August 29, 2007



The last in a fabled line of otherworldly aristocracy, the Lords of Satyr are born to wealth, power, and a talent for sensual delight that mere mortals only dream of. Commanded to marry, these passionate men will travel to Rome, Venice, and Paris—and along the way will explore desires both shamelessly wicked and blissfully divine…

HE HAD SWORN TO TAKE A PROPER WIFE. HE HADN’T BARGAINED FOR MEETING HIS MATCH…

Nicholas looks very much like what he is—a handsome, successful heir to a vineyard in Tuscany. But Nicholas is much more for he is one of the last in an ancient line of Satyr men. And the dying king of ElseWorld wants him not only to marry, but to wed one of the king’s own daughters—a half-human, half-faerie woman unaware of her heritage. Nicholas won’t shirk his duty to produce heirs to guard his race’s legacies, but he never planned to make his bride his only lover. A Satyr’s sexual hunger and sexual skills are legendary. One woman will never satisfy him.

Or so Nick believes until he meets Jane. As spirited as she is fey, as beautiful as she is innocent, she is nevertheless determined to make her new husband hers alone—and she’s eager for him to teach her every deliciously carnal secret he knows.



This new voice in the erotic romance genre has certainly found an admirer in this reader. I'm hearing it loud and clear. Not to mention feeling it! There just aren't enough words for me to describe this book: mindblowing, enthralling, raw, pure, bold, moving, fascinating and many more!

This is one of the best erotic novels I've read sofar. Not only enticing me with hot, sensual and carnal erotic scenes but also with a plot that's utterly intrigueing. Amber's writing style is vivid, colourful and sensual. Pulling you into a story that's so much more than just a few erotic scenes held together by a love story! This book satisfies the reader in me that longs for more than sex in an erotic romance.

An amazing tale of love wrapped in a magical and sensual world. Both story and characters are enticing and heartthrobbing. It sizzled and sparkled in the erotic department and at the same time it was endearing and touching to see Nick and Jane come to accept and grow to love each other. The balance between Nick and Jane is perfect. Nick is a strong and dominant alpha male but Jane really stands her ground and doesn't let Nick become to overbearing. In her own manner she is his perfect match both in intelligence and wit as in the sensual aspect of their relationship.
Nick is just what Jane needs to feel wanted and loved again, despite of who and what she is. Jane is just what Nick needs to have the joy, pleasure and support of a soulmate.

Not only Jane and Nick are wonderful characters, the secondary characters are extremely well written and crucial to the story. Nick's brothers, Jane's sister and Jane's aunt are as intrigueing characters as Nick and Jane are.

When you read this book, you're swept away in a world of magical creatures the likes of satyrs, faeries and maenads. This world Elizabeth Amber creates is an intrigueing one, leaves the reader wanting to know more about the ways and rules of it and let me tell you: after reading this book the male body, child-conception and pregnancy take a whole other meaning!
Although there were some uncomfortable scenes (multiple partners/female only) for the faint-hearted among us as a reader you accept and appreciate them because they are a natural part of the story and essential for the excellent worldbuilding Elizabeth Amber does.
All the -for me- new terms and concepts (the Satyr World, The Calling, the Sisters of Bacchant) would have been overwhelming but Elizabeth Amber's writing style and worldbuilding-skills will pull you in with hardly any effort.

Even though the story concentrates on Nick and Jane you catch a good glimpse the brothers Raine en Lyon. Raine is the serious somewhat withdrawn brother. Lyon is the bold, brawny, playful brother. And at the end of the book these brothers have taken their rightful place among the alpha-males but it's Lyon who has captured my interest the most. I think he's going to be my favourite Lord of Satyr.


Quote:
Jane to her sister Emma:
We are half sisters by blood and full sisters by love



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August 22, 2007



Kalen, Immortal Warrior, has lain down his weapons. Scornful of what the human race has become, he’s rejected everything modern humans have invented—until a young, badly dressed American witch arrives at his remote Scottish castle bearing tales of demons and Death Magic.

Christine Lachlan is determined to gain Kalen’s aid in the looming battle between Immortals and the demon. But first, she'll need every feminine skill she possesses to outwit Kalen’s beautiful and vengeful Sidhe lover...

Christine was everything Kalen had been desperate to capture in his art—and in his bed. But Kalen has a dark secret of his own to fight before he and Christine can join the others for the last battle.


In this third book of the Immortals the battle against evil continues when Christine Lachlan, a water-witch and love muse starts her search for the third Immortal, Kalen, in order to convince him to join the fight against death magic.

But the climbing feeling of anxious anticipating has some what died down in this book. The rollercoaster-ride Ashley and Popp took me on has slowed down a bit. Luckily it hasn’t come to a full stop for I would be very disappointed.
But I am a bit ambiguous about this on, delivered by Joy Nash. On the one hand I can’t say I found it really good, but I can’t say I found it bad either...

It started very promising with the first three sentences setting a tone I was absolutely willing to follow but somewhere in chapter two I was lost in the very long journey of Christine trying to find Kalen.
I did refind the feeling I had with the previous books, but only in the last 100 pages or so. The chapters in between were definitely not drawing me in and were certainly not what I’ve grown used to in this series.
Sometimes I was a bit lost in all the new magical creatures that were being introduced: Sidhe, Unseelie, Halflings, Gnomes, Selkies, Ogres, Brownies, Pookahs. A lot of the time I missed the humor and bantering. There was some, mostly by Mac but it was not to my satisfaction.
It took me quite a while to get into the book after the first chapter.

Because it took a while for Christine and Kalen to meet in the book it took away the strong connection between hero and heroin I did feel in book 1 and 2.
And Kalen was not my kind of Immortal. He was so detached and indifferent to the human world. Of course he had perfectly good reasons for this as it turns out later in the book but still where Adrian and Darius were very dominant and overpowering offering a good counterpart for Amber and Lexi, I felt here that Kalen was overshadowed by Christine’s strenght and determination, also by the way he just resigned to some things that had happened in his past.

But of course there were definitely some very nice things about the book too.
When Kalen and Christine finally meet the interactions, attraction, sensuality and magic between them is palpable and immensly present.
I admired Christine. She is so feisty and brave, willing to do anything to save the world from evil.
I loved Kalen’s housekeeper Pearl, I adored Mac (oh man if only Mac good get a book of his own too.... but alas he’s not an Immortal). Leanna was the proverbial evil bitch, seriously disturbed by her thirst for power and immortality.
And when the battle against Tain and the ancient demon, called Culsu in this book, started, that’s when I really had that familiar feeling again that this series ignited in me.
And it’s the end that saved this book from a low rating.

I guess when you have a multi-author series, the risk that there’s one author’s style you like less, is always there.
Book 4 is written by Jennifer Ashley, who also started the series with book 1. I really hope that one will tip the scale to amazing again. Because this series really deserves it.


Quotes:

Kalen and Leanna:
“There will be no child, Leanna.”
“But –you can’t just walk away! I’m leannan-sidhe! No man can resist me!”
He gave her a slight, mocking bow. “I just did.”

Uni to Kalen:
“Guard your human witch well. She is a true treasure. Her love for you, and yours for her, is your true salvation.”



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August 19, 2007
This is the spot to find information on Events that are coming to Pearl's World of Romance.
August 17, 2007


10 = PERFECT Read:
This book probably made me write a gushy review when I don't normally do gushy


9 = AWESOME Read:
This book lacked just that little something to make it a perfect read


8 = GREAT Read:
This book may have had a few minor flaws but was still a great book

7 = GOOD Read:
This book was enjoyable yet did not evoke a strong positive emotional reaction or blow me away

6 = OKAY Read:
This book was flawed but not so much I didn't enjoy reading it. However there were elements that just didn't work for me

4-5 = MEDIOCRE Read:
This book had too many flaws for me to really enjoy but might be someone else's cup of tea


2-3 = AWFUL Read:
This book made me struggle to finish it and I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone


1 = E-FOR-EFFORT Read:
If I did DNFs, this book would be ranked in that category
August 5, 2007
Dragonheat


Lisa Singleton has an unusual roommate—a fifty-foot dragon named Caleb who has glittering scales and a bad attitude. Little does she know that Caleb is actually a powerful warrior sent to protect her from those out to steal her magic and destroy the world. Or that Caleb can take the human form of a sexy hunk. Now, if he doesn't stop distracting her with those gorgeous bedroom eyes, they may not have time to stop their enemies before all of existence is wiped out. At least Lisa and Caleb will have savored every last minute.

Caleb, a golden dragon (warrior-dragon) has been sent to Lisa to protect her from Malcolm, a black dragon wanting to use Lisa's powers, she hasn't any knowledge of yet. To be able to protect her more effectively Caleb is turned into human form by one of the witches that sent him to Lisa.
Caleb is strong , witty and smart for a golden dragon, who are supposed to just fight, eat and mate. Adjusting to his human form takes a little work but he blends into it perfectly.
Lisa is brave, caring and innocent of the great powers she possesses but together they find out and they find each other in the process. Caleb and Lisa are a perfect match, be it sexual or magical

Yep, found me another keeper-series amidst the storm of new releases!
In this book Allyson James takes you into a magical world of golden, black and silver dragons, witches, incubi and ancient oriental magic. All covered in a seemingly everyday world. It's magical and sensual.

A page-turner containing an original plot and a new concept of dragons and the dragonworld. It very distantly touches the feeling the Immortals caused inside me (the series Allyson's alter ego Jennifer Ashley created). The enthralling writing style and world building have the same attracting qualities that just pull you into this world and you never want to come out again.
This is a whole other and utterly fascinating world, never thought dragons could be so hot!
The title of the book suggests dragons and heat. Well there's a lot of both. After Caleb turns human and Lisa finds out the how and why of her powers, the heat really turns up in some steamy erotic scenes. One in particular involving ice-cream and chocolate sauce.

When I was reading the book, I was hoping for a book on Malcolm, the black dragon, in the future, because to be honest he captured my attention big time and actually more than Caleb did, and believe me Caleb was amazing....but Caleb is sweet and golden despite being a great warrior. But Malcolm is dark and mysterious enough to leave you wanting more. I was hoping for his story with Saba, one of the witches and my wish came true because book 2 of the Dragons-series is their story and it will be coming out in November 2007!

Allyson James has once again created a series that has captured my interest through the way she weaves magic with steamy hot sensuality and creates an great world and amazing characters.


Quotes:
A (human) woman was beautiful, whatever shape she happens to be. She had curves in the right places and hair to stroke, and eyes to admire, and a smile to warm your heart. He wished he could make them understand how perfect they were.

"Balance," they said, voices chiming. "Harmony is greater than power, because it creates and heals instead of destroying. Creating is slow but so, so strong."



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August 2, 2007
Desireneverdies


Shy, intelligent widow Anastasia Whittig is really a Lady Spy in name only. Though she invents important items and decodes evidence, she’s hardly ventured into the field and keeps herself wrapped in a shroud of mourning for her late husband. She’s perfectly content to continue her sheltered life, but when one of her best friend’s is shot, she’s forced into service at the side of Lucas Tyler.

Lucas is a daring, talented spy, driven to solve the case of attacks on his fellow agents. He doesn’t want any help, and certainly not from Ana. But as the two edge ever closer to the disturbing truth, they cannot keep from developing a grudging respect for each other. And they cannot ignore the undeniable desire that threatens to change both their worlds.


Ana is the quiet, intelligent one of the Lady Spies. She cracks codes, invents gadgets, makes disguises and is not involved much in the actual field work.
Lucas is a straightforward, blunt, cut-to-the-chase kind of man.
After Emily is shot, ambushed while working with Lucas, Ana has to take her place in the field. Something neither she or Lucas is happy with. Ana prefers working behind the scenes and Lucas doesn't want a partner and certainly not a female one. And besides that, they both feel things they don't want to feel when the other is around and working together means they have to be in each other's vincinity a lot.
But they have no choice and it turns out Lucas brings out the best in Ana: spunk, liveliness, things she was hiding by staying in the background hiding herself.
For Lucas it's love at first sight. For Ana it takes a while for her to acknowledge her feelings for Lucas because she stills clings to the memory of her deceased husband, seeing falling in love with another man as a betrayal to him.
Circumstances force them into marriage and the danger of losing the other while solving the case makes them acknowledge their love for each other.

This is book 2 of the Lady Spies and Jenna Petersen continues the series in a formidable way. The story is fast-paced, action-filled, with sensuality and a whirlwind of emotions. I really love the way Jenna makes the characters come to life, everything sparkles and sizzles making you want to delve deep into the book and just come up for air when really neccesary.
The plot is obvious fairly early in the story but this doesn't matter because the focus is on solving the case and dealing with the consequences. And on how Ana and Lucas deal with these consequeces and feelings and the effect it has on their relationship and partnership.

The connection to book 1 (Meredith's story) is there and the friendship between the women, as in book 1, is strongly present. But Ana and Lucas truly hold their own in an unique and beautiful love-story that made me laugh a little, cry sometimes, hold my breath on occasion and feel like fanning myself at times.

I'm really looking forward to Emily's story and I'm sure it will be the perfect addition to these first two books.



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August 1, 2007
Badasshewantstobe


She's gone from rags to riches....
Now she's a good girl gone bad.

One hot summer's day, everything changes for Frannie Luttrell after she rescues rich, young Marianne Nyland from drowning. An innocent small-town girl from the other side of the Bar Harbor tracks, Frannie is rechristened "Frankie" and swept into Marianne's glamorous world of wanton sensuality and expensive fun. Soon she is enjoying decadent pleasures beyond her wildest imagination with any and every guy she desires—except for the man she really wants, the ever-aloof Dax Cordrey, who disapproves of her new, indulgent life.

Offered a job as Marianne's personal assistant (aka permanent party pal) in New York City, Frankie and the insatiable Marianne hit the town on exotic nightly sexcapades, fulfilling their wildest fantasies. But when Marianne is found dead—and Frankie is named her sole heir—gossip flies like wildfire and a steamy sex tape featuring the Cinderella heiress suddenly appears. Deciding to make the most of her fifteen minutes of fame, Frankie acts the part of a publicity princess—while trying to prove to Dax that she's not the scandalous vixen she's been made into. She's only as bad as she wants to be...for the right person.


I hesitated for quite some time with this book, first whether I should buy it and my curiosity got the better of me, so I did.
Then whether I should take it with me on holiday and again curiosity won and finally if I really could write a review on this book. I decided to do it anyway because every book deserves a review, even books that I do not like.
But there's actually not much to review except for sex, a lot of meaningless, cold sex. And of course that's to be expected in an erotic romance but I must say there was little erotic or romantic to it. And although I like a good erotic scene in my books and not much really bothers me, the scenes in this one really did. They were so on automatic pilot, so cold and emotionless, some of them actually made my skin crawl and almost all of it was just straightforward (vanilla) sex, but still....

There's a hint of a story that can be summed up as Frankie (poor girl) saves Marianne (rich girl) from drowning and to reward her Marianne offers her to show her and let her live the life of the rich for the rest of the summer. After a few years Frankie goes to live with Marianne in New York and spends her days and nights going from one raunchy sexfest to another. Meanwhile she's in love with Dax, who is also part of Marianne's entourage but does not involve himself in her sexual escapades and he wants nothing to do with Frankie because of her lifestyle. He tries to warn her that Marianne is no good for her but she doesn't listen.
Then Marianne ends up dead and Frankie is her sole heir. The press has a field day when more and more details of Frankie's depraved lifestyle leak out.

The end is quickly scrapped together to create a lousy explanation of the course and why of things and events and there's a small hint of Frankie and Dax's HEA but that's it.

Very unsatisfying and not what I expected from an erotic romance at all.
But of course not all authors can capture the exquisite balance between erotica and romance to create a story that's both hot and emotional. In this case I'm sad to say that it was neither.



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Pearl
Netherlands
39, married to my real life romance hero, addicted to TV shows, reading romance novels and Twitter. I'm a chronic (e)book hoarder and my absolute favorite genres within romance fiction are contemporary romance and romantic suspense, but I don't shy away from historical, paranormal or erotic romance either. Even the occasional (urban) fantasy romance, futuristic and sci fi romance may make it to my Mount TBR. This is my corner of the world wide web where I let you know what books I'm hoarding, reading and reviewing.
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On My TBR Shelf

  • Unforgivable - Laura Griffin
  • Snapped - Laura Griffin
  • Darkness at Dawn - Elizabeth Jennings
  • Sizzle and Burn - Alexis Grant
  • No Mercy - Lori Armstrong
  • Animal Magnetism - Jill Shalvis
  • Crazy for Love - Victoria Dahl
  • Kink - Saskia Walker/Sasha White
  • So Sensitive - Anne Rainey
  • Dark Taste of Rapture - Gena Showalter
  • The Darkest Secret - Gena Showalter
  • Vampire in Atlantis - Alyssa Day
  • Vampire Dragon - Annette Blair
  • Captive Spirit - Anna Windsor
  • Chosen by Blood - Virna DePaul
  • Rebel - Zoe Archer
  • Stranger - Zoe Archer
  • A Taste of Desire - Beverley Kendall
  • Mistress by Midnight - Maggie Robinson
  • To Desire a Devil - Elizabeth Hoyt
  • To Tame a Dangerous Lord - Nicole Jordan

Digital TBR Next

  • Driven - Jayne Rylon (reread)
  • Shifting Gears - Jayne Rylon
  • Beg Me - Shiloh Walker
  • Tempt Me - Shiloh Walker
  • Jazz Baby - Lorelie Brown
  • Playboy Prankster - Pamela Britton
  • Just Like That - Erin Nicholas
  • Sweet Inspiration - Penny Watson
  • Breathe - Donna Alward
  • My Gigolo - Molly Burkhart
  • Scent of Persuason - Nikki Duncan

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