Category / Harlequin

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Welcome Home, Cowboy by Karen Templeton

Format: E-bookwelcomehomecowboy
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Wed in the West, Book 4
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Cash Cochran
Heroine: Emma Manning
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 1 2010
Started On: August 18, 2011
Finished On: August 18, 2011

Welcome Home, Cowboy by Karen Templeton is a romance that has been making itself known in my trolling sessions for books to be added to my to-be-read mountain of books. What propelled me to stop everything I was doing and completely immerse myself in this book was the fact that this one seems to have got great reviews and of course being a RITA award winner of 2011 just sealed the deal for me.

Cash Cochran returns home to Tierra Rosa almost 20 years after he leaves home and his abusive father behind. A country musician by profession, Cash is a man with enough torturedness in his soul that practically bleeds out of him when he comes face to face with his childhood home, now owned by his childhood best friend Lee Manning. Cash hopes to hash things out with Lee only to find his pregnant and widowed wife Emma holding the fort with two kids and a grandmother in law with her brood of cats, that reaches into something deep inside of Cash that he has no knowledge of and squeezes it tight until he can’t help but yearn for things better left unsaid.

From the moment Emma lays her eyes on Cash, all her emotions clamor to give him the comfort and peace that he seems to be in such dire need of. And when Cash decides to help out at the farm intending to sort out how he feels with Emma’s narration of events that completely turns upside down what he has believed all his life, Emma knows that she and her brood are in deep trouble if Cash’s tender nature that emerges is anything to judge him by.

As the daily grind of the farm life brings them closer, both Emma and Cash realize that there is much more at stake than just their hearts alone and with Cash clamoring to leave as soon as Emma is able to get a handle on things after giving birth, Emma knows that there is no point in asking him to stay. It is when Cash’s past beckons him and takes him away that Cash realizes the true meaning of the word home as he finds that and so much more with Emma and her family.

I loved the emotion that practically seeped through the pages right from the very start. Even the first couple of chapters felt like an emotional minefield and that sets the tone of the story till the very end. But through it all, Karen still manages to give the reader the beauty that is in loving and in hoping for better things in life as Cash seems to finally find in Emma and her family.

One of the things that struck me (in a good way of course) was how different Karen’s voice is from most of the romance authors. She brings to light different quirks about her characters and their backgrounds without going into a deep narration of sorts but rather places an interesting hint here and there which allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions which in turn makes the story that much more riveting and fun. 

There is no character that you wouldn’t fall in love with if you pick up Welcome Home, Cowboy. From Cash with his silver eyes that tries to hide his inner turmoil and pain to Emma who can’t help but want to reach deep inside of Cash and fix things for him to Emma’s adorable children Hunter and Zoey, whose point of view in the story just made me smile the entire time to the very quirky character we find in Grandmother Annie, the whole story is filled with well rounded characters that just totally invaded my heart and laid siege on it right from beginning.

And last but not the least, a special mention has to be made of Emma’s character that just invites a man to want her for herself. She is beautiful inside and out, entirely comfortable with who she is and the best thing about her is her sense of hope and optimism that everything will turn out to be alright in the end. The way she loves so wholeheartedly is the best thing about Emma and she is definitely ending up as a favorite heroine of mine.

Welcome Home, Cowboy is a romance everyone ought to read, just to experience the pull on the emotions that this one does so effectively.

Highly recommended!

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Rush of Pleasure by Rhyannon Byrd

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

by mvbookreviewer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Only Mine by Susan Mallery

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Series: Fool’s Gold, Book 4
Hero: Finn Andersson
Heroine: Dakota Hendrix
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 26, 2011
Started On: July 23, 2011
Finished On: July 24, 2011

If not for a request for review from Little Bird Publicity I would most probably have passed up on reading and acquainting myself with the wonderful and wholesome world that Susan Mallery seems to have created so well in her Fool’s Gold series. As I glided along into the 4th book of the series with no prior introduction into the first 3 books, I didn’t feel unwelcome but rather felt that I was amongst old friends whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, familiar and soothing in its own right that had me falling gently in love as I read along.

28 year old Dakota Hendrix is a triplet, and comes from a family of six siblings, her family being one of the first generation families in Fool’s Gold, California. Fool’s Gold is a town that has shot to fame after a student doing her thesis on human geography had discovered the fact that in Fool’s Gold there is a serious lack of men when both sexes are compared in numbers.

A PHD holder who specializes in childhood development, Dakota has no idea why she is entrusted with the job of looking out for the interests of the citizens of Fool’s Gold in the project undertaken by Hollywood’s attempt to make money out of their town’s lack of men.

When Finn Andersson with his black hair and piercing blue eyes storms into the scene demanding that his younger twin brothers Sasha and Stephen who have signed up to be part of the reality show True Love or Fool’s Gold be released from the show, Dakota has no idea that Finn would be the man to stir up her juices and get her to notice the attention her inactive libido seems to be dishing out to the sexy stranger.

Finn who hails from South Salmon, Alaska is determined that his younger brothers would not ruin their lives by setting out on a fool’s errand. Finn is a man who takes his responsibilities very seriously, some might say a bit too seriously considering the fact that he had had to grow up overnight to take care of his 13 year old younger brothers when his parents had died in a plane crash 8 years back.

When Finn realizes that the twins won’t budge from where they stand, he does the next best thing a protective older brother would do; decide to stay around in Fool’s Gold to keep an eye on them until they realize the error of their ways. However, things rarely have a way of turning out as one plans them and this is exactly what happens when Finn finds himself looking forward to staying around in Fool’s Gold, thanks to the number Dakota plays on his baser and more tender emotions.

Only Mine is not just the story of how Finn and Dakota falls in love and finds their happily ever after. Rather, its a story that intrinsically weaves together the beauty that is small town life, the wonderful togetherness one finds inside the warm circle of loving family members and friends and the realization of the hopes of a woman who dreams of holding a child that belongs to her in all the ways. It is a story that tells the struggle of a woman who wants to stand up for herself and finds love and the strength to do so in the most unexpected of places. And last of all, Only Mine shows us the beauty of a relationship that is based on sharing the burdens of life together, and that love does triumph over every other emotion in the end.

I loved a lot of things about Only Mine. First of all the soothing feel to the story that unfolded was truly appreciated. True, there were emotionally charged moments and times where I was in dire need of a tall glass of iced water to quench the heat coursing through me. But ultimately, the one thing that does shine through is the fact that Only Mine is a novel that soothes and provokes your emotions at the same time, making you feel like you are snuggled up in bed on a rainy day with a warm cup of tea right by your side.

All the characters in this story, whether they were around for the long haul or just popped up in between were endearing in their own rights and lent the story the charm that it fully exudes in spades. The secondary story of the unexpected love between Stephen and the 9 years older Aurelia certainly made things more interesting. The details and the emotions that the author fully describes about the heroine’s attempts at overcoming the limitations that PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) imposes on her life and the way she wins over them hit close to home as I am someone who suffers from the same condition.

At times funny, charming and endearing, Only Mine is a novel recommended for those who are fans of Susan Mallery; those that love a soothing, feel-good romance with in-depth characterization and fans of the Fool’s Gold series.

Favorite Quotes

Dakota touched her (mother’s) arm. “I’m dealing. Most days it’s okay. Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed. Maybe if I’d been in a relationship, I wouldn’t have felt so unlovable.”
“You’re not unlovable. You’re beautiful and smart and fun to be with. Any man would be lucky to have you.”
That’s what I tell myself. Apparently the entire gender is blind and stupid.”

She welcomed him, wrapping her legs around his hips and drawing him closer. Usually she closed her eyes, but this time she kept them open, watching him watch her.
They were connected. She felt what he felt, knew his anticipation, experienced the tension. As he got closer, so did she. The need for more grew until there was nothing to do but come together.
She clung to him as he held on to her. The night closed around them until it seemed as if they had always been together and that they could never ever be apart.

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

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CONTEST!!!!!

only-mine-all-mine-header.jpg

Susan Mallery is holding a contest up on her website from 1st August till the 1st of September 2011 entitled “ONLY MINE … All Mine”.

The contest will be open to all members of Susan’s website who sign-up for a chance to win. It will begin August 1st and will end September 1st, 2011.  Once the contest has ended one lucky winner will be randomly drawn. The one lucky winner will receive a signed “exclusive first look” at Susan’s new Fool’s Gold Christmas e-novella (so fresh it doesn’t even have a title yet) and a man shortage t-shirt.

Signing up is so easy. Just visit: http://www.susanmallery.com/members/contest.php!

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: One Good Reason by Sarah Mayberry

Format: E-bookonegoodreason
Read with: Amazon Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Going Back, #33
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Jon Adamson
Heroine: Gabriele Wade
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 26, 2011
Started On: July 5, 2011
Finished On: July 6, 2011

I am like a kid with a new stick of candy when it comes to books by Sarah Mayberry. I want to savor every emotion the book invokes, I get frustrated when anything takes me away from my indulgence and I am left with a feeling of melancholy once I am done, knowing that it would be quite sometime afterwards that I would get to indulge in a book by my favorite Harlequin author again.

The release of this book has also brought to light the fact that I am the worst possible stalker in the world. Ever since I read Sarah Mayberry’s last release earlier this year which features Tyler, younger brother of the hero Jon in this novel, I have been looking up various websites to see when and what her next release would be. Even then, somehow I managed to miss this title until I saw a review of the book from my friend Jill on Goodreads. You could probably imagine my reaction when this happened and lets just say that I was not a happy camper at all. LOL!

As I mentioned earlier, One Good Reason is tied with Sarah Mayberry’s last release The Last Goodbye. Jon Adamson is the older brother, the one who fled home as soon as he was able to and moved to Canada where he had owned his construction company and made a name for himself until his return back to Australia upon the death of his father. Quieter and more intense, Jon is a man who keeps all his emotions under wrap, control being his most important and coveted feature until he meets the prickly and independent to the boot Gabriele Wade (Gabby) who pricks and pokes into all his emotions until his control shreds to pieces.

Gabby works as the office manager at the T.A. Furnitures owned  by her ex-boyfriend Tyler who is now very happily married to the love of his life. Gabby had spent 3 years of her life with Tyler, wondering when he would open up to her, and finally walking away when she realized that Tyler would never change.

From the start, Gabby and Jon rub each other the wrong way, polite conversation a foreign concept for both of them when they are together. All this culminates in one of the most explosive desk smexing session that left me breathless, that tore apart both Gabby and Jon’s control to pieces, that somehow brings home the fact that for both Jon and Gabby, their encounter means more than a meaningless roll in the hay.

But Jon is a man who has his own demons to fight, the residue of a childhood spent with an abusive father, his hold on Jon still a deep rooted one even from beyond the grave. For Jon, trust and opening up himself doesn’t come easily and for Gabby who has once being through all this before, its like her worst nightmare come true all over again when her feelings are much more involved than the last time around.

What I love about Sarah Mayberry’s books is the fact that she writes about ‘real’ people with problems you can relate to. Honest emotions, fears and doubts are dealt with in a way that brings forth a lot of emotions of the good and bad kind and once you are done, you can’t help but want more.

Jon’s character is such an endearing one, his physique and the fact that he is wearing a god-damn tool belt on the cover earning him all plus points in spades. And Jon is much more than just a pretty face, described as a gentle giant in the book which pretty much sums him up, as beneath his tough exterior lies a heart that bleeds.  Gabby is a heroine who wormed her way into my heart because deep inside she wants Jon to be happy, for Jon to be able to move beyond the shackles that has bound him till now. Her independence, the fact that she is fiercely protective lends her character a charming facet that has landed her in my favorite heroines shelf.

One Good Reason is a book that deals with a difficult subject. Child abuse at the hands of those that should protect them from the evil that lurks in the rest of the world. The effects that still linger and the emotional scars left behind are all dealt with honesty earning this novel a corner from my favorite reads this year.

Recommended for ALL fans of contemporary romance.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Passion Becomes You by Michelle Reid

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Presents, #1752
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Leon Stephanades
Heroine: Jemma Davis
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 1, 1995
Started On: July 3, 2011
Finished On: July 3, 2011

Passion Becomes You by Michelle Reid is an okay read, that somehow didn’t live up to my expectations. I wanted this novel to captivate me, the hero to dazzle me and of course wanted all my emotions in a tangle because of the hero and somehow I ‘think’ that I just expected too much from this Harlequin.

24 year old Jemma Davis bears the scars of living with two promiscous parents whose lifelong passion it had been to goad one another by sleeping with the next available piece of human flesh of the opposite sex. A determination that she would never let herself become embroiled in passion that could make her vulnerable, Jemma doesn’t know what it is that hits her when Greek tycoon Leon Stephanades strolls into her life and turns it completely upside down.

Jemma says yes to her very first affair with eyes wide open, fully knowing what it is that Leon is offering and just how vulnerable her emotions are when it comes to Leon. Though Leon tries to show otherwise, he is as much besotted with how she makes him feel and throughout their two month long affair during which Jemma keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her fragile happiness to come crashing down in front of her.

When Jemma realizes the consequence of her first night of reckless abandonment with Leon, and knowing that Leon wouldn’t take the news of impending fatherhood lightly, Jemma hides the fact from him until a turn of events once again brings Leon back into her life; this time a determined Leon who wants her in his life once and for all.

What I expected to find from this short story and what I actually did find were two entirely different things. I wanted a ruthless and passionate hero whose desire to possess the woman who ignites him unlike any other woman make him lose his iron-clad control and of course I wanted the angst that would go with a story that includes such a strong hero. But Leon though is a passionate hero, I didn’t find myself overly fascinated with him and neither with the heroine though Jemma is not the type to get on one’s nerves. The story lost its appeal halfway through and I found myself skimming through the bits and pieces to reach the end.

Recommended for fans of Michelle Reid.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Abe Books

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Smoke in the Wind by Robyn Donald

Format: E-booksmokeinthewind
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Presents, #1104
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Ryan Fraine
Heroine: Venetia Gamble
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 1, 1988
Started On: June 29, 2011
Finished On: June 30, 2011

My God! Whoever says that Harlequin stories are only fluff would definitely have a tough time categorizing this title as such. Smoke in the Wind by Robyn Donald is a title that ended up in my TBR pile via a recommendation received from Amazon. I finally gave into my curiosity and sampled my first Robyn Donald last night and boy did I have a hard time letting the story go to catch some much needed shut eye last night because yes once you start reading, this is the sort of book that refuses to let go!

Television reporter Venetia Gamble meets the engimatic and handsome Ryan Fraine whose reputation precedes him as one of the best in her field during a function held to inaugurate the set up of the first private television station in New Zealand. Even though the cynicism that lurks close to the surface in Ryan’s eyes tells Venetia that he is a man best left alone, the explosive reaction that he seems to trigger with her baser emotions and seems to return in full makes her a slave to the fulfillment that he alone can give her.

23 year old Venetia has already learnt the bitter lesson of letting passion rule her life when she had been just 18 years old. Fiercely independent and not as sophisticated as she lets on, Venetia plays a dangerous game in perfecting the image that she thinks is what Ryan looks for in a woman though her ploy fails miserably when she falls in love with him only to have him fall for Venetia’s innocent and serene cousin Elizabeth.

Six year later, Venetia has made a life for herself and her five year old son John at her grandmother’s place in Australia. And it is here that Ryan comes to seek her out, having bought the rights for her book which is to be made into a movie by the man himself. Elizabeth having passed away a year back, Ryan once again starts the dangerous cat and mouse game that they had played before with the passion that swirls between them stronger than ever, refusing to be denied even if giving in is the furthest thing Venetia wants.

With their son to consider, Ryan proposes that she marry him and give him the opportunity to once and for all slake the uncontrollable hunger that rules them both given half the chance. But the hurt and betrayal from 6 years back when Ryan had shattered the very foundation of her being when he had cruelly ended things with her has left its mark on Venetia who is ever more cautious and fools herself into thinking that she would ever be able to say no where Ryan is concerned.

Smoke in the Wind is an intense read that requires a lot from the reader and I reveled in the heady sensations that coursed through me every single minute of the story. Ryan is a hero that is hard to get on board with, his cruel treatment of Venetia because he can’t accept the fact that he is vulnerable to her as she is to him hard to accept. Still I found myself fascinated with his character and came to understand what it is that drives him to be his meanest when he is around Venetia.

Venetia on the other hand is strong, feisty and independent and vulnerable to the very core where Ryan is concerned. Though she gives as good as she gets, she is no match for the strong connection that is between her and Ryan and has withstood the test of time, distance and immense betrayal and once again it is Venetia that opens up herself to the possibility that this time around with maturity and past mistakes to guide her, she would be able to reap the benefits of Ryan’s affections even if he might never come to love her as he did for his first wife.

If Robyn Donald writes all her stories with unapologetic honesty as this one, I am already a fan as Smoke in the Wind is a romance that fans of ruthless alpha heroes and fans of Harlequin romances ought not to miss. I would have loved to see Ryan brought to his knees and maybe see him grovel a little, hell a lot more but I suppose a gal can’t have everything she wants.

Favorite Quotes

‘You,’ he repeated, his voice heavy and hard, shaking with emotion he no longer troubled to hide, ‘I took one look at you and knew that that was it, I’d spent the last six years with hunger for you eating at my heart.’

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Now You See Him… by Anne Stuart

Format: E-booknowyouseehim
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Silhouette Intimate Moments, #429
Publisher: Silhouette
Hero: James Mackintosh Bond
Heroine: Frances Neeley
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 1, 1992
Started On: June 29, 2011
Finished On: June 29, 2011

Its being quite some time since I immersed myself in the magic that Anne Stuart alone can create with her ruthlessly determined and controlled heroes. Now You See Him is one of her much earlier books and a Harlequin romance at that but nevertheless still managed to pack a wealth of emotion into the 200+ pages of the story.

Now You See Him kicks off in quite an unusual way with the heroine Frances Neeley waiting for her to-be lover Patrick Dugan to come home after attending some demonstration in his cause for freedom for Ireland. However, the night does not end amidst a bed of roses but rather in a severe bloodbath as Patrick turns out to be a murderer, a liar and a terrorist for whom Francey had just been a means to an end.

Francey retires to the tiny island of St. Anne’s in the Carribbean to lick her wounds in private and to let the sun, sea and the beach work its magic on her raw, open wounds. When her cousin Daniel Traverse who owns the villa Belle Reste in which Francey is recuperating sends along seemingly harmless Michael Dowde recovering from a near fatal auto accident, Francey almost lets her guard down in thinking that no harm would come to her from Michael even when her instincts scream at her otherwise.

Michael’s mission while he gets back his strength is a simple one. Find out whether Francey is as innocent as she claims to be or eliminate her if else. But what he doesn’t count on is for someone as unremarkable as Francey with her brown hair, brown eyes and heart shaped face to get under his skin right from the initial onset.

When danger comes calling from the terrorist cell which Michael has been trying to hunt down for so long, he does the only thing that the 37 years of his life of living on the edge has taught him; protect Francey with everything he is even though he knows that the threat on his heart from the woman he is on the run with is a very likely possibility. For the first time in his life, Michael who weaves a web of deceit so great to protect Francey and his cover finds himself itching to possess the purity that is Francey, make her his and starts thinking foolish thoughts of a shared future which he has no right thinking.

Francey doesn’t fare any better when she is drawn towards the enigmatic Michael with his erotic looking hands, who fires up her desires unlike anything she has ever experienced. Though her heart warns her to stay away from a man whom she knows is not telling her the truth, Francey knows she would lay down her very life for this man with the many facets, who turns up at the most unexpected moments and who haunts her every waking thought and dreams when he is not around.

Now You See Him though a short novel doesn’t pull any punches nor takes any short cut in the adventure or the romance aspect of the story. Michael who goes by so many names is a man with a dangerous past, who knows that Francey would be far better off without him in the picture. However, he is as much a slave to the desire that unfolds between these two polar opposites, the strength of the growing feelings pulling them together regardless of danger or the consequences.

Michael is a hero who made my heart go aflutter, who made my senses go alive and who made me yearn and crave for his happily ever after. And I loved Francey because she identified with the real man behind all the facades to find Michael a man worthy of her trust and affections. Though many a reader may not like Michael as a hero and the story that unfolded, for me, Now You See Him is just the perfect sort of read to indulge and immerse myself in to escape reality.

Recommended for fans of Anne Stuart’s ICE series and for those who like their heroes a bit ruthless with an edge.

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Outlaw Bride by Jenna Kernan

Format: E-bookoutlawbride
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Harlequin Historical Series
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Cole Ellis
Heroine: Bridget Rose Callahan
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 1, 2008
Started On: June 23, 2011
Finished On: June 23, 2011

This book caught my eye whilst searching for another book with the same title. The blurb sounded promising enough and within minutes I was engrossed in this tale that tells the story of how 2 people survive against all odds until rescue comes calling.22 year old Bridget Rose Callahan is a woman who is determined that she would brave the harsh conditions of the brutal winter weather up in the Cascades mountain to save the last of her family members, no matter what it is that she has to do to achieve it. At her wits end, Bridget seeks the help of 26 year old Cole Ellis who is on death row, awaiting the hangman’s noose almost as if in anticipation.

What Cole wants more than anything else is to forget his past, his failures and to say goodbye to a world that has dealt him nothing but one blow after the other until he is ready to kneel down and admit defeat. When Bridget seeks him out, Cole doesn’t have a clue as to just to what lenghs Bridget is ready to go through to rescue her family.

Breaking Cole out of prison seems to be the easy part of the rescue attempt as the authorities turn out a full fledged search for the only man who is capable helping Bridget out. There are a lot of hardships that these two go through and added to the story are the accounts of how those that are left behind in the mountains barely make it through. Added to this potent mix is the heady desire that both Cole and Bridget start to feel for each other, Cole a man who has sworn off women and Bridget a woman who swears that no man would get the better of her ever again.

The culmination of the horrific journey towards safety doesn’t mean a victory for everyone as Cole who suddenly very much wants to live again finds himself back in custody and it is Bridget’s bravery that yet again serves as the catalyst that brings them all the happily ever after which they so rightfully deserve.

For me, the best thing about this novel was Bridget whose unwavering faith and courage were what pulled everyone through the tight spots within the story. This is not your average boy meets girl and falls in love Harlequin but rather a story that tells the tale of immense courage with a mix of pretty emotion wrangling material that makes for a good read.

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Seduction & Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone

Format: E-bookseductionandscandal
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Brethen Guardians, Book 1
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Jude Sheldon
Heroine: Isabella Fairmont
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 28, 2011
Started On: May 31, 2011
Finished On: June 22, 2011

Seduction and Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone is a novel that seems to have received its fair share of raving reviews prior to its release date which is set for the 28th of this month. The first book in The Brethen Guardian series, Featherstone introduces the reader into a world steeped in mystcism, religion, red-hot passion and love that is bound to make for an interesting and engrossing tale.

Seduction and Scandal introduces us to the three guardians whose life and the life of their sons are to remain in guarding secrets of the universe altering kind. Jude Sheldon i.e. Lord Black is a member of the three, someone who is tired of all the death that seems to follow him until everything else ceases to exist for him. When his life crosses paths with the beautiful Isabella Fairmont whose life is shrouded in scandal as well, Black wonders whether for the first time in his life he has found a partner who would share the darkness within which he resides right alongside with him.

Ten years younger than Lord Black, Isabella lives with her uncle and his daughter and her best friend Lucy, and suffers from vivid nightmares that has her distrustful of the shadows that linger deep into the night. Death has played a major role in her young life, taking away the two people who have meant the world to her. Her fascination and fear with Death manifests itself in the novel that she writes where Death becomes the hero that seduces the heroine in question until she is ready to surrender everything she has unto the hands of Death.

When her real life unfolds into events similar to that in her story, for someone like Isabella who has made it her life-long mission not to succumb to the wiles of rakes and men spouting poetry to lure women towards doom, Lord Black and his seductive advances pose a problem when all Isabella wants to do is give into the pleasure that she knows that only Lord Black can give her.

Lord Black is determined that the one thing he has come to yearn for in his otherwise bleak existence would not get away from him, even if it means coming out with the truth that binds Isabella and Black in their past. With Lord Black convinced of the danger to Isabella, the shadows behind which Black and his friends move within suddenly take a more sinister edge when the secrets that they have been guarding for so long lands in the hands of a mad man, who is willing to do everything and anything to attain ultimate power of the universe.

For me, Seduction and Scandal proved to be an interesting read. Though I had a few problems with the constant to and fro dance that Isabella plays with Lord Black and even though at a time or two I just felt like screaming “just get on with it”, Seduction and Scandal is a romance that has a lot going for it. From the adventure aspect to the dialogues to the characters that unfold, Seduction and Scandal exudes the talent and skill of Featherstone in weaving a tale that invokes complex emotions from the reader.

Recommended for fans of historical romances that promise to deliver something very different from the usual books that line your shelves and of course for the fans of Charlotte Featherstone.

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

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