Category / Toe Curler!!

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Where There’s Smoke by M. J. Fredrick

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: Seth Escamilla
Heroine: Lauren Stokes
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: March 11, 2008
Started On: August 4, 2011
Finished On: August 5, 2011

Where There’s Smoke is MJ Fredrick’s first published title and is of the friends-to-lovers trope that I adore. Combining together the complications that arise when two people who have always been friends find themselves in unchartered territory together with the added complications of two families who have been friends and much more through the years finds betrayal of the worst kind lurking right amongst them, Where There’s Smoke is a contemporary romance that delivers a lot of emotional angst which I absolutely reveled in.

26 year old Lauren Stokes is an only child whose parents have never been overly demonstrative with each other or with their daughter. Lauren had always got her fix of coddling from her best friend Seth Escamilla’s mother with the two families going a long way back with both their fathers being best friends and working at the same fire house.

Seth who is a fireman himself works under Lauren’s father and has always followed his own father’s footsteps all his life. The one secret that he knows about his father puts a severe strain on their relationship and it definitely does a number on his confidence about his ability to remain faithful to one woman for a long period of time.

When Seth starts noticing the little details about his best friend Lauren like how wonderful her hair smells and how much of a bliss it would be to have her long legs wrapped around him in a lover’s embrace, Seth knows that he should keep his distance and forget that he ever thinks of getting hot and heavy with the last person in the world he would want to hurt.

Lauren doesn’t know exactly when her feelings for Seth started to change but she has been living with the fact that a drop-dead gorgeous specimen of a man like Seth would never settle for a woman like her and has resigned herself to being his friend for the rest of her life until Seth’s  changing feelings towards her puts things in a whole new perspective.

Suddenly, it is all Lauren and Seth can do to keep their hands off each other and when they stop trying to resist the pull that is between them, boy do the sparks fly then. Seth brings such a wicked quality to the sensual journey that they both take together and there were times when I wanted to call up the fire department because of the high level of steam these two generate in the bedroom. And that dancing scene at the wedding reception; I swear my insides were still sizzling even two hours afterwards!

But of course, things hardly remain the same when sex enters the equation of a life-long friendship and it is these changes that are hard for Seth to take in as he starts to doubt his ability to be good enough for someone like Lauren. The easy camaraderie that has always existed between them starts to wan as Seth pulls away from their relationship, wanting to spare Lauren the hurt of his betrayal when he ends up doing just the opposite.

Filled with family drama that tends to put more strain on their “relationship”, it is a tough road that both Lauren and Seth takes towards their happily ever after, especially for Seth who does a lot of soul searching to finally accept who he is in reality.

Where There’s Smoke is a novel that brings home the fact that no matter how old you might be, the skirmishes between your parents can always inevitably hurt you, no matter how much they might try to spare you the pain. It also brings to light just how painful a betrayal it would be to find out that the person who has shared your life for so long is not the person you really thought they were and it just hurt a place deep inside of me to read about it.

Where There’s Smoke is not just simply a romance novel that tells of how one day Seth and Lauren finds themselves undeniably in lust with one another and things proceed from lust to love in zero seconds flat. Rather than that, MJ Fredrick puts forth the complexities involved in the change of dynamics from a life-long friendship to something much more and how eventually these two work things out.

The only reason that this one doesn’t get a five-star rating is because I would have definitely loved a bit more grovelling on Seth’s part before Lauren had given in to his declaration of love in the end. And would have dearly loved an epilogue to show how life fares for those left behind in the wake of all the drama that unfolded in the story which would have made this a more satisfying read all around.

Favorite Quotes

Lauren opened the door. No high-heeled boots today. She looked fresh out of bed, rumpled, messy in a sweatshirt and plaid flannel pants, fluffy slippers. His Lauren.
And instead of being relieved, he stepped inside, cupped her face in both his hands, and kissed her.
Oh, man. She was minty and soft, and her lips parted in surprise under his. He had enough wits to give her a couple of seconds before he tilted her head and took the kiss deeper. She made a sound that might have been protest, and he started to pull back, but then she wound her arms around his neck and brushed her tongue over his lower lip. He accepted the invitation.

Her voice had dropped, soft and low, and curled through his blood, which traveled south in response. He took a step closer, trailing his fingers up the collar of the jacket to her throat. Her lips parted in surprise, in unquestioning invitation, his own tingled in anticipation.

He opened his eyes to see her rise over him, drag her teeth over her bottom lip. He’d never seen anything so sexy. He gripped her hips and lifted his own, thrusting into her body once, twice, three times before shattering, completely losing himself, his mind and soul fragmenting, his body melting into the mattress.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

awesomeread

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sunrise Over Texas by M. J. Fredrick

Format: E-booksunriseovertexas
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: George Trace Watson
Heroine: Katherine Barclay
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 6, 2010
Started On: August 2, 2011
Finished On: August 2, 2011

This week’s Tuesday started like any other day except for the fact that I had this sudden urge or should I say craving?, to read Sunrise Over Texas by MJ Fredrick. I don’t know how or why, and I am not even going to question the urge to do so because Sunrise Over Texas turned out to be wonderful in all the ways that counts.

Taking place in the Texas frontier in 1826, Sunrise Over Texas tells the story of the remarkable Katherine Barclay (Kit) who fights for survival every minute of the day as the only one left behind along with her mother-in-law Agnes and sister-in-law Mary at the garrison standing guard between the Karankawa tribe and Stephen Austin’s colony of San Felipe. With the food supply depleting with each meal, Kit struggles to keep things going, no mean feat when her in-laws have always lived in the lap of luxury and are not much of a help when it comes to practicalities. Mourning for the death of her husband followed by that of her young son Daniel, the last thing Kit wants is for a stranger to ride up to their “safe” haven and for her to take on the responsibility of nursing him back to health.

George Trace Watson left home to get away from the memories of his dead wife and his stillborn child. When he finds himself raging with fever and nursed back to health by Kit, the first thing he notices about her is her sheer determination to go on against all odds. Though Trace doesn’t want to get involved, much less be responsible for the safety of three women, the honorable man inside of him refuses to turn his back on them, especially when Kit herself stirs up longings that he thought he had buried with his wife.

Though guilt-ridden by the fact that he feels things for Kit he should not, even that doesn’t stop him from embracing the desire that unfurls between them right from the very start. Kit whose take-charge attitude in life also extends to the bedroom makes for very interesting and provocative scenes of passion with a much laid-back Trace who fits her quirks in the bedroom and out of it in every way.

Towards the end of the book, I had a knot the size of Texas in my throat from all the emotions that coursed through me as Kit faced one hurdle after the other and came out winning and stronger than ever only to nearly be turned away by the man who owns her heart because of the fear that rules over his emotions of ever being too vulnerable again.

For me, Kit is the best thing about this western romance. Although I loved Trace to bits, his gentle and giving nature making it hard not to, it is Kit whose inner strength that drew me like a moth to flame, because her character demands nothing less. Its not easy for an author to write a heroine who manages to outshine the hero when majority of readers like us swoon over the hero just because he merely breathes and I can’t help but send high praise MJ Fredrick’s way for being able to do just that without making me feel cheated out on any aspect of the story.

Its hard to believe that this is her first historical because the story flows smoothly and the characters just tug at your heartstrings, making Sunrise Over Texas a wonderful western romance to sink into.

Highly recommended for fans of the genre and fans of MJ Fredrick.

As soon as I post this, I am scurrying off to acquire every available e-book by MJ Fredrick because I find myself with no will left to resist the lure of her books at this moment.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Carina Press

amazingread

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Turn It Up by Inez Kelley

Format: E-bookturnitup
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: Dr. Sabastian William Talbot
Heroine: Charlie Ann Pierce
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 1, 2011
Started On: July 19, 2011
Finished On: July 20, 2011

Turn It Up by Inez Kelley set to release on the 1st of August 2011 is a contemporary romance that teases the senses, that had me up till the wee hours of the morning on a work night, unable to wrench myself away from a story that held my undivided attention as self-professed sex expert Charlie Ann Pierce finally finds in Dr. Sabastian William Talbot, her best friend, a man worth giving the key that unlocks the iron armored suit that has guarded her heart all her life.

Having being best of friends for the past 6 years hasn’t diminished the fact that there is a tangible zing of sexual chemistry between the hosts of Let’s Talk about Sex with Dr. Hot (Sabastian) and the Honeypot (Charlie), one of the fastest growing talk shows in the tristate area. Sabastian is a man who has forever in his mind, who wants the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids that he is unable to have, the reason that his fairytale marriage had ended after almost 11 years together.

Charlie is the complete opposite, the one who uses sex as a weapon and as a shield against stronger and deeper emotions, the one who can’t even think of a future together with another person because forever is a word that has never existed in her vocabulary. Though Charlie cannot say that she hasn’t lusted after Bastian on more than one occasion, she is never going to jeopardize the one relationship in her life that she counts on – or so she thinks until Bastian reveals the secret he has been hiding for the past 14 months which turns her life completely upside down.

Suddenly, all Charlie can think about is how good and completely at home she feels in Bastian’s arms, a fact that scares her and compels her to want to explore the fire that has always been between them which rages completely out of control as Charlie lets her emotions run free for the very first time. But the one problem standing in her way of getting what she lusts after is Bastian himself who refuses to make love to the woman he adores until she agrees to put his ring on her finger, for now and forever.

So starts the race for Wed or Bed with their fans listening on, trying to see who would come out on top as both Bastian and Charlie pulls out all the stops to make the other give in. Filled with moments that made me groan with sheer frustration from the number of times that Bastian pulls back before he completely loses his control and at the same time made me wish I could show both of them just how right they were for each other, Turn It Up is a story that definitely lives up to its name.

Bastian is a hero that I flat-out adored right from the very start when he tosses the question “Did you just have an orgasm?” at Charlie which had me LOL-ing before I knew it. I loved Bastian for his unwavering love for a woman who so needs it, for  being strong enough to endure and give Charlie something that she has never had the opportunity to experience up until Bastian starts his campaign to woo her into his life one mind-numbing kiss at a time.

Though I completely never warmed up to Charlie because for me her love for Bastian doesn’t even compare to the way he completely adores her, I still enjoyed her character as Honeypot and the definite sizzle and fun that she brings into the story with her snazzy nature. The vulnerable woman that resides deep inside of Charlie is someone I would have loved to see more of before the story was through.

Definitely much lighter than Sweet as Sin, Turn It Up is a must-read for fans of contemporary romances and fans of Inez Kelley. I am definitely queuing up to read Caz’s story which according to Inez would be available on her website on the day of release of this delightful read.

Favorite Quotes

No one knew him better and he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
He loved her to distraction.
He wanted her with an obsession.
He treasured her like Fort Knox.
He was in hard-on hell.

His name was a sigh as his lips sank to her throat. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, bowing up into his body. Orange and clove essence filled her nose and she burned, a fiery flame starving for fuel only he could provide. The want licked along her bones as his mouth warmed the curve of her breast. Her seduction had been turned and now she was being seduced.

by mvbookreviewer

I-Review: Satisfaction Guaranteed by Tori Scott

Format: E-booksatisfactionguaranteed1
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Series: Satisfaction, Book 1
Hero: Grayson Montgomery
Heroine: Caramia Kensington
Sensuality: 3
Published On: July 13, 2011
Started On: July 31, 2011
Finished On: July 31, 2011

Visitor: What made you pick up Satisfaction Guaranteed by Tori Scott?

MBR: It was quite by chance that I stumbled upon Satisfaction Guaranteed by Tori Scott. I follow author MJ Fredrick on Twitter and it was she who tweeted about this novella which caught my eye, and seeing that it was for just 0.99 $, of course me being me, I just had to buy it.

Visitor: Tell us a little bit about the hero Grayson Montgomery.

MBR: Successful in his own right, Grayson has just turned 30 years old and is biding his time until the woman he loves turns 30 so that he can take her up on the promise that she made to him 15 years ago, before she left town and broke his heart.

Visitor: Now tell us a little bit about the heroine Caramia Kensington.

MBR: Caramia is the owner of Satisfaction Guaranteed and is going to turn 30 years old when the clock strikes the midnight hour. She is ambitious and always had been and had turnd her back on what Grayson had offered when they were fifteen years old because her ambitions didn’t feature her married, pregnant and barefoot before her teens were through.

Visitor: How does Caramia and Grayson meet for the first time?

MBR: Caramia and Grayson both grow up together going to the same school. There is no particular mention in the book of how they meet for the first time.

Visitor: What was it that drew you into the story with Satisfaction Guaranteed?

MBR: I found myself really fascinated with the secondary story that was taking place as I read along. The desire that the poor preacher’s daughter feels for the rich man whose childhood had been far from ideal makes for a very interesting premise and I couldn’t get enough of both Regina Baker and Sam Hyatt as I delved deeper into the story.

Visitor: What was it that you liked about Satisfaction Guaranteed?

MBR: I liked the fact that Tori Scott did a pretty decent job of developing her characters and built up the sensual vibe between Grayson and Caramia before plunging them both into the physical aspect of their relationship. It made the connection between them more endearing and realistic to me.

And of course, I absolutely loved the tidbits of Sam and Regina’s shared childhood that were brought into the story. They definitely have a story that is worth telling and am glad that the sequel to this entitled Perfectly Satisfied is going to quench my thirst for their story.

Visitor: Is there anything you would want done differently in Satisfaction Guaranteed?

MBR: Not really. I felt that Tori Scott has done a fairly good job out of telling a well rounded story in such a limited number of pages and it worked for me.

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

MBR: I liked the bits where Grayson seemed totally in tune with Caramia so much that he knows exactly the stuff she’s made out of and gently draws her into his circle of love that in the end Caramia found as irresistible as I found it to be.

Visitor: Who would you recommend Satisfaction Guaranteed to?

MBR: Satisfaction Guaranteed is great for a quick read in between those emotionally draining novels. A novella that flows smoothly and leaves you begging for more. Recommended for fans of novellas and fans of reunion romances.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

greatread

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Soul Survivor by Misty Evans

Format: E-booksoulsurvivor
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Lost Worlds, Book 1
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Rife St. Cloud
Heroine: Keva Moon Water
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: June 20, 2011
Started On: July 30, 2011
Finished On: July 30, 2011

FBI Special Agent Rife St. Cloud is on vacation back in Wolf River, Oregon his hometown when a ritualistic killer leaves behind 6 dead women, all Native American with matching tattoos carved right above their left breast. Someone who has extensive knowledge in native languages and religion and having worked as a profiler for the past 5 years, the symbols carved into the dead women stirs unease deep in his gut until one of the women stirs back into life leaving him with more questions than answers.

Keva Moon Water is an immortal, someone who has walked the Earth for thousand years, waiting for the soul of the love of her life who had died from her hands to be reincarnated. Kai is the warrior who was sent to kill her if she didn’t marry Kai’s half-brother and had fallen in love with her instead. But Keva underestimates their mutual enemy’s dark obsession with her, someone whose willing to travel across time to finally claim what he has always considered his to do with as he pleases.

Though Keva longs to embrace the man who stands in front of her, her beloved Kai whom she has been waiting to see for a thousand years, the doubt that clouds Rife’s eyes whenever the subject comes up has Keva reeling back in pain. But even Rife who lets his life be led by logic and evidence cannot deny the flood of need that Keva opens up deep inside of him and neither can he deny the memories that keep taunting him to take a step beyond the realms of reality as he knows it and believe in the impossible for once in his life.

Soul Survivor is a story that spans a time period of thousand years and takes the reader on a journey of love that has withstood the test of time, heartache, loneliness and pain. It tells of a man’s obsession with possessing ultimate power in his hands for his own purposes and how ultimately good wins over evil, not without a few sacrifices along the way.

Rife McCloud is a strong and determined hero, definitely the type warriors are made out of, and Rife in the form of Kai, the warrior that lays claim on Keva the High Chieftess of the Salt Coast Clan just about took my breathe away. In Keva Rife finds a woman whose strength rivals and matches his, whose determination and courage to do what’s right leaves him in awe. The passion and need for each other that is so much a part of both of them is never too far, always prodding them along to reach new heights, to embrace a love that has traveled so far in its need to be embraced by two people who so very much need it.

A story that cleverly combines and weaves together the past and present, with two people courageous enough to face the impossible, Soul Survivor is a novel highly recommended for fans of time-travel romances with a twist.

Favorite Quotes

She drew a finger through her blood and then through his, mixing them. “Our souls are bound forever, warrior.”
Primal power raced through him and he ripped the bonds around his wrists free from the spruce. His muscled arms encircled her, forcing her to the ground underneath him. As she opened her legs to him, he drove inside her. She cried out, but it was with pleasure and passion.

by mvbookreviewer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

outstandingread

by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Only Mine by Susan Mallery

Format: E-book
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Series: Fool’s Gold, Book 4
Hero: Finn Andersson
Heroine: Dakota Hendrix
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 26, 2011
Started On: July 23, 2011
Finished On: July 24, 2011

If not for a request for review from Little Bird Publicity I would most probably have passed up on reading and acquainting myself with the wonderful and wholesome world that Susan Mallery seems to have created so well in her Fool’s Gold series. As I glided along into the 4th book of the series with no prior introduction into the first 3 books, I didn’t feel unwelcome but rather felt that I was amongst old friends whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, familiar and soothing in its own right that had me falling gently in love as I read along.

28 year old Dakota Hendrix is a triplet, and comes from a family of six siblings, her family being one of the first generation families in Fool’s Gold, California. Fool’s Gold is a town that has shot to fame after a student doing her thesis on human geography had discovered the fact that in Fool’s Gold there is a serious lack of men when both sexes are compared in numbers.

A PHD holder who specializes in childhood development, Dakota has no idea why she is entrusted with the job of looking out for the interests of the citizens of Fool’s Gold in the project undertaken by Hollywood’s attempt to make money out of their town’s lack of men.

When Finn Andersson with his black hair and piercing blue eyes storms into the scene demanding that his younger twin brothers Sasha and Stephen who have signed up to be part of the reality show True Love or Fool’s Gold be released from the show, Dakota has no idea that Finn would be the man to stir up her juices and get her to notice the attention her inactive libido seems to be dishing out to the sexy stranger.

Finn who hails from South Salmon, Alaska is determined that his younger brothers would not ruin their lives by setting out on a fool’s errand. Finn is a man who takes his responsibilities very seriously, some might say a bit too seriously considering the fact that he had had to grow up overnight to take care of his 13 year old younger brothers when his parents had died in a plane crash 8 years back.

When Finn realizes that the twins won’t budge from where they stand, he does the next best thing a protective older brother would do; decide to stay around in Fool’s Gold to keep an eye on them until they realize the error of their ways. However, things rarely have a way of turning out as one plans them and this is exactly what happens when Finn finds himself looking forward to staying around in Fool’s Gold, thanks to the number Dakota plays on his baser and more tender emotions.

Only Mine is not just the story of how Finn and Dakota falls in love and finds their happily ever after. Rather, its a story that intrinsically weaves together the beauty that is small town life, the wonderful togetherness one finds inside the warm circle of loving family members and friends and the realization of the hopes of a woman who dreams of holding a child that belongs to her in all the ways. It is a story that tells the struggle of a woman who wants to stand up for herself and finds love and the strength to do so in the most unexpected of places. And last of all, Only Mine shows us the beauty of a relationship that is based on sharing the burdens of life together, and that love does triumph over every other emotion in the end.

I loved a lot of things about Only Mine. First of all the soothing feel to the story that unfolded was truly appreciated. True, there were emotionally charged moments and times where I was in dire need of a tall glass of iced water to quench the heat coursing through me. But ultimately, the one thing that does shine through is the fact that Only Mine is a novel that soothes and provokes your emotions at the same time, making you feel like you are snuggled up in bed on a rainy day with a warm cup of tea right by your side.

All the characters in this story, whether they were around for the long haul or just popped up in between were endearing in their own rights and lent the story the charm that it fully exudes in spades. The secondary story of the unexpected love between Stephen and the 9 years older Aurelia certainly made things more interesting. The details and the emotions that the author fully describes about the heroine’s attempts at overcoming the limitations that PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) imposes on her life and the way she wins over them hit close to home as I am someone who suffers from the same condition.

At times funny, charming and endearing, Only Mine is a novel recommended for those who are fans of Susan Mallery; those that love a soothing, feel-good romance with in-depth characterization and fans of the Fool’s Gold series.

Favorite Quotes

Dakota touched her (mother’s) arm. “I’m dealing. Most days it’s okay. Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed. Maybe if I’d been in a relationship, I wouldn’t have felt so unlovable.”
“You’re not unlovable. You’re beautiful and smart and fun to be with. Any man would be lucky to have you.”
That’s what I tell myself. Apparently the entire gender is blind and stupid.”

She welcomed him, wrapping her legs around his hips and drawing him closer. Usually she closed her eyes, but this time she kept them open, watching him watch her.
They were connected. She felt what he felt, knew his anticipation, experienced the tension. As he got closer, so did she. The need for more grew until there was nothing to do but come together.
She clung to him as he held on to her. The night closed around them until it seemed as if they had always been together and that they could never ever be apart.

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

amazingread

CONTEST!!!!!

only-mine-all-mine-header.jpg

Susan Mallery is holding a contest up on her website from 1st August till the 1st of September 2011 entitled “ONLY MINE … All Mine”.

The contest will be open to all members of Susan’s website who sign-up for a chance to win. It will begin August 1st and will end September 1st, 2011.  Once the contest has ended one lucky winner will be randomly drawn. The one lucky winner will receive a signed “exclusive first look” at Susan’s new Fool’s Gold Christmas e-novella (so fresh it doesn’t even have a title yet) and a man shortage t-shirt.

Signing up is so easy. Just visit: http://www.susanmallery.com/members/contest.php!

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Smooth Irish by Jennifer Saints

Format: E-booksmoothirish
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Between Your Sheets Publishing
Series: Weldon Series, Book 2
Hero: Jackson Weldon
Heroine: Nancy Miller
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: December 8, 2009
Started On: July 22, 2011
Finished On: July 23, 2011

It is a very rare occurrence for me these days to start on the next book of a series by an author before taking a break in between. However, I found myself tempted to skip my ‘rule’ and go ahead with the 2nd book in the Weldon series, to find out for myself whether the passion between the grieving widower Jackson Weldon and Nancy Miller would be as explosive in reality as I had envisioned it in my mind after practically storming through the sensuous scenes of passion in the 1st book of the series.

35 year old Jackson is the eldest sibling of the 4 Weldon brothers in Savannah, Georgia. Jackson is a man still grieving for the untimely death of his wife Amy and blames himself for her death which prevents him from joining the living world. Jackson creates for himself a rut in which he is more than comfortable in, and lets the music that runs in his soul do the rest for him. With no aim or plans in his life to pave the way forward, Jackson stumbles into each day as it arrives until he meets his sister-in-law’s best friend Nan who makes his heart beat in anticipation for the very first time since the death of his wife.

30 year old Nan is goal-oriented if nothing else and plans her life to achieve those goals which will take her further and further away from the wanting little girl who lived and grew up in a less than stellar trailer on the backside of a country road. Dedicated to her profession as a nurse, Nan rarely gives herself time to stop and smell the roses, always focused on reaching the next step of her plan.

When Nan meets the sexy as sin older brother of Jesse Weldon, her best friend’s husband at her wedding, for the first time she finds for herself the lure of sexual attraction though she makes herself walk away from Jackson and his aimless life once she finds out that there is no future to be had with the man.

Three months since she walked out on him and the memories of the feverish kisses they shared still linger on, haunting her and teasing her to taste what she never let herself fall for during the brief time they had dated. With her dreams and fantasies escalating out of control each passing day, Nan finds herself saying yes to one weekend of decadent pleasure in the arms of the one man who has the ability to turn her mind to mush and makes her body hum in pleasure.

But when reality comes knocking at the door, Nan is once again forced to face the fact that Jackson with his past haunting him is not the man for her though she may have fallen head over heels in love with him. Its up to both Jackson and Nan to want each other and love one another enough to move past beyond the shackles of the past and to face the future that would be the stuff fantasies and dreams are made of if they were to face it together.

I have to say that being still on the high left over from Jesse and Alexia’s story, I felt a tad disappointed with how Smooth Irish unfolded though this one also made a favorable impression on me. Jackson and Nan were both endearing characters whose passion for each other draws them together, no matter how much Nan tries to prevent herself from walking into disaster with both eyes open.

Jackson is a tortured hero, who hides a wealth of pain and guilt behind a facade of charm that refuses to be hidden from Nan who makes short work of opening up his wounds that have continued to fester rather than heal during the 4 years Jackson has tried to forget the pain with which he lives.

For me, the passion between Nan and Jackson wasn’t as explosive as I hoped it would be, but still Jennifer Saints has added mouth watering scenes of passion that brings out her talent in delivering the readers with sensuous scenes of love that would remain with them for a long time.

Its good to know that though this is the last published book in the Weldon Series for now, Jennifer plans on making additions to it which would be well received by its fans.

Smooth Irish is a book that goes down like a tall, cool glass of water on a sweltering hot day and leaves you begging for more!

Recommended for those who have read book 1 and are dying to get their hands on book 2; for those who love stories with tortured grieving widowed heroes and for those who are fans of Jennifer Saints who writes under the pseudonyms J.L. Saint and Jennifer St. Giles.

Favorite Quotes

“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.”
Gary Zukav, author

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Falling Hard by J.K. Coi

Format: E-bookfallinghard
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Standalone
Hero: Gabriel Gunn
Heroine: Amelia White
Sensuality: 3.5
Publication Date: July 18, 2011
Started On: July 17, 2011
Finished On: July 18, 2011

Falling Hard by J.K. Coi which has released today from Carina Press as I write my review is a novel that combines a well developed ethereal world which delves into the heart of an age old struggle between angels who want the ultimate freedom from the emotionless shackles that have bound them for millennia.

30 year old Gabriel Gunn has no idea of the freakish hell his life is about to turn into when he walks out of a club with his best friend and band manager David. Within minutes Gabriel lies in a pool of his own blood after watching the horrific attack on David take the very life out of him. Rescue comes in the form of a woman whose mere presence makes Gabriel feel alive, the same kind of energy he only feels when he sings. What Gabriel doesn’t know is that the woman who rescues her is an angel who has sworn to protect Gabriel at all costs, even if it means giving up her own life for the cause.

Amelia White has been tasked with the job of watching over Gabriel for the past 30 years during which time she has looked over upon the trials and tribulations that has shaped the man that stands before her now. Knowing that Gabriel’s very soul holds the key that could unlock the angel’s realm and give them the freedom that they have been stripped bare of a long time back, Amelia knows that safeguarding Gabriel is going to be the toughest mission she might have undertaken yet, as her senses start to come alive and emotions that Amelia is sure she is not capable of feeling starts pricking and poking at her to give in.

It is a journey filled with twists and turns filled with potholes that Gabriel and Amelia embark upon to find a way out of the mess Gabriel finds himself in. With rogue angels hunting them down at every turn and with Amelia’s own fears and insecurities to battle with Gabriel finds himself with more questions than answers about his mysterious guardian angel who makes him want as he has never wanted before. But that doesn’t stop him from realizing and embracing the fact that life as he knew it is never to be again as he stands in the midst of a game of tug of war between the good and the bad angels. The ultimate showdown would mean that Gabriel would have to embrace his darker side which would in turn mean his death at the hands of the avenger who happens to be the angel who owns his heart, body and soul.

Falling Hard is a book that plunged me deep into a world that had me fascinated right from the very beginning. Amelia with her sparkling beauty and the emotions that she fights so much at the beginning is a heroine who would go to any lengths to protect the man that she loves. The concept of the heroine being the protector was a novel experience which I loved, though that doesn’t mean Gabriel is a man who would willingly step aside and let a woman do all the work.

Gabriel is the perfect rock star hero material, intense, broody and energetic, a man who is buried so deep in regrets of his past that blinds him to any other emotion except pain, anger and sadness until Amelia lights up his world with her aura. It is Gabriel’s intensity that I was drawn towards right from the very beginning which was complemented by the calm serenity that is Amelia.

The passion between Gabriel and Amelia is scorching in its intensity and though not explicit in nature it had me fluttery in all the right places. J.K. Coi has certainly penned a splendid romance with paranormal elements that gives the story that unfolds an extra edge that makes this unputdownable. The ending does make me wonder whether J.K. Coi plans to start off a series with this novel as there are lots of secondary characters that I would love to know more about.

Recommended for fans of the genre and fans of J.K. Coi.

Favorite Quotes

Her scent took him off guard. Spicy and sweet. Intoxicating but casual – the most dedicated virgin and the most celebrated siren wrapped up in one deceptive little package.

Her purposeful movements made him want to dig his fingers into the silk of her hair and muss her up. He vowed to be the one to unsettle her. He wanted to make her pulse hammer beneath that smooth skin and force those lips to part on high gasps of unexpected pleasure.

His soft lips felt sinful, so incredible. She moaned and Gabriel responded in kind, pressing for more, sliding his tongue over the seam of her lips before slipping inside to sweep her mouth. Again and again until she matched him, giving him her tongue so they they dueled together in a slick, sensual challenge.

His heart beat strong and fast beneath her palm. His breathing had quickened, too, blowing against her nape in short, heated blasts. “You’ve got me wound tighter than I’ve ever been, Amelia. You piss me off quicker than anyone else can. And you push every one of my buttons. I look at you and I want to make you feel the same way—edgy, uncertain and desperate.”

by mvbookreviewer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

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

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

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Lyrical Press 

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