Category / Outstanding Read

Rating of 5 stars!

by mvbookreviewer

Review: This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Night Huntress, Book 5
Publisher: Avon
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 22, 2011
Started On: February 22, 2011
Finished On: February 23, 2011

At long last, the much coveted 5th installment in the Night Huntress series by the amazingly talented Jeanine Frost is out and it is as good or maybe even way better than I envisioned it would turn out to be.

It is as usual Cat’s uniqueness when it comes to being a half-vampire or being a full vampire which she had embraced quite recently that stirs up trouble of all sorts in the undead world. It is when vampires start turning up dead all over the country that Bones and Cat decide to investigate, knowing deep inside that something seriously wrong was brewing up in the world of the undead.

What comes to light is a plan concocted by an old enemy of the 29 year old Cat and her 200+ year old husband Bones, a ghoul leader known as Apollyon whose weapon is creating a sense of distrust and alarm amongst his race against Cat and her abilities to temporarily absorb the power of whichever vampire that she feeds from. Though this fact is not common knowledge, Cat’s very public performances in slaying their enemies have definitely caught the eyes of the prominent members of the undead circle though Cat tries her damnedest to keep the fact that she is different from every other vampire even in full form.

Its kick ass action, witty dialogs that this series is famous for coupled with a lethal dosage of the scorching hot passion and sensuality that has always played a key role in all the Night Huntress novels that greets the reader even from page 1 itself. All our favorite characters who are so much a part of the Night Huntress world as Bones and Cat are come together to make this a delectable addition to an already kick-ass series.

What struck me the most about the 5th book is how much Cat has grown up and continues to grow through each book which makes her stronger and more lovable than ever. Willing to finally open up all of herself to Bones her husband who has her undying love and loyalty was one of the best parts about the story coupled with the sizzling hot usage of candle wax in making Bones lose control! I don’t think I would be eying candle wax ever again without thinking of Bones losing his legendary control whenever it comes to his beloved wife and partner for life and forever. And talk about a blast from the past when Mencheres and Kira’s characters made me want to re-read Eternal Kiss of Darkness all over again to feel the full force of Mencheres’ tamped down power and sensuality.

Needless to say, I loved revisiting the Night Huntress world, what one reviewer has called feels like coming home, which exactly sums up how I felt as I delved into Cat and Bones’ latest adventure. True to classical Jeaniene Frost style, the adventure in this one is non-stop, packed with lots of laugh-out-loud moments when Cat’s wry sense of humor comes into play and let me not forget the intense connection between our territorial vampire Bones and his beloved which seems to just grow stronger with time. It is the way that he loves and cossets Cat without being a total wimpy pussy about it that makes Bones the most appealing vampire hero for me. All in all very highly recommended for all Night Huntress book fans. I know that you would need no further urging from anyone for you to run out and pick this one up! If you are new to Jeaniene Frost, pick up book 1 and let Cat and Bones take you on the wildest ride of your life whilst curled up in your bed. I promise you, it would all be very well worth it.

Favorite Quotes

“You’re being eye-humped by about a dozen women as we speak, but I’m sure you already know that,” I said in a wry tone.
His mouth brushed my neck with the lightest kisses, making me shiver.
“I only bother about one woman’s desires,” he murmured, the breath from his words teasing my ear.

His long-sleeved top was made entirely of black mesh, his crystal skin exposed more than it was covered with the material. Leather pants hung low on his hips, tight enough to hint at his assets, but with enough give that they wouldn’t hinder his movements. The all-black ensemble combined with his dark hair only made his pale skin even more striking by comparison, drawing the eye to the muscled flesh those hundreds of tiny holes revealed.
He caught my lingering gaze where the peep show of his skin ended and the front of his pants began – and flashed me with a wicked grin.
“Hold that thought, luv. With luck, we’ll be back in our hotel room breaking in the Jacuzzi before dawn.”

I smelled smoke right before hearing the “pop,” like a firecracker had gone off. Splatters of something thick coated my back even as a thud reverberated behind me. I whirled around to gape at what was left of the ghoul. His body pitched forward on the driveway, nothing but a smoldering mess left where his head had been.
Much slower, I turned around to see Vlad examining his fingernails, as if his hands weren’t still ablaze in the flames that had blasted the ghoul’s head off moments before.
“What the hell was that?” I gasped.
“Premature inflamulation,” he replied. “Happens sometimes. Very embarrassing. I don’t like to talk about it.”
A snort of amusement came from my right. I swung in that direction to see Bones bestow the most approving look on Vlad he’d ever given him.

“You have to leave already?” I murmured, blinking at Bones through the bright slants of sunlight that peeked out from the gaps in the drapes. “But you barely slept.”
The grin Bones flashed me was quintessential cat-that-got-the-cream, though that expression was probably better suited for me at the moment.
“I know,” he said, the words drawn out with the warmth of remembrance.
I sat up, dragging the sheet with me. “I’m serious.”
“Kitten” — Bones paused from pulling on his shirt — “four hours of sleep while holding you is far more beneficial to me than eight hours of endless tossing and turning because you’re not there.”

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann

Format: E-book
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Troubleshooters, 4
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Hero: Ken “Wild Card” Karmody
Heroine: Savannah Von Hopf
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 27, 2005
Started On: February 18, 2011
Finished On: February 21, 2011

I have always heard good things about Suzanne Brockmann. My first attempt at reading anything by hers was to read her novel Bodyguard which certainly didn’t make me turn away from her books though it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression on me either. However as everyone knows I tend to get a little crazy about jungle-trek themed romances and this one was recommended as such a read, I have now forgotten on which forum. Regardless of the fact that I have never attempted to read the Troubleshooters series before, I bought myself a copy and did manage to read a couple of pages then and never managed to make it past the prologue before I was distracted by some other title that I just HAD to read. And then last week my emotions decided to play the i-am-not-pleased-with-any-of-the-stuff-you-are-reading game & so I decided to pick this one up where I left off, hoping that the magic that had had earned this book rave reviews would work on me and my totally wayward emotions as well.

Book 4 in the Troubleshooter series stars Navy SEAL Ken Karmody, who gets nicknamed as “Wild Card” because of his ability to think out of the box and come out winning however difficult a problem might be. Ken had certainly not led a charming childhood with an emotionally and physically abusive father, which had in the end toughened him up and made Ken determined to do what he wanted in life. Ken is a genius when it comes to computers and whatnot and beneath his tough SEAL facade lies a heart that yearns to love and claim a woman as his forever. His ex-girlfriend Adele had certainly done a number on him with a continuous on and off relationship with Ken which had gone on for around 10 years until Ken had finally seen the light and refused to bend to her every whim which had pretty much ended things on the relationship front.

Savannah Van Hopf couldn’t be any more different from Ken even if she tried. A rich heiress who works as an appellate attorney, Savannah is the granddaughter of the famous Rose Van Hopf who worked as a double agent for the US and the Nazi during World War II. Savannah had always had a huge crush on Ken even though he hadn’t noticed her much, and it is through Adele that Savannah finds out Ken’s address and travels to San Diego to find him and ask his assistance in locating her uncle Alex who had disappeared in Indonesia without a trace.

From the moment Ken comes across the beautiful and utterly feminine Savannah, he is smitten something fierce and before Savannah can muster up the courage to bring up why she is actually in the neighborhood, these two light up the sheets with intense passion and red hot desire that practically leaps out of the very pages. To say that both fall completely in lust and a little bit in love with one another during that night would not be a lie. However with the morning, the truth comes out completely walloping Ken with intense feelings of betrayal which makes him pissed off at Savannah to no end. However, even with all the intense feelings of dislike churning within him for a woman who still has the ability to make him go a little bit weak at the knees, Ken is not willing to let Savannah travel all the way to Indonesia alone to find her uncle.

It is in Indonesia that the real adventure begins when Ken and Savannah are kidnapped by Russian goons at gun point right from the airport itself. Barely managing to escape them, Savannah and Ken are forced to survive in the jungle that grows densely throughout the Parwati island of Indonesia. To survive and outmaneuver everyone who is after them, Savannah and Ken are forced to endure each other’s company which in turn makes each of them discover why they had fallen for each other so hard in such a short span of time.

This book was so frigging good that I believe I have dug myself into a hole from which I won’t be able to escape anytime soon. Since I haven’t read books 1 – 3 in the Troubleshooter series and jumped straight into book 4, I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least when characters kept leaping right into the pages from left and right. However, a couple of chapters in, I was totally captivated by the ease with which Ms. Brockmann makes each and every character count, how she makes them come alive and how effectively she makes each and every one of their stories matter.

What I loved most about Out of Control was the rich banter between Ken and Savannah. Ken has the quirky character of coming out and saying whatever leaps to his mind without thinking much about it and Savannah’s responses to his remarks totally made my day. Ken is sexy, witty, a little bit of a nerd and has such a big heart that you can’t help but fall completely in love with him. The way he seriously asks his friends about women’s ability to have multiple orgasms had me cracking up so hard that I was laughing all throughout that conversation.

And Savannah is not an unforgettable character either. Though she has been brought up by a snotty mother who would rather see her married off to some royalty than see her happy, Savannah is tough beneath her picture perfect exterior and loyal to a fault. And I loved every single thing about her character from the way she interacts with Ken to her vulnerable nature which she strives so hard to hide.

And that takes me to my favorite couple from the series – yes, though I have not read the series in order, I have discovered that I have a strange fascination for Molly and John, whose characters complement each other perfectly. John is totally the kind of alpha male that slightly borders on being gamma, which makes him just the perfect kind of hero to base all my dreams upon. And his reluctant fascination with Molly which ends up being one of the best parts of the story is one worth savoring. Their happily ever after finally comes in book 9 of the series and this alone is the reason why I am determined to make my way through the rest of the books, because I am that much fascinated with their story.

And that brings me to Rose’s character. Her adventures in the form of a memoir which continue throughout the story makes for a fascinating read. Her work as a double agent and the story of how she meets up and falls in love with Mr. Van Hopf who is an Austrian prince adds something delightful to an already 5 star read.

Needless to say, highly recommended for romantic suspense fans because I just flat-out loved this one.

It was only after I sat down to write the review that I saw that this book has received around 7 AAR awards between 2002 and 2007. Definitely deserves them all!

Favorite Quotes

“What have you got in there?” he asked. “Maybe we should take a minute and do a quick inventory, see what we’ve got, see if we can somehow lighten our load.” He went through his pockets, pulling everything out and dumping it in a relatively dry spot in front of her. “Knife, keys, wallet, passport, a couple squashed power bars – that’s good, we;re bound to get hungry – and … oops.”
Condoms.
He was carrying around a half a dozen. He stuffed them back into his pocket, but not before she saw them.
He gave her a weak smile. “I just, you know, always carry ’em.”
That was a lie and she knew it.
“If we get bored, we can use them to make balloon animals,” he added.
She was not at all amused.

Rose watched Savannah and Ken slip into an elevator. They were in each other’s arms again before the doors had fully closed.
Her granddaughter was infinitely lucky. Rose knew this firsthand. She’d had a husband who had loved her an eleven, too.

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Skin Tight by Ava Gray

Format: E-book
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Skin, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Hero: Søren Frost
Heroine: Mia Sauter
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 1, 2010
Started On: February 16, 2011
Finished On: February 16, 2011

Those who have read Skin Game, Book 1 in the Skin series would know what I mean when I say that the hooker scene featuring the enigmatic Addison Foster totally reeled me in on his character and made me impatient to find more about him and what tragedy it was that was driving him to seek the destruction of whoever it is that he is seeking. And it is during the aforementioned book 1 that Mia and Addision come in contact with each other which made me totally itchy from the need to read Skin Tight. And thank God for the fact that this title had already been released by the time I decided to indulge in the Skin series or I would have been in deep trouble if not! Though Skin Tight can be read as a standalone, I would advise you to read book 1 first because you really need to see Addison in his element in book 1 to really appreciate and feel for his character in his own story.

Søren Frost or Addison Foster is a man who has lived by so many personalities and names in the past few years that he has almost forgotten who he really is. Originally from Denmark, Søren’s parents had arrived in America as immigrants when Søren had been 3 years old. It is two years later that Søren gets vaccinated by “free” vaccines passed out by The Foundation whose main agenda had been experimenting on humans to create a superior race which would profit them with millions and billions of dollars in the times to come. Søren’s ability lies in making those who come in contact with him live or believe him to be what their fantasies want him to be. Unable to bear with the loneliness of being single all his life Søren had taken the plunge and got married to a woman who had never seen him for who he really is but called him James all throughout their marriage. Piece by piece, shard by shard, Søren had crumbled and fallen apart so much that he had turned into a shell of the man he had once been until his daughter Lexie had been born who had been his single most priced “possession” in his otherwise bleak world. When Lexie had been taken away from him in a horrible car accident, leaving just a brainless body behind who requires a life support machine, Søren’s fury knows no bounds as he vows vengeance on The Foundation who has turned him into what he is, nearly driving him to take his own life at one time. It is when Mia accidentally stumbles into his life that color begins to seep into his otherwise gray world, thawing the blocks of ice that has surrounded his heart and locked away his emotions for far too long.

Mia Sauter is the daughter of a feminist American mother and an Iranian father who had tried and failed to convince the woman he had fallen in love with to marry him so that they could become a proper family. Mia had never known any happiness during her childhood, either at home or school where she is ridiculed for being geeky and nerdy and not being interested in the usual things that kids her age are forever losing themselves in. Mia’s carefree photojournalist mother resented Mia’s existence which had reined in her constant need to roam and travel around the world and later had turned to the bottle to cure all her woes. Mia, a woman who has a way with numbers and computers becomes a forensic accountant specializing in corporate embezzlement and it had been her ingenuity in stealing from others that had made her so successful in finding out those who were stealing from the big corporations who were willing to pay huge sums of money to sniff out those leeching money from them. Like Søren, Mia too has no place she would call home and constantly travels from one place to another as her career demands from her though she yearns for someone to love her and ride into the sunset with her as Reyes had done for Kyra.

It is when Mia rushes in to save Kyra that she meets the enigmatic Søren, then known as Addison and the attraction that flares between them is hard to ignore for Mia though Søren makes a convincing job of showing that attraction is the furthest thing he feels for her. When Søren feeds her to the wolf and leaves her alone in captivity till Kyra and Reyes comes along to rescue her, Mia is more shattered than she should be about a man with eerie glacier blue eyes ringed with silver, who seems to affect her in ways no other man has ever had.

When Mia stumbles across Søren once again a year later when she takes up a job at Micor Technologies she doesn’t know whether to consider him friend or foe; but neither is she immune to the strong feelings of the baser nature that Søren still seems to be able to invoke in her – feelings that he seems to feel for her in spades this time around. With secrecy surrounding Søren’s every move, Mia is hopelessly ensnared in Søren’s plans of revenge against The Foundation without having a clue into the kind of world that she has stepped into.

As the body count begins to rise, so does Mia’s need for answers from the man who is such a bundle of contradictions, who steals her heart regardless of the continuous pep talks that she subjects herself to. And Søren is not much better off when Mia steals the key to his heart and unlocks the steel fortress that has surrounded it for so long and it is then Søren has to decide whether his love for Mia should triumph over his need for revenge or whether he should walk the Earth as a lonesome shell for the rest of his life.

Things that made this book rock my world:

  • Søren Frost. He is undeniably one of the most broken heroes that I have come across and that made me fall for him that much harder in the end. I felt his pain, anguish and sorrow at things he couldn’t change regardless of how much he wanted them to and when he is confronted with baring his soul once again, I understood what was driving him to deny his feelings even though it was clear for all the world to see how he really felt about Mia. Seen through Mia’s eyes, Søren is a character that any romance reader would feel for and fall head over heels in love with and I was in no way an exception to this rule.
  • Mia Sauter. I didn’t care much for Kyra in Skin Game and was prepared to not feel much for Mia as well. But Ava Gray has done a splendid job with her heroine in this one and I couldn’t help but admire and love her all the more because even with all the secrecy that shrouded Søren’s character, she accepted him for who he is and loved him for the man he is inside trying to break free from the emotional shackles that had bound him for such a long time. Loved Mia for seeing the man underneath all the ice and breaking it apart so that Søren could live and love once again.
  • The stimulating conversations between Mia and Søren. Though Søren is hardly the type for jovial conversations, Mia’s wry sense of humor is hard to ignore and it is those moments that she manages to steal a rusty smile from our hero that belong in the most unforgettable moments in the story. Loved the dialogs!
  • The insane Dr. Jasper Rowan who lends this story the heinous villain it needs. He is just what the doctor ordered to make this story of the spine tingling variety.
  • Trey and Gillian’s characters to whom we are introduced to in this story. I did some quick digging to find out that their story will come out in July of this year and let me tell you – the cover alone would make me buy the book, let alone the fact I am highly intrigued to find out more about both of them!

I can’t think of anything that could have made this book a more intriguing one than it already is. I would say, it is just damn near perfect the way it is!

Favorite Quotes

“I’ll share if you like.” He cut into his mushroom with surgical precision, using both knife and fork in the European fashion, reinforcing her belief that he hadn’t been born in the United States.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a vegetarian.” Mia lifted her glass and took a sip.
“Hm. Does that mean no oral sex?”
She nearly spat her wine.

“Are you suggesting a partnership?” she asked. “To what end?”
“You can get into the lab. I need to see what’s there.”
Her expression hardened. “Why?”
There was no help for it. He had to tell the truth. “I suspect Micor is conducting illegal experiments on human beings. I want to stop them.”
“What are you, Batman? You go around righting wrongs?”
Despite his tension, he smiled. “Something like that. But latex gives me a rash.”

Recommended very highly for fans of romantic suspense who love a tortured and broken hero and a feisty heroine who has the guts and what it takes to bring the said yummylicious hero back to the world of living. Ava Gray’s characters will certainly never leave you bored as they never behave in the way you expect them to.

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Insatiable by Cari Quinn

Format: E-book
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Loose Id
Hero: Shawn Griffin
Heroine: Rachel Cooper
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: February 15, 2011
Started On: February 15, 2011
Finished On: February 15, 2011

I was so very psyched to wake up this morning to see Cari’s message on Twitter that she was sending over a copy of Insatiable, her debut novel on LooseID for review. Add to this the fact that this one is of my favorite theme/trope where friends turn into lovers coupled with the fact that today is a state holiday over here, I was in book heaven right from the very first moment I loaded this book onto my Kindle and entered Rachel and Shawn’s world where they both made me practically insatiable to learn everything about them and to reach their happily ever after.

30 year old Shawn Griffin is an esteemed architect and the only child of the Griffins who own an architecture firm known throughout the West Coast. Born and bred in Calvin Bay of California, Shawn is blessed with surfer good looks, feline green eyes and golden hair from his mother and a laser-like focus and intensity from his CEO father. Shawn’s only regret in life is the fact that he had turned down his best friend’s proposal that they become intimate when she had been 16 years old and curiosity had taken a hold of her that in turn had driven her into another man’s arms. Shawn is a man who is biding his time for the right moment to woo the love of his life into his arms forever, a man who has been infatuated with his childhood friend and best buddy since forever and been in love with her for at least half a dozen years.

28 year old Rachel Cooper is the youngest child of the Coopers who publish the magazine for tony fashionistas in the West Coast. A middle school music teacher, Rachel had met Shawn minutes after entering into this world, thanks to the lifelong friendship between their families. Shawn had become her best girlfriend, regardless of the fact he is a guy, long before she had even realized that being his best friend was what she wanted. Apart from the one time when she had been 16 years old and had found feelings of an alien kind inhabiting her body whenever she had been around Shawn, Rachel had never considered opening up her heart to Shawn in the forever kind of manner until the connection and attraction that has always simmered between them comes right up against her, with no holds-barred when Shawn decides to focus his laser-like intensity on winning her affections.

It is when Rachel decides to go on a no-holds-barred sex vacation to New York and rekindle the flames with her high school boyfriend that all hell breaks loose and Shawn unleashes all his pent up longing and desire to claim Rachel as his. Rachel is as skittish as commitment phobic heroines come and add to the equation her tendency to ALWAYS go against what her parents gently prod her and urge her to do, when Shawn and her getting married and having a couple of beautiful babies is what both their families have always hinted at all their life.

Shawn has his work cut out for him when he follows Rachel to New York and competing with the Harley riding ex-boyfriend of Rachel’s seems to require his undivided attention. With Rachel as skittish as a wild horse that needs taming when it comes to facing the intense nature of the feelings that sweep them both away on a  journey of sensual awakening that just lights up the reader’s world in a kaleidescope of colors, Shawn is in it to win and make Rachel face what she has always longed for ever since they had both grown up. When tragedy comes calling, it is then that both Rachel and Shawn needs to decide whether theirs is a love that can weather all storms and come out triumphant in the end.

There are so many, many good things about this delectable novel. First of all, I love the fact that this is by far the longest story by Cari Quinn I have had the fortune of reading and that fact alone is enough to make this girl happy. I love Cari’s style of writing, the sense of humor that she injects into her stories and the fact that her characters all come alive and she makes us feel for them in every way; and to go through all this in a longer novel by her was just in that fact alone awesome! I would say that Cari Quinn has outdone herself with this one and I hope she continues to wow me and take my breathe away with stories that are going to follow this one.

When I always pick up an erotic romance, rarely do I expect it to deliver much apart from good smut to send my heart racing and a big goofy grin on my face due to the happily ever after the romance delivers. However, when you pick up a novel by Cari, you definitely know that you will be getting much, much more than just that. Likewise, Shawn and Rachel are both just lovable characters that I fell in love with right away. Their relationship shown through many a conversation and good memories they have of each other shows that they are friends in the truest sense. And oh my ever loving Lord I tell you, the heat between these two is enough to light up the entire Maldives for centuries to come. I found myself holding in my breath, with my heart racing and thudding to keep up with the action between the sheets and many a wicked position these two found themselves in along the way. All in all, very well done, a story that definitely ends up as a favorite of mine in this theme/trope.

And don’t for the love of God get me started on Shawn Griffin or I wouldn’t be able to control myself. The guy just totally made my day, hell he made my whole month by practically lighting up the pages with his very presence and making me swoon damn near every time he comes up with one romantic plan or the other to woo the woman of his dreams into his life always and forever. Shawn definitely knows what good, hot loving is all about and also knows just how to cherish the woman he loves which makes me long for things better left unsaid. *grin*

There is not a single thing that I would change in this story and am so very ecstatic that Cari picked me as one of the reviewers to receive a copy of this beautiful, heartwarming and very sexy story. If you love a good friends to lovers story with plenty of red, hot loving that can leave you breathless and wanting for more with well developed characters and a story that delivers on all fronts, buy yourself a copy and indulge. I dare you not to want a Shawn Griffin of your own halfway through!

Favorite Quotes

Then Rachel walked into the room, her short geisha girl outfit revealing a mile and a half of leg, and his muscles locked as if he were a wolf that had just scented his mate.
She wasn’t the most beautiful woman in the crowd. Wasn’t the most alluring or even the most striking. But to him, she was the only.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Loose Id

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Two-Step Temptation By Emma Jay

Format: E-booktwosteptemptation
Opens with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Eric Viera
Heroine: Haven Reynolds
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 8, 2010
Started On: February 2, 2011
Finished On: February 2, 2011

Yeap, you guys guessed it right. This novella from Samhain Publishing caught my eye solely due to its uber-beautiful cover. Reading the blurb I was sold and have been on the look-out for its release date since then. February is definitely going to have a huge impact on my book budget with several great romances which I am keeping an eye on coming out within this month.

My first Emma Jay definitely started out with a bang and finished in a riot of beautiful colors leaving a huge smile on my face. Mr. Sex-on-legs aka Eric Viera might have had a thing or two to do with that fact as he strode into the story in his long, lean form, close-cropped brown hair and his sexy little goatee and deep blue eyes that just begs a girl to get into trouble of the right kind with him. Being an anthropologist means that Eric rarely stays around in one place for long unless it is to study behavior of some forgotten tribe of people.

Elementary school principal Haven Reynolds finds herself definitely in trouble of the right variety when she meets the sexy Eric Viera at their friends Jared and Christine’s engagement party 8 months back. A two week affair had left Haven certainly begging for more and eventually her heart had gotten involved and it had killed her to see Eric go on his anthropology trip to the Costa Rica afterwards. Though she would rather die than admit to the fact Haven knows that Eric owed her nothing when both of them had gone into the purely sexual affair with their eyes open.

Eight months later, Eric again walks into Haven’s life, this time for the wedding of the couple whose engagement brought these two together in the first place. Haven with her shields strongly in place face an even more appealing and a sexier version of Eric who has no intention of letting the best thing that has ever happened to him walk away from him as he is looking for something a bit more permanent with the woman who rocked his world 8 months back and the woman who has occupied all his thoughts since after. It is a highly enjoyable and a sensual journey done very well by Ms. Jay I must add that these two take and I loved every minute of it!

Things that made this book rock:

1- Eric Viera. No two ways about it. Mr. Sex-on-legs is definitely what he is! His at times gentle and other times no-holds-barred methods of seduction just makes me want an Eric of my very own! ^_^

2- Haven Reynolds. Though she is wary of getting her heart trampled upon, that doesn’t stop her from having a little fun with the only man who rocks her world. That makes her my kind of heroine and getting her happily ever after at the end was just icing on the cake for me.

3- The sizzle factor. Awesome hawtness throughout the story. Dancing has never sounded as good as it did in this story!

4- The beaaaaaaaautiful cover! Love it!!

Things that could have  made this book more awesome? I would change not a single thing about this book!

Recommended for fans of awesomely hot novellas. This one is just sinfully delicious!

Have definitely added Emma Jay’s list of published books to my wishlist!

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

Format: E-bookSimplyirresistible
Read  with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: A Lucky Harbor Novel, Book 1
Publisher: Forever
Hero: Jackson Cullen III (Jax Cullen)
Heroine: Madeline Annie Traeger (Maddie Moore)
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication:  October 1, 2010
Started On: January 26, 2011
Finished On: January 29, 2011

Ever since I read Shadow Hawk and didn’t like it as much as I expected to, I have been a little wary of picking up anything by Jill Shalvis and that’s the main reason why I have hesitated in getting a copy of her latest novel Simply Irresistible, the 1st book in the Lucky Harbor series. Now, I am so very glad that I let reviews from my friends on Goodreads who all loved this book to pieces convince me to give this title a go because I am slapping myself for being stupid enough to let such a yummylicious read go by for so long without an attempt to read it.

Simply Irresistible is a book that lives up to its title, yes, its simply irresistible and I found myself so engrossed in the world of Lucky Harbor, the small town life, the larger than life heroes, Jax Cullen who makes my knees go wobbly each and every time and the sisters who make this novel come vibrantly alive that I forgot to mark this book for quotes as I read along, something which I always do when I am reading a novel so that my review would be a complete one. That just goes to show how marvelous a tale Ms. Shalvis has spun with her new series and I can’t wait until the next one comes out in April of this year.

Jax Cullen is a hero who presents himself as a mass of contradictions and I so love myself a hero like him. At first he comes across as the bad boy hero who rides into the story on his bad-ass motorbike; but layer by layer his character unfolds to reveal the complex man he is behind the facade. Jax had grown up with his father when his parents marriage had failed and his father being a cutthroat lawyer by profession, their relationship had had no room for emotions. A grown up Jax had followed his father’s footsteps and had become a very expensive defense attorney for a huge law firm in Seattle, where winning cases at all costs had been the bottom line. His work there had earned him the name of Jackson Cullen III and it had taken Jax’s last case which had gone horribly wrong for him to quit his job and return to Lucky Harbor, the last place he remembers being happy. Now 5 years out of a profession that had sucked the very soul out of him, Jax is laid back, goes through life at his own pace and works doing what he loves; building and restoration. The mayor of Lucky Harbor for the second term Jax is not looking for a relationship after his fiance had walked out on him when he had walked out on his job; that is until beautiful and klutzy Maddie nearly runs him over in her car.

29 year old Maddie is broke and homeless when her late mother’s will brings her to Lucky Harbor. Maddie had been raised by her father who had been a movie-set designer ever since he had taken custody of her since Maddie had turned 5 years old. Having never had much contact with her flighty mother, Maddie is as surprised as her father and two half sisters Tara and Chloe to learn about her mother’s will which had bequeathed them Lucky Harbor Inn, in the hopes of bringing 3 of her children together even if she may not be around to see it. Maddie had earned the nickname of the Mouse from her mother and is a survivor of a physically and emotionally abusive relationship from her ex-boyfriend Alex, an angry, uptight and aggressive LA attorney who didn’t know how to control his temper. It had been Maddie’s retaliation towards Alex that had cost her her job and makes her swear off of men altogether until she runs into the very sexy and delectable Jax Cullen who makes her tingle in all the right places with his searing velvety gaze alone.

When their mother’s will brings them together, it is only Maddie who at first wants to make a go of things and work towards making the derelict Lucky Harbor Inn habitable once again. And that is how Jax Cullen and his tool belt comes into the scene, seducing Maddie of every good intention she has about swearing off of men until now. As Jax brings down the walls that surround Maddie’s heart, so develops a heartwarming relationship between 3 sisters who had not seen each other for the past 5 years. Amidst the small town life of Lucky Harbor, sexual awareness of the eyebrow singeing variety turns into a love so worth taking a chance on that I as a reader absolutely couldn’t have asked for more.

I liked:

  1. Jax Cullen. Every single time he walks in with his tool belt around him – needless to say I am a puddle of goo every time that happens and wouldn’t have it any other way. He has this way of seducing Maddie out of her noble intentions that left me breathless and wanting more of  where that came from. I loved him for his quiet intensity, his kindness, and the smoldering sensuality that leaps into the picture every time he walks in *fans self*. Jax can certainly master my ahem! baser emotions any day he chooses! ^_^
  2. Maddie. She is klutzy,  less than perfect and so down on herself when she comes to Lucky Harbor. But she has an inner strength that can definitely make her the Steel Magnolia, the title her mother has given to Tara the eldest of her 3 girls. Maddie’s determination to heal from the brutality of her relationship with Alex and how she is so irresistibly drawn towards Jax and his quiet determination and strength made me root for her big time!
  3. Loved the dialogues, each and every one of them whether it be between Jax and Maddie, or between Maddie, Tara and Chloe or Jax and his buddies. Several laugh-out moments in the conversations that makes this an excellent book to cure you from all your woes.
  4. Jax and his tool belt. There! Now I have said it. Can’t help but remember a guy on a show on Discovery Travel & Living who had a tool belt around him whilst he went about giving makeovers to people’s homes. Even then, my sole focus was on the tool belt. I guess that explains a bit on my fascination with the tool belt. ^_~
  5. I absolutely loved the relationship that develops between Maddie, Tara and Chloe. They are all so very different from one another but the affection and love they have towards each other is evident right from the very beginning. Though it is Tara’s story that will be coming out in April, I can’t help but want to read Chloe and Sawyer’s story. I have a mind that it’s going to be pretty darn explosive!! ^_^
  6. Loved the quotes from Phoebe Traeger at the beginning of each chapter. They were seriously thought provoking and at the same time gave me something to laugh out loud as I delved into each chapter.
  7. Jax’s lethal brand of seduction. I seriously, seriously could get used to it! *winks*

I disliked: None.

Favorite Quotes

Two, and even more unsettling, he smelled good – sexy and alluring. Closing her eyes, she felt her body tingle, brought to a hyper-awareness that felt almost foreign as something zinged through her.
Desire. Bone-melting desire.
When she opened her eyes again, he was even closer. His eyes weren’t the solid warm caramel she’d thought but had flecks of gold dancing in them, as well. She could have drowned in all that deliciousness.
Not a  bad way to go, she figured – death by lust.

Chloe stood there, a small smile on her lips as she peered past Maddie at the Jeep. “Who’s that?”
Maddie watched the brake lights of the Jeep as it vanished into the night. “Jax Cullen. And that’s all I know,” she said before Chloe could ask anything else.
Well, except that he had a voice that went down like smooth whiskey, a way of looking at her that tended to get her to say more than she should, and oh, yea, he kissed like heaven on earth.

With a sigh, she picked up her knitting instead of inhaling any more food and continued from where she’d left off last night. “In, wrap around,” she said to herself. “Pull out.”
“You know,” Chloe said licking some batter off her thumb. “The way you knit always sounds a little dirty. I bet if you knitted in earshot of a guy, you’d get laid for sure.”

The back door opened, and all three of them swiveled to look as Jax filled the doorway. He looked like sin on a stick in faded Levi’s, a long-sleeved graphic Henley, and – there went her pulse – that damn tool belt slung slow on his hips.

“Don’t take life too seriously. After all, none of us are getting out alive anyway.” – Phoebe Traeger

“Experience is something you get… after you need it.” – Phoebe Traeger

Recommended for anyone who loves a good contemporary romance that can play with all your emotions in a good way and leave you with a huge smile at the end should read this novel. A great beginning to a series which I am sure can only get better. A story that petted, stroked and fed each and every craving I have as a romance reader; I can’t recommend this novel highly enough!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Reveal Me by Cari Quinn

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Unveiled, Book 1
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Hero: Carter Nicholas
Heroine: Alana MacGregor
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: January 19, 2011
Started On: January 21, 2011
Finished On: January 21, 2011

I first discovered Cari Quinn when I read and reviewed her book Personal Research on September last year. With the release of that novel, Cari Quinn certainly made it to my auto-buy list because her books are seriously way over the hot, hot zone packaged with a ton of emotion that I as a romance reader absolutely revel in. This short erotic quickie released from Ellora’s Cave includes everything that makes an erotica worth your time.

Alana MacGregor has a bit of a wild side to her nature which hides the sensitive and vulnerable woman inside of her. Someone who is always a bit restless and has issues with commitment and settling down in one place, its a miracle in itself that Alana has lasted as the photographer for The Edge, Roanoke Virginia’s leading newspaper for 11 months now though Alana knows photographing dildos is not what she should be doing with her obvious talent for photography.

Alana is a regular visitor of Kink-Aly, Maryland’s hottest sex club and it is there she runs smack-dab into the now hunky and gorgeous Carter Nicholas from high school who Alana had used to make her then boyfriend jealous regardless of the fact that Alana was aware that nerdy Carter had feelings for her. Caught at a vulnerable moment Alana does what she always does best – brazenly offer herself up to Carter who manages to rouse in her feelings which Alana has thought impossible till now. Their journey towards happily ever after is a hot and wild one any erotica fan would absolutely love!

I liked:

  1. The cover!! I will buy this one for the cover alone. I can stare at that back for hours to come, imagining running my hands up and down those muscles, kissing those little curves. So before I get carried away once again, definitely heart the cover on this one! ^_^
  2. Carter Nicholas. I have identified with the fact that Cari Quinn writes the sexiest “nerdy” heroes possible and Carter certainly lived up to all my expectations and then some. He is sexy, dynamite in bed and out of it *winks* and the best quality about him is the fact that he sees Alana for who she is, wants her for who she is and obviously cares for her and cherishes her in a major way. Total hottie!
  3. Alana MacGregor. At first I couldn’t help but be a little taken aback by her less-than-kind nature. But as I read along I understood what was driving her to be what she was before and she fully redeemed herself towards the end which makes her strong in my opinion. And she is a definite match for the much laid back Carter. Alana is the right mix to add a little spice and wickedness to Carter’s life.
  4. Definitely made me notice Alana’s best friend Kelly. Provoke Me is the title where Kelly finds her happily ever after and am eagerly awaiting an announcement for its release date. I know I am going to love her story as much as I did Alana and Carter’s.

I disliked: None.

Recommended for:

1- Fans of erotic romances who love their stories hotter than wildfire.
2- Fans of Cari Quinn. You should definitely read this one!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo | Ellora’s Cave

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake

Format: E-bookonerecklesssummer
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Destiny, Book 1
Publisher: Avon
Hero: Mick Brody
Heroine: Jenny Tolliver
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: June 1, 2009
Started On: January 17, 2011
Finished On: January 20, 2011

I have heard so many great things about the Destiny series by Toni Blake. When the latest book in the series was released this month and I saw the rave reviews the book received, I was determined that I would start on the Destiny series sometime soon and indulge. And indulge is what I did in this sultry and sinful summer romance that Ms. Blake brings to life with her vivid characterization and so very hot and tastefully done love scenes that a girl can’t help but salivate over from the  very beginning. Set in the small town of Destiny, Ohio, One Reckless Summer is a romance that exactly lives up to its title.

31 year old Jenny Tolliver returns back to her hometown after she obtains a divorce from her cheating husband who labels her as a 21st century June Cleaver. Jenny whose father Walter Tolliver is the police chief of Destiny and her mother Judy Tolliver who had been the one person in town everyone could count on in times of crisis who had died from cancer when Jenny had been 13 years old had certainly contributed towards Jenny becoming the good girl she has always been. Never one to break a rule except for the one her father had imposed on her on crossing the Blue Valley Lake alone, Jenny is tired of being labeled as nice and good by all those she knows. When she walks in on Terrence, her husband and the only man she had ever been with making out with her 21 year student teacher, it just breaks something inside of Jenny to know that Terrence finds her lacking and passionless though he had never voiced his discontentment before. Returning to Destiny had been her way of getting things into perspective and her hideaway to lick her wounds in private. What she doesn’t bargain on is running into the big, bad Mick Brody who all the good girls had stayed away from and nevertheless dreamed about and for Mick to rock her world in ways she never even imagined.

34 year old Mick Brody is the younger son of the Brody bunch whom the whole town of Destiny had always labeled as being the bad seeds in their otherwise quaint town. Growing up with two parents who had always been violent and had resented their children Wayne and Mick for their presence, neither Mick nor Wayne had ever known anything gentle or kind in their lives. Naturally Wayne had run in the bad crowds which Mick had taken to as well because he simply worshiped the ground his elder brother walked on. But the final straw had been when Wayne had been sent to prison for armed robbery which had made Mick take stock of his life and make things turn around. Leaving Destiny and starting work as a bricklayer and stonemason in Cincinnati had been Mick’s way of making something out of himself. But Mick quits everything and returns  back to his dreaded home to help his brother die after Wayne breaks out of prison after being diagnosed with a brain tumor with leukemia of the untreatable kind.

It is when Jenny’s restlessness after 2 days of returning home that has her trudging towards the hill on the Brody’s property to look at the stars as Jenny has a love for astronomy that she comes across an all grown up and a much more lethal version of Mick Brody. Having always been aware of Mick even when she had been 16 and Mick 19 years old, Jenny can’t say no to the lethal brand of passion that Mick unleashes in her; the good girl of Destiny. Sweaty and hot sex in the sweltering woods surrounding Mick’s property stuns Jenny so much that she is at a loss as to what to do about it. It certainly doesn’t help her curious nature when Mick refuses to let her on his property guarding  a secret so possessively that all Jenny’s instincts are on red-alert where Mick is concerned. But even that doesn’t stop her from indulging in off-the charts sex of the wall banging variety with Mick who sets all her senses afire. Mick is far from being untouched by at last tasting what has always been forbidden for him. Jenny touches something deep inside of him with her kindness and the raw passion that is unleashed every single time he touches her certainly makes things complicated for a man who doesn’t do long-term. The farthest thing on Jenny’s mind when she begins her one reckless summer affair with Mick is giving her heart, body and soul to a man who is as unlike from her as night and day. But the heart wants what it wants and before long Jenny is at war with herself on whether to give all of herself to Mick, a fight which she loses in such a delicious and heartwarming manner.

I liked:

  1. Mick Brody. Oh my God! The guy just oozes sexuality with his mere presence and heats things up to unbearable levels with Jenny. His character is such an oddly endearing mix; a man who wants to scare Jenny off with his bad and wolfish nature but unbearably drawn towards all the good qualities in Jenny as a moth towards flame. I loved me some Mick and he has a tendency to creep into my thoughts at the oddest moments and incite a shiver of the illicit kind a time or two. The best kind of yummy hero Mick really is! ^_^
  2. Jenny Tolliver. She is such an endearing and a heartwarming heroine. A woman who gave up her dreams to be with the man she got married to, Jenny doesn’t let her heartbreak and betrayal by her ex-husband color her feelings for Mick who is so very different from Terrence. And I just absolutely loved how Jenny found herself in the story, how she slowly changed into a woman who was aware of her lethal brand of charm and just adored how she took care of Mick when he needed it the most. Jenny is the kind of heroine who regardless of all the obstacles that stands in her way of true love nevertheless has the strength and courage to take the leap which makes her one of the most likable heroines.
  3. I loved how the small town life of Destiny didn’t interfere with the fiery passion and heartwarming romance of this novel. Sometimes it happens that when an author starts off a series with small town life involved in it, they tend to spend so much time developing the characters of the town that romance and the connection between the hero and heroine take a backseat till they are done. I loved how from the very beginning Jenny and Mick set the pages afire and continued to do so throughout the book. And Ms. Blake kept up the small town life at just the right level for a romance such as this one!
  4. This story played with all my emotions in such a good way. My heart went thud, thud, thud each and every single time Mick came into the picture. And it just broke my heart to read about Wayne and what Mick and Wayne both go through during the last moments of  Wayne’s life. Though those moments were heartbreaking, the thing that drew me in was the fact that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, joy to be found later and a happily ever after that just left me breathless at the very end.
  5. I just loved the side characters in this story as it unfolded. Sue Ann with her wonderfully quirky nature makes for one of the best characters in this book. I laughed out loud many a time reading the conversations that takes place between Sue Ann and Jenny which brings to mind how much fun I used to have with my best friend before she took off to work in a foreign country. And Jenny’s conversations with Miss Ellie; definitely a highlight of the novel.
  6. And oh good Lord! The love scenes – some of the hottest I have come across in a contemporary romance. And so realistically and vividly done that they tend to creep into my thoughts now and then. Toni Blake surely knows her stuff! ^_^
  7. Toni Blake’s writing style! I just flat-out love it!

Dislikes: Absolutely NONE!

Recommended for:

  1. Fans of sinfully hot and good contemporary romances. You won’t be disappointed to read this one.
  2. Fans of Toni Blake who haven’t read the Destiny series yet. This book promises the start of a very good contemporary romance series which I am 100% convinced wouldn’t steer me wrong.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Heaven Can’t Wait by Pamela Clare

Format: E-bookheavencantwait
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: I-Team, Book 1.5
Publisher: Penguin Group
Hero: William Fraser
Heroine: Melisande Charteris
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: March 2, 2010
Started On: January 15, 2011
Finished On: January 15, 2011

I first came across this title whilst searching through the list of published novels by Ms. Clare after I finished racing through the novels in the I-Team series at breakneck speed. Though by the time I had finished Naked Edge on October last year this title had already been released in Kindle format as a standalone from the Catch of the Day anthology this title was previously released in, I didn’t find out the fact until December last year. Thank God for the fact that someone thought of releasing this as a standalone because otherwise I would have forgone reading this delectable and delicious and entertaining novella by Ms. Clare.

Heaven Can’t Wait is a story that takes place between the 1st book in the I-Team series Extreme Exposure and the 2nd book in the series. For the world of me I can’t remember running into Lissy and Will in Extreme Exposure maybe because Reece Sheridan seemed to steal every vital thinking cell in my brain with his forceful personality in the story. Regardless of whether you have read the I-Team series or not, you can still pick this novella and read it as a standalone.

32 year old William Fraser (Will) is the sports columnist at Denver Independent and a football commentator as well. Raised by a single mother, Will had never known his father. At school Will had excelled at both academics and sports which had earned him a full scholarship to the University of Colorado. Will had been on his way to building a lucrative professional career in football when his knee had been shattered ending his dreams of making it big in the world of football. Graduating with a degree in history only to find out that his mother was dying of lung cancer, Will had been left alone when he had had to say goodbye to his mother a year after he had said goodbye to professional football. Devastatingly handsome with gorgeous blue eyes, Will has had his fair share of women and had almost given up hope of finding someone meaningful to share his life with when things hit it off with Lissy.

Melisande Charteris (Lissy) is the only daughter of wealthy attorney and his trophy wife John and Christa Charteris. Their cold and loveless marriage had worked its charm over Lissy who has a strained relationship with her mother who tries to impose her bitterness about men, marriage and love on her daughter. The fashion editor at Denver Independent, Lissy had at first taken an instant dislike towards Will when they had first been introduced when Will had joined the staff of the paper as the new celebrity sports columnist. Thinking Will to be just another brainless jock with ridiculous good looks, Lissy had turned her nose at him only to have her whole perspective of Will do a 180 degree turnabout when Will helps her after she injures herself whilst out running.

This story kicks off right in the middle of one very hot lovemaking session between Will and Lissy who are to tie the knot in 2 weeks time. The scorching hot chemistry between Will and Lissy burns right through the pages even from the first encounter itself and it is because of Lissy’s mother Christa’s meddling that Lissy starts doubting what she has with Will. As a result, Lissy proposes a bet between them that they go through the next two weeks without sex in the pretense of making their wedding night more meaningful and romantic. Not one to turn down from a challenge, Will accepts the bet and all bets are off when these two engage in a battle of sexual wills to seduce one another and see who is the first to break and admit defeat which makes this novella a highly enjoyable one.

I liked:

  1. Will Fraser. Simply put, I wouldn’t mind having him convince me that going without sex with him is just plain wrong. Sinfully delicious is what he is. ^_^
  2. Lissy. She is the type of heroine you root for right from the very beginning. With her insecurities that come into play during the story which she overcomes with determination towards the end, I loved her teasing nature, the way she loves Will and is willing to admit when she has wronged him. She is the best kind of heroine.
  3. The incredibly sexy Scrabble game that took place! I will never look at a Scrabble board the same way ever again! ^_^
  4. I loved how Ms. Clare put so much into such a short novel that made this one as meaningful as her longer novels. That takes a lot of talent which Ms. Clare has definitely got in spades.
  5. Loved revisiting the I-Team once again! Always a plus point.
  6. Enjoyed the conversations that took place between Will and his buddies. Several laugh-out-loud moments there.

I disliked: None

Recommended for: Fans of Pamela Clare and fans of short and hot contemporary romances.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sing My Name by Ellen O’Connell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I Liked:

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

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

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

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

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

I Disliked:

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

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

Recommended for:

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

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

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

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