Category / Contemporary

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: All or Nothing by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-bookallornothing
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Lonnigans, Book 2
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Lucas Lonnigan
Heroine: Belinda Lynn Riggs
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: May 29, 2010
Started On: October 23, 2010
Finished On: October 24, 2010

When The Lonnigans series first caught my roving eye, it was this book that I knew would deliver everything that I crave for as a romance reader. Lucas Lonnigan definitely took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions that refused to let go long after I finished his story. Even when I was reading All of You (the 1st book in this series) before this, it was the glimpses of Lucas that held my attention and deep down inside I just knew that his smoldering intensity would demand nothing less than the ultimate surrender of all my emotions – and he certainly did that and more.

Older than Kyle by just ten minutes, Lucas is perceived as the reserved and quiet one compared to his happy-go-lucky twin. Having made a career for himself analyzing numbers, no one would have believed that beneath the brooding facade that he presents to the world lies a heart that had jumped right out on its own and gone ahead and fallen for his neighbor and childhood friend Belinda Lynn Riggs when he had just been six years old.

Belinda is one of the most complex heroines I have come across in the hundreds of romances that I have managed to read till now. She is prickly as a hedgehog, has deep rooted issues about commitment, trust and love as a result of a turbulent childhood spent with parents who had had a violent sort of love for one another that had taken its toll on the family of seven, more so on Belinda who is the eldest and who took care of the younger ones. When the Briggs move in next door to the Lonnigan’s suburban home, in Lucas Belinda finds someone who understands her and someone who really sees who she is beneath the persona she presents to the rest of the world.

Their friendship certainly takes on a new meaning when at the age of 18, on prom night, an innocent touch erupts into a passion that refuses to be denied, a passion that ties Lucas and Belinda forever struggling to come to terms with a love so fierce that it refuses to be tamped down and ignored, and accept the fact that they are made for one another. However, Belinda’s past always keeps on haunting any attempts on Lucas’s part to show her how good that they can be together until finally Belinda drives Lucas away with her stubbornness that prevents her from letting go of the past.

This story is so very good that I didn’t want to put it down regardless of the fact that I had to wake up early morning for work today. At work, I was antsy the whole day, missing Lucas and his smoldering sensuality that kept the pages turning until my eyes couldn’t focus any longer from the need to slumber. There were times that I really wanted to hate Belinda for what she puts Lucas through, but she made up for all of it so beautifully in the end. If I hadn’t already been half in love with Lucas before, the way he calls Belinda Belle would have sealed the deal for me.

I absolutely loved  the epilogue which was the one thing that was missing from book 1 in this series. However Ms. Tenorio has redeemed herself in my eyes by providing a most fitting and beautiful epilogue which couldn’t have made me anymore happier! A great two book series, each one of which can be read as a standalone title without much hassle is highly recommended for those who love their romances with a touch of humor and a high dose of sensuality that goes a long way in making the story a memorable one.

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: All of You by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-bookallofyoudee.jpg
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Lonnigans, Book 1
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd
Hero: Kyle Wellem Lonnigan
Heroine: Jessica Saunders
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: April 6, 2010
Started On: October 22, 2010
Finished On: October 23, 2010

Reading All of You by Dee Tenorio, the first book in The Lonnigans series certainly entertained me on all fronts. Wickedly sensual with a touch of the trademark Tenorio humor in all the right places (which I came to identify and fall in love with after reading Betting Hearts) and characters who just leaped right out the pages certainly made for an unforgettable read. A huge thanks to Ms. Tenorio for providing me a copy of this story filled with several laugh-out-loud moments together with enough passion to curl my toes inward all the way!

Storyline: Jessica Saunders has been seeing Lucas Lonnigan (twin of Kyle Lonnigan) for the past 4 months in the most platonic relationship she had ever had. Solely focused on her career as a financial lawyer, Jessica is a woman who has sworn off all sorts of things to do with emotions and making herself vulnerable enough to feel anything for anyone apart from herself. When she agrees to see Lucas the fateful night that everything changes, the only thing that Jessica wants is to break things off with Lucas, until in walks a version of the man himself that seems to have personified every wild and wanton craving that Jessica has ever had.
When Kyle who works as an investment banker switches dates with his twin Lucas he has no idea that he is about to meet the one woman who would irrevocably change his life. Kyle who plans everything to death so that his life would go according to his whim finds himself poleaxed by the need to claim and possess his brother’s date as his own, a need that seems to be reciprocated which concludes the night in Kyle having the most fabulous sex of his life – before he is able to tell Jessica (Jess or Jessie as he calls her tenderly) who he really is.
What follows is the story of how Kyle who six months back had suddenly found his life lacking decided that marriage and 2.5 kids were what he needed, tries to convince Jessica that together they could achieve his dreams of a happy home and family. But Kyle finds out the hard way that the woman who rocks his world on so many levels, the woman he wants to claim as his wife and the mother of all his babies, is the one woman on the planet who has no intention of committing herself to a life as the one he has envisioned.

The First Meet: Kyle and Jessica first lay their eyes on one another when Kyle shows up in his brother’s stead for the date which Jessica is determined would end the relationship between her and Lucas Lonnigan.

Time period: This romance has a contemporary setting.

Awareness between the two characters: From the first moment itself, the atmosphere fairly sizzles whenever Kyle and Jessica are in the same room. Regardless of the fact that Jessica doesn’t want anything to do with Kyle who has love and forever written all over his face, the need that sears through her, a need to touch and to be touched that spikes out of control whenever Kyle is around makes it hard for Jessica to lock away her heart and emotions and throw away the key. The harder she tries to push him away, the more relentless becomes the desire within her to feel Kyle’s caress that always soars them away to places they have never been to before.

How the relationship grows: Kyle basically has his work cut out for him when he decides to woo the emotionally skittish woman who has captured his heart so effortlessly. Enlisting the help of Jessica’s less than conventional secretary Dory Pierson, Kyle refuses to let Jessica shut him out and neatly send him into her past. Jessica who has severe abandonment issues and bolts at the merest hint of vulnerability in her well placed armor doesn’t know whether to scream in frustration or to give into a need that has grown inside of her regardless of how much she doesn’t want to acknowledge her changing heart. Jessica thinking she would be able to have a purely sexual affair with the man who rocks her universe by the merest kiss embarks on one with Kyle who determinedly works for a future which he envisions is what they both need.

The turning point: The first pivotal moment in Kyle and Jessica’s relationship comes when they have heart jolting sex the night they first meet. With the first searing kiss, Kyle is a goner and though Jessica too feels the jolt that shakes the very foundation of everything she has so doggedly worked for till that moment, that night changes everything for better or worse. The final turning point comes in a moment of clarity for both Jessica and Kyle when a certain chain of events nearly ends Kyle’s life as he knows it lending both of them to understand that what they feel for one another cannot be ignored nor denied any longer.

Likes: At first I thought that I would end up hating Jessica  for what she puts Kyle through by being so emotionally unavailable – yes, I haven’t read about any heroine who gives out that impression more than Jessica does. But she definitely surprised the hell out of me with her vulnerability and the need that she has to love, to be loved and to be wanted – a need that she ruthlessly tries to tamp down on at the merest hint of its existence. Kyle’s patience with Jessica and how he determinedly works for a future that he thinks is what they both need had me rooting for him all the way through. I liked the fact that overnight solutions weren’t provided for the problems that seemed to hold back these two from attaining their happily ever after. And of course who wouldn’t love a man like Kyle Lonnigan who definitely knows the secrets to keeping his woman happy. *wink*
And ooh yes, I am definitely very much interested in reading about the grumpy, anti-social twin aka Lucas Lonnigan. He promises to make a very good story!

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for: Romance lovers who love a sassy heroine, a hero who knows what he wants and is not shy about going after it, and for those who love romances with a high dosage of sensuality in the mix. I pretty much loved the book from page 1 till the end.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: Tempted by Janelle Denison

Format: E-booktempted
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Blaze #35
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Marc Jamison
Heroine: Brooke Jamison
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: September 1, 2000
Started On: October 20, 2010
Finished On: October 22, 2010

As I finished the last chapter of Tempted by Janelle Denison, my first book by the author, I can still feel the tingles running up and down my body from the wicked and sensuous ride Ms. Denison has taken me on. I am very intrigued about going through the blacklist of Ms. Denison to find out whether all her books are as wickedly sinful as this one!

Storyline: This is the story of Brooke Jamison who just recently got divorced from Eric Jamison, her husband of two years, who unexpectedly finds forbidden frissons of desire exploding within her at the merest touch of her ex-brother-in-law Marc Jamison. Story kicks off when during the celebration of the 35th wedding anniversary of Douglas and Kathleen Jamison, Brooke’s in-laws, a chaste kiss between Marc and Brooke explodes into something more – something that brings out the wild and wanton side of Brooke that she doesn’t even know exists. *Fans self at the thought of that kiss! Whew!!*

The First Meet: There is no mention of how Brooke and Marc first meet, but working under the assumption that Marc is Brooke’s ex-brother-in-law, they most probably must have met each other when Eric had brought her to meet his family.

Time period: This romance has a contemporary setting.

Awareness between the two characters: I don’t think that Marc and Brooke could have been more aware of one another even if they had tried. There are hints within the story that Marc had always envied his brother for finding Brooke to share his life. But the true awakening of the senses begin with that one kiss that turns so hot that everything else just obliterates into nothing around them.

How the relationship grows: Marc and Brooke had always had a comfortable relationship with one another, had in fact being friends when Brooke had been married to Eric. But with that one kiss that propels everything out of control, Brooke who has always been the steady and dependable sort finds herself in a state of panic over losing herself once more over a Jamison. Marc lets her run away from him though he is intrigued on more than one level to find out whether the hint of explosive passion between them could be explored further. A man who believes himself incapable of being faithful in a committed relationship due to his one blunder when he had been a senior in college, Marc is a man who is of the love em’ and leave em’ kind. Three months after Brooke runs off from Marc, these two are stranded together in a snowstorm in a cabin with nothing to do but give into the emotions warring between them as a wild storm rages on outside. It is at this cabin that Brooke lets go of her restraints, learns of the sensual creature that exists inside of her and understands the complex man that Marc is, enough to fall in love with a Jamison, the second time round.

The turning point: The utmost turning point in the story was the first sizzling kiss between Marc and Brooke that begged to be explored further. Their relationship turns into something which cannot be undone when both Marc and Brooke give into this explosive desire between each other which eventually grows into something much more than either of them had bargained for.

Likes: Mmmm… I loved the world of sensual exploration in this story. I have to say that at times I felt like I was reading a novel of the Erotica genre as encounters between Marc and Brooke were frequent and searingly HOT! I loved the fact that Brooke and Marc communicated openly with one another rather than just settle into a vortex of misunderstanding which would have dragged on their problems. I liked the fact that both Brooke and Marc changed for the better during their short and sizzling affair though Ms. Denison doesn’t provide overnight solutions to their problems.

Dislikes: Absolutely none!

Recommended for: Harlequin Blaze line lovers. Though this book was published on the year 2000, this is a lip-smacking good read that should not be missed.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: Shaken by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd
Hero: Dr. Grant Sullivan
Heroine: Julia Sullivan
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: October 19, 2010
Started On: October 20, 2010
Finished On: October 20, 2010

Reading Shaken by Dee Tenorio literally shook me to the core as waves of emotions crossed over me throughout the quarter of an hour it took me to read the story. Shaken is heartbreaking to read, yet shows beautifully how a deep abiding love between two people can overcome even the greatest tragedies in life. Since this is a pretty short story I will be doing the short version of my review as well.

Storyline: Dr. Grant Sullivan, a cardio thoracic surgeon has been married to his beautiful wife Julia (Jules as he calls her in moments of passion and tenderness) for the past eight years. The story kicks off in the midst of the divorce proceedings which was taking place after Julia had walked out on him 2 months back. Tragedy had driven them apart and Grant would give anything to get back his wife to rightfully where she  belongs. When Julia walks out upon reaching a stalemate in the proceedings, Grant follows her onto the elevator which stops as an earthquake strikes leaving the two stranded alone for hours, giving them the perfect opportunity to air their grievances and move on.

The first meet: Grant and Julia first meet one another when Julia comes in for a consultation for her mother. From the moment Grant who is ten years older than Julia lays his eyes on her, he is a goner.

Time period: Present day.

Awareness between the two characters: Considering this is a pretty short story, Ms. Tenorio has done a splendid job in creating both characters in the story. Grant being ten years older doesn’t detract from the fact that he is handsome and as appealing as they come. From the first page itself, even with an 8 year old marriage between them, Grant and Julia are as aware of one another as two people can ever be. Every touch, each searing kiss is so tastefully done that it lent the story the jolt that kept me turning the pages until the very end.

How the relationship grows: Grant and Julia’s relationship had been pretty much perfect until tragedy had marked them both and driven them apart day after day until Julia had finally walked out. Julia who had cried and mourned during the past couple of months had felt that Grant really had not grieved for their loss, and that had been the ultimate betrayal in her eyes which had made her doubt the very foundation on which their marriage is based – the true love they have for each other. Before the story is through their relationship alters for the better and goes through the healing it deserves so that two people who deserve one another as much as these two have a second chance at being together.

The turning point: For me there were two turning points in the story. Even though Julia thinks she possibly cannot let Grant turn every opportunity they have together into a mind numbing orgasmic fest, she lets go because she sees the need in her husband’s eyes, a need so strong that he literally shakes with it. The second turning point comes when Grant finally lets go and grieves for their ultimate loss, a loss that had wrecked him in guilt for the past year which had left him unable to really mourn or cope with his feelings.

Likes: Even though this story literally screams tragedy with a capital “T”, I loved every bit of it. The tragic parts weren’t overdrawn, nor were the emotions held back either. The red hot sensuality that these two so effortlessly wield just makes it the icing on the cake. Grant is the epitome of a tortured hero, the scars going through so deep that he doesn’t know whether he deserves to grieve for his loss. Julia, who complements Grant in all the ways is a strong heroine who doesn’t step down from facing the harsher moments of life, and that makes her that much more appealing as a heroine. Loved the story, loved the characters and absolutely loved the epilogue! (Always a sucker for a good epilogue – yes, I am)

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for: All romance lovers who doesn’t shy away from a good dose of sensuality in the novel. Those who love a tortured hero would cry buckets over this one.

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: Home for a Soldier by Tatiana March

Format: E-bookhomeforasoldier
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Resplendence Publishing LLC
Hero: Rory Sullivan
Heroine: Grace Celements
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: March 18, 2010
Started On: October 17, 2010
Finished On: October 18, 2010

Yesterday was a good day. I say this because I got to stay at home suffering from stomach cramps (which was so not a good thing) and got to finish 3 titles by the time I was ready to sleep. The best part was all the 3 books that I chose to read yesterday were awesome and entertained me to no end.

Home for a Soldier is a title that I stumbled upon quite accidentally I think on one of the discussion forums on Amazon. From the first chapter itself, I was hooked line and sinker and couldn’t make myself put the book down to go to sleep knowing I would pay for it when I had to wake up early next morning for work. Nevertheless the story of how a marriage of convenience between straitlaced Grace Clements and ex-soldier Rory Sullivan develop into something more was totally worth it. So here is my short and sweet review of a romance that took my breathe away from the moment Rory Sullivan stepped into the picture.

Storyline: Grace Clements, a woman as straitlaced as they come is someone who is totally clueless when it comes to what is regarded as normal behavior of the female species. She is lonely and broke after having lost her job as a statistician for an insurance company. Someone who solves simultaneous equations for entertainment, Grace finds herself once again stepping into solve her sister Debbie’s problems when she agrees to a marriage of convenience with Rory Sullivan who is to ship off to Iraq the next week. All Rory wants from the marriage is someone  to live in the apartment which belonged to his beloved grandparents so that he wouldn’t lose the apartment prior to his return. What they both didn’t bargain for is for love to enter into the equation and muddle things up so wonderfully.

The first meet: Grace and Rory first meet one another when Grace flies to Vegas for their marriage. Grace is horrified upon landing to find a drunk Rory with a signboard announcing he was waiting for Grace whilst his army buddies surrounded him creating enough of a ruckus for Grace to wish that she could just disappear.

Time period: Present day.

Awareness between the two characters: From the first moment that Grace is plastered to the hard masculinity of Rory, both can’t help but feel the first stirrings of desire and longing for the other. With Rory at first distrustful of Grace thinking that she would walk out on him and leave him in the lurch, Rory tries to keep Grace plastered to him at all times especially with him suffering from the mother of all hangovers. A dare that Rory can turn every No that comes out of Grace into a Yes ends with both of them reeling from the impact of the heady attraction between them. Ms. March does a wonderful job in maintaining the sizzle between Grace and Rory at a simmer throughout the book which explodes out of control now and then, no matter how much Rory tries to distance himself from his delectable wife.

How the relationship grows: Grace never thought that she would fall in love with her husband and nor does Rory think that Grace would bring down the thick armored wall that he has built around his heart 10 years ago when tragedy had struck his family, the result of which had been Rory joining the army. Their wedding night becomes the stuff that dreams are made of before Rory slinks off into the night without even saying goodbye. A heartbroken Grace who knows that there is no turning back for her when she has so irrefutably fallen in love with the one man who doesn’t want emotional commitment gets the chance seduce Rory into falling in love with her when Rory’s departure date is delayed by 3 days. Though Rory tries to push Grace away, he can’t help but be drawn towards the warmth and goodness that radiates from her and it is during this brief period of time that the first cracks in Rory’s special armor appear. E-mails exchanged between the two go a long way into letting both of learn about each other, something that wouldn’t have happened so easily if both of them had been living together. And when Rory is injured while on tour and comes back home, it is a delighted Grace who meets a gruff Rory who wants to keep Grace at arms length making Grace work hard for whatever she can get from Rory. The relationship, though a difficult one, grows over time throughout the story making this book the wonderful story it is.

The turning point: There were several turning points within this story. Grace and Rory’s unforgettable wedding night meant that both of them couldn’t forget the magic that they had shared which makes Grace determined that she would win the love of her husband until she finds out that the woman Rory calls out for in his nightmares and in time of need is not Grace. The final turn for the better comes when Grace walks out on Rory when he refuses to open up his heart for the possibility of something long and lasting between them.

Likes: I loved Rory, his flaws and all. The tender loving care that he bestows upon Grace even when his heart is reluctant to embrace loving anyone made me fall in love just a little bit more with him. Of course his war torn soldier body is totally drool worthy and makes loving him just a teeny tiny bit easier regardless of the way he kept pushing Grace away. And I totally loved Grace as well for her understanding and unwavering love for a man who continually refused to see what was standing right in front of him. And I applaud Grace wholeheartedly for leaving Rory which went a long way into making him realize just what he had put Grace through during the short  period that they had been together. And I very much enjoyed reading the correspondences between Rory and Grace after Rory goes off to Iraq. Gave something a little extra to this beautiful story. And oh yes, loved the love scenes. Very tastefully done! And before I forget, the way Rory wins Grace back – the guy totally knows how to grovel and win the love of his life back! Sigh!

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for: Anyone who loves romances.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Resplendence Publishing

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: A Little Bit Naughty by Anne Rainey

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Tahoe Nights Story
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Leo Prentice
Heroine: Amanda Harding
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: October 9, 2010
Started On: October 17, 2010
Finished On: October 17, 2010

I was eyeing the Lake Tahoe series long before its release, when I received my weekly newsletter from Books on Board. I find that an enticing cover always goes a long way with a romance and this one has got the enticing thing covered on all bases. When I found out that this a friends to lovers story, I didn’t waste anytime in obtaining a copy and sinking into this short yet sweet story. Since the story is quite short, I will do the short and sweet version of my review for this book.

Storyline: Leo Prentice, owner of the Prentice Construction and Amanda Harding, owner of The Book Attic are best friends. Amanda is always a little bit wary of her family’s annual reunion. Being the only girl in her family, Amanda doesn’t look forward to going to another reunion all alone and facing the endless criticism from her family because she is not married with 2.5 kids at her feet. When she confesses her worries to her best friend Leo, he proposes the most intensely wicked plan – Leo would pretend to be her fiance for the duration of the weekend. But somehow, both of them end up with more than each bargained for.

The first meet: Leo and Amanda had met one another three and a half years back at a grocery store.

Time period: Present day.

Awareness between the two characters: From the first kiss that takes place between the two, there is a constant hum of awareness of one another that hangs around the two. Leo and Amanda had never thought of each other as more than friends before. But suddenly, with that one kiss that had shaken each to their very core, the prospect of exploring what they have together becomes more and more exciting. Since the novel is extremely short, there is not much time spent on building the awareness into a frenzied pitch which would have made this book extremely good.

How the relationship grows: Leo and Amanda have been best friends for the past couple of years. They have a standing date with each other to have lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays and have never missed out on the said date. Their relationship had grown over the years to the extent that they each knew the other well enough to embark on a journey that would take their relationship to the next level.

The turning point: For me the turning point in Leo and Amanda’s relationship came about when Leo kisses Amanda for the first time, to convince her that their charade as pretend lovers could work. And the rest, as they say is a foregone conclusion! *winks*

Likes: I loved Leo as the hero. Wish that he had gotten a longer story of his own. Always a sucker for a man who works with his hands and has got a killer body and growls tender nothings in his lover’s ears. Sigh! Basically loved Leo from his head to foot!

Dislikes: The fact that this is a short novel. *pouts*

Recommended for: Those who would love a quick great read of the erotica genre and those who love books of the theme where friends turn to lovers.

Damn! now I wish for an against the wall scene! Sigh!

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

goodread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Kiss Test by Shannon McKelden

Format: E-bookthekisstest.jpg
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Christopher Treem
Heroine: Margo June Gentry
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 11, 2010
Started On: October 11, 2010
Finished On: October 12, 2010

My first Shannon McKelden was certainly a delightful surprise. This title caught my eye when I received my usual Books On Board newsletter of the month. The cover and the title were enough to catch my eye that I found myself going through the book synopsis and lo and behold a best of friends turning into lovers story was just too hard to resist for me. I was watching out for its release date and as soon as yesterday got here I quickly purchased the book, and regardless of the fact that I have over 200+ books in my to-be-read pile yet to be conquered, I found myself sinking into this wonderful quirky story that entertained me with its wonderful set of characters and left me quite happy and satisfied in the end.

Margo June Gentry thinks her life to be perfect. Living with Kevin Timber, her boyfriend of almost two years who never demands more than she is willing to give and puts up with her obsession for anything Elvis there is  nothing more a girl like Margo who is commitment phobic could ask for. With a job that she loves working as a DJ for the a.m. show at WKUP, a country radio station with all her close friends and Christopher Treem, her best friend of more than 20 years living close by Margo is happy as a clam – that is until everything comes crashing down one by one. First she receives the news that her mother is getting married for the eleventh time and wants her to come down for the wedding. And next thing she knows, her radio station is taken over by South Koreans, she is out of a job  and finds herself faced with a marriage proposal from Kevin who was no longer satisfied with their give and take arrangement. Before she knows it, Margo ends up jobless and homeless within the span of a week.

Margo has always remained independent to a fault, never willing to give up her independence for any man. Margo likes being in control of her life and emotions and doesn’t believe that true love does exist. So when she finds herself jobless, homeless and minus a boyfriend she decides to take on an Elvis road-trip of sorts. But since she has hit one of those unlucky streaks that people talk about, she finds herself having to shack up with Chris and being taken care of by him when a concussion of sorts ends up with her being advised not to strain herself which included practically everything except for lying in bed. With Margo determined that she would go on her Elvis sabbatical regardless of the fact that she can’t walk a few steps without clinging to the walls, Chris bargains with her that he would drive her around if she promises to be present at her mother’s wedding, something Margo wants to avoid at all costs.

As the road trip progresses, it takes the reader on a journey of discovery of how Margo has ended up the way she is. With a father who had walked out on the family when she had been 10 years old, Margo’s mother with her genteel Southern upbringing had taken to bed, her brother Rob had turned completely into an introvert and she and her brother’s best friend Chris had adopted one another as each others best friend. The many step dads of the moment that had passed through their lives some to which she and Rob had started feeling an attachment towards only to be jerked away once the harsh reality of divorce sinks in, Margo has learned to shield herself and run from the slightest indication that her partner of the moment might need something more.

There were lots of things that I liked about this story. Since the story is narrated in first person from Margo’s point of view, it was certainly a refreshing change not to know how Chris feels about Margo for the major part of the story. Most of the time stories such as this one are wholly focused on the sexual aspect of the forbidden desire each feels for the other. Seeing Chris carrying out his famous kiss test on women he meets during the road trip and reading about Margo’s jealousy which she doesn’t even know that she feels was certainly entertaining. And though the one sexual encounter between the two is not detailed on every aspect, it certainly was hot and contributed towards making this a wonderful read. And the glimpse into Margo’s happily ever after with Chris one year on certainly put a broad smile on my face as the book ended. And you’ve just got  to love the fact that all chapters in the story are song titles from the great man himself around which Margo’s obsession revolves.

Favorite Quotes

“And lastly, before we take off, I want to remind everyone about the Manhattan Beach Surf Party tomorrow night, sponsored by KCLA and X-Treem Sports West Coast. Need a new suit or board for the event? Head down to X-Treem Sports today and ask for the owner, Chris Treem. Tell him his best friend, Margo, sent you, and he’ll give you ten percent off your purchase because he loves his wife and will do anything I say.”

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

greatread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: The Multi-Millionaire’s Virgin Mistress by Cathy Williams

Format: E-bookmm
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Mobipocket Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Presents Extra #90
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Alessandro Caretti
Heroine: Megan Reynolds
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: January 21, 2010
Started On: October 3, 2010
Finished On: October 4, 2010

First of all let me just cringe over here a bit from the hideous title of the book. *Shudders*. Moving on, here’s my short and sweet review.

Storyline: Megan Reynolds born and raised in the countryside of Scotland would love nothing more than to settle down with the man she loves in a small house surrounded by a white picket fence in the country teaching at a small school. But she rather unfortunately falls head over heels in love with Alessandro Caretti who is half-Italian and half-English who is the polar opposite of Megan in everyway. Alessandro who had grown up witnessing two parents who had literally worked to their deaths to provide for him has a deep seated driven need to succeed and make a name for himself in the richest and most powerful circles of the world. In Alessandro’s skewed perspective Megan doesn’t fit into the world that he is trying so hard to fit into and when Megan strives to surprise Alessandro by popping out of a birthday cake whilst Alessandro is in a meeting with the wheelers and dealers who could turn his life around, Alessandro breaks things off with a heartbroken Megan and leaves her behind to pursue his ambition of making a name for himself by moving to London. The story continues seven years later when Megan moves to London and it turns out that Alessandro is engaged to the mother of one of her students – a woman who is more suited to Alessandro than Megan could ever hope to be.

The first meet: A 25 year old Alessandro had met 19 year old Megan at a bar to which one of Alessandro’s university colleagues had dragged him off to claiming that Alessandro needed a break from his books.

Time period: Present day.

Awareness between the two characters: There is always a constant hum of awareness between Megan and Alessandro that is palpable. Even when Alessandro is breaking things off with Megan at the beginning of the story, the sexual zing between them ends up in a sinfully seductive scene after which Alessandro being the massive jerk he is at the beginning continues with his intention of breaking up with Megan. When these two meet again seven years later on Alessandro’s turf, its as if they had never been apart. Even though Alessandro is engaged to marry Victoria, a woman who is as career-driven and focused as he is and would fit seamlessly into his ruthlessly driven life, the simmering attraction that sizzles between Alessandro and Megan is something that cannot be ignored. Though encounters between Alessandro and Megan are far and few in between and not explicit, it still manages to draw in the reader into a web of sensual awareness between the two characters.

How the relationship grows: Things between Alessandro and Megan pick up where they left off when Alessandro turns up on Megan’s doorstep one night soaked to the  bone claiming that things between him and Victoria were over and that he wanted to explore what Megan and he still had together. Megan agrees on the condition that their affair be only a sexual one, not wanting to put her emotions and her heart on the line the second time round. Alessandro finds himself getting more and more frustrated with the distance that Megan seems to want to keep between them. And when Megan finds out the actual reason behind Alessandro and Victoria’s break-up Megan walks out on the man who fills her heart so completely but keeps such rigid control over his heart and emotions that would always prevent him from ever making himself vulnerable enough to feel an emotion such as love.

The turning point: The turning point in Alessandro and Megan’s relationship comes about when Megan walks out on Alessandro after they embark on a purely sexual relationship with one another seven years after the breakup.

Ending: I liked the way that this story moved gradually forward, without Alessandro just abruptly declaring his undying love for Megan when he had been so reluctant of love and other touchy feely emotions from the very beginning. A journey that takes them through a seven year separation hardly seems to have made Alessandro more malleable but rather more ruthless and cynical than before. Megan who has been hurt so bad by the fact that Alessandro thought nothing of just walking away from what they had had together seems to have grown a backbone or two for herself during the period of separation. Megan fights for what she wants, though she still feels heady with love and desire whenever Alessandro is around. The fact that she has the courage to walk out on him the second time round and Alessandro has to pick up the pieces of their relationship and work towards wooing Megan who seems reluctant  to give an inch made this book a winner for me. Loved the fact that Alessandro couldn’t manage to stay away from Megan though he tries his damnedest to do otherwise.

Likes: The fact that this story surprised me with the rare depth of character development that takes place for a Harlequin romance. I loved the fact that this story takes place with a believable time frame giving both Alessandro and Megan time to work through their issues to attain their happily ever after.

Dislikes: The immensely cringe-worthy title of the book. I wouldn’t have given this book a second glance if not for a recommendation from a friend who had actually managed to forget this hideous title but remembered the profound effect the story had on her.

Recommended for: Those who love Harlequin romances. This proves to be a little bit different from the usual rich guy stakes out the virgin heroine and terrorizes her until she succumbs to ever lasting love.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Kiss to Kill by Nina Bruhns

Format: E-bookKiss to Kill
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Passion for Danger, Book 3
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Hero: Captain Gregg van Halen
Heroine: Dr. Gina Cappozi
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 6, 2010
Started On: September 29, 2010
Finished On: September 30, 2010

I am finally done with the Passion for Danger series by Nina Bruhns and I have to say that that was one heady and wicked ride that she takes the reader on.  I fell in love with all her characters that she managed to create so vividly that I felt like I was part of them when the series ended. I really do not know for sure whether the series has ended though it definitely does feel like it when the 3rd book in the series concluded.

Though this is the story of the irresistibly sexy, dark and dangerous Gregg Van Halen and Dr. Gina Cappozi, this is also where my much coveted for story of how Christopher Alexander Zane (Alex) and his long time best friend and FBI Special Agent Rebel Haywood also find their happily ever after with one another though the road to happiness is not an easy one for either of the couples.

For those who have read books 1 and 2 in the series they would already know that Gregg and Dr. Gina had become lovers in book 1 when Gina’s best friend Rainie had been taken by the Zero Unit of CIA to which Gregg also belonged to. Gregg’s mission had been to stop Gina from asking unnecessary questions by using whatever means necessary. What he hadn’t counted on was the fact that Gina would reach out and call to something deep inside of him no other woman had ever been able to touch and that she would become the center around which his world revolved.Coming from a broken family, Gregg had been forced to watch his father beat his mother when he had been young. Intervention had landed him in hospital. When his mother had died when he had been 5 years old and his father had started the vicious cycle with other women, Gregg had finally left home when he had just been 10 years old and survived long enough to land in the army and later at the Zero Unit of CIA.

Gregg had just been following orders when he had brought Gina to the Zero Unit’s headquarters. Gregg’s orders had been to leave to Kurdistan on a 3 week mission immediately afterwards and he had only learnt of Gina’s capture by Al Sayika upon completion of his mission when the trail had gone long cold. Knowing that all the clues pointed towards  him as the traitor and the mole within CIA hadn’t deterred him from his self-appointed mission of rescuing his woman and keeping her safe.

Gina however is a woman who has other plans for her ex-lover. Betrayal from the man she had fallen so helplessly and completely in love with during such a short period of time had cut deep into her. Her plan is to exact revenge on Gregg, kill him with her own bare hands. To meet this end, Gina had agreed to act as bait to draw and lure Gregg in so that the STORM agents who were protecting her would finally be able to capture the traitor who had played such a vital role in making all their lives miserable. What Gina doesn’t fully comprehend is the fact that Gregg had been with her all the way, even when she had been recuperating from her injuries at Haven Oaks, a STORM-owned sanatorium in central New York. And when push comes to shove, it is Gregg who rescues her from imminent execution, a plan put into motion by a desperate man trying to tie up all the loose ends.

Meanwhile, Alex who had been left at the altar by his fiance Helena has also been recruited as a STORM agent and because of his lingering issues after his capture and torture at the Al Sayika’s hands for 16 months, Alex had been assigned to guard Gina’s home; a duty from which he is relieved in order to investigate some newly received intel which puts him directly at the path of Rebel, the one woman he has vowed he would stay away from because Alex is sure that he would never be able to give Rebel what she definitely deserves. But Alex can’t help himself when Rebel is nearly blown to pieces, another present from Al Sayika, and with no fiance to hold his loyalty, Alex lets his baser emotions take control with the woman he loves and wants to stay away from.

Rebel needless to say is ecstatic when Alex finally takes her in his arms and shows her in reality what she has been craving for ever since she had laid eyes on him. And when Alex drops the bombshell that nothing more could come out of their encounter Rebel is heartbroken to say the least and even a bit enraged to find why Alex had actually contrived to marry her friend Helena and presumes to know what Rebel actually wants in life.

As STORM and Gregg closes in on the traitor, the story of Gina’s ex-fiance Wade Montana and Metro Police Detective Sara McPhee also starts to unfold though its more of a side story. Before the traitor is caught, suspicions fall on both Gregg and Wade who both in their ways had contributed unknowingly towards the imminent capture of Gina by Al Sayika. The final showdown between the good and the bad guys definitely delivered what I wanted with a shocking revelation for a villain in the end.

As right from the very beginning, I totally heart Gregg and love the way he protects his woman though he believes he is not capable of giving or receiving love because of his dark past. The man he has shaped into makes for a deliciously edgy and dark hero enough to spice up the dreams of even a rusted old woman. Alex though at times I felt like hitting him on the head a time or  two beautifully made up for it in the end. Though Gregg and Gina is my favorite couple from the series (might have something to do with the fact that I am irresistibly drawn to Gregg) Alex and Rebel do come as my second favorite couple with Bobby Lee and Darcy from the previous story in the third.

This is a great series worth your time if you are a fan of romantic suspense who can handle equal amounts of terror and sensual delights all packed into one.

Favorite Quotes

In the mirrored film noir frames of the moving window, he (Gregg) searched her face for any sign of recognition. Or of alarm. And found none. Her eyes passed quickly over him.
But within himself, crouching right next to the anger that simmered and roiled in his chest, he felt a bone-deep physical recognition of her. And had a sudden, overwhelming need to put his hands on her. A need so potent and visceral it nearly sucked the breath from him.
He knew this woman, intimately. Knew her flesh and her fears. He had plunged deep inside her and felt her quake with the pleasure his presence there had brought her. And had felt her tremble with the fear of his absolute power over her.
He wanted to feel her quake and tremble again.
But she would never allow it. Never accept him again as she once had.
Because he had betrayed her.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: If Looks Could Chill by Nina Bruhns

Format: E-bookiflookscouldchill
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Passion for Danger, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Hero: Marc Boudreaux Lafayette (Marc)
Heroines: Tara Reeves
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: December 1, 2009
Started On: September 21, 2010
Finished On: September 29, 2010

This book has taken me like forever to finish – not because the story was in anyway boring or didn’t measure up to its predecessor. I managed to get distracted by other books that I just HAD to read before I could come back and finish this great book which I left hanging for a while. Once again I just have to point out the fact that I am so VERY glad that I gave this series a chance based on the rave reviews this series has received. These books manage to keep the tempo up and running and I have never encountered a dull moment when I lost myself in the 2 stories of the series that I have managed to read so far.

Its hard to say that this is just the story of Marc Boudreaux Lafayette (Marc) and State Trooper First Class Tara Reeves (Tara)’s story alone – because this is just so much more than just your average romantic suspense story that is focused on one single hero and heroine. Rather equally interesting heroes and heroines come together to make these books one of the hottest and best romantic suspense books I have had the fortune to come across. I have to warn you though, before you proceed that there might be spoilers in my review for readers who have never read these books.

This story kicks off 5 years before the present day at the Dumani Embassy in Istanbul when two STORM (Strategic Technical Operations & Rescue Missions) agents Marc and Bobby Lee Quinn together with then CIA agent Darcy Zimmerman work together on a mission to access and photo digitize documents contained on the well guarded 3rd floor of the Embassy building – papers that contained the identities of the elusive two leaders Jalil Abu Bakr and Abbas Tawhid of the al Sayika terrorist organization. The papers also contained al-Sayika’s plans of a bio-weapon mix of deadly viruses to unleash to fulfill their purposes. This scene opens up the possibility of a very delicious liaison between Darcy and Bobby Lee, an attraction that flares between the two so scorching that  they don’t really have to play the part of being infatuated with one another to provide the diversion needed for Marc to do his thing. However, things go awfully wrong and Marc ends in jail, Darcy gets kicked out of CIA for unsavory conduct and gets hired by Bobby Lee as the newest recruit of STORM in the process as well.

Five years later, the setting is Lower St. Martin Parish, Louisiana where the al Sayika group has pretty much succeeded in creating the bio-weapon mix of the deadly viruses that could wipe out an entire continent. To meet this end, Dr. Gina Cappozia had been kidnapped at the end of book 1, a process that had been seemingly helped along by Captain Gregg van Halen of the Zero Unit of CIA. Kick Jackson (hero from Shoot to Thrill) and his best friend Alex Zane who had undergone 16 months of torture under the hands of al Sayika’s Jalil Abu Bakr, who had been killed by Kick at the end of Shoot to Thrill; had their own ideas about how a mole within the CIA was operating against them. Thus STORM was keeping  the whereabouts of Alex under wraps for the moment and in the process working to identify the mole and stop the terrorists from achieving what they hoped to gain on American soil.

Marc is less than happy when he encounters State Trooper First Class Tara Reeves who investigates the seemingly mysterious deaths of the swamp animals which Marc had been investigating. STORM’s orders that Tara be misled and neutralized using any means possible doesn’t sit well with Marc. Marc is not the type of man who can sit around twiddling his thumbs waiting for the action  to happen and the idea of babysitting the state trooper irked Marc more than he was willing to admit. But with his usual abundance of charm and wit he manages to convince an adamant Tara who wants to investigate what has caused the deaths that he is the best Cajun guide available to  take her along for the ride through the swamp, a ride made more precarious by the fact that Marc desperately wants to end his two year self imposed ban on sex with the delectable Tara who seems all wrong for him, an attraction that seems to be unequivocally returned by Tara herself. Their first encounter together is way off the charts hot, Marc’s Cajun charm lending that sizzling factor that zips through the reader with every scorching kiss and touch.

Equally interesting are the developments between Darcy and Bobby Lee, both of whom had been seeing each other on and off when time off from their busy schedules had allowed them to. Darcy and Bobby certainly doesn’t give the reader any reprieve to cool off after the encounters between Tara and Marc; in fact each encounter just keeps getting hotter and better. And of course, the story of Alex who is engaged to be married to Helena Middleton, whilst he yearns for FBI Special Agent Rebel Haywood, his friend and savior when he was been tortured horribly whom he calls his angel continues in this book as well and makes the reader yearn to just put them in a room for 48 hours and throw away the key until these two admit to the fact that they are definitely made for one another.

However things are far from what you expect when Dr. Gina’s ex-fiance Wade Montana comes into the scene and heads the investigation to find what has happened to her, an investigation that Rebel is part of and before long Rebel has done the hot and sweaty deed with Wade, though it is Alex that she yearns for day and night. The ending in this book for Alex and Rebel is not a happy one and I am definitely psyched to reach their happily ever after in the next book which brings back the brooding and mouth watering Gregg whose explosive encounters with Dr. Gina in book 1 knocked me off my feet.

All in all this book takes the reader on the wildest ride ever, never a moment to take a breather and get your heart rate back to its normal rhythm. Because if its not the ultimate bad guys with their hair raising evil plans to commit mass murder, the hot encounters between all equally strong and mouth watering men with women definitely made for them keeps the excitement levels always at a 10. Whilst Darcy and Bobby Lee together with Marc and Tara gets their happy endings in this story, I am definitely looking forward to how Alex and Rebel as well as Gregg and Gina would attain their ever afters with one another.

Definitely very highly recommended for fans of romantic suspense who loves a scorching hot read.

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

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