For a debut book, this story has an incredibly strong and funny main character – it is first person, for those who abhor the I, me & myself – and a strange and interesting world of characters. Even though it had some flaws in characterization and evenness, I had some difficulty extracting myself from the book. It’s fun and different and the narrator is bizarre and goofy and doesn’t take herself too seriously – which … Continue reading Blood Smoke and Mirrors by Robin Bachar →
Prince Joe is among the most beloved old categories. It’s a vintage Suzanne Brockmann, featuring her hallmark SEALs fighting terrorists while meeting up with fine noble women. When I mocked a bit of the novel on Twitter, the small taste of outrage that I would snark on Prince Joe leads me to believe that this review will not be too popular. Honestly, Prince Joe didn’t do it for me. Hark! A plot summary: Joe Catalanotto … Continue reading Prince Joe by Suzanne Brockmann →
Lessons from a Scarlet Lady is a romance that features protagonists in a rather different way. Brianna is a newlywed duchess who wants a more passionate marriage. She finds a used copy of Lady Rothburg’s Advice, a book so salacious and so frank in its discussion of sex and sexual power that it was banned – so Brianna promptly brings it home to read so she can try to seduce her husband and crank the … Continue reading Lessons From a Scarlet Lady by Emma Wildes →
My internal monologue while reading this novella went as follows for the first third: “Oh, now that’s different.” “Ok, cool.” “Huh. That’s some smart use of rock and fire imagery.” “Ok, now that’s COOL.” “This is really, really different.” I love cool and different. The story opens on Aera’s final test as a priestess of fire: she must enter a labyrinth of the volcano, pass through multiple gates to the eye of the maze, and … Continue reading Heart of the Volcano by Imogen Howson →
I have it on good authority that the following names will appear in the next Lorelei James cowboy erotica novel, seeing as Cody, Cade, Kane, and Colt are all taken: Kale Corn Cart Kelp Kilt Kern Curd Kock Crap Cold Crud Clap Kale and Corn might both be in the closet for one another, and Kern is definitely a cowboy-cum-computer-programmer, but we’ll have to see what happens in the next few books. I’m not sure … Continue reading Cowgirl Up and Ride by Lorelei James →
Note! Small contest ahoy at the end of this entry! Harlequin Enterprises is launching a new line today, Noctune: Bites (no, that is not a description of quality). “Bites” are “dark and sexy paranormal short stories,” available in eBook format. I took one for a test drive over lunch (chicken, pasta, and arugula salad with goat cheese, if you’re curious. I have a love of goat cheese that dare not speak its name) and here’s … Continue reading Racing the Moon by Michelle Hauf →
I have a few reviews to write, two of which are for books that aren’t really romance. One is part of a series that follows a growing romance (hur hur) and one is a YA novel that isn’t a romance though it has vague romantic elements. And then there this book. It’s not a romance. It does not have a happy ending as per a romance novel. It has a peaceful ending. There’s a big … Continue reading Black Ships by Jo Graham →
First, please pardon the obnoxious “Buy now” link. Until I know what’s up with the images on our server, I don’t want to host broken image links or load new graphics that might later disappear. In book 3 of the five-part Gardella series, Victoria has assumed the rule of Illa Gardella and is in Rome chasing after the keys to the Door of Alchemy. If she and the other venators get into the chamber first, … Continue reading The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason →
Until I picked up this book, I’d never read a Betty Neels book, and I was not disappointed in the least. And in list format, here are are 6 Important Facts I learned about this novel: 1. Hot Dutch doctors, especially the wealthy ones, are incredibly generous and once in the hot throes of lovin’ say things like, “Oh, my darling, my darling!” And I have a hard time imagining Dutch doctors going into raptures … Continue reading The Magic of Living by Betty Neels →
Submitted by Katie Dickson Jean Auel’s first novel in the series, Clan of the Cave Bear, was recommended to me by my uncle when I was just starting high school. He gave it to me with a warning. “Um,†he said, “I started to read the rest of the books, but they got kind of romance-novel-ish.†He was clearly embarrassed. “The sequels are kind of smutty.†Telling a young lady that the book she is … Continue reading Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel →
You know that movie Office Space where outside consultants come in and reorganize the place for efficiency? Hell’s Belles is like that, except the office is Hell, and instead of Milton, or that guy with the O-Face, you have a hot succubus named Jezebel, who isn’t too pleased with the whole restructuring, and heads off to Earth to hide out as a mortal while all of Hell is after her, due to a, well, hell … Continue reading Hell’s Belles by Jackie Kessler →
