Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Book description:

Ever since the moment his godhood was taken by Artemis, Sin has done nothing but plot his revenge. But when he kidnaps a woman he believes to be the goddess, he quickly finds out that she is not Artemis, but her servant, Katra. And instead of capturing her, Katra captures him. She refuses to release him until he promises not to seek vengeance on her mistress. In spite of himself, Sin is intrigued by Katra, who is nothing like the deceitful Artemis. She's fierce and true, but also compassionate and loyal. However, Sin is not the only enemy Artemis has and it quickly becomes apparent that he must help Katra save her mistress... or life as we know it will cease to exist. What's an ex-god to do?

I had virtually no expectations going into this book. Zero. After the last two books (The Dream Hunter being one), I really didn't have much hope that Kenyon could bring the series back from what I saw as its' ruin. Don't get me wrong, I still would have read the series through to the bitter end. I guess I have held out hope that she would make me love the series as I loved it after reading the first 4 or 5 books.

Onto my review.

What did I love most about this book? Any doubts I had over Artemis being Ash's heroine were laid to rest. THANK GAWD. There is no way in hell that Kenyon will pair these two characters together. There is too much history between the two of them. Way too much. Eleven thousand years is a lot of time. Especially when Artemis screwed Ash over so many times. Holly and I have had a long running discussion on Satara being Ash's heroine. I flopped back and forth, thinking that it could be possible, but also thinking that Kenyon would try to pull off the impossible (and alienate her readers) by putting Ash and Artemis together. I think that Satara is going to be his heroine (I'll probably change my mind before his book is out, though). He's not going to get his HEA very easily and pairing him with Tory (from The Dream Hunter) would be waaaay too easy. He needs someone that is as jaded as he is.

Okay, onto the review. *g*

After Artemis took his godhood from him, Sin has vowed to himself that he would kill her. Kidnapping a woman who he believes in Artemis, he feels triumph that he will finally have his revenge. He soon realizes that it's not Artemis he has taken, but her daughter. Though he fights it at first, Sin finds himself attracted to the daughter of the person he despises more than anyone else. When Kat offers her help in his battle against the gallu demons, Sin can't turn her down, especially when she freely offers him the knowledge that would kill her.

Kat has been cloistered by both her mother and her grandmother for as long as she can remember. Considering that she's about eleven thousand years old, you have to wonder how far back she can remember. There was one scene where she was "showing" Ash how Artemis was as a mother. She was about 7 in the flashback. I was wondering how she can remember back 10,993 years ago. Anyway, Artemis sends Kat to kill Sin. Though she doesn't blindly follow her mother's wishes, after she sees Sin fight some demons and then cut off their heads along with the head of their human victim, Kat thinks her mother may be right in this case. What she doesn't count on is her resemblence to Artemis and Sin's hatred for her.

Eventually Kat talks Sin into accepting her help in his fight against the gallu demons. Of course this is another time where this is the end of the world if they don't [insert whatever they have to do to save the world here]. I wasn't as interested in the fight with the demons as I was in the Ash/Kat interactions. Or the Ash/Artemis interactions. Obviously Sin and Kat saved the day. Kenyon also introduced a few new characters. Xypher, who is a Dream Hunter will have his book in February. That should be good. Xypher is majorly tortured. Like Zarek-type torture. Also, Sin's brother who died, but was brought back to life by Ash.

As in the last few DH books, the world of the Dark Hunters has gotten way too complex. I miss the days of Night Pleasures and Night Embrace. While it was complex at that point, it was still manageable. Now when I think about about Atlanteans and Dark Hunters and Dream Hunters and demons and Damions, it's enough to give me a headache. That doesn't mean that I didn't like this book, because I did. After the last DH book (which all I can remember is the guy being some kind of cat and the girl being allergic), I was extremely happy with DMC. I'm a diehard Kenyon fan. Maybe after Ash's book comes out, I won't be so gung-ho on reading these books.

So this isn't much of a review, other than to say read the book. I can't even put my thoughts together on it because they seem so disjointed. I would recommend you read this, even if you've given up on the series. *ahem*

4 out of 5 stars.

Seeing Eye Mate by Annmarie McKenna

Book description:

He's a shape-shifting wolf, she's a psychic and his other half. In order to catch a killer he has to rely on his Seeing Eye Mate.

Caelan Graham is on the hunt for a shape-shifter bent on killing female mates. As Prime, it's Caelan's duty to protect his entire pack, so it's a good thing he doesn't have a mate of his own to look after right now. Too bad the most alluring female has just walked past his nose.

As a clairvoyant, Tieran Jones has given up on men and their lack of understanding her gift-until Caelan. The man ignites her passion, sets off a vision of a gruesome wolf attack, then shows up in her bed. In wolf form. To top it all off, he keeps insisting she's his mate.

When the attacks continue, Tieran's visions evolve and point in one direction. Caelan's twin brother. With a lack of physical evidence, Caelan must depend on Tieran's sight for clues. An act making her a prime target.

I literally don't know where to start. There are so many problems that I had with this book, but I couldn't put it down. I mean, seriously. What is with that?

This book wasn't short on humor. I'm sure that the author didn't intend for it to be that humorous, but when you have lines like: "One minute Caelan wanted to strangle her, the next, he wanted to lay her out, spread her thighs as wide as they could go and slurp at her delicious pussy.", how can you not laugh. Slurp? Delicious pussy? I'm giggling just thinking about it and I.don't.giggle. Also, Tieran sucked him off like "she was a kid with a lollipop". Hello? Mother here. I don't want to think about kids and oral sex synonymously, thankyouverymuch.

So anyway...Tieran has had bad luck with men. Having psychic visions after sex isn't conducive to a good relationship. So she just avoids them instead. That all changes when she first sees Caelen at a bar where her car breaks down. After coming to her rescue with the tow-truck driver, Tieran thanks him and leaves. She has no intention of seeing him again. Ever. I have no idea why she wouldn't find it strange when Caelen shows up on her doorstep. I mean, really. A total stranger. And it's not like she left her purse or anything. So if I was her, I'd be asking how this freak knew where the fuck I lived.

Of course they immediately start going at it and she winds up pregnant. Caelen knows she's pregnant because he can "smell" it. Yes, people. He can smell it.

Lots of hot sex ensues, with the plot seemingly thrown in as an afterthought. The problem is that Tieran is seeing the "Mate Murderer", but she thinks it's Caelen's brother, Eli. See, the wolf in her dream that's murdering women has a scar on its' shoulder, just like Caelen.

The villian is so obvious it's laughable. The fact that Caelen doesn't know who it is makes it even more funny. Come on. I never know who the villian is, but I did know who this one was. Good Gawd. Oh, and how's this for a cliche? When Caelen goes to hunt the killer, he lives the killer to protect Tieran. Seriously.

Then there was the fact that Caelen kept calling Tieran "my own". That annoyed the ever-loving shit out of me. "Good morning, my own." or "Eat your breakfast, my own.". I wanted to take that phrase and shove it back down his throat. Ugh.

Eli's (the brother) book is next. Hey, I told you it was a train wreck. There are way too many train wrecks in my TBR pile. I've already read Eli's book and the review is coming shortly.

3 out of 5 stars.

Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard

Book description:

A mysterious plane crash . . . a dangerous trek through the Idaho wilderness . . . a smoldering attraction . . . and a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Bailey Wingate’s scheming adult stepchildren are surprised when their father’s will leaves Bailey in control of their fortune, and war ensues.

A year later, while flying from Seattle to Denver in a small plane, Bailey nearly dies herself when the engine sputters–and then fails.

Cam Justice, her sexy Texan pilot, manages to crash-land the aircraft. Stranded in the wilderness, and struggling to douse her feelings for the ruggedly handsome man by her side, Bailey begins to wonder whether this was a mere accident. Who tampered with their plane? Who’s trying to reunite Bailey and her husband in the afterlife? Cut off from the world, and with little hope of rescue, Bailey must trust her life–and heart–to Cam, as they battle the harsh elements to find a way out of the unforgiving wilds and back to civilization . . . where a killer may be waiting to finish the job.

I'm still on the fence about this one. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I've come to expect from Linda Howard. Obviously I need to lower my expectations. I just can't help it. Every year for the past five years, I get my hopes up when she releases a new book. Almost every year since then I want to either burn the book while I cry over its' ashes or throw it against the wall. I'm happy to report that this year I did neither. So that's a good sign. I guess.

Bailey Wingate has gotten used to being labeled as a gold-digger. Personal Assistant-turned-wife of millionaire Jim Wingate didn't endear her to very many people. What only a few people do know is that it was Jim's idea to get married. A purely business arranagement, Jim came to Bailey offering her a chance at financial security if she would agree to be the trustee and executor of the money left to his children in a trust. Yeah, btw, his children are adults that are sleazebags. His son, Seth, absolutely hates Bailey. Haaaaates her. See, Bailey is actually younger than him and it really chaps his ass that he has to get his montly allowance from her. Seth's sister and the other child, Tamzin (WTF kind of name is that?) is even worse. Gawd, she was barely even in the book and she grated on my nerves.

So Bailey was all ready to go on vacation with her brother and his wife. She was somewhat chagrined when she got to the airfield and found Captain Cam Justice waiting to take her to Denver. See, Cam doesn't like Bailey and he's never tried to hide that. He's with the majority of people who thinks she's a gold-digging whore that took advantage of a sick old man for money. Not to mention he think she's a cold ass bee-yotch. When he has to lug her three huge suitcases into the plane, it reinforces his beliefs that she is exactly what he thinks she is. Little did he know that those three suitcases would save his judgemental ass.

When the plane goes down, you can virtually feel the terror in the air. Howard does a magnificant job of putting the reader right there with Bailey and Cam. After they "land" in the cold mountains of Idaho (I swear, I did not know this), Bailey drags an unconcious Cam out of the cockpit. She then starts dragging stuff out of her suitcases. Bailey is an overpacker. Which is this case was a definite good thing. Because she was going rafting and camping for vacation, she had things that would make the difference between life and death for her and Cam. The whole time she was trying to ger herself and Cam warm, I could literally feel the cold. People, it is freezing in Idaho. Seriously, I could almost feel the cold and it was making me cold while reading it. Bailey basically saved both their asses while Cam was out cold.

Then, in the way only Howard heroes can, Cam abruptly decides that he's not letting Bailey go. His logic for this is that the time they spent together (4 days x 24 hours) equals roughly 15 dates. Does he keep this information to himself? Of course not. He tells her that he knows exactly what she's doing with the Ice Queen persona. But pushing him away is not going to work. No siree.

When Cam examines the wreckage, he finds that the plane was deliberately tampered with. Both Cam and Bailey are convinced that Seth Wingate is the person behind the crash. Bailey, not willing to take any more chances with her life, decides to hand over her authority of the trust. Cam just wants to kick his ass for almost killing Bailey.

After hiking away from the crash site, they are rescued. That was a little anti-climatic. After all these days of survival in the woods, they light a signal fire and hear a helicopter within minutes. Hmph. Before they do get rescued, Cam insists that Bailey marry him and move in with him. But he's very thoughtful because he'll let her do that in whichever order she wants. Very thoughtful, isn't he?

Overall, this book wasn't bad. It was a good story. The characters were good. It was just good. Not great, but good. Bailey was a kick ass heroine. I liked her from the very beginning. Cam is more like a Howard hero than her past few heroes. I just can't put my finger on exactly what's missing.

Oh and I'm not going to give away the ending. I was too surprised by who did it, but then, I always am.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Her Best Friend's Lover by Shiloh Walker

Book description:

Dale loves women, and they love him. His love life is a revolving door. No one special, no one stays, except Lauren, his best friend. She's a sweet beautiful, talented woman. His rock, the steadying influence in his life. So why is he starting to see her differently, where are these lustful thoughts coming from? Guys don't sleep with their best friends.

Lauren has loved Dale for five years, from the moment she saw him. She loves his smile, his walk, his deep, sexy voice. But he isn't in love with her. She's his pal, his confidant. Until one hot, steamy night.

This is probably the most tame Ellora's Cave cover that I've seen. Still doesn't mean I like it, but it's a definite improvement over some covers.

Lauren Spencer luuuuuurves Dale Stoner. A lot. She hasn't done anything about it, nor does she intend to. See, Dale's what you call a man-whore. Lauren is a virgin (of course). Lauren being the smart virgin she is, knows better to get involved with Dale. That all changes on a dark and stormy night. Okay, not really. Dale sees finding someone for Ice Queen Lauren as his mission in life. After Dale set her up w/ someone that almost rapes her, Lauren decides she's had enough. Enough of being in love with her best friend. Enough of wanting something she'll never have. Enough of seeing Dale w/ other women. She's had ENOUGH! Which is kinda rough since they're next door neighbors.

After a few weeks of giving Dale the cold shoulder and being miserable, Lauren decides that she has to accept Dale for who he is. If that means having a man-whore as a best friend, so be it. She would rather have his friendship than nothing at all. Like a good friend, she whips up a nice batch of his favorite cookies and heads over to grovel apologize. What she doesn't know is that Dale just got some really depressing news and is drunk as a skunk. Trying to help him get in bed probably wasn't her wisest decision. Which is why she soon finds herself up against the wall getting screwed silly. At first she's shocked. Then she gets into it. That changes when Dale calls her another woman's name and passes out. Total cliché , right? Somehow it worked. Walker got just the amount of hurt and anger across the page.

What happened next is really going to shock you, so brace yourself. Lauren finds out a few weeks later that she's pregnant. She's overjoyed. Too bad Dale doesn't remember the hot sex against the wall. And she's too scared to tell him. Especially when Dale starts to show interest that he's never shown before. Pretty soon Lauren is in so deep that she has no idea how she'll tell Dale that the baby he's taken such an interest in is actually his.

I really enjoyed this book. Lots of hot sex didn't take away from the love story. And this is a love story. There was no suspense at all. What you have is a woman that was abandoned her whole life by people she loved. First her dad, then her mom. After that it was various foster homes. By the time Dale came along, her emotions were locked down tight. She doesn't do confrontation well, which Dale sees as lack of emotion rather than her protecting herself. Of course you have the various misunderstandings. Then as you would expect, it really hits the fan when Dale finds out about the baby. Especially since it didn't come from Lauren.

There was kind of a lame part where Dale kept dreaming about his "dream" woman who was Lauren, but he doesn't know it's Lauren. When Lauren realizeses that he's dreaming about another woman, she gets pissed not knowing that it's her he's dreaming about even though he doesn't know it's her. Make sense? Yup. Clear as mud.

I just liked the whole book, even the misunderstandings. Try it.

4 out of 5 stars.

Simon Says by Lori Foster

Book description:

Sexy ex-fighter Simon Evans has the perfect life—until he catches his girlfriend cheating. To work off his rage, he goes back into the ring full-force. But a gutsy and gorgeous P.I. is about to send him reeling with a secret about his family—and one about her heart.

I've had this edit window open since 10:40am yesterday morning. These morons actually expect me to work or something. WTF?

I love Lori Foster's books. She is light without being fluffy. She is intense without being dark. Her books make for a good combination of fun and passion.

Simon Evans was vaguely introduced in Causing Havoc. He is a trainer for fighters that are in the UFC. Foster called it the SBC, but every time I read that I thought about the SBC Ballpark in San Francisco. Or SBC which was formerly AT&T in Northern CA. So UFC it is in this review.

Being the nice guy he is, Simon decides to surprise his live-in girlfriend of five years with a new mattress. Yes, folks, a mattress. When a book opens up like this, you just know that the shit is going to hit the fan. I mean, what kind of guy would want to "surprise" his girlfriend with a mattress? Yeah, that's what I thought. You'll be shocked to find out that Simon finds pictures of his girlfriend doing some other guy. He doesn't know who the guy is, but he definitely recognizes his gf. So he enlists the help of his friends to get all his shit out. He's surprised that he's not more upset. Five years is five years, after all. It's more of a prick to his pride. To salvage said pride, he decides that he's going to go back to fighting in the UFC rather than training.

Dakota Dream is not a porn star. So get that out of your head right now. I'm not sure exactly what she does for a living, but in her spare time she helps find missing people. When she was 17, Dakota ran away from home to marry Marvin Dream. Obviously she didn't know that at 17, mothers are always right and Dakota's mom didn't like Marvin at all. They parted on very bad terms. Marvin ended up being abusive, but Dakota stuck around b/c she didn't want to go crawling back to her mom. A few days after Marvin almost killed her, Dakota sucked it up and went home...only to find out her mom had an accident and was in a coma. Her stepfather, Barnaby Jailer (we'll get to that name in a moment) kindly let her stay even though they never had the best of relationships.

Okay, seriously people. Barnaby Jailer? Dakota Dream? These names seem to be a cross between a Disney character and a porn star. Every time I read the name Barnaby Jailer, I vomited a little in my mouth.

So BJ tells Dakota that she owes him for letting her come back home. Not only that, but the asshole has three letters that Dakota's mom wrote her before she went into the coma. Dakota wants those letters. Bad. She only has to do one thing. Find BJ's son and bring him home. You've already guessed who is son is, I'm assuming? Simon Evans.

Dakota finds Simon and befriends him. Simon is fascinated by Dakota b/c she knows a lot about the UFC, but she's not a groupie. He wants her. Bad. Then he finds out why she wants him. The problem here is that Simon has never been interested in finding the man that deserted him and his mom. His stepfather is his father in every way that is important. So he tells Dakota to get lost. Oh but he doesn't know how determined Dakota is to get those three letters.

Eventually Dakota gives up on getting the letters. She decides that she wants nothing more to do w/ 'ol BJ. She just wants Simon. It's too bad that nothing is ever easy for Dakota. See, Simon's ex wants him back and she'll play dirty to get him. Not only that, but someone is trying to hurt Dakota and she's sure it's her ex-husband. She's right and Marvin is one messed up f'er. Dakota is the only woman who ever stood up to him and he wants her back. Very dysfunctional.

When Simon and Dakota eventually get their HEA, you will really feel that they deserve it. Oh, just make sure you read Causing Havoc first. There are recurring characters that you'll appreciate much more if you read them in order.

4 out of 5 stars

Tempting by Susan Mallery

From the back cover:

After three romantic flame-outs in a year and a restaurant career going nowhere, Dani Buchanan needs a fresh start. She goes looking for her biological father, but never expects to find a senator running for president.

As his long-lost 'love child,' Dani could seriously derail the election— something his handsome campaign manager Alex Canfield isn't going to let happen. Dani isn't about to let Alex run her life, no matter how tempting she finds him—and Alex isn't going to allow Dani to melt his cynicism, no matter how close he has to get.

The last thing either of them wants is love, especially with scandals brewing and family trouble on the way. But Dani and Alex are forced to trust each other, and when trust turns to passion, the potential for disaster is only a tabloid scandal away.

Tempting is the final installment in the Buchanan series. Over the course of three books we have watched Dani get fucked over by people that she called family. First, her fantabulous husband, Hugh. A real winner, that one. After getting injured while playing football, Hugh was paralyzed from the waist down. Dani was dating him at the time and she still married him. Gotta give the girl props. I have to admit, I wouldn't have stuck around. What can I say? I'm shallow. Just admit it, you wouldn't have either. So even after all the moral, emotional, and financial support she gave him, he fucks her over. She even read up on how to make their sex life good. How does he show his appreciation? By screwing his T.A. Stand up guy, that one.

So that's a hard knock. But it doesn't stop there for Dani. She jumps back into the dating pool with a super hot guy, who seems great. She falls far him, sleeps with him, starts to lurve him. Then she meets his wife and toddler. Niiiiice. Oh wait, there's more. In the 3rd book, she starts seeing this guy she meets at a coffee shop. While she doesn't feel sparks, she does like the guy. She decides to give him a chance and finds out on their first date that he's a former priest. Ha. Dani runs. She then decides to give up men. Good girl. I sure would have.

Don't forget that in the 1st or 2nd book, Dani found out that she's not really a Buchanan. Seems her mom had an affair and she was the result. After years and years of trying to get her grandmother's approval, Dani receives the ultimate blow when Gloria gleefully tells her that she's not a Buchanan. At the beginning of Tempting, Dani has decided that she wants to find her real father. Though she still has her brothers, she feels that she needs somewhere to belong.

Unfortunately not only is her father a United States Senator, he's also a Presidential candidate. Ummm-hmmm. Alex Canfield is not only his advisor, he's also his adopted son. Obviously Alex thinks that Dani is in it for money or fame or something along those lines. He just figures that the timing is just too convenient, regardless of what Dani says.

Alex and Dani have a major love/hate relationship going on. Dani has seriously sworn off men. She wants nothing to do with them. Alex is very attracted to her, but he can already see the headlines if he does decide to get involved with her. Not to mention that he doesn't want to hurt his mother, the woman who saved him when he was 8 years old.

Talk about a saint. Alex's mother, Katherine Canfield is amazing. I loved her character in this book. She adopted eight special needs children. Eight. Now I know this is fiction, but I'm sure there are people out there that have done the same. That just made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Understandably, Katherine has a hard time with Dani's appearance in their lives, but as a political figure's wife, she knows what's expected of her.

I think this is one of the best books of the four. The fact that Mark Canfield is not exactly paternal made Dani realize that blood doesn't make family. Seeing Dani and Gloria reconcile really closed the series well. Gloria was a raving bitch to Dani in the previous books. Seeing her make amends with Dani really made the book that much better. Mallery did a really great job closing out the Buchanan series. I think readers will be satisfied with the ending.

4 out of 5 stars.

Hidden Agendas by Lora Leigh

From the back cover:

SAVING LIVES IS HIS MISSION.

Tough-as-nails Navy SEAL Kell Kreiger is the best there is at searching, rescuing, and taking no prisoners…yet even the rush of ever-more dangerous missions isn’t enough to satisfy him. Haunted by a tortured past, Kell seeks distraction in a secret world of dark intimacies. But when Emily Stanton, the one ray of light in Kell’s shadowy existence, is pursued by a ruthless drug lord, the rules of the game suddenly change—and Kell will have to go deeper undercover than he ever imagined...

SAVING HER IS HIS PASSION.

Emily has loved Kell ever since her father, a prominent politician, rescued him from a brutal life on the streets. They were kids then, too young to act on what was growing between them…but now that Emily is ready, the handsome, headstrong SEAL has decided he’s no good for her. Ever since he rescued her from Diego Fuentes’ compound, Kell’s only duty has been to keep Emily safe. But Fuentes isn’t finished with Emily—or Kell. And to protect Emily, Kell has no choice but to lay himself—body, soul, and secrets—bare…and fight against evil with all his heart.

Okay, so as I was reading Hidden Agendas, I kept checking to make sure that the author really was Lora Leigh. There were no menages. Not even a reference to one. No BDSM. Only traditional sex. Not that this is a bad thing, but I've gotten so used to this from her that I was a little surprised.

Kell Kreiger is a hard ass mother-f-er. After getting his then-girlfriend pregnant at 17, Kell married her against his family's wishes. As sole heir to a prominant New Orleans family fortune, Kell did not meet expectations by marrying the girl he knocked up. Dude, but that was annoying. When he was cast out, Kell did what he could to support his new family. To save money for the impending arrival of his son, Kell started doing informant work for the NOPD. When he ended up having to testify against a well-known drug lord, he was warned that his wife would die if he testified. So Kell hid her in the swamp at an old family cabin. His mom, who saw him take the keys actually gave the location up. His wife and unborn baby were brutally murdered. So he is tortured. With good reason, too. After that, he left New Orleans and hasn't been back.

Emily Stanton hasn't been the same since she was kidnapped by Diego Fuentes. Nor has her father. A powerful man in his own right, Senator Stanton insists on Emily having bodyguards. He also plays matchmaker, which is a little strange. Sending man after man to his daughter hoping that she'll fall into bed with him seemed a little creepy to me. Emily is onto him, though, and wants nothing to do with it. She ends up running them off eventually. While that is not exactly her plan, she doesn't complain. This part of her character annoyed me. She had no backbone when it came to her father. Which did make sense in a way. The one time she refused a bodyguard, she got kidnapped. Aside from that, it was just little comments here and there that were made that she just took.

When the news reaches them that Fuentes will once again go after Emily, Kell steps in. For apperances, he insists on pretending to be her lover. Why? 'Cuz if Fuentes thinks she has no bodyguard, he'll try to snatch her not knowing that there is virtually a whole SEAL team in place to protect her. The team doesn't know a few things, though. They don't know that they have Fuentes' own son in their midst. We don't find out who he is until virtually the last page, but ho-boy. Shit will hit the fan in the next book.

So Emily and Kell decide to start playing house for real. One thing that is refreshing in Leigh's book is that the hero doesn't fight the attraction. It's not "I'll never fall in love again. I'll just f her and leave her. I'm not good enough for her". With Kell, he fully admits that he doesn't think he's good enough for her and he doesn't fucking care. He very craftily decides that while Emily will think he's pretending to be in relationship with her, he won't be pretending. But she'll still think he is pretending, even though he's serious.

Of course Emily still gets nabbed by the bad guy. Did you really doubt she would? Kell freaks out, of course. Kell finds her, of course. They also find one of their men that has been held captive for over 17 months. That's another story, for another time. That guy is so effed up, I'm not sure if he'll even get his own book.

There are several new characters introduced and several old characters that are re-introduced. Romantic suspense fans should enjoy this one.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Hunter's Salvation by Shiloh Walker

From the back cover:

HIS MISSION

Vax was once committed to his life as a Hunter, tracking down the evil beings who prey on humans, but he opted out of the game long ago. Until now—because somebody, somewhere, is in danger. And, despite his best efforts, Vax can't ignore his calling?

HER SACRIFICE

Jess Warren is determined to find the maniac who killed her sister. A gifted psychic and telekinetic, she will do anything to exact her vengeance. Even if it means putting herself in peril...
THEIR INSATIABLE DESIRE

Jess would rather not accept Vax's help—especially since letting him have his way could draw her deeper into his irresistibly sensuous realm. But then he saves her life—and they discover that the depraved madman they've been looking for is much closer than either of them could have imagined...

I'm really trying to think. I'm really trying to get motivated. What was I thinking coming back to work on a Friday? Gawd.

Hunter's Salvation is part of a series. I believe the series originally started with Samhain or EC. I started reading it when Berkley released Hunting the Hunter. Walker's website says that Hunting the Hunter stands alone and that Hunter's Salvation can stand alone as well. I don't recommend reading it as a stand alone. Vax was first introduced (to me) in Hunting the Hunter. It was published back in July 2006. I know authors have little control over publishing schedules, but I as rather annoyed it took a year to get the next book out. I barely remembered Vax and didn't have the time nor the desire to skim back through Hunting the Hunter.

Though Vax technically is a Hunter, he stopped all Hunter duties after his wife was brutally attacked and turned by a feral vampire. She was kidnapped from their home when he was out Hunting. Vax had to kill her himself. Those flashbacks were sad. Poor Vax. Oh, I forgot to mention he's a witch, too. See what I mean about being out of it?

So apparently when a call goes out to Hunters that one is needed, if you are in the general vicinity, it's basically a compulsion to answer. Even though Vax doesn't want anything to do w/ being a Hunter, he can't resist the call. Off he heads to Indiana. Btw, poor guy lives in Montana. That's worse than living in Idaho. Though he is somewhat of a loner, so it all works out. Anyway, he arrives in Indianapolis and goes straight to a club where it seems all the trouble is brewing. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the club. Vax can feel the bad mojo pouring out of the place. It's pretty sickening stuff.

Jess Warren is at the club to bring down the owner. As an investigative reporter, Jess was doing a story on women who would go missing and turn up dead months later. She tied it back to said club, but that was as far as she got. The club's owner decided to send her a message, so he tortured and killed her younger sister. Then, nice guy that he is, he sent the whole thing on video to Jess. So Jess is also rather tortured. Oh the therapy bills these two could wrack up together. Jess knows a little about the paranormal world. A telekenetic, things tend to fly when she gets mad. Her sister was an empath (which makes what happened to her even worse). So she knows that something weird is going on, she just doesn't know exactly what.

Vax and Jess meet up when Vax steps in to save her from a bouncer. He soon realizes that Jess is the person he's supposed to protect and takes measures to do just that. How? By knocking her out and depositing her unconcious body in the car. No, I'm not kidding.

Unfortunately, neither Vax or Jess realize the magnitude of what is going on in the club. See, there's this evil vampire doctor who is stealing brain sereum from witches and injecting it into humans. Why? To make their own witch-y army, of course. Why else? Jess has no idea what she walked in the middle of. Neither does Vax. They soon learn when one of the "creatures" tries to kill Jess at her house. She gets away and sends an S.O.S. to Vax. Vax once again comes to her rescue, though she doesn't like it.

Like I said, I have been looking forward to this book for awhile. I kept putting it down, though. I'm not quite sure why b/c it wasn't a bad book. I just wasn't glued to it like I was when I read Hunting the Hunter. At the end of the book, Vax was turned mortal when the evil vampire doctor injected him with the sereum that was supposed to kill him. Vax almost died, decided he couldn't stay w/ Jess then changed his mind and begged her to take him back. Vax was a good hero, Jess was a good heroine. So maybe it's just me. Maybe.

One thing that did bother me was how this Masters guy who killed Jess' sister was made out to be such an evil villian. Then Vax just killed him and it was almost an afterthought. It was just a bit of a letdown. There was no confrontation. Just Vax remembering how easy it was to cut his head off or however he killed him.

I do plan on picking up Book 1.

3 out of 5 stars.

Safe Harbor by Christine Feehan

From the back cover:

One of seven daughters in a line of extraordinary women, Hannah Drake has been the elusive object of affection for Jonas Harrington for as long at the young man can remember. If only the stunning super-model was driven by a passion other than her career. But Jonas isn’t the only one with desires for Hannah.

From the shadows has emerged a vengeful figure who stalks the beauty with one terrifying purpose: to strip her of all she is and destroy her. Only one man was destined as her protection. Now, out of a storm of danger, Jonas must guide the woman he loves from a sinister darkness that threatens not only Hannah, but the entire Drake family.

Safe Harbor is the long awaited story of Hannah and Jonas. In the four previous books, I really loved to hate Jonas. He was such an ass to Hannah. We never knew why, though. Feehan clears that up in this book.

Jonas Harrington has struggled for years with his feelings for Hannah Drake. By the time he was 10 years old, he knew she was special. He just didn't understand why. For years now Jonas has stayed far away from Hannah. Not wanting to bring her into the darker part of his life, Jonas has done what he thought was best for Hannah. After a job goes bad, he knows that he can't wait to claim Hannah as his own. Almost dying makes him change his priorities a tad bit. Returning to Sea Haven, Jonas arrives at the Drake House to find Hannah packing for another modeling job. Of course this doesn't make him happy b/c Jonas hates that she shows her body off to millions of people. He also doesn't like it b/c he knows Hannah herself doesn't like it.

Hannah has loved Jonas for-evah. Though she is a world famous model and completely gorgeous, the girl has MAJOR self-esteem issues. She doesn't think that she'll be woman enough for Jonas. She also has no idea that he has feelings for her. What she does know is that she can't take his constant criticism. When she tells him that she needs him to stay away for awhile, he hits the roof. His feelings finally come out and they totally get it on. It was actually sweet b/c they both couldn't believe that the other one felt what they did. Of course Jonas being Jonas (and a man, too), he believes that Hannah will now quit her job and stay home to be a good little wife. Which is exactly what Hannah wants. However, she won't break her existing contracts. So she leaves for New York and Jonas is pissed.

While Hannah is doing her big fashion show, Jonas and Sarah are watching it back at the Drake House. It was actually very amusing. Jonas is pacing around and asks Sarah, "Why hasn't she called?" to which Sarah replied, "She did call. You yelled at her to get her ass home and she hasn't called back since.". Heee. Okay, so maybe you have to read the book b/c it was a lot more funny when I was reading it.

Then Hannah gets attacked. Savagely. Viciously. On live t.v. Jonas and Sarah are helpless to stop the attack and they can't even help Hannah. Lucky for them, Ilya Praneskii was at the fashion show. You remember the Russian hitman that's a bodyguard for the Russian mob guy? Well he was there b/c his pscyho boss is obsessed with Hannah and her sister, Joley. Ilya has his own special powers and he is able to keep her alive until the Drake sisters arrive.

So Hannah is really messed up now. She can't leave her house b/c the paparazzi are everywhere. She can't sleep b/c she has nightmares. She can't look at herself in the mirror b/c the scars remind her of the attack. She can't be intimate w/ Jonas. She can't, can't, can't. Not saying that I blame the poor woman. What Jonas and the Drakes can't figure out is why Hannah was attacked. Though she has your normal obsessive fan base, there was no specific person that would stand out. Again and again people come to try to kill her. The first time after she came home, the house ate the people. Okay, not ate them exactly, but it was pretty creepy to read. The tree's came alive. The floor swallowed men whole. Oh and then they rolled over the bluff down into the ocean. You know Jonas is totally freaked out about it. Which was funny.

Eventually Jonas figures out that HE is the reason that Hannah was attacked. This doesn't sit well with him, as you can imagine. After so long of trying to keep Hannah out of the dark part of his life, he literally brought it to her front door where it almost killed her. The sisters kicked ass and protected Hannah, which always makes me smile. There was a really sweet part where all Hannah's sisters apologized for pushing her into doing something she didn't want to do (modeling). They each wrote her a letter. Jonas did, too. It was just "awwww" inducing.

Very much looking forward to Joley and Elle's book. Considering the backstory on Jonas and Hannah, I thought Feehan pulled it off really well.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Chain Reaction by Dee Davis

From the back cover:

Artist Mia Kearney has the perfect life: a successful career, a home she loves, amazing friends…until the hot August morning her world explodes. Lone survivor of a nuclear accident, Mia awakens in a government facility, faced with Homeland Security agent Nicholas Price, a man who wants answers she knows she doesn't have.

When Mia escapes, Nick has a choice to make. The CIA wants him off the case, but instinct tells him not to let Mia out of his sight.

Now the web of deceit that's woven tightly around them is about to unravel, and someone out there won't be satisfied until Cedar Branch's last surviving resident is dead.…

I don't care what certain people say. I did not pick this book up because it takes place in Idaho. I already have to live here, why would I want to read about it, too? I do have to admit that I did google Cedar Branch b/c I had no idea if it actually existed in the state of Idaho. Nerdy, I know.

OMGosh, the first chapter of this book is SAD. Sooooo sad. Cedar Branch is a small town that has a cafe, a gas station, and a small grocery store. The book opens in the cafe where the whole town of, like, 8 people are eating breakfast. Davis does a great job of portraying camaraderie between these people. Which makes it all the more horrific at how the chapter ends. After hearing what sounds like a car backfiring, they look out the window and see what is described as a "haze" or "mist". Soon, they're all gasping for air and collapsing. The last thought that the owner of the cafe has before she dies is that at least she doesn't have to live without her husband (who already seconds before). See what I mean? Sooooo sad.

Mia Kearney wakes up in a hospital-like room and is told that she survived a nuclear accident that happened a few miles outside Cedar Branch. When Homeland Security agent Nick Price comes to question her, he tells her that all the residents of Cedar Branch are dead and she is suspected as the person behind the "accident". See, Mia's mother was a big political activist and one of her passions was stopping nuclear testing on Amercan soil. How this computed to Mia somehow having possession of a nuclear weapon was never made clear. Oh, Mia was also found in a crude, man-made nuclear bomb shelter. That would seem a little suspicious, I suppose. But as in most books, it was explained in a very satisfactory way. Mia's grandfather was in WWII and was a little paranoid when he returned home. So he made his very own bomb shelter in the basement of his house. Lucky for Mia, when the bomb went off, she was down in the basement-turned-art studio.

Anyway, Mia senses something fishy going on. Cuz she's one smart girl. So she escapes. She escapes a government facility that is in the middle of nowhere and gets back to her grandfather's ranch where she lives in a line shack that is on the property. Fortunately for her, she told Nick about the line shack, so he's there when she starts getting shot at. Nick went after her after his boss called him back to Washington after telling him that the CIA was taking over the investigation and Homeland Security was no longer needed. Nick being Nick, was a little suspicious. It didn't help that the man in charge of that branch of the CIA was a longtime nemisis and the man (we find this out later) that was part of the plot that killed his sister. He goes after Mia, determined to get some answers about what really happened in Cedar Branch.

Together, Nick and Mia go on the run. Don't forget, you can't go on the run in a romance suspense novel without there being a tracking device on someone or something. #1 rule of thumb. Check belongings and person for tracking device. They obviously didn't know that rule, so they didn't figure it out until after they were tracked down by the evil CIA guy, Davies. Things got very interesting from then on out.

In between Nick and Mia falling in luuurve and heating up the sheets, they were following leads that would uncover what really happened in Cedar Branch. So far they had an Idaho Senator (damn those Idaho Senators), the evil CIA guy, and another guy Kresky who owned the Environmental study company that was a front for all their evil doings.

Let me just tell you how it ends, m'kay? What killed the whole town was actually a deadly toxin called K-19. It's a mutated version of some toxin that is found in frogs in Colombia. The original toxin can only be deadly if it goes directly into a cut or open wound. The bad guys mutated it so it would be deadly when inhaled or when it goes directly through your skin. So basically if it's released in the air anywhere near you, you're fucked. The nuclear bomb was really to cover up what really happened b/c of course the government had no idea what these psychos were doing.

The reason Mia survived, you ask? A number of reasons that all combined, saved her life. Apart, she would have been dead like the rest of them. #1 - Mia was in a nuclear bomb shelter. #2 - As a sculptor that uses chemical, she wears a mask and protective clothing. #3 - Something in her genes gave her a sort of immunity to the original toxin. Why? Because her father is Colombian of course and she used to play w/ the frogs as a little girl.

Overall, I would recommend trying it. The plot was an interesting one and the character development was good.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Suicide Club by Gayle Wilson

From the back cover:

Lindsey Sloan teaches the best and brightest students at Randolph-Lowen High School—exceptional teens with promising futures far from their small Alabama hometown. So when brash detective Jace Nolan arrives from up north and accuses her kids of setting a series of fires in local black churches, Lindsey is furious.

No matter how Jace tries to convince her, Lindsey can't believe her pupils could do something so horrible, let alone be addicted to the rush of getting away with it. But when her attraction to Jace places her in mortal danger and people begin dying, Lindsey can no longer be sure just what her students are capable of.

If Jace is right, it's up to the two of them to outsmart these criminal minds—before they carry out the ultimate thrill-kill.

Sounds like it would be good, no? Well, it sounds better than it is.

Lindsey Sloan is a goody-goody. She's too idealistic...holier-than-thou, if you will. It got annoying as hell.

When Detective Jace Nolan goes to Randolph-Lowen HS, he is sure that one of Lindsey's gifted students (read: genius) are behind the three church fires in Randolph, Alabama. [Side note: Jace was first introduced by the Principal as Lieutenant Jace Nolan, but somehow it changed to Detective.] Now how Jace is sure, I still haven't figured out. Since there isn't a shred of evidence at any of the scenes, he apparently thinks that only a kid could pull that off. Huh. Needless to say, Saint Lindsey is stunned by Jace's beliefs. I mean come on, Lindsey spends an hour a day with these kids. She knows exactly what they're capable of.

From the beginning we know that it is a student b/c we get little snippets from his/her POV. After Lindsey is seen talking with the Detective, those involved decide to teach the teacher a lesson. How? By sticking a rattlesnake in her clothes hamper. She barely saved herself from being stuck. Again, you ask how? Well, she knows the smell of a rattler contained in a clothes hamper, of course. How else? So she calls the police. Which sounds really pathetic, but I probably would have too. Jace ends up knocking on her door at 3am to see if she's all right. Again, keep in mind, Saint Lindsey took an instant dislike to Jace. It's only been a day since they first met. But, being the strong manly-man that he is, Jace gallantly stands guard outside her house. A few days after that, Jace makes Lindsey spend the night at his place b/c he can see she's not sleeping.

About halfway through the book, students start to committ suicide. Lindsey's students to be exact. Now she realizes that she might not know them as well as she thinks she does. The first student that comitted suicide actually came to talk to Lindsey the day she did it. Lindsey didn't have time for her, though. So now Saint Lindsey will feel guilty for the rest of her days. Maybe I should call her Martyr Lindsey. From reading Wilson's acknowledgement, Lindsey was intended to be portrayed as a devoted teacher who is only trying to protect her students. She fell a little bit short with that.

Any-hoo, together Jace and Lindsey start piecing together the mystery. Lindsey soon realizes that everything revolves around her "special" students. Oh dear. There's another thing she has to add to her list of things to feel guilty about. Obviously she wasn't challenging them enough, or they wouldn't feel the need to burn down churches or drive their fellow classmates to suicide. It was when the Principal seemingly committed suicide, that the author lost me.

The character development was really bad. So was the relationship development between Jace and Lindsey. Lindsey won't help him, but she'll sleep in his bed with and without him. Jace doesn't want a relationship, so he'll sleep (read that as have sex) with her but he won't break it off with her until after the mystery is solved? Why? Because it's his duty to make her feel safe. Yup.

This book really didn't seem that bad as I was reading it. I'm glad I took a couple of days to review it. Wilson's books are really hit and miss for me. The last two she released were really good. This one, not so much. Sorry for the letdown, Rowena. *g*

3 out of 5 stars.

The Summit by Kat Martin

From the back cover:

Autumn Sommers knows the danger of ignoring such powerful omens. Twelve years earlier, she could have prevented a tragic accident if only she had acted on those horrible nightmares. This time, she knows what she has to do.

Her research into local missing persons suggests that the girl in Autumn's dreams could be Molly, the daughter of businessman Ben McKenzie. Still emotionally shattered from his loss and unwilling to trust this stranger, Ben is angered rather than relieved to hear her theory that Molly is still alive. Certain that she may be the girl's only chance, Autumn persists, until Ben grudgingly agrees to explore this tiny, if improbable, shred of hope.

As Autumn's dreams become more and more vivid, she and Ben pursue their leads—leads that point to more murders, and to the only person in control of whether they live—or die.

I love Kat Martin's paranormals. Unlike most paranormals these days, this seems like it could actually happen. Maybe. Or maybe I should say that it's not as far fetched as being a vampire or werewolf.

When Autumn Sommers (I didn't even get *that* until 3/4 of the way through the book) starts having dreams about a little girl who was taken from her front yard, she knows that she has to do something. When she was 15, she had a dream that her two best friends died after the car they were in ran headlong into a tree. She was horrified when they actually died exactly how she dreamed. Because of this, she knows that she has to stop the kidnapping from happening, or help the little girl's parents find her. She just doesn't know how to find out who she is because she doesn't recognize the little girl in her dream nor does she recognize the kidnapper.

After checking school photos (she's an elementary school teacher) and then going to the library, she realizes that the kidnapping she's dreaming about happened six years before. According to the newspapers, Molly McKenzie was taken exactly how Autumn dreamed it. Realizing that seeing Molly's father, Ben McKenzie, at the gym where she teaches rock climbing classes has triggered the dreams, Autumn sets out to convince Ben that she's not crazy. Right. I think that was the hardest part of the book for me. Not that she's psychic, but that she actually convinces Ben she's not crazy. Once I got over that hump, I really enjoyed it.

Even though he isn't totally discounting what Autumn has said, Ben still doesn't trust her or her motives. After going through six years of hell, Ben has no desire to bring the nightmare back to life. For himself or his family. Eventually, he knows that if there is even a chance Molly is out there alive, he can't just ignore it. Poor Ben. I felt so bad for this guy.

Autumn only has dreams after she has been with Ben. His bright idea is to start spending the night at her house so he can be there when she dreams. Actually, so he can be there *after* she wakes up from dreaming. You see, now Autumn is having dreams of Molly in the present day. Or what she thinks is the present day considering that Molly now looks like she's about 12. So each night she dreams the same dream over and over, she sees new things. Like the other women in the house with Molly, the simple clothes they're wearing, the mountains in the distance. Things that aren't really helpful...until Autumn and then Ben's ex-wife remember where they first saw the kidnapper.

Things move really quickly after that. A little too quickly, actually. Of course, in between trying to figure out clues, Autumn and Ben are both falling for the other. Autumn is really insecure though. I mean really insecure. I'm talking about bang your head into the wall insecure. Her dad was never faithful to her mom, so that means all guys are scum. Not that her dad is scum, though. No, he's just a man. And men can never be faithful. Of course Ben is the type of man that only dates supermodel types. Which isn't hard for him since he's stinkin' rich. In Autumn's book, that's a huge mark against him. So even though she's falling in love with him and the sex is so good, she knows that she'll never be able to satisfy him forever. Seriously people. It got old. Yes, I understood she was insecure. That was readily apparent every time you read "she knew that he would get tired of her eventually". Autumn is insecure, check. In the meantime, Ben fully admits to himself that he has to have her. How does he woo her? By having sex with her. Because Autumn lurves sex. No girly feelings for her, just sex.

Other than Autumn's serious self-esteem issues, I really liked this book. A lot.

4 out of 5 stars.

In Darkness Reborn by Alexis Morgan

From the back cover:

Once a warrior for the Others, Barak q'Young is caught between two worlds—exiled from his homeland, and a pariah among his enemies, the Paladins. While hunting a betrayer who's selling the precious blue gems that light the Others' world, Barak must aid geologist Lacey Sebastian in her research for the Paladins. Barak is instantly drawn to the fiery, beautiful woman, but Lacey initially despises the enemy intruder. Soon she sees beyond his violent past, though, finding the dark warrior intriguing—and extremely sexy.

Though neither can resist the passion that blazes between them, Barak is torn between loyalties, hiding a secret gift that could prove useful to Lacey's research, at the sacrifice of his own people. But when Lacey is kidnapped and held hostage, Barak realizes that he will do anything to save her . . . even risk his own life.

This is the 3rd book in the Paladins of Darkness series. Barak q'Young was first introduced in Dark Protector when he saved Laurel Young's life. As an Other, Barak expected to be slain as soon as he crossed the barrier, which is why he crossed over. Instead, Laurel stood between him and his Paladin enemies and Barak found himself living in the very place that his people died trying to reach.

Barak broke my heart in this book. Living among the Paladins, his lifelong sworn enemies, Barak is more than an outcast. He's despised. The only reason that he was allowed to live was because he saved the life of the Paladin leader's mate. Laurel Young was the only thing standing between him and certain death. When he realizes that his presence is hurting Laurel, he goes to Devlin Bane and tells him that he needs to be moved. Little does he know what he's getting into.

Lacey Sebastian has made it her life's work to find out a way to know when the barrier will go down. Though she is at first appalled that she has to work with the enemy, she soon realizes that Barak is as good of a man as her brother is. Unfortunatley for her, her brother is not only a Paladin, but a Paladin that is injured and unable to fight. Since he injured his sword hand, Penn Sebastian has made it his duty to protect Lacey, even more than he usually does. He is more than furious than she has to work with an Other.

Barak wants Lacey, but he refuses to be her dirty little secret. Can you blame the guy? Lacey wants Barak, but she is torn between her desire for Barak and her loyalty to the Paladins. Imagining Penn's reaction to any type of relationship with Barak makes Lacey shudder. The more she gets to know Barak, the more she falls until she realizes that she is in love with someone she has been taught to hate. You really get caught up in the dilemna of these two. Barak wants to take anything Lacey will give, but wants more. Lacey wants Barak, but is scared to reach out and take it.

But Barak has a secret. One that is pretty explosive. See, even though Barak left his people, he still refuses to help the Paladin's kill them. That means that he doesn't tell them that he knows when the barrier will go down. His senses are extremely hightened. He can hear and smell things that an ordinary human and even a Paladin, can't. Though he knows that he can help Lacey achieve her goal, he keeps quiet because he refuses to be a part of the deaths of any more of his people.

One of the best parts of the book was when Devlin and four other Paladin's came over to Barak's house. It was a total "man" get together, compelte with pizza and beer. Barak feelings of friendship with these Paladin's made me want to cry. For months he was barely tolerated by these men and suddenly he finds himself friends with them. Now, when they call him "Other", it's not a derogatory name , it's said with friendly affection. It was also funny to see Devlin Bane becoming friends with Barak when from the time he saved Laurel, he insisted that he only protected Barak out of love for Laurel. Hah.

Alas, there are still people that are trying to find a weakness among the Paladin ranks. When one of these people try to recruit Penn Sebastian, it is with little luck. Though Penn is bitter at his inability to fight, he'll never betray his people. Unfortunately for him, that means that they have to go to further lengths to get his cooperation. Which means that they kidnap Lacey.

When Barak finds out that Lacey was taken, he was just getting ready to cross the barrier back to the other side. That meant certain death, but Barak was determined. Lacey couldn't be with him, he couldn't betray his people, and he couldn't really have a life. It was sad to read. When Penn comes to attack him, accusing him of taking Lacey, Barak has to go after her. Penn and Barak have to work together to find a woman that they both love.

The ending was a good one. I absolutely loved how Barak was accepted within the ranks of the Paladins. I also loved seeing his happiness when he realized that Lacey loved him.

You definitely have to read the first two books before this one.

4 out of 5 stars.

Raintree: Sanctuary by Beverly Barton

From the back cover:

War with their archrival, the evil Ansara clan, is unavoidable. For Mercy Raintree, a war means she must assume her position as guardian of the Sanctuary—the sacred Raintree home place deep in the Smoky Mountains. But doing so threatens to disclose her most prized secret—one Mercy has kept to herself for six years.

As the solstice looms and the battle heats up, Dranir Judah Ansara gathers his forces, intending to wipe every Raintree from the face of the land. Including Mercy, whom he's claimed as his to kill. Then he comes face-to-face with her—and with her daughter, Eve. Will Mercy's closely guarded secret change not only the outcome of the battle…but also Judah's own bitter heart?

This is the last book of the Raintree trilogy (1st - Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard 2nd - Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones). This is my favorite in the trilogy. After a rocky start with Howard's Inferno, the series really picked up with the 2nd book and got even better with this one.

Wow. This book was intense. The two previous books were spent telling the story between the Raintree and Ansara clans. All we know is that the Ansara clan tried to kill both Dante, the Raintree Dranir and Gideon, the Raintree Prince. So they're some evil freaking people, obviously. Needless to say, it makes for darn good reading when the hero of the third book IS an Ansara. And not just any Ansara, but the Ansara Dranir.

The Raintree obviously got cocky in their belief that the Ansara were no longer a threat to them. Hello? Dante seemed like a smart guy. So the fact that after 200 years, the Raintree thought the Ansara were still wiped out was pretty arrogant.

Cael Ansara was first introduced in Raintree: Inferno when he tried to have Dante killed. We follow him through to this book where we learn that he is one crazy S.O.B. He is half brother to Judah Ansara, the Dranir of the Ansara clan. Cael is the older brother, so he thinks that he should be Dranir even though he's a psycho and a bastard. In the 1st chapter of the book, Cael tries to have Judah killed. So it starts out with a bang. Soon after Judah kills his attackers, he finds out that Cael sent an assassin to the Raintree Sanctuary to kill Mercy Raintree. That's when Judah says that as Dranir, he claims Mercy Raintree as his kill.

So what kind of romance can this be when for over half the book, Judah is determined to kill Mercy, while Mercy is determined to kill Judah? A damn good one! See, Mercy has a secret that she has kept for six years. Her daughter, Eve, is half Ansara. Seven years ago, Judah seduced Mercy just because she was the Raintree Princess. Mercy had no idea who Judah was until she realized she was pregnant. Then she ran. Both Mercy and Judah had never forgotten each other or the night they spent together. For Mercy, she has a reminder every day in her daughter. Judah just knows that he'll kill Mercy quickly. It was a little distasteful that Judah acknowledged that he would kill any Raintree children. Other than that, I had no problem with Judah wanting to kill Mercy. It was his inner struggle that made it especially good.

During the course of the book, Mercy knew that she would eventually fight Judah to the death for their daughter. She was still oblivious to the fact that the Ansara were once again a powerful clan and that the Ansara Dranir was the father of her child. Seeing how Judah bonded with his daughter, you knew that he wouldn't kill Mercy. Of course it took him forever to realize that, but then again, he is a man.

Cael Ansara was still determined to take on the Raintree and kill Judah because he wanted to rule the whole Earth. Including all the humans. Oh joy. That is fun to think about. The final battle at Sanctuary is intense. Mercy is the type of heroine I love. Though she is strong, she's still a mother who is trying to save her child. She's still the keeper of Sanctuary, who is trying to save her clan. She's still a healer. By the time the battle begins, she admits to herself that she still loves Judah, but she knows she'll still have to kill them for the sake of her daughter's future. She is a little slow because she didn't realize that Judah came to fight against Cael instead of with him.

One small issue I had. It really is a small one. Eve is six years old. I have a six year old. Six year olds don't talk like she does. Maybe magical ones do, but my six year old doesn't use logic like this one did. She was more like a 10 year old. So that got me hung up in places, but I tried to excuse it b/c she was magical. Or I tried to ignore it.

Overall, this was a fine ending to the series. I definitely recommend all three books in the series.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones

From the back cover:

The firstborn children of the Fyne witches have finally come into their own, each with a special gift...

Independent Ariana Kane Varden, daughter of the Sun Witch, has never let family duty keep her from reaching her dreams. She learned the practice of her gift, the power to heal others, at her mother's knee. And now she is the Palace healer, tending to her emperor...

The last prophecy of magician Sian Chamblyn's late grandfather points to Ariana as the one to save Columbyana from a growing evil. Sian has hightailed it from lands afar to deliver the message. When he must prepare her for the fight of her life, Sian intends to remain undistracted by his sensuously beautiful protege. But in the heat of battle-and passion-diligence might be his downfall...


I am so annoyed. I just realized that this trilogy continues a previous trilogy. *sigh* Now that there was a slight cliffhanger, I'm going to continue on before going back and reading the first trilogy. Maybe. My anal-ness about reading in order might change my mind.

Ariana is a a healer. Her primary role as a healer is for the Emperor himself. Having been sick for many months, Ariana isn't quite sure why she can't heal the Emperor, but she knows she can't let him die. With his son and heir missing, Columbyana can not withstand the unrest that would come with the Emperor's death. So with the Emperor's permission, only a select few know exactly how sick he really is.

When Sian Chamblyn shows up on the scene with dire predictions of death and doom, Ariana isn't sure she believes him. Sian is sure of the prophecy that his grandfather wrote before he died and he is sure that Ariana is the key to saving Columbyana.

This is why I think I need to go back and read the first three books. Is Columbyana a country? A Kingdom? Another word? I wish I could answer that...

So Sian is a powerful wizard and he believes it's his destiny to teach Ariana the magical skills that she will need to fight the upcoming evil. Because of the fact that the prophecy states Ariana will die fighting, Sian is a little chagrined when he realizes he's falling for her. Too bad he didn't tell her that she's going to die. Cuz she is pissed when she finds it, the morning she's supposed to lead her men into battle. She's also pissed because she'd been sleeping with him for weeks and fell in love with him. He couldn't even have the decency to tell her that she's going to die. WTF is up with that?

The evil dude is none other than Prince Ciro, the Emperor's missing son. Back when he lived at the palace he was posessed by the Isen Demon when he was on Level Thirteen. Level Thirteen is another thing that must have been explained in previous books. So he's possessed, he drinks blood and he sucks up souls. He can only take gray and/or black souls without permission from the person he is taking from. He can't take white souls, which is really making him angry. Because the white souls are what he really wants. He also has these creepy people following him called "Ciro's Own". They're like his own souless army and they will make you shudder.

Back to Sian and Ariana. He realizes that he can't leave for home when she goes to battle like he originally intended. Though he doesn't want to care, of course he does. He's majorly tortured. He was married and when his wife was in childbirth, both her and the baby died. Poor guy. No wonder he was afraid of commitment. Eventually Ariana makes him realize it's okay, though I don't know how because the likelyhood of her dying is extremely high.

This book was just okay for me. Nothing spectacular, but not bad either. I like the storyline, but it felt like something was missing. Obviously there was, but I didn't know that at the time. The excerpt for the next book, Prince of Fire, sounds really good though. I guess Sian and Ariana as characters just didn't do it for me.

3 out of 5 stars

Daring Devotion by Elaine Overton

From the back cover:

Nights of passion

Detroit social worker Andrea Chenault has always believed she can live with the fear that every firefighter's wife knows. But as her long-awaited wedding day approaches, she's tormented by secret doubts. Because it's becoming clear that deadly fires are targeting the man she loves beyond all reason.

Days of fear

Calvin Brown is the bravest, strongest man she's ever known, and he's taken her to heights of passion she never knew existed. But as the circle of flames draws ever closer, Andrea wonders if even her overwhelming love for this man is strong enough to survive the terrible thought of a life without him . . .

I just noticed that the description said that Andrea is a social worker. She's actually a nurse. Of course I had to check the back of my book and yep, it's wrong.

I read the excerpt of this book and it sounded really good. The fact that the characters are committed to each other when the book starts makes for good reading.

The book opens up with Cal getting a promotion within his Firehouse. Andrea is having serious doubts about marrying him because she is already dreading the day that she’ll lose him to the fires he fights. As a nurse, she sees more firefighters die than the average person. Overton did a really good job of writing Andrea’s fears. On one hand she was completely in love with Cal. On the other hand, she didn’t think she was strong enough to be a firefighter’s wife. Gotta give the girl props for not turning a blind-eye to her fears. I could feel her inner struggle coming off the pages.

When Cal is injured in a fire after saving the life of a child, everything changes. Not only does it affect his relationship with Andrea, but it also affects his career. He starts having nightmares that he refuses to share with Andrea. He freezes up during a fire when he relives the fire he almost died in. Eventually he is diagnosed with PTSD, but he refuses to accept it.

So as Cal and Andrea get closer to their wedding day, Cal seems to be obsessed with the recent fires in abandoned warehouses while Andrea becomes more and more sure that she will be making a mistake if she marries him.Meanwhile, Cal is convinced that the man starting the fires is one of the guys in his firehouse. This guy is a weirdo who seems to be skulking around where he shouldn’t be. He also resents Cal for the promotion that he felt should be his. This is where the book started falling apart for me. Jeff was described in the beginning of the book as someone who felt he was passed over for a promotion and wanted to make Cal look bad. But later it came up that he had only been with that Firehouse for a few months. Why would he think he deserved the promotion? The way Overton made it sound was that Jeff and Cal were both serious front runners for the job. Then Cal sees him with accelerant, which obviously leads him to believe that Jeff is responsible for the fires. It’s a logical thought. In actuality, Jeff was trying to mess things up around the firehouse so Cal will look bad. Huh. Jeff eventually gets arrested, yada yada yada. As it turns out, the kid that Cal saved in the beginning of the book is the one that has started all the fires. See, this 8 year old kid is a pyromaniac. The way the kid is described in this book doesn’t fit him being a pyro. Cal knows him. There were no signs whatsoever. It's like on page 258 (or whatever it was) the author just decided, "Hey, Marco is going to be a pyro". Oh and what gets me is that it's Cal that figures it out. Like he hadn't just almost ruined a guy's career (whether the guy is stable remains to be seen). Also, the situation with Jeff was never resolved. We get insight on Jeff by reading from his POV, so the fact that there was so resolution made it seem as though part of the book was unfinished.

I also didn't feel that Andrea really faced her fears where Cal was concerned. She decided to take a leap of faith, but it was so sudden that it seemed like a letdown after all the build up from page 1. She doesn't really tell Cal how she feels about him being a firefighter or how she feels about the thought of being married to him. She's just privately hoping that almost dying in a fire will make him quit. After an intense beginning, the last part of the book just seemed rather shallow. I can't think of a better way to describe it. Andrea and Cal then go on to live happily-ever-after. The end.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Soul Song by Marjorie M. Liu

From the back cover:

Against her will, Kitala Bell foresees the future. But only deaths, and only violent.

Kitala's own future is in peril. From the ocean's depths rises an impossible blend of fantasy and danger, a creature whose voice is seduction incarnate, whose song can manipulate lives the way that Kitala herself manipulates the strings of her violin...even to the point of breaking. He is a prince of the sea, an enigma-a captive stretched to the limit of his endurance by a woman intent on using him for the purest evil. And when survival requires he and Kitala form a closer partnership than either has ever known, the price of their bond will threaten not just their lives but the essence of their very souls.

I was a little surprised to find a ARC copy of Soul Song in my mailbox. I had no idea where I had won or how Dorchester got my address. The light bulb soon came on and I realized that in Marjorie’s newsletter subscription, your address is required. Very nice.

This is the 6th book in the Dirk & Steele series. Kitala Bell was first introduced in Tiger’s Eye as Dela’s (Tiger’s Eye: heroine) best friend. Honestly, I barely remembered her from that book.

M’cal is a Merman. I don’t like that word. M’cal doesn’t like that word either. It just seems like a fairytale word. It also doesn’t sound very masculine. Plus whenever M’cal is referred to as a Merman, I would think of The Little Mermaid. Moving on… M’cal fell in love many years before, with someone he now knows is a witch. A bad witch. She enslaved him and he now has to do whatever the witch wants him to do. What she wants him to do is take souls and return them to her. See, M’cal has this nifty little power. He can take souls when he sings. Hence the title, “Soul Song”.

It really was a fine line that Liu walked with M’cal. Even though it was against his will, he killed people. Many people. And not just bad people. The book starts out with him taking the soul (and therefore killing) a lonely woman who was just looking for companionship. Whenever he takes a soul, he basically relives the life of the person whose soul he is taking. So M’cal is not exactly a good guy. But he’s not a bad one either. Like I said, fine line.

The witch orders him to go take Kitala’s soul. Initially M’cal is in control of his body and his actions. When he balks at doing what the witch wants, she takes control and forces him to do something, even if it’s against his will.

Kit is a muscian. She plays the fiddle. I have no idea what the difference is between a fiddle and a violin. I had to go look it up because a fiddle sounds like something that my five year old would play with. Kit is playing in a concert when she first sees the woman in the crowd. She's a beautiful blonde woman, in an amazing white dress. There's only one thing wrong with her. She has a knife sticking out of her eye.

Against her better judgement, she goes to warn the woman and the man she was with. It really hits the fan then.

So after she warns the woman, Alice, Kit finds herself kidnapped by two corrput cops and left to die (or not) at the hands of several thugs. Just when she thinks that it's over, M'cal shows up. M’cal saves Kit’s life, even though he knows he’ll eventually have to kill her. So he does what any good guy would do; he tells her to run. Which she does.

The next day their paths cross yet again and M'cal finds it harder and harder to stay away from her. For some reason, the curse that was placed on him is dulled when he's around Kit. Though he questions it, he doesn't fight it because he senses that Kit may be his salvation. Both M'cal and Kit realize that there is more than one person that wants her. When Kit is kidnapped yet again, M'cal races to save the day only to realize that he fell right into a trap.

I won't go into the ending for two reasons. One is that I don't want to spoil it. Two is that it's just too complex to try to put into words. Then ending is a good one and wraps everything up quite nicely. Alice's part in the story is explained in a believable way. I wouldn't be surprised if Alice got her own book somewhere down the line. It also leaves the series wide open for some more Mer-people.

There are several recurring characters from Dirk & Steele that we know in love. Namely Koni (who is the most prominent), Amiri, and Hari. Something that bothered me was that as bad and evil as the witch was portrayed in the beginning of the book, Liu seemed to try to make the reader feel sorry for her toward the end. That was hard for me because I just wanted her to die. Sounds harsh as I type it.

If you haven't read this series, here are the books in order: Tiger's Eye, Shadow Touch (the best one, imo), The Red Heart of Jade, Dark Dreams (anthology), Eye of Heaven, and Soul Song.

4 out of 5 stars

Coulda Been a Cowboy by Brenda Novak

From the back cover:

Grandpa Garnier used to say: Love is like a bucking bronco. It takes guts and determination to hang on, but it’s worth the ride.

If only Grandpa was around now to help Tyson Garnier out of this mess. The famous pro football player is suddenly saddled with a very public scandal--and an illegitimate child. Tyson needs a good nanny now if he’s going to salvage his career. And plain, no-nonsense Dakota Brown is the ideal candidate.

Dakota doesn’t care for football–or for a man who doesn’t seem to want his own son. But she needs this job and that precious little baby needs her.

Dakota isn’t Tyson’s kind of woman. But the more he sees of her—and the more he sees of his son—the harder he wants to hang on.

One of my guilty pleasures is reading Harlequin's. They're just good. Well, most of them are. When I want to read a love story that is just a love story, I read a Harlequin.

This is the latest installment in Brenda Novak's Dundee, Idaho series. I did not start reading this series because I live in Idaho. No, seriously I didn't. I wouldn't recommend reading this book if you haven't read the preceeding books.

Tyson Garnier is a jerk of a football player. He doesn't pretend to be what he's not. He wants to live his carefree bachelor life and has no qualms about admiting it. So when an old girlfriend turns up and says that he has a nine month old son, Tyson is dismayed. Actually, dismayed is too milded of a word for what Tyson feels. He would have had no problem paying child support and not seeing his son. Ever. I had a hard time with that at first, but then I felt a teeny tiny bit of respect that he could admit that. He hired a private investigator to follow Rachelle (his baby's momma) around and what he learned prompted him to pay her a million dollars for custody of a baby he didn't want.

Enter Dakota. Tyson knows that he will never feel attracted to her. She's frumy and overweight. She also doesn't seem to be impressed with his fame, which is a point in her favor. When he hires Dakota as his son, Braden's nanny, Ty knows he made the best decision for both him and Braden. It's actually pretty funny about how Ty intially feels about Braden. While it's obvious to the reader that Braden just wants his daddy, Ty feels like this nine month old baby is out to get him.

Dakota has her own problems. Almost her whole life, she has had to take care of her father. Dakota knows that it is soley her fault that her dad is as he is. When she was 10 years old, he risked his life to save hers. So she knows she'll never be able to leave him. Unfortunatley he gets increasingly violent and drunk. The Police Chief of Dundee has had it with Dakota's dad. Because her dad only seems to be that violatle when Dakota is around, he tells Dakota that he will not press charges against her father (for various things) if she moves out. As you can imagine, Ty is thrilled to hear this because he just got a live-in caretaker for Braden.

Dakota falls more in love with Braden every day. She soon realizes that she is starting to feel something for Ty, too. She doesn't want him to know it, though. She starts working out and Ty immediately notices. I guess she had to lose weight for him to notice her as a woman. Because Ty knows that he will never settle down and he also knows that Dakota will want to settle down, he starts planning on a way to marry Dakota off. What ensues is actually pretty humorous.

You also have Braden's mom who has realized that the money train has stopped and decides that she wants Braden back. So she starts making all these absurd accusations that don't seem so absurd when they end up on the front page. Ty is soon in jeporady of not only losing his sponsers, but also his whole football career. He also realizes that not only will he fight to keep Braden, but he will fight to keep Dakota, too. Aw.

I love this series. There is just a real small town feel that Novak really gets across well. One thing that bugged me was how Dakota was driving Ty's Ferarri with Braden in the front seat. First, it's just ridiculous to think of a carseat in a Ferarri. Second, carseats don't go in the front seat. Ever. So that's my mom tip of the day. LOL

4 out of 5 stars

Forbidden Pleasure by Lora Leigh

From the back cover:

The Club is private, exclusive and only for those men whose fantasies run to the more forbidden side. . . People have heard only fleeting rumors about The Club. Located just outside Washington, D.C., only its members know where men go when they want to indulge the desire to share their women with a carefully selected male partner. Former FBI agent John ‘Mac’ McCoy resigned his membership from The Club when he married Keiley Hardin. Tempting and innocent, sweet and sexy, she would never accept Mac’s desires to share her with another man. However, Keiley’s growing curiosity and Mac’s own fantasies of sharing his wife haunt his dreams. And his passions.

Unable to wait any longer, Mac invites his best friend Jethro Riggs, to their home with the intention of drawing Keiley into the pleasures that can only be achieved when two men love the same woman. But there’s more going on in Mac’s neck of the woods than a little additional pleasure. A past case involving astalker who likes to play games has shown up again, but now Keiley is in the middle of it all. Passion and pleasure, danger and desire combine as the forbidden becomes an addiction none of them can escape.


I've been a Lora Leigh reader for years. I started with Marly's Choice. Since then she was always like a trainwreck for me. Some of the plots were eye rolling material. Literally. But I kept reading her. I'm very glad I did because she has gotten SO much better. I think one of my biggest problems was the plot holes. Like how the characters got from Point A to Point B. Stuff like that.

Before I start the review, I have to admit that I have no idea how to pronounce the name Keiley. For half the book I was pronouncing it as Keeley. The other half I was pronouncing it as Kiley. I still have no idea what her name really is.

This is the 5th or 6th book in Leigh's Bound Hearts series. All the books in the series revolve around the hero's need to share the heroine with another man. Forbidden Pleasure can be read as a stand alone. There is a brief mention of a former character, but that's it.

Mac McCoy gave up his sexual lifestyle when he met and married Keiley Hardin. After having a childhood where sex was forbidden and looked at as a sin, Mac rebelled. Shocking, huh? He realizes that he was lucky to find a mentor (character from a previous book) familiar with the lifestyle or he might have turned into a very sexually depraved man. Huh. I know that I'm totally judging, but wanting to share the woman you're in love with sounds kinda depraved to me. Just sayin'. I read erotica (meaning erotic romance) where there are ménages. I have no problem with them. I mean it is labeled as erotica. What I had a hard time with while I was reading this book was the fact that Mac wanted to share Keiley indefinitely. But I digress...

Mac retired from the FBI when he married Keiley. He moved to his hometown and bought the farm where he grew up. So now he's a bonified farmer. A couple problems with this. First of all, if he had such an awful childhood in this place, why the fuck would he go back? Especially to stay. Doesn't make sense to me. This is the place he despised growing up. But now he's back with his wife. Ooookay, then. Second, he already gave up the sexual lifestyle that he was used to living. Would he give up his career AND move back to his childhood home on top of that?

Jethro Riggs was always Mac's "third". It was up to Mac to find the women. Mac was the "gentler" one that wasn't afraid of showing his "emotions". I kid you not, that's how it was described. Jethro had a hard childhood himself, so he counted on Mac to keep the current woman happy emotionally. Through Mac, Jethro was able to express his emotions without really expressing his emotions. *snort* Just a small note here. Leigh VERY specifically made sure the reader knew that Mac and Jethro had absolutely no homosexual feelings for each other. None. Zip. Nada.

Keiley has always known that there is something that Mac is holding back. She figures it has to do with sex, but she's not sure. Now, three years after their marriage, she's decided that she wants to know what it is. Except she doesn't. Then she does. Girl can't decide what she wants. When she was eighteen, her dad went to prison for embezzling, then her mom died so she was guilty by association. Because of that, she's very aware of gossip about her and she really cares what people think. Not to mention that there is a woman who has never forgiven Mac for never sleeping with her before he left town. Keiley is now on her grudge list.

So you have Mac that has held back sexually from Keiley for three years. You have Keiley who can't decide if she can accept Mac's sexual needs. You have Jethro who has waited three years for the call from Mac that Keiley is ready. You have a a woman who will do anything to destroy Keiley. Oh, and you have a stalker from Mac's old FBI days that has suddenly (after three years) set his sights on Keiley.

Somehow Lora Leigh makes it all work. After doing this review, I have no idea how, but she really does.

3.5 out of 5 stars