Lori's January Reads

So, yeah. I apparently gave up tracking my books about halfway through last year. No clue what I read in the 2nd half of the year. None at all. So I can't even do a best of 2011. It's like July - Dec never happened. But I know I read prolifically. So I decided to try again this year.

I tracked all of my January reads, and whaat? It was only 12 books. I'm not disappointed, because I don't set reading goals for myself. I read when I feel like it and read what I feel like reading. I just don't remember ever only reading 12 books in a single month.So, here are my January reads. All 'star' ratings are from my Goodreads shelves.

If You Know Her (The Ash Trilogy, #3) by Shiloh Walker - 4 stars
Review to come closer to release date. I liked this one a lot, but didn't connect with the either the hero or heroine as much as in the previous books. Still, a great resolution to the series, and my initial guess as to the villain when I read book 1 was right. HA!

If You See Her (The Ash Trilogy #2) by Shiloh Walker - 4.5 stars
Terrific examination of an abused woman finding herself again and learning to trust again. Loved it. Review here.

Razor's Edge (Edge, #2) by Shannon K. Butcher - 3 stars
This book made me sad because I loved book 1 and just didn't love this one. I thought the heroine especially was inconsistent. She was supposed to be a badass bodyguard, but seemed rather helpless to me. The hero, for coming out of the special forces seemed a little helpless, too. Not physically, but using his noodle? Yeah, there. Disappointing. But I generally love Shannon K Butcher's romantic suspense, so I will definitely get the 3rd when it comes out.

The Departed by Shiloh Walker - 4.5 stars
Fantastic. The 2nd in this series of psychic FBI agents (The Missing is the first, and was also awesome). I wanted to hate Taylor, but it's quickly revealed why he is such a jerk, and boy did I feel for him. It got a little unclear as to who had jurisdiction and why the FBI didn't take over the case, and none of that reasoning really made that much sense to me, so that's why the 4.5 instead of 5 stars. Otherwise, it was fabulous.

No One Left to Tell by Karen Rose - 5 stars
It's Karen Rose, need I say more? The heroine is a secondary character from a previous Rose novel, but this can be read as a standalone. Another romance that happens particularly quickly, but manages to be believable. Lots of sly humor injected into the dialogue, which was a nice break from the intensity of the suspense. And the suspense is tight as always. Less gory than most of her recent books, too. But still a ton of murder & mayhem - just most of it off-screen. I did have one of those moments where I thought, "Really? What else could happen to them today?" but it didn't ruin anything for me. Thankfully. Review here.

Millionaire's Last Stand by Elle Kennedy - 3 stars
I was disappointed with both these Kennedy books, mostly because I usually adore her books, and... well, I just didn't here. I definitely liked this one better than The Heartbreak Sheriff (they are connected, and this is the first one). A millionaire is accused of his ex-wife's murder, and the stubborn sheriff calls in his good friend from the FBI to help him nail down the evidence. Surprise! He's innocent. Another too-fast romance, but it was nicely done anyway.

The Heartbreak Sheriff by Elle Kennedy - 3 stars
In this one, the sheriff's ex is accused of murder. He gets a little taste of his own medicine when he believes in her innocence but nobody else does. What bothered me is that he never acknowledges the parallels here with the previous book where he was completely judgmental of the hero and refused to even look at anyone else for the murder. Yet he is in the exact same boat as the FBI heroine of the previous book, believing in his love's innocence, and wondering why everyone else is so damned determined to railroad her. It just bothered me, and made me dislike him.

Because of the List by Amy Knupp - 4 stars
Loved this book of a military hero who doesn't think he's good enough and the introverted heroine who was his best friend's little sister. A healthy dose of guilt here, and a wonderful helping of family on the side. I just loved it. Review here.

Colorado Dawn (Runaway Brides #2) by Kaki Warner - 4 stars
I liked this one quite a bit. Another western historical that actually has a married Scottish hero and an English heroine. I liked both of them, especially Angus. This is the 2nd book in the series, and I missed much of the camaraderie displayed among the women from the 1st one. Still, Warner writes beautifully and tells a lovely story. Angus, particularly, was funny and very self aware.

Whispers in the Dark (KGI #4) by Maya Banks - 4 stars
I didn't get the kick in the gut I usually get from Banks. I enjoyed this book tremendously, and really liked the hero and heroine. I loved their connection and how their entire relationship began. Perhaps that was the problem I had. The beginning was so powerful that I was bound to have a letdown. And frankly, none of the books has been as amazing to me as the 1st in the series. But, as always, the connection between the brothers was fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the next one, which I assume is Grace and Rio's book.

Triple Threat (Uniformly Hot! #3.5) by Jennifer LaBrecque - 3 stars
I remember absolutely nothing about this book other than I enjoyed it. Here's my note on it: "Typical Blaze fluff, and as usual, I enjoyed it."

One September Morning by Rosalind Noonan - 4 stars
This was a freebie on Kindle at some point in December I think. It's not a romance. It was a true surprise. It's an excellent fictional look at the Iraq war and its effect on both the soldiers and those left behind. A Pat Tillman-like story, but with a definite villain added. What threw me most was that it's written in 3rd person present tense. I finally got used to it, but it took a while. I recommend this one.

I also reviewed If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker and Matthew by Emma Lang, both of which I read in December, but released in January. And I wrote 3 reviews here on the blog, and quasi-reviewed 7 of these on Goodreads! And by quasi-reviewed, I mean that some only have a sentence or two, but I'll take it. Go me!

If you can't tell, I've been on a serious romantic suspense kick. I can't even think of picking up much else right now. Not sure why - usually I can read historical whenever, but nope. Right now, I'm all about the suspense. Next up in my queue are Cindy Gerard's latest, Last Man Standing and Leslie Tentler's Edge of Midnight - both rom-susp. Oh well. For now, I'll just keep going with the flow. Eventually I'll want to read something else.

Matthew by Emma Lang

A man learns to hold what is his…

It is a vast spread in the eastern wilds of the newly independent Republic of Texas, the ranch their parents fought for … and died for. To the eight Graham siblings, no matter how much hard work or hard love it takes, life is unthinkable without family…

In the wake of his parents’ murder, Matthew Graham must take the reins at the Circle Eight. He also needs to find a wife in just thirty days, or risk losing it all. Plain but practical, Hannah Foley seems the perfect bride for him . . . until after the wedding night.

Their marriage may make all the sense in the world, but neither one anticipates the jealousies that will result, the treacherous danger they’re walking into, or the wildfire of attraction that will sweep over them, changing their lives forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Graham family has gone through a terrible tragedy. Their parents were murdered and their youngest brother is missing as a result of the same attack. Now Matthew, the oldest, has taken on the responsibility of raising his siblings and becoming the head of the family.

Thus begins the Graham sibling's saga. For Matthew, one of the ways he can honor his parents is to continue on with their wishes – including expanding their farm by taking advantage of a land claim. He travels to Houston to sign the papers and finds out that the land grant is for a family, and he has to have a wife. Flustered, he blurts out that his wife's name is Hannah. The land grant office gives him 30 days to bring her back in to sign the paperwork. Now Matthew must find a wife named Hannah, and do it quickly.

By simple chance, he runs into Hannah Foley in the local mercantile. Literally. When he finds out her name is Hannah, he is dumbfounded. Strangely intrigued. And determined to marry her.

When Matt proposes to Hannah, she knows it's likely the best offer she'll get. She's not a beauty, and has no other offers. But she wants to marry and longs for a family. So she accepts.

I really liked both Hannah and Matt. Like any 25 year old, Matt pulls some bonehead moves. He has in his head how a marriage is supposed to work in 1839. The man makes the decisions, and that is that. Oh, how I loved the conflict that produced. Because Hannah is no wilting flower. She is used to living her life without relying on a man to make decisions for her. I loved that she curses up a storm. That she feels responsible for her grandmother. That she takes on all of Matthew's siblings as her own. Having a big family is what she's always wanted.

I liked the sense of family that pervades the entire book, both Matt's and Hannah's. This family argues, teases, laughs, fights, and loves deeply. And somehow, Hannah becomes as integral to the Graham siblings as they are to each other. Hannah's relationship with her grandmother warmed my heart. Her grandmother is quite a character, and totally calls it like she sees it. She helps Hannah work through many of her issues with common sense and understated love.

The romance between Hannah and Matthew grows slowly, and especially given the times, completely works. Matthew comes to completely appreciate and love Hannah, and she also loves him. They come to rely on each other and really like each other, which only reinforces the very hot attraction between them. That mutual respect and genuine liking of one another made the slow fall into love more complete and lovely.

The one thing that hit me as I was reading that threw me and made me really sad, was the realization that the Graham sibling's children would likely be drawn into the Civil War. The novel takes place in 1839, and Matt is the oldest. So once the youngest has children and they are young adults, they will likely be fighting for the rebel army. I don't want any of them to die!!! Yes, I know I'm crazy, but still.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Emma Lang (and her alter ego Beth Williamson). I love that she writes American western historicals. One of my favorite genres. Her historicals always feel authentic, have strong characters who can have tremendous flaws and who make you root for them to be happy.

Anyhoo… this is a wonderful start to a new series, The Circle Eight. It releases on January 31. I can't wait to find out what happens next in the continuing story arc to discover what actually happened to the Graham's parents and youngest brother. The oldest sister, Olivia gets her story next, with the mysterious Texas Ranger Brody Armstrong as her hero. Mmmmm.

If You See Her by Shiloh Walker

A FACE IN THE MIRROR
Hope Carson may not look like a survivor, but she has escaped an abusive ex-husband and recovered from a vicious assault. Now she endures the painful memories and suspicious rumors surrounding her involvement in the attack. Her ex is a cop, so the last people she trusts are law enforcement officials—and she certainly doesn’t trust how the local DA makes her feel inside.

Remy Jennings should know better. He has no business falling for a woman who he suspects may have a deeply troubled mind. And even if he did make a move, she’d bolt like a frightened rabbit. But how can he deny a burning desire that threatens to consume him? As Hope’s past catches up with her in the worst way, Remy is determined to break through her defenses, earn her trust, and keep her safe in his arms—before it’s too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to Shiloh Walker for sending me an advance copy of this book. At the end of If You Hear Her, Hope and Law had been attacked and Hope was thought to have done it as an attempted murder-suicide. Remy feels terrible pursuing this, but as the DA, he has to. Once Hope is exonerated, the action truly begins.

I liked Hope and Remy. They were both put in untenable situations. I really wanted to hate Remy at first for simply believing Hope's ex-husband without any corroboration, but he redeemed himself when as soon as evidence appears to clear Hope, he immediately accepts it, clears her, and moves on. He defended her as well, against the townsfolk who wouldn't/couldn't accept her innocence. I liked Remy's protective streak, and that he kept it in check as much as he possibly could, knowing that Hope had to move forward and do some things on her own. Even though it about killed him, LOL.

I liked that while Hope was a battered woman, over the curse of the past two books she learned how to be independent and make decisions that were good for her. The haircut scene was particularly well done. I liked that she pushed herself to stand up for herself, and to try new things on her own. She had an inner strength that she needed to discover for herself, and did.

The suspense. Very well done, as in the previous book. Tight. And I still haven't figured it out, although I have my suspicions.

The emotions. One place where Walker excels, no matter what genre she's writing, is conveying the emotions f her characters. A Walker book is always highly emotional. Though this one did veer toward angsty, I didn't feel that it was overdone. Just strong, heartfelt emotion.

I like that we get to see the previous couple, and that they in no way overshadow the main romance, but are still integral to the story. This is a tight-knit group of friends living in a small town – it stands to reason they would be featured.

And Law. Hmmm… I really can't wait for his story. Watching him try to rationalize to Hope his reaction to Nia, when it simply couldn't be done, was rather amusing. Except when he put Nia above Hope, his best friend. And then I wanted to kick his ass. The next book is his story, and I know he'll get a good come-uppance. The redeeming piece of this was that he was destroyed over hurting his best friend, and the idea that they may not get back to where they were was killing him.

One other note, and that is that Walker conveyed the Kentucky accent of the characters without stereotyping it or making it irritating. She nailed it. As she lives in Kentucky, I would have expected her to, and was gratified to be able to feel the local flavor and not have it detract from the story at all as ocerdone. Accents are my pet peeve, and Walker very subtly lets the dialect come through without hitting the reader over the head with accents.

The one thing I didn't care for, really, was that Hope's ex-husband seemed to be a bit overblown. Although as an abuser, the things he did to Hope seemed in line, and scary to boot, but as he went on, he seemed to get over the top. Perhaps it was because he simply knew there was nothing left to lose, but I was definitely waiting for his character to lose face time. That's for sure.

Anyway, to sum it up, this 2nd in the Ash trilogy was a wonderfully written, tightly drawn suspense thriller. The romance balances out the suspense beautifully, and vice-versa. I really do adore Walker's suspense. Can't wait to read #3, If You Know Her.

TBR: Because of the List by Amy Knupp

Taylor McCabe likes equations. They make sense. But one buttoned-up computer whiz plus an injured army pilot simply does not add up. It's time to get over her childish crush on Alex Worth, her brother's best friend, and find a husband. Enter The List—Taylor's ten must-have traits for a viable suitor.

But her plan goes awry when Alex insists on vetting each contender. The way he dismisses them feels like the actions of a protective boyfriend. Strangely, his attitude makes her even more attracted to him. Too bad he doesn't meet even one of her requirements….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do love my SuperRomances. It's always been one of my favorite lines from Harlequin, almost always guaranteed to pack an emotional wallop and at the same time deliver a good, solid love story.  Amy Knupp is one who does this particularly well.

I really, really loved this book. Taylor's brother Quinn and our hero Alex grew up together as best friends, and went off to war together. When Alex's helicopter was shot down, Alex was injured and Quinn died. The story picks up after Alex comes home for some further recuperation.

I could totally relate to Taylor's shyness and her feelings of not fitting in. She is a total brainiac who has completely neglected her social life. She's a compulsive listmaker and socially awkward. She wears sensible clothes and works too many hours. But oh, how I loved her shoe fetish. It made her seem a little more feminine and humanized her that much more. She slowly comes to accept the easy friendship of Alex's sister, Vienna. Vienna and Taylor complement each other - and their friendship was completely believable. I loved that they fed both fun and serious off of each other. And that Vienna slowly brings Taylor out of her awkwardness and discomfort with having meaningful conversations. There's a terrific scene where they go to the park and swing right after a particularly emotional talk, and I absolutely loved the writing there -

You couldn't talk very well when you were swinging. They slipped into an unspoken contest of who could go higher, and Taylor gradually breathed easier, released the emotional tension that had balled up inside her throat. Flying back and forth through the air, stomach dipping at each crest, had a way of changing a girl's perspective, even if only temporarily.

Ten minutes must have passed, the only sound between them a sporadic laugh or holler. Taylor was taken back to another time, a simpler time when a swing in the park was the objective, not an escape. A time when supporting her body weight hadn't made her arm muscles ache or her butt feel like it had been wedged into a too-small harness. Instead of letting herself slow down gradually, she went for the instant dismount and jumped off as she had done when she was six. The landing was harder than she remembered and she ended up on her side, momentarily stunned into silence.

"Are you ok?" Vienna hollered from midair.

Taylor rolled onto her back, soaking up the sun and the smell of the recently cut grass... and started laughing. When Vienna landed with a clumsy thud and an "Oof" nearby, she laughed until her stomach started hurting. She heard Vienna do the same. Tears filled her eyes and Taylor gasped for air. When she finally looked at Vienna, that set them off even more.

At last Vienna let out a long, loud sigh. "The landing isn't quite the same as when you weigh 50 pounds."

"I think I have bruises," Taylor said, cracking up again. "But I haven't laughed so hard in ages. I needed that."

I loved the feeling of freedom and relaxation that scene conveys, and the way it served to bring Taylor and Vienna closer. Plus, I could relate to every single physical sensation and feeling about swinging that Knapp writes there.

Alex was the 'screw-up' brother in his family (in his own mind only). He never went to college - entered the Army at 18. But he learned to fly and that became his great love and his life. He came home to a brother who just lost everything and a sister who is on the verge of the rest of her life.  I liked that the relationships forged between Alex and his brother and sister grew and became strong, healthy bonds between siblings. I loved the dynamics in Alex's family. They deepened his characterization, gave us insight into him and though there were several scenes with his family, they in no way overpowered the main love story between Alex and Taylor.

Out of a sense of obligation to Quinn, he helps Taylor fix up her house to sell, slowly coming to realize what a special person she is. I could sympathize with Alex's feelings of guilt. Both for the Quinn's death in his helicopter and for messing around with his best friend's sister. I loved how he treated Taylor so beautifully, aside from his occasional bonehead stubbornness,which had nothing to do with Taylor and everything to do with him. Alex subtlely suffered from feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, and guilt. He tries to do his best by Taylor, and tries to treat her as he always did - as his best friend's little sister, nicknamed Scarlet (for her red hair). I liked that his attraction grew slowly.

I liked that Taylor moved forward with her life, not waiting around for Alex, dating and trying to find that special someone and feel more comfortable in social situations. Once she acknowledged that special person was Alex, she went for it. They are generous with their support of each other, and as a gift to Alex, she gives him Quinn's boat, where Alex and Quinn spent many days together. While out on the boat on his own, in another beautifully written scene full of heartbreak and joy at the same time, Alex comes to terms with Quinn's loss, and with what he really wants out of life, which is Taylor.

A truly shining example of what Harlequin SuperRomance is all about; life, love, heart & home.

ETA: I just decided to do the TBR Challenge, so this counts perfectly for the January book - a category romance! Go me!

Also, just realized I had a typo in the author's name, so have changed the post title accordingly.

Bookwatch: Captivated by Lauren Dane

So I just finished a reread of Relentless, possibly my absolute favorite LD book. And I'm dying. Dying to read the latest installment in the mini-inside-the federation-series Phantom Corps.

From the Amazon description: Vincenz Fardelle, exiled son of the Supreme Leader of the Imperialist Universe, has spent much of the last ten years working to stop the threat his father poses. But he's not alone in his quest. Julian Marsters has lost his best friend and countless others in the war and has made vengeance his only goal. In each other, Julian and Vincenz find not only like minds, but kindred spirits.

However unexpected their relationship, everything changes for Vincenz and Julian when Hannah Black comes into their lives. Having been captured and held in near total isolation by imperialist troops, their immediate response is to protect her.

Emotionally shattered but resilient, Hannah rebuilds herself. Because of the warm safety she finds in the arms of Julian--and Vincenz she becomes someone harder, stronger and bent on preventing the Imperialists from harming anyone else.

For the two men, wrestling with their passionate feelings for Hannah is only the beginning. War is about to send all three into harm's way and an equally dangerous secret could tear them apart.

In reading Mesmerized, I could tell that there was a relationship going on between Vincenz and Julian, and I couldn't wait to read more about it, and to see how Hannah fits into the whole thing.

Captivated doesn't release from Berkley Heat until May. Aaaaack!


On another note, I'm actually working on a year-end post. Don't die of shock, ok? Hopefully that will be up soon.

His Bare Obsession by Lacey Thorn

It was just another day in the small town of Legacy for sexy gym owner Moira Madigan and her best friend Cass. Until they investigated a noise and stumbled upon the body of the latest victim of the rapist and killer who was preying on the women in their town. Now being stalked by this madman, Moira is put under the protective custody of Detective Gil Daniels. He's tall, dark, handsome and just about the sexiest thing she's ever seen. The good news is he's crazy about her too. The bad news is so is the killer and he'll use anyone to get to her.

Can she trust the detective to keep her body safe or only to bring her the ultimate pleasure a woman can have? Sex with Gil Daniels is better than anything she's ever dreamed of and she just might be falling in love. All she has to do is survive meeting his family and avoid the obsessed killer and she might find that happily ever after.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Where to start on this train wreck of a book? Holy moly! I was ready to DNF it in the first chapter, but decided to see where it went. Where it went was wrong. Wrong in every possible way. This was a freebie on Barnes & Noble, so I have one more thing to be thankful for this year – I didn't pay for this book.

The blurb is pretty self-explanatory. So… within the first chapter, Detective Gil Daniels has developed the serious hots for murder witness Moira Madigan. Knowing he has the hots for her, he volunteers to stay at her apartment for 'protection'.

So.. what irked me? I guess it might be easier to note what didn't irk me. That would be, uhhh... nothing.

Gil: So, there is a serial rapist/murderer on the loose. Moira & her roommate catch him at the tail end of his latest murder, and he attacks Moira. Enter Gil, the lead detective on the case. Within 24 hours, it's insta-love! Gil moves in with Moira, roughly takes her virginity, sexxes her up about 5 times on that first night, says I love you, and proposes. There is apparently no problem in the police department with this behavior. Within that same 24 hours, he has called his entire family and invited them to come to town to meet his future bride and has his mom bring his grandmother's ring for Moira.

Moira: Within 24 hours, Moira gives her virginity to Gil, becomes a nympho, magically gives amazing head, falls in love, and accepts his proposal.

Within about 72 hours, she has met his family completely naked, and has no issues with having screaming loud anal sex with his entire family on the other side of the bedroom door. Only a few days after losing her virginity, she's loudly demanding that Gil fuck her in the ass.

Together: After being attacked by the killer, and having to be on her guard 24/7, Gil surprises Moira in the shower, and she's pissed at the way he scared her. He gets pissed at her for being pissed at him and basically forces himself on her. And within minutes, she's so sorry it's so hard for him and she's begging him to do her yet again.

"You. You. You. It's all about how you feel, how it makes you look. Well, fuck you Gil! What about how I feel? You scared me in the shower and then had the gall to yell at me for being scared. In trying to get away from you and oyur temper, I end up maked in front of your family. Oh yes, I really enjoyed meeting Griff in the buff, so I decided to meet the rest of your family that way as well. Why at least this way when I kick your ass to the curb maybe one of your brothers will have liked what they saw enough to take me in."

"Neither of my brothers will ever touch you, Moira. You're mine. You belong to me. You'd best start remembering that."

"I don't belong to anyone, Gil. I'm not a possession of yours."

Now, so far, it sounds like she's standing up for herself. And rightfully so, since Gil is pretty much an asshole. But just wait…

Gil pulled her to him and hugged her close. "No you are not a possession. What you are is the woman I love, the woman who I can't imagine my life without." He let out a harsh sigh and squeezed her tighter before releasing her so that he could look into big green eyes. "I know that you are scared baby. The truth is that so am I. Every time I dealt with Lacey's murder it was like a brutal reminder that it could have been you. I need you like I have never needed anyone in my life, Moira. I've seen what this animal does to these women and I couldn't handle it if he got to you. I just couldn't handle it."

"Oh, Gil, I never even thought about this scaring you.… Sometimes I like it when you get a little possessive.… I'm the lucky one."

And just like that, it's all about Gil, and Moira starts begging him to fuck her. Then later on in that same scene, Gil screws her anally. Without lube! Like 48 hours after he takes her virginity.

And they never once use a condom. Never. He roughly screws her something like 5 times on the night he takes her virginity. When she notes they didn't use anything, he tells her he's safe. And she's magically on birth control. Oh, well, ok then. Phew!

And the prose. Oh my goodness! When Moira's magical fellatio skillz kick in, Gil yells, "I'm going to come, baby. I'm going to fill that sexy mouth with my hot fluid. Drink it all up, baby. Drink it all up and don't spill a drop! Oh yes, baby, oh God yes!"

I read this passage aloud to my hubby as I was snorting, and he said, "Isn't that what I usually say?" LMAO!!

Oh, and the editing problems! Constantly, one brother's name is mistakenly used in place of another.

So, Gil is the lead detective on this serial rapist/murder case, and he never ever does any police work, unless you count investigating Moira's uterus with his tongue. Yet, magically, the case gets solved!

There is just so much wrong with this book, I could go on for days. It's a reminder of why I don't read Ellora's Cave books anymore. Over the top unrealistic with the smexxing, and plot holes as big as the heroines' hoo-hahs.

Apparently it's the first in a series about Gil & his siblings. Enjoy the entire series!

Loose Ends by Tara Janzen

Another rewarding experience in my whiz bang return to reading was Tara Janzen's Loose Ends. This was book 11--and the final book--in Janzen's Steele Street series. Aside from Robb's cops, the Steele Street boys have been the only other cast of characters to drive me out into the cold night--straight to Walmart for the next one or three books in a series. Once I read book one, I had to catch up right then, to the exclusion of all other titles or authors. They were that memorable, that engaging. Particularly Superman, likely the most memorable hero in my last 10 years of reading.

I've kept up with this series throughout the years and will admit there were some that didn't grip as hard as others. Common among them all however, was a humor among the men that rivaled Brockmann's SEALs and an adoration of all things female that set Janzen's men well and truly apart from the rest. There is simply nothing sexier than a man completely enamored of all things "girl". These guys worship every womanly inch and accessory, bringing to mind John Mayer's song Your Body Is A Wonderland.

So Superman is my fave, yes. But J.T.? Wow. In Loose Ends, Janzen brings him home. It was as powerful as I expected. Like Robb and Brockmann, Janzen allowed her characters to lend truth to the story. Hard to explain my thought here, but it is her established characters--acting in character--that set the stage and dictate the events. They encounter J.T. right at the beginning of the book (leaving off from Breaking Loose) and simply take it from there. No backstory or explanation needed to bring the reader into the present moment. And because Janzen's characters are so memorable, I instantly recognized them. All of them. And fell right back in with them with the same ease I pick up Robb's bi-annual In Death releases.

Interestingly, through J.T.'s story, I developed a new appreciation for Gillian, another of Janzen's characters in this series (her story was featured in Crazy Sweet in 2006). In that sense, Janzen's powerful characterization worked in reverse as well as drive. She used it to power this story and revive those that came before it.

I pulled two excerpts or quotes from the book before I put it down--both examples of how Janzen's cast delivered J.T.'s story. In the first, Hawkins (Superman) answers Dylan's concerns about the altered J.T. Here, he gave us the heart of this book:

"Hell, Dylan. If he wanted to hurt people, he would have been throwing fragmentation grenades, not flash bangs." Again Hawkins didn't hesitate. "And Red Dog said he had her dead to rights on the tenth floor, and he obviously didn't pull the trigger. And he didn't hurt Suzi Toussi in Paraguay either. Jane's a burden, an accident that happened in his getaway car. She's not an asset. He came for the girl, and you saw Scout. You can't beat that kind of loyalty into somebody. She's a straight-up girl, fully self-actualized. She's been well cared for and well loved. Whatever J.T. remembers of himself, he hasn't lost his intrinsic guardian tendencies. How many times did he save you?"

In the second, we get that dry humor. Like the first excerpt, you really have to have read this series and know these characters to get the full effect. But for those of you who have, this is Dylan on the phone to Hawkins:

"I want you and Creed to quit dicking around out there and get the damn job done," Dylan said. "Make it so, Superman."

Dicking around?

"Yes, sir."

The radio went silent, and Creed gave him a questioning look. "What's up?"

"We're supposed to quit dicking around."

Creed nodded, "Good idea."

Like I said, a rewarding experience for this exiled reader. A welcome home kind of experience. Felt really really good.

Looking back over my words here, I will apologize to those looking for a review. If you haven't read Janzen, this will be like trying to catch up to the drunks at a party that's been going on for hours. I'd rather steer you to a proper book blurb, pretty cover and helpful link to the Steele Street book list.








WHITE-HOT, DOWN-AND-DIRTY PASSION IGNITES WHEN A SEXY SOLDIER ENCOUNTERS AN IRRESISTIBLE THIEF WHO’S CHANGED HER WAYS.

Six years ago, the Special Defense Force mourned the loss of J. T. Chronopolous. Now the striking soldier is back with scant memory, a new name—Conroy Farrel—and one single mission: to bring down SDF. But SDF has its own plan: get him back at any cost. And so they’ve set a trap for Con, a trap that Jane Linden accidentally steps into. With darkness falling and the night heating up, Con finds himself on the run in an oddly familiar 1967 Pontiac GTO with a drop-dead-gorgeous brunette named Jane by his side. Who she is he doesn’t know. Or does he? Jane certainly hasn’t forgotten him. When she was a teenager, he caught her picking his pocket. Now the former street thief is all grown up and gone legit—and the effect she has on Con is all too clear: pure, sweet longing. Con’s not sure if Jane is there to save him or to take him down. But one thing’s certain: With desire leading the way, all bets are off.