A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, Book Two)

 

DARYNDA JONES

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, St. Martin’s Press, expected publication 7/27/21.

How acquired: From NetGalley for review.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: I enjoyed the first book in this series, so when I got an email from NetGalley that this second book was available I snapped it up. I think I liked this one even more than the first book.

All the familiar, quirky characters from the first book are still around. There’s a lot going on, what with Levi getting in the middle of a fight that puts his friend in the hospital, a rascally raccoon wreaking havoc, Sunshine and her best friend Quincy exploring each other with hilarious results, and Sunshine’s daughter secretly investigating a long time resident as a possible serial killer. The action never lets up. There’s plenty of humor as well, with lots of bantering conversations.

While Sunshine is investigating that fight that appears to be more than just a bar fight, she’s contacted by Wynn Ravinder, who is incarcerated, and who claims he has information about Sunshine’s abduction seventeen years ago. Sunshine has very little memory of that incident, or the weeks leading up to it, and she is eager for answers. I loved her interactions with Wynn, and finding out a little more about her past, despite Wynn not being completely trustworthy.

Meanwhile, she is still pining for Levi Ravinder, who is determined to hunt down the three strangers who were involved in that fight. Even after being hit by their truck, he refuses to go to the hospital, and Sunshine spends much of her time trying to track down Levi and force him to get medical care. I was really glad that Levi was very involved in the story and we got to spend quite a bit of time with him.

And then there’s Auri, Sun’s daughter. After seeing some old newspaper clippings about a string of missing persons cases many, many years ago, she is convinced that Mrs. Fairborn, who used to run a boardinghouse out of her home, was a serial killer, which leads to Auri – and her friends Cruz and Sybil – getting into all kinds of trouble. And here I thought my daughter was a handful!

The writing is breezy and flows along nicely, and while most of the characters are a bit quirky and out there, they are all still well written and believable, not to mention relatable. I especially liked Levi (of course!), but am also very found of Quincy and Cruz, along with Auri and Sunshine’s parents. The mayor, not so much. The subplot about the mayor and a rumored secret society called the Dangerous Daughters was a little too out there, and I wouldn’t have minded if it were cut out completely. And the book ended a little abruptly. Not exactly on a cliff hanger, but without a full resolution. Other than those two issues, I have no complaints. This was a fun read, and I look forward to a third book. I certainly hope there will be a third book!

Goodreads synopsis: Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff--and even fuller-time coffee guzzler--Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that's about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

Down in Texas

 

DELILAH DEVLIN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Aphrodisia Books, 2008.

How acquired: Book Mooch

First line: Her daddy had always told her a man's worth wasn't measured by the size of his bank account or the square footage of his house.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: Three separate stories with Ms. Devlin's trademark heroes. The first story, “Wearing His Brand”, is the best by far. Lyssa has been in love with her brother's best friend for years. Brand has lusted after Lyssa, but being his best friend's sister makes her off limits, especially since Mac entrusted Brand to look after his sister when he was deployed. The story opens on a scene that seemed a bit ludicrous to me – Lyssa was repairing a barbed wire fence and a strand broke and snapped around her, leaving her helpless to move or do anything other than wait for someone to come along and find her. Maybe it's not ludicrous, I've never worked a ranch or dealt with barbed wire, so what do I know. Anyway, Lyssa decides it's time to push Brand until he loses control, and when he finally does, boy howdy. Hawt!

The second story, Slow Ride, is about Brand's brother, Danny. In high school he worked on a ranch and lusted after the owner's wife. Now she's a widow, and her foreman has put up a notice at the local bar, looking for someone to work with her horses. Danny gets the job and realizes he's still crazy about Maggie and sets out to convince her that age is just a number. I'm not a fan of older woman/younger man stories in general, but I liked Danny and Maggie and enjoyed their story. Just not as much as the first story.

The third story, Straight Up Soldier, is about Lyssa's brother, Mac. After being injured, he's back in the states and trying to adjust to the non-soldier life. His friend, Tara, asks him to provide protection to her friend, Suki, whose Mexican mafia connected ex is stalking her. When he leaves a note on the door of the safe house where officers have hidden Suki, she flees police protection to stay in her remote cabin. She's not happy when Mac shows up, and doesn't want his company or protection, but of course once he's met her Mac is determined to stay regardless.

This was my least favorite of the stories. The first two stories feature couples who already have some kind of history with each other. It gives them a foundation to build a relationship on. Mac is described as being desperately in need of a woman – he tried to get Tara to sleep with him but she declined. Of course Mac is still a gentleman and isn't going to push Suki into sex, so Suki pushes him instead. I guess this story of insta lust leading to love in a short period of time was a little jarring for me on the heels of the first two stories. I prefer some buildup, some getting to know each other first. And I just didn't connect with Mac or Suki as well as I did with the first two couples. Especially Lyssa and Brand. The book is worth reading for their story alone, and for that reason I'm giving the book four stars.

Goodreads synopsis: Down in Texas, there's a little town called Honkeytonk, where the women get exactly what they want... and the men know just how to give it to them.

Wearing His Brand Lyssa McDonough just got tangled up in a coil of barbed wire, and her clothes are ripped to shreds. Rancher Brandon Tynan to the rescue--but why is she so ornery? Could it be that the whole state of Texas isn't big enough for the two of them? Hell, they'll still have to share one horse to get home. Lyssa better hang on tight--she's in for the wildest ride of her life...

Slow Ride Maggie Dermott doesn't know the first thing about horses and Daniel Tynan is more than willing to show her the ropes. His gentle ways melt her heart and his sensual passion burns away her inhibitions. Daniel takes the time to love her right.

Straight Up Soldier Suki Reece needs protection and she can see that Mac McDonough has the muscle. Too bad he can't stand taking orders from a woman. The rugged ex-Marine won't listen to a word she says until Suki distracts him with a sexy striptease. That gets his attention. Suki may have gotten the upper hand but Mac is going to be on top...

Slow Dancing at Sunrise (Rendezvous Falls, Book One)

JO MCNALLY

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, HQN, 2019.

How acquired: Via Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss, the best subscription box around.

First line: Whitney Foster was stuck in a traffic jam.

(For the Goodreads synopsis, scroll to the bottom of this post.)

My thoughts: I've had a run of really good books recently, with my beloved enemies-to-lovers trope, from new to me authors! Halfway through this book I already knew it was going to be a five star read.

After losing her job under very trying circumstances, Whitney is taking temporary refuge at her Aunt Helen's winery, but is shocked to see the shabby state of the place. Uncle Tony passed away a couple of years ago, and the winery seems to have gone downhill since then. And Whitney is sure that the hired hand, Luke, is taking advantage of her aunt. So of course from their first meeting she and Luke clash, and clash hard.

I loved Whitney, and Luke, and Helen. Helen and her book club group of friends set out on a hilarious matchmaking scheme, trying to find dates for Whitney in hopes that she'll fall in love and make Rendezvous Falls her permanent home. It never occurs to them that she will fall for Luke, since those two obviously do not get along. They must not read a lot of romance novels in their book club!

It's always refreshing to not have a hero who is rich and successful. In addition to shouldering the burden of running the winery after Helen checked out in her grief over losing Tony, Luke works a second job as a bartender in order to pay rent to Helen for his apartment over the tasting room. Whitney puts her accounting skills to the test and begins going over the winery's messy finances, and when she discovers Luke's solution to how to pay the bills, I was a bit horrified and admiring at the same time. Not to mention very amused.

Once they finally give in to attraction, there was steam coming off the pages, very well written steam, without being crass or too graphic. The whole book is just delightful, and I'm glad I haven't used up the B&N gift card I got for Christmas – I'll be looking for the next Rendezvous Falls book, “Stealing Kisses in the Snow”, on my next trip to the bookstore! 

Goodreads synopsis: When accountant Whitney Foster's carefully calculated life blows up, she escapes to the one place that's always felt like home. But Rendezvous Falls has changed since she's been away. Her aunt Helen's winery is in trouble. And she doesn't trust the sexy, surly stranger working the vineyard as far as she can throw him.
Luke Rutledge would do anything for Helen, who's been like a mother to him. Revive the winery? Sure. Repair her property? No problem. Tolerate Helen's infuriating, big-shot niece? Well...maybe. But as he and Whitney are forced to work together to rebuild the business, her chilly facade reveals a woman as complex and intoxicating as a fine merlot. Throw in a matchmaking book club hell-bent on happily-ever-after and it's a potent cocktail.
Love should never be calculated. But it doesn't take Whitney's math skills to see that this is adding to up to one tantalizing adventure..

Part Time Cowboy (Copper Ridge, Book One)

MAISEY YATES

Synopsis from Goodreads: Sadie Miller isn't expecting any welcome-home parades on her return to Copper Ridge. Least of all from part-time rancher, full-time lawman Eli Garrett. The straight-laced, impossibly hot deputy sheriff glares at her like she's the same teenage hoodlum who fled town ten years ago. But running from her demons has brought Sadie full circle, ready to make a commitment at last. Not to a man, but to a B and B. On Garrett land. Okay, so her plan has a tiny flaw…

Eli works too hard to let a blonde ball of trouble mess up his town. But keeping an eye on Sadie makes it tough to keep his hands off her. And if she's so wrong for him, why does being with her feel so right?

Stats for my copy: Mass Market paperback, Harlequin Books, 2015.

How acquired: Bought

First line: Whoever said you couldn't go home again had clearly never been to Copper Ridge.

My thoughts:  After my first Maisey Yates experience, a book I did not particularly enjoy, several members of a Facebook group I'm in recommended her Copper Ridge series. I happened to already have this book, the first in the series, in my massive TBR, so I gave her another chance. And boy, am I glad I did.

Sadie and Eli argue whenever they're in each other's company, and their bickering is almost juvenile, yet hilarious.

“That's funny, Sadie, because I feel like I end up irritated every time I'm around you.”

“I just think your irritation is contagious,” she said.

“Maybe you're so irritating you irritate yourself.”

On on the same page:

“I'm going to go now. And I'm taking the beer. And the water. Thank you. Again. I'll try not to bother you anymore.”

He snorted. “Good luck.”

“Oh, I don't need it. I don't mind bothering you. You are clearly the one who is bothered by being bothered. So...you're the one who needs the luck, not me.”

Of course, you know what all this arguing is going to lead to. I do love the enemies to lovers trope!

I liked Sadie very much, and I loved Eli. He ticked so many of my boxes: lawman, cowboy, rancher, grouchy, stoic. In control until the right woman comes along to break that control. They both have some serious baggage, and I enjoyed watching them slowly unpack it and share it piece by piece with each other. Yep, high angst level here.

I also liked Eli's sister and brother – Connor is even more of a grouchypants than Eli - and I'm looking forward to their stories. Now I understand why Ms. Yates is so popular, and I'm so glad I didn't give up on her after that first book of her I read!

Down & Dirty (Lightning, Book 1)

TRACY WOLFF

Synopsis from Goodreads: This hard-bodied football star is used to scoring. But he needs all the right moves to get past a fiery redhead’s defenses in a steamy standalone novel from the bestselling author of Ruined.

Emerson: Talk about bad first impressions. I have too much riding on this job to show up late on my first day looking like the winner of a wet T-shirt contest, all thanks to an arrogant quarterback who drives like he owns the road. Hunter Browning thinks that because he’s famous, he can fix everything with a smile and a wave of his hand. He’s too bronzed, buff, and beautiful for his own good. Or mine. I can’t let on that I’m a fan . . . no matter how much fun we’d have in the sack.

Hunter: Hitting that puddle was my best play since winning the Super Bowl with a touchdown pass. Sure, it’s not my preferred way to get a girl wet, but I’ll make an exception for Emerson Day. She’s got a sharp tongue and a red-hot temper, even with her soaking clothes plastered to her every curve. Now I know exactly what my next play will be: hire Emerson as my personal real-estate agent, save her job—and see if I can take her off the market.

Stats for my copy: .pdf ARC, Loveswept, 2017.

How acquired: Instafreebie.

My thoughts: This story combined elements that I like with elements that I'm not crazy about, and it all worked. I love an alpha hero. Cocky, arrogant, bring it on. Professional football player and star quarterback Hunter delivers. Witty, cutting banter will always draw me in, and Hunter and Emerson delivered. I laughed out loud several times at their exchanges. A hero who enrages the heroine. Score another point for Hunter. A hero with young kids. Ok, they aren't actually Hunter's kids, but a niece and nephew are close enough. A heroine who turns her nose up at the hero's money and fame. While secretly awed (because she is a football fan), Emerson refuses to let that show, which of course makes her different from every other woman Hunter knows, and therefore more desirable. (Although there is a scene involving a hundred dollar bill that was hilarious.) Characters falling deeply in love in a very short period of time. Not a big fan of instalove, as I like watching a relationship grow, but doesn't bother me too much. First person point of view, present tense. My least favorite tense. But Ms. Wolff does it so well it didn't bother me at all. So score one for her.

Throw in some mega sexy times, and a lot of heart. I cried. More than once. Hunter is the kind of man I would find insufferable in real life, but as I got to know him, and to understand him, I adored him. The narrative alternates between Hunter's and Emerson's points of view, but I felt it was a little more his story than hers. Which was just fine by me. I loved this book. 

Five Ways 'Til Sunday (Delta Heat 1)

DELILAH DEVLIN

Synopsis from Goodreads: Sometimes a man’s just gotta call for backup…
Delta Heat, Book 1

Marti Kowalski is all wrong for Officer Jackson Teague—he just won’t listen to reason. She didn’t finish high school, runs a bar. Has a tattoo and a blue streak in her hair. Yet he still wants to marry her? She can’t say she’s not tempted, but she’s got a bucket list to complete before she ties the knot.

Not just any bucket—more like a fifty-five-gallon drum of sexual wishes so explicit, there’s no way one man, even Jackson, can fulfill them all.

When Marti turns him down again, Jackson insists on knowing why. That’s when she shows him her list. He takes it, thinks about it—and calls on the only men he can trust: four buddies from his academy graduating class.

Between the five of them, he’s sure they can come up with a plan to check off every item on her list in one wild, wicked weekend. That is, if she has the nerve to follow through—and if he can bear to share her.
Product Warnings
Contains five men on a mission to break down the resistance of one determined woman, using everything in their arsenal from BDSM accoutrements to roleplay of non-consensual situation.

Stats for my copy: ebook, Samhain Publishing, 2011.

How acquired: Bought.

My thoughts:  Hot from the first page! I read this novella in one sitting. Twice. Well, I read it in January 2012, and then again a few days ago. I particularly liked the characters. They aren't just random people, they're a couple who obviously love each other. The blurb pretty much tells you the whole plot. While Jackson gets his buddies to help him fulfill Marti's fantasies, he's not just gung ho completely comfortable doing so. But he thinks if he gets Marti through her bucket list, then she'll have no more excuses not to marry him. So for him, the ends justify the means. And that hastily scribbled bucket list was just an excuse. As much as Marti loves Jackson, she's scared of marriage, and she feels she will not be the right wife for Jackson. So she's shocked when she finds herself checking off each fantasy, along with some extra surprises that Jackson and his buddies plan along the way. *sigh* Where is MY Jackson? 

Wild (Amber Eyes, Book 1 and Book 2)

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS WHAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS

MAYA BANKS

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Golden Eyes
When Duncan finds an injured cheetah, questions about how she wound up in his mountains—and going after the poachers pursuing her—can wait. First he brings her home. Then he checks in on his patient, and finds not a cat, but a gorgeous, very naked woman.

Aliyah Carter spent the past six months trapped in cheetah form, a prisoner of the poachers who took her to use in an illegal exotic-game hunt. Finally she’s escaped, but now she faces another problem. A devastatingly sexy sheriff who knows her secret.

Amber Eyes
The beautiful, timid cougar that appears at Hunter and Jericho’s remote cabin breaks their quiet routine, warms their hearts—and rouses their curiosity. Why would this wild creature want to form a friendship with humans?

Kaya has survived a lifetime of isolation in her shifted form. Yet there’s something about these two men that draws her to embrace her human side. In the shelter of their love, she blooms. Then they are called away on a mission that goes terribly wrong. Now pregnant and alone, Kaya’s only hope is that the men who love her will find their way home.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, adult language, sweet lovin’, multiple partners and ménage a trois.

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Samhain Publishing, Ltd., 2010.

How acquired: Borrowed from a friend.

My thoughts:  Maya Banks is one of those authors I see all the time, but have never actually read until WILD. I really enjoyed her take on shapeshifters, which has always been one of my least favorite tropes in the paranormal genre.

The first story, “Golden Eyes”, is about Aliyah, who is a cheetah when she's not a woman. While in cheetah form in Africa, Aliyah is captured by poachers, who are bringing wild animals to the Rockies and then releasing them to be hunted. Duncan, the local sheriff, is out investigating sightings of a tiger and a lion when he comes across the injured cheetah, and rescues her from the poachers. I enjoyed the story, and the characters, especially Duncan. Their relationship built up pretty fast, and almost bordered on the fated mates trope, which I'm not crazy about. As per the warning on the synopsis, there was quite a bit of explicit sex, and I loved seeing how Duncan reacted to Aliyah, surprising himself with his own fierceness. In between the beddings, they track down and shut down the poaching ring and it all ends on a nice HEA.

“Amber Eyes” was very different. The heroine is Kaya, who is a cougar. She was mentioned in “Golden Eyes”, as she's Aliyah's sister, who disappeared when they were young children. Unknown to her family, she'd been captured, and eventually managed to escape, but by the time she found her way home her family had moved away, and she thought she'd been abandoned and was unwanted. She's been living on her own in the mountains, spending most of her time in animal form, since then. Hunter and Jericho live in a remote cabin, and are a bit of a mystery. They've loved and lost a woman together, but to honor her memory they carry on with their work, which they don't ever talk about, and all we know is they could be called away for an assignment at a moment's notice.

“Amber Eyes” had so much more actual story to it – there is no sex until at least the halfway point if I remember correctly. While Aliyah was cautious and wary lest her secret get out, Kaya is much more so. Having not lived among humans since she was a child, she's much more terrified of being discovered and put in a cage. She's drawn to the cabin, drawn to the two men, and has been watching them from a safe distance for a long time, unbeknownst to them. It isn't until she has an injured paw that she finally becomes brave enough to actually approach them.

With Kaya we get a lot of internal dialogue as she worries about being discovered, worries about surviving, worries about Hunter and Jericho knowing her secret, worries about whether or not they want her, especially Hunter who is more standoffish. In the beginning the two men were almost interchangeable for me, in that I had trouble keeping up with which one was which. I liked them both well enough, but not as much as I liked Duncan.

My heart broke for Kaya over and over, as her tragic past and angtsy feelings were revealed. I became much more vested in her story than I had with Aliyah. The pacing of the relationship between Kaya and the men was much slower than the one between Aliyah and Duncan. Hunter and Jericho have loved the same woman before, and while they shared her, it was never a smooth and comfortable relationship because she never truly trusted the relationship. They both want Kaya, but they're reluctant to go through that heartbreak again.

Lots of feels here. Eventually the men must leave for an assignment, and are gone much longer than anticipated. When they are all finally reunited, I teared up. Then Kaya and Aliyah are reunited, and I cried a bit. And then Kaya is finally reunited with her parents, and I blubbered like a baby. So much emotion packed into the last thirty pages or so!

“Golden Eyes” is an enjoyable, sexy story. “Amber Eyes” is a wonderful and touching and sweet character study. And Maya Banks has a new fan. 

Kink

SASKIA WALKER and SASHA WHITE

Synopsis from back cover:

SEX, LIES, AND BONDAGE TAPE

Clayton's one hunk of a musician. A pinup hottie for squealing teens everywhere. And he's gay, Kelly Burton discovers when she sneaks into his dressing room for an autograph, but gets a peep show instead. But Kelly's soon distracted: a bouncer has found her. A bouncer with pecs of steel, a six-pack, and sinewy arms. After a scolding, the bouncer decides to have his wicked way with the naughty-but-eager groupie. And what follows is a night of passion, hard-rock style...

WATCH ME

Some people have coffee. Some have tea. But the only thing that really wakes Bethany Mack up in the morning is sex. Too bad marriage to Grant has settled into a sex-starved routine. That is, until she spies a hot roofer next door. Broad, sexy shoulders: check. A muscular chest you could nuzzle all day: check. And under those jeans, well, the thought just makes her weak. So she puts on a little show for him through the window, letting her inhibitions loose, and discovers a naughty new addiction. But how will her husband react when he discovers just how far a desperate housewife will go for some lovin' from him?

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, The Berkley Publishing Group, 2007.

How acquired: Borrowed from a friend.

My thoughts:  The first story is “Sex, Lies and Bondage Tape”, by Saskia Walker. When one of Kelly's roommates is injured skiing and unable to attend a concert, she gives her ticket to Kelly. While Kelly enjoys the concert, she's not quite as gaga over the rock star Clayton as her friends are, but at the end of the concert she decides to sneak backstage and try to get his autograph for her roommate. Of course she gets caught and is carried out by security, aka Tommy. Literally, as in Tommy swings her up over his shoulder and carries her out, giving her bottom a couple of smacks on the way. Tommy thinks Kelly is just another groupie, and one of his personal rules is he doesn't hook up with groupies. But when he realizes that Kelly seems to be enjoying his manhandling of her, he ramps it up a notch, and they end up spending the night together in his hotel room.

Being a novella, there isn't a lot of time for true character development, but I enjoyed what little we did get. Kelly has issues dating back to her father abandoning her mother when she was young, and Tommy thinks Kelly settled for him when she couldn't get Clayton. Neither of them are planning to start a relationship when they hook up for the night, so afterwards there's a lot of internal dialogue as they each explore their own doubts and feelings. In between some pretty hot bouts of sex, there's Kelly running all over town trying to track Tommy down, and then later Tommy trying to track Kelly down.

“What is it with you two? You shag, you say good-bye, and then you realize you haven't got each other's phone number?”

The writing is good, the characters are likable, and while the plot may be a little unrealistic, I don't read these books for reality, and this story was a nice way to while away part of an afternoon.

The second story is “Watch Me”, by Sasha White. This one started out a little slower for me. Bethany's husband Grant has become immersed in his work after a promotion, and she's feeling neglected. Then she inadvertently discovers the joys of teasing strangers in public, from giving little peep shows to masturbating on a bus. Exhibitionism and masturbation are two of my least favorite tropes, for lack of a better word, and here they both are in one story. But eventually Grant catches her, and while his initial reaction was anger and storming off in a huff, his later response was smoking hot and got my attention right along with Bethany's.

This story was told in first person POV, so we only got insight into Bethany's thoughts and feelings, as she grappled with missing her husband's attention, and then getting his attention and loving it but still feeling that under the surface things were not yet right between them. I would've loved for this story to be a full length novel as it ended way too soon. Or too late, as I sat up until midnight last night reading. The resolution between them, Grant opening up about his feelings, came rather abruptly, and I would've loved to see some more exploration – and action – before everything was neatly wrapped up. But the resolution was satisfying and left no doubts of the couple having their HEA.

The back cover blurb is a little misleading, as both stories had more depth and plot to them than I had anticipated, which is a good thing. 

A Rogue's Proposal (Cynster, Book 4)

STEPHANIE LAURENS

Synopsis from back cover: Demon Cynster has seen love bring his brethren to their knees, and he's vowed that he will not share their fate...until he spies Felicity Parteger sneaking around his country estate. Demon remembers Felicity as a mere chit of a girl, but now she stands before him – begging for his help – all lush curves, sparkling eyes...and so temptingly worthy of the love he's vowed never to surrender to any woman.

Felicity knew Demon was one of the ton's most eligible bachelors and a rogue of the worst sort, but he was the only one capable of getting her friend out of trouble. Her fascination with him had nothing to do with the power lurking just beneath his devil-may-care facade – or with the desire that flares when he takes her in his arms. She knows he'll never yield her the love she desperately seeks, but could a marriage with passion alone – even with a man like Demon – be enough?

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Avon Books, 1999.

How acquired: Book Mooch

My thoughts:  This is definitely my favorite Cynsters book so far. I loved both Felicity and Demon from the start. Demon, like his brother and his cousins before him, has no need of a wife and no intention of losing his heart to a woman. Felicity, like her own predecessors, is a strong and independent woman who won't meekly bow down to any man and can hold her own with the best of them. Demon owns a stable of racehorses, and is quite impressed with Felicity's riding skills and knowledge of horses. I think that was part of the charm of the book for me in the beginning, all the horse talk. Yes, I was one of those teenage girls who loved horses above all else, especially racehorses. I even dreamed of being a jockey for a couple of years.

The mystery this time around involves a race fixing syndicate that Felicity and Demon begin investigating after Dillon, Felicity's guardian's son, gets involved with them and then goes into hiding. (It seems that orphaned heroines with either a guardian or a brother is a theme with Laurens' heroines). To Dillon's continual frustration, not to mention that of his right hand man, Gillies, Felicity is constantly bolting off on her own and putting herself either in danger or in socially inappropriate situations. The syndicate plot kept my interest non-stop, and watching Demon and Felicity fall for each other along the way was almost like a bonus. Especially watching Demon. Once he realized he wanted to marry Felicity, he was relentless. But like all the Cynster men, he was also arrogant and overbearing and incapable of admitting his feelings, other than the lusty ones, and Felicity was determined that she would only marry him if and when he truly loved her.

Part of the book is set in the relaxed country, where Demon and Felicity are able to spend time riding together or driving into town without her needing to be chaperoned, and part of it is set in the city, where social proprieties must be observed, and I loved seeing the contrast between those two worlds.

This entry in the series was more fun than the previous books, so much so that I didn't even notice – most of the time – the flowery superfluous writing and the author's habit of never using five words when ten are available. 

Scandal's Bride (Cynster, Book 3)

STEPHANIE LAURENS

Synopsis from back cover: Catriona is aghast to learn that her guardian's will decrees that she must marry Richard Cynster...within the week! How could the proud Scottish lass possibly consent to a union with the English rake they call “Scandal”, a masterful man with a deplorable reputation? It is true his commanding presence charms her, his heated kisses excite her --- and the mysterious Lady of the Vale whom she serves has prophesied that they will wed. But Catriona will never give up her independence!

Richard is equally stunned by the will's command, since marriage was not on his agenda. But lately he's been feeling strangely restless –- and perhaps taming the exquisite lady is just the challenge he needs. He burns for Catriona – but can he entice her into the marriage bed without making any binding and revealing promises of love?

And when passion and love are truly destined, can even the most stubborn of hearts resist?

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Avon Books, 1999.

How acquired: Book Mooch

First line: She'd never had a vision like it before.

My thoughts: From the very beginning I was a little thrown by the slight supernatural aspect. The heroine, Catriona, is a healer, and mistress of a small vale, that apparently is so remote it's existence isn't even known to many. Catriona and her mentor, Algaria, are disciples of the mystical Lady of the Vale, whom she and her tenants all worship. The vale and its lands have always been held and ruled by a woman, and therefore the mistress cannot marry a strong man who will try to take over. When Catriona has a disturbing vision of a man, it occurs to her he might be the man the Lady intends for her to wed.

Catriona's guardian, Seamus, passes away, and she is summoned to his estate for the reading of his will. Richard Cynster, aka Scandal, has also been summoned to the estate, his connection being that his birth mother was the deceased wife of Catriona's guardian. Catriona is shocked to recognize him from her vision, and distressed when, after appealing to the Lady for further guidance, she is told “He will father your children”.

Then comes the next shock. The will states that Richard must agree to marry Catriona, or the entire estate will be left to the church, leaving Seamus' own children and grandchildren homeless and penniless. The solicitor informs them that he will return in one week for Richard's answer.

I'm not sure why that supernatural aspect with the divine Lady bothered me. Maybe because the first two books had nothing of the sort in them, so it just kind of came out of left field for me.

I liked Richard well enough. Once he decided he wanted Catriona, he went after her singlemindedly. She, on the other hand, fought hard to avoid him. She decided that since the Lady only told her he would father her children and did not specifically say he would be her husband, she could simply get with child, and then go back to her vale and leave Richard none the wiser. How to do that? Drug him three nights in a row, slip into his room, have sex with him, and slip out before he awakens the next morning. It was, in my opinion, a stupid idea, and while it initially worked well enough, of course Richard was smart enough to figure out something was going on.

Once they are married and settled back in Catriona's vale, there was a Huge Misunderstanding, since neither of them could talk openly and honestly to the other. Catriona was determined that she would continue to run the vale by herself, leaving Richard to wander around and be bored. He had vowed that he would not interfere with her duties, so even when he was sure he could help her with something that she struggled with, he kept his thoughts to himself, afraid to say anything without being asked lest she interpret his intentions the wrong way. It was one of those typical situations where you want to slap both of them and yell “talk to each other!”.

I'm not sure if I like this entry in the series more or less than the the first book, but the second book is definitely still my favorite so far. And while I didn't love this, I have collected almost the entire series, and will continue with the next book, eventually. 

Devil's Bride and A Rake's Vow (Cynster, Books 1 and 2)

STEPHANIE LAURENS

Synopsis from Goodreads: Welcome to the wonderful world of the Cynsters! When I embarked on the stories of the Cynster clan, I knew they fascinated me, but I had no idea how much they would appeal to readers. This volume contains the books that first introduced readers to the glittering, glamorous, passionate, and sometimes dangerous lives of the Cynster cousins and their ducal dynasty. In Devil's Bride, the head of the dynasty, Devil Cynster, 6th Duke of St. Ives, is caught in a compromising position with a governess. He astonishingly offers marriage, but Honoria Anstruther-Wetherby has no interest. Devil is convinced, yet someone is not so enthused, and accidents start to occur. Can Devil convince Honoria that marrying him will be a more exciting adventure than anything she's dreamed? And if he succeeds, will they both survive? In A Rake's Vow, Vane Cynster, Devil's cousin and closest friend, determined to avoid Cupid's dart, takes refuge at his godmother's country house, where fate throws Patience Debbington literally into his arms. Vane is impressed; Patience is not. But as both become embroiled in a mystery involving ghosts, thefts, and ultimately attempted murder, Patience learns that she can place her trust in this rake's vow, because it's one that comes from the heart

Stats for my copy: Hardback, Rhapsody, 2004..

How acquired: Through Book Mooch.

My thoughts: I recently joined a group on Facebook, the Old School Romance Book Club, where at the end of each month a poll is put up and members vote on which book everyone will read the following month. The book for November was DEVIL'S BRIDE. I had to hunt down a copy, and wound up with this omnibus that also contains A RAKE'S VOW.

In DEVIL'S BRIDE, Honoria is a governess. One day while caught in a storm driving back from an excursion into town, she comes across a man lying in the road. While she's investigating his condition, a crack of thunder frightens her horse and he takes off, leaving her stranded with the unconscious man. And then Devil comes riding along and happens upon them. They take refuge in a nearby cottage. The young man, Tolly, who is Devil's cousin, dies. Devil and Honoria pass the night together in the cottage, sleeping in chairs before the fire. Only to be discovered by another of Devil's cousin in the morning, and Honoria's employer. A scandal in the making.

Devil offers Honoria marriage as a way for her to save face, which her brother and countless others are in favor of. But she has no intention of marrying. She wants to travel to Africa. So she repeatedly tells Devil thanks but no thanks.

I struggled to get into the story. I liked Devil well enough, but Honoria often irritated me. Devil and his cousins set out to discover who murdered Tolly and why, and Honoria was determined to be part of the investigation, while Devil was determined that she not be. I was conflicted in my feelings. I get that Honoria was a strong female character who was unwilling to settle into the conventional life of a woman of that time. And yet I often wanted to tell her to just let the the Bar Cynster, as the cousins were known, worry about the murder mystery. Which dragged out and was uninteresting.

I think a lot of my problem was that the author's writing style just didn't appeal to me. It's very effusive and flowery, with lots of long sentences, broken up with lots of commas. It was a little repetitive at times, with paragraphs dragging out in many more words than necessary to convey a thought. And the sex scenes have to to be some of the longest I've ever read. They aren't graphic, yet they are explicit.

Towards the end though I did get quite caught up in the action and was happy with how it all turned out.

In A RAKE'S VOW, which takes place several months later, Vane, one of Devil's cousins, is traveling when he gets caught in a thunderstorm near his godmother's home, so he stops in, planning to just stay the night and then be on his way. Right off the bat he meets Patience, his godmother's niece, and of course he is immediately intrigued with her. And then his godmother, Minnie, tells him that there have been a number of thefts in the household, small, usually insignificant items stolen, and there has been a mysterious being roaming around in the nearby ruins of an old abbey at night, who the household are all referring to as a Spectre. Minnie presses Vane to stay and help sort things out, and so he finds himself settling in with the rest of her house guests to investigate and figure out who is the thief and/or the Spectre.

I liked Patience much more than I did Honoria. She, too, has no plans to marry, especially not an “elegant gentleman” such as her father was, and such as Vane is. Her mother was desperately in love with her father, who did not return her affection, and Patience is determined to not let herself fall into the same type of marriage that made her mother miserable. Vane has no desire to marry either. He's a rake. Who needs a wife when you can have a mistress? And he quickly sets his sights on Patience. I also liked Vane, very much. And Minnie, and Patience's brother. And the mystery was much more interesting, and the writing didn't bother me as much as in the first book. I liked A RAKE'S VOW considerably more than DEVIL'S BRIDE. Enough that I want to get the next book and continue with the series.  

My Nerdy Valentine (Nerds, Book 7)

VICKI LEWIS THOMPSON

Synopsis from Goodreads: Aspiring psychologist Amanda Rykowsky's schedule is certifiable. Between study, bartending, and an internship with a sex therapist whose techniques would make a Playboy bunny blush, there's zero time for romance. Still, Amanda is flattered to receive an anonymous Valentine…until the messages take a sinister turn.

Stockbroker William Sloan swears he's not the one sending Amanda cards, but he suspects the culprit's intentions are more dubious than sharing a box of Godiva. Something about gorgeous, determined Amanda brings out the usually reserved William's inner he-man, and he insists on acting as a decoy boyfriend.

With a fake relationship masking some very real lust, it's only a matter of time before William and Amanda give in to the sweetest of temptations. And once he's dealt with her secret stalker, William's next mission is to strike Amanda with Cupid's arrow…

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2006.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: The paper bag crammed with sex toys began to rip as Amanda Rykowsky trudged up the marble staircase to her boss's second-floor office.

My thoughts: This is the seventh book in the author's Nerds series. I loved the first two books, but after that each book seemed to be a little more ridiculous or over the top than the one before. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them, because I did. They are all full of wacky characters and humorous dialogue/situations, and despite the times when I scoffed or rolled my eyes, they were all still fun reads, even if not quite as good as the first two.

Until now. In fact, this may be my favorite book of the series.

I loved all the characters in this book. Amanda, who takes college classes by morning, interns for a sex therapist by afternoon, and tends bar at Geekland by night, where the staff all dress as geeks, complete with nerdy glasses. She is focused on her studies, planning to go on to Harvard when she graduates. Sex therapy is definitely not the field of psychology she wants to go into, but it was the only internship she was able to get, after having fallen for a man, losing her focus for awhile, and letting her grades slip. Now she's back on track, and a relationship is not part of the plan. Not in the near future anyway.

Then she meets the stockbroker down the hall. William at work, Will to his friends, he wants to date her from the get go, but she puts him off. Meanwhile, Amanda's boss, Gloria, decides Will will be her next conquest (she's never had a nerd before), and she is blatant in her desire. At first Amanda is fine with helping Gloria land the nerd, because if Gloria gets Will, then Amanda doesn't have to worry about him pursing her and can stay on the track she's set for herself.

But then there's a stalker, leaving anonymous Valentines for Amanda. Amanda believes it's Will at first, and keeps trying to discourage him, but eventually she is persuaded to let Will help her try to track the stalker down,and keep her safe.

When Will and Amanda finally do the down and dirty, it gets pretty hot, even if a little over the top there as well. Seriously, three or more orgasms every single time? Who does that?

Gloria was a bit over the top as a character. She's very open, very free, very self-centered, very sexual. But Amanda is so down to earth, they balanced each other out nicely. And of course working for a sex therapist led to all kinds of crazy and potentially embarrassing situations, that were also very funny. Despite Gloria's outrageousness, I loved her interactions with Amanda and Will, and Will's friend Justin. Amanda also has a couple of kooky neighbors who were fun characters in their own ways.

Fun. That's the bottom line, I guess. This book was just plain fun.

More Than Fiends (Demon Duster, Book 1)

MAUREEN CHILD

Synopsis from back of book: “Today you are thirty-two years old,” the old woman went on, and just how the hell did she know it was my birthday? “Your time has come.” She smiled, but it wasn't a Grandma-type wanna-cookie? smile. Nope, this was more like the grin on the fake shark they built for the movie Jaws. “There is no time to waste,” she said. “The demons are here. And only you can kill them.”

There's great surf in La Sombra, California – along with a huge mental institution, where Cassidy Burke figures this old lady has escaped from. Especially after she claims that Cassie is next in a long line of demon-dusters – Burke women paired with a centuries-old cleaning solution to shine windows and spot demons. Sure, her Clean Sweep maid service is taking off, with a sexy new client promising to have her rolling in dough, not to mention keep her hormones happy. But wiping out supernatural bad guys? Sounds like a job for a size-two cheerleader.

Yet suddenly Cassie has got fighting instincts and fierce new strength, and she's going to need both. For one thing, her teenage daughter, Thea, thinks her dad is dead, but in truth he just never knew about her, and now he's moved back to town. For another, after many dateless years, Cassie finally has men lining up at her door. Unfortunately most of them aren't human...

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Signet Eclipse, published by New American Library, 2007.

How acquired: Bought.

My thoughts: After getting all caught up in the paranormal craze a few years ago, I eventually got a little burned out on vampires and demons and etc., and the last couple of years I've been more interested in contemporary romance novels. But I loved SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL by this same author, so when I saw her name on this book I snatched it up. And I'm glad I did.

There are quite a few characters, and since Cassidy narrates in first person point of view we see the other characters the way she does. Cassidy is a single mom, raising her teenage daughter in the same house where she herself grew up, and running a house cleaning service whose business is starting to pick up. On her 32nd birthday (a random number to say the least), Jasmine, an elderly woman who claims to be a friend of her grandmother, shows up and proceeds to tell Cassidy that there are demons everywhere and she is here to train Cassidy, the newest demon duster, so Cassidy can assume her birth right duties. Cassidy of course thinks the old lady is mental,until she talks to her grandmother on the phone and grandma confirms the story.

As for some of those other characters:

Devlin Cole is the owner of the hottest spot in a town, a nightclub that's also reputed to be a sex club. He needs a cleaning service for the upstairs rooms at his club, and Cassidy wants the job. It would be her first foray into commercial cleaning and could be just the boost her company needs. Devlin himself is probably the hottest bachelor in town, and from their first meeting the sparks start flying. Cassidy's been in a sexual drought, and Devlin has her panting.

Logan is Cassidy's high school boyfriend, who went off to college, leaving Cassidy to spend her senior year of high school pregnant. Although he never knew that. The day Cassidy planned to tell Logan about Thea, he introduced her to his fiance,and Cassidy went home broken hearted, without ever divulging her secret to him. Now he's a police officer, he's moved back to town,he's divorced, and he wants Cassidy back. And try as she might, Cassidy can't help but still be attracted to him also.

Thea is Cassidy's daughter, who's whip smart (she writes up the bid for the cleaning job, having a much better head for numbers than her mother) and who has always been told that her father died a hero, rescuing some kids from a fire. Or maybe it was a flood. Cassidy can never remember what lie she used.

When Thea meets Logan, she's furious with her mother for lying to her all those years. Logan is pretty angry himself, but he seemed to get over it pretty quick and was pretty forgiving. He got over it faster than Thea did, and I loved the interactions between Cassidy and Thea, with her grumblings and eye rolls and “I'm not talking to you!” and other typical teenage girl behavior.

One of my favorite scenes is at a block party, where Devlin and Logan face off against each other and verbally stake their claims on her, trading barbs regarding which of them belongs there with Cassidy. I liked both guys, but I did lean towards Devlin more than Logan.

Cassidy is shocked to learn about demons, but when she finally starts talking to others she discovers that practically everyone she knows already knew that demons lived within their community. From the outset she assumes all demons are evil, and she's shocked again to learn that some of them just want to live their lives in peace and have no interest in waging war on humans. Jasmine withholds information from her, and both Cassidy and I were put out about that. Doesn't Jasmine realize that by not telling Cassidy upfront that there are good demons and bad demons, Cassidy could have unwittingly killed some good ones? And it seemed pretty far fetched that everyone else in town is already aware of demons (and ghosts) living among them and just accepts it as a matter fact. Except Logan, who thinks Cassidy is making it all up, even after witnessing a dusting.

But despite those issues, I enjoyed Cassidy's humorous narration as she navigated this new world that had been opened up for her, and I'm eager to find the next book in the series.