Charlotte, Duchess of Wyre, once held the Queen’s highest confidence—and the technological secret that keeps the royal heart beating. Fearful of what atrocities that Britannia might commit with her research, Charlotte turned to the galaxy’s most infamous assassin, Lord Sigmund Regret, to stage her own death.

Even without the simplest of luxuries, seven years hiding in the Americus colony is preferable to one day in the Tower of Londinium. Until a bounty hunter’s bullet forces her to revive her research. Now the same nanobots that keep the Queen alive also run rampant in Lord Regret’s body. Making his yearly Solstice visits increasingly… intimate …and complicating her courtship with the safe and honorable Sheriff Gilead Masters.

When the Americus colony declares independence, and her humble sheriff makes a shocking confession, Charlotte has had enough. Weary of running, tired of living without tea and silks, she fires a warning shot across Britannia’s bow: cease hunting Lady Wyre, or lose the technological power the crown holds so dear.

Title: LADY DOCTOR WYRE
Author: Joely Sue Burkhart
Series: Jane Austen Space Opera, book 1
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Futuristic Romance, Steampunk
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, March 29
Format: eBook
Source: Requested and received an e-ARC from the author for review

First line:
“I cannot marry you.” Charlotte Wilder struggled to take a deep breath through the heartache banding her chest, made even more difficult by her corset.

Memorable Scene:
- fight scene with the Raven Guards and its aftermath > can’t tell much about it because of spoilers but it the fight was breathtaking and the aftermath was tearjerking
- scene at the end with Charlotte and her two men > you all know my soft spot for ménages by now
-Not a scene but I found it awesome that the Marshalls’ names were Smith, Wesson, Colt, Gatlin and the their director’s name was Howitzer > these artillery piece association was a touch of brilliance, Joely Sue!


Charlotte Wilder faked her own death to escape her planet. She’s the former physician to the Queen of Brittannia and lost her position in society because she turned to science and military intelligence. Now both she and the man who helped her escape are in danger of being found out. Charlotte, lady Wyre, is proud, determined and extremely intelligent.

Charlotte is the character this novella revolves around. Her two men are Gilead Masters and Lord Sigmund Regret. Gil is sheriff and marshal on the planet she takes her refuge, Americus. He’s a soldier turned lawman and deeply in love with Charlotte. Sig is the man who helped her fake her death and flee from her home planet, Brittania. He’s a gunslinger and assassin, ruthless yet with a weakness for Charlotte.

One man wants to marry her, the other wants her to sail with him and hide from their/her enemies. They will both go to the ends of the universe for her and she doesn’t want to choose between them.

While reading this book I knew this was going to be a review that was going to be one of hardest reviews to write. Why? Because I love this author’s voice and works in other genres but this book just didn’t quite work for me. This was partly because of the genre. Steampunk is a new-to-me genre and going by this novella I don’t think it’s a genre that I will read many books in.

The reason I still enjoyed this book was because of Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing and style. Even in a genre where the technical, mechanical stuff (nanobots, assemblers, living organism handcuffs, life force protecting lockets, etc.) sometimes went a little over my head I still enjoyed the characterization, the plot and romantic aspects of the book. So I tried to read through the tech-y parts, even if I was sometimes puzzled by the futuristic stuff, and enjoy the, fascinating plot, the complicated romance and the characters that are intricately layered and brought together in a great way. Little by little you get to know them and their back-stories and I loved that.

With this series Joely Sue Burkhart has created an alternate world where future and history are meshed and a world where women are the leaders. This made LADY DOCTOR WYRE an interesting read which I enjoyed but I discovered the steampunk genre is not for me as I felt myself zoning out on the technology bits...Fascinating and though different from anything else I've read by Joely Sue Burkhart, I still enjoyed most part of the book.

If you are a lover of steampunk romances I really recommend this book and I do hope there will be more stories set in this world with these characters.

Favorite Quotes:
She’d reluctantly fallen in love with him and those hands, so incredibly gentle in their ruthlessly slow attack against her every resistance without ever once touching her intimately. (Charlotte about Gil)

Masters turned his head and pinned Sig in a hard glare. “Are you telling me you’d kill five hundred men? At once?”
“If I had to get through them to her, most definitely. I’d rip them apart one by one with my bare hands.”

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator, or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . .

Title: ECSTASY IN DARKNESS
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Alien Huntress, book 5
Genre: Futuristic Romance, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Pocket Books, Simon and Schuster
Year of release: 2010, October 26
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
"And I thought you were rough. Those girls are..." Dallas Gutierrez shuddered.

Memorable Scenes:
-McKell stopping time to punch Johnny in the face repeatedly > hilariously funny
-scene in the car while going to Noelle's house with their captives > McKell and Ava set that car on fire!
-the bargaining and rule-setting when McKell decides to move in with Ava > typical Gena vibe and humor


Ava Sans is young, stubborn, fearless and witty. She’s an AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) trainee. She’s also tough, crude, grew up on the streets and not the damsel in distress type. She can handle anything thrown at her. But she also has a loyalty and vulnerability that prevent her from being a harsh bitch of a heroine.

Victor McKell is a ruthless and proud vampire warrior. He’s possessive, unstable and psychotic. He has the ability to stop time and freeze people in time, in short bursts. He's as tough and rough as Ava and they're perfectly matched for each other.. He too, has this thin veil of vulnerability that endears him and makes him a hero I utterly enjoyed reading.

There were a few moments in the book where I feared the secondary cast would take over the focus of the book. For example I found it weird that the book started in a POV that was neither Ava’s or McKell’s but Mia Snow's, now head of AIR. Also, the stuff surrounding secondary character Dallas Gutierrez seemed to hold my attention more than the main characters at a certain point. Then again, this might be me.

And there was a scene in the story where McKell's time-stopping ability confused me as I didn't understand the logic behind it that time and I couldn't explain how the time had elapsed for the characters other than McKell. This puzzled me and took me out of the story for a minute. Fortunately these moments didn’t linger and I enjoyed the interactions and chemistry between McKell and Ava that were excellent.

It had been a while since I read the last Alien Huntress book, SEDUCE THE DARKNESS, and though the details of the overall ongoing plotline had turned a bit fuzzy in my memory, I very quickly caught on again after the first few chapters of ECSTACY IN DARKNESS. Although I absolutely enjoyed this installment of Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress series the end had me frowning a bit. IMHO it was too much of an easy and quick way out. The resolution to the part of the ongoing plot featured in this installment was just not what I would have liked to see, it was too convenient.

However, my faith in Gena is firm as a rock and I know she’ll come back with a vengeance and make up for it in the next installment, which I am definitely looking forward to. I know the last word hasn't been said and the last unexpected twist hasn't played out yet in this ongoing overall plot.

Gena Showalter writes make-out scenes like few other authors do. They're sizzling hot, unintrusive to the plot and a joy to read, and one of the reasons she's in the league of my favorite authors, on the auto-buy list from the moment I read my first book written by her. She also has the ability to infuse heat into her books without having actual sexy scenes. I was almost at page 400 (of a total of 502) when Ava and McKell finally did the deed but strangely this didn't bother me at all whereas in other romance novels the lack of ...let's call it consummation detracts from the romance and occasionally frustrates me. And the consummation scene itself was awesome and sizzling hot and worth every page read waiting for it. McKell outdid himself :)

Though a little lacking in the execution of the ongoing plot in this installment, I must say the main couple, the sizzling sensuality and the secondary characters all contributed to my utter enjoyment of yet another entertaining book in this series. The Alien Huntress series is another example of Gena's talent to write great individual romance within an ongoing plot that gets more intriguing with every new installment. I’m so ready for the next one!

Favorite Quotes:
He had pale skin and a face that proved God had an A game. And why the good Lord would have chosen to deviate from that formula and create other faces, she would never know. If everyone looked like this man –like fevered whispers in the dark, forbidden chocolate, and sin it its most tempting incarnation –crime would have ceased long ago. Or maybe never even started.

Her voice…as close to sex as a man could get without actually removing his clothing. Sure he’d considered it “sweet” before. After lying in his cave all day, replaying their interaction through his head over and over again, however, he’d realized that sweet obviously equaled dirty to his body.

He let their tongues continue to play, to duel, to roll and thrust, sipping, feeding, driving them closer and closer to a ledge they might later wish they’d never built. For it was a ledge of their own making, one that promised a torturous fall, a fatal landing.

“Where’s Sans?” the handsome brother asked with a leering grin. “At home in bed?
The ugly one punched him in the back of the head.
Noelle offered the speaker a deadly grin. “One day, Dear John, you’re gonna wake up, and your penis is gonna be resting on the pillow next to you. Not that you’ll notice its absence, small as it is.”

(Ava to McKell) “Thank you,” she said, fighting those stupid tears again. “Even though I understand where you’re coming from, I’m still asking you to heal him. Not because he deserves it, but because it’s the right thing to do. And because, if he gets better, we can take turns kicking him in his man junk without any feelings of guilt.”

They call him the Shadow. Andrei Solace delivers death on silent feet as an assassin for the Phantom Corps. The perfect weapon in the fight against the Imperium, he’s sent to the same ’Verse he left behind as a youth.

Piper Roundtree is a mercenary prepared for anything—except for being rescued from Imperial lackeys by the man she hasn’t laid eyes on in eleven years. While she remembers every mesmerizing sensation he gave her, she thought they were through. And against the backdrop of an impending war, their passion is reignited.

The girl Andrei once loved is now a fierce woman who can pilot a ship through canyons at high speeds, and drive him wild with equalabandon. As much as Andrei tries to protect her from the darkness inside him, Piper admires his skills and the code he lives by. Now the lovers must join forces—in more ways than one—to save the Known Universe before the enemy hurls it into irreversible chaos…

Title: MESMERIZED
Author: Lauren Dane
Series: Federation Chronicles, book 4/Phantom Corps, book 2
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Year of release: 2011, April 5
Format:> Tradesize Paperback
Source:Received digital ARC from author for review

First line:
"Sir, you can't go in there!"
Memorable Scenes:
- Piper and Carey discussing Andrei > loved Andrei's reaction to it, also deepened Andrei's characterization
- table smexing scene > HOT!

Andrei Solace is a Phantom Corps operative. He’s a man of few words with an explosive temper. He’s unflappable, private, defiant and honorable. Andrei intrigued me from the moment I met him in Insatiable and I am happy to see him get his HEA with a heroine that was perfect for him.

Piper Roundtree to me was a breath of fresh air, storming through the book. She’s part of a mercenary group on one of the Edge ‘Verses and stands her ground in the middle of a male dominant environment. She’s independent, fearless, tough, passionate and strong-willed.

Piper and Andrei were childhood sweethearts and after years apart, Andrei's work for the Phantom Corps brings him back to the one woman he never was able to completely get out of his mind. And Piper is reunited with the only man she ever truly loved/opened her heart to. I really loved how Lauren Dane built up the romance and sexual tension between them. Preferred that to them jumping each other the first moment they were reunited as this fit the story/characters perfectly.

The love scenes were beautiful and very sensual. They were explicit without being crude or coarse. They were just like I've grown used to from Lauren Dane. I'd go all tingly when Andrei would get all commanding and go all gooey when he would only have eyes for Piper and say sweet things to her. I adore when an author can make me fall in love with the heroines through the heroes’ eyes. Lauren Dane did exactly that with Andrei and Piper.

The secondary cast once again was excellently woven into the story. They were supporting to the romance and crucial to the plot. Speaking of the plot, every installment offers more intriguing developments and in every installment of this series plot and romance complement each other perfectly. The war brewing in the first book, UNDERCOVER, has meanwhile evolved into a full-blown war and MESMERIZED had me holding my breath waiting for casualties to fall on the side of the good guys and they do and it had me in tears.

I love the world Lauren Dane has created with this series, the 'Verses and the war/battle between the Federation and the Imperialists. New intriguing characters are introduced of which you just know you’re going to see them again in future books, and I’ve also come to care about all the former main characters in this series and I loved getting tidbits of how they are faring.

It’s no secret or surprise that I really love Lauren Dane’s writing. I haven’t read a book by her yet that has disappointed me in that aspect. Even if science fiction/futuristic romance is not your thing I'm convinced this series and MESMERIZED will be a great read. The way Lauren Dane builds the world and plot is very agreeable and she doesn't let you get lost in the world and the characters. The romance stays the main focus and the balance is excellently done.

I thoroughly enjoyed this installment and am chomping at the bit to get to read the next. Not only for the continuation of the ongoing plot but also for the fascinating romance that has its tiny beginning at the end of MESMERIZED. After finishing MESMERIZED I'm dying to read Julian and Vincenz's story even though I know it will probably knock me straight out of my comfort zone but I know it will be as enjoyable as the rest of this series.

Dane mixes the futuristic plot and the explicit sex scenes with well-drawn characters, strong emotions and subtle humor and she does this with an ease that leaves me wanting more. There is subtle humor in the smallest of remarks, this humor shone through in MESMERIZED but never took the upper hand. With every book in this series Lauren Dane entices me to continue and once again she didn't disappoint.

Favorite Quotes:
"I won't bite you, Andrei." She patted the bed beside where she sat.
That was too bad. He liked biting.

"Gods forbid you have any flaws, Andrei Solace. If you get hurt again and try to hide it from me, I will kick your ass, no matter how spectacular it is." She kissed him hard and stood.

Little ground tremors of climax shuddered through her over and over, leaving her a boneless mass of pleasured female.

When he did that dirty talking muttered snarl thing he did, she'd let him do anything to her, she'd do anything for him.

Back Cover:
Desire is the most dangerous sensation of all.

With tensions between the Federation and Imperial ‘Verses rising, one woman may hold the key to victory. The dangerous mission to smuggle her out of Imperial Territory falls to Daniel Haws and his team, the ultra secret Phantom Corps. This elite squad of the Federation Military is the only one trusted and skilled enough to remove her from under the watchful eye of her father, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial ‘Verses.

Carina is used to wearing a mask. Her father and his men think her little more than a pretty prize to be won by a man more ruthless than the rest. When he announces his intention to marry her to one of his henchmen, a man known for his cruelty, Carina knows she has to move as soon as possible to get out. But getting secret information to the Federation has served her well for years and she appeals to them for help.

She expected rescue from a man who’d been her enemy. But she wasn’t prepared for just how intense her attraction to Daniel Haws would be. Born as adversaries into different ranks, and on the run for their lives, they now need each other to survive–by holding on to the only thing they have in common: a growing desire that is dangerous, irresistible, and insatiable…

Things are heating up between the Federation and the Imperialists and stuff is brewing on The Edge. When Carina Fardelle has to defect to Federation territory with crucial Intel about her father's plans, Daniel, leader of the Phantom Corps, is to head-up the extraction mission.

Daniel is part of an elite team of assassins called Phantom Corps. Recently promoted to leader of the Corps the responsibility that rests on his shoulders is significant. Daniel is an impatient man, which I found a rare trait for an assassin. He is also honorable, intense, capable and protective. I adored Daniel in RELENTLESS because of the way he was open in showing his care for his sister Abbie and his sense of humor. And then the opening scene of INSATIABLE showed undeniably how hard and ruthless Daniel can be when you hurt the ones he loves and I fell even harder for him.

Carina Fardelle is the only daughter of an Imperialist hotshot, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Universes. She has mastered to perfection the art of pretending to be who she's not and yearns to shed her assumed persona and be the person she truly is, openly and without fear for her life. Carina was a complex character for me. Inside she’s observant, alert, tired of scheming to protect herself, but also feisty and quick-witted and on the outside she’s a spoiled, arrogant, confident, cool and regal princess.

From the moment Daniel and Carina meet and their joint journey starts I was mesmerized by their story and Lauren Dane allowed me to accompany them on their journey. Both Daniel and Carina are characters who complement each other and slowly open up to each other and get more comfortable with one another. As with UNDERCOVER and RELENTLESS the theme of star-crossed lovers, for whom a relationship is made difficult by social standings and differences, runs strong and I loved that. I liked Daniel a lot as a hero. The contradiction of his harsh profession and his caring nature and his gentleness with Carina struck a cord with me. I thought he was perfect for her, putting her on her place when needed but never denying her the freedom to be herself.

Though I really liked Carina as a character, it was also a bit hard for me to get a grip on her true personality because to me she seemed a bit whimsical. I loved her strength and resilience and her empathic and compassionate character despite her background. But she would be strong, smart, sensible and giving Daniel a run for his money one moment and tentative, insecure the next. At times she'd be stubbornly unwilling to listen to what Daniel and the others are telling her for her own good and reminded me of a spoiled child, pouting and stomping her foot to get her way. And then, within a few pages she'd realize her behavior was childish and she'd get a grip and act more mature again. This, for me, is what kept her likeable and away from venturing into selfish.

Because I read RELENTLESS not too long ago, I was very pleased to Abbie and Roman make an appearance in INSATIABLE. Of course, Abbie being Daniel’s sister this was a given but still I really liked the roles both Roman and Abbie played in this book and in this story. Lauren Dane also possesses the talent to have quite an extensive cast of secondary characters in this series and still keep it clear and never giving the reader a feeling the book is too crowded. I think it’s the combination of familiar characters which were introduced in earlier books and some enticing new ones that most definitely are intriguing fodder for future installments in the series, that make the presence of quite a few secondary characters one of the strong points in this series.

In this series Lauren Dane set the bar high with the ménage in UNDERCOVER and a dirty talking hero in RELENTLESS and the self-pleasuring scene which was the first sex scene in INSATIABLE, kept that bar set high as it was followed by some utterly hot and erotic scenes when Daniel and Carina finally gave in to the powerful attraction between them. And though Lauren Dane remains the queen of sizzling, raw, explicit sex scenes in my opinion INSATIABLE doesn't reach the scorching heights of either UNDERCOVER or RELENTLESS in this aspect. Can't give an exact founded reason for it. Maybe it's Carina being a virgin and Daniel's tentative sexual approach of her, always concerned about hurting her and thinking for her and therefore not going full-on and all-out with her. I do know it just felt a bit tamer than the two previous books in this series and hope those scorching, spine tingling scenes will be back in the next installment.

My last little point of comparative criticism is that I missed the fast-paced action I did get in UNDERCOVER (covert op) and RELENTLESS (political stuff). Despite Daniel being an assassin, halfway through there were only two scenes (one of them the opening scene) that were memorable. This, for me took away from the pace and the story moving forward and slowed it a bit. It wasn’t until the last few chapters that the plot action picked up and really hooked me for the next installment of the Federation Chronicles/Phantom Corps series.

Lauren Dane's amazing skill in pairing characters and her ability to write sizzling erotic scenes are enough for me to adore this series and the overall plot arc subtly set-up and laced through the books was luckily redeemed in the last pages of INSATIABLE, something I wasn't too sure of in the middle part of the book.

Quotes:
She was something he couldn’t define, but had become rather essential to his life. They would fall into bed again, he knew it was inevitable, he just needed to hold his c*ck in check until they’d arrived somewhere safe enough to let his guard down. He hoped that was soon; there was only so much masturbation a man could survive without wrist injuries.

“I need you.”
“Knock it off, Carina. You’re hurt. I won’t be gone that long.”
“Now which one of us doesn’t sound sincere?” she teased, reaching down to grab his c*ck.
“You’re hurt! You could have died. Damn it.” He let go of her hand with a groan of surrender.
“I am, and I could have. But I’m here, and I need you. I need to reconnect with you. I need to feel alive. You make me feel alive when you touch me.”
“Your arm.”
“Unless I’m really not catching on to how this sex thing works, you don’t put your penis in my arm.”

“I love you,” she said, because there was nothing else she could say with him so deep inside her, wrapped around her, filling her physically and emotionally.
He touched his forehead to hers briefly. “I love you.”
The sound of it, so quiet but rife with emotion, filled her, up and up, up until she felt as if she’d burst with it. She flew apart, and he rebuilt her, each stroke, each press and pull he made, his body over hers, around hers, inside hers, he was everything, and she never wanted to find a time when that wasn’t so.

“Again with the undoing. Daniel, you are the sweetest man to ever live.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” He swooped in and ended up on top of her, looking down into her face. “I’m not sweet. I’m not good. But I love you so much I’d tear the fabric of the ’Verses apart if you but asked. You’re my mate, my heart and soul, and you remind me I’m a man.” She blinked away tears. “I waited my entire life for you.”

7.8 out of 10

Back Cover:
In this erotic universe, passion knows no rank…

Since the first settlers came through the portals from Earth, fifteen Families have held the rule of the Federated Universes in their hands. There’s never been a better time than now to throw out the old and usher in a new order. Give voice to the unranked. Abbie Haws has spent her life battling the system. A fighter, she’s always been too busy and driven to pay much attention to finding love. But when she’s granted audience with Roman Lyons, the head of House Lyons, who stands for everything she hates, her instant attraction catches Abbie off-guard…

It’s common knowledge that the Known Universe revolves around Ravena—and that Ravena revolves around Roman Lyons, bred to lead since birth. Roman dreads his meeting with a defiant—if stunning—rabble-rouser. But, sometimes, headstrong personalities in the conference room make for hot-and-heavy, guilty trysts in private….

Now, Abbie will show Roman the parts of her world he wouldn’t otherwise get to see. And he’ll give her a glimpse of the Families’ age old tradition and unleash a sexuality he’d never given rein to before.

Abigail "Abbie" Haws is the spokesperson for the Movement for Representative Democracy (MRD). She’s a crusader against the injustice of a class-ruled society/world and works as a senior barrister for the Society for the Defense of the Accused (SDA). In her pursuit of justice she’s fierce and ruthless. Abbie is vivid, tenacious, resilient and smart. Her back-story is a hard and emotional one that made me admire her even more for her resilience and strength.

Roman Lyons is the widowed head of the Family Governance Council. He’s restrained by what is socially accepted but he’s also an honorable, passionate and dutiful man. He’s torn between duty and his growing feelings for Abbie whom he can't be with openly without causing trouble for them both in their respective layers of society.

There’s a magnetic pull between Roman and Abbie they both can't seem to avoid or ignore but the class society they live in causes a lot of different complications for them. Their relationship seems impossible and unattainable and I wondered how it was going to work out for them. Their separation broke my heart. Their reunion glued it back together.

The supporting cast of characters was a true addition to the story, both romantically and in the political plot. The bond, support and easy camaraderie between the Haws siblings were great to read. I loved it! And Daniel (Abbie's oldest brother)? I can't wait to read his story. He is Abbie's fierce protector and loyal brother and has a life no one knows about. Abbie knows a little but that doesn't even scratch the surface. There is much to tell there and I am sure Lauren Dane will deliver it with INSATIABLE.

Lauren Dane's writing has a way of pulling me in from the start. Even with the sometimes complicated and intricate world building of the ways of the Families and the legal stuff, undoubtedly her dialogues, characterization and sexual chemistry between the characters stand firmly in the foreground, enthralling and captivating. I loved Abbie and Roman and their story, which was filled with political intrigue, social pressure and definitely let’s not forget a dirty talking Roman who stole my heart.

RELENTLESS is fast-paced, not overly filled with world building, which allowed the story to move along at a swift pace. It’s also hot, very hot but that is old news for readers of Lauren Dane's books because when it comes to hot and sexy writing she dominates the genre effortlessly.

Quotes:
Oh dear gods, she loved dirty talk. Real dirty talk done by someone who felt it. Logan sounded ridiculous when he tried it, but deep inside, Roman Lyons was a very dirty man, and because he owned the words, they worked. Straight down to her toes.

Roman: “I carry this thing between us, like a weight. A good weight, in my pocket. I reach out and hold it from time to time like a wonderful secret. I will always have that. I will never feel this way about another woman, ever. My heart will be yours forever, no matter who shares my bed, no matter whose children you bear, I’m here.” He tapped her chest. “And you’re here.” He tapped his own.

Abbie: “By the way, welcome to the family, Marcus. I’m sorry you thought we were normal. Nyna will make you fat, I’ll weep on you and Daniel will frown you to death.”

8.3 out of 10

Back Cover:
In a time when technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there's only one place to hide a crime of passion - in the heart. . . 


The first victim was found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second was murdered in her own apartment building. Police lieutenant Eve Dallas had no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provided Eve with a long list of suspects - including her own lover, Roarke.

As a woman, Eve was compelled to trust the man who shared her bed. But as a cop, it was her job to follow every lead . . .to investigate every scandalous rumor . . .to explore every secret passion, no matter how dark. Or how dangerous.

I had planned to read a J.D. Robb "In Death" novel every month for this challenge but already started slacking in the second month. Well, not exactly slacking, it was more a reading slump that prevented me from finishing GLORY IN DEATH in February. Luckily for me the slump was conquered in the beginning of March and I was able to finish this wonderful installment of the Eve Dallas series. Lucky for me Christine (who hosts the challenge) loosened up the rules of the challenge a bit...

It was as if I read NAKED IN DEATH yesterday, because upon starting GLORY IN DEATH I was immediately immersed in the world of Lieutenant Eve Dallas, both her professional and her personal life, as the two get entangled in this second installment of the series.

Eve is pragmatic, blunt and professional. She has a quick and sharp wit about her that's a little sarcastic and despite her awful childhood and her lack of close relatives and she takes on life head on. She cares deeply about the few people she considers friends and her relationship with Roarke is one that in GLORY IN DEATH is taken a step further with Roarke making her take a stand and decide if she truly wants in.

Roarke is an enigmatic, smooth charmer but don't mistake charm for letting people play hot and cold with him. He doesn't except that from anyone, not even from Eve, for whom he has deep and strong feelings. He wants to be with her and when she doesn't show that she wants the same he decides it's time for her to choose what it is she wants from him. I did feel that in GLORY IN DEATH he was less prominently present than in the first book of the series but since it's been a while since I read that book, I could be mistaken.

I really love Eve as a heroine. I think even more than I do Roarke as a hero, even though he had his great moments in GLORY IN DEATH, especially when he coaxes Eve to open her eyes in regard to their relationship. Gotta love a man who knows what he wants and doesn't let a woman, who isn't used to being loved, ruin it. I loved the way Eve was still reluctant to accept Roarke's love for her and how Roarke would have none of that and kept showing and telling her his feelings. Because both of them are stubborn neither of them wants to give into the other easily nor pulls punches in their sometimes heated arguments. It made the interactions between them a joy to read and I'm not even talking about the sizzling chemistry between them.

Basically this second book in the series can be broken down into the investigation into the death of Cicely Towers and the events that follow from that and the developments in the relationship between Eve and Roarke. Both elements were nicely entwined and provided enough matter for a captivating and great read. The romance is written subtly and realistically, taking the reader along with Eve and Roarke's growth into an intense and explosive relationship that is very romantic and touching at the same time.

The suspense is great and for me a very strong and perfectly executed element in these books. In GLORY IN DEATH it's built up perfectly and kept me reading and speculating with the release of small clues and amounts of information at a time. I must say that I only started suspecting the right person to be the killer, at the very end of the book, when Eve figured it out. This could mean two things of course: either I am very slow in figuring out the killer or J.D. Robb is very good at keeping the suspense high. For my own sake I am sticking with the latter. What I like is that the suspense angle in this book was different from the first book. This contributes to keeping the series fresh and non-repetitive

J.D. Robb's writing style is very agreeable, it's smooth, flows easily, the pace is fast and the plot/suspense is set up cleverly and gradually. I am utterly impressed with the characterization of both primary and secondary and both recurring and one-time characters. After having read the second book in this series I am very grateful to the book-friend who recommended this series to me and to Christine for having this "In Death" reading challenge because I have a feeling I am going to enjoy the next books, starting with IMMORTAL IN DEATH, a lot.

Quotes:
Water lapped as she sat forward. "Don't play games with me, Roarke."
"Eve, it is my fondest wish to do just that."

Eve woke, violently aroused. It was Roarke's hands on her. She knew their texture, their rhythm. Her heart tripped against her ribs, then bounded into her throat as his mouth covered hers. His was greedy, hot, giving her no choice, really no choice at all but to respond in kind.

Mavis to Eve about Roarke:
"He's got all that power, sort of shoots out from him." She highlighted the statement by splashing up water. "And he looks at you like he could eat you alive. In big...greedy...bites. Shit, I'm getting hot."
"Keep your hands off me."
Mavis snorted. "Maybe I'll go seduce Summerset."

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Back Cover:
Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all--and knows her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire--and a suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about--except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.

When the granddaughter of a US senator is killed in a vicious way, lieutenant Eve Dallas gets assigned to the case. It's a case filled with mystery and secrets and when Eve starts falling for Roarke, the wealthy billionaire suspected of the murder, she knows things are going to get a lot more complicated. But then more women are murdered and the necessity to find the killer is more imperative than a budding romance between Eve and Roarke...

Eve Dallas is a police officer in New York who has the reputation of being tough, stubborn and analytical. She is great at her job despite, or maybe thanks to, her own not so happy childhood. She is smart, practical and has a wicked sarcastic streak. She doesn't need or want pampering or luxuries. She's satisfied with the basic necessities in life and is happiest when she can do her job and contribute to society by catching criminals. Eve is a tough woman who doesn't show weakness but still she is not hard or cold. I found Eve extremely likable and there was never a moment where her character annoyed or irritated me.

Roarke is a very enigmatic character. He is aloof, guarded, confident and used to getting his way. He too has had a childhood that was anything but pleasant, something that isn't deepened out in this book but the hints were most certainly given. Roarke comes of as very mysterious but at the same time he's very direct and doesn't hesitate to go after anything he wants and in this case he wants Eve. I had heard a lot about Roarke before reading this first Eve Dallas-book and he absolutely met the picture I had formed of him. The way he pushed Eve over her emotional boundaries and got her to open up was a joy to read.

Despite their aloofness and tough exterior behavior both Eve and Roarke have this air of vulnerability that they reveal only to each other. This made them characters I found delightful to read about and combined with the chemistry between them that was palpable throughout the book it made their romance a good counterweight for the exciting and intense suspense plot.

The romance and the suspense complemented each other perfectly and they were a flawless combination of action and emotion. Emotion was provided in the romance between Eve and Roarke and the action came with the unpredictable and exemplary executed suspense plot.

This is the first romantic suspense I've read that takes place in the future, my guess is that it's set around 2050-2060 but despite of all kinds of high tech gadgets, appliances and methods of transportation both on and off earth, the feel of the book isn't downright futuristic. But for the fact that things we find normal in these times like guns, fresh meat and coffee are seen as rare and valuable in Eve's world and time, it could have taken place in the present day and reads just as easy as romantic suspense books that are set in our time.

I also liked that along the course of the investigation of the case you not only get to learn more about Eve and her life and struggles but there's also a very extensive portrayal of the murder victims and their backgrounds.

Inherent to romantic suspense there are lots of secondary characters in the victims, witnesses, suspects, law enforcement people and media. But there were also a few secondary characters taken from the personal environment of Eve and Roarke.
Despite the amount of secondary characters and the plot the focus remains on Eve and Roarke in a very subtle way throughout the story. I can only praise J.D. Robb on the characterization of both Eve and Roarke and for letting them take their place in the book in a very natural way.

From start to finish J.D. Robb’s writing mesmerized me. It kept me enthralled and engaged through the characters, the romance and the plot which all contributed to the enjoyment I had in reading this top-notch romantic suspense.

Quotes:
His voice was smooth, with a whisper of the charm of Ireland over it, like rich cream over warmed whiskey.

It stunned him how much he could want her still, baffled him that she could be blind to how helpless he was under the clawing need for her. It infuriated him that she could, simply by existing, be his weakness.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Back Cover:

JOURNEY TO AN EROTIC FUTURE UNIVERSE OF PASSION, DANGER, AND DECEIT…

As a lieutenant in the Federation Military Corps, Sera Ayers is more accustomed to giving orders than taking them. Now she must obey the one man she can’t stand—and can’t stop thinking about.

With the enemy Imperialists gaining ground, a new covert team is assembled by Ash Walker. Ten years ago, Sera had lovingly submitted to Ash’s dominance in the bedroom. And when he was forced into a political marriage, she chose to leave him rather than becoming his mistress. But his marriage is now over, and Ash wants Sera on his team—and back in his bed.

The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission...

When Ash Walker recruits his former lover and the woman he shunned for a political marriage 10 years earlier for his and Brandt Pela's latest undercover Federation op, he has a reunion, rekindling of their past relationship in mind. Sera Ayers, however, initially wants nothing to do with him but she accepts the orders to join his team. Sera has to pose as one of the men's concubine but she adamantly refuses to play Ash's concubine so they agree that she'll pose as Brandt's concubine. The team is sent to scout on Nondal, a ‘Verse suspected to be the starting point of Imperialist attacks on Federation outposts.

Sera is outspoken, direct, doesn't waste time on unimportant issues or take crap from anyone, strong-willed, skilled. Her cover for the op is Sela Carter, concubine. Ash and Brandt are opposites in both appearance and demeanor. Ash is impulsive, explosive, short-fused, and dominant yet gentle and caring. Brandt is diplomatic, a mediator, seductive, and kind yet forceful. Their cover for the op are to form as little of a threat as possible by posing as spoiled, rich, good-for-nothing playboys, caring about nothing but spending money and pursuing their pleasures.

I must honestly admit that, especially in the beginning, I fell for Brandt much harder than I did for Ash because of Brandt's more laid back and mediative character. Ash’s more raw and unapologetic character did give me pause at the start especially where getting back Sera was concerned. Probably because I was relating to Sera's hurt and he sometimes came across as the rich spoiled boy, used to getting his way, he was supposed to portray for their covert op. Ash's actions in the past seem unforgivable to Sera. However, he redeemed himself beautifully in the course of the story. I began to like him more when he decided to take a step back and take it slow with Sera and I really started to melt for him when he showed more gentleness. By the time I’d read the first third of the book, Ash had grown on me and I liked him as much as I did Brandt from the beginning. Pressure from his family and his sense of duty led Ash to marry Brandt’s sister Kira and hurt Sera in the process by turning his back on their love. His deep, almost desperate, love for Sera and the impact of his harsh decision 10 years back made his earlier behavior more acceptable for me.

The balance of the triad was done very well and the three of them are a perfect match. I really liked Sera's character and personality. Even in her role as Sela, the concubine, she didn't lose her strength, fire or independence. Brandt was the connecting element that brought and kept Ash and Sera together. His seductive charm complemented Ash’s rough and raw charisma perfectly. Together they are a force no woman in her right mind could ever fathom to resist. Kudos to Ms. Dane for her characterization skills.

Quote to illustrate Sera's personality:

"I'm well aware as Brandt's best friend, you'll be allowed to show me sexual attention in Nondal. I will tell you right now to keep it to a minimum, or you'll be drawing back a bloody stump. Don't use this to manipulate me."

With an explosive and attention-grabbing start UNDERCOVER is a fascinating, intricate story, fraught with subdued emotions that are bound to come to the surface in an explosive way. The world building is done subtly and almost imperceptible. This is something that is highly appreciated by this reader. Lauren Dane didn't overwhelm me with massive info dumps but gave me relevant bits of information in the appropriate places, nicely mixed with dialogue, action and eroticism. She sets up the world and the plot in a simple and easy to understand manner. It mixes smoothly with the explicit and scorching hot sex she writes so well. The wrap-up of the plot was done nice and clean, just as the plot had been throughout the whole book.

The first sex scene was an m/m scene, which was unexpected but done so tastefully and fitting the characters that it didn’t bother me and the two male characters in this book immediately intrigued me. The sex scenes are very explicit yet done with such refinement they never go too far. The following quote reflects exactly how I feel about the whole m/m thing and why I am more of an m/f/m reader. Thank you Lauren Dane!

Sera: "Look I'm all about the boy-touching, let's make that clear. As long as I'm involved, I can watch, and you can come back to me, I'm on board."

Although this first book in Lauren Dane's Federation Series has a few elements that are situated on the outskirts of my comfort zone: m/m sex scenes and a futuristic setting, it totally worked for me and after just a few pages I was completely taken in by a wonderful story with strong characters, a very well executed plot and some erotic scenes that made my glasses steam up real good. I just couldn't stop reading this book. I had planned to read another book (in a different genre) at the same time and alongside this one but I couldn't. This book took possession of all my attention and left no room for any other book to the point I had to put the other book aside.

After just two books read, Lauren Dane is well on her way to form serious competition for my favorite erotic romance authors, regardless the subgenre (contemporary, paranormal or futuristic) and she is one of the few authors who writes m/m scenes I can really appreciate despite m/m not being one of my favorite tropes. The books by her hand that I have read so far are intense, emotional and scorching hot and with UNDERCOVER she added an intriguing plot arc that holds it ground amongst the avalanche of hotness. She does sexy and emotional in a perfect mix like few authors can.

Lauren Dane sets the pages on fire with this emotional, fast-paced and erotic futuristic ménage story. Her characters are strong, sexy and very well written. If you like scorching hot without pulling punches, a great set of characters and just the right amount of plot to let those characters shine, UNDERCOVER deserves a place on your reading list and on your bookshelves.

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

In Helen “Hell” Roston’s elite black ops world, failure isn’t listed as an option in the rulebook. As the leading guinea pig in a dangerous combination of virtual reality training and a mind-altering serum, though, every day offers a thousand ways to blow it. And the very real sexual chemistry that sizzles between Hell and her trainer is messing with her head even more.

COS Commando Jed McNeil is an expert in mind manipulation games. He’s been chosen to be Hell’s monitor and anchor in the Super Soldier Spy program. Trained to compartmentalize his needs and feelings in an assignment, he’s unprepared by how much Hell affects him.

When the experimental serum gives Helen incapacitating headaches, her pain throws Jed into protect-at-all-costs mode. A position the fiercely independent Hell would rather die than be in. But with a rogue CIA faction out to sabotage the program, Hell has no choice—even if it makes her head explode. It’s trust Jed, or die.

Since the back cover copy pretty much summarizes the story and anything more would spoil it for those who haven’t read the book I am not doing my own summary of the story and I’ll get straight to my thoughts on the book.

When Gennita Low offered an opportunity to review an eARC of VIRTUALLY HERS I was very interested because romantic suspense/action adventure novels intrigue me and was curious how it would work in a futuristic setting. I have several of Low’s books on my bookshelves but haven’t gotten around to reading them yet so this was my first encounter with her work.

I must start by saying that I did not read the first book in this three-book story. Not for lack of trying but I couldn’t get a copy of VIRTUALLY HIS within the deadline to read and review this one so I sort of went in blind. I have an obsessive and compelling need to read books in order and while I must praise Gennita Low for her ability to make it a very good stand-alone read I still felt something was missing for me to fully enjoy the story. It was not that I missed something tangible, just those little nuances that make books that are connected in a way that these are that bit more enjoyable. After reading this book I also found out that VIRTUALLY HIS is the start of the story between Hell and Jed and their story will continue in VIRTUALLY ONE, which is the third book of this trilogy.

This being said I must say I am still overwhelmed by this book, both positively and negatively. Without the head start of VIRTUALLY HIS I had a lot of catching up to do on what was going on, what the game was and who the players were. From the start the intriguing plotline captured my attention and I was wondering where it was all going. In the first part of the book there were many times I would get a bit lost in the technical stuff surrounding virtual reality and remote viewing. I would get distracted from the plot and the romance by the abundance of world building, technology and terminology. This made the pace much slower and the action much less present than I am used to in suspense and action adventure romances, certainly in the beginning. It also didn’t leave much room for the characters to develop and for me to get emotionally connected with them. I think this would have been different if I had been able to read VIRTUALLY HIS before reading this one. Therefore, even though technically it’s not needed to read VIRTUALLY HIS first because very subtle references throughout the book fill in the blanks, for the complete enjoyment of the story between Jed and Hell I am nonetheless inclined to recommend doing so.

Fortunately, after a number of chapters into the story, the plot came to the forefront and started to unravel. I started to catch on as to where things were going and getting into the story much better. The connection with the characters, the pace and the action also started working for me. There were the occasional scenes where I still wasn’t able to completely wrap my mind around the remote viewing and virtual reality stuff because whenever the story would go into the technical details of it, I tended to zone out a bit. Still the storyline and dialogues definitely made up for that and together with the characters and plot developments they were fascinating enough to keep me interested despite my trouble with the technicalities of how remote viewing worked.

When the plot started to unfold and Jed and Hell’s relationship started to develop I became much more enthralled by the book and I think maybe it is my own limited knowledge or interest in the technology that causes my reluctance to embrace the virtual reality and remote viewing because I have to say that Gennita Low knows her stuff. After the stint of world building in the beginning she managed to intertwine it nicely with romance and plot, and intrigue me enough with it to want to know more about it.
At the end there were two things that threw me for a loop. First there was a fairly long flashback scene that, to me, seemed somehow out of place. It would have made more sense and been more logical to me in an earlier spot in the story. I did like this scene a lot because it provided me with more insight in Jed’s character and background. The other thing was the cliffhanger ending and I do not like cliffhanger endings even though this one is understandable and justifiable. Certainly after discovering that the story of Hell and Jed is being told over three books in total and that the Virtually trilogy is not one of stand alone stories on different main characters.

So in short, I really liked this book. It gave me a different kind of romantic suspense from what I am used to reading. Even though the complex and extensive world building and technology took away from pace and action, in my eyes, the combination of characters, romance and plot is definitely unique and well written. My interest in the other installments of this trilogy is definitely sparked as I will continue my search for VIRTUALLY HIS and am looking forward to VIRTUALLY ONE, if only to know how the story of Jed and Hell continues.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10