Category / Outstanding Read

Rating of 5 stars!

by mvbookreviewer

Re-Read Review: Wild Orchids by Karen Robards

Format: E-bookwildorchids
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Hero: John Roberts “Max” Maxwell
Heroine: Lora Susan Harding
Published on: March 15, 2001
Started On: August 28, 2011
Finished On: August 28, 2011

Reading Wild Orchids by Karen Robards for the 3rd time doesn’t seem to have diminished my enjoyment factor of the novel by even one iota. Call me crazy but even with the massive amount of books I have on my review pile, I just had to pick this one up and read it in one sitting yet again because the magic that is Max and Lora is an unbeatable one for me.

37 year old John Roberts Maxwell (Max) is a man hardened by the reality of war that had been his way of life when he had been enlisted in the Vietnam war. Leaving a piece of his soul behind due to the decisions he had been forced to make, Max comes home a changed man, a man incapable of giving what his innocent wife had demanded of him. A cynic to the core, Max doesn’t realize that life as he knows it would cease to exist the moment he kidnaps the prim and proper Lora in his attempt to evade the authorities of Mexico.

27 year old Lora Susan Harding is finally a free woman with the right to while away her time as she pleases. Having spent most of her life trying to put others needs first, Lora is ecstatic with the thought of exploring the exotic Mexico, the first vacation she has ever taken in her life. However, from the very start, her vacation refuses to proceed along as she envisoned it and being kidnapped at gun point by a disreputable looking man with an American accent just seems to be the icing on the cake.

At first, Lora is scared out of her wits at the thought of the less than savory acts her captor might try and force on her. A lady through and through, Lora hardly accepts herself to find her captor ridiculously sexy to the extent of ogling him and eating him up with her eyes every chance she gets. No stranger to the world of intimacy, Lora however has no clue that the uninhibited creature that emerges from deep within her that just wants to lick her delectable and broody captor from head to toe is a side of her that exists.

After Lora’s multiple attempts to escape which falls flat on her face every single time, Lora comes to the disturbing conclusion that she has a bad case of the Stockholme’s syndrome if judging the way all her emotions go haywire around Max is anything to judge herself by. Through a chain of events, Lora finds herself stranded in the midst of a Mexican jungle, depending on Max for her very survival. As the proximity heightens the already taut live wire of sexual tension between them, both Max and Lora find themselves to be no match for its heady power.

Wild Orchids would always remain by far my most favorite novel by Karen Robards. For some, Max might not be the stuff dreams are made out of. But when push comes to shove, Max is a man who delivers and Lord does he deliver! A man who is leery of commitment and relationships, Max cannot believe himself when he starts lusting after the prim schoolteacher who lands in his life. The harder he tries to shove her thoughts and presence out of his mind, the more tenacious her hold on him becomes and its a match that Max loses, rather ungraciously at first. Vital, sexy and the ultimate dangerous hero is how I would describe Max.

Lora’s character is an endearing mix of innocence and practicality all laced into one with a body that practically drives Max to the brink of insanity. It is the way she reaches far deeper than just his baser emotions that has Max struggling to shove her away with all his might, a man reluctant to share his demons with a woman Max thinks would be just as incapable of handling reality as his ex-wife had seemed to be.

Though towards the end, I definitely want a bit more grovelling from Max every time I read this one, I think the ending itself might be growing on me as I didn’t find it that sorely lacking the third time around. It seemed a fitting ending based on both Max and Lora’s characters and my bet is Lora loves Max too much to even give him enough leeway to do much grovelling even if it were to come to that.

The best thing about this book, hands down is the raw, explosive and primitive passion between two people that just serves as one whole session of sensory overload from start to finish.

Highly recommended!

Favorite Quotes

(Max) He shook his head impatiently. “You’ll be all right. I’ve got to go. Lora…” he hesitated, then with a muttered, “Hell!” swooped over her. Before she knew what was happening, he had her pinned back against the seat and his mouth was on hers, hard and hot and almost brutal in its demand. His hand was rough and warm on her breast. Lora’s senses exploded. She forgot the men outside the car, her anger with Max, everything as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with a hunger that had been building inside her forever…

“Lora…” Her name was a tormented whisper as he kissed her harder, fiercer than before, as if he was starving for the taste of her mouth. She twisted in his arms, not trying to get away but to work her arms free… She managed to push them up through his crushing hold and lock them around his neck. He groaned deep in his throat, and she groaned too in protest as his mouth suddenly left hers. He was looking down at her, his breathing heavy, a wild glitter in his eyes. Lora lifted one hand from the corded nape of his neck and lightly stroked the rough, wet edges of his hair.

He smiled then, a slow smile that sent the blood racing through her veins. Lora felt the throbbing inside her intensify until she was sure she would not be able to stand it another second as he slowly, oh, so slowly, lowered his head. His target was her left breast. Lora felt his hot mouth close on the straining nipple, felt him tug the crest of her breast into his mouth to rub it with the rough wet surface of his tongue, and cried out in a frenzy of need.
And in that instant he took her.
She climaxed at once as he squeezed inside, enormous and hard and fiery hot and filling her to bursting.

Lora followed his eyes to the subject of their conversation. He was such a masculine man, tall and strong and sure of himself, cocky almost. A male chauvinist to his toenails, she suspected, as incapable of admitting to feeling hurt and lonely and afraid as a pig was of flying. But he was vulnerable too, enormously vulnerable. More than many people who openly asked for it, he needed love. He needed someone to hold him in her arms and convince him that what he had done was not so bad, was not unforgivable, did not put him beyond the pale of normal society. To convince him that he was lovable. And loved. And she meant to be that someone.

Funny, she had always thought that thin, bespectacled, intellectual types like Brian attracted her. Lora had to smile at her own naivete. Who would have guessed that she, Lora Harding, would buckle at the knees over a hunk of male beef?

E-book Purchase Links: ReaderStore | Barnes&Noble | Amazon

outstandingread

Reviewers Note: From time to time, I get a hankering to re-read my favorite novels and sometimes I find myself with the urge revise the review that I had written down previously. Since I feel that revising a review that had been published a long time back is not something that ought to be done, I have resorted to start a new reviewing process aka the Re-Read Review. Books that rate a Re-Read Review would mostly be books that I am quite gushy about and cannot recommend highly enough!

by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Deceiving the Protector by Dee Tenorio

Format: E-bookdeceivingtheprotector
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Resurrection, Book 2
Hero: Jensen Tate
Heroine: Lia Crawford
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: August 15, 2011
Started On: August 1, 2011
Finished On: August 1, 2011

You know that uber satisfied feeling that you get when you have read a book that has managed to hit all those spots that crave to be petted and stroked when you immerse yourself in a good book? Well, at the moment I am like the cat who got her full bowl of cream and then some as the 2nd book in the Resurrection series managed to completely woo me and left me spellbound once again with Dee Tenorio’s ability to blow me away with her stories.

Jensen Tate, brother to Alpha and one of the generals of the pack is tasked with the job of finding a female “stray” and bringing her to safety. A job that stirs up feelings that Tate has thought long since buried when he comes into contact with the half-starved, gritty, determined and surly Lia Crawford who seems to call out to the inner wolf inside of him to come out and stake its claim on the woman whose bewitching green eyes show remanents of a hidden fear so deep that it just about tears up Tate on the insides.

Lia knows that there is no turning back for her on the path she has chosen to walk and that neither is Tate supposed to be with her if what he and his brothers have worked so hard to bring about is to remain on course without the vicious hunters on her trail getting to them through her. For the safety of her sister Laurel, Lia is willing to do anything, even put up with the constant darkness that never seems to leave her life, always one step ahead, forcing her to accept the fact that she would never ever be a free woman of her own will.

Tate knows that Lia hides more than she is willing to let on and it drives him nuts trying to protect a woman whose sheer stubbornness alone makes him want to lay her down somewhere and make her forget the dead weight that she seems to carry on her shoulders. As Tate “forces” her to go along with his plans, Lia finds herself charmed by a man beneath whose gruff exterior lies a wolf begging to be petted and stroked and a man whose rough tenderness just about breaks every wall and shield she has erected to safeguard her emotions & heart.

As their trek towards the next safe house continues, Tate comes face to face with the danger that stalks and preys on the absolute fear that it demands from Lia as he finally starts accepting the fact that Lia is his mate for life, if she can just trust him enough to protect her and save her from the evil that refuses to let go.

Deceiving the Protector is fantastic in all the ways that counts. The way Dee builds up her paranormal world, subtly bringing in the details in the midst of the character development is what drew me in. The constant whirl of my thinking cap trying to figure out what would happen next was what I loved most about this paranormal romantic suspense and the reality and horrors behind what Lia underwent at the hands of mad men willing to rid the world of shifters anyway they can just left me with a bad taste in my mouth and shivers of the bad kind running up and down my spine.

Jensen Tate is a hero that practically invaded my heart as layer by layer his character unfolds, revealing a man of immense strength and beauty, though being called beautiful might piss Tate off and make him growl a bit before settling down, but nevertheless that is how I find him to be. A man so worthy of tender touches and healing kisses, whose protective nature refuses to step back and let his mate be the protector instead, no matter how chauvinistic that might seem to be. The reason why I fell so deeply for Tate is how he manages to gently draw out the hidden woman inside of Lia who has been cowering inside, afraid to show herself and refuses to let her return back to the shell of a woman she was before. His charming manner of telling a good story of course had me sighing all over the place and of course nekkid Tate is a sight to savored on its own.

Lia is a heroine who finds the strength to go on against all odds, a woman who has been on her own for so long that she finds the concept of accepting help a foreign one. Nevertheless, her fascination with Tate that continues to grow as they spend time together is one that refuses to be denied, and the need and desire that unfurls deep within her to claim his wolf as hers is one that continues taunt and tease her until she is ready to serve herself to Tate on silver platter. It is Lia’s immense courage and strength that awed me, and the way she perfectly complements Tate and knows how to soothe & appease the inner wolf inside of him and at the same time be a mate worthy enough to stand by his side that won me over.

It is a testament to Dee’s ability that she managed to make a slight part of me feel for the villain who continued to terrorize Lia until his demise, and I couldn’t help a tiny part of myself from thinking that it is the monsters who had carved him into what he turned out to be that should be rotting in hell. I know that the as the Resurrection series continues that everyone would get what they deserve, in fact I’m counting on that to happen so that I can revel in it big  time when their asses get kicked to Hell never to return!

How Dee does it I would never know, but let me tell you I loved every single minute of it! One minute I am practically drooling and panting over the explosive passion between Tate and Lia, the next I am immersed in tender emotions so deep that I just feel like curling into a ball and sighing in contentment and the next thing I know I am laughing out loud at the witty banter between Tate and Lia that never fails to amuse! Kudos to Dee who manages it so effortlessly and made this book one entertaining fest that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon!

Highly recommended for fans of the series, fans of Dee Tenorio and fans of paranormal romantic suspense.

Final Verdict: Delivering a kick-ass paranormal world with a heady mix of suspense and romance that one cannot resist,  Deceiving the Protector is a SHOULD NOT MISS!

Favorite Quotes

Then he stepped into an orchard, on a rise of packed dirt between tree groves, and proceeded not to give a rat’s ass what she might be trying to do.
The scent was finally clear.
And it went straight to his head.
Female. Apples. Cool water. Rich earth. Rain. Sunshine.

Sometimes, she wasn’t sure when she was seeing him, except for those few moments when their eyes met and she couldn’t look away to save her own life. She could see the protector in him then, sense the hunter. Raw strength emanated from him in those moments, his intensity surrounding her, suffusing her. She could almost feel his arms around her, trying to pull her under his protection. She’d be safe with him. Not cosseted, maybe, but…she’d be able to breathe. To know the next breath was coming, sure as the sunrise.

(Tate) “Sure, she can. She also makes a staff out of light that can cut people and the cars they’re driving in half. Five-feet-five-inches of pure power. Even at her best, it’s like having a nuclear bomb for a sister-in-law.”
“Boy.” Lia laughed, and by the look on his face he knew it was at his expense. “She must love you.”
“We have a complicated relationship,” he agreed with a self-depreciating nod. “Sort of a cross between suspicion and fuck you.”

His hands gripped her hips, slowing her descent. She could feel him savoring her, quaking at the feel of her claw tips sinking into his shoulders. His eyes flickered, the gray color she loved having shifted to the glowing yellow of his Wolf. She smiled, bucking against his hold.
“This time, I take you.” She pushed down, filling herself with him. He growled, drowning out her sigh. He squeezed tight, but she refused to be held back. She lifted up, rocking forward before sliding back down, savoring his groan against the beaded tips of her breasts. “I’m claiming you, Jensen Tate.”
Because you’re mine.

by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught

Format: E-bookakingdomofdreams
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: Westmoreland Dynasty, Book 1
Hero: Royce Westmoreland
Heroine: Jennifer Merrick
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 1989
Started On: August 8, 2011
Finished On: August 10, 2011

Judith McNaught’s historical romances are timeless. Timeless I say because no matter how many times one re-reads her stories, it never gets old and there is always something new about the story that captures your attention and holds it until you have turned the very last page. I think this is my 3rd or 4th time re-reading A Kingdom of Dreams and yet again Royce Westmoreland didn’t fail to invoke numerous sighing sessions as I read along and made me want a fierce warrior like him who loves just as passionately when at last he finally does fall for the woman who claims his heart, body and soul.

29 year old Royce Westmoreland aka The Black Wolf is Scotland’s most hated, and most feared enemy. Military life is all Royce has ever known and Royce’s latest command received from the King Henry himself has him gearing up to face the Merrick’s clan of Scotland, the name itself making vengeance boil deep inside of him.

17 year old Jennifer Merrick is the daughter of Lord Merrick, the head of the Merrick clan. From a tender age, impulsiveness and recklessness combined with a desperate yearning to make her father love her, as he loved his stepsons, were responsible for a lot of grievances in her life. Though as the eldest daughter the leadership of her clan should rightfully pass onto her, Lord Merrick thinks naught of women and their capabilities beyond that of rearing children – a fact that hurts Jennifer more deeply than she ever lets on.

When Jennifer and Brenna are captured by the Black Wolf’s army, Jennifer’s sole focus lies in identifying ways through which she and Brenna can make her escape. Royce doesn’t expect that two women could create so much trouble in his camp and in his life when the fiesty Jennifer and her meek sister are brought along which Royce is hoping would end the battle they are all gearing for without bloodshed.

Jennifer valiantly tries and manages to escape captivity only to be caught yet again and though Jennifer knows that true to Merrick’s nature, the only thing she should feel for Royce with his unusual silver eyes is contempt and loathing at best, she is no match for the yearnings that stir into life in the arms of Royce, her enemy. Neither Jennifer nor Royce is prepared for the desire that each feels for the other and for the headiness of a passion so fierce to obliterate everything else from their minds.

Royce convinces himself that lust is the only thing that he feels for a woman who infuriates him and humbles him at the same time. And when his need to possess Jennifer makes him claim her virginity, even then Royce is more than happy to label it away as a mere case of lust for his beautiful and defiant captive.

Jennifer’s heart bleeds for the fact that in Royce’s embrace she feels no shame even though she knows that consorting with the enemy would only earn more hatred from her clansmen. When once again Jennifer escapes Royce’s clutches making him the laughingstock of both England and Scotland, Royce is livid with rage and that is the only thing that drives him to accept orders by his king to tie himself to Jennifer in holy matrimony.

Thus begins a battle of wills that dies a slow death as the passion that exists between Royce and Jennifer burns hotter than ever, cementing a connection between two souls who are so meant for each other. But love and a happily ever after is not an easy one for either of them to achieve as treachery and deceit from Jennifer’s family nearly drives them apart for good until Jennifer comes to realize that her destiny lies entwined with that of Royce and that there is no turning back from the love of a man who makes her feel treasured and safe at the same time.

A Kingdom of Dreams is a romance that provokes the reader into indulging in a dream or two of her own as Royce completely sweeps you off your feet and shows you the reason why romance heroes are worth swooning over. Royce is a fierce man, a battle hardened warrior who has seen so much death and destruction throughout his career that he longs for normalcy and a life that he can call his own. His tenderness when it comes to Jennifer and the way he feels stirrings of righteous indignation on Jennifer’s behalf upon hearing how she has been treated by her own clansmen and family made me fall that much harder in love with him. A true romantic would not be able to read this without falling for Royce, a fact that I am reassured of as I manage to fall for him over and over again every single time I read this book.

Jennifer is a heroine who is worthy of someone like Royce. Loyal, loving, kind and generous, Jennifer’s soul yearns for the day that all of whom she loves would love her back, a day that she would be accepted for who she is, impulsiveness and all. Though at times it feels as if Jennifer is being a trifle bit too hard on Royce, she makes up for it so beautifully towards the end that I fell for the sheer charm she brings into the story.

Filled with a lively and riveting bunch of side characters of which Aunt Elinor definitely deserves a mention, A Kingdom of Dreams is a must read if you are a true fan of romance.

Favorite Quotes

Royce flung her arm aside, and Jenny stayed where she stood, paralyzed with remorse and anguish as she gazed at the beautiful animal she’d inadvertently killed. As if in a dream, she watched England’s fiercest warrior kneel on one knee beside his dead horse, slowly stroking the animal’s glossy black coat, and speaking words she could not quite hear in a voice that was raw.

Her head lifted, and Royce froze in surprise and reluctant admiration for the amazing sight he beheld. Standing there like a wild enraged gypsy, her hair tumbling all about her like golden flames and her huge blue eyes alive with hatred and unshed tears, she slowly raised her hand… a hand which was holding a dagger which she’d obviously managed to snatch from his boot as he spanked her.
And in that unlikely moment, as she held his dagger poised high, ready to strike, Royce Westmoreland thought she was the most magnificent creature he’d ever beheld; a wild, beautiful, enraged angel of retribution, her chest rising and falling with fury as she courageously confronted an enemy who towered over her. He’d hurt her and humiliated her, Royce realized, but he hadn’t broken that indomitable spirit of hers.

His wry tone made Jenny burst out laughing, and Royce found himself captivated by the infectious joy, the beauty, of it. He’d never heard the music of her laughter before, nor seen it glowing in her magnificent eyes. Seated on a pile of lush furs, laughing up at him, Jennifer Merrick was unforgettable. He realized it as clearly as he realized that if he walked over and sat down beside her, there was every chance he was going to find her irresistible as well.

As he spoke, his hand curved round her head, pressing inexorably downward, inch by slow inch, until his warm breath was mingling with hers, and then his gaze lifted, locking with hers. Insistent, knowing gray eyes captured frightened, beguiling blue ones, imprisoning them as he brought her lips down against his. A jolt slammed through Jenny’s entire nervous system, her eyes closed, and his lips began to move on hers, thoroughly and possessively exploring each tender curve and trembling contour.

Perched upon that log, Royce thought she looked incredibly desirable—a charming wood nymph with long curly hair, clad in a boy’s tunic and hose. A wood nymph? Next she would have him composing sonnets to her beauty—and wouldn’t that delight her sire, not to mention enliven the gossip at court in two countries! “Was that question too difficult for you?” he said, his voice sharp with self-annoyance. “Shall I try to frame an easier one?”

Jennifer’s eyes lit with fondness. “Brenna will always find something good to say about me, no matter how shocking my mistakes or outrageous my conduct. She said I ‘sparkled like the sun and moon and stars.’ ” A bubble of laughter escaped Jenny and she regarded Royce with eyes aglow with merriment. “Which of course I did—sparkle, I mean.”
His voice harsh with feelings he could neither understand nor contain, Royce looked at her and said tightly, “Some women need no jewels to make them sparkle. You are one of them.”

Failing to catch sight of the giant, Tom quickly turned his gaze back for a longer study of the entire, famous man, and this time he took in the entire picture before him—a picture that made his mouth drop open in shock and disbelief: The Black Wolf, the most fierce warrior in all England—in the world—was sitting atop his mighty warhorse, with a girl cradled in his arms—holding her as tenderly as a babe!

Lifting his head, Royce stared down into her slumberous blue eyes, and Jenny saw the look of pure satisfaction mingled with puzzlement on his face—”Why is it when you yield, I feel like the one who has been conquered?”
“Why is it,” Royce murmured, gazing into her intoxicating eyes, “that every time you surrender willingly, like this, you make me feel like a king who has conquered. Yet when I conquer you against your will, you make me feel like a defeated beggar?”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Book Depository

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe

Format: E-bookboomerangbride
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: Marc Olsen
Heroine: Matilda Geoffrey
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 8, 2011
Started On: August 5, 2011
Finished On: August 6, 2011

Boomerang Bride which is set to release on the 8th of this month is my first Fiona Lowe and it definitely is not going to be my last. I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that Carina Press releases some of the best romances all year round as each and every story apart from a very select few have always been immensely satisfying for me and Boomerang Bride is no exception to that rule.

Boomerang Bride kicks off when 34 year old Marc Olsen comes home to Hobin, Wisconsin for his annual Thanksgiving visit and finds himself intrigued enough to investigate the pitiful & homely looking bride toting a huge cake wandering around looking for the groom. Discovering that the Australian bride who has flown all the way from home to surprise her fiancé Barry who seems to have wiped himself off the face of the Earth has got a lot of spunk in her surprises him and entertains him unlike anything else has for the past couple of months during which a restlessness has taken a hold of him.

A brilliant architect based in New York, Marc is fiercely possessive of his independence and has no plans of giving even an inch of it up anytime soon. Tall, blond and blue-eyed with immense good looks, Marc has never had to actively work to win the affections of a woman and nor has he any intention of doing so until the turquoise eyed Australian with her auburn curls tempt him beyond reason to break every rule in his book of “How-to-avoid-needy-women-and-commitment”.

Setting out on her grand adventure, 30 year old Matilda Geoffrey never thought that she would be scammed so thoroughly and be left destitute with no way to return home. Calling on the reserves of her pride and her optimism that something would come through, Matilda grudgingly accepts the much needed help that the disturbing Marc with his Viking good looks offers her. Before Matilda knows it, she is elbow deep in the family issues that Marc so valiantly tries to avoid, taking care of a post-op Lori Marc’s younger sister and her son Kyle who is in his surly teenage phase all the while fighting the immense attraction that she feels for Marc along the way.

Marc doesn’t make it any easier for Matilda  to forget that her knees start to give in every single time he turns on his charm and gives her his intense bedroom stare that just makes her want to lay down and give herself up to his mercy. But the Australian is made of sterner stuff than that, or so she thinks and inevitably succumbs to the fire that courses through her veins whenever Marc takes her in his arms and proceeds to show her that Matilda indeed has a thing for her Viking though no promises are made by either regarding the future of their “relationship”.

In the end, Matilda turns out to be a godsend to Marc and her sister both as her Australian charm and spunk goes a long way in healing hurts that even Marc doesn’t realize exists deep inside of him and makes them all take a second look at the blessings they are left with, even when life has dealt them all with severe blows along the way. But even Matilda’s love is not enough to keep Marc from leaving and making the biggest mistake of his life until he realizes it with just enough time to spare to woo the woman whom he loves more than anything to agree to share her life with him, now and forever.

For me, Boomerang Bride was just sheer magic to lose myself in. From page one Matilda and Marc’s witty banter reeled me in and the slumbering sexual tension that slowly awakens between the two was magic in itself as I reveled in each kiss and touch exchanged between the two until its very explosive conclusion. Marc is a hero who got his priorities mixed up along the way, having had to grow up and take on responsibilities as the man of the house when he had been just a child himself. It is how he slowly finds his way back and realizes the importance of family, love and just how much he has been shunning himself from all that his family offers that was one of the best parts of the story.

Matilda is a heroine I can definitely get on board with. Even when her grand adventure and her dreams of getting married and having the home she never had with her wanderlust parents falls flat on her, that doesn’t stop her from taking one day at a time, of fighting her way back to regain what she has lost – and the best thing about her is how she doesn’t let her dreams and hopes shatter along the way and her optimism was certainly a healing balm that worked its magic over both Marc and Lori.

I found myself enchanted with the secondary romance that took place as much as I was charmed with Matilda and her Viking’s romance. Brian who relentlessly pursues Lori and has waited patiently for a long, long time to claim her as his own unleashes his bad-boy persona to get what he wants and to show Lori that she is all the woman that he needs in the world and that there is no going back for either of them except sharing their lives together till death does them apart. I loved, loved, loved how Brian woos Lori and Oh-God, his gentleness just undid me and made me want to cry buckets of happy tears.

Fiona Lowe can certainly deliver a mean epilogue and I loved how she shows everyones’ lives together a couple of years on. And the fact that his wife’s Australian accent still turns Marc on was one of the highlights of an epilogue that was beautiful and delivered the closure that I needed to let this romance go, though the characters and its sheer charm would remain for a long time in my heart.

Final Verdict: Charming, beautiful and heartwarming, Boomerang Bride is a romance for everyone!

Favorite Quotes

(Matilda) “Don’t drop it.”
The comment reminded him of growing up in a houseful of organizing women. “Are the English always this bossy?”
Surprisingly well-shaped eyebrows shot skyward. “The English are far too polite for their own good. Australians, on the other hand, call a spade a spade.”

(Marc) “Don’t tell me you’ve flown all the way from Australia in a wedding dress?”
She rolled her sea-green eyes and shot him a look that severely questioned his intelligence. “No, Blondie, I haven’t. I put it on at the service station in the last town to surprise Barry.”
Blondie? No one had given him a nickname since high school. He matched her eye roll with one raised brow. “Surprise him or scare him?”
“Hah hah, and I’d been told the Yanks didn’t have a sense of humor.”

Wordlessly, he brought his mouth down gently onto the edge of her mouth, stage one of a planned assault to assuage his desire and reclaim much-needed order back into his life. She tasted of cold and ice—a flavorless combination that numbed his lips and cooled his blood. He instantly relaxed, cocooned in a bubble of knowledge that he’d been right all along about Matilda. She didn’t do it for him.
He brushed his lips across hers well on his way to ending the perfunctory caress, while his mind toyed with a quip about snow to keep things light. Suddenly the ice cracked. Chocolate and chili collided in a rich heady rush, spilling over his lips in a sweet, tangy promise. Fire lit through him and his tongue flicked against pillow softness, desperate to taste more.

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Rush of Pleasure by Rhyannon Byrd

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

by mvbookreviewer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Wild Irish by Jennifer Saints

Format: E-bookwildirish
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Weldon Series, Book 1
Publisher: Between Your Sheets Publishing
Hero: Jesse Weldon
Heroine: Alexandria Jordan
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 8, 2009
Started On: July 21, 2011
Finished On: July 22, 2011

Wild Irish is book one in the Weldon series which came to my attention when author Jennifer St. Giles tweeted about the availability of this book up on Smashwords for free. Always someone who loves a story that involves a proverbial bad boy with whom the heroine has a shared past with, I didn’t hesitate to grab myself a copy and let myself be swept away on a journey that continually suprised me with just how different this novel turned out to be from Collateral Damage, the one novel that I have read to-date by the author.

Wild Irish written under the pseudonymn Jennifer Saints who also writes under the names of J.L. Saint and Jennifer St. Giles kick-starts this romance with 29 year old Alexandria Jordan, heiress to the Jordan’s shipping empire in Savannah getting ready to say her I-do’s with a man that she feels no burning passion for. With doubt clouding her mind on her last night as a bachelorette, Alexi is bombarded with the memories of a 19 year old Jesse Weldon who had rocked her world and broken her 17 year old heart in the span of one month.

When her fiances indiscretions come to light right before the wedding, Alexi knows that she won’t be able to go through with a union strongly supported by her grandmother and father and runs, straight into the arms of the one man whom she has never forgotten in the span of the twelve years that has separated them.

19 year old Jesse with the proverbial bad boy chip on his shoulder had hesitated to take what was so freely offered to him when his and Alexi’s lives had collided twelve years back. After spendng eight years in the army, mostly in the Special Forces and now owner of his own security company, Jesse is no longer naive enough to let his heart get involved, but wild horses wouldn’t be able to drag him away from claiming the woman whose sinful mouth has haunted his dreams more times than he would like to recall.

Alexi is shocked to the bone when she lets Jesse sweep her away with the heady desire that has always burned strong between them, that makes her forget every proper thought in her head until she says yes to all the decadent ways in which Jesse can make her feel as the most desirable woman on Earth. Jesse who doesn’t believe in love and soul mates nevertheless has a hard time defining how he feels about Alexi as just plain old lust raging inferno through his body as his possessive streak a mile wide comes out to play when Alexi’s life becomes threatened by a mad man willing to through any lengths to make her his.

Filled with highly sensual content that just about took my breath away as Jesse tries his damndest to keep Alexi from leaving by binding her to him with the explosive passion they seem to share, Wild Irish is a book that I enjoyed immensely. Alexi has her work cut out for her with the stubborn Weldon genes that prevents Jesse from believing that the word permanent could be applied to their relationship. But at every turn, Jesse continually surprises her with just how right they are together, if only he would believe it for himself.

Jesse is the type of bad boy hero each woman dreams about, the type of hero that we wish would come up and drive us off into the sunset on his mean looking Harley with the wind whipping more than our hair into a frenzy. The man Jesse grows into is no less lethal, he is in fact more so with his ever abundant need to possess and keep Alexi at his mercy with every trick he has learnt in the art of seduction until now. But what makes the scenes of passion memorable is the fact that the tables turn so quickly on Jesse as Alexi assumes the role of the one in control who drives their mutual desire to a feverish pitch which makes each and every scene of passion between Alexi and Jesse unforgettable!

This is the only romance that I have heard of which came out as a graphic e-book with photos of the delicious Jesse himself with the beautiful Alexi to make things enticing. Because I couldn’t help myself, I downloaded two chapters up on betweenyoursheets.com that are available for free and I am beyond tempted to purchase the entire novel for the 10+ dollars its priced for, because seeing Jesse in all his glory is so very tempting!

Jennifer Saints has definitely surprised me – all in a good way with her ability to draw out mind numbing scenes of passion that in no way hinders the character development and the suspense potion of the novel that unfolds. I am now very much tempted to get a copy of the next book in the series that features the widowed and grieving older brother of Jesse who finds his happily ever after with Alexi’s best friend. And believe me, the pictures available on the freely available chapters just about made me hyperventilate and I bet the heat factor in their story would drive me insane before I’m through!

Highly recommended for those who love stories of bad boys and rich heiresses and for those who love highly sensual romantic suspense novels.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilson

Format: E-bookthemerzettieffect
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: A Vampire Romance, Book 1
Hero: Dr. Delano Bowen
Heroine: Ainsley Crawford
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 6, 2011
Started On: July 20, 2011
Finished On: July 21, 2011

The Merzetti Effect is a novel that caught my eye whilst I was browsing through Amazon’s book recommendations. Long before that Norah Wilson landed in my list of authors to try out after seeing a review of her romantic suspense novel Guarding Suzannah by author Pamela Clare up on Goodreads. Reading the blurb of The Merzetti Effect sealed the deal for me and to my utter surprise and delight I managed to get this little birdie from the amazing Norah herself who approached me for a review. The rest as they say is history and ever since I turned page 1 and lost myself in Norah’s unique take on the world of vampires, there was no turning back for me – ever.

Ainsley Crawford has just lost her job working as an OR nurse in a Level 1 Trauma Center and the job offer by a Dr. Delano Bowen seems like a godsend to her until she is attacked by a rogue vampire as she makes her way for the job interview. Her savior comes in the form of her prospective employer himself who makes Ainsley think the most inappropriate thoughts of them tangled in the sheets, all sweaty and naked when she fully lays her eyes on the enigmatic and compelling man with an intensity in his eyes that takes her breath away.

Delano is a more than 200 year old vampire who believes that in Ainsley’s blood lies the cure from the virus that rages inside a vampire that drives them to sate their thirst for blood. Though Delano would go to any lengths to keep Ainsley by his side and wants her to remain totally unaware of the potency of her blood on his species, the one thing that Delano never counted on was his libido to sit up and take notice of the one woman whose blood might mean the end of his life.

Undying need and red-hot desire grows stronger and binds both Ainsley and Delano together until the explosive culmination of their mutual want which kickstarts a series of events that Delano never foresaw, nearly bringing him to his knees when his old enemy comes to seek Ainsley for himself, to eradicate the one thing that could destroy his blood thirsty rampage on Earth forever.

The Merzetti Effect is an amazing paranormal romance that introduces us into a fresh take on the lives of vampires, with a few surprises thrown into the mix. Delano is a hero with whom I fell head-over-fangs in love with right from the very first encounter. His intensity, utter control which shreds to pieces with Ainsley and his devotion to do good and right the wrongs done by his species no matter what makes him one of my favorite vampire heroes. And of course I freely admit to the fact that the way he seduces and is in turn seduced by Ainsley was out of this world hot, rendering me into this puddle of goo half way through.

Ainsley is the type of heroine that earns my love and wholehearted approval because there are so many endearing characteristics that makes up who she is. Her fierce loyalty towards those she holds dear, the way she wants to comfort a two century old vampire with whom a deep connection is forged and the way she completely gives into the love that overtakes her without playing coy games is what I loved most about her.

With this novel, Norah has enticed me to want to know more about each and every character that she has introduced along the way. I will definitely be on the look out for future books in this ‘series’ and am definitely a fan of Norah Wilson if the complete and utter ease with which she drew me into the story is anything to judge her other books by. Very highly recommended for fans of vampire romances. This is one book you ought not miss!

Favorite Quotes

And heaven help him, there was that pain again, the one that pierced him to his very marrow and started all that emotion bleeding out of him.
Dammit, he loved her.
He’d been denying it for weeks now, but he could deny it no longer.
Not the giddy drug of infatuation. Not the mind-blowing drive of unadulterated lust. Not the bone-deep need to possess.
It was all of those things wrapped up together, but so much more. It was simple, really. She had somehow become all that mattered.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble 

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Something to Talk About by M.J. Fredrick

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Lyrical Press, Incorporated
Series: Standalone
Hero: Noah Weston
Heroine: Ellie Morgan
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 20, 2011
Started On: July 16, 2011
Finished On: July 16, 2011

Something to Talk About is the novel that officiates M.J. Fredrick’s position in my favorite authors list, authors that are must-buy as their stories are so very worth it. There are no blazing guns, no hair raising adventure in this as in the two novels Don’t Look Back and Breaking Daylight by the author that I have read and reviewed prior to this. Rather, Something to Talk About is a contemporary romance that nevertheless packs into it a story that any romance lover ought to read because this is a novel that swept me away on a journey towards a happily ever after that I very much rooted for right from the very beginning.

Something to Talk about takes place in the small town of Winchester Cove, California where 30 year old Ellie Morgan has ended her latest relationship with the golden boy of the town and high school football coach Trey Berenger. Knowing that she wants much more from a relationship than Trey’s self-centered nature allows him to give, Ellie cuts off ties with the man whom she had been seeing for almost a year – a personal best for her where relationships are concerned. What Ellie didn’t expect to happen upon her breakup is for everyone in town to once again start talking around corners, whispering behind her back and painting her in the same light as that of her mother who had left a husband and three children behind 14 years ago and never looked back.

35 year old Noah Weston is just starting to recover from the blow that fate had dealt him when his wife had brutally being snatched away from his life, just when they were happily anticipating a new addition to their family. Almost a year and a half had passed by and Noah was starting to notice the vibrancy that has always been part of his wife Lily’s best friend Ellie who lights up his otherwise grey world with her mere presence. Wary of a desire that seems to grow stronger rather than abate as the days go by, Noah wills himself to take a chance amidst the fanfare of small town life that supports and berates his choice to move on with his wife’s best friend.

Ellie doesn’t recall just when and how her libido and emotions had started going on instant alert whenever Noah is around but Ellie knows that its a passion worth risking her heart for if the answering fire of need that simmers in Noah’s eyes is anything to go by. As their desire explodes and makes each of them embrace new heights in a physical relationship that neither of them was expecting, other emotions start getting involved lending their relationship a fragility that could break the bonds that bind them together so very easily.

With Noah battling his fear of starting over and trusting his heart to guide him in the right path and with Ellie fighting her need to become anything but the center stage of Winchester Cove’s gossip central, both Ellie and Noah certainly lead the reader on an emotionally wrenching journey towards their happily ever after made infinitely that much sweeter because of the fact.

Something to Talk About is definitely landing in my favorite reads of this year as M.J. Fredrick completely took me by surprise with the turn of each page, bringing forth emotions that I didn’t think I was even capable of feeling. Noah Weston with his killer dimples, his intensity that can fry the brain cells of any woman and his quiet strength is a hero worth savoring and worth allowing into your dreams, yes because he is the stuff that dreams are made out of. Ellie is a heroine who made me fall in love with her because she has those qualities that makes a reader root for the heroine right from the very beginning. Beautiful inside and out with a heart that yearns for a love like her friend Lily had found in Noah, Ellie is a heroine who is willing to fight for what she believes in, even with the whole world frowning down on her.

What endeared the story most to me is the way M.J. Fredrick managed to make Noah and Ellie’s love work without sullying up the beautiful relationship that Noah had with his wife Lily, without painting Lily as the good for nothing previous wife who deserved what she got in the end. Rather than doing that, Ms. Fredrick explores the possibility that yes, you can find love in the most unexpected of places and let it be a beautiful one, untainted by a past that is beautiful in its own right. All the secondary characters in the story from the reverend to Noah’s charming nieces to the navel-pierced psychic who manages to catch the eye of the reverend all wormed their way into my heart not to be easily forgotten.

With an epilogue that beautifully ties up everything and made me grin and inwardly smile at the same time, this is a contemporary romance that is definitely worth talking about, worth your time and money and comes highly recommended from the sunny side of life.

Favorite Quotes

He stepped inside and caught her fresh scent from the shower. He wanted to drop the toolbox and pin her to the wall behind the door, taste the dampness of her skin, the warmth of her mouth. He wanted to feel her hands on him, but he kept walking.

She made a small sound in the back of her throat as he slanted his mouth over hers, reining in his hunger to concentrate on the taste of her, the feel of her, the rhythm of her breath, of her heart. He wanted to absorb her, to savor her.

Every now and then he’d look her way and smile and she tumbled, just tumbled right over into love.

Reviewer’s Note: Though Ms. Fredrick didn’t request for a review, she did provide me with a copy of this wonderful romance for which I want to thank her and show her my appreciation. The fact that she gave me a copy had no effect whatsoever on my review or rating of the story. 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Lyrical Press 

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Don’t Look Back by M.J. Fredrick

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Hero: Captain Gerard Delaney
Heroine: Dr. Olivia Olney
Sensuality: 3.5
Publication Date: August 12, 2010
Started On: July 13, 2011
Finished On: July 14, 2011

Don’t Look Back by M.J. Fredrick is going to be a hard book for me to review, not because I didn’t love the story that unfolded but rather because of just how much the story drew me in and wrapped its words around me, making me savor every emotion that it wrenched from me that I want to do this book the justice that  it deserves. Before I begin my review however, there are two things that I would like to thank the very wonderful M.J. Fredrick for. Number one being for the blog post that she published which drew my attention to this gem, and the second for being generous enough to give me a copy of this book which I appreciate from the bottom of my heart.

Don’t Look Back kicks off seven years prior to the start of the actual story when Dr. Olivia Olney is rescued by a team led by Captain Gerard Delaney from Special Forces who specializes in hostage recovery. Broken, battered, raped and barely alive, Olivia finds the strength to persevere and come out fighting by never letting go of the image of the tough blue-eyed soldier who arrived to her rescue when she had right about given up hope.

Seven years later, Olivia is a changed woman, the scars of the ordeal that she underwent which she carries with her every day. However, that doesn’t stop her from helping out the less fortunate souls who struggle to survive the depths of hell that is war riddled Africa, even if it means going back to the one place that brings back the nightmares of how she was captured and tortured at the hands of violent and vicious men.

When her best friend Jill gets taken as a hostage by the man who imprisoned Olivia and introduced her to the depths of hell, there is no stone that Olivia would leave unturned in her quest to rescue the one woman who stood by her through every single step of her recovery. When Olivia finds out that the soldier who has haunted her dreams since the night of her rescue is very much alive and living in exile in Spain, she doesn’t hesitate to pull out all the stops, even kicking Delaney where it hurts to get him to lead their rescue operation.

Delaney is a man who has been stripped bare of everything, a man with nothing left to lose who remains in hiding, fearing for the life of his son and his ex-wife whom he has left behind. Three years of merely existing comes to an end when the sexy and vibrant Olivia sashays into his life, opening up the wounds that have been quietly festering all this while. Olivia forces Delaney to confront his fear of failure and his reluctance to go back to a country that has already taken too much from him and left him high and dry.

Making their way to Amadan, a jungle-choked country with very poor roads begins their journey towards endless violence and danger which seems to lurke amidst every step they take. But the biggest threat comes not from the danger to each of their lives but rather that to their hearts when desire races like a raging inferno through both of them until there is no choice left but to surrender.

Combining sizzling sexual tension, toe-curling passion, heart pounding adventure and vicious war lords whose agendas change as swiftly as that of the colors of a chameleon, M.J. Fredrick earns herself 5 solid stars for penning such a fantastic romantic suspense that ALL fans of the genre must read. Bringing together two souls who have already seen the worst life can offer, but still has the courage to stand tall, both Delaney and Olivia are heartwarming and endearing characters that I fell in love with right from the very beginning.

In my opinion, the fact that M.J. Fredrick portrays the story in gritty and realistic terms to the very last detail made this earn a spot from my favorite reads for this year. Raw and honest in the gut wrenching emotions that it brings forth, heartbreaking in the details of the rape and torture that is part of every day life for women in the region, Don’t Look Back is a novel that has got it all. If a well-balanced romantic suspense with a bit of dark edge to it is what you want, don’t hesitate to pick this one up and let yourself be taken away on an intense adventure that would have you biting your nails before halfway through!

Favorite Quotes

To compensate, she took a deep breath and found herself with a noseful of Del-scent. Something about the sharp smell of him, lying beneath what might be Old Spice, made her want to bury her face in his throat and breathe him in.

Words escaped him. All his energy was in controlling his desire. He had no business looking at her, no business wanting to run his fingers through her hair, to bring her body against his and warm her with his kisses. He was the last thing she needed in her life.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

outstandingread