Tracy's review of Just Down the Road (Harmony series #4) by Jodi Thomas

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Tracy's review of Just Down the Road (Harmony series #4) by Jodi Thomas

When Tinch Turner lost his wife, he gave up on living. Now he spends his nights brooding, boozing, and brawling. When one of his escapades lands him in the ER, he finds himself staring up at the beautiful new doctor in town. For the first time in years, he feels a spark, but Addison Spencer wants nothing to do with the unruly rancher—or any man for that matter. She’s only in Harmony four months, long enough for the trouble she left behind to be over. But then a vulnerable little boy barrels into both their lives, forcing them out of the past—and into a future where love is just down the road...

In the meantime, as Reagan Truman grieves her beloved uncle, she finds comfort in the makeshift family she’s made in Harmony—and in a new baby, the first born in the Wright Funeral Home in 45 years, proving to everyone that life does go on…

If you've been reading the Harmony series then your very familiar with the main characters in this series. With each novel we get to see a little more of their lives and get involved on a level that makes it seem like you're greeting an old friend when you pick up the next book. As much as I love that I love that we're also, usually, introduced to new characters around the town of Harmony, Texas which always makes each book unique.

This story introduced us to Tinch Turner and Addison Spencer – two very different people from two very different walks of life.

Tinch was born and raised in Harmony and fell in love with his future wife when he was in middle school. Tinch and Lori Anne had a good life together but Lori Anne was taken from him early in their lives and Tinch has been grieving for the past 3 years. He just wants someone to send him to his death so that he can be with Lori Anne. One night he's in a bar brawl and taken the local hospital for stitches.

Enter Addison Spencer, M.D. She's on temporary assignment in Harmony and she's not sure what she'll do once her time is through there. Her controlling father back in L.A. has more than enough ideas about where she should work and who she should marry. But Addison really doesn't want either of the options her father is pushing.

Addison and Tinch are brought together when Tinch's 4 year old nephew, Jamie, is brought to live with him. He must protect and care for the boy and Tinch discovers that there's many, many more things to live for and he starts to re-think his death wish – along with coming to terms about his grief. Addison is incredibly protective of Jamie as well and ends up almost living with Tinch and Jamie for a while which brings the couple together and their feelings for each other start to grow.

In the meantime we get to see Reagan Truman again. Her uncle Jeremiah dies and Reagan is dealing with her grief as well as seeing to his final wishes. Her friends are around her – all but Noah who is the one person she needs above all. But when Noah returns Reagan's not sure that he's the man she knows any longer. The pair work through their issues and find out what they are to each other.

We also get to visit with Tyler Wright from the funeral home who is madly in love with Kate. Kate is still working though and when she goes on assignment Tyler is beside himself with worry. He also has insecurities about whether Kate will be happy in Harmony. Tyler is also waiting, impatiently I might add, for his housekeepers baby to arrive. Autumn is a character that we met in the previous book – a woman that Tyler took under his wing and watched her flourish from a scared woman to one who was loyal with many friends.

I loved revisiting Harmony! I really have enjoyed this series immensely and have looked forward to each book with great anticipation. This story contained all of the things I love in a good novel: romance, family love & friendship. It also had a great little suspense story that involved 4 year old Jamie. (He was just adorable!)

Tinch and Addison's love story was different from the average romance. They're brought together in strange circumstances and didn't even particularly like each other at first. It took a 4 year old boy for them to be nice to each other and then they realized that they actually liked the other person. It didn't have the typical romantic elements but it was a good love story none-the-less.

Jeremiah Truman is a man who I've come to know and very much admire throughout the series. He wasn't always smiling but he had a huge heart. When he dies it's incredibly moving and I cried to see him go (yes, cried – big ole tears!). Jeremiah had raised Reagan for the last 5 years and made a huge difference in her life. Seeing her trying to handle life after his death was difficult but I thought that Thomas wrote it so very well and made her deal with issues in her life that she hadn't faced previously.

Overall I really liked the book a lot. As I write this I'm not sure if there will be more books in this series but I certainly hope there is as I would love to read more about this wonderful town and it's inhabitants.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The series:


You can read more from Tracy at Tracy's Place

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Holly's review of True Colors (Elder Races, Book 3.5) by Thea Harrison

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Holly's review of True Colors (Elder Races, Book 3.5) by Thea Harrison

Meeting your soulmate? Great. Preventing your possible murder? Even better.

Alice Clark, a Wyr and schoolteacher, has had two friends murdered in as many days, and she's just found the body of a third. She arrives at the scene only minutes before Gideon Riehl, a wolf Wyr and current detective in the Wyr Division of Violent Crime—and, as Alice oh-so-inconveniently recognizes at first sight, her mate.

But the sudden connection Riehl and Alice feel is complicated when the murders are linked to a serial killer who last struck seven years ago, killing seven people in seven days. They have just one night before the killer strikes again. And every sign points to Alice as the next victim.

Product Warnings
This book contains a hot police detective, a violent murderer on the hunt, and a heroine that can blend in anywhere..

This short story is set in the same world as her Elder Races series, available now from Berkley. While I enjoyed reading about something outside the main storyarc of the series, I don't think it packed the same punch as her full length novels.

The villain wasn't too hard to figure out. I think it was pretty obvious from the beginning whodunit. But the romance was entertaining enough that I wasn't bored with the story. I like the idea of an unusual Wyr, which is what Alice is.

A quick, light read. Especially since the next release in the series is so far away...

3.5 out of 5 



This book is available from Samhain. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Rowena's review of Scandal in Spring (The Wallflowers, Book 4) by Lisa Kleypas.

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Rowena's review of Scandal in Spring (The Wallflowers, Book 4) by Lisa Kleypas.

Hero: Matthew Swift
Heroine: Daisy Bowman

After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman's father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can't snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses—the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.

Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. But she doesn't count on Matthew's unexpected charm . . . or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.

But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered . . . one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy's wildest fantasies.

Here's a review that I wrote for my personal blog that I wanted to bring over here, just because I absolutely adore this series and realized I hadn't reviewed it for this blog. I couldn't rewrite it any better so I'm just going to re-post this here.

Check it out:

This is my favorite Wallflower book.

Which if you think about it, makes sense since Daisy is my favorite Wallflower. I connected with Daisy because there’s so much about Daisy that I see in myself. The feelings she has, the bookwormishness about her, the way she sees the good in most everything around her, her personality is one that I’m most familiar with. While reading this book, I felt as if I was reading my story, so engrossed in this story was I.

It was a perfect ending to an almost perfect series, IMO. I know this wasn’t the best series in the whole universe, but I think Lisa Kleypas did an extraordinary job with this series. She wrote each book, reflecting on the personality of the heroine and I haven’t been touched by a series in quite a long time, the same way I was touched when reading this series. I fully escaped into Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflower world and I’m so bummed that my journey through her books is over. I honestly felt a part of their world, I felt apart of the “in crowd” while reading this series. I connected with each Wallflower and saw a bit of myself in them, the characters were so warm and rich and so like people that I would surround myself in real life which is one of the big reasons I love this series so much. Great characters! I love really great characters! This series really rocks!

Every once in a while, a writer will write a book that captures every feeling that I’ve ever felt, every insecurity I’ve ever had and bring those feelings to life for me through stories. Daisy Bowman could have been ME, call me silly or whatever, but this book spoke to me on so many different levels. It was strange to see a lot of the things that I struggle with (privately, of course) in one character. Now, it’s easy to see a lot of yourself in MANY different characters, but to see so much of yourself and your feelings in one character makes their book all the more special to you.

And that’s how I felt with this book.

I was so in tune with this book and with Daisy, and even with Matthew that I know this will be one of my most favorite books of all time. Now, it’s not often that I’m so wrapped up in a book that I feel like this could very well be my story.

For me, there were so many things I loved about this book, the main thing, being the hero, Matthew Swift. He has taken Simon Hunt’s top spot as my favorite Wallflower Hero. The power behind his feelings for Daisy was just too sweet and unbearably poignant that I misted over quite a few times.

Here are some of them:

When Daisy locked him in the room with her and she’s telling him how she was flirting with Lord Llandrindon. His response:

“Daisy, you’re too damned innocent to understand the danger you’re in. It’s taking all the self-control I ‘ve got to keep my hands off you. Don’t play games with me, sweetheart. It’s too easy for you to torture me, and I’m at my limit. To put to rest any doubts you might have…I’m jealous of every man who comes within ten feet of you. I’m jealous of the clothes on your skin and the air you breathe. I’m jealous of every moment you spend out of my sight.”

Stunned, Daisy whispered, “You…you certainly haven’t shown any sign of it.”

“Over the years I’ve collected a thousand memories of you, every glimpse, every word you’ve ever said to me. Al those visits to your family’s home, those dinners and holidays-I could hardly wait to walk through the front doors and see you.” The corners of his mouth quirked with reminiscent amusement. “You, in the middle of that brash, bull-headed lot. I love watching you deal with your family. Yo’ve always been everything I thought a woman should be. And I have wanted you every second of my life since we met.”

This is one of those, I’ve loved you from afar storylines that I absolutely adore, and I’m so glad that Daisy got this kind of storyline because it’s my favorite and it suited the kind of story I wanted for my favorite wallflower.

But more then that sweet scene, there was another quote in which Matt tells Daisy about her Father. The Father that called her a parasite, he knew how hurt she was by her Father’s remarks and the way he set about trying to ease her mind on that, stole my breath and made my insides all gooey with joy.

…”Ironically,” she commented, “this will be the first time I’ve ever done anything to please my father.”

His reply:

“You,” he whispered in Daisy’s hair, “are the best thing he’s ever done. Someday he’ll realize that.”

Awwwww…I love how sure of her and his love for her that he was. I loved how he tried to do right by her, I loved how fiercely protective he was of her and I just hella loved him dammit. This book was just off the chains good for me, I loved it that much.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Reading Order:


This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Judith's review of Quinn (Wyoming Sky #1) by R. C. Ryan

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Judith's review of Quinn (Wyoming Sky #1) by R. C. Ryan

As a young boy, Quinn Conway was shattered by his mother's mysterious disappearance. Today, as the oldest of the Conway brothers, his only concern is protecting his family and their ranch. One look at beautiful, strong-willed Cheyenne O'Brien tells him she's also no stranger to tragedy. A series of increasingly dangerous "accidents" are plaguing her and her land, and Quinn can't stand idly by while a woman is in danger.

Fiercely independent, Cheyenne isn't one to lean on others, yet she can't deny her attraction to the rugged rancher offering help. Soon, the passion building between them proves as wild and untamed as the land she loves-and just as impossible to resist. But a relentless enemy is about to make one final devastating move. To survive, Quinn and Cheyenne must put their cherished freedom-and their hearts-at risk.

This contemporary Western romance embraces the experiences of a man who is deeply in love with his home, his ranching lifestyle, and the forces of nature that impact it. He has become a nationally known expert on the life and activity of the American Wolf and all this grows out of an early life encounter with a mother wolf and her pups, a family that was summarily killed by a neighboring rancher, just on principle alone. The deep grief he felt--probably hooked up with the ever-present grief and questioning growing out of his mother's unexplained and unsolved disappearance--set Quinn on a different life path, one that now takes him into the personal space of Cheyenne O'Brien, a woman now alone and trying as she best can to keep her ranch--her inheritance--up and running and profitable. Getting involved with Cheyenne on any level has now dragged Quinn into a deeper and more mysterious situation, one that threatens not only her lifestyle and ranch, but ultimately her life.

It is an entertaining and engaging and well-written novel that was a delight to read. The descriptive language was sufficient to keep the panorama of the West as a backdrop but it didn't take over the novel. Quinn and Cheyenne were written as strong and independent, yet both had experienced the close intimacy of family and both were grieving personal losses, some very recent. It is a romance that is spiced up and made even more compelling by the addition of a mystery, one that begins to draw Quinn more deeply into Cheyenne's personal life and the well-being of her ranch. Their relationship begins with a friendship that is built on mutual concern and caring and then on to a romance. In the midst of all of this is an individual who seems to always be present and whose presence is not always welcomed by others in Cheyenne's life. Underlying the story is the continuing question about Quinn's mother. I had to wonder if somewhere down the line the author was planning to resolve that question. I sure hope so.

I really enjoyed this book. I like cowboy romance anyway, and am coming to enjoy contemporary stories as much as I have enjoyed American historicals in the past. I've not read much from this author but I was impressed with the quality of the writing, the correct use of English pertaining to tenses and such (I'll probably have a rant about that one of these days), and a sense that the author's development of the story evidenced an overview that never let the story get out of hand. It was well balanced and the supporting characters created their own interest. The repartee within the family gave depth and deeper meaning in helping the reader understand Quinn. The values that supported his life work, his attitudes and his understanding of human relationships obviously grew out of the support he received throughout his life from strong people in his family circle--his dad and granddad as well as the two older women who impacted his emotional and psychological development. One of those women, Ela, an Arapaho woman who had been present in Quinn's life as long as he can remember, was a connection for him with Cheyenne whose mother was also an Arapaho and known to Ela.

This is a story that will be a delight to those who enjoy a contemporary Western romance and who especially like a story that is well-written and edited. This is one that shouldn't be missed.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.


This book is available from Forever Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Holly's review of Time Out by Jill Shavlis

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Holly's review of Time Out by Jill Shavlis

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Class: How to Drive Him Crazy

Instructional program for women unexpectedly facing the totally dishy guy from their past. Everyone Welcome!

NHL coach Mark Diego’s plan to spend his off-season volunteering in his hometown goes awry when he learns that not only is he coaching teenage girls, but that the program is coordinated by energetic (and five feet two inches of trouble) coordinator Rainey Saunders, his childhood friend–and the woman he could never stand to see dating any other guy…

When their tempers flare, Mark and Rainey discover their fireworks don’t just burn angry–they burn very, very, hot! But that’ll just sweeten the victory. Because Mark always plays to win. And with Rainey, he’s planning on playing very dirty too…

Mark and Rainey have history. She had a crush on him growing up, but he always thought of her as nothing more than his best friend's baby sister.She humiliated herself trying to get his attention one night in high school and they haven't spoken since.

Mark is now a NHL coach and Rainey is the program coordinator for the local rec center. When some of his players get in trouble, he sentences them to spend their vacation time helping out at the center coaching softball. Which means Mark and Rainey have to work very closely together. Now that Rainey is all grown up, Mark is looking forward to getting to know her on a more personal level. Rainey hasn't forgotten how humiliated she felt back in the day, and she has no intention of throwing herself at Mark now. Especially since he'll be leaving as soon as his community service project is done.

Mark was seriously hot. I loved the sparks between him and Rainey. They were well matched. She doesn't just immediately fall at his feet, something he isn't used to. Some of his antics had me cracking up (cornering her in the supply closet, scaring off her dates, etc). Shalvis brought her trademark humor and wit to the story.

Rainey is looking for a long-term relationship. She knows she isn't the type for a one-night stand, and sees no point it starting up with Mark when it isn't going to go anywhere. I liked that she knew herself so well, and didn't fall in bed with him just because she was attracted to him. 


The characters definitely drew me in. I didn't want to put it down.

4 out of 5

This book is available from Harlequin Blaze. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Ames' review of Tempted By Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks

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Ames' review of Tempted By Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks.

No Man’s Bargaining Chip 

Devon Carter was her first; now newly wed Ashley wants their passion to last. But her dreams of true love are crushed by the discovery that their marriage is another of Daddy’s business deals. Her strategy: act the part of perfect wife and make Devon love her.

But Devon misses the bubbly, no-holdsbarred woman his wife used to be. Who is this Ashley with the steely demeanor of a society wife? And will he find a way to rekindle the fire in her eyes…especially now that she’s pregnant?

Tempted features one of my favorite themes. Remember in Lord of Scoundrels when Jess gives Dain what he thinks he wants and is meek and doesn't give him her sassy attitude? And he hated it? Well, Tempted was like that and I loved it!

Ashley is the younger daughter of a business tycoon and Devon wants to merge his company with her father's. Mr. Copeland, Ashley's dad, says he will merge companies with Devon if Devon marries his daughter. Mr. Copeland just wants to make sure his daughter is taken care of and Devon, despite being attracted to Ashley, hates the fact that the marriage is part of the deal. He imagined he would marry one day, but doesn't like that someone is forcing him to toe the line. But Ashley is a sweet, impulsive, young woman and it's no hardship for Devon to court her. He does want to tell her about the details of the merger (and their future marriage) but Mr. Copeland forbids it.

Of course you know this is all for naught because on her wedding night, Ashley finds out the truth. She loves Devon and is heartbroken about the fact that for him it's all business. He even tells her they can remain married and be comfortable together. Ashley refuses to be married without love, but she figures if she changes the things about her that Devon doesn't like, that he'll eventually fall in love with her. So that's what she does. And she's miserable and so is Devon, but he doesn't know why.

I thought Maya Banks did an excellent job making such an angsty story in this shorter format. We see enough of Ashley's bubbly, outgoing, effervescent attitude before her wedding that we can recognize how different she is afterwards. And she's only giving Devon what he thinks he wants. And stupid blind man is too arrogant to see what he's done to her. But others aren't - but their warnings come to late to prevent Devon from losing the woman he didn't even realized he loved! So drama-riffic is how I described it to a friend. LOL

Now, I did find a few things problematic. Mr. Copeland's outdated thoughts on his daughter needing someone to watch over her? Hello, we're not in the 1800s. I know that speaks to how innocent Ashley is, but come on, she's a grown woman! The whole marriage for merger thing is a bit ridiculous, but it gave us the story I had so much fun reading I'm not going to complain too much about it. Yes it was contrived, but I don't care.  

4 out of 5

This book is available from Harlequin. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Judith's review of Holiday Hideout by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jill Shalvis, & Julie Kenner

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Judith's review of Holiday Hideout by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jill Shalvis, & Julie Kenner

Three couples experience sexy holiday romance at the same Lake Tahoe cabin during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's getaways in this anthology by Thompson, Jill Shalvis, and Julie Kenner. 

Here I am again, reviewing an anthology--a confirmed don't-want-to-read-anymore-anthologies reader, but being drawn to one that features at least two of my favorite authors. What can I say? I thought it looked really good and so I got it, and when all is said and done, I'm glad I did.

A quiet, out-of-the-way mountain cabin in the Lake Tahoe region was the scene of a marriage reclaimed by Ken and Jillian Vickers.  They rented it, of course, and their renewed marriage meant so much to them and was so identified with this particular place, that they ended up buying it and using it as a holiday retreat for years.  As both of them were sociology professors at the University of Nevada, Reno, they began to realize that every couple that had rented the cabin over the years has either found a new love or had seen their relationship renewed.  Unlike some who would have tried to prove that the property was "magic," these two set out to prove that the property was very ordinary.  So our three couples were a part of a larger experiment.

One of the biggest complaints that I have had with anthologies is that the stories are usually so short that the stories seem incomplete or that the story itself my be good but the ending seems tacked on.   I must confess that such didn't seem to be the case here.    Certainly there was insufficient space for a long, drawn-out tale of one sort or another, but since the context for all three stories was the mountain cabin,  the task of developing a backdrop and the space it usually absorbed was not necessary and more of the character development could take place.    Each of the couples were brought to the cabin as a kind of "set-up" by Jillian and one or both of the individuals has known Jillian and her husband through their connection with UN Reno.  

The Thanksgiving Fix was probably my favorite and which brought together two individuals who had decided that marriage was probably not for them and were confirming their belief that single living was best, with the understanding that such a choice did not exclude some good sex along the way.  And good sex became their reality before too long.  Both of these people were mature and had lived for quite some time with the pressures of a family who spent a great deal of time and energy finding potential mates for them.  They had enough of that!!  This is a delightful and charming tale that will warm the reader's heart, no matter what time of year it may be.

The Christmas Set-up brings together two architects, both of whom work for a very important architectural firm and both of whom are competing for an important promotion that will not only beef up their professional resume but will also bring in some much needed income.  Through the manipulations of Jason's brother, Jason and Zoe find themselves snowed in on Christmas Eve, finally having to acknowledge their strong attraction and getting honest with each other.   These are two high-powered people who are lonely, who really need to let some Christmas love and cheer into their lives, and who need the push and shove of a new relationship to help them re-order their personal priorities.   And that is the message at the core of this story:  what is really important in life.  

The New Year's Deal involves a bit more back story in that Cleo and Josh are lovers who had been together and planned a life together since about their second week in college.  Now it has been five years since they went their separate ways and it is time to see if they have each remembered their promise to meet at New Years in the old motel where they first became lovers.  The old motel is burnt down so Josh moves the assignation to Jillian's cabin and sends an invitation to Cleo.   He is CEO of his family's mining operation and she is an attorney with a firm that practices international law.   There are a few more complications between this couple and true love has quite a ways to go before it can make its appearance between these two.  But I think at the heart of this story is the need for the survival of one's dream--what every person needs to consider when making those important life decisions.  And for Cleo and Josh, it is indeed the big question they must answer before their mutual destiny can become a reality.

All in all, this is a delightful holiday anthology, but the stories are larger than just their holiday context.  Each brings some important life issues into the discussion these couples have, and each story touches on the reality of human loving and relationship that most of us have faced at one time or the other.  Even though this anthology was released in November, 2011, it is timely in its own way no matter the time of the year.  

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Harlequin. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Holly's review of Any Given Christmas (Sugar Shack, Book 2) by Candis Terry

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Holly's review of Any Given Christmas (Sugar Shack, Book 2) by Candis Terry

Dean Silverthorne’s mother may be dead, but she still has matchmaking to do.

When an injury dashes NFL Quarterback Dean Silverthorne’s Super Bowl dreams, he heads back to Deer Lick, Montana with a chip on his wounded shoulder and more determined than ever to get back in the game. He loves his kooky family, but his trip home is nothing but a very brief Christmas visit.

His game plan didn’t include an instant attraction to Emma Hart, a feisty kindergarten teacher who seems to be the only person in Deer Lick not interested in the hometown hero. Or his dearly departed mom popping up with mistletoe in hand and meddling on the mind. Now Dean can’t help but wonder if there’s more to love than life between the goal posts.

Beware: This review is riddled with spoilers.

This is the second book in Candis' Sugar Shack series. I believe it can stand alone.

Emma is a school teacher who wants to find a man to spend her life with. A man who is not like football star Dean Silverthorne. She doesn't do bad boys - in bed or otherwise - anymore. And Dean is the baddest of them all.

Dean has taken a couple hard hits on the field, which means he's got some time off to recover. Spending it in Deer Lick isn't exactly his idea of a good time, but his dad needs him. Emma would be the perfect distraction...if only she didn't seem immune to him.

As they spend more time togther, Dean and Emma realize they aren't so different..but can Emma let go of her past enough to embrace what could be a bright future?

Ok, here's the thing about this book. It features a theme I loathe. One that, unfortunately, is seen quite often in romance. The hero being punished for his past (or, alternately, the heroine being punished for her past - though this is less prevalent). I do not believe a man (or woman) should be judged based on things that happened in their past. Unless they're mass murders or something equally nefarious (something no romance hero should ever be...unless they're highly trained, super speshul government agents - but that's a post for another day). Just because a man (or woman) has a checkered past (i.e., slept around a lot) doesn't necessarily make him (or her) a bad person.

In this case, Dean is known as one of the bad boys of football. He's wild and crazy. He parties hard. He dates (ok, sleeps with) a lot of women. But that doesn't mean he's a bad guy. It means he's a bit of a manwhore, but even manwhores can have good qualities. Are they the best candidate for happily ever after? Probably not. But are they lower than dirt? No. No they aren't.

Right from the beginning Emma jumps to the conclusion that Dean is an asshole because he dates sleeps around a lot. How sleeping with a lot of women makes him an asshole, I'm not quite sure. Does he torture small children? No. Does he talk crap about his mother? No. Is he careful to let the women in his life know he isn't interested in something long term? Yes. So..again, not the best candidate for Wuv, Twu Wuv, but not an asshole.

I was really enjoying this until about 3/4 of the way through. Then the heroines "poor me" routine got old. She was selfish and immature.

Emma had a bad experience when she was in high school. She was one of the nerdy chicks who didn't get out much. She was invited to one of the cool kid parties and ended up giving her virginity to a friend of Dean's - who was home from college and brought his buddy to visit - and he never bothered to call her the next day. Then some other stuff happened. The moral of the story? Bad boys aren't to be trusted. There are so many things wrong with that kind of thinking, but I was able to move past that and go with the flow.

Until Emma started acting like a selfish bitch. She wanted Dean but didn't want to want him. Even though he treated her really well and was there for her when she needed someone, she still pushed him away. No matter that his present actions showed him to be a compassionate, responsible man, she still insisted he was nothing but a douche bag who was going to screw her over. I went along with this until toward the end of the book. Then I just couldn't take it anymore.

The final conflict came about because Dean's career imploded. He thought he'd be able to go back to playing football, but he was told he needed a lot more PT before that could happen. He is then released from the team. Instead of calling Emma, he heads straight home so he can be with her. She hears about it on the news and decides to kick Dean out of her life because he didn't come to her first. Dean has just had a major blow to his self-esteem, but are her thoughts with him? No. She was focused only on herself. "If Dean really cared about me he would have called me before he called anyone else." Of course what she doesn't know is that Dean asked the announcement be held over the weekend and his first thoughts were of her. He just wanted to see her in person. All this because she went through a bad time 10 years ago. Really?

On top of that everyone - including her - blamed the Dean for everything. She was the one who kept pushing him away and judging him based on things that happened in her past. Yet he was in the wrong? He had to apologize and grovel? No. Just no.

I did like Dean. Though he started out as a jaded playboy, he really grew up over the course of the novel.  I also liked the bits with his mom, mostly because of his reaction to seeing her ghost. Too bad he was saddled with such a terrible heroine.

I enjoyed the first book in this series enough that I'll read the next book. I hope its better than this one.

 2.5 out of 5

The series:



This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Tracy’s review of Not Wicked Enough (Seducing the Scoundrels #1) by Carolyn Jewel

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Tracy’s review of Not Wicked Enough (Seducing the Scoundrels #1) by Carolyn Jewel

When Lily Wellstone heads to the Bitterward Estate to comfort her widowed friend Eugenia, she certainly does not have romance in mind. In fact, the playful but level-headed Lily is amused to no end when, en route, a Gypsy gifts her with a beautiful medallion, claiming it will ensnare the romantic desires of a stranger.

But fate has other plans in the form of Eugenia’s ruggedly handsome brother, the Duke of Mountjoy. One day at Bitterward and Lily can’t deny the sizzling attraction between her and the roguish duke. Nothing can come of it, of course. She’s not looking for entanglements and he’s practically engaged. But whether it’s her outgoing nature and the duke’s outlandish ways sparking off one another; or the mysterious gypsy medallion working “magic,”—hearts are stirring in the most unexpected and wicked ways. . .

Lily is visiting her friend Ginny when she meets Ginny’s brother, Mountjoy. He is the Duke of Mountjoy and Lily is instantly entranced by the man. Not because he is a duke but because he is a beautiful, vibrant man who can match wits with her any day of the week.

Lily and Mountjoy soon start a sexual relationship with the knowledge that their partnership will end when Lily heads home. Now you may be thinking that it’s unusual for Lily to be so free with her body but she wasn’t a virgin when she started the relationship. You see she was in love once before but the man had died in battle. She has sworn that she will never love again the way she loved her Greer, but Mountjoy is an amazing man and she finds herself getting emotionally closer to him despite her better judgment.

From the beginning of the book until the end Mountjoy and Lily have an incredible connection. They both give as well as they get in the witty repartee department and can talk and share ideas without fear that they be judged by the other. Lily is really an unusual woman. She has lived on her own since she was very young and has not lived a proper life. When she fell in love with Greer it was, to her, for forever and she didn’t plan on falling in love again. Mountjoy is a very compelling man, however, and she finds that he makes her want to stay with him.

This book, for me, was almost perfect. Yes, there were things about it that I didn’t care for:
**The fact that we never knew Mountjoy’s given name I found to be annoying. I know that it was common in those times to just use the title name but I thought his sister would use it as a more familiar term – or he would at least let Lily know what it was.
**Part of the story line included a medallion that Lily received from a gypsy. Supposedly it was supposed to bring the wearer of the medallion to their true love. The medallion is mentioned quite a bit throughout the story but more as an accessory to Lily’s fashion. I’m not sure if we were supposed to believe that it worked or not but I just thought it a bit silly. The couple had such chemistry that it just wasn’t needed.
**Then there’s Lord Fenris who is actually Lily’s cousin. He shows up and Lily is afraid that he and his portion of the family will try to take her inheritance away. While this was a good way to bring Lord Fenris into the story (I believe for future books) it was a bit rushed on Fenris’s part for my liking. He proposes to Lily at one point and says they’ll suit well – how can he know that when he doesn’t know her at all?

You’d think that those points would bring the score down further for this book but really, the other parts of the book were so damned good I just didn’t care about the niggles.

Lily and Mountjoy are simply amazing together. The romance, the passion, the intelligence in the book just had me turning pages as fast as I could. In fact when I finished the book I turned back to the first page and read it all over again. It’s a strong compelling story that truly makes you believe in the love between the hero and heroine.

I highly recommend this book and I will definitely be reading more in this series.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place



This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Tracy’s review of Spellbound Falls (Midnight Bay #4) by Janet Chapman

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Tracy’s review of Spellbound Falls (Midnight Bay #4) by Janet Chapman

A newcomer to Spellbound Falls, Maine, Maximilian Oceanus is trying to get a handle on fatherhood. But his newly discovered six-year-old son wants to find his father a wife. Too bad Olivia Baldwin wants nothing to do with the dangerously seductive Mac--especially with all the weird stuff happening all around him...

When I got the list of books for review from Holly a while back I was pretty excited about this one. It sounded like a fun contemporary romance and I’ve jonesing for contemporaries lately. I didn’t do a whole lot of research to see if this book was in a series or not and I definitely should have. If I had only seen the covers of the first 3 books in this series I would have known that this was a paranormal rather than a contemporary romance. That being said there isn’t a ton of the paranormal in this book but enough to make me scrunch up my face and say, “huh?” About halfway through the book I went to the author’s website and had an “aha” moment when I discovered that this was 4th in a series.

Olivia is a widow who lives with her 8 year old daughter, Sophie, at a camp that is run by her mother-in-law and father-in-law. She didn’t have a great marriage but everyone in town thinks that she’s still mourning her husband’s death because she keeps to herself. She does have some good friends though and with them she’s open and honest. Olivia is working to get the camp ready for the next session but has early guests in the form of Mac Oceanus and his six year old son Henry.

The camp is set up to help kids and parents learn how to communicate and be a family unit and since Mac found out just months before that he even had a son this seems like the perfect place for them. From the beginning Henry and Mac seem to be doing well and Mac volunteers to help Olivia with her work. This provides them a little bit of time getting to know each other and the two know that they will start a relationship but Mac is waiting for Olivia to ask for it as he wants her fully in the moment and not having any doubts.

Olivia is enthralled with Mac’s body but she really likes the man as well – there are just really strange things that happen when he’s around and she can’t figure out why. Eventually some things are revealed but when that happens Olivia isn’t shocked – but she is accepting.

The story is really about Olivia coming into her own as a person and not hiding in the shadows from herself and others – with the help of Mac and a few others. She was an orphan - or so she thought from the time she was 5 and had gotten sucked into her dead husband’s family only to be abandoned by him when he went off to serve in the military. But he was a cheater and their marriage was over long before he died. In the book we see Olivia finally coming to life and making a family of her own – with a little help from real relatives.

Mac and Henry were odd ducks to me. Henry was 6 but spoke like he was about 15. I had a hard time believing his age even when it was mentioned multiple times. There was mention of Henry being born in another century and that Mac and Henry were “settling” in this century but that was never explained.

It turns out that Mac is the son of the man who created Atlantis but we’re only told that Mac is a theurgist (wizard) and not exactly what and who he is. At one time he turns into a “beast” (not an evil one) but the beast is never described nor are we told if that’s his true form or how often he turns into it – no details. He has power but supposedly it was taken away – what kind of power was it in the first place? IDK. I frankly knew very little about Mac even at the end of the book. I’m not sure if he was in previous books and who and what he was was explained in those books and therefore the author felt that no further explanation was necessary? Again, IDK.

The romance in this story is really what saved the book for me. Mac and Olivia were great together and the author had them playing off of each other so well. I loved seeing Mac supporting Olivia and helping to be the strong woman he knew she could be – not that she was simpering to start but the strength just had to be brought to the surface. The romance and the sense of family in this book was the best part, imho.

If you plan on reading Spellbound Falls I would definitely recommend reading books 1-3 first. I’m hoping that would shed some light on book 4 and you wouldn’t be quite as lost as I was.

Rating: 3 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

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Tracy’s review of Wrangled and Tangled (Blacktop Cowboys #3) by Lorelei James

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Tracy’s review of Wrangled and Tangled (Blacktop Cowboys #3) by Lorelei James

Janie Fitzhugh and Abe Lawson have long been divorced and living apart. Now she's back in town, a changed woman-making cattleman Abe want to wrangle an invitation to her bed...

To get his dream ranch, Renner Jackson has partnered with spoiled daddy's girl Tierney Pratt. She thinks she can handle this cowboy, but Renner won't make it easy. Little do they know they will be entangled in ways neither dreamed possible.

Abe and Janie got married very young and though they loved each other they had a serious communication problem. On top of that Abe was stuck in his ways and wanted to keep his ranch exactly how it had been when his parents ran it. Janie kind of felt like it wasn’t really her ranch or her house – that she was just a visitor there. Eventually Janie, instead of talking to Abe, left. They divorced and Janie left Wyoming. Though Abe never stopped loving Janie he went on his way and ultimately decided to make some changes in his life.

Janie is now back in Wyoming and working at the new resort, Split Rock. When Janie has a couple of accidents and they think it’s an old stalker of hers Abe immediately moves her into his house and in the end, into his bed. The couple have issues to work out but they discover that they still love each other and that they can through whatever issues come up in their lives.

Renner is the owner of Split Rock. Due to the economy he found that he needed financing and gets it from a large company in Chicago. That company is run by Gene Pratt whose daughter, Tierney, works for him. When Gene overlooks his daughter for an executive position even though she’s more qualified she tries to resign. Gene won’t let her so she invokes a clause in her contract that says she can take 6 months to act as an overseer at of the companies properties. Tierney chooses the Split Rock Ranch and Resort. Tierney is not exactly welcomed at the Split Rock and Renner almost goes out of his way to make her life miserable rather than trying to get to know her. Part of his antagonism is that despite the fact that he thinks she’s a spoiled little rich girl who was sent by Daddy he’s incredibly attracted to her.

Tierney and Renner don’t exactly work out their differences before they move into a sexual relationship but they soon find that the person they’re sleeping with wasn’t who they thought – on either side. Tierney is a 26 year old virgin who is trying to break away from her father’s rule and possibly strike out on her own. Renner is a man who likes to take care of those whom he loves as well as his business ventures. While the couple still has their issues it’s really Gene Pratt who ends up being the problem for both of them and their not sure how to work it out.

Wrangled and Tangled was a bit different from past Blacktop Cowboy stories in that James gave us two romances for the price of one. We got both Abe and Janie’s love story as well as Tierney and Renner’s. I do think that Renner and Tierney’s story took up more page time than Abe and Janie’s but it seemed that Abe and Janie had more to work out than the other couple. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that we didn’t get to see Abe and Janie working through their past difficulties on a more in depth level. They had some serious communication issues and while I felt they did deal with some of their problems I thought there were plenty more that needed attention. That being said I really did like them together. Janie was great at business but I felt she still had a ton of growing up to do. I think that Abe was a solid person to have by her side while she working toward that goal.

Tierney and Renner were great together in my opinion. While she really didn’t know what she was doing in the bedroom, at first, she learned quickly and since the pair couldn’t keep their hands off of each other they were intimate quite a lot during the book. Despite Tierney’s sexual inexperience she excelled at her job in the financial realm. She was good at what she did and had a great head on her shoulders. There was only a bit of angst between the couple once they became intimate and I really liked that about them – especially since we were getting so much of that from Abe and Janie.

In the end it was a good book. So far I’m really liking the Blacktop Cowboys series and plan to keep reading it. I would definitely recommend reading books 1 & 2 in this series before reading this one as you might be a bit confused by characters that are mentioned in this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This book is available from NAL Trade. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Judith's review of Tempted By Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks

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Judith's review of Tempted By Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks.

No Man’s Bargaining Chip

Devon Carter was her first; now newly wed Ashley wants their passion to last. But her dreams of true love are crushed by the discovery that their marriage is another of Daddy’s business deals. Her strategy: act the part of perfect wife and make Devon love her.

But Devon misses the bubbly, no-holdsbarred woman his wife used to be. Who is this Ashley with the steely demeanor of a society wife? And will he find a way to rekindle the fire in her eyes…especially now that she’s pregnant?

The hero of this story, Devon Carter, is a man any father would be delighted to have for a son-in-law, especially if he was the CEO of a well-known hotel chain and whose corporation wants to merge with "daddy's" hotel conglomerate. One little caveat: Devon had to court the daughter in a way that would never clue her in that this was an "arranged" romance. Add to this the fact that Devon had come from such a dysfunctional family situation that he didn't believe in romantic love anyway. Now he has fulfilled Dad's requirement, has truly romanced, wined and dined Ashley to the point that she has fallen in love with her handsome suitor, and has even chosen him as the man who will take her virginity. The engagement ring is huge, the wedding glorious, but the sword of disillusionment is set to fall on this couple--on their wedding night.

This is a story that sort of surprises readers in that the romance seems to be going well when all hell breaks loose. Not only that, in her desire to keep the man she loves even though he has been "purchased" for her, Ashley becomes a different person--a woman who no one knows, whose friends become concerned because the light has gone out of her eyes, and whose sense of joy and being comfortable in her own skin is no longer a part of the Ashley who is not Devon's wife. The interesting thing for me is that Devon is clueless--he sees this Ashley as impetuous, impulsive, childish, frivolous woman who must now become the public hostess and begin to take her place in the upper eschelons of business entertaining. It is a testimony to how dead his own emotions are that it takes tragedy to awaken him to the value this woman has in her own right and the quality of living she could bring to their relationship were he only to value her delight in life.

This is a story that is really an emotional roller coaster, a tale of love and joy that become a story of disappointment and betrayal, a journey these two people must undertake in order to find a way to peace, to genuine relationship, to authentic love. The background characters are quite interesting as well and they give depth and color to the story. Factor in the close friends who are advising, often with good intentions, and you have a situation that most readers can relate to, even though most of us haven't had to be under the kind of pressure--either business-wise or socially--that Ashley and Devon live with daily. Yet I know the power of advisors and friends to either make or break relationships and I found this aspect of the story to be particularly interesting for me.

This is a very well-written story and one that I think most romance readers will enjoy. It is full of real people, regardless of their financial or social status, and there are some important life issues that are addressed through the experiences of the main characters. It is not one that is excessively long, but it is substantive enough that readers will feel that they have read and enjoyed a complete story. It is really a very, very good read.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Harlequin. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Rowena's review of Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

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Rowena's review of Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas.

Hero: Sebastian St. Vincent
Heroine: Evangeline Jenner

A DEVIL’S BARGAIN

Easily the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: marriage!

Sebastian’s reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin any maiden’s good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, unchaperoned, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fine eye for beauty could do far worse.

But Evie’s proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will never become just another of the dashing libertine’s callously discarded broken hearts —which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at his seductions…or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first time in the name of true love.

I really liked this book, I loved how Sebastian turned into one of those reformed rakes that we all know and love. I love the way he took care of Sebastian and the way he protected her from her evil Uncles, and I just love how his I'm bad and don't you forget it attitude, he was definitely swoonworthy.

Do I like him more than Derek Craven though? No. Is he my favorite hero of Lisa Kleypas? No.

I really liked Evie as well, I've always liked her and I loved watching her come out of her shell and to see her stammer slowly disappear, the more comfortable she got around Sebastian, the more happy I got. She was a great heroine, I knew I was going to enjoy getting to know her. I loved the whole story, getting to know her, see where she was, the mystery surrounding her family coming out was just GREAT! I loved reading every bit of this book.

But for some reason, Secrets of a Summer Night still holds the title of my favorite Wallflower book. I really enjoyed Sebastian, seeing him grow and fall in love with Evie, of all the girls in London, for him to fall to the shy girl with the stammer, just made my heart go pitter patter in my chest, it was just all that's good and yum in this world!

It took me one day to read this book, I inhaled it and was glad that I did because it was just so good...Sebastian and Evie were such a great couple and their book was fantabulous! Can't say enough good things about this book...

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

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This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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Judith's review of Redwood Bend (Virgin River #18) by Robyn Carr

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Judith's review of Redwood Bend (Virgin River #18) by Robyn Carr.

Katie Malone and her twin boys’ trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie doesn’t have the first clue about putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.

Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the site of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another. In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road.

WELCOME BACK TO THE RIVER.

There are those who really and truly believe that there are no coincidences, no acts of fate, no accidental meetings that prove to be fortuitous in a scary sort of way. And there are others who just can't seem to get away from the fact that some encounters really do seem to be the result of some sort of cosmic planning. Whatever one's belief or mindset, the meeting of Katie and Dylan in this story does seem fortuitous if only because this widowed mother and her 5-year-old twins are stranded on a narrow mountain road in Northern California with no cell phone connection and a really destroyed tire. The appearance of Dylan Childress and his biker friends certainly got Katie and her kids back on the road, but when the meetings between these two keep on happening, there does enter a sense that perhaps this odd kind of connection between these two was meant to be.

One could say that these two were hurting individuals. In some ways that is true. But Dylan was deeply wounded by parents, step-parents, half siblings and step siblings, the affluence of Hollywood that had been heaped on him as a successful child TV and movie actor, and the sense that everyone and everything in his parents' lives took precedence over him. He has grown out of the laziness and self-centered approach to living and is not a successful business owner of a charter air service in Montana, thanks to a grandmother who refused to see her grandson walk down the same path his dad did. But one serious residual effect remains: Dylan is convinced that there is something in his family's DNA that prevents him from ever being a successful husband and father. He carried around those old memories, the realization that he really wasn't important to his mother, and the fear that was at the core of it all that he would ultimately be the same kind of relational failure as everyone else in his family.

Katie certainly wasn't doing emotional handstands as she journeyed toward Virgin River where her brother lived. She was lonely--the kind of loneliness that seeps into the heart and soul like a cold, wet wind. Her Medal of Honor winning husband had died in Afghanistan before her twin boys were born but she would be the first person to tell you that she wouldn't give up one second of her short-lived marriage to a man who truly loved her with a passionate heart. She will freely admit that she doesn't want to be alone the rest of her life, but her main concern is her sons. All else pales in importance.

This novel brings a heavy dose of family connections to the story through the relationship between Katie and her brother and her brother's significant other. It is also a curious look at a grandmother/grandson relationship that is respectful and loving, but each is living according to their personal dictates. Yet throughout there is that sense that Dylan has encountered a woman unlike any he has ever met, one who is confident, sassy, independent, loving to a fault when it comes to her children, her brother, and her friends. She is a woman who has developed the skills to live her own particular way according to the demands made on her and readers of the female persuasion will greatly enjoy the parts of the story that describe her mothering behaviors and if they are like me, will absolutely delight in the actions and words of those 5 year old twin boys--full of life and, as my mother-in-law would say, were full of pee and vinegar. They could get into more trouble in five minutes than any adult on the planet.

I am a confirmed fan of the Virgin River series and have been going back and reading some of the first novels in order to get a fuller picture of the characters that keep showing up in so many of the subsequent stories. I know there are readers who have grown weary of the series but I am not one of them. I don't think they are at all stylized or formula stories any more than any other romance novel. Yet I find that I still want some of these people as my friends and neighbors. They are just really good people. It is always a joy to read about a community that is filled with realistic, life-like, just-as-troubled-as-we-are kinds of characters. They make the stories come alive for me. I hope you will get this book and enjoy it as much as I did.

I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Mira. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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