Category / Toe Curler!!

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin

Format: E-bookthedragonandthepearl
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Harlequin Historical Publisher Series
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Li Tao
Heroine: Ling Suin
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: September 21, 2011
Started On: September 20, 2011
Finished On: September 20, 2011

No true fan of romance can read Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin and escape without wanting to find out more about General Li Tao. And Jeannie Lin certainly doesn’t disappoint fans of her ultra unique historical romances set in the Tang Dynasty, China with this installment. Towards the end of my review for Butterfly Swords I mentioned my utter and at times reluctant fascination with Li Tao who served to be at first the villian and then somehow turned the tables around on me. Little did I know that Li Tao’s character was one that intrigued the author herself so much that she just had to write his story, a fact for which I am eternally grateful.

It is 759 AD and a period of political upheaval in China during which time the military governors known as the jiedushi, commanded their own regional forces independent of the Emperor’s army. It is during this period of turmoil that Lady Ling Suin, an accomplished courtesan who had been favored by the previous emperor finds herself being taken away from her home by none other than one of the most feared generals in China, General Li Tao.

Li Tao’s only intention at first is to remove her from harm’s way though he cannot deny the lure of her beauty anymore than he can deny the rising sun. Though every elegant move on Ling Suin’s part speaks of seduction and half truths that hides the real woman inside, Li Tao cannot help but be ensnared by the desire that races through him for a woman who could prove to be as lethal as that a sword plunged deep into his heart.

Both Li Tao and Ling Suin’s characters are shaped up by less than ideal childhoods, one having grown up on the streets fending for himself whilst the other had been bartered off for a pretty coin for the family’s next meal. Being the Emperor’s concubine for fifteen years meant that Ling Suin was resigned to a life of loneliness until death comes calling. But in Li Tao’s embrace, Ling Suin finds a man who would bend heaven and earth for the taste of a woman whose legend precedes her, the reality of it all when it comes to light manages to not only send Li Tao but the reader as well into a tailspin.

Once again, I am rendered speechless by Jeannie Lin’s ability to create such a riveting and poignant story, her ability to create strong and endearing characters that just demands nothing less but one’s total surrender as the reader. The way Jeannie spins her story weaving one word with another to create sheer magic that just pulls in the reader amazes me. And the tone she sets throughout is so in tune with the time period and the culture of a race shrouded in so much mystery that one cannot help but want to learn more.

Li Tao is a wonderful hero. The silent, tattooed, merciless assassin variety that I can sit around and dream about all day long. A man who thinks honor is no part of him when he wears it like his own skin, inseparable from the essence of who he is. His reluctant fascination with Ling Sui which penetrates through the emptiness that shrouds his heart is one of the most fascinating aspects of the story, his interactions with Ling Suin an intricately woven dance that serves many a time as the most sensual forms of foreplay on which Jeannie certainly delivers.

Ling Suin serves to be his exact opposite, and yet the similarities between them astounds as well as you read along. Having being forced to use her wits, her beauty and seductive viles for so long, Ling Suin at first knows not what to expect from a man who surrounds himself with men of the highest calibre, loyal to the bone and yet remains a lone wolf who doesn’t even realize the fact. Even though every survival instinct within her tells her to step away and leave Li Tao’s alluring form behind, she cannot help but yearn fiercely for the emotions that courses through her whenever Li Tao takes her in his arms. And it is not long before their arrangement brings forth emotions and feelings neither expects to feel for the other and it is a wonderful, wonderful way to pass the time by being a part of their journey towards happily ever after.

I loved how Li Tao and Ling Suin’s pasts are shared with the reader throughout, making both of them more appealing with each flashback. The sensuality and sexual tension between Li Tao and Ling Suin is off the charts hot, and underneath all that taut sensuality, Jeannie manages to tell a tale of political treachery and war not unlike what we see in the world today.

If you haven’t already read a Jeannie Lin book, you should definitely remedy the fact, especially if you are a fan of historical romances in exotic and unusual settings. This is as exotic and unusual as they come and one thing is for sure; none can fault Jeannie’s way with the words that captures you right from the very start. And I would recommend that if you are planning on reading The Dragon and the Pearl, better start off with The Butterfly Swords; just to embrace and enjoy the full impact of Li Tao’s character, which otherwise you might miss out on!

Truly remarkable and utterly fascinating, this one makes a beeline towards my favorites shelf for 2011.

Favorite Quotes

Li Tao had caught a single glimpse of her the first time he had been to the palace. The hunger that had gripped him had been immediate and all-consuming. He had been a young man then and had hungered for many things: acclaim, respect and power. The sight of her now, more than a decade later, stirred nothing but a faint echo of that forgotten desire.

She expected the descent of his mouth, but never would have anticipated the gentleness of the kiss. Her lips parted as his explored hers. His fingertips lifted to her cheek in an undemanding, but undeniably possessive caress. She nearly allowed her eyes to fall closed. She almost yielded against the heat and pressure and the slow stir of his mouth. Instead she dug her nails sharply into the flesh of her palms. She fastened her eyes on to his, permitting the kiss, but never surrendering.

She played with her eyes closed. He closed his own eyes, joining her in the darkness. She had said the song depicted a battle, but nothing of the sort came to mind, no lofty images of horses and banners waving or battalions clashing over hills. Only darkness and a pure sound that filled him, creeping into spaces he hadn’t known were empty.

The heat of his body surrounded her, overwhelming her. Suddenly his hold on her shifted. One arm captured her waist to drag her against his chest before his mouth descended on hers.
Heat and pleasure coursed through her at once, fierce and wild and uncompromising. She fell boneless against him, winding her arms around his neck dizzily, drinking in the salted taste of his mouth.

He pushed harder, deeper into her, his thrusts taking on a restrained violence as if he needed to give her as much of him as she could take.
He took on an almost desperate rhythm, digging his fingers into her hips. She was rising again, chasing after him. At the height of it, the man above her disappeared. All that was left were the sensations he pulled from deep within her, the heady, spiced scent of him and the laboured pant of his breath in her ear.

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas

Format: E-bookaltereddestiny
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Sensuality: 3
Hero: Jaden
Heroine: Selia
Date of Publication: September 19, 2011
Started On: September 16, 2011
Finished On: September 18, 2011

Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas is a novel that is going to be well received by fans of urban-fantasy romances with a bit of adventure tossed right into the mix. Though fantasy romances aren’t that high on my favorites list in the world of romance, even with the first couple of chapters Shawna Thomas managed to reel me in and hold my attention until it was difficult for me to imagine anything else but the wondrous world which she has spun so well in this novel.

There are the good old-fashioned humans and a race known as the Svistra whose savagery and notorious thirst for blood and pillaging keeps the humans awake at night. 20 year old Selia lives on the Outskirts and is the owner of the tavern that her mother left behind upon her death 5 years back. Though well versed in the art of defending herself, when it comes to love and desire, Selia is an innocent all the way. 

When Selia rescues a man being beaten to death only to find out that he is a Svistra, the uncomplicated life that she has known till then changes completely, plunging her into a world filled with uncertainty, treachery, man’s thirst for vengeance and war and last but not the least the possibility of finding ever lasting love in the last place she expects to find it.

When Jaden’s golden gaze lands on his savior little does he know that the fearless woman who stands before him would come to mean everything to him. Having turned his back on his own race because his ideas didn’t mesh with that of his father who is the leader of the Svistra, Jaden makes his way through the many different terrains that makes up their world until his journey brings him to the Outskirts and Selia with her gentle giant of a companion Oren. 

Never having being one to turn away a man or animal in need, the forced intimacy that caring for an injured brings to light the fact that humans may not have the complete picture when it comes o the Svistra. Jaden proves to be the opposite of what Selia has believed to be of the Svistra until now and when time and time again Jaden proves his loyalty, honesty and integrity in boundless different ways, Selia is no match to her heart’s yearning for a man whose mere presence alone is enough to send her whole world into a tailspin.

Jaden might want to do the honorable thing and stay away when it comes to Selia but his heart’s yearning for a woman who seals her fate unknowingly by joining him in the most scared manner possible is one that refuses to be denied. But Jaden knows that without going back and facing those whom he has left behind and winning over the treacherous ruler who leads the whole Svistra clans towards endless war, there would never be a peaceful future for either the humans or the Svistra.

Opening up a world that has so many intriguing aspects to it that I couldn’t help but want even a crudely drawn map of where everything was situated, Altered Destiny tells the tale of brave men and a woman willing to fight for what they believe in. Jaden’s character is an alluring one, one who made my heart yearn for him and of course love him because he has that inner strength that lets him be true to himself and what he believes in. Jaden’s honesty and integrity is what drew me most towards his character, and the way he is possessive of Selia even when he believes he has nothing of substance to offer her made my heart go pitter patter.

Selia is a wonderful heroine whom I loved from the instance she couldn’t turn her back on a wounded man. Even knowing that caring for a Svistra would end up in herself paying for it in blood doesn’t stop her from doing what’s right. The slow awakening of Selia’s senses when it comes to Jaden is something to be savored. And a heroine who doesn’t believe in being coy and has no qualms about being herself is one that always earns my wholehearted approval. Worthy of a mention is her relationship with Oren, a man gentle as he is huge, a character who will remain with me for a long time even after I am done with the book. His simplistic view on life, right and wrong proved to be quite refreshing in a novel that practically seeps with half truths and the treachery that goes right along with the hunger for ultimate power.

Though there were certain aspects of the novel such as the occasional swear words which just felt out of place with the whole tone set for the rest of the story and the fact that the final showdown between Jaden and his brother never fully materialized in the novel, I still enjoyed this immensely and would definitely recommend this to fans of the genre.

One character from the story that I would love a future book to be based on, if Ms. Thomas ever thinks of writing a sequel is Nathan. If Jaden had not been in the picture, I would have completely given myself over to him. And even with Jaden in the picture, his character nevertheless proved to be a compelling one, which is telling in itself how remarkable a talent Ms. Thomas has when it comes to creating her characters.

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Something So Right by Elyse Mady

Format: E-booksomethingsoright.JPG
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Sam Denning
Heroine: Lillian Carver
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: September 19, 2011
Started On: September 15, 2011
Finished On: September 16, 2011

Something So Right is a novel that is centered around one of my all time favorite tropes in the romance genre. The stories of best friends turning into lovers, the conflict, the sexual tension and their journey towards happily ever after is a theme I would never tire of. That is one reason why I requested for a galley of this title from Netgalley and though I didn’t like some aspects of the story that unfolded, I would still consider this to be an okay read.

30 year old Sam Denning is the hero from the wrong side of town, who grew up with a single mother who barely made ends meet whilst juggling three jobs to provide something better for Sam and his two younger sisters. Now the successful owner of a general contracting business that he builds from ground up, Sam still carries on his shoulder the remnants of his past that makes him feel he is still the little boy from the poor side of town that would never measure up. Though Sam has loved Lily ever since he turned up on her doorstep looking for gardening odd jobs 15 years back, Sam continues to hide his feelings from Lily which becomes harder by the day.

Lillian Carver (Lily) is the owner and operator of the Three Pines Lodge and Resort, an exclusive and wildly successful holiday camp on the shores of Lake Mississing, one of Muskoka’s most sought after holiday destinations. Lily returns home after leaving behind her abusive ex-fiance who does a huge number on her self-esteem and worth as a woman. Shying away from any sort of relationship with the opposite sex is how Lily copes with the trauma of her one serious relationship from the past. And though Lily at times wonders why she and Sam has never gone down the road of finding out whether there could be more to their relationship than just friendship, she stifles those urges as Sam has permanent stamped over his forehead for everyone to see.

When Sam finally takes the chance and plunges their relationship into churning waters filled with uncertainty, it is Lily who comes up with the plan that she and Sam enter into a purely sexual affair and go their separate ways when their two weeks is up. But from the start, Sam’s vulnerability when it comes to Lily pierces through his hard won control and forces Lily to confront the fact that with Sam nothing could ever be casual and that she too is not invulnerable enough to walk away unscathed once their affair runs its course.

Something So Right brings to light the fact that Elyse Mady is an author who definitely has potential in delivering a romance. She writes the sexual tension aspect of the story so well and certainly knows a thing or two when it comes to delivering on that scorching heat generated by her hero and heroine. And she definitely knows her way around a hero who would appeal to the female reading population and in Sam she has seemed to create an all around sexy, charming and endearing hero that makes for a wonderful hero.

My disappointment of the story stems from the heroine Lily whose actions throughout the novel I had a very hard time understanding and relating to. She comes off as selfish and too childish at times, never really understanding the depth of goodness in Sam her best friend for the past fifteeen years. I can totally get on board with the aspects of emotional scars left behind after an abusive relationship, but projecting her ex-fiance’s failures on Sam just rubbed me the wrong way. In the end, I just couldn’t stomach her hot and cold attitude towards their changing relationship and I felt that Lily is a heroine who definitely doesn’t deserve a wonderful man like Sam.

Towards the end I found myself going back and forth between conflicting vibes from the story. There were moments when Lily’s self pity lets her talk about living up to her family’s name, but nowhere in the story did I encounter any reason for her to feel that way about her family.

Though there were many disappointing aspects to the story, I would still give Elyse Mady a go because the tone she sets in her story is one worth delving into. A better heroine who can stand up for the man who has always stood by her side would go a long way into making this one more appealing and I hope Elyse does write a story for Lily’s older sister who seems like she has a story worth telling.

Momentous Scenes

  • The first scorching kiss that Sam and Lily shares. All the ingredients that make up for an out of this world kiss right there!
  • The way Sam comforts the broken Lily when she first leaves her good for nothing ex-fiance behind. Totally sweet and made me fall for Sam’s character like a ton of bricks.

Favorite Quotes

But as the sun slipped even further, his eyes weren’t drawn to the horizon. He watched Lily as she stood on the dock, glorying in the golden ritual, her russet hair slipping free from its ponytail to frame her face with messy abandon.
This is the view I need to be happy, she’d said.
The irony was exquisite. Because that was what he whispered to himself every time he saw her too.
And there wasn’t a damn thing he could ever do about it.

He drew her finger from his mouth, and they simply stood motionless, her small hand in his larger one, their eyes fixed and wide. Then, with a sound that was half grunt, half plea, he hauled her against his ragingly erect body and kissed her.
Kissed her the way he’d kissed her so many times in his dreams.
Only this time it was real. And so much better.

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Marriage In Jeopardy by Miranda Lee

Format: E-bookmarriageinjeopardy.jpg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin Presents, #1728
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Blake Preston
Heroine: Juliana Preston
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 1, 1995
Started On: September 14, 2011
Finished On: September 15, 2011

Miranda Lee is one of the few select authors from Harlequin whose stories that I read and enjoy. I remember reading my first Miranda Lee almost 12 years back and feeling scandalized because Miranda is one author who definitely knows how to deliver sensuality of the sizzling variety in her novels. Though it has been ages since I read a Miranda Lee, I still identified her voice and the way she generates heat between her two characters that makes for an invigorating read if a short and quick romance is what the doctor ordered for the day. For me, tackling with my migraines, short and quick was exactly what the doctor ordered and though this is not the greatest romance out there, after my forced fast from books, I loved bits of the stories though  there were some aspects of it that I didn’t fully agree with.

Juliana and Blake Preston married in the true sense of their marriage being a business arrangement with separate bedrooms and scheduled sexual encounters between them. Blake is the owner of the prestigious Preston’s Toys and Games and is as self-sufficient, self-reliant and self-contained as Juliana who is independent in nature. Blake’s aversion to love and public affection comes from the roller-coaster relationship that was between his father and mother. Juliana’s independent nature comes from witnessing the number of men that had entered and exited her mother’s life. Submerging her true sensual nature and putting up a facade of efficiency and controlled calmness is how Juliana lives her life and that has suited her fine till she finds herself bothered more and more of the distance that Blake ensures that always stays between them.

Juliana’s calm and controlled facade comes crashing down when she receives the news that Blake’s life might have been in danger. The realization that she has fallen in love and may have loved her husband for a long, long time hits her hard and suddenly Juliana finds herself in previously unchartered waters and knows that she is in danger of completely turning into the wild and wanton wife that she has never dreamed she might ever become. Suddenly the bedroom aspect of their marriage looks more daunting when Juliana knows that she is in danger of betraying her new-found feelings to her husband who looks at anything remotely to do with love with loathing.

And thus begins the most difficult time period of their otherwise smooth marriage when Juliana’s emotions comes to the forefront and makes her do a 180 degree turnabout on her marriage and Blake. The story told from Juliana’s point of view and only lets the reader catch glimpses of Blake’s reaction towards the changes that takes place in their marriage and sex life lets the reader draw his or her own conclusions on how Blake feels about Juliana. Though the reader knows that Blake’s feelings towards Juliana is a bit more than just the business arrangement they both embarked on warrants, there were times when Blake’s unfounded jealousy and possessiveness came into play that made me wonder whether Blake knows his wife at all.

Plenty of angst and though not explicit in nature the sensuality is of the toe curling variety that delivers an entertaining read. Recommended for fans of Miranda Lee and old-school Harlequin romances.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

goodread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Deadly Descent by Kaylea Cross

Format: E-bookdeadlydescent.JPG
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Military Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Bagram Special Ops, Book 1
Sensuality: 3
Hero: Cam Munro
Heroine: Devon Crawford
Date of Publication: September 5, 2011
Started On: September 10, 2011
Finished On: September 12, 2011

Having always come across rave reviews of books by Kaylea Cross, I was more than prepared to delve into a story which I knew would hit all the right spots. And I am glad to report back that it certainly did hit all the right spots and then some with my very first Kaylea Cross which turned out to be the first book in her Bagram Special Ops series which hit the stands on the 5th of this month.

Captain and pilot commander Devon Crawford known as Spike amongst her friends and team mates faces the biggest dilemma of her life when she finds herself yearning for her boyfriend Ty’s bestfriend Cam Munro. From the first moment she had laid eyes on Cam, she had felt unsettled and the guilt of it all makes her pretty uneasy around his company though Cam had become one of her closest and trusted friends over time.

Technical Sergeant Cam Munro is a pararescueman in the U.S. Airforce. When his best friend Ty gets killed in active duty in the mountains of Afghanistan, it is Devon who takes his death the hardest not because she grieves for the man she loved but rather because she feels the guilt that is associated with her feelings towards Cam.

Though Cam respects Devon’s need to distance herself from him, Cam is playing for keeps and is not willing to go down without a fight to win the love of the woman who means everything to him. But with the strict military rules that prevent members of its forces from fraternizing coupled together with Devon’s need to work through her muddled feelings at her own pace, Cam who is patience personified finds himself tested severely as slow torturous inch by inch Devon starts to respond to the depth of need that Cam doesn’t want to hide any longer.

With heady adventure and military jargon that I found myself lost in sometimes, Deadly Descent is a novel that is as realistic as they come in depicting the different sides involved in the war on terror that jumpstarted with the 9/11 attacks on the US soil.

Kaylea Cross’s voice and prose is certainly an addictive one, easy to lose onself in though I sometimes wished for a glossary of certain terms used in the story. For someone who hails from a small country where the need for a super active military is at a minimum, I found myself a bit lost at times. But then again, the adventure aspect of the novel is fast paced which makes it hard not to bite your nails in apprehension wondering what would happen next and how and why a certain mad man is hell bent on getting his revenge and vengeance by killing Cam and and Devon amidst the the warlord’s agenda which is a bone chilling one.

Kaylea Cross has certainly done her homework on the aspects of the Islamic religion that is discussed in the novel and that earns a lot of respect from myself as a muslim. The fact that Kaylea explores the impact of a war that seems to make lesser sense as the casualities on both sides seems to grow sat well with me as I delved deeper into the story.

The way Kaylea puts forth her characters is one reason that makes Deadly Descent so readable. Even the villains are muti-faceted, not just a character created for namesake but rather a character that makes ones hairs stand at end because yes, the vicious and practical plan that he has in order to bring the US forces to its knees is a deceptively simple and a chilling one at the same time.

That brings me to Cam’s character who is so darn yummylicious in his own right. Laid back yes he is, but once he sets his eyes on Devon and vows to make her his, there is no stopping him from staking his claim and wooing her all at the same time. My disappointment because there wasn’t much romance towards the latter part of the book was totally forgotten from the moment Cam and Devon lights up the sheets and practically left me breathless throughout the encounter. Kaylea definitely knows what she is doing with her ultra yummy alpha heroes and the military plus the adventure aspects of the novel which makes it a winner all around!

Momentous Scenes

  • The first time Cam confronts Devon about their feelings towards each other. Such an emotion invoking scene!
  • The helicopter crash scene. Utterly horrifying because it was so darn realistic!
  • The sexual tension between Cam and Devon throughout the novel. Definitely the toe curling variety right there.

Favorite Quotes

He’d never felt this protective of a woman before. Only she brought that out in him. That powerful, odd mixture of independence and vulnerability completely melted him.
The fact that she flew a Black Hawk and could talk shop with the best of them? Hot as hell. And her laugh. God, she had the dirtiest laugh he’d ever heard. Every time he heard it he thought of sex. Hot, sweaty sex, the kind that left a man exhausted and weak and his partner unable to move.

Tightening his arms, he dropped his head and pressed his face against the side of her neck to inhale her delicate scent. The instant he did, a sharp gasp tore out of her, her slender body rippling with a shiver as the sexual energy arced between them. Cam couldn’t help but groan and gather her closer, nuzzling the velvety skin beneath her ear.
She lifted her face, and took him off guard by kissing him full on the lips. Hard and fast, the gesture so full of hunger it made him ache.

Gathering her courage, she swallowed past the lump in her throat and held his gaze. It wasn’t how she’d envisioned telling him, but she couldn’t let him go without saying the words. “I’m falling in love with you.”
The smile died, his amused expression dissolving into shock. “What?”
“Yeah. So you have to come back so I can finish the job.”
A jumble of emotions swirled in the blue depths of his eyes as he stared at her. Then he broke into a wide smile and brought a hand up to cradle her cheek. “I’m coming back, sweetheart. I wouldn’t miss that chance for the world.”

Holding her steady as he kissed her, Cam caressed back and forth over her nipple, swallowing her cries while he rubbed the length of his cock between her open thighs. He could come right now, just from doing this. Just from the incredible heat and feel of her, and knowing she wanted him so much. She was so goddamn soft and responsive. He’d always known it would be like this with her. Hot and explosive and so damn good it ripped away the civilized part of him to expose the raw, dominant hunger inside.

She (Candace) straightened her spine and shot him (Ryan) a warning glare. “You know what? You just reminded me why I don’t like you.”
He grinned like he got a giant kick out of needling her. Or maybe it was her response that he found funny. “Well I like you.”
“That’s because I’m not rude and obnoxious.”
“Well there is that. But I think it’s mostly to do with the fact that I’m standing here breathing because of you.”
“Ah. So gratitude makes you rude? I’ll have to remember that if I’m in the area next time you get in a tight spot.”

(Devon) “Cam, what’s wrong?”
He cursed and held her tighter. “Help me,” he rasped.
Her senses dizzy from the scent and feel of him, it took a few moments for the words to register. She stroked her fingers through his thick, soft hair. “Help you?”
His head moved against her hand, as much a show of helpless pleasure as it was a nod. “Help me slow down.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want you to slow down—”
“I want to be gentle,” he said roughly, his warm breath tickling her neck. “But I’m so fucking turned on right now all I can think about is pounding into you.”

(Devon) “Cam—you’re killing me,” she quavered, pressing her head back into the pillow and praying for patience. Her heart was pounding.
“I’m loving you,” he corrected in a hot whisper, then took her nipple deep into his mouth as his palm brushed over the damp lace covering her core.

The muscles in his arms and back trembled as he pushed in as deep as he could go, until all of him was buried inside her. His head sagged and a deep, primitive snarl ripped free. Sparks of light exploded behind her tightly closed lids. His hands burrowed into her hair, holding her head still while he kissed her hard and deep and wild. Then he began to move. Hard, steady strokes that ignited every nerve ending in her body.

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: A Just Deception by Adrienne Giordano

Format: E-bookajustdeception
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Private Protectors, Book 2
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Peter Jessup
Heroine: Isabelle DeRosa
Date of Publication: September 5, 2011
Started On:September 1, 2011
Finished On: September 3, 2011

A Just Deception by Adrienne Giordanno is her second book in the Private Protectors series. 32 year old Peter Jessup is former Navy SEAL and now works for Taylor Security. Forced into taking a vacation to get his act together, Peter is a restless soul that has no penchant for sitting around twiddling his thumbs. Coming from a family that is filthy rich, Peter is someone who feels comfortable being his own guy, away from all the rules that the ultra rich society adheres to.

Isabelle DeRosa is a defense lawyer who hides behind the effect her sultry and heartstopping good looks has on the opposite sex. A victim of sexual abuse during childhood, Isabelle has no qualms about what she is capable of emotionally and physically and arms herself with the necessary skills to defend herself if the need were to ever present itself.

When her cousin Kendrick with whom she shares her turbulent past with is murdered and fingers start pointing in her direction, Isabelle agrees to help the FBI uncover the reality behind the facade of a charity home that Kendrick has been keeping up as a business front on his home turf. When Peter Jessup enters the picture as her protector, a man who for the first time in her life has the ability to pierce through the iron clad armor that guards her fragile emotions and heart, Isabelle is in the battle of her life to overcome the fear that has ruled over her life up until now. As block by block the armor crumbles around her, Isabelle makes her way into the treachery and deceit that is Kendrick’s legacy.

This is my second book by Adrienne Giordanno and the one thing that constantly strikes a chord deep within me is Adrienne’s voice which rings with humor all throughout the story. Yes, she deals with a lot of emotional, dark and heavy subjects like the trauma of a woman getting over being abused sexually as a child to baby selling black markets to murder within this story. But somehow, all through this, Adrienne finds a way to keep true to her voice and deliver the reader with what I have come to identify essentially as her own style. And that is one main reason I would always constantly keep coming back for more of her books whenever a new one comes out.

When I encountered Vic Andrews in Man Law, the first book in the Private Protectors series, I thought to myself that no man could ever measure up to Vic. But I was proven completely and utterly wrong when Peter Jessup strolled in and swept me off my feet and tumbled me into his world where his character is everything and I mean everything you would want in the man by your side. He is however not without his own demons to fight but what makes him so appealing is the way he is so patient with Isabelle who has a lot of baggage of her own to get over from before Peter and Isabelle can find their own happily ever after.

The one thing that I can always count on when I pick up a book by Adrienne is the fact that she doesn’t waste time trying to portray the men in her stories the way that the opposite sex wants them moulded and shaped up as they want men to be. But rather, Adrienne brings the male characters in her books to life the way they should be, the way I see men in reality interact with one another and react to emotional upheavals in their lives. And that is one reason I just loved the 2nd book in the Private Protectors series as much as I did.

Isabelle’s character is one worthy of being mentioned because she is one tough chick with an inner vulnerability that just reaches into something deep inside of you until you cant help but empathize with what she has gone through at such a young age. Her coping mechanism when it kicks in is more than understandable and what appealed to me is the way Adrienne handles Isabelle’s emotional trauma in the book, giving her ample enough time and reason to get over it and even then there are no magical solutions to healing the scars that seems to be embedded deep inside of her.

The dialogues are wickedly hot at times and of the laugh out loud variety, the sexual tension between Isabelle and Peter insanely hot, sweet and emotional and the suspense factor that aligns nicely along with the romance aspect of the novel makes this an instant winner! Recommended for fans of the series and fans of Adrienne Giordano. Peter Jessup’s character alone makes this one worthy of being picked up!

Momentous Scenes:

  • The scene during which Peter’s mother walks in on Peter and Isabelle getting it on. Laugh out loud funny. Seriously! LOL
  • The car smexing scene. Insanely and wickedly hot and emotional as well!
  • Every.single.time Peter Jessup gives his Hollywood variety smile. Made me go weak at the knees every time I tell you!

Favorite Quotes

(Isabelle) “You can do whatever you’d like at my house.”
He raised his eyebrows and grinned.
“Within reason,” she added. “If I find you in my bed with a woman, you’re a dead man.”
He grinned bigger.
Her stomach knotted. “Did I say that?”
He continued to grin.
She had said it. Must be the fatigue. Three hours of sleep didn’t cut it.
He stepped closer. Oh, boy.
“Izzy, the only woman I want in that bed is you.”

Peter heard the lock tumble. She must have turned it with her free hand, because the door opened and the inside light she’d left on washed over them.
Izzy threw her arms around his neck, pressed against him and slammed her tongue into his mouth. Demanding and hot. His breath caught and he couldn’t release it. Thank you, Jesus. He’d never known anything better than this kiss.

After slipping the condom on, he rolled on top of her, shoved her hair out of her face and held it while he got lost in those sea green eyes that, in a darkened room, shined bright.
He wanted her. And it wasn’t just the sex. He wanted the whole nutty package.

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: The Game of Love by Jeanette Murray

Format: E-bookthegameoflove.jpg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Brett Wallace
Heroine: Christina St. James
Date of Publication: August 29, 2011
Started On: August 29, 2011
Finished On: August 31, 2011

As most of you all already know, I am someone who loves a good contemporary romance. In fact, contemporary is my preferred genre and I would be one happy chick if authors continue to pen just straight old contemporary romances without the mystery, suspense or paranormal aspects in the mix. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading a mix of all these genres from time to time, but still at heart I am a big fan of plain old contemporary romances when it comes down to it.

34 year old Brett Wallace is a retired pro-football player and now the highschool football coach back in his hometown. Divorced from his ex-wife Lilith which could have turned real ugly if not for the prenup he had signed up before marrying her, needless to say Brett is leery of taking a step towards anything that remotely resembles a relationship with the opposite sex.

28 year old Christina St. James is an ex-pro tennis player who retires from a world from which she wants no part of and moves to Northeastern high school to teach Mathematics and lands the job of coaching their tennis team. Having being burnt badly in a relationship with a pro-athlete whose sole purpose of hanging onto Chris had been to boost his ego and image in front of supporters and the media, Chris has no intention of getting involved with the opposite sex anytime soon, much less Brett Wallace who oozes testosterone just by entering a room.

From the start both Brett and Chris who brings forth a lot of baggage from their previous relationships form misconceived opinions about the other which just delays the inevitability of them getting together. Chris is wary than most and is prickly as a hedgehog when she first encounters Brett and labels him to be just another Dax who would never be content with letting her be herself.

But time and time again, Brett proves that he is just the polar opposite of every misconceived perception that Chris has thought up of and before she knows it, Brett somehow worms his way into her life and into her heart making her yearn for things that she seems incapable of voicing. With a past that continually tries to invade into the present, Chris nearly loses Brett and what he offers until towards the very satisfying end to the story.

Jeanette Murray might be a new author for me, but I felt right at home with her voice that rings with the unbeatable combination of humor, passion and those sweet romantic moments that I just felt right at home with. I loved the way the story flowed, the way she developed both Chris and Brett and inevitably got them together.

Being not much of a fan of sports romances, I tend to stay away from them most of the time. But The Game of Love seemed to call my name when I came across its very well done and drool inducing cover and I am glad I did pay heed to the calling since this is a romance that indeed balances things out in every aspect. Jeanette surely knows her subject matter when it comes to sports and it definitely comes across during the whole story.

Brett Wallace is the dreamiest and sexiest sports jock hero I have come across to date. He is sexy, kind, funny, charming, endearing and knows his way around the erogenous zones of the female anatomy quite well I would say. His past that has left some emotional scars behind makes him cautious and at times tends to let him make a fool out of himself. But the way he is the ultimate good guy all around and nevertheless give the total alpha-male-in-control vibe without going overboard just makes him into my list of yummy heroes.

I just flat out loved the way Brett worms his way into Chris’s life, catching her unawares which in the end gives them both the best thing to happen to both of them in a long while. The thing that endeared Brett most to me was how he always seems to know Chris and her needs even when her overly cautious nature refuses to confide in Brett of her painful past. The way he comforts her when she seems in dire need of it – I could definitely use someone like Brett in my life.

Chris on the other hand had the whole prickly female thing going on for her when the story started, a trait which I am not much of a fan of. But once I got deeper into her character, the way she had grown up with a set of parents who lost sight of the happiness of their little girl a long time back and the way her past relationship had shaped out to be, hell I would have been prickly myself after going through all that.

In the end, Chris’s character develops along nicely, Brett’s understanding and loving nature working its magic over her battered emotions and soul until she is ready to face the concept of being in love and making herself vulnerable to another once again. Once Chris gives into the heady passion between herself and Brett, the heat factor is on and I just couldn’t get enough of the light amusement that always seems a part of their heady lovemaking sessions. And the way Brett continually spaces out into fantasy land featuring Chris in various get-ups just makes him totally and irrevocably male in my opinion!

I have got to say that I just adored Katie’s character who is Chris’s best friend and a hugley pregnant one at that, who just made me howl out in laughter with her quirky thoughts and laugh-out-loud variety interactions with both Chris and Brett.

The Game of Love by Jeanette Murray is a romance that delivers exceptionally well on all counts, a contemporary not to be missed if you are a fan of light hearted romance with the bite of toe-curling passion in the mix!

Favorite Quotes

(Chris) “Katie, seriously. He’s a jock with entitlement issues. What about that could I possibly like?”
“Well…” Her friend trailed off and Chris could hear Katie’s fingers drumming a pattern on the table. “You guys have a lot in common.”
Chris snorted and started mixing the salad with two large forks. “What, we both convert oxygen into carbon dioxide?”

He (Brett) handed her the drink over her shoulder. She looked up and smiled, saying thanks. The table was covered with notepads and pens. And when he sat down across from her, she reached in her bag and brought out a pair of glasses.
His body froze, hand clutched around his drink. Naughty librarian daydream come to life.
Oh, good Christ.

(Brett) “Making friends?”
She jerked, then her spine straightened into posture nuns would be proud of and she turned her head. “He’s hard to resist, really.” Another belly rub. “You’re late.”
He crouched down to sit on his heels, and his knees spanned to either side of her arms. Reaching around, he scratched Beans behind the ears. Brett was positive the dog actually sighed with happiness. “I’ve been here, just didn’t think to look for you on the floor.”

His smile was slow to spread over his face. As it grew, something warm slid through her belly, warming her from the inside like a pumpkin spice latte on a cool fall night.
Red alert. That’s a ten-forty-two. Charming jock in progress, proceed with caution.
He took her hand in his, shook it once, then let go. Very proper, very simple. And it would have stayed that way had she not looked him in the eye and seen it.
Hunger, as clear as if he were a starving man looking at a T-bone.
And that was the T-bone’s cue to make for the hills.

Following their line of vision, he found the distraction. The damn tennis team, running the perimeter of the football field in some half-assed formation, following their fearless leader. They weren’t looking at the field, weren’t yelling or causing a scene. Just concentrating on keeping up with Chris.
Having been a teenage boy himself, the draw was obvious. Teenage girls. Short shorts. No brainer. At thirty-four, he was past that.
Except his eyes didn’t seem to get the “I’m Too Old For This” memo. They were tracking Chris like a hawk tracks a field mouse.

She’d been given gifts before. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets. Weekend trips to the Bahamas or a day at the spa. Expensive—but meaningless—trinkets that showed Dax didn’t have a clue what to give her, that he didn’t listen to her. Things that could be meant for any woman. Nothing that said she was special, that what she thought and wanted mattered.
A set of aluminum bleachers full of teenage boys meant more than any of those things combined.

His tongue swept in, gentle and sweet, but also intense. She tasted spearmint, like he’d been chewing gum. He smelled like grass from the field.
One hand smoothed a path up her back under her sweatshirt but over her tank. His palm made lazy circles on her back that mimicked the rhythm of their kiss. It was a light, almost reverent touch, and she finally knew what Katie meant when she had once said she loved kissing so much she could do it for hours alone. If this was how it was supposed to be done, sign her up for a marathon event.

(Brett) “Never been to a football game either?” His voice lowered to a gravelly hush. “Well, like I said. We’ll make up for lost time.” He bent down and kissed her. “See you Friday?”
Dazed, all she could contribute was, “Yeah, Friday…” before he turned and went back to his car.
She walked inside, shut the door, leaned her back against it and concentrated on the rise and fall of her chest. It felt like he’d stolen her breath. And her heart. She was pretty sure he had taken a small piece of it with him.

As she relaxed against his chest, he pulled her in closer. Turning her face into his shirt, she breathed in the calming scent that was him. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled into the fabric.
One big hand stroked over her head, down her long ponytail to rub her back in soothing circles. “No, I’m sorry. You’ve told me before it made you uncomfortable and I pushed. That was an asshole move. You’re entitled to your feelings and I shouldn’t fight against them. I’m sorry.” He dropped a kiss on her temple.
And with that little apology, she stepped off the cliff of denial and fell headfirst into love with Brett Wallace.

Purchase Links: Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Protecting Paige by Norah Wilson

Format: E-bookprotectingpaige
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: To Serve and Protect, Book 3
Hero: Tommy Godsoe
Heroine: Paige Harmer
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 20, 2010
Started On: August 27, 2011
Finished On: August 27, 2011

Protecting Paige, book 3 in the To Serve and Protect series explores the story of how a single mother finds much more than she bargained for in the arms of her sexy and younger neighbor that makes for one of my favorite tropes of romance. 34 year old Paige is a product of the foster care system making a life for herself and her 17 year old son Dillon whom she has brought up on her own after her husband had bailed out on her.

Moving to her new neighborhood, Paige discovers that her neighbor, the taciturn Tommy Godsoe who is recovering from an injury to his hip makes her heart go pitter patter right from the start. Younger than her by a couple of years, Tommy is hellbent on isolating himself to lick his wounds both physical and emotional in private. But in Paige, Tommy discovers a force to be reckoned with as she practically storms her way into his life, making him sit up and take notice of her and Dillon and drawing him into their lives with an effortless ease that leaves him stunned.

When things take a sinister turn and both Paige and Dillon’s lives end up in danger in a plot that Tommy couldn’t have dredged up even in his worst nightmares, Tommy knows that he would die trying to keep the woman who means everything to him alive and well, even if it means pushing his body beyond its limits of endurance after the injury.

What drew me in with Protecting Paige was in fact Paige’s character that is hard not to fall in love with. She may not be a beauty in the classic sense but on the inside she is a beauty that few can compete with. Growing up in the foster care system and later being abandoned by her husband of 3 years in favor of alcohol may have left its mark on Paige, but she doesn’t let it define who she is and that’s one of the reasons why I tumbled in love with her character as the story progressed.

Paige is one determined chick when it comes to those she loves and is protective towards and when she sets her sights on her sexy neighbor who could seriously give a Calvin Klein model a run for his money and looks like he is in dire need of some TLC, Paige bulldozes her way into his life, refuses to give him a chance to say no and worms her way into his emotions and heart just like that. I have got to say that Norah has a talent when it comes to consistently delivering heroines that readers can relate to and Paige is in no way an exception to this rule.

Tommy’s character is a sneaky one I tell you. At the beginning he is grumpy, surly and right in your face rude because his life has turned upside down with a work injury from which he doesn’t  hope he would recover from. But beneath all that surly attitude lies a heart that is steeped in fear of never measuring up, of always failing to meet the expectations of those that depend on him; a remnant residue of a childhood spent with a father who had demanded so much more than a little boy was capable of giving. It is Paige who brings a ray of sunshine into the bleak existence of his own making and it is in her that Tommy finds a reason to try again, to not let the blackhole that his life has become consume him until he has nothing left to give.

I loved the action aspect of this novel that explores the use of canines in police work which is a vital facet of the daily grind of law enforcement agencies. The interesting explanations of dog handling, the full of life relationship between a dog and its handler which is explored to just the right extent lent something extra to this novel that made things that much more compelling for me as the reader.

And of course, worthy of a mention is the secondary romance that develops between Dillon and Rachel, a character whose entrance into the story opens up a lot of possibilities. Maybe if we are very lucky, one day, Norah might write a story for Rachel and Dillon. A girl can always hope!

Recommended for fans of the series, fans of Norah Wilson and fans of younger hero and older heroine romances. This one’s seriously good!

Favorite Quotes

Her lips parted on a shocked gasp, and he took full advantage, sweeping into her mouth. She tasted of surprise and cinnamon and an unexpected innocence, which took the edge off his anger, but did nothing to dull the keenness of his intent. He grasped her face, tilting it for better access to her mouth, and proceeded to kiss her with deliberate, frank eroticism. No gentle request, no teasing enticement, no sweet cling of lips. Just pure, driving sexual demand.

Her tongue was in his mouth, and oh, Jesus, God, she tasted good. Like coffee and brandy and woman. Any thought of resistance fled.
She kissed him endlessly, again and again and again, like she was starving. Like she might never get enough. Like she could eat him alive. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever known.

(Danni) “I was kinda busy on the way back, too,” she admitted, her face reddening.
Tommy frowned. “I thought you said Dillon was passed out?”
“He was, but Derek wasn’t.” She grimaced. “I guess he got a little hot and bothered by the action in the back seat and wanted a little for himself.”
“Chrissakes,” exploded Ray. “Did anyone not get blown on this trip?”
Danni’s gaze came up then, her eyes glinting with tears and suppressed anger. “Yeah. Those of us without dicks.”

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Saving Grace by Norah Wilson

Format: E-booksavinggrace
Read with: IBOOKS for IPAD
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: To Serve and Protect, Book 2
Hero: Raymond Morgan
Heroine: Grace Morgan
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 17, 2010
Started On: August 26, 2011
Finished On: August 26, 2011

Saving Grace is book 2 in the To Serve and Protect series by Norah Wilson. If you have already read book 1 i.e. Guarding Suzannah, you would have already met both Ray and Grace Morgan who were a couple even then. At first, I was surprised to know that book 2 would focus on Grace and Ray, a couple who already seemed to have everything going for them. Little did I know that there was indeed a story worth telling, and a lot of hurdles to be crossed before they both could embrace their love for each other in the truest form.

Saving Grace starts at a point that we rarely come across in romance novels. Ray who is reeling from the bombshell that Grace, his wife of 4 years has left him for another man gets the news that Grace has been involved in an accident. Helpless to do anything else, Ray makes his way towards the hospital, reluctant as he is to put his already bruised and battered emotions on the line. There he finds out that Grace has no recollection whatsoever of leaving him, nor that of her association with any other man apart from her husband.

Nursing Grace back to health as she struggles to deal with her memory loss seems to be the cruelest form of torture for Ray who can’t help but feel protective towards his wife even though his heart practically bleeds every time he lays eyes on her. Grace who has no idea of what she has done to earn that cold and distant aloofness that she finds in Ray’s eyes is determined that she wouldn’t lose the man she loves in this world above everything else.

When Ray comes face to face with the fact that both their lives are in danger, and that there is no way of identifying the threat as long as Grace’s memory keeps eluding her, both of them are forced to go into hiding to figure out what to do and to evade those who are hellbent on seeing them buried six feet under. It is this period of forced intimacy that proves to be the pivotal point in the healing process of their relationship, a journey that just left a permanent lump in my throat as I read along.

I loved the way how Norah managed to completely surprise me with this one. I was prepared for more of the same as Guarding Suzannah when I picked this one up. But boy, was I proven wrong right from the first page itself when emotions seeped right through my e-reader and made me impatient to find out every little bit I could about both Ray and Grace. In the end, I couldn’t have asked for a better story, nor a better or more fitting ending for a couple who literally goes through emotional hell and back to finally reach their very well deserved happily ever after. And for someone who rarely cries over books or movies, Norah definitely managed to do just that to me today.

The one thing that totally made the book for me was Ray’s character. From the first page itself, oh wait let me backtrack, ever since I encountered his character in Guarding Suzannah, I have been dying to know what would make the overly polished and controlled Raymond Morgan tick. And Norah certainly delivered on all counts with his character as he totally and irrevocably laid seige on every single emotion I had left to spare and then some. He is tender, generous, kind and on top of all that the way he takes care of Grace even when his heart is being torn into pieces just makes him one of the best heroes ever! And when he does finally let go of his legendary control in the bedroom, all my senses joined up and chanted, “Oh yes Ray baby, you should let go more often!”.

Grace’s character is not one to be left behind as I gush on about the things that worked for me. When I started reading, I was totally prepared to hate Grace’s guts cos in my world, there is nothing worse than hurting a delcious hero for whom my heart just bleeds. But then again, I should have known better and from the moment Grace finds comfort in Ray’s arms whilst at the hospital, I knew absolutely that there was no way that this woman could hurt the man she loves intentionally. I found myself in awe of the way Grace shaped up to a totally new and better version, one with a backbone of steel that earned my wholehearted approval as she sets out to right what she has done wrong and of course make Ray give ALL of himself to her.

Recommended for fans of delicious heroes, fans of romantic suspense and of course fans of the series and Norah Wilson. This is a series that I have a feeling will just continue to get better with each book!

Favorite Quotes

Hot and fierce and impossibly arousing, it was like that day in the car outside the motel. Elemental.
Yes, he was angry; she could feel it in his coiled muscles, taste it in the demand of his mouth and the bite of the hand cupping her head. But it didn’t matter. Anger was honest. Anger was real. Right now, she’d take it.
Ray’s hand raked up under the hem of her loose boxers to squeeze her bottom and she arched into him. Oh, yes, she’d definitely take it!

He caught her hand. “What do you want from me, Grace?”
That was easy. “Everything.” She wanted to touch his chest, but since he held her hand prisoner, she insinuated one leg between his legs, delighting in what it did to his breathing. “I don’t want you to hold anything back. I don’t want you to be so careful with me all the time.”
“Grace….”
“I want you to give me as much as I can take, and then I want you to give me more.”
“Like I did last night?”
His voice was rough, laced with self-disgust. God help her, she’d never loved him more.

“I hope you’re ready for me,” he rasped, rolling her under him, “‘cuz in about five seconds, I’m gonna be inside you.”
“Ray Morgan, I was born ready for you,” she breathed against his ear, even as she guided him to her entrance.
He slid home with one strong thrust. Both of them froze.

Then, suddenly, she was convulsing around him, shimmering, flying apart. Seconds later, he followed, his own release ripping the lid right off his world.
Slowly, like a feather on the breeze, he felt his spirit lilt back and forth until finally it settled to earth again.
Incredible. He’d just had the hottest sex of his life, and he’d had it with his wife of almost five years.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

I-Review: Saints & Sinners by Tatiana March

Format: E-booksaintsandsinners
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: Lone Gulch Series, Book 1
Hero: Eliza Hangreaves
Heroine: Joaquin Pereira
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 31, 2011
Started On: August 25, 2011
Finished On: August 25, 2011

Visitor: What made you pick up Saints and Sinners by Tatiana March?

MBR: I received Saints and Sinners from Tatiana March as a gift. Tatiana March landed on my list of authors to look out for after reading and reviewing her contemporary romance Home for a Soldier which I loved immensely. I am so glad that I received this little goodie from Tatiana because I believe she can do amazing things with this genre if this novella is anything to judge her talents in the American Western historical romance arena by.

Visitor: Tell me a little bit about the hero Joaquin Pereira.

MBR: Joaquin comes from a well to do Mexican family and finds himself living the life of a gun slinger and that of a gambler after believing that he let his childhood friend down in a way that can never be atoned for. Joaquin is the sexy, broody and dangerous type of hero that we all love to read and swoon over and he certainly delivers that sizzle to the story that kept me turning the pages to get more of him!

Visitor: Now tell me a little bit about the heroine Eliza Hargreaves.

MBR: Eighteen year old Eliza is a woman who grows up with her physically and emotionally abusive father who has a thing for fraudulent behavior to aide his lazy and deceitful lifestyle. Eliza is a woman who is scared of the future, who has no idea what the next day would bring in her life. Cowering behind the voluminous clothes that she wears, Eliza tries hard to fade into the background and not draw attention to herself. The only time she allows herself to dream is when she thinks about Joaquin whose flashing smiles contradicts the wealth of pain in his eyes.

Visitor: How does Eliza and Joaquin meet for the first time?

MBR: There is no mention in the novella of how Eliza and Joaquin meets for the first time. Rather, Eliza waits for the moments on Sundays that she catches glimpses of Joaquin right after church, though she would be mortified if Joaquin were ever to find out just how aware she is of his existence.

Visitor: What was it that drew you into the story with Saints and Sinners?

MBR: Saints and Sinners is the first book in the Lone Gulch series and it is the way that Tatiana brings her characters to life and hints at a lot of interesting secondary characters that I would love future stories to be based on that drew me into the story. Both Eliza and Joaquin’s characters and their histories are the types that reel you in and holds your undivided attention until you see them through to their happily ever after.

Visitor: What was it that you liked about Saints and Sinners?

Saints and Sinners in my opinion is a fine introduction into what I foresee is going to be a well thought out western historical romance series which I am definitely going to be keeping an eye on in the time to come.

From both Eliza and Joaquin’s characters that I adored to the secondary characters that lend this novella the extra characterization that makes it a well balanced one, I felt my interest in the town of Luch Gulch grow and my anticipation for the next couple of stories in the series become that more acute as I read along.

One of the things I loved about Saints and Sinners is how Joaquin and Eliza are brought together and the red-hot sexual tension that rages like wildfire between them right from the very start. The way that Joaquin is helplessly drawn towards Eliza and in turn the way Eliza trusts Joaquin enough to guide her through her first foray into physical intimacy held me enthralled and I loved how they both made each other feel.

And I loved how Joaquin was insightful enough to know exactly what Eliza wants and needs in order for her to let go of the fears that rules her life and embrace the world of living with arms wide open. 

Visitor: Is there anything you would want done differently in Saints and Sinners?

MBR: Apart from wanting the story to be lengthier than it is, which always happens if I love what a novella delivers with the story, I have no complaints.

Visitor: Any memorable quotes/scenes from the story you would like to share?

MBR: Definitely!! The bathtub smexing scene is certainly a memorable one and so is the first kiss that Eliza and Joaquin share. *an endless sighing session ensues*. 

Favorite Quotes

Slowly, Joaquin leaned in, drawn closer to her against his will. Pursing his lips, he breathed warm air across her cheeks, like animals do when they learn each other’s scent, learn to trust. “Easy now,” he whispered in between the soft puffs of air. “Let go of the fear.”
“I can’t,” she said, in a little broken voice that clenched at his heart.
“Yes you can.” Joaquin let his lips touch her skin, the merest hint of a contact. She made a tiny sound of alarm, a cross between a sob and a cry. He brushed his mouth against hers. A shudder shook her body, but she pressed into him, seeking his shelter. Keeping his hands braced to the timber, he deepened the kiss. His mouth slanted over hers, bolder now.
Her hands rose between them and fisted into his shirt.

How in hell had a casual embrace turned into an all-consuming kiss?
Edgy and rattled, Joaquin stalked back to his cantina, The Watering Hole. Reluctantly, he accepted it had been one of those moments his mother used to call earthquake moments—they were not significant events, but deep down you knew that the repercussions could alter the course of your life.

Nudging her legs apart with one knee, he poised himself above her. “Do you want it fierce and powerful?” he asked in a husky tone.
She nodded.
He pushed inside her in one swift thrust and waited for her to react, to welcome him. Her legs rose to coil around his hips. She clung to his shoulders. Her body tightened, holding him in, wanting him.

Visitor: Who would you recommend Saints and Sinners to?

MBR: Definitely to fans of American-Western historical romances and fans of Tatiana March. This is a novella well worth your time of you have around an hour to spare. 

Purchase Links: Amazon | AllRomanceEbooks | Smashwords

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