Review: The Truth About Lord Stoneville -- by Sabrina Jeffries

In the two decades since the death of his parents, Oliver Sharpe, Marquess of Stoneville, has survived the scandal surrounding that fateful night by living as an unrepentant rakehell. And with his grandmother vowing to disinherit him if he doesn't settle down and wed, he plans to fulfill the bargain in true Sharpe stylle--by bringing home a fake fiancee from a brothel! But his scheme is derailed when he rescues an American beauty in a bad situation instead. Maria Butterfield and her cousin are seeking the whereabouts of her erstwhile fiance who left Massachusetts a number of months ago and has been missing, no word of his comings or goings, and no answers to her letters. This, however, does not stop Oliver from getting what he wants: her, in his bed. His rebellious masquerade may call his grandmother's bluff, but it's soon made all too clear that he is in danger of falling in love--a love that tempts him to be a hellion no more.

Oliver Sharpe was a gentle, caring, hurting, wounded man who had convinced himself that he was a rogue like his profligate father, who had no conscience, no morals, no honor, and who was unable to either give or receive love. Yet his deep attachment to his grandmother, Mrs Hetty Plumtree, widow and owner of Plumtree Brewery, as well has his constant caring and oversight of his four siblings gave the lie to those convictions that Oliver used to keep distance between himself and any other human beings. He drank and wenched his way through the weeks and years until his grandmother said "Enough!!" and essentially gave all five of the Sharpe siblings the glad and happy word that their life of ease was to end in twelve months if all five of them were not married and on their way to being settled with spouse, children, hearth, and home. Not only would they all have to do without her financial support, they would all end up at Halstead Hall, the family estate, which could hardly support itself, much less the five of them.

So Oliver begins his search for a whore who would be paid to be his fake fiancee for two weeks. It was his hope that he would so upset his grandmother that she would abandon her edict. In a separate but very humorous set of circumstances, Maria Butterfield and her cousin Frederick Dunse (can you even believe that name?) find themselves in dire circumstances, facing hard time for thievery unless the Marquess of Stoneville intercedes. He is not prepared to do this (and all this action takes place in his favorite brothel--how Maria and Frederick get there is a hoot) unless Maria agrees to play the part of the fake fiancee. She has no choice but to agree, and he finds her a dreadful dress, bought, no doubt, from one of the hookers, and he takes her home to introduce her as his dearly beloved to his grandma and all the family. Now this particular grandmother is not as harmless as she looks. She is clever and conniving (in the best possible sense of the word) and determined not only to bring Oliver to his marital knees, but to also find a woman who will begin to believe in him and help him move past the horror that has changed him from a dutiful son at age 16 to the rogue he is now. The progress of this novel as both the grandmother and Oliver's siblings begin to recognize the growing attachment between Oliver and Maria is funny, grand, and an excessively good read.

Jeffries has written some wonderful books, and this is the beginning of a series about each of these five siblings. She has used her considerable writing skills to create the character of Oliver in poignant language, fleshing him out to be a person who wants desperately to believe in himself but he is so afraid to do so. After all, didn't his own mother proclaim that he was a disgrace to the family? Maria is a woman to make all American women proud, especially if one understands the world in which she was raised. The reader will encounter each of these people throughout the story and at the end will have a wonderful sense of family that is deep, broad, generous and caring. The missing fiancee wafts in and out, but throughout there are some surprises with some twists and turns that keep the reader's interest and propel one on to the next page. I know that at the end of this story I was quite anxious to read the few pages that were the teaser for Lord Jarrett's story, the next novel in this series.

This is a grand historical romance in the truest sense of the word and any lover of this genre will come to appreciate the story, the characters, and the historical surroundings that give this novel its depth and context. And Jeffries' fans will find this a worthy addition to her growing body of work.

I give this book a rating of 4.75 out of 5.

Review: Shades of Midnight by Lara Adrian

Something inhuman is stalking the frigid Alaskan wilds, leaving unspeakable carnage in its wake. For bush pilot Alexandra Maguire, the killings stir memories of a horrific event she witnessed as a child and evoke in her the inexplicable sense of "otherness" she has long felt within herself but never fully understood . . . until a darkly seductive stranger with secrets of his own enters her world.

Sent from Boston on a mission to investigate the savage attacks and stop the slaughter, vampire warrior Kade has his own reasons for returning to the frigid, forbidding place of his birth. Haunted by a secret shame, Kade soon realizes the stunning truth of the threat he faces--a threat that will jeopardize the fragile bond he has formed with the corageous, determined young woman who arouses his deepest passions and most primal hungers. But in bringing Alex into his world of blood and darkeness, Kade must confront both his own personal demons and the even greater evil that could destroy all he holds dear.

As a "Midnight Breed Novel" this latest in the series of stories is about one of the newest members of a Boston-based group of vampire warriors who are seeking to find a rogue vampire who has awakened one of the original vampires from centuries before, and who is forcing breed-humans to have children who are then turned into automaton warriors. Obsessed with world domination, the one group who stands between himself and success are these powerful and resourceful warriors, one of whom is the former Alaskan resident, Kade. Born and raised in the northern reaches of that frozen land, he has returned to a land and family who he feels have rejected him and who have withheld their support and approval for what he is now doing. Yet his presence, his powerful skills, and his superior knowledge are needed to find the rogue vampire or whatever is causing the terrible wholesale slaughter of families and outlying villages.

I have enjoyed all the novels in this series. I think Lara Adrian is an exceptional writer who has done her geographical research thoroughly and who has developed this entire series of stories carefully and in exquisite detail. We are introduced not only to Kade but to Alex -- a breed mate who doesn't know why she has always felt "other" and who is a woman who is lonely and feeling "on the edge" of reality. Little does she realize that Kade's world is beckoning to her. Little does she realize that the story of Kade and his reasons for leaving Alaska in the first place are going to stretch her credibility as well as force her to face her own strengths as well as her weaknesses. A woman of skill in her own right, she finds her stride within the challenges her growing love for Kade present to her. She is the stuff of which true pioneer women are made. Living in Alaska has given her the context in which she can grow, but she has brought with her the memories of the massacre of her family in Florida. Her relationship with Kade require that she face not only his unique reality but the horror of her own past.

This story is so very well written and it engages the reader from page one. It is just a bit formulaic--all the stories in this series are really about each warrior finding his true life mate -- but within that formula there is a unique quality to the characters that outweighs the shape and form of the story. If you have read the other novels in this series, you will like this one. There is enough "hair-raising" to keep any paranormal fan happy. And there is love and friendship and forgiveness in abundance. I think you will find this a good read. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5.

The Edge of Desire -- by Stephanie Laurens

"Christian, I need your help. There is no one else I can turn to . . . L" When Christian Allardyce, 6th Marquess of Dearne, reads those words, his world turns upside down. Lady Letitia Randall is a woman like no other, and the day he left her behind to fight for king and country was the most difficult of his life. He never forgot the feel of her lips against his, but never expects to see her again. Yet now she seeks his help, and Christian knows he will not resist her plea.

Letitia believes that Christian abandoned her when she needed him most, and she hates to call on his aid. But to clear her brother's name, she has sworn to use every weapon at her command, even if it means seducing her ex-lover. Yet all the while, Christian is waging a war of his own--a campaign of pure pleasure and sweet revenge that will take them both beyond the edge of desire.

Loveless marriages were not uncommon, in fact, they were more common than most modern individuals realize. It was not only royalty who married to continue an aristocratic line. Often the future of any title was held in the tenuous hands of a man and woman who wedded and bedded in order to continue on their way of life. There were also marriages of convenience which passed wealth (in the form of fat dowries) from eligible maidens to high-living aristocrats as well as poor but gently born maidens who sought to bring wealth into their families through marriage. However, Lady Letitia Randall did not fit into either of these categories. Her husband was a secretive, possessive, common man who simply set out to add the beautiful Lady Letitia to his museum collections and to wile his way into the salons of the haut ton. She knew the basis of her marriage was never going to be true affection, and in her hour or need, when she needed the man to whom she had given her heart, she received nothing but silence in response to her desperate calls for rescue. Little did she know that her lover, Christian Allardyce, was actually an undercover agent for the British Secret Service, or at least the early 19th century version of that agency. He was, in fact, so deeply undercover that he never received Lady Letitia's letters or her calls for rescue.

Now, many years later, with her husband having been found murdered and the authorities having set themselves to arrest her brother as the murderer, Lady Letitia knows of only one person she can trust to put matters to rights and to clear her brother from all guilt or perception of guilt. In spite of her resentment at his cavalier treatment of her in her hour of need, she knows that Christian has the contacts and the skills to uncover the true murderer.

This novel is a part of the Bastion Club series and as such brings in some of the characters from other stories in this series. Yet they are not an overwhelming presence but make the reader curious about those characters. I know it made me want to read more of their particular situations and relationships. As is the case in so many historical romances, there is a conflict between the main characters that is supposed to give "spice" to their repartee and to create tension which is resolved when they fall into each other's arms. There is some of that in this book. But the underlying story of the murder, the hint of espionage, the mysterious identity of Christian's former boss, the secret room, and so on, give a unique flavor to this romance that lifts it out of the usual to become somewhat unique. There are some surprises which also add to the ornamentation of the story. I really liked that.

As with all historicals, I like the descriptive passages, the clothes, the palatial dwellings, the ups and downs of the narrow English society, the struggles that many women had to be truly themselves within the constraints of a society who saw them only as decorative breeders. Lady Letitia is a strong and courageous character who has done what she had to do and come out on the other side better, more mature, more beautiful and multi-dimensional as a person and as one who can attract and keep the attention and affections of someone like Christian.

If you like really good historical romance, you'll like this story. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Mr. Darcy Takes A Wife--Pride & Prejudice Continues, by Linda Berdoll

Every woman wants to be Elizabeth Bennet Darcy -- beautiful, gracious, universally admired, strong, daring and outspoken -- a thoroughly modern woman in crinolines. And every woman will fall madly in love with Mr. Darcy -- tall, dark and handsome, a nobleman and hearthrob whose virility is matched only by his utter devotion to his wife.

Their passion is consuming and idyllic--essentially, they can't keep their hands off each other--through a sweeping tale of adventure and misadventure, human folly and numerous mysteries of parentage.

Hold on to your bonnets!! This sexy, epic, hilarious, poignant and romantic sequel to Pride & Prejudice goes far beyond Jane Austen.

Anyone who has loved Pride & Prejudice in its many forms has probably wanted the story to go on! Ending with the double wedding of Jane and Elizabeth Bennet, the original Austen story is beautiful as far as it goes. But as we all know, especially those of us who delight in romance novel series, we need the story to go on.

There are a number of authors who have attempted to continue the story of Elizabeth and Darcy and some have done OK and others have not done well at all. Linda Berdoll has done, in my opinion, a magnificent job of telling the continuing story. We must all realize that Jane Austen was herself a maiden, unmarried lady, who included married couples in the original story -- Mr. & Mrs. Bennet, the Gardeners who were aunt and uncle to Elizabeth, and Mr. Collins and his bride, Charlotte--there is limited information about the inner characteristics of the marriages of that time. It would have been almost impossible for Ms Austen to continue on with the Darcy story without simply making it "more of the same" as that was all she had experienced. Suffice it to say that Jane Austen told such a story of depth and color that it is possible for a talented writer like Berdoll to take the saga to the next level.

Ms Berdoll has not only related a story that is, in many ways, equally as fascinating as the original, but she has successfully adapted her writing style to very closely reflect that of Ms Austen. The terminology, vocabulary, and sentence structure are reminiscent of Austen's style of writing. That not only tells the story with greater authenticity, but also helps the reader to feel that they have continued on with the Bennet/Darcy story in a very real way.

Ms Berdoll has also continued the stories of Mr. Bingley & Jane, Lydia, as well as the Bennets. She again acquaints us with the acidic Lady Catherine, and tells us more about Mr. & Mrs. Collins. So be of good cheer, Pride & Prejudice fans: not only do we learn more of the Bennet/Darcy marriage, we continue on with all of these colorful and much-loved characters. There are some who are classic in their reading tastes who are offended that anyone would try to continue Ms Austen's stories. I think that is narrow thinking and as one who loves a good romance, I applaud Ms Berdoll's efforts to give us a great extension to the story and more of those wonderful people of Merry Ole England. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

Devils on Horseback -- Zeke's Story

Ezekiel (Zeke) Blackwood, his brother Cornelius (Lee) and their cousin Gideon Blackwood are the three remaining members of the Devils on Horseback. In the little community of Tanger, Texas, together with their buddy Jake Sheridan, they have found a welcome and very possibly, a home. They have been successful in ridding the town of the marauders who were kidnapping women and selling them as sex slaves in Mexico. The town's mayor has been found out to be an embezzler and along with Gabriella's mother, have escaped the penalties for their crimes by running away to parts unknown. However, there is trouble in paradise. Zeke has been forming an attachment for the preacher's daughter and during the last raid, this lovely and demure creature has been killed right in front of him as he struggled to save her from capture. His failure to do so and her resulting death have thrown him into a world composed of an alcoholic haze that is now months' long. Zeke's brother Lee is himself a casualty of the War having lost one of his arms to a battlefield surgeon. His continuing anger at this eventuality and his rage over having to live as a partial man (as he sees it) are a part of the background of these two brothers.

In a strange series of events, the town council of Tanger comes to Zeke asking him if he would be the new sheriff--initially on a month's probation -- providing he stayed sober and didn't cavort with whores (another activity in which he indulged repeatedly during his drunken stupors). He agrees and makes a serious attempt to fulfill their expectations as he has come to realize the the drink and the resulting craziness are not how he wants to live. He is hoping that this new job and responsibility to the people of the town will help fill that emptiness he no longer knows how to combat.

Enter Lucy Michaelson -- a young woman who is herself a survivor of the War and who is seeking a job in the local saloon. She is not a prostitute and makes it clear that she does not plan to earn any of her money "on her back" as is often the case with saloon girls. She is a hard worker and an honest person, but because she works in the saloon, she is branded a "fallen woman" -- guilt by association. Even after being put in jail as the instigator of a bar fight--a charge she successfully repudiates--she is treated with respect and kindness by the new sheriff who is attracted to her strength, her obvious survivor skills, and her honesty.

Beth Williamson continues the saga of this little town while telling Zeke's story. She draws a picture of a 19th century community that is populated by good people and not-so-good, people who are anxious to judge others before knowing the facts -- persons who seem to inhabit every town and city in the world--and characters who are normal, troubled, kind, generous, stingy, and who are all wanting to be accepted and nurtured within the context of this town and its dynamic. Zeke struggles with his own demons while trying to correct situations in the town, some immediate like the drunks in the saloon on a Saturday night, as well as problems of long-standing and which could change the course of history for the entire community. He is a character that is very real, and in a world that had no Alcoholics Anonymous, he tries to find the solution to his own problem. His heart is slowly healed by Lucy--a brave, gutsy, brassy, pushy broad of a woman who is not herself whole but who is willing to confront both her own neediness and Zeke's pain in order to bring them both to wholeness.

What is there not to like about this story? Williamson has written brilliantly of the personal story of the main characters while also telling the story of the community and its rehabilitation in a difficult post-war world that will not be fully healed for over a hundred years in the future. This is a warm and winsome story set in the heart of the Texas of old, yet it brings the reader face to face with issues that are as current as tomorrow. Reading this and the other Devils on Horseback stories will never be a waste of time. I hope Williamson plans to tell us Lee and Gideon's story in the future. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

Devils on Horseback -- Jake's Story

The post-Civil War soldiers of the Devils on Horseback continue on with their search for a new life after the horror and hell of war. Now reduced to a group of four -- Nate was married and starting a new life in a small Texas community -- and searching for employment as D. H. Enterprises, Jake and his companions find themselves in a small community that has been nearly destroyed by the deaths of their sons and husbands in the Civil War as well as other difficulties with night raids from a mysterious band of criminals who are sweeping the town and kidnapping any woman they can find under the age of 35. The mayor of the town sends word to the Devils on Horseback that their muscle, their savvy as soldiers and their need for employment would be useful to this small struggling community.

Jake is a former corporal in the Confederate Army and is also being sought by a Union Army captain who was commandant of a Union prison camp. These "devils" were the only Confederate soldiers ever to escape from his "hell-hole" and he has become obsessed with revenge for his "failure" to keep them imprisioned. Jake is also a former thief -- a child who stole in order to feed siblings and himself after being abandoned by his mother and who took the last name of one of the whores in a brothel where he was living. All in all, a very troubled person when he went into the war and who found a "family" of sorts when he found these comrades who have become the only people he trusts. Now the Devils are hoping that their current "assignment" is located far enough off the beaten path that the Union captain will have difficulty finding Jake.

In the midst of trying to solve the mystery of the night raids -- who is behind them, where are the women, how to prevent future raids, etc, Jake meets Gabriella Rinaldi, the daughter of the mill owner who had been beaten almost to death during one of the previous raids. She must now run the mill as well as try to bring some common sense into the town thinking on how to protect themselves. Needless to say, Jake and Gabriella are attracted to one another, but they are also both needing to find that "someone" who will believe in them and will accept them for who they are. Jake struggles with his past, his sense of being a nobody from nowhere and worthless to anyone other than his Civil War buddies. The friendship and love they find together begins to rebuild what fear and hopelessness have destroyed in the past.

Again Beth Williamson has populated this book with personalities that are strong, varied, interesting, authentic, and the kind of people-at least in some cases-one would like to have known in real life. Underlying this story is the continuing loyalty and friendship of these men for one another, for respect and value they have given one another because they were soldiers of honor and who sought to be true to their ideals even when war and life in general did everything to destroy their sense of themselves. I still love to read of their Southern charm and the respect they show women -- they all love women in any shape or form, but no matter how disagreeable one of the female characters may be, they are unwaveringly polite and respectful. Oh to have some men in our modern times like that!

I also appreciate the way that the author has not backed away from the debris that war creates in lives and communities, especially as Jake faces himself and his past, as he deals with his need to love and be loved, and as he faces his the reoccurring terror of dark, small places born in the Union Army prison camp. War is indeed hell, but out of that conflict came five men who learned that there were people upon whom they could depend. Gabriella's love and the acceptance of the community are the "medicines" Jake needs and grabs for his hurting soul. This book is a great read and will not disappoint. I give it a rating of 5 out of 5.

Devils on Horseback -- Nate's Story

Oh my, oh my, oh my! Hunks, hunks, and more hunks!! Beth Williamson keeps filling up the pages of her books with delightful and colorful characters that are rooted in the historical development of the Old West. Nate Marchand is a former lieutenant in the Confederate Army who, like thousands of others after the American Civil War, returned to homes and properties in the South that had been torn down, burned down, or otherwise made uninhabitable as well as finding that members of their families left behind in 1860 had died or been killed as "collateral damage" of that armed conflict. Together with four other Confederate soldiers who he fought with for four years, Nate finds himself on the road, searching for employment, finances, and most importantly, roots. Hired as D. H. Enterprises to remove a recalcitrant family from property that had supposedly been sold during the Civil War, the Devils on Horseback (as they call themselves) find themselves embroiled in a situation that involves greed, murder, political and governmental shenanigans as well as a beautiful young woman who rides like one who was born on a horse, shoots to kill and has the moxy which far exceeds some men of her times.

Of course you have the romance between Nate and Elisa, and since this is a romance, that is to be expected. But I found that the author developed all the characters in the Devils in bold strokes of her pen and with a great deal of detail. Those five men really live in these pages. I was also struck with Beth Williamson's sensitive characterizations of the pain of the Civil War, the anger and torment, revenge and grief, external wounds and internal damage that lived on long after 1865. One catches intriguing glimpses of the smells of battle, the horror of the prison camps, the starvation and disease that continued on after the war. There were no Americans whose lives were not changed irrevocably by that conflict. Not only were these five characters comrades in arms but they were "family" and because of that bond, they are always present in varying degrees and in various circumstances. Nate is not related to anyone of the other four except they have become his "brothers" and together they attempt to find healing and a new direction as people who have lived through Hell and survived.

The Old West was never portrayed with better word pictures, an engaging story line, balanced conflict and resolution within the plot, and, of course, the sizzle of romance that seems to creep up on people who not only aren't looking for it (at least knowlingly) but who are surprised by the holes in their souls it fills. I really enjoyed this book and loved the characterization of the Southern gentleman that seemed to have survived the awfulness of way -- a true tribute to those Southern belles who raised their men to be the "iron fist in the velvet glove." Their absolute adherence to the Southern traditions concerning justice, care for others, respect for women, and desire to be productive citizens is awesome and is a critical ingredient in who Nate really is. Williamson tells an awesome story. I hope she keeps right on giving us more glimpses in the hearts and souls of the Devils on Horseback! I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

True Love Can Be Super Rough -- Phenomenal Girl 5 by A. J. Menden

Lainey Livingston (Phenomenal Girl 5) has just been made a member of the Elite Hands of Justice, the world's premier cadre of superheroes. Her work with the Red Knights and the Power Squad was impressive; all her senses are extraordinary and her great strength and her ability to fly are equally remarkable. But no one gets a free pass to active duty, and Lainey's next test is going to be her hardest. She's to train with the Reincarnist.

Robert Elliot, the Reincarnist, is a magician who has lived multiple lifetimes, and he's the smartest man in the world and Lainey's last obstacle to a goal that has lived within her since her earliest childhood. He was personally responsible for seeing Pushstar wash out. But his eyes are the softest, kindest that Lainey has ever seen, and he's just the sort to knock her for a loop. Her first lesson: to realize that romantic entanglements among crime fighters are super exploitable, and falling in love with a man who can't die is like waving a red flag at a bull. Especially when the most fiendish plot ever is about to break over Megalopolis like a wave of fire.

What a fun book!! It was reminescent of reading Wonder Woman while I was growing up, and I mean that in the best possible way! Lainey Livingston is a young woman who is as phenomenal as her name but is one who is never going to allow another human being to force her to think less of herself, even while going through her "rookie" training. She has wanted to be a part of the Elite Hands of Justice for as long as she can remember, and that goal is the factor by which she measures her opportunities and which guides her choices. She is mouthy and forthright, qualities which could be chalked up to her youth, but are more likely to be inspired by the underlying male chauvenism that exists even in a society with superheroes. She has also been a orphan for many years and has had to "make her way in the world" all on her own. Robert Elliot is a reserved, quiet, somewhat outspoken person who seems to respond positively to Lainey's penchant for "telling it like it is." In fact, before long, he is responding to her beauty and powerful sensual aura as much as any other man. Their desire grows into love but that love is short-lived. Enter Wesley, Robert's new persona. Lainey's promotion, her struggle with Wesley while grieving over Robert's "death" are all sources of conflict besides the obvious one caused by the overwhelming evil that is discovered by the Reincarnist and faced by the EHJ.

This is a delightful book full of interesting superheroes who are subject to the foibles of all human beings, their jeolousies, their ego games, their need to excell and be first among equals. Sometimes they sounded like a room full of kindergarten children. There are curious relationships here--a man who cannot die, and having to deal with his "children" born from past relationship during past reincarnations is strange and stretches the credibility of the reader in a nice way. There is a threesome among this elite group, a centuries-old loe goddess, a homosexual superhero, and so forth. It is heartwarming to see Lainey's desire to be true to herself and to her desire to be a force for good while having to be subordinate to superheroes who, for the most part, are more concerned with publicity and celebrity status than in doing what they were asked to do as the champions for good. This book is full of power and magic, love and loss, joy and grieving, good and evil. It is not heavy-duty historical romance, but it is full of romance--the best kind of romance that embraces genuine desire and true, life-long commitment and love. Amy Mendenhall has written a very readable novel which will be a joy to read for any romance fan. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5.

I Just HAD to Review This Book: Seduced By His Touch by Tracy Anne Warren

Marry a young woman because he lost a bet? Unreformed rake Lord Jack Byron would do anything to get out of it. But the rich merchant who holds his debt insists Jack lead his on-the-shelf daughter to the altar . . . and make her believe it's a love match. With no options, Jack agrees, thinking he'll be shackled to a closed-in spinster. But Grace Danvers is no milk-and-water miss. When he first encounters her in a London bookstore, Jack is struck by her tempting sensuality and soon becomes determined to bed--and--wed her (in that order). Yet though he plans to seduce her with his touch, he never dreams he'll also want to win her with his love.

This is Jack's book! Tracy Anne Warren has created a character that is both forceful and gentle in the delightful and delectable Lord John Byron. As with all the Byron men, Jack is full of himself on the one hand, yet able to appreciate humor and individuality and spirit in others. His first encounter with the lovely Grace is surprising for him. She turns out to be a tall, lithe, graceful and shy lady of 25 years, overly conscious of her height, and more than aware of her lack of status in British society being the daughter of a "man of trade" rather than an aristocrat. Her childhood experiences in an upper-crust school for young ladies has taught her that no matter how scandalously wealthy her father may be, she is still one of the "lower classes." So young Grace prepares herself to lead a solitary and quiet life as her father's daughter. Dad has other ideas, wanting happiness for her daughter with a man who will respect her and make her happy as a wife and most especially, as a woman. Deliberately leading Lord Jack into a game of chance where he lost an amazing 100,000 pounds, Grace's father calls in the debt, so to speak. He wants Lord Jack for his daughter, having watched him with men as well as his reputation w ith women. He wants Jack's experience in the bedroom as well as his reputation for treating his women well and his title.

All goes well for a while. But where would a romantic story be without the predictable conflict, sense of betrayal, hurt feelings, quiet and non-communicative pair? Grace discovers her father's and Jack's perfidious plan and even though the wedding goes forward, the remainder of the story involves Jack winning back his wife's trust and love. It is here that we encounter Jack's strength of character, his determination to make things right, and his honesty with himself over the discovery of his true feelings for Grace. Just as his wooing began to bring out the best in Grace, the difficulties in their marriage and their journey toward resolution together bring out the best in both of them.

Jack is a man of honor, in spite of his rather wild manner of living during his bachelor days. He cares about Grace because he respects her, cares for her, seeks to secure her enjoyment in their physical relationship along with his own, and is willing to go many extra miles to be once again accepted and trusted.

I like Jack immensely. He's a "hunk" for sure, but he is a man that is multi-dimensional and oh so loveable to his mother and his sisters. Who doesn't love a man who loves his sisters? Even in his wildest days, he is a man who knew his own limits and kept his counsel about the way he lived and his private encounters with mistresses. His word and his fidelity to Grace, even in the hard times, is the true measure of him as a man. Grace is a wonderful character as well. She is a woman of great artistic talent who is willing to live by her own devices and not necessarily allow her father's money to define her life. She is a woman who "knows her place" in society but is not afraid to stand up for herself. She is so vulnerable to Jack's wooing in a way that is endearing and which draws the reader to feel so deeply for her, especially when she discovers her father's and Jack's deceit. I really ached for her. Yet she is willing to define her life on her own terms, to be what she needed to be as prescribed by society, but unwilling to allow others to force her into a mold she doesn't desire. She guards her heart diligently, but she is also honest about her physical desire for Jack.

And, of course, their is the entire Byron family. What a rockem-sockem bunch they are! They remind me of my own family. Their capacity to be open with one another, to love and accept, to forgive and redeem each other's failings and to "be there" for one another is so endearing and uplifting. I have read Cade's story --Tempted by His Kiss -- and hope to read Duke Edward's story soon -- The Duke's Pleasure (be sure to catch Rowena's review on The Book Binge). I am hoping that Tracy Warren continues the Byron saga with Mallory & Esme. Wouldn't it be wonderful to meet them in real life? I know this book has probably been reviewed elsewhere, but I just had to share my thoughts on it. I give this book a 5 out of 5 rating.

Vampire Romance & Action: Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger. Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won't stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor's hold over her. She'll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she's ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

This is the 4th novel in the "Night Huntress Series" and Jeaniene Frost has not strayed from the quality demonstrated in the first three books. She has continued to broaden the personalities of the characters that have populated the beginnings of Cat's and Bones' story and she has found new dimensions of their personal stories to add to their attraction and to rivet the reader's attention. Cat continues to exhibit her fears and insecurities, built into her by her fearful and angry mother who thought she was "demon-spawned" from before her birth. She is madly in love with Bones, but is fearful of commitment and betrayal, vehement that trusting is going to leave her vulnerable (which it will) but to a degree with which she cannot live. She is so afraid of being alone but everything she does seems to lead her away from the relationship which is more important than her own life. She has nearly lost Bones on several occasions and she is so afraid of having to live out her life without him. Yet she seems to inevitably do everything she can to keep him at arms length.

Bones is such a complicated character but perhaps that is why I am so fascinated by him. He is a 250 year old vampire who has experienced life on many levels and lived through so much of the world's history. He has become increasingly powerful, yet his desire for and complete commitment to Cat is so uncharacteristic for vampires. His hopes for their relationship keep him working to make her safe, not only physically but within her own insecurities, and his patience is awe-inspiring. Even though they are blood-bonded, he is willing to even go through a "human" wedding in order to relieve her anxieties about his fidelity. I really like this character--he is relentless in protecting what he believes to be his own, yet he is caring and careful with her needs and her relational inadequacies. Cat keeps trying to "save" him when time after time he has proven that he doesn't need her "saving."

This story is full of tension, action, and that nail-biting quality that well-written novels possess as Frost explores the tension between Cat-Bones-Gregor, the on-going stress within Bones' & Cat's relationship, Cat's uneven relationship with her mother, and the stresses within the paranormal community. Yet underneath the surface conflict is the tender love that Bones has for Cat. It is really a very engaging quality that seemed to linger with me after I had read the final page. Frost is one of those writers that keeps on growing in her craft and keeps on giving her reading public excellence in her story lines, in her ability to develope characters and conflicts, and her desire to explore her own talents. I look forward to reading the next novel in this series. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

A Paranormal Romance: At Grave's End by Jeanine Frost

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover has finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bone's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vampire, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she has learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself and Bones from a fate worse than the grave.

At Grave's End is book #3 of the Night Huntress Series of books. It is a complicated story that was a little hard to get started as I had not read the first two books in the series. However, to the author's credit, she brought enough background information into the narrative that I caught up surprisingly well and felt that I was current in understanding the main characters and their relationships with one another. The heroine is a vampire "half-ling" whose mother was a human and whose father was a very young vampire who had not yet lost completely the ability to pro-create. Taught by her mother that vampires are demons (her mother harbored a relentless hatred of Catherine's vampire-father Max) "Cat" as she was called, became the leader of a group of vampire hunters sanctioned and financially supported by the U. S. Government. She is known in the vampire community as The Red Reaper because of her red hair. She is in love with and has been mated with a 250-year-old vampire named Crispin but who has adopted the nickname "Bones." Because she is a halfling she has many of the extraordinary powers that vampires have -- greater sensory perception, greater physical strength, greater speed. However, as the promo states, she has to decide whether she will embrace her human or her vampire half in the face of challenges she has not encountered previously. Cat's group include both vampires and humans, one of whom hates Bones with a passion because he is also in love with Cat. The presence of Tate is a continuing source of tension between himself and Bones and is constantly putting pressure on what is a genuine friendship with Cat. But she and Bones have been "married" vampire style so thus both are off-limits to other vampires and to invade that relationship in any was is grounds for severe punishment and death. Tate has never been able to accept Cat's and Bones' exclusive relationship and the pressure continues throughout the book.

This is a very readable novel but it is populated with lots of persons who move in and out of the story. I found it hard, at times, to keep them all straight. Having not read the first two books, perhaps that accounts for my sometimes confusion, but I wasn't sure that all those vampires with really strange names were necessary. There are twists and turns, conflict between Bones and Cat's mother and the human who is in love with Cat; there are two occasions when humans willingly submit to transformation from human to vampire, mostly for professional reasons--better and more powerful while fighting vampires who destroy or misuse humans. The author expands Bones' power base and there are instances when friends become temporary adversaries and when old enemies make peace. There's lots going on all the time. The latter chapters contain some plot surprises I didn't see coming. That's always a winner in a good book--well, maybe not always, but if the plot is strong than the surprise is going to make the plot even better.

I think Frost has written an interesting, and possibly fascinating novel of the paranomal--vampires functioning within the American government with governmental sanction. It is a complicated and multi-layered story and the energy is consistent. The flow of the story moves the reader from person to person and scenario to scenario. The battles were a bit overwhelming but then I am not really into ghoul/vampire battles and zombie attacks. I admit to skimming those pages somewhat. I just kind of move to the last moments to see who wins. Sorry about that. In the end, I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Such colorful characters can not be allowed to fade into literary limbo. I give this book a 4.25 rating out of 5.

Another of My Guest Reviews Posted -- Revenge Wears Rubies by Renee Bernard

Galen Hawke desired nothing but revenge against the woman who betrayed his dearly departed friend. Instead of mourning the loss of her fiance, Miss Haley Moreland is merrily celebrating her upcoming nuptials to another man. Now, Galen has one mission: to seduce Miss Moreland and enslave her heart. And when she is completely his, he will destroy her. With her family on the brink of financial ruin, Haley knows she should be grateful for her providential betrothal. But then she meets the dangerously handsome Galen, whose wicked touch makes her long to abandon all logic. If Galen's promises are sincere, the match to a family of noble blood and strong financial accounts could be the remedy her family desperately needs. And if he isn't sincere, one last chance to taste the passion he ignites before settling into a life of convention is equally alluring.

This novel is the first in the Jaded Gentleman Series built on a group of Englishmen who have been kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured, and in some cases, killed by a mad shah in India during the Victorian Era. When the survivors return to England, Galen Hawke is bound by his promise to one of his compatriots who died in his arms, that he would watch out for the fiance in question, one Haley Moreland. His anger and desire for revenge grows out of his belief that Miss Moreland has not mourned her supposed fiance in an appropriate manner, rushing into another betrothal for obvious financial reasons. Thus his plan to ruin her physically and savage her reputation for all time, thus making an advantageous marriage impossible. In giving a brief introductory description of the imprisonment, torture, and bare survival of these Englishmen, a very solid foundation is established for this story as well as novels to come. Each of these survivors has his own individual style of re-entry into London/English society, but Galen's preoccupation with his revenge against Haley Moreland takes his mind off of any other issue in his life.
I found this book to be very readable and if the reader is seeking sensuality, then it is to be found in bags and gobs in the accounts of the torrid affair between the two main characters. It is so torrid, in fact, that this book is best read in a cold room! The underlying conflict in the story is between the Jaded Gentlemen and the East India Company, and add to that the conflict within Galen as he seeks to maintain his loathing of his intended target while realizing that he has become addicted to his lover. Intertwined are Haley's issues with her father's alcoholism and the impending financial ruin facing their family if she does not marry well. Yet her heart is engaged and her decision to indulge her own desires until such time as she must marry leads her into unknown depths of passion. She is finding it harder and harder to extracate herself and she is not sure she wants to. There's lots and lots of “stuff” going on in this book. It is so very well-written. There is humor and passion, suspense and intrigue, grace and love in the midst of betrayal throughout these pages. I really couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to reading much more of these Jaded Gentlemen. I give this book a 5 out of 5 rating!

Oh My! Another Fun Book -- Hard And Fast by Erin McCarthy

An experiement in romance . . . New to Charlotte, North Carolina, stock car racing country, graduate student Imogen Wilson meets Ty McCordle, a driver who inexplicably has her pulse racing. After an encounter at the track with a woman whose main goal in life is to marry a driver, Imogen realizes she's hit on the perfect topic for her sociology thesis. If she follows "the rules" on how to get a man, can she steer her way into the hearts of the drivers and establish their dating and mating patterns?

That's testing the limits of passion . . . Although sexy and reckless Ty is the ideal test subject, Imogen knows she can't pursue him for the sake of science. Yet he's the one who's chasing after her, and Imogen realizes that she actually wants to be caught. A Southern gentleman like Ty won't disappoint--he will satisfy her curiosity and make all the risks worthwhile.

I had to chuckle when I first saw this book and read the title -- pictured with a gorgeous male in low-rider jeans, one of those models that made the title have new meaning! And the author, like one of the main characters, doesn't disappoint either. It is a funny, funny book with a studious, beautiful, sociology student who is friend of and teaching assistant to Professor Tamara Briggs as one of the main characters. She is not sexually inexperienced having had a somewhat extended affair while in college but has been focused on her academic pursuits while getting her master's degree. She encounters Ty McCordle at a party and who is squiring one classic empty-headed female,a woman obsessed with her figure and is interested only in money and celebrity. Ty breaks up with her at the beginning of our story and is almost immediately attracted to Imogen and who reciprocates with her own vibes. But the truly humorous part of their repartee is Imogen's almost incessant curiosity and the nearly endless flow of questions, questions, questions. Ty breaks the flow by engaging her in hours of heart-stopping, breath-arresting sex. There's alot of that in their relationship.

McCarthy is an author, though, that builds a parallel story consisting of their personal stories and their burgeoning emotional involvement. Ty is a very smart man who is insecure over his limited educational background, while Imogen is almost hamstrung in relating to others because she lets her scientific side interfere with expressing her feelings. Together they learn mutual giving and sharing, not only physically but in really talking and listening to one another. Imogen is fascinated with the world of stock car racing and while at the beginning she is seeking to make their culture and lifestyle the subject of her master's thesis, she ultimately abandons that idea because of her own emotional involvement with so many of the people in that world. She has a number of interviews with couples who have met and married within the racing world, and ultimately she uses this material to begin a book about racing relationships.

Ty, on the other hand, is bent on expanding Imogen's "real life" experiences with some down-home cooking, in addition to camping and hiking and fishing in the wonderful North Carolina country. Imagine a 28 year old, Manhattan born and bred Yankee who is learning to fish with earthworm bait (and the whole hilarious discussion of whether to kill the worm before putting it on the hook), swimming in the refreshing lakes of the south, learning the joy of expressing her desires in the remote confines of a tent at the end of the trail, and so on and so forth. It is fun and full of the joy of discovery. Ty shows us that he is a man of infinite patience who is slowly but surely realizing that there is not much on this earth nearly as sexy as a really smart woman. McCarthy intertwines Ty & Imogen's story with others who have become familiar to the reader if they have read her first book, Flat-Out Sexy, and further develops those personalities as a background scenario in this novel.

This is one of those books that is fun and easy to read. The people are real and warm and their private lives are removed from the celebrity that accompanies the adrenalin-saturated racing clime. This is not one of those multilayered, multi-situational novels that we sometimes love to read when we want something that demands all our attention and mental comprehension. This story is warm and funny, full of generous people, so well-written that it seems the characters are just folks like us, and who we would love to know in real life.

I like the fact that McCarthy fills her stories with men who are sensitive and generous with the people in their lives, who love their women wholeheartedly, and who, by virtue of their profession, are risk-takers to the max. But their risk-taking is not limited to their driving. They are open to emotional challenge and are smart enough to recognize authentic loving on those rare occasions when it surfaces in the sea of counterfeit emotion that swirls around public figures, perpetrated by those who would use sex to gain their own selfish goals.

This is a good book and a fun way to spend some time. And you'll love the guy on the cover, too. I give this book a rating of 4.75 out of 5.

Review -- Flat-out Sexy by Erin McCarthy

She met him at the racetrack which was the last place Tamara Briggs wanted to find a man, even a deeply intriguing, seductively sexy man like Elec Monroe. Tamara's a single mother now after losing her daredevil husband in an accident--and she's not about to get involved with another driver and put her kids, or herself, through that again. Besides, Elec's young enough to be her younger brother.

Now things are moving a little too fast. But he sure does get her heart racing. And after she's tricked into a blind date with him, Tamara gives in to her passion. Things screech to a halt, thought, when he asks to meet her children. Whatever happened to "wham-bam-thank-you-m'am? Suddenly Tamara has to decide how big a risk she's willing to take to experience the thrilling, terrifying power of true love.

Erin McCarthy has written a fast-paced, hot and heavy novel that embraces the peculiar and death-defying culture of stock car racing. Tamara Briggs is the widow of one of the racing legends and holder of many of stock car racing's records. She has been alone for two years and her loneliness has become a constant companion. As much as she loves her children and wants to honor their father's memory, she is more and more aware that she is still young and is not prepared to spend the rest of her life alone. The flip side of that situation is the presence of her husband's family and the young age of her son and daughter. She has ventured out into the world of adult dating only to find that her first attempt at dating a "safe and steady" person has nearly crushed her with boredom and the awareness that there is no zing or tingle, a condition that gives her a distinct loathing to continue the relationship with a fellow professor, a person she learns later even her children and her mother-in-law don't like very much.

Enter Elec Monroe, a "rookie" race car driver who is about six years younger than Tamara but who electrifies her immediately when she literally and physically bumps into him at a charity event and manages to spill an entire glass of wine on his shirt. She is swamped with the feelings she has buried for two years since her husband's death, and while she is totally unwilling to form any kind of enduring connection with anyone in the racing community, most especially a driver, Elec manages to make her body come alive in less time than it takes to imagine it. Circumstances beyond Tamara's control contrive to put Elec & Tamara in the same cab bound for the mobile park where the coaches for the drivers are parked. A tentative kiss ignites them both and Tamara says "Yes" to needs which have long been denied.

There's lots and lots of sizzle in this book, but the foundation of the story is the tender tale of a man who is mature beyond his years and who is weary beyond telling of the groupies who follow the racing drivers and who really care for the money and the publicity more than they do the men themselves. In Tamara he perceives he has found a woman who has the capacity to love deeply and truly, and who engages his heart long before he is aware that it is well and truly lost to her. Tamara is a woman who loves her children beyond all else and yet knows that loving them and caring for them can never be enough. She experiences surprise at many of Elec's kindnesses and his willingness to be a true friend to her children, to be a hands-on part of their lives, and who is completely sensitive to her feelings and concerns about dating and being involved with a member of a family with whom the father of her dead husband has a long-standing feud. Elec just simply wants to be with her and is willing to do whatever it takes. As much as she had loved her husband, it had always been about him. With Elec, Tamara is aware that he is focused on her in a way she has not experienced in the past. The underlying conflict really persists throughout this novel--can Tamara reach beyond her fears to allow Elec's love for her to be permanent?

McCarthy has peppered her story with colorful characters: the two drivers who are godparents to her kids, her dead husband's parents, a bimbo or two, a lovely but studious and otherwise focused teaching assistant, a best friend who can sometimes be more trouble than needed, and the winsome and delightful son and daughter. Love and caring are everywhere along with humor and genuine friendship. McCarthy has a proven ability to tell a great story and keeps the energy flowing without any lessening of the sexual tension. There are complications galore, but there always are in a good story. Her characters are real, flesh-and-blood people, celebraties possibly, but trying to live in a way that keeps them earth-bound. This is not a story with lots of complex situations or one that requires a great deal of energy to read, but if you like a great tale with lots of fun and bed-sport, you'll love this book! I give this book a 4.75 rating out of 5.

Review: The Dream Thief by Shana Abe

Buried deep within the bowels of the Carpathian Mountains lies the legendary dreaming diamond know as "Draumr;" the only gem with the power to enslave the "drakon." Since childhood, Lady Amalia Langford, daughter of the Marquess & Marchoness Langford, the clan Alphas, has heard its haunting ballad but kept it secret, along with another rare Gift.

Lia (as she is known to her family) can hear the future, much in the way she hears the call of this diamond. And in that future, she realizes that the diamond, along with the fate of the "drakon," rests in the hands of a human man, one who straddles two worlds.

Ruthlessly clever, Zane has risen through London's criminal underworld to become its ruler. Once a street urchin saved by Lia's mother, Zane is also privy to the secrets of the tribe--and is the only human they trust to bring them "Draumr." But he does nothing selflessly.

Zane's hunt for the gem takes him to Hungary where he is shocked to encounter a bold, beautiful young noblewoman: the Lady Amalia. She has broken every rule of the "drakon" to join him, driven by the urgent song of the diamond and her visions of Zane. In one future, he is her ally. In another, her overlord. In both, he is her lover. Now, to protect her tribe, Lia must tie her fate to Zane's, to the one man capable of stealing her future and destroying her heart!

This story is the second in a series of tales involving shape-shifters who can live as humans, Turn to smoke and then to brilliant and and awe-inspiring dragons, beings that have lived in hiding for hundreds of years but whose tribe continues on as they closely guard the secret of their existence. The original tribe of "drakon" have split as a means of protecting their existence with a portion of the "drakon" remaining in Yorkshire and another portion of the tribe having settled in the Carpathian Mountains of Hungary. From the dim reaches of the depths of the earth, the song of "Draumr" continues to call to the Lady Amalia incessantly. She thinks she is the one member of the Langford family that has not inherited any gifts. In fact, she is seen as a "plain Jane" by her family and the tribe as a whole. She lives with the awareness of their silent pity. Little did they know that Lia's Gift is yet to be revealed--her ability to dream the future--and perhaps even greater Gifts than originally imagined.

Zane is the street urchin whose life was saved by Lia's mother in the back alleys of London and trained to assist her during her years as the Smoke Thief. With a loyalty to the Marchioness that is non-negotiable, Zane has continued to serve the "drakon" as he grows into London's most notorious criminal. Completely trusted by the tribe, he is sent to Hungary to retrieve "Draumr" and bring it to England. But Lady Amalia has her own plan and shocks Zane as she appears, five years grown older since he has last seen her, and changed into a creature of unworldly beauty who curls his toes with need and wanting.

Zane has always been in Lia's dreams and as her dreams always come true, she is never in doubt to the outcome of this adventure. But Zane is one who has been raised with the betrayal and self-interest of the streets and he sees Lia as a tantalizing woman for whom his desires run wild, but with whom he cannot envision any future. He is, after all, a marked man, and even when he owns up to his growing attachment to this stubborn and mercurial female, he can think only of the thousands of pounds he will gain when he places "Draumr" in the hands of Lia's father.

The hardships of the journey to the "drakon" castle, located in a totally remote part of the Carpathians, forms the backdrop of this merging of hearts, goals, and bodies. The tenderness of their growing love seems to slowly but surely transform Zane from the hardened, cynical and self-motivated boy of the back alleys into a man who is dedicated to Lia's survival and well-being. And in addition to all the other lovely parts of this great story, there are surprises in connection with Lia's future as a full member of the "drakon."

Shana Abe really knows how to tell a story in such a way as to captivate with beautiful language and the mystery of which legends are made. Her irrepressible imagination has contrived to bring us a tale that is full of color and light, dark motives and actions, human greed and the magic of love. There is the flawless historical backgrounds of 18th century England and Hungary paired with the fantasy of smoke and dragons and singing diamonds. (I have to own up to hearing the "song" of diamonds singing to me as I pass the jewelry stores in the Mall. LOL) If you like mystery and fantasy and the beauty of a superb love story, this is the book for you. I absolutely love it. And from a writing perspective, this novel is crafted by an expert and one who takes writing seriously. She has done her homework and out of the reality of the 18th century has emerged a tale kissed with the dark mysteries of the unrecorded past. I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

I've Been Reading -- What a Great Book!!

Here's a review for The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe.

Dubbed the Smoke Thief, a daring jewel thief is confounding the London police. His wealthy victims claim the master burglar can walk through walls and vanish into thin air. But Christoff, the charismatic Marquess of Langford, knows the truth: the thief is no ordinary human but a "runner" who's fled Darkfrith without permission. As Alpha leader of the "drakon," it is Kit's duty to capture the fugitive before the secrets of the tribe are revealed to mortals. But not even Kit suspects that the Smoke Thief could be a woman.

Clarissa Rue Hawthorne knew her dangerous exploits would attrract the attention of the "drakon." But she didn't expect Christoff himself to come to London, dangling the tribe's most valuable jewel--the Lanford Diamond--as bait. For as long as she could remember, Rue had lived the life of a halfling--half "drakon" and half mortal--and an outcast in both worlds. She'd always loved the handsome and willful Kit from the only place it was safe: from afar. But now she was no longer the shy, timid girl she'd once been. She was the first woman capable of making the Turn in four generations. So why did she still feel the same dizzying sense of vulnerability when he was near?

From the moment he saw her, Kit knew that the alluring and powerful beauty was every bit his Alpha equal and destined to be his bride. And by the harsh laws of the "drakon" Rue knew that she was the property of the marquess. But they will risk banishment and worse for a chance at something greater. For now Rue is his prisoner, the diamond has disappeared, and she's made the kind of dangerous propositon a man like Kit cannot resist.

Author Shana Abe is a writer of great experience and one who has written in a wide variety of genres. I checked out this book from the public library on the recommendation of my daughter so they were in hardback edition and it seemed shorter. However, at 292 pages it would have probably translated into a 350 plus pages in paperback. Having read Singh's Psi-Changling series, I had experienced that sort of paranormal romance, but this book has a different feel to it. A dragon that assumes human form, then changes to smoke and then to a dragon -- what a kick!! And I have to add that I appreciate the author's giving the reader the background pages that put one squarely in the center of this mystical and mysterious world right from the beginning.

I have always appreciated those gifted people who have learned to treasure their imaginations and who allow themselves a true and extended flight of fancy. Creating this wonderful and colorful world has to have been not only a labor of love but positively great fun. I know from personal experience that writing is hard work and involves lots of careful crafting if the author wants to transmit the story carefully and well. This author has done so with great aplomb and it shows. The story moves from the past to the present smoothly and leads the reader into Rue's shadow world in such a way that one is not only watching the main characters as they move through the story but it also feels in some sort of way like the reader is part of the scenario. Rue is a strong woman who has determined that the prejudices and hurts of her childhood are not to be the guiding principles of her adult existence and she leaves Darkfrith (set in the northern forests of Yorkshire) by staging her own death. Her secret life embraces many disguises and her expertise as a jewel thief have allowed her nine years of treasured freedom and acquired wealth sufficient to live as she pleases.

There is a sense that she knows that this life will come to an end eventually but she is not prepared to give in easily. She has the strength of character and her own sense of personhood (what we would call it today) to withstand the "drakon" Council and its feudal rules in order to keep her freedom until the very last. However, the other tension in the story is her life-long love for Cristoff. Yet, in spite of her longing to be first in his heart and knowing that he is now, has always been, and always will be the person she loves most in the world, she is not prepared to surrender to him in any way until she knows that he loves her for herself and not as the Alpha female the tribe ordains he marry. This is one plucky lady!! She stands up to everyone and the best part is that she really knows how to carry it off. That kind of character inevitably "hooks" me. She has surrounded herself with a kind of "family" in her urchin apprentice Zane and her courtesan friend Mim. The motley crew make an imposing set of personalities that march through this novel.

But I like Cristoff as well. He is the Alpha male in a paranormal culture that is rooted in the millenia of the past, guided by laws that would have made William the Conqueror proud, but he is also a man who desires to see the old ways moderated and made more humane. He has a marvelous sense of humor -- what is more sexy in a man? -- while knowing within himself that this mysterious woman has snagged his interest and enveloped his heart in a way that he could have never dreamed. His "mouse" (as he has called Rue since her childhood) has become a tantalizing and engaging woman whose depths he can never cease exploring. Their love story is intense, push-pull, love-hate, drawn into the past and forced into the present. It pulled me along relentlessly.

This is a great book!! It is the first in a series about this dragon tribe and I, for one, am looking forward to the upcoming additions to Kit and Rue's story and those who are a part of their tribe. I give this book a 5 out of 5 rating.

My Guest Review has Posted

I've been doing some book reviews for The Book Binge recently and my latest review for The Border Lord and The Lady by Bertrice Small is now up.

Lady Cicely Bowen, daughter of the Earl of Leighton, is sent away by her doting father when her jealous stepmother presents a threat to her safety. Raised by a royal widow, Cicely becomes best friends with Lady Joan Beaufort, the king's cousin. When Joan is married to King James I of Scotland, she chooses Cicely as one of the ladies to accompany her north.

At the Scot's court, Cicely finds herself pursued by two men: elegant Andrew Gordon, the lair of Braemor, and Ian Douglas, the laird of Glengorm, a rougn-spoken border lord. When Ian kidnaps Cicely just as Andrew is about to propose to her, the royal court is sent into an uproar. The queen demands the return of her friend and the Gordons threaten to set the border aflame, even as Ian Douglas attempts to win Cicely's love. But the border lord is difficult to tame, and the lady's heart is even harder to claim.

This is a wonderful historical romance—and I do mean “historical”--in that Bertrice Small has done outstanding research on the culture and times which forms the backdrop of this intriguing love story. But don't let that put you off: this story is so skillfully told that the historical context never interferes with the telling of the complicated loves of Lady Cicely. The heroine is quite unusual for her time: a young woman of great personal honesty and integrity, a true friend to Lady Joan Beaufort, a woman who knows her own mind and is not afraid to stand up for herself even in a culture that looks upon women, especially women with large dowries, as brood mares and chattel for sealing political alliances. Read more

This & That . . .Reviews of The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie and Rapture's Tempest

Well, I finally finished the load of books I pilfered from Tracy's bookshelf on the 30th of December and took back two grocery bags of books. In exchange she gave me a couple of bags of books she knew I would probably like and sent me to the library for two she had read and really liked. I got the books yesterday and have finished three of them. Us post-menopausal women with our irratic sleep habits have found reading to very helpful in getting a few more zzzz's.

Anyway . . . here's a review of Rapture's Tempest by Bobbi Smith.

When her new stepfather tried to visit her bedchamber, Delight de Vriues knew she had no choice but to leave St. Louis and her mother behind. So she cut her dark curls, bound her breasts, and hired on as a cabin boy for Captain James WEstlake. Her disguise fooled the crew, but Delight could hardly keep from betraying herself; the gentleness in her captain's eyes and the strange yearning she felt when she saw his muscled body were almost more than she could bear. He'd been a bit liberal with the scotch that evening, so when his cabin boy tossed aside a flannel nightshirt to reveal ivory skin and womanly curves, James decided his questions could wait 'til morning. Her innocent surrender touched his heart even as her siren's body begged him to enjolf her in his passion, to bring her to the peak of rapture's tempest.

Set in the time of the American Civil War, this book is loaded with romance, betrayal, spies, relational manipulation and true familial respect and love. The Westlake brothers, their sister and sister-in-law are a delightful family and together with some of their colleagues in the Mississippi river boat circles, form a truly good background for an interesting story. How Delight managed to keep her true gender and identity secret mystifies me -- I just can't believe that someone who is a beautiful as it is claimed she is could be mistaken for a young boy. Oh well . . . so it goes in romance fiction. Anyway, the love that springs from their mutual attraction is true love and and is contrasted with the genuine lust throughout this book, with authentic "snakes in the grass" in the persons of the stepfather, the original fiance and her love, and her father as well. As we all know from the John Jakes book -- North & South -- the Civil War provides an unlimited number of scenarios for good stories. This book is no different. The author is very skilled in keeping the plotters just out of reach of the good guys and that makes for good tension throughout the tale. I have to own up that I think naming a main character Delight really sounds crazy -- and I think some of the women in this book are kind of weepy, but I know that is the persona encouraged of women in the 19th century. Still there is pluck there as well and I liked the loyalty that Delight and her mother possessed, a love and loyalty that made it possible for Delight's mother to identify the true nature of her husband--a man she had initially loved but who she recognized had betrayed his marriage vows as well as her trust.

Lots going on in this book and that's very good. It gets ponderous in some parts and I didn't like that at all, but true love and true justice win out in the end. Now that's always a good ending!! I give this book 3.75 out of 5.


Lastly, I encountered The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. It was whispered all through London Society that he was a murderer, that he'd spent his youth in an asylum and was not to be trusted--especially with a lady. Any womjan caught in his presence was immediately ruined. Yet Beth found herself inexorably drawn to the Sottish lord whose hint of a brogue wrapped around her like silk and whose touch could draw her into a world of ecstasy. Despite his decadence and intimidating intelligence, she could see he needed help. Her help. Because suddenly the only thing that made sense to her was . . . The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie.

OMG, what a really fun book to read. The Mackenzie clan are all a little mad in a nice sort of way and the dynamics among the brothers is a fascinating backdrop to a really engaging love story. As has been the case throughout the centuries, people who are different are often just classified as "mad." Lord Ian, with his retentive memory, his difficulties with focus and other problems (which all strike me as being symptoms of autism) was simply institutionalized when he was a lad, largely to keep him quiet about the circumstances of his mother's death at the hands of his father. Wrapped in fear and abused by society's prejudice, he believed himself to be incapable of love in any form. Yet his relationship with his brothers and his nephew give the lie to this perception. Into his life walks a lady who is independent and who knows her own mind and who is not afraid to break an engagement once she is made aware of the true nature and intentions of her betrothed. She is honest about her own physical attraction to Lord Ian and begins to realize that while her physical response to him is overwhelming, she has also become emotionally drawn to him, so much so that she has given him her heart. The secondary story of the supposed involvement of the Mackenzie brothers in two murders is skillfully woven into the main love story between Beth and Lord Ian. I was especially drawn to her because she was a person who was not afraid to own up to her roots, to the character flaws in her parents and her successful drive to survive and flourish in spite of her humble beginnings. I really got a kick out of the spirit voice of her benefactress which seemed to go off in her head at inopportune times throughout the story. Jennifer Ashley writes a mean story and I hope I have an opportunity to read some of her other books.

I really like this book. I almost missed out on it, or at least would have not read it right now except for the fact that I found it hiding on the floor of my car behind the driver's seat. I had borrowed it from Tracy a while ago and hadn't realized it had fallen out of the bag onto the car floor. What a happy day when I found it -- almost like finding buried treasure (with emphasis on the "buried" part when it comes to my car.) I most heartily rate this book a 5 out of 5.

Thanks for your comments -- I do find them engaging and I hope that you all remember how much I appreciate your adding to the conversation.

Until next time . . .

A Couple of Book Reviews

Have just finished Vision in White by Nora Roberts. Started it last night and couldn't put it down.

Mackensie Elliot is a professional photographer who is in business with her three best friends and with whom she played the "Wedding Day" game multiple times while they were all growing up. He parents essentially abandoned her emotionally when they abandoned each other when Mackensie was four years old, and she bears the emotional scars of that neglect. The only people she has ever let into her life are her three partners. Now she encounters an old school acquaintance -- can't really say they were friends -- who begins to turn her life upside down and who is now a teacher at their old school.

Nora Roberts has done it again. Once more she demonstrates that she is a story teller par excellence and she engages each reader in this wonderful, delightful, funny, breathtaking romance between two very intelligent people, one of whom knows what he wants and whom he loves, and the other trying her best to avoid repeating the pain and disasters of her parents' relationship. The women who own and operate "Vows" are strong individuals who know their own skills and are proud of them; they are able to tolerate and even encourage the open exchange that can become frayed with the stress of owning and running a business such as a wedding planning service, but who have decided that nothing on the planet can destroy their friendships. The romance is warm, engaging, sensual, respectful, and it sizzles as it embraces the the reader in this journey of emotional discovery, a journey that encounters the potholes and pitfalls of old hurts, past relationships, and the self-centered demands of Mackensie's mother. The dialogue is poignant at times and genuinely funny at others. The book is filled with interesting people, all of whom I would love to know for real.

This is a great book!! I give it a wholehearted rating of 5. Thanks, Tracy, for sharing it with me! Love, Mom+

And now, Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh. Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux know she is the best--but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option--even if the task is impossible. Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track, it's an archangel gone bad. The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other--and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break . . .

Nalini Singh knows how to write novels and she tells a mean story! But the characters one encounters in this novel are a surprise. Even in the world of the paranormal there are differing views of vampires and angels, and this book is no different. Singh writes of a world where archangels are the governing forces of the earth--the Cadre of Ten have divided the continents among themselves and they rule with undiluted power and, often, cruelty. They hold the lives of humans as well as vampires--humans Made into vampires in order to serve the archangels--completely in their control. And as a vampire hunter--one who is born a hunter and not just a human who decides to hunt vampires--Elena Deveraux is one of a rare breed, considered the best of her kind. She is a warrior and as such she attracts the attention of the archangel Raphael, not only to facilitate the tracking of the archangel Uram who has gone bad, but as a woman who interests him because she breaks into his centuries-long boredom from being "on top" of the power grid.

This is a fascinating read, not only because Singh knows how to develop a story with skill, but because the characters are gritty and uncomfortable at times, challenging the reader to see beyond the surface "push/pull" of Elena & Raphael. Elena is a character of great depth and is a complicated and often uncomfortable person. But she feels deeply while guarding carefully her personal space and her emotional independence. She does not enter into emotional relationships easily, having been spurned by her father as a "monster," thus leaving her without family support. Her close friendship with other hunters have effectively replaced her family. She also is reluctant to enter into any sexual relationship because her physical abilities, considerably greater than most humans, have been cause for injury to sexual partners in the past. She is drawn to Raphael sexually but she is not going into any relationship with one of the most powerful beings on the planet without boundaries, without defining the lines which must not be crossed in order to preserve her sense of herself.

As in all the Singh novels I have read (the Psy-Changeling series), she brings alive characters that move across the pages with strength and fortitude, owning up to their weaknesses but fully aware of their strengths, not afraid to admit that they are needing the touch of another both physically and emotionally. Gentleness and genuine regard and respect are not easily discerned in this book; but beneath the raw clashes and encounters between Elena and Raphael, there are fascinating glimpses of neediness which it seems they slowly begin to recognize can only be met by giving in to the attraction which seems to hold them both in thrall.

I wasn't sure I liked this book at first. But it grew on me and I kept on reading. I'm very glad I did! I would give this book a rating of 5.

Until Next time . . .