Category / Harlequin

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Playing With Fire by Amy Knupp

Format: E-bookplayingwithfire
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Texas Firefighters, Book 1
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Derek Severson
Heroine: Macey Locke
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 13, 2010
Started On: January 29, 2011
Finished On: January 30, 2011

This is a book that has been sitting in my to-be-read pile for what feels like ages now. I have always been intrigued by storylines where the hero is so blinded with grief for the woman he previously loved, whether it be the woman was his wife, fiance’ or  girlfriend; that he is immune or cannot see the woman who is meant to share his life who is standing right in front of him. These make for heartwarming and at times gut wrenching reads as it is the heroine who has to take the brunt of the sorrow and grief that is whirling inside of the hero with no way out. Playing with Fire is a recommendation I received I think from Amazon forums and my first Amy Knupp proved to be a surprisingly feel good read and I certainly won’t say no to reading another title from hers.

28 year old Derek Severson is grieving the death of his girl friend Julie who died in a fire that Derek was working on. Giving up fire fighting, the profession that he loves, Derek moves to San Amaro Island where his uncle Gus has grown too old to manage his bar The Shell Shack. Pouring drinks day in and day out from mid day till the wee hours of morning is how Derek manages to keep the mind numbing grief at bay and 5 months on Derek still isn’t ready to let go, move on and has no inclination of returning to fire fighting.

Macey Locke, Derek’s childhood friend since Macey had been 5 years old and their mothers had got together to manage a restaurant, has always had feelings for Derek which she has pretty much given up hope of ever being returned. It had been during college that Macey had first realized of her feelings and had in turn turned down all opportunities to date that had come her way. It had been seeing Derek fall crazy in love with Julie that had propelled Macey to do something as drastic as join the Peace Corps and spend two years in Thailand; a time during which Macey had turned from the shy girl she had been into a take-charge woman who is no longer afraid of confrontations.

Macey returns from Thailand and makes her way to San Amaro Island with the sole intention of helping Derek find himself once again so that he may be at peace with what has happened and be able to move on with his life. The Derek she finds at The Shell Shack is a shell of the man he used to be, anti-social, grumpy and tortured looking as hell with desolation surrounding him like an invisible cloak. Mercy has her work cut out for her as she slowly turns Derek’s world upside down in more ways than one, and in the process both Derek and Macey find love of the everlasting kind with each other which is by no means easily achieved with Derek fighting Macey and the feelings he suddenly finds himself with every step of the way.

I liked this Harlequin Super Romance from its beautiful cover to the hunky hero Derek who is desperately in need of some TLC and then some. The Macey who emerges from her time spent at the Peace Corps is an admirable one, one who doesn’t back down even when the going gets tough. I loved Macey and rooted for her and her mission from the very beginning. I liked how the process within which Derek lets go of his grief for Julie unfolds right in front of the readers eyes. It wasn’t an overnight process and I applauded Macey’s guts in facing this challenge head on and coming out the winner in the end. I found myself intrigued with cook that Derek hires for The Shell Shack, a Harley driving, anti-social woman named Andie who seems to me would make for a great story of her own.

The only thing that irked me was the fact that even though Derek had been preparing to leave to go back to Macey, it was in fact Macey who had come back to confront Derek and to let him know that she won’t be scared off that easily from him. Though I liked the ending, I just wish it had been Derek who had had to do the grovelling a little bit more to win over the love of his life.

Recommended for fans of Harlequin Super Romances and those who love a hero wallowing in grief finding love once again.

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

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I liked:

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

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

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

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

Recommended for:

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

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

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

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

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Below The Belt by Sarah Mayberry

Format: E-bookbelowthebelt
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Blaze #404
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Cooper Fitzgerald
Heroine: Jamie Sawyer
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 1, 2008
Started On: December 26, 2010
Finished On: December 28, 2010

Though I have enjoyed reading a couple of sports themed romances (they have been far and few in between) this is the first of its kind for me. Even being not much of a sports buff in reality this book turned out to be delightfully good, no doubt a testament to Sarah Mayberry’s extremely talented writing abilities.

34 years old Cooper “The Fist” Fitzgerald is a heavyweight boxer who has held the position of being the best in the world of heavyweight boxing for 4 straight years before he had been forced to retire owing to a detached retina in his left eye which had occurred during his last fight. Doctors had given him a choice, either continue to fight and lose his eyesight or retire. Being the smart and driven man that Cooper is he had opted to go with the latter and open up his own fighter’s gym and take on fighters to train. Cooper’s childhood had been far from idyllic as he had grown up in a destitute household with a heroine addict for a mother and her constant string of abusive boyfriends who had taken to beating the shit out of Cooper whenever possible until he had left home opting to live homeless rather than subject himself to the constant abuse. At the age of sixteen Cooper had been discovered by the man who had trained and turned him into what he is today and he has never looked back since.

27  year old Jamie Sawyer is the daughter of the infamous Jack Sawyer who had held the title of the heavyweight fighting championship for five years before retiring only to make an ill fated comeback to be charged with fraud for throwing a fight. Jamie who had always worshiped the very ground her father had walked on, in whose eyes he could do no wrong had been devastated by the shock and betrayal that had run its course through her. Jamie had watched as her grandfather who had been a legend himself in the boxing world be shunned by those he considered his friends and died a little inside as she watched the toll it had taken on him. The final straw had come when her father had committed suicide leaving Jamie clutching at straws to make ends meet. And when her grandfather had had a heart attack following his son’s suicide, Jamie had promised her grandfather that she would erase the shame her father had brought on the Sawyer name if its the last thing she did. So Jamie had given up her training in naturopathy, dropped out of Tae Kwon Do club she was so good at and started training in the boxing ring. Sharing a ratty apartment with her grandfather and working long hours as a maid in one of the big hotels in the city, Jamie is a determined and feisty woman who sets her heart on obtaining Cooper as her trainer.

Cooper comes across Jamie at his friend Ray Marshall’s place when he approaches Ray to join his fighter’s gym. At first mistaking her for a housemaid, Cooper is nevertheless struck by instant lust at the sight of Jamie’s hard, fit and toned body in front of him. When Cooper finds out that the reason Jamie is there is to lure him into taking her on as fighter in his gym Cooper flat-out refuses to take her on, not because he is a male chauvinist but because he doesn’t believe that Jamie is serious about fighting and that she has what it takes. And even then, it doesn’t stop him from going to see Jamie fight, identifying the beauty of her moves and finally giving in and taking her on, not understanding the need that drives Jamie.

What takes both Jamie and Cooper unawares is the red hot lust that seizes them and clutches both of them in its throes refusing to let go. Being the commitment phobic logical thinking female Jamie is, she proposes that she and Cooper give in to the undeniable attraction between them so that they can both get each other out of their systems. Wary of even the slightest sign of anything other than just a physical connection, Jamie is not at all prepared for it when Cooper starts falling for her and even lets Cooper walk out of her life as her trainer only to be forced by the events that follow to finally acknowledge that Cooper had invaded into her heart without her knowledge. But even then, Jamie’s driving need to succeed for all the wrong reasons in the fighting world nearly drives these two halves of one soul apart making this a very satisfying read on all fronts.

Likes:

  1. Jamie Sawyer. She is one of the most different heroines that I have come across in the romance world and because of that I loved her to bits. She is strong, feisty, stubborn, determined to win at all costs, loyal to a fault and on top of all that she is so very vulnerable at the very core. But she hides her vulnerability from the rest of the world with the tough facade that she puts up, and it works most of the time that is until Cooper comes into the picture and all that just crashes down at her feet leaving her with no choice but to surrender her heart, body and soul to the one man who would never betray her trust. I liked the fact that Jamie didn’t just become a sweetly submissive woman overnight shedding her tortured soul to become a woman with a sunny personality and smiles all around. Rather she took her time getting there and even then stayed true to her self which is what eventually makes me her biggest fan all around.
  2. Cooper. He is hot, sinfully handsome, wickedly intense and oh my lordy when he is turned on he is sex personified. Cooper’s most endearing quality is his ability to love Jamie for who she is, the way he cherishes her and stands beside her in everything she wants to achieve in this world. Though it hurts something fierce in him to watch Jamie get battered up in the ring, he understands the fire driving Jamie to succeed and win big and at the same time he loves her enough not to give up when Jamie is being too stubborn for her own good. I totally and irrevocably heart Cooper  to bits.
  3. The true Blaze style sensuality in the story. This book packs a punch in the sensuality department and gives the reader all the right kind of tingles in all the right places in the style that I have come to recognize that is just uniquely Sarah Mayberry. From the first blazing hot smexing session that nearly knocked my breathe out to the slow paced actual act itself had me sighing, fanning myself and mooning all over Cooper and his well honed muscles. *gulp*
  4. Mmm.. I totally love the cover. Just wanna run my hands all over that slick, hot body of Cooper’s. *wink*
  5. And I absolutely loved the fact that this story kept me entertained, willing me to turn the pages that didn’t bog me down with unnecessary details of the fighting and kickboxing world and yet still managed to teach me a thing or two about it. As I said at the beginning of the review, Sarah Mayberry is so very talented and this story too is a testament to the fact. Makes me wonder why I kept this in my TBR pile for as long as I did now. *scratches head*

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of sports-themed romances.
  2. Fans of Sarah Mayberry.
  3. Fans of the Harlequin Blaze line.

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

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Man for All Seasons by Heather MacAllister

Format: E-bookamanfoallseasons
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Blaze, #583
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Tyler Burton
Heroine: Marlene Walters
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: December 1,  2010
Started On: December 19, 2010
Finished On: December 21, 2010

The question utmost on my mind after finishing up this delectable, spicy and funny holiday romance is “Where on Earth has Heather MacAllister been all my reading life?”. I mean seriously! This book tickled all my funny bones unlike any story I have read of late and the funny bones weren’t the only ones that Ty tickled with his wickedly inappropriate thoughts about his friend Marlie who all of a sudden turns into a sexy siren that calls to his libido to carry her off into his cave and have his wicked way with her.

Marlene Walters or Marlie as she is known as is two years younger than Tyler Burton (Ty). Marlie and Ty’s parents are really close friends and so when they had been young Ty had ended up being Marlie’s reluctant playmate on several joint family vacations. Ty had always felt that he had got the worse end of the deal when he had always ended up babysitting Marlie and watching out for her when he would rather have hung out with kids his own age and as he grew older and his interest in the female populace had skyrocketed he would rather have spent his time wooing the girl who he fancied at the moment.

Years later, Marlie is all grown up, works from her home as a computer geek and is paying off her mortgage on her home, the mortgage a present from her ex-fiance who had just upped and left quoting that he just couldn’t handle it anymore. And when Ty whose house is under construction needs a place to stay, Marlie is more than happy to share and rent her home to live together. A year and a half of living together, Marlie discovers that certain things haven’t changed even with time and distance; her fascination with Ty, her friend who views her as nothing more than a pesky being who inhabited his childhood.

But things take an interesting turn when Ty in the guise of impressing his then girlfriend Axelle ends up buying Marlie twelve dates thinking that keeping Marlie busy dating them would get Marlie out of the house long enough for him to cozy up with Axelle. But what happens is the farthest thing from Ty’s mind when with a little makeover Marlie knocks his socks off, literally squeezing the very air out of him by making him realize that what he had been searching for all his commitment phobic life had been right under his nose all this time.

Likes:

  1. The uniqueness of this friends to lovers story. What makes this tale so unique is the way the story is told. Never does a moment go by that doesn’t make you want to grin from ear to ear or makes you want to laugh out loud in merriment. Witty dialogue alone is not what makes this book special, the story is mostly told from Ty’s point of view which certainly makes for an interesting read when his emotions and libido goes on full red alert and starts noticing Marlie for the delectable woman she is, the woman who is the ONE for him. And Ms. MacAllister certainly pulls no punches in delivering enough emotion to make you giddy once you are done! A delectable read indeed is this one. ^_^
  2. Marlie Walters. She is far from being perfect and at the beginning she is as sloppy as anyone can get which made me relate to her on a whole new level. I understood where she was coming from and that made this book the instant winner it was for me. I loved Marlie’s thoughts and her bubbly nature which fully complements Ty’s more serious and orderly nature.
  3. Ty! *Sigh* The guy just makes me go weak at my knees with all those wicked thoughts that races through his mind  each and every time that he tries to deny what he feels for Marlie. And when Ty does come to realize that it is Marlie with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with, I found the way he tried to go about convincing Marlie of his intentions so cute and endearing.
  4. The sizzling sexual zing in the story. Though this book doesn’t pack a bunch of sex scenes of the explicit nature, I had a lot of fun reading and feeling the chemistry between Marlie and Ty skyrocket to unbearable levels with every encounter. That makes this book a Blaze worth indulging in!

Dislikes: None! Though I would have loved me an epilogue! Would have lent this story the perfectness it deserves.

Favorite Quotes

He was barely aware of Axelle slipping away and reappearing on the other side of the table to murmur in Paul’s ear. To do so, she had to stand right next to Marlie and Ty unwillingly compared the two women.
Axelle was tall and thin and darkly exotic. His type.
Marlie was creamy and lush. And jiggled. Not his type.
Right then Marlie’s gaze connected with his and his blood began to simmer.
Why? Why is she not your type?
He couldn’t remember.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Harlequin Blaze titles.
  2. Fans of holiday romances.
  3. Fans of contemporary romances with enough humor and sexual zing to warm your insides through a cold wintry night. I loved this one to bits! ^_^

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

greatread

Format: E-bookheartoffire.JPG
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: None
Hero: Ben Lewis
Heroine: Jillian Sherwood
Sensuality: 3.5
First Published on: July 1993
Started On: 18th December 2010
Finished On: 18th December 2010
by mvbookreviewer

Review: Forbidden by Janelle Denison

Format: Paperbackforbidden
Read with: Paperback
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Blaze, #19
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Joshua Michael Marchiano
Heroine: Paige Montgomery
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 1, 1999
Started On: December 17, 2010
Finished On: December 17, 2010

I have always been interested in reading about the love that blossoms between two people that society or circumstances deem SHOULD not fall in love. Feelings that they both should deny makes itself known, regardless of how much they try to control their emotions and that in itself makes for a deliciously clandestine read. After reading and reviewing Ms. Denison’s book Tempted which was a delightfully sensual novel, I forayed into her backlist to stumble upon this title which seemed to call out “pick me!” from the book synopsis and raised high expectations within me keeping me on tenterhooks till my precious books made their way to the Maldives from USA. This book ended up being totally different from what I expected, not that the story that unfolded was bad in anyway, but because I expected something other than what I found in the story, I ended up sort of between being happy that I did get to read a good story regardless and a tad disappointed because I didn’t find in Josh and Paige’s story what I really wanted from them.

The story kicks off during Paige’s husband, Anthony Montgomery’s funeral. Paige and Anthony had been married for 3  years, the last 2 years of which was lived in abject misery on Paige’s part. It is Anthony’s best friend Josh that steps in and offers her his friendship, an act which backfires on Josh when he hopelessly falls in love with the one woman he will never get to have; until Anthony is killed in his latest undercover mission bringing to light the fact that Anthony had been a dirty cop who had profited from underhand deals in the criminal worlds that he had inhibited as part of his job.

Paige had always been treated more as a possession than as a wife by Anthony and Paige had just initiated divorce proceedings when she gets the news of Anthony’s death. The depth of Anthony’s immense betrayal hits home 3 months later when Josh comes bearing news that Anthony had actually been killed by the mob boss of the jewelery smuggling ring that Anthony had been assigned to infiltrate because he had stolen a necklace worth millions of dollars from them inevitably putting Paige in danger.

Vulnerability and the shock of betrayal which leaves Paige reeling sends her into the arms of Josh where at last she gets the type of physical and emotional fulfillment Paige has only dreamed about till now. It is Josh’s mission to protect Paige at any cost, use her as bait to draw the mob boss in and act as her live in lover whilst all this takes place. And when Josh learns of the extent of hurt and resentment that Anthony had bred in Paige’s heart towards marriage to anyone working in the law enforcement, the hope that had burgeoned in his heart after Paige turned to him for comfort and they both had experienced out of this world passion with one another as a result comes crashing down leaving Josh with only one choice; let the woman who has captured his heart walk away forever if that’s the only way that Paige can be happy.

I liked the overall premise of the story which is a mix of a friends to lovers story with very little “forbidden” moments thrown in to the mix of bad guys who were after the necklace which Paige’s dead husband had stolen. Josh is a likable hero who has given his heart to Paige somewhere along the way when their friendship had first started to blossom, which makes him the vulnerable one in the story. Paige was likable as well because she is determined that she learn from her mistake with Anthony and is wary of trusting someone with her heart again, and though Josh shows her in all the ways how different he is from Anthony, Paige is stubborn enough to hold on to her convictions until it becomes almost too late for her change her mind.

Obviously as I started out saying, I expected something a bit more different from this story. With a title like “Forbidden” my mind conjures up stolen kisses that heat up the reader’s insides, breathless passion between the hero and heroine which they both try to deny but which explodes anyway because they are two halves of one soul who have just found their way to each other. And though this story delivers in spades in the awareness department between Paige and Josh, there just didn’t seem to be enough moments of the forbidden variety in the story which kind of depleted my enjoyment levels with this one.

All in all, not a bad read though I wish the story could have been a different one altogether.

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

goodread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Rhys’s Redemption by Anne McAllister

Format: Paperbackrhyssredemption
Read with: Paperback
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Presents, #2126
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Rhys Wolfe
Heroine: Mariah Kelly
Sensuality: 2.9
Date of Publication: August 1, 2000
Started On: December 15, 2010
Finished On: December 16, 2010

I first discovered Anne McAllister years ago when I read her Harlequin novel Fletcher’s Baby. That was the time during which I had just discovered the amazing abundance of romance novels that Harlequin provides for voracious readers and Fletcher’s Baby was one of those reads that you remember even after a long time. The impact the story has on the senses (not because of any explicit or otherwise sexual content in the story) but rather because of the emotional wrangling content of the book, even my elder sister who has never been much of a fan of romances read and liked the story that unfolded. The dogeared copy of Fletcher’s Baby on our bookshelf is a testament to how well liked the story is. Even though this is a review of Rhys’s Redemption, my second book from Anne McAllister, if you haven’t already read Fletcher’s Baby, I highly advise you to do so. It is a great book for a good cry!

Rhys Wolfe is a man haunted by memories of the tragic death of his childhood love and wife Sarah and their unborn 4 month old baby. Born and raised in New York, Rhys had tried hard to please his family by going into the family business. Working long hours had kept him away from his pregnant wife and the fire that had  taken away his Sarah eight years back haunts him even to this day. Yes, Rhys has moved on to the best of his ability, quit his job at the firm which had pissed off his father, and taken a job in a specialized unit of firefighting that deals with oil well and rig fires. And it is an extremely commitment phobic Rhys that emerges from the tragedy of losing his beloved who has no intention whatsoever of getting married or having children ever again. His one steadfast rule, one he had made up as an act of self preservation was to sleep only with women who knew exactly what they were getting into – that is until he breaks his rule during the night he turns to comfort in the arms of Mariah, his friend and neighbor for the past 3 years.

31 year old Mariah Kelly comes from a large family from Kansas. She had been a small town girl with a determination to make it in the big city world in the field of journalism when she had first moved to New York 8 years back and was quite comfortable with her achievements. Mariah first meets Rhys during a cookout she holds on her terrace by inviting all her neighbors, and over time within Rhys Mariah finds all the qualities she had ever wanted to find in a man. And regardless of telling herself that falling for a man who has his heart locked away and the key thrown away into the dungeons, Mariah finds herself doing just exactly that – falling head over heels in love with the wrong man. When the one night of intense passion they share ends up in Mariah getting pregnant, Mariah hopes against hope that Rhys would come around and start to care for her and love her as much as she does for him.

When Rhys wakes up with a warm and sleeping Mariah in his arms, all his survival instincts kick in and he does the only thing he knows how to save his battered emotions. Two months without a word and Rhys returns home after an intense job planning all the while in his head how he and Mariah would move on and forget about the night that changed everything only to receive the bombshell that Mariah is pregnant with his child. Betrayal, pain and anger all course through Rhys when he first hears the news and the only thing Rhys is willing to offer Mariah is financial support and nothing more. Avoiding Mariah at all costs is what Rhys sets out  to do, but Mariah makes it damn hard for him to do just that when she refuses to condemn him for his actions, calmly accepting what Rhys is able to give and never asking for more. But staying away and just completely wiping away Mariah from his mind seems to be an impossible task for Rhys which eventually makes for a really heart wrenching read.

Likes:

  1. Mariah Kelly. I loved her for so many things as this story unfolded. Her unchanging love for a man who has immersed himself so deeply in his gut wrenching pain over the loss of the only woman he has ever loved, a love that doesn’t turn into resentment because Rhys is unwilling to give her his everything once he learns of her pregnancy. I loved her because she doesn’t turn bitter, nor does she hold it against Rhys that he is selfish enough to want to protect his heart from being broken to pieces all over again. Her courage, unwavering love and hope that Rhys would turn around makes her one of the most endearing heroines I have come across.
  2. The magic that this story weaves as it is told from both Rhys and Mariah’s viewpoints. There is so much emotion packed into it that the lump that applied for permanent residency in my throat refused to fade away even long after the story was through. Even though I cannot afford to pull an all-nighter reading a book these days, I couldn’t bring myself to part with the story and get my much needed sleep before work today. And thank God for the fact that this one is not a long novel or otherwise I would have found myself in a whole lot of trouble reporting to work all bleary-eyed today. ^_^
  3. How this book made me all teary-eyed – in a good way. Honestly, I am not one to cry and bawl over a story, well most of the time anyway. But last night, I found myself with tears in my eyes as I reached towards the end, tears of frustration at times on Rhys’s stubbornness in refusing to let go of Sarah, tears of sorrow for Mariah who loves Rhys quietly all along and in the end, tears of happiness for the happily ever after.
  4. This story definitely whetted my appetite to read Dominic’s story, the calm and controlled older brother of Rhys, and Sierra the younger sister of Mariah and her exact opposite in every way. That book is definitely going to end up in my wish list!

Dislikes: Though I loved this story to bits, I found myself at times a bit disappointed because Rhys and Mariah spends so much time apart from one another in the story. But in the end it all works out because this story ends up being different to your usual Harlequin pregnancy romances such that the hero doesn’t find himself just a changed man overnight, but rather takes the long road to find himself taking the second chance he has been offered at loving and being loved once again. But I would have loved a bit more interaction between Rhys and Mariah, just a tad more.

Favorite Quotes

Every night there were dreams. Dreams of Sarah. Collages of their life  together – happy childhood moments, the joy of their engagement, the bliss of their wedding day. There were a hundred moments – a thousand memories – all coming to wash over him the second he shut his eyes and gave in to slumber.
And they made him ache with longing. And he awoke sad and desperate – reaching for something – for someone – who slipped further and further away.
Those were bad. Worse, though, were his dreams of Mariah. In them he saw her laughing and smiling, joyful and tender. Her eyes watched him, her hands touched him. And in his dreams he responded. His body grew ready for hers. His heart grew hungry for hers. his arms lifted to reach out to her.
And then he would see Sarah again. Drifting just out of reach.
Then, always, he woke up. Alone.

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of Anne McAllister.
  2. Fans of Harlequin romances with enough emotion packed into it to knock your socks off. If you want a high dosage of sensuality in your romances, you are not going to find it here. But it can make you cry from deep within your heart.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Abe Books

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Wild Thing by Anne Stuart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I Liked:

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

Recommended for:

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

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Pure Temptation by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Format: E-bookpuretemptation
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Blaze #20
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Jeremiah MacDougal (Mac)
Heroine: Tess Blakely
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: July 1, 1999
Started On: November 22, 2010
Finished On: November 25, 2010

Anyone who visits my blog regularly would know that I am a huge fan of romances based on the theme “friends turn into lovers”. When I came across this tittle (I’ve kind of forgotten where exactly this title jumped up at me) I didn’t waste any time in getting myself a copy and plunging into the story. Since free time has been pretty scarce the past few days I managed to give my full attention to this story only today and really loved this Blaze from Ms. Thompson written in the 90’s.

Based in the small town of Copperville in Arizona, 26 year old Tess Blake and Jeremiah MacDougal (Mac) who is two years older than her have known each other and being best friends for the past 23 years of their lives. Tess, surrounded with her hulking 4 big brothers and their overwhelming overprotective natures yearns to experience life in the big cities, a dream that she and Mac had shared when they had been growing up. Now Tess is just a summer away from attaining her dream as her move to New York as a counselor for teenagers in a high school had been finalized. But there is just one teeny, tiny problem that Tess needs taken care of – lose her status as a virgin before the summer is through, easier said than done when her 4 brothers effectively scare off any suitable suitors who might have been up for the job ages back.

Mac, an only child though he dreams of getting away from Copperville, knows that he has a responsibility to his parents who had built their ranch from ground up as a legacy to their only child and son. Though the thought of Tess leaving ties Mac up all on the insides, the bombshell that Tess drops on him, requesting him to aide her in her “summer project” of the year as in find someone to divest her of her virginity practically chokes the very breathe out of Mac.

Mac knows that Tess, once her mind has been made up wouldn’t budge from a task and as soon as the words sex and Tess comes into the same sentence, rolling in satin sheets with her legs wrapped around him is all Mac can think about. And thinking about any other man taking the privilege of getting carnal knowledge of Tess just makes his skin crawl and Mac does the only thing a sane man in his position would do – offer his service as Tess’s hymen-breaker never knowing that all along Tess the woman who had been right under his nose his whole life had been the woman he had been waiting for to settle down with.

Likes:

  1. I loved Mac from the stetson on his head to his delectable toes and everything in between. His tenderness and the way he understands and puts first each and every desire of Tess is what made me fall in love with him. Even with his desire raging out of control for Tess, Mac shows her the sensual side of love as only a man in love can and in the process made my heart go flip-flop every time he came up in the story.
  2. Tess. She makes for a unique combination with her innocence (which doesn’t get on the nerves) and her blatant curiosity when it comes to her own sensuality which awakens around Mac. I loved the fact that she was willing to give up her dream of living it up in the city to just be able to share all her tomorrows with Mac which would be an adventure enough for her.
  3. I loved the subtle difference in the way the story unfolded in this one compared to most of the friends-turn-into-lovers stories that I have read. I loved how Ms. Thompson brought back bits and pieces of Tess and Mac’s shared childhood and their adventures together, lending their jump from friends to lovers much more depth than anything else could have. These insights makes this story one of the very best of this theme and I am so very glad I came across this delectable story by Ms. Thompson.
  4. Though Harlequin stories are pretty short, I liked the small town life descriptions within the story. There was no rush to just get Mac and Tess to do it already but rather the foundation of their relationship with each other and Tess’s family as well tidbits about the town folk and their nosy natures made this quite an interesting piece to read.
  5. I loved how this story made me laugh out loud, several times in fact, whilst reading. From the very beginning when I read Tess’s  notes on how she would divest herself of her virginity, I knew that I was in for a couple of good laughs with this one and I wasn’t disappointed.
  6. And oh yes, I loved the scene where Mac describes the one erotic dream that he had of Tess and himself and I loved how he couldn’t help but squeeze Tess’s hand without his own volition. Lying in his pickup, holding the hand of his best friend and looking up at the stars whilst he related his dream.. *sighs*

Dislikes: Errm.. the cover could use some improvement. Just saying! ^_^

Recommended for:

  1. Lovers of Harlequin Blaze stories.
  2. Those who love stories of the theme where friends turn into lovers or childhood friends turn into lovers.
  3. Fans of Vicki Lewis Thompson. If you haven’t already read this one, grab yourself a copy and indulge! I loved it!

Favorite Quotes

Summer Project: Lose Virginity
Goal one: Find knowledgeable candidate willing to deflower me.
Goal two: Swear the candidate to absolute secrecy.
Goal three: Get it on.

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

outstandingread

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 

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Taking Care of Business by Kathy Lyons

Format: E-booktakingcareofbusiness
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Forbidden Fantasies #24
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: James Samuel Finn (Sam)
Heroine: Julie Thomson
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: November 1, 2010
Started On: November 6, 2010
Finished On: November 6, 2010

I found this title from an email I received from Books On Board. The first thing I noticed of course was the hot cover which depicts the hero and heroine in a clandestine position in an elevator of all places – yummy! After that it didn’t take much to convince me that this is just the kind of story that I would like and before I knew it I had the book loaded onto my Kindle ready for the indulgence to begin.

The Hero: James Samuel Finn or Sam is the CEO and the brains behind the multimillion dollar company Robotics for Everyone. Sam is not your typical multimillionaire such that he doesn’t want the fact that he is rich to define who he is. All his past relationships had all come to a halt because all those women had been in love with the multimillionaire Sam rather than the Sam who is most at home in his lab, tinkering away on new products in his overalls with a smudge of grease on  him to complete the picture.

The Heroine: Julie Thomson or Jules as Sam calls her is originally from Nebraska who comes to Chicago to fulfill her dreams of making it big in the city, a dream which had come about when she had just been twelve years old. Julie is the owner of Web Wit and Wonder, her very own advertising firm that she had started with her best friend and graphic artist Karen Wilson using the money that her parents had loaned to start up the business. Two years on, the company is about to go under and Julie knows in her heart that there is no place to go back, but home as a failure.

Storyline: The office space of Web Wit and Wonder is situated in the high rise building that Sam owns and it is by chance that one day Sam sees the beautiful Julie looking like a ray of sunshine in the midst of all the corporate stiffs, making their way towards the elevators. The next thing he knows, the woman who had fired up all his imagination from a distance is pressed to him from head to foot in a crowded elevator and to his surprise and utter delight Julie gives him a taste of what it would be like with her given half the chance. Julie is more than surprised by her own wanton behavior in a crowded elevator with a total stranger though the encounter fires up all her forbidden fantasies. Within a space of seven weeks, more encounters between the two take place all in crowded elevators signaling the beginning of a hot and heavy affair which both Julie and Sam promise would be just a sexual one with no pressure on both sides as Julie plans to close down her business and leave Chicago in the next 3 weeks. Not wanting Julie to know that he is actually the multimillionaire who owns the building, Sam uses the persona that he is most comfortable with, leading Julie to think that she is having her hot and heavy affair with a maintenance personnel in the building rather than its owner.

The First Encounter: The first encounter between Julie and Sam takes place inside a crowded elevator when Julie is pressed up against the delectable Elevator Man as she calls Sam at the beginning, to find out that Sam was having a very much involuntary reaction to her nearness which Julie takes advantage of before the elevator ride is up.

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

Awareness between the hero and heroine: Kathy Lyons keeps the heat between Sam and Julie always at a simmer in true Blaze style which definitely makes this read one worth getting your hands on. From the very first encounter till the very last page, the constant hum of awareness and sexual zing between the two never ceases which makes this a great addition to the Harlequin Blaze line.

The turning point: Though both Sam and Julie vow before the start of their affair to keep things simple, they both connect on levels that has got nothing to do with the red hot attraction between them. As they join their bodies experiencing the best sex of their lives, so do other feelings come in to play making them both fall hopelessly in love in the process.

Ending: Though Sam tries to come clean about the part of him that is a multimillionaire, there just never seems to be a right time for the conversation and it is a betrayed Julie that walks out on Sam when she puts the pieces together to arrive at the ultimate conclusion. Of course this doesn’t mean that Julie and Sam do not get their happily ever after, but rather both of them face a small period of misery before giving into a relationship that was meant to be, right from the very beginning.

Likes:

  1. Absolutely adore the cover. Fuels some forbidden fantasies of my own when I look at the cover. *wicked grin*
  2. I just simply fell in love with Sam right from the very beginning. His whole character from the way he takes care of those who are more vulnerable than himself to the way he just simply loves and wants what is best for Julie makes him a very special and endearing sort of hero.
  3. Loved Julie and her naughty nature. It just fully complements the solitary nature of the reclusive genius that Sam is.
  4. And of course the elevator smexing!! There is so much of it that I don’t think I would look at an elevator the same way I did before I read this book! ^_^

Dislikes: None

Recommended for: Those who love Harlequin Blaze titles.

Favorite Quotes

Lifting her gaze a little higher, she saw his chiseled jaw, slightly darkened by five o’clock shadow. His eyes were at half mast as his nostrils flared. He was inhaling, his chest expanding as he clearly took in the scent of her. She’d started dabbing heavy amounts of sandalwood on her wrists ever since she’d noticed he took a deep breath whenever he was near her.
She didn’t speak. She couldn’t speak. He was lounging against the back panel watching her with a predatory expression. As if he’d been waiting for her. As if he’d known she was getting on the elevator right then and was daring her to step into his lair.

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

goodread