by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

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

by mvbookreviewer

I-Review: Consumed by Moira McTark

Format: E-bookconsumed
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Hero: Brian Matthers
Heroine: Amber Grayson
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 26, 2006
Started On: August 5, 2011
Finished On: August 5, 2011

Visitor: What made you pick up Consumed by Moira McTark?

MBR: I was just browsing through Amazon, wondering which title from my massive TBR pile I should read next when this little number caught my eye with its pretty cover. After reading the blurb I had a major case of excitement over the story and the  next thing I knew I was reading the preview of the book available on Amazon which just whetted my appetite for more and before I knew it I had hit the “Buy now with 1-Click” button and the rest, as they say is history! *sigh*

Visitor: Tell me a little bit about the hero Brian Matthers.

MBR: Brian comes from a family of 3 brothers and 2 sisters and works in accounting at Dyson & Dale. Playing baseball in high school had been the high light of his life back then. Brian is intensely sexy and just sheer dynamite when it comes to wooing a woman in bed and out of it and I would love me some Brian as my next “no-occasion-present.” And on top of it all, Brian has got that tender quality that makes a woman go all mellow on the insides. A man who is not afraid of long-term relationships and commitment, Brian is the reason why we women read romance novels! *sigh*

Visitor: Now tell me a little bit about the heroine Amber Grayson.

MBR: Amber works as a programmer at Claybourn Elliot and yearns for her own happily ever after though she knows that with the high standards that she has set since high school, the man who would fulfill  all her dreams and longings is a long time coming. Amber is beautiful, sexy and knows what she wants and is not afraid to say what she wants as she has gained confidence as a woman over the years though she had been pretty shy in high school.

Visitor: How does Brian and Amber meet for the first time?

MBR: There is no mention in the novella of how Brian and Amber meet for the first time. But rather, Brian had been Amber’s high school crush, a crush that had turned into the center-point of all her wicked fantasies throughout the years. And when a chance meeting at the train station brings Amber and Brian together again, both discover that the incredible pull between them is just too much to turn away from.

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

MBR: Mmm.. Consumed is a pretty well rounded novella that captured my attention and held it from page 1. Reading it one sitting tells just how much the story consumed me as Brian and Amber gave into the explosive passion between them and worked through the hurdles to reach their happily ever after. What drew me in most was the incredible connection that forges between Brian and Amber and even when things head south based upon a misunderstanding, neither Brian nor Amber can turn away from the incredible way that they can make each other feel. That I would say makes for a very heady and enticing pull towards any romance.

Visitor: What was it that you liked about Consumed?

MBR: As I said earlier, Consumed is a story that refuses to let go once you sink yourself into what’s happening. For me, I loved everything about the novella from its beautiful glossy cover to its beautiful yet short epilogue that gave me a sense of satisfaction all around when I finished reading. What I loved most about Consumed was how smoothly the story flowed through, urging me to read on and find out where Amber and Brian were going with their no holds barred sexual relationship. And of course, the creative scenes of passion are just to die-for!

Visitor: What if anything would you change about Consumed?

MBR: Being a story of such short length, I would say it pretty much hit all the right spots with what the story delivered.

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

MBR: Incredibly hot was the scene on the dance floor where Brian takes Amber upon her request making all breathe whoosh out of me in one single exhale. And the variety of sensual scenes that Moira delivers, making each one a memorable one is all I can say without giving away any details.

Visitor: Who would you recommend Consumed to?

MBR: Consumed is an awesome read to squeeze in if you have got around an hour and half to spare. For those who love reunion romances and intense, scorching passion without being overly explicit, Consumed is a definite must-read!

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

amazingread

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

Pick of the Month – July 2011 Giveaway Winners!

A warm round of thanks goes out to EVERYONE who participated in the giveaway and of course helped spread the word.

A very special thanks to both Norah Wilson and MJ Fredrick who are both beyond awesome by the way, and answered the questions and gave away a copy of their book as well!

So, the winners of the giveaway are:

  1. Winner #1 of Something to Talk About by MJ Fredrick: Claudia
  2. Winner #2 of Something to Talk About by MJ Fredrick: Lorraine Nelson
  3. Winner #1 of The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilson: Brie
  4. Winner #2 of The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilson: Ju dimello
CONGRATULATIONS to all those who won copies of wonderful books! Enjoy them!

Winners, I have already contacted you via e-mail. Please respond before the 7th of August 2011 after which the offer will be withdrawn.

Stay tuned for more giveaways next month!

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

Pick of the Month Reads – July 2011 & Giveaway!

Having read almost 25 books the past July, almost all of them rating 4-stars or higher, I couldn’t have asked for a better month of reading even if I tried. Since I enjoyed so many great books the past July, choosing just one novel as my Pick of the Month turned out to be much harder than I thought. Eventually I gave up on forcing myself to choose just one because simply put, I could change the rules as I go. Yeah, I am unpredictable that way.

So in the end, after much deliberation, which lasted like about 5 seconds max, I picked up the 2 novels that has been haunting me (all in a good way of course!) since I let myself be swept away on their respective journeys towards their happily ever afters.

To make things much more interesting, I decided to go one step further and contact both authors with 4 questions, each of them about the novel that has rightfully earned its spot as one of my favorite reads for the year. And I am thrilled that they both agreed to answer the questions and are giving away an e-copy of their novel to the lucky winners of this giveaway! And let me tell you that you should all read these 2 books ASAP because they are definitely worth your precious reading time – in gold!

Pick #1: Something to Talk About by M.J. FredrickSomethingtotalkabout.JPG

MBR: You state on your website that “Something to Talk About” is “The Book That I Love”. Why do you say so?

MJF: I think it’s because it was the first straight contemporary romance I’d written in a while– no suspense or adventure. In fact, when one of my critique partners read it, she said she was waiting for the gunships to come over the cliffs! I think because I didn’t have to worry about who-done-it, or how my hero and heroine were going to get away from the bad guys, the story just flowed. I even enjoyed going back and doing edits on this book, I love it so much!

MBR: I think your love for the story comes across so well which makes Something to Talk About so hard to put down. Noah Wilson is so dreamy! How did you come up with his character? And is he based on any real life character that you have come across?

MJF: Okay, you want to know something sad? He’s not based on a real character, but the Christmas after I finished this book, my brother’s best friend’s wife passed away, and it was the most horrible thing ever. I asked myself if I had treated Noah’s grief with enough respect, because wow. It was just terrible. So he’s not based on a real person, but when I was going through edits, I did my best not to trivialize his grief because of what I knew Steve was going through.

As for Noah himself, I had a mad crush on Jeffrey Dean Morgan while I was writing this, and I’d been watching a lot of Gilmore Girls, and I loved Luke’s love/hate relationship with the town. I asked myself why would he stay if he was so cranky all the time, and I came up with Noah. God, I love Noah.

MBR: That is so sad. And maybe that is one reason why that Noah’s grief comes off so realistically and you have definitely treated his love for Lily with respect which made me adore this book that much more! And Jeffrey Dean Morgan? *gulp* Ellie Morgan is a true sweetheart. I love the way she comes across in the story. Is she based on any real life character?

MJF: In a way, she’s like my friend Cindi at school. When Cindi became teacher of the year (the first time) I wrote a speech saying she was the heart of the school. I wanted Ellie to have that dedication to her town, but I wanted to know what drove her to work so hard. So I gave her a mother who left them in a flurry of gossip, and Ellie is trying to prove herself better than that. Plus, she had to be this person that Noah saw as a light coming back in his life.

MBR: You have really brought to life what you wanted to portray for both of your characters in the story. So do you plan on writing any more books with the same setting?

MJF: I hadn’t, actually. In all my years of writing, I’ve never written a series (except the one I’m working on now, set in Minnesota). But there certainly are a lot of people in Winchester Cove who could use a happy ending, don’t you think? I should go back there!

MBR: Most definitely!

Combining breathtaking passion, a love that is so worth fighting for and a story definitely worth talking about, “Something to Talk About” is a novel that truly earns its spot as one of my Pick of the Month reads for July 2011!

Pick #2: The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilsonthemerzettieffect

MBR: The Merzetti Effect is your first vampire romance and an awesome one at that. How did you come up with the idea to create such a unique spin on the world of vampires?

NW: It is a unique spin, but I can’t claim to have invented it. I actually stumbled across an article online many years ago, in which a guy on a discussion board talked about how ridiculous he found the conventional vampire model, the idea that a vampire could drink blood – digest it through a digestive tract – and somehow suddenly be infused with power. He felt it would make much more sense if the vampire could take the blood intravenously, for instance, through hollow, telescoping fangs. That really resonated for me. Our human experience tells us that things taken directly into the bloodstream are much more potent than something swallowed. At the end of his article, he said if any writers wanted to take up his model, they were quite welcome. Well, at the time, I thought it was all very fascinating (I love all things medical), but I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I would never write a vampire story. Of course, years passed, and the shelves became more and more dominated by vampires. I began toying with the idea of writing one, but I just couldn’t find a way into the story, a hook that would keep me interested enough to keep writing. Then I remembered this gentleman’s article. Unfortunately, so much time had passed that I could no longer find it online. I might even have bookmarked it once upon a time, but after several computer crashes, no trace remained. However, I remembered enough about it to get me started. I even had a physician read it to make sure it made a kind of sense (in the suspend-your-disbelief kind of way).

MBR: Dr. Delano Bowen, the name itself just makes me want to lay myself at his mercy and never look back. How did you come up with his character? Might he have any resemblance to a real-life character so that I can permanently fix his picture as my computer wallpaper? LOL!

NW: LOL! So glad you liked Del. I loved that man, too. I did worry a bit that readers wouldn’t find him Alpha enough. I mean, he’s no Black Dagger Brotherhood vamp. It’s not that he’s not strong – incredibly strong – but let’s face it, he’s a physician/research scientist. A little more cerebral than your average vamp. At least, that’s how he thinks of himself … until things get complicated with Ainsley. (I do so love to challenge a character’s self-concept!)

As for what he looks like to me, I almost hesitate to say. I’m more interested in what other people think my character looks like. LOL! But here goes. In my mind’s eye, I see him as looking like a younger Adrian Paul from back in his Highlander days. You know, long hair, dark eyes, and a sort of brooding, smouldering look. Not quite as muscled, perhaps, but with that kind of vibe. Does that mesh with the image you formed when you read the story? Or did you have someone else in mind? Inquiring minds want to know!

MBR: Believe me, I am hopeless when it comes to envisioning characters. Apart from their physique which tends to make my eyes glaze over, I have a hard time finding real-life characters that match up to the men that I read and fall in love with though I dearly wish I had the imagination to do so. *sigh*

Ainsley Crawford is my favorite type of heroine, someone who doesn’t play coy games, just ups and accepts the fact that her fate is sealed. But that doesn’t make her a wimpy heroine either. What made you come up with her character the way she is; or did she just morph her way into how she is as you wrote along?

NW: Thank you! It was a little of both. I certainly had an idea of what her personality would be like – a no-nonsense nurse who is pretty hard to rattle – but there are always little gifts that the universe hands you as you write. I think it helped that I gave her a bit of a tough background, with all those foster homes. She had to learn to roll with the punches a little bit, and she falls back on that resourcefulness. Even as an adult, it’s pretty much always been about keeping herself and those she loves safe. She really hasn’t had the luxury to learn to play games.

MBR: How many books are you planning on writing with the same setting?

NW: I don’t have any set number of books in mind at this point. When I started out, I think I had the idea that it would be a trilogy (we love threes!). But after having written the second book (if you loved Delano, you’re really gonna give it up for Aiden Afflack, the hero of NIGHTFALL), I have a number of characters who are clamouring for their turn. So who knows? Six? (That’s a multiple of three!)

MBR: Oh boy! I had a feeling that Aiden is going to put forth some serious competition when his story comes through! Glad you are going to give us a lot more books to enjoy! Six sounds like a perfect number! *winks*

A novel that delivers exceptionally well on the world of vampires with a unique twist and gives the reader an abundance of romance and mouth-watering passion, The Merzetti Effect is a must-read!

Giveaway Rules

  1. This post will give away 2 copies of both Something to Talk About and The Merzetti Effect, which means a total of 4 copies will be available for the giveaway. Please note all of them would be e-copies of the novels.
  2.  To enter, choose the novel that you want to win a copy of. If you don’t you will automatically be entered for the 2 books in the giveaway.
  3.  Leave a comment behind stating your name, a valid e-mail address, the title which you would like to win and why you would like to win a copy of the book you have chosen.
  4.  Help me spread the word about the giveaway to others like yourself. Tweet about it (mention @mdvbookreviewer) and earn 5 extra entries, share this post on Facebook and gain 5 extra entries. Please mention in your comment if you have done either.
  5. Post will be open for comments from 00:00 hours of 2nd August 2011 Maldivian time till 00:00 hours 4th August 2011 Maldivian time!
  6. Winners of the giveaway will be randomly chosen, e-mails will be sent out to winners and winners will be given a total of 3 days to respond to the e-mail.
  7. Please note that if the winner(s) do not respond within the given time frame, new winners will NOT be drawn.
  8. Please also note that to enter the giveaway, you DON’T need to share this on Twitter or Facebook. Doing so just would earn you extra entries!
If you want to know more about each book before entering the giveaway, you can always read my reviews which can be found by clicking on the image of the novel in this post.
Have fun, and don’t forget to leave a comment and enter the giveaway!
by mvbookreviewer

MBR’s Realm of Romance Turns 2 Giveaway Winners!

First of all, a HUGE thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. And a MASSIVE thank you for all the anniversary wishes that you guys sent my way. And for those who tweeted, re-tweeted and then re-tweeted some more about this giveaway, you guys have my earnest and heartfelt gratitude! So onto the winners!

  1. Winner of the 10$ Amazon gift certificate: Brie
  2. Winner of the 10$ B&N gift certificate: ClaudiaGC
  3. Winner of the 10$ BooksOnBoard gift certificate: ClaudiaGC
  4. Winner of the 10$ Samhain gift certificate: Nikki Brandyberry
A huge round of applause to all those who won, especially Claudia who seems to have hit gold with this giveaway!

Stay tuned and stop by on the 2nd of this month for my “Pick of the Month July” post and Giveaway!

Winners, I have already contacted you via e-mail. Please respond before the 4th of August 2011 after which the offer of the gift certificate would be withdrawn.

Once again, thank you for making my realm of romance a fun place to hang out and for the continued support!

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.