Category / Brooding Hero

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Road Signs by M. J. Fredrick

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Cameron Trask
Heroine: Willow Hawkins
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 14, 2011
Started On: March 10, 2011
Finished On: March 11, 2011

I found M. J. Fredrick’s latest book Road Signs which is to be released on the 14th of this month up for grabs at Netgalley to my ever loving delightful surprise. I was glad for a chance to receive an ARC because after my first encounter with M. J. Fredrick’s writing style when I read and reviewed her romantic suspense novel Breaking Daylight, she has landed on my list of authors to look out for. Road Signs being a book of my favorite friends-to-lovers trope was just the icing on the cake for me when I picked up this read.

27 year old Cameron Trask has being in love with his best friend Willow Hawkins since high school. Willow, an only child whose mother had worked two jobs to keep a roof over their heads, had basked in the warmth that had been offered up by Cameron’s family who had welcomed Willow with open arms. Willow’s beautiful mother’s tendency to stray towards the wrong kind of man for all the wrong reasons has left its emotional scars on Willow who shies away from commitment and works hard towards building a life for herself just so that she can stand on her own two feet and would never have to rely on a man for security.

But a moment of lapse in judgement has Willow regretting her impulsive decision to visit her latest boyfriend’s parents for Thanksgiving and before she knows it she calls up the one person whom she trusts more than anyone else in her life to come and get her. Cameron drops everything that he has lined up, adjusts his plans on travelling to Seattle for a job interview and drives down to collect the one woman who matters more to him in life than anyone else. Though Cameron has never had the guts to come outright and confess how he feels to Willow, it doesn’t make his plans of severing ties with her and moving away so that he can finally, hopefully get on with his life any easier.

When Willow finds out how she might have screwed up Cameron’s chance of getting a job that would finally mean something to him, Willow convinces Cameron to set out on a road trip that would take them to Cameron’s destination. From the moment they set out, one thing after another goes wrong, bringing out opportunities for Willow to see how her best friend whom she has seen very little of for the past couple of weeks has changed so much, looks more appealing and has her thinking wild thoughts of them entwined together doing the very thing that she has sworn she wouldn’t subject their friendship to.

Cameron knows that this road trip would be the last chance he would ever have of making a move and coming out with how he feels about Willow. For someone like Cameron who has the term cautious engraved onto his forehead, this is easier said than done. However, the close proximity that the trip places them together with feelings that they have both long kept under the rug sweep onto the surface gaining momentum until they both ultimately surrender to each other. Even then, Willow’s insecurities when it comes to love and commitment rises to the surface which she has to deal with before these two finally find their happily ever after.

I liked the premise of the story, a road trip embarked upon by best friends, both of whom who want what’s best for the other. Willow turned out to be a heroine I would have liked to hit on the head a couple of times because of her obstinate nature that kept her from what turns out to be the best thing in her life. Cameron is such a sweet hero, who won my heart simply because his love for Willow shines through each and every action of his from the way he rides to her rescue to the way he just simply wants her to be happy with life. Cameron makes for such an endearing hero with an abundant reserve of patience which he really has to call on when dealing with someone as skittish as Willow when it comes to love, commitment and happily ever afters.

Though at times there was a disjointed feel to the story, in the end it proved to be an enjoyable contemporary romance that takes the reader on a journey of discovery of how the feelings between Willow and Cameron finally meet on the same level giving them both a taste of a well deserved happily ever after. Recommended for fans of contemporary romances that would make for a light quick read with a hero you would immediately fall in love with, fans of M. J. Fredrick and for fans of romances of the friends-to-lovers trope.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Carina Press

goodread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Rush of Darkness by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Primal Instinct, Book 7
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Seth McConnell
Heroine: Raine Spenser
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: March 29, 2011
Started On: March 9, 2011
Finished On: March 10, 2011

I can’t exactly pinpoint the reason why, but there is something seriously sexy about paranormal romances that involve a human on one side and a paranormal being on the other end. Book 7 in the Primal Instinct Series takes this one step further where the ultra sexy and uber alpha hero is the human whilst the strong and yet endearingly vulnerable heroine turns out to be the paranormal being.

Rush of Darkness is the story of Raine Spenser and Seth McConnell. Their story began in Touch of Temptation, book 6 of the series which I reviewed earlier. Seth McConnell is an ex-hunter who has spent the past 20 years of his life slaughtering every vampire that he could get his hands on.  Raised in Southern California, Seth had been a young teenager when a rogue nest of vampires had taken away everything that mattered to him and nearly killed and destroyed him in the process as well. His salvation had come in the form of the Collective Army whose aim it has been to remove all traces of paranormal existence from Earth. Driven by rage and the thirst for revenge, Seth had honed himself into a lethal killing machine, unstoppable and feared by the creatures that he hunts down until circumstances force him to take stock of his life and what was actually happening to turn his life around and start working for his lifelong enemy.

Raine Spenser is unique amongst ancient clans; part Deschanel vampire and part Alacea psychic, Raine had been brought up in a loving home by parents who had adored each other and their children. Having led a pretty much sheltered life, Raine had been working for charities that had been investigating the effect of deforestation as her work as an environmentalist when she had been kidnapped by Ross Westmore, a Kraven vampire who gets his high from the thrill of victory. Westmore’s plan is one that is bound to destroy the world and plunge it into darkness and chaos which is what the Watchmen – a group of shape shifters who watch over the clansmen and women of their preternatural world are trying to prevent. Held against her will over a month during which Raine has suffered numerous forms of physical, mental and emotional abuse from her captors, it is a tortured and guilt-ridden Raine that emerges from her captivity at the hands of a mad man.

Seth’s fascination for Raine from the very moment he carries her in his arms after her rescue from Westmore is an unexplainable one. His need to drive away the haunting look that has settled deep inside of Raine and the electric way in which his body reacts to Raine’s mere presence has him at first running away from how he feels but inevitably finds himself unable to stay away from the one woman he wants to claim as his own more than he has wanted anything else in his life.

Raine’s emotions when it comes to the human soldier is as complex as his feelings towards her. Fear of her growing feelings towards a man who had previously made it his life’s mission to destroy her species has Raine pushing him away masking her need for the fierce warrior who stands in front of her with a loathing that she can’t seem to summon. Her dreams of them entwined in lovers embraces has Raine pushing up the shields that guard her emotions and heart more fiercely than ever. But as moths drawn towards flame, these two can only deny their explosive feelings towards each other for so long and it is a combustive coming together if there ever was one that has these two finally taking things to the next level.

However, their journey towards happily ever after is not an easy one. Continuous danger from Westmore who sets in motion an elaborate plan to turn the war that is brewing onto the side of evil once and for all nearly destroys both Raine and Seth and the fragile bond that seems to have forged between the two. The need to protect one another from danger has each of them engaged in a battle of wills with the other, and it is only with ultimate trust and learning to let go of their pasts that would  bring about true happiness to two souls who deserve it more than anyone else in the primal instinct world.

This one wins by far on all fronts in the Primal Instinct series for me. I loved the uniqueness the fact Seth the hero being the human brought into the story. Regardless of the fact he is a human, his wants and needs are as ferocious and as primal as the shape-shifters that I have come across in the series. And Seth totally wins my heart and soul as my favorite hero from the series with his tortured broodiness that makes him so very much appealing. I loved the fact that explicitly drawn out sex scenes weren’t what drove the story right from the very 1st chapter itself, but rather the sexual tension that simmers between Raine and Seth is drawn out, making their ultimate surrender a very explosive and unforgettable one. Don’t let me forget Raine, whose character and what she suffered at the hands of a monstrous species makes her so vulnerable but even then it makes her a determined one in her need for revenge on a group of men who had taken away something from her life that can never be replaced.

All in all, a tortured, hot as sin alpha hero that had my salivary glands working over time, a heroine that needed a bit of TLC and a knock on the head or two to figure out that Mr. Tortured and Hotness himself was here to stay, with the continuous adventure that is always a part of this series makes this book a huge 5-star winner for me. Very highly recommended for fans of the series and fans of Rhyannon Byrd. Mind you, you can always read this book as a standalone without much hassle because Ms. Byrd doesn’t make her supernatural world a complex one, but rather she keeps her explanations simple, drawing the reader in and making you feel right at home with all the species that crops up in between.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Harlequin

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: River of Eden by Glenna McReynolds

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Bantam
Hero: William Sanchez Travers
Heroine: Annie Parrish
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: December 10, 2008
Started On: February 26, 2011
Finished On: March 7, 2011

Jungle-trek themed romances are one of my favorite tropes in the world of romance. I got off this recommendation from my friend Jill on Goodreads who was wonderful enough to give me a huge list of jungle-trek themed romances which we both seem to love. River of Eden is my first novel by Glenna McReynolds and according to FictionDB the last of her published books as well.

River of Eden takes us through the steamy jungles of the Amazon where fact and myth submerge, where evil lurks in every deep and dark shadow that the jungle and its surrounding river harbors. Dr. Annie Parrish aka Amazon Annie had been a world renown botanist until the unfortunate Woolly Monkey incident which had labeled her persona non grata. Originally from Wyoming, Annie had been chased out of Brazil after having being captured and tortured in a Brazil jail until Dr. Gabriela Oliveira had pulled all imaginable strings to rescue her.

Annie returns once again, this time to garner more samples of the incredible orchid that she had found on her last trip, before her run in with the evil Corisco Vargas who has his own evil plans to conquer the wild jungle and its riches for himself once and for all. Corisco has been waiting for Annie, the one who got away from his clutches the 1st time round.

To make the required trip upriver to Santa Maria, Annie hires Dr. William Sanchez Travers, a Harvard trained ethnobotanist, until 3 years ago William had forsaken academia and his fieldwork and disappeared into the Amazon rain forest. Six feet tall, rangy in build with wild sun-streaked hair and a face that had set more than one coed on the path of a botany degree, Will is rumored to have lost it all and become a drunken half of a man who ferries scientists like herself upriver to pass his days.

Every preconceived notion that Annie has of Will flies out the window as she begins to learn more about the complex man who reluctantly agrees to take her on his boat Sucuri without half-knowing the secrets that she holds very close to her soul. Annie who is skittish at best when it comes to men after her horrific up close and personal encounters with Corisco finds herself fascinated with how Will makes her lose sight of herself with their up close and personal encounters.

Annie doesn’t feature into any of Will’s plans, Will who has been biding his time in fulfilling his end of a deal that has bound him to the jungle and its people for the past 3 years. Annie tempts him beyond anything Will has encountered before and when his protective and possessive instincts flare to life around a woman who is a mass of contradictions herself, Will is helplessly drawn into plans fate has in store for them, a plan that lands them right into the center of execution of Corisco’s evil plans.

Though I found myself a little  bit impatient with the pace of the story at the beginning, things began to turn around once the trip aboard Sucuri took underway. Both Annie and Will’s characters are interesting ones, each carrying a whole lot of secrets with them, and each surrounded by the mystiques that cloak the Amazon and its tribes which lend an interesting facet to the story. Let me not forget the romance between Will and Annie, and how it drew me in as Will and Annie seduce more than just their surface emotions, but end up coming together as one and combining their lives together, once and for all.

All in all an entertaining read recommended for those who love a romance between two endearing people in the midst of a jungle adventure which gets its extra richness from the mystique surrounding the whole tale from beginning till end.

I leave you with a little spoiler, the scene which comes after the very erotic hammock smexing scene, where Will realizes that he has fallen completely for his Amazon Annie.

Amazon Annie.
Good God, he thought, a tired grin spreading across his face. They were a long way from a first-class hotel suite with hot towels, clean sheets, and room service, but she was reminding him of all the luxuries he’d been so long without, and of a luxury he’d never had.
Her, with her tough-girl reputation, her Israeli rifles, and the softest mouth he’d ever kissed. He hoped like hell she didn’t hate him in the morning when she realized what had happened, because he was afraid he’d fallen in love in a hammock.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Diesel

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden

Format: E-bookdeadlyfear
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Deadly, Book 1
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Hero: Luke Dante
Heroine: Monica Davenport
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: August 1, 2010
Started On: March 4, 2011
Finished On: March 5, 2011

Wow! What an intense, suspenseful, edge-of-the seat ride was that! And I loved every minute of it. Cynthia Eden’s Deadly Fear has been sitting prettily in my TBR pile for ages now and right now I am kicking myself for being so slow in becoming a fan of the Deadly series which has earned quite a lot of rave reviews during the short span of time that has passed since the debut of the series, which happens to be this book. Being my first Cynthia Eden, I am definitely joining the throng of the millions of fans she must have acquired if the way this one reeled me in and glued me to the pages which required my sheer force of will to leave the book aside for anything else is any indication of how the rest of the series is going to turn out.

Deadly Fear is the story of Special Agent Luke Dante who joins the Serial Services Division (SSD), the only unit in the FBI that is solely dedicated towards tracking and trapping serials. Keith Hyde, the agent in charge is the brains behind the unit and has handpicked each and every member of the team. Luke Dante was offered the job because of his ability to hone in on the victims, because of  his ability to empathize and glean useful information in their darkest hours which is essential in any serial crime investigation. Tall and well muscled with bright emerald eyes and sun streaked blond hair with a dimple in his chin, Luke demanded my whole attention as he made a memorable entry into the story. Luke has a protective streak a mile wide and can never stand it if a woman is hurting on his watch; the remnant effects of witnessing the murder of his own mother.

Special Agent Monica Davenport known as Ice amongst her colleagues is already a legend in being one of the best profilers, one who has a reputation of getting inside the serial’s head, to think like they do and bring them down. Monica has a painful past that she keeps well hidden from the rest of her team and the rest of the world apart from Keith who gave her the chance to become what she is today. The only chink in her armor of ice is Luke who Keith insists on bringing in as their newest member regardless of her misgivings and protests. Six years back, Monica and Luke had shared nights of intense passion from which Monica had walked away as she fears that no one would be able to love her after learning about her less than ideal past.

SSD’s newest case comes from the small town of Jasper in the South where a serial has emerged who attacks women in their twenties and early thirties, focuses on what scares them the most and gives them a taste of their worst nightmare as the last thing they experience before leaving this world. From the minute Monica and Luke sets foot in Jasper, memories that Monica has been keeping at bay for a long time break out onto the surface as the killer taunts her with bits and pieces from her past, trying to find out what it is that Monica fears the most.

As the body count continues to rise, Monica and Luke home in on clues that lead them towards a devious killer who might be too close for comfort than either of them ever thought possible. A killer who has no intention of giving up till he has completed what he has set out to do, to become a legend in the world of serials, to wreak havoc on a small town where everyone knows the other and to destroy his victims with what they fear the most.

Cynthia Eden spins a tale that is hard to put down, where the scenes come alive right in front of your eyes, where the intense and hot passion between Luke and Monica sets the pages afire. Coupled with edge of the seat suspense that felt at times as if I were watching an episode of the Criminal Minds where its always a race against a ticking clock, Deadly Fear gives the reader every single thing they would want in a romantic suspense novel. I have heard that her books are similar to that of Karen Rose’s, and I will tend to agree to a certain extent. Yes, her villains leave you with the heebie-jeebies, but that’s where the similarity ends. Because with Karen Rose’s books, the romance and passion takes a back seat whilst the suspense keeps piling keeping you on the edge, but in Cynthia Eden’s stories, she delivers on all fronts making her one of my favorite romantic suspense authors even with this one book.

Right now I am on a mission to acquire the rest of her books in the Deadly series, books 2 and 3 which have already come out.

I recommend this title to those who love edge of the seat suspense combined with red hot passion that will leave you breathless and wanting more. Luke and Monica certainly did that and more for me throughout this very well done romantic suspense novel.

Things that worked for me:

1- Cynthia Eden’s ability to creep you out one second and then totally make you get lost in the heady passion between her characters the next minute. It is a testament to her writing ability that she is able to pull off both in such a fast paced read without leaving the reader feeling as if he/she has been cheated out of an important aspect of the novel. Just loved how the story rolled out.

2- Luke Dante of course. Who wouldn’t love a man who in all his glory is so focused on the one woman who is made for him? I am definitely a sucker for Luke’s type and fell in love with him from his very first entrance into the story. His protective nature is one of his most endearing qualities and it doesn’t come off as the suffocating type of protectiveness which was the best thing about him.

3- Monica Davenport. Her character is an intense mixture of brokenness and strength that left me in awe. What Monica was subjected to would have broken down a lesser woman and it is how she battles with her inner demons and comes out winning that makes me root for her big time. Her vulnerability which only Keith and Luke can see, makes her more determined than ever to push Luke away, but in the end, even Monica is not strong enough to push away from the lure of comfort, love and loyalty that is part of the package that Luke offers now and forever.

4- The villain who lent everything of the edge of the seat suspense material to this story. He made my heart race and fear for what might happen next, leaving me impatient to find out just what it is that drives his insanity. Definitely comes out winning in the heinous villain department.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Diesel

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Hidden Away by Maya Banks

Format: E-bookhiddenaway
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: A KGI Novel, Book 3
Publisher: Berkeley
Hero: Garrett Kelly
Heroine: Sarah Daniels
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 1, 2011
Started On: March 1, 2011
Finished On: March 2, 2011

It feels like it has been forever since I picked up my first KGI novel, The Darkest Hour which shot Maya Banks right into the top of my favorite romantic suspense authors list. The second novel that came out entitled No Place to Run was equally intense as it was emotional and since then I have been on tenterhooks waiting for the release day of Hidden Away which features the story of the broody and hot as sin Garrett Kelly.

My fascination for anything to do with Garrett started with the 1st book itself where he and his brother Ethan’s wife Rachel share a very close bond with each other. Though Garrett tends to growl and snarl at the rest of them coming off as the grouchiest and most anti-social brother in the family, it is the complete transformation that he undergoes whenever Rachel is around and needing him that made his character such an intriguing one. And Sam’s story just made Garrett seem more appealing because Garrett at first dislikes Sophie so much but nevertheless ends up taking a bullet for the woman his brother loves.

Garrett is the second eldest of the 5 Kelly brothers though his worrisome nature and overprotective tendencies makes him seem older than the rest of the brothers. Garrett too had served as his country as a soldier until six years back a mission which he led his group on had gone horribly wrong killing two of his team mates requiring his brothers to pick up the pieces. What Garrett would like more than anything else is to take his own sweet revenge on the man who double-crossed his team on that fateful mission, the chance to do so which comes unexpectedly through their CIA contact requiring Garrett to fly all the way to the small island of Isle de Bijoux where his mission awaits him.

Sarah Daniels is a woman who is on the run to protect the only man who has ever given a damn about her and tried to serve as her protector and savior in the only way he had deemed as fit. A year back, Sarah’s life had taken a horrible turn which had rendered her helpless and fearful of every man she encounters afterwards and it is with this fear still lurking in the depths of her soul that she runs to seek refuge in the serenity of the white sandy beaches and the deep blue sea that surrounds Isle de Bijoux.

When Garrett gets up close and personal with his mission, it takes only a couple of seconds for him to realize that there is so much more than that meets the eye where Sarah is concerned. The helpless fear that he sees in Sarah’s eyes makes Garrett’s blood boil and invokes the urge to do harm to whoever had inflicted such wounds on Sarah. Whilst the growing feelings of possessiveness and protectiveness about Sarah befuddle him, that doesn’t stop Garrett from doing what he does best; engulf the woman he loves in his protective warmth which is just damn near enough to make any woman sigh and flutter over the whole thing.

With unknown enemies on Sarah’s trail, Garrett’s job is a double hard one and it certainly doesn’t make things easier for him when he has to lie to the one woman who he wants unwavering trust and faith from. Once again, the whole of Kelly family makes an appearance together with the other team members who make this series so very appealing. Though the incidents of the heart thumping variety did not happen as much as it did in the 2nd book, Hidden Away too serves up on all the aspects which makes the book 3 of the KGI series a decent addition to an already 5-star rated series.

Couple of things I loved that I want to mention in my review. First of all, yes you ladies guessed it right, who wouldn’t love that drool-inducing cover featuring the hot as sin Garrett Kelly? I love the covers of each and every KGI novel that has come out and this one’s no exception to that rule.

Revisiting the characters from the Kelly bunch as well the rest of the characters that makes this series a kick-ass one is always a plus point in my opinion. It is heartwarming to see Ethan and Rachel making their way and their marriage growing stronger day by day whilst Sophie and Sam have a cute new addition to their family making things just perfect for this story. And let me not forget Rusty who I think is going to end up being my favorite character, if Maya Banks ever gets round to telling her story.

And needless to say, I loved both Sarah and Garrett and found Sarah’s courage and loyalty humbling which earned her my admiration in spades. Though the author does not go into details of her gruesome encounter, the fear and total humiliation that she must have gone through is  totally understood which made my heart just bleed for her.

But with all those things that I did love, I did find myself a bit disappointed with how Garrett’s character turned out in the end. I was expecting a bit more brooding and tortured hotness from him which ALWAYS has me predictably swooning into a puddle right next to my Kindle. And based on how Garrett is perceived by the rest of his family, I wanted some of that to come out in his own book which failed to appear and instead his soft and overprotective side which I love nevertheless took the center stage. Though for someone else that might not be a peeve, I found myself feeling just a teeny weeny bit letdown because of that.

All in all, an enjoyable addition to the KGI series, and I can’t wait to find out who gets their story told next from the delectable group of characters that Maya has created in this wonderful series. If you haven’t already read the KGI series, do start from book 1 because you need to experience the Kelly bunch right from the very beginning to fully appreciate each and every character as they unfold and grow with every story.

Reviewer’s note: After pondering much about the story and why this just didn’t come down as a highly satisfying read for me, I have brought down its rating from 4 to 3.5 stars because Garrett and Sarah just didn’t get enough time of their own in the story to make this one a magical reading experience. There were times I wished that the book would pick up pace because that’s what I have been accustomed to throughout the series. And Garrett’s character ended up being the total opposite of what he started out being from the start of the series which has made me re-think and then re-rate the book.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

favorableread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Take a Chance on Me by Kate Davies

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Tom Cameron
Heroine: Jessica Martin
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 22, 2011
Started On: February 26, 2011
Finished On: February 26, 2011

Take a Chance on Me is my first Kate Davies and it definitely is not going to be my last if Ms. Davies can spin a tale such as this one which contains all the right elements that makes a romance so worth your time. The setting in this romance is a unique one. I say this because I don’t remember reading an adult romance that takes place in a high school, unless it involves high school students. This title took me into unchartered waters and delivered a very well written romance that would stay with me for a long time even afterwards.

Tom Cameron is the head of security at Summit High and prefers his lone wolf lifestyle which serves him pretty well. Four years back Tom had served as a cop until a domestic violence call which had come in a few hours before the end of his shift one night had gone horribly wrong spiraling Tom’s life out of control. Combined with media frenzy and the blame game which had pointed fingers towards him, Tom had lost his job and his marriage had dissolved soon afterwards leaving behind a man who guards his heart in steel barricaded armor and keeps his emotions close to him.

Jessica Martin is the newest recruit at Summit High brought in as a substitute teacher for the remainder of the year. Being a teacher has always been what Jessica has wanted and dreamed about regardless of how much her parents had tried to sway her mind. And irrespective of the fact that her parents are extremely disappointed with Jessica for choosing to do what she loves, Jessica is thrilled at the prospect of being hired even as a substitute teacher and has high hopes and every intention of becoming a full time teacher at Summit High if she plays her cards right. Klutzy and a bit messy in an adorable way, Jessica is a the exact opposite of Tom who keeps his life ordered and without any sort of clutter in it, which is just the way he likes it – or so he thinks.

When Ms. Klutzy and adorable meets Mr. Remoteness himself, sparks fly even from the first encounter itself. Tom who has never had a problem before in brushing aside any of the attempts by fellow staff members to befriend him finds himself tempted something fierce when he locks eyes with the beautiful and green eyed Jessica who makes his heart tumble inside out. Both Jessica and Tom’s intentions to avoid each other at all costs go awry in the most delicious possible ways when both of them find themselves in each other’s arms, heating things up to unbearable levels – something I just loved about this story. It takes a while but these two work through the hurdles and problems in their path to find a love that is long lasting, leaving me grinning from ear to ear at the end.

One of the highlights of the story was both Jessica and Tom. I’m always very much intrigued with heroes who want to isolate themselves and go out of their way to create their lone wolf lifestyle. And when their match turns out to be the exact opposite of themselves, in this case the adorable Jessica who has so much heart and has the ability to draw the man trapped inside of Tom to come out and play, needless to say I love these kinds of stories. And Ms. Davies has done a fine job in creating both their characters and giving them both just the right touch to make me fall in love with both of them. And lord, Tom is a man who certainly knows the art of kissing making my toes curl inward each and every time he decides to kiss his woman into a helpless puddle.

All in all a very satisfying read which has definitely made me curious to seek out the books in her back list and give them a go. Recommended for those who love a good contemporary romance featuring a couple you would root for right from the very beginning.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Samhain

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sweet as Sin By Inez Kelley

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: John Flannigan Murphy
Heroine: Livvy Andrews
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: January 31, 2011
Started On: February 23, 2011
Finished On: February 25, 2011

My emotions still haven’t settled down from the overload that Sweet as Sin subjected them to. My first encounter with Inez Kelley’s writing came about when I picked up her erotic contemporary novella Lipstick on His Collar which instantly shot her right into the list of authors that I absolutely must look out for. Even then, somehow I missed out on the fact that this was out until I saw someone on Goodreads who has read this story and fell head over heels in lust and in love with the book. And that is exactly what happened to me when I opened this sinful goody and delved into the very wonderful and beautiful story Inez Kelley has brought to life, that touched something deep inside of me & still refuses to let go.

John Flannigan Murphy is the son of a hooker and never knew his father. When Reverend Alan Warner marries John’s mother and decides to “save” her from herself and the world of sin, John’s life takes a turn for the worse when his mother dies succumbing to breast cancer. From 11 years of age till he had turned 16, John had borne the brunt of his stepfather’s hatred towards him and the constant physical and emotional abuse which had known no bounds. Protecting his half-sister Gina at all costs had been their mother’s dying wish which John fulfills too well when he is sentenced to serve time for manslaughter. Now a young adult fiction author who goes by the name of J. B. Flannigan, John is a tormented soul who lives at the very edge of the destructive path he has chosen for himself until he meets his new neighbor who manages to worm her way into his heart and other emotions which has no place in his life; until there is no place to run or hide from how feels.

Sexy, beautiful and vibrant pastry chef Livvy Andrews, owner of Sugar Shack knows from the first moment she lays eyes on the ruggedly handsome John Murphy with his deep navy blue eyes; a man she knows is made for hard work, hard play and heartache right in that very order, Livvy’s instincts are dead on when the first thing she wants to do is bolt and stay as far away from her delectable new neighbor as possible. But Livvy’s fascination for a man who makes her feel things that she has never ever felt before by just merely fastening his blue-eyed gaze on her propels her towards John and his lethal brand of seduction like a moth to flame and before she knows it, Livvy is hopelessly ensnared and head over heels in love with John against her better judgement as well as that of others who are close to her.

John’s only intention when he meets Livvy is to have a hot and heavy affair with her until their explosive affair runs its due course. But his best laid plans go all awry when his 38 year old heart begins to hope for the very first time in his life for things that John has long since decided he is not worthy of, and to him Livvy signifies everything that he doesn’t deserve right from the cinnamon colored curls on the top of her head to her delectable toes and every inch in between that tempts him unlike anything else has in his life.

Piece by piece, with the help of Gina, Livvy begins to piece together the complexity of the man she has fallen for, and is determined to stay beside regardless of whatever John might throw her way to run from the depth of the feelings that develop and overwhelm both of them within such a short span of time. And it is a battle that Livvy almost succeeds in winning until John throws in her face the one thing from her past that would serve as the deal breaker, breaking her heart and very soul in the process.

Told from both Livvy and John’s points of views, the story that unfolds right along with the sizzling attraction between John and Livvy is of the kind that you wouldn’t want to put down even for a moment. Inez Kelley certainly pulls no punches with this one, whether it be the intense connection that springs up between John and Livvy from day one to details of John’s past that are horrifying and heartbreaking to even think of. The side characters are well developed lending a rich feel to the emotionally gut-wrenching story that takes place which left me reeling from the intensity of each and every emotion that coursed through me.

Protectiveness for a boy who learnt to fight his battles from day one and learnt to deal with the evil side of life with his talent for spinning a dark tale to keep the monsters away, surged deep within me and am sure every reader that has picked up this book would feel the same way. I hurt and bled for John as I read along, wanting to love him, to brush the lock of hair that tends to fall on his forehead aside and place a kiss right there and cherish him for everything he has been and everything he is and so much more. Livvy’s character is so very endearing and so beautiful inside and out, and exactly what John needs to face his demons and lay his past to rest, because he deserves nothing less.

There are no magical solutions to ANY of the problems discussed at length in the novel which makes it one of the utmost favorite erotic contemporary romances I have read to date. The characters from John’s stories lend something extra to the story giving it an edge that certainly makes one sit up and notice Inez Kelly’s ability to spin a tale worth re-reading from time to time. I think I can go all night long rehashing what made this story work for me and why I would recommend it to every single person I know, because yes, it is that good. And I couldn’t have asked for more in a hero, a heroine or the very well done love scenes of the wicked and tender variety that took place leaving me hungry for more of the same from the author. If this is what Inez Kelley can do with a full length novel, I say bring it on! I would be one of the first ones to queue up to buy the book – even if it were to be sold in the remotest corner of the world.

Favorite Quotes

“I loved it…I love you, Livvy.”
She frowned at him. “What?”
He brushed a soft kiss across her mouth. “I said I love you, Livvy.”
She pulled her mouth from his, staring to make sure she’d heard what she thought he’d said.
John fingered a long damp curl before looking at her. And then smiled. “I do, I love you.”
Tears formed before she willed them away. A sob blended with a laugh and she kissed him. She lost count of how many times she said it as she kissed him, but each time he repeated it, imprinting it on her heart.

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Night Huntress, Book 5
Publisher: Avon
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 22, 2011
Started On: February 22, 2011
Finished On: February 23, 2011

At long last, the much coveted 5th installment in the Night Huntress series by the amazingly talented Jeanine Frost is out and it is as good or maybe even way better than I envisioned it would turn out to be.

It is as usual Cat’s uniqueness when it comes to being a half-vampire or being a full vampire which she had embraced quite recently that stirs up trouble of all sorts in the undead world. It is when vampires start turning up dead all over the country that Bones and Cat decide to investigate, knowing deep inside that something seriously wrong was brewing up in the world of the undead.

What comes to light is a plan concocted by an old enemy of the 29 year old Cat and her 200+ year old husband Bones, a ghoul leader known as Apollyon whose weapon is creating a sense of distrust and alarm amongst his race against Cat and her abilities to temporarily absorb the power of whichever vampire that she feeds from. Though this fact is not common knowledge, Cat’s very public performances in slaying their enemies have definitely caught the eyes of the prominent members of the undead circle though Cat tries her damnedest to keep the fact that she is different from every other vampire even in full form.

Its kick ass action, witty dialogs that this series is famous for coupled with a lethal dosage of the scorching hot passion and sensuality that has always played a key role in all the Night Huntress novels that greets the reader even from page 1 itself. All our favorite characters who are so much a part of the Night Huntress world as Bones and Cat are come together to make this a delectable addition to an already kick-ass series.

What struck me the most about the 5th book is how much Cat has grown up and continues to grow through each book which makes her stronger and more lovable than ever. Willing to finally open up all of herself to Bones her husband who has her undying love and loyalty was one of the best parts about the story coupled with the sizzling hot usage of candle wax in making Bones lose control! I don’t think I would be eying candle wax ever again without thinking of Bones losing his legendary control whenever it comes to his beloved wife and partner for life and forever. And talk about a blast from the past when Mencheres and Kira’s characters made me want to re-read Eternal Kiss of Darkness all over again to feel the full force of Mencheres’ tamped down power and sensuality.

Needless to say, I loved revisiting the Night Huntress world, what one reviewer has called feels like coming home, which exactly sums up how I felt as I delved into Cat and Bones’ latest adventure. True to classical Jeaniene Frost style, the adventure in this one is non-stop, packed with lots of laugh-out-loud moments when Cat’s wry sense of humor comes into play and let me not forget the intense connection between our territorial vampire Bones and his beloved which seems to just grow stronger with time. It is the way that he loves and cossets Cat without being a total wimpy pussy about it that makes Bones the most appealing vampire hero for me. All in all very highly recommended for all Night Huntress book fans. I know that you would need no further urging from anyone for you to run out and pick this one up! If you are new to Jeaniene Frost, pick up book 1 and let Cat and Bones take you on the wildest ride of your life whilst curled up in your bed. I promise you, it would all be very well worth it.

Favorite Quotes

“You’re being eye-humped by about a dozen women as we speak, but I’m sure you already know that,” I said in a wry tone.
His mouth brushed my neck with the lightest kisses, making me shiver.
“I only bother about one woman’s desires,” he murmured, the breath from his words teasing my ear.

His long-sleeved top was made entirely of black mesh, his crystal skin exposed more than it was covered with the material. Leather pants hung low on his hips, tight enough to hint at his assets, but with enough give that they wouldn’t hinder his movements. The all-black ensemble combined with his dark hair only made his pale skin even more striking by comparison, drawing the eye to the muscled flesh those hundreds of tiny holes revealed.
He caught my lingering gaze where the peep show of his skin ended and the front of his pants began – and flashed me with a wicked grin.
“Hold that thought, luv. With luck, we’ll be back in our hotel room breaking in the Jacuzzi before dawn.”

I smelled smoke right before hearing the “pop,” like a firecracker had gone off. Splatters of something thick coated my back even as a thud reverberated behind me. I whirled around to gape at what was left of the ghoul. His body pitched forward on the driveway, nothing but a smoldering mess left where his head had been.
Much slower, I turned around to see Vlad examining his fingernails, as if his hands weren’t still ablaze in the flames that had blasted the ghoul’s head off moments before.
“What the hell was that?” I gasped.
“Premature inflamulation,” he replied. “Happens sometimes. Very embarrassing. I don’t like to talk about it.”
A snort of amusement came from my right. I swung in that direction to see Bones bestow the most approving look on Vlad he’d ever given him.

“You have to leave already?” I murmured, blinking at Bones through the bright slants of sunlight that peeked out from the gaps in the drapes. “But you barely slept.”
The grin Bones flashed me was quintessential cat-that-got-the-cream, though that expression was probably better suited for me at the moment.
“I know,” he said, the words drawn out with the warmth of remembrance.
I sat up, dragging the sheet with me. “I’m serious.”
“Kitten” — Bones paused from pulling on his shirt — “four hours of sleep while holding you is far more beneficial to me than eight hours of endless tossing and turning because you’re not there.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann

Format: E-book
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Troubleshooters, 4
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Hero: Ken “Wild Card” Karmody
Heroine: Savannah Von Hopf
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 27, 2005
Started On: February 18, 2011
Finished On: February 21, 2011

I have always heard good things about Suzanne Brockmann. My first attempt at reading anything by hers was to read her novel Bodyguard which certainly didn’t make me turn away from her books though it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression on me either. However as everyone knows I tend to get a little crazy about jungle-trek themed romances and this one was recommended as such a read, I have now forgotten on which forum. Regardless of the fact that I have never attempted to read the Troubleshooters series before, I bought myself a copy and did manage to read a couple of pages then and never managed to make it past the prologue before I was distracted by some other title that I just HAD to read. And then last week my emotions decided to play the i-am-not-pleased-with-any-of-the-stuff-you-are-reading game & so I decided to pick this one up where I left off, hoping that the magic that had had earned this book rave reviews would work on me and my totally wayward emotions as well.

Book 4 in the Troubleshooter series stars Navy SEAL Ken Karmody, who gets nicknamed as “Wild Card” because of his ability to think out of the box and come out winning however difficult a problem might be. Ken had certainly not led a charming childhood with an emotionally and physically abusive father, which had in the end toughened him up and made Ken determined to do what he wanted in life. Ken is a genius when it comes to computers and whatnot and beneath his tough SEAL facade lies a heart that yearns to love and claim a woman as his forever. His ex-girlfriend Adele had certainly done a number on him with a continuous on and off relationship with Ken which had gone on for around 10 years until Ken had finally seen the light and refused to bend to her every whim which had pretty much ended things on the relationship front.

Savannah Van Hopf couldn’t be any more different from Ken even if she tried. A rich heiress who works as an appellate attorney, Savannah is the granddaughter of the famous Rose Van Hopf who worked as a double agent for the US and the Nazi during World War II. Savannah had always had a huge crush on Ken even though he hadn’t noticed her much, and it is through Adele that Savannah finds out Ken’s address and travels to San Diego to find him and ask his assistance in locating her uncle Alex who had disappeared in Indonesia without a trace.

From the moment Ken comes across the beautiful and utterly feminine Savannah, he is smitten something fierce and before Savannah can muster up the courage to bring up why she is actually in the neighborhood, these two light up the sheets with intense passion and red hot desire that practically leaps out of the very pages. To say that both fall completely in lust and a little bit in love with one another during that night would not be a lie. However with the morning, the truth comes out completely walloping Ken with intense feelings of betrayal which makes him pissed off at Savannah to no end. However, even with all the intense feelings of dislike churning within him for a woman who still has the ability to make him go a little bit weak at the knees, Ken is not willing to let Savannah travel all the way to Indonesia alone to find her uncle.

It is in Indonesia that the real adventure begins when Ken and Savannah are kidnapped by Russian goons at gun point right from the airport itself. Barely managing to escape them, Savannah and Ken are forced to survive in the jungle that grows densely throughout the Parwati island of Indonesia. To survive and outmaneuver everyone who is after them, Savannah and Ken are forced to endure each other’s company which in turn makes each of them discover why they had fallen for each other so hard in such a short span of time.

This book was so frigging good that I believe I have dug myself into a hole from which I won’t be able to escape anytime soon. Since I haven’t read books 1 – 3 in the Troubleshooter series and jumped straight into book 4, I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least when characters kept leaping right into the pages from left and right. However, a couple of chapters in, I was totally captivated by the ease with which Ms. Brockmann makes each and every character count, how she makes them come alive and how effectively she makes each and every one of their stories matter.

What I loved most about Out of Control was the rich banter between Ken and Savannah. Ken has the quirky character of coming out and saying whatever leaps to his mind without thinking much about it and Savannah’s responses to his remarks totally made my day. Ken is sexy, witty, a little bit of a nerd and has such a big heart that you can’t help but fall completely in love with him. The way he seriously asks his friends about women’s ability to have multiple orgasms had me cracking up so hard that I was laughing all throughout that conversation.

And Savannah is not an unforgettable character either. Though she has been brought up by a snotty mother who would rather see her married off to some royalty than see her happy, Savannah is tough beneath her picture perfect exterior and loyal to a fault. And I loved every single thing about her character from the way she interacts with Ken to her vulnerable nature which she strives so hard to hide.

And that takes me to my favorite couple from the series – yes, though I have not read the series in order, I have discovered that I have a strange fascination for Molly and John, whose characters complement each other perfectly. John is totally the kind of alpha male that slightly borders on being gamma, which makes him just the perfect kind of hero to base all my dreams upon. And his reluctant fascination with Molly which ends up being one of the best parts of the story is one worth savoring. Their happily ever after finally comes in book 9 of the series and this alone is the reason why I am determined to make my way through the rest of the books, because I am that much fascinated with their story.

And that brings me to Rose’s character. Her adventures in the form of a memoir which continue throughout the story makes for a fascinating read. Her work as a double agent and the story of how she meets up and falls in love with Mr. Van Hopf who is an Austrian prince adds something delightful to an already 5 star read.

Needless to say, highly recommended for romantic suspense fans because I just flat-out loved this one.

It was only after I sat down to write the review that I saw that this book has received around 7 AAR awards between 2002 and 2007. Definitely deserves them all!

Favorite Quotes

“What have you got in there?” he asked. “Maybe we should take a minute and do a quick inventory, see what we’ve got, see if we can somehow lighten our load.” He went through his pockets, pulling everything out and dumping it in a relatively dry spot in front of her. “Knife, keys, wallet, passport, a couple squashed power bars – that’s good, we;re bound to get hungry – and … oops.”
Condoms.
He was carrying around a half a dozen. He stuffed them back into his pocket, but not before she saw them.
He gave her a weak smile. “I just, you know, always carry ’em.”
That was a lie and she knew it.
“If we get bored, we can use them to make balloon animals,” he added.
She was not at all amused.

Rose watched Savannah and Ken slip into an elevator. They were in each other’s arms again before the doors had fully closed.
Her granddaughter was infinitely lucky. Rose knew this firsthand. She’d had a husband who had loved her an eleven, too.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Skin Tight by Ava Gray

Format: E-book
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Skin, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Hero: Søren Frost
Heroine: Mia Sauter
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 1, 2010
Started On: February 16, 2011
Finished On: February 16, 2011

Those who have read Skin Game, Book 1 in the Skin series would know what I mean when I say that the hooker scene featuring the enigmatic Addison Foster totally reeled me in on his character and made me impatient to find more about him and what tragedy it was that was driving him to seek the destruction of whoever it is that he is seeking. And it is during the aforementioned book 1 that Mia and Addision come in contact with each other which made me totally itchy from the need to read Skin Tight. And thank God for the fact that this title had already been released by the time I decided to indulge in the Skin series or I would have been in deep trouble if not! Though Skin Tight can be read as a standalone, I would advise you to read book 1 first because you really need to see Addison in his element in book 1 to really appreciate and feel for his character in his own story.

Søren Frost or Addison Foster is a man who has lived by so many personalities and names in the past few years that he has almost forgotten who he really is. Originally from Denmark, Søren’s parents had arrived in America as immigrants when Søren had been 3 years old. It is two years later that Søren gets vaccinated by “free” vaccines passed out by The Foundation whose main agenda had been experimenting on humans to create a superior race which would profit them with millions and billions of dollars in the times to come. Søren’s ability lies in making those who come in contact with him live or believe him to be what their fantasies want him to be. Unable to bear with the loneliness of being single all his life Søren had taken the plunge and got married to a woman who had never seen him for who he really is but called him James all throughout their marriage. Piece by piece, shard by shard, Søren had crumbled and fallen apart so much that he had turned into a shell of the man he had once been until his daughter Lexie had been born who had been his single most priced “possession” in his otherwise bleak world. When Lexie had been taken away from him in a horrible car accident, leaving just a brainless body behind who requires a life support machine, Søren’s fury knows no bounds as he vows vengeance on The Foundation who has turned him into what he is, nearly driving him to take his own life at one time. It is when Mia accidentally stumbles into his life that color begins to seep into his otherwise gray world, thawing the blocks of ice that has surrounded his heart and locked away his emotions for far too long.

Mia Sauter is the daughter of a feminist American mother and an Iranian father who had tried and failed to convince the woman he had fallen in love with to marry him so that they could become a proper family. Mia had never known any happiness during her childhood, either at home or school where she is ridiculed for being geeky and nerdy and not being interested in the usual things that kids her age are forever losing themselves in. Mia’s carefree photojournalist mother resented Mia’s existence which had reined in her constant need to roam and travel around the world and later had turned to the bottle to cure all her woes. Mia, a woman who has a way with numbers and computers becomes a forensic accountant specializing in corporate embezzlement and it had been her ingenuity in stealing from others that had made her so successful in finding out those who were stealing from the big corporations who were willing to pay huge sums of money to sniff out those leeching money from them. Like Søren, Mia too has no place she would call home and constantly travels from one place to another as her career demands from her though she yearns for someone to love her and ride into the sunset with her as Reyes had done for Kyra.

It is when Mia rushes in to save Kyra that she meets the enigmatic Søren, then known as Addison and the attraction that flares between them is hard to ignore for Mia though Søren makes a convincing job of showing that attraction is the furthest thing he feels for her. When Søren feeds her to the wolf and leaves her alone in captivity till Kyra and Reyes comes along to rescue her, Mia is more shattered than she should be about a man with eerie glacier blue eyes ringed with silver, who seems to affect her in ways no other man has ever had.

When Mia stumbles across Søren once again a year later when she takes up a job at Micor Technologies she doesn’t know whether to consider him friend or foe; but neither is she immune to the strong feelings of the baser nature that Søren still seems to be able to invoke in her – feelings that he seems to feel for her in spades this time around. With secrecy surrounding Søren’s every move, Mia is hopelessly ensnared in Søren’s plans of revenge against The Foundation without having a clue into the kind of world that she has stepped into.

As the body count begins to rise, so does Mia’s need for answers from the man who is such a bundle of contradictions, who steals her heart regardless of the continuous pep talks that she subjects herself to. And Søren is not much better off when Mia steals the key to his heart and unlocks the steel fortress that has surrounded it for so long and it is then Søren has to decide whether his love for Mia should triumph over his need for revenge or whether he should walk the Earth as a lonesome shell for the rest of his life.

Things that made this book rock my world:

  • Søren Frost. He is undeniably one of the most broken heroes that I have come across and that made me fall for him that much harder in the end. I felt his pain, anguish and sorrow at things he couldn’t change regardless of how much he wanted them to and when he is confronted with baring his soul once again, I understood what was driving him to deny his feelings even though it was clear for all the world to see how he really felt about Mia. Seen through Mia’s eyes, Søren is a character that any romance reader would feel for and fall head over heels in love with and I was in no way an exception to this rule.
  • Mia Sauter. I didn’t care much for Kyra in Skin Game and was prepared to not feel much for Mia as well. But Ava Gray has done a splendid job with her heroine in this one and I couldn’t help but admire and love her all the more because even with all the secrecy that shrouded Søren’s character, she accepted him for who he is and loved him for the man he is inside trying to break free from the emotional shackles that had bound him for such a long time. Loved Mia for seeing the man underneath all the ice and breaking it apart so that Søren could live and love once again.
  • The stimulating conversations between Mia and Søren. Though Søren is hardly the type for jovial conversations, Mia’s wry sense of humor is hard to ignore and it is those moments that she manages to steal a rusty smile from our hero that belong in the most unforgettable moments in the story. Loved the dialogs!
  • The insane Dr. Jasper Rowan who lends this story the heinous villain it needs. He is just what the doctor ordered to make this story of the spine tingling variety.
  • Trey and Gillian’s characters to whom we are introduced to in this story. I did some quick digging to find out that their story will come out in July of this year and let me tell you – the cover alone would make me buy the book, let alone the fact I am highly intrigued to find out more about both of them!

I can’t think of anything that could have made this book a more intriguing one than it already is. I would say, it is just damn near perfect the way it is!

Favorite Quotes

“I’ll share if you like.” He cut into his mushroom with surgical precision, using both knife and fork in the European fashion, reinforcing her belief that he hadn’t been born in the United States.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a vegetarian.” Mia lifted her glass and took a sip.
“Hm. Does that mean no oral sex?”
She nearly spat her wine.

“Are you suggesting a partnership?” she asked. “To what end?”
“You can get into the lab. I need to see what’s there.”
Her expression hardened. “Why?”
There was no help for it. He had to tell the truth. “I suspect Micor is conducting illegal experiments on human beings. I want to stop them.”
“What are you, Batman? You go around righting wrongs?”
Despite his tension, he smiled. “Something like that. But latex gives me a rash.”

Recommended very highly for fans of romantic suspense who love a tortured and broken hero and a feisty heroine who has the guts and what it takes to bring the said yummylicious hero back to the world of living. Ava Gray’s characters will certainly never leave you bored as they never behave in the way you expect them to.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

outstandingread