ARC Review: A Gentleman Says "I Do" by Amelia Grey

Iverson Brentwood has finally met his match. Catalina Crisp heats his blood like no other lady. Her alluring countenance has stopped him dead in his tracks. But no matter how attracted he is to her, he can't give into his desire to possess her in every way...she is the daughter of the man he's sworn to destroy.

Catalina's father is a well-known writer, but wastrel whose disappearances continuously put them close to destitution. Something drastic must change, so it is with quill in hand, that Catalina completes her father's latest parody of Iverson and Matson Brentwood's spectacular arrival in London. When the story hits the newsprint, a darkly handsome man is at her door, looking for her father.

Seeing the dashing rogue in the flesh, for a bewildering moment dallying with the rake seems like the perfect fictional escape—and it's all she can do not to give into the madness of the intriguing man.


Review:

Catalina Crisp is the daughter of a poet and has found herself put in the position of needing to help finish some of her father’s work in order to get the money they need to pay for the house, staff, etc,. Her father is flighty, with his head in the clouds and tends to take off in a moment’s notice and therefore Catalina has had to become the practical one in the family and had to take over the books at the age of 16. One of the stories she had to finish happens to be a parody based on the Brentwood twins. I really liked Catalina’s character, she’s taken on a lot of responsibility, takes care of everyone else before herself, and this has made her a strong person. I loved how stubborn she was how she was able to handle Iverson’s temper without flinching.

Iverson Brentwood is the aggressive Brentwood twin (his brother Matson is the peacemaker) who has the reputation as the Rake of Baltimore. He’s got a big temper and very impulsive but he is very protective and loyal to his family and those he cares about. There are questions about his past that he doesn’t want aired out to everyone, so when this parody about his family comes out, he is determined to put a stop to it. When he goes to confront the author, he instead finds himself faced with Catalina. No matter that he’s dealing with a woman, he doesn’t back down and ends up threatening bodily hard to her father if he ever writes another word about his family. Right away he finds Catalina strong, seductive and every ounce his equal, he’s met his match.

I loved and was captivated by Catalina and Iverson’s story. Everything is laid out for you and I loved that there isn’t any sneakiness (well, besides Catalina withholding some information). I love how Iverson is very straight forward from the beginning and is a man of his word. I found him to be quite the sweetheart and I just loved him. Catalina is strong, compassionate, protective, and doesn’t back down or lets herself be intimidated. I loved how their feelings and relationship developed and you just have to keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, when Iverson finds out Catalina’s role in writing the story, how will he react! I was rooting for them and hoping that everything turned out ok.

Guest Post & Giveaway with Author Sandra Hill

                                  WHEN FIRST KISSES HAVE A BITE

    First kisses are always special, no matter the age, no matter the circumstance.  Everyone who reads romance novels looks forward to that first poignant moment when lips brush lips.  But when the first kiss involves a vampire, better yet a Viking vampire angel, you might just hear a Hallelujah or two.

    I knew when I started my new Deadly Angels series that I would have to do something different.  First of all, vangels (Viking vampire angels) are prohibited from having real sex; so, they have to be inventive.  And, boy, are they!

    

    For example, this is what happens in KISS OF PRIDE, the first book in the series:

    His hips propelled her back against the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and his other hand grasped her chin forcing it to the side so that her neck lay open to him.  With a reflexive hiss of anticipation, his fangs came out and he sank his teeth into her skin where she’d already been bitten.

    He’d done this hundreds of time before. The vangel kiss.  He could do it in his sleep.  He could do it and recite the Poetic Edda in his head.  He could be cool, calm, and as collected as any Viking vampire angel in the midst of a fanging.  But this was different, he recognized instantly.

    The taste of her washed over him like a tidal wave.  His cock shot up without warning and he went lance hard without any forewarning.  It was a thickening so exquisitely orgasmic that he felt his knees begin to buckle.

    Jerking backward, he released his hold on her and put the back of his hand to his mouth, rubbing.  Staggering to the other side of the desk, he plopped down to the swivel chair to hide the continuing erection that tented his shorts, the thigh-length braies men wore here in the summer months.

    
    At the same time, she appeared more stunned than angry, although the anger was sure to come.

    “Who are you?” they both asked at the same time..

    Then there is another of the seven Sigurdsson brothers, Trond, a vangel Navy SEAL,  hero of the second book, KISS OF SURRENDER, who invents “Near-Sex.”  Lots of kisses there. 

    And Ivak, in the third book, KISS OF TEMPTATION, discovers “breath kisses.”

    To learn more about KISS OF PRIDE and my other books, visit me on my website at www.sandrahill.net or stop my FaceBook home at Sandra Hill Author. 

Giveaway

Leave a comment with a valid email address to win a set of three backlist titles to one winner. US only please

ARC Review: Darkest Caress by Kaylea Cross

Two-hundred-year-old Daegan Blackwell is one of the last remaining Empowered, an ancient magical race. Daegan's duty is to lead and protect his remaining Brethren in the coming war foretold by prophecy. The last thing he expects is to meet the one woman who will either save or destroy him-his destined mate.

Fiercely independent Realtor Olivia Farrell believes darkly handsome Daegan is simply a prospective client. Until she's attacked by a man with a strange aura-and Daegan fights him off, taking away her pain with just his touch. At first, Olivia refuses to believe she's part of a magical race, yet mounting evidence and her powerful chemistry with Daegan are too strong to deny.

But as Daegan's partner, Olivia becomes a target in the battle between good and evil that threatens her life, as well as the very existence of the Empowered. And the only one who can save her is the man claiming to be her destiny..

Review:

Olivia Farrell is an average woman who is a realtor and teaches piano lessons on the side. Her life is pretty normal except that she suffers from awful headaches at some of the most inopportune times. So when she is to show an expensive estate she is anxious about the commission she can earn from this sale, but everything changes when she meets her intended client.  

Daegan Blackwell is around 200 years old, is the leader and one of the last of the Empowered, an ancient magical race whose duty is to protect the human race from evil in an coming to war in a foretold by prophecy. Upon meeting each other, Daegan knows that Liv is his mate, which is the last thing he needs. Whenever they are near each other, they have a strong sexual reaction and pull to each other. The need to Bond with his mate grows with each day but he is hesitant to do anything about it due to his parent’s horrible experience and he is determined to give Liv the option to choose to bond with him. Ugh, it drove me nuts how Daegan tries to be honorable but he just goes about it the wrong way and it is basically left up to his cousin, Cade, to explain the whole mate/bonding thing to Liv.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters. I liked how strong, stubborn, and resistant Liv was and refused to completely break down with everything that gets thrown at her. I thought that Liv actually handles herself well while she gets dropped into this new world and then becomes a target by the Dark Army that is led by the Obsidian Lord. I really wanted to hate the OL, but as we get to see how he became evil, by losing his mate, I couldn’t help from feel sorry for him. I liked how Daegan wasn’t perfect, he made mistakes and needed help from others. This book is full of suspense that left me on the edge. I really enjoyed how the climax of the story is actually detailed. I had read several books before this one where the climax was minimized and I felt skimmed over, so it was nice to experience each agonizing feeling with the characters.

ARC Review: Improper Relations by Juliana Ross

When Hannah's caught watching her late husband's cousin debauch the maid in the library, she's mortified -- but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she's used to being ignored.

The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she's witnessed, but there's something about Leo that draws her to him.

When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can't bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she's losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends?

Review:

While being left penniless with the death of her husband, Hannah Bell takes up a position as a Lady’s companion for her late husband’s aunt (and also Leo’s mom) even though it pays no wages but at least gave her room and board. She’s used to being ignored, and she has found a haven in the library where no one really goes, until one day when she is up in the galley, Leo enters. At first she watches as he sits and relaxes until a maid entered and she was witness to their sexual encounters.

Alfred (Leo) Wraxhall is the 2^nd son to Marquess, who has a reputation of being lazy, a rake, a drinker and gambler. He dropped out of university and is living in brother’s shadow. He feeds his family’s idea of him, but he is really intelligent, funny, has a kind word for everyone, often smiling. Leo is aware of Hannah being present in the library and after the maid leaves he invites her to discuss what she’d seen.

Hannah is naïve and didn’t have the most educating experience with her husband and is under the opinion that women aren’t supposed to enjoy sex, wives are to submit to their husbands. Leo teaches her differently. He’s a very good teacher and she’s an eager student as they take Hannah’s education slowly with each of their encounters. Despite the downfalls that could happen to her if she is caught, she chooses to return to Leo as he has shown her delight in her barren existence.

I found Hannah very strong and able to take on changes and make the best of her circumstances and Leo is very sweet and attentive. At the end of this story and I had a wistful smile on my face. I thought this story was paced well for being a novella, it was short, sweet and to the point, but I can’t help but wish there was more of Leo and Hannah to read about *happy sigh*

ARC Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Review:

In the world of The Immoral Rules, vampires are on top. There are Master vampires that rule over cities and among them are other ranks of vampires. Outside of the city walls, there are the ruins of the homes where humans used to live before the Red Lung virus spread. Outside the city walls we find Rabids, who are vampires but kept making me think of zombies. With the humans they are mainly split into two categories, there are Registered humans who give blood once a month in exchange for food and money, and then there are the Unregistered humans who have to scrape and steal to get by. Allie is an Unregistered human and chooses to stay off the vampires radar, even if it is a great struggle to survive. It is one fateful day that Allie is brutally attached by Rabids while out searching for food and is saved by a vampire, who gives her the ultimate choice, to die or become a vampire. Even though Allie hates vampires with everything she is, she chooses to become one. Allie is a true fighter and if she has to become a vampire to survive, so be it.

Allie is very hard at the beginning of this book. She has been stabbed in the back too many times and has been shown she can only depend on herself. I thought Allie was very strong, she takes each of her new circumstances with strong determination to do whatever she can to survive. Then circumstances has her leaving her home and her vampire mentor, she finds out just how much she has to give up on certain ideals, and also finds her own determination to not become the monster that she has always associated with vampires. These circumstances lead her to a group of humans trying to survive on their own and she is invited to join them (without them knowing she’s a vampire).

This is where we meet Zeke, who becomes Allie’s human love interest. He is the groups second in command, and he refuses to let what he’s experienced in the past take away his hope and faith, and his ability to see the good in others. She tries very hard to be the person Zeke sees in her, but her Hunger is always there and she constantly has to find ways to hide what she is. Wow, loved this book. I’m already a Julie Kagawa fan from reading her Iron Fey books, so I had a feeling I’d like this book too. I loved how dark and gritty it was. I felt that Kagawa did a great job of setting up this world, but in a way that I didn’t feel overwhelmed that the world building took over the story. Although this book kept making me feel like I wanted to compare it to The Walking Dead at times, there was the uniqueness to her world that kept me from letting that bother me. I liked that it felt like she didn’t hold anything back, and threw Allie for all these twists which definitely kept the tension up and kept me hooked. I was very pleased with Allie’s development as a character and thought the ending set up well for the next book but that I also felt satisfied with.

Review: Crave by Felicity Heaton

His mind has been set on his work for the past one hundred years. Now a forbidden beauty has stolen his attention and is threatening to steal his heart too.

Callum has come to the city of romance on business, not pleasure, but when he sets eyes on a gorgeous werewolf in a nightclub, he can’t ignore the dark carnal craving she ignites in him. His work for Vampirerotique, the erotic theatre he runs with three other vampires, can wait. The only thing that matters now is satisfying his sinful hunger for a woman who most vampires would consider an enemy.

Kristina is on the run from her pack. Her alpha is intent on forcing her to bear his child and she’s not about to live through the same nightmare as her mother had. When a tall, dark and sexy vampire catches her eye, she can’t believe the ferocity of the desire he unleashes in her or the fact that she enjoys the feel of his eyes on her and his silent pursuit of her in the clubs each night.

When Kristina finally gets a taste of Callum in a forbidden kiss, will she be strong enough to resist the allure of the vampire and his offer to share his bed for a week of unbridled, wild sex, or will she surrender to her own craving for the safety and passion she finds in his embrace?

Review:

Crave is the second book in the Vampire Erotique Theatre Series, and it held up to my expectations. One thing that I’ve enjoyed with Crave and also with the first book, Covet, is the conquering of forbidden love and just how sweet the heroes are.

Callum has been sent to Paris in search for new acts for the theater, when he comes across a female that captivates him. Callum is very dedicated to his work, but his is so drawn to her that he shuns his duties to follow her from club to club each night, but he never approaches her. Kristina knows he’s watching her and she finds herself intrigued. She kind of puts on a show for him and it make me think of Dirty Dancing with vampires and werewolves. After a steamy round in a curtained off booth, Callum invites her to spend his last week in Paris with him.

Kristina’s got some baggage and fears that she really struggles with. Kristina is currently ripe for mating, aka fertile and she has run away from her pack because the pack alpha wanted to claim and impregnate her. She fears sharing the same fate as her mother and being ditched once pregnant and having to be a single parent. She vowed to avoid interacting with any werewolves in order to minimize the chance of being turned back over to her pack or having another alpha try to mate with her.

Callum and Kristina make such a sweet and wicked pair. And I love how Callum is the one more open and honest about his feelings and works to wear Kristina down. Whenever their relationship moves beyond lust and desire to more tender emotions, Kristina gets skittish, but Callum is not about to give up. Their passion is sizzling and they are quite inventive in the numerous ways they demonstrate their desire for each other. I loved getting to see the other characters we met in Covet, although, I wished they could have been in the book more then they were. Overall, Crave is short, sweet, and definitely captivating.

Review & Giveaway With Vicky Dreiling

 

Review:  

From the moment I was introduced to Will I was in love. He was not only charming but his sarcastic remarks kept me more than entertained throughout the book.

I love how Any didn't give into Will and saw through all his charm. It was amazing to watch their relationship grow from absolutely nothing into love. Of course it didn't happen over night which made me love this book even more. The timing of the romance was perfect and it drew me in. I loved their lives separate as much as i loved them together. They both had brought deceptions to the marriage that they will have to overcome to make this work out.

I loved how the characters from the first two books make appearances especially Hawk *swoons*
Aunt Hester actually cracked me up with her  blunt honesty. I also liked how we were introduced to some of Will’s friends. I believe they helped to give him some humanity and balance in some decisions that have to be made.
 

Now that I know their will be more to this series I am excited. I cant wait to find out what is in store for the next couple. I highly recommend all of Vicky's Books. Especially to readers that not only love Historicals but just love romance. 

 

 

 

 Giveaway!

3 lucky winners will win a copy of each book!

• Open to US/Canada only
• No PO boxes please

Just add your email in a comment if you are interested in entering the giveaway.  Giveaway is open until  04/14/12 12PM EST.  Winners will be chosen using random.org and winners will be emailed.

Good luck!

Review: The Forbidden Claim by Kelly Gendron

US Marshall Jinx Collins is an outspoken, free-spirited, and earless woman. It’s that same fearlessness, however, that tends to get her into trouble. Jinx questions her life prior to being adopted. When those questions lead her to a murderer who’s about to be transported into the witness protection program, Jinx decides to kidnap him to see if she can uncover the truth. Jed Kane has worked undercover in the human trafficking ring for years. When Jed accepts a job to disguise himself as one of his worst enemies and take a ride from the correctional facility to a secured location, he certainly had not planned on being abducted by Jinx Collins. Jed’s uncertain as to how he feels about her touchy-feely hands and loose lips—unsure if they irritate him or if they are awakening his badly behaving desires. Jed knows he must first find out what the fanatical little lady wants with a murderer before he can act on whatever he’s feeling.

Straight away Jinx is attracted to the resilient and enticing Jed Kane—the only man who hasn’t backed down from her candor. While Jinx discovers that the questionable criminal may be able to assist her in finding out the truth about her past, Jed vows to save Jinx from her daring self. Once Jinx starts to understand what Jed feels for her—he wants to own her—she demands that he succumb to the raging frenzy. Jed allows himself

Review:

Jinx Collins is trying to piece together her past from before she was adopted at a young age. All she has to go on is a photograph of a girl and memories that have been popping up. She is a US Marshall, and so she has the skills to get what she needs done. She is every strong minded, but this tends to get her in plenty of trouble. While in search for the girl in the photograph she kidnaps a known murder, who is pictured as well, so that she can find the connection and the identity of the girl. Or she thinks she kidnaps him and ends up kidnapping Jed who is undercover posing as the man. Jed knows the girl in the photo but is suspicious as to Jinx’s reasons for searching for her.

Jed Kane has been investigating undercover human trafficking for many years now. At the age of 17 he was found by an undercover agent hunched over a man he had killed, and had been hunting down those involved with trafficking humans. He is so caught up in his cover that he thinks of himself as one of the bad guys. Jed has so much rage built up and works hard to have a control over it, but something about Jinx stirs it up and many other emotions he thought locked up that it confuses him.

Throughout, we see glimpses of a boy that is a captive in the human trafficking world. We see from his perspective what he is experiencing, what role he plays, and what his fears are. He’s been shut up so long that he doesn’t see himself as human, that he doesn’t even have a name anymore, he just goes by Boy. His role in the story breaks my heart, but lifts it at the same time.

This story was very good and kept me hooked. I loved the tension, between Jinx and Jed and how Jinx just can’t keep herself out of trouble. Jed really broke my heart with such a negative view of himself and his struggles with breaking down the walls to his emotions and allowing himself to feel he deserves happiness. Overall, WHOA! I don’t want to give anything away so that’s all I have to say. I didn’t see that twist at the end coming. It totally left me in shock and thinking how I did NOT see that coming. I thought this was a great, dark story but what is revealed towards the end, bumped up my opinion of this book. It is definitely worth it to read this!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Author Zoë Archer

Boots! Boots! Boots! (And Steampunk)

Guest Blog by Zoë Archer

Today, I’m going to discuss a subject very near and dear to me: boots.

If you follow me at all on Twitter or Facebook (and less frequently on Pinterest), you already know that I have a mild obsession with boots.  If, perhaps, you’re not as familiar with me and my personal mania, let me introduce the topic by stating I have at least twenty pairs of boots currently jamming my closet.  Twenty is actually a conservative estimate.

My boots run the gamut: hiking boots, snow boots (not yet worn, as I live in Los Angeles), ankle-high boots, tall boots.  I steer away from boots with tall, skinny heels, and, since I’m only 5’, I avoid over-the-knee boots. While they look awesome and remind me of 18^th century highwaymen, over-the-knee boots would make me resemble Lowly Worm.

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But I love boots because they shout “Adventure,” and “Badass Ahoy,” which is something I know I need more of in my life.  Even if I can’t jump from rooftop to rooftop, or sail the seas in pursuit of treasure, at least I can have on the appropriate footwear.

One of the reasons why I’ve been drawn to steampunk is because of its fashion aesthetic, especially the boots.  Boots are a key element in steampunk clothing.  If you’re traveling the globe in an airship, journeying from one adventure to another, you’ve got to be suitably shod.  That means boots, and lots of them.  Even better, it means boots with buckles, my absolute favorite.

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http://www.boots4you.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Fiorentini-+-Baker-Brighton-buckle-boots.jpg?cda6c1

But don’t worry, if you prefer a daintier, more Victorian-looking boot, steampunk has that, too.

http://www.bonesleatherntreasures.com/722_800_csupload_38164047.jpg?u=648599676

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One thing that distinguishes a steampunk boot from its actual Victorian-era counterpart is the distinct fantastical element, the deliberate over-the-top quality, from the number of buckles to kind of trim.  These boots are meant for adventure, but they’ve also got style and swag (as the kids say), which is part of the whole science fiction-meets-history vibe that shapes steampunk.  Victorians were keen on making everything—even machines—beautiful, so that philosophy of adornment continues in steampunk clothes and shoes.

So, yes, boots and steampunk are inexorably linked—one of the many reasons I enjoy writing steampunk romance.

It certainly wasn’t a hardship that I kept picturing boots of every stripe and variety when writing SKIES OF FIRE, my steampunk romance.  Knowing that Captain Christopher Redmond was striding around his airship wearing tall buckled boots gave me an added incentive to sit down to my keyboard every morning.  And of course, his old flame Louisa Shaw’s work as a spy means that she needs appropriate footwear when prowling around behind enemy lines.

So, tell me, do you have a favorite pair of boots?  What kind would you want to wear on a steampunk adventure?  Leave a comment, and I’ll pick a winner to win a print copy of SKIES OF FIRE. 

Now, I’m off to look at more pictures of boots on the Internet—I mean, do research.

SKIES OF FIRE: The Ether Chronicles Book 1

Man made of metal and flesh

Captain Christopher Redmond has just one weakness: the alluring spy who loved and left him years beforewhen he was still just a man. Now he's superhuman—a Man O' War, made as part of the British Navy's weapons program—and his responsibility is to protect the skies of Europe. If only he could forget Louisa Shaw.

A most inconvenient desire

Louisa, a British Naval Intelligence agent, has never left a job undone. But when her assignment is compromised, the one man who can help her complete her mission is also the only man ever to tempt her body and heart. As burning skies loom and passion ignites, Louisa and Christopher must slip behind enemy lines if they are to deliver a devastating strike against their foe . . . and still get out alive.

Excerpt

Buy links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, All Romance eBooks, Books-A-Million

Zoë Archer: website, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr

Bio: Zoë Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there's nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master's degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. She is the author of the acclaimed BLADES OF THE ROSE series and the paranormal historical romance series, THE HELLRAISERS. Zoë and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, live in Los Angeles. Nico’s story in the world of The Ether Chronicles will be available in July 2012. Please visit Zoë on the Web at http://www.zoearcherbooks.com/