Taming Her Forbidden Earl by Catherine Hemmerling

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Entangled

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

Everyone knows William Bredon, the earl of Pembroke, has a reputation as a captivating rogue, determined to never marry until his duty to produce an heir requires it. So when he invites Lady Hannah Rochester to dance, Hannah vows to keep her distance. But the undeniably gorgeous William, with his dark humor and seductive gaze, draws her in nonetheless.

Of course, Lady Hannah is not completely what she seems, either. A member of the dowager Lady Lancaster’s Garden Society, she secretly spends her days solving mysteries and uncovering intrigues, and when she brings William into the fold, a sinister plot develops that brings the two closer together. William’s protective nature ensures he remains by Hannah’s side, but he will not surrender his anti-marriage stance. Can intrigue, passion, and maybe even a little bit of scandal reform the most notorious of rakes?

An engaging start to a new series that is enjoyable to the end.

Lady Lancaster hosts five young ladies on a regular basis at her home; the Young Ladies Garden Society meeting is, for all outward appearances, a social gathering however these young ladies are here for a purpose. Several years ago Lady Lancaster was bored after her husband died and came up with the idea of helping others, usually respectable families, out of the kindness of her heart. And while it may have started as charitable and innocent, lately the women are being asked to do more, such as solving mysteries and crimes.

The five ladies were all recruited for their skills; Rose Warren hides a logical mind, Hope Stuckeley is a people pleaser, Sarah Jardin is compassionate and willing to help, Emily Moss is a master of disguises, and then there is Hannah Rochester. It was Hannah who Lady Lancaster first invited to join her. She is the daughter of an Earl and is able to gain access to all walks of society.

Hannah finds out her brother David is involved with an illegal smuggling scheme and she wants to help him get out of trouble since lately he has been involved with several scandalous problems and along with two others (Simon Trumbull and Alexander Bredon) has been getting into trouble. She talks to Lady Lancaster about her dilemma and the Duchess suggests that Hannah might want to gain the help of Alexander’s brother William.

William Bredon, the Earl of Pembroke is an eligible bachelor that usually stays away from the social activity that surrounds the ton, he is in no hurry to marry and will only do so when it is time to produce an heir. His father treated everyone in the family poorly, beating his mother, brother and himself and William has always been afraid that he may turn into his father when he married. He will only go to these social functions when his mother specifically asks him, as he would do anything to please her. So he finds himself at a ball where he meets Hannah and is immediately attracted to her. He even saves her from Lord Shrewsbury who has been causing problems for Hannah, as he wants to marry her and she would rather do anything except that.

As William and Hannah uncover information about the smuggling, they find out that not only are the three friends involved but Lord Shrewsbury also seems to have a hand in the operation. He even goes so far as to try to blackmail Hannah into marriage in order to save her brother. So William and Hannah come up with a plan that involves the Garden Society’s young ladies along with the brothers. As the danger and intrigue build, they find they must create a bit of chaos in order to succeed with their plan.

I enjoyed this fun and interesting story, this is the beginning of a series about those that belong to the Young Ladies Garden Society. I like all the characters and enjoyed the chemistry between William and Hannah. They became friends trying to help each other’s brother get out of trouble and as they tried to reach this common goal, their relationship grows. Although William is reluctant to get married I did feel that he “fell” a bit too fast toward the end for Hannah. After Hannah experiences an accident that comes close to killing her, he was immediately in love and it did not matter anymore that he was worried he would turn into his father. I did love the way those around both Hannah and William conspired to get them together with some reverse psychology, the mothers were fun and I laughed out loud at one incident. All in all a wonderful start and I look forward to seeing these characters in upcoming books.

I give Taming Her Forbidden Earl by Catherine Hemmerling 3.50 stars!

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!

The Spanish Billionaire’s Hired Bride by Rachel Lyndhurst

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

He bought her with cold, hard cash, but can she stop him from stealing her heart?

Blackmailed to marry against his will, Ricardo Almanza needs a wife before he’s thirty, and time is running out. A notorious playboy, marriage is the last thing he wants, but his stepmother’s sexy, debt-ridden personal assistant is the perfect solution. He makes her a business deal she can’t refuse—one million euros for three months as his wife. He might even enjoy being married to her … if she doesn’t kick the crap out of him again.

Helen Marshall can’t believe she’s considering Almanza’s outrageous proposal, but she must help clear her parents’ debts or they face financial ruin. The small print on the marriage contract changes to read three months as his wife in every way—including in the bedroom. Has she gotten in too deep, or will she need a new contract addendum, extending their marriage forever?

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After I finished reading this book I was slightly at odds with myself. I found it to be an enjoyable read but I wasn’t attached to either character in the end, making it hard to write a review. When I love a book I want to sing to the heavens and tell everyone about it. When I hate the book….well I want to tell everyone about it heh.

I found both characters of Helen and Ricardo to be very strong willed. Ricardo being used to people doing what he wants simply because of who he is and Helen having to constantly stand up for her family and requiring a backbone of steel to do so. When Helen takes a job in the Almanza household she never thought she’d be accused of stealing and get a marriage proposal in one night…let alone from the same man. Ricardo needs to settle an old debt and to do so he needs a bride. Helen provides him with exactly what he needs and the money he offers in exchange could finally free her family from the financial burdens they have been facing.

I liked both characters and I thought the story line was well wrote…I just didn’t connect with either character. The majority of the time  Ricardo came off as a huge ass. His money and stature made for a huge ego that took a lot of time to deflate. Lyndhurst did an excellent job at the ass part but I thought he played that card a little too long and when he finally did thaw out it felt a bit rushed. I never did quite understand what Helen saw in the man. You know, other then the body…..the accent….and the loads and loads of money.

The financial woes Helen’s family faced were in a round about way tied to Ricardo himself, or well, his company. A land developer company that was trying to buy the farm out from under them to develop new buildings was headed by a common foe. Helen of course, jumps to the conclusion that Ricardo has been behind it all and was simply seducing her for fun. Though Ricardo comes to his own sudden conclusions as well so both are to blame there.

I think there was a missed opportunity with Ricardo’s nemesis. There is much buildup to his part in the book and then nothing really comes from it. I would have thought that including him, perhaps in a slight suspense-esqe twist, it would have bonded the two characters faster and unthawed Ricardo a bit better. Lyndhurst does try to soften him by throwing him into a selfless act…but I didn’t think it was enough to win me completely over in the span of time I was given.

The Spanish Billionaire’s Hired Bride reminded me of the romance books I started out with…those short, happily ever afters that my grandma used to get in the mail monthly. Rachel Lyndhurst is definitely an author whom I will read again. Her writing was strong and though I didn’t particularly love it, I think readers that like short, sensual reads, will likely enjoy it.

 

I give The Spanish Billionaire’s Hired Bride by Rachel Lyndhurst 3 stars!

Jane’s Gift by Karen Erickson

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Bliss)

My Copy: Bought

Reviewer: Pam

A devastating house fire cost Jane Clark nearly everything: her husband, her confidence, and her looks, with the physical scars marbling her body. Now, two years later, she’s living and healing back in her childhood hometown of Lone Pine Lake. The upcoming holidays are the perfect opportunity to bring some Christmas cheer into her young children’s lives, starting with a visit to the firehouse, where her brother’s best friend has offered to help quell their residual fears.

Lone Pine’s resident playboy, fire captain Christian Nelson is happy with his single-guy lifestyle. He’s an everyday local hero, so he’s never wanting for attention around the holidays. But when Jane Clark shows up, Chris is immediately drawn to the beautiful widow—even though kids and commitment have never been his style.

Despite her brother’s warnings about his friend’s playboy status and dangerous occupation, Jane can’t help but fall for the gorgeous fire captain. The holidays are a time of new beginnings, but can two scarred people find the strength to let go of their pasts to live in the present, when a lifetime together might be the sweetest gift of all?

 

Jane’s Gift is a very enjoyable holiday story that tugs at your heart and has you believe in the miracle of love.

Jane Clark moved back home to the safety of her family after a devastating fire two years ago that killed her husband and left her with scars on both her body and mind. She is trying to get back to a normal life with her three kids however she has been unable to move on and even though her kids were not hurt in the fire, the two older ones seem to still be frightened.

With the help of her brother, Jane and the kids visit the fire station to take a tour. She wants to help her kids and maybe herself to get over being anxious of fire. She feels she is cheating her kids when she does not even want to have a fire in the fireplace during the winter. At the station they meet Christian Nelson who is the fire chief and the only full time employee during the winter. He is happy to help his friend’s sister and her kids feel save around a fire station and fire truck. However Chris is unprepared for what he feels for Jane when they first meet. He has always held himself back from any commitment with women and for years has let the community believe the stories that surround him as a player, however he seems to want to take care of Jane and bring her back to the living.

Chris starts by trying to be where she is and asks her out to several functions. She seems to have fun at first but then she gets scared and starts to feel guilty when she is around Chris. She is unsure if it is because she realized her marriage was not as perfect as she thought it was and is sad or because she feels that her kids need her more than Chris. Needless to say Chris is determined to get Jane to live again.

I really enjoyed this book. I love holiday stories and this one did not disappoint, I believe it helps you get into the holiday spirit along with the characters. I like the opposites attract story and the fact that Christian had a certain reputation around the area however was never like that with Jane. The story is packed with emotion and from start to finish it is rough as they wade through their feelings. They both have a lot of baggage they must work through; the passion feels sweet and brings tears to your eyes at times. I like small town romances and enjoyed the interesting characters in the story and hope for more in the future.

I give Jane’s Gift by Karen Erickson 4 stars! 

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Rachel Lyndhurst Guest Post & GIVEAWAY

The Lure of the Mediterranean hero and a thank you to hot guys with scant clothing everywhere.

A lovely fellow RNA member, Lizzie Lamb, asked me a very interesting question recently. Her exact words were: “What’s wrong with home grown men I want to know, Miss Exotic???” The truthful answer is, of course, absolutely nothing! The real man of my dreams is a forty something English accountant with a few grey hairs – I adore him, he’s The One, so why do I write about these exotic foreign men all the time? The answer to that one is … because I can!

It’s hard to describe how wonderful it is to be writing full-time, tapping into my wildest and most extravagant fantasies. I can create worlds, manufacture the perfect alpha male, drop him into an exotic location and give him the kind of financial security most of the world can only dream about.

So it’s fantasy all the way – well almost. My heroines are pretty good at bringing the billionaires back down to earth, both physically and emotionally. My ideal heroine brings balance and I like her very much for this – a little piece of myself goes into every one, she fights my battles, grabs the situation by the balls and doesn’t let go. I really wish I could be more like my heroines in real life sometimes.

Still, back to the subject of exotic guys. My latest is a Spanish Billionaire banker and property tycoon, his Entangled Indulgence buddy is a wealthy Greek lawyer and there’s also a Bugatti driving Italian in my author stable of Mediterranean hotties. They all happen to be tall, dark and handsome too, which is a bit of a cliché, but that’s how I like my fantasy men, so why not? It’s also my starting point when plotting out a new book. If my potential hero looks a certain way, he needs a country of origin to match, so the sizzling southern Mediterranean region is perfect. He will probably have been raised in a country where family, tradition and honour play an important part in life, even if he’s not been dealt his fair share of it. These influences make him into the strong alpha male that I want my readers to fall in love with. He’ll be driven and focussed too, which is how he makes all that very useful money.

My Mediterranean hotties don’t just have strong personalities either; they must have a physique to match. Disciplined in business and their personal lives, their bodies are toned and powerful. We wouldn’t want him running out of steam just when things got interesting in the bedroom, now would we? And I really want my readers to swoon at the very thought of Ricardo Almanza with just a black Egyptian cotton towel covering his modesty. All that silken, soft skin, the color of burnished copper over rock hard muscle and sinew …

I’ll admit I need a little inspiration sometimes when I’m visualising how my hero is going to look. It would be great if the guy who delivers the groceries could do that, but sadly that doesn’t happen very often – in fact I don’t think it ever has, so I have to put in a fair deal of research. Which is tough obviously …

Fortunately there’s a wealth of visual stimuli to be had these days; glossy magazines, billboards, television, film, Google images, the list is endless. But there still has to be a real man posing for those delicious shots and I think it’s time these lovely men got some recognition. So I’d like to say  a kind of thank you to all the hot guys out there who work out endlessly and forgo the beer and potato chips for our pleasure and, ahem, research. In fact I’d like to do a special giveaway in their honour. How do you fancy a whole year’s worth of sexy eye-popping inspiration? I know I do, and so do most of my girlfriends.
Hot or WHAT?!

This fabulous prize of Helma365′s Men 2013 Calendar will be purchased by me from Amazon and sent on to the lucky winner once they have been selected.

The giveaway runs from today, Nov 21^st ,through to Nov 27th at midnight EST. So get entering and good luck! Simply click the link to enter! Open to US residents!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, Nikki, thanks so much for having me today, it’s been brilliant fun. I think I might have to buy two of these calendars now though and keep one for myself. Shhhh! ;0)

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RACHEL LYNDHURST

I write full-time now my children are at school, but I’m still a teeny bit proud of my law degree and accountancy qualifications. I’ve also had a lot of fun in the past working in the space industry, pharmaceuticals, insurance, a supermarket, a bus station, a railway depot, and a lingerie department.

I live, and write, surrounded by laundry and old newspapers most of the time with my daughter, son and The Exec in Fareham, on the south coast of England. Sometimes I can smell the sea from my back garden and I have grand designs on a luxurious garden office one day. Or a castle, I’m not fussy.

When I’m not working, I do enjoy a good rummage through  a decent antique shop,  and popping into Sainsbury’s. Oh, and wine and expensive lipstick are non-negotiable .

I love to hear from my readers ( especially the male supermodel ones), so please feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment on my blog: http://www.rachellyndhurst.com/

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The Spanish Billionaire’s Hired Bride

He bought her with cold, hard cash, but can she stop him from stealing her heart?

Blackmailed to marry against his will, Ricardo Almanza needs a wife before he’s thirty, and time is running out. A notorious playboy, marriage is the last thing he wants, but his stepmother’s sexy, debt-ridden personal assistant is the perfect solution. He makes her a business deal she can’t refuse—one million euros for three months as his wife. He might even enjoy being married to her … if she doesn’t kick the crap out of him again.

Helen Marshall can’t believe she’s considering Almanza’s outrageous proposal, but she must help clear her parents’ debts or they face financial ruin. The small print on the marriage contract changes to read three months as his wife in every way—including in the bedroom. Has she gotten in too deep, or will she need a new contract addendum, extending their marriage forever?

Buy links:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spanish-Billionaires-Hired-Bride-ebook/dp/B009R82P5O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1350471239&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Billionaires-Hired-Bride-ebook/dp/B009R82P5O/ref=sr_1_sc_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1350463397&sr=1-3-spell

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-spanish-billionaires-hired-bride-rachel-lyndhurst/1113499401?ean=2940015515824

Find Rachel at:

http://www.rachellyndhurst.com/

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/rachel.lyndhurst.7

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/RachelLyndhurst

https://twitter.com/RachelLyndhurst

The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek (Curse Of The Phoenix #3)

Available: Now

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

My Copy: Sent -Bewitching Book Tours

Though she’s always hated being a phoenix, Sadie has to admit immortality has its advantages. She’s seen and done more in the last 150 years than she’d ever dreamed of, but she can’t get past the fact that Osiris has done nothing but manipulate her and her fellow phoenixes. Or that, when her last incarnation as a phoenix comes to a fiery end, the fire slowly begins to consume her body.

Sun god Osiris is ashamed of his role as ruler of the Underworld, but unless he can figure out how to save Sadie, that’s exactly where she’s going to end up.

Permanently. Terrified he’s going to lose her, he takes her on a hunt for The Book of the Dead, which is the only way he knows he can save her—even if it means she’ll hate him forever.

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The last of the remaining cursed phoenixes, Sadie, doesn’t understand why Osiris won’t just let her go. In her mind, she has done everything he has asked of her for over a hundred years and yet she is still with him. Still working for him. When her last job results in a sickness of flames roaming her body with the rise of her emotions Sadie knows something is wrong. She is getting weaker and paler with every move she makes. Afraid of hurting someone she goes to Osiris hoping he can help.

Osiris is desperate to help the one woman he damned years ago for no reason. He has to have her. Has to keep her and nothing is going to stand in his way. He’s a God, if anyone can break the rules he should be able to. Osiris has been in love with Sadie a very long time. Now if only she could admit to herself that she’s been in love with him too.

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I have been looking forward to this book since I first read Ice’s story awhile back. I have steadily followed these characters because I love the way in which they are wrote. I love the depth of the characters and the way they just pull me in and keep me ensconced for chapter after chapter.  Osiris, from the beginning was a character I wanted to sink my teeth into. He is guarded and really, unsure of himself though he masks it with superiority and arrogance. Once it comes out that he himself is the fourth phoenix that had been living with Sadie in previous books I knew he must have a thing for her.

The Last Beginning opens with a look back 150 yrs to when he took Sadie from her life and cursed her with the phoenix. He did so in a purely selfish move because she had not sinned and didn’t need to repent for anything. In her mind, she thought she was going to hell already and so Osiris just let her believe as much. The injustice of what he took from her hurt my heart. All because he couldn’t approach her and just give her a choice. Again, surely because he was afraid of what she might say.

When Ice and Arabella become mortal again, leaving only her, she becomes lonely. She spends much of the book confused and scared for what her future holds since she believes she may end up in hell. I really disliked Osiris for using that fear against her to keep her close. Though his dedication I suppose should be commended. Especially when Sadie becomes sick and Osiris doesn’t know why. He becomes obsessed with finding a cure, regardless of Sadie’s wishes.

I enjoyed the fact that they had a intense emotional connection for much of the book. Even if Sadie denied it a lot. They were sensual without trying and when they come together it was almost sweet instead of “wham bam thank you mam”. I did get annoyed with Sadie’s back and forth on every single thing. Does she go with Osiris? Does she stay away? Does she even like him at all? Kiss him then push him away. For a woman as old as she was, she sure acted really young sometimes.

I also felt like this was wrapped up extremely fast. I think I just wanted something a bit longer. It felt so much shorter then the other two books, though I don’t know if it is or not. I felt a bit rushed there in the last few chapters like everything happened way to quickly and was resolved way to easily. The last page or so wasn’t enough for me to feel a happily ever after. Maybe it’s because I liked these characters so much and had looked forward to it since the beginning. Regardless, I think the ending hurt my perception of it just slightly.

 

I give The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek 3.75 stars!

The Last Awakening by Rachel Firasek (Curse Of The Phoenix #2)

Available: Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

My Copy: Blog Tour

For three hundred years, Arabella’s life has been one meaningless death after another. In a cruel twist of fate, Osiris–god of the Underworld–gifts the phoenix her mortality and returns her voodoo magic. If she fails to harness her wayward magic and save a man worthy of a second chance, she’ll forfeit her power and her soul–forever.

Ex-soldier Greyson Meadows desperately wants to be freed from the nightmares and guilt that haunt him after the tragedy that brought him and Ari together. Confronted by the waif of a woman who forces him to face his worst fears, he resists, fighting the need to keep his personal demons hidden instead of setting them free.

When Ari becomes the target of her own magical blunder, it’s not just her life in danger, but now the one of the man she loves.

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Ari has been waiting years to be free of her Phoenix but now that it is happening she doesn’t much like the odds. Her last job ended in the horror of dead bodies. All but one. She did her job and saved the soul she was sent after, but he isn’t out of the woods just yet. Greyson was broken long before the near death experience and now he is in danger of sinking into oblivion. Oblivion named alcohol. If sri is to truly save this remarkable man, she will have to use all her tricks. Including letting her heart finally guide her again.

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Oh my goodness, how I loved this novella! Rachel Firasek has a dedicated reader in this girl! I really liked the first novella in this series, The Last Rising, and this one took it a step further and was even better!

The best thing about Rachel’s work is that she blends paranormal aspects with real life believability that I don’t find in many authors. Ari is several hundred years old voodoo priestess who had been sentenced to life as a Phoenix by the God Osiris after a botched attempt to save a ailing person in her village resulted in the death of everyone instead. Her vulnerability was astounding for a woman who is essentially a calling card of death. She has never been able to forgive herself for the accident in her village and even though she saves one soul each time she is reborn, others aren’t so lucky.

Greyson was a really complex character for a novella but I instantly liked him. A war veteran who had lost his unit in a ambush attack, he drowned his sorrows in the bottle. Constantly drinking to ease his pain. Just when he is starting to make a recovery from the pain of his PTSD, he is involved in a incident at the dorner store that leaves him the only survivor….again. He is a guarded character who believes he isn’t worth anyones time or affection. Certainly not worthy of the beautiful Ari.

Both Ari and Greyson has some major baggage. Ari, having been released from her Phoenix, only has a limited time to help Greyson heal from his past. Greyson completely stubborn and not wanting any help to ease his pain. I felt for them. Their conversations felt true and had it not been for the paranormal, completely normal.

I hope the next book stars Osiris…because wow. He is stoic, kinda crabby but in The Last Awakening we also see his softer, caring side. I find myself drawn to every word about him. *Hint hint* I NEED MORE OF HIM!

With each novella I read of Firasek’s, the better they become! I can’t wait for the next one! The Curse Of The Phoenix series is one that I recommend as a must read!

 

I give The Last Awakening by Rachel Firasek 5 stars!

Character Interview’s With Ice and Turner

After paying two millennia’s penance to Osiris, world-weary Phoenix Ice has had enough. Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how she imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great…or that she’ll end up back in his life for her next assignment.

Now that Turner Alcott has survived the worst, finding a wife and mother for his son matters more than ever before. When the mysterious Ice comes into his life, Turner knows she’s the one—but love is the last thing Ice wants. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.

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Good morning all! I’ve been talking about Rachel Firasek the last few days. Today I have a couple of character interviews from her novella The Last Rising, Ice and Turner. BTW I totally picked the pictures as I saw Ice and Turner in my head. And hey, any excuse for me to post a picture of a good looking cowboy.  

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Meet Ice from The Last Rising- Interview

What does it feel like to fly?
I don’t really remember. When I shift to the phoenix, I’m usually already dead and the process of reincarnating and wiping my memory has already begun. Every once in a while, I’ll have a dream of flying into the sun and it’s like most fulfilling heat you’ll ever know.

What does it feel like to pass through the portal?
I won’t lie. It hurts. But it’s nothing compared to the pain of losing the man you love or your child. I’ve done both.

When you met Turner did you instantly fall in love?    
*she laughs* Love? No. Lust? Oh, hell yeah! He’s the hottest bit of man-meat I’ve seen in a long time.  And there is just something cute about dimples and a crooked smile. He had both, who could resist.

Would you say you are a modern woman?
I like the modern world.  The conveniences that you people have is great. But, I miss the slower pace of my time. I miss the desert and the Nile. Someday… I’ll go back.

From a 2,000 year old Goddess to the modern woman, do you have advice?
When it comes to men? If you want something don’t b afraid. If he resists, use anything possible to sway him to your way of thinking.

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Meet Turner from The Last Rising- Interview

You travel a lot for you job, how does that affect your relationship with your son?
I won’t lie. It’s hard to keep all of my promises, but I do try. In a few years, I should be able to have enough money stashed to slow down. *he looks down* When we had Brodie, I never really imagined I’d be raising him alone.

Where is your wife, Mr. Alcott?
She left. Couldn’t handle raising a son and she hated being left alone with him when I traveled. I don’t really like talking about her.

I’m sorry about that. Have you found someone else? Are you dating?
I’ve dated. Probably more than my share of women, but I’m ready to settle down again. I’ve found a woman I’m interested in, but I have to convince her to thaw out a little.

When you say you’re ready to settle down, I assume you mean marriage. Is that your goal?
Uh, marriage? I’m not sure about that, but I do want a long term relationship and if it develops into marriage, I’d be happy. I need someone that is okay with Brodie, my son, and the busy lifestyle we live.
So, can you give us a brief description of this woman?
She’s exotic. She has straight black hair, fair skin and the lightest eyes you’ve ever seen—well, at least in real life. She got a good figure, but it’s her scent that lures me. I’ve never smelled anyone who reminded me of momma’s laundry. I know that sounds bad, but it’s the scent of home. Sun dried sheets with a fresh clean scent. So good.

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Alright everyone…so what are you waiting for? Get out there and check this one out! I am eagerly awaiting the second novella now. I know it’s less then a month away, but November seems like so long! *whining*.

The Last Rising by Rachel Firasek (Curse Of The Phoenix #1)

Available: 9/6/2011

Type: Paranormal Romance – Novella

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

My Copy: Sent as part of tour

After paying two millennia’s penance to Osiris, world-weary Phoenix Ice has had enough. Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how she imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great…or that she’ll end up back in his life for her next assignment.

Now that Turner Alcott has survived the worst, finding a wife and mother for his son matters more than ever before. When the mysterious Ice comes into his life, Turner knows she’s the one—but love is the last thing Ice wants. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.

As my first Rachel Firasek experience, I would say this was a stunningly good winner! I absolutely adored this novella and will be singing its praises for a long time. As a novella I like to be brought up to speed on back story quickly, given characters I can grow to love in short time spans and a storyline that is engaging as well as gives closure. This novella certainly delivered. I also highly enjoyed the paranormal aspect involving the Phoenix, which has always fascinated me. Mythology as a whole is one of my favorite reads, combined with incredibly sweet love scenes, I was hooked.

The novella centers around Ice, a Phoenix, cursed to die over and over again while saving someone else, someone who has been marked to live. Forced to do this as atonement for a past sin, something she talks to no one about, at the hands of her ex-husband, Osiris. Her last mark, Turner, survived a plane crash as he was supposed to but now Ice is back in his life again. He doesn’t remember much of the fiery crash but he knows his sons new teacher, Ms Nix, is extremely familiar.  He knows how he feels when he’s around her and how much he wants her to fill the void left in his life after Brody’s mom took off. The only problem is, she wants nothing to do with him. Breaking down her resolve becomes a pursuit he can’t ignore.

Ice is harboring major guilt from the death of her family centuries before. She even turned her husband into a God in an attempt to bring him back.Now she is cursed and she longs to be finally set free. To learn whatever lesson she is supposed to and live again.Getting involved with Turner is not in her plans since eventually she will have to leave again, once Osiris finally reveals her new mark.

I enjoyed the interaction between Ice and the rest of the Phoenixs. I thought Rachel effectively set up more novellas for the future in each of them. Ice and Turner were great together with their age old cat and mouse type relationship. I chuckled when Ice resisted him time and time again knowing eventually she would have to crack. Turner chinked at her personal shield continuously along with his son Brody. Brody was just to damn cute. The innocence of his age made me long for Ice to open up her heart to this boy. He was incredibly heart by his mother leaving and the fact that Turner saw that and was trying his best to do right by the boy, made me love them both.

Mythology is a great back drop for romance. Since most people know the basics already it’s such a great place to build upon. You can take stories people already know and add twists and turns wherever you like. I’m the kind of person that when I read about mythology wondered about who they were, what did they do in between these stories the school pounded into my brain. What were they like as individuals. With each new mythology based romance I read, my thirst gets more and more pronounced. I just love them. The Last Rising gave me the Phoenix, which is one of my favorite stories. I was totally enthralled and I can’t wait till I get some more!

I will say there were times as much as I understood Ice’s withdrawal, I wanted to smack her. She kept trying to separate feelings and sex. I thought for someone to who had lived for as long as she had, would know better. I mean, theoretically she had to have seen it played out hundreds of times. Perhaps not with herself, but still, she was constantly around others. I couldn’t understand how she might have missed that.  At least Turner was tenacious. He certainly needed to be.

I give The Last Rising by Rachel Firasek 4 stars

Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne (A New Dawn #1)

Available: Amazon/ B&N

Type: Sci Fi/Romance

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

My Copy: Sent as part of tour

Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind’s last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where mankind can begin anew- a planet that won’t be reached in Aries’ lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe,she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries long voyage.

But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers rumors about pirates – humans who have escaped her before its demise – are true. Handsome, genetically imperfect Striker possess the freedom Aries’ envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet’s native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns freedom will come at a hefty price.

The life of the man she loves.

Paradise 21 was an intriguing story..even though it wasn’t something I normally would read. It’s no secret that sci-fi generally just is not my thing. I like watching it but somehow reading it loses me every time. Well almost every time. It is kinda hard to explain why I liked (and I use that loosely) this book because there were a multitude of things I disliked about it.

I enjoyed Striker. He was an interesting character from the get go. I loved his protectiveness, his ability to think under pressure and the intellect that he used to rebuild a fallen space craft with parts completely foreign to him. He acclimated to his environment when stranded on a strange desert planet quite well. I was surprised by how well he dealt with the appearance of Aries seeing as how he was stranded by his, for lack of a better word, girlfriend type person several years ago. I would have thought he’d be more prickly about seeing a woman but alas, nope, he warmed right up.

Aries was a harder sell to me. I got that she wanted out of her intended marriage. Yada yada, but in all honestly it just felt odd to me. She planned all these things and then ended up on a planet she knew nothing about…it just seemed a bit “woe is me” to me. I would think for someone who had planned so effectively that she would have done a bit more research into when she decided to exit the ship and what planets were nearby.

The planet Aries lands on was what really had me shaking my head. The place had giant sand worms…ala Beetlejuice and Tremors. I couldn’t get past them. I just kept thinking…really? The image…it just wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted something…I dunno…more.

Then there were the inhabitants of the desert planet they found themselves stranded on. The giant lizard men…ala Land Of The Lost. Envision Sleestacks. At this point in the book when these lizard guys showed up I almost lost it. I couldn’t take it seriously.

The whole story like felt like a mishmash of things I had already seen, already read. The plot itself was similar to Across the Universe which is a newer YA book I read awhile back. It too had a space ship that was heading to some paradise planet hundreds of years away. The people on board paired together to further the species until the ship landed…if that were even to happen. The idea of going outside those pairings was unheard of and yet one girl has decided to buck the system and look for escape or true love or to over turn the ship. That seems to be the gist in all the sci fi books like this. Some head honcho making all the decisions for the people while keeping secrets about the destination, the power supply, the food ranks…ect ect.

I thought the romance between Striker and Aries was only lukewarm. That could have been played up much more than it was. I didn’t really get their intense dedication with what we were given. More looks, more touching, something to further show the readers so we could understand the emotional connections better would have been great.

Secondary story lines were good and I hope we get to see a bit more of those as the series progresses. I’d like to know what happens to Strikers ex after the end of this book…and the boy she had taken under her wing as a pseudo mom. I also want to learn more about these aliens they hatched from the basement on their salvaged alien spacecraft. This ‘peaceful” race they saved. I have a hard time believing any race is 100% peaceful so I’m hoping that gets pursued a bit more in the future.

Paradise 21 is a sound book for sci fi lovers. Romance lovers might be disappointed by the lack of heat within the pages.

I give Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne 3 stars!