Do or Die

Do or Die Reluctant Heroes by Suzanne Brockmann

Publisher: Ballantine Books

February 2014

ISBN: 978-0-345-54379-0

Pages: 576

Contemporary Romance, Florida

Ian Dunn has the world believing that he went rogue in a very big way by turning his talents to the lawless life with con jobs and jewel heists. In reality the former Navy SEAL and Special Ops warrior is leading a band of freelance operatives that still fight for good by fighting in highly unofficial ways. That makes Ian the perfect choice hands down for an operation that the government needs done but can’t be attached to because of it being a breach of a heavily guarded embassy.  A couple of children have been kidnapped by their father who is a sinister foreign national that will do anything to get what he wants even if that is turning his own children into casualties. Surprising everyone Ian turns the mission down for reasons he refuses to divulge.

Phoebe Kruger is Ian’s new attorney that refuses to take no for an answer. She is determined to get the children free and is able to get Ian on board. She also insists on riding shotgun with Ian on his Mission: Impossible style operation. Whether Ian likes it or not.

Phoebe is proving to have a knack for getting out of tight spots. What Ian and Phoebe don’t count on is their intense attraction to each other. As the team gears up to get done what needs to be taken care of Ian and Phoebe’s emotions grow stronger. They need to control their feelings for each other if they want a chance to survive a wealthy psychopath who loves both money and murder and a mob boss that is very vindictive and he has Ian on the top of his hit list. Playing lethal games of deception and dodging death squads Phoebe and Ian are determined to save the innocent children and take care of the guilty.

This is a book that starts off fast and doesn’t stop for anything. The action is intense and engrossing and keeps the story moving along at a very fast pace. With all the cons going on it keeps the reader enthralled and not wanting to put it down for any reason. The characters are engaging and sympatric and help the story come to life. With the twists and turns the story takes the reader is never completely sure what will happen next or just where they will end up. This one takes readers for a ride they will never forget. The secondary characters play just as big a part as the hero and heroine and this one does not disappoint. It will also have readers eagerly waiting to see just where this series will end up going.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Captured by Three

Captured by Three: Mating Season 2 by April Andrews

Publisher: Twisted Erotica Publishing

December 2013

Pages: 78

Futuristic, Romance, m/m

Lucas is the last the scientist on Earth. He is also set to enter the old lands so that he can find enough fuel to save his people.  He has the aliens, Ayden, Regil and Danth as escorts in his mission.  The aliens have come to save his people but he is afraid that there is more to it and it seems he was correct in that assumption.  Ayden, Regil and Danth are proving to be both brooding and strong and they are turning Lucas’ world upside down.

Ayden, Regil and Danth are a mated trio. They also thought they were complete until they meet Lucas and they realize that something is missing in their relationship.  Something about Lucas calls to them.

Lucas isn’t sure what to make of the aliens as they are like nothing he has dealt with before.  They also treat him in a way that confuses him.  Ayden, Regil and Danth realize that the only way to figure out if Lucas can complete them is to take him to their bed even if that means capturing him body, heart and soul. 

This is proving to be a very good series that is different than most alien stories.  While the reader would get the most out of reading the books in order they are written in such a way that they can be read as stand alones.  This one keeps in the same vein as the first story but proves to have its own story line which makes it very enjoyable to read.  The characters are intriguing and fascinating.  With every word read the world building in the story comes to life and gives the reader a glimpse on what can happen.  For readers of this genre this is a series to check out.

I give this 4-1/2 red roses

LRH

Forgotten Sins

Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti

Publisher: Forever

January 2014

ISBN: 978-1-455-57444-5

Pages: 400

Contemporary romance, Washington State

Josie fell in love with Shane Dean the moment she first laid eyes on him. Their desire was so passionate that within a few weeks they were married. Josie thought all of her fantasies were coming true until the day her husband disappeared without a trace. Josie is shocked when after two years and a broken heart a hospital calls her and says that they have her husband. Shane was found at a crime scene with no memory of how he got there or what happened.

Shane Dean doesn’t remember the blue-eyed woman that looks like an angel that is at his bedside but he does know that something is wrong. He has razor sharp hearing and his physical strength is unbelievable and he also has the overwhelming urge to protect Josie. There are enemies that are very powerful that are hunting him and he knows that somehow Josie is the key to figuring it all out. As Shane works to unravel his past it also brings dangerous truths to light and Shane has to figure out if he can protect Josie from what he is learning. He also needs to figure out if he can protect the only woman he has ever loved or if his past is too dangerous for her. Josie has to decide if she can trust a man that she thought she knew but is learning that she didn’t know the first thing about. A man that has a deadly secret that could get them both killed.

This is an action packed story that starts from the very beginning and doesn’t stop until the very last page.  As each secret is revealed the action gets even more intense. This is also a story that will pull the reader in and having them hating to leave it for any reason. It will also have readers looking forward to the next book in the series.  If the other books prove as engrossing as this one was it is one series that is sure to be a hit. The story line is different and yet proves to be a very believable plot that will have readers thinking about this one for a long time after finishing it.

I give this one 5 red roses.

LRH

Mark of the Gladiator

Mark of the Gladiator by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane

Publisher: Riptide Publishing

November 2012

ISBN: 978-1-937551-59-9

Pages: 279

Historical romance, Ancient Rome 26 BCE m/m

Anazar ends up being contracted to train female gladiators after showing mercy in the arena. Anazar has two months to take demoralized, untested and obviously abused women and get them prepared to fight in that same arena. And to make matters worse his new master, Lucius Marianus demands perfection.

Anazar never expected to be eager to train the women but he is finding himself looking forward to the challenge more than a man whose sole motivation is self-preservation.  Maybe it has something to do with his new master, Marianus, who is handsome, honorable, dignified and seems to be attracted to Anazar. Maybe as much as Anazar is attracted to Marianus.

Now there seems to be a rivalry between Marianus and his brother that seems to have caused a murder conspiracy. Anazar and his gladiatrices are caught in the middle of what is happening between the brothers. One of the brothers offers salvation but which one is the right one? The wrong one could easily cause their deaths. In a world were a slave’s life is worth less than the whims of a master or even the pleasures of the crowd it leave very little room for anything other than survival but can room be made for love? As a gladiator Anazar is near undefeatable but as a man he is in a much more precarious position. He learns that even the best armor and shield can protect against most things but cannot protect his heart.

This is a story that takes the reader back to ancient Rome and brings the period to life. It gives the reader a small window to view exactly how slaves lived and how at any time their lives could be over on just the word of their masters. With each word the world comes to vivid life and takes the reader on a fantastic trip that will have reader sad to leave at the very end. If readers enjoyed Spartacus they are sure to love this one if this is a genre they enjoy. The characters are well written and the reader is able to see why they act in certain situations. This is one story that will be sure to pull the reader in and not let them go until the very end.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Taken by Two

Taken by Two: Mating Season 1 by April Andrews

Publisher: Twisted Erotica Publishing

December 2013

Pages: 69

Futuristic, m/m/m

Jaeger lives on an Earth that has been devastated and where both water and food are scarce. The only choice is to leave the safety of The Cube to scavenge through the old ruins. Leaving The Cube has risks that even with the dangers of the dead of winter they aren’t as dangerous as the risk of being taken by the mysterious visitors. Nothing is known about the strange males that come from other worlds. They also seem to take any man that they cross paths with.

Though Jaeger knows the risks of venturing outside he has no choice when it is his turn to go out. When a couple of the visitors find him he has no desire to fight even when they take him up to their space craft. Not knowing what to expect he is determined to resist the aliens but when they inform him that he now belongs to them he is thrown into confusion.

What Jaeger never expected was to start falling under their spell. They are nothing like anything Jaeger has ever known. The males tell Jaeger that he is their mate but Jaeger isn’t sure he can just accept that. If he does can he save himself and will he be able to save his people too?

This is a different story line that is very intriguing.  The characters are interesting and the world building fascinating and will have readers wishing the story was longer. It will also have readers wanting to read the next story in the series. This is short novella that proves to be a quick read but is very much worth the time taken to read it. If the rest of the series is like this one it is sure to prove to be an enjoyable series to read.

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses 

LRH

His Secrets

His Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones

Publisher: Pocket Star Books

February 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4767-7235-6

Pages: 68

Contemporary, Paris, France

Chris Merit has always found his art to be his escape until the day he met Sara McMillan. She has proven to be a light in the darkness of his life. Unfortunately that darkness bleeds from Chris’s life into Sara’s. Now Chris needs to show Sara everything about his life. He is afraid of what will happen once he does because he is sure that Sara doesn’t understand or really sees everything that he has shown her so far.

This is another great installment in the Inside Out series. This one is done from Chris’ point of view. With every novel or novella that is added to this series makes the series even better. It also gives readers more chances to visit some favorite characters and see just what else is happening.  It also gives readers more to whet their appetite and keep them coming back for more. This is one series that once a reader is pulled in they will find it very hard to leave and will have them wanting more. While this series has flavors of Fifty Shades of Grey it has proven to be its own with a story line that keeps on building with each story.

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses.

LRH

Tribute

Tribute by Lisa Henry

Publisher: Loose ID

July 2011

ISBN:  978-1-61118-449-5

Pages: 267

Historical, m/m

Kynon is chosen by the warlord Brasius as a tribute to create peace between their people. Kynon tells himself that this is the price of peace and to protect his father’s kingdom. If being a slave can save his people than it is a small price to pay no matter the indignities required by both the warlord and the Senate of Segasa that Brasius serves. Kynon is sure he can live with the shame but it is the pleasure that scares him the most.

Brasius wants more from Kynon than just someone that responds eagerly to both whips and bondage. The warlord seems to be looking for more from Kynon like maybe the man underneath the tribute, the prince and the soldier. First Kynon has to figure out just who that is.

Now Kynon is being forced on a journey of self-discovery. And as each day passes Kynon finds out that being Brasius’ tribute is more than just being able to submit and if he is to give Brasius exactly what the warlord is searching for that means going against the traditions of the Senate of Segasa and risk the wrath of a senate that is holding his reins.

This story is very different and for readers of this genre it is sure to pull them into the story. Reading about the way Kynon finds out exactly who he truly is and what he really wants in his life is fascinating and engrossing as he grows as a person. He is forced to look deep inside himself just to find the man that Brasuis sees. There are some parts that can be very difficult to read especially with the emotional turmoil the characters go through but ultimately end up with a very rewarding ending. It is also a glimpse into a very different world that is fascinating all on its own. If the reader can get past the difficult beginning they will find a satisfactory story.

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

LRH