Category Archives: Book Review

Playing the Part

10 Monday Jun 2013

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9781622667833_p0_v3_s260x420Playing the Part is hot … and I mean HOT, so if you don’t like a LOT of sizzle in your romance then this isn’t the book for you.  But for those that do just sit back, grab a glass of wine and prepare to be charmed.

After the public end to her high profile Hollywood romance, Piper James will do almost anything to keep her publishing deal … even agree to help action star, and well-known playboy, Mick Blackwell act like he’s in love.  Being the lead in the film adaption of Piper’s romance novel is Mick’s chance to do a more serious movie, if only he can figure out how to be convincing.  He wants this role bad enough that he is willing to take advice from Piper, but one look at the gorgeous author has Mick thinking he can teach her a thing or two about love.  Caught in Mick’s seductive draw, Piper agrees to a no strings affair, but on her terms – no publicity, no sleeping over, and it ends when she goes home.  But Mick keeps changing their agreement … and Piper isn’t sure she has the willpower to stop him.

I loved these two.  Piper is very understandably gun-shy with publicity after the destructive end of her previous relationship.  She was hung out to dry in the press and it damaged not only her reputation, but also her self-confidence when her fiancé was caught, by her, sleeping with her former best friend.  Now, feeling sexy again thanks to Mick, she’s willing to have a little fun as long as it stays just between them.  Good luck with that!  Mick is a hot commodity in Hollywood – he’s gorgeous, sexy and just the right touch of bad boy to make everyone, including Piper, drool.  He plays by his own rules but he’s that delicious, seductive combination of confident rebel with just a touch of uncertain little boy.

Now, I’m sure you can imagine just what issues pop up for these two – the press, rumors, their feelings, uncertainty over a future – but Covington does a fantastic job of giving readers a well-developed, fast-moving, enthralling story regardless of the predictability.  With  bold and irresistible characters, a steamy and heartfelt storyline, and vivid writing, Playing the Part is a guaranteed pleasure to heat up a sultry summer night.

Head Over Heels

07 Friday Jun 2013

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cover29028-mediumIn this update to a previously published story, Magee and Justin find out that “one tiny lie can cause a whole lot of trouble”.  Magee has made some serious screw-ups at her family’s advertising firm that are threatening the business.  She’s so desperate to bring in new business that she tells the CEO of a bike store that she’s a serious mountain biker … when her bike’s barely been out of the garage.  In order to expand his chain of bike stores, Justin needs to secure a lucrative distribution deal with a manufacturer.  He’s frantic when his girlfriend breaks up with him the day before his old-school client is coming to enjoy a weekend of mountain biking.  He needs a stand-in fast and sexy cyclist Magee fits the bill perfectly …

The train wreck that happens when all of the lies and deceptions comes to light can be seen a mile away but the journey is still fun.  Magee’s natural enthusiasm tends to get her into a few scrapes add in trying to pretend to be someone else, and she is a mess.  But her fun-loving, caring side still comes out and it is quite entertaining.  Justin’s father put business above everything else and he does not want to follow in his footsteps.  He’s got a life plan and quirky, pretty Magee doesn’t fit into it, except he’s finding her joy very hard to resist.  The two battle their attraction for a while but before long it proves too strong and things just get even more complicated.

I don’t usually like stories where the relationship is based on lies but the characters in Head Over Heels made it very appealing.  It’s a fast read, funny and amusing – a great choice to throw in your beach bag this summer.

Cowboy Come Home

06 Thursday Jun 2013

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cover26976-mediumSixteen years ago, Jake Rollins left Happy, Texas for a life in rodeo … and broke Anna Connor’s heart when he called to tell her he married another woman.  Barely out of high school, pregnant and devastated, Anna accepted the help of Jake’s best friend, Carl, and they raised Jake’s daughter as their own.  Even though he never planned to come back home, one glimpse of Anna’s teenage daughter at a rodeo – a daughter that looks just enough like him to make him ask questions – has Jake back in Happy looking for answers from the widowed Anna.  As it becomes obvious that the pull is still there, can Jake convince Anna that he is worth a second chance?  And will their daughter accept the truth about her parents?

Even though I enjoyed Cowboy Come Home, I do think that a couple of conversations with a trained professional might have solved a lot of their problems.  I know they are from a small ranching town in Texas and cowboy pride probably runs deep but the issue of telling Leigh the truth (and of Anna forgiving Jake) probably should have had the help of a therapist.  She’s fifteen, of course she’s going to flip out and cause trouble.

But for me, this wasn’t the main drive of the book.  It’s about Leigh learning to let go of her past with Jake and moving past it, accepting him for who he is now and understanding that they were young and stupid before.  Even though Jake is older and a little wiser, he still has some growing up to do of his own and needs to accept some hard truths about himself and his family.  With the attraction between Anna & Jake is still strong after all their years apart, it’s that reconnection  that will draw readers in.

Although the plot isn’t anything new, fans of cowboy romances will appreciate how Gaddy brings to life enjoyable characters with a country flair.

Summer in Napa

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

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cover23689-mediumLexi Moreau has come home to start over.  After a decade in New York, she has almost nothing left – no husband, no restaurant, nothing except her dream to work with her grandmother turning her bakery into a bistro … as long as she can avoid her grandmother’s over-the-top matchmaking efforts and the overwhelming (and unwanted) attraction to her ex’s best friend.

Lexi is that perfect mix of girl next door and Lucille Ball – she’s smart, sexy and a magnet for embarrassing situations.  She’s still a little shook up by her ex’s treatment so her confidence level is in the dumps but she still manages to be funny and appealing.  She’s also slowly working on getting her mojo back, with Marc’s help.  He may be her ex’s oldest friend and the town playboy, avoiding any romantic commitment, but he’s also gorgeous, fun and supportive.  He’s got his own issues getting his hotel up and running, and showing his brothers that he isn’t a screw-up, so he needs Lexi’s support as much as she needs his.

I adore these two together.  They have been fighting an attraction for years and, with all of that history, they manage to create a very supportive (and very entertaining) partnership.  They’ve known each other long enough that the blinders have come off, but that also means they know each other well enough to love what is underneath.  They know the bad, the good and the indifferent.  When they let all of that go and trust in themselves and each other, they have something spectacular.

Summer in Napa is the first “St Helena Vineyard” novels I’ve read and I must say I was absolutely delighted.  It kept me laughing, while touching my heart – a sweet and sassy charmer perfect for a long summer day.  I fell instantly in love with everyone in St Helena – from the busy-body grannies to the overly macho DeLucas, and their mouthy sister – and I can’t wait to see how the rest of them find their HEA.

Johanna’s Bridegroom

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

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cover24396-mediumYears ago a foolish mistake destroyed Roland Byler and Johanna Yoder’s relationship, both going on to marry other people and have children.  Now, both widowed, Johanna stuns Roland with a proposal.  She sees it as the perfect answer – she’d be a mother to his son and he’d be the father her two kids need.  But Roland has never forgotten the love he felt for Johanna those years ago and he wants more than an emotionless marriage.  Now he’s got to remind her what it was like when they were courting and that they can have those feelings again.

Johanna’s Bridegroom is a book in the “Hannah’s Daughters” series – sometimes it isn’t that important to have read the previous books but this is definitely one of those times that it would make a difference.  The core story of Johanna and Roland is wonderful and easy to follow – he’s determined to have a marriage full of love but, between his youthful indiscretion (which you don’t find out details of until the end) and problems with her last marriage, she’s not sure she can give her heart again.  I loved the interaction between Roland and Johanna.  He’s so steady and sure, hard-working and caring.  She’s assertive and brash, especially for the Amish, but she also has a deep love for her family and her community.  I enjoyed watching them come to terms with their past and their future.

But there is so much more to this series and the intricacies of the Yoder family are difficult to follow without having a familiarity with the previous books.  There was so much that I didn’t fully understand and I think that I would have enjoyed the book so much more if I’d had those details.  Don’t get me wrong, the book was interesting and I am glad I read it, but it was somewhat frustrating.  If you haven’t read anything else in this series, I highly recommend trying to find some of the others first or be prepared to have a few unanswered questions as you go thru it.  If this isn’t your first book, then I’m sure you are aware of the heart-warming story that you will find between the covers.

(I’m giving this one 3 stars because of the fact that it is so hard to read by itself but without that I would have given the core story 4 stars.)

It Had to Be You

03 Monday Jun 2013

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cover28067-mediumOnce again Jill Shalvis delights with her newest Lucky Harbor novel, It Had To Be You, bringing readers another of her to-die-for, rough & ready heroes in police office Luke Hanover, who meets his match in plucky, sweet Ali Winters.  After a high profile case ends badly, Luke comes back to Lucky Harbor to get away for a few weeks and recharge.  But instead of finding quiet isolation in his beachfront cottage, he gets bowled over by the oh-so-sexy Ali … who brings with her a ton of problems.  Ali has just broken up with her cheating boyfriend and needs a place to stay.  And apparently she also needs the help of a good detective because she’s being accused of stealing money she never touched.  As they work together to prove Ali’s innocence, their attraction gets the better of them, but Luke has no intention of staying once his vacation is over.  Can they enjoy a short-term fling without either of their hearts getting involved?

I’m always thrilled when a new Lucky Harbor book comes out – and the best part is you don’t have to have read any of the previous ones to enjoy this one.  It’s the first in a new trilogy in the quaint little town, introducing three friends who will each find their mate sometime in the next year.  Long-time readers will enjoy the chance at getting glimpses of previous characters, but this is definitely a prime place for new readers to start.

Luke is the quintessential Shalvis hero – he’s big, bad, manly and conflicted.  (And his friends are sure to be just as delicious!)  He’s carrying around a boat-load of guilt and angst, not just from the case he was working on but from a couple of incidences in his childhood.  He doesn’t think that he’s a good bet in a relationship … and definitely not for someone like Ali, who loves Lucky Harbor and is looking to put down roots.  Watching him fight his feelings is quite a lot of fun.

Ali also carries a lot of trademark Shalvis characteristics – she has her own issues to deal with but she’s fun, quirky and full of sass.  She’s an original and a delight, entertaining and funny.  She’s a great choice for Luke as she does a fantastic job of balancing out his more broody nature.  The mystery of who did steal the money adds just that touch of suspense to give this book a little additional punch.  It is well-developed and I loved how everything gets resolved.

I highly recommend running out and picking up a copy of It Had To Be You regardless of whether you’ve ever been to Lucky Harbor before.  It’s the perfect kick-off to the summer – a little bit funny, a little bit suspenseful, and a whole lot heartwarming – and you’ll find yourself ready to visit again and again.

Kissing the Maid of Honor

31 Friday May 2013

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cover31293-mediumAs a teenager, Sela Sullivan had a crush on her best friend’s older brother, Luke Watters, who also happened to be her older brother’s best friend.  One day she decided to go for it and, taking advantage of a kissing booth, put everything she was feeling into a kiss …. only to have him humiliate her.   Now a famous photographer, he’s back in town for his sister’s wedding – Best Man to her Maid of Honor.  She won’t do anything to ruin her friend’s wedding, but she plans to avoid Luke as much as possible.  But the more time they spend together, the more tempting he becomes.  Can she trust him again given how badly his actions hurt her before?  And does she dare to give her heart to a man who travels all over the world for a living?

Kissing the Maid of Honor is a sweet story about second chances.  Sela and Luke are fantastic together – their interactions are full of both wit and tenderness.  Luke has a lot of making up to do with Sela, not quite understanding how much damage his comments made when they were teenagers, but their growing trust and intimacy has so much warmth and heart that it kept me glued to the pages.  The development of their relationship was very realistic and I think that Bielman did a great job with the conflict.  The resolution was very touching and made me sigh just a little bit because I was so happy for them to get their HEA.

Kissing the Maid of Honor is actually part of a series and readers will get a glimpse into the next story (about Sela’s brother Shane, which looks like it is going to be fun).  It’s a fun little town, reminding me a little of Jill Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor, complete with an engaging group of friends & family that is sure to provide plenty of material for many good books to come.

Nicholas

30 Thursday May 2013

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cover21396-mediumNicholas Haddonfield, Lord Reston, promised his dying father he would marry before the end of the Season.  And Lady Leah Lindsey, who needs rescuing from being wedded to an old lecher, is the perfect choice for a marriage of convenience.  Only Nick never counted on his heart getting involved.

Nicholas is a companion book to Darius, released last month.  Given the barest of details of Leah’s marriage to Nick in that book, readers are now treated to the details of what really happened.  Nick has a secret – one that prevents him from giving himself fully to his marriage, one that he refuses to share with Leah.  I love Nick, almost as much as Darius.  He’s big, strong, smart and lethally handsome.  But he really needs to work on his communication skills.  A couple of conversations with the right people, a sharing of his burden and his guilt, would have changed his life completely.  But then he wouldn’t have married the lovely Leah.  She’s had a hard life and is facing a difficult future, then a chance encounter with Nick at a ball changes everything.  She just has to be strong enough to handle him and everything that he throws at her.

I adore these two together.  There might have been a couple of times that I had to shake my head at the poor confused man, but their relationship is sweet and fun, while handling serious problems on both sides at the same time.  Nick is so conflicted but Burrowes does a fantastic job of wrapping up everything in a HEA.  Nicholas is a must for readers of historical romances, especially those about big, strong, deluded men and the women smart enough to love them long enough for them to come to their senses.

Note:  This is one of those series where I don’t think it is necessary to read all of the books (although I definitely recommend it because so far they are fantastic).  Nicholas is complete by itself and I don’t think any of the nuances would be lost on new readers.  But those who read Darius will enjoy the revelation of exactly how Nick and Leah got together and how they go forward, and will find it fun to see Darius’s story from an outsider’s perspective.   Knowing what is happening with his life, it just adds that little bit of extra flavor to have someone else’s take on his actions.  Readers are also given glimpses of future characters – Nick’s brothers and his friend Val.  Based on how enjoyable I’ve found these two books, I’m can’t wait for future installments.

SEAL of Honor

29 Wednesday May 2013

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SOH

SEAL of Honor is the first book in Tonya Burrows’s Hornet series – one sure to please those who enjoy an enticing mix of military, mystery and love.  Gabe Bristow only knows how to be a Navy SEAL, but after an accident leaves him without a career, he flounders trying to figure out what to do with his life.  Like a gift, he’s given the opportunity to head a private hostage rescue team, only to find it’s filled with misfits – a drunk linguist, a nerdy ex-CIA analyst, a former FBI negotiator, a cowboy medic, and an explosives expert that might be more volatile than any bomb.  Now they have to figure out how to work together to find Audrey Van Amee’s kidnapped brother, without getting themselves killed.  And Gabe has to keep a professional distance from the very sexy Audrey, not easy when she insists on getting involved in her brother’s case.

All around SEAL of Honor is a fast-paced, captivating read – the characters are larger than life but sexy especially if you like your men big and bad, the suspense is well-developed and comes together very succinctly, the danger seems real and keeps you holding on, and the romance has just that right amount of zing and emotion.  Each of the Hornet team members left their former position under less than stellar circumstances and has the emotional & physical scars to prove it.  Add in the fact that they are all very Alpha, from different backgrounds, never worked together before … definitely a powder keg.  They sucked me in and I’m very much looking forward to getting the scoop on all of Gabe’s team in future books.  There is also a guarantee of adding even more members to the Hornet team, which can only lead to good things.

SEAL of Honor is perfect for those who look for bolder, edge of your seat summer reads filled with colorful characters and riveting story-lines.

Just One Kiss

28 Tuesday May 2013

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cover23875-mediumI’ll admit it, I’m biased.  I absolutely LOVE Susan Mallery’s books and I look forward to Spring because I know that it means that new Fool’s Gold books are coming out … and this year doesn’t look like it is going to disappoint.

Fifteen years ago teenager Patience McGraw fell in love with her best friend, Justice Garrett.  She finally got up enough courage to tell him how she felt, only he disappeared without a trace in the middle of the night.  Fool’s Gold and Patience were the best thing about Justice’s childhood.  In the witness protection program to escape his criminal father, he was stunned when they suddenly had to relocate after his father was seen in the area.  Now, after years in the military and a stint doing private security, Justice is back in the only place that ever felt like home to open a defense academy – and to see Patience again.  When they realize that their feelings are still strong, will they be able to trust in themselves and each other enough to commit to something more that Just One Kiss?

Once again Mallery brings readers her signature quirkiness and heart in a book full of humor, love and angst.  Although Patience is pretty well centered, Justice is struggling with the things he’s seen and done, plus his fear that he could hurt people like his father.  A fear like that goes deep and no matter how many people tell you otherwise, you are still going to have doubts.  I love the little boy hidden in the man – the one that wants so badly to connect to others, to have a normal life, and for someone to give him the comfort and love he didn’t have growing up.  No matter how big and strong and capable he is, I just want to give him a hug and a cookie.

As always, a Fool’s Gold novel is about more than the two people in the blurb.  It’s always like coming home for me when I pick up one of these books because the town is so real and the people are like old friends.  We’re given updates on everyone, but we’re introduced to new friends too, which is fun.  Mallery does a great job of giving you just enough about the people who will be in the next handful of books to tease you.  I’m actually restraining myself from picking up my ARC of the next novel as I know it is going to be so awesome.  Felicia, who will be the focus next, was definitely a highlight for me in an all-star supporting cast.  I just know she’s going to be a trip to get to know better.

New and long-term readers will love the newest in Mallery’s amazing series – with heart, humor and just that perfect tinge of heat, Just One Kiss is sure to please.