Category / Great Read

Rating of 4 Stars

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Heart of Fire by Linda Howard

Format: E-bookheartoffire
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Pocket
Hero: Ben Lewis
Heroine: Jillian Sherwood
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: October 1, 1997
Started On: December 18, 2010
Finished On: December 18, 2010

Jillian Sherwood, daughter of the archaeologist known as Cyrus “Crackpot” Sherwood grows up with the love for archaeology and lost civilizations instilled into her long back when she had been just a young child fascinated by the stories of long-lost civilizations she had learnt of whilst sitting in the warm security of her father’s arms. When her father had died when Jillian had been 14 years old in the Amazon jungle on the expedition which would have proved once and for all that Cyrus didn’t have his head up in the clouds as all his colleagues and the rest of the archaeological community believed him to be, Jillian follows in his footsteps to become an archaeologist herself, something which becomes twice as hard for her because her father’s reputation lingers even long after his death.

The final straw comes when Jillian is overlooked as a possible candidate for the Ouosalla dig in East Africa, the biggest new archaeological find in decades funded by her employer Frost Archaeological Foundation. Even though Jillian is more than qualified to attend, she is not even considered because of her father’s reputation, which brings forth the burning desire in Jillian to actually delve into her father’s fascination with the Anzar theory of the Amazon being named for a band of warrior women who had lived deep within the jungle, this fascination of his which had played the main role in Cyrus being labeled as a “misguided” fool.

When Jillian’s half brother Rick Sherwood learns of the probable treasure, the “Empress of the Heart”, a big fat red diamond that supposedly exists in the lost city of Anzar civilization, its not long before Rick teams up with the unsavory Steven Kates who agrees to fund their expedition to find the city of Anzar. Because only Jillian knows the secret of the coded message left in her father’s books, they have no choice but to take Jillian along. It is in Brazil that Jillian first comes across the six foot tall, potentially lethal Ben Lewis who is to be their guide in the rough trek through the Amazon jungle and its river for the next two months or so.

From the moment Jillian lays eyes on the rough around the edges Ben, she instinctively goes on the protective mode knowing that here was a man who would be lethal to her heart, body and soul if she were even to give in an inch. Ben is more than surprised and a little bit aggravated as well to find his unexplainable fascination with a woman who does not even remotely fit in with the usual type of women he carouses around with. And though Ben tries to tell his wayward libido otherwise, his body clamors to possess Jillian as his own and brand her his. His practiced seduction techniques certainly do not seem to work on the cool and collected Jillian, who makes it her self appointed mission to not give into Ben’s caresses which leaves her senses begging for more of where that came from.

I liked:

  1. Ben Lewis. Its tough not to like a man who oozes sexuality from just his mere presence in the story. *fans self*
  2. Jillian Sherwood. Linda Howard knows exactly what we want from her characters and she certainly doesn’t disappoint us with Jillian. Independent to a fault, vulnerable and loyal and a stubbornness that makes Ben grit his teeth every now and then, Jillian and her acrid sense of humor certainly makes for an enjoyable heroine.
  3. The witty banter between Jillian and Ben. My God, I laughed out loud several times during the story, especially the parts where things never seem to go as Ben plans them with Jillian. She constantly manages to surprise and infuriate him with the lack of interest she shows towards his advances, a fact that just continues to aggravate and arouse Ben more and more throughout the story.
  4. The explosive passion between Ben and Jillian. One reason why Ms. Howard’s books always rate a re-read is the fact that she delivers in spades in the romance, adventure as well as the sensuality department in her stories. The scene where Ben claims Jillian in the middle of a thunderstorm amidst the downpour in the jungle made my senses all go on red alert! *mmmm..*

Dislikes: Umm.. nothing much but I felt that I didn’t get to learn more about Ben and his past which I yearned for throughout the story. Though the lack of his past didn’t in anyway diminish the full force of his personality, I would have loved knowing more about him than just his hyperactive libido which makes its presence known right from the very beginning. *wink*

Recommended for: Fans of Linda Howard and fans of jungle trek themed romances.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Before the Storm by Marian Perera

Format: E-bookbeforethestorm
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Plus Novel
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Series: Eden Trilogy, Book 1
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Lord Robert Demeresna
Heroine: Alexis Khayne
Sensuality: 2.9
Date of Publication: April 6, 2010
Started On: December 6, 2010
Finished On: December 8, 2010

I have never been one to indulge much in the world of fantasy romances, though I know that the world of romances and the happily-ever-after it offers is nothing much more than a fantasy in itself. However, I am talking about an altogether a much different kind of fantasy in this instance, stories where authors spin elaborate and fantastic worlds of their own making, within which mythical creatures of all types reside in, and the sky is literally the limit in what can take place in such a world. Though many read and rave about books such as the Lord of the Rings series or the Harry Potter, I have never had the urge to go buy myself a copy and indulge. And when Ms. Marian Perera approached me and asked whether I would review her book entitled Before the Storm, needless to say, I was a bit apprehensive at first, not knowing what I was going to find once I entered into the realms of the fantastic world that she has created in this trilogy.

The heroine, Alexis Khayne is someone who is treated practically as dirt by her master Stephen Garnath, the ruler of the indestructible coronet city of  Radiath, a man who is hellbent on acquiring power by any means possible. Alexis is known as the Black Mare, mare the term being used for whores, and Alexis is the tool used by Stephen to make use of and allow his friends and foes to make use of whenever he pleases. Alexis has learnt long back to hide what she feels behind a calm facade of nothingness beyond which lives a soul yearning to be free of the shackles with which she has been bound to Stephen since she had agreed to be his paramour. A woman with nothing left to lose, the ability to even bear a child taken away from her, Alexis’s salvation comes in the form of the Bloody Baron, Lord Robert Demeresna.

The baron of Dawnever Robert is the fair and just ruler of his people of the Dawnever Province which lies on the land’s edge. It was said that Robert’s fields were filled with scarecrows made from crucified men and that he had once impaled an opponent, driving an iron spike through the man’s pelvis which had in turn earned him the name Bloody Baron, a name which Robert uses to his advantage. Robert knows of and is wary of the war that he knows is definitely coming his way, in Stephen’s plans to conquer the Dragan cities and become the ruler revered and feared alike by everyone. To this end, Stephen employs a man named Ohallox, an Iternan magician who uses his abilities to help Stephen along in his nefarious mission.

When Stephen presents Alexis to Robert, both Alexis and Robert are equally surprised, apprehensive and wary of the gesture. Never having been presented to a man before in such a way, Alexis is at first scared out of her wits to be presented to someone known as the Bloody Baron to take her away and do with her as however he pleases. Robert and his trusted companion Mayerd, another Iternan sorcerer who had lost all his abilities, thanks to the heartbreaking betrayal he had suffered at his wife’s hands, make short work of allaying their suspicions regarding Robert’s unexpected gift for the time being as they both know that somewhere along the way Alexis would be used to gain the upper hand in a war that was fast approaching.

The last thing Alexis expects is to be left alone with no advances forthcoming of any nature from Robert. Accompanying him and his soldiers in the lengthy journey from Radiath to his home, Alexis plots and plans her escape which becomes thwarted at the last minute. And it is during the days that follow that Alexis learns of Robert’s true nature, and for the first time in her life, Alexis yearns more than anything to be possessed by a man, a man who shows not the slightest interest in her. However, desire and yearning takes a backstage when Stephen strikes like a viper, using the most unlikely of weapons, nearly destroying Robert and his allies with his vicious attack.

The battle that is waged is a fierce one, with Robert’s army sadly outnumbered by Stephen’s greater and much powerful armed forces. However, the one thing that Robert has on his side is the use of weapons from the Quorum, the mighty high lords who use religion as their tool (as most religious scholars do in the real world), their steam bellowing weapons and explosives making the story come alive in a whole different way.

And in the midst of all this, unwanted though at first, an attraction blooms which later grows into something much more as magic, ingenious weaponry, treachery and good old heroism comes into play to win a war against all odds.

Likes:

  1. Though it was at first hard to get a grasp on what was happening and who was who, as soon as I knew what was happening I loved the fantastic world that was created in this novel. Ms. Perera might just have turned me into a fan of fantasy romances with this one and I do thank her for the opportunity to read a fantastic novel which otherwise I may never have tried out. The descriptions of the world they inhabit are done so well that at times I felt as if I were watching a fabulous movie starring an ethereal world that at times I couldn’t for the world of me pull my eyes away from the screen. Kudos to Ms. Perera for a job well done. I am just amazed to say the least of the ingenuity of a mind capable of creating a world such as this one.
  2. Robert. Mind you, he is the 1st beta hero that I have loved. His possessiveness when it comes to Alexis comes to light in subtlety which made it much more sexier in fact! And it was refreshing to read about a hero who is not afraid to admit that he does not have a vast amount of experience when it comes to wooing and satisfying women in bed. So with the tables turned, with Alexis being the experienced one makes for a good change from the norm.
  3. Alexis Khayne. From her unusual name to her strong nature which refuses to break even under the most extenuating circumstances, Alexis is an admirable heroine if there ever was one. She doesn’t spend time on the what-ifs of life, but rather accepts what she is dished out, and love when it does come calling, Alexis doesn’t spend time contemplating on hows and whys, but rather accepts it even though Robert at first apologizes for the fact that he can’t help himself in wanting her. Beautiful, capable, strong and with a mind of her own, Alexis is a heroine I loved right from the very beginning.

Dislikes:

For me, this story was a bit lacking in the romance department. Not that I want explicit sexual content in every other page of the story, but the one thing that makes any sort of romance an excellent one is the sense of awareness and the sexual attraction that simmers, flows and ebbs between the two characters as the story unfolds. Just a tad more in the romance department, and this would have been a 5 star read.

Recommended for: Fans of fantasy romances. The setting here is fantastic, the characters multifaceted and the adventure non-stop!

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Moving Target by Rosalie Stanton

Format: E-bookmovingtarget
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Hero: Nathanial Thornton (Wolf)
Heroine: Anna Winter
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: July 5, 2010
Started On: December 6, 2010
Finished On: December 6, 2010

So, it always tends to happen with me, if I stumble across a new author who has done a good job in convincing me with what I have read that he or she is worth rummaging through their backlist to find yummy reads, I ALWAYS end up doing just that. Firsts by Rosalie Stanton which I reviewed earlier definitely whetted my appetite for more from Ms. Stanton and I ended up getting myself a copy of Moving Target, a short romantic suspense novel that was published earlier this year.

Moving Target is the story of how Nathanial Thornton or Wolf is hired to kill Anna Winter, a job after two weeks of surveillance of his target Wolf is convinced that Anna is not what she has been made up to be by whoever has ordered the hit. From the first moment that Wolf lays his eyes on the stunningly gorgeous Anna with her pretty green eyes and gentle smile, all Wolf can think about is claiming her as his own, knowing that someone like him who has seen the dark side of life too many times to count is not deserving of someone like Anna who walks on the right side of life.

Anna had been working as secretary to Richard Monroe at the US Secretary of Agriculture in DC when she had heard something she wasn’t supposed to, and her fate had been sealed the moment Richard had discovered the fact and fired her. Coming back home to Springfield Missouri to lick her wounds and look for job, the last thing Anna would have expected is to run into the gorgeous as sin Wolf whose ocean blue eyes promise her things that makes her senses all go on high alert.

Wolf with the darkness that has surrounded his life till now finds the light at the end of the tunnel so to say in the arms of Anna who brings peace to his otherwise tortured soul with her acceptance and love.

I liked:

  1. Mmm.. you guys guessed right! Of course Wolf tops the list of my likes for this short novella. I felt my heart literally go aflutter when Wolf came up beside Anna asking her to dance, while promising with his eyes of things that he wants to do to her that just made my knees go weak. The club scene was definitely something! *wicked grin*
  2. Anna. I liked her because she doesn’t wait around fussing and bemoaning about the fact that an assassin who has been hired to kill her is the one who ultimately rides to her rescue when the shit hits the fan. I loved Anna because in spite of everything she still saw the gentleness that resides in Wolf that yearns to show itself, and because she opened up herself to let Wolf in, giving him a chance to embrace the light to escape all the darkness in his life.
  3. Definitely love the cover on this one too!! ^_^

I did not like: None, though I would love to read a full length contemporary or romantic suspense from Ms. Stanton. ^_^

Recommended for: Those who love short romantic suspense with a good dosage of sensuality in the mix.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Two Alone by Sandra Brown

Format: E-booktwoalone
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Silhouette Intimate Moments
Publisher: Silhouette
Hero: Cooper Landry
Heroine: Rusty Carlson
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: November 1, 1987
Started On: November 30, 2010
Finished On: December 1, 2010

I was going through Sandra Brown’s book list on Goodreads when a bunch of her older titles which I have not managed to read yet caught my eye. This one jumped outright at me from the very first moment with the title alone to make it sound like a story that I would be interested in. Upon reading the book summary, I knew that this book was definitely right up my ally and I didn’t hesitate to get myself a copy and indulge in one of my favorite romance themes ever – where total opposites come together in a romantic suspense novel, the hero as grouchy as can be and the heroine as feminine as  they come creating the best of sexual tension which in the end delivers a romance of the best kind! And this book certainly did not disappoint me on that front.

Two Alone was first published in 1987 when Sandra Brown wrote under the pseudonym Erin St. Claire a fact which I found out when I was about to start writing the review, and I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this one since most of the time romances penned in the 80’s tend to be of the wall-banger variety in terms of character development and developing storyline. But Sandra Brown has pulled it off, and I should say she has pulled this one off quite well with Cooper Landry and Rusty Carlson and their explosive mixture of passion and desire for one another.

27 year old Rusty Carlson is a real estate agent who works for her rich father and resides in Beverly Hills, California. With her mother dying when she had been a teenager and her brother Jeff whose sudden death had taken him away just two years back, its just Rusty and her father left in the family. Rusty always feels that she falls short when it comes to her father’s expectations, who always goes out of his way to sing praises for his dead son, and it is because Rusty tries so hard to please her father and rise to meet his unrealistic expectations that she subjects herself to spending time with her father at his favorite hunting grounds. On her way back to civilization, the plane on which Rusty is on crashes hurtling her into a world she is not at all equipped to deal with and puts her in the path of the dangerous and broody Cooper Landry.

Ex-military, having served in the Vietnam war and having ended up as a prisoner of war to later come out fighting with enough scars to last him for a lifetime, the last thing that Cooper needs is to be saddled with a woman who is too beautiful for her own good, a spoilt little heiress who Cooper is sure would end up being a pain in his butt whilst they fight for their survival until they are rescued. Cooper has sworn off women after the last woman he had given his everything had in the end betrayed him in the worst way possible and Cooper was in no hurry to let someone like Rusty ride roughshod on his emotions and his well protected heart.

But what Cooper doesn’t count on is the fact that Rusty though has lived a privileged life, she is no whiner and takes the whole survival of the fittest part about their predicament in the icy mountains with the killer snow storms moving in on them far better than Cooper had been expecting and in the end her gumption is what earns Cooper’s admiration, something he is quite stingy in passing out. And regardless of how much he tries to despise her and keep her away with his taunting and rough behavior, Cooper is helpless in the red hot desire that becomes as much a part of him as breathing when he is around Rusty.

Rusty is bewildered by the amount of hostility that Cooper shows her but she is no match for the desire that he unleashes with one searing glance and it is this strong attraction that they both try to ignore which brings forth all their animosity towards each other until the dangers in the wilderness forces them both to put aside their differences and work together for survival, something which propels them towards their ultimate combustive coming together which I absolutely reveled in reading about.

So.. Stuff I liked:

  1. Cooper Landry. He is broody, tortured enough to warrant my heartfelt love and bring forth all my protective instincts which makes him the perfect alpha hero. His callous behavior towards Rusty at the beginning made me realize that oh boy, when this one falls, he will fall hard and that made me nearly rub my hands together in glee at the mere thought of his fall. And every expectation I had of him as a hero was met. Cooper just sizzles the pages with his smoldering sensuality and the hot, hot kisses that fairly made Rusty not the only one to yearn to possess him. *wistful sigh*
  2. I loved the undeniable hostility between Rusty and Cooper which actually sprang from their mutual attraction towards each other which both refused to give in – or Cooper refused to give in because in his mind, he has nothing left to offer to a woman and because for him trust doesn’t come easily at all. Because of this, the simmering tension and sensuality between the two just took my breath away a time or two and I could barely sit still as anticipation coursed through me as I waited for the moment the inevitable explosion to come! *note to self: should join a Lamaze class ASAP*
  3. I loved the epilogue or rather the ending. It wasn’t abrupt, neither was it drawn out and what made this ending special was because of how their happily ever after was told. When Cooper leaves thinking that Rusty had ultimately betrayed him, it is Rusty who makes her way to the mountains where Cooper lives, and the ending is described months later which effectively conveys what happened that night when a bedraggled Rusty showed up on Cooper’s doorstep and also gives the reader glimpses into their happily ever after. Now why we can never find a man like Cooper, I would never know!!

Now.. Stuff I didn’t like so much:

I know it’s trivial but, what’s with the names of the hero and heroine in this book? Rusty? Who in the world calls their child Rusty? LOL! And Cooper was an okay name but I wanted something more significant, a name that would scream testosterone and ooze sexuality in lethal doses just like the man himself! ^_^

Favorite Quotes

He muttered swearwords that were in themselves arousing because they explicitly expressed the height of his arousal.
Like a Rod Stewart song, they were viscerally sexy, one couldn’t hear them without thinking of a male and a female mating.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Sandra Brown.
  2. Fans of romantic suspense.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Baby for Emily by Ginna Gray

Format: E-bookababyforemily
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Silhouette Special Edition #1466
Publisher: Silhouette
Hero: Dillon Maguire
Heroine: Emily Collins Maguire
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: May 1, 2002
Started On: November 26, 2010
Finished On: November 26, 2010

I know not the reason why, but when I woke up this morning all of a sudden I started recalling this story that I had read a couple of years back. All I remembered was the fact that I had loved the hero in the book and that the book had been an emotional wrangler and that the heroine’s name was some Emily. Since I couldn’t recall the title or author properly I spent a couple of minutes searching for the book and thank god for the fact that I keep my e-book collection on my hard disk drive I was armed with this book in a couple of minutes, ready to sink myself into the heady world of romance that Ginna Gray has so beautifully created with this novel.

29 year old Emily Collins Maguire is shocked senseless when just hours after she and her husband Dr. Keith Wesley Maguire had learned that the in vitro treatment had been successful and that finally Emily was pregnant after going through every conceivable test on Earth for the past couple of years of their 7 year marriage to learn that her husband had died of smoke asphyxiation wrapped in the arms of his current mistress at their townhouse. Devastation doesn’t begin to cover it when the destitution with which Keith had left her in becomes clear as Keith’s countless affairs, the depth of his lies and betrayal in every aspect of their marriage comes to light. Pregnant, alone, broke and unemployed, Emily has no choice but to trust Dillon in the salvation that he offers her, not that she would take his pity or charity any day.

Dillon Maguire has loved Emily since that fateful day 7 years back when he had met Emily at the hospital where Keith worked as an oncologist. Emily who had grown up with a mother who had rarely been present with her wanderlust nature had showed up, deathly sick and diagnosed with breast cancer. The 21 year old Emily had taken a shine to Keith once he determinedly started his wooing process and before she knew it Emily had been married to a handsome and suave doctor who it seems wanted nothing more than for her to be his dutiful wife.

Dillon had grown up with a mother who fiercely resented his presence in her life, the truth of which comes to light much later in the novel. Keith had always been her favorite and Dillon had received whatever mothering and tender care from his neighbor and friend Jeremy’s mother Gert Shneider. And when Jeremy had been killed serving in the army when he had been nineteen, all of Gert’s mothering had solely become focused on Dillon. Dillon had always known that Keith viewed everything as a competition when it came to him and that he had been a little too late in masking his interest in Emily when he had first met her. All throughout their marriage Dillon had  tried his best to act cold and aloof towards the woman who undoubtedly had his love, an act which he pulls off too well when Emily at first tries to refuse his much needed help and care during the first couple of days after Keith’s death. But the secret that Dillon hides within himself is the one that could destroy everything he works so hard throughout the story to build between himself and Emily.

Likes:

  1. Dillon Maguire. If there is anyone who has read this story and not fallen for him then obviously there is something wrong with them! Dillon is manhood personified not just because of his intense and broody good looks and his multi-millionaire status or because of his tortured soul, those things do help, but it is because of how well he takes care of Emily regardless of the fact whether his love and feelings are welcomed by her or not that clinches the deal with Dillon. He puts each and every need of Emily above his, and I do not say this lightly and because of that very fact, my heart ached each and every time for the position Keith had put him in, even in death trying to cheat him from getting what he wants more than anything else in life.
  2. I loved the roller coaster of emotions that coursed through me when I lost myself in this story. Love and an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness towards Dillon, the need to slap Dillon’s mother senseless a time or two and then some, dislike towards Dillon’s elder sister Charlotte for her holier-than-thou attitude at times and a deep respect for Gert, the only woman in my opinion who truly deserves Dillon’s love and affection in this novel.
  3. The intense sexual tension in the story. Though this book doesn’t contain much of scenes of the bedroom variety, the slow awakening of senses that take place continuously in Emily was in fact much better than any hard and fast sex session could have been, though that wouldn’t have been unwelcome either! ^_^ But this drawn out tension between Dillon and Emily made me dizzy a couple of times and everything in me clamored for them to find joy in each other soon or I would have been the first to undergo self combustion in the Maldives! ^_~
  4. For some reason or the other, I can’t help but love the cover of this one. Just the scene of love, warmth and affection it represents touches something deep inside of me. ^_^

Dislikes:

  1. I don’t know why, maybe certain feminist readers may disagree with this but I thoroughly disliked Emily because of how she treated Dillon at the very end. I understand that what he did was not of the norm but Emily never even stopped to think for a second that it was Dillon, the Dillon who had been taking care of her, bestowing upon her his love for the past year or so and that she had never ever felt happier in her life and never more cherished than the time she had spent with Dillon, but the minute she learns of the dreaded truth regarding the paternity of her child, she is all fire and intense anger and goes as far to leave Dillon without even giving him the time to explain. My heart literally broke in two for the hurt that Emily puts Dillon through and in the end it is Gert who has to step in and knock some sense into Emily to make her suddenly realize that Dillon is not Keith and that he would never hurt her and that he had ACTUALLY been in love with her for the past 7 years. *rolls eyes in frustration* That’s why for me, Emily doesn’t really deserve Dillon’s love and unwavering loyalty and affection, because for me, a man like Dillon deserves more, much more than someone like Emily who can just walk away leaving a devastated man behind.
  2. I have to agree with the other readers who have taken the time to review this book. The ending was a bit abrupt and sort of leaves the reader hanging. I would have loved to see Emily do a bit of groveling on this one for a change!

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Ginna Gray. Her writing style is addictive. You just want to keep on reading and subject yourself to the emotional intensity packed into this story.
  2. Those who loves their romance to play havoc with their emotions. This one certainly does that – in spades!

Favorite Quotes

Dillon’s gaze zeroed in on the distended mound beneath Emily’s blue maternity top.
His nostrils flared slightly as he drew in a bracing breath. He rubbed his palms on the legs of his jeans, then slowly reached out with his right hand. It hovered, not quite steady, the long callused fingers spread. Then, as gentle as thistledown, his hand settled onto Emily’s tummy.
She caught her breath. Tanned by hours in the sun, his skin was a deep bronze against the powder-blue maternity top and so large it practically covered her abdomen. Dillon’s gaze met hers for a second, but as though unable to resist, he looked back at the mound beneath his hand.
Emily closed her eyes and lay rigid as stone. She could barely breathe. Even though her maternity top the imprint of his hand seared her flesh like a branding iron. She could feel each individual finger, the broad palm, the incredible warmth.

Lazily his gaze trailed down her face. For the space of several heartbeats he stared at her lips, parted in surprise, and slowly, as though weighted with lead, his eyelids began to droop and his head tipped to one side.
Emily felt his breath feather across her face and excitement pounded though her. She could barely draw breath. Unconsciously, the tip of her tongue peeked out and swept over her suddenly dry lips. Through slitted lids fringed with sweeping black lashes, Dillon’s eyes glittered like blue diamonds.
Then he pulled her close, gathered her against his chest with both arms and pressed his lips  to hers.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | AbeBooks

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Boss’s Valentine by Lynne Graham

Format: E-bookthebosssvalentine
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Presents
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Santino Aragone
Heroine: Poppy Hyacinth Bishop
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 15, 2008
Started On: November 19, 2010
Finished On: November 20, 2010

I stumbled upon this title whilst trolling for books on Goodreads. I have always been a fan of Lynne Graham as she is one of the authors who instilled in me the love for Harlequin romances, no matter how predictable most of them are. I have always loved heroes in Ms. Graham’s titles in the 90’s and always check out her new books to see whether she would deliver one of those angst-filled romances that used to be the highlight of my day back when I first started foraying into the world of Harlequin romances.

Santino Aragone, Italian and a hugely successful enterpreneur is the head of Aragone Systems where 21 year old Poppy Hyacinth Bishop lands her first job as a marketing assistant. Santino had been surprised when his late father had hired Poppy six months back against the advise of HR personnel just because he had felt sorry for her. Poppy with her explosive Titan corkscrew curls and her comical penchant for floral prints and insane diets with her shy and sunny smiles couldn’t be anymore different from Santino with his spectacular sleek Italian looks and never ending string of gorgeous women in his life. However that doesn’t stop the enthusiastic and bubbly Poppy from giving her heart to the one man she knows is far above her league and not even in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that Santino was even aware that she existed.

The Valentine’s day when it comes has never been a favorite time of celebration for Santino. And when he receives an outrageous Valentine’s day card with pink flowers on its cover with an elusive jasmine scent wafting from it, Santino knows that none other than Poppy could have sent it to him. A man who is used to being the one to bestow expensive gifts on his women is surprisingly touched deep inside his cynical heart by her loving gesture though Santino has no intention of following up on her gift because it has never been his style to mix business with pleasure.

But all these rigid rules come tumbling down when during a moment of weakness Santino finds himself at the receiving end of Poppy’s loving nature and before the night is through Santino has earth moving sex with a woman who has been saving herself for the right man to come along and sweep her off her feet.

A string of misunderstandings, mostly on Poppy’s part because she doesn’t feel deserving of Santino’s affections when her own parents found her rather lacking ends up in a period of separation during which Poppy finds out she is pregnant and gives birth to a beautiful baby daughter. When Santino comes across Poppy and his daughter, it is up to him to convince his beautiful blue eyed Poppy to give their relationship a chance as Santino knows deep inside that Poppy is his happily ever after.

Likes:

  1. I liked Santino Aragone. Of course who wouldn’t love a sleek good looking Italian who is not afraid to show his emotions unlike lots of heroes in Harlequin romances. I loved how a man who is so used to his black and white world suddenly finds himself arguing with his marketing manager on using pink of all colors in their sales charts and what not. Cracked me up a lot, this hero.
  2. Poppy. Her sunny nature makes it hard not to love her. I always love it when heroines bubbly and sunny in their nature manage to get under the skin of rigid multimillionaires or playboys who love their women fast and without external baggage along for the ride. I certainly felt for Poppy with her family issues when she had been growing up and rooted for her all the way.
  3. Thank God this didn’t turn out to be one of those romances where the heroine takes it into her mind to keep the consequences of their one night together to herself so that she can feel victimized in the end. I seriously do not like those kinds of romances because no matter what, the father deserves to know that he has fathered a child, unless of course he is of the serial killer/molester variety.
  4. Loved the humorous style of this story. Reminded me of my favorite Graham book, The Spanish Groom which cracks me up whenever I think about it.

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Lynne Graham.
  2. Fans of Harlequin romances.

Purchase Links: Amazon 

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: In Name Only by Janet Bieber

Format: Paperbackinnameonly
Read with: Paperback
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Ivy Books
Hero: Ian Patterson
Heroine: Valeriana Grace MacPherson
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 5, 2000
Started On: November 7, 2010
Finished On: November 8, 2010

This is one of those titles that I just had to end up buying because storylines such as the one this story has promises to deliver a good read. I have never read any previous titles by Janet Bieber and hence this book proved to be a delightful surprise as it delivered a good romance worth sinking your teeth into.

The Hero: Born and raised in Ireland, Ian Patterson spent most of his childhood after 8 years of age with his paternal grandparents who had instilled in him his love for sailing. Knowing that there is nothing left for him in Ireland when his grandparents die within a couple of months of each other, Ian sets sail for America, the land of freedom. A man of ruddy complexion, tall and brawny in frame with rugged features, Ian is a handsome one at that and is the owner of his own shipping company, Patterson Shipping Line. When Reverend John MacPherson arrives in Cleveland with his four daughters in tow and introduces Ian to his second daughter Lileas Chastity MacPherson a woman of immense beauty, Ian is a goner from that very moment. Nine years on, he has four beautiful children whom he would never regret though his marriage has been less than perfect with a wife who was more fickle and selfish than anybody had ever realized.

The Heroine: Valeriana Grace MacPherson, now 28 years old is the eldest and spinsterish daughter of John MacPherson. Plain where her younger sister is a beauty, Valeriana or Ana as everyone calls her is the intelligent one in the family. Growing up with a father who has his own radical views on what is important in life, what is forbidden and allowed, Ana is a woman torn between using her own intelligence to deduce what is right and wrong and obeying her father’s preaching, the father who had taught her everything he knows. Labeled as prudish, prim and prissy by the town folk, Ana has never been courted and is resigned to a fate of spending all her life serving her father’s church by his side.

Storyline: The shocking and sudden death of Lily and her stillborn baby propels Ana to move into Ian’s home to look after her sister’s babies and save them from the “unholy” influence of Ian who has never proclaimed to be anything but human. But Ana was never ever prepared for the kind, generous and loving man that Ian actually is, a man who would protect what is rightfully his at any cost.

The First Encounter: When Reverend John MacPherson arrives in Cleveland, the opportunistic man he is drags the successful young shipper to the inn where his family is residing in, planning on snaring Ian for his beautiful Lily, a plan which goes without a hitch when Ian marries the beautiful Lily in a matter of weeks. But it had been Ana who had first caught Ian’s eyes, with the intelligence that was shining from her eyes before Lily had stood up and stolen his very breath by her beauty.

Time period: This story takes place in Cleveland, Ohio in 1834.

Awareness between the hero and heroine: Ana had always been prickly whenever Ian had been around. With a prejudice that had been taught and hammered into her since childhood, Ana tries to label what she feels for Ian as despise for his behavior, but in reality it is her awareness of Ian as a man that makes her tongue-tied and makes her yearn for things impossible with her ex-brother-in-law. Ian is horrified when the prissy and prim Ana moves into his home to take care of his children but once he sees the magic she so effortlessly weaves on his children with her love and affection, Ian is forced to look deeper into the complex woman that Ana is and find that for the second time round he is hopelessly ensnared with a MacPherson, something he had sworn not to do when Lily had died.

The turning point: Both Ana and Ian are forced to take a deeper look into the other and reevaluate their opinions of one another once Ana moves in to take care of his children. The close proximity of caring for Ian’s children brings forth feelings that neither Ian nor Ana thought possible. And when Reverend MacPherson who goes a little mad in his head when the apple of his eye dies, tries to harm Ana, it is Ian who comes up with the most daring proposal of all – make Ana his wife and claim her as his own.

Ending: Before the story is through, Ana has to come face to face with the real version of her younger sister who had never really abided by the vows that she had promised to uphold when she had become the lawfully wedded wife of Ian and face a man who had gone mad upon the death of his sister, mad enough to harm the very foundation of Ian’s world.

Likes:

  1. Ian Patterson. He just makes my heart go pitter-patter with his patience, deep abiding love for his children and his smoldering sensuality. Perfect hero material. Sigh!!
  2. Ana for being woman enough to take the high road and change into someone worth admiring, letting go of the shackles of prejudice that had been hammered into her from childhood to embrace a man who is so worth everything else she leaves behind.

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for: Fans of historical romances and fans of stories of the theme marriages of convenience.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Abe Books

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by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: Breathe by Donna Alward

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Jace Willow
Heroine: Anna Morelli
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: November 2, 2010
Started On: November 5, 2010
Finished On: November 5, 2010

Though I have never tried any of Donna Alward’s books, I have had her title Sold to the Highest Bidder in my TBR pile for quite sometime now. And whilst I was browsing through Samhain Publisher’s website last month looking for new releases (not that I don’t have enough books to be read already), I found myself interested in this story and have been looking forward to its release since then. And I have got to say I am quietly impressed on all fronts with this story as it delivers what it promises and more with this quick page turner which I loved from the start to finish.

The Hero: Jace Willow, now owner of the Two Willows Winery grew up dirt poor with two parents who had always struggled to make ends meet and to provide for him the best they could. When Jace’s father is hired by the rich Italian Roberto Morelli to look after his stables, Jace lives vicariously through his children Alex and Anna Morelli who live a life of luxury that Jace can only dream about. Roberto had always made Jace feel that he would never be good enough and that resentment alone was enough for Jace to equal happiness with being successful and being able to provide for his family all the little as well as extravagant luxuries in life. Alex had been his best friend whilst Anna had been close as well but she had always meant something more to Jace until the summer that everything changes between them.

The Heroine: Anna Morelli had grown up feeling cossetted and stifled with expectations from her rigid and controlling father all her life. Anna’s mother had walked out on them when she had been quite young and it had been Alex who had being her savior back then. But when Jace had come along, Anna’s world had revolved around Jace and a friendship that was frowned upon by her father had bloomed into something much more the summer when Anna had barely turned 18. But when Jace leaves her to pursue his dreams of getting rich and making a name for himself, Anna does the one thing that she regrets more than anything else in her life. She ups and marries her father approved Stefano for whom she bears her two adorable children Matteo and Aurelia.

Storyline: When Stefano dies leaving Anna a widow with two children in his wake, the role of the grieving widow that she is forced to play when grief is the furthest thing from what she is feeling makes Anna run towards the one man she knows that she can count on. Jace is taken aback to find his beautiful Anna, the one woman whom Jace would lay down his life for at his winery with her two children looking for a place to regroup from all that had happened to Anna till now. Resentments that Jace had long since thought buried come to the surface making a situation fraught with tension that much harder to deal with making this story one of the most angst filled reads I have read of late – a fact which I loved.

The First Encounter: There is no mention of how or what happened when Anna and Jace had first met each other. But rather there are flashbacks and memories of a past that had built a strong and everlasting bond between two people who are definitely two halves of one soul.

Time period: This story has a contemporary setting and takes place in Canada.

Awareness between the hero and heroine: Though the sexual zing between Anna and Jace doesn’t take center stage in the story, nevertheless its subtlety makes the read one worth sinking into. With flashbacks into a time when the only thing that had mattered to both Jace and Anna had been each other, the awareness between Anna and Jace never ceases all throughout the story.

The turning point: Though at first Jace resents having his life intruded upon by the love of his life and her two children when Jace had been one who was adamant on the fact that he doesn’t want children, the move into his house and the close proximity between all of them proves to be Jace’s undoing. The deep hurt, resentment and anger that Jace had stored up all through the years reach its culmination and the healing process begins as a result of which Jace and Anna get a chance to make their love work, a second time round.

Ending: Jace and Anna get their happily ever after and a beautifully done epilogue had me satisfied on all ends by the time the story was through.

Likes: I loved all the characters within the story. Jace who had been hurt so bad when Anna had married another, who still opens up his door for the woman he loves more than anything in his life, who has a twisted vision of what is actually important in life was one of the best things about this story. Anna too drew me into her character, made me sympathize with what she had gone through and I loved her for the fact that she reaches out to Jace whose wounds are festering on the inside and had enough courage to face whatever it was that kept them from communicating truthfully with each other. And I just adored both Matteo and Aurelia who just invaded right into my heart right from the very first moment. The title is so very appropriate for the story such that there was so much emotion packed into it that I forgot to breathe at times or tended to hold my breathe in as two people who are definitely made for one another tried in their own ways to show the other that nothing means more to them than making the other happy.

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for: Those who love a romance that has so much emotion packed into it that you cannot help but hold your breathe in hoping against hope that the hero and heroine gets their happily ever after – and soon before you pass out!

Favorite Quotes

“Matteo, you’re in charge of helping your sister.” Jace issued the instruction while Anna stared in surprise. He handed them a plate with crackers, tiny pieces of cheese, and baby-sized pieces of proscuitto. He fixed a similar plate for Anna, only in adult proportions, and then one for himself.
It was simple. It was perfect.
A flurry behind them announced a family of loons taking off from the river. Matteo pointed at them with a finger and Aurelia’s mouth made an “O” in response. Jace looked at Anna and smiled.
And damn near broke her heart.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: All of You by Dee Tenorio

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

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

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

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

Time period: This romance has a contemporary setting.

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

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

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

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

Dislikes: None.

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

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Short & Sweet Review: Tempted by Janelle Denison

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

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

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

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

Time period: This romance has a contemporary setting.

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

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

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

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

Dislikes: Absolutely none!

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

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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