Category / Brooding Hero

by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Separation Anxiety by Cynthia Justlin

Format: E-bookseparationanxiety
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Remnants
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Jack Martello
Heroine: Rebecca Cooper
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 13, 2011
Started On: December 13, 2011
Finished On: December 14, 2011

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 90 A
The heroine 90 A
Story line 90 A
Emotional Intensity 90 A
Story’s ability to suck me in 90 A
Heat & Sensuality
 90 A
Conflicts within the story 90 A
Writing Style 100 A
Quotable Factor 50 C
The Ending 90 A
Overall Grade 87 A

Score Sheet Summary

Separation Anxiety was a novella that sucked me in right from the very beginning. Though I had to revisit my copy of Her Own Best Enemy to remember who Rebecca was, I was immediately drawn into the way Rebecca was struggling from her past to do even the most simple things like diving off into the swimming pool.

For a woman who suffers from agoraphobia, it is her worst nightmare come true when an escaped convict takes her hostage in her own home, the utter lack of control on how the next few hours or days might pan out being the worst thing someone like Rebecca has to confront. I loved how Cynthia portrays Rebecca’s fears, her struggles and her many attempts at overcoming them which I know wouldn’t be an easy one.

In comes burnt-out hostage negotiator Jack Martello whose shared past with Rebecca makes the mission he embarks upon a doubly risky one. But the woman he encounters with fear radiating from every pore is one that clutches at his heart, the attraction that he had always felt for the first woman he had fallen for a part of him even now.

Cynthia makes their relationship work amidst moments filled with terror and the unknown and makes the passion that bursts forth between them something that they both hold onto even when things go from bad to worse.

It shows an author’s remarkable talent when she can make a novella of this length work for a situation such as the one she explores in this book, a fact that would always keep me coming back for more of her books in the future!

For fans of Cynthia Justlin and for those who loved Her Own Best Enemy and thought that Becca deserves her own happily ever after; Cynthia created this story just for you!

Favorite Quotes

“See how good it can be, Becs. I do this to you and you,” he reached up, captured her hand and drew it down to his erection, “you do this to me.”
She gasped and yanked her hand away. He chuckled. Scooping her hand back into his, he kissed her palm and placed it over his thudding heart.
“You do that to me too.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

awesomeread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: 10 Ways To Steal Your Lover by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-book10waystostealyourlover
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Short Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Love By Numbers, Book 1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Kane Wilkensen
Heroine: Delilah Anne McGavin
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 14, 2011
Started On: December 16, 2011
Finished On: December 17, 2011

I am a sucker for Dee Tenorio’s books. Her books are filled to the brim with scorching heat, humor and a love that just sears right through you before you are done. So I found myself taking a little detour from my reading schedule as soon as Dee announced the availability of this book up on Amazon. And let me tell you, with that explosive Chapter 1 that just right about fried up half of my grey matter, 10 Ways to Steal Your Lover drew me in and refused to let its hold on me go, even long after I was done.

Kane Wilkensen has been lusting after and been in love with his best friend Craig’s fiance Delilah Anne McGavin for the past 3 years. Though Kane tries to distance himself from the temptation that is Delilah, their upcoming nuptials brings him back to Delilah, and by a twisted turn of events wakes up with Delilah in his arms, with his ring on her finger.

Though neither Delilah nor Kane remembers all the events that led both of them to wake up with Kane buried to the hilt depp inside of Delilah, both of them know that for the first time in their lives they have found the missing piece that just makes everything else around them fade away to insignificance. With more questions than answers and Kane’s undying resolve to show the woman he loves to distraction that he is the right husband for her, Kane and Delilah embark upon a mission to find the missing pieces and in the process finds that for both of them, there would never be any other.

If you are a fan of scorching sensuality and haven’t ever read a book by Dee Tenorio, you are seriously missing out on one of the best the genre has to offer. As I said earlier, from the eye opening and senses awakening first chapter itself, Dee had me glued to the pages to find out how Delilah and Kane would fare towards the end. Kane is such a delicious and devastating hero on the senses. He is the type of hero that I love, a bit broody with a quiet intensity that practically leaves me breathless. And when all that intensity is focused on bringing undying pleasure to the woman he loves – ladies, just be warned that you are going to need a long cold shower afterwards.

Delilah was such a lovely heroine. She grows up never finding where she fits in with a father whose whole life had been focused on serving the military with a rigid discipline to him that makes it hard for Delilah to measure up to his expectations. And with her fiance, Delilah had tried hard to fit into the mould that is expected of her, ignoring the messages that her body sends her whenever Kane is around, tempting her to just let go and embrace the one man who gets her as she is. I loved the way she blossomed under Kane’s love for her, and in the way she makes Kane see that he is wrong in trying to make the most important decision in her life for her, just because he loves her that much.

One of the most colorful characters in the novel turned out to be Delilah’s grandmother Rainbow, a character as colorful as her name, who kept reminding me of Mulan’s grandmother in the Disney cartoon. Now I am eagerly awaiting the release of the next set of books in the series, Craig’s book which is to come out in 2012.

For fans of contemporary romances with heat levels that is guaranteed to spike up your internal thermometer, Dee Tenorio’s 10 Ways To Steal Your Lover would be a treat for the senses. With a beautiful epilogue tucked in at the end, I loved everything about this novel and cannot recommend this highly enough!

Favorite Quotes

Delilah cried out, lifting her head. The only truth that mattered right now was how much she needed him. Powerful thighs flexed against her own as he began to move. He reached for her, pulling her up, against his chest, his hands clasping her breasts, mouth open on the back of her neck. He drew hard, pumping up into her relentlessly, meeting her rocking motion back to him. Her head fell back on his shoulder, her own hands latching over his. Their fingers wove together, their bodies moving as if they’d been lovers for years.
As if they’d been made for each other.

Usually, when he came in these dreams he woke up still thrusting into ruined sheets, his face pressed into a pillow.
This time, he was most assuredly still balls deep inside Delilah McGavin, his face pressed into the mass of silken black hair now that they’d fallen to their sides on a bed far too nice to be his. Like him, she was gasping, trying to catch her breath. She was also bonelessly limp, her sweat slick body slathered over his, their legs tangled, their sexes still throbbing against each other, fitted together like a lock and a key.
He finally moved, walking those few feet between them. Without hesitation, his hands slid around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Her hand slid up his arm all by itself, grasping the hard muscles there. The warmth that seemed a natural part of him spread into her. Smoothly, his mouth found hers, gently grazing her lips before settling more firmly. She moaned as he tasted her, coaxing her to open for him. When she did, her eyelids fluttered shut and the whole world utterly disappeared.

He finally pulled away, not letting her get further than a few inches, their hips still pressed tight, her gaze held willing captive by his. “It’s me,” he murmured. “And I’m telling you right now, Delilah Anne McGavin, if I have my way, it’s going to stay me for the rest of our lives. You’re mine now and I’m going to do everything in my power to prove it to you.”

“I’ve known since the first moment I saw you and every day after has only made me surer. I see who you are, right down to your soul. I know you’re the kind of woman who gives of herself, completely. I know the promises you make mean more to you than the cost. I know that family is the most important thing to you in the entire world. But most of all, I know that you feel exactly the same thing I do—we belong together, Del. You’re the piece of me that’s been missing all my life and I can tell just looking that I’m the same for you.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Fall of Maggie Brown by Anne Stuart

Format: E-bookthefallofmaggiebrown
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Short Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Intrigue
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Ben Frazer
Heroine: Blanche Magnolia Brown
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: January 1, 2000
Started On: December 11, 2011
Finished On: December 11, 2011

I mourn the fact that there are no authors like Anne Stuart out there with a vengeance. I sometimes get restless after reading romances featuring overly sweet heroes, not that they aren’t enticing in their own way. Maybe I am sadistic, but I love a bit of ruthlessness in my heroes and I won’t mind if someone presents me with a mountain of books featuring the said variety of heroes. So my restlessness had me doing a Google search to seek out those authors that have a similar writing style. But I should have known better since from the very start I have identified the fact that Anne Stuart simply put, is one of a kind. So there I was searching through her back list to find a book that would catch my fancy and I ended up reading not one, but two Anne Stuart books in one day!

28 year old Maggie Brown has always been the sensible and responsible older twin whilst her younger twin Stella had always been as flaky and outrageous as their mother. Maggie and her father had always looked out for the two women and with him passing away two years back, the sole responsibility of cleaning up after their messes falls on Maggie’s shoulders. So it is her mother Delia’s sort of death-bed wish that Stella be present when she passes away that has Maggie taking a leave of absence from her job at the bank and flying to Las Cruces, San Pablo, a tiny country somewhere between Spain and France. And there she meets Ben Frazer, the man who drives her completely nuts, the man who ruffles her calm unlike any other and also the man who her senses clamor to possess and be possessed by.

Ben has an agenda of his own when it comes to the plain Maggie Brown who somehow gets under his skin right from the very start. Ben plans on leading Maggie around on a wild goose chase around the rough terrain of San Pablo just to prick and poke into that overly proper exterior of hers. The lively sword play of words that takes place between Ben and Maggie right from the start is overly amusing and serves as foreplay to the very hot and well done scene of explosive passion that Ms. Stuart provides towards the end.

Ben might want to brush away how much Maggie actually makes him feel and Maggie at first brushes away those twinges that come with sexual desire as hunger pangs. But both Maggie and Ben know that between them lies a load of sexual tension that is just waiting to ignite, that is just waiting to take them both to new heights in the culmination of their mutual desire and wanting for one another. There is something to be said for well done sexual tension that is headier on the senses than the most well done erotica and time and yet again, Ms. Stuart proves her capability and mastery at providing readers with just that.

With bits and pieces of a villain who stalks them both and has a personal score to settle with Ben, this short novel provided me with just what I needed and wanted in my attempts to read a book with a hero who isn’t an overly sweet one right from the beginning.

Recommended for fans of Anne Stuart and fans of her heroes, this one’s deliciously and mouth wateringly good!

Favorite Quotes

He hooted with laughter. “I should have known. Do you have a calculator for a brain and an adding machine for a heart?”
“I don’t think you need to worry about my heart, Mr. Frazer. It’s not going to have anything to do with you.”
His slow, lazy smile was quite possibly his most potent weapon. She wanted to slap it off his face, and yet at the same time it stirred odd, unexpected feelings in the pit of her stomach.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Abe Books

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Infatuation Melissa Schroeder

Format: E-bookinfatuation
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: A Little Harmless Military Romance, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Francis McKade
Heroine: Shannon Michele Dupree
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: November 14, 2011
Started On: December 11, 2011
Finished On: December 11, 2011

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 80 A
The heroine 90 A
Story line 75 B
Emotional Intensity 75 B
Story’s ability to suck me in 80 A
Heat & Sensuality 90 A
Conflicts within the story 70 B
Writing Style 80 A
Quotable Factor 50 C
The Ending 70 B
Overall Grade 76 B

Score Sheet Summary

I liked the overall premise of the story. The hot military hero Francis McKade with that hint of Australian accent is enough enticement for me, not to mention the hot cover this novella totes. I liked the aspect of how infatuated Kade and Shannon were with each other, right from the very beginning of the story. I loved the heat and sensuality aspect of the story at the beginning and loved the way Kade and Shannon seduced each other after the wedding reception which acts as the “medium” that propels these two together.

What made me disappointed was the fact that the blurb hints at Kade undergoing torture, and I know that an ordeal such as that wouldn’t be easy as a cake to get over from. But I felt that Kade getting over his nightmares that continued to haunt him throughout the story until the very end was a bit rushed over. I wanted to see both Shannon and Kade work together and independently for him to overcome such a devastating ordeal on his life. 

And there was this bit about how Kade’s previous relationship had showed him that marriage wasn’t for military men with them being gone away for so long. There was no exploration of this aspect of Kade’s character which didn’t round up his character all that well.

But with all those little things that disappointed me, the 1st book in the series “A Little Harmless Military Romance” turned out to be a good read with some great stuff about it that made me push its overall score into the great range. And since I loved the author’s Grace Under Pressure so much, I know that Melissa Schroeder is an author who definitely knows a thing or two when it comes to delivering a good erotic romance for the fans of the genre.

For fans of military heroes & for fans of erotic contemporary novellas delving into BDSM, this one’s for you.

Favorite Quotes

He kissed her then, taking her lips in a hot, open-mouthed kiss. She was better than he dreamed. As he dove into her mouth, she hummed against his tongue. Every hormone in his body screamed, begging for relief, but there was one thing he knew. He might never get to do this again, and if so, he would make sure this would last him a lifetime.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Dancing on Coals by Ellen O’Connell

Format: E-bookDacingoncoals
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Gaeten
Heroine: Katherine Grant
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 29, 2011
Started On: December 9, 2011
Finished On: December 10, 2011

You know those books that refuse to let its hold on you go even long after you are done? Yep, Dancing on Coals by Ellen O’Connell is one such novel that I lay thinking about long after I was done. The characters, the passion, the violence and the undying love between two people who are so obviously two halves of one just kept coursing through me, wishing that I could keep on reading their story forever.

The year is 1881 and Katherine Grant is on her way home to New York after travelling throughout the country. The only girl amongst 5 boys, Katherine had grown up running around with her brothers in different parts of the world ever since their mother had died when she was 6 years old. The only reason she had left home unknown to her family had been because they had not believed in her when she had needed it the most, and as Katherine figures, what her family doesn’t know cannot hurt them.

But when armed robbers attack their stagecoach and everyone else but Katherine is killed, her savior comes in the form of Nilchi, an Apache warrior whose lean good looks and fluency with English puts her at ease even with Nilchi’s older brother Gaeten glowering at her, hatred spitting from his eyes at every turn.

But not long after, Gaeten and Katherine are forced to team up, Gaeten’s promise to his younger brother on his deathbed the only reason that prevents Gaeten from testing the sharpness of his knife against the white woman’s throat. Gaeten’s hatred for the White runs and courses deep through his veins. The haze of rage that blinds him is a vicious one ever since his parents had been killed by white men when he had been just 9 years old. But through every harrowing escape that Katherine and Gaeten make together, he comes to realize that even if Katherine is a white woman, the courage of an Apache runs through her blood.

Ellen O’Connell writes romances that are a dying breed in present days. Her honest portrayal of life what it was like back then, the violence, bloodshed, thievery and murder that was part of the daily life comes across vividly and there isn’t one aspect of the novel that I would change. The setting, the characters and the way she brings forth the connection, the sizzling attraction and the oh so strong love between Gaeten and Katherine was just perfect.

Gaeten’s thoughts remain hidden until Chapter 9, the only way to garner his feelings being by how Katherine views his expressions and his behaviour when it comes to her. Even bound by his promise to his brother, Gaeten would like nothing more than to leave her behind, but unbeknown to him, the connection that is forged between them during their escape and trek through the wilderness binds him to her, even when Gaeten tries so hard to deny it. I was halfway in love with him even way before that, the minute he charged into the story on horseback, intent on killing the woman who would later turn his life around. And as the story progressed, I was mesmerized by Gaeten, the way he slowly transforms and leaves behind the black rage that surrounds him, the healing which comes from Katherine’s acceptance of him, just the way he is.

Katherine is the type of heroine that is trademark Ellen O’Connell. She creates them courageous with an inner beauty that makes it inevitable that the reader would fall for her as well. Katherine is a practical woman, who had turned away from her fiance back home when he had done something she would never abide by. Even when fear for her life at Gaeten’s hands makes her tremble, she doesn’t back down, making it that much harder for Gaeten to dismiss her as just another white woman. The way she accepts, loves and desires Gaeten just the way he is makes for one of the best aspects of the story, the way she “tames” her fierce husband reason enough to revel in this story.

Exceptionally crafted as is usual for Ellen’s novels, Dancing on Coals is a novel not to be missed for fans of the genre. To read the beautifully done afterword is enough reason to read this novel, the research that Ellen has done to write this story one that shines throughout and one that I applaud wholeheartedly.

Favorite Quotes

He entered her in a single hard thrust, opening her, stretching her and forcing a moan of surprise from her. She was ready, so ready, and yet totally unprepared. She’d been wrong. She was still virgin to this, to his strength and her need, to the pleasure and the pain and the sheer triumph of having him. He drove into her and she rose to him, clutched him tighter, harder. Her nails raked and dug into his back, her teeth into his neck.

“Your skin is white, but I think the white god made a mistake, or maybe he did it on purpose to play a joke. He gave you an Apache heart.”

She toyed with the top button of his shirt. “Do Apaches kiss?”
“The people believe the mouth is only for eating.”
“Oh.” She didn’t try to hide her disappointment.
He shifted her against him a little and cupped her breast with one hand, his thumb rubbing across the nipple. “They also believe a woman’s breast is only for nursing a child.”
Lowering his mouth over hers, he ran his tongue between her lips, exploring her tongue, making her shiver with a stroke along the roof of her mouth.
When he raised his head at last, she whispered, “I’m glad you’re an unbeliever.”

Facing him, she saw what she didn’t need to see to know. Even if most wives experienced being washed by a fully aroused, naked husband, they would never know this — a man no words had been invented to describe, beyond handsome, beyond beautiful. His skin glowed copper in the light from the fire, shadows emphasizing the curves of muscle and planes of bone. His erection was hers, for her.

If a man could taste wind and fire, they would taste like Katherine. When he stood in high places looking down on things made small by distance, he tried to feel what the eagle felt soaring free on the wind. He was an earthbound man. Only his spirit could ever soar, and only Katherine raised him so high.

He entered her slowly, determined to keep a tight hold on the lust pounding in his veins. She wrapped her legs higher, took him deeper and deeper. Her hands dug into the muscles of his rear, urging, telling him what she wanted and what he needed were the same. He obeyed and thrust harder, driving into her not with anger but with a desperate raw need. He felt her climax, her body arching, tightening and contracting around him as she cried out against his neck. He shuddered with the intensity of the explosion that wracked his body and spirit and wrung a deep cry from him.
“Katherine.” I was afraid. I missed you. I love you.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Hot Shot by M.J. Fredrick

Format: E-bookhotshot
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Gabe Cooper
Heroine: Peyton Michaels
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 1, 2008
Started On: December 8, 2011
Finished On: December 9, 2011

Hot Shot is one of the earliest novels by MJ Fredrick and nevertheless a great one that makes for a compelling read. There is a reason why I continue to read books from her entire backlist because I know that she won’t disappoint me when it comes to the action, the suspense, the romance and of course the happily ever after that she delivers in her stories. MJ Fredrick tends to write stories that not only deliver a good dose of romance between two likable characters but delivers stories that tend to be quite informative on the chosen subject matter and Hot Shot is no exception as this story deals with the dangerous and arduous task of forest fire fighting.

Gabe Cooper is the leader of the Bear Claws, the best Hot Shot crew in Montana. He is cynical and world weary, the only consolation he finds is in the dangerous and adrenaline pumping job of fire fighting. He is a legend amongst the fire fighting circles and considered the best in the field.

32 year old Peyton Michaels is a reporter from Up to the Minute magazine, who has done a series of successful articles called “In the Line of Duty” that focuses on those men and women who put their lives on the line everyday as part of their duty, just so that the rest of the world can stay safe. Peyton’s latest article brings her to Gabe’s group, as a rookie as well as a reporter, a combination that stirs up resentment on Gabe’s part right from the very first moment.

From the start, danger surrounds them and constantly pursues them at every turn. And in the midst of these life threatening fire fighting and rescue missions, Peyton and Gabe slowly start to find out that the attraction between them is one that won’t be denied, their connection to each other one forged in the midst of danger and at times at their lowest point of endurance.

With a few twists and surprises along the way, Gabe and Peyton hunt the person responsible for starting the fire in the first place, a fire that continues to claim lives even while they are on the hunt. And in the midst of everything, Peyton and Gabe are forced to confront their innermost feelings towards each other and open up about their deepest and darkest secrets so that their love turns out to be a that much sweeter one at the end.

The way Ms. Fredrick creates stories wherein lies complicated relationships, not necessarily between just the hero and heroine is one aspect of her novels that I just love. In Hot Shot, Gabe is the one who has to face his ex-wife Jen, who betrayed him after 4 years of marriage by falling in love with his best friend. To have to work with Jen 3 years after the betrayal when feelings for Jen still courses deep through Gabe creates a mother-load of tension and angst that Ms. Fredrick handles very well. And on top of that Gabe has to confront the way his feelings go into a tailspin for Peyton, bringing down the bitterness, heartache and loneliness that Gabe had hides well from the rest of the world.

Gabe is a legend, a hero, but the labels don’t mean anything to him as long as he can battle the dragon day in and day out and come out winning. Some might label him an adrenaline junkie but in my perspective Gabe had been waiting for something else in his life that would give him the same sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that fire fighting gives, and in Peyton for the very first time he finds a reason to change his life, a woman who accepts him just the way he is.

Peyton is a widow, whose husband’s death is still etched on to her mind as clearly as if it happened yesterday. Peyton’s grief is expressed through her articles, by trying to find out what makes those that put their lives in danger in the name of duty do what they do. And when she meets Gabe, the man who stirs her senses up and makes her come alive for the first time in two long years, she is more than dismayed at the thought that she is once again putting her heart on the line with a man who thrives when danger surrounds him. But as she discovers more about Gabe, the more Peyton comes to understand what drives him, what had driven her husband to constantly confront danger until that very last day, the acceptance and healing that both Gabe and Peyton find together being one of the best parts of the story.

The fire fighting scenes are so realistic that sometimes it felt like the scene was playing right in front of my eyes. And within those adventurous moments, Ms. Fredrick provides a whole lot of information and details about forest fire fighting that made me an instant admirer of the men and women who are courageous enough to battle the fires that rage every year.

Recommended for fans of romantic suspense that feature fire fighter heroes and fans of MJ Fredrick.

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Witness Seduction by Elle Kennedy

Format: E-bookwitnessseduction
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Harlequin Blaze
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Caleb Ford
Heroine: Marley Kincaid
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: August 23, 2011
Started On: December 8, 2011
Finished On: December 8, 2011

Witness Seduction by Elle Kennedy is a sexy and sweet title from the Harlequin Blaze line that released on August of this year. Seeing a fantastically done review of this little number up on Goodreads certainly whetted my appetite for more and here I am finally, 2 months afterwards writing my review for a book that proved to be quick, entertaining and sexy read that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. And a point worthy of mentioning is the fact that it was with the review of an Elle Kennedy book that I started this blog, that being her novella Heat of the Storm.

31 year old Caleb Ford has been a DEA agent for the past 10 years. His current mission is one that is personal to him, spying on the ex-fiance of a man called Patrick who is the reason for Caleb’s best pal’s death. Though he would like nothing more than to be detached from the woman he is spying on like every other mission he has been involved in to-date, something about the woman calls to him on a much deeper level.

27 year old Marley Kincaid wants to forget. Forget the fact that she had been duped so well by a man she had lived with for five long months and being none the wiser, forget that she had such poor judgement when it came to falling in love and giving up her heart. So she hides behind her job as a nurse and for the rest of the time works on renovating her house, not altogether amused by her best friend Gwen’s attempts at making her jump back into the dating world.

When Caleb and Marley’s worlds collide, she can’t help but be drawn towards the altogether too sexy and beautiful for words man who just seems to ignite a fire that burns hot and deep inside of her. Though Caleb feels not altogether too comfortable about making personal contact with the witness, he has no choice in the matter and he tells himself that he goes back to Marley in the name of the mission.

Before long Marley and Caleb together generates a fire that burns out of control, both unable to step back and away when it comes the burning sexual fire that has been between them right from the start. However, Patrick lies in wait, closer than either of them ever thought, biding his time until he can claim the one woman he is insane about, the one woman whose betrayal would bring the cards tumbling down.

Though a short story, Elle Kennedy has got a way with creating characters that are endearing and generate a passion between them that is scorching hot that reader cannot get enough of. Caleb’s character is not the type to ooze charm, which one would expect of him considering his movie star good looks and body. But he is taciturn at best, one who doesn’t find it easy to open up to other people. He likes his woman the way he likes his cars, fast and forgettable and Marley is definitely not that.

Marley’s character is such a sweetly endearing one. She is beautiful, cares about other people and has a way of drawing the inner person that lurks inside of Caleb that makes her such a great heroine. Caleb does betray her by lying about who he really is, and that hurts Marley more than she is willing to admit. And even then, she is intuitive enough to know, understand and believe that not everything that had conspired between them is a lie and is woman enough to forgive and accept Caleb back in her life, a man that completes her in every way.

I know that the term sweetheart is one that is used by heroes in a lot of books, but when it comes out of Caleb there is just something innately sweet and endearing about the term. And I found myself melting each and every single time he lets the term slip. With a cute little epilogue tucked at the end, I loved Witness Seduction and am hankering to find out whether Ms. Kennedy has any plans to write stories for some of the other colorful characters that we meet along the way.

Recommended for fans of Harlequin Blaze titles, fans of Elle Kennedy and for those that love a lil bit of mystery and action tied with passion of the toe curling variety.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Harlequin

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Intrusion by Cynthia Justlin

Format: E-bookintrusion
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: The Remnants, Book 2
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Cameron Scott
Heroine: Dr. Audra McCain
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 22, 2011
Started On: December 4, 2011
Finished On: December 8, 2011

With Intrusion author Cynthia Justlin cements her position into my list of favorite authors for the romantic suspense genre. Ever since I read Her Own Best Enemy I have had my eye out for Cameron Scott’s story and receiving a request for review by Cynthia Justlin for his story just made it that much sweeter.

With his bummed up knee and shattered self confidence, all 33 year old Cameron Scott (Cam) wants is to prove that he is on top of his game. A former Communications Sergeant in Special Forces, Cameron had never met a code he couldn’t break with a little patience and a good dose of ingenuity. When Cameron tries to take on an expedition to prove that the existing security at the Nanodyne Technologies is not an impenetrable one, he lands himself in more trouble than he ever foresees.

30 year old Dr. Audra McCain is the brains behind a top secret project at Nanodyne Technologies that entails the creation of a body armor suite that could mean the end to heavy casualties in war zones. But when the armor during its final stages gets stolen and by a quirky twist of fate both Cam and Audra tops the list if suspects, there is only one thing left for them to do while dodging the law and the one man whose entire being is focused on getting to the armor. That is to put their heads together and come up with who had stolen the armor in the first place.

Cynthia Justlin has a way with creating broken characters, let them make huge mistakes along the way to test their worthiness to each other and in the end the happily ever after that comes remains to be that much sweeter. For me, both Cameron and Audra proved to be such characters who needed a little bit of faith and a whole lot of love to light up their lives so that they could achieve their own sweet little happily ever after.

When it comes to Cameron, he is the guy who hides behind a veneer of charm and lazy humor behind which lies a tortured soul that blames himself for the way he let down his team back in Afghanistan. Having never forgiven himself for his impulsiveness that had brought all sorts of shit raining down on the team with his just getting away with a bummed knee doesn’t sit well with Cameron. Even then, he is a guy that hasn’t lost all hope or faith in humankind, and in Audra he sees the woman he is meant to be with for the rest of his life.

Audra is another story altogether. She suffers from abandonment issues, has emotional scars left over from being shuffled over from one foster home to the other when growing up. And she hides behind her work, keeping to herself and never letting herself get attached to anyone until Cameron shows up in her life making her feel the tingles of wanting through the fog of nothingness and emptiness that surrounds her heart.

When Cameron and Audra are pitted together, it is Cameron who hopes for a future with Audra, this switch of opposites unlike the norm a refreshing one. Though I had envisioned Cameron to be a more forceful hero, his brand of standing up for what he wants, that streak of impulsiveness that years in the military hadn’t curbed out him and the way he falls for Audra flaws and all was exactly what Audra needed in order to embrace the truth that Cameron means so much more to her than just a night of passion between two people.

I loved how Cynthia brings all elements of the story together, going as far as to create a villain for whom everything doesn’t go according to plan either. His plans are thwarted from the start making him that much more impulsive and dangerous to contend with. And since its always the norm for villains to have everything going for them, especially at the beginning of the story, this was such a refreshing change.

Cynthia ties up the fast paced action and adventure aspect of the story together with heat of the toe curling variety, one which she delivers upon very well. Cameron and Audra’s undeniable need for one another makes for heady reading and I loved every minute of the sensual haze within which they lose themselves in.

Recommended for fans of action based romantic suspense with a hero who just makes your heart go pitter patter and a heroine who definitely needs a dose of exactly that.

Favorite Quotes

He yanked her into him, and covered her lips with his before she could protest. Pain radiated around his kneecap and down his leg, but it was so damn worth it for one taste of her sweet mouth. His tongue stroked the delicate seam of her lips and she stiffened, her jaw tensing under his fingertips.
Don’t pull away. Not yet. He hadn’t tasted his fill.
He caressed her cheekbones, traced their delicate curve until she sagged against him. Her lips softened and he nipped at her mouth until it parted for him. Blood thrummed in his veins. He plunged his tongue inside her mouth and slid his hands into the damp, silky curls of her hair.

“Look at you.” His throat contracted in one long swallow. He ran a finger between her breasts, down her belly to the elastic waistband of her sweats where he dipped a teasing caress underneath it. “I could feast on you all day and never get enough.”

“Like what you see?”
He arched a self-assured brow, and she couldn’t stop a bubble of laughter from popping in her chest. “Yeah, I like what I see.”
“Good.” He eased on the bed next to her and she scooted back to give him more room. His fingers trailed up the flat of her belly to her breast, his thumb scraped across her nipple. “Because I love what I see.”
Except he wasn’t looking at her body, he was looking at her—into her—as if he could see all her fears and flaws and accepted them.

He hauled her completely on top of him.
His mouth ravaged hers, hot and hungry, his hands guiding her hips over him. He entered her, filled her and she cried out at the overwhelming pleasure that shook her body.

Her orgasm hit her with the force of a molecular explosion, tiny particles of energy bursting and swirling inside her. Before she could catch her breath, Cam was right there with her, shuddering his own climax, and drawing her into his fierce embrace.
He kissed her, his hot tongue sweeping inside her mouth. Another wave of shivers wracked her body and she clutched at his shoulders desperate to hold on to a shred of her common sense amidst the tide of emotions charging between them.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Cowboy Casanova by Lorelei James

Format: E-bookcowboycasanova
Read with: iBooks for iPad/iPhone
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Rough Rides, Book 12
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Bennett Andrew McKay
Heroine: Ainsley Hamilton
Sensuality: 4.9
Date of Publication: December 6, 2011
Started On: December 6, 2011
Finished On: December 7, 2011

No matter how hard you try to stick to a schedule when it comes to reading and reviewing, some books are those that you have to make time for. And for me, books from the Rough Riders series by Lorelei James are books that fall into that category. There is none who writes western contemporaries like Lorelei James does, a mix of out of this world scorching sensuality together with what its like in the West and the day to day grind of being a cowboy and part of a big family.

So, if you are a fan of the Rough Riders series like myself, you would have already read Chasin’ Eight which happens to be the previous book. And when Ben’s character came up during Chasin’ Eight there wasn’t even one inch of me that didn’t clamor to read his story. And with Cowboy Casanova with its beautiful glossy man titty cover, Lorelei James delivers the anticipatory fans with Bennett McKay’s story which turned out to be a great romance filled with a whole lot of kink.

32 year old Ben McKay is the middle child, the one who falls between Quinn McKay and Chase McKay. He is a rancher during the week, and when the weekend arrives, he is a member of the Rawhide Club, a club that exists and guarantees to provide its patrons with a place for no-strings attached, safe and consensual sex. And in that club, the quiet, brooding Ben McKay turns into Bennett McKay, a Dom who is that much more dangerous and alluring. 

37 year old Ainsley Hamilton is the president of the new bank that opens up in Sundance Wyoming. She is also divorced from her husband of almost five years because along the way, Ainsley had discovered that they were just too incompatible in their sexual preferences. From what had started out as a wonderful partnership, things had started going downhill the minute Ainsley had wanted more, things deteriorating so fast that its a wonder she has any self-confidence left after her marriage bites the dust.

When Ainsley’s friend Layla convinces her to give the Rawhide Club a go, she has no idea what she is putting herself into, except for the fact that something deep inside of her yearns to be dominated sexually and the man who stares at her from across the room seems like the real deal when with one searing glance she is all but putty in his hands.

When Ben discovers the woman with whom he had the most satisfying and blood heating sexual encounter with in ages is none other than the new bank president, he comes up with the plan that they both enter into a Dom/sub sexual relationship which would end within one month’s time during which Ben is certain he can make Ainsley embrace her submissive nature when it comes to sex.

I loved how different this book turned out to be from the rest of the books in the series. Concentrating on totally the BDSM aspect of erotica, Lorelei James delivers readers with a lot of kink, and the book does come with the warning it is so. Though I am someone who rarely reads books with BDSM themes because I am not someone who totally likes or gets that sort of sexual pleasure, this book proved to be quite informative on the subject. Without reading like an instruction manual, Ms. James sheds light onto the many varieties and aspects of the Dom/sub relationship and delivers a scorching and over the top kinky variety of sex to go with the story.

Ben’s character is one that is full of contrasts. On the one hand he is Bennett, the sexual Dom, who demands from and caters to every whim of his Sub in his sexual conquests. To the rest of the world he is Ben McKay, just an ordinary rancher who fades to the background, who once ran away from home when he was eight and returned to find out that no one had even known the fact. There is such a wealth of desolation deep inside of Ben though one wouldn’t know it by seeing him. But with Ainsley he is like an open book, his fears that people would never accept him the way he is which plays a major role in why Ben lives the way he does.

I loved Ben in both his modes. The caring and sweet Ben who prefers to be labled as an ordinary rancher but is creative in his own quiet way and the dominant figure he turns into during each and every sexual encounter that just makes him so very appealing. From the very first scene, his character is one that I couldn’t help but be drawn towards though the life of a sexual dominant is one I won’t even pretend to understand, there is a certain allure to the rough and terse commands that he issues that just makes one want to lie down and let him do whatever he wants with you.

Ainsely’s character was so much fun to get to know as well. She is a leader, a dominant in her day to day life, but craves to know what it would be like to submit herself to the demands of someone who would know exactly which spots to stroke to throw her into a frenzy of need. The one thing that I loved about her character was the fact that she is no stick thin woman with model good looks but a woman who most female readers can definitely relate to. Her fear that people would never understand the fact that she loves being a sub in her sexual life leads her to make the biggest mistake of her life, one which she totally makes up for towards the end. She is independent and intuitive, the one who is able to draw both sides of Ben’s character to embrace the existence of each other.

And it is always a plus point to revisit the McKay bunch, to learn tidbits on how the rest of them are doing and also see how Ms. James brings to Sundance Wyoming those characters that just beg for their own stories to be told.

Recommended for fans of Lorelie James, for fans of BDSM themed erotica and for those who love over the top hot and kinky cowboy romances.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Sony | Samhain

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Edge of Survival by Toni Anderson

Format: E-bookedgeofsurvival
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Daniel Fox
Heroine: Dr. Cameran Young
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: November 21, 2011
Started On: November 23, 2011
Finished On: November 28, 2011

Edge of Survival By Toni Anderson released from Carina Press on the 21st of this month. Due to certain other commitments and stuff that kept cropping up, I took my own sweet time to finish this fantastic contemporary romantic suspense that features a hot British hero who made all my James Bond fantasies come to life.

34 year old Daniel Fox is a former SAS agent whose sole focus after his spotless military career goes haywire in a split moment’s decision becomes flying, drinking and seducing anything that moves. With his indigo blue eyes and charming physical attributes, not to mention that swoon worthy accent of his, women have no complaints whatsoever on being used by Daniel to forget the nightmares that continue to plague him.

Dr. Cameran Young is the lead biologist on the Environment Impact Assessment team for a large mining project in the Canadian bush. Being one who suffers from diabetes, Cameran’s life is not for the faint of heart with her battle for survival that is waged every single second of every day. When Cameran’s work takes her to the remote and at times hostile environment in the Canadian bush, the last thing she expects is to walk in on a murdered woman to kick-start her trip.

When Cameran and Daniel’s paths cross, there is no stopping the fireworks that begins right from the very start. Though Daniel does everything in his power to turn his back on the numerous feelings that bombards the shield of steel that guards his emotions and heart, Cameran’s effect on him is not as easy to ignore as he would like.

Cameran might try telling herself that Daniel is the type of man who would love and leave without even a backward glance and she is so not the type to get tangled up with someone like him. But her heart and baser emotions have a plan of their own; that is to get as up close and personal with Daniel and his uber swoon worthy body that tends to make Cameran feel as if she is on a sugar high all the time.

Though this is my first Toni Anderson I was pleasantly surprised by the ease with which she drew me into the story and had me all tied up in knots over each and every single one of her characters. She has a style of writing that has earned her a spot on my authors to look out for in the future. I loved the way she developed all the characters in the story, and I guess will continue to wonder whether she plans to write any more stories with some of the characters that were encountered during Daniel’s tortured journey towards happinesss with Cameran.

As I said before Daniel is the type of hero to bring each of your wickedest Bond fantasies to life. Even when he is making an ass out of himself by sleeping with every woman who crosses paths with him, he has a charm about him that makes it hard to harbor any ill feelings towards him. Needless to say, I loved how Daniel’s character was brought to life, how he grew throughout the story and how his feelings progressed. I loved his tortured soul that just made me want to hug him close and was practically jumping up and down with glee during those moments that he tried so hard to stay away from Cameran and could not!

Cameran’s character is the type of heroine that I love best. With no coyness to her, she is upfront and straightforward with what she wants and how she feels which is how I like my heroines. The way she slowly chips away at the resistance that is so much a part pf Daniel was both fun and heartwarming to read about. I loved those scenes of seduction between Daniel and Cameran which were pretty hot and at the same time loved how the seducer becomes the seduced in most of the scenes.

The villain and the moment where everything clicked together was one of the best aspects of the story which I say signals the fact that this romantic suspense is a well done one. Sensual, different; romance with a bit of angst, just how I like them; Edge of Survival is a romantic suspense not to be missed.

Favorite Quotes

A shimmer of something feral moved over his face—a father’s anguish, raw and defiant, but something else too, rage. “I know to you she’s just another dead prostitute, but she was my baby. Promise me you’ll find her killer so we can put our baby to rest. Promise me, because if you don’t find him, I will.”

He was fully aroused as he moved against her, and she opened her mouth on a shocked gasp. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and explored slowly, thoroughly. Nothing like she anticipated from the whirlwind of sensations that exploded through her body. He hinted at seduction and passion. Subdued. Contained. Controlled.
Perfect.
She sighed.

His grip hurt and he tasted dangerous; there was no other way to describe it. Like fire and sweat and savageness that scared her. He was so much bigger than she was, so much stronger. His kiss was hungry, ravenous.
A starving man…or an addict.

Cam smiled as she grabbed the hem of his jeans and pulled them until his feet hit the floor with a thud. He was naked. She was naked. And he wasn’t looking quite so detached anymore. In fact, he looked panicked. And annoyed. And hot. For her.

He flipped her on her back and she squeaked.
“I want to see you.” And he kissed her, tasting like darkest sin, like double chocolate without insulin, like pure malt whisky injected into her bloodstream.

He turned her in his arms and kissed her. His hands were full of woman as she wrapped herself around his body so tight they were melded together from shoulders to hip. But her kisses…they stole his breath with their hunger for him. 

He tried to stand perfectly still and relinquish control, so she could do whatever she wanted with him, and he just about cried.
She felt so amazing wrapped around him. Strange and yet familiar. Brilliant. Too vibrant and frightening to explore with anything other than his body.

He slid his hands up her back and lifted her until they were eye to eye. She held his gaze, those changeable eyes of hers blue now, reflecting the water and the sky. And finally she let go, unraveled, squeezing him tightly, wrapping herself around him in sensual pleasure. Her cries, amplified by the water and ancient stone, reached out and connected to something so fundamental inside him it felt like his soul. He closed his eyes and cried out as he followed her back into the void.

“I could kiss you until the world stopped turning and it still wouldn’t be long enough.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble |Kobo | Carina Press

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