HIS SECRET PAST by Katie Reus

Carina Press, January 2012

ebook

Obtained via:  publisher

ISBN  978-1-4268-9294-3

Romantic Suspense

 

Author Katie Reus’ romantic suspense, HIS SECRET PAST is a confusing and somewhat off-putting government spy meets gunrunner meets long lost love story that just doesn’t quite ignite.

Alexis Baptiste is a single mom because her first big love disappeared one night six years ago leaving her pregnant and alone.  She has finally moved on with her life and is engaged to be married in a few weeks when Hunter Cassidy shows up just in time to thwart an attempt on her life.  Hunter has spent the last six years as an undercover DEA agent, posing as a gunrunner in South America.  After eliminating the very bad man who was his mission target, he goes on the run with damaging evidence of government corruption.  He never planned to come home to find his-ex with a child and ready to marry another guy.  But he also never expected Alexis to forgive him for leaving and he had no idea she was pregnant when he left her.

The cover of the book is enticing; a half-dressed hot man wearing leather set against a dark and mysterious back drop.  This reader was hopeful.  Unfortunately, the story just didn’t quite work.  While our heroine, who I actually liked and found a strong character with a lot going for her, knew her lover worked for the DEA, when he simply disappeared one night leaving her pregnant, she was understandably angry, left wondering and longing.  And while Hunter never expected this assignment to last this long, he did know he would be gone for some time.  So why didn’t he tell his girlfriend who he was deeply in love with that he had to leave for a while for work?  He was an inconsiderate and immature jerk.  Now he is on the run from some very bad people and where does he go, directly to her and her six-year-old son’s doorstep bringing all his baggage and danger with him.  For this we are expected to believe she would choose this jerk over a rich, handsome and doting fiancé who loved her son as if he was his own?  Incredulous!  This ridiculousness slowed the entire story down while readers were trying simultaneously to follow the strange government corruption angle that simply never made sense.  And while all of us might daydream about being reunited with “the one that got away”, very few would toss Mr. Right for Mr. WTF; I don’t care how hot he might be.  And even fewer would do it while entrusted with the upbringing of their young child. 

All that aside, the story was intriguing, the characters were multifaceted and emotions ran high.  There was suspense and a hot sexual connection.  Katie Reus’ HIS SECRET PAST just simply didn’t work for this reader.  You will have to judge for yourself if this romantic suspense works any better for you.

Reviewed by T. Barringer

tammyLRM@gmail.com

"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book."

 

TRAINED FOR SEDUCTION by Mia Downing

Spy Games #1

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

Date published: August 2012

ISBN 978-1-61217-540-9

Erotic Romance

E-Book

Reviewed by T. Barringer

www.amazon.com/Spy-Games-Trained-For-Seduction/dp/1612175392

Obtained via:  publisher

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Mia Downing’s TRAINED FOR SEDUCTION, the first book in her Spy Games series, is an erotic romance set in a world of spies, deceit and danger.

Emma Walters has lived a very sheltered life as daughter to a crazy scientist.  When her father decides to sell bombs to the wrong people, Chase Sanders is put on the case.  He ends up nearly seducing the young and naïve Emma before she knocks him out and runs.  After a month on the run, Emma is caught and forced to become a spy herself in order to stay out of prison (though why she would be going to prison when it was her father that was under investigation is a big unknown to this reader).  Now she finds out that her new boss is the very man she knocked unconscious and ran from.  And to top it all off, Emma is tasked with taking lessons in seduction from Chase in order to prepare her for a mission she may not return from.

Mia Downing’s TRAINED FOR SEDUCTION is part spy story, part erotic romance.  If this story was solely a spy novel, there would be some obvious problem areas (Emma being forced to be a spy or go to prison for crimes her father is accused of being the first one).  But Wild Rose Press has wisely marketed this story as erotic romance, so a little stretch of reality really isn’t a big problem.  So Chase has to take Emma’s virginity and teach her the art of seduction so she can “perform” well enough on her mission to perhaps come back alive.  Okay.  Of course, Chase has been attracted to Emma from the start, so we know where this is leading.  But who cares?  As erotica, the story is good.  The characters are interesting and the storyline is intriguing.  The plot moves along nicely and the story twists and turns keep things hopping.  The sex is certainly hot.

Readers looking for a strong spy story may not be thrilled with Mia Downing’s TRAINED FOR SEDUCTION, but erotica fans are in for a treat.  These characters heat up the pages and the spy story adds some nice flavor to the read.

tammyLRM@gmail.com

"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book."

 

WITCHFUL THINKING by H.P. Mallory

Jolie Wilkins, #3
Publisher: Random House
Date published: February 2012
ISBN: 9780345531452
Paranormal Romance
Paperback
Obtained by publisher
Reviewed by T.Barringer


In the third book in H.P. Mallory’s Jolie Wilkins series, WITCHFUL THINKING, Jolie, to her surprise, has been crowned queen of the underworld. Though she has a rare gift for reanimating the dead, she is completely lost when it comes to governing. And though she takes her new job seriously, she is also struggling with her love life. The warlock Rand is the love of her life, but she is keeping secrets from him. Her sworn protector, the vampire Sinjin, is also showing a carnal interest in Tori, but she is pretty sure he has ulterior motives in pursuing her. Now, if she could just make up her mind about what to do with the underworld and her love life and just stick to it.

WITCHFUL THINKING is the first of H.P. Mallory’s Jolie Wilkins stories this reader has picked up, so it is possible that the enjoyment factor was reduced simply because of lack of back story. However, the similarities between Jolie and MaryJanice Davidson’s Betsy Taylor, Vampire Queen, from her Undead series, were simply too strong to get past. Jolie, like Betsy, is a modern, slightly ditzy young woman who finds herself queen of the undead with no idea how to rule. Unfortunately, Jolie’s antics throughout the story aren’t quite as humorous as Betsy’s. Rand, Jolie’s vampire honey is also quite similar in character to Betsy’s vampire king Sinclair. They are both the straight guy to Jolie/Betsy’s ditz and the real power behind the thrones. Perhaps if Ms. Davidson hadn’t already penned almost a dozen well publicized and strong selling Betsy books, the incredible similarities would not have been quite so glaring. But she has and they are.

On the other hand, the story moves along at a fairly clip pace, the secondary characters show promise and the surprise ending is one readers will never see coming.

WITCHFUL THINKING was entertaining and a quick read. The lack of original characters and humor, however, did dampen the enjoyment for this reader. However, if somehow you had missed reading MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead books, this WITCHFUL THINKING could be an enjoyable read for a day at the beach.


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

PREY by Linda Howard

Publisher: Ballantine
Date published: September 2011
ISBN: 978-0345506917
Paranormal Romance
Hardcover
Obtained via publisher
Reviewed by T.Barringer


Have you ever heard the phrase, “Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you?” While reading Linda Howard’s PREY, that phrase kept coming to mind again and again.

Angie Powell has inherited her wilderness guide business from her father who died two years ago. Though Angie is a knowledgeable guide, her business is going down the drain and Angie blames handsome Dare Callahan for it all. Dare is ex-military and his guide business has been booming ever since he opened, drawing business away from Angie. Even his name seems to annoy her. Who names their son Dare anyway? Before throwing in the towel on her business, Angie decides to take one last trip into the wild with a client and his guest who are hunting for bear. But the trip turns deadly when Angie witnesses a murder. Before the killer has Angie in his sights, a killer bear barrels onto the scene and the real hunt begins.

The first thing this reader has to comment on with this book is the book cover. It is a beautiful scene of a scantily clad woman sprawled out on what appears to be a beach. The only thing this cover has in common with the book is the woman. There is no beach in this book. It takes place in the winter, with a woman trying to stay alive while being chased by a killer and an even deadlier bear. Still, it is a nice cover. It just doesn’t have anything at all to do with the book.

Now, moving onto the story itself. Linda Howard’s PREY is a fast paced romantic adventure filled with the beauty of the wilderness. The female lead character, Angie, seemed a bit out of place in this story. Her business is failing and she doesn’t realize the obvious, hunter’s are going to be more comfortable with the ex-military Dare guiding them then they are with a woman, no matter how skilled she may be. The man is just simply going to be stronger and more useful in the wild. Instead of looking for ways to market her business smarter, she decides to take the easy way out and sell. The male lead, Dare, is strong, competent, resilient, easy on the eyes and is interested in Angie to the point of thinking of a way to purchase her business while keeping Angie in her home and employed. He is the perfect hero.

For this reader, the best character in this book, though, was the bear. Ms. Howard even takes a few pages to describe what the bear was thinking throughout this story. You can almost hear the impending doom background music every time the bear shows up. That’s right, “Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you”.

The romance that builds between Angie and Dare develops as Dare attempts to save Angie’s life after she witnesses a murder, a bear attack and injury while fleeing through the wild in the freezing winter. And while the romance was nice, it was the race down the mountain with the killer and the killer bear on their heels that made PREY so much fun to read. It comes as no surprise that the killer is doomed, but the chase is interesting and keeps the story racing to its somewhat obvious conclusion. Still, this reader enjoyed PREY. Linda Howard is just that good a storyteller.

Linda Howard’s PREY is an adrenaline rush of a romantic adventure that will warm even the coldest heart. This may not be the most shocking book ever written, but PREY does entertain and is worth the read.


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

LOVER REBORN by J.R. Ward

Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 10
Publisher: NAL Books
Date published: March 2012
ISBN: 9780451235848
Paranormal Romance
Hardcover
Obtained by publisher
Reviewed by T.Barringer


The latest book in J.R Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series is LOVER REBORN, Tohrment’s story. Having survived the death of his shellan several books ago, Tohr has spent the last few books reeling and his family of brothers is at a loss as to how to help him.

Tohrment has been having dreams of his beloved and their dead child trapped in a netherworld and after consulting their in-house fallen angel, has found he has to set her free or doom her to afterlife in the in-between. While Tohr is attempting to move along with his life, the Blind King’s throne is threatened by a new clan of vampires. And so the drama begins.

J.R Ward is back on her game with her latest Black Dagger Brotherhood book, LOVER REBORN. This reader has to admit to some concern about this book before picking it up. Tohrment and Wellsie were such a romantic and happy couple, that when she died just shy of giving birth, Tohr was beyond grief. He was lost and it was very hard to imagine how Ward was going to find him a second chance at love that was going to be believable and true to the story series. That said, all that worry was for naught. Ward built a solid relationship for Tohr slowly, introducing No’One in a prior book as his adopted son‘s mother-in-law. No’One’s life up to this point was one of despair and torture. She is just now coming to grips with her past and trying to find a place within the life of the daughter she never knew. Her fear of men has kept her an intriguing ghost in the Brotherhood’s home. In LOVER REBORN, we see her begin to trust Tohr as he begins to realize his attraction to her is growing, however mixed his feelings on that subject are.

Of course, as with all the Brotherhood stories, the plotline has several mini-stories going on at the same time, either furthering a prior storyline or setting up one yet to come. Lassiter, the fallen angel, plays a bigger part in this book as he attempts to help Tohr. John and Xhex’ storyline further develops in this book as she begins to bond with her mother and John works through some issues of his own. Quinn and Blay are finally getting close to having their own story. Some of the most poignant moments in this book are scenes with Blay in them. And then there is Layla. She is such a puzzling character; we have run the gamut of emotions with Layla and though she is still very confusing and confused, it sure looks like her and Xcor have some interesting storyline yet to come.

For fans of J.R. Ward, LOVER REBORN has pleasantly surprised those readers who may have been less than happy with a prior book in this series. No one quite does angst ridden vampire heroes the way that Ward is able. If you are wondering if this book is worth your time and money, think no more, it is!


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

LIE TO ME by Tori St. Claire

Black Opals, #2
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Date published: July 2012
ISBN: 978-0-425-25307-6
Romantic Suspense
Paperback
Reviewed by T.Barringer


Tori St. Claire’s second Black Opal romantic suspense, LIE TO ME, is filled with lies, betrayal, secrets, intrigue and heated passion.

CIA elite Black Opal operative Alexei Nikanova was recently part of a team that helped break up a Russian human trafficking ring. As part of the operation, he spent an incredible night with a woman he then kidnapped and sold to a Sheik. He has been unable to get her out of his mind. Now he is tasked with rescuing one of the trafficked women and returning her to her father. Imagine Alexei’s surprise when he discovers the women he is sent to rescue is the same woman he can’t seem to forget. Sasha is reluctant to be rescued, but Alexei has his orders. Somehow among all the lies and deceptions, passion reignites for Sasha and Alexei. While running from others seeking Sasha, Alexei must protect her, not knowing who to trust and who to believe.

Tori St. Claire knows her way around romantic suspense. Of this there is no question. LIE TO ME has all the makings of a great romantic suspense; a tortured alpha hero, a strong but confused heroine in need of saving, heavy action and romance, surprise reveals and a fast paced adventure. The scenes were well developed and easy to picture. The storyline has many surprises and moves at a nice clip. The characters are strong and likable. The romance is hot.

On the down side, the romance sort of comes out of nowhere. For this reader, it was difficult to understand how Alexei could kidnap a woman he found an emotional connection with and hand her over to human slavers even if he was doing it as part of a mission. And having done that, she is glad to see him when he comes to “save” her from the only friend she has ever had?? But this is fiction, and in fiction the absurd often becomes understandable and somehow this romantic pairing does work for this book.

Readers who enjoy excitement, surprise, intrigue, romance and red hot sex scenes are sure to enjoy Tori St. Claire’s LIE TO ME. And that is no exaggeration.


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

KARMA by Carly Phillips

Serendipity, #3
Publisher: Berkley
Date published: May 2012
ISBN: 9780425247907
Contemporary Romance
Paperback
Obtained by publisher
Reviewed by T.Barringer


Serendipity, New York is the setting for KARMA, the third book in Carly Phillips’ latest popular series of contemporary romances. Officer Dare Barron has had a crush on Liza McKnight since high school. So why is it that every time she comes in to bail out her loser brother, Dare finds himself openly showing his disgust over Liza enabling his behavior? Probably because Dare and Liza’s brother share a dark secret that neither seems to be able to move past. But when Liza’s brother brings danger to her doorstep, Dare steps up and appoints himself as her protector. It is time for all secrets to come out.

Carly Phillips’ KARMA is part love story, part suspense and a show of just how far some people are willing to go for family.

The three main characters all share a twisted and complicated past. Guilt over the death of a classmate has followed all three and its effects are starting to show on all of them. Liza feels responsible for her brother. Her parents’ continuing to blame Liza for all his shortcomings only makes things more difficult for both of them. Liza’s brother, Brian, is pretty much a waste of skin and pulls her into every bad idea he comes up with. Dare is the ultimate hero. He is strong, loyal, ethical, responsible and all too prepared to play the part of lover and protector.

The storyline is light and entertaining in parts, twisted and dark in others. There is mystery and danger on just about every page. The emotional baggage the characters all carry will pull at readers’ heartstrings. And there is just the right amount of humor to keep things interesting.

Carly Phillips’ KARMA is a fast paced and fun read that contemporary romance fans are sure to enjoy.


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer

Book 1 Nightshade Series
Publisher: Philomel Books
Date published: October 2010
ISBN 9780399254826
Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Paperback
Obtained via Publisher
Reviewed by Tammy


Move over Twilight books; make room on the bookshelf for NIGHTSHADE, the first in Andrea Cremer’s werewolf/witch trilogy, taking the young adult paranormal fiction world by storm.

Andrea Cremer’s NIGHTSHADE is the coming of age story of young Calla Tor, a female alpha werewolf destined to merge packs with the sexy and very male alpha wolf Ren Laroche. With graduation and the day of their wedding fast approaching, Calla is at times excited, nervous and very resolved to marry Ren, fight alongside him and rule their pack together, guarding the sacred sites for the Keepers, the witches that rule their society. Who knew that when Calla saved the life of a human boy, her very world would be turned upside down?

Andrea Cremer has created a complex and multifaceted fantasy world where wolfshifters are ruled by the Keepers, witches that forbid the wolves from learning of their true beginnings or the war that left them subjugated to the Keepers. Calla is strong and dominant, headstrong with a yearning for independence. After saving a human boy, Shay, she finds herself intrigued by him even though she knows that her destiny lies with another. At the same time, her duty to her pack and her hormones are keeping her in a constant state of confusion and teenage angst. The love triangle that these three characters comprise leads to all kinds of questions, problems and discoveries. The story ends with a cliffhanger that leaves readers eagerly awaiting Wolfsbane, the second book in this exciting paranormal series.

This reader absolutely loves all these popular new young adult series that are popping up lately. Cremer’s NIGHTSHADE has turned out to be yet another hit out of the ballpark. It is so easy to feel Calla’s conflicting emotions towards both of her love interests, the sexy alpha wolf Ren and the equally intriguing yet human Shay. Her heart has her running away with Shay while her sense of duty and commitment has her ruling alongside Ren. This reader was constantly changing her mind as to just who exactly Calla should ultimately choose as her mate. And then everything that Calla knows to be true about her origins gets all turned around.

If you fell in love with Bella in the Twilight books and couldn’t get enough of Katniss in the Hunger Games, then you absolutely have to pick up Andrea Cremer’s NIGHTSHADE today. Young adult fiction has never been better than it is right now. Older teens and young at heart adults will not be able to put down this paranormal tale of discovery, love and betrayal.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

SAMURAI GAME by Christine Feehan

Ghostwalkers #10
Publisher: Jove Publishing
Date published: July 2012
ISBN 9780515151541
Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via: publisher



The latest installment in Christine Feehan’s Ghostwalkers series, SAMURAI GAME, hits area bookshelves just in time for summer reading.

Her early years were spent being tortured in the name of science. When death was imminent, she was left on the streets to die. Luckily for Thorn, she was instead saved and adopted as a loving daughter to a wealthy Japanese businessman who taught her how to protect herself and be the best she could be. Now grown up and going by the name Azami Yoshiie, she and her two adopted brothers are meeting with the Ghostwalkers to sell their satellite technology to them. Finding out where the Ghostwalkers stood in regards to Dr. Whitney was definitely part of the plan. Meeting and falling for Sam Tucker was definitely not part of the plan. Sometimes, plans change.

This reader always enjoys a good Ghostwalker story and SAMURAI GAME was no exception. Thorn/Azami was a strong and lethal heroine haunted by her past and the scars, both seen and unseen, left by her time spent with the evil Dr. Whitney. Sam is equally strong and sees in Azami a partner, not someone to be protected. Feehan skillfully weaves in the many aspects of Azami’s adopted Japanese culture into the storyline, showcasing both Azami’s inner strength and her softer female side. The pace of the story starts off explosive. Although the story slows and stumbles in a few places, it is difficult not to be moved by the Azami’s awakening into womanhood at the hands of Sam. And when the action comes, and there is quite a bit of that, Azami, the shy and blossoming woman, turns into a strong Samarai warrior, prepared to stand and fight alongside her lover. Although the ending was not much of a cliffhanger, the many facets of Azami’s blossoming in SAMURAI GAME made this book a positive delight. While Christine Feehan knows her fans enjoy all her series; she also knows that while they enjoy the similar theme that runs throughout her series’, it is the characters that make the story.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

ENDANGERED by Pamela Beason

A Summer Westin Mystery, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Date published: December 2011
ISBN 9780425244982
Mass Market Paperback
Mystery
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via: publisher



ENDANGERED is Pamela Beason’s first Summer Westin Mystery. The story takes place in a Utah campground where Sam is spending time researching cougars for an online blog site story. When a young boy goes missing after Sam sees the child wandering around the park and nudges him toward a man who appears to be his father, concern and guilt have her attempting to solve the boy’s disappearance. Blame is falling on the park’s cougars that Sam has helped to rehabilitate a year earlier. It isn’t until FBI Agent Chase Perez joins the search that other suspects are considered.

Suspects arise among the park’s visitors, but the park rangers seem to discount Sam’s suspicions. Then clues lead Sam and Chase to the high country where they comb canyon caves for the boy and a mountain man who may have vital information. But as the media frenzy escalates, Sam fears she may not have the time to solve the mystery of the missing child before hunters are let loose to kill the cougars Sam has come to respect.

Pamela Beason’s first book in her Summer Westin Mysteries, ENDANGERED, is a race to find a missing child set against the backdrop of a freelance wildlife biologist’s ongoing story on the areas’ cougar rehabilitation efforts. Sam is strong willed and likable. Her attraction to the FBI agent in charge of finding the missing child and his for her keep the story interesting and add an element of suspense to the story. The story setting is detailed and expansive. The dual storyline of Sam’s determination to save her beloved cougars while tirelessly searching for the missing child with a dash of possible romance thrown in keeps the story moving at a constant pace while shedding the light of possibility on several characters introduced in the book.

The minor characters in this book, Sam’s friend the Park Ranger, the roommate who aids Sam in her research, the blog owner and Sam’s sometimes boyfriend, reporter Adam Steele, all added some spice to the story and gave added dimension to Sam’s character. The relationship between Sam and Adam reminded this reader of the female lead and the reporter’s relationship in the “Die Hard” movies. You just knew that reporter was going to be clocked by the little lady at some point. This is also the case with Adam Steele. Of course, that made the possible love interest of Sam and the FBI agent all that much more enticing.

Pamela Beason’s ENDANGERED is a mystery worth spending some time with. Her descriptive writing style, use of the National Park in Utah as the setting and the panic of the missing child, come together in an explosive mystery that can be enjoyed by just about everyone this summer.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

SAVAGE HUNGER by Shelli Stevens

Savage series, Book 1
Publishing: Samhain Publishing
Date published: April 2012
ISBN 9781609285906
E-pub
Paranormal Romance/Suspense
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via Publisher


Shelli Stevens shows her appetite for paranormal romantic suspense runs hot with SAVAGE HUNGER, the first in Stevens’ Savage series.

Sienna Peters’ world has tilted off its axis when she discovers a secret species being tortured in the lab where she works. Tasked with getting a jump drive to her world-renowned scientist father, she first sets to free the creatures. If only she had stuck to the plan.

Federal agent Warrick Donovan has worked hard to prove himself to his superiors and the shifter race. When he tackles a female tango to the ground on a mission to rescue fellow shifters, Warrick knows he is in trouble as soon as he recognizes the woman as the sexy younger sister of a close friend. Now he has to both keep her safe and find out how she is involved in his mission. But Sienna has been told to trust no one with the jump drive but her father and even though Warrick sends her pulse pounding with just a look, there is a traitor in Warrick’s team and Sienna doesn’t know who she can trust.

Secrets, traitors, shifters and danger abound in Shelli Stevens’ SAVAGE HUNGER, a paranormal romantic suspense that really grabs readers’ attention and refuses to let go. The story speeds along as the danger and passion escalate. The characters are multifaceted and intriguing. Sienna and Warrick share a past, but both have secrets they can’t reveal. These heroes frustrate each other constantly, in more than one way, as they struggle to keep their secrets while the hunger between them builds. The storyline is fun, flirty and keep readers guessing just who the traitor is and what he has planned. This reader thoroughly enjoyed this story and eagerly awaits future Savage series books. If you hunger for strong characters and a complex storyline with your paranormal romantic suspense, Shelli Stevens’ SAVAGE HUNGER is sure to whet your appetite.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

HER COWBOY STUD by Randi Alexander

Publisher: Wild Rose Press,
Date published: March 2012
ISBN 9781612172798
E-pub
Short Contemporary Erotica
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via publisher


Randi Alexander steams up the pages with HER COWBOY STUD, an erotic short contemporary that will have readers yearning to get tied up in a trip out west.

When Trace McGonagall’s uncle dies, leaving a prized stud horse to a complete stranger he met on a plane, Trace assumes she is just another gold digger. But when Trace meets Macy, sparks fly and soon he comes to realize that Macy may be just what his uncle claims she is - the perfect match for him.

Though short, at just under one hundred pages, Randi Alexander’s HER COWBOY STUD is long on erotic moments. Trace is distrustful and leery of the beautiful woman who shows up to collect her inheritance, but boy is he attracted to her. Macy has no idea just what it is that she has inherited. But one look at the sexy cowboy and Macy melts on the spot. After a few kisses and a few missteps, Trace realizes Macy may just be the perfect Sub to his Dom. And then things turn quite heated.

Readers looking for a little quick and steamy cowboy love should look no further. Randi Alexander delivers a rough and tumble cowboy love story with lots and lots of hot cowboy loving in HER COWBOY STUD published this spring by Wild Rose Press. At a mere two dollars to download, this tale may be just what you are looking for.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

SHADOWLANDER by Theresa Meyers

Shadow Sisters series, Book 1
Publisher: Entangled Publishing,
Date published: November 2011
Ebook ISBN 9781937044503
Print ISBN 9781467901208
Fantasy/Romance
E-pub
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via publisher


The first book in Theresa Meyers’ Shadow Sisters series, SHADOWLANDER, is a fantastical story of sisters, fairies and the consequences of breaking the rules that can never be broken.

SHADOWLANDER is Cate O’Connell’s story. Cate is one of four sisters who have inherited the ability to see the Fae. Cate knows that acknowledging her ability could have dire consequences. She lives her life ignoring the Fae all around her until one of them abducts for friend and co-worker Maya. In order to get Maya back, Cate will break every rule her family holds resolute concerning the Fae.

Rook, heir to realm of the Shadow King, has been obsessed with and following Cate since she was sixteen, never realizing that she could see him the entire time. When Cate reveals her secret to Rook in order to enter the Fairy realm of Shadowlands and retrieve her abducted friend, Rook sees the opportunity to win favor in his court by gifting his father with a prized “Seer”. But time is running out for Cate and Rook may not be able to hand Cate over quite so easily.

Theresa Meyers did a wonderful job of setting up her Shadow Sisters series while telling Cate and Rook’s story in a novella of just over one hundred pages. Sure there are some holes in the storyline, but this reader expects them to be filled in future stories and wasn’t really all that bothered by them. Meyers’ story telling was just that entertaining.

Cate is headfast and stubborn. Once she sets her path, she intends to see it out. She has always been intrigued by Rook, so using him to gain entrance into the Fairy realm by seducing him seems like a logical solution to her problem. Rook is a born leader and very much part of the “sneaky” Fae. He too sees seduction as the answer to bringing a newly discovered and very much prized Seer back to the Shadowlands with him. These two characters are both in for a surprise when feelings grow between them that will have consequences on both their lives.

The Fae world building in SHADOWLANDER is detailed and vivid. The storyline speeds along and the characters leap from the pages. SHADOWLANDER is one book that readers will want to read in one sitting. It really is that engrossing.

On the downside, there were some plot holes that some readers may find disappointing to their overall story enjoyment. The friend that Cate risks everything for in order to bring her back from Fairy comes off as a user and a poor friend indeed, making it hard to believe Cate would so easily break the rules her family holds so sacrosanct for such a person. Second, Cate has no real plan to get Maya back other than to seduce the handsome Fae that has been following her around for years and hope for the best. It made Cate seem naïve and somewhat foolhardy. Lastly, Cate overhears Rook talking with another Fae about an upcoming invasion of earth. This serves to strengthen her reasons for going to Fae, to find out what is going on. Cate does manage to discover that the Fae is fighting a war between them, but once that has been settled, the Fae do indeed plan to overtake Cate’s world and gain back what they see as their rightful rule of earth and its peoples. Her reaction to that is to decide that Fae sex is really all that and her newly discovered love is more important than saving her planet. Okay, that last point was sort of a stumbling block for this reader too.

Still, Theresa Meyers does a marvelous job of telling the story and all the new things that Cate discovers in the Shadowland that this reader simply has to excuse the plot holes. Surely, Ms. Meyers plans to fill these holes in future books. Right? Readers intrigued with the Fae and the wonderful world of fantasy romance will be pleased to see Ms. Meyers’ Shadow Sisters series first book, SHADOWLANDER, available in both print and ebook. This reader eagerly awaits the next installment in this gripping series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

FINDING CHRISSTEN by N.J. Walters

Legacy, Book 5
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date published: May 2012
ISBN 9781609287214
Paranormal Fantasy
E-book
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via publisher


Evil scientists, crazy pureblood werewolves, and a love worth hanging on for are at the center of N.J. Walters latest paranormal fantasy, FINDING CHRISSTEN.

Chrissten Lawton has been at the mercy of a crazy doctor and mated against her will to a rogue werewolf for more than a year when the Haven pack finds her on the brink of death and rescues her. Hank Brewer has been drawn to Chrissten’s unique scent from the first moment he caught it and dedicates his every waking moment to her recovery and overcoming her trauma. Unfortunately, Chrissten’s “mate” is still loose and hunting her. He won’t give up until Chrissten, and the rest of the Haven females, are caught and forced to mate with his rogue pack.

N.J. Walters’ fifth book in the Legacy series, FINDING CHRISSTEN, is paranormal fantasy come to life. Chrissten is at the end of her strength when her brother and his pack finally rescue her from the forced mating and beatings she has endured for eighteen long months. The only place she feels truly safe is with Hank, a dominant yet gentle half-breed werewolf that refuses to leave her side. Where other males frighten her, Hank has a surprisingly calming effect on her. Their romance, despite the trauma she was forced to endure, melts the ink on the page.

The story is fast paced and emotional. And while the other members of the pack are all deserving of their own stories, it is the vampire, Damek, who offers to help the pack that this reader hopes will be the star of the next book in this intriguing series. Perhaps Chrissten’s younger, human brother will play a bigger role in that story?

N.J. Walters has mined gold with her Legacy series of paranormal fantasies. FINDING CHRISSTEN was a page turner that this reader was unable to put down. Fans of a little werewolf loving are sure to enjoy FINDING CHRISSTEN.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE by J.L. Saint

Silent Warrior, Book 1
Publisher; Samhain Publishing
Date published: December 2010
ISBN 9781609282646
Military Romance
E-book
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via publisher


J.L. Saint has delved into military romance with COLLATERAL DAMAGE, the first book in her Silent Warrior series.

Delta Force member Jack Hunter is career military. After a rescue mission goes bad and devastates his team, his injuries leave the memory of the events a bit shaky. The only thing he knows for sure is that the terrorist that he shot and killed appears to be a prestigious American businessman. Deciding that the man’s wife must know something, he cuts his recovery short and goes in search of her.

Lauren Collins is shocked to learn her cheating ex-husband was involved in terrorist activities. Before she is able to process that bit of information, she finds herself dodging bullets with a wounded Delta soldier who she finds herself surprisingly drawn to. Thrust into a world of treason and political treachery, Lauren will have to trust Jack if she is to save her sons and her best friend from kidnapping terrorists.

This reader will have to admit up front that she has read the second book, TACTICAL DECEPTION, before reading COLLATERAL DAMAGE. Having enjoyed the first book in the Silent Warrior series so incredibly, there was no way the first book was going to be overlooked.

J.L. Saint’s COLLATERAL DAMAGE had a good premise and plenty of action. The hero, sexy and determined, but injured, Jack Hunter, in all his well-built Delta musculature was all readers could hope for in a hero. Lauren Collins, single mom of twins, is strong and holds up under pressure well, even if she had no idea her ex-husband had fallen in with terrorists until Jack shows up on her doorstep and the shooting begins. But the bad man in the yellow hat and his “son” the monkey had to be my favorite characters in this book (who didn’t love Curious George as a child?). Of course this George tore the noses off his victims’ faces when he was being kind. A villain (especially one that comes off somewhat comical in his insanity) that truly deserves the death we know is coming – does it get any better than that? I think not.

Though COLLATERAL DAMAGE wasn’t quite as well written as the book that follows it, J.L. Saint has penned what is shaping up to be an interesting and intriguing new military romance series that fans of the genre are sure to be on the lookout for. Whether you start with COLLATERAL DAMAGE or skip this introduction to the series and go right to TACTICAL DECEPTION, J.L. Saint has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with in military romance.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

TACTICAL DECEPTION by J.L. Saint

Silent Warrior, Book 2
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date published: March 2012
ISBN 9781609285494
Military Romance
E-book
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via publisher


J.L. Saint’s Silent Warriors are back with their second book, TACTICAL DECEPTION, a contemporary story of terrorist acts, zealots, and the heroic men who willingly give their all day in and day out to protect us all from finding out just how often they are called to service.

Lt. Col. Roger Weston is still dealing with the aftermath of his team’s failed mission in Lebanon. Guilt caused by faulty data ended in the death of a teammate, leaving a wife and mother-to-be without a husband. The danger to Mari from her radical family has followed her to America and continues to plague her. So Roger has taken Mari under his protection. Terrorists set on striking fear into every American have brought their fight to America and are targeting Roger’s family, including the President of the United States.

This reader loves military romance stories. There is something about well built men in uniform fighting the good fight, saving lives and kicking terrorist butt day in and day out that flat out does it for this reader. How on earth I missed the first book in this series continues to baffle me.

J.L. Saint, who also writes as Jennifer St. Giles has a writing style that calls to mind hints of Suzanne Brockmann, Cindy Gerard, Marliss Melton and Catherine Mann. Her heroes are strong, well-trained fighting men who ooze sex appeal and honor. The stories in Giles’ Silent Warriors series could easily be based on real life events happening today. The lives these warriors save every day and the women who love them, knowing the dangers they face each and every day, make these stories stand out as chilling, fast-paced, span the globe and will have readers waving the red, white and blue. These men are heroes and these are their stories.

TACTICAL DECEPTION was all that and more. The book centers around Roger and Mari’s love story, but they are not the only storyline that Saint has readers following as the book unfolds. There are a group of terrorists planning their big attack, a wounded member of the Silent Warrior family, Rico and his lady love Angie, DT and Lauren’s growing romance and General Dekker and Holly’s story all developing and intermingling. The result is a pure adrenaline rush as our heroes race to stay one step ahead of the terrorists as people are being shot, buildings are being blown up and beaurocracy does its best to slow down them down.

If you happen to be a fan of military romance, J.L. Saint’s TACTICAL DECEPTION is a definite “must read”. This is an author poised to sell a whole lot of books.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.