Category / Tortured Hero

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O’Reilly

Format: E-bookssu
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Those Sexy O’Sullivans, Book 2
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Daniel O’Sullivan
Heroine: Catherine Montefiore
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: June 1, 2008
Started On: August 5, 2010
Finished On: August 7, 2010

I read this book upon coming across this title in a discussion forum on Amazon. If I hadn’t come across this title in such a manner, most probably I wouldn’t have given this book a second glance because the cover as well as its synopsis doesn’t do justice to what a great story this book really is. I guess the old adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover” holds true for this title. Not that the book doesn’t have enough sensuality and passion to make your toes curl, but the story that unfolds when you start reading is a lot more than just sex and what goes behind closed doors, but rather how someone who has promised himself that he would stay faithful to the memory of his dead wife for seven long years, finds out that love can happen not only once in your life, but twice.

Daniel’s wife Michelle was killed in the September 11 attacks. An auditor/accountant by profession, Daniel likes his life to be ordered and balanced as the spreadsheets that he works with. The ring that he still wears on his left hand is a testament to his need to stay faithful to the memory of the one woman who was definitely made for him. Seven years on, his brothers Gabe and Sean are tired of the fact that Daniel always seems so haunted with an air of desolate sadness that always hangs around him. And so they together with Gabe’s girlfriend Tessa badger Daniel until he agrees to go to the Hamptons during the weekend to a retreat with a bunch of lawyer friends of Sean.

Catherine Montefiore works in the Montefiore auction house for her grandfather. A little on the curvy side with a talent for drawing which she keeps hidden from her mother and those close to her, Catherine comes across a hunk of a man sitting quietly on the beach of her grandfather’s beach house in the Hamptons. From the moment Catherine lays eyes on Daniel, she knows that he is a man who hides behind a wealth of sorrow that seems to linger all around him. And when Daniel strikes up a conversation with Catherine, Daniel is surprised to find how easy it is to be with the quiet and unassuming woman who all of a sudden seems to be calling to his baser nature.

Before the weekend is through, Daniel and Catherine end up having great sex, which they both know have no chance of growing into something further. And when Catherine sees Daniel put back his wedding ring on, she jumps to the worst conclusions and beats herself up about having the most fabulous sex of her life with a married man.

It is when trouble crops up at the Montefiore Auction House over a matter of price fixing with another competitive auctioneer, a crime which seems to be pointing towards Catherine’s beloved grandfather that Daniel’s firm is called in to audit and find out what has been going on. When Daniel and Catherine meet again, Daniel knows that he needs to come clean with Catherine about his dead wife, if for no reason other than the fact that he wants all Catherine has to give, even if he is not ready to let the memory of his dead wife go.

Catherine at first refuses to start an affair in which she knows she would end up getting hurt by falling in love with a man who has nothing left to give, but then again the temptation that Daniel provides is so hard to say no to as well. Once Catherine decides to live a little and go headlong into the affair with eyes wide open, Daniel starts to heal little by little and being happy becomes easier as time passes.

This was a wonderful story, definitely worth your time. Kathleen O’Reilly has done a splendid job with the character development that makes this Blaze an unforgettable one. And oh my! I didn’t know that auditors/accountants could be so HOT!!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Amazon Lily by Theresa Weir

Format: E-bookamazonlily
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Mobipocket Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Pocket Books
Hero: Asher Adams
Heroine: Corey McKinney
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication:  October 1, 1988
Started On: July 17, 2010
Finished On: July 19, 2010

This is another book that was recommended on the Amazon discussion forum having similar story lines to that of Wild Orchids by Karen Robards. Though the book lacked the adventure part that I was looking for, this book was a wonderful romance, one filled with heart pounding tension and enough love to clutch at your heartstrings.

Corey a girl from small town Pleasant Grove, Illinois,  makes her way to the Amazon jungle on a mission. The congregation of Corey’s church was considering funding a reserve called San Revs which was located deep in the Amazon jungle. But before the funding could be approved, the church elders had insisted upon sending a representative to South America to personally meet with the reserve’s owner, George Dupree, and bring back a thorough report. Corey had fast talked her way into the job at hand with her degree in social work and her year of practical nursing to back her credentials.

When the bush pilot Mike Jones, who is supposed to pick her up gets late, Corey finds herself with Asher Adams, a man so virile that from the first glance itself that Corey knows that he is not the type of man you mess around with. Asher makes no secret of the fact that he hates the damn do-gooders  who come looking for adventure or  to ogle at the “savages” that inhabit the deep recesses of the jungle. Asher is a man who has toughened up to life in more ways than one. Brought up in a foster home with his brother Luke, Asher had always been labeled as the bad seed, the one who always got into a shitload of trouble.

But when his brother Luke, who could compete for a position up amongst the angels for all his humanitarian work goes missing in the Amazon, Asher leaves everything behind and goes on the hunt for his brother who has been everything to him in his life. Three years on though he doesn’t give up on his search, Asher suffers from bouts of Malarial fever, a testament to just how much the living jungle can take from a human life.

Corey, having led a suitably staid and boring life and expected to get married to her best friend Todd has never encountered anyone like Asher in her life. His larger than life presence with the fascinating  tattoo on his shoulder that blatantly shouted out “Born to raise hell”, Asher never fails to invoke the most extreme emotions in Corey. The sizzling white hot attraction that takes Corey unawares and battles with every step of the way, whilst Asher who tries to label all that he feels for the delectable woman by his side as lust is something worth sinking into.

With time and understanding, Corey finds herself strangely drawn to the rough around the edges Asher who would rather act tough than own up to the fact that deep inside is a heart of gold, incapable of watching someone suffer. Though Asher would not admit to it, Corey knows that he is a humanitarian through and through and the analogy doesn’t sit well with Asher when Corey blurts it out.

The night that Corey gets drunk on an aphrodisiac potion and tries to seduce Asher is one of the best parts of the book. All in all, loved every minute of the book, especially how it ended with the Asher and Corey going their separate ways before finally coming together which made this book one of the best reads!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sarah’s Child by Linda Howard

Format: E-booksarahschild
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Spencer-Nyle Company Series, Book 1
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Rome Matthews
Heroine: Sarah Harper
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 1985
Started On: June 22, 2010
Finished On: June 23, 2010

This is the third time that I read this story and I have to say that this is one story that doesn’t get old for me ever. People have mixed feelings about this novel. Some hate it because they don’t like Rome’s actions in the novel. But for me, this story is sweeter and more meaningful because of it and I wouldn’t want to change even one word of this  beautiful story.

Sarah has always loved Rome. But she has stood quietly on the sidelines when Rome married her best friend Diane, and had two beautiful boys Justin and Shane. She had never let Diane know of her feelings towards Rome and when a senseless accident takes away Rome’s family he is devastated beyond belief.

Two years on, Rome has finally healed enough to sell the house within which he had made a home with Diane and it is there in a moment of grief that he finds out that Sarah too feels the strong attraction that Rome has always felt towards her but never acted upon because he had always loved his wife and stayed faithful to her. At first Sarah thinks that all Rome wants with her is a tumble between the sheets, but she is more than surprised when Rome proposes that Sarah marry him on the condition that Rome would never provide her with children. Sarah agrees to the condition and marries the man that she has loved since forever and embarks upon a journey that no matter how many times I read, I always get a huge lump in my throat from all the emotions so well described.

Rome doesn’t want to give away his heart to another woman but gradually Sarah’s unwavering love and quite affection wins him over. Of course the immense white hot attraction that never ceases between the two certainly helps things along. Just when Rome professes that he has at last fallen for Sarah, she finds out that she is pregnant with Rome’s child.

Rome is at first furious and it nearly rips Sarah apart when Rome accuses her of deceiving him. Things come to a head when Rome requests Sarah to get rid of the baby and Sarah refuses. I admired Sarah’s character so much for working towards achieving what she believed in. Life wasn’t easy for her during pregnancy when there was practically no help from Rome since he doesn’t want anything to do with the child that they had created.

It was heart wrenching to feel Rome’s pain and it was a glorious moment when in the end when Rome finally heals and begins to appreciate the fact that God has given him a second chance to love and be loved.

I would most probably end up re-reading this book again sometime cos I so do love the story of how Rome falls for Sarah and gives himself the chance to grasp and hold onto love the second time round. Loved every single bit of this great story.

Favorite Quotes

He lifted his head, his eyes still damp, and the darkness of his pupils had become so total that there was no brown in them at all. He stared at her, then reached out and tenderly wiped the moisture from her cheeks with his thumb. “Sarah,” he said on a whispering sigh, and touched his mouth to hers.
She went still, all breath suspended in her body, as thousands of her prayers were answered in that light touch of his lips. Her hands moved to his shoulders, the nails digging into the layers of muscle that corded his frame. It was just a simple kiss of thanks, but the bottom dropped out of her stomach and the blood rushed from her head, so intense was the pleasure that assailed her. She sank against him, her soft body melding to his from shoulder to thigh, as they knelt there on the floor.

There was no sense of time or location, nothing but the spiraling physical need that had flamed between them, unexpected and out of control. She felt his hands on her body, touching her breasts, dipping down beneath her skirt to rub her thighs and stroke intimately between them, wringing a wordless cry of need from her lips. No word of protest surfaced in her mind. She let him do as he wanted, mindless of everything but the delight his knowledgeable hands were bringing to her. He knew women, and his expertise made her wild. She offered her slim body for his delectation with no conscious thought of anything except how sweetly, hotly satisfying it was to be in his arms, to know his kisses and his caresses.

“Good night.” But he didn’t leave. Instead he stood in the doorway, soberly regarding her. He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek with his forefinger, then slid his hand around to cup her chin in his palm. He leaned toward her, and Sarah went weak with anticipation, her eyes widening as fevered delight shot through her. He was going to kiss her again. Lightly his mouth touched hers, his lips moving with tender expertise over her parted, breathless mouth. His warm taste filled her, and Sarah’s lashes fluttered, then slowly closed. With a zephyr of a sigh she swayed into his arms; he needed no more encouragement than that. Locking his arms around her, he pulled her up against his chest and gradually deepened the kiss, as if he were wary of going too fast for her, giving her time to accept or reject each new move.

“Would you like coffee?” she invited, dropping her small purse on the sofa and moving away from him to the kitchen.
“No.” His refusal was flat.
“I think I’ll have something to eat, just to be on the safe side,” she called over her shoulder. “How about one of those chicken sandwi—”
Without warning, he seized her from behind, his hard hands locking on her waist and pulling her back against him. His head bent, and his hot breath blew over the curve of her neck, lightly touching her sensitive skin and awakening all her nerve endings. She shivered a little, but didn’t try to pull away; instead she pressed back against the virile contours of his body.
“I don’t want a sandwich,” he muttered, nipping at her neck with his teeth, then soothing the slight sting with butterfly strokes from the tip of his tongue. Sarah’s eyes closed in ecstasy, and she let her head fall back against his shoulder, baring the vulnerable curve of her throat to him.

“Rome…please!” But she didn’t know if she begged for mercy, or for more of the primal pleasure he was giving her. Her body was growing heavy and liquid, and a deep inner throbbing made her move restlessly against him.
“Yes,” he said against her throat, interpreting her plea as he chose. He bent her over his arm to give himself access to her tempting breasts, and she gave a thin cry when his hot mouth closed over her nipple, sucking it strongly into his mouth. Blackness swirled over her, a warm, velvet blackness that blocked out any reservations she might have had about belonging to him. She dissolved into a purely physical animal, instinctively seeking more of the pleasure he offered her. Her hands roamed his body as his had roamed hers, impatiently brushing away the layers of cloth that separated her from his hard muscled flesh. He trembled wildly at her intimate touch and pleaded with her for more.

He took advantage of her unselfishness, his greedy mouth plundering her flesh as he bared it. Sarah clenched her fingers in his hair, gasping as he pulled open her robe and dispensed with it, then rapidly slid down the straps of her nightgown until the silk fell away from her breasts. He bent his head and closed his hot mouth over one sensitive nipple, wringing a cry of pleasure from her.
“Do you like that?” he muttered fiercely against her, filling his hands and his mouth with velvet mounds and firm jutting nipples.
“Yes…yes.” Her answer was thin and faraway, and she tried to put her arms around him, but the strap of her night-gown prevented her from moving her arms. She struggled in mute frustration against the silk bindings, trying to draw her arms out, but he held her too tightly, and he was too close, the things he was doing to her too delightful to halt.

“You… make… me… crazy!” he growled jerkily, tearing at his jeans until they opened and he could push them out of the way. Sarah moved her mouth back to his, holding the kiss as he eased inside her, his entry taking her breath.
She moaned his name, moving against him, her skin so hot that it felt like wildfire. She was wildfire, her slender body dancing, searing, taking him until the only sounds he could make were incoherent words of passion and need, of rising sexual desperation that held him taut in the chair, on the edge of madness.

In the gray light of dawn, she came slowly awake, stretching under slow, warm caresses that roamed over her body and touched her with familiar intimacy. There was a magnetic warmth beside her and she turned to it, her head finding the hard pillow of Rome’s chest, her arms wrapping around him without thought.
“Wake up,” he crooned softly in her ear, nipping at the lobe with his sharp teeth, then kissing his way along her jaw to find her mouth.
“I’m awake,” she murmured, sliding her palms up his naked back and feeling the hard ripple of muscle under his warm skin.
He took her immediately. She was warm and pliable from sleep, her body rosy, and she drew in a quick breath of pleasure as he moved with slow power into her. “I can’t wait; I have to have you,” he muttered.

He was a darker outline against the night. He pulled the covers back and bent over her, pulling the nightgown over her head and dropping it to the floor. Sarah felt his hands on her breasts and thighs; then his heavy weight came down on her and his mouth closed fiercely over hers. A shudder of relief shook her, and she put her arms around his neck, letting him part her legs and take her.
“All of me,” he demanded harshly, as she lifted her hips up to him. “Take all of me. More. More! Yes, like that. Just like that!”

“Is this to tide you over?” she murmured teasingly, her eyes bright.
“Something like that.” He unzipped his pants and shoved them down, then knelt on the bed, between her relaxed thighs. “You’re my credit card; I don’t leave home without this.”
She laughed, twining her arms around his neck as he lowered his weight to her. The laughter caught in her throat at the slow delicious shock of his entry, and he heard the little intake of breath she always gave when he took her. It was music to him, and he buried his face against her neck in sudden need, pulling her legs up around his waist. “I miss you like hell when I’m gone,” he said roughly, and with his confession he began thrusting deeply into her, reconfirming their partnership with the bond of their flesh.

Sarah was totally lost in the intensifying physical sensations as he fondled her breasts and sucked them in just the way she liked, as he stroked her and touched her in ways that made her cry out. His slow, steady thrusts were driving her mad, carrying her just to the brink of satisfaction but not putting her over.
She clutched at him with damp, frantic hands, begging for release. He held her hips, not letting her speed the pace, holding her to his rhythm. He kissed her deeply, then lifted his mouth just enough to command deeply, “Tell me you love me.”
Her response was automatic, plucked from a deep reservoir of primitive need that she couldn’t control. Without thinking about it, without even realizing the significance of what he asked and what she answered, she moaned, “Yes. I love you.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Harlequin
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Reviewer’s Note: The quotes were added to the review on 07.10.2017 after the author re-read the book for a third time.

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Baby, Oh Baby! by Robin Wells

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Love Spell
Hero: Jake Chastain
Heroine: Annie Rose Hollister
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 2001
Started On: June 19, 2010
Finished On: June 22, 2010

Jake is a man haunted by the senseless death of his beloved wife Rachel. Jake and Rachel had been like two peas in a pod with similar goal-oriented focus in life. Rachel had always planned her life and stuck by it. When it had been time to start a family, she had focused on the task with all her might and problems had led to Jake and Rachel getting treated from an infertility clinic. But fate had other plans in hand when Rachel and Jake’s parents are all killed in a car crash which had left Jake bereft for the past two years.

Two years later, Jake comes to find out that the doctor at the infertility clinic had played God with the sperm samples and now a woman in Colorado has had his child. Angered beyond belief, Jake sets out to gain full custody of his child and encounters the mother of his child which throws him for a loop. Annie is not at all what he had expected. Living on a farm breeding llamas, reading tea leaves to gain insight into people’s future and believing that her dead grandfather speaks to her through billboards, Jake is at a loss on what to believe of the mother of his child.

At first, wanting full custody of the child and threatening Annie that he would do so doesn’t seem to be the best of ways to start on getting acquainted. Annie knows that the gorgeous specimen of a man who turns out to be the father of her child is everything she is not. Annie doesn’t want the complication of having a man in her life which is the reason why she had opted for artificial insemination in the first place. But there is no denying the fact that Jake is Meredith’s father and that he is here to stay, for good.

Distrustful of one another, Annie has no choice but to entrust Jake with Meredith’s welfare when Annie has to be hospitalized for surgery. What Jake goes through during the first couple of days with an active Meredith had me laughing out loud at several points. During this time both Jake and Annie come to realize that there is more to each other than meets the eye and decides to give joint custody of the child a try.

However, Jake’s ex-father-in-law Tom has other plans in mind. Though Susanna his wife seems quite taken with the idea Tom doesn’t like the changes that are coming about and feels that Jake is betraying the memory of Rachel by doting on the child. And he definitely doesn’t like it when Jake goes ahead and marries Annie.

Jake marries Annie with the best of intentions thinking of foregoing the physical aspect of the relationship just to give Meredith everything she would need. But Jake didn’t count on the fact that his new wife would be oh so appealing on so many levels. He can barely keep his mind off of her and every single time their eyes meet its as if they are the only two people in the room. The sexual tension that simmers between the two finally explodes and Annie falls headlong in love with Jake, who still refuses to let the memories of his dead wife go.

The side story of Susanna and Tom’s marriage which hits the rocks when Susanna goes into depression after the death of Rachel is quite enticing as well. With a rich cast of characters that vividly come to life with the turn of each page, this book is a great and wonderful read.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: MacKenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard

Format: E-bookmackenziesmountain
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Mackenzie Family, Book 1
Publisher: Silhouette
Hero: Wolf MacKenzie
Heroine: Mary Elizabeth Potter
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 1, 1989
Started On: April 23, 2010
Finished On: April 24, 2010

This is the first book of The MacKenzies series and the only book of the series that I liked. Though I didn’t try the 3rd and 4th book of the series, I did start to read the 2nd book in the series, i.e. Joe MacKenzie’s story & it never did make the impact this story made on me for the very first time which is why I ended up re-reading this story all over again after reading through a discussion thread on Amazon’s romance discussion forum.

Wolf MacKenzie is a half breed, half Comanche and half Indian. For that alone he had led a pretty solitary life in the small town Ruth where he and his son Joe resided. And add to that a rape charge for which he did time and later was found not guilty of when the real culprit was found, Wolf & Joe had been paying the price of that unjustness of it all ever since.

Mary moves to the small town as a teacher, and finds out to her dismay that Joe who was the highest scorer in all the classes had dropped out of school. Mary vows to right the matter and in fact makes the trip to where the twosome lived up on the MacKenzie mountain. On the way Mary’s car breaks down and comes face to face with larger than life Wolf MacKenzie who manages to kiss her senseless and sets her senses whirling like never before.

Wolf doesn’t need the added complication of Mary in his life. However, he can’t help but feel a need for her deep within him that cannot be ignored. Meanwhile, Mary starts giving Joe private lessons so that he could catch up with the other students and fulfill his dream of being a fighter jet pilot, a dream which Mary helps him fulfill within no time.

However, forces within the small town who do not want Wolf and Joe to become a part of the town work towards framing Wolf for rape again, a fact Mary is convinced of, which leave the women of the small town agitated and scared out of their wits.

This book is heartwarming in so many ways. The way that Mary sides with the black sheep in town and makes the townsfolk regret the way they had snubbed them for so long, the undeniable passion between Mary and Wolf which makes the book a continuous sensual delight and how in the end Mary draws out the rapist with her wit and courage and of course the lovely ending of the book which makes me want to read the book once more.

The person who suggested this book as her absolute favorite romance book of all time has surely hit a winner with this one. This is one book that any romance reader who loves contemporary romance should read!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Broken by Shiloh Walker

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Rafferty, Book 2
Sensuality: 4
Publisher: Penguin Group
Hero:  Quinn Rafferty
Heroine: Sarah McElyea
Date of Publication: March 2, 2010
Started On: March 4, 2010
Finished On: March 5, 2010

This is one book that I have been waiting like forever to get my hands on. Forever as in when the author announced that this book would be released on March 2010 sometime last year. And looking at the yummy cover which makes my heart flutter just a tad each time, who wouldn’t want to read this book?

I read Fragile the first book in the series, the story of Luke Rafferty, Quinn’s twin brother sometime back and enjoyed every minute of that book as well. Though I was thinking of taking a shot at re-reading Fragile because there was a glitch at Amazon in the Kindle version of Broken that was sold, I had to wait for an agonizing period of time until I could figure out how to strip the DRM from mobipocket books so that I could read the book on my Kindle. I have given up on the idea of re-reading Fragile for now cos a summary of Fragile is related at the beginning of this novel. Maybe sometime later I will give it a shot once again!

As I always say, Shiloh Walker is one author that you can never go wrong with. At first, this story seems like your average abused wife running away from the abusive husband story. But I was in for a pleasant surprise when there was a twist at the end unlike anything I could ever have imagined.

Quinn and Luke although twins were separated at birth. Quinn got to live with his alcoholic abusive mother who never made him forget the fact that Quinn wasn’t wanted in this world. Quinn never even realized that he had a twin until at last during one of her drunken sessions, Quinn’s mother overdosed and left him alone with no one to turn to. Though Quinn wanted nothing further from being placed in a state home, he was in for a surprise when Quinn’s birth father came to collect him and though Quinn refused to give an inch and trust another human being to be kind towards him, finally coming to realize that his father wouldn’t abuse him physically and emotionally like his mother had done gave him at least a semblance of normalcy when growing up.

Now Quinn is a bounty hunter, chasing after those who skip bail and bringing them to justice. And then comes Sara with her wide brown eyes and sexy curves that has Quinn drooling all over right from the start. Sara is woman whose on the run, moving from one place to the other always with an eye out for trouble and never taking the time to get acquainted with people whom she meets.

However from the moment she meets Quinn, nothing on earth could have stopped these two from propelling towards one another. Hot intense need has these two scorching up the sheets in no time. Though neither knows anything about the either, love, the emotion each of them had been afraid of creeps into their hearts and catches them unawares.

Nonetheless, duty comes calling when Sara finds that its time for her to move again. With a hastily scribbled note to Quinn, she takes off, only for Quinn to find her. This Quinn is a mass of seething anger and resentment at being lied to and made a fool of and two people who are as wary of trusting people as these two suddenly find themselves at a loss as to how to handle the situation.

Emotionally gripping and sexually charged, this novel bears all the classic signatures of what makes Shiloh Walker’s stories mouth watering. Although Guilty Needs would always remain my favorite novel and Colby my most favorite hero by Shiloh Walker, Quinn himself makes for a deliciously heart warming hero and Sara a heroine who complements and completes Quinn in every way. Great ending to a great story which has me grinning from ear to ear after ending the story.

Keep em’ coming Ms. Walker.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell by Samantha James

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: McBride Family, Book 1
Sensuality: 3
Publisher: HarperCollins
Hero: Simon Blackwell
Heroine:  Annabel McBride
Date of Publication: April 1, 2007
Started On: February 22, 2010
Finished On: February 23, 2010

This has got to be one of the best historical romances that I have ever had the pleasure to read. I read this book sometime back and this title has always remained somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind as a book that should be re-read from time to time. So after the previous historical romance I read and reviewed, I had this itch to find this book once again and give it a a go. And this story enthralled me the second time round as well, maybe more than the first time round.

Simon Blackwell is the epitome of tortured heroes. Though he is not cynical and deliberately cruel as certain heroes tend to be, Simon is a man who hides his passionate nature behind a wall of anguish that one can never even begin to describe or comprehend. Losing his wife and two kids five years back in a tragic accident, Simon has blamed himself for their deaths and berated at the fates for snatching away the most important people in his life.

By chance on one of his rare trips to London, he meets Annie. Annie dislikes Simon for the rudeness that he showed her on their first meeting but finds herself inexplicably drawn to this enigmatic man whom all members of her family seem to like on their first encounter. The smoldering attraction between these two finally takes a turn when during their first kiss, Annie’s family discovers them with the tip off from an old nemesis of Annie’s. Forced to wed never knowing about Simon’s painful past, Annie has her work cut out for her in thawing the ice cold lock around Simon’s heart.

Simon fights the immense attraction and the intense feelings that Annie arouses in him every step of the way. Being as stubborn as Simon, Annie at last manages to crumble his defenses and make Simon embrace the smoldering hot passion that flares between the two. I have to tell you, this book has got one of the hottest and greatest love scenes ever!

Finally at the end, love triumphs over tragedy and heartache and Simon finds the courage in him to let go, to love and be loved in return. Lovely story highly recommended for historical romance lovers. Will surely end up re-reading this book in the future. Yes, it is THAT good!

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Texas! Chase by Sandra Brown

Format: E-booktexaschase
Read with: Adobe Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Texas!, Book 2
Publisher: Bantam
Hero: Chase Tyler
Heroine: Marcie Jones
Date of Publication: August 1, 1991
Started On: December 26, 2009
Finished On: December 27, 2009

This book is Sandra Brown at her best.

The Texas! series features the Tyler family. The first book focuses on Lucky, the second book being this one and third book is the story of their younger sister Sage Tyler. All three books provide unforgettable romance with searing passion. I read this book quite sometime back and remembered it to be my favorite. I always tend to love a romance which has a previous history linking the hero and heroine in some manner whether it be romantic or otherwise.

Marcie Jones nicknamed Goosey for being nerdy during the years of high school which she shared with Chase and had a major crush on him, is now a successful real estate agent having amassed quite a fortune with her work. She meets Tanya, Chase’s beloved wife, when they seek to buy a house for themselves before their baby comes along. On the way back from viewing the house Marcie was sure would make a lovely home for Tanya and Chase, a senseless accident kills the pregnant Tanya and leaves Marcie with serious but not life threatening injuries. Chase’s world is shattered when in a day’s time he loses his beloved wife and their child who had not even had the chance to breathe into this world.

Two years later, Marcie encounters Chase at a rodeo where he nearly gets himself killed on the arena. Marcie stays with him during his brief time at the hospital and finally brings Chase back home since the accident. Whilst Chase has been away immersing himself in alcohol and whoring, their family business Tyler Drilling had gone under and things look really bad for them until Marcie proposes that Chase marry her in order for her to help bail out their business. The idea seems ridiculous to Chase at first but soon he makes up his mind to go along with the marriage even though Chase’s family doesn’t feel too comfortable about the decision.

Marcie has her work cut out for her in a marriage where she has to fight with Chase every step of the way to gain his trust, affection and love. Chase determined not to betray the memory of his loving wife doesn’t want to acknowledge the intense feelings that Marcie is able to invoke in him and this ultimate battle of wills proves to be a scorching read. Loved every minute of the sexual tension between the two characters hot enough to scorch the memory chips of my laptop.

Loved every bit of the novel. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a good dose of romance packed with a brooding hero who I guarantee you would make your hearts go aflutter.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | AbeBooks | Half.com

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Dream A Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Format: E-book
Read with: Microsoft Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chicago Stars, Book 4
Publisher: Avon
Hero: Gabe Bonner
Heroine: Rachel Stone
Date of Publication: February 1, 1998
Started On: December 25, 2009
Finished On: December 26, 2009

The next book in the Chicago Stars series, this is the story of Gabe Bonner, younger brother of Cal from Nobody’s Baby But Mine. There were tidbits of Gabe’s story in the previous novel and my interest was piqued to find out whether the author had ever gotten around to writing Gabe’s story since I felt in my gut that it would be a fabulous one and I’ve got to say it definitely has been a worthwhile read.

Gabe Bonner, a man who lost everything he held dear to his heart when his wife Cherry and son Jamie died in a hit and run accident is a man who just goes through the motions of living a life. A veterinarian who has no interest in healing animals after the accident, he turns all his attention to fixing up the drive-in movie theater in town just so that it would give him something to do to keep those dark memories at bay.

Rachel Stone, a woman who is nearly at the end of her wits for the constant struggle for survival of her and her young son Edward Stone, is a woman who is scorned and hated by everyone in Salvation. Her ex-husband Dwayne had been a televangelist who had ripped the community of their savings, the sole blame of which Dwayne had successfully swayed his followers to believe lay on Rachel’s shoulders. Even then, Rachel is determined to make things work for her son and in a desperate attempt to earn money forces Gabe to hire her to work at the drive-in even though he makes it no secret that he can’t stand to be around Edward and her.

However, gradually Rachel and Gabe both find that they can’t deny the need they arouse in each other, though Gabe still has problems communicating with Edward, who thinks Gabe is no good for his mother. On one side of the story is the tale of how Ethan Bonner the reverend of  Salvation finds himself having to confront his feelings for his life long friend and secretary Kristy who has always loved Ethan from afar.

With everyone except Gabe, Kristy and Jane rooting for Rachel, and a town full of people who refuse to hide their animosity for her, Rachel and Gabe finds that within themselves lie an unending amount of courage to face anything and that this woman who has not a penny to her name and survives with dignity and pride can finally heal Gabe and teach him how to love again.

This story is one packed with complex relationships and emotions that leaves one wanting to finish the book till the last page is through. I loved every bit of the Connor brothers’ stories and have to say that Susan Elizabeth Phillips has done a marvelous job in creating such wonderful characters that would stay with you for a long time even after you finish the series.

Purchase Links: BooksOnBoard | Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Half.com

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sunset Embrace by Sandra Brown

Format: Paperbacksunsetemrbace
Read with: Paperback
Length: Novel
Genre: American Western
Series: Coleman Family Saga, Book 1
Publisher: Warner Books
Hero: Ross Coleman
Heroine: Lydia Bryant
Date of Publication: June 1, 1990
Started On: December 17, 2009
Finished On: December 18, 2009
Re-read on: May 2011

This romance is of the American West time period and is romance at its best. With great characters and an intense plot to keep things going, I loved every bit of this delectable novel by Sandra Brown. I feel almost sorry since she has shifted her focus on writing more stories of thriller/romance genre rather than focusing on romance alone after reading this book.

Lydia Langston is found  at the brink of death after giving birth to a dead infant boy, borne out of forced relations with her stepbrother. The family of the boys who find her take her in and nurse her back to health. Amidst the travelers who are on their way to Texas to start their lives anew are Ross Coleman and his wife Victoria. Victoria dies during childbirth rendering Ross a widow with his son Lee who refuses the many attempts to be fed. Ma Langston, the woman who nurses Lydia back to health, convinces Ross to let Lydia wet nurse his son. From the moment Ross lays his eyes on Lydia passion flares between the two which Ross tamps down viciously, with no intention of ever succumbing to a woman whom he thinks of as a loose woman.

Circumstances pit these two together, Lydia who vows that she would never bow down to any man after the years of constant sexual abuse she faced from her stepbrother whom she thinks she murdered in her last attempt to escape, and Ross who vows that no woman would ever take the place of Victoria who bestowed upon him the favor of bringing him into the circle of the elite and genteel society.

Things take an interesting turn with the law enforcement officials after Ross and Lydia’s stepbrother after her to teach her a lesson she would never forget. Both Lydia and Ross find themselves slave to what they arouse in each other, and ultimately learn to trust and love one another on the journey filled with perils and danger they never saw coming.

This is one of the best romances I have read recently and although the book is quite thick its no effort to read through as the intense plot and characters make you feel as if  you are part of the story. And oh yes, I have got to order a Ross Coleman for myself! Sigh!!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | AbeBooks | Half.com

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