She wants it…he’s got it…and the chase is on…

Bull rider Chase McKay has finally landed in a pile too big to charm his way out of. Caught with his pants down, he finds himself bucked right off the PBR tour until he can get his act together.

Hollywood actress Ava Cooper became the tabloids’ favorite target when her longtime boyfriend was outed as gay. She needs a place to lay low and a chance to prove to herself that she can satisfy a red-blooded man between the sheets. The sexy, rugged cowboy she finds holed up in her Wyoming hideaway seems like the answer to her every fantasy.

But Chase has sworn off women. Forever. Or at least a month. Whichever comes first.

When they take to the road to get Chase more hands-on bull riding experience, they have every intention of keeping their hands off each other. But the two headstrong stars quickly end up riding a hot and heady rodeo circuit all their own—until the press gets wind of their affair. When the dust clears and the lights of the paparazzi fade, are they ready to give up chasing the dream for a chance of finding forever?

Warning: Strap in, another hot McKay is about to bust out of the gate and this bull rider knows a thing or two about riding hard…

Title: CHASIN’ EIGHT
Author: Lorelei James
Series: Rough Riders, book 11
Genre: Contemporary Western Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, June 28
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Samhain eBookstore

First line:
There was nothing like live porn.

Memorable Scenes:
- Chase and Ava's very first encounter > funny as hell
- the fried Twinkie scene > talk about sexual tension and teasing


CHASIN’ EIGHT is the 11th book in this series. 11th!! I still remember discovering the first in this series a few years ago and falling in love with the McKays, Lorelei James’ writing and contemporary western romance. And now I have read 11 books in this amazing series and I’m still hooked, still enjoying every installment I read and looking forward to every new addition to the series.

The main characters of this book are Ava Drummond aka famous actress Ava Cooper and famous bull rider Chase McKay. Ava is vivacious, funny and adapting. She’s looking for her place in life, a purpose. She’s also a little insecure despite her famous actress status. Chase is stubborn, gruff resilient and sweet. Despite his reputation as a womanizer he’s also a loner. Though he gives off this bold, rough bad boy vibe he’s also a easy-going and a little complacent.

I loved Ava and Chase together. Their banter added to the chemistry between them and they were both characters I loved because of their sharp wit. They are characters that at first sight you would never pair together but their pairing worked splendidly.

I had a bit of trouble getting into this book. First off I didn’t really like the opening page, it was too porn-y for my taste. Also, the first half, before Chase gave into the physical pull Ava had on him, kinda felt a bit uneventful and slow-going. However, despite the slow start I absolutely enjoyed this book. I still miss the magic of the earlier Rough Riders books but CHASIN' EIGHT definitely kept me entertained.

One of the things I loved about this book was seeing some characters from the earlier books come back to the forefront: Colby, Gemma, and Cash for instance. But also loved seeing Kane and Ginger. Though their book isn’t one of my favorites in this series, I really liked them and their role in CHASIN’ EIGHT. Another thing I liked was an in-depth look into the bull riding and rodeo-circuit. As a total ignorant about rodeos I took it all in and was fascinated by it all. This was also what brought the characters I mentioned above in play.

I always mention this in my reviews of books in this series but I really adore the family feel of this series and how Lorelei James shows us the expansion with every next book and gives the readers who follow this series an in-depth look into all the branches of this very large family with their problems, their happy moments, their loves and their losses. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Rough Riders series is a family saga, not merely a string of connected books.

Lorelei James' writing is satisfying as always. It’s the perfect combination of scorching heat, intense emotions, in-depth back-stories and a great collection of supporting characters. Lorelei James always manages to pull on my heartstrings with the emotions she infuses into her stories and to get me all hot and bothered with the heat that radiates from the love scenes. No matter if I adore, love or just like the book, her writing is an addiction I can’t quit!

And with the enticing blurb I’ve read of the next book, Ben McKay’s (Chase’s middle brother) story, I can’t wait until COWBOY CASANOVA comes out next week!

Favorite Quotes:
“Fine. I get it. Hands off. No hugs, no kisses, no holding hands, no hot looks, no copping a feel. No chance for a hard, fast, sweaty, screaming, raunchy f#ckfest against the wall, or on the floor, or in the shower, and definitely not on the bed.” (Ava to Chase)

Ava released a long, deep moan. A moan that sounded like a woman about to come undone by pure pleasure.
Chase shot her a sideways glance. Her beautiful face had a dreamy look best described as post-orgasmic. From sucking on a hot dog?
“That’s the best chili dog I’ve ever eaten.” Ava kept making throaty groans.
His brain overloaded. He imagined dragging her across the console and giving her another reason to moan.

Ava expected he’d keep the kiss slow and easy. So when Chase kissed the living shit out of her, she understood she didn’t know this Chase at all. The Chase who trapped her face in his big hands. The Chase who ably slipped his tongue past her teeth and fried her circuits with a kiss that stirred something inside her she’d never felt with any man.
Lust with an edge of danger. Lust that had no boundaries.

[Taz]“I seen how he’s been lookin’ at you.”
“And how’s that?”
“Like you’re a hot, sweet fried Twinkie and he’d like to lick you up one side and down the other before devouring you completely.”
“Except the man seems to be on a sugar-free diet,” she said wryly.
Taz chuckled. “Maybe. But I reckon he’s just trying to keep from gorging himself.”

Ava immersed herself in him. The scent of his skin. The tangy taste of his sweat. The way his muscles strained beneath her tongue. She kissed, licked and nibbled her way down the center of his throat, from his square jaw to his breastbone. And could she get a halleluiah that he had chest hair? Talk about manly, masculine goodness. She rubbed her face over the dark patch of hair, breathing him in, listening to the pounding of his heart, warmed by the heat from his skin, and knowing his body’s response to her was echoed in her body.

Ava had no control. Chase held her head, keeping her in place. “Ava. Look at me. See what you do to me.”
Her gaze connected with his. Such lust. Such hunger in his eyes. Such need. She felt it all flowing between them, felt her body responding to the call of his.

With pure male heat and hunger, he undressed her, then himself. This wasn’t a sensual exploration resulting in an achingly sweet union of bodies. No. This was raw mating. He demanded. Took. Teased. And ultimately gave all of himself with such unending passion, he left her knowing no other man would ever reach inside her like he did.

Sexy, single, and even sweeter than the treats he bakes, New York pastry chef Danny Lunden is trying to stay focused on food—not females. With the Rising Star Chef competition approaching, he doesn’t have time to get all steamed up over the gorgeous woman he encounters on the plane to Chicago. Even if she is Eva Jansen—the billionaire heiress in charge of the contest…

Danny assumes that “Eva the Diva” is a spoiled rich girl who doesn’t share his passion for food. But when the two meet up again in an elevator—alone—they share more than just passion. They share a kiss hot enough to start a kitchen fire—and they’re hungry for more. To indulge their new secret craving, Eva and Danny have to break every rule in the cookbook. But—like chocolate and caramel—some ingredients are are so sinfully good together, one scrumptious bite is never enough...

Title: SOME LIKE IT HOT
Author: Louisa Edwards
Series: Rising Start Chef Trilogy, book 2 and Recipe For Love Series, book 5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Culinary Romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year of release: 2011, November 29
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Received a digital ARC from publisher for review

First line:
So this is what it's like to leave home, Danny mused, narrowly avoiding a collision with a woman who seemed to have forgotten she was pulling a wheeled carry-on case behind her.

Memorable Scenes:
- Danny and Eva's kiss in the elevator > great first kiss scene
- any scene with Claire and Kane > I love those two!
- the love scene where Danny's hands are bandaged > holy hot tamales!
- Eva making her wrongdoings right > have to admit she turned her like-factor up right there in that scene

Eva Jansen is spoiled. There is no other word for it. She is used to getting what she wants, when she wants it and how she wants it. Yet, deep down she's not the diva she shows to everyone. Beneath all the brass, the seemingly selfish actions and the big ego attitude is a caring and sweet woman lurking in the shadow, waiting for the right man to lure her out.

That right man is pastry chef Danny Lunden. He’s a man who has this need to take care of others. It’s engrained in him. He’s calm, levelheaded and reassuring and has a talent for soothing others. So much that he forgets that he sometimes needs reassurance and soothing too. He loves order and control but underneath all that calm there’s a lot of repressed anger and other feelings waiting to come to the surface.

Unfortunately I didn't have the immediate click with Eva and Danny as I did with Jules and Max in the first book. However, they really grew on my along the way because they were definitely a match for each other! When Danny let go a bit of his need to take care of others and think of himself and his own needs first and Eva, though still having a diva attitude, showed her vulnerable and caring side, that’s when I fell for both of them and their romance.

Again the secondary cast was awesome! I loved Max and Jules as secondary characters. (I still have a soft spot for Max!) And the blend of familiar supporting characters and a few new intriguing ones, contributed to my enjoyment of SOME LIKE IT HOT. Of course I also loved that Louisa Edwards continued the secondary romance she started in TOO HOT TO TOUCH. Claire and Kane captured my heart and I truly enjoyed their story, at times even more than Danny and Eva's.

The culinary competition part of the book was also great. I liked it even more than I did the first book of this trilogy because the way the challenges in this book were set up, reminded me even more of my favorite cooking competition shows. For giving me this great mix of romance and culinary type TV-shows, I can only thank and love Louisa Edwards. I love how she combines food and romance. It's clear she has knowledge of food and cooking and a talent for writing romance and heat. I loved the food analogies (both in SOME LIKE IT HOT and in TOO HOT TO TOUCH).

There's also simplicity and subtle humor to her writing that make her books very accessible and easy to go through. The make-out and love scenes are exquisite. Louisa Edwards knows her foodie stuff but she also knows how to write love scenes that will make you forget you're sitting in a chilly room as the heat that radiates from them will warm you up just fine.

So even though it had a slow start and I had to warm up to the main couple I really enjoyed SOME LIKE IT HOT and I can’t wait for the next and final book in this trilogy. Louisa Edwards has become a permanent dish on my reading menu!

Favorite Quotes:
But when she’d seen Lunden standing in the doorway of the plane, long-fingered hands on lean hips like an avenging warrior, all the exhaustion and nervousness and self-doubt went up in a firestorm of excitement and lust. The way the chill of condemnation clashed with the unmistakable glitter of instantaneous hunger and sparkled his eyes to a bright sizzling blue called to the fighter in Eva. She wanted to stoke the fire of that hunger, feed it craftily and carefully until it flamed up and overwhelmed the disapproval.

She made a sound deep in her throat, rough and unashamed, and immediately pure unadulterated high-octane lust flooded his system. He’d been hard since he’s seen her splayed out against the back wall of the elevator, but when she growled like that, the rush of his blood through his body made his c#ck throb so thickly he was momentarily afraid he’d pass out.

"It suits you."
Dazed, wondering if he'd missed something crucial to the conversation while zoning out on the many uses tot which he’d be happy to put her tongue, Danny said, “What does?”
“Danny.”
How did she manage to make the name he’d been called since kindergarten sound like pure, filthy sex?

Kane dipped his spoon into the center, the yolk broke and ran out the white like a river down a mountain. He peeked under the egg to see the shredded beef. It didn’t look like much on its own, but when Kane lifted the spoon to his mouth, he had to work hard not to moan like a kid discovering what his dick was for.

Sometimes what you think you want and what you need are two very different things.

As a technical editor, Jeffrey Maddox deals with plenty of words, leaving him few to spare on people, except his baby sister. To keep Daisy from wrecking her newly rehabbed life by shacking up with her older, married lover Lonny, he impulsively texts Lonny’s wife, Karyn. And then meets her at a coffee shop on a snowy night, ostensibly to convince her to stay with her philandering husband.

But soon texting turns to sexting. After spending the night getting to know Karyn, Jeff wants something much more personal—Lonny’s wife. For himself.

Despite her misgivings about Jeff’s intentions, Karyn can’t fight their attraction. She’s still not divorced, though she knows there’s no way she’ll return to her husband. But maybe an amazing night of conversation—and even more amazing lovemaking—can lead to more than just one night of hot text

Title: HOT TEXT
Author: Cari Quinn
Series: stand alone (to my knowledge)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, November 2
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade eBook Store

First line:
Jeff Maddox stared at the cell phone vibrating on his sister’s coffee table.

Memorable Scenes:
- Jeff and Karyn's booty call > hot with some unexpected character revelations
- the body painting scene > loved it


QuickScore-Verdict:
Jeff Maddox, the hero is this story, was a very interesting character. He is a technical editor with 2 ex-wives who is very protective of his baby sister and when I read all this I thought: whatever direction is Cari Quinn going to take with him… Suffice to say Cari immediately took him down the right path and I truly liked Jeff, even if he is a little rude grouchy and ornery.

Karyn James is a preschool teacher. She’s a quirky homebody who talks to herself a lot and paints to express her creativity. She is open and direct despite not being overly assertive.

Cari Quinn could write the technical manuals Jeff edits and I'd still gobble it up. In HOT TEXT it wasn't just the hot sex scenes. It was the instant connection I felt with the characters, their imperfections and their personalities. I loved this story about two average, normal people. It was very character-driven, fresh and original with a unique premise. The characters were awesome and despite of them having total different personality traits they matched perfectly.

I loved reading Jeff and Karyn's story and could've read more if there had been more. Yet despite the shortness of the story it felt well rounded and complete. Though the characters may be average, normal people...the sex scenes are as fabulously hot as I've gotten used to from Cari Quinn. I expected scorching heat, Cari went above and beyond and definitely delivered!

Favorite Quotes:
She’d clearly gone too long without male companionship if any brute who walked her way made her sit up and take notice. Even one with pretty eyes and scowling lips.

She laughed and the sound loosened something inside his gut, unwinding snakes of need that wrapped around his c#ck in a viselike grip.

She expected an easy kiss. Good, perhaps, but not intense. He seemed like a low-key, moderately passionate person. As she’d been, without the right stimulation.
Without this .
What she got was a glancing blow of lips that soon turned to a furious meshing of mouths and teeth. It wasn’t elegant. It was messy and rough and God help her, bordered on dirty.

There was something so alluring about a woman’s— this woman’s—creamy back, especially offset by her wavy dark hair. She was sensual in the extreme and so beautifully fragile. But not weak. She had an inner strength he doubted she even gave herself credit for. She might bend, but break? Not Karyn.

She kissed him so deeply his mind shuddered to a halt. Wasn’t he supposed to take control? He couldn’t. How could he control this? She’d become a one-woman wrecking ball against his determination to shut her out. He didn’t want complications but here she was, her lips on fire, melting his last resolve.
Stripping him bare before she left him alone.

“Bring it,” she challenged.
He brought it. Hard, fast, with all of his frustration and every wet dream from the last year wrapped up in the hope and desire she’d evoked tonight.

He’s the one who taught her to ride. Now all he wants is to ride her.

Blake Coleman is old enough to know that acting on impulse causes nothing but a heap of trouble. But when trouble’s a western-hat-wearing blonde with slim legs that go on forever, what’s a man to do? Wanting the sweet girl next door is just wrong. The responsible thing to do is keep his hands off.

Jaxi has other plans for Blake’s hands, and his heart. She may have once considered him a big brother, but that was a long time ago. She’s all grown up now and ready to convince him that she’s perfect for him. Except he can’t seem to see past the big “don’t touch” sign that’s apparently still hanging around her neck.

When Jaxi ends up living right under Blake's nose, the undeniable heat between them slides off simmer and leaps up to barn-burning levels. However, a few of the younger six-pack Colemans have decided Jaxi’s brand of trouble is worth risking a few busted bones.
That is, if Blake’s finally ready to let go the reins and fight for what he wants…

Warning: Sexy cowboys seducing and being seduced in trucks, pool halls and barns. Droolworthy country charm, a little double-teaming, a few secrets and a whole lot of brothers to look forward to. Anyone wanna go for a ride?

Title: ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT
Author: Vivian Arend
Series: Six Pack Ranch, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance,
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, November 15
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from author for review

First line:
“Are you sure you can’t last a bit longer?”

Memorable Scenes:
- Blake playing Peeping Tom while Jaxi is in the shower > awesome clash of conflicting feelings warring within Blake
- the pool game > the triple play challenge took the scene beyond fun and into sizzling hot
- the hot scene in the Coleman kitchen > No when I see or hear the mention canned peaches I will not only think of Inez Kelley's TURN IT UP but of Vivian Arend too!
- Jaxi's exotic dance for Blake > HOT!


The hero and heroine of ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT have known each other for quite some time. Ever since Jaxi was a little girl and only child she’d come and hang with the rambunctious Colemans on their ranch and from the moment she knew what it meant to desire, she desired Blake Coleman, the oldest son of the bunch.

Jaxi has been in love with Blake forever and when she is asked to stay on the ranch for a while, taking care of his mom after a fall from an apple tree, she seizes the opportunity to show Blake exactly how much she wants him and hopes she can convince him to want her back.
Little does she know that Blake hardly needs any convincing as Jaxi has been his forbidden fantasy for quite some time and it's getting more and more difficult to keep seeing her as a little sister. He tries to hold on to their age-difference, seeing it as a reason for them not to be together but the feelings and attraction are too strong to deny.

Jaxi is giving, selfless and outspoken. She’s also a goal-getter. She sets her mind on something she wants, she’s bound to get it. In this case she has set her mind on Blake and will not rest until he’s where she wants him.

Blake is the oldest son. The one who thinks he needs to set a responsible example for his younger brothers. He’s honorable, stubborn (oh my God is that man stubborn!) and commanding. He resists Jaxi for a long time but when he eventually gives in to the feelings he can no longer deny, he gives his all

Vivian Arend definitely turned up the heat in this one...it took a little while for the chemistry between Blake and Jaxi to combust but when it did it was full steam ahead all the way to the last page. Scorching, sizzling, steamy heat made for some awesome love scenes. I also loved the romance even though there were moments where I would think they should just come out and express their feelings towards each other since it was so plain to everyone else.

I fell in love with the Colemans the first time I read about them and fell even harder this second time! I'm still fascinated by the twins, I still swoon for Blake, down-to-earth Daniel and considerate Matt and I still think Travis can be a major, major jerk whom I just want to smack upside the head sometimes.

An extra treat was a secondary romance involving Matt. Though I definitely don’t want them to end up together because the woman is annoying and selfish as heck, their story was intriguing and I loved getting to know Matt a bit more and see an interesting side of him. Still I don’t think Helen is worthy of sweet, caring Matt. There has to be a better woman out there for him.
One thing about this secondary romance storyline was that I didn’t like that this storyline (even if it covered one of my favorite tropes) almost overtook Blake and Jaxi's story. Although I'm sure Vivian Arend incorporated so much of their story in ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT for a good reason. So I trust it will all be revealed in Matt’s book.

I don't know what to say about Vivian's writing anymore without gushing about it. I like it so much and it fits me because though she broaches serious subjects she still manages to keep it light, fast-paced, humorous and emotional yet free of melodrama. Vivian Arend is my go-to author for feel-good romance, the kind of books you pick up knowing when you’ve finished it you have a smile on your face and a happy sigh leaving your mouth.

Favorite Quotes:
A bright red mark on his neck caught his eye, and he groaned in frustration. Like he was going to be able to explain that one easily. He shook his head and aimed the truck for home. In his lap, Jaxi’s feverish cheek burned a hole into his thigh while his unanswerable lust burned a hole in his conscience.

“She’s too young for me. Be my guest and go for it, I don’t think of her that way.” Sweet mercy, what a bunch of bull . He thought of little but Jaxi. It was no use though. She was too young. She still looked up to him as a big brother, and he wasn’t going to step over that boundary like some hormone-crazed animal.

Blake bit back the urge to lay his mouth on hers and lick over the wetness, tasting her skin and her sweet flavor. He needed to retreat, needed to stand and flee from temptation and the heavenly smell of her warm breath on his skin before he did something they would both regret. But heaven help him if he could budge.

Blake watched, motionless and noiseless for so long he felt like a statue, every bit of his body gone as hard and rigid as his aching shaft. Indecision held him, immobilized him. The rush of blood through his veins drowned out the part of his common sense saying he needed to leave. The pounding faded everything logical and rational away in him and stripped him bare to need and desire.

Damn, he wanted her so bad he had to restrain himself from tossing her over his shoulder like a caveman and hightailing out to his truck for a little action in the back. Or forget even making it to the truck, he’d slip them into the back room and fuck her against the wall, hard and fast, until they both made more of those noises of pleasure she was so good at producing.

“Damn it, stop with the questions and give me what I need.” Jaxi arched hard, thrusting her hips against his hand. She was on fire, and he was keeping her at such a steady burn she was liable to pass out from need.

He grinned at her with his new cocky smile that made her heart melt and her panties wet all at the same time.

More than the law will be tested when a marshal meets a feisty widow.

Sean Reilly had the bad luck to be assigned the blue marble – the "cursed" marble shunned by the four other marshals in the Arizona Territory. He's sent to take care of a land dispute for a widow named Lucille Quinn. He has no idea just how his life will change because of the dang blue marble.

Lucille Quinn needs help to settle the matter of some missing cattle. The marshal that arrives is unexpected as he is good-looking. Who is she to deny the urge to pleasure herself and him? What she doesn't expect is to find there's more to the man than good looks and broad shoulders.

The meeting is by pure chance, the result is pure magic.

Title: LUCILLE’S LAWMAN
Author: Beth Williamson
Series: standalone
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Year of release: 2011, June 27
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-copy from author for review

First line:
"That blue marble is cursed."

Memorable Scenes:
- Lucille shooting at Sean > awesome!
- scene at the waterfall > oh my hotness!



QuickScore-Verdict:
A confident, capable U.S. marshal and a feisty, bossy, blunt widow who have a past together make for some main great characters in this ultra-short 25-page story. The humor in this story was perfect! There were many moments where there was a grin on my face. It's too short for depth or romance but who cares, when it was so hot it set the pages on fire!

LUCILLE'S LAWMAN is one hot little number. Though I'm not a big fan of historical westerns I must say this tasty little morsel has definitely whetted my appetite for more.

Favorite Quotes:
Sean’s annoyance notched up quickly. “Hell no. What you think I can’t perform my duties if it’s hot?”
“No, he’s trying to save you from the Black Widow.” Forrest made some kind of odd gesture with his hands.
“I don’t think I need saving. And just what the hell are you doing?” Reilly stared at the man. This was a US Marshal?
“Warding off evil. She’s a witch, you know. She’s the one who put the curse on that marble. She been nagging us for months about some missing cows.” Forrest picked up his hat from the scarred wooden table top. “I’m leaving before the curse gets itchy for someone else.”

“Slowly reach down and pull out your badge, and only your badge.” She took pleasure in watching that tanned, long-fingered hand slide down into his trousers. The movement made her nipples pop, which was a bit embarrassing. He didn’t need to know her traitorous body reacted so strongly.
As he moved slower than Mabel, she almost told him to hurry up. He was being careful, and rightfully so because she would shoot him if need be, but hell, he didn’t have to be that careful. By the time he took the badge out and tossed it in her direction, she couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
“I think a spider spun a web near your boot while you were taking your sweet time.”

“I ain’t gonna stand here with the door open all night. The bugs will think it’s an invite for a feast.” She raised her brows. “You joining me in here or not?”
A small grin played at the corners of his mouth. “Are you inviting me in, Lucy?”
She pursed her lips. “I’m telling you it’s gonna be witch tit cold out there tonight with nothing but coyotes and snakes for company. In here you got a warm woman, a place to lay your head and a night of pleasuring.”

After Ginny Blanchard's abusive husband died, she looked forward to a more independent life where she could raise her young son as she pleased. But when Simon Webber is assigned as trustee to her estate and her son's fortune, she feels she must come up with a plan to force him from her life. But she doesn't count on sensual Simon's insistence that he not only take a role in her son's life but in her own.

But Ginny has dark and terrible secrets that she must hide. Even from the man she loves. And even if it puts her own life in terrible danger.

Title: THE DESIRES OF A COUNTESS
Author: Jenna Petersen
Series: The Jordans, book 3
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Year of release: 2011, October 25
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from author for review

First line:
"If he comes here, I'll run him out myself!"

Memorable Scenes:
- Simon and Jack on the stables with the horses > very endearing
- Simon giving Ginny lilacs after their first night together in London > oh so very romantic *sigh* and *melt*
- The reunion scene with Ginny, her sister and her mother > moved me to tears

Virginia 'Ginny' Blanchard is Lady Westdale, widow of Henry Blanchard, a drunkard and unfaithful abuser. The only good thing that came from her marriage is her son Jack. Ginny is outspoken, defiant and spirited even though her late husband tried to break her. She is sharp-minded, and guarded but can also be icy and prickly.

Simon Webber is Henry's cousin and trustee of Jack's inheritance. He is commanding and occasionally rigid but he can also be patient and he’s big on honor and responsibility.

The chemistry between Ginny and Simon is there instantly yet starts off hesitantly from both sides. Though Ginny tries to conceal her attraction by being hostile and untrusting, she's drawn to his quiet and kind manner. Simon at first doesn't know what to think of Ginny and doesn't understand where her hostility is coming from yet he is drawn to her fiery personality. The romance is built up slowly but in a great way. I was anticipating the moment they would give in to the attraction. Once they did, the sparks came off the pages.

I was wondering when I would get to see more of the Jordans as I had grown fond of the entire family over the first two books and at that moment the plot took me and Ginny to London and to her estranged family. I liked this development in the story and loved seeing the former couples again. Also, just as I was wondering where Jenna Petersen’s trademark heinous family members would enter the secondary cast, she presented me with Cordelia, Simon’s aunt from hell and Ginny’s horrible mother-in-law.

The book focuses mainly on the romance between Ginny and Simon but there a tiny plot of exactly what happened when Ginny's late husband died. Subtle hints led me to a certain strain of thought and I was curious to see if I was right. Well I was close but no cigar… As subtle as the suspense was woven throughout the majority of the book, the culmination and wrap-up was surprising and riddled with twists that had me reading with bated breath. Well done, Ms. Petersen!

I think historical romance readers who prefer their romances without a spy or suspense plot will definitely like this third installment in the trilogy the best. It was wonderfully written and I loved the focus on the romance even if I did miss the thrill of a more elaborate suspense or spy plot, which are there in both previous two books, a bit.

THE DESIRES OF A COUNTESS is an emotion- and character-driven historical romance with a hint of suspense that was wrapped up in an exciting and satisfying way. I loved the recurring themes of family and duty and love pitted against each other as much as I love Jenna Petersen’s writing style, which is easy and fluent, filled with great dialogue, intriguing characterization and light on extensive descriptions. In short, an author with a style that is very much to my liking and I look forward to more of her work in the future.

Favorite Quotes:
Where was this venom coming from? And how could it exist in the guise of such loveliness? He‘d come to Westdale with an open mind, ready to do his duty and assist in any way he could. He‘d expected a brokenhearted widow to greet him. Instead he found this… this…
Fireball

He rubbed his thumb along her palm and little tingles shot through her body. Like waves they grew from the source until her whole body sang with pleasure.

Cordelia sputtered as she always did when her poison was met with civility. It was a tactic Ginny had to bite her tongue to use, but it served her well. Later she would be free to ponder all the nasty things she wanted to say to the witch.

She caught her breath at the tingles created by his mouth. ―Y-yes.‖
How was she able to talk when she could barely breathe? And what was he doing that was making her vision blur like that?

Every girl’s fantasy…one woman’s dream

Sophie Butler is sure she’s about to lose her much-needed cleaning job. She’s not only walked in on a guest—a violation of her employer’s cardinal rule—but she can’t seem to tear her gaze away from his gorgeous, naked-as-the-day-he-was-born body.

If all that isn’t bad enough, her usually sensible judgment and behavior are clouded by a nagging sense of familiarity. She knows the man from somewhere, she just can’t quite place him.

Nathan Pace is certain he’s just lost his jealously guarded anonymity. But hold on…if she’s just another fan looking for a piece of his alter ego, rock star Jamie Speed, why is she blushing six shades of scarlet? And why is he instantly aroused? When he catches a glimpse of her eyes, he knows. She’s the woman who for ten years has haunted his dreams.

The attraction that flares between them is undeniable—and unstoppable. But getting close means risking Nathan’s secret identity. Just this once, he’d like a woman to fall for the real man, not the press’s version of a celebrity superstar.

Warning: This may be an erotic contemporary romance, but it does contain a hint of fantasy. And when that fantasy involves erotic dreams about a gorgeous rock star, you know you’re gonna want the fantasy to become reality…

Title: SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS
Author: Jess Dee
Series: Speed, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, November 1
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from the author for review

First line:
Shocked all the way down to her toes, Sophie Butler gawked at the man.

Memorable Scenes:
- the second time Sophie walks into Nathan in his appartment > awesome scene and 'Holy moly' indeed!
- the scene in Nathan's spa/hottub > OMFG!! HOT x 10000
- the concert and Nathan singing for Sophie > moved me to my core

Sophie Rose Butler is working as a cleaner to pay off the student loan she took to pay for her psych degree. On the job she walks in on one of the guests and this changes her life in ways she couldn’t have dreamed of. Sophie is outspoken, she blurts out anything that comes to her mind. She’s also spontaneous and down-to-earth.

Nathan James Pace is wary of stalking groupies who are after his rock star alter ego, Jamie Speed (lead singer of the band Speed) so when Sophie appears in his bedroom at first he’s suspicious but soon the suspicion turns into something entirely different. He’s commanding and a hero after my own heart as he’s talkative (and we all know how much I love my dirty talking heroes…

The banter between Sophie and Nathan was as enjoyable as the chemistry between them was hot. The sex scenes set my e-reader on fire as they were beyond scorching! Jess Dee writes sex scenes like nobody's business. They are explicit, evocative and luscious. Though this is only the second book I’ve read by Jess Dee, I have quite taken a liking to her writing style.

There weren’t many secondary characters but it suffices to say that I am intrigued beyond measures by Nathan’s brothers and fellow band members Zachary and Seth and their band manager Luke. As SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS is the first book in the series I am thrilled to know there will be books about the brothers and hopefully Luke too.

I loved the premise of this book and the execution of said promise. The rock star spiel and the fact that Sophie and Nathan have been seeing each other in their dreams for ten years without ever meeting one another, was an interesting concept and gave this book a fabulous edge that makes it stand out from other contemporary romances.

From the first word, page and chapter I was drawn into this story and Jess Dee's writing. It's clean, crisp, unapologetic and fast-paced. Just the way I like my contemporary romances. I love how her writing is pure and unembellished and very down to earth while still being hot, emotionally gripping and erotic. The way she combines red-hot heat with the beautiful build up of deeper feelings and love and the depth of her characters is simply mesmerizing.

I couldn't stop reading and read SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS in one sitting. More accurately, I gobbled this second book I've ever read by Jess Dee up, like a starved pauper at an all-you-can-eat buffet. And I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Favorite Quotes:
Her body burned. Lust seeped from the point of contact with his mouth, through her arm, into her stomach and lower. It curled in a tight ball between her legs, stirring up an insistent hum of need.

“I wanted you yesterday at the pastry shop too.” Nathan’s voice drizzled over her like melted chocolate. Sweet, creamy and so damn smooth.

Look, Sophie, we can’t kid ourselves. I live a million miles away, and I’ll only be in Sydney another two days. But we’re here now, and whatever forces have thrown us together, this feels good now. It feels right.”
If by right he meant tingly all over, shaky with anticipation and desperate to touch, then yes, now did feel right.

She had no idea whose groan filled the air, but it was low and infused with a desperate cry of hunger.

“You’re the first guest I’ve walked in on.”
“And your last, I hope.” Jesus. Where did that come from? He had no right to demand anything from a woman he’d met just the day before. Even if she did seem to soothe his soul and fill the emptiness in his heart.

Nathan’s heart wrenched. His chest ached as he watched her erotic dance. He could fall in love with this woman. He could fall hard and fast and never know what hit him.
That tingle in his spine, that seemed to have been present since he yanked the front door open, multiplied. Electricity chased its way over every nerve ending.

Lights exploded behind his eyelids, the tingles spread, fingers of electricity snaking up his spine.
He fought it off. Damn, he fought.
Didn’t help. Those lips. That tongue. Her mouth…

No matter that he’d made love to her in the dressing room a little over an hour ago, he was ready again. He groaned softly. “I’ve got an erection from hell.”
“Yeah? Well, at least it’ll ease in a few minutes,” Sophie grumbled in his ear. “I have to walk around in wet panties for the rest of the night.”

From national bestselling author Lauren Dane comes a white-hot new series of a dangerous family legacy, and sensual paranormal passions played to the death on the knife-edge of darkness…

Meriel Owen, next in line to control the largest organization of witches in the country, is asked to investigate the owner of a notorious club reportedly siphoning magic from the font of the Clan. It’s a direct violation of the Clan Code of Conduct, but one look at Dominic Bright and Meriel’s willing to make a deal. One taste of the sexually feral outlaw witch, and she’s eager to go further: he’s her bond mate, a legal conduit into the world of Clan witches and their magic.

Playing by the rules isn’t Dominic’s style, but bonding with Meriel—night after explosive night—is. However, Meriel has unwittingly invited someone else into her world: Dominic’s mother, a dangerous and poisonously influential magic addict whose lust for death and power corrupts all she touches. Now her shadow is closing in on Meriel, her Clan, and the man Meriel loves, and it’s casting them all into the inescapable heart of darkness.

Title: HEART OF DARKNESS
Author: Lauren Dane
Series: Bound by Magick, book 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year of release: 2011, November 1
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Won an ARC at author’s Blog

First line: Meriel sat, taking notes as her mother spoke from the head of the table.

Memorable Scenes:
- Dominic apologizing to Meriel after he shut her out when he found out his true heritage > very moving and first time I saw the vulnerability that was lurking beneath Meriel's tough exterior.


Meriel Owen is the witch next in line to lead the Owen Clan, the crown princess so to speak. She is shrewd, compassionate, stubborn and up-front. But she’s also powerful and perceptive. She says what she thinks and though she may have a soft and compassionate side, when necessary she can be tough as nails.

Dominic Bright is an outclan witch who likes to play on the edge. He’s bold, rebellious, cocky and self-sufficient. He can also be a bit bossy and has enough self-assurance to pull of arrogant without going over the top.

The chemistry between Meriel and Dominic is scorching and tantalizing. From the moment they met on the page the sparks flew between them. I really liked the dry, subtle humor of both Meriel and Dominic, which made their dialogues interesting and entertaining to say the least.

Some interesting secondary characters are introduced in this first installment of the series. Some of these characters I’m sure will definitely have their own books further along in the series, others are already at the place where they form a secondary supporting cast for the main couple in HEART OF DARKNESS but also those in future books.

HEART OF DARKNESS wasn’t all about the romance. It also had some good world-building, it was not too complex but still very intriguing. To me, a reader who is not into too heavy world-building and likes her paranormal romances focused on the romance with the paranormal lightly weaved into it, HEART OF DARKNESS was a great read.

However I can imagine that readers who like their PNR and UF dark, will find this one too light for their taste. What I also loved about the plot part of HEART OF DARKNESS is that the overall main plot will presumably span several books in this series but this first book definitely had its own rounded plot-arc that will have its place in the overall plot. I really liked how the plot was set up and executed in this first installment.

I like that no matter what genre Lauren Dane books I read, they always have this distinctive recognizable style I like. With HEART OF DARKNESS it was no different. Her straightforward, direct and unapologetic writing appeals to me in both her contemporary and paranormal settings. I loved the vibe of this book. It had something laid-back and easy about it, but was still exciting, intriguing and compelling.

What I liked most in HEART OF DARKNESS was the chemistry between Dominic and Meriel, which led to awesome dialogues and some steamy love scenes . Combined with good, clear and not too descriptive world-building and the great characterization of both Meriel and Dominic I just loved reading this book and I look forward to whatever else Lauren Dane has to offer in this series.

Favorite Quotes:
Dominic Bright in the flesh was a punch to the gut. A sensory wallop of total and unbelievable hotness.

She continued her approach, steadying legs that may have buckled had she been a lesser woman, stopping finally when her thighs touched the table. The scent of his magick hung about him like a heavy cloak. And fed her like she’d been starving.
“Mr. Bright, you’ve been a very naughty boy.”
“So I’ve been told a time or two. I take it you’re Clan Owen here to spank me.”

She was everything all at once but he never felt as if he’d lost part of himself. Just more of something else added to that. She hadn’t made him whole, she’d simply snapped all the missing pieces together and in doing so he was whole.

This was part of what they were together. Meriel made his blood sing, made his magick rise, made him hard and short of breath.
This was everything.

Forty-something divorcée Cate Roberts was always a pushover when it came to her little sister, but agreeing to pose for the cover of Zoe’s romance novel might be taking it too far. Especially when she’s confronted with the male lead, Bo Gaddis. It’s a good thing that Bo is gay, and much too young for her, because Cate could easily see herself falling for the embodiment of every romance lover’s dream man.

Bo never renounced the rumor that he was gay. In fact, it helped his career, and helped him stick to his strict rule about sleeping with his co-model. That’s about to be tested though, because Cate is everything he wanted in a woman. If only he can convince her that age isn’t a factor, and he’s not only straight, but very attracted to her.

Title: COVER STORY
Author: Olivia Brynn
Series: standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Year of release: 2011, June 22
Format: eBook
Source: Received a copy from the author for review

First line:
Cate groaned into the phone.

Memorable Scenes:
- the photoshoot > hot-hot-hot with awesome sexual tension


QuickScore-Verdict:
COVER STORY is a very short story (56 pages) but it was an example of great things that come in small packages. I loved Cate and Bo, I loved the plot (shooting a romance novel cover), I loved Olivia Brynn's easy, fast-paced, clean and crisp writing and the trope (cougar) is one of my favorites too!

My first taste of Olivia Brynn's work, though short, was definitely a blast. I was never that interested in the covers but this book might have made me perk up and pay more attention to them now. And Olivia, any time you want to write a story on Keith, I’ll run to get and read it ;)

Favorite Quotes:
"We're going to get pretty intimate in the next few hours." He raised one eyebrow. "I don't like to get naked with a complete stranger."
Keith snorted. "Liar. You'd take your clothes off to order a pizza."
"No one's talking to you."

Bo laughed. "Keith likes the blonde bombshell beach babes."
"Not anymore." Keith pulled the tie out of his hair and shook it loose. "I've switched to brunette bombshells. They don't break your heart."
Keith grinned. "My body is made to please, but my heart is off limits. That's why it's still intact."

"Now, we'll start by getting used to me being close to you. Try touching me."
She raised both hands to cover the dark circles of his nipples. Hot. His skin was so warm. She curled her fingers, denting the smooth flesh of his pecs.
"That's right," he growled. "Learn me. Don't be shy. Nothing is off limits to you."

If his heart didn't slow down, he'd probably have a stroke, and his palms were sweating like a pre-teen at his first dance. For the first time, he'd forgotten his role. Gay model. Women are more comfortable when at their most vulnerable, when the stranger manhandling them is gay. Less pressure. Less fear. He knew that. He'd come to terms with it as part of the job. Ironically, he'd put himself in a closet for these women, but fighting attraction had never been so damn hard.

"I don't know what you did to me, but I don't think I can walk out of this room without tasting your mouth." (Bo)

Everything about Bo assaulted her senses to the point of infusing her with an electric jolt of need.

Patrick didn’t think it would be a big deal to kiss his best friend Brandon. Hell, they’d done crazier things to avoid a bar fight. He was totally unprepared to be wildly turned on, the kiss opening up new avenues of pleasure he’d never dreamt of—Patrick, after all, was straight, even if Brandon wasn’t.

Destiny’s never been afraid to ask for what she wants. When she sees Patrick and Brandon together, she knows exactly what she wants—the three of them in bed together, preferably with her in the middle of a hot, naked-man sandwich with her two best friends.

When Brandon finds himself hunted by an unknown enemy, the three friends find themselves fighting for their lives—and their hearts.

Title: DESTINY CALLS
Author: Samantha Wayland
Series: standalone (as far as I know)
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, July 6
Format: eBook
Source: Received the ebook for review from author

First line:
He should have just stayed home.

Memorable Scenes:
- Destiny's little experiment with Brandon > my heart broke for Brandon at his realization that he was alone, had no one who was "his"
- the scene at Patrick's house after Brandon's attack > I teared up
- Captain Sullivan's reaction to Patrick's confession about loving both Destiny and Brandon > gotta love that man!

Destiny Matthews is a marketing executive with commitment issues. She’s take-charge, outspoken and tough but she has a soft core and her heart is in the right place.

This ménage has two heroes. First we have Brandon, who is bi-sexual. He’s also restraint, and stubborn but can be volatile when pushed to far.

Second we have Patrick who is straight, or at least he’s always thought he was straight until one kiss turns his world upside down. He’s kind, explosive, and outgoing. He’s also quick-mouthed and only shows his sweet side in private

Brandon and Patrick are both police officers and longtime best friends. Patrick seemed to be the binding factor in this ménage. Both Brandon and Destiny have (secret) crushes on him. Brandon tries to contain his attraction to Patrick and hides his unrequited love in favor of their lifelong friendship. Destiny and Patrick have been lovers off and on but it has always stayed on a sexual level.

While Patrick is the binding factor that brings them together, Destiny is the glue that keeps them together. She's the calming element when the guys' explosive tempers rear their heads. I clicked most with Destiny and Patrick.

This is an emotionally complex and intense story. Three lives with their different individual connections to each other are intricately woven together through some major attraction, explosive chemistry and deeply rooted love. Samantha Wayland has made a very good first impression on me. However there were some things that didn’t completely work for me.

I had a bit of trouble getting into the story but that lasted about a few chapters and had to do with the fact that the story opened with and at first focused on the m/m part of the m/m/f ménage. As known I'm not a m/m romance reader but do enjoy m/m/f romances when the woman is the focal point of the ménage. DESTINY CALLS started with just Brandon and Patrick though and that threw me back for a bit. However once Destiny entered the scene I was completely engaged...And more importantly, the story needed the opening it had as the whole dynamic between the friends and the development of the ménage hinged on it.

I believed in the Destiny/Patrick and Brandon/Patrick sexual and emotional connections, but in the beginning I had trouble believing in the Destiny/Brandon connection since there was no obvious foundation in something past fond friendship, contrary to the foundations that were present between respectively Brandon and Destiny with Patrick.

However sex scene wise I believed it all and gobbled it all up once I accepted that Samantha Wayland was going to tell this story as she saw fit and it wouldn't be conforming to my notions of how a m/m/f ménage should be. And the way she saw fit, was the way to go because that was the only way to let the story run its course towards the HEA that I ultimately what want to see in the end. And whatever I might have found not to my liking in this book, it was never the hot, rife with raw emotions, love scenes.

Next to the intricate and emotionally complex romance there's suspense as well (well duh, Brandon and Patrick are police officers). I started believing it was going to involve the arrest a mob kingpin. But there's also a violent attack on Brandon and this turned out to be the major element in the plot. Though there is a lot happening in this book, the pace was slow and not slow in a bad way, but just not fast-paced compared to everything happening.

Even though I'm still not a fan of too much m/m action and focus in m/m/f ménages and for me there wasn't enough focus on the female in the triad somehow this book still worked for me because of the raw emotions and emotional struggles that the characters went through to accept each other and all the consequences that went with that.

After finishing this book it stayed with me for quite some time as I couldn’t exactly form my final thoughts on it. Even though it had that m/m focus I am not fond of, it still made a big emotional impression on me. She definitely pushed some buttons with me and made me think about what I like and don’t like in ménages and I will definitely be looking for more books by Samantha Wayland.

Favorite Quotes:
God, Brandon tasted good. Familiar and different. The strength of Brandon’s arms, his sheer size, his flavor and texture. It was like Patrick’s first kiss all over again. A world of discovery in one lip-locked moment. Heat poured through him, thrumming with rough need.

She sat watching him [Patrick], her heart filled with compassion, her body humming with desire. His face was a mask of confusion and shock.

Patrick’s tongue stole over his, his lips yielding, responding, working at Brandon’s mouth. Each touch, each parry of Patrick’s tongue sent electric shocks zinging through Brandon’s body. He acquiesced, giving the kiss over while sinking deeper into it. It was so sweet. So good. Patrick ran a thumb over Brandon’s jaw and he let his eyes close, simply losing himself in kissing Patrick.
[...] Three days of jerking off hadn’t even come close to easing the ache. But this. His blood sang on its way south, his head spun from its rapid retreat. Every nerve ending was on full alert, gathering in sensations, swamping him with data.

He stared at her, achingly aware of his need for her, his desire that couldn’t be spent with one orgasm. Especially since he’d come in his pants like a freaking teenager. Jesus. (Brandon)

Brandon wanted to reach out, to shout his denial at the loss of contact, but stopped himself. He couldn’t pressure Patrick, no matter how the need beat at him. He had to let Patrick set the pace, even if Brandon wanted to fall to his knees and beg.
Come to that, if he were to fall to his knees in front of Patrick, there were a few things he’d like to do while he was down there.

She backed toward the door, her hand up. “No. I have to go. Don’t look at me like that! I can’t miss this meeting.” Dropping her hand, she clutched the handle of her briefcase. “I swear to god, Patrick, stop looking at me like that. It’s not fair.”
Brandon covered his mouth with one hand, doing a fairly poor job of hiding his laughter. They both knew what they’d done to her. Jerks. Mouth-watering, hunky, sex-god jerks.

He knew he should say something to make Brandon believe it would all be worth it, but he didn’t have the words. He had never been more acutely aware that being the one with the big mouth wasn’t the same as being the one who knew the right thing to say.

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.

A RED-HOT ATTRACTION…
Twelve years of chasing bad guys didn't erase beautiful Sophie Baylor from Wyatt Savage's memory. If he had another chance, he'd never let her leave. So when she tracks him down from El Salvador and begs for help, he doesn't ask questions -- he just goes.

...STARTS WITH A TERRIFYING THREAT...
Sophie is grateful her daughter survived a kidnapping attempt, but she won't forgive herself until the girl who was mistakenly abducted is safe. Wyatt is the only man brave enough to take on the mysterious terrorists behind the crime; and the one irresistible man she wishes she had never let go.

...AND UNLEASHED AN UNFORGETTALBE ADVENTURE
Sophie knows Central America's steamy jungles and sticky politics better than anyone. Yet she refuses to hide in fear. Then she becomes the enemy's number-one target. Wyatt lost her once, and he won't lose her again -- even if he has to fight, kill, or die to save her.

Title: RISK NO SECRETS
Author: Cindy Gerard
Series: Black Ops Inc., book 5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2010, May 25
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
The old cargo van caught Sophie's attention the moment she stepped outside the Baylor Middle School's double front doors.

Memorable Scenes:
I seem to have developed a habit of not writing down memorable scenes in this series. I guess I’m too engrossed in reading to write stuff down. *headdesk*

But I do remember without notes the scene in this book where Sophie, Wyatt and the other BOIs go to some bars in a shady area of San Salvador to ask some questions. Sophie and Wyatt get outnumbered and in trouble and the BOIs come barging in the bar…guns blazing > That scene was so freaking awesome! And the epitome of what the BOIs stand for! (I’ve included a quote from that scene in my fave quotes too)

Sophie Baylor Weber is middle school principal. Sophie is decisive and compassionate but also tough and tenacious. Once she makes a decision she sticks by it and tries to make the best of it, even if she knows deep down, she could have made a different choice. Her love and commitment to her daughter is praiseworthy.

Wyatt 'Papa Bear' Savage is one of the BOIs. Lately he’s been feeling restless and doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to do the work he has been doing for his entire professional life. Wyatt is take-charge, solid and levelheaded, but he also has a soft, charming, seductive side that comes out with the woman he’s loved forever.

Wyatt and Sophie have a history of 12 years and their romance is a complicated one. Sophie was married to Wyatt's former best friend Hugh (a CIA operative turned private contractor turned mercenary). Though Wyatt set sight on Sophie first, it was Hugh, with his overwhelming personality, who snatched her up. However, the marriage is rocky and ends after several years, leaving Sophie with no other options than to contact Wyatt when trouble comes knocking on her door in the form of a failed attempt to kidnap her daughter.

I love how every couple in this series has their own story rife with unique to them complications. Sophie and Wyatt's story is not one of the simple boy-meets-girl in the midst of the danger that brings them together. They have a past in which Sophie chose the other guy (Wyatt's best friend) over him so to speak and then later finds out she made the wrong choice. And for Wyatt, though he accepted her choice, there hasn't been a single woman who could hold a candle to Sophie or make him forget her. This made for a romance filled with tension, sizzling sexual chemistry and their HEA was a hard-earned one.

Again the banter between the BOIs and their women hit full-force the moment several of them got together on the page. It's one of the elements of this series I enjoy immensely. I also love that the couples from the previous books come back, some books focus on some couples more than others, and play a part in the plot or you catch a glimpse of how they are doing after their HEA.

The plot in RISK NO SECRETS centers on child abduction and street gangs. The plot was a little predictable as in I figured out who the villain mastermind’s helper was pretty quickly. However the predictability was blown away by the awesome action it packed (will get back to that later) and the way the suspense plot was set up and executed.

Cindy Gerard writes action, gunfights like nobody's business. While reading her books I can almost see and feel the bullets fizzing by. Seriously, I'm not a violent person but I'm definitely in awe of the way she describes the gunfight and shoot-outs with the bad guys scenes, they are exciting and as breathtaking as any of the sexy scenes. Combine the vivid action images with some sizzling heat and chemistry between the main couples and there you have the essence of romantic suspense in a nutshell and Cindy Gerard captures that essence perfectly.

RISK NO SECRETS is a romantic suspense novel filled to the brim with action, suspense, romance and heat. To counteract the sometimes gruesome action, the suspense-filled plot and the evil villains, there is love: impossible love, puppy love, lost love, new love, old love and found-again love…all from both the main couple and the secondary characters.

Favorite Quotes:
Fried chicken. Peach pie. Meddling.
Yep, Wyatt thought as he spotted the dust trail of another vehicle bearing down on the Savage place. He’d hit the Margaret Savage trifecta.

Wyatt reined in a sharp twist of jealousy. Only years of practice in covert ops kept him from showing the slightest reaction while he contemplated the pain he could inflict by driving his knee full force into the Latin Casanova’s cojones.

Wyatt knew she had never been aware of the effect she had on him. If she had she’d be running scared, because that simple action –so alluringly female, so unconsciously sensual– had his gut clenching and his mouth going bone-dry.
It had always been that way when he was around her. His sense viscerally alert, his emotions raw to the point of bleeding, He wanted to lunge across the room, yank that wet dream of a dress above her waist, and bury himself hard and deep inside her. No finesse. No romance. Just lust. He wanted to consume and overwhelm and possess. And then, only then, did he want to settle her, gentle her, and make her achingly aware of how much he loved her.

“I know a way that you could make me smile.” He tilted his head and grinned his best come-hither grin.
Her fingers continued to fly over the computer keys.
“That’s because you’re easy.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
She turned to look at him then, graced him with an indulgent smile. “Darling man, right time, right place, it’s a wonderful thing.” She kissed the air in his direction. “But for now, put it on ice, loverboy. […]” (Reed and Crystal, my fave BOI couple!!)

Then in charged the cavalry, with Green leading the way, an AR-15 assault rifle rammed against his shoulder, his finger jammin’ on the trigger. Joe dropped to his knee, clearing the path for Mendoza, Jones and Doc to burst in behind him, firing a couple of M-4s and a lone AK.
Jesus! They were a sight.
[…]
“I ever tell you guys how pretty y’all are?” he asked with a tight grin as the tension started to uncoil from his chest by slow turns.
“Only every time we save your sorry ass.”

“I need you,” she mouthed against his skin.
She needed him? Christ. He was the one in need. Deep need. Dark need. Insatiable need of everything about her that made her woman, and wanton and willing in his arms.
He groaned when her warm mouth opened against his throat trailing long, lingering kisses that were as much suction as consumption, as much greed as giving.
Lord God above, she was eating him by inches, and he was powerless to do anything but lie there and et her feed until there was nothing left of him but memory.

She was fire. Burning, licking heat. He was steel. Forged, unyielding strength. Together they were hot, molten, unappeasable.

Ensnaring the ultimate bad boy has its risks…and its rewards.

It’s not easy being Hades. Constantly guarding his world against other meddling and ambitious deities is stressful work. So when a naked goddess falls directly into his lap, along with the news that he has to shelter her for the indefinite future, he is less than thrilled. Particularly since he can’t help but lust after the beautiful female.

The Underworld isn’t the first place Persephone would pick for a vacation—who in their right mind would choose a dark palace over sunshine and flowers? Yet from Hades’s first touch, the dark, sexy ruler fascinates her and has her thinking a fling might be just the thing to while away her confinement.

But trust each other? Not a chance. Until the day comes that Persephone must leave…and they realize that trusting each other is the only way they’ll ever meet again.

Warning: Contains an arrogant god, a stubborn goddess, horny deity nookie and enough supernatural friction to set the Underworld on fire.

Title: HOT AS HADES
Author: Alisha Rai
Series: standalone (for now)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, October 11
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from author for review

First line:
Hades, also known as the extremely badass Lord of the Underworld, was accustomed to souls dropping into his kingdom.

Memorable Scenes:
- Persephone's talk with Cerberus (the tawny and middle heads) > I laughed out loud
- Persephone’s return after her time back on Earth > moving and hot!

Persephone is the Goddess of vegetation. She has little to no control over her powers and is sent to the Underworld through a scheming deity. She’s spunky, defiant and tenacious. Though she knows Hades is sexually attracted to her but not happy with her presence, she gets in his face all the time. I liked that about her.

Hades is the ruler of the Underworld. He’s ornery, sarcastic, gruff and contrary. In any other hero these traits would be annoying as hell (he he he) but Hades pulls them off because you just know that deep down he has a heart and cares. He’s also talented in the dirty talk so he was a hero who fits my favorite list perfectly.

I loved Persephone's feistiness and Hades’ dry sarcasm. The sex scenes were not only explicit and scorching but also well balanced with the romance and plot. The romance was build up more gradually than the sexual attraction but I liked this build-up a lot.

An honorable mention has to go to Cerberus, Hades’ companion hellhound and then especially Bob…I seriously still crack up when I think of the dialogues with Bob. He stole the show and I hope that if Alisha Rai writes more in this world and we catch another glimpse of Hades and Persephone, Cerberus will make another appearance too. If I had a favorites list for secondary characters he would definitely be on it.

As always I love Alisha Rai’s fluent and fast-paced writing as the humorous undertone is invariably incorporated in it. Though my preference goes out to her contemporary work I also enjoyed this second paranormal romance of hers I’ve read. It's short and sweet and I loved how she interpreted the myth of Hades and Persephone. She took some creative liberty and I really liked how she adapted the myth!

HOT AS HADES is everything the title promises: a quick and hot read that is a must-read for readers who love the mythology and romance combination.

Favorite Quotes:
Her little stubborn chin lifted in an annoyingly regal manner, as if she was the one in the throne and not naked and subdued in his arms. “Release me, or suffer.”
“Suffer what?”
“Suffer…my wrath.”
“Aren’t you cute.”

Pretty and stupid, she tsked. They always went hand in hand, it seemed. Though Hades didn’t seem quite as idiotic as Narcissus. That moron regularly had to be rescued from lakes when he tried to make out with his own reflection.

He was going to die of blue balls before Zeus got this female out of here. He should have materialized some nuns’ habits for her.

“You talk to my lady in that tone again, I’ll rip into your cloud and shove your lightning bolt up your ass. Do you understand?”
Persephone bit her lip to keep from laughing, particularly when Zeus cleared his throat and muttered a very indistinct, “Fine.”