Review: Deception by Yolanda Sfetsos

Series:  The Soul Dealer, Book #1

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Published:  October 2010

Publisher:  Evernight Publishing

Format I Read:  Ebook

Pages:  85 (Nook pages)

Source: reviewed for Black Raven Reviews

Read an excerpt

Book Summary:

When someone is killed too suddenly or tragically, there's a creature
ready to bargain for their soul...
Fate's cruel hand took Alana from Matt before he had a chance to tell her
how he felt.
A year later, he's still mourning her loss but Matt doesn't realize that he
hasn't completely lost her. Yet, he'll never know how close she really is if
he continues to ignore his ability.
Alana has struck a deal that'll save Matt before the end of All Hallows Eve,
but time is running out. And if it does, both of their souls will be lost.

My Thoughts:
Deception is about Matt, a medium that has tried hard to bury the gift passed to him from his estranged mother.  He has always been aware of spirits surrounding him, but refuses to open himself to the possibilities of communicating with them.  Deep family secrets have always kept him from sharing that part of himself, until he met Alana.

Ironically, the gift that he thought was a curse is the only thing that will allow him to have her back in his life, if just to say goodbye.

Even in death, Matt can’t seem to forget about the love of his life. So if exploring his gift is the only way he can set her spirit free, then he’s more than willing to get used to seeing dead people.

I was instantly drawn into the story and didn’t put it down until I turned the last page.  The plot was interesting and had a hint of mystery.  I really wished this story would have been longer, but Yolanda Sfetsos did package a good story into a just a few pages. 

Not a lot of background was given about Matt and Alana, but it was enough to make the characters likable and made me enjoy their story.  Deception is a great ghost story just in time for Halloween.  It reminded me of the movie Ghost, but with a better twist.

My  Rating:

I give Deceptions three and a half flowers of love.  After I wrote this review, I realized that it’s book one of a new series, so I am looking forward to the next book.  If you love ghost stories and HEAs, you will want to check out this book.

1/2

Review: Carnal In Cannes by Jianne Carlo

Series:  Mediterranean Mambo, Book #3

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published:  September 2010

Publisher:  Loose Id

Format I Read:  Ebook

Pages: 314 (Nook pages)

How I Got It:  Reviewed for Black Raven Reviews

Read an excerpt

Book Summary:

Money, power, and women all come easy to Harrison Indiana Ford. Yet he wants more — to ensure his daddy’s oil fortune goes to him — not Delora, the stepmother who seduced him as a teenager. If Harry doesn’t marry a virgin and produce an heir before he turns 32, Delora inherits it all. D-day and unpredictable circumstances force Harry to hire a matchmaker and marry a stranger.

Martine’s survived the streets of Haiti’s capital with her virginity intact, but she’s no innocent. Fleeing persecution, she stows away on a cargo ship, and enters France illegally. Desperate for the million Euro Harry offers for her virginity and their child so she can bring her ailing grandmother to France, she signs the pre-nuptial contract using forged documents.

Delora’s not about to let a billion dollars slip through her hands. There are too many ways to sabotage a relationship, prevent a pregnancy. And it’s so easy to foster suspicion and hatred where there’s no trust. What Delora doesn’t count on is the explosive sexual relationship that develops between Harry and Martine.

As lust morphs into caring, Delora’s detectives search for Martine’s hidden secrets. How did Martine get from Haiti to France?

My Thoughts

Usually when people marry for money or status, they always end up unhappily married or divorced. In Carnal In Cannes, Harrison and Martine find out that marrying for money has its advantages.

When Harrison makes the arrangement with Martine, neither has any idea that they will fall in love. Both agreed to the marriage with their own agendas and secrets in mind, but have a hard time dealing with this unexpected revelation. They have met before in a hot encounter, and while Harrison can’t get it out of his mind, Martine is praying that he doesn’t recognize her.

I liked Carnal in Cannes because I was intrigued by the plot and wanted to find out how the story would play out. The romance between Harrison and Martine was a surprise. At first, I figured that Harrison would be all business, but once he got a look at his new bride, his entire attitude changed.

It’s so funny how the quest for the love of a good woman can change a man’s whole mind set. Harrison was a total gentleman and made Martine’s happiness his top priority. The lengths he goes through to make sure that Martine remains his wife are what made me enjoy the Carnal in Cannes the most.

My  Rating

I give this book three and a half flowers of love.  If you love books that pair two unlikely people and come up with a HEA, you’ll want to put this book on your TBR.

1/2

Review: Watch Me, Desire Me by Carolina Barbour

Genre:  Erotica, Paranormal, Vampires

Published:  September 2010

Publisher:  Siren-Bookstrand

Format Read: ebook

Pages:  314 (Nook pages)

How I Got It:  Reviewed for Black Raven Reviews

Read an excerpt

Book Summary:

Striking beauty Saxby Darling weds Lord Milo DeCapri and has all the world to do with as she pleases until one foolish action leaves her life in shambles. When she tries to kill her husband, he dispatches word to his brother, Juden Van Zandt-DeCapri, to come to his aid, and Juden arrives like the eye of a storm. Saxby has reason to fear Juden. She knows he didn’t come for revenge. He came for blood.

Juden is a variant, human and vampire, with an unforgiving and dangerous countenance. He immediately turns on Saxby. Unsettled by his appearance and actions, Saxby distrusts Juden right away and tries to keep him at arm’s length. The idea is impossible, however, as she is thrust into a world of twisted plots where she fears for her life and unwillingly is forced to side with Juden to save herself. What terrifies her most? Saxby can’t decide if she is fighting with or against Juden.

My Thoughts:

Saxby has been trapped in a sexless marriage since the accident that caused her husband Milo’s paralysis. She continues to be the dutiful wife by caring for him and seeing to his every comfort. Overcome with guilt, she feels she has no right to refuse when Milo hires random men to share her bed while he watches.

Milo is disgusted with his wife and blames her for taking away his manhood. Since he can no longer enjoy sex, he makes sure that Saxby will never be able to. He rejoices each time he sends a new man to her bed with strict instructions of using his wife as the whore he believes her to be.

Watch Me, Desire Me is a very hot read. It has so much family drama; I could swear I was watching my favorite soap opera. It’s full of lies and deceit, and enough sex to make you want to smoke a cigar after reading.

I felt sorry for Saxby in the beginning because she was stuck in a loveless marriage and didn’t have control over her own household. After Juden arrived, I started to dislike her. Of all the people she should defy or stand up to, she chose the one that had her best interest at heart.

I loved Juden. Although he was brought into the story for scandalous reasons, his character demanded attention. Despite the reputation that he carried, he turned out to be an awesome guy.

The one problem I had with the book was the abundance of sex. I did feel that some of the sex scenes could have been left out because at one time, it really overshadowed the storyline and caused me to skip ahead.

Don’t get me wrong, Juden is a true sex god. His scenes with Saxby were scorching hot, but after so many back to back romps, I lost interest and wanted more of the real story.

My Rating:

I give Watch Me, Desire Me four and a half flowers of love. The story is hot and will leave you wanting more. If you love romance with a touch of drama and suspense, you’re definitely in for a treat.

 1/2