Last Look by Mariah Stewart

News that the body of a recently murdered prostitute—shot through the heart at close range, stabbed repeatedly and dumped on Georgia's Shelter Island—has been identified as Shannon Randall stuns the FBI, particularly Special Agent Dorsey Collins. Twenty-four years ago, nineteen year old Eric Louis Beale was convicted and later executed for Shannon's murder—and the agent in charge of the investigation was Dorsey's father. Now Dorsey is determined to find out where her father's investigation went wrong, what part he played in the death of an innocent young man, and where Shannon has been all this time.

The heat is on FBI Special Agent Andrew Shields to discover what happened to Shannon on that night decades ago, and to find out who killed her and why. Dorsey shadows Andrew's every investigative move, hoping to redeem her father's reputation and capture a cunning killer. Together, Dorsey and Andrew unravel a shocking mystery that will shatter one family, and rock an entire town.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love Mariah Stewart. With Last Look, she carries on the story of the Shields family. This one is Andrew Shields' story. He's the brother of the FBI agent gone bad from Dead End. This one is far less romance and far more thriller. Less romance even than Stewart usually puts into her books (and usually it's not a whole lot). When I read a Stewart book, I never seem to mind. But the tension is definitely there between Dorsey and Andrew. Stewart writes that in masterfully. They share their deepest secrets and fears with one another. They share one kiss. Somehow, you just know that their relationship will progress further.

Characterization - fantastic, as always. We learn about Andrew and Dorsey, about her father, and about the families involved. Just enough. Never too much, never too little. But so much that we care about Andrew and Dorsey - a lot and immediately. We want him to overcome the emotional pain caused by his brother's betrayal. We want her to overcome the pain of her father's emotional betrayal. Simply put, Stewart writes them so well, we care from the get-go what happens to them, and we want them to succeed. Together.

As for the thriller portion of the book, it is a tight, emotional family drama; carried out in the small-town South, delving into family secrets long kept silent, ripping open the wounds of two families in Andrew and Dorsey's desperate search for the truth.

And once again, Stewart had me guessing on the whodunnit until the very end. Shocking and horrifying, as always. If you haven't read her before, even though they are all related, each one really is a stand alone, so go for it, although I highly recommend them all! Next up is Last Words in July, then Last Breath in August. One each month this summer. Can't wait.

Sharing a trip down Memory Lane

I've just taken an interesting trip down memory lane. My mother sent all my school yearbooks to me a few weeks ago and I just got around to opening the box. To my surprise she also included my high school diploma which was in a fancy folder. Inside that folder was my valedictorian speech. Considering graduation year was 1968, I didn't remember what I'd said, so I re-read it. My overall point was we can't deal with each other successfully if we don't hold each other in mutual respect. I was referring to racial tensions on the societal level as well as the tensions between parents and children on the personal level.

Keep in mind I grew up seeing separate water fountains and toilets "for colored only" and there had been a race riot in Washington DC that year (I remember watching smoke from the fires from a friend's apartment which was on the river near the George Washington Bridge). Civil rights was a new concept and not universally accepted. Also, many of my friends came from broken homes or had parents that just didn't pay any attention to their kids. When Bill read it he said I sounded very mature for a 17 year old. I was just amazed (and saddened) to realize I'm still banging that same drum. *sigh*

Jen suggested I could post it here, so without further ado, I present my very first speech:

An ancient Greek philosopher once said, “The state is the man writ large.” We could paraphrase that and say that society is the family written large. We have heard repeatedly that our modern society is sick. When we see all the violence and revolution, both political and social, that dominates the news media today, we can indeed know that society is not in robust health. I will not make judgment as to whether this turmoil is a necessary part of evolution towards something better or whether we are convulsing with the pangs of decadence that have set upon us, but obviously something is not right. If society is indeed sick, then I submit that the family is also sick. What virus has infected our families to cause this illness? Doubtless its name is Legion. We could name several, and affluence ranks high among them. However, it is my diagnosis as a relatively inexperienced but very much involved young person that the most deadly virus that has infected our family lives and is mirrored in our society is a lack of understanding based on mutual respect.

We see the expression of this problem in the nations of the world. The United States and France are two historically national friends who have shared common destinies and have built the superstructure of their respective states on common philosophical foundations. Now they find their relationship in a state of rupture and we must point our finger at a gross lack of understanding and a loss of mutual respect. The so-called “Cold War” is a universal expression of the same problem.

Within the individual nations we have the races at each other’s throats. We do not need to be reminded of Selma, Watts, Detroit and our own front door, Washington, DC, where we have seen the horrible evidence of a lack of understanding between the races of men.

And what shall we say of the most recent phenomenon in our community, where one socio-economic class is making threatening demands of another class? What traumatic proportion will this lack of understanding reach before we face each other in common respect and see that the problem of poverty belongs to us all.

It seems that the “in” word today is gap. We have the “missile gap” and the “credibility gap”, and now we dismiss the historical lack of communication between the young and not young enough, as a “generation gap”. Oh well, it looks like the “generation gap” is going to take care of itself pretty soon. The kids can’t wait to get all the privileges and license of the adult world, while the aging population is making the cosmetic industry one of the biggest businesses is the country by trying to stay young.

We have painted a gloomy picture of nations, races, classes and generations, but it seems to me that the lowest common denominator in this whole matter is the problem of the individual. We can pass minimum wage laws, guarantee a certain income, give higher social security and set up firearms control; but let us not live with the unrealistic ideas that we can legislate an individual’s morality. This does not mean that we are relieved of the obligation of good legislation, however.

You people who complain about these situations, do you do something about them or do you just complain about them? “All the world loves a lover” and tolerates the complainer. But to those of you who want to help, I have a solution that is almost impossible in it’s simplicity. Each man must be changed by an act of his own will. If we are going to destroy this virus that infects our society and families it must be destroyed in me and in you. The poor man must stand in the affluent man’s shoes just as much as the affluent man must stand in the poor man’ shoes in order to understand each other. I cannot help to ease the tension between the races until I, by an act of my own will, determine to understand why a man of another race looks upon me with suspicion and I likewise upon him. This is the beginning of understanding. If a gap indeed does exist between generations, it exists as an individual problem and must be solved as such. If you and your parents do not communicate, if you are sick over the gap that exists between you and your child, let me assure you that you search in vain if you are looking for a psychiatrist or legislator to close that gap for you. When you really want to communicate and are willing to indulge yourself in a moment of tolerance, mutual respect and unselfishness, in that moment the bridge over that gap has gone under construction.

I warned you that this solution was almost impossible in its simplicity but there it is. Let us be realistic now and stop looking for a human messiah to elect to a political office or some miracle of modern science to lead us painlessly into a utopia. We have one set of alternatives - understanding between men and nations based on tolerance and mutual respect, or utter chaos. The choice is ours.

I imagine this was a real snooze-fest for my fellow students but I was supposed to give a socially relevant and inspirational speech. The Salutorian got to give the funny speech which spoofed his classmates. Lucky guy.

Our Endangered Values by Jimmy Carter

I read this a couple years ago, and it is as relevant today as it was then. I'm reposting my review of it, because my opinion hasn't changed one iota since I originally read this book, and it's too good not to mention it again. If you haven't read any of Carter's books, you really should.

Jimmy Carter has to be one of the most amazing, underappreciated, underrated men our country has been privileged to have as a public servant. Yes, his presidency was plagued with the energy/gas crisis, the Iran Hostage crisis, etc, but in the years since his presidency, he has earned himself an even bigger, brighter place in not just American history, but world history.

This book focuses on history and, to a large extent, on the current administration's subservience to the fundamentalist conservative right. Although parts of the book are a scathing criticism of the current administration, he backs up his positions with biblical scripture and historical events and perspectives. He is, by his own admission, a devout evangelical "born again" Christian. Yet he passionately defends the separation of church and state and defended the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade, although it went against his own personal beliefs.

He devotes chapters in this book to civil rights, homosexuality, the death penalty, abortion, science and religion, divorce, women's rights, and environmental issues including drilling for oil in Alaska, preserving America's national parks and global warming, and the US policies on decreasing emissions in relation to the rest of the industrialized world. There are chapters on our global image, the growing gap between rich and poor both in the US and globally, North Korea, Cuba, nuclear proliferation/disarmament, humane treatment of POWs, government-sanctioned torture, and war (globally and specifically in Iraq).

This is not a "democrat" vs "republican" issue, he is quick to point out, and the book backs up this assertion. Instead, he concentrates on the increasingly strong influence of religion into politics, which, he contends, should be separate. He puts every chapter into perspective relative to his own strong religious convictions and beliefs. He contends that religion has its place in politics in the same way that it has its place in everyday life - by guiding our hand toward being valuable, moral and compassionate human beings - not by guiding public policy and law.

As a Jew, I found this a fascinating read, given his self-admitted evangelical bent. Although we have different religious beliefs, it is clear to me that he respects every human being's right to believe passionately in their own religion, but not at the expense of others. As an American, I found it equally as fascinating, although a bit demoralizing to read about some of the positions taken by our country's leadership (and by default, the country's citizenry), and as a human being, I am equally captivated and appalled by the lack of far-sightedness he portrays by current and past leadership of our country, and its lasting ramifications.

A fascinating read, and I recommend it highly, along with any of his other twenty-odd books, including his poetry.

Ascension by Lauren Dane

Kari's simple life is tossed upside down. She's hospitalized after a dog attacks her, her doctor kidnaps her, and now a totally crazy man is telling her that not only is he a werewolf but so is she. And not just any werewolf but the queen!

She soon finds out Andreas is telling the truth. Being a werewolf isn't so bad when your husband stands well over six feet, is hotter than a movie star and richer than one too. It doesn't hurt that he adores and spoils her, and the wicked-hot sex is icing on the cake. What girl doesn't like cake?

But someone in the Cherchez Pack keeps trying to kill her. Kari is happy belonging to a big family for the first time in her life and she's not going to let one wolf with an axe to grind ruin that. Andreas, Kari and the wolves in the Inner Circle unite to end the threat and find the killer. It's kill or be killed and Kari intends to do the killing.

So, I’m not a huge fan of werewolf stories, but I am a huge fan of Lauren Dane. This book didn’t serve to turn me onto werewolf stories any further, but it did cement me as a full-fledged Lauren Dane fangirl. Why didn’t it turn me onto werewolf stories? I just haven’t read any other werewolf books like this one. Hell, if they were all written like this, I would buy them all, but unfortunately they aren’t. At least not the ones I’ve ever read.

What sets this one apart for me? Simple. Lauren Dane. Her voice, her characters. These aren’t "others" who speak in anachronistic voices and live in strange faraway countries – her werewolves sound like regular folks, hold jobs like regular folks, live in the real world like regular folks.

Kari is a kickass, take no prisoners heroine. Andreas is her perfect match. An alpha who adores his woman enough to let her be her own…umm… person (?). She rules that house with an iron fist, and I loved it. But he is no pushover, either. And his dominance really comes out in the bedroom. Uhhh, YUM.

Lauren sent me this book with the hope of guiding me into the paranormal world – the "dark side" as she put it. Well, I like her version of it, and I wouldn’t call it the dark side at all. But, I think I can honestly say it’s because I just love her books. And I’m truly glad that I read it. I will be reading the next in this series for sure.

So I didn’t say much about the book itself plotwise, but it’s one I enjoyed. And y’all know I’m not the paranormal girl most of you are. So, if you’re looking for a book with strong, believable, kickass characters, lots of humor, loads of great sex, and a lot of love, pick up Ascension now. You can get it here.

I have only one negative thing to say about this book, and I mentioned it in my review of A Hunger Like No Other. What’s with all the long hair? All these guys live in the real world and completely mesh in it. Every time I read a paranormal, I’m picturing Fabio, and I just can’t get into that. Is it like a Samson thing? Cut off their hair and they lose their magic powers? Or am I a freak? Does everybody else out there love the long hair?

Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught

This book was truly something wonderful. Believe it or not, this was only the 2nd book by McNaught that I have ever read. The first was Once and Always, and I loved it as much as this one. This is clichéd romance at its finest. Her hero is a wounded, jaded soul, and her heroine is (albeit a bit too) naïve, innocent fresh girl who sees the good in the world, but who also has a deep, educated, "old" soul.

Once I got past Alex falling in love with Jordan at basically first sight, I was as enchanted as Jordan. It was beautifully written, watching his barriers crumble, one by one. Of course, there is a great tragedy that befalls them, and Alex must grow up, and Jordan becomes very distrustful. As Alex becomes disillusioned with Jordan and her memories of him, I wanted to cry right along with her - McNaught writes it that well. When Jordan misinterprets Alex's transformation, I wanted to smack him - I was that invested.

We see Jordan get pulled nder Alex's spell almost unwittingly, unable to help himself from buying into her pollyanna vision of life. As she matures, and tries to take on his more cynical and rakish characteristics, we watch him mourn the loss of that which he thought he didn't want, need or even like. His attempt to win her back brings out the best in them both.

McNaught's writing paints beautiful pictures, and seeing Jordan and his autocratic, cynical grandmother both melt under Alex's wide-eyed excitement for life made me remember why I started reading romance lo those many years ago. It looks like many of McNaught's books are being re-released, and I'm going to go looking for more.

Eye Of Heaven by Marjorie M. Liu

I liked everything about this one, experiencing the same awe I did when I first read Tiger Eye.

Dirk & Steele have a creed: Protect the innocent in secrecy. No member of the Agency is "normal." Blue Perrineau is no different. And now, when it is clear that darker shadows exist in the world -- people who followed no rule under heaven -- every secret is a liability. Blue wtll soon see.

They come from all over the world to observe Iris’s lithe, catlike body and her affinity for wild creatures. All eyes are upon her, seeking, judging -- coveting. But one gaze is that of a savior, a man of electricity and mystery -- a mystery as deep and convoluted as her own. And together, they might yet see the dawn.

I was particularly drawn to the heroine, Iris. Vulnerable to the point of near shattering, Liu uses her to put readers at the edge of their seat right from the start. You spend the whole of the story tensing in anticipation every time Iris is present. Wondering if she will be able to keep her human form, wondering if this is the moment when Blue will break through her defenses. Not previously a fan of shapeshifter stories, I succumbed here as easily as I did in Tiger Eye. Iris was as real to me as any other heroine I’ve read. And I wanted her HEA as fervently. She was exotic, but still relatable—at an emotional level—if that makes sense.

Blue was equally fascinating. Charged, if you don’t mind the pun, and patient, probably my favorite quality in a romance hero. Liu treats us to development of his character on two levels—through his romance with Iris and, in another emotional vein, through his budding relationship with his brother. Both lines provided glimpses of Blue’s humor, insecurity and loyalty.

I want to say that the secondary storyline—that between Blue and his brother—interested me as much as the primary. But, it doesn’t serve Liu justice to word it like that. She deftly blends characters and events, past and present, romance and suspense, into one tale, without any noticeable breaks or even the subtlest of parallels. Every moment leads to the next. I was completely wrapped up, surrounded by the story.

Of course, anyone who has read Liu knows that she is a master storyteller. Vivid prose, diverse characters, boundless worlds. It’s all here.

Coming back to the ‘wholeness’ of the story. Liu calls in more characters from previous books (Dirk and Steele series) and relies on them to help finish the story. With a few twists. Again, every part served to strengthen the whole. And, because her characters live for the reader, there was no hesitation, no gap in the action to allow readers a moment of recognition. Wasn’t needed. Recognition was instant and the focus on this story unerring.

Sounds like I’m stuck on how tightly woven this installment felt to me. Occurring within a short timeframe, with most of the action limited to one of two locations. Yeah, I keep boiling it all down to that. I think my appreciation for it is higher than usual because the last full-length book—Red Heart Of Jade—left me dazed. Satisfied, but with scrambled eggs where my brain used to be.

Final note. I also read A Dream Of Stone And Shadow (anthology) last month. Thought it perfect too.

Risk by Ann Christopher

I met Ann Christopher at Lori Foster's Reader/Writer Weekend and found her to be so delightful I had to buy one of her books. And boy am I glad I did.

A Spark Of Desire...
Fine and fearless, Justus Robinson doesn't hesitate to hit on gorgeous law student Angela Dennis at his brother's wedding even though she's the bride's sister. That night the two share an unforgettably sexy dance, but nothing more--until ten years later when a tragedy reunites them...

...A Test Of Love
Angela has barely healed from a breakup when her sister and brother-in-law are killed in an accident. Sharing their grief, Justus and Angela discover they are still attracted to one another. But when they find themselves competing to adopt their orphaned young niece, their rekindled passion is sorely tested. Justus is determined to raise the child even if it means alienating the woman he's never stopped wanting. Reeling from loss and tormented by her desire for Justus, Angela makes a drastic move--one that will change the lives of everyone involved...

Although there's very little actual sex, there's a lot of sexual tension. When Angela and Justus first meet, she's seven years older than he. Since he's seventeen at the time, that's a whopping big deal. She's embarrassed that she's attracted to him, hence just the one dance at the wedding. He's also deeply attracted to her although it's primarily sexual - hey he's seventeen, what do you expect?

When they meet again 10 years later, she's being publicly dumped by her boyfriend of three years from whom she'd been expecting a marriage proposal. Justus tries to comfort her even though he's there with another woman. During the intervening 10 years he's become a serious player so of course the other woman is HOT, but he's not serious about her. Seeing Angela again after 10 years reminds him of how special she is.

Seemingly the next day, his brother and Angela's sister die in a freak car accident that leaves their little three year old daughter, Maya, unharmed. Now, Angela is an attorney who never had any time for Maya because she was too focused on her career. Justus, on the other hand, had established a loving relationship with her over the last three years. Naturally, Angela takes her in but she's feeling overwhelmed. She'd just been dumped and then her last relative (sister) died and, of course, she hasn't a clue how to deal with Maya. Justus sees this as the perfect opportunity to pursue Angela while spending time with Maya whom he already loves.

Angela and Justus are three dimensional characters. They are so real. I understood how Angela felt about talking with a three year old stranger - panic. LOL Christopher takes her time with these characters so they are fully formed and I ached for them when they misunderstood each other or reacted out of their own insecurities. The relationship Justus has with his father is fascinating too. Oh and I kept picturing Justus as the actor Henry Simmons who played Det. Baldwin Jones on NYPD Blue. But that was just MY imagination. LOL Christopher has a real gift for describing an action in just a few words so that you can easily picture the emotion in the activity.

I highly recommend this book and plan to get her others: Trouble and Just About Sex.

Remember the grading system? I'd give Risk an A.

Dirty by Megan Hart

Like Anne, I was deeply moved by this book. Its unerring focus on the heroine, written entirely in her POV, makes for some uncomfortable reading. Imagine a public narration of your own thoughts, your own emotional responses to the people and events in your life. Stripped clean to your bones. Anne was right. It was disturbing, yet compelling. A story you could not turn away from.

There are already a number of reviews for this book out there. Anne’s, Lauren’s, two at DearAuthor--Janine’s and Jane’s, Stacey’s, Wendy’s, and more I’ve probably missed (with apology). All do a wonderful job of recapping and sharing the effect of Dirty and its narration. Nothing more for me to say on it.

I will share a couple of personal notes though. First, Hart’s character Elle was so much like my best friend from grad school that I came dangerously close to picking up the phone and demanding to know why my friend published a near-autobiographical book without telling me. No, my friend did not suffer the trauma that Elle has. But she shares the same emotional detachment and engages in relationships with men that downright mirror that of Elle and Dan’s. It was spooky. And it primed me to care about Elle from the start. Where others found her flawed, I found someone I already knew and loved. Where others experienced frustration or disappointment in her, I could readily defend her responses, or lack thereof. Not because I understand that kind of emotional numbness, but rather because I learned a long time ago to accept it in a friend who has shown me more love and compassion over the years than most. It made for a different reading experience for me. Powerful, but rather familiar.

Second, and this one’s really personal, for every five words that leave my mouth (or fingertips), there are 105 words tripping through my head. A constant narrative that, before now, I’ve never felt remotely compelled to share with anyone. Now however, there is someone in my life that I desperately want to know and understand all that I do not share out loud. Not today, mind you. He is only four years old. But someday, I want my son to know how powerful his impact has been on that narrative. We all want our children to know how much we love them. Sure. But this feels different somehow. Like I want to capture the words, or narrative, on paper, to someday share with him how profoundly his being changed me. If I don’t, I will lose it. I’m already losing it from one month to the next. There is humor, growth, reflection… So much I’d like to impart. Or maybe just keep. For myself. At any rate, the first person POV Hart uses to lay it all bare reminds me that, however unattractive or flawed, I too want to start spilling. And one of the biggest blocks—my lack of animation or physical expression—may not be such a block after all. Hart delivers this narrative without it and still manages to convey the emotion, humor, indecision, etc.

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series just gets better and better. Dark Lover was entertaining, a hip addiction, Lover Eternal a bit wilder and Lover Awakened highly emotional, heartrending. Officially hooked on the series and attached to the characters, I had no doubt Lover Revealed would be a good read. I bought it when it released, piled it with my books (small, small stack) and looked forward to reading it. Then kept putting it off, selecting other titles instead. Should have read it the day it arrived. It was better than good. Lover Revealed had everything.

Suspense right from the start. I was edge-of-my-seat desperate to see where Ward would take Butch after his abduction by the Lessers. It was clear from the moment Vishous found him that Ward would journey to a mark off the stereotypical map. Despite trying, I could not predict the outcome. Nor could I turn the pages fast enough to get there. Without spoilers, I can only say that the fate she held for these characters made all kinds of sense. And it was breathtaking. When I finished that scene, my only thought was Wow.

Emotional depth in unexpected places. In the romance, Butch’s feelings for Marissa inspired a few tightening grips on the book. The romance more than held its own. But it was Vishous’ feelings for Butch that sucked the air from my lungs. It is so powerful you ache with it. Regardless of how you view it, romantic or brotherly, it is written brilliantly. Without hesitation or apology. Like I said, you ache with it.

That banter. I actually told a friend that the brothers’ humor and antics in this one felt adlibbed. Not scripted. How’s that for testimony to Ward’s talent for lifting characters from the page? Dennis Leary, who provides a living, breathing presence for his Rescue Me character, adlibs. Characters limited to typeface do not adlib.

A promise of more to come. Vishous. I’ll push down the elderly and young to get my hands on his story come September. And John. This book whispered of his assault more than once and I look forward to the solace and reflection we know he will find in Zsadist.

Gideon by Jacquelyn Frank

Jacob was absolutely breathtaking (the Little Flower thing notwithstanding). I had very high hopes for Gideon. After all, it's not just any paranormal that can grab my attention in such a positive manner.

Gideon is the Ancient healer, who in Jacob, came out of a self-imposed isolation to assist in the climactic battle. Legna is Noah's youngest sister. I would have had no problem with this pairing, except that he was called "the Ancient" and much reference was made to his silver hair, etc. while the reference was made to Legna's youth quite frequently. It, quite frankly, started to creep me out. I began to imagine an old guy with a hard-on for a very young woman. Just... yuck. It was very difficult for me, then, to picture Gideon in the role in which Frank later put him - that of a romantic lead - manly, virile, youthful.

Having said that, I did enjoy once again the dialogue between the H&H - once the relationship was established, there was an irreverence in the way that Legna dealt with Gideon, along with the innate respect they obviously had for one another. Humor tempered with understanding of the importance of the situation in which they found themselves. I also once again enjoyed Frank's voice, her characterizations, and her supporting characters, who each seem to take on a leading role at some point. Once again, I found myself skimming through the battle at the end, reading just enough to discover who was injured, who was ok, and who was where.

Ancienty-Creepiness factor aside, Gideon seems a fascinating... errr, umm... man, able to bring different factions of Nightwalkers together for a common cause; commanding respect from all who know him. I was less than enthralled, however, with the reason for his self-imposed exile. There was the huge build-up in Jacob, and the reason seemed so insignificant in the grand scheme of things once revealed. I was frustrated with his excuse for stalking a human when he "couldn't" have Legna.

I liked Legna and Bella's friendship, and would have liked to have seen more of Legna's life explored in depth. I felt that Frank really just scratched the surface here, and there was much more that she could have revealed.

All in all, still a very enjoyable read, but not nearly as good as Jacob, IMO.

Virtually His by Gennita Low

This book just knocked me on my ass. I read it in one sitting, staying up half the night to reach the last page. Then I laid awake a bit longer trying to figure out how to share this thrill ride without ruining it for others. Everything that happened in this story was a surprise. Determined to tell everyone about this read, I even considered writing up a review and asking Ms. Low to check it for potential spoilers. Then I ditched that idea and figured I’d just be adamant (using the F word a lot) that folks read it, but remain vague as hell.

Then, this morning, I checked Low’s website to see how much of this story she is sharing with readers. Whoa. Quite a bit if you drill into her site and read the blurb for the next book, Virtually Hers. Whew. That makes it easier to review Virtually His, but I can’t say enough about how much I benefited from going into this read completely blind. As far as I knew, Virtually His was the start of a new series for Low. Aside from a few blog posts about the virtual reality technology, I had read little about the story. Hadn’t even read the back cover blurb. I simply ordered it from Amazon and waited for its release. (After reading her backlist last year, Low is an auto-buy for me.)

When I picked up the book, I read the back cover first. The blurb is a cryptic introduction of Helen Roston, the book’s heroine and Low’s newest ‘ultimate secret operative’. Very scifi. Then I read the acknowledgements. Low thanks the individuals who read/critiqued for her along the way and apologized for keeping the hero’s identity from them. Hmmm. I hadn’t read a word of the story yet and already my mind was jumping ahead.

Page one kicks off the story with a classified government memo and is followed by outtakes of Roston’s virtual remote viewing training. This was a really clever way of bringing readers up to speed without the traditional info dump. I call them outtakes because Low infuses each lecture or session excerpt with classroom antics from Helen, her star pupil. Funny and insightful. By the time the story begins, we all know that Helen, aka Hell, is a beloved smartass.

Right away, characters from Low’s previous books show up. While I had already recognized the acronyms of government agencies Low established in earlier stories, I had expected nothing more than mention or reference to those early characters. I was still thinking whole new series, whole new cast. Series slut that I am, I was thrilled to see familiar faces in full attendance to guide and care for the new heroine.

As the project unfolds, Hell continues to endear readers with her wit and determination. All the while, the unnamed hero watches her, his intent questionable, his own character suspect. And she knows he is watching. The effect? There is sexual tension long before their first virtual meeting. That tension is heightened by his formal position as the one in control as well as by his sexual manipulation of her in her first virtual tests. He is her monitor (think handler) during virtual remote viewing and each of his tests serves to bind her to him with unerring trust. Sexy as all get out.

Low deftly uses the imagery of shadow and light and a surround sound echo instead of voice to keep the hero’s cover. She also employs a hilarious device to hide his appearance in later virtual meetings—allowing Helen to create her own image (avatar) of him, fueled by her wicked sense of humor. Every sensation, every image adds to the sensual undertone, pulling the reader into the romance. All the while, Low is carefully assembling the critical pieces that make up the story’s endgame. Cunning, sexy and more than a little devious. You will just shake your head when it all comes together.

We do get the hero’s POV throughout. Not too much, but enough to ensure the reader will not sleep until his identity is revealed. We also get a handful of alpha commandos positioned to execute the final mission. Neither Helen, nor the reader knows the true intent or purpose of each commando. Low cloaks them all in mystery, leaving Helen to wonder who, if any, could be her monitor. As Helen’s need to unmask him escalates, so does the readers’. I was dying here. Trying to imagine each one as the monitor. Even taking a couple of leaps, curious about just how outrageous Low could be. I could not figure it out. Had no fucking clue. Loved that.

I also loved the humor. In one instance, Low introduces a commando during a tension-filled, high-level government briefing. His appearance and the subsequent vampire comment from his peer had me laughing so hard I nearly wet myself. Overall, for every dangerous alpha speaking softly (shiver), there are equal doses of spirited, adolescent banter. Again, sexy as all get out.

So, familiar characters, enticing romance and bulging alphas all headed toward a dangerous mission. What else? Villians, yes. But they don’t take up too much time or space. More like they provide another twist that pops on the next to the last page.

That leaves the hero’s identity and the book’s conclusion. Both of which will kick your ass. When he did finally appear, his description alone stopped my heart. In that instant, Low delivered a wallop that gave new meaning to the concept of pivotal moment. Not saying who he is. And trust me, if you go looking, you’ll find the answer. Don’t. Do. It. Savor this book first.

As for the ending, well…shit, I’m not saying anything about that either. I’ll just say that I was a touched pissed. Didn’t expect that and August is a fucking long way from now.

Buy Virtually His here.

Returning to the fold...

Like Lori, I am back from my month-long hiatus. I’ve read a handful of fucking fabulous books (waving to KarenS), but lacked the mindset and time to chat them up. Because they are so fucking fabulous however, I’m going back in time to write the reviews. I started yesterday, penning a review for Ward’s Lover Revealed and a commentary on Megan Hart’s Dirty. Both were deeply affecting reads. Next up was to be Liu’s Eye of Heaven and Rachel Gibson’s Sex, Lies and Online Dating—the latter a sexy little find that caught me by surprise.

I planned to write them all up and post them in one fell swoop today.

Best laid plans…I’ll finish writing those up and post them later. Right now, I’m going to post a review written with feverish haste just this morning. Virtually His by Gennita Low. Where the others offered gritty emotion, mystical beings and a flirty romp, Low’s latest book provided a thrill ride that kept me up waaayyyyy past my bedtime last night. I read this book in one sitting and have yet to come down from the rush. Love when that happens.

Finished Megan Hart's Broken...

And absolutely loved it. I finished it a few days ago and needed time to process my thoughts/feelings about the story.

First and foremost let me say if you're looking for a light, fun read, you're not going to find it in Broken. Within the pages of this book, you're going to find a story unlike any you've ever read. One that will leave you, at times, confused, sad, afraid, and fearful, and at other times you'll be happy and content.

In this book, first person totally worked. I didn't want to know what any of the other characters were thinking. Sadie's thoughts and feelings kept me plenty enthralled.

Truthfully, when I picked up this book, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Sadie's brushing the invisible do-not-cross line between fidelity and infidelity, but as I read the book, I understood the "why." When you don't receive physical touch for a long time, I can see needing it, even if it is living vicariously through another's escapades. And in Sadie's case, the title of this book, Broken, fits so many things: her relationship with her husband, her husband, and, most of all, herself. Her life is, indeed, broken. Being broken can make a person feel lost and confused and so totally fucking frustrated you just want to break down and cry your eyes out, especially when no matter how hard you try to find a way to fix or repair things, you just can't.

But Sadie doesn't do that. She doesn't whine. She doesn't wail. Just just does. She goes on living her life, and I applaud her for that. Her strength(which she didn't see in herself) is amazing. I ached for this woman. I cried for her. I got angry with her. I got frustrated with her. I laughed with her. I felt everything she felt.

Megan Hart is an amazing author. With both books Dirty and Broken, she took me places I never imagined I'd go, and I thank her for sharing her amazing talent and fabulous stories with me. First person or not, with these two books, Ms. Hart has earned a spot on my auto-buy list.

(Cross posted on Let's Gab)

Six of Hearts by JT Schultz

This is a first book by a brand new author, and it shows. There are awkward word choices, places where the story doesn't flow as it should, and a dénouement that didn't make as much sense to me as it might have.

Having said all that, I did enjoy much of this book. Here's the story in a nutshell: A group of 6 teenage friends is being killed one by one. The detective on the case was friends with them all (sister to one and first lover to another). There are tons of secrets among them, of course.

What I liked: Faith, who comes back for the first funeral and is our heroine, and Devon, our hero. I liked them both. We get to see a lot of their history and they don't try to hide their renewed feelings for one another. They both come across as human, with flaws and issues. But both quite likeable.

I liked Faith's brothers. Who just happen to also be Devon's partners. Lots of humor there, lots of sibling teasing, but brotherly protectiveness and closeness and love that as the reader, I could see coming through as well.

I liked the storyline, although it's one that has been done before and by bestselling authors. For that alone, Schultz gets an A+ for guts. But I really liked the past relationships that Schultz built into the book, and she obviously thought those through well and took the time and care to establish and develop them, and most of the characters were the better for it.

What I didn't like: Schultz has some growing to do as a writer in how she handles conflict between her characters. There is a big scene where Faith and Devon confront a past hurt, and the way that it played out didn't quite ring true for me. She did a beautiful job developing these characters, and then didn't allow them to be themselves during this crucial moment.

But while Schultz did a great job character-building her protagonists, many of her antagonists were characaturish. I would have liked to have seen how the shallow, selfish bitch became that way, when she was one of the group before.

I also kept wondering all the way through the book... who was working the case? Devon and Jake never seemed to actually do any police work. This is definitely one area that Schultz needs to improve upon if she wants to write romantic suspense that includes police procedure in it.

And like I said, there were a lot of places in the dialogue mostly, where the wording felt awkward, just didn't flow properly, like you or I would say things. It almost felt as though she was trying to write it the way it should be grammatically correct, but in dialogue especially, word choice and order has to be dictated more by what is character appropriate.

Also, I couldn't figure out if the old boyfriend was frind or foe. I think that Schultz felt that she established him as friend by the end of the book, but I don't think she cleaned up her loose ends. So she needs to make sure that she keeps all her ducks in a row - a difficult task for any author in a very long book.

So, I know it sounds like there were more problems than pluses here, and perhaps there were, but you all know I'm a very forgiving reader. Overall, for a first effort, I think Schultz did a fairly credible job. It wasn't fantastic, but I can see good potential here. The things that were wrong were things that are the easier things to fix. The basics - good story idea, good character building (for the most part) were there. I would be willing to give her another shot.

Word of warning. This is a "Super/Epic" length novel. If you are not as forgiving a reader as I am, don't go there. If you are forgiving, and are willing to give a newbie a try and overlook her oopsies, you can buy the book at Forbidden Publications.

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

Pick yourselves up off the floor. Yes, I read a paranormal... on my own *g*. Mixed feelings on this one. While I really loved the world that Jacqueline Frank created in Jacob, I was not so wowed by the world that Cole created here. The book started out very slowly for me, and I very nearly put it down after the first 40 pages or so. But I persevered, determined to meet my 2007 goal of expanding my horizons (I haven't gotten too far, have I?...).

I found the Scottish brogue of a werewolf distracting and rather out of place, but overall I did like the character of Lachlain. He seemed truly confused by discovering his mate was a vampire (turns out she was half vampire and half valkyrie, whatever that is! - SO not up on the terminology!). He spent a good deal of time wondering how he was going to explain it all to his clan - you know, the uh oh, I'm up shit's creek without a paddle, even if I am the king of the clan. Apparently werewolves and vampires are sworn enemies. (I SO need to figure out the whole relationship of the different peeps thing). I was a bit annoyed by the constant description of Emma as a "wee thing". I kept expecting her to go pee or something. (one of the hazards of having boys, I guess - the whole "wee" thing and all.) But I digress...

As I was saying, I liked Lachlain overall, and his attempts to control his alpha self around Emma endeared him to me. It was also very sexy the way he got off on her drinking his blood. (So maybe there's hope for me with the whole vampire thing after all, hmmm?).

Side note: why do all the men in paranormals have to have long hair? No matter their race/species/whatever. Can't some of them just have normal dos? I mean, they are trying to fit into society so humans don't know that they are ... whatever they are, right? Long hair is SO not my thing. And I wish just one of them would have a normal name, too! Side note over.

As for Emma, I think I liked her. But it took a while. She was whiny and bitchy at first. And she just up and went with Lachlain. What's up with that? But she did seem to grow into her role, although she kept him at arms length and was quite the tease, albeit unintentionally. When she did finally learn to stand up for herself and kick some ass against a rival, I got my one chuckle from the book when one of the guys claimed the only thing that could have made the fight any better was if it had taken place in some Jello. Men. *rolling eyes* They are the same, no matter the species, I guess LOL.

Supporting characters: I think there were too many types of "others" for me to keep them all straight, even though they were defined in a glossary of sorts at the end. And for a bunch that hate one another, there sure were a lot of them that found their mates among each other! Sheesh! I also thought that Emma's family just came off as bitchy and whiny (I guess I see where she got it from), and mostly just unlikeable in my eyes, rather than strictly protective, as I think they were meant to be.

So, a mixed bag for this book. I'm not eager to race out and pick up the next in the series, but I won't write it off, either. However, Lauren Dane has promised to woo me to the "dark side" with an ARC of Ascension. WOOT! I've said it before and I'll say it again. There are very few writers that I fully trust to deliver a fantastic story in a paranormal. Lauren is one of them, although I admit I've read all her contemps, but never one of her paranormals. So I'll have to let you know how that goes.

Not Quite a Lady by Loretta Chase

Long Time no blog! I've read a few that make me want to actually blog again, so here's the first. Next up *gasp* a paranormal! But first...

This is the latest in the Carsington series. I approached it with a little bit of unease – the last two had left me a tad disappointed. After all, my first two Chase books were Lord Perfect and Lord of Scoundrels. I’m happy to say that although this book doesn’t compare to those two (they are definitely in a league of their own), I thoroughly enjoyed Not Quite a Lady. I found both Darius and Charlotte to be likeable characters. I found Charlotte to be especially sympathetic, and thoroughly enjoyed watching her open up to Darius.

What I liked: There was a stepmother in this book. Chase avoided the “evil stepmother” cliché, and gave Lizzy (what a great name for a stepmother!) and Charlotte an especially close relationship, even though Lizzy is only 9 years older than Charlotte. Charlotte’s parents are loving, caring people, and when her “secret” comes out, her father only wants what’s best for her, despite his shock.

I liked that Charlotte managed to turn men away without being rude or “spinsterish” and acquiring a reputation as nasty. Men still adore her.

I liked that Darius was the first to say I love you. Those Carsington men are something special, aren’t they? He has a great sense of humor, great looks, and a desire to make it on his own, once challenged to do so by his father.

I liked the references to Darius’ brothers. He frequently referenced (in his own mind, as well as out loud) being the youngest of a large family of boys, and how that influenced him. I loved that he was sensitive to Charlotte, and how he never once turned away from her when he figured out that Pip was her son.

I loved the laughter during the sex scenes – especially in the laundry room. That was terrific.

Also loved the very short glimpse we get of Olivia (Benedict and Bathsheba’s daughter) teaching Pip to play (read: cheat) whist.

What I didn’t like: How on earth do a 16 year old and a newly married 25 year old hide a pregnancy from their father/husband? Truly? Did he never come to visit while his beloved daughter was so ill? I found that portion of the story a tad unbelievable.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a great deal more than the previous two installments. That’s it for the Carsington brothers – I only hope Olivia grows up soon and is next in line – what a great heroine she will make!

The Crossroads Cafe by Deborah Smith

Heartbroken and cynical, famed actress Cathryn Deen hides from the world after a horrific accident scars her for life.
Secluded in her grandmother’s North Caroline mountain home, Cathryn at first resists the friendship of the local community and the famous biscuits served up by her loyal cousin, Delta, at The Crossroads Café, until a neighbor, former New York architect Thomas Mitternich, reaches out to her.
Thomas lost his wife and son in the World Trade Center. In the years since he’s struggled with alcohol and despair. He thinks nothing and no one can make his life worth living again.
Until he meets Cathryn.

It’s such a delight to read a book with so many characters that are so fully drawn. This isn’t just Cathy and Thomas’s story, it’s also about the land and the people who live there. Smith has written a funny and deeply moving story that has characters who will stay with me a long time. Sometimes it was a funny exchange between characters, or the metaphor of making biscuits that turn out right, or the pain of wanting to fix someone who isn’t ready to be fixed. This is definitely a romance but ever so much more. I laughed and cried, but I smiled a lot.

Normally, I’m not much for “reading guides”, but some of the questions at the end of the book were thought provoking. “Do you feel that your looks – good, bad or ordinary – have played a major part in shaping your life? How?” Now considering this book’s heroine was a beautiful woman whose whole life had revolved around her beauty before she was burned, this question seemed perfectly natural. But it’s a good question anyway.

I guess it’s official, I’m a fangirl of Deborah Smith. So far, there hasn’t been a book of hers that I haven’t LOVED. There’s so much depth to the characters, I hate to leave them. I give this an A+.

Chasing Stanley by Deirdre Martin

Well, it took this one to pull me out of my reviewing slump. I try really hard not to post negative reviews. Y'all know that. But I had to say something about this book. And I'm not really quite sure what to say about it. Except this. I really wanted to like this book. I really did. I loved Martin's first book. I liked her second book. I reluctantly liked The Penalty Box. But I don't know why I continue to read books about Jewish heroines. It's like I'm on a continuous quest to find a book that doesn't totally stereotype either the heroine or her family. Yet at the same time, something keeps me reading. And I apologize in advance for the rant that is sure to come, because we try very hard not to make this blog a forum for our personal views. So, having said all that...

Delilah Gould is a painfully shy dog trainer who meets and falls in love with Jason Mitchell, one of those hunky hockey players that Martin is so fond of writing. Jason hires her to train his Newf, who is himself a supporting character. Along the way, we meet Jason's over-confident twin (also a hockey player), Delilah's gay best friend (didn't we see this in the last book?), both families, and a host of teammates and old couples from past books.

What I liked: I liked that Jason wasn't your typical stuck-up athlete. He seemed very down-to-earth, and very sweet. He did have a few (ok, several) dumb jock moments, but that is to be expected when reading a book about, well... jocks. I loved that he beat the crap out of his teammate for calling Delilah a derogatory name. He stood up for her not just out of principle, but because he honestly couldn't believe what came out of his teammate's mouth.

Martin did try very hard not to make Delilah into your stereotypical Jewish heroine. She wasn't a JAP, but she did have very stereotypical parents. Why can't there just be normal Jewish families out there?

What I didn't like: I practically peed in my pants and keeled over when I read the word "kike" in this book. One of Jason's teammates is an anti-Semite, and called Jason a Kike-lover, as well as spouting every other stereotype in the book. I wonder if Martin realizes that were this a book about African-Americans, she couldn't have gotten away with calling the hero an "N"-lover. Her editor would have drawn the line. To Jews, the "K" word is the same thing. So why is this ok? I almost put the book down right there, but I wanted to see how she resolved the situation.

Sorry to say, Delilah never once stood up for herself with Denny (the teammate). She let Jason do it for her, even when he was rude to her face. It's a difficult situation to be in, but man oh man, she was a doormat. I don't know what else I can say about this, except I'm still utterly floored at the chutzpah displayed by both Martin and Berkley in publishing the racial slur in this book.

Now on to the families. Why are Jewish families so stereotyped? Delilah's family was totally dysfunctional. Her parents were divorced, always yelling at each other. Her mother picked at her, and she was "daddy's little girl". Mom was always concerned with makeup and obsessed with Delilah's weight and appearance. oh, and "Do you have a boyfriend?" Dad is the local TV "Mattress King," complete with the bad toupee and the 20-something girlfriend. Even their names - Mitzi and Sy? Oy. Jason's parents, on the other hand, were loving, normal folks who showed Delilah what a normal functional family should feel like. They embraced her into the family fold, never once seeming to care that their son was dating a girl who would likely raise their grandchildren Jewish. Let me tell you, people, as one who has lived that situation... it matters. (Although Martin did give them laughable names, too, I must admit - Dick and Jane. But she had them acknowledge the silliness of their names right off the bat, of course.) And Jason, of course, was totally thrown by Delilah's family. Freaked out and felt totally sorry for her.

So as I got angrier and angrier about this stereotyping, I began to think about it a bit more. My own hubby felt a bit overwhelmed when he met my family. Jewish families do tend to be a bit... louder?... than other families. And compared to mine, Bob's family is totally laid back and seemingly "normal". So is stereotyping ok? No. Or is it over the top? Yes. I certainly haven't met any Jewish families as crazy freaky as any that I've read about in a romance novel. Yet, I know why she wrote this NY Jewish family the way she did.

I can't give this book a thumbs up. Yet I kept reading. Like watching a train wreck, I had to see what would happen next. Martin's book is no worse than any other book with a Jewish heroine (the K word notwithstanding). I guess I just read it at a time when I was ripe to jump on this topic. Jews are not a freak side show, people (authors, editors, publishers). In fact, they even came first - remember?

So, here's my challenge to all you authors out there. Please... somebody write a book about a H/H who just happen to be Jewish, just like in most novels they happen to not be Jewish. No stereotypes, no loud, obnoxious parents, no dysfunctional Uncle Arthurs or Aunt Selmas. Just normal people falling in love, who go to temple on Friday night instead of church on Sunday morning. Why is that so flipping difficult?

March's reads...

Books read: 13
Books Reviewed: 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grades
A: 5
A-: 2
B+: 3
B: 1
B-: 1
C: 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New-to-me Authors: 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contemporary: 9
Hist-Regency Era: 2
Hist-Western American: 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Romantic Suspense: 2
Straight Romance: 11 (even though many of these had an element of suspense, I'd still categorize them as straight romance)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Print: 13
Ebook: 0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
McKettrick's Heart ~~ Linda Lael Miller ~~ B+
No Safe Place ~~ JoAnn Ross ~~ B+
Once and Always ~~ Judith McNaught ~~ A-
All that Glitters ~~ Linda Howard ~~ B-
Mackenzie's Mission ~~ Linda Howard ~~ A
Mackenzie's Mountain ~~ Linda Howard ~~ A
Mackenzie's Magic ~~ Linda Howard ~~ B
A Game of Chance ~~ Linda Howard ~~ A
Catives of the Night ~~ Loretta Chase ~~ C
Never Love a Cowboy ~~ Lorraine Heath ~~ A
Never Marry a Cowboy ~~ Lorraine Heath ~~ A
Close to You ~~ Kathryn Shay ~~ B+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple notes:
I promise April is much more diverse. I have read several e-books also this month. I may even get a review up before the end of the month, LOL!

A note about the other two McKettrick books (the new contemp trilogy). I complained that McKettrick's Luck didn't give me the feeling of "connectedness" between the three main guys that the historicals did. The second and third books, McKettrick's Pride & McKettrick's Heart, do a much better job than did McKettrick's Luck - especially Heart. I got a true sense of the history of the three main characters, the feelings of brotherhood (even though they are cousins), and what ties them together. I still prefer the historicals, but the new trilogy got better as it went along.

And my copies of High Country Bride and Shotgun Bride came today, along with Chasing Stanley, Take Me Tonight (Bullet Catchers, No 3), The Naked Earl, and Mistress of Scandal! Woohoo! Already started High Country Bride :)

Now I feel semi-caught up. I still feel guilty I haven't posted any reviews, but I'll let it go and start anew!

Catching up on what I read the last couple of months...

I promised to catch up, and I think I got everything into my spreadsheet, but I wouldn't swear to it. I was working 60 hour weeks all during Feb, March, and up til now. Do NOT ask me where on earth I found the time to do all this reading. Pure escape from my life, I guess. I didn't however, find any time or inclination to write many of these books, although several of them were excellent! I'm too lazy to figure out percentages this month... it's easy when I'm caught up, cause the spreadhseet dfoes it for me, but if I have to go back in time, I'd have to figure it out for myself, and it's 11:15 at night. Simple to do, but SO not gonna happen!

February's reads:

Books read: 13
Books Reviewed: 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grades
A: 6
A-: 2
B: 3
B-: 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New-to-me Authors: 4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contemporary: 6
Hist-Medieval: 1
Hist-Western American: 5
Other: 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nonfiction: 1
Time Travel: 1 ( called Sierra's Homecoming a Time Travel, even though it really isn't - I wasn't sure how else to categorize it...)
Romantic Suspense: 3
Straight Romance: 7
Series Romance: 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Print: 13
Ebook: 0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kiss Me While I Sleep ~~ Linda Howard ~~ A
As Always, Jack ~~ Emma Sweeney ~~ B
Match Me if You Can ~~ Susan Elizabeth Phillips ~~ A-
McKettrick's Choice ~~ Linda Lael Miller ~~ B+
McKettrick's Luck ~~ Linda Lael Miller ~~ A
Secondhand Bride ~~ Linda Lael Miller ~~ B+
Reckless Love ~~ Elizabeth Lowell ~~ B
Sierra's Homecoming ~~ Linda Lael Miller ~~ B-
Count to Ten ~~ Karen Rose ~~ A
You Can't Hide ~~ Karen Rose ~~ A
Fall From Grace ~~ Kristi Gold ~~ B-
Keegan's Lady ~~ Catherine Anderson ~~ A
Midnight Eyes ~~ Sarah Brophy ~~ A-

Up next, March's reads.

In The Midnight Rain by Ruth Wind

Great book.

LOOKING FOR THE PAST...

Ellie Connor is a biographer with a special talent for piecing together fragments of the past. Her latest project, though, promises to be her most challenging--and personal. Not only is she researching the life of a blues singer who disappeared mysteriously forty years ago, but Ellie is also trying to find the truth about the parents she never knew. The love child of a restless woman who died young and an anonymous father, Ellie has little to go on but a faded postcard her mother sent from a small, East Texas town--the hometown of her latest subject.

...COULD MEAN HER FUTURE

It is there that Ellie meets Blue Reynard, a man with deep roots and wide connections who may help her find answers. With a piercing gaze and cool grin, Blue is as sultry and seductive as the Southern night air. Beneath his charming surface, however, lies as soul damaged by loss. Despite her better judgment, Ellie finds herself irresistibly drawn to Blue's passion--and his pain. But Ellie's been lured by sweet talk and hot kisses before. How can she possibly stay with Blue when every instinct tells her to run?

In The Midnight Rain made it to my TBR list by way of a blogger review sometime a year or more ago. No idea whose, but thank you.

Wind (aka Barbara Samuel) gives us a tortured hero opposite a pragmatic heroine. But instead of following formula to the letter, she bucks the trend and allows the hero to straighten up pretty much on his own. Of course he is motivated by the love of a good woman, but Wind manages to avoid presentation of the heroine as ‘healer’—a role she doesn’t really want. That emotional matter-of-factness appealed to me. In both hero and heroine.

Blue is best described as ‘unexpected’—from both heroine and reader POV. Where Ellie expects a stodgy old professor, she finds a young and handsome playboy. When Ellie suspects him of being a commitment phobe drowning his grief in a bottle, he surprises her with an intelligence and accountability strong enough to offset his flirtatiousness. For readers expecting the damaged hero storyline, Wind downplays the damage and deftly shifts focus to the story’s mystery.

The mystery winds its way throughout the story beautifully. Instead of feeling like plot, it feels more like another character with its own fate—a character making its own way in its own time without the feel of a calculated pace. And the astounding way in which Wind ties that fate or destination to Ellie was unexpected and absolutely perfect.

Ellie is very much a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person. Wind’s no nonsense characterization of her turns out to be a clever and powerful contrast to the story’s outcome. Ellie is independent, a pretty modern thinker and pragmatic to her core. Watching Wind unravel her—as opposed to the attention we expected her to pay Blue—was interesting. And believable. It was a great show of how emotion—regardless of how ‘controlled’—can overtake even the most self-honest of us.

Wind’s use of music and setting to underscore the emotion of this story is also worthy of mention. Both tie to an overall sense of hope tinged with melancholy. The music, well, it’s the blues. Easy to see how it added feeling. But I do have to say that when the characters are overcome by the music, I thought to myself “she gets it, she really gets it.” The setting, a hot and hazy Texas summer, contributed that ‘never want it to end’ feeling dating back to our school days, the wish to suspend yourself in time right here, where everything is perfect. For now.

I found another of those “she gets it” moments in Wind’s summary of grief.

There was a craziness in that kind of pain he didn’t wish on anyone, and he’d been desperate to escape it.

And another…

On this cool golden morning, having left his wife and his children asleep in the house they shared, Marcus touched the big letter J carved into the black granite and felt a sorrow he would never reconcile.

She so gets that such sorrow never truly abates and recognizes the ability of the human spirit to simply bear up under it. After reading Wind's "The Story Behind The Story", I can see why and how Wind was able to capture and convey this wisdom.

A great book. With emotional depth, sex appeal and an interesting journey to an unexpected truth. I would highly recommend it.

Dirty by Megan Hart

Dirty by Megan Hart

This is what happened...
I met him at the candy store.

He turned and smiled at me and I was surprised enough to smile back. This was not a children's candy store, mind you--this was the kind of place you went to buy expensive imported chocolate truffles for your boss's wife because you felt guilty for having sex with him when you were both at a conference in Milwaukee.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

I've been hit on plenty of times, mostly by men with little finesse who thought what was between their legs made up for what they lacked between their ears.

Sometimes I went home with them anyway, just because it felt good to want and be wanted, even if it was mostly fake.

The problem with wanting is that it's like pouring water into a vase full of stones. It fills you up before you know it, leaving no room for anything else. I don't apologize for who I am or what I've done in--or out--of bed.

I have my job, my house and my life, and for a long time I haven't wanted anything else.

Until Dan. Until now.


I read this one a while ago and wanted to blog about it but never did. I'm not going to go into the storyline, if I do it will ruin it for the readers, but I will say this: The blurb above? It doesn't do this book justice. Not at all. This book is so much more than that.

Like Rosie, this book knocked me on my ass. Seriously. I was expecting something shallow and just all about sex, but Dirty is so much more. The angst in this book is experienced by the heroine, and oh my God is it intense. For the longest time my eyebrows were furrowed trying to understand why, then it all became clear. Dear God. Through this book I kept saying, "I'm putting this down and not reading it anymore" because it was seriously deep and emotional and I wanted to get away from it. But reading Dirty is like watching a train wreck... you want to look away but for some reason you feel compelled to watch. I was compelled to finish this book. I had to. No matter if it was hard, emotional, and deep. And finish it I did. And I am very, very glad I did.

Dirty is done in first person, and anyone who knows me knows I don't DO first person. But I wanted to read this book, this story, to see why everyone was taking about Ms. Hart's latest. So, I read it, and first person worked for me--sort of. Just once I'd have loved to have known what Dan was thinking. Just once while he stared at Elle, not saying anything, just looking at her, I wanted to know what was going through his mind. Disappointment? Curiosity? Confusion? I'd have loved to have been there when he fell in love with her... or was he in love with her all along? Falling a bit more each time they were together? This is the perfect example of why first person doesn't do it for me. I want more. I want to know what he's thinking. I'm female, so I can kinda guess what she's thinking minus her personal issues... so insight into his thoughts, feelings, emotions, fears, etc., is what I need and want from a book, hence my love of third person.

My overall grade of the book: B+.
Had it been in third person and showed me Dan's POV, I'm positive it would have been an A+.

Ice Blue by Anne Stuart

Museum curator Summer Hawthorne considered the exquisite ice-blue ceramic bowl given to her by her beloved Japanese nanny a treasure of sentimental value — until somebody tried to kill her for it.

The priceless relic is about to ignite a global power struggle that must be stopped at all costs. It’s a desperate situation, and international operative Takashi O’Brien has received his directive: everybody is expendable. Everybody. Especially the woman who is getting dangerously under his skin as the lethal game crosses the Pacific to the remote and beautiful mountains of Japan, where the truth can be as seductive as it is deadly…

I thought this a poor imitation of Cold As Ice. Essentially the same plot, but without the depth of characterization. Neither the hero nor heroine ever really cemented for me; I finished the book without ever feeling a connection or care for either one. This was especially disappointing given the potential Stuart had to delve into the trauma Takashi suffered at the end of Cold As Ice. I expected that to have shaped him more, but in the end, I saw him as nothing more than a paper assassin, one readers were simply required to accept.

I also took issue with the degree of his disregard for the heroine. Yes, he kept pulling back, just short of killing her. But he spent little to no time thinking about the “why.” Stuart pretty much left it as mind and body acting separately—his physical actions occurring of their own volition while reiterations of his order to kill marched on in his head. There wasn’t any real struggle or attempt to reconcile the two. And without that internal conflict, his ultimate decision to let her live lacked significance.

His disregard for her on the sexual plane bothered me as well. Stuart combines Summer’s childhood molestation with her ever-dawning realization that Takashi means to kill her to create an almost debilitating fear in her. Almost debilitating. And that was the problem for me. She manages a rigid control, escaping hysteria—all the while nursing a physical attraction to her would be assassin. Again, not enough internal conflict on this point. Summer did spend time thinking about it, but it lacked development. And I’m sorry, but fear is a more powerful motivator than sexual attraction in my mind. Allowing her character to fall into a quiet resignation of her fate made no difference.

As for Takashi, I saw little justification for his actions (he already had the information he needed) and no remorse. It wasn’t enough for me that he felt the attraction and sexual need (and release) too. To me, his own actions bordered on molestation—another significant disappointment given my particular admiration for the ruthlessness of a Stuart hero. Somehow, in Ice Blue, Stuart misjudged, giving us the ruthlessness of Takashi’s frozen surface without ever revealing the color or life below.

Which brings me to another point, character molds. Stuart is known for her ruthless heroes. I usually love them and, to be honest, seek out her titles specifically for “that” character. IOW, I don’t mind similarities in characters cast from the same mold between her books. I don’t, however, want the author to take it to the extreme, assigning the same physical traits, neuroses, etc. from one book to the next. And Stuart does exactly that with her heroines—at least between Cold As Ice and Ice Blue. Enough already about the woman’s physical size—a mention sure, but not a topic worthy of this much attention. And again, attention without development.

And there it is, attention without development. The overall key to my disappointment in Ice Blue. Stuart failed to pull me under, into the depths…of character or conflict. And ultimately, as a ‘surface’ read, it was just ok. A far, far cry from the breathtaking Cold As Ice.

Wild, Wicked, & Wanton by Jaci Burton

Wild, Wicked, & Wanton

Three friends...three secret desires...three chances to make it all come true. They're inseparable best friends who delight in sharing their wildest secrets and dares. But their latest bet is the boldest one of all: each must sleep with whomever the other two have chosen for her. And come back with every juicy detail...

WILD Abby married the town bad boy. And he lived up to his reputation, bedding any woman who let her guard down. She swore off men for good, but never counted on a pair of sexy veterinarians who are fulfilling a desire of their own.

WICKED Blair is the town heartbreaker. Afraid to commit, she's broken off three engagements. Yet there's one man she never had the courage to bed. The one man she really loved. But now, the decision is out her hands.

WANTON Callie is the sensible one....but beneath it all she's a true romantic, with the broken heart to prove it. Now her long-dormant fantasies may be getting a workout. A new man enters her life and everything about him is irresistible.

On Ms. Burton's blog, she was generously giving ARCs of Wild, Wicked & Wanton to those who were willing to give reviews, good or bad. Being a fan of Jaci's work, I (of course) jumped at the opportunity.

Wild- In Wild, we've got Abby. She'd been in a marriage, a bad one, that ended badly as well. Now she's trying to get on with her life, finishing up veterinarian school, and planning to open her own practice.

But Abby's also got fantasies, ones she tries to deny. As her internship comes to an end, she gets approached by her bosses, Mike and Seth. They propose she go out with them, either separately or together, and Abby's more than slightly stunned. She can't fathom that they both want HER. Mike is a player and extremely gorgeous. He sleeps with lots of women and enjoys them and makes no excuses for it. Seth is the quieter of the two but equally as hot.

At the encouragement of her friends, Abby says yes to their proposal. Abby has one night, a threesome with Mike and Seth, and holy guacamole was it sizzling. But then she has to make a decision of whether she wants to continue to see the men, either together or separately, and in the end I applaud her decision.

Now, I am normally not a fan of menage books, but this one was done in a way that didn't compromise an already-established relationship, and THAT I enjoyed very much.

Wicked- Next up is Blair. Blair loves being in control. She goes out with men and sleeps with them on her terms. She controls every aspect of the relationship while it lasts, and none of them ever really last long... because, she's always been hot for Rand McKay. But being with Rand would mean she had to admit her secret... one that she thinks she hides well, but one that everyone who knows her already knows.

Rand and Blair have been hot for each other since they were kids, and now they finally act on that attraction. Wowzers. Sizzling. Rand shows Blair that sometimes it's okay to let someone else be in control and that it doesn't make you weak, and the way he shows her is oh so very fun.

Again, I have to admit, I'm not a fan of control stuff. Seriously. But the tasteful way this book was done, and the way Rand waited out Blair... SIGH.

Wanton- Callie is a good girl, or at least that's what people think. That is until she hooks up with Jack, corporate attorney and the man who makes her smile every morning when he orders coffee in her shop. He sets her on fire in a way she hasn't been in a long time, since the death of her husband.

I was curious as to what Callie's secret desire was and when I found out, I must say my eyes widened a bit. Yet I love that Callie explores that side of herself with Jack without qualm and that Jake enjoys it as much as she does. The best part of it all? She and Jack find happiness while doing so.

This book was a scorcher! Seriously... yowza. Jaci delivers three novellas that are well-written, and done in a way that doesn't make any of the stories feel rushed. I had only one problem with the book... no condoms. None. I think for the context of these stories, condoms were essential. I, personally, know that I would not be with a man who has a track record like Mike without condoms... or any of the men in this book as they've all had their share of women. But, that being said, I still see this book as... Three hot novellas, one scorching book. I've been a fan of Jaci's since I found her works at Ellora's Cave three years ago, and I have to say I still enjoy her stories just as much now as I did back then.

Thank you, Ms. Burton, for sharing the ARC of this book. It was most definitely an honor and a pleasure. :-)

Seven-Year Seduction

Seven-Year Seduction by Heidi Betts

BLURB: Time could not erase the fire between them...

Connor Riordan was the last person Beth Curtis wanted to walk down the aisle with, even if it was only at her brother’s wedding. Being close to him was too painful a reminder of her girlhood fantasies--featuring none other than Connor himself.

That crush had culminated in one night of passion and seven years of bitterness; and even now, Beth’s anger warred against her attraction to Connor. Still, there was too much history, too many secrets, that would prevent her from ever loving him again.

But when a storm strands the two together, Beth is in for a surprise. Connor has a secret of his own—he plans on seducing Beth. A seduction seven years in the making...

Quick not-so-professional review: I grabbed this one off my TBR shelf one night when I couldn't fall asleep but was hoping to find a book that would put me to sleep... so NOT what I found. I found a diamond in my TBR stack... a FANTASTIC book that, to me, was not a typical SD. No siree. It was way more than I even imagined.

Boy is girl's older brother's best friend, like one of the family, and girl has the hots for boy in high school. After a game one night girl and boy grab something to eat, go park and eat, then act on their attractions and have sex. Girl is thinking boy is just as enamored as she is, but boy never calls.

Seven years later... girl is home for her brother's wedding, and boy is the best man. Girl and boy dance at wedding, and boy's live-in girlfriend(LIG) at the time sees there's more than meets the eye and confronts boy. Girl is the reason why LIG and boy aren't married but rather only living together, she sees it plain as day and breaks it off. Boy doesn't feel so bad because he knows it's the truth. Boy gets kicked out of and needs to find a place to stay, so girl's older brother/boy's best friend says he can stay at his place while he and the new wife are on their honeymoon. Girl gets slobbering drunk because of boy and their past, trying to forget it all.

Girl wakes up the next morning goes into the kitchen and sees boy standing in her brother's kitchen. Heh heh. Sparks fly in more ways than one, and at first she wants to leave but then ends up staying. They spend time together, get their freak on, resolve the past.

Girl leaves, heads back to job in LA, boy realizes he's in love with her. Boy talks with best friend, best friend/girl's brother tells him to go for it. Boy tracks down girl in LA, declares his love, proposes, she accepts, wants to move back home, and they live happily ever after.

SIGH. Lovely. Love these kind of stories. Ms. Betts delivers great characterization and a fast-paced read, one I highly recommend.

Lydia Joyce – Voices and Whispers

Voices Of The Night

Desperate to escape the underworld's treacherous grasp, Maggie of King Street finds a patron in Charles Crossham, Lord Edgington, who must transform a street girl into a lady in order to win a high-stakes wager.

Charles has never met anyone like the fierce and ardent Maggie, and Maggie's defenses are useless against the seduction of the jaded baron. Their association quickly ignites into a consuming obsession. But both passion and the bet are threatened by a ruthless villain from Maggie's dark past who has plans for her that imperil everything she's ever cared for--and her very life. Charles is her only chance. Together, they can defeat the most cunning criminal London has ever faced, but only if Maggie's new lover can forgive her old sins.

Whispers Of The Night

When four London seasons fail to find her a suitable match, Alcyone Carter does the unthinkable and treks across Europe to marry a foreign nobleman she's never met. But on her wedding night, she discovers her handsome, enigmatic husband is not the man he claimed to be. Rather than live a lie, she escapes his estate into the darkness.

But her husband-ignited by his desire and pride--risks everything to follow her from the depths of the forests into the decadent heart of an empire, where they're forced to confront the passion they've discovered--and the dire threat that could cost them both their lives.

I think Joyce’s strength lies in her characterization. I could say I especially like her prose, but in truth, there is nothing special about it. No crafty turns of phrase or passages I’d call elegant or sweeping. She writes well and that’s that.

I could say that I find her suspense elements gripping. And I do. However, they almost always run as an undercurrent, just out of reach of the reader. The result is an overall feeling that the threats—ambiguously delivered and often ignored for great sections of the book—aren’t real. They are of course—and they do serve in part to move the story along—but Joyce wields them more as a characterization tool than a plot device.

I could say I am particularly fond of the worlds she creates. But that would be inaccurate. No world building here, just powerful settings. While less common in historical romance (at least the historicals I read), they are only locales, not worlds. Joyce invites readers into her setting of choice with rich description and historical accuracy. Then she appears to move on, directing reader attention to her characters (those of flesh and bone). The sense of presence, the mood her settings invoke, continues to permeate her narrative however. And, like the suspense, setting seems designed to further characterization more than the plot.

So yes, characterization is king in every Joyce title I’ve read to date (which I believe is all of them). It is the hero and heroine that engage the reader. Often gritty and scarred, they move the story beyond mere attraction to a deeper, sometimes inexplicable connection. Their romance is always accompanied by unease and Joyce uses their imperfections, whatever threat looms and the shadow and starkness natural to her setting to ensure readers are as ill at ease as the H/H. In every story thus far, the HEA feels both hard won and miraculous.

Excellent reads.

Difficult to pick apart and analyze Joyce’s book(s). I struggled to find even these words. Easier for me to just say that she delivers a sensory experience for the reader—something we crave.