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 Reads

Still working on my RWA post but until then......

Her Wyoming Man by Cheryl St. John

Why this one: I inhale her books when they come out. I have ever since her first book Rain Shadow

Steam Level: Well, since there is a major heat wave going on, the fact that this book isn’t what I would call steamy is just fine.

Blurb: Courtesan Ella Reed escapes dangerous city life to rural Wyoming and says "I do" to a marriage of convenience! But she may not live the life of a respectable woman for long if she can't keep her past -- and her heart -- under lock and key.

For a self-made man with political aspirations, love is trivial in a paper marriage. Nathan Lantry needs a wife to secure his election and manage his rowdy little boys. Yet he can't stop wanting more from his irresistible new bride. Then her secrets start to unravel....

My Thoughts: There is a thread at AAR about heroines who are prostitutes and since I did a couple of posts on this topic, I was thinking of it when I finished reading this book, Her Wyoming Man by Cheryl St. John. I’ve loved Ms. St. John since her very first book and gobble up her newest releases as soon as they come out and this one was no exception. Since Lorraine Heath left the Old West and departed to England, Cheryl St. John is my mind, THEE Western write who writes the most poignant stores

As the tread at AAR suggests, the heroine is a prostitute in the old west. She has run away from the brothel and agrees to be a mail order bride without informing her bridegroom Nathan Lantry of her past.

I get that this kind of heroine isn’t for everyone and I can respect that. But for any on the fence on this kind of heroine, or those contemplating trying one, they don’t come much better than Ella. Ms. St. John, as she has with so many of her heroines, writes Ella in such a way that she will break your heart. She makes her past so tragic, and she is still so vulnerable. But never does the reader sit in judgment on her. It’s a case of it was what it was and now she has an opportunity to make a new life for herself. She feels bad about not telling Nathan about her past and doesn’t really consider the consequences she’s so desperate to escape her past.

And Nathan makes for quite an endearing hero. He didn’t stand out for me as much as Ella, but I really did enjoy how considerate he was of Ella and how concerned he was that he not make the same mistakes with Ella.

There’s nothing big or showy about this story. It’s a gentle book about how a young woman struggles to overcome her past with the help of a gentle and loving man.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Recent Read

Wonderful by Jill Barnett

Why this one: I read all her books before she started writing more Women’s Fiction and loved them. When I saw this one at Kobo ebooks, I couldn’t resist either it or the price. I confess I didn’t remember it from before. It’s been years since I read this book.

Steam Level: While not a lot of steamy scenes, there is definite chemistry

Blurb: For six years Lady Clio has waited for Merrick and once the news arrives that he is returning Cleo makes for Camrose and awaits her husband determined to make up for the years she languished in the convent. Cleo leads the legendary knight a merry chase as she quests for the secrets of -heather ale- a magical beer first made by the Picts. Surrounded by the enchanted mists that circle Camrose Castle the two find themselves involved in an often hilarious battle of wills and passion

My Thoughts: This book is most aptly named as I indeed found it Wonderful. I love a good Medieval (and Western and Time Travel and SciFi/Futuristic and RS and so on and so on) and this makes for a great Medieval. Ms. Barnett writes a good feel for the time and the place and I had a most wonderful time picturing it. Of course the fact that I am totally hooked on Game of Thrones, the series on HBO Sunday nights at 9:00 helps both in picturing it and my desire to read Medievals.

I adore Clio. She’s been waiting longer than she should have for Merrick to show up and she’s pissed and she is going to make him pay for his tardiness. She’s a strong heroine and I got quite the kick out of her “wonderful” plans she comes up with. A lot of readers are fond of Julie Garwood Medievals. I was in the day too, but I can’t read her anymore as her heroines strike me as stupid twits – sorry to Garwood fans, but they do! Clio reminds me of a Garwood heroine but thankfully (really – I’m very thankful) without the twittiness that drives me bonkers about Garwood heroines. Clio does drive Merrick crazy, but in a way I found most amusing. There were more than a few times when I was reading this on my break when I broke out in a snort of laughter and quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking at me strangely. Clio is naïve and innocent, yet she isn’t stupid. She makes Merrick pay for his neglect and you have to love that in a heroine.

Merrrick is also quite a hoot of a character. He is a warrior without a clue as to anything other than battle and battle defenses. But he does have it bad for Clio, though being clueless, he doesn’t figure on letting her know. There is one hilarious scene where he tells her the king should be arriving the next day for their wedding. Not only did he not tell her the king would be there in 24 hours, he neglected to tell her they would be wed soon. When Clio rightly goes ballistic, he is genuinely puzzled as to that the big deal is. I mean the walls were fortified to his specifications, the moat had been filled with poisonous water; he didn’t see what the problem was. The whole scene was very funny and cute and indicative of how clueless Merrick is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I see it’s gone up in price since I got my copy, but still, if you are a fan of Julie Garwood, Game of Thrones, clueless heroes, adorable not annoyingly adorable, one eyed cats, witches with puffs of dandelion hair, Medievals and oh so many other things, I think you will enjoy this one. Now I’m wanting to reread Wicked and Wild, the next two books in this series.

Grade: 4.50 out of 5

Recent Read

Surrender of a Lady by Tiffany Clare

Why this one: I met the author at the last RWA and as she was an author whose first book was soon to be published, I wanted to give it a try.

Steam Level: Careful, this be a hot one

Blurb: THE PRICE OF PASSION…Sold. With one word, Lady Elena Ravenscliffe’s destiny changes forever. Forced into Constantinople’s slave market to pay off her late husband’s debts and save her son, Elena reinvents herself as Jinan—a harem girl adored by the rich lords who bid on her favors. But one man instantly sees through her façade.…IS COMPLETE SURRENDER Griffin Summerfield, Marquess of Rothburn, let Elena slip through his fingers years ago. When he recognizes her on the auction block, he pays an outrageous sum to possess her even if it is for a short period of time. But when his deadline looms, Griffin will risk all in a desperate bid to make her his—and his alone…

My Thoughts: I’m torn, really torn on this book. I have conflicting opinions on it and since it’s causing me to think - a lot, and ultimately I think that’s a good thing. If I could only use one word to sum up my feelings on this book, it would be ambiguous.

The hero, Griffin, is a former opium dealer and the only real reason he quit is because he became addicted to it himself. I didn’t get the impression that he gave it up for any moral reasons. He also ‘done the heroine wrong’ years previously, which contributed to her current situation and I don’t know if he ever really ‘got’ that. They were engaged many years previously and rather than face the wrath and manipulations of his uncle, he skipped town with no explanation to Elena, leaving her vulnerable to the bounder she married who sold her into slavery. He claims to have never forgot her and spent years looking for her, but considering where he finally found Elena, in a foreign ‘pleasure palace’ where the patrons ‘purchased’ women for weeks at a time, I don’t know how hurt his heart really was. Though to give him credit, when he did find her, he refused to let her go, even though he is somewhat high handed and bull headed in his treatment of her, it’s without question because he loves her.

The owner of the pleasure palace that Elena is sold into, Amir, is written as not so bad a guy; someone who truly cares about the women he has. But bottom line, all niceties aside, he’s a pimp, plain and simple. A pimp who owns the women he whores out. So as gentle and understanding as the author tries to make him, it’s wasted by what he is and what he does.

Elena holds too much in and I found that frustrating. She just assumed too many things. She assumes that Amir will not let her go so she doesn’t even consider talking to him about it. She assumes that Amir will treat her son badly so when Griffin rescues her, she is hell bent on getting back to Amir, even though he has given every indication that her son was safe with him. I just couldn’t understand her sheer desperation in getting away from Griffin and back to Amir. If I can’t understand the motivation, I find it difficult to relate to heroine on any kind of level. But the good news is I didn’t dislike Elena. It’s not a good thing if I dislike a heroine. I just didn’t understand where she was really coming from. She loved Griffin, she wanted to be with her, but figured it was impossible and didn’t even consider giving it a try.

Grade 3.75 out of 5

And a caveat on the grade. It’s rare that I do this. While I have given higher grades than this one, the grade doesn’t really reflect the entirety of things. I think this book, more than many, would be very interesting to debate and discuss. So if anyone has read it, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Recent Read

Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan

Why this one: I’ve heard good things about Courtney Milan’s books and since I met her and even shared a lunch table with her, I figured it was only right that I read at least one of her books

Steam Level: On the very nicely warmish side

Blurb:

She is his last chance for a future of happiness.

Jenny Keeble has never let her humble upbringing stop her. She’s made her way in the world as a fortune teller, on her convinces her clients her predictions are correct by telling them what they most want to hear. Business is good….until she meets her match in the form of Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely, a scientist and sworn bachelor.

He just doesn’t know it yet.

Broodingly handsome, Gareth is appalled to discover his cousin has fallen under the spell of Madame Esmerala and he vows to prove her a fraud. But his unexpected attraction to the fiery enchantress defies logic. Jenny disrupts every facet of Gareth’s calculated plan – until he can’t decide whether to ruin her or claim her for his own. Now as the engage in a passionate battle of wills, two lonely souls must choose between everything they know… and the boundless possibilities of love.

My Thoughts: It took me a while to get into this one. I started it some time ago and just wasn’t in the mood for a historical book. I’ve noticed that my consumption of historicals is way down in the past several years. And since I was reading a Historical book while being in a Contemporary/RS mood, it just wasn’t working for me. Nevertheless, I kept it in my purse as a back-up and good thing I did!! I was at lunch the other day reading a RS book on my Kobo when it went dead. That’s one of the drawbacks of an ereader, at least the kind I have. When it decides it needs recharging, that’s it – it won’t turn a page. I was at the start of lunch and I’d already read the Avon magazine so I reached in the purse and picked out this one. And what a difference a mood can make. I don’t know if it was the mood or it started out slow, but when I picked it up again and started reading, I really started enjoying it.

Jenny Meeks is a con artist. She has been posing for years as a fortune teller, Madame Esmerelda. She isn’t really malicious or out to scam people. She just needs to make a living and there weren’t a lot of options for many women back then. For a few years, she has been the ‘spiritual’ guide for a young man named Ned who had suffered from dark depression. She gave him hope in his live while taking his silver. But when his ‘oh so starchy’ cousin, Gareth, the marquis of Blakely, becomes aware of what’s going on, he is determined to expose Madame Esmerelda as a fraud. But Esmerelda is not quite what he expects and he’s not quite the callous and unfeeling marquis that she at first thinks.

She sets out setting some tasks for Gareth to accomplish and while in one way they were kind of amusing, in another I was a bit worried that they would take over the story. But thankfully it doesn’t. Part of why it took a while to get into this one was at first glance both Blakely and Madame Esmeralda aren’t really that sympathetic of characters. But once I got deeper into the storyline, I saw that they were both wearing masks, hiding their real selves.

The Marquis of Blakely was really Gareth, a simple man with a definite scientific bent. He was raised by his cold and unfeeling grandfather who attempted to leach all humanity out of a young Gareth. He’s not the cold, unfeeling person we first think he is, rather he just doesn’t know how to relate to people; how to make friends. So he’s cloaked himself in a veneer of coldness.

And Madame Esmerelda is really Jenny Meek, a young woman with a mysterious and unknown past. We never find out where she came from, but when she was four she was placed in a rather posh private school and raised with a modicum of respectability but not much practical knowledge. As I was reading, after we get to know her better, to me she was a ‘by-blow’ of an aristocrat and some unknown mother who either died in childbirth or didn’t want to be bothered with a child. Instead of a rather charming, yet scheming charlatan, she is a very caring person who has done the best she can with the circumstances she faces.

Both are truly wonderful, lonely, seeking people under their masks. The way the layers are slowly peeled back to reveal different people reminds me of the writing of one of my favourite authors Jo Goodman. This is a smaller, shorter book so those bothered by the density of Ms. Goodmans writing needn’t worry about in this book. Sometimes it’s a bit intimidating when reading a book by an author you’ve met and liked, but in this case I shouldn’t have worried. I loved the book and look forward to the next one, Ned’s book.

The grade would have been higher but since I was able to put it down for a while, I’m not sure if it was me or it had a bit of a slow start. But once I got a bit further, I couldn’t put it down and that’s the sign of a very good story.

Grade: 4.50 out of 5

Recent Read

The Last Goodbye by Sarah Mayberry

Why this one: I’m not exactly sure how Sarah Mayberry came onto my radar, but she did and I’ve really enjoyed all the books by her I’ve read. She has become an autobuy author whose new releases I really anticipate.

Steam Level: Pretty much perfect

Blurb: Ally Bishop knows the settling kind when she sees one. And Tyler Adamson is definitely one. Ordinarily this never-in-one-place-long girl would stay far, far away. Maybe it's the way he looks in jeans, or the way he looks at her, but suddenly Ally is breaking her own rules with dizzying speed. All that Australian temptation right next door, well, there's only so much resistance one girl can have.

As she dives into a fling with Tyler, Ally assures herself she can maintain perspective. After all, he's only here long enough to care for his ailing father. That gives them a time limit, right? With each passing day, however, she falls for Tyler more. And soon she has the strongest urge to unpack her suitcase and stay a while.

My thoughts: I’ll have to investigate further, but a big thank you to the person or people who clued me into this author. This book really ‘got’ to me. It’s not often I want to cry at the end of a book but I did with this one – and that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s because I’m close to the subject matter with my own experience and the fact that I work in the palliative care department in my place of employment. Last week, while I was reading this book, a few cases hit home, one in particular, when I was speaking to the wife and connected with, and for the first time I told her a bit of my own history. I got a call from the nurse on Friday that her husband passed away early that morning.

Although without question a romance, the real power of this book for me, was how very brave the hero was. Tyler Adamson had a horrific childhood. His father abused him, emotionally and physically, and his mother never stood up for Tyler and his brother. So when his father’s next door temporary neighbor, Ally Bishop tracks him down to inform Tyler his father is dying of cancer, Tyler doesn’t want to have anything to do with the situation. And who could blame him? Speaking from experience, being a caregiver to someone who is dying is a death in itself. And when there is a history of systematic abuse of the kind the hero suffered, well, I can’t begin to imagine what it would be like. But rather than ignore the situation, which would have been so much easier, Tyler, travels back home to make that final visit with his father. But it didn’t turn out to be that simple. His father wanted to die at home and despite his natural inclination, Tyler sets things in motion to be there for his father in his final days.

But this book is so realistic in that there isn’t a sudden end time epiphany on his father’s behalf. His father was cruel to Tyler all his life and he remains cruel even as he is living out his last bit of time. And that is what this book is about for me. Tyler sticks. It isn’t easy for him. Ally is his lifeline and therein is the romance. Ally is someone who grew up rootless. Her mother, a self-absorbed artist who was only concerned about herself, moved Ally around her entire childhood. As a result, Ally has created a homeless life as an adult. She works as an advice columnist but she also house sits; going from different house to different house with no roots whatsoever planted.

So while she has ever growing feelings for Tyler and respects the hell out of him, she’s also freaking out at the same time; worried that he will want something permanent when his father dies and he heads back to his normal life. She also is a heroine I really, really enjoyed. She’s supportive, compassionate, upbeat; everything Tyler needs.

Both these characters had real crappy upbringings and it shaped who they became as adults. To see these two wounded souls find and bond to each other, I found very moving, especially in light of what Tyler was going through, living with, coping with and helping with a monster from his childhood.

It’s weird to call a book beautiful, but that’s what I found this one. It’s so true to life. Impending death can bring out the best or the worst and this book exemplifies that.

I don’t want anyone to think they can’t read this one because it’s sad. That’s not the case at all. It’s a romance and a very good one. But because of personal experience, for me, it’s also very real. Even now, while writing this review, I find myself savouring it. Harlequins have such a short shelf life, but this one came out in February so shouldn’t be too hard to find. I highly recommend it. Others probably won’t have quite the emotional connection I had, but it’s still a very, very good book.

Grade: 5 out of 5

Recent Read - And in Other News

Night Betrayed by Joss Ware

Why this one: I am LOVING this series so it’s a no brainer that as soon as a new one comes out, I’m reading it!

Steam Level: Although the setting is stark and cold, the steam level is hot

Blurb: The world they knew is ashes.

The world that remains is in peril.

And five extraordinary survivors are humankind's last, best hope.

The Change that devastated the earth did not destroy Theo Waxnicki. It made him something more than human; eternally young, eternally beautiful . . . but not immortal. When he dies on a mission against the Strangers, he is lost to the darkness . . . until a miracle lady brings him back.

Born during the apocalyptic storms and earthquakes that left the world in ruins, Selena has dedicated her life to easing the pain of others. But Theo is the first in her care to survive. Responding to Selena's tender touch, Theo starts to live again, to feel and desire again. But joined in a world of terrors, the secrets they can never share make them targets. And love could be the ultimate betrayal.

My Thoughts: As mentioned in reviews on the previous books in this series, if someone had told me I would really enjoy an ongoing series where, although labeled romance, that aspect kind of takes a back seat, and the setting in years in the future after an apocalyptic ‘end of the world’ scenario, I would have said ‘right, and pink pigs fly. But I would have been forced to find those flying pink pigs because I do love this series and Night Betrayed is no exception. Though the hero, Theo Waxnicki is in his 80’s, he stopped aging when the catastrophe happened fifty years earlier. I had to smile to myself as I was kind of guilty of age discrimination. Theo has quite the libido cause he still looks young, but he’s in his 80’s and I thought ‘wouldn’t he need Viagara or something?’ I have to say that in the middle of this tense story, I was distracted by something rather silly.

In the previous books, I hadn’t really warmed up to the character of Theo, so when I heard this was ‘his’ story I couldn’t help wishing it might have been someone else’s. But once I started reading this book, that was a non issue. Once more this world that Joss Ware has created is so compelling, so interesting yet so bleak at the same time, and just so damn well written, that I found myself on the edge of my seat as I read along.

In this one, Theo has been brought back to life by the heroine, Selena in a small community far from his home in Envy. Theo is smitten with Selena but just getting over a broken heart when the woman he loved chose another. Selena for her part, is leery of getting involved with Theo as she has many secrets and has been burned in the past because of them.

As with previous books though, the romantic relationship isn’t really in the forefront. Instead it’s the mystery of the events that resulted in the end of the world as it was known and what has been happening since then. And it’s utterly and completely fascinating. It’s edge of your seat exciting. People who you hope make it don’t.. This isn’t a happy and sunshine series, that’s for sure. But it’s such a compelling read that I highly recommend it. I can’t say too much so as not to give too much away – that’s the way it is with this kind of series I think.

Now – should you read the first three books in order to read this book? I’m not sure – probably. But the first ones are so good you will want to anyway. I just checked and the first two books are one for a ‘really can’t be beat’ price on the Kindle:

$1.99 for Beyond the Night

$3.99 for Embrace the Night

I say – get at least these first two and see what you think!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*|

And in Other News....

It seems as if I'm going to have to return my Velocity Micro Cruz Touchscreen Wifi Tablet. I couldn't figure it out and my Son Who is Getting Married was too busy for a couple of days to come over and look at it. So I took it into work and had someone from the It department look at it. He showed me how to turn it on - it's amazing that a button that looks like the same kind that turns on computers also turns on a table

(oops - gotta wait for a couple of minutes - the song by Nellie is on and I have to wave my arms - be back in a minute)

OK - I'm back

Anyway - wait another sec - gotta turn the radio down now. See - it would be an IPod to turn down but that's a small electronic device that scares me - and with good reason as you shall see!

So the IT guy got it turned on, but it seemed Very Slow and as I was sitting there I was getting more and more frustrated. So I figured I'd better stop playing with it until The Son who is also an Accountant took a look at it. He and my future daughter-in-law came over Saturday and guess what? Now matter what we tried, the damn thing would not turn on. I swear I didn't throw it anywhere. We shall call her Kara said I should check to see what kind of ratings it got. Sure enough, they were bad, real, real bad. And of course The Son who is Getting Married pointed out the foolishness of buying small electronic devices on The Shopping Channel. They both said and I reluctantly agreed with them that I'd be better off returning it and paying more money and getting an IPad. My future daughter-in-law who we are calling Kara offered to come with me. I'm sure while my head was turned, my son Who is Getting Married must have nudged her and whispered "For the sake of the sanity of all of us, do NOT let her buy a small electronic device on her own!

Recent Read

And I am back!

Actually, it's been a while now since Rye fixed my internet - it's amazing how much better things work when plugged in....and how stupid one can feel when things aren't.



Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

Why this one: I was in a Shalvis ebook buying mood and discovered this was out in eform and was less expensive than a paperback.

Steam Level: Whew!!If you want to look out the bathroom stall, you’re going to have to wipe off the steam first!

Blurb: Co-owner of the town's only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire.
It's Brady's nature to resist being tied down, but there's something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more. -

My Thoughts: If I like the heroine of a Jill Shalvis novel, for the most part I quite like the story, her baseball series excluded as she doesn’t know baseball enough for this fan of the game. But other than those two exceptions, I really enjoy her books. She writes GREAT heroes no matter what and she has her guys thanking and acting the way guys would I think. And Brady Miller is no exception. For me, this is where the author shines; in creating believable, delicious heroes. Brady is former military, now working in the hot spots in the world for private contractors. He’s taken a month long leave to help out his two good buddies. His first day back he is run into, literally by Lilah, our heroine, when she runs into the back of his truck. Brady is yummy, yummy, yummy, he’s like love in the tummy. He and Lilah fall fast for each other, but as neither wants any kind of commitment; Brady because he’s leaving at the end of the month and Lilah because she’s been burned before and her life is too hectic for any real commitment. But those frisky little hormones can’t be denied and it doesn’t take too long before the two of them indulge in their lust and indulge and indulge and indulge. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think at times there was almost too much. I love a good love scene as next as the next person reading romance and reading hot romance at that, but at times I couldn’t help but think maybe a little less sex and a little more talking would be in order.

When it comes to Lilah it’s more of a good news/bad news. I liked her – up to a point. She works hard as the owner of a kennel which houses all types of critters and also as a rescuer and placer of abandoned cats and dogs. In addition to this, she’s taking an online course in animal husbandry. There is much to admire about her. She is strong and independent, but at times I almost found her independence almost too annoying. She refuses help – from anyone. She has bad plumbing for example – in her house – and can’t afford to get it fixed. But she won’t let any of her male friends look at it. In a few places she passes the point of independent and falls into stupid territory. Speaking as someone who has not one but two non-working dryers (it's a long story), I would more than welcome some studly dude offering to help fix them - either one.

But overall, I enjoyed this book and was glad for the purchase and electronically closed the book with a happy smile. There were a number of times when I either smiled or snorted with laughter and that always makes me pleased.

Grade: 3.75 out of 5

Recent Read

The Sergeant’s Lady by Susanna Fraser

Why this one: I loved the cover, I heard good things about it and the price, coming from Carina, was excellent.

Steam Level: Nice and Steamy

Blurb: Highborn Anna Arrington has been "following the drum," obeying the wishes of her cold, controlling cavalry officer husband. When he dies, all she wants is to leave life with Wellington's army in Spain behind her and go home to her family's castle in Scotland.

Sergeant Will Atkins ran away from home to join the army in a fit of boyish enthusiasm. He is a natural born soldier, popular with officers and men alike, uncommonly brave and chivalrous, and educated and well-read despite his common birth.

As Anna journeys home with a convoy of wounded soldiers, she forms an unlikely friendship with Will. When the convoy is ambushed and their fellow soldiers captured, they become fugitives—together. The attraction between them is strong—but even if they can escape the threat of death at the hands of the French, is love strong enough to bridge the gap between a viscount's daughter and an innkeeper's son?


My thoughts: There are some similarities with this book to the one I recently read and reviewed, Sing my Name in that the hero and heroine come from different social backgrounds. This is an English Historical rather than a Western, but other than that they were two different stories.

This one starts out with our hero Will, trying to help a friend who’s in labour while on the move in Spain during the English/French war. The heroine, Anna, comes along to offer her assistance, but it’s soon clean she is married to a real jerk when he rides up and orders Anna away from the ‘riffraff of the common soldier. But Anna has spunk and refuses to leave, instead staying to assist Will, even though neither have participated in a birth before. During this time, a bond is established. Anna admires Will and Will admires Anna, at the same time, recognizing that Anna is married to a very difficult man. Though both fully admit to themselves any kind of relationship is impossible, still, neither can forget the either. When Anna’s husband meets his demise, Anna’s plan is to return to her home in the Highlands of Scotland and Will is part of the regiment that escorts her and a number of wounded soldiers to the coast. They are thrown together again when they are captured by the French and then forced to flee. Their attraction grows but even though Anna’s husband is out of the picture, their different stations in life are still a real barrier.

Like Sing my Name, I found this one to be a poignant story of two people who want to be together, who aren’t quite complete without the other, but who are kept apart due to society. Both are people to be admired. Will is a simple man, yet one to be admired. He entered the army in his youth to seek out adventure and has been quite happy doing what he’s doing. He’s a rifleman in the army and of course while reading I kept thinking of Sean Ben in Sharpe’s Rifles, not a bad picture to keep in mind.

For her part Anna is also a good heroine. She realizes fairly early into her marriage that she has made a huge mistake, but she is doing the best that she can. She is compassionate to others, brave when called for. As with Sing My Name, there is a bit of a road story when Anna and Will are travelling back to his regiment. When they reach it and are forced to remain apart, there is such palpable longing in each of them for the other. If I had any wishes, it would just be that it was longer. I hated to finish this one so soon. But I hasten to add that it was because I was enjoying it; not that I felt it was lacking in any way.


This book was a treat to read and I hope the author has more books coming.

Grade: 4.75 out of 5