Category / Red Hot Reads

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Kiss and Tell by Cherry Adair

Format: E-bookkiss&tell
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: T-FLAC, Book 2
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Hero: Jake Dolan
Heroine: Marnie Wright
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication:  September 2000
Started On: July 21, 2010
Finished On: July 24, 2010

I read this story when I first discovered Cherry Adair’s books and remembered this as one of the good books in the T-FLAC series. The T-FLAC is an anti-terrorist organization that not only works in the US but all around the world, diffusing situations which otherwise could prove to be fatal.

Jake Dolan, a man who grew up with two alcoholic parents who never gave him the time of the day never knew what it was to be like to be loved unconditionally. Jake had grown up and toughened up long before any kid is supposed to, and joined the Navy after running away from home at the age of sixteen. Navy had taught him all he needed to know and shaped him up as the dangerous agent he has become. The T-FLAC had gone one step further and the loss of his three best friends (the four of them had called themselves the Four Musketeers) and the immense betrayal the one woman he had fallen for, the scar that ran along his throat always the reminder makes Jack a man wary of emotional entanglements. A terrorist named “Dancer” is all that Jake is after with a vengeance as he is the man who is responsible for the death of his friends and the woman who perfectly orchestrated the role of a loving girl friend before literally trying to split up his throat.

Jake is residing in his mountain hideaway because he has been forced to take leave from work by a bunch of missions that had gone horribly wrong, no thanks to a mole residing deep within the T-FLAC, a mole that Jack swears he would find and make him or her pay. And along comes Marnie Wright, screwing up with his head and daring him to break down the iron fortress enclosing his heart, a challenge Jake knows before long that he is going to lose.

Marnie had come up into the mountains to stay in her granny’s cabin, to say a final goodbye and grieve for  the woman who had nurtured her and fought the four protective men around her whilst she was growing up so that Marnie’s childhood would have even a semblance of normalcy in it. Marnie with her dog Duchess for company is determined to turn her life around and start standing firm  in her decision to lead her life the way she wants it. And along comes the larger than life Jake Dolan, whose distrustful gaze makes her want to comfort him and show him that not every blond that comes along is going to go for his jugular.

Jake wants Marnie off his mountain and Marnie is adamant on staying when a freak storm destroys her granny’s cabin and nearly takes her along with it. Reluctantly Jake offers her shelter in his cabin until the storm passes along and he can get her safely away from his vicinity. But the best laid plans always have a way of falling apart at its seams and before Jake knows it, a team that acts as T-FLAC agents have him and Marnie running for their lives. Although Jake doesn’t trust the woman beside him one inch, against his better judgment, Jake takes Marnie into his hideaway, hidden deep within the mountains, a place where he toys around and tests high tech gadgets, a hobby which had earned him a fortune and made him into a very wealthy man.

Jake is baffled as to how the men who are hunting him knew in the first place about his hideout as the only ones who knew of its plans were long since dead. And the woman beside him infuriates him and unleashes red hot desire in him like no other, and no matter how much Jake tries to resist Marnie and her unflappable charm, it is  not long before Jake has the most spectacular sex of his life and loses his heart in the process.

This book is as good as a romantic suspense gets. I loved Marnie and her gutsy role as a heroine and of course adored Jake and his bristly ways which made him fall that much harder for Marnie which makes the book a very satisfying read indeed.

I did try reading the other books in the T-FLAC series and for the world of me, I couldn’t find myself that interested enough to keep on reading although reading this book one gets mighty interested in finding out more about the Wright brothers.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: My Fake Fiancee by Nancy Warren

Format: E-bookMSRCover
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Blaze, #553
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: David Wolfe
Heroine: Chelsea Hammond
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 1, 2010
Started On: July 20, 2010
Finished On: July 21, 2010

This is one of the best Harlequin Blaze books I have read recently. Nancy Warren does a superb job of character development and keeps up the sizzling sexual tension between the characters that made this book a gem to sink into. And what clinched the deal was the fact that instead of one happily ever after, we get to read about two happily ever afters, both stories adding to the charm of this book.

David Wolfe, is an insurance broker who finds himself in a bit of a fix when the vice president position at the firm where he works is up for grabs – for those who have a significant other by their side. Thus, thinking it harmless, David starts mentioning of his non-existent fiance around the firm and before he knows it, the board of directors at his firm wants to meet this fiance of his that they have been hearing about. David knows that the fluffy dolls he dates is not the wifely material that the firm is looking for. But David is loathe of anything to do with commitment ever since the woman he was engaged to left him to be with her old boyfriend and thus decides to put his mind to finding the perfect woman who could pretend to be his fiance until the position of vice presidency is his to claim.

Sarah Wolfe, David’s younger sister is as driven as David, but a divorce lawyer. Sarah has been best friends with Chelsea Hammond since Chelsea moved into the neighboring home when they were teenagers. From the moment Chelsea had laid her eyes on David, there had been room for no other in her heart. Though David barely noticed her back then and life had taken both of them in different directions, Chelsea always remembers the vivid crush that she had on David with fondness. Now back home after spending time in Paris at the Le Cordon Bleu, Chelsea had always wanted her own catering business but the lack of capital is preventing her from starting out on her own. Salvation comes in the form of Sarah’s neat plan to throw in Chelsea to act as a doting fiance for David. Chelsea in turn gets to reside in David’s beautiful home and make use of the fabulous kitchen which David has no time for.

David can’t believe his eyes when the sexy alluring woman who catches his eye whilst waiting for Chelsea to turn up for the dinner is actually Chelsea herself. And when a kiss of chance explodes white hot desire within David for Chelsea, he is all in for starting a wildly satisfying affair with his fake fiance. But Chelsea has other plans knowing that she wouldn’t survive with her heart intact if she gives into the desire that courses through her whenever David is around. But before long Chelsea succumbs to David’s searing touch and kisses, and what Chelsea thought and planned to be a one time thing barely scratches the itch she has for David.

The ever commitment phobic David doesn’t know what hits him when he starts wanting the domesticity that Chelsea effortlessly wields in his home. Thinking that succumbing to his heart’s wants and desires would prove to be dangerous, David does all that is in his power to push Chelsea away emotionally though he craves to be with her with a burning intensity that leaves him breathless.

On the other end, the driven and focused Sarah finds herself exchanging e-mails with a man whom she has never met before and finds herself getting intrigued at the thought of meeting him up and seeing where things could lead. Mike, a yoga instructor and someone who walks through life only at the pace that is suitable for him couldn’t be any more different from Sarah. Mike is tired of all the relationships that he has had with women that had revolved more or less around only on sex. What Mike is looking for is something a bit more permanent and at first Sarah is doubtful whether she is ready for what Mike has to offer. But as things proceed, Sarah finds out that Mike’s brand of slow loving is what she really needs.

David and Chelsea’s happily ever after doesn’t come that easily. David has to exorcise his phobias and open himself up to all the feelings that reside within him for the woman who brings all the color and taste into otherwise his bland life before a true happy ending can be achieved.

I loved both the stories, especially the character development, the sizzling tension between the characters and the tastefully done love scenes that contributed towards the storyline rather than taking the reader’s focus away from it. If all novels by Ms. Warren are as tastefully done as this one, which I am going to check out, I would no doubt be a top fan of Ms. Warren.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Night Magic by Karen Robards

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Hero: Jack McClain
Heroine: Clara Winston
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication:  October 1987
Started On: July 11, 2010
Finished On: July 12, 2010

I have always loved a good smashing adventure with a high dose of sensuality and romance in the mix. This is a testament as to why Wild Orchids by the same author remains a favorite of mine. Adventures where a hero and heroine who are as different from one another as night and day gets thrown in together to survive against tough as nails bad guys and the unforgiving conditions of the wilderness of nature that surrounds them. From the moment I found out about this novel on a discussion forum on Amazon I knew that this would be one of those romances that I wouldn’t be able to put down. And boy was I glad when I was proven right!

CIA Agent Jack McClain is as tough as they come. Having fought in the Vietnam war and then later working deep undercover in remote areas of the world and finally being the catalyst that brought everything to a disastrous conclusion earning him a stint in a psych facility and later a desk job at the agency, Jack never thought that he would be lucky enough to land a job within the intelligence community that would boost his career once again. Tim Hammersmith, Jack’s boss in many a deep cover missions sticks out his neck for Jack once again and assigns him with the task of getting Yuprov, a Russian KGB spy to spill his guts about a mole who was working deep within the highest ranks of the American intelligence.

Jack never thought that before he was through with the assignment that he and Yuprov would  be captured and tortured, and Jack barely escapes the fate of death at the hand of his captors by jumping ship into the murky churning waters of the ocean. Jack barely survives drowning and his rescue by two fishermen out at sea and his subsequent transfer to the hospital for treatment once again sets the Russian KGB goons after him from which he barely escapes only to be labeled as the raving lunatic who carried out a massacre at the hospital. Now its not only the KGB that is after his ass but the whole country who is on the lookout before the day is through.

Clara Winston, a romance author who just turned thirty, lives with her old gray Persian cat Puff and two cream and gray Siamese cats Amy and Iris. Clara has always been coached the ways of a proper lady through and through and though Clara yearns to settle down, start a family of her own, she has never been tempted by any of the men who have shared her life albeit for brief moments in time. Clara has always envisioned that she would find a noble and uncomplicated knight in shining armor and settle down and have normal uncomplicated kids someday. She has no inkling of the fact that her dedication in her latest novel to the “Magic Dragon” would land her in a whole different load of trouble and that before the night is through, her home would be invaded by Russian KGB agents and that she would barely escape with her life intact.

Clara first encounters Jack whilst running through the tobacco fields that surrounds her home trying to escape the Russian goons that invaded her home, and though at first Jack thinks that Clara is in cahoots with the KGB, to Clara’s surprise Jack finds the whole story of her book dedication a source of mirth and merriment and a dumbfounded Clara is advised by the roughneck who stands in front of her to take a vacation and get the hell out of the country.

Though Clara runs to the town Sheriff and complains, no one really thinks that her home invasion is more than just a burglary gone wrong. And Clara finds herself captured with her cat Puff and once again in the company of the man who was wreaking so much havoc in her life. These two barely escape and runs for their life for all its worth. The immediate dislike that these two have for one another makes for the best of simmering tension that explodes with no bounds before halfway through the novel. The unbelievable flare of red hot passion Clara feels for Jack, someone she doesn’t even like makes her wary at best, but that doesn’t stop her from succumbing to the raw sexuality that Jack effortlessly wields around her.

Before the story is through, Jack and Clara are captured once again, Clara tortured and Jack shot in the chest during their last escape from the Russian goons. My heart was pounding through most of the novel and I couldn’t for the world of me put it down and go to sleep without finding out how the story ends. And like Wild Orchids, I found myself unhappy with the way things ended, as Clara was the one who goes after Jack and yes, Jack welcomes her with open arms but doesn’t Clara deserve a bit of wooing other than a rough trek through the jungles dodging bullets and running for her life just because she unknowingly used Jack’s undercover code name as a dedication in her book? But then again, the story has me sighing all over the rough and tough Jack and wistfully yearning for a Jack of my own.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Urban-Fantasy
Series: Night Huntress, Book 4
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 28, 2009
Started On: July 9, 2010
Finished On: July 10, 2010

It’s been six years since Cat Crawford first laid eyes on her lover Crispin (Bones) and the years they have been apart and together have certainly never been boring for the reader. Having Bones by her side should have made life a bliss for Cat, but it hasn’t been one sweet ride into happily ever after for the two.

Struggling with being half human and half vampire has always been an issue for Cat. And her successful stint as the slayer of the rogue undead has certainly earned her her fair share of enemies in all the wrong places and strong allies who stand beside them as well. Life had certainly proved to be hectic enough for the two of them when Bones and Cat barely escaped with their lives intact and a time-out from everything else seems like heaven to Cat, that is until she starts having strange dreams from which she has a hard time waking up from.

Mancheres, Bone’s grandsire knows straightaway that something is wrong and when Bones finds out that Gregory, one of the super master vampires has set his eyes on Cat and wants her for himself, and is declaring Cat as his wife to the rest of the undead population has Bone’s livid with anger. And when Mencheres confesses that Gregory kidnapped Cat when she was 16 years old and took her as his wife before Mencheres was able to imprison Gregory and erase one month off from Cat’s memory has Cat torn apart in two as well.

Life becomes a constant battle between Bones and Cat as Bones tries to protect Cat and with Cat trying to help out in anyway she can by going against Bone’s wishes creates a rift between the two, until it all comes to head when Cat allows Gregory to steal her away from Bones in her dreams.

Cat has a few conditions of her own before being snatched away by Gregory and one was to find out what actually happened during the one month that she spent in Gregory’s company. However the trip down the memory lane though it shows Gregory as a manipulative bastard, some residue of emotion that Cat has for Gregory prevents her from killing him.

Her return to Bones is not the welcome that she at all envisioned. Though Cat knew that Bones wouldn’t welcome her with open arms, the cold controlled man that greets her and seethes with anger that he cannot control makes slivers of fear run up and down her spine. Bones is more than devastated when his wife shields all her emotions from him and runs off to Gregory rather than trust Bones to be able to keep her safe and be able to take care of both of them. Bones finally walks out on Cat and it is a devastated Cat that hears the news that Bones has been shagging up with women in New Orleans though she tries hard not to believe it.

Hurt and angered beyond belief, Cat goes into hiding with Vlad aka Dracula, one of their allies to lick away her wounded pride and heart in privacy and also to keep herself in an undisclosed location from Gregory. However, when Cat hears that Bones is in danger of getting killed by Gregory, Cat pulls all stops to prevent that, but doesn’t have the strength to face him when he comes back.

Though Cat knows that finishing off Gregory is the only way that Bones or herself would have any semblance of peace, Cat knows that she is far too weak with her human traits to be able to tackle with a vampire who is far stronger than even Bones. Thus it is with this in mind  that Cat decides to embrace her life as a full vampire, and even in this form Cat is unlike any other who embraces the life of a vampire.

The road to resolving their differences and getting back together is a tough one for Bones and Cat and with their enemy Gregory pulling all the dirty tricks up his sleeve to get Cat to be by his side doesn’t leave Cat and Bones with much room to rejoice in their getting back together, but its rather back to the battlefield with no holds barred for these two.

The fourth installment in the series is as good as the previous ones and I have got to admit that there is a certain allure in reading a well written series to just reading one story about a couple who holds your attention to the point of being riveted by them.

The witty dialogue, the smoking hot tension between Cat and Bones and the non-stop hair raising adventure makes the Night Huntress series a smash hit, and I can’t wait for the fifth book to come out next February.

Though I have heard that the Night Huntress World books are not as good as the Night Huntress series, I aim to take a look at them myself, the second book of which is to come out later this month.

Until my review of the First Drop of Crimson, the story that features Bone’s best buddy Spade and Cat’s best friend Denise comes up, happy reading my fellow bookworms! ;)

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Huntress, Book 2
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: October 13, 2009
Started On: July 7, 2010
Finished On: July 9, 2010

I didn’t waste any time before starting on the second book of the series and boy am I glad! This series just gets better with this book where Cat and Bones meet again after a four year period during which Cat has been devoting her time and effort into becoming Special Agent Cat Crawfield who trains soldiers into becoming mean killing machines for the rogue undead.

The four years that Cat has spent apart from Bones has not been easy. Her mother ever still vengeful of the vampire species continues to hold an everlasting grudge against them whilst rooting for Cat for the undeniably good job that she does as an effective killing machine of the undead who have gone astray.

Though it pains Cat’s heart in ways she couldn’t explain because she misses Bones so much, she has no inkling of what Bones is going through until she is sent to kill Ian, the vampire who turned Bones and the small thrill of happiness that bursts through her when she hears that Bones has been as miserable as she has been for the past 4 years cannot be denied. For reasons that Cat only understands, she lets Ian escape and that’s how Bone’s endless search for Cat becomes fruitful.

The scene where Cat lays eyes on Bones after the four year hiatus is something to be savored. The raw jealousy and pain that swipes through Cat when she sees Bones kiss another woman at the wedding reception of her friend Denise undeniably lets Bones know that Cat has been missing him as much as he has been missing his kitten.

What has got Bones more worried than anything is the fact that Cat has become such an efficient killing machine of the rogue undead that she has become a target with a handsome bounty on her head. And Bones refuses to budge  once he has found Cat and accepts her terms when she says that the only way she can continue a relationship with Bones is if its a celibate one.

As Jeanine Frost promises on her website, the road to happiness for these two never comes easily. Before the second book is through, Bones effectively deals with Cat’s mother (whom I would like to bitch slap once or twice as well), comes to know the truth about her boss and team members and gets close enough to wreak vengeance on her vampire father before she finds the strength to choose a life with Bones by her side rather than an empty one without him.

The sex between Bones and Cat is sizzling hot in this book, much better I would say than the first book and the adventure that these two with a rich cast of characters go through is absolutely non-stop. I just for the world of me cannot put these books down once I start them.

I seriously, seriously want a Bones of my own! Could I have one pretty please?! I think I & the rest of the female population who have read this series love Bones because he is a true alpha without being a bastard about it. He can sizzle the socks right off of us with his sizzling sensuality & he could be real arrogant when the calling comes. But the way that he lets Cat be the woman she is, and loves her for all she is and just gives her everything in his power is his special quality  that drives us nuts over him!

My favorite line from the book would have to be when Bones molds Cat’s body to his to dance (this is almost right after they see each other for the first time after 4 long years), and the haze of desire that crops up between the two which Cat tries to deny but cannot has Bones saying, “Oh, Kitten…” His voice deepened. “Now you’re just daring me, aren’t you?”.. Sigh!!

I guess I could just go on and on about my favorite parts in the book and this blog post would be a never ending one if I continue.

So, till next time! And here’s hoping that the 3rd book is as good as this one!

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Mobipocket Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Huntress, Book 1
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: November 1, 2007
Started On: July 6, 2010
Finished On: July 7 2010

I am not much of a fan of reading books of a series, mostly because the happily ever after that I am looking for doesn’t come about until the very last book has been published. Nevertheless apart from Twilight which I attempted reading a couple of days back and stopped, this is the first series that I am ever attempting to read and am determined to complete reading.

The night huntress series is an urban fantasy romance featuring half-vampire Cat Crawfield  whose the heroine featured together with Bones, a two hundred year old vampire whose a bounty hunter of his kind. Cat never knew that she was half-vampire or the fact that her mother bore her after getting raped by a vampire until she turns sixteen. Though Cat has always known she is different from the rest of her peers, its only when her mother explains about the “evil” that resides within her that Cat comes to realize what she truly is.

Her mother’s hatred for the vampire species has Cat out hunting for those who prey on humans for feeding and killing them without any compunction because Cat feels that she owes her mother for what she went through. It is during one of these hunting sessions that Cat comes across Bones. The scene where Cat first meets Bones is one that would always be etched on my mind because of the hilarity of the moment.

Before Cat knows it, she is captured and being interrogated by the fearsome vampire who moves as fast as lightning. A deal is struck between the two though Cat doesn’t trust the magnificent vampire who stands in front of her and raises her hackles so effortlessly. Bones promises that he would help Cat find his father in return for her services in hunting down and killing rogue vampires.

Bones trains Cat to be more efficient and to make the best use of her skills and assets which makes her a deadly opponent. However the hunt for a deadly vampire who has powerful friends in high places within the government becomes a deadly race against time when Cat’s family is threatened.

The sexual tension between Bones and Cat is sizzling hot and I found myself craving for a Bones for myself. Although this story is told in the heroine’s perspective in the first person, it doesn’t hinder any part of the novel,  in fact it just made things more interesting if I may say so.

But the ending is not a happy one with Cat and Bones going their separate ways, and I am thankful for the fact I won’t have to wait eons for the next book in the series to come out. Four books of the series have been published with the fifth one to come out on the 22nd of February next year with a total of seven books in the series as denoted on the author’s website.

I just have got to say, I am loving Bones and I don’t think I will ever get enough of him. I hope that the other books in the series continue with the same sizzling heat and adventure that would keep the pages turning.

My favorite line from the book would have to be when Bones says to Cat “If you run from me, I’ll chase you, And I’ll find you”. Sigh!! And you just gotta love his British accent, the way he calls Cat “Kitten” and the way he calls Cat “luv”. Drools!!

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Touch of Fire by Linda Howard

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Microsoft Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Western Ladies, Book 3
Publisher: Pocket Books
Hero: Rafe McCay
Heroine: Doctor Annie Parker
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: October 1992
Started On: July 5, 2010
Finished On: July 6, 2010

I am almost done with my re-read phase of novels by Linda Howard. Her novels are so interesting that I just can’t seem to be able to set aside the book once I start reading. This novel is no exception to that and I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the tale of how Rafe McCay and Dr. Annie Parker found ultimate happiness with one another.

Rafe has been on the run for his life for the past four years. Framed for a murder which he didn’t commit, Rafe is a man who has an army of bounty hunters on his trail with a handsome bounty of 10,000 dollars on his head. Though at first Rafe had tried to clear up his name, the murders of the two men who tried to help him has long convinced Rafe that his life would always be spent on the run.

One such bounty hunter, Trahera gets too close for comfort and Rafe is shot hindering his plans though he manages to slow Trahera down by shooting him in the leg. Ten days after Rafe gets shot, delirious with high fever and an infected wound, Rafe comes across the boom town Silver Mesa where blessedly he finds the home of Dr. T. A. Parker.

Annie whose father was a doctor is a woman who is determined that she would practice medicine even if it meant she had to live in towns like the one she was currently residing in. Born during a time when females were merely tolerated and much less when she dares to encroach on territories determined to be for the men, Annie is thrown for a loop when she finds Rafe residing in her home with the smell of infection wafting off of him.

From the moment Annie touches Rafe, though she tries to keep her thoughts professional and her touch brisk, Annie can’t help the jolt of sensation that slithers through her being by the merest touch. Rafe can’t believe it when the lady standing before him proclaims to be the doctor he was looking for and when though her touch soothes him and stirs a fire of longing in him at the same time, Rafe just attributes it towards the fever which is making him delirious.

When Annie proclaims that Rafe is not fit to do anything but rest for at least 3 days, Rafe kidnaps Annie at gun point and makes her leave with him and travels high up into the mountains where he would be able to recuperate without the fear of being caught. Though he knows Annie is frightened out of her wits to be forced to travel in the cold, Rafe admires the strength that keeps Annie from whining and complaining about her fate.

Thrust into the company of the man with the cold silver eyes who makes Annie burns for things she has no clue of, it is a battle that Annie loses when Rafe sets out to seduce the delectable doctor in his arms. Annie knows that she would never again love another man as she has come to love Rafe and surrenders her body and soul to the man who makes her senses sing from pleasure.

But danger is constantly lurking in the shadows and when finally Trahera stumbles upon their hideout by chance, Rafe knows its time to move on and return Annie to where he kidnapped her from. But Annie knows that she would never be able to return to the life as she knew it and Rafe knowing that her safety had also been compromised now decides to take Annie along with him.

Annie and Rafe’s journey through the unforgiving lands is one filled with taut sensuality and danger at every turn. The mystery of how Rafe is on the run for his life is a riveting one and with a hero and heroine you root for right from the start, this is an unbeatable book of romance and adventure.

I always love a good epilogue in any book I read and my favorite part of the book would have to be the epilogue which describes the happily ever after that Rafe and Annie finds with each other.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: After the Night by Linda Howard

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Hero: Gray Rouillard
Heroine: Faith Devlin
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 1995
Started On: July 3, 2010
Finished On: July 5, 2010

Linda Howard takes us on one wicked sensual ride in this novel where the wealthy Gray Rouillard clashes with the poor town outcast Faith Devlin. Everyone in the small town of Prescott, Louisiana knew that Faith’s mother Renee the town whore, a sensational beauty who with a glance can leave men wanting is Guy Rouillard’s mistress. From a very young age, Faith had been addled with taking care of her mishap family with a drunken lout of a father and two elder brothers who were well on their way on continuing their father’s legacy and an elder sister who was quickly following in the wake of their mother. And then there was the youngest in the family, a child addled with Down’s syndrome who needed continuous care and attention.

The Devlins live on the outskirts of Rouillard’s property and regardless of the fact that they never paid their rent the Devlins were tolerated because of the relationship between Guy and Renee. Faith has always worshiped the town’s golden boy from afar. Faith’s childhood was a mix of spending endless hours just watching Guy and his friends while away their time and taking care of the endless chores that await her at home. Faith has never had illusions that a Devlin would ever be deemed good enough for a Rouillard but she yearns to shout out to the world that she is different from the rest of her family.

And one fateful night, life as the Devlins and Rouillards know it come to an end when Renee and Guy run away together leaving their families to pick up the pieces. Gray cannot fathom the reason why Guy had to abandon everything and run away with the town whore and overnight Gray grows up and is left to bear the emotional and financial upheaval that his father has left in his wake. Gray is furious with the trashy Devlins and orders them to evacuate the Rouillard’s property, an order  to which Faith’s family doesn’t pay a heed. However the full extent of the impact of Guy’s abandonment together with the fact that the Devlins were just continuing life as they know it drives Gray into a mass of seething rage which sees him ridding the town of the Devlins once and for all.

Faith would never forget the night that her mama never came home and how she and the rest of her family were driven out of their only home like a bunch of outlaws in the middle of the night. And twelve years later, Faith returns to Prescott, Louisiana to find the truth about what actually took place the night Renee and Guy left in the middle of the night forever changing the lives of both families. Faith’s return to town stirs up the gossip and the anger within the Rouillard’s family and Gray feels sucker punched by the intense need to get horizontal with Faith as soon as he lays eyes on her.

Faith knows that she would never be able to deny Gray but she would rather die than be labeled as the mistress of Gray Rouillard. Gray is torn between his family and the white hot desire that runs through his veins whenever he and Faith come across one another and of course it doesn’t help one bit when he realizes that Faith turns putty in his arms. The coming together of Faith and Gray is so explosive that you would feel the scorch of the heat generated as you read through. And whilst the relationship between Gray and Faith continues to unfold till its inevitable conclusion, someone in Prescott doesn’t like the questions that Faith keeps on asking in order to piece together what actually happened that fateful night.

Packed with explosive sexual tension between two strong characters that reminded me of Aqua Man with his long hair, wide shoulders and the oh so sexy diamond stud in his ear and Faith with her cat like green eyes and red hair with the effortless sensuality that drives Gray out of his mind that bore a strong resemblance with Aqua Man’s wife in the Justice League cartoon series, this book is one that each contemporary romance lover must read!

My favorite scene in the book would have to be the one where Gray corners Faith in the ladies room in the courthouse, and man do the pages sizzle then! I would love one wicked Gray Rouillard served on a plate please!

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Bedroom Business by Sandra Marton

Format: E-book
Read with: Microsoft Word
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Presents, #2159
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Jake McBride
Heroine: Emily Taylor
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 1, 2001
Started On: July 4, 2010
Finished On: July 4, 2010

I have been hankering to re-read this novel lately because I kept remembering just how I much I enjoyed the sparring verbal matches that take place between Jake and Emily. Jack is a self-made millionaire who is enjoying life as he always wanted to. The one thing that hampers his lifestyle are the women who inhabit his bed fully knowing that he is not the forever kind of guy and still going ahead and demanding something more from him. Thank God he could always rely on his straight-laced assistant Emily who has smoothed over his life many a time since she started working for him.

Growing up with two beautiful sisters and feeling like the odd one out because she had always been shy and more interested in books and studying than the opposite sex, Emily thinks of herself as the average brown mousy type of woman. No wonder she has been feeling restless and lonely of late because it had been ages since she had tried going out on a date. But the one thing Emily knows with gut wrenching certainty is the disdain she feels for men like her boss Jake who thinks they are the next best thing since sliced bread for women.

However from the minute one of Jake’s acquaintances turn up to see him and declare that he found his secretary who always dressed in brown tweed suites alluring and sexy, Jake can’t help the protective and possessive instincts that rise up deep within him. For Emily hearing Jake confirm what she sees herself as is the last straw for her and she decides to accept the impromptu offer to have dinner with Jake’s friend.

Jake doesn’t understand how he has turned into this seething mass of green-eyed jealousy overnight and fights the caveman instincts that arise in him whenever other men except him notice Emily. And it doesn’t help matters when Emily practically melts whenever Jake takes her in his arms which in turn creates havoc with Jake’s emotions. The continuous arguments that crop up between the two as they fight not to succumb to the alluring attraction between them is one to be savored. I found myself laughing out loud several times and whilst Jake is the type of hero who can melt you on the insides, Emily is a heroine you can relate to and root for.

What starts out as lessons in seduction for Emily certainly backfires on Jake and it is one enjoyable ride that Ms. Marton takes us on till Jake and Emily ultimately find happiness with one another. I guarantee there is never a dull moment within the pages of this book. Highly recommended for those who love Harlequin romances.

My favorite scene of the book would have to be when Jake traps Emily inside the elevator and what takes place next is just steamy hot!

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Diamond Bay by Linda Howard

Format: E-bookdiamondbay
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Kell Sabin, Book 2
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Hero: Kell Sabin
Heroine: Rachel Jones
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 1987
Started On: July 3, 2010
Finished On: July 3, 2010

This is the second book in the Rescues series by Linda Howard. We get introduced to Kell Sabin in the first book as this frighteningly controlled agent in the highest ranks of intelligence gathering. Continuously putting himself on the line for his country is the only way of life that Kell knows and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

While Kell is on vacation aboard his cruiser Wanda, Kell gets attacked and nearly loses his life with two bullets driven into him, one into his shoulder and the other into his thigh. Being the highly trained and disciplined agent he is saves him when he summons all the reserves of strength he has to swim to shore and find help.

Rachel Jones is a widower living on a quiet private property near the beach with her less than friendly guard dog Joe and her geese to keep her company. Well educated and an investigative reporter before she had quit her old life, Rachel lets the peace that surrounds her present way of life heal her.

Rachel comes across a wounded and unconscious Kell on her beach and her old instincts kick in warning her not to report the man who was in dire need of medical attention to the local authorities. Her friend Honey, a veterinarian does all she can for Kell and it is Rachel who painstakingly take care of the enigmatic man who lies on her bed day in and day out. Though Rachel knows that the furthest thing she should be feeling for the man she rescued is white hot lust, she can’t deny her feelings anymore than she can deny herself the oxygen she needed to live.

Though Kell knows he owes his life to Rachel, habits ingrained in him for far too long prevents him from confiding in Rachel apart from telling her that he had been double crossed by his own agents and superiors. And danger comes calling when agents start coming around to Rachel’s place long before Kell regains consciousness in the hopes of confirming that Kell had indeed being killed from their efforts.

Grant and Jane from the book Midnight Rainbow comes to Kell’s rescue and although Kell professes that he loves Rachel, he doesn’t want to give them the chance to be together because of the dangers his way of life constantly puts  himself and his loved ones in.

I love novels where the hero and heroine getting together is not a forgone conclusion by the middle of the book and the ending is drawn out a bit to make the reader feel the pain both the hero and heroine undergoes during their separation from one another which makes their happily ever after more meaningful. Its rare to come across stories such as this one nowadays and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this marvellous story the second time round starring two characters you would root for right from the very beginning.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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