Love with a Perfect Cowboy

Love with a Perfect Cowboy by Lori Wilde

Publisher: Avon

May 2014

ISBN: 978-0-06-221900-8

Pages: 372

Contemporary, Romance

New York City & Cupid, Texas

Melody Spencer thought that when she wiped the dust off her shoes from Cupid, Texas, she was gone for good.  She did everything she could to forget the strong arms and chiseled jaw of Luke Nielson.  Their families were part of a very long standing feud but Melody never felt that way about Luke.  He was her first love though in the end they both wanted different things.

Now Luke has come striding back into her life reminding her of long, lazy evenings and hot, passionate kisses.  He is now the mayor of Cupid and he has an ulterior motive for coming back into her life.  Luke knows that Melody’s business savvy can help save their hometown.  He might be able to get her back to Texas with his smooth talking but that doesn’t mean he will be able to get her into his bed.  People say that love the second time around is so much better.

This is a book that adds a great deal to a series that has proven to be already wonderful.  Each book can be read as a standalone but are so much better when read as a series.  The characters are such that they are what you would expect to find in any small town and prove to be very fun and interesting when the reader gets to learn more about each and every one.  Reading how Melody and Luke find their way back to each other and how to deal with their family feud make for a read that is very hard to step away from.  The reader gets sucked into the story line and won’t want to leave Cupid for any reason at all.  This is proving to be a series that is a must read especially for readers that enjoy small town romances. 

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

LRH

death, doom, and detention

death, doom, and detention by Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

March 2013

ISBN: 978-0-312-62521-4

Pages: 296

Contemporary, Paranormal, Young Adult, Romance

Riley’s Switch, New Mexico

Lorelei McAlister’s life changed the day Jared Kovach came to town.  The normal life she had didn’t go away quietly it exploded and shattered into a gazillion shards of fleeting light.

No more normal welcome eerie and dark.

Lorelei’s best friend Brooklyn is determined to help Lorelei hone her abilities.  Lorelei on the other hand is trying to deal with the fact that Satan’s second-in-command has taken up residence in her body.  Having a crush on the Angel of Death on top of that and Lorelei has more than enough to deal with.  As if that isn’t enough to handle something sinister has come to town. The only thing it wants is Lorelei’s dying breath preferably while it is strangling her.  At least the gang has a supernatural hero on their side.  What the gang of misfits didn’t count on is the one being that can save them changing sides midway through the battle.  Now the misfits need to find a way to capture one of the most powerful beings ever created.  They also have to find a way to bring Jared back to their side before it is too late.

This is proving to be a wonderful trilogy that has more twists and turns so that the reader never knows what will happen next.  The characters are fun and engaging and have the story moving at a quick pace and keep it from having any slow spots.  It will also have readers wanting the third book to see if things will work out for Lorelei and Jared.  This has it all with paranormal and romance and some mystery elements that make for a wonderful plot.  This is proving to be a story that will be fun for readers of any age. 

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

LRH

The Scoundrel's Seduction

The Scoundrel’s Seduction by Jennifer Haymore

Publisher: Grand Central

May 2014

ISBN: 978-1-455-52335-1

Pages: 416

Historical, England

Sam Hawkins is an undercover agent that has devoted his life to protecting both his country and king.  He doesn’t question his mission even when he is given orders to assassinate a ruthless traitor.  Sam didn’t know his deed had a witness though.  The betrayer’s mysterious and beautiful wife saw what Sam did.  Now he has no choice but to take her and make her his prisoner.  A prisoner he can neither resist nor trust.

Elise, Lady Dunthorpe is determined to do anything to escape her captor. Even if what she must do is seduce him senseless.  She had no idea what her miserable husband had done but she also has secrets of her own.  Those secrets threaten everything she holds dear.  Sam’s gentle touch and piercing eyes inflame Elise but can she trust the man that won’t let her go? Sam is caught between the crown he is sworn to serve and the woman who has quickly become everything to him, the woman he loves.  Sam will risk everything his heart and his life if necessary to keep her safe. 

This is another great book in a series that is proving to be a very good surprise.  The mystery that is woven through the books that keep the books tied together and yet each one holds up on its own.  While the books can read as standalone books they are much better read in order as there is so much information and clues that help build the central plot of the books.  This story as some great action that moves the story along at a fast pace and will have the reader turning the pages just to see what will happen next.  The twists and turns that this one takes makes for a wonderful read. It is nice to see Sam get his happy ever after.  This one will also leave readers hungry for more from this world that has been built with each and every book up until now.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Rescue at Cardwell Ranch & Wanted Woman

Rescue at Cardwell Ranch & Wanted Woman by B.J. Daniels

Publisher: Harlequin

May 2014

ISBN: 978-0-373-83799-1

Pages: 448

Contemporary, Romance

Montana

Hayes Cardwell is a P.I. from Texas that is in Big Sky, Montana for his brother’s wedding.  He expected to spend time with his brother not playing hero.  Luckily Hayes managed to save McKenzie Sheldon from a brutal abductor.  Since then he hasn’t been able to get her out of his mind or his heart.

McKenzie awoke to see a tall, dark cowboy that saved her from an attack.  Since that moment she has felt drawn to Hayes like a Western fantasy.  The danger though is closer than either one thinks it is and they will find out if Hayes will be able to protect her from what is coming.

Washington & Oregon

Maggie Randolph is running from someone while she is searching for something she needs to find.  What she never expected was on meeting a man that she can actually trust. 

Jesse Tanner is a deputy sheriff for the small town of Timber Falls.  Now he has to catch Maggie before it is too late for her.

This is two stories in one book.  It gives the reader plenty of mystery and action and each one will have the reader trying to guess just who is behind what is going on in the stories.  With the twists and turns each story takes they are sure to keep the reader from wanting to put down the book because they will want to find out just how each one ends.  There are plenty of suspects for readers to choose from and they keep the story moving at a fast pace that does not disappoint in the least.  The stories aren’t connected so it is easy to read one and come back later for the other one.  The plot of each story is different and engrossing to the point they make it hard to put either one down for any reason.  It is definitely worth taking the time picking up and reading.

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

LRH

Dreamless

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Harper Teen

May 2012

ISBN: 978-0-06-201201-2

Pages: 487

Contemporary, Mythology, Young Adult, Nantucket, Underworld

Helen Hamilton is the only Scion that can descend to the Underworld.  As the only one that can she now has a nearly impossible task that she must complete. To stop the endless cycle of revenge that curses her family she wanders through Hades night after night. During the day she fights to overcome the exhaustion that is rapidly eroding her sanity.  Helen isn’t sure if she has the strength needed to go on now that Lucas is not by her side.

Just as Helen reaches her breaking point she finds a new mysterious Scion that comes to her rescue.  Orion is funny and brave and he shields her from the dangers of the Underworld.  Time is running out for them and a ruthless foe is plotting against them.  The Furies’ cry for blood is also getting louder.

The mortal world and the ancient Greek worlds are colliding in Helen’s sheltered world.  Nantucket is descending into chaos.  Though none of that is as hard as it is proving to forget Lucas Delos.

This second book in the trilogy is just as good as the first one proved to be.  This is one trilogy that brings the myths to life in a completely different way that makes for a wonderful read.  The characters are proving to be fascinating and pull the reader into a world that is different and yet so real that it makes for a book that the reader won’t want to put down until the very last page.  The books are woven together so well that they flow one into the other and will have readers eagerly reaching for the third book to see if Helen and Lucas will get a happy ever after and just what will happen when the gods come to visit.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Inhuman

Inhuman by Kat Falls

Publisher: Scholastic Press

October 2013

ISBN: 978-0-545-37099-8

Pages: 375

Futuristic, Young Adult, US

The United States has been dealt a devastating biological disaster that has caused the abandonment of the area east of the Mississippi River. It is now called the Feral Zone because of the virus that turned millions of people into bloodthirsty savages.  It is also now completely off-limits.  Violating the border risks the punishment of death.

Lane McEvoy can’t imagine anyone wanting to risk going there.  She grew up in the shadow of the wall that was put up to separate the two parts of the country.  She has always been curious as to what the Feral Zone is like but not enough to chance death.  Life in the West has always been comfortable and safe.  That is just the way she likes it.

Lane gets a shock though when she finds out that someone close to her has crossed into the Feral Zone.  She now has little choice but to follow.  As Lane travels east she finds out just how unprepared she truly is.  Civilization in the east is in complete ruins.  Now she is going to find out if her humanity is her greatest strength or her greatest weakness.

This is a story that is very different from others in this genre.  Once readers start they will find themselves engrossed in a world that comes to life from the pages of the book.  It is also very hard to put down once the reader starts it.  The world building is fascinating in how very different it is and yet in some respects it is still familiar to readers that know the areas mentioned.  This is the start of a trilogy and will have readers wanting the other books right now to see what happens to each character.  There is plenty of action and at no point does this book slow down.  Reading how Lane gets out of different situations that she finds herself in is interesting.  The story takes a few twists that will keep readers on their toes as they try to figure out just where this one is going to end up at.  This is also a book that will have readers reading late into the night just to see what will happen next.  This is one not to miss. 

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Abandon

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Publisher: Point

January 2012

ISBN: 978-0-545-04064-8

Pages: 304

Contemporary, mythology, Young Adult, Florida

Pierce knows what it is like to die especially since she has already done it before. She has tried to return to the life that she was living before her accident but she can’t help but feel both a part of this world and yet apart from it.  Though she is never alone because someone is always watching her. 

Pierce has moved to a new town and hopes that things will be different. Though even in this new place he has found her.  She knows he isn’t a Guardian angel because his dark world is nowhere near heaven but she can’t stay away from him.  He always appears when she needs it most even though she never quite expects it. 

Pierce is afraid that if she falls for him anymore she will end up in the place she fears the most, the Underworld. 

This takes the myth of Persephone and completely reimagines it to place it in a contemporary setting and still makes it all its own story.  It does a good job of explaining the back story for Pierce while still staying in the present and what she is currently dealing with.  It has some great twists and turns and with every answer that is unveiled the more that is understood.  The characters are well written and relatable.  Reading how Pierce slowly figures out just what is happening to her and what did happen to her takes the reader on a very interesting journey.  It will also having readers wanting to read the next book just to see what else will happen in this story and just where Pierce will ultimately end up.

I give this one 4 red roses

LRH

Starcrossed

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Harper Teen

May 2011

ISBN: 978-0-06-201199-2

Pages: 487

Contemporary, Mythology, Young Adult, Nantucket

Helen Hamilton has been trying to hide how different she is for the past sixteen years, her whole life.  Which is not easy when she lives on the small and sheltered island of Nantucket.  Lately it has been getting harder too.  Having nightmares of a desert journey in which she is desperate Helen wakes up parched and to find her sheets covered with dust and dirt.  At school she is suddenly having hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood.  When Helen first sees Lucas Delos she has no idea they are destined to play leading roles in a tragedy that has been repeating throughout history courtesy of the Fates.

Helen soon unlocks secrets of her ancestry and as she does she also learns that some myths are more than legend.  Having demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that draw Lucas and her together and as at the same time they try to tear them both apart.

This is the beginning of a trilogy that starts out with a story that is sure to stay with readers for a long time after they finish reading it.  It weaves myth into a wonderfully different contemporary story that is sure to please any reader that picks this one up.  It is very different than most books and stands out very well.  From the very beginning the story pulls the reader into it and doesn’t let go until the very end and even then it will have readers hungering for the next story in the trilogy.  The characters are very well written and they get the reader emotionally invested in the story from the very beginning.  The way that each clue is presented and how the characters go about trying to find the answers they need make for a story that moves along quickly and the action is blended wonderfully with the mystery that is woven throughout the book.  This is one trilogy that is worth reading and if the other two books continue like the first this is going to be an excellent trilogy.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

The Calling

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Harper

April 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-179706-4

Pages: 326

Contemporary, Paranormal, Young Adult, Vancouver Island

Maya is on the run with her friends after they survive first a forest fire that was deliberately set and a rescue team that is not only fake but seems to have some dark intentions where they are concerned.  When their helicopter crashes in the wilderness of Vancouver Island they realize that they have a ways to go before they are safe again.

Maya has a secret that just might help as she can fun faster and climb higher and see better than just about anyone else.  It seems to have something to do with her mysterious paw-print birthmark and is also just part of who she really is.  As Maya and her friends deal with dangers that they couldn’t have foreseen she realizes that she isn’t the only one in her group that has special abilities.  They are all going to need their extraordinary abilities if they are going to have any chance at survival. 

This is the second book in the trilogy that picks up right after the first one left off.  It is proving to be fast paced and action packed.  It also has a mystery woven through the books so far that makes it interesting as the characters work to figure out just what is going on and who knows what.  It is one series that is worth taking the time out to just sit and read all of the books.  The story pulls the reader in emotionally and will have them turning the pages just to see how things turn out.  With each tidbit that is revealed it pulls the reader in more and more and will have readers wondering just where this one will end up.

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

LRH

Wolf with Benefits

Wolf with Benefits by Shelly Laurenston

Publisher: Brava

April 2013

ISBN: 978-0-7582-6522-7

Pages: 421

Contemporary, Paranormal, New York City & Russia

Toni Jean-Louis Parker is the responsible oldest sister to a crazy-brilliant clan of jackal siblings.  When her family is assigned a slow-talking swift moving predator to keep them safe he has her thinking of cutting loose with some no-commitment, hot and sweaty fun.  Though he is starting to get obsessive wolf on her every time he looks at her which is causing its own set of problems for her.

Ricky Lee Reed had no plans to get serious about anyone.  Of course he doesn’t really have any plans at all other than catching whoever is threatening Toni and her family, who is dangerously brilliant.  Ricky is finding though the more he sees of Toni the more he wants her and he is one wily wolf that is more than able to handle a sizzling chase.  He knows what he has with Toni is worth everything and now he just has to convince Toni of that. 

This is another book in a series that is wonderfully funny with all the interesting characters that populate this world of shape shifters that keep things moving at a fast pace especially with the wonderful sarcasm that abounds throughout the series.  With all the crazy characters readers will undoubtedly find at least one that will prove to be a favorite. This is one book that will have readers laughing out loud with the antics that the characters get up to and it will prove to be one book that is extremely difficult to put down once you start it.  It is also fun to get updates on past characters and see what is happen in their worlds. 

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Second Grave on the Left

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

January 2012

ISBN: 978-1-250-00270-9

Pages: 307

Contemporary, Paranormal, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Charley Davidson has found life gets very complicated when hanging around the dead.  Luckily complicated is her middle name.  Being a part-time investigator and full-time Grim Reaper makes life very interesting.  Demons find her irresistible and the deceased find her very sparkly.  Though one entity wants to seduce her any way possible.

Now Charley and her best friend and receptionist, Cookie need to track down a missing woman.  Though the case isn’t quite as open and shut as they believed it would be. While investigating that case the Son of Satan also knows as Reyes Alexander Farrow has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley.  His body is being tortured by demons determined to lure Charley to them.  Reyes is determined to not let that happen because if it does it will give the demons a portal to heaven and that would not be a good thing. 

Now Charley is dealing with hot nights with Reyes and hotter days tracking down a missing woman.  She also has to keep those she loves safe from harm.  Charley is also wondering if there is possibly enough coffee and chocolate to get her through this latest case.

This book picks up right after the first book left off.  It also proves to be just as fun and hilarious as the first book was.  This is a series that is a fun take on paranormals that once it is started the reader will never be the same after.  This takes sarcasm to a whole different level that makes it fun and will keep the reader turning the pages just to see what situation Charley will get herself into next.  This is proving to be a series not to miss and that will have a permanent place on reader’s keeper shelves.  This has mystery romance and sarcasm that is not to be missed.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Latimer's Law

Latimer’s Law by Mel Sterling

Publisher: Harlequin

May 2014

ISBN: 978-0-373-27872-5

Pages: 288

Contemporary, Romance, Florida

Abby McMurray is a new widow that is desperate to escape her abusive brother-in-law and that desperation has led her to steal a pickup truck.  Unfortunately the truck’s owner and his attack dog halt her plans.  Abby knows she has made a horrible mistake.  What she didn’t expect was how this stranger has something tender about him that makes her feel safe for the first time in a very long time.

Cade Latimer is a K-9 deputy that knows there is something more to Abby and that she isn’t a criminal.  Then he sees her bruises and realizes that she is running from someone.  Cade has his own demons especially being physically and emotionally scarred from an investigation that went horribly wrong. Cade just can’t resist protecting this woman that is capturing his heart.  What they don’t realize is that Abby’s brother-in-law will go to any lengths to track Abby down.

This story takes a dark subject and handles it with a sensitivity that makes for an excellent book.  It is fast paced and yet gives so much on the subject that the reader can feel what Abby is going through. It changes character perspective throughout the book but does it in such a way that the reader is never lost as to what is happening at any given point.   Seeing how both Cade and Abby handle the difficulties that life has thrown at them and how they overcome them makes for a great read and seeing their strength will have readers hoping that they get a happy ending that they both so obviously deserve.  While it would have been nice to have the story end a little ways down the road it still has a very nice ending that leaves readers with a warm feeling. 

I give this one 4 red roses

LRH

Crescendo

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

January 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4169-8944-8

Pages: 427

Contemporary, Paranormal, Young Adult, Coldwater, Maine

Nora Grey thinks everything is perfect now that summer is starting and Patch her extremely hot and protective guardian angel is by her side.  Nora has to take a summer school class unfortunately and suddenly Patch has grown distant.  He also seems to have developed an irritating interest in Nora’s arch-enemy, Marcie Millar.

Nora never would have noticed Scott Parnell an old family friend if she hadn’t been so frustrated with Patch.  Scott has moved back to town and his attitude is enough to normally drive Nora away but she is mysteriously drawn to him and the secrets he seems to have especially the ones about her own past.

If that isn’t enough Nora is suddenly dealing with images that are haunting her about her murdered father.  She is also questioning whether her Nephilim bloodline had something to do with his death.  Nora is willing to risk everything in a desperate need for answers. And she is not going to let everyone’s warnings that things are better left buried stop her.

This is another great book in this series.  It gives more answers and keeps readers guessing as to what will happen next and just what some of the answers are.  It also has a few surprises that readers will not see coming but adds so much to the storyline that is woven through the series.  This second book adds a great deal to the first book and proves it is just as good as the first book was.  It will also have readers wanting to see what is going to happen next and just where this is going to end up.  This is proving to be a very good series that so far doesn’t disappoint.  The suspense keeps building with each word and will have readers coming back for more.

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

LRH