The Secret Kiss of Darkness

CHRISTINA COURTENAY

Synopsis from Goodreads: Kayla Sinclair knows she’s in big trouble when she almost bankrupts herself to buy a life-size portrait of a mysterious eighteenth century man at an auction.

Jago Kerswell, inn-keeper and smuggler, knows there is danger in those stolen moments with Lady Eliza Marcombe, but he’ll take any risk to be with her.

Over two centuries separate Kayla and Jago, but when Kayla’s jealous fiancé presents her with an ultimatum, and Jago and Eliza’s affair is tragically discovered, their lives become inextricably linked thanks to a gypsy’s spell. Kayla finds herself on a quest that could heal the past, but what she cannot foresee is the danger in her own future.

Will Kayla find heartache or happiness?

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, published by Choc Lit Limited, 2014; won in a Book Girl of Mur-y-Castel blog giveaway.

First line: He'd sworn he would wait an eternity for her if he had to, on the assumption that the waiting would eventually be rewarded.

My thoughts: I was unfamiliar with the term “time slip” until this book. After seeing the book referred to as a time slip novel, I had to Google that term to see exactly what it meant. Considering that time travel is one of my all time favorite tropes, you'd think I would’ve come across the term before, but if I did it didn’t stick in my head. While time travel stories do seem to fall into the category of time slip, not all time slip stories actually have time travel in them. That's where this book fits. There are two story lines running concurrently, one in the present, and one in the past, and the narrative goes back and forth between them.

Kayla is our heroine in the present. A legal secretary (as was I for many years, so, you know, relate!), she comes into some money (not relate!), and decides to spend it on something for herself rather than save it or invest it or something equally boring. So she goes to Sotheby's, where she is mesmerized by a painting. Which she then spends nearly all of her money on. And then the man in the portrait begins talking to her.

Said man, Jago Kerswell, is the hero of the past story, set in Devon in 1781. He owns the local inn, is the bastard son of a gypsy and a titled gentleman, and is a smuggler. But a good guy smuggler, whose actions, along with the rest of the gang, benefit the poorer members of the community. When he runs into his half brother's wife, the Lady Elizabeth, he is instantly smitten with her, and thus begins an illicit affair between the two of them.

Back in the present, the Jago of the portrait needs Kayla to find the matching portrait of Eliza so he can be reunited with her. This quest takes Kayla to the scene of the crime, so to speak - Marcombe Hall, still owned by a descendant of Jago's half brother.

Both story lines were enjoyable, but Kayla's was much more engaging for me. She was a very likable heroine, who struggles at first to accept that a painting is talking to her, and that she's not having nightmares or going insane. I appreciated that it took her a little while to come to that acceptance. In Devon she meets the descendant, Sir Wesley, and his young daughter, Nell, who was precious without being sickening or ridiculously precocious. Not everyone can write a realistic child into a story, and make the child an integral part of the story and not just a plot moppet, but the author did a wonderful job with Nell and I was quite enamored of the little girl.

While finding Eliza's portrait is the reason Kayla visits Marcombe Hall, it's not what keeps her there longer than planned, and the quest often took a backseat to Kayla's own life. We come to know Kayla quite well, and at times I was so caught up in what was going on with her life that I momentarily forgot about Jago and his story, until the scene would shift back to his time. Jago's story wasn't quite as involving, and we barely get to really know Eliza at all. But I was quite content with that, and I was very satisfied with how both stories wound up in the end. 

Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs: The Life of Velma Johnston

DAVID CRUISE & ALLISON GRIFFITHS

Synopsis from Goodreads: In 1950, Velma Johnston was a thirty-eight-year-old secretary en route to work near Reno, Nevada, when she came upon a truck of battered wild horses that had been rounded up and were to be slaughtered for pet food. Shocked and angered by this gruesome discovery, she vowed to find a way to stop the cruel round-ups, a resolution that led to a life-long battle that would pit her against ranchers and powerful politicians—but eventually win her support and admiration around the world. This is the first biography to tell her courageous true story. Like Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, or Temple Grandin, Velma Johnston dedicated her life to public awareness and protection of animals. Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs follows Velma from her childhood, in which she was disfigured by polio, to her dangerous vigilante-style missions to free captured horses and document round-ups, through the innovative and exhaustive grassroots campaign which earned her the nickname “Wild Horse Annie” and led to Congress passing the “Wild Horse Annie Bill,” to her friendship with renowned children’s author and horse-lover Marguerite Henry.

A powerful combination of adventure, history, and biography,Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs beautifully captures the romance and magic of wild horses and the character of the strong-willed woman who made their survival her legacy.

Stats for my copy: Hardback, published by Scribner, A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2010; borrowed from the public library.

First line: Bundles of dried sagebrush clung to the fencing of the corral behind Joe and Trudy Bronn's small clapboard house.

My thoughts: At the library with my daughter recently, I was browsing up and down the shelves when the title of this book caught my eye. I didn't think I'd ever heard of Wild Horse Annie, but when I read the chapters about Velma's friendship with Marguerite Henry, who wrote a book about her, I realized I probably read said book many many years ago. That whole section of this book actually made me want to go back and reread all of Henry's books.

One day in 1950, Velma Johnston, a secretary, was driving on the roads of Reno, Nevada, when she came up behind a livestock trailer, and noticed there seemed to be blood dripping out of it. That drip of blood turned into a small stream, and dismayed, Velma followed the trailer until it stopped, intent on warning the driver that he needed to check his cargo. I can only imagine the horror she felt when she looked inside that trailer, because just reading the description of the damaged and mangled live horses it contained made my stomach feel queasy.

The book traces Velma's early childhood to her death in 1977. Along the way she contracts polio as a child, which permanently disfigures her, and meets and marries Charlie Johnston, who would be her staunch supporter and helper in her campaign to save the horses. In the early days of the fight she and Charlie snuck around at night, freeing wild horses from corrals or pens where they were being held while awaiting transport to a slaughterhouse. But she soon became involved in politics and pushing through new legislation to protect the horses. Besides trying to keep wild horses from being slaughtered for pet food, she particularly wanted it to be illegal for the horses to be rounded up by airplane or helicopter, which was a terrifying experience for the horses that resulted in physical injuries as they were forced to run at panicked speeds over rough terrain. It was a long battle with many ups and downs, and Velma was fighting for protection and humane treatment to the very end of her life.

Detailed and articulate without being dry, the authors' respect for their subject shines through in this well written account of the life of a truly incredible woman.  

Christmas Countdown (Lost, Inc., Book 2; Love Inspired Suspense No. 320)

VICKI HINZE

Synopsis from back of book: A simple trip home for the holidays is all former FBI profiler Maggie Mason wants. But a serial killer has other plans. Trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Maggie finds an ally in Lost, Inc. with private investigator Dr. Ian Crane. The handsome widower is reluctant to love again, and the last thing Maggie wants is to put Ian in the line of fire, too. Love could cost them everything...unless they can find their way to each other in time for Christmas.

First line: Something wasn't right.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Love Inspired Books, 2012; I think I acquired this book through my subscription with Harlequin Reader Service.

My thoughts: That first line pretty much summed up my feelings about this book. I struggled to get into the story. I couldn't understand how this woman could have been running and hiding from this serial killer for so long, why every time she moved to a new place, rented a house, he soon found her and she had to run again. I kept thinking why does she keep getting a new phone when she knows he's gonna eventually trace it? Of course, it was then revealed that she wasn't just hiding from him, but also hunting him, and trying to keep him distracted looking for her so he won't go after her friends and family or any new victims.

While trying to stay a step ahead of this serial killer, there is also a stalker on the loose. I think this storyline was actually a continuation from a previous book in the series (which I have not read), where a stalker was threatening Maggie's brother's girlfriend, but had in the end been arrested and was now in jail. He's referred to as Mr. Blue Shoes, because he wore blue shoes, a key piece of evidence in his arrest. Except now it's apparently occurred to someone to have the man arrested try on those blue shoes, and guess what? They don't fit. So he's obviously not the stalker. In the wake of O.J. and "if the gloves don't fit, you must acquit", I find it hard to believe that the size of the suspect's feet and the size of the shoes would not have been compared during his trial before he could be found guilty. And then, an officer commented to Maggie that the suspect had been calling his victim (who was his ex-girlfriend) every day, trying to convince her he was innocent. This man is in jail and he's allowed to call his victim? Every day? Would that really happen?

I never connected with any of the characters, and when I put the book down and picked it up later I didn't always remember exactly what had happened in the previous pages. Fortunately, as with most of these Love Inspired books, it was a quick read, and it did have a sweet and satisfying HEA in the end.

Big Brother

LIONEL SHRIVER

Goodreads synopsis: For Pandora, cooking is a form of love. Alas, her husband, Fletcher, a self-employed high-end cabinetmaker, now spurns the “toxic” dishes that he’d savored through their courtship, and devotes hours each day to manic cycling. Then, when Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at the airport, she doesn’t recognize him. In the years since they’ve seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened? After Edison has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It’s him or me.
Rich with Shriver’s distinctive wit and ferocious energy, Big Brother is about fat: an issue both social and excruciatingly personal. It asks just how much sacrifice we'll make to save single members of our families, and whether it's ever possible to save loved ones from themselves

First line: I have to wonder whether any of the true highlights of my fortysome years have had to do with food.

Stats for my copy: Hardback, published by HarperCollins Publications, 2013; 373 pages; borrowed from my local library.

My thoughts: I joined Weight Watchers about eight months ago. I quickly dropped ten pounds, and then my weight just hung in one spot, fluctuating a pound or so up and down each week. Tracking points is hard, cutting out unhealthy food and only shopping healthy is hard when you're on a budget (my daughters both also began trying to eat healthier and I swear our grocery bill tripled), and when you cook something from a recipe you've used for years, such as turkey and rice or chicken and dumplings, trying to figure out how many points your recipe breaks down to is sometimes a logistical nightmare. So when Pandora and her brother Edwin began their diet plan, I had a lot of sympathy for how hard it must have been. One thing I liked about Weight Watchers is you can still eat any kind of food you want. You might use all your daily points on one meal and then go hungry the rest of the day, but it's your decision whether to do that or not. With the diet Pandora and Edwin go on, envelopes of a drink mix, well I don't think I could do it.

Pandora is forty (if I remember correctly), has been married to Fletcher for seven years, has helped raise his two children, and has her own business. She's put on a little weight, like so many of us do as we get older, but she isn't necessarily what you'd call fat.

She hasn't seen her brother in a few years, and when he comes to visit and she picks him up from the airport she is shocked by how large he is. 386 pounds. For awhile his weight is the elephant in the room. She's afraid to address it, so she doesn't say anything to him, though she says plenty to us, the reader.

The book is broken into three sections. The first is about Edwin's extended visit which causes a huge strain on Pandora's marriage. The second section is about Pandora deciding that she is going to make Edwin lose weight, a decision which puts even more strain on her marriage. The third section is much shorter, more of an epilogue, and it left me feeling a little betrayed, a little angry, and after some time passed a little confused as to how I should actually feel.

I don't have any personal experience with someone who is obese the way Edwin is, so I certainly can't speak to how realistic the book is. I often worried that the diet Pandora and Edwin used was not actually healthy. How can a liquid diet be healthy for weeks on end? So I had mixed emotions throughout the entire book.

I did hit, for me, one especially sour note. Edwin admitted that he'd done heroin for awhile, and when Pandora expressed dismay at this he brushed it off, telling her it takes years and years to become addicted to heroin. The conversation ended there, with me holding the book in disbelief, because it only took my daughter three months to become addicted. I know it's just a book and it's one character's opinion, but it threw me completely out of the story for awhile.

I love Lionel Shriver's writing, her voice. The only other book of hers I'd read previously was WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, which was harrowing. At first I thought BIG BROTHER, compared to WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, was a much lighter and easygoing read, but in the end it wasn't by much. That other book had some elements in the ending that took me by surprise also, so now I wonder if she throws that curve at you in all her books.

The narrative is in first person from Pandora's point of view, and it's a wonderful character study as she fills us in on her past, her marriage, her relationship with her brother and father and her non-relationship with her younger sister. Having Edwin living in her home and seeing the mess he's made of his life causes her to reflect and examine her own life. She loves her husband, and he adores her. But eventually she's backed into a corner of whether to put her brother or her husband first. She often felt Fletcher wasn't as supportive as he could have been. I felt Fletcher was pushed to his limit, and when he finally delivered that ultimatum to Pandora I couldn't blame him one bit. Pandora was so caught up in trying to fix her brother she didn't maintain her marriage so of course it began to break as well.

Overall, a very affecting book. I think I'll look at obesity through clearer eyes now. But I'm not actually sure if that's true. 

Through His Eyes

DEBORAH CAMP

Synopsis from Goodreads: Two psychics – one serial killer.

Someone is stalking women and murdering them in Key West.

Levi Wolfe and Trudy Tucker join forces to help identify the murderer and stop him. Levi can channel the deceased victims and Trudy can tap into the mind of the killer. As a psychic detective team, they’re formidable. As lovers, they discover that they’re insatiable.

But if Trudy can see through the killer’s eyes, can the killer see her?

Stats for my copy: Ebook received from the author; anticipated publication date Spring 2014.

My thoughts: Trudy Tucker is a psychic who recently began using her ability professionally to help law enforcement track down murderers. When a vision comes over her, she finds herself seeing the world through the eyes of the killer, and experiencing his thoughts in her head. Levi Wolfe is also a psychic, and having embraced his own abilities long ago he's a celebrity, appearing on television and radio, in magazine, and lusted after by millions of women. His connection to a murder is through the victim's eyes. When a serial killer begins a spree in Florida, Trudy reluctantly teams up with Levi to investigate.

I discovered author Deborah Camp when I picked up an old (1985) Silhouette, Love Letters, a couple of months ago. I then began following the author on Facebook, and when she offered copies of her newest book, the first in a planned series, to review, I jumped at the chance.

We meet Trudy first, and I connected with her character quickly and easily. She is still not completely comfortable with her new profession, but then who would be? I imagine it would be incredibly unsettling to be going about your day, doing mundane little chores, and then to suddenly find yourself inside the mind of a madman while he murders someone. And while you might want to try to find a way to shut that ability off rather than offer your services to help find and stop said madman, how in good conscience could you turn away?

When we meet Levi, we get Trudy's impressions of him first. Her mentor, Quintara, trains young psychics like herself, helping them learn to control their ability and not allow it to control them. Levi is close friends with Quintara, and occasionally puts in an appearance at her workshops. He makes Trudy uncomfortable, and she is a little disdainful of his womanizing reputation and fame seeking ways. Of course, as we get to know Levi better, we, and Trudy, learn there is much more to the man than what's on the surface. And as I connected with Trudy from the beginning, I just as quickly fell for Levi. He's charming, arrogant, demanding, determined, reticent, funny and sexy. All traits that I very much like in a hero.

The supporting characters are also fleshed out and have their own distinct personalities. And the serial killer plot is absolutely chilling.

The attraction between Levi and Trudy is palpable. She resists it at first, as one should with a man who doesn't believe in relationships or happy ever after. But inevitably she gives in, and there are some scorching scenes after that point. And I'm still a little surprised at myself for this, but frankly, there was too much of that. I'm not a prude, I don't have a problem with sex in a book, explicit or otherwise. In fact I like explicit and erotic and pushing boundaries and I certainly don't avoid it and often seek it out. I think I just liked the story so much that the sex scenes felt over the top and extraneous to me. I would have enjoyed the book just as much if the sex had been tamer or less evident on the page. I don't entirely understand my own thoughts on this aspect, but in today's market, in the wake of that book I refuse to read, I don't doubt that others readers will feel differently.

So what it comes down to is I really really liked this book. I got very caught up in and invested in the story and the characters, and was often on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put it down and go to bed.

And then. Then I reached the last paragraph. And I literally sat up and exclaimed “what the fuck?!” And now my entire perception of one character has been confused and turned completely on its head, and I have to WAIT to find out what happens next! Seriously, Ms. Camp?! 

The Babe Magnet

ROBIN WELLS 

Synopsis: Holt Landen was in trouble. He'd been left a six-month-old child he never knew he had, and while he'd attracted plenty of babes in the past, they were always the kind in high heels and garters. Diapers were disturbingly new, and they called for a plan.

Stevie Stedquest had a problem, too. She dispensed parenting advice on a radio talk show, but she didn't have kids. And though she wanted a child of her own, Mr. Right was nowhere on the horizon – only commitment-phobes and womanizers.

Baby Isabelle needed a mother in the worst way. A temporary marriage between her newfound father and Stevie would solve the problem, but they seemed terribly mismatched. Fortunately, Isabelle had two aces up her diaper: opposites attract, and her daddy wasn’t the only babe magnet in the family.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc., 2004; 374 pages; purchased at a library sale.

My thoughts: Where do I start? Ok, with Holt. He's a self-confirmed permanent bachelor, whose parents went through an ugly divorce when he was seven, remarried and divorced again. Holt doesn't believe in love and he's definitely not looking for Miss Right when there are so many Miss Right-nows around. And when a Miss Right-now starts thinking she could be Miss Right, he disabuses her of that notion quickly and moves on to the next Miss Right-now. And then he gets a call from Texas – one of his Miss Right-nows has died in a car accident, leaving behind a six month old baby with a birth certificate naming him as the father. Despite not wanting children and having no idea what to do with one, Holt mans up, goes to Texas and takes custody of his daughter.

Baby Isabelle's mother provided for her financially but not emotionally, leaving her with nannies who never stayed long. Now she's a skinny little waif baby with Attachment Disorder who doesn't like to be touched and cries all the time. When Holt is about at the end of his rope, Stevie's radio program comes on and her voice has a miraculously soothing effect on Isabelle. Holt's solution becomes clear – get this Stevie woman to marry him, become Isabelle's legal mother through a step-parent adoption, then divorce amicably and co-parent Isabelle while living in houses across the street from each other. What could possibly go wrong?

Stevie, of course, is resistant, and I like that it took her awhile to come around to the idea of marriage with Holt. I like the marriage of convenience trope, but I especially like it when the reasons for the marriage are compelling and believable. Holt is everything Stevie avoids in a man, but Isabelle eventually wins her heart, convincing her to agree. It's no spoiler to say that of course Holt and Stevie will end up loving each other and having a satisfying HEA, and the journey to that point is a fun ride.

Robin Wells has a wonderful sense of humor without taking her characters over the top, and her descriptions of Isabelle when she first comes into Holt's and Stevie's lives made my heart ache for her sad little life. The characters of Holt and Stevie are fully fleshed out, and the supporting characters and their side stories are also given substance without interrupting the flow of the book.

Stevie has struggled with weight issues, and is still very self-conscious about her body. At one point, Holt drags her to a mirror and tells her he wants her to see herself the way he sees her, then proceeds to describe her body to her in great complimentary detail. It's a very well written sweet romantic scene that quickly turns scorching hot. In a later scene Holt and Stevie indulge in a little role playing that had me laughing out loud. Actually, I laughed out loud several times throughout the book.

I'm very pleased to have discovered this new to me author, and I'm eager to track down the rest of her backlist. 

She'd said she loved him, for Pete's sake. He couldn't sleep with a woman who loved him! That was just courting disaster. - pg 317

Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade

ADAM MINTER

Synopsis: When you drop your Diet Coke can or yesterday’s newspaper in the recycling bin, where does it go? Probably halfway around the world, to people and places that clean up what you don’t want and turn it into something you can’t wait to buy. In JUNKYARD PLANET, Adam Minter—veteran journalist and son of an American junkyard owner—travels deeply into a vast, often hidden, multibillion-dollar industry that’s transforming our economy and environment.

Minter takes us from back-alley Chinese computer recycling operations to high-tech facilities capable of processing a jumbo jet’s worth of recyclable trash every day. Along the way, we meet an unforgettable cast of characters who've figured out how to build fortunes from what we throw away: Leonard Fritz, a young boy "grubbing" in Detroit's city dumps in the 1930s; Johnson Zeng, a former plastics engineer roaming America in search of scrap; and Homer Lai, an unassuming barber turned scrap titan in Qingyuan, China. JUNKYARD PLANET reveals how “going green” usually means making money—and why that’s often the most sustainable choice, even when the recycling methods aren’t pretty.

With unmatched access to and insight on the junk trade, and the explanatory gifts and an eye for detail worthy of a John McPhee or William Langewiesche, Minter traces the export of America’s recyclables and the massive profits that China and other rising nations earn from it. What emerges is an engaging, colorful, and sometimes troubling tale of consumption, innovation, and the ascent of a developing world that recognizes value where Americans don’t. JUNKYARD PLANET reveals that we might need to learn a smarter way to take out the trash.

Stats for my copy: Hardback, published by Bloombury Press, New York, 2013; borrowed from the library.

My thoughts: At the library with my daughter one day, waiting for her and wandering around aimlessly, this book caught my eye and on impulse I checked it out. Very interesting look at what happens to our trashed items when they go in the recycle bin, and more. I had no idea recycling was such a huge industry! My own experience with recycling has been limited. In the last city I lived in we had curbside recycling and I did participate unfailingly. But then I moved to the smaller city I'm in now, where that was not an option. We do have several Paper Retriever bins around town for magazines, newspapers, junk mail and the like, with proceeds to benefit the local schools, and I dump a lot of stuff in them. But I haven't yet visited the city's new recycling center or gotten into recycling other items. Though living paycheck to paycheck, I am a big proponent of reusing. Probably 90% of the furnishings in my home came from thrift stores, garage sales, or hand me downs from other people. I've often wished I could just buy new stuff whenever I want, but I guess I can console myself with the idea that I'm maybe helping the environment a little by going used used used all the time.

But back to the book! Mr. Minter takes us all over the country and out of the country to visit scrapyards and recycling facilities. His accounts of the shredders and other machinery is fascinating, as are the stories of some of the people he's met throughout the years. I never would have dreamed that something I toss into a bin might end up in another country, when I myself rarely leave one state. Wonderfully detailed and at times captivating account of the trash trade. 

Just Like Heaven

MARC LEVY

Originally published as IF ONLY IT WERE TRUE

Synopsis: What do you do when you find a stranger in your closet, particularly when she's surprised that you can even see her – and she can disappear and reappear at whim? What if she then tells you that her body is actually in a coma on the other side of town? Should you have her see a psychiatrist or should you consult one yourself? Or do you take a chance and believe in her, and allow yourself to be swept up in an extraordinary adventure?

This is the beginning of the dilemma that Arthur, a young San Francisco architect, is faced with when he discovers Lauren in his apartment.

Arthur is the only man who can share Lauren's secret, the only one who can see her, hear her, and talk to her when no one else so much as senses her presence. So when doctors prepare to end Lauren's physical care – which would destroy the magical bond she and Arthur cherish – he must find a way to save her. For, after all, it is only her love that can save him.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback (movie tie-in), published by Pocket Books, 2000; 229 pages; purchased at a library sale.

My thoughts: When I saw this book at a library sale I snatched it up, because I very much enjoyed the movie version with Reece Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. Usually (in my experience anyway), the book is better than the movie, but in this case, the book fell flat for me. The movie is a romantic comedy, but the book is more of a philosophical love story. The makers of the movie took the basic premise of the story – doctor wrecks her car, is in a coma, leaves her body and begins hanging around with the man who rents her apartment – and then changed pretty much everything else. Even the main characters' names are different in the movie.

For the most part, the book was a bit boring. I didn't connect with the characters, and none of them really stand out. We get to know the morose Arthur pretty well, but Lauren is still just a ghost at the end (metaphorically speaking), with not much of a personality of her own. A day after finishing the book, I can't remember much of it at all, though scenes from the movie are still vivid in my head even though I’ve not seen it in probably over a year.

I think I'm gonna go see if it's available for streaming on Netflix now.

The Prince's Lash (Saga of the Eastern Crown, Book I)

LAUREN KESS

Synopsis: Purchased by a dangerous, blood-thirsty Queen before she is even in her teens, Daniella joins the ranks of Queen Anca's "servantettes," charming and pampered young ladies-in-waiting. She uses her enchanting ways and cunning intellect to gain the Queen's favor and survive in a world gone mad.

But when she comes of age, Daniella must face the ceremony required of all new adults in the Court of the Queen of Persia: initiation at the hands of the Priest of Discipline into the Order Sangre. She prays she can prove herself well enough to survive the dark and erotic ritual.

But Daniella has a secret: her family still follows the Old Religion, and in a weak moment, she is unable to shield her mind from the probings of the Queen. Her worship at the Mass of her beloved Old Religion is discovered -an act of heresy punishable by death.

From her childhood, Daniella has loved the Imperial Prince of the Eastern Crown, son of the Empress Regina. He is the one person Daniella has ever seen Queen Anca bow before, and the Queen's fear of Nikolai is the only thing staying her hand from requiring the ultimate penalty of Daniella, whom she now regards as a heretic. He has promised to return and claim her as his agonie aperitiv - his “appetizer” who derives pleasure from pain. He does return, but not before she experiences the greatest grief and loss in her short life. Worse, his rescue only delivers her to his mother, the Empress Regina, who insists she must birth an heir to the kingdom or be hanged.

In a world full of fear and horror and blood, love scalds her with arousal and longing but no relief. Is the Imperial Prince Nikolai her savior, or has he only delivered her to a hell filled with treachery, religious wars, and a kingdom ready to revolt? Will she ever know love and peace in her prince's arms?

Publisher's Note: Originally published as "The Vampire's Lash," by Nattie Jones, this darkly-erotic romantic adventure contains BDSM elements and some violence.

First line: I loved the queen as a puppy loves its master.

Stats for my copy: E-book, published by Blushing Books, 2013. I won this book from the author after participating in Ana'sAdvent Calendar. 

My thoughts: I LOVE that opening line.

I've kind of drifted away from vampire romance lately, having gotten a little burned out I guess. And the world of royalty and court has never been one of my favorite genres. But this is not your typical vampire romance. It's a strange world, where vampires rule. Daniella has been a favorite of the Queen of Persia since she was a child. Queen Anca is an evil ruler, and in Persia there is no freedom of religion. Everyone must worship in the Order Sangre, the vampire religion.

When Daniella is 12, Prince Nikolai comes to visit Queen Anca. His mother, the Empress of the Eastern Crown, wants heirs one day, and it is decided that he will come back to fetch Daniella when she is of age.

There's a lot of court and church intrigue, oppression of humans, and whipping. Each court has a disciplinarian, who's job is to administer punishment. At Empress Regina's court it's Lord Vali, the Court Chastiser. Charming, often respectful, I found him to be very intriguing and was more interested in him than in Prince Nikolai. Daniella is also drawn to him, or rather to his crops and paddles. She dreads punishment yet yearns for it at the same time. Prince Nikolai spanks her, and she constantly hopes for him to do so again.

It took me a little while to get into the overall story, but somewhere about halfway through I realized I didn't want to put it down. It would be late, I'd be sleepy, but I would think “just one more chapter”. Then when I reached the end of a chapter and glimpsed the next one I would find myself continuing on. Daniella is not a heroine I can relate to, I can't imagine actually wanting to be on the receiving end of a crop. But I was certainly rooting for her to get a happy ending.

And I've already purchased the second book, which just from reading the blurb I think I'm going to like even more. 

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In the Court of the Empress Regina in London, the child of Princess Consort Daniella and Imperial Prince Nikolai has been born, and Daniella's long-time servant Kiana is the child's beloved nursemaid. Dark forces, however, are at work and tragedy strikes: Kiana's father is killed saving Daniella from an assassin, leaving Kiana friendless at the Court, at the mercy of the dark rulers. Worse, Kiana's brother Galen is alone, still in Persia, in the clutches of evil Queen Anca.

Kiana realizes she must save her brother, no matter what the cost, but her attempts at leaving the court are ill-fated; she is caught both trying to steal jewels to finance the escape, and then caught in the escape attempt itself. Yet, against all expectation, the Prince helps Kiana. He could have turned her over to the dark discipline of the priests of the Order Sangre, or even have had her executed; instead, he leaves all behind and make her a devil's bargain: submit to him in every way, and he himself will take her back to Persia himself.

Kiana has no choice but to agree, even though it means putting herself at the mercy of Imperial Prince Andrew. And soon, Kiana finds herself no different than her mistress: an agonie aperitiv - an "appetizer" of pain - to a dark vampire Prince.
But unlike her mistress, she could never learn to love one such as he. Could she?

Publisher's note: The Prince's Tawse is an erotic romance of love and loss in a future world gone mad, a world in which vampires and humans co-exist. It contains erotic BDSM themes, including spanking and anal punishment.

Aching to Submit

NATASHA KNIGHT 

Synopsis: Though deeply in love with her husband Michael, for years Sophie has longed to give him not only her love, but her submission as well. In spite of her yearning to kneel at his feet, fear of rejection keeps her from sharing the truth with him. Though she would never give her body to another man, her need to submit drives her to seek out others like herself and learn more… until Michael discovers her deception and she fears her marriage may be over.
Despite the anger and sadness which tear at his heart when he learns that his wife has kept such an important secret from him, Michael is not going to give up the love of his life without a fight. It will take time, but he is more than ready to be the man she needs, the man to whom she will gladly submit. First, though, she must be firmly disciplined for her betrayal of his trust…
Standing naked before her husband, awaiting a punishment which will bring her to tears and leave her bare bottom red and sore, submission suddenly feels truly real to Sophie for the first time. As Michael asserts his dominance more and more with each passing day, Sophie begins to see him in a way she has never seen him before, and her desire for him seems to know no bounds. But is this just a second honeymoon of sorts, or will Sophie’s submission endure through the trials of everyday life?

First line: Sophie drew the curtains of the study windows closed.

Stats for my copy: E-book, published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, L.L.C., 2013. I won this book from the author after participating in Ana's Advent Calendar 

My thoughts: I'm going to admit right now that while I've read lots of erotica (ok, maybe not “lots”, but quite a bit), I am very very new to reading domestic discipline stories, and not really familiar with the lifestyle. At all. Which I realized more and more as I got further into this book. And I believe this book is a good primer for anyone wanting to learn more.

I'm not going to go into a synopsis of the story, as the one I pulled from Goodreads up above does a pretty good job, except to mention that there is a third character, Kyan, who owns a club Sophie goes to while Michael is out of town, and who takes her, and later Michael, under his whip, er, I mean, wing, and guides them on their journey. Kyan is an important part of the story, as he provides much wisdom and insight.

I prefer stories that are character driven over plot driven, and ACHING TO SUBMIT fits that category quite nicely. The characters are richly drawn, and likable and relateable (is that a word? My spell check thinks not.). The author gets deep into their heads and explores their thoughts and emotions. Sophie is drawn to the club, to the lifestyle, without understanding why or what it fully encompasses. She loves her husband, but after a couple of miscarriages and a move to a new country, and with Michael traveling a lot for his job, she is unhappy and dissatisfied. She fantasizes about being spanked, but when Kyan offers to do it for her, she is unable to accept, wanting to share the experience with Michael. But she is afraid to tell Michael.

When Michael does learn of her desires, he willingly steps into the role of dominant. He adores Sophie and will do anything to make her happy. But he is also nervous, worried that he will really hurt her, and then worried that there is something wrong with him when he realizes how much he likes being in charge and doling out punishment. Both characters do a lot of soul searching as they learn and adjust to the new experiences. And they also talk about it, discuss it, and learn to communicate with each other about it.

I feel that I now have a better understanding of domestic discipline. Do I want to experience it myself? Eh, let's not go that far. But I will continue reading about it, and I definitely want to read more from this author. 

Love Letters (Silhouette Desire No. 207)

ELAINE CAMP 

Synopsis: DEAR MAUDIE, What should I do about my philandering husband? My daughter’s flirty boyfriend? My boring love life? Emmy Bakersfield, aka “Maudie”, dealt with such questions every day. Her most intriguing correspondent wanted to know how to woo the woman he'd loved since college, even thought she thought of him only as a friend.

Emmy tried to help. “Send roses,” she said – but she had her own problems. The publicity for her first book was being handled by her old college buddy Whit Hayes, but she felt differently about Whit now. If only he'd stop deluging her with roses!

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Silhouette Books, 1985; 186 pages; given to me by a BookCrossing member.

My thoughts: Maude Edith Bakersfield, known as “Maudie” to the readers of her popular advice column, and Emmy to her friends, is about to embark on a publicity tour for her new book. The company that syndicates her column has hired a PR firm to represent her, and to Emmy's dismay one of the firm's partners is Whit Hayes. Whit was friends with Emmy's husband, Jerry, in college, and while Emmy and Whit worked together on the yearbook, after college she only saw him on occasion, such as when he and Jerry would golf together. Jerry nearly managed Emmy's career into the ground, and even now that they are divorced he is still a huge thorn in her side, trying to prevent her from selling her home unless he gets a cut of the profits. Emmy doesn’t dislike Whit, but she doesn't want Jerry learning about her business through his friend. She knows how men gossip!

Whit on the other hand is eager to get close to Emmy, having been enamored of her since college. He is determined to show Emmy that she can trust him, and to win her heart, even though he hasn't the first clue how to go about doing so.

Meanwhile, Emmy's newest letter writer, “Torch Carrier”, has asked her for advice on how to woo a woman he had a crush on in college. Emmy is so intrigued with T.C., as she and her assistant refer to him, that she quickly answers each letter and marks it “urgent' so it will be published asap. But each response from her elicits a new letter from T.C., as her advice keeps failing or backfiring (especially the advice involving roses!)

This was a fun and enjoyable read. Each chapter opens with a new letter from Torch Carrier, and I was eager to find out what advice Emmy would unknowingly give Whit through her column. And I don't think that's a spoiler, because I knew right off the bat that Whit was T.C., even though it took Emmy much longer to figure it out. I'd not read this author before, but I like her writing – flowing, descriptive, crisp and amusing dialogue, distinctive characters. And a hero who loves his cat and worries and fusses over her when she becomes a mama!

Favorite passage:

She opened her eyes wide. “And the way he looked at you!”

“What look?”

“Right before he left,” she explained breathlessly. “He gave you a look you could have poured over a waffle.” (pg. 43)

Her Valentine Sheriff (Serendipity Sweethearts, Book 2; Love Inspired Large Print #833)

DEB KASTNER

Synopsis: Rugged and tough deputy sheriff Eli Bishop isn't scared of anything. Except dogs. When he’s assigned a K-9 partner, he thinks things can't get any worse. Then he learns who'll be training him. Local vet Mary Travis is sweet as sugar...but she's also Eli's ex-fiancee's sister. Revealing his humiliating phobia to her is not an option. Neither is developing feelings for Mary – who's built her career around the dogs Eli fears. When a terrible storm hits their town, Mary and Eli must find the courage to work together and save lives – and fall in love.

First line: Serendipity, Texas, had gone to the dogs.

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, published by Love Inspired Books, releases in January 2014; 215 pages; purchased through Harlequin Reader Service subscription.

My thoughts: The Serendipity police force is getting it's first K-9 officer, and Eli Bishop is horrified to learn that he has been chosen to partner with the dog. A frightening encounter with a wild dog when he was very young left him with physical and emotional scars, and the thought of being around a dog still scares him. But he isn’t about to turn down a promotion, not to mention allow himself to become the butt of his fellow officers' jokes and teasing. He's still smarting from the jokes and teasing that followed his ex-fiancee jilting him, and he's not pleased that her sister will be training him. But he keeps his misgivings to himself and stoically accepts the new position.

Mary Bishop is excited about starting a K-9 training program, and if her first pupil and his partner do well, she hopes to get contracts from other local police forces. She's nervous about working with Eli, whom she had a crush on in high school, and she's still angry at her sister for the way she walked out on Eli and their engagement to be with another man.

Eli doesn’t tell Mary about his dog phobia, leaving her to ponder and wonder why he's so reserved and resistant to interacting with Bullet. She needs Eli and Bullet to become a cohesive unit in order to get the new training program off the ground. I'm fascinated by police dogs (well, by any dogs!), and Deb Kastner appears to have done some research into what makes them tick, and I enjoyed this brief glimpse into how the canine officers – and their human partners – are trained. And Eli's first training session with Mary and Bullet had me laughing page after page.

Mary quickly realizes her teenage crush on Eli is still going strong, but she doesn't think he would ever possibly be interested in someone like her. In fact, she spends a majority of the book convinced that he's fallen for her friend Alexis, and determined to be happy for them. Meanwhile, Alexis and Samantha, the other member of the Little Chicks, as the three girls are known around town, plot and scheme to get Mary and Eli together.

The storm scenes were descriptive and realistic, and I got a little tense but very immersed in the story. Thinking back, this is the first book I've read that featured any tornadic activity since my own city was devastated by a tornado back in May, and Mary and Eli heading out with their dogs for Search and Rescue made me emotional. But not in a bad way – with the happy ending it was also cathartic.

Overall an enjoyable and engaging read. I gather from Harlequin’s website that this is the second book in the “Serendipity Sweetheart” series, the first book having been Samantha's story, THE SOLDIER'S SWEETHEART, which thanks to my excessive subscriptions to Harlequin's Reader Service I already have in my massive TBR pile. But scrolling through synopses of Ms. Kastner's other books it looks like many of them are set in the same little town, such as MEETING Mr. RIGHT, which is the fourth book in the “Email Order Brides” series and is about Eli's sister, and which I'm pleased to realize is also in my TBR pile, along two more of her books. So, you know, just what I need. Another bunch of books to move to my “to be read next” bookcase, which is almost overflowing as it is.