Christmas Awards 2011

Thursday 28 October 2010

Desire For Three


Desire for Three – Desire, Oklahoma 1 series by Leah Brooke



Publisher: Siren Publishing



September 2008



ISBN: 1-60601-238-X



Pages: 172









Desire, Oklahoma present day





Jessica “Jesse” Tyler is approaching her fortieth birthday and she is looking for a fresh start. She has put her very bad marriage behind her and is trying to deal with the emotional wreckage that it has left. After having to deal with her ex-husband for so long she feels like a cold shell that is completely unable to feel anymore. She is completely done with men. Jesse gives in to her sister, Nat to finally visit her in Desire, Oklahoma. What she doesn’t expect is what she finds there. It is a town that has Dom/sub and ménage relationships and that is what is normal there. It is a town where the men protect and adore their women. It leaves Jesse fascinated by the dynamics of the town. When she first meets brothers Clay and Rio she is attracted to them but that quickly turns to alarm when the brothers rush to claim her for themselves.



Clay Erickson and his brother Rio have been searching for the right woman for them so that they can have the type of relationship and marriage that they have always dreamed of. When they first set eyes on Jesse they think they have finally found the woman that will complete them in ways they have only dreamed of before now. For them to have what they want Clay and Rio will first have to get around the wall that Jesse has built to protect herself from emotional pain over the years. Clay and Rio are determined to do anything it takes to get the woman of their dreams.



Jesse is just starting to deal with having not one but two lovers when her ex-husband shows up to cause a lot of trouble for Jesse. Jesse is determined to handle things on her own but she didn’t count on how protective and determined Clay and Rio are. They will do whatever they have to so that Jesse is safe from all harm. They are also determined to make sure that she is happy so that she will never have a reason to leave. Jesse is going to have to decide if she is going to take a chance on these two men and trust that she will be able to still be independent and protected and cherished or if she is going to let her fears control her.





This is a great story that has a lot of emotion in it. It is very engrossing watching the character work to a place that they all can be happy and have all the things that they want in their lives. The secondary characters really add to the story and all of it together will have the reader hating to put this one down. The author really handles the dynamics of a ménage relationship very well and makes it very believable.





I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

Lord Of The Nile


Lord of the Nile by Constance O’Banyon



Publisher: Leisure



May 2007



ISBN: 978-0-8439-5821-9



Pages: 321







Greece & Egypt 47 B.C.



Danae’s life is being turned upside down with the death of her father. The one thing she knows more than anything else is how to tame wild beasts. Now with all the turmoil in Egypt right now things are getting more difficult and she is not sure exactly who she can and should trust. Trusting the wrong person could very well mean her life. She isn’t sure what to believe about Ramtat. All she knows for sure is that the attraction she feels for the dangerous lord just might be her downfall if she is not careful.



Ramtat is having to walk a very fine line right now with all the different fractions that is trying to take over the power of Egypt. The last thing he needs is to be attracted to a mysterious woman that could be anything from a slave girl to a princess. The emerald-eyed cobra charm that she wears is the only thing that is a clue to who she truly is. The only thing Ramtat is sure of is that no matter what the truth is about Danae he is determined to make her his. First he is going to have to get her out of the intrigue that she has found herself in.



From the battlefields of Rome to the royal court of Egypt Ramtat has finally found his match in Danae and if he isn’t careful he might just end up in a plot that will have them both forfeiting their lives. Danae has her secrets that Ramtat is determined to find out about and nothing will stop him from doing what he must to keep them both alive.







This is a wonderful story which brings to life the times of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. It draws the reader into the power struggle that was going on at the time and even knowing what the outcome is it still will keep the reader engrossed in the story and time that helped shape the world as we know it today. This is great story with wonderful characters that keep the pace moving very well. This one brings a period of time of great ambitions and turmoil to vivid life for the reader.





I give this one 4 red roses

Thursday 21 October 2010

Forbidden

Forbidden by Christina Phillips



Publisher: Heat



September 2010



ISBN: 978-0-425-23808-0



Pages: 324









Roman invasion of Britain





Carys is a princess of Cymru and she is also a Druid which is even more dangerous now that the Romans have invaded their land. When she first spied Maximus she found a desire that was as undeniable as it was illicit. Now Carys’s loyalties are being pulled in two directions and she has to find a way to protect her people from the Romans and still have a chance to with Maximus. Once the only thing Carys could focus on was a way for her to have her freedom and that was the only driving force in her life. Now that she has found Maximus she is finding that there is something much more important to her than her freedom.



Maximus is a Roman centurion that has been charged by the emperor with the task of eliminating all of the Druids. When he first sees Carys all he sees is a beautiful woman that he wants. Only after he has managed to capture her heart and body does he find out the full truth of what and who she truly is. Maximus is going to have to find a way to do his duty and still protect Carys and her kin from the wrath of Rome.



Now Maximus and Carys are going to have to find a way to overcome the devastation of war. They will have to find a way to get what they want which is a future together. Maximus and Carys are also going to have to find a way to stop Carys former lover that is obsessed with both Carys and stopping the Romans. Carys’s former lover is powerful but is he powerful enough? Or will the love Maximus and Carys have for each be more powerful than any force on earth. Only time will tell if Maximus and Carys will be able to protect their respective people from the evil that is now Carys’s former lover.





This story is wonderfully written in the fact that it gives the reader a glimpse into both side of the fight that was fought when Rome conquered what is now England. The story is very rich in detail and draws the reader to a different time and place that will have the reader hating to leave at the end of the story. This is a difficult story to put down once the reader starts to read it. All the different characters really bring this one to life. This one is worth the time to read.





I give this one 5 red roses

The Highlander's Bride

The Highlander’s Bride by Michele Sinclair



Publisher: Zebra



June 2007



ISBN: 978-1-4201-1721-9



Pages: 248







Scotland 1307



Conor McTiernay has always wanted a marriage like the one his parents had, full of love and respect. He found that women were only interested in his title and lands, which was exactly what he wasn’t interested in. He has come to the conclusion that he will never be able to find the one woman that will give him the marriage he wants so he has sworn off marriage for good. That all changes when his men come across an Englishwoman that is cover in dirt and grime and definitely on the run from something or someone. Now he just has to find out the truth of what has happened so that he can protect her from the ones that are after her.



Laurel Cordell is hoping that Conor will be able to protect her and keep her safe from the very dangerous laird that is after her. Laurel instinctively knows that she can trust Conor but she has to be very careful as others are also in danger. Laurel will have to take a leap of faith with Conor that he will be able to protect her and the others and that he will be able to live up to his reputation.



Conor and Laurel have a chance at a love that they both have been searching for and happiness that they never dared hope to have. First they are going to have to take care of the problem in Laurel’s past before it has a chance to ruin their future. They will also have to learn how compromise since they are both very stubborn and used to getting their own way in things. That just might be the biggest problem that they will have to overcome to have the happy future that just might be in their reach.







This story brings the time period alive so the reader is able to see what it was like back then The whole cast of characters make this a fun story to read and keep the story moving along at a very nice pace for the reader. It is enjoyable to see the characters work through their difference so that they can have what they truly want in life. This is a great story that takes place in the Scottish highlands that will have the reader wanting to read more.







I give this one 4 red roses

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Lady Farquhar's Butterfly


LADY FARQUHAR’S BUTTERFLY

BY

BEVERLEY EIKLI

PUBLISHED BY ROBERT HALE LONDON.

ISBN 978-0-7090-9057-1.





This Regency romance is staged in the year of 1816. Lady Olivia Farquhar had been married unhappily to a sadistic rake, who had made her act in a way that had both disgusted and terrified her. To please his lustful friends and entertain them ,she was made to dance in very flimsy clothes and display a butterfly which she had tattooed in a very private place. Her only friend and confident seemed to be her husband’s religious mentor the Reverend Kirkman, who treated her with care and tender understanding. He was the only person she felt she could turn to, when beaten and abused by her cruel husband.

Now that she was widowed she still had no peace, her husband had condemned her in his will as an adulterous wife who was not fit to bring up her young son Julian, so he had willed the little boy to be brought up by his cousin Max Atherton. Max was a war hero back from the peninsular campaign and knew nothing of Olivia, except what his cousin had said of her, as they had never met.

Unfortunately the Reverend Kirkman seemed to take it for granted that now Olivia was a widow she would marry him and under his protection she could regain both her son and her place in society. But he had changed since her husband’s death he had become very possessive and demanding and Olivia was frightened of him, fearing that life with him would be just as terrifying as it was with her late husband, or even worse.

Olivia’s aunt Eunice Dingley, who had known how bad Olivia’s marriage was to Lord Farquhar, knew that to marry the Reverend Kirkman would be a dreadful mistake too, was trying to persuade Olivia to pretend to meet Max Atherton accidently, by falling off her horse on his land.

Reluctantly Olivia agreed to carry out her aunt’s plan and while riding on the land belonging to Mr Atherton, a bad storm suddenly raged and her horse was frightened she fell in the field. Luckily Max found the frightened horse as he rode to his house, so he began search for the rider. Finding her semi conscious he jumped down from his horse and bent over her. A sudden clap of thunder sent his own horse bolting for home and he was forced to carry Olivia to his home.

Max was very concerned for Olivia and obviously attracted to her and if she only dared to tell him the truth maybe he would believe her story, but she dare not trust him and so a web of lies began to be spun.

Will Olivia be able to trust Max before it is too late? And if she does will he believe her, or will the Reverend Kirkman win and make her his wife. So many lies stand between Olivia and happiness ,can true love really happen for her against all odds. Have fun reading this Romance and learning Olivia’s fate, I am sure you will enjoy her story. I award this book.5 red Roses.AS

Here Kitty, Kitty


Here Kitty, Kitty by Shelly Laurenston



Publisher: Samhain



July 2007



ISBN: 1-59998-521-7



Pages: 529







Nikolai “Nik” Vorislav is a tiger shifter that has always been happy with the way he lived his life. The one thing that would make his life even easier is if his father wasn’t such a strange tiger. Most tigers do not have the same mate for life but that is what his parents have done. When Nik first sets eyes on Angelina the instant attraction he feels for her makes him a little concerned but as they were passing in the airport he figured he would never see her again. What he didn’t plan on was his idiot brothers kidnapping her and dropping her off at his house.



Angelina Santiago has been very happy with her life as it has been up to this point. She has her two best friends and she is happy with that. Finding out that there are shape shifters in the world has thrown her some but nothing she can’t handle. What she doesn’t expect is to be in Texas one day and to wake up in North Carolina the next day. Now she has to figure out why she is in North Carolina and not where she is supposed to be.



Now Angelina needs to figure out how to get out of this latest mess she is in. She just has to convince herself that leaving is really what she wants to do. Nik is finding out that as much as he has always denied that he is his father son that when it comes to Angelina that he just might be a lot more like his father than he ever dreamed was possible. Now he is going to have to come to terms that there will only be one mate for him and then he has to convince Angelina that they are perfect together. That might prove to be harder than liking her psychotic friends are proving to be. And Nik thought that dealing with his weird relatives was bad, Angelina’s friends have them beat completely.







This book is another winner by the author. This one is going to have the reader laughing out loud at all the antics that the characters get into. Once the reader starts this one they will hate to put the book down for any reason. The reader will happily let dinner burn just so they don’t have to stop reading this one. This will make any day much better after reading just a little of this book. This is one not to miss though it is better to read this one as part of the whole series of books.





I give this one 5 red roses

Monday 11 October 2010

The Cruellest Month


The Cruellest Month by Janet Mary Tomson
Published by Robert Hale
ISBN 978-0-7090-8989-6


Grace Harrison is approaching 60 years of age. Her mother, Edna, has just died and Grace has been left very much alone to contemplate her life and what might have been.

At 18, Grace met the love of her life, Joe, who was visiting his grandparents on the Isle of Wight from Australia. They fell very much in love and, despite having to return to Australia in the meantime, Joe was due to start Warwick University in October that year. Grace had been entered for the Civil Service examination and if she passed, intended to work in London, but with offices all over the country, maybe a vacancy would arise near Warwick! Life looked promising for the young lovers, but as she was taking her A levels, Grace received a letter from Joe telling her his plans had changed and he would not be returning to the UK. A devastated Grace later learned that Joe had returned to Australia to find out he had got a girl into trouble and was doing the decent thing by marrying her.

Grace went on to pass her Civil Service entrance examination and left the Isle of Wight to work in London. She had only been there a year when her father had a stroke and she returned home to help her mother care for him until his death. Grace’s plan to return to London after her father’s death was curtailed when her job was no longer open, but there was a vacancy on the island and so she started work in the local office. Tied to the island by her demanding mother, the years rolled by uneventfully for Grace until she finally had to give up her job to care for the failing Edna. On her mother’s death, save for a cousin, Joan and a neighbour, Molly, Grace was very much alone.

This unhappy situation does not last long, however, as her life is turned upside down within days by the arrival at her home of Joe’s son, Alex and a disturbing discovery in her garden. But events do not end there by any means, as Grace’s life turns into a roller-coaster journey with men falling at her feet and vying for her affections, each with the promise of a very different future for her.

Read on to find out which path Graces chooses and the startling truth about the discovery in her garden. You will not be disappointed.

This book is truly enthralling and epitomises the fact that life can sometimes suddenly throw everything at you when before there was nothing! The characters are believable and endearing and the plot moves at such a pace that the book is impossible to put down. I can highly recommend this book and am very pleased to have had the opportunity to read and review it.

I award this book five red roses.

Sunday 10 October 2010

Dragon Actually


Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken



Publisher: Zebra



September 2008



ISBN: 978-1-4201-0373-1



Pages: 336







Annwyl the Bloody has a better chance of making a man run the other way than getting one that would seriously be interested in her. After decapitating legions of her brother’s ruthless men it is hard for men to see her as anything but the bloody solider she has become since the rebellion against her brother has started. She has always had to fight to survive and has never really known any other way of life. When she meets Fearghus she feels safe for the very first time in her life.



Fearghus the Destroyer is not a typical man. In fact he is not a man at all. He is really a shape shifting dragon that is deadly in his own right. He has made it a point to stay to himself and ignore the way of the humans that live around him. That all changes when he meets Annwyl for the very first time. Here is a woman that isn’t the least bit afraid of him. Fearghus finds Annwyl fascinating, the only being around that has ever had that affect on him.



Now that Fearghus and Annwyl have met things are definitely changing. Fearghus is determined to keep Annwyl no matter what but in order to do that he is going to have to help her defeat her brother. Annwyl has the desire to defeat her brother but not enough skill to overcome her brother. Fearghus is going to have to help Annwyl get the skill needed to defeat her brother once and for all or else he will lose her completely and she will end up losing her life.





This is a great story with a lot of sarcastic wit that will have the reader snickering all the way through the book until the very end. When Fearghus’s family gets involved with his wooing of Annwyl anything and everything is bound to happen that makes this a fun book to read as Fearghus has to fight his inclination to kill his family just to get some peace in his life. This is one story that the reader will definitely find worth the time reading.





I give this one 5 red roses

Black Jaguar, chronicles of Kassouk Book Three


Black Jaguar Chronicles of Kassouk Book Three by Vijaya Schartz



Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.



November 2010



ISBN: 1-936000-55-5



Pages: 154







Kahuel Prince of Yalta is on a mission to explore some new territory. He sets sail with his brother and warriors in an attempt to find new land and to find trading routes for their people. When a typhoon hits things go terribly wrong very quickly. When the ship wrecks and they are stranded on an island that no one knew about things get very dangerous even faster. Now things are happening that they have no idea what is going on and if they don’t find out quickly what is happening they are going to have a lot bigger problems than they currently have.



Talina Princess of the Chosen Ones never knew any life but the one that she lives with her brother and their village. When foreigners land on their island they are not sure what to think. All Talina knows is that her life is about to change drastically and she is not sure if it will be in a good way or a bad one, but she knows that there is an attraction between Kahuel and herself that won’t be denied. When they start to learn more about each other Talina is learning that what she was always taught was the ways of evil is the very way Kahuel lives. Talina is starting to question all the beliefs of her village and people because she feels deep down that Kahuel is not evil even though he does the very things they were always told was wrong.



Now they are going to have to find out what is going on exactly because something is going on at the island and if they are not careful they just might not survive. Talina is also going to have to decide what she truly wants in life because she is very much afraid that she can’t have the way of life she has always known and Kahuel too. If she wants a chance at a future she will have to find out the truth first. Things are not what they have always seemed and everything is about to change forever.







This is a good story with a futuristic world building that is written very well. The reader will be drawn into the story and find it very had to put down until the very end of it. This is part of a series that would probably be better read in order but this one does hold up well on its own. The story and people are very believable and engaging to read about.





I give this one 4 red roses

Friday 1 October 2010

Assassin's Honour


Assassin’s Honor by Monica Burns



Publisher: Berkley Sensation



June 2010



ISBN: 978-0-425-23416-7



Pages: 342







Modern Day, Egypt and Chicago



Emma Zale is an archeologist with a very special ability, she can see the past of an ancient relic when she touches it. She has found evidence of an ancient order of assassins, the Sicari on her latest dig that she never truly believed was real until now. Now she is suddenly finding more trouble than she ever thought was possible. When someone shows up on her doorstep in Chicago looking for an item that she has no idea what it is her life takes a sudden turn that she never saw coming and she just might not be able to survive. She is going to have to use all of her wits if she wants to survive what is suddenly her life turned upside down.



Ares DeLuca is a descendant of a very old line of telekinetic assassins. He is a Sicari that only kills in the name of justice and honor bound to protect the innocent. When he first shows up on Emma’s doorstep all he is after is an artifact that was lost to the Sicari hundreds of years ago but now it seems Emma might be the key to finding it again. When he shows up though he bring a whole lot of trouble to Emma’s doorstep when all he really wanted to do was get in and get out. Now Ares is determined to protect Emma since he feels it is his fault that she now has a great many people after her for the artifact that she never knew existed.



What started out as a simple plan to protect Emma until he can find her a safe place to live has turned out to be anything but simple. Ares is trying to fight his attraction to Emma and he is starting to realize that is going to be a losing battle but one he hopes to win anyway. The last thing he feels he needs in his life is love but it seems that fate has something else in store for him and if he isn’t careful he will lose Emma to their enemies and he is finding out that she is the one thing he really can’t live without.







This story takes some historical facts and gives it some fascinating twists that makes the book a wonderful one to read. This is a wonderfully written story that gives the reader a glimpse into both history and archeology and makes it very interesting to read about. The author brings the story to life with the well written book that will keep the reader turning the pages just to see where it will go next. This is definitely worth reading.





I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

Go Fetch


Go Fetch by Shelly Laurenston



Publisher: Samhain Publishing



March 2007



ISBN: 1-59998-141-6



Pages: 527







Conall Viga-Feilan has never met a woman like Miki before. She is the one person that can see through his innocent act and will not let him get away with anything. Just what the wolf in him needs to make his life perfect. The fact that she is very intelligent only makes him want her more. What he wasn’t planning on was the fact that he is suddenly wanting her for more than just a short amount of time. He is starting to realize that she is the mate he was never looking for and that she is going to be a lot harder to convince than he would like.



Miki Kendrick is only after one thing and that is to finally get her PhD. She doesn’t have time for a man that sees more in her than anyone else except her two best friends has ever seen. Most men see her as someone to avoid as she can be very dangerous when she gets backed into a corner. Conall seems to find this a huge turn on when she starts to get mean. When a normal man would be running for his life Conall is right there wanting more.



Miki thought the only thing she had to worry about was her thesis but suddenly she has different people poking around in her life and finding out what she does during her everyday life. Now Miki and Conall are going to have to find out who is after her and why they are after her. Hopefully they can find out who before they end up in a situation that will end their lives. Mike never thought her life could get more complicated but it is now looking like she going to have a hard time keeping her head above water.







This book will have the reader laughing out loud. This is one that once you start reading it you hate to put it down as it will keep you laughing all the way through and you just have to see what new situation is going to happen next. This book is guaranteed to get you out of a bad mood as snicker your way through the book.





I give this one 5 red roses

A Matter of Deception


A Matter of Deception by Christy Poff



Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press



March 2008



ISBN: 978-1-60313-024-0



Pages: 248







June 1999



Adrienne Hewitt is all set to marry the only man she has ever loved. They have been together for a long time and now seems the perfect time to make everything permanent. Adrienne doesn’t see how anything could possibly destroy the happiness she is feeling. What she doesn’t know is that her life is about to be turned upside down and her life will never be the same again.



Seneca Manion knew that Adrienne was the only woman for him from the first moment he set eyes on her. He made sure that when it was time for college that he went to a school near Adrienne so that they could be together. It also helps that their parents are such good friends that both families are already close and their marriage won’t do anything but make that bond stronger. Adrienne is the most important thing in his life and she is the one thing that makes his life worth living.



Vincent Sonsella has plans of his own. No one is sure who he really is or what he does for a living. Vincent has always made sure that any obstacle that was in his way was removed one way or another. His biggest plan to date is close to being realized and he is determined that no one will be able to stop him from getting what he needs to make sure everything goes the way he wants it to. That includes Adrienne and Seneca.



Adrienne and Seneca are going to have a fight on their hands and if they are not careful they will not be able to survive it. They are going to have to outsmart Vincent so that they can have the life together that they have always wanted.











This story is a great one that will have the reader on the edge of their seat reading it. This is one that is very hard to put down as you never know what new twist is going to happen next and will have the reader biting their nails wondering if Adrienne and Seneca are going to be able to get out of the trouble that they have found themselves in. The emotional roller coaster that this story will send the reader on is amazing. You never see what is coming next and that will have the reader ignoring everything just to finish this story so that they can find out if everything will work out in the end.







I give this one 4-1/2 red roses