Synopsis: Kissed by a phantom at midnight, she had no choice but to surrender….

When Dr. Marshall Devlin spotted Leila Hunt alone on the dance floor, he yearned to charm the violet-eyed Cinderella into his arms, but how could he court the lady when they fought over everything, and always had? Then the clock struck twelve, and Leila was possessed by the passion of a familiar stranger. He'd captured her lips -- and her soul -- in a moment of magic, but could she learn to love the man behind the mask?

In a debut that celebrates the delights and disasters of falling in love with the boy next door, Suzanne Brockmann wins every heart! He'd teased and tormented her since childhood, hidden his white-hot desire for the woman she'd become, but once a fleeting embrace threatened to reveal his secret, could he make her his forever?

My Thoughts: I enjoyed Marsh and Leila’s story very much! Theirs was a great tale with just the right amount of obstacles to make this an enjoyable reading experience.

Verdict: This was Very Good and really set the bar for me to want to read other Brockmann tales in the future..

Just Finished:
Synopsis: He knew just the right moves to melt her resistance….

Allowing Simon Hunt to play her partner on her latest assignment probably wasn't Frankie Paresky's best idea ever, but the P.I. found it just as hard as most women did to tell him no! When a chase to solve a long-ago mystery sparked a sizzling attraction between old friends, Frankie wavered between pleasure and panic. Could the best bad boy she'd ever known be the man she'd always love?

Utterly seductive, irresistibly inventive, Suzanne Brockmann’s merry romp celebrates a love as torrid as the Florida sun – and as steamily passionate as a first kiss! She'd vowed never to be a notch on anyone's belt or settle for one night only, but could she turn down a dare that promised a real taste of heaven?

My Thoughts: This was the first book I read in the trilogy, and my least favorite of the three. I admit, the pretty cover sucked me in. But in my own defense, the story sounded right up my alley. The problem was there was no angst, there really was no pinnacle turning point of the story. It just was.

Verdict: This was somewhere between Okay and Good. I liked the characters ~ there just unfortunately wasn’t much of a story there.

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Synopsis: His lips made an offer no woman would dare refuse . . .

Funny, charismatic, and one heck of a temptation, Preston Seaholm made a wickedly sexy hero as he rescued Molly Cassidy from tumbling off the roof! The pretty widow bewitched him with a smile, unaware the tanned sun god was Sunrise Key's mysterious tycoon -- and one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. He needed help fending off unwanted advances, but once he convinced her to play along at pretending they were engaged, would he discover the pleasures of surrendering to her temptation?

Weaving a fast-paced tale as touching as it is passionate, as witty as it is irresistible, Suzanne Brockmann reveals the perfect gift for the man who has everything: true love! He promised her the world if that would make her happy, but would a notorious pirate confess that the only prize he yearned to capture was a lady's heart?

My Thoughts: This was another awesome tale by Suzanne Brockmann. I enjoyed Pres and Molly very much, as well as Molly’s son Zander. I couldn’t stop reading this once I started and it was a great way to spend a few hours on a rainy day.

Verdict: This was Very Good and was a great story to end the trilogy with.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Suzanne Brockmann, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN A LITTLE LUCK TO BRING THEIR TEXAS HEARTS TOGETHER….

They were calling it the Bad Luck Wedding Dress, and Jenny Fortune knew that spelled trouble for her Fort Worth dressmaking shop. Just because the Bailey girls had met with one mishap or another after wearing Jenny's loveliest creation, her clientele had begun to stay away in droves. Yet Jenny was still betting she could turn her luck around--by wearing the gown herself at her very own wedding. There's just one hitch: first she has to find a groom...

Trace McBride seemed as likely a candidate as any. An attractive widower raising three little girls who were fast becoming three little outlaws, Trace badly needed a woman's loving touch. Jenny wasn't altogether sure she knew how to get a man to propose marriage, but she was willing to take off her spectacles, let down her honey-blond hair, and even give flirtation a try. But when seduction turns into red-hot passion, Jenny will find herself risking everything--even her life--on the chance that she'll be lucky in love..
My Thoughts: It dawned on me that I own series of books by authors that I’ve never read. This is the start of one them.

I enjoyed this book very much (in spite of the fact that my copy was missing 30 pages and that the binding was skewed on another 10). Trace and Jenny were a great combination and I thought Ms. Dawson did an excellent job with the telling of their story. This tale had as much humor as it did heart which made it a wonderful reading experience for me.

There were also several background characters that made this book so enjoyable ~ the McBride Menaces (Trace’s three daughters) would be at the front of this list. These girls have a gift for mischief and it was so fun reading about their exploits. They all three have stories in the Bad Luck Brides series and I can’t wait to find out how well they grew up.

Verdict: This was Very Good. Next up will be Trace’s twin brother’s story, The Bad Luck Wedding Cake. I’m looking forward to reading about the further exploits of the McBride family.

Labels: Geralyn Dawson, Very Good, Western Historical Romance

Just Finished:

Synopsis: A romantic game of chicken—and they’re both too stubborn to flinch.

Lucy Fairchild, lawyer and heiress to the Fairchild fortune, has just had the worst day of her life. Her father has found the perfect man for her to marry. Yes, she’s thirty and single, but that doesn’t give her father the right to run her life. She’ll choose her own husband—someday.

Jake Dalton is struggling to make his fledgling construction company a success. Ever mindful of his father’s derogatory comments that he’d never amount to anything, he’s spent his entire life trying to prove he’s not a failure.

From their first meeting on a construction site, verbal sparks fly. Their argument escalates into a dare for a date—and the game is on. Lucy thinks Jake is the perfect fake boyfriend to parade around in the hopes of getting her father off her back. Jake is amused by the chance to annoy both Lucy and her dad—he doesn’t intend to take the dating thing seriously.

But the heart is a fickle thing, and not above playing dirty. In their quest to prove something—to each other, or maybe to themselves—they find themselves building a case…for love.

And suddenly all the rules have changed.

My Thoughts: Jaci Burton is a new-to-me author. I picked up a few (well, actually three) of her ebooks awhile ago and have been anxious to read them. Dare to Love was the first that I tried. Honestly, I enjoyed it so much I could not stop reading it. So much so, I was almost late for work yesterday because of it (note to self: you really have to stop reading in the bathroom on workdays!).

Lucy and Jake are a great pairing. Sparks flew from their first meeting and just continued from there. I love the concept that their romance started on a dare ~ Jake dared Lucy to go out with him and she surprised them both by saying yes. The banter continued from their first date, to the forming of their friendship, and to everything else after that. I thought this was a great story and I’m so glad that I chose this as my introduction to Jaci Burton’s storytelling. She has a great writing style and the story just flowed.

Verdict: The story was Very Good. I’m glad I have two more of Jaci’s books in my TBR pile. I look forward to reading them soon!

PS ~ I really want a trampoline now.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Jaci Burton, Very Good

Just Finished:Synopsis: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OPPOSITES ATTRACT?
Free-spirited Zoey Adler is about to hijack a federal agent. And not just any federal agent, but very Special Agent Dante Torelli, a man whose designer suits and Italian shoes are more GQ than FBI. But when her baby niece, Pete, is snatched right in front of her eyes, Zoey doesn’t hesitate to scramble into Dante’s spotless BMW. She needs his help to rescue the baby . . . if only she can ignore his Lips of Sin.

OH, BABY!
Dante’s original mission is down the drain and he’s dodging bullets with a loopy redhead by his side. He likes quiet. She never shuts up. He likes to follow the rules. She throws the rules out the window. But these opposites do more than attract—they ignite. With a henpecked hit man running wild, cooking-obsessed matrons chasing down contraband spices, and a relentless killer tracking them all, Dante and Zoey will risk everything—for themselves and . . .

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE

My Thoughts: I enjoyed Dante and Zoey ~ perfect opposites that made this story very fun to read. Dante is an uptight, buttoned down FBI agent; Zoey is a free-spirited health food worker who likes greasy drive-ins and Twizzlers. As if that wasn’t fun enough, add in a hen-pecked mobster and his son, two Indian sisters-in law (the Guptas) in search of their stolen saffron, and a crazy road trip tying in all of these elements and it made for a great ride.

Dante and Zoey’s story was built slowly enough to be believable, yet fast enough to keep it interesting. Their verbal sparring was fun and I as the reader enjoyed the little undercurrents with every argument they had.

The Guptas added some fun comic relief. They were two elderly sisters-in-law who had come to America to open an Indian restaurant. And of course to do that, they needed to very, very best ingredients indeed. These two characters just seemed to meld right into the madness of the story and added a great element.

The henpecked mobster, Neil, was a fun addition as well. His wife, Ashley, was nothing like I expected and it was fun seeing him grab excuse after excuse in order to try to appease her.

True, there were many elements to this story ~ definitely a lot of layers. Nevertheless, it was easy to follow and made for a fun romp.

Verdict: The story was Very Good. I really enjoyed it and now must hunt down Julia's other story, Hot, so I can read that too!

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Julia Harper, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: COOL. CALM. COLLECTED...
Nothing fazes Taylor Donovan. In the courtroom she never lets the opposition see her sweat. In her personal life, she never lets any man rattle her—not even her cheating ex-fiancé. So when she's assigned to coach People's "Sexiest Man Alive" for his role in his next big legal thriller, she refuses to fall for the Hollywood heartthrob's charms. Even if he is the Jason Andrews.

CONFIDENT. FAMOUS. IRRESISTIBLE…
Jason Andrews is used to having women fall at his feet. When Taylor Donovan gives him the cold shoulder, he's thrown for a loop. She's unlike any other woman he's ever met: uninterested in the limelight, seemingly immune to his advances, and shockingly capable of saying no to him. She's the perfect challenge. And the more she rejects him, the more he begins to realize she may just be his perfect match...
My Thoughts: The banter got me first. I’m a fan of quick wit, so I really enjoyed how the two leads continuously tried to one-up each other. This book was fun from beginning to end ~ so much so, I could not put it down once I started reading it. Taylor and Jason were strong, independent, and successful characters so it was a delight watching them both change as the story progressed. And as far as chemistry?? These characters had it virtually leaping off the pages.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I enjoyed the banter between the two characters and was thoroughly entertained throughout the whole book. I cannot wait to read more from Ms. James in the future.

Labels: Berkley, Contemporary Romance, Julie James, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: When Ethan agreed to work at a sawmill his family is purchasing, he didn't foresee getting fired on his first day. He should be mad at the fiercely outspoken female foreman, but something about her seems disconcertingly familiar--even though Ethan is sure he'd remember meeting a stunning beauty like Anna Segee before.

Anna has never forgotten Ethan--or the schoolgirl crush she had on him before her father whisked her off to Canada. Now the shy, gangly girl is grown up and back in Oak Grove with a new name, new confidence and a newly inherited mill of her own. Her superb reputation in a male-dominated industry hasn't come easy, but even harder will be ignoring the sexy man Ethan has become....

My Thoughts: Janet Chapman only mildly disappointed me with this second installment of The Logger series (I’ll get to that in a moment). The book gets off to a fun start when Anna Segee fires Ethan for stepping in front of her loader, not knowing that his family is the new owner of the sawmill and, in essence, are her new bosses.

From there, the arguments just keep getting better. The fun just keeps on coming when Ethan moves into an empty cabin at Abby’s property, but invites himself to sleep in her home because the cabin isn’t exactly up to code for anyone to live in. Anna finds him to be as overbearing as her father and four over-protective brothers that she left behind.

I enjoyed the sparks between Anna and Ethan from the start. In that, Janet Chapman didn’t disappoint. What I didn’t like really had nothing to do with the story. It was the fact that Paul, the playboy of the Knight family, wouldn’t be getting his own story. His HEA was tidily pieced together in just a few pages of this book, and really disappointed me. I wanted to see Paul fall for a strong woman just like his brothers Ethan and Alex did.

Like I said, the only disappointment I felt had nothing to do with Ethan and Anna. Their story was excellent and kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I highly recommend it!

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Janet Chapman, Pocket, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: He set out to seduce her for all the wrong reasons -- but found himself falling in love with her for all the right ones.

Alex Knight is dead -- or so everyone thinks. A widowed logger baron with a risk-taking streak, he took on a South American engineering project and was reported dead after a rebel attack. So when he turns up back in Maine very much alive, his grieving family is shocked. But the biggest shock is Alex's, when he discovers he's now married -- to a woman he's never met.

Sarah Banks is ready for a change from running a quiet Bed & Breakfast, and working for the Knight family offers not only a bigger opportunity, but also the family life she yearns for. So she's glad to help secure custody of Alex's orphaned children, whom she's come to love, by marrying their father by proxy before he's legally declared dead. But when Alex returns, the sexy, determined woodsman upends all of Sarah's plans. Because suddenly she's married to a passionate stranger with an easy smile...and tumbling headlong into a fiery dance of seduction.

My Thoughts: I don’t think I’ve ever read a story before where the hero was presumed dead and comes home to find himself married to a woman he’s never met. I’m sure there may be more books like this out there, but I’ve never read them. So, I was interested in how JC was going to pull this unbelievable theme off. But then I started reading and from Sarah and Alex’s first meeting I was hooked. They had unbelievable chemistry right from the start that just continued to grow as the book went on.

Then there is the rest of the Knight family: Grady, the matchmaking schemer of a patriarch; Ethan, the gun-shy middle brother; and Paul, the youngest brother, a flirtatious lady’s man who is never at a loss for a date; and Tucker & Delaney, Alex’s children that Sarah adopted when she believed him to be dead. There are also the two side characters: John Tate, the local sheriff and Daniel Reed, the local Fish & Game Warden. I can only hope that they will all eventually get their own stories.

Alex was an awesome hero. I love how he and Sarah would try to best each other by coming to the rescue of each other, all ideas they each got by reading Sarah’s romance books. It was just hilarious. I had several laugh out loud moments as the two continuously tried to one-up each other throughout almost the whole length of the book.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I didn’t want this story to end. I got sucked in to the world of the Knight family and their Maine home from the very beginning and could not put the book down. I am anxiously looking forward to reading Ethan’s story, The Stranger in Her Bed, and sincerely hope that Ms. Chapman finishes this series.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Janet Chapman, Pocket, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: The Wallflowers are four young ladies in London who banded together in their wild and wickedly wonderful searches for true love. Now happily married, they join together once again to help one of the world’s most notorious rogues realize that happiness might be right under the mistletoe.…

It’s Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady in waiting and, if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.

A Wallflower Christmas takes a trip to Victorian London, under the mistletoe, and on a journey of the heart. With her trademark charm, sensuality, and unforgettable characters, there’s no one like Lisa Kleypas to make you believe in the magic of Christmas.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed spending some time with the Wallflowers again. It was great to catch up on their lives and what they’ve been up to since Daisy’s story concluded the series.

Rafe and Hannah. Loved them! I really enjoyed their chemistry, from their first meeting until the end of the story. I thought it was really well done and I was rooting for them the whole time. Lots of awww moments between the two of them which made this book one I could not put down.

Hannah’s cousin Natalie? Didn’t care for her so much. She came off as a spoiled pampered princess and I didn’t find anything likeable about her whatsoever. Maybe this wasn’t intention, but she was condescending and mean to Hannah, which made me seriously dislike her character. Thankfully, her story is summed up by the end of this book also, so I don’t need to worry about a follow-up book about her.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I highly recommend it!

Labels: Historical Romance, Holiday Romance, Lisa Kleypas, St. Martins Press, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: UNEXPECTED CHANGE CAN BE LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR— A LITTLE BRISK AT FIRST, BUT MAGIC FOR BODY AND SOUL...

Cartoonist Sarah Moon tackles life's real issues with her syndicated comic strip just Breathe, which is how the subject of infertility became fair game for her wickedly satirical pen. As Sarah's cartoon alter ego, Shirl, undergoes artificial insemination, it mirrors Sarah's own desperate attempts to conceive after her husband's bout with cancer. However, Sarah's dreams of the future did not include the infidelity of her now fully recovered husband. Faced with the unthinkable, Sarah asks herself, what would smart, sassy Shirl do? She'd floor the gas pedal straight out of Chicago.

She heads back to the small Northern California coastal town where she grew up. Just as she's settling in, a sudden dizzy spell lands her in the arms of somebody she never expected to meet again: Will Bonner, the high school superstar she'd skewered happily in her old comics. Now a local fireman, he's raising his teenage stepdaughter alone and looking better than ever. It is at this promising juncture that Sarah discovers she's pregnant. With twins.

The irony is delicious. Here she is, back home in a place she couldn't wait to leave, pregnant with the babies of a man she just divorced. Now her heart is calling out to a single father of a troubled girl who reminds Sarah a lot of herself. Hardly the most traditional of new beginnings, but who says life, or love, is predictable...or perfect? The winds of change have led Sarah here. Now all she can do is just close her eyes...and breathe.

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end. The story covers a year (maybe year and a-half) of Sarah’s life. It begins in Chicago while she is happily married to Jack, and is hopeful that she and Jack will soon be expecting a new addition to her family.

Things happen (will not divulge any spoilers here, sorry!), and Sarah finds herself back in her hometown in Northern California. There, she must go about rebuilding her life and coming to terms with her past. Unfortunately, Sarah was an outcast in school ~ an artsy type who never fit in. She soon learns that not everything is how it seemed in high school.

I enjoyed the building of her relationship with Will, a former classmate. The pacing was slow, which I appreciate. Sarah and Will were not friends in high school, so I appreciated the fact that Susan took the time to build their relationship and actually make it believable. I also enjoyed Sarah’s relationship with Aurora, Will’s daughter. The fact that they became friends before Sarah and Will did added a great likeability for me to this story.

There were a few choppy things I couldn’t get passed. The first was Sarah’s babies. In one chapter, they were three months old, and then it seemed like the next chapter they were eating cheerios, sitting in high chairs, and able to indicate when they wanted to be picked up. Evidently, there was a passage of time between the chapters, but I missed any indicators if there were any.

The second, something big happens to Aurora’s friend, Glynnis that effects Sarah, Will, and the whole coastal town where they live. But we don’t see it in the story. It’s referred to, but the story’s not told. Glynnis is supposed to be Aurora’s best friend. And the fact that Aurora is Will’s daughter and therefore, a central part to the story ~ I just thought that what Glynnis did and how they found out should have been in the story. Aurora’s reaction should have been there. The fact that it wasn’t, seemed to leave a tiny hole in the tale for me.

Verdict: This was Very Good. It would have been excellent, but there were some timing issues that I couldn’t get passed. As far as I’m concerned, Susan Wiggs rarely disappoints. This is a definite keeper.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Mira, Susan Wiggs, Very Good

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: It was love at first sight for Lady Viola the night she met the dashing viscount John Hammond. Swept into a whirlwind courtship, it wasn’t until after their vows had been spoken that Viola learned the shattering truth: her beloved John had never loved her, had married her for her fortune…and worse still, saw nothing wrong with that. Heartbroken, she vowed never again to let the deceiving scoundrel into her bed.

John never intended to hurt the headstrong beauty who has become a stranger to him. Now, after years of sham marriage, he is in need of an heir, and John is faced with a luscious, intriguing challenge—seducing his own wife. He must persuade Viola back into their marriage bed, but this time, he may be the one to lose his heart.

My Thoughts: I had my mind made up before I ever started this book that I wasn’t going to like it. I didn’t like the character of John in the first two books of the series and just didn’t see how LLG would redeem him. He was a man who married for money and then left his wife in order to pursue his sexual exploits in what seemed to be the bed of every other woman in London. When his cousin dies and it is forced upon him to produce an heir he must try to win Viola’s affections and persuade her to give their marriage a second chance.

I really enjoyed the character of Viola ever since she schemed to bring Anthony and Daphne together in Guilty Pleasures. I thought she deserved better than John and felt like he had a lot of work to do in order make up for the past 9 years of adultery. As I read the book, I just wasn’t sure that he did enough. Sure, he seduced her back into his bed, but I didn’t feel that he did enough to cause Viola to forgive him and fall in love with him again. Maybe that’s just me. I tend to read too much into my books sometimes, tend to personalize too often.

But then, John made the ultimate sacrifice. He made a speech that rivaled the one Anthony made in Guilty Pleasures. The man made a fool of himself all for the sake of proving his love to Viola, and even I forgave him.

Verdict: This was Very Good. It was great seeing Anthony and Daphne (Guilty Pleasures), and Dylan and Grace (His Every Kiss) again and I enjoyed seeing all of the couples interact together. In spite of myself, I found myself really liking this story and I was so glad to see that LLG made John a redeemable and even likable hero.

Labels: Avon, Guilty series, Laura Lee Gurhke, Very Good

Just Finished:

Synopsis: A party planner extraordinaire, Katie Marcelli loves her big, boisterous family -- even when their chronic matchmaking drives her crazy! In the Marcelli household, fine wine and good food are as celebrated as true love, so when her eighteen-year-old sister announces her engagement, Katie promises her the perfect wedding. There's only one hitch: the father of the groom, Zach Stryker, who is adamantly opposed to his son marrying so young. Now, despite her instant attraction to the handsome, arrogant attorney, Katie must approach with caution: Zach, who hired Katie for a major fundraiser, holds the fate of her business in his hands -- and how can she trust a man who is willing to break her sister's heart? It will take a passionate battle of wills to determine if wedding bells will ring for a Marcelli bride, and to unlock the deepest desires -- for family, love, and home -- inside a strong-willed man's heart.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. I’ve had the Marcelli books in my stacks for quite awhile now, but after talking to Nath and Anne over at Anne’s blog, I was motivated to whip these out and start reading them. And can I just say, I had an uber-crush on Zach from the very beginning???

This book is not only about Katie and Zach, but also encompasses the entire Marcelli Irish-Italian clan. I enjoyed the family aspect of the story, and I think SM did a wonderful job of world building for the future Marcelli books. I enjoyed Francesca, Brenna, and Mia almost as much as I did Katie and Zach (notice I said almost). Did I enjoy the grandfather, Lorenzo’s, male chauvinistic views?? No. Not so much, but it gives great groundwork for Brenna’s story and I can’t wait to see how she resolves this conflict.

As far as the much coveted ILY, I thought it came too soon. I was just starting to actually believe in Zach and Katie as a couple and then in the last two pages, it was over. I wouldn't have minded if the story would have been a little longer, but I suppose 326 pages is long enough. I have no suggestions on what could have made this better. It's just my opinion.

Verdict: This was Very Good. This was a wonderful starter book for the series and I’m looking forward to reading the rest soon (hopefully).

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Marcelli series, Pocket, Susan Mallery, Very Good

Just Finished:

Synopsis: Fleeing trouble in Pittsburgh, young Kara O'Riley has no choice but to travel as far west as her meager funds will take her. And when she is hired as a bookkeeper for a sprawling Texas ranch, she quickly decides that her new employer, Jonathan Catlin, is the coldest, strangest man she's ever known. He tells her he has exactly one year to make the ranch a success - - but she has a feeling there's an awful lot more he's not telling her. For one thing, there's something odd about the Catlin Ranch. For another, she has glimpsed a hint of tenderness in Jonathan's gorgeous, haunted eyes - - and suddenly her lonely, aching heart is filled with fire . . . ..

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. I loved the relationship between Jonathan and Kara. I liked the friendship that they built, knowing that they were attracted to each other. I think that Kara complimented him because she was a fiery Irish girl, which I think Jonathan, a self-proclaimed savage, needed. She stood up to him and she stood up for him. Even though things seemed to progress quickly, the story was paced wonderfully and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Verdict: This was Very Good. It is the 5th in the McLain series, so I am anxious to pick up the other books in the series and read them soon.

Labels: Jodi Thomas, Jove, McLain series, Very Good, Western Historical Romance

Just Finished:
Synopsis: Everyone knows about Dylan Moore—his brilliant talent and his pleasure-seeking ways—but no one knows the torment that lies beneath his reckless veneer. Only one woman gets a glimpse of the forces that drive Dylan’s soul, a woman who haunts his dreams and evokes his passions as no other woman ever has before.

Disgraced and destitute, Grace Cheval wants nothing to do with the seductive man who desires her. When Dylan offers her a position as governess to his newfound daughter, she knows his true intentions are dishonorable. Yet she finds this charismatic man hard to resist, and she returns his passionate kisses with a fire that matches his own. Can Dylan dare hope that this proud, spirited beauty will melt the ice around his heart?

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I loved that both of characters were flawed in some way and had demons they were trying to deal with. Dylan’s was that he was a composer who could no longer compose; Grace’s was that she had fallen in love with a temperamental artist before and knew the pain of when that fiery love died.

I wasn’t quite sure what to think when the daughter, Rachel, was left with Dylan. Sometimes stories that have children in them seem to focus more on the child and not on the main characters. Luckily this was not the case here. Rachel was a great addition to the story ~ and really, the catalyst to Dylan and Grace because without Rachel, Dylan would have never needed a governess.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I thoroughly enjoyed Dylan and Grace’s story and look forward to reading the third book in this series, The Marriage Bed, soon.

Labels: Avon, Guilty series, Laura Lee Gurhke, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: For prim and shy Daphne Wade, the sweetest guilty pleasure of all is secretly watching her employer, Anthony Courtland, the Duke of Tremore, as he works the excavation site on his English estate. Anthony has hired Daphne to restore the priceless treasures he has been digging up, but it's hard for a woman to keep her mind on her work when her devastatingly handsome employer keeps taking his shirt off. He doesn't know she's alive, but who could blame her for falling in love with him anyway?

Anthony thinks that his capable employee knows all there is to know about antiquities, but when his sister decides to turn the plain young woman in gold-rimmed glasses into an enticing beauty, he declares the task to be impossible. Daphne is devastated when she overhears… and determined to prove him wrong. Now a vibrant and delectable Daphne has emerged from her shell, and the tables are turned. Will Anthony see that the woman of his dreams has been right there all along?

My Thoughts: This is the first book in the Guilty series.

First off, I disagree with the book synopsis. Anthony’s sister, Viola, really didn’t have anything to do with Daphne’s transformation. I just have to say that up front.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Daphne’s spirit. Here is an intelligent woman working for a man she is secretly in love with. Until she overhears him describing her as a stick insect on a twig with no feminine appeal who works like a machine. From that point on, she vows not to love him anymore. In fact, she quits her job and tells the man it is because she just does not like him. Being a Duke, Anthony is not used to people talking to him this way and is completely baffled by it. And then he sets out to change her mind. First about the job. Then about him. The end result was a great tale, with him proposing and her rejecting him.

I loved how the relationship between Anthony and Daphne flowed, even if it did seem too convenient. But, I’m a fairly forgiving reader and will overlook almost anything if the story is good enough. And the story was good enough. The development of the friendship between the two characters was done very well and I could hardly put the book down once I started it.

And by the way, probably the best last two pages of a book I’ve read ever. Ever. Really.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I enjoyed Anthony and Daphne very much and am looking forward to reading more in the series soon.

Labels: Avon, Guilty series, Laura Lee Gurhke, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: A Courageous Outcast . . .
Rosamunde Baird has lost everything and has no choice but to accept an invitation to spend a season with a dowager duchess and her clandestine ladies club. Determined to stay in the shadows and live quietly, she has sworn never again to come face to face with adventure and temptation, two things that brought her ruin years ago. But then the Duke of Helston dangles before her the very things she craves most...

Lord Fire & Ice . . .
Mysterious Luc St. Aubyn is well known for exuding blistering passion at night and frost the morning after. But dark mystery swirls around this audacious war hero. A tragic past has driven the Duke of Helston to hide the twin secrets of the dowager’s Widows Club and his own infamous writing talent. When he’s blindsided by his reactions to a virtuous siren, he has no choice but to reveal all during a scandal that will doom them …or save them, if only they dare to believe in love.

My Thoughts: This was my first book by Sophia Nash and I was not disappointed. She did a great job of storytelling and world building with this one. I was hooked from the first sentence to the last.

****SPOILERS****
In the beginning, I enjoyed Rosamunde’s youthful spirit. She loved sports, such as racing horses. She was carefree, and most importantly, she was her father’s favorite child. I loved reading about her crush on young Henry who was to be the next Duke of Helston and how after she won a race with him she tentatively asked him for a kiss as her reward. I thought it was all so sweet. But then it took a turn. Henry told her he loved somebody else. And although the kiss between Henry and Rosamunde was very innocent, it was reported to be much worse than it really was. So, rather than be forced into a marriage with a man she knew didn’t love her, she ran and married a man she thought was kind, and who she thought she would able to have at least a convenient marriage/friendship with because her reputation was ruined. She was wrong.

Eight years later, she’s widowed and the Dowager Duchess of Helston has invited her to stay at her estate to be part of her Widow’s Club. And it is there where she meets Luc, the younger brother of boy she’d kissed so many years ago. Luc and Rosamunde form a fast friendship which I enjoyed. I enjoyed learning more about his family through his point of view. It was wonderful watching the closeness that formed between the two characters and seeing them share secrets with each other that they had never shared with anyone else.
****END SPOILERS****

There are also a host of wonderful side characters in this book, but the two I’ll mention are Ata and Sylvia. First and foremost is the Dowager Duchess, Ata, a very spirited woman who heads up the Widows Club. She is short in stature but believes she makes up for it by wearing dresses that flow just a few inches too long. Of course, because he dresses are too long, she is always tripping over them. Also, there is Rosamunde’s sister Sylvia, who has remained faithfully by Rosa’s side since she left the family home eight years ago. However, Sylvia’s got secrets of her own that she’s trying to hide.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I enjoyed Luc and Rosamunde immensely and am looking forward to reading the follow up: The Kiss.

Labels: Avon, Historical Romance, Sophia Nash, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: Lily Morgan may be Shivaree, Georgia's most talked-about lady. Everyone in town knows about the bitter breakup of her marriage five years before, when Daniel Walker, her husband's tough, uncompromising lawyer, tore her reputation to shreds and left her with nothing but a wish to get even. But now something about Daniel makes her blood boil and her pulse quicken . . . not with righteous fury, but with passion.

Daniel has returned to Shivaree to once again match wits with Lily Morgan. The thought of a rematch with Lily delights him, for he has never forgotten her hot temper--or her lovely looks. But when a shocking murder shakes the town, Daniel joins Lily to find a killer, and their unexpected partnership sparks something between them they never expected--desire. Now Daniel, the strong-willed lawyer for whom winning is everything, realizes he must win the one reward he can't live without: Lily's forgiveness--and her love.

My Thoughts: I first heard about this book from a guest review that Nath did at Book Binge, and usually if Nath likes it, I’m pretty much guaranteed I’ll like it too.

By page 7 I was laughing out loud and that pretty much continued throughout the majority of the story. Lily is a stubborn character and I love how Daniel’s mission in life seems to be to get her riled at every turn. What he does to her and how she responds kept me laughing throughout most of the book. The amount of hatred that Lily had for Daniel seemed to leap right off the pages. Literally. But then, slowly the hatred turned to tolerance. Which turned to respect. Which turned into a friendship. Which turned into something else entirely.

I enjoyed Lily’s tenacity. She was a smart, stubborn, flawed woman. The fact that she was wronged, but still held her head up high just made me like her more. The fact that she hid her hurt and sadness behind acting out by wearing outrageous outfits or displaying a naked statue of David (no fig leaf) in her foyer just added depth to the character.

For the most part I enjoyed Daniel’s character as well. I enjoyed his sarcasm, his wit, and his sense of humor. He’s smart, shrewd, and driven to succeed. He’s also arrogant and cocky ~ which I guess adds to his charm. I also like how he is with Lily. First as an adversary, then as a friend.

The story was a wonderful read from beginning to end with not only great lead characters, but also a host of well-written side characters that gave great depth to the book. I loved every minute of it, and of course the ending left me with a goofy grin on my face with is a sure-tale sign that I enjoyed it.

Verdict: This was Very Good. This was the first book of Laura Lee Guhrke’s that I’ve read, but it definitely won’t be the last. I’m looking forward to catching up on some of her other stories and have her Guilty series on order.

Labels: Historical Romance, Laura Lee Gurhke, Pocket, Very Good