Saturday, September 18, 2010

STOCK UP SATURDAY REVIEWS



Tell-All
By Nell Carson
Publisher: Avalon Books
Release Date: April 24, 2010

NYC writer, Kat Callahan is putting the finishing touches on a controversial, unauthorized biography of Hollywood’s golden couple, Alex and Victoria Janssen when the couple mysteriously drops out of the limelight along with their 7-year old son. Kat’s publisher is pushing her to finish the book so they can take advantage of the publicity surrounding the couple’s disappearance while Kat is just ready to put the book behind her so she and her dog can leave for Colorado and the ranch that she’s vacation swapping for her NYC apartment.

When the handsome ranch owner from Colorado and his adorable Lab show up early, Kat agrees to let them stay in her apartment while she finishes up her writing. But the “aw shucks” cowboy has more than house-swapping on his mind. He’s really Luke Janssen, Alex’s brother, and his purpose in coming to NYC is to protect his brother’s family by doing whatever it takes to keep Kat’s story from being published.  But he doesn’t expect an instant attraction to the woman…and he sure never expected to like her so much.

Tell-All is a well-written, poignant and thought provoking story about a man who only wants to protect his family, a woman who has closed herself off following heartbreaking tragedy and the possibility of love that awaits, if only they have the courage to reach for it. And, at the heart of their personal journey is the public’s obsession with the Janssen’s private life, whether stars have the right to privacy and the tell-all book that, if published, will tear Luke and Kat apart but, more importantly, forever change the life of an innocent 7-year old boy.

I thoroughly enjoyed Tell-All and hope to read more books by the very talented Nell Carson.

~PJ

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All of You: The Lonnigans, Book 1
Kindle Edition
By Dee Tenorio
Publisher:  Samhain
Release Date:  April 6, 2010

When handsome and outgoing investment banker, Kyle Lonnigan decides to trade in the bachelor life for a wife and children he turns to his stick-in-the-mud identical twin, Lucas for help in finding the perfect woman.  Lucas suggests they secretly switch dates which leads Kyle to Jessica Saunders, the perfect woman for him.  Unfortunately, she thinks he's his twin!

Hard-driving attorney, Jessica Saunders has spent a lifetime keeping people at arm's length.  She's been dating Lucas Lonnigan for a few months but plans to break things off on their next date.  It's obvious there's no chemistry between them and things aren't going to progress beyond business conversation.  But when Lucas (who is really Kyle) shows up at the restaurant, the chemistry that's been lacking is suddenly exploding like fireworks on the fourth of July.  Instead of breaking things off, she ends up taking him home!

Kyle and Jessica are total opposites.  He wants the perfect wife, children and house with a picket fence while Jessica steers clear of anything that even hints "committed relationship."  They both come with baggage and have lessons to learn before they'll have any hope of a happily ever after together - not to mention the fact that they had the best sex of their lives all while Jessica thought she was with his brother!  Tenorio has penned a hot, sexy story with strong emotional depth.  Her characters are people who could be your good friend or neighbor and to whom it is easy to relate.  Strong secondary characters, especially Jessica's secretary, add flavor to the story and helpfully nudge both Jessica and Kyle along the path to happiness.

I enjoyed  this story and look forward to reading more from Ms. Tenorio!

~PJ

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Her Private Treasure
by Wendy Etherington
Publisher: Harlequin (Blaze)
Release Date: September 1, 2010

Hot shot FBI agent Malina Blair has been taken down a few notches and reassigned from Washington, DC to the local FBI office in Charleston, South Carolina. Instead of working on infamous cases involving national security, Malina is now working on dog-knapping cases. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Carr Hamilton is smart, successful and wealthy, but a man who has skeletons in his closet. After a late night cruise on his 37-foot cabin cruiser, Carr overhears a conversation between two parties and immediately believes the smugglers have arrived on quiet Palmer Island. Being a lawyer tends to make you suspicious of everyone.

As Malina begins investigating Carr’s suspicions, she soon finds herself in danger of not only the smugglers but in falling head over heels in love with Carr.

This book is a perfect weekend read!! It’s everything I love about a Blaze book – a sexy hero, a strong heroine, the struggle to fall in love, and steamy love scenes. You won’t be disappointed!

~Buffie

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Make a Wish and Blow
By Christina James
Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press – Kindle Edition
Release Date:  March 19, 2010

What wish would you make on your birthday?  For Cassandra, it’s a wish that Daren, her oldest, dearest friend and the man she’s been in love with forever, would finally see her as a woman instead of a buddy.  Daren has deep feelings for Cassandra but the fear of rejection once she learns of his dark, dominant sexual side keeps him from risking their friendship by exploring those desires.  That all changes when Daren takes a job that requires he move to another state.  He risks it all by showing up at Cassandra’s on her birthday with an offer she can’t refuse:  one weekend of hot, wild no-holds-barred sex with her best friend. 

Cassandra has always suspected that Daren’s sexual desires were a bit “outside the box” but will she be able to be submissive to his Dominant personality and kinky ideas?  Daren prays that she will not only accept them but also embrace them for he has always believed, deep down, that the two of them are a perfect match.  And maybe, if he’s lucky, by the time the weekend is over he’ll be able to convince her that they’re meant to be together forever. 

While the language in this story is more explicit than in most books I read and the sex is definitely non-traditional, this book worked for me because, at its heart, it’s about two people in love.  The hero especially touched my heart.  Normally, a man who wants to dominate a woman would turn me off but Daren didn’t.  While he most definitely takes charge (to the extreme) in sexual situations, his priority is always the care, safety and pleasure of Cassandra and he makes sure she knows that.  If she’s not enjoying herself or feels afraid or uncomfortable, one simple word will bring him to a screeching halt.  Ms. James has written a story about two people willing to expand their sexual horizons in order to bring pleasure to each other and to themselves and, in the process, opening their eyes to the love of their life , the person who’s been right in front of them the whole time.

If you have the desire to take a walk on the erotic wild side, I suggest you give Make a Wish and Blow a try.

~PJ

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One Fine Cowboy
By Joanne Kennedy
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release Date: September 1, 2010


Charlie Banks has driven from her New Jersey city to the wide open spaces of Wyoming to learn more about horse communications for her graduate studies. After her old car breaks down on the dirt road leading to the ranch, Charlie wonders what she has gotten herself into. When rancher Nate Shawcross arrives to save the day, Charlie knows she is in trouble. A man really shouldn’t look that good while riding a horse!!


Nate Shawcross runs Latigo Ranch all by himself. His girlfriend (if you want to call her that) has high-tailed it out of town in search of the bright lights of the city. Upon meeting city gal Charlie, Nate learns his now ex-girlfriend sold a 3-week horse whisperer clinic to Charlie. With Charlie’s deposit half way to the city, Nate feels obligated to teach her everything he knows about horses. However, the cowboy has a really hard time keeping his gentle touch just on the horses.


This is such a fun book to read! It is kind of a cross between the movies City Slickers and The Horse Whisperer. Charlie’s tough, can-do attitude fits right in ranch life and Nate’s gentle touch brings peace to Charlie. So saddle up and enjoy!

~Buffie

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Assassin’s Heart
The Order of the Sicari – Book 2
By Monica Burns
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Release Date: September 7, 2010

As a vital member of the Order of the Sicari (a group of noble assassins dating back to ancient Rome), Lysander Condellaire is shocked and appalled to learn he is half-Praetorian during a brutal torture session given by his biological father, a high-ranking Praetorian. He knows if anyone within the Order discovers his secret of having the enemy’s blood running through his veins, he could be permanently barred. His secret can also hurt those he most cares about—like Phaedra DeLuca, a Sicari healer whose parents were murdered by the Praetorians when she was a little girl. Lysander, Phaedra, and the other members of the Chicago guild travel to Rome to continue the search for the Tyet of Isis, an ancient relic that could spell disaster for the Order if it fell in the wrong hands. Phaedra knows that she and Lysander are meant to be together, even if he doesn’t. And when they find out that they’re both having the same dream involving a couple from ancient Rome whose lives parallel their own, they realize the past and the present are on a course to collide.

Assassin’s Heart is a sexy, action-packed follow-up to the first in the Order of the Sicari series, Assassin’s Honor. We got a hint at the sexual tension between Lysander and Phaedra in the first book and in this one they set the pages on fire! Several questions are answered and more questions surface that will most likely be answered later on in the series. Ms. Burns has a winner on her hands with this unique series mixing paranormal elements and historical aspects in modern-day times. She has done a brilliant job of sucking me into this terrific fictional world and has me impatiently waiting for my next fix!

~Andrea

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CaddyGirls
By V.K. Sykes
Publisher: Carina Press (e-book)
Release Date: July 5, 2010


Torrey Green was a phenomenal college golfer who was on the fast track to the LPGA, but her future career was derailed by personal tragedy. Now she’s working two jobs in Las Vegas: casino black jack dealer and golf caddy for a website called CaddyGirls.com. Not her ideal, but it pays the bills while she works on her golf skills and tries to find a corporate sponsor so she can realize her dream of being a professional golfer. When four corporate bigwigs from a big gaming company come to Vegas for a week of golf, Torrey feels like this may be the first step to her big dream. She and three other “caddy girls” have been chosen to work with these men for the week, and when they see the handsome foursome, Torrey and the girls are thrilled----much better than their usual golfers. What they don’t know is that they are the focus of a ridiculous bet that these four men have made; the first guy to bed his caddy wins the bet.

Julian Grant and his three friends and business partners have built their video game company, Over The Edge, into a billion dollar company. Julian is driven and focused when it comes to business, and he is looking forward to a golfing vacation with his partners. What he’s not happy about is the juvenile bet that his friend Josh came up with and Julian foolishly agreed to. But when he sees his caddy, Torrey Green, he is immediately attracted, and it seems like the feeling is mutual. The more he learns about Torrey, the more Julian is drawn to her, and the bet has nothing to do with his desire to kick things up a notch. But if Torrey ever finds out about the insane bet, she’s likely to brain him with his nine-iron and ask questions later!

This contemporary debut from V.K. Sykes---who is the husband/wife writing team of Vanessa Kelly (talented historical romance author) and Randall Sykes---takes some romance clichĂ©s (billionaire tycoon, young woman with a painful past, sexy Vegas setting) and puts a fresh spin on them. A delightful read with depth, emotion and more heat than a Vegas summer, CaddyGirls is guaranteed to satisfy. I’m looking forward to more books from this talented duo.

~ Gannon

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Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed
Byrons of Braebourne – Book 4
By Tracy Anne Warren
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: August 31, 2010

If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to make Mallory Byron happy again.

After her beloved fiancĂ© died in battle over a year before, Lady Mallory Byron has done her fair share of grieving. A long-time family friend, Adam, Earl of Gresham, hopes to lift her spirits and bring the light back to her eyes. Adam has loved Mallory for years but never acted upon those feelings because he had nothing to offer her, along with the fact that she is his best friend’s sister. When she became engaged, Adam thought any chance he had with her was gone. Now that she is free, he’ll do whatever it takes to make her his.

He understood about grief, knew firsthand what it meant to lose someone so dear that the hole left behind yawned as wide and endless as a chasm. But he’d learned to go on, and so would Mallory.

From what he’d observed though, she was too entrenched in her pain right now to break free on her own. She needed someone to help her escape.

She needed him.

After all, when you loved someone, that’s what you did. You helped them.

And God knows, if there is anyone on this earth I love, it’s Mallory Byron.


When I read that passage, I knew I would love this book. And I did. This is my first book by Tracy Anne Warren and now I know what the fuss is about—Ms. Warren is a terrific storyteller. Her writing is profound yet at times light and witty, and her characters possess a great deal of depth. Adam and Mallory had been friends for a long time and it was that solid friendship that made their bond even sweeter. This is the fourth book in the series, but stands completely on its own. In fact, it made me want to purchase the previous three books to read about Mallory’s brothers and their heroines. Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed is a sweet, wonderful story about unrequited love and second chances that I highly recommend!

~Andrea

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Atlantis Betrayed
By Alyssa Day
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Release Date: September 7, 2010


Christophe is a Warrior of Poseidon, and as such he is bound by his oath to safeguard mankind, even though he didn’t care much for humans overall. But one very lovely human woman is about to change all that. Christophe has been charged to recover the Siren: the priceless, legendary jewel that is embedded in the hilt of the sword of William the Conqueror, that is also one of the missing jewels from Poseidon’s trident. Of course, to make things interesting he has to break into the Tower of London to get it. Christophe soon discovers that he’s not the only one trying to steal the Siren when he comes face to face with The Scarlet Ninja, the United Kingdom’s notorious jewel thief.

Lady Fiona Campbell writes and illustrates children’s books by day and is The Scarlet Ninja by night. A modern day Robin Hood, she steals jewels and other works of art and gives the money to those who have been harmed by vampires. The Siren is to be her greatest coup, but Mr. Tall, Dark and Too Sexy For Words is trying to steal the same jewel, and Fiona’s plans---and her world---are suddenly turned completely upside down. She has always worked alone, but Christophe convinces her that this is a job for the two of them, especially when they discover that a dark and evil force wants the Siren, as well, and will stop at nothing to control the world.

Alyssa Day knows how to write a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you begging for more when the ride is over. Atlantis Betrayed is the sixth full-length book in her Warriors of Poseidon series and is her best yet. Christophe is my favorite kind of hero: sexy, tortured and charming as all get out. And Fiona is the perfect woman for him---she’s not afraid to speak her mind, and her compassion and love are just what he needs to heal his fractured soul. And when these two get together, the passion level is scorching! This is the perfect book to dive into and escape a few hours of reality. It will leave you breathless and sighing with satisfaction as you turn the last page.

~ Gannon

16 comments:

  1. Hi Gannon,
    I loved "CaddyGirls." I had no idea Vanessa Kelly was writing contemporaries with her husband until I searched for info about this book. I'm definitely looking forward to their next book.

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  2. Oh these sound great. many are new authors for me.

    Thanks for the information!

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  3. Jane, I saw Vanessa and her husband at RWA this summer, and they told me about the book. They make a great writing team!

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  4. Laurie, I hope you find many new books to enjoy.

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  5. Ughhhh! Y'all have made me want to read each of these books! Lol! Off to Amazon I go! Thanks... ;-)

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  6. All of these books sound like great reads. These authors would all be new to me.
    I think I may have to put some more books on my tbr pile which is about to topple over any minute...

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  7. Great reviews!
    Andrea said: Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed is a sweet, wonderful story about unrequited love and second chances that I highly recommend!
    These are my favorite kinds of stories! ;)

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  8. Thanks, Monica! Our work here is done.;-)

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  9. Thanks, Kathleen! Your TBR pile sounds like mine!

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  10. Trisha, unrequited love on the hero's side is a favorite of mine, too!!

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  11. Monica, I agree with Andrea; we live to send everyone off to the bookstore. Why should we be the only ones? LOL

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  12. Kathleen, I no longer have a TBR pile---more like TBR shelves. ;-)

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  13. Trisha, that sounds like my kind of story, too.

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  14. Lol Andrea & Gannon! I downloaded three of the books reviewed! The others are on my "wish list"... Gone to read!

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  15. Thanks for the reviews. There are 3 or 4 there I'd like to read.

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