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A lover of all things romance, from Maldives.
by mvbookreviewer

Review: Almost A Bride by Sarah Mayberry

Format: E-bookalmostabride
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Montana Born Brides
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group
Hero: Reid Dalton
Heroine: Tara Buck
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 12, 2014
Started On: April 23, 2014
Finished On: April 24, 2014

Almost a Bride by Sarah Mayberry is one of those novels that managed to put a smile on my face, not the least of it because Sarah wrote it; that is always a reason to cheer on. Though this novel is a tad shorter than the SuperRomance novels that Sarah usually writes for Harlequin, the story nevertheless carried the punch that always comes with a book from Sarah and I loved every minute of it.

Tara Buck and Reid Dalton have been partners for over a year at the Bozeman Police Department. Tara who is engaged to be married to her fiancé Simon finds her world turned upside down when she finds out in the worst possible manner that Simon had been cheating on her. Tara, who had always played it safe and done the right thing to avoid just that from happening suddenly finds herself at a loss on how to deal with the vortex of emotions and self realizations that her life becomes from that point onwards.

Reid is a wanderer, one of those people who suffers from itchy feet syndrome on staying around one place for too long. It is a family emergency that brings him back to his parents in Bozeman and from the minute he had walked into the Bozeman PD and laid eyes on Tara, there had been that electrifying connection that had happened between them, which ever since had been forged into a solid friendship, a line that Reid dares not cross, especially when Tara is vulnerable and hurting. But then again, in the matters of the heart, there is no saying what can happen when two people who are obviously meant for each other suddenly finds that nothing is stopping them from exploring what might be.

I loved Reid and Tara. Sarah has a way of creating heroes who are earthy and so sexy that even their mere presence alone makes one hum a bit every now and then. And Reid was just one of those heroes who could electrify a page just by merely walking into it. Yep ladies, he was that good.

Tara was just lovely; no two ways about it. I could actually feel the pain that she must have felt, the sense of betrayal and later on her confusion when the self realizations had started to hit her. What you get when you pick up a Sarah Mayberry is a romance with two rational people, who can actually communicate with each other and solve problems. But that doesn’t mean Sarah doesn’t toss in a bit of angst every now and the to her stories. On the contrary this one had its moments too which I absolutely reveled in.

Recommended for fans of Sarah Mayberry and those who love friends to lovers romances.

Final Verdict: Sweetly endearing!

Favorite Quotes

Need driving her, she straddled him once again and guided him into place. The exquisite pressure of him filling her, stretching her, made her clutch at his shoulders as she took him all. His hand slid to the back of her neck, squeezing lightly.
“Give me a second,” he said, his voice very low, his hand holding her still.
She understood. She’d expected it to be good, but she hadn’t expected it to be profound.
This felt right. Right and so good and absolutely essential.

He broke from her briefly to push them all the way down, helping her do the same, then he set her on the arm of the couch and slid inside her. She wrapped her legs around him, kissing him avidly as he began to move.
“You feel so good,” he whispered in her ear. “I want to do this forever.”
“Yes.”

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Noble Intentions by Katie MacAlister

Format: E-booknobleintentions.png
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Noble, #1
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Hero: Noble Edward Benjamin Nicholas Britton
Heroine: Gillian Anne Honoria Leigh
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: May 6, 2014
Started On: May 1, 2014
Finished On: May 3, 2014

Gillian Anne Honoria Leigh is the penniless half-American nobody who has already been shelved as a spinster by the ton. Her penchant for blurting out what’s on her mind or rather speaking out aloud her musings on a particular subject together with her close relationship with leaving disaster in her wake makes her the persona non grata when it comes to prospective bride material.

Noble Edward Benjamin Nicholas Britton, twelfth Earl of Wessex, otherwise known as The Black Earl is shunned by the ton at large as the man who killed his wife and continues to live a reclusive life. Noble makes his way back to London to find a biddable wife who would do as he asks and give him the peaceful life that he seeks more than anything else.

Gillian is the farthest thing from peace and quiet and even though Noble understands that, it doesn’t stop him from claiming her as his wife. Something deep inside of him that responds to her on a level that he doesn’t even want to begin to understand makes him ask for her hand in marriage and the deal is sealed just like that.

Noble had a plan in place when he got married to Gillian who seems to have her own plan in place to shred his plan to pieces, bit by bit, together with that legendary icy control of his which lies in tatters every time Gillian sets her eyes on him. Gillian knows that for Noble to heal and get over his painful past, Gillian would have to make certain ‘sacrifices’ which Noble might not appreciate until later on. What ensues is a tale of hilarity the likes of which I haven’t read of late in a historical romance and I didn’t care much for the picture I made breaking out into laughter at odd intervals.

Gillian practically made the story in my opinion. She’s the type of heroine that I fall in love with almost instantly. She makes no pretenses about who she is, doesn’t try to change herself to fit into the requirements of the society and the ton. Her outrageousness is the likes of which I haven’t come across in a novel before; she trumps the unusual heroine category by that much. Her acceptance of her husband and trust in him was enough to win my wholehearted approval and the way she simply accepts Noble’s child as hers earned another round of applause for her from me.

Noble prides himself on the control he has over his heart and emotions. The ice around his heart and soul is one that protects him from succumbing to feelings that would leave him vulnerable and that’s exactly the reason why he plans on keeping Gillian as far away from himself as possible. But then he should’ve known better where Gillian was concerned as she follows him and turns his life upside down in more ways than one. Gillian is determined that she be the of one to protect her husband from the danger that seems to threaten his life and her methods definitely aren’t the classic moves you’d expect from the ‘refined’ wife of an Earl.

The love scenes in this book are worthy of being mentioned because together with the enthusiastic responses that Noble and Gillian have towards each other, there again is the hilarity factor that makes the scenes that much more memorable. There yet again Gillian surprised me with her ability to look past the warnings of the dire experiences that women tend to have their very first time. Gillian made every other woman look like a wussy by embracing the whole aspect of surrendering herself to the man who has the ability to make her forget her name with just one searing heat filled glance alone.

The mystery factor was an interesting facet to the story, the atrocities that Gillian discovers along the way one that shocked me and broke my heart for Noble’s son who had been subjected to a trauma that no child should ever have to undergo. But knowing that with Gillian he would be in good hands is the saving grace, the little epilogue tucked in at the end one that put a huge smile on my face. Recommended!

Final Verdict: Hilarity & mayhem with a dollop of love & passion. Excellent combination.

Favorite Quotes

Wessex stared at her for the count of seven. Then, as if he couldn’t help himself, he asked, “What is it you wish to do?”
“This,” she replied, and threw herself on him.
Unfortunately, having his newly betrothed fiancee spring upon him was the last thing the Black Earl was expecting at that moment and, caught off balance, he fell backwards against an incidental table, knocking over both the table and a large vase of flowers. The vase struck him squarely on the head, rendering him unconscious.

She lifted her head to find herself staring at his genitals. Joy filled her at the sight.
“You were right, Noble. You are not broken. You look just fine now. More than fine.” She reached out a hand to hold his silky hardness and delighted at his gasp of pleasure. “Look, you bounce when I do this.”
A shudder ran through him.

She kissed him with all the fire and passion that had been smoldering in her ever since she had first seen him. She kissed him with every last ounce of love and devotion she possessed. She kissed him with an intensity that was readily apparent to those who stood by in astounded silence, watching them. She kissed him with abandon and joy and the warmth that only Noble could generate in her. It wasn’t technically a perfect kiss as far as kisses went, but it was a monumental one in the eyes of the ton. It was a kiss that turned the tide of public opinion about the Black Earl.
And then she fell into the waterfall.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BookDepo

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by mvbookreviewer

Guest Post & Giveaway: The Echoes of Love ‘Legendary’ Blog Tour

Hi guys,

Today I welcome the esteemed Hannah Fielding to my blog, one of her stops in the book tour of her latest novel The Echoes of Love. Please give her a huge welcome and don’t forget, there are goodies to be won. Just scroll down the post or better yet, take a look at what Hannah has to say on her book!

And as always thank you so much for stopping by! Cheers!

Guest Post: For the love of legends

For me, researching a book is just as enjoyable as writing it. I set each of my novels in a passionate,romantic country, and so that I can really transport my readers there, I immerse myself in the setting: its history, its scenery, its cuisine, its culture. Top of my research list are local legends – I love colourful, age-old stories; the more fantastical, the better!

Since I was a young girl, tucked up in bed and listening avidly to my governess weaving bedtime tales, I have loved legends. Fairytales too, of course – they sowed the seeds for my romantic nature – but legends fascinated me most: those that have stood the test of time, that offer intriguing explanations for the modern world, that are at once fantastical and yet, somehow, believable.

My novel The Echoes of Love, set in Venice, Tuscany and Sardinia, incorporates various Italian legends – told by the hero, Paolo, who is a raconteur extraordinaire, to my heroine, Venetia – and in my research files I collected many more. What better way to share some of these most romantic, magical and atmospheric tales but in this Echoes of Love ‘Legendary’ Blog Tour!

Today, I’m taking you to the peaceful island of Torcello at the northern end of the Venetian lagoon, famous for its spectacular Byzantine mosaics and a large stone throne…

Atilla’s Throne

In The Echoes of Love, Venetia, is taking a moment for herself on Torcello when her calm is interrupted:

The sun was high when Venetia emerged into the courtyard. The old trees cast shadows upon the ground; the light was tinged with gold. Flanking the lawn, the pink church of Santa Fosca looked impressively lonely with its arcades of stilted arches and its slim, elegant columns of Greek marble with Byzantine-style capitals. Pigeons were circling about the columns, perching on the fragile cornices, cooing to each other in their soft, enchanting voices. The ancient little town was her own; she could pause and admire its beauties and its spell to her heart’s content. Impossible to dwell upon a secret grief for long in a place like this, she told herself as she made for Attila’s throne.

She settled herself on the white seat formed by a single piece of rough-hewn stone, which stood on the patch of grass opposite Santa Fosca. As she was taking out the ham sandwich from her bag, a voice from behind startled her.

‘Leggenda locale vule che chi si trova in questa sede si sposerà entro un anno, local legend has it that anyone sitting in this seat will be married within a year.’

How unsettling to discover she has unwittingly changed her destiny through the selection of a picnic perch! All the more so given that the man telling Venetia of the legend here is the handsome and charismatic Paolo.

A romantic at heart, Paolo is in fact only telling Venetia of one of the legends associated with the stone seat. The other is that it was built by Attila the Hun as a monument to his power because he was unable to establish a castle nearby. It is telling of Paolo’s character that his choice is to define the seat as representing the promise of love and commitment, rather than might.

But what truth lies in these legends? Historians argue that Attila never visited Torcello, making this story’s origins likely fiction, not fact. As for the power of the seat in shaping destiny for the heart, well, I am an incurable romantic, and I adore such magical ideas. You’ll have to read for yourself, though, if you want to know what becomes of Venetia. My lips are sealed!

Book Blurb: The Echoes of Love

EoL coverSeduction, passion and the chance for new love.
 A terrible truth that will change two lives forever.

Venetia Aston-Montagu has escaped to Italy’s most captivating city to work in her godmother’s architectural practice, putting a lost love behind her. For the past ten years she has built a fortress around her heart, only to find the walls tumbling down one night of the carnival when she is rescued from masked assailants by an enigmatic stranger, Paolo Barone.

Drawn to the powerfully seductive Paolo, despite warnings of his Don Juan reputation and rumours that he keeps a mistress, Venetia can’t help being caught up in the smouldering passion that ignites between them.

When she finds herself assigned to a project at his magnificent home deep in the Tuscan countryside, Venetia must not only contend with a beautiful young rival, but also come face to face with the dark shadows of Paolo’s past that threaten to come between them.

Can Venetia trust that love will triumph, even over her own demons? Or will Paolo’s carefully guarded, devastating secret tear them apart forever?

Excerpt

The clock struck midnight just as Venetia went past the grand eighteenth-century mirror hanging over the mantelpiece in the hall. Instinctively she looked into it and her heart skipped a beat. In the firelight she noticed that he was there again, an almost illusory figure, leaning against the wall at the far end of the shadowy room, steady eyes intense, watching her from behind his black mask. An illusory figure indeed, because when Venetia turned around he was gone.

Venetia shivered. Nanny Horren’s voice resounded through her head, reminding her of the strange Celtic superstitions that the Scottish governess used to tell her. One in particular came to mind. ‘Turn off the light and look into the mirror by firelight at midnight on Shrove Tuesday,’ the old woman would whisper to the impressionable and imaginative teenage Venetia, ‘and if you see a face reflected behind your own, it’ll be the face of the love of your life, the man you will marry someday.’

Was this what had just happened to Venetia? Was this stranger the love of her life?

Rubbish, she remonstrated, laughing uneasily into her own eyes, you’re mad! Haven’t you learnt your lesson? Venetia had indulged in such fantasies several years ago and had only managed to get hurt. Now, she knew better. Still, she did not move away. Venetia leant closer to the mirror that reflected her pale, startled face in the flickering light, as tremors of the warm feelings of yester love suddenly flooded her being. For a few moments she seemed to lose all sense of where she was and felt as though she stood inside a globe, watching the wheel of time turning back ten years.

Gareth Jordan Carter. ‘Judd’. It was a diminutive of Jordan, chosen by Venetia who hated the name Gareth and didn’t care much for the name Jordan either. Judd had been her first love, and as far as Venetia was concerned, her last. She had been young and innocent then; only eighteen. Today, at twenty-eight, she liked to think she was a woman of the world, who would not allow herself to be trapped by the treacherous illusions of passion, however appealing they might seem. She had paid a high price for her naivety and impetuosity.

Venetia tried to shake herself clear of those haunting phantasms and her thoughts ambled back to the masked stranger – well, almost a stranger.

Their brief encounter had occurred the evening of the first night of Il Carnevale di Venezia, ten days before Shrove Tuesday …

Purchase Links: AmazonUK | Amazon | B&N

About Hannah

Hannah Fielding is a novelist, a dreamer, a traveller, a mother, a wife and an incurable romantic. The seeds for her writing career were sown in early childhood, spent in Egypt, when she came to an agreement with her governess Zula: for each fairy story Zula told, Hannah would invent and relate one of her own. Years later – following a degree in French literature, several years of travelling in Europe, falling in love with an Englishman, the arrival of two beautiful children and a career in property development – Hannah decided after so many years of yearning to write that the time was now. Today, she lives the dream: she writes full time, splitting her time between her homes in Kent, England, and the South of France, where she dreams up romances overlooking breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.

Her first novel, Burning Embers, is a vivid, evocative love story set against the backdrop of tempestuous and wild Kenya of the 1970s, reviewed by one newspaper as ‘romance like Hollywood used to make’. Her new novel, The Echoes of Love, is a story of passion, betrayal and intrigue set in the romantic and mysterious city of Venice and the beautiful landscape of Tuscany. It was picked by The Sun newspaper as one of the most romantic books ever written.

Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway!

prizes

At least one reader commenting on this post will WIN in the Very Venetian giveaway, with prizes totalling more than $600:

  • 5 signed hardback copies of The Echoes of Love
  • 10 signed paperback copies of The Echoes of Love
  • 3 romantic Venetian masks
  • Lots of fabulously colourful Murano glass goodies: 16 pendants, 2 bracelets, 2 paperweights and a vase

Anyone who comments on a blog tour stop post will be entered in the giveaway. Simply comment below, including your email address so that Hannah can contact the winners. Good luck!

Follow the Tour!

If you’d like to read more Italian legends like this, and keep up with the accompanying Very Venetian giveaway in which lots of romantic goodies are up for grabs, follow the Echoes of Love ‘Legendary’ Blog Tour this month:

1 May: Oh My Books!

3 May: Maldivian Book Reviewer

4 May: Krystal Clear Book Reviews

5 May: Romance Junkies

7 May: Book Briefs

8 May: Words I Write Crazy

9 May: Luxury Reading

10 May: The Little Reader Library

11 May: Kristy Centeno

13 May: Love Romance Passion

14 May: MamaKitty Reviews

15 May: Books & Other Spells

16 May: Pages of Comfort

19 May: The Flashlight Reader

20 May: The Window Seat on a Rainy Day

21 May: Simply Ali

22 May: Reviews by Molly

25 May: Reese’s Reviews

26 May: Moonlight, Lace, and Mayhem

28 May: Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Book Reviews

29 May: Tiffany Talks Books

30 May: Reading Between the Wines

31 May: Rites of Romance

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Lord of Danger by Anne Stuart

Format: E-booklordofdanger
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Zebra Books
Hero: Simon of Navarre
Heroine: Lady Alys de Lancie
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 1, 1997
Started On: April 10, 2014
Finished On: April 21, 2014

Lady Alys de Lancie also known as Alys of Summersedge has lived most of her life in the convent, all thanks to her malevolent uncle Richard de Lancie otherwise known as Richard the Fair, whose ambitions begin and end with the throne he is willing to acquire by any means. By his side is the enigmatic, mysterious and much revered magician Simon of Navarre who has his own agenda when it comes to Richard and his goals.

Alys and her beautiful sister Claire are summoned back to Summersedge by Richard, of course with the ulterior motive of marrying them off to suite his needs. Wanting to offer Simon a bride of his choice, it is at first Claire that would have been paired off with Simon if not for Alys stepping in to take the place of her younger sibling. Plain and seemingly mild-mannered, Alys knows when to put her best foot forward and when to take a step back and retreat. But Simon throws all that for a loop when with one sweeping glance from his golden eyes makes Alys think of things way beyond her knowledge and capacity as an innocent who knows naught of the pleasures of the flesh.

Simon finds his plans thwarted in the face of the woman he has chosen to marry, an conundrum if ever there was one. Alys captivates Simon in a way that has never ever happened to him before, making him reconsider and re-evaluate everything he has set out to do, something of course which he doesn’t like overly much. But what is a man to do when his heart refuses to let go?

Just like every single novel by Anne Stuart, Lord of Danger contains the classic elements which makes Anne unbeatable in any genre that she chooses to write. Simon is as alluring as they come, with those elements to him that teases at your brain as well as the other senses that remains attuned to everything he does whenever he enters the picture. And Alys turned out to be just perfect for someone like Simon, a woman who wouldn’t give up, even in the face of major adversity.

I swear that Anne weaves some sort of magic wand on all her stories that makes them this good, there is no way you can pick up a story from her and remain unmoved, even if it is to give in to the urge to throw the book at the wall because of the abruptness of the ending. But then again, you tend to get used to that particular trait when it comes to Anne because somehow, you know that the happily ever after is one that would stick through all sorts of adversity.

Like most historical romances I have read from Anne to-date, Lord of Danger also comes with a side of delicious secondary romance that develops between the beautiful Claire and the altogether too married and too serious Sir Thomas du Rhaymer whose beliefs regarding beautiful women and what he perceives himself to be makes for all sorts of deliciousness when it involves him and Claire. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Recommended for fans of Anne Stuart and fans of historical romances.

Final Verdict: Anne Stuart proves time and yet again that love can strike even the most jaded of hearts. Beautifully crafted, as always.

Favorite Quotes

He’d forgotten how sweet a woman could taste. Or maybe no woman tasted as good as Claire of Summersedge—he was entirely ready to believe that. She kissed with complete innocence, following his lead, letting her tongue touch his, as she moved closer still.
He slid his fingers through her tangled hair, slanting his mouth across hers, deepening the kiss, feeling his soul slip away and no longer caring. He could make his confession later. He could repent later. But how could he repent of something that felt so miraculously wonderful?

“For a wise woman you can be very stupid, Alys,” he said gently. “There is such a thing as pleasure.” He gently stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.
“Pleasure?” she echoed blankly, as if the word were in Arabic, even as her body arched towards his, unconsciously seeking him.
“Pleasure,” he said, his voice low and beguiling. “Shimmering, endless longing and delight, touch and taste and delicate wonder.” He moved his head closer, let his mouth hover over hers. “Heat and dampness and yearning,” he whispered. “An empty aching that finally explodes into a small death that is like no other.”

“He wants a new husband for you. Though he’s strongly considering the convent.”
“I don’t want to enter a convent.”
“That was your original request. What made you change your mind?”
“You.”

She was slipping down on the bed as the drug took possession of her, slowly, languorously. “I’m afraid of you,” he said, knowing she wouldn’t remember. “I’m afraid of loving you.”
She blinked, dazed. “You’re afraid of making love to me?” she said, her voice gently, sweetly slurred.
“No,” he said bleakly. “I’m afraid of loving you, when I haven’t loved anyone in years. It would destroy me.”
Her eyes drifted closed, but a sweet smile curved her mouth. “Then perhaps,” she whispered, “you need to be destroyed.”

He would have her, and there was no room for the tears she wept as she clung to him. He cursed his ungentle hands but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting her, taking her. He moved between her legs, pushing in deep, breaking past the frail barrier of her innocence. He hurt her, and she cried. He kissed her, and she kissed him back. He touched her, and she came.

“I hate you,” she said.
“I know.”
“If you touch me again I’ll see to it that you really are unmanned.”
“I know.”
Her furious eyes met his. “I love you,” she said, her voice rich with loathing.
“I know,” he said, and kissed her.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her as the pace increased, and she was caught in the tangle of his eyes, staring up at him as her body received him, faster now, harder, deeper, and she still wanted more. She was crying, she wasn’t sure why, but he licked the tears from her face and kissed her with them. She wanted to hold him, but her hands were trapped beneath his, and all she could do was absorb him, take him, as he was taking her, steal his soul and make it her own.

For a moment he said nothing. Then he spoke. “Will you come away with me?”
She looked warily at the horse. “Where?”
“To the far reaches of the world. To the isles of the north, where the wind is like ice. To the heat of the desert, to the mountains of Switzerland. Come away with me and you may never see England again.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Shameless by Anne Stuart

Format: E-bookShameless.jpeg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The House of Rohan, #4
Publisher: MIRA
Hero: Benedick Francis Alistair Rohan
Heroine: Melisande Carstairs
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 21, 2011
Started On: April 6, 2014
Finished On: April 10, 2014

I believe I am in quite the predicament. Anne Stuart has ruined me. Yes, you heard me right. She has ruined me for practically every other author out there. Two or three books from random authors and that feeling of restlessness stirs inside of me, that craving to read something from an author I firmly believe would never fail me. And every single time I start a new book from her, there is this feeling of anticipation that courses through me, that feeling of rightness and contentment in knowing that Anne Stuart would never do me wrong. And with every book that I finish reading, depression hits, because I know that I would end up devouring most of her published books pretty soon and then I start wondering, where on Earth am I going to get my fix from when that day comes?

Shameless is the 4th and last published book in the delectable The House of Rohan series by Anne Stuart. Depravity is the name of the game for the Rohans, but then the only truly “depraved” character I encountered from this series turns out to be the one hero that wasn’t a Rohan; Lucien from the 3rd book Breathless. Even though Shameless could be read as a standalone, I would advice you to read at least Breathless first. Because certain aspects of the story would only make sense and also give you that deep feeling of happiness if you’ve read Lucien’s story first.

Shameless tells the tale of the sixth Viscount Rohan who has gone through one tragedy after the other that leads him to believe that he would be better off marrying someone who would just bear him children and look for his fix for carnal pleasure elsewhere. That is the intention with which Benedick returns to London and in turn gets gobsmacked by his encounter with the reformist who makes his head spin; Melisande Castairs widow of Sir Thomas Castairs.

Melisande’s charitable activities leaves her on the fringes of society, but Melisande is a determined woman if ever there was one, taking in the “soiled doves” and teaching them the way to a better life. At first Benedick is annoyed by the woman who single-handedly thwarts his attempt to appease the hunger that has not been slated in a long while. But then his fascination with Melisande is one Benedick is willing to ignore at all cost, until she turns up on his doorstep, seeking his help to dig deeper into the activities taking place in the “Heavenly Host”, a secret society of sorts that gets together to seek and slake all types of sexual needs. Though Benedick might not want to believe what Melisande has to say, his own brother’s elusiveness raises red flags all over the place and Benedick has little choice left but to investigate with the annoying Melisande at his heels, and perhaps seduce the woman along the way and walk away once his hunger for all things that is Melisande has been appeased.

While some die-hard fans of Anne Stuart had found Benedick to be too “mild” compared to the likes of gamma heroes that Anne Stuart creates in most of her books, I found Benedick to be just the right sort of rake for Melisande. Lucien turned out to be the darkest of heroes in this series, so perhaps Anne Stuart’s mind was on toning things down a bit from all the intensity that had gone down in the previous book.

As always, Anne Stuart kept the story alive and kicking in so many ways. There are the characters, each and everyone of whom contributes in some way to make the story the well rounded one it turned out to be. And then there is the trademark caustic wit of Anne Stuart that shines through in each and every dialog that happens in the story. I loved the conversations that took place between Melisande and Benedick, not to mention the constant parrying back and forth between Benedick and Lucien; Benedick always having the urge to throttle the very life out of Lucien.

I just flat-out adored Melisande. She’s like this deep bundle of energy and spirit, determined to right the world, one wrong at a time. The fact that she doesn’t seem to mind what the society may think of her and goes on brazenly working to achieve the things she believes in earned her major points! I rooted for her every step of the way and couldn’t get enough of the way that she cannot help herself over her want for a man who is so deliciously wrong for her in numerous ways. Her take charge attitude is one that I loved to bits, the way she just slams her way through into Benedick’s seemingly well ordered life and turns it completely upside down a reason that kept a smile on my face in a way that signaled my unabashed enjoyment for the story.

Ah, and then there is Benedick. Just like 99.99% of the heroes that Anne Stuart creates, Benedick won my heart through and through – it was just as simple as that. I loved the conflict his waspish tongue brought to the story, the angst and the turmoil that kept the story alive, not to mention that deep sexual pulse which brings that electrical vibe to the story that makes it hard to put down. This is where once again, I have to wish and ask out aloud; why cannot more authors embrace writing stories and heroes like Anne Stuart does? Too much to ask in a world where even romance books have to be politically right huh?

While there seemed to be a thread of a secondary romance in the story, namely between Brandon Rohan and Emma Cadbury, it seemed to just stop when things seemed to get interesting between them. And I can’t help but want to read Emma and Brandon’s story with a need that is almost crippling in its intensity! An internet search into the matter revealed that MIRA had not wanted any more stories into the Rohan series even though Anne Stuart had been of the mind to write Emma and Brandon’s story next. Oh the soul crushing disappointment of it all!

If all this constant rambling has given you anything after reading this review, it should be the fact that this story is one that I loved to bits and pieces. The fact that Miranda and Lucien seems to be making so many babies and seeing a “softer” side of Lucien; well, softer in the context of Lucien, was one additional bit about Shameless that had me smiling from deep within my heart. And if you don’t understand where I am going with this review, I will just lay it out for you; I recommend this as one of the most entertaining reads I’ve had the good fortune of reading this year. Don’t miss out on the last installment in this wonderful series!

Final Verdict: Anne Stuart’s mastery continues to amaze & Shameless just sets the fact in stone.

Favorite Quotes

He moved closer, brushing his face against her arm, breathing in her scent. Sun-warmed skin married with the roses and something indefinably female that stirred his senses. Danger, he reminded himself, his instincts well-honed. This was a very dangerous woman.
And then he fell asleep.

His smile was fleeting. “I’m an eminently reasonable man.” And before she realized what he was doing she was back in his arms and he was kissing her, openmouthed and hot and wet, no teasing approach, just raw, sexual demand that should have filled her with disgust and dismay.
Instead her stomach tightened, her heart raced, and the place between her legs grew hot and tingling.

She turned her face away from him, staring at the wall, trying to control her wayward body, envisioning it packed in ice, frozen. But the ice melted against him, and her body was soft and welcoming.
“What do you want?” he persisted, his breath hot against her ear, and his teeth closed lightly over the lobe, and she wanted to moan in pleasure. “What…do…you…want?”

She gave in. She had reached the end of her ability to fight him. “More,” she whispered.
And then all conscious thought vanished in a white haze as her body arched, rigid, as thousands upon thousands of tiny pinpricks shot through her, and she lost herself, the pleasure-pain exploding into a rich darkness she never wanted to leave. It was glorious. It was heaven.
It was disaster.

There was no escape, she didn’t want to escape, but she kept fighting, pushing it away.
“Stop it, Melisande,” he growled in her ear. “Take it. Claim it.”
“No,” she sobbed.
“Take it,” he said again, hard inside her, slamming into her so that the bed shook and her body trembled and she knew she would break apart, and she couldn’t stop, couldn’t stop shaking, couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t stop…

There was no time, no need for preparation. She was wet, he was hard, and he simply released himself from the breeches, lifting her up and bracing her against the wall before he thrust into her with a grunt of satisfaction, feeling her tight around him.
He wanted to slow down, afraid he might hurt her, but she dug her fingers into his shoulders. “No,” she whispered in his ear. “Don’t stop. I need you. Hard. I need you to take me. Harder.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | BookDepo | Kobo | ARe | iTunes

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by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Savage Courtship by Susan Napier

Format: E-booksavagecourtship.jpeg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Benedict Savage
Heroine: Vanessa Flynn
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: May 1, 1995
Started On: April 5, 2014
Finished On: April 6, 2014

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 80 A
The heroine 80 A
Story line 60 B
Emotional Intensity 75 B
Suck me in Factor 70 B
Heat & Sensuality 70 B
Conflicts 65 B
Writing Style 80 A
Quotable Factor 50 C
Ending 70 B
Overall Grade 70 B

Score Sheet Summary

Benedict Savage is a successful architect, going on 34 when that vague sense of dissatisfaction that has been plaguing him for quite sometime makes him seek refuge in Whitefield House, a property that he had inherited from an uncle who had left it to him, a property that had come along with his deceased uncle’s female butler Vanessa Flynn.

Finding a mystery woman in Benedict’s bed is what kick-starts the story, a woman who disappears by the next morning leaving Benedict flummoxed by the whole thing until he discovers who it is that had been gracing his bed that night. Thus follows a series of twists and turns, a lot of advancing on Benedict’s part and retreating on Vanessa’s part which culminates of course in a happily ever after.

Susan Napier has some very good Harlequin romances out there, in fact she is one of those Harlequin authors who is on my auto-buy list. The aspects that worked for me includes the hero; his intensity is hard not to take notice of. Then there is the novelty of a heroine who is taller than the hero in the story; as most romance readers know, that is something that rarely happens in a romance.

The sexual tension though was a vital presence in the story, I got a bit tired of the continuous back and forth drama that was happening and in the end skim read through chunks of the story later on. Recommended for die-hard fans of Harlequin romances.

Favorite Quotes

“Say it.’ He took off his glasses and threw them away in a gesture of reckless intent that made her heart pound.
‘All right, damn it—Ben!’ she retorted wildly. ‘There, I’ve said it. Ben, Ben, Ben—’
Her provocative chant was suddenly smothered. There was no tentativeness, none of the explorative gentleness that had characterized his last kiss. This time he was all aggressive, dominating male. The kiss was hot and hard, swallowing her anger and feeding it back to her piece by defiant piece.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | HQ | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Pick of the Month & Giveaway: March 2014

Title: Waiting On You by Kristan Higginswaitingonyou

What made the book stand out:

  • A read that warranted 5-stars.
  • Great emotional depth.
  • Witty banter.
  • Lovable characters.
  • To-die-for hero!
  • Melt your panties variety sexual tension.
  • Humor of the stomach cramping kind. Yes, you laugh that much.
  • Angst! Oh god, yes the angst!

Basically, the book picked itself out of every single book I have read of late and jumped into the pick of the month wagon. End of story!

Giveaway! Giveaway! Giveaway!

As is customary with all my pick of the month posts (which have been quite sporadic in recent times), I have included a giveaway which hopefully would garner some attention. After all, who doesn’t love free stuff yeah?

Giveaway options:

  1. One e-copy of Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins; OR
  2. One paperback copy of Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins. This option is available for those countries to which Book Depository ships to; OR
  3. 10$ gift certificate; OR
  4. Any e-book or paperback you’ve been wanting, below the price of $10.00. Condition in #2 applies for paperback versions.

Giveaway Rules:

  1. Open a page of the current book that you are reading. (If you are not reading a book at the moment, open a page of the book that’s nearest to you.) And give me 3 sentences from the page you open up. Mention the book title and author as well. And tell me whether you like what you have read so far!
  2. Specify which giveaway you are entering for.
  3. Leave a valid e-mail address for a way to contact you in case you are the winner!
  4. Help spread the word about the giveaway! Tweet and earn 5 extra entries, or recommend this post on Facebook & earn 5 extra entries. Post the URL of your tweet or recommendation post on Facebook in your comment.
  5. Like my page on Facebook to gain 5 extra more entries. If you are already a follower of my page, just state so and you would gain your 5 extra entries.
  6. Follow me on Twitter and gain 5 extra entries. If you already follow me, state so and you gain your extra 5 entries.

Giveaway Timings:

  • Giveaway begins: 00:00 hours, April 7, 2014 – Maldivian Time
  • Giveaway ends: 00:00 hours, April 8, 2014 – Maldivian Time
  • Maldivian Timezone: GMT+5
by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Her Kind of Trouble by Sarah Mayberry

Format: E-bookherkindoftrouble.png
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Seth Anderson
Heroine: Vivian Walker
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 1, 2014
Started On: March 28, 2014
Finished On: April 5, 2014

Vivian Walker and Seth Anderson sets their eyes on each other the night of the rehearsal dinner of the wedding that had tied the knot between Vivian’s sister and Seth’s brother. Their attraction towards each other had been instantaneous, both understanding the other quite perfectly to come to the arrangement that their one single sexual encounter that night would remain just that – a one night stand that they would both enjoy and walk away from.

10 years down the road, Vivian is back home in Australia and runs into Seth, who has a baby on the way and doesn’t seem to be able to catch a break where life was concerned. Though Vivian knows that a relationship between her and Seth would be the last thing that can happen under the circumstances, neither of them can help when the force of the blazing hot attraction that had swept them away all those years back seems to be stronger than ever, the strength of which takes their breath away.

There is a striking balance between the heartbreaking variety of tragedy and the lighthearted factor in the story that worked really well for me. Seth has his work cut out for him when he has to face the sheer daunting prospect of parenthood all alone. The fact that his beautiful daughter would never know her fun loving and vivacious mother is a pain that chokes him with its intensity all throughout. And then there is that one spot of brightness through all that darkness, the unwavering strength and support from Vivian who steps up in a way that leaves Seth reeling with the sheer beauty of Vivian in the depths of her soul.

It is a catastrophic event that pushes Vivian and Seth together long enough for them to learn more about the other, which cements the connection that had been forged between them ten years back into something harder and tougher to brush aside. Every moment Vivian and Seth spend together sheds light on just how well they fit with each other, the understanding and respect that they have for the other. I loved how Seth and Vivian went out of their way to be there for each other when the going got tough, how they took care of one another and lent that crucial support during those tough moments that made their relationship essentially that much more beautiful. And one of the most impressing aspects to the story was the role reversal of the hero being the one saddled with single parenthood, trying to make things work and the heroine stepping in to save the day!

I’d definitely say that Sarah Mayberry has come back with a bang with Her Kind of Trouble, bringing along a massive dose of her variety of angst; and my goodness there is plenty of that to go around, and love and sensual connection of the kind that only she can bring into stories. For that reason alone and the fact that I loved the story from Seth and Vivian to everything in between is why I would recommend this to everyone who loves a good contemporary romance with good emotional depth to them.

Final Verdict: Should come with the warning “Tissues are required!”. A definite not to be missed by Sarah Mayberry!

Favorite Quotes

“These have to go,” he said, and she heard a rip as he tore her panties off.
A part of her wanted to laugh at how mad and desperate it all was—the cramped quarters, him tearing her clothes off, their harsh breathing. But then he found her with his thumb at the exact moment that he bit her nipple and she was too busy coming, her head dropping forward as she clutched at his shoulders, needing an anchor to keep her earthbound.

He moved over her, not saying a word, holding her gaze as he gripped himself and found her entrance. She lifted her hips to take him, and he slid in.
Yes.
He remembered this. How good she felt. How right. How on earth had he survived ten years without doing this again?

She tantalized them both with the potential, then plunged down onto him, biting her lip to stop herself from crying out.
It felt so good. So full. So hard and slick and right.
Seth arched off the bed, pulling a nipple into his mouth, the suction of his mouth so fierce, so forceful, it almost hurt.
Almost.

Purchase Links: Amazon | BookDepo | B&N | Kobo | HQ | iTunes

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson

Format: E-bookacolddarkplace
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Cold Justice, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Alex Parker
Heroine: Mallory Rooney
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 1, 2014
Started On: March 30, 2014
Finished On: April 2, 2014

A Cold Dark Place is the debut book in the Cold Justice series by the uber talented author of romantic suspense Toni Anderson. Few authors out there manage to keep my interest when it comes to romantic suspense and Toni Anderson is one of those authors who always manages to hit the vital spots by keeping the romance and suspense factor balanced, which is the secret to writing highly readable romantic suspense novels.

A Cold Dark Place is quite the fitting title to this novel. Alex Parker is a man who prefers the darkness to do what he is entrusted to do. Employed by an organization known as “The Gateway Project” that is so deeply hidden in the layered complexities of the US government, Alex is an assassin who enacts justice by killing the worst sort of scum. Counting down the days until he would be free of his promise that binds him to his employers, his job becomes doubly dangerous when he realizes that someone on the inside is out to make him and that someone is the deliciously enticing FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney to whom his instant attraction makes her a more than dangerous “adversary”.

Mallory’s life mission for the past eighteen years has been to become smart enough and tough enough to find her twin sister’s abductor and bring him to justice. The pain that she lives through every single day, blaming herself for not being there for the one and only person with whom she had shared an inexplicable connection with is what drives her, even when she meets the same dead end, time and yet again. Though her experience in hunting killers and analyzing their behavior is limited, her sharp intelligence and observation skills ends her up in the BAU and in the direct sight of the man who would do everything in his power to claim her as a replacement for his lost love.

Alex doesn’t want the complication that starting anything up with Mallory would bring his way, but he is as helpless as she in the face of the strong web of desire that binds them together, that finds them entwined in the most delicious of embraces time and yet again. And when Alex finds out that the killer they are all hunting, whose violence had all of a sudden started to escalate, has his sights set on Mallory, there is no stopping him from vowing to protect her at all and any cost, even if it means continuing with the pretense and charade that would continue to keep Mallory in the dark when it comes to who he truly is.

Toni Anderson does a splendid job in telling this story; it is dark, creepy and keeps you guessing and questioning your emotions when it comes to everything that takes place in the span of this novel. Alex Parker himself is reason enough to fall in love with the story, his tortured soul was one that touched me on a deep level. Betrayal on a level that most people would never be strong enough to live with makes Alex the man he is, and though each kill chips away at his already battered soul, the honorable man that Alex is refuses to back down from paying the debt he owes to his employers.

It is the pain, drive and determination that keeps Mallory doggedly working to unearth what had happened to her sister that made me respect and love her character as much as I did Alex’s. The guilt that threatens to consume her would not have been easy to deal with. Alex in her life means Mallory learns to live a little, and stop feeling the survivor’s guilt and in return she reaches out to the scarred bits and pieces of Alex’s heart and soul and puts it back together, piece by piece, without even realizing the fact that they are both headed towards a love strong enough to consume them both.

It was the killer that kept me fascinated and riveted to the edge of my seat and I think that is exactly what Toni was aiming for when she created him. I sometimes wonder at the cruelty in this world that breeds killers of the likes found in this book, the inhumanity they suffer as children and the loss of their innocence at the hands of those that should protect them from the rest of the world. It is hard not to feel sad thinking about the person he could have been otherwise, but in equal doses I found myself horrified by the extent of his depravity and violent nature together with his uncanny ability to have kept fooling people for so long. Toni also makes the reader question whether the laws and agencies that be are really enough to ensure that justice is done. Perhaps vigilantism does serve its purpose with the swiftness of with which it brings the victims the closure they seek. A book that always makes you question what you know to be right and wrong and casts you into that place shadowed by the shades of grey is in my opinion a book well done.

Though the lack of an epilogue was felt, knowing that there would be another book in the series on the way definitely helps. Recommended for fans of Toni Anderson and fans of dark romantic suspense. You’d definitely love this one!

Final Verdict: Ties you up in knots; A Cold Dark Place makes for a riveting read!

Favorite Quotes

His lips were surprisingly soft, his mouth tasting of whiskey and beer and really hot man. Suddenly he took control of the kiss, diving deeper, tongue tangling with hers with a possession that made her insides turn molten. She found herself pressed up against the glass facade of the building, Alex’s one hand still buried deep in her pocket, the other cupping the back of her head.

“Too much?” His voice sounded nothing like him. He’d heard this version before, in that prison in Morocco. His inner animal tearing loose, but this time it was from pleasure not pain.
She shook her head and her nails dug into his shoulders. “More,” she demanded. Then she kissed his neck, bit down hard enough to make him laugh.
She could put her mark on him anytime.

She shook her head, squirming to get closer. “More,” she demanded and nibbled his jaw. Her nails scratched his back, digging into his skin with the sort of pain that aroused him more than he’d ever imagined possible. He wrapped his hand around her other leg and locked them both around his waist. And then every pulsing inch of him was embedded inside her, blasted by the velvet clench of wet heat.
“Okay?” he asked. Okay didn’t even begin to describe what he was feeling. He was pretty sure the word for it hadn’t been invented yet.
“Oh, yes.”

“Condom,” he said between gritted teeth.
Crap.
She jerked open the bedside drawer, relieved to find a box. Alex scrambled out of his jeans, covered and buried himself deep. She locked her legs around his hips and then there were no thoughts, just sensation and pleasure and slick bodies, striving to get as close as possible, striving for that place where nothing else mattered.”

Sated and satisfied, she began to drift off to sleep. “You’re a good man, Alex Parker.”
He kissed the top of her head. “No. But you make me feel like I could be.”

“I still miss her.” Her voice cracked.
He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. He could relate. He still missed his mother and his grandfather and his friends. But he knew they were dead and never coming back. You had to move on. “We’re supposed to miss them. That’’s their gift.”
Huge amber eyes met his. “Pain is a gift?”
He nodded. “It proves they meant something to us. That even years after losing them we still feel them. Here.”

With one hard thrust he was buried deep in her heat.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, nails bit into his flesh. “Harder.”
He drove into her, again and again, nothing but an animal who needed to satisfy a primal urge.

He took the condom from her fingers and covered himself. Eased her slowly over him and shifted her panties aside. He was big, aroused. She sank down just a little bit and he gritted his teeth. She looked down, the vision of him inside her, of the lace against pale skin, was such a turn on she came with a surprised shudder.

“We’re not dating, remember.” He thrust inside her and she sucked in a moan. “You didn’t go and do anything foolish like fall for me, did you, Mallory?” he asked.
Emotion welled up inside her. She shook her head and wrapped her legs around his hips. Watched his pupils dilate. “No, sir.”
“Good.” He swallowed. “Me either.”
But as she looked into his eyes she knew they were both lying and it felt dark and dangerous and wonderful.

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Waiting On You by Kristan Higgins

Format: E-bookwaitingonyou
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Blue Heron, #3
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Lucas Damien Campbell
Heroine: Colleen Margaret Mary O’Rourke
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 25, 2014
Started On: March 24, 2014
Finished On: March 28, 2014

Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins is the 3rd book in her Blue Heron series. All stories are based in the small town of Manningsport, New York and are fabulously good, at least starting from the 2nd book which is where I got my introduction into this series. Each of these stories can be read as a standalone, but then why give up on reading equally good and heartwarming tales of love that can leave you with a tingle or two in the right places and a smile deep in your heart, rather than wasting time on so many lackluster reads out there?

Waiting on You tells the story of 31 year old Colleen who has lived in Manningsport practically her whole life. Co-owner of the best and only bar in town with her twin Connor, Colleen is happy and well adjusted into her crazy life in which she finds the time to play matchmaker and considers half of the happily married younger couples in town to be her success stories. Though her own life could use a dose of all consuming love and lust, Colleen hardly lets it bother her until Lucas Damien Campbell strolls back into town bringing the memories of an entwined past that leaves her with little choice but to convince herself that she is so over Lucas.

Life and circumstances had kept Lucas away and he would be leaving once again when he finishes taking care of what summoned him back in the first place. Though seeing Colleen brings back all the yearning and memories back with a force that rocks and shakes his very world, this time around Lucas is prepared for the effect Colleen has always had on him ever since the very first time their eyes had met across the breadth of a classroom. There is desire and then there is the wanting of the heart which had never stopped clamoring for the one single time love and passion had consumed Lucas in his lifetime.

Colleen would like nothing better than to think of herself immune to all that Lucas is has been and will always be on her senses and her heart. But it is inevitable that with nothing holding both of them back that they would gravitate towards each other sooner or later, and oh but what a delicious way to surrender when it is with the man to whom no one else would ever compare with. But Colleen does put up a good fight, trying to save herself from a heartbreak that she knows is yet again as destined to happen as the two of them getting back together.

When you open a Kristan Higgins, it is not just a story of boy meets girl and they fall in love and lived happily ever after that you get. There is so much more to each of her stories, the heartwarming small town life that she practically brings to life in every single one of her stories part of the charm to a Kristan Higgins. And of course there is her characterization; each and every single one of the characters that appears in her stories has something to contribute towards making a well rounded story; some come with an edge to them while the rest fill in those roles that makes a story wholesome for the lack of a better word. And in Waiting on You, readers get to sample the full scale of just how beautiful a tale that Kristan can weave when she puts pen to paper and starts creating her stories.

One must not forget the fun factor in Kristan’s books and Waiting on You definitely had its fair share of laugh out loud moments. Trust me when I say this, I was laughing so hard during certain scenes in the story that I was starting to question my own sanity a time or two. There are very few authors who can do funny like Kristan does and that is always one reason that I would keep going back for her stories.

For those who steer clear of Kristan’s books because she almost always writes her stories in the first person, here is the chance to sample her stories as the Blue Heron books are all written in third person with both the hero and heroine’s viewpoints included. I would say Kristan has come a long way in terms of how she tells her stories. The level of involvement between her heroes and heroines that definitely takes up a larger chunk than they did in prior books. And then there is the sizzle factor in her books that used to be left mostly up to the imagination and creativity of the reader’s mind. Though even now there aren’t detailed scenes of lovemaking included in Kristan’s books, I’d say her novels of late are more well rounded even in that aspect.

I loved Lucas, no two ways about it. There is no way on this Earth that a straight woman would NOT be moved by the man that Lucas is, his intense gaze alone enough to render a woman into a puddle of goo. Yep, Kristan has created him that well. Trust me on that.

And then there is Colleen. At first, I thought that I wouldn’t end up liking her as much as I loved Lucas, but turns out she proved me wrong and I was in love with her and rooting for her as much as I was for Lucas. There is so much emotion interwoven into the story that I had this huge lump the size of a football field lodged into my throat. Yes, it was that angst ridden at times and that emotional too. I wept for the boy that was Lucas and the man who had to turn his back on the yearnings of his heart because that’s the sort of person he is. A man with a beautiful and loyal soul that refuses to back down, a man who owns up to his responsibilities. Add to that his gorgeous looks, oh well, Lucas practically speaks for his character himself.

Recommended to every single one of you who loves contemporary romances. There is humor, there is love and then there is the sort of emotional sucker punch that you would not be forgetting anytime soon! A good story is one that makes you smile, laugh and cry and then makes you smile from ear to ear through your tears. And that is the reason why Kristan Higgins remains a force to be reckoned with in the genre!

Final Verdict: Laugh inducing goodness & emotional wallop that only Kristan Higgins can deliver!

Favorite Quotes

He threw up his hands. “I don’t know whether to strangle you or kiss you.”
“Don’t you dare kiss me.”
He kissed her.
God.
God. It was a prayer, as in God help me, because Colleen’s whole body lit up with flares of light and heat and tiny pinpricks of shock. Lucas was hot and hard and strong, and she wrapped her arms around him and held him just as hard, her mouth opening under his, and yes, yes, this was what they were meant to do, this elemental, hard, thought-stealing kiss.

He was locked in from the second he kissed her, something he’d been thinking about doing from the moment he first saw her, something he’d vowed not to do because it was certain that even one kiss would bind him to her.
He was right. The second his lips touched hers, a word came into his head, a word from long ago when his mother was still alive, when Spanish was still spoken at home.
Mía. Mine.
Colleen was his.

Then he stood up, slid his hand around her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.
She didn’t see that coming.
Didn’t pull away, either.
It was a hard, authoritative kiss that seared through her. Good God, the Spaniard could kiss. His five- o’clock shadow scraped her just the right amount, and his mouth, oh, yes, that mouth of his, that fallen-angel mouth…and then it was over, and he stood in front of her, dark and sure and steady when she was lucky to be standing, her legs suddenly warm and wonderfully weak, her special places bursting into song.

He wrapped her in his arms and hugged her against him, tucking her face against his beautiful, smooth warm neck. “Thank you,” he whispered, and her en- tire side electrified.
“Oh, you know,” she said, her voice wobbling. She tried to pull back, but he just held her tighter.
“Have dinner with me tomorrow,” he murmured, his lips so close to her ear. “I promise not to break your heart.”

He sat on her bed and looked at her, his Spanish eyes black and unfathomable in the dim light of the fading day. Turned her hand over and kissed the soft side of her wrist, and looked at her again, his thumb sliding over the spot he’d just kissed, and suddenly, Colleen realized her eyes were full of tears.
“I missed you,” she whispered, and he stood again and kissed her softly, softly, then wiped her tears away and kissed her again.
“Oh, mía,” he whispered. “I missed you, too.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | BookDepo | B&N | ARe | HQ | iTunes

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