Category / Emotions Wrencher

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Where There’s Smoke by M. J. Fredrick

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: Seth Escamilla
Heroine: Lauren Stokes
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 11, 2008
Started On: August 4, 2011
Finished On: August 5, 2011

Where There’s Smoke is MJ Fredrick’s first published title and is of the friends-to-lovers trope that I adore. Combining together the complications that arise when two people who have always been friends find themselves in unchartered territory together with the added complications of two families who have been friends and much more through the years finds betrayal of the worst kind lurking right amongst them, Where There’s Smoke is a contemporary romance that delivers a lot of emotional angst which I absolutely reveled in.

26 year old Lauren Stokes is an only child whose parents have never been overly demonstrative with each other or with their daughter. Lauren had always got her fix of coddling from her best friend Seth Escamilla’s mother with the two families going a long way back with both their fathers being best friends and working at the same fire house.

Seth who is a fireman himself works under Lauren’s father and has always followed his own father’s footsteps all his life. The one secret that he knows about his father puts a severe strain on their relationship and it definitely does a number on his confidence about his ability to remain faithful to one woman for a long period of time.

When Seth starts noticing the little details about his best friend Lauren like how wonderful her hair smells and how much of a bliss it would be to have her long legs wrapped around him in a lover’s embrace, Seth knows that he should keep his distance and forget that he ever thinks of getting hot and heavy with the last person in the world he would want to hurt.

Lauren doesn’t know exactly when her feelings for Seth started to change but she has been living with the fact that a drop-dead gorgeous specimen of a man like Seth would never settle for a woman like her and has resigned herself to being his friend for the rest of her life until Seth’s  changing feelings towards her puts things in a whole new perspective.

Suddenly, it is all Lauren and Seth can do to keep their hands off each other and when they stop trying to resist the pull that is between them, boy do the sparks fly then. Seth brings such a wicked quality to the sensual journey that they both take together and there were times when I wanted to call up the fire department because of the high level of steam these two generate in the bedroom. And that dancing scene at the wedding reception; I swear my insides were still sizzling even two hours afterwards!

But of course, things hardly remain the same when sex enters the equation of a life-long friendship and it is these changes that are hard for Seth to take in as he starts to doubt his ability to be good enough for someone like Lauren. The easy camaraderie that has always existed between them starts to wan as Seth pulls away from their relationship, wanting to spare Lauren the hurt of his betrayal when he ends up doing just the opposite.

Filled with family drama that tends to put more strain on their “relationship”, it is a tough road that both Lauren and Seth takes towards their happily ever after, especially for Seth who does a lot of soul searching to finally accept who he is in reality.

Where There’s Smoke is a novel that brings home the fact that no matter how old you might be, the skirmishes between your parents can always inevitably hurt you, no matter how much they might try to spare you the pain. It also brings to light just how painful a betrayal it would be to find out that the person who has shared your life for so long is not the person you really thought they were and it just hurt a place deep inside of me to read about it.

Where There’s Smoke is not just simply a romance novel that tells of how one day Seth and Lauren finds themselves undeniably in lust with one another and things proceed from lust to love in zero seconds flat. Rather than that, MJ Fredrick puts forth the complexities involved in the change of dynamics from a life-long friendship to something much more and how eventually these two work things out.

The only reason that this one doesn’t get a five-star rating is because I would have definitely loved a bit more grovelling on Seth’s part before Lauren had given in to his declaration of love in the end. And would have dearly loved an epilogue to show how life fares for those left behind in the wake of all the drama that unfolded in the story which would have made this a more satisfying read all around.

Favorite Quotes

Lauren opened the door. No high-heeled boots today. She looked fresh out of bed, rumpled, messy in a sweatshirt and plaid flannel pants, fluffy slippers. His Lauren.
And instead of being relieved, he stepped inside, cupped her face in both his hands, and kissed her.
Oh, man. She was minty and soft, and her lips parted in surprise under his. He had enough wits to give her a couple of seconds before he tilted her head and took the kiss deeper. She made a sound that might have been protest, and he started to pull back, but then she wound her arms around his neck and brushed her tongue over his lower lip. He accepted the invitation.

Her voice had dropped, soft and low, and curled through his blood, which traveled south in response. He took a step closer, trailing his fingers up the collar of the jacket to her throat. Her lips parted in surprise, in unquestioning invitation, his own tingled in anticipation.

He opened his eyes to see her rise over him, drag her teeth over her bottom lip. He’d never seen anything so sexy. He gripped her hips and lifted his own, thrusting into her body once, twice, three times before shattering, completely losing himself, his mind and soul fragmenting, his body melting into the mattress.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

awesomeread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sunrise Over Texas by M. J. Fredrick

Format: E-booksunriseovertexas
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: George Trace Watson
Heroine: Katherine Barclay
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 6, 2010
Started On: August 2, 2011
Finished On: August 2, 2011

This week’s Tuesday started like any other day except for the fact that I had this sudden urge or should I say craving?, to read Sunrise Over Texas by MJ Fredrick. I don’t know how or why, and I am not even going to question the urge to do so because Sunrise Over Texas turned out to be wonderful in all the ways that counts.

Taking place in the Texas frontier in 1826, Sunrise Over Texas tells the story of the remarkable Katherine Barclay (Kit) who fights for survival every minute of the day as the only one left behind along with her mother-in-law Agnes and sister-in-law Mary at the garrison standing guard between the Karankawa tribe and Stephen Austin’s colony of San Felipe. With the food supply depleting with each meal, Kit struggles to keep things going, no mean feat when her in-laws have always lived in the lap of luxury and are not much of a help when it comes to practicalities. Mourning for the death of her husband followed by that of her young son Daniel, the last thing Kit wants is for a stranger to ride up to their “safe” haven and for her to take on the responsibility of nursing him back to health.

George Trace Watson left home to get away from the memories of his dead wife and his stillborn child. When he finds himself raging with fever and nursed back to health by Kit, the first thing he notices about her is her sheer determination to go on against all odds. Though Trace doesn’t want to get involved, much less be responsible for the safety of three women, the honorable man inside of him refuses to turn his back on them, especially when Kit herself stirs up longings that he thought he had buried with his wife.

Though guilt-ridden by the fact that he feels things for Kit he should not, even that doesn’t stop him from embracing the desire that unfurls between them right from the very start. Kit whose take-charge attitude in life also extends to the bedroom makes for very interesting and provocative scenes of passion with a much laid-back Trace who fits her quirks in the bedroom and out of it in every way.

Towards the end of the book, I had a knot the size of Texas in my throat from all the emotions that coursed through me as Kit faced one hurdle after the other and came out winning and stronger than ever only to nearly be turned away by the man who owns her heart because of the fear that rules over his emotions of ever being too vulnerable again.

For me, Kit is the best thing about this western romance. Although I loved Trace to bits, his gentle and giving nature making it hard not to, it is Kit whose inner strength that drew me like a moth to flame, because her character demands nothing less. Its not easy for an author to write a heroine who manages to outshine the hero when majority of readers like us swoon over the hero just because he merely breathes and I can’t help but send high praise MJ Fredrick’s way for being able to do just that without making me feel cheated out on any aspect of the story.

Its hard to believe that this is her first historical because the story flows smoothly and the characters just tug at your heartstrings, making Sunrise Over Texas a wonderful western romance to sink into.

Highly recommended for fans of the genre and fans of MJ Fredrick.

As soon as I post this, I am scurrying off to acquire every available e-book by MJ Fredrick because I find myself with no will left to resist the lure of her books at this moment.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Carina Press

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Turn It Up by Inez Kelley

Format: E-bookturnitup
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: Dr. Sabastian William Talbot
Heroine: Charlie Ann Pierce
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 1, 2011
Started On: July 19, 2011
Finished On: July 20, 2011

Turn It Up by Inez Kelley set to release on the 1st of August 2011 is a contemporary romance that teases the senses, that had me up till the wee hours of the morning on a work night, unable to wrench myself away from a story that held my undivided attention as self-professed sex expert Charlie Ann Pierce finally finds in Dr. Sabastian William Talbot, her best friend, a man worth giving the key that unlocks the iron armored suit that has guarded her heart all her life.

Having being best of friends for the past 6 years hasn’t diminished the fact that there is a tangible zing of sexual chemistry between the hosts of Let’s Talk about Sex with Dr. Hot (Sabastian) and the Honeypot (Charlie), one of the fastest growing talk shows in the tristate area. Sabastian is a man who has forever in his mind, who wants the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids that he is unable to have, the reason that his fairytale marriage had ended after almost 11 years together.

Charlie is the complete opposite, the one who uses sex as a weapon and as a shield against stronger and deeper emotions, the one who can’t even think of a future together with another person because forever is a word that has never existed in her vocabulary. Though Charlie cannot say that she hasn’t lusted after Bastian on more than one occasion, she is never going to jeopardize the one relationship in her life that she counts on – or so she thinks until Bastian reveals the secret he has been hiding for the past 14 months which turns her life completely upside down.

Suddenly, all Charlie can think about is how good and completely at home she feels in Bastian’s arms, a fact that scares her and compels her to want to explore the fire that has always been between them which rages completely out of control as Charlie lets her emotions run free for the very first time. But the one problem standing in her way of getting what she lusts after is Bastian himself who refuses to make love to the woman he adores until she agrees to put his ring on her finger, for now and forever.

So starts the race for Wed or Bed with their fans listening on, trying to see who would come out on top as both Bastian and Charlie pulls out all the stops to make the other give in. Filled with moments that made me groan with sheer frustration from the number of times that Bastian pulls back before he completely loses his control and at the same time made me wish I could show both of them just how right they were for each other, Turn It Up is a story that definitely lives up to its name.

Bastian is a hero that I flat-out adored right from the very start when he tosses the question “Did you just have an orgasm?” at Charlie which had me LOL-ing before I knew it. I loved Bastian for his unwavering love for a woman who so needs it, for  being strong enough to endure and give Charlie something that she has never had the opportunity to experience up until Bastian starts his campaign to woo her into his life one mind-numbing kiss at a time.

Though I completely never warmed up to Charlie because for me her love for Bastian doesn’t even compare to the way he completely adores her, I still enjoyed her character as Honeypot and the definite sizzle and fun that she brings into the story with her snazzy nature. The vulnerable woman that resides deep inside of Charlie is someone I would have loved to see more of before the story was through.

Definitely much lighter than Sweet as Sin, Turn It Up is a must-read for fans of contemporary romances and fans of Inez Kelley. I am definitely queuing up to read Caz’s story which according to Inez would be available on her website on the day of release of this delightful read.

Favorite Quotes

No one knew him better and he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
He loved her to distraction.
He wanted her with an obsession.
He treasured her like Fort Knox.
He was in hard-on hell.

His name was a sigh as his lips sank to her throat. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, bowing up into his body. Orange and clove essence filled her nose and she burned, a fiery flame starving for fuel only he could provide. The want licked along her bones as his mouth warmed the curve of her breast. Her seduction had been turned and now she was being seduced.

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Rush of Pleasure by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-bookrushofpleasure
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Primal Instincts, Book 8
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Hero: Noah David Winston
Heroine: Willow Broussard
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: July 26, 2011
Started On: July 27, 2011
Finished On: July 29, 2011

The eighth and final book in the Primal Instincts series was a definite hit with me. Combining the fantastic paranormal world that is so easy to get to know with mind numbing and page scorching passion to light up the entire country for eons to come, Noah and Willow definitely earned their rightful place as one of my favorite couples from the series.

Noah David Winston is part Casus, thanks to his mother’s line of family. Noah remains vulnerable to the fact that a stray Casus shade who has made its way into this world can make use of his body to roam the Earth. With the added threat of the Casus leader actively seeking Noah as the most probable candidate for his inhabitation and because Noah had nearly managed to kill off Anthony Calder during the last bloody battle that was waged between the Watchmen and the Casus, Noah knows that the fate of all species of the world rests in the decoding the spell that is bound to kill anything with pure unadulterated evil lurking within its very soul.

Decoding the spell means revisiting his hometown Sacred in Louisiana, where he hasn’t set foot since that fateful night twelve years back. His desire for Willow Broussard even at the tender age of nineteen had surpassed anything Noah has ever felt since then. When Noah seeks out Jessie, Willow’s aunt whose powerful spells is the stuff legends are made of, Noah doesn’t expect a run in with the woman who makes all his senses go on red alert just with her mere presence.

Willow would rather gnaw off her arm than admit that seeing the gorgeous Noah Winston in her own backyard once again sets all her senses afire with the need to possess and be possessed by the man who haunts her dreams even twelve years on. Now a private investigator for the ancient clans who still walk the Earth, Willow is strong, sexy and capable in her own right, a fact that drives Noah completely out of his mind when the desire he feels for Willow threatens to obliterate the very seriousness of the mission he has embarked upon.

Forced to work together by circumstance, the barriers that each had built in the other’s absence starts to crumble with each searing glance and mind numbing kiss exchanged. As the truth about what is actually required to perform the spell comes to light, Noah knows that he is about to embark upon a battle that could mean the end of life as he knows it, a life he would gladly give up if it means keeping Willow safe. As the dead body count continues to grow, Willow joins hands with the man to whom her heart will belong to now and forever, to fight the battle that might cost her the love of her life even before she can confess the little fact to him.

Rush of Pleasure is a fitting end to a series that has saw me through highly enjoyable paranormal reads with the tinge of red hot passion to make things that much more interesting. Noah Weston is a dangerous man to let into your heart because he demands no less than complete and utter surrender of every emotion that you’ve got to give. His strength and vulnerability coupled with his blatant need for the woman he loves is a lethal combination that had me hyperventilating one minute and swooning into a puddle of goo the next.

Willow is the perfect heroine for Noah with her strong persona that makes her the ultimate candidate to love and cherish Noah and even stand firm in what she believes in when its for the good of their relationship. Noah might not overly much like the fact that his Willow is kick-ass heroine material that puts her on the path of danger every now and then, but that’s what at the end of the day makes these two such a well matched couple in bed and out of it.

The scenes of combustive passion definitely delivered on the sexual tension that practically leaps out of the pages and I loved every single second of it! Explosive in all the ways that counts, Rush of Pleasure is a novel not to be missed for fans of the series as well as fans of paranormal romances.

The one thing that I can say is, you don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one as Rhyannon makes it so darn easy for you to find your rhythm in her world of ancient clans. But, I would still urge you to read the other books; just to enjoy the wild and wicked ride that only Rhyannon can take you on in her Primal Instinct series.

I feet a bit sad knowing that this is the end of a series that I have enjoyed immensely throughout the last 2 years or so. But knowing that the sexy and deadly Ashe Granger from the series gets his story in a standalone novel this coming April has got me pacified somewhat, and I await eagerly for its release. And I would so love to read Damon MacCaven the demon’s story! Just saying.

Favorite Quotes

She didn’t fight him, but her mouth had been shocked into stillness beneath his—passive, simply taking, accepting—and he wanted her hunger. Wanted the bite of her nails and her mind-blowing passion.
He wanted her wild for him.
“Goddamn it, kiss me back,” he snarled, holding the side of her face in his hand. She moaned, tilting her head, fitting her mouth more closely to his. “Please,” he gasped against her silky lips, his voice cracking as he begged her…pleading.
“Kiss me back, Will.”
And then he felt the soft, sweet stroke of her tongue, and his body shuddered violently in response to that delicate, seeking touch. Within seconds, the kiss became something explicitly carnal, devastating in its power.

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Wife, Mother … Lover? by Sally Tyler Hayes

Format: E-bookwifemotherlover
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Silhouette Intimate Moments, #818
Publisher: Silhouette Books
Hero: Mitch McCarthy
Heroine: Leanne Hathaway
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 1, 1997
Started On: July 26, 2011
Finished On: July 27, 2011

Thanks to the recommendation from my friend Saly over at Goodreads, I had the immense joy of reading and enjoying this Silhouette Intimate Moments novel which I may never have come across otherwise. Throw in a grieving widowed hero who is struggling with the demands of being a single father to twins and the estranged sister-in-law who comes to the rescue at the most unlikely hour; his dead wife’s sister who makes him feel again and I was in romance heaven with this little goodie which I adored right from the start.

32 year old Mitch McCarthy is a cop and single father to 16 months old twins Timmy and Teddy, struggling to make everything work with his demanding job requiring more of him than he is capable of giving whilst raising two active boys which is a full time job in itself. Nearly at the breaking point from being torn apart by the continuous conflicting demands, Mitch is about to give into his manipulative mother-in-law’s demands and give up the twins to his in-laws care when Kelly’s elder sister Leanne Hathaway comes to his rescue.

Same age as Mitch, Leanne had left home 12 years back and had rarely come for visits in between. A nature and exotic places photographer for travel and nature magazines, Leanne’s job allows her to travel all over the world and to immerse herself in work to the point that she can forget the pain that resides deep inside of her because of the rift that has been caused by her step mother in her family.

When Leanne receives a letter from her pregnant sister Kelly whilst in the middle of a Nepali jungle, Leanne finds out that she has received the letter a trifle bit too late for Kelly. When 16 months later Leanne receives the news that her brother-in-law Mitch is about to give up Kelly’s babies, despite all her misgivings about facing her family and Mitch himself, Leanne rushes back home to rescue Timmy and Teddy from falling into her step mother’s care.

Hostility and anger at Leanne is what Mitch feels at first, but knowing his precarious position in taking care of the twins, Mitch is forced to accept Leanne’s help and is more than surprised when he finds the vulnerability that lies beneath what Mitch has perceived to be Leanne’s cold and aloof nature. When Leanne’s step mother forces Mitch’s hand in asking Leanne’s hand in marriage, the one thing Mitch never expects is for Leanne to worm her way into his heart, to heal the big hole that has resided in it for the past 16 months and for her to make him fall in love again.

Wife, Mother … Lover? is a beautiful romance, one that is filled with intense moments of body tingling passion, heartwarming romance and two beautiful kids that would make anyone melt on the inside. Mitch is definitely a swoon-worthy hero that touched a place deep inside of my heart and I loved him for everything he is and the way that he understands Leanne unlike any other. And Leanne is a heroine who is wonderful in her own right, in the way that she completely embraces the fact that she has fallen for her sister’s husband even hounded by the guilt that she feels every day.

What I loved most about this book was the fact that both Mitch and Leanne weren’t afraid to talk about their emotions, communication being the key to the success of their burgeoning relationship. They don’t let each other spend hours in agony over a misunderstanding, but rather face their guilt and fears over their relationship together which makes them that much stronger as a couple.

A happily ever after that is truly deserving is what this novel was all about and I highly recommend this one to fans of romances.

Favorite Quotes

His taste was sweet and sinful and absolutely forbidden. Quite easily, she could become addicted to it. He pushed forward until her back was firmly against the cabinets, and then held her there with his body pressed intimately to hers. Desire surged through her and him. There was no mistaking the feel of it.
He wanted her. Terribly, it seemed. All from just a kiss.
His mouth opened more fully over hers, his kiss bordering on desperation now. And for a moment, the world seemed just about perfect.

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Wild Irish by Jennifer Saints

Format: E-bookwildirish
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Weldon Series, Book 1
Publisher: Between Your Sheets Publishing
Hero: Jesse Weldon
Heroine: Alexandria Jordan
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 8, 2009
Started On: July 21, 2011
Finished On: July 22, 2011

Wild Irish is book one in the Weldon series which came to my attention when author Jennifer St. Giles tweeted about the availability of this book up on Smashwords for free. Always someone who loves a story that involves a proverbial bad boy with whom the heroine has a shared past with, I didn’t hesitate to grab myself a copy and let myself be swept away on a journey that continually suprised me with just how different this novel turned out to be from Collateral Damage, the one novel that I have read to-date by the author.

Wild Irish written under the pseudonymn Jennifer Saints who also writes under the names of J.L. Saint and Jennifer St. Giles kick-starts this romance with 29 year old Alexandria Jordan, heiress to the Jordan’s shipping empire in Savannah getting ready to say her I-do’s with a man that she feels no burning passion for. With doubt clouding her mind on her last night as a bachelorette, Alexi is bombarded with the memories of a 19 year old Jesse Weldon who had rocked her world and broken her 17 year old heart in the span of one month.

When her fiances indiscretions come to light right before the wedding, Alexi knows that she won’t be able to go through with a union strongly supported by her grandmother and father and runs, straight into the arms of the one man whom she has never forgotten in the span of the twelve years that has separated them.

19 year old Jesse with the proverbial bad boy chip on his shoulder had hesitated to take what was so freely offered to him when his and Alexi’s lives had collided twelve years back. After spendng eight years in the army, mostly in the Special Forces and now owner of his own security company, Jesse is no longer naive enough to let his heart get involved, but wild horses wouldn’t be able to drag him away from claiming the woman whose sinful mouth has haunted his dreams more times than he would like to recall.

Alexi is shocked to the bone when she lets Jesse sweep her away with the heady desire that has always burned strong between them, that makes her forget every proper thought in her head until she says yes to all the decadent ways in which Jesse can make her feel as the most desirable woman on Earth. Jesse who doesn’t believe in love and soul mates nevertheless has a hard time defining how he feels about Alexi as just plain old lust raging inferno through his body as his possessive streak a mile wide comes out to play when Alexi’s life becomes threatened by a mad man willing to through any lengths to make her his.

Filled with highly sensual content that just about took my breath away as Jesse tries his damndest to keep Alexi from leaving by binding her to him with the explosive passion they seem to share, Wild Irish is a book that I enjoyed immensely. Alexi has her work cut out for her with the stubborn Weldon genes that prevents Jesse from believing that the word permanent could be applied to their relationship. But at every turn, Jesse continually surprises her with just how right they are together, if only he would believe it for himself.

Jesse is the type of bad boy hero each woman dreams about, the type of hero that we wish would come up and drive us off into the sunset on his mean looking Harley with the wind whipping more than our hair into a frenzy. The man Jesse grows into is no less lethal, he is in fact more so with his ever abundant need to possess and keep Alexi at his mercy with every trick he has learnt in the art of seduction until now. But what makes the scenes of passion memorable is the fact that the tables turn so quickly on Jesse as Alexi assumes the role of the one in control who drives their mutual desire to a feverish pitch which makes each and every scene of passion between Alexi and Jesse unforgettable!

This is the only romance that I have heard of which came out as a graphic e-book with photos of the delicious Jesse himself with the beautiful Alexi to make things enticing. Because I couldn’t help myself, I downloaded two chapters up on betweenyoursheets.com that are available for free and I am beyond tempted to purchase the entire novel for the 10+ dollars its priced for, because seeing Jesse in all his glory is so very tempting!

Jennifer Saints has definitely surprised me – all in a good way with her ability to draw out mind numbing scenes of passion that in no way hinders the character development and the suspense potion of the novel that unfolds. I am now very much tempted to get a copy of the next book in the series that features the widowed and grieving older brother of Jesse who finds his happily ever after with Alexi’s best friend. And believe me, the pictures available on the freely available chapters just about made me hyperventilate and I bet the heat factor in their story would drive me insane before I’m through!

Highly recommended for those who love stories of bad boys and rich heiresses and for those who love highly sensual romantic suspense novels.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilson

Format: E-bookthemerzettieffect
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: A Vampire Romance, Book 1
Hero: Dr. Delano Bowen
Heroine: Ainsley Crawford
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 6, 2011
Started On: July 20, 2011
Finished On: July 21, 2011

The Merzetti Effect is a novel that caught my eye whilst I was browsing through Amazon’s book recommendations. Long before that Norah Wilson landed in my list of authors to try out after seeing a review of her romantic suspense novel Guarding Suzannah by author Pamela Clare up on Goodreads. Reading the blurb of The Merzetti Effect sealed the deal for me and to my utter surprise and delight I managed to get this little birdie from the amazing Norah herself who approached me for a review. The rest as they say is history and ever since I turned page 1 and lost myself in Norah’s unique take on the world of vampires, there was no turning back for me – ever.

Ainsley Crawford has just lost her job working as an OR nurse in a Level 1 Trauma Center and the job offer by a Dr. Delano Bowen seems like a godsend to her until she is attacked by a rogue vampire as she makes her way for the job interview. Her savior comes in the form of her prospective employer himself who makes Ainsley think the most inappropriate thoughts of them tangled in the sheets, all sweaty and naked when she fully lays her eyes on the enigmatic and compelling man with an intensity in his eyes that takes her breath away.

Delano is a more than 200 year old vampire who believes that in Ainsley’s blood lies the cure from the virus that rages inside a vampire that drives them to sate their thirst for blood. Though Delano would go to any lengths to keep Ainsley by his side and wants her to remain totally unaware of the potency of her blood on his species, the one thing that Delano never counted on was his libido to sit up and take notice of the one woman whose blood might mean the end of his life.

Undying need and red-hot desire grows stronger and binds both Ainsley and Delano together until the explosive culmination of their mutual want which kickstarts a series of events that Delano never foresaw, nearly bringing him to his knees when his old enemy comes to seek Ainsley for himself, to eradicate the one thing that could destroy his blood thirsty rampage on Earth forever.

The Merzetti Effect is an amazing paranormal romance that introduces us into a fresh take on the lives of vampires, with a few surprises thrown into the mix. Delano is a hero with whom I fell head-over-fangs in love with right from the very first encounter. His intensity, utter control which shreds to pieces with Ainsley and his devotion to do good and right the wrongs done by his species no matter what makes him one of my favorite vampire heroes. And of course I freely admit to the fact that the way he seduces and is in turn seduced by Ainsley was out of this world hot, rendering me into this puddle of goo half way through.

Ainsley is the type of heroine that earns my love and wholehearted approval because there are so many endearing characteristics that makes up who she is. Her fierce loyalty towards those she holds dear, the way she wants to comfort a two century old vampire with whom a deep connection is forged and the way she completely gives into the love that overtakes her without playing coy games is what I loved most about her.

With this novel, Norah has enticed me to want to know more about each and every character that she has introduced along the way. I will definitely be on the look out for future books in this ‘series’ and am definitely a fan of Norah Wilson if the complete and utter ease with which she drew me into the story is anything to judge her other books by. Very highly recommended for fans of vampire romances. This is one book you ought not miss!

Favorite Quotes

And heaven help him, there was that pain again, the one that pierced him to his very marrow and started all that emotion bleeding out of him.
Dammit, he loved her.
He’d been denying it for weeks now, but he could deny it no longer.
Not the giddy drug of infatuation. Not the mind-blowing drive of unadulterated lust. Not the bone-deep need to possess.
It was all of those things wrapped up together, but so much more. It was simple, really. She had somehow become all that mattered.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble 

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Something to Talk About by M.J. Fredrick

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Lyrical Press, Incorporated
Series: Standalone
Hero: Noah Weston
Heroine: Ellie Morgan
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 20, 2011
Started On: July 16, 2011
Finished On: July 16, 2011

Something to Talk About is the novel that officiates M.J. Fredrick’s position in my favorite authors list, authors that are must-buy as their stories are so very worth it. There are no blazing guns, no hair raising adventure in this as in the two novels Don’t Look Back and Breaking Daylight by the author that I have read and reviewed prior to this. Rather, Something to Talk About is a contemporary romance that nevertheless packs into it a story that any romance lover ought to read because this is a novel that swept me away on a journey towards a happily ever after that I very much rooted for right from the very beginning.

Something to Talk about takes place in the small town of Winchester Cove, California where 30 year old Ellie Morgan has ended her latest relationship with the golden boy of the town and high school football coach Trey Berenger. Knowing that she wants much more from a relationship than Trey’s self-centered nature allows him to give, Ellie cuts off ties with the man whom she had been seeing for almost a year – a personal best for her where relationships are concerned. What Ellie didn’t expect to happen upon her breakup is for everyone in town to once again start talking around corners, whispering behind her back and painting her in the same light as that of her mother who had left a husband and three children behind 14 years ago and never looked back.

35 year old Noah Weston is just starting to recover from the blow that fate had dealt him when his wife had brutally being snatched away from his life, just when they were happily anticipating a new addition to their family. Almost a year and a half had passed by and Noah was starting to notice the vibrancy that has always been part of his wife Lily’s best friend Ellie who lights up his otherwise grey world with her mere presence. Wary of a desire that seems to grow stronger rather than abate as the days go by, Noah wills himself to take a chance amidst the fanfare of small town life that supports and berates his choice to move on with his wife’s best friend.

Ellie doesn’t recall just when and how her libido and emotions had started going on instant alert whenever Noah is around but Ellie knows that its a passion worth risking her heart for if the answering fire of need that simmers in Noah’s eyes is anything to go by. As their desire explodes and makes each of them embrace new heights in a physical relationship that neither of them was expecting, other emotions start getting involved lending their relationship a fragility that could break the bonds that bind them together so very easily.

With Noah battling his fear of starting over and trusting his heart to guide him in the right path and with Ellie fighting her need to become anything but the center stage of Winchester Cove’s gossip central, both Ellie and Noah certainly lead the reader on an emotionally wrenching journey towards their happily ever after made infinitely that much sweeter because of the fact.

Something to Talk About is definitely landing in my favorite reads of this year as M.J. Fredrick completely took me by surprise with the turn of each page, bringing forth emotions that I didn’t think I was even capable of feeling. Noah Weston with his killer dimples, his intensity that can fry the brain cells of any woman and his quiet strength is a hero worth savoring and worth allowing into your dreams, yes because he is the stuff that dreams are made out of. Ellie is a heroine who made me fall in love with her because she has those qualities that makes a reader root for the heroine right from the very beginning. Beautiful inside and out with a heart that yearns for a love like her friend Lily had found in Noah, Ellie is a heroine who is willing to fight for what she believes in, even with the whole world frowning down on her.

What endeared the story most to me is the way M.J. Fredrick managed to make Noah and Ellie’s love work without sullying up the beautiful relationship that Noah had with his wife Lily, without painting Lily as the good for nothing previous wife who deserved what she got in the end. Rather than doing that, Ms. Fredrick explores the possibility that yes, you can find love in the most unexpected of places and let it be a beautiful one, untainted by a past that is beautiful in its own right. All the secondary characters in the story from the reverend to Noah’s charming nieces to the navel-pierced psychic who manages to catch the eye of the reverend all wormed their way into my heart not to be easily forgotten.

With an epilogue that beautifully ties up everything and made me grin and inwardly smile at the same time, this is a contemporary romance that is definitely worth talking about, worth your time and money and comes highly recommended from the sunny side of life.

Favorite Quotes

He stepped inside and caught her fresh scent from the shower. He wanted to drop the toolbox and pin her to the wall behind the door, taste the dampness of her skin, the warmth of her mouth. He wanted to feel her hands on him, but he kept walking.

She made a small sound in the back of her throat as he slanted his mouth over hers, reining in his hunger to concentrate on the taste of her, the feel of her, the rhythm of her breath, of her heart. He wanted to absorb her, to savor her.

Every now and then he’d look her way and smile and she tumbled, just tumbled right over into love.

Reviewer’s Note: Though Ms. Fredrick didn’t request for a review, she did provide me with a copy of this wonderful romance for which I want to thank her and show her my appreciation. The fact that she gave me a copy had no effect whatsoever on my review or rating of the story. 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Lyrical Press 

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Don’t Look Back by M.J. Fredrick

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Hero: Captain Gerard Delaney
Heroine: Dr. Olivia Olney
Sensuality: 3.5
Publication Date: August 12, 2010
Started On: July 13, 2011
Finished On: July 14, 2011

Don’t Look Back by M.J. Fredrick is going to be a hard book for me to review, not because I didn’t love the story that unfolded but rather because of just how much the story drew me in and wrapped its words around me, making me savor every emotion that it wrenched from me that I want to do this book the justice that  it deserves. Before I begin my review however, there are two things that I would like to thank the very wonderful M.J. Fredrick for. Number one being for the blog post that she published which drew my attention to this gem, and the second for being generous enough to give me a copy of this book which I appreciate from the bottom of my heart.

Don’t Look Back kicks off seven years prior to the start of the actual story when Dr. Olivia Olney is rescued by a team led by Captain Gerard Delaney from Special Forces who specializes in hostage recovery. Broken, battered, raped and barely alive, Olivia finds the strength to persevere and come out fighting by never letting go of the image of the tough blue-eyed soldier who arrived to her rescue when she had right about given up hope.

Seven years later, Olivia is a changed woman, the scars of the ordeal that she underwent which she carries with her every day. However, that doesn’t stop her from helping out the less fortunate souls who struggle to survive the depths of hell that is war riddled Africa, even if it means going back to the one place that brings back the nightmares of how she was captured and tortured at the hands of violent and vicious men.

When her best friend Jill gets taken as a hostage by the man who imprisoned Olivia and introduced her to the depths of hell, there is no stone that Olivia would leave unturned in her quest to rescue the one woman who stood by her through every single step of her recovery. When Olivia finds out that the soldier who has haunted her dreams since the night of her rescue is very much alive and living in exile in Spain, she doesn’t hesitate to pull out all the stops, even kicking Delaney where it hurts to get him to lead their rescue operation.

Delaney is a man who has been stripped bare of everything, a man with nothing left to lose who remains in hiding, fearing for the life of his son and his ex-wife whom he has left behind. Three years of merely existing comes to an end when the sexy and vibrant Olivia sashays into his life, opening up the wounds that have been quietly festering all this while. Olivia forces Delaney to confront his fear of failure and his reluctance to go back to a country that has already taken too much from him and left him high and dry.

Making their way to Amadan, a jungle-choked country with very poor roads begins their journey towards endless violence and danger which seems to lurke amidst every step they take. But the biggest threat comes not from the danger to each of their lives but rather that to their hearts when desire races like a raging inferno through both of them until there is no choice left but to surrender.

Combining sizzling sexual tension, toe-curling passion, heart pounding adventure and vicious war lords whose agendas change as swiftly as that of the colors of a chameleon, M.J. Fredrick earns herself 5 solid stars for penning such a fantastic romantic suspense that ALL fans of the genre must read. Bringing together two souls who have already seen the worst life can offer, but still has the courage to stand tall, both Delaney and Olivia are heartwarming and endearing characters that I fell in love with right from the very beginning.

In my opinion, the fact that M.J. Fredrick portrays the story in gritty and realistic terms to the very last detail made this earn a spot from my favorite reads for this year. Raw and honest in the gut wrenching emotions that it brings forth, heartbreaking in the details of the rape and torture that is part of every day life for women in the region, Don’t Look Back is a novel that has got it all. If a well-balanced romantic suspense with a bit of dark edge to it is what you want, don’t hesitate to pick this one up and let yourself be taken away on an intense adventure that would have you biting your nails before halfway through!

Favorite Quotes

To compensate, she took a deep breath and found herself with a noseful of Del-scent. Something about the sharp smell of him, lying beneath what might be Old Spice, made her want to bury her face in his throat and breathe him in.

Words escaped him. All his energy was in controlling his desire. He had no business looking at her, no business wanting to run his fingers through her hair, to bring her body against his and warm her with his kisses. He was the last thing she needed in her life.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Addicted to You by Bethany Kane

Format: E-bookaddictedtoyou
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: A One Night of Passion, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Hero: Rill Pierce
Heroine: Katie Hughes
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: June 7, 2011
Started On: July 1o, 2011
Finished On: July 11, 2011

Addicted to You by Bethany Kane is one of those titles that I stumbled upon quite accidentally whilst hopping through Twitter. Upon seeing the cover I was tempted and seeing the “friends-to-lovers” tag scream at me, I was sold and within minutes I pushed everything else aside and loaded up with this delectable piece of erotic contemporary romance, I let myself be swept away on the heady journey filled with all sorts of body tingling moments towards Rill and Katie’s happily ever after.

36 year old Rill Pierce is a brilliant, widely acclaimed writer and director who seems to have lost his way after the death of his wife Eden. Ever since the untimely demise of Eden which had shocked him with the news it had brought forth, Rill retires to the secluded town of Vulture’s Canyon in Illinois where he has been holed up for the past 18 months, licking his wounds which keeps on festering rather than healing. Tortured with the thoughts of how he has failed his wife whom he had adored with his very soul, Rill is a man who seems to be drowning himself in the oblivion that drink seems to bring him when his best friend’s little sister storms into his life, forcing him to face the demons that seems to hound him.

30 year old Katie Hughes is a tax attorney from Beverly Hills who quits her lucrative job because of the feelings of discontentment that seems to be lingering with her of late. Having always had a huge crush on her brother’s best friend who married her best friend Eden in the end, Katie is determined that she would save Rill from the darkness that he seems to shroud himself in. But once Katie turns up to find a drunk Rill who seems to be hell bent on seducing the “Angel” that has turned up on his doorstep, there is no stopping the flood of longing that manifests itself in one of the most explosive one night stands I have come across.

Rill finds that with Katie around, his self imposed exile and attempts to keep his baser nature reined in is a lost cause as his libido awakens with a bang and continues to tempt him beyond anything he has ever experienced before. With each explosive and sizzling hot encounter after another, Katie shatters his already frayed control where she is concerned until at last Rill surrenders knowing that there is no turning away from Katie and the intense connection between them. Though mind-blowing sex is the only thing Rill thinks that he has left to offer to Katie, the consequences of their first night together forces both Katie and Rill to explore their deeper emotions, to let go of Rill’s hold on a past that seems to lessen with Katie in the picture.

Addicted to You is an explosive dynamite of a read with enough sizzle to jumpstart all your nerve endings. Sensory overload is a fact and not just a mere say-so when it comes to the debut novel of the series entitled A One Night of Passion. A story that reels you in right from page one, Rill is a hero I fell immediately in love with, taking in his surly nature behind which lies a heart that is tortured by the events of his past. Katie is my favorite type of heroine; strong, nurturing where its needed and with a heart of gold that bleeds for the pain Rill finds himself in. She doesn’t give up, even when Rill is his meanest, trying to drive away the woman who is a match for him in every single way. Towards the end there is a swing smexing scene that any fan of erotica ought to read. Imaginative and mind numbingly hot is all I’m saying!

Recommended for fans of erotic contemporary romance who loves the friends-to-lovers trope and a high content & variety of sensual material in their stories.

Favorite Quotes

Something swooped up from his chest to his neck until it tightened like a clawed hand on his throat. It took him a second to recognize the sensation as blinding need.

“Don’t make me wait,” he whispered, leaning over and nipping at an earlobe. “I want you so bad I think it’s cutting at me from inside out.”

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

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