Category / Brooding Hero

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Skin Game by Ava Gray

Format: E-book
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Skin, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Hero: Porfirio Ten-Bears Reyes
Heroine: Kyra Marie Beckwith
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: November 3, 2009
Started On: February 12, 2011
Finished On: February 14, 2011

My first Ava Gray certainly has left me begging for more. My expectations for this book were at an all time high since reviewers who are pretty picky in giving high ratings for books have seemed to love the 1st book in the Skin series and thus I wanted this one to rock my world unlike any had done in a long time. Though I had a bit of tussle in getting into the story at the beginning, once Reyes showed up and things started getting interesting, I was hooked line and sinker and never looked back.

This story has got to be one where the hero and heroine have the weirdest names I have come across. Porfirio Ten-Bears Reyes or Reyes as he is known as is a professional assassin for hire. Its hard to say much about his past though there are glimpses into his less than ideal childhood every now and then. Reyes had picked up the skill of killing when he had served time for allegedly raping a white girl who had evidently liked her sex a bit rough, who had been too scared to own up to the fact when others had found out about it, thus convicting Reyes of raping her. Though Reyes kills for money he has one rule that he doesn’t mess up with ever. He kills only the worst scumbags that he comes across, the ones that he knows with conviction that deserve their life on Earth to be brought to an end.

Kyra Marie Beckwith or Kyra as she is known as grew up with a father who had conned people to make a living. Always travelling around nomad style, Kyra had never gone to school and is self taught with whatever skills she had been taught by her father. Having never had a home base of her own, Kyra is a restless soul as they come until she vows vengeance on the man who leaves her father to die after giving him a brutal beating. From that moment onwards it is Kyra’s mission to make Gerrard Serrano suffer, and that is exactly what she does when she cons him and humiliates him unlike anyone has done in a long time, earning her his wrath and vow to exact revenge of the worst kind on her. Kyra has a strange power which enables her to suck the abilities of the people she comes physically into contact with which makes it difficult for her to to touch and be touched because she never knows just what she might pick up along the way.

It is Serrano’s need to exact revenge from Kyra that sets Reyes on her path. Dispatched to kill her after being fed with a bunch of lies convincing Reyes that Kyra deserves what is coming for her, he is not at all prepared for the intense attraction that takes a hold of him when he comes in contact with her. From the first encounter itself, Reyes is intrigued to learn more about his contract and thus he cons his way into her life, earning her trust and deeper feelings along the way whilst the mutual attraction between them burns out of control every moment they spend together. When the truth does inevitably come out, Kyra feels more betrayed than she has ever felt and no matter what Reyes does to convince her otherwise, Kyra is too hurt to really take stock of Reyes’s actions and behavior the past couple of weeks to arrive at the conclusion that Reyes really does love her and wants only her happiness.

This is a pretty interesting debut of a series that combines romance, red-hot loving, suspense with a touch of paranormal to make it a very a good well-balanced read. For those who are icky with the paranormal stuff, it doesn’t play much of a role in the story apart from Kyra’s abilities that comes in pretty handy throughout.

Couple of things I loved about this one. First of all Reyes who is hot, lethal and definitely my kind of hero when he would practically lay down his life for the woman he falls for. He doesn’t apologize for who he is, but rather when Kyra does enter into his life Reyes realizes the darkness that is his constant companion and yearns for the peace that he finds in Kyra’s arms which I couldn’t just help but sigh all over the fact. The next thing about this story that I loved was the fact that at the end, Kyra’s need for vengeance and revenge over the man who threatens to destroy everyone who means something in her life doesn’t just end with the typical forgiveness-will-make-you-the-bigger-person crap. Rather, Serrano meets his very well deserved death at the hands of Kyra and that fact alone makes this a story well worth my time! And loved the intense chemistry between Reyes and Kyra that set the pages afire, each and every time that they come together.

Though I loved the story that unfolded, I had an intense dislike for the way Kyra makes Reyes feel when she discovers who he  truly is. I just found her holier-than-thou attitude a bit annoying though I did understand where she was coming from. Yes, I always tend to be a bit biased towards my heroes and maybe that’s why I couldn’t muster up much love for Kyra towards the end.

I’m hoping that I would be able to see Reyes and Kyra in the coming story which features the enigmatic Foster and Kyra’s best friend Mia whose journey towards happily-ever-after begins in this one.

Favorite Quotes

They listened to music on an old radio until the batteries gave out. They napped, talked, and made love with a gentleness that often left her weeping. He was so careful of her leg that she almost felt breakable in his arms, not because of his vast strength, but because of her great vulnerability to him.
Each time he touched her now, she rocked with a quiet little earthquake of the soul. Because he could. Out of the billions of people on the planet, all of who were prospective marks on her, targets from whom she could steal, he could wrap his arms around her and bury his face in her hair. She would have felt impossibly exposed, if she hadn’t sensed that he soaked in the contact as much as she.

Recommended for fans of contemporary romantic suspense with a dash of paranormal tossed into the story.

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

awesomeread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Breaking Daylight By M. J. Fredrick

Format: E-bookbreakingdaylight
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Hero: Alex Shepard
Heroine: Isabella Canales
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: January 5, 2010
Started On: February 11, 2011
Finished On: February 12, 2011

Breaking Daylight is a novel I picked up on a whim, because I always love myself a good romantic suspense that includes a trek through the wilderness of a jungle which creates an environment that throws the hero and heroine together, regardless of their distrust and animosity towards the other. This one has been sitting in my TBR pile since then and I finally decided to take the plunge and read my first M.J. Fredrick last night. Despite the one review I read on Amazon which didn’t encourage me overly much to read this, I loved the story that unfolded and would definitely look forward to more by Ms. Fredrick.

Master Sergeant Alex Shepard hates trekking through jungles with a passion. A member of a team of rangers, Alex is the adopted son of his parents from Texas and looks forward to the day that he can claim the innocent and pure Rebecca back home as his own. Alex had grown up with a drug addict mother who had whored her way through life and made her son sell drugs for her until it had all come to a halt the day she had been killed by cops in pursuit of her. Though Alex had adjusted well to family life and the warmth and love that his adoptive parents bestow on him, their lurks emotional scars of a deeper kind which makes him long for the whole white picket fence with a family of his own regardless of the fact that he feels unworthy of such goodness in his life.

24 year old Isabella Canales leaves home when she is 18 years old in pursuit of adventure and finds more than she bargained for when she trusts the rich and charming Santiago Saldana who in reality is the baddest of bad asses when it comes to drug kingpins. Isabella makes her way to Central America in order to pursue her studies in Spanish and Immersion and had payed her college fees by strip dancing until she had met Santiago who had practically imprisoned her and made her bend to his every will and whim for the past 6 years. Stunningly beautiful, Isabella finds the courage to escape when her son Hector is taken away from her by Santiago in order to further manipulate her for his use.

It is when one of the DEA agents who infiltrates the Santiago gang is unheard of for a couple of weeks that Alex and his team partner up with DEA agents to find out what has happened to him, surrounding Santiago’s property deep in the remote areas of the jungles. Though the very first sight of gorgeous Isabella pleasuring herself surrounded by bath bubbles gets to Alex in a way he refuses to admit, it is Alex that ends up protecting a woman he feels nothing but detest and anger towards, because she had lapped up each and every luxury at the hands of someone like Santiago which brings memories of his own childhood too close to the surface. Isabella knows that the silent soldier whose eyes flash loathing at her would never understand what drives her and the deep rooted terror inside of her that Santiago would get his hands on her before she can find out where he had sent her son off to.

Isabella is someone who has never had a man want her just for herself. And so when Alex turns to her in despair upon hearing that his Rebecca was going to marry someone else, Isabella is helpless to stop the tide of desire and red-blooded lust that takes a hold of both of them for an unforgettable night that brings her shields down and makes her hope and yearn for things better left unsaid.

With Isabella on her way back to the States, Alex thinks it to be the last time he would ever see her and instead finds himself tailing her once again to see whether she draws Santiago in for the DEA to swoop in and arrest the one man who has eluded their every attempt at arrest in the past couple of years. Longing, desire and feelings better left unnamed all attack Alex full force as he begins to learn who Isabella really is inside and out and as both of them give into the combustive passion between them, so rises the danger that surrounds them together with betrayal from a person Alex trusts more than anyone else in his life.

I loved a lot of things about my first novel by Ms. Fredrick. First of all its fabulous cover showing off Alex’s magnificent chest with the dog tags just makes me nearly swallow my tongue each and every time my gaze is riveted upon it – which seemed to happen pretty much often the whole of last night. The man himself once I got to know his character and of course the way he just practically vibrates with intense longing each and every time he and Isabella are together just made me fall for him – big time. I love myself a tortured hero as much as the next gal in the world of romanceldia and Alex fits the description to a tee which makes him the best kind of tortured alpha hero out there! And I definitely sighed over the way Alex can’t help but call Isabella Bella or Goddess depending on his mood. *sigh*

Isabella Canales is a rare type of heroine for a romance novel. She has made huge mistakes in her life, had danced at strip clubs to make ends meet, had been young, naive and shallow enough to fall for a man like Santiago for which she had paid with 6 years of her life which had certainly not been a life one could be proud about. In spite of all that and maybe because of that, Isabella is a strong woman who is not without her own insecurities when it comes to relationships and love but nevertheless doesn’t hide behind denial when she does fall for Alex, a man who is truly worthy of her love and affection. Her loyalty towards her son, the one guy who means the world to her and her relentless pursuit of him regardless of what she has to put herself through along the way earned her my admiration and approval because she is just the kind of strong woman that Alex needs by his side.

Although I loved so many things about this story, I couldn’t help but feel cheated at the ending because I was expecting a nice little epilogue where I could see my Alex all happy and free of the shadows that seem to be a part of him. Its just my opinion that an epilogue would have indeed made this story a 5 star read and made it one of the unforgettable kind.

Recommended for fans of romantic suspense.

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

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Last Goodbye by Sarah Mayberry

Format: E-bookthelastgoodbye
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Going Back, #30
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Tyler Adamson
Heroine: Ally Bishop
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: February 8, 2011
Started On: February 4, 2011
Finished On: February 5, 2011

Sarah Mayberry delivers on all accounts once again with this Harlequin Super Romance letting faithful readers of her delightful stories know that she definitely is an author that should remain on your auto-buy list when it comes to a good dose of contemporary romance, which just happens to be my favorite genre of romance. I have been keeping a close eye on the release date of this book since Harlequin always tends to release its books much earlier than the designated release date and it was just by chance that I happened to stumble upon this book, ready for download on the Harlequin website yesterday. Needless to say, 7 pages in, I was hooked line and sinker and nearly snarled in frustration every time something or the other took me away from the magic that Sarah Mayberry has woven with this beautiful story.

37 year old Tyler Adamson, owner of the largely successful T. A. Furniture Designs is a man haunted and tortured by the unpleasant memories of his childhood at the hands of his emotionally and physically abusive father Robert Adamson (Bob). Tyler and his elder brother Jon had never had a happy moment to reflect back upon and Tyler had followed in Jon’s footsteps and left home when he had barely turned 17 years old. It had only been a sense of guilt and obligation that had made Tyler visit his home in Woodend, a small Victorian town when his mother was alive. The day she had died, Tyler had said goodbye to his father as well and never looked back, until Ally walks into his life, all rightful indignation forcing Tyler to face the demons of his past.

33 year old Ally Bishop is a nomad at heart. Commitment phobic to the extreme, Ally is the unwanted child of an artist who had always been free spirited and flitted from one place to the other. Ally’s mother had discovered the fact that she was pregnant with Ally when it had been too late to do anything about the unwanted pregnancy. Ally had grown up, never having known her father with a mother who had been really too selfish to stop and think about the needs of a child and it had been up to Ally to mold herself even as a child into her mother’s lifestyle which has left its own sort of emotional scars on Ally. The author of the Dear Gertude column in the Melbourne Herald, Ally is a house sitter who occupies one home after the other, looking after other people’s homes for them which gives her free accommodation all over the country which suites her needs pretty well. Haunted by the thought that she is just like her mother, Ally shies away from relationships that makes her feel too much and which requires a commitment from her part until silver-eyed Tyler Adamson changes how she views the world once and for all.

It is when Ally house sits for her friend Wendy that she comes across Bob and rescues him when he collapses from stomach pain to be rushed into surgery for doctors to discover that Bob has cancer and that its a stage where they can do nothing more for him than keep him comfortable till his time comes. It is the fact that Bob is to face his death all alone that propels Ally to seek out Tyler, never really comprehending the can of worms that she was about to open with her good intentions.

It is a Tyler who is torn between doing what is right and seething with anger and unresolved issues that reluctantly goes to visit his father to say his goodbyes and give him a piece of his mind for what he and Jon went through at his hands. But what happens is the farthest thing from Tyler’s mind when he finds himself the caretaker of his father, who wants to go home to die. The only good thing Tyler finds amidst all the pain, grief and anger is the presence of Ally and her warm brown eyes that soothes his tortured soul unlike any other and her touch that starts a trail of fire deep within and comforts him at the same time.

This story encompasses complex relationships combined with the red hot passion that flares between two people who are as tortured and emotionally scarred as they come. The relationship if it can be called that between Tyler and his father played with all my emotions, making me want to rage at his father for the hell that he put his children through and at the same time made me watery eyed to think of what the cancer would be doing to his body, making him just a scared little man who must have had many a regret when he let out his last breath. It also made me want to be the fierce protector of Tyler and Jon, who makes an appearance very late in the book and just begs for his story to be told because I have a feeling he would make a great, drool worthy hero for a romance.

I loved a lot of things about this story. The way it reeled me in from page 1 and refused to let go the hold it had on all my emotions was what I loved best about this story. It makes you root for every single person in the story, makes you want  to get to know them, and even makes you shed a reluctant tear or two for the abusive father towards the end. It brings home a lot of hard truths, to do good unto others during the short life that you live because you never know how much time you really have left to walk this Earth.

I loved both Tyler and Ally and deem them just perfect for each other. Ally the nomad who craves stability and a home of her own without even knowing about it and Tyler the man who is ready to provide all of this for her and is understanding to the max without crowding her, who finds his own home & ultimate happiness in Ally’s welcoming arms just made this story a wonderful one all around.

If you want a contemporary romance  that grabs you right from the very start, a romance that delivers on all fronts and makes you cry towards the end, this one’s for you!

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

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Not-So-Perfect Past by Beth Andrews

Format: E-booknot so perfect.JPG
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Serenity Springs Series
Hero: Dillon Ward
Heroine: Nina Carlson
Sensuality: 3.5
First Published on: April 2009
Started On: 31st January 2011
Finished On: 1st February 2011

I can see why this book received the 2009 RITA award for the Series Contemporary category. As I delved into my first Beth Andrews story, delighted was I to find such a well crafted one, a hero that I needless to say salivated over and a heroine who was real enough with genuine problems and fears that she needed to overcome to find everlasting happiness and love with the man who even though is not perfect, is the one for her.

Ex-convict Dillon Ward has spent 5 years in prison for killing his stepfather. Dillon moves back to Serenity Springs after he is released and 2 years on, people still avoid him like the plague and he goes out of his way to isolate himself because being in prison, continuously having to look after your own hide changes a man for better or worse. Dillon is a man who has never had it easy in life. Dillon’s father had died when he was 4 years old from a drug overdose and his mother had turned to vodka to drown all her sorrows leaving Dillon to look after his younger sister Kelsey who gets her own happily ever after in book 1 of the series which I have yet to read.

Single mother Nina Carlson is the new owner of Sweet Suggestions, a bakery in Serenity Springs which is Nina’s salvation. Blonde, curvy and full-figured, Nina has always been the good and golden girl of Serenity Springs. Nina had dropped out of college to marry her ex-husband Trey Carlson, the self important and arrogant psychologist of the town who not only abuses her emotionally and physically but leaves her to marry the tall, thin, sexy and successful Dr. Rachel Weber which puts a huge dent in Nina’s self esteem as a woman. Nina is a woman who continually wages an internal battle within herself with the need that arises in her to assert herself and become independent from the shackles that bind her and what she has always been till now.

It is because Nina bows down to pressure from her ex-husband Trey and her well meaning family members that she decides to remove Dillon from her building, the tenant which she acquired along with the purchase of Sweet Suggestions from her grandparents. Nina has never really come to know Dillon that well and with half the town afraid of him, Nina goes along with the flow until circumstances force Nina to look up and see Dillon for who he really is. Dillon who acknowledges that he has a strange fascination for the town’s good girl but refuses to do anything about it finds himself on the losing side of the battle when emotions and feelings he had thought long since buried rise to the surface making him hope and believe that he is indeed worthy of the good things in life if he could have just a little bit of courage to let go of his past and move on.

Stuff I liked:

1- Dillon Ward. I always love my heroes to be a little bit tortured and just a tad dangerous. Hell, the more dangerous the better. And Dillon proves to be as sexy as they come and brings to the story that elusive quality which makes a romance come alive in the little ways that matters so much in the end.

2- Nina Carlson. What I loved about her was the fact that I could see her struggle with very real problems that many a women go through in the real world and come out the winner in the end. Because she tries so hard to be a better woman, to be more independent and to rid herself of her dependent nature on others, its no small feat that she accomplishes within the story that unfolds.

3- I loved the sizzling variety of sexual tension in this book. From the many a Harlequin Super Romances that I have read, this one comes out on the top in delivering sensuality that knocked my socks off as I read along. I always love it when the tough hero loses control and that is exactly what happens in this delectable story towards the end!

4- Loved the character development. Harlequin Super Romances always deliver on that and this one’s no exception to the rule. Because of this very reason, this line from Harlequin is rapidly becoming a favorite of mine.

What could have made this better?

The lack of an epilogue rankled me in this one because I so wanted to see how Nina and my deliciously sinful Dillon with Nina’s two adorable kids fare in the end. Would have definitely made this novel a much more complete one in my opinion.

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

Format: E-bookSimplyirresistible
Read  with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: A Lucky Harbor Novel, Book 1
Publisher: Forever
Hero: Jackson Cullen III (Jax Cullen)
Heroine: Madeline Annie Traeger (Maddie Moore)
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication:  October 1, 2010
Started On: January 26, 2011
Finished On: January 29, 2011

Ever since I read Shadow Hawk and didn’t like it as much as I expected to, I have been a little wary of picking up anything by Jill Shalvis and that’s the main reason why I have hesitated in getting a copy of her latest novel Simply Irresistible, the 1st book in the Lucky Harbor series. Now, I am so very glad that I let reviews from my friends on Goodreads who all loved this book to pieces convince me to give this title a go because I am slapping myself for being stupid enough to let such a yummylicious read go by for so long without an attempt to read it.

Simply Irresistible is a book that lives up to its title, yes, its simply irresistible and I found myself so engrossed in the world of Lucky Harbor, the small town life, the larger than life heroes, Jax Cullen who makes my knees go wobbly each and every time and the sisters who make this novel come vibrantly alive that I forgot to mark this book for quotes as I read along, something which I always do when I am reading a novel so that my review would be a complete one. That just goes to show how marvelous a tale Ms. Shalvis has spun with her new series and I can’t wait until the next one comes out in April of this year.

Jax Cullen is a hero who presents himself as a mass of contradictions and I so love myself a hero like him. At first he comes across as the bad boy hero who rides into the story on his bad-ass motorbike; but layer by layer his character unfolds to reveal the complex man he is behind the facade. Jax had grown up with his father when his parents marriage had failed and his father being a cutthroat lawyer by profession, their relationship had had no room for emotions. A grown up Jax had followed his father’s footsteps and had become a very expensive defense attorney for a huge law firm in Seattle, where winning cases at all costs had been the bottom line. His work there had earned him the name of Jackson Cullen III and it had taken Jax’s last case which had gone horribly wrong for him to quit his job and return to Lucky Harbor, the last place he remembers being happy. Now 5 years out of a profession that had sucked the very soul out of him, Jax is laid back, goes through life at his own pace and works doing what he loves; building and restoration. The mayor of Lucky Harbor for the second term Jax is not looking for a relationship after his fiance had walked out on him when he had walked out on his job; that is until beautiful and klutzy Maddie nearly runs him over in her car.

29 year old Maddie is broke and homeless when her late mother’s will brings her to Lucky Harbor. Maddie had been raised by her father who had been a movie-set designer ever since he had taken custody of her since Maddie had turned 5 years old. Having never had much contact with her flighty mother, Maddie is as surprised as her father and two half sisters Tara and Chloe to learn about her mother’s will which had bequeathed them Lucky Harbor Inn, in the hopes of bringing 3 of her children together even if she may not be around to see it. Maddie had earned the nickname of the Mouse from her mother and is a survivor of a physically and emotionally abusive relationship from her ex-boyfriend Alex, an angry, uptight and aggressive LA attorney who didn’t know how to control his temper. It had been Maddie’s retaliation towards Alex that had cost her her job and makes her swear off of men altogether until she runs into the very sexy and delectable Jax Cullen who makes her tingle in all the right places with his searing velvety gaze alone.

When their mother’s will brings them together, it is only Maddie who at first wants to make a go of things and work towards making the derelict Lucky Harbor Inn habitable once again. And that is how Jax Cullen and his tool belt comes into the scene, seducing Maddie of every good intention she has about swearing off of men until now. As Jax brings down the walls that surround Maddie’s heart, so develops a heartwarming relationship between 3 sisters who had not seen each other for the past 5 years. Amidst the small town life of Lucky Harbor, sexual awareness of the eyebrow singeing variety turns into a love so worth taking a chance on that I as a reader absolutely couldn’t have asked for more.

I liked:

  1. Jax Cullen. Every single time he walks in with his tool belt around him – needless to say I am a puddle of goo every time that happens and wouldn’t have it any other way. He has this way of seducing Maddie out of her noble intentions that left me breathless and wanting more of  where that came from. I loved him for his quiet intensity, his kindness, and the smoldering sensuality that leaps into the picture every time he walks in *fans self*. Jax can certainly master my ahem! baser emotions any day he chooses! ^_^
  2. Maddie. She is klutzy,  less than perfect and so down on herself when she comes to Lucky Harbor. But she has an inner strength that can definitely make her the Steel Magnolia, the title her mother has given to Tara the eldest of her 3 girls. Maddie’s determination to heal from the brutality of her relationship with Alex and how she is so irresistibly drawn towards Jax and his quiet determination and strength made me root for her big time!
  3. Loved the dialogues, each and every one of them whether it be between Jax and Maddie, or between Maddie, Tara and Chloe or Jax and his buddies. Several laugh-out moments in the conversations that makes this an excellent book to cure you from all your woes.
  4. Jax and his tool belt. There! Now I have said it. Can’t help but remember a guy on a show on Discovery Travel & Living who had a tool belt around him whilst he went about giving makeovers to people’s homes. Even then, my sole focus was on the tool belt. I guess that explains a bit on my fascination with the tool belt. ^_~
  5. I absolutely loved the relationship that develops between Maddie, Tara and Chloe. They are all so very different from one another but the affection and love they have towards each other is evident right from the very beginning. Though it is Tara’s story that will be coming out in April, I can’t help but want to read Chloe and Sawyer’s story. I have a mind that it’s going to be pretty darn explosive!! ^_^
  6. Loved the quotes from Phoebe Traeger at the beginning of each chapter. They were seriously thought provoking and at the same time gave me something to laugh out loud as I delved into each chapter.
  7. Jax’s lethal brand of seduction. I seriously, seriously could get used to it! *winks*

I disliked: None.

Favorite Quotes

Two, and even more unsettling, he smelled good – sexy and alluring. Closing her eyes, she felt her body tingle, brought to a hyper-awareness that felt almost foreign as something zinged through her.
Desire. Bone-melting desire.
When she opened her eyes again, he was even closer. His eyes weren’t the solid warm caramel she’d thought but had flecks of gold dancing in them, as well. She could have drowned in all that deliciousness.
Not a  bad way to go, she figured – death by lust.

Chloe stood there, a small smile on her lips as she peered past Maddie at the Jeep. “Who’s that?”
Maddie watched the brake lights of the Jeep as it vanished into the night. “Jax Cullen. And that’s all I know,” she said before Chloe could ask anything else.
Well, except that he had a voice that went down like smooth whiskey, a way of looking at her that tended to get her to say more than she should, and oh, yea, he kissed like heaven on earth.

With a sigh, she picked up her knitting instead of inhaling any more food and continued from where she’d left off last night. “In, wrap around,” she said to herself. “Pull out.”
“You know,” Chloe said licking some batter off her thumb. “The way you knit always sounds a little dirty. I bet if you knitted in earshot of a guy, you’d get laid for sure.”

The back door opened, and all three of them swiveled to look as Jax filled the doorway. He looked like sin on a stick in faded Levi’s, a long-sleeved graphic Henley, and – there went her pulse – that damn tool belt slung slow on his hips.

“Don’t take life too seriously. After all, none of us are getting out alive anyway.” – Phoebe Traeger

“Experience is something you get… after you need it.” – Phoebe Traeger

Recommended for anyone who loves a good contemporary romance that can play with all your emotions in a good way and leave you with a huge smile at the end should read this novel. A great beginning to a series which I am sure can only get better. A story that petted, stroked and fed each and every craving I have as a romance reader; I can’t recommend this novel highly enough!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone

Format: E-booksinful
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Harlequin Spice
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Matthew Wallingford
Heroine: Jane Rankin
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: May 1, 2010
Started On: January 22, 2011
Finished On: January 23, 2011

First of all, let me just take a few minutes of my reviewing time to just gaze at this wonderful cover and salivate over it to my heart’s content. This has got to be one of the most beautiful covers on a romance novel and yes of course it helps that Matthew is displayed in all his glory on the cover.

Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone is a book that seems to have got its fair share of mixed reviews from readers. Most have loved the book until the ending which left them totally stunned in disbelief because its rare for a romance novel to end as this one did, though I have come across one other book with an ending such as this one when I read A Stranger’s Wife by Maggie Osborne. I believe I belong in the latter group of those who actually LOVED the story as it was, maybe because I was prepared for the story’s ending to be a shocker which didn’t really shock me that much in the end. And it might also have something to do with the fact that I have had prior experience with this type of ending and whilst it may not be the ideal conclusion for a romance, it is certainly different which has its own charm as well.

Sinful stars one of the most cynical and jaded heroes I have come across in my reading life. The Earl of Wallingford, Matthew is cynical to the max and has no qualms about admitting to himself that he is an unconscionable rake with insatiable appetites who finds the facade of Victorian morality a mockery. Having had seen very little goodness in his life, Matthew is as tortured a hero as they come. A father who had never liked what Matthew had been even as a boy with a mother who had finally grown tired of her husband’s continued criticism because of her son, Matthew had watched his mother leave a forlorn and lonely boy behind to go with her lover only to a die a horrible death by accident. Stunningly masculine with a face that is exceedingly handsome which holds a beauty that’s dark and sensual, Matthew is an artist, a fact that his father continually mocks. Matthew expects every woman he comes across to have a price for being with him whether it be an emotional or physical one and is used to being the one who can always shock polite society with his untoward behavior. But beneath all this lies a soul so very tortured by what he went through since he turned 15 years old; the experience leaving him unable to bear anyone’s touch on himself even though depravity is Matthew’s middle name.

Enter the 27 year old spinsterish Jane Rankin with her curly red hair sporting spectacles that hides her deep green eyes and a top lip that had been scarred by the back of a man’s hand. A woman of suspect birth with an aristocrat for a father to whom Jane’s mother Lucy has been mistress to, at the age of 7, Jane’s father had kicked his mistress and illegitimate child out leaving them destitute and homeless. Jane at that tender age had resolved that she would never become any man’s mistress nor would she allow a man to dictate her life. And its a resolution that Jane has stuck by even when the going had got tough. Salvation had come in the form of Lady Blackwood who had saved her from the streets and given her a life. A lady’s companion by day and a nurse at the London College Hospital by night, Jane is firmly rooted in her resolve to remain independent though at odd times she yearns for a man’s touch and wants what true love could bring to her life.

These two souls that hide behind facades of their own making shaped up by their experiences when growing up meet by chance when Matthew is brought in as a patient to the hospital where Jane works. From the moment Matthew feels Jane’s fleeting touches and hears her angelic voice, its as if salvation has come calling for him to take him back to the shores of life. Though Matthew is unable to see his Jane’s face during his hospital stay, the white hot attraction that flares up between them is an all consuming one which left me totally breathless at times. Jane who has never had an untoward thought about any patient of hers finds herself yearning to touch the perfection that Matthew’s body is. Not knowing who he is apart from the fact that he could be royalty, a bond is forged between these two that each wants to fight but can’t help but give in to.

As Jane and Matthew’s relationship starts off on shaky grounds, so emerges a tale immersed in darkness with a few surprising twists towards the end. Matthew and Jane’s happily ever after certainly is not one served on a silver platter as Matthew’s dreaded father and stepmother contrive to keep these two apart and Jane with her avowal of becoming a respected member of the society certainly doesn’t give up the values that she has held close to her up until now. All this makes for a really good romance to sink into and the scorching passion between Matthew and Jane is so skillfully done that you can’t help but want more of where that came from.

I liked:

  1. THE COVER!! I just freaking love it! Kudos to the artist. Its such a beautiful cover art for a story that is beautiful and unique which the cover portrays so very well.
  2. Matthew Wallingford. Fans of tortured heroes are going to love him and I absolutely fell for him right from the very first chapter itself. At first when Matthew and Jane meets, I thought that all the hype about Matthew being a bad-ass was just all talk as Matthew seemed to swoon into this puddle of goo whenever Jane was around. But 28% into the story, I said hello to the Matthew I was looking for. The cynical and jaded Matthew who lashes out at the only woman who has been able to see through his facade into the loneliness carved and etched onto his soul; the only woman whose touch he craves more than life itself. The way he aches for Jane and her touch which seems to purify his soul and begins chipping away at the ice that shrouds his heart and his smoldering sensuality with his swoon-in-front-of-him good looks certainly makes Matthew one of the most delectable and unforgettable heroes ever.
  3. Jane Rankin. She starts out sounding prim, proper and spinsterish as well as plain. But around Matthew, Jane transforms into the sensual woman she is supposed to be, a woman who yearns to possess and be possessed by the man she loves. Under Matthew’s smoldering gaze, Jane transforms into a woman of immense beauty, her character and strength lending her a  beauty that glows right from the depth of her soul which makes her one of the most endearing heroines ever. I loved Jane for standing by her values, never letting them go until she had taken the time to decide what was right for her. And I loved Matthew for letting Jane go, so that she could come back on her own terms which made this book a winner for me.
  4. The sizzling sensuality of this story. It has the quality to leave the reader breathless, made me yearn for more and much more as the story moved along. I believe its a testament to Ms. Featherstone’s writing style that I loved each and every encounter that took place between Matthew and Jane.
  5. The epilogue which is available separately from the story. Though I didn’t find the ending available in the story itself lacking, the epilogue is a beautiful piece of work that is a fitting ending for a romance that holds readers enthralled all throughout the story. Loved knowing how things turned out for Matthew and Jane in the end.
  6. The reason I didn’t find the ending lacking in the story itself is because Ms. Featherstone certainly didn’t end up providing instant-formula solutions to the very huge obstacles that seemed to stand in the way of Jane and Matthew getting together. So in a way this story is more meaningful because of that and I think I loved this story just a little more just because of that!

I disliked: Can’t think of anything I would change within this story. Loved every single morsel of the story.

Favorite Quotes

She was too close, his brain warned, but his body overruled logical thought, and he wanted her closer, until her breasts were crushed against him, and his mouth was buried in her throat.
“Sir, release me.”
“Jane…” He released his hold and brought his hand up, connecting with what felt like a soft, plump cheek. She had ample time to retreat from him, but even with his blindness, he could see that she moved closer. “Jane,” he murmured again, not understanding this strange fascination with her name, or the sound of it coming from his mouth.

“Stay with me, Jane.” he mumbled hours later as he clasped her small hand to his chest.
“I cannot,” she replied quietly. “The dawn has arrived.”
“I despise the morning,” he murmured, tracing the satiny nails of her fingers with his fingertips. “I am a creature of darkness, whose element is night and shadows. I belong in the dark with the other sinful creatures.”
She caressed his cheek, and he did not flinch and shrink away in revulsion. Instead, he savored that gentle touch, eating it up like a starving man given a few scraps of bread.

Their fingertips touched and he felt as though he’d been punched in the middle. As their fingers entwined, he felt something that was at once welcoming yet terrifying. Looking down at their locked hands, he realized it was a sense of … completion. Instinct told him to block the feeling. But then she spoke, her voice causing a warmth to spread throughout his body.

“You thought I believed you insignificant, but the truth is, I find you fascinating. You think I suppose you’re not pretty, but Jane,” he said, looking up, “I find you stunning. Your eyes … your imperfect mouth. It’s beautiful, and I want to paint you how I see you, sensual and womanly, dying to break free of an ideal that imprisons you.”

Staring at the window of his study, Matthew watched as the door of the carriage shut behind Jane. Their gazes met, and despite the fact that Jane had asked that he not see her off, he had not been able to resist one last look at the woman who had changed him, who’d awakened not only the man, but the heart inside him.
Jane… Resting his flattened palm on the glass, he tried to connect with her, if only for a fleeting second, I need your touch …
Despite the silence, Jane heard him and his desperate plea. Her own small hand, devoid of a glove, rested against the carriage window, holding him palm to palm, despite glass, brick and mortar. The sun chose that moment to shine, illuminating the copper curls that had escaped her bonnet, and the glistening trails of tears that slid down her pale cheeks.
Pressing his forehead to the cool glass, he held her gaze, her palm, his eyes pleading with her. Don’t go. Don’t leave me.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Charlotte Featherstone.
  2. Fans of historical romances who like their romances with a little more spice in it than usual.
  3. Fans of romances who would like a story that ends just a tad differently from your usual ones.

And the funny thing is, just as I sat down to write the review with music blaring from the headphones, the song Sweetest Sin by Jessica Simpson came up on my playlist which struck a chord deep within me which I somehow found to be perfect for this story. So I leave my review with a couple of lines from the lyrics for you all to enjoy.

Can you imagine us,
Making love…
The way you would feel the first time that we touched,
Can you think of it…
The way I dream of it,
I want you to see like im seeing you…
It’s a picture of perfection,
The vision of you and me…

Your lips upon my lips,
Can you just picture this …
Your finger tips on my finger tips,
Your skin upon my skin …
Would be the sweetest sin …

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Reveal Me by Cari Quinn

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Unveiled, Book 1
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Hero: Carter Nicholas
Heroine: Alana MacGregor
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: January 19, 2011
Started On: January 21, 2011
Finished On: January 21, 2011

I first discovered Cari Quinn when I read and reviewed her book Personal Research on September last year. With the release of that novel, Cari Quinn certainly made it to my auto-buy list because her books are seriously way over the hot, hot zone packaged with a ton of emotion that I as a romance reader absolutely revel in. This short erotic quickie released from Ellora’s Cave includes everything that makes an erotica worth your time.

Alana MacGregor has a bit of a wild side to her nature which hides the sensitive and vulnerable woman inside of her. Someone who is always a bit restless and has issues with commitment and settling down in one place, its a miracle in itself that Alana has lasted as the photographer for The Edge, Roanoke Virginia’s leading newspaper for 11 months now though Alana knows photographing dildos is not what she should be doing with her obvious talent for photography.

Alana is a regular visitor of Kink-Aly, Maryland’s hottest sex club and it is there she runs smack-dab into the now hunky and gorgeous Carter Nicholas from high school who Alana had used to make her then boyfriend jealous regardless of the fact that Alana was aware that nerdy Carter had feelings for her. Caught at a vulnerable moment Alana does what she always does best – brazenly offer herself up to Carter who manages to rouse in her feelings which Alana has thought impossible till now. Their journey towards happily ever after is a hot and wild one any erotica fan would absolutely love!

I liked:

  1. The cover!! I will buy this one for the cover alone. I can stare at that back for hours to come, imagining running my hands up and down those muscles, kissing those little curves. So before I get carried away once again, definitely heart the cover on this one! ^_^
  2. Carter Nicholas. I have identified with the fact that Cari Quinn writes the sexiest “nerdy” heroes possible and Carter certainly lived up to all my expectations and then some. He is sexy, dynamite in bed and out of it *winks* and the best quality about him is the fact that he sees Alana for who she is, wants her for who she is and obviously cares for her and cherishes her in a major way. Total hottie!
  3. Alana MacGregor. At first I couldn’t help but be a little taken aback by her less-than-kind nature. But as I read along I understood what was driving her to be what she was before and she fully redeemed herself towards the end which makes her strong in my opinion. And she is a definite match for the much laid back Carter. Alana is the right mix to add a little spice and wickedness to Carter’s life.
  4. Definitely made me notice Alana’s best friend Kelly. Provoke Me is the title where Kelly finds her happily ever after and am eagerly awaiting an announcement for its release date. I know I am going to love her story as much as I did Alana and Carter’s.

I disliked: None.

Recommended for:

1- Fans of erotic romances who love their stories hotter than wildfire.
2- Fans of Cari Quinn. You should definitely read this one!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo | Ellora’s Cave

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Into the Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice

Format: E-bookintothecrossfire
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Protectors, Book 1
Publisher: Avon Red
Hero: Sam Reston
Heroine: Nicole Pearce
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: July 27, 2010
Started On: December 24, 2010
Finished On: December 25, 2010

Lisa Marie Rice’s books are all about larger than life heroes that literally makes the pages come alive with their sheer masculinity and uber-alpha protectiveness. And her heroines are always ultra-feminine with a mighty fierce protective nature of their own that can surprise the reader a time or two. And her books always deliver the most sensually well done love-scenes that you can’t help but want more of where that came from. Into The Crossfire is done in classic Lisa Marie Rice style and the 1st book in The Protectors series was definitely a huge hit with me.

Sam Reston, former SEAL and owner of Reston Security is the type of hero any woman would wish to be by her side. As a baby Sam had been abandoned at a dumpster by his drug addict mother like a piece of trash and she had returned back for him when Sam had been around 8 years old spouting nonsense on being a changed woman ready to take charge of her son’s life. Life had been a nightmare for Sam during the couple of years he had spent with  his mother who had used up all state aide on booze and drugs, with the men who had inhabited her life beating the shit out of Sam whenever they got the chance. That era of his life had ended when a teacher had taken notice of what was happening to Sam for him to be placed in a foster home that had been run by a brutal couple. It is there that Sam had met his blood brothers Harry Bolt and Mike Keillor where 3 of them had had each others backs and looked out for one another till they had gone their separate ways. A blown up eardrum had ended Sam’s career as a SEAL where Uncle Sam had taken what he was by nature, refined it and spent millions of dollars to make him into one fine killing machine. A fierce protector of the weaker sex, Sam and his blood brothers band up to protect abused women and give them a fresh start away from the memories of the abusive lives that they had been subjected to till then. Now his own boss, Sam works hard putting scum of the Earth behind bars, going deep undercover for missions at times.

28 year old Nicole Pearce has led a charmed life till now and had grown up in consulates and embassies all around the world with her father’s career embedded in the diplomatic circles. Her father Nicholas Pearce was the most honorable man she had ever known and her parents had been the perfect example of a loving couple until her mother had been taken away in a brutal accident a few years back. Nicole had been enjoying living the single and carefree life working as a translator at the UN in Geneva until she had received the news of her father’s illness. With multiple brain tumors of the inoperable kind, the only thing Nicole’s father had wanted was to move back home to die in peace, something which Nicole moves heaven and Earth to accomplish for the man who has her undying devotion and love. Her love life had practically ceased to exist with all her energy going into starting up her translating business Wordsmith and being there for her father.

It is during one of those deep undercover missions with Sam looking like the worst scum to walk the planet Earth that he encounters classy and beautiful Nicole who at first calls Sam “Lowlife” in her mind. Not knowing who Sam actually is, Nicole pins the prickling awareness that hits her unawares whenever Sam is around to her distaste in his disreputable looks. Nicole is the type of woman that Sam has always stayed away from till now. From the moment Sam sees Nicole it is as if all other women on planet Earth has ceased to exist for him and Sam takes up on an opportunity to coerce a dinner date out of Nicole to woo her into his arms in true Sam style which totally backfires on Sam in the most delicious ways possible. Nicole is in for the surprise of her life when Sam defies everything she lays down on the table and sweeps her into his arms to give her the  most unforgettable night of her life.

It is quite by chance that Nicole is thrust into danger when she holds within her hands a document that can thwart a terrorist attack to be carried out on American soil by a Muslim mastermind working in the Wallstreet. Crippling the American economy and making Manhattan a radioactive wasteland by July 4th is their aim and nothing would sway them in their path towards the ultimate destruction of America and the West. When a ruthless killer known as Outlaw is dispatched to destroy the information and eliminate Nicole the brutal race against time begins for Nicole and Sam in identifying what it is that had painted a target on Nicole’s head. Filled with villains of the creepy kind, a hero who makes your insides go numb from sensory overload and a heroine who you just can’t help but fall in love with, Into the Crossfire is one of the best romantic suspense novels of 2010 for me.

Likes:

1- Sam Reston. I don’t even know where to start with what he made me feel all throughout the book. Ms. Rice has done a splendid job in creating Sam as a fierce hero who wouldn’t hesitate to die for those whom he loves. His sheer masculinity just leaps at you from the pages making you want to rub your hands all over him.  His utter focus on Nicole and the way she calls to that elusive something deep inside of him and because Sam doesn’t hesitate to claim her as his and treat her right, Sam earns all the love reserved for romance heroes and then some deep within my heart. ^_^

2- I loved the sensations that coursed through me as I read through each and every encounter between Sam and Nicole. I don’t know how Ms. Rice does it but I practically forgot to breathe through Nicole and Sam’s first encounter of the against-the-wall variety as Sam blazed through and Nicole urged him to put to an end the sensory overload that had begun in earnest right from the very beginning of the novel. I think the name Sam has something to do with hot-as-sin against-the-wall-encounters. Brings back good memories of Sam and Jaine going at it in Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard. ^_~

3- Nicole Pearce. She is beautiful, classy and down-to-earth as they come. Her fierce love for her father and her undying loyalty towards him during his last couple of painful days left made her one of the most endearing heroines that I have read about. Totally loved her! And yes, she is perfect for the silent and strong Sam in every way!

4- Tthis story left me begging for Mike and Harry’s story to be told. Harry’s story “Hotter than Wildfire” is to come out next March and I literally am rubbing my hands together in glee at the mere thought of it!!

Dislikes: Sometimes the numerous references to Nicole’s dying father and the circumstances that had forced her to give up her wonderful life and come to her father’s aide gets to be a bit too much. Yes, we all know that Nicole’s father is sick, terminally ill and that she had given up everything to come take care of him. Repetitive explanations of the circumstances gets a tad tiring after a while.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Lisa Marie Rice.
  2. Fans of contemporary romantic suspense with a high dose of sensuality. I definitely loved this one!

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Command and Control by Shelli Stevens

Format: E-bookcommandandcontrol
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Holding Out for a Hero, Book 2
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Trevor Wyatt
Heroine: Megan Asher
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 21, 2010
Started On: December 23, 2010
Finished On: December 23, 2010

My first book by Shelli Stevens was Dangerous Grounds, the first book in the Seattle Steam series which I read long before I started this review website of mine. But Dangerous Grounds has always lurked somewhere at the back of my mind as a book that I enjoyed immensely and I just might give in and revisit Gabe and Madison one of these days. So when I found out by following Ms. Stevens on Twitter that her latest release is all about a tortured hero who needs healing in all the ways possible, I didn’t hesitate to get myself a copy and indulge. And indulge is what I did as this short story delivered on all fronts and made all my senses come wonderfully alive with the raw sensuality between Trevor and Megan.

The story kicks off when Trevor walks into a coffee shop in his small hometown of Wyattsville to overhear the most notorious gossip in town declare that his ex-fiance Megan Asher was getting married. The streak of possessiveness that strikes through Trevor when he hears that someone else might claim his Megan is overwhelming to say the least. And it is with all this jealousy and possessiveness lurking close to the surface, almost ready to explode that Trevor confronts Megan to find out whether there was anything to the rumors floating around town.

Megan can’t believe it when without any warning Trevor walks in demanding to know whether the news that she was getting married that was circulating around town could be at all true. It is true that Megan had been the one to walk out on Trevor and their engagement but it had been Trevor who had really left their relationship after coming back injured from tour duty in Afghanistan, a man too haunted by memories that he had refused to let go or get professional help for him to heal. But leaving Trevor and trying to get over him certainly hadn’t worked at all when all Trevor had to do was just walk in for all her senses to come alive and slap her on her head for walking out on him.

With Trevor determined to win back what he rightfully considers as his, the heat is on as two people who have always shared a combustible passion between them fires up the pages in this delectable read. But compatibility in bed and out of it and a love that can last a lifetime certainly doesn’t seem to be enough when Trevor still ends up walking out on Megan afraid that by staying he would only end up hurting her. And it is Megan who remains undeterred in her conviction that she would help exorcise whatever ghosts that haunted Trevor and move them closer to the happily ever after that they both so much deserve making this book a lipsmackingly good read.

Likes:

  1. Trevor Wyatt of course! Was there any doubt in any of your minds about that? ^_^ Sexy, broody, tortured to the max and a possessive streak a mile wide when it comes to Megan, Trevor just makes my heart go thud, thud and my knees all wobbly with his mere presence. From the opening scene itself, everything feminine within me rejoiced in Trevor’s jealousy over the mere idea of anyone else claiming his Megan as their own. I definitely loved me some Trevor!
  2. Megan Asher. She definitely lives up to her character as in she is beautiful, smart, knows what she wants and doesn’t hesitate to work for what she wants no matter what happens which turned out to be her most endearing quality. Megan was wise enough to know what Trevor needs so that their relationship would have a standing chance  the second time round. Her plan to help Trevor certainly worked out well enough for her and for me as well. ^_^
  3. The hot, hot, hot sensuality between Trevor and Megan. I think my Kindle heated up a degree or two as Megan and Trevor, both with their take charge attitudes just simply combusted after a 1 year separation. Car smexing, shower smexing and smexing of the kinkier variety takes place, all very hot and all very well done!
  4. I loved the tidbits of Trevor and Megan’s shared past that made their forays into the story. Lent this story something extra of the wicked variety as well as in terms of character development.
  5. Command and Control certainly made me sit up and take notice of Kate and her crush on Todd Wyatt the youngest Wyatt of the 3 brothers. I have certainly added Flash Point, the 3rd book in the Holding Out for a Hero series which is to be published on March 2011 to my wishlist.

Dislikes: Though I know novellas are supposed to be pretty short, I just felt the ending was a bit too rushed. Of course things ended on a happy note but I would have loved it more if the ending had been just a tad longer.

Recommended for: Fans of contemporary erotica. This one is hot and sizzling good!

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

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Collateral Damage by J.L. Saint

Format: E-bookcollateraldamage
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Plus Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Silent Warrior, Book 1
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Jack Hunter
Heroine: Lauren Collins
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: December 14, 2010
Started On: December 18, 2010
Finished On: December 23, 2010

Like any reader, I am a bit apprehensive when it comes to trying out new authors, though that doesn’t stop me from trying out books on authors that I have never heard of because just sometimes, delving into the unknown certainly pays off when you find a book such as this one where the pages literally turn themselves with the fast paced action, romance and adventure that this one delivers – in spades.

Sergeant First Class Jack Hunter with more than 20 years of military experience under his belt also known as DT i.e. Double Tap because of his accuracy with headshots, wakes up in the ICU at the Walter Reed Medical Centre when the last mission where he had led his team members Rico, Pecos and Neil into the terrorist ridden areas of Lebanon where a group had kidnapped and held hostage the daughters of the Israeli Prime Minister and the US Ambassador had gone totally wrong. With Rico and himself seriously injured and Neil dead in the strike that had taken place, Jack is a man torn apart by the nightmares about the mission gone wrong and pieces that don’t seem to fit together. The one thing that Jack who has a strained relationship with his 6 year old daughter Livy after the hellish nightmare of a 7 year marriage with her mother Jill had ended up in divorce knows is that there is more than what meets the eye in what went down in Lebanon. With all his senses screaming at him to make sense of the blond and blue eyed American he had shot dead whose body had not turned up makes Jack all twitchy on the insides and makes him push himself to the limits to get back to the field before the shit hits the fan.

Lauren Collins with her 6 year old twin sons Matt and Mitch is just a month away from finalizing her divorce from Bill Collins the one man she had thought had been her Prince Charming who had later turned out to be the stuff made from nightmares. Right after Bill had taken up a job at BioLogics, a company that deals with invention of green technology as their PR executive and turned all secretive, their marriage had hit the rocks only to plummet deeper into abysmal when Bill began a string of extramarital affairs that had finally decided the fate of their marriage. And when Lauren receives the dreaded phone call in the middle of the night informing her that her husband had been shot dead in what appeared to be a random act of violence right after which her home is invaded by a masked gunman hellbent on searching for something Lauren has no clue of whatsoever, she barely manages to escape with her and her sons lives intact.

When the rough and tough looking six foot Jack Hunter with his square jawed and chiseled looks turns up on her doorstep commanding all her bedraggled hormones to take notice and clamor for his attention, he turns out  to be her only savior from danger that lurks wherever she turns. Lauren has no choice but to trust Jack with her and her sons lives as they race against time and try to piece together the cutthroat world of murder and mayhem that Bill had thrust his family into. As red-hot passion burns strong and sure like wildfire between Jack and beautiful Lauren so does a mad man’s thirst for world dominance that knows no bounds as he would go to any lengths to thwart those who stand in his way to prevent him from executing the perfect plan which would give him total power served on a silver platter.

Likes:

  1. Jack Hunter. He is broody, tortured and hot as sin!! I always love myself a tortured hero who knows what to do with his God given talents in pleasing a woman! And that’s not the only thing that drew me to Jack. He is loyal and wants to do right by what is his though he has had a hard time of things for the last couple of years. And on top of all that, he is black ops military. *sigh* Jack is utterly swoon worthy ladies, I solemnly swear by this! *swoons*
  2. Lauren Collins. She is perfect heroine material for the rough and tough Jack Hunter. With her sons she is the fierce mother tigress protecting her cubs, with Jack she is vulnerable and strong at the same time and what makes her unique is she doesn’t stand down and let Jack take all the control but rather she is an equal partner where she and Jack are concerned. Loved Lauren to bits.
  3. This story opened up my eyes to a lot of things that can go wrong with the precariously balanced “peace” that we take for granted in this world. Just add to it bad guys who are unscrupulous enough and have the means to manipulate the West and  the Islamic world as that happened in this story and you would have a global catastrophe of major proportions on your hands. Being a Muslim myself, I was a bit apprehensive when I started out reading and encountered the scene where Muslims had kidnapped the daughter of the Israeli prime minister. And I thought to myself, please don’t let this story be something where Muslims are portrayed as less than human and I was really glad of the sensitivity with which Ms. Saint handled the issue. There is no overly judgmental stuff going on in the story which brings home the hard truth of a war that was started by the Bush administration which has already cost the common man a lot more just a pretty penny from his pocket. Kudos to Ms. Saint for pulling this off so well.
  4. I liked the secondary stories that were taking place as the story unfolded. I liked how Ms. Saint didn’t overly make the story about the secondary characters, which is sometimes what happens when an author tries to juggle too many characters and their stories in one novel. She has laid the foundation nicely for this new series the rest of the books which has already landed on my auto-buy list. I am really looking forward to reading the story of the Delta Team commander Lt. Col. Roger Weston and Mari, the Muslim widow of Neil who dies in the op that is the starting point of this series and story.
  5. The cover. Believe it or not, the cover was what drew me to the story in the first place. I make it a point to surf through Samhain Publishing at least once a month to find out titles that might interest me. And when I looked into the eyes of the guy on the cover, I was baited enough to read through the synopsis and I have since then been looking forward to its release date which was earlier this month. This one definitely ends up on the fabulous cover list!  ^_^
  6. The creepy villain and his ever more creepy chimpanzee. Gives me the shivers of the bad kind even thinking about his warped mind. But he was a villain who certainly delivered enough to label him as one of the creepiest villains ever and lends the story the edge that it so well receives from him on the danger and adventure front.

Dislikes: As always the lack of a proper epilogue does rankle but not overly much since I hope I would be getting to see a bit of Jack and Lauren in the next couple of books in the series. ^_^

Recommended for: Fans of romantic suspense who love books filled with non-stop adventure and red-hot passion!

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

fantasticread