takes place after show more the events of the book. I really liked that! show less

Flirt was a surprise Anita book similar to Micah, shorter in length, with a focus on Anita's relationships, not the broader supernatural community. Also, there's a return to Anita's necromancer roots, which was nice.

So what's up is there are two potential clients who want Anita to raise their dead spouse for all the wrong reasons. Anita turns both down and after the second client leaves, she goes out to lunch with Nathaniel, Micah and Jason. And Nathaniel and Anita get their flirt on...with a waiter at the restaurant. But a few days after this, Anita is kidnapped by some werelions who were hired by one of her spurned clients and all hell breaks loose. Anita's lion is in heat...and she's looking for a Rex for her pride. Oh no. You know what this means. Another metaphysical emergency where Anita needs to have sex. But it's all good. She didn't have a lion in her harem yet anyway. So now she potentially has two. But are they willing to share? Because I've lost cost of how many men Anita counts on to feed her sexually. I know it's not more than 20. But it is more than 10. o_O

As much as I harp on these books, I still can't help reading them. I think if I were to go cold turkey from LKH books, I'd shrivel up into a little ball and waste away. These books are a part of me.

Er...not quite. But still, you know what I mean, right? Book EIGHTEEN people!! There is no turning back from this series by now. If you are tempted to start this series, and I know you are, stop after Obsidian show more Butterfly. Which is book 9.

Also another thing I found interesting? When Anita was mentally shuffling through her men, she didn't count Richard among them. Is this a sign of the end of Richard? Please goddess, let it be so!

So what did I think? Flirt was a quick, fun read, that's what. I know, I know. But I'm hopeful.

I should not have to flirt with someone while I'm trying to threaten someone else with a gun; it was too hard to do both.

It sounds like Anita is back. And she's totally kick ass. So there.

However, Flirt is only getting a C from me. The annoying way Anita has of questioning everything still bugs me every time. It wasn't as bad, but now the other characters are doing it too. Ugh. And the new guy, there is some potential. show less

First of all, I want to clear something up. The title is somewhat misleading. This is a contemporary romance and the love scenes are hot, but it's not erotic per se. The cover is nice, but lends itself more to the title than to the content.

Now that I've cleared that up, let's move on. Emma is a house cleaner out of necessity rather than want. She's waiting for an internship to open up at an architecture firm, but in the meantime, to pay the bills, she cleans. She was hired by Russell's sister to clean up Russell's bachelor pad. When she meets Russ, there are immediate sparks. He feels them too, so before her first clean up at his house, he goes around and cleans up a bit. He's thinking he doesn't want a woman he could potentially date cleaning his house. So when Emma finally arrives, she's a bit distraught. Her roommate is moving out and so Emma will have to take on more cleaning jobs or find a cheaper place to live. Russ is thinking he might take her up on the offer she made to do some grocery shopping and cooking for him. But in comforting Emma, she jokingly tells him of a harebrained scheme that she would not be averse to: being a rich man's mistress. All the sex without the messy emotions and strings. (Emma is horny obviously, and Russ just makes her more apparent of the fact that she hasn't gotten some in a while.) Emma was just joking about that mistress idea and starts to clean. But when she finds Russ in his home study, he tells her he wants to take her up on her show more offer.

Now here things get really funny. You see Russ was thinking of her offer to buy groceries and cook for him a few times a week. He also has an empty apartment in downtown Seattle that he could rent out dirt cheap for her. But Emma thinks he's talking about the mistress thing. So when they start to negotiate, both are totally clueless. He's thinking three nights a week, with a big finish to last him through the weekend. Now coming from a cooking stand point, that makes sense. But coming from a sexual stand point, Emma's thinking she'll have to pull out the big guns and get super creative. LOL This part of the story had me cracking me up, let me tell you!

Right after things are settled (an agreed upon price basically), Russ realizes that Emma is thinking of the mistress thing and not the food thing. So now he's torn. Does he go along with it? Because he finds Emma super hot and he's kind of nerdy and socially awkward so this would get her in his bed without much of a fuss or should he tell her that he only wanted her to cook for him?

In the end, despite his misgivings, Russ follows through on Emma's idea of things. And that leads to some more hilarity, but it also leads to the very things Emma wanted to avoid: emotions and strings. Can the fact that they are in very different places in their lives (he's established career wise plus he's 10 years older) be overcome by their burgeoning feelings for one another?

I enjoyed the Erotic Secrets of a French Maid. It had flaws, but it was still a fun read. The humour between the mix-up, but there was also humour between Russ and his friends. That really worked for me. I also liked how the age difference wasn't ignored nor made too big a deal of. As much as I love May/December romances, sometimes that fixation on age gets old. But here it was good.

What didn't quite work was these two falling in love. The connection was there physically, but I feel like we were missing something when it came to stepping over the line into love. I don't know. It's not something I can really put my finger on, but I wanted more in the feelings department. And the energy from the beginning of the book didn't quite follow through to the end. It was still an enjoyable read though. :P

The Erotic Secrets of a French Maid gets 4 stars from me. Definitely check it out if you're in the mood for a humourous contemporary romance with some spicy and funny love scenes. Emma has some good ideas for "something big to last through the weekend." LOL show less

CoH was a surprise for me. I'm so burnt out on paranormals but this one just kept calling to me. Jin Rayne is a male reah. In werepanther culture, that's unheard of. A reah is always the true mate of a semel, a werepanther tribe's leader. Since semels are always male, reahs should always be female. Semels are always on the look-out for their reah and Jin has learned to avoid semels. Jin was almost killed by his tribe when he was 16 and they discovered that he was a reah - and gay. Although reahs are revered by werepanthers, his tribe thought he was an abomination. Left for dead, Jin and his best friend Crane struck out on their own. Never staying in one place too long for fear of discovery, Jin and Crane have led a very lonely existence. Then they land in a town near Lake Tahoe and everything changes. Jin is forced through extenuating circumstances to meet Logan Church, the local werepanther semel and it finally happened - he's found his true mate, and nothing could terrify Jin more. The insta-love true mate trope has always bothered me in the past, but in Jin and Logan's case, I didn't mind. Maybe because Logan was straight? Whatever. I enjoyed this story but I can see where Jin might be a bit annoying. B

I like the theme, reuniting with your first love. Kieran and Seth met and fell for each other in high school when they worked at the same ice cream shop. But when Seth went off to college, he knew that things wouldn't work out. But he's always wondered about Kieran. So imagine his surprise when he runs into Kieran in a bar in NYC. Kieran, all grown up. Yummy time ensue. I really liked this one. B

On the one year anniversary of his wife Rachel's death, Ethan receives a mysterious package in the mail claiming that she is alive. After existing like a zombie for the past year, Ethan is suddenly hopeful and full of life. He goes to his brothers who run the KGI Group to ask for help bringing Rachel home. This is good news for Ethan's brothers. Sam and Garrett have wanted Ethan to join their elite group of warriors for a while now and there's no time like the present. And they also have missed Rachel and will do anything to bring her home.When Rachel is found though, news is not good. She's been held captive through drugging - looks like heroine and cocaine. The effects of the stress of her being held prisoner and the drugs have resulted in Rachel having memory loss. (*note* I hate amnesia stories too, but Maya-love overthrows all!) While in captivity, Rachel held onto two thoughts in her mind - that her name was Rachel and the face of a man - her "angel." Imagine Rachel's shock when she's rescued by the man she always feared was just a dream.

The Darkest Hour is the story of Ethan and Rachel reconnecting after a year apart and Rachel's memory loss. Also there's the fact that before Rachel died, Ethan did something that he really regrets and even though he knows he should tell her, he can't bring himself to do it. He's afraid that it'll destroy Rachel and he doesn't want to ruin his second chance with her. Rachel fears that she is going crazy and the slow return of her show more memories is another stressor to her recovery.

I really enjoyed The Darkest Hour. The memory loss aspect to this story did not get on my nerves at all. Ethan and Rachel's emotions seemed realistic (to me anyway, never having been held captive and drugged for a year) and Rachel didn't annoy me with her angst over her situation. She can't recall her life before her captivity and finds everything a bit overwhelming.The relationship between the brothers was good, too. There's Ethan, Sam, Garrett, Joe and Nathan. Also in the Kelly family are their parents and a rescued runaway, Rusty. I liked how this family related to each other.

The men are alpha but the women are not weak. Yay. The Darkest Hour gets a 4.25 out of 5 from me. show less

There's nothing I enjoy more than a good friends-to-lovers theme. Meant for Each Other was a good read. Craig and Jeremy have been friends since kindergarten. At the end of their sophomore (or is it junior?) year, Jeremy is moving across the country and both boys are very worried about their friendship. They both admit that they're in love with the other and share a kiss that will rock both their worlds. This is the kiss that they compare every kiss they share with another man with. And eight years later, long after they've lost touch with each other, their paths cross in New York. Both men are in committed relationships. They have to deal with their reawakened feelings for each other and come to terms with the relationships they're both in. I enjoyed the story but thought there was a lot of build-up to their reunion. I would have liked to have seen Jeremy and Craig run into each other sooner. Other than that and a few editing issues, I enjoyed MfEO.

Love in Exile is book six in the Brothers in Arms series by Samantha Kane. It’s also the second book I’ve read by her (the first being the Courage to Love, book 1 of this series). Not having read the previous 4 books in this series did not detract from the story at all. There were a few characters that I can imagine were from the previous books, but at no point was I lost in what was going on.

I really enjoyed Love in Exile. I thought the characters were well written. First there’s Gregory. He’s skating the edge between two cultures. His father is a well known English scientist and his mother is Polynesian. He can tell he’s different from both and he prefers living in his mother’s land than spending time on English soil. On his latest excursion to England, he hopes to find someone to pass the time with, and he gets his wish with Nat and Alecia Digby, a younger couple who intrigue him from the beginning.

Nat and Alecia were interesting characters as well. I like how although their marriage was arranged, they overcame the obstacles at the beginning of their marriage and eventually fell in love. And they do take the odd gentleman into their bed from time to time but their loyalties lie with each other. But Gregory changes that – and they change things for Gregory as well. He no longer wants someone to just pass the time with, he’s looking for more, but can the threat of blackmail keep them away from each other forever?

One qualm I had was when Nat, Alecia and show more Gregory initially came together. Nat had been with men in the past and I was worried that he would care for Gregory more than he cares for Alecia. I had the same feeling for Gregory as well – would they leave Alecia out? But that fear was totally groundless. Samantha Kane knows how to write threesomes really well and thought it was balanced out well.

I have to give Love in Exile a 4 out of 5! show less

This novella was pretty darn close to perfect! I hated that it had to end and I would love for the author to revisit these characters. LOVED IT!

3.75

I really enjoyed Shades of Gray. There’s something about law enforcement types that I find so hot. And Miller definitely had it going on, even if he was delusional. Danny too was a compelling character. He hooked up with his drug lord boss when he was 18 and working a low-end job. His father was abusive and so he struck on out his own and the second Danny got into Hinestroza’s vehicle, he knew he made a mistake. But one he couldn’t get out of. And so now in his early 30s, he’s Hinestroza’s trusted lackey and the target of the FBI, who force him into turning on his boss. You see, even though Danny knows he’s doing wrong, Hinestroza provided for Danny and so Danny is twistedly loyal to him because of his own daddy issues. Here’s someone who appreciates Danny’s efforts and trusts him (to a degree). Danny though is a very deep well of emotion – he feels guilt over the people he has dragged into his own screwed up life. There’s a buddy of his from the early days and there’s his ex-wife. Their lives are forever affected because of knowing and loving Danny. Danny is burdened down by guilt. But he takes the good stuff where he can but otherwise puts his head down and does his job. But Miller changes all that when he gets him turn on Hinestroza. At first, Miller has Danny go back home and act like nothing has changed – but Hinestroza tortures Danny’s ex-wife and realizes there’s something fishy going on. He sets his dirty-work man, Madrigal, after Danny show more but since Danny’s familiar with how Madrigal works, he manages to escape in time and Miller sets Danny up in protective housing.

And this is where things get interesting. Danny has recognized the flashes of interest he’s received from Miller – but Miller is so totally blind to the fact that he is attracted to Danny. There is a two-pronged denial going on here. First because Danny is a criminal. Second, because Danny is a man. But Miller gets to the point where he can no longer deny that he wants Danny and oh my goodness is it ever hot when he gives in to his desire. The tension here is so well done up to that point that it just catches the page on fire when they get together– for me anyway. *g*

While these gorgeous men embark on a steamy, secret affair (Miller could lose his job for getting involved with a key witness, for which he feels guilt too), all is not well. Both guys realize that once Danny is placed in the Witness Protection Program, the affair is over. And although Danny and Miller don’t acknowledge their feelings, they’re both sad to think of things having to end.

Eventually, Madrigal finds where the FBI is hiding Danny and these two lovers have to run again. And that’s where Shades of Gray really kicks it up another notch. Because now Hinestroza has a hit out on Miller.

I have to tell you, I really feared for Danny and Miller’s HEA. There were so many obstacles to these men being together, it was almost painful reading their story. I was really gunning for these guys. The set up of this story also reminded me of Jane Seville’s Zero at the Bone. That story has an assassin and a doctor on the run, but there were some similarities and I liked how it was almost a role reversal – an assassin and an FBI agent. It was good stuff.

I definitely want to read more by this author. show less

This was short and very sweet. Not a lot of conflict and I need to be in the mood for that kind of thing, fortunately, this time I was. I also liked that it was a May/December romance. With some hot loving. First AG book I read but won't be my last.

I read this book first. And it's my favorite out of all 3. Jae Sun had the whole Mr. Darcy thing going for him. He's a total snob - he's a doctor and he kind of sees Shane as a scuba diving instructor with a side of laid back cowboy. Imagine his surprise when Shane is not what he seems. But those kind of revelations come later in the book. The first part is these two getting to know each other in the biblical sense and it was good. LOL Then there's a bit of an ocean misadventure (a really scary one actually) and a return to normal life. And Shane, I really liked Shane. I thought he was a good fit for Jae Sun. Excellent writing, smoking hot chemistry, No Souvenirs was a winner.

First of all, that cover makes me blush. LOL

Second, I enjoyed Seduced by Silver. The set-up of the Eupanorian world is different enough (humanoid beings with a culture based on wolf pack structure) that it totally makes sense that if someone isn't Alpha enough for their woman, someone else is. And that it's Meadow's boyfriend's dad? Hey, he's the Alpha! And she's an Alpha bitch! LOL

This kind of thing would not work for me in a contemporary or even a historical, but Gwen has created an interesting world and I bought it.

Killian and Meadow have been dating for a while. But after they reach final maturity, something that happens when a Eupanorian reaches their 20s, Meadow realizes that Killian isn't her equal in the pack social structure. He's mid-level. And she's an Alpha. The trip to his childhood home is in an effort to rekindle their romance, a chance for Killian to prove he can handle her. Unfortunately, Killian couldn't...but his father can. Meadow and Keefe don't back down from each other and are constantly challenging the other. Perfect chemistry for two Alphas.

But can Killian live with the choice he made? And does Keefe want Meadow for life or for the rest of the trip?

I liked Meadow. She definitely was an Alpha and I loved that she was equal to Keefe. In shifter stories, the Alpha male is so alpha, and the heroine kind of isn't. LOL So I really liked that these two were equal. And the hot sex doesn't hurt. I wouldn't have minded a bit more conflict, because there show more really wasn't any. But for pure escapism with some Alpha-ness, I'd recommend Seduced by Silver. show less

I wanted to read this book after I read a review at Dear Author. Unfortunately, it was not available at amazon or book depository at the time (eta: it is now though!). So I did what anyone would do, I suggested my library get it and they did. And guess who was number one on the wait list? *g*

And the wait was worth it. Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. And coming in at only 167 pages, it was a quick read. Quick but thoroughly enjoyable. I liked everything about the book except it's length. LOL

When Lucy was 11, her sister was hit by a truck and was in a coma. Lucy wrote a letter To Whom It May Concern begging for her sister's life and that letter was answered. So now Lucy works for you know who. There's a portal to hell in her basement and her dog Pluto is actually a hellhound. He helps round up Lucy's marks. And after facilitating for so long, Lucy is tired. She wants a normal life. As part of the job, she can't have friends, boyfriends and cannot have contact with her family. Now she wants what she can't have. And with the help of her musical idol, Lucy thinks she can get it.

Lucy...oh Lucy. She is one of those characters you'll think about long after the book is done. She's my kind of girl. Even though she works for you know who, she's not an evil person. She's ridding the world of evil, one person at a time. And in some cases, even groups at a time! LOL She has a soft spot for her neighbour's kid, always helping him out with homework and such. And her show more sense of humour! I love her sense of humour. And she makes lists. And she has crazy ideas that I can totally get behind:

A La Carte-Blanche was Luke's favorite restaurant, and I knew why immediately upon arrival. As its name implied, the notion of choice was paramount. The decor was, in fact, a clean slate-white walls, white tablecloths, white dishes.

It was so blank it made me want to take a black marker and scribble random thoughts on every flat surface. I imagined penning "sea turtle" on the white door, "lemon meringue" on the white-tiled floor, and "serendipity" on the milky-countered bar.

I can get behind that. LOL

And Luke is the man that Lucy can see herself being with. He's totally hot. And you gotta give a guy kudos for giving Lucy a second chance. You see, the first time they meet is hilarious and sad (hilarious for the reader, sad for Lucy). And then you gotta give Lucy kudos for giving him a second shot...because he does something a little bit stupid before he really knows her. But no one is perfect and that makes these two pretty damn perfect for each other. Luke was totally yummy.

Also, I really enjoyed the fact that the big showdown with You Know Who didn't drag on forever. It was quick and dirty and that's the way its done best. The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns gets a B from me. It was funny and it had some great characters. Definitely check it out if you see it somewhere. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed The Englor Affair! The issues I had with My Fair Captain weren't there and the romance totally drew me in.

Englor is a planet where people live in a Regency England-type society. Unlike Regelence, same sex unions are frowned upon, and there's actually a group of people who want to make it homosexuality illegal. Regelence is the planet in My Fair Captain - also based upon Regency England society, but where men marry men and use a cloning/artificial insemination procedure to procure their male heirs.

So Payton is the brother of Aiden, one of the heroes from MFC. Aiden and Payton (and the rest of their siblings) are princes on Regelence. Aiden in MFC married Nathaniel Hawkins, an admiral from Englor. The people of Englor adore Nate and see him as a hero. But some of the population sneer at his marriage. In MFC, events occurred that led to the discovery of a possible spy from Englor. And that's why Payton is accompanying Nate to Englor - to hack into the computer system and see what he can find. He's masquerading as Nate's lieutenant to get on base.

Simon Hollister is a Colonel in the Englor Marines. He knows there's plots and scheming going on and he believes his mother is in the middle of it. Also his friend who was on Regelence has not reported back in a few months and he needs to discover his whereabouts. In the midst of this, The Admiral (Nate) has come to do a base inspection (really a cover) and Simon questions if that's really why the Admiral is on show more Englor.

There's the basic set up of why Payton has arrived on Englor. Another biggie - Payton as a young lord on Regelence, would have been chaperoned everywhere he went. You see, his virtue is of utmost importance. On Englor, there's no need for a chaperone...meaning he absolutely needs one! With freedom, Payton meets a fellow at the gym on base and he's utterly enthralled. Little does he realize that the man who's seducing him could be a potential threat to Regelence.

Obviously, Simon is no threat to Regelence. Let's just get that out of the way. And then Simon and Payton hook up and it is gooooood. I loved the scenes between these two! Simon is a leader of men but has to hide his true desires. He's very careful but he wishes he could be who is is without having to hide. Because Simon is also a prince. And on Englor, he'll have to marry a woman and provide an heir. And Payton was only supposed to stay on Englor for a few days, and Simon hates the thought of him leaving. I loved Simon - he's alpha and protective and even there's a scene when he's get's jealous of the fact that Payton appears to be flirting with another man. And you all know how I love jealousy (in small doses LOL).

Payton was cute. Although not alpha like Simon, he knew how to take charge when it mattered. (And those were yummy scenes) What I liked about Payton and Simon together was that their relationship seemed more equal. In MFC, the relationship between Nate and Aiden didn't feel that way - so I'm glad that this was not the case between Payton and Simon. Payton stood up to Simon and even though Simon kind of became overprotective, Payton showed him he could take care of himself.

All in all, the Englor Affair was delightful and I'm glad I went back to that world. show less

Not quite sure why I picked this one to read. I've read books with BDSM elements but always figured a full-on BDSM book would be too much for me to read. Boy was I wrong! I think why this one worked for me is due to the fact that that the Master, the dom, was a woman. And I'm thinking, you don't come across that often. But it totally switches everything up and I liked it.

Mac Nighthorse is a detective and a submissive, which makes him perfect for his latest case - discovering who is going around murdering other subs. Male subs. His search takes him to a pricey club that hasn't been to before. He meets Violet, a Dom who has just taken the training wheels off, so to speak. Mac is going to be her first solo experience without a mentor present. Mac really tests Violet - he's likened to a horse that can be handled from time to time, but never really tamed. And Mac is really drawn to Violet, although he doesn't really want to let go of control. It's a real battle of wills between these two.

And that's what I liked! Mac, even though he's a sub, is super alpha and manly and yummy. LOL And I love Violet. She's a woman who knows herself - and she's a pretty strong character. She needs to be to handle Mac. He's used to controlling the situation and she won't let him get away with that anymore.

Also, Violet is the perfect person to help him with the case, but I'll leave that to you to figure out why. hehe

As for the mystery - I wasn't too interested in it at first and who I thought was show more the killer? Totally wrong.

This was my first Joey Hill book and it won't be my last. She writes the kind of heroines I can root for - strong, independent. And she writes the kind of heroes I like as well. I was so impressed with this book - I highly recommend it.

(And this is why I don't do mystery or suspense, I hate being wrong!) There was the perfect balance between the mystery and the romance. Meaning it leaned heavily on the romance side for me. Yay. show less

A while back, I mini-reviewed an ebook by Kelly Jamieson. It was just ok for me but when Kelly thanked me for my review, I was so impressed by her professionalism that I knew I had to give her another chance. So here's me, giving Kelly's writing another chance. And I'm so glad I did!

This novella was such a fun, spicy read! Kenzie and Noah met a few months ago and both felt a spark. When a chance popped up for Noah to work with Kenzie, he jumped on it. Through emails and phone calls, Kenzie and Noah put a presentation together that they would present together at a conference. Both look forward to meeting up at the conference, to explore their attraction. When they do meet, things are going very well, until a friend of Kenzie's shows up. All of a sudden, Noah is fighting for Kenzie's attention and Kenzie is torn between the sure thing and the exciting new maybe thing. LOL

Like I said, this was a fun read. Kenzie and Noah are fun characters. These two know they can work well together, they balance each other out. And their flirting is just getting started when Shaun shows up. Shaun and Kenzie have known each other for a few years and very casually hook up from time to time. When Noah and Shaun's vying for Kenzie's LONE attention doesn't seem to be working, Shaun ups the ante, and asks Kenzie if she'd like to fulfill one of her ultimate fantasies: a threesome. She's hesitant but she takes the men up on their offer. You see, Kenzie doesn't want Noah to think she's a conference show more slut or that he won't respect her in the morning.

The story works so well because these aren't strangers randomly hooking up at a conference, these are people who know each other quite well and there's enough backstory to flesh out their intentions and relationships. Total win for Kelly Jamieson with Conference Call. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by her.

Also, although there is a threesome, there is only a little touching between the guys. Kenzie is definitely the focus of the show. :P show less

Libertine's Kiss opens up with a wounded royalist cavalier seeking aid. His rescuer? A Puritan widow. What do these details tell us? That Libertine's Kiss takes place during the mid 1600s, right before and during the early reign of Charles I. A time period of which I am completely unfamiliar. But Judith James's does a great job of making it interesting. So the Puritans are in power, but Charles is the rightful heir to the throne. And anyone loyal to him is arrested and thus the entrance of William de Veres, royalist and friend to Charles. He has some information that he needs to take to Charles but he's wounded and he's sewn up by a comely Puritan widow. Waking up with his widow hovering over him, William accuses her of trying to steal his information. When he discovers that she really wasn't, she was just checking him for fever, he makes a move on his widow, and he's more than shocked when she lets herself be seduced! So much for her being a Puritan!

Up to this point, the widow knows who her wounded patient is, but he does not know her identity, nor have names been exchanged. How's this? Through the widow's memories, we find out that William was actually the widow's childhood friend, whom she hasn't seen since she was 14 or 15. You see the widow, her name is Elizabeth, and she grew up on the estate next to William's. They became friends when she was 11 when he rescued her from some local bullies. But they lost touch when he went to school, and her father prohibited show more Lizzie from seeing William again. William's father was not a Puritan, and so Lizzie's father didn't want William to have a bad influence on Lizzie, whom we realize only pretends to be a Puritan. It's a facade for her, not something she truly believes in her heart. So Lizzie's family is on one side and William's family is on the other.

Back to the present. William was being followed and so Lizzie is taken up before a makeshift military tribunal and found guilty of aiding an enemy of the state. Her lands are forfeit and for the next two years, Lizzie lives a step away from poverty.

When Charles I assumes the throne, Lizzie hears tales that he is giving back people the lands they lost in the previous reign. She decides to ask his highness for her lands back. Her father's lands and her husband's lands. At court, who does she run into? William. When William sees Lizzie at court, trying to get an audience with the king, he quickly recognizes her, as both the comely widow who helped him and his childhood friend. He immediately takes her under his wing and aids her in petitioning the king for her lands.

There is so much more to the story than that. William has a horrible childhood secret that influences his life still. He uses alcohol and women to keep the memories at bay. He is friends with the King and they are not averse to sharing women. But when Lizzie returns to his life, his world is thrown upside down. She makes him feel and he finds himself changing for her. Meanwhile, Lizzie herself changes by her friendship with William. She learns the ways of the court and William hates it when she becomes adept at those very ways. But she is a practical woman and she wants her lands back. She doesn't want to be tied to another man and at his mercy. Because Lizzie's husband was a horrible man who beat her. She never wants to go through that again.

So here we have two characters who were childhood friends and both have pasts that they are keeping secret from the other. But they do become lovers. And even though Lizzie falls in love with William, she is pragmatic. She knows he could never be the man she needs and although it hurts her, it doesn't stop her from doing what she needs to go get what she's come to court to get. That doesn't make her coldblooded, not in the least. It just shows how adept at the game Lizzie has become.

I thought Libertine's Kiss was a good read. In the early half of the book, when Lizzie is still acting like a Puritan, I found the mood of the book dark. And in the second half, when she's reunited with Will, although the darkness from both their pasts is slowly revealed, there was a definite lightness despite the weighty subject matter. I see it as hope for these two characters to come together. show less

This is the sequel to Change of Heart. Maybe I read it too quickly after CoH but Jin's martyr act got old, fast. Since Logan was straight before he met Jin, Jin is a bit upset, thinking that Logan loves him now for WHAT he is, not WHO. He doesn't trust Logan and Logan can tell. Logan always wants to be one Jin turns to always but Jin has relied on Crane for so long, it's not an easy transition for him. Lots of stuff going on with this one! B-

3.75

3.75/5

Review to come.

This is the first of three connected books and the last one I read. It's also the weakest of the bunch - but it's still a good book so I'm not really complaining. It has one of my favorite themes: falling for a best friend's sibling. Noah and Cameron make an appearance in Collision Course and the dynamic between Cameron and Aaron intrigued me, so I ended up reading this story last. Noah and Cameron grew up knowing each other, with Noah having a major crush on his brother's best friend. Cameron was interested, but Noah was younger and so didn't allow himself to go there...until Noah was older, and then only once. And they never saw each other again. Until Noah shows up in a recertification course Cameron is teaching. And Cameron finally gives into Noah and these two hook up whenever Cameron is in Noah's neck of woods. I liked Noah and Cameron and I liked their dynamic. A good start to these connected books.

So far in the Cat Star Chronicles, all the Zetithians have been male. But references have been dropped about the females and how hard they are to please. They are so hard to please that the males became freaking sex gods with orgasm inducing sperm to appeal to their women. And so far, only Terran females have gotten a Zetithian male.

So what happens when a Zetithian man comes upon a Zetithian female?

Well considering neither of them grew up on their home planet, a big misunderstanding!

Trag is Tychar’s brother (from Rogue, Catstar book 3) and he’s been saying he hasn’t settled down with a woman because he was waiting to find a Zetithian. However, he believed that there were no Zetithian females in existence so he was only saying that so people wouldn’t figure out that he had a big crush on his sister-in-law, Kyra. (This all stems from a threesome in Rogue.)

Micayla is a Zetithian female who was given to a Terran woman seconds before her family was killed. She was only 2. She was raised on Earth not even knowing what planet she was from. Now she’s in Orleon Station in the outer reaches of space working as a communications officer. And since Zetithian females are so hard to please, no Terran man has ever been able to excite her interest, sexually, which Micayla to believe that she was not normal somehow. She wants to be attracted to men, but there’s no sparks, whatsoever.

And then when she comes face to face with Trag, she hisses. So both of them assume that she show more can’t stand the sight of him. LOL

I enjoyed Hero – the characters were really engaging and Jack and the gang from the previous books showed up. There was also closure as to WHY the Zetithian planet was destroyed and WHO was behind it all. That’s how Trag and Micayla meet actually. The guy behind it all saw Micayla and tried to kidnap her in the space station but her and her friend hid on a ship…that Trag was the pilot of. So once Micayla shares what she discovered, she tells Trag and he tells Jack and they hatch a plan to catch the dirty bastard who destroyed their planet!

Also! I like how Trag and Micayla didn’t fall into insta-love. So at first they’re confuzzled about the mixed signals they’re sending and once they do hook up, Micayla is still thinking something’s not right with her and Trag is kind of wounded by her non-romantic attitude (because he knows with the other couples how they’re always ready to rip their clothes off). And Micayla is not like that at all. So it was good that she was going through some self-discovery with her newly discovered sexuality and that totally kept Trag on his toes. And he needed that because he was used to women throwing themselves at him. It also lets the characters get to know each other.

All in all, a good installment to the series. I would recommend reading at least the first book, Slave, in this series and maybe Tychar’s book, to get some of what the characters are talking about.

Hero gets a 4 out of 5 from me! show less

This was a novella I had downloaded for free from the kindle store and I was in the mood for something light and hot. This book totally fit the bill. Melina’s boyfriend, Gavin, has been super busy at work and she’s feeling forgotten and overlooked. Especially when he falls asleep in the middle of giving oral! LOL So Melina is at a party and she’s talking to her friend’s cousin Abby and Abby suggests making Gavin jealous to get his attention. Melina agrees but there really aren’t any flirt-worthy guys at the party. So Abby says ‘flirt with me!’ Melina does and Melina gets turned on. So her and Abby go to a guest bedroom and see where their flirtation takes them. Before they get too far, Gavin walks in on them and joins them soon enough! For how short it was, this story packed quite a hot punch!