Unmasking Miss Appleby by Emily Larkin

Book 1 in the Baleful Godmother series

http://www.emilylarkin.com/

Charlotte Appleby is a good woman in a bad situation; both her parents have passed and she now approaches the ripe old age of 25 under the roof of her insufferable aunt and uncle, still without having received the Season she was due. As a 'charity' case, her aunt and uncle don't seem inclined to help Charlotte find her way in the world, so Charlotte needs to forge her own path; something that becomes a trifle easier when her (albeit scary) Fairy Godmother shows up on her 25th birthday to grant her a special power...metamorphosis. Armed with the ability to transform into whatever, or whomever, she pleases, 'Mr. Albin' decides to make 'his' way in the world by answering an ad in the paper for a secretary... an ad placed by a very handsome earl.

Marcus, Lord Cosgrove, is in need of a new secretary after his last one was ambushed and hurt in a fight; Mr. Albin, while a bit unusual (and clearly untutored in all things manly), seems to be the only one in England who's willing to stomach the risk. Together, Albin and Cosgrove set off on an adventure to find whoever is smashing the Earl's windows, leaving 'nightsoil' on his doorstep, and, apparently, even trying to kill him. Albin and the Earl become good friends as they begin to unravel the mysteries surrounding Cosgrove's life - but will that all change when Cosgrove learns Albin, er, Charlotte's secret?

Charlotte is an amazing heroine - truly, her story and her personality captivated me. She was generous and thoughtful, and willing to take responsibility for her actions at all times - even when it was hard. She was honest (as much as can be expected when one is hiding a major, magical secret) and hard-working, her caring for Marcus stemming from a deeply personal place of friendship and concern. She is a self-made woman, someone who is reasonably afraid but takes action anyway; I found her to be one of the more admirable heroines I've read about. For his part, Marcus was also a gem; funny and loyal, incredibly caring, sexy in his competence and confidence, and very thoughtful. He actually took a backseat in my estimation, with Charlotte really being the mover and shaker in this book, which might be why he shines a little less brightly than she does despite still being a wonderful, consistent character.

The plot was fast-paced; the mystery of who was behind the events happening to Marcus (and when/how he would discover Charlotte's secret) kept the pages flying by and provided a lot of opportunities for Charlotte to prove her worth as Albin. I liked Charlotte's freedom to move through the plot and make change happen, so unusual for women in Regency that often are being pushed around by the ton and relatives, and I loved her growing self-confidence and bravery as she took charge. The setup for the magic is well-done so it doesn't feel ridiculous or overbearing, and the ending - the way Marcus and Charlotte resolve their differences - is classic and sweet. 

Honestly, there was only one thing that brought this book from an A/A+ region to a solid A-, and *SPOILER ALERT HERE - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK* the issue was really only a page, making it even sadder that it brought the book down in my estimation so much. Marcus has been sleeping with a woman called 'Miss Brown' (Charlotte); he realizes that Miss Brown and his secretary, Albin, are one and the same. He flies into a violent rage using his punching bag, repeating over and over in his head 'I fucked a man' while he tears his hands to pieces. The episode smacked of some very real and violent homophobia/transphobia, echoing real world events where trans women who come out to their partners are summarily beaten or murdered; overall, the inclusion of this scene made me wildly uncomfortable and I think there were better ways for the author to express Marcus's discomfort - perhaps by focusing on the lies that Charlotte had told rather than the gender. *END SPOILER ALERT HERE* 

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book - a fast-paced, fun and unique plot with a take-charge heroine and a man that matches her fire and spirit. What's not to love? Fun fact: by heading over to Emily's website and joining her reader group, I hear you can get this book for free! What's better than that?

Favorite Quotes: Unfortunately, I was not reading this book with the intention to review it (but once I discovered how good it was I knew I needed to share it with the world!) so I did not mark favorite quotes. Be rest assured, this book is really fun. 

"Sexy"ness rating: One thing I loved about this book was that it got hotter over time - you could see the way the friendship benefited the intimacy. Definitely does not leave you at the bedroom door. 

Overall Rating: A-

Bottom Line: Charlotte is a heroine of her own making; her bravery and self-direction, honesty and selflessness, make her an admirable woman - it felt like an honor to witness her journey to love. Marcus is also honorable, kind, and humorous; he is an alpha hero for sure - self-assured, a bit domineering, but still soft enough inside to be more than lovable.

Pages: 391

Published: November 2016

Genre: Historical/Regency

His Wicked Kiss by Gaelen Foley

Book 7 in the Knight Miscellany Series

http://www.gaelenfoley.com/

     Foley is masterful. I've decided she's truly and utterly a mastermind at creating heroines I really, really enjoy.

    Eden Farraday is another one of my 'top five heroines of all time' - which means Foley now holds two of the top five spots for me (with the other heroine being 'Dan' from Prince Charming and a close runner up being Jacinda from Lady of Desire). To be honest, I almost wish the heroes would stop coming in and muddling things up for me, because I would totally read about these women and their adventurous, awesome lives without any romance. But "Black Jack", Lord Jack Knight, does sail into the picture, so I digress.

     Eden is a woman raised in the jungle; her scholar of a father spends his time researching plants that can be turned into medicine. But when he loses his patron, instead of sensibly deciding to return to England, he decides to push forward deeper into the jungle - beyond the Orinoco Delta and into the unknown (and known) dangers of the Amazon. Eden has had enough of the wilds. She longs for the glamorous ballrooms of high society and love - and not from the creepy, over-protective Australian, Connor, her father's assistant. Jack, for his part, is "simply" (ahem: secret mission) sailing through the Orinoco Delta with a shipment of goods to go to England when he spots Eden sitting in a tree above the river. When Eden begs him to take her to England however, he refuses and leaves her in the woods after one hot, scorching kiss. However Eden refuses to be deterred and decides to stowaway on Jack's ship; from there, the book follows Eden and Jack as they discover passion, love, and one another's secrets together.

     The plot was entertaining as always - politics, intrigue, etc. Jack is a very conflicted man who is greatly scarred by his past hurts - mostly emotional. As his true father was the "Killarney Crusher" prizefighter, naturally Jack wins most of the physical battles he engages in. His tenderness with Eden, as well as the respect and admiration of his crew, show us that he is more than just a brute though - he has a gentleman's soul. What I think truly made this book so spectacular for me was Foley's willingness to really draw out Jack's emotional journey from close-hearted Blackguard to compassionate, trusting lover. Even after Eden and Jack's marriage, the problems are just beginning and I loved that.

     The best moment in the book actually came from one of these heart-breaking conflicts. Foley wrote a fight between Jack and Eden so masterfully I could truly understand and agree with both of them; both were so hurt and stubborn, their dialogue was so raw and real, I actually found myself tearing up in sympathy for both of them. It made the HEA that much better when they came around to one another's point of view - they worked hard to deserve it.

     The second best moment of the book is all Eden though - when she is discovered on the ship and the crew surround her. Her brave fight and defiance of good ol' Cap'n Jack endeared me to her and earned her a place in my top five. Bravo, Eden - for your bravery, your love, your adaptability, and your intelligence. Jack's acceptance of Eden's adorable bluestocking nature was also a plus - as well as her immediate understanding of his noble heart, even when he refused to accept her words of praise for him. They struggled, but in the end they truly amazed me with the depth of their commitment and love for one another.

     What brought this book down for me? Near the beginning of the second half of the book, I was unsure I recognized who Eden was anymore - she'd turned into a high society lady, but too quickly for me to catch it, and suddenly her bratty and uppity behavior was all up in my grill. For his part, Jack reacted very defensively to her cold shoulder (which was cold for a long, long while) and became kind of a grumpy Neanderthal. I chalked it up to Eden's over zealousness to truly live her glamorous dreams and Jack's bone-headed inability to trust anyone and general fear of society people. Jack's pain here is evident, and I truly felt bad for him since Eden's inability to forgive seemed mightily unjustified. Eden and Jack eventually go back to normal, but this 150 page weird "Who The Fuck is this New and Shitty Eden" brought the book down in my esteem a lot. I was glad to see Eden return to normal near the end, and Jack too.

Favorite Quotes: 

While discussing including the Duke of Wellington, famous for his battle strategy in defeating Napolean, in their secret plans:

"Can he be trusted?" [Jack said.]
"Jack, he's Wellington," Damien snorted.

Without warning, she hurled her machete - it flew through the air and plunged into the mast quite near Jack's head.
... "Miss Farraday," he reproached her with an indulgent tsk, tsk. "You stabbed my ship."

"Sexy"ness rating: There's less erotic behavior in this book than the other's I've read by Foley so far due to the squabbling nature of our leading lord and lady, but the scenes are no less steamy and delectable.

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: Eden is a heroine you'll instantly fall in love with and Jack is an adorable wounded hero who gets a second chance and land lubber life due to his new, loving wife. Now all Foley needs to do is pull out that section with Eden's bratty behavior and we'll all be happy! 

Pages: 434

Published: 2006

Genre: Historical

Prince Charming by Gaelen Foley

Book 3 in the Ascension Series

http://www.gaelenfoley.com/

     This was the first Foley book I read outside the Knight series, and I was glad to see her masterful character development did not disappear.

Can I just say - Lady Daniela Chiaramonte is probably one of my favorite heroines ever, in my reading history to date. She is moronically brave and noble, a real spitfire... she has balls of steel. She knees the Prince of Ascension in the balls after robbing his carriage and then, when her friends get captured, she bombs the jail and sneaks into the palace to rescue them single-handedly. I usually dislike idiotically ballsy heroines - but Dani always seemed to know what she was doing. She had a plan, knew the risks, and wasn't afraid of death getting in her way. I was charmed, instantly.

And perhaps that was why I was willing to forgive the giant piece of unrealistic bull that came about 50 pages in - where the Prince of Ascension, hero Rafael (Rafe), goes to the jail where Dani is being held before being hanged for thieving (her escape plans didn't quite go as expected) and tells her if she wants to live, she's going to marry him. At first I was like - no way in hell would a prince (who has been kneed in the precious jewels) propose to marry a world-class thief after meeting her once. That's not how royalty, or love, works. It's just too quick.

But then, I was charmed quickly by Dani - and I could see the incredibly bored Prince Rafael being charmed by her immediately as well. Adding in her sway over the people as a 'Robin Hood' figure, and Rafe's desire to be in control of his own destiny, I actually came to respect this inconceivable plot device, and enjoy it. Unfortunately, after this point, things went downhill. The development of true love was weak - it just exploded upon us, and then Dani and Rafe began acting super weird and lusty and there was a ton of PDA and I was like 'ugh, I'm so out'. So the romance ceased to amuse me because it lacked the proper build up - Foley rushed into things and then had nowhere to go. So they just kept pawing at each other, and occasionally getting into little tiffs that made me roll my eyes. This part dropped the book a full letter grade for me - because Dani was an A+ heroine until Rafe came along. And if you say that about a romantic couple, better off alone than together, you know something went wrong.

Still, the plot was intriguing - our villain was a masterful and unassuming Iago type, complete with long monologues to the reader about his evil plans. I gave huge props to Foley for actually killing real characters that we came to care about to (yes, you read that right - in a romance, no less). Foley's not afraid to take us for all the emotion we're willing to spend. The writing was Foley's typical smooth flow, with nice descriptions, and only a few stagnant scenes that the editor should have cut (that first scene in Rafe's bedroom... WTF was even happening? What were all those rape-y feels we got from Rafe's 'friends'). The book occasionally felt like Foley had meant to go in one direction and then forgot, leaving us with more loose ends than I would have liked. I was willing to forgive the few inconsistencies of character from Rafe just because he was such an overgrown child at the beginning, and children are fickle. Towards the end he became much more steady.

Final positive - this book was funny as all get out. A lot of good, dry humor coming from one of my new favs - Dani Chiaramonte.

Favorite Quotes: 

I should have taken notes. This book actually made me laugh out loud on my couch. It was hysterical.

"Sexy"ness rating: Why do I even bother with this part? The books are always hot, hot, hot!

Overall Rating: C+

Bottom Line: An amazing, amazing heroine - the epitome of true strength and courage (if a little big pigheaded) and a hero with so much room to grow at the beginning, who becomes a leader and a fabulous lover by the end. Unfortunately, the first 150 pages are better than the last 250, leaving me with a sad feeling as I closed on the HEA.

Pages: 412

Published: 2003

Genre: Historical

Lady of Desire by Gaelen Foley

Book 4 in the Knight Miscellany Series

http://www.gaelenfoley.com/

     So this was the third book I read in my Gaelen Foley binge (see my review of Book 6, One Night of Sin, in her series for the fourth book I read) and I liked it very much. Frequently, we see historical series that have a bunch of older brothers and a spirited younger sister thrown in the mix (see Mary Balogh's Bedwyn Saga). Often these spirited sisters are a little too overly aggressive (overcompensating) for my tastes and all seem to come from the same mold. Jacinda Knight, our leading lady, is a beautiful blend of youth and innocence with the strength and ferocity to understand and overcome the barriers of innocence to her life's adventures. She admits she's wrong, is not wise beyond her years (but is wise enough that she knows it) and has the strength and spirit of youth.

     Our hero, Billy Blade (Earl of Rackford), is unconventional to say the least. With a miserably sad past as the unnecessary second son, Billy has left his aristocratic family behind and is now leader of a gang - the Firehawks. But he still has the manners of a gentleman, when it comes to Jacinda at least, when she wanders into his territory while following the boy who picked her pockets, preventing her from running away from her brother's arranged marriage for her. She is fascinated by his dangerous allure (and tattoos) but when he finds out who she is (after a stolen kiss and a few other liberties), he immediately returns her to her family.

     Unfortunately, a set-up forces Blade to either leave his beloved Firehawks behind for ton life or be sent to the gallows. Jacinda is none too happy to see him in London society, but eventually (recognizing a hopelessly lost man) begins to warm to Blade's plight and helps him adjust to his new lifestyle as gentleman and Earl. As they begin working together more closely, the romance blossoms and linger feelings ignite a passion. Foley's story goes beyond the romance, leading to an extended ending, to wrap up a few loose ends of the plot - but instead of being tedious, it's amazing. My favorite moment comes near the end of the book and has very little to do with the romance - and everything to do with Jacinda being amazing. I'd tell you what it is, but I really want you to read it for yourself. Suffice it to say, I can picture her standing on that rooftop, the best backup ever, hair blowing in the wind, the goddess of awesome-sauce and the coolest rescuing heroine ever.

Billy and Jacinda's romance is uniquely beautiful not only because they are unconventional but also because they help each other grow and mature so incredibly. They are so good for one another that it hurts, and it makes the heartbreak of Billy's past and Jacinda's future fade away into the kind of magical HEA that Foley does so well. The writing is superb, the pacing is excellent - there's truly very little to complain about here other than the unrealistic nature of the story's events and a few not-explained-well-enough plot holes (why can Billy's father spring him from jail but not Lucien?). The moment with Billy's father at the end, neatly wrapping up his horrible history, was touching but also a tad unrealistic. Jacinda's awesome - but maybe not awesome enough to cause such a conversation to occur in so short a time.

Favorite Quotes: 

I was not planning on reviewing this book so I didn't grab any quotes for you - but oh my goodness, it was funny. Jacinda and Blade, and the Knight brothers, promise some serious fun.

"Sexy"ness rating: Billy Blade is pretty good with his sword...

Overall Rating: B+

Bottom Line: An amazing heroine with plenty of fighting spirit and a dashing, unconventional gentleman for her lover. The romance was amazing, but truly it was Foley's portrayal of Jacinda that really bumped this book up from an average romance to an amazing romance.

Pages: 412

Published: 2003

Genre: Historical

One Night of Sin by Gaelen Foley

Book 6 in the Knight Miscellany Series

http://www.gaelenfoley.com/

     First, let me say that I've been on a Gaelen Foley binge these past two weeks - I've read four of her books in rapid succession. This is the first one I've stopped to review, for the sad reason that it irritated me some. I promise I'll try to post my more positive reviews of her other books soon, to be fair.

     In One Night of Sin, Rebecca 'Becky' Ward, cousin to an evil, scheming, lusty Prince Mikhail Kurkov, is being hunted down by her cousin's Cossack warriors after running away from their ancestral pile when he a) becomes her super-creepy guardian and b) kills a man in cold blood. When notorious rake (and gambler) Lord Alec Knight rushes to her rescue after finding her running about the streets of London alone, some hot and steamy romance ensues where he, presuming her to be a harlot, frees her of her innocence consensually and immediately. After he uncovers her innocence, he desires to marry her for honor's sake but is thwarted. However as the two grow closer when Alec helps Becky bring her cousin to justice, he begins to desire marriage for more than honor - for love.

Awww.

First - the good. Alec is charming, and his back story is very sad. I appreciated the author's credit to sexual situations that make men uncomfortable. Foley found a unique way to show that not all her male characters (and thus not all men) want all the sex they can get, all the time, and even rakehells are more than their dicks. Alec's story made the romance all the more delightful because you could see it healing him - watching his wariness and brokenness fade away was sweet. Becky is strong-willed but gentle with Alec, and so awesomely fierce. Talk about a fighter, whew. The sex is well-written and very erotic. The plot is interesting and there's plenty going on in the book other than the romance to keep us entertained without being confusing or distracting. 

Second - the disappointing. Nothing ruins a book for me than contradictions of character or poor pacing. Contradictions came in early and stayed til the end. Examples? Becky is very independent and strong (she kicks a dandy in the gonads about 35 pages in), and has successfully found her way to London from Buckley-on-Heath, the self-professed middle-of-freakin'-nowhere, but now that she's in London, can't seem to find her way to a single street and doesn't have the warrior spirit to march up to someone and ask. How about Alec - ultimate fop and aristocrat, never been in a battle in his life but enjoys sparing with his friends, who successfully kills multiple Cossack warriors single-handedly (yeah right) and doesn't even think twice about the violence when this is likely the first time he's killed someone is such an overly bloody manner. Literally, no moral musings about killing people at all. Similarly, other violent events against people who are unarmed (though maybe a tiny bit deserving) also struck me as just a bit contradictory for such a gentleman. 

The pacing - Alec had so many woman-issues and trust problems, rightfully so, but he divulged them all to Becky and got over them and into loving her way too quickly for my tastes. I expected a delicious and bitter fight for his heart til the end, and Foley tried to sell me that story, but it simply wasn't true. Alec was hooked from the start - but he shouldn't have been. So the poor pacing made me sort of impatient with the romance; it was simply too easy.

Finally, the fact that the book hinged on Alec's rather serious gambling addiction unsettled me. If I were Becky, I'd be less concerned about the allure of other women and far more worried about how his addiction was going to ruin our marriage. That thought left a lingering sour taste in my mouth about the supposed Happy Ever After - I was in no way convinced Alec was not going to turn their fortune into chips at the table.

Favorite Quotes: 

Unfortunately, though there were a few good laughs, I did not take notes while reading this book and thus I have no quotes for you. Sorry, loves.

"Sexy"ness rating: Yum with a cherry on top. We are steamy from the first page to the last (pretty much literally, by the way).

Overall Rating: B-

Bottom Line: An entertaining read, and definitely a worthwhile part of the Knight Series. Alec really tugged at my heartstrings, and the book had no end of adventure and heat. Becky was fun and enjoyable, the writing was Foley's typical awesome-sauce. I could have handled a little more consistency and realism though, and after three good books it dropped this one in my esteem a bit.

Extra Note: I truly do love the notes Foley puts in the back of her book, lending credibility to her stories by discussing the historical research she's put into the series. It's a small bonus for her readers, but I'm always interested in seeing how much work goes into a piece of fiction - more than anyone ever suspects.

Pages: 467

Published: 2005

Genre: Historical

Mad About the Earl by Christina Brooke

Book 2 in the Ministry of Marriage series

http://www.christina-brooke.com/

This is the first review I've done in a while, so bear with me as I organize my thoughts.

First, I love Beauty and the Beast tales - and boy was this a good one! Lady Rosamund Westruther is the perfect innocent, a lady with stars in her eyes. While those stars may dim a little throughout the course of her tumultuous romance with the occasionally boorish yet strong and handsome Earl of Tregarth (Griffin), her strength of character, persistence, and innovation make her a lovable and unique heroine. I enjoyed her from the very beginning when she first set her stubborn sights on Griffin and set him in his place. Brooke did an excellent job walking the line between emotional strength and high-strung prissiness with Rosamund. Similarly, I enjoyed how Griffin never truly lost some of his more gruff, burly qualities. Rosamund may have polished him a little bit, but she certainly didn't make him change for her. Rosamund's naivety was a little startling at times, considering her mother's more scandalous behavior, but I found her shy sensuality adorable and refreshing. I think the only thing I could have wished for was to understand Griffin's epiphany moment a little better - it seemed rather sudden and unprovoked. 

While the romance itself was lovely, a dash of drama with hints of tortured hero and exasperated heroine, the main plot of the book was overused. Hint, hint: There's a murder and some smugglers. To be honest, I didn't like this overly dramatic plot the first book I read it in, and become less enamored with it with every reboot. Also, the plot feels a little rushed - it's undermentioned in the first half of the book, so suddenly we're in a cave, fighting some smugglers like 'the fuck'? When the real murderer is revealed, the motivation behind it doesn't real come across so you're left confused as to why the author chose to use this inane plot device in her story at all. The sheer annoyance of having to read through the babble about the 'mystery' really turned me off during the second half of the book and I couldn't have wished it to be over fast enough.

For supporting characters, we have a clever and cynical Duke (Rosamund's guardian), a nasty mother (on that note - the painting catastrophe was also a strange and unnecessary addition to this book that I could have done without), a supportive sister, and a set of sometimes-loyal-sometimes-not townsfolk. I'd love to see more of the Duke and Xavier (the brother) for sure and was happily amused at the mother's situation, as it was revealed during the epilogue. 

Favorite Quotes:

Sadly, I did not take down any this time - I was not planning on reviewing the book (due to limited time constraints indicated by my clear inactivity on my blog in the past year or more) so I didn't take any notes. But trust me, there were many heart-melting and rotfl-inducing moments in this tale!

"Sexy"ness Rating: Hot! Only a few lovemaking scenes but dayum are they delicious!

Overall Rating: B+

Bottom Line: If you like gruff heroes and the stubborn heroines who step on their toes then this is a book for you. Beware the overused and dramatic main plot - skim if possible - and enjoy!

Pages: 328

Published: January 3, 2012

Genre: Historical

Where Have You Been?

That is a good question indeed, my dear reader.

I apologize for the trickling off in my reviews over the past year. My senior year of high school, along with my jobs and extracurricular activities, took a lot of time away from my schedule and the only thing that could give was my reviewing and reading time.

But here we are, back again. I'll give you some updates - I've graduated! Yay! I'll be going to college in the fall, publishing my first book (under my real name and it's not a romance so you won't see it advertised on here) in about a month, and working on publishing my first romance in the winter. It'll be cool. Trust me. ;)

Thank you so much for your readership, those of you that do, and I hope to get this blog back up and running with a review or two a week in the near future. Thanks again!

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Book 1 in the Highland Pleasures series

http://www.jennifersromances.com/

It’s mighty sad that it took me about half of the book before I recognized that these Mackenzie men are Highlanders. With names like Ian, Cameron, Hart, and Mac… well, some days I prove to be slow-witted.

Moving on. Ian Mackenzie was locked in an insane asylum as a child for his unusual penchants – but has been released again to roam in polite society (rather impolitely). A collector of porcelain, he is fascinated by beauty and truth. Beth Ackerley has recently inherited a large fortune from the wealthy widow to whom she was a companion. Beth is about to marry the sordid Sir Mather. Ian feels compelled to save her because of her beauty and sincerity – he deems her worth saving and so he reveals Mather’s sexual proclivities and massive debt. While the two could’ve parted ways, Ian is drawn inexplicably to Beth and follows her to Paris. The two become quite entangled and as dark, mysterious elements from the Mackenzie brothers’ past begin to show up, Beth becomes determined to help Ian discover the truth. At any cost.

Ian… is a very unique hero. He was mad enough (he has various attention issues, observation issues, etc) that he was interesting and inimitable but not so mad as to be strange and unlikeable. Overall, he was a good man if a little overprotective of Beth (way before his time, I might add). He acts like a caveman sometimes and while it’s endearing too a point he went way beyond endearing to Neanderthal. His absolute obsession and absorption with beauty was fascinating. I liked seeing how Beth opened him up to more feeling and depth of emotion – he wasn’t miraculously ‘fixed’ by the end of the book but he was better (this is good. I despise the miraculous fix). My only complaint is that his character was occasionally inconsistent – at one instance he talks of how he is unable to talk when he gets too overwhelmed or angry but at the next moment he’s screaming ‘Fuck you’ in a man’s face (and I quote).

Beth, for her part, was a fantastic heroine. I loved watching her stand up to all the patriarchal men around her. I loved her sass, her loss of inhibition, her beauty, honesty, and trusting nature. She didn’t even seem out of place for the era despite her un-lady-like tendencies. She was strong-willed, stubborn, and I loved her for it. Ian was indeed a lucky man to end up with her. There’s not too much more to say about her than that – she’s well-developed, well-rounded, intelligent… all-around a good woman with a good heart.

The plot was a bit tired. It was clearly overused and didn’t always make sense. Frequently, conclusions were reached on assumptions. A lot of the time it required me to suspend my belief in reality and good police work which, frequently, I was happy to do. But it still niggled at the back of my mind. Other than that, I liked her style of writing – the prose flowed nicely and the dialogue was excellent (especially between Beth and Hart and Beth and Fellows). I liked that some of Beth’s journal entries were included in the book – the change in narrative perspective was nice. Often, the reader is in the hero’s head and can miss the female perspective. Not here! I appreciated how the setting of the book appeared to be constantly changing - it was a good reflection of Ian's restlessness. Finally, there were some really poignant scenes between the brothers. While I didn’t find all of the romantic scenes especially powerful, all of the scenes between the brothers pulled at my heart-strings. This looks to be a promising series and I look forward to reading the other books.

Favorite Quotes:

“‘I find that a Ming bowl is like a woman’s breast,’ Sir Lyndon Mather said to Ian Mackenzie, who held the bowl in question between his fingertips. ‘The swelling curve, the creamy pallor. Don’t you agree?’

Ian couldn’t think of a woman who would be flattered to be compared to a bowl, so he didn’t bother to nod.”

“‘Find her,’ Ian said. He jerked Fellows upright. ‘You’re a detective. Detect something.’”

 “Sexy”ness rating: Hot… except for the cunny. Why, why, why would you EVER use the word cunny? I know about historical accuracy… but there are fewer words less appealing to come across in the middle of a hot sex scene. Really.

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: Well-developed characters, a moderately interesting (if not terribly extended) plot to keep things moving, some interesting twists and the classic I’m-pregnant-I-promise-you-won’t-be-like-your-dad-honey happy ending, if you like historicals this one will likely suit your tastes.

Pages: 323

Published: April 28, 2009

Genre: Historical

The Top Ten of 2011

Without further ado, I present to you the A+ books of 2011, and my TOP TEN PICKS for 2011!!!

     

A+ Books List:

1. Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell
2. Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan
3. What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long
4. Too Hot to Touch - Louisa Edwards

Top Ten Books of 2011:

1. Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell (Historical)
2. Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan (Fantasy)
3. What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long (Historical)
4. Too Hot to Touch by Louisa Edwards (Contemporary)
5. Nine Rules to Break While Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean (Historical)
6. Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean (Historical)
7. Taken by the Prince by Christina Dodd (Historical)
8. Slave by Sherri Hayes (BDSM romance - does not go beyond kissing)
9. Heart of Honor by Kat Martin (Historical)
10. An Indecent Proposition by Emma Wildes (Historical)

Taming the Beast by Heather Grothaus

http://www.heathergrothaus.com/

First, let me say, I’m a real sucker for Beauty and the Beast stories. If you’re not, you won’t adore this book nearly as much as I do. That warning aside, this book was fantastic! Roderick Cherbon has returned from the Crusades hideously disfigured. The only good news is his hated father has died, leaving him the Cherbon lands – with a condition. He must marry before his thirtieth birthday, to a lady of good family. In an effort to keep his lands, he sends out a proclamation asking marriageable ladies to the castle. Lady Michaela Fortune, also known as ‘Miss Fortune’, comes from a poor but titled family. After being rebuked harshly by the man she thought she loved, she leaves for the Cherbon lands, determined (and I do mean determined) to win the man and the fortune he’s offering to heal her damaged pride and save her family from ruins. But the ‘Cherbon Devil’ turns out to be more than Micheala bargained for at first – can she even hope to tame the beast?

The first thing that I liked, right off, was the uniqueness of the time period. There are so many Beauty and the Beast tales set in the Regency period that it was nice to see one in a different era, during 1103 and the Crusades. The dialogue was active and engaging, and I loved seeing things from Roderick and Micheala’s point of view. Both were especially poignant, and very different from the other. I liked seeing how their differences made them so compatible. I loved seeing her go from a childish, light-hearted dreamer to a more serious and mature, but still kind and caring, woman. I loved seeing her share her light with Roderick. This book actually reminded me a bit of Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (one of my all time favorites) because of Micheala’s persistence to help Roderick see the good in himself, and his insistence to only see the worst in himself.

Roderick was a heartbreaking character. His abusive father instilled in him a sense of his own worthlessness, and he went to the Crusades hoping to prove his worth. Instead he comes back a failure in his own mind, crippled, missing a leg, and scarred beyond compare. He feels no one can love him as he is - a disgusting failure. He repulses himself, and is so filled with his own self-loathing he can’t find a way to escape it. He, just like Dain in Lord of Scoundrels, is a perfect dark, brooding, angsty hero who tries to hide his pain in his cruel words and actions to other. I loved his fear of being loved because he’d never been loved before, his child-like uncertainty. He was just so… perfect. I was piling on the empathy for this man. My heart still breaks for him.

Lady Micheala Fortune was admirable and loveable. She kept hoping even when it was hopeless, and was the right blend of patient and relentless. She never stopped loving him, or telling/showing him she loved him. I liked watching her change from a girl into a woman without losing any of her fabulous qualities. I loved her guts – how she was willing to yell at Roderick whenever he yelled at her, and how she never left. She was the only kind of heroine to help Roderick, and she made him whole again - or perhaps for the first time ever. She, just as he grew, also really blossomed in my eyes. I especially loved her motherly sentiments towards Leo, Roderick’s son, and how she brought the father and son closer together. (Again, Lord of Scoundrels, anyone?)

All in all, with the sweet little boy, Leo, the wonderful mother-figure Micheala, and the wounded hero father, Roderick, could one have a more perfect family?

Now, one short paragraph of what knocked this book from A+ position. The dialogue was a little inconsistent for the time period. Some of the sentences seemed accurate in structure but others included words or phrases that seemed too modern. Whether they were, I’m not certain, but I had to question the authenticity of the syntax for the time period. The ending was my biggest problem – it was unrealistically happy. Everyone’s friends and ***BIG BIG BIG SPOILER ALERT HERE*** Roderick’s leg that is missing gets healed-ish by some freaky ‘Justice’ man. I hate to say it, but the soldiers over in Iraq who have their legs blown off, despite the injustice of it, don’t get new legs all of a sudden. I really disliked how unrealistic that was. ***END OF BIG BIG BIG SPOILER ALERT***. I like happy endings, but this was completely unrealistic, which surprised me. The rest of the book focused on the realism of Roderick’s injuries, and the very end seemed to make all his previous struggles negligible for the sake of the perfection of the ending. It was too much a fairy tale ending, especially compared to the rest of the book. It just didn’t match and felt forced, and that definitely pulled the book down in my esteem. Finally, the villain was tots cliché. But I was expecting that.

 “Sexy”ness rating: More tender than flaming hot, but there is sex

Overall Rating: A-

Bottom Line: Sweet and beautiful, with a unique setting and good dialogue (and a fabulous cast of characters) this is def worth your time!

Pages: 343

Published: November 3, 2009

Genre: Historical

Touch of the Angel by Rosalie Lario

Touch of the Angel by Rosalie Lario

Book 3 in the Blood of the Demon series

www.rosalielario.com

All Amara is trying to do is stay alive and save her mother from harm.Unfortunately, since she's succubi, that's much easier said than done. When her accidental and unsuspecting prey one night is a sweet, if a little rough-around-the-edges, angel named Ronin, Amara has trouble forgiving herself for killing him through their one-night-stand (let me interject here for all of you non-paranormal people: succubi kill any non-sex-demon they have sex with). She can't seem to get his face out of her mind. Ronin wakes up drowsy and weakened from his one-night-stand with a beautiful girl - and it doesn't take long before he realizes she's succubi. Can he find her and take her off the streets before she kills anyone else? And what will he think when he discovers her real motivation for her dirty deeds?

This book started out disappointing – especially since the first two books in the series were so incredible. This book began slow, a bit confusing, and not terribly attention-grabbing. I wasn’t sure quite what I was reading and I wasn’t all that interested in reading about it. Luckily, that didn’t last too long! About 1/5 of the way through, it finally started to pick up the pace and turn into the magnificent book I was looking for. Still, that first 1/5 of the book was agonizing to get through and I’m still not certain I understand exactly why it was written the way it was – where the reader is plopped in the middle of a scene as if they should understand it. One other thing I noted that I didn’t like about the story was that the dialogue was a little unnatural and wooden at times. However that also disappeared as the book went on. Really, only the beginning didn’t live up to my very high expectations (well, the ending was a little cliché, but I was still able to enjoy it and put that aside).

I liked the book but there were a few things I absolutely adored: Ronin, Amara, and the unique nature of their romance. How many romances start with the heroine almost killing the hero… with sex? That was amusing, to me. I also really enjoyed how both the romance and the plot became increasingly unusual - and not in a bad way. There were some twists I wasn't expecting, and the focus of the story was far different than what I expected, which was still enjoyable. I also loved the romantic focus on the vulnerability of Amara due to her incredible sexuality. I really liked how Ronin protects her – recognizes that she needs protecting – and looks beyond his own anger at her, to the larger problem (the main villain). Many heroes can be short-sighted, but Ronin was looking far ahead.

Amara, for her part, is a savvy heroine. She's funny, sarcastic, smart and kind-hearted. She's going through a rough time, trying to keep her mom healthy and herself healthy in a deadly game where she's a near-useless pawn. She's struggling but she's keeping her head up. She was generally optimistic and I loved how she was able to keep her self-preservation instincts throughout the entire story instead of turning into a wimp that needed rescuing. Her determination to survive is unmatched. She has to make hard choices throughout the book but she doesn't let her bottom lip quiver - she does the best she can to make the best decision she can. She's definitely a strong woman, in need of an equally caring and equally strong man.

Ronin was really an incredible angst-y hero. Suffering through a nauseatingly awful childhood, he is strong, caring, protective, and smart. He looks past his own suffering to the suffering of others and does his best to ignore his own pain and rescue them from their demons (past and present). He’s a very giving hero, and inspiring. He’s also funny and your ‘typical man’ sometimes, which brings him down from being an obnoxious paragon to simply a caring human being (or rather angel-demon hybrid) capable of mistakes but not prone to them. The way he cares for Amara is beautiful and touching and makes for a great romance. The book's terrible start coupled with its beautiful prose and tender romance throughout the middle and end had this book averaging out to a B- in my mind – still good, but not as good as I’ve come to expect from Lario. Especially since this book became so unusual and interesting throughout the middle, I was extra disappointed by the still adequate but cliche ending.

Still, I would definitely recommend the entire series. Books one and two are phenomenal, and I can't wait for book four. Thank you so much, Ms. Lario, for sending me your book for review!

Favorite Quotes:

Getting captured sounded like the best thing ever.

Ronin’s chest expanded. “I like it. How’s Brynn?”

“Fine. Pissed at me. She says next time I have to be the one to give birth.” (Keegan)

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot! What else could you expect from a sex demon?

Overall Rating: B-

Bottom Line: This book started off slow but quickly picked up its pace to become the enthralling read I expect from Lario. Ronin is a loveable hero and Amara an admirable heroine. The book focuses on their struggles and provokes major amounts of empathy from the reader for both the hero and heroine. I also adored the struggle they faced as lovers – my only wish is that it wasn’t resolved so neatly. Overall, another touching addition to the series!

Pages: 286

Published: December 6, 2011

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Happy December - Update

Hey everyone!

So this year has been super-busy for me, and I can't even spend too long updating this post! With Yearbook, College Applications, 4 AP classes, and the shows I've been stage managing there hasn't been much time in my life for... ah... anything. Especially this. So here are some reviews you can expect shortly (hopefully!):

Touch of an Angel
Cry Wolf
Cop's Passion
After Midnight

All by very awesome authors who have sent me their books for review and I've been struggling to get to. My goodness, I never expected to be so busy!

In another word, by June 2012 I will have self-published my very first book: Jheym's Silence under the pen name Sapphire Rose Night. It's the first book in a three book series (The Legacy of Mazaida) and I'll be publishing it on createspace but it will also be available at Amazon. It was a lot of fun to write and I can't wait to publish it! I'll try to keep it about 7.99 or 8.99 if I can! Anyways, that's really exciting but editing and formatting is also taking a lot of time out of my reviewing budget sooo... I promise I'm trying guys. I have a whole new respect for authors. I mean, I know they don't have to go to school for eight hours a day, but I can't imagine working eight hours a day and writing too - or even just trying to run a house and write. GEESH!

See you soon and Merry Christmas!

Doctor's Delight by Angela Verdenius

Book 1 in the Big Girl’s Lovin’ series

www.angelaverdenius.com

Cherry is getting older and she’s still a virgin. Getting desperate to have her ‘cherry popped’ she contacts Helen at the escort agency, and arranges for a man to meet her at a hotel room. She meets the man there, has wonderful, blow-your-mind sex with him, then pays and leaves while he sleeps. The next day she gets a call from the escort agency saying the man, Damien, got into an accident and couldn’t meet her last night, explaining how sorry the agency is. So who did Cherry have sex with? She finds out when she heads to work (she’s a nurse) and sees the new doctor, Rick Reed. Looks like things at work are about to heat up…

I’d like to start off by saying I really liked the heroine of this story. Cherry is a plus-sized heroine with plus-sized fears and insecurities. I myself am thin, I’ve always been thin, and it’s very likely I will remain thin. I’ve never had to worry about my size, or see models way, way thinner than me prancing about in bras and panties as the only definition of sexy. I felt bad for Cherry because I could realistically see why she was so insecure, and consequently it made the story of her discovering her own self-worth very moving. It was a great idea to pick a plus-sized heroine, because it’s original. A great idea with good execution. Well done, Verdenius!

However, there were some things that dimmed my enjoyment of the story. First, our hero was a bit of a cad. Rick comes off as domineering, crude, and way too forward for my tastes. While I liked how good he was to Cherry at the beginning of the novel, he was kind of an inconsiderate brute. A jerk. A dick. I didn’t like him. And my like for him didn’t grow exponentially throughout the novel, so I ended up with an overall sense of ‘meh’-ness as far as his character was concerned.

The story was a little cliché and moved pretty slowly, but it wasn’t unbearable or completely uninteresting – but it wasn’t a book I was wholly unable to put down and therefore is best read in a few sittings. There was a lot of humor interjected, though the syntax was a little awkward in places. Other than Cherry who was multi-layered and well-developed, the rest of the characters were static, flat, and stereotypical – down to the bitchy, thin girl, the evil teenage boys and the crazy BFFs. I might be wrong in saying this, but I don’t hear that many people making fun of the fat girls at my school, or indeed the fat girls at the pool at my local YMCA. The sheer number of torments Cherry went through seemed a little unrealistic to me, as did Annabelle’s (the skinny bitch) character. Not all of us pretty, skinny gals are bitches; and some fat, pretty or fat ugly women can be. See the stereotype?

Overall, what I had hoped this book would do is not villianize the pretty, skinny, or the fat. While society tends to villianize the fat, this book took a stab at the skinny and I didn’t like that. What I’d hoped was that people of all body types could be embraced in Verdenius’s book, and instead it seemed only the fat were acceptable (especially because such a big deal was made over Annabelle’s size). The prose and dialogue were nothing exceptional and the plot was a little slow, and as already discussed there were problems with the syntax. I did appreciate the humor and Cherry’s character, as well as the uniqueness of the book, but overall it really hit a few nerves with me due to its hypocrisy.

There were a number of demeaning comments made in regards to a skinny woman’s figure that sounded more like spite than anything else. And much as I hate to say this – just like some people can’t help being absurdly fat, some people can’t help being absurdly skinny. There’s a medical condition called hyperthyroidism that can cause women (or men) to end up looking a little like sticks with a lollipop head. You really just can’t eat enough. And some women are simply skinny because they want to be - and that's not bad, just like being fat isn't bad. I wished the book had been universally accepting of figure instead of pinging on the skinny in an effort to make the fat seem better. That’s just as bad as what society does now.

Still, it’s an enjoyable story about a plus-size woman getting her hot, dreamy doctor and I would encourage anyone who enjoys plus-size heroines or who may have some of their own insecurities (like Cherry) to read this book.

You are beautiful.

Favorite Quotes:

There was humor in Helen’s voice. “It depends on what you’re look for in an escort.”

Cherry somehow didn’t think answering “a penis,” would be the correct thing to say.

“Oh dear.” Tim raised the beer can to his mouth. “Something I said?”

“Yes, thank God.” Rick raised his wine glass in salute.

“To the matter at hand,” Maxie said. “Who thinks Annabelle has had so many face lifts that her belly button is now on her face? I always though her lips were a little puckered.”

 “Sexy”ness rating: WHEW!  

Overall Rating: C+

Bottom Line: A good heroine, an ‘eh’ hero, some definite hypocrisy, good humor, awkward syntax, average plot and dialogue, a little slow on pace, unique ideas… did I cover it all?

Pages: 118

Published: May 11, 2011

Genre: Contemporary

Too Hot to Touch by Lousia Edwards

Book 1 in the Rising Star Chef series

www.lousiaedwards.com

Max Lunden has been traveling the world for several years, learning to cook a wide variety of cultural foods from local masters, when he gets a call from home. His mother pleads with him to come home for a few short weeks to help them win a chef competition. His dad wants to win so that their small family restaurant is put back on the map - but he needs Max to win. While Max is reluctant, he’ll do anything for his mother, and so he makes arrangements to come home for a month before leaving for Italy. However when he gets home he finds that his younger brother’s best friend, Juliet Cavanaugh, is now all grown up and works in the restaurant kitchen – and the pretty girl is now a gorgeous, hot-headed woman that Max sets out to seduce. Jules, however, is not so easily turned by Max’s handsome face – she’s definitely gotten over her school-girl crush, and is solely focused on wining the competition. But what happens when the passion building between Max and Jules... boils over?

I debated for a few moments on whether to give this book an A-plus or an A. It wasn’t an overpowering romance – it wasn’t a bring-you-to-your-knees book. Instead, its emotional power was ingrained in its ability to subtly bring out a reader’s emotions. Several times throughout the book I could feel my heart panging in sympathy or tears pricking my eyes. I wasn’t sobbing. I wasn’t overwhelmed with emotion. Instead, the amount of emotion Edwards wrung out of me was just right. Her characters masterfully commanded my full attention, emotionally and mentally, in a story that is unique and unforgettable and as much about the romance as each protagonist's journey to self-discovery and improvement.

I loved Max, the hero. He was funny, witty – and confused. I liked watching him struggle with his feelings, watching as his desire to stay home gradually overcame him before he even recognized any willingness at all to stay home. He was a natural character, a well-developed character, and a very likeable character. He was protective without being a barbarian, charming without being an ass, thoughtful without being clingy, and emotional without being too sappy. A good balance was definitely achieved with Max. I also loved Juliet, with all her crankiness and passion for people, family, and cooking. She was smart, too, and willing to stand independently. I could definitely understand her motivations. What I loved most, however, was the two of them, together. They brought out the best in each other and helped one another realize their dreams and full potential, which is the mark of a successful relationship.

The book moved at a great pace, with expressive and well-written prose and dialogue. Edwards manages to say a lot, with a little. I haven’t read that many chef contemporaries, so I felt the story was focused on a unique occupation, which added to my interest in the story. The book was also very well-researched; Edwards clearly knew what she was writing about when discussing cooking terms, ingredients, etc. That increased my enjoyment of her novel exponentially – there’s nothing more interesting than a really well-researched novel, in part because it shows how much the author cares.

In short, this book was a subtle stunner. I could feel the emotion, the heat, the love. I could feel the Max’s desire to wander warring with his love for Juliet and his family. I could feel his younger brother’s bitterness at being left behind. This book certainly didn’t let Max off the hook lightly for his ‘abandonment’ of his family – and dealing with that dynamic and all those emotions left my heart aching with sympathy for all involved. What a sad, sweet reunion and what wonderful love. The book won’t overwhelm you – but you’ll treasure it just the same for its ability to be real, and I believe the author’s mastery of writing, plots, character development, and manipulation of the reader’s empathy all make this book worthy of an A+.

Favorite Quotes:

Jules. I seem to remember a Juliet hanging out with you, the two of you following me around, looking to get into trouble. Same girl? I bet it is. A chick on the team. Score. Come on, dish it up. Is she hot now? I bet she’s hot.” (Max)
Danny shook his head, amusement relaxing the tense line of his mouth. “Is that all you ever think about?”
“No! Sometimes I think about food. And beer. Scuba diving. Horse races. The color cyan. I’m a complex and multilayered flower, Danny.”

“Sadly, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t bat for my team. But hey, if you and Max really aren’t bucking for Cutest Couple on the Manhattan Restaurant Scene, maybe you can make a jump for Kane.” (Winslow)
A loud crack shocked Jules stiff, and she looked over to see Max sheepishly dropping the chopstick he’d been playing with, snapped into two pieces.
“Or not,” Winslow said, eyes wide.

 “Sexy”ness rating: Hot, hot, hot!

Overall Rating: A+

Bottom Line: The characters are sexy and passionate, the emotion is tender, sweet, and sexy, and the plot is ‘saucy’ and unique. Bon Appétit! 

Pages: 348

Published: August 2, 2011

Genre: Contemporary

Courting Darkness by Yasmine Galenorn

Book 10 in the Sisters of the Moon series

http://www.galenorn.com

Many thanks to The Season ForRomance for providing me with this arc copy to review! 

The D’Artigo sisters are operatives working for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Each of the sisters has her own special talents and gifts. Camille (our protagonist) has three husbands – Trillian, Smoky, and Morio. One of them, dragon Smoky, has a father who’s none-too-pleased with Camille and kidnaps her to his Dragon Reaches. The question is – can Camille survive long enough to escape before the father breaks her, body and spirit? Well, I never got the chance to find out because this book was way too hard for me to struggle through, and I set it down less than half way through.

This book is the tenth in the Sisters of the Moon series, and it was very clear from the first page that if you hadn’t read the first nine books you wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. And so it went – terminology I didn’t know, people and places that were unfamiliar to me, customs, cultures, and events referenced that I knew nothing about. Every other word was something different and crazy and alien. This book is definitely not a stand-alone. It was very confusing and difficult to read – although with the sheer amount of characters, worlds, and species, I think it could have been difficult to read even if you did follow the series. The world was far too complex while being poorly crafted to make a good story.

Now, even if I had been following this series from the beginning there would are several things that would have lowered this book in my esteem. The story read like a series of disjointed vignettes, stapled together. There was no flow, no underlying connection between the scenes – instead each scene was like opening a new box of confusing ideas and relationships that had nothing to do with the last. Furthermore, the way the author writes was distracting. The syntax was strange and awkward, and I found the sentences jarring. The book was unnatural, and instead of flowing smoothly it limped along like a zombie from a low-budget horror flick.

Finally, the characters were unlikeable. I found it hard to understand their motives, thoughts, and ideals. I didn’t understand them, found them lacking in any real depth, and therefore was unable to connect with them – adding to my frustration. They were so cliché. And the sex scenes… lets just say they hit my ‘squick’ button, multiple times. One of the husbands has HAIR that lifts itself up and strokes her. What is that? Not my cup of tea, that's what.

“Sexy”ness rating: Explicit and squicky

Overall Rating: DNF

Bottom Line: All in all, I didn’t enjoy the characters, the plot, or the prose enough to keep reading. While long-time fans of the series may enjoy this book, I would recommend others to skip this one and read something else.

Pages: 336

Published: Nov 1, 2011

Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Fallen Warrior Giveaway Winner!!!

My goodness! I'm so sorry I'm late getting this post out to you wonderful readers. I hope you don't mind me saying that school, work, stage crew, yearbook, vocal lessons, piano, reviews, and just about anything and everything else is really getting to me! However, without any FURTHER ado: The winner of the Rosalie Lario Fallen Warrior giveaway is:




Denise Z!

Congrats to Denise!!! Please contact me at romanticrosemay@yahoo.com so I can let Rosalie know which book you want and get you in contact with her! Once again, thanks to all who entered - and a special thanks to Rosalie for stopping by with her interesting guest post. May you all have an angelic rest of your week!

Angel's Desire by Rosalie Lario

Book 2 in the Fallen Warriors series

www.rosalielario.com

Ethan is an angel – and one of the Fallen. Condemned to die by others of his race when he didn’t go along with their plan to eradicate the human race, he barely escaped with his life. Ethan knows he’s among the lucky. After all, his best friend, Caleb, died – leaving a nephilim daughter (his best kept secret) behind. Ethan has known ‘Taylee’ her entire life and has felt radiating shame for his attraction to his best friend’s young daughter. However, many years later and with a wealth of hurt holding the pair apart, Ethan knows he can’t live without her any longer – and sets out on a quest to make her his mate. Tayla, though, is not convinced. Grown up now, and with plenty of misconceptions regarding Ethan’s role in her father’s death, Tayla is not going to give her heart to Ethan again for him to turn around and break it like he did all those years ago. Is there any hope for this hopelessly misguided couple?

I liked the couple well enough  – I could definitely feel the drama and conflict, even if I wasn’t sure I understood it (this book seemed guilty of the big-misconception-that-was-cleared-up-with-one-conversation-but-has-kept-us-apart-for-years ploy). Ethan was sexy, playful, and dark. I liked, of course, how handsome and adorably boyish he was. He also had some really great lines (as witnessed in my favorite quotes portion) and was incredibly romantic at times – in that angst-y hero way. *Fans self* Ethan really brings the heat, and the sexual tension was overwhelming in a good way. As for the heroine, Tayla, I was occasionally annoyed by her because she seemed overly dramatic and pig-headed, but I was still able to empathize with her. At the end, when she finally gets herself out of her me-me-me rut, she was endearing and sweet. I was charmed by Tayla and Ethan's interactions at the end, and wished them the happiest happy-ever-after there could be.

The plot in the novella was fast-paced but enjoyable. The ending, with it’s last big conflict, left me slightly breathless with anticipation and I wish I’d had a little bit of a better explanation about how it all went down – it was over too quickly for me to truly savor the suspense aspect. The majority of the book serves to further the ‘big-show-down’ plot that runs through the series, as we wait on the edge of our seats for our Fallen Warriors to save the world from their angelic (or not) counterparts. I’m very excited to see how this pans out through the rest of the series. I can’t wait to see this super-team at work!

There’s some excellent world-building, although there are a few loopholes that could bother you depending on how attuned you are to the exact reality of humanity. For example, the suspicious nature of humanity is neglected completely, however the length of the novella would have to be increased considerably were we to account for the reality of human behavior and aspiration for conspiracy. These loopholes didn’t bother me too much, and with some truly fun characters and an interesting story-line I was suitably impressed by Lario’s second novella in her Fallen Warrior series, and am definitely looking forward to the third – I can’t wait to see the rest of the absolutely adorable Fallen fall again – this time in love.

Favorite Quotes:

She'd deserved to be left alone so that she could grow into womanhood unmarred by the sins of angels.

"Touch me and tell me you don't believe we’re meant to be together. Tell me you aren't mine."

Tayla noticed him watching her. She turned her head and raised a brow. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at you," he answered evenly.

"No, and don't call me that," she snapped. Hearing her childhood nickname [Taylee] had a way of mentally taking her back to that time. It was too weird.

Ethan turned to face her, a wicked grin lighting his face. "What shall I call you then? I need some term of endearment to address you by."

An impish thought prompted her to suggest, "You can call me Master."

 “Sexy”ness rating: Hot!

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: With great sexual tension, good character development, and lots of emotion don’t miss book two in the Fallen Warriors series! Ethan is a hero you won’t soon forget!

Pages: 114

Published: September 30, 2011

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy