The best way to heal a broken heart is to jump right back on the horse. So to speak-

After watching the girl he-s crushed on for years fall for his best friend, the last thing special operative Jack Gordon wants is a vacation. If cooling his heels doesn't drive him crazy, doing it under his family's scrutiny will.
But once he's back home things get more than a little interesting. The new farm hand is cute, sexy-and his instincts tell him she's got something to hide. Luckily, he's got the skills and the backup to find out what.

Gordon Equine is the perfect place for Niccolina Campolini. The Gordons pay in room, board and cash. And they don't ask questions. Perfect for a girl on the run-until Jack shows up. Sexy as hell and far too inquisitive, Jack strikes sparks and suspicions that put both her body and her heart in danger.
Jack knows better than to trust a woman with as many shadows as Nicki, but the heat waves of their attraction are messing with his focus. And when her secrets catch up with her, he's not sure if he's protecting her from something, or protecting his family from her.

Warning: This book contains extremely stupid gangsters bearing guns, a bored team of special operatives looking for some action, and one Southern gentleman guaranteed to charm your panties off.

This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.

Title: JACK
Author: Cat Johnson
Series: Red, Hot & Blue, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2010, August 31
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Samhain eBookstore

First line:
Jack Gordon leaned in, about to close the deal on what he hoped would be a mind-erasing kiss, because he could really stand to erase some memories right about now.

Memorable Scenes:
No notes on any memorable scenes, so again I use the disclaimer that either there were none or I just forgot to write them down


QuickScore-Verdict:
After the promising start with TREY my expectations for JACK were high. And I was sorry to find out they just were too high, because they unfortunately weren’t completely met. I loved Jack as a character. He was just so adorably cute and charming and though he’s a straight shooter and speaks his mind he remains polite and courteous. And he blushes, how cute is that ;)

However, I'm sad to say JACK fell a bit short. Literally, as the page-count was considerably less than TREY’s but also plot and romance-wise it didn't reach the level of the first installment of this series.

Favorite Quotes:
"(...)The only thing you can do is try to live the life God gives you to the fullest with no regrets.” (Jack to Carly)

The accents from the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island made her cringe. But a southern man could practically make a girl’s panties fall right off just by talking to her.

Jack. His sexy, low voice washing over her body. His thick southern drawl that almost seemed to cling to her like molasses.

Naomi gets her high from crowd surfing in her little plaid skirt. She’s got voyeuristic tendencies and with a mosh pit full of people there are infinite sexual possibilities. She’s only got to look to the person next to her for a slamming good time in the sack and out of it.

Alissa is a cougar with a sex addiction and a penchant for stealing her daughter’s clothes. When she comes across a freebie catalog full of her favorite kind of dress up, she just can’t help herself. Out comes the credit cards and in she goes to the nearest single’s bar. It’s time to see what today’s catch of the day is.

In this anthology all it takes is a little scrap of fabric to rule the world. When playing dress-up who doesn’t want to take over the world?

Title: THE LITTLE PLAID SKIRT SAGA (VOL 1&2)
Author: Elise Hepner
Series: not part of a series, as far as I know
Genre: Erotica
Publisher: Excessica
Year of release: 2010, October 29
Format: eBook
Source: received a digital copy for review from author

First line:
VOL1 - Naomi
The rush of the crowd against her thighs as she surfed their open, groping arms made her wet at the seams.
VOL2 - Alissa
I couldn't make up my mind today.



QuickScore-Verdict:

THE LITTLE PLAID SKIRT SAGA is an ultra short novella of the erotica variety. It's not that I was expecting a romance with a HEA but the lack of emotional intensity and the strong lean to non-romantic and more straight sexual need/desire did remind me of why I love to read erotic romance and not so much erotica.

Also because these 2 stories were so very short I never had the chance to really get into the characters and click with them. Even though the stories felt a bit one-dimensional to me, the writing style is promising and I would love to read an erotic romance by this author.

I know there are erotica readers who will really like these stories and I urge them to give Elise Hepner a go as her knack for writing raw sexuality shines through, even for a reader like me who's more into the HEA and the emotional part of erotic romance.

Favorite Quote:
(Vol. 2) I just had to play the good girl until the bad one came out to play.

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inarrii agent Alinna Gaerrii was tasked with observing the Starforce base on Earth. Crash landing her observation pod onto the base was not part of her mission briefing. Neither was making m’ittar—mind contact—with Major David Brown, the human who discovered her amongst the wreckage.

David thinks she’s a psychologist sent to evaluate his Special Forces team, and Alinna goes along with his misconception, seizing the opportunity to observe humans up close. But their daily contact has unexpected side effects, and Alinna soon invades David’s dreams. Through their intimate mental connection she allows him to express his forbidden physical desires.

Alinna delights in the sensory exploration and grows excited by the prospect of a treaty with the humans and a potential life mate in David. But an attack from an unknown ship sends the base into chaos, and Alinna may be forced to reveal her lie, erasing all hope of a successful treaty, and driving David away forever

Title: ALIEN REVEALED
Author: Lilly Cain
Series: The Confederacy Treaty Series, book 1
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2010, June 14
Format: eBook
Source: Requested from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
“I repeat this is Agent Alinna Gaerrii, Unit Nine. Tel sho ahoi. I am in a crash situation.”

Alinna Gaerrii is an Inarrii agent tasked with observing Earth/human behavior to see if the can form a Treaty within the Confederacy against the Raveners. When she crash lands her spy pod on a human Starforce base she decides to continue her observation, especially when she’s mistaken for someone due to arrive on the base.

Major David Brown mistakenly presumes Alinna is Dr. Janet MacPherson, the psychtech assigned to evaluate his team for an upcoming security mission escorting new settlers to Mars.

Though when writing this review I can’t remember much about the story, because it’s been almost 4 months since I read it, I also didn’t make extensive review notes and that is never a good sign with me because it means there weren’t many things that made me grab my notepad to scribble down impressions or stuff to remember for my review. I have no notes on Alinna or David’s characters/personalities, I have no notes about the romance or on what I thought about the writing style. I’ll just have to go with the notes that I do have and those aren’t many.

About a third into the book in I started to suspect David might be more than just human, part Inarrii maybe? But this was not explored further, to my disappointment. The only thing I learned about David was that he had dark fantasies about sexual dominance.

There weren’t many secondary characters as the story focuses mainly on Alinna and David and their attraction to each other. However the ones that made an appearance intrigued and I hope to see some of them back further along in the series.

ALIEN REVEALED was a nice story but I couldn't escape the feeling that I wanted a little more world-building or background. And that's weird for me because normally I complain about too much world-building/background information. In this book it felt a bit brushed over in favor of the plot, romance and eroticism.

I felt a bit lost in the plot after the attack on the base...it felt like the plot lost momentum after that particular event with David easily accepting Alinna's confession and revelations. The last few chapters felt rushed in comparison to the even-paced first part of the book but I did find the erotic part of the book was hot and nicely done and I liked the romance between David and Alinna too.

In conclusion I can’t say that I read a bad book when I read ALIEN REVEALED, it just didn’t make a big lasting impression on me, which is okay because not every book can be mind-blowing material. Sometimes you need a nice, quick, uncomplicated read and that was exactly what ALIEN REVEALED was to me.

This being said, I do want to add that I found out that book 2 in the series is being released in June and I am definitely going to get it because even though this wasn’t a book to blow me off my socks, it did leave me wanting to read more by Lilly Cain

Favorite Quote:
His mental voice rubbed against her in the same way his deep-toned speech did in the physical world. It resonated with sexual promises, no matter what the words communicated.

THE PRICE OF PASSION…
Sold. With one word, Lady Elena Ravenscliffe’s destiny changes forever. Forced into Constantinople’s slave market to pay off her late husband’s debts and save her son, Elena reinvents herself as Jinan—a harem girl adored by the rich lords who bid on her favors. But one man instantly sees through her façade.

…IS COMPLETE SURRENDER
Griffin Summerfield, Marquess of Rothburn, let Elena slip through his fingers years ago. When he recognizes her on the auction block, he pays an outrageous sum to possess her even if it is for a short period of time. But when his deadline looms, Griffin will risk all in a desperate bid to make her his—and his alone…

Title: Surrender of a Lady
Author: Tiffany Clare
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year of release: 2010, September 28
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
Source: Won an ARC of this book in a Twitter contest held by author

First line:
“What do you mean you’ll work this out? You’ve gambled me away! I’m your wife for heaven’s sake!”

Memorable Scenes:
- Elena’s reunion with her infant son > absolutely heartbreaking!

The heroine of this book, Elena Ravenscliffe, is gambled away by her irresponsible and self-centered husband. She ends up in a harem as a sex slave after being bought at a slave market. As the harem girl Jinan she is forced to grow up from a young, almost naïve girl into a strong, resilient woman of the world.

The hero of this book was a bit of a problem for me. He’s a former opium-addict and from the start I found him a little selfish and I didn’t really click with him to begin with. Sadly this never improved throughout the book.

Though I really enjoyed reading this book, there were also a few things that didn’t quite work for me. First was the hero, but there was also the placement of chapter 3 in relation to chapters 4 through 7 in the chronology. I didn’t understand the reason for not keeping it chronologically and put the events of that chapter after chapter 7. I am sure the author and/or editor must have had a reason for this but it never was clear to me and though this did not lessen the enjoyment of the book, it did take me out of the reading flow a little during that first part of the book.

In this unusual historical romance Tiffany Clare is not afraid to touch subjects like prostitution, drug addiction and kidnapping in a way that was acceptable to me as a reader who is sometimes wary of these subjects. I also liked that she kept non hero/heroine sexual activities from going all the way in detail and mostly off the page, the way she did for example in the scene with Jinan and Amir. I don’t think I could have handled or appreciated a detailed scene at that point.

While I really loved the first part of the book, despite the minor chronology issue, I was a bit less enthusiastic about the start of the second part of the book as in that part I lost the connection with the romance and the characters a bit and I missed some crucial plot information, which once again took me out of the reading flow trying to sort it out in my head. Though I can’t fully condone what Griffin did in the beginning of this second part of the book, on the other hand Jinan had refused to tell him about herself and her past so he had no way of knowing how hurtful his actions were. However, what he does further on is inexcusable. He just seemed totally blind and deaf to Jinan’s feelings and completely unwilling to see the difficulty of the position she was in and in my opinion that just went on too long and Griffin went too far in his hardheadedness.

As much as Griffin made me want to pound my head against the wall, I really loved and admired Jinan for the strong, determined woman she had become, standing her ground and facing a man deaf and blind to her protests, reasoning and dilemma.

I must say that a HEA seemed unattainable and I was constantly wondering how on earth the story was going to have a happy ending. And when the conclusion had started to take form I couldn’t help but feel a bit of trepidation. It was certainly not a HEA the way I was expecting and for me there was not enough groveling from Griffin’s part in the end to justify his redemption. The end left me a bit unsatisfied despite the HEA that was definitely there.

SURRENDER OF A LADY is a wonderful and promising historical romance by debut author Tiffany Clare, with an admirable heroine, an unusual setting and an extraordinary premise. While the harem girl/sex slave trope is not uncommon in historical romance, Tiffany Clare managed to give it a unique twist that left me with absolutely no reason to question her imagination and writing skills. Her newest book is definitely on my order-list.

Quote:
She was only Jinan here. Elena had died long ago when the last shred of decency she once esteemed herself in had been stolen. By the man she’d been forced to marry in the end. Men never brought her love. They brought her misery upon misery. Loneliness.

Digital ARC received from publisher via the author.

A lady must be prepared for anything . . . when marrying a scoundrel.

Sadie Moon once thought she was in love. Then her dashing husband left her to seek his fortune, and she had no choice but to transform herself from a heartbroken waif into London Society's favorite fortune-teller. But even she could not have foreseen Jack's return - until their paths cross in the last place either would have expected: London's most exclusive house of pleasure.

Now wealthy and successful, Jack Friday has everything he'd ever dreamed of . . . except Sadie. He swears he will never trust the woman who broke her promise to wait for him, though his passion for her burns as hotly as ever before. But love, like the past, comes back to haunt them - drawing them into a web of intrigue and betrayal that could save or destroy them both.

Sadie O’Rourke is a simple Irish girl who has the gift to see the future in tea leaves. After a star-crossed marriage and a tragic loss she has made a living as the popular fortuneteller Sadie Moon. Then the husband who abandoned her comes back into her life after 10 long years and she is determined not fall for him again. Jack Farrington defied his family and married the girl he loved when he was only 18, disowned and disinherited by his family and sets out in the world to make his own fortune, not knowing that leaving behind Sadie will lead to tragedy that ends in Sadie leaving him without as much as a goodbye. Now he has changed his name to Jack Friday and finds himself unexpectedly reunited with the wife who wasn’t there anymore when he returned home. He is determined to find out what why she left him and a true reunion is the farthest thing from his mind.

Though I have several Kathryn Smith books (mainly paranormal) on my shelves WHEN MARRYING A SCOUNDREL was my first encounter with her writing and it was certainly a memorable one, both negatively and positively. The book started out very promising and I was pleasantly surprised by the agreeable writing style that made me float easily from page to page, engrossed in the story. However, after a few chapters something started bothering me and it had to do with the characters and the way the story was being set up. After the promising start I felt like a lot had happened prior to the first few chapters and the story was being disclosed little by little to me as the reader. How can this be problematic? Well, on its own it shouldn’t but because I was left with so many questions and so little explanations for a considerable part of the book, it became a problem for me. I was distracted by wondering why instead of enjoying the story. Why did Sadie leave Jack without a goodbye? Why didn’t Jack go after Sadie immediately when she’d left? What happened after Jack left? Who was Sadie’s mysterious benefactor?

Some parts were downright confusing me and if this was just it, I could have let it slip by, but next to this I also lost the connection with Jack and Sadie’s characters and motivation after the initial chapters. They were acting in ways that I didn’t like and that didn’t stroke with the way the story had been set up. There were quite some contradictory actions that were initiated but never seen through. I am a reader who likes consistency. The way Jack and Sadie were portrayed, as estranged spouses didn’t rhyme with their characters development for me. I couldn’t understand the amount of interest they kept showing in other perspective bed partners/lovers.

The worst thing is that I cannot clearly pinpoint what it was about Sadie and Jack and their characterization that was off for me, still I will try to explain as best as I can. I like the trope of reuniting estranges spouses and second chances and can’t say Kathryn Smith did a bad job of it, I just couldn’t relate to the characters enough to enjoy it fully. I didn’t understand Jack’s aversion to Sadie’s profession, which formed a major conflict between them. About halfway through both Jack and Sadie’s behavior towards each other changed drastically. Well, drastically may be overreacted but it did change abruptly and with little build-up to it. In my opinion the change of heart could’ve been set up better and to illustrate that I want to use the example of Jack’s aversion towards Sadie’s fortunetelling. It changes suddenly just by him wanting a reading from her and suddenly believing in it (even before he actually witnesses the truth in her predictions). This to me didn’t concur with his earlier behavior and was one of the things that didn’t work for me.

I just couldn’t click with them and missed intensity and genuine chemistry between them and that kept me from getting immersed in their romance. It went so far as to leading secondary characters to capture my attention more than the main couple did and though I can’t offer a clear explanation for the why of it this is not how it should be with a romance novel.

All of the above-mentioned things seriously prevented me from getting interested in their HEA. I am afraid that not even the love scenes, though very fitting, sensual and hot, could make Sadie and Jack work for me. My disconnection with them prevented me from utterly enjoying this book despite the wonderful premise, setting, writing and romance. Yet despite the disconnection I did enjoy the writing, which was to the point, unembellished and fluent. And despite the fact that the characterization was off for me I did enjoy most of Jack and Sadie’s dialogues and thoughts that were sharp and witty enough to make me smile quite a few times.

This all was until about 100 pages from the end. Around chapter 15 is when I finally, finally connected a bit with Jack and Sadie and I truly loved those last chapters of the book. They gave me the heartbreaking and emotional intensity I was looking for. After 200 pages of slow progress and my initial anticipation fizzling out there finally was the character development I wanted all along and I admire Kathryn Smith for making the end totally work for me and have me rooting for Sadie and Jack, even if it took a bit too long. Also it was a pity that Sadie’s caring and beautiful character only showed at the end of the book. Had it been shown earlier I could have liked the book considerably more.

In conclusion I really wanted to be blown away and love this book but in all honesty I have to admit I can’t say more than “I liked it” and “it absolutely wasn’t a bad book.”
WHEN MARRYING A SCOUNDREL is a good historical romance that unfortunately didn’t work for me because I couldn’t connect with the main couple’s characterization and their motivations for most of the book. However, despite my inability to love this book completely, the amazing ending contributes to the fact that it’s a book that can be enjoyed and valued by readers who love historical romance. And despite the disconnect with Sadie and Jack I am very curious about the story of what’s going to happen with their friends Vienne and Trystan. So I’m declaring this one an unfortunate mismatch and looking forward to that book.

6.5 out of 10

A small plane crashes in the Rockies, and the only two survivors, Jack and Sophie, help each other live until rescue arrives, seven days later. Only Sophie goes on to pick up the pieces of her life, which has now been irrevocably changed by big, gentle Jack’s love…and death.

But Sophie learns that Jack’s death didn’t close that chapter of her life, after all.
A drifter called Martin holds the key to her heart, alongside a deadly secret. Combined with a corrupt and desperate police chief and her pressure-cooker life as a single mother in a small town, they plunge her head-deep into the after-shocks caused by those seven days in the mountains. The consequences will reach out to rock state governors, district attorneys, and one of the deadliest crime lords in the land, and all of them have reason to react. For Sophie, life is about to change again…for the worse.

After a terrible plane crash Jack and Sophie are the sole survivors. They spend five days on a mountain ledge before they are saved. Jack is in a critical state due to a head injury and Sophie has a severe fracture. When Sophie finally learns about Jack who is staying in the same hospital, it’s only to hear that he didn’t survive surgery. Then fast forward to 8 years later. Sophie is not a lawyer anymore, has been married, has had 2 children and is running a diner/café. One day she sees this stranger walk into the bar across the street and is surprisingly drawn to him. The stranger, Martin Stride, turns out to be Jack, raised from the dead. The reason he let her believe he was dead is that there are people after him and everyone around him is in danger. While they sort out the feelings that were born on that mountain ledge 8 years ago, the danger is closing in on Jack and Sophie. Will they find out in time who is running the show and who wants Jack dead?

Jack Laubreaux is a former police officer. He is guilt-ridden, mysterious and stubborn. Sophie Kingston is a lawyer turned café-owner. She is pragmatic, fighter and determined. And this is about it as for what I can tell you about Jack and Sophie’s personalities. I didn’t really get to know them very well as I didn’t totally connect with them. To me it all stayed on the surface despite the many inner thoughts and flashbacks to their lives before the events in the book.

DEAD AGAIN starts at a very slow pace and with lots of background information on Sophie and Jack, given in thoughts and flashbacks. At a certain point in the beginning of the book I was wondering when the real suspense was going to start instead of just Jack’s thoughts and inner hints toward his mysterious life and the reason why the plane crashed. The first three chapters were full of descriptions (of the characters, the surroundings, the past) but after that the suspense started to build slowly and little by little the plot is revealed through small clues, mainly in the dialogues. Despite the descriptiveness in the writing style the book remained very mysterious. A lot is left untold and calls for speculation and wondering what exactly is going on. I realize this is the essence of a suspense (romantic or otherwise) book but I prefer to have a little more knowledge than the characters in the book.

There was an editing miss that bothered me enough to mention it. In the beginning of chapter 8 it says “ten years later” but along the chapter and the rest of the story both Sophie and Jack keep referring to their first encounter as 8 years ago. I try not to let small editing misses influence my overall opinion of books but thought this was a rather obvious thing that shouldn’t have been missed.

About half way the book it was as if something “clicked” into place and I began to get into the story much better than in the first half. However it was still slow-paced and I wasn’t completely feeling the romantic element of romantic suspense. It was definitely there in a subtle way with small hints and references but just not quite enough to my liking. It is often said that romantic suspense is a hard genre to write because the readers demand both thrilling suspense AND a good romance. For me if either one blows me away I’m pretty satisfied. Unfortunately neither the suspense nor the romance could really do that in this book. For me it felt like the things that needed to be told weren’t and those that weren’t necessary were told in an extensive way, which took the pace out of the book. It wasn’t until about ¾ into the book that the suspense thread really kicked off and Tracy Cooper-Posey delivered on the promise that was there in this book all along. She wrapped up the suspense in a fast-paced, thrilling conclusion that had me biting my nails and even gave me an emotional romantic ending that I was hoping for but wasn’t expecting.

In Tracy’s guest post on this blog last week, she talks about against type books, and DEAD AGAIN is most definitely that. For me it didn’t completely work but I have no doubt that lovers of against type romantic suspense will adore this book.

Quote:
She was here. Now. Real, live, warm. Not a faded memory dug up from his mind. And the man who called himself Martin feasted on the image, storing it with the single-mindedness of an addict.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Back Cover:
Duncan Campbell is a natural born leader, possessing all the attributes for a Highland chieftain except for one: legitimacy. Forced from the Highlands for a crime he didn’t commit, Duncan has earned a reputation as the fiercest, most skilled mercenary on the continent. Vowing to restore his name and clear the cloud of treason hanging over his head, Duncan returns to the Highlands to find the one person who might hold the key to his freedom: the woman he’d once loved who’d betrayed him. But when he surprises her swimming in a loch, he finds himself facing the bad end of a pistol.

Told she was impulsive her whole life like her mother who’d destroyed their family when she’d run off with an Englishman over twenty years ago, Jeannie Grant had never believed it—until she met Duncan Campbell. The bastard born son of a chieftain was not a suitable husband for the daughter of a powerful Highland chief, but Duncan made Jeannie willing to risk everything. She gave him her innocence and he failed her, forcing Jeannie to learn the hard way what happens when you follow your heart. Now Jeannie is shocked to find that the brigand she’s shot is the same man who broke her heart all those years ago. But the hard, ruthless man is nothing like the charming young scoundrel she remembers. When their attempt to prove Duncan’s innocence uncovers a deadly secret, not only their lost love, but their lives hang in the balance.

After ten years of exile for a crime he didn't commit Duncan Campbell has returned to the Highlands, his homeland. He is back to clear his name and claim his woman. Jeannie Grant's betrayal still stings and he's back to use her as a means to an end. 10 years ago Duncan was sent to court by his father to ensure Grant's support in joining forces against the Earl of Huntly, the Campell's and King James' enemy. When he sets eye on Grant's daughter he is lost and they fall in love, but treachery, political intrigues and secret alliances drives them apart and 10 years later Jeannie and Duncan both have a bone to pick with each other. She believes he abandoned her and her love for him. He believes she betrayed him.

Jeannie Grant is sensible, compassionate and headstrong. She's a pistol-wielding lass, no longer prone to impulsivity since it got her into a lot of trouble when she was younger. She is a vibrant and spirited heroine despite her attempts to control her impulsivity.

Duncan Campbell is the eldest and bastard son of the Campbell siblings, dubbed the Black Highlander. He is in control, noble and proud but also focused, steely and ambitious. Duncan has asserted control over every aspect of his life but only Jeannie has the power to make him lose that control.

HIGHLAND SCOUNDREL starts in the present 1608 (chapter 1) and then chapter 2 takes us back to the events 10 years earlier that led to the animosity between Jeannie and Duncan that dominates the present which is told from chapter 9 and onward.

It had been a while since I read a McCarty book because I was a bit disappointed by the start of this trilogy, so I was a bit hesitant in starting the most recent and last one in the trilogy. I was partly right in my reluctance because much to my regret, this third installment of the Campbell trilogy was not able to do for me what the third book of the McLeod trilogy was able to do. It started out great, explosively emotional and very promising but a few chapters into the flashback to 10 years earlier my excitement started dying down a bit and I found myself drifting away during these chapters. Despite the lovely and hot love scene, that part of the book somehow couldn't hold my attention.

I missed the Highlander "magic" in this book that I did find in McCarty's first trilogy which I found much more impressive. As I stated in a previous review (I think it was book 1), save for the specific historical setting and the clan politics it didn't really feel as much like a Highlander romance as the books in the first trilogy did. For me it could've been set in any other historical background.

That being said still the book read like clockwork. Especially after the flashback part, when it became more fast-paced and before I knew it I was at the end of another tale of betrayal, trust, raw passion, loyalty, duty and secrets. Monica McCarty writes Highland and Clan politics like no other author I've read. She has a way of setting up a back-drop that is sometimes even more enthralling than the characters she places in them and that's what made this book very readable despite my misgivings about the pace and the way of telling the story of Duncan and Jeannie. Upon concluding this trilogy I must be honest in my opinion that for me it didn't quite reach the level of the McLeod trilogy. I could not find the attention-grabbing magical writing and characters of that trilogy in this one. However I am still very much looking forward to Monica McCarty's Highland Guard series, which starts off with THE CHIEF (March, 23rd).

Quotes:
It was something in the tilt of her eyes, in the curve of her lush mouth, and in the ripe sensuality of her body that spoke to a man of one thing: swivving. And not just any swivving, but gritty, mind-blowing, come-until-you-pass-out kind of swivving.

It was too soon, but he found himself asking, "Marry me." His heart, his breath, everything stopped as he waited for an answer, a sign...
The balance of his life seemed poised on an edge, waiting to tumble or soar at her decision.

The heavy warmth of desire spread through her body. It was a woman's desire. Desire forged in the fires of heartbreak and disappointment and made stronger by experience.

Rating: 6.8 out of 10

Back cover:
Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O’Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira’s global search has led her to a small California town that’s about to become hell on earth.

Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can’t explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira’s dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity’s last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.

Since the back cover blurb describes efficiently what the book is about I'm not starting with my own plot summary but will dive straight into what my thoughts about this book were.

Before I give my opinion of this book I must sketch a little background of how I came about reading and reviewing it. I have had books by Allison Brennan on my shelves for a few years now. I think since Speak No Evil was released. A fan of romantic suspense/thrillers I glommed her entire backlist up to that moment and have bought every new release from her ever since. However, they are all still on my TBR pile because I just haven't gotten around to reading any. Then I read about the start of a new series by her, The Seven Deadly Sins and its first installment ORIGINAL SIN. The author called it a supernatural thriller and my attention was immediately drawn and there it went...on the order list. When the book was offered to me for review I didn't even hesitate and almost fell over my feet, running to accept it. I took it with me on vacation and started reading it about halfway through my vacation.

And here is where my expectations harshly collided with what I actually got from the book. I was expecting a fast-paced read full of suspense, action and engaging characters. I was expecting a paranormal romance combined with romantic suspense. What I got was a book that to me qualifies as Urban Fantasy, a genre that is not high on my reading menu and I think this was the main reason of why I struggled so much with this book. I am absolutely convinced that if you like Urban Fantasy you will love Original Sin, despite the slow pace, the extensive and complicated world-building with info-dumps and flashbacks. For me, unfortunately, the book didn't work until about the last 150 pages of the book.

My main struggles were with Moira’s characterization, the excruciatingly slow pace (until the last part), and the fact that the book doesn't contain a rounded, stand-alone story. It's very clearly an introductory first book in an UF-like series and I suspect that everything I was expecting in this book, will be offered in the following installment(s). Because I do have to admit that the last part of ORIGINAL SIN has made me curious about a lot of things that were revealed and I am very tempted to get CARNAL SIN to find out more.

Another thing that impeded my full enjoyment of the book was Moira. She and I just didn't click, especially in the beginning. She was too guilt-ridden, too insecure. This improved a bit once she and Rafe were put together and I did like that she developed a bit to being more confident and less guilt-ridden. Despite the flashbacks and characterization of the main characters through the multiple POVs I didn't have the feeling that I have gotten to know the characters. They all stay on the surface, again contributing to my feeling that there is so much more to be revealed about all of them.

Despite the above I cannot say that ORIGINAL SIN is a bad book. Absolutely not. Even if the build-up and pace were slow I was intrigued by the premise of the all magic is evil plot and the deadly sins that have been unleashed on the world. And the suspense building was well done too because in every chapter small revelations were subtly imbedded into the many flashbacks and information, revelations intriguing enough to keep me reading despite Urban Fantasy feel of the book.

The last part of the book worked the best for me because after the slow start and world building, from about 3/4 into the book, Brennan gave me the pace and action I was longing for. In a considerably faster pace the suspense grew and some threads were unraveled with surprising and unexpected revelations. After how ORIGINAL SIN ended I am heavily speculating about some stuff surrounding Rafe and Moira and I'm curious to see if my speculations are correct.

So despite the things that didn't work for me in this book, the last 150 pages were great and that part is making me look forward to the next installment because now I need to know how things are going to play out and what's further in store for Moira, Rafe, Skye, Anthony and the rest. And I have high hopes for a more romantic focus in the future books because even if there was no clear romance thread in this book, there were subtle suggestions that something is developing between Moira and Rafe. The romance lover in me clung to these subtle hints and to the romance between Anthony and Skye.

In conclusion, as UF is not my favorite genre and this book really leans strongly towards it, it could not enthrall me as much as I hoped it would but even if the book didn't quite work for me, I do believe this book will greatly appeal to UF readers and lovers and I do plan to read more by Allison Brennan, starting with her straight-up romantic suspense/thrillers because that thread in ORIGINAL SIN pulled it up from a disappointing to a fairly satisfactory read.

Rating: 6.7 out of 10

Jacket Copy:
A WOMAN DRIVEN BY BLOOD. A MAN THIRSTING FOR VENGEANCE. A PLACE WHERE DARKNESS AND DESIRE MEET . . .

As night falls, Claire Roth flees, driven from her home by a fiery threat that seems to come from hell itself. Then, from out of the flames and ash, a vampire warrior emerges. He is Andreas Reichen, her onetime lover, now a stranger consumed by vengeance. Caught in the cross fire, Claire cannot escape his savage fury--or the hunger that plunges her into his world of eternal darkness and unending pleasure.

Nothing will stop Andreas from destroying the vampire responsible for slaughtering his Breed brethren . . . even if he must use his former lover as a pawn in his deadly mission. Blood-bonded to his treacherous adversary, Claire can lead Andreas to the enemy he seeks, but it is a journey fraught with danger--and deep, unbidden desires. For Claire is the one woman Andreas should not crave, and the only one he's ever loved. A dangerous seduction begins--one that blurs the line between predator and prey, and stokes the flames of a white-hot passion that may consume all in its path. . .

ASHES OF MIDNIGHT starts around 3 months after we left Andreas Reichen at the end of VEIL OF MIDNIGHT, devastated by the loss of his family and hell-bent on revenge he seeks retribution for those who were taken from him. One by one he is executing the ones involved in the attack on his Darkhaven, slowly but determinedly working his way up the chain of command to the one who ordered the attack: his archenemy, Wilhelm Roth. And he is willing to take everyone down who surrounds Roth, until he stumbles upon his first love, Claire Samuels, who is now Roth’s wife and mate. He decides to use her to get to Roth, but doesn't know she and Roth live estranged and things are more complicated then they seem. Before long danger and loyalty are overridden by an all-consuming passion and love that never died when they went their separate ways.

Reichen is consumed by hatred and his need for vengeance. So much so that he has transformed into someone totally different from the charming, easy-going and rakish Berlin Darkhaven leader I met in MIDNIGHT AWAKENING, save for some rare occasions and those occurred well into the story. Reichen's Breed talent is pyrokinesis; he has the power to summon fire at will, from small fireballs to complete annihilating infernos. But this talent is taking over, every time is manifests, he is losing more control over it, however, he doesn't care because all he cares about is his revenge on Roth.

I still feel a bit ambiguous about Claire. She didn't impress me. She is described in the book as independent and spirited but I didn't get that vibe from her actions and she makes some strange decisions at some points in the story. Ironically, those were the moments she felt less bland and a little feistier to me. Despite the insecurity, at some occasions she showed that she could be tenacious and brave but these occasions were as rare as the ones where Reichen's charming personality would surface. Even Claire's Breed talent, dream walking, seemed bland to me for most part of the book. No, Claire is definitely not making the favorite heroines list.

Roth is a secondary character whom I disliked immediately but still he made more of an impression on me emotionally than Reichen and Claire could together. Okay, they were negative emotions because Roth is coldhearted, calculating arrogant and self-serving. But hey, negative impact is impact and better than no impact at all.

I have been a fan of Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed Series since the second half of the first book. I needed the first half of that book to get into the world and the story but from that moment on the warriors of the Order and their Breedmates reeled me in one by one and kept me hooked on an ongoing plot with surprises around every corner. Needless to say I was anxiously anticipating ASHES OF MIDNIGHT, certainly after the way VEIL OF MIDNIGHT ended. This could be nothing else but really good. As I started in the book the dedication in the beginning of it immediately caught my attention and I was even more eager to start:

To the phoenix that lives in all of us:
Strong, glorious, indestructible.

Well, unfortunately I can't be as enthusiastic about ASHES OF MIDNIGHT as I had expected, at least not with the first 3/4 of the book. And it has everything to do with the characters of Reichen and Claire and their story. Do not get me wrong; Lara Adrian knows how to write stories that are definitely set up well and there was nothing wrong with her writing. It was as engaging as the previous books but for me the emotional connection with Reichen and Claire was totally missing.

Reichen was so different in his own book from the way he was portrayed in the other books he appeared in. Of course I understand that something horrible happened to him at the end of VEIL OF MIDNIGHT but still it was such a radical change of character it didn't work for me. He actually started to annoy me at some point. Reichen is so consumed by his thirst for vengeance and at times literal blood-thirst that at some points in the story all I could think was: Oh come on and get it over with: kill Roth and feed on Claire already! This is not the way I want to engage and experience a hero in the books I read.

My disappointment also derives from the fact that with both the romance and plot arc in this book, Lara Adrian has deviated from the original concept and the way she has been setting it up over the first 5 books. She has gone in such a different direction, both romantically and with the world building of the Midnight Breed and I truly hope this was a one-time glitch. Elements of the world building that were set up in the previous installments are left behind and "rules" that were given to define the blood bonds between Breeds and Breedmates seem to be discarded seen as how Claire and Reichen's romance starts and develops. It think what least worked for me in all this was the fact that Claire was blood bonded to another Breed, Reichen enemy no less, for the majority of the book. In my opinion this definitely impeded the chemistry between Claire and Reichen and I was only able to enjoy and appreciate their chemistry and romance when that other bond was severed. My main issues are all linked with the background for their story and the fact that it doesn’t fit the world as is was established in the previous books.

There is also the ongoing plot arc, so brilliantly set up and then expanded with every next installment. In this book for me it came to a standstill with the exception of the very end (more about that later in the review). I left the Order at the end of VEIL OF MIDNIGHT involved in a battle against a formidable enemy with plans that shook up the entire Breed community and in this book there is little progress or development in this overall and ongoing plot. The plot definitely lost the battle for focus to Claire and Reichen's complicated love story and Reichen's quest for revenge. The ongoing plot being one of the things I truly liked and admired in the other books, it was only logical that this had to influence my opinion of this book.

ASHES OF MIDNIGHT really differed in vibe from the previous books in some other ways too. For example Reichen is not an active member of the Order, he is a German civilian Breed out on a solo mission of vengeance. Secondly, he and Claire already have a history whereas the other Breed males didn't have a history with their Breed mates prior to their story.

These were all things that one their own are not bad or negative. On the contrary; changes, focus on the romance and variety are good things and things I welcome in ongoing series but these altered elements were not in sync with the way Lara Adrian has been setting up this series and that is what bothered me and took away from my overall enjoyment of ASHES OF MIDNIGHT.

With every chapter I was hoping that Lara Adrian would make things right again and restore my believe in the Midnight Breed, that she would offer me an acceptable and believable explanation for the change-over she was pulling with ASHES OF MIDNIGHT. And with every chapter my hope was diminished, to the point that I was on the verge of profound disappointment. Luckily and to my utter relieve, the turning point did come, but only at the very end, in the last last quarter of the book.

From that moment on I truly believed that the phoenix had indeed risen from the ashes and made me a believer again. I do think it’s regretful that it came at such a late point in the book because in spite of the emotional, fast-paced and action-packed end, it was too little, too late to make up for the fact that Claire and Reichen just did not resonate with me for most part of the book and the deviation from the ongoing romance arc as it was set up in the other books.

However, it must be said that from the moment Claire and Reichen joined forces with the Order to find and bring down Roth, who is working with the archenemy of the Order, the story picked up in an impressive way. The pace picked up speed and the action kept me on the edge of my seat. I was getting back that familiar feeling of what I had liked in the previous books. And though it couldn't make up for the things I liked less in the book, I have to say that in that last quarter Lara Adrian brought everything together for me, even emotionally with Claire and Reichen. More, importantly she made up for the lesser focus on the ongoing plot arc by leaving me with a huge cliffhanger that has my heart pounding with speculations.

Quotes:
“If you were mine,” he murmured low under his breath, “I would walk through the fires of hell itself to keep you away from a man like me.”

(…) wrapped her in his protective embrace, giving her a hundred solemn promises that he was very eager to keep, and loving her with all the reverence and worship of a blood-bonded male who had stared hell in the face and now understood that he was holding heaven in his arms.

Kade shrugged, slanting a grin at Brock, the third member of their patrol. “You wanna see dead clubs, let me take you to Alaska. It’s pathetic, man. We’ve got more moose per square mile than women.”
“Is that right?” Chase grunted. “No wonder you jumped at the chance to get out of there and come to Boston last year. How many months of freezing your nuts off before all those moose start looking like prime pieces of ass?”

Jacket Copy:
In Las Vegas, Jason Cage is known as "The Beast Master." But his onstage feats of magic are nothing compared to the abilities he keeps hidden from human eyes. Jason is Prime of his vampire family, and once used his telepathic skills to tame wild werewolves. It's a talent that leads him to beautiful, sensual Sofia Hunyara, who instantly triggers all of Jason's primal urges. Sofia is destined to be his bondmate, but keeping her alive long enough to convince her of that fact will not be easy.

Sofia has no reason to trust Jason, or to believe his story about her family's secret history as Wolf Tamers. The only thing she's sure is an overwhelming attraction that quickly develops into a scorching affair. If Jason's claims are true, can Sofia embrace her legacy - when it means walking away from a soul-searching desire that's deeper than any she's ever known?

Jason Cage, the star of a magical animal show and known as the Beast Master, is summoned to an unknown location to repay an old debt to a family he hasn't seen in over sixty years; the Hunyara.
The Hunyara family comprises werewolves who aren't naturally born but turned by having been bit instead. This makes them outcasts in both the mortal and the supernatural world. However, a threat to both these worlds have lead to needing the help of the Hunyara's Wolf Tamers, the only ones, human or werewolf, who can control the feral, bitten werewolves. Sofia Hunyara is the next great Wolf Tamer of her people but she is not aware of it. Jason is brought in to train her for this task and help her save mankind, both human and supernatural.

Sofia is sassy, stubborn and outspoken. She is yearning for a harmonious life and a family, a sense of belonging. Her dislike for dogs, wolfs and those alike is rather ironic since she is supposed to be a Wolf Tamer and the one to train her to do so, Jason, is known as the Beast Master. Sofia is very hesitant at first about all that is happening to her, especially about her newly discovered werewolf family and her role in it and her blossoming feelings for Jason, a vampire of all things. Despite her hesitations, once she accepts things, she becomes very dedicated in both aspects.

Jason is a true Prime: cocky, self-assured and a bit arrogant. In short, he's alpha to the core and doesn’t apologize for it. I really liked his character. He had just enough of that self-deprecating humor I like to see in my heroes and his attitude towards Sofia was endearing despite the little bouts of cockiness now and then, but well that comes with being a Prime.

When I was looking at the TBR-mountain for books for the reading challenge, PRIMAL DESIRES was one of the first ones I picked because it really had been a while since I left the Primes' world and I did enjoy the previous books. I read Susan Sizemore's first five books in the Primes series a very long time ago and liked them. It was when I just started reading English romance novels and when I first discovered the paranormal romance genre. I didn't do reviews back then so there are no reviews of those first five books. (Maybe one day...but I wouldn't count on it). Now, having read PRIMAL DESIRES and ready to review it, I must say I am a bit disappointed with the book. I can't recall having these feelings with the other books but this one really didn't do it for me. It wasn't that I didn't like the book or the plot; it's just that I wasn't overwhelmed by it either.

It's difficult to name exactly what bothered me but I will give it a try. For example I would have loved to have a more in-depth look into Sofia and Jason's characters and lives and the Hunyara's background instead of the extensive general and repetitive descriptions of the Clan and Family's customs and traditions. The story was entertaining and definitely had potential but especially in the plot and main characters it stayed too much on the surface of things, never diving deep into the intriguing world it seems to be.

Also, the focus on Jason and Sofia is often interrupted by storylines and POVs of two other, secondary characters in the book. Admittedly the two side stories are tightly linked to the main plot and they were definitely interesting storylines leaving me curious how they will work out in future books but still I would have liked to see more focus on Jason, Sofia and their story. Related to this was the fact that the build-up of the relationship between Sofia and Jason was too shallow for my liking. They went from total strangers to feeding and lovemaking in roughly 60 pages and Sofia was dealing with a lot of other stuff besides her attraction to Jason. Not that I mind instant chemistry and attraction but it was just a bit too much to be believable and more importantly I didn't feel it fitted the rest of the story.

Finally, there were parts of the book that just couldn't hold my attention, especially the parts where Sizemore fills the pages with lengthy descriptions of the hierarchy, customs and traditions within the Clans and Families. In those parts the pace slowed considerably from the faster paced action and love scenes, they took me longer to read and those were the points in the book where my mind would stray off and I'd stop reading and go do other things. This is never a good thing when I'm reading; I like to be enthralled by a book to the point of not being able to stop reading it.

When I combine all of the above with the little plot and character inconsistencies I found, I can only come to the conclusion that PRIMAL DESIRES is an nice addition to the Primes series but didn't blow me off my socks, not by a long shot.

Quotes:
Sofia and Jason:
"It actually happened --sixty years ago."
"Over sixty."
"How old are you?"
"Obviously over sixty." He flashed a bright white smile at her. "Well preserved, aren't I?"

Sofia and Jason talking about Tolkien/LOTR:
"The council is actually my favorite part of The Lord of the Rings."
"Mine too," he answered. "I was never fond of Tolkien's anti-technology stance but I love his world-building and the history and mythology--"
"Keep talking sexy to me like that, and I'm going to throw you on the bed and have my way with you." She grinned.

Back Cover copy:
Zane, a fierce vampire warrior, has been enslaved by the Amazons. Nola, a lovely Amazon soldier, has been cursed with invisibility.
Now, these two stubborn enemies must overcome the pasts that haunt them and embrace a love that can set them free...

This story continues where we left it at the end of THE VAMPIRE'S BRIDE. It's the story of the vampire Zane and the amazon Nola. Four months after they were imprisoned by the gods on an island and forced to compete in a ridiculous contest to provide entertainment for the fickle gods, they are both back in Atlantis. Zane as a prisoner of the amazons, Nola cursed not to be seen, heard or felt by those around her, totally unnoticeable. Until that changes and she can be seen and heard but still not touched. She helps Zane escape and he promises to come back for her. Every time Nola admits her love for Zane to herself she gets one part of herself back, first they can see her, then they can hear her and finally they can touch her again.

Nola hates men because of her past, being sold of by her mother to any willing male. She is fierce and a keeps a bit to herself because of her distrust of other people. She is very confused by the feelings Zane ignites in her.

Zane hates women and can't stand to be touched because of his past as a sex slave for the demon queen. He has once sacrificed himself for love and his efforts were thrown back in his face. Therefore, he too is reluctant to trust others and his feelings for Nola. He is powerful and headstrong. His determination giving him the strength needed to fight for his king.

Nola and Zane are very much alike. They are full of pride and possess a similar defiant streak. Despite their convincing intolerance of other people's touches Nola does not find Zane's touch repulsive and Zane allowes Nola to touch him and even enjoys it.
There are a few secondary characters, which have small parts in the story. Because of the shortness of the story there was no room for more and I was glad because it would have taken away from the story between Nola and Zane.

With only 54 pages this short novella, leaves little room for depth or true plot but I thought it was a nice extended epilogue to THE VAMPIRE'S BRIDE, giving Nola and Zane their happily ever after in a delightful and quick read. It contained everything I love about Gena's writing and I can add another notch to the Atlantis collection, which is proving to be a great series with lots of potential. I am curious which characters Gena will be tackling next in this series.

Quote:
In that moment his entire existence made sense. He'd been born to be this woman's mate. He'd given himself to a demon to better understand this precious woman's pain. He'd been chosen for the gods' cruel game to ensure this woman's survival.

Back Cover Copy
Ever since Zack Hunter, the ultimate alpha boy, left her ten years ago and broke her heart, Sky MacKenna hasn’t been able to find a man who sets her on fire the way he did. Then he comes striding back into her life–bigger, badder and sexier than before…

ICE agent, Zack Hunter never thought he’d return to his small home town and he never thought he’d set eyes on Sky again. Leaving her behind had been the stupidest thing he had ever done but this time he isn’t going to let her go. And as soon as he lays eyes on Sky he makes it clear that he intends to make her his all over again.

When Sky becomes entangled in the case he’s investigating, Zack can’t help but take the threat personal. As the danger mounts, their passion burns even hotter.

When a case of stolen cattle brings Zack Hunter, former deputy-sheriff turned ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent back to his home town, he decides to seize the opportunity to look up his ex-girlfriend Skylar MacKenna and try to get back together. He left her ten years ago in a bad way and wants to give their relationship another chance. Skylar is one of the ranchers whose cattle is being stolen and that puts her in the middle of Zack's investigation but after he broke her heart ten years before, Skylar has absolutely no intention of giving him another chance with her.

Zack and Skylar's childhood have been very different. Where Sky's had loving parents and grew up knowing she was loved and supported, Zack had to deal with first an abusive father and later with an equally abusive stepfather. With the latter things escalated when Zack almost beat him to death after he found him beating on his mother. This event was crucial in his decision to break up with Skylar, his girlfriend of 6 months. He doesn't think he's worthy of her love and is afraid of the violence he discovers in himself. Now ten years later he's back and he is determined to show Sky that he's changed and he's willing to commit to her.
Sky was devastated when Zack left and though she has tried to forget him, by dating other men for example, she has never truly succeeded. But when he comes back to Douglas declaring he wants her back, she puts her foot down and refuses to let him lure her into his clutches again. She has suffered a broken heart once and that's more than enough.

But slowly Zack and Sky do pick up where they left of 10 years before and their relationship is rekindled but now at a much more mature level. The romance between them is alternately hot and chilly. From Zack's point of view it's clear he wants to go back to the hot, passionate relationship they once had. Sky however, tries to keep him at a distance because of the way Zack hurt her in the past. Because of this there aren't that many love scenes in the book, especially in the first half. The ones that are fleshed out are definitely scorching but there's a lot of suggestion and thinking about sex instead of the real thing from both Zack and Sky. Sometimes suggestion can make a book very sensual but for me in this one it missed the mark. Many times I thought it was going to somewhere, just to be a little let down when McCray would switch back to the suspense, leaving me hanging there.

Contrary to what I'm used to by Cheyenne McCray, this book just didn't do it for me. I think it has to do with expectations. I was expecting covert operatives dealing with weapon smugglers or drug lords and hot love scenes and instead of weapons or drugs I got a ranch and cattle. Not that this is bad the back cover blurb just didn’t prepare me for it and so ZACK and I started on the wrong foot and to be honest we never got quite on the right foot. Eventually the hot love scenes and the touching and fiery relationship between Zack and Sky made up for some of it and it was the relationship between Zack and Sky that kept me reading on. I liked the book but the mix of romance and suspense just wasn't good enough. It didn't blend together fluently and there was something off that's hard for me to pinpoint. The promise is there in the plot and the romance but McCray didn't deliver it well enough to blow me away like other books by her hand did.

At first there seemed to be two different suspense plots that were linked and the true plot didn't become clear until after halfway through the story but still the plot just couldn't keep me enthralled. A ranch, cattle, cowboys...In this setting it just doesn’t do anything for me. This book once again proved that for me. This setting only appeals to me when strong emotions or hot eroticism is there to balance the scale but unfortunately I missed both in this first installment of the Armed and Dangerous series. The romance on its own had potential but the mixture with the western themed plot didn't come together for me.

In conclusion, I loved the romance separately, loved the love scenes but the western theme and the plot just weren't my cup of tea and even though I was intrigued by Sky's foreman, Luke Rider, who is the hero of the next book, I am very hesitant to invest my time and attention in this series.

Quote:
Just the thought of what she wearing under that scrap of a dress was enough to make him want to throw back his head and let loose a primal chest-beating howl, throw her over his shoulder, and take her home and bury himself inside her.

Back Cover:
They were once orphans from London's roughest slums. Now they are students of Mrs. Merlin's Academy for Select Young Ladies, learning the art of spying and seduction. Bold, beautiful, and oh-so-dangerous, they are England's ultimate secret weapons...

A DUEL BETWEEN DUTY...
The most skilled of Merlin's Maidens, Siena must unmask a traitor lurking among an exclusive club of book collectors. Armed with only her wits, her blades, and her sultry body, she joins the gentlemen at a country house party. But her prime suspect, disgraced ex-army officer Lord Kirtland proves as enigmatic as he is suspicious-and sinfully sensuous.

AND DESIRE.
Kirtland's instincts tell him the enticing "Black Dove" is hiding more than a luscious body beneath her fancy silks. Yet as he starts to plumb her secrets, a cunning adversary lays plans to destroy them both. To live, Siena must end her tantalizing dance of deception and desire-and decide whether to trust her head or her heart...

Siena is a student of Madame Merlin's Academy of Select Young Ladies. A school that takes in orphaned girls from the streets with no future and train them in marital arts, use of all kinds of weapons and seduction.
When a traitor is smuggling information to the French with the use of rare, priceless books, Siena gets the chance to prove herself in her first assignment. She infiltrates The Gilded Page Club, a gentlemen's club of book collectors. She poses as a courtesan looking for her next protector among them but in fact she's looking for the traitor.
All the members of the Club are willing to undergo her challenges to be her protector, except Julian Henning, Earl of Kirtland. He is an officer who was court-martialed for insubordination and the victim of gossip from the "ton."
He suspects there is more to Siena than she is trying to make them believe and doesn't trust her.

Kirtland is dark and brooding, both in character and appearance. After his dismissal from the Army he has isolated himself from Society except for his book club. He has an almost obsessive love for (rare) books. He is headstrong, outspoken and convinced of the rightness of his actions and decisions. He's a man of principles and sometimes doesn't know when to compromise. He seems cold but Siena brings out the man behind the mask and thaws his stubborn heart.

Siena is a bit suspicious of other people's motives and intentions because of her past in the streets. She depends only on herself and her skills. Sometimes she came across as a bit insecure but she was a feisty heroine with a big heart.

There are many secondary characters who play a role in this book: Siena's fellow students, especially Shannon, Kirtland's fellow book collectors who are all suspects and the illustrious and mysterious Russian Alexandr Orlov. Sometimes some of them even took the focus away from Siena and Kirtland and this is something I don't applaud in books. I think the main characters should have centre stage. Also the set up for future books is made with the introduction of some of these secondary characters. You just know their books are lingering in the future somewhere.

I love historical romances set in this time period, the time of Napoleon. And I love female spies so this book should have been right up my alley. But unfortunately it wasn't that entirely. I absolutely liked it but I had expected more.

It starts very promising but somewhere along the story the dynamics change. It's as if the tension is being built up and then it just flattens out. In my opinion the cause for this is with Siena. She trusts and confides in Kirtland out of the blue while he is still a suspect. She has no reason whatsoever to believe he is innocent and still she trusts him with the truth about who she is and what she is doing.
This made the first part great but the second part of the book couldn't keep that same amount of quality.
Combined with the occasional dominance of some secondary characters it made this book a nice read for me instead of a great one.

Back cover:
They are a new breed, a new race. Engineered rather than born, trained rather than raised, and their unique genetics have created more than one surprise…
Jacob left Faith six years before, unaware that the mark he left on her also left her in an agony of sexual heat that never dimmed. Now Jacob and Faith are together again, but surprises lurk around every corner and dangers as dark and deadly as their very creation surround them in more ways than one.

Six years ago Faith was given to Jacob in the Council labs. Jacob had always had feelings for the young Faith but knowing the scientist could use any weakness against him he did not show his feelings. Faith is drugged with a powerful aphrodisiac that brings forth an arousal that causes a need deep within Jacob to dominate her. In the process of their mating and after he marks her, the Labs explode and the Breeds, including Jacob and Faith, escape.

Since then Jacob has been avoiding Faith giving her time to grow and forgive him for that night but he is not aware that the mark he left on her has left her in an agony of need for him until she is sent to him and danger threatens her.
Marked and then abandoned for over six years by her mate, Faith welcomes him with anger and defiance when he finally returns to claim her.
And who can blame her, she's been in heat for six years and Jacob has left her hanging.

At first it wasn't clear to me why Jacob did this and why he waited so long to claim Faith as his mate but later in the story it was made clear that he felt extremely guilty about what he did to Faith in the Labs. He is afraid his animal instinct to dominate will prevent him from being gentle and tender with her and he is afraid that being with him will bring her life in danger because the Council is still hunting the Breeds they have lost control over.
But Faith never felt that way and always waited for him to come back. She became bitter and angry towards Jacob for leaving her.

In this Breeds book I was introduced to a new combination: two Breeds who mate instead of a Breed and a human.
Both of them want the other but they have their reasons for resisting. Jacob because of his guilt. Faith because of her fear he will leave her again. However, this resistance doesn't show in the sexual aspect of their relationship. They go at it like rabbits, and normally this doesn’t bother me but in Jacob and Faith's relationship it just didn't fit with the emotional struggle they were having with themselves and each other.
Faith challenges and taunts Jacob until he stops seeing her as the fragile and delicate girl from the Labs. She has grown into a strong and independent woman who knows how to handle him and his primal desires. But Jacob keeps pushing her away, claiming he doesn’t want to hurt her.

I had trouble getting into the story in the first half of this book. There was just a lot of sex scenes and very little plot and Jacob kept annoying me with his guilt and the denial of his feelings towards Faith under the cloak of not wanting to hurt her, but it just came down to the fact that he was afraid of his feelings and he was acting like a coward. He didn't see that he was actually hurting her more by abandoning her and pushing her away every time.
I kept this feeling of detachment throughout the whole story despite the fact that I did like Faith's character. She was feisty, mouthy and didn't let Jacob get away with his behavior. But I did not experience the searing emotional highs I normally do when reading an installment in the Breeds series. It just felt off somehow.

I think the Wolf Breeds are not my cup of tea. I can't relate to their stories and characters as much as I do the ones of the Feline Breeds. It just didn't click with me like the Feline books do.
It seems like a totally different world, both in characterization as in writing. Of the Wolf Breeds I've read the focus is mainly on the heat between the hero and heroine and there is a small, but very thin, plot. In this book this was also the case.

But there were also positive things about the book. It's still of high quality within the erotic romance genre even if the focus was a little towards the erotic side this time around.
The second part of the book was much better than the first. Jacob started behaving more like the mate he was supposed to be and he opened up to Faith and let her into his heart. His concern and protectiveness were still there but it was dosed in a more acceptable way.
The verbal sparring between Faith and Jacob certainly kept me entertained. Faith doesn't keep quiet because Jacob is an Alpha Enforcer. She defies and negotiates for what she wants and gives as good as she gets.
The plot was thin but with intriguing revelations about the Council and a new kind of Breed besides the Wolves, Felines and Coyotes. Also in this book I got more insight as to what actually happened in the Council's Labs and the effect that has on the Breeds. This is something that isn't covered as extensively in the Feline books so far.
And again the end of this book holds promise for the next book. The epilogue can be read as an introduction of the hero and heroine of the next book and again it offers potential but I'm careful in saying that because so did Jacob and Faith at the end of the previous book and for me their story didn't answer that promise.

Quotes:
Some lowlife in a bar and Faith:
"You readee to play, leetle gurl?" He asked her in halting English.
Faith barely managed to keep from rolling her eyes. Oh yeah, she really wanted to play, her life's ambition was to play with a King Kong wannabe with the brains of a gnat.

Her voice was soft, so gentle and sweet it destroyed him. And in it, he heard her love. As though her soul had opened and from it the nectar of an emotional banquet poured. It washed over him. It seeped into scars and wounds he never knew he had, deep within his own soul.