Windsong (Song, Book 2)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS. 

VALERIE SHERWOOD

Synopsis from Goodreads: ADRIFT UPON THE SURGING TIDES OF LOVE...the incandescent beauty Carolina and her dashing buccaneer, Kells, sail from his Caribbean stronghold to her native Virginia there to await his royal pardon and their glorious wedding. But when an imposter masquerades as Kells, savaging British ships, he is once again outlawed. Fleeing to England, the lovers are swept into a torrent of danger, treachery and desire. Their vows are doubly threatened by the rich ransom for Kells' capture and by a sultry Spanish duchess who claims him as her own. Carolina, wed in her heart and wed forever, embarks on a desperate voyage that may cost her Kells' love and his life and cast into the raging seas the shimmering promise of their WINDSONG.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Pocket Books, 1986.

How acquired: Via BookMooch.

My thoughts:  When I read the first book in this trilogy, LOVESONG, it took me awhile to get into the story. The beginning was good but not fantastic. WINDSONG started out the same way, and while it took a bit longer to pick up, I did eventually get completely sucked in and mesmerized. I do really like the author's writing, so I'm not sure why it took so long to get invested in the story.

...England's king had offered a general amnesty to the buccaneers, but a king's word was the wind's word and easily blown away...

The first part of the book follows Carolina and Rye as they travel to Virginia and her family's home. While they've already married in a buccaneer ceremony on board Rye's ship, they keep that from Carolina's family and announce their betrothal, letting Carolina's mother plan the wedding. But a group of men, posing as the buccaneer and his crew, begin attacking ships, and our lovebirds are forced to flee Virginia so Rye can avoid capture and try to clear his name.

I've just realized something both books have in common. The point where the story really picked up for me in both books is when Carolina leaves America and goes to England. From there many adventures follow. Carolina's sister, Virginia, travels with them, and I really enjoyed her parts of the story and getting to know her better, and especially watching her character's growth once she's out from under her mother's thumb. We also meet Rye's brother, and are reunited with Carolina's schoolmate, Reba.

Home was the Tidewater – no, it was not there either. Home was a man's arms, held wide and welcoming.

Of course there needs to be conflict, which arrives in the form of a Spanish duchess whose appearance throws Rye for a loop. And then he sets sail with the Spanish lady, leaving Carolina behind to continue her travels with his brother and her sister. We soon learn that the Spanish lady is Rye's first wife, whom he believed to be dead. And upon being reunited, he promptly falls into bed with her, which angered me something fierce! It took me quite awhile to get over his betrayal of Carolina, and when she went off half-cocked looking for revenge I hurt for her while cheering her on. 

Fortunately everything comes right in the end, and I'm eager to read the next book, NIGHTSONG.

Salvatore: A Dark Mafia Romance (Benedetti Brothers, Book 1)

NATASHA KNIGHT

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Lucia   

It all started with a contract signed by him, then by me, while our families watched. While my father sat silent, a man defeated, giving his daughter to the Benedetti monsters. I obeyed. I played my part. I signed my name and gave away my life. I became their living, breathing trophy, a constant symbol of their power over us. That was five years ago. Then came the time for him to claim me. For Salvatore Benedetti to own me. I had vowed vengeance. I had learned hate. And yet, nothing could have prepared me for the man who now ruled my life. I expected a monster, one I would destroy. But nothing is ever black or white. No one is either good or evil. For all his darkness, I saw his light. For all his evil, I saw his good. As much as he made me hate him, a passion hotter than the fires of hell burned inside me. I was his, and he was mine. My very own monster.

Salvatore

I owned the DeMarco Mafia Princess. She belonged to me now. We had won, and they had lost. And what better way to teach a lesson than to take from them that which is most precious? Most beloved? I was the boy who would be king. Next in line to rule the Benedetti Family. Lucia DeMarco was the spoils of war. Mine to do with as I pleased. It was my duty to break her. To make her life a living hell. My soul was dark, I was hell bound. And there was no way out, not for either of us. Because the Benedetti family never lost, and in our wake, we left destruction. It’s how it had always been. How I believed it would always be. Until Lucia.

Author’s Note: Salvatore and Lucia’s story is a steamy standalone romance with a happily-ever-after. No cliffhanger and no cheating. It is intended for mature readers.

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

How acquired: Bought.

My thoughts:  Mafia, mobsters, gangsters, and the like – not the type of hero who has ever appealed to me. Violent men in violent worlds, breaking laws and laundering money and killing rivals. What's to love about those men? But the author of this book is Natasha Knight, and I very much like her, so I took a chance and doled out the $11.99 for it. And I'm happy to say I have no regrets.

The premise is a little horrifying. Two heads of rival mob families signing a contract for peace between the families, with one man giving his teen-aged daughter to the other man's son. Lucia is forced to sign a contract that effectively gives ownership of her to Salvatore. Would it hold up in a court of law? Of course not. Lucia is a minor and slavery is outlawed. But the mob doesn't follow our laws, and both Lucia's and Salvatore's fates are sealed that day.

Fortunately, Lucia is sent away to a boarding school for the first five years of the contract, so she's of legal age before she is actually physically handed over to Salvatore. She hates him of course, and his father and brother, not to mention her own father for putting her in this position. But she's strong and feisty, and refuses to cower down.

The story is told in first person POV, alternating between Lucia and Salvatore, and I don't think the story could have worked as well otherwise. Hearing Salvatore's side of the story, his thoughts and feelings about a contract that he, too, was forced into, helped make his character sympathetic. He wasn't just a mobster, he was a man who lived under the thumb of his overbearing father, who still mourned the loss of his older brother, and who was determined to protect Lucia and make the situation as easy on her as he could, albeit while still maintaining control of her.

Definitely a relationship with a rocky start. And then a war is brewing, and with Salvatore's brother and Lucia's sister and cousin involved, it's hard to imagine our hero and heroine ever coexisting peacefully. When you're born into a mob family, it seems your life is never just your own, but you can't just walk away. For Salvatore, there is some soul searching, a yearning for a different kind of life. Men who seek redemption – what's not to love about them? 

Friction

SANDRA BROWN

Synopsis from back cover: Following the death of his wife, Crawford Hunt, a Texas Ranger, fell into a downward spiral that left him relegated to desk work and with his five-year-old daughter in the custody of her grandparents. But Crawford has cleaned up his act and now the fate of his family lies with Judge Holly Spencer. Ambitious and confident, Holly temporarily occupies the bench of her recently deceased mentor. With an election upcoming, she must prove herself worthy of making her judgeship permanent. Every decision is high-stakes. When a masked gunman barges into the courtroom during the guardianship hearing, Crawford reacts instinctually, saving Holly from a bullet. But his heroism soon takes on the taint of recklessness. The cloud over him grows even darker after he uncovers a horrifying truth about the courtroom gunman and realizes that the unknown person behind the shooting remains at large – and a threat.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Grand Central Publishing, 2015.

How acquired: Borrowed from my mother. I usually buy Sandra Brown's books as soon as they come out, but somehow I missed this one.

My thoughts:  I knew I would love this book because I've come to expect that from Sandra Brown. She writes incredible heroes, men who often appear on the surface to be dangerous, threatening, villainous, but who in reality are good, honorable, charismatic men who love fiercely and take huge risks to protect others, to fight the real bad guys, to make justice prevail.

Crawford Hunt is a Texas Ranger who is in a custody battle with his in-laws, who have raised his young daughter since his wife died. Holly Spencer is the judge presiding over the custody proceedings, but before she can give her ruling a gunman bursts into the courtroom and begins shooting. Crawford throws himself on top of Holly to protect her, and their lives become intertwined from that moment on.

FRICTION was very much more Crawford's story than Holly's, which was fine by me because I adored him. I liked Holly too, of course, but for much of the book she was more of a secondary character as Crawford dug deeper and deeper into the mystery of who the shooter was, who hired him, and why. The mystery unravels slowly, and then ravels, and then unravels some more. However, the last chapter, after the mystery of the gunman was revealed, was a little bit of a let down, neatly and abruptly tying up all the remaining loose ends almost as an afterthought.

If you're already a fan of Sandra Brown, you'll enjoy this book. If you're new to her writing, you'll probably still enjoy it, and then you should seek out LETHAL, MEAN STREAK, and THE WITNESS, which are her best books in my opinion.

 

The Flame and the Flower (Birmingham Family, Book 1)

*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

KATHLEEN E. WOODIWISS

Synopsis from back cover: Fearing for her innocence, doomed to a life of unending toil, Heather Simmons commits a shocking and desperate act. Now she must flee – and seek refuge in the arms of a virile and dangerous stranger.

Captain Brandon Birmingham is a lusty adventurer married to the sea. Though courting scorn and peril through his actions, he abducts the beautiful fugitive from the tumultuous London dockside. For it is destiny that has brought Heather to Brandon's side, and no power on Earth will force him to relinquish his exquisite prize. Only she can unlock the tenderness in his heart; and Brandon vows she will be his – to love, to cherish, to desire, and to carry off to uncharted realms of sensuous passion.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Avon Books, 2003

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Somewhere in the world, time no doubt whistled by on taut and widespread wings, but here in the English countryside it plodded slowly, painfully, as if it trod the rutted road that stretched across the moors on blistered feet.

My thoughts: This book got off to a slow start, as we meet the orphaned Heather, living in servitude to her horrible aunt and meek, brow beaten uncle. She is literally a slave, wearing her aunt's cast off dresses that are like twenty-three sizes too large, working from sunup to sundown, with no hope of any kind of future.

Then her aunt's brother comes along, and whisks her off to London, where he's claimed he can get her a job at a nice school. Of course his real intentions are completely unhonorable, and when Heather stabs him with a fruit knife in a desperate attempt to get him off her, she sets herself on a new path, fleeing his home and terrified of being caught and hung for murder.

Then she finds herself aboard Brandon Birmingham's ship, and I won't go into how she ends up there. But this part of the book was discussed a bit in a Facebook group I'm part of, due to our hero devirginizing our heroine by brute force. It's not romanticized - it's rape and it's never called anything else. In fact, much later, after they've professed their love for each other and are having a wonderful life together, Heather reminds Brandon that he once raped her. Laughingly, because she's gotten over it. But at least neither of them pretend it didn't happen.

And regarding the rape...the whole situation of how she came to be in his cabin on the ship was a little ridiculous. I know she was in shock and she's young and innocent of the ways of the world, but still. Rape, in and of itself, does not always bother me in a book. In the world of romance novels, rape can even be a little subjective at times. Brandon didn't intentionally rape her out of malice. The first time, anyway. It was due to a Big Misunderstanding. Bit having realized he'd just deflowered the girl, taking her again, and again against her will, was a bit much. At this point in the book I was disgusted with him, and thought he was going to have to really work hard and grovel to redeem himself. It would've all been a little more palatable if, say, he'd had too much to drink and wasn't in total control of his faculties. Still wrong, still disgusting, but easier for him to come back from and convince Heather that he's not a monster.

So now their lives are intertwined, and I'm not completely taken by the story, or the characters, just yet. Fortunately Brandon vows to himself that he will never take her by force again, and he keeps that vow. And Heather vows that she will never submit to him, and then in the same breath tells herself that since he's now her husband she will have no choice but to submit to him if he so demands. And from this point on for many months (the length of a pregnancy and then some) they both run hot and cold, lusting after each other, yet both believing the other has no desire to share a bed, having little tender moments amid exasperated all out yelling at each other moments. All very will they or won't they.

And at some point during all this, I became very engrossed. Knowing that deep down inside Brandon was head over heels about his “young wife” as she was often referred to, I could realize that a lot of his cruel jibes and frosty behavior was a defense mechanism. He wanted her, he would not rape her again, and he'd be damned if he begged her, or for that matter even asked her politely, to make love with him, so all that frustration was poured out on her in mean words and slammed doors. Heather, being only seventeen and having lived a sheltered life, is too young and naive to realize the power she holds over him.

An interesting aspect to the story that I really liked was Louisa, who was engaged to Brandon before he sailed off to London and debauched Heather. Her first meeting with Heather set the tone for that relationship – Louisa was rude, condescending and cruel to Heather, and shamelessly tried to win Brandon's favors back to herself. I was looking forward to more meetings between the two women, expecting some outrageous scenes to occur, and while they did have a few run ins, Louisa was not around nearly as much as I had hoped.

In the end of course love conquers all. I teetered between giving this book three or four stars on Goodreads. It took awhile for me to get past the slow, undignified beginning, yet towards the end I was eager to crawl into bed at night and lose myself in the pages, not wanting to set the book down and go to sleep. Brandon managed to charm Heather and make her fall in love with him, and I fell right along with her. 

Lovesong (Song, Book 1)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS. 

VALERIE SHERWOOD

Synopsis from Goodreads: A sweet wild madness swept over Carolina Lightfoot at the sight of elegant Lord Thomas Angevine, reputed to be the most notorious rake in London. The proud Colonial beauty, graced with silvergold hair and flashing eyes, hoped to be his bride. Then, swept into a growing storm of scandal, she was banished to Virginia. Captured by buccaneers on the high seas, Carolina became the Silver Wench of the Caribbean...and the defiant prisoner of the infamous Kells, a brooding man with insolent charm andd a mysterious past.

On the island of Tortuga, where gentle winds caressed the perfumed nights and a lustrous moon whispered love's allure, Carolina must escape...to find Thomas again, and to flee Kells' passionate embrace, the rapturous temptation of his...LOVESONG.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Pocket Books, 1985.

How acquired: Through Book Mooch.

First line: Fitful shadows raced across the moon.

My thoughts: I was really excited to read this book after seeing some discussion about it on Facebook in a group I recently joined (Old School Romance Book Club, a wonderful group in case you’re interested!). Luckily I found a copy, and copies of the next two books in the trilogy, on Book Mooch (a wonderful book trading site, in case you’re interested!) and immediately requested all three books.

The beginning of LOVESONG was interesting, but nothing fantastic. I was even a little ho hum about it. But then Carolina is sent off to school in England, and it picked up. She meets Lord Thomas, a total wanker, and normally I’d be hating on their relationship and berating Carolina for being such a ninny. But, she was young, still a teenager, and young girls can’t always help but be ninnies about boys. And the author wrote her so well, her thoughts, her feelings, her actions, that very much liked her and felt for her.

But then again I knew from reading the back cover and from the FB group discussion that the real “hero” of this book would be Kells, the wild buccaneer who will capture her later in the book.

And then Carolina goes home with her roommate for the Christmas holidays, and meets Rye. And I REALLY liked him. And even though I knew that Kells is still to come along, I wanted her to forget about Lord Thomas and let Rye love her.

And then comes disgrace, and she is put on a ship back home to Virginia, only to run away and board another ship back to England, only to be captured by a Spanish ship, only to then be recaptured by the buccaneers. For a little while I even convinced myself that Kells was going to turn out to actually be Rye. But then Carolina, now calling herself Christabel, comes face to face with Kells, and the man wasn’t Rye, and there didn’t seem to be any chemistry between them, and he was not described physically or in any other manner the way the hero of a romance book should be described. And even though I knew Kells is the hero, I was very disappointed that, while she was certainly now safely away from the cad Thomas, she was also away from Rye.

But I sighed and pulled myself together, and settled in to see what would happen. And I became completely mesmerized and stayed up late two nights in a row to read, and at the end I was so frantic to find out what would happen next that my eyes kept trying to skip ahead of my brain, and when I finally finished the book, I had that wonderful sated and satisfied yet wanting more more more feeling that only a really good book (or a really good man) can give you.

Against the Law (Against Series/Raines of Wind Canyon, Book 3)

KAT MARTIN

Synopsis from Goodreads: At thirty-two Dev is "mostly retired" from Raines Investigations, content to run operations from his sprawling Arizona home. But Dev has never been able to say no to a beautiful woman, so when Lark Delaney comes to him for help, the former U.S. Army Ranger from Wind Canyon gets back in the game.

Lark is sexy, successful and dedicated to tracking down the baby girl her sister gave up for adoption. It should be a straightforward case, but it's not long before Dev uncovers a shady adoption ring and worse—the child's parents have been murdered and the little girl has been taken.

As the case grows dangerous and Lark needs him more than ever, Dev can't ignore his growing attraction for her. He also can't trust his judgment with women or the emotions he's long-since buried. But there's a chance, if he gets this right and saves Lark's niece, that he'll end up saving himself, too.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Mira Books, 2011.

How acquired: Through Book Mooch.

First line: He had everything he ever wanted.

My thoughts: I went into this book with a little trepidation, knowing that the heroine was going to hire Dev to help her track down the child her sister had placed for adoption four years earlier. Knowing, from the synopsis, that the adoption probably was not conducted legally. This is one of my hangups. I work in the adoption field, and I hate seeing stories, on film or in print, that give adoption a bad name. And lines like this, nineteen pages in, did not help:

Once they located the adoption agency, the address of the adoptive parents should be easy enough to find. Assuming the agency people could be persuaded to give up the information.

The only thing that would persuade the staff at our agency to divulge a family's address would be a warrant. Well, maybe a gun to the head would do it for some of our staff. But we would never just hand that information over to anyone who wanted it.

Several pages later, after talking to another girl who also placed a child, and was currently pregnant and placing that child as well, albeit with a different agency, Lark wonders how much the girl earned, and Dev speculates:

“She's blonde and blue-eyed. Caucasian babies are in high demand. Twenty thousand, maybe more. It isn't against the law – not if the agency is licensed and following all the state mandates.”

Maybe that's not illegal in Arizona, but it sure is in my state. We can pay a birth mother's living expenses – within reason and with a judge's signature on a court order – but we can't give her money, and she does not get paid to place the child.

And now I'm probably just being a little nitpicky, but a few pages later they walk into a daycare center, and while Dev approaches the receptionist desk, Lark wanders around the play area, and then talks to a little boy. I cannot imagine any daycare in the country where a person can just walk in off the street and roam around among the children.

Anyway, after it was stressed a couple of times that Lark only wanted to be sure her sister's child was in a safe and loving home, and had no intention of disrupting that, I began to relax a little and enjoy the story. And then when they finally went to that home, just in time to see masked men fleeing after having gunned down the adoptive parents and the household staff, while terrified little Chrissy was hiding in a closet, I was completely hooked. And after that, it wasn't about adoption (other than Lark of course eventually adopting Chrissy). It was about drug cartels, and Mexican criminals, and lives being in danger, and me turning pages faster and faster.

I loved Dev and Lark together. Lark is a successful businesswoman, running her own company and making and selling designer handbags. Now that she has Chrissy to raise, the last thing she needs is a relationship. Dev is the youngest of the Raines brothers, and after his fiancee broke up with him days before their wedding several years ago, he doesn't trust women and is determined to never fall in love again. They may say they love you, but how can you know if they really mean it? The answer is to have fun with pretty women but never get serious with them. The attraction between Dev and Lark is palpable, but Lark is Dev's client, and he doesn't mix business with pleasure, so she's off limits as one of his flings. When they do finally give in to the chemistry between them, it was pretty sizzling.

We meet several men who work for Dev, or who served with him in the military and are called upon now to help out. The action never lets up as Dev, Lark, Chrissy, and other men are thrown into one intense situation after another. Of the three books about the Raines brothers, this one is definitely my favorite. The next three books in the Against Series feature three of the other men involved in this one, and I am eager to read all of them. So eager in fact, that I've already placed an order through Barnes & Noble for the next book, along with two other books in the Against series, and the first book in the Brodies of Alaska series.

So despite my initial misgivings, this was a very good suspenseful story with a complex plot. There were lots of scenes that made me either laugh out loud or grin like an idiot, and when the danger was over and Lark and Dev were coming to grips with their feelings for each other, there were some scenes that literally made me cry. I can't get the next book quick enough. 

Mean Streak

SANDRA BROWN

Synopsis from Goodreads: Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband, Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her.

While police suspect Jeff of "instant divorce," Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself held captive by a man whose violent past is so dark that he won't even tell her his name. She's determined to escape from him and willing to take any risks necessary to survive.

Unexpectedly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can't turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law. Wrong becomes right at the hands of the man who strikes fear but also sparks passion.

As her husband's deception is revealed, and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer from those who wish her dead – and from heartbreak.

Stats for my copy: Hardback, published by Grand Central Publishing, 2014. .

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Emory hurt all over.

My thoughts: Emory drives from her home in Atlanta to a small town in North Carolina and spends the night in a motel, so she can run the next day on the trails in a national park. Early in the morning she's an hour into a long run over mountain terrain. And then suddenly stars explode in her head and she's out cold. When she wakes up, with a killer headache from a nasty head wound, she's in a small cabin with a formidable looking man who says he found her unconscious. He answers her questions tersely or not at all, and won't tell her anything about himself, including his name. He does tell her the fog outside is too heavy for him to risk driving her anywhere on the icy mountain roads, and he has no phone or close neighbors. He disables her cell phone and won't give her the password for his laptop, so she can't even contact her husband or her partners in her medical practice to let them know she's okay.

Meanwhile her husband, Jeff, is canoodling with his girlfriend, and when the girlfriend begins to express worry over the fact that Emory hasn't called him and hasn't been home yet, he says Emory is probably still mad at him after the argument they had the night before she left. Eventually he does also start to worry, calling around to see if anyone's heard from her, and then driving to North Carolina himself to report her missing and hassle the local police for not doing enough to look for her. And of course, being the spouse, he's a suspect. We also meet the deputies investigating Emory's disappearance, an FBI agent, and an assortment of other characters, both good and bad.

So how did Emory get her concussion? I was pretty sure throughout most of the book that I knew who conked her on the head, or who was behind her being conked on the head. Pretty sure, but never one hundred percent.

Lots of books in the romance and/or mystery/suspense genres feature a hero who is a “bad boy”. A dark horse. Mysterious. You know who the hero is as soon as he's introduced, and you know the hero is a good guy. You know that, whatever crimes he's been accused of or actions have been attributed to him, there will be a reasonable explanation, or extenuating circumstances, or a clearing up of a misunderstanding. So I went into this book expecting that. But this guy. I wanted to like him. Did like him. Wanted to fall for him, the way I fall for every Sandra Brown hero. But I was conflicted. Plagued by doubts. Trying to reconcile his good traits with his bad traits. It was an emotional see saw. And that's a testament to Sandra Brown's writing ability. To her characterization.

The plot was so layered I never knew where it was going. And when I thought I did, Ms. Brown threw me a curve ball. The characters are all distinctive, and her descriptions of the landscape or the surroundings always left a clear picture in my head.

I love this book. 

Alien Overnight (Aliens Overnight, Book 1)

ROBINL. ROTHAM

Synopsis from Goodreads: Commander Kellen is on Earth recruiting women for his planet's sex-starved males. Not particularly excited by human anatomy, he seeks nothing more for himself than the occasional slaking of his needs with some anonymous female - which shouldn't be a problem, since she'll have to face the other way to accommodate his special anatomical needs. 

Dr. Monica Teague is thrilled with her ten-year assignment caring for Garathan's sexual recruits. Her quirky looks and childish excuse for a body guarantee she'll never be expected to put out - which is kind of a bummer, now that she's up to her armpits in horny alien beefcake. 

But, when an overdose of alien pheromones makes Monica drunk off her ass, Kellen quickly claims the odd little doctor before another Garathani realizes what she is. The overdose sparks a violent chain reaction in her, and when Monica finally wakes, she's got the body of a porn star - and two sexy alien mates who are determined to tame her. 

If only she were as determined not to let them.

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, published Ellora's Cave, 2007.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: "Notice the slight emergence of the male's accessory sexual organ, or what the Garathani refer to as a breeding spur.”

My thoughts: The Garathani have a shortage of females on their planet, and have come to Earth to recruit women. Dr. Monica Teague has been accepted into this program,not as a volunteer, but to help oversee and care for the women who do volunteer. While Monica is beyond excited at the opportunity to travel into outer space, she is a little horrified while watching the live demonstration of a Garathani man having sex with a human woman in the book's opening pages. She can't imagine willingly having sex with the men of this alien race. But then, her own body has never developed, so she thinks no man, Garathani or human, would ever be interested in her anyway.

Of course she thinks wrong. Monica's mother died shortly after she was born, and she never knew anything about her father. Turns out mommy had a big secret abut daddy, and Monica is about to learn it. Commander Kellan figures it out pretty quickly during that demonstration, and, ostensibly to protect Monica, he immediately claims her as his mate, appointing Lieutenant Shauss as his second. With that shortage of females on his planet, it's two boys for every girl.

I read Enemy Overnight a couple of years ago, not realizing when I picked it up that it was the sequel to this book. I really enjoyed it, the writing, the characterization, the clear storyline (well, mostly clear although having read out of order I didn't know exactly what Jasmine had done in the first book to warrant her treatment in the second book). I think I liked the second book a bit more. From what I remember, it seems that Jasmine's character in ENEMY OVERNIGHT was more fully fleshed out, and I just liked her better than I did Monica. On the other hand, I struggled to like and accept Shauss as a romantic hero in that book, and if I'd read this one first, I would've already gotten to know him a little and probably wouldn't have had that issue. Which just reinforces my anal attitude about not reading books out of order.

Whatever floats your boat, it's probably covered here. A little bondage, a little discipline, a little butt sex. (But no girl on girl action until the second book.) Overall, a weird but fun read, and I want to go back and read the second book again, and have learned now that there's a third book, which I certainly want to read also. 

The Sheikh's Impatient Virgin (Harlequin Presents No. 2901)

KIM LAWRENCE

Synopsis from back of book: Set up against her will as a potential Arabian queen for the notorious Sheikh Karim, unworldly Eva has a plan to deter the desert king. She will convince him she's a modern, sexually experienced woman - and definitely not marriage material - even though she is really still a virgin.

However, the next thing she knows, Eva's become a bride! And her new husband is having a startling effect on her...She finds herself increasingly impatient; could it be that shy Eva is curious about what lies ahead in the sheikh's marriage bed?

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 2009; purchased at a library sale.

My thoughts: Royalty is not one of my favorite tropes, much less sheikhs, so I went into this book with low expectations. Putting aside the sheikh factor, I still would not have loved it. Every scene seemed to be so drawn out, an exchange between the two characters that probably would have lasted five minutes would take that many pages to get through. A character would say something, and then one of them would be thinking thinking thinking and in my mind I pictured the other character just frozen in place waiting for the first character's internal monologue to end. And at one point, the heroine puts a small dog in the pocket of her coat and then forgets about him for pages and pages, while she walks and then gets in a car and argues with the hero and gets out of the car and I just can't imagine a dog lying quietly in a pocket for all that time and I worried that she would accidentally sit on it.

Comanche Moon

CATHERINE ANDERSON

Synopsis: Orphaned seven years ago after witnessing the brutal murder of her parents at the hands of the Comanche people, golden-haired Loretta Simpson still lives in terror that the warriors will return. Her fear is so powerful, she can no longer speak a word.

Called the U.S. Army's most cunning adversary, Hunter of the Wolf believes that Loretta is the "honey-haired woman with no voice" of ancient prophesy - the woman he must honor for all eternity. But Loretta can see Hunter only as the enemy who has stolen her, and she refuses to succumb to his control...or his touch.

Despite the hatred intensifying between their peoples, Loretta and Hunter gradually find their prejudices giving way to respect, then flaring into feelings too dangerous to express. In the midst of such conflict, it will take all the force of their extraordinary love to find a safe place...

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 1991; 468 pages; purchased at a library sale.

My thoughts: So good. This book is so good. Where do I even begin?

In a nutshell (if that's possible): There is a prophecy that tells of a fierce warrior and a honey-haired woman who are destined to be together. Everyone in Hunter's village have always known and believed that he is that warrior. But Hunter loved his wife, who was torture and killed, along with her unborn baby, by white men, and he has a hatred for the white race.

Loretta saw her parents killed by Indians seven years ago, her mother raped and brutally tortured. Since then she's not spoken a word, and has lived with her aunt, uncle and young cousin. When she is captured and carried away by the infamous Hunter, she is terrified and desperate to escape.

In the beginning Hunter and Loretta hate each other. He may believe she is the woman he is prophesied to meet and “honor for all eternity”, but his first instinct is to kill her, to avoid the prophecy, which also says he will end up leaving the People. But his sense of duty is stronger than his hatred, so instead he takes her to his village.

In one of my recent reviews, I wrote that I'm not a fan of destined mate stories, preferring characters to meet, get to know each other, and then fall in love, not just be in love because they're supposed to be. This book turned that trope on it's head. Hunter may believe they are destined, but Loretta only sees a filthy savage Indian, and every minute she is in his company she expects that night to be the night he rapes and tortures her. And while Hunter may believe they are destined, he has no desire to rape her, much less touch her. He finds her pale skin off putting and her golden hair puts him in mind of dried out grass.

Over the course of this compelling 400+ page book (which could have been longer and I'd have been happy with that), they spend time together, they part company, they come back together, they part company. They come to grudgingly respect each other and realize that the other person is not just all the cliches they know about white people and Indians. Until suddenly they are those cliches. And then, are they really?

There is a lot of brutality in this book. It may be a romance novel, but it's definitely not a romanticized view of the time period, of the wars between the Indians and the white interlopers. It is a tale of love, hate, revenge, betrayal, loyalty, duty, hardship, good and bad on every level. It kept me up past my bedtime two nights in a row because I was loathe to put it down. This book is going in my small list of all time favorite books.

I don't just want to read the follow up books. I NEED to read them. Soon.

And I love the covers on these reissues.

I Thirst For You (Primes, Book 2)

SUSAN SIZEMORE

Back cover copy: He appears out of the dark desert night – a huge, dangerous stranger who sparks desire and fear in her like she’s never known. Josephine Elliot knows only that her captor’s name is Marcus Cage, and that he’s on the run. But who is chasing him, and why? Is Marcus protecting her by taking her hostage…or is he planning to use her to buy his own freedom? And why, above all, is she so inexorably drawn to him, body and soul?

Marcus is overwhelmed by his thirst for Josephine and instantly recognizes her as his soul mate. Desperate to evade enemies intent on destroying him and his kind, Marcus has no choice but to take Jo on the run. But when she unwittingly betrays him to his enemies, both are thrust into mortal danger. Can their newfound love survive her deceit and spare them a dark fate? Or will their insatiable desire burn for eternity?

First line: Two things pain can do for you: sharpen you up or dull you down.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2004; 325 pages; received through Book Mooch.

My thoughts: I read the first book in the series, I BURN FOR YOU, in August 2010. At that time I had really gotten into the whole vampire/paranormal genre, but other than the Anita Blake books, almost all of what I'd read had been lighter fare, chick lit type or bordering on chick lit. I BURN FOR YOU was a darker than I was used to and took a little bit for me to get into. The mythology behind the vamps in this world was also more convoluted and confusing than I was used to. I don’t really remember much about that first book now, but I did like it enough to search out the second book, though it then went into my huge TBR pile until now.

Fortunately, this second book can be read as a stand alone, and not remembering much about the first book didn’t affect my enjoyment of this one. I don’t know if that will apply to later books in the series, as the mythology behind the vamps was only briefly touched upon in this one and was not really integral to the storyline, and I didn’t experience the same slight confusion I felt with the first book.

Marcus Cage has escaped from a lab, where he had been held captive as a test subject. Jo Elliot is an empath, and after a plane crash that left her scarred and feeling guilty for not being able to rescue all her passengers, she is camping out in the desert in order to get away from everyone’s emotions and be alone. Running through the desert Marcus picks up on the connection between them and knows she is his destined mate. I’m not a fan of the destined mate genre. I’d rather see two characters meet, get to know each other and fall in love, not just meet and love each other instantly because they are fated to do so. I liked the fact that Jo, as a human, while certainly drawn to Marcus, does not recognize him as her soul mate, and in fact spends a lot of time scared and trying to figure out how to escape from him. For her the love did build up slowly over time, though granted it was over a short period of time.

For a good half of the book, Jo is definitely a prisoner, with Marcus occasionally tying her up to keep her in one place (not in a sexual way), and often using his own psychic powers to make her sleep away long periods of time. The mind manipulation I was a little uncomfortable with. I understand why he did it, but it just seemed a little underhanded to do to your soul mate, even if she doesn’t realize she is your soul mate. Of course, she paid him back ten fold when she later led his enemies right to him. But I’m not going into the plot any further than that as that might be spoilery.

I enjoyed it, it was a quick read, and now I’m off to hunt down book 3.

Code Name: Bikini (Code Name, Book 5)

CHRISTINA SKYE

Synopsis: Ex-cop Gina Ryan traded in her Smith & Wesson to follow a dream. Now she's creating decadent desserts aboard a luxury cruise ship in the Caribbean. But a gorgeous passenger is about to send her perfect world up in smoke...

Trace O'Halloran is a hard-edged navy SEAL, under strict orders to take some high seas R & R. There's a shipload of women in bikinis eager to help him unwind, so why can't he take his mind off the stubborn pastry chef with an attitude the size of Montana?

When a dangerous assassin from Trace's past appears, Gina and Trace must join forces to save the ship’s guests. The clock's ticking, and they'll need every weapon at hand – from body armor to chocolate ganache!

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 2007; 375 pages; received from a BookCrossing member.

My thoughts: For the most part, I've enjoyed this series of books. As the books progress, there is more of a paranormal element to them, with the Navy SEAL heroes all being part of an elite group who are genetically enhanced. I didn't anticipate that, and it didn't really show up as a major plot point until the third book, which was a bit of a let down for me. But the fourth book was very appealing with it's desert island setting. So I wasn't sure what to expect.

Fortunately, it was quite enjoyable. Gina is a likeable heroine, and Trace, who we met in the previous books (he's the sister of book three's heroine and best friend of that book's hero), is a satisfying hero. That being said, neither really stood out from the pack, with neither character being much different than the heroes and heroines in the previous books.

Trace is basically on the cruise ship for an enforced vacation, but also as possible back up for the ship's security officer, who has his own ties to the organization Trace is with. Gina is the ship's pastry chef, and she loves her life of traveling with the cruise ship, and the family she's created around her among her staff and other members of the crew. But she has her own issues of course, knowing that she has a condition which is slowly causing her to lose her sight, which will eventually end her career.

Like all of the Foxfire men, Trace has invested himself completely in his work and has never regretted the decision to join the elite group, even though it means virtually no life outside the group and their missions, and no personal relationships beyond the occasional visit home to see his sister. But Gina of course gets under his skin from their first accidental meeting. Gina has also invested herself in her career, and she has a nemesis on board the ship who appears to be trying to sabotage her, and she has no interest in a relationship. But of course Trace gets under her skin, yada yada yada, you know where this sentence is going.

Since Trace is still recovering and building up his strength after nearly being killed in his last mission, his chips (the genetic enhancement all the Foxfire men have in common) have been inactivated for the time being. The chips were my least favorite plot points of previous books, and I liked this little twist, which left Trace a more vulnerable than the previous heroes. There's also a side plot line about a girl who Trace rescued in a previous mission having died, listed as a suicide but suspicious to Trace, and her ghost occasionally manifesting and trying to tell him something. I would have liked her to actually be more involved and make more appearances than she did, but she was almost like an afterthought thrown into the storyline.

There is also a cat, young triplets, and Izzy even gets a storyline with some family drama. According to the author's bio on her website, she is working on the sixth book in the series, and I'm sure I'll want to read it as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Twice Tempted (Night Prince, Book 2)

JEANIENE FROST

Synopsis: Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her,and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover Vlad has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever - especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her...

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust - the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity ...

First line: This wasn't the first time I'd woken up as a captive.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Avon Books, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2013; 360 pages (plus excerpt in back); purchased new.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one more than the first book in this trilogy. Leila is a strong but sensitive heroine. She knows Vlad loves her, but since he still refuses to admit it, she says sayonara and books it for home. Of course things happen, buildings explode, people die, and Leila finds herself allied with Maximus, trying to figure out who wants her dead. Would Vlad try to kill her for leaving him and embarrassing him to his huge line? Or is someone else out to get her?

A nice interlude while I impatiently wait for the next Cat and Bones book.

On a side note – all through the first book I pronounced Leila's name in my head as “Lee-luh”. But I recently watched an interview with Jeaniene Frost on Goodreads, and she pronounced it “Lay-luh”. In case you wondered.

Code Name: Blondie (Code Name, Book 4)

CHRISTINA SKYE

Synopsis from back of book: Miki is living every woman’s fantasy – stranded on a desert island with a rugged Navy SEAL. But little does Miki know she’s a suspect in an international high-tech robbery, and her steely-eyed companion is ready, willing and able to do anything to make her talk…

Navy SEAL Max Preston doesn't buy one word of his gorgeous captive’s rambling story as he carries her up the beach. Yeah, she’s got curves in all the right places, but Max has a nose for a con – and there’s no way he’ll let his iron control waver.

Now a hurricane’s headed their way, and for Max and Miki time is running out fast. Can they team up as friendly forces – and use Max’s amazing canine companion to escape before a deadly villain takes his twisted revenge?

First line: Why did sex sound so noisy when it wasn’t happening to you?

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 2006; 379 pages; received through BookCrossing.

My thoughts: Right off the bat, I was caught up in Miki’s adventure. We met Miki in the previous book as she is Kit’s best friend and spent some time with Kit and her dogs during their story. The way Miki and Kit’s brother, Trace, were arguing at the end of that book, I anticipated him being her hero. But now we’re introduced to Max, a newer member of the elite team that Wolfe and Trace belong to.

Miki is on a remote island taking photographs for a calendar. On the last day of the shoot, the crew and the models take off in one of the two helicopters. Miki’s boss, a complete ass, insists on her taking a few more scenery shots before they board the second helicopter. Which ends up crash landing in the ocean, killing the boss, and wounding the only other person on board, the pilot.

Max is on another remote island, with his service dog, Truman, tracking Cruz, the villain who has managed to escape capture in the previous books. He sees the crash, and rescues Miki and the pilot, bringing them both ashore. But he’s suspicious of them, thinking Miki may be working for Cruz, so he promptly ties her up and hustles her and the unconscious pilot to his hidden bunker.

While the pilot drifts in and out of consciousness, Miki spends most of her time trying to figure out how to get away from Max and find help, only to be recaptured. Having nothing to do with Cruz of course, she doesn't understand his questions or accusations, or much of anything since Max doesn't tell her why he’s on the island or what he’s doing, giving her a simple cover story of “microscope and chemical assay for hire, world wide”.

Like the men and dogs in the previous books, Max and Truman are both genetically enhanced. Max’s special skill is touch and odor recognition – when he touches someone with his bare hands, he can detect, for instance, lotion or perfumes used recently, stress, etc. He can also touch the ground or a door and pick up chemicals and clues as to who’s been there before him.

To be honest, the whole storyline with Cruz kinda went right through me, without my retaining most of it. My attention was more riveted on Miki and her interactions with Max and Truman.

Overall, this entry in the series is more entertaining than the previous one, and I’ll definitely continue with the last book, which is in my TBR pile.