Category / Favorites

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I liked:

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

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

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

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

Recommended for:

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

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

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

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

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sing My Name by Ellen O’Connell

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Matthew Slade
Heroine: Sarah Hammond
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: November 22, 2010
Started On: December 30, 2010
Finished On: January 1, 2011

The fact that I am starting out the year 2011 with the review of a story that played with all my emotions in a good way is a cause for celebration in itself. Ellen O’Connell who published her first romance “Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold” earlier in 2010 shot right into my auto-buy list with the style of her writing and her ability to spin a romance totally different from what you normally read about. In her stories, the tragedies are real and heartbreaking; you don’t just read a narration of a life changing event for the hero/heroine but rather you experience the events right along with them which makes the story seem that much more real and in the end leaves you with its remnants long after you are done. So when I found out that her newest book had been released around 2 months back, I nearly jumped up and down with glee and I didn’t even hesitate to buy myself a copy and lose myself in the story of Matt and Sarah; a story that is so damn quotable that I raged an internal battle to keep the quotes at a minimum.

Matthew Slade or Matt had just been 10 years old when his parents, his four brothers and two sisters had all been killed in an epidemic that had wiped out nearly everyone in the vicinity. Matt himself had been at the throes of death when his neighbor who had lost his whole family had stumbled upon him and nursed him back to health and took him away with him. Matt had then been left with a couple who took in orphans such as himself from whom Matt had escaped from when he was 14 years old because of the brutality of the reverends wife when dealing with the children under her guardianship. Fighting in the civil war for all the wrong reasons thinking them to be the right ones, Matt is a survivor of a war that had claimed many a life, where hunger had been his best friend and bedfellow. Two years after the war, Matt is mistaken for a man who had killed a whole family and taken captive by two men who refuse to believe his proclamation of innocence. It is during the journey when his captors wheedle their way into a cavalry escort travelling along to the same destination that Matt comes across Sarah Hammond irrevocably changing both their lives forever.

Sarah Hammond is the pampered and overprotected daughter of a rich family back in Boston who had been strong abolitionists. With blond hair, deep blue eyes, with a round figure and an inherent sweetness to her, Sarah is being escorted to be with her fiance Carter Macauley who wanted nothing more from Sarah other than what she would bring to their marriage in terms of her impeccable character and grooming.

When Sarah witnesses how badly Matt is treated by his captors, her kindhearted nature demanding that Matt be treated better for the duration of the journey causes many a conflict amongst her chaperons. However all this comes to head when Comanches attack them and it is only Matt and Sarah that barely escape their brutal onslaught.

It is during the journey that Matt and Sarah takes across the unforgiving land amidst constant danger from those trying to hunt them down to finish what they started that a bond unlike anything else is forged between these two unlikely souls. Sarah’s dependence on Matt for survival soon turns into something much more as feelings of a totally different kind enter into the equation which reaches its inevitable conclusion before the journey is through.

Though in Sarah’s dreams she and Matt ends up inevitably together after she regrettably informs Macauley that she cannot marry him as she has fallen in love with Matt, reality is much harsher on these two as Macauley engineers a vicious plan to drive these two apart with his thirst for vengeance and revenge. The story of how at first a rebel and a yankee meet and fall in love and how circumstances force Matt (the convict) and Sarah (the whore) apart until 7 years later these two come to meet again is a story that will stay with the reader for a long, long time after they are done.

I Liked:

1- Sarah Hammond. She is hands down the best thing about this story. She is sweet, gentle, kindhearted with a backbone of steel which Matt eventually shows that she has. She is equal parts stubborn, loyal and loves Matt so much that she is willing to go to any lengths to finally be with the man that completes her. The fact that she doesn’t give up when life throws its harshest challenges at her is what makes her my most favorite heroine of all time. There are so many endearing qualities about her that I don’t know which ones I should start naming first. Though Sarah has had a pampered life which her well off parents had bestowed upon her, when the rough and tough times comes calling, with Matt by her side Sarah faces each and every challenge head on and wins them over. Her docile nature fools a lot of people into thinking that Sarah needs to be cossetted and directed towards the path on which she should walk on. But when it does come to stuff that really matters to her like her daughter Laurie and her beloved Matt she is like the fiercest of warriors protecting what is rightfully hers. Needless to say, she has earned the role of my favorite heroine and I loved her character to bits in this heartwarming romance.

2- Matt Slade. He is handsome, utterly charming at the beginning of the story and later towards the end and has a sense of humor that touches something deep inside of you as you read along. Macauley’s vicious plans nearly ends Matt’s life before putting him in prison for 3 years of hard labor from which a harder and a more vital Matt emerges. Not knowing that Sarah had borne their daughter Laurie, Matt refuses to subject Sarah to his presence even though he knows that there would be no one else for him. Even though that part of his character which believed he is no good for Sarah rankled, I still could not help but fall for him because Matt demands nothing less but just that from the reader.

3- Ellen O’Connell’s evocative characterization and style of writing. Though she has just two romance novels to her name, her writing style just draws you in and keeps you in the throes of the story refusing to let go. I would say that her stories are just pure magic – yes, they are that good. If you don’t believe me, I dare you to pick just one of the two and indulge. ^_^

4- How Sarah tries to seduce Matt at the beginning. With Sarah being a virgin and Matt with practically zero experience, it was heartwarming and quite humorous at the same time to read about how Sarah tries to seduce Matt into giving her something even which she cannot understand what it is that she actually wants. Though not explicit in nature, their journey of sensual discovery was one of the best parts of the story worthy of revisiting from time to time.

5- The unique marriage proposal almost at the end of the story. I have never come across a marriage proposal quoted from passages in the Bible, maybe because I don’t read Christian romances, but the way Matt proposes to Sarah is just perfect for this story.

I Disliked:

1- Even though I loved this story to bits, I didn’t care much for the conflict between two ranching businesses which was the main focus of the latter part of the story. Though it was this conflict that enabled Sarah’s friends to bring these two together in the hopes of getting Sarah over Matt once and for all, I didn’t want anything to take my attention away from the beauty of the love between Sarah and Matt even for a second.

2- This story tends to end a bit abruptly until you read the Author’s note to discover that she has an “Afterword” available for download on her website which is the actual conclusion of this beautiful story. All in all, for me, the story would have been more complete if the afterword had been included in the original story. The afterword is a fitting end to a love that held me captivated right from the very beginning.

Favorite Quotes

Sarah gasped and looked up. She was going to hit him. Except … he was trying without success to keep a straight face.
The afternoon sun slanted across him, and his eyes shone bluer than ever, dancing with suppressed laughter. No other man in the world would react this way to such an unmentionable subject, help her without complaining or blaming, and tease away her embarrassment.
She started laughing with him. Something slipped and slid inside her, and Sarah fell in love with Matt Slade.

She traced the lines of Matt’s face in the air. Then her air-touch moved down his neck, out across his shoulder, in again along his collarbone, down the breastbone, back and forth across each rib. Air touching only made the ache worse. She wanted to feel the smoothness and warmth of his skin, feel the muscle and tendon and bone under his skin. She wanted to spread her hand out flat over his belly, feel the breathing and life of him. She wanted — oh she wanted.

She (Sarah) froze, jerking Laurie to a halt. Hundreds, no thousands of times Sarah had pictured what would happen if they met again. She would run into his arms, which would be open, welcoming. They would come together with a joyous crash, and everything would be as it had been, should be. Now she stood and stared. Unlike in dreams, her emotions and fears and the lie she had lived for so long anchored her in place.
Staring, taking in every detail, she wondered how she knew him so instantly. Could a heart see in its own way what eyes did not? No words in that deep grainy voice helped her. She knew every inch of his body intimately, had traced the contours of each bone and muscle with her fingers and her lips. The changes jarred her, the beloved sameness called to her. The hat brim shaded his face, a face changed terribly whether in profile or full view as he pivoted towards her.

Recommended for:

1- Fans of historical romances.
2- Fans of romance books in general.
3- Fans of Ellen O’Connell.

Note: All the while that I was reading this story, I couldn’t help but think that the song “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars effectively sums up all the feelings that courses through Matt whenever he sees his beautiful Sarah whose mere presence is enough to keep him happy for the rest of his life. So I’ll end my review by including a snippet of the lyrics that just brings a smile to my face, and Sarah and Matt to my mind as I listen to this song each and every single time.

When I see your face
There’s not a thing that I would change
Cause you’re amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you’re amazing
Just the way you are

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Into the Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice

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

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

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

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

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

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

Likes:

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

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

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

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

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

Recommended for:

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

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: No Place to Run by Maya Banks

Format: E-booknoplacetorun
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: The Kelly Group International, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Hero: Sam Kelly
Heroine: Sophie Lundgren
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: December 7, 2010
Started On: December 7, 2010
Finished On: December 7, 2010

I have been waiting for this book like forever (okay that was a tad wee bit dramatic), but it does feel like I have waited forever after reading and reviewing the 1st book in the Kelly Group International Series entitled The Darkest Hour, a story that just captivated me right from the very beginning and totally blew me away. So it would not be an exaggeration to say that I had very high expectations for the 2nd book in the series, each one of which was met with and some even exceeded by this delightful romantic suspense novel by Ms. Banks.

The Kelly Group International (KGI) is a family based business which takes care of situations such as hostage recovery missions, kidnap cases and the likes and also hire out their services to the numerous government agencies in the US for covert missions requiring highly skilled operatives in delicate situations. 36 year old Sam Kelly, the eldest of the 6 boys in the Kelly bunch acts as the leader and shares responsibility of running this covert group with his brothers Garrett (even saying his name makes me go just a tad bit weak in the knees ^_^), Donovan (Van) and Ethan who is yet to officially join the group. Each having specialized military background, Sam had served in the army before forming the KGI group with his brothers.

Sophie Lundgren on the other hand comes from a family right out of your worst nightmares. Alex Mouton,  her father is at the top of the most wanted lists in the US running his empire in everything illegal ranging from running prostitution rings to arms dealing. Sophie had witnessed the horrors of her father’s rigid control over his emotions and his ruthlessness at the tender age of 10 years, a man who always puts his business first and never tolerates any sign of weakness from those are close to him.

When a KGI mission takes Sam and his brothers to parts of Mexico on a mission to take down Alex Mouton, it is at a seedy bar in Mexico that Sam first encounters the blond, delicate and beautiful Sophie, making all his primal instincts come out to play right at the very first sight of her. Their affair though short, runs hot until his mission takes him away leaving Sophie behind, Sophie who calmly plans and executes a plot to murder her own father.

Five months on, a pregnant Sophie is at the very end of her wits trying to elude those hellbent on killing her to exact revenge for the murder of her father. Sophie holds the key to her father’s vast empire and its the only thing that’s keeping her alive and prevents her from being shot pointblank. Exhausted, with no place to run to except to the arms of the father of her child and the man who rocked her world for a brief period of time, it is a barely alive Sophie that Sam comes across, the woman who has haunted his dreams ever since he had walked out on her to complete KGI’s mission.

With more questions than answers running through Sam, trust is the hardest commodity to come by when Sam finds out just how truly deceived he had been by Sophie, the woman who now carried his child, who still manages to touch something deep inside of his heart, something no other woman had ever being able to do. Scared as Sophie is, the last thing she wants to do is to put the Kelly family in harms way, which is exactly what happens as things spiral out of control until at the very end when Sam has to decide whether he would be able to trade the life of the woman he loves more than anything for the life of his own mother, a decision no man should ever have to make.

My likes

  1. Boy, where do I start? This book packs everything and I don’t mean that lightly, EVERYTHING that I look for when I pick up a novel of the romantic suspense genre. Action packed, highly sensual and emotional with enough character development that keeps the pages turning, I resented the time I had to spend away from the story after I started reading. Yes, Maya Banks has done a splendid job with this one and I can’t literally wait for Garrett’s (*sigh* there goes the knee shaky thing again!) story to come out in March 2011.
  2. Sam Kelly. Oh boy! He is one yummy alpha hero, in fact I don’t know how Ms. Banks does it with the Kelly men, but the entire bunch just makes me salivate, sigh, drool and palpitate as the story unfolds. Even with the 1st chapter itself, Sam managed to knock my socks off, with his smoldering sensuality, the simmering need deep within him to claim the woman who is obviously meant for him which touched me in a deep, deep way. And as the story continues, I got to see so many sides of Sam, the responsible tough oldest sibling role he has to play, the gentle, kindhearted soul that comes out to play when he is around those who are weaker than him and the way he lays claim on his woman sealed the deal for me with this hero.
  3. Sophie! She is one hell of a heroine. Vulnerable, beautiful and fiercely protective as a mother lioness with her cubs when it comes to her baby and Sam, she totally won me over because she is exactly what Sam needs in his life to make it complete. I loved her because she doesn’t take crap from anyone, not Sam, not Garrett and not even her formidably frightening father and still managed to touch something deep inside of my heart with her need to belong, to be loved and cossetted by someone who would love her unconditionally.
  4. The family dynamics in the story. What pulled me in even from the very 1st book in the series is how well the whole Kelly family as well as other side roles within the series have been created, whetting the reader’s appetite for more from them. Apart from the obvious Kelly brothers whose stories every reader of this series must covet, I would love to read Rusty, Sean as well as P.J. and Steele’s story. It is a testament to how well the character development has been handled within the story that I as a reader have this deep, insatiable need to learn more about them, whom we just get to meet in a scene or two in the whole story. Kudos to Ms. Banks for a job well done!
  5. As much as I coveted the emotional, sensual and action-packed moments in the story, I loved the humor-laced parts of the story, though they were few and far in-between. The scene that stands out the most is where Sam has to find underthings for Sophie, and it is to his mom he has to turn to, and the conversation between Garrett, Sam and Donovan just had me laughing out loud – making my husband a firm believer of the fact that I am stark raving mad! ^_^
  6. And before I forget, I very much heart the man-titty cover! Would make a sensational addition to Pamela Clare’s MTM posts don’tcha think? ^_^

My Dislikes: Absolutely none! Just wish there was more of this stuff to read, is all!! ^_^

Favorite Quotes

He stopped, just a foot in front of her, so close that his heat reached out and circled her like the damp towel she wore so close to her breast.
The clothes were in his hand, but he didn’t move to give them to her and she didn’t reach for them.
His gaze was so intense. So penetrating. She felt naked. So itchy, and alive. She swallowed, but nothing she did ridded her of the knot in her throat. It ached like she ached.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Maya Banks.
  2. Fans of the KGI series.
  3. Fans of romantic suspense that love action packed stories filled with enough emotion and sensuality to knock your breath out! If you love them like I do, this one’s for you!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Firsts by Rosalie Stanton

Format: E-bookfirsts
Read with: Adobe Reader
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: LooseID
Hero: Wesley Manor (Thorn)
Heroine: Savannah Evans
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: November 3, 2009
Started On: December 5, 2010
Finished On: December 5, 2010

This has got to be one of the best “friends-to-lovers” themed romances that I have had the fortune of coming across. Anyone who knows me at all would know that I absolutely adore romances of this theme. I wish I had not let this one sit in my to-be-read pile for as long as it did. This is my first Rosalie Stanton and it definitely, absolutely won’t be my last if she pens contemporary romances like this one.

This story kicks off in the midst of the conversation that takes place between Wesley Manor (Thorn) and his best friend Savannah Evans, when she drops the bombshell that she wants to get rid of her virginity and that she wants Thorn to take care of the matter for her. Thorn had fallen head-over-heels in love with Savannah since he had first seen her pretty round face with chocolate ice cream smeared across her mouth when he had first moved to the States with his father. The move to the States which 3 year old Thorn had viewed with nothing but intense dislike had suddenly vanished at the sight of Savannah and the friendship that had developed between them had been as natural as a new born babe takes to breathing.

Thorn works hard at keeping his feelings of the baser nature and his love towards his best friend, the woman who is the other half of his soul from ever finding it out. But the proposal that Savannah drops in his lap shocks the bejesus out of him, and knowing how he is helpless when it comes to denying anything that Savannah wants, Thorn agrees to being the guy who would pop her cherry so to say, all the while knowing that he wouldn’t be able to walk away with even one tiny piece of his heart intact.

With the first sizzling kiss that Thorn places on Savannah, her world as she had known it comes crumbling down at her feet. Something she had thought would be a simple enough matter suddenly seems more complicated than she realized as Savannah comes to accept the truth regarding her feelings for her best friend, the guy who had always stood by her, with her and beside her, no matter what. I just loved Thorn and Savannah to pieces! ^_^

I loved:

  1. Thorn. From his bloody British accent (which I hear every time he says the word “love” or “kitten”) to his sweetness to his take charge attitude in the bedroom which totally made my day, Thorn is one drool and sigh worthy hero definitely worth your time in gold. I would love me a British accented Thorn if one exists in real life! ^_^
  2. Savannah. I loved her right from the very beginning. Her ability to come out and say what she is feeling without being coy about it, the way she owns up to her feelings without beating around the bush, the way she is oh so perfect for Thorn in bed and out of it sealed the deal for me.
  3. The feelings that swept through me as I read this short novella. I found myself laughing out loud at the conversations and witty banter that takes place between Thorn and Savannah and the one conversation that took place between Savannah and her girl best friend Allison. I found myself holding in my breathe as Savannah and Thorn coursed through previously unchartered waters in their relationship, how Thorn takes care of Savannah in all the little ways during their journey of discovery which made me fall for him just that much harder. *Sigh*
  4. The short and sweet epilogue at the end. If Ms. Stanton can fit in a short but meaningful epilogue into a novella, I wonder why Ms. Stuart cannot. Maybe Ms. Stanton can teach a thing or two about writing a beautiful epilogue to Ms. Stuart one of these days? ^_^
  5. Ooh and definitely heart the cover!

I did not like: This novella was absolutely perfect in every way!! Wouldn’t change even one teeny, tiny part of it.

Recommended for: Fans of the contemporary erotic romances that revolve around the theme where friends  turn to lovers. This is one yummy read! ^_^

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | LooseID

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Wild Thing by Anne Stuart

Format: E-bookwildthing
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin American Romance Publisher Series
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: John Bartholomew Hunter
Heroine: Dr. Elizabeth Holden
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: October 1, 2000
Started On: December 2, 2010
Finished On: December 3, 2010

This read certainly was different from my usual reads. Though this book is from Anne Stuart who is famous for penning the types of heroes that you hate to love but eventually you do anyway, not that this rule applied to me when I gobbled up her Ice series last month, the hero in Wild Thing is not the type to invoke shocked gasps from fainthearted readers. But rather what makes John unique is his history, the way he came to be labeled as the “Wild Thing”.

Dr. Elizabeth Holden (Libby) has a mind that refuses to be appeased from its thirst for knowledge and she holds doctorates in both anthropology and linguistics. Working on her research at the Stanfield University in Chicago, Libby is someone who thrives on order and regulation in her life. Someone who abhors the concept of camping or the outdoors, Libby is most comfortable in her city, surrounded by what is familiar to her. Her one serious relationship with Richard, a fellow colleague had fallen flat on its face when he had been more interested in nailing a graduate student rather than tying up the knot with her, a fact which drives home the fact that Libby is not one who tempts men to claim as their own. As an only child, Libby had been lost when her parents had died when she had been young, a result of which her family had become her education. When Edward J. Hunnicutt, the 7th richest man in the world who has quite an influence at the university requests for her service, Libby finds herself traveling to the other end of the world to a remote island off the coast of Australia to do his bidding.

What Libby encounters upon arrival couldn’t have shocked her more. Hunnicutt is convinced that he had found the missing link in evolution and is excited about the prospect of learning more about the hauntingly beautiful man he has strapped on a gurney with drugs pumping through his veins 24/7. From the moment Libby sees the man who is called a variety of names ranging from Tarzan to the Wild Man, something stirs deep within her and tenderhearted Libby cannot stand by and let people treat a man regardless of how savage he might be as a plaything for a billionaire.

When Libby helps the man she starts calling John escape from the facility, the last thing she had expected was for him to kidnap her and take her along in his trek through the forest that surrounds the fortress that Hunnicutt’s property is. The nervousness that starts growing deep within her at the close proximity to John who sets all her senses aflutter makes Libby open up herself and reveal all her deepest and darkest secrets, even the fact that she is entertaining lustful thoughts about the man himself, confident in the belief that John wouldn’t understand a word of what she is saying.

The last thing that reclusive John Bartholomew Hunter needs is a chatty woman harping on about her life trekking through the woods with him. But John had had no choice but to bring her along knowing that the Hunnicutt’s hired thugs wouldn’t take her role in aiding his escape lightly. What John doesn’t expect is to become enamored with her constant chatter to the point of missing her husky voice droning on in the background when she stops to take a breather. It certainly doesn’t help matters that John feels a deep need to claim her as his, a man who always is in ruthless command of all his emotions.

The constant restlessness that is a part of John ever since he had survived the plane crash that had killed his parents when he had just been 8 years old and John had had to survive on his own for 9 whole years until he had been rescued makes him uncomfortable around people and John had built his home on an island that wouldn’t require contact with the outside world. And even when that fails to curb his restless nature, John goes on his walkabout, trekking through the deep jungles, the only place where he feels at home. Captured by Russians and mistaken for a savage had lost him 3 months of his life at the sadistic hands of Hunnicutt’s hired thugs until rescue had come in the form of petite Libby with her husky voice and a mouth that would invite a saint to sin in the most wicked of ways.

Two lost souls, mismatched as they are find that they are more than a match when it comes to the combustive passion between them. Knowing that there is no future for them together doesn’t stop John from giving Libby the best sex of her life for one unforgettable night before John sends her away back to her city life in Chicago. When danger once again comes calling, it is John who rides to Libby’s rescue which in turn gives them their happily ever after.

I Liked:

  1. The unique storyline in this novel. I have never read a book of the Tarzan-Jane theme and this was a refreshing change from the usual bunch of romances that line my bookshelves.
  2. John. He is one delicious hunk of man flesh which just makes my mouth water. And of course there is a lot to be said for his broody nature, his restless soul that continually seeks something which it cannot find until he holds his Libby in his arms. *sigh*
  3. Libby. Lord, she made laugh a couple of times with her sense of humor and her incessant chatter.  Was she in for a surprise when John utters his first words at her. The humiliation she feels leaves her seething but in the end it is no match for the strong yearning that takes a hold of her emotions when she comes into contact with her wild man. I loved her sunny nature which comes out to play only when John is around which perfectly complements John’s broody and intense nature.
  4. Ah! This story does prove that Anne Stuart can in fact write an ending that would satisfy her legion of readers. I loved how this story ended with an insight into their lives 3 months after they get together when finally John realizes that at last he had found the other half of his soul in Libby after his latest walkabout.

I Disliked: Nothing comes to mind. I loved this story from start to finish!

Favorite Quotes

The pictures had been astonishing enough, but they failed to prepare her for the reality of Ed Hunnicutt’s wild man.
He was beautiful. There was no other word for him. Beneath the tangle of long, dark hair, beneath the deeply tanned skin and rough beard, he was absolutely stunning. She let her eyes run down the entire length of his body, his lean, muscled shoulders and chest, his long legs ending in bare, narrow feet. He was wearing some sort of ragged cutoffs and nothing else, and he looked like the male equivalent of Sleeping Beauty, perfection lost in an endless sleep.

Recommended for:

  1. Those who love Tarzan-Jane themed romances.
  2. Fans of Anne Stuart.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Lucky’s Lady by Tami Hoag

Format: E-bookluckyslady
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Doucette, Book 2
Publisher: Bantam
Hero: Etienne Doucet (Lucky)
Heroine: Serena Sheridan
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 30, 2003
Started On: November 20, 2010
Finished On: November 24, 2010

This week has been totally crazy. After the 10 day break during which I practiced the art of doing nothing except sleep, eat and read, the time during which I met Bastien Toussaint (can you tell whether I love this guy or not? LOL!), the work week started on a crazy note. Added to that I am deep in pursuit on a place to do my Masters degree which I have kept on the back burner for quite some time now. So all in all, I left Lucky hanging far too long and managed to finish this one by staying up all night last night for which I am not even remotely feeling guilty about as Lucky managed to surpass each and every expectation I had of him from the very beginning of this delightful story.

Lucky’s Lady is not my first Tami Hoag. Her book Ashes to Ashes though classified as a Romantic Suspense which sort of falls flat on the romance area was my first Tami Hoag and since then I have never been tempted to read a book from Tami Hoag until I found myself in the midst of a discussion on Amazon where someone recommended this book as being one of the best books ever. Skeptical as I was I couldn’t resist picking this one up for which I am thankful for. This book has that perfect balance of romance and suspense that earns it the right to be labeled as a romantic suspense. Thanks to the rave reviews from various friends of mine on Goodreads such as Lady Jayne, Quinn, Melissa B and Shawna which played a major role in me taking the plunge into this romance based in Louisiana.

Etienne Doucet or Lucky as most people know him as, is one of the most deliciously sinful and heartthrob variety of hero ever. Right from the very first second he entered into the story all my senses went haywire and everything in me clamored to find out more about him. Ex-military, Lucky is a man who has suffered on many levels, who has been to the brink of taking his own life and beyond, taking his refuge in the beautifully mysterious Louisiana swamp he calls his home. Betrayal of the worst kind from the two women who he had dared to care for has left Lucky a man dangerously cynical of the fairer sex and certainly wants nothing to do with the classy Serena Sheridan when she walks into his life destroying every belief and all the walls he has put up around his emotions till now.

Serena Sheridan is classy, beautiful and totally different from her twin sister Shelby. Serena had been fifteen when her father, an only child had died leaving her and Shelby in the care of their grandfather and owner of Chanson Du Terre the Sheridan plantation. Serena’s mother had died long before that and  though Serena has always longed for a close relationship with her twin sister, it had never happened and Serena had upped and left for Charleston where she has made a whole new life for herself as a psychologist. Serena had been married for 4 years to a man for all the wrong reasons and the lack of sizzle in their life had led them to divorce amicably and Serena has resigned herself to believing that she is just one of those women who would never feel that deep passion in her life, until she locks horns with the sinful Cajun hero Lucky.

Someone as classy and beautiful as Serena would never have crossed paths with someone like Lucky who likes nothing better than letting others think the worst about him. It is when Serena returns home for a vacation to spend time with her grandfather and her sister and her family who were currently living at Chanson Du Terre that she finds out that her grandfather had gone into hiding deep into the swamp and it is her deep concern for him that drives Serena who has never set foot in the swamp due to an incident that took place 15 years back, to face her worst nightmare and go after her grandfather into the dark and dangerous swamp. With no one but Lucky left  to guide her to where her grandfather is in hiding Serena has no choice but to bear with the man who just makes all her senses come alive with one word in his drawling Cajun accent that literally makes her knees go weak.

What Serena finds out upon the explosive encounter with her grandfather leaves a sour taste in her mouth. Someone who doesn’t like how the mysterious and yet beautiful swamp which had been her home makes her feel, Serena is forced to make a choice on whether she would run back to her safe cocoon back in Charleston or whether she would stay on and fight the battle of her life against her only family whilst the greatest danger of all is the power that Lucky wields over her heart and emotions within such a short period of time. Filled with mind numbing sexual tension, I never wanted to put this book down ever since Lucky Doucet put his raw powerful frame into the picture.

Likes:

  1. Lucky Doucet, Lucky Doucet and Lucky Doucet! Can I say it one more time? Would it make it anymore obvious that the guy totally invaded and took control of my heart, body and soul whilst I was reading this book and then some? Sigh! I don’t think I can adequately describe the way he took absolute control of the story since he walked into the picture. From his sinfully good looks to the edge of his tortured soul, I loved every bit of him and then some more and couldn’t help but sigh and moon over those sexy and at times dirty French phrases he kept tossing into the story which made my knees go weak each and every time! And his total mastery in the bedroom!! OMG!! Should I go on? LOL! This was the one time that I wished that I was able to match his physique with someone real like my friend Jayne on Goodreads is able to. Jayne, wanna help me out here? ^_^
  2. Serena Sheridan. She is one classy kick-ass hero who manages to pull the whole thing off quite effectively. Her vulnerability coupled with her strength is what made me love her absolutely as the story unfolded. Her faith and love in Lucky as she discovers the person he is deep inside, the fact  that she is not intimidated by the total bad-ass act that Lucky pulls off quite effectively and the fact that she was strong enough to let Lucky go even though it had been the single hardest thing she had ever done sealed the deal for me with this heroine.
  3. Loved the sassy and sexy bantering between Serena and Lucky throughout the story.
  4. The super duper sexual tension in the book! My insides were on a total quivering session all of last night since Lucky picked up from where he left off. From the first no holds barred kiss to the give-it-all-you-have encounters between the two left me breathless and at times like a puddle of goo as Lucky took total control of my, ahem! baser emotions. *drool*
  5. Absolutely adored the way the story ended. At first as the story progressed, I thought, “Oh well! Here comes another bad-ass hero who is going to make a total fool of himself from the first sight of his woman” and boy was I ever so delightfully wrong! I just love it when the ultimate happily ever after (which of course is a foregone conclusion in a romance) nevertheless is NOT a foregone conclusion within the first couple of pages which is one of the reasons why I rate this as an A+ read and then some. This was a beautifully fitting ending if there ever was one! Sigh!

Dislikes: Absolument pas! (Absolutely none!) ^_^

Recommended for: Anyone who LOVES romances!

Favorite Quotes

What Serena had braced herself for she wasn’t sure, but it certainly wasn’t the man who filled the doorway. The impact of his sudden presence had the same effect as being hit with a shock wave – a phenomenon she had heretofore not believed in.
Her first impression was of raw power. Broad shoulders, bulging biceps. His chest, bare and gleaming with a sheen of sweat, was wide, and hard muscle beneath taut, tanned skin. The strong V of his torso narrowed to a slender waist, a stomach corrugated with muscle and dusted with black hair that disappeared beneath the low-riding waistband of faded green fatigue pants. She raised her eyes to his face and felt a shiver pass over her from head to toe, making her scalp tighten and her fingers tingle. He stared at her from under sleepy lids with large, unblinking amber eyes, eyes like a panthers. 

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Fire And Ice by Anne Stuart

Format: E-bookfireandice
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Ice, Book 5
Publisher: MIRA
Hero: Hiromasa Shinoda
Heroine: Jillian Lovitz
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: May 1, 2008
Started On: November 18, 2010
Finished On: November 18, 2010

As all good things in life do come to an end, so I have reached the end of this highly entertaining romantic suspense series by Anne Stuart. Though I still definitely yearn for more of Ms. Stuart’s heroes, I would have to dig through some of her other books to find the fix that I am craving for even now. I hear that her House of Rohan series is really good and I am definitely going to try them out, as soon as I catch my breathe from the latest roller-coaster ride that I just disembarked from.

The Hero: 27 year old Hiromasa Shinoda or Reno is hardly one’s typical romance book hero. Reno is cousins with Takashi O’Brien, hero of the 3rd book in the Ice series which I reviewed earlier. Readers who have read or are reading the series in order would have come across Reno in Takashi’s story, and even then I found myself intrigued with the complexity of his character. Half-American and half-Japanese as well, Reno is the grandson of the head of the infamous Yakuza family, a family steeped in organized crime in Japan. Reno’s complexity doesn’t come from his mixed heritage, but rather the mass of contradictions that he actually is. Whilst Hiromasa Shinoda looks respectable and is a man with a high IQ with a degree in Engineering, the darker and edgier side of him known as Reno can most well be described as a punk Yakuza gangster. With long spiky hair that falls well below his waist colored in crimson red, and two teardrop tattoos on his high cheekbones and hard-ass attitude, Reno is the ultimate bad boy with a deep rooted animosity towards American women as his own American mother had abandoned him once she had grown tired of playing Yakuza royalty. Serving as the Committee’s newest recruit, Reno hardly fits in with the typical Committee material but shows his true potential when things turned quite rough in Ice Storm, the 4th book of the series.

The Heroine: Jillian Lovitz or Jilly as she is called by everyone close to her is 20 years old and a genius who has never had the chance to experience the stuff that normal childhoods are made up of. With a high IQ that had refused to sit idle whilst she experienced life, Jilly had graduated from high school when she had been fifteen, college when she was eighteen had never had the chance to develop normal relationships. With big brown eyes, a wide mouth and short blond hair and well around 6 feet tall, Jilly had always felt more like a giant around her five foot something, petite mother who had acted more like a spoiled child herself than an adult all her life. Jilly’s one solace in life had been Summer her half-sister who had always looked out for her and mothered her whom she misses terribly since she married Takashi and moved to Japan.

Storyline: It is Jilly’s yearning to experience life and the need to divest herself of her status as a virgin that ends in a disastrous one night stand which propels her to fly to Japan to drown her sorrows in the arms of Summer. However, unbeknown to Jilly, Takashi and Summer had gone into hiding to escape a bunch of mercenary killers who were gunning for their lives. And it is Reno who rides to her rescue on a mean looking Harley and whisks her away to safety whilst Jilly’s heart acknowledges the fact that in reality she had come to Japan wanting to seek Reno out, the man who had fueled all her adolescent dreams for the past two years. This time rather than international terrorists out to take the world, the danger that surrounds them rises too close to home for comfort and it will take every ounce of Reno’s willpower to keep his hands of Jilly whilst they run for their lives dodging killers and bullets as they race through Japan trying to figure out who and why they have been targeted.

The First Encounter: Jilly and Reno’s first encounter takes place at the end of Ice Blue, the story of Summer Hawthorne and Takashi O’Brien. Even with his deep rooted animosity towards American women, Reno is helplessly ensnared right from the first moment he lays his reluctant eyes on Jilly.

Time period: This story has a contemporary setting and takes place in the UK, Japan and later in the US.

Narrative Form: This story is told in the 3rd person form in both Reno and Jilly’s point of view for the main part of the story.

Awareness between the hero and heroine: What drew me to this story in the first place was the attraction that flares between Reno and Jilly at the end of Ice Blue. Even back then, Takashi and Summer had realized what was happening and had taken steps to avert someone like Reno from taking advantage of an innocent like Jilly. However that had not stopped either of them from dreaming about the other or wanting the other. Though Reno’s yearnings had been more sexual in nature whilst Jilly’s had been more dreamlike in nature, it is the white hot and undeniable attraction between the two that Reno certainly doesn’t want any part of that makes this book so damn attractive. Whilst Jilly spins dreams of the possibility of a happily ever after with the ultimate bad boy Reno, Reno is determined to keep his hands off from Jilly because he knows that she is more trouble than it is worth. But when push comes to shove and Reno has to keep Jilly safe, the close proximity proves to be Reno’s undoing where Jilly is concerned which makes this read truly worthwhile.

The turning point: Reno is someone who likes older women for the fact that they are more experienced and bring less unwanted emotion into the picture. But when he is unable to let go of the memory of the one encounter that brought him close to Jilly for the next two years, Reno knows that he is in more trouble than he had ever anticipated. With an all grown up Jilly getting up close and personal with him, it takes Reno everything he has to keep his hands off, until need obliterates everything else. For Jilly who has spun all her adolescent dreams on Reno it is just a matter of time before she hits the point of no return where Reno is concerned.

Likes:

  1. Hiromasa Shinoda. As I said earlier in my review, the complex nature of his character is one of the main reasons that made me race through this story at such a fast pace. I loved the fact that he alternated between being the good and nerdy Hiromasa and the ultimate bad boy Reno whilst the bad boy wins most of the time. Whilst his bad boy Harley riding image appeals on so many levels to my slutty inner self, it is the medium between the two that made me fall for him in the end.
  2. Jillian Lovitz. She is such a treat to read about. Her positive optimism when it comes to Reno is what made me love her. Even though at times Reno’s words and actions cut deep, and Jilly keeps telling herself that familiarity with Reno would breed contempt and in the end she wouldn’t feel so vulnerable with Reno, it is Jilly who identifies the fact that it is not that Reno doesn’t feel anything for her but rather he is terrified of just how much he feels when it comes to Jilly.
  3. The premise of the story. I loved discovering tidbits about Japan and their customs and lifestyle. In fact it made me even search up on the Internet on some of the stuff that I came across in this novel such as the Japanese Capsule hotels and the Meiji Shrine. For someone who has always held the view that Japan is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, reading about it in this novel just drove home the point that I need to do some traveling ASAP.
  4. The element of forbidden love in this story. Throughout the whole of Ice series, it has been the nature of their jobs as employees of The Committee that had kept the heroes/heroines unable to face the fact that even they are vulnerable enough to fall in love when it comes to  the right person. However, Reno and Jilly’s story is different such that Reno tries to keep his hands off of Jilly not because he doesn’t want her, but rather because he had promised his cousin’s wife that he would stay away from her and for someone like Reno, family loyalty comes before anything else.
  5. And oh yes, even though totally unrelated, I loved listening to Breaking Benjamin’s latest album Dear Agony all throughout when I was reading this book. The music just brought something extra to the story which is hard for me to explain but nevertheless played an important role in enhancing my enjoyment of a story well spun.

Dislikes:

Again, what’s with these abrupt endings? I just don’t get it! The story flows so smoothly, you ache for the hero and heroine to get their happily ever after, and wham bam thank you maam, the ending just comes out of nowhere and slaps you on the face something fierce. I so dearly wish this weren’t so. I mean it would be nice just to leave us readers with a healthy dose of an epilogue (even a page or two would suffice) to tide us over and take with us images of the ending we had envisioned right through the story. *glum sigh*

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Anne Stuart.
  2. Fans of romantic suspense. Even though this is part of a series it can be read as a standalone.
  3. Fans of the Ice Series by Anne Stuart.

Favorite Quotes

Snap out of it, Reno!  he told himself. You’ve just managed to rid her of any romantic notions. Don’t blow it by thinking with your dick again.
The funny thing was, it wasn’t his dick that was giving him trouble. Yeah, for some crazy reason he still wanted to screw her when he should be concentrating on other things. But even more, he wanted her lying on the narrow cot with him, her body crammed up against his, her arms around him, her face against his shoulder, her heart beating against his.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Ice Storm by Anne Stuart

Format: E-bookice storm
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Ice, Book 4
Publisher: MIRA
Hero: Thomas Henry Killian St. Claire
Heroine: Mary Isobel Curwen (Madame Isobel Lambert)
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: November 1, 2007
Started On: November 17, 2010
Finished On: November 18, 2010

The 4th book in the Ice series has certainly been the most different book in the series yet. Though it is the story of the cool and impeccable head of the Committee Madame Isobel Lambert, the story is made doubly appealing and interesting by the fact that Peter and Bastien from books 1 and 2 both play prominent roles in this novel.

The Hero: Thomas Henry Killian St. Claire is a man so steeped in the world of lies and the dangerous company that he keeps that it is hard to separate what is real and what is not when it comes to him. Killian has earned himself the reputation of being a ruthless mercenary who sells his skills to those who can afford his high price and is known as a man who has no compulsion in killing. Known as The Butcher amongst various circles, Killian had grown up in the streets of LA with a junkie mother and had never known his father. Little about Killian’s history is detailed in the story though his  bad-ass character appealed to me on so many levels and I wanted to know more about him. The actual reality of who Killian turns out to be is the real shocker in the story which I will not reveal in my review.

The Heroine: Anyone who has read the past 3 books in the Ice series would know and would have come to like the beautiful and impeccable Madame Isobel Lambert. Isobel had been handed over the reins of the Committee after her predecessor had been forced into retirement because the absolute power that had been in his hands had in the end corrupted him. Though everyone thinks Isobel is British, she is actually Mary Isobel Curwen from Vermont of USA. With a mother who had died when she was quite young and a father who had remarried and had no place for her in his new life, Isobel had just been 19 years old when she had packed her bags and made her way to England to join the Cordon Bleu in Paris. It is there that the naive yet stubborn headed Isobel with a passionate heart and innocent soul gets her first taste of lust, love, passion and ultimate betrayal at the hands of Killian the first man she shoots and leaves to his ultimate death. Isobel had then married her husband of 6 years, Stephan Lambert who had been 30 years older than her. Right after her husband’s death she had been recruited to the Committee and had never looked back. Though she is known as the Ice Queen or Iron Maiden, Isobel now 37 years old is a woman who has just about reached her limit in the endless life and death decisions that she has to make on a daily basis. Though no one knows it, Isobel has a habit of crying in her shower after a kill, not for the death of a person who had so obviously deserved it, but rather for pieces of her soul which she loses with every pull of the trigger.

Storyline: The Committee’s newest mission, bringing in Josef Serafin from somewhere in South Africa safely back to the UK, a man in his early forties who had made countless enemies everywhere with his life spent in circles of the most dangerous men around the world, selling his skill to the highest bidders is willing to impart valuable Intel on various terrorist organizations in the world with whom he had worked for in exchange for his safe passage into UK, becomes a doubly dangerous mission when Isobel realizes that Josef Serafin is none other than Killian, the one man she had loved and shot and left to his death almost 18 years ago. A straightforward mission that Isobel vows to herself would end up in herself killing Killian once and for all becomes something life threatening when death and mayhem waits for them at every turn, forcing Isobel to trust Killian and his ruthless determination in arriving in the UK safely. What Isobel doesn’t know is that Killian is actually on a mission that would bring stop to life as Isobel knows it, a mission which at the end would make Isobel’s hatred for him an absolute certainty.

The First Encounter: Isobel and Killian’s first encounter takes place 18 years prior to the beginning of the story when Killian becomes Isobel’s savior from a ruthless group of men who had been hellbent on raping and torturing the 19 year old Isobel who had just got lost in the streets of Plymouth on her way to her hostel.

Time period: This story has a contemporary setting and takes place in the UK, USA and regions of South Africa.

Narrative Form: This story is told in third person from both Killian and Isobel’s point of view. As I mentioned in the beginning of the review, heroes from the previous books also come into prominent roles in this story so at certain parts the story is narrated in third person from their points of views as well.

Awareness between the hero and heroine: When Killian had first met Isobel with her wild tangled mane of red hair with a smattering of freckles thrown into the mix, Killian had only had one intention, use her for his cover and discard her when he has no use for her any longer. But what Killian doesn’t count on is the 19 year old innocent Isobel’s ability to get under his skin and lodge herself deeply into his soul within the two weeks that he spends with her. And nor does he count on the fact that in Isobel’s arms is the only place that Killian is afraid that he might lose his legendary control and if he gives in he would never ever have a chance of getting back his emotions intact. The young and innocent Isobel had been played well and through and as she falls in love with the enigmatic and beautiful Killian by her side, so grows the intense awareness that she has of Killian as a man. From the first ruthlessly invigorating kiss that takes place between Kilian and Isobel to the 18 years they spent apart during which Isobel gets labeled as a frigid until Killian takes her in his arms again and drives home the point that she is not, this story packs a whole punch of emotions in the awareness department. I absolutely loved how Ms. Stuart managed to blend in the past with the present effectively giving the reader heady insights into the explosive relationship between Killian and Isobel.

The turning point: 18 years ago, Killian’s orders had been to kill Isobel and get rid of her once and for all after his use of her as a cover had run its course. But Killian who doesn’t acknowledge the fact that Isobel had come to mean something more to him than just a casual fuck walks away leaving her alive but drugged enough not to recall anything which is saying a lot for a man like himself who always puts his missions first. And even when they later meet, though Isobel knows that she wants to kill him and convinces herself that she is going to do just that, she is much more flustered than she lets on, when the man who had fueled her dreams for the past couple of years turns up once again in flesh, more appealing than ever, proving once again that she is vulnerable where he is concerned and always would be.

Likes:

  1. I absolutely loved the fact that this story was different from the other stories in the series such that there is prior history between the hero and heroine that makes their love so much more delicious and heady to read about. Their passion is explosive and ruthless at times and when it does finally break through the impeccable fortress around each of their hearts, these moments were the best parts in the story. I loved the fact that both Killian and Isobel are equals such that they both have lives that revolve around situations of life and death each and every day.
  2. Killian. Though there is not much of a history on his character, I flat out adored him right from the very beginning. Though he aims to be ruthless and puts his mission first above everything else, his humane nature comes into light with little Mahmoud he rescues from the throes of a suicide bomber, a little boy who is determined he would kill Killian one day, a mission that Killian is willing to see  gets fulfilled by giving the little boy a fighting chance to make something of himself.
  3. I absolutely reveled in revisiting characters of the past books in the Ice series. Scratch the need for an epilogue and give me Bastien served on a silver platter with each new story in the Ice series and I would go to sleep a happy woman every night! LOL! Did you all just get the fact that I love Bastien. Yes, I do!
  4. It was interesting to see how Ms. Stuart lays down the foundation for the next and last story in the Ice series, starring the cousin of Takashi O’Brien who undeniably has a fiery and rather unwanted attraction towards Takashi’s wife’s sister-in-law. This story was begging to be told from the end of the last book. And I am so looking forward to how Reno’s highly unusual character would fare as a recruit for the Committee.

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of the Ice series from Anne Stuart.
  2. Fans of romantic suspense.

Favorite Quotes

Her body hurt. He hadn’t meant to hurt her – in fact, she was probably to blame for it. She’d pushed him. He’d pushed her. They’d done everything she could think of and then things she’d never imagined, as the long, endless hours stretched into the night and beyond, and she’d taken him every way she could. And now she was lying in his arms, entwined with him, her body aching, her soul hurting, her heart ready to explode. They’d had rough sex, kinky sex, silly sex, deliciously nasty sex. And then, God help her, they’d made love. He’d moved deep inside her body, his eyes looking into hers, his hands cradling her face with devastating gentleness, and he’d been motionless as he came inside her. And then he’d said, “I love you.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: Ice Blue by Anne Stuart

Format: E-bookice blue
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Ice, Book 3
Publisher: Mira
Hero: Takashi O’Brien
Heroine: Summer Hawthorne
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 1, 2007
Started On: November 16, 2010
Finished On: November 17, 2010

I have finished the 3rd book in my crazed craving for the “gamma” heroes that Anne Stuart creates so effectively, i.e. those heroes that you hate to love. Her stories aren’t definitely for the ideal romantic, but rather who can take the darker side of their heroes and still love them in the end. Its a good thing that there are still 2 more books in the Ice series left for me to go through. Hopefully by the end of the 5th book my hunger for “gamma” heroes would have been fed and appeased – or not!

The Hero: Takashi O’Brien is definitely not your average romance book hero. Though he is described as one of the most beautiful males the heroine has laid her eyes on with his high perfect cheekbones, exotic eyes of an indeterminate shade on a narrow face with a rich full mouth and hair long and silky black, Takashi is different such that he is half-Japanese and half-American. I have certainly never come across a hero who is a mix of Japanese and American in a novel before and that makes Takashi doubly appealing from my point of view. A member of the Yakuza family, one of Japan’s organized crime family, Takashi is one of the most valuable assets of The Committee headed by the cool and level-headed Isobel Lambert. Takashi had grown up with a grandfather who had never approved of him, mainly because of his tainted American blood and the eventual suicide of his beautiful and self-absorbed mother. Known as the King of Death, readers of the Ice series first come across Takashi in the 2nd book of the series Cold as Ice which I reviewed earlier. Having barely survived from the tortures inflicted on him by a mad man who had been hellbent on driving the world into financial chaos, Takashi has promised himself that he wouldn’t ever hesitate on doing what needs to be done on a mission, no matter how difficult.

The Heroine: 28 year old Summer Hawthorne, daughter of the beautiful, vivacious and self-absorbed Lianne, has an advanced degree in Asian Art and works as a junior curator at the Sansone Museum in California. Summer has had a less than ideal childhood when she had faced the dark and perverted side of human nature when she had just been around 5 years of age. It is her Japanese nanny Hana Hayashi who had mothered her, disciplined her and showered her with unconditional love, something her mother had never had the time for. The untimely death of her nanny in an accident had thrown Summer into a tailspin and she had attempted suicide the scars of which she carries till today. Summer thrives on keeping her emotions in check, a tight rein on her feelings something which she has learned to do since the last time she had broken down and cried her heart out when her nanny had died. With blond hair, blue eyes and average looks and slightly overweight in mannequin standards, Summer likes the quiet in her life something which she works hard to cultivate. The only person Summer cares more than anything else is her half sister Jilly who gets her own story in the 5th book of this series.

Storyline: Summer holds in her possession a Hayashi Urn left with her by her beloved nanny for safekeeping, something which The True Realization Fellowship, a religious cult group based in Japan would kill for. Shirosama, the head of this worldwide spiritual movement is determined to acquire the Hayashi Urn at any cost as it is a vital part of his plans on cleansing the world and being reborn as the holy man he is supposed to become. Powerful enough to initiate the launch of several deadly attacks simultaneously all over the world to fulfill his purpose, Shirsama comes under the radar of The Committee for his nefarious plans on wiping out more than half of the world’s population to fulfill his madman mission. When Summer is kidnapped on her way to her car after the opening reception of the Sansone Museum by Shirsama’s followers, Summer who has no inkling of the powerful artifact in her hands barely survives the attempt when rescue comes in the form of deadly Takashi O’Brien who spins her world out of control from the first get go. Though Summer doesn’t know it at first, it is Takashi’s mission is to obtain the original Hayashi Urn and then kill Summer, the only person in the world who knows the location of the holy shrine which Shirsama needs in order to fulfill his affairs.

The First Encounter: Summer and Takashi’s first encounter takes place when Summer is rescued by Takashi after being thrown into the trunk of a limo by Shirsama’s goons who have orders to bring Summer in alive, to coerce the information he requires by using whatever means necessary.

Time period: This story has a contemporary setting and takes place in the US, Japan and later in the UK.

Narrated in: The main story is told from Takashi and Summer’s point of  view though there is a mix of other points of views of other main characters within the story as it unfolds.

Awareness between the hero and heroine: Takashi O’Brien is a man who is known for his brilliant talent in seducing whatever he needs out of his mission. When a man of such lethal beauty whose interests lie in perfect mannequin like women finds himself helpless in his fascination for a bedraggled looking woman who is supposed to die at his hands, Takashi is at a loss as to how to control his wayward emotions. Summer whose childhood had scarred her from wanting physical contact with a man though she had tried hard with her 3 month boyfriend Scott, Summer is shocked to realize that the feelings coursing through her for a man so unlike any she had ever come across is desire to possess and be possessed in his powerful arms. The thing that I love most about the Ice series is this constant hum of awareness between the characters which heightens to unbearable levels before it explodes into the most rousing acts of coming together between the hero and heroine.

The turning point: Though Takashi is determined that he wouldn’t fail on his mission to kill Summer, the fact that he is reluctant to and he cannot go through with any of his subtle attempts on her life is a major turning point for a man like Takashi. Though he doesn’t want to admit it to himself, Summer gets under his skin in more ways than one. Things reach their heady conclusion and point of no return after the first scene of seduction where Takashi is determined to wreak havoc on Summer’s emotions and finds himself for the first time ever in loss of control of his feelings which was one of the best parts of this story.

Ending: Of course, a happily ever after for Takashi and Summer.

Likes:

  1. Takashi O’Brien. Anyone who has read my reviews on the past 2 books of the Ice series would know that I gave my heart unconditionally to Bastien Toussiant, hero from the 1st book, Black Ice in the series. Takashi comes in a close second plance to Bastien with his ruthlessness but a tenderness deep within him that refuses to be ignored when Summer comes into the picture.
  2. Summer Hawthorne. Though some readers found her to be lacking I found her refreshingly likable. Summer is a heroine who knows when to fight and when to accept what Takashi rouses in her 28 year old dormant set of emotions.
  3. Loved the scene where Takashi loses his legendary control, without even being aware of it. Mmm.. sign me up for the next American-Japanese hero ladies!
  4. Loved the ending! Brought forth a lot of emotions in me which I revel in as a reader.
  5. Loved the continuous unending adventure that never ceases to entertain in these books. There is a perfect balance of romance, adventure and pure evil in Stuart’s books that is a heady combination.

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of romantic suspense who can stand gamma heroes.
  2. Fans of Anne Stuart.

Favorite Quotes

She’d shut herself off again, and as the morning light filled the car he let himself watch her. She was pale and drawn, with violet patches beneath her eyes, the scattering of golden freckles across her nose. She’d managed to braid her long hair again, but it was coming loose, tangling on her shoulders. He wanted to untie her hair and bury his face in it, breathe in the smell of it.
Hell, it probably smelled of smoke and ashes from the explosion they’d just barely managed to outrun. Her skin would smell of fear. But he wanted to drown in it anyway.
He was insane. Out of his fucking mind, and she had no idea.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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