Black Ops, Inc. operative Luke –Doc Holliday– Colter is taking some much needed down-time, making his way across the Peruvian Andes via rail, when banditos attack the moving train in the midnight hours. It soon becomes apparent that robbery is not their intent but the abduction of super model Valentina, who is traveling incognito while recovering from a public scandal involving her ex-husband, high profile US Senator, Marcus Chamberlin.

Luke whisks Valentina off the train in a daring escape but the two of them become the targets of a relentless manhunt. Enlisting the aid of Luke's BOI teammates, they soon discover that Val’s intended abduction is linked to a plot put in play by an international gun smuggling alliance. The BOI team led by Luke, with Val along as a necessary pawn, must race halfway around the world to thwart a ruthless attack that would not only result in a devastating loss of life but destroy a tenuous peace the US and her allies have established in a vastly unstable part of the world.

Title: WITH NO REMORSE
Author: Cindy Gerard
Series: Black Ops Inc., book 6
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2011, July 19
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Received an ARC from author for review at RWA Nationals in NYC

First line:
Luke Colter's number one rule of self-preservation: Don't ignore the itch.

Memorable Scenes:
- Luke and Val's escape from the bad guy shooters on the mules > I was holding my breath and at the same time thinking 'Doc makes a sexy cowboy'

Luke 'Doc Halliday' Colter is charming, gentle, protective and witty.
Lately he’s been questioning his job, whether he should keep doing what he does (coincidentally Wyatt was thinking the same in the previous book.). Then on the way home from his holiday during his one break per year, he runs into trouble and cannot stop his protective instincts from kicking in.

Hollywood star actress Valentina (Val) is sarcastic, tenacious and sassy. She’s trying not to depend on or need men for her happiness and safety as all they've done is hurt and use her but circumstances drive her right into the arms of knight in shining armor, Luke. Colter Good thing he's a good guy and a former Navy SEAL. When Luke prevents the kidnapping of Valentina during a train ride on one of the last days of his 2-week leave from BOI, they escape to Buenos Aires where the other BOIs join in to find out who is after Val and why.

The love scenes are hot and I love how Cindy Gerard keeps them original and fresh in every installment and how every romance is unique to the main characters at hand. I also liked the element in the romance where Val is the big movie star Luke had a crush on when he was younger. It gave the romance something extra, making it yet again different from the other romances in the series.

In this book there are some introductions of interesting secondary characters that were added to the original BOIs and with this series ending after the next book I'm hoping Cindy Gerard is going to start a new series with these men. My interest was definitely piqued by not only former naval pilot Brown but also the guys assigned to protect Val, Santos in particular.

The plot of WITH NO REMORSE takes us from Peru via Argentina to the USA and Sierra Leone and takes place almost a year after the end of RISK NO SECRETS and within 10 pages I was in the middle of exciting action and ready to enjoy Doc's story to the fullest. If there were things that should be noted in the less positive column of this review it would be that the references to movies/TV shows were cute but I'm not sure it doesn't date the book and Val's constant references to Luke as Indiana Jones started to become bothersome at one point.

Again Cindy Gerard created a different, unique plot for an installment of this great series. I also suspect the plot of the next book has it’s origin in the end of this one and I also think the overall wrapping up of a story line that started in SHOW NO MERCY (book 1) and was deepened out a little bit in the previous book (RISK NO SECRETS), was being geared up in this one for the next book as well. I love that!

Though I'm normally not quick to figure out the plots I must say the one in this book I had my finger on it from the start, knowing who was involved and why. And because I'm not the best at guessing these things in the romantic suspense books I read I think it's safe to say Cindy Gerard took the predictable and easy road there. However, despite the predictability the suspense still kept me at the edge of my seat as reading how the BOIs take down the bad guys is still a sight to behold and in the end there were some twists I didn't totally see coming. Those last 60-80 pages were breathtaking and awesome and totally in line with what I'm used to in this series.

Cindy Gerard writes mesmerizing romantic suspense. The balance in the mix between the suspense and romance is perfectly done and once I start reading a BOI book I just can't stop because when it's not the plot keeping me on the edge of my seat, it's the romance making me keep reading on thinking 'just one more page, one more chapter.'

WITH NO REMORSE is another great installment in this series and I'm sad to know that the next book is the final one. I've truly fallen in love with this series and Cindy Gerard's writing. I'm running out of words to describe how much I love the romantic suspense that Cindy Gerard writes. She blends mind-blowing military stuff with edge-of-your-seat suspense and hot, satisfying romance together so well, her books are highly addictive and impossible to put down once you start them. When I think Romantic Suspense I think Cindy Gerard!

Favorite Quotes:
And when he undid the buttons of his shirt, then whipped it off and handed it to her with a clipped, “Cover up with this”, her argument lost its steam.
That wasn’t all she lost when she was suddenly face to face with the lean, muscled breadth of his chest. Her power of speech took a hike as she sat like a mute and stared.

Luke took a moment to grieve for his balls, which were taking a hammering on the boniest backbone he’d ever had the misfortune to straddle. But when a barrage of automatic weapon fire cracked across the ground beside them, the state of his balls took a backseat to the danger to Valentina’s life.

Luke was going insane.
Break-out-the-anti-psychotic-drugs, dust-off-the-lobotomy-kitts, and lace-up-the-straitjackets insane. All this lush, sexy woman pressed against him was more than he could take.

Well, hell. He wasn’t gone yet. To make certain she understood that, he strode straight to the bed, leaned down, cupped her nape in his palm, and pulled her up to him. Then he kissed her like tomorrow might not come and he wanted to experience every nuance, every sigh, every sweet wanton response from the mouth that he wasn’t sure he could ever get enough of.

He made love to her with a tenderness he hadn’t known he was capable of expressing. With a reverence that he hoped showed her that this wasn’t about sex. This was about communion. This was about seekers who hadn’t even known they’d been searching. About lost souls who had defied fate and found themselves in each other.

Everything had seemed clear in the intimacy of the night, in the heat and intensity of the most profound emotional and sexual experience of Luke’s life.
Then morning, the bitch, showed up and muddied the waters again.

“Now let’s try that again. Ask my wife nice,” Reed ground out, butting his chest against Luke’s, “and maybe I’ll let you sleep in the same bed as your teeth tonight.”

“You’re my heartbeat, Val. You’re my reason for being the man I need to be. With you, anything’s possible. Without you…without you, I’m not the man I want to be.

Logan has been in love with Meredith for as long as he can remember. Seeing her with another had been its own brand of torture, but now that she’s free, nothing can stop him from claiming what is rightfully his.

The magnetism of Logan has never been lost on Meredith, but crossing the line between friend and lover scares her, even after dumping her slimeball ex. When Logan kisses her, an attraction like she’s never known ignites, sweeping her into an affair she can’t walk away from.

As Logan fights to win her heart, Meredith wages a battle of her own. Is she willing to admit her interest stretches way beyond merely doing Logan?

Title: Doing Logan
Author: Rhian Cahill
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2010, November 4
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade Enterprises

First line:
Logan Foster was a man of action.

Memorable Scenes:
- from the moment Logan and Meredith are in the car via against-the-wall-by-the-door making out to the panties-ripping in the bedroom > *fans self*

Quick & Dirty-review:

Ingredients/Summary:
It's an Ellora's Cave Quickie so the blurb about covers it as far as a summary goes.

Hero:
Logan Foster

Heroine:
Meredith Wainwright

I guess I was too engrossed in the hot stuff to notice any personality traits in the main characters, because where I normally make annotations about hero and heroine while reading a book, this time I have nothing written down…nothing. Well, draw your own conclusions from that *wink*

Plot:
DOING LOGAN is a short and sweaty hot friends-to-lovers erotic romance novella.

Writing:
Engaging writing that hooks you from start to finish. And Rhian Cahill writes the sexy like no one else can. Hot, enticing, sensual and intense. Her writing is clear, very explicit and calling things by their name but never turning vulgar or crude. Rhian Cahill's sex scenes are awesome! They leave nothing to the imagination and still stay on the right side of explicitness.

Likes:
- the sex scenes. Rhian Cahill has an uncanny talent for writing fabulously intense smexing

Dislikes:
- due to the shortness of the story there's no real getting to know Logan and Meredith other than how they behave in the early stages of taking their friendship to being in a relationship.
- beating a dead dog here but: this novella is just too damn short, I wanted more Logan and Meredith.

Verdict:
Oh sweet Lord, no matter what subject or trope Rhian Cahill tackles, it's always a deliciously HOT read and DOING LOGAN is no exception. From start to finish this short read is sizzling enough to burn the pages.

Ms. Cahill, you have got yourself a fan for life, where your erotic contemporary work is concerned, I thank you for writing such amazing and hot stories that take me away for a couple of hours and make me forget my troubles.

I want more of it so publishers please don’t make me wait too long for her next erotic contemporary, okay?


LET ME SAY UPFRONT THAT I COULD'VE QUOTED THIS ENTIRE BOOK, IT HAD SO MANY SNIPPETS WORTHY OF MENTIONING so enjoy the “handful” I’ve included below…

Quotes:
If he wanted something, he went after it. Simple. Except for one thing. Meredith Wainright . Where she was concerned, his courage disappeared completely. For over twenty years she’d had him tied in knots and unable to be his usual assertive self. He’d be putty in her hands if she ever decided to touch him.

Meredith couldn’t believe they talked about the weather. She was trying to get up the courage to ask Logan inside for coffee and all that came out was “nice weather we’ve been having”. If it wouldn’t make her look more of a twit she’d slap herself upside the head.

The closer they got to her house the more tense she became. It didn’t help that the man oozed sex. From the way he moved to the way he smelled, Logan Foster projected dark forbidden pleasure.

There was no time to wonder what Logan was apologizing for. Her back hit the wall and his mouth slanted over hers. This kiss was nothing like the one in the car. Hot lashes of his tongue had her opening to him. He swept inside, touching, tasting, devouring. Wet velvet ribbons unfurled inside her and rolled out until every inch of her melted against his hard body. With lips, tongue and teeth he ate at her. Consumed her in a fiery lip-lock that incinerated all memory of previous kisses.

“The bare little-girl look does nothing for me but a well-groomed woman makes me hotter than hell."

She was gorgeous. Lush curves painted pink from exertion and satisfaction, she glowed and Logan had the sudden urge to lick every inch of her. From head to toe he wanted to feast on all that female flesh.

Razor-sharp need cut and sliced at senses already teased to their limits. With the slide of his fingers, Logan shoved her over the edge of sanity. Wanton desire ripped through her, the force shook her limbs and made her heart race at alarming speed.

The woman could tempt a saint and watching her eat was better than watching porn. She savored every mouthful, the look of bliss on her face one he recognized well. Their whole meal had been foreplay.
The way she sucked the food from her fork to the way she licked her lips between bites had his heart pounding and blood racing. He’d shifted so many times in his seat it was a wonder he hadn’t worn a hole in it.

Their mouths were a breath apart but he didn’t touch her. If they kissed now he’d lose it completely and take what his body screamed was his.

Thirty-eight-year-old divorcee Holly Burrows has had enough of battery-operated love. Prompted by an ad left at her law office, she investigates Hunk Du Jour, a website designed to foster ‘adult connections’. After weeks of sexy emails and phone calls with surf hunk Kent, she's ready to test their chemistry in person. But first she has to get through lunch with her colleague Alex, a man with a brain as agile as his body. When their consultation ends with a bang, she barely remembers the man she'd lined up for dessert. Now she thinks she's juggling two hot young guys. How can she choose between her two gorgeous cubs – and why do they remind her of each other?

Title: Full Disclosure
Author: Cari Quinn
Series: Hunk Du Jour, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Scarlet Rose Line
Year of release: 2009, November 6
Format: eBook, 126 pages
Source: Bought via publisher’s website
First line: She’d finally done it. Rather than calling out for a lunchtime delivery of Moo Goo Gai Pan, she’d placed an order for sex.
Memorable Scenes:
- The great reveal scene > the where and how of Alex revealing his identity was excellently done

Holly Burrows is in her late thirties and a senior associate at a law firm. She’s independent, she knows what she wants and goes for it, and she’s ambitious and dedicated. After a disastrous marriage, she’s done with relationships but like any healthy woman she does have a sexual itch to scratch so she signs up on a singles dating site where she ultimately finds much more than she was looking for.

Alex Stryker is in his mid twenties and Holly's new colleague (junior) at the law firm. He’s also the owner of the Hunk Du Jour website, the dating site Holly signs up for to find a new adventure. Intrigued by Holly he is the one to guide her to his site and he uses his alter ego, Kent to initiate contact with her, knowing he won’t be able to keep his identity a secret for long

In this short novella there is no room for secondary characters so the only fly-by one is Holly’s whiny ex husband who makes a brief appearance on the phone.

FULL DISCLOSURE is a great erotic romance. It’s fast-paced, to the point, very well written and it checked all the boxes of things I like in erotic romance. Alex is hot, Holly is great and the sex scenes are sizzling. It was a very fast read because of the pace and easy, fluent writing. Once I read the first chapter I couldn't tear myself away from the book and read it in a few quick hours. Of course I was wondering when and how Alex would tell Holly about his alter ego and I loved the way this was done and the emotional make-up scene and sex afterwards. This was a novella I have very little complaints about it. The characters were well-rounded, the story, though short, wasn’t rushed, there was heat, conflict, emotion, humor and love. In short, it full-filled all the wishes I have as a romance reader and kept me engaged to the very last page.

Fancy a scorching hot Cougar read? FULL DISCLOSURE delivers it and then some. It’s playful and intense, hot and touching and I absolutely adored it!

Favorite Quotes:
She studied him through hazed eyes. “Uh huh. You’re good at the seduction routine.”
“For someone my age?” Watching her eyes, he circled his fingertips under her knees. “FYI, this isn’t seduction. Seduction would be flowers, music, chilled champagne. This is the prelude to a good f#ck.”

She moaned his name as the velvet hammer of her climax punched through her, swift and devastating.

As the web-mistress for one of the Northeast’s hottest dating sites, Hunk Du Jour, Jenny Talbot is no stranger to reading the applications of potential clients. But when the latest application that crosses her inbox belongs to Ty Randall, the guy she broke up with a mere twenty-seven days ago, she does a double take. Reading what Ty wants in bed not only gets Jenny hot, it also makes her rethink ending their relationship. All she longed for was a little more spice in the bedroom—okay, a lot more—but he let her go without an argument. Faced with the possibility that Ty may really be moving on, getting her ex back becomes more appealing than ever. But will revealing exactly what she needs allow Jenny to finally experience ultimate pleasure or will she drive away the man she loves for good?

Title: Ex Appeal
Author: Cari Quinn
Series: Hunk Du Jour, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Scarlet Rose Line
Year of release: 2010, June 25
Format: eBook, 108 pages
Source: Received from author for review
First line: “Jenny, baby, you don’t know how I’ve missed
you.”
Memorable Scenes:
- Opening scene > Definitely attention grabbing and set the tone for the entire book
- Ty’s bed-talk > Do I really need to reiterate my love for dirty talking heroes?

Jenny Talbot is Alex Stryker's (hero FULL DISCLOSURE) friend and former lover and the web-mistress of his Hunk Du Jour site. She’s impulsive, very talkative and outspoken. When she tries to spice up the relationship with her boyfriend Ty and their sex life with tips from a magazine, he decides it’s enough and calls it quits. When she spots his application on Hunk Du Jour, she decides enough is enough and she sets out to win him back with a daring plan.

Ty Randall is an aspiring comic designer. He’s a sweet and down-to-earth guy who has a dirty mind and mouth when he’s in the mood for it. After he sees his relationship end up in a rut and Jenny’s attempts to spice it up only make things worse, he decides to find someone else, even though his heart still belongs to Jenny.

This was another short novella with little room for secondary characters as the focus is on Jenny and Ty and their struggle to get their relationship back on track. I did love the brief appearance of Holly and Alex from FULL DISCLOSURE, who understandably were the only secondary characters share the limelight Ty and Jenny’s story.

After reading FULL DISCLOSURE, which was my first taste of Cari Quinn's fabulously hot writing, I just couldn't resist the appeal (pun intended!) of EX APPEAL, so within 24 hours I read both books and EX APPEAL ranks right up there in the higher regions of hotness.

My high expectations after FULL DISCLOSURE were completely met within the first few pages and it only got better with every page I read. Cari Quinn's writing is hot, lush and witty. The pace she sets is fast and furious and makes you reach the end before you know it and then you're left yearning for more of the good stuff to which you've become hooked.

I love reunited lovers/second chance romances and EX APPEAL is a prime specimen of it. Ty and Jenny have been so caught up in their own worlds and lives that they neglected to truly communicate and therefore each other. At first I had to warm up to Ty but once he got in the game he surprised me and totally won me over. Normally I don't like misunderstandings caused by non-communication or the wrong assumptions but in EX APPEAL it really worked and Cari Quinn pulled it off.

EX APPEAL very different from FULL DISCLOSURE in trope, characters and sex, yet they complement each other perfectly in the series. I really must applaud Ms Quinn for making the two stories fit together so perfectly and I am anxiously awaiting the next in this series. I was hoping it would be Holly's baby sister Hayley and am very pleased that Cari Quinn confirmed that it will be so…YAY!

Favorite Quotes:
She hadn’t had sex in so long she was sure she could feel her hymen regenerating.

Ty lowered his mouth to hers again, but he didn’t kiss her. This time, he just let his words ripple over her flesh. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve heard you beg?”
“I begged, you just stopped listening.”
He absorbed the blow, then lifted his head to meet her gaze. Though it cost him, he nodded. “I’m listening now. Tell me what you like. What you need.” He palmed her breast and circled his thumb over the dusky tip. “I’ll give it to you.”

Her pupils widened. “You’ve never used that word with me before.”
“Is that what you want? Do you want me to talk dirty to you? Because, believe me, I’ll blister your cute little earlobes.” His teeth claimed the body part in question and tugged.

The intensity of their mating was something she’d never experienced before. He stared at her with hunger, with love, with possession, while his body ruled hers,
slamming her against the brink as she shuddered with the need for release. But each time she approached climax, he stopped and slid out of her, seemingly intent on killing her with the best sex of her life. “Please. Ty.” She gasped his name like a prayer and smoothed his damp mahogany hair away from his face. “Please.

Look, but don’t touch…

Leyla Karimi can’t keep her eyes off the hunky guy living in the house behind her. How could any woman resist ogling Dr. Mason Barrett, especially when he makes it so easy by parading around in his skin and skivvies?

If it was only their age difference, she would have made a move a long time ago. Except Mason is more than a neighbor. He’s her baby brother’s oldest friend. It’s not like they can have a casual fling and walk away in the morning.

Mason’s been doing a little lusting—okay a lot—for quite some time. When he catches Leyla peeking, it’s a sure sign she could finally be ready to heat up his nights with loving. One taste of her lips, though, and he doesn’t want a “little” of anything. He wants it all.

Unwilling to jeopardize a lifetime of friendship for a one-night stand, Leyla is reluctant to throw caution to the wind. When he’s kissing her senseless, though, it’s hard to remember all the reasons why she should hold back…

Warning: Contains a hot hero who doesn’t mind baring it all in the name of love, a heroine who doesn’t settle for less, a sweet romance, steamy sex in a car and more good lovin’ in bed.

Leyla Karimi is the manager of a lingerie store. She’s witty, straightforward and has a warm, caring personality. Though true to her beliefs and morals, when at ease she owns her sexuality in a confident way.

Mason Barrett is a resident at the hospital. He’s easygoing, and though he is a laid-back kind of guy, sexually he pulls off just the right amount of dominance and confidence to make him utterly drool-worthy.

Both Leyla and Mason are passionate and have a great sense of humor. They are characters that won my heart from the moment they stepped on the pages and they’re a perfect match for each other. I was very glad that Alisha Rai didn’t allow the characters to linger in the best-friend's-sister, brother's-best-friend, we-can't-do-this phase and they went for it. Also loved how she worked out the angry brother angle. I definitely can't wait to read how Sasha is going to be brought to his knees by love.

There were very few secondary characters. The only one that stuck with me was Sasha, who is Leyla’s baby brother and Mason’s best friend (and the hero of book 2: VEILED SEDUCTION). Frankly, I did not miss any secondary characters, as VEILED DESIRE was clearly a story where the stage was reserved for Leyla and Mason and the development of their romantic relationship.

Alisha Rai’s writing style is easy and fluent. Her love scenes are explicit yet not crude and all through the story a humorous tone can be detected, which I loved. This first taste of her writing definitely left me wanting more and I was happy I had VEILED SEDUCTION waiting to be read immediately after I finished this one.

VEILED DESIRE is one scorching hot little novella! In a mere 79 pages Alisha Rai pens down a surprisingly well rounded story with characters that were fleshed out perfectly. It was both sizzling hot and wonderfully sweet. There are no real conflicts other than maybe the initial hesitance in Leyla to start something with Mason because she is a few years older than he is (just 4 years) and he’s her brothers best friend. There are no plots, just a lovely story of two people falling in love and lust and making it work for all parties involved.

Quote:
Mentally, Leyla snorted. If she was finding him cooking breakfast erotic, she really hoped she didn't have to watch him do laundry or something. She might pass out.

8.5 out of 10

Even the best-laid seductions can go awry.

Beneath Dr. Maira Khan’s reserved exterior, her heart beats triple-time for only one man: Sasha Karimi. For two years she’s waited patiently for the handsome police lieutenant to wake up and see her as more than a buddy. When he’s injured in the line of duty, though, she realizes time is too precious to waste. Ditching her scrubs—and her shyness—she cooks up her very first seduction.

Sasha’s had a hell of a week. Thanks to the national media, amorous women are pouring out of the woodwork, all wanting a piece of America’s newest “hero”. The biggest disappointment? Maira seems to have contracted the same case of mass hysteria. Betrayed, he pushes her away—but not before he samples a taste of her luscious mouth and body.

It works. Maira retreats, mortified and ashamed. And Sasha realizes he’s just driven away the perfect woman. Now all he needs is a foolproof plan to win her back, starting with a proper courtship—and restraining his lust. Except once Maira glimpses the man behind the uniform, she sets out to show him that pure need has its own ideas about what’s proper…

Warning: Contains a brilliant heroine who knows how to take matters into her own hands, a sexy hero who knows how to win his woman, an awesome full-body massage, a tender romance and sizzling bedroom (and kitchen) shenanigans.

Maira Kahn has loved Sasha Karimi for 2 years but doesn't admit to it until he's seriously injured in a shootout on the job and lands in her ER. When she finally decides to act on her feelings for him, he thinks she's just out to seduce the newly crowned hero, like all of the other women who've come knocking on his door with indecent proposals, and decides to cut all contact with her. But Sasha can't forget her and soon starts to wonder if sending her on her merry way was the smart thing to do.

Maira is an emergency department physician at the same hospital where Mason (hero book 1: VEILED DESIRE) works. She’s cool, calm and intelligent with an incredibly witty sense of humor. She’s also sweet, a bit reserved, almost shy, and very pragmatic.

Sasha is the brother of Leyla (heroine, book 1) and he’s a police officer. Next to being a good guy who is loyal and caring, he’s also dedicated, fun loving and stubborn to the point of hard-headedness. I had a taste of his temper in VEILED DESIRE and was immediately curious to see what kind of woman was going to handle and tame the fiery Sasha. Sasha is a hard nut to crack with his stubbornness and trying to do the thinking for Maira. After Maira sets him straight however, he turns into this adorable romantic man with a sexual confidence that melted the pages!

In VEILED SEDUCTION there were a few more secondary characters than in VEILED DESIRE. I loved the look into Leyla and Mason’s life. Since the end of their book they have married and have an eighteen-month-old daughter Ash (Sasha). It was fun seeing them back and I loved the role they had in Sasha's story. The hotness of this book just went up another notch with an unexpected bonus Leyla and Mason scene!

Two other characters that caught my attention were Maira’s mom, a little pushy whirlwind of a woman who couldn’t be fooled, and Sasha’s colleague, Keiran Harrison. I was ecstatic to learn that the next book in this series will be centered around him as even the small glimpse of him in this one definitely sparked my interest.

I loved this second book in the Veiled series! Alisha Rai writes vivid, likeable characters and her knack for hot sexy time scenes is uncanny! VEILED SEDUCTION is another great friends-to-lovers story and an amazing novella with characters that are perfectly developed. It’s character-driven and emotional and the talented Alisha Rai is one of those rare authors who can write novellas that make me forget they are short. At the end of both these novellas I was thoroughly pleased and satisfied with the stories and their closures while most of the time when I read novellas I am left wanting. Kudos to Ms. Rai for that!

Quote:
She twisted the faucet off and turned around. And promptly swallowed her tongue. Sasha needed to give a warning and pass out oxygen masks before he went around taking his shirt off.

She moved to get up and pull the covers back, but was stopped by the low growl of Sasha's voice. My, but that sound did funny things to her stomach. "Don't bother. The only thing covering you is going to be me"

8.3 out of 10

Welcome to the Six Pack Ranch, where one sweet young thing plus the Coleman boys equals trouble with a capital T.

Back Cover:
Blake Coleman is old enough to know that acting on impulse causes nothing but a heap of trouble. But when trouble’s a blonde wearing a cowboy hat with slim legs that go on forever, what’s a man to do? Wanting the sweet girl next door is just wrong. Hell, he was the one that taught her to ride a horse and now all he can think about is riding her. The responsible thing to do is keep his hands off.

Jaxi has other plans for his hands, and his heart. She may have considered Blake a big brother once but that was a long time ago. She’s all grown up now and ready to convince him that she’s just what he’s been waiting for.
Add the complication of two sexy younger brothers who have suddenly noticed Jaxi and things heat up fast. Blake’s gonna have to decide if a little trouble is worth fighting for.

After a particularly hot prologue that sets the scene for the rest of this novella, the story truly starts when Blake Coleman’s mom breaks her arm in an apple picking accident. Jaxi is the one to take care of her until she’s better and this puts her in close proximity to Blake, her childhood’s crush, a proximity she welcomes because she’s ready to make her move on Blake. She’s had her friendly fun with the other Colemans, even dated Travis, which didn’t work out but now it’s time to rope in her man.

Jaxi is a sweet, loyal and quick-witted young woman. She has always considered the Colemans as her second family because of her close friendship with the younger brothers, the twins, and the neglect by her own family.
Blake is caring, giving and responsible, the typical traits of a first-born son.

Even though on the surface Jaxi and Blake relationship seems a big brother-little sister relationship type of thing, it’s soon clear that they have feelings for each other that defy any brother-sister type of relationship. Both fight those feelings though, Jaxi because she is sure Blake doesn’t reciprocate the feelings and Blake because he is ten years older than Jaxi and feels like he’s too old for her. At first Jaxi’s relationship with Travis seems to be the big problem but this is soon taken care of. Travis does have some sort of secret that was a very intriguing given in the book. I am fairly certain I know what that secret is and am anxious to see it confirmed. I must also admit that Travis’ character puzzled me a bit, certainly if my suspicions about his secret turn out to be correct. I am not a fan of him. He treated Jaxi badly and acted like a first-class jerk. Am very curious to see what Vivian is going to make of his story

For a short novella, I have to say it was a very good read. It had development in the characters, spanned a reasonable and believable period of time and the romance, sex and characters were very well balanced. Kudos to Vivian Arend for proving that short novellas can be satisfying too and the length of a story doesn’t have to impede the storytelling qualities.

So if you’re looking for a hot and sweet contemporary with Canadian cowboys, ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT would be the perfect choice because it was a short and sweet and above all, a HOT read. I loved it from start to finish and when I was done I couldn’t wait to see what Vivian Arend had in store for the other Coleman boys/men.

Rating: 8 out of 10



Welcome to the Six Pack Ranch, where learning to live again takes some sensual twists.

Back Cover:
Beth Danube has escaped to a small Alberta town to make a new start for herself and her three little boys. Her emotionally abusive husband may be dead and buried, but so is her heart. What she doesn’t want is another man in her life—not now, maybe not ever. Yet when her libido reawakens after ten years of unsatisfactory sex in the missionary position is any woman strong enough to turn down sex-in-boots, Daniel Coleman?

The middle child of the rowdy Coleman boys, Daniel’s the quiet one who has always subdued his desires and acted as peacemaker. His powerful attraction to the young widow takes him by storm, and he’s willing to pursue her until they both find satisfaction—in and out of the bedroom.

Only Beth isn’t sure she’s ready to cross the line. Becoming friends with blazing hot benefits means she’s still the one in control. Letting her heart trust again? She isn’t that brave—or foolish. Daniel is going to have to be mighty convincing to help her overcome the past.

Beth Danube and Daniel Coleman meet during a night on the town in a Calgary bar. Sparks sizzle but Beth is not planning on pursuing anything with the first man who makes her want to explore her sexuality after an abusive relationship. Then faith lands her right in Daniel’s arms again when she moves to his hometown and ends up in a farmhouse owned by his father. Daniel always wondered why the woman he shared some hot moments with months ago, ran off leaving him with no way to contact her. Now that she’s fallen into his lap, he’s not letting her go again.

Beth has had a rough past, after a terrible accident in which her abusive husband died and she was left with a severe leg-injury, she’s trying to build a new life for her and her three sons Lance, Nathan and Robbie. She’s resilient and strong, despite the adversities she’s been through.

Daniel is the quiet Coleman brother, the peacemaker. He’s confident and direct but he’s also intuitive and compassionate.

I loved this second installment of the Six Pack Ranch series as much, if not more, as the first one. I loved the contraction in Daniel. He is quiet and sweet but also sexually dominant at the same time. I also loved Beth’s strength and her love for her sons and as a reader who likes children as characters in romance, Beth’s sons stole my heart and Nathan broke it when he opened up to Daniel about his fears. No I didn’t keep it dry, but don’t tell me you were expecting me too because by now everyone knows I’m a crybaby when it comes to emotional stuff in books.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAVEN is another hot, hot, hot book in this series. Vivian Arend is very talented and creative when it comes to sex scenes. They are explicit and beautifully written and I can guarantee you need something to cool down with once you’re done with her books.

In a rather small page count Vivian Arend delivered a beautiful story, full of loveable characters, hot sex, family dynamics and sweet romance. I didn’t think she could top ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT with its sequel but she certainly did by giving me the emotional, tear-jerking ending I crave so much in the romances I read.

Quotes:
She came undone. Between the relentless strokes, the dirty talk and the whole
naughtiness of the situation, the earth unraveled and took her with it. His mouth clamped down on hers as she started to cry out, the need to express the pleasure tearing her apart, overriding the logical sections of her brain.

"Tonight, you're mine. No games, no playing. Just open yourself up and give
yourself to me, Beth. Let go and let me catch you." Her throat was tight as he suspended himself over her, thigh to thigh, nose to nose. His eyes, oh damn—his eyes were beautiful. Full of tenderness and need and she wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him down on top of her, sighing as his bare
skin touched hers as if for the first time.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

In general about this series and the writing:

I have found another pack of cowboy siblings to love and add to my keeper shelves because next to the McKays from Wyoming (yup, I’m talking Lorelei James here) I now have the Colemans from Alberta. All the Coleman brothers are undeniably and deliciously yummy, from Blake down to the oh-so naughty double-teaming twins Joel and Jesse whose story I am awaiting with abated breath. From the obnoxious Travis to the quiet Daniel and the mediator Matt, they all have that “come-to-mama-and-let-me-make-you-feel-real-good” vibe that just pulls you in. The bond between them is strong and heartwarming and the banter is highly amusing.

Though I’ve only read these two books in the series (because there are only two so far…I’m pining for the next), I already know that each book has a different and unique vibe to it. Each book fits the personalities of the main couple both sexually and emotionally. I appreciate this in series and Vivian Arend did a great job of it.

Whether it’s straight contemporary, paranormal or cowboy romance, Vivian Arend's writing is so easy and natural it’s no hardship to read. Humorous, hot, down-to-earth…I really like that combination and they keep pulling me back to her books. Shortly I’ll have read her complete backlist and yearning for more if I keep this up…