CROSS YOUR HEART by Michele Bardsley

A Broken Heart Novel
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Date published: September 7th, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-451-23105-5
Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained ARC from Publisher


After her husband dies, Elizabeth Bretton finds she has to figure out what she wants to do in her life now that dreams of motherhood are also gone. Returning to the family home in Broken Heart, Oklahoma, she never anticipates finding herself turned into vampire-blood martinis and all. Now Elizabeth has to deal with a vengeful ghost hell bent on killing her, a persistent suitor in a were-jaguar and a mystery to solve. All Elizabeth wanted was some peace and quiet…what she got was so much more…

I haven’t read one of this author’s Broken Heart novels before and when I opened CROSS YOUR HEART, I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to follow the storyline but once I got past the first few pages, I was hooked. Michele Bardsley draws you into a world where the paranormal is the norm. It was a fun, light read that had me smiling through the entire book. You get a sense of why the town is cursed and the back story of the series. The writing was tight the storyline moved fast and kept my interest until the very end. The characters are quite diverse and very enjoyable as well. I think it made the entire story much more enjoyable with those different people popping in CROSS YOUR HEART.


Meet Elizabeth Bretton. Made into a vampire by accident, she loves the all non-aging aspect and living in her family’s abandoned mansion with the other vampires has its perks. When a secret room is found in the house, Elizabeth’s world is thrown on end. Add in sexy were-jaguar in the mix, a ghost who wants her dead and other aspects Elizabeth has to deal with, it’s a wonder this vampire woman is still sane. It took some time to get into Elizabeth. She was a little too high brow for me at first but by mid way chapter two, I was enjoying seeing her deal with everything and then the author tosses in a few twists to draw my attention back to her. Tez is one hot shifter and one I wouldn’t mind stepping out with myself. The sparks fly between Elizabeth and Tez and it was fun to see how Elizabeth tried to fight her attraction to him…though eventually she lets herself finally be drawn into Tez’s arms. The secondary characters are quite enjoyable and diverse. You never know who might pop up in Broken Heart and that is what made this introduction for me into the series so welcoming.

CROSS YOUR HEART is a great addition to this series. One I plan to read more of. I would love to read the earlier books to see how some of the secondary characters mentioned got together. If you like light hearted paranormals that have a dash of humor, a mystery and a romance all together, then CROSS YOUR HEART is a perfect autumn read for you. I look forward to exploring more of this series books in the future.

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

CROSS YOUR HEART by Michele Bardsley

Publisher: Signet
Date published: September, 2010
ISBN: 978-0451231055
Paranormal romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Valerie
Obtained by publisher


Elizabeth comes to Broken Heart to make a home. Here, the paranormal creatures can find a kind of haven where they are accepted. There is a curse in Broken Heart, or at least a legend of one. While Elizabeth is setting up house, she hears a voice calling her name. Then a ‘shadow’ tries to strangle her. There are some strange goings on in town. It seems like the descendants of the founding family are being targeted. Elizabeth is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and she has an ally in a shifter named Tez. Tezozomoc Abraham Elvis Jones to be exact. He’s a were-jaguar. It was thought that they were extinct. Still, he has attached himself to Elizabeth and is convinced she is his mate. So, what with hunting ghosts, and finding out what the local were community wants with Tez, Elizabeth has more than her hands full.

This is a fantastic read that I know you will highly enjoy. I am sure that Michele Bardsley has a solid following of fans, and now she can add me to her list. I really liked Elizabeth. She’s an ‘older’ woman who has been married and is now a vampire. Broken Heart is full of unusual characters who bring depth and life to this story. I fell in love with Tez as soon as he stepped onto the page. My heart went pitty-pat whenever he was around. I added the extra half a heart to my rating just for him. The banter between Tez and Elizabeth is sassy, saucy and comical. Tez is sometimes outrageous, but…meow…what a man! Tez and Elizabeth are perfect for each other. The plot is exciting. This story is full of action, mystery and some nasty shapeshifters. There are also some clever twists and turns. I really need to catch up with the other books in this series…I am sure I will have hours of reading fun!

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

COME HELL OR HIGH WATER by Michele Bardsley

A Broken Heart novel
Publisher: Signet
Date published: January 2010
ISBN: 978-0451228789
Vampire and Demon romance
Paperback
Obtained via Publisher
Reviewed by Valerie


Phoebe Allen lives in Broken Heart. She’s a vampire and has a young son. The father is human, and right now her son is spending time with him. Good job too, as Phoebe is about to jump into the adventure of her life. Connor is a Scottish hottie who heats her up like no oven can do. She can’t breathe, but he leaves her breathless. Thing is, Connor has used deception to bond himself with her. He swears it’s to protect her and that he loves her. It is all about a prophecy, but Phoebe learns that choices can be made. Connor will protect her with his life, but is Phoebe ready to stay bonded to the Scottish hottie? Phoebe has her hands full. She is kicking Demon butt, she’s being kicked by Demons. Demons are attacking her friends. Demons want her dead. Yep, being a Demon hunter can be a pain sometimes, especially when a prophecy is involved and a mad über-demon is after you.

Oh, this is really my kind of book. I loved it! And it looks like there are more books about Broken Heart and its residents. I have got to get them and I hope this talented author is planning lots more. Phoebe and Connor are just great together. They really need each other and I was on the edge of my seat rooting for them both to not only beat the Demon, but to also get things straight between them. The sexual tension fairly sizzles along with all the magic going on. I now have a new hero to drool over, Connor! There were lots of secondary characters that move the story along and give life and depth to the story. There is also lots of blood and guts being thrown around and some really, emotional, sensual love scenes that will certainly curl your toes. This is a roller coaster of a read that left me panting for more. I’m off to Amazon to order more books in this series.

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