It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his own identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good” one.

But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he cannot forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared one night of passion. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he cannot be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being did not burn to call him back.

Title: REAL MEN WILL
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Donovan Brothers Brewery, book 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, October 25
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested an e-ARC for review from publisher through NetGalley

First line:
Beth Cantrell hadn't thought about him in almost six months.

Memorable Scenes:
- Cairo and Beth's 'wax talk' > priceless
- scene in the entryway of Beth's house after drinking wine with Beth's dad > OMG beyond hot

Beth Cantrell is the manager of erotic boutique the White Orchid. Even though she has this exciting job she thinks of herself as neither cool nor hip or spunky She is self-concious and doesn’t want to be seen as a novelty or held to other people’s standards or expectations.

Eric Donovan was an interesting character. He is serious, intense and quiet. Controlfreak is an understatement when it comes to describing him and he hates being wrong or ashamed. Eric was a complex character for me. I never really disliked him, but I did not approve how he treated his siblings in their books and in his own book, definitely in the beginning I thought he didn't own up to what he'd done...

However I did understand where he was coming from. He felt like he had to work extra hard to prove himself and to be the parent to his siblings, always setting the right example and when the opportunity arose to be a little wild and wicked albeit under the assumption of his brother's name and reputation he thought it wouldn't hurt. He's also pretty quick on drawing conclusions and accusing his siblings of stuff without giving them the benefit of the doubt. Not a fine trait to be honest. As I said, Eric was a complex character because on one page I'd have the urge to smack him and on the other I would feel sorry for him and sympathize.

I read the anthology story in THE GUY NEXT DOOR where Eric and Beth's story started so I was waiting for the confrontation when Beth found out Eric had lied to her. And it was awesome. I loved how stunned Eric was when he realized he was found out and Beth's fury of having been lied to. Sparks flew in that scene and I was looking forward to how this was going to pan out. However in the first part of the book I felt there was more attention given to the sibling bickering and drama because of Eric and Jamie's not so good relationship than there was for Beth and Eric's romance.

And man, as rude and condescending as Eric was in BAD BOYS DO, Jamie was obnoxious and bratty in REAL MEN WILL, especially in the first part of the book.

Though I liked this book better than Tessa’s book I didn’t like it as much as I did Jamie’s. Once again I missed the humor, the spark that makes Victoria Dahl's books stand out to me from other contemporary romances. It really wasn’t a bad book and it's well-written as Victoria Dahl knows her brewery/hospitality stuff and the sexy times are hot but when you don't mesh with the characters and you miss the spunky humorous vibe, like me, it still misses the mark a bit.

Favorite Quotes:
[…] she suddenly felt as if she’d swallowed a heart that was way too big for her chest. She wanted him to touch her so she could turn to him. At the same time she wanted to edje around him and run away.

She knew from experience that a first kiss said a lot about how a man would perform in bed. For example, that guy two years ago who’d immediately thrust his tongue down her throat…that had been his level of restraint and subtlety during sex, as well. Foreplay had been something along the lines of “Brace yourself, I’m coming in!”

Eric swallowed hard. “My office is this way.” He gestured toward the hallway and she glared at his hand as if she wanted to snap it off.
“We might want to stay out here. Whoever you are, you’re less likely to end up dead if there are witnesses.”

He tried to think of something witty to say. Or something sexy. Or just a few words that might make sense when strung together. But his brain had gone into Neanderthal mode at the husky appreciation in her voice.

HER ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVAL…

Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.

IS TO RUIN THE MAN SHE LOVES…

But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs…and the love she knows is impossible.

Title: UNCLAIMED
Author: Courtney Milan
Series: The Turners, book 2
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, September 27
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested an e-ARC from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
Sir Mark Turner did not look like any virgin that Jessica had ever seen before.
Memorable Scenes:
- the church picnic > wonderful scene
- the shooting party at the Tollivers > the tension and attraction between Mark and Jessica was at its high point here, on the verge of snapping
- Jessica's confession after rejecting Mark's proposal > I cried and my heart broke for both of them
- the duel > AWESOME!!
- Mark at Jessica’s parental residence > I bawled and had to read through my tears

Dire circumstances forced Jessica Farleigh to lead a courtesan’s life. A life filled with hurt and loss. This has made the Jessica a calculated survivor with a big sense of adaptability. So when her survival depends on the seduction of a man who slowly worms his way into her heart, she has some tough choices to make. I don’t know if Jessica is a heroine for everyone but I definitely liked her survivor’s mentality. She did some stupid things but still she tried to sort her way out of them. And the way she owned up to her flaws and bad decisions made her a great heroine for me.

Mark Turner is the author of a practical guide to chastity. What starts as a philosophical work he just wanted to put on paper makes him a famous and much sought after person in London. But it also puts him in the line of fire of petty, envious enemies. Mark is a clever, easy-mannered man of principles. He is gentle yet commanding and he’s tired of people seeing him as some saint who can't be tempted. His ultimate temptation comes in the form a woman out to ruin him. To me Mark was a hero in every sense of the word. He has immediately been added to my list of favorite heroes.

I utterly enjoyed the teasing and battles of will between Mark and Jessica. There were also battles of will in the previous books and I really like that Courtney Milan gives each couple a different type of dynamic, making the romances unique and fresh. I also liked the build-up of the sexual tension towards the explosive first love scene, proving that sexy doesn't have to be explicit or crass. The chemistry between Mark and Jessica is instant and though it offered every opportunity for a quick explosive tumble in the sack, I LOVED how Courtney Milan didn’t take that road.

The secondary cast is supportive in every sense of the word. They are never intrusive, yet play crucial roles in both plot and romance. There are secondary characters you’ll love instantly (Mark’s family), ones you’ll hate on the spot (Weston and the reverend) and those who you just need some time to warm up to (Nigel Parret, James Tolliver and Jessica’s father). I utterly enjoyed having the Turner brothers on the page together. The banter and brotherly dynamic were awesome but the bond between them shone through splendidly as well.

The plot revolves around Jessica trying to seduce Mark into losing his virginity (and virtue) by order of his biggest enemy and rival for a post offered to Mark and Jessica's former protector. But there's so much more going on. There's something that happened in Jessica's past (to do with her former protector) that has made her skittish of men touching her. This is revealed slowly and enticingly with small clues worked into characterization, action and dialogue. I couldn't wait to get to the bottom of it and when I did I was shocked at the cruelty of it and like Mark I wanted vengeance.

There are also Jessica’s and Mark’s back-stories, both slowly unveiled throughout the book and that’s one of the things I love about Courtney Milan’s writing: She doesn’t give you information about the characters and their motivation in one big telling-instead-of-showing info-dump but gradually incorporates the information in dialogues and the characters’ behavior and actions.

I've said it before: Courtney Milan's writing is mesmerizing magic. The pictures she paints through her writing are vivid and almost tangible. In UNCLAIMED she showed and proved this through the beautiful yet succinct descriptions, her spot-on characterizations and the sparkling dialogues. I haven’t read Milan’s first series but after the three stories that I’ve read in the Turners series I know they will be soon devoured as I’m madly in love with her writing.

UNCLAIMED is a historical romance in a league of its own. Its non-beauty makes it beautiful. Its rawness and pureness makes it gripping, its far from perfect characters makes it perfect and Courtney Milan's writing makes it unforgettable and exceptionally emotional.

Favorite Quotes:
"Mrs. Jessica Farleigh, official town disgrace. At your service."
[...]
"Sir Mark Turner," he said. "I speak with the tongues of a thousand angels. Butterflies follow me wherever I go. Birds sing when I take a breath."

In the years that followed, she'd learned that the glittering finery was a trap, that the soiree was not endless. It eroded you, piece by irrevocable piece. It made a mockery of love, and if you did not look after your heart with a ferocious care, you'd find, bit by bit, you'd traded it for silk ribbons and baubles on gold chains.

"We've already discussed my sins, Mrs. Farleigh. I am greedy. I am covetous. I am selfish. And one other thing." He leaned in. "I absolutely do not share." (Mark to Jessica)

"There is no such thing as a fallen woman—you just need to look for the man who pushed her."

Sir Mark wanted her as she was, not as he wanted her to be.

She belonged to herself again, body and soul, pleasure and heartbreak. She was every inch hers again, her body reclaimed from those long years of bitter ownership.

Hope is a fickle friend. Gorging on it was like eating too much pudding. All the sweetness would feel wonderful for a few minutes, but once the first heady rush of energy faded, it left you tired and worn through.

For one lovely second, she could believe the promise in his kiss: that this would not fade, that she would wake up to him for a thousand mornings to come. Ten thousand mornings.

"You've always been your own knight," he said, "riding to your rescue. I'm just the man who came along and saw how brightly your armor shone."

Olivia Bishop is no fun. That's what her ex-husband said. And that's what her smart bob and glasses imply. So with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She's going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble—in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan—may be too tempting to avoid.

Jamie Donovan doesn't mean to be bad. Sure, the wild streak in his wicked green eyes has lured the ladies before. Now it's time to grow up. He's even ready for a serious romance. But how can that be when Olivia, the only right woman he has ever met, already has him pegged as wrong?

Title: BAD BOYS DO
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Donovan Brothers Brewery, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, September 27
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested e-ARC from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
This wasn't a book club; this was a manhunt.

Memorable Scenes:
-Hot tub scene > sweet and hot
- Gwen's jaw drops to the floor scene > so funny
- the mirror scene > smokin' hot
- phone call from Olivia's mom > she was memorable in the sense that I wanted to smack the condescension right out of her!
- the scene where Jamie finally gives Eric a piece if his mind > made me teary-eyed
- Jamie decking Victor > I so wanted to do that myself

Olivia Bishop is a 35 year-old teacher who has decided she is going to take her life in her own hands after living under her ex-husbands thumb, wishes and whims. She’s a planner and a list-maker (hmm, that sounds familiar), proper and prim and competent and calm. She also has difficulty forming friendships.

Jamie Donovan is a 29 year-old bartender and part owner of the Donovan Brewery. He’s a persistent stickler, charming and sweet. But he also has guilt over his past behavior eating away at him. Though Jamie has this aura of being the black sheep of the family, the bad boy with no sense of responsibility, I think this image is more in his mind (and amplified by his older brother Eric’s behavior towards him and regard of him) than that he really is.

Nonetheless, he decides to show his family he's capable of taking things serious and starts following courses on food and beverage management at college so he has a foundation for his plan to turn the Donovan Brewery tasting room into a pub that serves simple meals. Jamie strikes a deal with Olivia. He helps her loosen up and have some fun and she advices him on his plans for the tasting room. I loved how Olivia thought she and Jamie were so different, but deep down with all the superficial layers stripped off they weren't all that different.

I really liked Jamie. He exceeded the expectations I had of him after reading the first book. But I loved Olivia too. At first her hang-ups over the age-difference annoyed me a little but because she stopped making those remarks pretty soon into the story I really warmed up to her fast. I recognized quite a few things from myself in Olivia, which made it easy to relate to her. I think one of the reasons I really liked this book was that certain things about Olivia just struck home with me and I always love books or characters that do that.

This second book of the trilogy was much more to my liking than the first book. For one I liked the romance in this book better because it was the romance that was the centre point of the book. The chemistry and dynamics between Jamie and Olivia were awesomely done and I was happy to see there is no suspense plot to distract from the lovely romance. There are still things going on however but they all fit within the romance-driven storyline and complement it rather than detract from it.

I don’t know what it is with this trilogy but at the beginning of this book I again missed Victoria Dahl's trademark humor. I missed it a lot in Tessa's story and though it got way better a bit further into BAD BOYS DO and my faith in Victoria Dahl's contemporary magic was most certainly restored, I'm a little sad that the humorous note to her writing in this trilogy doesn’t seem to reach the level of her Tumble Creek books.

However, what I missed in humor was more than made up for by emotions. Especially the second half of the book was pretty emotional. Not only did the tension between the siblings (more importantly Eric and Jamie) get kicked up a good notch but also the escalation of the conflict that was brewing between Olivia and Jamie reached its highpoint.

I really hope Eric gets a taste of his own medicine in his book because in these two first books he was a real ass (no other way to put it), especially to Jamie and I couldn't figure out why. There were moments I strongly disliked Eric in this book...but he did some good groveling so in the end so he’s tentatively starting to squirm his way back in my good graces. Someone who will never be redeemed in my eyes is a-hole Victor, Olivia’s ex-husband…Man I wanted to smack that guy right out of this book! But ah well, if I could’ve done that, there wouldn’t have been much of story, would there?

BAD BOYS DO is a cute and sweet character and romance-driven contemporary romance that I really enjoyed because of the trope, the romance and the great characters. After a (for me) rocky start, Victoria Dahl has completely reeled me completely back into this trilogy with this great read and I’m now anxiously eyeing my e-Galley of REAL MEN WILL and can’t wait to see how Eric will get his due.

Favorite Quotes:
Now that the smile was directed at her, Olivia found herself mute. Her lips parted. Nothing came out.
"This is Olivia," Gwen volunteered.
"Hello, Olivia."
Good Lord. How did he make the few syllables of her name sound like a kiss. A deep, slow kiss. Olivia actually shivered.

Boy, she was regretting that generously padded bra now. False advertising and potential daylight nudity did not mix.

"Please tell me he calls you Ms. Bishop while he licks you like a lollipop." (Gwen to Olivia)

He felt strange. Not himself. Not charming and easy and smooth, but mindless and rough. He wanted to find everything she'd never done, just so he could be the one first. He wanted to take her so thoroughly that she'd have no inclination to move on to a third lover, or a fourth.

She didn't know what this grief was. She couldn't love him, not so quickly. She couldn't feel betrayed; he'd never promised her anything. So what was this awful ache?

He hadn't taken anything, because Olivia had given herself, and there was power in that. She was going to take that power and turn it into something amazing. She was going to emerge from this smarter and stronger. But first she was going to cry like a baby and let herself mourn what she never had.

The tougher they are, the harder they fall…

Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…

Title: WHEN YOU DARE
Author: Lori Foster
Series: Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, April 26
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested e-ARC from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
Midnight came and went with only the quiet buzz of meager traffic along the beach.

Memorable Scenes:
- Dare confronting Molly's dad about her disappearance and rescue > tough, protective and commanding Dare stole my heart right there
- scene at the lake when Molly decides she'll make her feelings for him known to Dare > memorable for 2 reasons:
1. glimpse of how I wanted Molly to be throughout the book
2. Hot make-out scene
- bath tub scene > carnal, intense and hot! Dare's sexual commands made me weak in the knees. Thank you for this scene Ms Foster!


When Dare Macintosh rescues Molly Alexander after being kidnapped and held prisoner in Mexico, she decides to hire him as a bodyguard while she tries to find out who had her kidnapped and why.

Dare is a mercenary. He’s honorable, down-to-earth and caring and sweet despite his gruffness. Molly is an author of suspense novels. She’s full of bravado, impatient and proud. Molly was a bit harder for me to get a grip on than Dare. I cannot say I liked or disliked her, I just can’t make up my mind because of some inconsistencies in her characterization.

I thought it was a bit strange that with the sisterly bond described in the anthology story READY, SET, JETT Molly doesn't even think about contacting her sister first thing to let her know she's okay. And even when Dare directly asks about that, she comes up with some crap explanation. This is one of the things about Molly that just didn't mesh with the set-up created in the anthology story. And there was more... Also, the picture you get from Molly through Dare's eyes just doesn't match with the actions and characterization of Molly herself.

I liked both the romance and the suspense parts of the book. The romance was well-written and was one of the elements that prevented me from putting the book down once I got reading. The wait for the sexy scenes took a while as the first full-out sex scene appears about halfway through, but once it came they were well worth waiting for.

There aren’t many secondary characters as the secondary cast consists only of a few people close Dare and Molly. This gave the book a clear and crisp feel and it wasn’t cluttered with a lot of secondary characters I had to keep track of. I loved Chris, Dare's PA and good friend. He was so full of dry wit and sarcasm I couldn't help but love him. The chapters in his POV were as surprising as they were welcome.

With the suspense I was wondering at first what angle was going to be taken with the plot as it started at a point in the story I was expecting much later in the book. Once the suspense plot got going I kept guessing who could've been responsible for Molly's abduction. And when I found out who was behind it, though I wasn’t quite sure on the motives at first, it quickly became obvious.
Despite the predictability of the suspense I really liked the concluding scenes and the conclusion of the plot. They were Action-packed and thrilling!

Lori Foster has an agreeable writing style that reads very easily and even if I had some issues with Molly's character I enjoyed the rest of the story and just flew through it. The bit about the disgruntled readers did come across as preachy and I found it didn't fit into that scene. That being said as I'm not familiar with the situation or book referred to in the book I can let it pass by me just remarking that I didn't understand the need for this particular scene/dialogue in the book as far as the plot was concerned.

Enjoyed this first installment of the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series, despite the few issues I had with it. The romance was awesome, the suspense was good though a little predictable, especially towards the end but I'm very happy I've got the next two books of this series on my reading pile!

Favorite Quotes:
He opened his mouth and treated her to a tantalizing love bite that sent liquid sensation throughout her whole body. Near her ear, he whispered, " Now, when you think of biting, you think of me, okay."

His jaw hardened. "Push me, and we'll be talking about it on the bed, with me inside you and to hell with what your sister hears."

Ash Turner has waited a lifetime to seek revenge on the man who ruined his family—and now the time for justice has arrived. At Parford Manor, he intends to take his place as the rightful heir to the dukedom and settle an old score with the current duke once and for all. But instead he finds himself drawn to a tempting beauty who has the power to undo all his dreams of vengeance….

Lady Margaret knows she should despise the man who's stolen her fortune and her father's legacy—the man she's been ordered to spy on in the guise of a nurse. Yet the more she learns about the new duke, the less she can resist his smoldering appeal. Soon Margaret and Ash find themselves torn between old loyalties—and the tantalizing promise of passion….

Title: UNVEILED
Author: Courtney Milan
Series: Turner, book 1
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, January 25
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
So this was how it felt to be a conquering hero.

Memorable Scenes:
- The fighting lesson with Ash as the sparring partner > awesome scene
- The almost kiss at Margaret's father's door > senual sparks were flying off that scene
- the scene in the closet, against the wall > the emotionality and urgent despair of this scene is was what made it memorable, even more than the 'against the wall' part

Ash Turner is bent on revenge on the man who ruined his family and their future. He’s determined and stubborn, sharp and sincere. But he’s also ruthless yet selfless, decisive and loyal.

Anna Margaret Dalrymple is posing as Margaret Lowell, the current Duke's (and her father) nurse, in order to find out what Ash has in store for her family. She’s smart, tempestuous, devoted to her loved ones and resilient.

I was waiting for the other shoe to drop on Margaret's identity the whole time and was also wondering what Ash's reaction was going to be. The way everything panned out was pleasantly surprising, including Ash's reaction although that shouldn't have been a surprise with the depth of his characterization.

Though subtle and slow the romance is intense and sensual. Nothing explicit happens in the first part of the book though the attraction and chemistry between Ash and Margaret jumps off the pages. I was waiting with bated breath for that first real kiss between them. From that first kiss onwards the love scenes were intense and beautifully written. They were sensual, intense and delectable without ever turning crude or very explicit.

Because of the emotional intensity and the intriguing plotline, which were both written so well, I didn't even miss the physical encounters in the first part, which I normally do when reading romance novels where they are missing.

Ms Milan balanced plot, romance and emotions perfectly in UNVEILED. It’s my first encounter with Courtney Milan's writing and it definitely left me wanting to read more. High on intensity yet crisp and clean with a humorous note to it, I found myself almost entranced by this book and Milan's writing.

UNVEILED is an awesomely well written character-driven historical that was so mesmerizing I could not stop reading this book! From beginning to end I was kept enthralled by both romance and plot. This was a delightful and brilliant historical romance that is totally deserving of its place on my keepers shelf.

Favorite Quotes:
Women laid their hearts at the feet of men like him–a man so ruthlessly intense as to take one’s breath away, and cheerful enough to make one laugh while he did it.

Margaret had always thought a man seduced a woman by making her aware of his charms: his body, his wealth, his kisses. How naïve she had been.
Ash Turner seduced her with the promise of her own self. […] that if she simply screwed her eyes tightly shut, she would be important again. And that desire was more alluring than any promise of wealth, more irresistible than any number of heated kisses pressed against her lips.

He was going to kiss her. She could feel it in the greedy hunger of her lips, tilting up to his. She could feel it in the clamorous beat of her heart, yearning for that completion.

Her lips found his and a stab of exquisite desire shot through him. Finally. Endlessly. This was what he had been waiting for, all this time. Not a stolen embrace, to be wrested from her in the dark of night. A gift, freely given. One that he would keep forever in some small part of his soul.

He’d broken her to pieces, and with one smile he’d knit her back together again.

Defiance. He swallowed. It wasn’t enough for him–not anymore. He wanted to be more than her defiance. He wanted to be her strength, her amusement. He wanted to be her lover. He wanted to be her every wicked desire and her safe haven, all at once.

Too much of a good thing…

With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman—or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break–in at her family's brewery. He's got his own problems—starting with the fact that his partner, Simone, is pregnant and everyone thinks he's the father.

Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother's playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tension could tear her tight–knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their "baby" sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath. He's not who people think he is—and neither is she.

Title: GOOD GIRLS DON’T
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Donovan Brothers Brewery, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Year of release: 2011, August 30
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Requested a digital review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

First line:
Tessa Donovan stared across the parking lot of Donovan Brothers Brewery, mesmerized by the flashes and swirls of blue and red across the gray brick of the building.

Memorable Scenes:
- the scene after the dinner date at Flagstaff House > against the wall ALWAYS scores with me ;)
- the "art of fellatio"-class at The White Orchid > OMG! I hope Beth & Eric's book follow the same timeline as I'd love to read the rest of that scene from Beth's POV!

Tessa Donovan is the mediator/peacekeeper between her two brothers, one staid and responsible and the other carefree and charming. Tess is bubbly (at first a bit too bubbly for my taste) but underneath the vivaciousness there's fear and vulnerability. She’s afraid of change and willing to do anything to keep the peace. She is almost frantically holding on to her brothers for fear she'll lose them like she did her parents, for fear they will leave her and she’ll be all alone...

I’m still on the fence about Tessa. I couldn't get a grip on her. One moment she'd be a responsible and mature woman of the world and the next she'd be like an overexcited 16yo. I did like how her character developed throughout the book because in the end she did lean more towards the mature woman than to the 16yo.

Luke Asher is a hot cop. He’s been through a lot and he's naturally inclined to protect and take care of others. I liked Luke but at the end of the book I still didn’t haven the feeling I really knew him.

Though it had a slow start, the romance part picked up pretty fast and I loved especially the developments after all misgivings and roadblocks thrown by Tessa's brothers are negated. If I remember correctly it was the kickball game scene that was the turning point for me in the book. Because that was the scene where the romance took over the lead from all the other stuff going on.

The Donovan siblings are a tight but complicated bunch. They love each other unconditionally and except for some jerky and eyebrow raising reactions from protective brothers Eric and Jamie towards Tessa I liked the family dynamics a lot. I also liked secondary characters Wallace Hood, the Donovan’s brew master and Simone Parker (Luke’s partner)

There was a lot going on in GOOD GIRLS DON’T. As I’ve mentioned before, at first it distracted me from the romance. I felt like there was a lot going on and the focus on the romance was lost in all that. There’s a robbery to solve, there’s a mysterious pregnancy causing havoc and speculation, there are business deals to be made, and then there was the romance between Tessa and Luke. The other stuff took up a lot of pages and the romance was snowed under. The outcome of the robbery and father of the baby plots were clear to me pretty early bit I didn't mind as having them figured out left me room to focus on Tessa and Luke again.

The writing is as always right up my alley. There is no doubt I love Victoria Dahl’s writing. It’s clean, crisp and funny, with the right amount and mix of humor and emotion. And come on, any author who references to Twitter, Punk'd and has her heroine using the words 'Oh balls' can't go wrong with me. Yet, like with another recently reviewed book I found myself reading towards the love scenes and/or scenes where Tessa and Luke would be together on the page.

GOOD GIRLS DON'T was a good read. I loved the romance but there were too many side stories going on that detracted from that excellent romance and these side plots were not intriguing enough to lift the book to a higher level for me. It displayed Victoria Dahl's knack for romance and humor and despite not finding it her best contemporary romance work to-date I did enjoy reading it and I’m looking forward to the other two books in the series.

Favorite Quotes:
Luke had known Jamie for ten years, and his demeanor had always registered on a scale that started with sleepy and topped out at laid-back.

"I'm not sweet."
Boys. Tessa leaned towards him and lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's okay, Luke. Despite what you've heard, men can be sweet and hot at the same time."

No wonder Jamie didn't want her dating Luke. They'd gone to college together, and her brother had likely seen girls drop their panties at the first hint of Luke's smile.

Now, finally, his kisses grew rough. Gorgeously rough. His mouth tasted of heat and wine, and the scent of his skin clung so tightly to him that she had to press closer and closer to get enough of it.

When she turned to him, Luke felt an ache wind through his heart. It touched every chamber like a cruel hand. His chest felt too small.

He'd have to prove restraint and stamina later. Because right now her tongue was rubbing and her mouth was sucking and...this was so wrong. This was Tessa. Yet the feeling was netter than any fantasy he could've spun about her.

This was a dangerous situation. There couldn't be anything more dangerous than a combination of fascinating personality and smoking-hot sex.

"I'll take care of your heart, Luke. I swear I will."

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster
A vacation from her no-strings romance with her sexy next-door neighbor. That's what Natalie Alexander needs to get her head—and heart—together. But her solo trip south turns into a disaster when gorgeous Jett Sutter turns up with another challenge.

Gail's Gone Wild by Susan Donovan
Single mom Gail Chapman insists on chaperoning her teenage daughter's spring-break trip to Key West. But she never expects to face temptation—in the hunky form of Jesse Batista, the mysterious man in the cottage next door.

Just One Taste by Victoria Dahl
All-work-and-no-play businessman Eric Donovan won't be distracted by a "businesswoman" who's all wrong for him. Beth Cantrell owns a women's erotica shop! And she has a juicy little secret. Can she tempt him to put pleasure before business for once?

Title: THE GUY NEXT DOOR
Author: Lori Foster, Susan Donovan, Victoria Dahl
Series: Lori Foster’s story is the prequel to her new series “Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor”. Susan Donovan’s story is standalone and Victoria Dahl’s story is a prequel too, to her “Donovan Brothers Brewery” series.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Year of release: 2011, February 15
Format: Mass Market Paperback, Anthology
Source: Requested from the publisher via NetGalley


READY, SET, JETT by Lori Foster

Neighbors Natalie Alexander and Jett Sutter have been seeing each other for a while but where Natalie only wants the sex, for Jett it’s turned into wanting more than that and taking the next step to make it an official relationship.

Natalie has her reasons for keeping the relationship strictly physical, even though she’s slowly but surely falling for Jett. Her past bad experiences with men and love hold her back from giving into those feelings and develop a more intimate emotional relationship with Jett.

I enjoyed reading this story, especially reading about the contrast in the people surrounding Natalie and Jett. Natalie’s dysfunctional family was the complete opposite of Jett’s loving and caring family. I’d take his nosy and meddling sisters over her cold and distant father and stepmother any day.

The end of this novella felt a bit rushed as after Natalie’s doubts and hesitation her declaration of love and agreement to marry Jett came a bit quick and out of nowhere. Still, it was a nice and entertaining anthology story that made me curious about the first full-length book, in this new series, which features Natalie’s sister Molly.

READY, SET, JETT was a very nice introduction to a new series that promises to be both hot and action-packed. I do hope to see a little more depth in the characterization and story-development but I really can’t hold those things against this story as it was a short one and I had a nice time reading it.

Rating:
7.3 out of 10 - GOOD READ!

GAIL’S GONE WILD by Susan Donovan

Gail Chapman accompanies her 17 year-old daughter and daughter’s best friend on their Spring Break to Key West and they end up neighbors to a local celebrity, the well-known author J.D Batista (Jesse Dominic Batista). Jesse’s been burned by money-grabbing, fame-seeking women before and is very cautious even though he’s very attracted to the fascinating woman next door.

Gail is an English professor. I loved her character. She’s soft-hearted, protective of her daughter and a little insecure. But she’s also honest, quick-witted, direct and a little geeky. Jesse was sweet, big-hearted and self-assured despite his trust issues with women.

I loved this story! It was fast-paced, well-rounded and I liked how the story was set up and wrapped up. It also was a little steamier and more erotic than the first story and that always works for me.

GAIL’S GONE WILD was an easy and quick read and I was fascinated by the vacation (spring) fling storyline and Susan Donovan’s humorous writing style. I’ve read a book by Donovan before and it made me buy up her entire backlist so I should’ve known I was going to love this story as much as I actually did.

Favorite Quote:
It was the small hoop earring that sent her over the edge. It caught the sunlight and zapped her like a laser. Later she would convince herself that the bright flash had short-circuited her brain.
“I haven’t had sex in two years,” she blurted out, breathing hard. “I’m a wreck. I came here hoping to meet a man of dubious character who could make my knees weak. I’m sorry but it’s the truth. I’m unstable and very, very deprived. You should probably stay away from me.” (Gail to Jesse)

Rating:
8.5 out of 10 - GREAT READ!

JUST ONE TASTE by Victoria Dahl

For the record: JUST ONE TASTE is the first and foremost reason I pre-ordered the print paperback of this book and requested the galley at NetGalley. I’m addicted to Victoria Dahl’s writing and any book she writes or any anthology she contributes to must be added to my bookshelves. That being said…I do have a bone to pick with Ms Dahl but I’ll get to that later, in the actual review of this story.

Eric Donovan is at a local business convention trying to strike some (distribution) deals for his brewery. Beth Cantrell is at the same convention for her sex shop. A case of mistaken identity (Beth thinks Eric is his ladies’ man brother Jamie), a sinfully delicious torte and instant chemistry leads to an explosive encounter they both want to keep private. Unfortunately they’re small-town people and in small towns nothing stays private for long.

In this novella, the prequel to Victoria Dahl’s new series centered on a family-owned brewery, we’re introduced to the Donovan siblings. The hero of the story is Eric: the eldest Donovan brother and “behind the scenes” business manager at Donovan Brothers Brewery. He’s smart, dependable, cautious and staid. From these adjectives you’d think Eric is a little boring but nothing is further from the truth. You know what they say about the quiet and staid ones *wink* and hey, this is a Victoria Dahl story… boring is NOT in her vocabulary.

Beth may seem the total opposite of Eric as she’s the manager of a boutique erotique (doesn’t that sounds so much more sophisticated than a sex shop? LOL), but she’s a levelheaded, composed and analytical woman who’s not so very different from Eric. Beth is the typical Victoria Dahl heroine I love so much: unapologetic, independent, wicked and not afraid of expressing her sexuality! I loved her. I loved Eric too, despite him not telling Beth he wasn’t Jamie right away.

JUST ONE TASTE is the steamiest, hottest of the three stories in this anthology (want to guess which one is my favorite?). Victoria Dahl doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the heat in her contemporaries. The scene in the winebar was scorching!

As steamy and fun as this read was, I wasn’t completely satisfied when I finished it. At the end I realized this was a prologue to Beth and Eric’s story and not the full story. So there was no resolution/closure to their story and in the end Beth still doesn’t know Eric isn’t Jamie.

After finishing JUST ONE TASTE I immediately went to Victoria Dahl’s website to see which of the Donovan Brothers Brewery books continues to tell Eric and Beth’s story and damn, crap and other expletives I cannot use as this is a civilized blog. It’s the effing last book of the first three coming out this Fall. It’s not that I’ll mind reading Tessa’s and Jamie’s stories but still, Ms Dahl, the strain this puts on my patience is not welcome and waiting for this until November is going to be the death of me! Thank you very much for that!

Favorite Quote:
Eric had a sudden fear that this night would turn him into a pervert who got off on fondling used underwear in his darkened living room.

Rating:
8.5 out of 10 - GREAT READ!

Overall rating for entire anthology:

In this riveting new installment of New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, Gideon, keeper of the Demon of Lies, fights to uncover the truth….

Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding — or bedding — her. But he wants to . . . almost as much as he wants her.

But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free, and a future with her means risking everything. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer . . . and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love . . .

Title: The Darkest Lie
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Lords of the Underworld, book 6
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: HQN, Harlequin Publishing
Year of release: 2010, July 1
Format: eBook - ADEpdf, 448 pages
Source: Received digital copy from publisher via NetGalley
First line: Gideon stared down at the woman sleeping in the massive bed of cerulean cotton.
Memorable Scenes:
- Scarlet and Gideon's marriage vows > so endearing and beautiful
- Amun, William and Aeron in Hell > action-packed, heart-in-throat exciting
- The scene where Scarlet discovers what really happened in the past > heartbreaking

I want to start this review by saying it was the hardest review I’ve ever written because I did not love this book by one of my all-time favorite authors and I so wanted to. I really wanted to LOVE this book as much as I did all the other installments in this series but I just couldn’t, there were too many things that just didn’t work for me and writing this review broke my fan-girl heart a little bit.

Gideon is the keeper of the Demon of Lies. I always thought Gideon kind of sweet and inconspicuous until THE DARKEST WHISPER, where he certainly made an appearance that stayed with me and in THE DARKEST PASSION he definitely made an impression on me with his great sense of humor and had me thinking I was going to have to change my mind about him. Unfortunately in his own book it was hard to get a firm grip on his character because of some very contradictory traits. He’s sweet and tough, brave and meek, ruthless and compassionate and tender.

Scarlet is the keeper of the Demon of Nightmares. She’s ruthless, saucy, sharp, fearless and intelligent. Scarlet is the first heroine in the Lords of the Underworld series I did not like very much. And despite me not liking her she still outshone Gideon for me. She did things I didn’t like but she was fierce and passionate and underneath that fierceness was a sort of vulnerability in her yearning for someone to love and accept her. Both Gideon and Scarlet are stubborn but Scarlet won hands down in that department too. She just refused to compromise or to see things in another light, holding on to what she thought of Gideon and to her version of what had happened in the past.

The contradictions in Gideon and some other things I’ll talk about later on in this review made it hard for me to fall for him as the hero of this book. Add to that that Scarlet either worked on my nerves or did things that made me want to smack her around for most of the book and you may deduct that the main characters didn’t quite work for me in THE DARKEST LIE.

The first things that bothered me were the prologue and chapter 1. To me it would have worked so much better if chapter 1 had been the prologue and the prologue chapter 1. I didn’t understand why and see the logic of the way it was done now. Also, I was sad to see some mid-scene breaks to completely different storylines at some very inconvenient points in the scenes. Remember my rant about that in my LOVER MINE review? Needless to say I was very disillusioned to see this in a book by one of my favorite authors.

While I liked the premise of Scarlet in THE DARKEST PASSION, where the foundation for Gideon and Scarlet’s story is laid, for the greater part of this book I didn’t like Scarlet. I really didn’t like how she physically hurt Gideon and I liked the emotional hurt she caused him even less. I really resented her hitting, kicking and punching Gideon repeatedly and Gideon just “lying there and taking it,” passively, without protest or retaliation. I truly disliked how Gideon let Scarlet physically abuse him. I am not an advocate for men hitting women, definitely not, but come on! She punched, hit, kicked, stabbed him and he did…nothing!!

There was a point in the story where I seriously wondered if Gena was going to be able to redeem Scarlet and make me like her more, further along in the book. To me Scarlet was a tad whimsical. Sometimes she would show a glimpse of compassion, of caring, of feeling Gideon’s torment and pain and wanting to assuage that pain. However, these moments were far too rare in my opinion and that contributed to me not caring much about her as the heroine for most part of the book. There was a storyline in the book that broke my heart and made me sympathize with Scarlet a bit more and in the end Gena Showalter did redeem her characters enough for my resentment of Scarlet to diminish but it did reek of too little too late.

And then there was the “Gideon-speak”. I admire Gena Showalter for taking up the complicated task of writing this book because the Gideon-speak was utterly confusing throughout the whole book. It slowed the pace down for me as figuring out what he meant sometimes, or the translations offered by the other characters or by Gideon’s inner voice, would take me out of the story and the reading rhythm. In the other books of the Lords of the Underworld series I found the Gideon-speak funny and quirky but it came in small doses then. Reading and mentally translating it in the first half of this book made me feel like my head was going to explode and this was another reason, next to the slow pace, the low amount of action and the disconnection with the main couple, why it took me so long (it took me a month(!) to read this book) to finish this book.

The pace was another thing that bothered me. For at least the first half of the story the pace is slow, there’s not much happening action wise, making it the “meh” book in the Lords of the Underworld series. I have a “meh” book in every ongoing series and unfortunately THE DARKEST LIE turned out to be it in this series. I was and still am disappointed in the lack of action and new information in the first part of the book. After I’d read about 100 pages I was still at the point in the story arc where I’d left it at the end of THE DARKEST PASSION. So that was about 100 pages of no new information, no new developments, only back-story and revelations that were already known to loyal followers of this series. As I said in my review of THE DARKEST PASSION: I understand the need to write these books as stand-alones but in my opinion as someone who reads series like these in order, it is a disservice to readers who have been with the series since book 1 when you have to read about 100 pages first before you get something new in the continuing story arc.

Next to all of the above things that didn’t work for me there were also things that did work for me, fortunately! The trademark Gena Showalter humor is definitely present again in THE DARKEST LIE. I loved that she never fails me in that department and it definitely gave me the reading pleasure I missed with other aspects of the book.

The story of Gideon and Scarlet and the romance between them is heartbreaking. Even without knowing Gideon’s side of the story in the beginning, the tale Scarlet’s character reveals bit by bit through her thoughts and memories shows a Scarlet who was rejected by everyone who meant something to her, everyone who was supposed to love and cherish her. I was intrigued by how Gideon doesn’t remember Scarlet or being married to her. The why and how kept me speculating during a big portion of the book and when the answers came I was surprised by what had been going on and what had been done to Scarlet and Gideon.

Still, it is not a good sign when the side stories capture my attention more than the main couple does. In this case it there was nothing wrong with the romance or their back-story but the characters themselves just rubbed me the wrong way. The side stories however were extremely interesting and made me want more, more, and more. I want to know about Aeron and Legion (can I say cliff hanger?), William (sexy immortal extraordinaire), Amun (fairly early in the story there’s a hinting towards Amun’s HEA and if that one is carried through it’s one I really didn’t see coming but I’m very curious to see how this is going to be played out), someone I can’t name for fear of spoilers of almost all the previous books in the series, especially THE DARKEST PASSION (but wow, I can’t wait for when stuff surrounding her starts coming out of the woodworks), Strider (disaster and mayhem about to happen there).

As usual Gena Showalter had the ability to surprise me with plot twists like no other and she kept doing it in THE DARKEST LIE too. I think I’ve mentioned the 100-page mark a few times and apologize for doing it again but it wasn’t until after about those first 100 pages that at last I was pulled into the story. The new developments and plot twists I had been craving were finally delivered and the pace picked up along with a lot more action and in the end I got what I am used to in the LOTU series. In terms of overall arc and side plots the series keeps getting better and better with every new installment and THE DARKEST LIE is no exception, because despite my misgivings with Gideon and Scarlet the plot, once it got going, was intriguing and original as always.

I so wanted to be awed by another installment of the LOTU, a series I love so much, but I honestly can’t say that I was. Disappointed and heartbroken is a more accurate description of how I felt until about 2/3 into the book and when I turned the last page of it I was very sad to say that this was the first ever Gena Showalter book I had problems with. Admittedly, the last third of the book did make up for some of the disappointment I felt, but sadly it wasn’t enough to boost my rating up to more than I’ve given it now. But I have faith in Gena! As someone on Twitter said: “everyone has the right to an off day, or in this case an off book…I am convinced and confident Gena Showalter and the LOTU series will deliver for me in the next installment.

Favorite Quotes:
He was a beautiful man, his face was like an angel’s –only sprinkled with all kinds of wicked.

She’d always been interested in him? Suddenly he wanted to puff out his chest and bang on it like a damned monkey.

“Don’t reach into my pocket,” he said.
There was a suspended silence. Then a dry, “I don’t think so.”
“I don’t have a present for you.”
Interest lit her dark eyes, but she remained still. Even suspicious. “The present wouldn’t happen to be a hard c#ck, would it? Because if it is, I would have to return it. Minus a few inches.”

The moment his tongue made contact, his entire body felt like it went up in flames from the inside out. His blood turned his organs to ash. His ashed organs liquefied his bones and those liquid bones scorched his skin, leaving blisters.

I received the digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley .

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with another sizzling installment of the Lords of the Underworld series, as Aeron, keeper of the Demon of Wrath, dares to taste the forbidden . . .

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel--a demon-assassin--has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting - and falling for - Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this 'mortal' with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...

As the back cover blurb summarizes the story adequately I will not bother with a summary of my own but get right down to business.

Aeron is the Keeper of Wrath. He has no need or time for women in his life except for his adopted demon daughter Legion. His need to hurt outweighs his need to pleasure women and it takes time for females to warm up to him because they fear him. He's a loner and distant, he loathes weaklings and is brutally direct. But he also has a good heart and goes through fire for the people he cares about. He won’t hesitate to sacrifice himself for the ones he loves. If you thought Aeron had a hard time in THE DARKEST PLEASURE or THE DARKEST WHISPER, think again. In his book it is even worse. I really felt sorry for him numerous times throughout the book.

Aeron captured my attention from the moment he stepped on the scene in THE DARKEST NIGHT (book 1 of the LOTU). With his tattoos, black wings and his thirst for vengeance he made a big impression on me and I am normally not one to fall for this type of dark, tortured heroes. As his character was explored more in the following books I just got more and more anxious for his story. Never would I have guessed his heroine was going to be a lovely angel, albeit a fallen angel.

Olivia is sweet, resilient, persistent and headstrong. If I ever met a heroine who just doesn't give up, now matter how terrible the odds, it's Olivia. She's has a beguiling kind of innocence and honesty which makes her the total opposite of Aeron and therefore she's his perfect match. Even though I really did like Olivia, I couldn't get a complete grip on her character. To me it felt as if Gena Showalter wasn't quite able to grasp how she wanted Olivia to be. Confident, seductive and strong or sweet, innocent and a bit insecure? This made for an Olivia who would be very powerful on one page and a bit weaker on the next.

Olivia's attempts to catch Aeron naked were endearing and hilarious. Olivia's bubbly nature was a perfect counterpart to Aeron's dark and brooding character. Aeron can't but melt a little for Olivia's charm, despite fighting hard not to. Both Olivia and Aeron but Legion too, get themselves into some tricky situations and I was flipping through the pages like a madwoman, anxiously, to find out how they were going to get out of them.

For me the start of THE DARKEST PASSION was a bit slow because there's a lot of back-story on the Lords in the first few chapters. I understand the need for it because it makes the overall story arc comprehensible as a stand-alone for newcomers to the series, but for followers of the series it's a bit distracting and repetitive. However, from about page 80 I really got into it and I was treated to everything I love about Gena Showalter’s writing and this Lords of the Underworld series.

Gena Showalter's writing is humorous, hot, action-packed and fast-paced. She's not one of my absolute favorite authors for nothing. Despite the continuing story arc she manages to give each installment its own unique vibe. No book in this series feels the same and yet together they form a perfect continued story. I love the way she keeps expanding the LOTU world and overall story arc in this series. With every book new layers of information are added and new mind-blowing revelations are made and the DARKEST PASSION was no exception in this. There's a lot going on. All were things that had me wondering what they all entailed and how it was going to play out in the end. And in the end I got answers but also more questions which undoubtedly will be answered in the next book or books!

Gena Showalter keeps her readers engaged throughout the book, revealing little and big things but never too much and always enough to keep you guessing and anticipating the next revelation. One of those anticipated revelations is Gideon's story (THE DARKEST LIE). The set-up made in this book for it is simply brilliant and enticing. I can't wait to read the whole story on Gideon's HEA. Also, after reading THE DARKEST PASSION I am more convinced than ever that William belongs on my future favorite heroes list! The enticing, teasing treasure map tattooed on his body stuff definitely sealed the deal. Not to mention another glimpse of his character and his back-story.

The end of this book broke my heart, especially the scene where Aeron and Lysander battle it out. Can't say more about it because it would spoil the plot and ending but suffice to say I was sobbing while reading. However, the very end (after the heartbreaking scene) also, despite the intense emotions, did seem a bit of an easy cop out. Compared to all the preliminary, brilliant set-up throughout the book it felt a bit rushed and simply resolved, but because the rest of the book was so great I am willing to let Gena Showalter get away with it.

THE DARKEST PASSION is a perfect mix of action, plot and fights to accompany the romance and humor. Deals, promises, bargains and sacrifices form the spine of this fifth book in the LOTU series. The last few chapters really packed a punch and left me craving more, much more, of the LOTU. I really NEED to know what happens next with all these surprising twists in the plot and fascinating new characters delivered by the extremely talented Gena Showalter.

Quotes:
Paris to Aeron:
“One day, someone is going to fascinate you, draw and ensnare you, and you’ll crave her with every cell in your body. I hope she drives you insane. I hope, for a little while at least, she denies you, leading you on a merry chase. Perhaps then you’ll understand a glimmer of my pain.”

She’d fallen to the floor, robe bunched at her waist, and her panties – shit, her panties. Too white, too pure. Made a man want to rip them apart with his teeth and dirty the wearer up a bit.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10

The Darkest Angel is part of the Heart of Darkness anthology with Susan Krinard and Maggie Shayne.

Lords of the Underworld tale
An iron-willed demon assassin, the angel Lysander has never known lust—until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of Lucifer, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the pure-hearted Lysander into temptation…

Title: The Darkest Angel
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Lords of the Underworld, book 4.5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: HQN
Year of release: 2010 (January)
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The Bookdepository
First line: From high in the heavens, Lysander spotted his prey.

QnD-review:
Hero: Lysander is an angel, a soldier for the One True Deity and one of the Elite Seven. He’s a virgin, which makes him come across innocently cute, had the feeling even though he’s a badass warrior angel, he was a little scared of Bianka, or rather of his feelings for Bianka. He craves her but fights the temptations as hard as he can. Couldn't quite put my finger on Lysander's character. He stayed on the fringes of elusiveness for me.
Heroine: Bianka Skyhawk is the daughter of a Harpy and a phoenix shapeshifter. (witty, outspoken, confident, bold)
Plot: There's a flimsy plot about Bianka being the ultimate temptation and downfall for Lysander and him keeping her captive to convert her to the godly ways and if she doesn't he will have to kill her. Primarily I felt this to be a set up story for Aeron’s story whose heroine makes her appearance in this novella, and I am anxiously looking forward to it.
Writing: Though short, this novella is filled with Gena Showalter’s trademark humor, internal cravings and scorching sensuality.
Likes: Loved the oil-wrestling scene! And I was also intrigued by the set-up for Aeron's story, this is going to be interesting to say the least.
Dislikes: Again the length of the story! I wanted to read more about Lysander and Bianka and I wanted more of a plot. Also there was a lot of information and world building in the first few pages. I can imagine that for readers unknown to the series this is great because it makes the novella more stand alone, but for followers of the series it's unnecessary and felt repetitive.
Verdict: The wrap-up felt a bit rushed but with a 140 page novella that’s not strange. And even though I am not a fan of anthology length novellas, my favorite authors rarely let me down in them. Showalter proved this once again with THE DARKEST ANGEL which I enjoyed but primarily for the oil-wrestling scene and the set-up for Aeron's story: THE DARKEST PASSION.
Rating: 7.0 out of 10

Passion and danger collide in this brand-new Lords of the Underwold eBook exclusive adventure.
Once, Atlas, the Titan God of Strength, was Nike’s slave. Now, he is her master! Soon these long-time enemies destined to destroy one another will be forced to risk everything for a chance at love…

Title: The Darkest Prison
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Lords of the Underworld, book 3.5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: HQN
Year of release: 2009
Format: eBook
Source: Bought at eHarlequin
First line: Reyes, once an immortal warrior for the gods, now possessed by the demon of Pain and living
in Budapest, entered his bedroom.

QnD-review:
Summary: Two deities from rival pantheons are at each other's throats when one guards the other during either pantheon being in power. They try to best each other at every turn. During the verbal and physical battles they also fall in love but they are both too stubborn to admit it. When the Titans regain power the tables are turned and Nike is taken prisoner by Atlas. Their love manifests and Atlas makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to give Nike her life and her freedom.
Hero: Atlas, Titan God of Strength. (protector, warrior, seductive and possessive)
Heroine: Nike, Greek Goddess of Strength (tough, sarcastic, weakness annoys her)
Plot: There is an awesome revelation concering LOTU Paris in this short novella. I really didn't see that one coming and it made me very anxious for Paris' story because, man, is he in for a big surprise...For this revelation alone I'd recommend reading this novella.
Writing: As always Gena Showalters writing is witty and fun and her love scenes are hot!
Likes: The chemistry between Nike and Atlas is intense and desperate like. The final scene of the story is heartwrenchingly beautiful!
Dislikes: As with most novellas: Too short to deepen out the characters
Verdict: Nice installement of the LOTU. Short but sweet filling, enough to temporary satisfy in between the full length books. As said: for the stunning revelation surrounding Paris alone I'd recommend this book but I also suspect we haven't seen the last of Nike and Atlas in this series!
Rating: 7.3 out of 10

Back Cover:
Raw, animal magnetism...

...is a big red flag to prim and proper office manager Jane Morgan. After a rough childhood with a mother who liked her men in prison-jumpsuit orange, Jane changed her name, her look and her taste for bad boys. So why is she lusting for William Chase with his tattoo-covered biceps and steel-toed boots? The man blows things up for a living!

She gives herself one explosive, fantasy-filled night with Chase. The next day it's back to plain Jane and safe men.

But when her beloved brother becomes a murder suspect, it's Chase who comes to her rescue. And Jane discovers that a man who's been around the block knows a thing or two about uncovering the truth…

Note from reviewer:
You all know I try to include memorable/funny/arousing quotes in all my reviews and you’ll also note that, except for one, they are missing in this review. That is because with LEAD ME ON Victoria Dahl managed to get me to writing another separate Quote Post while breaking the all time record for most quote markers in one book. I had stopped doing the Quote Posts as they are pretty time consuming but for this record breaking book I will make an exception and do one, once more. As I am seriously lacking time right now I promise to have the LEAD ME ON Quote Post up early in the first week of January 2010.



And now for my review:

Victoria Dahl has a sense of humor that strikes a cord with me. Every. Single. Time. Every. Single. Book! With LEAD ME ON the giggles started at page 10 and set the pace for the most of the book!

Quote:
But even his promising career couldn't make her forget the fact that he made love like a rabbit. (...) She'd tried to let it go. She really had. A man couldn't be judged on the depth of his thrusts alone.

Victoria Dahl had me laughing, panting, frowning and even tearing up right there in the end. All these feelings make for a great read and that is exactly what LEAD ME ON was for me. In this final installment of the Tumble Creek Trilogy Victoria Dahl puts it all out there for us to read, judge, challenge and enjoy.

Reading about Jane and how she wanted to separate her past from her present gave me the Superman vibe: Conservative business persona from the present by day, including the glasses and wild, wanton, dirty little sex pot by night, or let’s say with Chase! She has kept her good girl act up for 10 years but the right man, Chase, makes her want to drop her act, even if she has a really hard time actually doing that because she doesn't want to go back to being the girl she used to be and Chase makes her want to lose her self-imposed inhibitions. There was a moment I was a bit disappointed in Jane and though I understand why she did what she did in that scene and that it was part of her characterization but I still wanted to slap her silly.

Jane fits right in with Victoria Dahl's other heroines in the Tumble Creek Trilogy. I'll even go as far and say she's the boldest one of the three. Molly (heroine book 1) has nothing on Jane. I think people who didn't like Molly will like Jane even less, but since I loved Molly, I loved Jane too. Especially when she shed her "respectable" restrained persona and allowed the true Jane to surface and she finally embraced her past and stopped trying to hide the person she was and stopped trying to deny where she was from.

There will be readers out there who aren't going to like Jane because of some of her actions, her views on life and the things she sometimes does or says. I did like her, a lot. Fear, disappointment, and self-preservation drive her to overcome her crappy past. She is driven by ambition to leave a past she is not proud of behind her. Underneath that ambition she is vulnerable, caring and loyal. She may seem superficial, materialistic and snobbish and with her background, her high and mighty attitude seems wrong but Victoria Dahl pulled it off and made me like Jane as much as I liked her other heroines. Jane's fight with and ultimate surrender to love was beautifully written. Jane's groveling, which was totally justified and called for made me like her even more than I did before. And just when I thought I'd dodged the bullet on the emotional-make-me-cry stuff, the lovely and talented Ms. Dahl had me tearing up right at the end, with a smile plastered to my face.

As I am writing this review, I discovered that I didn't write down many notes on Chase. This doesn't mean Chase wasn't a very major factor in my liking this book. Chase is the man every woman dreams about, whether you're a good or a bad girl! What woman can resist that big, tattooed demolition man who gets excited when he blows things up and who knows how to make a woman feel like a woman? I sure couldn't and Chase has taken his rightful place next to Ben (hero book 1) on my favorite heroes list. Chase is a straight forward as they come. I love how Victoria Dahl switches the traditional roles in her books and puts the men in the position of wanting a decent, respectful relationship, whereas the women are only looking for a tumble in the bed. And without compromising femininity, masculinity and true romance she gives them all want they wanted and more!

In the secondary characters department Victoria Dahl scored once again too. I hated the ex, Greg, really he was the ass of all asses! But I loved Grandma Olive, Chase's dad, Jane's step dad Mac and of course Quinn and Lori. Even Molly, whom I really wasn't expecting to make an appearance, made it to this party, right at the very end and was her usual extravagant self.

As with the other books in this trilogy, there's a side plot next to the romance, this time it's the story thread of Jane's brother being arrested for something he didn't do. I liked that in all three books of the trilogy the sub plots are all different and tackle different subjects within law enforcement and suspense. A suspense writer Victoria Dahl is not but she does a great job in fusing the plot and the romance together. The balance is perfect for contemporary romance and since that is what she writes, no complaints or critique from me there.

This book had a bit of everything: humor, fun, emotional stuff, hot sexing and some soul searching. I really laughed out loud when the fry selection process came up. (OMG I eat my fries exactly like Jane does!). I got flustered at the scene on the biker bar parking lot and my heart ached for the stuff Jane went through as a child/teenager. I absolutely love the role that parents play in the formation of the characters in Victoria Dahl's Tumble Creek books. The parental influence, the way they were brought up, all contribute to the three-dimensional feel to the characters.

If you are tired of the fluffy and the PC you need a dose of Victoria Dahl’s Tumble Creek books. When you peel of the layers of humor and the hot sex you’ll find that each and everyone deals with real issues, real people and stuff we sometimes don’t want to deal with but have to. LEAD ME ON was the perfect example of this with serious emotional stuff seeping through next to the Victoria Dahl signature style of sharp, snappy and laugh-out-loud funny humor, proving that her writing is about more than naughty heroines, sex-on-a-stick heroes and salacious sex scenes.


Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Highland Warriors sworn to protect innocence through the ages...

Ian Maclean’s arrogance hides a terrible secret—for decades he was held prisoner by demons. Not a day goes by that he isn’t tormented by his darkest fears of powerlessness. Now he is about to sell to the highest bidder a page he’s stolen from the Book of Power—if one woman doesn’t stop him.

Every Rose woman has her destiny

Slayer Samantha Rose’s latest mission is to recover the stolen page—and get payback from the only man who’s ever rejected her. What she hasn’t counted on is the raging attraction between them—or her growing realization of what Maclean has survived. As the powers of the evil from his past gather, Sam will do anything to help him—even if it means following him into time and facing his worst nightmares with him...

Ian Maclean is arrogant, wealthy, powerful, selfish and antisocial. These are traits that wouldn’t make a very likeable hero but still he is because his behavior and look on life and the world was profoundly altered after he was killed, revived and held captive for 66 years by his demon grandfather and tortured by said grandfather and his demon friends with their perverted games.

Ever since a demon killed her mother and she wasn’t able to safe her, Sam Rose has taken it upon her to hunt and destroy evil. She is the Slayer of the Rose women. When her job for the Historical Crime Unit (HCU), puts her in the path of Ian Maclean, she has to work together with a man she despises and desires at the same time. While they are both trying to use the other for their own purposes, they are forced to face their fears, enemies and feelings.

Ian fears pain and evil and therefore has wrapped himself in a cocoon of aloofness where he thinks no one can reach him. He needs sex to avoid giving into the horrible flashbacks of his tormented and he uses his wealth to prove to himself he is capable of doing anything he wants and doesn’t have to rely on anyone else for his needs. He may seem the sexy, arrogant, careless playboy but underneath that image he’s build for himself, he is a traumatized man who went through horrors during this abduction and is a long way from recovering from them.

Sam seems to be a free spirit, one who lives life her way, liberated, strong, confident, she doesn’t take crap from anyone, especially men. She is vengeful, smart-mouthed and fearless. Beneath her tough outer shell is a woman who tries to protect herself from hurt by pretending not to care about anything or anyone except fighting evil. She doesn’t allow herself to care because caring means pain when she loses them. She has learned to depend only on herself and her own strength.

Sam and Ian are like to peas from the same pod. They both like to be in control, both like to win, losing is not an option and they always get what they want. This makes them clash like crazy, creating a verbal sparring extravaganza even if they are perfect for each other and they are kindred spirits. From the moment they meet, sparks fly and their interactions and dialogues are sizzling. These two take verbal sparring to a whole other level. I loved the way their romance fitted their characters perfectly. It went from pure sexual attraction to partners fighting evil to love. And both went kicking and screaming all the way. They both crave what the other provides but are not willing to admit it, let alone give into it.

Even though there were many secondary characters, the story focuses mainly on Sam, Ian and their enemies. Nick Forrester, who runs the HCU and is Sam’s boss, is the only character who is deepened out a bit more than the others and I really hope he will get his own book, or at least a substantial secondary storyline in the future. There is just so much surrounding him that intrigues me and arouses my speculative mind.

Am glad I stuck with this series throughout some books that I did not enjoy reading so much (books 2 and 3) because if I had given up on it after the terrible second book I wouldn’t have experienced this amazing and almost perfect installment. This fifth book in the series and final installment of the Rose Trilogy within the series was definitely the best so far. There was no confusing time leaping or messed up chronology. It was the first book in the series that I found easy to follow. The characters were great and the plotline was very good, though I am a bit done now with the resurfacing of Moray (the villain of the series). He’s like the soap opera character that just won’t stay dead. Yet again in this book the solution to the problem of Moray leaves possibilities for resurrection so I won’t be surprised if he shows up again in future installments.

Dark Lover is an action-packed romance novel that is all about freedom, taking control back, despair and passion. It represents the potential of the series and shows Brenda Joyce’s writing talent with strong, willful characters and a well written plot, without distracting and confusing time leaping mechanisms, even if the role of the Masters of Time is less present than in the first 2 books of the series.
Contrary to my normal “stick to the series order” advice I tend to give, in this case, I would recommend the first installment of the series and then this one to readers who’d like to sample this series.

And if you don’t read this book for the romance or plot, you should read it just to discover what intriguing body part adornment Ian has and where it is…and I am not talking tattoos here.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10


My reviews of the other books in this series:
DARK SEDUCTION
DARK RIVAL
DARK EMBRACE
DARK VICTORY