Just Finished:
Synopsis: "We're going to have a child. You need to come home so we can get married."

So wrote Hannah Gustavson to her childhood sweetheart, the father of her baby. But with no response, she was forced to marry another man…her lover's brother.

Tall, handsome and honorable, Judd Seavers could make any woman's heart race. Hannah was no exception, and she was awed by the ex-soldier who gave her his name.

A forbidden love as grand as the Rockies crested between them. But a shadow loomed. Would the baby's father come home? And if he did, would Judd return his borrowed bride?

My Thoughts: I had high hopes for this one when I started it, because I’d been looking forward to reading it months before I actually got around to it. Ms. Lane is a wonderful storyteller and I enjoyed her writing immensely.

However, The Borrowed Bride just didn’t do it for me. I thought that Judd and Hannah fell in love too soon, almost too easy ~ which seemed to detract from any chemistry they might have built. The challenges seemed to be overcome effortlessly, which made the story somewhat hard for me to swallow.

Verdict: This was somewhere between Good and Okay. I had better hopes for this one, but that won’t stop me from buying the sequel, His Substitute Bride, in April. Despite being disappointed with this one, I really am looking forward to Quint’s story.

Labels: Elizabeth Lane, Good, Harlequin, Western Historical Romance

Just Finished:
Synopsis: She's the perfect executive assistant — or at least she was until she agreed to be put under hypnosis at a party. Overnight, the very proper Annabelle Scott turned into a terrible tease. Now she doesn't "do" typing or filing and spends most of her time wondering which of the naughty items in her wardrobe might do a good "job" — on her boss.

Wagner Achrom is a sexy workaholic who barely knows that she exists. But she plans to change all that when she lets down her hair and clues him in to the fact that, in future, the new "Belle" plans on leaving her most intimate things where they belong — off! After all, she's learned firsthand that you can never be naughty enough….

My Thoughts: I enjoyed Belle and Wag’s story very much. Seeing Isabelle transform into Belle and watching Wag’s reaction to her was a treat. Pre-hypnosis Isabelle was self-conscious, unsure of herself, and made a lot of fumbled attempts to get Wagner to notice her. Post-hypnosis Belle was daring and just naughty enough to catch Wag’s attention.

Once she caught his attention, it was a fun ride. Of course, as the story progressed, they both had pasts that they needed to come to terms with. Eventually the just got around to enjoying being together, and it was great to see them both let the guards down and just let it happen.

Verdict: This was Good. I’ve wanted to try a Jill Monroe book for awhile now, ever since I became addicted to Author Talk. This was a great introduction, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Harlequin, Jill Monroe

Just Finished:
Synopsis: For Hannah Novak, running a bed-and-breakfast with her two best friends was adventure enough. But they didn’t feel that way. They wanted to devote the summer to serious manhunting — loser cleans toilets! Fine for them, but Hannah was, uh...inexperienced. How could she seduce anyone?

Then out of the blue came Zach Thomas, looking for a bed...and breakfast. Hannah had always thought the rugged cop was the sexiest man alive, and, bet or no bet, she wanted him. So she checked him in — to her own room — with every intention of checking him out!

My Thoughts: Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows that I’m a new fan of Jill Shalvis and am now trying to get my hands on her entire backlist. Out of the Blue is a Harlequin Temptation from 2000 that I’m glad to have discovered.

I enjoyed Zach and Hannah right from the beginning of this story. Even better, for me at least, is that Zach is the older brother of Hannah’s best friend so it had the element of childhood crush in it as well. If you know me at all, you know that unrequited/lost love stories are my favorite things to read. I think the couple had great chemistry from their first meeting in the kitchen of Hannah’s B&B to the very last page.

Verdict: This was Good. This was a quick, enjoyable read and I’d recommend it to anyone that wanted something light to read.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Harlequin, Jill Shalvis

Just Finished:

Synopsis: Four tiny babes! Three uplifting stories! One Magical Christmas!

A Christmas Child by Carolyn Davidson: Marianne Winters has no one in the world but her baby brother and, with Christmas approaching, she needs somewhere warm to stay. Will she find her home, and a loving heart, with the lonely pastor, David McDermott?

The Christmas Dove by Victoria Bylin: Maddie Cutler once snubbed bad boy Dylan McCall, but with nowhere else to turn she has come back to town—with a babe in arms. Dylan is a reformed man, and on seeing Maddie again he longs to heal her hurt—and claim her once and for all!

A Baby Blue Christmas by Cheryl St. John: Turner Price hasn't been the same since he lost his wife and child. But when he finds a young woman and newborn twin babies in his stable, he realizes this may be his second chance to be a loving husband and father, just in time for Christmas!

My Thoughts: Recently, I got to experience my very first Cheryl St. John book, Joe’s Wife. Cheryl read my blog post and was kind enough to send me this book as a gift. Since I’m always in the mood to read a good book, I started it right away. Of course, it helped that Sybil had been twittering all over the place about it the week before. The book consisted of three short stories by three authors: Cheryl St. John, Carolyn Davidson, and Victoria Bylin.

A Baby Blue Christmas by Cheryl St. John: I read this one first because I’ve recently become so enamored with CSJ’s storytelling. This tale is no different. I was impressed, because I do think it’s difficult to tell a full narrative within the short story concept. CSJ managed to accomplish this in 93 short pages.

Gabby is a very strong-willed heroine, chasing after her pregnant cousin in Colorado. Although she’s not able to connect with her cousin, Willow, she does find her newborn babies in Tanner’s livery. I felt that Tanner and Gabby had a connection immediately and from their first meeting I looked forward to their story. They of course, have issues to work through. Gabby is ashamed of past; Tanner can’t seem to let go of his. But at the core of it all, CSJ has created two strong, good-hearted characters that I as the reader rooted for from start to finish. Verdict: Very Good

A Christmas Child by Carolyn Davidson: Carolyn Davidson is a new-to-me author so I was looking forward to reading this. I love discovering new authors and at 79 pages, I thought it would be the perfect way to introduce me to CD’s writing style.

I almost put the book down three times reading this story. First, the heroine was described as “a girl, for she was not yet a woman”. That stayed in the back of mind the entire time I read this one. I pictured a young girl, maybe mid-teens? It was a visual I couldn’t shake, even though I did find out halfway through the story that she was 18. I felt pacified, but just barely. Second, Marianne abandons her new-born brother, Joshua, in the manger in front of the church. I was outraged. Third, when I discovered the hero, David, was around thirty. Although, I didn’t feel quite as bad about that when I found out Marianne’s real age. I just wish CD would have mentioned it earlier. Verdict: Okay. Probably not the best Carolyn Davidson story to start out with, but I’m willing to give her another try.

The Christmas Dove by Victoria Bylin: Victoria Bylin is also a new-to-me author, and you all know what a sucker I am for unrequited or reunited romances. This was a great story complete from begging to end, condensed into a mere 83 pages. I can't wait to see what she can do with a full-length novel.

Maddie was the spoiled daughter of Lord Oliver, a direct descendent of a British duke. She was the princess of the town, and acted the part. Dylan didn’t have it to lucky. He came from a bad family and had a lot to overcome in the eyes of the town. When Maddie left town with a gambler, Dylan tried to warn her not to go. In response, she slapped him and called him trash. One year later, Maddie’s back in town with an illegitimate child.

I enjoyed Maddie and Dylan immensely. I thought their story was very sweet and I enjoyed the fact that Dylan forced Maddie to come to terms with her past so that they could have a future together. It’s ironic how their roles seemed to have reversed; when Maddie left town, Dylan was viewed as nothing more than trash, while Maddie was revered because of who her father was. One year later, Dylan has become a respected citizen and Maddie is seen as the fallen dove. But Dylan doesn’t judge her and forces her to forgive herself. Verdict: Very Good

Labels: Carolyn Davidson, Cheryl St. John, Harlequin, Okay, Very Good, Victoria Bylin, Western Historical Romance

Just Finished:
Synopsis: These men are heroes — strong, fearless…and impossible to resist!

Fireman Ethan Winters ran headlong into a burning building to find Rosie Carrington. Rescue worker Brett Gannon defied the aftershocks of a San Francisco earthquake to prevent Haley Brubaker from entering her collapsing home. And emergency-room doctor Matt Walker braved gale force winds and rising floodwater to rescue scientist Molly Stanton.

For Rosie, the heat in Ethan's eyes was enough to start a three-alarm blaze! As for Haley, being trapped amidst the rubble with Brett meant heightened tension — and heightened passion. And sheltering together from the storm, Molly needed Matt to make love to her. It was the only way for her to know she was still alive…and that she'd stay that way.

My Thoughts: Recently, the ladies at Book Binge had Jill Shalvis as their guest author and after reading her interview, I admit to developing a major girl-crush on the woman. Anybody that witty had to translate that humor into her stories right??? Luckily, I had one Jill Shalvis in my TBR pile ~ part of the Men of Courage anthology that I won from Melody’s Reading Corner a few (okay, more than a few) months ago.

The book consisted of three short stories by three authors I’ve never read before: Lori Foster, Donna Kauffman, and Jill Shalvis. Now, short stories are hit-or-miss with me. Sometimes, they’re just too rushed; sometimes, they’re the perfect read when you’re between books and have no idea what to read next.

Stranded! by Jill Shalvis: I read the stories somewhat out of order, but the stories weren’t connected so I wasn’t turning my back to series-order karma. Remember, I read this just because of the Jill Shalvis factor. Her story was the last in the anthology: Stranded! Stranded is the story of Matt, an emergency room doctor who has no time for a life out of the ER, and Molly, a scientist who loses touch with the outside world when she starts working. Molly and Matt are trapped together in Matt’s home due to a vicious storm that would have killed Molly, if Matt hadn’t rescued her.

The story was the shortest in the anthology, only 92 pages. I wish it would have been longer, I really do. I’m not sure if the publisher only allowed her so many pages or not.

The chemistry between Matt and Molly was great and this story could have easily been longer in order to allow for the development of the relationship between the two main characters. In the end, I enjoyed the story but the ended was rushed. I didn’t like that, but even though I was disappointed that the story was too short, it was a great sampling of Jill Shalvis work. I’ll definitely read more of her in the future. Verdict: Good

Trapped! by Lori Foster: The second story I read was the first in the anthology. Ethan and Rosie are long-time friends. Actually, Rosie is the younger sister of the man that used to be Ethan’s best friend. Rosie has held an unrequited torch for Ethan for years. Rosie finally lets Ethan know how she feels, forcing him to re-evaluate his feelings and his relationship with the woman he’d always thought of as just a friend. Ethan’s alpha came out full-force, I have to say. It made for a great reading.

The story was 139 pages and I think Ms. Foster did a great job in telling a complete story in the short amount of pages allowed. Although, I will forewarn you, the summary for this one is a bit misleading. Ethan never ran into a burning building in order to rescue Rosie. That’s okay, though. This was by far my favorite in the anthology. Verdict: Very Good

Buried! by Donna Kauffman: I initially wasn’t going to read this one, but I didn’t feel right posting about the book if I hadn’t read it in it’s entirety. Haley’s home was destroyed by an earthquake. Brett is the Search & Rescue worker who comes to her aid to try and rescue her dog who was in the house. Turns out, Haley dated Brett’s older brother in college and Brett has been carrying a torch for her ever since. However, things go south after Brett rescues the dog and an aftershock leads to injuries. However, as Haley nurses him back to health, she begins to nurse something else as well.

The story was 140 pages and was my least favorite of the anthology. Something just was missing for me on this. That being said, I do have to say I enjoyed the last two pages immensely. Great end to the story. Verdict: Okay

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Donna Kauffman, Good, Harlequin, Jill Shalvis, Lori Foster, Okay, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: Tye Hatcher returned to Aspen Grove to find that life in the sleepy western town hadn't changed much. The townspeople stubbornly refused to see the man he had become. That is, everybody but Meg Telford. Meg definitely took notice of the reticent rancher and gave him a chance in like when no one else would. Still, Meg clung to the memories of her late husband, afraid of the feelings Tye aroused in her heart. And though Tye vowed to prove his worth to the town, could he ever prove to Meg that he was worthy of her love?

My Thoughts: Cheryl St. John is another new-to-me-author that I just couldn’t wait to try out. I’ve heard so many good things about her, and Kristie raves about this book all the time. So what better book to start off with than Joe’s Wife?

I really enjoyed this story. Tye has always been an outcast in town because of his background, but Meg had always been nice to him ~ even when they were kids. When Meg’s husband, Joe, dies in the war she needs a husband in order to keep her ranch afloat. So she asks Tye.

I enjoyed the elements of family and friendship in this one. The building of the relationship between Meg and Tye was told very well, as was the slow warming of the community towards Tye. The story was very well written and flowed easily.

Verdict: This was Very Good. So good, in fact, I’ve ordered several of CSJ’s back list to be added to the TBR pile. I cannot wait to read them.

Labels: Cheryl St. John, Harlequin, Very Good, Western Historical Romance

Just Finished:

Synopsis: Tory Wells arrived at Sundance Ranch with only a battered suitcase and a letter from a friend that promised employment. Recovering from knee surgery, Tory desperately needed this job. And Ethan Reever was her only hope.

But Reever wasted no time in telling Tory he wanted nothing to do with some city-bred stranger. In his opinion, a woman like Tory knew nothing about ranch life, and he'd decided long ago that he had no use for pretty, useless women. Especially one who looked at him as innocently as Tory did -- no matter how much he desired her . . .

Tory knew one thing for certain. Determined to show him she could make it on her own, she vowed never to ask Reever for anything ever again. Not a job. Not money. And definitely not his love.

My Thoughts: Well, what can I say. I liked this in spite of myself. See, the story was a little bit too Diana Palmer-ish for my tastes; and I gave up Diana (who was one of my faves, btw) for one reason: I felt like I was re-reading the same story over, and over, and over again. The hero is always much older than the heroine, the heroine is almost always a virgin; the hero always calls the heroine “little one”, and the hero always has to explain what le petite morte is.

In Too Hot to Handle Reever, the hero, is 33; Tory, the heroine, is 20 (Palmer check #1); Tory is a virgin (Palmer check #2); Reever calls Tory “little one” (Palmer check #3); and although Reever doesn’t have to explain exactly what an orgasm is, he describes it as the two of them dying together (therefore, morte, therefore Palmer check #4).

Yes, I realize that this is Elizabeth Lowell, but I swear I could have been reading Diana Palmer. I really could have. In spite of this, the writing was good. I found myself submerged into the story and looking forward to what happens when I wasn’t reading it.

I did like Tory for the most part, although it did seem she played the victim a little too much, especially around Reever. She wasn’t strong in that aspect and that bugged me. I liked Reever also. Yes, he’s an ass, but that’s probably what I liked most about him. He wasn’t some lollypop version of a dime-store hero.

Okay, and so what if when she was in the throws of a good orgasm she said the three dreaded words ~~ I Love You. Not really my favorite thing to read, but I can deal with it. And of course Reever turned into and ass again for about 5 days after she said those dreaded words. Which caused the *gasp* big understanding. He thought she wanted to leave him to go back to competitive diving, she thought he could never love her. Sheesh, I hate big misunderstandings. But, it was all cleared up within the last few pages and I got my HEA with a big red bow tied around it.

And really, people should read it just for the bareback scene alone.

***This is a reprint. The story was originally published in Silhouette Desire #319 in November 1986***

Verdict: This was somewhere between Okay and Good. I enjoyed Elizabeth Lowell’s writing, even if the story itself held just about everything in it that I dislike about a novel. But I read it anyway, so that’s something. I’ve got more of Elizabeth’s books in my stacks and look forward to reading them in the future.

Labels: Elizabeth Lowell, Harlequin, Okay, Western Romance

Just (Didn't) Finish:
Synopsis: Is there anything sweeter than a first love?

Don''t ask Claire Keyes. The twenty—eight—year—old piano prodigy has never had a regular boyfriend, much less a real romance. Her music career has left little room for friends or family—which is just part of the reason she hasn''t seen the family bakery or her two sisters in years.

But now Nicole is sick, and Jesse is AWOL. Despite the fact that Claire can''t boil water, she''s determined to play caretaker. Connecting with her sisters tops her to—do list…along with falling in love, or at least in lust, for the first time.

Ruggedly sexy Wyatt just might fit the bill. Although he keeps saying that he and Claire come from entirely different worlds, he lights up hotter than a bakery oven whenever Claire is near. If this keeps up, she just might sweet—talk him into her bed…and her life.

My Thoughts: I couldn't get past page 50. I tried. I just couldn't. I hated Nicole (the sister), Jessie (the other sister) just disappeared, I didn't like Wyatt (the love interest), and after 50 plus pages I didn't feel like I'd gotten to know Claire (the heroine) enough to care one way or the other.

Verdict: This was Awful. I've enjoyed the few Susan Mallery books I've read in the past, so I'm not giving up on her; but I am doubtful I'll read the rest of the series.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Did Not Finish, Harlequin, Susan Mallery