Recent Reads

Bound by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon

Why this one: I have been LOVING this series

Steam Level: The story takes place in New Orleans and let’s just say the steam in the story and the steam in the city match!

Blurb: POLICE DETECTIVE CHARLOTTE CAISSIE AND HER SHAPE-SHIFTING PARAMOUR MAX SAVOIE THOUGHT THE PAST WAS BEHIND THEM. BUT IN NANCY GIDEON’S IRRESISTIBLE NEW ROMANCE, THEY DISCOVER IT MAY NEVER LET THEM GO. . . .
THEY SWORE THEY’D BE TOGETHER FOREVER.

Detective Charlotte Caissie is suddenly sharing drawer space and making local news with her shape-shifter lover, Max Savoie. He’s determined to be accepted by her peers—so how can she ask him to return to his criminal roots to help her solve a complex case?
BUT THOSE THEY TRUST THE MOST . . .

Working undercover with her partner to find the serial killer who’s kidnapped a colleague’s daughter, Cee Cee is caught between her job and her fiercely possessive lover. And when she calls on Max’s preternatural talents to aid his hated enemy, she crosses a line that strains their relationship to its limit.

. . . WILL DO ANYTHING TO TEAR THEM APART.

With his secret spreading, Max is forced to protect his family and his clan. The only certainty is his love for his human mate . . . unless the loyalties that define them divide them forever.


My Thoughts: As I said at the beginning, I LOVE this series. The hero Max Savoie is like no other hero I’ve read before and he just leaps off the page with his presence. A bit of background for those who haven’t read the first few books. Max was the ‘enforcer’ for a very influential, very bad crime lord. Jimmy Legere ‘rescued’ Max when he was just a child hiding in the swamps of Louisiana after his mother was brutally murdered. But Max wasn’t an ordinary child; he was a shape shifter who because of circumstances didn’t know anything about his heritage. Jimmy used Max, aimed him, pointed him, and sent him after anyone in Jimmy’s way and Max was so grateful to Jimmy, he would have done anything for him.

This was the situation at the start of the first book, Masked by Moonlight. It begins when Max meets up with Charlotte Caissie or CeeCee, a detective with the NOPD. Max’es loyalties are tested. The first three books are wonderful and CeeCee and Max try and work out a relationship with both of them on either side of the legal fence.

Max is, well, Max is unique. He’s a criminal with a strong sense of right and wrong and a sense of loyalty that won’t quit. And he is so totally wrecked for the heroine. He doesn’t see how she can love him as he considers himself part monster and in some ways he is. He breaks the readers heart with his damaged soul. When he is in his animal form, he almost repulsive, but so broken up by who and what he is when he’s not. The author never really explains what animal he is, but whatever it is, Max has powers that no other has; powers that even he isn’t aware of. He is so lost as to what he is considering his mother died when he was very young before having a chance to explain what he is and his father is a mystery.

CeeCee comes from an equally horrific background. Second generation cop, she was captured, held prisoner and tortured when she was young and it was in fact Max who saved her, though she hadn’t been aware of it until after the start of the first book.

In some ways, these books can be compared somewhat to the In Death books by JD Robb in that both heroines are cops and both heroes are or were part of the criminal element. But in other ways they are vastly different. Unlike Eve Dallas, CeeCee doesn’t have the same moral code when it comes to police duties. She’s a rule bender with an attitude that the ends justifies the means and Max, unlike Roarke, is still involved in the criminal element. And he’s not a cultured or suave as Roarke. And unlike Roarke he is very conflicted about everything except those he is loyal to.

All this so far and I haven’t even got to this particular book. But I’ve very enthused about this series and background is needed. As this book opens up, CeeCee and Max are finally taking their relationship to a more open level. They have shown up together at a charity event. As one can imagine, this sends shock waves throughout both the criminal and cop element. CeeCee is called away to work on a case where women have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered. When the daughter of a rather bully of a cop disappears, CeeCee fears she has been taken by the serial killer and races to find her. Because of some of Max’s supernatural powers and his more than willingness to bend rules and out and out break the law, he helps CeeCee in unobtrusive ways. But he has history with the bully cop. Which makes for some wonderful conflict.

Unlike the other books in this series, we don’t learn too much more about Max’s mysterious background. Rather this is more concentrated on solving the case as well as CeeCee and Max trying to establish the boundaries of their relationship.

There is a real shocker of a twist towards the end that I did not see coming and I think will have huge ramifications in future books. Books I will be reading.

For me, this is a great addition in a great series and it gets a real thumbs up from me for a very unforgettable hero. I just noticed she has a number of books written for Harlequin. I’m going to see if they are available as ebooks so I can get my fix until the next book comes out.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Stand-in Wife by Karina Bliss

Why this one: Karina Bliss burst onto my radar with the wonderful What the Librarian Did last year and I’ve bought all her books since then.

Steam Level: Warm

Blurb: Playing with dynamite, a girl could get burned…
What does he know about love and marriage? And exactly how did he, Ross Coltrane—a special forces elite soldier and demolitions expert—end up playing middleman to his kid brother and the estranged wif And most important, why is he suddenly noticing how beautiful his sister–in–law is? He's never thought about his brother's wife…that way…before.
Then he figures it out and everything makes sense. This tantalizing woman is the other twin! The identical sisters have pulled a swap and duped everyone around them. Furious much? Oh, yeah. Poised to bring down their plan, Ross hesitates. Something about Vivienne Jansen's courage and zest for life gets to him. Except, he's not a man who has feelings. Everyone calls him the Iceman. He doesn't know how to be anything else…


My Thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I read it a week or so ago now and need to read the blurb to remember it, but that’s more of a case of declining short term memory retention then the book not being memorable.

Ross Coltrane, our hero, was first introduced in Here Comes The Groom. He is part of an elite Special Forces group – think Seals – only a New Zealand company, who were attacked and lost two of their own in Afghanistan. Each surviving member has reacted differently. In Ross’ case, he is hell bent on getting himself back into fighting shape and avenging his lost friends. He hasn’t time for anything else and holds all feelings in to the point that his nickname is Iceman. His plans are thrown into turmoil though when his step-mother perishes while exacting a nasty revenge on him. He’s had a ‘fractious’ to say the least relationship with her for years, though he is very fond of and close to his younger step brother, Charlie.

The heroine of this book, Vivienne, is walking a fine line. She is a designer in New York, but has taken time out to help out her twin sister, Merry a wife and mother to the nth degree, who has broken her leg and needs surgery. Her twin is married to Ross’s step brother but they are currently separated. Ross is taking his brother’s side and Viv, her sisters. In order to help, it’s too complicated to go into detail, Viv impersonates her sister and I had a number of laugh out loud moments while reading this book with the complications that come along with this deception. Ross is decidedly angry at his sister-in-law for what he considers a betrayal of his brother and when he thinks Viv is Merry is not the warmest cube on the block. It doesn’t take too long though before he realizes it’s not Merry he’s dealing with, but her twin Viv. Viv, the sister he’s lusted after for years.

Viv pleads with him to go along with her plan and he reluctantly agrees to – for a short while.

This book, as I said is delightful and I’m so very happy I discovered this author. She writes believable characters, people you wish were real so you could meet them. I liked this book better than the first one, Here Comes the Groom.

One thing I have to add, please, please, please do not judge this book by it’s completely horrid cover. I never would have read this one if I based picks on covers alone. The cover of this one is a real eye sore. So IGNORE it. Please!

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

Recent Read

Woa!! I didn't mean to disappear for quite as long as I did there. Sorry 'bout that.

I've been working on a bunch of mini reviews as I'm way behind on doing them, but until I get it done and since I just finished this one tonight and it's fresh in my mind, I'll share my thoughts of
this book

Captured by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon

Why this one: I read the first book, and second book (one of the reviews I'm working on) and couldn't wait to read the third one in the series. So much so that even though I was surrounded by books in Orlando, I simply HAD to buy this one in the little B&N store they had in the hotel. Steam Level: Let's just say it was pretty steamy in Florida in a bad way, but this one is steamy in a good way!

Blurb:

Their Love Is Just Beginning

A mysterious death begins a dangerous chain of events. As the unexpected discovery of a family thought lost to him threatens the existence of Max Savoie's paranormal world, his awakening senses strain the bond he shares with Detective Charlotte Caissie.

His Time is Almost Up

Driven by instincts he can't control, Max fights the need to claim his human mate. How can he protect her when she's not safe with him? She's strong enough to keep his secrets, but can she survive the test of his love?

Will They Ever Really Be Together?

Separating business from pleasure just got more difficult. To have Max, Cee Cee must face her greatest fears by accepting who and what he is . . . someone deadly, unnatural and outside the law she serves. Loving Max Savoie isn't easy, but holding onto him could prove fatal.

My Thoughts: I am really, really enjoying this series. Thank goodness when I was talking to Nancy Gideon who was at the Literacy Signing, she was telling me she had 3 more books lined up with CeeCee and Max and then 3 more where although they aren't the main players, they will be playing a role.

This one continues on where the last one, Chased by Moonlight, left off, with Max and CeeCee deeply in love and trying to meld their two diverse backgrounds, she as a tough as nails cop and he as a former right hand man for crime boss, Jimmy Leger. They couldn't come from more different backgrounds and that doesn't even begin to take into account that she is human and he is a shape shifter of unrealized powers.

I'll go into CeeCee first since I simply have to go into raptures over Max but I don't want to short shift CeeCee. She defines the tough as nails, kick ass cop and she is mad for Max and determined to protect him at all costs. She walks a thin tightrope in not compromising her role as a cop and helping Max and his at times not so legal problems. She reminds me in many ways of Eve Dallas from the In Death book in that being a cop is very much who she is. She also has a dark past and is very much a loner. She's a bit frustrating at times as she holds a lot back from Max in order to protect him and that leads to some mistrust and misunderstandings. But she does it out of love.

But it is Max who is the real draw in this series. Although extremely powerful in both his life as head of a large network that he's trying to legitimatize and the leader of a group of shapeshifters who are almost seen as a disposable group of second class citizens, at the same time he is so damn vulnerable it breaks your heart. As he wasn't raised with his own kind and he has powers so strong that he is only beginning to realize, he is such a lost soul in so many ways. He doesn't know what he is capable of and has no one to show him or teach him what he can become. And he is SO gone for the heroine. He never allowed himself feelings until CeeCee became a part of his life and he is so afraid of what he is and that who is he will frighten her away. But she is made of stern stuff and is just as gone for him.

In this book there are some powerful and deadly enemies who are after him. He tries to protect CeeCee by pushing her away, yet he can't live without her. There is a real poignancy about them and their love for each other. Where CeeCee reminds me of Eve, Max is very unlike Roarke in his insecurities as a leader. His insecurities just make him more of a hero to route for though. If there is any faults with Roarke - and really - one does have to go digging to find them, it's his utter self assurance. But while in some areas Max has it too, in others, such as where CeeCee is concerned he is very insecure, which is quite appealing.

Again, I highly recommend this series. Although it is a paranormal, I think unless one hates paranormal, they will find this good reading too.

Grade: 4.75 out of 5

And - I do have another review up. If you head on over to The Good, The Bad, The Unread, I did a guest review for Libertine's Kiss by Judith James. Once again she has a winner so to see exactly what I thought, check it out

Recent Read

Blogging is a funny thing. There are times when I can't think of a single thing to blog about and then there are others when I just stop the brain. I seem to be in a 'can't stop the brain' phase right now.


Marked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon

Why this one: It was an unplanned purchase and read. At my second last visit to Chapters where they were having a 'buy 3, get 1 free' promotion, I picked this one up, kind of looked at it and put it back on the shelf and went on to get 4 other books. It turned out I already had 2 of them. So I returned them and though I lost out on the buy 3, get 1 free deal, I did pick this one up a second time and thought 'why not?'
I must have been in a reddish mood the other day and wanted a change from historicals for a bit, so I started reading this one.

Steam Level: This was nice and steamy

Blurb:

Homicide detective Charlotte Caissie is dedicated to bringing down the crime boss responsible for her father’s murder. Using Jimmy Legere’s right hand man is a dangerous gamble, not just because of his ruthless reputation as more monster than man, but because her feelings for her mysterious and irresistible enemy are … complicated. There’s just something about Max.

Rescued from the swamps as a child, Max Savoie owes Jimmy Legere his life. Existing silently in his rescuer’s shadow, he heeds only one voice. Until Charlotte Caissie awakens his emotions and tests his loyalties. Forced to step outside his cautious rules to save her, he risks more than his heart . . . he risks exposing his dark secret.

Working together means facing the truth about who and what they are, and what they need from one another. If Max is the murderer she seeks, Cee Cee might be his next victim. She can’t afford to trust any man. Good thing Max isn’t one.

My Thoughts: I wasn't exactly sure what I was in for when I started reading this one. There may be reviews for it, but they've passed me by. By reading the back cover blurb, it sounded like it could have been a paranormal and probably was, and yes, it is.

There is a whole lot I love about this book. But what really makes it a standout is one of the most shocking heroes I've ever read. He just about breaks your heart with his vulnerability towards the heroine.

This series could be compared to the In Death series in some ways I think. So far there are three books with Charlotte and Max and I really hope there will be more.

Charlotte, or CeCe is a cop in New Orleans. Years earlier she, along with her best friend, were held captive as a means to keep her father, a dedicated cop, from going after the leader of crime syndicate. They were finally rescued but only after unspeakable horrors were done to them. Her friend Mary Kate became a nun and CeCe became a cop who lives and breathes the job. After a particularly gruesome murder in which the name of the man she holds responsible for her father's death comes up, she goes to question him - again - as he seems to have his fingers in many of the crimes she investigates. His right hand man and enforcer Max is standing behind him as always. She has long had unwelcome feelings for Max, him being and enforcer for a crime syndicate and her being a cop. But they've only exchanged few words in the intervening years. But things are about to change.

What is so delicious about this book is Max is what he is - and then some. Yes, he's killed for Jimmy, his boss whom he also sees as a very strong father figure. He's a loner who has never had friends or lovers. And he's been in love with CeCe for years. And now that CeCe is starting to admit to her feelings for Max, he is torn between his love for Jimmy and his love for CeCe.

But Max is not really human. He's a shapeshifter with uncanny abilities as far as his senses go. But because of what he is, he is also such a lost soul. He is both good and while I wouldn't say evil exactly, he has done evil things. And he is so gone for the heroine. I love it when the hero is wrecked for the heroine.

CeCe is a great heroine. Once she opens up to her feelings for Max, she will do anything for him including putting her job at risk. Although human, she's more than a match for Max and she is just as wrecked for him as he is for her. The chemistry between these two is off the charts and I'm more than excited to keep reading this very unusual series. All I can say about this one is WoWzers. I started reading it could not put it down until I finished it. And then I was faced with a dilemma. The second book, Chased by Moonlight is out now. But I vowed not to get any more books until the end of July - and I checked. She is on the list of authors to be at the RWA conference. Surely I could wait until then to get the second book. I had to go out yesterday and I actually got itchy; thinking Chapters was so close. But Orlando is less than a month away!! What to do, what to do?

So I did what I do real good. I justified. I bought it as an ebook. And when I get to Orlando, I'll get the second one in print and have her sign it. And I will chat everyone up about NEEDING to give this series a try.

Works for me *g*

Grade: 5 out of 5





And in other news speaking of RWA, Wendy, my soon to be roomie again, is a very organizer person. And I'm so grateful that she is. Anime June is another very organized person. And I'm so glad that she is to. Because I'm not - and that's putting it mildly. I work on rotating shifts and I have to ask a coworker every Friday what shift I'm on the coming week. She was off on Friday and I showed up and hour early this morning.

Anyway, because both Wendy and Anime June are so organized, today Wendy posted about not just one, but TWO blogger meets in Orlando. Everyone is welcome. So head on over to the Super Librarian for details is you are planning on being in the Orlando area the week of the RWA Conference.