Review: This Time Will Be Different by London Tracy

Genre:   Romance

Release Date:  August 2012

Series:  None

Publisher: Undercover Press

Author Website:  http://www.londontracy.wordpress.com

Pages:  220

Source:  ARC From Author

Rating:  Three Flowers Of Love

Review and Giveaway: One Wrong Move by Shannon McKenna

Read an excerpt

Genre:   Romance, Mystery/Suspense

Release Date:  September 25, 2012

Series:  McCloud Brothers, Book 9

Publisher: Kensington Books

Author Website: http://www.shannonmckenna.com

Pages:  411

Source:  ARC From Publisher

Rating:  Four flowers of love

Review: The Scent Of Rain by Kristin Billerbeck

Read an excerpt

Genre:   Christian Fiction, Romance

Release Date:  August 2012

Series:  None

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Author Website: http://www.kristinbillerbeck.com

Pages:  307

Source:  ARC From Publisher

Rating:  Three Flowers Of Love

Book Blurb

When deprived of her most prized sense, Daphne discovers a life she never expected, right under her nose.  

Daphne Sweeten has left Paris – and a career she loves – in order to marry a man she loves even more. But when he stands her up on their wedding day, Daphne’s left reeling. Trained as a professional “nose” or perfume creator, Daphne soon realizes that her sense of smell has somehow disappeared too.

August Book Spotlight: The Scent Of Rain by Kristin Billerbeck

The Scent Of Rain

Kristin Billerbeck

On Sale 8/7/2012

Published by Thomas Nelson

Book Summary

Could it be that the life Daphne's always wanted is right under her nose?

Daphne Sweeten left Paris—and a job she loved—to marry the man of her dreams in the U.S. But when he stands her up on their wedding day, she's left reeling and senseless. Literally. She's been trained as a perfume creator and now her sense of smell has disappeared along with her fiancé.

She has to figure out why her nose isn't working, fix it, and get back to Paris. Meanwhile, she'll rely on her chemistry skills and just hope her new boss at Gibraltar Products, Jesse, doesn't notice her failing senses. They'll be working together on household fragrances, not posh perfumes. How hard can it be?

As Daphne and Jesse work on a signature scent for their new line, she feels God at work as never before. And the promise of what's possible is as fresh as the scent of rain.

Find out more about Kristin Billerbeck and her books at http://www.kristinbillerbeck.com/kristin.html

Review: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Read an excerpt

Genre:   Historical Fiction

Release Date:  November 2004

Series:  The Tudor Court Novels, Book #2

Publisher: Touchstone/ Simon and Schuster

Author Website: http://www.philippagregory.com/

Pages:  672

Source:  Purchased

Rating:  Four Flowers Of Love

Book Blurb

Mary Boleyn catches the eye of Henry VIII when she comes to court as a girl of fourteen. Dazzled by the golden prince, Mary’s joy is cut short when she discovers that she is a pawn in the dynastic plots of her family. When the capricious king’s interest wanes, Mary is ordered to pass on her knowledge of how to please him to her friend and rival: her sister Anne.

Anne soon becomes irresistible to Henry and Mary can do nothing but watch her sister’s rise. Anne stops at nothing to achieve her own ambition. From now on, Mary will be no more than the other Boleyn girl.

But beyond the court is a man who dares to challenge the power of her family to offer Mary a life of freedom and passion. If only she has the courage to break away – before the Boleyn enemies turn on the Boleyn girl.

Book Spotlight: April Romance Releases From Simon And Schuster

Read an excerpt

Hush

Cherry Adair

On sale: 4/26/11

New York Times bestselling author Cherry Adair introduces an edgy, sexy new suspense series with this exhilarating international tale of hide and seek.

A reckless adventure in a deadly paradise.

Thrill seekers Zakary and Gideon Stark travel the globe in search of extreme adventure, but a trip to Venezuela to jump off the world's highest falls catapults them into a perilous game of life or death—where they don't know the rules.

A one-night stand that will change his life forever.

Kidnapped with a woman Zak knows nothing about, the brothers are held prisoner deep in the jungle. A risky, deathdefying escape separates them and nearly claims Zak's life . . . until his recovery reveals a baffling new sixth sense.

An unexpected diversion with lethal consequences.

Now, to find his missing brother, Zak and the mysterious Acadia Gray will have to out-smart, out-gun, and out-maneuver not just the brutal kidnappers but also a new player who joins the adrenaline game: a ruthless opponent who wants the Stark brothers dead—at any cost.

To know more about Cherry Adair and your favorite romance authors check out

http://pocketafterdark.com/

Read an excerpt

That Perfect Someone

Johanna Lindsey

On Sale: 4/19/11

Returning to the "wickedly witty, lusciously sensual" (Booklist) world of her beloved Malory family, #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey sweeps readers away on a seductive adventure in which a detested marriage contract turns childhood enemies into passionate lovers.

Nine years ago, Richard Allen fled England and his controlling father. Determined to live his own life, he took to the sea and settled in the Caribbean, joining a band of treasure-hunting pirates and adopting the persona of a carefree, seductive Frenchman named Jean Paul to guard the secrets of his past. When he slips back into England to carry out an urgent task, Richard becomes infatuated with a married woman, Georgina Malory. But his reckless attempt to woo Georgina at a masked ball turns out to be the worst mistake of his life because it brings him face to face with another beautiful woman.

Thrilled that her solicitors have finally come up with a way to free her from her betrothal contract to the Earl of Manford's son who abandoned her years ago, heiress Julia Miller is ready for the marriage mart and hopes to find that perfect someone at her friend Georgina's ball. Charmed by a masked Frenchman who gives her her first kiss, she can't help but pursue this mysterious man—until she makes a shocking discovery. Now, to avoid falling into a ruthless nobleman's trap, Julia must enter a risky, intimate charade with a man she never believed she could love.

"There's no better way to spend your time than with the Malorys—it's like sailing off to heaven," raves Romantic Times. With a little help from the lucky-in-love Malory family, will Richard and Julia discover in each other that perfect someone?

To know more about Johanna Lindsey and your favorite romance authors check out

http://pocketafterdark.com/

Read an excerpt

 Defiant

Kris Kennedy

4/26/11

A rogue knight and an enchanting renegade join forces to right old wrongs in award-winning author Kris Kennedy's sizzling new medieval romance.

A warrior with questionable intentions . . .

Jamie Lost is the king's most renowned commander, a fearless lieutenant ordered to kidnap an exiled priest before rebel forces close in. The mission is simple—until he meets a mysterious thief who will steal his quarry and then his heart.

A lady of remarkable courage . . .

Beautiful Eva is also seeking Father Peter, but she intends to protect him from a secret that could cost him his life. She senses that she, too, should fear Jamie—not just for his wickedly sharp sword and dangerously muscular body, but for the powerful longing he ignites within her.

A secret that could overthrow the king.

When a band of mercenaries abducts the priest, Jamie and Eva must form a volatile alliance. As civil war unfolds around them, they embark on an epic journey that betrays the truth about their hidden identities, their unexpected loyalties, and the simmering attraction that could seal their fates forever.

To know more about Kris Kennedy and your favorite romance authors check out

http://pocketafterdark.com/

Read an excerpt

Bound by Darkness

Alexis Morgan

On sale: 04/26/11

Caught between two worlds, a powerful warrior must choose between impossible destinies when he meets a woman whose love will either make or break him. . . .
 

As the daughter of a Regent, Sasha has long known about the secret underworld of the Paladins and their work protecting her kind from the dark forces on the other side of the energy barrier. So when she is sent on her first solo investigation, on the path to becoming the first female Regent, she is determined to get the Seattle Paladins in line. Offering sanctuary to their Kalith enemies is simply unacceptable! But when she meets Larem, she is inexorably drawn to a dark and valiant warrior who is not at all what he appears to be. As the power struggle between Regents and Paladins rages on, someone starts making attacks on her life. Sasha must choose between loyalty to her own kind and the warrior she loves . . . with the very fate of humanity hanging in the balance.

To know more about Alexis Morgan and your favorite romance authors check out http://pocketafterdark.com/

ARC Review: Wither by Lauren Destefano

Series:  Chemical Garden Triology, Book #1

Genre:   YA, Dystopia

Release Date:  March 22, 2011

Publisher:  Simon Schuster

Author Website:  http://www.laurendestefano.com

Format I Read:  ARC paperback

Pages:  368

Source:  Publisher

Reading Challenge:  Debut Author Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. 

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Awesomeness:

Linden looks so piteous and apologetic, standing there.  His three wives are huddled together on the bare mattress, one of them dying; when we’re together, we form an alliance he can’t touch.  He’s scared to even try.

My Thoughts

I have heard so much about dystopian novels and to be honest, I still don’t really know what the heck they are.  But if this book represents the genre, I am now a fan and can’t wait to read more.

In a word, Wither was awesome.  It didn’t have a lot of action and adventure, but plenty of drama.  The story unfolded slowly but held my attention until the very end. I loved the artwork for the cover and I thought the designs on the intro pages were really neat.  The characters are unforgettable and the story was unique.

Rhine, the main character, was a great heroine.  At a young age she found a way to deal with life without drawing too much attention to herself, but constantly plotted and planned to gain her freedom back.

At times, the story had me shaking my head in disbelief, other times it brought tears to my eyes as I sympathized with the sister wives.  The girls went through so much to please their “husband” and to try to find what little happiness they could as their lives slowly wasted away. Through it all, Rhine kept the sisterhood tight and proved to be a very good friend.

Linden, the “husband” was also a good character.  He was very misguided and didn’t know what was actually going on in his house.  I felt sorry for him because all he wanted was a real family.  If he and Rhine had met under different circumstances, I think they would have made a cute couple, but I was secretly rooting for Gabriel.

Overall, I loved this tragic love story and can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Rating

Four flowers of love.  I really liked it and would recommend reading it.

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

ARC Review: Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Series:  Iron Fey, Book #3

Genre:   YA, Paranormal, Fantasy

Release Date:  January 25, 2011

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Author Website:  http://www.juliekagawa.com/

Format I Read:  ARC eBook

Pages:  362 (Nook pgs)

Source:  Net Galley

Reading Challenge:  Kick Ass Heroine Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Awesomeness:

“You alright?” he asked, steadying me as the last of the nausea faded.

Anger flared.  No, I wasn’t all right.  I was a freaking faery who couldn’t use glamour!  Not without fainting, throwing up, or getting so dizzy I was practically useless.  I was allergic to myself!  How pathetic was that?

My Thoughts

I was recently turned on to this awesome series by some fellow book bloggers.  I read the first two books and novella back to back and anxiously awaited to get my hands on this latest book.  I have to say that I was not disappointed because I easily finished it in one day.  All 362 pages!  The book is full of action, unlikely alliances, and some heartbreaking scenes that disrupted the HEA that I was so sure would happen.

Iron Queen continues with the Iron Fey wrecking havoc in Nevernever making the dysfunctional Summer and Winter courts hell bent on sacrificing Meghan to save their own necks.  Meghan isn’t the same girl, which is a good thing because she finally tells King Oberon and Queen Mab where to stick it.  She is still learning, but I felt like she made better choices and handled things a little bit better this time.  She realizes her destiny and accepts her place.

Puck continues to annoy the hell out of me.  To be honest, the Three Musketeer act could easily be a twosome and I would love it.  I know that Puck is put in the story as sort of a comic relief to lighten the dark mode that this book takes on, but I found myself skipping over his parts and not caring what I missed.  Yes, I am a Puck hater.

Ash is the man.  From the time he was introduced to the story, I knew he would end up with Meghan.  He was a prick at first, but his love and devotion to Meghan is what draws me to the series.  Now this is a love story, rated PG, but still a great love story.  It’s tragic that destiny keeps pulling them apart, but in the end I know the HEA will be worth the frustration of having to wait.

Overall, the story was easy to follow, the characters were good, and the plot was even better than the last.  If you are a fae fan and haven’t gotten around to reading this series, you are missing out on some good reading.

Rating

5 flowers of love.  An awesome new favorite for the bookshelf

Other Books In This Series:

The Iron King, Book #1

Winter’s Passage, Novella

The Iron Daughter, Book #2

The Iron Knight, Book #4 Coming Soon

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

Review: Ecstasy In Darkness by Gena Showalter

Series:  Alien Huntress, Book #5

Genre:   Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi

Release Date:  October 2010

Publisher:  Pocket Star Books

Author Website: http://members.genashowalter.com/

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  502

Source:  Purchased

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .

Awesomeness:

One of Ava’s requirements for a man had been “rich”.  “I want enough money to last an eternity making this woman happy.”

“So I’m your sugar daddy now?”  

My Thoughts

I officially have new love for all things Gena Showalter.  Ecstasy in Darkness is a must read.  The story is full of the same humor and action that I’ve come to love with each Alien Huntress book that I have read.

All the characters are over the top funny.  I especially loved the characters of Ava and Noelle.  They bicker and call each names but really are the best friends.  They love and support each other like sisters and get a tad violent with anyone that crosses them.

I also loved the sexy and dysfunctional relationship between Ava and McKell.  Although they were hot for each other, Ava just couldn’t seem to stop beating up on him.  Besides being Ava’s enemy, McKell was suppose to be the scariest of all vampires but he turned out to be a simple man in awe of his mate.  He was so eager to take any beating she dished out just as long as she kissed it and made it better. 

The story was easy to follow and I just couldn’t stop cracking up at the dialogue.  Although the book was long as hell, it never got boring.  There was always action, crazy moments, and enough romance to keep me turning pages.

Overall, I would recommend this book.  Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress series gets better with each installment.  Ecstasy In Darkness  was funny as hell and McKell can bite me anytime -just as long as Ava doesn’t kick my ass.

Flowers Of Love Rating

1/2

Very good read and highly recommended

Other Books In This Series:

Awaken Me Darkly

Enslave Me Sweetly

Savor Me Slowly

Seduce The Darkness

Tempt Me Eternally 
Dark Taste Of Rapture (coming August 2011)

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

ARC Review: Explosive by Beth Kery

Series:  None

Genre:  Erotic Romance, Suspense

Release Date:  December 7, 2010

Publisher: Berkley Heat

Author Website: http://www.bethkery.com/

Format I Read:  ARC ebook

Pages:  330

Source:  Author

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

His touch would consume her—if it didn’t kill her first…

Dr. Sophie Gable wasn’t expecting her peaceful getaway to be shattered by the arrival of a half-dazed, dead-sexy guest. Thomas Nicasio has obviously been traumatized, and Sophie thinks she knows by what. There’s something about Thomas’s father that he can’t—or won’t—remember. Something that could get them both killed. Still she can’t resist Thomas’s electrifying seduction—or her instincts to help him…

An ex-Navy explosives specialist, Thomas has never felt this type of volatile need for a woman. Even while he’s grieving the deaths of his brother and nephew, something in Sophie makes Thomas want to overtake her, and each time he does, her willing submission makes him want her all the more. But danger is lurking close by, and if he can’t face the demons of his past, he and Sophie could be the next victims in a pattern of meaningless violence…

My Thoughts

Explosive is a page turning mystery with plenty of suspenseful moments.   The story opens with Thomas being frustrated because chucks of his last few days are missing.  Without really thinking he seeks out the one person that he really shouldn’t involve in his mess of a life. 

Sophie is a doctor that Thomas has been attracted to for a long time.   She’s kind and sweet.  Despite the public drama that Thomas and his family are going through and him coming to her looking like hell warmed over, Sophie is naïve enough to invite the stranger into her home. 

Blame it on her mutual attraction plus her doctoral need to help, but Thomas takes full advantage of everything that Sophie offers.  This is where Explosive kicks into high gear and the mystery takes a backseat to erotic scenes that left my mouth hanging open.  I had assumed that Thomas sought Sophie out because she was a therapist and he simply wanted someone that he could trust to help him sort through his feelings, but boy did he have a lot of feelings that really needed to be worked through. 

Thomas needed the good doctor for another type of therapy.  Thomas is one of those men that demand to be satisfied and is very creative in the bedroom. There are quite a few smutty scenes that I wouldn’t mind bookmarking for future references.   Despite all the sexual attraction, Sophie’s presence actually made Thomas feel safer and helped him pick up the pieces.  

I loved the book, not because I’m a smut fan, but because it was well written and I was immediately pulled into the story.  The relationship between Thomas and Sophie was instant, but it worked.  He was broken and Sophie helped fix him.  The mystery behind Thomas’s amnesia unfolded at the right pace so I wasn’t able to guess what was coming next and spoil the outcome. 

My Rating

I give Explosive four and a half flowers of love.  I felt that Beth Kerry picked the perfect title for this book because it has an explosive mixture of action, mystery and hot loving.  I’m also putting Thomas on my Book Boyfriend list because his dirty mind is swoon worthy. 

1/2

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

Author Spotlight: Guest post and book feature by Inez Kelly

Today I welcome author Inez Kelly to the blog.  Inez is here to introduce Lipstick On His Collar, her latest smoking hot read.

You know the instant you catch that cute guy’s eye from across the room? That electric crackle that races down your spine and tingles all through your blood? That precise minute is when magic happens. The possibilities are endless. Maybe he’ll be nothing more than a quick fantasy to make you smile a year from now while doing dishes. Maybe he’ll be a few hours of flirting and making you feel alive with jitters. Maybe, just maybe, that spark will grow, morph into a fire that will scorch you into a wet puddle. That look… is priceless.

For a few seconds, anything is possible. You’re looking at him; he’s looking at you and… sizzzzzzzzzzzzzzle

That look, even if it never goes beyond that single glance, is the stuff of fantasies. It’s also the premise and opening for LIPSTICK ON HIS COLLAR. One look sparked a wildfire that burnt deep into Bram Winter’s soul.

She opened her eyes and her gaze landed on him like a brushfire. Hot met dry and a spark flashed, exploded and raged through him. Intense and appreciative, unblinking and direct, she did not look away. There was no chance she had accidentally engaged his notice. The look was too conscious, too appraising. With a quick drop of long lashes, her gaze vanished then returned to snag his.

Not unintentional. Deliberate.

Need scorched him, blazing hotter than the temperature and more intoxicating than the beer in his hand. She never stopped her rhythmic motions. But now, her eyes—wide mossy-green and shining with interest—locked with his, and she danced only for him. A pale pink tongue darted out to caress her upper lip, and he mimicked it, longing to taste what she silently offered. Temptation swept over him like a blistering tidal wave, stealing inside before he could think to shove it aside to break the powerful connection. He should. He would. In a minute.

She turned and rolled her hips. She held his gaze over her shoulder, her lips pouting as she finished her slow spin. Long fingers tipped in a frosty pale color slid down her body, and his palms itched. He knew fire sirens but she was a Siren, her call reaching across the ocean of people to entice him, lure him, draw him closer.

Now for Bram and his mystery lady, things got hot fast. He was left with a memory of one wild, blazing night and a longing to feel the burn again. Once he found her five months and hundreds of miles later, things got even hotter. But remember, if you play with fire, you just might get burnt.

LIPSTICK ON HIS COLLAR from Samhain Publishing Nov. 23, 2010

Read an excerpt

Book Summary

He never thought his next wildfire would be wearing a red dress.

“Make me your goddess and I’ll take you to heaven.” This sultry promise sparks a scorching, unforgettable one-night stand. The next morning Bram Winters awakes with a hickey and a head full of wicked memories—alone. His nameless goddess is gone without a trace, along with his shirt. And his heart.

Five months later, he stumbles across his mystery lady in a Laundromat, but she still won’t give up her name. Worse, she begs him to leave, no questions asked. Once he catches the spark of terror in her eyes, though, his firefighter training takes over—and he digs in for the duration.

Lady never wanted Bram to see her life’s ugly underside, but it’s too late—his socks are already in the washer. He was supposed to be her declaration of independence from her unstable ex, a bittersweet memory to carry into her new life.

Except the ex continues to stalks her.  And Bram’s reappearance sends her emotions and desires tumbling over the edge. As the minutes wear on, sexual tension rises faster than the steam from a hot water wash.

And Lady’s ex watches from the shadows, growing more furious by the minute…

Warning: Scorching sex, icy scissor play and an anonymous woman taking a wet slide down one hot ex-fireman’s pole. Beware of hot flashes and spontaneous combustion. Correct change not required.

LIPSTICK ON HIS COLLAR LINK

Inez Kelley is a multi-published author of various romance genres. You can visit her at her website http://inezkelley.com/  Follow Inez on twitter at @Inez_Kelley or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/inez.kelley JOIN Inez on Novemeber 24^th on her site for her special BIRTHDAY BONANZA BLOW OUT and over two dozen chances to win free books including LIPSTICK ON HIS COLLAR!