If You Hear Her

If You Hear Her
Shiloh Walker
Ash, book one
ebook, 320 pages
Published October 25th 2011 by Random House Publishing Group
ISBN 9780345517579

A CRY IN THE WOODS

The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.

Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close? When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her.

I loved the initial unfolding of this story. (Does that make sense?) Lena and Ezra first meet as we first truly begin to meet them, and for someone who hasn't had a first date in ten years--me--it absolutely tickled my fancy.

Lena is blind-surprise! The reader, this one at the very least, figures it out just as Ezra does.

But Ezra has issues--so the two agree to a casual friendship and the story drifts to allow the entrance of other characters. Edward Lawson aka Law, Hope, and Remy, and yes, many more. With such a mass of supporting players the story tends to stretch, drift, detour, and flat out drag on for a long while. When Walker labeled this one a 'trilogy' she wasn't kidding. Lord of the Rings held more progression.

So the suspense part of the story plays out till the very last page and will continue to do so until, likely, the very last chapters of book three. As much as I enjoyed this one's good points, I can't see myself enduring through to the end of the series and therefore I'm forced to put an end to my venture into Ash right here. Remy, I liked. Hope and Law? No way. Uh uh. 2 out of 5 stars.

Other books in this series:

Snow Blind

Snow Blind
Kara Lynn Russell
ebook
Published January 21st 2011 by White Rose Publishing
ISBN 2940012653345

A woman scarred by the past...

Spurred by obligation, Robin Spencer drives through blizzard conditions to find the one person she never wanted to see again: Shale Anderson. When her trip turns deadly, Robin's only hope is to trust this man who broke her heart. But can she, when he's more like the dark, reclusive hero in the graphic novels he creates than the caring Shale she once knew?

A man in need of forgiveness...

Shale Andersen is poison. When the only woman he's ever loved shows upon his doorstep, he'll do anything to send her away. If he doesn't, he will end up ruining her life, or worse, killing her-just like every other woman who's ever gotten close to him.

A danger so complete, it threatens to consume them both...

Robin's only chance at happiness lies in acceptance. Shale's only chance at freedom lies in forgiveness. Can they weather the storm and begin their lives anew, or will someone with a thirst for revenge destroy their future?

Shale is an artist/writer who believes God is done with him. Burdened by an insurmountable guilt, he portrays his despair in his dark themed graphic novels starring the character Midnight Soul. Shale's one of those people who believes that everything that happens bad in life is somehow a consequence of their own actions.

Robin is his childhood best-friend who was once his lover for a short time. That was before the allure of Allison and freedom from his father's tainted legacy led Shale astray. On her deathbed, Shale's grandmother makes a plea for Robin to bring Shale home so that they may mend things between them. When she ventures to do just that, Robin finds Shale is only a fraction of the man she once knew.

I've never felt that warm, ooey gooey feeling from these stories who offer spiritual and emotional healing through banal visions and cheesy life lessons. They actually make me gag. What was worse was Robin and her holier than thou attitude against Shale's books. She has the nerve to deem them trashy because they build upon the dark, pessimistic side of life. That's the beauty of them! That's *inspirational*.

I liked Snow Blind but, if it existed, I'd have rather read the chronicles of Midnight Soul. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Forbidden Bride

The Forbidden Bride
Debra Cowen
The Hot Zone, book six
ebook, 154 pages
Published March 1st 2010 by Silhouette
ISBN 9781426850295

Jilted. Betrayed. Hurt. Detective Robin Daly would never forget what being left at the altar felt like. Nor would she forget the part Nate Houston had played in it all. One word from him had caused everything to crumble: her wedding, her trust in men…and the respect she'd once had for him.

A string of arson-murders brings fire marshal Nate Houston back to Presley, Oklahoma—and back into Robin's life. To end the crime spree, he and Robin must work together. But to handle the desire between them, they must settle the past.

Another reviewer of this book stated that it was cheesy. I don't think it quite crossed that line but yes, romance is abundant.

Five years ago, Nate convinced Robin's fiance to call off the wedding within the very hour of the blessed event. She never got an explanation, from anyone, and has lived with a bitter resentment towards Nate ever since.

Nate believes Robin knows all about the affair that forced him to do what he did on that day, but seeing her again proves otherwise. As they work the case, Robin manages to put away her feelings drudged up by the past and begins to get to know Nate for the man he truly is, ultimately falling for him in the process. When he confesses the truth she should have known all along, he's there for her comfort and as the story goes on, continues to protect her as he always meant to do.

Both Robin and Nate been burned by marriage. Neither are looking for a committed relationship, barely wanting companionship at all, but that all changes as their jobs push them together. As the timeline stretches in this story, the progressing relationship becomes very realistic. The transition from strangers to friends to lovers is handled with care and is a joy to experience. My one disappointment, though, would be the identity of the arsonist. Very blah in that regard. 3 out of 5 stars.

In the Air Tonight: Shadow Force #3

In the Air Tonight
Stephanie Tyler
Shadow Force, book three
ebook, 352 pages
Published August 2nd 2011 by Random House Publishing Group
ISBN 9780440423041

With danger closing in, all they have is each other.

Haunted by a mission he barely survived, Delta Force operative Mace Stevens still carries a soldier’s burden. Running a small bar in upstate New York, he remains a stone-cold warrior who guards dangerous secrets and stays ready for anything. Anything except beautiful, vulnerable Paige Grayson, who shows up at his door, demanding answers about her heroic stepbrother’s death under his command.

Paige bears burdens, too. She’s plagued by demons unleashed by an older brother who committed mass murder before her eyes. But here in this snowy haven with Mace, she almost feels safe from the menacing promises of her insane sibling. As a nurse whose hands can read the deepest thoughts of anyone she touches, Paige knows that Mace needs her as desperately as she needs Mace. And when a faceless killer begins unleashing fresh terror, Mace proves just how far he will go to save the woman who means everything to him.

There it is again. That feeling that I've missed something. But oh no, not this time. I *know* the author is just screwing with me. How? Because here, in book three, two of the people that hooked up in the previous book aren't even together anymore!

After Paige suffers being held hostage at gunpoint for the second time in her young life, she needs an escape. Contemplating her options, the words of her deceased step-brother, Gray, comes back to her -Go to Mace. Mace will take care of you. So she does, with the need to know just how her loved one died driving her forward.

In The Air Tonight reunites Cameron and Dylan, whom I loved, and even Cael, whom I did not. Mace, too, is haunted by Gray's death and by the memories of his own torture by the bastards responsible. Meanwhile, Cael is suffering from memory loss and fears that he may be the one guilty of Gray's murder... and the one who actually sliced Mace's throat.

I didn't care for Cael in the last book and I didn't care much more for him here. At first I thought it was Vivienne's fault because Caleb was way better when he was being an asshole soldier than when he was acting the lover... and the whole re-visiting his story just solidified my opinion that the second book really wasn't worth reading. You'll get an entire recap of Cael and Vivi here. But, then the story went on and I realized something else. He's a copycat character. Every damn time they went to bed, it was a mirror image of what Mace and Paige had done, albeit a tad tweaked. And it was the same in book two with Zane and Olivia. Every freaking position is duplicated. One right after a damn other.

His portion of the story gets 1 star. Mace's gets 4 stars. And I'm only a little sorry for being so harsh, but I've come to expect better from Tyler.

The next book up is going to offer Kell's story. Kell was MIA for much of this one, but showed up just in time to elicit some serious curiosity. Reid was present throughout and you can wager I'll definitely be following him into book four. =)

A Soldier's Redemption

A Soldier's Redemption
Rachel Lee
Mass Market Paperback, 224 pages
Published December 1st 2010 by Harlequin
ISBN 9780373277056


When her husband's murder forces Cory Farland into the Witness Protection Program, she has to make a fresh start in a brand-new place. In Conard County, she has no past. Until former Navy captain Wade Kendrick moves in. The enigmatic ex-SEAL reawakens passion…and dares Cory to dream of a future.

He can't run forever…

Wade didn't come to the Wyoming small town to play bodyguard. But Cory needs a boarder and he needs a place to decompress. And now the guarded widow is arousing something that goes deeper than his protective instincts. With Cory's life under the gun, there isn't anything Wade won't do to keep her safe and claim the love that could redeem them both.

Cory has spent the last couple years of her life in constant fear after her husband was gunned down in cold blood. She, too, suffered a bullet and lost her pregnancy along with her spouse. Able to identify the hired gun, she's been placed in Witness Protection and moved to Conard County where her financial resources are quickly dwindling and her life has yet to move on.

Wade is a recently retired Navy Seal who's looking to find peace and rebuild himself as a civilian. The choices he's made throughout his career, toppled onto his difficult childhood, have left him haunted. He doesn't talk much, doesn't socialize at all, and paranoia still has a hold on his psyche.

Cory and Wade are brought together by the town sheriff just as Cory receives a daunting phone call message 'I know where you are'. She freaks. Wade offers what comfort he can, never pushing for information, and Cory begins to feel drawn to the man. She begins to hope. He begins to make a emotional connection. ...And that's about the gist of the story. I do love these Conard County books, but I never really bought in to the main characters of this one. 3 out of 5 stars.

Memory of Murder

Memory of Murder
Kathleen Creighton
Paperback, 216 pages
Published May 1st 2010 by Silhouette

"Is my father a murderer?"

Caring for a mother with Alzheimer's was heartbreaking enough for Lindsey Merrill. But when her mother made bizarre but adamant claims that Lindsey's loving father was a killer, it was too much to bear. So she turned to detective Alan Cameron for guidance. Before long, the single dad's soothing reassurances morphed into a smoldering attraction….

Evidence quickly mounted that all was not as it seemed in the Merrill family. As a professional, Alan was obliged to pursue the case—as a man, he had to shield this special woman from pain. Would his shocking discovery break her heart just as he was making it his very own?

Kathleen Creighton is one damn fine writer!

When Lindsey's ailing, elderly mother begins to make outlandish claims against her father, she turns to Homocide Detective Alan Cameron to help find answers. She refuses to believe that the man she calls Dad is a murderer. That he killed her true father and attempted the same of her mom. Oh, and there's a long lost brother out there living without a clue to where his parents are.

Reading romantic suspense is always a treat for the imagination. So many possibilities. The tease of just how many different directions this story could go, as with any suspenseful read, is what keeps you glued to the pages, despite the subtle romance and its lack of action. It's not so common though to find an ending such as the one in this book. All too often a story will veer drastically, but sometimes things just happen to be exactly what they are. No imagination required. 5 out of 5 stars.

Dangerous Cravings

Dangerous Cravings
Evangeline Anderson
ebook, 448 pages
Published  March 21, 2006  by Loose Id, LLC
ISBN 9781596323889


By day, Tampa homicide detective Alex Reed is fiercely intelligent and tougher than any of the men in her department. By night, she explores her darker side by writing highly erotic novels of bondage and submission under the pen name Victoria Tarlatan.

Detective Cole Berkley is Alex's longtime partner and best friend. He doesn't know anything about her secret hunger to be mastered, but he's about to find out. A serial killer is working his dark magic, transforming wicked women into works of erotic art. His hapless victims are found tied to the bed in classic bondage poses, strangled and tortured in unspeakable ways. To crack the case, Alex and Cole go undercover in the BDSM community, posing as Master and slave, Dominant and submissive.

Can Alex hold on to her secret while being forced to play out her most private fantasies with her partner? And can Cole handle the change in his tough-as-nails partner from one of the guys to a woman with deeply erotic needs? The friction between them will soon be the least of their worries. The killer has a list of intended victims. Victoria Tarlatan is on it, making Alex next in line for the killer's transformation. Will she pay for her Dangerous Cravings with her life?

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations some readers may find objectionable: Strong BDSM theme and content, violence.

Earlier this week I was needing something sweet in my reading. But then... I'm the type of person that needs a bit of sadism with her sugar. And that's where Dangerous Cravings comes in...

Stay with me now.

Erotic romance writer, and one of the best might I add, Evangeline Anderson, has outdone herself with this thrilling read about a serial killer targeting authors whose books focus on BDSM.

Cole Berkley and Alex Reed haven't spent the last five years of their partnership pining for one another. They're friends-friends who trust one another explicitly and have a very close, very comfortable relationship. But their newest case is about to bring out Alex's long kept secret and give the attraction between the two a very forceful shove.

Couldn't help but be completely engrossed by the gradual process Anderson wrote for Cole coming around to noticing Alex. First her voice. Then, her legs. And so on and so forth. It's one of those things where you're on the edge of your seat, waiting for the passion to explode, and yet, the high you get from that bit by bit is just as an intoxicating. Tease me... no, don't tease me! Gawd, I was dying to know how the first kiss was going to go down. And HOT DAMN I was not disappointed. Daddy issues make for the *best* drama. And some rather hot moments of weakness.

Cole is a virgin to the very idea of BDSM. He has no clue what the hell is going on. Alex writes the stuff, craves it, but won't speak a damn word about it so Cole is forced to use the investigation to try to make some sense of it all. He can't bring himself to comprehend what makes his best friend need to be held down and have pain inflicted during sex. But he loves Alex. He wants her. And he wants to be the lover she needs him to be, even though the idea of hurting her makes him physically sick.

Get over it, Cole!

“What the hell,” I said, slowly and distinctly, “was that about?”
     She turned to me and there was so much need, so much pain and confusion and shame in her eyes,that I felt my insides clench. God, she’d never even hinted at anything like this. Or maybe she had, and I just wasn’t paying attention ... Maybe I was ignoring her because I didn’t want to know.
     “Cole ...” Her voice was soft and tentative. The look on her face said she expected me to hit her at any time. I wanted to shake her, this vulnerable stranger. Shake her and demand what she had done with my tough, no-nonsense, takes-no-crap-off-anyone, one-of-the-guys partner.
     “Never mind,” I said, feeling the muscles in the side of my jaw bunch and tense. “Just get out.”
     “No.” Her eyes cleared a little, my rough words seeming to bringing her back to her senses. “No, I’m not leaving like this. I need ... I need ...” Her mouth worked uncertainly.
     “What?” I asked, my voice dangerously soft. “What do you think you need, Alex?”
     “I need you to understand,” she burst out, desperately. “I need you to know that I’m not ... thatI don’t ...”
     “Don’t what? Don’t get off on --”
     “Don’t say it.” She slid across the seat and pressed her small hand over my lips. In the dim glow of the lamp her eyes were wide and drowning deep. I felt in danger of falling in and never getting outagain. I wanted her so badly I ached. But I didn’t want to lay her down and take my time -- didn’t want to bring her gently or take her softly. I wanted what she wanted. I wanted to be rough with her. I couldn’t let myself want that.
     I pulled back from her, afraid that her touch, the press of her small, warm fingers against my lips, would set me off. “Get out,” I said again. I felt like a loaded gun with three pounds of pressure already on the trigger. “Get out, Alex.”
     “No.” She was trembling but determined. “No, come in with me.”
     “I can’t.” I heard a low grating sound and realized it was me, grinding my teeth. “I can’t -- I’ll hurt you.”
     She looked up at me, eyes wide and serious. “I know.”
     I could hear the steering wheel creak beneath my palms as I gripped it. I was holding it like a life preserver, knowing that if it left my hands, and my feet took me into her small dark house, I was lost. I can’t let that happen. I said it to myself over and over.
     “Cole,” she said, stroking the side of my face. “Cole, please ...”
     My control snapped and somehow my traitorous hands left the steering wheel and buried themselves in her silky hair, the same way they had the night before. I was again conscious of wanting to own her -- of wanting to possess her totally. Her mouth was as sweet as a bruised berry. I crushed her to me, wanting to own and if I couldn’t own, wanting to mark. To leave a sign on her skin that would let the world know I had been there.

Eventually Cole finds a balance between his own fantasies and Alex's needs and the scenes are a beautiful balance of the two. Despite the drama of a bitch of an ex wife and having an eight-year-old daughter, I found Cole-as Redd would say-extremely lickable.

Readers who find themselves opposed to BDSM may want to veer around this one but I would actually encourage it's reading for the very same reason. It's very light in the bondage... a few lashings, a bit of restraining, very little sex, but overall it's a very psychological approach to the topic, which is so Anderson. She gets me to respond on a mind level no other author ever has. I question so much when I read her work. About myself. And about the world around me. 5 out of 5 stars.

Another great thing about this book? It has an itty-bitty sequel!

Truth & Consequences

Truth and Consequences
Linda Winfree
Hearts of the South, book one
Kindle Edition, 280 pages
Published June 19th 2007 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ASIN B004MMED9G

When deceit and desire collide, the results can be deadly...

For undercover FBI agent Jason Harding, coming face to face with the grown-up version of his adolescent dreams is a nightmare. Kathleen Palmer sees him as a despicably corrupt small-town law officer and a murder suspect. Trapped in a web of his own making, he must see his mission through to the end and bring down the crooked cops who've run Haynes County for decades. To do so, he must betray the only family he's ever known and fight his growing love for Kathleen, a relationship that could get one, or both of them, killed.

Determined to uncover the truth, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Kathleen struggles with her attraction to the one person who's awakened her since she buried her heart and emotions in her son's tiny grave. Listening to her heart could destroy all she has left in life-her career and reputation. When the truth about Jason's identity surfaces, they both face unimaginable consequences: Jason may lose his life and Kathleen the man she loves.

A cop chase ends with the suicides of two young teen boys. Or so the Georgia patrol guys claim. The scene brings GBI agent Kathleen Palmer to the case where she and her partner are very quickly convinced that the men know and did more than they claim.

Undercover agent Jason Harding senses he's met Kathleen before and he comes to discover she was the fantasy woman of his youth. His Holy Grail. Back then, he didn't even get noticed by her. Now, it's even worse. To Kathleen, he's nothing more than a suspect, possible accomplice, who's just as crooked as the rest of the deputies. And he has little choice but to feed the illusion. He has to make her hate him, for her own safety and for the sake of his case.

Or, that was Plan A anyway.

A broken soul with a penchant for Arthurian legend, and who's wise enough to realize the faults of the oh so not great Lancelot, Jason was just too sexy for his own good. Honestly, I'm at a loss for words. Other than... I loved it-I loved it-I loved it-I loved it-I loved it! 5 out of 5 stars.

Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever
Felicity E. Heaton
ebook
Published November 2007
ISBN 9781452321080

A little excitement. That’s all Kate Hamilton wanted when she agreed to a girly break to her family’s cabin. Time away from work and her failed love-life lured her into saying yes to her friends. She was expecting sun, snow and ski. Absolutely no guys.

What she wasn’t expecting was her stepbrother and friends crashing her vacation, a badly sprained ankle, a blizzard, and being trapped on the mountain with one Jack Darcy.

Jack Darcy brings with him more excitement than Kate can handle. Tall, dark and devastatingly handsome, he’s impossible to resist and seems to be everything Kate has been searching for…until it turns out he isn’t all that he seems. In fact, nothing is.

Caught up in a dangerous game and unsure who to trust, captured by a man she once thought she knew, will Kate meet her end or will her knight in shining armour rescue her in time? Can Jack confront the terrible things in his past and let Kate in? Will he be able to complete his mission and save the girl he’s fallen in love with? Can Kate save him too?

That's a lot of questions left to be answered, eh?

Ordinarily I write my posts as I go, while the memories and the emotions are still fresh. Had I done so with this one my review would have been devastating. The first half of this book is boring as hhhhhhhell. Most of the words are exhausted on descriptions of Jack and Kate's feelings toward one another. Their thoughts. The conflicting desires. And smiling. OMG do they do alot of smiling! And yet, in hindsight, my opinion is slightly elevated because once we get past all that mushy stuff things actually get... active.

First Kate bashes Jack in the skull and leaves him for dead in the snow then (after he awakes) Jack goes all cold killer as he's slashing throats left, right, and diagonal. The bullets start flying and *finally* we find the suspense. And a bit of a shocker moment. Honestly didn't expect Jack's confession but kudos to Kate for taking it so well. That was very likely my favorite aspect of the book. Not many women can take the news of their man gunning down his last lover in cold blood and not bat an eye. Very many kudos indeed.

Sadly though, things again take a turn for the worse. Personally, I don't care for endings like that. The whole twisted conclusion where the character believes one thing but we, as readers, know beyond a doubt that there is no way in Hades that things are going to down like that. Waste of time in my opinion. And I don't even get a damn proposal at the end of all that mushy stuff? That's all kinds of wrong.

3 out of 5 stars.

Irresistible Stranger (New Man In Town)

Special thanks to Redd from the Wyld Hollow for my copy!

Irresistible Stranger
Jennifer Greene
Mass Market Paperback, 218 pages
Published December 1st 2010 by Harlequin
ISBN 9780373277070

Twenty years ago, Lily Campbell's parents died in a mysterious fire. Now she's back for the truth...but nobody in her sleepy hometown wants to talk about that night. And when the fires start up again, it's clear that somebody doesn't want her to stay.

Griff Branchard has perfected his bad-boy persona. But the moment he sees Lily, nothing matters as much as getting close to her. Although rumors about her are flying around town, he just can't believe such a sweet woman could be a troublemaker...But trouble? She's deep in it. And he's going to make sure that the only heat she feels is from the flames of desire.

Griff Branchard is not a shy man. So when he's instantly smitten by Lily as she enters his small town ice cream shop, the subtle, yet smooth, flirting commences. Thankfully, Lily can read the signs and calls him on his game. Right before she warns him how unpopular any association with herself may be that is.

This story is set in Georgia. God help me. The author's instant description of the heat is dead-spanking-on and even though I'm not big on Georgia or small towns, I'm invested enough in this series that those small details didn't do a thing to influence my enjoyment one way or another.

The second book, Mesmerizing Stranger, didn't do it for me the way the first, Secretive Stranger, did. Oh yes, I loved the first book. This one, though, came darn close. In each installment, the fire that claimed the lives of their parents is a rich, recurring topic and now, finally, we'll be getting down to the nitty gritty of what happened that night. The rumor went that their father, after losing his job, set the fire to get the insurance money. The flames got out of control and only the three sisters (Cate, Lily, & Sophie) made it out. Notably, with help from their father.

By the end of the second chapter, I was in love. Griff has a secret. Sure, he allows for the lazy, womanizer rep that the town has bestowed upon him but he has a hobby that he considers his real work. He also has an 'implied capacity for commitment'. =)

By the middle of chapter five, my man, Cord, (Secretive Stranger) was getting some serious competition from this MIT graduate, Griff. I noticed a ton of similarities between the two, but what gave Griff the edge was that no matter how badly he wanted to prove to Lily that he could take care of her and that he was strong enough for the both of them, it was Lily that over and over again came to his aid. It was a beautiful balance. And I loved the play and interchange of roles. As far as the suspense is concerned, I honestly didn't care who the arsenist was and failed to attempt trying to figure it out. Too busy with the love. 4 out of 5 stars.


Other books in the series:

Mesmerizing Stranger (New Man in Town)

Harm Connolly wants to leave his bad history with women on terra firma. Two weeks of business on a cruise would help accomplish that. First complication: the sexiest woman he's ever met is on board the vessel. Second complication: a dead body—one of his associates.

Adventure chef Cate Campbell knows his type—arrogant corporate hotshot, taking his guys out for some R & R. No problem. She'll have Harm eating out of her hand in seconds flat. No problem...until a killer on the loose forces her to find safety and comfort in his arms. Will mayhem at sea throw any chance of romance overboard?

A very special thank you hug to Redd from The Forgotten Hollow for this one!

There's a theme to these stories. So far both men (Cord and Harm) have thought very little at first sight of their intended love interests. Neither woman was anything special. That changes, out of necessity for a romance novel, and by the end of the book they're quick to pull out a ring. Even Harm. Twice divorced Harm. Even though, okay, only one of those really counted. If that.

So Harm has inherited his deceased uncle's company, a research lab that is out to cure cancer. And they've found such a cure.

But now, the formula has gone missing.

When the investigation fails to deliver anything close to a viable suspect, Harm gathers up his top scientists and steals them away for two week yacht trip. He's hoping to knock a few things loose and ultimately discover the liar and thief.

Aboard the boat, Harm meets Cate the chef. Now, I've read books where the female protagonist is described as 'independent' and well, I've rarely if ever felt it. But I certainly got the message from Cate. And she's one of those speaks-her-mind women, too.

I think it was the boat that killed it for me in this one. I'm not big on boats. Confined space and all, it makes the story rather simple.

I liked it, just not as much as the first. Cord and Sophie are still my favorite of the bunch.



Coming in December: Irresistible Stranger (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)



Book #1
My review

Kiss of Fire: Dragonfire #1

For millennia, the shape-shifting dragon warriors known as the Pyr have commanded the four elements and guarded the earth's treasures. But now the final reckoning between the Pyr, who count humans among the earth's treasures, and the Slayers, who would eradicate both humans and the Pyr who protect them, is about to begin...

When Sara Keegan decides to settle down and run her quirky aunt's New Age bookstore, she's not looking for adventure. She doesn't believe in fate or the magic of the tarot-but when she's saved from a vicious attack by a man who has the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon, she questions whether she's losing her mind-or about to lose her heart...

Quinn Tyrrell has long been distrustful of his fellow Pyr and a self-reliant loner. So when he feels the firestorm that signals his destined mate, he's determined to protect and possess Sara, regardless of the cost to himself. Then Sara's true destiny is revealed-and Quinn realizes he must risk everything- even Sara's love-to fulfill their entwined fates...

I made it to the end of the first chapter of Amaryllis by Jayne Castle, forcing myself to do so, when I decided it likely wasn't a book for me. Which sucks because the covers of that series are gorgeous and deserve a place on my shelves. *shrugs* Maybe one day in the future.

But on the tail of Shiloh Walker's Back From Hell, I needed something just as dark- or close to it. Something deep. Something hot.

Kiss of Fire has sat on my to-be-read list since January and the last dragon shifter story I can recall reading was in 2003. Yeah, this is long overdo. With shifters, prophecy, myth, and mates, this one sucked me in immediately whereas Amaryllis did nothing more than repel me with the same amount of pages.

I did have a little problem with the beginning. If Quinn didn't know if these 'Pyr' were the good guys or the bad, then how the hell was I suppose to know?

Quite the change of pace, too. Wolves are instinctive, impulsive, and clear with intent. Dragons, on the flipside of the coin, are patient, reasoning beings... and cryptic as all hell.

So I'm gonna sum this up nice and neat. Quinn is a Pyr, a dragon shapeshifter that has lived centuries away from his kind for a number of reasons. His family has been slaughtered. His first wife has been burned alive. Despite living alone, and contently so, he feels his firestorm building- the time to claim his destined mate has arrived.

Sara is an accountant who has chosen to honor her late aunt's spirit by running her old book store, a shop filled with books of lore and legends. The last thing she would have believed in would be the existence of dragons in modern day America but when she's targeted and attacked, that's exactly what she finds to be true amidst the discovery that she's a Seer and her aunt is haunting the place.

Meanwhile, the enemy of the Pyr, the Slayers, have captured the Wyvern and are torturing her for the secrets of the visions she holds.

Now, Quinn is learning that the grudges and mistrust Quinn has placed on those of his kind just may be misplaced, and the one soul to which he has given his trust and affection just may be the one that has robbed him of everything he's held dear.

The best part, by far, in this story are Sara's dreams which are Quinn's memories. Vivid and sad. Compelling. Altering. I love a good, heartpumping dream.

The most shocking part was Erik's son. Did *not* expect that.

The worst part was Elizabeth. Because, quite simply, I don't like baggage.

Her Hero In Hiding

On the run from a killer, Kay Young depended on the stranger who rescued her one snowy night. Though a lifetime of hurt had made her wary of men, Clint Ardmore was different. He offered her shelter, protection...and the chance to discover true passion.

A soldier-turned-writer, Clint craved the privacy of his secluded ranch, where he could be alone with the gruesome memories of combat. But once he let Kay into his home, he let her into his heart. When the danger shadowing her closed in, he knew that there was only one way to ensure Kay's safety and stop a killer's obsession.

I just want to know why this guy had condoms.

What hermit keeps condoms in his nightstand?

Come To Me

Of all the P.I. offices in all the world…

Why did Lizzie Porter have to waltz into his? Wary loner Sam Travers always had a soft spot for Lizzie—and now she's grown up, with the curves to prove it. But to move on his old partner's daughter would be oh-so-wrong….

Except that Lizzie won't take no for an answer. She's discovered that she might have a half sister. And she's not going to let anyone stop her on her search—even Sam!

The plot thickens when someone takes a shot at Lizzie, and Sam volunteers to move in with her—just to protect her, of course. And as they puzzle out the truth, he wonders just when he'll dare move out…

Lizzie has had a crush on Sam since she was fourteen. He was married and her father's cop partner at the time. Now twenty-four, Lizzie has discovered with her father's death that there's a long lost twelve year old sister of hers she didn't know she had.

It's been years since Sam has seen Lizzie. Now, thirty-two years old, Sam's been divorced for six years and owns his own PI service. He's beyond shocked to have Lizzie appear at his office looking to hire him.

He finds she hasn't changed. Still talks a mile a minute and says whatever is on her mind. Even if it isn't all that pertinent to the conversation. Although now, she's taken to carrying a purple Taser. Yeah, don't mess with a interior painter with a purple Taser.

Another one finishes with a ring on her finger. *happy sigh*

Secretive Stranger (New Man in Town)

It's not enough that Sophie Campbell discovers her neighbor's body. His dead ringer has to show up at her doorstep. But this man's no ghost…the instant attraction that sparks between them is all too real.

College professor Cord Pruitt wants answers about his brother's murder. The woman downstairs must have seen something. But when Cord lays eyes on Sophie, all he wants to do is take her in his arms and protect her. With a killer on the loose, and all signs pointing toward Sophie as the next target, that's just what he will have to do…

Not sure what happened exactly, but Cord had me in the palm of his hand from the very beginning. I don't know if it was the college professor thing... or the talk of his explorations... which was mild at best... but it was something. Definitely something.

Cord was inches away from her at that second. Inches away from that smile, those silly glasses. Inches away from the woman who'd been confounding him from the moment he met her. From the very beginning, he was uncertain whether she was saint or sinner... angel or thief... a truly fascinating woman or a manipulative sociopath.

What I wouldn't give to conjure the same questions about myself. Hell, I'm just gonna throw that little piece of somethin'-somethin' into my profile.

I took this one nice and slow. A chapter here, chapter there. It was slow building, but I didn't mind it all that much. Two characters, both cut off from the world around them. Both suffering from a single painful time in their pasts. Both instantly caught in a gravitational pull to one another. Learning to trust again. Or, in some ways, for the first time.

Sophie hides herself, fearful of feeling abandoned. Cord has shut down. His world has fallen apart little by little over his lifetime, and he has come to expect little else in life. They're basically the same person. Each wanting so much from the other, but equally afraid of asking, and expecting, it. Their emotions, thoughts, and actions, were often mirrored. Something I found to be very purposeful on the part of the writer.

Her lips parted once, then twice. "I didn't think anyone would find me," she said hoarsely.
"I'd always find you," he said quickly, correcting her. "Come here, baby."
"I'm okay."
She was okay all right. Like someone who'd been hit by a bus was okay.
"We'll go at this slow," he murmured.
Since she seemed to be having trouble moving, he did the obvious, crawled in there with her. He ducked through the clothes, through the shoes and bags and girl debris on the closet floor, and then just pulled her into him, onto him. He sat there in that stupid closet, with her clothes dancing around his head and her shoes kicking him in the spine.

I want a man to crawl into a closet with me. How random is that sentence?

Too cute. After that scene, a freaked out Sophie blurted out all she wanted was her sister. Needed her sister. Needed to feel safe. Fold that little note into a crisp, white envelope, tie it to an arrow, and shoot it right into poor Cord's rapidly, pounding heart. He was trying to comfort her, but he wasn't enough. So what's a guy to do? Why, call her sister, check the airlines, pay for her flight, and have a car waiting with driver to bring her to Sophie. Yeah, my kind of hero.

He'd been caretaking her as if... as if she were the treasure and he was her personal pirate.

I want a personal pirate.

Just can't hate a book that ends with a ring on her finger.

Vicious

They called her vicious.
They called her vindictive.
They called her violent, volatile…
But Graeme Lawson, arrogant bastard he was, he had simply called her his…

If there was a better way to wake up, Graeme wasn’t so sure he wanted to know.

Three years ago, Graeme Lawson was killed by the woman he loved. A knife to the back. Since then, he's been in Purgatory.

But now, he's been given a chance at redemption by going back, and giving Vixen, his love and murderer, a chance at salvation. With a different body, shorter and thinner, but the same neon blue eyes, it doesn't take long for Graeme to find her, but he's not prepared for the air of grief that surrounds her.

Vixen is an assassin. She spent her life on the streets as the daughter of a drug addicted mother who finally overdosed and Vixen was left to stealing to survive. That's how she first met Graeme, who loved her the moment he slapped eyes on her.

Graeme is what nearly every woman wants, and what no assassin needs - a guy that can read your every move. In his new existence, it's even worse. Every sense he has is heightened. He can hear her every word. Even some inside her mind. But the powers that be didn't send him back completely uncontrolled. They'll only let him do so much.

I had my hesitations starting out this one. I mean, the guy's already dead, what kind of happy ending are we looking at here? For the first half of the book we're basically reliving their lives and their life together. I must say, the sexy stuff is top notch.

Near the end, I was flabbergasted as I experienced that moment when a slow smile stretches your face and you find yourself mouthing the words 'no way' as everything comes together so beautifully. If you've ever seen even one Saw movie then you know what I mean. All I wanted to do was crawl into a big blanket, wrap myself in its warmth, and sigh. Yes. Hell yes. The book was good.

The very end? I won't spoil it. It's too unexpected. Not all that huge a deal... just unexpected. You won't see it coming. So I hate the cover, have a mild dislike for the title, but absolutely love love love the story.

“Don’t look away,” he whispered. “You gave me this…and I want all of it.”
The pain was just a whisper at first, but as he pressed deep, deeper, it grew, hot and vicious, spreading through her. She cried out and closed her eyes.

His voice cut through the hot wash of pain. “Look at me!”

She did…and she found herself lost in his gaze.

“I want it all,” he repeated. “I want the tears. I want to feel it as your body tries to accept me, accept this…and I want to watch you as it happens. You gave me this—you can’t hold anything back. Not from me.”

“It hurts.” She hated the whimpering, pleading tone of her voice, but she couldn’t stop it. Nor could she look away from him as he forged deeper and deeper, claiming her one slow inch at a time.

“I know it hurts.” He dipped his head and nuzzled her neck. “And bastard that I am, I can’t even say I’m sorry. I’m glad it hurts, glad this is the first time for you…glad I’m the man having this, having you…and damn it, Vixen, I’m keeping you.”

The in-print cover, shared with Talking With the Dead. Much better!

Reyn's Redemption

James Reynolds Erikson, 'Reyn', left his small-town home twenty years ago after the death of his mother and a childhood spent creating a reputation he only regrets. When he's contacted about his grandmother, the only family he has left, being in the hospital, he finally returns to the place that never did feel like home to him.

But even being the hero firefighter that others see him as, Reyn wants nothing to do with the picture his grandmother has painted of him in the eyes of Olivia, the orphaned daughter of the former town sheriff. And the sexy calendar photo he agreed to pose for doesn't help him. Reyn doesn't consider himself as a hero or a fantasy. To himself, he's a coward. One who couldn't save his own mother.

On the note-so-flipped-side of things is Olivia. She, too, has got herself an unwanted reputation though hers may not be so deserved. More like the lashings of a scorned lover she trusted a little too much. When Olivia finds her father's files on the investigation of Reyn's mother's death, she also finds his notes. Suddenly it appears there's more to the story of what transpired all those years ago.

“I can still turn you over my knee for lying, young man.” She lightly touched the covers near her injured hip. “Well, maybe I can’t at the moment, but I’ll have Olivia tan your backside for me.”

Reyn’s gaze darted to Olivia’s, and his slate-gray eyes grew warm. “Promise?”

and, don't you love to hate brutal honesty?

He raised his head and peered into her eyes, seeking confirmation, permission—and receiving both. Holding her gaze, he positioned himself and slowly guided the tip of his erection into her. She stretched to accommodate him, her body tight as he tried to slide deeper. And met resistance.

His body screamed for release, and it took all his strength not to drive himself deep and hard. Gently he tried again, and Olivia winced.

Dear God, he was hurting her. As if she were a—

He froze, icy horror splashing him when the truth penetrated his haze of lust. With tense, jerky movements, he pulled away from her and clambered to his feet. Plowing his hands through his hair, he sucked in a steadying breath.

“You’re a virgin.” His voice was filled with anger and accusation, and she flinched.

“Y-yes.”

He sucked in a deep breath, trying to control the tension wringing his body. Damn it, he still wanted her, even knowing what it would cost him. And cost her.

“Why didn’t you say something?” he growled.

“I… Why does it matter? What difference does it make to you?” She crossed her arms over her breasts, hugging herself, and drew her legs up close to her body. He saw her shiver, despite the scalding sun, and pain squeezed his chest.

“It matters. It just does.” He snatched up his wet underwear, gritting his teeth. His body still throbbed with unfulfilled need, and knowing he could do nothing about it made him madder.

“I don’t understand. If I’m willing to—”

“But I’m not willing.” He continued dressing while Olivia stared at him with wounded eyes. Sucking in a deep breath, he turned to her, trying to organize his thoughts despite the riot of emotions and yearning still battling inside him. “I don’t want to be your first. I don’t want you to have any emotional connection to me.” He sighed and met her querying look with a hard gaze. “A woman’s first time is…special. Something she never forgets. I don’t want to be special to you. It has to be only sex.”

She stared at him silently, her eyes glittering with tears.

He shoved his feet in his shoes and turned toward the woods. The rustle of clothes told him she was finally dressing. He screwed up the nerve to face her again. “Olivia, I’m sorry. This is just how it has to be.”

He waited for her to glance up before continuing. He wanted to make sure she understood what he had to say next. “Don’t fall in love with me. I’m not what you want or need in your life, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

She shook her head. A deep V creased her brow over sad eyes. “Why won’t you let me in? What are you afraid of?”

His heart slammed against his ribs, and he tensed. “I’m not afraid. But you should be.”

Man From Nowhere

Just coming off a bad relationship and stuck in a work-related nightmare, Trish Devlin doesn't need more stress. So when she spots a stranger lurking outside her home, it's the last straw. Yet she's drawn to this compelling man who claims to have visions of her impending murder and offers protection.

Grant Wolfe can't explain why he feels compelled to defend the skeptical beauty, but he ignored a premonition once before—with deadly consequences. Can he convince Trish that his visions are based in an all-too-dangerous reality—or will the killer get her before their love has a chance?


Grant and Trish are, beyond a doubt, the most educated, open-minded characters I've ever come into contact with. And Gage, the cop, too.There aren't that many 'are you crazy?' moments, and when you're talking about precognitions, and hunches, and just odd sixth senses, it's rare for people not to respond with the famous 'wtf' line...

I was very happy with the end. Nothing wild and crazy. The story progressed slowly, much as it would in real life. This is a story that could *so* happen.