Good or Great? Where Is The Line?

Are you an alpha girl? Do you prefer bookish men? Do you find yourself drooling over a great cover? A story line? A simple character? What makes you connect to a book? What takes that book to the next level of greatness for you? For me it’s a simple equation. The right amount of quirk, kink and action sets this reader a pantin and has me coming back for more every time. When the action is done right just, the men are total softie alphas and the heroine are capable females intent on getting what they want…..I’m in love. I swoon. I laugh. I cry. I get pissed. I become part of the journey. A sidelines player in the game the author has set forth. I admit I can be a fickle reader. What works in one book does not work in another. How the author sets the scene is key. If the scene is set to much, the author rambles and I get bored. If not enough is done then I’m confused and irritated. It’s a high wire balancing act with every book I open. At stake is my opinion, which is not worth all that much but every author I’ve met cares about what each individual persons opinion of their book is. They may learn not to respond to the negative opinions and it’s true you can’t please everyone. But they do care.

Lately though I’ve found something to be lacking. Sometimes a character just doesn’t sit well with me or I find myself bored while reading. Doesn’t mean the book wasn’t good it just means I never fully connected with the authors vision. In fact I “liked” the books….but I didn’t “love” them. There was nothing in it that had me running to my computer to tell anyone that would listen how much they NEEDED to read this book or even how much I hated it and loathed the ink it used to be printed (or storage it took up on my e-reader). So I’m left with a what do I do scenario. Do I try and fake it for an entire review? Rack my brain to come up with a review that I deem long enough? Or do I simply tell people that I liked it and if it’s in the genre they like too they might want to check it out.

Available: May 7, 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance Anthology

Publisher: Zebra

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

Out Of Control by Alexandra Ivy
Ph.D student Angela Locke has a crush on her sexy professor, Dr. Nikolo Bartrev. When she learns he’s actually a Sentinel with extraordinary powers, she joins forces with him to catch a psychopath. But soon, their hottest pursuit is of each other… 

Ties That Bind by Nina Bangs
Cassie Tyler agrees to sub for her friend at the funeral home where she works. But she gets more than she bargained for when a group of men attack her and a vampire comes to her rescue. . . 

In Still Darkness by Dianne Duvall
Immortal Richart d’Alençon can’t forget the woman who rewarded him with a sensuous kiss after he saved her from a trio of vampires. While Richart knows that loving a human can only bring trouble, the taste of forbidden lust is too great to resist. . .

High Stakes by Hannah Jayne
When vampire fashionista Nina LaShay’s design contest rival is found dead, she’s the prime suspect. Sexy photographer Pike is number two. He’s the kind of man who makes Nina salivate. But will she have to reveal herself to have him–and to save them both? Or does Pike have a secret of his own?

Anthologies are hard to review. Simple as that. Most times there is at least one in an anthology that doesn’t click with a person. It’s very rare that I find myself loving every single story. As was the case with Predatory. The first half of this book was awesome. Let’s talk about that first. Alexandria Ivy and Nina Bangs were new to me authors. I had no idea what to expect from them and so I went into those with zero expectations. This is generally better for me as a reader/reviewer. Both Ivy and Bangs wove a quick paranormal romance tale that ensured that I would check out their work again. Both were engaging, well plotted out and had enough heat to have me entertained. Though in that respect Ivy clearly won out because the Bangs novella was lighter on the heat and heavier on the story line.  Duvall’s addition, while part of a series I have enjoyed in the past left me wanting more. I didn’t enjoy the characters and at one point she phonically spells out Richart’s name as Ree-shart. Does she not know what shart is? Does anyone but me know what that is? Well here’s a lesson for you…shart is when you fart and shit your pants. Sexy huh? Yeah didn’t think so. Just let me do what I do in every other book with a weirdly spelled name. Let me weeble-wobble between pronunciations in my head. Then to top it off it ended so incredibly abrupt I thought the publisher had left a chapter out. The last novella was by Hannah Jayne and it re-visits her Underworld Detection Agency series with Nina as the lead instead of a secondary character. I gave up on this series at book 3 and to to be honest I knew from the get go this one wasn’t going to work for me. What started out fun has quickly turned into a puddle of quicksand that I have no intention of getting sucked into. I only read the first 2 chapters of that one before giving up. I just don’t connect to her anymore.

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Erotic Romance

Publisher: Self Pub

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice.

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed.

Sexy, dangerously handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield attracts trouble, and women, like a lightning rod. But the night he meets Brooke he gets more than he bargained for. The green-eyed millionaire playboy isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and he isn’t about to start now.

When he proposes two months of no strings sex, Brooke is intrigued and accepts his proposal. Little does she know Jett’s determined to claim the one woman he can’t have, pulling her deeper into his dangerous world.

A man who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
A woman afraid to surrender to love.
Two lives that are about to cross…and secrets laid bare.

I so very badly wanted to read this book, love it immensely and sing it’s praises to everyone. I mean look at that cover! Holy hell almighty that’s a hot cover. The blurb is rockin. The heros name is JETT. That says it all right there. Smoking, hot, incredibly rich Jett. It’s an erotic romance, which I what I’ve been reading a lot of lately….and maybe that’s part of the problem. A year ago I think I would have read this and been all over it. But it’s getting harder and harder to impress me lately because I’ve read so much. Nothing seems original anymore. Reed does a good job with setting the scene but I never felt the heat between Jett and Brooke. It felt like they were going through the motions. Intense, hot, sexual motions…but motions none the less. While I liked Jett for all the reasons I already stated, I didn’t think she took him far enough. He needed to be more in control. More alpha. He needed more to his persona and more to the story line then just the sex.

Now don’t get me wrong. I “liked” this book. There are moments in it so perfect they made my heart hurt just a bit.  Jett is all mysterious at times and I played into it as much as Brooke did. The little side plot on Brookes heritage and how it plays into everything will be a source of my interest in how thing will play out in book two. Which I most definitely will read. I look forward to watching Brooke handle her new problems and what and who follows her to her new life.

Erotic romance fans that tend to like less story and more sex should enjoy this one. I enjoyed Reeds writing but I think this could have been better. Been more.

Available: Now Amazon/B&N (e-book now, paperback August 2013)

Type: Erotic Romance

Publisher: Forever

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki 

He pushes her sexual boundaries . . . From the moment waitress Karina meets him in a New York bar, she knows James is different. Daring. Dominating. Though he hides his true identity from her, the mysterious, wealthy businessman anticipates her every desire and fulfills her secret fantasies. Awakened by his touch, Karina discovers a wild side she hadn’t known existed and nothing is off limits. She aches for more . . . What begins as an erotic game soon escalates to a power play that blurs the line between pleasure and pain. Even as she capitulates to James’s sensual demands, Karina craves more. She wants his heart, his soul. She wants his love . . . and she’ll break all the rules to get it.

Slow Surrender had all the makings for something I would slobber over, but it never quite got there. From some of the questionably icky foreplay…i.e. vaginal stimulation by toe…to the complete over the topness of everything else. Butterfly clit stimulators being set off while trying to order pizza, a happy ending parlor woman using a glass dildo on the heroine while the hero skypes in and watches, then the realization that the hero is simply, too big to fit in which I immediately started singing:

When this book worked, it worked well but there was too much mystery surrounding the hero. Karina doesn’t even learn his name till the very end. It was just one orgasm to the next without actual penetration. Because of course he’s just too large and it takes him a week of different sized toys to “ready her”. There was no emotional depth to it at all. So while I enjoyed the marathon foreplay the story line lacked a plot that I could get behind. But I kept reading waiting for the next over the top scene to make me chuckle. Probably not what the author intended but I’m actually looking forward to book two to see where else the author can take this. Because really? Where do you go after vag stimulation by toe? *shudder*

All three of these books earned a 3.0 star rating from me. I like them and I will come back but I hope for more on the next go around. I want more emotion. More alpha. MORE PLOT. I want to go to my happy place when I read them only to emerge and feel saddened by the last words. I didn’t quite get there with these ones, but I have high hopes for the next ones.

What about you? What makes you pick up a book? Continue a series? Are you saddened when you decide to stop reading a series or author? Why?

All I Want For Christmas Is A Duke By Delilah Marvelle & Maire Claremont

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance Anthology

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Michelle

Two ladies. Two dukes. One Christmas. And scandal galore. 

A Christmas anthology by two hot names in historical romance fiction…

Merry Christmas, Mrs. Robinson by Delilah Marvelle

Lady Jane left her father, the Earl of Chadwick, and the ton behind to experience life on the stage. After a disastrous marriage, the widow is living on the edge of poverty, determined to guard her heart, when a secret admirer from her past demands a second chance.
Shy and retiring Martin Nicholas Pierce, the Sixth Duke of Somerset, has carried a torch for Lady Jane since her youth, but he is five years her junior. When she married another man, he left for Europe, determined to put her out of his mind. After returning to find Lady Jane free, he vows to replace the memories of her cursed Twelfth Night with a new beginning.

Lady Jane has been living in relative obscurity (and near poverty) since her fall from grace years ago, leaving her family to seek a career onstage.   After her debut, she began receiving letters from an admirer with whom she quickly formed an emotional connection.  She is crushed when she discovers the man she meets and soon after marries, thinking he is Mister X, is a fraud.  Then her husband dies unexpectedly after only two weeks of marriage. Jane swears off men, feeling betrayed not only by the man she married but also the real Mister X, who stepped aside to let someone else claim her.

Enter Martin, the Duke of Somerset.  Martin lost his heart to Lady Jane when he was just a shy, studious teenager. He didn’t have the maturity or experience to know how to win Jane over and convince her their ages didn’t matter.  He created the ruse of Mister X in order to make her SEE him and give her a chance to match his feelings through their correspondence.  He bowed out, though, when she married her husband and never confessed to being the real Mister X after seeing how happy and in love she was.

When a twist of fate brings Jane back into his life, Martin seizes the opportunity with both hands.  He is now a man, a duke, and his romantic feelings for Jane that have been simmering under the surface for the last eight years are brought right back to the forefront the minute he sees her.   I loved the fact that this was an older woman/younger man love story. Despite being five years younger, Martin seemed very strong, very mature, and very sure of himself.  Delilah Marvelle did what a successful romance author does best – she made me fall in love with the hero.  Simply put, if I don’t love him, I don’t love the book. Jane struggled with her feelings for Martin.  She had to work through not only the fact that her Mister X was actually the quiet, young Martin from years ago, but also try to ignore their age difference as he seemed to do so easily.  She put up a good front, but Martin slowly and methodically chipped away at the walls around her heart until she couldn’t help but fall in love with the man he is now.

My only complaint with this book was the one and only love scene.  Their story was achingly beautiful and full of emotion, and despite the fact that I normally love a lot of heat in a book, the sex in this one was almost unnecessary.  The author’s talent truly shines when describing the romance, tenderness and friendship, but the phrasing and pacing of the physical love scene left a lot to be desired.

The Twelve Days of Seduction By Màire Claremont

Alexander Hunt, Eighth Duke of Berresford, is aware his ward’s governess isn’t quite what she seems. Although Miss Flint is beautiful and intelligent, she misrepresented herself to gain employment, and he threatens to give her the sack mere days before Christmas.
Desperate to convince the sexy duke not to tear her from the little girl she’s grown to adore, Adriana challenges him to seduce her before the Twelve Days of Christmas have come to an end, although she fears it may cost her heart. Alexander accepts the challenge, unconcerned that he has as much to lose, if not more, than the delectable Miss Flint.

Adriana Flint is a woman who has clawed her way up from less than humble beginnings.  Life has taught her that nothing good lasts forever, though, so she knows it’s just a matter of time before the truth comes out and she loses the first real home and happiness she’s ever had.  Being in the duke’s home and taking care of his ward whom she adores is more than she’d thought to ask for.  When the duke discovers her true identity and her fragile security is threatened, she does the only thing she can think of – she fights for what she wants.

Alexander Hunt is the type of duke I love most.  He is strong and smart and oh so “ducal”, he stands up for what he wants and damns anyone who stands in his way. For the past year he has hidden his lust for Miss Flint, knowing it was entirely inappropriate to act on his feelings for his ward’s governess.  He is furious when he discovers that she is not who she had portrayed herself to be.  As an imposter, and an authoress, he questions her integrity and her morals.  Unwilling to give her up, but knowing that he can’t in good conscience keep her on as a governess, he asks her to become his mistress.  Adriana can’t deny her own attraction for him, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the home she’s made for herself with Alexander and his ward, she agrees… on one condition.  She tells him she will stay, but he must seduce her into becoming his mistress.

The chemistry between these two was combustible and I loved that neither one put up much of a fight when it came to giving in to it.  The only thing that was missing was more of the actual seduction!  I feel that Alexander simply capitalized on the fact that Adriana wanted him and he KNEW she wanted him.

I confess that I went into this book with pretty low expectations.  An anthology typically leaves me wanting more of SOMETHING…. more to the story, more OF the story, more intensity, more emotion, etc.  I’ve never read a book by either of these authors.  Put all of that together and I didn’t really think it was a formula for a winner.  I was wrong.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  It takes a talented author (or in this case, authors) to create the right blend of characters, scenes, and emotions to make a holiday storyline enjoyable and touching without being a cliche.  Both Delilah Marvelle and Maire Claremont pull that off in a satisfying way.

I give All I Want For Christmas Is a Duke 4 stars!

Jennifer Anderson Guest Post- Men In Uniform

Thank you so much my devilish little friend! Have you shared with your fans how we met *wink wink*. For another time I guess.

*OOOOH I told them….but for those of you that missed that…read about it HERE*

Men in Uniform. Hmm. You want to know why women find a man in a uniform appealing. Well, I googled the question and yes, there were actual answers. Opinions mainly but I’m sure some scientist or therapist has scientifically figured out why women are attracted to a man in a uniform. Here’s my take on the situation.

When someone mentions a man in a uniform, you automatically think Army, Navy, Marines or another branch of the military. Then after 9-11 you thought of fireman or police officers. Strong, young, virile men dressed in their crisp uniforms ready to save the day. And that’s the appeal. Men coming to our rescue, saving the day all because they were duty bound. They chose to risk their lives simply because they could. They don’t ask for a thank you or a swoon worthy gaze. Nope. Not a man in a uniform. They do it because they can and they want to do the right thing.

And honestly, isn’t a man who does the right thing for a noble reason the sexist thing alive.

One answer I saw stated women are attracted to a man in a uniform because they associate a uniform with a super figure like Superman. So true except Superman isn’t real or tangible where Lieutenant Joe Smith is with his white starched dress shirt tucked into his snuggly fitted blue slacks holding a prize he’d love to share with a wonton deserving woman. And she’d let him too all for the sake of saying a big, wet and juicy thank you.

Oh ladies, we love our strong, honorable men in uniforms. Whether policeman, fireman, delivery man or military man. We want to be saved, cherished and held up on a pedestal. We want to watch our men return from war with their strong, proud jaw lines and clean cut faces and swoon at the simple smile they flash our way. The bravery associated with their uniforms can knock any of us out of our panties.

So I say if you’ve got a man in a uniform, grab ‘em and hold on tight. Just be sure to share the dirty details so we can all live vicariously through you.

Thank you!

Jennifer Anderson, mommy, wife and now author. Even though I’ve spent many years on either coast, I’ve spent a majority of my life in the Midwest. Here is where my heart grows with the love and support of my family and friends and here is where I find inspiration for my stories. Finally, after a year or two of bringing life to the stories in my head, I got a break. My first published novella, Ice Princess, will be out April 2012 by Turquoise Morning Press. Visit Jennifer on her site jenandersonauthor.com.

Men in Uniform Anthology

Available: Amazon/TMP

Type: Sweet Romance Short Stories

Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press

My Copy: Sent

Featuring:

The Imposter by Jennifer Johnson

String of Pearls by Margaret Ethridge

Mind Over Matter by Ruth J Hartman

Dorthea’s War by Lozi Hart

Faith, Love, & The Coastguard by Julie Anne Lindsey

Knight in Armor by Jennifer Anderson

Lightning Always Strikes Twice by Patricia Marie Warren

We admire a man in uniform, and what better way to celebrate it than a collection of stories inspired by men fighting to defend our country, and the women who love them? This sweet collection of romance spans the generations of men of valor from present day dating back to World War II.

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I picked this one up when I needed something short and sweet. It did not let me down! Each story gave me something quick that was light-hearted and made me feel like I was there. Men In Uniform is an easy to read, fast book that is worth the money for sure. Anthologies can be hard for me. I find that if I’m not grabbed in the first couple of paragraphs I simply skip the story. I figure if I can’t get right into it, why bother right? They are short lived to begin with so if it ain’t right at first I don’t go further. Men in Uniform had some really great additions in it. There was only one addition that didn’t catch my attention straight away. Out of 7 stories I would say those were great odds.

There were a few authors in this one that I have only read in short novella stories so far. I really need to read a full length by Margaret Ethridge. I fall in love with her characters so easily that I can only assume would follow through into a full length. I also met a few new to me authors. I would love to read more by Jennifer Johnson. Her contribution was wrote in a lot of instant message form. I found that to be refreshing though I wondered if it would stand the test of time in the long run. Having said that I loved it now…in this time lol.

My friend Jennifer Anderson has her first release in this one as well! Congratulations to her! I loved her addition and found it to be really well written. After reading her short story, I am eagerly awaiting her longer novellas due out early next year.

Julie A Lindsey, aka my fantabulous cousin, has another short in this one. Her short focuses the National Guard division of the military. I don’t know much about that branch compared to the others so this was a welcome story for me. I’m totally biased, but I did really enjoy Faith, Love and the Coastguard.

Men In Uniform is great for the reader that just wants something quick, sweet and warmly romantic. Those that have a little thing for our men that service and those uniforms they don daily.

I give the Men In Uniform anthology 4 stars!

Unwrapped Anthology

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Christmas Romance Anthology

Publisher: Brava

My Copy: Sent

From the streets of Chicago to the back roads of Kentucky to the wild dunes of a Scottish isle, mistletoe and mischief are this season’s hottest gifts…

Blue Christmas

New York Times bestselling author Erin Mccarthy

While a blizzard blankets the world outside, Blue Farrow burrows into the arms of her highway hunk at the No Tell Motel. The road might be closed for dangerous conditions, but the couple navigates their own Kentucky Christmas curves. Nice and oh-so-naughty, Blue and her man open up to each other as they keep the Yule log burning.

Santa in a Kilt

USA Today bestselling author Donna Kauffman

The wind-whipped December sands of the isle of Kinloch invigorate Kira McLeod as she sets out to tame rugged Shay Callaghan, a Scottish bachelor as wary of a wedding ring as a snowman is of the hot sun. It’ll take all the wiles of the canny islanders to weave a perfect Celtic Christmas for all….

Snow Angel

National bestselling author Kate Angell

Snowed under in Chicago, free spirit Allie is trapped in Dutton’s department store on Christmas Eve when the lights go off and the holiday romance heats up. Our snow angel finds herself face to face with the dashing Aiden, the heir to the retail riches and her host for a night of winter wonder…

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Blue Christmas by Erin McCarthy- Loved this one!  Erin McCarthy is one of those authors who can take a novella and make me feel like I am experiencing a full length novel. I loved Blues funky personality and her ability to make Christian care for her so quickly. She was spunky and real and I felt like she was wrote with a completeness not often found in short works. Her mothers selfish Christmas traditions had left Blue feeling disconnected with the holiday spirit. Christian took it upon himself to give his stranded motel companion something to make her memories of Christmas a bit better…something to warm her up.

One night together (which was filled with oh my lord hotness) and Blue was hooked on Christians fun loving personality….as was I. Together they were just, more. Christian was just an overall awesome guy. Big kid, daddy material, smokin hot AND funny? This is a awesome holiday novella you need to read!

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Santa In A Kilt by Donna Kaufmann – While I enjoyed the scenery and descriptive writing style of Donna Kaufmann I couldn’t get into this story and ultimately didn’t finish it. I think the accents of the characters (Scottish) got in the way as I was often thinking it sounded very historical. Now, never having been to Scotland or even being around someone from Scotland I couldn’t say either way whether this was true or not…but for me, it was a distraction that I could not get past.

Shay is a typical, not ready for commitment, man. He uses his job as a divorce attorney as the reason behind his feelings but deep down he knows it’s just him. His internal struggle got to be to much for me and I didn’t find him to be gravitational enough for my interest to be piqued. I wanted Kira to stop being so understanding. She was a incredibly sweet girl and I thought she shouldn’t have put up with so much from him. It felt at times like he was toying with her feelings just to appease his own carnal wants. This novella was a DNF.

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Snow Angel by Kate Angell- This was my very first Kate Angell book and I enjoyed this one a lot! Allie and Aiden together worked really well and loved the idea of a accidental re-meeting of lovers years later. After the first initial encountered at a ski lodge Allie and run from Aiden without even giving him her last name. Having nothing to go on he created a fragrance in her image, a sun kissed, fresh, snow bunny. Years later Allie happens to get stuck in his store during a monumental snowstorm and they reconnect. Allie has no idea that the upscale fragrance was made in her honor, or that Aiden is actually heir to the store she has been stranded in.

Snow Angel was well thought out, wonderfully written and a great addition to this compilation of authors! I loved Aidens easy going nature and found his way at soothing Allies fears commendable. Allie was skittish from watching her mothers parade of men while growing up and Aiden knew laying everything on the line early would only send her running again. I felt for Allie and her views on men and was so glad she took a chance with Aiden to learn to love.

I give the Unwrapped anthology 3.50 stars!

Summer Shorts Anthology

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Sweet Romance Short Stories

Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press

My Copy: Sent For Review

Summer Shorts is a collection of light romantic reads about love, life and endless summer nights.
With everything from a first kiss, to the rekindling of a long marriage, there is something for everyone. Beaches, cruises and summer days, perfect for tucking into your beach bag or your e-reader, and heading off to lie in the sun, bask in the warm breezes, and dream….
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Authors and Stories:

Declarations of Dependence by Margaret Ethridge
Best Friends by Suzanne Barrett
Retrieving Hope by Bobbye Terry
Beach Towel by Grace Greene
Fireworks by Julie Anne Lindsey
The Green House by Amie Denman
Old Devil Moon by Bobbye Terry
Surf’s Up by Krista Ames

Summer Shorts is a collection of super short, easy to read, sweet romances. As with any anthology, there were hits and misses but overall I found this to be quite enjoyable. I find sweet romance to be a welcome genre when I am simply looking to feel a bit nostalgic. I like these because they make me feel like I did when I first started dating. That rush of emotions when you first make eye contact. The first kiss and how there are explosions inside your head when your lips touch theirs. It’s not down and dirty…that comes later heh. Sweet romance is about budding relationships.

There were a couple of these short stories that really stood out to me. First was “Declarations Of Dependence” by Margaret Ethridge. Being the first story in the book, it hooked me. I loved the characters of Ellie and Jack. Ok, it totally helped that jack was a FBI agent. This one was well wrote and it plopped you down in the middle of an ongoing story. I like the idea of basically peeking into these peoples lives for just a sec. It ended well and the only thing I was left with was wanting more.

Beach Towel by Grace Greene was also very good. I liked the concept of a scorned bride and the best man hooking up. I thought Jay was an excellent catch for poor Carrie. I instantly felt for Carrie having found out her husband to be was hooking up with a bridesmaid. Jay following her to her hideout was cute and his persistence even cuter. By the end of it I was hoping for the best with those two.

Old Devil Moon by Bobbye Terry was an excellent addition. I tend to like country music stars and this one gave me some insight into one. I enjoyed Peyton and Joe together. Both had been through the same ordeal and so healing was something they had in common. I felt for Peyton who had recently lost her husband. Sometimes when you’re not looking is when you find something important.

Fireworks by Julie Ann Lindsey. You all know I have to talk about this one. My dear cousin wrote it and I will be honest, I may have squeeee’d a little when I saw her name on the front and then when I saw it on the page. I am used to getting these things in my email to read you see. I’m so incredibly proud of her. Fireworks gives us Lacy and Harrison. Two people from a world apart who connect on a cruise ship and find out the world isn’t as big as it seems. Harrison is from South Africa and we all know I’m a accent whore- so I enjoyed him immensely. I liked Lacy because she was a career driven woman who was caught completely off guard by this man. I thought it was original and I was sad it was so short…no worries though…she has full novella’s coming in a few months. *wink wink*

Summer Shorts is a great anthology that is totally worth it for you to pick up. At the end of the book there are also excerpts from all the authors upcoming novellas/novels was nice to have. I will be looking for some of these authors in the future.

I give Summer Shorts Anthology 3.50 stars!

Kiss Me Kill Me- Anthology

Available: NOW Amazon/Smashwords/Barnes and Noble/ (Only in e-book form)

Type: Anthology

Publisher: Self Published

My Copy: Sent From One Of the Authors For Review

This anthology, like all anthologies had some great short stories and some I just skimmed through. I am only going to highlight those that I absolutely loved here in my review. Having said that several were about characters from books I had already read so I will also be telling you which series these hailed from as it really isn’t necessary but nice to know the background of the short stories in this book.

Cat Fight by Zoe Winters: This book picks up after her first prenaturals short in the compilation: Blood Lust. In Kept we met Greta the cat therian (aka shapeshifter) and the man she fell in love with, a sorcerer, Dayne. That short was really good btw and if you have a chance to pick up Blood Lust (which contains 3 short stories) I really do recommend them.

In Cat Fight we get another glimpse into their world and how they are handling being together after kept ended. Zoe Winters is a wonderful writer that can do so much in such a short time. I enjoyed the interaction between Dayne and Greta and how he handles a woman that is more cat that human at times.

Available: NOW Amazon/Barnes and Noble (Links for e version)

*Available in paperback as well*

OR you can download Kept for FREE HERE

 

A Fairytale Ending by M.T. Murphy: This was a short about Lucifera (loved the take that she was a woman and not a man like everyone else says) and her “pet” werewolf. When Jennifer takes out the trash for her scumbag boss, she never expected to be propositioned with money to lure a man out to his death. But thats exactly what happens in this short, no happily ever after tale. This was a dark short that had me wondering about the rest of the story.  I will be looking for more from M.T.

Wild Passion by Lori Brighton: This short brought her past two full length novels to a close by letting us see a glimpse of Adelaide who we met in the previous book, Wild Desire. Adelaide has the gift of seeing the future, for everyone but herself. Attempting to provide a better life for her ailing mother she goes after a statue with immense power. One men will and have killed for. Her father being one of them. She finally retrieves it only to have it stolen by a rival treasure hunter James. James can’t deny the instant attraction they have and in his mission to claim his own treasure he might have found something even more valuable…love.

LOVED this one! It’s longer then most of the other shorts. Lori is incredibly talented and I’ve loved both other books in this series. I was so excited to hear there was a 3rd in Kiss Me Kill Me. With it being a bit longer you have more time to connect with the characters and fully see the arc of their stories. I will read anything Lori writes!

Available NOW: Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Borders (links are for the e version)

*Available in paperback as well*

 

Available NOW: Amazon/Barnes and Noble Links for e version)

*Available in paperback as well*

 

 

The Sacrifice by Toni LoTempio: I enjoyed this one because it took a romance and put a devil worshiping spin on it. The short didn’t so much focus on the romance but more on the creepy demon fiance and his weird vampire family of the undead. Once Jennifer realizes the mistake she has made in agreeing to marry Alfred, she is counting on her ex-boyfriend Peter to save the day. Short, sweet (err creepy) and I loved it….

 

Ok so only 4 out of the 9 stories stood out to me…but that’s okay because they make the book completely worth it! And what I didn’t like you certainly could! At this price….AND for charity…you can’t beat it.

*This e-book is only .99!! AND all proceeds go to GreaterGood.org Charity!*

 

 I give the Kiss Me Kill Me anthology 4 stars!

Lori Brighton Guest Post and GIVEAWAY

Morning everyone! Today begins a week of guest posts and GIVEAWAYS here at Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind. No, there is no special occasion it just happened to fall into place that way. To kick it off today we have Lori Brighton, who is one of my favorite authors! Lori has had a couple of print releases including her new book Wild Desire, as well as several indie releases in ebook forms.

So let’s welcome Lori!

Lori, what have been your challenges in writing a historical paranormal?  Not many authors take on a historical paranormal romance at all, why did you decide to?

You could say I’ve always been an imaginative person. My favorite movies when I was growing up were those adventurous type films like Indiana Jones, the kind of movies that took you to another world and threw you into a place of suspense. The historical aspect didn’t hurt. In fact I went to college for Anthropology but realized rather quickly that digging in the dirt was way less romantic and much more…dirty than I’d thought. But there was one way I could go on adventures and not get so messy…writing.

The first book I wrote was a romantic suspense with plenty of life or death situations to drum up the rate of your heart. As much as I liked to write an emotional read, I also loved those external adventurous plot points. When I read books by authors who focus mostly on internal problems, I’m always a little astonished that they can pull off such a feat while keeping the readers interested.

But I also love history and there is nothing, in my opinion, more romantic than the Victorian era. Perhaps it’s because my mom would always take me to antique shops and since we lived in the U.S. those antique shops were full of Victorian era objects. It’s always been one of my favorite eras. When I sit down to write a historical romance, they always seem to take place in the 1800s.

But suspense and history aren’t the only things I have in my books. Over and over again, the paranormal tends to slip into my plots, even when I’m not expecting it. When I started Wild Heart, my first N.Y. published book, I had intended for it to be a historical romance. But I realized I could make the book more unique and give the two main characters a deeper connection if there was a paranormal aspect. And so Wild Heart became a historical paranormal. Wild Desire, the spinoff to Wild Heart, has even more paranormal.

But as I’m starting to learn, combining my favorites themes isn’t all rainbows and lollipops. Many historical readers are puritans in that they want their historical books to be historicals; no vampires, no werewolves, just good old fashioned history. And on the other hand, paranormal readers aren’t used to reading historicals. And believe me there is a difference between a historical and paranormal romance.

For one, historical romances often have a fine balance between internal and external conflict. And, in fact, if they do lean toward one over the other, it’s usually internal conflict. The heroine or hero often have to overcome something emotional to have that happily ever after. There is a lot of talk about feelings and love. And brooding abounds!
Whereas in most paranormals, if the hero broods too much, the heroine would merely kick his ass. Sweet and meek heroines are not found in the paranormal world and feelings tend to be for pansies. Even the heroine has to be tough as nails, which usually wouldn’t go over well with historical readers. As for internal versus external problems… the external is usually at the forefront, with the heroine or hero often focused on saving the world.

Writing in all genres has certainly been a learning process for me. So how about you… are you a puritan who likes to keep your subgenres separated? Or are you a ‘more the merrier’ kind of reader?

 

Leave a comment. TWO people will win a signed printed copy of my historical paranormal Wild Desire, an Ecopy of A Night of Secrets AND an ecopy of Kiss Me, Kill Me.

Grayson Bellamont has spent years on the Continent, fighting a war he cares nothing for. It is only while in the chaos of battle that he can hide what he truly is, a Vampire. Returning to England, he finds his sister murdered and his seven-year-old niece missing. All over the country Vampires are mysteriously dying. Grayson sets out to uncover the truth and locate his niece before it’s too late. All leads point to Meg James, a Vicar’s daughter. Instinct tells him Meg is innocent, but the clues he uncovers warn she’s guilty. One thing is clear, Meg awakens a warmth inside of him he thought long dead and Grayson is torn between a sense of duty and his desires.

Vowing to honor a promise, Meg concocts a lie to keep a stranger’s child safe. She had no idea that protecting the child would mean putting her own life in danger. When Grayson arrives asking questions, Meg’s unease flares. Who is this mysterious man who seems to appear and disappear as quickly as a spirit? A man with strength like no other? As he pushes ever closer, taking over her senses with his touch, his kiss and his unexpected honor, she realizes she has even more to lose. Meg is falling in love with Grayson, but will he believe her when the truth will condemn the one person he trusts the most?

First He Drove Her Mad

In what feels like a moment, Beatrice Edmund goes from being a proper lady cooped up in a stuffy Scottish castle to traveling miles from anything she’s ever known, in the midst of the wildest adventure of her life. And at the center of that adventure is the most infuriating, puzzling scoundrel on earth. She cannot take her eyes off him.

Then He Drove Her Wild

Colin Fitch cannot deny he’s drawn to Beatrice–but lust is all he could possibly feel for the sharp-tongued minx. Still, if there’s a chance she can help him stop the madman he pursues, he must withstand her obvious disapproval. Yet withstanding the longing he feels for her is growing more troublesome by the second. . . And Colin has never been terribly good at staying out of trouble. . .

This is a brand new paranormal anthology from some AWESOME authors! And better yet if you don’t win, you can get your very own copy for only .99 at Smashwords and all proceeds go to charity!

Thank you so much Lori! This has been a lot of fun and what a fantastic giveaway as well!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

The Naughty List- Anthology

Wow, this one took me an entire week to get through because of my work schedule and the fact that I was dog tired by the time I plopped down on the couch each night LOL. I had trouble getting into it and feared it would be a DNF (did not finish) but I prevailed once I got into the second story.

Naughty But Nice by Donna Kaufman – Melody hated what Griffon stood for. What gives him the right to come into her quaint little town and want to change everything? But from the moment she sees him standing in her bakery, she knows there is something about him. Something that makes her long to look past the business man exterior, and into his heart and soul.

Griffon has been sent to Hamilton to make some changes. Changes that will ensure not only the continued success of the company that keeps the town afloat…but also those of the townspeople. Butting heads with the gorgeous baker isn’t something he planned to do. Falling in love certainly wasn’t in his business models. But rags to riches Griffon has learned to deal with unexpected changes in his life…Melody isn’t going to be the exception.

Don’t get me wrong, the story was cute. I just couldn’t get into it. I never fully understood Melody’s gripes with the towns plans of change. I could see where she wasn’t wanting to go global with her small company, but her resistance with wanting to pull money into her faltering community was odd to me. Guess I’m just not a nostalgic kind of person. It also grated on me that she never once thought about moving back to Ireland with Griffon, but thought about moving away from her town when she was resisting the change. Hello, woman…You can bake cupcakes anywhere..

I give Naughty But Nice by Donna Kaufman 2.50 stars.

 

All I Want For Christmas by Cynthia Eden – Christie is known for being the “good girl” the one that wouldn’t do anything classified as racy. When she decided to blow that image with sexy family friend Jonas he can hardly believe it. Where is the girl he has pined over for years? The new girl is sitting on his lap offering all kind of sexy goodness. Jonas might get to use his standard issue cop handcuffs for something entirely more fun if he has anything to say about it. When Chistie’s office is trashed his bad boy protector comes out in full force. No one is getting to this woman he just managed to wrangle into his bed. Santa is working overtime this Christmas…

I enjoyed Cynthia’s novella contribution much more than the first. I enjoyed the lively interactions between Christie and Jonas. I have a little thing for uniforms though…where are these sexy cops? I haven’t ever seen one that look like those in these books *sigh*. If I did I would find a way to get arrested…

I’m a huge fan of Cynthia’s writing style. Her scenes are well laid out with making me feel like there is access descriptions. Her sex scenes are hot but never cross the line into erotica. She will make you care for the characters in record time. there aren’t many authors that can do that in a novella. Cynthia’s stands out for me in that regard.

I give All I Want For Christmas 3.50 stars!

 

Tattoos and Mistletoe by Susan Fox - The last place Charlie wants to go is home. Running from her past has become an art form, just like her tattoo career. Going back to take care of a willed property, a wilting B&B passed on by her recently deceased aunt, isn’t how she wanted to spend her time. Finding an extremely hot contractor in the B&B when she arrives wasn’t the plan either, but that problem is much easier to deal with. Finding out he is a blast from her past however……

L.J left his nerdy, self-conscious teenage self behind with hard work. Getting over a secret crush from his childhood, was even harder. In fact he never really accomplished that at all. He knows Charlie got the short end of the stick with her home life. Now, years later he is getting the chance to prove to her that love isn’t a horrible thing. Getting her to change her mind and stop the cycle of running is going to be the hardest renovation he’s ever done.

I liked this novella as well, though it didn’t knock my socks off. It was steady, the characters were well wrote and I identified with Charlie’s emotions. I found LJ to be kinda blah though. Don’t get me wrong, he was a sexy piece of man candy for sure. I can’t put my finger on why he irked me. Maybe it was his inability to say something to his parents until towards the end of the novella. I would have long ago voiced my concerns….but I have a big mouth. I did like when he finally got around to telling his parents to shove their judgmental views and opinions. But felt that he should have done it look ago.I did enjoy the tattoo aspect though. I still think that having a tattoo or being a tattoo artist is still slightly taboo…so it was nice to see it done justice in a favorable light.

I give Tattoos and Mistletoe 2.75 stars!

 

Naughty and Nice anthology combined and overall:

3 stars!

Winter Wishes – Anthology

Publisher: Carina Press

Publish Date: 12/6/2010

Tangled Tinsel
By Vivian Arend

She’s the cat’s meow, and he’s ready to pounce!

Five miles of leather-clad leg is all it takes to lure Kyle Branegan out from his carefully hidden lifestyle as part of the Cougar Corp, a secret branch of the Shifter Enforcer League. He’s hoping for a night of fun and frolic, cat-style, no strings attached. With a sultry swing of her hips, Eloise Scott tangles him up in her ball of tricks, and just when he thinks he’s about to get lucky, she cuffs him-naked-to her bed.

An undercover cop in the human police force, El’s been given a top-secret mission to keep the big cat under her paw until he’s needed to testify in court in the New Year. Her decision to take him home for a quiet Christmas in her sleepy hometown turns out to be far more interesting than she expected. Her parents are suddenly rich, her old boyfriend is sniffing around and all six-feet-plus of sexy cougar male is sleeping in her bed.

And that’s before they announce their fake engagement…

Whew, this was a sexy, fast paced novella that caught my attention and held it steady through its short ride. This was the longest novella in Winter Wishes so I felt the most connected to these characters. I loved the fierceness of El and the way she totally took control and had it within her power to kick ass and take names. Kyle was totally laid back until he felt El was threatened and then he sprang first and thought later. His loyalty was cute and really, who doesn’t want their man to stand up and have their back? Even if they may not need it. I did feel that Kyle, being in law enforcement, could have been tougher. We only see glimpses of his full potential. I felt that he could have been much more alpha.

I liked the twist that the general public is fully aware of the existence of shifters and actually embraces them. It was a breath of fresh air to see the shifters mingling in their animal forms with everyone else.

Tangled Tinsel keeps in line with shifter romances by providing the reader with lots of hard muscled men and sexy story line. Vivian does a great job of painting the picture and based on this I will definitely be picking up a full length novel from Vivian.

No Angel
By Vivi Andrews

When Sasha’s boyfriend, Jay, is sucked through a fiery vortex to Hell, an angel reveals that Sasha’s been chosen as the Champion of Virtue in the battle for his immortal soul. As a perennial offender on Santa’s naughty list, Sasha can’t believe she’s anyone’s idea of a girl fighting on the side of the angels. But if she doesn’t save Jay, he’ll be stuck in Hell forever!

Jay-aka Jevroth-isn’t surprised to find himself back in Hell. His visa to visit the mortal plane expired three months ago, but to steal more time with Sasha he’s been ignoring his mother’s demands that he come home to spend time with his new stepfather: Lucifer.

Sasha has until dawn on the twenty-fifth of December to fight the Legions of Hell and rescue Jay, or be trapped there for eternity herself. But now she must decide if the lying son-of-a-demon is even worth saving…

No Angel’s only bad point was that it wasn’t long enough for me. I did enjoy it and I liked the way the story was told…but I didn’t ever fully connect with the characters.

I loved Sasha and Jay together though. Jay went from being a mild-mannered “Clarke Kent” to a sexy “keep away from my woman” demon. I love me a sexy demon. YUMMY. Throw in some sexier than life Angels (Which Vivi did) and you have my attention.

Sasha has spent her entire life living in the shadow of her families Hollywood status. As a result of constantly being used she has built emotional walls around her heart. When her boyfriend Jay gets sucked into hell she charges in after him without a second thought. Finding out he used her like everyone else is a blow to her self-esteem.

I loved her progression from guarded to trusting. Yes, it was a fast progression, but in a novella it would have to be. Jay’s ability to win her back  and break through her walls was sweet. Having love professed to you during a sunrise over looking Hollywood has to be one of the most romantic scenes ever set.

My favorite line: “I will shoot you if you say you complete me”

Cute, solid novella. Very light in the “steamy” factor for those of you that don’t like drawn out, descriptive love scenes.

Freeze Line
By Moira Rogers

She can’t survive in his world; he can’t stay sane in hers

A twenty-first century ice age dulls the magic that emanates from the earth. Shane Sullivan is a lone wolf above the freeze line. He has no desire to join the packs that range closer to the border, where feral instincts can turn a man into a monster. Not until the winter solstice, when he stumbles across a dying witch who needs his help to get back to her people-and her magic-in the south.

Nadia is a powerful woman in her own world, but she’s been drained by her escape from captivity in a northern lab. She knows it’s foolhardy to trust a werewolf, but he’s her only chance to survive the vast white wilderness. The farther south they travel, the harder it is for Shane to keep the beast within under control, and as their mutual attraction intensifies, Nadia’s no longer sure she wants him to.

Freeze Line is the shortest of Winter Wishes novellas. I definitely felt like I had missed something by not reading anything from Moira before. It felt like the world in the novella must be from another line of books. Moira does a good job of catching everyone up in a short amount of time.

Shane is a werewolf mourning the loss of his girlfriend. He has isolated himself in the far north where the ground never thaws and he doesn’t have to succumb to the phases of the moon or the magic of the earth. When he comes upon a half dead witch in the middle of a deserted road he begrudgingly takes her home.

Nadia is a powerful witch who was sold to scientists by her tribe. Left in the middle of the cold barren wilderness with none of her powers is a death sentence. When Shane comes along she gladly, if a little warily, goes with him.

As the two try to make it to the southern lands where the earth is warm and power flows freely, they become attached. Shane will have to overcome his tortured memories and come to terms with his inner wolf if he and Nadia stand a chance at having a connection worth fighting for.
The story was short, but the emotion was there. The twists on the typical werewolf or witch story lines were very original. Tieing the earth into their paranormal powers was something I hadn’t read before. The heat factor in Freeze Line was very minimal. The story had a Mad max-ish feel…you know, without crazy Mel Gibson and leather chaps.

Winter Wishes was a great anthology that I would recommend to anyone looking to try different authors. Each novella was fast paced and well wrote. If you’re looking for a holiday read with some paranormal heart…Winter Wishes is for you.

I give Winter Wishes 3.75 stars!

*SIDE NOTE* Moira will be here for an interview and GIVEAWAY Monday!