Author Archives: Sheila

About Sheila

I am an attorney and a lifelong reader. I voraciously consumed Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Judy Blume as a child. By the time I was 11 years old I had moved on to Agatha Christie and Rex Stout. When I was thirteen I read Gone with the Wind for the first time and I became a lover of romances. For over twenty-five years, I have been reading all kinds of romances -- many of them multiple times. In college, I majored in Political Science minored in American literature and covered all types of political histories and political theory books, the classics of literature and the modern touchstones of literature, but for pleasure I still gravitate to romances. I read every day and usually finish a book in a day or two. My favorite book is the Great Gatsby but a close second is Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey.

Review: Adored in Autumn

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Review: Adored in AutumnAdored in Autumn (Seasons Book 4) by Jess Michaels
Series: Seasons #4
Published by Passionate Pen on January 10th 2017
Genres: Historical
Pages: 213
Goodreads
four-stars

“He kissed her because he loved her. And he had never stopped loving her for one moment in all the years they’d been apart. Even when he wanted to. Even when he tried.”

FINAL DECISION: I love the cross-class story where the man is of the lower class. Here, there was a bit of angst, a bit of drama and I really liked that the characters knew the value of characters over title or privilege.

THE STORY:  Felicity, Viscountess Barbridge, killed her abusive husband in self-defense.  Now her secret is in the hands of her family’s enemy.  In order to track down the potential blackmailer, her brothers call in Asher Seyton, solicitor and financial advisor, to help with the financial investigation. Asher is the son of a servant and grew up with Felicity and her brother. Asher broke Felicity’s heart when after a kiss, he left her.  Now Felicity and Asher have to face their long ago feelings and the current threat on Felicity’s future.

OPINION: I love books with cross-class romances — especially ones where the man is of a lower class because it upends the normal trope.  Here, Felicity is an aristocratic woman, the daughter of an earl and Asher is the son of her father’s valet. The two were children together and friends (along with Felicity’s two older brothers). As Felicity grew up, however, an attraction grew between Felicity and Asher.  At her debut six years ago, the two had their first and last kiss as Asher left the next day.  Felicity married the Viscount who beat and abused her.  Now Asher has returned at Felicity brother’s request because Felicity is in danger.

In the prior book in the series, an enemy of the family has found out that Felicity killed her abusive husband in self-defense.  The potential blackmailer must be tracked down before the secret is revealed, ruining Felicity and her family.  This plot moves the story along, but the center of this book is the romance between Felicity and Asher.

Felicity is a woman who has closed herself off after her horrible marriage. Fear, disappointment, lack of trust in herself and others dominate her life now.  When Asher returns, Felicity begins to feel again and wonders if she can at least have a sexual relationship free from fear.

Asher and Felicity are good people who got torn apart by their class differences. Asher feels keenly the class differences.  I thought this book did a really good job of showing that even if Felicity *thinks* that the two of them were always equal, Asher’s reality was something different.

There is something very sweet and gentle about these characters together and yet their is definite heat in their relationship. I liked these characters quite a bit and the story is not dark or angst filled but rather is about two people working their way through past obstacles and finding a future together.

This is an enjoyable read and a fine conclusion to series as it wraps up the ongoing storylines and gives readers a look at all the characters coming together and solving the mysteries that have arisen.

WORTH MENTIONING: Everyone gets what they deserve in the end.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  ADORED IN AUTUMN is the fourth and final book in the Seasons series. The romance in this book is self contained by there are continuing storylines that depend upon the prior books in the series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-stars

Review: Wyoming Brave

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Review: Wyoming BraveWyoming Brave (Wyoming Men #6) by Diana Palmer
Series: Wyoming Men #6
Published by HQN Books on December 27th 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 384
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION:  A typical Palmer romance with an experienced hero who misjudges the sweet innocent heroine and then regrets it.  I liked this book but it doesn’t elevate Palmer’s formula but rather stays strictly within its boundaries.

THE STORY:  Ren Colter has closed himself off after his fiancee’s betrayal. Everyone is therefore surprised — even Ren — that he allows Meredith Grayling to stay at his ranch. Meredith is hiding from a stalker. Nervous and afraid, Meredith is dealing not only with her current threat but past abuse as well.  The alpha male feels his protective instincts go in overdrive over the innocent Meredith and her gentleness might soothe Ren’s battered soul.

OPINION:  I’ve read Palmer’s books for over thirty years. Her readers know that she has a formula for her books. Her characters often — and almost always in recent years — live in small western towns.  There is usually an experienced but romantically betrayed man who meets up with an inexperienced woman.  He mistakes her for experienced, treats her poorly, finds out the truth and then spends the rest of the book groveling.

I know what I’m getting in one of her novels and sometimes the characters make the story fantastic.  This book was just okay for me. The characters were nice — and even the hero wasn’t too jerky — but I didn’t feel that the characters expanded the formula nor were they so compelling that I thought — “wow!  I’m like to read this again”.

Enjoyable for the time I spent reading it and ultimately forgettable as a book.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book actually is a crossover book with Palmer’s Long, Tall Texans series with appearance by characters from that series.  Seeing characters that I’ve

CONNECTED BOOKS:  WYOMING BRAVE is the sixth book in the Wyoming Men series.  It can be read as a standalone although pretty much all of Palmer’s books are connected these days with characters appearing from different books and series.  This book is most closely connected with DEFENDER.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: Commander in Chief

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Review: Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief (White House, #2) by Katy Evans
Series: White House Series #2
Published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform on January 5th 2017
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads
four-stars

“I don’t want to forget that for a little while, Matt Hamilton — forty-sixth president of the United States — was mine.”

FINAL DECISION:  I love Matt and Charlotte’s story which is incredibly romantic and at times feels like a political fairy tale but the story requires readers to read MR. PRESIDENT first. Necessary reading for those who read MR. PRESIDENT, this book concludes Matt and Charlotte’s story.

THE STORY:  This book begins two months after the events of MR. PRESIDENT.  Charlotte has tried to get over being in love with the President-Elect Matt Hamilton.  She knew when they began their affair that it would not last because Matt is dedicated to the well being of the country (one of the reasons she fell for him) and the assassination of his father has convinced him that he cannot have a relationship while being President.

Two months without Charlotte has made Matt realize that he cannot be without her.  At the same time, Charlotte knows that she doesn’t have the qualities needed in a First Lady.  But Matt is determined to convince her otherwise.

OPINION: I loved the first book in this series MR. PRESIDENT.  This book was not quite as good primarily because I liked the drama of Matt and Charlotte just falling in love.  In this book, the two of them have to decide what sacrifices they are willing to make to be together.

Both Charlotte and Matt have trepidation in actually committing to their relationship.  For Matt, it means possibly reliving the mistakes of his father who had been president himself, at times ignored his own family and ended up assassinated.  For Charlotte, it means being entirely visible to the public, her life and love open to the possible jackals waiting to attack.  She doesn’t know if she is strong enough to be the woman at Matt’s side.

This is the story of two people making their relationship work. There is never any real challenge to these two being in love and wanting to be together.  The question is a real one in the world — is love enough?

Honestly, however, this presidential romance is really more of a fairy tale. The politics, media and public is too accommodating and easy for the characters to navigate.  That doesn’t mean that I didn’t like the book, I certainly did.  But if you are looking at a realistic look at politics surrounding this couple, you won’t find it here.  Instead, this book is a romantic fairy tale.

The romance and fairy tale quality of this book is a good contrast to the current politics. I loved the intense and open romanticism of this book.  My only warning comment is that the book really requires the first book in the series (this is more like a part 2 rather than an independent book).

WORTH MENTIONING:  The one phrase I’m never going to be able to forget in this book is “big presidential c**k”.  That tells you want you need to know about the sensibilities of this book, you can make your own determination if this book is for you.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  COMMANDER IN CHIEF is the second book in the White House series.  This book continues the romance between Matt and Charlotte and is intended to be read after the first book.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars and 4.5 stars for both books together.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-stars

Commander in Chief by Katy Evans

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Commander in Chief by Katy Evans
Series: White House #2
Publication Date: January 5th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance

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Synopsis:

The sizzling second installment of the White House series, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans.

We fell in love during the campaign.

The stakes were high.

Reputations could have been ruined.

Scandal hovered over us like a cloud.

Now the man I love is the President of the United States of America.

And its not my vote he is after.

He wants it all.

My heart. My body. My soul.

He wants me by his side.

In the White House.

Normalcy will be gone from my life, privacy forgotten.

I am only twenty three. I just wanted to play a part in history. But it seems like history wasn’t done with me. The part where I lost my heart to Matthew Hamilton? It was only the beginning…

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Excerpt:

He looks devilishly handsome.

His hair is combed back and oh, how I love every chiseled inch of his face. He’s the first to move, prying his hands from his pockets, eyes flaring, inhaling visibly—his inhale stretching the fabric of that black tux.

Disbelief and a punch of longing to have all of this man, his love and his name and his babies, hits me as he approaches. I’m gazing at him walk to me down the hall of the White House residence, both of us ready to attend a social dinner. My first public event with him.

I need a moment, or a thousand moments, to adjust to this new role.

Matt continues advancing—with every step his eyes drinking me in, his lips curling in a seductive, appreciative smile.

“You ready?” He stretches out his hand.

I nod and look at that hand—the hand I’ve held so many times, and that held me. I slide my fingers down the length of his, and he grips them and leads me down the staircase with him.

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Buy Links:

Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2hKao0A

iBooks ➜ http://apple.co/2exwldw

Nook ➜

Kobo ➜

Mr. President, Book 1

Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2dYH8wj

iBooks ➜ http://apple.co/2dPYPQr

Nook ➜

Kobo ➜

About the Author:

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Katy Evans is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her debut REAL shot to the top of the bestselling lists in 2013 and since then 9 of her titles have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages across the world.

Connect with the Author:

Email: katyevansauthor@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorKatyEvans

Twitter @authorkatyevans

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Top 10 Romance Books I’m Waiting for in 2017

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After the hundreds of books I read in 2016 with some really goods ones (Top 10 Favorite Books of 2016), I’ve already pre-ordered over 100 books for 2017, but here are the ten books I’m looking forward to the most.  (I noticed several are about the next generation — children of heroes and heroines I already love).

10. BLAME IT ON THE DUKE by Lenora Bell (release date: April 18th): A marquess who never intends to marry gambled away by his father to a social climbing man who wants him for his daughter.  The daughter has been plotting to avoid marriage, but now she and the marquess plan a marriage of convenience to both their ends. I’ve loved the others books in this series because Bell has a fresh voice and some hysterical scenes. This plot has some definite promise to it.

9. THE LADY BY HIS SIDE by Stephanie Laurens (release date: March 9th): I loved Devil Cynster and now we get to read about his son Sebastian and his lady-to-be who happens to be the daughter of Devil’s friend and sometimes rival Chillingworth.  I’m anticipating these fathers making an appearance and having to deal with their offspring hooking up.  Plus, this will be the third generation in this family line.  Laurens best books are her Cynster books and I hope this might be a new favorite.

8. ROYALLY MATCHED by Emma Chase (release date: February 21st): The Bachelor show in a actual castle with an actual (and kinda naughty) prince as the prize.  What’s not to want to read about that especially when it comes from the pen of Emma Chase who does funny and heartwarming so well especially from the male point of view.

7. THE DUKE by Kerrigan Byrne (release date: February 7th): The fourth book in the superb Victorian Rebels series, this book is the story of the Duke of Trenwyth, a dark and devastated man. He has lost those he loved, been betrayed and held as a prisoner of war. Byrne’s books are ones I always look forward to.  She does dark and angst so well and I have high hopes that this book will meet that standard.

6. SILVER SILENCE by Nalini Singh (release date: June 13th): Singh begins a new chapter in her Psy-Changling series with the Trinity series.  This first book features Silver Mercant who is beautiful and eminently competent Psy and also is still in the emotionless Silence of that race.  She’s matched up with an Alpha bear shifter in a dangerous time for the Trinity alliance (where Silence is an integral component). I imagine that this book will be sexy and oh so good. (Plus, there is the possibility of seeing Kaleb who remains my favorite hero of the series).

5. BEAUTIFUL TEMPEST by Johanna  Lindsey (release date: July 11th): I’ve been waiting for this book for years.  GENTLE ROGUE is my all time favorite romance book.  This book is about the daughter “Jack”.  The daughter of a viscount, rogue, rake and “gentlemen pirate” and the American woman who captured his heart, Jack is as unique as her name.  Now her father’s past has brought Jack a dangerous man of her own.

4. DEVIL’S CUT by J.R. Ward (release date: August 1st): I’ve been a fan of this big, sprawling, soap opera of a story about a Kentucky bourbon family combined with sex, murder and drama. In the finale, I’m looking forward to a lot of secrets being revealed.  (I’m also hoping for some happy endings because at the end of the last book so many people were messed up!)

3. DUKE OF DESIRE by Elizabeth Hoyt (release date: August 29th): The final book in the Maiden Lane series features a dark, scarred hero and a heroine kidnapped by a secret sex cult. I’d have put this book on my list even without any description at all because the Maiden Lane series is one of my all-time favorite series with some of my favorite books.  Hoyt has never disappointed me with her sexy emotional dramatic Georgian historicals and so I will be counting the days.

2. DEVIL IN SPRING by Lisa Kleypas (release date: February 21st): One of my all time favorite books is DEVIL IN WINTER, the best rake and wallflower story, with the fabulous St. Vincent.  This book is the story of the son.  That alone would make me want to read this book, but the heroine also sounds amazing.  She is a game designer. The two end up in a marriage of convenience after a scandal.  Now, I absolutely cannot resist.

1. THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS by Sarah MacLean (release date: June 27th): The hero of this book might be the biggest jackass I’ve ever read about.  In a prior book in the series, he is blatantly cheating on his wife in public and humiliates her despite her being pregnant — but the DAY OF THE DUCHESS is coming and I would bet that he’s going to get what’s coming to him.  I love an angst filled book where a jerky hero can be redeemed after he gets what’s coming to him.  I have great faith in MacLean making him suffer for it.

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Review: Waiting for an Earl Like You

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Review: Waiting for an Earl Like YouWaiting For an Earl Like You (Masters of Seduction, #3) by Alexandra Hawkins
Series: Masters of Seduction #3
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on January 3rd 2017
Genres: Historical
Pages: 352
Goodreads
two-stars

FINAL DECISION:  This book was fine, but I never felt compelled to find out what happened.  The story moved too slowly to build up interest and the premise of twin switching without the heroine knowing the difference seemed too unlikely unless the men dressed identically all the time.

THE STORY: Justin Reeve Netherwood, Earl of Kempthorn nicknamed Thorn has a twin brother Gideon.  The two have been at odds for years. Now that Gideon has returned from his travels, a woman from their childhood has returned to their lives.  Miss Olivia Lydall has been friends with Gideon for years. When she seeks him out asking for advice, Gideon kisses her instead. What Olivia doesn’t know is that it is actually Thorn who is kissing her.  Thorn can’t tell her but intends on nudging her away from any potential interest in Gideon.  Unfortunately for Thorn, he wants her for himself but can’t tell her the truth.

OPINION:  The premise of this book interested me, but the execution left me finishing the book but having little interest in reading more.

The idea of a man impersonating his twin and falling for a woman while he becomes twisted in his own lies seemed intriguing as a premise.  But the execution of the story left me stopping and starting this book and instead of being wrapped up in the story, I started nitpicking it.  I never got past the idea that a grown man could impersonate his own twin brother again and again — while the two men were in the same place.  I kept thinking that either these men strangely dress identically as adults or the heroine must be incredibly unobservant.

I never could care very much about these characters. The idea of the reserved, brooding brother being in love with the woman who has a friendship with the reckless more open brother seemed interesting, but I didn’t like Thorn much for how he was entirely willing to impersonate his brother. He didn’t seem as heroic because it seemed that he had no good reason for doing so other than the fact that he and his brother have switched before.

This was an okay read.  The story itself was well written and there were some very funny moments, but it isn’t a book I would pick up again.

WORTH MENTIONING:  There are appearances by characters from the other books in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  WAITING FOR AN EARL LIKE YOU is the third book in the Masters of Seduction series.  I have not read any of the other books in the series. This book works fine as a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 2 stars.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

two-stars

Review: Breath of Fire

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I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Breath of FireBreath of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #2) by Amanda Bouchet
Series: Kingmaker Chronicles #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on January 3rd 2017
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 448
Goodreads
four-half-stars

“Harbinger of the end. Destroyer of realms.”

FINAL DECISION: Exciting and filled with adventure, BREATH OF FIRE represents the continued growth of Cat as she matures.  She and Griffith evolve both as a couple and in their dream of unifying the realms.  This book doesn’t conclude the story, but there is plenty new hear to keep readers more than satisfied.

THE STORY: In this second book of the Kingmaker Chronicles trilogy, Cat Fisa is running from her destiny. She has found the man she loves, a non-magical warlord, Griffith, who believes deeply in her, but the magical Cat has kept a secret.  She is subject to a prophecy that Cat believes means that she will destroy the world. As secrets are revealed, the characters begin their journey towards what might be the fulfillment of the prophecy.

OPINION: A world with magic and Gods that remains incredibly human, this second installment of the Kingmaker Chronicles finally reveals much of Cat’s past. Readers of the first book will know that Cat has gained the favor of the Gods and has incredible (if inconsistent) magic.  She falls in love with the non-magical Griffith who is immune from magic and conquered the realm of Sinta (one of the three realms).  Now the two have forged a partnership and Griffith sees the possibility of building a better world with Cat by his side.  As PROMISE OF FIRE ended, Cat still had secrets she was keeping.

Cat’s past and her secrets are revealed in this book.  Finally readers can understand her journey. Cat remains selfless, reckless and an amazing fighter. In this book, she matures with the support of Griffith.  I love their relationship because Griffith is entirely willing to be by Cat’s side and support her even if he struggles with his own need to protect her.  Even better, he is willing to stand by her while she learns to lead rather than taking the lead himself. Griffith is a rare and amazing alpha male character who is not threatened by a strong woman but rather is willing to be anything that she needs.

Cat remains her prickly, sarcastic, cynical self in this book even as the shell around her has broken as to Griffith.  Readers can be assured (mini-spoiler) that this book doesn’t do the expected by breaking these two apart during this book in order to create another romantic arc.  Instead, these characters go deeper into their connection with one another.  By the time this book ends, their relationship seems pretty unbreakable.

The development of the relationships in this book are more subtle than in the first book (although there are some pretty big and important moments that don’t disappoint) but there is also non-stop action.  From the very first page, this book thrusts readers into battles, and challenges and political struggles.  There is a lot of ground to cover here but by the time the book ends, the direction the characters will be taking is clear and much has been accomplished.  One of the things I really like about this series is that each of the first two books is a discrete adventure (with many sub-adventures) but there is still an overarching story that leaves much adventure to come in the concluding book in the series.

We also are treated to more information about the other characters in the series.  The members of Team Beta have their own journeys in this book (although Cat and Griffith remain the focus).  I am hoping that some of their stories will also be resolved in the concluding book because they are adorable as well.  By the time this book ends, the member of Team Beta are fleshed out and each has a unique romantic problem of their own.

A thrilling adventure from beginning to end, this book will definitely satisfy those who enjoyed the first book of the series.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book is part of an interconnected trilogy with the same characters.  This book does not resolve the issues in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  BREATH OF FIRE is the second book in the Kingmaker Chronicles.  This book is meant to be read as part of the trilogy and should be read after the first book in the series PROMISE OF FIRE.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

 

four-half-stars

Review: Intense Pleasure

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Review: Intense PleasureIntense Pleasure by Lora Leigh
Series: Bound Hearts #14
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on January 3rd 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 320
Goodreads
four-stars

“Their weakness.”

FINAL DECISION: A menage story, but more than that.  This is a great suspense story with some hot sexy moments with two brothers and their fellow agent thrown in.

THE STORY: After years of working as an agent, Summer has had enough.  But when her identity is revealed and an enemy intends to eliminate her, two men who worked closely with her for years come to help her.  Falcon and Raeg are half-brothers who share their work and their women.  Now they want to protect Summer and there is a strong attraction between them all.  But Falcon and Raeg have secrets of their own and it might mean that having summer will break the brothers apart.

OPINION:  This book is grounded in the suspense story of the man hunting Summer and also the secrets that Falcon and Raeg have. There are two dangerous stories at play here and plenty of action to satisfy readers.

Summer is a complex woman.  A longtime agent, she can take care of herself.  Yet Falcon and Raeg are surprised by the woman they see when she is with her family. She is sexually attracted to both men and willing to engage in a relationship that many would see as extreme and yet Summer is also entirely emotionally attached to these two men from the beginning.  She is hurt by the standoff nature of Raeg. She is also haunted by the necessity of her killing the woman she thought of as her best friend — even though the woman betrayed Summer and resulted in the enemy who is hunting Summer now.

Falcon is the most approachable of the brothers. Charming and easy going is what people see in him and yet he also possesses a dominant side which comes out with Summer.  I loved that Falcon likes brushing Summer’s hair.  That attribute is so sweet and yet so sexy. He is the more open of the brothers to Summer’s allure. Although he wants his brother as part of their relationship, he insists that Raeg be an equal partner and not absent himself emotionally from the relationship.

Raeg is especially haunted by the brothers past.  While Falcon can accept that they might not be able to hold Summer forever and yet wants what he can have today, Raeg is afraid of emotionally opening himself up.  He is the dark, brooding, jerky brother. His dominance is dark and especially strong. It is his emotional journey which makes up most of the romantic conflict in this story.

The relationship in this book is complex. The two brothers are different and each fulfills something different for Summer. Having a triangle romance emotionally is a difficult enterprise especially where there are secrets and difficulties that the brothers are not revealing. Half of this book is about the developing relationship between the three main characters and the remainder is the suspense story which keeps the plot moving quickly.

The one weakness of this story is that what happened with these characters before the beginning of this book appears central to the connection between these characters (working together and being “friends” for eight years) and yet that building of the relationship is completely absent.  Everything happens offstage and thus truly feeling the connection between these characters is more difficult to feel for the first half of the book.

Despite this, I enjoyed this book and it fits right in the Bound Hearts series.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This is a MMF romance with an emotional as well as a sexual relationship between each of the men and the woman.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  INTENSE PLEASURE is the fourteenth book in the Bound Hearts series, but this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-stars

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2016

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What follows are my Top 10 Favorite Books of the year.  My methodology was simple. I looked at the books that came out this year that I read and asked myself “which of these books would I start reading again right now”.  From that I kept comparing and eliminating books until I got to a Top 10.

Choosing my Top 10 Favorite books of the year was very difficult this year.  I had fourteen strong contenders.

The first thing I did was impose a rule that I couldn’t have more than one book by a single author.  That cleared up some choices (I chose DUKE OF PLEASURE over DUKE OF SIN by Elizabeth Hoyt — both great books, but DUKE OF PLEASURE wins out because I adored Alf) but I still had a hard time choosing between ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR and ROCK WEDDING by Nalini Singh and HOT IN HELLCAT CANYON and WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK by Julie Anne Long.

The two books by Nalini Singh have some similar traits. Both are book where the entire cast appears for a summing up and thus there are so many great interactions between characters.  I began reading Nalini Singh through her ROCK series and my favorite book of hers is still ROCK ADDICTION. I ultimately gave the nod to ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR but it was really close.

The two Julie Anne Long books were almost impossible to choose between.  I loved them both and there are so many great moments in both.  I finally gave the nod to HOT IN HELLCAT CANYON only because the wedding speech is one of the best explanations of love I’ve ever read.

Here is my list (Click on the links to see my original reviews of the books).

10. A CHANGE OF HEART by Sonali Dev: Heartbreaking and beautiful. I have a thing for angst and drama and things not being what they seem.  This book isn’t at all what I expected from the blurb.  A man loses his wife and wallows in despair until a woman comes into his life claiming to have received her heart in a transplant.  It is the story of loss, grief and recovery. The story felt so raw and real. I fell in love with the characters and their journey.

9. THE ANGELS’ SHARE by J.R. Ward: Can I admit that I the Bourbon Kings made me like the Black Dagger Brotherhood better?  I had been burnt out and unhappy with that series until I saw how Ward applied the same narrative techniques she uses in the Black Dagger Brotherhood to her contemporary soap opera series about a wealthy family in Kentucky. I love Angels’ Share which is filled with murder, sex, lies, flawed people and lots of drama.

8. SCOT IN THE DARK by Sarah MacLean: Who can resist a Scottish hero? Especially one who is determined to save a woman from her ruin, but she ends up saving him from his own demons.  A book about overcoming shame, surviving and accepting ones past mistakes, this book also has humor and intensity. There are no magic wands here that change the past, only characters that find acceptance in one another.

7. 738 DAYS by Stacey Kade: A girl who was kidnapped meets up with the washed up actor whose poster was on the room where she was held. Two people who have had their lives ripped apart at a young age travel through pain and disappointment. Yes, this book has its share of angst, but there is also charm and humor.

6. RUINED by Jess Michaels: The aristocratic girl is ruined when runs off with a man who turns out to be a criminal but returns to the man who she has wanted but couldn’t have for years who happens to be the family’s horsemaster.  Hot, sexy and full of angst and drama, I just loved the mixed class romances where the man is of the lower class.

5. NO MISTRESS OF MINE by Laura Lee Guhrke: A second chance at love between a man and the woman who was his mistress but threw him over for another man.  Imperfect flawed characters who have to accept their own faults.  I loved the self-made woman who made the best of her chances, did what she needed to do to survive and succeeded in being a good business woman in the end.

4. ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR by Nalini Singh: A book that had the purpose of tying up the fourteen book Psy-Changling series with numerous points of views and characters from all those book seems like an impossible task. In Singh’s hands, however, this book manages to become a celebration of everything I loved about the prior books in the series, a satisfying conclusion to their stories and the lingering questions, and a launching pad for more stories. It is rare that authors write books that are truly for the fans, but this one is one big love letter for them.

3. HOT IN HELLCAT CANYON by Julie Anne Long:  The question whether Long could transfer her emotionally complex, small village stories from historical England to contemporary California was a resounding Hell-cat yes!  A book about a small town waitress and a not so popular actor was enthralling with its depictions of love, pain, struggle and ultimate triumph. No one can express in words the lyrical depiction of love like Long.  The wedding toast given by the hero is so amazing that it alone would have gotten this book on my list, but this book is so much more.

2. THE HUNTER by Kerrigan Byrne: Dark, angst driven but wonderfully redemptive.  The story of an assassin in Victorian England who falls in love with the woman he is supposed to kill. I adore damaged heroes and Christopher is a man who is so damaged that he has convinced himself to want nothing, need nothing, feel nothing. His romance with Millie opens his soul to beauty and possibility.  One of my catnip tropes is the man who stands on the line between hero and villain and Christopher is certainly in that category.

1. DUKE OF PLEASURE by Elizabeth Hoyt: The bastard son of the King meets up with a woman masquerading as a boy and also taking on the role of the Georgian equivalent of a superhero. Combine this with the lyrical and fierce emotional heft of a Hoyt book and you have a winner. Alf, the heroine of this book, manages to be both cynical and worldly but also gentle and innocent in ways I never expected. Even in the penultimate book of the Maiden Lane series, Hoyt is still surprising me and writing books that immediately go to on my all time favorite list.

I also had two honorable mentions.

MR. PRESIDENT by Katy Evans:  The first part of the secret romance between a woman and the man who could be President was amazing because of the combination of sexual and emotional tension combined with a sweet romance. The next part is going to be published in January and I can’t wait.

BIG EASY TEMPTATION by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake: Book three in the Perfect Gentlemen series is about a couple who were torn apart by the ongoing mystery in this series. The pain and emotional complexity in this couple kept me reading…and keeps me checking to find out when the next book of the series will be available.

2016 was a great reading year and I look forward to what is coming up in 2017.

Happy New Year to you all!

Review: Dangerous Pleasure

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Review: Dangerous PleasureDangerous Pleasure (Bound Hearts, #12) by Lora Leigh
Series: Bound Hearts #12
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on July 5th 2011
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 293
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: Enjoyable read with a lot of suspense, this menage book isn’t as strong as others in the series in the emotional aspects.

THE STORY:  Abram Mustafa has wanted Paige Galbraith for years. After the murder of his wife, Abram has held himself apart in order to protect those he might care about — including Paige. Now Paige has been kidnapped by Abram’s father and Abram must protect her while he also gives in to the intense passion between them.

OPINION: This book has yet another twist on the menages in Bound Hearts. In this one Abram has his cousin for a third.  He tries to get Paige and his cousin to form an emotional connection, but it is clear that Paige will only want and love him. Paige, therefore, wants more emotional connection than Abram wants to give.

This book has less sex than the previous books in the series (not that there isn’t a lot of hot sex).  There is a more traditional romantic suspense story.  The emphasis in the story is on the immediate events, thus we learn less about these characters apart from their relationship and the adventures they are engaged in.

My biggest problem with the story is that I didn’t really buy into the reasons that Abram stayed away from Paige. His past is explained too much and there wasn’t really an emotional component with his pain in the past.  As a result, I could understand his reluctance to get involved with Paige because of his concern with his brother’s reaction.  What I didn’t get was his turning Paige away after they were already sexually involved.

While I enjoyed the story overall, I wish there was more about the emotional life of these characters to intrigue me.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book has a MMF menage that is rooted in a MF relationship.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  DANGEROUS PLEASURE is the twelfth book in the Bound Hearts series. It can be read as a standalone although it is closely connected with book 11, GUILTY PLEASURE. It continues the story started in that book.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars