Category / Netgalley Reads

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Man Law by Adrienne Giordano

Format: E-bookmanlaw
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Private Protectors, Book 1
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Vic Andrews
Heroine: Gina Delgado
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 4, 2011
Started On: June 27, 2011
Finished On: June 27, 2011

Man Law by Adrienne Giordano is the debut novel of the Private Protectors series set to be released on the 4th of July by Carina Press. Lately Carina Press has published some very great books which in turn has introduced voracious readers such as myself to a number of fabulous and really talented authors for which I am forever grateful to Carina Press.

Man Law tells the story of the sexy Vic Andrews with his distracting goatee and his unwanted attraction towards his best friend Mike’s younger sister Gina Delgado, a single mother with three kids, who has been a widow for the past four years. Vic is a man who lives by and follows only his Man laws and he screws that up royally when he has mind numbing sexual encounters with Gina in the basement of her house, at the beach and the next time in her kitchen. Though Vic and Gina both brush those off as brain farts, they both know that the underlying attraction that always ignites whenever they are together won’t be brushed aside just that easily.

When one of Vics’s assignments come back to haunt him and the target this time is Gina and her kids, Vic knows that he won’t let anything happen to them as long as he is able to draw breathe from his body. To say that Vic has commitment issues and emotional garbage is to put things mildly. But Gina is determined that Vic decide once and for all whether what they have between them is worth exploring or walking away from. What Gina wouldn’t back down from is that she won’t say yes to a relationship with a man who puts his life constantly in danger, having once already gone through hell after the untimely death of her husband.

What made Man Law such an interesting story was because of the way the author brings in all the characters and let them do their thing. Lily, Gina’s youngest is so adorable that you can’t help but grin at her conversations with Vic who might think he is clueless when it comes to kids but does so very well in that department as well. Gina fights for what she wants and when it is Vic that she sets her sights on, she doesn’t let him that easily off the hook when the last thing he wants to do is talk about how he feels.

The twenty four hour surveillance that Taylor Security pulls off on Gina’s family certainly brings Vic that much closer for the first time in his life to saying yes to commitment, but for Vic that might not be what fate has in store for him when he leaves Gina to hunt down his enemy, knowing that without that final act of vengeance on his part, he would never  be able to look himself in the mirror ever again.

I just flat-out loved Vic’s sense of humor and the way his thoughts filter out to bring a smile to the reader’s face even during the most charged moments in the story. The thing that drew me in the most was that every part of the story felt real from the humor to the teenage crabby issues to the passion and love that flares between Gina and Vic. And if I hadn’t already been half in love with Vic by the end of the story, the last chapter would have convinced me to go all the way as I just simply adored the ending.

Filled to the brim with humor, sizzling sexual tension, romance with a love that grows on you, Man Law is a summer read not to be missed out on!

Recommended for those who love romantic suspense, adventure and romance in one setting.

Definitely looking forward to the rest of the novels in the series.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Carina Press

awesomeread

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

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Yours To Keep by Shannon Stacey

Format: E-bookYourstokeep
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Kowalski Family, Book 3
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Sean Michael Kowalski
Heroine: Emma Shaw
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 6, 2011
Started On: May 28, 2011
Finished On: May 28, 2011

Yours to Keep is the 3rd book in the Kowalski Family series by the very talented Shannon Stacey. Though this is my very first book by Ms. Stacey, I had no trouble identifying with the fact that she can deliver a fantastic romance, and this one definitely makes it into the list of my favorite reads for 2011. This book is going to follow the I-Review format which I introduced earlier and would follow a question and answer format which will hopefully do justice to the wonderful romance this delivered – in spades.

You: What made you pick up Yours to Keep?

MBR: I have always heard good things about Shannon Stacey though I have never had the opportunity to try out her work prior to this. You can always blame it on the hundreds of new books that find their way into my TBR pile (sneaky things these books). And this time when I found Yours to Keep up for grabs on Netgalley I didn’t hesitate to procure a copy and here I am grinning from ear to ear and nearly purring in complete satisfaction at the end. And of course, fellow blogger Pearl’s fantastic 5-star rating of the book helped things along as well.

You: Tell us a little bit about the hero Sean Kowalski.

MBR: Sean Michael Kowalski finally returns home for good after having served the army for the past 12 years. With blue eyes and a smile that can do serious damage to a woman’s insides, the one thing that Sean wants is to have the freedom for the first time in his life to do whatever he wants before even contemplating about settling down.

You: Now tell us a little bit about the heroine Emma Shaw.

MBR: The owner of Landscaping by Emma, Emma Shaw is an only child who was brought up her grandmother Catherine Shaw after the death of her parents at the age of 4. Emma has her roots tied down in New Hampshire, owns a business doing something that she loves and her only discontentment arises from the fact that her grandmother who finally managed to move to Florida still keeps on worrying about Emma. Whilst Emma doesn’t see the harm in conjuring up an imaginary live in boyfriend to keep her grandmother placated, what she doesn’t realize is the fact that it is indeed a tangled web one weaves when they intend to deceive.

You: How does Sean and Emma meet for the first time?

MBR: Sean and Emma’s first meeting is a memorable one in the story. Sean has just arrived at his cousin Kevin’s place where he would be crashing for the duration of his stay when Emma turns up on his doorstep claiming that she is his fiancée and tries enlisting his help in playing make-believe engaged couple with her for the duration of her grandmother’s upcoming visit. Though Sean thinks Emma to be tall, hot and batshit crazy in that very order, that doesn’t stop him wanting to say yes to Emma’s offer or prevent his body from hungering for hers in the worst way possible.

You: What was it that drew you into the story with Yours to Keep?

MBR: Even though I have never sampled Shannon Stacey’s work prior to this, I totally fell for her style of writing which drew me in right from the very beginning. I loved the concept of the story which was one of the reasons that had me saying Yes to Yours to Keep in the first place and it is the way that Ms. Stacey pulls the right emotions from the reader at every turn that had me reading this in one sitting, something that rarely happens these days.

You: What was it that you liked about Yours to Keep?

MBR: I am someone who ALWAYS loves a good contemporary romance. Throw in a hotter than sin ex-military hero whose vocabulary at the moment does not have any room for the word permanence in it, and a heroine who is his match in every way possible; call me fickle but I love the way two people who aren’t looking for love find it in the last place they are looking for.

I loved a lot of things about this delectable contemporary starting from Sean who is definitely hot enough to melt any woman to a puddle of goo in mere seconds. His whole character starting from his sinfully good looks to the way he tries so hard to keep his desire in check where Emma is concerned made him a hero I enjoyed in every way possible.

And then there is Emma, who has her heart set in the right place but doesn’t know what hits her when her “fake” fiancée turns out to be the real thing. Emma is loyal and intense to Sean’s laid-back attitude and the way that she is unafraid to grab whatever it is that is simmering between her and Sean made me root for her even more!

I loved all the side characters, some of whose stories of happily ever afters have already been told, lending Yours to Keep that extra edge which was why in the end it ended up in my list of favorite reads for 2011.

The sexual tension between Emma and Sean was sizzling hot at all times, the combustive culmination of their surrender that much more sweeter because of the fact. And I absolutely fell in love with Sean the moment he started leaving little bits of notes for Emma all around the house and the final scenes in the story just made me want to bawl my eyes out – with happy tears.

You: What if anything would you want to change in Yours to Keep?

MBR: For me, Yours to Keep is just damn perfect as it is!

You: Who would you recommend Yours to Keep to?

MBR: Fans of the Kowalski series should definitely read this one. Its a keeper!

And for fans of Shannon Stacey who haven’t yet delved into the Kowalski world, you definitely ought to, even if it is with this one. Yes, it is that good!

And for fans of contemporary romances, this one should definitely end up on your pile of books that MUST be read!

You: Any memorable scenes/quotes from Yours to Keep that you would like to share?

MBR: I loved the notes that Sean kept leaving for Emma to find. One of my favorites comes from the list he gives her during the final moments in the story:

You don’t take any crap from me.
You make me laugh.
Missionary is my favorite position now because I can see your face.

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Soldier on Her Doorstep by Soraya Lane

Format: E-booksoldieronherdoorstep
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Heroes Come Home, #1
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Alex Dane
Heroine: Lisa Kennedy
Sensuality: 2.9
Date of Publication: July 12, 2011
Started On: May 1, 2011
Finished On: May 2, 2011

Soldier on Her Doorstep tells the story of the journey taken by a soldier who suffers from survivor’s guilt, and how a man who has been a loner for most of his life suddenly finds himself feeling a wealth of emotions towards the widow of the man who took a bullet for him and died in his place. And how in the end he finds love, peace and happiness in the most unlikely of places.

When Alex Dane drives up to Brownswood Alaska, his only intention is to deliver a message to Lisa from her deceased husband and get the hell out. But when Alex feasts his eyes on the beautiful Lisa Kennedy and her 6 year old daughter Lilly Kennedy who hasn’t spoken a word to anyone apart from her mother since being informed of the death of her father, something that has stayed long dormant inside of Alex till now stirs to life.

Lisa can’t help but be drawn towards the silent and broody soldier that shows up on her doorstep looking as if its the last place he wants to be in. However, it is Lilly’s instant connection with Alex that astonishes and pleases Lisa  the most where Lilly and Alex form a strange bond right from the beginning which turns around Lilly’s healing process from the trauma of losing her father.

The instant attraction between Lisa and Alex doesn’t come without complications. Though Lisa in her mind is ready to accept that she feels something for Alex, her emotions wage an internal battle on whether it is the right thing for her to move on so quickly. And Alex would rather cut off an arm than give into his attraction towards the widow of the man who gave his life for him. Nevertheless, their attraction proves to be a more powerful drug than either of them could hope to resist and though they do give in to it, it is Alex’s  tormented soul that needs to heal before Alex and Lisa can have any real shot at happiness.

Soldier on Her Doorstep is a novel that has real good potential. I liked Alex and Lisa and Lilly as well, the 3 of them served to be endearing characters who lend the story a charm of their own making. I loved Lisa because she is someone whose character is strong enough to heal the very tortured soul of Alex who needs all the love and TLC in the world for him really put his demons to rest. Lilly makes for a very adorable character as well and I loved the descriptions that brought to life the connection between Alex and Lilly that serves as the healing point for Lilly’s trauma.

However there were a couple of things that could have made this story better. The constant retelling and rehashing of what William (Lisa’s husband) means to the budding relationship between Lisa and Alex gets a bit old after sometime. I would have loved to see more interactions between Alex and Lisa to witness firsthand how Alex heals from Lisa’s love and care.

Recommended for fans of Harlequin romances.

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

satisfactoryread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Negligee Behavior by Shelli Stevens

Format: E-booknegligeebehavior
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Marco Vargas
Heroine: Brandy Elizabeth Summers
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: May 23, 2011
Started On: May 1, 2011
Finished On: May 1, 2011

Yowza! What a fantastic piece of romance this turned out to be from one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Negligee Behavior which is to come out on the 23rd of this month pets and strokes all the right places with the right balance of quirky humor, romance and red-hot passion of the body hair singeing variety and I loved every single moment of Marco and Brandy’s journey to happily ever after.

29 year old Marco Vargas co-owns a bar with his friend Sebastian and likes his life the way it is. He definitely never thought that 30 year old Brandy Summers would hijack his motorbike in her crazy wedding attire one hot afternoon in her attempt to get away from her boyfriend Gordon who is hellbent on getting hitched and turn his life completely around.

A feeling of being suffocated and doubts that she should not feel are all that plagues Brandy as she stands beside her boyfriend Gordon in his impulsive attempt to say their I-do’s in a rat-infested Elvis chapel in Vegas. A high school choir teacher by profession, Brandy is the sole heiress to the exclusive lingerie chain Sugar and Spice, the fastest growing lingerie chain in North America. Having grown up surrounded by picture-perfect models all her life, Brandy suffers from self-esteem issues and hides behind a facade of frumpy clothing through which Marco sees the beautiful and desirable woman inside even if its the last thing that he wants to see.

Brandy is as taken aback by the heady desire that takes a hold of her whenever she is around Marco who does so much more than just rescue her when shit hits the fan, as is Marco by the possessiveness that streaks right through him when it comes to Brandy. And when Brandy pulls all the stops and gets a sensational makeover with the help of the mouthy and smart-ass bartender Valerie, there is no stopping the tidal wave of desire that explodes between them.

However, both Brandy and Marco have secrets of their own which they keep from one another for their own reasons, not wanting to do anything that would shatter the fragile bond that forms between them as the days pass by. With enough humor in the right places that had me laughing out loud several times earning me the are-you-going-crazy? looks from my husband, I thoroughly enjoyed this delectable contemporary romance which was fun, sweet and heady all at the same time!

I loved the vivid characters that were brought to life right from the very start, rendering each of them to be a vital part of the story. Some of my favorite characters include Valerie the bartender, Sebastian, co-owner of the bar and Brandy’s mother whose spunky nature was a real surprise. Marco is such a dreamy and sensationally sexy hero that I found myself sighing each and every single time he calls Brandy “princess” and my heart just sped its beat up a notch whenever his primal instincts came out to play.

Brandy is such an endearing heroine who earned my wholehearted approval right from the very start with her quirky comebacks and sensitive nature at the core. The way she grows and blossoms as the story progresses along was one of the best parts of the story. And as I have been telling Ms. Stevens on Twitter, anyone who reads Negligee Behavior would definitely want to read the story of Sebastian and Marco’s younger sister Elena. There is this vibe between them that definitely has the makings of another breathtaking romance which I am definitely looking forward to! *hint, hint*

This one definitely makes it to my “favorites” list of contemporary romances for 2011 and I recommend it to everyone who loves a good contemporary romance with a sexy as sin hero and a heroine who you would most definitely relate to and delivers so much fun that you would wish the story to never ever end.

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels

Format: E-bookprotectivecustody
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Will McCoy
Heroine: Megan Jackson
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: May 9, 2011
Started On: May 1, 2011
Finished On: May 1, 2011

I seem to be on a role these days trying out authors that I have never ever read before. I always give new authors a go because that’s the only way that you discover authors who are worth looking out for and along the way you discover reads that you will treasure for the rest of your life.

I picked out Protective Custody from Netgalley because the blurb promises a good romantic suspense of the erotica variety. The story that unfolds is not a complicated one as it is told from the viewpoints of the hero, heroine and the villain as well who finds help from one of the most unexpected sources in the story.

The hero Will McCoy and heroine Megan Jackson have a shared past as in they were head over heels in love with each other until Megan had ended their relationship 6 months back. Will comes from a rich family whose mother is quite snobbish whilst Megan comes from mixed parentage of a white father and black mother. It is Megan’s grandmother that sacrifices a lot to bring Megan up and see her through college and Megan is forever grateful and wishes no sadness whatsoever upon her grandma.

Six months after Megan and Will’s breakup, Megan witnesses the horrific murder of a woman from the confines of her office on Halloween night which the police do not seem to believe for the lack of evidence that any such crime took place. The first person that Megan thinks of when she is found in this predicament knowing that the killer is out looking for her is her ex-boyfriend Will who comes to her side after just one phone call.

Even though Will knows that he has no self control over his emotions when it comes to the one woman that he loves to the point of obsession, he can’t say no to her plea of help and that is how Megan and Will once again find themselves embroiled in the heady passion that had been so much a part of their relationship. Megan constantly reminds herself that what they start up once again cannot be permanent whilst Will doesn’t want to give up hope that this time round they can work things out. And as the killer ups the stakes and continues to stalk Megan having the uncanny ability to find out their hideouts, Will knows that this is the one time in life he should not fail the woman who is counting on him.

To be honest I wasn’t that wowed with the story that took place. I found both Megan and Will lacking as characters, where Megan grated on my nerves by constantly going back and forth between what she feels for Will and what she feels it is that she must do. Will though serves to be a sexy and protective hero didn’t make the cut because he didn’t man up and make Megan confront the real issues that were standing between them. Although I didn’t overly like Will and Megan I still found this short romantic suspense to be a good read, a book for fans of erotic contemporary romantic suspense.

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

satisfactoryread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig

Format: E-bookwolfsbane
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Military Romance
Series: Discarded Heroes, Book 3
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Hero: Captain Canyon Metcalfe
Heroine: Lieutenant Danielle Roark
Sensuality: 2.9
Date of Publication: July 1, 2011
Started On: April 29, 2011
Finished On: April 30, 2011

Wolfsbane is the 3rd book in the series entitled Discarded Heroes by Ronie Kendig. This series focuses on men who have served their country in the military, men who have been discarded by their government who are then infused with hope by a high ranking official who gives them a chance to become a member of an elite black ops team known as Nightshade.

Captain Canyon Metcalfe is such a hero whose career as a Green Beret medic had been ripped out of his hands 24 months prior to the start of the novel. Discharged from service with little to his name apart from shame and guilt  that hounds him day and night, Canyon is a loose cannon until once again he is given a purpose in life as a member of the Nightshade team.

26 year old demolitions expert, Lieutenant Danielle Roark is a woman who has visited hell on earth and survived. Having spent almost six months in Venezuela as a captive raped and tortured at the hands of the VFA i.e. The Courage of Bolivarian Army headed by the notoriously evil General Humberto Bruzon. Danielle escapes with her life barely intact only to be labelled as a traitor by her own country requiring that she return to Hell on earth once again to prove that she had not been fabricating the story of how she was captured and was held against her will.

Though it is Canyon’s younger brother that lays claim on Danielle at first, it is the undeniable connection that springs forth between Canyon and Danielle that makes her feel safe for the first time since her ordeal at the hands of General Bruzon and his men. Though Canyon tries to do the honorable thing and step aside to leave the field clear for his younger brother, emotions that Canyon had thought long since buried after losing the woman he loved renders Canyon unable to turn away from how Danielle makes him feel. And as luck would have it, it is Nightshade that is tasked with the responsibility of getting Danielle safely in and out of Venezuela to find the proof that she needs in order to clear her name.

Ronie Kendig does a swell job of describing the many a risky situations in which the hero and heroine finds themselves in, together with the team of Nightshade. The descriptions were vivid enough to make me feel as if I were watching a movie rather than reading a book, which was one of the best parts about this story. I loved how Canyon and Danielle’s relationship unfolded, both broken people who heal along the way to deserve each other and the love that springs forth between them as time works its magic on their bruised emotions and feelings. A realistic pace is what the author sets with Danielle, a woman who endures the worst type of horrors that anyone of the fairer sex can undergo, and emerges as a broken woman in body and soul, nearly driven to take her own life until she learns to gather strength from the man who stands unwaveringly by her side through the worst of times in her life.

When I picked up this novel from Netgalley, I really had no idea  that this was also categorized under Christian Romances though I later saw the label which at first I missed. I usually refrain from reading books that preach any sort of religion and was keeping it in mind to stop reading if the book were to get too preachy for me. However it turned out that reading a Christian Romance wasn’t so bad after all – in the end its just about instilling hope in those who seem to have lost their way.

Though Ms. Kendig brings to life the sizzling attraction that flares up between Canyon and Danielle right from the very start of their relationship, there are no scenes of any explicit variety included in the story. So this would be an ideal romance for those who like the build up to the act and leaves the actual act of sex to the imagination of the reader. I recommend this title for fans of the Discarded Heroes series, Ms. Kendig definitely knows what she is doing with these hot-as-sin ex-military heroes and I’m sure her fans would agree with me on this 100%. I would also recommend this title for those who love military themed action-packed romances because this is one story that delivers on all counts.

Favorite Quotes

His deep laugh rumbled through the night – and straight into Dani’s soul. As he scooted in and looked around, his gaze stumbled into hers. He stilled, his smile slipping.
Dani’s pulse hiccuped. She wanted to look away. Even told herself to. But if she did, she might never find a moment like this again.

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

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Beg for Mercy by Jami Alden

Format: E-bookbegformercy
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Trilogy, Book 1
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Hero: Cole Williams
Heroine: Megan Flynn
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 1, 2011
Started On: April 26, 2011
Finished On: April 28, 2011

If I were asked to describe this book in one word, Intense is what comes to mind. Beg for Mercy is a title that sums up what romantic suspense is all about from the very beginning till its very last pages.

Beg for Mercy features the very sexy, rough and tough 37 year old Seattle Police Detective Cole Williams and the beautiful 29 year old Megan Flynn who meet one another 3 years prior to the start of the story. Megan is on her way to spinning dreams of happily ever after with her broody and silent Cole when the stuff that nightmares are made of comes true. Megan’s older brother Sean Flynn is arrested for murder by none other than Cole himself and sentenced to death by lethal injection and in the process shatters whatever fragile bond that has been forming between Cole and Megan.

The story continues 3 years later with Megan the only one who is convinced of her brother’s innocence, trying to find even a shred of evidence that might shed light onto her belief that her one and only remaining family in the world, that the brother who had sworn that he would protect her with his life could not have killed someone in cold blood. Megan’s search for the truth catches a break in the most unlikely manner when she gets up close and personal with the work of the Seattle Slasher, a killer who has been brutally slaying women in the Seattle area. What Megan is not prepared for at all is to once again meet Detective Cole Williams, the man whom she fell in love with 3 years ago only to have her heart crushed and her hopes and dreams shattered by the indifferent manner in which Cole killed their budding relationship upon the arrest of her brother.

Cole feels as if he has been sucker-punched real and good when he comes face to face with the woman who has been haunting his dreams ever since he had walked out on the best thing that had ever happened to him. Though it is hatred for what he did to her brother that shines in Megan’s eyes whenever she looks at him, Cole can’t deny that Megan still has the power to bring him to his knees because whatever that had brought them together in the first place all those years back still simmers good and strong between them.

With Sean’s impending execution looming closer, its a race against time for Megan who leaves no stone unturned in her quest to free her brother. What Megan slowly begins to uncover is the work of a killer who is well versed in the art of deception, a killer who is depraved enough to get off on the hurt that he inflicts on the women that he kills, a killer who is closer to Megan than she can even comprehend.

As the race to the finish line draws closer, so snaps the control both Cole and Megan exerts on the desire that binds them together, lending an extra richness to a story that already has enough moments of heart pounding variety packed into it. The scenes of passion between Cole and Megan are borderline erotic and very tastefully done that I couldn’t get enough of the very sexy Cole who had my heart racing doubly hard whenever he entered the picture.

There are so many things that rate Beg for Mercy as a solid 5-star read. For me the pace that Jami Alden sets with the story is the best thing about this romantic suspense. I love it when stories are intense, barely letting me take a breather before the next scene comes plummeting through which makes for very compelling reads. Of course let me not forget the impact the very intriguing Cole Williams who makes the story come alive just by his mere presence in it. He is the broody and silent warrior  type who feels so much deep inside, but shows an impeccable facade to the outside world until his hard earned control shatters around him in the most sinfully delicious way possible. His protectiveness when it comes to Megan is what endeared him most to me and Megan is a heroine who matches Cole in every way possible. I loved Megan for her unwavering faith in her brother when everyone else believed him to be the worst sort of killer possible and for Megan’s undeniable need for everything to do with Cole even when she tries so hard to tell herself otherwise.

Even as I loved so many things about the story that makes this a memorable read for the year, I was still a teeny weeny bit peeved because it was quite easy to figure out who the villain is even before halfway through the story. I like a bit of suspense in novels such as this, for the author to keep me guessing towards the end which makes the game of figuring out who the heinous killer is a lot more fun!

As I said earlier, Beg for Mercy is intense, graphic and details the gruesome bits involving the killings which makes this book that much better. If a fast paced thriller is what the doctor ordered with a healthy dose of romance between a sinfully alluring hero and a delicate yet spunky heroine then you should definitely go buy this one. For fans of Jami Alden, I am sure you would need no further convincing. Now, I can’t wait for book 2 in this series which is to be Sean’s story to come out on November this year entitled Hide from Evil.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Road Signs by M. J. Fredrick

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Cameron Trask
Heroine: Willow Hawkins
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 14, 2011
Started On: March 10, 2011
Finished On: March 11, 2011

I found M. J. Fredrick’s latest book Road Signs which is to be released on the 14th of this month up for grabs at Netgalley to my ever loving delightful surprise. I was glad for a chance to receive an ARC because after my first encounter with M. J. Fredrick’s writing style when I read and reviewed her romantic suspense novel Breaking Daylight, she has landed on my list of authors to look out for. Road Signs being a book of my favorite friends-to-lovers trope was just the icing on the cake for me when I picked up this read.

27 year old Cameron Trask has being in love with his best friend Willow Hawkins since high school. Willow, an only child whose mother had worked two jobs to keep a roof over their heads, had basked in the warmth that had been offered up by Cameron’s family who had welcomed Willow with open arms. Willow’s beautiful mother’s tendency to stray towards the wrong kind of man for all the wrong reasons has left its emotional scars on Willow who shies away from commitment and works hard towards building a life for herself just so that she can stand on her own two feet and would never have to rely on a man for security.

But a moment of lapse in judgement has Willow regretting her impulsive decision to visit her latest boyfriend’s parents for Thanksgiving and before she knows it she calls up the one person whom she trusts more than anyone else in her life to come and get her. Cameron drops everything that he has lined up, adjusts his plans on travelling to Seattle for a job interview and drives down to collect the one woman who matters more to him in life than anyone else. Though Cameron has never had the guts to come outright and confess how he feels to Willow, it doesn’t make his plans of severing ties with her and moving away so that he can finally, hopefully get on with his life any easier.

When Willow finds out how she might have screwed up Cameron’s chance of getting a job that would finally mean something to him, Willow convinces Cameron to set out on a road trip that would take them to Cameron’s destination. From the moment they set out, one thing after another goes wrong, bringing out opportunities for Willow to see how her best friend whom she has seen very little of for the past couple of weeks has changed so much, looks more appealing and has her thinking wild thoughts of them entwined together doing the very thing that she has sworn she wouldn’t subject their friendship to.

Cameron knows that this road trip would be the last chance he would ever have of making a move and coming out with how he feels about Willow. For someone like Cameron who has the term cautious engraved onto his forehead, this is easier said than done. However, the close proximity that the trip places them together with feelings that they have both long kept under the rug sweep onto the surface gaining momentum until they both ultimately surrender to each other. Even then, Willow’s insecurities when it comes to love and commitment rises to the surface which she has to deal with before these two finally find their happily ever after.

I liked the premise of the story, a road trip embarked upon by best friends, both of whom who want what’s best for the other. Willow turned out to be a heroine I would have liked to hit on the head a couple of times because of her obstinate nature that kept her from what turns out to be the best thing in her life. Cameron is such a sweet hero, who won my heart simply because his love for Willow shines through each and every action of his from the way he rides to her rescue to the way he just simply wants her to be happy with life. Cameron makes for such an endearing hero with an abundant reserve of patience which he really has to call on when dealing with someone as skittish as Willow when it comes to love, commitment and happily ever afters.

Though at times there was a disjointed feel to the story, in the end it proved to be an enjoyable contemporary romance that takes the reader on a journey of discovery of how the feelings between Willow and Cameron finally meet on the same level giving them both a taste of a well deserved happily ever after. Recommended for fans of contemporary romances that would make for a light quick read with a hero you would immediately fall in love with, fans of M. J. Fredrick and for fans of romances of the friends-to-lovers trope.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Carina Press

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Rush of Darkness by Rhyannon Byrd

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Primal Instinct, Book 7
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Seth McConnell
Heroine: Raine Spenser
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: March 29, 2011
Started On: March 9, 2011
Finished On: March 10, 2011

I can’t exactly pinpoint the reason why, but there is something seriously sexy about paranormal romances that involve a human on one side and a paranormal being on the other end. Book 7 in the Primal Instinct Series takes this one step further where the ultra sexy and uber alpha hero is the human whilst the strong and yet endearingly vulnerable heroine turns out to be the paranormal being.

Rush of Darkness is the story of Raine Spenser and Seth McConnell. Their story began in Touch of Temptation, book 6 of the series which I reviewed earlier. Seth McConnell is an ex-hunter who has spent the past 20 years of his life slaughtering every vampire that he could get his hands on.  Raised in Southern California, Seth had been a young teenager when a rogue nest of vampires had taken away everything that mattered to him and nearly killed and destroyed him in the process as well. His salvation had come in the form of the Collective Army whose aim it has been to remove all traces of paranormal existence from Earth. Driven by rage and the thirst for revenge, Seth had honed himself into a lethal killing machine, unstoppable and feared by the creatures that he hunts down until circumstances force him to take stock of his life and what was actually happening to turn his life around and start working for his lifelong enemy.

Raine Spenser is unique amongst ancient clans; part Deschanel vampire and part Alacea psychic, Raine had been brought up in a loving home by parents who had adored each other and their children. Having led a pretty much sheltered life, Raine had been working for charities that had been investigating the effect of deforestation as her work as an environmentalist when she had been kidnapped by Ross Westmore, a Kraven vampire who gets his high from the thrill of victory. Westmore’s plan is one that is bound to destroy the world and plunge it into darkness and chaos which is what the Watchmen – a group of shape shifters who watch over the clansmen and women of their preternatural world are trying to prevent. Held against her will over a month during which Raine has suffered numerous forms of physical, mental and emotional abuse from her captors, it is a tortured and guilt-ridden Raine that emerges from her captivity at the hands of a mad man.

Seth’s fascination for Raine from the very moment he carries her in his arms after her rescue from Westmore is an unexplainable one. His need to drive away the haunting look that has settled deep inside of Raine and the electric way in which his body reacts to Raine’s mere presence has him at first running away from how he feels but inevitably finds himself unable to stay away from the one woman he wants to claim as his own more than he has wanted anything else in his life.

Raine’s emotions when it comes to the human soldier is as complex as his feelings towards her. Fear of her growing feelings towards a man who had previously made it his life’s mission to destroy her species has Raine pushing him away masking her need for the fierce warrior who stands in front of her with a loathing that she can’t seem to summon. Her dreams of them entwined in lovers embraces has Raine pushing up the shields that guard her emotions and heart more fiercely than ever. But as moths drawn towards flame, these two can only deny their explosive feelings towards each other for so long and it is a combustive coming together if there ever was one that has these two finally taking things to the next level.

However, their journey towards happily ever after is not an easy one. Continuous danger from Westmore who sets in motion an elaborate plan to turn the war that is brewing onto the side of evil once and for all nearly destroys both Raine and Seth and the fragile bond that seems to have forged between the two. The need to protect one another from danger has each of them engaged in a battle of wills with the other, and it is only with ultimate trust and learning to let go of their pasts that would  bring about true happiness to two souls who deserve it more than anyone else in the primal instinct world.

This one wins by far on all fronts in the Primal Instinct series for me. I loved the uniqueness the fact Seth the hero being the human brought into the story. Regardless of the fact he is a human, his wants and needs are as ferocious and as primal as the shape-shifters that I have come across in the series. And Seth totally wins my heart and soul as my favorite hero from the series with his tortured broodiness that makes him so very much appealing. I loved the fact that explicitly drawn out sex scenes weren’t what drove the story right from the very 1st chapter itself, but rather the sexual tension that simmers between Raine and Seth is drawn out, making their ultimate surrender a very explosive and unforgettable one. Don’t let me forget Raine, whose character and what she suffered at the hands of a monstrous species makes her so vulnerable but even then it makes her a determined one in her need for revenge on a group of men who had taken away something from her life that can never be replaced.

All in all, a tortured, hot as sin alpha hero that had my salivary glands working over time, a heroine that needed a bit of TLC and a knock on the head or two to figure out that Mr. Tortured and Hotness himself was here to stay, with the continuous adventure that is always a part of this series makes this book a huge 5-star winner for me. Very highly recommended for fans of the series and fans of Rhyannon Byrd. Mind you, you can always read this book as a standalone without much hassle because Ms. Byrd doesn’t make her supernatural world a complex one, but rather she keeps her explanations simple, drawing the reader in and making you feel right at home with all the species that crops up in between.

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

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